A Course in Relaxation (Chris)

[Chris Rossi]

So far in life, pretty much all of her friends had been males, or at least other tomboys like her. Of course bonding over yoga wasn't really that different than bonding over soccer. Still, Anjali didn't really strike her as a jock, even if she was a bit athletic. Still, despite that, Chris could see them spending time together, being friends. After all, today was already proving that they could talk about all sorts of things, and she couldn't see the actual yoga part going badly. Chris just grinned at her remark. "Well, if you're so confident, I guess I'll just have to trust your expertise." Her smile brightened and grew slightly wider. "Something to look forward to, right?"

She could see Anjali growing a little flushed as she offered her support and she wasn't sure if that was because the other woman was feeling touched or embarrassed. Hopefully the former. Besides, if there was one thing Chris was good at, it was helping others. She practically took care of Winter now, not that that was all that different than it had been for pretty much her whole life. Taking care of others - emotionally and physically - came naturally to her. Taking care of herself, at least emotionally... not so much. So she hoped that Anjali would take the offer as seriously as it had been meant. She was smiling, so that was at least encouraging.

Chris laughed at the younger woman's reaction. "You're not wrong," she agreed. She had never really thought it was a particularly special trait, but working had taught her that most people truly were incapable of maintaining their composure. They wanted to blame whoever was conveniently in front of them and those people usually always took it personally. To Chris it was second nature really, which worked out quite well for her paycheck. "See, I told you I was boring!" she joked. Really she did find her life quite dull - a side effect of being directionless it seemed. The highlight of it lately had been her yoga classes truth be told, but that was largely due to meeting Anjali.

Before she could ask what exactly bioengineering was, the younger started to explain. She smiled as she listened. "Oh wow, that's pretty cool actually. Talk about a career that will make a difference," she said, almost a little enviously. She wished she had that sort of purpose in life. "Yeah, air is a little bit important," she agreed with a laugh. Still, the way she said that she liked air, Chris had to wonder if she meant something more than the implied joke.

[Anjali Kedar]

"I guess so." She teased back, her own smile growing at the prospect of proving Chris wrong.  It was definitely something to look forward to.

"You're not boring!" Anjali insisted with a small sort of laugh.  She definitely didn't think the girl was boring, and she didn't want her to think of herself as boring either.  Chris was actually sort of interesting in her normalcy. She liked how at ease she was and laid back, a trait she found important in someone she intended to spend time with.  "Trust me, I've met boring, and you're not it."

The one thing she liked about her career choice was that it had the potential to make a big difference, especially in some countries where air pollution had become a real serious problem.  They needed to keep this earth clean for generations to come!  "Air is a lot a bit important."  Her teeth scraped over her bottom lip, as it often did, at her play on Chris's words.  Her arms wrapping around the knee pressed to her chest as her shoulders rolled slightly.  "Humanitarianism goes hand in hand with yoga.  Next thing you know, you'll probably be volunteering with Save the Whales." Her face was serious for all of about two seconds before she laughed and buried her face into her knee.  "Not really." She said looking back at Chris and shaking her head.  "Well, unless you wanted to, but that would have nothing to do with yoga.  Or.. or anything I guess."  She was getting off subject.  "What were we talking about again?" Her smile widened realizing that she had managed to babble herself so far off the trail that she had no clue what they were even talking about anymore.

[Chris Rossi]

She laughed more at Anjali's continued insistence that she was not boring. "Alright, alright, I cave," she teased. "I could stand to have a little more excitement in my life I think. It's nice having a routine, but it'd be nice to shake it up a bit more now and then, you know?" She chuckled slightly and shook her head. "I guess I just wish I was more like you and pretty much everyone else I know my own age. It'd be good to have a goal instead of just sort of aimlessly existing." She took a long sip of her tea before glancing back at Anjali. "That's kind of silly, isn't it?"

Chris grinned at the younger woman's play on her own words. That sense of humor - even with something that was obviously important to her - was a refreshing thing for her. She chuckled at her joke about volunteering and even more at the babbling that followed. It was a cute habit. Especially once she caught herself doing it and got all flustered. "Well, yoga connections aside, it's always good to try to make the world a better place," she said kindly.

"We were talking about the terrifying, looming concept of the future," she quipped promptly, laughing a bit at her own joke which wasn't exactly untrue.

