#nations classic football

[chelseajackarmy]

Zinedine Zidane playing for Juventus

[sothischickshe]

What's your opinion on Americans and football? Soccer(🤮)

Haha ty my lil shit stirrer 🥄🥄🥄😂😘

wellllll rest of the world vs the US is a fun dynamic 😂 so I guess a terminology shibboleth is good!?!? (it's generally interesting when usamericans refer to football AS football, whether through gritted teeth or not) but: i im pretty sure this is another one of those Americanisms which is actually a fossilised Britishism & ii the premier(e) league pronounciation is the one that gets me!!! Those are different words with different spellings, meanings and pronunciations??? One is a synonym of debut not best???? 🤯🤯🤯🤯

Other than that... I'm v fond of matt Turner🥅, I'm amused that Leeds utd is becoming usa fc even more now they're w/o Jesse marsch, I watched some of the US men's team during the wc & they didn't score many goals, maybe they'll fare better as one of the host nations next time though, I love that the team seem to be named as if they're fictional characters in a 90s UK sketch show trying to poke fun at Dawson's creek, but I'd rather watch the us women's team play, though they do seem to be in a transitional period atm ig, anyway merry women's world cup year to all who celebrate!! 👯👯👯👯👯👯

Send me a topic and I will yell!

[brokeandfamouseu]

<3 // 2024

[classicfootiejourno]

[rottenblur]

Shades of cool|A.Anderson

Summary: You haven’t seen Abby in three days, completely ghosted you confront her and well it seems she won this time.

Warnings: Abby being a stoner, weed consumption(not reader), oral sex, hickeys, dirty talk, smut, fingering, abby being asshole sort of, face riding, praise (good girl), lowkey degradation.

College football! Abby x fem reader 1.8k

Part two to national anthem

It had been three days, no show to class nor practice. You had one option, you really didn’t wanna do it.

If you didn’t figure out what was going on with her you would go crazy, starting to regret not asking for her number before shoving your tongue down her throat and drinking in her wound.

You slide your feet into crocs, looking in the mirror, you look decent enough. You open your door making your way down the hallway to make a pitstop at your best friend's dorm.

You knock on the door, you hear rustling then a bang and the door knob turning. She opens the door rubbing her eyes.

“What’s up?” She asks, looking around.

“Abby been in?” You hold your elbow with your other arm knowing it’s an out of the blue question. You’ve never cared about her before now so why would you care now?

She furrows her brows in confusion. “Uhhh? I wouldn't know.” She points to the dark room, those blackout curtains were her life she could sleep through anything. Unfortunately.

She tilts her head waiting for an explanation. “Oh, I found one of her rings after the game, need to return it.” she laughs, you know she would have just pocketed that shit, except the ring didn’t exist. You needed to see her.

You wave her goodbye then walk next door to Abby’s knocking then waiting. The light peaks under the door, you knock again. “It’s me.” You say, you don’t know why, it’s not like she knows your voice by heart. She makes this clear when she asks who from behind the door, you hear her get up then come to the door.

She opens the door, the air moving her loose hair, her cheeks flushed and damp. It looked like she just worked out. “Is this a bad time?” You ask her, she leans on the doorway looking at you. “Depends what you’re here for.” Looking you up and down, tucking her now scabbed lip into her mouth.

You look into her eyes, and oh she really did get a black eye, you’d think you would notice it quicker but no. It was purple and black, it weirdly suited her. You point to it. “That hurt?” She furrows her brows at you trying to decipher what you meant then she figures it out. “Nah, ‘m good.” You roll your eyes at her, she sits at her desk and man spreads her legs on the seat.

“That’s what you said last time, still let me patch you up though.” You say walking in to sit on her bed. Her room was what you expected, sports posters, a playboy magazine collection not so secretly stashed in a drawer, looks like the classics too. She had her shoes all lined up in a corner, it was clean and way tidier than you thought it would be.

She looks at you, scuffing at your comment. “Whatcha looking at?” She asks, pulling your attention to her. “I came here for a reason by the way.” She looks at you opening up a drawer, pulling out a baggie, grinder and papers.

“Shoot.” She plucks a bud from the baggie putting it into the metal grinder, twisting it as she turns to face you. “Where have you been?” You ask, tucking your legs beneath you. She sighs, taking the top of the grinder off and sprinkling crumbs into the folded rolling paper. “Around.” She says looking up at you. She’s starting to piss you off.

Maybe she was exactly who you thought she was, privileged, aggressive and rude.

You pinch your nose bridge between your fingers, rubbing it delicately. “You haven’t been to class, or practice, it's not like I have your number.”

She rolls the joint, licking the adhesive to seal it off, she opens her window. “Didn’t know you cared.” She huffed out lighting the joint, taking a drag and looking at you. You needed that fucking joint more than her right now.

You stand up, in front of her as she leans against the window seal puffing on some weed that stank up the whole room, making you want to take a breath of fresh air.

“Of course i fucking care Abby.” You look at her lungs full of smoke.

“I get it.” She exhales, all over your face.

“Do you?” You look at her now low eyes, it’s hard to feel in power when she towers over you. “Do you though? Seems like you’ve been avoiding me like the plague.” You continue, she bites her lip and walks closer to you. Oh god.

“I’m sorry darlin’ wasn’t ignoring you just had to figure some things out. Missed ya.” It was the weed talking and you knew it. You roll your eyes, she cages you in with her body against the wall, you missed her hands, her touch, her lips so you didn’t stop her.

“Missed you Abby.” You say as she kisses your neck, you know it’s wrong but what can you do?

You’ve seen her vulnerable, you’ve seen her enraged it’s impossible to know who the real Abby is. Is Abby kissing your neck while intoxicated the real Abby, or is it the one who needs someone to bandage her up the real one?

It’s impossible to break through her barriers, her strong appearance, was she strong inside? Was this a cover to hide her true feelings? Did she miss her ex? Were you a rebound?

Your thoughts are clouded by her lifting up your top, kneeling in front of you and kissing your hip bones. From one side to the other, leaving splotches of red behind. Reaching up to grab your chest as she looks up at you. Those fucking eyes. “Abby.” She keeps kissing, moving up your stomach to your chest marking purple bruises. “Yeah?” She responds, you know you should tell her to stop, she ignored you now she wants you.

But you don’t, unfortunately you want her too. “Keep going, please.” You huff out as she moves down again, grabbing at your waist band and pulling it down to your ankles. You step out of it, she kisses up your legs to your inner thighs. Marking them graciously, she kisses on your clothed cunt sending shivers down your spine.

“God you’re wet, so fucking easy.” She rubs from your slit to your clit, you wetting them through your panties. You watch as she rubs your clit slowly and brutally, tucking her hair behind her ear, those freckles make her look like an angel. She pulls her hand away, kissing your thigh one more time before stripping off your panties and throwing them aside. “I told you I’d be back darling.” She spreads your legs and sticks her head between them.

She teases your clit, licking it with a distance and only with the tip of her tongue. You grip onto her hair, keeping her right where you want her. Where you need her. She lets you put her mouth straight on you. She licks from your clit down to your slit up and down, up and down slowly. She was making you work for what you wanted.

You started riding her face, mouth wide open, her tongue hitting all the right spots, she took your ass into her hands engulfing the entirety, your hips uncontrollably grinding on her face.Your thighs clench around her head, as you come close to cumming all over her face. She moves her hands from tightly gripping your ass to your hips pushing them flat against the wall, away from her face.

“Not yet, be good for me yeah?” She says as she looks up at you, your juices dripping down her chin with a shit eating grin on her face, her hair messed up from you gripping it so hard. She puts one of your legs on her shoulder, pulling your hips back to her and diving back in. She sucks your clit into her mouth, drawing quick circles on it. She holds your thigh, mirroring her tongue with her thumb.

She reaches up rubbing her fingertips at your entrance, then prodding them into you, her thick long fingers don’t compare to your own, they split you apart as she pumps them into you curving them at just the right spot. You were holding your moans in before, as well your best friend was next door and she knew you were here. Fucking risky.

But you couldn’t any longer, your quiet moans from before were now near screams god you wanted to scream her name for the whole world to hear. She pumps them in and out, her tongue working magic on your clit, your thoughts fading away you couldn’t think of any logic, not that you could before. If you could, you wouldn’t have Abby’s fingers deep inside you right now.

You look down at her, she looks back up removing her fingers, you lock your fingers back into her blonde locks. She teases your hole again but with three fingers, as if you could handle that. “Abby, I can’t, won’t fit.” She looks at you as if you insulted her, pulling away from your clit slightly just to mumble. “I’ll make it fit darling.” And she does. She shoves her fingers back into you, introducing a fullness you didn’t know could exist.

Her mouth speeds up and so does her fingers, the consistent hitting of such a special spot inside you pulled you over the edge. You let out your last breathy moan of her name as your walls pulse on her. She pulls her mouth away, watching as her fingers struggle to move any longer inside. She pulls them out, a string of slick connecting you to her.

“God damn, never hear anyone say my name like that.” She removes your leg from her shoulder and stands up, shoving her fingers into your mouth as you suck on them, Abby watching intensely.

“Good girl, love to see you suck on something else sometime.” She kisses your cheek, pulling down your top and sitting you into the bed. “You were really good darling.” She reaches behind her, grabbing your pants, pulling them back onto your body, you lift your hips to assist her.

You’re never going to see those panties ever again and you know it.

You reach into your pants pocket, pulling out your phone to check the time. You’ve only been here for fifteen minutes, god damn. You could go for round two if it wasn’t for all the mind games she plays.

“Gimme your number.” She says holding out her phone. You nod and take it into your hands, typing in your number and saving it as a contact.

“Thanks.” You say back.

“For what? You should have come earlier, would have had more time to play with you but I have to study.” She says, playing an innocent look at you.

You stand up, walking towards the door she follows. She gives you a hug and a kiss then opens the door. “I'll text you, promise.”

You can’t fix her, she’s unfixable.

You have to tell yourself that.

A/n! I know this isnt a popular fic but ive been listening to shades of cool SOOOO MUCH i had to and she was the perfect fit. Asshole abby has my heart

Comment to be added to tag list :)

[mead-iocre]

Football Scarves and Football Kits | Leah Williamson x Reader

Football Scarves: these are a popular accessory among many football fans. They are a subtle or not so subtle way of displaying your support for your football club by adorning yourself in your club’s colours, slogans or logo. 

