Realistic or Modern Pass, Set, and Spike [OPEN]

[SharkBark]

Pass, Set, and Spike
In Lakeside, Japan, sports are always on everyone's minds. Who's gonna win the NBA Championship? Who's going to the Super Bowl? Hell, even TAG is extremely popular. All of the sports have a lot of rep to their name. Well, except for one sport. Volleyball.


It's an exciting sport really. I don't understand why people dislike it. Maybe you do? Lakeside's volleyball team has a HORRIBLE reputation. But, with the help of your OC and your teammates, maybe you can bring them glory. Just remember the three steps to score a point...

PASS, SET, AND SPIKE

Lakeside has an inter gender team due to the lack of players who sign up for volleyball. They managed to get their district to agree to let them play, even though they probably can't go to even bigger competitions with their team. The team was disbanded and removed as an activity due to the poor performance they've had for the past three seasons but then, a boy named Akito Suzuki begged them to let him start if back up. He's put out flyers but, people haven't been too fond of it, ignoring each one. But now, a batch of students have joined. And a coach has even decided to get in on the action. As a new season start, Lakeside enters, in hopes to repair their broken past.



​

Positions:

Outside Hitter 1: SharkBark (Akito Suzuki)
Outside Hitter 2: Available
Setter: Minma (Minma Netto)
Back Up Setter: Available
Middle Blocker 1: AlphaBlueWolf - Mikaela Makarov
Middle Blocker 2: Available
Libero( Defensive Specialist): Dextra (Nozomi Knight)
Opposite 1: Available
Back Up Opposite: Available


Coach: TBA
Assistant Coach: TBA

(You can also play as other teams to go against Lakeside's Teams. Lmk know what you want your team to be and your members in my DM's. I'll put them here)
Other Teams:





OOC: Realistic or Modern - Pass, Set, and Spike OOC
CS: Realistic or Modern - Character Sheets for "Pass, Set, and Spike"

 

[SharkBark]

Dextra and Minma

Here it is, if you're still interested of course.

 

[Minma]

Can I claim the setters' position? I think ii'm also going to create an oc for a rival team.

 

[SharkBark]

Can I claim the setters' position? I think ii'm also going to create an oc for a rival team.

Of course, I'll put you in now! Make sure to make your OC.

 

[SharkBark]

Something slicing through the air. Followed by a loud slam. The same thing. Over and over again.

Akito Suzuki is in Lakeside High's gymnasium. The volleyball net is up and he's practicing his serve. The ball goes up, he jumps to the perfect point, then spikes the ball down to the other side of the net. The jump serve. Hard to learn, even harder to perfect.

At the gym door is a chair that has his open backpack on it. Slipping out are a load of volleyball sign up papers. "Let's make Lakeside Volleyball great again!" It read. Every thinks it's impossible. I mean, it was ranked the worst team in the state last season. 3 wins, 16 losses. Akito stops jumping and takes a breather. He wipes sweat from his head and looks to the gym door. No one. It's been two weeks since he started promoting. Not a single person came.

Akito drops the ball and makes his way over to his backpack. Guess it's time to close up for today. He'd be back tomorrow. And the day after. He'd try until he got a team.

 

[Minma]

Location: Lakeside Gym
Interaction: SharkBark (Akito)​

The breeze brushed against his back as he stared into the gymnasium through the window on the metal door. Years of practice and matches reflected off the cold gym floor. Minma carried a flyer reading ''Let's make Lakeside Volleyball great again!'' He thought back on the previous year. 3 wins, 16 losses. His heart clenched. No matter the determination, skill, or teamwork, they managed to scrap 3 wins. As the setter, Minma carried a substantial amount of guilt for the scores. The setter sets up the points, they are the main contributor to the team.

As he pushed open the gym doors the sunlight fell upon another student who seemed to be practicing. Minma stepped towards the male and lifted up the flyer. ''You must be Suzuki.'' MInma lowered the flyer. ''Trying to bring back Lakeside? A bold move.'' Minma looked around, noticing old volleyballs and nets. ''Well if you plan on doing that you're going to need me... I'm MInma, Lakeside's Genius setter.'' Cracking a small smile he opens his lips and asks, ''So what's your deal and what's the likely hood of a team coming together?''

 

[SharkBark]

Akito looks up at Minma and sees the flyer in his hand. He smiles. It felt good to know that someone acknowledged his efforts.

"Yeah. I feel like Lakeside has potential. So, you're the genius setter." Akito says. "I've seen recordings. You were solid at setting but, your timing was pretty bad. No offense though."

Akito takes a drink of his water. He analyzes Minma. He seems to be in good shape even after all this time, and seems a lot more confident that he seemed in the game recording.

