Batting Cages [Froger]

Straitening and dusting off a non-existent skirt Esra tried to wipe a smaller smile from her face. Like trying to put on a false one it didn't really work. Stepping towards him, strong but not so scary she squatted down right in his eyeline. Even from below it gave the impression that she was talking down to a child, "Lots of things are embarrassing." The face that she was wearing now was not a cold mask, an angry frown nor anything officious. It just plain, tender and raw and as alien to her as anyone else, "You don't have to impress me, you shouldn't worry what I think."

Looking right up him she didn't smile more, she also didn't smile less. "If you want to play I'll show you," Then in a playful departure her right hand rose up quite steadily and, flicked him on the nose.

Standing back up she sidled around him, "How come you picked today to come?" He made her laugh, that was hard. He did it by accident for sure but, it was nice. Huh, it'd be nice to pay him back for that and, she liked teaching. Worrying about little kids made it hard to worry about yourself, he was just like that.

"Sure." Esra plucked up the bat and flicked it end over end before catching it again, it would suck if he had damaged it.

He was right that people could be too friendly, it got to her as well. That was part of the reason she was here, indirectly anyway. Still he had picked today to do something that by right might have killed him given he didn't know the first thing about Baseball. Without a thought she had already dropped into her stance and was looking down the cage at him.

"Hard and fast if you don't mind," She was somewhat glad that she still had the helmet. Rookie pitchers were the ones that beaned you by mistake. It was weird but even right now she saw him as a child more than anything.

It wasn't an exciting pitch, it was straight enough and fast enough to go, slow enough to be easy. Once it was in the air Esra was already moving, stepping forwards and the metal bat flicked out quickly. There was a clang as she swept upwards, a small smile cross her face as the ball sailed up to her left and slammed into the corner of the cage, a home run if they were outside. Way easier than what the pitching machine had been throwing at her, compared to his batting the pitch was pretty good.

"Well done," Hefting the bat onto her shoulder, ready for the next, "Did you want to go again?" She could give him a hundred pointers but it seemed like he needed this one. You didn't admonish a little kid more than once without giving them praise for something. He threw it where he wanted to, that was okay. He didn't want someone friendly, that was good because Esra had enough of being friendly. It was an effort for her to be cordial with people let alone nice and to just let loose was good. If he wanted to throw balls at her and let her wack at them, good.

Esra inhaled deeply and stepped out of her stance, that had lasted a long time hadn't it?

A step forwards, then another to where the ball had rolled to. He just didn't have the arm strength or the practice to make up for it. If he was a guy that looked after himself then this would be a piece of cake. There really were children that could manage this more respectfully. Tossing the bat into the air she caught it with her left hand and swooped onto the ball in a fluid motion.

"Step into your throw, it is the most important part. Not just your arm but your entire body behind the force." Doing just that she stepped forwards and threw the ball over arm and somewhat hard. Not a serious throw, that could crack a rib if he was unlucky. Enough that if he let it hit him in the chest it might leave a mark. If he was scared of hurting her, it should be a little encouragement. Angry people tended to throw harder anyway, even if they did make more mistakes.

That was it? It was getting late even for her, still she was sort of disappointed that it was already over. The ball had gone past her but it wasn't so weak as to drop to the ground, he even make it to the back of the cage. Pouting Esra picked up another of the balls and tossed it into the air towards him, "Throw it against a solid wall and back to yourself a hundred times every day, you'll get the catching down in a week." He'd also get the basics of throwing the ball where he wanted down as well.

The club wouldn't miss just one ball, what good were they if new people to the sport couldn't practice with them?

"I'm here when the club is on and few extra days if you want to come, we let boys take part in practice." It was a girls team after all, if he was up for it though it wouldn't hurt to have more people around. If he'd be less pathetic about it he might be less bothered by whatever was getting at him.

Esra nodded to his ascent and watched him leave for a few seconds before laying the bat down and starting to gather the remaining balls. Tossing them towards and a good half of them landing inside a bucket by the pitching machine. It was a good time to close up shop and head on home, a few things from the shops maybe.

[Fin]

Esra continued in One of Those Customers