#and i LOVE BABY 5 AND I LOVE MONET I LOVE SEEING THEM

[baby5fanclub]

THE SILLIESSSSS‼️❄️🏳️‍🌈❕

[dofushiza]

Doflamingo and the Donquixote Pirates: Does he love them?

Doflamingo and the Donquixote Pirates are one of the most complex dynamics in One Piece, and fans are often split on whether Doflamingo truly loves his family. My take? He does, but it’s incredibly complicated.

From a young age, Doflamingo was raised by people who drilled into him the idea that their lives were expendable for his ambitions.

All the Donquixote Pirates grew up starving on the streets, seeing Doflamingo as their savior. Their journey began as street urchins, struggling to survive in a harsh world. To get by, they turned to a life of crime, driven by desperation and hunger. This life was all they knew until they encountered Doflamingo, a boy with incredible power.

To these people, Doflamingo was a ticket out of their miserable existence. They saw in him a potential leader who could offer them protection, purpose, and a chance to rise above their circumstances. In their eyes, he was a savior who could change their fate.

In turn, they fed Doflamingo toxic ideologies, reinforcing his already warped sense of self-worth and destiny. They told him he was destined for greatness and that their lives were a small price to pay for his ascent to power. This constant reinforcement shaped Doflamingo's mindset, making him believe that true loyalty meant being willing to die for one's leader.

As they followed him, the bond between Doflamingo and his crew grew more complex and entangled. His followers' unwavering loyalty and willingness to sacrifice themselves bolstered his belief in his own superiority and right to rule. He saw their sacrifices as proof of their devotion, not realizing that he was perpetuating a cycle of manipulation and exploitation.

This twisted form of loyalty is evident in many ways, such as Monet willingly sacrificing herself for him to save Caesar. It’s clear that his crew’s dedication feeds into his toxic mindset.

Take Baby 5, for instance. Doflamingo killed her predatory fiancés, but he never had a heartfelt conversation about stranger danger with her . He’s too damaged to provide that kind of emotional guidance.

When Law held Giolla captive and Doflamingo hesitated in his attack on the Sunny, Giolla later expressed she’d happily die for him. This reinforced his skewed perception of loyalty.

He has moments that show genuine care, like getting angry when Law used his powers on Buffalo and Baby 5 or insisting that no one laugh at Pica’s voice. He compliments Diamante, likely to get him off his ass and do his job.

Doflamingo’s care for Caesar Clown is another intriguing aspect. Ensuring Caesar’s safety would keep him safe from Kaido’s wrath, but he also calls Caesar his “cute subordinate” in the original Japanese, indicating some level of affection.

The complexity deepens with Corazon. Doflamingo only hinted at wanting Corazon to use the Op-Op Fruit to grant him immortality after Corazon left and the Navy was conveniently off their tails. He suspected his brother of being a spy and may have wanted to hurt him out of betrayal. Though I might be grasping at straws with this one.

In his own twisted way, Doflamingo tries to “help” by taking kids off the street and giving them powers to fight against the oppressive society they were born into . However, this is a mirror of his own upbringing, where Trebol groomed him to be a criminal and surrounded him with people who would die for him. Intentionally or not, Doflamingo perpetuates this cycle with his subordinates.

Ultimately, Doflamingo’s love for his family is there, but it’s marred by a lifetime of manipulation, violence, and a deeply ingrained toxic mindset.

[base0h]

Hello,

Heard you’re looking for ideas so…

Here’s a crack one: The Straw hats working in a department store

Would they become employee of the month? Would they be fired immediately?

a/n - IM WHEEZING AT THIS— you are GENIUS bro holy crap 😭🫶 dude luffy would get fired so fast it’s insane— and imma just add everyone bc why not 😂

Warnings ⚠️ - MAJOR crack, multiple characters, I’m kinda dumb and might’ve forgotten people

they didn’t even make it past the interview 💀

.✩ kidd (tried killing the interviewer for asking him why he wanted to work there “I really am passionate about restocking— MF IM BROKE.”), buggy, bonney, paulie (did the same thing as kidd plus he parked in the manager’s parking spot)

literally within the first few seconds of the interview they’re hired | “My name is—“ “Can you start within the next few seconds?”

.✩ jimbei, koby, sabo, koala, izou, kaku, vivi

got fired the same day they started

.✩ luffy (ate the entire produce section and then asked the manager “is there more stuff in the back?”), corazon (he accidentally burnt the place down 😀), sanji (confessed his love and asked several female customers to marry him at his cash register), brook (asked for some poor random woman’s underwear 💀)

employee of the month every single month

.✩ jimbei, koby (old people always say how sweet he is to the manager bc he always helps them get the things they can’t reach 😭🫶), tashigi (kids hate her bc she catches them and scolds them if they take an extra candy/sticker from the cashier jar), vivi (accidentally gave herself this title when she’s the manager 💀)

the manager of the store

.✩ nami (steals money from the safe sometimes), aokiji (he literally never shows up to work on time and doesn’t give a shit what the employees do), akainu, fujitora, shanks (bro also does not care and comes to work hungover), dragon (has not shown up once since the interview), sengoku, garp, dadan, vivi, magellan

the sale sign flipper guy

.✩ zoro (if he manages to actually find his way to the store), bepo, ace, shachi, penguin, queen (you legit can’t miss him as you’re driving by 💀), yamato, oden, cat viper, bon clay, ivankov

they work solely in the back to avoid human interaction as much as possible

.✩ mihawk, law, smoker (he’s the guy that mans the big crane machine that moves huge boxes), hawkins, king, katakuri, smoker, lucci

they’re the CEOs of companies that are partners with the store and provide goods for the store to sell

.✩ crocodile (provides gut/immune supporting, healthy, all organic animal/pet food), doflamingo, kaido, big mom, whitebeard, moria (sells and produces copious amounts of Halloween costumes and other decorations)

actually decent employees

.✩ usopp, benn, x drake, robin, nojiko, baby 5, monet, vergo, franky, icebarg, bellamy (SHADOW FROM SK8 PLS TELL ME YALL SEE IT), hachi, killer

they start tweaking because they asked a customer how they were and they ignored them

.✩ shirahoshi (sobbing), bepo, sanji (asked a girl who had her headphones on), Uta (will get so pressed that they ignored her when in reality they just had headphones on)

they’re the reason why the store’s still in business | they’re basically the mascot

.✩ chopper, bepo, carrot, cat viper, dog storm

the dude everyone goes to for questions/help | “Idk go ask ___”

.✩ franky (has beef with cash register 4 bc it stops working for no reason only during his lunch break and never when he’s not doing anything), icebarg, kaku, usopp, lucci, jack, king, robin, jimbei

they’re the reason why no one likes to shop there | they have several weird allegations or felonies of some sort

.✩ trebol, caesar, diamante, dellinger, pica (he drives this mini car and always somehow fits inside it and takes up two spots in the parking lot), absalom, hogback (people have gone missing in the parking lot it’s scary), moria (would you wanna shop if you saw bro? Ik I wouldn’t 😭)

jobless for life ✌️

.✩ rayleigh (he slays idc), roger, yasopp

a/n - I think i forgot people but eh 💀 the one piece brainrot is so back 🙏

[sualne]

PLEASE elaborate on Monet and laws relationship in the secret modern au! Because from previous posts law is activity doing Things with sanji and is in a queer platonic relationship with luffy I just need to know the whole custerfuck of laws personal life what is HAPPENING in there

law and monet, they met when way back he was in the hospital as a teen. monet first started working there as a nurse for law specifically because of doflamingo's orders, then became ceasar's assistant and an anesthetist, now she's essentially a trafalgar specialist.

