#maybe I should come up with ship names lmao

[spookitordukeit]

In your fic tbasawas was there anything specific that inspired you to do your specific stories and or ships?

Yes and no—

For the story itself:

Originally, I only had concepts for Aeiisy, a dark fic with a skeleton reader who is constantly having a Bad Time. But, as with most of my ideas, it got split into two different paths. (This is how I end up with most of my fic ideas btw) You might see a few similarities, or even direct reflections between a few of my works, and that’s because they are all directly or indirectly formed from a few of the same ideas, split into separate paths.

Like an au I guess???

Tbasawas was made as a direct counter to Aeiisy, so I wouldn’t pass away from angst and could have something sweet a fluffy to write whenever I got burnt out. (Ignoring the amount of angst that ended up in Tbasawas anyway… and the fluff that got put into Aeiisy…. Don’t look at me!!)

So Tbasawas was inspired by Aeiisy, and Aeiisy was inspired by the need for a skele reader, Monster Frisk, and an apocalypse fic. Not sure how any of that connects, but that’s how it went down.

Tbasawas is a soft apocalypse, if that’s even a thing. Their changes aren’t gory and the world isn’t riddled with war and violence. Just people treated like lost puppies in a cozy adoption center waiting for their ‘forever home’. For the most part.

I take a lot of inspiration directly from animal adoption processes. The whole shebang. Paperwork, wait time, vetting, inspections, background checks, introductions, acclimation— Hell, even the Assigned Nurse can be compared to a Foster. The Mimic Monitors are essentially juiced up microchips.

I’m pretty sure I even used a template for the adoption of a dog from a serious breeder for the letter that Abbee gives Nerma to explain to process. And the email Edge receives  in chapter one.

There’s a lot of themes in Tbasawas going on. Another one is the grieving process, as hinted at in the title of the first chapter. Arc one: Shock.

I’m using this version of the grieving process in particular:

I’m not sure how strictly I’ll follow it, but it’s definitely there in the background, at the very least.

As for inspiration for the relationships:

It’s all kinda based around these themes and how I think the characters would be changed by them.

I’ve changed these characters a lot. Maybe not much physically for most,(that you can see.. wink wonk) but I’ve taken a lot of liberty with their stories and backgrounds. And in the tags for Tbasawas, this universe is listed under post neutral route… not pacifist. Do with that information what you will.

Based on these changes, I think about how they might act. What makes the most sense. What they feel, what kind of person would they feel most comfortable around and what kind would they hate? Do they have insecurities? Are there any fears that they might be judged? Would that stop them from getting close to specific skeletons in the pack? *cough* Sparrow *cough*

Are they jealous or possessive? Holding on to the one good thing that’s happened to them and waiting for the other show to drop?? Even if it hinders the others ability to seek out relationships with others of the pack??? *cough* Red *cough*

I kinda just zone out and smash dolls together in my mind until I get something I like. Not all that cool of a process, but it’s what works for me.

Speaking of! Let’s use Red and Sparrow as an example!!!

*grabs my mental dolls of Red and Sparrow in my hands and smacks them together*

*loud incorrect buzzer sound*

Yep. Knew that would happen. See— Red is chill around the pack, but there’s not a lot of… feelings??? He has this disconnect inside him, whether from his LV, his trauma, or if that’s simply just how he handles his emotions, I’m not sure.

There’s this wall that he has up. He cares for the pack, and for his brother, of course he does! He’d kill for them. That was never in question. He’s just… distant. The only one who can really, really get close is Comet. And that’s mainly because they’re so similar it hurts. They’re in the same, sinking boat. Drifting out in the middle of the ocean as they keep hammering in nails in hopes they won’t drown.

Red is heavily complex, and no one knows just how to solve him and tell him to stop making so many damn holes in his boat before it’s unrepairable.

He’s smoke and mirrors with knives that will cut you if you take a wrong step.

Sparrow, is also withdrawn. But for very different reasons.

He’s not shy, per say— but he’s very conscious how he looks and how he’s perceived. He knows that he’s not as handsome as he once was (lies), he knows that he looks frightening, even to other Monsters.

His self esteem is very low, it’s been getting better thanks to his pack, but it’s still not great. He hides a lot of things about himself, whether out of shame or for the perceived benefit of the other person is a 50/50 at any given moment.

His status as a sigma doesn’t help. There are already enough stigmas about people like him and Star, if Sparrow can’t do what’s expected of him— if he falls into stereotypes—

…he doesn’t like to think about it.

He’s not as able bodied anymore, and his senses are both dulled and heightened to uncomfortable degrees. He needs to be able to trust the people around him. He needs to know that they won’t think lower of him for his weakness. He needs to know that he can depend on them and they won’t just up and leave.

Red has given no indication that he is capable of providing any of those assurances. He has in fact proven quite the opposite.

At this point in time, Red and Sparrow could never be in a relationship. Sparrow would likely end up cut on Red’s knives and shattered glass, and Red would keep hammering more fucking nails into his boat. Unaware that it’s the very thing that keeps brining in more water.

Augh. So long story short: insanity.

The idea for the story popped in my head and then I stared at characters until the imploded in my brain like a super nova and then they kept forming fun new galaxies for me to explore.

I guess it’s my characters that give me inspiration. I just wanna slap my dolls together and see wtf happens, I have no idea where I’m going and I’m equally as surprised as you are at every chapter🗿🗿🗿

I just wanna see Edge be soft and have his little found family, and to feel like he’s allowed to exist in the world despite his sins.

I wanna see Grim be an absolute menace and Get Bitches, because he loves his idiots and just wants to live life at his laziest.

I wanna see Bear put a ring on as many hoes as he likes and get to be happy and smug and purr as he crushes them (lovingly) in his nest.

I wanna see Stretch be soft and fuss about his mates and then punish them for their stupidity with various pranks.

I wanna see Star huff and lovingly bully his mates into being kind to them selves, forcing them to take it easy or face the wrath of Self Care days.

I wanna see Comet get yoinked out of his tiny shell and actually mean it when he smiles his little bastard smiles, and to be able to reach out and form other relationships within the pack.

I wanna see Black get his ass Wooed and his icy rain bloom into spring showers because he feels loved and able to be soft and love in turn.

I wanna see Blue live his life to the fullest and prioritize his own feelings sometimes and remember that it’s okay to want things.

I wanna see Sparrow have each and every one of his boo boos kissed and told that he’s handsome and I want him to accept it and be confident.

And I wanna see Red get a happy ending. I want to see his sharp edges, both the ones facing inside and out, to get smoothed out. I wanna see this bastard get soft and mushy. I’m gonna turn his ass into a grumpy marshmallow just you wait.

And of course, I want to see Nerma be the spark that gets this thing moving.

I’m just a simp…. That is all 😔

[deus-ex-mona]

unnecessary comparison of the day!

volume 5’s release of one of asuna’s chapters changed the subject of her stan twt cancellation posts from mona to miyu (of frusu)!

[jacepens]

Ah what the hell, have this 400 words of Sundown Kid/Mad Dog baseball!AU that I know I’m never gonna write more of. This is just 400 words leading up to an angry kiss:)

Enjoy!

“When will you play me for all you’ve got?” Mad Dog spits, crowding into Sundown’s space.

Sundown’s heart beats rapidly, the room burns his cheeks and blurs outside of Mad Dog’s cold eyes and furrowed brow. 

Sundown reaches out to smooth his thumb between the creases.

“Huh?” A loud and bright song plays muffled outside the door. “Can you really not grace my presence with the best hand in the country? Are you really too good to put yourself down like that?” Mad Dog’s pinned Sundown to the wall now, his eyes burning, his body trembling.

Kinda cute, Sundown thinks to himself. The thought swirls through his mind and admires the gentle curve of Mad Dog’s pouting lip, savoring the sharp cut of his chin.

Real cute every time he storms off the field, every time he flings his bat when Sundown lets him have the ball. When their eyes meet across the field, and even through the small gap, Sundown can feel that piercing glare on him, just begging him to strike him out once.

“It’s nothing like that.” Sundown drawls after a long time of looking Mad Dog up and down.

“Then what the hell is it, Kid? Because I know damn-well it ain’t you protecting your team for the future.”

Sundown’s eyes slip down to the unbuttoned shirt, at those top buttons pulled apart long ago to reveal tempting glimpses of flawless and soft skin, tufts of chest hair creeping towards the top.

“You’re smart,” Sundown smirks.

Mad Dog’s hands grasp at his collar, yanking him even closer to those pink lips.

“Why the hell are you so infuriating?” Mad Dog’s facade is cracking, splitting and threatening to shatter at Sundown’s feet. It’s noticeable in the way he’s not shaking anymore, just boiling with rage that’s starting to spill out of the pot.

