Pre-Game Stuff

[ways_diamond]

There's a moment, before the game begins, when a baseball diamond may just be one of the most beautiful things on Earth . . . even if it's not, technically speaking, on any version of Earth.

In that moment, the grass is a lush and perfect checkerboard and chalk gleams in not-yet-smudged baselines and foul linesCastiel has built up a pitcher's

Comments

[ever_noteful]

There's a fair enough crowd on the bleachers, the teams have finished warming up, and all is ready.

Meg has what is, in fact, a portable karaoke machine (non-evil variety), as Castiel's incredibly thorough approach to building a baseball diamond stopped short of a sound system.

"Hi," she says, and then amends, "Hello. On behalf of the End of the Universe Enigmas and the Milliways Paradoxes I want to welcome you all to the inaugural game on this diamond. Before we begin the game, ah, Jack Sparrow has--"

[pirate_jack]

"Captain!"

The shout comes from several feet away from where Meg's standing, but echoes clearly all the same.

Jack saunters over to Meg and leans down to the microphone. He jerks back as beaded braids rattle loudly against metal (and over the sound system), then leans forward again, this time a little more cautiously.

"Captain," he repeats, with a quick grin at the crowd. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

He straightens up and gestures grandly for Meg to continue.

[ever_noteful]

"Sorry," Meg says.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," she amends, the italics carrying to the far edges of the field, "has graciously agreed to lead us all in the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'"

Meg holds the microphone out to him.

[pirate_jack]

"Thanks, luv."

He takes the microphone from Meg and holds it loosely in one hand as he gives the crowd another broad grin.

"Happens as this here day's a special and most particularly auspiciously lucky day for as to be having a game what involves a great deal of luck, savvy? Therefore and as a result, ergo ipso facto quod erat demonstrandum, we'll be singing a much more special version of the baseball song, what goes like this..."

Jack clears his throat, takes a deep breath, and then belts out,

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd!
Buy me some peanuts and rum to drink,
I don't care what anyone thinks!

For it's yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me!"

By this point, Jack's making wild gestures with both arms at the crowd, encouraging everyone to join in and sing along.

"We're all rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves

[ever_noteful]

"And now," Meg continues, "we are honored to welcome Milliways Head Barman Michael J. Angelo"

-- hey, it's how he wanted his named given, and she has learned that lesson with the Captain Jack Sparrow thing --

"to throw out the first pitch."

[thursdays_angel]

Castiel is still puzzling over the song.

It's not what he's used to hearing at ball games. But then, this is Milliways.

At Mike the Barman steps onto the pitcher's mound, Castiel pulls his mask down and takes his place behind home plate.