some months after losing her legs she complained about having trouble with relationships (one night stands really) because ppl kept getting put off and being really weird about her being an amputee so jokingly she said something about law and her only have each other and how they should date, law just went "let's do it then."

it's also because doflamingo keeps on killing baby 5's ""boyfriends"" making dating difficult when you're part to the donquixote family (as in crime family). since doflamingo for some reasons wants both of them alive, "dating" each other is the safest way they can go about it.

but they're also fake dating/fiancés in the sense that neither are in love with the other and they're essentially playing. they do care for each other but they're not friends, they're stuck together because of doflamingo, neither can really do any kind of relationships without the impeding threats of him ripping it all away in an instant. so they play. one date they're newly engaged doctors with a luxurious life style, another they're two tired girls who met online seeing each other irl for the first time, another and they're in love, ect.

law is a big mess relationships wise but also when it comes to his sexual life, he keeps putting himself into situation out of self loathing, hoping to get hurt, hoping that this time it'll fix him, hoping to be proven wrong, hoping to get away from everything and himself. he's all over the place. his and monet's relationship is messed up but it's one of the most comfortable he's got even though he knows a single word from doflamingo and she'd never speak to him again.

[vibrantshoyo]

I love love love your baby 5 + Dellinger + Cora joining the hearts idea, so anything with one of them?

Thanks for the request! Warms my heart to see them get so much love.

Here’s Rosie in her Punk Hazard fit (and the flamethrower for when I throw her and Tashigi at Monet)

[astoldbychae]

how many emojis can I send for Miss Monet and Mr Handsome over there? because I’m tryna be all in they business. But for now I’ma send 🩶 . 🥡. & 🧸

As many as you'd wanna know 😁 Also, The 1st emoji for some reason doesn't show up, so I'm not sure which question that was. You can ask that one again, if you'd like to.

🥡 What does a relaxing night in look like for them?

Mel is very romantic (and physical touch is definitely his love language), so He really enjoys a nice, relaxing candlelit bath with her (glass of wine is optional). Especially since He does work a lot, this is something that he looks forward to after a long week. Afterwards they end up watching a movie (that He always ends up falling asleep on because She always ends up rubbing his ears. Yes! his big ass loves to be the little spoon don't tell him I told you.) 🥺

Now that baby girl is born she sometimes throws a wrench in their relaxing night time because if she wakes up, the ONLY way she'd fall back to sleep is if she's on his chest. So now that she's learning to sleep through the night, they can ease back into their little routine.

🧸BONUS! Include one of your favorite moments between them!

It'll have to be when they first met each other again, after Mel's divorce. He was staying in Jasmine Suites because He just needed to sign a lease ASAP. It was a small, crappy apartment but He made it feel like home. Monet's older brother Mekhi is one of Melo's best friends since high school (so they know his ex-wife because they all went to high school together). Monet was staying at her brother's house until she could find her own place (she had accepted a writing job in the city). It was the beginning of Summer and Mekhi was throwing a party and Melo showed up. He hadn't seen Monet in YEARS (She's like 5 years younger than her brother & Melo). During that whole party they were damn near inseparable (playing Uno, beer pong, dancing etc). She ended up flirting with him before the party was over and that's how they got their little pink bar started. Melo's mood/whims would be all over the place because he was still in his mood about the divorce but would randomly be thinking about Monet. On top of that, she would call & invite him out often (I personally think that was her way of shooting her shot but also just trying to keep him in good spirits...and that was the cutest thing to me because He would be so happy/energetic/inspired whenever He would spend time with her). It's also cute that She's hot headed and he will literally go over and just kiss her and she'll calm TF down. LMAO

BONUS: Now that the baby is here, it's always funny to see them literally race to take care of the baby then give eachother their little smirky-look as if it were a competition. LMAO

[taegularities]

rid, my lovie !! my sweets !!

🚨 : ( rant incoming )

some of these recent asks have been making me want to start throwing gang signs or sum 💀 i know there are always gonna be some of these asks given the vast audience you have, and that they are just drowning in anticipation.

however, the undertone? 😭 do these people realize that you are a prolific writer, churning out quality contents faster than locusts can reproduce and infest? 🤨 RELATIVELY SPOKEN !!

good contents take time to plan, produce and publish !!

REMEMBER THE TRIPLE P. for an author who doesn't even ask you to pay, and responds with kindness only.

so, let's learn and practice more kindness and respectfulness here. thank you. ( sorry, if i sound like a teacher's pet, but rid is just too good to us )

anyway, we are nonetheless excited for your next releases, and 'entertainer' even after all this time.

( rant end )

꒰ ❛ ❜ personal lil message ꒱ ‎

rid, am so sorry for not getting back to your last 'ruined' response. i thought you hadn't answered it yet !! and are you kidding me? a!oc is my babiest baby !! of course, i adore her a lot. i remember somebody saying she is like a 'sunny weekend after a wet weather' or something, but bit more condescending— made me wanna throw some gang signs again, tafaq 😫 had to overcompensate with my repeated 'ruin you' asks, but i promise i equally read and enjoy your other stories. even sent asks about them before ( just not in my 🎀🖇🩵 style, haha ) and i'm thankful for each of the sweet responses from you : every. single. time!!

oh, by the way, i came across this pin today : https://pin.it/2rY2xnZtj

kinda ruined!tae on wedding night coded? 'i missed this' x 'it's only been two days' x 'and? i miss you all the damn time' ❤️‍🔥 can i please just ask what's the duo's moodboard like? ik they are a v monetesque, pastoral, serene and the whole artists garden at giverny + the water lily pond + beach at saint adresse!based couple.

but if possible i still wanna see them more from your artistic mind, my love. thank you. xo.

last but not least, must i mention how proud i am of you bc of the whole gaza take and activism on this platform? 🍉 it might be a bare minimum for a reality so cruel, but it matters. thank you for using your resources, and for saying how you listen to certain artists less bc of their lack of voice on this issue. every act matters. let's stay strong and

—take care. 🎀🖇🩵

gang signs omg lol 😭 honestly, i'm so thankful for the audience and the excitement everybody brings! the tone was a little off, but as i said, i'm pretty sure they didn't mean it that way, so i'm like, not mad or anything hehe. i hope they enjoyed entertainer!! it's true, though, that i've been a bit slow this year, but we try our best in this corner of our world. but thank you so much for saying that 😭 i'm flattered you appreciate my existence here and are so kind <3

it's okay, love, no reason to apologise. a!oc was everyone's baby, like she's still one of my favourite ocs i've written!! it's beyond crazy that people still remember her and this story overall. lmao yeah someone said she feels like a wet weekend after a sunny vacation or something idk it was way out of line, but what can we do.. i laughed 🤣 THANK YOUUUU for dropping by, whether with your signed asks or in any other way ily ily!!!

plsss on their wedding night?

more like always 😂 but so true. their mood boarddd hmmm, wait i'll go and make one rq brb *5 minutes later* i'd say that's them 🥺 def some monet, rain and autumn vibes

and ofc!! i think i could do even more and share even more. every thought counts. i can't even remember saying i listen to artists less, but it's 100% true, and i also try to avoid big chains such as starbucks, which i think we all should. take care as well, love 🤍

[gendervapor14]

Gladius! 👻 🧸💤 💔🫂🎭 🖕😭 (Sorry that there are so many😅)

oh my goodness, this is wonderful. lemme just (cracks knuckles) alright let's dive on in

👻 a headcanon about what scares them

i think betrayal. being viewed as a traitor, or having someone close to him betray him. he is extremely loyal, and extremely quick to anger when viola turns coat. he's also especially vicious to corazon on minion island. he's an angry guy, and i think he uses that anger to cope with fear.

