Team Carlisle - Introductions, Meetings and Practice

[ofthefamily]

Carlisle had been posting reminders all week, and this is his final one:

Team Meeting
Captain: Carlisle Cullen
The Baseball Diamond, Today, 3 pm

Please acquire a glove from home or the Bar if you haven't already.As everyone arrives, Carlisle clears his throat (all while wearing an extra-long billed baseball hat and skin-tone gloves to cover his

Comments

[mnt_raph]

[ofthefamily]

"We'll be happy to have you, um..."

After Carlisle looks up at a man who appears shockingly akin to Emmett, he looks back down to his roster.

"Raphael?"

[mnt_raph]

[ofthefamily]

"That would be me, yes. Now tell me -- " As Carlisle pulls a pen from his slacks that are far too pressed to be appropriate on a baseball field, " -- how familiar are you with baseball as a sport? Are you from Earth?"

One can never be too presumptuous.

[betagainstme]

Alice tugs her hat to stay on firmly. She, too, is wearing gloves and a turtleneck under her jersey. She slips her hand into her glove and grabs a baseball before coming to stand in front of Carlisle.

"Papa," Alice draws the vowels out. "I'm pitching, right?"

[ofthefamily]

"Absolutely. I don't feel like listening to you complain if you don't."

[betagainstme]

"Hmph." Alice shoots him a mild glare. "You're trying to make jokes again, Daddy. Stop that."

[ofthefamily]

"I know, I know. I'm not the humorous one in the house."

Carlisle stands close to his daughter, surveying the talent for the team.

"This is going to be new and unusual, isn't it?"

[mr_gaeta]

Pitching first, batting second.

Gaeta picks a ball out of the bucket, idly tosses it in the air to test the weight, and looks around for a willing partner.

[ofthefamily]

Carlisle is around, adjusting his tan baseball gloves before he looks up.

"Felix! Nice to see you make it."

[mr_gaeta]

"Hey, Carlisle," he greets him with a faint smile.

(And there's barely even a hitch as he suppresses the urge to call him "Dr. Cullen" or "sir." He's learning.)

"Yeah, I think any practice I can get will be a help." Wry, "Am I the only one here who's not from Earth?"

Gaeta fully expects the answer to be 'yes,' and it shows.

[ofthefamily]

"You haven't met our third baseman yet."

Carlisle points to the appropriate plate, where a cyclops with her hands on her hips is attempting to spontaneously develop enough depth perception to tell when someone is tossing a low ball to her.

"It'll be fine, trust me."

[im_so_sari]

Somebody's standing in the shortstop position, pounding her glove and hollering toward home plate.

"Hey batter batter hey batter batter SWING!"

...no, no one's actually at bat yet. Ya gotta practice the heckling, too, right?

[ofthefamily]

Carlisle's not laughing.

Really.

This is going to be hilarious.

[im_so_sari]

"We need a pit-cher, not a belly it-cher..."

[mr_gaeta]

(On the other hand, Gaeta is definitely laughing.

Or, well, as much as he ever laughs, which means it's more like a quiet snort. But still.)

[eyeeyecaptain]

Once Carlisle has finished speaking and everyone starts to mingle and split off, Leela trots up to him and offers a hand.

"Turanga Leela, Third Base, reporting for duty!"

They say first impressions are important, you know.

[ofthefamily]

"Nice to meet you..." Carlisle looks up, "Do you prefer Turanga or Leela?"

[eyeeyecaptain]

"Leela," she nods.

[ofthefamily]

"Leela, fantastic." Carlisle checks off her name on his roster, giving Leela a good once-over.

"Have you ever played baseball before?"