2022-01-01 - Resolutions not Required

New Year's Day has arrived, ushering in a bright new year full of promise with thick, dark fog and a chilly blanket of white snow that hugs every visible surface. The town is quiet this morning, at least compared to the previous night's raucous festivities, and only a few people can be seen amidst all the machinery and thin carpeting of the gym. After all, who in their right mind would be here after the long festivities of last night?

Vittoria, apparently. The tall, muscular woman stands before a punching bag, breathing heavily and covered in a thin layer of sweat as she moves around it, throwing quick, forceful strikes that connect with low thuds. She's somewhat of an imposing sight like this: over six feet tall, clad only in a gray sports bra and black leggings that show the rippling muscle each time she strikes, accompanied by a low growl and grimace. Anger seems to radiate off of her in waves, evident in each punch and knee to the bag.

One of the other people who've filtered into the early morning gym session is Kimberly Makimura. She's just getting settled but the importance of maintaining a fitness regimen seems to be one of those things that sticks to her through the move. Like the others here, she's dressed for the gym--leggings, sensible shoes, pale blue sports bra and a loose t-shirt open at the sides. She started off the morning on the treadmills, warming up before she moved on to the other parts of her workout. Though not nearly as muscled as Vittoria, there's no real denying that Kimi is fit. As her time on the treadmill ends, she hops off. With a towel draped over her neck and water bottle in hand, she heads towards the punching bags--only to find it occupied with the very tall, very angry looking woman who seems to be doing her best to massacre the damn thing.

"Rough start to the New Year already?" She asks with a friendly smile. Stepping past she settles down to begin some stretches--she can wait, she figures. Or she can always just do some weight sets if this proves too long a delay.

Vittoria blinks, that angry grimace fading slightly as she pauses in her beatdown of the punching bag and turns to Kimi. "Um, what do you mean?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow and wiping sweat from her brow with a red boxing glove. She clearly has an accent, with each syllable pronounced deliberately and slightly sing-songy - probably south European. "Do I really look that bad?"

She snorts out a low, chuckled laugh and pulls off one of the gloves, considering the woman across from her before extending a hand outward. "I am Vittoria," she says, an amused smirk curling her lips upward. There's a beat as her eyes flit over Kimi's figure, lingering perhaps a few moments longer than is polite. "A pleasure to meet you."

"I mean, no. You just look pretty angry at your punching bag," Kimi says with a laugh. "You don't look bad, though." She reaches out to shake the offered hand, one eyebrow raising for just a moment. Perhaps she noted the gaze, perhaps not.

"Kimberly. Nice to meet you. I guess there's a specific kinda person who shows up early on New Year's Day to hit the gym, huh?"

Vittoria's smirk widens now, curving into more of a pleased smile at Kimi's words. "I am...how do you say? Shitty at disguising my feelings. It is okay - I am just frustrated with certain things from work," she says, turning Kimi's hand and bending over to kiss it.

"Kimberly," she echoes, sounding out each letter with that melodic accent. "Thank you for saying I do not look bad. But what do you mean, 'a specific kind of person?' How would you describe that person, like you and me?"

The arched eyebrow rises even higher when she gets a very continental kiss on the hand in greeting. She doesn't pull away though, only laughs in slightly flustered embarrassment at the odd greeting. She retrieves her hand after a moment, lets it rest against her hip a moment before she sits down to continue her stretches.

"I just moved here for work. What's got you so steamed at it?" She asks with a light air of mild curiosity. "And I mean the kind of crazy person that wakes up early on New Year's Day because they're fitness freaks. Though if I didn't have to do it for my job I probably wouldn't be so into it, heh. Still, it's good to have a hobby, I guess?" She shrugs and bends forward to reach for the toes on one foot, winces a little as the ache of the stretches drags itself out.

"You must be here for your job?" Vittoria asks, settling back onto her heels and gazing down at Kimi with a curious smile. "Where do you work?" She grins. "Crazy is a good word to describe us doing this, yes. I usually would drink so much wine on New Year's Eve and sleep so much the next day, but work makes it so I cannot do this now." The other glove comes off now, too, before she settles on the ground next to Kimi.

Then she's silent for a moment, brows knitting together as she undoes her light brown hair from its ponytail and starts to weave it into a braid instead. "I am angry because," she finally starts, eyes trained on the ground, "I often deal with people at my work that are not...very good." A sigh. "Sorry, my English is not so good when I am frustrated. Yesterday I -- had to get rid of some guys that were being...how do you say? Rowdy?" She grunts. "It was not very pretty. I had to force them and I am afraid that I might have hurt them."

