#euros 2024 has got me thinking

[virgil-upinthestars]

football au where they're bitter nemeses, but it's time for the world cup and they both made the national team

[6ebe]

fun fact i've been reading the RFEF's child safeguarding policy (in spanish). notably, it's only one year old (there wasn't one before this) and it has no mention of children's work hours (it does mention in passing some forms of overtraining, but only in 'dangerous' conditions or while sick/injured) .................. unicef literally has policy on this (there's also an international body with policy on this). this does not comply to international child safeguarding standards LOL

[mead-iocre]

Pay Attention To Me | Leah Williamson x Reader 

synopsis: do you know what's worse than dating a football player? dating a football fan.

warnings: brief mention of sex

wc: 2.5k words

Sometimes you wonder to yourself what possessed you to date a footballer. You weren’t athletic or sporty, and unlike your athlete brothers, you didn’t enjoy any sport enough to stick to it. Your only means of exercise was pilates and the occasional trip to the beach in your cute bikini. 

So how did you end up dating a professional footballer? 

You found yourself thinking about that question as you sit curled up on one end of the leather sofa browsing the Chanel website on your laptop. On the other end of the sofa, with her legs sprawled out and a beer bottle in one hand, sat your girlfriend. Leah was dressed in a grey hoodie and matching grey joggers; her hair was down, which was a rarity these days due to the heat, streaks of light blonde strands framing her pretty face. From your place on the sofa, you are granted the most breathtaking view of the ocean thanks to the expansive glass walls. The horizon stretches as far as the eye can see; the sky painted in hues of orange, pink, and purple. As the sun begins to set, it casts a golden glow over the water, making the waves glimmer and sparkle.

The villa was gorgeous, and exactly like how the pictures showed it to be. You had chosen the place yourself, tempted by the promises of walking out onto the deck and being able to jump into crystal clear waters. The spacious overwater bungalow features polished wooden floors, high vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, and furnishings in soft, neutral tones complemented by cool-tone vibrant accents. When you showed pictures of the villa to your girlfriend, she took once glance at it and handed you her gold amex card. She didn’t even ask you for the price. 

Back to your own question earlier, the short answer was that Leah was attractive as hell. She was also everything you could ask for in a partner. She's got a cracking sense of humour, she's passionate about her job, family-orientated, and it didn’t hurt that she was the most gorgeous woman you had ever laid eyes on. She made sure to spend as much time with you around her busy schedule. She accepted that you were high-matainance, and gladly indulged you. Leah was the whole package. Sometimes as you lay in bed, when the night is still and quiet, you would take a moment to thank your lucky stars that she walked into your life. 

However, no one in this world is perfect– even someone like Leah Williamson.

Your girlfriend’s biggest flaw was that she is a football player–and by extension– that meant she was a football fan.

And that was the problem. 

Today was the 2024 Euros final. England somehow managed to slither their way to the tournament final and will be facing Spain to compete for the title of Champions of Europe 2024. The original plan was to head over to the Williamson’s house so everyone could watch the game together. However, your birthday happened to fall in the week leading up to the final. As a birthday gift from your very generous girlfriend, Leah had surprised you with a week-long trip to the Maldives. Her only condition was that she gets to watch the Euros final at the villa 

Uninterrupted. 

And being the good girlfriend that you are, you were more than happy to compromise. That is until you realise that Leah has pretty much ignored you the entire day. 

Well– maybe ignore is the wrong term. She was acting the same this morning– ordering a breakfast spread fit for champions by the time you woke up, booking a luxury spa treatment for the both of you at the resort, and even letting you run wild with her card at the nearby mall where there’s a strip of high-end stores with names like Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, and Dior. You came strutting back to the villa in your new pair of Jimmy Choo kitten heels, while Leah trails behind you, her arms full of shopping bags– all of them belonging to you.

However, you were what other people would call clingy. You craved attention and affection more than the usual person. Physical touch was your love language, and most of the time, your girlfriend was more than happy to meet your needs. 

But not today it seems. 

She was far too busy watching a bunch of men on telly chase a ball around a field of freshly cut grass to pay enough attention to you.

Finally getting board of looking at bags and shoes on your laptop, you shut it down and put it aside. Stretching one leg over the length of the cream white sofa, you nudge Leah with your foot. “Lee…”

Without even moving her eyes away from the screen, your girlfriend just hums in reply. Rude.

Another nudge with your freshly manicured toes. “Leah”

Finally he blonde turns to you, grasping your foot with one hand effectively putting an end to your incessant poking. “What, baby?”

“I’m bored” You pout at her. 

“Then watch the game, darling” She tilts her head towards the 85” Samsung TV that is mounted on the wall. Her hand was now lightly massaging your foot and your calves, probably sensing how tense you are. 

You groan in reply, your head falling backwards dramatically. “That's exactly what’s boring me, Lee” 

Leah just smiles, but it’s a bit strained. She just wants to watch the game, and you’re making it hard for her to focus. She’s usually used to your indifference for the sport that she happens to make a career out of. You only "enjoyed" football when your girlfriend was playing. You attended all her matches and would cheer loudly for her when she's on the pitch. Whenever Leah would drag you along with to watch football matches as a spectator with her, you would reluctantly agree– after many kisses and promises of shopping afterwards– and armed with the latest copy of Vogue to pass the time. If she wasn’t on the pitch, you did not care.

You sneak a peek at her, wanting to see if she would indulge you further, but she was already turning her attention back to the TV. Stupid tv. 

You rattle your foot that is still under her hand. You didn’t know where this was coming from but you had enough of being pushed aside for a game of football. “Leah!” 

And that’s when she snaps. 

“Fucking hell– would it kill you to be quiet! Can’t you see I’m trying to watch the match, mate?” She gestures wildly at the tv. Her eye brows were drawn together, the skin between them wrinkled. When she looked at you again, her gaze was intense– piercing almost.

You glare back at her, hoping she can feel your wrath from her peripheral since she has once agin directed her eyes back to the tv. “m’not your mate” 

You huff audibly, snatching your foot back from her grasp. You could feel the annoyance bubbling up inside you. Sure, you had both compromised that Leah gets to spend one day to watch the game uninterrupted. And yes, you did get your girlfriend all to yourself during the last five days, but you couldn’t understand why she was pushing you away like this. You were being selfish, but who wouldn't be when their girlfriend is being uncharacteristically mean about it.

When you were in one of your moods, you had a habit of muttering under your breath when things don't go your way, making scathing, albeit humorous, remarks. It wasn’t long before the sounds of you grumbling under your breath could be heard by your now equally moody girlfriend. 

“bloody football…this was supposed to be a birthday trip yet my girlfriend is spending time watching ugly men kick a ball around…we could’ve been snorkelling and exploring the reefs or having sex on a yacht but nooooooo apparently football is more interesting”

Sometimes Leah found it cute but other times, like today, your grumbling was annoying and it was distracting her from the game. The blonde just wants an hour or two to watch football uninterrupted, yet you can't even give her that. She smacks her hand down hard on the sofa, startling you and putting an end to your angry muttering. Leah turns to you and glares. “If you want to keep grumbling like that go do it somewhere else. You’re actually fucking pissing me off. don't know why I even put up with you” She groans the last bit as she rubs her forehead like you were some sort of nuisance to her.  

That did it. 

You were annoyed at the lack of affection from your girlfriend, and the same person that you wanted attention from was now mad at you. You glare at her right back, but your eyes were starting to water and you were getting the sniffles.

Wrestling the blanket off your lap like you were fighting an alligator, you swing your legs off the sofa, ready to stomp to the room and slam the door like a mature lady when Leah grabs your arm before you can move. “Sorry. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, baby” 

You angrily wipe away a traitorous tear as it slides down your cheek, trying to shake off the blonde’s grip but she holds firm. She moves to stand on her own two feet until she’s standing in front of you. Leah crouches down slightly, forcing your eyes to meet her blue ones. She frowns when she notices your tear stained cheeks. “Darling…hey, look at me, please”

You meet her eyes, albeit reluctantly. She rewards your effort with a kiss on your wet cheek. “I didn’t mean it. Don’t cry, please. You’re breaking my heart, baby” 

“Oyarzabal…Cucurella! 2-1 SPAIN!! Time is running out and Spain are nearly there. Oyarzabal hooks the ball out left to Cucurella, who beats a flagging Walker with a lovely diagonal ball into the box.The substitute is stretching ahead of Stones, having timed his run to perfection in between England's two centre-backs, and slides to put Spain back in front. This might just be it for England…”

Shit.

You head snapped towards the tv in shock, your annoyance disappearing. While you weren't personally rooting for any of the two teams, your English girlfriend was rooting for England so you automatically were rooting for England too. Not that you would ever admit it out loud.

You were anticipating a slew of cursed words from the Milton Keynes native, but her eyes had not left your face once, far too concerned about making sure you were okay. You were her number one priority, always. 

Taking a step closer to her, you rub the sides of her waist lightly. It was your turn to comfort your girlfriend. You hug her, pressing your head against her chest to listen to the rhythmic beating of her heart. It’s soothing and familiar, and any lingering feelings of frustration have completely disappeared. 

