#beansterpie

[canisalbus]

I met a dog who looks a lot like Machete-- even had similar temperament lol, she was pretty shy

She seems awfully sweet. I love her hairy toes and impressive arm fringes.

[aquasandyled]

hello hello so as I was perusing for the CRUMBS of agohiru content that exists on this site, I saw that you made a post mentioning that you shipped them and…. well basically I figured I’d ask if you wanted to expand on that 👀 give you an excuse to talk about them perhaps? also because there’s maybe five agohiru fans on this site and I’m desperate for more—

ahem, anyway, only if you want to! have a good one ✨

Omg???? Is this 2014??? The fanfics used to be fire… i have my dumb little (boyfriends) tag that would be cute if tumblr had a functional search system

You tell me too 🥲 i miss them, talk to me about these dumbasses pls

I just think theyre exes, divorced, cant ever be proper friends again (or can they?) they have chemistry, sinergy, they fight, they make out

Sometimes they get nostalgic for what they had, cause they had fun and worked great together, similar goals, but agons too selfish and a dick, a working relationship would require a LOT of emotional maturity and responsibility from him and who has time for that? Hiruma has shit to do, not enough patience and definitely not time, so whatever.

In high school they were in a feud so we saw that, feelings of betrayal, but they also make each other want to be better (in a not very nice way, but still) and they already know they work very well together, a hit to agons ego (he needs that)

So when theyre in the uni with the wizards theyre still very much “we arent friends idiotttt” mode to anyone who even gives them the side eye (hiruma doesnt actually *say* anything, feelings who? watch out for the bullets) but agon waits for hiruma after class like a puppy when he can (hes just passing by really, theyre both going to the gym or the field anyway?) and hiruma subconsciously looks for him sometimes even…

They always fight though, always disagree, theres always a better way to do things according to agon and both of them are emotionally stunted and unwilling so really, what can ya do? They do sleep together often, so that messes everything up even more, but they already know each other well, its hard to stop (do they even want to?)

Basically, heard bang the doldrums by fob? Thats them

[bthump]

idk if you've heard yet, but the newest chapter was leaked!

(ok apparently posting links in asks have gotten weirder ugh)

Ty for letting me know! What are your thoughts on it, if you feel like posting about it?

Here's the link for anyone else who hasn't seen it yet

And my thoughts and a couple more asks under the cut, ty for the asks!

Anonymous asked:

What are your thoughts on the latest chapter? It was centred around Casca. Also idk if you already knew but there’s another chapter coming out a month from now. Which is kinda insane for berserk lol

Yeah I'm glad we're gonna get another string of chapters instead of just occasional chapters in isolation.

And my thoughts are: whatever lol.

Like, it's basically what I expected. The magic-induced stupor Casca's in is both boring and shitty for people who wanted Casca to exist as a character, but for me it's also reassuring in that it prevents most things I don't want to happen from happening lol, and it keeps Casca's trauma and big emotions on ice for a while longer because I'm still hoping for the behelit to be hers. If Casca's a full character then I risk disappointment with how her trauma is handled and what she chooses to do. If she's a drugged up damsel in distress who occasionally wakes up enough to punch a guard then I don't have to care, basically. Cool, go through the motions, I'm not invested in this part of the story so idgaf. Sucks to be Casca, same as it ever was.

She's finally got an animal association, and yk, I don't mind it. I can roll with raven for her. (plsplspls say it's laying the foundation for her apostle form pls)

I would like to imagine there's some meaning to be gleaned from Danann putting Casca in a dress to go see Guts and Casca wearing a kind of similar dress here in Falconia (feathers, head-piece) but probably the only throughline is Casca not getting to choose her own clothes/highlighting that she prefers to wear pants.

The moment she wakes up was mildly interesting, I'm glad the memories were of Farnese and co even if she did start fretting about Guts lol. There's a subtle zig-zag pattern in the last drop of water before she wakes up and starts fighting guards:

Which may be absolutey nothing, but made me think of the Beast of Darkness and gives me hope for Casca's inner darkness.

Anonymous asked:

I’m sorry bthump but after ch372 it seems like the story is indeed heading in the direction of Gutsca being endgame and Griffith being this manipulative machiavellian emotionless type villain, that last panel of him looks so exaggeratedly evil

Idk, I mean we already knew Casca still has ~feelings~ for Guts, it's not surprising to me that she'd dream about being carried away from him and think about him. It's not great, but it didn't majorly disappoint me or fill me with dread. If anything it makes Guts' sword obsession even funnier lol. Talk about emotional one-sidedness.

And rather than feeling terribly romantic, that moment when she fights the guards and thinks that she has to get back to Guts or he'll... makes me think she's anticipating Guts walking into a trap to rescue her, which, yk, is probably what's going to happen lol, unless this sword crisis resolves in a way that gives Guts an upper hand/a better plan B. But again, it's not surprising, the only thing I'm really curious about is what's going to happen when Guts gets here.

