Putting on Jolly Wrench colors.
"Didn't your mother tell you not to powder your face?" The yellow Pitty, Rogers scolded. "Anyways, what do you have in that carry can under your chest?"
"It's a blivet," Sidewinder said with a smile. "They say it carries two hundred pounds of stuff in a fifty pound space. That why it's a blivet".
"You're pulling my wheel. It's a glorified purse. You won't be wearing that on duty," Rogers said crossing his lift arms. "Back to what I was saying. Take a good look at yourself in that mirror".
Sidewider looked at herself in the mirror on wall. She had to beg to get that mirror put up.
"See those three 'kitty whiskers' you got on each cheek? Those are pitot tubes. They help you fly. Get make up in them and you'll be a world of hurt.
"Now we need to get you dressed up in your Squadron colors". Rogers picked up off his tool box a yellow helmet with a visor. On both sides was an picture of a snake. "I worked all night on this beauty".
"Why a snake and not a pair of shins? Isn't her call sign going to be Shins? asked Scrappy.
Rogers scowled. "With all due respect Sir, she already has a call sign".
Rogers picked up the helmet. Sidewinder knelt on her nose wheel while Rogers slid it onto her smooth head. He tightened it down.
"Oow!" Sidewinder protested. "It's squeezing my head".
"We can't have it falling off you, now could we?" Rogers asked as he lowered the dark visor over her hazel eyes. "Now you won't have a problem with the sun blinding you either. Take a look".
Sidewinder looked at herself in the mirror and scowled. "I don't look pretty anymore".
"You'll look better when we get your victory stripes on you". Rodgers said.
"Victory stripes?" Sidewinder asked.
"Yeah these, Moron!" Scrappy said pointing the the yellow and black stripe on his cheek with the Jolly Wrenches on it".
Rodgers just scowled at Scrappy as he pulled out his stencils. Another junior Pitty was applying tape around the base of her twin tails. "What are you doing?" Sidewinder asked.
"He's gonna paint your tails black," Rodgers explained. "You're gonna look just like your Squadron mates".
"She'll never look completely like us," Scrappy said. "She got a girl's tail and wings".
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sidewinder protested.
"Your wings move in and out, not up and down. You look like a silly Turkey when you are landing with those flap things you got on the top and the bottom".
"Air brakes," she corrected.
She felt that cold paint being sprayed on her face through the stencils and onto her tail. It stunk. She coughed a little. After what seemed like forever, Rodgers set his stencils down and announced happily, There! You look mighty fine!" She could feel the recruit behind her taking off the tape. The tape stung as he pulled it off her skin. "Oww! she protested.
"Take a look at yourself now," Rogers encouraged pushing up the visor for her.
Sidewinder frowned at her reflection. The visor slid back down on its own with a clack. "Ouch!"
"Flying with her? This is gonna be rich," said Scrappy.