Tilting his head, Sundown doesn’t have anything else to add. He’s not looking to spell it out.

“Now you get all silent on me?” Mad Dog’s accent slows and gets thicker with that Texan drawl he was raised with. “Say something, dammit! If I didn’t know any better I’d say you look like you want to kiss me, what with you staring at my lips. My eyes are up here, Kid.”

Sundown can’t help but snort at that.

“And mine are down here.” Sundown watches those lips curl into a snarl.

Then he figures it out.

[cupcakeshakesnake]

HELLO UM-

Your little Harbour PotC AU gives me absolute life, just for the record. Even tho i am very very late, thank you for making it :D

There is a headcanon I got that wouldn't leave my brain after looking at your art, originating from that one conversation between Beckett and Jack where there were some implications about canon being everyone’s previous lives. Whether this is actually a part of your au or not, it got me thinking eheheh

Theoretically, (perhaps in an au of an au, if this headcanon contradicts your lore,) what if your au and canon were the same 'verse, just several hundred years later? And what if not everybody were on their second life?

We obviously have a sprinkling of supernatural stuff, so what if the secretly-a-goddess Calypso and immortally-cursed Davy Jones were the OGs that they were in the films? Like, Davy Jones maybe came back somehow (as per movie 5's end-credit scene lol) and took back the role of the Dutchman's Captian after Will went back to Shipwreck Cove. All is good.

He learned his lesson now and actually does his job of ferrying souls. As times changed, so did his ship, in some magical way. She's no longer a sailing ship, and he'll always miss that, but he doesn't mind all that much. His crew usually only stay for that 100 yr contract, so he's seen plenty of sailors come and go. Eventually, he even hires living mortals. Less people die at sea, so by the 20th century, Jones takes a mortal job as a fisherman (or whatever his job is in your au) as well.

Whether or not he knows about the whole reincarnation thing doesn't really matter; the day he employs a familiar man by the name of Bill Turner, he chalks it up to coincidence. Even if Bill has a son named William, well- it's been 200 years, perhaps it's just a really really big coincidence. Either way, it doesn't matter to him.

It's not until he's docked in a small, out-of-the-way harbour, and three troublemaking kids sneak onto the Dutchman that he finally realises. Bill's boy, on his own, is just a matter of coincidence. Those three, together? It's unmistakable. And as bothersome those three pirates were, so long ago, I'd like to think that he looks back on that age, on those people, with some kind of fondness.

(Until he discovers they can be the most INFURIATING little gremlins he's ever met in all his centuries. But he'll find that out later.)

Anyway I drew it :D Have my humble, scribbly offerings.

(I feel bad about running away with this, even as just a headcanon-of-an-au, please don't take this as a 'you should do this' lmao, it's just me adoring all of your content it makes my brain go brrr you are amazing thankyou!!!)

This is so lovely 😭😭😭

The idea of Calypso and Jones being the same ones from canon but just... having had a lot of time to chill down and have a second chance is so??? Imagine what Jones must be thinking looking at those kids... this is so bittersweet (but mostly sweet)

I'm sorry it took so long to respond, I wanted to write a proper reply expressing just how much I love this but couldn't get around to it. Hope you don't mind me posting this publicly; I need everyone else to see this as well.

[mazuriri]

4.6 update

I'm continuing my thread on Lyney x traveller since Lyney can’t stop showing his ‘feelings’ 👏 (and I write here because I've run out of space to put photos in the other thread).

＊ Arlecchino’s story quest :

During Arlecchino’s quest, it was predictable to come across Lyney and his siblings, along with the inevitable moments shared between the magician and the traveler. Their paths crossed right at the start of the quest in Poisson, with Lyney who calls them from a distance.

The introduction of Lyney x Traveler right from the beginning of the quest is just heartwarming. It's truly delightful to witness their joyous reunion after being apart for such a long time. One cannot help but notice Lyney's excitement as he spots the Traveler from a distance and eagerly call out to them, and the Traveler reciprocating the same gesture is simply heart-melting.

As a fan of this ship, these small actions hold great significance for me. The previous interactions between them have paved the way for a newfound sense of friendliness, which is beautifully exemplified by the Traveler's warm greeting "It's been too long." This reunion with Lyney marks a significant milestone in their relationship, showcasing the evolution of their bond.

The traveler's arrival never fails to ignite a spark of joy in Lyney. This has been demonstrated multiple times and it is remarkable how this simple encounter can instantly brighten his entire day. What is truly comforting is that Lyney doesn’t hide his enthusiasm, openly expressing his delight at their reunion in Poisson.

According to him, this encounter seem destined, as if fate itself has orchestrated them.

After Arlecchino proposed that the traveler should stay in Poisson for a while, she then requested Lyney to entertain the guests, to which Lyney willingly agreed, expressing that it had always been his dream to welcome the traveler into his home and introduce them to his siblings. While others may have different dreams, Lyney's dream was centered around introducing his family to the traveler, as family holds immense importance to him. He had previously expressed his desire to invite the traveler to his home, considering them as a part of his own family. Now, in this quest, his long-awaited dream has finally come true.

(Now his dream has come true, will he have a dream to ask the traveler in marriage lol?)

This guy meticulously explained his process in Poisson, only to discover that it presented an ideal opportunity to exhibit his culinary skills to the traveler. Of course, Lyney... Go above and beyond to leave an even greater impression, as if your magic tricks weren't already enough.

Also dear magician… Other people have something else to do than show their talent in cooking 🤨 (Maybe he wants to be a skilled husband who can cook for his beloved in the future LOL)

As Lyney prepared to hand over the supplies, Chapleau was rendered speechless and filled with astonishment upon coming face to face with the famous traveler and Paimon, whose names had been circulating extensively in discussions among everyone.

Throughout the encounter, Lyney appeared either irritated or nonchalant, emitting an aura of "Dude... there's no need to be so shocked" or "Hey, don't stare at my crush like that" (Could it be that he was feeling jealous? 🤨 There are various interpretations of his expression in that moment, but let's assume it's jealousy lol). He even cautioned him and the other children to refrain from potentially annoying or frightening the traveler and Paimon.

(Let’s not forget that he was the one who was excited to introduce his siblings to the traveler and look what face he makes lmao, he can’t be more obvious.)

The traveler has gained immense popularity, and it is all thanks to Arlecchino and Lyney. Both of them constantly talk about the traveler, and Lyney never misses a chance to mention them. Arlecchino, on the other hand, not only talks about the traveler but also brings up Lyney in her conversations. It is amusing to see how Arlecchino knows about the bond between her son and the traveler share. (I will come back later about Arlecchino's perspective on their relationship)

This has led to children being well-informed about the traveler, with Arlecchino and Lyney playing a significant role in spreading awareness about the traveler's presence.

You know what’s the funny part? The irony lies in the fact that Lyney previously mentioned the traveler's fame within the organization, which raises the question of who is truly responsible for their popularity. It is evident that the traveler's popularity is attributed to the detailed accounts provided by Lyney and Arlecchino, as confirmed by the children during their conversation (because they told so much about the traveler according to Foltz and Chapleau.)

Lyney my boy… there is no way to avoid the children because it is evident that you have been discussing the traveler's actions quite often. This is why they are so well-informed about the situation. Alrecchino also contributes to this knowledge by frequently mentioning Lyney and how the traveler has been of great assistance to them.

Following Freminet's disclosure regarding Clervie, Lyney opts to engage in a private discussion with him in a secluded corner to address familial matters. The traveler and Paimon detect the escalating tension between the two and grow apprehensive. Consequently, they make the decision to intervene in order to avert any potential conflict that may arise between Lyney and Freminet during their conversation.

Paimon emphasizes the bond of friendship among the group, highlighting the shared experiences they have already gone through. What made me smile throughout was that the Traveler immediately agreed with Paimon and didn't hesitate to help Lyney and Freminet. Unlike in the past, there is no trace of doubt or suspicion, they were ready to offer their assistance. As they say, sometimes guests can be useful and Lyney immediately understood what they meant.

The Traveler's bond with Lyney and their siblings has been solidified as one of friendship and care, leading them to offer their help despite the dangerous circumstances. Lyney, aware of the risks involved, attempted to dissuade the Traveler from getting involved, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the Traveler remained steadfast in their decision to stand by their friends. They just couldn't abondon the siblings, and that's the traveler we all know.

Lyney finds himself at a loss for words, but he expresses his sincere gratitude to the traveler for their assistance once again. The traveler's willingness to help in such a situation deeply touches Lyney, and he is truly moved by their continuous support. The numerous times the traveler has come to Lyney's aid have left an indelible mark on his memory, and he feels an immense sense of gratitude towards them. Each action taken by the traveler holds a special place in Lyney's heart, as he genuinely cares about their well-being. Despite his initial concern for the traveler's safety and his desire to shield them from harm, Lyney understands that they are not easily swayed by his protective gestures. As I mentioned before, he really wanted to keep them out of it, but knowing them for a while now, Lyney already knows they wouldn't easily accept what he would propose.

