Batting Cages [Froger]

Day 4?
Afternoon

Late in the afternoon, the sun wasn’t low but it was already hiding behind the skyscrapers of the city. An orange glow over long shadows, it was a nice day to laze about doing nothing of consequence. It is odd that it could be someone's fear, real fear. That to pause for even a moment to look back and reflect could tip someone over the edge so far that they might never come back. It was what Esra Dean tried her hardest not to be kept awake over at night. Working her body so hard after school that there was no space for dream, haunting nightmares or idle thoughts.

Shoulders tensed, elbow bent and knees tilted to bring her forwards. A clank, a thrum and a flick as a ball fired out towards her. A silver bat swung from behind her head as she stepped forwards, into the ball. It was muscle memory by now but it still required her full attention, a clang as ball met metal and a rattle as it slammed into the chain link fence a few meters away. Before there was much more than a moment to admire her work she stepped into her stance again, bat up, feet spread. The next ball already in the chamber and aimed squarely next to her.

The girl was wearing a full set of jersey, trousers, boots, gloves and helmet in white and blue. A mistake could still hurt, getting killed wasn’t entirely impossible. Long black hair fell down her back loosely since she wouldn’t be running for now as she took another robotic pitch. Adjusting her grip, another, another.

A bead of sweat dripped down her brow as she frowned into the tube, a flicker in the back of her mind. A name, a face, a broken nose. A furious grunt escaped her as the ball rocketed back down the cage to slam into the gate. Breathing that been steady was deep and laboured as she forced it back down. Trying to choke back useless, pointless thoughts. Time was running short, red eyes flared up as another ball came. Out of stance she bunted it down safely, angrily.

She made him wait, the minutes ticked by until it was clear he wasn't going anywhere and the guilt was building up and up inside her. She was the one in the club, the one that was meant to be here. He was, who exactly? Maybe she had seen him around but not enough to put a name to a face, or a face to a face. Somewhat raged out and like normal feeling pretty fantastic compared to how she normally did Esra rode the elation.

Tapping the bat against her shin there was another reason as well, the basket was empty. Picking up one of the balls from the ground she approached the gate, "Did you need something?" Leaning against the fence she looked at his glasses with something that might have passes as the slightest smile. Her voice fell in the odd range between being cold and distant while also really emotive. There was weight in each of her words, seriousness rather than playfulness.

He didn't have a bat. If he was here to try and use the machine without a helmet, he could die. No that was silly, he must be here for something else. Nothing came to mind.

"Lost enough to stand there waiting for," Rolling her eyes not to say me, "Someone?" How long had it been, at least a few minutes. Now it was safer by far to leave it at that but, well, she'd already started speaking to him at this point. Taking a deep breath she looked him over again, trying to work him out. You didn't wait that long not to use something. Either he wanted to hit balls with a metal club or he wanted to spend time with her. She didn't even know his name, whatever.

Sighing she looked into his glasses if not his eyes, "I don't think you should use the pitching machine unless you know how." Unhitching the gate she flicked up the bat and held the slightly sweaty grip towards him. Batting was a good stress relief but throwing balls at people wasn't exactly bad either. Hardly an expert on people she'd guess something was up with him. Finding a somewhat healthy outlet wasn't a bad idea, or at least she thought it was a good one. "You know how to hold a bat right?" Most people had the sense to avoid her, it was nice that someone was completely obvious.

"You don't." Esra frowned at him appearing to be rather lacking in the everything department. Taking a moment to settle her annoyance, more than a little clearly. "Stand down there in the box, I'll pitch." Bending her knees she picked up one of the stray balls and rolled it across the palm of her hand. She was a good enough pitcher, though she liked being on base more.

Once he was down there, looking at his stance and how uncomfortable he seemed, "You have played Baseball before right?" There was an aggrievement in her tone. She did not expect to teach someone anything this evening.

If he had never played and didn't even have a bat, what did he expect to do here this evening? There was a nagging thought in the back of Esra's mind as she looked down at him, she could do this. Think of him as smaller, like the kids back are the orphanage. A tiny smile crossed her lips as she closed her eyes for a moment, "Drop your knees a little and stick to the front of your feet." Watching to make sure he did so she offered encouragement, "Good, watch the ball, not me."

Twisting her fingers to make sure he had a good view of the white she twisted her waist and shoulders slightly as she took a step forwards. Rather than a proper ball she threw it under arm, lazy, slow and with minimal spin. If a six year old could hit that then surely he could, he reeked with the lack of confidence so far. Given his over the top swings, best not to start him at the deep end.

OoC: No one is posting in this topic until Esra's character is approved.

Esra sighed, blowing out through her nose. “I’m flattered, but do you really know enough about pitching that you can size me up? Eyes on the ball hotshot,” Sure if you were good you didn’t even need to look at the ball past once if left the hand but she was pretty sure he hadn’t held a bat before, let alone watched thousands of pitches. Smoothly she plucked another ball from the ground and rolled the dust off it before dropping into a ready stance. Rolling her shoulder she added, “This time just worry about hitting it, not how hard or where it goes. It won’t hurt you.” Referring to him closing his eyes. Little kids did that at first too, balls could be scary. The way she was throwing, even if he did step in the way it wouldn’t even dent the skin.

The swinging too hard, they did that too. The tiny ones had a tendency to totter over as well, it was adorable. Someone his age, a lack of understanding. The ball was not some immovable object, it was going to go once you got in its way. Where was the art of it, well the art of levers anyway.

Into the air she tossed it, slow and easy to see. As bad a pitch as she could manage and still have it squarely in front of him, rather just to his side. She wasn't certain why she wasn't getting angry with him for interrupting her. She certainly had been feeling angry, that was the whole point of being out here. Maybe she was just distracted, maybe.

The silence hung.

A dull wind caught the silence with barely a flutter, one of the loose balls rolling ever so slightly.

It seemed a long time, an age, then the silence kicked its last.

"Are,"

Esra's eyes sparked as a smile that could only be described as wicked spread so wide that might split.

"You,"

Doubling over her knees gave way slightly as well, bowing together.

"Serious?"

The laugh that rode with those words, the brutal cackle that struck terror into man and beast alike. A wide flash of her eyes signed the mirth as they locked onto the boy who was failing so hard. The clear nonsense of it all, his total ineptitude, his reaction.

Righting herself and trying to stifle the laugh with her hand Esra stepped towards him, not breaking eye contact. Given how serious she seemed before, not that many people heard her laugh. Some might think she wasn't capable of it and honestly it was a pretty scary laugh.

Clearing her throat with a cough and trying to clear the smile she stepped closer still, "Are you, okay? Seriously did you have a stroke or something?" He was exactly like a four year old, how was that possible. It wasn't like PE was optional, he really had never held a bat before. Then, the only option could be that he was stalking her. What was with that?