#national invitation tournament

[bongaboi]

Seton Hall: 2024 National Invitation Tournament Champions

INDIANAPOLIS – It was a title game that lived up to its billing, a showcase of two NCAA Tournament snubs that proved they belonged, waged before a relentlessly raucous crowd at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

You could not have asked for a more compelling National Invitation Tournament final, and in the end, Seton Hall basketball dug deep and rallied late for a 79-77 triumph over Indiana State Thursday. It was a moment of redemption no one saw coming three weeks ago, amid the despair of a Selection Sunday gone wrong, and the winning play was delivered by a hometown kid in a Hoosiers-style twist fit for Hollywood.

Senior wing Dre Davis, an Indianapolis native, hit the go-ahead layup with 16 seconds left, slicing and spinning past three defenders to do it. The Pirates finished the game on a 9-0 run over the final 2:38, stunning the baby-blue clad Sycamores fans into silence as 300 or so Hall supporters erupted in joy.

"I feel like we did something special here," Davis said. "Obviously we wanted to win a championship, and at the end of the day that's what we did. "

Seton Hall’s quest for its first NIT crown since 1953 succeeded despite a crowd of 9,100 that was 95 percent pro-Sycamores. The Pirates finish a memorable season with a 25-12 record, the foundation having been laid in year two of Shaheen Holloway’s regime. It’s just the seventh time the program has won 25-plus games in its 120-year history.

"The naysayers, we left them with something to remember," senior guard Kadary Richmond said. "And the people at Seton Hall, I feel like we left our mark there, too."

Indiana State’s breakthrough campaign ends at 32-7. The Sycamores, like the Pirates, put on a show for much of the tournament, raising the event's profile and garnering national buzz. Thursday's thrilling finale was an exclamation point on one of the most memorable Hall seasons ever.

"Three Sundays ago, if you guys seen the look on these guys' faces when we didn't make the (NCAA) tournament, and as their leader, not knowing what to say to them, it was the worst feeling in the world," Holloway said. "From that, to going to this, getting drenched by those guys (in the postgame locker room celebration), it's the best feeling in the world."

Here is how the wild, unforgettable finish unfolded.

With Indiana State leading 77-70, Richmond put back his own miss for a layup at the 2:38 mark.

After errant 3-pointers on both ends, Al-Amir Dawes got fouled going to the basket and sank two free throws to make it 77-74 with 1:27 left.

Indiana State’s Robbie Avila missed a 3-pointer, and Dawes drilled a step-back triple from straightaway to knot things up at 77-77 with 1:05 remaining.

"This group, you know, they haven't wavered," Holloway said of his team's late-game mettle. "We got in a huddle. There was no panicking. It was, all right, all right, let's do what we do. Get a score, get a stop."

After two Indiana State misses, Richmond tried to drive, got cut off, and handed the ball to Davis, who spun through three defenders for the go-ahead layup. Richmond had screened for him, opening just enough daylight.

'It was just a broken play," Davis said. "Kooks created an angle for me to get downhill and just put me in position to be able to get a good look at the rim…I am blessed, man, pleased beyond measure to be able to do this at the home crib. Happy for my guys. Proud of my team to fight tooth-and-nail to the very end."

In a bonkers final sequence, Indiana State's game-winning 3-point attempt got blocked by Hall center Jaden Bediako, who closed out masterfully.

“That's a really good basketball team,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz said. “They showed a lot of heart and fight and made a lot of plays there down the stretch to win the game. So credit to them. Very deserving champions.”

FIVE TAKEWAYS

Big three left their mark In their curtain call a trio, and possibly each of their final games in a Seton Hall uniform, Richmond, Davis and Al-Amir Dawes etched their names into Pirate lore.

Dawes was named the NIT's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21 points per game for the tournament. He tallied 24 points and four steals in the final, making all nine of his free-throw attempts. He also was one of the most vocal Pirates about wanting to play in the NIT, a decision that was made by the five starters, and he carried the team past Saint Joseph's in that sluggish opening-round squeaker.

"We stuck to who we were," Dawes said. "We stuck to who we do. We ended up here."

Davis tallied 18 points and 3 blocks in the final, playing all 40 minutes. He wound up going 4-0 as a Pirate at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

"Indy was great for me," he said. "To be able to come home and win two big games, compete for a national championship which is our goal and ultimately win, it was a great week."

Richmond chalked up 21 points, 13 boards and 5 assists. Asked about leaving a legacy, he replied with a slam dunk.

"We opened the doors for the underdog players that's being recruited by Seton Hall, and don't feel as if anybody else is giving them a chance," he said. "This is a great place to come, and be able to play a game and be who you are."

Collectively, the big three took a program in transition after Kevin Willard’s departure and helped Holloway affix his stamp on it. They authored a bunch of memorable moments, shared the game, and represented the school well. Their performance this season was a monument to the value of continuity – one that is in increasingly short supply across the sport.

The postgame scene There were poignant moments galore after the final horn. For starters, Holloway walked over to a devastated Avila (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, but some crucial misses late) and literally picked Avila's chin up to offer some words of encouragement.

Holloway can be rough around the edges at times, but this gesture was a window into his character.

"I told him, there's no need to have your head down," he said. "You guys played a heck of a game. You guys got a great team. You guys battled. This was a championship game. A bunch of punches going back and forth, and just told him to pick his head up. He's a great player and he's got a lot of basketball to be played."

Then, as the Pirates began cutting down the net, they were encircled by their fans who broke into a chant of "Let's go Jersey!"

Dawes was first to climb the latter and snip a piece off. When it was Richmond's turn, the fans serenaded him with a chant of "one more year!" He smiled broadly and nodded his head in response.

"I appreciate them for coming; my focus tonight was winning a championship with guys in the locker room who have been here since June and fighting day-in and day-out," he said when asked about the chant and the scene. "So we appreciate them for traveling. Some flew. Some were telling me the amount of miles they drove, and we highly appreciate it."

As his players cut the net, Holloway worked the crowd, thanking Pirate fans for coming. He air-conducted the pep band's rendition of Seton Hall's fight song. Then he snipped the net's final piece off and held it aloft.

This marked the third time he's done that. Willard gave him the honor of cutting the last piece after the 2016 Big East Tournament title, and he also cut the net down after Saint Peter's won the 2022 MAAC Tournament, which was the victory that assured he would get the vacant job at his alma mater.

Afterward, upon returning to the team hotel where fans had congregated, the players gave walk-on David Gabriel the honor of carrying in the NIT trophy.

"Proud of everybody who stepped on the court and everybody who was ready," Holloway said. "Because I don't forget the walk-ons and the guys who don't play. They prepare the guys on the court for games like this."

A worthy title-game venue

It’s not Madison Square Garden, which hosted the NIT semis and final for decades, but Hinkle is an outstanding replacement. At a cozy 9,100-seats, with a balcony that surrounds the court and provides an intimate old-world setting, outstanding acoustics and dripping with history (as everybody knows, the ultimate scene of “Hoosiers” was filmed there), this was a quality host.

Indiana State fans brought the juice, creating a championship-level atmosphere. Anyone who thinks the NIT has no meaning or value should have witnessed the vibe in that building. To their credit, the Pirates used the hostility as fuel.

"I think we can just credit the league, the Big East for that," Davis said. "I feel like our league really prepared us for this moment."

It's a shame Fox is launching an alternate consolation tournament for high-majors next season, to be played fully in Las Vegas, because the charms of the NIT in venues like Walsh Gym and Hinkle were evident these past few weeks.

The NIT is not the Big Dance as we all know, but this run was proof that it still matters.

A trip for the die-hards

Among Pirate supporters on hand was Kevin Regan, the son of Hall legend Richie Regan – who was point guard on the 1953 NIT championship squad. Kevin was wearing the gold watch his father got for winning that tournament. It was willed to him when Richie died in 2002.

“It’s been a great run, and it brings back fantastic memories,” said Kevin Regan, a Brielle resident who came to Indianapolis with his daughter Erinne and sisters Kate and Marybeth. “Now everyone knows how important it was in 1953 – because 70 years later they’re bringing it up. I’ve gotten text about it from people I haven’t talked to in years.”

What would Richie think of this team and its season?

“He’d be happy as he could be because they’re playing well and they represent the school so well,” Kevin said, adding that he’d be particularly proud of Holloway’s leadership. “To see him come up the ranks at Seton Hall and do so well, he would love that.”

Also on hand were former Hall star and NBA coach Adrian Griffin, 1989 Final Four team member Pookey Wigington, and core members of Seton Hall’s student section who drove 700 miles for the occasion.

Into the offseason There was a tangible benefit to Seton Hall’s NIT run. Mike McBride, Deputy Athletics Director for Revenue Generation, NIL & Strategic Initiatives, said the alumni-driven collective Onward Setonia has experienced a clear uptick in support these last three weeks.

“The best part about the run we’ve had this postseason, all the guys who’ve supported us all year long have stepped up and supported us even more because they can see the benefits,” McBride said. “Those that haven’t supported us, who have been negative about what we’re doing with NIL, this has opened their eyes and they’ve become supportive. So it’s really brought the entire Seton Hall community together and they understand the more support they provide, the more we can do with the team. So it’s been really good for everyone.”

While exact numbers are elusive, it’s believed Seton Hall’s NIL war chest is roughly double what it was last year at this time. Keep that in mind as transfer-portal season begins. As with just about every team across the sport’s landscape, the Pirates will experience plenty of movement.

Here’s a quick rundown:

Postgrads Dawes and Bediako are out of eligibility.

Richmond and Davis are candidates to enter the transfer portal and also explore pro-ball opportunities. Richmond, who could command a hefty NIL payday and is also a candidate for a two-way NBA contract, has options galore.

There is a fair chance senior guard Dylan Addae-Wusu will be back for a postgrad season.

Retaining freshman wing Isaiah Coleman, a Big East All-Freshman honoree, will be a high priority. It’s a good sign that Coleman made the trip to Indianapolis to be with his teammates for the title game even though he couldn’t play after spending the past week bedridden with bronchitis.

Backup center Elijah Hutchins-Everett, who hails from Orange, also figures to have a role on next year’s squad. The fate of the rest of the bench is to be determined.

If the Hall can retain Addae-Wusu and Coleman and one of Richmond or Davis, that will be a strong nucleus for next season.

One thing is certain: As players make decisions about their futures, the good vibes produced by this NIT run certainly don't hurt.

And at the very least, no matter what happens, they'll receive a hero's welcome in South Orange for many years to come.

[thursdaygxrls]

thin ice — two

part one | part two | part three

summary — peter invites her to his hockey game, and shocker, she shows up.

pairing — uni hockey player!peter parker x fem!journalist!reader

disclaimer — i do not own peter parker/marvel. marvel pls don’t sue me for making peter sexier 🙏

warnings — reader is referred to as ‘kitty’ (there’s a reason, i promise), slight one sided enemies to lovers, possible maybe slightly ooc, and very unedited

Stark Memorial Rink was a lot more crowded than she remembered. To be fair, when she was there two days ago, it was during a closed practice. Now it was loud, crowded, and filled with the blaring noise of the patrons and loudspeakers.

“What are our seats again?” MJ asked, hanging off her arm with a big, goofy smile. She was dressed in an Empire State University sweatshirt—‘I have to show my school pride’, she said. Sure, that was the reason.

“Section one hundred ten, Row C, seats four and five,” she replied, her voice near robotic.

“Y’know, you can at least pretend to be excited,” MJ teased. “I’ll buy you a soft pretzel if you act like you’re having fun.”

“Woo-hoo. Yippee. Hooray,” she said monotonously, a small grin curling on her lips.

“Come on,” a whine leaves MJ’s lips, “This is cool! It’s not just any game, this is the tournament—like, national. If they win this, they’ll make it down to eight teams. Eight teams!”

“And your sudden love of hockey spawned on its own, right?” She raised a brow at her friend’s words, “Not because of some sweaty guy who likes to ice skate?”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that,” MJ mumbled in reply, though her eyes softened a bit, a smile adorning her painted lips. They shuffled through the crowds of people with some struggle, but eventually made it to section one hundred ten.

When she was there days ago, she hadn’t quite paid attention to the format of the seats. The assumption, though, was that they flowed in alphabetical order, making Row Z the one closest to the plexiglass. They slipped towards the steps, ready to descend just a few stairs when they looked down. A big, yellow ‘Z’ was right under their feet. That meant–

“Oh, my God.” Her voice was more like a whisper than anything.

“You said Row C, right?” MJ asked, her eyes glued to the letter.

“Row C,” she confirmed, sucking her teeth. Was it even possible? Okay, sure, this was just a university game, but this game was a big deal. The place was insanely crowded. How could he just give away seats that close to the glass?

“Well, let’s go,” MJ interrupted her train of thought, tugging her arm to follow her. One, two, three, four…they descended lower and lower until the sound of ice scraping along the skates of those practicing was louder than the buzz of the crowd. Their seats gave them a perfect view right behind the net. Purple and black jerseys whizzed by in a flurry of sticks and pucks and ice shaving off the ground. They say for a minute, soaking up the reality of where they were before MJ let out a cough.

“So, Kitty, soft pretzel?” She glanced over with a smile.