It is in this moment that he utters the heartfelt words, "I'll protect you like my life depends on it." This statement reflects Lyney's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the traveler, even if it means putting his own life at risk. He is truly willing to protect them at all costs, even if it means putting his own life in danger. He only cares about his family, including the traveler since Lyney considers them family too. It may seem very sweet at first but if we delve deeper, Lyney's words reveals a profound level of care.

• Do you remember when Wriothesley 'kidnapped' Lynette, causing Lyney to panic as he was ready to give himself to Wriothesley in exchange for Lynette’s release. In Arlecchino’s quest, he became upset with Freminet for putting his own life in 'danger' with Clervie's situation. Although Lyney said that the others will be punished by Arlecchino, he was especially really worried about Freminet, showing genuine concern for him. Lyney's deep-rooted fear of losing his siblings is palpable, as he cherishes them dearly and is willing to go to great lengths to protect them, showcasing a touching and sad aspect of his character. We already know that this is not the first time that Lyney has acted in this way, we have already been aware for a long time that Lyney will not hesitate to put his life at risk for his siblings.

However, it remains unclear whether Lyney values his own life or not, but what is certain is that he is ready to sacrifice his life for his loved ones.

(Here for example, Lyney immediately threw himself to protect Lynette before Freminet blocked Arlecchino's attack.)

Personally, I have the urge to give him a wake-up call and remind him that his life holds just as much value, urging him to be cautious. This is the reason why Lynette became angry with him during this quest, and I can empathize with her. Let's be honest, Lyney's actions come off as self-centered : he chooses to deal with the situation 'alone' and doesn't want Lynette to know (same situation in Lynette hangout), but unfortunately, she was there the whole time and got angry at everyone, especially Freminet and Lyney. (I swear their siblings relationship makes me emotional)

———————————

Upon knowing the secret activities that had been occurring behind her back, Arlecchino resolved to take matters into her own hands. However, just as she was on the verge of initiating her plan, Lyney stepped in to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating further (with Freminet, Lynette and Chapleau). Regrettably, their efforts proved to be in vain. Nevertheless, Arlecchino decided to change tactics : they have to fight her.

Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet all agree to this, prompting the traveler to recall the consideration given to them by Arlecchino. Before the punishment, she had asked for a consideration from the traveler and had clearly stated that when the time comes, they must make the appropriate choice when the time comes. Now, that moment came at the time of the punishment of the members of the house.

The traveler carefully considers Arlecchino’s words and because they had made a promise to do so, they ultimately make the choice to support Lyney and the siblings by joining them in battle. It brought a smile to my face to see that the traveler had decided to fight alongside Lyney and the others, as they too didn’t want to witness the 'traitors' get killed, which is understandable. However, their motivation was also to assist Lyney and show respect for his decision. Lyney is also taken aback by the traveler's decision to join them, and I am confident that he will appreciate and acknowledge their actions.

✨ Extra :

I hadn’t mentioned it in my previous thread but I have now made the decision to address this topic and delve into Arlecchino's perspective on the traveler.

Lyney's trust in the traveler is a significant revelation, especially considering his usual guarded nature towards others. This newfound openness towards the traveler showcases a level of comfort and confidence that Lyney rarely displays with anyone else, making it a noteworthy point in their relationship.

The significance of Lyney's statement to Arlecchino, where he identifies the traveler as the person he trusts the most, cannot be understated. Arlecchino, being well-acquainted with her children, understands the weight of these words and the depth of trust that Lyney has placed in the traveler. This revelation sheds light on the unique bond between Lyney and the traveler, highlighting the exceptional level of trust that exists between them, a bond that transcends Lyney's usual reservations towards others.

In the house, each individual see themselves as “family”, prioritizing their connections over engaging with the outside world. Arlecchino emphasizes the significance of regarding a stranger as a family, highlighting the gravity of this notion. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that they are fatui and opening up to other people outside the house is crucial. Arlecchino understands that the children, particularly Lyney, hold an affection for the traveler. Therefore, when she emphasizes the importance of the traveler valuing this friendship, she warns the traveler to take this friendship seriously, that they should not break this relationship or it could lead to unfavorable consequences.

Arlecchino, after careful consideration, decided to place her ‘trust’ in Lyney and the other siblings. She effectively conveys to the traveler the depth of friendship that exists between Lyney and his siblings, emphasizing its significance. The traveler, having witnessed this bond, is not only accepting of it but also respects and admires Lyney's relationship with his siblings.

They literally have the blessing from Arlecchino since she supports and respect them. With the 'Father' now endorsing the friendship her son shares with the traveler, and Lynette supports what her brother feels (she told the traveler to take care of him many times), Lyney is indeed fortunate to have the blessings and support of both his ‘Father’ and sister. So….

When is the marriage lol?

———————

That's all for this analysis, it was to be expected to have moments between Lyney and the traveler in Arlecchino's quest, I mean... it was OBLIGED. It is now evident that the Traveler considers Lyney and his siblings as genuine friends and is willing to assist them in any situation, despite their affiliation with the Fatui.

Speaking of which, Arlecchino expressed her intention to make Lyney the next 'King' of the house if he stays, to which Lyney reluctantly agrees. Throughout the conversation, the Traveler remained silent, not objecting at all, simply listening throughout the conversation. Despite the fact that the house is part of the Fatui, the Traveler respects Lyney's decision. The development between them is remarkable, and I am pleased to see the Traveler finally opening up to Lyney despite their past, always being there for him and his siblings. Their friendship is truly endearing, and that's why I love them. Everything they have overcome in the past is now ‘resolved’, and they are always happy to reunite.

Despite the focus being primarily on Arlecchino in her quest, Lyney and the others played a significant role, and their contributions were exceptional.

[practically-an-x-man]

ok but am I wrong? /lh

Quicksilver + Lionfish = Silverfish

Random funny thought but I just realized that if I'd paired Peter with Madison instead (which wouldn't work tbh he's too impatient for her) their ship name would be Silverfish XD

Omg that's a crazy ship name

[tricodekus]

me and my friend love ur tsukihina sm it became one of our OTPs now 😭🥹 we can't stop sending each other tskhn hcs every day jdjskdsjk Methinks tsukki is def one of the ppl who misses shoyo the most after he left for brazil .... he tries to act like he's nonchalant so he routinely just sends shoyo ONE message a week so he doesn't look too obsessed

and he tries to sound sarcastic as usual "shoyo u look like a roasted marshmallow did u forget ur sunscreen lol 💀" "shoyo wdym u havent had breakfast yet ur never growing taller lol 🫢💀" "shoyo why tf are u msging me at this hour isnt it 3am in brazil (tsukki saved brazil time in his phone💀) go to sleep shrimpy💀💀💀💀" but deep down he keeps denying that he misses & cares for shoyo, how uni is too exhausting and .... Quiet without this boisterous midget by his side :(

in reality his idgaf act was all for nothing bc he's the one who messages sho the most among their friends (everyone else got too busy to text LMAO)

HELLOOOOO oh my god! That makes me happy because this ship is perfect and needs MORE FANS!!! lmao.

And you're ABSOLUTELY right,,, he'd be jumble of emotions... just waking up like wheres shoyo.... i wonder what shoyo is doing right now... to being like IDGAF!!!!! and then back to oh i forgot to send shoyo his text today....gimmie a second.... he's so whooped it's actually hilarious and quite wholesome.

ALSO THE OVERUSAGE OF THE SKULL EMOJI IS SO FUCKING FUNNY omg. shoyo definitely has tsukkis name as "tsukki💀" as a form of endearment ahahahaah.

WAIT OH WAIT OH NNO please......theyve been separated during tsukki's uni years ur right. oh im not okay. BUT Hinata always sends Tsukishima pictures and he's like "You should come here!!!" And tsukis like "Maybe if flying was free, sure..." (<-- actually does want to go to brazil) and Hinata's like "we could go together!!! :)" and tsukki just stares at the text, breathlessand his heart racing although he tries to ignore it. He's absolutely tactical and on top of everything so you BET that he has the exact number of days in his head, of when Hinata will return.

I mean look at him!!! That's him when his weekly message isn't getting through! LMFAO. Help him, someone,,,, Akiteru....

