A Course in Relaxation (Chris)

[Anjali Kedar]

It was strange setting up the apartment for meditation and yoga for someone else.  When it was just Anjali she didn't care about the little things like lighting or music.  She'd been doing it so long that she could probably meditate in the middle of oncoming traffic, but for someone who wasn't accustomed to it things needed to be just right.  She burned incense and lit candles, though there was plenty of sunlight pouring through the windows still.  It was all about ambiance, and in a sense it looked almost like she was setting the place for mood.  In a way she sort of was, but not in the way it looked.  Even she could see it looked almost date like in there.  That stopped when she pushed the furniture to the walls and rolled out a couple of yoga mats.  She'd invited Kate to stay, but her roommate had other plans which left Anjali alone with Chris to really go over the basics of meditation.

She'd enjoyed getting to know the other girl during their brief hangouts after yoga class, both chatting while putting away their mats and hydrating.  Chris seemed down to earth, and of course they shared the common interest in yoga, so there was that.  Still, there was more she'd like to know about the girl, so when she seemed interested in a private lesson, Anjali encouraged it.  It would give them a common ground to hang out on, and Anjali always liked having new friends, especially friends that were openly gay.  She herself was still internally struggling with her own sexuality, it was just comforting being around other like minded people.

The kettle whistled on the stove just as a knock sounded on the door.  "Figures." Anjali laughed, running to the door and pulling it open first, so as not to make her company wait.  "Come on in, I'll just be a second!" She insisted before rushing to the little kitchenette and pulling the kettle off the flame and turning it off.  "Do you like tea?" She called out to Chris, turning to look over her shoulder at the other girl through the pass through window.  "I have, like, thirty different kinds of tea.  It's not as impressive as it sounds though, since I think half are different chai blends." She laughed, pouring some of the hot water into a mug.  "My brother has made it a tradition to get me a different kind on my birthday every year." She laughed putting the kettle down and shaking her head.  Maybe he'd come and visit her this year.

[Chris Rossi]

Honestly, her first venture into yoga had been skeptical at best. She liked the idea of it, but she had felt certain that the practice would be far too dull. However, she had quickly discovered her assumptions had been quite long. It was actually very challenging and yet calming all at once.

As with all such things, Chris had quickly become very determined to at least become competent. After all, she knew it was unreasonable to think she could master it, but she wanted to at least be good at it. With practice, she knew she could be. Not to mention it would give her a great deal of additional flexibility which definitely was appealing.

Her growing friendship with the yoga instructor was also a solid motivation for the tomboy. They talked after class as they packed up their gear, and thus far they seemed to get along quite well. She enjoyed their interactions and she was fairly certain that Anjali was enjoying her enthusiasm to learn the sport.

Chris was actually quite looking forward to meeting Anjali for a private lesson in yoga and meditation. It was actually a bit of a surprise really. Her past experiences with meditation had been frustrating to say the least, but she was hoping for better results this time. If nothing else, at least she knew she enjoyed the yoga side of things and time spent with her instructor. Perhaps today they'd have have a chance to talk more at least.

She found the place fairly easily, and upon arrival knocked on the door. She heard the sound of a kettle and laughter inside before the door opened. She smiled warmly as Anjali appeared, inviting her in. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her as the younger woman rushed to deal with the kettle. Chris's gaze scanned the room, taking it all in. "Wow, you really went all out," she said with a whistle of appreciation. She absently wandered how much of it was for her benefit, but she didn't dwell on such things.

Glancing over to Anjali, she nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'm not picky. I'll have whatever you are." Still, she laughed at the other woman's explanation of her tea collection. "That sounds like a nice tradition," she said with a warm smile. She and her elder brother had their own traditions of course, all siblings did.

She looked back over to the set up of the room before looking back to Anjali. "So then, what's the plan for today?" she asked with a grin, eager to learn with her instructor had in store for her. She had made certain the rest of her day was open so there was no reason to rush, at least on her account.

