I'll Work Hard and Do My Best

Tadano Itsuki | 18 | Sunrise University Affiliated with City of Rays

[determinedcatcher]

“Pucker Up” with @catcherofhearts from X

Somehow Itsuki was making out with one of the people he admired most. His head was throbbing and he couldn’t tell if it was because he was turned on or if he was slightly intoxicated. Miyuki’s hand was pressing against his ass and their bodies were so close to touching, Itsuki thought he might pass out. He was moaning as Miyuki’s tongue rolled against his own and he moaned, wiggling against him. He wanted to keep going...and he didn’t care how embarrassing it was.

[notyouraverageblocker]

Drop & Go|| Kuroko & Itsuki

@determinedcatcher

~Kuroko was on an afternoon jog one beautiful sunny day. He decides to take a different route than his usual, just to get a change of atmosphere. Usually Kuroko would run in the evening as well since there was less people who would bump into him. However, since it was such a nice day he decides he’d rather not waste it and jog while the sun is still out.

 He was near an intersection when someone accidentally bumps into him. Thankfully he manages to not fall. He was used to people not apologizing so he sighs. However, from the collision something has fallen out of the person’s pocket. Kuroko picks it up. He then taps the persons’s shoulder. “Excuse me. I believe you’ve dropped this” he says.

[determinedcatcher]

Itsuki was in a rush to get to back to his room. He had to get his clothes together for practice. He was never late. Never. And if he was, it was for a good reason...or he would make sure to let the Coach know. He didn’t want to be late for any reason! He was in his own world, focusing on getting back to his dorm to grab his equipment.

Feeling the tap on his shoulder however, Itsuki practically jumped back in shock as the blue-haired boy handed him his keys. He hadn’t seen the boy there at all, but thank goodness! If he had lost those, Itsuki wouldn’t have been able to get into his room. “Uh..Wow...Thank you,” he bowed. “I didn’t see you there at all, I am so sorry!” 

[blxkebowdonna]

Catchers Of Your Eye|| Miyuki & Tadano

@determinedcatcher

It was no surprise that Miyuki was here. Really he was rather curious as to just how well this year’s lineup for Sunrise’s Baseball Team was doing. The bus ride over wasn’t long thankfully. Miyuki didn’t bother wearing a disguise figuring he would be sneaky enough to not get caught spying and thinking knowing would really recognize him even if he was a prestigious catcher.

Arriving to campus Miyuki was easily amazed at the size. Sure it was similiar to his own campus but something about it just was different. Finding the baseball field wasn’t hard. He just had to follow the noise of balls hitting bats and people yelling calls. 

Once the catcher reached the field he watches from the fence as the team continued on with their practice without noticing him. Surveying the field he didn’t spot anyone that stood out to him. He scoffs. We got this game in the bag.  

He was about to leave when he heard a familiar voice. He turns towards the voice and spots someone he did recognize. His eyes widen in shock. He never knew that Tadano Itsuki was on the team.  He smirks to himself. Well this could be interesting.

It was then did Miyuki decided to make himself known. “Oi! Mind if I play with you guys?” he shouts before smirking.

[determinedcatcher]

Itsuki, as always, got to practice immediately on time. Suiting up in his gear, he was ready to start working with the pitchers when he heard a voice he was rather familiar with. 

“Miyuki Kazuya!” he blurted out, his eyes widening when he turned to face the catcher he had admired for so long. He hadn’t expected to see him here of all places. He definitely didn’t go to Sunrise...there was no way Itsuki would be playing the position he was if Miyuki Kazuya was here. 

“A-Ah...I apologize,” he bowed. “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone I knew here actually,” he chuckled, rubbing his arm. “Why do you want to play with us? Are you transferring to this school?” he asked. He was happy to get the playing time he did with the Sunrise team, so he kind of hoped Miyuki wouldn’t be moving there. 

Or maybe Miyuki was on a rival team. That wouldn’t be good either...though Itsuki did kind of like the idea of being challenged by the talented catcher. Miyuki was a talented catcher and Itsuki had always respected him as a player. Going up against him would be difficult, but fun.