Though it does make me a little concerned that enough time has passed during this chapter that we're skipping over Guts' side of the story for a while and he might actually show up soon? We left his story on a cliffhanger so I feel like that would be stupid, and when I read the chapter I parsed it as like, Casca's first day as a damsel, but upon re-reading it's more likely one day in the life after days/weeks/months, so who knows?

And Griffith's cartoonish evil smile is dumb but I don't care honestly, I already got over it last chapter which also ended with an evil grin lmao. I know Miura would draw him with an ambiguously neutral expression so I just substitute my own in. I don't think it's a sign that he's going to be a 2 dimensional cackling villian, though frankly if he is I'd still chalk that up to non-Miura writing lacking all nuance and subtlety. What I imagine is in the future for Griffith though is more evil smiles, some Guts taunting, and then like, a crumbling of the facade in a moment of truth. It's just that the facade is no longer mildly neutral it's smug sinister evil because the new crew can't draw him.

Though man I read your ask while I was still at work before I could read the actual chapter and I was like 😟. But also I appreciate it lol bc you gave me the chance to brace myself for the worst, so I ended up pretty neutral on this chapter rather than disappointed.

I see a lot of people very annoyed with this chapter (and the continuation as a whole), and like, I get it because it objectively largely sucks lmao, but idk, I guess I have very low expectations for the continuation of Berserk comparatively. I'm no longer here for a good emotional story, I'm here to find out how it ends. I'm reading the cliffnotes version as far as I'm concerned, just scanning it for clues that point towards my desired ending.

[bthump]

Hey Moth! So I've had this cycling in my head for a few wash cycles too long and your last couple posts reminded me of it so I'm gonna ask before I inevitably forget again: Griffith struggles to see that people care about him as a person and not as just what he can achieve for them, which I agree with-- but I do end up hitting a snag when it comes to post-torture Griffith. The way the Hawks largely talk around him, it ends up feeling like ultimately what he can achieve for them IS the most important, since they lose hope when they realize the extent of his injuries.

Do you think that's just due to circumstances (ie the year of being on the run & upholding the rescue mission as The Thing That Will Fix Everything) and because Griffith is unable to communicate/express himself due to said injuries, so ablism kicks in an they talk about him like he's not there? Or do you think that on some level, his achievements do outweigh his personhood to at least some of the Hawks? Or maybe Griffith pushing people away is what ends up feeding the latter sentiment? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for the ask, Bean <3

tbh I'd want to read the pre-Eclipse sequence as a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, so yeah, Griffith pushing people away as feeding into the Hawks' attitudes. Because you're definitely right, it's at odds with the take that part of Griffith's problem is not realizing that people genuinely value him. And I do think that's the best reading of Griffith faking his own death in Tombstone of Flame and Guts thinking of him as cruel for it, especially since it takes place after the Hawks' knighthoods are announced, so theoretically Griffith's role is over - he's achieved everything he can for them by now. So their tears are a sign of how they feel about him as a person, rather than a conduit to success.

But yeah like, at the same time he does distance himself, he doesn't really let anyone in to know him except Guts and Casca once, accidentally, he's kind and personable and friendly but as Judeau describes when Guts joins, he's a bit of a mystery.

I guess it could just be a contradiction, but I think you can see the scene in Tombstone of Flame as the positive end of the scale. Like, just before it all ends, we get a glimpse of the genuine feelings and relationships Griffith could've cultivated further by allowing himself to be closer to the Hawks, and which could've grown if Guts hadn't left and ruined everything. The way Guts grounds Griffith and brings him to Earth is kind of illustrated in this scene when Guts is the one to tell Griffith about Casca's dress, which he then compliments. And I think Guts would continue to influence him in that direction if he stayed - treating him like a normal person, to which Griffith responds by acting more like a normal person, and opening up more.

Buuut instead Guts left and everything crashed and burned and yeah if anything Griffith's existence as a symbol to the Hawks grew in his and Guts' absence and overtook his reality as a person. It does make sense from a character point of view imo, considering the position the Hawks are in and how desperate they are, and it also makes sense thematically, as a result of Guts leaving and Griffith losing that potential for healthier relationships and self-esteem along with him. Another aspect of the lost potential of Griffith and Guts' relationship, maybe.

So yeah, I think that's the take I want to go with. What do you think?

[bthump]

Ohh I didn’t even realize that the bit with the guards is framed as a flashback but yeah looking at it now I can see that, same visual framing as the opening dream. Like I thought it was abrupt but honestly the recent chapters have often felt a little disjointed so I didn’t even think about it lol. But then, if it’s another memory style dream while she’s sleeping then what’s with Irvine reporting it to Griffith as if it just happened? Maybe it happened like right before she was put to sleep again and we’re just seeing it in dream flashback form to show that she retains memories subconsciously or w/e? The new team is still not great with clarity of layout, I guess, rip.