You glance down at the red and white scarf wrapped around your neck. It wouldn’t be difficult for the other passengers on the tube to guess which football match you were attending thanks to the glaring Arsenal Football Club logo that is printed on the bottom of your scarf. If that wasn’t enough, the new season’s classic red and white Arsenal home kit you are wearing underneath your jacket should be a good enough indicator. 

The familiar rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels as it rolls over the joints and tracks should be relaxing as a frequent commuter, but it does nothing to sooth the nerves in your stomach. The faster the train glides across the tracks, the closer you are to your destination. The destination being Emirates Stadium. You were attending your first ever football match– an Arsenal Women’s football match to be more precise. You weren’t necessarily a long-time supporter of the team or even a fan of the sport. 

You were dating one of the players. 

From what you knew of Leah Williamson at the time, she was a football player for Arsenal football club and the England national team. You knew she was a great player considering she is a regular starter for both club and country, but that was pretty much all you knew of the England captain. Everything that you knew about football comes from the few times you were forced to participate in the patriotic practice of cheering for your national football team during every major international tournament. You had watched the England mens team play– and consequently lose– during the last mens Euros, and you figured you might as well watch the women’s in the 2022 Women's Euros. Luckily, the results this time were favourable and you were lucky enough to witness the Lionesses parade the trophy at Wembley Stadium thanks to a friend who managed to secure you some tickets. 

Once the post-Euros hype had quieted down a bit, and your friends got tired of using the ‘It finally came home!’ excuse to party, you carried on with your life. You were a currently a post-graduate student at university. Your days consisted of lectures, revision, eating, sleeping and repeat; so imagine your surprise when during one of your very very rare night out with friends, you were introduced to the same England captain who had lead her team to victory. 

Apparently you and the defender had loosely connected social circles and found yourselves in the same party hosted by a friend of a friend. A few drinks later, and a conversation that was far more interesting than the textbooks waiting for you at home, you and the blonde had followed each other on social media and promised to stay in touch once in a while. However, it wasn’t long before the ‘once in a while’ instagram likes turned into daily texts and frequent FaceTime calls. 

It wouldn’t be until a few months later that the blonde finally asked you out on a date, and the rest was history. 

——————————————

You began to notice the growing number of Arsenal fans inside the train carriage. People with red and white scarves, beanies and caps dotted along the aisle of the train. Some fans sported kits from previous seasons that greatly contrast your usual view of men and women in black and grey business attire. This time there was a lot more colour and a lot more chatter, vastly different from the usual quiet bustling of a dull early morning commute. You would be lying if you didn’t admit that the excitement around you was doing a good job of quelling the initial nerves you were feeling. 

Once the train stopped at Arsenal station, it was a flurry of fans donned in Arsenal gear everywhere. Stewards were present to direct people towards the exit, and it soon became a slow and sluggish walk towards the ticketing machines. You faintly heard the familiar names of the players being discussed by a group of giggling girls, and watched from the corner of your eye as a little boy animatedly told his mum about the goal that Beth Mead scored during the last match. 

Once you were through the ticketing machines, you are greeted by a larger crowd of fans just outside of the station. The striking colours of red and white filled the streets at every corner that your eyes could see. You weren’t exactly sure where to go, but you figured following the crowd of Arsenal shirts was a good start.

It wasn’t too long before the aromas wafting from the many food stalls scattered along the pavement caught up to you. The air was a tantalising blend of savoury, spicy, and sweet notes, weaving together. The scent of sizzling smoky meats, mingling with the earthy fragrance of freshly chopped herbs and vegetables was almost hard to ignore. You recognise the faint aroma of caramelised onions, and the occasional whiff of freshly baked bread or frying dough. You mentally remind yourself to stop by the food stalls next time. 

Expertly weaving through the clusters of people around you, you catch sight of a few other stalls. Some stalls were selling merchandise– from enamel pins and beanies to shirts and flags adorned in the Arsenal logo. Your eyes briefly caught sight of a scarf with ‘Williamson’ and your girlfriend’s face printed on it. You add the scarf to your mental wishlist of things to buy soon. 

As you settled into your seat, surrounded by a sea of red and white, the anticipation was palpable. Leah had offered you a seat in the section exclusively reserved for the players’ friends and family but you informed her that you had already bought your own ticket. Initially, your girlfriend had argued against it, saying that she would love it if you sat with her family. However, you argued that you haven’t even officially met them yet and you would prefer to meet them at an occasion where the focus is not on a few women running and kicking a ball around on freshly cut grass.

“The friends and family section is lot less rowdy, baby. And you get food and stuff throughout the match”

“But I want to experience the craziness that you often yap about. You always brag that your fans have the coolest chants and that. I won’t be able to experience that if I was sat far away from it all, sweet” 

So with a grumble, an eye roll, and a not-so-enthusiastic nod, the blonde had agreed.

Football chants: These are an integral part of the game, adding passion, energy, and a sense of camaraderie to the stadium atmosphere. These chants are often sung by supporters to show their allegiance to their team, mock their rivals, or simply to create an electric atmosphere during matches. 

The stadium buzzed with excitement, the air thick with the scent of freshly cut grass, and the opening instrumental of what you’ve now come to recognise as ‘North London Forever’ echos from every corner. It was clear that this was more than just a football match—it was an event, a spectacle, a communal gathering of fans united by their love for the team.

As the players took to the field, you felt a surge of pride course through you. Your girlfriend was amongst those players on the field. Whilst you had watched a few of her matches on telly, nothing compares to the real thing. Those BBC high-definition cameras would never be able to accurately capture an atmosphere this loud and proud. 

Once the whistle blew, the clock started, and the match finally began. You was quickly swept away by the flow of the action. Every pass, every tackle, every attempted shot at goal sent a thrill coursing through your veins. The tension mounted with each passing minute. Every near miss, every save by the United keeper sent your heart racing with a mixture of anxiety and exhilaration. Now and then you caught sight of Leah on the pitch. Even from your place in the stands, you can tell she exuded athleticism and determination. Her movements were precise and calculated as she anticipated the opponent's every move. There were moments where you had to tear your eyes away from your girlfriend, reminding yourself that you had to watch the player with the ball, and not just the defender that has quickly become such an important person to you. You both hadn’t said the three-words yet, but lately they were threatening to spill out. 

Then, in a flash of brilliance, it happened. 

A perfectly executed play, a thunderous strike done by Cloe Lacasse, and the ball found the back of Mary Earps’ net with a resounding thud. The stadium erupted in cheers and applause, as fans all around you embraced each other in wild celebration. You basked in the atmosphere, clapping and shouting when you spotted Leah gesturing for the crowd to get even louder. The rest of the match was practically an Arsenal fan’s dream, with the team scoring two more goals to extend their lead. 

As the referee's whistle pierces the air, the feeling that courses through your veins is a potent blend of euphoria, relief, and sheer joy. There's an eruption of cheers from the stands, echoing the celebrations on the pitch. Fans jumping, hugging, and waving scarves or flags. More than anything, you couldn’t wait to find your girlfriend and congratulate her on the win.

Victory Lap: Players may do a lap around the pitch after a significant victory, with fans clapping and cheering them on in celebration. Sometimes, players might do a lap to show appreciation for the support of the fans, especially at the end of a season or during special events.

You couldn’t see from where you were standing, but Leah’s eyes were currently roaming the stands for you. She lagged behind the rest of the team, wanting to survey the crowds of fans that, unfortunately for her, weren’t dispersing fast enough. As much as Leah adored the fans, the big crowd of bodies, waving arms, and the poster signs were making it very hard for her to spot the one person she was looking for. Her mind was already itching to run to the changing room and call you. 

“Looking for someone?” Leah nearly curses when she is thrown forward by the force of someone jumping onto her back. Luckily, she managed to find her balance before she can fall face-first in front of a stadium filled with fans. She doesn’t need to turn her head to see who it was when the distinct Australian accent and the voice pretty much gives it away. “Get off, Kyra” 

“No! Want a lift” The Australian tightens her arms around Leah’s neck, and giggles when the blonde pinches her on the leg. “Who are you looking for? Your missus?”

“Yes. She wouldn’t let me sit her in the friends and family section” Leah straightens up when the brunette finally jumps off her back. Her eyes trail back to the crowd, still scanning the bodies for you. 

“Who wouldn’t?” Lotte slows down to let the two girls catch up with her. Leah groans when a heavy arm gets thrown over her shoulders. She certainly doesn’t need another teammate sticking her nose in her business. “Y/N?”

“Yeah.” Leah mutters. “Bloody stubborn woman she is” 

The blonde recalls how much you insisted that you want to use your own bought ticket, profusely refusing her offer of a free seat. A small part of Leah loved that you had went out of your way to buy your own ticket. She remembers how you argued that by buying a ticket, you would be directly contributing to selling out the stadium. However, that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have preferred you sitting in the section where she knows exactly where you were. It would’ve been easy for her to sneak glances at your direction throughout the match. 

The mere memory of how adorably stubborn you were brought a smile to her face. 

“Wipe that cheesy grin off your face, man” Lotte playfully nudges the blonde away with a push and laughs even harder when her fellow defender doesn’t even bother to deny it. “Do you know which section she’s at?”

“…No. Forgot to ask” Leah mumbles, trying to avoid her teammate’s look of disbelief. She’s been so focus on training for this match, wanting to put on a good performance because she knew you would be watching. Outside of training, the blonde spent the last couple of days rewatching footage of their past matches against Manchester United so she can study where she can improve on the pitch. She had completely forgotten to ask you where you would be sitting. 

“How the fuck are ya s'posed to find her then?” Leah didn’t even realise the young Australian was still eavesdropping in on the conversation. 

But before Leah could get to her, Lotte already has Kyra under her arm and in a headlock. “How ‘bout you watch your mouth, kid"

The defender turns away from them with a shake of her head and a small smile on her face. Her eyes continue to scan to crowd as she waves back at fans, still hoping to find a glimpse of you somewhere amongst them. She wasn’t exactly sure why she so desperately needed to see you when you both planned to meet at her place later on anyway. 

Maybe a small part of her just wanted to see you surrounded by a sea of red and white, at her home stadium, with her own eyes. 

As they were nearing the end of the lap around the pitch, Leah could see that some of her teammates had dispersed and were making their way towards the barriers where a crowd of fans were waiting. Whilst majority of the fans seated in the upper tiers of the stadium had already left, there were a few still loitering around, dancing to the music still blasting from the speakers.

If it were any other day, Leah would’ve gladly stayed around to spend some time with the fans. However today, all she wanted to do was find you. As much as she wanted to celebrate their win with the fans, she wanted to celebrate with you more. 

