#bllk thoughts

[thyandrawrites]

I'm gonna talk about this panel again, actually

Yes, Nagi's obliviousness to how he hurt Reo's feelings is frustrating yadda yadda yadda

But from the pov of Nagi being secure about their relationship, Reo hurt Nagi's feelings as well, and I feel like this gets rarely acknowledged?

Imagine this. You're Nagi. You don't wanna be in blue lock. You don't even want to attend. The summon letter you received interested you so little, you only opened it cause Reo did. You tagged along because Reo, your best friend, cared about it.

Then you learn blue lock is a special training program that will pit all the competitors against each other in a fight with only one winner. You don't wanna be Reo's enemy, and you don't want him to be yours. You try to leave, reasoning you don't want to face the day you'll either have to win against him and crush his career, or get eliminated yourself and crush his dream. You try to explain this to him. He doesn't understand—doesn't even want to listen. You sigh and keep tagging along, for his sake. Your heart isn't in it, but Reo believes in you so much you want him to be happy. You tell him, "stay with me till the end", knowing that parting will be inevitable at some point, despite his delusions otherwise. He tells you, "it's a promise, Nagi", and you believe him cause Reo puts his entire heart into his promises.

You still don't care that much about football. You'd rather be at home, secure that Reo is where he belongs, in a place filled with likeminded and driven people like him, and nothing like you. But you persist. For his sake, cause he still believes you more than you ever believed in yourself, really. At some point, soccer starts to become kind of fun. You can see yourself finally getting invested, and you tell him "I want to try to make an effort". Isn't this what he's always been wishing for all this time? For you to try, on your own, without bribery? And you tell him, "You and I are going to be best in the world. That's a fact." You believe so much in him, just as much as he believes in you. His dream was never yours, but you want to see it happen anyway, not for Reo but to keep staying with him until the end. Cause you like being with him. It's comfortable. It's fun. So you tell him, "later, Reo. I'll be waiting for you," because you'll always find your way to him, no matter what. You swore your future to him, and he to you.

You part ways with him and immediately feel lonely. You've never been apart for long, but you think his dream might be starting to become yours too, a little bit, cause you keep thinking about it—about ways to make it happen, still. You were beaten once, and it was enough to make you fear you and Reo wouldn't make it, and you don't want that. Neither does Reo, you know this. So you part ways even if it hurts. Even if Reo wasn't happy about it. He promised you he'll stay with you till the end, and Reo keeps his promises, so why would he lie to you?

But then, just after two days apart, he tells you, "You and I are rivals now, Nagi," and you don't understand what he means. His eyes are so cold, dull, and he slaps your hand away. He never refused affection before. Reo always initiated it, but not anymore. And he tells you "I'm going to crush you," and you don't know why he would say such a thing. You'll win the world cup together. That's a fact. So you don't say anything back. It hurts, but you don't protest it. Reo believed in you first, it's your turn now to believe in him. You singlemindedly continue to believe in that dream, even if he doesn't seem to care about it anymore.

And then it happens. Just like you predicted on day one, you're up against each other, but you give it your all. You never wanted him to be your enemy, but that's how he feels, and you knew this day would come sooner or later.

So you put it to the back of your mind. You don't listen to the doubt in your chest, even if you think Reo might have forgotten, after all. But you haven't, and that's all that matters to you now.

Then you win, but it was a close match, so you know he'll keep advancing. That's just who Reo is. He's so talented, so driven. So you tell him you'll be waiting for him. Again. Trying so hard is a pain, but you're willing to do it however many times it takes to become strong enough to chase that dream again, with Reo at your side. You don't know what Reo is feeling, or why he doesn't want to be your friend anymore, but you think he'll understand this, at least. This all-consuming drive that fires you up from the inside, this excitement. Between the two of you, Reo was always the more passionate one. Except now he's not. He's slumped on the ground, and he doesn't get up. He tells you, "if you're gonna throw me away, then just do it," like that idea ever crossed your mind, like it's not utter nonsense to you. He looks at you with defeat written all over his face, waiting for you to offer him an excuse to give up on the world cup. To give up on you.

And you think, what happened to making you the best stiker in the world? To staying together till the end? What happened to your promises to each other?

Did that dream matter so little to him? Did you?

*head in hands*

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nagi's love is quieter but I promise you (ha!), if you look at it closely enough, it's wayyyyy more intense, holy shit. and Reo is as much to blame for his shit communication skills as Nagi is... Just cause Nagi didn't cry about it, it doesn't mean he wasn't upset too

[fyodior]

You walk in on the Itoshi bros hate fucking. You have no idea how a game of soccer ended up with Sae in his back and Rin pounding into him with a hand over his mouth, but you weren't having that.

You come ti sit next to them and see the fear in Sae's eyes, trying to wrestle Rin off of him but you can see Rin is close and there's no way he's gonna stop now.

"Be gentle..." You coo to Rin before grabbing his hair to stop his movements. He gasps and whines, a small whimper building up as he looks at you. "Gentle, or you'll break him. Hold his waist with soft hands.. yeah, there you go..." You smile, and he did what you said.

You let go of Rin's hair before leaning in to kiss him as a reward before turning to Sae. "Hold onto Rinnie's shoulders, don't scratch him too much, you'll make him bleed..." Sae gave you a sceptical look before copying your instructions.

You just beamed happily, pressing a kiss to Sae's lips this time. Rin was watching you intently and as soon as you pulled away, he smashed his lips onto Sae's.

It was aggressive at first, but a hand in Rin's hair told him how to behave, and you could both of their gasps and whines.

