Thread: Batting Practice (Attn: JTM and Barbie only)

JTM races as fast as he can to meet the rendevous with Otto.

"Dammit!!!! Fuck!!! Barbie, why didn’t you remind me about meeting him at the cages. You knew I needed some fun down time recreation. Fuck!!!! He’s gonna lose me in the maze now!!!! Shit!!!"

He parks his bike 10 blocks away from the meeting spot for Otto grumbling that Otto insists of him walking up there. Hating his "No vehicles near his place" policy. He gets there, looking for the Nosferatu, looking for something actually in place with hopefully no suspenders or baseball uniforms either.

“Yo!!!! Otto!!! Come out!!!! Come out, wherever you are!!!! I’m here finally!!!!”

He waits for his host to show, ready for what might jump out of the shadows. Bat at the ready.

Otto appears near JTM "Ah, glad you could make it" he waves you to follow, it seems the path is different yet again through the maze work of sewers. "I'm hopin' to get a bit of a work out in, I hope you are ready to take some damage, I've been practicing" he eventually leads you out of the reinforced door into the courtyard, the Batting Cage is there and seems to have been reinforced. "You wanted targets, and I need help with my dodging and weaving" he goes and picks up what looks like a cross between catchers padding and a hockey goalie uniform, if it were reinforced with metal chunks.

The stuff is laughable, probably could look real good in a B rated post holocaust movie.

"I've reinforced the mechanic and the machine should be able to handle shot puts, but I haven't gotten the shipment in so we have to stick with the soft balls, still. I'll give you first bats, lets see if you can manage to hit me with the ball."

The uniform is both heavy and clumsy plus some, but it should reduce the possible lethal attacks into something a bit less problematic.

Before entering the cage, Otto clicks a remote control and some inspirational big band music starts playing "I find this music Wizzer, but if you have music you like feel free to bring it with you and we can play it"

JTM looks around for Otto, hearing something behind him, not seeing his approach again. He whips around fast, bat instantly in his alacritic hands. He starts to swing and stops when he sees Otto right there waving at him in a catcher’s outfit, as Otto began opening his mouth.

“Fuck man!!! Otto, you gotta stop doing that shit!!! With everything going on around here in the city lately. And with you being MIA lately. How was I to know that this wasn’t a Sabbat trap now? I could have bashed your skull in, and planted your ass in the ground. Should I call you Json Otto Englebert from the Bad News Bears now? what the fuck is up with this get up?”

He taps the uniform with his bat, hearing it's solidness, knowing it's not enough. He puts the bat at his side still firmly clutched, letting the blood that sped him up circulate out of his system. He slowly follows Otto definitely knowing this wasn’t the way to get here last time.

Goddamn he’s trying to lose me again. What the fuck was that sound? Dammit Otto, you are paying my dry cleaning bill for this mucky whatever thing I just stepped in. Next time hire Kharma to clean this place up, she’d make a mint here too.

“Uh right (slosh slosh) Damage, gotcha. Fuck yeah!!! Bring the pain, along with your best shot. Wait you mean you beefed it up? Rock on!!! Lead the (faster slosh slosh) way.”

He comes to the reinforced door, watching Otto creakily open the door here, seeing the changes in the courtyard. He walks on out of the sewers to peruse some more (slosh slosh step up, drip drip and and squish squish squish) of the scenery now here.he admires the batting cage upgrades, laughing at the tacky funny targets. They just scream Otto perfectly. B-rated for a “behind the times” Nosferatu. He chuckles abit at them admiring Otto and his craftmanship when he puts his mind to a project..

“Nah. They’ll do. Ok. Now get in there so I can pop some of these big pills at you.”

He watches him get ready to dodge the bullets he’ll be sending his way. He then waits for Otto to settle in, getting up by the plate getting Otto lock on to nail him hard. He gets set in stance watching the machine come to life ready to toss the first ball to him He sees Otto pull out a remote in the machine’s mid chuck, clicking it, watching the music blare throwing off his concentration hearing out of date big band music, that he loosens his concentration from that distraction watching the ball sail past him. He doesn’t.look too happy hearing Otto say his usual out of date slang like Otto needed that Xmas gift JTM had hand picked out for him badly, as the ball hits the padding behind him.

Strike one Otto!!! Damn you!!! What the fuck is this crap!!!! Change it mother fucker!!!

