#hey-august 250 follower event

[hey-august]

Ok ok another request for your 250 prompts...

#1 Touch with #3 "It's nice." and #10 "I'm full of surprises." With the chubby DadBod Buggy you wrote about that is just absolutely wonderful... 👀 Could be spicy or not but I revisited that earlier and just hnnngh chubby DadBod Buggyyyy 🧡 Thank you!

-rorywritesjunk

Yusssssss dadbody Buggy back again!!!!! Thank you for this, @rorywritesjunk!! 🩷 I definitely meant to sprinkle more spice in here, but got caught up in the fluff and incorporating some one bed trope vibes. This did give me a great idea for a separate but related spicy story though 👀

Prompts: Touch, "It's nice." "I’m full of surprises." Teaser: "Buggy chuckled as he settled down, fighting his insecurities with self-deprecation." Warnings: SFW. Not an established relationship. Sorta one bed trope - is it one bed trope if it's partially by choice? Word count: ~1.8k

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Time moved at a pace only it understood. Days flew by while weeks dragged. Moments were drawn out with each new experience you had on the pirate ship until a month passed. It took you nearly four days to develop sea legs, eight days to be assigned a room of your own, and two weeks for you to stop getting lost on the ship. But you felt at home from the first step onboard. For the first time in your life, you were comfortable and felt like you belonged.

Lost in your own thoughts, pieces of your captain’s explanation of your afternoon duties slipped away before you could retain them. You gave an apologetic smile when he caught on. Buggy had been gripping his left forearm to half-heartedly massage the muscles while he spoke. Even as he flexed his hand, the tenderness carried through and showed on his face.

“Sorry, I was distracted. You should do it here, like this,” you said while grabbing the pirate’s gloved hand and flipping it so the palm side was up. 

Hooking his thumb and pinky between both of your pinky fingers, you carefully flexed his hand open and pressed into the taut muscles with your thumbs. His gloves made it difficult to drag the pressure along his palm, so you settled for digging into the meat and rubbing small circles.

You didn’t realize how overly familiar the gesture was until the silence became overbearing. The chatty clown had fallen quiet from shock and relief.

“Oh, sorry. That was too much,” you choked out, dropping his hand in mortification “Sometimes I’d get cramps from how much I wrote and I know how frustrating that can feel…” The explanation came out in an explosive babble.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Buggy rushed to stop your monologue, feeling second-hand embarrassment. At least, that’s what he assumed the heat in his body was from. “It’s no big deal…it actually felt good. Now if you know how to deal with tight shoulders, let me know,” he chuckled.

You nodded, afraid to open your mouth again. For the rest of Buggy’s repeat rundown, you stayed quiet and paid attention to each directive. As the captain turned to leave, the words you were struggling to swallow burst out.

“I can help with your shoulders. L-later, if you want…” You watched his back as he nodded, blue hair swinging from his hat, and left you to drown in your awkward proposal.

Curiosity followed Buggy through the rest of the day. Tugging on his attention, tripping his feet, and stealing thoughts out of his mind. As much as he tried to ignore the presence, it wouldn’t leave. He felt it in the hand you touched.

The pirate liked having you on the ship. He could see the changes you went through as you became accustomed to life with the crew. You became brighter and smiled more. Buggy often heard others talk about how helpful you are, that you often volunteer when someone needs help and you give encouragement while they practice skits and skills. It shouldn’t be a surprise that you were offering to help the captain, as well.

He nearly waited too long before knocking on your door. A part of him hoped that hours of overthinking would take away the opportunity to make a decision, but his feet brought him to your quarters before that could happen. The door quickly swung open, revealing your small but cozy room. You welcomed Buggy inside as he chittered about his sore muscles, hoping he could distract you from the blush that was certainly peeking through his face paint. Although he removed his captain’s coat and hat at the end of the day, he kept on the clown make-up.

You placed a pillow on the floor next to the bed and gestured for Buggy to sit down. He tilted his head and made a face before tossing the pillow back onto the bed and plopping to the ground, his back towards the bed.

“It’s just a floor, it’s not that bad,” he mumbled as you sat behind him and nestled your legs on either side of his torso.

“I just wanted you to be comfortable.” You spoke slowly, keeping each word even, unlike the beating in your chest. This was much different than grabbing the pirate’s hand earlier. He was in your room and between your legs. As fast as the thought popped up, you buried it in a dark corner in your mind.

You started by rubbing the base of Buggy’s head, digging your thumbs into the muscles beneath his skull and easing his tension and nerves. His head tilted forwards with a loud sigh and you moved the attention down his neck, following the curves of his body.

“...s’nice…yursonice…” He said something that sounded like words, but you couldn’t hear clearly. Pinching down a muscle that traveled from his neck to his shoulder, you asked what he said. 

Buggy took a deep sigh before replying. “I said ‘yo- it’s nice.’ This is nice.” Words that fit in his mouth a moment ago didn’t feel correct now. Whatever you heard seemed to be satisfying enough since you didn’t respond and you continued tending to his aches.

Although his body rocked gently with each squeeze of pressure, the knots littering his body held fast. The thick fabric of his top prevented you from pulling along his muscles and the woven material didn’t have enough give for you to slip your hands underneath. You massaged as long as you could before you could feel your fingers objecting to the rough fabric.

“Captain…” Your soft voice eased him out of the trance and he hummed in response. “I can’t get to some of the tight areas. If you want- if you’d be more comfortable, you could take off your shirt and lay down.” Your hands kept moving to keep the awkwardness from settling into place.

Buggy stayed silent. His comfort would be debatable if he took off any more clothing. The relaxation you worked into him only extended so far and other areas needed the same attention, but he was afraid of your attention being drawn somewhere else. Besides his nose, there are other parts of his body the pirate didn’t love - one of which was his soft stomach. So many pirates - and pirate captains - parade around in open shirts or entirely shirtless, showing off muscles bestowed by a life at sea. A physique the clown captain didn’t share.

As he worked through the thoughts, Buggy asked a question to fill the silence. “How do you know how to do this?”

“I’m full of-”

“-full of surprises. Fuck off,” Buggy cut you off, laughing that he walked right into that response. It had been repeated often enough that it should be an expectation in any conversation you two have.

“I’ll actually tell you, if you get comfortable.” You offered to trade your vulnerability for his.

Buggy held onto the fact that you never mentioned his nose like a lifeline and jumped in. Standing up, he kept his back facing you. He undid the wide band of belts around his waist, wincing as his stomach relaxed in the open space, and pulled off his shirt. Meanwhile, you straightened up the blankets on your bed and fluffed up the pillow.

You turned around to a half-dressed pirate standing in your room. Nerves and unease was creeping back into his body, just as they filled yours, so you rushed to have him lay face down.

“Hah, don’t want to look at this sorry sight anymore?” Buggy chuckled as he settled down, fighting his insecurities with self-deprecation.

“No, I think you look really good,” you blurted out. Hands flew to cover your mouth far too late to stop the confession. 

Buggy looked at you with astonishment, unsure if you were fucking with him. Your wide eyes and red ears were another betraying confession.

“Thanks,” he muttered bashfully before turning away. The bed smelt like you. The pillow he had pressed against his chest smelt like you. He couldn’t relax, especially when the bed tilted as you kneeled next to him. But when your warm hands began running along his muscles, he melted into everything that was you.

“I learned how to do this because of drawing. I wanted to draw people, so I started by studying anatomy. Trapezius…” You applied pressure starting at his neck and dragged it down. 

“...scapula…” The movement followed the curve of his shoulder blade, finding bundles of tension along the way. A stifled groan escaped as you worked on the knots, breaking them apart and soothing the surrounding sinew. 

“E…spine something,” you questioned while your fingers danced on either side of his spine. “It was a while ago and didn’t help with my drawings, but I guess it was good for something.”

Buggy could hardly acknowledge what you were saying. It felt like his entire being was being handled, pinched, and rolled in a blissful way. He was no longer thinking about how uneasy he felt being partially undressed in front of you. The anxiety was soothed away as he loosened up. His head was full of your smell, his body covered in how you feel, and your voice was lulling him further and further away.

A few quiet minutes passed before a small sound broke your concentration. A sleepy snore. You froze, your hold pausing on his hips while massaging his lower back. A louder snort came out and you bit your lip to suppress a laugh. 

Laying an open hand on the middle of the captain’s back, you gently rocked his body. No response. You called his name. Nothing. You poked him. Still nothing. Grabbing Buggy’s shoulder, you shook a little harder. This time, you did get a response. 

“Not yet, still tired,” grumbled the pirate before rolling on his side. He was still facing away from you and clinging to your pillow.

You tried a few more times to wake Buggy up, explaining that it’s probably time for bed. He should go back to his room. It’s late. Why is he such a heavy sleeper? How can he sleep when you’re shaking him this hard? Seriously, he needs to wake up. None of it worked. You even tried to pull your pillow away, but he only hugged it tighter. There was no way you’d be able to get the blanket from under him either, so any chance of sleeping on the floor was impossible.

Between Buggy’s own exhaustion and the late hour, sleep began to wrap its warmth around you. Reluctant to find another reasonably comfortable place to rest for the night that didn’t involve waking someone else up and explaining why the captain was sleeping in your bed, you resigned yourself to making the best out of this situation. 

At least Buggy was no longer laying in the middle of your small bed. You curled up behind him and pressed your back against his. Your tiredness wavered at the touch, hesitant to fully descend when your heart was beating so fast. Listening to his deep breaths, you began to match your breathing and let sleep carry you away. There would be time in the morning to explain what happened. For now, you wanted to enjoy the moment.

[elvenbeard]

I was at Phantom Liberty Tour Cologne and this is how it went!

Img: A screen showing Johnny Silverhand with tickets to the Phantom Liberty Tour Cologne and the title "Phantom Liberty Tour - 25. August 2023 Köln"

The following is 100% an expression of my personal views! I experienced the Phantom Liberty Tour event in Cologne as overall extremely positive, I had been very hyped about it in the weeks and days before, and CDPR did not disappoint me in any way shape or form with what they put together! For transparency, I didn’t have to pay for anything beyond my own travel costs and accommodation, everything else was included solely in my application for the event being accepted.

This post is intended as a way to give a glimpse into the experience to everyone who couldn’t go or whose application wasn’t accepted -and I just wanted to share my thoughts xD It was a very small and exclusive event with very limited tickets, and I still feel super priviliged to have been able to go there. I’m aiming to share my experience with everyone reading this now and give you at least a little peek behind the scenes of it all!

We didn’t have to sign any NDAs or such, we only weren’t allowed to take pics/videos or make audio recordings of the showcased gameplay!

If you’re also going to one of the upcoming events in your respective countries, maybe wait reading this until you’ve been there to not ruin any potential surprises! And also, if you don’t wanna be spoilered about anything Phantom Liberty as such, meaning, the actual game and story, but still wanna know about what the event was like: I will put a warning onto sections that contain spoilers for the gameplay, so you can skip those!

How me and my sibling even got invited in the first place

I only learned about this event more or less on accident when my sibling sent me a screenshot of an Instagram post about it XD So, big props to them for giving us both this chance! XD That was back in May, the post said “tell us why we should invite you to the PL tour in Cologne” in its sign-up form. I did, and then waited patiently to maybe hear back from them. Originally, after sending my submission, I received a reply saying that “if you’re invited, we (CDPR organizer team) will get back to you until August 4th “. In my submission I wrote something along the lines of that I’m relatively new to the game and fandom, but it quickly evolved into my new favourite video game and unlocked so much creativity for me, so that I’m making my own mods for it now, create art, and write. My sibling was a fan of the first hour, preordered the Collector’s Edition for PS4 back then, and now we can both simultaneously get hyped for Phantom Liberty. It would be an amazing opportunity if we could also attend this event together!

When I hadn’t heard back by then I accepted that I hadn’t been selected, was a bit sad, but it was alright. But then, a few days later while I was at work, I got an email with the headline “Hey Choomba” and I was like wtf? So, turns out, due to the insane amount of submissions they pushed back the notification day about a week. Around 1,500 people sent applications that the organizers all looked at individually, and only around 250 guests plus team members and special guests were actually present that night. I didn’t know about the delay in response, because I’m not active on social media beyond Tumblr… lemme tell you though, that was such a nice surprise, and I was super happy and would’ve been none the wiser had I not been picked xD

Due to the shorter timeframe though it was now a little harder to find a hotel still, as the PL Tour took place during Gamescom week. So, half of Gaming Europe was already in Cologne for that convention and hotels were scarce. On the one hand, it obviously made sense they put the date this weekend, so the devs already in Cologne anyway could swing by with ease. On the other hand, if you were, like me, definitely not from Cologne or the general area, a little more prep time ahead would’ve been nice.

Still though, my sibling and I still found a somewhat reasonable hotel and drove to Cologne in the early morning hours of August 25th!

Img: The door to the venue with a bright red "Phantom Liberty Tour" banner above the entrance

(cont. below the cut, long post with many pics, beware!)

The Venue, the Queue, the Delay, the Tickets

The sole information we had in advance was an address, to bring our ID cards as they’d make sure we are on the guest list and are 18+ years old. The event would start at 6pm and last until 12am. It said that "cosplays are very much appreciated" so I went in casual cosplay as Vince, because why the hell not XD But that was it in terms of what we knew about what was going to happen.

At around 5.20 p.m. we were at the location given to us via E-Mail. Parking was eh, but alright, we found a space close by, and as we drove past the venue, they were just in process of setting up their flag and banner. So yay, we’re in the right place! :D

Img: The black CDPR flag above the entrance :3

I was so fucking hyped, I couldn’t last in the car a second longer, so we just joined the queue and waited despite the occasional rain shower. We got talking a little bit with the people around us, there were some fellow modders, everyone was wearing some kind of merch, there were lots of fantastic cosplayers, too! Miles Tost, CDPR level design, was there and briefly talked to us all waiting patiently. Then we were informed that sadly there would be a little bit of a delay. I think at around 6.30 or so the queue finally started moving and at around 7 my sibling and I were inside the venue :D The reason of the delay is and was unclear, we learned later though that the guy responsible for the organization had set up something like this for the first time iirc, and therefore I’ll happily forgive the slight delay. Overall, the night was fantastic and I sure as hell couldn’t have done it better!

After checking our IDs, the lovely people by the entrance handed us our numbered tickets! One of the staff then asked us if we’d already played Phantom Liberty at Gamescom, which we hadn’t, so we also received one of those yellow plastic throwaway bracelets. Those who had already played it got a red one. The reasoning here was that they only had a small play area upstairs, so not everyone would be getting a chance to play the demo of the game, and people who hadn’t seen it yet would be preferred, to keep things fair. During the night some people with yellow bracelets would then be randomly approached by a member of the team and invited upstairs with a “mystery ticket”. I sadly didn’t get to play the game myself, neither my sibling, but we still got to see the gameplay anyway :3 We’ll get to that in a minute.

Img: Mine and my sibling's tickets, front and backside respectively; the bottom text on the backside says "be careful not to damage this section as you may still need it over the course of the night!", both tickets feature prominent circuit board and barcode designs

CDPR also invited us to free drinks with little tokens, and there was a broad selection of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages at a small bar! I would’ve loved for there to be something like a Johnny Silverhand or Jackie Welles to order, but I guess it wasn’t the Afterlife after all. Still though, free drinks, even if generic, pretty cool :D

Activities within the Venue

While we were queuing outside still, we’d also heard about various activities that had been offered at the Warsaw station of the tour, and those were different from what we could do in Cologne!

