Squash you like a bug

Posted on Fri Jan 20th, 2023 @ 0:36 by Jonathan Monroe & Claire Cavendish & Phoebe Hunter & Reagan D'Angelo

Chapter: Prologue: Dawn of Avalon
Location: Squash court
Timeline: Monday, September 21st, 1992
1915 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Claire bounced the ball a bit before looking around at the people she had coaxed to come play a game with her. "Alright. Quick rundown. We play point per rally." She saw that she already lost most of the people there. "You score if the opponent lets the ball bounce twice before hitting it, if the ball hits the tin." She hit the ball to send it flying towards the lowest part of the wall they were facing. The metal strip made a distinct sound indicating that she had hit it. "Or if it hits on or above the out line." She caught the returning ball and pointed at the top most red line. "Also if one team hits the ball twice." She allowed for a moment for people to ask questions.

Phoebe was not sure this was a good idea at all but she had agreed as a way to adjust to being a team player as these people were going to be her team and she needed to work out how they ticked before anything unusual came up. "I believe I understand the rules. Who would like to be on my team?" The red head asked spinning her racket in her hand.

"Hmm, partnering with the precog or the teleporter...?" Jonathan mused. "Maybe we need to reiterate the 'no powers' rule?"

“I would never use my abilities for something as mundane as this Mr Munroe.” The precog assured quickly trying to not take offence. These people did not know her yet. They did not know the grip she tried to keep on her abilities and to not affect free will or spoil lives. It would be so easy for her to become that person.

"It's not so bad if you just keep Claire out of the shadows, eh?" Reagan spun her racket a few times in one hand, firing a little smirk across at the headmistress. "Worst I can do is let the ball pass through me, so not all too helpful. But I think no powers goes without saying."

"Fair enough," Jonathan nodded with a faint smile. "All right. Me and you, Reagan?"

"Looking to test the new girl's mettle, Jon? I can work with that. As long as Claire is fine getting beat by us at her own game." Reagan smiled across at the others again, not really making an effort to hide her competitive goading. All in good fun.

"First to 11 points wins a game, shall we do best of five?" Claire made sure they were all on the same page before they started the game. She rolled her shoulder, bounced the ball a couple of times, waiting for the others to get ready.

Jonathan set himself behind Reagan, giving her a bit of a reassuring sort of nod as if to suggest he had faith in their teamwork.

Reagan took up position in the serving square on their side and nodded back at Jonathan, then at Claire and Phoebe, readying herself with the racket.

Phoebe was not sure this was the best way in getting to know the team but there she was tying her hair back and readying herself. “Ready when you are.”

Claire lobbed the ball in the air with some flair and then hit it so it was sent reeling off towards the far corner, right beneath the serve line. It had gotten quite a high speed from her serve and was careening back towards the opposite end of the court where the opposing team stood at the ready to return.

Reagan didn't really know squash, or play a lot of racket sports, but she was a natural born athlete, and had a competitive streak to rival Cameron's, so she didn't hesitate to call that she had it back to Jonathan before she pounced and backhanded the ball. It sped in an arc, bouncing off the wall just below the out line on the front wall and ricocheting back near center court.

Her teammate had the inside track on the ball so Claire simply called "You." and followed the trajectory in case Phoebe reacted too late and missed the strike.

Phoebe caught the ball just with the edge of the racket and sent it back spinning it over Claire’s head and back against the wall. It was an interesting game and she could already see how the objective was being achieved in making it difficult to return.

Claire saw the ball spin over her head. She could've stopped it but it would've been pointless, she wasn't allowed to touch it. She reminded herself inwardly that it was supposed to be a fun team activity that helped them bond. She caught the ball on the bounce back and got ready to serve again. "One - Nil Reanathan." She lobbed the ball up to serve again. Sending it reeling into the far corner.

Although not the most agile, Jon's quick movement was enough to get him in position to return the ball, though probably not as hard and fast as he would have liked.

The ball was again in the direction where Phoebe had the better angle, "You!" She coached the new addition to the team.

Phoebe moved quickly but her lack of height allowed the ball to slip past her. She offered an apologetic look to Claire before setting iht to retrieve the ball and serve it back towards the other team.

