To find one's center

Felicia sighed while she sat on her living room, looking at some calling card she had in her hand. Using that term to describe it was a little bit of an overstatement, as it just was a piece of cardboard in which the white hair had scribbled a phone number, Anja’s phone number to be more precise. Having her last rival’s number written in a towel seemed ludicrous to Felicia so as soon as she arrived home she got the number on that card and got rid of the towel as the Raven had demanded.

For a couple of weeks the card had rested untouched on top of Felicia’s dining table. For those days the white haired had some time to reflect on her last match and on Anja. Yes, Felicia got pummeled in that match, but her initial rage towards herself and in some part towards her rival who humiliated her faded with the passing days and some realization came to her: had Anja wanted to do so, she could have made a complete mess out of Felicia. The Raven’s actions during the match looked more like some kind of correction also aimed at stirring the crowd in order to get some cred back after her retirement. Felicia was now fully aware that even if it was a rough loss for her it could have been way, way worse in the hands of other rival with nastier intentions.

Felicia’s mind had gone all about Anja. No matter what, the Raven looked like she was enjoying herself, teasing Felicia with some raunchy remarks and moves while also punishing her with some high impact strikes until the white haired lost consciousness. At first Felicia was too frustrated to notice, but now she was sure about it: Anja took some liking to her and that was the reason why she didn’t fully humiliated her in front of everyone. Of course she ascertained superiority and dominance, but also while respecting her and not ruining the rookie.

Fidgeting with the card, Felicia got the phone and dialed the written number. She had been struggling with that idea for some time but didn’t work the courage to do so. The signal went through and started giving a tone one, two… up to five times. Maybe that was all an ellaborated joke from Anja. Felicia started to feel mad about it just before Anja’s voice came from the other side. It wasn’t the Raven but a pre-recorded message. It was adressed directly to Felicia and it was summoning her to a certain place. The white haired took notes of the direction and some further instructions like bringing sport clothing.

As she was riding the train to the place she was summoned to by Anja Felicia thought about the woman’s offer. The Raven said that she wanted to work with her, help her develop her skills, that she could go if she thought it was all bullshit but that there was a lot for her to get there. There was still some enigma and that was what had it in for Anja. She was just about to see that.

It turned out that Felicia had been summoned to an isolated dojo in the ourskirts of the city. There vegetation was everywhere but in the old dojo building, and even a sound of water falling could be heard. It seemed like a peaceful place to retire and train, so Felicia walked the small path to the dojo’s entrance, straightened her jacket, tank top and yoga pants and opened the sliding door, expecting to find Anja in the inside of the dojo.

"Ugh, this stuff is killing me."
Anja mumble all for herself while she was mixing one of the so called sports drinks her fitness and diet advisor had put together for her. Of course she had mixed it by herself, you never knew who was out to get you she had reminded herself, but that did not exactly pay off in this instance as she was now not only forced to drink it but also look at the numerous fruits and vegetables that often smelled gross or funny.

"Come on,come on, you can do this!"
She encouraged herself before attempting to gul her drink down in one big push, turning slightly white in the face in the process while turning around, just to look into the face of Felicia!
"Ughnn!UH! UHN!"
She wildly gestured with her hands and bloated cheeks before she took the swallow, beding forward while her hands rested on her knees to cough after she had done it.

Felicia didn’t know what she was expecting when she approached the dojo’s entrance. Was Anja waiting for her already, or was she going to wait for some time? That didn’t matter, she would get to explore that place. The white haired was honestly curious about that place she was summoned to. Her questions about the Raven actually being there dissipated as she heard some weird complaints and encouraging words. As Felicia saw things, Anja must have been having a hard workout session to yell things like the ones she did. That was exactly what she was going after, some cool workout that would help her improve her fighting skills.

To Felicia’s surprise, when she opened the dojo’s door she wasn’t welcomed with the sight of Anja exercising but gulping on some awfully looking shake. The blonde made some unsettling gagging sounds before choking and coughing furiously. “Wow. Just wow.” Felicia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. That woman was the same that showed confidence and a threatening and alluring aura when they faced in match. Could it be that her character was that good? Either way, she was still intrigued about that woman in more than one way.

Deciding to break the ice since Anja looked in need of some joke cracking, Felicia spoke first. “Is this the place you hide to choke on shakes? Seems like a cool spot just to be gagging on some vegetables...”

"Aghh!"
One final cough ended her little outburst and she was left back to take deep breaths. Holding one hand out in front of her to signal her guest to wait for a moment so that she could fully breathe it out of her system.

"I guess I will hide her from this stuff instead. Terrible! I seriously doubt that I will drink this again! It already smellt terrible! Say, have you ever wondered why you can´t simply eat the fruits and not mix them together into a horrible drink with some chemical glue in it?"
She asked more herself than Felicia although she of course still expected an answer.
"Maybe you should find out yourself. Over there is the recipe, make yourself one."
Anja suggested while going to the sink to wash and clean her face.