He shrugged glancing around. “I don’t know if we have any extra gear, but you’re welcome to join us if you want,” he smiled. 

[slowtxwns]

   Kenma watched briefly as Itsuki pulled out his own device, his gaze unchanged. It made him happy that his roommate also seemed to enjoy games, and even felt a little good that he was able to help, even if just a little bit. It managed to draw a faint hint of happiness to the usually nervous features of the setter, though it was hidden through focused eyes and not exactly looking towards the other. 

   The way he talked about Baseball reminded Kenma of how some of his teammates felt about volleyball. He shifted awkwardly in his seat, unable to relate to that as much. He mostly played for his friends, rather than his love for the sport. He drew in a breath before speaking, “As long as you enjoy it.” Kenma finally spoke, nodding affirmatively following his words. 

   He peered up with his eyes at the mention of console games. His gaze then flickered over to the small TV and his own console, brought over by his parents. Kenma pursed his lips into a solid line, considering his next words before finally deciding to speak up one more. 

   “Maybe…” he started, “you can use mine sometime. I don’t have a lot of games, but you can look through them.” he suggested, though his voice was soft. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea, but he was a bit cautious. Mostly because he was unsure how his roommate would take to the offer, even if there was little to worry about. At the suggestion of playing an MMORPG together, Kenma nodded slowly, “Yes, I’d like that.” the answer came with slightly more confidence than his first inquire. It wasn’t often he found someone else willing to game with him!

  Once again, Kenma found himself offering a small nod to acknowledge Itsuki’s words. He adjusted in his chair so he was now facing his desk, and opened up his laptop. He had more games on his handheld, but did had a few MMO’s. Maybe they could even try the new Blade and Soul…? Either way, Kenma gestured for Itsuki to browse his games: both on the PC, and his file of console games.

[determinedcatcher]

Turning on the device, Itsuki reloaded the chapter Kenma had mentioned, feeling foolish that he had rushed through this part. How could he miss something so obvious! He had never been so thankful to have a roommate who was so interested in gaming. It was so helpful!  “Thanks again for the advice. I would’ve been stuck forever,” he admitted.

“Yeah I do.” Itsuki nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the game. “I mean, it’s kind of difficult to keep up with everyone,” he chuckled awkwardly. “I always end up working extra hard but I do like playing a lot so it’s fine,” he shrugged. “Does make me miss gaming though!” he smiled. 

“Have you joined any clubs yet?” he asked, still playing through the level. He realized he didn’t know very much about his roommate; they simply hadn’t had the time to speak to one another. Plus, it did seem like Kenma was shy. Itsuki normally wasn’t this talkative but he was so excited to talk about games, he didn’t mind. 

Putting down the device, Itsuki’s eyes widened. “W-Wow! Really? You have yours here and don’t mind sharing?” he gasped. “I-I mean maybe we could play a few together, I’d feel kind of bad using your console like that. But definitely playing something online would be awesome. That sounds like my kind of Friday,” he smiled. Itsuki wasn’t really one for partying or anything like that...so he was nervous he might stick out at college. Thank goodness his roommate seemed similar. 

He stood up and glanced over the list of games and files on the PC. He was so excited by some of the titles he saw, he could barely contain his excitement. Finally someone else he could nerd out about games with! Back in high school most of the guys on the baseball team hadn’t been interested in this stuff at all. “Maybe we could pick something to start together this weekend?” Itsuki offered with a large smile

[lcmuerte]

❝Whenever the baseball team asks me to join them, which is all the time. I used to play it back in high school when football wasn’t around. I didn’t like sitting around and doing nothing, you know. How about you? You look like someone that has a good built for baseball.❞

Alfred dug through his bag and handed the other his extra bottle of water. He looked back at the tv, watching some game plays ❝I also have my go at basketball too, some other sports too, well except hockey. That I’m not touching.❞ He chuckled.

[determinedcatcher]

Itsuki’s eyes widened. He could barely keep up with being good at one sport and getting to the level he was at in baseball had actually taken quite a bit of time. He had a hard time imaging being talented at all sports. “Wow...so you’ve really tried a lot of different sports!” Itsuki said, clearly impressed. 

