Hitting the ole' Balls Around (Open)

The night air was cool and moist from today's light rain. The Spring weather had made the parks and fields glimmer with chilled dew. The sky had only recently darkened and the clouds had departed the sky just in time for the blood red sunset. A light mist had settled just above the grass.

Lennart had been walking for some time now. he'd been out since before the sun had set and had no intention of stopping soon. He was on patrol after all. He had dealt with two weak dark spirits earlier. Lennart's reiatsu was suppressed and his olive drab over coat was damp from the earlier rains, just as the grass under his feet. The old fighter pulled his coat off and slung it over his shoulder. He shook his hat covered head as a few stray droplets flew off to the ground. It was then that his senses detected something incoming. His powerful hand snapped upward and was met with a solid THWACK! His dark rimmed eyes narrowed as he turned the object over so he could see it. A baseball. He hadn't held one in years. Hell, he hadn't had time for sports or games. A small huh, escaped his lips before he heard a new sound. CRACK! followed by the jingling of a fence. There was a hitter out there on the diamond. Swinging his coat back onto his shoulders and buttoning it once again he set out.

Lennart stepped onto the field and set his eyes on a girl with bat. Dressed like any normal woman would, however, there was something he couldn't put his finger on. Something different. He tossed the ball up into the air and caught it once again. He walked across the outfield and let out a high pitched whistle to get her attention. In the failing light the brim of his hat completely covered his eyes in shadow and the lower part of his face was hidden behind his high collar. "I think you hit this one a bit too hard." he called out to her holding the ball up above his head. "Nice swing though." Lennart tossed the ball into the air again and caught it with a solid thud.

Lennart was a little taken a back by this woman. He had never been the best a detecting social ques or behaviors. Emotions were not a strong suit of his. He was nearly positive he hadn't done anything offensive, or flirty for that matter. He narrowed his eyes and looked away from her as she set another ball flying out into he park. Maybe he should try to re-start, apologize. Something. He hadn't spoken to anyone tonight and that was unusual. Things needed to be usual again. Lennart's gaze returned to the woman as another ball went flying out and away. She did have an impressive swing. Maybe that was the strange thing he couldn't place, maybe she was an athlete. Someone from a famous sports team. She certainly was tall enough to be. Though he didn't recognize her from anything he knew about baseball. Then again, he didn't watch the woman's league much.

"Excuse me." he started tossing the ball up again and catching it, "I didn't mean to offend you. I also wasn't trying to hit on you. I'm a little too old and busy to worry about romance" he held the ball out in front of him so she could see it. "I just so happened to be walking through the park and I caught this pot fly" he smiled, not that it could be seen behind his collar. "I came over to tell you that you're out." He could hope his attempt at humor wasn't wasted. After all, people liked jokes, right?.

Lennart's eyes looked down as she spat on his jack boots. No, his GRANDFATHER'S boots. He felt his temperature rise as she did that. As if to make matters worse she immediately began to insult him. He didn't understand. he hadn't done a single damn thing. What the fuck was this bitch's problem?! Lennart's teeth gritted as he caught the ball ounce again. It was then, in his angered state that he caught a bust of movment from the woman. She was swinging a bat at him.

Lennart's reiatsu flared for a split second as the ball dropped from his hand. With a speed beyond human he let the ball drop and twisted his right hand into the path of the incoming bat. His hand slammed against the bat with a powerful CRACK! His fingers were wrapped around the center of the bat. The strength of which he stopped the bat combined with Anna's swing caused cracked to spread across the surface of the bat. Lennart's eyes darted to the tall woman in front of him. His voice was no longer polite. He was done trying to e nice. "What is your problem?" he asked, voice more like a hiss than words. "Are you crazy?" and ironic accusation coming from the former murderer.

Lennart couldn't believe this woman! She swung a damned bat at his face and then asked if HE was going to pay for it. She had to be crazy. There was something wrong with her. He had done nothing to provoke her aside from bring her ball back and compliment her. It was at that moment that something dawned on him. He saw her insecurity as he saw eyes widen in reaction to his reiatsu. She can feel me. He finally could place that strange something he could feel from her. It was small, likely suppressed but you could never cover it up all the way. She was a warrior, like he was. AA woman empowered by the Lord God.