🧸 a headcanon about their childhood

ohh i have ideas, hehe. i am in the process of writing him a backstory fic, so i will try to answer this and keep some of my secrets. i think he came from a very loving, very steampunk family. and i think they were taken away from him, and left a huge hole in his heart. the donquixote family filled that gap.

💤 a headcanon about their sleep

i think those blocky things over his ears are like like, some sort of sound channels he can open or close to block the sound of his weapons/explosions. and i think when dellinger was a baby, he had to sleep with the sound channels on in order to block out the late-night screeching.

💔 an angsty headcanon

he suffers from amnesia. can't remember his childhood before the age of about 10. the donquixote family rescued him around that time and he became their easiest victim, because he knew no better way of life.

🫂 a friendship headcanon

his first proper friend was corazon. when corazon first joined the crew, he wanted to get close to gladius, try and convince him to leave. that didn't work. 4 years later, corazon betrayed them and gladius was devastated. he got closer to baby 5 after that, since she was upset about law going missing, and they could both process this grief by blowing stuff up. probably got close to monet once she joined, since they're both rather quiet and studious.

🎭 a headcanon about what they lie about

ooh very interesting. i think he lies about his health. i imagine he suffers with some sort of chronic condition(s), and he doesn't want to be viewed as a liability. he probably brushes off a lot of health concerns in fear of being viewed a burden.

🖕 a headcanon relating to anger

this is perfect for him, lmao. he's an angry guy. i think he ate his devil-fruit by accident, because it seems to be linked to emotions. nobody in their right mind would give such a hotheaded dude a fruit that can literally explode when the user gets a little irritated.

😭 a headcanon about the worst thing that happened to them

bartolomeo defeats him by punching him in the head, right? i headcanon that's when he regains his childhood memories. as soon as he wakes up in impel down. suddenly he remembers his loving family, their dreams. his dreams, before they were replaced with the donquxiote family's. ouch.

damn. now i really want to go back to that backstory fic! i see what you did there, hehe 😈 thank you for the ask!! <3

[swampstew]

Thank you @thus-spoke-lo for the tag in this fun self-recommendation game! I always feel a bit awkward posting reminders and announcements when chapters are ready for reading, but I'll take a moment to hype myself and the words of my labor up. Here are my 5 favorite things I've written so far!

What's the Magic Word? - So I love how One Piece is this giant fantastical world where pirates are a real threat and mermaids, dragons, and magic quite literally exist. I thought it was odd that there wasn't a witch character at all, especially with how well it would fit into the universe, and what type of role/responsibility power like that would look like. Rowena my baby was born. It's everything I've ever learned while practicing the craft, enjoyed seeing in pop culture media, and inspired by cultural lores that I participate in or have great respect for. I wanted to create a character that could believably exist in the One Piece world and then have her do a bunch of fun and cathartic things (that may or may not be a reflection of real life). Falling in love with Eustass Kid was not on my radar (is falling in love ever?) - in fact the first draft of the story didn't have the Kid Pirates at all. Nope, just my witchy girl and the Straw Hats having adventures. Then I got to the Sabaody Archipelago and I saw him. I thought it would be fun to put these characters in a situation where they weren't friends or enemies but rather temporary witness protection body guards with a powerful ass witch as their protectee. Plus the smut. Love the smut and romance always. Its my first writng project I've done since college and I'm so happy to be back in the writing sphere. This book will have a sequel :)

Turn Back Time - This was a random dream that turned into a 20+ multichapter fic and I'm not even mad about it. In this one I took a fun approach to the story by centering it not just on the OCs but the Kid Pirates themselves. My first fic didn't really acknowledge many of them until the editing stage but this fic is entirely about the Kid Pirates and what it's like being in their crew. Especially as the love interests of some of the scariest, beefiest dudes that end up just being touch-starved men who are fully capable of vulnerability and love. It's been fun and I am excited for the upcoming themes and trials they'll go through! There will only be the one book but it will follow the journey of the Kid Pirates up until the very recent events in the manga.

At First Sight - this was a one shot that turned into a mini-series and I surprised myself with how much I packed into it. I didn't want to or expect to make it into a series but after giving it maybe a whole day's worth of thought and effort, I feel like I pulled a pretty good fic out of what was originally a stand-alone porn trope collab story!! This one is also on the Kid Pirates cause they're my comfort characters and again its been a fun way to put a spin on these murderous pirates when they're engaging with someone who's neither foe nor friend. Not a frenemy but a familiar with benefits! I lowkey based Y/N's badassery on Beidou from Genshin Impact.

KillerCook - I saw a hot dude make brownies on Instagram and thought 'what if Killer.' That's it. I wasn't sure how I was going to present it so I settled for creating a social media experience and I'm pretty sure I delivered. I'm a Kid Pirates loyalist, if you want something else you can check my Swampstew Bedtime Stories but my bread and butter are these anarchist psychos. Now comes with accessories such as: baker's hat and apron, and also a set of gold body piercings! The response has been supportive and excitable, and it's inspired me to do another modern social media influencer monetization fic, coming soon 😏 on Friday actually!

Oh Yandere! series - I wanted to give myself an opportunity to play around with some dark content and found myself really enjoying it. Especially in the noncon/dubcon vein. I've been too meek to do anything more than head canons but I have recently been inspired to explore some truly deplorable characters if I pick this series up again. If not, I might do a short series on Yandere Eustass Kid that has some...inspiration from another popular fandom that may or may not piss some people off. ANYWAYS! Live Laugh DarkContent

Tagging for funsies but def no pressure - I just think every author should get a chance to fluff themselves up and talk about their works that make them proud!

@abysscronica @cebwrites @goldenandhappy @zoros-sheath @kenruu @creamsickle-writes

[guess-my-next-obsession]

i'm a little (A LOT) late to this, but i still wanna wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!!! i wish you get all the experiences you crave this year and all the creative energy to do the things you love the most! i hope it's the most magical one yet! 💜 also, i've seen your reblog so now the interrogation starts. i hope you're prepared. the overhead lamp is on, as well, just so you know. we're all professionals here. no messing around. my questions for you, dear kat, are: 1) what is your most favourite thing that you've ever written? 2) if you could live in one of the worlds you have created in your beautiful writing, what world would you choose? 3) what inspires you to write? 4) do you have a comfort song? or a movie? what about a painting? 5) how does it feel to be ridiculously talented and incredibly kind and such a cutie?

first off—I LOVE YOU. 🫶🏼

now onto the interrogation! and i’m glad we’re being professionals about this, detective. everyone knows how strictly business i am …

1) my favorite thing i’ve ever written is probably Ivy & Stone or my current WIP Starlight !! both, at least in my opinion, are the only series that i’ve walked away feeling 100% proud of. i think they show the most of me in them, and it’s the best writing i’ve ever done (and i lose sleep over whether or not it’s good enough to try and publish)

2) i love this question !!!! okay so ideally i’d live in a happy little warm domestic bubble with Elementary!Joel, but in reality i’m too dark and twisty for all that so maybe Starlight as long as i have some sick ass magic?? maybe Plastic Hearts as long dieter and i don’t destroy each other entirely?? maybe Ivy & Stone as long as i don’t get typhoid fever staying cramped up in frankie’s cottage??

3) all the little characters and scenes and my endless stream of thought and my need for escapism!! if i didn’t write, i think i’d actually plunge into insanity 🥰 but inspo wise, music does a lot for me! i’ve always deeply associated music and my writing, and there’s always a couple easter eggs thrown in courtesy of whatever playlist i’ve made for the story.