“Yeah,” she agreed, already popping up from her seat. Shuffling back to the stairs, her gaze was pulled back to the rink where she caught a flash of a neon purple ‘13’ zipping by the glass. Hazel eyes settled upon her through the brackets of the helmet—but only for one second. One small ounce of time in which their eyes connected like laser beams. And then he was gone again, and so was she.

“I’ll get you a slushie, too, if you do a little cheering,” MJ’s voice pulled her back.

“Extra large?” She raised a brow in return.

“Whatever size you want,” MJ beamed.

By the time they were back to their seats, the game was almost starting. The National Anthem was sung by a local high school talent. The team introductions flew by (MJ, of course, screaming for Harry). When number thirteen, Peter Parker, Empire State Lightning Bolts Team Captain was introduced, the thunder of feet pounding on the floor rang through the stadium. He slid across the ice in an oddly graceful fashion. He was sort of gangly, and the bulk of the uniform provided a strange juxtaposition, but his movements were clean and precise, more like a figure skater than a hockey player.

“Look at that, number thirteen,” MJ giggled into her ear, receiving a smack on the arm for her laughter.

“I have eyes, I can see.” Was her grumbled response.

The game was intense. They were single-round eliminations, meaning that if ESU lost this, they were out of the tournament. Pennbrook, in their glossy green jerseys, were just as vicious. The net in front of them was the home side first, so they were able to see every goal that was blocked, and inevitably the ones that slipped through. What seemed to (begrudgingly) stand out the most, though, was Peter.

He was aggressive. At first, she thought it was just excitement, or anger, or some irrational emotion that sent him flying across the ice and ramming into people. But the face under the helmet was always calm. Cold, even. Every outburst was a precise calculation. Yes, he was combative, but it was never out of his control. Nothing was out of his control, not even when the puck went skidding across the ice on the other side. It took him seconds to cross the rink and swoop in for quick saves. Time seemed to flash by. The buzzer signaled the end of the first period, and the teams skated back to their respective sides.

“It’s not that bad, right?” MJ nudged her, sucking down the last of her blue raspberry slushie.

“I’m definitely viewing something,” she responded in a sarcastic tone. MJ groaned, nudging her as she collected their empty cups and discarded napkins.

“Keep up the good attitude,” she shot back, sticking out her tongue as she went to throw away the trash.

The second period was similar to the first: high tensions, high testosterone. By the third period, the score was 4-5 with Pennbrook taking the lead. It was, of course, only a momentary lead. A play by Harry and Miles tied them up again, and then a swift shot by Zack got them the lead. Pennbrook’s number ‘36’ had been on Peter’s ass nearly the entire game. He was always so close that half of the ice shavings on Peter’s ankles were probably from him. But it hadn’t been anything more than a chase until Peter brought the score up to 7-5.

The movement was quick, but not nearly as unnoticeable as he likely intended. While sliding behind the net, 36’s elbow came up to check Peter. He was probably aiming for his shoulder, but everything just came out wrong: Peter turned his head toward 36, 36’s elbow jabbed at an awkward angle, and the hit ended up slamming into Peter’s face.

Her breath caught in her throat. When he turned back to the plexiglass, blood was dripping down his chin. He’d been clipped just right so that his lip busted against the hard plastic of the mouthguard. Resounding ‘boos’ sounded through the stadium, but the sounds fell deaf on her ears as she watched Peter throw off his glove and swipe the blood from his skin. It was like she could see the gears turning in his head. Hit, blood, fight. He looked to 36, ready to raise his bloodstained fist. Then, for just a second, his eyes flitted to her.

He knew she was there. He knew she was watching. None of the hardness left his eyes, but there was something new there, too. Pride, maybe? Excitement? It lingered in his vision the entire time his eyes were on hers. When his bloodied lips curled into a smirk, she forced herself out of the breathless haze she was caught in. She was only concerned because that was the normal human reaction; you see someone get hurt, you worry. Or you laugh. It wasn’t like she was—

Peter’s fist connected with 36’s cheek. She could hear the hard smack through the glass to Row C. 36 stumbled back on his skates but regained his balance. Before he could deal a blow, refs blowing hopelessly on their whistles swarmed the two, pulling them like two growling dogs. Once again, Peter looked up at her, making sure that she was still watching. When he smiled at her, she could see that his teeth were now coated in blood from the wound on his lip.

“Holy shit!” MJ was squealing, but her voice was lost on the girl next to her.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Yeah, holy shit.”

Neither Peter nor 36 were let back on the ice for the rest of the game. A penalty was dealt to ESU, but any other punishment was still unknown. She watched the rest of the game on high alert, trying to stop her eyes from traveling to the penalty box where Peter was seated. It was hard to view him from her position, but she could see a shock of brown hair every once and a while.

When the game was over, ESU had won 8-7. The crowd roared as the buzzer sounded, and when MJ shot up, she joined her. Adrenaline shot through her as she watched the guys on the rink scream and nearly slam into each other. Her view, though, quickly adjusted to Peter as he fled the penalty box. He slid onto the ice with the same practiced ease he’d used during the game. She could see him say something to Zack as he grabbed him by the shoulders. When his eyes finally landed on her, her pulse thrummed in her ears. He knew she was watching him, and that’s just what he wanted her to do.

“Where y’headed?”

The sound of someone’s voice nearly made her throw her water bottle. She’d only just left Xavier Hall when she was accosted (or rather spoken to) by someone who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her head whirled around to meet hazel eyes and a busted lip.

“Are you stalking me?” She spat out, her eyes wide.

“Stalking you? Oh, my God, no,” Peter laughed, wincing when his split lip tugged into a smile, “I used to do a little photography for the paper, I know where the meetings are.”

“Right,” she nodded, “But, like, how did you know I would be leaving right now?”

“Lucky guess?” He suggests, cocking his head in a boyish way. She narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything, he was already speaking again; “Saw you at my game yesterday.”

“It technically wasn’t your game. It was the team’s game. Both teams’ game.” Her voice was pointed as she spoke. When she began walking down the stone pathway that led to a dining hall, Peter followed without question.

“But I was there,” he responded, “And so were you.”

“MJ didn’t want to miss it,” she dismissed his words.

“Oh, yeah, she and Harry are getting pretty serious,” he hummed.

“Mhm,” she replied. She didn’t want to look at him, really. Every time she did, her gaze was drawn to the nasty gash on his lips. Her eyes, however, decided to betray her. She studied it, the way it moved with him, the way it would inevitably split further each time he grinned.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Peter said, almost as if he was reading her mind. Her eyes shot up to meet his.

“Did you get kicked off the team or something?” She asked as if she didn’t already know the answer.

“Hell no,” he laughed, “Just a slap on the wrist. Couldn’t finish out the game, but you already knew that.”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded, “I would’ve thought there would’ve been a little more.”

“I’ve never really gotten in a fight–and that wasn’t even a real fight,” he grinned

“So was that just you showing off or something?” Her brows creased.

“Something like that.”

They reached the entrance of the dining hall. Peter, in all his gangliness, was able to swipe his card before her and open the door. His smile just seemed to widen as she eyed him with a generous amount of suspicion.

“Thanks,” she said slowly as she stepped through the door.

“No problem,” he replied, “See you around, Kitty.”

“You can’t call me—”

He was gone before she could finish her sentence. The door fell shut in his absence, and she watched him walk away through the glass. He carried on down the pathway with his hands shoved into his pockets. A groan slipped from her lips when she realized that she was just staring at him. Her body moved into the dining hall, but her mind wandered (unwillingly) to Peter. He was annoying, and cocky, and smiled way too much for someone with a busted lip. Yet, the main thing stuck in her head was his hazel eyes and the way he watched her with them.

a/n — hey babes!! thanks for the love on this series so far. i’m not sure how long it’s gonna be, but i def have some plans, it’s def gonna get smutty at some point. anyways, hope you enjoyed!!

[cottonlemonade]

Hiii!! I want to send a request but before that ofc i first want to say how i love your works, love how there's another writer for us chubby readers and espc in haikyuu☹️🫂🗣️🫶🏼 i hope you continue to grace us💘🩷

and off to my request if you will 🙇🏽‍♀️ thank you!!!!

for issei, a large *to* medium green apple with a slice of lemon😁

The Coziness Of Storagerooms

word count: 882 || avg. reading time: 4 mins.

pairing: post-time skip!Issei Matsukawa x chubby!Reader

genre: fluff-ish smut

warnings: mdni, nsfw, swearing, also spoilers

request: fluffy-spicy, jealous boyfriend Mattsun

____________________________________________

Was he jealous? Absolutely not. Would he shoot the Argentinian captain to the moon or feed him to a business of ferrets when he touched your arm like that to ensure a slow and miserable death? In a heartbeat.

The Seijoh 4 were attending a small benefit gala upon invitation of their former captain. Oikawa and the Argentinian national team were currently in Japan for a tournament and would spend their time greasing palms of potential investors and, theoretically, Issei had been looking forward to tonight - hanging out with his friends in a fancy suit, having good food and most importantly, getting to show you off to absolutely anyone with eyes. When he picked you up earlier he had spent a full five minutes taking pictures of you from every angle, all stunning in your evening gown, perfectly wrapping around your generous curves. If it wouldn‘t have been for Oikawa, he honestly would have just stayed in and ravished you in that dress. Unfortunately (although not surprisingly), you caught the eyes of one of Oikawa‘s teammates and the tall handsome man had been glued to your side ever since. And because his girlfriend was completely oblivious to his advances, you simply laughed along and took his flirting for simple curiosity. Issei really didn‘t want to be that guy that got all macho and marked his territory but… the alternative was watching his gorgeous girl being charmed at the buffet by some other guy and not even realizing it! He shouldn‘t stoop this low. He shouldn‘t turn into some kind of caveman and drag you away. You were strong and smart and could look after yours- did he just touch your ass?! Okay, fuck this, caveman it would have to be.

“Found you.“, a deep familiar voice said behind you. You sighed in relief. That guy was getting way too close for your liking. You turned to Issei, gratefully linking your arm with his.

“You wanna go get some fresh air, baby?“ With a small polite nod to the Argentinian captain you let your boyfriend lead you away.

“Thank you.“, you let out when you exited the large gala hall. You hadn‘t even noticed how stuffy it was in there. Wanting to veer right towards the big glass doors into the venue‘s courtyard you were surprised when Issei instead pulled you to the left and down a corridor.

“Where are you going?“, you laughed, trying to keep up with his long strides while in heels, but the arm around your hips kept you steady.

Issei opened a door here and there until, “Ah, now this looks cozy.“

It was a storage room for extra chairs and tables. Only a bit of moonlight trickled through a small rectangular window near the ceiling, barely illuminating the room enough to make out more than shapes.

“Gee, I wonder what you want to do here.”, you chuckled and let him lift you onto one of the tables.

Trapped between his strong arms on either side of you, you hummed happily when his lips found yours. For a while he only kissed you, getting needier not long after you started.

“Lay back.”, he panted, holding the back of your head so you wouldn’t hurt yourself.

Seeing you all pretty on the table like that fried the last few rational thoughts that were trying to get his attention.

Issei walked to the end of the table and slowly pushed up your dress, disappointed that the dim silvery light didn’t allow him to fully appreciate your panties. But he did grin when his large hand wandered up your thigh and he felt how wet you were for him.

“Mmh, look at you. How perfect you are, babygirl.”

You seemed to expect him to simply pull the fabric aside but he had other plans. After regaining some sense of reality he stopped squeezing your thighs and hooked his fingers into the band of your panties, pulling them off completely.

“Babe, what are you… ah… you can’t just…”, you moaned.

“Why? You don’t need them.”, Issei said calmly, tucking your underwear into his pocket. He pulled you closer to him, leaned down and began to devour you. There was no teasing, no build up, he just. needed. to taste you.

“Ah… oh my god… nghh, ah! Issei! Yes! Oh my god, don’t stop!” The high pitched pleas from your lips made him grip you tighter, his strong fingers digging into your flesh as his tongue pushed and played and flicked every inch of your pussy he could have at once. You reached down to grab his hair, pulling him even closer and he was pretty sure he could die of happiness right now.

With his relentless stimulation it didn’t take long until you came over his tongue. He greedily lapped up everything you gave him, giving your swollen clit a couple more harsh sucks, before standing up.

“Is it okay if I fuck you, baby?”, he asked, still entirely drunk on you.

Issei could just make out that you gave a little nod.

“Use your words.”, he groaned, lifting your ankle to his lips to give it a kiss.

“Yes, please… please fuck me. I need you.”, you managed to breathe out in a desperate whisper.

“Thank you, princess.”

____________________________________________

a/n: thank you for the request and your kind words! Y’all are being so cute 🥹✨ this one also got a bit away from me 😂 please enjoy!

[hobies-princealbert]

"you worry too much cariño" | boxer! miles 42 x reader

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◇ you were with miles from the start. you saw his love for boxing from the first day yall met. you remember how he would rave about rocky and how his room was littered with cut out pictures of sugar ray, mayweather, muhammad and all the greats.

◇ you remember how he begged his uncle for years to become his trainer. how upset he got when he couldn't perfect his right hook. how sore his muscles got after an eight hour training day. how happy he was when he won his first match that he ran out the ring before the ref announced his victory, and grappled you into a bear hug. you both shed a couple of tears that night.