You hummed and gentle pulled Rin back. "Continue fucking him now, atta boy. Slow and gentle..." you murmured, a hand reaching out to stroke Sae's cock as Rin whimpered a soft little "Nii-chan-"

OOOOOHHHHGHHGH MY GODDDD????? HELLOOOOO?????? WAAAAAA??????????? i…… am at a loss for words truly ……………..

first of all i love how nonchalant and unsurprised reader is about the whole thing JSHDKSHDKSJ they just walk in and see the rin pounding sae’s shit and the only problem they have with it is how rough rin is being LMFAO and how well both rin and sae listen to reader……. goodbye

“gentle or you’ll break him” to rin and “don’t scratch him too much you’ll make him bleed” to sae is …. i….. I ………

teaching rin to behave, that he can have this time with sae but only if he’s gentle, only if he plays nice and doesn’t hurt him. even the secondary reprimanding, when rin has already slowed down but forces his kiss too hard onto his brother, and having to yank his hair to remind him, gentle gentle gentle. you don’t fuck your brother, you make love to him, rin.

and it’s evident in the way he listens, he slows his pace, he kisses sae so deeply - he really does love and cherish him, and is eager to show him this way, sometimes he just needs some… redirection. they’re both good boys, sometimes they just need someone to remind them of it ;)

[littleholmes]

nagi’s just living his soccer life completely unbothered swimming in the bath considering possibly picking reo because well, yeahhh, he did promise they’d play again so it’d be a good idea

meanwhile poor reo can’t stop thinking about nagi and picked apart his toothbrush in the additional time segment and keeps thinking about how he can win so they’ll be reunited and how he can make Nagi say he needs him

[jenoutof10]

reo doodles from @popponn 's reo blurb

* i forgot he wore a coat but by the time i reread it i was too far gone 😭 (creative liberties, they say)

[lxcalmenace]

Some silly scenarios with bluelock boys

Based on this headcanon post

Characters included < Isagi, Bachira, Nagi, Rin, Sae and Kaiser > X gn!reader (separate)

tw: none?

⟡Isagi Yoichi - Gets into twitter discourse.

After what felt like months, it seemed that yours and Isagi's schedules had finally aligned. You entered his apartment and made your way to the living room to greet Isagi; just then you saw him sitting on the couch, a furrowed expression crossing his face and his phone in his hand. He was aggresively typing and scrolling on his phone that he failed to notice you taking a seat next to him.

"Oh shoot I didn't see you, sorry", he mutters as he shifts, allowing you to sit comfortably.

"Are you seriously arguing on twitter?," was all you said that made Isagi look away in embarrassment. Ofcourse he didn't want to admit it straight away but he was indeed losing the said argument.

"You know you don't have to prove anything to anyone right? And who even takes twitter seriously nowadays?"

You watched as Isagi let of a small huff before turning off his phone. Without a word, he pulled you in a gentle embrace as the rest of your evening blurred out into soft giggles and tender moments.

⟡Bachira Meguru - Very willing to eat inedible things.

You have been waiting to buy those food inspired scented candles for God knows too many days now; until finally, you managed to get your hands on one of them recently. It was a pancake inspired candle. It was so realistic that you could barely tell it was fake—if it weren’t for the wick sticking out of the top, you might have thought it was an actual pancake

As you opened the box, the mouthwatering, sugary smell of pancakes hit you, spreading throughout the room. This candle was too realistic and just like that, Bachira was willing to sink his teeth into the wax block.

"If it smells so good, it has to taste good too! Let me have just a bite please [name]," he whined. Bro dropped to his knees begging and pleading in exaggerated desperation- as if he would've perished due to hunger right then and there. You couldn't help but chuckle at this sight.

"Ok fine...A little bite won't hurt, but don't come complaining to me later," you sighed as you surrendered the candle to Bachira.

Disgust. Pure disgust washed over his face after he took the bite. He looked at you with teary eyes as he desperately tried to get rid of the nasty taste of the wax; which in response, you just shrugged in a 'I told you so' manner. After helping him wash his mouth and feeding him chocolates to counter the unpleasant flavor, you both finally settled down. Bachira swore that he wouldn't eat anything weird after this incident.

He tried eating cotton the next week.

⟡Nagi Seishiro - Uses two-in-one shampoo and conditioner.

Nagi was out shopping for some groceries while you were tagging alone for some snacks. It was a sunny day, you both entered the supermarket; Nagi took the basket as you made your way inside. He thinks shopping for basic necessities is a hassle and thus the reason for you tagging along to keep him company. You were free to get anything you wanted so you looked around the store, but nothing caught your eye. So you decided to go back, you spotted your tall boyfriend and made your way towards him. He was in the hygiene isle, eyeing down some shampoo bottles.

"Do you seriously use 2-in-1 shampoo? -" you ask, raising your eyebrow. Nagi looked at you with an unbothered expression as he shrugged, "Uh, yeah. Been using that since forever"

"Why are you asking me this, something wrong with it?" the tall male added while casually putting another bottle in the cart.

"Your hair is always so silky and soft; Its hard to believe that a simple 2-in-1 could give you those results. I mean, people spend a ton of money on haircare products, to achieve what you have, you know?" you replied.

"Then, thanks to my genes, I guess," he smirked as he turned around to look at you. You couldn't help but sigh and let out a chuckle. There was absolutely no point in arguing with Nagi- He always managed to win, even when he wasn't trying. You raised your hands as if you were surrendering, and then you both made your way further into the store.

Nagi is a simple guy, and slowly over time, you are starting to find comfort in his simplicity.

⟡Rin Itoshi - Plays roblox.

"Rin, dinner's ready, come down!" You yelled from the kitchen whilst serving the food on the table. A few unresponsive minutes passed, so you decided to fetch Rin yourself; thinking he might be in the shower or taking a nap. Making your way to the shared bedroom, you knocked on the door before poking your head through.

There he was, sitting on his gaming chair, with the lights out, playing..roblox..? You observed him for a couple of minutes, his face was illuminated by the screen, ever so unfazed; Rin was too immersed playing The Mimic that he failed to notice you slowly creeping up on him. The only time Rin was caught off guard was when you tapped his shoulder to get his attention. You swore you saw Rin's face go pale for a second as his eyes widen in surprise. "You play roblox?," you asked as you raised your brows in amusement.

He took off his headset and he nodded, "Is dinner ready?"

"It is"

"Alright"

You both stared at each other.

"Can we play Dress to impress later? Rin please-"

"NO."

Few moments later, the dark haired striker was seen playing Dress to impress, all the bright colors and outfits flashed on his screen display.

"You're doing incredibly well, who would've thought you had those designer skills in you Rinnie," you teased him

"Oh shut up...I just don't like losing, ok?" he scoffed but there was a small smile creeping on his lips.

You rolled your eyes playfully, knowing very well that he only agreed to play this if only you were ready to join him in his horror games. It was a win-win situation for both of you.