(spending willpower now)

“Gooddamit Otto how many times I gotta tell you its cool, not fucking wizzer. Just plain fucking Cool. No wizzer at all. Shit!!! Turn this old fart shit off!!! It’s making my head hurt. Tell ya what, I’ll bring the music next time, just get to clicking that remote. Now!!! Awww!! Fuck it, get your ass over here and give me that fucking thing.”

Otto throws the remote, watching JTM snatch it as it draws close, clicking the button to turn the music off, not breaking the remote with his pressing it, then sets it outside the cage. His look of disgust temporarily subsides. He steps up to the plate forgetting the next ball was on it way, zipping fast passed him again.

Strike two!!!! Fuck!!! Why do I come her to have this happen to me? Cause Otto is cool and he has helped you out, jackass. So suck it up no matter how much you want to bash him. You are just returning the favor like he asked you too awhile back. Please don’t make me kill him!!!

He grips his bat tighter stamping his squishy feet down to get a firm stance. He sees the machine whip this ball out and with out thinking he doesn’t pull the strength back whacking this cover BANG!!! off the ball seeing the core unravel but like a bullet smashing through the target, chunks of B-rating bits everywhere, yet the core doesn’t stop hitting Otto square in the head breaking the mask as he sees Otto fall down hard with a crunchy metallic THUD, flat on his backside.

Holy shit!!!! Oops!!! Now that’s fucking hilarious!!! I bet that smarted too.

He tries holding in the laughter the best he can, a couple of held snickers manage to come out.

Dammit JTM Stop it!!! Stop laughing!!! He’ll hear that shit. You may think it funny, but he’s barely managed to get up. You may have knocked him the fuck out.

He sees Otto slowly stagger up to his feet. Seeing that he’s moving and the next pitch is coming, swings lower this time to not hit him in his exposed face area. Another CRACK and BANG!!! And this one unravels smashing a target much lower and zinging right at Otto’s nuts watching the metal buckle and go off like a chiming Big Ben clock rattling like a pinball hitting all the metal bouncing around He watches Otto try and hold the pain of this ballbuster as he slumps down to the ground, the cry of pain in his face...priceless.

Oww!!!! Fuck!!! I bet that one hurt!!! Right in the nutsack!!! That’ll leave a mark!!! Stop fucking laughing at him!!! Bad bad JTM!!

His snickers continue being stopped, but watching Otto hold what pride he has left, staying low to the ground hoping to successfully avoid the next shot, makes the chuckling hard to control, but he does his best.

“Ok Otto, get ready to dodge this next one. Don’t bother saying anything k. I got this one with your name on it!!! And here..we go!!! JTM bullet coming at ya!!!!"

He watches the machine fling another one at him, He sees Otto is practically down. he shows him some compassion so as to not torp the man. Never his intention when he got here. He is now stopping the intentional aim at Otto from hitting him again dead cold as he sees Otto plain as day and aims this unraveling softball over him on purpose. BANG!!!! And the ball smashes the target above Otto not connecting with him this time as he saw Otto fall prone down on the ground this time, target chunks now covering him up.

He goes quickly to get the remote stopping the machine as fast as he can to avoid another pitch being thrown his way. He walks slowly towards the Otto moving pile of broken target.

“Hey Otto where are ya? (chuckling) You ok dude? Man what can I say. (lots of chuckling) You’re a pro.you took three of my best shots!!!! Soory about the face and the nuts man,(more uncontrollable chuckling) don’t worry they’ll heal up, trust me on that, you’ll be just fine, but I gotta say you dodged that last one perfect. Don’t know how you managed that but you did it. Congrats man.” (long roll of laughing)

He reaches down to pick Otto up making sure he has his footing before letting go of the now dazed Otto in front of him. He then goes to the batting cage outside grabbing him a bat, bringing it to him (chuckling bit), handing it to him.

“Ummmm…(chuckling) Otto, it’s your turn now, batter up!!! I’ll be over there. See if you can hit me now.Good luck.”

JTM pats him on the back watching Otto wobble a bit. Getting ready for him to return the favor to JTM if he can, finding the best spot to avoid everything coming his way.

Otto has a big smile on his face, it didn’t come without some force of will, but this test of his beast was just what he was hoping for. His slight limp as he makes his way out of the Cage is more to keep the Catchers outfit in one piece. He had no idea the power that JTM could hit with, but Otto is appreciative of the real test his gear has been given.

“Hope you liked that JT, pay back will be a Bitch” he tosses some more modern parlance into the conversation.