"I'm a cop. Not the most popular job, I know," she says ruefully. "A detective, though. Not like... a patrol officer or what have you." She leans over towards her other toe for yet another stretch. "So, I do my best to stay fit, you know? So I can do my job well." She laughs at that, then goes quiet, listening as Vittoria describes her frustrations. Her brow knits in thought.

"Ah, yeah. You don't want to hurt these guys, but they don't want ot listen and you have to get rough with them and then they kinda do get hurt? I can understand that. It's never fun to hurt anyone."

"A detective?" Vittoria asks, widening her eyes and re-examining Kimi for a moment before she finally nods. "I can see you doing this. You seem...sharp. Smart." She grins. "Much more...respectable than me."

"I am security at the strip club here," the Italian finally says, amusement saturating her words. "So this happens sometimes. It is part of the job - I wanted to help protect the girls there. That is why I chose it."

"Mmyep," comes the answer. "Respectable? I guess." Sitting up more fully, she tilts her head to look over VIttoria, as if appraising her.

"Ha. That's good. Protecting people is why I do the job I do, too. Even if it feels like sometimes we do anything but." She smiles, reaches up to brush a few sweat-slick strands of hair from her own face. "Sounds like you've got a good heart, Vittoria."

"Thank you. That means more than you can guess," Vittoria responds, smiling widely back, her eyes flicking over Kimi's face and lingering there for a long moment...before she clears her throat and looks away, cheeks flushing pink.

"So," she starts, tattooed hands still working her long hair into a braid, "are you from here? Or are you a crazy person like me that chose to come here?"

The flushed cheeks get a brief smile and Kimi clambers back to her feet, her stretching done. Her own cheeks might flush a little as well, though that could just be a result of the work out. She takes a swig from her water bottle and holds onto it, thinking.

"Moved here from California, actually."

"So you are crazy," Vittoria responds, her lips quirking up at one side as she watches Kimi rise to her feet. "Why did you choose to come here? I have heard that California is very nice. Here it is so..." She trails off and waves a hand in the air. "Dark. Wet. Creepy."

There's a snort from her as she finishes braiding and then rises to her feet as well. "Did you want the punching bag? Or..." She raises an eyebrow and grins. "You are a cop, so you must be good at hitting things. Maybe you would like to practice? We could spar, if you are willing."

"I needed a break from the sun, I guess," Kimi admits. "There was a job opening, benefits are nice, seemed like a nice quiet place to work so..." She shrugs and moves to set her water bottle to one side. The offer to spar seems to surprise her and she crosses her arms for a moment as she considers it.

"Honestly, not really. I know the basics, but I'm not a boxer or anything--you'd probably wipe the mat with me. Plus I don't know if they really want two people knocking each other out here," she says with a nervous laugh. "I don't even like carrying my gun if I'm honest, but it's part of the job."

Vittoria's face falls a little when Kimi turns her offer down, though she recovers quickly and nods. "You are too hard on yourself, but I understand. It is good that you avoid it. I appreciate you choosing to not destroy me." She winks.

Then she's silent again as she considers Kimi, gaze locked on that earnest face. "If...you ever need help," she says, slow and halting, "I would love to be of service. There are many people that come to the club that are...bad people. Or they know bad people. So if you need to find someone or do something, I will give you my number. This town is crazy enough - it needs more people like you."

Kimi almost feels guilty when she sees Vittoria's expression fall. She actually laughs, though, at the ribbing Vittoria gives her. She even blushes a little in mild embarrassment!

"I try not to destroy anyone if I can help it. I want to help people, not hurt them," she says earnestly. "And I'd appreciate that. I can give you my card, if you want? I have some in my wallet..." She makes a vague motion towards the locker room where she's stowed her bag and personal things. "I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

"Maybe I will search through your things before I leave," Vittoria retorts immediately, an amused smirk accompanying the delighted laugh that spills out from her lips. "I will have to accompany you there once you are ready. I am not so stupid as to turn down an opportunity to gain a beautiful woman's number." She grins and leans a muscled shoulder against the punching bag. "You are so official and formal with your cards. Have you been here a long time?"

"...Okay I wasn't sure before but now you're definitely flirting with me," Kimi says. Nothing gets by her sharp powers of observation! "And no. Been here about a week or so. Just started work for real the other day."

Vittoria is lifting her own water bottle to her lips when Kimi says that, making her choke on the water as she laughs, resulting in a sputtering coughing fit that takes a moment for her to overcome. "Dio mio," she finally manages once she's recovered, a rueful grin on her face. "I can see how you are a detective. You are so perceptive." A weak laugh. "So you are brand-new, then. And already making women nearly die with your presence."

