Gym; Late Sunday Afternoon [ 03/21 ].

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

It was Sunday afternoon so, of course, Cal had made it down to the gym for a work out. He was quiet as he stretched, quiet as he settled into the comfortable familiarity of his weight routine. He had gotten a jar off his hands, but there was still a lot on his mind, which he hoped to dispel with sweat and work and aching mucles.


[[ open gym is open! ]]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

With Fight Club that night, Dinah wasn't going to hit the bag today; but she still had to keep up her weight training. That back-swing wasn't going to fix itself by tomorrow.

"Hey, Cal." She smiled, moving over to the free weights, and picking up two barbells. "How's it going?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Heeeey, Dinah," Cal smiled faintly at her from his own weights. "Not bad; you?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Good!" Dinah did a bicep curl one one side, then the other, alternating arms. "Fight Club tonight. Light workout this afternoon."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Fight club?" asked Cal. "Don't want to waste all that energy you could use beating people up on weights, huh?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah grinned at him, and bounced up on her toes, with the weight hitting at hip-height, shoulder, then up high. "Maybe?" She stuck out her tongue. "Easier than just hoping someone wanders in when I'm here. Plus I learn more that way."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"I guess actually wanting to fight helps you out a little there, too."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah." Dinah grinned at him. "Oh right. I forget other people actively don't want to do that at all. Me, I want to actively defend myself and other people. So. Fighty-fight!"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"I'd rather just stay out of trouble, and, if not, then there's the good old 'what doesn't kill me, only makes me stronger' angle."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Staying out of trouble-- well. I can't really count on that." Which got close to the secret identity that she was going to trade secrets with Cal for. "And I'd like to let the other guy get stronger. But yeah. Endurance is good too. Yay weights." She grinned at him. Only a *little* pink this time. "Aesthetic benefits too, really."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"That's all I'm in it for," said Cal, with a sort of simplicity that he knew would leave Dinah wondering if he was being serious or not.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah shot him an amused, questioning look, then her smile widened. "Health no? Strength no?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Nope." He lightly shook his head. "I do it just so I can look hot."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah stared at him, then started giggling. "Modesty is not a failing of the guys at this school at all." She grinned, did another bicep curl. "It works for you?"

Was that over the line? Naaah.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Is that...you asking if it works for me or saying that it works for me?" Cal asked, after a slightly owlish blink over the fact that he was pretty sure she couldn't have meant the second.

...So much for that lack of modesty, huh?

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Whichevers," Dinah said, trying for airy and probably ending up at just silly. "The workouts work as a look for you." See, and that was getting a litttttle closer to that line, but not any further than she regularly goofed around with Priestly. "But since we're only supposed to be doing it for our own happy satisfaction, or something, how's that working out for you?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Better," Cal admitted with a faint, almost sheepish grin, "now that I know it works as a look for me."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah laughed, then said, "That's not laughing at you, just glad you're happy about it." She grinned at him, shaking her head, but kind of pleased. People should feel good about themselves, and all.

And it did work for him. So. Anyway....

"The other reason for me is to get strong enough to really swing a sword. I got caught so flat-footed when those harpies attacked. Yeesh."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"See, that's why I stayed indoors. Works beautifully for me. But a sword? Really? Isn't that kind of....archaic? Or are you just really into the whole method acting thing?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I didn't have a real weapon on me when they attacked. And CD's only inflict so much damage, thrown at speed... Hmmm." Dinah took a frowning minute to think about that, sorting out her motivations, then slowly said, "Yeah, really. I'm probably not going to use one much when I leave here; but it's-- it's elegant. And I like knowing about all kinds of weapons, and the swords were the most use against those things. I keep hearing how dangerous this place can be, and now that I've seen it up close, well. Call me a Girl Scout, but I want to be ready."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"You Girl Scout," Cal said.

What? She told him to!

"But that's cool. I mean, if anything, the more you learn, the less I have to worry, right?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah gave hm the little Girl Scout salute, then laughed. "Sure! I'll protect you!" She struck a Superwoman pose, one weight up, one on her hip. "Slaying monsters. Saving the innocent. Or the really snarky."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Let me guess," Cal snarked, "I'm in the innocent category, right?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"You and the little children and the unicorns, Cal."

Dinah grinned at him, giggling.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Cal couldn't help snorting a little. "Exactly. We're very lucky to have someone like you, so bad-ass and hot with a sword."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Oooooooo," Dinah said, pointing a finger at him. "You wait. I'll get really good at it, slay a dragon, and then there'll be product endorsements! Then who's laughing?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Definitely not the dragon," said Cal, pointing back. "He'll be dead."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I'll donate to a non-criminal dragon refuge society," Dinah said, grinning, then blinked. "And how weird is it to wonder if that's real, maybe? Somewhere?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"It's got to be," Cal reasoned. "Somewhere."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Somewhere," Dinah agreed. "If we're lucky, they won't come visiting, and I won't have to try to slay anything bigger than, well. Me! Before graduation."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Nothing bigger than you? So much for picking on someone your own size."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah stuck her tongue out at him, then laughed. "Okay. Nothing bigger than twice as big as me?" She paused, then started waving a weight around, trying to think how she'd slay something like that. "Right. Knees first. Then neck. Ew." She sighed. "Do it if I had to, though. I swear!"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Cut them down to your size!" Cal said with a grin. "Literally!"