Batting Cages [Froger]

Posts : 173 Join date : 2015-08-30 Age : 33 Location : UK

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.

Posts : 2877 Join date : 2014-12-26 Age : 26

Frog jumped up as Esra crouched down. And she was trying to sell him some cookie-cutter bullshit. Why did it feel so true then, though???
The world solved itself though and his confusion was quickly remedied by an on-point flick.

"..! Ow!" He rubbed his nose. This was even weirder than when she knelt down. He sighed and looked her way. "Because people have become way too friendly lately. I barely have time for myself." He answered bluntly, a stern look in his eyes. "And yes I do want to play now. M-maybe...can I pitch?"

Posts : 173 Join date : 2015-08-30 Age : 33 Location : UK

"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.

Posts : 2877 Join date : 2014-12-26 Age : 26

Frog picked the ball up and gulped as he looked down the cage at her. Not knowing her name hardly even crossed his mind, as all he was doing now was way more than enough to set his thoughts into a brand new motion. He wasn't sure whether he could throw the ball accurately enough but he could try to do the best he could. So long as he didn't hit her face or something, it'd be fine. Somehow though, he thought it would barely faze the girl even if it happened. Or she'd just hit it with her bat anyways.

He didn't wanna do any silly pitching poses for now. His batting fiasco proved him wrong in every single regard possible and he wasn't about to make the same mistake. For now, he focused on throwing it on target-to her right, somewhere along the level her bat would swing...

Leaning back slightly, he extended his arm and threw the ball forward as hard as he could. By some chance miracle, it flew straight. Slightly downward, yes, but generally where it should go. Esra could easily hit it. On the other hand, his force was slightly lacking as well but also okayish.

Posts : 173 Join date : 2015-08-30 Age : 33 Location : UK

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.

Posts : 2877 Join date : 2014-12-26 Age : 26

Frog flinched as the ball was struck hard and fast, flying above his head and basically smashing against the cage. He stood in awe at this unreachable feat before shaking his head at Esra. "O-oh so I threw it good?" He asked confusedly. He wasn't expecting that, but he was glad he'd managed to pull it off in the end. Pitching seemed way more appealing than batting now. "Alright, I guess I can try again." He gulped, for as much as he was excited to try again, each success just set higher standards he needed to reach and also upped the shots he was gonna make a mistake of some kind.

The only saving grace was that he was still a beginner.

Getting another ball from somewhere, he focused on the point next to Esra where he threw the ball the first time. Taking a bit more of a swing with his whole body than on the first try. When he released it though, it flew in an arch from above and fell short of the distance it was aimed at. It was aimed well but Esra wouldn't have been able to hit it anyways as it dropped to the ground some distance from her. Frog sighed.

Posts : 173 Join date : 2015-08-30 Age : 33 Location : UK

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.

Posts : 2877 Join date : 2014-12-26 Age : 26

"Hey, what're you-ow!!!" Now, Frog was no athete, but he was also slow to react on top of everything. The ball Esra threw at him only got him to raise his hands up unarticulatedly while the ball still hit the center of his chest. It barely hurt but he yelped anyways.

He picked it up and took the stance. Looking straight at her through the locks falling over his eyes, he didn't think much of the posture and the technicalities, instead opting to just throw it as it felt right. And so he did, the ball flying straight as an arrow, but not at Esra's bat. Instead, it flew towards her but also above her so it wouldn't actually hit her, slamming harmlessly against the chained cage. Frog clapped his hands and ruffled his shirt from any dust. He looked at Esra and smiled.

"Thanks, really. It was quite nice." Whatever prompted this change of interaction so suddenly was beyond him as well. He just felt better, for some reason. "I'll keep practicing somehow, so whenever we meet again, if we do, I'll do better."

Posts : 173 Join date : 2015-08-30 Age : 33 Location : UK

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.

Posts : 2877 Join date : 2014-12-26 Age : 26

"Oh, is it really okay to take this ball?" Frog looked at Esra in confusion, but settled with a shrug. She wouldn't be giving it to him if it wasn't ok. And turns out she was in the club. On one hand, he wasn't happy being given a task, but on the other, he was thankful that he could have something to do and improve himself in. He was definitely going to come to their practice, no worries, because he quite enjoyed himself today, which was saying something.

Also he kinda liked the way this girl handled things, no matter how crude or almost insane-ish at times.

"Sure, I'll come over sometime." He said as he began walking out of the batting cage with the ball in hand. He looked at it one more time before walking out.

[Frog - Exit]

Posts : 173 Join date : 2015-08-30 Age : 33 Location : UK

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

Posts : 5994 Join date : 2013-10-06 Age : 29

Esra Dean of the Emperor and Frog Philip Zander of the Jester have formed a Social Link...

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