Making His Way to the Mound (Release Request)

This is not an XP request. These 3 threads will be part of a larger XP request or will be split between two separate XP requests that will come after I finish Eggplant Sweat and Convalescence. These serve as the first, second, and final thread in that request/series of requests.

The Threads =========================

Chapter 1: A Dead Ball in Karakura // Kevin, new to KKT, takes some time to do some batting practice. Here, we establish him as an energetic guy who plays baseball, but who thinks of others. He doesn’t actually strike at the Hollow until it comes at him, and when it seems he has killed it, he goes out of his way to give it a funeral, as well as to donate a large sum of money to the owner of the batting cages for having killed what he believes to be a spirit of Japanese baseball. We can also see the introduction of his special style of wielding Reishi in the form of a baseball.

Chapter 2: On the Town // We find out what happens when Kevin runs into another Quincy for the first time outside of his training. From thinking she’s a shrine maiden to thinking that he accidentally got her hurt because of stirring up the crows, to understanding (finally) that she’s another Quincy and that there are some serious threats out there, Kevin takes Meridith to safety and sees to it that she doesn’t run into any trouble. His compassion and feelings of being a protector take center stage here, though the undercurrent of lighthearted mischief remains constant as well. Again, he starts to form some energy baseballs here, but he is talked out of it by his skittish companion.

Chapter 3: Push the Limits! //Kevin gets in a fight with a Shinigami immediately after killing his first real Hollow and, after a quick back and forth with the bread and butter pitching that was touched on in previous threads, he discovers that the true power was inside of him all along, in that it’s not actually his glove that he draws his power from, but instead the surgically repaired arm that his family doctors mucked around with in order to start his Quincy training. Kevin does as the thread title suggests and pushes his limits against a spiritually stronger foe. Though he comes out of the matchup without a clear win, he finally understands the dangerous world he’s gotten himself involved in.

The Power =========================

Kevin is a baseball superstar, at least in his head. Despite having a very short career before his untimely injury, he still received high praise on his ability to read a batter, something which he has translated into his new life as a Quincy. The problem with arrows is that they fly straight. They’re too easy to dodge, and you can’t really impart any of your own zest into them. By adjusting his fingers on his pitch, he’s able to manipulate Reishi in a special way, adding a spin that allows him to cause it to change the direction of his balls so they can be delivered to where an opponent is going to be, not where they currently are.

Passive // Kevin can safely hold and manipulate Reishi in his pitching arm, bending his shots as if they were baseball pitches or welling it up into his fist to allow him to punch if he must.
Active // Kevin can receive premonitions. He doesn’t yet understand this power, and wrongly attributes following it to dumb luck or reading an opponent really well.

[P.S. I want people to watch the review, bb]

A foreign Quincy baseball boy in Japan, rustic charm meets the absurd. Let's see how his retirement is going!

PASS - Writing - I like Kevin, he is unique and interesting. Please don't be afraid to let him be more sincere because those moments shine way more strongly than the sillier aspects. I think you keep a good balance here but resist the urge to tack too far into whacky. A tall order, maybe, for a guy named off a Homestar Runner bit but do your best.
PASS - Release - It suits him, it's not a really flashy or dynamic but hey man it's the first release and it's subdued, personal and very Kevin. Absolutely great. You may want to save that premonition power for a second release, but you could also build on it and leave it in a lesser state for now.
PASS - Moment - Kevin's lackadaisical nature always walks the line between reducing something like this to absurd or just coming across as Kevin. Zenji really mugs for the camera here and I'll be honest, I love it. But, I think this thread is too whacky by half, I think Kevin is best when he makes jokes, not when you write him as one. Still, you hit your stride. The pivot of energy towards the end was exactly what I needed. The reversal of fortune is a bit too stark, but ultimately a good effort. I like the framing of the conflict as the factional divide, an easy win going forward will be finding someone to whom Kevin actually truly cares about taking on.
PASS - Impact - Solid. You do a lot for the people you thread with, threads reference in First Releases, relationships and solid impacts on the characters in them.

Congratulations, Mr. DuBrow, from me and the rest of staff, you are approved for First Release!!!