[Anjali Kedar]

She had to agree.  Shaking things up was important from time to time, especially if you had a routine.  Anjali was a big fan of spontaneity.  "What's silly about wanting to have a life plan?" She asked honestly.  There was nothing wrong with it in her own opinion.  It was important to have an idea, but surely not everyone knew what they wanted, and even those who did didn't necessarily get what they wanted.  She knew what she wanted to do, but getting there was a whole other ballgame.  "Besides, just because I'm going to school for something I feel like I want to do at this stage in my life, doesn't guarantee anything.  I could change my mind in five years and want to be a dentist." She gave a firm nod as if this were somehow a possibility, when it was anything but.  Anjali hated going to the dentist.  "Finding yourself is a better term than aimlessly existing.  I would tell people that instead." It was a playful tease followed by a wink.

As Chris reminded her of what they'd been talking to she quickly wrinkled her nose as if the apartment just filled with some sort of foul stench.  "Oh, yeah that.. hmm."  Future wasn't something she enjoyed thinking about as looming over them.  "Don't worry about the future.  Actually, I can teach you some stuff to help you relax once you've gotten yourself all worked up thinking about what lies ahead." She insisted waggling her eyebrows with a little smirk.  "I'm about to be your new best friend!" She teased with a little laugh.  

[Chris Rossi]

Chris chuckled, smiling almost sheepishly. "You're right. Wanting it isn't the silly part. The rambling on and on about it however..."

She raised an eyebrow as Anjali countered that she could very well change her mind and decide to be a dentist in five years. "Why do I not believe that?" she asked, her skepticism heavy in her voice. "And I mean, things can always change, that's life. But at least you have a goal. Changing direction is easier than starting from a dead stop, you know? That's where I am right now. I'm not moving anywhere, I'm just stuck and killing time with no concept of where I want to go..." She shrugged as she realized she was starting to ramble. "And there I go again. I'm just saying that it must be nice to know what you want out of life." After all, Chris had been trying to figure that out for years now and she wasn't any closer to an answer.

Anjali's playful tease and wink had her laughing once again. "Oh yes, that is a much better spin on it. You are good." It was fun seeing this side of the yoga instructor. Seeing who she was as a person beyond just the calm, patient instructor that she got to see on a weekly basis.

The way the other woman wrinkled her nose at the remark about the future had Chris grinning all the more. At least she wasn't the only one who felt that way. She took another long sip of her tea, raising it in a mock toast as she finished. "Here's to that!" she agreed. Worrying about the future was exhausting, even if it was in her very nature.

"Now that sounds far more appealing than worrying about the future," she agreed with a smirk. "See? I knew I liked you for a reason," she added with a wink of her own.

[Anjali Kedar]

She wasn't sure if changing direction would make things easier or not.  In some ways she thought maybe starting from scratch would be the best way to go, but what did she know?  Anjali bit her lip and wished she had more supportive words for the other girl.  Surely she had some ideas of what she wanted.  There had to be something.  "Surely you've got something you'd like to do, right? I mean.. if schooling wasn't an issue, if you could just be anything you wanted, what would it be?" She asked, knowing there wasn't a way to really help her get there, but it was the only way she could think to be supportive or at least somewhat helpful.  
  
Chris's grin widened and she couldn't help but let her own broaden on her face.  When the other girl lifted her tea, Anjali reached down and picked up her own, lifting it in cheers herself.  "To that." She cheered back before taking a sip and smiling again.  It was such a breath of fresh air having someone to talk to about anything and everything.  She felt so comfortable with Chris's presence there and she was sure she would be spending more time with her.  


"I'm very likeable." She gave a deep nod as if this were obvious and then laughed.  "And I'm glad you like me, because clearly something would be wrong with you if you didn't."  She was being silly now, feeling strangely giddy in the other girls presence.  She slipped her legs down and shook her head, trying to refocus herself.  "Alright, I'm done blowing fake smoke up my own rear.  Let's talk about exactly what you want to learn today."  Her dark eyes stayed focused on the woman beside her.  "Is there anything you'd like to get out of today?"

[Chris Rossi]

Chris bit her lip as the other asked her what she wanted to do. She wanted to have an answer, she really did. "I really don't know. I mean, I always liked sports, but being a professional athelete would be way more pressure than I want in my life. I did good in school but I never really had a subject that I loved just for the sake of learning, you know?" She laughed sheepishly. "I guess I really am hopeless," she said, amusement in her voice. She really did try to not take it too seriously, otherwise she'd end up a bit depressed and then she wouldn't get anything done.

