An evening with Boone coming up meant the Courier would have to get all her morning work done in a hurry. That meant meeting Vulpes at the camp, which she didn't like- it meant she would have to avoid Caesar at all costs if she didn't want to get hassled about destroying the Securitron bunker. As it happened, the dictator himself was otherwise engaged, but she was found by someone else before she could find her spy. A happy coincidence, since she'd already spoken of him to Vulpes, and an actual meeting could only enhance her stories.
The Legate Lanius stood frighteningly tall and broad, his mask approximating a golden idol. At first she thought he had grabbed her, until she saw he had his arms resting by his side- he was the sort of man who gave the impression of violent contact even if he stood a foot away.
"So it is you whom Caesar believes to be the future of the Legion." His voice sounded as if he had a built-in megaphone, and could probably reach a few octaves lower than the human throat could typically manage. The Courier blushed in feigned humility.
"I guess I am. I can only hope to meet his expectations."
"And what might they be? He has not fitted you with a collar, so it is not your body he desires."
The Courier considered her response carefully. It was damnably hard to read the Legate with his face hidden by a mask- at least the White Gloves had the decency not to cover their entire visage. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she saw what looked like Vulpes standing at a distance, and knew she didn't have to really read Lanius at all. What mattered was how she appeared, not how he did.
With that in mind, the Courier put on an expression of shock, shaking ever so slightly.
"I won't discuss this if you're going to talk to me like that!"
Before he responded, she turned away and walked briskly toward Vulpes. Fake tears would have been overkill, but as Vulpes took her arm and led her to his tent, she did her best to seem like she was holding them back.
"What did he say to you?" asked Vulpes, his voice not quite as calm as his usual manner.
"It's nothing. He just- oh, I shouldn't bother you about it."
"If we are to replace Lanius as Caesar's successors, we cannot overlook his behaviors. Tell me."
"He- well, you know I'm not exactly innocent, but it was a bit shocking even for me. He made a few...suggestions. Not very tame ones, either. He said-"
The Courier took a deep breath.
"He said that since he could see no other reason why Caesar would invite me here, he assumed I was a gift for him. And he went into some detail about how he intended to use his gift."
Torch Songs 10/?
The Legate Lanius stood frighteningly tall and broad, his mask approximating a golden idol. At first she thought he had grabbed her, until she saw he had his arms resting by his side- he was the sort of man who gave the impression of violent contact even if he stood a foot away.
"So it is you whom Caesar believes to be the future of the Legion." His voice sounded as if he had a built-in megaphone, and could probably reach a few octaves lower than the human throat could typically manage. The Courier blushed in feigned humility.
"I guess I am. I can only hope to meet his expectations."
"And what might they be? He has not fitted you with a collar, so it is not your body he desires."
The Courier considered her response carefully. It was damnably hard to read the Legate with his face hidden by a mask- at least the White Gloves had the decency not to cover their entire visage. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she saw what looked like Vulpes standing at a distance, and knew she didn't have to really read Lanius at all. What mattered was how she appeared, not how he did.
With that in mind, the Courier put on an expression of shock, shaking ever so slightly.
"I won't discuss this if you're going to talk to me like that!"
Before he responded, she turned away and walked briskly toward Vulpes. Fake tears would have been overkill, but as Vulpes took her arm and led her to his tent, she did her best to seem like she was holding them back.
"What did he say to you?" asked Vulpes, his voice not quite as calm as his usual manner.
"It's nothing. He just- oh, I shouldn't bother you about it."
"If we are to replace Lanius as Caesar's successors, we cannot overlook his behaviors. Tell me."
"He- well, you know I'm not exactly innocent, but it was a bit shocking even for me. He made a few...suggestions. Not very tame ones, either. He said-"
The Courier took a deep breath.
"He said that since he could see no other reason why Caesar would invite me here, he assumed I was a gift for him. And he went into some detail about how he intended to use his gift."