⟡Sae Itoshi - Had an emo phase

Your phone was buzzing for quite some time now so you finally decided to check who was texting you at this time of the night. Sae was on his way home from practice; Deciding to stay up and wait for him to get home, you layed down on the couch while keeping a random movie playing in the background. As you opened the chat, you couldn't help but burst into laughter- There were old pictures of Sae; eyes lined with eyeliner, hair was dyed dark and swooped to a side and he was wearing dark clothes. You saved all the pictures one by one as you swiped for more, that's when you heard the door open- signaling that Sae had returned home. Quickly turning off your phone, you were trying so hard to contain your laughter, but a giggle escaped your lips.

Sae muttered a small, "What are you up to [name]?" before raising an eyebrow at you. He knew that you had something cooking up due to the way you were smiling at him.

"Sae," you purred, "if hypothetically someone were to leak your embarrassing pictures, what would you do?" you grinned.

You watched as Sae's expressions went from neutral to that of pure horror.

"[Name] don't you dare-" he warned.

"I'm not saying that I have any embarrassing pictures of you tho," you replied, "It was a hypothetical question, unless," a smirk formed on your lips as you looked at Sae. "You never know what could happen next."

His eyes widen in disbelief, he knew that you had something against him. "Fine, I don't have the energy to do this. Tell me what do you want," he sighed, giving up. "But atleast show me these hypothetical pictures you have acquired, and where did you even get them from?"

You giggle as you showed him all of the pictures; to which he openly cringed hard. He was definitely not expecting this. It brought back so many of his memories before going to Spain. He sighed as he accepted his faith and made his way to the bedroom to freshen up. You typed a quick 'Thank you' and sent the chat.

"Rin reacted '👍' to your chat."

⟡Michael Kaiser - Sleeps in till noon

'12:27'

It was past noon. You had finished making breakfast, eating it, doing some chores around the house, watering the plants, having a small snack and watching a few episodes of your favorite show, and yet your boyfriend was still in your bed, sleeping peacefully. You would've chalked it up to him being tired, but he had gone to bed exceptionally early too. It was starting to concern you now. What if he was not feeling well? You made your way to the bedroom and entered it silently. There he was, soft breathing and sleeping peacefully. You sat down beside him and gently touched his forehead to check if he was sick. Everything was fine. You decided to run your fingers through his messy bed hair, untangling any small knots. Michael slowly started to stir and the first thing he did was kiss your hand, which made your lips morph into a small smile.

"Good morning, mein Schatz," He mumbled groggily, "What time is it?" he asked while rubbing his eyes. He let out a yawn as he sat up your bed

"Its good afternoon now, wake up Micha," you continue to run your fingers through his blonde locks as he embraced you, still feeling sleepy.

You pat his head, "C'mon have your lunch, you must be hungry."

"Are you on the menu?" he muttered against your shoulder.

". . ."

"Then no, I dont want to eat"

"Michael no-"

Not proofread so ignore any mistakes and ty for reading !!

[iid-smile]

nagi likes watching you.

a lot of his time is spent with his eyes closed, strained from the light of his phone or fixed onto a football when he's in control, which takes great focus; sleep included. but you? it's totally different. he doesn't watch because he has to pay attention, or he has to stay alert, but because it's easy. it's easy to take note of your every move when you fascinate him oh so much. and it's even easier when you're in the middle of taking care of him, tending to his needs and getting him what he wanrs like you have to do it. but he can tell by that gentle, sweet look in your eyes, everything you do is out of love.

he never thought he'd have someone special enough who would have him sitting up from his spot, as if he's making sure you won't get hurt or make any silly mistakes. or someone special enough who he'd willingly drag himself out of bed for when you leave the room, whining and saying that you should stay close and that you remain within his eyesight. even in the morning and his eyes crack open, the smell of your cooking in the kitchen has him scrambling to his feet, striding his way towards you and draping his body over your frame. not a word comes out of his mouth, just unintelligible mumbles and groans as he rests his chin on your shoulder, arms around your waist.

nagi grows unbelievably attached, believing he has to spend every waking moment with you. actually, include when he sleeps as well. this man just knows when you're not beside him, knows when you're not cuddled up close to him and enjoying his warmth. you'll be stuck in his grasp for hours, not able to reach your phone or anything. often, he falls asleep with his head on your thighs, and you will have to sit there while your legs fall asleep and sizzle, because apparently pillows just aren't good enough. give him a thousand, and he'd still choose to crawl towards you, tugging on your legs to get them in the perfect position.

he's surprisingly handsy, or unsurprisingly, take your pick. he needs contact with you at all times, and it doesn't matter where. your shoulder needs to be against his when you're sat next to each other. you have to hold onto him or reat your forehead on your chest on the train. your hand (somehow) has to be holding his when he's playing video games. if he loses, so be it.

you're like toast, and he's your butter. once he's melted on you, he's not coming off.

[uravitypng]

childhood friend bachira knew you had no interest in sports, watching or playing, but when you met you changed your mind.

childhood friend bachira changed too, he wasn't lonely anymore.

childhood friend bachira who you always supported ever since you met him, you tell him not to listen to all the people who call him strange or weird because he's your 'best friend and you know better than they do'

childhood friend bachira and you really fit opposites attracts each other. he's energetic and cheerful compared to your more subdued nature. however when you watch one of his matches you become the loudest in the crowd, cheering him on.

childhood friend bachira presented as an alpha which was a surprise to people who knew him, you included (you thought he would be a beta.) you didn't think he'd be an omega but you didn't think he'd be an alpha either. you may have presented as an omega a year before he did but you didn't look at him any differently- yeah, he was an alpha now but he's still your meguru, your best friend.

alpha childhood friend bachira who didn't realise his feelings until separated from you when he left for the blue lock project.

alpha childhood friend alpha bachira who missed your pretty face and round body.

alpha childhood friend bachira who missed your scent. lovely- just like you. vanilla and chocolate that pairs so well with your chamomile shampoo.

alpha childhood friend bachira realises now that he's older that he's feelings for you are farthest from platonic

alpha childhood friend bachira who never wanted to let you go when you saw each other for the first time again after so long.

alpha childhood friend bachira who's instincts went crazy seeing you again. you're just his perfect little mate (even if you don't know it yet)

alpha childhood friend bachira was so glad he was finally able to lay on your lap after not being able to for ages. your squishy thighs the perfect pillow for him to take a nap.