If Felicia needed more proof of Anja being a weird woman she got just that when the blonde started so casually talking about vegetable shakes and how she hated them without even properly greeting her, but in the end the white haired didn’t say hello either, so it was fair. Despite all that ration of weirdness, Felicia couldn’t point what was it but that woman had her attention.

Shrugging at Anja’s strange invitation, Felicia walked towards the recipe book and chose a shake according to the small fruit basket offer she had. She had to admit the mix of fruit seemed strange: banana and pear together? That didn’t seem right but she got the fruit in the blender. The real problem was the colorless paste-like substance she was supposed to use in order to make the mix into a true healthy fit shake. For a moment she felt the temptation of cheating and not adding the thing, but she did it in the last moment. After some seconds in the blender, she poured the viscous resultant liquid in a glass and without much time to think about it she gulped it.

The shake tasted terribly. It wasn’t just about taste but about how the slimy liquid would slowly crawl down her throat. Felicia did her best to repress her disatisfaction and her gagging for air, but in the end she had to let out a single cough. Playing it cool, she looked at Anja. “What? Tastes like crap but it isn’t that terrible though.”, she said in a neutral tone.

"It is highly recommended, but I really don´t know why."
Drawing the belt of her plain black kimono a little bit tighter because it was constantly moving into a position where it was a little bit annoying on its own.

Finally she was satisfied with the stage of her face and looked back at her guest just in time to see her fighting the urge to also choek more, giving her the need of a satisfied smile before she would sit down on a small wooden stool and point on another one right beside it so that Felicia could sit down too.
"Have you any recommendation for a healthy and en energetic drink that doesn´t throw your stuff out of the lane?"
She sked, wanting to know a little bit about Felicia ad how she organised her day.

After some nasty shake and almost choking on it, Felicia reflected on her current position. All that was an extremely weird way of starting a meeting, and even weirder taking into account that it was the second time Felicia met Anja and the first one they did it outside of a wrestling environment. Approaching one with disquisitions about the nature of healthy smoothies was a very strange way of starting whatever kind of mentor-student relationship Anja decided she wanted to have with the white haired, and was nonetheless a very curious way to look directly at the Raven’s quirks.

Anja kept going with the smoothie conversation, asking Felicia about her preferences. Was all that some kind of test? “Well, call me old fashioned but I like my veggies solid. I’m not into the shake thing unless it is something that tastes good like some fruit ones. I dunno, maybe stop using that weird cementing substance? It made everything feel gooey.” Felicia shrugged while retorting, as if she was completely aware of how weird that situation was.

"Solid, huh?"
Anja was scratching one of her nostrils as if she was about to solve some ultra hard level equation, looking at Felicia with interest.

"You know what, I do too. I also like milk shakes. Still I drink this mixed stuff piss some educated people call an energizing and satisfying drink. Any idea why?"
The Blonde was in no way a friend of the superfood movement, that seemed like complete nonsense to her. Still, there were proven methods used by bodybuilders, doctors, fitness models and athletes in general that had stood the test of time. Sadly most of this stuff was made for success, not taste…

Some part of Felicia was still weirdly amused by how that situation was going. Anja didn’t look to see anything strange in how she was approaching their second meeting, and that probably added to her charisma even if it was somehow baffling. Could that woman be so oblivious to regular social customs? Felicia shrugged as she got used to the idea of that being the most insightful conversation she was going to have with the Raven for now. She wanted to know what she was doing there and how she was going to train and become a better fighter, but for now she just had to discuss the traits of terrible superfood.

“Uuuuh, I dunno. Social pressure? Superstars, fashionistas and all that goody two shoes tell you that is the best and you sheepily follow and buy their shit?” It wasn’t as if Felicia wanted to insult Anja, but that question had actually spurred her interest in some matter she cared about. No matter what others said, the white haired liked thinking she was the one to guide her fate and not some silly brand or other people. “Why don’t you eat the food you think is healthy and have worked for you in the past instead of following some guru idiot? I mean, it’s not like you are fat or anything. You are a fit athlete and… well, hot as hell, so I don’t get why you drink that crap.”, Felicia replies while shrugging the whole thing as if Anja's question was absurd.

"Straightforward at least."
Anja finished her work at her nosgtril, lookkng neither annoyed or appealed by the answer that Felicia so bluntly gave her.

"Looking fit is not enough. Feeling fit is often not enough. It is only enough if you only strive for the hentai jobber position I mentioned in the shower."
She gave back before putting the glass she was still holding behind her in the sink without looking away from Felicia.
"Nobody cares if you´re an island or not. Or whose T-shirt you buy. Or not. At least I don´t care. I have my own clothes fashioned and printed because I kept an open mind for the possibility that someone could know more about wrestling, business, health and fitness than me. Or that my information could be outdated. And as you are hear, I assume that you are in the same position."
The Blonde concluded before getting a little bit softer in her voice and facial impression.
"Describe me your day."