4) i have all three! my comfort movie’s vary but the rotation is usually the Twilight saga, anything with Paul Newman in it, and Stepbrothers for the nostalgia. my comfort songs are seven by Taylor Swift bc ✨ trauma and girlhood ✨, You’ve Got to Learn by Nina Simone because HEARTBREAK, and He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones because (sad warning) it always reminds me of my mom and i like to play it when the grief hits me because it makes it feel like i’m five again sitting on her lap. and my comfort painting is always always always Monet’s Water Lillies and i’ve never known why, seeing it just feels like a warm hug.

5) the imposter syndrome/self-deprecation is SCREAMING right now but thank you, i adore you, i am glad to exist here in this space with you, and believe deeply in my core that everything you believe i am you are that multiplied by infinity.

thank you for this message, thank you for existing, I LOVE U I LOVE U I LOVE UUUUU 🤍🤍🤍

[nehswritesstuffs]

banish every gaslight; let clarity shine - Part 10

I knew the ending of this was going to get tricky, and it's beginning to trip me up, so please forgive me for upturning any expectations you might've had based on how frequently I posted the first seven chapters.

Part 1 [FFN/AO3] - Part 2 [FFN/AO3] - Part 3 [FFN/AO3] - Part 4 [FFN/AO3] - Part 5 [FFN/AO3] - Part 6 [FFN/AO3] - Part 7 [FFN/AO3] - Part 8 [FFN/AO3] - Part 9 [FFN/AO3]

The siblings adjust to their fresh separation and attempt to hold onto the concept of hope. [3994 words; AU where there is a Third Corazón, whose existence makes Law’s life hell]

It was especially cold that day, Baby 5 noted. She had waited until it was just her and Lami in headquarters again before she wrapped up her sister in blankets, took Cora-san’s Den Den out, and placed the snail on the bed, doing her job.

“Child.”

“Grandfather…?” She looked at Lami—they both had tears in their eyes. “My sister and I are home alone.”

“…I know.” The snail mimicked a pained expression as the man on the other end was also about to cry. “I already know.”

“What do we do now…?”

“I… that I don’t know.” The man sniffled sadly. “This is going to have to be the last time we talk like this.”

“There was a boy who the Marines rescued,” Baby 5 mentioned. “Is that our brother? Do you have him?”

“…no.”

Baby 5 and Lami stared at one another, not entirely sure how to process that. How come the Marines didn’t have Law if the adults all said they did? Where was he if they didn’t? Did they assume that Grandfather was with the wrong organization? Was Law safe, or…?

“When you are old enough to run,” the man said, “find a Marine base. I will come for you.”

“Grandfather, I’m scared,” Lami squeaked. “Our brother’s gone, Papa’s gone, we don’t know where you are…! Can’t you come for us?! It’s scary being home alone!”

“It will get better,” Grandfather sighed, voice sounding like a hug that was meant to feel better yet didn’t. “My darling grandchildren are strong—be strong for a little while longer, okay?”

“…okay…” both girls mumbled.

“I love you.”

The call clunked to an end and the snail fell asleep. Lami and Baby 5 stared at it before looking at themselves; they were now alone. No one was coming to save them now.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

All Baby 5 knew was that she wasn’t terribly fond of Monet and Sugar. There was something about them that was just… well… off. It was true that the Young Master had saved them, just as he had saved most of them, yet there was just something about the pair of sisters that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on-end, as though there were a lot of coincidences with their assimilation into the Family.

“You’ll look good for your date tonight,” Monet assured Señor Pink as he preened in a mirror. “Miss Russian is going to find you dashing.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” The teen looked over at Baby 5, who was trying to pluck some books from a case without attracting too much attention. “Don’t you agree, Baby 5?”

“I think he needs to tell her the truth,” the girl frowned.

“This could be something really big for me,” Señor Pink said. “I know I’m a member of the Family, but this woman could see me as a family man. Do you realize how important that could be?”

“You hate kids.”

“I hate kids that are in the way and sniveling,” he replied. Baby 5 rolled her eyes and took the books with her, away from where Monet was reassuring Señor Pink that all was going to go well. She went into her room and found Lami sitting up in the chair by the window, looking out longingly.

“Pink’s going out again,” she said, bringing the books over. Lami accepted the top one—a volume about historical architecture—and carefully opened it up.

“At least he won’t be around for dinner.”

“He was having Monet give him compliments on his outfit.”

“Ew.” Lami wrinkled her nose and looked at Baby 5. “Sugar came in earlier but didn’t stay long; the adults really want us to be friends because we’re the same age, but I don’t like it. I don’t think they do either.”

“Maybe we can figure out a way to steer clear of them that doesn’t involve staying in our room all the time.”

“I hope so. Avoiding them sucks—we need to get strong if we’re going to find Law-nii.”

“Yeah, but I wonder where he ended up… if he’s still out there…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lami shrugged. “We have four more years on me; if we can get out in three, that’ll leave an entire year of traveling the North Blue. Law-nii and I did almost all of it in half a year with Cora-san. It should be easy.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Baby 5 smirked. She pulled an extra blanket from a shelf and wrapped up Lami in it. “Oh, and Diamante wants to know if you’ll be okay enough to come down for dinner.”

“Yeah, I’ll come,” Lami pouted. “If we keep skipping Family dinners, then people will start to get suspicious.”

“…but we have a good excuse, at least.” Baby 5 gently took hold of Lami’s forearm and inspected it. “Still looks like it’s fading to me.”

“It’s probably going into my bloodstream,” Lami shrugged. “That’s worse.”

“You still got more time than before, which is time we can use wisely.” Baby 5 let go of her sister’s arm and motioned with her head towards the wardrobe. “Come on; let’s get you ready for dinner.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Opening up the closet door, Law found Lami right where he left her, trembling between the linens. She saw him and squeaked, throwing her arms around his neck as he clung to him.

“You’ve been so good and brave,” he whispered in her ear as he lifted her out of her hiding spot, the words technically for both of them. He set her on the floor and took her hand in his, holding tight. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“…but Mom and Dad…!”

“They told me to get you out of here,” he lied. She didn’t need to know they were already cold when he found them. He pulled her along, keeping her from looking inside their parents’ office, before sneaking them both out into the corridor. They hid behind an overturned gurney as they heard the sound of soldiers shouting around the corner. Once their voices faded, Law pulled Lami up to her feet.

“Where are we going?!” she squeaked. “Where’s Bee-nee?!”

“Bee’s waiting for us! Now come on!” He urged her forward, towards the back door where he knew the path the freedom sat. “We’re going to get out of here! We’re going to live!”

Hiding behind some rubbish bins, Law waited outside before making a break for the cart he saw on his way back to the hospital. It was full of bloody, half-stiff corpses, but they could use it as camouflage to get far enough away from the bulk of the soldiers so that they could slip into the woods easier. Was it ideal? No, but it would give his sisters and him a chance.

“Bee! There you are!” Law almost cried in relief as he saw their sister standing by the cart. Her back was turned as they ran up to her, knowing they needed to act fast. “Why aren’t you in there yet?!”

The girl turned around and he gasped—Amber Lead lesions were spread over her face and neck and her eyes dull and unfocused. Wait… this was wrong… why was this so wrong…?

“Join us, Law-nii,” she said, holding out her hand for him to take. “Cora-san is going to help us.”

“We have to get to the forest!

“…but Cora-san is the adult who helps!” Lami chirped. “He didn’t let Bee-nee come before, but now we can all go together!”

“Kids!” Law whipped his head around to see Cora-san running towards them, looking ridiculous in both his uniform and his full-routine of makeup. “Hurry!”

