#I'm not that much into football (soccer for everyone who thinks football is something else) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gachagon · 23 days

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Oh so that's what everyone was freaking out for 😭 tbh I have been saying since day 1 that Kaiser doesn't actually care about Ness and that he really has just been keeping him around to literally use him. But I won't act like Ness isn't going along with it or that on some level he doesn't know. I think Ness does know and just doesn't care because being next to Kaiser for any reason or excuse is still good even if Kaiser doesn't have the same level of obsession as Ness holds.

However I think we're getting close to seeing Kaiser really lose it and Noa knows it too.

However just what that rock bottom will look like and what else it'll take for him to really go that far down is a mystery to me. It could be Ness joining Isagi, it could be him not scoring another goal this game etc.

I think Kaiser's inability to understand other people's kindness and compassion makes it impossible for him to really change just because Ness cares about him. He's gonna have to get an ego that's more sustainable if he wants to continue his career.

This chapter reminded me of a few things but most notable was when Kaiser was remembering how it felt to make other people lose and fall into despair because he was the reason their dreams were crushed. That part really reminded me of Isagi and Niko's game and how Isagi admitted to himself that he didn't care if winning meant the other team losing everything in the process because the feeling of victory itself is too good and rewarding.

I think it really just hammers home how similar Kaiser and Isagi really are because they both really do think of soccer in the same way.

This chapter also brings that ancient question from Snuffy back up. "What are you without football?"

And I think Kaiser knows that without the game he truly has nothing, no plan, no ambitions. His goal to make everyone in the soccer world hate him by proxy of him winning all of the games is egotistical, but being better doesn't mean people will hate you, so his goal is short sighted and something that won't last long.

Now I'm going to say something that I think might be controversial to some people.

Okay here it goes.

I don't think Isagi hates Kaiser. I think Isagi is completely neutral towards him and even understands his intensity on some level and THAT is the issue between them. I think it's both a combination of Isagi and Kaiser being too similar (which in turn means Isagi is in Kaiser's head and vice versa) but that Isagi doesn't hate Kaiser at all and holds no real animosity towards him, even though Kaiser has made his displeasure of Isagi very obvious.

Really think about it too, because Kaiser has done SO many things that would normally piss anyone off. His motivation to make people hate him because it's the only way he really understands how to socialize with people, puts his first meeting with Isagi into perspective. The whole "calling him Yoichi" thing even after Isagi corrects him, constantly getting in Isagi's personal space even after Isagi openly says "hey you're kinda close...", even during the first little scrimmage between them when Kaiser openly steals the ball and looks to Isagi like he expects Isagi to blow up at him and be absolutely pissed. It all points to Kaiser deliberately trying to rile Isagi up and foster some resentment in Isagi.

But instead Isagi has done nothing but continue to hold the same kind of "hate" that he has for Kaiser that he holds for the rest of his rivals. Yeah Isagi isn't afraid to talk shit but off the field? He acts completely indifferent to it all, as if Kaiser doesn't get under his skin when he's not playing the game which kind of shocks me.

I feel like out of the many rivals that Isagi has, Kaiser is the one who has tried the hardest to be the absolute bane of his existence and it just isn't working at all. Kaiser is annoying and a nuisance and an all around jerk when playing. And Isagi understands that totally and still it doesn't bother him.

He's not thinking of how much he hates Kaiser and is treating Kaiser like a person. A human being with thoughts and feelings. And Kaiser doesn't understand why at all because he truly has just been nothing but a huge asshole this entire time 😭 And we know from this very chapter that Kaiser doesn't understand why anyone would treat him in that way since he's never been treated like that at all. He doesn't know how to have a normal relationship with people at all or how to have a healthy rivalry with Isagi, and Isagi doesn't care about any of that and still decides to treat him like he would any other player on the field who's got amazing skill.

And I think what really drives this home is that Isagi has also admired Kaiser's skill in football in a way where he wants to learn. Isagi knows that Kaiser is extremely talented at the game and that he could pull things off Isagi couldn't even dream of. The admiration is different from the kind most people have given Kaiser because unlike Ness, Isagi hasn't centered Kaiser to such a total degree that he's the only thing keeping him going and unlike the other players on the field Isagi isn't driven by jealousy.

He knows when people are better at him and instead of breeding hatred in him, he wants to get closer to these people, he wants to ask their advice and for them to help him get better. Think about all the times he's just straight up gone to Rin and Kunigami and Barou for advice on what to do even though it's clear they think very poorly of him 😭

So if it's not malice that drives Isagi and it isn't Jealousy and it's not obsession, then what DOES drive Isagi Yoichi? That's what Kaiser can't figure out because Isagi isn't like the other hundreds of players that he's gone up against, and Isagi doesn't treat him like every other player does.

Really this is the best chapter we've gotten in terms of Kaiser more and how he thinks and how he got this way. It makes me want more chapters just so I can see how he comes with losing so completely and getting treated like a human being from a guy he fucking hates.

#kaisagi #kaiser michael #bllk #blue lock #blue lock manga #isagi yoichi #blue lock manga spoilers #micheal kaiser #alexis ness #kainess

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kitorin · 11 months

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OUR SPRING

013. bros before hoes

a/n. rin pov for this chapter !

July 2022

Challenges and new difficulties never scared or worried Rin.

However, that was only limited to football. Sure, a successful change in career was an amazing feat done by him, and it doesn't compare to moving up a class in mathematics. But in music, he has the other three, as well as the company, and on the soccer field there are 10 other players by his side, as well as the bench, coach and manager.

But within this classroom, he was on his own.

He knew that very well, and his expectations were met the moment he walked in and settled down at a desk.

"Why is Rin in this class?"

"He's delusional if he thinks he can do well here."

"Isn't he really stupid?"

Hate isn't something foreign to Rin. Even before becoming an idol many despised him and his diligence, as well as his skills and abilities. They can't do anything to him; they don't even have the guts to say it directly at him because they know they his fame won't let them get away with it.

What really worried him, was how true their statements were.

"Oi Tada." Rin wasn't one to involve himself in any drama, but this time he was genuinely curious, and was also technically apart of it. He carefully listened to the stranger without making it obvious.

"Don't go around running your mouth. Especially about grades when you've only gotten 60% at best here." Aside from English, Rin would've considered 60% on a test great, to him, a pass was a pass.

'Tada' was offended, immediately lashing out. "I'm sorry you're smart, only three people got As last semester." What kind of excuse was that?

The stranger remained stoic, Rin would've retaliated violently if someone tried to justify their words by calling him skilled. "Then join us three, shouldn't be that hard?"

"The tests here are hard-"

"Doesn't matter. Regardless of how hard it is you have no right to judge someone else and are in position to do so or even try."

The argument was cut short with the arrival of the teacher, but the winner was evident; the calm stranger sat next to Rin. Must be a fan of his if they sat with him without hesitation.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I already said I was." He had no idea why they kept bothering with him, maybe if he gave them an autograph they'll stop.

"Geez. You're cold."

"Then go sit somewhere else." Rin missed when all his actions and words weren't monitored, now he can't call anyone an idiot or lukewarm without getting cancelled.

"You think I want to sit near that?" He'd rather die than admit it, but the disgusted accentuation of the last word and the gesture towards the rest of the class amused him. "That's what I thought."

"So, what's your name?" They continued speaking. "I'm y/n."

The question proves his guess wrong, you weren't a fan and didn't even know who he was. There's a tiny bit of guilt for assuming otherwise.

"Itoshi Rin."

"Nice meeting you. I'll be seeing you a lot from now on."

"Doubt that." Give it a test or two and the teacher would start convincing him to move back down to standard. "Studying isn't my thing."

"You're so pessimistic." You switch to a whisper, as the teacher assigns work for revision of the previous semester.

"I'm being realistic. I'm shit at school." He wouldn't talk about himself this much with someone outside of his band, but his academic capabilities were no secret, pretty much everyone knew how low his results were.

"So? You can improve a lot regardless."

"Easier said than done."

"I was bad at math last year."

"Your idea of bad is anything under an A." It's a guess, most people who were good at school would rather die than get anything that wasn't outstanding. Rin acknowledges how suffocating perfectionism was, especially when people invalidate the sense of disappointment just because others would kill for the same result; now he sort of understands how other soccer players felt.

"I guess that's true." Rin scoffs at your agreement. "But I've done a lot worse than a B."

"Can't be that bad."

"47% was my first result last year." It's pretty good in comparison to Rin's results, but if a pass was a pass, then a fail was a fail. "Then I got around 70%." You probably ended up investing in tuition if you improved that much.

"Then 30%." That sounded a lot more relatable to Rin.

"You weren't wrong about bad."

"See? But then I got an 87% after that."

"Are you here just to show off your grades?" It came out coldly, but he didn't say it with hostile intentions.

"No, my point is, anyone can improve."

"Don't bother, I can't get a tutor."

" You don't need a tutor either, I didn't need one." But we're not the same. Rin's so tempted to say it out loud, why were you trying so hard to help him?

"Fine. I'll give you a term and if you were wrong don't even bother."

"Deal."

Rin's happy.