◇ you were his no.1 cheerleader. always by the ring with mrs. morales and uncle aaron cheering miles on. even if you don't know jackshit about boxing, one thing was certain miles was good. so good that by the time he was 18, he had been invited to compete in that national tournaments.

◇ but no matter how good he was, he would still get nervous. especially if the event drew in a big crowd. you were always there to give him a pep talk or smack the sense back into him, and tell him to get back in there and kick some ass.

"si señorita" he gave you quick kiss (and a pat on the ass for good luck ofc), and headed back into the arena.

◇ he loves when you practically nurse him back to health. whether he got a busted lip or a bruised cheek. best believe after every match, he would make his way back stage where he knew you would be waiting on him with a first aid kit handy.

"miles, you need to be more careful. look at you. your lips, god and your cheek, it's do swollen. don't gimme that look i'm serious look what that asshole did to you"

"cálmate mami, the guy's suppose to beat me up. es parte del trabajo bebe" he took the hand that you had resting on his shoulder and kissed the palm to further his assurance.

"hey if you don't want me to nag you, you can always go to med staff. you know the people who's job it is to do this," you pressed an alcohol pad on his lips which made him hiss a bit.

"you worry too much cariño. plus how am i suppose to get mi besos to me feel better huh?"

◇ miles is more than grateful for all the support you give him, so best believe he's gonna make sure your well taken care of. it's the least he could do for you after so many years of being his nurse, cheerleader and emotional support coach.

◇ the money he's makes from tournaments and sponsorships, he can surely afford to give you anything your heart desires. "just say the word and it's yours mi corazon". plushies, shoes, jewelleries, clothes, nice vacations and dinners. borderline spoiling you rotten.

◇ and if your not one for extravagant things, he'll make sure that you never have to struggle to afford basic necessities. definitely a "don't worry i'll cover most of the bills for you baby" typa man (aaah a girl can dream)

◇ shouts you out in interviews. whether they ask about his love life or his biggest inspiration, he always makes sure that everyone knows he's had a great girl by his side every step of the way, and he hopes to keep it that way for as long as your down.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎◇▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎◇▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎◇▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎◇▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎◇▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎◇▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

@fezcossidepiece (*≧ω≦) enjoyyyy!!!

[is2katiemccard]

ᅟᅟᅟ tolerate it | alessia russo x brazilian!reader, duda sampaio x brazilian!reader

Summary: Everyone goes through bad times in life, but some attitudes can end in mistakes and sometimes there is no way back.

[AN: I'm working on some requests but I couldn't stop thinking about this plot, so here it is! This will be a mini series with two other chapters, hope you like it <3]

ᅟ The last few months have been hell for Alessia. The first blow was the crisis that their secret relationship was facing.

ᅟ During the World Cup you, the English striker's girlfriend, were feeling very overwhelmed, after all, that would be the first time that you would play in that tournament for your national team. As if that wasn't already a huge weight on her shoulders, every day her coach made a point of repeating the same words to the team.

ᅟ “Are you really going to allow the queen of football to retire without a world title with the national team? I don't care if you're young, old or what, you need to give everything for her. Marta deserves this and I will not allow you to ruin this experience for her.”

ᅟ Pia Sundhage was an admirable and successful woman, but she definitely crossed some limits and the most serious thing was almost completely taking away the identity of the Brazilian team. It wasn't news to anyone that Brazil was known for its beautiful, passionate style of play, full of tricks and skills, but since the woman arrived as coach shortly after being eliminated in the 2019 World Cup, things have changed drastically.

ᅟ Despite being a young player, you already had your fair share of experiences at an international level as you left the club that formed you very young and followed Geyse, your colleague and best friend, out of Brazil. A few years passed and while the other girl shone in Spanish lands playing for Barcelona, you enjoyed the contrasting experience of living in London and playing for the red team in the north of the city.

ᅟ It was during one of Arsenal's games against United that you met Alessia and it's safe to say that from the first moment you found yourself in love with the girl with blue eyes and blonde hair. To your surprise, she also ended up really liking you and at the end of that match you exchanged t-shirts and a small note came with hers and contained your phone number and an invitation to dinner.

ᅟ The rest was history, and a story worthy of romance books, by the way, but little by little the whole situation began to fall apart and you seemed to be the only one interested in putting together and pasting all the pieces of your love. While you fought for her, Alessia didn't even recognize any gesture and just worried about her own life and career. She kept it a secret and made a point of hiding it in a trunk under lock and key. Not even your family and closest friends knew that you were a couple and that hurt, a lot.

ᅟ You begged the blonde for help not once, much less twice or three times but she just ignored your messages and calls with the excuse of being too busy preparing for the competition, which wasn't completely a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. While all this was happening and your condition was only getting worse, your teammates noticed how miserable you looked, but they couldn't understand why. It was only when Luana ran after you after a training session that they began to understand what you were going through and despite the help that the midfielder and all the other girls provided you, you never managed to fully recover as a huge part of your problems was your secret relationship.

ᅟ The trigger came at the final whistle in the game against Jamaica, making his biggest fear come true. Brazil was out of the World Cup in the group stage and your heart, which already had some cracks in it, broke in half once and for all. Your eyes roamed the stands hoping to find Alessia somewhere since she had promised she would be there for you, but your search for her was in vain. Without even realizing how it happened, you found yourself kneeling on the field with your face in the grass in front of Marta's boots, who was trying to comfort you while you cried profusely. All the cameras were on you and the Queen of football, knowing how sad and meaningful that image was.

ᅟ Tears were still flowing from your eyes like a waterfall when you felt a weight on your back and two strong arms pressed against your fragile body. All the other players, both Brazilian and Jamaican, gathered around you forming a large circle and sympathizing with the difficult time you were going through. It took some time, but you finally recovered enough to lift your head off the ground and face the older woman in front of you who was looking at you with teary eyes and you were about to break down again when Duda's low voice reached your ears and you body turned to face the girl who held you in her arms so carefully.

ᅟ Just like you, Duda was also part of the new generation of players, she currently played for the best team in the country, the same one that had revealed you to the world a few years ago. You had many things in common, but for some reason she seemed to avoid your presence, always choosing not to stay by your side for long and looking away from your direction. At first you thought she didn't like you, but Luana and some other colleagues assured you that it was just her shyness speaking louder, however, despite all that, she was the one by your side at that moment, looking at you with so much affection that your breath caught for a few moments. The brunette offered you a welcoming smile before extending her hand for you to hold and get up, but noticed how your legs shook when trying to do so and decided to take the action of picking you up and carrying you to the changing room.

ᅟ The more time passed, the harder it was to face reality. Little by little, the devastating sadness gave way to anger, and from anger, to revolt. The local atmosphere was hostile and heavy, each player was dealing with it in a different way, but they all had some thoughts in common, you could have done more, you should have done more. Even in the midst of that chaos, all the players' phones were exploding with messages and calls from family, friends and even players from other national teams who showed solidarity in that difficult time. Despite that, it took almost an entire day for Alessia to contact you and when she did, God, it was disastrous.

ᅟ It took some time, but you managed to convince the blonde to meet you in person in the hotel room where your team was staying.

ᅟ "What do you want from me? I have more important things to do than talk to you.” She said as soon as she reached her room, taking off the hood and glasses she wore as a disguise. Her words affected you more than you wanted to admit and after closing the door and making sure no one had seen the blonde enter your room, you walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. At that moment it became clear that you should get straight to the point with her, knowing that trying to stall would only make things worse.

ᅟ “Good night to you too, Alessia.” Your voice carried a certain irony and the coldness with which you treated her was unusual. “Since you are a very busy woman, I will get straight to the point. I can no longer stand the way you are treating me and I can't maintain our relationship if you continue like this. I know you're avoiding me and I can't understand why. We’ve always been open with each other and you’ve just signed for Arsenal, which I think should only improve our relationship, but you’re more distant than ever.”

ᅟ The striker seemed surprised by your words since you never liked conflicts or more serious conversations like this, and, despite knowing that you were right, she couldn't help but mock you, maintaining an air of superiority while crossing her arms over the chest.

ᅟ “How many times do I have to tell you that I need to focus on my career and the World Cup, hmm? I thought that by this point in the championship this would have become very clear.” You even tried to interrupt her to better explain your point of view, but she didn't even give a chance. “No, you already had your turn to speak, now it’s mine. And, what do you know, you're right, I really am avoiding you because I can't deal with your neediness anymore. Lately you've been so unbearable that I don't even feel like having a conversation with you. I’m a world-class striker, I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit and your problems.” God, how her words hurt. It was hard to believe that the girl in front of you who was putting on such a narcissistic show was the same one you had fallen in love with and loved madly.

ᅟ “Oh, now I understand. So what you want to tell me is that I have to be emotionally available to you in your worst moments just like I was when the United fans turned on you but you can't return the favor because you are a world class striker?” The temperature of that conversation was increasing quickly, as was your voice, which certainly caught the attention of your friends in the next rooms. “How selfish you are, Alessia. I can't believe you mean all this, what happened to you? When did you become so stupid and snobbish? Did winning the Euros get to your head that much? Because a fucking title doesn’t give you the right to treat me like I’m nothing or nobody.”

ᅟ “If by being a snob you mean I'm a realist, then yes, I'm a complete snob. Don't you notice the difference between us? I was instrumental in winning the Euros while you weren't even able to help your team get past the group stage of the World Cup. And don’t be fooled into thinking that I signed for Arsenal because of you and our relationship, I did it because it was best for my career and because your team needs a real player like me.” The tone of voice Alessia used was completely humiliating and the cruelty of her words was so much that it left you speechless. Your girlfriend knew how insecure you were feeling about this tournament and in addition to not helping you with that, she made sure to destroy you once and for all. The woman you loved did this to you, and you couldn't believe it.

ᅟ The expression on your face was one of pure pain and betrayal, your throat was dry and you didn't even know what to say while the blonde was still in front of you watching you with that air of superiority, but when you got up from the bed she was scared. Your body language screamed wrath and your eyes shone from the tears you refused to let go. It was at that moment that Alessia realized everything she had done to you and how much her attitude affected you. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach and the worst person in the world, but now it was too late.

ᅟ "We are over." Your sentence was said indifferently, as if you and the striker didn't have a history. “Get out of here. I don't want to see you ever again” It was obvious that you were containing your emotions, and, in order not to have to deal with them, you walked to the door of your room, coming face to face with Lelê, Geyse, Duda and Luana in the hallway. They had heard everything and were about to invade the room. You looked at them with panic, not knowing how much they had heard, but Alessia was still standing in the middle of the room, shocked by her own actions. “I TOLD YOU TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE.” Your scream was powerful and disturbing like a thunderclap and broke the British woman out of the trance she was in.

ᅟ She had never seen you like that. At the same time that you looked so fragile her body was filled with anger and she knew it was better to do what you said. She left the room slowly, startled by the presence of her teammates who were already there and noticing the arrival of others. Despite this, she had the audacity to try to approach you and say something, but Letícia, Luana and Geyse took a step forward while Duda pulled you away from it. The attacker seemed to want to insist on that, but the goalkeeper blocked her path. Letícia and Alessia were the same height, but the brunette's physical condition made her more threatening and firm like a brick wall. Fortunately her presence was enough for the lioness to give up on her plan and leave in a hurry, like a coward.

ᅟ Only when her silhouette disappeared behind the elevator doors did you allow yourself to give in, running back to the bedroom and, later, to the bathroom, where you barely had time to lift the toilet lid before throwing up. A few seconds later you smelled Duda's perfume around you and her hand on your back, trying to comfort you just like she had done a few days ago. You had no idea what her level of English was and how much she had heard and understood of the conversation, but regardless, she was there, by your side, again.

ᅟ You could hear Luana's voice, imagining that she must be explaining the whole situation to the other girls who arrived after the commotion in the hallway and as you thought about how horrible that situation was, you realized that in a short time you and your ex-girlfriend would play together on the same team. Suddenly the nausea was back and you felt everything spinning around you. Little by little you got better and finally came out of the bathroom, seeing all your teammates crammed into the room and ready to welcome you into their arms.

ᅟ It took a few hours and a lot of explanation on your part, but eventually everyone understood the situation and shared the same anger as you. They were all worried about what would happen in the future since you two are Arsenal players and would see each other every day in a matter of a few weeks, and that worried you too, but it was after a few minutes in silence that Tamires made a suggestion that made your eyes shine.

ᅟ Soon you, the blonde and Duda were in front of the door of Cris Gambaré's room, the director of women's football at Corinthians who was helping the Brazilian coaching staff. When she finally answered, the three of you smiled slightly and the woman took a deep breath, knowing that she had a problem to solve.

BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal midfield star Y/F/N will go on loan to Corinthians, the club that revealed her to the world. The team was surprised by the request, but accepted after some insistence from the player. She must leave for Brazil immediately and will return to Arsenal as soon as the South American season comes to an end in December.

[gisele0127]

I Was Wrong

rin itoshi x reader

notes: angst to fluff, u20 spoilers, grammar mistakes, not proofread, might be a little rushed (sorry!)

Rin itoshi thinks that you should be with someone better.