“Yeah, I play baseball. I’m a catcher,” he smiled, looking proud. “But that’s the only sport I know how to play well,” he admitted. “Sometimes we played soccer at school, but...I never really took to it. I like a lot of strategies behind baseball and getting to work with pitchers is always...interesting,” he mused. “Is football your favorite then?” Itsuki asked.

[mybarisanantique]

“Well I mean not to brag or anything but yeah” he says with a light chuckle. Kuramochi continues to lead the catcher to the sandwich shop. “Ah well business could be… interesting. I guess. I’m majoring in kinesiology. You know to focus on baseball and such. I am planning to go pro” he states proudly. He then smiles at him. 

“And I bet you could go pro too if you wanted to, Tadano-san. You’re an awesome catcher and you’ve called quite a few good plays from what I recall. I’m sure if you practice you can definitely make in the major leagues. And like I said I’m sure you’ll be a catcher on you school’s team” he says happily as he pats his shoulder. “Anyways the place is just around the corner. Let’s go”.

[determinedcatcher]

“Don’t worry,” Itsuki said softly. “I didn’t think you were bragging, I mean I assumed you made it on the team immediately.” He could remember how many of his teammates often lamented how bad it was when Kuramochi got on base...and he was an extremely talented shortstop. “I guess it could,” he shrugged. “I have time to decide....but business seems...logical?” he muttered.

 It made sense to him that Kuramochi was going pro...or wanting to. He was certainly talented enough to. Itsuki wasn’t quite sure if he agreed with what the enthusiastic boy said however. “W-Well I’d like to think I could maybe try...well see,” he whispered quietly.

“Alright,” Itsuki smiled, following him. “I’m really hungry actually,” he chuckled. 

[slowtxwns]

    “It’s easy to miss,”  Kenma returned the statement with a simple shrug, “it’s triggered by talking to one of the merchants in the town beforehand.” he offered a brief explanation, trying to hide the relief that washed over when his roommate’s voice smoothed out to a quieter volume. He usually found it difficult to communicate but this time, when asked questions of his game, it wasn’t too bad. 

   “Oh?” his expression remained neutral when his suspicions (that the other was also involved with gaming) were confirmed, though he did look up from his game momentarily. Based on the enthusiastic answer, Itsuki was being pretty honest when he confessed his fondness of games. And, he had to agree, there was a mighty lack of time for them, “Yea, hopefully…”.

   “Both: console if I have time.” he answered, “Sometimes PC, too.” Kenma added the afterthought after a few moments of silence, looking over to his closed laptop. Surely, there were more games on it than anything else. He felt lucky that his roommate had the same interests: he’d been worried that his roommate could potentially be someone drastic and highly irritating. but, while he couldn’t yet be absolutely sure they’d get along fully, he was feeling a bit better about the whole ‘roommate’ idea.

   “I don’t really have a favorite.” another simple enough answer, “I just… play. Can you choose a favorite..?”

[determinedcatcher]

“Oh...” Itsuki hummed, pulling his own handheld out of the drawer in his desk. “No wonder I missed it,” he sighed and shook his head. Flicking the switch on, the game lit up on the screen. “I guess I’ll just have to go back,” he admitted softly. 

The excitement rushing through his veins slowly died down, though he was still thankful to find a mutual enjoyment with the other boy. He had gotten so excited he had been way more energetic than normal. Itsuki let out a large sigh. “Yeah...Baseball is really important to me...and well, actually it takes a lot for me to keep up with it actually,” he admitted. “I always feel like I have to work twice as hard as everyone else, but...I don’t mind. I love catching,” he smiled. 

“I wish I had time for console games,” he sighed. “I didn’t even bring mine with me actually. I figured I could binge play during breaks and stuff,” he mumbled. “But I definitely have games on my PC!” he said, looking to his laptop. “Do you have any MMORPGs? Maybe we could play together one time.” He had been a little nervous about his roommate finding him strange or over the top about gaming and anime, but it seemed like Kenma definitely wouldn’t have a problem with any of these things.

