Girl Talk

Sieben sieben, Ai lyu lyu, Sieben sieben, Ein zwei, Sieben sieben, Ai lyu lyu, Ein zwei drei. Dancing!

Veronica tapped her foot unknowingly to the beat of an obscure Eurovision song that was plaguing her. The tune was catching as herpes, and just as impossible to cure. Maybe this was why people committed suicide, Veronica thought dryly as she read from a book with bored disinterest on her face. Yes, boredom also plagued her. She had done most of her duties, which had included helping the wounded from the robot attacks and ensuring no one got dehydrated while repairing the barracks. Her jaw ached slightly from smiling, so she was happy, well, content, eh, she was comfortable with letting her face relax into it's natural RBF status.

Sieben sieben, Ai lyu lyu, Sieben sieben, Ein zwei, Sieben sieben, Ai lyu lyu, Ein zwei drei. Dancing!

The screaming singing of the cross-dressing silver...thing almost distracted Veronica from the fact that the barracks door opened to reveal a fresh-faced Spencer, the probatio daughter of Fortuna. Veronica felt a cruel smile begin to creep up, but she forced it into a warmer smile. Spencer. Fortuna. Luck favored those who were willing to make luck favor them. "Spencer, child, how are you doing today? Good day with your duties? Training? Any guys hitting on you yet? If not, let me help you spruce up your wardrobe and they won't be able to keep their tongues in their mouths." She said, her voice warm and cooing as she set down her book.

OOC: I had totally forgotten this topic and now I feel really bad. Sorry for the six months wait.

BIC: "What?" Spencer panted, taking her helmet off. Her face was gleaming with sweat and she had eagle feathers stuck in her hair. Sitting on a bunk, a girl with curly brown hair and cooing smile had just talked to her. Veronica. It was hard keeping track of everyone's names here but she knew all the girls in her barrack. "Oh, hey," she smiled. "Nope, no crowd of admirers yet. Can't imagine why," she mused, picking an eagle feather out of one cornrow. Truthfully she hadn't really looked at anyone yet. Everything was so new, so thrilling, she simply didn't pay attention to which boys she found cute.
But all in its own time. First learn how to kick everyone's butt, then find a date.

Veronica smiled and slipped off of her bunk, heading over to the young probatio. "Well, I could help you get noticed by them. Your wardrobe is a little..." Veronica stopped, trying to find the polite word. The socially acceptable word. "Well, it could use some work. Something to bring out hour eyes, something that goes well with your lovely skin tone. Something that accentuates your curves. The boys won't know what hit them. "

"Curves? What curves?" Spencer was still as flat as a dollar bill. Sure she had a bit of hips, a bit of chest, but her body was straight and her waistline was pretty much nonexistent. "Um, I don't really know…" The fact was, she was really not interested in getting a makeover. On the other hand, she didn't want to come off as rude and have a rocky start with one of her barrack mates. In short, she was stuck.

Veronica watched as the daughter of Fortuna balked. Her face didn't betray the annoyance she felt, instead it kept that warm smile as she hummed the song stuck in her head. "Ah, Spencer, honey, you do have curves. More than that, though, child, I will let you in on a secret." Veronica wrapped one arm around Spencer's shoulder, pulling her in close as if this were a very hush hush secret.

"No one says it outright, so if you aren't paying attention, you will miss it. Appearance means as much to the Legion as skill in battle. You have to look professional. Look well put together. Do you think it's any coincidence that military leaders always look very well dressed? Everything in place? Let me help you, it will make life much easier for you."

Spencer looked down at her clothes: she had some sturdy military pants and a shirt that read Train Insane or Stay the Same, her jackboots flecked with mud. She wasn't a fashion icon and she knew it; she had never really cared about being pretty. Pretty didn't win competitions -- well, not the important ones anyway.

However Veronica had been in the Legion for some time, full-fledged part of the First Cohort. She knew what she was talking about. What if Spencer had been sabotaging her image this whole time without realizing it? What if they didn't accept her because of it? Well dammit. Veronica had a point. And she seemed so eager to help!

"....Alright," Spencer gave in. "What should I do?"

"Funny, I'm just coming back from training," Spencer mouthed. Generally she liked splashy colours: neon, intense, vibrant, anything to stand out. With her dark skintone, she loved to wear white as well. And most of all she was fond of those motivational-quotes-shirts like the one she was wearing right now. It wasn't fashionable, but it was comfy and it suited her. "So, Veronica, what's your advice?"

