Fourth floor common room: Sunday evening

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal was staring at the television in bemusement. He'd thought it was baseball, at first, but it hadn't taken long to work out it wasn't.

He still didn't know what it was, beyond a fat man and a thin man who he was sure were seconds away from coming to blows.

"If I mentioned the third baseman's name, who did I say is playing third?"

"No. Who's playing first."

"What's on first?"

"What's on second."

"I don't know."

"He's on third."

Altra was snickering from his spot on the back of the couch. Karal just kept staring.

[ooc: open of course!]

Comments

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean wandered in with Hunter, in search of snacks and maybe company. "Hey," he greeted Karal as he made his way into the kitchen to grab some food. "Whatcha watching?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I have no idea." Karal turned to smile at him before gesturing at the TV. "It's very confusing. I really do think they're talking at cross purposes."

Altra's ear went up and he studied the cat with some interest.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Hunter stared back from his position in Dean's arms and squirmed to be put down.

"Will Altra be okay with me putting Hunter down?" Dean asked.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra leapt off the back of the couch and padded over to look up at Dean, whiskers twitching. :Altra will be fine with you putting Hunter down.:

Karal turned to watch them, grinning at the Firecat. "He would never admit it, but I think he quite likes other cats."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean let Hunter jump down and watched as he walked up to Altra, nose twitching as he sniffed.

"Hunter's hung out more with dogs -- or Sammy's dog at least. But he seems to be doing fine with the cat socialising," Dean observed.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"He doesn't talk, does he?" Karal was learning that it was always best to check these things.

Altra lowered hie head to sniff Hunter in turn, tail lying flat on the floor and twitching invitingly back and forth.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Only in cat," Dean said. "Not that it slows him down on making his wishes known."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"It's a cat talent," he replied, watching as Altra nudged Hunter gently with his nose. "Even if they do change their mind about what they want as soon as you get it for them."

Altra shot him a quick glare, and Karal just looked innocently back. "It's true."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean snickered as Hunter danced back, then pounced for Altra's tail. "Seems to be. Explains a lot about Alec too."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra turned as his tail was pounced on and batted at Hunter playfully with one paw.

Karal just shook his head. "Is Alec a cat?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"He's got cat DNA," Dean explained. "So every now and then he seems to act like a big human shaped cat."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He had no idea what DNA was, but the implications were clear. "He's part cat?" he asked, very surprised. "I know of a woman who's part cat, in my world. She was created by a mage. Is that what happened to Alec?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Replace mage with amoral scientists and yeah, that's about it," Dean said with a nod. "They were trying to create the perfect soldier -- or weapon, really, since they don't think of them as actual people."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Nor did this one." He gave a little shudder. "But Alec is free of them, he must be to be here, as is Nyara, and this is a very good thing."

Altra suddenly bounded straight up into the air, over Hunter, and landed behind him, crouched low, eyes fixed on his tail.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Hunter spun quickly, prancing sideways around Altra.

"It is," Dean said with a small smile. "Of course, the idiot is contrary enough to go back alone and play hide and seek with them while looking for another X5... but I guess he's free to be an idiot now too."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra rolled onto his back, looking sweet and innocent, belly all exposed, paws just hanging in the air.

"Free will includes the freedom to do foolish things," he said, chuckling quietly. "Though sometimes I wish it didn't. Will he be back, do you think?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"He said he would," Dean said.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Then I'm sure he will," Karal said, sounding certain. "Waiting really isn't much fun, though."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Now that," Dean said, pointing for emphasis, "is a masterpiece of understatement."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He smiled in acknowledgment. "I'm gifted at that, I think," he said. "But it's also trying to look on the positive, in a way."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I've been doing that. Like I'm positive I'm going to kick his butt when he gets back for taking off alone."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Oh, dear," he laughed. "It would have been better to have taken someone with him. That's a lesson I've learned since I came here. Ask for help, your friends will offer it unstintingly. I could give him a stern lecture when you were done, if you liked?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean grinned. "Oh, I'd definitely like."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I'll start working on it right away," he promised. "Long, boring, and with a particular emphasis on the foolishness of not letting your friends help you?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"That sounds about right," Dean said with a smirk.

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Third base!" Dawn climbed onto the back of the couch and started giggling immediately.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Do you know what's going on?" he asked hopefully. "They seem very confused." Almost as much as Karal was.

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"That's kind of the point," she giggled. "It's an old comedy routine with the most implausibly named baseball team ever."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"The confusion is deliberate?" It was like a light dawning. "Oh! That makes much more sense. Though I'm not sure it's actually funny."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeah! They kind of do that on purpose. And it's totally funny!" Dawn was also a big fan of slapstick, though.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal looked skeptical, but didn't disagree outright. "The names are so improbable, though," he pointed out. "As if baseball wasn't confusing enough!"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Well, that's what makes it funny?" She wasn't exactly sure how humor worked. "And baseball's not that bad? Really?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Baseball is confusing," he said, listening to the TV for a moment. Almost completely against his will, he started to smile. "Maybe it is a bit funny."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"What don't you get about baseball? Maybe I could help?" She grinned. "Yes, see? He's just so determined to know what's going on."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Since Karal was now chuckling, he was forced to agree, "All right, it is funny, I admit it. As for baseball itself--"

He paused, recalling one particular rule which had baffled him, and quoted, "A fair ball touches a runner or an umpire on fair territory before it touches an infielder including the pitcher, or touches an umpire before it has passed an infielder other than the pitcher; If a fair ball touches an umpire working in the infield after it has bounded past, or over, the pitcher, it is a dead ball. If a batted ball is deflected by a fielder in fair territory and hits a runner or an umpire while still in flight and then caught by an infielder it shall not be a catch, but the ball shall remain in play. If a fair ball goes through, or by, an infielder, and touches a runner immediately back of him, or touches a runner after being deflected by an infielder, the ball is in play and the umpire shall not declare the runner out. In making such decision the umpire must be convinced that the ball passed through, or by, the infielder and that no other infielder had the chance to make a play on the ball; runners advance if forced."

And then he took a very long breath. "It makes no sense!"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn stared at Karal and vowed to make sure to tap him to help next time they needed someone researchy, because wow. "Okay, hang on."

She went to the fridge and came back with an orange. Which she then tossed at Karal, underhand.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He caught it automatically, staring at her in surprise. "Thank you?"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"No," she said, moving chairs around until she had what could vaguely be called a diamond. "Baseball rules have to make more sense when you're actually dealing with a situation, because otherwise no one would know what anyone was talking about. I mean, these are jocks."

Once she was satisfied, she went to stand in the center of the diamond. "Now, throw it to me, and we'll pretend you hit it. Then you need to run to first." She pointed.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal was still staring at her, surprise changing to confusion, but he obediently lobbed the ball back at her and ran to first. "Now what do I do?"

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn let the orange fall to the ground next to her. "Now, since I'm an infielder and the ball touched something before it touched me, I think it's a fair ball. Er, orange. If I'd caught it, though, you'd be out and have to go sit on the bench."

She pointed to the couch.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"That actually makes sense," he decided after a moment. "They could have made the rules clearer."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"But then anyone could play," she grinned.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I am beginning to understand why the professionals get paid so much," he told her, grinning back. "I read the book of rules, and they deserve it if they have to understand the whole thing."

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I don't know about that," she admitted, never having considered that before. "Maybe?"