He doesn’t think he deserves you. He gets so insecure when you’re talking with a different guy, seeing how you’re laughing with him. He can’t help but think he’s holding you back. He can’t help but think he’s the worst boyfriend. He isn’t good with words, always saying the wrong thing. He’s so awkward when you try to be affectionate. He’s too cold. He’s too mean (especially when you two get into arguments). He’s too focused with football. Every morning and every night that’s all he thinks about. Football. Becoming the best striker and beating his brother. You deserve better. You deserve someone who can give you their full attention. You deserve someone who can express their love for you in ways rin cant. You deserve someone better than rin.

Rin loves you so much he’s willing to let you go. So when you guys are at school he thinks about how this is the last time you guys walk together to class. And right now while you’re sitting next to him on his couch. He thinks about the last time he gets to kiss you. Hold you. Tell you he loves you. The last time you’ll be his.

“Hey rin nationals are coming up, can’t wait to see you guys win again” you say with the most beautiful smile hes ever laid eyes on. Oh how he will miss this.

“Yea. Cant wait.” He says in a anxious tone. You brush it off as him just being nervous since it’s his first nationals tournament as a high schooler.

You pull him closer to you. Making him lay on top of you as you kiss his forehead and play with your hair. You don’t miss the way his hold on you is tighter than usual.

“Y/n” this is it. This is when rins life is about to fall apart. This is the moment where he will reminisce about how he broke it off with the one that got away.

“I got invited to a training camp called blue lock. I’ll be gone for a while. I actually don’t know how long so-“

“RINNIE! This is so good! Are you getting scouted again?! I’m so exited for you! Omg I’m so happy”

You ruined it. You interrupted him. But somehow rin feels relived. Sure he didn’t want to end it with you right now. But that means he will have to later.

୨⎯ Time skip to the U20 game ⎯୧

You’re in the stands cheering for rin as the game finishes. Screaming for rin. Screaming that you’re proud. Proud of rin. Rin sees you in the stands cheering for him. He can’t lie about how his heart swells everytime he hears you cheer.

You’re cheering for him. Even while the whole stadium is cheering for Isagi, you cheer for rin. He stares at you. Then and there that’s when he realizes that he was so wrong. So so so wrong.

So when the next day he gets off the train from blue lock he comes running to your house. He has no other care in the world.

So when you finally answer the door he hugs you immediately, smelling your shampoo, catching your lips in the most passionate kiss until you feel something wet get on your cheek.

Rin itoshi is crying. The rin itoshi is crying. He never cries, in fact in all the years you’ve known him he’s never cried in front of you. And before you can get a word out he hugs you close again and says,

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry y/n. For being the worst boyfriend ever. For never being affectionate. For always being rude. For paying more attention to football than you. And for most importantly almost breaking up with you. I’m sorry.” Rin itoshi is currently sobbing on your shirt while you’re standing there clueless and with your heart pounding.

You take Rin into your room for him to calm down and for privacy. You two haven’t said a word to eachother since. I mean the man just confessed about almost breaking up with you.

“You deserve someone better. That’s why. I’m holding you down and you know it too. But seeing you in those stands cheering for me made me realize I don’t want anyone else to have you. I will be better I will change. You’re worth changing for. I don’t care if we’re only 16 I know what I want and it’s you. I want to grow old with you. I want to come home to you everyday. No one else. You’re the one thing I love more than football.”

You stand up smiling “So that’s why you were acting different? Here I was thinking you were nervous about Blue Lock and nationals. Rin you do deserve me and you don’t have to change a single thing. I love you for you. You moron I hate you for making me cry.” You change your position as you were sitting down on the floor to now standing up and tackling rin who was sitting on your bed.

You pull him in for a hug practically holding onto him like a koala. Kissing his neck then whispering into the it “You look cute when you’re declaring your love for me. And even cuter when you’re crying”

“Shut up you sadist.”

[haunted-skitty-doll]

So I think it's well known that scarlet and violet are a rushed, buggy mess, but I wanna share the absolute disaster of a week they've been having for those who may not have heard about all of this

Sunday May 15th: Japan nationals is held as an online tournament, with the top 64 players earning a world's invite. It ends up having multiple bugs such as not allowing breaks between matches, not awarding game wins for an opponent's disconnection, or not showing win loss record, all of which are standard for online battles and tournaments. This gets a lot of complaints obviously, so they decide to redo the tournament and revoke the world's invite of the top 64 players. This is the tldr version, and you can hear a better explanation on Ray Rizzo's youtube channel

Thursday May 18th: the official Japanese Pokemon twitter account says that the Pokemon home update with scarlet and violet compatibility will be released soon. The international account gives us a specific date, May 24th. Keep this in mind for later

Friday May 19th: Great Tusk, Iron Treads, and Chesnaught raid events go live for the weekend. Great Tusk and Iron Treads end up crashing the game when completed, so the entire event is cancelled and postponed

Also Friday May 19th: Pokemon's international twitter account quote tweets their Pokemon home May 24th announcement and says it was a mistake, assuring us it will come "soon"

[nytb]

Blaugrana Were The Colours

Click Here first <3

The dream was slipping from her fingertips. Y/N's sacrifice was necessary after Vilda's blacklist was made public. Luckily for the Spaniards, Y/N wasn't one to back away from a fight.

Weeks of harassment followed. Y/N's image was torn to shreds by the Spanish media. As history repeated itself, her fellow national teammates showed their support for the Catalonian on social media, but just like in the past - it made no difference.

Luckily, Eintracht Frankfurt's plan worked wonders. The German team provoked the much needed uproar in the Spanish Federation. Having friends in high places was worth the hassle : Vilda was out.

Real Sociedad made a tough statement of their own, letting go of a legendary manager, Natalia Arroyo. She hadn't managed to deliver continuous European football for the Basque team. Her future would soon be sealed, she was appointed as the National Team Manager.

There she was, in full glory. A team of gladiators stood behind her. With little to no time, they had to prepare for the World Cup - and what a tournament it was.

The Spanish were hit with further good news - the all mighty Alexia Putellas was available. Spain's chances kept growing by the minute, they had the team and the hunger to cause a major upset.

The group stage began as it was expected. The team hadn't gelled yet, they needed more time. But when things got tough, Alexia showed up. Scoring in crucial moments, leading the Spaniards to the top of their group.

Y/N watched from a distance. The sidelines never suited her, but she stuck around regardless. Interchanging her Spanish jersey with Laura Freigang's German one, she was all over the place. Supporting her friends, regardless of how she felt.

That was her spot - Alexia wasn't meant to play this world cup.

Many people would feel anger, resentment - but that wasn't Y/N. She was happy that her sacrifice had worked, but deep down she was sad, she felt abandoned. Now stuck in limbo, nobody knew her future. Everyone expected her to continue in Fc Barcelona, but the Germans had other plans.

They kept their promise, the news would only be made public after the World Cup. Y/N had time to explain, she had time to say her goodbyes.

Late night calls, random invites to her hotel room; Alexia did her best to keep Y/N in the loop. The Barcelona players followed their captain's lead. Nobody understood why Y/N wasn't called up, she sure had what it took to make a difference.

Regardless of that, Alexia did her best to keep a smile on Y/N's face. It wasn't hard; the Catalonian melted every time Alexia laid eyes on her. Practically in a smitten state, Y/N was falling and so was Alexia.

The constant texting turned into late night calls, the random game nights into impromptu sleepovers. They soon became inseparable.

That was until Germany faced Spain in the semi-finals. Laura stuck to the Catalonians hip, Oberdorf hanging from her neck - she looked at home, at peace. The Germans were set to steal Y/N away from Alexia, again.

Said moment was engraved in Alexias mind, that moment, it became a mental picture she used to ignite her anger; her need to win. Making a point to embarrass the Germans on the field - maybe that would make Y/N rethink her future.

She hadn't realized that her stepping onto the pitch with the Spanish crest on her chest had sealed Y/N's fate.

The Spanish going through to the final was bittersweet. Her Barcelona teammates wished to celebrate it with Y/N but her attention was elsewhere.

Pulled away by her soon to be rivals, Y/N was lifted onto Maria Leon's shoulders. The defender wasn't in the know, but she suspected something.

"Will you ever tell us what happened?" Keeping her question as vague as possible, Mapi was out for blood. Not a fan of coincidences, the Spaniard found the timing weird - one week, Y/N's image is torn to shreds, the next: Vilda is thrown out the door.

An answer never came, at least not the one the defender was looking for "Maybe when all this is over Leon, go celebrate, you deserve it"

Y/N made her way to her German friends, all crumbled on the floor - crying their eyes out. It came like second nature to her; Y/N was the calm after the storm. Consoling her friends, she soon stole some smiles out of them. Cheering them up enough to dance with the fans.

That's when Alexia realized "We have lost her", a statement that didn't fall on deaf ears. All eyes turned to Y/N. Everyone knew what their captain was talking about. Seeing their teammate with the Germans; that was a statement of its own.

They had lost the rough diamond that they had polished, the person that would fight their battles without fear - the perfect teammate.

It all started to sink in - all the times Y/N disappeared when certain topics were brought up, the times she skipped team bonding, the all too coincidental mood shifts before the Federations statements.

How could they miss it when it was all right there?

Nobody expected Maria Leon to step in for the pre-match talk. She hadn't done it before, but what a way to make her debut.

"This isn't just about that trophy. We are only here because Y/N threw herself to the wolves, don't forget that" words that confirmed what everyone suspected. It was real - Y/N had been their savior. Now, it was up to them to fight. "Let's win this for her"

The Lionesses were playing against ghosts. Whoever they faced managed to slip their grasp before they could react. Their previous encounter in the Euros was incomparable.

Spain had someone on the sidelines looking out for them. A team with everybody rowing for the same goal - revenge.

Lifting the trophy, hoping that they had changed the course of Y/N's career. Ignorance was bliss, until they saw Y/N's face. The fight was lost long before the World Cup began.

From euphoric celebrations to tearful goodbyes. Nobody wanted their holiday to end, especially Y/N. Spending the last days of her contract with her Barcelona teammates felt like the perfect ending.

Y/N had earned the title of Hero, for both club and country, but now she was Alexia's hero too.

Barcelona's captain was going through a rough patch of her own, a messed up romantic life, her support system: aka Y/N, leaving soon after.

The Catalonian was left scrambling and only Y/N could catch her.

[otomiyaa]

TGI Tournament

Cynonari | Chili | Wrioney | Kavetham

A/N: HAPPY BDAY FABIIII @lovelynim !!! Busy day so a little late, but it's still your birthday hoho. I combined some of your fav pairings into this random fic, hope you enjooooy :3

Summary: Aether launches his first own international Genius Invokation TCG tournament and is surprised when things get a different turn than expected. (Also on AO3)

Word Count: 2.9K

Genius Invokation TCG wasn't just a game. The more time Aether spent traveling around Teyvat, the more he discovered about it. He had come to the realization that this special card game was actually what connected all nations to each other the most.

Not visions, archons, beliefs, cultures or customs: it was one single card game they all had in common. The rules were the same across all of Teyvat.

Sure one person owned better cards than the other and some players were more invested, skilful and passionate, but in the end, the game was also all about chance.

With this game, a young boy like Timmie could beat the mightiest archon if the odds were in his favor. An everyday farmer could beat the smartest Akademiya scholar if he believed in himself. A beginner, like Aether himself not long ago, could beat someone as obsessed and skilled as Cyno.

He smiled proudly. Aether admired all that, and so thanks to his growing love for the game, the day had officially come: the first 'Traveler's Genius Invokation TCG Tournament', hosted by him, with assistance of Paimon, Diona and Amber, right here in Mondstadt at the Cat's Tail!

They equipped the place with smaller tables to fit in more, and decorated it with flags and decorations from all nations. Because, it wasn't just a Mondstadt event. It was international!

Aether had used his own network to invite various friends, not only from Mondstadt but also from other nations, to play in this international tournament. And he felt so gleeful to have gathered such a nice group of people who valued their friendship and also loved playing the game!

"I can't believe so many came from all over the world!" Paimon squeaked, watching how crowded the Cat's Tail was. Aether was truly surprised too. When he sent the invitation, he didn't expect them to travel all the way to Mondstadt.

"Mondstadt economy is booming thanks to us. Next time we should ask them to pay ー" Aether's reaction to Paimon's sassy comment was blowing into her face, and she whined in response.

"Welcome, everyone! To the first edition of the Traveler's Genius Invokation TCG Tournament, in short, TGI Tournament, " he called out to the crowd. Sadly not everyone could come, but there sure were some surprising faces!

Most surprising were Wriothesley and Alhaitham. How were they able to drop their busy work to come all this way? Glancing at Lyney and Kaveh next to them, grinning triumphantly, he vaguely got a clue...

"We made a tournament chart, you can view it on the board. We will start the first round shortly!" Paimon announced next. The crowd gathered around the board, and excited and also enthusiastic yells could be heard.

And so, after a few more minutes of excited discussions and preparations, the tournament started, with quite the interesting first round, which resulted in even more interesting winners, and various words were exchanged.

Cyno VS Kaeya

Albedo VS Tighnari

Rosaria VS Kazuha

Childe VS Diluc

Fischl VS Lyney

Sucrose VS Bennett

Venti VS Wriothesley

Eula VS Mika

Mona VS Kaveh

Xiao VS Noelle

Zhongli VS Lisa

Alhaitham VS Jean

"Bennett? You won? You're not that unlucky after all!"