"My deal? I want to bring this team back to glory. I remember the Golden Age of this school. In 2006, they won their first championship game. My older brother played for them. Now, the likely hood of a team coming together?" Akito winces. "I'm sensing some pretty bad odds but, I won't give up."

Akito looks down at his reddened palm. That alone shows that he's been training for a long time. It's now time for him to show the world what he has in store. But that can't start until he puts this team together. He started off doing this alone, but now, he has a new, powerful asset. Minma Netto.

"Before you say anything about joining, I need to know that you got better." Akito says. He outstretches his hand for a shake. "Let's see what you've got. Set for me."

Interaction: Minma

 

[Minma]

Interaction: SharkBark (Akito)



MInma waves his hand in the air dismissing Akito's comment about his timing. ''Yeah, yeah. I'm aware. I've worked on that over the summer.'' Minma grew excited as Akito spoke. He was surprised to learn that he had a relative who played on Lakeside when they were at their apex. When Akito asked for MInma to set, he's ear perked up. MInma grabbed his hand and said ''Don't make giving me orders a normality around here,'' he said with a smirk.​

Minma walked over to the net, positioning himself 1 foot away, on the right side of the court. He begin to do basic stretches. ''I will say losing the way I did changes you. Don't expect to whiteness the same play effort as those videos. Iv'e trained more this summer than the last 3 combined.'' He picked up a volleyball. ''I'd like to add, this will be my first impression on you. You may have an idea on my skills, but i'm excited to see what you got.'' Taking a deep breath Minma threw the ball above him.

As soon as the volleyball left his hand Minma effortlessly jolted into position. Slightly turning, his feet were now exactly one foot apart, digging into the gym floor, securing its stance. The volleyball was falling in front of him, but in his mind it seemed to be slowed down. His keen eagle-like eyes watched, unyielding to the volleyball. Then to Akito. Then the ball. Then back to Akito. His eyes moved back and forth observing every frame, his brain analyzed the positioning. Lifting his arms, that was the sign, he knew where he was going to hit it. He raised both his hands to the ball, striking it at an angle it changed trajectory and soared towards the direction of Akito. The blue and yellow ball glided in the air, its course, right for Akitos hand.

Minma played all his cards right. It was up to Akito to deliver the final blow, securing the set.

 

[SharkBark]

Akito positions himself 4 feet away from the net. He'll do a perfect 4 step approach. 4 steps to cover 4 feet. Left, right, left and right, then spike. He replays this sequence in his head, over and over again. Perfectly imagining his spike. He then decided to make this a challenge. Instead of going to the left, like an Outside Hitter would usually do, he blasts off to his right. Towering over Minma. He wanted to see if the "genius" could set with the spiker right on him. His feet heavily slam against the floor as he zooms to the perfect spot. Left step. Right step. And finally, left and right. Akito hands fly behind him as he crouches down, his hips just a few inches from the floor, then he shoots up and cocks his right arm back, outstretching his left to use as an aim. He imagines a bullseye as he locks on the blue and yellow ball. Then he pinpoints the perfect spot. To the left, across the court was his trajectory for the ball. And just as the ball is set perfectly in front of him, Akito's right hand zooms past his face and he slams the ball onto the other side of the net, a loud, powerful thud being heard across the gym.

Akito drops back down on both feet.

"Wow...that was an amazing set." Akito says, obviously impressed. "I jumped the the least obvious spot but, the ball still appeared in front of me."

A small smile cracks onto Akito's face. This setter was no joke. Akito's only seen Olympic level setters with that kind of precision.

"Alright then, Minma. You live up to the "genius" title. Now that I've seen your performance." Akito smiles and puts out his hand for Minma to shake. "Would you like to once again be Lakeside's setter, and together along with a new team, we'll bring the Golden ages back."

Interaction: Minma

(sorry, I fell asleep)

 

[Minma]

Watching Akito move on the gym Minma could tell he knew what he was doing. Minma cracked a smile when Akito made contact with the ball, sending it over the net. "Thank you. The spike was solid. Your no newbie." Minma could already tell Akito had more skill then the outside hitter of last year's team, which pained him to admit.

Minma reached in and shook Akito's hand. "Of course I live up to the title, I put work in earning it." Minma smiled and grabbed his elbow. "Golden Ages huh? I like your attitude, I'm in. Me the setter, and judging by your skill as a spiker, I supposed you would be an outside hitter?"

 

[SharkBark]

"Yep. OH has always been the position for me." Akito says. "It just resonates with my skill."

Akito picks up some flyers and hands them to Minma.

"You mind passing these out? I'm sure they'll have a greater impression with the genius setter passing them out. Oh, also. I'm team captain. I know your my upperclassman but, I started the team, might as well lead it."

Akito smugly smiles.

"Also, I'm the ace. Unless a better hitter arrives. Which is very unlikely." Yep. In about 16 seconds, Akito has made himself captain AND ace. What a bum.