He can't help but grin (a rare occasion) at the 75% in bright red, you really weren't lying when you insisted he'd be fine. It's not exactly perfect, nor an A, but it's such a significant improvement and that's all that matters; he's proud of himself.

"See? I told you you'd do better. Well done." You pat his shoulder, as you're both on the way to the station.

Even if you were wrong about him, he'd still be content. Not only you were efficient at teaching, but you were also kind, and a generally comfortable person to be around. Nothing you said was unnecessary or illegitimate, you were honest but not harsh.

Rin's opened up to you a lot. From the reason why he quit soccer to another potential career change in the future. It didn't matter what it was since you always listened without judgement.

"I can't take any credit, it's all yours. You're the one who taught me everything. He still can't understand why you think of him so highly, you're the one who put most of the effort into making sure he could perform well, while maintaining your own grade simultaneously.

"Don't discredit yourself."

Before Rin can respond, you continue speaking.

"It was you who ultimately decided to join the advanced class, you put a lot of effort it without ruining the rest of your schedule. Be proud of yourself Rin, most people can't even dream of confronting their struggles. It's scary to try something new."

Rin agrees with the last statement, even if he did it with the expectation of giving up quickly.

"y/n."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Everything." For defending him on the first day. For helping him. For believing in him.

"That's what friends are for, no?"

Friends. The closest to those were his bandmates (or as Reo calls it 'family', with him as the doting parent and Hyoma and Rin as the 'kids'), or teammates, who he doesn't even speak to anymore. You're probably the first person to willingly talk to him normally, not because you're forced to or interested in his fame.

Rin pulls you in for a hug, earning a surprised gasp from you. He releases you quickly, after processing what he just did.

"Sor-"

But before he can finish apologising, you hug him back, to Rin, the affection is foreign yet welcomed.

July 2023

Rin tosses his phone onto his bed, as he drops his school bag on the floor. He'd never tell him but the conversation with Hyoma had a smile tugging at his lips; both at how ridiculous is was and how it reminded him of you.

There's a deep sense of gratitude Rin has, that two of his close friends are dating; because he cares for both of you. He knows very well that you're both amazing people (even if he does slander Hyoma constantly) and only wants the best for your relationship.

TWELVE | FOURTEEN | MASTERLIST

PAIRING. chigiri hyoma x reader

SYNOPSIS. school gets overwhelming with constant rumours and accusations, thankfully someone is willing to help. but what happens when this mutually beneficial agreement escalates into something more?

GENRE. social media au, fake dating, idol / actor au

TAGLIST. @saesins, @angelchigiri, @punkhazardlaw, @silly-ez, @y-sabell-a, @mellozhi, @luvlunazx, @oldest-dream-pdf, @misfits1a, @hoshithinker, @livelaughloveisagiyoichi, @mave-in, @rinsie, @luvcryo, @fabitheraven, @h3xi2g0n3

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opalvatter · 5 months

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We know that Skarra has a niece (btw, a complete badass, mind you) which means that he has siblings. And family. And had a life before soccer.

Now, I can't even imagine him having a good family, because that wouldn't have enough angst, soo...

Skarra's Family Headcannons

His family comes from a long line of Business related jobs.

His father was an Administrator and his mother was a Banker, so he grew up in a typical, conservative, middle-class family. However, both of them dreamed to open a business and crave lavish lives, which meant they weren't around most of the time and were quite neglectful.

He has an older sister by 8 years( Who I'm gonna call Nina for now), who took up their family values and became the perfect child, who got perfect grades and did everything that was expected of her, repressing her own emotions, a classic case of older sister syndrome (yes, yes, she is a representation of me i could help myself)

However, during their younger years, their parents favored Skarra over his sister, thus straining their relationship.

When he was younger, he wasn't allowed to play most sports, instead being forced to study and get perfect grades.

He and Shakes met at the community center, where Skarra went for extra classes. Skarra's family didn't like Shakes and tried to separate them when they were younger. The first time he saw Shakes's family, Skarra almost started crying.

By the time he was 13, his rebellious face started to kick in, and with Shakes coaxing him, he started to sneak out anytime he could. That was when he discovered football and started to fall in love with it.

He secretly joined their town football team at 15, all while keeping up a studious appearance to his family. This was also around the time he discovered he was gay.

Eventually, he got tired of keeping up the double act and had a big fight with his parents, coming clean. Appaled at their son's behaviour, they kicked him out.

His sister, Nina, became the favorite (depressed) child, majored in Buisness and got unhapily married to a CEO, having a single child with him.

Skarra tried to remain hopeful, but when he wasn't even invited to his sister's wedding, his last straw broke and he became fully dedicated to football, wanting to prove them all wrong.

many years passed, and Skarra became a famous soccer star.

One day he got a phone call from his sister, asking if she could come see him. He reluctantly agreed, kinda sorta hoping that she changed.

Turns out, after their parents died in a car crash, she divorced her husband and put their child in a boarding school, finally living her life the way she wanted to.

Skarra was happy for her, until she started talking about her daughter. She was very clearly neglecting her child, and Skarra got mad, blowing up on her.

She too, got angry and revealed that the only reason she wanted to meet him was so that she could convince him to take in her child whenever the boarding school was on break.

Skarra agreed, only to save his niece from the same treatment he had to go through.

His 7 year old niece, dee (everyone on this hellsite call her that so lets go with it) is much too similar to Skarra, that he almost cried when he saw her the first time.

He may be an asshole, but he still has an heart. He tries to take care of her, to the best of her abilities, and shield her from most of the trauma he had.

I couldn't think of anything else for now, but I might add something later on. If any of you have any different ideas, comment them, i want to see :)

#supa strikas #supa strikas skarra #supablr #supa strikas headcanons

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bleachbleachbleach · 7 days

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5/24 - 5/31/24

I've been having BIG emotions all week (about racecars; about getting to see best friends and old colleagues; about my life choices [for once, positively]; about multiple retirement parties and people I want to be when *I* grow up). And of course, about my Bleach blorbos. I haven't had time to actually write, due to needing/wanting to focus on life things, but I have spent a lot of time daydreaming different iterations of one particular scene, because I have also spent like 30 hours driving (and have either 8 or 12 to do today, depending on how the Great Construction Conspiracy goes) and what else am I going to do besides try not to get destroyed by white Silverados??

I do have a written version of this scene already, but I don't think I'll use it. It's from Hisagi's POV (in every iteration it is from Hisagi's POV), which is probably a dumb POV to do the scene from, but the other two characters involved can have their version of it in a few chapters, too. The problem with Hisagi's version, aside from him definitely third-wheeling it, is that Hisagi's relative lack of real context and his imagined context of the 92 other things he's thinking about mean that this one scene connects obliquely to like three other trains of thought that are... not really related but related in his mind. And some of them are in his chapter, and others are scattered across a bunch of other chapters as Things Hisagi Thought and Then Impulsively Shared, so that's a bit difficult to keep track of as I continue to change the scene.

I feel like the scene itself is probably only going to be like 7 actual lines, in the end, just because it's stuff I really like writing but am shy about sharing, so most of this is probably just for me. 🫣

Other thoughts:

-- I met a new guy at my old workplace whom I decided I do not like but who is definitely a Joe Shinigami. Like, I feel like he's Renji's dark double. He's very gregarious, and can tell a rollicking story (or thinks he can; he performs well, but it's maybe... too performed? too self-aware of how much character he is bringing to the plate? even as he's performing something self-deprecating?). He's a poet with the most jock energy I've ever encountered from a guy with an MFA. And, having participated in an MFA soccer league for multiple years (as a non-MFA interloper), I'm not saying that out of some misapprehension that poets can't also be jocks or vice versa. It's jock ENERGY specifically. I dunno, it's kinda like he'd LIKE to be Renji or was written to be Renji, and it's similar enough to be uncanny but wrong enough to be Wrong. And instead of really liking him in the way I really like Renji, I'm just like "Man, this guy sucks." XPP

I feel like this is probably someone that Kira definitely knows in the poetry circles and he's had this exact same review process about him.

-- I was at a dental appointment yesterday and my hygienist was talking about [American] football, which is something I know approximately three things about; but these three magic beans were enough to ignite her passion. She knew all the players by name and was describing the coaches and coaching style and their entire histories, and how much she liked and trusted this coach guy, and her enthusiasm was very lovely.

But because I am absolutely addled in the head with blorbo disease, during this entire football conversation my mind was running a backing track about how the way this woman knew and talked about JIM HARBAUGH was probably really similar to how people perceived AIZEN SOUSUKE pre-defection, and how even though we only see Hinamori struggle with feelings of ambivalence where Aizen is concerned and everyone else is straightforwardly angry/anti-Aizen, that's probably not actually true and Hinamori's feelings probably ARE echoed in many. Frankly probably in Hitsugaya, even though he's probably the most demonstratively anti-Aizen person anyone knows (depending on whether you were present for the Winter War or not; if you weren't then maybe you don't know anything). Because despite the fact that he seems fairly wary by nature and was rude about Aizen even when everyone thought Aizen was Good Guy Jim Harbaugh, I think Hitsugaya liked and trusted (/entrusted Aizen with) even more than even Hitsugaya thought Hitsugaya did. I'm basing this on exactly one panel in this essay I will--

"Man, the Lions did so well last season, didn't they!"

