#diamond midfield

[pitchsidestories]

Pizza girl II Barcelona Femení x Teen!Reader

masterlist I word count: 2180

summary: You were raised through La Masia, but you still feel anxious, before your first game for the Barcelona Femeni A team. Luckily a team bonding evening with your teammates help to ease your anxiety.

a/n: hi, it's inspired by this request here. We really enjoyed writing this. Let us know if you'd read more platonic fanfics from us.

Sometimes you still felt the urge to pinch you. Training with the Barcelona Femeni A Team on a regular basis was like a dream come true for you.

Growing up in the Catalonian hills, Barcelona and the famous team seemed very far away until after a game someone reached out to your parents, telling them that you were a raw diamond which could be polished in La Masia.

It wasn’t easy for them to let you go, but they knew that all you ever wanted to do was to play football and it was a place where great players have started their career.

A few years have passed since the decision was made. You almost didn’t recognize the shy, little girl from her hometown village you were once. A piece of her was still in your sixteen-year-old heart. The anxiousness in your body came from her.

“Y/n.”, Alexia looked at you concerned, putting a hand on your shoulder.

For a second you were confused where you were until you remembered you were sitting on the bench in the changing room.

“Yes?”, you replied, there was a tiredness in your voice which didn’t get unnoticed by your captain.

“Are you okay?”, the midfielder asked worriedly.

“I’m just a little nervous before our match tomorrow.”, you admitted.

“We could tell. So, we have something for you.”, she replied, a warm smile dancing on her lips.

“You did? Wait, for me?”, you nervously ran a hand through your open, damp hair.

“Yes, we’ll meet tonight at my place.”, Alexia told you.

“Uhm, I thought I might do some extra training.”, you tried to brush of her kind offer. Desperate to prove that despite your anxiety you deserved to play the upcoming game.

“Oh, no.”, Salma shook her head.

“No chance, you’ll come with us.”, Vicky who was closest to your age decided grinning devilishly.

“Yes, this will be good for you.”, Esmee smiled encouragingly at you.

“We’ll make pizzas and I know you love them, so you can’t say no.”, Alexia explained the plan for the evening.

“Okay, I’ll come.”, you answered, wondering deep inside if relaxing was a better idea than exercising. On the other hand, maybe seeing your teammates would stop your thoughts from running wild. You knew it was especially bad when you were all alone in your room.

“Great.”, the blonde nodded, visibly satisfied.

“See you tonight, then?”, you looked up to her.

“Yes, we’ll see you later, it’s going to be good.”, she chirmed.

On your way home you realized that the midfielder has send you the time and place for the team bonding night. Your fear to arrive to late made you stand in front of Alexias appartement door five minutes to early, you knocked at the door nervously.

“Hi Ale.”, you greeted her, licking your lips anxiously.  

The older player seemed genuinely happy to see you and immediately pulled you into a quick hug: “Hi y/n. Come on in.“

Politely smiling, she took a step back to let you in.

You held your breath as you took in her modern stylish apartment. “Thanks for the invite.“, you mumbled.

Alexia led you towards the kitchen: “Oh, you’re welcome. It’s always great to see our young talents come through the ranks so we got to make sure to welcome them with open arms.“

“Thats very sweet of you. It’s a dream that I’m able to play in a team with the Alexia Putellas.“, you replied. You wanted to keep your cool but somehow you failed to keep the awe out of your voice.

“Oh please. I once was as young as you are now… Remember, we all start somewhere.“, she said with a dismissive hand gesture.

You could feel the blood rush into your cheeks: “I know but…“

“But?“

“It’s still big.“

“Of course.“

You almost sighed in relief when the door bell rang

“Oh, that’s probably the others.“, Alexia nodded to herself and disappeared to let her guests in.

You bit your lip. Why were you being so awkward?

“Hi, girls!“, you hear her greet them from across the room.

Onas voice replied: “Hi, Ale.“

Lucy was the first one in the kitchen, winking at you to say hello while still talking to the captain: “We brought some toppings for the pizza.“

She put a bag down on the table.

Alexia looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and disgust: “Do you really think I wasn’t prepared for my own pizza night?“

“Yeah, Lucy didn’t trust you with that.“, Ona shrugged, smiling innocently at the midfielder.

Alexia rolled her eyes: “Typical.“

You followed the interaction with amusement until Lucy turned to you: “So we obviously had to make a little stop at the market. Try the tomatoes, y/n. They’re delicious.“

Lucy moved around in Alexias kitchen like it was her own, cutting you a sliece of a juicy red tomato.

You popped it in your mouth. It was sweet and flavourful. “Delicious!“

“Right?“

“Yes, I love them.“, you beamed.

More football player flooded the kitchen. You had not realized that Alexia had left again to let them in.

“Hey, everyone!“, Vicky called excitedly. For a second you felt the slight sting of jealousy. You were almost the same age, but she moved around the team like they have been friends forever. You hoped that it would be like this for you too soon.

She came over to hug you, her curls tickling on your skin and the jealousy was gone: “Vicky, hi.“

“And? Kind of cozy here, right?“, she grinned at you.

You took the scene of Alexias kitchen in. Drinks were on the table while a few players started to prepare the ingredients for the pizza and others were working on the dough.

It was a mess but somehow you felt very at peace. “It’s.“, you smiled.

“I hope you think so.“, Alexia raised an eyebrow at you as she walked past you, always the busy hostess.

While you all were in the process of creating cute and aesthetically pleasing pizzas you took all your courage to ask a question which has been burning on your tongue during the whole evening.

“Girls, how do you handle anxiety before big matches?”

Every player stopped moving around for a moment, thinking about the ask you just dropped. It was clear to them that it came from your heart and was something weighing heavily on your young shoulders.

“I don’t even know what that is.” Lucy joked, she immediately got elbowed by her smaller girlfriend.

“Lucy be honest.”, Ona demanded.

“Yeah, okay. Even us oldies get nervous at times. Right Ale?”, the older defender shrugged before turning around to face the blonde.

“Of course, I was very nervous when I came back from my ACL.”, she admitted earnestly.

“Understandable.”, Ona nodded empathetically.

“Oh yes.”, you whispered.

“Everyone is nervous before their first game for the biggest club in the world.”, Salma agreed solemnly.

 “You all make it look so easy.”, you remarked. Memories from Vicky’s and her breakthrough were playing behind your eyes.

“It’s not.”, Alexia assured you calmly.

“But we’re here for you.”, Aitana promised in an encouragingly tone.  

“Exactly, we’re all supporting you.”, Ona added, giving you a side hug.

“Everyone is so cute here.”, you teared up, their unwavering support made you emotional.

“Oh, we know.”, Salma waved it off nonchalantly.

“Please don’t cry, that floor was expensive.”, Alexia threw in teasingly.

“Oh, sorry.”, you quickly apologized.

“Alexia.”, Olga who came to the kitchen from work scolded her girlfriend.

“Sorry, y/n. But you know that I was only joking, right?”, the captain sheepishly smiled at you. It was always a miracle for you to watch the midfielder’s stern and serious face which she showed in matches and training change in the presence of the woman she loved.

“Typical, Ale.”, Lucy rolled her eyes playfully at her.

“I was suspecting it.”, you muttered.

“I promise you’ll used to her jokes.”, Vicky hugged you from behind, resting her head on your left shoulder.

“I hope so.”, you laughed insecurely.

“Pizzas are ready, we can go to the balcony now.”, Alexia announced. She and Olga took charge of getting everything which was needed at its rightful place. The delicious scent of freshly baked goods filled the room and was still noticeably outside.

For a moment you took everything in, the golden hour had begun and the view of the city from the appartement building was gorgeous.

“Wow, what a great sight.”, you mumbled deeply impressed.

Alexia smiled, clearly enjoying the sight of her beloved city once again: “It’s nice, right?“

“It’s beautiful.“, you agreed, finally tearing your gaze away from the view and looking down at your heart shaped pizza.

“Stop bragging, Putellas!“, Lucy called from the other side of the balcony, rolling her eyes.

“Excuse me? I’m just showing the little one that her future looks golden!“, Alexia played offended as gestured towards the view from her balcony.

Lucy grimaced with a laugh: “If she’ll become La Reina 2.0. The rest of us can’t afford this.“

For a second you wondered how much of this was true but you had no time to think about it as Ona smirked: “Besides, she’s a defender. Just like us.“

“Another Bronze would be a nightmare for this team.“, Alexia grinned directly at the English defender.

Lucy jokingly frowned: “What’s that supposed to mean?“

“You know exactly what I mean.“

“No, I don’t.“

Ona interrupted their bickering with a proud smile: “Y/n is going to be her own version.“

Again, you could feel the heat rush back into your cheeks while Mapi ruffled your hair: “Exactly, no pressure on the little one.“

“She’s already puts enough pressure on herself.“, Esmee agreed.

Alexias eyes softened as she looked at you: “We’re just joking with her.“

“I slowly start to get your humour.“, you smiled back at her.

“That’s good.“

“This could be a wonderful start for you in the team.“, Ingrid said, ignoring Mapi trying to steal a slice of pizza from her plate.

Chewing, her girlfriend nodded: “We’ll make sure of that.“

The next day, you were actually subbed in for the first time. It was five more minutes plus stoppage time to play.

Still, your anxiety was gnawing at you. Your heartbeat was too fast and you felt that sinking feeling in your stomach.

That was until you looked up at your teammates who applauded you. Ona who was subbed off for you, pulled you into a quick hug.

You were still nervous but you were okay with it. Whatever happened, this team had your back.

In the last minute of stoppage time, you made a run towards the goal. Carolines cross from the left came perfectly. You cleanly headed it in.

What had just happened?

Wide-eyed, you turned to your teammates: “Have you seen that?“

“That was insane!“, Alexia cheered.

Ona shouted from the sideline: “Incredible, y/n!“

Lucy patted your head with a little more force than necessary: “We told you!“

“She did it her way though.“, Mapi said, looking like a proud parent.

“Guys…“, you protested. The attention was a bit too much now.

“What?“, Vickys voice asked while she jumped onto your back in celebration.

“Stop.“, you laughed, trying to shake her off.

Once you got rid of her, Esmee scooped you up into her arms and lifted you up: “No, we got to celebrate.“

“What are you doing?“, you giggled. You felt like a trophy being passed around.

“Not impressed by that lift? Oh wow.“, Esmee pouted as she set you back down.

“Thanks.”, you sung relieved before you locked eyes with Alexia who beamed at you.

“I’m proud of you, kid.”, the captain congratulated to, as she put you into a rough hug.

“Thank you, Ale.”, you mouthed forever gratefully to play along side such talented and legendary players, afterwards Alexia released you from her grip with a happy sigh.

“But remember you’re a defender first, y/n.”, Lucy threw in teasingly.

“Coming from you?”, you raised an eyebrow at her.

“Hey, don’t get sassy!”, the English defender yelled. She looked amused by your behaviour, because it reminded her of herself.

“Sorry.”, you apologized only half-serious.

“Come here!”, Lucy commanded while ruffling your hair.

“Stop that!”, you demanded giggling.

“Lucy, stop.”, Ona intervened chuckling.

“Thanks, Oni. Can I go and celebrate with my family now?”, you asked your teammates impatiently.

“Yes, go and celebrate.”, the Spanish defender nodded smiling warmly.

“Thank you, girls. For everything.”, you muttered deeply moved. You loved being a part of this team with every fibre of your being.

“Yeah, yeah, leave, before we all get too emotional.”, Lucy waved it off. But you were able to see through her coolness and pulled her into a big hug too.

“Alright, bye!”, you told them and when you started running to your parents who have made everything possible.

Although deep down you knew know you had a family away from home now in form of your teammates who even made the anxious times pass easier and the glorious moments so much richer.

[welllllllllllllllllll]

My Roman Empire

the heart eyes of Fede in the first one (I understand you lil bro)

and now it starts the triangle (in my crazy mind)!

[isthepame]

Japan U-20 National Team

Starting Players

10 糸師 冴 ITOSHI SAE

A player who has garnered worldwide attention, even being selected as one of the “New Generation World 11.” It’s rumoured that he hasn’t participated in Japan’s national team activities because he had already dismissed Japanese football, given his exceptional and overwhelming skill. However, he has recently shown an interest in “Blue Lock” and participated in an exhibition match.

ESP: Un jugador que ha atraído la atención mundial, llegando incluso a ser seleccionado como uno de los “11 del Mundo de la Nueva Generación.” Se rumorea que no ha participado en las actividades de la selección nacional japonesa porque ya había desestimado el fútbol japonés, debido a sus habilidades excepcionales e imponentes. No obstante, recientemente ha mostrado interés en el “Blue Lock” y participará en un partido de exhibición.

2 オリヴァ・愛空 OLIVER AIKU

The Japanese U-20 national team is referred to as the “Diamond Generation” largely thanks to his impenetrable defensive skills. As a centre-back, he not only applies pressure across the entire pitch but also, in moments of critical danger, shuts down strikers with a free-form approach that defies conventional logic.

ESP: La selección japonesa sub-20 es conocida como la “Generación Diamante” en gran parte gracias a sus habilidades defensivas impenetrables. Como defensa central, no solo ejerce presión en todo el campo, sino que, en momentos de peligro crítico, detiene a los delanteros con un estilo de movimiento libre que desafía la lógica convencional.

11 閃堂秋人 SENDOU SHUTO

The ace of Japan’s U-20 national team, playing as centre-forward.