Interaction: Minma

 

[Dextra]

Nozomi Knight​

Location: Lakeside Gymnasium
Interacting: SharkBark (Akito)
Minma (Minma)

Today was the day. Nozomi had heard rumours about the Lakeside volleyball team reopening, and as a Lakeside student and a volleyball player, this was everything she had wished for. She'd heard about the Lakeside team's disastrous past few years and honestly wouldn't have considered attending the school if she hadn't been forced to. Every other school in the district turned her down, and the few that said yes had the condition that she not be allowed to join the volleyball team due to an incident that had occurred. Lakeside was the only school that accepted her without a condition, but the team had recently been disbanded due to its poor record, and Nozomi was heartbroken as a result, but that all changed the day she saw a flyer.

The flyer was simple but the words on it made the young girl shout in joy she just couldn't help it. The Lakeside Volleyball team was reviving thanks to an upperclassman named Akito Suzuki; she had never heard of him before that point, which was to be expected given her newness to the area, but as of this moment this man was her hero, or at the very least her saviour from boring school days. Nozomi was concerned about the flyers' lack of information and pzazz, but she figured it wouldn't attract those who weren't interested in volleyball, and she was just happy to be able to play again.

The gymnasium was the one place she knew she had to visit. When she arrived at the door, the first thing she heard was the quiet sound of talk, and while she couldn't make out the words, it only sounded like a few voices, the sounds that followed were much more familiar. The gentle sound of a ball being set followed by a furious sound of a ball being hit and then a loud crash, it was noises she was all too well with, it was the amazing sounds of volleyball. As she gently opened the door, the small girl's mouth was filled with a smile. Normally, Nozomi would storm in and announce herself as the team's new libero, not taking no for an answer, but this was her one chance to play in a competitive team again. Sure, she could join teams outside of school, but it wasn't the same, and it was much more difficult to get noticed by professional coaches, which was her ultimate goal, so she decided manners were required for the time being.

Within the gym Nozomi was taken aback; it was clearly the location of the volleyball team, with volleyballs scattered around and a net set up, but where the team was remained a mystery. Only two people stood in front of her, both of whom were engaged in a conversation; chances are, they were the two she heard outside. This couldn't possibly be the entire team, could it? The question hit Nozomi like a tonne of bricks, and there was only one place she could get the answers, the two in front of her. When she looked at the people, she felt a wave of dread wash over her. They were both at least 8 inches taller than her; she just hoped there wasn't a height limit on the team. Nozomi decided it was past time for her to break her silence. "Nozomi Knight, First year Libero, I may be short but I bet you won't find a better Libero my age if you tried! I'm here to try out, or join or whatever the process is to became apart of the team." Nozomi's voice was full of vigour; she was clearly speaking much louder than necessary despite how quiet the gym was, but if Nozomi was one thing, it was a loud mouth. She was also certain that there were liberos her age who were better than her, but she was here to sell herself to the team, so in her eyes, she was the best right now. "So, like, where's the rest of the team?" Nozomi's voice was clearly less vigorous and more concerned with this question.

 

[SharkBark]

Dextra

​

​

Castro looks to his left and sees a little girl standing vigourously in the gym, staring at him and Minma. She has black hair, cross earrings and compared to Minma and Akito, she's an ankle-biter.​

​

"Uh..did you say that you're our Libero?" Akito says. "This is high school. The elementary's on the other side of the street. Get someone to walk you across. I don't you getting hurt. Y'know what, Minma, you can do it. I'm sure you have time."​

​

Akito didn't understand how this kid got their schools mixed up and came here. It was confusing but, she seems so confident, he can't just kick her out, it'd probably crush her spirit. He tries to turn around and just let her leave disappointed but, he can't do it. Finally, because he's such a softy, he gives in and picks up a ball.​

​

"If you're trying to learn to play, I can teach you. First, a test. Since you want to be a Libero, save this."​

​

Akito throws the ball into the air and it descends with a high arch about 8 to 10 feet away from Nozomi. Only an experienced Libero could save that. It's going to be on the floor before she can even through her arms out. She has a scrawny build. No type of leg muscle either. He doubts that she can even blasts from her position to another. Maybe she can't even dig. This would decide if she was good or not, and Akito wasn't too confident in her.​

 

[Minma]

​

MInma gave Akito a small smirk. He has just announced himself as captain and ace of the team. MInma had no issue with it since he didn't have another choice. But can Akito do it? Managing the role as captain is strenuous enough, but combing that with the role as the ace will prove difficult. 'FIne, I guess he can fill those roles for now, but I will be expecting great things. If he isn't able to do great things I won't hesitate to make changes.' Minma thought to himself with the flyers in his hand. With a few steps Minma walked over to his gym bag and placed the flyer into the pocket when the all so familiar noise of the gym doors opening crept in the air. According to the school principal, the gym had been closed since the summer. No other sports teams members were scheduled to occupy the gym anytime soon. 'Could it be? The person walking through that door is going to be looking to join?' MInma eyebrows peaked up as he focused his attention to the front door.