#stories for the sea #probably the only post in the entire world that mentions jim harbaugh AND hisagi shuuhei

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ubizoide · 6 months

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Hi Ubi!!^^ I absolutely love your Sanrio x TouRika art, and I was wondering about your opinion: which Sanrio characters would you pair with with the og ina managers?

Hello Labs!!! 💛💛 I'm very happy to know that you liked it! Whenever I draw Rika, I think of you haha!

Wow this is a great ask, thanks for sending it!!! Let's go then:

Aki:

Whenever I think of Aki I remember Hello Kitty. She is friendly, she was always there to help the team, without her there would be no football club. She also has a good sense of justice! I also associate her with Pocchako! He is a character who used to play soccer but no longer does it (like her </3) and because he's also friendly and all.

Haruna:

MY GIRLLLLL. Definitely Keroppi! They are both energetic and friendly, with a bubbly personality and a lot of appreciation for their siblings <333 It's a little funny to think that her character would be a frog because she was initially afraid of them!! But yes, KeroKeroKeroppi and Haruna!! I also like Adoroza but only due aesthetic reasons ^^

Natsumi:

Ah... Natsumi is a little difficult for me because her personality is very different from sanrio's sweet and friendly ones. I like to think of her as Kuromi, because she seems mean at first but is a nice person too!!

Fuyuka:

My Sweet Piano!! My Melody's best friend. She doesn't talk much and is always friendly and helpful. She really matches how Fuyuka always wants to help and thinks a lot about everyone else and their specific needs. I believe cinnamonroll also fits well due his innocent personality.

Aaaaa I think that's it! I really wanted to do some drawings of them to answer this ask but unfortunately I'm too busy 😭😭😭 As soon as I find some time I will do something for the managers <33. Thank you so much for your ask, Labs 💛

#inazuma eleven #ina11 #sanrio #ask

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kungukingi · 4 months

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Meditations on bris/isbr [9/?] "Unstoppable Force"

Link to previous part.

After Barou rejects Isagi's plea for help another time, Nagi offers him a 'prodigy's insight' (stemming from his personal experiences) that without accepting defeat, Barou 'won't be able to feel the frustration' that would propel him to view himself as something other than a king who doesn't need to change anything about himself.

The match continues and Isagi realises that while the coordination between Team Red only seems to be getting better, Team White is handicapped by Barou's stubbornness. At this point he concludes that they need to utilise Barou somehow to win, so he starts deconstructing his thought processes in a desperate attempt to figure out a way to counter — which leads to this game-changing revelation.

Isagi realises that Barou had a point, and that he really hasn't been trying to adapt to him as much as he's been trying to get Barou to play according to his own design, which is centred on drawing out each individual's strengths to induce cooperation-based 'chemical reaction' plays. But Isagi is not playing football just for the joy of playing with others, or for the thrill of getting people to execute his designs on the pitch.

"I'm not playing soccer to match someone else... I'm here to win!"

He's playing to win, and he specifically wants to win with his own power.

While playing with Bachira and Nagi, Isagi had veered back towards a more teamplay oriented mindset where it didn't seem to matter so much who would score for as long as they won the matches. A very pragmatic and smart approach considering how the Second Selection elimination operates, but also not too reminiscent of his core ego.

However, after witnessing Barou's unfaltering 'my way or the high way' mentality, he has to assume a more assertive role in order to utilise Barou, who is not going to just do what he says.

So, what Isagi does next is adapt to Barou's presence on the pitch without submitting to his will in the process. He realises that he doesn't actually need Barou's permission to leverage him — he simply needs to be smarter than him, and 'devour' his plays in order to become the 'ruler of this battlefield'. But the way Isagi ‘devoured’ Naruhaya in the previous match through 'assimilating and integrating attributes' from him is not something that he could attempt to do with Barou, considering they have such contrasting playstyles and unreproducible skill sets.

So what he sets out to do instead is to devour him in the other way from the two I outlined previously:

"Stealing" their performance by using their plays to propel your own.

When the match commences, Isagi notes how everyone except Barou seems to share the same implicit awareness of how useless he is for Team White at this point, and thinks up a way to leverage that piece of information. When his pass options to Nagi are sealed, he pretends he's going to pass to Barou to get him and the enemy moving...

...Yet proceeds to pass to Nagi instead, setting up a play that allows him to use Barou as a cover to make himself disappear from the enemy's eye. Isagi curls through the darkness that Barou has created as Nagi lobs a pass to him, after which he has this sequence of thoughts as he moves in to take his shot:

Isagi embraces the fact that while he doesn't have the power to change other people, he does have the power to change himself. And only through changing himself will he be able to become someone who can change the world with his own power.

And so, just like with the revelation Barou inspired in Isagi after the Team X versus Team Z match, here too Barou has unknowingly nudged Isagi in the direction of more egotistical playmaking. Isagi does not copy his techniques, but discovers new ways to utilise his own skills through being inspired by Barou's example and/or presence.

Through his mental narration, Isagi urges Barou to watch how he's found a way to devour him by making him a part of his own play by using his 'darkness' to turn his own play into a 'light' that stands in direct contrast to Barou on this pitch. It isn't simply that the spotlight is now shining on Isagi; he's the one who holds it, and through his goal manages to upstage Barou completely. And because they are so similar in terms of what they value and want to achieve on the pitch, Barou's expression instantly reflects the fact that he understands what has happened here — what Isagi has done to him.

After his goal, having now given up on the thought of being able to turn Barou's head around, Isagi tells him to just keep playing like he has so far (so that he can continue to predict and leverage those plays). And then...

When Isagi later thinks back to this specific moment, he explains it to himself as 'getting caught up in the moment' — which tells us that this wasn't calculated on his part. What I think is happening here is that he's still half-drunk on his goal and on the success of his plan, and that he had previously also swallowed a lot of feelings of frustration and even humiliation when he'd tried to get Barou to help him and Nagi — only to get called a loser.

So, essentially, I see this as a moment of payback, of Isagi asserting his dominance in a way that not even Barou can challenge in the moment as he's rendered speechless. The reason why I think Barou doesn't clap back at this point and try to get Isagi to eat his words right then and there is that he knows just as well as Isagi does that he utterly lost this particular encounter, and he hasn't got anything to show yet that could be used to argue against him.

After this exchange we get a glimpse of Barou's inner monologue for the first time. We are shown that the only part about what Isagi said to him just now that he seems to take issue with is getting called a 'loser', his very own trademark insult.

In Japanese this insult is the word "hetakuso" (下手くそ) which basically means someone who is really shitty at what they're doing.

[The fact that he takes such offence at getting called that himself, despite so readily throwing it around at others, speaks a lot about Barou's values. But I'll just put a pin on that for now.]

Barou of course doesn't just follow Isagi's instructions and 'play like he's done this far', but instead tries to do it all by himself, no longer thinking he'll get any passes from Isagi or Nagi. But Team Red has already figured out effective tactics for dealing him when he's acting as a lone agent, so he ends up losing the ball again after fighting hard for it. Afterwards he has to watch as Isagi claims the stray and assists Nagi in scoring Team White another goal, while he's ended up being used as a pawn in Isagi's design again.

After it's Chigiri's turn to score, Isagi makes this foreshadowing comment while Barou seethes in frustration while on the ground:

"An ego that could stay buried in front of Nagi and I... could never become the best in the world."

Next we get a glimpse into Barou's past as he thinks about his own weakness again, and at this point readers get context for both how he came about his rigid ways, and what is his intrinsic motivation to play. The narration of his past immediately starts with this:

"I... Shouei Barou... Had always been the field's leading actor."

This language of actors, roles, and the stage is very emblematic of who Barou is, but also of Blue Lock as a whole. His ego has always been the kind that Ego described as exemplary of a striker's mindset in his opening speech for the project:

So, in a sense, Barou's ego has always been 'the right stuff'. It's just his rotten personality that's allowed him to get so twisted up in his own perception of himself that he's now stumbling because he's never had to grow as a result of tasting true, personal defeat. So far he's evolved only through the hard work he consistently puts into his basic training, but that's no longer going to cut it.

Not after he's met Isagi, who not only does not submit to Barou, but also refuses to remove him from his own equations, and thus forces him to have a role in his designs.

When Barou used to get praised by his peers as a child for dominating the pitch, he wondered how could anyone find joy in simply supporting someone else's plays. He did not understand this mindset, and never even attempted to begin to understand it — but he did accept their service as he dedicated himself to the pursuit of 'his own type of play'.

Ultimately he grew into the realisation that it's not just the feeling of being the leading actor that he likes, but the feeling of getting to show others that they are not the protagonist by overwhelming their 'stupid dreams' with his own power. It's the same thing he tried to do to Isagi repeatedly; first in the Team X versus Team Z game, and then later when Isagi came to ask for his advice:

The first time around he almost managed to make a dent on Isagi's resolve, but ultimately Isagi took his words and used them as fuel to grow stronger (and more egotistical). By the time they trained together, Barou's words don't even manage to penetrate Isagi's skin, what with him being too busy to learn from Barou's example and then admire his skills and attitude in the privacy of his own thoughts.