After not spotting you anywhere, the blonde had become anxious. What if the crowd was too rowdy or too loud for you, what if the match was too boring, what if you realised that dating a professional football was too much? All these questions were racing in the blonde’s mind. 

This was your first time stepping into her world, and she was going to make sure that it wouldn’t be the last.

Leah tapped Kim on the back and quickly informed her that she’ll be heading to the changing room. When the Arsenal captain quirked an eyebrow at this sudden and unsual revelation, knowing that the defender was usually one to stay behind and sign for fans, all she got was a quietly mumbled “gonna go look for my girl”

And before Kim could even reply, the blonde was already sprinting down the tunnel. 

——————————————

All this time you were still at your seat, and had seen the entire thing play out. Your eyes hadn’t left your girlfriend the entire time the team did a lap around the pitch. You tried to stand on your tiptoes and wave your hand a few times just as they passed your section, but you were pretty hard to spot amongst a crowd. Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you smile at the text message from your girlfriend. 

Hey, baby. Call me.

You turn to leave your row, excusing yourself as you side-step past the few people still waiting around. As you climb the stairs towards the exit, you press your phone to your ear and wait for your girlfriend to pick up. Not a moment too soon, you hear a familiar voice. 

“Hiya” 

“Hey, sweet. Good game–“

“Baby, the signal is shit–“

You frown and hurry your steps with your phone still pressed to your ear. You head straight towards the doors leading to the outside of the stadium, thanking the stewards on your way out.

“Can you hear me now?”

“Yeah. That’s better” You hear her breathing heavily through the phone. You could picture her pacing around, wherever she is, one hand either rubbing the back of her neck or brushing back her hair. 

“Where are you?”

“Where are you?” You both say at the same time, smiling when you hear the blonde chucking on the other end. Part of you wonders if you are reaching the stage in a relationship where you begin to mirror or adapt your partner’s actions and behaviour.

The next words out of her mouth completely still you. In a softer tone, almost whispered, Leah asks “Where are you, baby? I was looking for you but I couldn’t find you…” The contrast between the confident defender you just saw out on the pitch and the palpable vulnerability that the woman on the other end of the phone was showing you was striking. You loved that you got to see this side of her. 

“I was in my seat, Leah. Where I said I’d be” You teased, hearing her huff on the other end. You could bet £50 she was rolling her eyes at you. 

Around you there was still a lingering sense of excitement. Chatter and laughter stalled in the air around you, and from the distance you could faintly hear a chant being sung. You would love to revel in the post-match atmosphere, but you wanted to be with your girlfriend more. 

And as if she could read your mind, you hear her voice through the phone again “Tell me where you are and I can send a steward to you” 

So you glance around at your surroundings and relay them to Leah. You note the massive poster of Arsenal Legends behind you and the small stall with the sign “Programmes” on the banner across from where you stood. Your girlfriend tells you to wait for the steward to come get you before she hangs up, but not before she mutters a quick “See you soon, baby” 

Football programmes: programmes are printed publications that are sold at football matches and often available for purchase ahead of the match. They provide fans with a variety of information related to the match and the teams involved.

While you wait, you head towards the stall selling match day programmes. You had forgotten to buy one earlier, far too excited to head inside the stadium and find your seat. You smile and thank the steward who hands you one, and your smile only grows bigger when you see who is featured on the front cover– Leah. You place the programme in your bag, mentally reminding yourself to tease her about getting her to sign it. 

It turns out you didn’t have to wait too long at all because soon enough you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around, fully expecting to greet a steward, but you end up staring right into the prettiest shade of blue eyes. 

“Found ya” 

Familiar eyes that you know to belong to only one person– your girlfriend.

“Leah–“ You start but before you could say anything more, your girlfriend has a palm over your mouth, leaning close to shush you, and forcing you to walk backwards until you hit the wall behind you. 

“Shush, baby. I’m being discreet here” With her hand still over your mouth Leah turns her head left and right, probably trying to see if anyone else got a glimpse of her. She resembled a meerkat just then. In the meantime, you take the opportunity to take her appearance in.

She wasn’t Leah Williamson, the Arsenal defender, that you had just watched command the pitch. Right now she was just Leah. Gone was the red and white kit, and in it’s place is a matching Nike black tracksuit with the hoodie pulled over her head and her favourite pair of white trainers.

When your girlfriend turns her attention back to you, she uncovers her palm from your mouth and flashes you a grin. Her hair was slightly wet and her cheeks were rosey meaning she probably took a quick post-match shower and then came straight to find you. 

“Discreet, huh?” You tug at her black hoodie– the only thing disguising her. “This isn’t very discreet, sweet” 

Leah chuckles, hugging you by the waist “Yeah well I somehow made it ‘round the stadium without being recognised, so I would say my disguise worked very very well, baby” 

You indulge in the feeling of being in her arms again. You hadn’t seen each other for a few days, with the blonde busy with training and you with your studies. You both texted each other frequently and FaceTimed when you could, but nothing could compare to being with her in person.

All of a sudden you gasp loudly, exaggeratedly, and grab Leah by the arms before she could turn around to see what shocked you. 

“What? Baby, what’s wrong?” 

You cup your girlfriend’s face in your hands– rosy cheeks, messy hair and all. Her blues eyes wide and concerned. 

“I think someone saw you. Quick. Kiss me”

Without waiting for her to reply, you crash your lips into hers. Your soft lips meet her parted ones with the hunger of a starved woman. Tingles wash down your back as she meets your tempo without skipping a beat– impulsively, maybe even instinctually. Her hands glide upwards from their hold on your waist, warm hands curling you further into her, until they’ve climbed up to rest on your back briefly. Her hands then move to cup the back of your neck, tilting your head slightly so she can kiss you deeper. Her tongue brushes against your bottom lip before you feel a sharp bite, making you gasp and groan against her lips. She is quick to sooth the sting away with a soft suck. 

For someone so scared of being recognised by the few fans still loitering around the stadium, she seemed far too focused on kissing you to care. To outsiders, you probably looked like any other couple. Imagine their shock if they knew one of those strangers was Leah Williamson– a footballer constantly put under the spotlight but has remained so tight-lipped about her private life and you– the girl she was been starting her mornings with and ending her nights beside. The world would have a lot to say. 

But for now, under the safety of Leah’s black hoodie and the lingering golden hour sunset, you and her were just two people in love. 

When you both pull away your chests are heaving, breathless from the kiss just shared and the emotions that have been pilling up over the last couple of months. You up look at your girlfriend, who wasn’t quite as breathless as you thanks to her athletic stamina, but her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen and red. 

Her gaze darkens, pupils dilated, the corners of her lips turn upwards at the sight of your slightly dazed expression. “Nobody was there, innit? You were just having a laugh” 

You laugh at that. Loud and carefree. Head thrown back and full body giggles. Your girlfriend knew you too bloody well. “Got ya!” 

“You know if you wanted to kiss me you could’ve just said so, baby” 

She tugs you closer for one more wet kiss to your lips and you gladly accept it, smiling against her soft lips and winding your arms around her. 

“But we should go before someone actually spots me” With that, the blonde tugs the drawstrings of her hoodie, tightening it so it covers most of her face. From the pocket of her joggers, she pulls out a pair of black sunglasses and places them over her eyes. 

“Oh so that’s how you actually disguised yourself” You gasp mockingly, poking Leah in the waist and laughing when she playfully shoves you away from her. Not a moment later, she grabs your hand and intertwines her fingers with hers as you fall into step beside her. She leads you down a set of stairs, and stops by a glass door. She flashes a badge attached to a lanyard to the guard by the door, and he nods to let you both through. 

She leads you up the escalator, your hand still snug in hers, and smiles at everyone that walks by. You are led down a long hallway, Arsenal photographs and memorabilia decorate the walls, and eventually stop by the entrance of a large conference room of sorts. You can see round tables scattered with plates and cutlery, a buffet table that spans the room, and a few recognisable faces. You spot some of Leah’s teammates, and wave a hand at them as they greet you. However, Leah doesn’t stop for anyone. Even when Beth practically races over to greet you with a hug, your girlfriend tugs on your arm essentially forcing you to keep walking along. You smile apologetically at the freckled-face Arsenal forward but she just waves you off with a grin, mouthing ‘talk later’

Eventually, you see exactly which table Leah is leading you towards. Nestled in the corner of the room, there is a table with only a few people sitting around it. Her family and closest friends. You hadn’t met Leah’s family yet. She had invited you to dinner at her mum’s house before but you were swamped with university work at the time. You knew that she had been wanting to try again, take you to her mum’s, and officially introduce you as her partner, and there was a small part of you that was waiting for that invitation. However, you didn’t feel exactly ready right now. 

You hastily pull your hand out of Leah’s, forcing her to stop in her tracks. “You’re not introducing me to your family right now, are you?”

The blonde turns to you and notes the slight look of panic on your face. She takes a step back so she’s right beside you again and intertwines her fingers with yours.

“Didn’t realise we were already in that stage of our relationship, y/l/n” Leah jokes, using her thumb to sooth the small wrinkles that has appeared on your forehead. Admittedly, she was planning to introduce you to her family right then but she also knew how much you hate feeling unprepared. Leah knows that you probably wanted to dress up a little instead of the casual attire that you are currently wearing. She knows that you would’ve wanted to gift them something like a bouquet of flowers or a nice bottle of wine because you always tell her that ‘it’s necessary to bring a gift when you are visiting someone else’s home’. 

“Soon though, yeah?” She squeezes your hand, and gives you a peck on the cheek when you nod in agreement.

So instead of stopping where her family is gathered, Leah expertly weaves through the chairs and only stops to briefly wave and coo at her cousin’s baby. You sneak a peek at the faces of her family members, and they’re all smiling at you. Suddenly, you didn’t feel as nervous to meet them when the time came. 

There is one person who seems particularly interested in you though. Leah’s mum. 

“Keep ya nose out of it, mum.” The Arsenal defender sassed when she catches her mum’s gaze. With the way her daughter is gripping your hand and resting the other on your lower back to guide you, she could probably guess what kind of relationship you have with her daughter. She probably also witnessed the kiss earlier. The thought makes your cheeks flush red. You give her a smile in passing, and she gladly returns one with a quick wave of her fingers. 

“She is coming to dinner soon so prepare an extra plate, mum!” The blonde shouts as you both walk away from their table. 

Your girlfriend ignores the wide-eyed look you are sending her, and continues to drag you by the hand towards the doors lead you to the outside of the private box. Outside, you are treated to a few rows of plush red leather seats and a panoramic view of the entire stadium and the pitch. It is now eerily different from the atmosphere a few hours ago.

