Paris / Ted Lasso

85.Roots

Hey Stephen / Larys Strong out now!

" what happened to House hunting?"

" I wish I never told you." Poppy countered.

" oh, no, what happened?"

" nothing nothing happened. Everything is completely fine." Poppy assured her sister. "It just isn't the right time. I mean with the season starting up again...."

" getting a house means putting down roots here. You have roots in London." Rebecca offered.

"Teds roots are not fully formed yet they're still growing and weaving their way into the Earth, which means they're easily plucked away.." poppy murmured.

They didnt get a house though because that would mean ted putting down real roots here and she knew he wasnt ready for that not with henry heading home. Home...

"Welcome to London Heathrow. For your security, do not leave any personal items unattended. This is the final boarding call for flight to Kansas City. Final boarding for flight-"

"Paging passenger Lasso. Report to the ticket desk. Paging passenger Lasso. Please report to the ticket desk."

"Buddy, we gotta roll. Come on. Let's go. Your mom sent you a text." He flipped his phone around. "Come on, go."

"Henry Lasso. Passenger Henry Lasso."

"Hey, we're here. We're here. Sorry about that. We got distracted. Little guy was trying to unlock Princess Peach on Super Smash Bros" Ted admitted.

"Totally understand. I once held an entire flight to Sydney hostage until I finished the final level of Breath of the Wild."

"Hmm. Feels like a potentially troublesome sentence-" Ted countered. "to say in this setting, but, hey, I appreciate you."'

"Hello, Henry. It's nice to see you again. Are you excited to head back home?"

"To all my toys? Yes. To my country's political landscape? Not so much." Henry countered.

"Well, I have a tendency to doze off with CNN on. All right, big guy. Let's get you all set up here. iPad's all loaded up with a bunch of movies, so no need to watch your neighbor's screen, okay? Less movies about clowns in sewers, the better, right?"

Ted headed out to the car and saw Poppy waiting for him. She knew he wanted a little bit of alone time to say goodbye, but she loved Henry too so she wanted to drive them there.  He was glad she came with because as soon as he got outside, he was able to hug her.  Hugging Poppy felt like home.

+

"Yeah, well, I'm down here on Earth checking my phone every ten minutes, watching his plane get further and further away." Ted countered. "But, hey, I didn't mean to come in here and tinkle on y'all's toenails. What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening."

"Tinkle on... never mind." Poppy shook her head. 

"Well, apparently, everyone alive has picked Richmond to finish in last place this season." Higgins remarked. " Except the Daily Mirror, which has us finishing "twentyelf." An adorable but devastating typo."

"That is adorable." Poppy chuckled. 

"Hmm. Okay. Well, you know what? I predict all their predictions ain't gonna come true." Ted assured. "So, it looks like we got ourselves a prediction Mexican standoff. Or as they call them in Mexico, a prediction standoff." Ted declared. 

"I like your optimism." Poppy agreed. Whenever poppy praised him off of things that Michelle hated about him just made him love Poppy all the more because she loved him for who he was. 

"Well, the worst part is that they've picked Rupert to finish in the top four." Rebecca murmured.

"Rupert's gonna play this year?" Ted questioned confused.

"What? No." Rebecca declared.

"Oh, so you mean West Ham?"

"Precisely. Everyone thinks he's better than us." Rebecca hissed.

"They. Everyone thinks they are better than us." Ted clarified.

"Yeah Becca." Poppy chuckled. 

"Yes, that's what I said. They." Rebecca lied. "So, what's the plan? How are we gonna beat him?"

" Them." Poppy agreed. 

"Exactly."

+

"A new season begins and hope springs eternal, except perhaps for AFC Richmond. They return to the Premier League after a one-year absence but are widely expected to have a rather short stay. Worse yet, their campaign begins here at Stamford Bridge, the home of the formidable Chelsea Football Club. To be promoted to the Premier League is like going from a council estate to the penthouse, Arlo."

"Richmond should enjoy it while it lasts."

"Gentlemen, welcome back to the Premier League."

"How's work? How's your friend doing?"

" Shandy? Yeah, she's doing great." Keeley assured. "Yeah. She's just full of ideas."

"Full of ideas in a good way?" Poppy questioned. Keeley shrugged. "You should never hire your friend in a sleezy club. It's a bad idea." 

"It was for a shoot." keeley corrected. 

"And she was covered in body glitter and didnt you say there was a goat?" Poppy countered. 

"Excuse me." Higgins cut in. 

" Any news?"

"Zava and Chelsea are pretty much a done deal." Higgins admitted. "I have the confirmation of that from a very reliable source."

"I dont want him anyways." Poppy countered. "He's a diva."

"Hush Poppy, what source?" Rebecca questioned eagerly.

"Sounds like you are saying hush puppies, oh now i'm hungry, thanks a lot." Poppy teased. 

"A friend of my wife knows an agent whose masseuse moonlights as an airline steward on private jets. Now... " Higgins stammered. "... she wasn't working today, but her coworker who can read lips, he saw Zava mouth the word "Chelsea" a lot."

"God, I wish I could read lips." Keeley added.

"Yeah." Higgins agreed.

"Okay. Has anyone seen Rupert? Is there any sign of him?" Rebecca questioned.

"No, Rebecca. He's not here." Higgins assured. "And even if he was, there's nothing he can do."

"Oh, great. Jinxed it again." Poppy decided. 

"The players are in position, awaiting the referee's whistle." The whistle blew. "And we're off. Another season begins." Arlo declared.  " Hughes tries for Todd, but Chelsea intercepts. The Greyhounds are in massive jeopardy now. Oh, some invention. Look at that pace. High-pressure football.. And Chelsea on the board..."

"Fuck." Roy barked.

"... with beautiful counterattack..."

" shit." Rebecca hissed.

"... against a reeling Richmond."

" Absolutely devastating." Arlo went on. 

"This is going great.' Poppy grumbled.