But now they're here, in this 3v3 match, and the same Isagi whom Barou has repeatedly tried to make 'understand his place' has now managed to not only use Barou against his will to support him in his own plays, but is also shining so brightly that Barou is starting to feel a creeping sense of dread.

He really isn't willing to face the possibility that someone might make him taste his own medicine for the first time by pushing him into the role of a supporting actor. He proceeds to go into a bit of a frenzy, stealing Team White's kickoff and trying to score a goal from the half-way line. He doesn't succeed, of course, but the play leads into a situation where he is able to be the first to a stray ball with an unobstructed view of the goal.

Thinking this is finally his chance to 'be the leading man', he dashes forward, only to get raced by Chigiri. Not yet in his shooting range, he wrestles with himself over the decision to either shoot immediately or try to dribble closer at the threat of losing the ball — but before he can make the final choice, Isagi appears into his direct line of sight.

And I'm just going to put this whole sequence here because it speaks for itself:

Through changing himself, Isagi has made Barou taste true defeat for the first time, without even realising just how much that has impacted the self-assured king. In Isagi's mind, Barou has transformed from someone amazing with vast potential into a pawn he can use to score his own goals, a true supporting actor in the strictest sense of the word.

As he is right now, Barou is no longer worth Isagi's admiration. And once again, Isagi thinks he has him all figured out.

For now.

Link to next post.

#barosagi #barousagi #bris #isbr #Blue Lock #bris/isbr meta

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ellecdc · 28 days

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🧺! congratulations, elle!! you're such a good writer, i've been loving all your posts. i'm hoping to request a matchmaker???

my favorite color has been dark like foresty green for so long but navy blue has had me in a chokehold recently

i'm a competitive dancer but my favorite past time is reading specifically mystery books (and reading fanfics maybe too much...)

my favorite animals are bears, i don't care if they're dangerous cause they're so big and fluffy

im lowkey between obsessions at the moment but a couple constants are criminal minds, doctor who, little women and pirates of the caribbean (and harry potter ofc)

just a little 🤏 nervous to see what you think but also excited! 🫶🫶🫶

-🩰

ooooh ok ok Remus and hmmmmm James!

Remus would love to read with you and would LOVE Criminal Minds and Little Women!

James would be the BEST dance boyfriend/husband etc, he'd be cheering for you like it was a football/soccer game and you'd have to stop him from "booing" everyone else lmfao. He'd also love Doctor Who and PotC.

I see James as a big old bear/giving the best bear hugs, and I think Remus might also understand what it means to love something you should perhaps be a little bit afraid of?

side note: if not friend, why this?

#elle's celebratory 2k picnic #elle plays matchmaker

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ddelline · 2 months

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oeh, tag game post

I never do these they're fun 🥲 tagged by @karaargent ❣️

1. Are you named after anyone?

I am; my first (and last) name are from my great-grandmother (dad's side) & my middle name is from my mom's great-grandmother (yeah, that old) thx god both had timeless names, it could've gone either way w those generations, lol

2. When was the last time you cried?

uhhh, I think 2 months ago (happy tears!) I'm really not prone to crying (hashtag internalize it (this is not a brag and u should not do that, I do that, but you should .... not))

3. Do you have kids?

that's gonna be a no from me, dog

4. What sport have you played?

I did horseback riding for twelve years, figure skating for eight; apart from that I've played some tennis (alas I was 2 poor 2 continue, once my friend broke up w the tennis coach she was seeing, who at the time gave us discounted lessons lol) that's it. I've been steeped in & deeply invested in football (soccer & american), hockey & other sh*t since I was a kid, but I could never be a team sports player (bc social anxiety & a hit of that autism lol)

5. Do you use sarcasm?

it's hard not to, idk what to tell you

6. What's the first thing you notice about other people?

ugh way 2 much; mostly everything except what they're actually saying, I tend to forget that whilst cataloguing exactly everything else. which is a problem ......

7. Eye color?

green

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

uh, depends? I'm not super into scary movies, but it's hard to come across a truly satisfying happy ending these days (imo); I enjoy both if done right, tbh

9. Any talents?

idk what counts as a talent, I'd say writing or djing, but I'd consider both of those skills more than talents? well, idk, let's go w that

10. Where were you born?

stockholm

11. Hobbies?

writing, reading, watching tv (important distinction to make; I am not a movie person at all) music digging, djing, uhhhh yeah

12. Pets?

currently no; I grew up w 2 cats and a dog, and me and my ex had 2 cats together, but none atm

13. How tall are you?

169 cm (ngl I tend 2 round up to 170)

14. Favorite subject in school?

all subjects that could be considered tied to social sciences, so languages, sociology, religion, philosophy etc; essentially anything where you got to write & argue, lol

15. Dream job?

oh god, this question. I've had 3 dream jobs - currently I want to work w something as far away from my dream job as possible; if I get paid by a corporation to do it, I don't wanna do anything dream like. I wanna work w my dreams on my own time. so idk, lol, a 9-5 that requires minimum creative input & critical thought - that I'd save for after work

tagging @ anyone & everyone who feels the urge (since I don't have many moots still lol) 💝

#tag game #tag meme

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glimmcr · 7 months

Text

𝑽𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑻𝒀 𝑭𝑨𝑰𝑹 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺 ... A LIE DETECTER TEST

" we're going to be taking a lie detector test today. you will be hooked up to the machine, and we will ask you a series of questions - whether you tell the truth or lie is up to you, but the test wil be able to snitch out any lies."

" to start, what is your first name and what city are we in ? "

“maggie rosario – wait, do i have to say my full name? i didn’t lie did i? oh, right, we’re in nyc.”

" thank you. how are you feeling today ? "

“i’m peachy! thanks for asking!”

" understandable. how about an easier one - what's your favourite colour ? "

“lilac, it’s also my favorite flower! you just know spring is finally here when they bloom!”

" and your favourite film genre ? "

“musicals. or rom-coms. how can i choose?”

" let's see - what is one thing you wouldn't be found without ? "

“a pen. you never know when inspiration will strike! i used to constantly look for one so i started carrying one with me.”

" keeping it light, what's your drink of choice ? "

“tea. hot or iced. i prefer spicy teas, though.”

" which of the following have you attended, and would you attend ? "

bold what's been attended, italicize what would attend / attend again.

the ballet. the met gala. the horse track. the race track. a yacht party. the opera. the orchestra. a broadway show. a shakespeare production. a concert. a comedian. an ( american ) football game. a soccer / football game. a documentary film. a film premiere. a polo game. art museum. wine tastings. nyc sightseeing tour. celebrity sightseeing tours. haunted tours. charity galas. fashion shows. fashion week. disneyworld / disneyland. a basketball game. a hockey game. a baseball game. a boxing match. a cricket match. the golf course. the olympics.

" oooh, we're jumping into something a bit heavier now. what is the one thing you want to achieve in life ? "

“i think i just want to be remembered. doesn’t have to be by a ton of people but i want to make an impact, i think that’s why i like writing so much. creating worlds that will outlast me.”

" who knows what the fates have in store. how do you feel about reputation.com ? it's all anyone seems to be talking about lately."

“oh, i’ve read some things on there but i don’t put much stock into it. even if it is true, it’s not my business so i shouldn’t pry.”

" everyone is entitled to their own opinion, i guess. what's the weirdest / craziest headline you've read about yourself there ? "

“that i’m married.”

" what's something you are currently working on ? "

“ooh, is this where i get to shamelessly plug my next book?”

" i'll look forward to it. one last official question - and it's an easier one. cats or dogs ? "

“i like both but i do have a dog so i guess i gotta say dogs.”

" personally, i'm a dog fan anyday. anything else you'd like to add ? "

"when do we get to hook you up to this thing?"

" well, thank you so much for joining us today - can't wait to have you back with us soon."

#wealth.lies #in which maggie does not lie ever #✦ 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘 // tasks

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daysdraem · 7 months

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JULIA YANG TAKES A LIE DETECTOR TEST .

