[One can only hope.....and hope she does as she flips through one of the books handed to her, only to pause in abject horror about six pages in.]

Were clothes usually so....colorful?

[On the page before her is a tie dye shirt, almost searingly bright in its colors.]

I...I suppose they were.

Let's aim for something with less shades. You don't want to stand out that much, right?

[Wearing that would most certainly make Riza stand out. He shudders at the thought.]

I'd prefer to blend in.

[Even when it comes to perfectly normal situations she's never preferred to be the one in the limelight. Everyone else can have the attention.]

Though I was told by Dipper that we wouldn't need to change all that much about our language and dress in order to fit in.

Is that so? I'm finding that hard to believe.

We all come from such different places. It'll stand out, for sure.

[Unless they make the effort to blend in. Julius trusts Riza to have a strong handle on this. She's always been the reliable type. ]

[Well, to clarify—]

I think he meant people who don't already use elaborate turns of phrase already.

[Like Achilles.

But she finds her attention drifting away from the upcoming mission and towards Julius in particular. She hasn't forgotten her conversation with Reika from days earlier.]

Are you looking forward to things, sir?

In some ways, I suppose. [It's complicated okay. He'll tell her exactly what he's looking forward to.]

I'm looking forward to meeting our fellow recruits.

They're very kind and helpful. Don't you feel the same way?

[It's a partial answer, though not entirely satisfactory. But her lips quirk up all the same.]

You could say the same for yourself. You've been very helpful in getting Captain Kagura settled in here.

[Very helpful. Sometimes she wonders if there isn't something going on between those two.]

Helping a teammate adjust to this is the least I can do. [Even more so since it's a good companion of his. Since she bought it up though... he'll ask a question.]

What do you think of her so far? I know she just arrived recently, but she is someone you can trust.

[What does she think? As she flips through the pages of her book:]

She's a very capable young woman, and kind. I can see why she was made a captain.

[With that said, she looks up from her book, an unreadable expression across her face. Her voice is soft, well-meaning so that her words come across as encouragement rather than chastisement.]

I think you could afford to be more open with her. She worries about you, even when you mean for her not to.

You believe so? I apologize, being open isn't one of my strong points.

However, I'll make an effort to amend that. [Julius does want to improve except he struggles with being personal. He's thankful for Riza's suggestion.]

Thank you Lieutenant.

I believe being open and honest with those you work with can only improve trust.

[Everyone has their dark secrets and sordid pasts of course, but she's always believed that hiding those did more harm than good. (She could be wrong; she has been wrong before, on several occasions.) But at the same time—her shoulders relax and an understanding smile spreads across her face.]

But I also understand that talking about oneself can be difficult. It takes time and practice like any other thing.

[She's still not very good at it herself.]

We want you to let us know if you're struggling because we care.

I understand. Thank you again for being so courteous. [That's more than he could ever ask from a friend. Riza's so kind. ]

What I'm struggling with is...a problem relating back to my original world. It's not a simple matter that can be explained easily.

Did you have troubles with home before leaving, Lieutenant?

[He can't be the only one okay.]

Don't we all have problems of some sort where we come from?

[She says it with a wry twist to her mouth, almost cheekily, but sobers up immediately afterwards.]

There were problems I had to find a solution to, but they were issues I had support for and nothing I had to handle on my own. [For which she's eternally grateful for.] Why do you ask?

You're quite right, I was just curious.

Everyone deals with their own problems in a different way. We're both no exception to this.

[He feels a little silly for not counting on others as much. Maybe next time he'll talk to Riza with an open mind.]


Edited 2017-02-01 01:52 am (UTC)

You can always let me know if you need help with any of those problems.

[Next time....! For now, they've got Important Mission Preparations to cover, and she holds out her book, opened halfway.]

What about this outfit?

[With any luck, they'll get the hang of this in the next hour...]