After receiving our tickets and everything we were free to explore the location for a bit, as the actual show wouldn’t start until 8pm (originally 7 pm but well… delays :D).

There was the main floor with a big, convention center style setup with rows of chairs and some bar tables. There was the huge screen, the bar, and a really cool netrunner chair for taking pictures that the cosplayers rightfully loved :D On the left side were also a small Xbox play area where you could test out some Xbox game pass games XD The event had tons of sponsors contributing something cool.

Img: The main area of the venue right before the show begins, an industrial-style interior with bright red and white lights, and many people looking at a big screen at the wall featuring Johnny and a welcome text in German and English respectively

Next door was a little secluded area for a podcast to be recorded later during the night, as well as a booth where visitors could record video messages for the devs (I missed my chance here and that’s what I regret most about not doing during that night ;A; but I think/hope a lot of others present seized the opportunity to send some love to Poland for this amazing game and team <3).

Img: A small square room with four high-end gaming PC stations sponsored by NVIDIA; the screens are currently showing the main menu screen of Cyberpunk 2077 - can I just take one of these home with me please?

Then there was the upstairs area with the gaming corner, as well as another little recording studio set up by an independent German filmmaker team who were documenting the development of Phantom Liberty! We could’ve also contributed to that, if we had wished to, but I preferred to stay behind the camera this time around xD Looking forward to watching the documentary though once it’s out!

Img: a Netrunner chair replica surrounded by screens and gadgets

There was also an outdoors courtyard area serving as a chillout zone with food (vegetarian options available) and a really cool live medieval folk band playing songs from the Witcher OST :D The various walls on the inside were decorated with photos showcasing German cosplayers and works of fan artists, and those of them who were there that night were allowed to take their photos home as a little extra special keepsake!

Community Love

The community love was so, so real and despite being comparatively new to the game and fandom still I felt super at home and comfortable and welcome. Kind of like, “I’m in the right place”, if that makes sense XD

Speaking of community… while we were still outside in the queue my sibling pointed out to me that there was a Kerry cosplayer in the line behind us, and lemme tell you, I was fucking hyped and made it my mission to greet them over the course of the evening xD I’ve been to a few smaller, less gaming-focused cons this year and there were few Cyberpunk cosplayers, no Kerry so far, so this was my chance!

Turns out, the Kerry in question was none other than fantastic @ophani (you can follow her on Instagram as well and check out what she’s working on atm!) who had been one of the first Cyberpunk people I’d ever followed on tumblr after becoming more involved in the fandom xD So yeah, the fanboy moment was even more real once I’d realized that. Also, there with her, amongst others, was @korribancosplay (also on Instagram!! Go check out his fantastic work <3) who actually recognized me first for being there looking sorta like Vince. He recognized that specific V with that hair and tattoos from my art xD I was like whaaaah! Honestly, that was my highlight of the night hands down in regards to meeting fellow fans :D Again, big shoutout to you two for the lovely conversation and everything, we’ll definitely stay in touch, and I hope I can venture over to NRW again in the future to meet up! xD

Img: Left, ophani as Kerry Eurodyne in his 2023 appearance <3, right, korribancosplay as Goro Takemura - I wish I'd brought a proper camera, blurry phone pics that I tried to somehow save through editing ftw :D

There were a lot of other amazing cosplayers, accompanying the two mentioned, and others as well that I didn’t all get to talk to but yeah… it was amazing seeing them all regardless and the love everyone poured into their costumes! Really got me hyped about getting back into cosplaying as well!

Let the Show Begin

But then it was finally 8pm and everyone gathered in the main showcase area.

None other than male V’s German VA Björn Schalla opened the show with a little speech (“I guess I don’t have to say who’s speaking right now”). That already sealed the deal for me in terms of “okay yeah, CDPR not playing games (figuratively), this is gonna be an amazing night if literal fucking Voice-of-V is here as a special guest”.

Then the German community managers joined for a little introduction and walkthrough of the schedule, as well as all the devs and CDPR team members present for the night came on stage to kick off the event officially with a big selfie. Shame on me for not really knowing who exactly everyone was, I’m too new and not as well versed in the who-is-who yet, but there were some very big names that people got super excited about so o.o

Img: Left, Björn Schalla aka German voice of male V, giving a little introduction speech reading out loud some randomly picked names from the guest list; right, the CDPR team and devs at the venue on stage together

Pretty much immediately afterwards, Miles Tost came back on stage, and we got to experience about an hour of gameplay of Phantom Liberty! If you don’t want spoilers for the expansion, skip the next section until the “Spoilers end here” line! I will try not to take too much away, but I want to give an honest and thorough review of what I’ve seen!

SPOILERS START HERE

The Game Showcase – Public Demo

The way this worked was, Miles stood on the front stage and narrated through the gameplay shown on the big screen, while the German community manager (iirc) Ryan played the game following a predetermined route I assume. He very strictly showed specific features, locations, and took a few very specific dialogue choices, always omitting the blue optional ones and just going with one of the generic yellow ones. The V in the demo was a male corpo, and Ryan never chose any of the plentily available Corpo dialogue options (and I’m very thankful for that, so we as players get to explore those ourselves somewhere further down the line :3).

Miles mentioned that the build shown to us was around three months old, and the first half hour of the game we saw revolved around Songbird guiding V through Dogtown prior to Myers’ plane crashing. They showed some minor NPCs running shops, the new Ripperdoc interface, and so on and so forth. I liked the new Ripperdoc animation but would’ve loved it to be even more expansive than it was in that build XD It was more a “sits down, selects cyberware to buy, then sits back up again after a short black screen, wiggles briefly then ventures forth” moment. Not comparable to the first scene with Viktor, when V gets their optics installed in the main game, but it still adds a little immersion!

V was also wearing very funky purple tights (the same level of tightness as a netrunner suit, but textured sort of like crocodile leather? I have a mighty need for them), and very sporty white sneakers that I also didn’t recognize from the main game. Everyone in the room very much loved his extravagant fashion sense XDD

So far so good, V walks through Dogtown a bit more and has some fun banter with Songbird who is not there physically, but also not quite on the phone… Then the president crashes into Dogtown kind of how it was shown in one of the trailers, and V has to go and save her, obviously, fighting Kurt Hansens forces! Up until this point of getting to and saving Myers from the wreckage was part of the publicly available demo that could also be tested at Gamescom and that I think was also showcased in recent dev streams.

The Game Showcase – Extended Demo

BUT THEN we got to a screen that said “extended demo unlocked” and got to experience some more, so far unseen content!

There was a bit of a time skip, V now traveling with President Myers and trying to get her to safety. Then we quickly got to a scene I had been kind of anxious about: V having to take an oath to become a special agent working for the NUSA. Thankfully though: you didn’t actually have to take the oath as shown in the trailer, and I was relieved, because being forced to do that that would’ve ended the expansion for my V then and there XD You still get to work for Myers though, and then V actually ventured out to find Solomon Reed! :O

We got to see quite a bit more of Dogtown, which is much bigger than I had assumed o.o Like, big buildings, proper streets, etc. etc. - not massive, but also not small! It seemed to sort of seamlessly blend into Pacifica, maybe… But in the showcase we didn’t venture far enough to the limits of the area to really be able to tell how exactly it is integrated into the world. Also, no visuals on the new Badlands areas or anything beyond this little story mission, but I think for a showcase like this that would’ve been too much! Mr. Hands called about a gig though that he maybe shouldn’t have, interrupting Miles' speech a little XD I don’t recall the exact details, but it sounded like a "SOS: Merc needed" type gig. I’m super excited about that, too, there's tons to do in this area!

They also showed the new phone interface, as well as the completely reworked skill trees, which is something @darcidarlin asked me about!

For the phone interface I’m so so thankful! It was so much bigger and organized, much easier to handle and read.

About the skill trees I’m super torn in a way… they’re different and simpler now, but sometimes simpler isn’t necessarily better imo. I’m used to my current build and skills, I like the attributes, and I don’t really see yet how my old playstyle is gonna translate into this new version. Basically, what they did (or at least how it seemed to me) was replace the attributes with "Skills". There is a "Relic" skill, an "Edgerunner" skill, and so forth, at least I saw nothing labelled "Cool", "Strength", "Tech" in the way I'm used to, but the glimpse we got was too short and superficial to really get a good idea of the new menu layout and contents.

The combat they showcased looked very fun, but it was all very centered around hands-on fighting, guns, swords, heavy cyberware. They showed very little stealth and no hacking/tech, and me being a predominantly stealth/hacking/tech player I was a bit “meh” and beginning to wonder if I’ll still have fun with what’s to come in the same way I do now. They kinda quickly flicked through the skill trees and I almost had the impression they completely remodelled Tech into a Cyberware skillset now, with armor fully tied to cyberware as well… I really don’t know XD Right now I can do a tech-heavy build without getting chromed up to my teeth, and I’d like to keep it that way… But I’m not sure if it’ll still work out like this in 2.0. Not much info on Cyberpsychosis either, only that again, with Tech perks, you can increase your threshold in terms of how much chrome V can stuff into their body before suffering an "overload". My low-on-chrome but otherwise tech-loving V is crying a little bit about this change XD

But yeah, this build was 3 months old. And my impression of the skills way waaaay to brief, so it's likely I'm getting upset about nothing XD Specifically for getting a closer look at combat and skills I would’ve needed to test the game out myself, so take everything about this with a big grain of salt!

Next up Ryan made a savegame and they showed the reworked police system a bit. Calling his vehicle in the middle of Dogtown was hilariously difficult, as it kept glitching and crashing into some parked cars the AI just didn’t seem to recognize, always ending up lying on its roof xD Miles joked “Oh no, some glitches just persist no matter what we do… but I bet your car can’t do this!”

Once Ryan had finally managed to get into his car though he started shooting. When you commit crimes in Dogtown, the NCPD will actually not come after your ass, but instead Kurt Hansen’s Barghest, which is neat! They are similarly equipped and will put up a bit of a fight for sure. There is now basically a 5-star system like I know it from GTA, and as soon as you reach 5, MaxTac will show up and whoop your ass. And man, they did not mess around XD MaxTac is not unbeatable, V put up quite the fight and managed to take down a couple of them, but in the end he got overwhelmed and taken down xD It did take a considerable amount of effort and destruction and killing though to even get to five stars, so much so that both Miles and Ryan were getting a bit desperate about it taking so long. So yeah, you really kinda have to put some actual effort into even getting MaxTac’s attention was my impression, and I do like that a lot to keep it balanced!

After this little demonstration of the police system, V went on to find Solomon Reed and damn, the first encounter with him is so fucking cool… I will not spoiler it here, because yeah. Wait and see! I really loved it, Spy-Thriller vibes over 9000, they definitely hit the mark on that XD

There is also so so so so much lovely new banter with Johnny. He was very present throughout this second part of the demo and had a lot to say on his past as a soldier, which I was really hoping for!! So, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how deep it’s gonna get and even more so how it’s gonna end o.o

So much though to the gameplay I saw and my impression on it! There are more details I can share on request, so hmu via DM or ask if you wanna know more! There definitely were a lot of little choices in dialogues, and there seem to be a lot of choices that you can mess up that then have consequences, too :o High risk, high reward vibes, fitting for the high stakes this story seems to have.

One other random sidenote: the music is insanely beautiful o.o There was a new sort of action-packed background track for finding President Myers in Dogtown. And at the end of the demo there was another new song playing that was sort of… “dreamy, but in a dreadful way” sounding? A female vocalist, no actual lyrics, electronic music with similar vibes to the “V” main menu song, but quieter and calmer and sadder. My sibling found it annoying after a while XD But I really enjoyed it, and I kind feel like it could’ve been Songbird’s theme!

I got a question by @cheapcheapfaker about updated character models and animations that kinda fit into this section of the post! So… sadly I cannot answer it for sure because we only got to see the expansion characters and never ventured out of Dogtown (and I didn’t get to play the game myself to test out if it would’ve been possible to go and meet somebody else). What I can say is, I personally didn’t notice much of an update of Johnny’s appearance or facial animations at all actually. I know others did in regard to the same build of the game I got to see. There was no opportunity to ask, and a lot of questions that went sort of deeper into the territory of technical or story stuff, Miles wasn’t allowed to answer at that point. I think they played the game on the highest graphics settings, too, with path tracing on, which was also was something I’m not used to seeing with my rig. Johnny looked somewhat different to me actually, but not in an improved or updated way, more in a higher/different settings way.

What was confirmed during the Q&A though that followed on a different topic later (I made a post about it here already), was that they did go back and fix some voice lines in the main game that turned out weird in the German dub. And I read somewhere else before that “no system was untouched” for making Update 2.0, so maybe the other characters also received some minor updates and final polish. But nothing concrete sadly that was said or came up during my experience of the evening!

SPOILERS END HERE

Meet and Greet with German V

After the showcase of the game was over and some people had received mystery tickets to test Phantom Liberty on their own time, the crowd dispersed across the venue for a variety of activities. I tried to get into the “leave a message to the devs” booth, but it was occupied quite permanently, so I went back and then sat and waited for the Q&A, because that was super-duper down my alley, and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. In the podcast room next door some devs had come together to talk a bit more about the expansion as such, too, including Miles.

I had to gather all the fucking courage in my body, and I think being sorta sleep deprived and pumped full of adrenaline helped, but before the Q&A started, I went up to Björn to ask for an autograph and we very briefly talked. I got to tell him that I loved the way he played V so so much, lol XD I wasn’t very coherent, but he was very kind and funny, super chill guy!

Img: My ticket now signed "Für Elven, von 'V'" and Björn Schalla's autograph - need to get a fancy frame for it asap xD

I’m so glad that after the Q&A, of which you can find the detailed content in this separate post I made already, I went up again to get a pic done with him and Localization Director Mikolaj! :D So yes, this was definitely my personal highlight of the evening’s program, maybe even more so than seeing the new exclusive gameplay!

Img: Left, the Q&A with Björn and Mikolaj, right, Mikolaj and me and Björn XD

Raffle and Goodies

Towards the end of the night the live band that had been playing outside joined us in the main room (because, of course, the neighbors had complained about the noise… the peak Germany experience, the organizers got threatened with ���we’re gonna call the cops if you continue playing music outside after 10 pm” x’D). But like this those of us who had been mostly inside watching the show at this point also got to experience the music a bit, which was very nice!

We were getting close to the end of the night already, and then people with goodie bags started walking in from all corners :O So I ventured forth once more to score one, but I think there definitely was enough for all, and at the end of this post I’m gonna show you what was inside :3

Img: Me holding my roughly letter-format sized Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty paper goodie bag :3

The last item on the agenda was called “Quiz and Raffle”, due to the delayed start of the night though they decided to skip the quiz, or rather, do a quick run of some of the questions they had prepared. It was all something like “What was the name of the character that X called to take over his shift?” or “What was the sign above the location V had to go to during X section of the gig?”, so nothing super hard. You just had to pay a little bit of attention during the game showcase. But yeah, the quiz was skipped and instead the raffle prizes were handed out a bit more freely and damn… there was a lot o.o Displate had gifted a super limited edition illuminated poster, as well as several of their tarot card metal posters. There were gaming keyboards, custom Cyberpunk themed PC cases, some leftovers from the Gear store, figurines, and so on and so forth. Some of the bigger prices were given out via random number generator, where our individual ticket numbers were important again, others were just handed out a bit more freely.

