Breaking News
“Big news today out of the RAC as Ionia softball standout ace and collegiate pitcher of the year Caitlyn Kiramman has announced she will be transferring schools. The news comes as a shock considering the Krakens won the Collegiate Cup for the second year in a row just two weeks ago. Rumors are already swirling about where she may land, but the ace has stated it shouldn’t be long before we hear where her new home will be.”
Post-season is never truly a post-season when you’re a collegiate athlete. While one can take a small amount of time off to rehab, a top level collegiate star must maintain their strict regimen. Even if you’ve made it all the way to the collegiate World Series and been named the collegiate player of the year, there truly are no days off even when the season is over.
Vi is at the gym when the news breaks. Leg day. It’s the most important day for a power hitting catcher. While the average connoisseur of the sport would discuss the importance of arm strength, years of training had taught Vi the stronger her legs were, the better she performed on the field.
She’s working on leg presses when the music in her headphones cuts out with an announcement of an incoming text.
“Message from Coach Sevika - Kiramman entered the portal.”
The announcement causes Vi to freeze mid leg thrust. Kiramman. Transferring? It didn’t make sense. Why would the top pitcher in collegiate softball transfer after two consecutive national titles? The ace only has one year of eligibility left. Ionia was a clear favorite to win a third straight title next season already. Sure, Piltover had forced a game three in the series this year, but everyone knew with a pitcher like Kiramman no one would touch them.
“Well that’s a surprise. Wonder where she’ll land?”
If the woman was smart, she’d take some time to really soul search before choosing another school. Vi knew Kiramman’s parents were from Piltover, but when the school had tried to recruit her out of high school, the ace had made it absolutely clear she wanted to go to a school that was an immediate contender for a title.
Her other demand was a catcher who would be able to handle her drop ball and screw ball. The irony of it was her back door curve ended up becoming her signature strikeout pitch.
It was an insult to Vi. She had been the top recruited catcher out of high school and yet the ace didn’t feel Vi was good enough to catch her. Vi had only allowed three stolen bases and two passed balls in the previous three years. Kiramman wouldn’t find a catcher with better numbers than that.
“Can’t catch her drop ball my ass,” Vi mutters to herself. The music cuts out again for another text message.
“I need you to come to my office. 2 o’clock. Dress in team gear.” That’s all the info Vi needed.
Every time some new, important recruit had been on campus, Coach S had requested Vi meet and greet them, offering to show them around campus, give them a preview of the softball faculties, and discuss with them how wonderful it was to be a Piltover Commodore. It was the collegiate athlete version of shaking hands and kissing babies.
“She’s on campus, isn’t she?”
“Yes. Don’t be late. I’ll make you run poles, off season or not.”
Shit.
Vi was going to have to rush back to her apartment and get cleaned up. She’d also need to warn Vander and Powder she may be later for dinner, depending on how long this wooing visit took.
“Hey Pow, I got pulled in to some stupid recruitment meeting with Coach. Rain check?”
“Lame. Vander says you better make it up to us.”
UGH. Kiramman. It’s not as if they were rivals or anything, but seriously?
Her.
The two women played completely different positions. However, when the World Series had played out two weeks prior, RSN reporters and commentators had made the battle between Vi and Kiramman the focus of the series. How would the best pitcher in the sport fair against the best hitter? The answer, the match up would be about even.
In game one, Kiramman had hung a change up in Vi’s first at bat allowing the catcher to send a bomb to deep left center for a 3 run home run. It was the only offense in the game as Piltover took game one 3-0. The ace sat game two, but Ionia still managed to pull out a 1-0 victory nonetheless. In the final game of the series, Vi was at bat with the game on the line in the bottom of the 7th. Piltover was losing 1 -0 with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd. It was every player’s dream. Vi stood to be the hero for her university. Then Kiramman threw that fucking back door curve and locked Vi up on strike three. Game and season over.
“There’s no way in hell this chick is going to come here.”
————
The Kirammans exit their vehicle, taking in the elegance of the main area of Piltover University’s campus. Cassandra takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes as she exhales. “It’s lovely to be home.”
“Mother, we live 20 minutes from here. You act like you don’t pass campus every day on your way to council.”
The older woman smiles and places a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I know, but there’s just something about the prospect of my daughter becoming a second generation Commodore that just warms my heart.”
Caitlyn rolls her eyes. If truth be told, she didn’t want to be here. In fact, she didn’t want to be anywhere related to softball. The ace had wanted to quit the sport she’d loved since she was 7. Two straight national titles and a pitcher of the year award had been amazing, but after a tumultuous junior year, life had started wearing on her. The game was no longer fun and neither was having to spend every day with her now ex-fiancé, Ionia second baseman Maddie Nolen.
The only thing keeping her playing was the guilt trip her mother had taken her on. Cassandra had called her on her bullshit as to why she really wanted to quit. So, they compromised. Caitlyn would transfer home and play her remaining year of eligibility at Piltover and Caitlyn got a fresh new start away from Ionia. The ace just hoped the top collegiate player in softball could handle Caitlyn’s stuff.
Deep down Caitlyn knew she could. Vi was the best catcher Caitlyn had ever seen and in a way, she regretted choosing Ionia over Piltover. In the end she won 2 titles so the decision wasn’t totally a waste. She just had to find a way to get past Maddie.