He tripped and shots rang out.

“Cora-san!” Law screamed. The man’s body fell to the ground and did not move, blood pooling and oozing between the white cobblestones in the street. “Cora-san!”

More shots and the boy heard soft thuds next to him. He looked, only to find his sisters’ bodies laying in crumpled heaps, both done in by single hits to the head.

“…Lami…? Bee…?” He knelt down and checked their pulses—nothing. “No… no… NO! NO! IT’S NOT FAIR! WE’RE ALL SUPPOSED TO LIVE!”

“Life doesn’t give a shit.”

Trembling, Law looked up to see one of the soldiers, covered head-to-toe in their protective bodysuit. A gun was in their hand, still smoking from the last round. The soldier pulled off the gas mask to reveal Doflamingo; his sunglasses glinted brilliantly, the bright and gaudy pink so stark against the paleness of their owner and Flevance itself.

“Fufufu… this is for thinking you could actually get away,” he chuckled. The man raised his arm, aimed the gun, and pulled back the hammer to cock it.

BANG

Law sat up straight and shuddered as he woke up in the middle of the night. He looked around at his roommates to see if he had shouted and woken any of them up—nothing so far. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and padded out the room and down the hall, heading towards the kitchen.

“So, you can’t sleep either?” Law nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Penguin’s voice, the older teen sitting at the kitchen table in their small house. He had a half-drunk glass of milk in front of him—huh, a good idea. Law got one himself and sat down as well. “Am I right?”

“Kinda.” Law didn’t want to pry—he knew that Penguin also got nightmares, but they weren’t really the same. For all the horrors he had seen in Flevance, the other lad had lived different ones and for much longer. What did he really want to reveal about his fucked-up dream? From everything he was reading in medical texts and journals, the signs weren’t good. “I was just… reminded of… some people… who I want to find… who I want to join the crew.”

“Join the crew…? Must be special.”

“Yeah, they are.” Law took a sip of the milk and took comfort in the chilled, smooth drink. “If things were different, they would have been the first members of the Heart Pirates.”

“That’s a statement,” Penguin said, making Law cringe slightly. Ah, shit. “They must be pretty important to you if that’s the case—you don’t just want anyone on your crew. Where are they?”

“Spider Miles.”

“Well, then I guess the first thing we do after we finish our training and raise the funds is head over to Spider Miles.” Penguin shrugged and drank some milk. “There’s no helping when the Captain has something in his head.”

“I’m not the captain yet,” Law scowled.

“You’re our wee baby captain—shut the fuck up.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t. It’s a fact you’re the smallest of us, even Bepo, so you gotta learn to live with it.”

“I can make it so not even you can find all of you.”

“Nah; that’s a hard pass.” He slammed back his remaining milk like a farmer would his ale. “Who the fuck would keep everyone in line if I wasn’t here? Scrub the toilet you all refuse to touch? Braid Shachi’s hair before bed? Make you super-fucking-thin raisin pancakes of all things?”

“Alright, alright; you win, asshole,” Law conceded. He finished off his glass as well and they both rinsed the dishes with some water before leaving them in the sink. “Hey, uh… can you… not tell the others about this?”

“I make no guarantees,” Penguin shrugged. The younger teen glared at him, which made him just want to give him a hug. “You know that we all know you get nightmares, right?”

“I never said it was a nightmare.”

“…but you came out here for a glass of milk in the middle of the night, which you usually only do after a particularly bad dream.”

“Yeah, but…” Law went quiet and looked away. “Doesn’t mean they need to know every time I get nightmares.”

“Nah, you’re good.” Penguin ruffled the younger teen’s hair—fuck, he was almost too tall for that now considering Law’d been almost in a constant growth spurt since they met. He was shrugged off with a halfhearted shove and he knew all was well… at least, enough for them to trudge back to the shared bedroom.

It felt childish, but Law just wanted his sisters and didn’t want to fully admit it. He watched as Penguin climbed up into his bunk before looking at his own empty one—how often had he gone to sleep alone only to wake up with both of them clung to either side? Back then he’d always yell at them, but now… fuck… what he wouldn’t give to have them both and know they were safe…

…and instead, Law nestled himself in Bepo’s bunk, the Mink squeaking in his sleep as he suddenly was being used as a living body pillow. Even though Law knew that he was with friends—friends he might be able to keep—the loneliness he felt was a crushing, oppressive force, more than he could bear. Ha… bear… fuck. He pressed his face against Bepo’s back to hide his tears and did his best to fall into what would be light, fitful sleep.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Time passed.

Law and his friends worked and trained hard as they lived on Swallow Island, earning their keep and strengthening their abilities. With every time the teen could stand to keep his Room open for a minute longer or a square meter larger, he knew he was that much closer to his initial goal.

In Spider Miles, Lami kept busy, poring through books and soaking in all the knowledge she could. Science, navigation, medicine, history, language—she read through everything afforded to her and then some. With her strength coming and going at odd intervals, she knew that she needed to what she could, while she could still do things…

…and Baby 5…? She continued to take care of her sister, cooking and cleaning and making sure enough chores were done so that Doflamingo left them alone. It was hard work, often keeping her busy the entire day, but it was worth it for what little beri she could scrape together… for what she was able to do for her sister as she laid in bed on her bad days and wandered around the empty compound when things were good.

The rest of the Donquixote Family, on the other hand, had plans… the more ambitious of such were nearly ready to be put into action. They plotted, they schemed, and one day they began packing the contents of their base, putting as much as they could inside the Numancia Flamingo, for the Young Master… well… he was going home.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Three years later, in a place now all too familiar…

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Invading Dressrosa was… too easy.

It was completely engineered by the Young Master, of course, which meant that he used the king and his soldiers as living puppets, which furthered his plans easier than it would have gone otherwise. Lami had been having one of her bad sick days—they were increasing in frequency and severity again—and it caused both her and Baby 5 to stay on the Numancia Flamingo while the rest of the Family pretended to settle the country’s affairs.

“This feels so wrong,” Lami said, staring out the porthole of the cabin. She could see fires illuminating the night sky as the coup was being staged. “You know… I don’t think Law-nii and I ever really wanted to cause chaos… not if it feels like this.”

“Don’t worry,” Baby 5 assured. “One day, when the time is right, we’ll go back to the North Blue and find Law-nii.” She put a bowl of steaming water on the table and sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing hold of Lami’s arm. The younger girl allowed her touch and soon her lesions were being gone over with a wet, hot cloth. “Maybe we’ll be lucky and he’ll find us here. He might rescue us.”

“Maybe you… but not me.”

“…and why would he rescue one of us and not the other?”

“…because this is still late-stage poisoning,” Lami frowned. “It’s like when Cora-san stole Law-nii and me… except now… now his last-ditch effort to save us is who-knows-where, well on the other side of the Calm Belt.” She exhaled heavily and tried not to cry. “I don’t know…”

“We’ll figure it out,” Baby 5 assured gently. “I’m clever and you’re smart—we can survive.”

“You accidentally ate your Devil Fruit.”

“It was planted, alright?” she pouted. The sisters could only look at one another for only a few seconds before bursting into giggles. Baby 5 moistened the cloth again and continued going over Lami’s lesions. “As long as we’re still here, he’s coming for us both. Don’t forget that.”

“You sound old.”

“I am older.”

“Not ancient.” Lami snickered as Baby 5 flicked a bit of water in her face. “Do you think they’ll send for us or…?”

“It’s Doflamingo—of course he will.” An idea then popped into her brain, causing her to perk up. “Say, you want to get some of his ice cream? The kind just for him?”