“The lads can pull one back” You say to her, peeking at the time running at the left top corner of the screen. Your girlfriend still hasn't said anything and you assume it's because she's sad about the score. “They’ve still got 10 minutes to equalise– plus additional time to play.” Just because you weren’t the biggest football fan out there did not mean you didn’t understand how the sport works. 

“Quit thinking about the match for a minute, baby, I don’t care about them right now. Are you sure you’re okay?” Leah pulls back slightly, cupping your face gently, and you lean into the warmth of her palms. 

“There’s nothing to forgive, Lee. I was just been silly” You pucker your lips up at her, and she grants your request with a grin. She kisses you once, and then again, pecking your lips repeatedly like she can’t get enough of you. 

You give her one more kiss, giving her a sharp bite on her lower lip before you pull away completely. Leah frowns at that, her eyebrows furrowing in displeasure. 

“I’m going to grab my laptop and watch Desperate Housewives out on the hammock. I’ll leave you to your football–alone– so you can focus.”

“What no. Baby, you can’t leave me when we’re one nil down during a Euros final” Leah gestures animatedly at the TV, the scoreline still showing Spain in the lead. “Stay with me. Watch your show right here with me” 

It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

Without waiting for you to reply, Leah began pulling you by the hand back to the sofa. She sat down, tugging you onto her lap. You just laugh, not even bothering to reach for your abandoned laptop on the other side of the sofa. You snuggle into her, your chest pressed together, tucking your face into the crook of her neck. Just because you agreed to stay with her, doesn’t mean you were interested in watching the match. 

A buzzing from the inside of your short’s pocket startles you slightly. You glance at the screen, reading the text, and then gasp. 

“love, my Chanel sales associate is asking me if I’d like to book an appointment at their store to see their new collection! There’s actually a cute bag that I've been thinking about…"

Leah hums, distracted slightly, not even looking at the phone screen that you are practically shoving into her face. “Yeah, we can get your bag once we arrive back home” 

You squeal, already texting your sales associate to go ahead and book you in. 

“–only if England win it” The typing stops and your heart drops. Your celebration cut short. 

“w-what…b-but, love…” You look up at her to see if she was serious, and to your dismay there's not a hint of playfulness in her gaze. She's serious. Glancing back at the screen, you see England have only 5 minutes left to equalise if they want to play for additional time, but the seconds are ticking by quickly. 

Scrambling off your girlfriend’s lap, you take your place beside her on the sofa instead. You have never been more motivated to cheer for a team your girlfriend was not playing for. Mustering all the manifestation in the universe, and your desperate need for that Chanel medium 25cm double flap shoulder bag in pink quilted lambskin leather with silver metal trim, you shout from the top of your voice “C’mon, England!!”

Leah just laughs loudly beside you, yelling and whooping too. 

However, sports can be a cruel thing sometimes.

England did not end up winning the Euros, much to the dismay of your girlfriend— and probably an entire nation. However, you got your bag anyway. Leah could never say no to you. She would give you the entire world if you asked for it, but luckily all you wanted is a pink Chanel bag– for now. 

More spoilt!reader x Leah because you all seem to enjoy her.

I wrote this the day after the Euros and then abandoned it because I got stuck and experience a writer's block halfway lol. Hope it still delivered.

-- kisses, butter.

[norrisluv]

EURO FINAL - LANDO NORRIS

summary: you go to the euro final with your boyfriend

warnings: fluff and smut

Lando and I were arriving at the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the final of Euro 2024. Lando was obviously cheering for England, the country where he was born and raised, while I was cheering for Spain, my second home.

“Our seats are 12 and 13” I nod and start looking for our seats. I walk down a few rows and finally find the two unoccupied seats.

“Lan, over here. Got it” Lando walks over to me and we sit down in our seats. We watch the players train until they finally go inside to prepare for the game.

“If England win, you sleep on the sofa.” Lando looks at me with confusion and arched eyebrows.

“Why? I'm not the one playing for England to win” I shake my shoulders and look to the front where some people are starting to dance

“But you're going to sleep on the sofa anyway” He lets out a low laugh and looks ahead like me, watching the show until the players from both teams start to enter the field. We started clapping and then stood up for the anthems. For the next 45 minutes, we watched the game with a few shouts and sighs until half-time, when it was still 0:0.

“I'm going to the bar to get something to drink, do you want anything?” I hear Lando's voice as I watch the players leave for the changing rooms.

“Hm, yes. A pineapple juice please. Do you want me to go with you?” He shakes his head negatively and leaves a quick peck on my lips.

“No need beautiful, I'll be right back with your drink” Lando goes to the bar while I stay on my cell phone. Two girls come up to me and ask for some photos and I smile and accept. Lando arrives and sits down next to me, sipping his drink.

“Am I really going to have to sleep on the sofa if Spain lose?” A smile grew on my face as I sipped my juice

“I don't know, I'll think about it. Pierre had to sleep on the sofa when France eliminated Portugal.” Lando's eyes widen and he looks at me. He stays silent for a few seconds and then looks at me again.

“Really?” I nod and take another sip of my drink, even though I don't know if it's true or not, I decide to say it.

“ Really.” The second half begins and in the first few minutes, Spain scores a goal, causing me to get up from my chair and Lando to let out a sigh.

“AH, Spain is winning” He looks at me with his face closed and his jaw clenched.

“Yes, I saw it” I sit back in my chair and smile until England score a goal a few minutes later. I roll my eyes as Lando celebrates the goal. He sits back in the chair next to me and puts his hand on my leg as I cross my arms over my chest

“It's the same now” He smiles and I continue with my face closed and my arms against my chest.

“I don't like you” He lets out a laugh and squeezes my leg.

“I love you too” The game continues and Spain score a goal in the last minutes of the game. When the referee blows the final whistle, I jump out of my chair, shouting happily. Lando, even though his team has lost, looks at me with a smile on his face.

“What?” I ask as he continues to smile at me

“I don't care if my country lost, I like to see you happy.” I let out a laugh and kiss Lando on the cheek.

“You're going to sleep on the sofa anyway,” he rolls his eyes and my smile grows. After the celebrations and me making Lando stay in the stadium to watch the players lift the cup, we get in the car to go to the hotel.

When we get to our hotel room, I quickly take off the jacket Lando lent me and put it on the back of the chair.

“Do you want to take a shower?” he asks as he approaches me, making me feel his warm breath on my ear and his hands on my hips, which makes me smile. I turn to Lando and wrap my arms around his neck

“Not now. I want to do something first” Lando smiles and gently removes my Spain T-shirt. He throws the fabric on the floor and pushes me lightly onto the bed, then gets on top of me and carefully runs his hands over my body.

“What do you want to do, baby?” Lando smirks and unzips my pants, while I take my hands in his, pulling his boxers and jeans down to his knees.

“I want you,” I whisper before joining my mouth to his, then starting to run my hands down his shirt, trying to pull it up. Lando lets out a laugh and stands up a little, starting to undo the buttons. He finally throws his shirt on the floor and brings our mouths together again

He runs one of his hands down my leg and ends up on my thigh. I move my hips, wanting more friction, but Lando holds my waist, not letting me move. He reaches his fingers down to the fabric of my panties and pulls them down my legs, tossing them in the same place as his shirt and my t-shirt.

“As beautiful as ever babygirl” Lando whispers against my skin and seconds later I let out a loud moan, feeling his mouth between my legs. His tongue dances across my pussy and I try to move my waist, but he wraps his hands around my stomach, holding me down.

“Lan...baby, please,” I beg Lando as I feel his tongue slip in and out of me. He lets out a few grunts against my core and I let more moans escape my mouth. He puts his thumb on my clitoris playing with me as he pulls his mouth away from me a little.

“Come on baby, I want you to cum,” he whispers before putting his mouth on me again, feeling a tremor run through my legs and my orgasm hit me.

“That's it baby” He stands up and completely removes his pants and boxers. Lando lies back on top of me and runs the tip of his cock over my lips and clitoris.

“Lan, please...I need you,” I sigh and close my eyes as he enters me in one thrust.

“Fuck baby... I won't last long” He puts his head between my neck and starts thrusting rapidly into me. I grab his back and dig my nails into his skin. I scream out Lando's name, wrapping my legs around his waist.

Lando starts leaving kisses on my neck and running his hand down my body, squeezing whatever he can. My fingers curl in his curls and I let out one last cry before of reaching my orgasm. Lando let his thrusts get stronger and faster as he let out several grunts

“Baby... I'm going to cum inside you” I bite my lips through the overstimulation and nod. I feel the ropes of Lando's cum inside me, making me let out a few more moans.

After a few seconds, he pulls out of me and gets up to go to the bathroom. He comes back with a towel and wipes me down my thighs and between my legs. A few minutes later, he lies down next to me and takes a deep breath, smiling.

“Spain may have won the Euro, but I won today too.” I let out a laugh and turn over on my stomach, resting my head on his chest.