Gone are the boisterous chants and the full-house stadium of fans, but remnants of the day’s activities still remain here. You see it in the Arsenal scarf that an unfortunate fan must have unknowingly left behind on the barrier, the rolled up flags which proudly display the club’s badge on the floor, and the goalpost still left on the pitch but now unassembled. 

You also see it in the woman sitting beside you. In her messy hair, her tired eyes, and her genuine smile. You knew that she must be tired– having played the entire ninety plus minutes that the match went on for– but she was still here spending time with you and entertaining your little quips at her. She could’ve texted you to let you know that she’ll be meeting you tomorrow so she can rest and recover, or celebrate the big win with her teammates but instead she’s right here with you. She seems full set on integrating you into the football part of her life.

“Hey…” You turn to her and squeeze the hand that is still holding yours. You feel your heart still when those pretty blues meet yours. “Have I told you how well you played earlier?” At your words your girlfriend smiles, but it’s different from her usual smile. This one is sheepish– like she’s suddenly gone shy. 

“You played really well today, Leah. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you” 

Leah runs a hand down her face, like she’s trying to hide the blush that she can already feel coating her cheeks. She presses her lips together to smother the smile forming at your compliment, but her lips are already turned upwards at the corners. It was her first time playing in front of you as her girlfriend, and she wanted to make you proud. Hearing you compliment her and seeing how happy you are right now felt like a massive weight off her shoulders. 

All of a sudden the blonde feels a rise of emotion clogging her throat, as if she wants to blurt something out. Hearing someone that she has started to care so deeply about enjoy this side of her– and to add to that a massive win for the team after a series of shortcomings– it was all starting to feel overwhelming for her. 

She needed something to anchor her back down. 

The Arsenal defender stands from her seat and pulls you up to do the same. She tugs you close and wraps both of her arms around your waist. Tucking her face into your neck, her heavy puffs of breath warm against the skin where your shoulder meets your neck. “Thank you, baby. That really means a lot” 

Leah places a kiss on your neck and practically curls into you. You feel her take a deep shuddering breath, and her body slackens against yours, as if it is in your embrace that she can finally relax. You pull her tighter against you, wanting to envelope her in warmth and provide her solace. Hoping that your actions and your unspoken words are enough for now.

 

Football Kits: fans wearing football shirts with players’ names on their backs is a popular practice in the sport. It is common to walk around the stadium during match day and see people proudly showing off the last name of their favourite player on their backs. Wearing a shirt with a player's name is a way for fans to demonstrate their admiration and loyalty to their favourite player.

It seemed like it was only then that the Arsenal defender had noticed that you were wearing their home kit. You had slightly unzipped your puffer jacket, feeling a lot warmer now. The bright red kit you were sporting underneath was unmistakable. The smile that was already plastered on Leah’s face grew even wider, and there was almost a twinkle in her eyes as she took a moment to admire you being clad in the familiar red and white. 

“Whose name have you got on your back?” Leah wouldn’t admit it right now, but she was hoping it was hers. 

“No ones.” You reply curtly. You had thought about it, and considered it for a moment. You remember sitting on your bed a few nights ago, the Arsenal online shop pulled up on your laptop browser, and your cursor hovering over the ‘Williamson 6’ option.

Maybe if you had been braver you would’ve personalised your kit with her name, added it to your cart, and bought it. However you didn’t know how she would feel about that. Besides, you figured you could always ask to borrow one of hers in the near future

and it would be £126 cheaper 

The blonde raises an eyebrow at your answer and glances down at your shirt once more. The plain red and white kit mocking her.

“You fancy having mine?” 

“You proposing already, darling?” 

“No, ya big goof” Leah lightly knocks on your forehead with her knuckles before she pulls you close by the waist and kisses the same spot. “I meant you can borrow one of my old match day shirts” 

You look up at her. You weren’t that much shorter than the blonde, but those few inches difference in height still meant you had to tilt your head up sometimes, especially when she was standing so close. With her arms wrapped around your waist and yours around her neck, you were both practically intertwined. 

Your eyes meet those pretty pretty blues. 

“Didn’t realise we were already at that stage of our relationship, Williamson” You throw her own words earlier back at her with a cheeky grin. 

You feel her tighten her arms around you before she leans down to your ear, a little secret only meant for the two of you, and murmurs

“We can be, my girl.” 

This was a longgggg one so if you stuck through it till the end, you deserve a kiss!

It's been raining a lot these past few days here. Spare some sunshine from your side of the world?

– kisses, butter

*This work is my original creation. Please don’t copy, share, or translate it without asking for my permission first. Thanks for respecting that!

[verysium]

ACT 1, SCENE 3: blue lock headcanons

sae is into skincare: lotions, serums, the whole set. he and rin used to have self-care nights as children during which they would sit in bed with matching face masks and watch cartoons on the family tablet. if they were in a good mood, they would let you join.

barou listens to classical while working out. no joke. this man is so insanely focused he will shoot goals and play paganini at the same time. his work ethic is low-key why you were attracted to him the first place.

nagi is lazy to the point he will deliberately buy five pairs of the same exact pants just to save himself the trouble of having to choose an outfit in the morning. thank god for reo otherwise nagi would still be dressing like he just crawled out of bed. he still can't do much about his bedhead though.

rin desperately wanted to join sae in the deeper end of the community pool; however, he was deathly afraid of drowning. his only logical solution was to cover himself in pool floaties while he dipped a single toe into the water. even to this day, he still has traumatic memories of that experience. you need to hold his hand every time.

kaiser acts like his football prowess comes entirely from natural talent. in reality, he trains to an obsessive degree behind the scenes. you could come home at midnight, and he would still be there replaying every single highlight of his recent game. he is the type to keep detailed notes about all the players he went up against.

isagi likes to walk around his hometown of saitama and just observe the snapshots of life around him. whether it's a street vendor, children playing on a grass patch, or a couple in the sunset, he secretly enjoys these little vignettes of human experience. he would become sentimental when it comes to you. sometimes you have to pull his head out of the clouds.

nagi has parents who work overseas, so the most he sees of them is through video calls or holiday presents. occasionally, he also gets a birthday card shipped through international mail. when you threw him his first surprise party, he secretly felt touched because his family was never big on physical celebrations.

sae is ridiculously good at anything that involves data and calculations. he participated in a math competition one time in junior high, and he would have made it to the national level had he not been entirely focused on football. refused to tutor rin in algebra though because apparently his little brother has to figure out everything for himself. if it were you though, he would begrudgingly agree.

bachira holds the world record in procrastination. his notebook, pencil, and eraser are still as untouched and pristine as they were on the first day of the academic school year. he does not know what a book is, nor has he read one. he only studied because you refused to cuddle with him otherwise.

ego eats so many cups of instant ramen noodles that his glasses begin to fog up from time to time. anri has to clean the frames and lenses weekly just to make sure his myopic self can even see. at this point, she's the real MVP of the entire series.

barou likes to open the windows right after it rains because he enjoys the sweet smell of petrichor. his ideal day would be spent lounging on a couch with some tea and a novel. it would be even more perfect if you snuggled under the blankets with him.

niko sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night, immensely insecure about his forehead. he thinks it looks giant though it really isn't. you have to brush his fringe back and pepper kisses down his face and remind him that a big forehead means a big, sexy brain, so it really isn't that bad. he believes you and goes back to sleep.

shidou would make fun of boomers. in fact, he'd ridicule every single person he considers past their prime. he does not believe in any form of authority, nor does he like being told what to do. if he had his way, he would have turned the entire world into anarchy a long time ago. the only reason why he doesn't wake up and make himself everyone's problem is because he doesn't want to upset you.

kaiser knows he is very well-endowed physically, so he purposefully walks around your apartment shirtless. if he catches you eyeing him, he will make a big deal out of it. tries to not-so-subtly flex his biceps every time he reaches for the milk carton.

reo loves cocktail dresses, especially in the wine red shade. something about the accentuated figure and natural curves gives him goosebumps. his favorite part of you is when your tummy slightly protrudes after you've eaten too much. you might think it's embarrassing, but he thinks it's adorable.

rin only uses shower gel, mostly because he learned his lesson after using the locker room shower stalls. never use bar soap, always use bottled. he's also the type to always have shower shoes. sae taught him that.

bachira is the type of student to completely misread the question and still not feel bad after the teacher points it out. oh no, he was actually supposed to solve for x, not just circle it? he'll shrug it off like nothing ever happened. at least he tried. the teacher should be grateful for his effort.

sae says he does not understand the sentiments behind cute couple traditions but then proceeds to get upset when you show up to his game without wearing his jersey. would definitely get you matching bracelets for your anniversary.

aiku has a high spice tolerance. he would definitely drown his food either in sriracha or buldak sauce. if you can't handle spicy though, he would set aside a separate plate just for you and manually spoon out the food just to make sure you have something to eat too.

aryu never has dry cuticles. he is always trimming and filing to perfection. sometimes he has beef with your nail tech because he thinks he could have done so much better on your acrylics. refuses to let you go to a salon because he already has all the tools and expertise necessary.

sae does not know how to cook. his manager has always ordered take-out for him. the one time he tried to use a microwave, he completely misread the package instructions and nearly burned the entire building down. called you up with the straightest face afterwards to tell you that the smoke alarms were not shutting off.

barou unconsciously caves into peer pressure. every single new trend makes him rethink his personal style. however, he views it all with an old man mentality. like what are these youngsters doing these days? dying their hair every possible color of the rainbow? he has to do that too. proceeds to call aryu to add red streaks into his own hair. sometimes you have to remind him that external opinion should always taken with a grain of salt.

chigiri has a major sweet tooth. if you so much as bake him one single treat, he will have made plans to put a ring on your finger before he even finishes the damn pastry. his ideal partner is someone mature and understanding who can take care of him well. definitely likes the homemaker type.

gagamaru is the seeing friend in your relationship. no matter how many trips he makes to the optometrist, he will always come back with perfect 20/20 vision. definitely a nature enthusiast, and he loves hiking. even if you're blind as a bat, he will always be there to hold your hand in the dark.

