WHERE Jayce & Viktor’s apartment WHEN Backdated to Feb, right before Mel’s arrival! WHAT Catching up, sweet frozen coffee goodness, gossiping about Viktor, worries, girlfriends~ STATUS Complete! WARNINGS Minor angst with thoughts about where they come from and childhoods, otherwise tame.
In the beginning, Caitlyn had kind of loathed the idea of finding a rhythm of normalcy here in Vallo. There were things to do at home - vital, important things that gave her a sense of restlessness and the concept of longevity here didn’t appeal to her. But days had been becoming weeks, and weeks crawled towards becoming months, and she had the luxury of familiar faces to help it feel more like a home. Not the home she knew, steeped in inner city turmoil and political tensions, but - some kind of home.
A home that allowed her to leisurely show up in whatever space Jayce inhabited so she could invade the comforts of his (and Viktor’s too) couch. It was literally what he’d done with her anyway - only fitting for her to return the favor.
At least she had the generosity to bring Jayce coffee purchased from this infamous Starbucks that she heard so much about. They had all these flavors and diverse coffee-types and Thurvishar had spoken poetically about this legendary pumpkin spice latte but it was considered ‘out of season.’ This salted caramel concoction would do.
“What are you two going to be working on now with this laboratory here?” Caitlyn inquired conversationally, crossing her legs. She was in civilian clothes now; a sweater dress that was warm and comfortable that had Vi ‘rate her ass’ in a crude but endearing sort of way. Which also summed Vi up in general, to be honest.
Jayce had been in the middle of organizing and decorating, a task that Viktor had happily handed off to him and Jayce probably took a little more seriously than he should have. But now the bar was set, and he could hang some artwork - that thankfully did not contain his face, despite earlier teasing he’d already heard - to give the room a little something extra.
The coffee had been a nice reason to take a break, though, and Jayce leaned against the arm of a chair to give it a sniff before taking a sip. “We’re-- Oh-- wow. That’s uh, sweet.” But given they were all used to the stuff they’d had at home, he wasn’t too surprised. Everything was a little sweeter here than he’d been used to.
Jayce cleared his throat and took another sip. “We’re working on defense items for the teams, and barriers for buildings to prevent damage in case of another attack. I’ve been learning about biotics and nano-tech, the self-repairing technology Brigitte knows about is remarkable.”
No surprise that Jayce hit the ground running coming here. Caitlyn knew he’d keep himself busy if he ever arrived and, sure enough, here’s the proof. They were alike in that way. Idle existence didn’t work for her either; she had signed up for the defense teams the moment she found out about them. It was comparable to having a career as an Enforcer with less political bullshit.
“Huh - I’m surprised barriers didn’t exist before,” she frowned, thinking about it. “Though I’ve read there’s some people who do ‘warding’? Which is a magical term for casting a spell that’s a protective shield, I think. I don’t know. Beyond my expertise. Doubtful that everyone has universal access to something like that, though.”
Because, clearly, there were plenty of structures that sustained damage during the last wave. There were efforts for restoration and most had some kind of magical solution to them, which was nice. Weird, but nice.
“There are some that do, yeah. One sec-” Jayce, rarely one to be good at sitting still for two seconds, jogged quickly to the lab behind the door behind him and grabbed one of their prototype barriers and brought it back, the square box looking fairly innocuous in terms of tech, plain, shiny metal.
He tossed it to the middle of the room and thumbed against a button remote in his hand as it deployed around the coffee table near Caitlyn’s feet, the blue energy field hummed to life and then was suddenly invisible, but still there. “It works with magical wards, so you can have some double protection on a lot of places. Those monster things could get through some of the magic wards around here, so we set up a few of these after the attacks on buildings that were still under repair. It’s a good combination of the two.” Which, even without Hexcore being here, he seemed to gravitate to.
“It’s good uh- just being able to work and create, without having to play politics and please certain people.” Felt more like he was back at his roots, back to the days where science made him excited.
Oh. Caitlyn’s eyes blinked wide at the little contraption, taking a moment to silently marvel at it. Or, well - from what she saw. It was unseen to the naked eye after it’s initial activation and she tentatively reached out her fingers to get an idea of how it’d feel. “This is fantastic, Jayce,” she breathed a chuckle. “Really. I’m glad you’re doing what you do best. You’ll do a lot of good here.”