" okay, that sounds easy enough. "

" to start, what is your first name and what city are we in ? "

" seoyeon yang— i adopted the name julia in grade school. we're currently in manhattan. "

" thank you. how are you feeling today ? "

" nervous, but also excited. i've never done anything like this before. "

" understandable. how about an easier one - what's your favourite colour ? "

" currently, it's milennium pink— specifically. it constantly changes. "

" and your favourite film genre ? "

" romantic comedy, especially on a lazy sunday with a bottle of wine. "

" let's see - what is one thing you wouldn't be found without ? "

" oh, this is an easy one ! i always have a lip gloss or lip oil of some kind— either that or a perfume oil. "

" keeping it light, what's your drink of choice ? "

" i don't drink often, but i love mezcal margaritas. "

" which of the following have you attended, and would you attend ? "

" oooh, we're jumping into something a bit heavier now. what is the one thing you want to achieve in life ? "

" i want to become more than just an influencer. this life is fun, knowing that people love seeing my everyday life, but i want more. i love fashion, so i hope whatever is out there for me includes doing something within that scope. "

" who knows what the fates have in store. how do you feel about reputation.com ? it's all anyone seems to be talking about lately. " " i don't really know how i feel about it. on one hand it's kind of funny, but on the other it just seems like it's people who have nothing else better to do. seems a little weird to keep tabs on people like that, but whatever. "

" everyone is entitled to their own opinion, i guess. what's the weirdest / craziest headline you've read about yourself there ? "

" i went home to korea earlier this year, and i apparently got married while there ! i bumped into an old friend, but i guess our hangouts were a little too intimate than we thought they were. "

" what's something you are currently working on ? "

" i don't think i'm at liberty to say— not yet. sorry ! "

" i'll look forward to it. one last official question - and it's an easier one. cats or dogs ? "

" i hope you do. oh, easy— dogs. specifically cockapoos. "

" personally, i'm a dog fan anyday. anything else you'd like to add ? "

" hmm, i'd just say thank you for having me, and i hope reputation.com finds something else better do do with their time. plus, right now all of the stories are rather boring. "

" well, thank you so much for joining us today - can't wait to have you back with us soon."

" thank you ! i can't wait to come back. "

#wealth.lies #⋆　∗　 (　🫧　)　. . .　𝑦𝑎𝑛𝑔　‚　𝐣𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚　⏤　tasks.

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officiallyisagibrainrotted · 2 years

Note

that meguru ff was soooooo cute 🥺🥺🥺

could i request something where meguru has a childhood friend (gender neutral) who's a natural at football and they find that out when he invites them to play with him? like, they are usually timid when it comes to playing sports, but meguru manages to convince them to try it.

if you decide to write this one take your time and thank you in advance! 💞💕

First off I'm glade to hear what you think about my fic ,I really appreciate the feedback!.Usually I would only write for female reader but there was nothing specific on here so there was no point.

|A Small Push|

⚠️Warning⚠️:Short,a bit of self doubt,none after that.

You watch as he dribbles the ball around the large field, He wasn't paying with anyone but himself. And you of course.

You watch his amazing footwork and dribble skills as he dances across the field. The sweat dripping from his hair onto his temple and down his chin.

You could actually feel the energy he giving off even from where you sat.

You can see it in his eyes just how enhanced he is in the game.

*sigh*.

A small sigh left your lips, usually you would not have agreed to come and watch him play.

He knows how much you don't like sports and timid you'd get when being involved in one.

You couldn't even watch sports on TV much less watch your best friend play it.

Watching them play just kept tempting you to get from your fatal position and join the feild like everyone tells you to.

But the timid side of you just wouldn't allow you to do that.

You just prefer to stay in the side lines. And just watch everyone else play the sport you desperately wanted.

Yeah that's what you want,To just hug the corners of the feild,watching everyone pass you by,watching LIFE pass you by.

Ugh!,You knew this isn't what you want.You really wanted to play,with Bachira in particular.

"(Y/n)!".

The voice caused you to jump,You look up to see none other then your closest friend.

"What's up Bachira?" .

"Play with me". He said simply.

"Bachira we've talked about this". You rolled your eyes as you said this.

"I know but one game won't kill you''.

"Bachira just stop ok I really mean it".

''You do you keep on running away,I know you wanna play soccer I can see it in your eyes.How you look at the superstars on TV play. How you watch me play".

There was a small silence

"How bout this if I win you have to play soccer....permanently but if you win you don't have to play soccer and I'll never ask you about it again".

You truly didn't wanna give up on soccer.

"I love soccer,but I'm not sure what's holding me back.I know I'm good and I deserve to be on a team".

"You think that good?". He says.

His words took you by shock.

"What you don't think I am?". You said as you got up to face him.

"Well,(Y/n) you're gonna have to prove it". He said as he shoves the ball against your chest.

"Bring it".

REBLOGS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!👍

#blue lock #blue lock x reader #blue lock x female reader #blue lock bachira x reader #blue lock Bachira #blue lock kunigami #blue lock rin #blue lock isagi #blue lock sae #blue lock baro #blue lock kunigami x reader #blue lock shidou #bllk bachira #bllk x reader #bllk Bachira x reader

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wsl-chelsea · 2 years

Note

Can some of your australian anons please post the whole interview with Sam somewhere? I just see the part from the tumblr fan page, I can't open the interview from europe somehow. Thank you!

here you go!

Having a relationship at work can be challenging in a lot of ways: work can’t just stay at work, irritations from home come to the office, and then there’s that awkward conversation you need to have with HR. That goes to another level when you play professional sports and are on opposing teams, like Australian soccer captain Sam Kerr and her partner Kristie Mewis, who is a midfielder on the US national soccer team.

Of course, inter team dating is nothing new, especially if you look to international ice hockey teams, where the Canadian and American captains just keep getting married, and the AFLW, from which so many families have sprouted. One concern that people used to have in the past about people on opposing teams dating is that it might make them go easier on each other, but Kerr reckons the opposite is true for her and Mewis.

“When we play each other, we go in harder on each other. It's just so much more fun to go [play] against your friends, and especially her. There was one time in Newcastle we both went in for a dangerous tackle on each other,” Kerr said. “But that's the love of it, right? We can just banter afterwards. To have someone that's going through the same thing is very nice on this journey.”

Surprisingly, another thing Kerr hates is the gym, which isn’t something you’d expect from one of the world’s top athletes. “Oh my god, getting me in the gym is one of life’s hardest challenges. I’m very on-pitch driven.”

Once she’s in the gym, her least favourite exercise is chin ups. “I have a hate/love relationship with chin-ups. I feel like I never get better at them. They’re just the hardest thing in the world. I want to be good at them, but I just can’t, and that’s what drives me crazy about them. They’re just the hardest drill and never get easier.”

One thing you usually hear in the stories about elite athletes is that they were practically born holding a ball and have known they wanted to be the best their whole lives, and never waivered in the face of adversity. One of the things that’s so refreshing about Kerr is that she’s so open about the fact that soccer wasn’t her first love, and it’s not all that she is, which can be inspiring for young women trying to choose their path.

“I was playing football at a high level and I still wasn't sure about what I wanted to do. So, I think my advice is just enjoy the journey. It's okay to have ups and downs. It's okay to not know what your direction is. For young girls now growing up, especially with the stress of social media and all of those things, I think it's just really important to enjoy the process, while always staying true to who you are.”

Her message is that you don’t have to be sure of everything all the time. “What you see of athletes, whether it's the 90 minutes on the field or the social media posts, that's just a glimpse of everyone's life. I always say to people, I'm just a regular person. I have the same issues and problems and life dramas that everyone else has. I have people in my team right now that aren't sure about their journey, and I'm not sure about my journey after football. No one has a clear path in life ever.”

One of Kerr’s favourite hobbies when she’s away from soccer is shopping, mainly for sneakers, bags and clothes. “I just love clothes. I think style is such a cool way to express yourself. At the moment I’m on a shopping ban, because I went a bit crazy in the off season. But I love shopping.”

When we had our chat, she was wearing a bright pink Balenciaga hoodie, which seems to encapsulate her style well. “I think I’m like a relaxed, sporty, tomboy-y, style. Honestly, I don’t have a style, I’ll see things and say ‘I could wear that’, and Kristie will always say to me that I can wear things that no one else could wear, and I kinda like that. I just wear what I wanna wear and I dress for comfort.”

Her other hobby is playing video games like FIFA, a game for which she just made history by becoming the first female global cover star for.

Part of the process of being scanned into the game as a player sounds delightfully weird and has the potential for supreme awkwardness.

“When you know it’s going towards something like FIFA, you just want to be a part of it, and really get into it so the emotions are true to who you are and what you look like. But it can be a little bit awkward. You’re in a room with these people who are watching you do your best scream in this otherwise quiet room, and then make a happy face and an angry face. When you’re putting your head in [the scanner], there are 1000 lights, and most of the girls were there watching too, so it was fun, but not the most comfortable thing to show that many emotions in front of that many people.”

#sam kerr

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thommi-tomate · 7 months

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Interview with Frans Krätzig

By: FCB

Frans, let's start with a question that I'm sure you've been asked before: Why is your name spelled with an "s"?

(smiles) There's no special reason, so no Dutch influences or anything like that, as I read once. My parents liked the name Franz, but they wanted something special. And so they spelled me with an 's'. In Bavaria, in the land of Franz-Beckenbauer, people sometimes look at me funny, but I've long since gotten used to it.

In the summer of 2017, you were one of the first talents to settle in at the FC Bayern Campus, which had just opened its doors. Join us on your journey, what did you take with you back then?

Not much, a big bag, a backpack, that's all. In fact, I moved in late because my parents had booked our summer vacation a long time ago and we didn't want to cancel it. I perfectly remember the respect I felt the first day I set foot on the Campus. I had visited it before, but when you move there when you are only 14 years old, everything seems enormous.

What is it like to grow in the Campus and to grow in football?