Ryan: “Damn, I have so many gaming mice left, what am I gonna do now…” Random Audience member: “Can I have one?” Ryan: “Sure! :D” *hands them a mouse*

Img: Ryan and Carolin of the German Community Management team at the end of the event with some closing words on stage

This part of the night was honestly just very lighthearted and funny, and I really felt entertained from start to finish XD There were no boring moments or situations where I was like “urgh, I wish we could just continue now” because even during the breaks I talked to people or was still recovering from a previous encounter or experience XD

The End of the Event

The event then ended pretty much on time a short while after midnight, some people had left a bit early to catch their trains, some lingered a little while longer. Lemme tell you, I didn’t wanna leave, I just wanted to move in and live with all these people forever in an amazing little Cyberpunk bubble. But I was also running on like 3 hours of sleep at that point, was extremely overwhelmed with so many positive experiences and impressions, and so we then left after taking some final snaps here and there and walking through the venue once more.

Img: The exit of the venue late at night with the Phantom Liberty Tour Banner now glowing

10/10 would go again, it was a blast, and I wouldn’t have minded for it to go on another six hours xD Not that I managed to sleep much anyway that night, because my brain was still going BRRR from all the impressions and conversations and encounters (still is to a degree right now, but I’m slowly getting calmer again xDD)

The Goodie Bag

Finally back at the hotel I got a proper look at the goodie bag!! All of this was also included in us just *being* there, like, whaaat...

Img: an overview of a variety of items featured in the goodie bag!

The goodies everyone got: a t-shirt with the Barghest logo in front and the Phantom Liberty Tour locations on the back. It was available in a lot of different sizes that you could ask for quite easily, and I hope there was one available for everyone and every body!

Img: A bright red, VERY WRINKLED t-shirt with a graffiti-style Barghest logo on its front in orange, and a white and orange print with the Phantom Liberty Tour locations on the back

The shirt is 100% cotton and made in Poland, but it smelled really really bad, coming out of a plastic bag XDD Not gonna put that on before it goes through the wash. But the quality seems very decent, and the color and print are really nice ;A; Could wear this casually under a shirt or zipper hoodie without anyone even being able to tell it’s gaming merch, and I love me a versatile piece like that!!

Then there was a Phantom Liberty themed sticker sheet with a nice rainbow holo effect :3 Some factions, some people and places, some more generic stickers. It’s very pretty and I think I might actually just frame it together with my signed ticket XD

Img: A holographic Phantom Liberty themed sticker sheet including faction and Night City logos amongst others

What I really really really loved though were these two Cologne-unique pieces: another sticker and a patch :O These seem to be 100% exclusives to the Cologne event, and I figure you can get something similar at the other events as well! Will treasure these like hell <3

Img: A blue and orange fabric patch and a holographic black and white sticker showing the same design: Phantom Tour Cologne below a stylized moth

And finally, everyone got a little mystery bag within their mystery bag, containing one of 6 keyboard cap thingies (don’t even know wtf they’re called but they’re cute XD). They were modelled after the various ingame factions, even including Barghest I believe! :O You can swap them out with any key on a mechanical gaming keyboard. I got Maelstrom, my sibling had the Mox :D So you could’ve definitely swapped with someone else for your fave faction, but I was actually quite pleased with Maelstrom :3

Img: Two small keyboard key replacer thingies... I don't know what to call them. One is red, featuring the head of a maelstromer on top, the other is blue, featuring the pink skull-head with bob haircut and bow of the Mox

So yes… that was my Phantom Liberty Tour experience! I apologize for the insanely long post, but I do hope you enjoyed reading it!

I tried to keep it somewhat concise and coherent and could definitely go more into detail about the gameplay elements we saw, the venue, the people there, and so on and so forth. So, don’t hesitate to hit me up with your questions :D And obviously, thanks so much for reading to the very end <3

[fairy-writes]

500 Followers Event!

Hey, Lovelies! I just hit 500 followers! This is such a significant milestone for me so thank you all! I seriously never imagined I’d get this far, so I wanted to do something special!

I’m taking inspiration from the lovely @the-mind-of-e and tweaking it a little bit.

So we’re doing a cafe!

You guys order a drink, and I’ll do headcanons, drabbles, scenarios, or one-shots!

All orders are under the tag: #fairytailwzard cafe

Rules are:

everything is gender-neutral reader unless specifically stated otherwise

all oneshots are written as character x reader!

Be polite, please!

One order per person!

You don’t have to choose an add-on special. Those are just if you want to have some extra fun!

any orders that do not follow the rules will be deleted

Things that won’t be written:

yandere

abusive relationships

NSFW

Example Order: Hello! Can I please get a large latte with spice with Tanjiro from Demon Slayer?

Translation: Can I get a fluffy Victorian AU imagine with Tanjiro from Demon Slayer?

Example Order: Can I please order a medium black coffee with Kaneki Ken from Tokyo Ghoul?

Translation: Can I get a whump scenario with Kaneki Ken from Tokyo Ghoul?

MENU

Sizes:

Large: Imagine (750-1000 Words)

Medium: Scenario (500-750 Words)

Small: Drabble (250-500 Words)

Extra-Small: Headcanons (length depends on prompt)

Drinks:

Latte: Fluff

Black Coffee: Whump (physical pain)

Espresso: Angst (emotional pain)

Cappuccino: Domestic AU

Mocha: Soulmate AU

Americano: Songfic

Add-On Specials:

With Spice: Victorian Era AU

With Sugar: Steampunk AU

With Cream: Zombie Apocalypse AU

THE CAFE IS OPEN FOR ONE WEEK! FROM AUGUST 5TH TO AUGUST 12TH

[kasarawolf]

Meteors, signals, apologies, and that tricky little thing called humanity- four years after the events of Portal II, Wheatley's been handed a second chance, but it's not going to be plain sailing… https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7434133/1/Blue-Sky ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AND ITS DOONNNEEEE!!! :DD I have been working on this drawing since August 2nd, and I am so happy it's done X_______X The bloody wheat took the longest, I couldn't find a brush that would do it for me, so I had to hand draw it alllllll. OTL I worked on it on and off, I think I finished Chell and Wheatley the first week of the drawing. There are over 250+ layers and the darn photoshop program froze more times than I can count! The reason why the characters are not more in the middle of the drawing, is because I intended this to be a book cover! Hence why they are kind of smooshed to the side ^^; I looovvvee this fanfiction so much, I am actually going to get it printed :D I have been following this guide here~ http://organicgold.tumblr.com/post/112469954956/blue-sky-pdf The BIG error with this drawing is that I drew it completely backwards >o< I drew it like a manga cover, when its supposed to be a regular book cover...XD There is no way to fix that sadly (flipping the image of Chell and Wheatley ends up making them look super weird) so I am just kind of stuck with a mis match cover XDDD (The rest of the picture flips and looks fine) Here is what it looks like with the added text-

https://sta.sh/0ujvjagw5yc

Now excuse me, I am going to go die now because maaaannn this drawing was a challenge!

You can find a HQ Version of this image here--->

 https://kasarawolf.deviantart.com/art/Hey-There-Mister-Blue-700061472

[greenlandhollerpets]

Part 1 of 3. “Things Change in A Moment!” Greatest News of my life in the morning/ and a bomb on my soul at 3:33 p.m. (August 2, 2018) Last Thursday, one week ago today, with great dreams being realized, I was given devastating news. Okay first of all on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, MIchael and I met with the head of marketing for Dos Lagos to review and finalize details to pursue our idea of having one day a month, preferably the first Sunday, be a PET SOCIAL at their beautiful location. And, get all the paperwork finished, i.e. contracts. Insurance secured, and details of the planned itinerary for each show from time to activities. Swirling in my head has been to create a day not about us, but about bringing together our community of dog, and pet lovers, to share their animals, enjoy some quality speakers from vets, to trainers, to people with books or TV shows sharing new ideas on pet care, and even have some neighborhood kids singing to entertain all. And have raffles, a bake shop, and other fun little entities. The entire event is about bringing our community together, and also let people know about our dogs in need of new homes, plus the animals waiting to be saved in our shelters. So, upon leaving there, I was in the clouds. Now, however, on Tuesday, when we had our first appointment, I was unable to walk that morning, and had to postpone the meeting a day, however it was all working out. The marketing professional has bigger ideas than me! That says a lot about this creative man. He plans in a few months, because he’s sure we will be packed to close off streets. YES YES YES. This man gets it! Completely, and greater than we do ! Im designing dog Costumes for our young people volunteers. We can be just like Disney. I began working on the itinerary the moment we got back to the Sanctuary. Then the next morning, Michael and I had to get up really early as I had a long awaited appointment with the top spinal neurologist surgeon at USC. I had seen him before; he did not think he could redo my four botched back and sacrum surgeries; suggested I get a spinal NEURO transmitter, kind of like a pacemaker for the spine. I cant walk, my left leg is nearly all dead, and each day the pain is excruciating. His EMG test showed my L4, L 5, and S 1 in my spine were severed. But I felt in my heart the NEURO deal was just a bandaid. I don’t need a bandaid. I need a solution. Everyday I cant walk, and the pain is excruciating. Well, this man had been working trying to figure out what was the real problem. And he found out the issue, My sacrum is not straight. He sent all my records, and tests, to John Hopkins and other outside resources too. Well, 12 years ago, I broke my sacrum ice skating in northern Minnesota on Christmas Eve day, Dressed up in a winter wonderland dress, new skates, and rolling along with my cousins on an area all the boys had cleared for us girls. Hot toddies were at our pit stops, Im with my cousins that have been in my life since born, its Christmas and just like all our Christmas Holidays as children, we were together, and skating . . . . . Oh let the Minnesota wind blow! Plus I looked so cute. Well, the rink was a little bumpy. Hey the guys are older now too, but who cared; not me! But thirty minutes out I went down on my ribs, yes I broke a couple of those too, but I did not care. I got up and flew off to skate more. Im nearly flying. Happy? I was in heaven! However THEN I fell on my back. Oh brother! I could not get up! OOPS. And dear Michael comes over to me, my pretty dress ripped at the bottom, I can’t get up at all, and he says, “I thought you were a really great skater?.” Yeah, yeah, well guess Ive lost some of my flight with age. Us kids skated hour after hour as children. But those years had long passed, and I knew I was in trouble. The boys, now men, had to carry me back to the house. Good grief! And pain, I think I drank an entire bottle of Minnesota Brandy! It was interesting though, I was still having the time of my life. I was with my dear dear cousins, we played Bingo for Christmas Eve, nearly killing each other over getting the extraordinary gifts, of ducks carved by one of the guys, blankets hand made, and just precious gifts. You toss dice, and when the gifts are all opened, you toss the dice among you, and when you get doubles, you can take a gift from another person. That’s when the fun begins. As kids we were dangerous over the gifts mostly hand made. No wonder I have such a diligent drive to WIN! And never give up. So all my childhood memories I was reliving. Little did I know I had SHATTERED my SACRUM. Shattered! I had destroyed my sacrum. But with cocktails, laughter and a MInnesota old-fashioned blizzard, just like when I was a child, I was on a cloud. Michael and I had driven to Minnesota to fix up my aunt’s home. She was found murdered, oh thats another story, she was MURDERED. I was her executor and niece. She and my mom were very close, and Nancy spent all her summers with her children, same age as me, at our supper club. Now she was dead, and it was and still is a horror. Another day I will tell all, but not right now. But we are in a truck, 400 miles north of the cities, and thousands of miles north of our home in California. The day after Christmas, we still had celebrating to do, the usual meal, And just sharing all our tales. But the following day MIchael and I headed down to Minneapolis, in a a severe snowstorm which for me made the trip bearable, and memorable, and fun! Im easy to please! We decided we would go to the hospital in the cities, as if I had to go into a hospital MIchael could be working on the my aunts house that had been stripped and nearly destroyed by a stranger she had befriended. A lonely woman in need of love! Well Edina hospital informed me my tail bone was broken, and just needed to heal. And gave me I think 250 20 mg. Of Percocet. Yikes. And my many other relatives made sure we had liquor. I love being in Minnesota! We had a balloon bed on the floor. I hurt so bad, and could not lift my legs at all; couldn’t really walk, but I supervised! We were thinking of moving back there at this point. My aunts home was beautiful, it had just been harmed, but it was coming together so elegant, and I thought I would finally get to go back home. A dream in my heart for years. But it did not happen. I was too sick, and we did what was critical, well Michael did, and headed home to California. We set up pillows and tried to make me comfortable, it was a horrible ride though. We met Michaels mom, dad, sister and family in Arizona. They were celebrating a family anniversary. I tried to attend the dinner, but we had to get up and leave. We got on the highway. I needed to be in a hospital, and we needed to get home. At the dinner table, I asked everyone for their drinks . . . .told them not to worry they should order a couple more. The pain had become excruciating. And then we were home, we did not even go home, Michael drove us to our Corona hospital, where they told me to study yoga, and within minutes Michael took me to UCI. Immediately I was given Morphine. I had never had morphine, that I knew about, and I made them flush it out, I hated the feeling, but other drugs were acceptable. Then I was told my sacrum was shattered. However by now, it had started to heal. I was placed in the hospital for a few days, but made a decision to just let it heal. I COULD NOT GO THRU the PAIN again! For eight months I could not walk. But I exercised faithfully and hard core daily, and finally I was at least able to walk. I thought I was going to be okay. I didn’t realize my sacrum made the structure of my body unstable and unbalanced. Well, that fall and the damage is my entire problem today. UCI with my four surgeries never fixed the sacrum. My back sticks out which is not acceptable. My doctor at USC says you can’t walk for long with the position of my spine. You lose all stability. I only have a few months to get things fixed, or I can become paralyzed. This doctor was haunted by what he had seen in my tests. He told me on this morning, August 2, 2018, that he could fix me or at least give it all he has, as I DONT HAVE A CHOICE. I was beyond happy, I now had hope and a real solution. I can be fixed. Then I had a CT Angiogram with contrast. Remember I had a heart attack and have congestive heart. failure, with a definite constricted heart. The new back surgery is dangerous, so all has to be cleared. I have the test done, and found out my veins are just not working at this time.. They had to use my hand for the IV for the contrast. What else can go wrong. But moving right along, test all done, Michael and I are almost home after another long journey now from LA USC to home in Corona; it’s about 3:30. My cardiologist phones: “You need to turn your car around and come back here. We need to put you in the hospital immediately. You have clot in you lung. You have a critical pulmonary embolism!” “WHAT?” No. Michael turned the car around, but the traffic was absolute grid-lock. He said we needed to go to Corona.....NO NO NO! Anyway, no choice I could die taking the ride. So We went to Corona. First thing I am told is this hospital no longer has a cardiac department, oh goodness. But they did have lung doctors. Get me to USC. “You can’t travel!” I am told. Visit us at www.greenlandhollerpets.org

[templeofgeek]

Classy Looking Nerf Herder Returns to San Diego Comic Con as part of the Her Universe Fashion Show! Classy Looking Nerf Herder is a one woman design company started by Lynne Marie Martens. Lynn is a seamstress and costume-maker based in Los Angeles. Her expertise lies in garment construction, aging and dyeing, corsetry, draping, and an extensive knowledge of fashion history. Much of her passion for costuming has led toward creating vintage and couture style fashion pieces inspired by pop culture through her brand Classy Looking Nerf Herder. She has twice been a finalist at the Her Universe Fashion Show that is held annually at San Diego Comic Con and was featured in the New York Times. Lynne has an MFA in Costume Design from CalArts and BA in Theatre Arts and English Literature from Westmont College. Her return to the Her Universe Fashion Show at 2018’s San Diego Comic Con has as super excited!