Kimi grins, though it's taut and a little restrained. That reaction isn't what she expected but she's happy to get it all the same.

"It's not like I mean to, you know," she murmurs and gives a little shake of her head. "Besides, most girls I meet are straight--you know how it is: is she flirting or is she just being friendly in that oblivious straight-girl way?"

"Oh, I understand the struggle," Vittoria says, nodding slightly and toning down her smile a notch when she notices the tautness of Kimi's grin. "In Italy it is even worse. At least, where I am from in Italy. Girls always kiss each other and act as if it is normal, as if it is not flirty. At least here, people sometimes notice." She grins. "You will have to forgive my forwardness. A pretty cop who goes to the gym on New Year's Day and talks about wanting to help other people?" She kisses her hand, chef-kiss style. "It is too hard for me to resist."

"I might as well slather myself in honey and wear a sign that says 'Lesbians apply here' huh?" Kimi arches a brow, then breaks into laughter. "Oh God, I would die. I would 100% die if I had to deal with that. Thank God that's not normal here, my heart would be breaking in two all the time over straight girls. Well, more than it already does. Egh." She flicks a hand as if shaking of some water. "Have to admit I didn't expect to run into other queer people so easily. Not that I'm complaining."

"I almost tried that once." Vittoria makes her face stoic and serious, only barely managing to hold off a giggle. "Making a booth and advertising myself. It is perhaps the only way to find people in southern Italy." That giggle escapes loose now, rocking her shoulders as she leans against the bag.

"This town seems like a good place. I think you will find plenty of opportunity here. Many people seem fairly...accepting. At least, I have not been chased off yet." She grins. "But it does lift my spirits to know that you are not straight. To know that I may have a teensy shot." Her eyebrow cocks upward. "And to help you know that you are not the only one here. What was the word you used? Not the only...queer one, yes." She blinks and cocks her head at Kimi. "Does this not mean 'strange'?"

"Ah, yeah. It does mean strange. Here in the US it was used as an insult for us. For LGBT people, I mean," Kimi tries to explain a little awkwardly as she realizes that slang may not always be applicable for second-language speakers. "But it was reclaimed by the gay rights movement as a word we use for ourselves. Kind of like, 'we're here, we're queer, get used to it' you know?" She heaves a little sigh. "Some people don't like it still, but I use it to refer to myself, you know?"

Vittoria's eyes light up as soon as she understands. "Che bello. That's fantastic - to take an insult from someone else is so -- powerful, no? You take it away from them and give it to yourself." She laughs in wonder and shakes her head. "I am...how do you say in english? Bisessuale. I like girls and boys? So it was okay in Italy, because at least I could date men and be okay. Though I still would like to have a girlfriend someday." She snorts. "As long as I do not scare them away."

"Ah yeah, bisexual," Kimi replies, repeating the word in English with a smile. "I don't think you'll have that problem, Vittoria," she adds. "A lot of the gay girls I know like ladies with muscles, just saying."

"Oh, that is not that different," Vittoria laughs. She blushes even further at Kimi's compliment, her cheeks flushing bright red. It's a decidedly odd look for her - shy and bashful, rather than the brash confidence she seems to project otherwise. "Thank you, Kimberly. Maybe it will be okay."

"It'll be fine. Seriously, don't worry. You'll find someone." There's a moment of awkward hesitation. She isn't quite sure what to say. "...Trust me, you're hot. I'm just still getting settled right now so rushing into a date or whatever isn't really on my schedule for now." Oof, awkward. "But hey, always need friends."

Oh geez. Dio mio. Vittoria's blush somehow deepens even further now. "Oh. Um. Thank you. You don't have to -- you're very kind." She's stammering now, starkly contrasting the usual melodic flow of words. "I am sorry if -- I am too forward. Or if I make you uncomfortable. Yes. I would love to be friends."

"You don't make me uncomfortable, I promise!" Kimi says hurriedly. "I get it, stuff is weird and awkward sometimes. That's life." She laughs. "...We'll have to hang out sometime, though. Tell each other about our favorite movies or whatever."

Vittoria nods several times, relaxing slightly and wiping her brow with a hand. "Yes. That sounds lovely. Let me know when you are leaving and I can take your card. It will be good to have such a fantastic friend here." She smiles. "Thank you for talking to me."

"No worries. " Kimi gives a thumbs up. "I'll let you know before I take off. Or you me if you leave first? And I'm happy to. Sometimes being outgoing is hard so it doesn't hurt to be friendly."