“Hmm...good point. I could maybe list out a few that I like more than others,” he admitted with a small laugh. “But actually choosing one that is better than all the rest is pretty difficult.” 

[kiinoesu-deactivated20160209]

                           “ the challenge of being your pitcher! ” he so very obviously ignored the question about going to sunrise. or maybe he just didn’t hear. his one track mind of wanting to pitch might have pushed the question aside. but who knows really. with eijun nearly anything is possible. as eijun is the impossible. 

[determinedcatcher]

                   a laugh, loud and hyper, left the first year. hand already holding a glove as he was one hundred percent ready to start pitching here and now. “ it could be fun! yeah?! we can form a battery and pitch and pitch!! nice ball!! ”

                      now he’s miming the action of pitching, roaring to go. 

And that was exactly what Itsuki had been afraid of. Pitchers were so ridiculous sometimes...and rude! Expecting catchers to drop everything to pitch for them. But really, Eijun was so enthusiastic, Itsuki couldn’t really fault him for, well, getting excited. And if Itsuki was being honest with himself, Eijun’s pitch was so unique and interesting...he was pretty interested in pitching for the boy.

“W-Well yeah...I agree it could be a lot of fun!” he nodded quickly. “But maybe we should go to the baseball field before just...pitching here...” he chuckled. “My gear is in the locker room if you don’t mind giving me a minute,” he nodded. 

“So do you go to this school then?” he asked again, trying to get a straight answer from the rowdy boy.

[mybarisanantique]

Kuramochi laughs as he pats the catcher’s back.” Sure you will be the catcher. You’re a great catcher. If you can catch the bratty pitcher’s amazing pitches then you’re good in my book” he says with another laugh. Kuramochi then unravels his arms from Tadano’s back as he pockets his hands into his sweatshirt. 

He smiles as he looks over at him. It really was nice to see someone from his high school days. “Yea. I’ve been around. I was going to grab a sandwich at this good sandwich place” he says. “Anyways what are you majoring in?” he asks as he leads the catcher across town to the sandwich place. 

[determinedcatcher]

“Ah...Thank you, Kuramochi-san!” he smiled happily. “I did have to work extra hard to be on a level that worked for him. Or...well worked for both of us in the end. But still, I’m only a freshman, there could easily be another catcher who is extremely capable!” he said shyly. Still, it was nice of him to say. “I bet you made starting shortstop right away!”

“Alright, sandwiches sound great!” Itsuki smiled happily and moved to follow after Kuramochi. He was hungrier than he realized and was looking forward to trying this place out. “Mmm I’m not really sure actually. Maybe business,” he said. “Thankfully I don’t have to choose yet. What about you?” 

[slowtxwns]

   At first, the idea of having a roommate was stressful and anxiety-inducing. He’d be made to share living space with a total stranger; it was completely unappealing to Kenma. Luckily for Kenma, though, said roommate wasn’t too loud or invasive. In fact, the two hadn’t gotten much… bonding experience, due to the busy schedules of the first week. And, when they were both in the room together, they mostly kept to themselves. Or, at least Kenma did. He did think it would be nice to at least try and get to know his roommate… Eventually. 

   Kenma jumped, startled when his roommate shouted out in what seemed to be some excitement. He briefly glanced over his shoulder, suddenly very aware of how… close the other was. But, eventually, Kenma relaxed slightly. Upon hearing that Itsuki had just been curious about the game, and even seemed he was pretty impressed. Kenma hadn’t known his roommate was… so into games.

   “O-oh,” Kenma gave a small, acknowledging nod and allowed Itsuki to look over his shoulder, “Well, there’s a certain item that helps…” he explained, easily going between talking and playing, “But… you only get it through a side quest, so it’s easy to miss.”

   He wasn’t good at talking to new people, but… at least this was an easy topic to talk about. And then, as if to be polite, “…you play, too?” 

[determinedcatcher]

For a quick second, Itsuki blushed, realizing he had yelled out loud far louder than he had meant to. He hoped he didn’t scare his roommate. Kenma seemed like a quieter boy...and very shy maybe? Itsuki could understand that, seeing as he often was shier, especially in larger groups. He was grateful that Kenma didn’t seem to mind him peering over his shoulder.