Lami’s face brightened at the suggestion, knowing it might be their last true act of rebellion for a while.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was a while before Dressrosa was deemed stable enough to bring Lami ashore. Baby 5 carried her piggyback all the way to the palace, all the while the girls staring at their new environment with wide, curious eyes. It was so different from Spider Miles, from Kuen Village, from the White City, from the North Blue in general, and they wanted to take it all in the best they could. They eventually stepped across the palace threshold, where Monet was waiting for them.

“The Young Master tasked me with finding the perfect quarters for you,” the young woman mentioned. “There are rooms that are right next to one another, and even a pair that possess an adjoining suite.”

“Lami-chan and I share,” Baby 5 insisted. Monet shook her head.

“Young Master had his orders,” she claimed. “Here; follow me.” She led them up the stairs and down a corridor where there was plenty of expensive-looking things that had been placed on the floor and against the walls haphazardly. “Pick your rooms from these; let us know your decisions when you make them.”

Baby 5 moved to enter one of the rooms, thankful when it seemed like Monet was not following them. She put Lami down on the plush couch that sat off-center in the large room and looked around.

“This’ll be nice,” she nodded. “There’s shelves for all your books, and lots of air and light.”

“There’s already stuff there though,” Lami frowned. She stood and slowly hobbled her way over towards the nearest bookshelf. “Histories, politics, books about Dressrosa’s neighbors and allies…”

“Perfect for the kid who can’t get her hands on enough books,” Baby 5 chuckled. If it could keep her from having to find time to smuggle her sister more books, then the shelves’ contents were more than welcome. She plucked a book from the shelf that was eye-level and looked at the cover—love poems. Ha. “I wonder whose collection this was…”

Just then, a stranger ran in through the open door and flung herself onto the large bed. She was tall and pretty, though sobbing so hysterically that she did not see the sisters standing there.

“…are you okay…?” Lami wondered. The woman flinched at her words as though they physically stung her.

“Who are you?!” she snapped, fear tempering her voice.

“I’m Lami, and this is my older sister, Bee,” the girl said. “We were told to pick out rooms. Is this supposed to be your room?”

“…no, but it belonged to my tia avia at one point,” the woman replied. She wiped the tears from her eyes and the girls could see that she wasn’t that much older than them—her late teens, most likely. “I just got kicked out of my room by that… that… drippy man…”

“Trebol? Yeah, he’s pretty gross.” Lami walked over to the bed with help from Baby 5 and they joined the newcomer. “What’s your name?”

“Viola… but… I just joined the Family… so I guess my name is Violet now…”

“Why did you do that?” Baby 5 asked. “You’re able to run away, aren’t you?” Viola shook her head.

“My father is the king who was in charge only two days ago,” she explained. “If I didn’t agree to work for Doflamingo, he would have been executed in the Coliseum already.” She then looked at the pair and frowned. “Why are you here?”

“We were found, like anyone, and Doflamingo gave us a place to stay,” Baby 5 said. “We were separated from our big brother a while ago and we’re just buying time until we can go back for him… or he finds us…”

“You two are so lucky to at least have each other.” Viola sniffled and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to dab at her eyes. “My sister died in the take-over and her daughter—my dear neboda—is missing.”

“Don’t you have a brother?” Lami asked, tilting her head to the side. “I remember the Officers saying how there was a guy that they needed to watch out for who wasn’t the King…”

“Must have been one of the guards,” Viola replied, shaking her head. “I wish I knew the man who had won my sister’s heart—if that was the case, then maybe he could be someone on the other side who could help… like your brother…”

Yeah. If only they had their brothers… then things might really be different.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Lami was getting worse with each passing day they spent in Dressrosa. The warm, dry air should have been good for her—it really should have—yet she seemed to be deteriorating faster than she was on Spider Miles. It was so bad that Baby 5 barely left her side, knowing only that her sister was dying and she wanted to be there for her. In fact, Baby 5 knew her sister needed her—ha, it felt like it wasn’t that long ago that she would bend over backwards if she thought someone new needed her. Now? Now no one could rip her from her sister’s side without breaking her arms and legs first.

“I thought she had five more years,” Doflamingo frowned. He was standing by Lami’s bed in the palace sickroom, where both girls were sleeping peacefully, Lami snug under the blankets while Baby 5 was passed out next to her atop the bedding. The Elite Officers were there as well, all three some level of curious about their boss’s continued interest in the dying child.

“A brat’s still a brat,” Trebol sniffed. “He could have given a misdiagnosis.”

“This won’t do.” Doflamingo leaned over the bed and traced his finger over Lami’s forehead, down her cheek, then jaw, flicking up off the underside of her chin. “You’re an important part of the Family, Lami, and I take care of my Family.”

“With all due respect, Young Master,” Diamante frowned, “she’s yet to go on a mission… hasn’t proven herself…”

“She will once she’s better. Those who have been with us as long as she are going to be the core of our empires.”

“…but she left,” Pica mentioned.

“He’s right,” Diamante added. “She ran away once before—who is to say that she wouldn’t again?”

“Where would she go? Even if both of them work together, they’re still children in the New World—neither of them are going to escape. I’ll make sure of it.”

“How do you propose that, Young Master?” Trebol wondered. Doflamingo simply smiled.

“I’m going to make sure that she doesn’t remember she was even sick at all.”

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Spiderwebs Pt.5: Nice Day for a Wisteria Wedding

I must say it’s nice to use things popping up in current chapters as a guide. We did Leo last time, this time something about 1085 made me want to look at the one, the only Don Sai a little deeper. It’s a simple idea. We start ringing the wedding bells as a really sudden turn in Dressrosa that catches you off guard. It all makes sense when it comes together, but I remember this arc week-to-week and no one saw this outcome coming. Looking back though, it’s short and sweet but hits a lot of the notes I’ve been interested in lately. Forgot all about this bit of Baby 5 getting there through misinterpreting a series of earlier lines. Come to think of it too...Baby 5 could arguably fit into the Tamataebako thread by virtue of this happening next to Lao G who does rely on some similar concepts. 

We already have talked about the Grand Fleet captains being a piece of the whole. Showing something that could fill a gap but having something that makes them a better subordinate captain. Don Sai is the tricky one. He fills that role of character-wise being okay. But fate and prior obligations are why he couldn’t quite be a proper crewmate. Worth mentioning there’s the whole Kano Kingdom element too. Not just the name similarity, but they seem to be the one that’s like, picking up an allied country through this. Orlumbus resigned, but the Happo Navy seems a little more official.

You want the shortest version of the undertone I see with Kiku? She’s like Baby 5, but waaaaay better at hiding it. Too proud to be that desperate, lets it go unspoken. She’s so prodigious partially out of the drive to keep up and not be a burden. Remember Baby 5 and Monet already have very similar motivations behind following Doflamingo. Doflamingo himself was kind of groomed into this role by Trebol but that’s a story for another day. It’s a running theme of how far people will lose themselves out of desperation. Not having anywhere else to go, rejection, persecution, abandonment.

Even now, this feels like such a jarring inclusion in Dressrosa...though to be fair that would kind of play into my main criticism of the arc. It needed to flow more like Wano and Whole Cake did; never really mention it much but structurally the Seducing Woods serve the same purpose as Bakura Town. Seeing Egghead now though, I can see where the idea to scatter plots and make them come together started from. We talk more about arcs that were likely always in the original five-year plan, but Dressrosa really feels like it didn’t need to be. Still, Sai & Baby 5 were such a unique moment that caught us off guard. I would love tying it off with something building off that in the present and all the tools are in place for it to.