[Anjali Kedar]

Anjali tilted the kettle into the second mug before rummaging through the drawer for not one, but two tea balls.  She had four or five of them, but somehow they always ended up missing.  Usually because they ended up getting thrown into a wrong drawer, or she'd left them in the sink or on a drying rack or.. who knew where those damn things ended up.  They were like the other sock to a missing pair; eventually the turned up, but not before you missed them.  Thankfully the drawer held exactly two balls and she tugged them open before blindly pulling down a tin of loose leaf tea.  As it was she'd chosen David's Organic Vanilla Chai, one of her favorites which she had recently ordered more of simply because it was that good.  

"The plan," She started, plopping the tea balls into the water before placing both mugs on the pass through window, "Is to relax.  The sugar's on the table if you need." She offered, smiling at the other girl and pointing at a small sugar bowl shaped like an elephant which was on the table in the small area designed for dining.  She cleaned up after herself, something she had tried to do more often now that she had a roommate again, and especially now that there was company to impress with her cleaning skills.  She grabbed her own mug and brought it back into the other room, not wanting any sweetener in her tea just now.  Not before she was about to meditate.  

"So, I set the room up for pretty much anything.  Meditation, yoga, both..  if you want to start off with meditating I have some awesome pillows in the other room.  The big kind you just, like, sit on.  Way better, and some different sound CD's.  I personally like running water, like, babbling creek sorta stuff, which sounds kind of weird when I say it, but if there's noises you prefer I have all sorts of stuff.  Sometimes I just have sounds on in the background because I'm a little weird." She was rambling and she knew it.  She bit her lower lip shying up and taking a sip of her tea, the ball still in it.  She had a bad habit of over steeping her tea, making it bitter by the end from keeping the ball in too long.  Usually because she was too lazy to take it out, or just forgot, being so used to feeling it in the cup in the first place.  "Umm.. so really it's up to you.  If you want to get some energy out first I would say yoga, but if you're already feeling pretty mellow.. or we could wait a bit, chit chat.. I feel like there's still loads about you I don't know, and we're hanging out so.."  her mouth was just moving, words spewing out so fast that most of her sentence came out in one breath.  "Sorry, I'm excited." She admitted a little bashful, giving a nervous sort of laugh before drowning in her tea again to shut herself up.

[Chris Rossi]

Chris smiled as the younger woman declared the plan was simply to relax. "Yeah, that is the general idea," she agreed, not unkindly. She began to steep her tea, undecided yet if she was going to add any sugar. She'd prefer to avoid it - she didn't need anything else giving her energy. She had plenty of that as it was.

She listened as Anjali explained that she'd set up the room for anything... only to end up babbling. Still, she listened with interest, a small smile on her lips. It was rather endearing really, her tendency to ramble like this. "It's okay. I've been looking forward to this too," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

As she took a sip of her tea - which was quite good actually - she took a moment to ponder the options. "Why don't we take a little time to enjoy our tea and chat before we start?" she suggested. "I'm sure there's still a lot about you that I don't know." She paused a moment. "Actually, I guess I really don't know much beyond how good you are at yoga," she added with a laugh.

Chris ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't that great with this kind of chatter. She was far too blunt for most people's tastes. Still, it was worth the try right?

"So, anything in particular you're curious about?"

[Anjali Kedar]

Anjali was relieved that Chris seemed stoked for today as well.  It wasn't often someone seemed all that interested in learning more about something she knew so much about.  How many times had she sat Nikhil down to meditate?  He'd swear he was being serious this time, and once her eyes were shut she'd feel the gentle pressure of someone pressing her nose like a button, only to open her eyes to her older brothers mischievous grin. She fell for it, too. Every. Time.  

She laughed a little bashfully at the compliment.  She wasn't that good.  At least compared to some others she'd known, but she supposed compared to Chris, who seemed to have so little knowledge and exposure on the subject, she was relatively impressive.  "Well, umm, how about basics?  Are you from Vermont originally? I know there's, like, loads of people in the area who sort of come in for school." She gave a shrug.  "Like me.  I'm from New Jersey originally. Going to school out here."  The basics were always a good place to begin.  She brought her mug over to the futon, sitting and sliding her legs under her and silently inviting Chris to sit with her as they talked. 

[Chris Rossi]

Though she didn't try to deny the compliment, she could see that Anjali doubted it to some extent. Personally, she thought that was silly - after all, her talent was obvious - but she was used to dealing with people who couldn't take a compliment. At least she didn't try to argue it. Though Chris was half tempted to insist regardless. But the girl's shyness was obvious, so she let it slide.