“Oh...really? I guess I must have missed that then...” he sighed. “I always miss side quests. I get so wrapped up in the main story line, I don’t wanna stop playing,” he sighed. “Which level does it start at?” he asked, backing up to flop down at his own desk chair. 

He nodded quickly, “I do! I love games! I wish I had more time for them...but with baseball and school work...I usually fall behind,” he admitted. “Maybe once I’ve graduated and don’t have to worry about homework I’ll have time,” he sighed, thinking four years was an awfully long time to have left in school.

“What’s your favorite?” he asked. “Do you normally play handheld games or do you like consoles too?” He was excited to find something he and his roommate shared in common. Plus, he hadn’t had someone to geek out about video games with in so long!

[kiinoesu-deactivated20160209]

@determinedcatcher

            victory.

                     now thats a face he is glad to see. or well, less glad in the sense of who it is and what school he use to be connected. but more in the sense that. yes, he’s a catcher. a catcher catches pitches. and eijun is a pitcher. perfect!

                        he has not gotten the chance to pitch much at all since arriving to this school and his hands were itching to throw a ball. he didn’t care if the person was on the rival team or not. he just wanted to throw. and he was determined to be able to pitch to someone. anyone.

“ tadano itsuki!!! i accept the challange! ”

[determinedcatcher]

Itsuki recognized the boy almost immediately. Sawamura Eijun, pitcher, loud...not unlike someone Itsuki had worked with in the past. Though he didn’t know much about the boy personally, Itsuki was well aware of how his type acted...but if Eijun was in need of a catching partner, Itsuki definitely didn’t mind. 

“Sawamura!” he smiled happily. The boy was enthusiastic, so Itsuki could only smile back, at least he was less...pushy than some of the pitchers he knew...well...sort of. “You go to Sunrise too?” he asked. It was possible he went to Sunset, especially since he hadn’t seen him before.

“The...challenge?” Itsuki asked, tilting his head. “Is there some sort of challenge going on right now?” If there was...Itsuki certainly hadn’t heard of it.

[lcmuerte]

❝Go ahead, buddy!❞ He grinned looking over at the guy. He seemed a bit intimidated, wonder why though. He shrugged it off and continued to run on the machine. He increased the speed up to the point it would be impossible for anyone to keep up with the speed.

After a good hour of running on the treadmill, he slowed the pace down as it soon turns off and he gets off. He was barely out of breath and he grabbed his sweat towel. He leaned back on the panels of the machine as he wipes some of his sweat away. He grabbed his bottle of cold water and took a drink.

He looked over to the side to see what was playing on the gym’s TV. ❝Wonder when baseball season…❞ He muttered. He had forgotten when it started since it’s been a long time since he last played. That and he was mainly focused on football now.

[determinedcatcher]

“T-Thanks!” Itsuki replied, bowing his head to the boy next to him. Stepping on the machine, he began to get set up, when he realized the other guy was picking up his pace. It was actually really impressive, Itsuki knew there was absolutely no way he could run like that.

Working out next to the football player was far more intimidating than he realized it would be, and Itsuki didn’t even bother to attempt to keep up with him. He was older and had probably been working out like this for far longer than Itsuki...still Itsuki wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to be at that level of in shape. 

Slowing his own workout down, he panted softly, glancing over to the football player. “Ah...baseball doesn’t start for a few months, Spring,” he said with a tired smile. “I’m looking forward to it. Do you...play that too? I mean along with football.” 

[mybarisanantique]

Kuramochi was sure he must being seeing things. There was no way someone from his past days at high school baseball was here of all places. He couldn’t believe it. Sure it was someone who played on a rival team but still it came to quite a shock.

“Well if it isn’t Tadano Itsuki the former catcher of my previous rival team” he states as he wraps a friendly arm around the male’s shoulder. “Of course I still play baseball. And that’s good that you’re still playing as well. I’m sure you will be the catcher of the team. But Sunrise? Nah. I go to Sunset University and I am the main string shortstop” he says proudly. “Guess this means we’re still rivals” he teases with a smirk. 

