002

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Misaki appears on the plane in casual clothes. With an entire batting-cage setup in tow. Complete with nets, pitching machines, buckets of balls, and racks on racks of beat up bats. She goes around for a few minutes making sure everything still works, even without anything to plug it into. Which it does. Of course. Then she switches one of the pitching machines on high and starts cracking balls into the net, one after the other, with Totally Unnecessary Ferocity.]



[[Right after this, so naturally she is in a VERY VERY bad mood. Hence the stealing of her favorite batting cages.]

Comments

[contract_star]

He's been traveling time and space for centuries; I'm sure he's dealt with much worse than Contractors. [Staring at the stars beneath the "floor"] I just don't want him or anyone else here to have to.

[Silent for awhile before answering.] I guess I do. Funny, right?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She sighs.] You're right. I'm not used to capable people.

[She doesn't quite look at him.] Not at all.

[contract_star]

[Smiles a little.]

You're not surprised?

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Her face softens.]

You're too bad of a liar to be such a good actor.

[contract_star]

[You've officially caught him off guard three times in one thread. Go Misaki!]

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Because Misaki wins at life, of course. She motions to the batting cages.] Want to join me?

[contract_star]

Ah, but I've never played before...

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Tiny smile] Doesn't matter. Can't get better if you never learn.

[contract_star]

[Returns the smile.] Al...right, I guess.

[Picks up a bat and goes into a batting cage, rather tentatively. Then he waits for the pitching machine to shoot. He swings and misses rather spectacularly, almost losing his balance since he put way too much power into the swing.]

[He looks over at Misaki, rather wide-eyed.]

You make this look so easy!

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Laugh.] I've been playing since I was a kid. Here.

[She steps in and corrects his grip, then crouches down and tugs his feet around until his stance is more or less right.]

Rest your weight more on the inner portion of your back leg and foot. Step when you see the ball move--it helps with the timing. And don't try to kill it. Just try to hit it for now.

[contract_star]

[He's somewhere between embarrassed and amused as she helps him.] There's something kind of wrong with this scene. The fearsome Black Reaper, taking batting lessons from a cop.

[The pitching machine shoots again. He swings and look, he actually hits it this time--he's a faster learner, after all--only the bat also goes flying and hits the side of the cage.] ...Oops...

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

Even the Black Reaper needs a day off now and then.

[She laughs again, trying--not very hard--to cover it.]

[contract_star]

A day off during which he's not bleeding all over the stars?

[He's laughing with her--a real laugh.]

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[She smiles, a little sadly, and hands back the bat. Holding on for a moment to look him in the eye as he takes it.] You'll be careful. If anything like what happened to my world is coming, they'll need you. Everyone will need you. And with things changing, the Moratoria...

[She lets go of the bat and looks away, irritated with herself.] Just don't get killed, all right?

[contract_star]

[Raising his eyebrows.] Need me?

[Frowns a bit, kind of sad and a little guilty.] I'll try. I'm usually quite good at it, after all.

[chasingstars201.livejournal.com]

[Being difficult.] Need you.

[Wry smile.] You are. Take another swing--and don't let the bat go this time.

[contract_star]

[Figures he doesn't want to try dragging info out of her again. So he just smiles and goes into batter position. Swing and a miss, but at least he held onto the bat this time.]