Chris followed her lead and moved to the futon, mug in hand, crossing one leg under her as she sat. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Anjali referenced a school that drew in lots of people who didn't live here initially. Did she possibly know about Hammel? That would open a whole new set of conversation topics if that was the case, but it was hard to come right out and say it. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I mean, there's the college of course, but it's just a state school. But there is a school around here that seems to attract a lot of transplants," she agreed. She wasn't saying anything outright, but if Anjali was referencing Hammel, she wanted her to know that she knew what she was talking about.

"But as for me, I was born and raised here in Vermont. Here in Pilot Ridge in fact," she said. "I was lucky I guess. I changed schools when I was a teen, but I got to stay local, you know? So at least my family was always around." It had been a relief really. Sometimes she had felt as though she was missing out by not being in the dorms, but on the same token, it had been nice to have somewhere to escape to outside of the school. That and really most her time was spent with Winter anyway, so in a lot of ways, not a lot had ever changed for her.

[Anjali Kedar]

Anjali nipped the inside of her bottom lip when Chris mentioned there being a local school that drew out of towners, and it wasn't the college.  There still could be some out of towners for the college.. but she wondered if Chris was hinting at Hammel.  Did she know of it? She mentioned changing schools as a teenager, though it was a local school.  Had they actually both attended Hammel? She didn't seem familiar, but that meant nothing.  There were hundreds of kids at Hammel and they probably weren't the same year.

She gave a nod of understanding, wishing sometimes her own family were closer, though in a way sort of glad they weren't.  She liked having the freedom of discovering herself privately away from them, while still having the luxury of being somewhat close.  As in a very short plane ride or very long car ride.  "Yeah, it's kind of weird not having my family here,  but my brother, Nikhil, visits a lot.  We're super close."  She rolled her shoulders and spun her mug around in her hand absentmindedly.  "My folks pop in from time to time, but I'm usually the one to go down there.  They don't like traveling much unless they're going "home" as they call it, or India.  They're straight off the boat." She gave a little laugh.  "Are you at least close with your family? I love mine but kind of like being away, yah know?"

[Chris Rossi]

Chris still wasn't sure if the other had been referencing Hammel. Part of her wanted to push a little harder, maybe even just ask but... well, if she wasn't talking about Hammel then things would get really weird and she didn't want to risk that. Still, it would be pretty cool if they both were meta-humans. One more thing for them to bond over. Could they have gone to school together? It had been a pretty big school after all... and Chris had spent most her time with the jocks or with Hope's artsy friends. It was a longshot... but it was a nice thought nonetheless.

She refocused on what Anjali was saying about her family. Chris smiled widely as she mentioned her brother. "I have a brother too. Jordan. We're pretty close, more so when we were younger than lately though," she gave a small shrug. "My dad and I are pretty close and I get along decently with my stepmom and the little two." She paused a moment. "My mom and I... well, it's complicated. She's always been pretty distant though."

Chris smiled as another thought came to her. "Then of course, is my best friend. He's not technically family, but he might as well be my brother. We've known each other pretty much since we were born," she said with a laugh. "We're even roommates now." Really, she would be lost without Winter.

"But no, I get what you mean. It's nice to get a little distance and have a chance to really be independent," she agreed. "Gives you a chance to figure out who you are and what you want without being influenced by their expectations, you know?" After all, it had taken her awhile to come to terms with her sexuality, and that was even with having a fairly supportive family. Not to mention all the pressure her mother had put on her about her future senior year. That had been torture. She couldn't imagine living with that constantly the way some people did.

[Anjali Kedar]

All she could do was smile at hearing that Chris also had a brother. Nik was probably her closest friend and it was just a lucky coincidence that they were related. She trusted him with her darkest secrets and she knew he would love her regardless of what happened in her future. She listened with rapt interest as she spoke about her relationship with her parents and then about her half siblings, and finally about her roommate.

Anjali could almost relate to her roommate being her best friend from youth. She didn't have any actual friends from her childhood, but she had some cousins she'd known forever and some of them were certainly close to her, and there was of course Nik. She wondered if Chris had ever dated the boy she lived with, suddenly even more curious about her sexuality. Her parents had always told her boys and girls could not be friends, that if a boy was interested in being friends with her, it was because he simply wanted to get closer. Those words had always made her a bit wary of boys and their friendship, but her parents also had a lemon and chilli charm at their front door to ward off evil spirits, so she tended to take most things with a grain of salt in her older age.