Tell us a little about you and how you got started designing clothes? My mom taught me to sew when I was a kid. I made my own dresses for school dances in high school and college. I got started with designing costumes in the theatre department while at the same time continually being obsessed with mid-century fashion and still making clothes for myself in my spare time. Eventually all of those things merged into fashion that was inspired by my favorite characters. Classy Looking Nerf Herder is all about creating vintage and geek inspired clothing – and everything has pockets!

What are your favorite fandom for fashion? Oh man, I have to choose??? I have favorite outfits, more than a favorite fandom above all else. My top three are: the Kylo Ren maxi dress that’s inspired by a 1940s evening gown, the Moana outfit, and the 1950s Harry Potter poodle skirt (I’m Slytherin 😉🐍).

How many SDCC have you attended? Do you always make designs for the different cons you attend? I’ve gone to SDCC every year since 2013 and attend many other cons in the Southern California area all throughout the year. I always always always dress up. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not wear a cosplay or one of my designs to a con, it’s too much fun!!

How did you get involved with the Her Universe Fashion Show? I saw the event listed in the SDCC program guide and just KNEW this was exactly the world I wanted to be in. I was incredibly lucky that I was picked to be a finalist the first year I submitted a design.

Can you tell us the story behind the pieces you designed for the Her Universe Fashion Show?

TARDIS Through the Wormhole — This one is inspired by the TARDIS from Doctor Who. The opening credits for Doctor Who often depict the TARDIS traveling through space and time in a whirlwind of colors and stardust. I wanted to create that in a dress. I custom designed and printed the fabric for the corset, which features the TARDIS on a dark rainbow starry background. The tutu skirt and train has a hoop base and it made with over 80 yards of netting and tulle. There are individually addressable RGB LED strands and copper string lights throughout the skirt and train. My friend, James Strain, helped me program the lights to glow in a similar rhythm to The Sound of Drums while providing the motion effect of the Wormhole. I was featured in the New York Times for this dress. I entered it into the Masquerade at the Gallifrey One convention in 2017 and won two Best in Show awards.

Enchanted Rose — This one is inspired by the Rose in Beauty and the Beast. B&tB has been my favorite Disney movie since it was first released in 1991. Disney was a huge part of my childhood and Beauty and the Beast is a story that stands the test of time. The bodice is shaped to look like a rose bud, the skirt is made from two layers of organza which represent the glass case the Rose is kept in. There are over 2000 handmade falling rose petals with the majority of them settled in the hemline and about 300 crystals in the skirt. I custom dyed all the colors in the dress. My favorite part about this dress is the movement of the skirt. It’s very flowy and romantic. I had a lot of people after the show tell me they wanted to wear it as their wedding dress.

How long does it take you to prepare for an event like this? What is the process like for you? It can take months sometimes to prepare for the Fashion Show. I knew what my Phoenix design was going to be since August of last year, so I’ve definitely been thinking about it for a long time. Submissions for the show open and close during the month of April, which gives us designers about 2 1/2 months to prepare after we are chosen. I spent somewhere around 550 hours building my TARDIS Through the Wormhole dress and about 250 hours on my Enchanted Rose dress. Right now, I am listening to the Harry Potter audio books while I make my Phoenix dress. It’s a lovely thing to keep me company and also track how much time I spend.

What was the reaction to your pieces like? I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the reaction is part of what keeps me going. It makes me so happy to hear from customers or clients about how beautiful and comfortable they feel in my clothes. The pieces I’ve done for the Her Universe Fashion Show certainly have a big WOW factor. There’s a thrill in hearing the audience scream in wonder or amazement over the results of your hard work and long hours. The fact that I get to share it with such a wide audience is truly an honor. Video of the TARDIS dress at the Gallifrey Masquerade:

Thanks to @babsek79 for assisting me during the #gallifreyone #masquerade. She captured the lights out moment from backstage and the audience's reaction is pure gold. It was so much fun!! #cosplay #tardis #doctorwho @doctorwho_bbca #handmade #lights #lightsout #tardisdress #allofspaceandtime #geekcouture #geekgirl #fashionablygeek #heruniverse #classylookingnerfherder

A post shared by Lynne Marie Martens (@classylookingnerfherder) on Feb 19, 2017 at 10:06pm PST

Backstage video from the Her Uni 2017 show:

Feeling nostalgic tonight. Here's a BTS video from the @heruniverse show this summer. The roar of the crowd fills my heart. @cornellable is the best model, couldn't ask for better. Yay #teamrose ❤️🌹❤️ #heruniverse #heruniversefashionshow #sdcc #cosplay #geekcouture #geekfashion #rose #beautyandthebeast #enchantedrose #untilthelastpetalfalls #classylookingnerfherder

A post shared by Lynne Marie Martens (@classylookingnerfherder) on Nov 19, 2017 at 10:07pm PST

If you can say, what do you have planned for this year? We understand if you can’t reveal it yet! I can tell you a little bit! My dress is inspired by Fawkes the Phoenix from the Harry Potter series. You might be able to catch some BTS of my process on my Instagram Stories, but the full reveal will have to wait until July 19th. I’m so excited about this one, it’s going to be beautiful. My friend and model, Kaitlin Cornuelle, will be walking the runway for me again this year and I will be wearing a dress inspired by Dumbledore to go with my Phoenix.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures

What is your favorite San Diego Comic Con memory?

Back to that 2013 SDCC — I was delayed in picking up my badge from my friend, which meant I was inside the convention center only 1 hour before the Sherlock panel was scheduled to start in Ballroom 20. I had heard all about the insane lines and as I walked along the hall, becoming more and more despondent that it was certainly impossible that I was going to get in, I heard someone yelling at me from the line, “HEY, you have the same shirt!” Lo and behold, I had the same Sherlock tshirt on as a guy in the line. The young woman who had yelled at me got her phone out to take a picture of us. Turns out she and I both had TARDIS phone cases. These two lovely people turned out to be Lacy and Spencer. They invited me to join their group in line and we were the last people to make it into the room! We have become good friends over the years and I feel honored that I got to attend their wedding about a year and a half ago. There are so very many moments like these that happen at conventions. The people in the geek community can be some of the kindest, most generous, and fun people to be with. That’s what truly makes or breaks a convention for me. It’s not about the merch, or the signings, or the panels so much as enjoying and celebrating the things we love with one another.

Source: Her Universe

We absolutely agree with Lynn that it’s the moments and the human connections that make conventions like San Diego Comic Con and the geek community in general such a wonderful place to be! We are so excited to see what else she has in store for us this year! If you will be attending San Diego Comic Con you can check out the Her Universe Fashion Show on July 19, 2018 6:00 PM PST at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, CA Harbor Ballroom. The world’s top “geek couture” fashion event, The Her Universe Fashion Show, is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year by returning to San Diego Comic-Con International with its biggest and best show yet. Host, actress, author of “It’s Your Universe” and Her Universe Founder, Ashley Eckstein, will be debuting a very special jaw-dropping gown created by 2013 fashion show winner, Andrew MacLaine.

  To find out more about Lynn and her designs you can checkout her website: http://classylookingnerfherder.com or follow her on her social media below! Check out the gallery at the bottom of the page for a peak of her other fun designs she has created! 

Here's another delicious one from @katiebe_photography. Ssshhhhhh spoilers 💋

A post shared by Lynne Marie Martens (@classylookingnerfherder) on Mar 5, 2018 at 8:18am PST

https://twitter.com/ClassyLookingNH/status/978005334236135424

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

  Classy Looking Nerf Herder Returns to San Diego Comic Con! Classy Looking Nerf Herder Returns to San Diego Comic Con as part of the Her Universe Fashion Show!

[oselatra]

Jeff Nichols' plan to make Arkansas a cinema paradise for film lovers

He and filmmaker Kathryn Tucker lead the Arkansas Cinema Society.

Jeff Nichols hasn't lived in Arkansas in more than a dozen years, but the acclaimed filmmaker remains deeply connected to his home state. He visits family and friends in Little Rock regularly, and set and shot two of his five films, "Shotgun Stories" and "Mud," here. His likely next one, "Alien Nation" — about "two intelligent species crashing together and trying to make it work," he says — takes place in Arkansas, at least in the version of the script he's working on now.

So it's not entirely surprising that Nichols is behind the Arkansas Cinema Society, a new initiative aimed at helping foster Arkansas's film culture. Nichols, who has lived in Austin, Texas, since 2002, wants to model the new venture on the Austin Film Society, founded in 1985 by Richard Linklater ("Dazed and Confused," "Boyhood"). The AFS hosts regular screenings, provides grants to filmmakers and teaches people how to make movies. When Nichols first got to Austin as a fledgling filmmaker with no money, a slim resume and a lot of ideas, the AFS was where he found his community. Today, it's where he meets up-and-coming filmmakers like Kat Candler, on whose 2014 film "Hellion" Nichols served as executive producer, and it's where he sees screenings of films he'd otherwise miss. Nichols calls the AFS a "magnet" for people who are interested in "production or film theory or just watching movies." The goal is for the Arkansas Cinema Society to be the same sort of hub.

The kickoff event will come Aug. 24-26, with a couple of well-known filmmakers coming to Little Rock's Ron Robinson Theater and the screening of some of their movies. "The goal would be that they show a film that inspired them during the day and talk about it, and in the evening show one of their films. And possibly have midnight screenings, whether they attend it or not," Nichols said, adding that he would moderate discussions with the filmmakers, whose names he's not ready to reveal. Then, beginning in September, the ASC will host monthly screenings at Ron Robinson. Depending on the audience and the ASC's budget, the screenings will later become twice monthly and then weekly. Perhaps around the holidays, Nichols will lead the first of three seminars on filmmaking — one each on writing, directing and editing. Nichols has had some practice. He recently did a master class at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and he's dropped in a few times to a class on his film "Mud," which is being taught at the University of Texas this semester.

Helping bring the ASC to reality is another filmmaker and Little Rock native, Kathryn Tucker. After working for several years as an assistant director on the likes of "Glee," "This Is 40" and "Oblivion," she moved back to Little Rock in 2012, and later met filmmaking brothers Josh and Miles Miller. She agreed to produce their feature debut, "All the Birds Have Flown South." She and that film's cinematographer, Gabe Mayhan, started dating and later married. They have a son who is nearly 2 years old. Tucker also produced the feature adaptation of Daniel Campbell's "Antiquities," with Mayhan again serving as cinematographer.

The formation of the ACS grew out of a meeting between Nichols and Tucker when Nichols was in town in November for a screening of his latest film, "Loving," to benefit the Tiger Foundation of Little Rock Central High School, where he and Tucker were classmates. The conversation got around to what a shame it was that the Little Rock Film Festival called it quits in 2015. When Tucker mentioned there was interest in reviving the festival, Nichols suggested instead that they go for a year-round model.

Tucker is leading the ASC on the ground as executive director of the newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Nichols is chairman of the board, for which Tucker and Nichols recruited an all-star membership that includes former Gov. Mike Beebe, Mary Steenburgen, local writer and television creator Graham Gordy, producer Jayme Lemons and Yellow Rocket Concepts creative director Amber Brewer.

Brent and Craig Renaud, the acclaimed documentary filmmakers who co-founded the Little Rock Film Festival, cited their busy professional schedule as a reason for shuttering the fest after nine years. Because of their workload, they didn't have the time needed to raise money or manage the logistics of the fest. How will an organization led by two working filmmakers avoid the same fate?

"I'm going to see it through no matter what that takes," Tucker said. "We're building this thing slowly and laying a really good foundation. We've also got so many people on our board who aren't going to let it fail."

Nichols stressed the importance of community involvement and running lean. "I hope that Kathryn and I aren't the engine for this thing. Or a better way to put it is, we build the engine, but the fuel is the community, and it will just sit there not running if the community doesn't respond. If they don't, we'll move on and go do something else. But it's on our shoulders to build something that runs on not much gas."

For budget reasons, Nichols doesn't want to see the ACS start a traditional film festival.

"When you throw a big event, it's like throwing a big party. You've got to bring in a lot of people from out of town, and you've got to pay for their airfare, and you've got to pay to put them up in a hotel, and you've got to get cars to take them places, and you've got to have places to do multiple screenings, and you've got to sell tickets and have to have an infrastructure to sell tickets, and you have to have a big party and pay for catering and do the decorations. You have to do all this shit, which has nothing to do with getting as many people together to watch a movie."

A model to grow toward might be Ebertfest in Champaign, Ill. Founded by the late film critic Roger Ebert, the fest does no counterprogramming and isn't competitive. It's a tightly curated event. When the critic was alive, it was "Roger Ebert saying, 'Hey, take a look at these films,' " said Nichols, who screened "Shotgun Stories" there in 2007. He and Tucker say the August kickoff event could grow into a version of Ebertfest down the road.

But don't look only for indie movie fare at it or at ACS screenings throughout the year.

"I'm not simply a guy who loves European arthouse films," Nichols said. "Movies are fun. They're amazing and they can open your mind and they can be a blast to experience in a room with other people, and I want the programming to reflect that. For every Cassavetes series, you have one that's a Sam Raimi ("The Evil Dead," "Spider-Man")."

Tucker echoed a similar sentiment. "I feel like a lot of film nerds — a term I use lovingly because I'm one of them — who program film festivals, show things that are way too obscure for our audience. They want to show the beauty of these crazy Japanese films and these terrible horror films, and they say, 'If only people would just see these, they'd see how awesome they are.' But a lot of people don't." She said she thought a lot of people either wanted to see how "Spider-Man" was made, or they want to see films getting buzz at festivals.

Though Nichols and Tucker want the ACS to grow responsibly, they have grand visions for the nonprofit. Most immediately, they hope to partner with and help promote all existing film festivals and screenings throughout the state. They encourage anyone with ideas for partnerships or anything else to connect via arkansascinemasociety.org.

"If you're from Arkansas and you're into movies, that's awesome. All ships rise, is my philosophy. That's how it's been in my film career," Nichols said.

Once the ACS has made some strides on fundraising, Nichols said, he wants to start a grant program modeled on one at the Austin Film Society. "If you can prove that you've been to a film festival with a film [or been accepted to a festival], we'll give you a grant to help out with travel. Even after it's done. I remember with 'Shotgun Stories,' I was so broke. [The AFS] gave me something, I can't remember exactly what, maybe it was $250, but it was a chunk that really helped. You don't have to put a committee together to judge. It's, 'Cool, you made something. Cool, you got it into a film festival. Let us help you.' "

Down the road, he said, he'd like to create another grant program modeled on the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund, where a panel would review submissions for support of creative material or productions in process. "That's later down the road because that's more complicated," Nichols acknowledged. "And you have to raise a certain amount of money just for that."

Another dream: working with single-screen theaters in smaller towns throughout Arkansas. "How amazing would it be if we could help those places out?" Nichols asked. "If we could help them stay open or improve their screening capabilities. Maybe in exchange for that, we get to show a movie there once a month or once in a while. Admittedly, this is coming from a guy who has made movies that typically play in one or two places and people have to drive to see them." Even more far out would be following the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's Rolling Roadshow model, where the ACS would have a massive inflatable screen and a cinema-grade projector to take on the road throughout the state, Nichols said.

Nichols calls the demolition of the Cinema 150 on South University Avenue in 2015 "a travesty."

"It my dream world, you'd flash down the road 15 years, and we'd have a single screen dome theater, with Arkansas Cinema Society offices in it, a restaurant, maybe one of John [Beachboard]'s breweries." (Beachboard is a longtime friend and Lost Forty co-owner.)

Tucker might know a real estate guy. Her father, Rett Tucker, of the development and real estate firm Moses Tucker, is a member of the ACS board.

Jeff Nichols' plan to make Arkansas a cinema paradise for film lovers

[hey-august]

250 event!