© verysium 2023 / please do not translate, repost, or plagiarize any of my works

[pitchsidestories]

Football documentaries to watch after the Women's World Cup ended

Togetherness: Follows the Arsenal Women's team during their rollercoaster season 2022/23 (On the Arsenal homepage, 5 episodes)

One Team. One Dream. This is Chelsea: Shows the Chelsea Women's Team experiences between 2019 and 2021 (DAZN Women's Football Youtube Channel, 6 episodes)

Inside the Pride: shows the England Lionesses journeys during the Euros 2022 (England's Youtube Channel, film)

The game that changed football: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, the classic match during the UEFA Women's Champions League 2021/22 (DAZN Women's Football Youtube Channel, film)

EQUALS: follows a lot of players from different national teams for example Leah Williamson during the Euros 2022 (DAZN Women's Football Youtube Channel, 6 episodes)

Matildas.The World at Our Feet: Follows the Australian Women's team as they prepare for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in their home country (Disney +, 6 episodes)

Born for this: shows the journey of the German Women's national team before and during their incredible euros journey 2022 (ZDF/Sky, 6 episodes)

Female Football around the world - England: focuses on the development and status quo of english female football. There's a new one about Australia too. (Sky Deutschland Youtube Channel, film)

Alexia. Labor Omnia: Focuses on Barcelona star Alexia Putellas (Sky, 3 episodes)

Alex Scott. The Future of Women's Football: Scott looks at the explosion in popularity of women’s football and asks what the future holds for the game she loves. (The Women's Football Archive Youtube Channel, film)

... to be continued

[mydaddywiki]

Joe West

Physique: Husky Build Height: 6′1″

Joseph Henry West (born October 31, 1952), nicknamed "Cowboy Joe" or "Country Joe", is an American former baseball umpire. He worked in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 to 2021, umpiring an MLB-record 43 seasons and 5,460 games. He served as crew chief for the 2005 World Series and officiated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. On May 25, 2021, West broke Bill Klem's all-time record by umpiring his 5,376th game.

He’s the most polarizing man on the Hall of Fame ballot. Fans have been screaming at him for 44 years, managers and players cursing him, and he has a personality bigger than virtually every player who steps onto the field. All I have to say about this this guy is… DAT ASS.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he grew up in Greenville and played football at East Carolina University (ECU) and Elon College. West entered the National League (NL) as an umpire in 1976; he joined the NL staff full-time in 1978.

West has been married twice. After the death of his first wife, West remarried.

Career Highlights and Awards Special Assignments All-Star Game (1987, 2005, 2017) Wild Card Game (2013, 2014, 2020, 2021) Division Series (1995, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016) League Championship Series (1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2018) World Series (1992, 1997, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2016) World Baseball Classic (2009) MLB record 43 seasons umpired MLB record 5,460 games umpired

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 2, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 03, 2024

Today is the one-hundredth anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, which declared that “all non-citizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States: Provided, That the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property.”

That declaration had been a long time coming. The Constitution, ratified in 1789, excluded “Indians not taxed” from the population on which officials would calculate representation in the House of Representatives. In the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, the Supreme Court reiterated that Indigenous tribes were independent nations. It called Indigenous peoples equivalent to “the subjects of any other foreign Government.” They could be naturalized, thereby becoming citizens of a state and of the United States. And at that point, they “would be entitled to all the rights and privileges which would belong to an emigrant from any other foreign people.”

The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, established that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” But it continued to exclude “Indians not taxed” from the population used to calculate representation in the House of Representatives.

In 1880, John Elk, a member of the Winnebago tribe, tried to register to vote, saying he had been living off the reservation and had renounced the tribal affiliation under which he was born. In 1884, in Elk v. Wilkins, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution did not cover Indigenous Americans who were living under the jurisdiction of a tribe when they were born. In 1887 the Dawes Act provided that any Indigenous American who accepted an individual land grant could become a citizen, but those who did not remained noncitizens. 

As Interior Secretary Deb Haaland pointed out today in an article in Native News Online, Elk v. Wilkins meant that when Olympians Louis Tewanima and Jim Thorpe represented the United States in the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm, Sweden, they were not legally American citizens. A member of the Hopi Tribe, Tewanima won the silver medal for the 10,000 meter run. 

Thorpe was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, and in 1912 he won two Olympic gold medals, in Classic pentathlon—sprint hurdles, long jump, high jump, shot put, and middle distance run—and in decathlon, which added five more track and field events to the Classic pentathlon. The Associated Press later voted Thorpe “The Greatest Athlete of the First Half of the Century” as he played both professional football and professional baseball, but it was his wins at the 1912 Olympics that made him a legend. Congratulating him on his win, Sweden’s King Gustav V allegedly said, “Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world.”  

Still, it was World War I that forced lawmakers to confront the contradiction of noncitizen Indigenous Americans. According to the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History, more than 11,000 American Indians served in World War I: nearly 5,000 enlisted and about 6,500 were drafted, making up a total of about 25% of Indigenous men despite the fact that most Indigenous men were not citizens. 

It was during World War I that members of the Choctaw and Cherokee Nations began to transmit messages for the American forces in a code based in their own languages, the inspiration for the Code Talkers of World War II. In 1919, in recognition of “the American Indian as a soldier of our army, fighting on foreign fields for liberty and justice,” as General John Pershing put it, Congress passed a law to grant citizenship to Indigenous American veterans of World War I. 

That citizenship law raised the question of citizenship for those Indigenous Americans who had neither assimilated nor served in the military. The non-Native community was divided on the question; so was the Native community. Some thought citizenship would protect their rights, while others worried that it would strip them of the rights they held under treaties negotiated with them as separate and sovereign nations and was a way to force them to assimilate. 

On June 2, 1924, Congress passed the measure, its supporters largely hoping that Indigenous citizenship would help to clean up the corruption in the Department of Indian Affairs. The new law applied to about 125,000 people out of an Indigenous population of about 300,000.

But in that era, citizenship did not confer civil rights. In 1941, shortly after Elizabeth Peratrovich and her husband, Roy, both members of the Tlingit Nation, moved from Klawok, Alaska, to the city of Juneau, they found a sign on a nearby inn saying, “No Natives Allowed.” This, they felt, contrasted dramatically with the American uniforms Indigenous Americans were wearing overseas, and they said as much in a letter to Alaska’s governor, Ernest H. Gruening. The sign was “an outrage,” they wrote. “The proprietor of Douglas Inn does not seem to realize that our Native boys are just as willing as the white boys to lay down their lives to protect the freedom that he enjoys." 

With the support of the governor, Elizabeth started a campaign to get an antidiscrimination bill through the legislature. It failed in 1943, but passed the House in 1945 as a packed gallery looked on. The measure had the votes to pass in the Senate, but one opponent demanded: "Who are these people, barely out of savagery, who want to associate with us whites with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind us?"

Elizabeth Peratrovich had been quietly knitting in the gallery, but during the public comment period, she said she would like to be heard. She crossed the chamber to stand by the Senate president. “I would not have expected,” she said, “that I, who am barely out of savagery, would have to remind gentlemen with five thousand years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.” She detailed the ways in which discrimination daily hampered the lives of herself, her husband, and her children. She finished to wild applause, and the Senate passed the nation’s first antidiscrimination act by a vote of 11 to 5. 

Indigenous veterans came home from World War II to discover they still could not vote. In Arizona, Maricopa county recorder Roger G. Laveen refused to register returning veterans of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, including Frank Harrison, to vote. He cited an earlier court decision saying Indigenous Americans were “persons under guardianship.” They sued, and the Arizona Supreme Court agreed that the phrase only applied to judicial guardianship.  

In New Mexico, Miguel Trujillo, a schoolteacher from Isleta Pueblo who had served as a Marine in World War II, sued the county registrar who refused to enroll him as a voter. In 1948, in Trujillo v. Garley, a state court agreed that the clause in the New Mexico constitution prohibiting “Indians not taxed” from voting violated the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments by placing a unique requirement on Indigenous Americans. It was not until 1957 that Utah removed its restrictions on Indigenous voting, the last of the states to do so.

The 1965 Voting Rights Act protected Native American voting rights along with the voting rights of all Americans, and they, like all Americans, are affected by the Supreme Court’s hollowing out of the law and the wave of voter suppression laws state legislators who have bought into Trump’s Big Lie have passed since 2021. Voter ID laws that require street addresses cut out many people who live on reservations, and lack of access to polling places cuts out others. 

Katie Friel and Emil Mella Pablo of the Brennan Center noted in 2022 that, for example, people who live on Nevada’s Duckwater reservation have to travel 140 miles each way to get to the closest elections office. “As the first and original peoples of this land, we have had only a century of recognized citizenship, and we continue to face systematic barriers when exercising the fundamental and hard-fought-for right to vote,” Democratic National Committee Native Caucus chair Clara Pratte said in a press release from the Democratic Party.

As part of the commemoration of the Indian Citizenship Act, the Democratic National Committee is distributing voter engagement and protection information in Apache, Ho-Chunk, Hopi, Navajo, Paiute, Shoshone, and Zuni.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[strongestbanner]

What If:

Logan and Victor decide to forgive each other, escape together and live in a small cabin located in Argentine Patagonia (probably in the Río Negro province, towards the mountains of the west) 🏡❤️‍🩹🇦🇷

They both accepted that they are two sides of a same coin, and they'll always be there for each other, no matter the circumstances <3

(If you wanna cry at the end, keep reading)

Logan gets addicted to drink mate and can't live without his thermo (he choose Lumilagro when he just arrived bc he didn't have enough money for a Stanley thermo, but he doesn't give a f*ck). His favorite yerba mate is Rosamonte: the most bitter yerba mate for his taste 👌🏻

Vic shows off Logan the words he already knew in Spanish after so many missions. Now he learned to say to Logan: "enano boludo" (fool runt) just for piss him off.

Victor has become very punctual at merienda time, he always waits for Logan with sweet facturas (like biscuits, croissants) (sometimes Logan is sick of eating sweet, so he asks Vic to bring salty facturas too). Also, Victor LOVES membrillo's facturas (quince jam) (his beard always ends up dirty as if he had blood on it, never forgetting his animal instincts).

Of course, Logan got a job at a sawmill, he has too much experience with wood hehehe. And Victor worked for a time in a food distributor for a bakery, but he got fired bc he was caught stealing some cookies with membrillo. So, now he stays at home doing housework (surprisingly, he's very clean and hates finding cobwebs on the ceiling).

Logan secretly listen to Tango music, somehow he feels internally moved and sometimes cries too!! He also bought some Carlos Gardel vinyls to send for Laura's birthday <3

They both bought earplugs to use once a month bc they discovered that they have a lobizón neighbor 2 km away (the argentine werewolf 🐺).