Despite his youth, he is already a regular forward in Japan’s top domestic league, enjoying both high recognition and exceptional skill. In a team focused on defence, he stands out as the top scorer, earning strong trust from his teammates.

ESP: La estrella de la selección japonesa sub-20, desempeñándose como delantero centro. A pesar de su juventud, ya es delantero titular en la liga principal de Japón, destacando tanto por su notoriedad como por su habilidad excepcional. En un equipo enfocado en la defensa, sobresale como el máximo goleador, ganándose la plena confianza de sus compañeros de equipo.

8 超健人 CHOU KENTO

A left winger who excels at using his height to his advantage. His reliable playstyle aligns perfectly with the team’s strategy of solid defence and swift counterattacks. In particular, during counter plays, he demonstrates outstanding coordination with the right winger, Kitsunezato, becoming a key source of goals for Japan’s U-20 national team.

ESP: Un extremo izquierdo que destaca por aprovechar su estatura al máximo. Su estilo de juego confiable encaja perfectamente con la estrategia del equipo, basada en una defensa sólida y contraataques rápidos. En especial, durante las jugadas de contraataque, demuestra una excelente coordinación con el extremo derecho, Kitsunezato, convirtiéndose en una fuente clave de goles para la selección japonesa sub-20.

9 狐里 輝 KITSUNEZATO TERU

A nimble right winger. Unlike Chou on the opposite side, he plays a distinct role, with his runs behind the defence posing a serious threat to opposing teams. Without holding onto the ball for too long, he keeps the play moving forward with a quick passing tempo, making him an indispensable “lubricant” in Japan’s U-20 team.

ESP: Un ágil extremo derecho. A diferencia de Chou en el lado opuesto, cumple un rol distinto, y sus desmarques en profundidad representan una amenaza seria para los equipos rivales. Sin retener demasiado el balón, mantiene el juego en avance con un ritmo rápido de pases, lo que lo convierte en una pieza indispensable, un verdadero “lubricante” en la selección sub-20 de Japón.

6 若月 樹 WAKATSUKI TATSUKI

The defensive midfielder for Japan’s U-20 national team. His intense, watchful playstyle is symbolised by the dark circles under his eyes, as he constantly scrutinises the opposition’s movements. When the opponents alter their attacking approach, he’s the first to notice and sound the alarm for the entire team, serving as their primary “sensor.”

ESP: El mediocampista defensivo de la selección sub-20 de Japón. Su estilo de juego, marcado por una observación constante de los movimientos del rival, se refleja en las notables ojeras bajo sus ojos. Cuando los oponentes cambian su enfoque de ataque, es el primero en darse cuenta y alerta a todo el equipo, actuando como el “sensor” principal del conjunto.

7 颯 波留 HAYATE HARU

A defensive midfielder known for his height, which he uses effectively to intercept the starting points of the opposition’s attacks. Avoiding high-risk moves, he focuses on stalling the play when possession is lost, giving the defence time to reorganise. He plays a crucial role in controlling the pace of the game.

ESP: Un mediocampista defensivo conocido por su altura, que utiliza eficazmente para interceptar los puntos de inicio de los ataques rivales. Evita movimientos arriesgados y se centra en frenar el juego cuando se pierde la posesión, dando tiempo a la defensa para reorganizarse. Cumple un papel crucial en el control del ritmo del partido.

5 蛇来弥勒 DARAI MIROKU

The left-back for Japan’s U-20 national team. He sports body paint on his head and arms that resembles tattoos. Skilled at reading the opponent’s moves in advance and shutting them down, he doesn’t fall for the same attacking pattern twice. When his team is on the offensive, he slips behind the opposition’s defence.

ESP: El lateral izquierdo de la selección sub-20 de Japón. Lleva pintura corporal en la cabeza y los brazos que simulan tatuajes. Es hábil para anticipar los movimientos del oponente y bloquearlos, de modo que el mismo patrón de ataque no funciona en repetidas ocasiones. Cuando su equipo está al ataque, se infiltra por detrás de la defensa rival.

3 仁王和真 NIOU KAZUMA

A centre-back for Japan’s U-20 national team. Known for his rough, physical style of defence, he overwhelms the opposing attack. In particular, he displays an exceptional strength in ball duels, unusual for a Japanese player, and his signature move, the “Doberman Charge,” repels offensive plays with force.

ESP: Un defensa central de la selección sub-20 de Japón. Conocido por su estilo defensivo rudo y físico, es capaz de dominar a la ofensiva rival. En especial, muestra una fuerza inusual para un jugador japonés en las disputas por el balón, y su movimiento característico, la “Carga Doberman,” repele los ataques con potencia.

4 音留徹平 NERU TEPPEI

The right-back for Japan’s U-20 national team. His agility is among the best in the team, with impressive acceleration that allows him to reach top speed almost instantly. He covers the entire pitch, from the backline to the front, playing a crucial role in both attack and defence, serving as the unsung workhorse of the team.

ESP: El lateral derecho de la selección sub-20 de Japón. Su agilidad es de las mejores en el equipo, destacándose por una aceleración impresionante que le permite alcanzar la velocidad máxima casi al instante. Recorre todo el campo, desde la línea de fondo hasta el ataque, desempeñando un papel crucial tanto en defensa como en ofensiva, siendo el caballo de batalla no reconocido del equipo.

1 不角源 FUKAKU GEN

The goalkeeper for Japan’s U-20 national team. As the final barrier in a team built on strong back-line play and swift counterattacks, his greatest strength is his reliable decision-making. He shares a strong foundation of trust with centre-back Aiku When moving to the offensive, he initiates counterattacks with pinpoint long passes.

ESP: El portero de la selección sub-20 de Japón. Como último baluarte en un equipo que se basa en una sólida línea de fondo y rápidos contraataques, su mayor fortaleza es la confiabilidad en sus decisiones. Comparte una base de confianza sólida con el defensa central Aiku. Al pasar a la ofensiva, lanza los contraataques con precisos pases largos.

Substitute Player

13 士道龍聖 SHIDOU RYUSEI

A striker recruited from “Blue Lock” to join Japan’s U-20 national team, specialising in ultra-attacking play. His goal-scoring instincts within the penalty area are sharper than anyone else’s, and he possesses astonishing physical ability, able to shoot from any position. As an outlier among the otherwise pure-hearted team, he has the potential to spark unknown chemical reactions.

ESP: Un delantero reclutado desde “Blue Lock” para unirse a la selección sub-20 de Japón, especializado en un estilo de juego ultrafocalizado en el ataque. Su instinto para el gol dentro del área penal es más agudo que el de cualquiera, y posee una capacidad física asombrosa, capaz de disparar desde cualquier posición. Como un elemento extraño entre un equipo de ideales puros, tiene el potencial de provocar reacciones químicas desconocidas.

[nytb]

Flying Private Part 2

A half season filled with pastries and about as much romance as in “The Hobbit” book later, Alexia decided to one up her gift-giving.

Repeating the usual routine - Alexia embarked the private jet with a pep in her step – leaving a simple paper bag on top of the closest seat to the cabin, as usual. This time? No ensaimada was in sight. That beautiful doughy pastry dusted with a delightful sugar powder that Y/N adored. A simple box took it’s place inside the paper bag.

That was it, the hard part was done, or so Alexia thought.

An usual talkative Y/N entered the jet, starting polite conversation with all crew members, making a bee line for the cabin – the pilot stood dead on her tracks as she opened the bag. Was it guilt? Maybe disappointment? Surely the pilot wasn’t sad about the gift switch-up?

Oh- yeah, that’s it. Y/N pouted in Alexia’s direction. This was new.

“Open it” the midfielder instructed, a grin from ear to ear displayed on her face. Alexia was beyond proud of herself. For the first time in her interactions with Y/N, Alexia felt confident. Who wouldn’t like a watch?

“I can’t accept this Alexia” and that was all hopes out the window now. The midfielder always found a way to get on Y/N’s bad graces. What was so bad about a watch?

“It’s- It’s just a watch” the midfielder pleaded.

“Alexia, it’s a Rolex”

Oh- that makes more sense now.

Regardless, Alexia’s taste was impeccable. A simple gold bathed watch, a beautiful black plate decorated with small diamonds – representing the stars in the sky – It was the perfect gift for a pilot.

Realizing where she went wrong; that watch was probably worth Y/N’s rent for a full year, Alexia downplayed it’s value.

“They gifted it to me a while back, it’s been collecting dust ever since”

Little did the midfielder know, the receipt was still inside that very box.

“You see, I would believe you” the pilot approached Alexia “If only you hadn’t left this little, probably information-less piece of paper in here” Y/N’s voice filled with sass - she had deciphered Alexia.

That was bad.

“Oh wow” Malcolm, Y/N’s closest college, approached; inspecting the watch – taking all it’s beauty in – “Whoever gifted you this must like you, a lot”

Yup, it got even worse just then. Talk about someone rubbing salt in a wound.

For some reason, unbeknownst to us – not really but here we are – the trip felt a little too long. Random stares into teammates, a thoughtful Alexia pondered on how she could turn the situation around.

What had she done now? Is it that bad to gift a random pilot a simple watch? Ok, maybe it wasn’t a simple watch – and sure – it wasn’t just a random pilot; it was Y/N.

The sweet sound of wheels hitting the tarmac, the cute but scary bump as the plane landed – they had arrived.

The beautiful night sky with the beaming stars hiding among the clouds, Y/N stared up as she got out of the jet “Damn, nothing beats the beauty of a night sky”

“I know of something that can beat it” the confident Alexia was back.

“I told you, I can’t accept it”, yes just another hit to the abdomen delivered by yours truly, Y/N.

As the cute but aloof pilot made her way to the airport check-in a mischievous Malcolm approached “Something tells me that she wasn’t talking about the watch”

[ruruumin]

blue lock oc .☘︎ ݁˖

yuuri kawakami (川上百合) .☘︎ ݁˖ - seventeen. she/her. 163cm. - midfielder & part time pxg manager.

⤷ abilities & archetype:

playmaker:

a player who controls the flow of the team’s offensive play and is often involved in passing moves that lead to goals through their vision, technique, ball control, creativity, and passing ability. her passing and dribbling are based on instinct and the overall feel of the pitch. similarly to sae, she’ll pass to the most confident and “heated” striker.

creative midfielder:

she succeeds well under high-pressure situations and would use any means possible to capture the ball. she aims to produce an impossible comeback within her team. the longer she stays in a losing game, the higher her chances of winning.

⤷ skills:

professional football technique:

at a young age, yuuri trained in barcelona and spain, having frequently played other games in europe. she formed a short mentorship contract with ego jinpachi three years before blue lock. alongside her experiences working as a coach for smaller, women-owned clubs, she transferred into nel as pxg’s assistant manager.

perfect dribbling technique:

easily rolls through any obstacle on the field. has a more offensive role in driving the ball forward, however can flex between a passive and proactive style of dribbling.

superior kick technique:

she can perform complex passes consistently, making them easy to receive but difficult to block and counter. these include: long driven pass, line drive shot, jump shot, and ultra-fast passes.

positioning & spatial awareness:

frequently travels throughout the pitch for the most optimal angle to pass. by getting the feel of the game and players, she is able to predict the best place to kick.

⤷ backstory:

born in kanagawa prefecture, yuuri pursued sports as a form of recreational exercise. she looked up to her mother, who despite being a famous writer, struggled with her career and retired as a librarian. even with the lack of money, she continued to fund yuuri’s passion for soccer, oftentimes coaching her with rented books from work. this inspired her to pursue the sport professionally. she would become captain of the women’s soccer team at kawasaki high school, with her last play cementing her position as a powerful midfielder. her graduation gift was a short mentorship in barcelona, provided by her parents and ego jinpachi, an old family friend from her father’s side. before the creation of blue lock, she was offered a contract to work under ego only when the project succeeds. paying back the favor he gave to her years before, she works part-time as an assistant manager for pxg. her chemistry with the team helps them develop new techniques and skills outside of just men’s soccer.

⤷ in an interview with yuuri // trivia:

꒰☘︎ character's color꒱ baby peach-colored pink.

꒰☘︎ birthday꒱ september 13.

꒰☘︎ zodiac꒱ virgo.

꒰☘︎ birthplace꒱ kawasaki city, kanagawa prefecture.

꒰☘︎ family꒱ father, mother, younger brother, and herself.

꒰☘︎ dominant foot꒱ right foot.

꒰☘︎ blood type꒱ O.

꒰☘︎ started playing football꒱ "a boy at school said girls couldn’t play, so i wanted to prove him wrong."

꒰☘︎ motto꒱ "pressure makes diamonds, and the more you keep trying, the more effortless it all looks."

꒰☘︎ favorite color꒱ light green, like spring.

꒰☘︎ favorite food꒱ raw salmon over rice (especially with soy sauce).

꒰☘︎ disliked food꒱ bitter melon.

꒰☘︎ favorite animal꒱ jellyfish. - “when i was younger, i’d look for jellyfishes at the aquarium. they look soft and squishy. i want to hold one in my hands one day.” 

꒰☘︎ favorite season꒱ spring.  “its not too cold and warm.”

꒰☘︎ favorite football player꒱ ego jinpachi. (she looks up to him a lot).

꒰☘︎ favorite song꒱ happy end by backnumber. - “the idea of star-crossed lovers makes me a little sentimental.”

꒰☘︎ favorite manga꒱ fruits basket & nana. 

