[Application] Fork You
OOC
alias: Ten! (1010nabulation)
timezone: US Pacific (CA)
chat: AIM: shatteredemeralds; email: kris10nabulation@gmail.com
character journal: fork_u_up
IC
name: Kanou Shuugo (Shuu-chan to some~)
age: 16
position & team: Pitcher, jersey #9, Mihoshi Academy
koushien dream email: clearlyfocused@koushiendream.net
history:
Kanou grew up in Gunma prefecture with his grandmother, parents, and younger brother. It was a happy childhood; squabbling with his brother over who got the front seat or which bedtime story to have read to them made up the bulk of his concerns. His favorite season was summer because it meant warmer, drier days and that meant getting to go outside more often to play baseball with the other neighborhood kids, among them Mihashi Ruri and her cousin Mihashi Ren.
He liked baseball so much he decided to play on a real team once he entered the private all-boys Mihoshi Academy, staying through middle school and on into high school. His middle school years weren’t as carefree and fun as his younger years had been because of all the drama involving the baseball team. His childhood friend Mihashi Ren was made the starting pitcher and although Kanou knew Mihashi deserved it and was a great pitcher, the rest of the team thought he’d gotten the position out of pure favoritism because his grandfather was a trustee of Mihoshi. That was just bullshit as far as Kanou was concerned. Hatake and the rest might think he was the better pitcher, but Kanou knew better. He wasn’t as good as Mihashi, and it pissed him right off that nobody else would listen to him when he said so. He tried to let it roll off his shoulders and just kept practicing, sometimes staying late to work on his fork ball with the catcher Hatake. Extra practice like that was the only thing that’d allow him to develop into a better pitcher. It was the only way he’d ever manage to live up to his teammates’ (and his own) high expectations.
When high school started Kanou finally got to pitch a full game (even if it was just a practice game), but it wasn’t as sweet as he’d hoped it’d be: it was against Mihashi instead of with him; their former ace had switched schools. Though Kanou couldn’t blame him after what the other guys had put him through, it still really sucked that they couldn’t play together. What sucked more was that the other guys’ attitudes hadn’t changed a bit since middle school. They all still weren’t taking Mihashi seriously and were effectively robbing Kanou of his chance to prove himself. That was enough to finally set him off. Now, Kanou didn’t usually have a problem speaking his mind, but this turned out to be a real blow-out. He said things he probably shouldn’t have (though they were true), and probably wouldn’t have apologized either if one of the new guys, Oda, hadn’t stepped in.
Actually, Kanou was glad he did that, because after the air was cleared and the pent-up frustrations were released it felt like they might start becoming a team again. And though Kanou lost to Mihashi, it only made him want to play with him (or even against him) more. In the meantime, he’s vowed to work his hardest to prove himself and his worth as a pitcher. And although he’s only a first-year high schooler, he sometimes gets to pitch with the upperclassmen… which only shows him how much he needs to improve and makes him want to work harder.
personality:
Kanou is generally a direct and friendly guy, though he has a bit of a short fuse.
He’s very driven and focused when it comes to baseball. In fact, he’s quite passionate about anything he cares about and it irritates the hell out of him when others aren’t as dedicated (at least when that lack of dedication affects him personally). Usually he’s fairly good at keeping his temper in check despite being mouthy and easy to irritate, although when things do finally really get to him he has a tendency to explode. When that happens, Kanou has no qualms or fears about going off on people with piercing honesty even when talking to guys twice his size, crossing the line without thought of apology. (Some might say honesty is a virtue. They probably haven’t been on the receiving end of Kanou’s tongue.) Luckily, if it’s pointed out to him Kanou has the grace to realize his mistake and make amends. He wouldn’t say he’s a nice guy, but he is definitely a very decent and honest person.