She laughed and nodded. "My parents have a lot of expectations for me." She looked down at her tea, biting her bottom lip a little. "They're very traditional and a little superstitious. They've got at least a dozen possible husbands lined up for me." Her smile was weak as she looked up at Chris, but only briefly, forcing a little laugh though the thought of actually being married of frightened her and upset her a little. She knew in the end she had no choice. It didn't matter really if she chose any of the boys her parents found suitable, just so long as she married a boy and gave them grandchildren. Preferably a good Indian boy. Could they be any more stereotypical?

"But we do get along pretty well." She countered trying to make her smile more genuine now. "How old are your younger siblings? Do you see them much?" She asked, genuinely interested. "I love kids."

[Chris Rossi]

Chris nodded silently as she spoke of her parents having expectations. She understood that to some extent. Though she did cringe at the remarks about a husband. "Yikes. I don't think I could ever trust my dad to pick out my spouse." She wrinkled her nose. Her father knew her pretty well, but even she couldn't imagine him being able to pick out someone she'd be happy spending her whole life with.

"Are you okay with that? Like, I get that it's traditional and all, but is it really what you want for yourself?" Her voice was soft and concern was in her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like Anjali was trying to open up about something, but a little hesitant. Maybe it was the weak half-hearted smile, or maybe it was the way she was barely able to make eye contact with her for more than a moment before laughing in a manner that could only be called uncomfortable. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," she reassured her. "But I'm more than happy to listen if you did want to. I've been told I'm a pretty good listener."

She paused a moment before expanding into her own story. "I get the whole parental expectations things though. I mean, my dad at least just wants me to be happy. My stepmom... I think she just wants to be normal you know? So my announcement that I was pansexual wasn't received with much enthusiasm. I mean, she's not mean, but I think she wishes that I could just stick with liking boys on some level. Then there's my mom..."

Chris bit her lip slightly before continuing. "I mean, she was on me from the beginning about school and all. She's a doctor who always put her career first, so me going to a good school was what mattered most and she didn't really care what I wanted. When I chose not to go to college... well, she was mad at me for awhile. I'm not sure she's ever really forgiven me for that. But I dunno. Dealing with her anger is easier than carrying the weight of something I wasn't interested in."

She shrugged though. "I mean, that's just me though. Obviously every family is different."

The topic changed to her younger siblings and they both smiled more. "They're 12 and 11. It's a little weird since they're literally half my age, but..." she just shrugged. "I mean, they're still family and I love them. We're not super close. I was busy with school for most their childhood and then I haven't lived at home for 5 years now. But I still make a point to stop by a couple times a month or so to try to spend a little time with everyone." She grinned a little wider. "I bet they'd love you. They'd be fascinated, especially with all your fancy yoga tricks." She sighed slightly. "They'd probably like you better than me. I'm not always as patient with them as I should be. And I'm kinda boring."

[Anjali Kedar]

Anjali wasn't okay with any of it, but she also knew nothing was set in stone.  She could go find her own partner, but her parents would continue to push her towards the men they had chosen.  Maybe one of them would fit, though.  Her parents had a sort of arranged marriage and they were perfectly happy together.  They'd actually fallen for each other when their parents hooked them up, or at least that was her mom's story.  Anjali didn't always buy it, and she knew her parents could be happier with each other, but she wasn't really around for the prime of their relationship.  Maybe they had really liked each.  

Though Chris was allowing her to talk about it, she was also moving through topics pretty quickly which relieved Anjali.  "Thanks." She said gently, not entirely brushing the other girl off, but allowing her to continued talking.   That was a whole conversation she wasn't entirely sure was appropriate for the moment.  In a way she liked that it had come up though.  So few people knew that about her life, and she had spilled so easily to Chris.  It was sort of strange, but definitely nice.  As Chris continued she found herself almost enthralled by the way the girl spoke so easily about the things in her life.  Panseuxal.. that was a term she didn't hear thrown around very often, and it was hard not to focus on the word as Chris said that's what she was so casually.  Again she wondered about the boy she lived with.  It was none of her business, though.