"Snack" (spicy 👀) with "This is nice"

Ngl Buggy is the tastiest of snacks.

-rorywritesjunk

I had so much fun with this ⭐🩷 even though Buggy wasn't the secret snack in the end This also came in at a good moment so I could tie it into another story from this event, so tyty Rory!!

Prompts: Snack (spicy), "This is nice." Teaser: "You could smell the pirate’s pungent grassy gamey breath as he leaned in for a kiss. Tilting your head, you accepted the greasy affection on your cheek before dusting away the crumbs." Warnings: SFW. Established relationship, Buggy x GN!reader, buggy's a goon, don't crunch hard candies. Word count: ~600

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

“You want a snack?” 

“What is it?” Buggy asked, eyeing the small bag in your hand.

“Dried fruit. It’s good.” You shook the bag. “They’re spicy.”

That’s all Buggy really needed to hear. He snatched the whole bag from you. A handful of food was shoved in his mouth while a hum of appreciation slipped out.

Somehow, you always knew what he was craving.

Mornings where the sun woke up long before the ship’s captain were the days where a plate of food waited for him next to the bed. Biscuits waiting to be smothered in jam and butter, slightly undercooked fatty bacon, and fried eggs topped with hot sauce. Just as Buggy was shoveling an amalgamate breakfast sandwich in his crumb-coated mouth, you’d show up with a steaming cup of coffee.

Afternoons full of paperwork and imprisonment at his desk were rewarded with little candies that you always had on hand. Mints that cleared his nose and made his eyes water, sweets that stained his tongue ridiculous colors, sour suckers that he treated as challenges to withstand, and - his favorite - cinnamon candies that burned his tongue.

When he collapsed in bed after a long day, you were there with something crunchy. You always said it was just something to share that you picked up at port to share, but the greedy pirate usually ate far more than half.

“This is nice,” Buggy said with a mouthful of mush. They were salty, cheesy, a little oniony, and supremely delicious. “Thanks, doll.”

You could smell the pirate’s pungent grassy gamey breath as he leaned in for a kiss. Tilting your head, you accepted the greasy affection on your cheek before dusting away the crumbs.

“Don’t wipe that away,” he grumbled, leaning in to replace his thanks.

---

One day you offered Buggy a cinnamon candy for no reason. It appeared from nowhere, all for him. He popped the treat in his mouth and rolled it around, letting it clatter against his teeth.

“‘ow cohm yu alwaysh hahh shnax?”

You stared at him, waiting for the jumble of syllables to fall into place. It was taking a while.

Buggy repeated his question and pointed towards his mouth.

“Oh, how come I always have snacks,” you repeated, trying to buy time before answering the question.

Buggy crunched into the cinnamon ball with a loud crack. “Do you have another?” he asked inbetween ferocious chomps.

“You’re going to crack a tooth if you keep doing that.” Despite the chiding, you pulled another from your pocket.

Buggy winked at your remark. Well, you thought it was the remark until you felt a jostle in your pocket and Buggy’s hand returned to the pirate.

“You’ve been holding out on me! Your captain!” 

“Hey, no! Give that back!”

Buggy raised the bag of candies out of your reach, distracting you from the other hand that went to rummage in a different pocket. This one joined its companion, holding up the bag of crackers it found. They were the spicy cheesy flavor that Buggy had been asking for lately.

“Oh, I like these ones. What else are you keeping from me?”

“For you, ya goon. Give them back before you eat them all.” You tried and failed at retrieving the snacks.

“Don’t call your captain a goon,” Buggy retorted. His floating hands fumbled with the bags and he popped another cinnamon candy in his mouth.

Buggy didn’t return the treats, but it was no problem. You let him learn a lesson from the hot cinnamon that burned the top layer of his tongue off. He also endured subsequent reminders from his beloved spicy treats that further irritated his swollen tongue.

The pirate was bound to find out that you carried snacks around for him, in addition to hiding them around the ship. You paid attention to what Buggy liked and would purchase treats for him.

And it was all worth it to see him light up with eyes full of stars and smiles full of happiness and half-chewed food.

[perfectguidetoseo-blog]

SEO Guide in ecommerce

Close by Search engine optimization is now one amongst the most essential and beneficial strategies for organizations to get an edge in opposition to their close by rivals. No matter whether or not you personalized your very own personalized group or are an organization coping with shoppers, getting an exceptional comprehensive Regional Investigation motor advertising and marketing and advertising method is vital to transferring on up the shut by SERPs. With Google putting a great deal much more emphasis than however on nearby lookup, now's enough time to act on reanalyzing your existing Close by Look for motor advertising and marketing methods each time they are not operating as also equipped to use a refreshing place with each other of movement. There is a lot of excellent Shut by Search engine marketing and marketing and advertising techniques accessible, but none of those seem to provide you that in-depth walkthrough of what truly requirements to accumulate executed. Which is why I've compiled jointly this insanely actionable worthwhile supply guidebook that can support you around the treatment method. Desk of Contents Allow us to be real acceptable shown listed here; there exists continuously somebody coming jointly declaring they’ve attained the “Ultimate Guide” to some subject matter subject situation. Also as in all honesty, nearly all the time it sucks. This compilation of knowledge I have location jointly is not just from my very own head. It is a curated offer from every single solitary post I had knowledge and digested about the previous range of a lengthy time simultaneously as our agency’s really very own screening and routines in controlling clientele. And hey, if I skipped a single factor which you required sheltered..excellent just depart a remark, and we’ll get some point in there relating to the make a difference! I'd like this to be the #1 source for almost everything the least bit Regional Analysis motor optimization connected. This isn't simply knowledge that will help you complete novices do every from the operate for his / her strategies any further. No, it should become a testimony to the extent of true execute demands to enter a location Seek out motor marketing and advertising marketing and advertising and promoting marketing campaign to produce particular that a company to have a shot at topping the regional lookup last outcomes. Indeed, this is using your state of affairs group proprietors that come about to become shelling out $250 for every thirty times to YellowPages pondering it truly is aspiring to assist your business... Be sure to truly feel when but yet again and ponder selecting a genuine Close by SEO business to help you if this is just not your recreation. Obviously it's going to be much more expensive, nevertheless, the ROI ought to frequently trump the cost. Make an application in advance of utilizing movement. Which is what everybody ought to be finishing up just ahead of actively quite most likely to metropolis within the Regional Seo advertising marketing campaign. Adhere to me acceptable below, and you'll see why it truly is just so crucial which you just entirely consider a business’s regional net existence ahead of relocating ahead. I’m tailoring this guidebook to close by organization residence house owners that should think about to carry out the basics themselves or organizations which have buyers in search of shutting by lookup suppliers. Significantly like several close to the shoppers we control, this features an inclination to be centered on brick and mortar businesses that currently have moderately from the existence regarding the world wide web, but ought to have that enhance to own in an essential spot inside of the Google SERPs. Google’s community algorithm is normally shifting and what may well match properly now, could not have out tomorrow. Despite the fact that, this info is supposed to have as uncomplicated and white hat while you perhaps can. There'll continuously be men and women that take into account to cheat and recreation the method, but let me be the first to inform you, they'll get caught. With that in the meanwhile receiving explained, just get this audit similar to a commencing position ahead of making use of the techniques and crushing it with benefits. Permit us to get appropriate into it! It needs to look like this: Demo and miscalculation appear to be to get the crucial issue time and time when a lot more concerning finding the strategy that truly functions very best to the company. Google’s Close by algorithms are modifying, and with that, you are typically gonna truly should to change your approach. That is becoming talked about, as indicated in Casey Meraz’s fantastic Regional Lookup motor optimization audit write-up, regrettably substantially by way of the comprehensive that ought to be finished on business websites is cleanup execute. We have obtained to get beneath issue to take into account the operate of prior SEOs and out-of-date staff which have used the things they imagined are already superb SEO methods back again inside the undertaking perform working day, but now have a tendency to be much more dangerous to the business’s Look for motor marketing and advertising than without end. The basic principle phase in-depth underneath? Google grew to be smarter. So in the function you. Ugh, another worksheet? Evidently. An extra Worksheet. We have reviewed every 1 element from the only one at times and suppose it's each in the correct inquiries to issue and reaction. It just isn't planning to subject if you happen to be an organization proprietor or a Search engine marketing and advertising firm, this info must be a precedence ahead of making use of your community Search engine marketing and advertising marketing and advertising marketing campaign. You should know by which you stand on heading for walks into this endeavor. Which issues are obvious? Which phone for simply a minor a superb offer significantly far more investigating? This reference sheet when loaded out must establish you despite the fact that in the suitable location to start your promoting marketing campaign. Click to Open Up Regional Search engine optimization Investigation Worksheet Every tab within the spreadsheet need to be addressed independently if you adjust through your quite very own specific SEO assessment: Get it concluded. Before determined as Google Spots, Google My Organization is going to be the new commencing phase for all Group Analysis motor marketing and marketing and advertising audits. The My Firm Dashboard includes a bundle of information that will aid you to get started on the right foot. Greater than that's making assured each one on the information on the business website is exact and follows Google’s business suggestions because they are inclined to adjust reasonably frequently. Update on August seventh: Google has formally detached Google+ web world wide web web pages from regional benefits though you can see beneath: Just in advance of Has Inbound backlinks to Google+ Webpage Soon appropriate right after Elimination of Google+ Inbound links Discover the variations and precisely how Google+ Hyperlinks occur for becoming taken out concurrently as cell phone portions. How will this have an effect on rankings relocating upfront which location usually? It proceeds for being to obtain noticed as Group authorities analysis the tip result on the aftermath. However, proper below are my guidelines ahead of continuing: Permit us to dive in towards the Google My Organization factor. How to proceed: Finding the particular My Company internet website page that you are going to be coping with is unquestionably an obvious preliminary stage. Regrettably, a great deal of firms for some rationalization have seasoned duplicates created beforehand pointed out the prolonged time. If you might be operating with a shopper, make sure you inquire them for the primary website they’d wish to use. Following uncovered, affirm and file the URL, this will likely very likely be your mainstay for that regardless of the simple fact that. You are however probably to would like to be 100% excellent you are going to learn no replicate My Group web pages as this will likely be a menace to a whole Shut by SEO advertising and marketing campaign. A wonderful, valuable source for locating possible duplicates which I use: This Google Places finder instrument in additional of at Michael Cottam’s website I might also just take a glance at by just heading much more than to https://plus.google.com/ and hunting amid the Google+ web internet pages for that organization acknowledge. This will likely most likely return benefits if there have presently been multiples also. In the situation you appear throughout duplicates, make sure you bear in mind the principal site most likely forward and notify Google to delete the other people. Conclude Goal: Report the main element Google My Team Website URL that each 1 Shut by Seo work will almost certainly be achieved by shifting up front. Track down and wipe out any copy web pages which could inside the suggest time be existing. To be able to sustain on with any from your upcoming techniques, we've to ensure the Google My Company listing is verified. You are pretty limited on optimization selections right up until this stage might get concluded, so that is why I established it as very best precedence. How to proceed: In the event, you have not claimed your about the net organization in practically anyway, you'll have to observe down the google net material related then click the “Is this your firm?” textual content inside the base during which you'll be taken from the declaring process. When you login in the direction of the enterprise dashboard, ought to you lookup beside your on-line business title there ought to be a checkmark using a “Verified” stamp shut to it. If this is simply not the trouble, you could click to learn the available approaches that Google gives to substantiate your enterprise. Typically instances this might be completed most likely by a computerized phone get in touch with to the business or by postcard. Warning: The postcard route could consider each seven times or two before arriving. You may then truly have to enter your declare code the moment acknowledged. Conclude Function: Make certain the Google My Team web page has prolonged long gone through the entire Verification Process There exists one million provide about why you’d consider this motion, but in fact, the #1 result into me is solely for legitimacy. How to proceed: Get the electronic mail deal with using your web company or use Google Applications, it is straightforward, and it does justice. Conclude Goal: Get rid of that unpleasant @gmail.com and obtain by yourself an e-mail offer with that's linked towards the area title. Use this for registering your Google My Company account. One element you will see a great offer among this complete guide is my reference to attempting to help keep nearly each point standard, regular, continuous through the world wide web. This goes with your group discover, cellphone quantity, control, electronic mail, and so on. And all of it commences off with generating certain almost each point is appropriate inside the Google My Enterprise web page. Google operates around the place confidence in factor, and when you've got obtained various phrases and phrases within your organization title managing wild through the globe extensive internet, Google will see that as spammy and untrustworthy. And say goodbye to the rankings! Google states which the “name have to mirror your business’ real-world find out, as used persistently together with your storefront, internet site stationery, and as acknowledged by customers”. You'll get a glance at all of Google’s accept suggestions through underneath. Meaning e.g. that “Mike’s Espresso Shop” simply cannot be named “Mike’s Espresso Store - Biggest Espresso in Downtown LA”. Further crucial phrases won't be tolerated so ensure you have it right. If it wound up tolerated, it’d nearly definitely harm your end match in almost any situation if Google isn't going to see individuals provided phrases in other citations by way of the world wide web. Nevertheless yet again in February of 2014 Google briefly accredited the use of a “Descriptor word” while in the group acknowledge, but as of December of 2014, this has grown to be taken absent which signifies you must soon after yet again only take advantage of your authentic earth enterprise discover. Unsure how these fellas are acquiring absent making use of this certain still.... but this kind of as descriptors equal to this “Minneapolis Lookup motor promoting Company” right into an organization title just isn't any far more time permitted How to commence: Inside the occasion, you feel your within the web enterprise discover was inputted in effectively, you'll be able to modify it inside your personal firm dashboard. Typically, within the occasion, you do modify it Google will almost certainly contact for an additional re-verification telephone get in touch with or publish card. End Objective: Affirm the Business Title on your own personal have Google My Organization dashboard is appropriate and correct (not employing spammy vital phrases How to commence: Make certain your offer with together with your webpage is 100% genuine. You must find suggestions from with USPS to validate its precision - You'll try this by themselves world-wide-web site. Do not insert foolish things like substantially a whole lot much more actual guidelines, cross streets and descriptions which have no business becoming the manage location. P.O. containers typically won't be permitted for each Google’s offer with suggestions, so make sure it is a neighborhood deal with. A further important predicament to convey: in the event, you need to position a mailbox or suite selection together with your take care of, make sure you report your genuine bodily just take treatment of on Line 1 and established the mailbox or suite range on Line two. I've listened to a great offer of horror tales about people finishing up this improperly and acquiring an outcome on rankings. Conclude Aim: Make sure your firm deal with on your very own Google My Business web page is 100% precise as well as the way it's for at the moment becoming outlined through the extensive planet net.

[hey-august]

For the prompt event, can I request a #8. Sing where reader sings buggy a lullaby, with quote #4. "What are you looking at?"

I'm loving these, they're all so cute.

Phew, so sorry for the wait! I severely underestimated how busy March was gonna be. TY so much for this request and for picking a lullaby!!! That was such a great idea.

Prompts: Sing (lullaby), "What are you looking at?" Teaser: "You quickly raised your still-full cup and washed away that thought. He was your captain. And your captain’s exuberant movements had you bump against his chest. You drank again." Warnings: SFW. Not an established relationship, Buggy x GN!reader, pirate party and drinking, that's about it. Word count: ~1.2k

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The party raged on into the night. Rowdy laughter, drunken cheers, and music exploded from the belly of the ship, carrying across the darkened waves and shooting up towards the stars.