[rhytmrocket]

hey all! so that post about po ship names got more support than expected, and i see at least two people would like to know the names i've come up with. so, here are some of my better works!

note that i don't ship really any of these that much, mainly cuz the only ship ive definitively decided so far that yes this is my yaoi is kaijoe, and also because a portion of these are crack-ish ships that i haven't seen anyone ship like at all (although i haven't checked out po ao3 yet so some of these might actually exist and i just have a blind spot). so if that fact degrades the quality of the names for you, sorry i guess

bulldozer, for bull/sandman. coming from bull, and to "doze" is to fall asleep, and also bulldozer is a word. kinda surprised i haven't seen this ship around, to me it feels like at least someone would ship it.

chocolate milk, for bull/doc. chocolate for doc, and bulls are male cows and female cows produce milk. this is a ship i'm pretty sure exists, but i haven't seen a name for it yet, so maybe this is already an accepted ship name for it like with the glass cannon situation. who knows

bullrush, for bull/hondo. it's a pretty obvious name, but it sounds really good so it's staying here.

redbull, for sodabull. redbull is a carbonated energy drink, which is basically soda. also bull in the name. i know this is one of the bigger ships in the tumblr po fandom, and i cannot believe no one calls it this. i can't have been the first person to come up with this! but everyone calls the ship sodabull so i just gotta live with it but now i'm breaking my silence!! sodabull should be called redbull. i mean maybe not in tags cuz that could get it mixed up with the energy drink but like you know!

popstar, for soda/macho. pop from soda pop(inski), and star because macho is a hollywood star. i feel the exact way about this one as i do with redbull-- it's a good fucking name but i haven't seen any macho/soda shippers use it and it drives me nuts

russian roulette, for soda/aran. soda's russian, and aran has a theme of luck, thus roulette. i haven't seen this ship much recently but scrolling back a while on the soda tag shows that this ship has existed. and i have not seen it be called russian roulette. what is it with soda ships and not reaching their name potential?

piña colada, for hippo/soda. piña colada is an often-alcoholic drink (soda has references to alcohol, and also his name used to be vodka) with pineapple in it (hippo has a lot of connexions to pineapples). ok, this ship i have not seen anyone ship (yet). this name i really just randomly came up with, but i like it and i think it fits and sounds good

dragon dance, for dragon/heike. this is mainly a reference to the move from pokémon of the same name. i am just about certain this ship exists, but i just! haven't! seen it yet!

pizzapie, for pizza/clown. pizzas are sometimes referred to as pies, or pizza-pies, and clowns are known for throwing pastry pies as physical comedy. ok guys hear me out! uh! uh. ok i got nothing, this ship just entered my mind one night and hasn't left since, like a prophet recieving a vision from a god except the god is dionysus wasted off his ass.

spaghetti and meatballs, for pizza/ref mario. i have no explanation for this one. i am so sorry. idk why so many pizza pasta ships come into my mind, that fucker has 0 canon personality

pineapple-shaped disco ball, for disco/hippo. i think the name's pretty obvious. i uh once heard the word cluster "pineapple-shaped disco ball" and immediately thought "lmao that sounds like a ship name for disco kid and king hippo" and promptly put it on my note of ship name ideas. i really like it for them because it's verbose and clunky, it sounds like something their collective braincell and a half would come up with.

oh and! if a name i have here already exists, please do tell! especially if it's redbull or popstar, those two drive me mad. clown.

[thisisnotkitty]

hello securitywaiter nation have you thought about ness being abby’s teacher bc I HAVE

below the cut because i can't shut up ever :D

-abby does well enough in school academically but is still needs some work in the socioemotional dept

-when she starts a new school year mike is a bit worried but then she comes back home absolutely ecstatic and mike is like ��okay this is good”

-she talks all about how mr. ness lets her color while he teaches and how mr. ness gave them all name tags w silly drawings (hers is a bear) etc etc

-mike is actually really happy bc most teachers have a hard time understanding abby (heck, he has a hard time understanding her) so he’s looking forward to meeting this mr. ness during back to school night

-it goes on like this for awhile, with abby raving about mr. ness and mike is just happy that his little sister seems to be doing better in school. the first time she comes home talking about these kids she hung out with at recess he practically cries

-back to school night is here and the first time mike sees this mr. ness he’s like abby u traitor you didnt tell me this man was exactly my type (he doesn’t actually tell her bc he never brings up his lovelife around her - not that he’s had much of one - but still isn’t this the type of things siblings know intrinsically)

-anyways they’re having the kids show their guardians around the classroom and their seats and everything and then mr. ness is explaining the way his class works and mike is totally paying attention. yup. he’s not distracted by those chocolate brown eyes at ALL

-so they’re waiting to do the one-on-ones with the teacher and mike crouches down next to abby and tries to be all chill “hey, abs. has mr. ness ever mentioned a partner or anything?” acting all nonchalant

-but abby sees right through him and is immediately like “he’s single! do u want me to put in good word for you?” and mikes like “NO i have no idea what ur talking about haha i just wanted to know bc it’s important to know that about ur teachers okay wait why are you smiling like that”

-(abby’s a little menace and already ships it)

-when it’s finally their turn mike is just chanting to himself “be normal. be normal. be normal” lmao

-but now that he’s sitting face to face with the teacher he notices that he has freckles and every chance he had at playing it cool goes out the window

-ness is telling him all about how well abby is doing in class and if there was anything he could do to make it easier for her in the classroom and abby’s just sitting there looking at mike internally screaming with a smile

-so she turns to her teacher and is like “you should get mike’s number just in case something comes up. he’ll probably think of some things later since he’s been taking care of me alone for awhile” (bc u know when kids do that things where they kinda trauma dump at the most random moments lmao)

-and ness at first refuses and is like “im sure email works just fine!” and abby’s like WHYY is he not just taking the bait and then she has like a lightbulb moment

-bc ness probably assumes like everyone else that mike is a single father and abby’s his daughter and abby’s like oh no how do i make this work

-so she goes full anya mode (for my spy x family watchers) and is like “im sure mike would appreciate having your number on hand! he’s a very protective older brother you see. taking care of his little sister must be hard. i’m sure being a big brother like him is hard so it’d be for his peace of mind. did i mention he’s my older brother”

-and ness also has a little bit of a crush already forming so he doesn’t catch the obvious set up and is instead distracted by the fact that the handsome guy in front of him is in fact NOT a single father so maybe he does have a chance wowow

-yup so they exchange numbers andddddd ill come back to this later i really need coffee

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

in which this story comes to an end. (fucking finally.)

part eight of the post-marineford portion of the near miss fics! (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) if you have no idea what i’m talking about but would like to read a shanks/buggy story about kissing in disguise and then having to deal with the emotional fallout of doing that, click on this link, that’s the tag for the whole thing in chronological order. (plus a fair bit of complaining about writing, one inspirational improvised musical number, and a snippet of shanks pov) if you do know what i’m talking about: it’s done! it’s done!! i wish i could say i planned to end this on 3/8 but lmao, did not know the significance of the day until, like, this tuesday. but it’s done. i’m taking a break from the world of this story to work on some gift exchange fics, but i will be uploading the first few fics to ao3 soon, and should start posting the shanks POV post-marineford story in late april. if there are scenes you’d especially like his POV on, let me know! i’ll do my best to incorporate them.

Buggy spent a very cathartic half-hour shouting at a bunch of guys who ate up his words with a spoon.  Always eager to please, the men obediently found themselves disembarkation buddies, cleaned up the messes they’d made, and started gathering their things (mostly weapons they’d stolen off the guards at Impel Down).

It was nice to be respected, Buggy thought as he watched them scurry around the ship.  However misplaced the respect, it made people listen to him, something Buggy had wanted for as long as he could remember.  He’d never been able to get enough.  Probably never would, if the hunger that grew every time these men cheered his name was anything to go by.

He wandered up to the room he shared with Galdino—thankfully empty, he didn’t want to end up in another slap fight over details—and took care of his own possessions. (It wouldn’t do to have any excuses to delay or hang back when they got to the meeting point.) With the modified Marine jacket and hat back on, Buggy could fit everything else in a small satchel that he strapped around his waist, neatly hidden by a twist in a sash and the way the jacket fell.  He left the room… more or less the way it had been when he arrived—there was no way to hide that dent in the wall, and Galdino would have to be the one to deal with the smear of wax across half the bed—and exited the room for the last time, taking in the view of the deck below with a contented sigh.

The Red Force was a well-run ship—a compliment Buggy would never voice aloud, but in the privacy of his own mind he allowed himself to think it.  Even with hundreds of strangers aboard who couldn’t help but get in the way, she was clean, well-equipped, and sailing smoothly.  Buggy didn’t know if he’d be able to say the same in a few hours, when all these men would be trying to squeeze onto the somewhat smaller Big Top.  Buggy rubbed a hand across his mouth to hide his involuntary grimace at the thought.  Maybe the island they were meeting up on had some industry he could put them to work at?  A farm would be fantastic, if he could get paid for their labor and get the produce at a discount as well… 

Buggy looked over the deck in search of one of Shanks’ senior officers.  He didn’t know most of them by name, but those cloaks and capes they wore were distinctive enough that he thought he should be able to identify them on sight, and surely if the one he found didn’t know anything about the island, they could point him to someone who did.  The navigator?  Roux, who seemed to know a little about everything?  Beckman, whose job it was to know something about everything?