You get the Bayern DNA in your blood from day one and you quickly realize that it's all about winning, winning and winning. I thought that was great, because that's how you learn to handle the pressure from the start. I remember the incredible feeling I had when I looked at the first few games and saw the Bayern crest on the left side of my chest. Until then, I had only seen it on TV.

Your teammate Johannes Schenk, who is currently on loan at Preußen Münster, used to say that your room on campus was always the meeting place for your gang because you had the biggest room.

Tuesday and Wednesday there was Champions League, from Friday to Sunday Bundesliga... and in between we played console games. We had many great afternoons. But I can also explain to you why I had the biggest room: before the rooms for the following year were distributed, they always looked at who had the tidiest room, and that person then had the honor of getting the biggest room. So in a way I had earned it (smiles).

I'm sure you've also done some mischief...

That's part of it, isn't it? But we would never run away, because that wouldn't have done much good on campus. (laughs) For example, we would play hide-and-seek all over the campus grounds, including the gym area and the office building, late into the night. And one time one of the guys snuck into the PA booth at night in the stadium, turned on all the speakers and pretended he was a ghost haunting the Campus: 'Boo-hoo, I'm the Campus ghost' - it was hilarious.

Every year we have seen that many players have not been able to establish themselves. How do you manage this pressure?

At the lower levels, you don't realize how much performance is measured. I really felt the pressure from U-17 and U-19. There are phases in between where you think: this is exactly what I've wanted to do all my life, but what if it doesn't work out? In my second year with the U-19s, I was out for seven months with pubalgia and a hernia. A very long time, during which a lot of things were going through my head: Will I come back? What would it be like to live at home again? What kind of studies would I be interested in? My U19 coach, Danny Galm, helped me a lot at the time and supported me mentally.

What escape strategy would you have had?

Both my parents work in creative professions. I was always impressed when you can develop and design something freely. Interior design, for example, would have been an option. I think it's good to do something else for the head besides soccer. Last year I enrolled in a degree course, but soon dropped out. The course was called "Sports Management in Football", but I quickly realized that I couldn't think about football 24 hours a day. I came from training, I had to study... and there I was again thinking about football.

If you ask around campus, everyone raves about your openness. Where does that come from?

My whole family is very open and communicative. I learned very early on how important kindness and politeness are in life. I also had to go my own way as a young man and managed on my own. So it's a mix of good education and quick independence; I hope my parents will be happy when they read this (laughs).

How hard is it not to take off?

I learned at home to always keep my feet on the ground. You should never become arrogant; on the other hand, a healthy self-confidence on the soccer pitch doesn't hurt if you want to make a name for yourself at FC Bayern.

In your childhood you played as a midfielder, how come you are now a left back?

You have to ask Holger Seitz about that. David Herold went on loan to Austria during the last winter break, and Seitz thought he'd try me out as a left-back due to a shortage of players. After a training session, I went to his coach's office, he explained what he expected of me, and it worked out quite well. I really like the full-back role, but I don't want to rule out going back to six, eight or ten at some point.

It is not uncommon for experienced midfielders to take their first professional steps as full-backs: Philipp Lahm, Joshua Kimmich ...

Joshua is generally a good role model. How he can be so dedicated in every training session, how he is so eager to win every training match... sometimes I stand next to him and think: Wow, I want to be like that too, that's exactly why we play football. Josh never ceases to impress me

#frans krätzig #fc bayern münchen #interview

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dutchforstrangers · 3 years

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Match day!

Hup Holland hup

...

Also a very Dutch bonus picture, including a mill, my bike and some extra orange decorations:

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fairyoftbz · 3 years

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it's never too late... | b. jacob

🏀 pairing: crush! basketball player! jacob x fem!reader 🏀 genre: high school!au, fluff, (sort of) strangers/acquaintances-to-lovers 🏀 word count: 5.2k 🏀 tw: very cliché 😳 and it goes kinda fast lmaoo 🏀 a/n: lisa I'm sorry I took this long to do your request, but I hope you'll like it nonetheless!! ALSO: to my fellow Americans, here football = soccer!! 🏀 requested: yes! thank you lisa!! @skrtbabe

╰☆☆☆☆╮

You had waited for this time since the beginning of your academic journey there. Graduating from high school was two months away, and it felt just as exciting as weird.

It felt like you had started your first year last week, but the amount of work and time spent in those dull buildings makes you feel like you’ve been there for at least five years.

It was exhausting to attend classes and see the same people every single day of the year, with repetitive subjects, annoying or cool teachers depending on your luck and everything that followed. The homework, the assignments, the small -or not so small- fights between classes or groups of people, you were praying that university wouldn’t sound like that.

However, at the same time, you were almost starting to feel nostalgic for this time. The last years where you could remain a bit silly before entering the adult world, being in your last teen years with people that you appreciated and met there. You chose to do this before letting them go and live your own lives, memories that will disappear if you don’t cherish them enough.

So, with Soyeon, your best friend, you decided to enjoy the time that you had left to do things together while still studying and revising for the exams, which was sometimes not easy to do. Yes, you shared classes, but personal and private activities sometimes came in the way and prevented you from hanging out.

“It’s life after all,” she said one night over the phone as you shared your opinion on this topic, “it’s good that we can be together almost 24/7, but sometimes, things don’t allow us to be together. It might be for the best, we never know,” she said, trying to be positive no matter the situation she was in, but you knew her well. As much as she wants to appear strong, you had found her many times crying on her own. But it was her personality, and no matter how hard you tried to change her, what's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh.

Soyeon wasn’t your only friend, you were getting along well with most of your girl classmates, as well as the boys that weren’t suffocating under the number of pick-me-girls that were populating your school and your class.

Sadly for you, you’ve been eyeing the most popular (and prettiest) boy in your whole school since you crossed gaze with him at the very beginning of your first year there. Jacob, your crush, was also the star basketball player of your school, and constantly surrounded and attracting cheerleaders or rich, random, good-looking girls, which had a knack for getting on your nerves. He was always spending time together with his pals and teammates, but other people as well. Everyone wanted to be his friend because you know, he had a promising career ahead of him, so it was always nice to be friends with a potential future celebrity.

As defeated as you were, there was still a small voice in your head telling you to do something before he left to go back to his home country, South Korea, where he had a career already planned and traced out.

You were confused as it was almost impossible for you to get a chance with him since you were not one of those girls and you simply couldn’t compete against them, but Soyeon and her boyfriend Sunwoo were always there to praise you and reassure you about your potential chances of dating him. Never convinced by your friends’ words, you had tried many times to get him out of your head and focus on someone else, but it never worked. Everything came back to him. He was unique and oh so nice, everything reminded you of him, and it was sickening at this point.

“He won't get out of my head, it’s getting on my nerves,” you shared your thoughts to your best friend as you braced your head in your hands, slapping your cheeks as if it were going to change anything and help you throw Jacob out of your brain.

“Why do I keep this stupid boy in my head when I know I don’t stand a single chance against those girls,” you slapped your cheeks harder and whined as Soyeon’s hand landed on your wrist.

“Y/N, stop your nonsense. You are perfect, you don’t need to change anything for him!”

“It’s easier said than done, you pulled the football star player!” you exclaimed, and she rolled her eyes, shifting closer to whisper.

“He pulled me because he knew that I am pretty, and that wouldn’t change a single thing for him. If he’s not happy with who I am, he can leave,” she shrugs, signalling you to do the same if you dated Jacob.

Sunwoo was also among the popular boys, but your friend remained the same, not even trying to fit in with the popular girls. She claimed that Sunwoo fell in love with her for her true self, so she didn’t see the point of changing to please other people. And you wished you had her confidence and her strength, admiring her for not changing anything about herself to please others.

Back to the present.

You felt stuck, desperately in love with an unapproachable boy who was too popular and way out of your league to be lucky to have his eyes sparing you any sort of attention. Even if he was a sweet young man, he was always surrounded by popular people, who were trying to hook up or use him for his school fame and sharp features.

One day, while studying with your best friend at the library, Sunwoo and one of his friends, Hyunjae, the football captain, burst into the library and come not so quietly to your table.

“For the love of God, can you both be quiet for once?” Soyeon whispered-yelled but her voice got toned down by Sunwoo vividly pressing his lips on hers, an arm wrapping around her shoulders. Hyunjae laughed but quickly gagged as they didn’t stop the kiss as quickly as the captain wished.

“Gosh, please, get a room,” he mumbled before hugging you, your knee resting against his as his arms pressed you against his chest.

Your friendship with Hyunjae felt more like siblings, he was genuinely nice and caring with you, making sure that you were okay and that you had enough of everything before allowing you to go home. Despite all the teasing and a few rumours going around school, you were not dating and didn’t have any romantic feelings for each other. He simply checked that you had an older brother figure since you were the first-born child, and it felt relieving.

The thing you did not know was that Jacob and a few of his basketball teammates, Juyeon, Eric and Younghoon, were a few tables away from yours, your back facing them, the future star looking at you and Hyunjae from the corner of his eyes. He nodded at his friend at your table, who gave him a wink as an answer, Jacob’s eyes burning holes into your back as Hyunjae was close to you. Too close to you for the basketball player not to feel something churn in his stomach.