“You always win when you're with me”

A/N: Let me know if you like it! Thank you <3

[ranticore]

inspired by a post by @/serpentface of a concept that captivated me, i'm going to present the much anticipated, much requested, "what cars my characters would drive, bearing in mind their economic status and assuming the year is 2024" post

we can start reallyyyy easy because for Bowman there's no other option:

An ep3 Honda Civic. Is it a type-R? nope but it's got vtec bro!!!! it's surprisingly practical and the wheels are kerbed to shit. there's fluffy dice. there's an aftermarket spoiler on the back and a halfords special front splitter. He's of the opinion that girls don't know the difference between a hot hatch and a grandma's car so this works as well as the expensive one. i think his driving style is best described as 'life changing'. for better or worse.

Senca:

unflinchingly practical. the car that can do it all. a 2010 1.6 TDI Skoda Octavia with roof rails. it's not about speed or looks and it's not even about transport, really, it's about looking superior because nobody else's car can fit the contents of an entire house inside. and then looking less smug when someone pulls up in a Volvo V50. the type of driver who can't fucking stand it when other people break the rules of the road but when she does it, it's fine. because she's a "good" driver.

Léa:

2004 Hyundai Coupe 2L. Yes bitch it looks fast!!!! IS it fast? No, but the better coupes from the same era did not depreciate so much in value and aren't affordable. in Léa's hands it's like a rocket ship. The indicators must be broken though because nobody has ever seen them in use. She spray-painted the wheels herself.

Islin:

a step-through road bike WITH panniers. cars damage the environment and the thought of contributing to that is unconscionable. doesn't wear a helmet anyway. dichotomy of ocd

Helena:

Porche Cayenne. Mostly someone else would drive her around but every so often she wants to get behind the wheel and start tailgating aggressively, just for the thrill of it. She replaced the stock lights with retina blaster 9000s and is always about 1 inch behind your back bumper, full beam on. Red lights are for other people. She ran over a child once because she wasn't looking and blamed the parents.

Jean-Baptiste:

Caterham 7. The one made up to look much older than it is, and he ordered it in kit car form and built it in his garage. I've always insisted that Jean would be massively into motor sport if he happened to have been born when that was a thing. He didn't follow the manufacturer's instructions because he felt that he knew best so his car is very unsafe but makes far more power than stock. It's not road legal but you will find it on the road nonetheless.

Erica:

Oh? You've never heard of it? You've never seen a man look so smug in your life. He shuts the silent-close door and explains that he traded in his Tesla model 3 for a BYD Seal because Tesla was becoming "too mainstream" and there were too many of them on the road.

Félix:

1998 Mercedes Benz E Class. Yeah it cost him £700 on Autotrader, but what's important is that it cost £60,000 when new. This is a good car. This is a luxurious car. It has heated seats - they don't work, but if he wanted to fix them he could. It has an overflowing ashtray from the previous owner and there's not a single thing that goes right on it but it makes him look adjacently wealthy, and isn't that the point? The poppy helps him look more sympathetic to elderly people (scam victims). Number One Most Likely To Attempt Murder-Suicide By Automobile. You've never seen a man look so divorced.

Carmen:

For her i just sorted price low -> high and picked the cheapest running car. And it's a Fiat Bravo! Notorious for earning a zero star euro ncap safety score and exploding into scrap if it hits a kerb. Carmen can't rely on her parents buying her a first car or paying insurance so she has no choice but to scrape the bottom of the barrel. She thinks it looks nice though.

Pascal:

was there any doubt.

Nico:

Beat up 1999 Discovery permanently attached to a horsebox. It is always filthy and somehow filled with straw and dog hair even though he doesn't own a dog, that's just what seems to happen to these cars. The heating doesn't work anymore but other than that it's fine, does the job. Drives with what can only be described as malicious compliance to all rules of the road.

Cain:

a Lada Niva. Why the hell would you ever need more than this. Electronics? No thanks. You're lucky it has gears. Cars peaked in the 1970s and anything built after that is just a piece of ridiculous frivolity, a toy for children. Here is a real workhorse. It costs 20 grand. Probably the only truly good driver here.

---

Sir Heaven:

Please for the love of god stop making him drive the Revuelto he doesn't want to do it anymore it's too scary

Sir Victory:

2003 Seat Leon Cupra R, with decals that make it seem very impressive and like it might actually be a racecar, but it isn't. It's made of rust and the engine sounds sick. It's battered and broken and the subframe is bent from a side-on collision. One day it might crumble away entirely but until then Sir Victory will drive it like he's at Goodwood. A very aggressive driver, mostly due to impatience, and he always wins the red light drag race.

Mercury:

It's a normal Ford Crown Victoria with a tank engine strapped to it. What? His holy calling is building and designing engines, of course this is safe and sane. Kind of a lackadaisical driver, obeys the rules when the mood strikes.

---

And just for fun, random other characters:

Qedivar:

1999 Audi A4. I just tried to imagine the most boring history professor tier car I could think of. It's in good condition for its age but it's never brought anyone a single scrap of joy in its entire life. Nobody smiles seeing this car and to this day Qedivar often fails to pick it out in a car park.

Huarvaa:

The legendary Renault Scenic RX4. It's big, it's 4-wheel drive, and it's a practical MPV. and it looks like it's constantly dipped in some kind of algae or perhaps sludge. Modified with a snorkel so it can drive through deep water. Still really rusty despite the plastic cladding.

Holly:

Rover Metro. It's incredibly spacious!!! Wow! He can't see over the wheel.

Finbarr Ó Casaide:

A Lupo. Literally the perfect car for his needs and he knows he must be conservative in how he goes about things. Yellow colour for the Ó Casaide clan, to show that he really does belong there, promise. A devastatingly precise driver; guns for the tiniest gaps and somehow makes it every single time, without putting others at risk or being particularly reckless. He will get you to your destination 20% faster than anyone else.

Olivier Tanet:

Ford F150, specifically an imported one from the US, specifically driven in a normal-sized place that is not built for stupid american cars (as in the photo). It is gigantic and it's in your rear view mirror 24/7. Helena might be a maliciously careless driver, but Olivier is just malicious. He wants you dead. His truck is part of an elaborate dick measuring contest that he intends to win. Plus side is that it's not a pavement princess, it goes offroad (it does doughnuts in your front garden)

[pedripics]

Pedri: ‘This season I ask that injuries respect me and that I go for everything’.

(Mundo Deportivo - September 4, 2024)

If Spain won the European Championship he promised to grow a moustache and an interview with Mundo Deportivo. In the summer he fulfilled the first part and last Tuesday at noon, during the first national team break, the second part. Pedri González had an intense summer. A sprained knee left him out of the team in the quarter-finals of the Euro, when he was at his best, but he took a physiotherapist and a physical trainer to Tenerife to work during his holidays with the aim of recovering his best version for the start of the season. And he succeeded. He is being important with Flick, who has given him the baton of the team. The Canarian feels like never before, he is much more liberated, ‘loose’, as he says. Also in interviews, where he speaks clearly and assumes his role as a leader despite still being very young. Being European champion was a confidence boost and now he wants to keep winning: with the national team and, obviously, with Barça, the club of his life.

A man of his word, you told us during the European Championship that if they won you would give us an interview and here you are, delivering.

“Yes, yes, words have to be kept and in the first training camp we've had I've been able to give it to you.”

You also promised a moustache, which didn't last long.

“Yes, I only had it in the summer, now I have a beard and I have to remove it because otherwise my mother gets mad at me.”

Everything is going very fast. It's only been a month and a half since you won the European Championship and so many things have happened.

“Yes, it's true that it seems like a long time ago, but if you look at the short time ago, it's very fresh. But when you achieve something like that it seems like a lot longer ago than it really is.”

You were injured in the quarter-final against Germany, but you stayed with your team-mates until the end and they gave you the victory. What was your feeling?

“When I got injured I told them to try to make me a European champion and they did. It was a pleasure and since they gave me the option of staying in the training camp, it was clear that I had to stay with my team-mates there to try to win the title.”

Were you very scared when you got injured after Kroos' tackle?

“When I felt the pain in my knee I was scared because I had also seen what had happened to Gavi. I had several injuries, they are very hard and thank God I was lucky. It was a small thing compared to what could have been and we are now perfect.”

Then you were getting back to your prime, but you are back to your best from what we're seeing this season. It has however cost you your holidays.

“Yes, especially during the holidays I had a lot of work, I had to recover well to try to get to that first game and in the end I made it. A lot of work with the physio, physical preparation… But well, that's what I had to do.”

What does it mean for a footballer to be a European champion?

“Apart from being a dream for any Spaniard, for me, as I'm still at the beginning of my career, it's a great motivation for what's to come, a lot of confidence and above all, a dream come true.”

I would like to talk about the confidence that comes with it. Do you feel different when you enter a dressing room after winning the European Championship?

“You're still the same person, but it's true that it gives you a lot of confidence. There are a lot of players who retire and don't manage to win it and I think it's a source of pride. We are also the national team with the most players and you can feel that in Spain.”

And now the Nations League, I don't know if after the high of winning the European Championship, it is difficult to adapt to a competition that is considered the smallest of the national team competitions.

