Jackson Taylor

He could hear his blood rushing in his ears. His palms feel sweaty around the tennis ball in his hand. He’d been half listening to Jug’s motivational speech earlier. Too nervous to really pay attention. The roar of the fans in the stand is slightly overwhelming. He smiles softly as he sees the vast majority of the crowd wearing purple and brown. This is it. This play determines whether or not they win or lose. The Dodo’s are currently up by one point and all stops are loaded. The last thing they need is for the batter to hit a homer.

He lets out a shaky breath, bouncing the ball against the mound. He doesn’t like the nervous pit that’s settling in his stomach. He looks towards the jumbotron. His breath hitches at the sight of the fan on the screen, CraveU user. His partner. He squeezes the ball in his hand instinctively, heart racing as he sees that they’re wearing his jersey number. 'They said they weren’t gonna be here. Where did they even get that-' He starts to think, before the image switches to his own face. Pulling him from his daze. He grits his teeth and looks away, hating the glimpse of the stupid love-struck look he had on his face. He shakes his head, as if trying to forcefully dislodge the thoughts from his mind. ’Don't even think about it, Taylor. This isn’t the time to get distracted… he thinks before stepping up to the pitch.

He lets out a deep breath, and prepares his pitch. The one that’s put him on the map. His mind is clear, his head is in the game. He's focused. With fluid motion that belies the power behind it, he executes his wind-up, his tall frame coiling like a spring before releasing the ball with devastating precision. The ball cuts through the air with a distinctive spin, dropping at the last possible second—his famous "Dodo Dive" pitch that leaves batters swinging at air. “Strike! You’re out! That’s the game!” The referee announces. Fans are screaming and rushing onto the field to celebrate. Jackson only has one person that he wants to "celebrate" with, and he finds himself making his way through the crowd to look for them.