And, think of the devil, one of the doors to the interior of the ship opened to reveal Beckman, speaking with a few of those cloaked men.  They each went their own way, and Beckman crossed to the railing, taking up a pose not dissimilar from Buggy’s a few levels above him.  That was a first mate for you, always keeping an eye on things, one way or another.

Buggy sent his feet down the stairs and the rest of him took the shorter path, swooping down to Beckman’s side like a giant white bat.  To his credit, Beckman didn’t react to this unusual approach. Instead, calm as anything, he said, “Whatever you said to those men, it seems to be doing the trick.  Thanks.”

Buggy waved the praise off.  “If they’re so eager to be under my command, they’ve got to start learning to behave themselves sooner or later.  Might as well be now.”  Leaning an elbow against the railing, Buggy looked Beckman over.  He sure did seem a lot more relaxed now than he’d been outside Shanks’ rooms.  Relaxed enough to share intel?  “Tell me something.”

Beckman glanced sideways at Buggy.  “Hm?”

“What do you know about this island where we’re meeting up with my crew?  Is it populated?”

“Ah, I don’t think so, no,” Beckman said, tilting his head back, recalling the facts.  “Snake picked a jungle island that’s a bit out of the way of normal trade routes.  There’s some ruins, but no signs of recent habitation.”

Buggy tried not to visibly wilt.  “Ah.”

Beckman’s eyes lingered on Buggy.  “We didn’t want to risk a naval presence on the island getting word out to the rest of the Marines.”

“No, no, it makes sense.”  Buggy sighed, shoving a hand under his hat to scrub at his hair.  “Just trying to figure out how the hell I’m gonna feed all these guys in that case.”  No way had anyone thought to tell Alvida that Buggy was bringing new guys with him, let alone a lot of new guys.  She’d have gotten the ship supplied with their normal numbers in mind.

Well, the new guys were a tough bunch, maybe they’d see hunting for their dinner as a fun challenge.  Assuming there was anything safe to hunt and eat on this island… Buggy dug his fingers into his scalp, biting back a frustrated groan.

Beckman laughed.  “Yeah, I don’t envy you that job. At least we were expecting to take on passengers.”  He whistled to get the attention of someone up in the crow’s nest and flashed a hand sign at them.  After a few exchanges, he stopped signing and rolled his eyes.  “Stubborn, overworking little—” He cut himself off and glanced at Buggy.  “Was that all you wanted from me?”  Buggy nodded.  “Then I’ll see you when Shanks finally gets up the nerve to talk to you… or when we land.  Whichever comes first.”  With that, he walked over to the mast, got the attention of a young man who’d been leaning against it, and grabbed onto a low-hanging rope.  The two of them pulled themselves up into the rigging—to harass whoever was up in the crow’s nest into taking a break, probably.

Buggy watched them climb for a minute, a frown crawling its way across his face.  When Shanks finally gets up the nerve to talk to you… so there was something Shanks was hiding that he didn’t think he should, huh?  Buggy had figured the feeling he was getting off Shanks was about one of those topics he’d had private conversations with Roger about way back when, not something that Shanks would consider any of Buggy’s business.  But apparently that wasn’t the case.

Buggy’s frown deepened.  He could come up with a list of topics Shanks wouldn’t want to broach but would still feel obligated to bring up, no problem.  But that list was short, and Buggy didn’t like the thought of discussing anything on it.

Unsettled, Buggy leaned back against the mast, arms crossed.

“Look out below!!!”

Buggy looked up and shrieked at the sight of a man falling head-first out of the crow’s nest.  He scattered—it wasn’t like his body would soften the blow enough that the guy would live—and then blinked, as a rope he hadn’t noticed went taut, and the falling slowed to a gentle, somehow mechanical motion.

“The hell is wrong with you?!” he demanded, floating up to be eye-level with the slowly descending man.  This was, if Buggy remembered correctly, Shanks’ sniper, Yasopp, of the infamous years-long tempting out to sea.  Someone with good aim, and a keen eye, but not particularly decisive—or, at least, he hadn’t been back then.  He was also apparently someone with a shitty sense of humor; he wasn’t answering Buggy’s question because he was too busy laughing and pointing at Buggy.

“Your face!  Oh, my stomach hurts,” he said, clutching at his waist.  “Oh man, that was almost worth getting kicked out of the nest.”  As they approached the ground, he shifted his weight so his feet would touch down first, and untangled himself from the rope with practiced ease.  “Phew.  Sorry, uh—Buggy, right?  Yeah, sorry about that.  The crew knows better than to stand so close to the mast when the watch changes, and I didn’t think to check before I jumped.”

“Jumping from the crow’s nest for fun.”  Buggy shook his head.  “And here I thought you people were almost respectable.”  Yasopp, the maniac, cackled.  Beckman, drifting down to the deck on his own rope mechanism, in a much more orderly fashion, chuckled a little.

“It’s possible we’ve been on… well, not our best behavior.  Let’s call it better behavior than usual, these last few days,” Beckman admitted.  “Except for Yasopp, who doesn’t know the meaning of the concept and so stays up in his nest.”

“You haven’t been on your best behavior, you’re as mean as ever,” Yasopp said, putting on an over-the-top pout.

Beckman rolled his eyes.  “Because I need to be, to get anything done around here,” he said.  “And you need a break.  Drink, talk to someone, tinker with one of your ridiculous trick bullets, I don’t care, just—let someone else keep an eye on things for a few hours, okay?”  He nudged Yasopp in the side with an elbow.  “Or are you gonna say you didn’t train your juniors well enough at their job?”

Yasopp crossed his arms, sulky.  “No,” he conceded.

“Good,” Beckman said.  Giving Buggy an apologetic grimace as he untied himself, he said, “I trust he’s apologized to you already?”  His tone suggested that if he hadn’t, Yasopp would soon regret it.

What a mother hen of a first mate, Buggy thought, fighting down a smile. “Yeah, yeah, it’s fine,” he said, shrugging off the incident like it hadn’t carved a decade off his lifespan.  “I should’ve known you people had to be at least a little crazy, since you run around with Shanks.”

A small smile crossed Beckman’s face, and Yasopp muffled a snort of laughter in a fist.

Someone called out in a panicky tone for Beckman from a far corner of the ship, and the smile fell off his face.  “If you’ll excuse me?”  Not waiting for a reply from either of them, Beckman walked off.

“So mean,” Yasopp said, fondness creeping into his voice.

“That’s first mates for you,” Buggy said, unable to keep a similar fondness out of his own voice.  Shanks had done a good job finding this guy.  When you grew up with the gold standard first mate (or, heh, the Silvers standard?), it was hard to find someone who could measure up.  “Keeping things in order when your captain’s lost his head.”

Yasopp chuckled.  “Ah, the boss isn’t that bad off.”  When Buggy gave him a skeptical look, he smirked.  “Lost his heart, maybe, but he knows where his head’s at.”

“I—uh.”  Flustered, Buggy cleared his throat.  He’d really just gone and said it.  “You’re a lot less subtle than your crewmates.”

Yasopp shrugged.  “I leave subtlety to subtle men.  I’m not built for it; I’m built for getting to the heart of the matter, and doing it fast.”  He extended two fingers towards Buggy, lifted his thumb into the air, and twitched his hand like it was a gun recoiling.  “We both know where things stand.  What’s the use in dancing around it?”

“Sure,” Buggy muttered, his thoughts going back to what Beckman had said.  What was it Shanks both didn’t want to tell him and needed to tell him?  What was there left unsaid, besides the sort of thing Buggy had already decided didn’t need saying?  He crossed his arms.  Damn it, he’d been trying to avoid thinking about this shit!

“Hey,” Yasopp said, snapping his fingers to draw Buggy’s attention.  “You work with bombs, right?  You make them yourself?”

Welcoming the change in topic, Buggy scoffed.  “Of course,” he said, “only an idiot trusts the kind of weapons manufacturers who are willing to sell to pirates to make explosives that are good, reliable, and cheap, and I have better things to spend my money on.”  He narrowed his eyes at Yasopp.  “Why?”

“Because Beck just gave me permission to tinker with my trick bullets, and if you make your own explosives you might be able to figure out what I’m doing wrong with this one.”  Digging around in one of his oversized ammunition pouches, Yasopp presented Buggy with an unusually lightweight cartridge.  “Here, what do you think?”