꒰☘︎ favorite movie꒱ she likes horror movies (especially ‘the thing’)

꒰☘︎ mushrooms vs bamboo shoots꒱ mushrooms. 

꒰☘︎ what goes best with rice꒱ raw salmon.

꒰☘︎ hobby꒱ cooking and building things. - “i gifted loki a new keyboard the other day. he didn’t like the old one he was given because it was too nosy, so i built him a different one. i think he likes the sound and feel a lot.”

꒰☘︎ what makes her happy꒱ going to local cafes. - “i like the adventure. i recently visited a cafe that lets you listen to vinyl records. it was a great experience.”

꒰☘︎ what makes her upset꒱ losing. - “maybe i’m just competitive, but i hate losing. whether it be in games or just my earbuds, it makes me mad.”

꒰☘︎ her strength꒱ receptive and easy to talk to.

꒰☘︎ her weakness꒱ pouty and stubborn. 

꒰☘︎ best subject꒱ art & japanese literature.

꒰☘︎ dislike/worst subject꒱ science. - “i hate wrapping my head around things like physics.” 

꒰☘︎ what made her cry recently꒱ “i recently finished reading a book my mother recommended, and the last chapter brought me to tears. it was so sad. i wish i could experience love like that one day.”

꒰☘︎ usual sleeping time꒱ 8.5 hours.

꒰☘︎ usually ends up buying from convenience stores꒱ fruit sandos. - “they look so good whenever they’re on display. i know its a trick but i can’t help but fall into the trap of sweet strawberries and cream.”

꒰☘︎ place she washes first when taking a bath꒱ her eyes.

꒰☘︎ number of chocolate received from previous valentine꒱ ”i don’t remember, but a lot of people gave me buttons during graduation.” 

꒰☘︎ what will she do if she received 100 million yen꒱ buy her mother her own bookstore. - “i’ll buy her all her favorite books to put on the shelves. at the end of the day, i want her to enjoy her career without worrying about anything.”

꒰☘︎ what age she stopped receiving presents from santa꒱ at age thirteen. - “i think i was a little late to realizing santa wasn’t real. my parents wanted me to experience a good christmas every year.” 

꒰☘︎ what was her last wish from santa꒱ an old 1997 original angel tamagotchi in pink.

꒰☘︎ favorite historical figure꒱ mary shelley.

꒰☘︎ if she hadn’t encountered soccer, what will she be doing꒱ run her own cafe. - “i keep getting inspired by new ideas around the city. i think it would be fun making drinks for other people and hearing their stories.”

꒰☘︎ if she could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be꒱ a good book.

꒰☘︎ if she had a time machine, would she go to the past or the future꒱ the past. - “i want to learn more about what i didn’t know previously. it’ll be like going back in time at funiculi funicula (a reference to her favorite book; before the coffee gets cold).”

[meademalove]

Vivianne Miedema's comments on Kyra Cooney-Cross to Optus Sport in a recent interview

Viv: "If there's someone who will tell her off, then it will be me," the Dutch star told Optus Sport after their 2-0 victory over Liverpool.

"She's a massive talent. She's a raw diamond, I think, and the future is going to be amazing for her."

Kyra: So Miedema's words, especially as "she doesn't say a lot," to the young midfielder were special.

"She's a bit hard on me, to be honest," Cooney-Cross said with a smirk. "But that means a lot from her. She's a great player. She's a great finisher, and I can't wait to keep learning a lot from her."

[oxford-garments]

Victor Osimhen's Holdup & Link-Up Play So Far This Season... (2023/24)

THE AFRICAN LINK UP

Hogan believed that possession-based football was the answer, but that it must be founded upon constant passing and movement, and added versatility in his players and increased fitness that would allow them to bamboozle an opponent with the fluidity of their attacking moves. James Hogan (16 October 1882 – 30 January 1974) was an English football player and coach.[1] He enjoyed some success as a footballer, reaching an FA Cup semi-final with Fulham in 1907–08, but his primary legacy is as a pioneer of the game and as an innovative coach across multiple European club and national sides. Named "the most influential coach there has ever been" by Jonathan Wilson,[1] Hogan is regarded by some as the architect of Total Football.[2][3]

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (US: /mənəŋˈɡɑːɡwə/ ⓘ mə-nəng-GAH-gwə, Shona: [m̩naˈᵑɡaɡwa]; born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who is serving as the third president of Zimbabwe since 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former President Robert Mugabe, he held a series of cabinet portfolios and he was Mugabe's first-vice president from 2014 until 2017, when he was dismissed before coming to power in a coup d'état. He secured his first full term as president in the disputed 2018 general election. Mnangagwa was re-elected in the August 2023 general election with 52.6% of the vote.[2]

A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault".[1][2] More generally, it is "a coalition especially of leftist political parties against a common opponent".

Harmony and Contrast Formula/System: xG Analytics 2:3 Goals/Assist Ratio; 0-0 Games with Possession Football Analytics Post Game

F9/Target Man Combination Football: 4 v 4 Manipulated Offside Trap with Depth Link up in Hole for Triangular Wall Pass (F9); 2 V 2 Chest Cradle Half Volley 2 Touch Finishing (Target Man and F10)

Midfield Pivots 4-3-3 (Build Up Back 4, Triangle Midfield (1 Attacking, 1 Defensive, 1 Box to Box Deep Lying Playmaker), Attacking 3 (False 9, False 10, Inverted Winger)

5-2-3

4-1-5

4-4-2 F9 or F10

Skill Drills

2 V 2 Box Play with 3 Neutrals Pass Ins 2 Touch or 1 Touch Finish

Link Up Diamond Futsal 4 v 4

Agility Ladder Futsal Dribbling

Skills: Aerial Duels, Chest Cradled Half Volley, Finishing, Link Up and Hold Up, Counter Pressing, Shoulder Barging

HULU Target Man False 9 Tactics and Skills

Depth in attack: The attacking side uses the depth of the pitch by moving men either up from the rear, or down from the top, but may use a constant "target striker" or front man to always invoke a presence deep in the defence.

Give and Go: A version of this play involving a through ball into space as a return to the initial passer (known as a wall pass [13]: 30 ) is sometimes used to get past the first level of defence (for example).[14]

Triangular play: A subtype of the give-and-go tactic; allows for a safe and quick movement of various areas in play whilst maintaining control of the ball. In a triangular play the ball is passed between three players to form a triangle. The triangle is then shifted to a different position when a new player is added. Many triangles can be created with various combinations of players with the intent to incrementally move the ball forward without compromising possession. This tactic is common when trying to gain control of midfield. However it may also be used for (final 3rd) attacking purposes.[19]

In the space between the opponent's defensive line and midfield line (the "hole"): A common strategy of attack is to pass (or move) the ball into the spaces between the opponent's defenders and midfielders. If a pass is made, a midfielder in an advanced position or an attacker in a deeper position will want to receive the ball right between the lines of the opponent. A player can also try to move the ball into this area on their own, at which point they may look for a passing option; alternatively attempting to create a good scoring chance on their own.[13]: 18

Strong side overloads: Attacking teams may pressure the defence on to one side of the pitch by moving most of its attackers and midfielders to the ball side while letting a wing player or defender come to the opposite side with little or no coverage. By compressing space in the areas where the ball is, the defence has to respect the strong side threat by adding extra players into the mix. The ball is then crossed or passed into an unmarked area on the far side of the pitch for a free or near free shot, dribble or pass.

Target man: The implied use of a quality striker who has the ability to take on the whole defence on their own - and will often occupy two defenders - making the defence vulnerable. Complemented with two fast wingers, this tactic may give the 4-man defence potential problems. Teams may also benefit from a target man at set pieces.

Cross into the box: A player (often a winger, wide midfielder or fullback) situated outside the width of the penalty box (on one of the flanks) attempts a cross into the penalty box, for a teammate (usually a striker, or a forward) to try to score on (with a header, a volley, or a one touch shot). Crosses into the box can be of various height and length and target various areas of the penalty box. For this to work, the player attempting the cross needs to be skilled at performing this type of pass, as well as able to read the game of play, and the receiving target has to have a number of competitive advantages (such as height, strength, speed or heading skills) in order to beat the defence for the attempt at goal.[13]: 17 

Freekicks: If the free kick is close-range but in a less-than-ideal angle to attempt to take a shot on goal, a common method of creating a scoring chance is to cross the ball into the penalty area, usually aiming for a spot in the angle towards the penalty spot, at which attacking players will try to beat defending players to the ball in order for a header or volleyball shot to hit the target. This is common to a corner kick.

Sometimes teams tactically divide the pitch horizontally into five corridors instead: Outside left, inside left, central, inside right and outside right. This is among other things reflected in the positional names being used in formations with five midfielders, or five defenders.[22][23]

Physique Endurance Cycling (MAS) and Isometric Plyometric Jump Rope (VO2 max) with Landmine Complex; Lion Heart DNA (Muscle Fibers and Walking Mechanics)

18U Stylistic Biomechanics with Skill Drills and Scrimmage. 12U fundamentals and practice.

Sprint dribbling: Invisible 4, Crescent Moon Pull Back, and Dorsiflexion

Genome Editing: TYRP1, ACTN3, FBN1 gene, ACE Gene, XYY Prenatal Hormones with Fetus Alcohol Consumption for Sensory Overload Asperger's, Expansive Mood with Disinhibition Impulsive Borderline

A notable connection exists between VO2max and MAS, encapsulated by the “Léger formula”: VO2max = MAS x Cr, where Cr represents the energy cost or running economy, measured in mL/kg/km. This energy cost differs among runners, with a commonly accepted average value being 210 mL/kg/km. This leads to the equation VO2max = 3.5 x MAS. A lower running economy (energy cost) implies that a runner expends less energy and is more efficient. Elite Kenyan and Ethiopian runners, for example, often exhibit a running economy around 180 mL/kg/km (equivalent to a coefficient of 3). In this context, VO2max can be seen as the runner’s ‘engine’. In contrast, MAS reflects the engine’s efficiency, influenced by factors like posture, relaxation, stride quality, and muscle quality. The formula VO2max = 3.5 x MAS is, however, a theoretical estimate.

Hamstring Activation Cycling

Intramuscular EMG was used to verify muscle activation during cycling. The activation pattern of deep muscles (Vint and BFS) could, therefore, be described and compared to that of the more superficial muscles. The complex coordination of quadriceps and hamstring muscles during cycling was described in detail.

Maximal aerobic speed (MAS) is simply the lowest running speed at which maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) occurs, and is typically referred to as the velocity at VO2 max (vVO2 max). MAS was developed for the purpose of increasing the specificity of training and to enable coaches to monitor training loads more accurately.

Lengthy Landmine Complex

Although typically used for simple core and functional-type movements, the landmine is actually an amazingly versatile tool that can be used as a primary exercise for many muscle groups:

Side Facing Clean to Single Arm Press

Front Squat To Press

Single Arm Drop Lunge Squat

Squeeze Press

Lateral Squat Jumps

Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive

Sumo 1/2 Rep Squat Jumps

Single Arm Fall Out Push Ups

Sit Up To Press

1-2 minute rest between rounds if you perform multiple rounds

Circuit training has been shown to have greater effects on the magnitude and duration of EPOC than traditional forms of strength training.[8] All told, you can burn hundreds and hundreds of calories in a properly-executed circuit training workout.

The multi-stage fitness test (MSFT), also known as the beep test, bleep test, PACER test (progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run), or the 20m shuttle run test, is a running test used to estimate an athlete's aerobic capacity (VO2 max).

Bariatric surgery (or metabolic surgery or weight loss surgery) is a medical term for surgical procedures used to manage obesity and obesity-related conditions.[1][2] Long term weight loss with bariatric surgery may be achieved through alteration of gut hormones, physical reduction of stomach size, reduction of nutrient absorption, or a combination of these.[2][3] Standard of care procedures include Roux en-Y bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch, from which weight loss is largely achieved by altering gut hormone levels responsible for hunger and satiety, leading to a new hormonal weight set point.[3] Bariatric surgery of various types may influence hedonic hunger[31][32][33] particularly if accompanied by counseling interventions that reduce automatic hedonic impulses.[34] These surgeries may work in part by modifying the production of gastrointestinal hormones, particularly by increasing glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY (PYY);[31][35] reduction of ghrelin has been inconsistent.[31]

Counter Pressing Progressive HULU False 9

Skills: Attack, Power*, Movement*, Skill*, Mental*, Defence*

A false 9, similar to a more advanced attacking midfielder/playmaker role, is an unconventional lone striker or centre-forward, who drops deep into midfield. The purpose of this is that it creates a problem for opposing centre-backs who can either follow the false 9, leaving space behind them for onrushing midfielders, forwards or wingers to exploit, or leaving the false 9 to have time and space to dribble or pick out a pass.

Deep Completions: Deep Completions represent successful passes made within 20 meters of the opposition goal. It indicates a player’s ability to execute accurate and incisive passes in dangerous areas.

12. Carry%: Carry% signifies the percentage of a player’s carries (running with the ball) that were successful. It measures their effectiveness in maintaining ball control and progressing play through dribbling.

13. Deep Progressions: Deep Progressions encompass passes and dribbles/carries into the opposition’s final third. It quantifies a player’s ability to advance the ball effectively into areas close to the opponent’s goal.