She laughed as the other girl returned her smile and her toast. It was nice to see her break out of her shell a bit. Well, that was really a bit unfair. Anjali was probably always this light-hearted and playful. But because Chris had only ever seen her in a professional capacity, she just hadn't gotten to see it before. Still, it was a nice change. She liked getting to know the true Anjali beyond just her skills as a teacher.

"That you certainly are," she agreed quickly. She laughed at her conclusion that something would be wrong of Chris to not like her. "I can hardly argue with that logic," she said with a chuckle. Chris waved off her remark about fake smoke. "Nah, nothing wrong with a bit of confidence, even in hyperbole," she teased. But after that point she followed Anjali's lead and focused on the reason she was here.

She shook her head. "Not particularly. I just know that I'm very much enjoying your class and I'd like to get a bit better at it. I know I'm not particularly graceful or flexible after all," she said, punctuating her words with a laugh. "I'm here to learn, so I'm happy to follow your lead, whatever you think is best."

[Anjali Kedar]

Anjali could think of a few different professions based around sports, but didn't know if she should over step her boundaries.  Still, it was admirable that Chris was that into sports.  She herself liked the idea of sports, but in practice.. well she wasn't very good at doing them.  And, strangely enough, she was too lazy to.  Stretching in the comfort of your own home, or being paid to do so at the gym, were totally different in her opinion.  

"I don't think you're hopeless."  She tried to sound reassuring but wasn't sure how it was coming across.  "There are a lot of things you could do, I'm sure.  I could brainstorm with you sometime if you wanted? But only if you wanted.  Cause future stuff is.. yeesh, thinking about the futue and jobs and school and, yeah, it's just migraine inducing." She grit her teeth and wrinkled her nose a little showing she wasn't a fan of thinking about it all either.  Who knew what her future held.  Chances were she'd end up being a yoga instructor forever.

She gave a laugh and shook her head.  "That's not confidence.  I don't even think it's a hyperbole, but more likely idiocy." She teased while grinning wider.  "And I think we'll just sort of touch on everything.  I mean, whatever you like we'll continue doing and if something seems boring then, well we can stop that.  The nice thing about yoga and meditation is that routines aren't really set.  There is no right or wrong way to do it so whatever works, works.  We can mold your regimen to your taste.  Over time.  we're not going to get it the first shot.  Trial and error.  There are certain things I didn't do, for, like, years because I lacked balance and concentration.  Like the firefly pose.  Oh my god that and feathered peacock were the bane of my existence."  She gave a laugh and then realized Chris really had no clue what she was talking about.  "I won't teach you those.  I might try and impress you with them though." She flashed a bright, cheesy smile and then laughed a little, drinking more of her tea.

[Chris Rossi]

Chris laughed at her conclusion about the future. "Migraine inducing to say the least!" she agreed. Her laughter softened into a warm smile as the other girl's words sunk in. She really did appreciate the offer. She had rather given up trying to figure it out really, and her father never pushed her while her mother only tried to tell her what she should do. Chris didn't always ask for help when she probably should, but that didn't mean she was too proud to accept it. "Thanks though. I'd like that sometime, if you really don't mind I mean." Not doing it alone made it a little less scary after all.

"Oh shush, I don't even believe you're capable of idiocy," she shot back with a wave of her hand, her smile mirroring Anjali's all the while. It seemed far too harsh a word to be associated with the girl in front of her.

Chris listened intently as the other spoke, informing her of, well, quite a lot really. "That sounds like a good plan," she agreed. "Especially if it means I'll be getting to see more of you like this," she added with a playful smile. She liked Anjali and she couldn't help but think that spending more time together outside of class would help them become great friends. That and she really did want to get better at yoga. If the physical challenge wasn't enough, maybe the meditation aspect would help bring her a little clarity about her life.

Her smile grew wider as Anjali spoke about some of the more difficult yoga poses, and trying to impress her with them. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Oh, now that I would love to see. By all means, impress away," she added with a wink before taking a sip of her own tea, the cup hiding her smile.

[Anjali Kedar]

She shook her head and waived her hand around dismissively. "Not at all, promise. It's like figuring out a really complex puzzle." She gave a soft chuckle, rolling her shoulders before sipping her tea again and then resting the cup in her lap. "And you know, you've only hung out with me for a little while. You don't know what idiotic things I'm capable of saying or doing yet." She teased, though she knew she wasn't really much of a dunce. Anjali did have a tendency to be air headed at times, but it didn't take away from her intelligence any. It was mostly socially that she got weird at times.