Buggy cracked the cartridge open, curious.  Inside was a pool of silvery-black gunpowder and a thin-walled hollow bullet, which proved to have some other kind of powder inside.  Buggy pinched that powder between two fingers, rubbing them together to feel the grit and then sniffing at the residue left behind.  He stared at his fingers, baffled, and smelled them again.  “What is that, aluminum and an ammonium salt?”  Yasopp nodded.  “Are you trying to make a cartridge that explodes in the barrel?”

Yasopp sighed, running a hand through his locs.  “What I want is a smoke bomb I can fire out of a gun.  What I’m getting is… that, more or less.”

“Yeah, of course you are, a big velocity change ignites this stuff easily.  With a different catalyst, though, or maybe a better sealed chamber…” Buggy trailed off, considering the bullet.  A miniature smoke bomb, huh?  Something that could stand up to the initial shock of gunfire, and turns to noise and powder on impact… “Do you have a chem lab around here somewhere?”

Yasopp grinned.

The two of them didn’t emerge from Yasopp’s workroom until the bell rang out announcing last call for lunch.  Buggy wasn’t sure he’d ever get the metallic burnt smell out of these clothes, but he didn’t care; this had been fun, the kind of idle experimenting with explosives that he hadn’t had time to do in years.  Buggy hadn’t realized how much of a man’s free time it ate up, captaining even a smallish crew, until he’d gotten a fraction of that time back.

“Too bad we didn’t figure out a solution for your smoke bullet problem,” he said, dusting the last of the gunpowder off his shirt sleeves.

“Eh, I’ve been working on this on and off for months, it wasn’t gonna be an easy fix,” Yasopp said, shrugging his star-spangled cloak back on.  “But it got both of us out of our heads for a few hours, so I’d hardly call it a waste.”

Buggy blinked at him, frozen with one arm in his jacket.  “Both of us?”

“You were fretting, I don’t know what about.  Shanks, at a guess.  And I’m… not good at letting other people take on my responsibilities.”  Yasopp grimaced.  “Beck doesn’t always have to toss me out of the nest, but…”

Buggy frowned, sliding the jacket up his other arm.  “I wasn’t fretting.”

Yasopp gave him an unimpressed look.  “Sure.  And what kind of concealer do you use to hide the frown lines you must have, if you make that face every hour of the day?”  When Buggy scowled at him, Yasopp said, “I’m not a subtle man, remember?  If you want somebody to pretend to believe your lies, you’re looking at the wrong guy.”

Buggy sighed.  As Yasopp locked the workroom up behind them, he admitted, “It… was good to get out of my head for a while.”  Yasopp gave him a squeeze on the shoulder, and they left it at that.

Lunch was a bit less exciting than the past few days had led Buggy to expect: the fried rice with pickled cabbage and ham that had been served with Shanks’ breakfast was the main dish on offer, with other repurposed leftovers making up the rest of the meal.  When Roux wasn’t looking, Buggy gave him a curious look.  The rest of the crew had been on their best behavior, according to Beckman… so, had Lucky Roux been showing off?  If he had, it had worked on Buggy; he still wanted to poach Roux for his own crew, even if this less impressive offering was his usual fare.

Eating his bowl of rice with a couple promising-looking toppings—all well-spiced and delicious, of course—Buggy made his way out onto the main deck.  A few Red-Haired and Whitebeard Pirates glanced Buggy’s way, but most of them had gotten used to Buggy over the last few days and returned to their meals without paying him any mind.  He peered down at the lower deck, crowded with men in worn prison uniforms standing in surprisingly well-organized clusters of twos and fours, finishing their lunch.

“Afternoon, men!” he called.

“Captain Buggy!” they cheered.

“Let’s see,” Buggy said, and on a whim set aside his bowl to chop off his feet and swoop down, close enough to excite his men but just out of reach.  “Aren’t you arranged all nice and orderly?  It looks like you did as I asked.”

“Of course!”

“We’d do anything you asked, Captain Buggy!”

Buggy grinned.  Music to his ears.  “Then I suppose I should reward you, shouldn’t I?”  A few excited sounds rose from the crowd as Buggy returned to his spot on the deck above them.  “Hm… I’ve told you a few stories of the old days with Captain Roger, and a few more adventures of the great Captain Buggy’s crew.  But there’s someone I’ve yet to introduce you to, a captain who’s been allied with me and mine these last few months.”  Someone who might need some convincing to cooperate with the sudden appearance of all these guys… and who was more eager for praise than even Buggy.  “Let me tell you how the strong, beautiful Iron Mace Alvida saved my life.”

A hush fell over the crowd.

“Yes, I know what you’re thinking: the great Captain Buggy, in need of rescue?!”  The wide-eyed stares Buggy received confirmed this.  And by the look of it, some of the men were mentally tacking on the phrase by a woman? to that question, as he’d suspected they would.  Yeah, best to nip that potential problem in the bud.  “Well, I’d been through a terrible trial in the days leading up to our first meeting.  Separated from my crew, from my body, alone on a half-wrecked ship, starving, a vicious sea monster rising out of the waves before me, his many-toothed maw dripping with drool, eager to eat me—when suddenly!  A great iron mace came down on his skull!”  Buggy slammed his lunch bowl against the railing, the crash of metal on wood drawing the eye of every man below.

Buggy grinned.  If they hadn’t been hooked before, they sure were now.

He fudged some of the details, of course—no need to reveal exactly who had put him through that terrible trial, or how his crew had behaved in his absence.  But the broad strokes were true enough, and the changes he made were in support of his reason for telling the story: to convince these guys to respect Alvida, to flatter her as they did him, to make this joining of forces go as smoothly as possible.  Sure, it didn’t put Buggy in the best light, at least not at first, but he didn’t want Alvida taking a perceived slight out on a man who might be able to stand up to her mace.  If revealing one of his weaknesses was how he avoided that disaster, so be it.

He was just reaching the ‘rescuing his crew from cannibals’ climax of the story when a cry rang out from above: “Land ho!”

Finally.  The relief that rushed through Buggy nearly made him cry.  After all the many hells he’d been through since being arrested… things could finally start getting back to normal.

“We’ll continue this story after we disembark,” Buggy announced, to a few disappointed groans from his men.  “Find your buddy if you lost track of him during lunch!  Make sure you both have everything you’re taking with you!  Stay out of the way of the Red-Haired Pirates while they’re get us to shore, but be ready to leave the second we’re docked!”

“Aye, Captain!”

But of course, it wasn’t quite that simple.

Buggy found Galdino sitting in the empty mess with Lucky Roux, making polite conversation over a pot of tea.  Though, with these two, it might not actually be the conversation it seemed to be—something about the island Roux sourced his tea from?  Apparently it was a distinctive blend, and hard to acquire.

“Did you need something, Buggy?” Galdino asked, an undertone of irritation to his voice.  Because of course Buggy needed something, why else did he ever seek Galdino out?

Well, if Galdino didn’t want to be used, he shouldn’t have made himself so useful.

“The dock’s gone,” Buggy said.  “Either rotted through or swept away in a storm.”

Galdino glanced up at him, and set down his teacup.  “Well, at least it’ll be a challenge.  Lucky Roux, it’s been a pleasure.”

“It’s sure been something, having you people aboard,” Roux said with a wide smile.  “Hopefully not for the last time.”

Buggy snorted.  “In your captain’s dreams.”

Galdino muffled a laugh in his fist; Roux didn’t bother concealing his amusement.  Buggy realized how his words had come off, scowled, and stormed out of the mess with a mutter of, “Come on, Galdino.”

The two of them joined Beckman and the Red-Haired Pirates’ navigator at the bow of the ship, and considered the space where a dock clearly used to be.  A ship this big, an island with such a sharp drop from shore to sea?  They wouldn’t be able to land without a dock. 

“Can you do it?” Beckman asked.

“I’ll need to begin from the shore,” Galdino said, thoughtful.  “If it isn’t well anchored from the start it’ll drift away.”

“That’s no problem.” Buggy chopped his feet off and leaned forward, letting Galdino sit cross-legged on his back.  He flew them to shore, where Galdino made some long wax spears that Buggy wedged into place.  When they were securely dug in, Galdino melted the tops of the spears and, starting from that spot, created more wax to mold into a floating dock.  Nothing that would be any good at anchoring a ship the size of the Red Force long-term, but they didn’t intend to be here any longer than necessary.  So long as it could hold firm while the men disembarked, that was all they needed.

While Galdino worked, Buggy hovered above the canopy, looking for any kind of promising location to settle his men.  He quickly spotted the ruins Beckman had mentioned—several of the old buildings were tall enough to be seen well above the treetops, the gray of the stone standing out against all the greenery of the jungle.  There was one with a large paved area around it, not far from the shore, which seemed promising.  Buggy took a moment to fix the spot in his memory, then went back to tell Galdino about it.

