1st At Bat [Video]

[batteredbatter]

[Do you like the color pink? Because good god, this kid's hair is pink. And his baseball uniform, somehow. What school did he even drag that from? It certainly isn't THIS school's baseball uniform. Does the Institute even have a team...?]

Well, we all survived the first week of classes and made it to the weekend so... I think it's time to get down to the important business here finally: who wants to play baseball?

[Look at this loser, he is so excited.]

I used to be a pitcher for my middle-school team! Hmm, though I wonder how that would work here – y’know, with all the, uh, advantages people have got. Are there any special rules for sports here?
Well, I guess we can just trust no one will cheat. I mean, what’d be the point in playing then? So yeah, if there are any other players – or people who want to learn how to play – come on and out to the quad and let’s get a couple teams together, okay? The weather's still pretty nice and the light's long, so let's get in some games before the season ends!

Comments

[batteredbatter]

Yeah, I think so! Plus it's a great game, so I'm sure we can attract more fans who would be willing to give it a try. [BASEBALL IS INVINCIBLE]

[upatbat]

Yeah, there's probably a few who have never gotten to play it for themselves... If they give it a shot, we'll find at least a few who like it enough to keep going, too.

[VIVA LA BASEBALL.]

[batteredbatter]

Yup!

I'm Koshi Tanaka, by the way. You?

[upatbat]

Tanaka, huh? I'm Aki Narukami. Just "Aki" is fine, though.

[She gives him a nod.]

[batteredbatter]

Aki, then!

It seems like I keep meeting Japanese kids somehow...

[upatbat]

Well, baseball's about as big in Japan as America, so that's no surprise. Besides, I think there's a lot of Japanese kids here, anyway.

[batteredbatter]

Yeah, I guess you're right. I wonder why that is though...

You think the radiation from Fukushima's finally kicking in?

[upatbat]

Well... I guess that makes sense for some of us, but there's no way it's everyone from there. I mean, most of us were kids when that happened, not babies.

[batteredbatter]

We still breathed the air and drank the water. I heard it spread pretty far...

[upatbat]

[She groans under her breath.]

I hope not. It's hard enough to be born a mutant without the "nuclear DNA change" thing on top of it!

[batteredbatter]

So you've been one since birth? I mean, I guess we all have - is that how it works - but I mean, did you know?

[upatbat]

No powers or anything like that, but... We all kind of suspected. That's why we moved a lot. I have some pretty obvious things about me that made people notice, you know?

[batteredbatter]

Really? ['cause he doesn't see anything]

I guess my hair's sort of been that way... but we never suspected a thing. [Somehow]

[upatbat]

Seriously? I thought that would have been a give-away for sure...

[That's just as eye-catching as her real eye color, so that's just unfair. >8( It's prejudice against red eyes, man.]

[batteredbatter]

It was weird but... we thought maybe that would be it by itself, you know? I think my parents were trying not to make me self-conscious about it.

[He had... a pretty sheltered up-bringing.]

[upatbat]

Guess you just got lucky and ended up with really nice parents, then. You had a better chance to grow up and be happy with yourself.

[Not that she hates her own or is jealous. It's just that she didn't get the same treatment, that's all.]

[batteredbatter]

Yeah, I guess that's true. [He's never really thought about it. He thought that was normal.]

I mean, if your parents won't support you, then who will, right?

[tanaka you nignog]

[upatbat]

[OUCH. That's harsh, man.]

I guess so!

[She doesn't try to come off as upset, but she's suddenly a lot less cheerful.]

Anyway, I'll see you around for baseball, Tanaka.

[batteredbatter]

[HE'S SO DUMB... at least he notices her sudden change, even if it'll take him a while to figure out what caused it.]

Uh, yeah. I'll see you then!