In walked a short, female with black hair. It wasn't long before she was announcing herself as a Libero. That was Minma's second favorite position. Without a good Libero, the tea, lacks its main defensive force and is bound to struggle for victory. They must be quick, agile, and strong players, able to stop rushing balls in their tracks, giving your team another chance at a point. Things were happening so fast. Minma didn't expect another recruit to want to try out so early on. Akito played this newcomer off but MInma knew she wasn't kidding, nor was she lying about being a Libero. Something about being an athlete gives some people the ability to sense skill in a player. From the way they hold themselves, to the way their eyes move when the topic of volleyball arises. Before he knew it Akito was serving her a spike. A decent one too. Its fast pace called for rapid thinking from Nozomi. Of course, MInma expected her to defend it. He could've. It's much simpler returing a ball coming from a direction you expected, rather than returning a ball coming from an unknown trajectory.

 

[Dextra]

Nozomi Knight​

Location: Lakeside Gymnasium
Interacting: SharkBark (Akito)
Minma (Minma)

So that's how things were going to be. Nozomi's blood was boiling, and she couldn't stand being talked down to, and being called an elementary student nearly made the impulsive girl snap and say something back. 'Deep breaths, Nozomi, deep breaths,' she said to herself in her head, trying to stay calm because the last thing she wanted was to cause another commotion and be kicked off this team before she had even joined, so she bit her tongue and took it.

The next part that came out of his mouth really drove her nuts. "If you're trying to learn how to play '' Nozomi knew how to play, and she played well. Nozomi's mouth made a loud tsk sound, which quickly turned into a smile as she returned her attention to what he was saying. This was her chance to prove him wrong, to show that she knew what she was doing and that she'd be damned if she messed it up. "So if I get this you apologize and let me on the team right?" Nozomi spoke with a mischievous tone in her voice, despite the fact that these were the conditions she had set for herself. As Nozomi's smile grew mischievously, she hoped the man's pride would force him to accept.

Nozomi kept her gaze fixed on the ball, her eyes like a hawk on its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. She stood ready and waiting, knees bent, waist bent, arms outstretched in front of her, the position of any player preparing for a dig. The ball soared from the man's grasp, and it didn't take Nozomi long to figure out where it was going. Nozomi's build wasn't anything special; she had no muscle, no height, and was frequently told that her body wasn't fit for volleyball, but what Nozomi did have was reaction speed, agility, and skill, and using these three things made her a great libero. Nozomi's movements were simple yet graceful, wasting no time as she lunged and sprawled to the side, her arms coming together to form a platform for the ball as she lunged. She made solid contact with the ball, it hit the perfect spot and went soaring into the sky, not only into the sky but positioned so that it would approach the individual who hadn't yet spoken to her (Minma) at near perfect height for him to set the ball, she made it a little higher just in case he wasn't ready, last thing she wanted to do was hit him with it. Nozomi quickly picked herself up and returned to her ready position, in case he wanted to send another her way.

"Like I said Nozomi Knight, First year, Libero." Nozomi smile returned to her face as she reintroduced herself. "Gotta say I'm not actually too happy with that, usually I would roll for it makes standing up quicker but I ain't doing that with these on." Nozomi's voice had a gentle hint of smugness in it as she pointed to her skirt and earrings; she'd had the latter caught before and it was painful, so she usually takes them out when she plays." So how'd I do? Did I pass your little trial? If so, I'm waiting for my apology."

 

[SharkBark]

Akito looks at Nozomi unimpressed.

"Nice, I see you have basic skills." Akito says. "But the saves in games aren't going to be that easy." Akito steps a 12 feet away. "Level 2..."

Akito throws the ball up into the air then runs back another few feet. A jump serve. And because he took 7 steps back insteaf of 4, it'll be a hard one. He runs forward, his feet slamming onto the gym floor once again, and then jumps a incredible 36 inches in the air. He cocks his right arm back, using his left as an aim and locks onto a spot 6 feet from Nozomi. His long right arm flies past his face and he spikes the ball into the spot with a loud, ear ringing slam. Nozomi had to be even faster to save this one, and if she could, he would check what grade she was in and let her on the team.

Interaction(s): Dextra

 

[Dextra]

Nozomi Knight​

Location: Lakeside Gymnasium
Interacting: SharkBark (Akito)
Minma (Minma)

"Can I at least have a chance to"
Nozomi pleaded, but the man was already on with level 2 or whatever. To be honest, Nozomi half expected this guy to want her to fail at this point, to at least give her a chance to change and take her earrings off, but nope, this man wanted her to do it right now, well whatever she was as ready as she could be.