There’s no real way to make this a natural segue because their only connection is both appearing in 1085. I wanted to include Fujitora because there’s not much to say. It’s just straightforward. This gambling intro is still my favorite. He’s another unique element that’s cast a long shadow. We see now he and Ryokugyu are very much opposites as well along this line of heirarchy vs. compassion. One that is a really obvious jidaigeki reference. The blind swordsman Zatoichi.

Since we’ll assuredly have the time soon, probably going to give that allusion it’s own post. But seeing him take advantage of the chaos to free slaves, the way he acts in Dressrosa...let’s put it this way. This was an example of Luffy winning someone over with charm by accident. It worked in his favor big time, but he stumbled into being the hero of Dressrosa. My whole thing is that Wano is refining this lesson; learning how to use words and gestures to accomplish big things without fighting. 

[abbyindenhaag]

Here’s What I Loved From The Gulbenkian

1. Tile panel with leaves and flowering scrolls, Turkey, 1550

Tiles are fun, geometric patterns are fun, florals are typically beloved by me. The spiral patterns are very pleasing and the color scheme self-contained and soothing. But what made this tiling extra special to me was studying the symmetry. Although the tiles all look similar, it turns out there are actually two distinct versions, so you can’t tile a space with just one — you need to put two together. So the repeated tiles are actually blocks of four. Also, I spent long enough studying this that I found a mistake! The third from the left tile in the second row doesn’t look like the first tile in the row or the tile two rows below it. Oops. But I think it’s nice that the pattern allows for it. I also love that these tiles are so clearly handmade, with variations in the intensities of color or how many little white flowers go on a leaf or how detailed the flowers are. So this is a love.

2. Silk hanging, Japan, 19th century (?)

This one starts out strong with a nice balanced composition. I like how the twin birds are mostly but not entirely symmetrical/identical. Silk is always a strong choice for textiles. And the color scheme is gorgeous — I love the muted earth tones. But what I really love about this piece is the detail of the embroidery and the variety of textures the artist created. The feathers look so feathery, the scales so scaly. And even the background has a nice texture instead of being flat. And, I am probably not sufficiently well-traveled, but I just don’t think I have seen anything else like this before. Anyone??

3. Old Man with a Stick, Rembrandt, 1645

The BEST thing about going to museums is getting to look really closely at how things were made. And the best thing about going to a museum by yourself is getting to spend however long you want at each one without feeling guilty. I spent maybe 10 minutes with this one because I have never been less crowded at a Rembrandt and I wanted to figure out how he Does It. How does it look so real and so beautiful? How so glowy? I obviously have no answers, but I did enjoy discovering how much green and red there is in here. Look at the vermillion in the corner of his eye, the maroon shadow above it, and the greenish highlights on Che cheekbones. And in the hand, you can see how the light reflected on the underside of the fingers is reddish, offset by green shadows above. Also, it’s so cool how the fingers just fade out into the dark but you are absolutely sure of where they are in space. Somehow with this painting you can get really close to it, see the brushstrokes, and even then it still looks real.

4. The Stocking, Mary Cassatt, 1891

What I love about this painting is the strong, competing but not clashing Intentions from each of the subjects. I also love the patience and care of the woman and the intelligence of the baby. There were about seventy-five other babies in this museum alone — cherubs and Baby Jesuses and so on — and none of them looked at all like a person. This is a little person who wants something specific and is going to get it.

5. Boats, Claude Monet, 1868

Can you believe that Monet invented triangles?! What a genius. I think the colors are beautiful, the composition is beautiful, and the perspective kind of original — often we see boats at war or pleasure boats, but these are working boats home for the day. It kind of reminds me of the steam engine (Gare du Nord) paintings.

[epersonae]

For random asks: fibonacci numbers :3

Friend, I love you, and I can't believe you're making me look up the goddamn fibonacci sequence. (Which I feel like I should be able to work out on my own but fuckit)

What are three shows in your watchlist that you’ve been meaning to get to?

First three from the little notebook that I keep next to my couch: Strange New Worlds (started but haven't finished), Abbott Elementary, Derry Girls

3. Do you like smoothies?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don't hate them, but I also sort of associate them with the before-beforetimes, which is not great, and also I don't own a blender. (I used to! And then I loaned it to Ryn to take to work at the eldercare place, and then Ryn quit and forgot to take it with them. And clearly I don't use a blender that much, because that was more than two years ago.)

5. How do you like your eggs?

Scrambled, with salt and pepper, or in an omelet. (or tbh: Starbucks sausage egg muffin, or McDonalds biscuit with sausage and egg)

8. Do you collect anything? If so, what?

I feel like I have several tiny collections: enamel pins, dice (weird dice in particular, altho I haven't added to that collection in a while), squishmallows (mostly inherited), vinyl records (ditto, altho I've been gradually adding to it); I have a little bit remaining of what used to be an extensive Lego collection (most of which I left behind). The thing I feel like I'm most deliberate about collecting is probably art, especially from friends. I LOVE getting friend art. (I have art from several mutuals in my house!) I also love curating and displaying it in my space, doing the whole color/shape/theme arranging thing. It makes me very happy.

13. Do you prefer to write in pen or pencil?

I used to be particular about my pens, and then I took this architectural design summer class like 10 years ago and got really into writing with pencil, and now that's my favorite. I got one of these a few years ago at a museum gift shop and fell in love, and then discovered that a bookstore downtown carries them, and now I am a person who has a favorite pencil.

21. What’s your favorite period in art history, your favorite famous work and/or your favorite style of art? If you don’t know any that’s ok!

Like with trees, I have MANY favorites, but I will say that I imprinted like a tiny baby duck on the Impressionists when I was 9 going on 10 and there was a HUGE exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art. I was obsessed with the Monet haystacks, and with this specific Van Gogh (somewhere I still have a postcard that I got in the gift shop!)

34. Can you read analog clocks?

So yes, of course, because I am An Old, but I do have a funny story about that, which is that there was a clock in the office at my last job, that a former employee (who later ended up being my boss, you know the guy I mean) had covered all the numbers with the wrong numbers, and we all just kinda got used to it. Like, he had left before I even got there, and it was still like that when we left the office when the pandemic started almost 8 years later, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still like that. (I even replaced the battery on it twice, I think.)

[50 questions just because]

[m0tel6mxzzy]

a rant on monet de haan and “but og gossip girl was old money”

not to bitch abt racist og gossip girl fans but im gonna bitch abt them. i REMEMBER yalls tone when the show first got promo before it even aired, and weren’t even willing to give it a chance, u just made assumptions bc the entire cast wasnt white. 

 ppl, specifically og gg tiktok fans, were saying the old show “gives old money” and the new show doesnt, conveniently forgetting chuck’s dad wasn’t born into wealth but became wealthy when chuck was young, making him new money. his dad is worth 22 billion dollars. 

monet’s parents are heirs to a new york pharmaceutical company and on her wiki its listed that her family descends from old money. johnson and johnson is one of the biggest and has a net worth 435 billion as the wealthiest pharma company in the us. bc im lazy and dont feel like counting means and stats for the top 10 pharma companies in the us relative to ny, im assuming the de haan company has a networth of 100-400+ billion. whatever her family’s networth is i will happily believe it is more than chuck bass.

and monet’s parent’s donation of the wing had to occur sometime after everyone in the og show including jenny’s grade had graduated constance bc it wasnt yet canon, but just before monet had gone there. if we’re talking as soon as jenny’s grade had graduated, thats between june 2010-aug 2018, and monet would be 5 to 13. i’m going to average that the time the wing was planned to be built was 2014 when she’d by 9 bc i love the idea of little monet dreaming of going to constance with absolute certainty, and bc 2014 is a prettier number. my theory is that greyson and camille were planning to have monet go to CB St Judes ever since she was a child, hence the early donation.

