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[fastballs4lyfe]

OOC INFORMATION;
Player: Ai
Age: 27
Personal Journal: madderskies
Contact Info: alraune
Other Characters:

Kazuki Makabe • Soukyuu no Fafner

IC INFORMATION;
Characters Name: Eijun Sawamura
Age: 16
Canon: Ace of Diamond
Canon Point: After the game with Nanamori Academy
Species: Baseball creature Human
Gender: Male
Orientation: Probably mostly heterosexual though he might not be averse to turning gay for some people (read: Chris-senpai ♥ ).
History:

♦ Eijun's wiki page

♦ episode list & summary!

In his Junior Team's last game, Eijun threw a pitch that was unlike he'd ever thrown before. It was this pitch that drew the attention of Seidou High's scout, Rei Takashima, that and the unusual slapping technique he'd used against the other team's members when they'd mocked the fact that his team had girl in it.

When offered a scholarship to Seidou - which meant leaving his hometown and moving to Tokyo - Eijun was, at first, hesitant. He had plans to continue playing baseball with his Junior High friends and baseball, he believed, was enjoyable regardless of what kind of facilities you had (or didn't have). However, after being convinced to at least see Seidou's extensive baseball facilities, Eijun met Kazuya Miyuki. It was Miyuki that let him realize the kind of baseball he could play at Seidou. With their battery, they struck out Azuma Kiyokuni- a third year and draft hopeful then. Still, even if this play had touched something inside Eijun, he continued to be hesitant about attending Seidou. Eventually though, and with the support of his friends, Eijun finally decides to attend Seidou with the intent to carry his friends' hopes and dreams to Koushien with him.

On his arrival to Seidou, Eijun soon found that becoming Ace was no easy feat, especially coming from the ragtag Junior High team he'd had. The existence of Satoru Furuya, a fellow pitcher whose fastball averaged at 150 km/h, made things even harder. Fortunately (for him and for us!), Eijun wasn't one to get discouraged so easily.

Though Eijun came to Seidou with the hopes of Miyuki catching his pitches, the first catcher Eijun was assigned to was the third year Chris Yuu Takigawa. Their battery didn't start so smoothly. In fact, there were no pitches caught for the first week or so, with Chris only providing him with training menu scrolls he had to do before Chris could even consider catching for him. Eijun refused to do them at first, especially since Chris wasn't one to stick for practice. It wasn't until he was shown what it was exactly Chris left practice early for (Chris was undergoing rehab for his arm) that Eijun realized he had no right to judge Chris. From then on, Eijun began to diligently practice just as Chris wanted him to. He even learned baseball terms and rules properly (he actually didn't know until then....).

It was Chris who told him of his only strength back then: his moving fastball.

During a scrimmage to decide who would move up to first string, Eijun and Chris were finally able to form a battery. Eijun's moving fastball was difficult for most catchers to catch, but with Chris catching they were able to demonstrate Eijun's potential as a pitcher. As a result, Eijun was able to move up to the first string. Unfortunately, Chris himself unable to move up, which led to Eijun being upset... until his teammates beat him up for that. Since his time with Chris, Eijun has held Chris up in a high high pedestal as the best and nicest catcher ever. No other catcher compares!!

Anyway, after this, Eijun's road to (hopefully one day) becoming Ace of Seidou continued with many more matches and training, and lots and lots and lots of training and quality time with his favorite partner: the tire.

One particular match to take note of was their match with Inashiro. A game away from the finals of the Summer Tournament and Koushien, Eijun was asked to pitch during a crucial time. At first, he was able to fearlessly go up against Inashiro's batters but eventually the pressure did get to him (no thanks to Miyuki too, who kept rubbing it into his face that he had shitty control) and the end result was a dead ball to one of the batters. Eijun, who was visibly shaken by this, had to be switched out after that. Their team eventually lost 5-4, ending their dreams for Koshien that summer.

Eijun had another take-away from that match; yips. Eijun found himself unable to pitch inside the plate no matter what he did. For a while, he was really depressed because of this failure. Fearsome inside pitches were his signature and now he couldn't do it at all. As one of the girls in his classes noted, he was suddenly cuter because he was quiet, he read actual books, he didn't yell around... so on so for.

Because of this disability, however, Eijun was able to learn a new kind of pitching style. Chris (at the request of Miyuki who knew Eijun wouldn't listen to him) eventually came back to teach him how to pitch outside/low and away so he could strike people but still avoid the batters (the main reason his pitches became terrible; he subconciously avoided the batter). With this breakthrough, Eijun stopped trying to read real books and began reading shoujo manga in class, courtesy of his female classmates. He read Your Lie in April.

This pitching style allowed Eijun to play in official matches as it could still strike batters until, finally, he was able to pitch inside for the first time in a while in the match with Nanamori. The match with Nanamori was also the first time Eijun was starting pitcher and he was able to pitch for the whole game (5 innings).

Eijun will be taken shortly after this match!