Nozomi got back into the ready position, knees bent, waist bent, and arms outstretched in front of her, as she noticed the man preparing to do what appeared to be a jump serve, which slightly concerned the girl. She had only recently encountered the jump serve while practising outside of school, with most middle schoolers unable to perform it or performing it to a very low standard. She knew she'd have to face it in high school, but she was hoping for a little more time to prepare. She wasn't so lucky, but she sure did enjoy a challenge.

It was a game of speed. She was aware that the main advantage of a jump serve over a regular serve is speed and power; she had always associated it with a back row attack and thus used her experience dealing with them to devise a receiving strategy. Most people who use back row attacks are strong; the strength required is much greater than a normal spike to give it the extra distance it needs to travel, which means she'd need to use her entire body to kill the momentum of the shot.

Nozomi's gaze returned to the ball, and she paid little attention to the server. As a libero, her only job on the court was to keep the ball from hitting the ground, and that's exactly what she planned to do. Her eyes only ever looked at two things: the ball and the shoulders of whoever else came into her view of the ball, and this was no exception; a slight twist of his right shoulder and right arm told her a lot of information, and thanks to that, she had already begun to take a step before the ball was fully served. Her reaction time helped her a lot in these situations because that early half-step aided her in getting ready. While the ball was faster this time, the amount of ground needed to cover was less, roughly 5 or 6 feet, and with the early step, all it took was a very quick sidestep from Nozomi and she was in the right position, her arms already ready in the dig position while taking the sidestep. She knew she had to do something about the ball's speed or it would bounce back over the net the second it hit her platform, but she had a plan. It wasn't something she wanted to do right now, but she'd do it to prove she was a good libero. Nozomi raised her arms slightly as the ball was about to collide with her arms, not to hit the ball but to go against it, killing some of its power, then the final part of her plan. When the ball hit her, instead of standing, she used her entire body to take the blow, rolling backwards the moment it connected. What was left was a slow-moving skyward ball that was going to end up in the front of the court with plenty of time for the setter to get there if this was a real game, so while she didn't give the ball to where she wanted it was better than just giving it away.

Nozomi simply stared at the ball before smiling; honestly, she was unsure if that would work; the issue for her would be preventing it from going over the net, which she had accomplished. "Okay I swear, if there is a level 3 you gotta let me get changed and take these out, since I really don't want to rip these out that would hurt a lot." The smugness in her voice had clearly faded; all Nozomi felt now was happiness; she was just glad everything worked out well. "Never actually had to deal with jump servers in middle school so that was my first time receiving a decent one. They are scary huh." Nozomi commented, She didn't know if they were all like that or if it was just him, but she was looking forward to finding the best ways to defend against them."So did I make the cut? And can I get my apology?"

 

[SharkBark]

Akito's eyes widen with amazement as Nozomi perfectly uses her body to dig for the ball. Her technique wasn't perfected but it sure was decent. She had potential. Maybe he did owe her any apology for calling her an elementary school student.

"Wow, kid--er--you said your name was Nozomi? If you still want to, you can join the team. I'm sorry for offending you." Akito says. Akito walks up to Nozomi and puts out his fist for a bump.

"Alright then, Nozomi!" Akito says powerfully. "Join Lakeside's volleyball team and together, along with Minma and anyone else who joins, we'll bring them back to their golden years!" A big smile appears along his face. He gave off an aura that could motivate an entire room. A desire to not give up, and to always try your hardest. That was Akito Suzuki. In the darkness, one flame cannot alone bring light back. There are all kinds of components that could help make the flame stronger. Oil. Fluid and quick to spread, it burns itself out but in the end, it does it's best to keep the flame alive. Like a Libero.


Paper, it's the easiest to burn out but, it's contents are extremely useful. Paper can have all sorts of information, making it the quick burning genius. The genius setter. Smart and decisive, setting up the best plays.


Wood. The hardest material out of the three. Still capable of being broken but the strongest material. With conditioning, it can be turned into beautiful things. It's the key ingredient in many things. Money, tables, and even homes. It can keep flames burning for a while, but not without the help of other components. Like the hitters.



All three of these components will bring Lakeside's flame back. Starting with Nozomi, Minma, and Akito.\


Dextra and Minma

 

[Minma]

There it was again. Goosebumps crept down Minma's arms as he watched the events unfold in front of him. The last time he saw this level of skill was from a rival volleyball school last year. Nozomi was able to prove her self in the short two plays. Of course, Minma being the analyzer that he is, noticed some minor flaws in the actions. That was most likely due to Nozomi still being dressed up, not prepared to do what she just did. After finally granting Nozomi her apology, Akito went on to talk about bringing back the Golden Years, which brought joy to MInma. It gave him a new purpose, a new goal. Minma had not felt this excited to play on a team since his first time joining. With great passion stood three driving forces of the team. The agile Libero, Nozomi, the power house ace and Captain, Akito and the Genius setter.