“Yes, we were just talking about it a few days ago. Everyone said that it's a minor competition, but at the end of the day you're playing with the best in Europe, who are going to want to win a title and for us, it's an important title. Of course, we want to go and win it and defend it again.”

The coach, Luis de la Fuente, emphasised when he named the squad that they were an insatiable group.

“Yes, above all I think that's the right word. It's true that we won the European Championship, but we want more. It's clear that it's going to be complicated, that nobody is going to give us anything for free, but we have to work to try to live other experiences similar to the ones we had when we won it.”

Now two away games, first Serbia, with a hostile atmosphere, and then Switzerland, who were one of the revelations of the European Championship.

“Yes, they are two difficult teams. Both games are away, which, whether you like it or not, is noticeable. You don't have the affection of your fans, but we're going to go all out. First, we'll go for the Serbia game, give everything and try to get the three points. We want to get off to a good start.”

On a personal level, now that we are back to school, what does Pedri want to be for this season? What is his goal?

“Above all, I'm trying to work hard so that injuries respect me. That's all I ask for this season, and to try to help the team because I think they have strengthened very well. And here in the national team, I will go for everything.”

How important it is for you to have this continuity. You’ve now played four consecutive games, how are you feeling at the start?

“I'm feeling good, very good. Before the European Championship I already said that I had found something that suited me very well. I feel good about the work I'm doing and that really shows. On the pitch, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this, with this desire.”

We talked about it in the interview at the European Championship, all these new habits make you a very methodical Pedri, a very hard worker.

“Yes, that's right. I think that's what has given me to be at this physical level now and I think that's what I have to do, that's what's good for me. A lot of things that are going to help me to be well throughout the whole season.”

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S3 Promo/Teaser: Freaking Out - Lestat & Daniel are Unhinged

As usual, Imma try to go frame by frame thru AMC's IWTV S3 promo, but I was laughing so hard I had one hand slapped over my forehead trying not to pass out and die--WHAT am I looking at in the year of our lord 2024!? 🫣 AMC is so goated for doing this!

Daniel oughta be sued for this alone--he should've tracked down Damek if he just needed a random blonde white guy if Lestat refused to show up! XD STUNT QUEENS!

Mark Johnson: "I think he's entertaining someone?" Daniel: "Do we have insurance for homicide?"

Yeah, YOURS! 😂

And they got the gallon of blood in a pewter goblet, WHY? XD That don't even look warm! 😭

Daniel: "That HIM. Jesus Christ, look at him!"

By the tone of his voice I can't tell if Daniel was creaming himself or pissing himself, or both. 😝

LESTAT IS WEARING CLAUDIA'S YELLOW COLOR I AM UNWELL NOBODY TOUCH ME 😭💔

Mark Johnson: Mr. Lioncourt, hi, Mark Johnson, I'm the executive producer. We talked on the phone a couple of times; we're really excited about the-- Lestat: I don't remember you. Mark Johnson: --documentary.... Ok.

GOD. 🤣🤦

Sam's midriff, I can't; Carol Cutshall, Imma send you my therapy bills.

Get this coked out queen off my dang screen. 🤣🤦

Not the blood-red choker where Louis slit his throat-- He wears blood like jewels, y'all! XD You can't talk about Louis now, hypocrite! 😝

Christine Claire: You have 45 minutes and he's gone. Daniel: Who the f**k are you? Staff: This is Christine Claire, Mr Lioncourt's lawyer.

REALLY, Les? Really?

Staff: Hair and makeup, now-- Lestat: Do I look like I need you? 💅💎

💀👻 This diva bish.

Lestat: There's a goblet on the table. 🧿👄🧿🔪 Daniel: You don't like the goblet? Can we get rid of the goblet, please, thank you~!

The way Lestat death-stares the poor sound-man just for being dehydrated, omg.

"Armand told the truth" tattoo--are y'all effing kidding me? 🤣 Daniel Molloy and cinematographer Jesse M. Feldman; you've got a mole in your studio!

Lestat is PIIIIIISSSED! 🤣At long last, the meme has been realized!

Daniel: I see you have my book there, what do you think--*choking*

Oml, Lestat's finna kill Daniel by the end of this interview! 😭 I am DYING of laughter, y'all.

"I am The Vampire Lestat. I'm immortal...more or less. The light of the sun...the sustained heat of an intense fire.... These things might destroy me. But then again...they might not.

Sam, you WERK, bish!

His vocals on the song snippet sound REALLY good! While I'm bummed we won't get that Nu Metal sound from the QotD movie, I'm glad they're going with Euro-sounding Glam Rock for AMC!Lestat!

Nice nod to Count Dracula's ah-ah-ah laugh! XD

They just CANNOT decide which contacts to give this man, it's hilarious at this point.

What on earth is he doing? XD

God, he's killed someone on set. XD

Louis finna show up at the studio with the divorce papers this time. XD

Nope, that face won't save you now! XD

Lestat once Daniel's done tearing his dignity to shreds.

He's cracked, your honor.

This promo was SO much fun, omg, I haven't laughed like that in a hot minute; thank you AMC! ❤️

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Summer Fling Part 10/10 Epilogue

A damn shame. But summer must come to an end. ☀️

Thank you to everyone who read this story. I'm very grateful for all of you! ❤️

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Summary - Reader has landed a research job at a marine biology lab in Portugal. She is, therefore, staying with her sister and her sister's Portuguese boyfriend for the summer holidays. There she meets Ruben Dias who is on vacation with his friends after the 2024 Euros. However, the two meet under the circumstances in which Ruben believes that Reader is a prostitute.

Enjoy ☀️

It was odd. In Australia, August meant the beginning of spring, there after summer. But here in Portugal, the summer was coming to an end. Yes, you were still Portugal bound. Now more in a city called Amadora, where the evening sunsets cast a beautiful silhouette over the wholesome city.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ruben's chest vibrated against your back. The two of you were seated on the balcony of his parents' house, watching another day come to an end.

"I should probably call my sister." You sighed.

"Right now?"

"Yeah, she should be on her way from the hospital by now."

It was remarkable how the summer had unfolded. You came to Portugal with the hopes of boosting your academic portfolio, only to end up in a trafficking scheme in honor of the world's population of pufferfish. Thank god Gavin's bullet had spared Diogo's arteries, giving him another chance in life. Too bad a part of that life would be spent behind bars after his accomplices to Gavin's crimes. Nevertheless, your sister didn't care. She was in love and swore to stick by her man's side, even if it meant raising that man's child alone. Another thing that wasn't on your summer bingo card: becoming an aunt. However, it was another excuse for you to return to Portugal next summer and the summers after that.

"I think my mom would also want to talk to her. You know, to see if she needs anything."

"Thank you, Ruben, really. But your family has already done so much by letting us stay here for the remainder of the summer. I think it's time that my sister and I figure things out on our own."

His chest rose against your back as he exhaled. "So this is the end, then?"

"Of summer? I'm afraid so."

"What if I don't want the summer to end?"

You smiled, hearing the stubbornness in Ruben's voice. You turned to look at him, his features soft in the velvet sun.

"What if I don't want us to end." He said.

You perked up and kissed him, the kiss soft but hard at the same time. 

Ruben captured your face in his hands, attempting to draw you further into him. However, if you let him, you would never be able to recover from the heartbreak.

"Ruben." His name escaped your lips. A whisper. One that drew him out of his momentarily daze.

"Yes?" Ruben's eyes batted slowly, his eyelashes enviously long.

"Could you love someone you've just met?"

The question startled him. "I...I don't know."

You nodded, the answer expected. You couldn't love someone you've just met, especially not a summer fling. At least not without it being artificial, not to mention cynically cliché.

"But I want to...try."

You perked up, his voice fueling your hopes.

"I really like you, Y/N. It's just that....I've got to go back to England. and asking you to come with me—"

"Would be too fast." You smiled through the welling tears. Ruben was quick with his thumb, catching the thread of water before it escaped your eyes. He pressed a soft kiss to your temple. A promise that what you've experienced this summer wasn't all bound to become a traumatic therapy session later in life. His soft lips grazing your ear was a confirmation that summer flings were real. Summer flings were something precious, worth remembering. But like every August, a summer fling must come to an end.

THE END

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

[sgiandubh]

@outlanderskin :"For those who have doubts: just research a little about Caitríona's dating history. See how she treated Dave and James and how she talked about them in interviews. See how she wrote about the Irish boyfriend she had in Paris in that article. Compare all of this to the impersonal way she treats or talks about Tony. Bingo🙃"

Good point 👌

Dear Good Point Anon,

You know, it's really serendipitous, as I have just finished a weeklong deep dive in very, very old press articles on (or at least mentioning) S and C, who clearly had a life before OL, thinking it would be nice to put some of my archive work skills to good service.

I think @outlanderskin was referring to C's New York Times article I reviewed and analyzed last summer, but I just found way better: a very long report in the Irish Independent's Sunday issue of July 11, 2004, focused on the next generation of Irish supermodels. Of which there could be only one, at that time: C, who dominates Roxanne Parker's 'Through Thick and Thin".