Galdino barely paid him any mind. He was focused on his work, and confident enough in it to stand on the dock as he was building it, a foot or two of wax all that separated him from the awful, helpless death that awaited any Devil Fruit user in the ocean.  It was bold of him; Buggy preferred a nice, reliable boat any day.

“Any messages to pass on to the men?” he asked, hovering at Galdino’s shoulder.

“They’ll need to be light on their feet, and should stick to the center of the dock,” Galdino said.  He was starting to sweat; extruding this much wax in one go must take a lot of effort.  “If their weight isn’t balanced right, one wrong move could capsize this whole thing.”

Buggy blanched.  Yeah, he could never.  “Noted,” he squeaked, and flew back to the Red Force to convey these instructions.

Despite Galdino’s warnings, the disembarkation went well.  Buggy watched with no small amount of pride as the buddy system worked beautifully, each pair of men walking down the gangplank, across the waxen dock, and onto the shore without any signs of a bottleneck developing.  Being listened to was nice—it was very nice—but being listened to, having your orders followed, and seeing them work exactly as you imagined, now that was heaven.  Buggy might not be the strongest pirate the world had ever seen, but damn it, he was good at this shit.

As the last dozen pairs prepared to leave the Red Force, Buggy felt a gentle weight press down on his foot.  He frowned, tried to remember where he’d left his feet, and only then noticed a presence on the main deck that made his hackles rise.

Shanks.

“Are you holding my feet hostage?”

“That depends,” Shanks said, giving Buggy an unreadable look.  “Are you leaving without saying goodbye?”

Oh, this guy.  On his own ship, surrounded on all sides by his most trusted officers, and still managing to look like some kind of miserable wet cat, terrified of being left alone.

“And how was I supposed to say goodbye to someone who’s been hiding from me?” Buggy asked, instead of the dozen meaner things he wanted to say.

Shanks glanced away, suddenly awkward, and Buggy took the opportunity to look him over.  The shower had done him good, gotten him clean of all that secondhand makeup—though it had not, Buggy noticed with a quiet little thrill, removed the bruises that had apparently been hiding underneath some of that makeup.  His hair looked nicer, almost healthy, even pinned back by the sunglasses Shanks had propped up high on his forehead.  “Are these the shame glasses I’ve heard so much about?”

Shanks’ hand rose to fiddle with the temple of the glasses.  “Ah, yeah.”

“I thought your crew was supposed to laugh at you while you were wearing them?”

“They’ve been laughing at me, all day,” Shanks said, tired.  “And they’ve been right to, given… everything.”

Well, that was ominous.

With a sigh, Shanks said, “There’s something I should have told you earlier, Buggy, but there never seemed to be a good time, and… I didn’t know how to say it.”  A sheepish smile pulling at the corner of his lip, he said, “I still don’t, to be honest,” and pulled the sunglasses down over his eyes.

It took Buggy a moment to put it together.  Shanks’ discomfort, the way the large mirrored lenses took up so much space on his face, the nervous twist of his lips… then Shanks ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead, and it clicked.  All the blood draining out of his face, Buggy caught Beckman’s eye; he nodded, ever so slightly.

(Fuck.)

Buggy got up in Shanks’ face, looking past his own wide-eyed reflection to confirm that spark of recognition.  Shanks leaned back, Buggy reconnected to his own feet, and at this angle… yeah, he knew that face.  He’d kissed it, once.

(Oh fuck, he’d pickpocketed that guy, too.)

Fighting down a hysterical burst of laughter, Buggy said, voice high-pitched from the strain, “Well, uh, thanks for the ride, Shanks!  I’d say I owe you one, but I’m pretty sure you still owe me another two or three dozen favors before we’re even.”  He backed up, hands brushing along the railing as he inched towards the stairs, and beyond them the gangplank, the dock, the island, freedom.

(Somewhere he could have a little breakdown about this revelation in private.)

“Buggy…” Shanks cautiously held out a hand.

Buggy pulled back out of reach.  “I’m not saying goodbye to you, Shanks!” he snapped.  Shanks faltered, his hurt visible even past those ridiculous sunglasses, and Buggy sighed.  Did he have to spell it out?  “Stupid.  I already told you.”

Confusion wasn’t a much better look on Shanks.  Well, either he’d figure out or he wouldn’t.

Buggy rolled his eyes, spun around, and ran off.  Over his shoulder, he promised, “Until next time, Red-Hair!”

[bsgpiece]

How will the final months of pregnancy be and how is the crew's reacting to the baby coming soon?

Yayyy, let's slowly get back to answering questions 🥰 LONG POST SORRY

I have a few doubts myself about how it would be at the end, but here we go!

I do think everybody will be very excited for a baby in the crew! I can totally imagine they all reunited wanting to name the baby and competing over the best names (not that Nami or Sanji would pick any of them), who would become the babie's favorite uncle or aunt and things like that.

Until the third trimester they'd be only picturing the good stuff, like, what bad could a baby do?

It's so cute and fun!

As time flies and her body changes, belly getting bigger, Nami will start to have normal limitations for advanced pregnancy, and the crew will spare her from too much effort or stress.

I imagine her feeling guilty about it at first, thinking she's slowing down the crew and giving them extra work (not that anyone actually thinks something like that), and try to compensate doing a lot of extra stuff!

Of course it won't last longer, and Sanji will show her how the crew only cares about her and that it's perfectly fine she's not the same anymore. She doesn't have to be.

She's changing, they're changing. Their lives will never be the same anymore! And you know what? It couldn't be better! They couldn't be happier together and the crew knew and cherish that.

As the due date comes closer and closer, Sanji and Nami will get really anxious about some serious questions: is the sea a safe place to raise a baby? What if Nami goes into labor, is the ship a safe place for it? Should they stay the next months or even years in some island? Start new lives? Give up being pirates?

They knew the crew would support any decisions they make, but it wouldn't be easy.

I can't decide which way they'll take, but I don't think they would leave the crew. Perhaps go back to the east blue? Stay there for the first months or year? Maybe that's more likely.

At the end I believe they'll trust Chopper to help delivery the baby (and I imagine all the crew making big efforts to equip the ship with everything he'll need for that), but at the same time try to go near the coast of an ally territory in case of need.

The crew will definetely be by their side in everything, wanting to make sure the baby arrives in safety. They would never blame Sanji or Nami for changing the crew's dynamic or something like that. They'd be all genuinely happy for them.

I honestly think Sanji and Nami will eventually realize there's no safer place then being around the strongest pirate crew on Earth lmao and just trust their nakamas to protect them.

HOWEVER

I do believe this will be a breakpoint for all the other strawhats changing perspective about their lives and maybe thinking about different lifestyles they may want, settling down and having their own families. Not all of them at once, but maybe, just maybe, they'll slowly start looking for what will comes after piracy.

Here's one last sketch of Sanji and Nami waiting for their lovely daughter

Thanks if you read until here! I love everything about Sanji and Nami, sharing my ideas and headcanons like that makes me really happy. There are so much detail to talk about yet! Hope I can get to it someday.

Anyone feel free to ask me anything, I'll answer everybody, just might take a little time 💕

[29daffodils]

Ik you have a lot of asks from this post, and if you choose not to reply, please feel no pressure to do so

I am by no means a 30yo, nor do i think i have a long enough experience in this fandom to make a huge comment- but i do have experience in being in fandoms that ship very real people and have dealt with that for as long as i remember.

This has basically enabled me to separate most bs from reality when it comes to fanservice. FKT and a very few other ships (or sometimes just one half of the ships) are people with whom i find myself staggered to think whether they should be behaving the way they so-comfortably do, just for the sake of fanservice.