"That's terrible." And she meant it, concern etched on the lines of her face as she watched Chris talk.  She didn't know personally what it felt like to have a parent be that upset with you over a life choice, but she feared it every day.  "Hopefully she'll come around." She offered hopefully, not even sure if that's what Chris wanted at this time or not.  She would, but she was different.  She needed her parents approval more than she needed to make sure she was completely happy in her life.

She laughed at the thought of the other girls younger siblings enjoying her yoga moves.  It was probably true, her own little cousins loved doing yoga with her.  Especially the really young ones who were still so crazy flexible.  They often put her to shame with the way they could naturally just bend like that.  "I seriously doubt your boring." She laughed again, shaking her head.  "I can teach you a few tricks to show them, though.  They probably love you more than you know." She'd always looked up to her older cousins, even when they didn't pay attention to her.  Anjali looked down at her cup and then brought it to her lips to sip it.  "But, uh.. to answer your question earlier I don't think I'm really interested in any of the people my parents would like me to be with."  She tucked a loose hair behind her ear and peeked up at Chris, wrinkling her nose a little.  "I'm sort of not really into guys very much.  In that way.." She bit the inside of her bottom lip and then smiled a little shyly.  "I don't exactly make that public knowledge either.  They'd be crushed, and I know.. I should just tell them, I know that, but I'm not really certain that will go over well, so for now I'm just, yah know, feeling things out.  I've never even dated a girl.  Or a guy, really." She laughed, feeling the heat creep into her cheeks.  "Aaand, now you know I'm really a loser."  Her smile widened as she teased herself.  "But a really flexible loser, so, I have that going for me."

[Chris Rossi]

Anjali offered her thanks, but said nothing further, so Chris figured she had simply appreciated the sentiment and considered the topic dropped. After all, no sense dwelling on something that so obviously made the other woman uncomfortable.

She smiled at Anjali's response to her talk of her mother. "Thanks for that. Honestly though, our relationship isn't really very different from what it was before. Mom's always been most focused on her career and I'm the accident that nearly derailed it. We never had a bad relationship, but we never had a good one either. She just existed on the fringes of my life and wasn't a whole lot more than a check in the mail and an occasional dinner." Chris shrugged. "I wish she could understand why I chose the way I did, but no matter how I explain it, she thinks it was a mistake. I just can't justify spending that much money when I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I don't see how surrounding myself with people who have that purpose is supposed to magically help me find mine. I'd rather just figure it out in my own time."

She laughed softly. "I'm sorry, that was probably information overload."

Chris smiled. "Oh trust me, I am. I don't really do much aside from work and kids don't appreciate the nuances of customer service anymore than I do," she said with a chuckle. "That would be great, though I doubt I have the flexibility to show off just yet."

But then the topic turned and Chris listened solemnly as the other spoke, absorbing her words. "That is definitely a trait for the plus column," she agreed with a laugh. "But trust me, you're not a loser in the least." She reached over, gently laying a hand on the other's arm in an attempt to reassure her. "Thank you for confiding in me, Anjali. And don't worry, there's no reason to rush into telling anyone. I waited years to tell my parents too. It's always scary, especially when you're still figuring things out."

She pulled her hand back, debating for a moment, but then decided that maybe sharing her own story might help Anjali - offer her some insight or something. She just knew she wanted to help. "For me, it happened when I was 17. Or well, almost 17. Anyway, I ended up doing a project for school with a girl in my class. We spent a lot of time together then, mostly at my house since I lived off campus instead of in the dorms, and eventually it just sort of happened. I didn't really understand how I was feeling beyond the fact that I liked being with her."

Chris shrugged slightly. "I was confused. Which is pretty normal really, but it never feels normal, you know? Anyway, she thought we were too young for committment, so though we kept seeing each other, it was never really official. As far as most people knew, especially my parents, we were just friends. So I just left it at that. I was still figuring it all out, so I didn't want to say anything. I never really came out to anyone until I was 20. Well, my best friend knew, but he was gay so he kinda got it which made it easier. Plus I wouldn't have known how to keep anything from him anyway. I think he was just glad I wasn't dating a jock again. He got into a fight with my first ex and... well... it didn't end well."