She felt the heat creep into her cheeks when Chris mentioned liking the idea of spending more time with her. Again that strange fluttering feeling happened in her stomach, wondering if maybe she and Chris.. She pushed the idea away before it could completely form in her mind. They were friends. They were new friends and she was there to teach her an art form. Besides, Anjali had no clue how to hit on someone and would botch it up in a second. She'd look like an idiot and ruin the budding friendship, which was the last thing she wanted to do.

"This is a good way to see me." She said lightheartedly with a grin and then shook her head. "No way, I have to stretch before I do anything crazy. Maybe when we're all done, if you remind me, I'll show you some of the tough stuff. But.. I might make you try it once you're better. You know, after a few months of working all the stiffness out." She was almost positive Chris could do some of what she herself could after a little training. She already possessed the physical strength required, she only needed balance which would come with practice. "I think you'll find your center faster than you think. You're already strong, just need to loosen up all those muscles you don't know you have yet." Her playful smile was bordering on wicked. "So, you ready to start?"

[Chris Rossi]

"Oh, so you're into puzzles are you?" she asked, though her tone was still playful, teasing almost. "Always good to know." Chris took another sip of her tea in the pause that followed as Anjali tried to insist that she was in fact idiotic and Chris just hadn't seen that side of her yet. "So you say, but I don't believe you. I guess that just means I'll have to stick around and see for myself," she teased back. She may not have known Anjali very long yet, but she had a feeling about her, and usually her feelings weren't wrong.

Somehow Chris was entirely oblivious to the vibe between she and Anjali. Of course, she had always been rather hopeless at such things. Really, she had to pretty much be hit over the head with it to see what was right in front of her. It had always been that way too. Maybe that's why she had only ever seen 3 people. She was terrible at flirting and picking up on signals after all. Not that those thoughts even occurred to her now. They were just being friendly, right?

Chris grinned back at her before taking another sip of her tea. It was pretty much empty at this point. Her grin only widened though as Anjali continued to speak. "Oh, I will definitely remember that. I'm looking forward to seeing just what you can do." Still, she laughed as the younger girl told her that she might make her attempt such moves one day. "I think you're overestimating me. I doubt I can be even half as limber as you in just a few months. But hey, if anyone could whip me into shape..." Her voice trailed off as she gave a little shrug.

She laughed a little. "I wish that was the first time someone told me I needed to loosen up," she said with a small wince. Winter told her that all the time. Of course, as far as she was concerned, she was more than entitled to worry, about him in particular. "But I trust you and I put myself in your very capable hands, Anjali." Chris couldn't help the smirk that spread across her lips then.

"Alright, let's do this. Where do we start, oh wise one?"

[Anjali Kedar]

She laughed a little and rolled her shoulders.  She liked puzzles.. especially if they were the human mind kind.  "I guess you will." She offered back.  As far as she was concerned Chris was welcome to come and see how idiotic she could be, though it would probably have to be when they weren't doing yoga.  Silliness and relaxation just didn't go hand in hand.  No one could completely relax while watching someone else make an ass of themselves.

Anjali half hoped Chris forgot by the end of their session about the fancy moves.  Though she liked the thought of showing off, she didn't want to intimidate the other girl and also she might mess up and fall on her butt.  If that were the case, Chris might actually get a glimpse of the idiotic Anjali.  "Of, don't you worry, I'll whip you." She said before realizing exactly what she'd said.  "Into shape!" She added quickly, covering her face with her hand.  Why was she being such a spaz?  "I can whip you into shape.  And make you limber.. in.. I need to stop talking." 

Anjali took a deep sip of her tea to try and get her mind back in place.  She needed to focus on the task at hand and stop sounding like a complete moron.  "We start on the floor."  She put her tea down on the table and got off the couch, all but skipping to the CD player.  She pressed a button and the old machine purred to life.  She hit number four in the CD section, not sure what they would get, but knowing only her stuff was in there so it would be relaxing.  Her calm water meditation music mix came on and she gave a nod deciding that was good enough.  "Let me grab some pillows."  She went to her room and grabbed a handful of the over sized, thin pillows she sat on when doing her meditation.  They could start with a little of this before moving on to the yoga.

Anjali plopped the pillows down and grabbed a couple to sit on before smiling over at Chris.  "Okay.  One you get comfortable, we're going to sit with our backs straight and close our eyes.  This helps to remove the distractions out of sight." She explained.  "And then we'll do some breathing.  Sound good so far?"