At first they slept in different rooms, until Victor decided to have a sleepover after watching a chick flick movies marathon with Logan over a weekend (yes, they have Netflix). How did he convince him? He used his secret weapon: kitten eyes ✨ This is how slowly Victor's old room was transformed into a leisure room. Now they have a shelf full of classic literature books (and Spanish literature too bc Vic is so interested in it and he wants to still learning). Some CDs and vinyls of Logan bc he also likes argentinian national rock (He seems to like "Los Piojos", "Intoxicados", and "Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota" 😂).

This is for the argentine fans: LOGAN SUPPORTS BOCA JUNIORS CLUB 💙💛💙 He's not a very huge fan for football games, but he stays focused watching them. While Vic usually falls asleep at half time on the sofa with him.

Victor convinced Logan that he would control his bloodlust, so their household is never short of a good supply of meat. Unfortunately, this is a vile lie. When Logan is away, Victor takes advantage of those free hours to hunt and devour little animals like hares or deer. He knows his schedules and how much time he has to clean up his tracks. Who knows how long he can sustain the lie 🫣

In my mind their first kiss was PURRFECT. The coldest month is July (it's winter there), so, after a week of overcast skies, one night Logan went outside the cabin to smoke a joint. He observed the number of visible stars until he realized that Victor was stalking him with a cup of tea in his hand. They both sat on the front steps and IT JUST HAPPENED. Logan tried to deny what happened, FOR SEVERAL DAYS. But Vic managed to take away his embarrassment and make him enjoy it many times more bc he ✨obviously✨ kissed him first.

It hadn't been a year yet and Logan had invited the X-Men to his whereabouts to celebrate his birthday in October. Logically, Victor didn't like this idea at all, so he decided to flee to the forest. Logan had so many feelings fluttering in his chest, but he knew better than to waste such a beautiful and special day. He looked for Victor and found him cooling off in a river. He was so upset and a little jealous, but Logan convinced him because they would make barbecue. It was a VERY uncomfortable moment for Victor, he was not sorry for what he did, but Logan took care of making him feel part of his family <3

Ofc, I wrote all this with my tears.

I don't consider myself a good writer and my English is very poor, but if anyone wants to make a fanfic or fanart of this TAG ME PLS 😭💖

[fatehbaz]

taking relentless severe psychic damage from watching several hours of videos of television commercial advertisements from the United States in December 1999.

a world-historical moment, an all-time high peak of self-assured smirking arrogance.

ascendant home computers and internet modems. a new millennium! a time after Cold War but before Nining Leven, with saxophone-playing heads of state and cheery Spielbierg-ian sentimentality attempting to plaster over 1970s/1980s disappointments and hangovers with renewed millennarian End-Of-History optimism.

come celebrate with us! look at these images of The Nation! from sparkling Times Square and the cast of "Friends" in bustling cosmopolitan New York City, to sunny Californian prosperity, to those cartoonish frogs in the quasi-mythical Deep South-ish rural periphery of Budweiser ads, and all the suburban Midwestern Kay's Jeweler's in between! planetary hegemony. "Head east from the Colosseum, across the ruts of chariots, and you'll find an imperial estate built by a second-century Caesar. It's a rough ride. And if the agile and durable Chevy Tracker can handle these ancient roads, driving back home will be a walk in the park. Chevy Tracker: It Gets Around!"

or perhaps "our" power extends beyond this terrestrial imperium, into space, conquering the stars. UFOs; space aliens; The X-Files; Independence Day; Space Jam; Men in Black; the Phoenix Lights; Coast to Coast AM on the radio; Space Command in Colorado Springs.

the anxious fragility belied by the desperate constant promotion of an almost religious dedication to recognizable icons.

talking chihuahuas, marketing jingles, annual football game events. self-referential circular cross-promotion maelstrom.

"An all-new holiday spectacular, a Christmas special destined to become a family classic! With music from REM's Michael Stipe, voiced by Ally McBeal's Peter MacNicol, and starring Drew Barrymore! It's Olive the Other Reindeer! At 8/7 Central Fox Friday!"

trying to insist that this "classic" cultural iconography binds us. it has always lived in your heart. fabricating in real-time a supposedly shared history, insisting on this "reality" even at the moment of its very creation. hammering away at the soul.

Daffy Duck saunters in and pronounces: "Eat your way into the new millennium with this 'gigundo' party sub from Subway!"

why aren't you smiling?

[classicfootiejourno]

[jflemings]

might need some mother jessie headcanons at some point cause that photo had RUINED me……

—mum!jessie headcanons

warnings: none

a/n: ask and you shall receive…

- girl mum. i will not be elaborating.

- so excited when you tell her you’re pregnant, at first she doesn’t even believe it until you show her the positive test

- hot dad walk™️ out of the hospital

- hot dad walk™️ EVERYWHERE she doesn’t even mean to do it, it just comes naturally

- makes you want like 4 more

- makes the introduction to the chelsea girls a few weeks after she’s born, from that moment on the baby is absolutely adored by everyone at the club

- sinc tears up when she first gets to meet the baby & her and jessie have a really nice moment

- loooooves to show her teammates pictures she’s taken of the baby

“ash look at this photo of y/n and the baby!!!!”

- everytime she gets a new kit she gets a matching jersey for you and the baby

- walks into target to buy like, shampoo, and walks out with three different outfits, a doll and a book for the kid

“jess she doesn’t need it!!!”

“yes she does”

- such a proud mum, will praise the kid for legit anything and everything

- tries her hardest to be at every event. games, recitals, award shows, you name it and shes there

- if she can’t make it she asks you to send her so many videos and photos so she still knows what’s going on

- caves SOOO easily whenever her kid wants smth like

“mum can we have ice cream and pancakes for breakfast”

“go ask mama”

“she said no”

“then no”

“pleeeeeeeeaaaaaasE”

“…okay but don’t tell her”

- reads a new bedtime story every night, even if she’s not at home. she’ll facetime you at bedtime just to read a book

- jess is the type of mum that will sit with her kid after they wake up from a nightmare, she’s either reading to them or watching tv to distract them until they fall asleep

- goes all out for big birthdays (1st, 10th, 16th, 18th ect)

- definitely the quiet, attractive parent that all the queer mums fawn over at school drop off/pick up

- gets embarrassed when your kid boasts about having a famous parent

- gets even MORE embarrassed when a teacher comes up to her to congratulate her on a big win because she’s literally just there for her kid

- loves the fact that your kid admires her so much, feels super lucky to have that impact on her child

- buys sooooo many books on all different types of topics, fiction and non-fiction alike

- really encourages her kid to be creative

- won’t push them to play football but definitely signs them up just to see if they like it

- if they don’t then she finds smth else for them to do

- pretty laid back in terms of being a mum to a teenager because she understands that kids have to make mistakes to learn. all she asks for is honesty and respect in return

- she has the patience of a saint unless you get disrespected

- that’s the only time when shit hits the fan

- does the classic midnight pickup from a party just so you don’t have to get up

- she’s not naturally intimidating but when your daughter brings home her first boyfriend/girlfriend she definitely scares them a lil bit just because she’s quiet

- feels bad afterwards tho

“i wasn’t even trying to be intimidating!!! ☹️”

“i know jess”

- can’t do the sex talk tho

- she tries but feels awkward once she realises who she’s having the sex talk with. you take over from there

- doesn’t pull strings if your kid wants to have a career in football but she will give all the advice and support that she can

- she wants them to earn their spot because of their talent, not their last name

- almost cries when they have their debut for their national team

- just so incredibly supportive of whatever her child wants to do as long as they’re safe and healthy. the kid never goes a day in their life wondering if they’re loved by the two of you

- gains a lot of confidence after she becomes a mother. still very introverted but she now carrie’s herself with the same confidence she has on the pitch off the pitch because she just fits into a parental role so easily. it really is second nature to her once she gets settled

[redhairedwolfwitch]

Sombra y Fuego

A/n: I wrote this months ago but got stuck in writer's block for it, so you're getting everything I wrote until I got stuck. The tags are a hot mess because I never figured out a ship for R, there's more than one option I suppose?

Summary: R's family were family friends of the Putellas family, R grew up with them, goes over to help establish Manchester United WFC whilst studying there, over the years befriends some Dutchies and Ona when she arrives too.

///

Growing up, you were always five years behind a family friend, who eventually you called one of your sisters, whilst you were two years behind her younger sister, Alba. You followed Alexia’s footsteps and shared her passion for football from the time you could walk (and run after her and Alba). Her family played basketball, but yours weren’t interested in sports, instead working between Spain and England, leaving you to play catch-up. You were always playing catch-up.

You were ten turning eleven when Alexia was making her senior debut with Espanyol at sixteen.

You were eleven turning twelve when she played at Levante, then twelve turning thirteen when she moved back to Barcelona.

Your family worked between Spain and England, leaving you to sometimes stay with other family members, or on some occasions, with the Putellas family themselves. On those occasions, they’d attend Alexia’s Barcelona matches, and you’d go with them, or they’d sometimes watch your football practices and games too. 

You saw Alexia less as you got older, her time taken up by football, but you couldn’t help but admire her. You didn’t expect her to attend one of your matches, or find out about the nickname you’d been given for how you played.

In short, you were Sombra, the Spanish word for shadow/shade. Your sneakiness on the field with the addition of a lot of nutmegging had led to that nickname, with the addition of a classic, Fuego, due to the fire in your eyes when a teammate or yourself were taken down by an opponent. 

After the match, you glanced over at the small crowd of people who had watched, usually consisting of your teammates' family members, but since you didn’t expect anyone to attend the match to see you, you stumbled over your feet to run over to her with the rest of her family. Alexia hadn’t expected you to all but tackle her into a hug, but she grinned, holding you close as you buried your face in her collar.

Sombra stuck as you got older, moving up the youth team you played with until rumours began to whisper within your family in Spain, and another women’s football club in Manchester.

Your choice to head to England to study and play wasn’t one that anyone expected, but having the opportunity to help set up Manchester United in its first year next year was one you were greatly interested in. It didn’t help matters of how your Spanish family was becoming Eli, Alexia and Alba more than anything, leaving them behind left an ache in your heart, but you wanted to do it for your career.

You always had a foot in each country, especially since being called up to the Spain Women’s national under 20’s team, so you stayed connected to Spain, even with you moving to England to help United get into the WSL.

///

Manchester was nowhere near as warm as Spain. You should have taken more of Alexia and Alba’s hoodies and sweatshirts. You should probably buy a blanket too. But nothing would compare to the warmth of your sisters’ hugs, even as they hugged you goodbye at the airport.

Your phone ringing with a video call shattered the silence, stirring you from where you had curled up on your couch, watching the dark Manchester streets from the window.