Suddenly, like a cheetah pouncing on its prey, Minma began to question it all. He began to play back the events of last year in his head. It was the second set and Lakeside was down 22-5. This was the final game Lakeside would play. A smooth jump float serve was sent over the Net. Lakeside's Libero barely returned it, sending it in the setter's, MInma's, direction. It wasn't fun anymore. Minma couldn't stand the humiliation of the score. He was giving it his all, analyzing and setting up worthy plays. However, no matter how much he tried the gap never closed. Seeing the sorrowful faces across his team, Minma's morale continued to plummet. No matter, the ball was coming his way and he had to serve it. 'Do i send it right? No, the blocker will shut him down. What about left? Tetsu could connect with it...but'' MInma eyes left the ball and caught the enemy setter moving towards Tetsu, positioning himself to block him. ''Damn it. That leaves.'' Minma looked back desperately for a backup hitter behind him. There was one however, 'He won't get here in time to spike the ball,'' Minma looked across the net, 'and even if he did, the Libero would easily counter.' With both his spikers and middle blocker unable to make a play, Minma was left with one option. He glanced over to check if the building blocks were in place, and they seemed to be. The ball was right above him now, it was time to make his move.

Turning his body and jumping up, Minma brought his hand back and swung it at the ball. ''He's going for a setter spike.'' called the Libero of the opposing team. He followed it with, ''I got it.'' All the other actions were still in play. No one was open. Appearing to go for a spike, Minma was able to throw the enemy off. Just before he struck the ball, Minma softened his power and played a setters dump. The ball tipped the top of the net and slowly fell towards the floor. In an attempt to save the ball, the enemy middle blocker skimmed it with his hand. That was the last of his cards. Minma played with all he had and was now out of fuel. They soon lost that game and the team went home, vexation in their mind.

Minma snapped back to the present, the cool air of the gym covered his body. With new faces in front of him, Minma shook the thought of defeat. Stretching his arms and pushing his hair out his face, MInma picked up a volleyball. ''So what do we do from here? All this talk about Volleyball gots me pumped I can't lie.''

 

[SharkBark]

"Same. Lemme think." Akito looks at his watch. "Our time is about to run out so, I want both of you here tomorrow by 7:30 sharp. Unless you can't get here early, Nozomi. I know your still a kid--" Akito freezes. "I mean, young.. so you need your parents permission to join. Tell them Akito Suzuki, Sophomore, will keep you safe. Oh, and Minma Netto too."

Akito picks up his bag.

"Alright team. I have a little surprise for you tomorrow. Don't miss it. See you. Stay safe." Akito says as he leaves the building. It took him two weeks but, he finally got people on the team. Promising ones at that. Now, he needed to think of what happens next. Does he try to set up a practice match? Maybe join the school's pep rally. There are so many things he could do. It'll just take time.

The next day, 7:54 AM

Akito stands in the gymnasium by himself with a table in front of him, about 24 minutes after the required time everyone was supposed to be here. Akito sighs.

"Where are those two?" he says. "It's over 20 minutes since they were supposed to be here.

On the table is the surprise Akito had for Minma and Nozomi. He had already made them before those two got here, he was just waiting for members to give them to. Lakeside Volleyball's official, new and improved, jerseys and shorts.


#3, Akito #10, Minma #12, Nozomi


Sure, they didn't exactly "match" but they were good enough for now. Their official jerseys. Man, this felt good.

Interaction: Minma and Dextra

 

[Minma]

Minma's morale plummeted. '7:30 in the morning? He's mad.' Minma needed his sleep. After volleyball, it was his favorite thing in the world. The thought of completely disconnecting from the real world brought him peace and disrupting it for some surprise did not sit well in Minma's mind. However he could care less about arguing, so he'd be there tomorrow at 7:30, so he told himself.

Snooze. That button was pressed three times the next morning. Minma, refusing to get out of bed, was now running late. After realizing his deficit, he pounced from his bed, quickly got ready and headed out the door. He carried his school bookbag along with his old Lakeside volleyball bag. "What kind of impression am I making if I can't even arrive on time" Minma grumbled to himself as he jogged down the sidewalk. "So be it." He picked up his pace as he grew closer to the school.

He finally arrived at the door. His hands were on his knees and his face pointed towards the ground. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, rolling off his chin. He snapped up and wiped the sweat off his face with his arm. After reaching into his bag and pulling out a bottle of water to take a sip, he entered the gym. Standing to the right stood Akito, waiting patiently at a table that had clothes on them. 'Clothes?' Minma thought.