anyway her parents literally paid for wing in constance and it has their names on it w the money from an old new york pharma company they own. and yall are like,,, dying on the hill she, bc she’s part of the reboot, wasnt born into wealth??? and even if she wasnt i know yall didnt just forget the og gg had poc on the show who were also old money or otherwise so loaded rich they could afford constance, but usually they were background characters like the minions, nelly yuki, and raina. the minions who literally only served to do blair’s bidding, and nelly yuki who was opposed bc blair saw her as an academic rival and was willing to sabotage her.

 and then raina thorpe whos one of the only black girls in the show w a prominence in the og series, but idk. she’s moreso there bc she was w/ nate and chuck, but also her dad is basically a “villain” in the show and raina gets the short end of the stick and has to suffer for it, which is when she leaves the show. im just saying ofc someone the same race as monet or luna or aki would be happy to see themselves represented on screen and not as a background character or recurring character there only a short amnt of time if they loved the og gg. 

and if you personally aren’t? cool thats ok but let ppl who are be happy. you dont need to mount some moral high horse pretending u care abt poc to defend why u hate us being represented in media. yall complain whenever poc are shown in media even when it isnt a reboot but rather an extension of the franchise such as star wars, so i find it hard to believe ur crapping on new reboots in media for having poc bc u actually care abt us being properly represented. 

like, factually racism is the only thing convincing yall the old gg is “old money” and the new one isnt. also we need to have a talk abt what yall constitute as old money, bc hf twitter stayed hating on alexa demie for her early 00s fashion for being “cheap” as if paris hilton also wasn’t dressing kinda like alexa currently does in the early 00s while also happening to be an heiress to a hotel brand. and as if hf twt doesn’t constantly worship the air bella hadid breathes for wearing low rise jeans and baby tees which is just as much y2k inspired as what alexa wears. 

like,, yall think all rich people, w/in ur very narrow view of what rich old money ppl look like, only ever dress in ralph lauren polos,,,and it’s not even like yall read the gg books to know the og characters wear burberry and ralph lauren which any tiktok old money “connoisseur” would hate for being “flashy,’ but because its in the list of their weird arbitrary rules of crap all old money rich ppl apparently do. if the reboot characters wore burberry scarves and ralph lauren polos w giant logos on the front yall would complain they arent following ur made up rich ppl rules u think applies to everyone who’s an heir to fortune. 

yall just forget abt raina and hated gg2021 before it even aired all bc it starred poc, and bc its weird seeing a rich it girl in a position of power who doesnt look like blair or serena. for the de haans to have the money to donate a wing to the school and pay monet’s tuition on top of that and live in the excess monet does simultaneously kinda shows like,,how fucking rich monet is. therefore the attitudes of the students make a lot of sense. and if blair was treating a teacher the way monet does bc she had a wing dedicated to her parents, yall would eat that shit up whether blair was old money or not!!!

listen im a huge gg fan but i also pay attention!!! i am not letting monet de haan slander slide!!!! im all for her being as entitled due to her wealth and carefree as blair was!!! bc blair did some f’ed up shit yet monet being snide w a teacher gets yalls feathers ruffled...and we all know why yall wouldnt have the same reaction if it were audrey doing the same but thats none of my business 

[tsunderedoctor]

Best One Piece Yanderes

Donquixote Doflamingo

The man screams yandere in the show and he screams yandere in the fanon too. Literally a manipulative, isolating and eliminating yandere all in one. Would take his s/o and lock them up, make them only rely on him (because he’s so godly), and if that doesn’t work he has no problem killing them so no one else can have them. 

If s/o was feeling miserable or crying he would coo at them and offer them whatever they desired (just not freedom of course~). Best clothes, finest jewelry, you name it he gets it. Would also put them in his lap and snicker at how they are being a crybaby.

Would only allow the family to see s/o; but if s/o gets too much attention or might have an attitude be prepared for isolation, even from him. The guy would leave you in a room for a week until he decides you are worthy enough to see him.

Would probably end up giving s/o Stockholm Syndrome and wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt

10/10 for like hitting all the yandere marks, but honestly s/o might not mentally (or physically) survive

Trafalgar D. Water Law 

My boy! Doffy said it himself, there is some of him in Law, and that also goes with yandere tendencies! Law would definitely be a manipulative and isolated type of yandere. Boy is so stressed he just wants to protect his s/o from everything. But he also still has to act tough and play the pirate part, so be prepared for threats about being sliced in half if you think about leaving.

He’s probably the chillest in terms of letting s/o do their own thing/hobbies unless it involves them getting hurt, then forget it, find a new hobby. 

If s/o was sad/crying/upset he wouldn’t know what to do, but just stares at them. Part of him blames himself which leads to him not wanting to comfort them because who would want him? And the other half is angry at s/o or the individual for allowing the person to make s/o that upset. So definitely a quiet watcher as s/o lets the emotions out, afterwards he might ask if you want to talk about it, depending on the situation.

The crew can hang out with s/o since Law isn’t a huge jealous type, but don’t expect the Straw Hat gang to be chummy with them, they are his, get your own. 

9/10 cause boy needs to calm down and take some melatonin 

Bartolomeo

We all see how he obsesses over the Straw Hat gang (especially Luffy); boy would lose his mind over a s/o. The submissive type yandere, one who gives all his love and honestly doesn’t expect much back. Probably would just stalk his s/o and make sure they always get home safe and maybe sometimes will leave them small gifts at their door.

Would literally break down if he saw s/o crying or upset and would ruin his stalking just to run out and comfort them (which might confuse/weird out s/o-)

Knows everything about s/o, from favorite food to that one time in grade school where s/o got pantsed.

8/10 for caring, but doesn’t initiate unless really needing to. Really just wants s/o to live their best life (while he watches from afar).

Boa Hancock

If Doffy is King of Yanderes in One Piece, Hancock is the Queen. She’s definitely another submissive type yandere who will follow whatever s/o tells her to do. 

“Hancock, you need to pay attention to the meeting.”

“Yes s/o-sama~!! Kyaa~!!”

She’s also the delusional type of yandere so sometimes s/o has to remind her, they are indeed not dating/married. 

If s/o were to get upset/sad/cry Hancock will definitely be the type to ask “who did it?”, whether it’s from her own trauma growing up or just not wanting to see her s/o so upset she doesn’t know, either way whatever happened she is going to change it!

10/10 for yandere tendencies and honestly who wouldn’t want to have her as their yandere lover.

Baby 5

Baby 5 just wants people to accept and love her (honestly same). So when s/o was kind to her and thanked her, she couldn’t look away. Were they meant to be? Are the stars in line? 

Definitely a submissive yandere; I wouldn’t put her as fully delusional like Hancock, but she can get up there at times! 

She tries to act tough and not wanting s/o’s attention, but God when she gets it the girl is gone. Will literally get beet red when s/o compliments her on something random/small, lord be with her when it’s something big.

Would remember every anniversary and special day of s/o’s and wouldn’t even get mad if s/o happens to forget or says they are too busy for a big event she planned. As long as s/o continues to want her, she’s happy!

She would be in the mixture of Hancock and Bartolomeo on seeing her s/o distraught. She doesn’t know if she should comfort them, cry with them, solve the problem or do all three.

9/10 but baby needs to learn to love herself :(

Runner Ups:

Eustass Kid

Vinsmoke Ichiji

Vinsmoke Niji

Vinsmoke Yonji

Charlotte Pudding

Monet