"I think we need a shopping trip, dear. Not right now, no, you're probably a little tired from training. But we definitely need to get together and go out to New Rome, or even San Francisco." Veronica said with a good deal of faked enthusiasm. She actually did like shopping, but really she just wanted to be able to pull a favor with a child of Fortuna when she needed it.

"So how has training been going for you? Hopefully not relying too much on beginner's luck, right?"

She rose her eyebrows. San Francisco? Last time she had gone there she had been attacked by some kind of mythological lion fish thing and had managed to escape the police with the ingenious use of fake moustaches.
However Veronica looked like she really wanted to help her. Spencer was new in the Legion, she'd need people she could rely on. Veronica was a good bet.

"Alright," she said softly. "How about this week end? We got a free afternoon on Saturday."

The daughter of Fortuna went over to her bunk and started unstrapping her leg guards, placing them on a mannequin. "Actually today feels like one of the days where the l in my luck has been changed to an f," Spencer admitted as she passed her cuirass over her head. "Fell twice from the eagle I was riding. Accidentally fired at the Mess Hall with a ballista." Worried, she looked up from the mannequin, to which she was now latching the breastplate. "The aurae won't be too angry, right?"

"If you apologize, the aurae will be understanding. If you don't, well, they may throw a taco salad at your head without warning. They tend to understand probatio mistakes occasionally happen, but they do have their pride. The Eagles definitely have their pride. Try offering one a weasel before hand and you'll have a smoother flight. Most creatures can be adequately bribed." Verona said softly, that blasted song in her head distracting her a little. She hadn't meant to say that everyone could be bribed.

Spencer looked back at the mannequin, feeling heat rising in her cheeks. "Right. I'll do just that." Stupid newbie mistakes! Spencer was very rarely clumsy, but every now and then (generally once a month or so), it happened. "Where can I get weasels?" she wondered, finishing to put her arm greaves on the dummy.

"For some reason there has been a good number of them hanging around Camp for a while. After that strange legacy came to camp, the quiet one in the second cohort. Weasels must like him because he's a grandchild of Trivia, but dozens of weasels have been around ever since." Veronica said as she sat on her bunk, watching young Spencer meticulously prepare her armor. That was good at least. She didn't have to worry about Spencer making a mess of things.

"Oh." Spencer's cheeks burned again as she pretended to fix the strap of her cuirass. She knew who she was talking about. It wasn't necessary to tell Veronica her part in the weasel event though. "So, um," she said, eager to switch topics, "is there anything else I can do to better my position in the legion?"

Veronica forced another smile as her fingers tapped out the tune in her head. "Network with people. Rub elbows with your officers and positions of authority. Get to know people. Scratch their backs. People like people who are able to benefit them. You won't move up in rank or position quickly unless giants come and you single-handed defeat them, but networking is a sure and steady method. Less risk of dying too.

Rub elbows. That sounded a lot like people-pleasing, Spencer thought. She didn't want to flatter someone simply because they were higher in the hierarchy with her. She didn't want to be a fake, or a hypocrite.

"I get along with Romulus," she prudently said. "Does that count?'

Romulus. Oh perfect Romulus, the Legion's most implacable by the book model Roman soldier. Veronica got along decently enough with him, but she always had to be careful that he didn't see though her facade. He was known for being able to understand people's intentions, and hers were rarely noble.

"Romulus is a good start, but just that, a start. He will likely only ever be a pure soldier. Too rigid in his ways to even be a great centurion, which does require some political prowess."

Spencer felt a bit irritated. She really admired Romulus and didn't like it when any of her idols were criticized. Sport mentality. However she bit back the comment she was about to make and instead opted for a more diplomatic response. "So… who do you have in mind? Michael?"

"Michael is good. Or the senators. Any of the Centurions from the other cohorts as well. Sometimes you have to play that by ear, but you'll learn that well enough. I'm sure you exceed at everything you put your mind to." Veronica replied, the last part almost a purr. A corner of her lip pulled up slightly, "It can be a rather fun little game. Playing politics."

Spencer didn't quite agree with what she heard but the compliment won her over. She loved compliments.
However ...politics wasn't quite her thing. To her it had always rhymed either with boredom, or with scheming and cunning and plotting in your advantage. It was a rather slippery terrain in her mind. But Veronica was looking at her expectantly and Spencer realized this was a new challenge. And, sadly for her, she never turned those down. The advice Victoria had given her was pointedly ignored.

"Alright," she said, raising her chin. "I'll try and get to know Michael and some of the other centurions, talk to the important Lares as well."