Buggy’s crew never needed an excuse to celebrate, but this time they had one - a new crew member. Although you first stepped on the ship just over a week ago, this party was thrown for you. As the guest of honor, you were kept in the dark until the sun was split in half by the horizon. Stepping into the mess for dinner, your vision was cluttered with bodies and confetti, your ears with shouts of your name and indecipherable cheers, and a drink was pressed into your hand.

You were pulled into the room, a victim in a tide of enthusiasm. Slaps on your back and hands on your shoulder guided you further in the room. Drinks were downed with each cheer that filled the room, yet your container never remained low for long. You couldn’t even keep track of when or who filled your cup, but you were grateful for it with each swig.

The music picked up and the celebratory current carried you through the room. You visited whirlpools of twirling dances. Riptides dragged you into boastful conversations. The flow carried you past plates of greasy food, bright smiles, and joyous laughter. Eventually you ended up in the corner of the room occupied by sirens. As you listened to performances showcasing lilting songs and off-pitch lyrics, you weren’t sure if they were more like sirens of the sea or blaring warning signals.

When a blue haired performer took the platform next, you sided more with the sea sirens. And when his painted lips parted and released an overly confident, nasally rendition of a song you almost recognized, you cast any relations to ethereal sirens out to sea for good. 

What Buggy lacked in pitch and tempo, he made up for in wild enthusiasm. He knew how to work the crowd and it wasn’t long before you were clapping and singing along to lyrics you didn’t even know.

Buggy ended his performance on one knee, a hand raised to the sky, and eyes closed. With his chest heaving, skin glistening, and blue hair shining in the light, you were captivated. The hold on your attention broke the moment his eyes sought out yours and he beckoned you to come to the stage. That was one order from your captain you would not follow.

Knowing your limits, you stayed in place and shook your head. When the group tried to surge you forwards, you grabbed onto a nearby crewmate and pushed them forwards until they took your place in front of the crowd. The attention ebbed and latched onto the new performer, who drained the rest of their drink and launched into a song with a throaty shout. 

The sacrifice was accepted and you drifted back to the edge of the crowd, stopping only when you crashed into a solid object. Gloved hands grabbed your shoulders and kept you steady.

“Why didn’t you sing?” Buggy asked, his voice drifting from behind you.

“It’s not my thing. You were great, though.”

“Of course I was! I’m the amazing Buggy, after all!”

Although you were facing forwards, you could hear the grin his gloating came from. Buggy’s pride was infectious, tugging a broader smile on your own face. The captain continued to flaunt his many skills and his enthusiasm was emphasized by his hands squeezing and gripping your shoulders. His grasp was so large that it almost felt like he was hugging you.

You quickly raised your still-full cup and washed away that thought. He was your captain. And your captain’s exuberant movements had you bump against his chest. You drank again. He was practically shouting in your ear so you could hear him over the music. You also felt his breath on your skin. Another drink. A longer drink, with ale trailing down your chin. The cup was finally empty. Your stomach was sloshing, your head was full of fuzz, your face was hot, and it was time for bed.

“What?” Buggy shouted.

You turned to face the pirate and were surprised to see just how close his face was to yours. Leaning away but staying in his bubble, you repeated yourself.

“I think it’s time for bed. I’m tired.”

Buggy nodded and tilted his head, signaling you to follow him. He finally lifted his hold and your shoulders felt chilly. You trailed behind him until you both reached a quieter area.

“Let me show you to your new room,” Buggy said, clearly excited to deliver the news. “We don’t want you getting lost again.” 

You pursed your lips at the teasing remark and rolled your eyes. “Alright, Captain. Lead the way!” You gestured broadly and were surprised to see another drink already spilling out of your mug.

Buggy noticed the flash of worry on your face. “Need help with that too?”

You passed him the drink and he took a long swig.

“Alright, follow me.”

---

Once out of the mess, the sounds of the party were muffled, which lent a comforting presence to the empty ship. You and Buggy walked through a hallway, talking about nothing. It was a slow journey, each of you subtly trying to match each other’s pace. Any awkwardness from two individuals attempting to follow one another was dispersed by the easy conversation and laughter that flowed.

Buggy drained the rest of the ale and exhaled loudly. “I don’t suppose you have any food you also need help with?”

“No, I wasn’t handed a magical refilling plate,” you chuckled. “That’s probably a good thing. I would have eaten too many of those spicy cheesy things.”

“The pepper bombs! Those are my favorite!” That comment launched another conversation that was just a tad shorter than the rest of the walk.

The next silence arrived slowly and calmly. There wasn’t a need to fill the space, but a small desire in your body was the right shape. You started humming softly, carrying a soothing tune. A familiar tune. Buggy followed along, mumbling the words under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear.

With the end of the walk in sight, Buggy slowed his gait so the song could finish.

“What are you looking at?” you asked at the end. Throughout the impromptu duet, his ocean eyes kept flickering towards you and it was making you nervous.

“I haven’t heard that one in so long…”

“My parents used to sing that lullaby to me. It’s the only song I could think of.”

“But you still didn’t sing.”

“I was going to, but I like hearing your voice.” The confession slipped out too quickly to take back. Rather than dwelling on what you said and letting the embarrassment in your body bloom faster, you changed topics. “I- uh- guess this is my room?”

“Yeah. S’all yours.” Buggy slapped the doorframe, his hand coming down faster than he intended. He leaned into the pins and needles coursing through his palm. “I hope you enjoyed your party.”

“I did, thanks Captain.” You flashed him a smile before opening the door. “I’m glad I’m here.”

After bidding him good night, Buggy turned back towards the party. You weren’t the only one glad you were here.

[hey-august]

Ooooooh let’s go!

PORTRAIT

-wait come back

-I’m full of surprises

🖤🎪🖤

Yeaaaaah, thank you for requesting!! 🖤🖤🖤

Prompts: Portrait, "Come back." "I'm full of surprises." Teaser: “You tried, it’s cute,” he muttered at the paper. The confession came out slowly with trailing thoughts since half of his mind was dedicated to the moving pen. Warnings: SFW. Established relationship, Buggy x GN!reader, slight profanity Word count: ~900

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The shelves in the captain’s quarters were packed. Books, scrolls, and folded parchments were scattered throughout the nooks. Contraptions in various states of dismantling or creation were crammed into crannies. There were busted compasses, rusted knives, and broken telescopes. Half-eaten snacks, grimey forgotten glasses, and greasy fingerprints were added to a list in your mind. 

Amongst the chaos there was calm. You dragged your hand along the sections with organized piles of your personal books and belongings until you reached a special space. A space that was more decorative than functional. Nudging aside a few gems and seastones, you grabbed an empty blue bottle. The dried flowers in your hand whispered amongst themselves as you nestled the bouquet into the bottle and placed it back on the shelf.

A bundle of papers in the shadowy corner of the shelf caught your eye. You carefully retrieved one from the top of the pile and unfolded the paper to expose familiar handwriting and drawings. Crabs and seagulls from your memories explored the edges of the paper, moving between seashells and small sketches of grassy hills and sandy dunes. The remnants of time passed kindled a longing in your chest, with heat that radiated out and burned in your fingertips.

---

Buggy returned to the shared room and found you sitting at his desk, head bowed with focus that kept you from noticing the door opening. The sentry lounging on the corner of the desk was too lost in her afternoon cat-nap to notice his appearance either. Buggy paused for a moment, remaining a quiet observer. He watched how you carried the pen across the paper. Your movements were both airy and fluid - you were drawing something.

Curiosity and restraint grappled in the pirate’s body. He wanted to see what you were creating and could easily send over the necessary pieces to satisfy that desire without detection. But spying on you felt wrong. But you hadn’t noticed him and it would be easy. But still wrong. But he wanted to know.

Splitting the difference, Buggy took a few long strides to reach the desk. The bootsteps from his approach broke your concentration, but he walked quickly enough to get a peek at the paper. Doodles and…something else.

“Oh, hey! I didn’t know you were back.” Your words and movements were flustered as you stood up and flipped the paper over, hiding your work.

“It was time for a break. What are you up to?”

“I was putting some flowers away.” You gestured towards the dried bouquet on the shelf while trying to slip the paper off the desk. The movement was halted by the strategic placement of Buggy’s hand while he leaned on the furniture.

“Are those my flowers?” The captain asked the rhetoric question with a grin. The kind of grin that made your stomach flip.

Buggy changed position so that you were between him and the desk. He leaned into your space, filling your vision and your thoughts. You nodded.

“And what’s this?” He shuffled the paper behind you.

“Nothing. I was just passing time, it’s nothing,” you said, feeling a heat creep on your face. It was a mix of warmth from Buggy and nervous embarrassment.

The paper sighed as it was flipped, revealing all of the nothing you did. A little pirate ship sailed a wavy sea. A large lion and a small cat sat side-by-side. A silhouetted acrobat walked across the high wire, with a bucket of popcorn waiting to catch them below.

Buggy tracked the paper, following the multiple versions of his Jolly Roger that you drew, each one slightly different and absolutely perfect. The rasp of his touch stopped at a particular sketch towards the bottom of the page.

“Is that supposed to be me?”

You turned and looked, despite knowing the answer. Fuck. It looked worse than it did a few minutes ago. The long hair looked like a mess of worms on their deathbed. Two piercing eyes stared into the darkest depths of your soul. A round circle that was so simple it looked out of place. And a smile that looked okay until you shaded around it, extending the expression into something that looked like it could eat a whale in one bite. There was no denying that this was a drawing of Buggy, but it looked nothing like the man standing in front of you.

“It’s nothing. Just ignore it.” 

His gaze was locked on the paper. You tried to pull it away or flip it over, but his hold prevented you from removing the nightmarish art from his view. Giving up on retrieving your shame, you chose to leave it behind and walked away.

“No, no, no, wait! Come back,” Buggy said. His hand tugged at the sleeve of your shirt. “I like it.”

You stopped. “Don’t lie. It’s awful, I can’t draw people.” You turned around to see Buggy hunched over the desk with a pen in hand.

“You tried, it’s cute,” he muttered at the paper. The confession came out slowly with trailing thoughts since half of his mind was dedicated to the moving pen.

“There, finished! Come look,” Buggy said excitedly, slamming the pen onto the desktop.

He drew you. Well, it was more of a sketch, and it somehow matched your choppy attempt. There was a noticeable difference in skill, but his was used to adjust his style to compliment your clowny portrait. Seeing your faces side-by-side was…well, he was right. It was cute.

“I didn’t know you could draw,” you said, admiring his attention to detail.

“You could say that I’m full of surprises.” 

You could hear the smirk on his face. A smirk you leaned in to feel on your lips.

[hey-august]

Congrats on 250!! 💜✨

If I'm doing this prompt thing right, I'd love to see Lost for Reader with #10 for the quote 🥰🥰

AAAHHhhhh, thank YOU. 🩷🩷 AND congrats to you on your 600 follower milestone!!! So so well deserved! 🎉🎉🎉

Prompts: Lost, "I’m full of surprises." Teaser: "Buggy kept an eye on you throughout the night, watching as your nerves dissolved into curiosity and bloomed into pure enjoyment." Warnings: SFW. Not an established relationship. Word count: ~1.6k

A/N: Sooo, I originally thought this was going to go a different route, but I decided to go in another direction entirely. Hope y'all enjoy!! (Making an assumption and tagging @rorywritesjunk and @ane5e, since you both liked the bottle prompt story.)

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Buggy traveled across the sparse field with a stride that matched the long beams of sunlight on the ground. The honking cries from seagulls were overwhelming - a loud and abrasive juxtaposition to the calm scenery. Nearby waves dragged along the beach, pushing and pulling small rocks and seashells with each ebb and flow. But the pirate’s real destination was the tall structure ahead.

The seagull’s calls alerted you to a visitor before you heard footsteps grinding against the rocks leading to your front door. There was a moment of hesitation before a sharp rap against wood. 

Visitors were rare. Nearby residents usually left you alone. Truthfully, they avoided you. Having lived on your own from a slightly younger age than most, most people chose to overlook your premature misfortune. The most kindness you were offered was the lighthouse you resided in. The structure had been decommissioned long ago and remained uninhabited until you moved in.

Another series of knocks at the door pulled you from the overthinking that held you still. Giving into curiosity, you opened the door. A tall mass of color stood on your threshold. The stranger brought a gloved hand to his painted face and cleared his throat, before introducing himself. Multiple times. He stumbled and restarted his debut a few times, failing to pick between “captain” and “clown,” before finally settling on a singular name with a dejected sigh.

“The name’s Buggy.”

You stayed silent, taking in everything he did and didn’t say. The briney scent of the sea clung to his striped top and his long blue ponytail hung with waves that rivaled the ocean. In the middle of his painted face was a round, red nose that moved slightly when he spoke. You saw a resemblance with posters that didn’t quite do him justice. Following his genuine introduction, you shared your name.

“So, Buggy, are you lost or is there something I can help you with?” 

The pirate ignored the increased beating in his chest when you said his name. Adrenaline was already coursing through his veins at the prospect of finding the right lighthouse.

“D’you recognize these?” He pulled out a few bits of paper from a pants pocket and held them out.

You did, even without touching them. To be certain, you took the items from Buggy, who seemed reluctant to let them go. Unfolding the letters, you skimmed the creased paper and relived words you wrote months and weeks ago. Words written by someone you still were, with feelings you couldn’t drown in the sea.

Buggy bounced lightly on his feet, waiting for your response. When you finally nodded, he could feel the tension in his body let loose. He breathed into the relaxation and leaned back on his heels.

“I knew it! I finally found you,” he sighed, more to himself than to you.

“It’s not like I was lost,” you muttered. Although you were still focused on the letters, you saw Buggy shrug in the edge of your vision. “Where did you get these? How do you have so many?”

“Oho, I’m full of surprises,” Buggy said boastfully. He held out a hand, wanting the letters back. He could have them.

“That’s a very unsatisfying answer, you know.” A grin cracked on your face at his responding wink. 

This guy was definitely a clown. And surprisingly charming. Maybe that came with being captain.

“I’ve seen you on bounty posters. Is it true that your ship is like a circus?” A lack of visitors left you with a craving for connections and conversations, which often exploded without segues.

Buggy was bemused by your question, but glad he didn’t have to broach the subject on his own. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?” With a wave of his gloved hand, Buggy produced another slip of paper out thin air.

He handed you the prop - a hand-written admission ticket to the circus. The ship was docked nearby and there would be a show later tonight. The loops and swirling flourishes in each letter seemed familiar to you, calling to you in a voice that you wanted to listen to. You thanked Buggy for the invitation, avoiding any promises, and bid him farewell.

Once alone, you walked over to the window above the kitchen sink and pulled down a blue bottle which had a scrap of striped fabric wrapped around the neck. Spreading out the paper stored in the bottle, you compared the writing to the circus ticket you just received. Both moved with the same enticing dance of spirals and ink.

---

Evening arrived and you came with low expectations about the circus - not because you thought it would be a poor show, but because you had never seen anything similar before. Your hesitant excitement was unshackled the moment Buggy stepped into the bright spotlight and addressed the full crowd with contagious fervor.

The next few hours were full of life, color, and performances you could have only dreamed of. Acrobats waltzing, flying, and fighting overhead. Fire eaters and cyr wheels. Baton twirling and contortionists. A knife throwing battle between the ringmaster and a unicycler had you sitting on the edge of your seat, enthralled. A giant lion roaring and leaping across the ring pushed you to the back of your seat with respectful excitement.

Buggy kept an eye on you throughout the night, watching as your nerves dissolved into curiosity and bloomed into pure enjoyment. The colored lights reflected in your eyes as they followed each act. Your applause filled his chest. He could pick out your laughter in the crowded sea. Although, your cheering is the reason he nearly nicked Cabaji during their faux fight.