“So I was about to grab some lunch. Care to join me? I wouldn’t mind the company” he says with a smile. 

[determinedcatcher]

Itsuki smiled, surprised when Kuramochi had remembered his name. It was nice actually, he had always respected the other as a player. He stumbled forward a bit as Kuramochi wrapped an arm around him. Letting out a nervous laugh, he wrapped his arm around him to steady himself.

Though his face did sink a bit when he realized the two of them would unfortunately still be rivals. “Oh you do?” he said. “That’s too bad I was hoping to have the chance to play with you, but it seems once again we are rivals,” he chuckled softly. “I have no idea if I’ll actually get to be the Sunrise catcher,” he said. “I-I mean who knows who they have right now!” he exclaimed, waving his hand back and forth.

“Oh! Lunch?” He smiled happily. “I definitely have not eaten yet, so that sounds great. Do you know a lot of good places around here.” Being a freshman, Itsuki hadn’t had much time to explore.

[determinedcatcher]

@phoenixrxsing

Itsuki was surprised the library was so crowded for a Thursday evening. He had of course, expected the library to be packed during finals and midterms, but it was still so early in the term! He supposed it made sense for a school like this were the students were expected to be studious. It was one of the reasons he had chosen the school after all. 

He walked through the halls desperate for any open seat...and he could only find one at a table with another boy. He was apprehensive about asking the other to share the space, but he also had spent so long looking for a seat in the first place...

Sighing he made his way over and nodded to the other boy. “If it would be okay, would you mind if I studied across from you? There are no open seats...” he admitted awkwardly. “I never expected it to be so crowded.”

[determinedcatcher]

@slowtxwns

Itsuki hadn’t had much free time so far. Getting used to the University life was difficult. Classes were hectic and still he was eagerly anticipating starting baseball season. As a fan of games, he did miss getting the chance to sit down at night and spend some time playing games. 

His roommate however, seemed to have no problems finding the time for his games, as Itsuki often walked in on the other playing with the handheld device. He was actually pretty jealous. He wished he had some sort of gaming system so they could play together, it would’ve been a nice bonding experience..since his roommate seemed to enjoy video games as much as Itsuki. 

Glancing over at the Kenma, Itsuki could see the boy had made it past the level Itsuki had been stuck on for ages in this particular game. “W-Whoa!” he exclaimed louder than he meant to. “How did you get past level 15!?” he said, leaning in a bit closer to watch him play. “I’ve been stuck for ages!” 

[determinedcatcher]

@obnoxiouslyamerican

The last thing Itsuki wanted to do was fall out of shape before baseball season even began, so he made his way to the gym hoping to get a good workout in before dinner. Itsuki liked the sense of routine working out brought him and he was thankful there was a good gym here. Once baseball season started, he would most likely not need to use it, but for now, he at least could channel his energy somehow. 

Across the way, he noticed a confident man, working out on one of the treadmills. Itsuki was almost positive that was the quarterback for the football team. Pretty intimidating actually and of course, the only other open machine was directly next to him. 

Placing his stuff down, Itsuki stepped onto the sides of the machine. “Uh...I hope it’s okay to use this machine...I mean...I hope it won’t bother you,” he nodded, bowing his head to the older boy. 

[determinedcatcher]

@daikonoka

Still getting used to the hallways and class buildings at Sunrise, Itsuki maneuvered across the campus from the dorm. He was actually extremely eager to start his classes, mostly because the options at the University had been far greater than the options he had had in high school. He still wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to major in, but as a freshman, he had free reign to try lots of different things out. 

Currently however, he was realizing that he was actually kind of...lost...Glancing around, he peered down at the map he’d pulled up on his phone, but he had no idea where his literature class was. Noticing a girl walking down the same hallway, he walked up to her quickly. 

“Sorry to bother you,” he said, gently tapping her on the shoulder. “But do you have any idea where this classroom is? I keep looking at the map but...I can’t seem to find it,” he sighed awkwardly.