alpha childhood friend bachira became possessive of you, always scenting you whenever you went somewhere alone. you questioned it at first but he told you it was to keep you safe and ward other alphas away.

alpha childhood friend bachira likes that you like his scent as much as he likes yours, and he can tell.

alpha childhood friend bachira purposely snuggles up to you without wearing scent patches so his citrus smell makes your head dizzy and your face hot, you've never smelt anyone who smells as good. it's one of reasons you don't complain whenever bachira scents you.

alpha childhood friend bachira is territorial.

alpha childhood friend bachira was always comfortable being naked, even around you, you'd squeal in embarrassment and tell him to put clothes on, he'd laugh and listen to you. now it's even more frequent.

alpha childhood friend bachira who gets incredibly needy when he's nearing his rut. he wants to be around you all the time, wrapping his arms around your plush middle.

alpha childhood friend bachira wants to rut against you so bad, rubbing his cock against your soft body, imagining the noises you'd make and how you'd try and hide your face away from him because you're so shy.

alpha childhood friend bachira wants to ruin you. grab your wide hips and leave bruises as he whines and groans and call you his good girl, compliment you and praise you for being a good omega- his good omega.

alpha childhood friend bachira wants to sink his teeth in you so bad, mark you up, make you officially his.

[rae-pss]

masterlist

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ . . . i've done an exam some hours ago... this is how i cope with the fatality that one was.

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ . . . the first one uses female pronouns for reader and the word "gf", the second one mentions the word "dick" fro character and is gender neutral for reader.

lucifer, michael, mammon (whb); lucifer, solomon (om); satoru, suguru, sukuna, toji (jjk); kars, dio, jotaro, (jjba); dazai, nikolai (bsd); alhaitham, wriothesley (genshin); douma, tengen (kny); greed (fmab)

leraye, mammon, satan (whb); mammon, beelzebub (om); itadori (jjk); josuke, narancia, mista (jjba); bachira, isagi (bblk); atsushi, poe, tanizaki, sigma (bsd); kaeya, venti (genshin); akaza, rengoku (kny); ling (fmab)

[izaanagi]

“How does it feel to have your pussy pounded down by the same dick you said you would not come within fifteen feet of? Mh, little peach?”

The words come out stumped, crumbling beneath the strength of the trusts of your boss’ pelvis, his cock balls deep into you. There is no space for any other sounds in your mouth besides the incoherent mumbling of your pussy being stretched. 

“Look at you becoming speechless as soon as you get railed. What a spectacle,” Shouei mutters, his mouth breathing on your neck, “your legs spread wide open only for me.”

The rhythm he has going in and out is steady, not fast enough to make you cum right away but not slow enough to drive you mad. As Barou readjusts, looming over you, an involuntary clench of your pussy envelops Barou’s cock for a second. The split moment is enough to make him hiss, as you tug on the disheveled tie still around his neck - his mouth missing yours by a centimeter. 

“If only I knew fucking you would make your mouth shut, I would have done this sooner.”

[m1ckeyb3rry]

when everyone headcanons nagi as a bad/lazy texter but he’s one of the only characters we’ve actually seen texting in the manga and he used full sentences w/capitals and punctuation + silly stickers to emphasize the mood

FREE MY MAN FROM THE ALLEGATIONS 🗣️

[choccorin]

isagi seems like the type of guy who tries to act cool and composed in front of his crush but fails miserably. everytime you two pass by each other in the hallway, he'd act cool like he'd fix his posture his stuff. when you're far enough to not see him, he'll get all blushy and excited. his friends tease him about it too!

one time, you went to see their practice match. once he saw you on the bleachers, he got distracted (by your beauty ;3) and started making small mistakes. he thought that this was his worst play yet and that it was extremely embarrassing you saw him play like that, but for you, it was cute. some of the mistakes he made even made you giggle. you went up to him after the game and asked for his number, which he gave you, of course. on his way home that day, he was jumping and hopping around like a bunny that people thought he was crazy.

[thyandrawrites]

On (soccer) partnerships, commitment, and why Nagi and Reo are the poster children for always doing the opposite of what the series is about

Alright fellas, this started out as something completely different, so forgive me in advance if it feels disjointed, but.

Have you wondered why in chapter 18 of epinagi, Nagi’s inner monologue complains that his “heat is being stolen away”? Or why even in the main series Nagi can’t seem to win a single match even after he and Reo get on better terms? Well, if you have, this post might be a fun read for you. If you already have answers, I might sound like I’m stating the obvious because none of this is particularly subtle or particularly new. But since both series have hit the Nagi Flop Era, I thought it’d be fun to take a deep dive into his character and Reo’s, the themes of the story, and how their codependence contradicts the entire premise of blue lock, intentionally so. I’m going to go over why stagnancy is the entire point of their partnership, and why the fact that they keep failing and failing is instrumental to the type of story Kaneshiro is trying to tell. 

So, without further ado. Get comfortable, this will get long. 

So, as I anticipated, Nagi and Reo are very very often written to be at odds with the themes the story functions around, and I think their regression is another instance of that. In a manga that often underlines the importance of making soccer your “reason to exist” if you’re serious about it, Nagi and Reo are the only duo repeatedly singled out as more committed to each other than to the sport itself. This, the story tells us, being the root of why they so often fail. 

The premise of blue lock is that you can’t become the best in the world until you dedicate your whole self to the sport. Only that egoism will push you in the right state of mind to go above and beyond for a victory. 

Time and time again, we see the most outstanding goals happen in what gets called the hottest place in the field. This “center of heat” comes up a couple of times, and it’s usually represented by a person. According to Ego’s philosophy, the idea is that the world’s best striker possesses a soccer-specific kind of charisma. When he enters a state of flow and pulls off a world-class play, he’ll have a ripple effect on the players around him, pushing them to reach flow too and elevating the level of the game itself. We saw this happening in the U-20 match. Ego’s not really aiming to create a national team, or to foster the talent of the new generation. He only cares about nurturing one person into that role, betting it all on the fact that once that striker awakens from its “rough diamond” shell, they will fire up their teammates & lead Japan to victory. 