14. xGBuildup: xGBuildup is a model that attributes the expected goals (xG) value of the final shot to all players involved in the entire possession leading up to the shot. It focuses on evaluating the possession work and build-up play prior to the end of the attacking sequence.

15. xGChain: xGChain is a model that attributes the expected goals (xG) value of the final shot to all players involved in the entire possession. It captures the contributions of players throughout the possession, considering their involvement in generating goal-scoring opportunities.

16. OBV Metrics: In addition to the aforementioned features, it’s worth exploring the concept of On-Ball Value (OBV) metrics. OBV is a comprehensive framework developed by StatsBomb that evaluates a player’s contributions and effectiveness in possession. It takes into account various factors such as passes, dribbles, shots, and more to provide a holistic assessment of a player’s on-ball performance.

Link-Up Play; You must play with your back to the goal, hold the ball under pressure, and lay it off to advancing teammates. For this, you'll need ball control, strength, and the ability to shield the ball from defenders. Moreover, effective link-up play helps create fluid attacking movement. For hold-up play (plural hold-up plays) (soccer, idiomatic) A play where an attacker retains possession of the ball, while the teammates can move up the field. Push-and-run, also known as a wall pass, a one-two or a give-and-go, is a tactic and skill often used in association football. It involves quickly laying the ball off to a teammate and running past the marking tackler to collect the return pass. It proved an effective way to move the ball at pace, with players' positions and responsibility being fluid.[1] All the definitions agree on just one thing: a progressive action advances the ball somehow. At The Athletic, we count a completed pass as “progressive” if it’s at least 10 metres (11 yards) long and moves the ball at least 25 per cent of the remaining distance to goal.

Current measures:

Expected assists: If we have an expected likelihood for each shot resulting in a goal, we can look back at the pass prior to that shot to see which players played the passes that could have resulted in goals. This is more informative than just looking at assists, but has the limitation of being heavily dependent on the shot-takers being able to get their shot away following the high value pass, and only considers the pass immediately preceding the shot. Any passes that contribute significantly to the buildup prior to that are neglected.

xG chain: This is a logical extension of the expected assist approach. To overcome the limitation of only considering the pass prior to a shot, we can propagate the goalscoring likelihood for each shot back through all the passes in the sequence leading up to it. That way, players frequently involved in plays that result in high quality chances are still rewarded for their contributions. This approach has some benefits, but still assumes the presence of a shot-taker who is able to capitalise on the good buildup to take a high-quality shot. Moreover, this approach can conflate the contribution from teammates. For example, a player that reliably plays easy passes to a key playmaker will generally be highly rewarded by this approach, even if most of the buildup value comes from the playmaker.

Progressive passes: A less shot-centric approach to valuing buildup is to consider the number of passes that bring the ball closer to the opposition goal. These types of approaches typically define some threshold for progression, either number of yards forward or how much closer the ball gets to goal, as a % of starting distance. This allows the separation of players whose passes are mostly safe and cautious from players whose passes disproportionately drive the ball forward towards the opposition goal. This has been used successfully in the past to identify players who progress the ball well, but is still a relatively coarse approach. Fifty yard progressive passes are treated similarly to 15 yard progressive passes, and a 15 yard pass down the wing is treated the same as a 15 yard forward pass into the penalty box.

Packing: None of the other approaches above consider the location of off-ball players. One approach that does take this into consideration is Packing.

Counter-pressing in football is the act of actively pursuing the ball in a coordinated manner with the aim of regaining possession quickly after ball-loss. The upper bound of time the ball must be won back within varies from coach to coach, and thus in execution by different teams. Two player contesting for the ball side by side. they can bump shoulders and run that shoulder into the opponent in an attempt to move the opponent off the ball. it becomes illegal when the arm is raised to push the opponent away or more force than is necessary is used with the shoulder. (Thigh Tug Counter Pressing)

Aggressive Actions: Aggressive actions encompass tackles, pressure events, and fouls recorded within 2 seconds of an opposition player receiving the ball. It assesses a player’s defensive intensity and ability to disrupt the opponent’s play.

9. Counterpressures: Counterpressures indicate the number of pressures exerted by a player within 5 seconds of a turnover. It demonstrates a player’s commitment to regaining possession quickly after losing it.

Signature Move

Sole Forward Roll Placement for Hold Up Play

2 v 2 Off-Ball Shoulder Barging Two Touch and One Touch Finishing: Lofted feed in order to strike on Chest Cradled Half Volley Lofted feeds in order to head to goal.

Spacing, Possession, Pass Completion, and Counter Pressing with Pursuit and Ambush Predation One Team Box Touches and Capture the Flag with Analytics-Geometry Total Football Trixie Bet on CNS Drugs (Xanax and Modafinil); 1-1-2-1 Diamond Rover Futsal Pivot Formation

Define a run in one of two ways: (i) as a set of consecutive goals scored by one team, without the other team scoring a goal; (ii) as a set of consecutive scoring events by one team, each event being either a goal or one or more Set Piece. Play aggressive and with counter pressing and run it up on the score board in the first half and after halftime play defense. You get a break at half and it's easier to win when someone plays defense and looks for opportunities instead of Attacking.

Set Piece Stylistic Biomechanics: Shooting Knee at Wall for Curve and Placement Knee for Corner. Follow through with Shot with proper Body Alignment

Knee to Feet or Shoulder to Feet Cradling for Touch/Entertainment

Posterior Chain Super Compensation and Speed-Endurance (Elastic-Connective Tissue) Force-Velocity Curve; Crescent Moon Horizontal Plane Vertical Force Sprinting Mechanics.

Placement Mechanics: Ankle-Heel Linedrive and Arch-Knuckle Raised Curve; Placement Foot and Reverse Rotation with Shoulder for power and Accuracy; Arch of Feet at Target for Follow Through Accuracy; Plant Foot-Eyes on Ball for Football Contact Point then Eyes on Corner.

Agility Ladder Eyes Pocket: Eyes Between Defenders Feet and Ball, Numbered Footwork V-Step (Shifting Defenders with Momentum) et L-Step (Explosive First Step), All moves should form a Triangle or an Incomplete Triangle

Sprint Size Up: A series of feint Karaoké dribble moves with Eye Tricks (Fake Pass) but Sprint Position Finish

Triangle Flip Flasp: All Dribbling Moves should form a Triangle or an Incomplete Triangle while using V-Step (Shifting Defenders with Momentum) et L-Step (Explosive First Step). The flip flap (also known as the elástico, akka, snakebite, and la culebrita) is a dribbling move, or feint, in football used to trick a defensive player into thinking the offensive player, in possession of the ball, is going to move in a direction they do not intend to. Players perform it by using the outside of their dominant foot to push the ball towards their dominant side, then quickly move the dominant foot around the ball and using the inside to push the ball to their non-dominant side. Although the footwork is the most distinctive aspect of the flip-flap, its success as a feint also relies heavily on the attacking player having an explosive acceleration from a stationary position.[1]

Thé Crescent: In Close Dribbling; Crescent Footwork with L Shapes

On the Run Dribbling Moves: Letters and Shapes; Still Play 1 on 1: Numbered Footwork

À ma sauce Courts: Drills Side/Box Play with 1 Net; Design Vaporwave Action Painting Angels; Knee for Direction and Sole Drags for Dribbling Touch and Crescent Moon Sprint Mechanics

Gambling Games: 5 Roll (Captain, Ship, Crew); Live-Pool Betting Monopoly

Stylistic Biomechanics: Dribbling Foot To Ball Contact (Balls of Feet and Arch of Feet); Knee for Direction; Foot Drags; & Hip Angle, Crescent Moon Running Mechanics, and Laces Kick.

Futsal Courts: Drills Side/Box Play with 1 Net; Design Vaporwave Action Painting Angels; Knee for Direction and Sole Drags for Dribbling Touch and Crescent Moon Sprint Mechanics

Chic Operations

The Prince (Italian: Il Principe [il ˈprintʃipe]; Latin: De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new princes. As a remarkable general theme, The Prince appears to take it for granted that immoral acts are justified if they can help achieve political glory.[1]

Frame of Contract Negotiations are Jersey Sales

Clientelism or client politics is the exchange of goods and services for political support, often involving an implicit or explicit quid-pro-quo.[1][2][3] It is closely related to patronage politics and vote buying.[4]

Sin Stock Investment Trust: Pay a minimum of 90% of their taxable income to their shareholders through dividends; Arms, Tobacco, Pharmaceuticals, Entertainment District Rental Properties, and Sports Betting. (Piccadilly Circus as an Example) Lastly, maritime corruption may be categorized according to various fraud scenarios,[8] such as: under-invoicing, where the merchandise in question is declared of lower value than the actual sale price in the invoice, bribes paid to gain contracts, where large shipping and commercial vessel companies bid for long term contracts from large exporters, illicit payments to marine surveyors, so that the surveyor is paid illegally in order to give a better review of the inspected vessel, facilitation payments to customs officers, where bribes are paid to officers to ensure smooth customs procedures and to turn a blind eye to certain procedural requirements, and illegal purchase of letters of credit, where payment is promised for certain documents which validate that goods have been delivered as required.

2 Full Star Fixed Signs and a Urban City Teenager Planetary Intelligence Leo/Aquarius: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Uranus-Saturn; Brooklyn NY (Spirit) age 17; Tutlery Spirit: Drumming Orchestra

Jungle Capital Formula for African Games Retail Integration: Craftsmanship, Commercialism, Commerce, Cash-Conversion-Cycle, and Medium of Exchange. Horizontal integration involves the acquisition or merger of companies operating in the same industry and at the same stage of the supply chain. (Football, FL Studio and Poetic Meter, Track and Field, Rings Gymnastics, Real Estate Investment Trust, Sin Stocks Investment Trusts for Partying, and Culinary Linguistics).

Books: Mirror for Princes, Psychology, and Business.

Decentralized Gambling Economy: Pigou Effect, Corporate-Capital Gains Tax Haven, High Stakes Minimum Buy In, Domestic: Boxing, Retirement: Boat Racing, Residency Program for Tax Benefits

Ceremonial drums are membranophones and idiophonic slit drums, which are played in a ritual context cult, religious or ceremonial social occasions by indigenous peoples around the world, often accompanied by singing or chanting. Some ceremonial drums were specially made for their purpose and are accordingly elaborately designed. This includes drums, which are considered sacred objects and may only be used by a certain group of people. The drums can be played solo or in a small ensemble to accompany singing in ritual rituals, or can belong to a larger orchestra for courtly ceremonies and plays. Ceremonial drums can include tubular drums standing upright on the floor, large kettle drums, hand-held frame drums, and wooden slit drums.

Shango Course

Encomium (pl.: encomia) is a Latin word deriving from the Ancient Greek enkomion (ἐγκώμιον), meaning "the praise of a person or thing."[1] Another Latin equivalent is laudatio, a speech in praise of someone or something.

Encomium also refers to several distinct aspects of rhetoric:

A general category of oratory

A method within rhetorical pedagogy

A figure of speech praising a person or thing, but occurring on a smaller scale than an entire speech

The eighth exercise in the progymnasmata series

A literary genre that included five elements: prologue, birth and upbringing, acts of the person's life, comparisons used to praise the subject, and an epilogue[citation needed]

The basilikos logos (imperial encomium), a formal genre in the Byzantine empire

In Byzantine rhetoric, a basilikos logos (Greek: βασιλικòς λόγος, literally "imperial word") or logos eis ton autokratora ("speech to the emperor") is an encomium addressed to an emperor on an important occasion, regularly at Epiphany.[1]

The parameters of the genre were first set out in a treatise attributed to Menander Rhetor of the late 3rd century. The encomiast should praise the emperor's origins, his physical beauty, his upbringing, good habits, feats in peace and victories in war, philanthropy, good fortune and practice of the four cardinal virtues. He identified the presbeutikos, a speech of supplication given by a city to an emperor, as a subgenre of the basilikos logos. The panegyric of Constantine the Great delivered by Eusebius of Caesaria established a new convention of depicting the ideal emperor rather than the actual. The Christian basilikoi logoi dropped references to good fortune (tyche) in favour of piety. The term presbeutikos also shifted in meaning to refer to an ambassador's report.[1]

The delivery of a basilikos logos could be used as an occasion to subtly advise the emperor, becoming a sort of "mirror of princes". This is the form it took when Agapetos praised Justinian I (6th century) and when Basil I his son Leo VI (9th century). The surviving biography of the Empress Theodora (9th century) may originate in a basilikos logos addressed to her during her regency.[2] John the Oxite wrote and presumably delivered an unconventional logos that was highly critical of the policies of Alexios I Komnenos (11th century).[3] Michael Italikos (12th century) wrote a logos for the Emperor John II Komnenos based primarily on his deeds and another for Manuel I Komnenos that was more conventional.[1]

S-1 Talk

Laws of Power, Strategies of War, and Laws of Human Nature By Robert Greene

Law 1: Never Outshine the Master: Ensure that those above you always feel superior. Go out of your way to make your bosses look better and feel smarter than anyone else. Everyone is insecure, but an insecure boss can retaliate more strongly than others can.

Law 2: Never Put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How to Use Enemies: Keep a close eye on your friends — they get envious and will undermine you. If you co-opt an enemy, he’ll be more loyal than a friend because he’ll try harder to prove himself worthy of your trust.

Strategy 1: Do Not Fight the Last War: The Guerrilla-War-of-the-Mind Strategy: What most often weighs you down and brings you misery is the past, in the form of unnecessary attachments, repetitions of tired formulas, and the memory of old victories and defeats. You must consciously wage war against the past and force yourself to react to the present moment. Never take it for granted that your past successes will continue into the future.