I am sorry, there is no link available to my knowledge, so we'll have to work with these very poor xerox scans:

I took the liberty of generously using my dreaded highlighter and, for the people who need to translate this post with Google, I am now taking my time to type what I find damn interesting in this almost twenty-year old article:

'If Ireland ever has a hope of having its own supermodel, then Caitriona Balfe is it. Sitting in the Pink Pony Café on Ludlow Street in New York, Caitriona swirls a wad of bread into her carrot and coriander soup while informing me that her musician boyfriend just brought her a breakfast-in-bed of cream eclairs and coffee a little over an hour ago. But that doesn't stop Caitriona from finishing her lunch and chasing it with a large cocoa-dusted cappuccino. Ebony-tressed and ivory-skinned, Caitriona clip-clops down the cobbled street after we leave the cafe, heading towards her apartment in Chinatown with Dave Mailone (sic!), the boyfriend, in tow.'

This reads, in 2024, like an interview with a more benevolent C clone from a totally different planet, indeed. A young, carefree, in love and hysterically funny C, who apparently had no problem heavily dishing out happy tidbits of her private life to her home country's press. A C also very much reminiscing anyone with a brain of the 2013-2018 bantering C, as this quote shows:

Again, you'll have to indulge me retyping it, Anon (tedious, I know - but helpful). She is remembering her real breakthrough, in November 2002, at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, in New York:

That was the most I've ever been paid for a show. I've got 18,000 euros for one day's work! They made me get a spray tan before the show, and I was still the whitest and the least well-endowed girl in the entire show! So what did she have to wear on the big day? `Not a whole lot! I think I described my outfit on the day as something Wilma Flintstone would wear on her honeymoon night. There wasn't a whole lot to it and it had bits of fur hanging off it.'

And, for good measure, we even have a (admittedly, awful) picture with the season's fiancé, with whom things did not end well:

I know, it looks like a Pravda pic, circa 1957 and I am honestly sorry. But it's still very clear. And, which is more important, very eloquent.

Anon and reader, you draw your own conclusions on this. I know where I stand. The only guy C has similar pics taken with and released in the press or on social media is the peasant some love to bash every single day in here. Their problem, not mine.

Yes, of course Mordor will yell and hiss. Of course they will throw rotten tomatoes at the blunt knife and scream THIS IS OLD. But hey, do you have any better than this poor (but oh, so endearingly authentic) picture or than any given S&C pic before the fucking EFH and IFH, when she gradually started to turn into today's Reclusive, Restrained and Rarefied Greta Garbo wannabe?

Oh, and please: don't give me the 'he's shy' or the paperwork crap again. Her public persona has drastically changed, and not for the better. It's plain to see and there are reasons for this.

Who's to blame? This question is so wrong, in so many ways.

The question should be 'what's to blame?'

I'll stop here, Anon and I hope it was somewhat useful. Thank you for dropping by.

[jobesbabe]

Summer Baby / Dominik Szoboszlai

dominik szoboszlai x reader PART 1

It’s July, 2024. A few of the Liverpool boys are looking for a getaway before and between the summer series and stumble upon your mom’s vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There, they spend their time enjoying the sun and one in particular, enjoying the company. You find yourself falling for a charming Hungarian- Domi.

Part 1- vacation spot

warnings- none in this first part

a/n- thinking of making this a series and being more active 🫡 also, lets pretend theres not like the EUROS 😭 Let my story work 😭😭

The whole thing was Harvey’s idea. He wanted the team to have a getaway. Those without kids and wives he wanted to rope into his beach trip.

“Cmonnn’” Harvey said to Trent and Dominik, “This will be fun, you know. We need to relax for a few minutes instead of always being go, go, go!”

After letting the twenty-one year old rant for a few minutes, Trent sighed.

“I don’t think it’s happenin’ for me at least. I got summer plans. Maybe try the youngsters?” He said to Harvey who looked at Dominik with hope.

Dominik shook his head in return, showing Harvey he was on his own with this one. Harvey slapped his knee, and blurted out to nobody in particular,

“I’m booking it anyway!”

Two weeks later, he had convinced Caoimhin, Conor and Bobby, along with Curtis.

Harvey just about had his car packed for the airport when his phone rang. The name ‘Dominik Szoboszlai’ lit up the screen and forced Harvey to think about work on his first day to himself.

“Ya, whats up man,” Harvey groaned into his phone.

“Have you gone to America yet?” Dominik’s voice sounded firm on the phone.

“No, I’m just about on my way though, plane leaves in 3 hours.”

“Got room for one more?” The Hungarian asked.

“I- Uh, Always.” Harvey said to the man.

And Hours later they were at your front doorstep.

Your mother never shared the renter’s information with you, but even if she had, you would not be prepared for what you opened the door to.

You had been a Liverpool fan since childhood, but she never got into it as much as you did and always got the players confused. Her most recent one was Virgil van Dijk. Though he had been playing for years, she always got him confused with a newer signing like Szoboszlai or Gravenberch. She wasn’t great with names, so the name Harvey Elliott was just like John Smith or Jane Doe.

When the renters knocked at your door you rushed to greet them as you always did when your mother was out.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll be there in a second!” You shouted from in the house when they knocked a second time.

You opened the door to Harvey Elliott and his ragtag group of Liverpool players.

“I- Uh- what? Harvey Elliott?” You asked, confused and starstruck, but mostly confused. “Yep that’s me, I’m Harvey and this is-”

You interrupted him. “Curtis Jones, Bobby Clark, Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley.”

Your wide eyed expression was met with a warm smile.

“Lads, she’s a fan.” Harvey said, earning a nod from Bobby and a chuckle from Caoimhin.

“Yeah, I am. Sorry,” You apologized but you weren’t sure what for. recognizing him? interrupting him?

“What’re you sorry for? It’s nice to know the ladies in America know who I am,” Curtis said in his scouse accent.

That comment earned a chuckle from the five of you and you noticed another man at one of the two Jeeps you assumed the rented.

“Is that, Szoboszlai?” You asked rhetorically. The perfect hair and tattoos belonged to only one player on the squad and you knew without a doubt.

Harvey chuckled.

“May we come in?” He asked.

You opened the door and asked if they needed any help with any luggage or things of that matter.

when they said they were all set, You brought them to the kitchen and showed them their keys.

“The beach house has a few doors, so you’ll each have a set of 3 keys,” You said to your captive audience of six football players.

“Red is for the front door, daisies is for the back door and green is for the car park. They have initials on them if you forget.”

You glanced up, meeting Dominik’s eyes as he licked his top lip and then smiled. You blushed and turned away from him embarrassed. He chuckled to himself and hoped nobody would notice.

“Thank you for the keys, now, can we have a tour?” The flirty Hungarian asked you and you shook your head yes.

“What kind of a host would I be if I said no,” you replied smacking your hand against your chest in a playful way. The boys laughed and followed you as you led them to the living rooms and family room.

“This is where most watch movies and hang out after a long beach day.” You said and Conor sunk into the couch with a sigh.

“C’mon. The tours not done yet Mr.Bradley!” Harvey mocked him.

Curtis smacked the top of Conor’s head urging him to get up.

“Alright! Im up!” Conor sighed, getting up.

You showed them the bathrooms and the rest of the house until you got to the long hallway where they would be staying.

“Here’s the bedrooms, take your pick,” you said to them.

Being just big little boys, 5 out of the 6 of them ran to find the biggest room.

Dominik stayed behind and looked at you. You returned his longing look with a smile.

“What’s on your mind Szoboszlai?” you asked.

He let out a ‘hm’.

“Can you show me the beach. I want to go outside by the beach,” He said in his charming Hungarian accent.

“Of course.” You said.

You guided him out the back door and to the porch steps that led straight on to your portion of the beach.

“Here she is, the beautiful sea.” You said.

A smile appeared on Dominik’s face.

“Will you walk with me, so I wont get lost?” He asked, sheepishly, like he was embarrassed to ask.

You nodded and walked with him, making simple conversation, asking about Liverpool, his experiences there and how he was. He asked about you, noting your favorite seashells by the fact that you stopped to pick them up and shove them in the pockets of your shorts before jogging to catch up with him. The fourth or fifth time a Olive shell appeared, He stopped himself, picked it up, and placed it in your hand.

“Thank you,” You said looking up to meet his eyes.

He smiled his million dollar smile. “you’re welcome.”

As you returned to the beach house, you giggled.

“What?” Dominik asked confused and grinning.

“Nothing,” You smiled noticing his hair was no longer as proper as he usually had it. It was fluffy and curly from the beach air and you loved the way it looked. “You have beach hair. It looks good Szoboszlai,” You said.

“You can call me Domi,” He said.

Caoimhin and Curtis looked out the window of the living room to see the two of you having fun on the beach and chuckled.

“Domi, your hair looks good.” You repeated, in a flirty tone.

