CAUSE IT'S ONE TWO THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT

[jacksonian]

WHO: Mark and all imPorts!!
WHERE: The Washington Senators baseball stadium
WHEN: JULY 17TH, let's say the July 10th game got rained out, heh
WHAT: Come watch baseball!!!
WARNINGS: None! Probably!! Well, there might be cursing at the umpire. What good is a game if there's no cursing at the umpire?


[ Mark had promised a VIP experience when he'd advertised the baseball outing, and he definitely hasn't failed to deliver. The bus to the game leaves De Chima imPort housing in the early afternoon, and this is a party bus - leather-upholstered seats, free-flowing alcohol, snacks, music playing, entertainment all the way.

When it gets there, things don't get any less luxe: the imPorts are ushered by staff to the skybox, which has a pool table, TVs, a bartender, a buffet dinner, seats both outside overlooking the field and inside the air-conditioned room, the whole shebang. There are businesspeople waiting there, eager to mingle and take photos with the imPorts - this is how Mark is making his money, after all - but aside from that, this is actually a really fun experience: any interested imPorts get to go down to the field before the game to watch the warm-up, players periodically stop by, and it's a good tense game of baseball. The Senators - the home team - end up coming from behind in the eighth inning to win 4-2.

The bus is calmer on the trip home. It's late, so the music is quieter, and people can sleep if they want to. Of course, if people want to do some afterpartying, they probably can get it started in there. ]

Comments

Mark

[jacksonian]

[ This is technically supposed to be fun for everyone, but, well...Mark is a little tense. He's constantly fussing over something - conferring with business representatives to make sure everything's running smoothly, sitting on his phone firing off emails, checking on a dozen different things to make sure everything's in place. His hard work does pay off - the whole thing comes off seamlessly - but the strange little fat dude who organized all of this doesn't seem to be having a whole lot of fun. He doesn't touch a drink all night, and doesn't even really stop to eat, instead just constantly snacking on cheese filched off the buffet.

He does periodically approach people, asking - ]

Is there anything you need?

Miles

[dendarii]

[ True to his word, Miles is Sir-Not-Appearing-At-Mark's-Event ... but a funny little kestrel is here, hopping on people's shoulders and enjoying head scritches and generally being a perfectly tame little falcon. He is very careful not to speak until spoken to - he promised, after all, and he is absolutely determined not to interfere with his brother's party.

... "Interference" doesn't include occasionally swooping down to steal bits of food, right? Because he is doing that. And at the behest of the guests, he's happy to do little tricks in midair. Loop-de-loops and suchlike. ]

[dendarii]

[ At some point, Miles comes over to perch on Mark's shoulder. True to his word, he's been a kestrel the whole time - not speaking unless directly addressed, and even then quite coy about giving his name (if he does at all). This is Mark's show and he's trying very earnestly not to take it over. ]

How is everything going?

[komarran]

[ The sport makes no sense to him. It's a lot of hitting a ball with a stick and then running while people excitedly cheer for the runners. The fact that this is referred to as the nation's 'favorite past time' is what brought him out here, a cultural field trip of sorts.

He's puzzling over what exactly he's watching when he hears Mark's question. The man is the other reason he's here, partially to keep an eye on him and to support this business venture in some small way. ]

Ah no, I'm fine thank you. Do you understand what they're doing down there?

[jacksonian]

Well enough.

[ There's hardly any misery in Mark's face at all, and for once no undercurrents of hostility or wariness towards his progenitor - often present even at the best of times. He recognizes that Miles has kept his promise to not dominate this occasion, and Mark appreciates that. More, he's become aware that he looks fucking awesome with a falcon on his shoulder. Both of these things combine to keep him at peace with Miles. ]

We'll be turning a healthy profit off of this.

[jacksonian]

Uh -

[ Mark looks down at the field, then reaches up to rub at the back of his neck. One of them is up at bat and swinging, and hits the ball, and so Mark narrates - ]

Yeah, that one there gets to run around the bases, and -

[ But instead of running, he walks off the mound, apparently out. ]

Oh. I guess that's not it.

[dendarii]

[ Miles told you, jeez. Everyone needs a falcon. Miles preens a bit on his shoulder, quite pleased to see Mark happy in turns. It renews his resolve to be as good as gold for for the rest of the event. For now he turns and cocks his head up at his brother. ]

On top of the benefit of advertising, you mean?

[komarran]

[ Okay, so that's not quite how the game works. Duv peers more closely and frowns as he remarks, ]

That ball almost hit him. [ At least, from his angle. ]

And he's still not running.