Strategy 2: Segment Your Forces: The Controlled-Chaos Strategy; Speed and adaptability are critical elements in war, and come from flexible organization. Decentralize your army, segment into teams, and let go a little to gain mobility. Give your different corps clear missions that fit your strategic goals, then let them accomplish them as they see fit.

Law #3: People Can Be Influenced: We all need our self-image confirmed because we know it’s not always objectively accurate. We tend to like and listen to the people who validate us.

Law #4: People Wear Masks: We all display a persona, or a mask, that pumps up our positive qualities and shows ourselves in the best light. However, it’s not always easy to hide our true natures—while we have good control of our words, we don’t always have good control of our body language and nonverbal cues

Law #8: People’s Individuality Is Overpowered by Groups: When we’re in groups, everyone else’s emotions affect us and potentially provoke us into doing things we wouldn’t do alone.

Law #9: People Are Influenced by Their Generation: Everyone belongs to at least one group—their generation. Generational values are shaped by world events that took place during the generation’s coming-of-age years and the inevitable conflict with other generations.

Instrumental aggression refers to aggressive behavior meant to achieve a specific goal. Unlike other types of aggression, the behavior is not due to anger or other emotion but rather a calculated means to an end. Instrumental aggression is similar to bullying but with a specific, manipulative purpose.

FLOW FOOTBALL

Futsal Courts: Drills Side/Box Play with 1 Net; Design Vaporwave Action Painting Angels; Knee for Direction and Sole Drags for Dribbling Touch and Crescent Moon Sprint Mechanics

Diamond Football (15 mins)

Set Up

-Lay out two overlapping sets of 4 flat markers in the positions shown above.

-Ask the players to stand on a flat marker for their teams colour (Red on Red, Yellow on Yellow).

Instruction

-Whenever the ball goes out for a kick in or for the defenders ball, the players must stand on their markers before play begins.

-As soon as the ball has been played in, players are free to move.

-Reset everytime the ball goes out.

Coaching Points, Progressions Ect.

-Ask players to shout out what each position on the park is to devlop understanding of their roles.

-If you decide to go to a normal game , leave the markers out for a visual aid for the players.

-If more than 8 players, Add in Goalkeepers who would then play the ball out to the DF,LM,RM.

-Rotate Positions, Ask Players to stand on a marker they haven't been on before

Port-Tuxôn, Boma, Congo-Kinshasa Representation for Ballon d'Or and World Cup Sleeve with Front Office Retirement

Premier-Chargé d'affaires and Executive Branch Communist Working Class

The Westminster system, or Westminster model, is a type of parliamentary government that incorporates a series of procedures for operating a legislature, first developed in England. Key aspects of the system include an executive branch made up of members of the legislature, and that is responsible to the legislature; the presence of parliamentary opposition parties; and a ceremonial head of state who is separate from the head of government. The term derives from the Palace of Westminster, which has been the seat of the Westminster Parliament in England and later the United Kingdom since the 13th century. In diplomacy, a chargé d'affaires is a diplomat responsible for fulfilling the functions of an ambassador (or other head of diplomatic mission) in the absence or unavailability of the latter as well as between the departure of a holder and the arrival of his successor. When two countries do not maintain official diplomatic relations, in the event of their breakdown or lack of recognition, each of them may designate a chargé d'affaires who sits in the representation of a third country to carry out this function. Under Canada's system of responsible government, the premier is both a member of the provincial legislative assembly and the head of the executive. Executive Branch The Executive Council is made up of elected Members of Provincial Parliament appointed as Cabinet Ministers by the Lieutenant Governor on the advice of the Premier. The executive branch is the administrative governing body, who sets priorities and public policy. Communism (from Latin communis, 'common, universal')[1][2] is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement,[1] whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered around common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange that allocates products to everyone in the society based on need.[3][4][5] A communist society would entail the absence of private property and social classes,[1] and ultimately money[6] and the state (or nation state).[7][8][9] Vanguardism, in the context of Leninist revolutionary struggle, relates to a strategy whereby the most class-conscious and politically "advanced" sections of the proletariat or working class, described as the revolutionary vanguard, form organizations to advance the objectives of communism. They take actions to draw larger sections of the working class toward revolutionary politics and to serve as manifestations of proletarian political power opposed to the bourgeoisie. This theory serves as the underpinning of the leading role of the Communist party, usually enshrined in the constitution, after the seizure of power in the state by Communists.

Signature Plays: Shoulder Barging One - Two Pass

Porsche Engine on Track.

💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸

[millythegoat]

Who gets into your all-time premier league Liverpool XI?❤️

very attempted to went full Milner after what Souness said to him long time ago 😅 But here we go:

I like to go 4222 narrow (because it's so versatile, you can fall back to 433 or 4231 diamond. It's one of the most fluid formation), it's always a joy to watch:

GK: Ali (sub: Adrian i need to at least mention him)

Defenders: Trentski, Matip, Virg and Robbo

Midfield: Milly and Fabinho

Attacking Midfield: Thiago and Gerrard

Fowards: hmmmm.... Mo and Bobby

we'll be attacking non stop and maybe concede a bit.. but if the scoreline is 10-2 who cares? (while in reality it'll be a 7-5 match)

[trentskis]

dw liverpoolies our midfield is gonna serve slay pussy cunt etc this season i have faith. ally mac and szobo will want to slay and give their all for their debut season and they r exciting players curtis is just back off of scoring the goal that won them the u21s euros with back-to-back potm and served cunt the back half of last season harvey elliott is great when he feels like it STEFAN will be back midfield maestro maybe thiago will stick around trent will possibly stay in his new midfield role and im sure we will sign a few more diamonds. we will BE serving

[heterophobicmaxanne]

sending you an ask cause you've sent me some <3 when do you think royjamie get together do you think it's during the time of the show or?

awwww, thank you, that is sooo nice!

i think there are honestly a bunch of ways they could get/could have gotten together but i think i'm going to focus on the canon compliant ones - and i think it largely depends on roy and on when and how he stops repressing his feelings for jamie and how much angsting he does about his role as manager and the ethical implications of dating someone on the team

i'm going to put this under a cut because it's def going to get long

so sort of the most obvious/maybe healthiest one is roy does some therapy and with the help of dr. sharon realises that he deserves to be happy and that the way he's repressing his wants and needs because he's afraid of the pain that would come from not getting them met is not in fact at all healthy and directly tied to his anger issues. i think then he'd probably need a couple more sessions until he could actually recognise the affection he has for jamie as what it is, namely a big fat crush - i think the fact that he's low key miserable about not getting to do one-on-one 4 am training with jamie anymore because he's to busy as manager plays a pretty big role in that realisation, and the whole fight over keeley thing also plays into it, like he'd recognise that seeing jamie and keeley hug made him afraid that things were changing and because he's a repressed idiot he concluded it was about keeley when in truth it was about jamie - and then he'd probably need to like lie down for several weeks to recover from the shock and the horror agonize about how to handle the situation ethically for a while, call in the diamond dogs for help and make a plan with them that he then presents to rebecca. and only then would he talk to jamie about it, low key expecting jamie to laugh in his face or tell him to fuck off, and i think he'd be genuinely shocked when jamie is immediately like "yep this is happening i am now Roy Kent's boyfriend"

and that's sweet and healthy and good but it's a little too hinged for me, like as good and sweet as that is, it lacks that certain je-ne-sais-quoi that makes their relationship so fun and fascinating, which is why i prefer a bunch of other options!

one option that i see that is also canon compliant is that jamie does in fact go to see his father in rehab. it goes well for a while and then james tartt turns out to still be an abusive piece of shit because it was never the addiction that made him abusive, james tartt is just like that so he says something shitty and terrible to jamie, maybe something homophobic about colin who's post-match kiss with michael has gone viral or maybe something shitty about jamie becoming a midfielder and no longer dominating on the field. jamie stands up to his father but doesn't feel entirely good about it - he's supposed to be forgiving him, helping him become a better person, the way people have forgiven and helped jamie and what does it say about him that he can't do the same thing for his father? he spirals out about it in a way that's similar to the start of mom city, roy notices, finds out what's going on, including about ted's advice and is just Absolutely Enraged. Completely And Utterly Furious. Cannot Speak Will Commit Murder Livid. he gives jamie the best advice he can give him through the rage blinders he gets, and then he facetimes ted and almost murders him through the phone screen. and ted realises his mistake, apologizes to jamie for the advice and for just walking away after the man city richmond match in s1, and the next time ted talks to roy he makes a suggestive comment about roy's feelings vis-a-vis jamie, maybe something about how he never could've seen roy and jamie's relationship developing into that direction when he got to richmond, and waggles his eyebrows and that does not go over well with roy. not at all. but jamie's doing better and roy's absolutely delighted about it and he can't stop thinking about ted's comment and finally, considering how intensely angry and protective he was and how delighted he is to see jamie happy again, he realises it's true and probably needs to like lie down for several weeks to recover from the shock and the horror again does the same "figuring out how to make a move on jamie that's ethical enough for him to do it"-spiel as in the first option

(leslie higgins voice) another one: jamie gets hurt pretty badly towards the final minutes of a match and roy's brain just short-circuits and only barely reboots enough for him to force himself to make it through with some semblance of composure because he's the gaffer and he cannot fall apart about jamie getting carried of the pitch on a stretcher. the second the whistle blows, roy essentially barrels into the treatment room and pulls jamie into a hug that is so fucking tight that jamie has to essentially tap him on the shoulder at some point because he's about to black out from lack of oxygen. and that leads to jamie making a dumb joke about how he's not dying "jesus grandad get your crap together you're going to make the medics think you're in love with me" and roy's brain is still rebooting which means the repression mechanism hasn't fully come online yet so he can hear that sentence, put it into the context of all the other emotions he's been feeling and realise that yeah that is essentially why he is reacting the way that he is reacting and even say "what if i am" which leads to a very passionate kiss, a number of death threats if any of this gets out and some vaguely traumatized richmond team medics

i can also see roy just being absolutely fucking miserable about no longer getting to do one-on-one training with jamie because 1) he does not have the time anymore (now that he actually has to read the fucking scouting reports and all that other shit he lied about as assistant coach) and 2) it would be way more unethical and favouritism and so on than it was when he was an assistant coach. but he doesn't make the connection because why would he, he barely even likes jamie no matter what phoebe said and no matter the fact that he looks at the kunt shirt and smiles like the biggest fucking idiot until phoebe points out that he's managed to swear so much in just a week that he owes her what he usually owes her after like two months and asks whether it's because he's no longer seeing jamie every day? and roy wants to say no fuck off but because it's phoebe he can't and unfortunately that moment of hesitation he has while he tries to find a nicer way of phrasing it is enough for him to realise that yeah actually she's right and that's not normal why is that happening and it triggers a chain reaction that ends with him realising his feelings

and for the fourth canon compliant option, we have jamie getting a little too drunk at the post-match celebration because he's no longer in training so vanilla vodka here he comes and then drunkenly telling roy that actually it was a fucking dick move to invite him for a beer and to butter him up only to then bring up keeley and ask jamie to "step aside" especially considering the giant fucking torch jamie's carrying for roy and roy is like "the what" and jamie tells him again that yeah he has always had a pretty big fucking crush on roy and how did roy not notice despite the poster and him pulling roy through richmond on a leash and amsterdam? and jamie admits that yeah he did act a little like a dick about it, esp to keeley, but roy was being a much bigger dick not just to keeley but also to jamie and roy is like yeah you’re right i was a dick and i’m sorry but I did mean the proud of you stuff I said and jamie tells roy nice cool good and he'll see roy once they start 4am training again in the preseason and roy's like "wait why do you still want to train with me don't you think this is awkward as fuck" and jamie's like "nope this changes literally nothing" and then fucks off to brazil for a bit and again roy is miserable but once the preseason comes closer he gets more and more excited about the prospect of seeing jamie again and at some point he internally scolds himself for acting like a schoolgirl with a crush and that's when he realises that whoops yeah jamie is not the only one carrying a torch

but also i think there are a few moments in the show that open up fun little avenues for canon divergent royjamie, for example:

jamie does not come back into his childhood bedroom when he does in the show, keeley summarily rejects roy, roy wallows in it a little but realises it doesn't even hurt as much as he thought it would and there's even a part of him that's relieved which is weird why is he relieved and why is that relief so tied to nothing changing between him and jamie and whoops yeah there it is the realisation he has a Feeling

there's the slightly more angsty option where roy only realises he has feelings for jamie when jamie gets hurt during the match against man city (which i'm SUCH a sucker for!)

roy is in the room for the "everyone looks at jamie after beards comment about there being more people in this locker room who are gay"-moment and when jamie says i'm flattered roy feels something like excitment and maybe even hope and like why is he feeling that those feelings make no sense there unless he was interested in ja - whoops okay he is interested in jamie someone kill him now

and of course, amsterdam! i can imagine like a very deeply cute moment where after learning how to ride a bike roy just looks over at jamie and feels deeply content and comfortable and happy and realises wait that's how it felt with keeley why does it feel so similar with jamie is it because - yes it is jesus mary and fuckface joseph and then he falls of his bike and when jamie's standing over him laughing his ass off about it he just either pulls him down into a kiss or lets jamie pull him up and then uses the momentum to barrel into a hug with jamie and during that hug he pulls back a little and just gives jamie a look and jamie immediately fucking kisses roy

and then there's the option i'm playing around with in my fic, where roy and keeley break up way earlier than they do in the show, roy drunk-dials jamie on accident and then things develop from there

