Where The Wisterias Bloom

Hana followed along Carmen, watching as she tossed up the ball and caught it. "Back to back, swing around. Got it," Hana nodded, taking her position in front of the boxer. She stretched her arms out to the sides, then gave each of them a shake, getting her blood moving while she waited for Carmen to begin.

"Ready when you are!"

Carmen took up position and leaned against Hana's sturdy back, pressing their frames against each other and getting a full view of how they measured up in a nearby mirror. The difference was stark - Carmen could fit in Hana's body with comfortable room to spare.

"On three." She gripped the ball tight between her hands and took a few quick breaths. "Uno, dos, tres, go!"

Carmen broke into it at a good pace, wanting to get a feel for Hana's speed and rhythm before she got crazy. "So," She spoke in between her turns, getting out a handful of words every time they rotated. A little awkward, but she managed it. "What does the amazing Hana Fujioka do for fun when she's not being amazing?"

Hana gave a nod as Carmen counted down, focusing on keeping her own breathing steady as she fell into the rhythm of the exercise. Grab the ball, pass the ball. Grab the ball, pass the ball. Easy, easy work.

She let out a huff at the sound of Carmen's question, thinking for a moment before answering her. Grab, pass. Grab, pass. Grab, pass. "Not a lot, honestly. I've spent so much time being focused on, you know, wrestling, that I haven't had much time to really have fun outside of the ring."

Grab, pass. Grab, pass. "I like hiking a lot, though. There were some great trails back down south, back home. I like being out in nature. It's pretty relaxing, just being out in the wild."

Grab, pass. Grin. "Not as relaxing as the shower that comes after winning a big match though. Those are always the best." Grab, pass. "What about Carmen, huh? What does she do for fun?"

It was all about the pattern. Fall into it. Focus, but just enough for your body to figure it out on its own and do it like routine. Carmen's went on autopilot as the medicine ball swung around, working her arms and abdominals. Grab, pass, repeat. Good burn. And, for an added bonus, she quite enjoyed the sensation of Hana's muscles working behind her.

"I can relate." Carmen adjust her stance a bit, spreading her legs wider to give more stability. "Between meetings and training and boxing lessons, I barely get much time to really kick back, these days. I'm just glad Tension's arena is nearby. Couldn't imagine being on the road like this."

She started to mix in her breathing, working a comfortable pattern so she could talk and work at the same time. "But yeah, for fun? Well, I go to the club sometimes, try and see if there happen to be any girls around who don't mind dancing with a six-foot tall Puerto Rican. Mixed results." She had a little laugh at that, remembering a few unplesant incidents from her her first month in Japan. "But what I really love to do is cook. Had to learn while I was babysitting Army, developed a knack for it. Which reminds me: you have to let me make you a meal, sometime. I always feed my friends, it's tradition."

At this point, Hana wasn't even thinking about the ball. Grabbing it and passing it back had become a reflex, her body moving on it's own to keep it moving between herself and the Latina. It gave her a chance to focus more on Carmen's words, to pay more attention to the conversation once she had fallen into the proper rhythm.

"Cooking? Really?" Hana asked, her eyebrows raising up in surprise at the confession. "I wouldn't have expected that. You don't really strike me as the cooking type." She kept the ball going, starting to move a little bit faster, passing it off to Carmen quicker then before. "I wouldn't mind getting a nice home-cooked meal though. I, uh...can't really cook myself too well, so it's been way too long since I've had a proper sort of meal."

Carmen had a good laugh at that - too good, really, since she almost screwed up her turn. The ball dipped, but she was able to quickly correct herself and return to form. "It's a lot fun, really. Good way to pass the time, and it's healthier than eating out, most of the time. Let me teach you sometime, you'll be glad."

She bounced back and gave Hana a little jolt, snickering."But I'm not the cooking type? You're not getting away without explaining that one." Carmen had a good idea what she meant, but she couldn't resist the occasional tease.

"That sounds good," Hana laughed back at Carmen, trying to slightly pick her speed up once Carmen had recovered from her near-accident with the ball. "Just name a day, and I'll be there ready to learn."

She passed the ball around a couple more times, then gave Carmen a quick shrug. "I didn't mean anything bad by it! It's just...well, look at you. A world class boxer slash wrestler slash gym owner. You're don't really fit the mold of 'awesome cook', too." She passed the ball around again, then quickly added more. "Not that I'm saying your food isn't good! Far from it! I'm looking forward to trying it!"

Carmen braced herself for the next go round, planting her feet down firm. "Switching up!" She halted the ball midway through her rotation and came at Hana from the other side, now.

"Was a world-class boxer. I'd honestly do better in wrestling ring than I would in a boxing ring, these days - been too long since I put on the gloves for a real bout." She had a quick sigh as wistful memories flowed through her head. "Its funny, but I thought I wouldn't have to learn all that much when I came to the AFW. Figured I could just punch my way out of every problem, maybe do some simple throws, call it a day." She scoffed and shook her head. "Didn't work. Had to change that tune, fast."

Hana paused for a moment, then turned to the opposite side to catch the ball, quickly adjusting herself to continue passing it around. She grinned at Carmen's modesty, and gave her a sharp tsk.

"Can't be that hard to get in a ring and punch someone's lights out," she teased as her body swung around, keeping the ball in motion. "I'm sure you'd do fine if you got back into the boxing ring. You seem tough enough, after all."

She went quiet again, saving her energy for the ball as she and the Latina passed it back and forth, sweat dripping down the side of her face as she focused on her motions.

"Wrestling wasn't what you expected, huh?" she finally spoke up again, stealing a glance towards the smaller woman. "What made you decide to start wrestling anyway?"

Carmen had a little laugh at Hana's crack about the punching - it was something she'd heard quite a few times from naysayers, but never from one that was actually bigger than she was. "You'd be surprised." She readjusted her feet in midswing and started to focus on getting her waist into the action. Couldn't neglect the middle. "Besides, you probably have a punch that can move tanks, you can't talk."

She sighed - as best as she could sigh while working her ass off - and thought about the answer for a moment, stewing on what Hana asked her. She knew the reasons, but putting them into words wasn't always simple.

"Well," She finally said, with a little shrug. "Aside from the pay being significantly better and more consistent, I guess I needed a change of pace. Try something fresh, broaden my experiences, show that a female boxer can hold her own against the guys in any type of ring." She nodded, reassuring herself. It all sounded good on paper. "Plus, the former boxing champ was already here, so that was good. Lorenza Saldano. She beat me last time, kept her belt, and I got to meet her again, here." Side to side. And challenge her. Side to side. "And defeat her."