And yeah fandom crowing about dumb stuff like Griffith’s evil smile is very obnoxious lol and I do hate the idea of them getting more fuel for it. I’ve been pretty insulated from them but it’s still so annoying the occasional times I do read a reddit post or w/e.

Yeah Casca getting a colour and animal motif is definitely 👀 Plus it’s Griffith who assigns it to her right, he sees causality, maybe there’s a reason he’s calling her a red raven...

But yeah ultimately it’s always gonna be disappointing as a story compared to original Miura Berserk. Hopefully the basic plot at least doesn’t disappoint, but yeah execution-wise no matter what it can’t really measure up fully 😔

idk if you've heard yet, but the newest chapter was leaked!

(ok apparently posting links in asks have gotten weirder ugh)

Ty for letting me know! What are your thoughts on it, if you feel like posting about it?

Here's the link for anyone else who hasn't seen it yet

And my thoughts and a couple more asks under the cut, ty for the asks!

Anonymous asked:

What are your thoughts on the latest chapter? It was centred around Casca. Also idk if you already knew but there’s another chapter coming out a month from now. Which is kinda insane for berserk lol

Yeah I'm glad we're gonna get another string of chapters instead of just occasional chapters in isolation.

And my thoughts are: whatever lol.

Like, it's basically what I expected. The magic-induced stupor Casca's in is both boring and shitty for people who wanted Casca to exist as a character, but for me it's also reassuring in that it prevents most things I don't want to happen from happening lol, and it keeps Casca's trauma and big emotions on ice for a while longer because I'm still hoping for the behelit to be hers. If Casca's a full character then I risk disappointment with how her trauma is handled and what she chooses to do. If she's a drugged up damsel in distress who occasionally wakes up enough to punch a guard then I don't have to care, basically. Cool, go through the motions, I'm not invested in this part of the story so idgaf. Sucks to be Casca, same as it ever was.

She's finally got an animal association, and yk, I don't mind it. I can roll with raven for her. (plsplspls say it's laying the foundation for her apostle form pls)

I would like to imagine there's some meaning to be gleaned from Danann putting Casca in a dress to go see Guts and Casca wearing a kind of similar dress here in Falconia (feathers, head-piece) but probably the only throughline is Casca not getting to choose her own clothes/highlighting that she prefers to wear pants.

The moment she wakes up was mildly interesting, I'm glad the memories were of Farnese and co even if she did start fretting about Guts lol. There's a subtle zig-zag pattern in the last drop of water before she wakes up and starts fighting guards:

Which may be absolutey nothing, but made me think of the Beast of Darkness and gives me hope for Casca's inner darkness.

Anonymous asked:

I’m sorry bthump but after ch372 it seems like the story is indeed heading in the direction of Gutsca being endgame and Griffith being this manipulative machiavellian emotionless type villain, that last panel of him looks so exaggeratedly evil

Idk, I mean we already knew Casca still has ~feelings~ for Guts, it's not surprising to me that she'd dream about being carried away from him and think about him. It's not great, but it didn't majorly disappoint me or fill me with dread. If anything it makes Guts' sword obsession even funnier lol. Talk about emotional one-sidedness.

And rather than feeling terribly romantic, that moment when she fights the guards and thinks that she has to get back to Guts or he'll... makes me think she's anticipating Guts walking into a trap to rescue her, which, yk, is probably what's going to happen lol, unless this sword crisis resolves in a way that gives Guts an upper hand/a better plan B. But again, it's not surprising, the only thing I'm really curious about is what's going to happen when Guts gets here.

Though it does make me a little concerned that enough time has passed during this chapter that we're skipping over Guts' side of the story for a while and he might actually show up soon? We left his story on a cliffhanger so I feel like that would be stupid, and when I read the chapter I parsed it as like, Casca's first day as a damsel, but upon re-reading it's more likely one day in the life after days/weeks/months, so who knows?

And Griffith's cartoonish evil smile is dumb but I don't care honestly, I already got over it last chapter which also ended with an evil grin lmao. I know Miura would draw him with an ambiguously neutral expression so I just substitute my own in. I don't think it's a sign that he's going to be a 2 dimensional cackling villian, though frankly if he is I'd still chalk that up to non-Miura writing lacking all nuance and subtlety. What I imagine is in the future for Griffith though is more evil smiles, some Guts taunting, and then like, a crumbling of the facade in a moment of truth. It's just that the facade is no longer mildly neutral it's smug sinister evil because the new crew can't draw him.