Because of this, ideally, everyone aiming at becoming the world’s best striker should strive to be that center of heat. To an extent, even Nagi does. His motivation is spotty at best, but whenever a game heats up, Nagi’s ego gets tickled awake the same as everyone else’s. This is not limited to the times Isagi challenged him, by the way. He reacted to Rin’s skill in much the same way. 

Problem is, neither Nagi nor Reo seem to know how to become that center of heat by themselves. They only react to someone else raising the stakes of a match. Even when Nagi feels fired up, his lack of creativity & playmaking sense fail him against any opponent who is more tactical than him. In a similar way, even when Reo starts going after goals alone in the wake of his split from Nagi, he still can't see his vision of a goal through to the end, or gets outsmarted and beaten to the punch by other playmakers. 

The only times they really get their head into a game is when they're working as a duo. Compare for example Nagi losing grasp of his heated frenzy when he splits from Reo to how quickly he reaches flow when they go back to playing together.

So why is this an issue? If Nagi's limit is his over-reliance on instinct, and Reo's is the lack of self-centeredness that's key to scoring, then shouldn't teaming up solve the problem and make them a powerhouse? How come, even after somewhat resolving their communication issues, their soccer still is no match to that of the blue lock elites? 

Well, before I can begin to unpack the answer to that… A big theme driving the soccer partnerships is that you won’t go very far if you rely too much on the other person to carry your weight. This is the reality Bachira faces in the 4v4, when he “disappears”, swallowed by everyone else’s growth. This is also the lesson Rin learns from Sae when his brother returns from Spain a completely different, overwhelmingly superior player. The series tells us that relying on others to pick up your slack makes you less sharp and prone to noticing your weaknesses because someone else will cover your back. 

For a practical example of this, Rin's style when he played with Sae mirrors Nagi's around Reo: they both relied on instinct, trusting that the ball would always come if they just positioned themselves in the right spot to score. And for a time, it did. But that's not the level the rest of the world plays at. Nagi and Reo's winning streak ends when they face an unpredictable, explosive talent like Isagi, who doesn't operate according to any predictable patterns. Similarly, Rin's playstyle gets wrecked in a matter of minutes by a Sae who got to experience the "real" soccer played overseas. 

The point, then, is that Nagi and Reo never really assimilated any of Ego's lessons, instead resisting his philosophy to a fault by choosing each other. From the start, they’re not very good at being apart, given how their strength draws from being a team. Both of them are noted to only ever increase the level of their plays when they are working together, but not as much when alone.

Nagi’s the brawn to complete Reo’s brain, and their dynamic too often falls back on that codependent partnership. In fact, they default to their roles even when they're not playing with each other. During the second selection, Nagi replaces Reo with Isagi, continuing to rely on someone else's creativity and game sense, while he just follows. And in the 3v3, we similarly see Reo fall back on playing the midfielder to Kunigami and Chigiri's forward, offering up the perfect passes to make them shine and get all the scoring options they want. 

But what about when they're together? Aren't they strong then? Didn't Nagi score a crazy super goal thanks to Reo's assist? What do we make of that? 

You'll probably remember how Ego got a sense of foreboding from Nagi's five shot revolver. Of course, you might say, Ego never liked their soccer! He was cussing them out for playing together since day one! Of course he's a hater! 

Well… Yeah. But Ego's also an authorial insert, and he's there to tell us the themes of the story, and comment on the characters growth. Or in this case, their stagnancy. Nagi's returning to his reliance on Reo's brains and Reo's willingness to entertain it are both framed as a bad thing because it specifically contradicts the idea the series is based on: that a real striker is an egotistic, self-reliant existence that doesn't bend to other people's rules, but instead dictates their own, and makes everyone follow or fall through in their wake. 

There are several players this definition already applies to. Rin, Barou, Shidou and of course Isagi all come to mind. Isagi's growth in particular has been rotating around this concept. Isagi not only believes in his (meta) vision, but he also possesses the sharp-wit and the cutthroat resourcefulness to see it through no matter the odds, at times even to the detriment of his teammates. Nagi and Reo, on the other hand, can pull off some incredible plays, but it’s never enough to land them a solid victory, especially in the NEL arc. Usually, in a story, when a character fails enough times to become stagnant, the author is making some kind of point. In this case, as the narrative itself points out through Isagi first and Agi later, it’s the concept that relying on their teamwork is actually making Nagi and Reo’s soccer worse. 

Sure, Nagi might've caught Isagi off guard with those feints once and managed to score, but that's still him relying on instinct over brains. If you dissect that match, you'll see that aside from the fake volley itself, which is the product of a non-replicable state of flow, there isn't a single move Nagi and Reo made during that game that Isagi didn't see through, expect, and match their pace at. This is by design, of course. It's meant to indicate that while Isagi grew, learning from stronger players and assimilating new elements in his arsenal of weapons, Nagi and Reo are still stuck playing the same way they did in the second selection. With Reo as the heart, brain and anchor directing Nagi around, and Nagi as the leg kicking the ball into the net following a momentary burst of inspiration. 

The fact that this is intended as a setback in their path towards a more egotistical soccer is made more obvious by the timing. It's not a coincidence that Nagi went back to Reo the moment he got frustrated by how hard creativity and tactics come to him when he's on his own, without a "handler" like Reo (and later Isagi) taking care of all the hard parts. 

Nor is it a coincidence that Reo was faced with the choice to go back to helping Nagi out right when Reo was beginning to go after his own goals, without help. Nagi comes up to him and shakes him up literally one (1) panel after Reo's dramatic, resolute decision to prove himself alone.

Had they gotten anywhere in their quest to polish their individual skills during the split, maybe their partnership could’ve aspired to become more like Isagi and Bachira’s, eventually. However, they weren’t apart long enough to master their respective strengths, or to consolidate their egos as something separate from their status as partners. Thus, when they resume playing together, they instead hold each other back. 

So is their ego the problem here, then? Ever since that five shot fake volley, we see Nagi’s dissolve, leaving him unmotivated again, grasping for answers he can't seem to reach no matter how many people he asks. And surely, its disappearance is significant, much like how Reo's ever changing definition of his own ego is also significant. But I think the real issue is something else. Egos can take many forms, and Nagi and Reo aren't the only players whose so-called “protagonism” isn’t rooting for their own success. Most recently, Hiori gained an ego too, and it was framed as a good thing even though it doesn’t strictly lead to him becoming the best striker in the world. 