Especially without that political pressure coming around him like he referenced. Their relationship felt some strain after that council meeting, discussing Silco and Jinx - and Jayce had been a counselor for such a short time but it had already affected him so deeply. It only served to cement her resolve in rejecting the council seat once her mother tried to pass it along to her; she didn’t want it. Caitlyn’s patience for political mind games was non-existent.
“And Viktor as a roommate - I’m going to assume it’s not too different?” she inquired, a brow rising in amusement. “Make sure you two take moments for some fresh air. I know how the two of you can hole up for days and not even realize it.”
Jayce melted a little under the compliment. He’d been under the bureaucratic paperwork of politics for so many years now it was refreshing to end up back where he’d wanted to be at the start. Discovering, creating, doing something good. He had known when he was young that magic could help people, the way it had helped him and his mother. Wanting to give that back to people when he lacked the ability to conjure up magic himself had only been a brief barrier.
“I’m glad I get a chance to start again here too.” Jayce’s hand came up to rub against the back of his neck sheepishly. “But yeah, it’s about the same. We practically shared living quarters before, with the amount of times we’d slept in the lab, so-- no promises?” He meant it as a joke and threw out a little awkward laugh, but they both knew remembering to leave the house was a difficult ask when a project was at hand.
It also made him all too happy to find an opportunity to swap the subject around on Caitlyn, and he gave her a pointed look. “Speaking of roommates, how’s it living with Vi?”
Caitlyn was midst a coffee sip when he gave her that look. It was likely why she took her time with it, licking the little bit of froth that collected on her upper lip. “Fine,” she answered, but a one-worded response didn’t sound as convincing as she would have liked. “It’s nice to see her adjust to a better place. In an oddly cute but also sad way?”
Vallo’s air was clean, and food was plentiful and its citizens weren’t sick zombies prowling the streets for their next fix. Vi could thrive here, although she knew the adjustment wasn’t easy despite the many conveniences of this place. It’s the little things she noticed as time passed on - like the way Vi insisted on sleeping with the lights on so it would remind her less of her prison cell.
So, clearly, this meant that Caitlyn had to share her bed with her.
“Things are also…” Ah, how to word this. She wouldn’t keep this from Jayce - that’d be silly - but her inexperience in the relationship department caused her to approach tentatively. “Serious, between us. I think.”
Wait, no, she was sure. Things were definitely serious between them.
Jayce made a little noise into his drink, an ah that was muffled by him taking a sip but also dampened slightly because he wasn’t surprised. He was occasionally oblivious to a lot of things outside his spectrum of science and magic, but almost certainly anyone around them could see the way they looked at each other.
It had just taken him a little longer than it took Viktor, but now that Jayce saw it, it felt silly that he’d ever missed it at all. “You think? They’ve looked fairy serious to me from my side of things.” He probably looked ridiculous, peering at her over the lid of his drink as he sipped it oh-so-casually.
“I mean, from looking at her, anyway, cause it’s pretty obvious she’s attached. Good taste.” He wasn’t shocked, half of the reason he spent more time around the Kiramman’s was because of the sibling-like bond he’d made with Cait.
Caitlyn wasn’t one to get embarrassed easily. Now, however, she was blushing like a rose. If only she could direct the conversation towards that hilarious sound Jayce let into his drink instead of the focus being on her relationship status, but it was an important update in her life - even if the news happened to be unsurprising to the people that knew them.
In retaliation, she picked up a throw pillow and chucked it at his face. If he spills his coffee then so be it.
“Yes, fine, they’re serious,” she acquiesced, the sigh she let out an exaggerated sort. “Vi is - she’s a good partner. I trust her to have my back. My mother would have certain opinions about this relationship so that means I must have chosen wisely.” Not that she lived to make things particularly difficult for Cassandra Kiramman, but it was painfully obvious that they had differing views on many things.
Except for weapons. Her mother had excellent taste in firearms.
Jayce let the pillow hit him on the face, and he laughed through it before pulling it down to sit on his lap. He tried not to look so smug at least in return but there was still a teasing expression on his face. It was better than a tense worry, at least, because if there was anything he wanted for his friends and family-- it was this. Stability, happiness.
“Good. You deserve someone that has your back, and someone you trust.” It was hard to find that in their lives, and he may have had certain run-ins with Vi but he could at least trust she wasn’t a person out to screw Caitlyn over.