“Hola, mi pequeña sombra,” Alexia smiled as you appeared on the video call, chuckling as she saw you were wearing more layers than she’d seen you wear in Spain that time of year. Your heart ached as you chatted away with her before the hour ahead time zone had you both going to bed. You both had pre-season training coming up, but you also had your studies to account for.

It didn’t take you a massive amount of time to bond with your teammates. Luckily the initiation song had been avoided, or forgotten, either way, you weren’t going to bring it up. Manchester was cold, but your clothes smelt like your sisters, they smelt like Spain, and you had learnt Spanish recipes so you could cook some, even having some teammates over one night when you realised how lonely you felt.

Between your studies and training, you’d text, call or video chat with some of your Spanish teammates from the national team, along with your weekly video chats with the only people left in Spain that you considered family. The ones who had basically raised you after all. Even when Alexia was busy, she still replied to you and kept an eye on your matches, just like you kept an eye on hers with Barcelona.

The 2018/19 season ended for you with United being promoted into the Women’s Super League, whilst for Alexia, Barcelona had got to the finals of the UWCL, but lost to Lyon, she renewed her contract and ended the season as Barcelona’s top goalscorer. 

Heading back over to Spain after the season with United ended, you flew into your family’s arms, hugging them tightly as if you hadn’t seen Alexia at national camps during the season, or you video called Alba and Eli a lot. Alba teased you about wanting some of her clothes back as you stuck your tongue out, ignoring the fact that the shirt you were wearing had definitely been Alexia’s at one point in the process.

“Who are you texting so much?” Alba grumbled, her eyes lighting up for a second before you nudged her away, knowing what she was going to ask.

“One of the new transfers to United, Dutch player Jackie Groenen. She had questions about Manchester.” You explained, putting your phone down as Alexia opened her mouth to shut Alba up.

“So, no girlfriend?” Alba clicked her tongue, smirking as you rolled your eyes, debating whether throwing a piece of bread at her was worth it as you glanced at the bread basket.

“Between football and my studies? You seriously think I have time?” You deadpanned, turning to face Alexia as she asked about your studies, thus changing the topic, which you appreciated.

“When is your flight?” Alexia enquired as the two of you paused from chasing each other around playing 1v1 with a football.

“Uhh, early morning flight to Gatwick, Jackie is flying in a little earlier but she asked some of Arsenal’s Dutch players to pick us up, we’ll hang out there before heading up to Manchester or something, I don’t know… I don’t even speak Dutch.” You admitted, frowning as you heard Alexia chuckle.

“All of Alba’s teasing about not finding an English girlfriend and you might find a Dutch one instead…” Alexia began to tease before smirking, “Or a Spanish one, you’re quite close with some of our national teammates too…”

You rolled your eyes to try nutmeg Alexia at her teasing, but she immediately blocked it.

“Nice try, Sombra.”

Your heart sank as you realised what Alexia had called you, going from the childhood nickname of 'my little shadow', to what everyone else called you, shadow. It shouldn’t have affected you, but it did for some reason.

Your jersey even had Sombra on the back of it as part of the nickname from your youth football days, but in your heart, Alexia calling you her little shadow meant more than anyone knew. You were basically an honorary Putellas in everything but name, biology and legality.

You hated saying goodbye to your family every time you headed back to Manchester, seeing the teary eyes and sad smiles as you hugged each of them tightly, you walked through the airport with tears down your face that you didn’t let fall until you were past security and sat in the duty free area, sipping your coffee. Scrolling through your phone, you sent heart emojis to the family group chat, opening the one that Jackie had made for when you and her would be arriving at Gatwick and meeting her national teammates at Arsenal.

The two and a bit hour plane ride was uneventful as you arrived back in England, collecting your luggage after going through passport control and moving on to try to find Jackie or one of her national teammates.

Tugging your suitcase, a squeak left your lips as you all but walked into someone in front of you, catching yourself and your suitcase quickly as they stumbled back, leaning against the vending machine.

“Shit! I’m sorry- wait, you’re-” You were cut off as you pulled your suitcase closer to you, the outflux of people leaving the arrivals distracting you as the person laughed.

“Jill, Jill Roord. Beth and Daan have Jackie, I came to find you. Viv and Lisa are sorting out the parking.” Jill explained, smiling as your eyes widened at the number of Arsenal players who had turned up at the airport.

“So, you flew from Barcelona?” Jill enquired, leading to the two of you to chat about Spain, and Jill grinning as you offered to give her a tour of where you were from next time you both had free time.

“Wow, Jill’s grinning as much as Jackie!” A comment from one of the Arsenal girls left the players who understood Dutch to chatter away, whilst you stood wide-eyed, glancing between Beth and Lisa for help.

Slipping your suitcase into the back of Beth’s car, Daan slipped into the passenger seat whilst you climbed in the back, joined by Jill whilst Jackie went with Viv and Lisa.

“Welcome to London!” Beth joked as she turned the car engine on to drive.

Later that night, social media lit up with photos of you hanging out with Jackie and the Arsenal Dutch players, your caption on your photo being in Dutch and Spanish, after having asked Jill for some help with translating into Dutch. The texts you received from Alba teasing you were left ignored in favour of a goodnight message, teasingly sending ‘welterusten’ before resting your head on one of the cushions on Daan and Beth’s couch.

After spending a few days in London with Jackie’s national teammates, the two of you ended up taking a train up to Manchester, sprinting through the train station when the two of you had to change trains on the way in.

Jackie had taken the three plus hour train journey as an opportunity to continue helping you learn Dutch, with you replying sometimes in Spanish just to keep her on her toes. The two of you also sat together whilst United travelled to Norway to play against Vålerenga and Sandefjord days later during the preseason.

United’s season started with losing the Manchester Derby against City, but none of you expected a global pandemic to cut the season short, with Jackie quarantining the Netherlands with her parents, and you stuck in Manchester, on your own. Your socialising decreased to video calls with teammates who were quarantined together, staff and your family in Spain. 

That was until July, when word of another Spaniard signing for United caught your attention. Ona was coming to United, and your apartment had an extra bedroom.

Living with another Spaniard was chaotic, but you loved it compared to living alone. The two of you living together had brightened up your cold apartment, plus Ivana would come over a lot from where she lived nearby.

The chaos even led to you going out and getting a tattoo, yet you had kept it a surprise from Ona, dragging a visiting Jill along whilst you were getting it done. That place being the side of your ribs, venturing further down your side a little. Jill had chosen to get something small done on her arm for the memories. 

However, since the tattoo had healed, you’d somehow managed to avoid showing anyone but Jill and Ona, not mentioning anything to your sisters, besides the fact you had been wanting one.

Ona hadn’t seen it on purpose, but the two of you shared a bathroom and the shower had a glass panel (instead of an annoying curtain that would cling to you once it got wet), so when she walked in on you, you didn’t react, only covering yourself as you tried to get the shampoo out of your hair.

It was only after you were showered and dressed that Ona approached you as you sat on the couch on her phone, waiting. “You got a tattoo!”

“Yeah, I went with Jill, when she came to visit!”

“You went with Jill?” Ona pouted before her face melted into a grin.

“No, do not, I already get shit from Alba about not having a girlfriend, and Alexia thinks I’ll end up with a Dutch or Spanish girlfriend, so I don’t need you teasing me too!” You pointed at Ona, who’s teasing grin turned into her sticking her tongue out at you.

“So, you and Jill?”

“She actually asked if we were dating.” You admitted, looking up at the ceiling momentarily before Ona’s wide eyed look turned into snickering that had you flicking a cushion at her. The two of you burst out into laughter as she threw a cushion back at you, and thus a cushion fight began.

///

The next national camp coming up left both you and Ona rushing with excitement to fly out back to Spain, ready to tackle international duty and see your national teammates again. You and Ona would be rooming together due to the timing of the flight compared to when your other teammates would be arriving.

This meant that Alexia was not expecting you to tackle her into a hug at breakfast that morning after you and Ona arrived during the night due to delays.

None of your teammates expected you and Ona to be nodding off during breakfast either, your head resting on Alexia’s shoulder as she talked to Jenni, and Leila watching to make sure Ona’s face didn’t land in her breakfast as she leaned on you.

“Mi pequeña sombra, are you awake?” Alexia whispered, not wanting to move and shake you from your slumber, but the girls were getting ready to head to training. Your sister smiled as you curled further into her before looking up at her through half awake eyes, your arm wrapping around Ona as she shifted slightly to eat something.

“We have to go to training. The sleepy ones too.” Jenni chuckled, raising an eyebrow as you reached for Leila's coffee and drank it when Leila was too busy on her phone.

“Mm, okay, vamos!” You declared, eating a spoonful of Alexia’s breakfast before you got up, nudging Ona to come with as the two of you went to get ready to head to training. Missing Leila’s confusion at her empty coffee cup, Alexia rolled her eyes at you eating her breakfast then running away.

A yawn left your lips as training took a pause for a water break, you were heading over to the others before stopping, tugging your jersey up to mop at your forehead. Someone choking caught your attention, looking over to whoever had been choking as Ona walked over, holding out your water bottle to you with a grin.

“What’s that face for?” You enquired, raising the water bottle to your mouth as Ona wiggled her eyebrows.

“Your tattoo healed really well.” Ona pointed out as your jersey crumpled up messily from how you’d tugged it up.

“You have a tattoo!” Patri exclaimed, running over followed by Leila and Jenni who were both intrigued by the conversation. Your gaze turned to the one person who had started choking when you’d pulled your jersey up, your face falling at your sister’s expression.

“She went with Jill Roord, you know, from Arsenal!” Ona added with a grin before you sprayed her with water from your water bottle, hurrying away before training resumed.

Training ended with a blast of water hitting you in the neck and back, soaking your jersey. Grimacing at the wetness, you tugged the jersey off over your head and flung it over your shoulder.

Whistles from some of the girls had you rolling your eyes, instead debating whether you could still cover the part of your tattoo peeking out of your sports bra when a hand reached out, gently pulling you towards the bench.

Following the hand up to the person’s face, you didn’t fight as Alexia sat you down on the bench, staring at the field for a moment before she looked at you.

“You didn’t tell me you went to get one. Or you got one there.” Alexia began, raising an eyebrow as you chewed your lip, folding up the soggy jersey to give your hands something to do.

“I like it, it’s easy to hide, and, well, it’s a bit hard to show the whole thing without flashing someone. Ona only saw when she walked in on me in the shower, and Jill didn’t say anything, if she did see anything when I was getting it done.” Your face began to burn at the memories, not seeing how Alexia’s face steeled up for a moment, processing that two people had seen her baby sister at least partially naked.