[halfturn]

Saw that Milos Kerkez is wanted by many big accounts on twitter, including him in their future starting eleven. What do you think of him? Can he be tha future Robbo replacement or is he a tad bit overhyped? I have seen him a few times, he is good, but far from brilliant.

i've though a lot about this question and i have agree he is very much a diamond in the rough! ⚠️yapping below⚠️

kerkez really suits iraola's system: bournemouth play a 4-2-4 in possession, where the fullbacks are free to bomb forward, and kerkez regularly roams into the middle + final thirds to support the forwards. important caveat cos i don't think all this waffling would be fair if i didn't mention this: i Luv iraola but my knowledge on bournemouth's tactical build up is patchy at best so if i have any cherries supporters following me pls feel free to correct me BUT in the first half of the season kerkez's attacking play took a back seat as iraola was more focused on improving his defensive game; he only recently started to play more offensively. before his suspension he started in a more advanced position, and earlier in the month he had a really impressive performance against yanited where dogwalked the mancs <3

so he's naturally a more attacking player who loves going forward into the opponent's half and in front of the penalty area, and this can be seen in both his numbers and the eye test. below are sceenshots from fbref, the first one is from last season when he played for AZ in the eredivisie (2671 minutes) and the second one is from the current season (1880 minutes), as you can see at AZ he was put into a much more offensive role, while at bournemouth he hasn't really had the chance to shine yet. also really important to mention that obviously the PL is much harder to break into and it’s much more difficult for a newcomer to put out great performances on a regular basis

his defensive stats leave Uhhh something to be desired, but all of his weaknesses can be improved, he's only 20 after all. as i mentioned he's an attacking-minded fullback, he's always positioning himself to either provide key passes or be in a goalscoring position (those two BCMs against united 🥀) etc AND one thing that i wanted to highlight is his high quality crossing ability (here's a video of his through balls compiled by marc lamberts, a scout for malmö FF)

let's put all this into arne slot's system: big slotter loves when his teams create numerical overloads; in possession, one of his fullbacks invert to form a double pivot with the #6, and the other is high up to overload the midfield or to overlap with the winger, which is what kerkez does at bournemouth. the hungarian national team plays a back 3 with kerkez as a wingback which lets him go forward more and hides his weaknesses as he has less defensive responsibilities.

in MY opinion kerkez is a good inverstment for the future. another name that's been thrown around is aït-nouri, who i think is the better player currently but i see kerkez fitting slot's system better. i have no idea how this transfer window will go but interestingly, our new sporting director, richard hughes, was instrumental in the signing of kerkez from AZ 🤔 if robbo decides to stay then kerkez would be a gamble (but a promising one??), if robbo stays but tsimi goes i think promoting one of the academy boys like owen beck into the first team would be a smarter choice. anyway i digress i don't think we'll make a move for kerkez in the near future but i'm interested in how his second year in the PL goes because i truly think that he could be a really really great premier league fullback. the talent's all there

[poetriarchy]

tw indulgent discussion of sports

it’s fun to think about the kinds of football formations kids grow up learning and the impact that has on their game/their understanding of the game. speaking less about professionals and more just on a casual level, i.e. the people who didn’t learn to play in multiple rigid/prescriptive formations and just played for fun/as kids. my dad said the guy who coached the neighborhood kids when he was really young set them up in a 2-3-5, which is honestly interesting bc afaik that was not being played by the 70s LMAO. but it makes sense bc the guy was probably playing that when HE grew up in the 30s and 40s. then my dad’s middle school coach was this guy from poland who was apparently a really good coach but just kind of let them go wherever… ig a total football fan, again it was the 70s. anyways my dad when he coached us when i was little set us up in a 4-4-2 which makes sense bc we were children and it was the 2000s. and my middle school coach might have been doing a 4-3-3? whatever it was it was a formation that always put a wild amount of space between the full backs and the forwards, so iirc as right back i got used to playing more of a wing back role to get width/give the midfield passing options. as much as any of that mattered lol…after all it was middle school. i didn’t even remember most of this until i started playing again casually this year and fell into random habits as a defender. i’m like allergic to the center and have zero intuition for passing angles/diamonds/staggered lines etc when the people who actually know how to play try to get the rest of us to engage in actual build up from the back hahahaha. and i accidentally drift way deeper than i should when we’re playing a back three bc i think i expect there to be more defensive support there in the center than there actually is. i don’t really care much about improving on this to be honest bc i’m just playing for fun. and also if i started talking about this to the fellow random nonathletic gay people i play with they would surely think im taking it too seriously esp bc im not very good LOL. but it’s fun to think about! i think if i grew up playing in a back three, or a more midfield-heavy formation, or like a modern WM or something i think id understand the game way differently. but i also have literally no idea what im talking about

[wyvernblizzard]

society if the og ffi wasnt boys only and touko rika and reina AT LEAST were on inajapan. i have so many inajapan dynamics involving reina in my mind - get her in the penguin gang rn!!! for starters!!! also shinobu the “genius playmaker queen of the midfield” needs to be a candidate also as well as rhionne from diamond dust + rean from prominence. mercury from epsilon. so real in my mind. i still cannae believe they introduced so many female players just to have the ffi be boys only… (well i can but. u know)

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

Tumblr had a freak-out at my last attempt, so I lost all my work. This will be a short re-write.

The depressing thing is that this wasn't a bad result for us based on this season. Shows how shit we've been, and shows how our standards/expectations have slumped. Miserable isn't it.

We deserved defeat because we don't learn our lessons. Casemiro was way too deep on his own for no reason and forgot to play the offside trap, and then we let Havertz cutback for Trossard to tap in. LIKE EVERY GOAL THIS SEASON AGAINST US. JESUS WEPT.

The Positives: Amad. Kid looks real good. Really nice on the attack; composed, creative, offensive. More intelligence there than Garnacho.

Kobbie Mainoo. He's just a class act. Smooth and reliable midfield operator.

Sofian Amrabat also gets some praise. He wasn't amazing, but he was solid. We've not had a solid CDM this season. Ten Hag's system relies on that pivot and clean up role. Amrabat is not a passing master like a Frenkie De Jong, but he is a seasoned international with Morocco. I'm taking his 6 or 7/10s over Casemiro's nothings every time.

The Negatives: Aaron Wan Bissaka never wants to cross, so he's very easy to read.

Jonny Evans is old and slow. Smart, but outdone easily.

Casemiro is old and slow and not a CB.

Diogo Dalot sucks at LB. He is a RB.

Scott McTominay is a ghost of a midfielder and needs to play for a team that has a diamond 4 or a central 3 and 1 in front. He's a good lad, and a passionate player, but he needs to be moved on.

Alejandro Garnacho has been overplayed and is just making the same mistakes. He's great on the break and on turnovers of possession. That transition is primetime for him, but he's not skinning people like Peak Rashford. That's his next step of evolution, but you get that in training and by being a super sub. Not starting every week because we need you.

Same goes for Rasmus Hojlund. I love the kid, I really do, but he also needs a bit more game intelligence. He's great at receiving crosses, but we don't do them, so he needs to figure out how to make do with what he can get. This sucks, because he's strong and pacey and wants to run on beyond, but he might need to learn to loiter deep and burst forward as a surprise package; race away from their CB or CDM and cause confusion amongst the marking.

So yeah, 8th place, 3 behind shitty Chelsea, two games to go. Newcastle on Wednesday, Brighton on Sunday, and then the FA Cup Final vs City. Somehow I hope we magically find some form in the midst of this. Who knows, maybe the returns of Bruno, Marcus and Martinez mean we can bench Garnacho, Casemiro and McTominay and we might - just might - play some semblence of Ten Hag Ball. It'd be a magical ending to a horror show season.

Oh, and the heavy rain at the end was so bad it flooded the pitch just before full time and flooded half of a stand to the point of evacuation. LOL. Old Trafford is falling down. Fuck the Glazers.

[incorrectnwsl]

If they’re playing a diamond in midfield then still this new formation seems off-balance because who’s gonna provide width? 😂 Crystal and Foxy like to wander into the midfield more than even think about crossing the ball. I’m so amused by what they’re trying to do.

I am a bit scared. But I believe that we can win.

[racingliners]

Life In The Fast Lane Chapter 9 - Tarmac and Diamonds

Rating: Teen & Up

Warnings: None apply

Pairings: Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s); OFCs & OMCs

Work Tags: Re-write of a previous work; Mentions of IRL current and past F1 figures; Eventual romance; friends to lovers; found family/work family; actual family; racing drivers and their various shenanigans; how to handle pressure (and how not to); with a sprinkling of the power of friendship; tags will be updated as work progresses

Chapter 9/57

Word count: 6.7k

Summary: Sophie finds herself in the French Riviera, as F1 lands in Monaco

Wednesday 24th May – Monaco

Monte Carlo. The so called playground of the rich and famous. With its glittering marina, luxurious hotels and casinos, it was nicknamed by many the jewel of the F1 calendar.

But to James, for the past seven years, it was home.

He turned the key to his apartment door with a firm twist, locking it tight, before securing the keys in his backpack and made for the nearest stairwell.

The race weekend schedule was always unique in Monaco. Custom meant that Friday was a rest day, so free practice one and two took place on Thursday, with Wednesday being the track walk and media day. Not that James was really looking forward to either, since he knew the circuit almost like the back of his hand. And it seemed that McLaren’s early upgrades had only bared fruit in Shanghai. When the rest of the teams had brought their upgrade packages to the previous race in Valencia, McLaren found themselves back where they were, languishing between the front runners and the midfield, in a lowly 8th and 9th place.

“Morning” James’ trainer Mike greeted him at the bottom of the stairwell, brown aviators over his eyes and his auburn hair looking freshly washed. As living space was at an extreme premium in Monaco they lived at opposite ends of the same apartment complex.

“You’re sure you want to walk in today?” James asked with a small frown as he led the way out onto the street.

“We’re going cycling on Friday, remember?”

“Right, Friday” James nodded, and took his own Ray Ban sunglasses from the front pocket of his team shirt and put them on as they walked out into the warm sunshine and began the fifteen minute walk down to the marina, where the team motorhomes had already rolled into town.

Another twist of the Monaco Grand Prix’s strange charm, was that the paddock was effectively split into two. The team motorhomes and engineering trucks were down by the marina, an almost ten minute walk away from the pitlane (which was even more unusual, as the team’s pitwalls were situated above the garages, as there simply wasn’t space for them in the pitlane).

James was long used to all of Monaco’s quirks, as long as he’d be able to drive the car on Sunday and hopefully score some points, he wasn’t really fussed at how jumbled the weekend was.

The walk to the paddock was quiet at least, one of the things James did like about living in Monaco was that there were no paparazzi anywhere to be found, as they were completely forbidden from the principality. (Exceptions were made during the Grand Prix weekend for the officially licenced photographers, of course). Occasionally a few other drivers or team members would walk or cycle past, but apart from that, James and Mike were free to talk amongst themselves the whole way.

“So,” Mike’s cheery voice cut through the warm air as he clapped a heavy hand on James’ shoulder, almost forcing him to turn his head to look at his trainer. “How are you feeling?”

“About what?” James asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Anything” Mike shrugged, still keeping a hand on his driver’s shoulder. “Thoughts for the weekend, the season so far, if there’s…” He paused to take in a small, sharp breath “…any problems with you and your team mate”

“I am not having any problems with Sophie…” James scoffed, and rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses for good measure. “And I’m fine mate, really”.

Mike hummed, but finally dropped his hand from James’ shoulder.

“Well, as your confidant slash personal trainer, I am allowed to worry about you. Especially after… you know”

After James and Petra had ended things for the second time right before Abu Dhabi last year.

Carrying on with their walk James took in a long, deep breath of now slightly salty air since they were almost at the marina, and let out an even longer exhale in the hope it would take as much of last year with it as possible.

Mechanical failures had been the main reason why neither he nor Nathan had been involved in the title fight last season. And McLaren had come through on their promise of fixing those gremlins over the winter break, though it seemed they had sacrificed a significant chunk of speed in the process.

Which meant that when the paddock entrance came into view, James rolled his shoulders back and had his best smile ready to go just in case (because some journalists really did take the look on a driver’s face alone as serious indication for what state their team was in).

As they approached the familiar turnstiles, James and Mike found themselves saying good morning to more and more paddock members. James even spotted Richard, who was stood a few metres away from the last turnstile on the left, talking with a shorter blonde woman who like almost everyone James had seen so far was wearing sunglasses over her eyes. She had a green paddock pass around her neck, and wore a peach coloured blouse with dark cotton slacks, with her curly blonde hair ever so slightly drifting in the breeze coming in from the harbour.

“Morning Rich” James smiled brightly at his colleague, who half waved back as the woman he was with checked her watch. There was something in the way her shoulders sunk with a sigh that looked somewhat familiar. So James looked at her again, and took in the gentle sweep of her nose, and somewhat sharp curve of her jawline, and the penny finally dropped in James’ head as he veered away from the turnstiles. “Good morning Mrs Knightsbridge”. His bright smile was completely genuine as he tentatively held out his right hand.