On the pitcher’s mound he projects a calm and self-assured demeanor, despite his relative lack of in-game experience. He knows there are better pitchers out there than he is, but this realization only drives him on. It takes a certain kind of person to be a pitcher, Kanou says, and he’s definitely that kind of person-he wants it and won’t give up even when things aren’t going well.
strengths & weaknesses:
Personality-wise:
Kanou’s strengths are his integrity, honesty, determination, bravery, and passion. He’s easy to make friends with and is usually easy to get along with as well (as long as you don’t take his directness too personally).
His main weakness is his short temper and sharp tongue (that honesty and directness of his can be biting).
Baseball-wise:
One of his strengths is his forkball. It’s a specialty of his; in addition to a regular forkball he also can grip the ball deeper to make it fall even lower making it harder to hit, but it’s harder for the catcher too.
As far as weaknesses go, Kanou could stand to work on his stamina. He tires when he nears 100 pitches in-game and starts to lose accuracy as a result (not that his accuracy is exceptionally good to begin with).
Oh, and he’s got a bit of an inferiority complex, although he’d insist it’s just a simple fact that Mihashi is a better pitcher than he is.
SAMPLES
-first person-
We won our game yesterday! I wasn’t exactly instrumental in it-I only pitched a couple of innings-but it was a great experience and I’m really glad I got to contribute. I did pretty well, so maybe coach will put me in a few more regular games. I’ll just have to keep working hard to prove I can do it.
Speaking of winning, Ren won his game today too, against the winners of last year’s Koushien tournament no less. It’s like I’d been telling the guys all along; he just proved he’s a better pitcher than I am! I saw on TV that he pitched the entire game; that’s something most pitchers would have trouble with, let alone a freshman. I don’t know if I could have done it.
I told Hatake about Mihashi’s win and he said it was probably just a fluke. So I kneed him in the nuts. How was I supposed to know he wasn’t wearing his nut case? Seriously, who the hell forgets to put on a cup during practice? It’s asking for a ball-bashing. Anyway, I apologized to him, since I didn’t actually mean to hurt him. Not badly. But if words don’t work, then maybe a little physical reinforcement could help. Maybe if every time Hatake badmouths Mihashi he gets a good nut-crunching, he’ll learn to accept the truth.
I’ll let you know how that works out.
-third person-
“What’s got you so fired up, Kanou-kun?” Hatake asked after the third particularly powerful forkball got away from him. “You’re pitching like you’re gonna crush the next team we play.”
Kanou smiled, easily catching the ball as Hatake lobbed it back to him. “I am. We are." His smile widened into a grin as he added, "And I hope Mihashi does too, like he won his game yesterday.”
“He won? Pfft, that was probably just a fluke.” Hatake crouched back down, laughing it off as he readied himself for another pitch. He flinched when he caught the steely glint in Kanou’s eyes.
Rolling the ball in his palm, Kanou smacked it into the glove and then gripped it deeply, fingers forked. His mouth was set in a firm line, expression now chilly and intense. But he wasn’t going to let it get to him. He was just going to calmly keep pitching. “A fluke?” he breathed, then narrowed his eyes and let the ball fly.
Satisfyingly, the pitch happened to hit Hatake’s crotch guard. Not his fault the catcher hadn’t gotten his glove down far enough in time. The ball ricocheted off Hatake and rolled harmlessly away, leaving Hatake curled in a ball in the dirt. Kanou waited a moment, then when his catcher didn’t get back up he strode purposefully over to check on him.
He meant to ask if Hatake was all right, but what came out instead was an incredulous, “A fluke?”
“N-no, I… I meant… well, he usually sucks… so m-maybe he just got lucky?” Hatake managed to whimper, clutching his balls and trying to sit up.
Kanou gave him a withering glare, feeling the rage building up inside him. “He just won against Tousei. In case you’ve forgotten, they won last year’s entire Koushien tournament! Luck had nothing to do with it!”
