Chapter Text
Another day, another way to experience new things about the mascots that came before me!
But i can't help but wonder about something. I'm pretty sure there was a wolf four years before me, his name is Zabivaka, but i can't see him anywhere in the streets of the Macotverse. Maybe i should talk to Willie about it. Maybe he knows since he's been here the longest!
"Hello, Mr.Willie!" I waved, he waved back at me with his big, furry paw. "Hello, mate. What's up?" He asked. "Oh, nothing much. I just have something to ask... Uh, do you know where Zabivaka is? You know, the wolf from Russia?" His eyes seem to widen as if i triggered him. "Oh, him. Well, he's in the real world now. He hasn't come back in a while for some reason.
I was surprised! He's not here? But then again, the Mascotverse is just a dimension (or place) where mascots of any kind could just come and go. It's like their safe space, even...
"I see..." I mewed. "Do you know where he could be right now?" Willie scratched his head. "Don't know." He simply replied. "Can't you just teleport to where he is?" He asked. I facepalmed myself, why didn't i think of that?! "Oh, silly me. I guess you're right." I opened a portal to his nearest location before waving goodbye at the big lion. "Bye, Willie! See you soon!" I said before i went in, the portal behind me closed in an instant.
The first thing i could feel is of how cold this was. I was shivering! I'm not used to such cold climate!
i looked around the area. I landed in some sort of university? I feel like i'm trespassing... Then, i feel like i heard something.
Ring! Ring!
The bell rang and soon everyone rushed out of their classes. I felt like i'm suffocating in the crowd, so naturally, i flew up from the crowd. Ah, nice air~ Anyways, i started to look around this university. It looked huge in my opinion. I think this is some sort of prestigious university from the looks of it. They even got an astronomy lab with the big telescope!
As i watched as the last student rushes out, i saw a tiger in the very back. He seemed familiar, as if i saw him in the past lifetime-as people today would like to describe when they see a person they feel familiar with. I feel like he was one of the candidate mascots for the 2018 World Cup. I could be wrong, but i could also be right! I decided to go fly down and greet him. "Hello!" I waved my hand at him. The tiger looked startled, he has never seen a creature like me. "Hi?" His accent was rough, but smooth. "Are you perhaps one of the candidates for the 2018 FIFA World Cup?" His eyes widened, "How did you know?" He tilted his head before shaking it a few moments later, "Oh, sorry. Of course you knew. I'm just asking how you still remember me." He asked his silly, sheepish grin.
"You look familiar." I simply replied. Then, his eyes widens, as if a lightbulb went on in his head. "Wait, are you the mascot for the 2022 FIFA World Cup?" He asked, my small smile turned into a big one as i heard what he said. "Indeed, i'am!"
"Nice to meet you, i'm Mechtat, La'eeb." He introduced himself with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Mechtat!" I took his paw and shook it. "So, you're here to see me because you want to know where Zabi is, right?" He asked, a little hurt that the reason might just be the fact that the flying headpiece wasn't there to see him. "The Mascotverse must be real lonely without him, huh?" He asked.
"The place is lively everyday. I'm just wondering where he is lately..."
"Well, he's been taking a break with soccer." Mechtat replied with a slight frown. "Oh, a break, i see. I mean, sports are exhausting afterall." I chuckled, the tiger's face darkened. "Well... The break has been going on for more than he had expected... Zabi... He.."
Mechtat was struggling to find the right words befoee he swallowed a lump in his throat. "I think he's loosing passion in football..."
My eyes widened. WHAT?! How could that happen???
"You're not reading the room thoroughly... Surely, he can't loose his passion for soccer, right?" I asked, a glint of hope in my eyes. "Trust me, i've been his friend since the 3rd grade. I know when something is up." He said sternly, yet softly...
"Mechtat?" I broke from the brief awkward silence. "Can i ask you something unrelated?" The tiger nodded. I took a deep breath in. "Why did you even sign up to be a candidate for the World Cup?" I could feel Mechtat having flashbacks, it was like he was in autopilot at this point. "I..." He started to speak, his voice was quiet and soft, yet his accent was a bit rough.
"I was just distracting myself from the failure i endured that year... That year, i was supposed to enter my 3rd year in college. I was majoring in astronomy since it's always been my dream to become am astronaut or an astelronomer. It's just that... I failed. I don't know where i went wrong... I studied so hard for this, yet my professor said i wasn't cut out for it... If studying astronomy failed, surely soccer wouldn't, right?" He sighed. "I don't get it. Where did i went wrong?"
I felt bad. I should've had asked that. I wanted to comfort him but i let my words and curiosity get the bettet of me. "Is that why you came back to college? To pressue those dreams again?" There was an intense silence.
"Yeah..."
"Hi, La'eeb. Did you meet Zabi, yet?" Mister Willie asked. I shook my head, still ridden with the guilt of my questions. He took noticed of this and asked why i was so gloom this night. "I met the tiger candidate. You know, one of the three candidates for the 2018 World Cup?" Willie's eyes opened. "Really? How did it go?"
"I... I think i triggered him. Not in a bad way, i didn't mean to trigger him, i swear!"
Willie chuckled. "Relax, mate. I know you enough to know you ain't doin' none of that crap."
"But, do tell what happened if you mind."
I started to explain to Mister Willie on how i reminded him that he was a failure in achieving his dreams, and how he feels inferrior to everyone else that does things better than him. It feels like he has no purpose in this world. It feels like he was just some OC that has such a bad life, and that OC can't do anything about it. I also mention how Mechtat had to force himself to be happy for others, knowing well he wished it was him. Oh, and i also mention that Zabivaka is loosing interest in soccer, and according to Mechtat, Zabi feels like he's such a bad example of a mascot. I mean, people online make porn of him! Ehem, excuse my language...
"So, yeah. Zabivaka feels like he has failed in being a mascot because he made a sporting event AND a country look bad." I said before zipping my mouth shut.
Willie took a while to let all the words process into his brain. He then smiled a little, reminiscing the dayd when he was young all the way back in the mid-late 60s.
"Ah, the expectations of being a mascot..." He smiled a little. "I know the pressure of it. Back when i was the official mascot of the 1966 World Cup, i felt pressured. Not that because i was the first and i needed to be a good example of the public and future mascots, but i was one of the first mascots to be associated with sports."
My eyes widened. That's so cool! I never knew that!
Willie took out a cigarette box from his pocket and lit it up with his lighter.
(A/N: While reasearching the FIFA mascots for what it feels like the gazillionth time, i founded merchandise of Willie. One of which was him being featured in a cigarette box, and yes! He was smoking as it seems!)
"I remember meeting that kapa from Japan. He was the unofficial mascot for the Olympics and he came to see the match for today... Well, more like me! That kapa was proud to see another mascot being associated with sports." He took a puff out of his cig. "The kappa told me one thing to being a mascot. Just have fun. And so i did! It's kind of funny that i took his words seriously since he's... Unofficial."
Well, i was expecting something more... Wisdom-y. But i guess that works too.
"But... Even before i was chosen as the mascot that year.." He added, which made me cock a brow. "As a kid, i've had a love for soccer. But my teachers would say that sports have no actually purpose in the education system except for being a subject. My mum defended me. She said that i'd be an athlete one day." He snickered. "I guess she wasn't wrong..."