She coughed slightly. "Sorry, getting off topic. Feel free to tell me to shut up at any time if you like," she said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "Anyway. We had kept seeing each other on and off since then, but when I was 20, she decided she wanted to give commitment a try after all. I had been keeping how I felt about her secret for so long that I knew... if we were going to start a real relationship, I didn't want it to be a secret anymore. So I finally started telling people. Starting with my dad. It also meant learning how to explain what the hell being pansexual means really well. People are kinda clueless," she concluded with a laugh.

"I guess what I'm getting at is that it's okay to take some time to feel things out. It's not a simple thing. So take some time, experiment a little. You should be honest with them - but there is no set time. You'll know when it's right. I mean, it'll never be easy. It might always seem terrifying at first in fact since you never really know how someone will react until you tell them, but you have to take the risk when you're ready for it. When you have a good enough reason to be honest about it." She smiled warmly then. "But if it helps any, it is a relief not to hide who you are. Even when people don't always react how you want. Besides, in my experience, usually if people love you, they at least try to understand."

She bit her lip slightly. "Sorry for getting long-winded on you there. I hoped it helped, even just a little."

[Anjali Kedar]

She frowned at the way she spoke of her mothers view of her.  An accident.. No child was an accident.  In her family, even those that had not been planned were never considered accidents.  Then again, her family had the "it takes a village" mentality to raising a child.  She could clearly remember aunts and uncles spanking her as a kid.  She shook her head when Chris apologized, brushing it off quickly.  "No, I like hearing about you." She insisted, encouraging her to go ahead and just talk all day. She had no other plans!  

"You'll be able to show off when I'm through with you." She promised, a sweet, but slightly wicked grin on her face.  Anjali was starting to like Chris more with each word she spoke, and when she laid her hand on her arm she felt her heart flutter.  Chris liked her for her. She appreciated that Anjali would confide in her, and it felt nice to tell someone else.  It wasn't a secret she blabbed about often.  Heck, Kate didn't even know, but she didn't know her brand new roommates stance on homosexuality yet, and she didn't consider herself completely gay anyway.  She wanted to think she was bi, though she knew deep down she would never be all that interested in being with a guy.  She would, because it was an obligation, and she wasn't repulsed by the idea, but she wasn't really on board either. 

"Yeah, I don't think this conversation will ever happen with my parents." She offered softly, and it was true.  The thought of being cut off was too severe, and until she was absolutely, 100% certain that everything would be alright, she would keep her mouth shut and marry as she was supposed to, have loads of Indian babies, and die with her secret.  For now, while in college, she could do as she pleased with no one to judge her, but once this chapter in her life was over, that book would be put back on the shelf.


Chris was encouraging as she told her story, though.  Seventeen.. Anjali had been around that age when she knew for certain, also.  Just after one of Professor Neville's infamous sex talks.  She had never dated anyone though, not like Chris.  Her own experience had been completely instinctual.  She listened with rapt interest, spinning her cup in her hands as she watched the other girl speak about a topic she herself was afraid of.  It was refreshing, really.  Her first gay friend.  "Yeah, pansexual isn't usually in the talked about group."  She knew it was similar to bisexual but included pretty much everyone, not just men and women.  

"I'm all about experimenting." She insisted a little softly, her eyes down in her cup as if afraid to look Chris in the eye as she admitted it.  "I know once college is over it's going to be more difficult for me.  I just don't know if I can tell them ever. I have time to figure it out, though.  I'm not even legal to drink yet."  Soon, but not yet. she thought to herself.  She knew there were plenty of people in her family who would accept her, but the ones who mattered the most.. 

"You did help." She offered, looking up at Chris and watching her a second before offering a warm smile.  "Thank you."  She suddenly felt more somber, the way she always did when she really thought about her predicament.  For the time being she was single, and there was no reason to do anything if she didn't have someone breathing down her neck about going public.  It was this that probably kept her from actively seeking someone out, but she knew when it happened, if it happened, she would embrace it on some level.  Who knew what would happen.  She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck and gave another sort of smile.  "Sorry, I'm just.. absorbing it all." She gave a weak laugh and then took a deep breath before sipping her tea.  "Anyway.." She bit her lower lip and let her teeth drag against it as it went back to its normal position.  "What're you doing if not going to school?"