Two long, manicured fingers snapped in front of his eyes to get him out of his reverie, lazily looking at the girl that sat across from him, who he was supposed to get help from.

“Jacob please, pay attention to meeeeee,” she whined and pouted, giving him puppy eyes that he couldn’t give a single fuck about, too busy in his mind to hear what she had to say.

She had volunteered to help him study History, but she wasn’t any better, probably worse than he was. It was already the third time Juyeon corrected her basic knowledge without being an expert himself, not even caring about the death glares she kept sending him. It only made him smirk as he knew it irked her dearly yet amused the rest of the table a lot.

They all sighed as she finally took the hint and left their table, Jacob bitterly chuckling as Hyunjae rolled his eyes when she walked past your table, his demeanour making you laugh.

╰☆╮

“Bro, do you think I should ask Y/N for help? Isn’t that a bit… lame?” Jacob sat on one of the soccer balls, hands joined and panting as Sunwoo practised his dribbling skills before shooting the ball in the cages, aiming for the up-right corner. He trotted to his friend and collapsed on the grass next to him, the last rays of sunshine offering his skin a wonderful, honey glow. He ruffled his hair after plopping down, checking his phone for any message before answering.

“If you need help, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask her. I mean, she’s super smart in every subject, but she’s just the boss in History. Her presentations are always golden, and she explains things a lot better than some of the teachers.”

“I got Smith as a teacher,” the basketball player grimaced, his left hand holding his right wrist as his gaze wandered in the grass.

“We’ve got Antal, and I can tell you that she’s always mad when Y/N does a presentation because they honestly just sound better than her lessons,” Sunwoo chuckled as Jacob pondered his friend’s words, the gears of his mind working at full speed.

How is he going to be able to approach you and get to talk to you?

╰☆╮

“Bestie, no. I swear I saw that in the other book,” you said as you found yourself back in the library the following week, bending over the table to grab the book your best friend was resting hers on. You started flipping some pages when a loud, masculine chortle followed by some whispers of annoyance drawing your attention.

“Hi, babe! Hi Hyunj- Oh hi Jacob!” your neck almost snapped as you abruptly lifted your head up at the mention of your crush’s name, a small, embarrassed smile making its way on your mouth. You were a bit sad that your brother best friend was not here with Sunwoo, but you weren’t going to complain to have your crush instead.

“Can I sit here?” the basketball player asked in a soft voice while pointing at the empty spot next to you, making you quickly nod and gather your stuff to make him some space.

You resumed searching for the precious paragraph you were searching for your project as if it were nothing, trying to ignore your stammering heart in your chest and the couple eating each other's mouths. The only thing you hoped was that Jacob couldn’t hear the loud, irregular beats in your ribcage because it would give in your attraction to him.

“Hum, Y/N?” the voice next to you made you flinch, surprised that he knew your name and that he said it aloud.

“Y-Yes?” you said, cursing in your head as you stuttered.

“I heard that you were the Ace when it came to History,” Jacob started, and you couldn’t look at him in the eyes, fire spreading in your chest up to your face.

“I can’t really say that I’m the Ace, but I really love that subject, so yeah I have some… knowledge,” words tripped over your tongue, and your best friend pulled away from Sunwoo and scoffed.

“Some knowledge? Are you kidding?” she said, Sunwoo placing a hand on her mouth as she was louder than intended. She removed his palm and furrowed her brows at him, before turning her head back at you with the same angry expression.

“She knows so fucking much that Antal hates her because she feels humiliated compared to Y/N. So let me tell you one thing, Cobbie, if you need help, you’ve come to the right person. Y/N is just a living encyclopaedia,” your best friend proudly smirked as you glowered at her, Sunwoo chuckling at his girlfriend’s behaviour before immediately stopping.

“Wait, did you call him Cobbie? How come you call him like that when I get nothing other than babe or baby?” Sunwoo argued while pouting, and your best friend sighed, ruffling his hair before pressing her lips against his one more time, making you slightly grimace as envy flooded your veins.

You sighed and dared to look at Jacob, who was reading the beginning of your essay written on your computer, leaving Sunwoo and your best friend bicker like the cute couple they were.

“Do you have this project too?” you asked, and he shook his head, eyes remaining glued on the computer screen.

“It’s so interesting what you wrote, I like your way of writing and explaining stuff,” he offered a small smile as he looked at you, clearing his throat. For someone that was super popular and constantly surrounded by friends or people at parties, he behaved and sounded quite like an introvert.

“W-Well, thank you,” you said with a smile and turned your head to the side for a second, taking a deep breath before looking back at him, opening a new tab on your computer after he gestured to you that he was done reading.

“What do you need help with?”

╰☆╮

You were astonished at how quick-minded Jacob was. Behind his fit, muscular appearance and obsession with basketball, he had the soul of a thinker and grasped the knowledge of historical concepts quite easily and rapidly. He just wasn’t good with the way Smith was teaching, the method not suiting him.

“You retain things well for someone who hates History,” you joked, and he shyly smiled, scratching his neck. His smile looked gorgeous, and you were pleasantly surprised at how much of a genuine person he was.

“Well, History is not my cup of tea, but it might be a bit more thanks to you,” he said, and you tried to stifle a smile, thankful that your best friend was no longer sitting across from you because she wouldn’t have let you two live.

“It’s nothing. You can come back to me if you need help, I really don’t mind. I actually like explaining things,” you said, and he nodded, clicking your pen close before placing it in your pouch.

“Thank you, really. Sunwoo was actually the one that told me about you, so I have to thank him as well,” you stood up and slowly started to pack your stuff, shutting down your computer with a smile.

“I’m glad he did so, I just hope it was positive,” you giggled, and he quickly joined you, twirling his pen in between his fingers as he cleared his throat.

“You know, it’s Sunwoo. It can only be nice and positive,” you genuinely smiled at him and fall in silence, throwing glances at each other from time to time as the conversation was slowly starting to die down.

“And... How’s basketball going by the way? Is everything going well?” you asked, and his heart skipped a beat at your question as it took him off guard.

“I-It’s going pretty well, I’m excited to finish high school to be able to focus on basketball. I’m gonna have to take some of my last finals in South Korea because the season and the training start pretty early in Summer so…” his voice trailed as his eyes widened, a hand slapping his mouth as you both stood up.

“What?” you quizzed, confused by his sudden change of behaviour.

“I… was meant to keep this a secret,” his voice trailed, the end of his sentence falling in a whisper as he started panicking. “Can we pretend you didn’t hear what I said?” he asked as you placed your bag strap on your shoulder, taking your sweater before pushing the chair against the table.

“Said what?” you replied with a smile, and Jacob sighed in relief, somehow feeling like his secret was safe with you, even if you’ve talked to him for the first time at the beginning of the afternoon.

╰☆╮

The rest of the month rolled off smoothly, yet the stress and the revisions became more intense as the days went by. You didn’t hear anything back from Jacob, but you’ve caught him staring at you a few times, offering him an awkward wave and a smile as not to get noticed by some of his “fan girls”, as they called themselves.

You still had a whole month left before finals, and you felt blessed as summer decided to start a bit earlier this year. It was only the beginning of May, but you were already able to wear shorts and dresses. It felt good to see the blue sky and being surrounded by the warmth of the sun hitting your exposed skin after the cold, lonely winter and spring you’ve just got out of. Everything looked prettier and warmer, and it did nothing but make you happier and brighter, despite the stress of the finals piling up on your shoulders.

So, to get rid of this pressure, you decided to leave town with Hyunjae and let him drive to one of the lakes that surrounded your town, knowing that the beach and parks would get crowded in no time. It was a place that you used to go to with your parents when you were still a child, memories that you shared with your friend coming back flooding in your mind.

Hyunjae and his family tagged along to give you some company and take care of you as your parents were busy looking after your newborn twin sisters, Hyunjae and his younger brother acting like elder siblings to you.

After driving for a few dozens of minutes, you settled your stuff in the shade, right under a weeping willow that offered you freshness throughout the entire day. Your best friend napped almost the entire time you were there, hand lingering on his abs while the other plucked out some grass until he dozed off, trying to store as many hours of rest as possible before finals. By his side was you, reading a book and enjoying the chilly water to cool down from the hot temperatures of early Summer, playfully nudging the young man next to you each time he was starting to snore.

It’s near the middle of the afternoon that you heard another car pulling up near the lake, a bunch of excited teenagers coming out of a van. You didn’t pay much attention to them, only sighing as your peace was about to get ruined, their screams when they jumped in the water woke your best friend up.

He abruptly sat up next to you and rubbed his eyes, some sleeping marks lingering on his face, making you giggle. Being the short-sighted idiot that he was, he squinted to try and recognise some people, but he didn’t have to.

A young woman screamed and started jumping up and down, waving her arms above her head in your direction, hearing her scream something towards you.

You looked at each other with Hyunjae, confusion painted on your faces, hearing your phone buzz in your small bag hidden by your folded clothes.

“Hello?” you said as Hyunjae’s phone started vibrating too, picking up the call as well.