[jacksonian]

[ He lifts his chin in acknowledgment. ]

Yeah. It was never just about advertising. Though that is a bonus.

[jacksonian]

I know that if the ball does hit him, he gets to advance.

[dendarii]

I should have known. How'd you do it? Is it because of the natives?

[ He sounds impressed. ]

[jacksonian]

[ He grunts in confirmation, then gives a little half-smile, 'cause: these suckers. ]

They're paying three thousand a head to be here.

[dendarii]

[ Miles makes a low, impressed sort of chirping sound. He sees a lot of natives here. ]

We're really that much in demand, huh.

[jacksonian]

We're that much in demand, this team is that popular, and there are people where three thousand dollars doesn't mean a thing to them. And they look satisfied with all of this. They'll go back, tell their friends it's worth it, and I'll have more potential clients lined up in a week.

We'll get you that bird bath after all.

[dendarii]

Bird bath nothing. You could make a decent living doing just this.

[ Because he's doing some math in his head and getting some numbers he likes. ]

[jacksonian]

[ He shakes his head. ]

No. The imPorts are going to do something stupid eventually. This business won't survive a major PR screw-up. I'm taking advantage of it while we have a good reputation, and then I'm going to put the money I get from it to work.

[dendarii]

Well. It won't be my fault, anyway. Today I'm your extremely well trained kestrel that may or may not be enchanted by another imPort.

Dorian Gray

[brushoff]

[ SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS

EVERYBOOOOOODY

Because really, Dorian gives minimal damns about baseball. It's not proper footie, which is the sport that he pays attention to because he's British, or hunting, which is the sport he actually knows how to do (even if Dorian's rifle knowledge is a hundred or so years out of date.) But if he's going to do this, he's going to get in the spirit: he's wearing a Washington Senators baseball jersey and has already picked up a ridiculous baseball hat that he's going to give Toby back home. He spends just as much time mingling and kissing ass with the businessmen as he does watching the game...however, he can't deny the fact that he doesn't really care too much about baseball (though he's doing a good impression of someone who knows what's going on, clapping and cheering when people score) and so is resorting to alcohol.

Hence, shots. It's the start of the seventh inning after a slightly drunk Dorian forced as many people as he could into "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" despite knowing only about half the words...and Dorian's just pouring vodka shots, where exactly did he finds all those shot glasses to begin with, the world will never know. Pouring shots and applying massive doses of peer pressure as he practically pushes shot glasses onto everybody in the box. ]

Come onnnn, they're losing! This way we'll at least be happy and pleasantly sloshed if they utterly lose.

[komarran]

Do you know why? You'd think they'd subtract points for not dodging given this culture's penchant for violence.

Junpei

[homerunning]

[It was both a matter of luck and being-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time, but Junpei had soon found himself on a bus leaving De Chima (with poor Yukari in tow, no way was he going to this without her) only to end up in a skybox overlooking what looks to be a rather heated Baseball game. ]

Yukaricchi! Did you ever DREAM you'd get to do something like this?

[Probably not. But hey, that's what friends are for, right? Getting dragged to the thing only you care about?

She's a real trooper.


But Junpei, a fan of the sport to the very end, Junpei's like a five year old as he presses his hands against the glass, eyes as wide as dinner plates and making soft little coos of excitement. You'd think this was his Christmas gift, the way he tilts his head to and fro to try and get a better look (despite having one of the bet seats you could potentially ever have at one of these shenanigans) at the game, making small comments to the person next to him. You couldn't get him interested in that pool table if you tried. They're here for the game guys, get the hell with it!]

[protects_the_small]

[Sitting just as close to the glass is Kel, perfectly happy to listen to any small comments because they help with the most common question she keeps asking-]

And what's happening now?

Kel

[protects_the_small]

[Kel mostly stays seated next to the glass, watching the game. She's finding that parties that she doesn't have to serve at tend to be boring if she doesn't know everyone there, and Junpei's excitement is more entertaining.

Occasionally, she does wander over to get a plate refill, and smile awkwardly at the locals who have come to rub elbows with imPorts. She'll even try to be polite at some of the more POINTED questions]

No, I'm sorry, I'm not privy to that information, oh I believe that's-

[And she's tapping your shoulder, quick exit like]

[jacksonian]

That's the story you're going for to make imPorts look good to outsiders? Cursed to look like a bird?

[jacksonian]

I think to discourage the pitcher from just trying to kill everyone who comes up to bat. Those balls travel fast. As fast as aircars.

[jacksonian]

[ And Mark favors him with a smile as a reward for being the life of the party. Not a big smile, but a sly, small one. ]

I'm staying sober. Do an extra one for me.