Though man I read your ask while I was still at work before I could read the actual chapter and I was like 😟. But also I appreciate it lol bc you gave me the chance to brace myself for the worst, so I ended up pretty neutral on this chapter rather than disappointed.

I see a lot of people very annoyed with this chapter (and the continuation as a whole), and like, I get it because it objectively largely sucks lmao, but idk, I guess I have very low expectations for the continuation of Berserk comparatively. I'm no longer here for a good emotional story, I'm here to find out how it ends. I'm reading the cliffnotes version as far as I'm concerned, just scanning it for clues that point towards my desired ending.

[bthump]

@beansterpie​ said:

Yeah I agree with you! It's probably the reading that make the most sense, both from a character and thematic standpoint. And I looove the bit about how Guts treats Griffith like a normal person which in turn has him acting and treating others like normal people-- Guts reminding Griffith of his humanity <3 Do you think the core Hawks are aware of how much Griffith pushes them away?

Oh man that’s a tough one honestly. Rickert mentions Griffith feeling more distanced once he becomes a viscount, when Guts tries and fails to visit him after Zodd and Rickert’s says he knows how Guts feels, because it’s like recently Griffith has drifted away from them:

Which suggests that before Griffith started getting promotions into the nobility he felt closer to them.

Plus Griffith is generally personable and chill, he hangs out with the Hawks and parties with them, he acts childish sometimes, he’s not like, the type of aloof distant person you’d generally associate with someone who gets put on a pedestal and treated like an untouchable statue.

But then on the flipside you got like, Gaston’s statement before he explodes where he describes his entire time with the Hawks as feeling like a dream that was too good to be true and Griffith as different from the rest of them:

Or Judeau’s assessment of Griffith, where he describes him as essentially unknowable.

And there’s Griffith’s own assessment of his relationships where he describes himself as different because people either love or hate him.

So he definitely leaves most people with an impression of difference and some kind of intrinsic superiority, almost?

I know some fans interpret this as like, his magic demon aura because he’s destined to become Femto, but I really just think it’s all in how Griffith presents himself, it’s the image Griffith puts out into the world as part of what helps him be successful, and convinces himself that he’s destined for greatness. A lot of a certain type of charisma. And I think it does come from, at least in part, hiding his flaws from everyone except Guts.

Uhhh so to try to answer the actual question lol, I guess I’d say that the Hawks aren’t really aware that Griffith is pushing them away, but rather they see the subtle distance he puts between himself and others and interpret it, along with his perfectionism and talent and charisma etc, as an intrinsic sense of unknowable difference?

It’s funny because I think Promrose Hall is the first time Guts really gets the same vibe from Griffith that everyone else does, and I think it makes sense to read Griffith’s speech there as him unconsciously refocusing onto his dream specifically to distance himself from Guts slightly, after treating him as a friend rather than a subordinate. So it kind of fits together.

No one really views it as Griffith isolating himself from closer relationships and interpersonal intimacy, they just see it as Griffith being mysterious and different. Well, Casca might actually, but if so I think she sees that as Griffith “making himself strong” and admires it, rather than seeing it as fucked up. Hence why Guts makes Griffith weak in her eyes as well, actually.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to think about this, I hadn’t ever really considered Griffith and the Hawks from this angle before! What do you think, is there anything else to add?

Hey Moth! So I've had this cycling in my head for a few wash cycles too long and your last couple posts reminded me of it so I'm gonna ask before I inevitably forget again: Griffith struggles to see that people care about him as a person and not as just what he can achieve for them, which I agree with-- but I do end up hitting a snag when it comes to post-torture Griffith. The way the Hawks largely talk around him, it ends up feeling like ultimately what he can achieve for them IS the most important, since they lose hope when they realize the extent of his injuries.

Do you think that's just due to circumstances (ie the year of being on the run & upholding the rescue mission as The Thing That Will Fix Everything) and because Griffith is unable to communicate/express himself due to said injuries, so ablism kicks in an they talk about him like he's not there? Or do you think that on some level, his achievements do outweigh his personhood to at least some of the Hawks? Or maybe Griffith pushing people away is what ends up feeding the latter sentiment? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for the ask, Bean

tbh I'd want to read the pre-Eclipse sequence as a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, so yeah, Griffith pushing people away as feeding into the Hawks' attitudes. Because you're definitely right, it's at odds with the take that part of Griffith's problem is not realizing that people genuinely value him. And I do think that's the best reading of Griffith faking his own death in Tombstone of Flame and Guts thinking of him as cruel for it, especially since it takes place after the Hawks' knighthoods are announced, so theoretically Griffith's role is over - he's achieved everything he can for them by now. So their tears are a sign of how they feel about him as a person, rather than a conduit to success.

