Let's Bounce

Eric could never really stay still. It was just too tough, honestly. He felt like he'd waste away if he wasn't moving his legs and around doing something. Maybe he was scared he'd vanish out of existence if he didn't interact with the universe. A strange subconscious fear, but maybe it would explain his obsession for physical activity.

With a break between classes and no desire to do homework, Eric brought out a soccer ball into an open field near the school. He started to bounce it against his legs, the inner foot, thigh, wherever to keep it dribbling in the air. Every few kicks, he'd end up hitting the soccer ball on his ankle or something and sending the ball a ways away from him. Then he'd chase it and start all over again.

It seemed like a rather solo affair, the way Eric slowly moved himself apart from any oncoming student. However, after this last accidental kick on the ankle, the ball launched far away and fast enough that Eric couldn't catch up to it. He still chased it, panting hard and watching it bounce right to the feet of a girl.

And wow, she was a looker.

“Hey... there,” Eric mustered out between pants. He didn't mind the excuse for a break.

Eric grinned. He wasn't paying much attention to the ball compared to the girl herself. She had that rough, tomboyish gait to her, yet she was perfectly feminine all the same. Not a bad encounter after chasing a ball around.

“Yeah, but I'm not in much of a rush to take it back.” Eric bent over slightly, still trying to catch his breath and regain a bit of energy. He was pretty well in shape though, and he was audibly getting quieter between each breath.

“I don't think I've seen you around here. I'm Eric,” he smiled at Anna, offering a single hand rather than both to take the ball back. “I'm usually fencing, but I like to round out what I do. How about you?”

He didn't want to just know her name. He wanted to know what she did. “I often can't find many people to play with me. Most are in class at this time, or having lunch," Eric explained.

Eric chuckled briefly, “I can tell you like sports. I want to know what you're into.” As Lucy kicked the ball back to him, Eric started to play with it around his feet. Eventually he rolled it onto the top of his foot and balanced the ball there.

He wondered if Lucy was being deliberately obtuse about his question, or if she really didn't deal with people often enough to get the subtleties of conversation. “Maybe I just don't like to leave people as strangers. And it would kill me not to know a little more behind a pretty face.”

After a short pause, Eric lifted the soccer ball off his foot and lobbed it back to Lucy. He expected she'd at least know what to do with the ball.

There it was. She liked soccer. It didn't really mean that much in the long run, but it wasn't quite the content of what she said that Eric was interested in. It was about getting her to open up. The more he could get her comfortable with his presence, the closer he could get to her. What for? Nothing more at the moment than flirty fun. It was just something he liked to do.

“Do you play on a team in a league or anything?” Eric asked, dribbling the ball a little and kicking it back to Lucy. “I stopped playing on a team at around twelve. Same time I got really into fencing, I think. I'm training for the Olympics, you see.”

Shoot. Probably shouldn't talk so much about himself. Eric had an ego about the size of the angel inside of him. Or maybe they were one and the same. It was hard to know. “So, what kind of powers do you have?” Eric tried to steer himself back into talking about Lucy.

Eric received the ball naturally, keeping his eyes on Lucy while the ball played between his feet. She didn't really look back, but that was alright. At least she was talking more. On the other hand, why was she annoyed with her powers?

“I can reshape metal. I don't know if it's that great for fighting, but I'm more of a lover anyway,” Eric grinned and kicked the ball back to Lucy, harder than before.

“So, what don't you like about your powers? Rapid healing sounds pretty useful, in my opinion. Never have to worry about paper cuts again. Or maybe even broken bones?” he wondered to what extent she could heal. Could she even regrow a limb?