The woman had broken her heart into a million pieces. They were a year away from getting married and spending the rest of their lives together. Caitlyn had never been happier. She truly thought this was the woman she’d spend the rest of her life with. All those dreams were shattered when she’d walked in on Maddie with some volleyball player.
Caitlyn pinches the bridge of her nose to bring her back to the present.
Tobias now stands at her side, beaming. He places a hand on her other shoulder. “What do you think, Ace? This going to be an okay place to finish out your stellar career?”
She meets his gazes which beams with an unbridled pride. Her parents don’t often outwardly display how proud they are of her, but somehow the possibility of their daughter coming home to finish out her collegiate career has them being open with their emotions today.
Fifteen minutes later, the family finds themselves in the office of Piltover’s head softball coach. Sevika was known for being a hard ass, not unlike Coach Grayson at Ionia. The difference was, Sevika had been a pitcher herself whereas Grayson had spent her career at first base. Caitlyn would be lying if she said there wasn’t some excitement with the thought of playing for Sevika her last season. After all, it was her strikeout record Caitlyn was striving to break.
“Caitlyn Kiramman. Pleasure to see you again. Can’t lie, it’s nice to meet and not have to figure out how to get my hitters to knock you out of the game.” Caitlyn laughs.
She can tell it’s a genuine compliment. Along with being a hard ass, many feel Sevika’s demeanor is brash and unfriendly. If you speak to her players, though, they’ll tell you it’s all an act and deep down she’d do anything for her players.
“Yes, ma’am. You’re far too kind.”
Sevika almost snickers at the response. “I have a player on her way here to meet with you so you can take a walk around campus and tour the facilities. I like to have players do the tours because they are the cleats on the dirt after all.”
Cassandra and Tobias nod their heads in agreement. “Before we go any further, I have a few things I’d like to discuss.” Cassandra doesn’t waste time or words.
“With all due respect, ma’am, Caitlyn is a grown adult and I’m not a daddy or mommy ball type of coach. You don’t need to sell your daughter’s ability to me. I’ve faced her in the biggest games of the year. I know the junk she brings to the rubber. She’s the missing piece we need to be able to take down those over zealous shits at Ionia. I’ll finally have the true ace I need to shut them down fully considering the only runs she allowed in all 3 games of the series was because she hung a change high over the heart of the plate against Vi. She might as well have just thrown the ball over the fence for her.”
Caitlyn is pleased to hear someone stand up to her parents. Obviously Sevika knows her stuff. She’s not wrong. That pitch haunts Caitlyn still. She’d gone all season without giving up a multi-run home run. Then the catcher took advantage of Caitlyn’s mistake and cost them game 1. She could still hear her mother chastising her.
There’s a gentle knock on the door. Caitlyn turns to see…her. The catcher. She’s not sure who she expected, but it wasn’t her. Surely the collegiate softball player of the year would have better things to do with her time. Yet, it seems fitting that her first hours on campus would be spent with the woman who would be catching her.
“Caitlyn, I’m sure you remember Vi.”
Vi gives a friendly wave and steps into the office. Her hair is bright pink and shaved on one side. She’s wearing a t-shirt that hugs every single one of her upper body muscles like it’s the last thing it will ever do. The sleeves are pushed up just enough to display a full arm tattoo sleeve on right arm.
Caitlyn’s eyes glance down at Vi’s legs to see her shorts stop mid-thigh, which are also thick and muscular. More tattoos can be seen which start on the covered up area of her thighs and stop at her knees. Kiramman can’t stop staring.
Vi clears her throat in order to center the pitcher’s attention. When Caitlyn’s eyes meet Vi’s, the catcher is smugly smiling. One eyebrow raises and she crosses her arms as she leans up against the doorframe.
“Hello, Kiramman.”
Caitlyn frowns as she can feel her cheeks blush from embarrassment.
“Vi.”
The acknowledgment doesn’t douse the smugness that is exuding from the catcher. It’s clear Vi knows Caitlyn was doing more than a once over. It’s just been so long since Caitlyn has actually seen a player, in this case an attractive player, doing a team related activity in shorts.
Ionia always required their players to wear pants. Grayson felt it was “more professional”. If they weren’t playing they wore their team issued sweats. On game and practice days, they’d wear uniform pants.
The only time they could wear shorts was in the gym. Also, Vi’s legs are more muscular than the catcher she played with at Ionia. Sarah was tall and strong, but Vi was built like a brick house. It’s how she had hit 42 homers last year, including 1 off her.
“Vi, why don’t you go ahead and take Caitlyn on her tour. Make sure she’s taken care of.”
“I can certainly make sure she’s taken care.”
Another arrogant smirk. Do the words have a double meeting or is Caitlyn imaging things? Surely this woman was just messing with her as the new kid on campus.
Caitlyn shakes Sevika’s hand and bids farewell to her parents, who look nervous to be left alone with the bulky woman. A part of her enjoys knowing her mother will be squirming while Caitlyn gets to appreciate the view…of campus.
“Alright, cupcake. Let’s get walking.”
Caitlyn huffs. “Don’t call me that.”