"S-S-Sucrose just w-went too easy on me...!"

"What's this, what's this? You lost, Diluc?"

"Shut up, Kaeya. You lost too."

"Eula, did you let Mika win on purpose?"

"I did no such thing."

"Hey.. Is it me or did Mondstadt get owned pretty hard?"

"Maybe a little."

"Guys, do you know why no ladies are left in the next round? Because after all, it's a tourna-MEN-t."

"Cyno!!!!"

Aether chuckled to see all the reactions to the first tournament round, and he walked over to Amber and Diona who were busy working on the chart and scores.

"So I guess it's time for round two soon, then?" Aether said, and he glanced at the new pairs.

"Oh. This is interesting," Aether said, seeing the pairs they made especially since Amber and Diona didn't know everyone that well which actually contributed to the fairness. It needed to be completely random.

Diona nodded and misunderstood what Aether meant with interesting: "Ah yes I know. It's bad for Mondstadt we put the only two left on one table. But you see, Bennett said that-"

Amber interrupted Diona and quickly waved her hands. "I-it's just better this way!"

Aether grinned and nodded. Either one of the two, probably Bennett, was too shy to play against people they weren't too familiar with, or they just wanted to play together. Which was fine of course.

Either way, the next line-up was mostly interesting because for some magical reason they happened to put at least 4 couples together, and not many people knew about their relationship, let alone Amber and Diona!

"That must be a coincidence," Paimon whispered the obvious as she looked over Aether's shoulder, and he nodded.

So, round two:

Cyno VS Tighnari

Kazuha VS Xiao

Childe VS Zhongli

Wriothesley VS Lyney

Bennett VS Mika

Alhaitham VS Kaveh

Amused, he watched how the pairs sat at a table together. Bennett and Mika started playing their game quite cheerfully. Kazuha and Xiao were the ultimate combination for a quiet, calculated and intelligent game of cards without many works spoken.

But those other pairs....

"If I win this, you'll have to listen to at least ten of my jokes without running," Cyno said as he rolled the dice.

"You're going to claim such a big prize after just the second round?" was Tighnari's sassy response.

"Finally. I thought you were never going to play against me again after that last massacre~" Childe sang.

Zhongli did not seem amused. "Stop talking. It's your turn."

"Look at us, traveling all this way for me to beat your ass like I can do at home."

"Don't be so confident, jail guy. I have polished my skills since our last game."

Aether gulped to hear this remark from Wriothesley towards Lyney, but then giggled to hear Lyney's new nickname for the confident Duke.

Alhaitham and Kaveh were having a hilarious staring contest, barely looking away from each other as they played card after card.

"I win. I win again. Oh, I win." Alhaitham was clearly winning and liked to rub it in with live commentary.

"If you say it once again I will kick your ass," Kaveh grunted.

"Are those guys close?" Diona asked as she noticed the interesting dynamics, and she cocked her head.

"They... They are all from the same nations," Aether explained with a stiff smile.

"Eep! Did we mess up?" Amber squeaked.

"No that's fine. I like it this way," Aether said, smirking to see more funny situations unfold.

He was just gazing at the quiet game between Kazuha and Xiao when a funny noise could be heard from another table.

"Childe, stop."

Aether stared. What was... "Hmm, why?" Childe said, followed by the same funny sound.

"Dohohon't!" Seeing Childe reach under the table, there was no doubt he was tickling Zhongli's leg.

"Do nohohot distrahahact mehehe!"

"So you admit. This is distracting you."

Aether smirked. How childish. "Chihilde!"

Not many people present seemed to know how rare it was to hear Zhongli's laughter, and as it was getting louder, he could see Venti walk over there. He had been spectating the game between Kazuha and Xiao, but now joined in with teasing Zhongli.

"What's going on here?" he chirped.

"Hehe's c-cheheating!"

"How's this cheating, then? Old man?" Zhongli's laughter increased when Venti tickled his sides, and the concentration and focus that had been very strong in the first round, now crumbled.

"I'll tell them to stop," Diona said, walking over there, but the moment she was gone, Aether heard another laugh. He turned his head and saw the one laughing was... Cyno!

"Huh?" Paimon had been too busy serving drinks to the participants who lost the first round, so she hadn't noticed the funny mess at Zhongli's table. However she came to look the moment Cyno could be heard barking near them.

"Nahaahahari! Don't dohoho thahat! Thihihighn-aahaha!"

"That's right. I'm tickling your thigh."

"Nohohot fuhuhunny!"

"You dare tell me my joke isn't funny?"

Whatever the reason, Tighnari must've been inspired by the tickly mess at the other table. Right at that moment, Aether heard a loud noise. Lyney just banged his head against the table from underneath. Huh?

"WRIAh- nohoho! Don't you dahahare- why ahahare you- gahhh!"

"For a magician, that was petty and embarrassing. You dropped the dice on purpose when they didn't give you the result you wanted. You know I won't let you get away with cheats, kitten."

Aether blushed when he overheard the exchange. These two weren't subtle at all. He watched how Wriothesley tickled Lyney who had crawled under the table to pick up the dice, but Wriothesley was tickling his sides and ribs relentlessly, trapping him under the table and punishing him for his apparent attempt to cheat.

"Why did it turn out like this?" Amber sighed when Diona returned to their side as well.

"They're not stopping," she complained, hehe, poor girl. Only Aether seemed to be amused by the little chaos. Childe had even jumped up and teased and tickled Zhongli with the help of Venti.

Aether noticed Bennett and Mika had stopped playing for a moment and watched the tickly chaos with smiles on their faces.

Kazuha and Xiao were still playing as if nothing was happening.

Ah, he then remembered he hadn't checked on Kaveh and Alhaitham who were tucked away with their table in the corner, surrounded by various Mondstadt people who were watching their game. He could hardly see them, but sounded like they didn't let the others bother them.

A loud cry made him look away from the busy table again to see Wriothesley throw his head back as he laughed loudly.

"Ahahalright! Alrihihight alreheheady! L-lehehet's continuehehe!" he laughed, and Lyney was still under the table but there was no doubt he was tickling Wriothesley's knees and thighs from under there.

"You started it, Wrio. Besides, I wouldn't have dropped the dice if you weren't distracting me on purpose. And then you accuse me of cheating?"

Aether had no idea who was in the right, but he decided to not interrupt them and walked around, ending up at Zhongli's table.

He tapped Venti's shoulder who was still tickling him together with Childe. "Let's not disturb their game," he said. Venti whined.

"Why? We're having fun."

"At least keep it in between them," Aether disagreed, dragging Venti away, but it didn't stop Childe from simply abandoning his own seat and wriggling himself onto Zhongli's lap, just to tickle him uncontrollably. There was no game to speak of anymore, except a tickle game.

Looked like their duel of Genius Invokation TCG was already abandoned.

"Disqualified," Diona said as she stood next to them, but the Harbinger merely responded with a cheerful peace sign.

"Did you hear that Zhongli? We're disqualified."

"Stohohop thihihis instahahant!" Poor Zhongli. Luckily he didn't need to be too embarrassed since by now, the duos not having a silly tickle fight at their table were in the minority.

"Disqualified."

Wriothesley and Lyney were next, but there wasn't much left of their game anyway. Besides the dice, also some cards had fallen off due to the struggle under the table.

"I think they are still trying to play," Amber said, pointing at Cyno and Tighnari. Despite getting tickled, Cyno was playing card after card, and Tighnari was laughing too, so it looked like they were having a tickle fight under the table while playing the game.

"Stop that, or, disqualified," Diona told them. It seemed to work at first, but the moment she left, Aether could see they started again. Hehe, how cute and silly.

At this point everyone was just laughing and messing around. "There goes our tournament!" Amber whined.

"You'll pay for that!" Cyno and Tighnari had now left their table as Cyno chased Tighnari to the other side of the room. Aether saw that their game was totally messed up, cards and dice scattered over the table and floor.

"Disqualified after all," Diona muttered next to him, shaking her head in disappointment. Tighnari fled into the crowd around Alhaitham and Kaveh's table, trying to hide behind the usually cool and aloof Alhaitham, but it didn't stop Cyno from chasing after him, hands formed into claws.

"Guhuhuys hehehelp!"

"I'll get you for ruining our game!" Everyone backed away and squealed and cheered in surprise when Tighnari was thrown over Kaveh and Alhaitham's table, sending cards falling and flying, and Aether covered his own face in defeat.

"Game over," he said, trying to hide his smile while Diona fumed angrily.

"Such bad manners!" she cried. Tighnari was laughing and flailing as he was tickled by Cyno, and Kaveh and Alhaitham merely got up and went to get a drink, giving up without a complaint.

"You must be glad about this. I was winning," Kaveh said proudly. Alhaitham rolled his eyes.

"How can you say that when I was about to obliterate your final card?"

"I had a strategy."

"A strategy for loss, indeed."

Aether finally stood on top of a table in the middle and clapped. "Alright you guys! That's enough!" His voice wasn't loud enough to interrupt the tickle chaos, so Paimon took her megaphone and yelled instead.

"STOOOOOOOP!" All laughter stopped abruptly. Diona also climbed on the table and crossed her arms.

"Is there anyone who is still playing?!" she yelled. Bennett shyly raised a single finger.

"I won..." he said shyly. Mika scratched the back of his head and shrugged.

"Bennett is really lucky today," he said.

"Anyone else?" Amber asked kindly, looking around. Kazuha also raised his hand.

"I won," he announced sweetly. Woah. Aether saw the indifferent look on Xiao's face and giggled. He felt sorry for him. Xiao was the only one who didn't get a proper invitation, but he simply summoned him by calling his name and dragged him into this.

"Sorry," he mouthed in his direction, to apologize for the chaos, and he was pleased to see a gentle nod in response. Xiao didn't seem to blame him for losing control over the tournament.

"Good! Well then," Paimon said, and she pointed towards the board where Diona made the final adjustments. Exactly two people were left for the finale which ended up taking place sooner than planned.

Cyno VS Tighnari

Kazuha VS Xiao

Childe VS Zhongli

Wriothesley VS Lyney

Bennett VS Mika

Alhaitham VS Kaveh

While the final table was prepared for Kazuha and Bennett's duel, Paimon passed by the other duos to scold them.

"I can't believe all of you just turned it into a tickle fight! YOU started it!" she yelled at Childe, poking his chest and making him giggle.

"Sorry not sorry. Maybe next time we can have a tickle tournament instead," he said, probing Zhongli's side playfully.

"Don't give the Traveler ideas," Paimon sighed. Aether was already smirking. Don't, indeed. The idea of a tickle tournament sounded quite interesting.

"Well then! Last round!" Diona and Amber looked exhausted as the final round finally started. This time everyone was gathered around Bennett and Kazuha's table, with some people getting drinks and giggling at the funny turn of events.

Walking around the room to check on everyone and clean up some of the mess, Aether then saw an interesting display, and shuffled closer to watch and listen.

"D-dohohon't! You bohohoth ahaahare-eepp!" To his surprise, Kaveh had cornered Alhaitham in an abandoned spot behind the crowd and was tickling him now.

Alhaitham was also a rare one to witness laughing, so Aether couldn't help but chuckle at the remarkable sight.

"Y-you g-gaahha q-quihihit ihihit! Y-you're suhuhuch a sohohore loseheher!" Despite laughing, Alhaitham didn't seem amused, but Kaveh wouldn't let him go.

"Sore loser, me? I wasn't losing though." Kaveh looked smug, and Alhaitham appeared very flustered to get tickled in public like this. Not that anyone except Aether was noticing them now. And- woah.

He gulped to see Alhaitham lose his cool. He managed to break free from Kaveh's grasp, grabbed his collar and dragged him outside. Oh. Aether had a feeling that they were returning to their hotel room and that Kaveh was going to get a taste of Alhaitham's revenge in private.

"What are you spacing out for? The finale is almost ending! Come, quick!" Paimon suddenly squeaked, making him jump. Aether quickly returned to the table, making his way through the crowd, and was just in time to witness a unique sight.

Bennett won.

"Congratulations," Kazuha said, shaking his hand formally. Before Aether could say anything, Kaeya already dashed forward and lifted Bennett up.

"We have a winner! Woohoo!" Amber and Diona cheered as everyone applauded. Who would have thought. Bennett, the unlucky guy, but lucky today.

Aether nodded proudly and stepped forward. "Bennett! This is for you." He handed him the trophy he had crafted specially for this event, and Bennett took it with sparkling eyes.

Seeing him so happy, Aether thought that the fact that many other pairs ended up getting disqualified, shortening the tournament enormously, might have contributed to Bennett's luck. He absolutely deserved the win.

Seeing the smiles on Diona and Amber's faces, and the proud Mondstadt people, Aether was glad they also weren't too upset that their tournament turned into a little chaos.

"Let's do this again next year!"

Aether nodded proudly. "We will," he said, although he had to admit the thought of a Tickle Tournament was now paving its way into his mind first. He wondered if he could get anyone to participate...

[bongaboi]

North Texas: 2022-23 National Invitation Tournament Champions

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kai Huntsberry scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half, Tylor Perry scored 14 of his 20 after halftime and North Texas beat fellow Conference USA foe UAB 68-61 on Thursday night to claim the program's first NIT championship.