“Y/N, it’s us! We’re on the opposite side of the lake! Come and join us!” you heard your best friend yell in your ear, hearing her as well through Hyunjae’s phone, who picked up a call from her boyfriend.

“Okay, we’re coming!” you excitingly said as you hung up, waving at your best friend from your spot as you started packing your stuff to get back in the car and meet up with your friends.

Your best friend excitingly jumped in your arms as soon as you got out of the car,

“Tt’s crazy how we’re so connected! Did you also think that the beach would be crowded?” she asked, and you nodded with a smile, happy to see her this joyful to see you.

The inseparable duo was here, as well as Younghoon, Jacob, Eric, Juyeon and Sangyeon, the striker of the football team. They all engulfed you in a tight hug, Jacob staying in the background the entire time.

“Hi Jacob!” you brightly said and wrapped your arms around his neck, hugging him close. “Hi Y/N,” his answer vibrated in his chest and had repercussions in yours, sending your heart flying in your ribcage.

You looked so good being this carefree, it was thankfully a sight that he managed to imprint in his mind despite the shortness of the moment. Being surrounded by all your friends felt so good that you forgot to be awkward and worry about the stupidest things, and Jacob adored seeing you this natural and smiling in the company of your friends. He was a bit sad that he wasn’t fully the reason for your smile though, but he still managed to enjoy the rest of the day with you and your mutual friends, whether you were on the ground or in the water.

Sangyeon, Younghoon and Juyeon copied Hyunjae and joined him in a restoring nap, while Eric, Sunwoo, Jacob, Soyeon and you played different games in the water, improvising a volleyball match with an imaginary net and the ball Sunwoo took with him as the volleyball, but it did the job. It was just a bit hurtful for the liberos since it wasn’t as soft and bouncy as a volleyball, but the joy of the moment allowed any type of pain to become bearable.

The evening eventually started to settle in, and you all got out of the water, drying yourselves before deciding to spend a part of the night here. You helped Sangyeon build a bonfire in the safe area by bringing some different branches, the eldest placing them correctly before lighting them with his pocket lighter.

“Hyung! I didn’t know you were a boy-scout,” Sunwoo exclaimed and made everyone laughed as you all were sliding some marshmallows on a stick, Sangyeon smiling with modesty at everyone.

“Ya, don’t say this,” Sangyeon mumbled, and you smile, rubbing his upper back as he sat down next to you, thanking him when you handed him over his marshmallow stick.

“Oh no! Mine burnt,” Soyeon pouted when she retrieved her snack from the flames, and her boyfriend was quick to give her his sweets, Eric cooing at the gesture of affection.

“Give it to me, I like them burnt,” he mumbled as he bit in the fluffy texture, immediately regretting it as it was boiling. His girlfriend handed him water as he stood up, bouncing up and down to try and reduce what felt like flames in his mouth.

“Oh my, thanks babe,” he muttered with his mouth stuffed when he gulped down everything with a pained expression on his face. Eric’s eyes filled with boredom locked into yours and you both chuckled, your friend shaking his head.

“When is it gonna be my turn,” he huffed and Sunwoo hit him playfully in the back as you all laughed around the bonfire, relating to your friend.

“When you’ll stop being obsessed with football and mango juice,” Eric grunted and folded his arms over his chest as Sangyeon called him out, making you coo and playfully run to him, holding him against you as he fake-cried on your chest while everyone was laughing at him.

Except for Jacob, who only offered a weak smile, but you didn’t catch it, too busy having fun and being light-hearted with your friends.

After your stomachs were filled with sweets and soda, Sunwoo pulled out his guitar and strummed a soft melody until some became heavy-eyed or fell asleep against the other, his girlfriend succumbing to his musical talents first. Jacob looked exhausted as well but forced his eyes open, finding him even hotter with hooded eyelids and his hair slightly curling with the humidity of the air and the lake water.

When it was time to go home, Hyunjae, as well as Younghoon, Sunwoo, Soyeon and Eric decided to jump into Hyunjae’s car to go to the beach, feeling the urge and the thrill of going skinny-dipping. On the other hand, you and the rest of the boys were too exhausted and modest to do this, only wanting to go home and get some good rest.

Just like they had arrived, Sangyeon was behind the wheel while the rest was either next to him or in the back seat. And you didn’t know how it happened, but you got stuck between the window and Jacob, who was struggling to keep his eyes open.

“You good?” you asked, and he turned his head towards you before offering you a tired yet sweet smile, moving his head up and down.

“I'm just exhausted, tonight was simply amazing,” he mumbled, and you expressed your agreement by a happy hum and a nod, bringing your attention to your eldest friend.

“Are you sure you’re awake enough to drive?” you enquired on the current situation and Sangyeon looks at you through the inner rear-view mirror, eyes forming two crescent moons as he smiled.

“I just jumped in the water, I’m nothing but awake,” he clapped in his hands to motivate himself and started the engine, your best friend’s car already gone.

Jacob rested his head against the headrest and closed his eyes, his head rolling to the side each time Sangyeon took a turn. You settled yourself on the window and let the vibrations of the car lull you to sleep, the small talk that Sangyeon and Juyeon were having in the front seats acted like a background noise, which helped you dozing off.

However, when the car pulled up in front of your house, they didn’t expect you to have your head resting against Jacob’s shoulder, his hand on your knee. The two men smiled at each other before Sangyeon got out of the vehicle, drawing the door open. As he was about to carry you to your doorstep, Jacob’s arm was quick to wrap itself around your waist, keeping you close to him.

You woke up confused, blinking a few times as you saw the striker standing next to you with a wide smile on his face. He removed a limb around your body, and you felt someone groan under your right shoulder, noticing in dread that you snuggled up to Jacob for some warmth in your sleep.

“You gotta go before the beast wakes up,” Sangyeon joked and winked as he helped you get out of the car, closing the door behind you. It opened again a few seconds later, Jacob looking just as confused as you were.

“Come on, lovebirds, we don’t have the night.”

“Lovebirds?” Jacob and you asked in unison, the basketball player rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. He jumped out of the van and gestured to Sangyeon to get back in.

“You can go, I live just around the corner,” he drowsily said as he vaguely gestured behind him.

“You sure? Your house is on my way back home, I can drop you off,” Sangyeon suggested but he refused, offering a handshake to the striker before letting him go.

Being more awake now, you waved at your friends driving away before turning to your crush, who looked even more adorable as he was super sleepy and just woke up.

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay? You look really tired,” you asked, voice still laced with sleep yet sounding caring, which made Jacob’s heartbeat fasten. He nodded and weakly smiled, taking a step closer to you. His attitude was a bolt from the blue as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you to him, nuzzling his face in your neck.

“You felt so warm during the ride, it’s almost like I could get used to this,” he tiredly said with a smile, gently pulling away to stare at you, his fingers leaving your back to come and slide a wild piece of hair behind your ear. Your whole body stiffened at his words as he stared at you in the eyes, noticing a small, washed-out smirk plastered on his face.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit... late to start something with someone? I mean, we have finals and then y-you’re le-leaving for South Korea and-” you started stammering as his thumb gently stroked your cheek, loving watching you lose your composure at his display of affection.

“It’s never too late when you love someone,” he whispered, feeling his warm breath tickling your lips in such a delicious manner that you have to resist the urge to move forward and press your lips against his.

His words punched the air out of your lungs, leaving you breathless as he kissed your cheek, mouth slowly moving to the side until it reached your lips. The kiss was soft yet a bit on the rougher side as if he wanted you to understand every feeling he had for you. Instinctively, your arms wrapped around his shoulders, and you kissed him harder, deeper, his hands on your lower back pulling you flush against him.

You had dreamt, wondered about what it was like kissing Jacob, but it never felt as good as you were experiencing it now. Fireworks and butterflies were erupting in your stomach, leaving you dizzy with love and passion as one of his hands came and cupped your cheek, the pad of his thumb gently caressing the skin.

Once you pulled away for oxygen, you held onto his shoulders for your dear life and he chuckled, his mouth slowly travelling down to your neck.

“I-I think my… my- oh my god, my parents will worry,” you gently pushed him away and he stared at you with a smile before diving in to capture your lips in another soft kiss.

“I'm only letting you go if you're free tomorrow. Let's put that off to tomorrow, shall we?” he asked, and your eyes widened at his suggestion.

“We can go back to the lake if you want, but only if we’re alone,” he said, his hand caressing your cheek while the other was busy stroking your upper back up and down.

“I want to enjoy this with you and you only,” he added, mumbling against your mouth and this time, you’re the one pulling him for a kiss.

“Come and pick me up at 10, then,” you said as you pulled away.

“I’ll be there, I promise,” he answered and started walking towards your house, closing the front gate behind you, waving at him with a smile.

He sent you a flying kiss with a smile and you waved at him one last time before closing the main door of your house behind you, both sighing with a huge smile and warmth painted on your faces.

You peeled the clothes off your skin and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower, shaking your head left to right while chuckling as you recalled what just happened in your last month of high school.

Nothing was making sense, you didn’t know how you got there, but you were happy.

And that’s what mattered the most.

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