My idea, then, is that it's less that they lack the "correct" ego, but more like they lack the correct attitude towards soccer to begin with. From the start, they're both motivated by something that is not inherent to soccer itself, but only tangential to it: the World Cup—or rather, their promise to each other that they'd win the World Cup. Because of this, I think, they center their football more around their partnership & their shared dream than any genuine passion for the sport, unlike pretty much the rest of the cast (now including Hiori. Yay!). In other words, the problem is that neither of their egos is really about themselves, yet. So it fails them because it's not conductive to "protagonism", but centered around an "us" that drags them off course.

Let's go with Nagi first. On the surface, "commitment" and "Nagi Seishirou" don't seem to go well in the same sentence. Nagi doesn't do anything excessively. He's content to coast through life doing nothing more than he strictly needs to survive. As long as he can put in minimal effort and still have time to play video games and nap, he's happy. When his teachers asked him to fill a form about his future, he couldn't think of anything he wanted to do. He's the embodiment of living one day at a time cause it's too much work to figure out his life past that. Yet, he genuinely commits to soccer. 

Or does he? 

Sure, he agrees to not only playing the sport, but to dedicating several years of his life to becoming pro. That’s dedication, for sure. But is it really for soccer? I would argue that no, Nagi’s commitment is to his partnership with Reo, not to the sport itself. And okay, you can’t have one without the other, but the distinction is important to understand Nagi’s (and Reo’s as well) resistance to character growth. 

So, Nagi had no passion for the sport until he saw the level some other elite blue lockers played at, and got curious and frustrated enough to put real effort in it himself. But until then, soccer was simply something he tagged along in. In fact, he was pretty unenthused with the idea of playing until Reo promised him an easy life and made it so Nagi wouldn’t have to work hard for it. Nagi signs up for blue lock with the expectation that he’ll be the one to flunk out first, without being too torn up about it. Clearly, it’s not a career as a professional soccer player he has an attachment to. I’d argue it’s more the fact that he feels comfortable around Reo, and he is invested in what only their agreement can bring forth. That is, a life more exciting than any nap or game. 

The excitement part is the focus here. At their core, both Nagi and Reo’s characters are motivated by the wish to escape boredom. So much so, the epinagi movie made that its tagline. Thematically, dissatisfaction with boredom is the catalyst for every choice they make. While everyone else is motivated by an ambition that is inherent—that draws from their wish to excel—Nagi and Reo are more prize-oriented, lacking the conviction that they’re special on their own. It follows that the challenge of bringing home the World Cup represents just that—for Nagi, it’s the thrill of a final boss with the prospect of an easy life afterwards, and for Reo, something hard to obtain that he’d conquer by his own merit. In both cases, soccer for soccer’s sake is not the end goal. It’s just a tool to achieve what they really want. 

Neither of them ever really dreams of becoming the world’s best striker, and neither swears their entire life to soccer, either. Not even Reo ever brought up a career in the sport, past winning for Japan for the first time. This is why I say their commitment is more to each other than to football, and also why they struggle to advance in the program. 

Let's think about it. The Cup was never really Nagi's dream; beating Isagi was. Yet, when their partnership all but crumbles down, Nagi keeps making choices with the Cup in mind. The boy who never fought for anything becomes determined to honor his promise to Reo even if he's not certain that Reo still cares about it. By his own admission, he chooses Isagi and then England because both of those things bring him closer to their original goal, and Nagi's resolve for that has never waned, even if for a time he thought Reo's had.

It's like he clings to inertia to avoid thinking what the sport means to him. Despite how Reo seemingly turned his back on him, Nagi doesn't want to give up on what made them partners. To him, soccer never stopped being something they shared (to a fault). That's why, I think, when they make up, a big part of their reconciliation is going back to sharing a dream. This time, with Reo helping Nagi out instead of the other way around. And I'm saying that's a flaw because his subconscious need to seek answers and help from others made it so that whenever he's alone, he doesn't have a very defined idea of how to move forward. But again, a striker should be self-reliant, and have the capacity to evolve on his own even as the match is unfolding. But Nagi didn't even believe in himself until Reo convinced him he was special, so how can Nagi have the right mindset to seize his protagonism?

Similarly, Reo’s drive is also not based on anything inherent. From the start, he doesn’t believe he was “chosen by football” the way geniuses like Nagi and Rin are. Because of this, he never bought into Ego’s striker philosophy, nor has he been a very fitting candidate for it yet. Much like with Nagi, his set up as someone willing to step away from the spotlight positions him in defiance of the story’s themes. While Nagi has the talent and instinct to become a powerhouse but lacks conviction, Reo is a born leader outside of the facility, but within blue lock’s rules he can only make it to the U-20 bench, and so far no further. 

The point here is that Reo’s readiness to be Nagi’s crutch is lowkey framed as a voluntary burden he places on his potential growth, a fact that the narrative condemns. 

Reo was born for success—bred and raised with every luxury to make sure he'd step into his father's shoes and be one of Japan's wealthiest and most capable businessmen. And Reo takes obvious pride in his social status, too. We can see it in the flaunted wealth of his spending and daily habits, as well as in the way he interacts with his peers. He funds his Hakuho soccer team and easily seizes captainship. Blue lock teams don't have captains, but he still rises to a similar position even within an environment designated to promote violent competitiveness and a wolf-eat-wolf mentality. Heck, he asks Nagi to call him "boss" and demands Zantetsu recognizes him as "super elite". Pride in being the best and excelling at everything he does is written into Reo's code.

Yet, the moment Ego suggests that there is no such thing as cooperation within his training program, Reo is quick to bargain—take him, he’s the real star. I will tag along and ensure his success. 

Ever the businessman, right? Problem is, renouncing his pride for someone else is the opposite of the attitude he should have. Same as Nagi, Reo puts a lot of weight on their shared dream. Too much weight. Somewhere along the line, “I want the World Cup” became “If Nagi’s at my side, we will win the World Cup”. Being partners until the end became so entangled with Reo’s dream that he can no longer separate the two. When Nagi leaves, Reo’s image of that finishing line crumbles. Iirc, he doesn’t even mention the World Cup as his goal anymore until Nagi comes back to him. When asked to put into words what he wants to achieve with his soccer, Reo tells Chris that he wants to go after goals alone. It’s only later, when Chris questions what happened to his solitary resolve in the wake of Reo’s restored friendship with Nagi, that Reo is like “well, my actual dream was the World Cup anyway, so this still counts.” 