“Thank you,” He smiled.

and all of a sudden, you were enamored.

a/n- AHHH i hope this is good. Im gonna make a pt 2 if this gets some likes/comments/ reposts. Also Anon requests back on!! pls request

[ripmyselfxd]

Never Forget - (Joao Felix)

Pairing- Joao Felix x fem!reader

Summary- Joao is in a game when his coach pulls him aside, telling him the worst news he had ever heard

Warnings- ANGST!! Sad, very sad. Nothing happy

”Here is halftime, the teams will be back soon.” The announcers announced, Joao stormed off of the field, very pissed off because he has missed 2 shots already. He was also mad because he and you had a fight earlier, and you left. As he comes off of the field his assistant coach runs up to him, ‘Now what?!’ He thinks. “Joao!” He yells, waving his arms. “What?!” Joao says as he sits down drinking water, his coach has wide eyes as he says, “You have a call.” Joao is confused, why would he have a call at 9:47 in the night and more importantly, why would someone call him at his game? He snatches the phone from his coaches hand, “Hello?” He tries to keep his cool because he doesn’t know who he is talking to. “Hello? Is this Joao… Felix?” He doesn’t recognize the voice, it is a female voice. “Yes this is him, what do you need?” He grips the phone harder, trying his best not to snap. “Do you have any connection with (Y/N) (Y/L/N)?” He immediately calms down, then becomes worried, “Yes, she is my girlfriend, why?” The lady takes a deep breath, “This is the hospital,” His heart drops to his feet, she continues, “Your girlfriend got into a car accident and is in bad shape.-“ He doesn’t need anymore information, he hangs up the phone hading it back to his coach. His face filled with guilt, and sadness. He asks his coach “Can I go-“ He interrupts Joao, “Yes, go now.” Joao rushes out of the stadium, quickly getting in his car and driving to the hospital. Once he checks in with the lady at the front desk, she tells him you are in room 326, on the 2nd level. He rushes to the elevator, not sparing his fans even a glance. He goes up, it feels like hours for him to reach the 2nd level but eventually he does, jogging to room 326. He runs into the room and sees your still figure, along with your parents (and siblings) crying. He walks over to you, “Hey, it’s me. I- God, I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t want you to leave, this is all my fault. If you didn’t leave then this would’ve never happened.” He starts crying. Suddenly, your heart monitor goes silent. Your whole family freaks out in sobs and cries as the doctor pushes them out of the room. He stands there, red wide eyes, sweaty soccer/football uniform, and messed up hair. The doctor pushed him out of the room, shutting the door. He stands there, helpless and alone, hoping-praying they save you. About half an hour later, the doctor comes out. Joao stands and rushes over to him, “Well, how is she?” He croaks out, voice hoarse. The doctor gives him a sad, guilty look, Joan’s heart shatters to pieces. “No, no, no. No, your joking with me, right?” Joao looks at him with pleading eyes, the doctor shakes his head, putting a hand on Joao’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry, son.” And with that, the doctor walks off. Joao slides down on a wall, putting his head in his knees. “No.” He whispers while crying- sobbing even. “No.” He says a bit louder. He sobs, thinking back to all of your memories together, how you two meet- it was summer and you where in Portugal for a business trip. You meet at the beach, talking to each other for hours. His mind jumps to your first kiss- you two had just finished your first date, him driving you home. Once you got home he opened the car door for you, letting you out. ‘Thanks’ ‘Anytime, meu amor’ You faced him and then slowly leaned in. Lips meeting in a soft kiss. His mind was racing, jumping from memory to memory, your scent, voice, clothes- everything. He was trying to remember everything about you, capturing you in his mind. One memory stuck out to him, when he lost a big match- the Euro 2024 to be exact. You were at home with him, cuddling, after the loss. You were comforting him, holding him tight and whispering how he did so good, “Never forget, I will always love you. No matter what. And until the day I die.”

A/N- AHHH!! I almost cried like three times while writing this. 😢 Who else, cause I know I’m not the only one.

[twopoppies]

Hey gina 🥹 I was casually listening to some songs by Harry and Louis, and something in my brain just clicked.

I can’t explain how but, we always talk about the way Harry’s lyrics are very complex to decipher, and most of the times we don’t get to hear the context. (It’s very very rare to get a say from him)

But he writes songs in such a way that you can exactly imagine who he is singing about.. He is not singing about a casual heartbreak, he sings like a real shit storm surged through him. He sings love songs for years and it ALWAYS sounds like he is singing to the same person, and this person’s presence has just been there for years.

And the narrative of this person is just very unique in a way that, in some songs, it only makes sense if this person is physically very close to Harry but still at the same time very far away from him. (Struggles of dating your bandmate) I relate this to “Meet me in the Hallway” so much. He sings “Meet me in the Hallway, I just left your bedroom... Just let me know I’ll be at the door” Harry is insanely close to this person physically (they are probably literally a hallway apart) and he still thinks it’s very hard to reach them. (I’m guessing the song came from the 1D times where boys got their own bedrooms, because Harry sings “your bedroom” and the whole song screams “I’m not at home” energy. It just gives cold hotel vibes..)

And I listen to “Something Great” and then I listen to “Sweet Creature” and it is just clear as a day that these songs aren’t for random women he is supposedly dating. All I can hear from his songs that he is still mad at the same person, in love with the same person, happy or sad with the same person because it’s not a random person, he knows them very very well. And of course the line in “To be so lonely” where he sings “Don’t blame me for falling I was just a little boy” is one of the obvious examples that shows he is been in this situation for a looong time. Same thing with Louis but his songs are more open, lyric wise, to talk about a story, for example “Saturdays”. But as we all know that’s probably the reason why we had El for years (it keeps the timeline accurate actually) cuz everyone with a brain can understand he sings about the same person for years 💀

sorry for the long rant but these are the hard core reasons why I am still choosing to believe in their love. I don’t know if they are still together or not (from Louis’ last album I did sense trouble..) but I’m hoping they are both happy :) especially after the EURO 2024 meeting:D

Yeah. Very much agreed. Maybe not so much about FITF, but everything else for sure.

[kingofthering]

Read @flyingfabio's thoughts on her weekend in Le Mans and realized it could be nice for me to give mine as well. Also going to go under a read more for the sanity of everyone's dash.

context/overall things

This was my second MotoGP race weekend and my second time in Le Mans. Last year I went alone with a grandstand ticket (Zarco GS) that I bought in January kind of an on a whim. In October I had access to the presales for 2024 and I got two VIP tickets (Club Grand Prix to be exact), one of which I gifted to my dad for Christmas.

These were a hefty price (650 euros) and if I were to do it again, I would go for one of the other VIP ticket packages (probably Sunday lodge/box [can't find the right translation but the things above the garages] for 500 euros). I do realize that it's a lot of money but I'm in a place in my life where I can save money every month and afford to splurge on things like this occasionally, so, yeah. And I think that overall, the experience was worth it.

This was my first time being alone with my dad and traveling with him for 4 days. I love my dad but he's had a lot of health issues in the past years and he's done a lot of work to be better physically but he's still a little diminished now and can't walk as fast as I can and needs to take breaks every now and then. I will admit that this wasn't always easy to manage because of my excitement and my lack of patience at times but we had a good time overall. I was also stressed because I needed things to go well and I didn't sleep much (and didn't eat much because of the stress) so my dad ended up having to take care of me on Saturday night but we both survived in the end.

I will say, even if you have a GS ticket or even a GA one, a weekend in Le Mans has so much to offer that I think people should really attend if they have the chance to. In addition to the usual MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3, you also get MotoE and the Rookies Cup which means that there is always something happening on track (pretty much). The fanzone events with the riders are really nice (I didn't attend this year but I had a really good time in 2023) and the Mechanical Show on Saturday is pretty cool as well.

One thing that I will also always give to Le Mans is the access to the circuit. You have the tramway (that runs through the whole city) arriving 150 meters away from the East gate of the circuit. There are a lot of people riding the trams but it was okay, I even found the organization of Sunday afternoon pretty great (while I was stressed of being too late at the train station and I sure wasn't).

The sound of the bikes at the start might be my new favorite thing in the world. I will say, please if you come to a race weekend, have stuff to protect your ears (earplugs or headphones), you will need them (they do sell them at the track if you forget).

I knew from Thursday already that we were going to break the attendance record. The number of people on track on Thursday and Friday already were insane. Le Mans has always been a popular GP (duh, it was holding the attendance record already) but Wednesday and Thursday being holidays in France (and a lot of people not working on Friday as a consequence) definitely helped.

VIP things

Access to the stands' building : This was my favorite thing in the ticket. I could have done with just that (and the paddock visit). This building is the one right above the garages so you got the pit lane on one side (and a lot of seats you sit in in the 4th floor to overlook the circuit, the pit lane, the podium) and the paddock on the other side. You essentially get to watch things happening in the paddock and people working there and it's so interesting. When you're on the 1st floor, you have gates that riders come up to sometimes to interact with fans. This was quite eye-opening to me on how much riders interact with fans throughout the weekend (and that we don't get to see when we're at home). The one that I saw interacting the most with fans throughout my days there was definitely Marc (he's so loved but he gives so much back honestly). On the 2nd floor you had the media room where they do their rounds of media and if you were there at the right time, you could interact with the riders when they were going up or down from media center. Most of them stopped from autographs and photos all the times I was there (Thursday afternoon for the press conferences, Friday afternoon after PR, Saturday afternoon after the sprint).

