Lee

@aliasmarionette.bsky.social

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Writer and occasional translator. Web novels, Xiao Zhan associated content, cdramas, football, many other fandoms. RPF friendly (emphasis on the fictional). 中文可以. She/her. https://stickmarionette.carrd.co/

In an interview with the YouTube program "Ferné con Grego," the defender said that he decided to get a tattoo of Messi and that it was the captain himself who chose the image he will carry on his skin: "I asked him for no more than three things [from Messi]" Medina began recounting. "The first was for him to choose a photo for me to get tattooed". In the story, the defender said he felt a little embarrassed and didn't want to bother Leo, but he was surprised by the captain's reaction: "He, with complete openness, told me: 'Here, use this one I have on my phone'," the Olympique de Marseille defender recounted. "I'll always cherish that gesture", he said.
Black and white photo of Xiao Zhan as Qi Xia holding a card with "liar" on it
Poster for Song Yuzhang with chibi versions of the main characters
Poster of Xiao Zhan as Mo Dexian
Xiao Zhan in a white outfit and wire-rim glasses
In 2021, Argentina won the Copa America for the first time in 28 years and then retained it. In 2022, they won the World Cup for the first time in 36 years and almost retained it. Outside an event in New York in the lead-up to the final, Messi was told: “Your career is like a video game — you keep unlocking new levels until you reach the end.” He replied: “I already completed the game at the last World Cup in Qatar.” Even if Kylian Mbappe clinched the Golden Boot in the third-place play-off against England and surpassed him as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, many of the other all-time records in this competition belong to Messi. As he walked down the tunnel, nostalgia for a vanishing world set in. What will the World Cup be like without Messi? His sixth and likely last was mostly astonishing. When visas were revoked and red cards suspended he brought us back to football, delivering the World Cup from FIFA’s many sins. Gianni Infantino can keep adding teams, but one thing is for sure. A World Cup without Messi will always feel less than whole.
Messi will continue to play for Inter Miami, and perhaps even for Argentina for a while. But this is his stage, this is the space he has defined. Let’s face it, he probably won’t be back again. It felt appropriate that he was walking as the final whistle was blown, and from there just kept on walking, didn’t break stride as Spain’s players and staff ran on and the stadium began to explode around them. Messi’s super-skill, even in his ferretty, fast-twitch prime, has been all about creating his own moments of calm and stillness, a quality that has become ever more alluring as the space has congested on the pitch and the noise and light become ever more intense off it. Even at his dotage at this World Cup Messi has been a delight, still able to dredge up those surge moments where he makes the universe around him symmetrical, soft, open to his touch. Spain may have finessed him, but they haven’t been able to make a player quite like him. Then again, we may never see another again.
Gavi hugging Messi
Messi and Lamine Yamal during the game. Messi is smiling.
Lamine Yamal going up to Messi, giving him a hug and patting him on the back
Rodrigo de Paul has become, in this Argentina squad, what Jose Manuel Pinto once was at Barcelona, or Luis Suarez later became: the team-mate with whom Messi instantly feels at home. Their bond was forged on international duty. Until then, the midfielder's only connection to Messi had been asking for a photo after a Valencia–Barcelona match, which he proudly posted on social media. One afternoon, he noticed Messi leave training alone, looking subdued. Concerned, De Paul waited about 40 minutes before knocking on his door. "Fancy a mate and a game of truco?" A friendship began, with its own strict etiquette. Mate, the drink, together every morning in De Paul's room. In order of arrival, Leo first, then other members of the squad. If they got up too early, they have to wait for the moment to get to De Paul's room, nobody can jump the routine. De Paul sometimes calls Messi 'El Pequeno' (the little one), even though he is the oldest in the room. He needles him, treats him like a normal guy rather than a monument, because that is what Messi actually more often than not wants: to be Leo, not Messi. De Paul knows him well enough to sense when to leave him alone, too.
And Lamine Yamal stands before him, a winner already when he is still only starting out: a passing of the torch for Messi to put on hold, if only for a day. “There is a new generation of players that’s very good and has many years ahead,” Messi said. “If I had to choose one, it would be Lamine. Without doubt, he’s the best.” Lamine Yamal said: “If we meet on the pitch there will be mutual respect because for me he is the best in history.” For the first time and surely the last, on Sunday, in the most global city of all, they will. In the World. Cup. Final. Where to even start with the symbolism? Where to find an explanation for the impossible? Spain versus Argentina. European champions versus South American champions. Lionel Messi versus Lamine Yamal. The 19-year-old at his first World Cup, the age Messi was when they first met, versus the 39-year-old at his sixth and surely last. The teenager then who went on to mark a generation, now a father, against the teenager called to mark the next, his anointed one. The boy handed Messi’s No 10 like Messi was handed Maradona’s, the boy handed to him almost 20 years ago, unknown then, an icon now, the boy in the bath.