But yeah like, at the same time he does distance himself, he doesn't really let anyone in to know him except Guts and Casca once, accidentally, he's kind and personable and friendly but as Judeau describes when Guts joins, he's a bit of a mystery.

I guess it could just be a contradiction, but I think you can see the scene in Tombstone of Flame as the positive end of the scale. Like, just before it all ends, we get a glimpse of the genuine feelings and relationships Griffith could've cultivated further by allowing himself to be closer to the Hawks, and which could've grown if Guts hadn't left and ruined everything. The way Guts grounds Griffith and brings him to Earth is kind of illustrated in this scene when Guts is the one to tell Griffith about Casca's dress, which he then compliments. And I think Guts would continue to influence him in that direction if he stayed - treating him like a normal person, to which Griffith responds by acting more like a normal person, and opening up more.

Buuut instead Guts left and everything crashed and burned and yeah if anything Griffith's existence as a symbol to the Hawks grew in his and Guts' absence and overtook his reality as a person. It does make sense from a character point of view imo, considering the position the Hawks are in and how desperate they are, and it also makes sense thematically, as a result of Guts leaving and Griffith losing that potential for healthier relationships and self-esteem along with him. Another aspect of the lost potential of Griffith and Guts' relationship, maybe.

So yeah, I think that's the take I want to go with. What do you think?

[yokozumi]

Ooh I love this, hope you don't mind me piggybacking here! @my followers go read bean's fanfics she is so good

seggs

slice of life or filler from main plot

villains

character studies/moments to explore or explain back stories

dialogue, idk why i just LOVE writing dialogue

Five things I never get tired of writing

Rules: List five things you never get tired of writing. it can be tropes, themes, characters, phrases, whatever brings you joy. then tag five people!

Thanks for tagging me @marley-manson !!

1.) fucked up people fumbling their way through relationships.

2.) people hanging out

3.) fic that… (ideally) feels like an organic extension of canon. (Not just canon-divergence, though that too actually, but like tonally and characterization-wise)

4.) feeling realizations!! turns out I’m such a sucker for this!!

5.) trying to express a characters state of mind through actions and the things they don’t say

I shall tag…. @yokozumi, @mrderbird, @alovelyburn uhhhhhhhh I think the others who I know write fic have already been tagged lol. Anyone who wants to give it a try, please do!

[13eyond13]

💫🌔10 Griffguts Fic Recs🌔💫

So I'm not even close to done looking through this ship tag yet, but here are a handful of fic recs that I've come across so far:

Snowmelt by bthump (rated T, one-shot, 10k words) - first fic I read for this pairing, and it's so lovely and in-character and understated and heartwarming

The Painted Stage by alovelyburn (not rated, one-shot, 13k words) - so interesting and surprising in certain ways that you might need to read it twice

oil, sweat, and cinder by applecrumbledore (rated E, 2/2 chapters, 9k words) - this one might be my favourite so far, it just feels so quintessentially Berserk in flavour and tone to me. I like that the stranger and darker sides of the characters and the canon universe are not shied away from being referred to here (which actually seems quite rare to find done interestingly in Berserk fics)

the things we say to others by applecrumbledore (rated T, one-shot, 3k words) - I just love how this writer writes Griffith especially! A pair of fascinating conversations to eavesdrop on here...

Enraptured by suggestivescribe (rated E, one-shot, 5k words) Smut in a tent! What more could you want?

Chain of Dissent by beansterpie (rated M, 5/? chapters, 43k words) - The beginnings of a sweet and comforting slowburn that explores what else maybe might've been had they actually just talked it out and taken their time realizing how they feel about each other before doing anything too rash. Big fan of the "Griffith teaching Guts how to read" moments especially!

Sucker Punch by Enisy (rated M, one-shot, 8k words) - AU where Guts is a boxer and Griffith is his trainer. I thought it was so beautifully and uniquely written, and I especially appreciated it since AU fics seem to be pretty rare in this fandom, too

a clean slate by cainight (rated T, one-shot, 1.9k words) - creepiest cuddling ever

From His Lips by rayfalke (rated T, 3/3 chapters, 3k words) - cute lil kisses of various sorts

A Thousand Golden Fragments by spacetrashdelux (not rated, 2/? chapters, 1.6k words) - soft and sweet, and still believable to boot!

[marley-manson]

tagged by @the-cinnamontography-is-amazing, and @thelatecaptainpierce, ty 💖

I am so bad at coming up with 10 favourite movies lol, so aside from a few mainstays this is kind of random, but w/e, 10 movies that I really like and that I've seen multiple times:

I'll tag 10 people: @pigtailedgirl @hetakiba @beansterpie @undecimber-of-joy @shiveringsoldier

@majorbaby @bisexualdawnsummers @partlyironic @ducksoup1933 @hesgomorrah

and anyone else who wants to do it pls just say i tagged you

[katzanone]

I think Sena visiting is the only thing that'll get Panther to wear one of those corny shirts, so here is My Winter Gift Exchange for @beansterpie!