It was the fourth NIT championship game to feature conference opponents — and the first in 20 years. Conference USA is now 18-2 in the NCAA postseason — with Charlotte winning the College Basketball Invitational title and FAU advancing to the Final Four.

Perry, the conference player of the year and NIT MVP, made a steal and a 3-pointer on a fast break to give North Texas the lead for good at 55-53 with 6:22 remaining. Aaron Scott extended it to 61-55 after making a high-arching layup and a jumper.

UAB guard Jordan Walker was fouled on a 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining and he made two free throws to get within 63-59. North Texas had two shots on its next possession after an offensive rebound and Perry sank a jumper.

After UAB made two more free throws with 49.6 seconds left, Perry dribbled down the clock and hit a step-back jumper, with a foot on the 3-point line, for a 68-61 lead. UAB missed a 3-pointer and Huntsberry was fouled at 13.2 before securing it at the line.

North Texas won its second NCAA postseason championship under sixth-year head coach Grant McCasland. The Mean Green won the 2018 CBI title in his first season in Denton.

Scott finished with 13 points and seven rebounds for North Texas (31-7), which set a program record for wins in a season.

Walker scored 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting for UAB (29-10), which was in the NIT title game for the first time in program history. KJ Buffen added 11 points.

Javian Davis converted a three-point play with 12:43 left in the second half for UAB's first lead, 47-45, since it was 15-14. The Mean Green scored 22 of the first 30 second-half points.

It was the fourth meeting of the season between the teams — with North Texas winning two regular-season meetings before a matchup in the conference tournament semifinals.

AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

[sirenjose]

Analysis of Ganji Gupta

Ganji was born in India during a time when Britain still ruled over it.

Britain came to India after a sea route connecting Europe to India was found, and Britain initially came due to the economic prospects of trade, but eventually this turned into the desire to acquire territory.

The British presence in India began with the establishment of the British East India Company (the British government having no authority over them at this time). Initially, the focus was trade and acquiring goods such as silk, cotton, spices, and more. Trading posts were established and British communities developed, but eventually they started to meddle in Indian politics and transformed from a trading company to a ruling one. It was at this point that the British attitude towards Indians degenerated (a sense of superiority vs inferiority formed, biased views regarding non-western cultures arose, British disdain increased, and so on). Racism, frustration from the British forcing their own way of doing things (including the English language) on them, policies benefiting the British, and so on contributed to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (aka Revolt of 1857, First War of Independence, or Sepoy Mutiny).

As a result of this rebellion, the British East India Company was replaced by the British Raj, which was when the British Government took direct control from the East India Company, with Queen Victoria later proclaimed Empress of India. Britain continued to focus on profit and change beneficial to themselves, which led to subjugation and exploitation, and their views of Indians did not improve (still viewed themselves as superior, believed in stereotypes as well as believed Indians were in need of British guidance and governance to civilize them and bring them modernity).

This background is important for Ganji as it is clear this is what he experienced, especially due to Ganji’s 1st letter.

Ganji we know grew up with a talent for cricket, which was the “British national sport”.

 His 2nd deduction implies he was a “prodigy”, with many people who knew him recommending him to participate in the regions “open tournament”. We know from Ganji’s trailer that he received “Love, Happiness, Hope and Pride” from playing cricket, showing how much he enjoyed the sport and how much it meant to him.

According to this same deduction, combined with Ganji’s backstory, we knew he was a “kind, obedient, and friendly” person, “mild-mannered” (aka gentle and not given to extremes of emotion, which is curious considering later on in Ganji’s story), quiet, and well-behaved. One of Ganji’s backstories states this event (where he was recommended to participate in the Open) took place when he was 16 years old.

During this competition, we know he was skilled enough to earn 12 consecutive wins. The next game after those 12 was a semi-final with the British Royal team. It does not say if Ganji won or lost that match, nor if he won the competition in general, but we do know he was skilled enough to receive an invitation from the Royal team to join them and an offer to help him train. As the deduction uses the word “exception” and applauds him for his performance, I’m assuming he did manage to at least defeat the British team and could’ve won the competition too, but it’s impossible to say for sure right now.

We do know that Ganji saw this invitation as a “good chance” and he “looked forward to a better future”. As a result, he left India with the British Royal team, where he stayed at the Queen’s Guard’s manor. Unfortunately for Ganji, it isn’t until he has arrived that he realizes the truth: “he discovered that no one here cared about him at all, and that he was just a toy that was called away for entertainment when the Guard had a little fun. No one knew where he came from, and no one had seen his family. He was struggling alone in this strange place”.

This was echoed in Ganji’s trailer, which says: “Yet when I was brought here I finally realized, These gentlemen simply needed a proper toy to play with. The funny thing is they were far from gentlemanly themselves. All they longed for were our submission and servitude”.

The terms “submission and servitude” tell us how Ganji was treated while in Britain at the Queen’s Guard’s manor. This is further emphasized by Ganji’s deduction 5, which states Ganji was only given 1 day to train, while 2 others (Oliver and Willie) were given 3 days to train. As that deduction says, despite how Ganji hoped for a better future from this opportunity, the “other sided” ended up only being a “mirage”.

Considering Ganji’s earlier invitation and how he is now being treated combined with only being given 1 training day, it seems the British didn’t want Ganji to be outstanding, which potentially could relate to the feelings of superiority discussed earlier. They didn’t want to feel inferior to someone like Ganji, and thus could further explain why they didn’t give him much training time. In the trailer, we see him picking up balls, and if this was all he was allowed to do, that’d further hurt his ability to train and improve. Lastly, Ganji was only allowed to train on Sundays, and back then, this was seen in Britain as a day of rest, when people didn’t work. This could’ve included cricket as well (there are instances of people being prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday), which shows how much the Royal team tried to hinder Ganji’s ability to train, meaning he likely wasn’t being trained very professionally.

(If the room we see Ganji in before the fire in his trailer is the one he was given upon arriving at the manor, the state of the room could further show how the Royal Team felt about Ganji. The only identifiable items in the room are the cricket ball, as cricket is what he enjoys, and a blurry picture that we can see Ganji in, which could potentially have been of his home and thus ties to his desire to return to it.)

This fits with Ganji’s design notes which say “his social status and the agenda of politicians did not allow him to have obvious extraordinary talent”. It is because of this the design notes say Ganji’s gentle personality was forced to change into “a personality that takes strong measures to fight against fate”. (It is also right after this that it mentions Ganji being “manic”.)

Going to Ganji’s 1st letter, it further reveals how people thought and felt about Ganji and others like him. The part where the author says they need to “take the lead so that the rest of us may get the chance to educate the foolish” fits with how we earlier discussed the British felt they had to govern and civilize the people of India for their own good. This is emphasized with how later the letter says “If it weren't for your insight, he would have spent his life in the mud without ever being touched by the empire's light” and Ganji getting “the chance to lead a civilized life”.

This letter describes Ganji as a “gift” with his “only desirable qualities” being his “average cricket skills and humble personality”. Their sense of superiority is clear hear considering they call Ganji’s skills “average”, yet we know he was talented considering he at least managed to receive 12 consecutive wins in the competition, while the comment about Ganji being “humble” could tie in to how Ganji in his trailer says they just wanted “our submission and servitude”.

Despite how badly Ganji was treated, the one exception was the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We know he was friendly to Ganji based on Ganji’s deduction 6, which is title “relieved” and shows that the kid thought Ganji was “brilliant” and asked Ganji to play with him. It is possible Ganji is the one who feels “relieved”, and that could be due to actually finding someone friendly in this place. In the JP and CN versions, it potentially has the kid use the term “big brother” for Ganji, so altogether, the kid was likely being honest about his feeling regarding Ganji’s skills and honestly just wanting a real playmate (rather than a toy like the others saw Ganji as).

In this same deduction, it mentions a “well-made board” that has Ganji’s name carved in it. As this is the deduction that involves the son of the manor owner of the Queen’s Guard, it is possible this board was a gift from that kid, and that board may have actually been a bat for cricket.

Going back to Ganji’s 1st letter, it mentions a “Duke Elgin” and a “Viscount”. Based on the mention of “the Viscount’s prominent father” and how this Viscount “demanded” Ganji to “take classes with him instead of just playing cricket with him”, it’s possible the “Viscount” could be the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We know this boy asked Ganji to play cricket with him due to how cool and talented he thought Ganji was, so it could also fit he might also ask Ganji to take classes and spend other time with him. I’d like to imagine Ganji enjoyed spending time with the boy, as taking classes and playing cricket with him was likely much better than being treated as a toy by the others or languishing along in his poor room.

Ganji continues to play cricket, despite his anger, though he does form a relationship with this boy. If Ganji was 16 during the Open when he was invited to join the Royal Team, and Ganji is at least 21 in game (as he can drink Demi’s dovlin), he was likely subjected to the mistreatment of the Royal Team and owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor for a fair number of years at least. As we know, he was never able to meet his family while he was at that manor and he was forced to “struggle alone in this strange place”. The “last straw” came one day when he received news “bad news” about his hometown, with his deduction 7 saying he’d received a letter saying “Go home and save them!”

It is soon after this that a fire breaks out and burns down the manor of the Queen’s Guard. The only survivor was the owner’s son and Ganji.

This is also the same time that in his backstory trailer it says “Stop being nice to everyone. I need a new identity. I want to go home. Perhaps that is the only place where there's still hope”.

This matches with Ganji’s last deduction, which is “a letter to home” that he wrote to his mother, saying that “everything’s fine with me. I’m coming home soon”.

Right after the fire starts in one of his backstories, it says Ganji became a “manic patient, often falling into uncontrollable irritability”, so it seems the fire and around this time is when he is first said to be manic. His deduction 9 has a diagnosis saying “Mania, easily irritated. Avoid looking at fire. Suggest locking all windows and doors and staying at home alone”. It is because of his worsening mania that is says people stayed away from him and called him a “thug”, but Ganji only cared about going home.

Once again returning to Ganji’s 1st letter, the end of it talks about getting info on Ganji’s “hometown and the extraordinary spice extraction”. The mention of spices fits our earlier discussion on Britain’s interest in India in part for its spices. This info about Ganji’s home and spice extraction is apparently helpful to whoever this “sir” is and an “upcoming mission” he will be going on. This same “sir” is apparently someone responsible for the idea to bring Ganji to England (though for now I’m thinking he isn’t the Queen’s Guard’s manor owner, who I think is the Viscount’s father).

Considering the talk about Ganji’s hometown and the obvious interest in its “spice extraction”, this could mean this “sir” is someone behind whatever “bad news” came from Ganji’s hometown, and likely the “bad news” and “upcoming mission” had to do with their clear interest in its spices. And if they wanted info on Ganji’s hometown, that could mean one of the few reasons they invited Ganji over was for that info so they could exploit his hometown for the “spice extraction”.

(One side note about Ganji’s 1st letter, but in the CN and JP versions, it says this “Sir” is someone who is recovering their health in “Delhi”, which further shows it’s not the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor, who we know was in Britain. It’s possible, if this is someone capable of going on missions and is mentioned regarding “we need… people like you to take the lead” that this “sir” is someone higher up in the government regarding rule of India, who could order a mission to Ganji’s home for it’s “spice extraction”).

Next is Ganji’s 2nd letter, which unlike his 1st (which happens before the fire) his 2nd happens after the fire. We hear he tried to board a freighter. Likely he was attempting to stowaway to return home, but he was caught and taken away by someone working for Duke Elgin. Ganji was placed in a detention center, where he was examined. They mention a “strange scar on his forehead”, which potentially came from the fire that burned down the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We do see Ganji with the owner’s son while the fire burns the manor, so if he had to go in to rescue him, that could have been when.

Considering how they say Ganji, besides his scar, seems “as strong as ever” to me kind of feels like they’re still talking about him like an object or one of their possessions.

After this, the letter mentions how Ganji would be “quiet during the day” but would go “mad” at night, with him “either holding his head between his hands while slamming it against the wall with a pained expression plastered across his face or attempted to snatch the candles used by the guards to keep the place lit up. He only settled down once we locked him in the darkness of the dungeon. But once the next day arrived, he was back to normal again”. It was due to this behavior that the author states he went to purchase “strong sedatives” (to be used on Ganji if he went out of control). During this time while the author was away, Ganji was able to escape despite the guards around him. Despite this, the author believes Ganji will return as they still had several of his possessions, including “medical records, an invitation, and that "treasure" of his.

It says the part with the signature had been “burned off”. If Ganji was messing with candle fire while in the detention center, it’s possible he did something similar to this letter if he got ahold of it (unless it’s nothing important).

The mentioned “treasure” is likely the note from home that reads “Come home, child”. Considering it says “child”, there’s a chance this could’ve been written by his mother. We know Ganji’s written to her himself before, so him receiving correspondence from her would make sense.

Another treasure we know Ganji owns is his accessory Cozy Fleece, which is a sheep toy “given to Ganji when he was young” and said to be “one of the several treasures in his luggage”. This was likely another item given to Ganji by his mother, when he was still home, and thus why he treasures it. Another potential treasure could be Ganji’s bansuri accessory, which has the description that mentions its music helps to recall his hometown.