Otto sheds the gear with a THUMP and then look to JTM. “Time to Suit up….it didn’t hold up quite as well as I hoped, but it should protect the important bits well enough” As he JTM bitches and moans about how hard the Catchers gear is to put on Otto picks up the face mask.

He exams it, and puts his finger, and most of his hand, through the middle of the ‘face’ protection. “Lucky you aren’t to worried about your looks……It could get messy if I manage to hit you through here” he hands JT the mask.

For his part JTM smiles broadly “I saw your stuff last time, you won’t be able to hit the broad side of a barn, much less me….Heck…” JTM snags a beer for his coat pocket and pops it open and finishes his thought” A little hole like that…Just makes it easier to drink my beer”

Otto narrows his eyes but turns it into a warm laugh “I’ll have to keep that in mind when I repair the suit”

Otto heads into the Batters cage and gestures to JTM to head into the ‘Danger’ zone. “Lets get this started…”

Otto cringes again as JTM takes the Beer into the ‘danger zone’, he knows it isn’t ment as an insult and he convinces his rising beast of this fact. The hits Otto took, not only by taking the punishment of getting hit by the balls, but also in failing to get out of the way of the hits, well it couldn’t have gone better….he just has to tell himself it is about self control, not about looking good.

JTM settles in, he looks around at the other broken targets in the ‘danger zone’ and realizes…not really any protection.

Otto says, “Ok, I’m turning the machine on…unlike you, I don’t plan to let any of the balls slip by”

The machine ratchets away and Hears the Pitch…… THWACK……and the ball rockets towards JTM who is quite surprised that Otto actually would have hit him had he not moved out of the way. “Is that your best shot?” JTM starts the smack talking.

Otto chimes back even as he gets ready for the next pitch “At least you spilled your Beer…” he chuckles “I practically call that a Win” he then sends the next Ball at JTM, not only breaking his bat, but JTM also dodges it effortlessly saving both himself and his Beer from any embarrassment.

Otto seemed prepared for the broken bat and snatches another from the rack before the next ball gets Pitched. Several more attempts are made to hit the mocking JTM and all without luck. Eventually Otto shuts the machine off and shakes his head.

“Harder then it looks” he grumbles to himself…..a few moments later he has the smile back on his face “Well…” he shakes his head “Looks like this may not be my sport…but I appreciate your help”

JTM smiles at Otto finally cussing, and using the slang correctly this time. JTM ignores his comment about letting a pitch or two past him, drinking the beer helps him forget Otto's rib shot at him. The pitch zings by JTM, but the party foul of spilling his beer somewhat was not cool. After dodging the rest of the balls in grand JTM-style and seeing Otto happy to turn off the machine upset he missed him, he walks back up to him smiling.

“See I told you, you have to concentrate on the ball not your weird protection accessories. They break easier than you do. Get that focussed lock on down cold Give yourself some time to heal that damage back, and we can try again some other time k. Now follow me, Otto.”

He walks out of the batting cages and find the bench to sit down on, beer in hand.

”Pull up a seat right here.”

He waits for Otto to sit down.

“You need to work on some other forms of combat for recreation. Get out in the real world and stop doing these elaborate projects you are so fond of. I’ve been training people for years on how to do that. Why not next time find something more fun like doing the wax on wax off on those sewers abit. Paint fence sand floor side side, you know what I mean. Then you’ll be more able to dodge my shots from what I’ve seen so far. And the place’ll look better too. Call Kharma, she’s good at doing housework too ”

He chuckles noticing the time.

“Now if you don’t mind, I need to get back to work and the nightly grind of this shitty city, so ya mind leading me outta here? Next time, we’ll meet somewhere else, just to show you what I mean, k.”

He stands up waiting for Otto to get him out of his haven’s deathtrap maze that annoys him so much.

Otto nods to JTM "I hear you, but still... it was Fun wasn't it!" he has a gleam in his eye that you just don't see often. "I have something more nourishing then beer if you need it, though since I didn't hit you...My guess is you are alright, still...I'd be bad host not to offer"

After that is taken care of he leads you back out, mostly along the same way you came as the two of you bounce around in the sewers he says "I'm up for whatever you offer in the way of training, for me" he gestures back the way you came "I like being able to unwind... I'm in need of some more specialized training on Security systems, if you know anyone competent, give me the name and I'll hook you up with a real Wiz.....first rate system once I get the hang of what's out there." he creaks open the last heavy mettle door with some effort and lets you out just off the Foyer. "I had a lot of fun..Thanks for coming over.. I look forward to letting off some steam again soon..."