And an additional requested duo:

I hope you like it and happy holiday!

Many thanks to @eyeshields for organizing this event 🌟

[deabruarenjarraitzaileaya-ha]

Eyeshield 21: 2024 Winter Gift Exchange

For @beansterpie

Sorry I'm late, hope you like it! This fic dips a bit into my headcanons (mostly our headcanons at this point lol) for the university years, with as many of your prompts as I was able to fit.

And thank you @eyeshields for organising this event once again! It's always so much fun ❤️❤️

“ENMA!”

“FIRES!”

“ENMA!”

“FIRES!”

The Enma university students and supporters waved their flame-shaped foam gloves as their kicker got ready for the point after touchdown. The score was 21-13, and the crowd was rippling with anticipation as number 99 pocketed his comb, ran up to the 10-yard-line and kicked the ball.

The stadium roared when it made a beautiful arc and passed directly through the middle of the posts. The counter changed to 21-14, and the Enma Fires were suddenly one touchdown away from tying with the Nihon Phoenixes. 

“Kotarou-kun’s kicks are as beautiful as always,” commented Anezaki Mamori, assistant manager of the Saikyoudai Wizards, making a cursory annotation on her notebook.  

“Fuu, like an electrifying riff from Tom Morello’s guitar.” While she considered herself passably good at musical theory, she could never keep up with Akaba’s more specific music tastes, so she could only nod and smile. 

The Wizards had a whole team of workers and volunteers that took care of the data recollection and analysis of other teams—unlike the Deimon Devil Bats, who were only an official team because of Kurita’s fiery determination and Hiruma’s efficiently frightening methods, and as such had barely enough people to play a match, let alone to gather data and take care of other administrative tasks. 

Right then, Obara-san was attending to an overly complicated camera Mamori had no hope to ever understand, while Masao-kun recorded the match from a closer angle and Izaya-san wrote down the times of the plays. Mamori didn’t need to be here—none of them did, really— but it was the Enma Fires. Friendly rivalries required both cheering the team on and taking note of their strategies to overanalyse them before the next match. 

Ikkyu leaned back on his seat, a slight quirk to his lips. “It’s almost half-time; if Unsui-san can keep this rhythm until then, the flow of the match should stay in their favour.”

“Kekeke, the Phoenixes are good but way too straightforward, they won’t be any match for that scheming fucking monk,” Hiruma agreed from the seat next to hers, unwrapping a new gum stick.

“Tch, they are lucky the Phoenixes are nothing special. Fires’ defense is shit and their offense is missing key players, they’ll lose against a better team,” said Agon, who was seated on Hiruma’s other side and nonchalantly munched on an energy bar he had grabbed from the blond’s bag.

(He had arrived 15 minutes late, complaining about the early hour—even though their usual morning practice started significantly earlier and he had not missed a single one lately. Even the upperclassmen had tensed up when he just plopped down and kicked his feet up into another seat, but Hiruma had only cackled and called him a sweet little brother that came when called.

“Aaaah!? Like I’d come just because you said so, trash. Are you delusional?”

Personally, Mamori thought Hiruma needling him was 80% of the reason why Agon did anything these days, but felt it would be impolite to point it out aloud.

“Besides Unsui, Hiruma is the only one who is able to steer Agon through his wildest moods,” Banba had told her the time they had brought the data of their last match for analysis to the cute new patisserie next to their campus, the one that boasted the best French chocolate-dipped cream puffs in Tokyo. “As long as it works, they can keep at it.”

That seemed to be more or less the consensus everyone on the team—and in university as a whole, it seemed— had arrived to. Not that anyone would admit to it; Agon was still terrifying.)

Yamabushi rubbed his hairy chin in thought. “Phoenixes’ line is no match for Kurita. Right now, not even the upperclassmen can beat him in a one on one, the only one in Japan who can challenge him is Gaou.”

“That fat trash can plough through the centre to open a path and Unsui can think up all the strategies he wants, but the only half decent runningback is number 15 and all receivers are trash. Their only trump card is that kick freak.”

“Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of kick plays,” Akaba said, just as Enma stole the ball and started their offense yet again. “They have no counter for Kotarou’s kicks, and his success rate is 99% in good weather; with Kurita and Unsui it won’t be difficult to secure a down, and from there they have three points guaranteed.”

And just like their kick expert predicted, the Fires managed to score two field kicks before halftime and were just one point away from tying the match. The next 20 minutes were spent comparing notes and predictions, asking Obara-san to watch a few of the recordings, and trying to ignore the two devils insulting each other almost gleefully. Even the older adults have given up on getting them to sit properly and without profanity.)