“Honestly, that photo of us is crazy, because — well, that’s life, right? I took a photo with him as a baby, and here we both are, facing off in a World Cup,” said Messi on Friday in New York.
De Paul in bed with Messi. Messi is holding his mate cup.
Two photos of Messi with Lamine Yamal first as a baby then as a young teen
Messi hugging Lautaro Martinez who is crying
Messi with long hair bathing a baby boy in a tub. The baby has fat cheeks.
Pedri IG post from 2025 with the date of the World Cup final and a photo of him, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
Five screenshots of dialogue from Song Yuzhang
As one former Germany international put it after a social media meltdown a few years back: “I would love to see each one of you defending against Messi.” Some still manage to find a silver lining in the experience. “On one hand, you feel desperate and humiliated as a player. On the other, from up close, you’re witnessing a football genius, probably the greatest.” That player turned playwright credits Messi with “preserving the art of dribbling” and is one of a group of footballers interviewed by The Athletic over the last few months for this article. We spoke to a Spanish goalkeeper who faced Messi on 27 occasions and can break down the technique behind his exceptional shooting in great detail (even though he was powerless to stop him from scoring 18 times).
Tweet saying the best part about soccer is when messi scores and all his teammates start open mouth kissing him and making love on the field
Leo Messi being carried by Alexis MacAllister with Enzo Fernandez
Argentine hug pile with Paredes kissing Messi's ear
Mbappe grinning and hugging Messi
Leandro Paredes grabs Messi and kisses him on the head
AO3 comment text: No idea how I stumbled upon this, but glad that I read it. 2007, man, what a time. I wasn’t even in school yet! Cheers, thanks for writing. And to past Messi: it’s alright, Leo — WC22 is coming for ya.
Zhen Huan in her Empress Dowager outfit
Poster for Legend of Zhen Huan showing the 5 main female characters
Tweet with Leandro Paredes saying "we play so that Leo's final game never comes."
Enzo Fernández gets emotional talking about Leo Messi: "Seeing Leo, who is ultimately our greatest example.. sorry, I'm getting emotional here... how he never gives up, how he always moves forward... he is a true example for us. "Even with adversity, he always demonstrates that it's possible to keep going and today is a huge reward for that. "We knew it was way too early to go home, and we are going to keep fighting until the very end."
Argentina tossing Messi in the air. He's grinning down at them.
During practice, we played five vs. five or four vs. four with one neutral player, and he would always be the neutral player, meaning he would play for both teams. He would pass the ball and just see where the game was going. One team would go down three goals, and then he would turn it on and all of a sudden it would be 3-3. Of course he has the ability to do that physically and from a pure quality standpoint, but he also just has that in his mentality. Every time, he would make it even enough so there would be competition at the end.
The Empress crying on her knees
Leo Messi: "Thanks to this team and these teammates, I can be at another World Cup today and I can keep competing. Like I said before, I know they make an extra effort so that I can keep competing and they do it from the heart because they truly feel it, it's not forced. "The truth is that I am deeply grateful and I am very happy to compete alongside them, my teammates. They are friends. It’s a very beautiful, very united group. It makes me happy to hear all those affectionate words." "Licha's words? Yes, I know that Lisandro has a lot of affection for me, just like this whole group does. They always have a kind word and they show it to me day after day. Honestly, I am happy. "Even though I already know how they feel, because Licha is also a very close person to me and he tells me things directly, so I already knew."
For centuries China was an ungovernable mess because it was too big and unwieldy, with too many voices and factions, corruption at one end of the country, warlords in between. Two things changed this: a centralised party regime, and the advent of big tech and the internet. With a single totalitarian voice staring down the lens, China’s size finally became an advantage.
An Lingrong standing alone waiting for the Emperor
Zhen Huan being carried looking at An Lingrong who is standing.
Zhen Huan with her younger sister. Zhen Huan is in a elaborate headdress with flowers in it.
Zhen Huan with one of the minor imperial concubines, Lady Qi and An Lingrong
Xiao Zhan applauding in a black suit
Xiao Zhan on the red carpet in profile in a black suit
Xiao Zhan in his seat at the Magnolia Awards
But mainly I was struck by how well this novel understood the specific struggle of being a filial queer child. We are taught that we should repay our parents' devotion and sacrifice with obedience, by living up to their expectations for your life. Being queer means knowing that you'll never be able to live up to their expectations no matter what else you do to try and make up for it. You learn to hide because you don't want to hurt or burden them, to have them blame themselves or each other or you. Or to test whether their love is conditional on you being a child they can be proud of (or at least not ashamed of having). It takes a real toll, living like this. Hiding yourself from the people who should know you best.
Huang Jue in a tux with Cao Yiwen in a suit with no tie, Zhang Jingyi in a red gown, Xiao Zhan in a black suit and the cinematographer in a tan blazer
Xiao Zhan posing in a black suit on a deck surrounded by greenery