“You and Jill?” was all Alexia asked as you let out a huff, turning and burying your face in Alexia’s shoulder, her body unstiffening as you snuggled into her.

“Ona…” You grumbled into your sister’s shoulder, blaming your housemate for this conversation you were now having with Alexia.

“You and Ona?” Alexia raised an eyebrow, about to argue that the two of you shared a room at camp when you deadpanned.

“Oh my god, we live together- separate bedrooms, unless someone puts a horror movie on. We’re not dating! And, Jill, she might be leaving Arsenal and the WSL. It wouldn’t work out. Not like she’d like me like that anyway…” Your voice fell quieter as you stirred in your sister’s arms to meet her eyes.

“Roord would be an idiot not to, but you and Ona-”

“Ay dios mio! You said once that I was close with some of our national teammates and you thought I would get a girlfriend then, but Alba is the one that dates our teammates!” You whined, grumbling at the memory whilst Alexia smirked.

“But you and Ona have been quite cosy, mi pequeña sombra…” Alexia chuckled as you let out a whine.

“Stop! We’re literally housemates!”

///

“So, can I see it?” Ona enquired as you walked out of the bathroom wrapped in your towel, grabbing your clothes you’d somehow forgotten.

“You already saw it.” You deadpanned, holding the towel a little tighter as Ona sat up on her bed.

“When it was healing, I saw it then.” Ona argued, pouting as you walked back to the bathroom.

“You should have seen Alexia’s face when I mentioned you saw me naked in the shower, it was scary.” You stated before shutting the door, hearing Ona’s voice rise an octave at the mention of her pissing off your sister.

Her phone chimed minutes later with a snapchat from you, showing the healed tattoo with the rest of you hidden by a towel. “You’re welcome.” was all that was texted, whilst you waited for replies from Alexia, Alba, who had found out about the tattoo somehow, and Jill, who you had asked if she wanted to call when the two of you had a free moment.

///

You were talking with your teammates after dinner when your phone began to chime, ignoring the inquisitive looks you were getting as you smiled and answered.

“Hoi, ik heb een minuut nodig, mijn vrienden zijn luid. Heb ik dat goed gezegd?” you ignored the confusion from your use of Dutch, Alexia raising an eyebrow at you in confusion. Ona was about to open her mouth, realising who was on the phone, but you stuck your tongue out at her, winking to your sister before you left the room to head upstairs and away from eavesdroppers.

“Sorry, I just got out of there. The Dutch really threw them off but no doubt I’m going to get teased later. Hoe gaat het?”

The end of camp meant heading back to Manchester for you and Ona, your arms locked around Alexia as the time to leave approached. Alexia swayed the two of you slightly, holding you as you buried your face in her neck, absorbing all the comfort you could get.

“Nobody gives hugs like you do.” You whispered, kissing your sister on the cheek as you stepped back, blinking away tears. Alexia chuckled slightly, kissing your forehead as she spotted Ona lingering and waiting.

“Not even Ona, or Jill?”

Your nose crinkled up, “Those hugs are different, you’re my sister,” sticking your tongue out, you chuckled as Alexia nudged you away, telling you to get in the van before you missed your flight and ended up annoying her more.

“Can we get tattoos next time-”

“Ay dios, don’t get more tattoos without telling me!” Alexia warned, pointing at you before waving as you got into the van, sitting with Ona before the staff drove the two of you to the airport.

///

Your birthday coming up was something you weren’t entirely sure whether to look forward to, until you became aware of a certain plan, since Jenni accidentally mentioned it when you were video calling her and Alexia, seeing the panic on Alexia’s face confirmed it as you raised an eyebrow, “Two birthdays?”

“You celebrate in Manchester with your team-” Alexia began before Jenni cut in with some teasing.

“Maybe some Arsenal players too-”

“Jenni, no! So you celebrate in Manchester with your team, then during the offseason, we’re taking you to Ibiza to party.” Alexia explained, adding that Ona and Jackie knew of this plan, whilst you chewed your lip.

“I promised Jill I’d show her Barcelona.”

“Bring her!” Jenni interjected before Alexia could answer, watching as you shrugged and nodded at the idea, her face stiffening until you looked at her.

“Does it help that I have another tattoo booked, but I’m telling you this time?” Biting your lip, you laughed at Jenni’s excitement whilst Alexia let out a groan.

“You’re worse than Alba!”

///

Pulling the duvet over your head, you kept your eyes closed as you tried to steal a few more minutes of sleep before your alarm went off to signify you needed to get up. Ona’s door opening down the hallway caught your attention as footsteps walked towards your room.

Laying still, you listened as your bedroom door opened, and Ona launched herself onto your bed.

“Felicidades!” Ona shouted, grinning as she landed on top of your duvet cover and you.

“Buenos días…” you grumbled back, slightly winded from Ona launching herself like a flying squirrel at you. Rolling under your duvet, you flipped the positions, Ona buried underneath you and the duvet before you kissed her forehead and ran, sprinting into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Your phone began to chime as you spotted the video call, smiling at the name on the screen as you sat down to eat breakfast, Ona flicking you on the head as she walked by, retaliation for stealing the bathroom first, you assumed.

You grinned as you pressed accept, covering your mouth as you ate another mouthful of your breakfast, gaining a laugh from Alba, who moved her phone to show Eli there too, chatting away with them as you ate your breakfast, then bantering with Ona when she contributed to the conversation also.

Both Alexia and Jill had texted, asking when you were free to video call today, leaving you bubbling with excitement as Ona smirked, wiggling her eyebrows at you.

“You know, I think Alexia would have a heart attack with all the fan theories that me, you and Jill are dating.” You pointed out after hanging up the video call, smirking as Ona put down her coffee to laugh.

“We need La Reina alive, Sombra!”

“True, but I like teasing her a little.” You admitted, sipping on your drink as Ona raised an eyebrow, smirking.

“Let’s just say Ibiza is going to be really fun.”

///

Arriving at training, you weren’t prepared for the amount of hugs you were all but tackled into, or how much Ona laughed each time someone started a chorus of ‘happy birthday’ before she joined in. 

Training kept going, the birthday choruses calming down as everyone focussing on the drills, scrimmages and then the rondo that you actually asked for, everyone thought it was weird but it reminded you of when you were younger and you would chase after the ball as Alexia and her friends passed it to each other.

Sitting in the locker room after training, Ona walked over and shoved your phone in your face, revealing that you had an incoming video call.

“Feliz cumpleaños, mi pequeña sombra.” Alexia cheered as you answered, laughing as she ended up having to turn the phone to reveal her Barcelona teammates in the background, also wishing you a happy birthday.

You grinned, thanking them before getting into a longer conversation with your sister, who couldn’t see from the camera angle that you had caught Ona by the wrist, gently pulling her into shot, and the seat next to you, smiling as Alexia spotted Ona next to you before you explained the plans for tonight in Manchester.

///

Crashing on the couch after getting in from the night out that your United teammates had arranged, you let out a groan as Ona landed on you, headbutting you in the chin in the process.

About to open your mouth and complain, you were cut off as your phone began to ring, reaching over sleepily to hit the answer button, humming as you heard Jill’s voice, answering her questions quietly before you began to nod off with a smile on your face, only really processing one thing.

Arsenal were coming up from London to play against United, meaning that you would get to see Jill again.

///

You spent the rest of the season being chaotic with Ona and Jill whenever either of you had a match near each other, or impulsively taking a train to London when there was a break. But soon the season was coming to an end, with Jill’s announcement she was leaving Arsenal for Wolfsburg coming up, whilst Ona would be going into her second season at United, and you would be going into your fourth season.

However, you were not just chaotic with Ona and Jill during the season, as Alexia would find out once you started trending on Twitter, immediately confusing her as she assumed it was a club thing, instead finding that a fan had photographed you attending a pole dancing class in Barcelona.

“Hey, what’s with that look-” you spotted it as soon as Alexia got back from training, you were sitting on the couch with Alba watching some random movie, but you sat up properly when you saw the look on your oldest sister’s face.

“Pole dancing?”

“What- oh, yeah, not worth it. It was funny watching Alba try though… Wait, is it? It reached twitter, and somehow you’re not even in the shot, it looks like I went on my own!” You retorted, going from looking at twitter on Alexia’s phone to turning to glare at Alba, who grinned cheekily.

“You went to a pole dancing class? And took our baby sister with you?” Alexia turned to Alba with a frown.

“I’m your baby sister too-”

“Why did my baby sisters go to a pole dancing class?” Alexia cut Alba off, waiting for an answer from either of you.

“The tickets were a gift-”

“Pretty sure it was a gag gift you got given.” You deadpanned, letting out a squeal as Alba lunged to tickle you, you both tumbling from the couch to rolling around Alexia’s feet, laughing. Alexia let out a sigh, watching the two of you on the floor for a moment before finally giving up as you looked up at her, letting out another squeal as she joined in on the tickling.

///

“Where are you going?” 

“To pick Jill up from the airport. I’m showing her Barcelona before we all jet off to Ibiza. Ona is heading home to Vilassar de Mar first. Is everyone else sorted for heading to Ibiza?” You replied, picking up the keys as Alexia walked over from where she had been packing her suitcase in her room.

“You and Jill?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You stuck your tongue out, dodging the couch cushion that was thrown at you as you ducked out of Alexia’s place.

///

Giving Jill a tour of Barcelona, you sneakily stood back to take photos of her enjoying herself, until she hooked her arm around yours, making sure that you were in the photos with her.

“Are you looking forward to a break in Ibiza?” You enquired, the two of you sat outside on the patio of a little cafe, having drinks.

“I’m meeting a few of my national teammates who play for Wolfsburg there too, so it will be nice to see everyone.” Jill explained, smiling whilst you took a sip of your drink.

“I’m going to miss you, and how you’d lay on the pitch like a starfish!” You teased, grinning as Jill began to laugh.

“I’m going to miss you too.”

///

Heading to Ibiza, you were buzzing with energy at seeing so many people you hadn’t seen whilst playing in England all together in one place, plus Ona and Jill would be there too, and that was the perfect opportunity to have some chaos during the trip...

/// translations (hopefully)

sombra - shadow/shade

mi pequeña sombra - my little shadow

“Hoi, ik heb een minuut nodig, mijn vrienden zijn luid. Heb ik dat goed gezegd?” - Hi, I need a minute, my friends are loud. Did I say that right?

Hoe gaat het? - how are you?

Felicidades - congratuations (?)

Buenos días - good morning

Feliz cumpleaños - happy birthday