Chapter 51: Yoga

Back in the open air of the campus quad, Joan and Mokuba watched a parade of unique bicycles welded together from discarded parts. Some supported multiple riders and others towered at ridiculous heights. Although not scrapped together like the others, two penny-farthing bicycles cruised alongside the rest.

"There you are!" Jessica's voice caused Joan and Mokuba to turn. However, instead of the familiar faces of Dimitri and Jessica, they saw a green lizard and an orange tiger rendered in bright face paint.

"Hey!" Joan said.

"You show him all the best make out spots on campus?" Dimitri asked.

"One of them," Joan grinned.

"There's a big partner yoga class starting in five minutes," Jessica said, "You guys are going to love it!"

Joan glanced at Tamara and Joe. They'd done a pretty good job blending in for the most part, but after that awkward experience with the psychic, Joan wanted to make sure they wouldn't blow their cover unnecessarily. "Can you two pretend to be a couple? At least for yoga?"

"Sure, as long as we don't have to kiss," Tamara said.

Joe nodded.

"Let's do this then!" Joan, already holding Mokuba's hand, pulled him after Jessica and Dimitri as they wove their way through the crowd. They came upon a stage with a few dozen jumbo yoga mats laid out on the grass in front of it.

Two instructors in yellow and black yoga gear paced the stage with wireless headset microphones. "Grab your sweetheart, your roommate, your study buddy, your sibling, or even a stranger you'd like to get to know. We're here to connect with each other in mind, body, and spirit! Come gather 'round and join us on this journey of interdependence and trust. Partner yoga is about deepening relationships through the power of breath, touch, and movement. Let's make some memories together!"

As the instructors spoke, more and more people filled the yoga mats. Joan selected one and took off her hiking boots while the instructors finished psyching up their new students.

Mokuba sat down and took off his shoes. "Hey, after this, I can say I've taken a course at a university."

"Sure," Joan smirked, "but it's not going to count towards your degree."

"Just teasing the idea. I couldn't leave my employees high and dry."

"Let's start with some mindful breathing," an instructor said. The two instructors met at the center of the stage to demonstrate. "Sit cross-legged, facing your partner. You can rest your hands on your knees or hold hands with your partner if desired."

Mokuba and Joan settled into the position and held hands. As they breathed, they sunk into a world where only the two of them existed. Despite all the other pairs around them, despite the amplified voices of the instructors, they claimed this time and space as their own. A mild and rhythmic electric pulse, like a massage, caressed Mokuba's brain as they unwittingly tapped into the ring's power, accessing one another's emotions.

As they sat back-to-back in the next pose, twisting against each other, Joan felt a sense of comfort and protection seep into her soul. Just as much if not more so than her other men, Mokuba would watch her back. Their bodyguards helped, certainly, but they served more as a first line of defense, a deterrent to threats. As they bent over one another, Joan remembered how Mokuba had wrapped himself around her even as the other CEOs tried to get a piece of her. Even after knowing her only a few days, his allegiance stemmed not only from regard for his own happiness but his brother's as well. Seto had finally stumbled upon a whore he couldn't live without, and Mokuba wasn't about to stand by while some slimeballs that weren't even paying her had their way with her.

They entered a gate pose next, outer arms reaching towards the sky, bodies curving inwards, feet meeting in the center. A sense of welcoming to the future washed over them, openly greeting whatever life would bring them next. They progressed into a modified Warrior 2 pose, gripping each other's forearms and leaning away from each other, ready to face challenges that came their way. A double boat pose and partnered tree pose brought them a sense of balance and harmony.

As the poses grew more complicated, Joan and Mokuba giggled at their own mistakes, reminded by each other not to take life so seriously. However, they also felt a sense of accomplishment at their little victories as they executed the poses on their second and third tries. Just when they felt they'd reached their limit, the instructors called an end to the class with a final, "Namaste."

Joan and Mokuba looked up to see Joe balancing Tamara on his feet, apparently using the opportunity to show off in front of their employers. Then they noticed Jessica and Dimitri doing the same thing and realized both pairs were actually in competition with each other. The Neverlanders switched into yet another challenging pose, and the bodyguards mimicked it. Mokuba and Joan kept watching as another speaker claimed the stage, this one doing some sort of poetry on climate justice.

The yoga instructors came by to collect the mats. "We're glad you're enjoying yourselves, but we need those mats back."

"Sorry," Tamara said as she released her grip on Joe, "got carried away."

"That's all right," one of the instructors beamed. "Perhaps you could join us for our advanced class sometime." The instructor pulled out business cards and passed them around before collecting the mats.

Dimitri sat on the grass to put on his shoes, and the others followed suit. "So, who's hungry?"

"You have to try the eggplant sandwich while you're here," Jessica said.

Mokuba smiled. It sounded weird to him, but after how great the black bean burgers turned out, he couldn't turn down another opportunity to make memories with his eccentric new friends. "Sure, why not?"

They all stood and walked back along a row of white canopies, passing three people on stilts dressed as satyrs. Long pants made with faux fur and hooves on the ends of the stilts completed the illusion.

They approached a stand with a giant banner advertising eggplant sandwiches and made their order. They then found an open spot on the grass and sat down to enjoy their food. Mokuba discovered that, although this wasn't quite like a burger either, it had a delicious smoky flavor. Once finished, they returned their plates and cups to a booth made of painted plywood for washing.