A lifetime passed in the few hours spent at the circus. Eventually, the lights brightened and brought reality back with them. The warm energy began to dissipate with the crowd. Feeling vulnerable without that blanket, you looked around, unsure if you were searching for a threat or something else. An inviting swatch of colors caught your attention and you made your way to the edge of the ring.

Buggy noticed you walking over and finished up the orders he was discussing with a crewmate. You mimed clapping as you got closer, to which he rolled a hand with a flashy flourish and bowed deeply. Straightening back up, the pirate flashed a large smile that matched the one beaming on your face.

“Where’d ya get this?” Buggy asked, tugging at a bit of striped fabric wrapped around your wrist.

“Mmm, I’m full of surprises,” you teased. The crafted accessory matched the bandana peeking under the captain’s hat.

“Wow, using my words against me!” He pressed a hand against his chest in faux shock.

You laughed at the dramatics, feeling an edge of remorse harden in your chest. This was fun. The evening had been nice, but tomorrow will be a different day.

“Thanks for inviting me, Buggy. I’ve never seen something like this. You really inspire your crew to put on a great show.”

Both you and Buggy blushed at the overflowing compliments. There was more you wanted to say, but you didn’t have the right words ready. Buggy, who had heard those praises before, liked how they sounded coming from you.

“Colorful and full of life, huh? You know, none of them felt like they belonged anywhere until they joined us.” The pirate tried to keep his tone lighthearted, afraid of weighing it down with his eagerness.

You nodded quietly as he told you about the crew and life on the sea, looking around as the celebration of a successful night started to bubble up. Raucous singing as trash was cleaned up, high fives while sets were taken down, hugs and slaps on the back as they packed up. It was like another show, a peek behind the curtains, and you were entranced. Buggy’s voice faded away as you watched, losing yourself in this world.

“Hey…this is for you. If you’re interested.” The pirate held out a piece of paper, another handmade admission. “We’re leaving tomorrow night. I know it’s short notice, but…” he trailed off, not sure exactly what he wanted to say. If he wanted to admit it would be nice for you to join, that he thinks this is what you’ve been looking for, how he liked meeting you, how your smile makes him feel nervous and sweaty.

“Thanks. I’ll think about it,” you said quietly, accepting the ticket to travel on his ship. Leaving your life behind is something you imagined, but daydreams are filled with different choices than reality for a reason.

Still though, you found yourself sitting at the kitchen table the next morning, staring at your reflection in a cup of tea. Maybe Buggy was right - maybe you were lost. Was this really where you were meant to be? Is this who you were meant to be? What were you searching for when you stared into the horizon?

Clinging to one thought in your head, you grabbed an empty bottle and started penning another letter. One that would be hard to write. You wrote about yourself. What made you, you. You wrote about what brought you to the lighthouse and your life by the sea. The repairs the lighthouse needed. You wrote about how the seagulls come by in the morning, looking for food. How the beach needed to be cleaned after big storms. Where to drag driftwood so it didn’t interfere with the crab holes. In the corner of the paper, you drew a little pirate ship.

Your hand shook with each line of ink and you couldn’t fight the tears that fell from your cheeks and onto the goodbye letter.

The sun had crossed the highest point in the sky by the time you were completely finished. More than once you thought you were done and moved on to other activities before being pulled back to the table with words that demanded to be written. This was the longest letter you had written and you weren’t sure the pages would actually fit in the bottle.

You decided to lay the stack of paper on the table and placed the empty bottle on top to keep them weighed down. You closed the front door without another glance back and set off to the docks, ready for a new adventure.

[hey-august]

Hello!

Could prompt number 4: Matching be paired with "You're Annoying" and "You're gonna make me cry", Said by either Buggy or Reader?

Phew, finally finished this one! I hope you like it!

Prompts: Matching, "You're annoying." "You're gonna make me cry." Teaser: "It was sweet. Misguided, but sweet. And that’s what you liked about Buggy." Warnings: SFW. Established relationship, some profanity. Word count: ~1.6k

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

It started small. So small that you didn’t even notice. Buggy started with buttons. It didn’t take long to replace one. Then another. And another. He kept going until he ran out of notions to swap.

That wasn’t enough, so your pockets were the next target. Cutting out the fabric and sewing new pouches in place was pretty simple for the pirate. His stitches were clumsy, especially since he did this craft in the dead of night, but they were strong enough. 

The most important part of this project was remembering to put all your crap back into the right pockets. You carried a lot of junk - pens and pencils, a small toy mouse, bandages, candy, and other shit that he didn’t recognize. You caught him one morning, mouth full of a reward he sneaked from your stash and hand in the pocket he finished not long ago. Assuming that he was after the candy, you rolled your eyes. He barely heard the words, “you’re annoying,” as you turned away, shaking your head. The stray hair escaping your nest of bedhead danced and beckoned the pirate to move on from his secret crafting and pull you back to bed.

Then came the gifts. New boots which were perfect for stomping around the ship. Jewelry with gemstones that shined even in the dark. Silk scarves, reminiscent of the captain’s own striped bandanas. Buggy even got you gloves to protect your hands from blisters and splinters. You felt his ocean eyes linger whenever you wore one of his gifts. The heat from his gaze dragged along your body as it traversed each part of your body decorated with his adoration. Even though the jewelry was a little flashier than you’d prefer and the gloves made your hands sweaty, you made sure to wear all of the gifts periodically.

Buggy’s plan began to fall apart at the seams when the accidents started.

One afternoon, Richie’s claws got caught on one of your pants. The elongated tear that ran from your ass cheek to the hem of your pants didn’t look like the lion’s usual clumsy grab for attention, but a commanded swipe that luckily didn’t break skin.

Another time you were assisting the captain with his knife throwing.  Apparently he needed the practice based on how many times he nicked your top. Buggy claimed he just needed to warm up and flashed the bashful smile that always tugged at your heart.

It soon became a daily event for a piece of your clothing to meet its untimely demise. Three items were blown off deck while hung out to dry. Four were burned through by the iron. Two were stained with paint. And an indeterminate amount was confused with scraps that were ripped up and used for rags.

While Buggy shouted his head off at whoever caused the damage (excluding himself, of course), the anger would quickly dissipate when he attempted to fix the problem. Sharp words and screeching volumes were replaced with soothing remarks. Substitutes and replacements came from his own closet, or were picked up at the next town. The solutions were suspicious, though. The captain almost always had the right item of clothing ready to hand over. 

You sat on the edge of the shared bed with yet another ruined bit of fabric in your hands. The vest had just barely survived an iron burn last week, but sometime this morning small claws shredded the clothing beyond repair. The bedroom door creaked open and you nearly cracked your neck turning to see if the four-legged culprit returned to the scene of the crime. Instead, a clown sauntered in. 

Buggy’s peppy steps fell as his gaze landed on the newest victim clutched in your hands, then flicked back up to your steely face.

“A-another accident?” he stammered.

“Yeah, sure. Accident,” you said, tossing the vest onto the floor. The tightness in your chest was eased slightly with a deep breath. A heavy sigh.

“Here, I have a spare,” Buggy offered, as a floating hand carried over a terracotta-colored linen vest. 

The only common thread the replacement had with your loss was the lack of sleeves. Still, it was nice. And familiar.

Your eyes flickered between the clothing hanging in front of you and Buggy’s outfit. The thoughts in your head started linking arms and grouping together as you stared at the linen vest he wore. And his striped bandana. The black top with reversed seams. His brown baggy pants. Boots, perfect for stomping. Feeling your crowded thoughts getting ready to surge, you looked once more at his vest and the buttons on it.

Snatching the second vest he was offering, you also yanked open one of your dresser drawers to grab a handful of clothing before sprinting into his closet. You weren’t fast enough to evade the pirate entirely, but you were quick enough to close the door on his arm, leaving you with a hand and forearm and the rest of him outside the closet. The surprise maneuver gave you just enough time to snatch corroborating evidence.

The door flew open, exposing Buggy’s contorted face. Before he could throw himself into the tirade ready to splash over, you stopped him with a single word.

“Why?”

Buggy stayed silent. His mouth hung open from words that were unsaid and words that he wasn’t ready to speak. You were upset, he could see it in your face. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

You shook the matching shirts before dropping them and grabbing another pair of clothes from the pile draped on your arm. Another moment of silence fell and so did those clothes. You pulled out a button-up shirt and studied it before letting it fall to the floor. The cardigan you found next had what you were looking for. You pinched a colorful button between your fingers and pointed between it and the button on Buggy’s vest. They matched.

“I don’t understand,” you said, desperate to avoid another quiet moment. 

“I-it wasn’t supposed to happen like this, I didn’t mean it,” Buggy finally blurted out. 

“So you ruined my things on purpose?” The soft quiver in your voice was sharp enough to stab the pirate in the chest.

“No, no, no…” Buggy stumbled over the words and over his feet as he lurched towards you. “Not that, I didn’t do that. I did the buttons and the pockets, I swear!” 

He grabbed some of the clothes you held and started pointing out his handiwork. Your buttons had been replaced with ones that were more detailed and brighter.

“I only did a few at a time so you wouldn’t notice,” he explained hastily, before moving on to the pockets. 

Shoving his hands into any clothing that he worked on previously, Buggy pulled out the new pouches that were made of flashy colors and patterns. Then he exposed his own flashy pockets.

You reached out to touch the fabric in his pocket. There was a bit of stray thread poking out of the hand sewn seam. The seams of your pockets were the same - a clear sign depicting a lack of skill and an abundance of dedication.

“I wanted to match with you sometimes. Just little things, you know? ‘cause we’re a pair. And when your stuff kicked the can, I figured we could match more,” Buggy said quietly, his face turning the same shade of red as his nose. “I didn’t ruin anything on purpose though…those were really accidents.”

“Really?”

“Maybe not Richie… I didn’t think he was going to fuck you up like that. I just wanted him to tear a little hole so I could replace the pockets in those pants next.”

You sighed at the trickle of truth. “And the other things were accidents too?”

Buggy scowled at the scorn in your question, clearly offended that you didn’t believe him. “Yeah, that’s what I said. You think I would yell at my crew for things I told them to do?” 

Silence.

“Well, not this time,” he continued, flustered. “I had them switch laundry duty when it was clear that using irons and paint required training. And I can’t control the weather, we all lose shit when it’s windy out.”

“And my vest today?”

“...I also can’t control the cat. She doesn’t listen to me, you know that.”

“You’re her best friend.”

“And she doesn’t listen to me. Just like you’re not listening to me now!” the frustration in Buggy’s body finally spilled out. Fed up with the argument and his failed plan, the pirate clown left the stuffy closet.

“Wait,” you called out, to no avail. “Buggy, wait!”

When he didn’t listen, you threw what clothes you still held at him. They hit his back with a sad fwump and he stopped walking.

“You really wanted to match with me?” you asked his back.

He nodded.

You wrapped your arms around his figure. “That's it?”

Another nod. 

You pressed your face against his back so your next words were muffled. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

It was sweet. Misguided, but sweet. And that’s what you liked about Buggy. Sometimes his intentions were overshadowed by bad luck, but underneath it all is someone who cares. The more you thought it over, he really wouldn’t have ruined your clothes on purpose. A pirate at heart, he wouldn’t want to spend money if he didn’t have to. He’d rather take things in his own hands, even if that meant poking himself with a needle.

You asked Buggy to stay there while you went back to the closet. After a few moments, you came out and bounced past him. Striking a pose, you gestured towards your new outfit, which matched his exactly. His expression brightened, finally matching the painted smile on his face. 

Buggy walked over and tugged at the hem of the vest. “Nice outfit. It looks good on you.”

You bit back a smile, wondering what he’d say next - that it looks better on him, or that it would look better on the floor. Either of which would be true.

[hey-august]

omg #5 for a blue bottle with quotes #1 “Give me that.” and #6“I like this.”? and super congrats on 250!! Your writing is wonderful <3 <3

Thaaaank you so much, anon!! I appreciate this so much! 🩷 I'm glad bottle was the first one I got to write - it was the first one I came up with when creating the prompt list. 🥹🥹

Prompts: Bottle (blue), "Give me that." "I like this." Teaser: "Messages in a bottle - feelings and thoughts sent into the world by cowards who were too afraid to keep them." Warnings: SFW. Not an established relationship. Some negative feelings of not being enough, stagnant, and not fitting in. Word count: ~1.4k

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

“Captain, we found another one!”

Buggy’s head whipped around before the rest of his body turned, facing away from the shoreline he had been studying. Cabaji held up a bottle. It was sealed and unlabeled. The blue glass turned translucent in the sunlight and revealed a shadow within.

“Give me that!” Buggy shouted as a hand zoomed over to snatch the bottle. He held it aloft to study the movement inside while questioning Cabaji. It was by luck that one of the crew noticed the odd bobbing in the water not long ago. 

The pirate captain retreated to his quarters, footsteps moving in time with the drumming in his chest. He was certain this was another one. The bottle and the wax coating the top were familiar. Fingers picked at the trails that hardened along the neck of the bottle, a fruitless attempt at assessing how long ago the container was filled, sealed, and tossed. Just like all the others, the material stuck fast. No softness indicating recent activity, nor crumbling from an extended passing of time.

Buggy pulled out a knife from one of his coat’s interior pockets and deftly cut along the mouth of the bottle before sticking the knife into the wax covered cork. He tugged. And tugged again. And once more. Barely any movement. He slapped the heel of the bottle, hoping it would jostle the cork. Nothing. Shit. Gripping the wooden handle tightly, he tried twisting next. And tried. An awful screeching squeak filled the room as the cork whined from the motion. Satisfied with the movement, he pulled again. Nope.

Frustration coursed through his muscles, trembling his hand and shaking the bottle. If he wasn’t so worried about the object inside, Buggy would have welcomed the tinkling of smashed glass long ago. The captain collapsed into the chair behind his desk and eyed the sapphire bottle. He chewed on his lip and sucked his teeth, letting the thoughts in his head run their courses. With a silent nod, he nested the bottle between his knees and gripped the neck in one hand. Disconnecting an arm, that hand gripped the knife handle once more and drew back. After a few tense seconds, the cork popped with a hollow sound. As if his lungs had been corked as well, Buggy released his own breath.

Finally, he was able to tease out the paper inside and unfold it. The papers were never rolled, always folded. It seemed to be easier to stuff them inside the bottles this way. Familiar handwriting filled his vision. Familiar, yet unknown. Buggy didn’t know the author, but had come across enough bottles and letters to create a one-sided connection. Well, sort of one-sided. While the pirate had read seven (soon to be eight) letters, he currently had six bottles in his possession - three brown, one green, and the newest blue bottle. He had used two other bottles to send his own letters out to sea, filled with anonymous responses and shameless hope that they may find their way back to the owner.

Why, though? Why did these writings have such a hold on him? Buggy wasn’t sure. At first he thought they were silly. Of course he expected the first few to be treasure maps, not words from an unknown person. Messages in a bottle - feelings and thoughts sent into the world by cowards who were too afraid to keep them. But in each one, he learned more about the author. About you. He felt special reading your innermost thoughts. The ones that you couldn’t trust to anyone, so you released them to find their own journey or disappear.

You wrote about sunrises and sunsets. How you wished you could live among the colors on the horizon. The ink captured your loneliness and longing in words that matched the ache Buggy held inside. Feelings of not belonging, of not being enough, not doing enough, of fear, and of regret. You wrote about pain. And happiness. Sometimes you drew pictures of seashells you found. Of the seagulls that woke you up each morning. The crabs that you believed bullied you whenever you walked along the shore. So many details, but never enough about who you actually were.