Just as Kanou lifted his foot to kick Hatake where he was already hurting, he noticed Oda across the field, watching. He could almost feel the taller boy’s mitt gently thwacking the back of his head; hear the level-headed drawl telling him to cool it. Gritting his teeth, Kanou settled for stomping his foot in the dirt, kicking up a small but furious cloud.
alias: Ten! (1010nabulation)
timezone: US Pacific (CA)
chat: AIM: shatteredemeralds; email: kris10nabulation@gmail.com
character journal: fork_u_up
IC
name: Kanou Shuugo (Shuu-chan to some~)
age: 16
position & team: Pitcher, jersey #9, Mihoshi Academy
koushien dream email: clearlyfocused@koushiendream.net
history:
Kanou grew up in Gunma prefecture with his grandmother, parents, and younger brother. It was a happy childhood; squabbling with his brother over who got the front seat or which bedtime story to have read to them made up the bulk of his concerns. His favorite season was summer because it meant warmer, drier days and that meant getting to go outside more often to play baseball with the other neighborhood kids, among them Mihashi Ruri and her cousin Mihashi Ren.
He liked baseball so much he decided to play on a real team once he entered the private all-boys Mihoshi Academy, staying through middle school and on into high school. His middle school years weren’t as carefree and fun as his younger years had been because of all the drama involving the baseball team. His childhood friend Mihashi Ren was made the starting pitcher and although Kanou knew Mihashi deserved it and was a great pitcher, the rest of the team thought he’d gotten the position out of pure favoritism because his grandfather was a trustee of Mihoshi. That was just bullshit as far as Kanou was concerned. Hatake and the rest might think he was the better pitcher, but Kanou knew better. He wasn’t as good as Mihashi, and it pissed him right off that nobody else would listen to him when he said so. He tried to let it roll off his shoulders and just kept practicing, sometimes staying late to work on his fork ball with the catcher Hatake. Extra practice like that was the only thing that’d allow him to develop into a better pitcher. It was the only way he’d ever manage to live up to his teammates’ (and his own) high expectations.
When high school started Kanou finally got to pitch a full game (even if it was just a practice game), but it wasn’t as sweet as he’d hoped it’d be: it was against Mihashi instead of with him; their former ace had switched schools. Though Kanou couldn’t blame him after what the other guys had put him through, it still really sucked that they couldn’t play together. What sucked more was that the other guys’ attitudes hadn’t changed a bit since middle school. They all still weren’t taking Mihashi seriously and were effectively robbing Kanou of his chance to prove himself. That was enough to finally set him off. Now, Kanou didn’t usually have a problem speaking his mind, but this turned out to be a real blow-out. He said things he probably shouldn’t have (though they were true), and probably wouldn’t have apologized either if one of the new guys, Oda, hadn’t stepped in.
Actually, Kanou was glad he did that, because after the air was cleared and the pent-up frustrations were released it felt like they might start becoming a team again. And though Kanou lost to Mihashi, it only made him want to play with him (or even against him) more. In the meantime, he’s vowed to work his hardest to prove himself and his worth as a pitcher. And although he’s only a first-year high schooler, he sometimes gets to pitch with the upperclassmen… which only shows him how much he needs to improve and makes him want to work harder.
personality:
Kanou is generally a direct and friendly guy, though he has a bit of a short fuse.
He’s very driven and focused when it comes to baseball. In fact, he’s quite passionate about anything he cares about and it irritates the hell out of him when others aren’t as dedicated (at least when that lack of dedication affects him personally). Usually he’s fairly good at keeping his temper in check despite being mouthy and easy to irritate, although when things do finally really get to him he has a tendency to explode. When that happens, Kanou has no qualms or fears about going off on people with piercing honesty even when talking to guys twice his size, crossing the line without thought of apology. (Some might say honesty is a virtue. They probably haven’t been on the receiving end of Kanou’s tongue.) Luckily, if it’s pointed out to him Kanou has the grace to realize his mistake and make amends. He wouldn’t say he’s a nice guy, but he is definitely a very decent and honest person.