Appearance:



Personality:

Eijun is sort of your typical shounen manga hero. He's loud, brash, optimistic, and possesses a seemingly endless well of determination. He's someone who values his friends very strongly; when the series started, Eijun was very clearly reluctant to leave his Junior High baseball team in favor of Seidou - a baseball powerhouse in the Tokyo Area with top-of-the-line baseball facilities. His team wasn't even very good - if they were good at all - but Eijun preferred to spend his high school years with them. He's a natural leader, and surprisingly patient and understanding... in the context of baseball. According to his friends, Eijun never once yelled or got upset with them for making errors, or if they failed to catch a ball, or his pitches. Like any good leader, Eijun encouraged them and he was rewarded with them sticking with baseball and wanting to continue playing for and with him. He's also very protective of his friends/teammates. In the last game of his Junior High career, the opposing team insulted his team by saying they couldn't possibly lose to a team with a girl in it. Well, Eijun showed them with his wrist and slapping fury.

In the face of adversity, Eijun doesn't back down. He steps up the plate and meets his head on. On his road to becoming the Ace of Seidou, his biggest roadblock is Satoru Furuya -- a fellow first year who can already pitch a terrifying 150 km/h fastball. Eijun, though obviously rattled by this person's presence, didn't just turn tail and decide pitching wasn't for him, he continued to pitch and shamelessly (much to viewers' embarrassment) proclaim he was going to become Ace no matter what screw you Furuya.

He's brash and says a lot of stupid things in the process. But when proven wrong, Eijun also doesn't hesitate to correct himself, or at least do something to make it up to the people he's wronged. Early on in the series, Eijun decides to mouth off to Chris and point out how he doesn't even practice why did he expect Eijun to do all these training before he could catch for him. When Eijun realized that he spoke out of line though - Chris didn't practice because he had to go to rehab for his arm - Eijun was distraught and actually knelt on the ground to apologize. From then on, he strove to follow Chris' every advice and, much to Chris' chagrin, actually followed him everywhere he could like a little puppy.

He's very supportive... in his own way. And not in that Furuya way either. Even when Eijun isn't playing/stuck in the dugout, Eijun knows to cheer for his teammates, whether it's straight out cheering or just airy challenges. He can even cheer for Furuya, his biggest rival! The team spirit is really just strong in Eijun in that, even if Furuya really gets him to feel self-conscious about his ability, he still finds it in himself to cheer for Furuya. For the team. But he obviously would never mind it if Furuya had to leave the mound! More chances for him to pitch, Nya-ha!

Finally, one of Eijun's greatest character trait is that he simply doesn't stop moving towards his goal. Eijun's optimism and determination aren't really limitless, in fact we get to see it hit a big wall when Eijun pitches that deadball and gets the yips. Like every other hero, Eijun is capable of being anxious, insecure, and he does, from time to time, second guess his abilities. Most of the time, he's able to overcome this with a healthy dose of optimism and determination, but during the yips episodes, those didn't quite cut it. However, despite this, Eijun never really stopped moving. He read books (Crime & Punishment, anyone?), he ran, he thought -- did things he thought would help him get over his yips somehow (even if trying to read difficult books probably didn't really help). Eventually, Chris does help him by teaching him a new pitch that allowed him to pitch away from the batter but still within the strike zone. But it was really his attitude that helped keep him afloat until help could come.

Abilities:

Baseball! Pitching! Bunting! Being a general village idiot! Also, may or may not inspire you to become a better baseball person.

But he has a more comprehensive baseball-y abilities section here.

Other:



Eijun and his OTP partner: Mr. Tire. Let there be unused tires in his new home!

SAMPLES;
First Person:

[ video? ]

What's this?! There's no baseball team here?! LET'S START ONE! Even if you don't know baseball, I!

[ He strikes a pose here... ]

Eijun Sawamura! Southpaw pitcher extraordinaire will teach you baseball! So yeah! Come right up! We've got openings for everything! Even if it's pitching! But just so you know!

[ thumbs to himself. ] I'm gonna be the Ace!!


♦ Additional thread: Nyoink!

Third Person:


So this was a whole new world, was it? Somehow, he'd gotten himself into some unbelievable situation. But that was nothing, right? As long as he had his baseball he should be fine. And they did have baseball here, he held a baseball in his hand right now and if there was that, then there should be mitts somewhere and he could play. Play until whoever or whatever put him here put him back. He would practice, work on his inside pitches even - he'd do everything he'd have done out there back at Seidou.

"Yosh!" Eijun yelled. "I'm gonna do this! I'm gonna start a team! Then we're gonna play and come back home AND go to Koshien! All I have to do is find some players first then- Ha ha! We'll get to play baseball! Two, in fact!"

And at that moment, Eijun really did think he'd get enough people for two teams. But little did he know... It was going to be tough going up against all sorts of sports...

OTHER;

Housing Request?: Eijun would like to be in a house where baseballs be.
Did you read the rules and FAQ?:Y :D