“Oh... Good morning” Her handshake was firm, but polite. “But please, call me Mary” Her accent was the same as her daughter’s. Very stereotypically English, but not posh. They even had the same hint of warmth in their voices. “It’s lovely to finally meet you James”

“Yes you too… No Sophie?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. Richard had seemingly been inseparable from his driver at every race so far this season. And from what James could gather about the Knightsbridge family, they didn’t seem like the kind that would travel to the circuit separately.

“Her and Vanessa decided to cycle in, so we walked down from the hotel. But the chain on Vanessa’s bike went so they’re running a little late” Mary explained.

“Ahh right” Mike, who had stayed a few steps behind James, quietly cleared his throat. “I uh… better head in, but don’t worry you’re in very safe hands” James gestured to Richard who gave a small smile in return as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “We’ll see you in the motorhome” James gave a slightly awkward wave as he made for the nearest turnstile, scanned his pass, and waited for Mike on the other side.

“I am allowed to be friendly you know” He scoffed at Mike once he was happy they were out of earshot. “Heaven forbid I try to make Sophie and her family feel welcome around here”. It was true that Formula 1 had changed a lot in the past decade, both in the way it presented itself to the world, and the people that helped make it. And while there were more women and people of colour employed by teams, the FIA, or even F1 itself, there were still some people from the old status quo that weren’t exactly happy to roll out the red carpet for Sophie in Australia. In their minds, no matter what Sophie did or would ever do would be enough to earn her place in F1.

And Mike had been James’ trainer for the past five years, he knew the paddock well enough by now.

“You were turning on the charm a little too much” Mike teased as they reached the last of the engineering trucks, and made a right for the tightly packed together team motorhomes.

“Oh piss off!” James scoffed. Mike just laughed as they made their way down towards the McLaren motorhome, which thankfully for James wasn’t that far away as he was becoming increasingly tempted to chuck his friend into the sea.

“I mean I know, it’s really difficult being a very handsome very charming bastard, but don’t whip out the megawatt smile before ten o’clock in the morning!” James rolled his eyes and didn’t take off his sunglasses until he was safely inside the McLaren motorhome, and tightly hit Mike on the shoulder.

“Oh come on what was that for?” He winced as they climbed the stairs to the first floor.

“Being an idiot!”

  “Maybe we should have just walked in like everyone else… uh good morning!” Sophie winced as she wheeled her bike past a small huddle of Mercedes engineers. One or two of them said hello to Sophie as she passed, and she rushed to return the gesture before they were out of earshot.

While it wasn’t Sophie’s first visit to Monaco, having raced in Formulas 2 and 3 the past few years, the scenery of the principality always seemed to take her by surprise. From the dramatic cliffs near the French border, to the yacht filled marina, and the ribbons of road and pastel coloured buildings that were crammed in-between. As pretty as it was, Sophie wondered how anyone in Monaco had room to breathe, let alone live.

While Richard was leading the way to wherever McLaren had managed to find space for the motorhome, Sophie and Vanessa were more concerned with trying not to hit anyone – or each other – with their bikes.

“Yeah, we’re definitely walking in Saturday and Sunday” Vanessa groaned as Richard made a sudden left, with Mary quickly looking behind her to make sure their little group hadn’t gotten separated.

“You okay Mum?” Sophie asked with a slightly restrained smile. Mary just nodded as she tried to keep everyone together.

“Almost there, I promise!” Richard cheerily called out amongst the maze of team personnel, journalists, and team engineering trucks.

After what felt like an eternity of walking through the very crowded marina, the first of the team motorhomes came into view. And Sophie couldn’t help but gawk at what was very clearly Red Bull’s and Alpha Tauri’s base for the race weekend.

The regular motorhome she had seen at testing and in Valencia had been replaced by a barge that featured a smaller version of the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri shared motorhome atop what looked like the team’s own private pool deck. And if that wasn’t enough, images of all four Red Bull drivers were printed on tarpaulin that was stretched around the base of the barge. It was certainly one way to make an impression.

McLaren by comparison, had a downsized version of their motorhome for the Monaco Grand Prix. It was two stories high instead of three, and was a more solid cuboid shape. The reflective windows had been swapped for tinted ones, but the monochromatic colour scheme with hints of papaya remained as Sophie, Vanessa, Richard and Mary finally walked up the small ramp that led to the main doors. And Sophie finally let out a long exhale once she was inside.

She would never admit it publicly, but she very much considered Monaco to be her bogey track. She had the grand total of one podium finish in her three attempts at the circuit, and that was only due to the on-track winner being disqualified. Monaco was always an intense race not because of any actual racing, but because driving around the narrow streets was like threading a needle in a hurricane. It didn’t take much for a driver to accidentally or otherwise end up in the barriers. And that was before Sophie had considered the fact she would be doing the full race distance of 78 laps, as opposed to the measly 42 laps in the previous year’s F2 sprint race, where she’d finished in fifth.

“Morning Sophie!” She almost jumped out her skin as she reached the top of the stairs and saw James by the door of his driver room. “Rough time getting in?” Her team mate asked with a tilt of the head, clearly noticing he’d startled her.

“Something like that” She sighed as Vanessa entered the code to unlock the door to Sophie’s room.

“Ah well, just the journalists to worry about now” James replied with a grin as he clapped Sophie on the shoulder, and the pair looked at each other for a few seconds longer than normal. “See you later”

“See you” Sophie flashed a small smile at James before lugging her bike down the small corridor and into her driver room, and propped it against the wall next to Vanessa’s.

“You good?”

“Nope” Sophie sighed almost immediately, and flopped down onto the small sofa that sat opposite the massage table, slightly resisting the urge to bury her head in her hands. “I’m just…”

“Terrified of putting your car in the barriers tomorrow” Vanessa finished Sophie’s sentence as she sat down next to her driver, and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. Sophie just hummed in reply and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. “You do know that if all you think about is not crashing then-”

“I’ll end up crashing anyway… I know” Sophie huffed as she looked over at the person who was her personal trainer, friend, and emotional support all in one. “Believe me, I’m trying to let it go I just… can’t” She buried her hands in her hair as she took in a long, deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “I’ll feel better after my track walk… probably” Sophie pulled her hair out of her low ponytail as she stood up, and re-tied to so it sat on the crown of her head. “And we should probably go before my Mum drags me downstairs… assuming she hasn’t texted you already”

Vanessa hummed as she stood up and quickly checked her phone with a relieved smile as Sophie opened the door.

“She hasn’t, but there’s still time” Vanessa chuckled as she followed Sophie out the door.

  Friday 26th May

“Mon Dieu Sophie, how long does it take you to grab things you’ve had organised since last night?” Nico scoffed as he looked at his watch with an overly dramatic sigh.

“Well I’m not even close to being late so ha!” Sophie screwed up her face at her friend as she handed him her garment bag without asking. “Hi Dana”

“Hi Sophie!” She beamed and eagerly embraced Sophie in a bone-crushing hug. Dana’s work as an architect and increasingly in interior design meant that she didn’t have as much time to attend races as other driver’s partners. They had last seen each other back in April, after Nico and Dana had taken Sophie out to dinner to celebrate her podium finish.

Dana and Nico had met in 2020, when the company she worked for had been invited to the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes to do some renovation work, on the same day that Nico in his then-duties as Red Bull test driver had been at the factory for a run in the simulator. They had started dating not long after, which meant that she had also known Sophie ever since. “It is so good to see you!” Dana said with a bright smile, squeezing her hands on Sophie’s shoulders. “And we finally have someone sensible to talk to” Dana grinned with a wink for Nico’s benefit.

“It’s about time” Sophie chuckled before looking over at Nico. “We love you really”

“Oh yes, of course you do” He jokingly rolled his eyes before going to check his watch. “But we really are going to be late at this rate”

Dana led the way out of the hotel lobby as Nico returned Sophie’s garment bag, and the trio walked out into the late afternoon sunshine for their walk over to the Grimaldi Forum.

Over the years the powers that be on the commercial side of F1 had found ways to fill in the traditional rest day of the Grand Prix weekend. Sophie, like a handful of other drivers, had spent much of the morning doing a sponsor photoshoot, before being freed to train with Vanessa, have lunch with Nico, Dana and her Mum, before squeezing in a quick shower to get ready for her final engagement of the day – The Amber Lounge Fashion Show.

No one in the paddock could quite pinpoint the exact moment it became a traditional part of the race weekend, but as the fashion show and accompanying gala was for charity, no one really seemed to mind. Around a third of the drivers on the grid were in attendance each year, as they even had their own slot during the show. Which was why Nico and Sophie’s garment bags contained some of their more finer outfits.

“I’ll be in the crowd, and Nico will be with you the whole time” Dana said to Sophie with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She had already changed into her ankle length navy chiffon dress which paired beautifully with her deeply tanned skin, and her dark golden brown hair was curled and styled in a half-updo.

“It’s not the fashion show I’m worried about” Sophie sighed, half-lying. Her main concern was ensuring that her ankles would survive a night in heels incident free, because there wasn’t going to be anything more embarrassing than having to pull out of the race because of a shoe induced sprained ankle.

When Sophie spoke with a sadder sigh than she intended, Nico stopped in his tracks, screwed up his face, and let out a small sigh himself.

“Habibi what is it?” Dana asked, looking between her boyfriend and Sophie.

“The date” Nico frowned, before handing Dana his garment bag so he could hug Sophie round the shoulders. “I’m so sorry ma amie”. Sophie let herself rest her head on Nico’s chest as Dana eventually placed a hand on Sophie’s arm when she realised what Nico was referring to.

That had Sophie not broken up with Tom after telling his parents they’d gotten engaged, today would have been their eight year anniversary.

Not really a day she felt like getting dolled up to be presented to the masses. If the fashion show wasn’t for charity, she would have twisted Vanessa’s arm into helping her pull a sickie so she could hide in her hotel room instead.

Nico and Dana had been the second and third people after Vanessa to help take care of Sophie after the fallout of her very brief engagement. She could still remember that week in mid-December last year clear as day. Signing her McLaren contract on the Tuesday, Tom taking her out for dinner to their favourite restaurant in Northampton and proposing on the Wednesday night, telling Sophie’s family over the phone on the Thursday morning… and then Saturday happened.

Tom’s parents were on the above average side of wealthy, his mother was the head of an estate agent, and his father a property developer. They had never sent Tom to a private school despite being more than able to afford it, because they wanted him to be ‘normal’. So he ended up in the same year as Sophie when they started High School. He never laughed when Sophie told him she wanted to be a Formula 1 driver, and he even went two a couple of her karting races before they got together. He had finally asked her out when Sophie won her first single seater race.

Tom had decided that it would have been best to tell his parents face to face, so when he and Sophie arrived at the five-bedroom Berkley family home, he had hoped that his parents would be over the moon to see the gold set emerald cut Diamond on Sophie’s ring finger.

But instead his mother’s face went white with shock.

“What are you thinking? Throwing your career away to follow her here there and everywhere” Tom, like his younger sister Alice, hadn’t went into either family business, and instead worked in IT. Even while Sophie had been sat alone in the large living room, she had heard every word Tom’s mother had yelled at him from the next room. Maybe it had been intentional. “I don’t care how successful she might be…” Sophie’s breathing had become more and more ragged as she heard Tom’s mother suddenly say all manner of things about her. That she’d never approved of Sophie being a racing driver, that she’d assumed Sophie and Tom would fizzle out either due to the increased amount of travelling Sophie did, or that Tom would find someone more ‘suitable’, whatever that meant.

Sophie still remembered biting down on her bottom lip as tears began to fill her eyes, and her engagement ring started to feel heavier and heavier on her left hand. Seeing Tom’s sister walk in with two cups of tea had been the last straw, as Sophie pulled the ring off her finger and left it on the coffee table. She would never force Tom to choose between her and his family.

“I mean, what was I thinking, getting engaged at 23?!” Sophie shook her head as she sat down on the nearest bench, with Nico and Dana joining her on either side. She’d found herself thinking about the end of her relationship on the odd moment throughout the year. She had loved Tom, completely. But there were times that she wondered if she’d said yes to marrying him because it felt like ticking the next box after securing her F1 drive. They had never really, properly, discussed getting married before he got down on one knee.

“You’ll be okay Sophie” Nico said softly as he took his friend’s hand in his.

“I am okay I just…” The fact that the most she currently felt was a small ache in her chest, and that she had been able to think straight in first and second practice yesterday, was a testament to that. “I’m making peace with it all I guess”. As was starting to be the case with every time she thought about Tom, she felt more and more at ease with the fact she definitely didn’t want to get married anytime soon. “I want to move on. I don’t know if or when I want to start dating again, especially since all the people I see these days are from the paddock”

Nico and Dana both chuckled.

“I’m sure that one day, you are going to meet someone who just… makes you so happy you’ll want to dive right into the deep end. So long as he respects you for who you are of course” Nico smiled, briefly glancing over at Dana. “And if that’s something you really want, then it’ll be okay… even if they do end up being from the paddock” He added with a small smile, and squeezed Sophie’s hand before letting go. And after letting out one final exhale, Sophie and Dana got up from the bench, and the trio carried on their journey.

Once they arrived at the venue Nico and Sophie showed both their F1 accreditation passes and passports to one of the people on the reception desk, and once Dana had gotten her guest wristband, a member of staff led the two drivers to the backstage area.

