heaved a deep sigh. Ah well, a girl can dream.
The class was nearly full by the time I arrived. I hadn't been in the presence of this many soccer moms since -- well, ever.
I recognized Tessa right away. She had a pale, heart-shaped face framed by curly hair the color of cinnamon. She was talking to an older woman as she unrolled her mat. The stoop-shouldered older woman looked too brittle for yoga, but she was dressed for the occasion. I watched as Tessa patted her arm and spoke in soothing tones. She seemed way too nice and normal for Flynn.
I found a clear patch of linoleum in the back of the room and unfurled my mat.
"Ooh, I love that color," said the woman next to me, as her eyes coveted my yoga mat.
"Thanks." Some little voice inside of me said that I was supposed to return the compliment, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Her mat was a hideous green and her outfit was so tight, I was fairly certain her breathing was compromised. How did she expect to do yoga if she couldn't breathe?
Tessa took her place at the head of the room. "Namaste, everyone. It's great to see you all." Her smile was infectious. The entire class smiled back, except me. I observed with grim fascination.
"It looks like we have a new student," Tessa said.
Oh no. She meant me. Slowly, I raised my hand and wiggled my fingers.
"Welcome. There are no strangers here. Only friends you haven't met yet," Tessa said. "What's your name?"
"Alyse," I replied, looking anxiously around the room. I'd been in many uncomfortable situations -- like trapped between two Ghuls in an open grave and a half-ravaged corpse beneath me -- but this moment was way up there on the list.
"Can everyone please give a warm welcome to Alyse?" she asked.
The whole class welcomed me with toothy grins. It was unnerving. I began to question my sanity. Why did I listen to Flynn? I didn't need yoga. I was a djinni. My mist form was as flexible as an entity could get. Of course, I couldn't shift into it now, but that was only a temporary problem. Or so I hoped.
"Let's start with sun salutation," Tessa began and moved into position.
I tried to match Tessa's moves. I really did. It was my body that refused to cooperate. I thought this body was hot and fit. Apparently, I'd deeply underestimated the value of flexibility. Then again, it had been quite some time since I'd needed to demonstrate any.
I wobbled several times when trying to master the art of standing on one leg. My core strength was excellent. Ask anyone who'd ever tried to punch me in the stomach.
"Alyse, if you focus on my face, you'll wobble less," Tessa said. "A fixed point in the room is always a good starting point."
What was I doing here? Yoga was supposed to relax me, yet I could feel my blood pressure rising with each note of encouragement. Maybe yoga only worked for straight-up humans.
I proved my mettle during plank. The other women collapsed in a heap on their mats before Tessa urged me to move on.
"Well done, Alyse. I think we can all agree that your plank is excellent. Now why don't we try something else?" She gave me a little clap. It was pretty condescending, if you ask me. Which no one did.
She cycled through a few more maneuvers and I struggled to keep up with the class. It dawned on me when I was bent over with my butt in the air that Flynn knew exactly what he was doing when he suggested that I come here. This wasn't stress-busting. This was pure torture.
"Alyse, if you don't lock your knees, you'll find this position easier to manage," Tessa chirped.
I twisted my neck to see her face pressed against her thighs. I was beginning to think it would look better shoved up her pert ass.
I released a groan of frustration when I realized I couldn't even touch my toes. If I had my powers, I'd turn invisible right now and hightail it out of here. This was humiliating. I had no doubt this was Flynn's intention. He was, to my endless embarrassment, intimately familiar with this particular human body,
The class was nearly full by the time I arrived. I hadn't been in the presence of this many soccer moms since -- well, ever.
I recognized Tessa right away. She had a pale, heart-shaped face framed by curly hair the color of cinnamon. She was talking to an older woman as she unrolled her mat. The stoop-shouldered older woman looked too brittle for yoga, but she was dressed for the occasion. I watched as Tessa patted her arm and spoke in soothing tones. She seemed way too nice and normal for Flynn.
I found a clear patch of linoleum in the back of the room and unfurled my mat.
"Ooh, I love that color," said the woman next to me, as her eyes coveted my yoga mat.
"Thanks." Some little voice inside of me said that I was supposed to return the compliment, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Her mat was a hideous green and her outfit was so tight, I was fairly certain her breathing was compromised. How did she expect to do yoga if she couldn't breathe?
Tessa took her place at the head of the room. "Namaste, everyone. It's great to see you all." Her smile was infectious. The entire class smiled back, except me. I observed with grim fascination.
"It looks like we have a new student," Tessa said.
Oh no. She meant me. Slowly, I raised my hand and wiggled my fingers.
"Welcome. There are no strangers here. Only friends you haven't met yet," Tessa said. "What's your name?"
"Alyse," I replied, looking anxiously around the room. I'd been in many uncomfortable situations -- like trapped between two Ghuls in an open grave and a half-ravaged corpse beneath me -- but this moment was way up there on the list.
"Can everyone please give a warm welcome to Alyse?" she asked.
The whole class welcomed me with toothy grins. It was unnerving. I began to question my sanity. Why did I listen to Flynn? I didn't need yoga. I was a djinni. My mist form was as flexible as an entity could get. Of course, I couldn't shift into it now, but that was only a temporary problem. Or so I hoped.
"Let's start with sun salutation," Tessa began and moved into position.
I tried to match Tessa's moves. I really did. It was my body that refused to cooperate. I thought this body was hot and fit. Apparently, I'd deeply underestimated the value of flexibility. Then again, it had been quite some time since I'd needed to demonstrate any.
I wobbled several times when trying to master the art of standing on one leg. My core strength was excellent. Ask anyone who'd ever tried to punch me in the stomach.
"Alyse, if you focus on my face, you'll wobble less," Tessa said. "A fixed point in the room is always a good starting point."
What was I doing here? Yoga was supposed to relax me, yet I could feel my blood pressure rising with each note of encouragement. Maybe yoga only worked for straight-up humans.
I proved my mettle during plank. The other women collapsed in a heap on their mats before Tessa urged me to move on.
"Well done, Alyse. I think we can all agree that your plank is excellent. Now why don't we try something else?" She gave me a little clap. It was pretty condescending, if you ask me. Which no one did.
She cycled through a few more maneuvers and I struggled to keep up with the class. It dawned on me when I was bent over with my butt in the air that Flynn knew exactly what he was doing when he suggested that I come here. This wasn't stress-busting. This was pure torture.
"Alyse, if you don't lock your knees, you'll find this position easier to manage," Tessa chirped.
I twisted my neck to see her face pressed against her thighs. I was beginning to think it would look better shoved up her pert ass.
I released a groan of frustration when I realized I couldn't even touch my toes. If I had my powers, I'd turn invisible right now and hightail it out of here. This was humiliating. I had no doubt this was Flynn's intention. He was, to my endless embarrassment, intimately familiar with this particular human body,
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