"Don't worry about missing, Phoebe! Claire's probably just happy to get a full set of feet on the court again." Reagan shifted, eyeing Jonathan and the ball each with quick, by the second updates. "Got it!" She made for the ball, letting it bounce once before swinging from the side to send it toward the far corner. The ball hit the wall just over the tin and made its way back. So close!

Claire stepped into the path of the ball, "Me," and hit it with some subtlety, adding some spin to make it a bit more unpredictable where it would bounce too. After hitting the wall it arced to the side, where it hit the floor just in bounds and immediately veered off towards the wall.

Phoebe was not too sure about that but English past times unless something like shooting was hard for her to get into even after over half her life in the United Kingdom. "Not exactly my game," Pheobe admitted laughing just a little. "We should try archery. I am pretty good at that was thinking of setting up an archery club for students."

"Me!" Reagan was sure she had this one, but the chaotic veering once it hit and turned into the wall combined with a jerk to over correct on her part. Reagan not only ended up blocking Jon's potential return, but missed it herself, her tap of the ball only making it angle sharply into the floor and bounce repeatedly. "Point to you, boss." She moved to retrieve the ball and toss it to Jonathan to serve. "Archery, hm? That could be fun to learn."

Catching the ball, Jonathan laughed. "Now I know we're in an old Scottish castle, but when did we turn into medieval squires? Give me a good old Thompson from home...that's real firepower."

"There are a lot more rules around firepower here and I thought you had the fire powers anyway," Pheobe said quickly as the ball came towards her without missing a beat she hit it back. She did not want to get into a debate about gun laws across different countries so she turned it back on him with a wink. She had grown up in both the United Kingdom and the United States and she knew where she felt better even when she had been permit carrying gun toting.

Claire wanted to add her two cents in regards to the guns, but Phoebe's quip was more than enough to put that one to bed. The group of students that were attending Avalon were already not the most safe and stable kind, adding firearms was an absolute no-no. "Nice one!" She complimented Phoebe on returning the serve.

Phoebe glowed at the compliment feeling joy at the fact she seemed to be understand the strategies that were involved in a game like this. “I try.” She answered waiting for the ball to come back towards them. “What is the score now?” She had forgotten in trying to understand the way the other two moved and played.

"Two-one us! Er... not that I'm keeping track." Reagan shifted into the ball's path and gave it a nice underhand lob that sent it into a high arc to hit the wall opposite just inside the out line and on a return trajectory toward Claire and Phoebe.

Claire stepped forward to intercept the ball coming towards her, "Me." and the high arc made it possible for her to line up the perfect smash. The speed more than double as it hit her racket and soared back over towards the opposing team. "Two all, not that we're keeping track." She was definitely keeping track.

“Of course not.” Phoebe said sharing a look with Jonathan for a moment before giggling. She was pretty sure some of them was keeping track but it was n out her at al. She was tracking the ball back and forth.

The game went back and forth and Claire became a bit more competitive than she had promised herself that she would be. When it came to a tiebreaker in the game she couldn't help but step up and poach a couple of balls away from Phoebe to guarantee hitting it back in the right way. Both Jon and Rea were formidable opponents, and it took quite a bit to eke out a victory. They took a breather at the end of what had been quite a long set. Claire looked around, soaked from the sweat herself. "That was a good one. Another round or have we had our fill of exercise for the day?"

“Definitely had my fill.” Phoebe declared sipping a stray strand of hair away from her face before downing half her water bottle. She was fit but it had been a few weeks since she had sought out a team exercise session. “I do not think I can do our run around the loch today after this Reagan.”

Reagan was barely panting, mostly from that last few points trying to push to really beat Claire. Jonathan and Phoebe were having fun, but these two? She waved a hand lazily toward Phoebe as she approached Claire to offer a hand and a grin. "Don't sweat it, Pheebs. I'll grab Cameron, make him run at normal human speeds. Good match, Claire! Rematch next week?"

"You're so on." Claire smiled and plucked at the strings on her racket. She'd probably restring it before that rematch, knowing it was going to be a bit more peddle to the metal than this outing. She had started to prefer one on one matches anyway.

"Get the impression we were here for making sure it did not end in bloodshed?" Phoebe laughed at Jonathan just out of ear shot of the more competitive pair. "Been a few weeks since I have done anything like this. Who knew it only took that long to get a little out of shape."

"Still got more breath left in you than I have," Jonathan retorted. "Same time next week. Just promise to go easier on me next time..."