Paddock tour/visit : maybe my favorite part that I want to replicate so badly. I had to pick a time among offered slots and I chose the 10:30-13:00 on Friday because I didn't want to be missing any important sessions. You're basically free to roam the paddock as you want during your time slot and I saw so many familiar faces, it was insane, even non-riders like Massimo Rivola or Jack Appleyard (from the MotoGP broadcast). The first rider I talked to was Cele and at first I wasn't sure I had recognized him and I didn't want to run so I walked fast to get him before he went into the VR46 motorhome and god, I was so awkward at first (sorry Cele) and he couldn't hear me well because the MotoGP bikes were doing FP1 at the time but I did ask him about his collarbone (and he said he was fine) and told him I was hoping we could see him back soon. He seemed shy as well but very sweet. I also got to talk to (and take photos with) Fermin, Manuel (Gonzalez) and David Alonso. After my brain remembered how to speak Spanish I congratulated David for his best rookie title last season and told him I was betting on him for this season (and wishing him luck). He was really sweet as well. On the MotoGP side, I waited an hour in front of Yamaha's side to see Fabio (also got to see Rinsy first) and well, I did see Fabio from very up close but things were very chaotic and people behind were pushing and that wasn't exactly fun but, well. In the meantime, my dad got to talk to Bezz and he told me he seemed like a very nice and funny guy (more on that story here) and I will say I got a little jealous of that. Overall a really cool experience.

Pit lane visit : I thought we couldn't do it at the supposed time and in the end, we were able to enter the pit lane around 11:40, after quali. Honestly, seeing the bikes from up close like this is so cool. Like, shit, they're so pretty it's insane. Also, I feel like the garages look much bigger on TV? It was quite cool to see. I saw Mav coming back to his garage and start his debrief with his team. Also saw Bezz in his box and I saw Mig, who I didn't get to talk to but love even more now anyway. After about 10-15 minutes we had to leave so that was quite short but cool anyway. I know they did a pit lane visit open to everyone on Thursday but there were so many people, it seemed a little scary (but probably worth it if you're ready to queue early and throw some elbows around if needed).

Club Grand Prix access : the box was on the main straight. It was quite comfortable and I will say that the access to easy bathroom and free drinks was quite nice. I didn't eat much because of the state of my stomach but people were complimenting the food. Oh and having screens in there was quite practical. As I said earlier, it's not the ticket I would book again. I was a little frustrated by the fact we were not in the open air and it took away from the race experience for me. (Still amazing for a lot of people and my dad really appreciated the comfort but I know I personally would have been better in the stands' building.)

My experience is subjective because of the times I was there but like I said before, I saw a lot of Marc taking time for fans (one time he couldn't go up to a little kid but he sent JL to give him a slider), saw Maverick a bunch of times as well, Rinsy too. I heard people say that Johann was also taking a lot of time for the fans. I saw Jack give his cap (fully unprompted) to a little kid on Saturday on his way down from media. The only time I saw Pedro he didn't have time for the fans and most people I've heard were saying that he never seemed to really be engaging with people (but I talked with a guy who fully understood it as "it can't be easy for him getting all that attention all of a sudden"). He sure got a lot of appreciation from the public in the stands, though. Bezz spent a lot of time to sign everybody's stuff on Saturday. Alex (Marquez) was the last one to go to media and I asked him for a photo right before he got in for a media and he said "two minutes" and came back 10 minutes later and immediately came to me for the photo and was super sweet about it. I already had a good experience with Alex last year and I was really happy to have another one this year as well.

the racing

I will say, I definitely need to watch the sprint and the race calmly because I'm so confused about what happened when. Like obviously I remember the last lap battle between Marc & Pecco and I remember Pecco's retirement in the sprint (even filmed him coming back to the pits) but hm, yeah, things are a big mess in my head. Moto2 was eh (filmed Tony getting to his box and being not so happy when talking to his team) and Moto3 was pretty entertaining.

People were so happy with Fabio got directly to Q2 and I was as well. Quali was fun to watch as well. I'm just sad I didn't get to see practice starts in front of me but the real starts were cool too.

We see them on TV but the sheer amount of people that are on the grid before races is insane. And the way everyone immediately starts running from the pits when the guys leave for the sighting lap? So impressive to watch. I honestly could have spent my weekend watching teams work, it was so interesting to me.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S02E10 - The French Connection

The episode from which I found out that there are some islands close to Canada that belong to France somehow. And apparently now there's also a crime show set in those islands?

From Wikipedia: Saint-Pierre is a Canadian police procedural television series, slated to premiere in the 2024–25 season on CBC Television. The series stars Alan Hawco as Donny "Fitz" Fitzpatrick, a police officer with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary; after one of his investigations gets uncomfortably close to the corruption of a powerful local politician, he is exiled to the French territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, where he partners with local police officer Geneviève "Arch" Archambault (Joséphine Jobert) to to solve local crimes.

Now, wait a second. That's about half the plot of this Hudson and Rex episode!

Anyway, on to the episode.

A girl carrying baguettes on a bicycle???

"I hope he's not some pretentious Godard-quoting chain smoker." Just once, look around before you speak.

I got you now, mister Black Coffee. That's more milk than what I put in my latte.

We've already established some of the most popular stereotypes for French and Canadian people. Valerie is already snobbish and Charlie has already apologized once.

While on duty?

Oh my god his face when the dude spits out the gin in the spit bucket lmao

I like many kinds of drinks but I admit that gin leaves me uninterested. I don't know what it is about it.

Well, hello there, Aaron Ashmore, twin brother of Shawn Ashmore. For anyone who doesn't know, this not the guy who's on The Rookie, but he is the guy who was on Killjoys, with Mayko Nguyen.

People keep handing Valerie drinks and Charlie keeps saying "we're on duty". Just give up.

Why does he look so happy to be digging through trash???

Claire just said that there's no law against lying to the police. What?

Valerie, when you doubt Charlie, it's funny. When you doubt Sarah and Rex, you sound like a twat.

Well, don't sound so proud about it.

"You're more comfortable with dogs than people". Probably, but that's because people are often twats.

Charlie's face is pure comedy in this episode. So funny.

Sarah gets to go undercover AND drink gin. Well, if we call that drinking.

She says "you guys" but only looks at Charlie. You're not even subtle.

Charlie: Oh, hell to the no. This is a trap.

Valerie is not wrong here. That's gross, not to mention unsanitary. He'd put so much milk in it that it must have gone bad by now. And judging by his reaction when he takes a sip, it probably has. Never drink coffee with dairy that's been left out for more than two hours, folks.

I only wish I could capture the following scene with Sarah and Jesse competing on who's going to deliver the new evidence that they have found out. But I think Sarah's "I'll fucking murder that twink" face is very telling.

Now, cognac, I like. Although, according to google, the most expensive cognac is Henri IV, not V. I'm sure they've written that intentionally. The real cognac is worth up to 2 million dollars, by the way. People are crazy.

Charlie does not understand any of this and to be honest, neither am I. Any bottle of wine that costs more than 20 Euros is a scam. Any clear alcohol like whiskey, gin, rum, vodka, that costs more than 50 Euros is also a scam.

"No CCTV cameras anywhere. You might say that it's the perfect place for murder". I don't remember a lot of cases outdoors that were solved by watching CCTV cameras either way. Which makes sense. I mean, how many CCTV cameras does a city like St. John's need?

This is such a funny episode, really.

We must do this at least once in any Rex adaptation. I bet it's in the contracts lol

Joe: *counts* One [Valerie], two [Charlie], *skips Jesse* three of you [Rex] are going on a trip. lol poor Jesse.

*tries to speak French and gets guns pointed at him* Come on, it wasn't that bad, was it? (Yes, I'd have put that line in there if I could.)

That's why he'll move soon!

The chase scene was good too.

Ugh, Valerie has her finger on the trigger. No.

Joe: "Can anyone explain to me why I was asked to comp a 300 dollar cognac bill?" Justice isn't cheap, Superintendent. Although for that many bottles... I mean, I can't find cognac that cheap here.

We had whiskey glasses in S1, what the hell happened?

Well, I enjoyed that. I didn't remember it was such a funny episode. And I maxed out the image limit again.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: #32

32. THE NETHERLANDS Joost Klein - "Europapa" 26th place (Disqualified)

Decade ranking: 120/153 [Above Ochman, below Andrew Lambrou]

Yeah, #NotForMe. Don't like the blue chicken, don't like the awful murine clickbait faces, don't like how he tried appropriating Käärijä's legacy for his own benefit. In fact, there's a lot I don't like about Joost Klein. Get used to it. Feelings are mixed but they are trending towards the NEGATIVE.

The face of a man I want to trap inside a garbage truck.

What is funny to me though, is that I certainly could have liked "Europapa" if the Dutch hadn't made certain decisions. I have to remain honest. My ranking, my rules, my lack of taste. It didn't work for me.

The song's not without merit though. It's a fun eurodance number at a glance. "Europapa" works best when you hear it live after a few drinks and blurt along with its lyrics. It's an EXCELLENT concert and streaming entry, whipping up a good time out of thin air with few pretences.