Still, he pointed his drink at Caitlyn. “If she hurts you, I get to give her the shovel talk, right? That’s how this goes?”
Pink bloomed across her cheeks. Caitlyn didn’t like to fluster easily but in this case - fine, yes, she’d fluster easily. This thing with Vi was new and yet felt strangely natural, two pieces of a puzzle slotted together perfectly. It almost made her forget about the complications back home; Silco’s death at the hands of Jinx (Vi’s sister, a secret she swore to keep with guilt), what that truly meant for them and everyone else.
She tried her best not to dwell. There were no shortage of distractions here, though.
“So I hear,” she mused, slightly twirling the cup in her hands - like she was swishing and mixing all that sugar and syrup that settled at the bottom. “I know she’s rough around the edges but she’s a good person. Genuinely. She’s been through a lot for someone her age.”
But that was also the curse of living in the Undercity, wasn’t it? Hardship was a way of life. Disease and violence, contaminated waters and food. Caitlyn had an idea of how things ran down there (mostly from Viktor and his firsthand experiences), though it wasn’t until Vi showed her that it hit her. Really hit her. “So this place right now, it’s more of a weird blessing in disguise. A resting point from our own world troubles. Might as well make the most of it with the people you care about.”
Jayce settled back with a quiet hum. He could’ve been overly protective and more assertive about asking after Vi, he knew it, but Caitlyn seemed like she knew what she wanted. And he had learned a long time ago not to mess with her when she knew what she wanted.
Unless, of course, it was to tease. “I think we both know it’s not like I could accomplish much there anyway. But I can promise to bore her with science if she annoys you.” Viktor would likely be even better at that, capable of droning on for hours, with only Jayce being the one paying attention as the rest of the room fell asleep around them during the lectures.
“It seems like this place is a good thing for a lot of people. I hope it stays that way.” He’d heard stories, good and bad stories, but there wasn’t a lot that could get worse than whatever they had going on back home. He stared down at his coffee concoction. “And I’ll take anything that keeps people-” Viktor, but he didn’t say it. “Healthy and alive.”
Oh, what a route - to be brought to death by too much science. That seemed more like Jayce’s speed. She knew that he and Vi wouldn’t by any means develop some kind of close bond in the next few weeks. Months, even. Vallo didn’t quell every tension, plus there was that very important detail Caitlyn was purposefully keeping quiet about that had the potential to shed understanding, or make things worse.
It was hard not to dwell on it.
“Like Viktor,” Caitlyn tacked on because while he didn’t say his name explicitly, it seemed safe to infer. “You live with him and see how he is through his day more than we do - how is he? Considering he ate some… magical apple.”
That didn’t roll off the tongue right. From the comments she read they aren't harmful or full of poison but - did he not exercise any caution? At all? Going for it was rather bold and sometimes she misunderstood Viktor’s tenacity. “I know he was seeking out other solutions for his condition and I hope he’s found good leads? I doubt there’s an overnight cure for him.”
“Like Viktor,” Jayce didn’t deny it, there was no point. It was put out there so blatantly, and had been the focus of Jayce’s worries and emotions for weeks, months now. The apple had helped, no doubt about that, so it was slowly becoming one less worry for them all. “He’s doing good. The apple helped, even if I still think he was a little crazy to just eat it without any tests.”
But that was Viktor, charging head first into the unknown in the name of science.
It wasn’t like Jayce was any better, two peas in a pod. He did like to think he had slightly more self-preservation, but that remained to be seen. “But the doctors said he’s improving a lot, he’s back to his regular cane instead of the crutch again.” Jayce cast a meaningful look towards the door. “We could go harass him if you want to see for yourself? He’s due a break.”
“You know him best - could you actually be surprised he ate it without further investigating it,” Caitlyn mused with a quirk of a perfect eyebrow. She was happy to hear his health was improving. Even living in the same building she didn’t see him as often as one assumed. If there was one thing she shared with the two of them it was her desire to stay busy, and yes - there were times she picked up extra patrol shifts for fun.
Or more experience. She was trying to familiarize herself with more of the common dangers and whatnot. There was supposed to even be a bestiary to study.
Anyway, harassing Viktor sounded like an opportune time for quality bonding. Caitlyn was already rising to her feet, polishing off the rest of her coffee. “I’d be delighted to, however. I will do my best to not touch anything important looking.”
She’s had enough experience being Jayce’s helper in the past so she knew what to avoid poking. Mostly.