The second half started with both teams giving their all. While taking notes, Mamori felt her phone vibrate and she pulled it out to read the text. “Banba has just finished his history exam and won’t make it before the end of the match. He’ll meet us at the train station.”

The announcement was met with nods and words of acknowledgement, except—

“Banba, huh?” Hiruma repeated, rolling his head to glance at her from the corner of his eye.

(She wasn’t sure what he was even implying with that tone. There was nothing to imply, other than a polite, reliable friendship born during these past months while trying to wrangle a team of eccentric geniuses and an overly stubborn coach, but long dealings with Hiruma Youichi had made her realise that he often just said things to get a reaction—people apparently gave away a lot of information inadvertently when mad and discomfited— and she refused to play the game his way.)

She smacked his shoulder with her notebook. “Stop putting your feet up on the seats, Hiruma-kun.”

His grin was razor sharp as he turned his attention back to the game. Underneath his usual devilish bravado, she noticed the dark skin under his eyes and the slight slump to his usually lounging posture. She wouldn’t deny worrying about him—he was exasperating, but Mamori liked to think they were friends of a sort, after all this time—and the year had been hard on everyone, but especially him.

She had seen him in various states of exhaustion and hurt before, (during the death march, after those “secret” training sessions he did after everyone went home, when Gaou broke his arm in the match against Hakushuu Dinosaurs…) but the training regimen he had gone through that year was nothing short of brutal. She had wanted to stop him, remind him that no matter what he liked to pretend he was still human, but she also understood: out of everyone on the team—even herself—he was the one who had had to earn his position the most; and it was only now, in the autumn season, when he had convinced the coach to make him an starter player. The assistant trainer, Hirayama-san , had helped by designing his diet and training, and even by keeping tempers cool when Hiruma and the coach inevitably butted heads. The players that had gone with him to the Youth Club had supported him, of course—and Mamori was pretty sure Hiruma had spent time training with Agon one on one to hone his skills even more—but in the end it had been all his merit, to get better and stronger and faster, enough that even an old coach set in his ways couldn’t find fault with making him the starter quarterback.

As she had done during their time in Deimon, she would support him from the bench while he thrived in his natural habitat: confounding the rival team on the football pitch. 

“The Phoenix players are standing closer than before,” she noted, comparing her annotations on their positions in previous plays with where they were standing at the moment. “They are going to try and stop Kotarou-kun from kicking.”

“Well, that just leaves an opening for countless trick plays, and that fucking monk won’t waste such an opportunity.”

What followed were many minutes of frantic scrambling and last minute saves on the Phoenixes’ part, while the Fires slowly but steadily gained ground. The stadium cheered both teams, with Enma students chanting their call and response song—some said “Enma” while others answered with “Fires”, but Mamori wasn’t sure how it was decided who said what. Had they practiced beforehand? Such a dedicated fanbase!

They were nearing the end of the match. The Fires’ captain being a man of few words, it apparently fell on the quarterback to say a few words to the team just before their last play. “Our passion for football is unmatched,” they heard Unsui say, face serious and set with determination. “A fire that rages hotter than any inferno. Like fire, it will burn any opponent to the ground. Like fire, it will light a path to the Rice Bowl. BURN WITH PASSION, ENMA FIRES!”

“Ugh, that was corny as shit, Unko-chan,“ Agon muttered, at a volume that suggested he’d never had to keep an opinion to himself.

Corny or not, the speech did its job; the team was properly fired up—Mamori giggled to herself at the pun—and ready to give their all and more. With two minutes left on the clock, anything could happen, but they would need to be at their best to win.

And win they did. Mamori took furious notes as Kotarou faked an onside kick, while Unsui used the previously unnoticed number 59 for a faint that looked vaguely inspired by the dragonfly and scored the final touchdown himself.

Hiruma’s cackle was heard loud and clear even with the whole stadium coming to life with a roar of celebration, and the Fires’ own shouts of joy and shocked amazement.

Among the Wizards, the feeling of satisfaction was palpable. Yamabushi even excused himself and climbed down the stairs to congratulate the Fires personally. Mamori watched him go fondly, tempted to follow, but decided to wait. The players were already celebrating by hugging and dancing and laughing.

“Their next match is against Ojou; it won’t be easy to overcome that perfect defense.”

“Not perfect.” Hiruma pointed a finger towards Ikkyu, grin razor-edged. “No team is perfect.”

“Fuu, you have a few ideas already, Hiruma?” 

“At the clubroom, fucking red-eyes.”

“Hey, what the fuck is that fat trash doing to Unko-chan?”

Mamori turned to the celebration and saw Kurita spinning around in joy while cradling Unsui to his chest. She would have thought nothing of it, if it weren’t for Hiruma’s answering cackle. And Kurita was a very effusive and tactile person but… mmh. 