As for the medical records, it says that the patient is suffering “severe homesickness” and displays “impulsive behavior during times of extreme depression or anxiety”. This means that Ganji’s “mania” is caused by his “severe homesickness” in moments when he’s suffering from “extreme depression or anxiety”. That could mean, with Ganji already being homesick for years before the day the fire started, Ganji’s “last straw” when he received bad news about his hometown now makes sense why the fire likely started then. That “bad news” triggered his anxiety and severe homesickness, depressed him when he realized he was stuck at this manor with no quick way home, before then making him impulsive and “manic” in his desire to go home as soon as possible. Whether or not it was on purpose or an accident, it is possible one of his “impulses” resulted in the fire starting, or a confrontation that triggered his irritation causes it to accidentally begin. Maybe a bit of sanity returned to him afterwards, and that could be when he rescued the boy as we see him with the boy during the fire in Ganji’s trailer. But for now, information is scant on the specifics of this event.

Potentially after escaping detainment could be when we see him living by himself like in his other backstories. It’s possible he was in hiding from those that had captured him. We don’t know for sure whether he returned to them for his treasure (it’s possible with how important his note from his mom likely was). We know from Ganji’s backstory that it says he “lived in a cold room with little furniture for years” and “seldom stepped outside during the year”. He had no friends, always looked solemn, and people found it “difficult to get to know him”. Ganji is described as “peculiar and lonely”, and someone his neighbors “loved to gossip about”.

His backstory mentions “random loud noises coming from his room”, which could tie to the behavior he displayed at night in the detention center, when he’d hit his head against a wall.

Regarding Ganji hiding in his room all the time, this connects back to his deduction 9, the diagnosis that suggested “locking all windows and doors and staying at home alone”.

The part about “avoid looking at fire” implies, whether or not he did it and whether it was on purpose or accident, it implies he’d been deeply affected by the fire that burned down the manor. Maybe because of all the feelings (and irritation) he had from how long he spent there, being mistreated and never being allowed to train. Maybe because of the boy he’d formed a relationship too and how this fire took away his home and family, just like Ganji was without his home and family. Maybe any conflict he had if he was somewhat responsible, whether accidentally or on purpose, as his trailer does mention wanting those “gentlemen to repent for their sins” but also because this was a place he’d had such high hopes for regarding his future and now it’s turning to ashes, as well as was a place he’d suffered alone, away from his family, for a long time, but more conflict because Ganji was deep down still a “kind” person (and maybe regretted not saving more people, or regretted if he had a fit of anger and its consequences that day that causes all these events). Just another boy, like the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard crying at the sight of his home on fire, that was crying out for his family and home as it was threatened or attacked but Ganji unable to do anything about it.

The backstory continues by saying he kept his appearance “hidden” whenever he went out, which could relate to if he was in hiding from the people who’ve been trying to capture him in his letters, or to the mistreatment he potentially receives if people knew where he was from, or to hide the scars on his face from people if he knew how they’d react upon seeing it (as they did describe his face as “horrifying”). It also fits with how his trailer said he needed a “new identity”.

Despite how they treated him, Ganji was said to give “softly spoken words of appreciation to the neighbors’ trivial kindness”, which seems to connect to Ganji’s original personality (as he was described as kind, friendly, and mild-mannered before he came to Britain).

Others debated the reason for Ganji’s behavior, suggesting “regret” (tied to the fire that ended his training with the Royal Team, as other people wouldn’t know the full truth about his feelings towards the Royal Team) or “cautiousness” (from living in a foreign country). Unfortunately for Ganji, everyone decided that Ganji had “a lot of secrets” and “might bring trouble to the town and decided to stay away from him”.

The last thing we hear about Ganji is he still dreamt of returning home, and eventually received an invitation from the manor, offering a “huge reward”, enough for Ganji to use to go home, and he “decided to take the risk”.

Side note regarding Duke Elgin.

I couldn’t find any “Duke” Elgin, but I did find an “Earl” of Elgin. The 9th Earl of Elgin, Victor Bruce, was the Viceroy of India.

I don’t think this is the exact same “Duke Elgin” but it could be a basis for the character (for Netease when designing this).

These were individuals appointed by the British monarch. They represented the British government in India and exercised authority over British India on behalf of the British crown. Victor Bruce served as Viceroy during 1894-1899m which was a particularly troubled period in Indi’s history, and his tenure was not seen as a successful one. During his administration, there was economic and social unrest, a famine, bubonic plague, and the Tirah campaign (Afridi Frontier Rising). This campaign took place in Northwest India and involved the British seeking to restore control over the area after an uprising occurred (with 1 of the challenges they faced being the mountainous terrain).

I don’t think this is exactly where Ganji is from, but this event, as well as all the other issues occurring at the time, could relate to or be a sort of basis (to Netease) for whatever did actually happen to Ganji’s hometown.

Apparently the “bansuri” is a flute connected to north Indian music (with the venu being connected to the south), which could mean (with how the Tirah Campaign happened in the Northwest) Ganji could be from somewhere in the North part of India.

[lil-shiro]

Some Lance (+ Fernando) Lore

If you didn't know, Lance and Nando have *technically* been on a podium together!

On June 9, 2010, the Wednesday before the Canadian Grand Prix - Scuderia Ferrari organized a karting race for the whole team, all the staff from Maranello were invited.

During that week, Ferrari also announced that Lance had been signed to the FDA, the youngest person to ever do so even til now. He won the Canadian national championship - Rotax Mini Max and Florida Winter Tour that same year.

From Ferrari's press release: This friendly tournament organized by the team at an indoor venue a few minutes from the centre of Montreal, brought together engineers, mechanics, catering crew and logistics, with every competitor getting two chances to race. At the end of an unforgettable evening, with a very unexpected grid, the twelve fastest took part in a race with a standing start. 

Lance finished P2 in that kart race, in-between Fernando (P1) and Felipe Massa (P3).

Pics from the event!

First pic is Lance, second pic Nando is there in the black shirt

Pics from the same weekend

Bonus: this is the race where Lance was in the Ferrari garage and got broadcasted during quali (watching his future teammates)!

[yuurei20]

Hello! It's the same anon who was asking about the months the books take place in, how long the breaks were, when the culture fair was etc etc and I'm actually currently working on the timeline rn (and I plan on including the casts birthdays so that's fun lol) but I wanted to know if there is ever mentioned of any dorm specific events like the unbirthday? And is it ever mentioned when they might happen? (Like anything from the month or the condition for it to happen (ie the unbirthday parties only being able to happen when it isn't someone's birthday))

Also what are the holidays that are celebrated in twst and their estimated dates/months? Should I maybe look into some common Japanese holidays for what they might celebrate? Also are we given any events/celebrations in other countries in twst? (ie Cheka and Felena's birthdays since those are likely holidays as they are Ruling/heir royalty) also are they any mentions in story of any weather changes? (I remember in the prologue when we first stay in ramshackle it starts raining but I'm unsure if the weather is mentioned anywhere else)

Anyways, thank you for all you do here and for running this blog your a life saver lol <3

Hello hello again! ^^ Thank you for this question!

Heartslabyul Events:

The only event specific to Heartslabyul that I have been able to find is, as you say, the Unbirthday parties! There seem to be multiple held throughout the year. Cater says they are held on days when no one has a birthday and if the Housewarden feels like it, so there does not seem to be a specific, pre-determined schedule!

One of these parties overlaps with the Starsending event, which seems to be separate from the party we see in Book 1, which might come before the party we see in Trey, Deuce, Ace and Cater’s dorm vignettes, where Trey mentions “the incident” that was likely Riddle’s overblot.

During the Phantom Bride event Riddle mentions a croquet tournament held at Heartslabyul, but those tournaments seem to be a part of Unbirthday celebrations rather than independent happenings.

Cater mentions that Heartslabyul's garden flowers put on a concert in the spring, but I am not sure if the concert counts as a dorm event or if it is something the flowers do on their own.

Savanaclaw Events:

The only regularly-occurring Savanaclaw happening I was able to find is the morning Spelldrive training that was instituted after October’s tournament! 

Dorms such as Heartslabyul, Scarabia and Pomefiore mention welcome parties for new students, held right after opening ceremonies.

Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Ignihyde and Diasomnia do not seem to mention these parties, but that does not necessarily mean that they are not taking place and they might be a school-wide tradition—except! In the first visual book Yana has a comment that alludes to Savanaclaw maybe not having one, so maybe they’re not school wide after all? (Comment: “(Ruggie) is thinking about if the welcoming party for new students (is there one?) will have tasty food.”)

Octavinelle Events:

Was not able to find any regular events for Octavinelle, and the dorm’s happenings may be fairly tied into Mostro Lounge?

Azul says that weekends are their busiest time, and they also seem busy during the National Track and Field Meet.

Scarabia Events:

Was not able to find any reference to regular happenings at Pomefiore, Ignihyde or Diasomnia, and Scarabia’s are a little difficult to track because it seems that Kalim will throw multiple parties on weekends: When asked why he intends to have yet another party when he had one just the night before Kalim explains, “that’s what the weekend is for.”

We see other instances of parties being hosted at Scarabia, such as when the founding mages for a new school to be established in the Scalding Sands visit NRC and when Kalim invites Crowley to a banquet to be held in his honor, but these do not seem to be regular occurrences that are tied to the dorm.

Curiously, Scarabia might even have two banquets for new students: in addition to the welcome party mentioned in Jamil’s ceremonial robes vignette, there is a “banquet for (their) new students” referenced in Kalim’s school uniform vignette.

While this might just be the same party, Kalim invites Riddle to attend and Riddle agrees, despite how Heartslabyul has a post-orientation welcome party of its own, hosted simultaneously with the party mentioned by Jamil.

This seems to mean that either Riddle left the first-ever Heartslabyul welcoming party he was attending as its Housewarden, or Scarabia has more than one welcoming party for new students?

(This post has become quite long! Will compile Twst worldwide-holidays and weather separately ^^ I hope this helps!)

[ausetkmt]

Black women have made important contributions to the United States throughout its history. However, they are not always recognized for their efforts, with some remaining anonymous and others becoming famous for their achievements. In the face of gender and racial bias, Black women have broken barriers, challenged the status quo, and fought for equal rights for all. The accomplishments of Black female historical figures in politics, science, the arts, and more continue to impact society.

Marian Anderson (Feb. 27, 1897–April 8, 1993)

Underwood Archives / Getty Images

Contralto Marian Anderson is considered one of the most important singers of the 20th century. Known for her impressive three-octave vocal range, she performed widely in the U.S. and Europe, beginning in the 1920s. She was invited to perform at the White House for President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1936, the first African American so honored. Three years later, after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Anderson to sing at a Washington, D.C. gathering, the Roosevelts invited her to perform on the steps of the Lincon Memorial.

Anderson continued to sing professionally until the 1960s when she became involved in politics and civil rights issues. Among her many honors, Anderson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.

Mary McLeod Bethune (July 10, 1875–May 18, 1955)

PhotoQuest / Getty Images

Mary McLeod Bethune was an African American educator and civil rights leader best known for her work co-founding the Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Born into a sharecropping family in South Carolina, the young Bethune had a zest for learning from her earliest days. After stints teaching in Georgia, she and her husband moved to Florida and eventually settled in Jacksonville. There, she founded the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute in 1904 to provide education for Black girls. It merged with the Cookman Institute for Men in 1923, and Bethune served as president for the next two decades.

A passionate philanthropist, Bethune also led civil rights organizations and advised Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt on African American issues. In addition, President Harry Truman invited her to attend the founding convention of the United Nations; she was the only African American delegate to attend.

Shirley Chisholm (Nov. 30, 1924–Jan. 1, 2005)

Don Hogan Charles / Getty Images

Shirley Chisholm is best known for her 1972 bid to win the Democratic presidential nomination; she was the first Black woman to make this attempt in a major political party. However, she had been active in state and national politics for more than a decade and had represented parts of Brooklyn in the New York State Assembly from 1965 to 1968. She became the first Black woman to serve in Congress in 1968. During her tenure, she co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus. Chisholm left Washington in 1983 and devoted the rest of her life to civil rights and women's issues.

Althea Gibson (Aug. 25, 1927–Sept. 28, 2003)

Reg Speller / Getty Images

Althea Gibson started playing tennis as a child in New York City, winning her first tennis tournament at age 15. She dominated the American Tennis Association circuit, reserved for Black players, for more than a decade. In 1950, Gibson broke the tennis color barrier at Forest Hills Country Club (site of the U.S. Open); the following year, she became the first African American to play at Wimbledon in Great Britain. Gibson continued to excel at the sport, winning both amateur and professional titles through the early 1960s.

Dorothy Height (March 24, 1912–April 20, 2010)

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Dorothy Height has been described as the godmother of the women's movement because of her work for gender equality. For four decades, she led the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW )and was a leading figure in the 1963 March on Washington. Height began her career as an educator in New York City, where her work caught the attention of Eleanor Roosevelt. Beginning in 1957, she led the NCNW and also advised the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.

Rosa Parks (Feb. 4, 1913–Oct. 24, 2005)

Underwood Archives / Getty Images

Rosa Parks became active in the Alabama civil rights movement after marrying activist Raymond Parks in 1932. She joined the Montgomery, Alabama, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1943 and was involved in much of the planning that went into the famous bus boycott that began the following decade. Parks is best known for her December 1, 1955, arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White rider. That incident sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott, which eventually desegregated that city's public transit. Parks and her family moved to Detroit in 1957, and she remained active in civil rights until her death.