Vanity mirrors and chairs took up an entire wall on the left, half of which were filled with models, make-up artists, hair stylists, and one or two drivers. The rest of the space was filled with temporary cubicles, rows upon rows of clothes rails, and small sofas and armchairs wherever there was room for them. To the right, a large black curtain separated the backstage area from what Sophie assumed was the catwalk.

“When I told my parents I wanted to be an F1 driver, I never imagined it would involve anything like this” Sophie gulped.

“Ah, I don’t think any of us did” Nico sighed as he clapped Sophie on the shoulder.

“You’re Sophie Knightsbridge, yes?” A brunette woman in her 40’s approached Sophie almost out of thin air, catching her by surprise. Sophie just nodded. “Ah, you’re right on time. Come with me” She spoke with a French accent and walked a few hurried steps away before turning around. “Are you another driver or her boyfriend?” She asked Nico, completely straight faced.

Nico tried and failed to suppress his laughter before replying. “Driver, I’m Nico Dumont from Alpha Tauri”.

“Ah, good” And the woman turned round again, marching towards a pair of free vanity tables, as Nico let out some more repressed giggles.

“Of course you’re already more famous than me Cherie” Nico shook his head and hung his garment bag off the back of the make-up chair he was directed to.

“My name’s Marie” The woman finally introduced herself, and gestured for Sophie to sit down. “I’ll be doing your hair and make-up for the show” She explained while trying to peer through the small plastic window on Sophie’s garment bag. “What style is your dress?”

“Rose pink satin, it’s strapless” Marie just hummed in reply while she examined Sophie’s hair and hands. She frowned at how short Sophie’s nails were. “I can’t wear false nails when I’m in the car” Sophie huffed somewhat defensively. She had always kept her nails short out of necessity for both practicality and comfort, filed down to just past the tips of her fingers.

“That’s okay, we wouldn’t have had the time to put them on anyway. Can we paint them at least?”

“Sure” Sophie nodded, and Marie sprinted off to get something, saying that someone would be along to work on Nico shortly. Sophie pulled her phone out of her pocket to quickly text Richard that she had made it to the event safe, sound, and crucially on time. He texted back, both wishing her luck and saying that James was meant to be arriving soon as well.

“Ohhhhh no way!” Nico exclaimed, looking at his own phone with a wide smile.

“What is it?” Sophie asked cautiously, putting her phone into her backpack before turning to look at her friend. Nico gleefully passed over his phone, which was opened on the memories page of his Facebook account, and Sophie audibly gasped at the picture.

“No, you’re kidding!” The picture was of Sophie and Nico, both aged 14, stood on the podium with another driver (Nico had won, with Sophie in second) at the first international karting race they had both competed in together. Incidentally, they had only met each other for the first time the day before, when Nico had rescued a 9 year old Will from picking a fight with another kid who wasn’t exactly keen on being out-qualified by a girl.

Nico had eventually reunited Will with the rest of the Knightsbridge family, and Mark and Mary were so relieved that they offered Nico and his family to join them for dinner, once they found out the Dumonts were staying at the same hotel. Sophie and Nico had been friends ever since. “What do you mean I’ve been enduring you and your nonsense for ten years?”

Nico threw his head back and laughed as Sophie handed back his phone with a smirk. She was joking of course. Truthfully, she had no idea where she would be if she didn’t have Nico to turn to for advice, or to fight her corner. Something which Sophie gladly paid back in return without hesitation. She remembered Nico calling her on the eve of his F1 debut last year, as he tried to shake off any remaining nerves. He’d ended up dragging his Alpha Tauri into 9th place.

“Ah,” Nico grinned, reaching out for Sophie’s hand to give it a tight squeeze. “I love you too”

Eventually, Marie returned with a toolkit of make-up brushes, and goodness knew what else in a large pouch with more pockets than Sophie could count tied round her waist. She got to work on Sophie’s nails first, painting them a shimmering gold, before putting Sophie’s hair in large rollers. Much to Nico’s delight, as he took multiple pictures and videos of the entire affair to post on Instagram later.

“Have you ever been in a fashion show before?” Marie asked as she finished Sophie’s make-up with a few coats of mascara.

“It’s not something racing drivers normally do” Sophie sighed and pressed her lips together (though not too hard as to smudge her lipstick).

“Ah well,” Marie paused, taking a step back to look over her work. “You are certainly beautiful enough for it. Charlotte!” A younger woman, much closer to Sophie’s age, with strawberry blonde hair tied in a high ponytail shot up from one of the small sofas, and made a beeline for Marie and Sophie. “This is Charlotte, she’ll be your dresser”

“Oh, I’m done?” Sophie asked hesitantly, slowly reaching down for her backpack.

“Yes, all done” Marie smiled and handed Sophie’s garment bag over to Charlotte. Nico had left a few minutes ago, since he had less hair to style into place. Sophie politely thanked Marie for taking care of her and followed Charlotte’s hurried footsteps to one of the cubicles. The show was still a couple of hours away from starting, but the drivers were required to walk the red carpet first.

“It’s so nice to meet you” Charlotte smiled at Sophie brightly as she held open the curtain to one of the cubicles. “I had no idea women could be racing drivers until this year, I know you haven’t won a race yet, but I think what you’re doing is amazing”

“Well…” Sophie blushed, not really knowing what to say. Charlotte was far from being the first woman Sophie had met this year to be wowed by her presence. “I’m not the first, not in F1 anyway”

“Yes, you’re number six!” Charlotte replied excitedly as she closed the curtain and unzipped the garment bag, revealing Sophie’s strapless, calf length satin dress. "Oh what a beautiful dress! What label is it?"

"H&M" Sophie blushed as she toed out of her espadrilles. If Charlotte thought any less of it, she didn't show it as she slid to dress off the hanger while Sophie quickly undressed. "I didn't know being a professional dresser was a thing"

"Yes! Fashion shows are always so busy" Charlotte replied as Sophie stepped into the dress, and held it up as Charlotte zipped up the back. "Ah, perfect fit. Though I'll use some tape, just in case" Charlotte produced a roll of body tape from a bag at her hips. "Don't worry, it won’t damage the dress" She smiled reassuringly as she attached two pieces to the top of the dress, and gently pressed them down. "Any jewellery?"

"Uh yeah, in my bag" Sophie walked over to her backpack, and pulled out a shoebox, and a much smaller black velvet box. And as Charlotte took out Sophie's shoes, she audibly reacted when Sophie opened the small jewellery box, revealing a pair of small teardrop pearl and diamond earrings. "They were my grandmother's, on my Dad's side"

"They're very pretty, let me get your necklace" Both pieces were set in gold, and the necklace featured five small rice pearls scattered along the chain. Charlotte fastened it so it sat just on Sophie’s collarbone. "All done, you look beautiful" Sophie had avoided looking at the full length mirror in front of her out of fear at what she'd see back. It turned out that in all the time since breaking up with Tom to now, she'd forgotten how pretty she was.

Rose gold eyeshadow enhanced the swirls of brown in Sophie’s eyes, her cheekbones had been accented just enough to bring them out and add a small bit of definition to her face, and her lips had been painted a rosy nude shade that complimented her skin perfectly. Her look had been finished off with a blush of soft pink on her cheeks, and her hair that had been styled into large loose curls framed her face perfectly.

"What's wrong? Do you not like it?" Charlotte asked suddenly as Sophie’s eyes dropped to the floor. She wasn't sure how to reply.

"No, no I just... it's been a while since I..." Sophie glanced into the mirror again, noting that the rose satin dress gave her figure more of an hourglass shape than what she naturally had. "I don't get to dress up that often" She blushed, stepping into her suede nude heels. Charlotte had seemingly read between the lines, as she gave Sophie a knowing look.

"Well, you should. Oh, one more thing. Can you hold your hair back?" Sophie did as she was told, and felt a small dab of something wet on the back of her neck. "Eyelash glue, it will hold your necklace in place when you walk down the runway" Sophie felt the necklace clasp being pressed against her skin. "There, now you're ready" Charlotte said with a triumphant smile. "Your things will be put in a locker, just come and find me once everything's wrapped up" Already she had pulled back the cubicle curtain, and Sophie found herself rooted in place. "Own it" Charlotte said, tilting her head towards the backstage area. “No one has the right to make you feel uncomfortable in your own skin”

And after taking in a deep breath, Sophie stepped out of the cubicle, realising that Charlotte and Marie had put too much effort into Sophie for her to just hide in a corner. So she walked over towards where the drivers were supposed to wait, in the hope Nico would be waiting for her as promised.

  James couldn’t remember the last time he’d been at Amber Lounge, it might even have been as far back as when he was still driving for Aston Martin, but he wasn’t sure. Normally it was an event saved for the rookies and younger drivers. But the team had convinced James into going by saying how great it would be for their most recent world champion and most recent podium finisher to be seen together at the same event. Especially since McLaren were starting to think about gearing up for their 60th anniversary celebrations.

Plus, it was either the fashion show or a yacht party, and James hated yacht parties. At least this way he’d be with some of his fellow drivers, as he found himself catching up with Aaron Jones.

The dress code for the fashion show was formal, but not black tie, so the male drivers had a small bit of leeway in what kind of suits they could wear. James had opted for a three-piece charcoal and navy check suit, with a white shirt and burgundy tie – formal, but not completely bland.

“Is that Sophie?” Aaron asked out of the blue as he looked over his shoulder. James turned his head to look in the same direction and did indeed find himself looking at his team mate. He’d found himself noticing her a lot more than usual so far this weekend. But not in a ‘she was always the first person he saw’ kind of way. No, Sophie was the person he’d spot as he glanced round the room, then he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Oh wow” James said without realising. “Look at you!” He said louder, in a more affectionately teasing way, as Sophie walked over towards them. She blushed as she clasped her hands behind her back. “You look great Soph”

“Thanks… you haven’t seen Nico have you?”

“I think he went out to make a phone call” Aaron interjected before pulling his own phone out of his pocket, and asked to take a selfie with the two McLaren drivers. Sophie’s face lit up with relief when Nico arrived, in his pale blue suit, white shirt and black tie, and the two friends teased each other about how well they scrubbed up. James happily obliged when Sophie asked him to take their picture, and he couldn’t help but notice his team mate’s first genuine smile of the evening.

A few minutes later the drivers were eventually shooed off to the red carpet, which passed by in a blur of flashes and slightly forced smiles, and they found themselves seated on the front row so that when the time came for the driver’s slot they wouldn’t get in anyone’s way as they left. And for publicity purposes, of course.

As James sat down he smoothed down his tie, and as he inhaled he smelt the faint whiff of something sweet and floral. He took in what he thought was a subtle deeper breath, but it caused Sophie to quietly grown.

“I knew I put on too much perfume” She muttered, rapidly tapping her fingers against her leg. She was sat in-between James and Nico, who was chatting away to Marc Pavard in French.

“Oh no it’s fine really, I just wanted to know what it was. That’s all”

“You’re just saying that so I won’t get embarrassed” Sophie scoffed and looked down at the floor. “Orange blossom, for what it’s worth” She said quietly as the lights dimmed and the opening segment of the fashion show got underway.

After about half an hour or so, the drivers were quietly led backstage, and filed into order by one of the directors. It didn’t seem like the drivers were in a particular order – until James and Sophie were left until last, arguably being the most high profile of those present.

“You alright team mate?” James half-turned to look behind him, and saw Sophie looking blankly into the distance. “Hey” He reached out to gently place a hand on her forearm, and it worked in getting her attention without startling her. “Just… take a deep breath in and pretend you’re walking over to me to say hello”

“Uh huh…” Sophie hummed, pressing her lips together.

“Or, think about how happy your Gran would be to know her jewellery was getting shown off in Monaco of all places” He remembered Nico saying something about Sophie’s necklace and earrings when they left for the red carpet, and that netted Sophie’s second proper smile of the night.

“Thanks, don’t break a leg” She replied back.

“I’ll try” James chuckled, and turned round right as a group of models rushed backstage to change into their next outfits. There was a brief pause before the drivers segment was introduced to feverish applause, and a slick guitar riff started playing over the speakers, followed by a steady beat as Nico made his way onto the catwalk.

When it came to James’ turn he flashed a bright smile for the crowd as he walked down to the end of the catwalk, paused for a few seconds, then turned around. Only to be frozen in place. Sophie wasn’t just smiling as she walked out, but beaming – making her look absolutely beautiful.

And that terrified James beyond all belief.

Maybe all the long days at the track were starting to pile up, maybe it was because they genuinely got on with each other, or maybe it was because Sophie was exactly James’ type: friendly, smart and gorgeous, that he realised he maybe didn’t just like her as a team mate.

Shit, he’d told himself that wasn’t going to happen.

Working on automatic pilot, with his smile still fixed into place, James walked back to the top of the catwalk to stand in formation with the other drivers. And as she walked past Sophie, the pair briefly smiled at each other, the way good team mates did. Eventually when Sophie re-joined her colleagues as the music ended to more than polite applause, James put a hand on her shoulder and smiled for the cameras. And all he could smell was orange blossom.

He could start burying his feelings in a panic, but maybe with so many races to go until the summer break that wouldn’t be the best idea. Maybe if he just acknowledged it for what it was, a fleeting attraction at seeing her glamorously dressed up for the first time. After all, they’d known each other for four months now. Surely, if James really was attracted to Sophie, he would have felt something long before now. And maybe tonight was just a blip, a lock up on an out lap. Maybe if James registered what he felt, it would go away just as quickly.

Because he really, really, didn’t want to think about the consequences of the alternative.