Stories of Violyn (CaitVi)

At the Kiramman Gym

Writer's note: I started with another, more serious chapter before this one actually, but after a few hundred words I realized that I don't really got a handle on the characters enough yet. I wasn't really satisfied with the way I was writing them, so I decided to do this little fluffy nothing-chapter first and try to find my version of the duo in the process. I don't think I'm ever gonna be able to write them exactly as they are in the show, but I think I could get pretty close. Anyway, I did want to at least be able to hear their voices in my head after their lines were on the page, and I think I'm at that point now.

***

"All this is only for you?" Vi asks, after stepping into the Kiramman gym and flicking on the lights.

It's a wide room in the basement of the house, filled with equipment that any bodybuilder would be perfectly happy to own. All sorts of weights, dumbbells and benches stand next to the walls or are scattered around the place.

"Well, I never use it. It's the family's," Caitlyn explains. "I think my mother's cousin was the last person to actively use it all."

"Huh." Vi puts her hands in her pockets and goes for an inquisitive walk in the spacious room.

"My dad comes here every once in a while too. But it's mostly empty nowadays."

"Well, that's a total waste." Vi settles in front of a dumbbell. She picks it up, lifts it to her shoulder, and takes a few seconds to assess its weight. Then she lowers her arm and lets it fall on the ground. She continues her exploration, while Caitlyn is still standing at her original spot at the door, looking somewhat awkward.

"To be honest, I prefer having a run, you know. And what I need to exercise is mostly just my shooting, so..."

"You don't need to explain yourself. You are obviously not built for the gym," Vi says, glancing back at her from the middle of the room.

"Excuse me?" For the first time, Caitlyn makes it a few steps away from the entrance. "I am perfectly fit for my own needs; thank you very much."

"Relax, will ya'?" Vi lays back on a bench, supporting her head on her elbow. "I'm only saying that you're not the lifter type. You're too tall and too slender for this sort of thing," she explains, looking Caitlyn up and down. Then she raises an eyebrow at her. "Doesn't mean you are not perfectly fit... or hot. Cupcake." She adds a wink for the full effect.

But Caitlyn doesn't seem to want to let this go so easily.

"You don't think I could put on muscle like you have?"

"I never said that..." Vi lies on her back and grabs the handle above her head. "I just didn't figure you as someone who would want to do that. But come here and spot me then."

Caitlyn walks up to the end of her bench and tentatively raises her arms. "So, what exactly would you have me do?"

Vi suppresses a smirk. She reaches for Caitlyn's wrists and guides them under the handle. "Just keep them here now, like that..." She lifts the weights from the stand and lowers them to her chin. "...and follow me... You're gonna have to catch it if I drop it."

"What?! Vi, how would I..." Vi suddenly lets the weights drop a little faster on their way down, but confidently stops them a split second later. Caitlyn, on the other hand, desperately clutches the handles and lets out a little scream in surprise.

"Do not do that!"

"I'm just fucking with you." Vi puts the weights back on their stand and shrugs it off. "Your dad really works out with only this little weight? So far, this is childsplay."

"I didn't know you were such a showoff."

"Only when a pretty girl is watching." As usual, Caitlyn doesn't have a comeback to her flirting, so she lets her off the hook. "Grab those weights for me?"

The Kiramman goes for the weights Vi pointed at, but she is surprised to find she can barely lift the first one. With all her effort, she manages to stand up with one and slide it onto the closer end of the handle. Vi watches her in silence, and when she is panting and done with both sides, their eyes meet.

"Don't say a word," Caitlyn tells her.

Vi doesn't reply; she just shakes her head then slides her fingers over her closed lips, pulling up the imaginary zipper.

She does ten reps with the new weights to see how she can handle them. At the end, she is satisfied with the results.

"In prison..." Caitlyn tentatively starts, but then looks away.

"Huh?", Vi is still lying on her back, looking at her upside-down, slightly panting.

"You did this a lot in prison, didn't you? I can't imagine you had many pastime activities in Stillwater."

"Well, lucky for me, I always enjoyed this one. Exercising and punching things." Vi kicks back and puts her arms under her head. "Or punching people."

"Or getting punched by people," Caitlyn adds, searching for something in Vi's eyes. "By guards..."

She doesn't stand her gaze for long and sits up, facing away from Caitlyn. "Yeah... You gotta be able to take them if you're gonna give 'em."

"Vi, I know it's not my place to say this," as she talks, Caitlyn walks around the bench and sits down next to her, "but for what it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened to you. It was unfair."

Vi examines her palm for a while, scratching a thicker piece of skin under her finger. "I wasn't the only one kept there unjustly. By far. What about all those people? Who's going to apologize to them?" Caitlyn doesn't answer that, so Vi keeps examining her palm. Her fingers make a fist. "Anyway, it's not an apology they need, but justice."

"I knew I shouldn't have brought this up. I can't change what happened to you in your past; there was really no point."

"Ah, don't worry. What's happened, happened. Water under the bridge." Vi puts her elbows on her knees and leans forward, looking back at Caitlyn over her shoulder. "It was actually sweet of you to try and apologize for it."

Caitlyn seems to be deep in thought about what she said, and Vi is intently watching her face in the process. They hold each other's gazes for a while, this time neither of them wanting to break the silence. Then finally, Vi stands up and keeps moving further into the gym. "Okay, let's see what else we got here. I wonder if you guys have a punching bag."