Buggy wanted to know more. He wanted to offer you what you wanted - to live in a world of color. To find a place where you belong. Even though there was a slim chance his own responses would find you, there was a chance. Maybe. Eight of your own letters found their way to him, so perhaps that luck could extend the other way.

Afraid of skimming your letter too fast and speeding through the moment with excitement, Buggy dragged a finger below each word. He paced himself, wanting to savor the warmth of another new connection with you. He also admired each detail, as if it were art. Splotches where the ink flowed too fast, the places where you forgot to dot your i’s, the inconsistent spacing when you wrote too fast or worried about running out of room, the way your a’s always tilted to the side. 

In this letter, he could see your handwriting change along with the intent behind your message. What started with lighthearted musings and observations soon turned emotional. Shakey thoughts about the world beyond the one you knew. Concerns that you were wasting your life just dreaming. Hopes for a sign - something that would pull you out of the pit you felt trapped in.

Despite all that you poured onto the paper, there was still space for your little scribbles. Scattered seagulls looked at Buggy from the margins of the paper, as if waiting for him to do something. Even though he was only seeing them second-hand, the pirate could see the annoyed endearment you held for those noisy shits. But it was the picture you drew towards the bottom of the paper that really caught Buggy’s attention.

“Oh, this works. I like this…” he muttered to himself while leaning in. 

He pulled the paper close to scrutinize the lighthouse you drew. Your house. In a previous letter you mentioned living in a lighthouse, but that was barely enough information to do anything with. There was no way he could go up to each lighthouse he sailed past and successfully ask if someone had been sending messages in a bottle. Well, he tried it once and nearly got knocked out. You must be somewhere in this area, based on where the bottles were picked up. Now he had a visual to reference and a little more hope to hold.

---

Stepping around the crab holes littering the beach, you headed towards the edge of the water for your morning walk. A cool breeze swept past and dragged grains of sand to meet your bare feet. Unlike you, the sun was still waking up. A blanket of creamy orange and fiery red blended into the slate-blue of the retreating night.

Among the caws from the seagulls and the whispers of incoming waves was a soft but high-pitched scrape. The sound of something being dragged along the sand. It wasn’t long before you came across the source - a blue bottle rolling on the shore. You picked it up cautiously, wondering if it was one of your own tossed bottles.

Back at home, you picked off the wax top and untied the soggy red and white striped fabric wrapped around the neck. It took a few tries before you were able to pull out the paper inside. A paper filled with loopy handwriting in blue ink. A letter that felt like it was intended for you. Someone wrote about receiving a message in this very bottle, a message that they read multiple times before finally replying, in hopes the bottle would find it’s way back. The swirls of ink were comforting, building words that unfurled in your chest. Words that made you feel seen and heard, despite the anonymity.

You had started writing to release some of the thoughts that had been plaguing your mind. A part of you hoped they would find someone who felt similarly, but you believed it was more likely that the pieces of you would sink to the ocean floor and cease to exist. And if your bottles were found, you never expected the sentiments would be returned. And yet, fate felt differently.

Hot tears stung your eyes and fell onto the paper before you pushed it away. Tears brought by the comfort of a stranger. Someone who also experienced hardships and struggles, and carried fear. But they also lived. They described a vibrant life, the kind you dreamed of. The kind you’ll keep dreaming of, growing from the seed embedded in this letter and from the care a stranger held for you.

[hey-august]

Congrats on 250!!!!! For the event: Cat + “Knock it off”

Thaaaaank you!!! tbh, I still can't believe you follow me and we're moots 🥹❤️❤️

Prompts: Cat / Dog (cat), "Knock it off." Teaser: "You were close enough to his armpit to smell the musk permeating the thick coat. This fucker." Warnings: SFW, established relationship, lil bit of a scuffle, buggy is ticklish Word count: ~1.3k

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The morning was full of rumors about the new recruit you found - someone huge, but surprisingly agile, an assassin from the shadows, and skilled in hand to hand combat. The new recruit was a certified freak with extra fingers and toes, needle-sharp teeth, and eyes that looked through you.

Some of the crew joked to Buggy about how they kept blades in their fur coat, just like someone they know. The constant whispers, mutters, and chuckles filling the background created an agitating buzz in the pirate’s head. While he trusted you and would ask you for advice (in private), you did not have the authority to recruit new crew members without his approval. The captain’s approval.

You were slipping out of the bedroom when Buggy stormed up in a frenzied whirlwind. Complaints and non sequiturs swirled around you, flying in one ear and out the other. He had much to say, but very little to actually tell you. You grabbed him by the wrist to help anchor his thoughts, and ran your thumb along the fabric on his forearm. The contact brought his eyes to meet yours, but not his attention. Although he was looking at you, he wasn’t seeing you.

“Where is he?” Buggy finally huffed. 

His eyes darted around looking for the freaky giant that you must be hiding. The lump in his throat grew, despite his attempts at swallowing it down with all the saliva collecting in his mouth. Not only did you invite someone onto the ship, but you must be hiding him. Everyone said you were still showing the newbie around. Buggy’s eyes finally landed on the door behind you. The door whose knob you held in one hand behind your back.

“Is he in there?” The question came out in a strangled shout, cracking at the peak.

Preparing for what would happen next, you grounded your feet and tightened your grip on his arm. Buggy tried to push you aside and failed. You swung his arm to the side, trying to keep him from grabbing you or the knob. While the chop chop man could easily overpower obstacles like this, he rarely did. Not when you were involved. Next, he tried to knock you off balance by bumping your hips with his and lunging for the knob. You countered by hooking a leg around one of his and using his center of gravity to remain stable.

“Buggy, stop. Leave her alone,” you hissed. Your body was tense, muscles straining to keep Buggy from moving out of the awkward position you had him locked in.

“No!” Buggy managed to slip an arm around your head and pulled you down into a headlock. You were close enough to his armpit to smell the musk permeating the thick coat. This fucker. You let him skip out on wash day and now he was using your kindness against you.

“What the fuck! Let me go!” 

Of course your request was ignored. Buggy stepped to the side, planning to pull you away from the door entirely. While his focus was on the rearrangement, you furiously dug your fingers into his sides and squeezed. Feeling ribs under your fingertips, you pummeled those with pointed massages until you squeezed out a high pitched screech.

“K-knock it off!!” It was a piercing shriek. One that sounded like victory to you. 

Rather than shoving you away and risking your feral grip dragging along his ticklish ribs, Buggy broke apart and rebuilt himself a few steps away. He glared at you, red faced and out of breath, wincing slightly as he soothed his assaulted muscles. Despite losing the battle, the pirate was not ready to give up. He took a step towards the door. It was slow and deliberate, daring you to get in the way again. You both knew the rules. If one person played dirty, the other could play dirtier. You upped the ante by tickling him after the stink attack. It would be Buggy’s turn to fuck with you next, and you rarely survived the second onslaught.

“Fine, fine. Let me introduce you.”

You stepped in front of Buggy and slowly pushed the door open. Very slowly. With the first few inches of space, you slide your foot into the room. Then your leg. When there was enough space, you popped in your head, before continuing the awkward slither.

Buggy watched the impromptu interpretive dance. This was weird. Were you afraid? Did you invite someone dangerous onto his ship? But you wouldn’t leave them in this room alone. What was going on? He waited until you beckoned him in with a wave of your hand. A treacherous hand that just tickled him, so he didn’t feel very trusting at the moment. But he followed.

He looked around the room, hair tassels swinging from his hat as he whipped his head around. The movement was followed by curious eyes. The new recruit. She was at his desk, staring as he entered the room. Assessing him. After a quiet moment, she blinked her yellow eyes and stretched, showing off her sharp weapons. Not in a show of aggression or dominance, but because she felt comfortable. She felt relaxed here. Relaxed enough to rest her head on Buggy’s desk and bask in the sunlight.

“A…a cat?” His body deflated as the anxious tension released. There was also a twinge of disappointment. Buggy had spent much of the day preparing for some type of fight and all the adrenaline pumping in his body was unnecessary now.

“Mmhm, she followed me onto the ship and wouldn’t leave. I think she likes it here. She’s not afraid of Richie, can you believe it? They got along like old friends,” you said with a smile.

“Probably because she’s fucking huge,” Buggy muttered. 

The cat was surprisingly big, larger than the other felines Buggy saw on ships or creeping the docks. Pointy ears twitched in the sunlight as she stretched out again, shuffling the papers under her striped body and knocking trinkets off the desk. 

“Hey, watch it!” A lone hand flew over to shoo the cat away from his shit. Rather than being startled, a large paw reached out and hooked the appendage with a sharp claw.

Buggy gasped in shock and tried to pull himself back. Reluctant to let go of the new toy, the cat added in another paw and reeled the hand back in with a satisfied chirp. You couldn’t hide your laughter at Buggy’s indignant sputter. He could feel the pricks poking through the leather glove, a warning to not pull away again.

“Listen, she better not be a distraction or break anything,” Buggy grumbled. 

This was too much for him and he wanted to get away. All day he spent mentally preparing to either lose you to some buff new recruit or to fight for you. Then he had to actually fight you. All that to be faced with a fucking cat who was taking over his space. And it even took his hand. If he didn’t step out, his agitation would boil over and it wouldn’t end well for anyone. Throwing a petty sneer at the cat, Buggy left the room.

“She’s already got a job catching mice!” you called after him. 

“Tell her my hand isn’t a fucking mouse,” floated back through the open door.

---

You weren’t able to wrestle Buggy’s hand away from its captor (cat-ptor?) so you decided to try again later. Hours later you slinked back into the room. The desktop was empty - no cat and most of the papers had been knocked off. What wasn’t empty was the bed.

Buggy was curled up on the mattress and nestled between his fully-intact arms was the cat. Her furry chest rose and fell at a steady pace, as did Buggy’s - at a slower, but still steady, sleepy, pace. As much as you wanted to join the cuddle puddle, you decided to let the two finish their cat nap. Maybe later, you could get Buggy’s help with picking a name for the new recruit.

[hey-august]

Congratulations on your milestone, August!!! 🥳🥳 I'm so happy for you 😍 Can I have petal (gardenia) + “You’re gonna make me cry.” Thank you ♥3♥

Thank you, Venus!! 🩷🩷 I really appreciate all your encouragement! It makes me so so happy to see your likes, reblogs, comments, asks etc etc etc 🥰

Prompts: Petal (gardenia), "You’re gonna make me cry." Teaser: "[...] I don’t remember putting in an order for droopy sticks.”" Warnings: SFW, established relationship, brief profanity, it takes a moment for Buggy to show up, but he does! Word count: ~1k

Check out my 250 Follower Prompt Event and see fulfilled prompts here.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The sun hung high, dropping a bright and heavy heat onto the ship. Your shadow clung to the small perimeter it was allowed to occupy as you traveled the deck. Only a few crew members remained working under the cloudless sky, cursing those who had taken refuge in the cool belly of the ship. Your passing presence was overlooked as they fixated on completing the tasks at hand and retreating from the sun’s aggression. 

Your feet picked up the pace, matching the speed of the sweat beading on your forehead. Although your body was trying to cool itself, the layer of saltwater only added to the constricting heat. As much as you’d also like to avoid the oppressive heat, there was something important you needed to do.

A ship this size has a few areas that are visited rarely - usually only by those required and just often enough to ensure there aren’t any problems. In this case, you were headed to such an area due to a self-imposed requirement and because you knew there was a time-sensitive problem.

At the stern of the ship was a small maze of storage. Crates and barrels were stacked and strewn with careless intention. The minimum amount of planning was used to organize the wooden containers in a way that each one could be accessed and checked with relative ease. This left behind a few unused nooks as items graduated from storage to in-use. And in one such nook were a few planters with greenery that was becoming less green with each passing minute.

Crouching low, you looked at the plants you’ve cared for since they were seeds. You didn’t expect they would sprout, but they did. You didn’t know if they’d take to life at sea, but they did. You didn’t think they’d live long enough to bloom, but they were trying.

Your heart ached at the sight of their wilting leaves. You pinched a few, examining how the soft rubbery foliage rolled. There was still hope. 

The plants needed to get out of the hot sun. But you also needed to keep them out of sight, at least until they bloomed. You had been working on this surprise for so long and the swollen buds meant the end was close. If they survived.

You swiped at the sweat on your forehead, which only served to gather the liquid and create fat drops that escaped down your hand and the sides of your face. You would need a drink after this and so would the plants. So not only did you have to find a safe place, but you also need to hydrate them. Without being noticed.

Maybe there was a space nearby that would work, at least temporarily. It would be better to bring the planters inside, but even a shady area would be better than nothing right now. You stood up and turned to assess your options, only to be met with an unexpected audience sitting atop a nearby crate.

Buggy kicked his feet against the wood and waggled his fingers at you in a nonchalant wave. The pirate clown had shed most of his usual attire in favor of a version that was better suited for the heat. The open vest showed his glistening chest and arms, signs that the pirate had been out in the sun nearly as long as you.

“Fuck, Buggy! What are you doing here?” you said indignantly, shuffling to the side to block his view of the plants.

“I should be asking you the same thing,” was his quick retort. “It’s too hot to be skulking around like this.”

“Uh, yeah. You head back inside and I’ll be there in a minute. Actually, I’m thirsty. Why don’t you grab some drinks for us?”

“Them too?” Buggy gestured to what was behind you.

You hesitated. Your captain was exactly who you wanted to keep the plants from and at this rate, you might not be able to convince him to leave long enough for you to help the fading flora. This was a surprise for him, one that could be ruined or saved by his presence. If the plants died, then you’d have nothing.

“Yeah…them too. It’s too hot for them,” you said, walking over to Buggy and standing between his still swinging legs.

“Why are they even here? I don’t remember putting in an order for droopy sticks.” 

You slapped his knee, despite the joking grin that accompanied his quip.

“They’re mine. I’ve been growing them and wanted to keep them a secret until they bloomed. They’re supposed to look beautiful…” You couldn’t hide the apprehension at the end. They had meant so much to you.

“I got seeds from that old guy on the island a few months back. I wanted to… They’re…”

Buggy raised his eyebrows but stayed surprisingly quiet. Probably an attempt to conserve energy while under the boiling sun.

“I was growing them for you. They’re supposed to be gardenias and they reminded me of you. I wanted- They’re supposed to be a thank you for everything.”

“Oh stop, you’re gonna make me cry,” Buggy teased, as he dragged a finger down his cheek from the corner of his eye. The movement only highlighted the truth behind the extra mist in his eyes and the quiver in his lip.

Slapping his knee again, you teased back, “Don’t, you’ll only dehydrate yourself in this heat. You’d probably fall apart into a pile of dust, instead of body parts.”

Buggy convinced you to move the plants into your shared quarters. The room would be cooler and would collect enough light for the blooms.

Together, you scooped up the three containers. Buggy looked at the stakes in each planter, labeling the different varieties: August Beauty, Crown Jewel, and Celestial Star. Buggy rolled his eyes in an attempt to spread out the excess moisture they were collecting. He didn’t know what the flowers would look like, but he knew enough to understand why you picked them as a thank you for him.

“I can’t wait to see the flowers, they’re going to be so flashy,” Buggy proudly announced once the containers were settled in their new home and soaking up water.

His unabashed excitement was contagious. You threw your arms around the pirate, ignoring how you stuck together, and planted kisses all over his face. Although the flowers were supposed to be a way for you to show your appreciation, there were other things you could do in the meantime.