Minma walked over with a smile on his face. "Sorry for being late. The path of life had other plans this morning." By path of life he was talking about his bed and mind telling him that he could afford 5 more heavenly minutes. After reaching the table Minma looked down at the Jerseys. He surveyed them and noticed the number 10. "These must be our Jerseys, and this one," Minma reached down and picked up the jersey fitted with the number 10. "must be mine." Minma folded the clothes and put the pair into his bag. "Number 10 has always been my jersey number. Surprised you knew that. Or was that just a fluke?" Minma spoke jokingly.

Minma noticed the other jersey. Nozomi must've also been running late. That was good for Minma, he wouldn't be the only talk of the day.

 

[Dextra]

Nozomi Knight
​

Location
Gym - Home - Gym
Interacting:
SharkBark (Akito)
Minma (Minma)

The sounds of an apology filled Nozomi's ears, and she smiled. She succeeded in proving him wrong and convincing him to apologise, but she also made it onto the team, and she couldn't be happier. The team only seemed to consist of the three people present right now, which appeared to be an outside hitter, herself a libero, and whatever position the other male now known to her as Minma plays. She wasn't sure what to make of Minma yet, but she already had some thoughts about Akito. Nozomi could tell right away that she and Akito were not going to get along. Her being called a kid four times by Akito didn't sit well with her, but luckily for the two of them right now, Nozomi's joy was outweighing her annoyance, so she just kept smiling and keeping her mouth closed, but no doubt that would change soon.

Nozomi was confused by Akito's speech; she had never heard of this school before coming here and had no idea that the team had some 'golden days,' as Akito put it; honestly, win or lose, she just loved volleyball. She did have to admit, however, that she enjoys a good from zero to hero story, and it sounded like that was what this team was going to become if they won the season, which piqued her interest. Nozomi enjoys a good challenge and is never one to back down from a challenge. While Akito's speech may have gone over Nozomi head, it did get her excited, excited to show the world what this team is capable of and to defy the low expectations that have been placed on them.

Nozomi listened intently to the two older students' conversation, as she had no idea what the team's next step was with only three of them. If looks could kill, Akito would be dead the moment he referred to her as a kid again; they had only just met, and Nozomi had developed a strong dislike for this man. Today she was civil, but tomorrow would be a completely different story. She already struggles to keep her mouth shut. "You're only like a… you know what nevermind i'll get their permission."

The Next Day
With her parents, Nozomi faced more oppression than she had anticipated. She just expected them to let her join the team with no questions asked, but instead she got a halfhearted yes but if anything happens, you quit no ifs or buts, and with no other options, Nozomi had no choice but to accept, which meant she had to behave herself. Nozomi finally left for the gym and was already late because the conversation had taken nearly an hour of her begging and pleading to be allowed to join the team, but that hour meant she had already missed the 7:30 start time, but at least she had permission now.

It didn't take her long after arriving at school to get to the gym, only 25 minutes late, which wouldn't look good on the first day, so she hoped she wasn't the only one. When she saw Minma arrive at the gym, a sigh of relief washed over the out-of-breath girl; she had run all the way from her house to school and, needless to say, she was not impressed. Nozomi yelled towards the duo as she slammed open the gym door. "I'm sorry I'm late, it took way longer than expected to get to school, there was a road closed and I had to take another route then I got lost, it's been a hell of a morning." That was a lie, but it sounded better than the real reason. Nozomi approached the pair, her eyes widening at what was on the table. It was clearly a uniform, not only because she liked the style of one of them, but also because her eyes were solidly locked on the number 12, it was the most unique and out there clearly fit for a libero and looking at the size clearly one that would only fit her. "Is this one mine? It's mine right… RIGHT?" Nozomi was determined to make this one hers, even if it wasn't hers she liked the style of it.

 

[AlphaBlueWolf]

It was Mika's first day, a little bit after the school year officially started due to getting settled into the country and all. Japan was so much different from Russia. The climate, the culture, even the way things went at school. She hated it all. Much preferred Russia and everything in it. Japan was just too different, and she felt weird while speaking Japanese. No way would she ever get used to this. She just kept telling herself it was only for a couple months. Up until Aleks made gold in the summer Olympics. Then they could finally go home.

Aleksandr had insisted on driving her for her first day. And what was worse, he woke her up way too early. There was nothing nice about getting up at 7:00 when she didn't have to be there till later. But he said it'd be better to get to her first day early. She'd just rolled her eyes and dealt with it while being super tired.

The car stopped at the front, and she moved her hand towards the handle. "Wait." Aleksandr said in perfect Japanese. She really didn't understand how he could do that so flawlessly. Though, he was the one who was interested in all this language and culture stuff while she dragged her feet while learning it. She just sighed and put her back against the seat. "This is exciting, right? First day at a new school in a new country. It'll surely be an adventure." He smiled with that dazzling smile of his. He insisted on speaking Japanese all the time, so it'd help her get the words down.

