Restart: A new world - IC {M}

[Highland Sniper]

"uh... yeah... I'm fine," she said, "I'm just feeling a little off."
She didn't want to worry him, and she didn't feel comfortable talking about it now in any case.

She tried to get her thoughts back into the game.
They swapped sides and she was called to pitch.
She took a breath to calm her nerves before launching a nice through.
Stike one!
Another throw. *crack*, and went flying and everyone scrambled as the guy started running.
he made it to second and stopped.

[trouble.muffin]

Sam waved off her sibling’s concern, but Pitou had a feeling there was more to ask about later. It was doubtful Sam would let her teammate’s sloppy out costing them the inning go without comment unless she hadn’t really noticed. Pitou lingered near benches, trying to keep an eye on Sam. However, between the heat and a lull in the action, Pitou’s head sunk with a newfound heaviness and their gaze grew empty.

The players in formation on the field were replaced with anthropomorphic beasts of some sort. A rabbit-like creature raced into position, not for a game but a battle. He was familiar, Pitou’s companion. They fought for the same person. Where the pitcher had been stood a strong, greenish figure with a helmet--no, that was his head. Curled from behind was a thick, striped tail that was sharp at the end. Clearly, he was not entirely human, but what was he? Who was he? Pitou strained, trying to remember. The figure reached beckoned her forward and behind, the rabbit kneeled in a bow. This was their leader, their-- a cheer from the spectators disrupted Pitou’s concentration and the memory slipped their grasp.

Dazed and pale, Pitou turned towards Arthur, who now lay idle along their leg. They realized they had been standing before the dream and asked the puppet, “How long was I out?” The nearest spectator, a lad with an unevenly cut mop of brown hair who responded with a wrinkled nose and a shrug. A hand reached for the marionette sticks and Arthur jumped with a shout of, “T’was meant for me, but who am I to know? I was out like a log too!” A grin revealed canines slightly sharper than expected for an adolescent and Pitou shot back, “What, you mean your uncle?”

“You’re off, mate.” Moppy-headed kid muttered as he got up to watch from the other end of the stands. Pitou took the newly opened space and tried to regain focus on the field. Their mind kept being pulled to the dream, assuming that’s what it was. Why had it felt so familiar?

[Highland Sniper]

Samica spat out to the side. She needed to get her head in the game.
She threw another pitch to the next batter. *crack*. it went flying.
the guy on second made it to home plate as the other guy got just past first base.

The game seemed to go well. They had scored a few in the first inning and the other team only had 1 point... so far.
She pulled back and threw another pitch. Strike 1... 2... 3. He's out.

[trouble.muffin]

Pitou leaned back in the stands, one foot pressed against the seat in front of them and the other swung rhythmically below. Though they faced the field, attempts to refocus on the game fell in vain. Scarcely a moment would pass before their mind would stray back to the tall leader. It must have been a recurring dream. Those purple irises were so distinct that the grip they held on Pitou had to have been experienced before. There was a dull thud as the shin that had been swinging made contact with the bench and Pitou was brought back to reality with a jolt.

“Yeowch!” They howled as they pulled a pale knee towards their chest to rub some of the pain away. A couple of the other spectators shot sideways glances of disapproval and scooted a little further away. Pitou saw that Sam stood on the pitcher’s mound and a boy from the other team walked away from the home plate with his head hung in shame and quickly corrected, “I mean ‘you’re out!’”

[Highland Sniper]

Samica looked up at Pitou with a small smirk before turning back to the next guy up to bat.
Corvis walked up to the plate and got into a good stance.
She was going to enjoy getting him out. He was always a bit of a sore loser when it came to losing to her.

She threw her first pitch. Strike one.
She threw a low ball, out of his strike zone. He didn't swing. He knew the game. Ball 1. 3 more and he's walk.
Another pitch. *crack!* and he was off.
Everyone scrambled for the ball. And he was out before he reached home plate along with the last guy.

[trouble.muffin]

Liveliness in the stands rejuvenated a bit as Corvis stepped up to the plate. Eyes swept from Samica to the boy at the plate and back again. Depending on how the next play went, chances were one of them would lose their temper. Pitou hoped it was Corvis to reduce the chance of Mother catching wind of rumors that Sam was brawling in the field.

Pitou watched the ball sail overhead and worried how their sister would react if it dodged outstretched hands on its way to the outfield. As a lanky boy caught it with a thud, Pitou donned a matching grin, relieved that no one had gotten a home run on Sam’s pitch.

The redheaded guy that usually hung around Corvis snickered at him as he walked to switch with the other team for the next inning. Other than flashing his friend the gesture for shoving a thumb somewhere intimate, Corvis thankfully seemed to remain calm. Perhaps it was too beautiful an afternoon for a brawl, Pitou decided. They shifted their weight slightly into a more comfortable position while waiting for Sam’s next at-bat.

[Highland Sniper]

As Corvis made the rather crude gesture, Sam returned the favor with a smack of her own but almost like a challenge to try it before walking over for the swap and waited to bat.

The first guy up had some trouble as he was hit with a fastball, though he didn't swing. That's 1 ball.
A curveball came next, but he seemed he might as well be stone. He got 4 balls and took the walk.

The next guy struck once before hitting it clear to the edges of the outfield and managed to make it to second leaving first base the only one open.

The next guy up struck out. And Sam gave a small sigh.

There was still one more before her. Another girl, though a little nicer than Sam, stepped up to the plate. Strike one. Strike two. And she bunted before taking off. They dove for the ball as she sprinted as fast as she could and made it to second as one of the two got tagged making for another point for the team.

And now, it was Samica's turn to bat again.
She stepped up to the plate and got ready.
A fast all cam right for her and she had to duck not to get it in the face.
"whoa! Watch the pitch!" the acting umpire said.
"Yeah! you trying to kill me?" Sam exaggerated.

Another pitch was thrown and she slammed it into the outfield and went into a dead run.