That is both true and a deflection from the truth. Yes, Reo’s real goal has always been the cup… but he also subconsciously sees it as something inseparable from his promise with Nagi. He can’t have one without the other. Or he thinks he can’t, is the point. Partly because of that, and partly because Nagi is his best friend, Reo is very resistant to Agi’s criticism. The story’s trying to nudge Reo towards personal growth, telling him that the only way out of this impasse is to quit what isn’t working. However, because Reo’s meant to resist the themes of the story, the choices he makes are rarely the right ones. That is, the choices a real egoist would make in his place.

This isn’t anything recent, by the way. For this same reason, for example, winning Nagi's trust back becomes his main motivation to survive past the loss in the 3v3. By his own admission, Reo is the only guy in blue lock who not only has a safety net outside the program, but a very comfortable life to fall back on if a career in football doesn't work out for him. But when push comes to shove and he faces the chance of dropping out, Reo resolves to improve by thinking of Nagi and their shared dream.

Let’s compare that to Barou, who was similarly broken down and had to crawl his way up again. Barou goes the egoist way and finds his resolve within himself, vowing to double down on his king shtick and devour Isagi back. To Barou, the simple idea of passing a ball is akin to defeat. When he envisions a future of normalcy, with football as something to only watch on tv, Barou’s hunger to reign the field like a king rears its head again and motivates him forward. Reo, instead, never reaches a point where he embraces the series’ trademark selfishness. In fact, he does the opposite. When he vows to step up his game, he doesn’t do it because he thinks he’s the top dog like everyone else. The root of his despair is not a wounded pride, or a desire to prove himself further, to “devour��� others back and rise to the top, but just the loss of his fix against boredom. Remember, chasing an exciting life is both Reo and Nagi’s main motivator so far. To put it simply, Reo doesn’t want what awaits him outside of blue lock. 

That’s the seed of his actual ego, by the way. Not the Cup, not making Nagi the best, but rather obtaining something by his own merit. But because of his reliance on Nagi (and Nagi’s on his), Reo hasn’t yet reached the point where he can realize this and use the knowledge to better his plays. In that sense, their partnership holds both of them back from exploring their inner motivations and individual strengths further.

And I said that this is instrumental to the kind of story Kaneshiro’s telling because it’s meant to show us all the ways a striker can’t be. This is not a manga where the power of friendship will get you anywhere. No matter how stubborn you get about having it your way, obstacles will materialize in your path and set you back the longer you refuse to play for your own sake. 

Yet, Reo doesn't want to advance in the program for the sake of becoming the world's best striker. He never did. He wants to move forward because Nagi left first, and he wants to meet him on the other side (quote, "beyond our dreams"). In other words, to return to being friends, even if he fears that Nagi might've replaced him with Isagi and "forgotten" about him. It doesn't have anything to do with soccer per se. It's more like Reo sees soccer as his chosen tool for self-determination. It was the trial to prove to himself, as well as his father, that his "worth" wasn't handed down to him by circumstance, but was inherent. He could achieve something worthwhile thanks to hard work, and not just reap the benefits of his last name. 

And the thing is…If he were literally anyone else, at this point he would’ve already channeled that into individualism, but because it’s Reo, he doesn’t. Despite possessing that seed of egoism, Reo doesn’t water it. His ambition doesn't make him an egoist in the way Ego Jinpachi intended, but instead becomes something that's meant to be carried by two people, contradicting the story.

Reo’s resolve is then always a bit off from falling in line with the rules of blue lock. Even when he gets something right, he does it for the wrong reasons, stumping his development. For example, his resolve after the 3v3 is both a step forward and two steps back. The positive is that he "engraved despair". He faced his shortcomings, realized his powerlessness, and took measures to improve to avoid being left in the dust again. The negative part is that being on his own should've given Reo a taste for real egoism, a hunger for self-reliance, but it does the opposite instead: it makes him long for what he had, and put all his willpower into restoring that partnership however he can. If the issue was that Nagi's improved enough to no longer be satisfied by the level of Reo's plays, then Reo's solution is to make his soccer exciting again in Nagi's eyes to, quote, "be enough to satisfy" him.

Because of that, however, the moment he has Nagi's trust back, their partnership back, Reo pretty much stops trying to improve. His chameleon style is still a go, but it becomes yet another tool to assist in Nagi's goals. It didn't start that way.

Initially, it was what Reo intended to use to score alone, remember?

Yet, even after coming up with a style that's solely his, that focuses on his strengths and brings no value to Nagi's, Reo keeps committing to stagnancy. In different but similar ways, both do. 

Teamwork and passive codependence are the two things Ego asked all the blue lockers to leave behind, but Nagi and Reo make it their job to bring typical shonen manga dynamics into a series that sets out to break from the norm. And that’s the point! 

In this sense, Reo is more at fault than Nagi, who instead realizes that sometimes being apart makes you better, and doesn’t mean the end of your friendship. If I were to pin down Nagi’s role in the narrative, then I’d say he’s meant to show that talent doesn’t equal success without discipline, self-awareness and determination. So the world’s best striker can’t just be good. He needs to know what he’s doing, and when and where he can do it to make the most of every play, since nothing happens by chance on the field. Whereas Reo’s role is that of showing us the mindset of a real striker. Because Reo enters the program without accepting or even understanding Ego’s rules, Reo’s faulty beliefs get challenged at every turn, with the author basically spoonfeeding us the correct path to soccer stardom. 

So in the end, since they struggle so much to even understand what they should be doing, their fumbling around makes it so the story goes more into depth about its own themes. Their job is to be incompetent, basically, but in a way that doesn’t rule out eventual growth. They just need to come to terms with the rules of the competition they entered first. So far, they’ve been content to just live in a bubble and coast through the increased stakes of the selection. If they’re serious about their dreams, however (and we’ve established that they are!), they will have to make a choice between what’s comfortable and what’s necessary. Cause, to quote Ego from epinagi chapter 2, in blue lock there’s no place for self-conscious babies who don’t want to ever get their feelings hurt. 