“Aah!? The fuck you laughing about? Spill!”

“Kekeke, are you really so flummoxed by healthy camaraderie between football players? That’s so tragic, fucking dreads.”

“Are you pouting!? Don’t make that shitty face at me, trash, what the fuck. Stop laughing, trash!”

It was probably just Hiruma trying to get a rise out of Agon… but if it wasn’t, she’d probably hear about it the next time she met up with Kurita to sample Kariya’s cream puffs.

🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️🏈❄️

“Oi, trash, seriously, what the fuck was that about?” he asked yet again when they were climbing the stairs to Hiruma’s apartment. He didn’t want to think it over, that fat trash and his twin brother, but he couldn’t let it go. “You know something, don’t you? Tell me!”

A grin full of shark teeth was his only answer as Hiruma jiggled his keys and opened the door, and he grumbled as he followed the blond trash inside.

(Not like a dog. Not at all like that smelly mutt that followed Hiruma around all the time begging for scraps. No, stop that.)

He could see that the skinny trash was getting comfortable, pulling out his laptop and phone, probably planning to update his information network or player roster, and he wasn’t having it.

Faster than Hiruma could ever hope to move, Agon grabbed him by the collar of his leather jacket and pushed him against the wall. “Stop fucking around,” he growled.

Hiruma didn’t look particularly bothered, the crazy bastard, and popped a bubble of gum in the narrow space between them. “Well, this brings back memories,” he snickered, tilting his head to the side. Agon remembered that night when they first met back in middle school, both blond and several centimetres shorter, in this exact position. “Are you sure you want to know, fucking dreads?”

“Tell me what you know.”

“And then what? What will you do if I tell you they are good friends? If I tell you they are fucking? If I say they loathe each other's fucking guts but put on that little display just to fuck with your head? What then?”

Agon glared, fist opening and closing by his hip. Hiruma kept his toothy grin, tapping Agon’s wrist twice. “Think it over and ask your brother, dreads. Now, you wanna finish the Superbowl match we were watching yesterday? I have it paused.”

Clicking his tongue, he let the blond trash go and followed him to the tiny sofa. Arranging themselves into something resembling a comfortable position, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip, they continue watching the only football players that could probably keep up with him plough each other to the ground. 

The next day he would text his brother. For the moment, Agon let his ankle brush Hiruma’s and pointed out what a better job he would have done at catching that number 46’s shitty pass.

[marley-manson]

I've been tagged by @pigtailedgirl and @the-cinnamontography-is-amazing to create a poll of my top 5 blorbos and see which is the most popular and tag five more people! ty for the tags!

oh almost forgot to tag other people:

@beansterpie @ducksoup1933 @undecimber-of-joy @majorbaby @bisexualdawnsummers

i'm keeping it to 5 this time bc i'm quickly editing the post but anyone else who sees this and wants to do it should and say i tagged you

[marley-manson]

tagged by @gayvecchio, thank you 💖

Rules: List five things you never get tired of writing. it can be tropes, themes, characters, phrases, whatever brings you joy. then tag five people!

1. My faves having a bad time

2. Close third person with a distinctive character voice

3. Sex without preamble or handwringing - sex first, talking about it after if at all

4. Fun metaphors

5. Friends/partners/etc NOT giving the kind of emotional support/good advice/comfort/understanding/etc that someone needs or feels they need

tagging: @majorbaby @beansterpie @undecimber-of-joy @rescue-ram @bornforastorm

@hetakiba @hesgomorrah @pomegranate @hawkfawun @ofdemonsandangels

@acanofpeaches @actingcamplibrarian @serpercival

[marley-manson]

favorite female character tag game

Thank you for tagging me @bornforastorm 💖

Rules: Make a poll of your top four favorite female characters of all time and see who is the favorite amongst your followers, then tag four people to do the same.

Everytime I'm asked for all-time faves childhood faves end up dominating lol. But like, idk how else to narrow it down.

I'm tagging @beansterpie @hetakiba @undecimber-of-joy @v-e-l-v-e-t-g-o-l-d-m-i-n-e

[marley-manson]

thanks for the tag @majorbaby <3

Put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for which one they like the most!

tagging: @undecimber-of-joy @nimuetheseawitch @beansterpie @hawkfawun @windmillcrusader

@creepydai @hetakiba @pomegranate @partlyironic @v-e-l-v-e-t-g-o-l-d-m-i-n-e and anyone else who wants to do it

[13eyond13]

Thanks for the tag @blackwoodbanshee, I love this tag game idea! 👀

Tagging @queen--of--maggots @ratbefriender @translightyagami @hawkfawun @quicktimeeventfull @lightyaoigami @eyecicles @dillyfirestarter @craetor @beansterpie @mallodrama @pika-cthuluuuuu if you wanna do it!