When the Open Road is Closing In (Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger)

[4or5paragraphs]

And here is my cornerflag fic for this round. Just as last round, it is a barely concealed stuffing of my own anxieties into footballers, except this time the footballer is Philipp Lahm and it's an AU

Comments

[unembraced]

<3!

[luxover]

OHMAHGAH I LOVED THIS

LOVE LOVE LOVE

AND I WOULD NOT SAY NO TO MORE

THIS PART ESPECIALLY: “Can I stay in Munich? I want to play the new Kirby game and drink beer.” LOVE SEEING WHO PHILIPP IS AND WHAT HIS IDEA OF A GOOD TIME IS WHEN HE IS NOT STRESSED

BASTI SO TOTALLY WANTS SOME OF WHAT PHILIPP'S SELLING, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

A+++ SERIOUSLY. THE PAIRING, THE CONCEPT, THE PLOT, E V E R Y T H I N G

[louis_quatorze]

:D :D :D

(Philipp is a Nintendo person, totally. the real-life version is in commercials for them. and I like the idea of this version drinking a Weihenstephaner and playing the Kirby-yarn-game.)

but I'm glad you liked it!!!! even though you don't know Germans. (IF YOU WANT TO KNOW GERMANS I CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT GERMANS)

[luxover]

IF IT IS NOT TOO MUCH OF A HASSLE, TELL ME ALL ABOUT THE GERMANS

I WANT TO READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE FIC

[louis_quatorze]

NO. NOT A HASSLE AT ALL. A DELIGHT.

hmmmmmm, where to start? Like any good melodrama, there are about a thousand characters, and a ton of different storylines. but fandom Germany tends to start around 2006, with that World Cup, which was super delightful for Germany because they hosted and were ADORABLE. the current "generation" of Germany dates from around thereabouts. I am going to go to basics, because I don't know how much you know? So let me know if I'm going over stuff that you already know.

At that time, the major, inescapable pairings in Germany fandom were Michael Ballack/Torsten Frings and Bastian Schweinsteiger/Lukas Podolski. Ballack/Frings was known as "the Grand OTP" for reasons I'm not entirely sure of. Here is a primer from 2006, which does an excellent job of explaining what they were then. mostly, Ballack is Captainly and Frings is grumpy and into metal music and has tattoos and great hair. Currently, there's been endless Drama about Philipp Lahm replacing Ballack as captain in the German NT, and Ballack being

[fandomonymous]

I never commented on this fic, but suffice to say I LOVE IT LONG TIME I REALLY DO. I empathize so much with Philipp's neuroses and his ridiculous set of tastes in things, and it's heartwarming to see someone explore the plantoic realms of his relationship with Basti. They're good for each other, weird as it is, and you capture that really well.

Also, the world you've created is heartbreaking but beautiful, and I really love it. I'd love it if you revisited it, even in small ways.

and yes I love how this page has become The Primer of German Backstory Perfection because well, that's just fabulous. ;)

yes this is me finally, finally saying something about this fic, and it's not even really coherent. LOL MY FAIL.

[louis_quatorze]

:D :D :D I am glad you enjoy it! I've started a sequel, but I'm trying to get it to go somewhere other than, uh, nowhere. But maybe I'll post what I have? I don't know.

hahaha, German Backstory Primer! I forget that it isn't obvious to everyone, but I'm glad to get a chance to talk endlessly about it.

[lennongirl]

You know I'm not really following the NT that much anymore, and I'm sorry to say I haven't read the fic, but I had to come over and say WOW, those comments of yours are fantabulous. Great work, standing ovations & all thumbs up!

[louis_quatorze]

hahaha, thank you! Even if you're not involved with Germany any more. :D