So what will they choose? Each other again, or the only way they can make it past blue lock and thus actually chase their dreams? 

[shoyoist]

now that i've read your sub julien fic i need a lil thirst for him to DOMINATE u in bed

I like to imagine him fuckin u in front of the mirror all messy <3 sorry but i cant act normal after his spread came out i love himm

──── 𝐋𝐎𝐖-𝐊𝐄𝐘 : julien loki

content: gn!reader, dom julien + mirror sex, lots of praise and sweet talk, multiple orgasms, mind-break(?) a few generic french terms of affection. a/n: literally never passing up a chance to write for a dark-skinned poc lmaoo thank you for sending this in nonnie!

sometimes, you think julien is so fucking agonizing. but in the best way — if that makes sense.

he's got those gentle eyes, that low-voiced hum, those firm hands. all the right words and all the best moves. he hypnotizes you so easily, like he's a magician and you're a pretty little pet he's picked out from his audience.

he could bite right into you, and you wouldn't even know it. because he'd be murmuring soft, sweet nothings into your skin the entire time, and the tone of his voice is enough to tip you into a daze — you'd let him do anything he wanted.

like you're doing right now.

julien has one hand wrapped around your throat, like a pretty bow-tie that's just a little too tight. his other hand squeezes at your chest, holding your body pressed firmly to his, coaxing little whines out of you with feather-light, teasing brushes of his fingertips at your sensitive nipples. you're sat in his lap, bouncing like a bobble-headed doll while he fucks up into you.

"look, chéri," he nods to the full length mirror propped up by the bed, facing your bodies. he holds your throat a little tighter, kissing the side of your neck gently as he groans with you. "lovely."

you know he doesn't even mind if you don't look, knowing that by this point you're too high on the pleasure he's giving you to respond properly — but your eyes flit to the reflection waiting before you anyway, as obedient as ever for him.

julien sits at the edge of the bed, you in his lap with your legs spread nice and wide so he can watch the way his cock slides in and out of your messy hole. both your bodies glow with a sheen of sweat, and if you look close enough, you can see tear streaks lining your face. "j—julien," you whine. "'m close. getting close."

"yeah? gonna cum for me again?" he chuckles, pressing another soft kiss to your neck. "so easy tonight."

he says that, but that's only because he's gentle with his words. magician's silver tongue. the way he's fucking you has you out of your mind — he's the one that's got you ragdoll-limp in his arms, and he's teasing you, calling you easy. "mh— julien."

your moan is sweet, but julien doesn't sound impressed when he clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "ah, shhh. use your words, love."

the pace of his cock in and out of you doesn't relent, and you're only able to let out another moan in response. his hand slips down from your chest to the space between your legs anyway, touching you just the way you like it.

"hhn, please. nearly there." you let out, and his fingers press just slightly harder, pushing you to the edge immediately. he'd tell you to hold the orgasm and wait till he allows you to cum, but he knows you're past that point. there's no playing with you anymore, fucked out and dumb on his cock.

so he pulls the high out of you like a man at a magic show with a top hat and a wand, letting go of your throat so he can press at your chest and whisper in your ear to breathe deeper and slower, knowing the orgasm lasts so much longer when you're relaxed and dozey. "there you go, mon trésor... so good for me."

his voice comes out just slightly cracked, feeling you flutter around him, tight and warm and wet. you're really so damn good.

"you can take some more, can't you?" he hums, finally bringing his hand back up, cupping your face and turning your lips to him for a kiss. "make me feel good?"

"mmm," you nod, and julien knows you're doing it mindlessly. he sees the tears in your eyes, the blank look in them. he lets out a little laugh, grabbing your hips to adjust your body. he knows you're all his for the taking. as long as he keeps giving you kisses and talking to you sweetly, you'd let him do anything.

"alright, baby." he feels his cock twitch within you, ready to empty another load inside. his grip on your body tightens once more, turning you towards the mirror. "eye-contact with yourself while i fuck you, now. good."

[littleholmes]

reo is out here pulling strands out of his toothbrush he loves me/he loves me not style in the name of nagi and whether nagi will be back and trying to decide if he’ll be cold to him like it’s not gonna take reo all of his self control to not drop to his knees and cry in relief that he got his nagi back when and if the time comes

[beaunoor]

nsfw drabble

“Face the wall brat.”

Your half turned face morphs into a frown at his words, and you let out a needy whine. It was your own fault for getting into this situation after all. 

“You just had to give me attitude, after everything I do for you huh?” His big hand gives your ass cheek a slap, “Keep moving.”

You reposition yourself on his lap, facing forward once again, hands settling on his shins and leaning forward to keep moving your hips up and down on his cock. You wanted to watch his reactions so bad. You could only let out another whine at how much work you had to put in. You wanted him to put in work too, this wasn’t fair.

Your hips, getting tired, slowed down its rhythm and settled for a deep grind on his pelvis, his crotch providing stimulation to your labia. Grinding back and forth lazily, your breath becomes ragged as the hint of your high presents itself. And of course he notices; he knows what every sign means for your body. He eyes your back side, carefully watching you twitch before a hand comes down to slide up your calf and squeeze.

“Uh uh, enough of the easy work. Keep moving those hips up and down. Remember this isn’t for you, this is for me. Let me see my pussy show how she appreciates me.” His command in that deep voice makes you shake as you obey his words and retreat back to lifting your hips and dropping them down hard again in his lap.

He grips both ass cheeks, lifting up your fat to watch himself go in and out of your tight cunt. Your cream dripping down his dick has him groaning and closing his eyes for a second.

“Just like that baby, good girl.”

----

ft. your favs

[entirelytoooobsessed]

bachira is the kind of guy to sleep completely naked, no boxers or nothing (tho he does seem like the kind of guy to sleep in socks)

the kind of guy you'd wake up to needily humping your thigh, his body curled around yours, panting into your ear cute little whimpers and high moans.

"please mommy~" he whines, fingers digging imprints into your skin, his hair a ruffled mess of bedhead. "need you~ need you so bad~" he slurs, voice heavy with sleep.

you don't realize that he's not actually awake until you notice his eyelids fluttering.

"just want mommy to fuck me f-full~"