His eyes softened as she stepped back away from him. He was nearly frozen by her outburst. Lock her up? Why can't I leave her alone? it didn't make sense. She must be running from something. For a moment while her eyes darted everywhere, likely looking for an escape route, the Fullbringer stood there, paralyzed. His hand still clutching the bat and hazel eyes looking at the frightened girl. She was scared, she was running, now she thought he was chasing her. Lennart knew that feeling all too well. He'd been pursued his entire life. By police, by demons, by those who wanted him dead. He once was locked up too. His childhood had been captivity.

Lennarts poke without thinking. Something in him made him reach out. "Who is hunting you? Why do they want you locked away?" his eyes were focused on the woman, all hostility had vanished. He released his grip on the bat and let it drop to the ground with a light thud. His hands moved to his sides and he turned so she could see his palms. Letting her know he had nothing in his hands, a general sign of harmlessness. He hoped she wouldn't bolt. He knew how hard it was to live on the run. He could think of little aside from his father's "lessons". He needed to help. He didn't know why.

Quickly fear turned to confusion and sadness. Before his eyes he saw the woman break down. She fell to the ground and scrambled around like a child or a scared animal. She held her bat close to her heart as though it was the only thing in the world she cared for. She sobbed as though her world had been shattered. The Fullbringer could do little other than watch. He had few words for such raw emotion. He had seen things like this before but never quite the same. He had seen people and other things beg for life with tears and pleading. never had he been moved though. Not once had he felt this strange expression before. It was like something was rolling in his guts. It was... New.

Lennart knelt as she stacked the baseball. He placed his hands on his knee. His right hand, slowly, unthreateningly reach up to his collar and unbuttoned it. He pulled the collar to the side so that he was no longer hiding his face. Next he drew his hat off. With great care he pushed the cap into his pocket, exposing his somewhat shaggy gray hair. "I'm not here to hurt you. Not here to take you away either." he spoke in a soft and low tone. Doing what he could to make sure he didn't scare or insult this poor woman. "Right now, all I want to do is help." Lennart pulled the gloves off his hands and then extended his right hand toward the woman before him. "My name is Lennart. I'm a soldier for the Heavenly Father. I sensed great power in you too." He let a small smile cross his old scared lips, "You have power too, don't you?"

She examined him as he knelt there. She seemed to change as he watched her. From an animalistic fear and anger to a sort of confused acceptance. It was better than her being afraid. He didn't come here to hurt her or scare her. Now, all he cared about was helping her with her seemingly crippling problem. If he didn't have enough power to help he was part of something bigger. He had God and Mother Church to help him and her.

A monster? He had thought of himself like that far too many times. He had been called that by others as well. by his father and the police. He was a monster. however, now he was a monster for good. It was enough to redeem him, at least he hoped. "I'm not a monster like those who hunt you." he stood as she did. "I have been hunted too. By humans and monsters." He drew his hat from his pocket and again and played with it in his hands unconsciously. "I know how terrible being hunted can be, Scar, I can help you."

She didn't want help. She didn't want to hurt or drag anyone in. It was a normal feeling. Lennart could tell that she held this burden entirely on her own. She seemed to be alone, hell, if she acted like she had when he first met him he wasn't surprised she was alone. It was a helpful defense mechanism though. If you were cruel to those you met and never let anyone come close to you they could not be dragged down with you. It was the way Lennart lived for years. Now he had a chance, a chance to repent for pushing so many people away who only wanted to help.

Lennart followed Scar as she beckoned to him. His walk over with his usual military posture and watched as she began retrieving her struck baseballs. "There is little I can't handle." he said very matter-of-factly.."I am part of something bigger. Something that gave me a new life." he knew he could sell her on this. After all, he had converted. "I can help you get away from these people that hunt you and give you a new purpose. Something to live for aside from survival and fear."