As a Eurovision entry though... eh. It tried to be a lot of other things: A tribute to his dead parents, an introspective unspooling of his mental health, a spoof, a meme, a middle finger to society, like all at once? It has that Subwoolfer-like quality of straight men in a mancave brainstorming on how what a Eurovision entry looks like: stupid nonsense. How does that work? The answer to that is "barely", and only if you take it at face value.

The song is not really about Joost dead's father and his world view. That ... I think... is deliberate false advertisement. It's not untrue, but presenting it as the sole truth is a deception. If you delve into the song, you'll find that it's a little bit more complex (and less wholesome) than that.

Verse 1 is about desperately running away from your problems (Joost naming all of the destinations, clawing at people for money, having lost everything but time) and verse 2 tackles validation, desperately craving it and yet not feeling sated. "Europapa" is a coping mechanism first and a song second. It's a deep dive into Joost's inner workings and his soul, but one that exposes him as insecure and vulnerable and putting up a front of irreverence as a mask to the outer world. As per the second verse:

"I'm running from myself, I'm crying out for help - I even give people loads of money and there's nobody who gives me aid [...] turn the radio on, I hear Stromae's "Papaoutai" I won't stop [feel satisfied] until they say "yeah, he [Joost] is doing well, eh?"

Now, this is actually... not a bad thing. It proves that "Europapa" is authentic and has surprising complexity and layers. That's what distinguishes it positively from Finland, which is hollow and cringe.

The problem with the emotions is that they clash with the rest of the song?

Fewer sentiments kill the party mood quite AS hard as one of "Are you feeling alright? 😨 Is everything OKAY?😨 should I call a therapist?" 😨". For me it defo kills the vibe. I don't want to END a fun party song with concern for the singer's wellbeing. The fact that Joost is cishet and therefore incapable of talking about his feelings and yet PUT THESE VERBALIZED EMOTIONS IN PLAIN VIEW IN HIS EUROVISION SONG is enough to set the alarm bells ringing.

Of course it could have worked if the live got it right, but um lol. Let's be honest here: The live was BAD. It was INTENDED to be So-Bad-It's-Good, sure, because that's the only way cishets know to do camp. I don't mind a spoof of a 2008 joke act. It just was... performed and staged so poorly it became the thing it intended to parody.

You sir, are NOT Käärijä.

The best parts of the entry (the emotional complexity and the hak break) are completely washed away by a combination of the awful clickbaity faces, TERRIBLE vocals (the post-chorus "EUROs" in literal Cookie Monster Voice are amongst the ugliest sounds anyone created for Eurovision), nightmare fuel visuals and that ghastly, ghastly outro.

Actually, about that outro. That is what made me turn against Joost. It's the WORST section of ANY song this year. It's the combination of whiplashing from extreme rapture into literal mourning at the drop of a pin (which is kind of... really icky human behaviour when you think about it) with pushing it down our throats by including it in the recap. Make The Guillible Cry With Cheap Emotional Manip, it's not a tool exclusive to Israelis.

And you CAN actually blame this intrusive display of emotional expoitation squarely on Joost because he's a known perfectionist and therefore must have planned the execution of the outro the moment he and his cronies decided to include it in the song.

It did tie the ending together alright. But because it wasn't a showing of personal growth, or strength or accomplishment, which it could have been, it did not align with the rest of the song. Instead it underlined that Joost hasn't moved on and is hopelessly stuck in the past, desperate for validation.

Instead of underlining the cheerful, fun aspect of Europapa it instead brought my attention the dark, emotionally disturbing bits as the last thought, and that ultimately is what killed it for me. The song is a cry for help, which is nothing to be cheerful about.

Aaaaand that's the opinion on the song and the live performance. But we're not done yet because I must address what came after that. 🙄

So, let's tackle the press conference first. Zero complaints about that. I was annoyed with Joost before due to how desperately he tried to push himself as "Käärijä's" successor and fabricated his own PR campaign on TikTok (DIE TikTok), but his behaviour at the PC made me do a complete 180 on him. Him shooting pure unfiltered truth pellets at the EBU and Eden with no regard for the consequences was fucking GLORIOUS. All the things he said needed to be said and were said without a filter. It was pure oxygen and precisely what we all needed to hear, spoken because of its TRUTH and not for clout.

Then, the disqualification. It was 'a valid DQ' purely from a rules perspective but come on now. This was not a DQ worthy incident. He didn't touch the woman and she deliberately, repeatedly refused to respect his privacy despite multiple warnings AND an agreement he made with the EBU. How has this even been reported as a 'crime'? He APOLOGIZED profusely to the lady in question and she refused to hear him and called the police on him. Sometimes you just have the misfortune of running into a Karen on a bad day. And given how riddled with tension this year's backstage was, every day of rehearsals was a bad day for everyone involved.

The DQ went through because the EBU can't fucking clear up the slightest inconvenience. By the time the police became involved, there was no turning back, and they were forced to DQ as per their bureaucracy. The rest is backpedaling.

Both of these things made me feel more sympathetic towards Joost as a person. At the end of the day he's a deeply troubled, complex, tragic figure who (barely) functions on copium and is really terrible at expressing his true feelings and the events surrounding his DQ check out with that. He needs support from those who love him (and enter therapy.) The other delegations taking his side (other than ofc KUN(ts)), is a wholesome signal and proves that Europe can be United By Music even when it is Divided By Politics first. If this disqualification is what leads to some much-needed overhauls for next year (ideally the sacking of Österdahl, the cancellation of the MorroccanOil sponsorship and KAN's expulsion, in any order), I will gladly accept Joost's role in that as the proverbial sacrifce that needed to be made.

Ironically, it was the disqualification that made me realize I shouldn't bump Joost higher out of sympathy for his personality. I didn't miss Europapa on Saturday and barely noticed its absence. The results in the Grand Final were great, specifically because Switzerland won and Croatia beat Israel in the televote. If Joost competes, Swizterland and Croatia's TVs go down in western Europe, while Israel is still top five (since she beat Joost in the semi). He also shoves Bambie out of their serendipitous 6/6/6 placements to boot.

That realization is why I need to eliminate him NOW and not later down the road. I don't care for the song as a Eurovision entry, I DISLIKE the live performance and his presence could have made the results worse for me. Easy elimination at this stage.

Those that care about "Europapa" can keep singing its praises and should. Joost will need and shall appreciate the support after this nightmare Eurovision.

Ultimately though, I am not of his fans.

THE RANKING

[1domegaverseficfest]

Omegaverse Fic Fest Weekly Recap

Hello beautiful people! Our final week (and a bit) has passed, with some more beautiful fics revealed. Go give them some love if you haven't yet. And don't forget to reblog to spread the word!

Unbonded by @jacaranda-bloom

“Look,” Louis says firmly. “Last time I checked, I’m still the pack leader, so you damn well better listen to me. It was Harry who worked out what I’d been poisoned with, then nursed me back to health. And it was Harry who thwarted the plan for my second assassination attempt by literally throwing himself in front of an arrow intended for me, nearly dying in the process, which is why we’re even having this argument in the first place. So if you think I’m going to set foot outside of this hut until he’s fully healed, you’ve all seriously misread the situation, and even more importantly, you’ve all seriously misread me.” OR the one where Harry is an omega who has been cast out from his pack, Louis is the alpha leader of the pack where Harry finds a new home, Liam is an alpha with heart of gold, and Niall is a cook who can't seem to stop setting himself on fire.

Vein: Heartbeats and Hideaways by @littleohs

Harry didn't know what to expect from nesting, he had never done it before and the first time had not gone as he had hoped. The blanket circle was one of the new additions he had and he just wanted to make a good nest, with a good structure and a warm inside. Only the first use didn't happen as he had expected. Or, where Harry just wants to nest properly, Louis is too comprehensive and the nest got dirty too quickly.

we could be enough by @hellolovers13

“You know I am flirting with you, right?” Louis freezes mid-bite. Just manages not to choke on his steak. Harry laughs a bit too loudly, almost like he’s nervous. “Yeah, should’ve known you weren’t the observant kind. You think I get this dressed up for a random dinner with a mate on a Tuesday night?” or Louis never imagined anyone could love him for who he truly is. Then he meets Harry.

Whatever words I say, however long I stay by anditsonlyforthebrave

Louis is an actor, Harry is his soon to be ex husband's lawyer. There are a lot of things that can go wrong.

Just Two Stars Passing By by @becomeawendybird

Harry Styles blew up on TikTok and became a fashion commentator during the pandemic. Now, all of a sudden, big channels are asking him to cover their red carpets and premieres. Somehow he ends up covering arrival fashion for the 2024 Euros, and somehow Louis Tomlinson already knows his name.

I've been here for daysI've been here for days by @justanothershadeofblue

Somewhere in the desert, a man is called by God to raise up a righteous generation, to bring forth the kingdom from his own seed and the wombs of his omegas. He will do it by any means necessary. A series in six parts.

Please remember to show all of these beautiful authors how much you appreciate their fics!!