Time to Treat Yourself | Open

[Deleted]

Isla didn’t visit New Rome all that often, but when she did, boy did she have fun. Mainly this was because the city was a nice escape from the life of a legionary. Back at the camp, it was always about training for this and preparing for that among other monotonous events that made them the best traditional army in history. However, if you valued individualism like Isla did, that life could be suffocating. It was already well known that the most treasured value of Rome (both old and new) was putting the state above the individual. Nothing mattered more than New Rome and as a citizen, you were expected to be a perfectly oiled cog in that machine. If you went against this, you weren’t considered a true Roman.

So it’s easy to see why Isla relished these trips into the city as she always wanted to go her own path. It was almost like she wasn’t a foot soldier at seventeen and instead she was just an average girl spending her Saturday downtown. It was a nice and very welcome change to be perfectly honest. Today, Isla decided that it would be a nice day to explore the marketplace, a place she hadn’t been recently. Isla didn’t trust herself here only because she had a hard time resisting the urge to spend it all at once, but every now and then, she’d explore for the hell of it. As she walked down the street, she glanced at the signs and peered into the windows as she passed all kinds of shops, but none of them were tempting enough to go inside. That is until she came up to one with a “Grand Opening!” sign in the window. Stopping in the middle of the street, she saw that it looked like it was basically a new clothing shop that was given Isla that department store for edgy, but chic^TM vibe. Instantly, Isla was drawn in. That was her style and she just had to check out what was inside. She just had to.

So she went inside and started to peruse the racks to see if there was anything that she was interested in. Sure, it wasn’t like she going to buy anything, but maybe there might be something that might catch her eye. Who knows, maybe she could find something nice before any of the other kids from the camp that were milling about or coming in would...

[Axel Laughlen]

Axel really only visited New Rome when he needed a wardrobe update or he needed different food because he was tired of the same old mess food. Today was one of those days where both were necessary. Vans were on the mind, hunger could wait. He needed these shoes. Well, Axel didn't actually need any more Vans, he already had like five pairs, but that didn't stop him from blowing the majority of his money he made on sneakers. He couldn't explain it, he was just addicted. It was probably one of the side effects from being a son of Venus, but he was going to embrace it.

Strutting through the streets, a bright sign caught his eye. "Grand Opening" was what it read. A new store around here was always welcome to him. If Axel could find some cheap name-brand clothing or something original that no one seemed to have, he would be a happy guy. Turning on his heals, the young man walked excitedly into the store.

He sifted through the racks, picking a few things out here and there to try on. As he was doing so, he happened to look up over the racks to see a girl who looked a bit familiar. She looked rugged, but in a good way, and had the kind of air about them that all kids from Camp Jupiter did. Axel didn't bother to ask anyone to come out with him, as he was just eager to get away from the legion for a bit. Being the social butterfly he was, Axel walked over to the girl, curious to make sure he knew her, but more importantly seeking company of someone who more than likely was just getting away from camp.

"What's up, I think I've seen you around camp. It's Isla, right?" Axel gave the girl a warm smile and spoke in a relaxed tone. He hoped she wouldn't be freaked out by his kind gesture. The boy just appreciated others with a similar taste in styles as he. "This store is dope, I've picked up, like, five things and I've only been here a few minutes."

@islacarmody

[Deleted]

When the other shopper approached her, Isla did not expect him to strike up a conversation, let alone know her name. For a moment, Isla couldn’t figure out why they knew her. Their face wasn’t ringing any bells in her mind, so why should they recognize her? She was far from being the most social Legionnaire after all and besides, even if she was willing to chat up a storm with others, she doubted it would be with this kid. He seemed to be a generic pretty boy that talked a lot. That was almost as infuriating as those stupid Victoria and Fortuna kids or even the centurions. She smirked to herself at that thought. There weren’t many people in her mind that could hold that honor…

Wait a second… She silently thought to herself and suddenly it all clicked. She did know this kid, this was Axel Laughlen, the centurion for the third cohort and her cohort’s babysitter until the Praetors could find a replacement for the poor suckers who used to hold the title. Her smirk instantly turned into a scowl, she hated the centurions, if only for the power dynamic present at the camp. “What do you want Axel?” She said coldly as she continued to flip through the racks, trying to send the message to the centurion that she did not want to deal with him. She was right with her previous line of thought, he was just a generic pretty boy she sometimes saw at Flynn’s and that Fortuna brat’s parties. What was so special about him that he was made centurion? All he probably did was bat his eyes and those praetors were fawning over his feet.

She glanced at him warily as he showed off his selections, wondering just why the son of Venus would bother talking to her. She didn’t trust him. She couldn’t trust him and as far as she knew, she never gave any indications that would suggest otherwise. Her mother’s roots ran deep and he just had too much good luck radiating from him for her to safely be around. After all, when her mother was going to come to put things back into balance, she wasn’t going to care if her daughter was mistakenly caught in the undertow. Centurions, Fortuna, and Victoria kids were all dangerous just for that reason. “Sure, but does that mean you're actually going to get any of them?” She said with a raised eyebrow as her eyes drifted to a maroon shirt on the rack… damn, he’s right, this place has some nice things, she silently thought as she moved past it all the same. She may silently agree with him, but there’s no way she was going to admit that. Clearly, her pride was on the line here, no matter that this was a foolish battle she was responsible for.

[Axel Laughlen]

Axel couldn’t remember much about the girl that stood on the other side of the rack as he. He knew Isla was from the fourth cohort, but nothing else. The centurion had just started paying attention to them, as he had to stand in charge of them as well, because they didn’t have a centurion themselves. If he was being honest, Axel couldn’t think of one person in that cohort who would be fit for the job. Most of them definitely had alcohol in their rooms at all times, and they generally threw at least a small party every weekend. Axel had been to the bigger ones before, and he had to admit that they were pretty wild. Technically he wasn’t even supposed to be there ever, but he needed to let loose at camp somehow. At least the kids in his cohort had the decency to hide their contraband outside of the barracks where it wouldn’t be tracked back to them.

Isla’s words were venom in Axel’s ears, as the boy wasn’t used to people disliking him due to his charm. Apparently it didn’t work on this one. Ah, this must be the one that’s always in a shitty mood form the fourth. He’d heard about one that not many people seemed to like because of her grand personality. Axel would at least attempt to be nice to Isla… For now… “Nothing, just pleasant company is all.” He doubted he would actually get pleasant company from the girl, but it was worth a shot.

It was in his best interest to get to know the kids from the fourth cohort while the praetors tried to find a replacement. He only wanted them to hopefully gain their trust and give him respect as he tried to earn it from them. Axel was fair and believed he was good at his job; he was strict enough for the praetors to be happy with his work, but let some things slide so he could keep his legionaries happy under his leadership. No one usually had a problem with the way he did things. Axel looked down at his findings when Isla commented on them. He thought for a moment, pretending she didn’t give him an attitude when she asked. “No, probably not. I can always change their color or cut, so I’ll most likely only get a few.” In being a son of Venus came the power of magically having control over clothing, and other accessories. He changed his wardrobe all the time to save money.