On the pitcher’s mound he projects a calm and self-assured demeanor, despite his relative lack of in-game experience. He knows there are better pitchers out there than he is, but this realization only drives him on. It takes a certain kind of person to be a pitcher, Kanou says, and he’s definitely that kind of person-he wants it and won’t give up even when things aren’t going well.
strengths & weaknesses:
Personality-wise:
Kanou’s strengths are his integrity, honesty, determination, bravery, and passion. He’s easy to make friends with and is usually easy to get along with as well (as long as you don’t take his directness too personally).
His main weakness is his short temper and sharp tongue (that honesty and directness of his can be biting).
Baseball-wise:
One of his strengths is his forkball. It’s a specialty of his; in addition to a regular forkball he also can grip the ball deeper to make it fall even lower making it harder to hit, but it’s harder for the catcher too.
As far as weaknesses go, Kanou could stand to work on his stamina. He tires when he nears 100 pitches in-game and starts to lose accuracy as a result (not that his accuracy is exceptionally good to begin with).
Oh, and he’s got a bit of an inferiority complex, although he’d insist it’s just a simple fact that Mihashi is a better pitcher than he is.
SAMPLES
-first person-
We won our game yesterday! I wasn’t exactly instrumental in it-I only pitched a couple of innings-but it was a great experience and I’m really glad I got to contribute. I did pretty well, so maybe coach will put me in a few more regular games. I’ll just have to keep working hard to prove I can do it.
Speaking of winning, Ren won his game today too, against the winners of last year’s Koushien tournament no less. It’s like I’d been telling the guys all along; he just proved he’s a better pitcher than I am! I saw on TV that he pitched the entire game; that’s something most pitchers would have trouble with, let alone a freshman. I don’t know if I could have done it.
I told Hatake about Mihashi’s win and he said it was probably just a fluke. So I kneed him in the nuts. How was I supposed to know he wasn’t wearing his nut case? Seriously, who the hell forgets to put on a cup during practice? It’s asking for a ball-bashing. Anyway, I apologized to him, since I didn’t actually mean to hurt him. Not badly. But if words don’t work, then maybe a little physical reinforcement could help. Maybe if every time Hatake badmouths Mihashi he gets a good nut-crunching, he’ll learn to accept the truth.
I’ll let you know how that works out.
-third person-
“What’s got you so fired up, Kanou-kun?” Hatake asked after the third particularly powerful forkball got away from him. “You’re pitching like you’re gonna crush the next team we play.”
Kanou smiled, easily catching the ball as Hatake lobbed it back to him. “I am. We are." His smile widened into a grin as he added, "And I hope Mihashi does too, like he won his game yesterday.”
“He won? Pfft, that was probably just a fluke.” Hatake crouched back down, laughing it off as he readied himself for another pitch. He flinched when he caught the steely glint in Kanou’s eyes.
Rolling the ball in his palm, Kanou smacked it into the glove and then gripped it deeply, fingers forked. His mouth was set in a firm line, expression now chilly and intense. But he wasn’t going to let it get to him. He was just going to calmly keep pitching. “A fluke?” he breathed, then narrowed his eyes and let the ball fly.
Satisfyingly, the pitch happened to hit Hatake’s crotch guard. Not his fault the catcher hadn’t gotten his glove down far enough in time. The ball ricocheted off Hatake and rolled harmlessly away, leaving Hatake curled in a ball in the dirt. Kanou waited a moment, then when his catcher didn’t get back up he strode purposefully over to check on him.
He meant to ask if Hatake was all right, but what came out instead was an incredulous, “A fluke?”
“N-no, I… I meant… well, he usually sucks… so m-maybe he just got lucky?” Hatake managed to whimper, clutching his balls and trying to sit up.
Kanou gave him a withering glare, feeling the rage building up inside him. “He just won against Tousei. In case you’ve forgotten, they won last year’s entire Koushien tournament! Luck had nothing to do with it!”
Just as Kanou lifted his foot to kick Hatake where he was already hurting, he noticed Oda across the field, watching. He could almost feel the taller boy’s mitt gently thwacking the back of his head; hear the level-headed drawl telling him to cool it. Gritting his teeth, Kanou settled for stomping his foot in the dirt, kicking up a small but furious cloud.