"Oh, yeah. Adventure. Hurray!" She did jazz hands and her accented voice had a sarcastic tone.

"Mika." Aleks said while sounding a little tired of her displeasure to the move. He turned towards her. "Everything's going to be fine. Who knows, maybe this move will be good for you. A nice change of scenery. Ah, change of scenery." He switched to Russian in case it was too hard for her to understand.

Mika simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Can I go now?" She asked with displeasure.

Aleks made his tone soft and spoke in Russian, the way he always did when they were having a serious moment. "Hey. You know I love you right?" He looked a little worried for her and it sent a pang through Mika's heart. She thought briefly that she was being too hard on her loving brother. But really, he should've asked her first before moving everything just to train in Japan. It was completely unfair to her.

"Yeah." She muttered reluctantly. Then, her brother made a move and got under her armpits. "Aleks, stop!" She yelled in a giggling mess as he tickled her like she was a little kid. A smile was on her face now as she whined for him to stop.

"See! That's better. You have such a pretty smile, Mika! You should show it off more often." He chuckled while Mika gave him a pout. "Well, I think it's time." He said after a few minutes.

"Yeah, bye, brother." She went out the car door and grabbed her bag. She walked a couple steps and then went back to give Aleks a look. He looked kind of stunned, given her cold attitude towards him lately, but he hugged her back tightly. Then, she went into the building while wondering what to do until school actually started.

 

[SharkBark]

Akito watches as Minma finally enters the building.

"Thank you! It only took you like 30 extra minutes to get here." Akito says. "Look to the table." Akito smiles as he watches Minma go from an apologetic face to a face of surprise. "Yeah. I might of watched a few of your games to figure out what number you were."

After a few more minutes of talking with Minma about the jerseys, Nozomi barges in, even later than Minma.

"Wow, took you long enough." Akito looks at her suspiciously when she says something about the road being closed. "Mhm."

Akito laughs when he sees the way Nozomi locks onto #12. She must like it.

"Yes. It's yours. The Libero gets the flashiest outfit of course. People need to appreciate your speed. You'll be "The Orange Blur". I believe in you kid. I can tell that when you get older, you'll be very talented."

Minma
AlphaBlueWolf
Dextra

 

[Minma]

Interactions: SharkBark (Akito) - Dextra (Nozomi) - AlphaBlueWolf (MIka)​

Minma let out a nervous chuckle while rubbing the back off his head when Akito mentioned him arriving late. Minma could tell which jersey was for Nozomi, and judging by the way she picked it up, she also knew it was hers. After each of them were done gathering their gift, Minma realized he was running behind course to arrive at his first class of the day, pre calcalus. ''Thanks Akito. I look forward to wearing my new jersey, proudly, in a game." Then in that moment, seeing Nozomi in his peripheral vision, Minma realized he hadn't properly introduced himself to her. Sure they exchanged glances and know each other's names but they have not exchanged much. Turning his body and attention to Nozomi, Minma greeted her with a small, charismatic smile. ''Good Morning Nozomi. I look forward to chatting later and of course, playing together.'' As he picked up his bag from the floor Minma continued to speak. ''But unfortunately the path of life calls me.''

Nodding his head as a sign of goodbye was how Minma left the gym. The nostalgic memories of the volleyball put Minma in a good mood. He was entering the main school building from the far left side. Minma was a well known kid, some even called him popular, however Minma doesn't think he is. Playing as the school's setter gets your name around. Even with the unsatisfactory performance of the volleyball team, Minma was still liked and in turn is well known. He was greeted by a teacher when he entered. He was told there were a few more minutes to arrive to first period. That was reliving to Minma. He thought he was running more late than he actually was. Minma's first period was in a hallway next to the main office. After having quick ''heys'' and ''wassups'' to a few more people he was walking in front of the main office. He noticed his classmate coming through the front doors, but behind her he noticed someone much more interesting. The reddish hair, and blue eyes. Could it be? 'MIka. Aleksandr's sister?' Minma kept up with the ongoing volleyball news and had a good knowledge on different players and teams but he never expected to see a relative of such a well known volley ball player.

Then at that moment Minma remembered something vital. He had the volleyball recruit flyers in his gym bag. He couldn't pass up the opportunity to not only speak to her, but maybe, get her on the team. Speeding up, Minma caught up to Mika and swiftly grabbed her attention. "Hey I noticed I haven't seen your face around here before. I'm Minma, a sophomore that goes here.'' He spoke with a bright smile. He was going to tell her that he knew who she was but he thought it to be rude not to allow her to introduce herself.