Augusta Savage (Feb. 29, 1892–March 26, 1962)

Archive Photos / Sherman Oaks Antique Mall / Getty Images

Augusta Savage displayed an artistic aptitude from her youngest days. Encouraged to develop her talent, she enrolled in New York City's Cooper Union to study art. She earned her first commission, a sculpture of civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, from the New York library system in 1921, and several other commissions followed. Despite meager resources, she continued working through the Great Depression, making sculptures of several notable Black people, including Frederick Douglass and W. C. Handy. Her best-known work, "The Harp," was featured at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, but it was destroyed after the fair ended.

Harriet Tubman (1822–March 20, 1913)

Library of Congress

Enslaved from birth in Maryland, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. The year after she arrived in Philadelphia, Tubman returned to Maryland to free her family members. Over the next 12 years, she returned nearly 20 times, helping more than 300 enslaved Black people escape bondage by ushering them along the Underground Railroad. The "railroad" was the nickname for a secret route that enslaved Black people used to flee the South for anti-slavery states in the North and to Canada. During the Civil War, Tubman worked as a nurse, a scout, and a spy for Union forces. After the war, she worked to establish schools for formerly enslaved people in South Carolina. In her later years, Tubman also became involved in women's rights causes.

Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753–Dec. 5, 1784)

Culture Club/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Born in Africa, Phillis Wheatley came to the U.S. at age 8, when she was captured and sold into enslavement. John Wheatley, the Boston man who enslaved her, was impressed by Phillis' intellect and interest in learning, and he and his wife taught her to read and write. The Wheatleys allowed Phillis time to pursue her studies, which led her to develop an interest in poetry writing. A poem she published in 1767 earned her much acclaim. Six years later, her first volume of poems was published in London, and she became known in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The Revolutionary War disrupted Wheatley's writing, however, and she was not widely published after it ended.

Charlotte Ray (Jan. 13, 1850–Jan. 4, 1911)

Charlotte Ray has the distinction of being the first African American woman lawyer in the United States and the first woman admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia. Her father, active in New York City's Black community, made sure his young daughter was well educated; she received her law degree from Howard University in 1872 and was admitted to the Washington, D.C., bar shortly afterward. Both her race and gender proved to be obstacles in her professional career, and she eventually became a teacher in New York City instead. 

[featguler]

baby steps, baby ────── a late night conversation in his car. threading on a whole new thing with kylian.

♡ ────── pairing : kylian mbappé x reader ♡ ────── tags : reader's gender, ethnicity, nationality, and appearance is not specified. reader lives in an apartment in paris and is a normal person. reader is somewhat insecure and is filled with doubts abt their relationship. ♡ ────── wordcount : 710 ♡ ────── notes : seems like i'm just writing whatever the fuck i want. send in req's pls ♡ masterlist.

You choose not to ask Kylian if he had ever felt the way you are feeling before.

Why would you?

His past relationships are none of your business, the previous pairs of lips he’d kissed are none of your business, and the beds he chose to spend his nights on before yours are none of your business either.

He opens the door to your side of the car, he orders your food for you, and asks if you would like to share a dessert to hide his own eagerness. He is endearing, and the right now you have is enough.

It’s silly to obsess over did-not-happen-yet scenarios. Your brain, though, cannot help but string you along.

As he drives down the road leading to your arrondissement, on your third night out after an awkward confession in your apartment, Kylian talks about how he has to fly soon to Germany. He talks about how they—whoever they are—have begun integrating group games and activities into practice, and he talks about how keeping a team cemented requires more HR work than anything else.

It still feels out of your mind that you are dating Kylian Mbappé—superstar footballer, conceited on field and humble off it. Grace lace his strides and half the world wants him. Or maybe not. You’re not sure. That’s what it feels like, though.

You wouldn’t imagine that you’d be sharing a drink together a few months back, moreover a car ride, moreover a night out, moreover a kiss.

“...come with me?”

You noticed that you were dozing off the conversation, preoccupied with Paris’ night light just outside your seat window.

“To Germany?” You ask, trying to gauge the context of the conversation from what you remember. “Me?”

He laughs a hearty laugh, glancing over at you as quick as he looks back to the road.

“Yeah,” his grin is illuminated by the occasional streetlights—you recognize the quirk of his eyebrow as the sign of an incoming jest. “Watch me play, beat the whole tournament in one game.”

You laugh along with him. “I’ve watched you plenty, Kylian.”

“Not outside France,” he retorts before stopping for a quick second. “And not outside Paris.”

“Well,” you hesitate, “I’ve got a job and all, you know? Can’t exactly drop everything and leave for Germany.”

You watch the fist around his steering wheel tighten, his lips pursing after yet another one of your rejection. He’d always asked you to come to his games—begged you, even. Far before you had recognized the intention behind his invites, he’d send texts asking if he should save a ticket. It would be a game in Spain or Germany, always somewhere far-off, and always on a working day.

You would think that he had gotten used to the disappointment, but you try putting yourself in his position, and imagine how he would feel. It’s probably different from the hurt you feel every time he has to leave you for long, but you try matching it.

“But anyway,” you speak, hoping to distract the sudden tense atmosphere invading the car. “How do you win a tournament with just one game?”

“You never know,” you hear the light returning to his words. “If I score 20 points in the first 30 minutes, maybe they’d change the rules.”

“I’d change the rules,” you counter. “For you.”

You turn to watch the road ahead, but from the corner of your eyes, you see a quirk of his lips, and then a quirk of his eyebrows.

“That’s sweet,” he reaches over to touch the hands folded on your lap, grabbing one in his. “But it would be boring if all the rules were altered to fit me.”

“Yeah,” you chuckle, flipping your hand to return his hold. “You gotta take it one game at a time, one goal at a time.”

“Uh-huh,” he nods. “Baby steps. I’ll get there in due time.”

He pulls your hand over, pressing a kiss on top of your knuckles. This right now feels too good to be true—if it were you and him against the world, it seems like it wouldn’t be as scary as all of the imagined scenarios in your head.

“Baby steps, baby.” You look at him and cannot hold back the smile, “Baby steps.”

[alonetimelover]

Easter Monday

pairing: Harry Styles x slavic(polish)!fem!reader

summary: Harry nad YN are spending their first Easter together, embracing their cultural differences. To celebrate Easter Monday Harry found something very interesting on the internet, hoping to make YN happy, he decided to surprise her with it - id didn't go as planned.

word count: ~1,3k (a little baby)

a/n: so i found out about this holiday in Poland and decided that it would make a fun, fluffy piece for the slavic!reader trope. if i got something wrong, please do tell me!

(another piece of wiriting with a slavic! reader is here > BRITs awards <)

masterlist

When Harry met YN, he promised himself to learn about Polish mores, some words to understand at least a part of what YN was talking about with her family back home and Polish food. Being a pescatarian excluded him from trying quite a few national dishes but YN found enough alternatives for him to eat. He loved it (or so he told YN). 

Here he was, on Easter Sunday evening, researching Polish mores during Easter. For the first time in their relationship, they decided to spend those holidays together at Harry’s home in London.

The cultural differences were noticeable. YN didn’t grow up with Egg hunting on Sunday morning, but with going to church on Saturday to have food sacred. On Sunday morning there was an Easter breakfast - eggs (so many colourful eggs), the sour rye soup (yes, soup for breakfast) served in a round bread bowl, variable meat on the cold platter and, most importantly, cakes - mazurek and babka. Harry felt that he’d especially love those cakes. 

Harry growing up didn’t do much for Easter. He enjoyed sleeping in for a few days, hunting eggs on Sunday and then going on with his life. His family never attached much importance towards Easter - they used those days for family time, hosting board games’ tournaments with a feast happening in the dining room. 

So saying that YN’s way of celebrating was a shock for Harry was easily not enough. 

“You want to celebrate the way that I’m used to?” She asked him two months before Easter. 

“Yes.” He kissed her knuckles. “I want to spend it the way you always do. We’ll paint those colourful eggs and then eat this big breakfast.”

“Pisanki, those are the colourful eggs. And that big breakfast is almost not edible for you.”

“Because of meat?” YN nodded her head. “Well, then we’ll go to the local market and buy some plant based alternatives. Polish Easter breakfast with a twist. What do you say?”

“I love it.”

That was what they had done. 

Harry invited his mother, sister and her fiancé to celebrate with them. All of them sat down with brushes and paint, and decorated the eggs. YN prepared the breakfast - with plant based sausage, and with two cakes baked just the way her grandma did, while Harry was responsible for taking care of the guests, saying “I’m so sorry, but I know, I’ll just ruin whatever you’re doing there, my love." 

Everybody enjoyed breakfast, agreeing that soup being present was a mistake, but wasn’t untasty. Cakes did a furore - Anne asked for a recipe and Gemma promised to beg for them constantly. YN was happy that people appreciated her culture. 

And when people left, just mere two hours ago, Harry and YN tidied up in the house and she went to sleep, he, on the other hand sat in front of his computer, searching. ‘What Poles do on Easter Monday?’ was a question tapped into a search bar. After clicking the first website linked, with a shock appearing on his face, eyebrows raising higher and higher with each word read, Harry stood up and went to the bedroom. He needed to visit a park tomorrow’s morning to get what was needed. 

The next day YN woke up to a cold bed, which was more than expected - Harry was an early bird (woke up as early as 5 am) when YN liked to sleep until at least 6:30. After doing her morning stretches and going to the bathroom, she moved downstairs to start on the breakfast. Harry usually waited for her, so they could eat together and talk about their plans for a day. 

“Harry! Baby! I’m making coffee, you want some?” She called into an (probably) empty house. 

While not getting an answer, she went to the kitchen starting Harry’s fancy coffee machine. She needed caffeine. 

It was strange that Harry didn’t leave any note, saying where he had gone. Nothing on the fridge, or under a fruit basket and no text either. She started to get worried when halfway through her first meal of the day Harry’s plate was still full and slowly getting cold. 

Over the speakers, YN listened to Lana Del Rey’s album Ultraviolence, singing silently under her nose. She didn’t hear the back door slowly open and close. She didn’t hear the steps nearing her body. Most importantly, she didn’t hear the movement of the bucket full of water being directed at her. 

“Ah!” She screeched when the cold water covered her whole body. From the top of her head to her toes, there was no dry spot. She was soaked and not in a good way. 

“Happy śmigus-dyngus day!” Harry screamed, unconsciously murdering the language with a smile on his face, and started to hit YN with pussy willow branches. 

“Harry! Are you out of your mind?” YN asked, trying to simultaneously flick the water from her face and catch the branch that had been continuously hitting her upper arm. “Harry, stop it!”

“What?” He asked, confused, stopping mid-air. “Why did you stop me? It’s a tradition!”

The ligt bulb switched on in YN's mind. She understood, for a moment looking at Harry with an open mouth and big eyes. “ Oh God!” She finally laughed. “Oh my God!”

“What - what is going on?”

“Harry, did you - did you find about this day on the internet?”

“Yes, obviously. Where would I get information about something like this from?” He still couldn’t comprehend the tradition that he was taking part of. What was the point of it? 

“Maybe me. Someone that actually celebrates it?” YN prompted. 

“I wanted to surprise you,” Harry said quietly, putting down the bucket and moving around the kitchen to get YN a clean tower. 

“Listen - thank you -” she responded, after getting the towel, “- people don’t do it like this anymore.” She began drying herself off. “There is no hitting with branches. And not only boys are throwing water - it’s not gender-driven.”

Harry sat down in front of YN, getting sad.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, clasping her hands in his. “I - I just wanted to do something that would make you feel like people around you know what you celebrate and do on specific holidays. ‘Supposed to be a surprise. Didn’t work. I’m sorry.” he kissed her knuckles, looking at her like a lost puppy. His eyes big and a little pout present on his lips. 

“And I appreciate it so much.” She pecked his pout away, making him smirk. “These holidays, you've made me feel like I was back home. it means the most to me. Just didn’t like getting bitten up with a pussy willow.”

“Not a fan?” Harry’s smirk getting more daring. 

“Not really. When it comes to Easter Monday, I’ve always just splashed people with water and called it a day. Well, when my cousins and I were younger, we used to just pour water on each other from the garden hose. It was entertaining. But always doing it outside of the house.” YN gave Harry a look towards the wet floor. “If not, we were cleaning not only the water but the whole house.”

“Am I going to be doing the same?” Harry asked with the same smirk from before, he enjoyed it. 

“Yep. Absolutely.” YN stood up rapidly and moved to the closet to give Harry a mop. “Chop, chop!”

With a laugh, Harry gripped the mop and started cleaning. Unfortunately for him, the bucket he used was voluminous, and the amount of water on the floor was significant. While looking for the bucket to wring out the excess water, Harry lost his focus. Suddenly, his whole body started shivering from the cold liquid dripping from his head and down to the floor. 

“Happy śmigus-dyngus day!” YN laughed at Harry. 

Quickly enough, they both were running around the backyard - most clothes discarded in a run - under the rain of water from the garden hose. YN felt like a careless child again, and Harry decided just then he always wanted to see her that happy.

Sometimes misinformation on the internet could lead to good times, he thought. But only sometimes.