[Chris Rossi]

It felt a little odd to talk so much about herself, though pleasant. She was just used to listening more than actually sharing. She was a pretty open person but she wasn't much of one to share unless she was outright asked typically. Still, talking to Anjali was easy, and it was something she was finding that she liked about the younger woman, especially when she encouraged her all the more.

She laughed at Anjali's wicked grin. "Why do I feel like that was almost a threat?" she said with a grin. "Like, should I be scared? Cause I know that I'm athletic but I am way too stiff still to do most those things." Still, she didn't doubt that the other could teach her. "I almost feel bad for you, 'cause that's going to be no easy feat to accomplish. But I guess that just means I'll be seeing you more often, so I won't complain."

It made her a bit sad though to hear Anjali admit that she didn't think she'd ever have that conversation with her family. That wasn't something that was meant to be a locked away secret really... But that just made her more determined to try to be as supportive as possible. Which lead her to sharing her own story in case there was some moral that maybe Anjali could take away from it to give her hope.

Chris smiled as she made her soft admission. "Well good, cause experimenting is what it'll take to give you some confidence about all this." Still, she nodded in agreement with the other woman. "I hope that someday you will be able to," she offered. "But you're right. You have plenty of time to figure it out."

"Of course," she responded instantly to the other's thanks. "Any time. Seriously. I'm happy to help however I can. I mean, I've been there before and especially if not many people know... well you need a support system, so consider me at your service. That's what friends are for, right?" After all, if she hadn't had Winter during her time of trying to figure out who she was, she thought she might have gone crazy from it all.

The subject shifted then and Chris cracked a small smile. "I have the glamourous job as customer service manager," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "It pays well, and apparently the ability to not burst into tears when dealing with an upset customer makes me a valued employee," she explained with a shrug. "It's not a career by any means, but it pays the rent, so it works for now. Other than that I don't do much of anything. An occasional pickup game of basketball or football. Making sure my roommate manages to eat something with actual nutritional content... that's really about it. Well, now there's yoga and stuff with you, so that's something," she added, grinning.

"What about you? What are you studying to do?"

[Anjali Kedar]

"Not a threat." Anjali promised, laughter in her voice.  She felt the corners of her lips tug up at the mention of Chris having to see her more.  The sounded like a decent plan to her, really enjoying the way this visit was going so far.  She could see herself doing loads of stuff with Chris.  She was just a comforting presence.  "I'm up for the challenge." She teased, pretty certain Chris wasn't giving herself enough credit.  Anjali was sure she could loosen her up, and quickly.  She'd already made great progress since she started coming to yoga, and having some one on one instruction would move that along quickly.  She couldn't take the time during class to fix every single person, though she did try.  Posture was just something you slowly picked up on. 

She felt her cheeks warming a little as Chris gave herself to Anjali as a support system.  That meant at least two people she could confide in regularly.  If their friendship worked out, anyway.  Anjali wasn't sure if Chris was the type of friend to sort of get too busy when others needed her.  She got a good feeling about the girl, but one could never be too sure.  "Right." She agreed with a smile, leaning towards trusting the girl.

"Hey, it's hard to find someone who accepts criticism for things they didn't do!" She insisted, trying not to laugh too much.  She'd been on the receiving end of plenty of angry customers in her own laundry list of part time jobs.  She'd had them on and off over the summer since she was sixteen, every year something else.  Then as college rolled around it had become more of a part time thing, but her best job was by far the yoga classes, though she was looking for another part time thing.  The last thing she wanted to do was be a telemarketer again.  "It's something." She agreed with a nod, pulling her right leg up to her chest while keeping the leg tucked under her still, then resting her chin on her knee.  

"Me?" She gave a sort of laugh and then rolled her shoulders.  "Biological Engineering, or just bioengineering." She explained but then held up her hand.  "Not as crazy as it sounds though, I swear."  Anjali placed her mug on the ground next to her as she continued.  "I'm really interested in air pollution and purifying the atmosphere." She explained.  "I kind of like air." She gave a little laugh, though she didn't explain exactly why she loved the air so much.  For an aerokinetic, air wasn't just what you breathed.