Another thing that I'd add is- directors such as P'Jojo and P'Aof have known and worked with most GMMTV actors in some scope or the other. In FKT's case, it has happened multiple times, and they have essentially seen these two grow up to become the brilliant actors and people they are. These two directors are also known to take a lot of inspiration from life around them, including experiences of friends, family, themselves and ofc the actors who are playing their characters. They have even made characters with specific actors in mind. Which may have lead to Khao's dreams bleeding into Bison's, and we might see the same for other bits of the characters as the show airs.

hi nonnie!

haha yes i do have quite a few asks and honestly, than you (and others) for your insight. I haven't shipped any rpf before last year : accidentally watched kpts and shipped vegaspete so hard and thought “oh bible and biu have a really comfortable relationship with eo” and look how that worked for me lmaoo

i think i still have ptsd from that alone lol, but I'm in general a very cautious and distrustful person, so fanservice — especially the more intimate moments about sharing dreams or spaces and such, i kinda hate it when they turn out to be fabricated. in that sense, it kinda just left a bad taste in my mouth.

but now that i know khao has talked about the whole aurora thing before mentioning it recently, and that the directors do take inspiration from the actors themselves, i think I'm more at ease. it still doesn't feel entirely right to me in terms of storytelling perspective because, if you squint, then kantbison essentially becomes fkt fanfiction lmao, and i am a fanfiction author.

i've only recently realised that this whole thing — being inspired by actors — is pretty common in thailand with BLs, at least a friend told me how kinn's character in kpts is literally drawn from mile.

so yeah. all in all i just hope the story isn't entirely a fkt fanfiction. i have watched bits and pieces of the “get to know your killers” interview and so far kantbison really seem wayyyyyyyy too much like firstkhaotung. which maybe alright for most people, but... i dunno, except for me. i will still love the show and gush about it and the acting, i know. but since I haven't been in rpf for long, sometimes it becomes difficult to separate the truth from what's being fed to us in the name of a CP. and honestly, believing that people share dreams only for them to have fabricated all of that some characters, makes me, as a fan, feel incredibly stupid.

like I don't even ship fkt, neither did i ship biblebiu, but i do value friendships between people a lot, and I'm.. a little sensitive about it , i guess. hahah, my bad.

sorry this got long but you sent a nice ask. thank you again, hope ya have a good day!

edit : whoop, i didn't see that it wasn't anon. I'm sorry. forgive this old blind woman.

[misc-obeyme]

idk about anyone else but i always love crack ships and ships in general, i can always appreciate other ships, even if they're not my otp. It just means more content to enjoy!

Luci and Solomon would be fun as a pairing i think. If I had a crack ship, it'd be Solomon and Mammon. I don't know if they've had any moments at all together. Maybe one.

But Solomon has been steadily climbing up my favorites list on the ladder since nightbringer. Though he'll never take Mammon's place for number one lol. But I like to imagine them both with my mc.

I can imagine Mammon accidentally getting his hands on a really rare spell book and instead of selling it, gifting it to the two of them with the excuse that he couldn't get any offers for it (he is lying and it's obvious from his blush)

Or Solomon coming across a rare item he forgot about and gifting it to Mammon because he thinks he'd like it. Or digging through his collection for something he's willing to part with to help Mammon with debt, saying something about needing to get rid of it is all.

and after writing these little blurbs i will be thinking about these dummies a lot more, it is no longer an 'if' i think. new ship and new ot3 ig akskfj

okay I'm done rambling LMAO thank you for your time

- ✨ anon

Okay, yes, I absolutely love crackships. I can also appreciate other ships, I have no problem with any of that at all. I say people should ship whoever they like.

While I always write x reader, I actually have quite a few Obey Me ships that I like. DiaLuci of course which I actually did write a little story for per a request I received. Those two are just so obvious, how can you not ship it, right? I'm also fond of SoloSim because I think those two have an interesting dynamic. And of course there's SimeBarb which is also just really cute. I'm down with BarBeel and Solodeus too though to a lesser extent. And while I never really considered it before, apparently there is also Diavolo/Belphie (sorry I don't know their ship name lol), which is not something I thought of, but I don't dislike it!

My favorite crackship is absolutely SoloLuci. I love their relationship already, it's so funny to me, and I just can't help but enjoy the idea of them actually ending up together because it would be even funnier to me. Like I could write whole stories about them.

My other big crackship is Mammon/Barbatos. (BarbMam??) Again, I just find this to be absolutely hilarious. I could write whole stories about them, too, and I'd be laughing the whole time lol.

Okay one last crackship from me that I think would be fun is Diavolo/Asmodeus. Because listen, Asmo would be so into being queen lololol. And I just think it'd make Lucifer so mad, too. I'm sorry I just think it's so funny I can't help myself.

Of course, any and all of these become a little less crazy if MC is involved, but I generally consider these ships without MC. I did write that little blurb about a Solomon/MC/Lucifer threesome, but I generally like to think of them without MC because that just makes it so much funnier to me.

I love your description of a Solomon/MC/Mammon throuple situation, though. I always felt like Mammon didn't like Solomon lol but yo neither does Lucifer so. But I think with an MC that they both love and care for to kind of initiate the necessity of them being in close proximity and getting along... yeah, I could see all of the things you describe happening.

That'd be super adorable, now I'm just imagining them starting a little trio band and calling it MC and the Mons. (I'm so sorry.)

Anyway, I love your new ot3 I hope they bring you much joy!!

[swallowtailed]

palisade 54 / finalisade pt. 9

ah, god, palisade. felt very tender about the prospect of this episode. unfortunately the dice went so bad that i'm now like eek. oof. uh oh

ultimately though i don't actually think the balance of fortune and misfortune is going to be especially impactful to the overall thrust of the epilogues? there's a lot of other narrative material coming to bear on characters' endings, and fatt tends toward pyrrhic victorics anyway. also, yknow, preexisting plans for a sequel season.

cori's balance is really pretty bad though lmao

brnine leaving without the blue channel was very surprising to me at first, but i liked where they ended up with their burdens--largely juking them simply by running away, yet still haunted by the knowledge that lattice is aboard the blue channel, and leaving only with the promise of returning. that's all very brnine. it doesn't quite feel like a full ending for them, though.

it was also very sweet that their last conversation involved both being a mentor figure to cori and getting deadpan roasted by thisbe

loved the minnow aquarium portal concept. every school of resonant minnows being quantum entangled is so fascinating to me. it's probably hilarious on a physics level, but i don't know enough quantum physics to tell, so i'm mostly just enjoying imagining that the minnows photosynthesize, haloarchaea style. or i would also accept that they're spacecraft remoras

also--blue channel being the first of a series of waterway names among mbreak, then brnine building an aquarium as mbreak's way out of the mirage--that felt really clean.

really interesting that brnine still feels the "nail in the head" of apostolosian nationalism. never dealing with their past <3

it's true that having the world without end still around is accurate to the overall approach to time in the divine cycle, but that still does not make it realistic in any way lmfao. however i do think jack's wrong that it's a different fisherman. obviously that is the same fisherman.

incidentally jack has been killing it on worldbuilding all finalisade

dre protesting that they should know when their characters are dead was extremely funny

wakeful generation ship has a lot of potential. excited to see where that goes

related: i'm so curious about austin's list of unresolved threads

i really liked the bit of cori and elle's banter we got in cori's scene. they have such a fun relationship. excited to (hopefully) see the two of them in p3--i'd love to see cori to navigate betrayal, conflicting allegiances, etc (per arbitrage contract) in an existing relationship. redefine devotion for herself, maybe. i'm still not compelled by arbitrage as a villain but i'll make an exception for yuri

the shed that transports you somewhere else: sangfielle crossover

also extremely good music holy shit

cori murdering gallica was a wild beat. (elle for elect of present??) and i'm so, so excited to see cori's epilogue with perennial

one more episode left... epilogues... finalisade of finalisade........

[many-gay-magpies]

I have been tagged in “WIP Wunday” by both @babyseraphim and @williamvapespeare! Thank you both for the tag lovelies, these are such fun <33

This is slightly cheating because this fic is basically done except MAYBE some minor edits, and it’ll probably get posted tomorrow. BUT I haven’t shared much of it and I’m very proud of it, so sneak peek time! ‘Tis the fic based off a dream I had in which Charles and Edwin smooch underwater, now titled ‘Take Me Under (Take Me Home)’

A loud crash sounds from somewhere behind Edwin. Charles, he recalls, had stepped into the teleportation circle a mere few seconds after he did. “Charles?” Edwin calls into the darkness. There comes first a groan, nonetheless relieving for having sounded in Charles’s familiar voice. A minute chord of tension releases in Edwin’s chest. “Yeah, mate,” Charles responds eventually. Edwin turns towards the sound of Charles’s voice, reaching blindly out with one hand while the other seeks the wall to his left. It, like the floor, is partially corporeal under his palm, putting up a vaguely tingly resistance and releasing a hollow echoing sound when he knocks into it. Every step is accompanied by the same. Their enclosure is metal, then—with just enough iron content to keep a ghost from passing through. Edwin hums. “It appears we have been transported into some sort of spectral holding cell. Or perhaps a shipping crate.” Charles’s hand reaches back from the dark, finding Edwin’s forearm and clamping tight. Another thread of tension uncoils at the refreshing solidity of his touch. Charles, too, seems to exhale in relief, drawing Edwin minutely closer. “Brills,” he says, with no small amount of sarcasm. “Figures the old bugger would have his place booby-trapped to hell and back. Should I get us a light, then?” “Yes, that would be helpful.”

And in a more WIP-y vein, here is this, a paragraph from the beginning of (yet again) more smut lmao (though much more on the soft/tender intimacy side this time). Idk when this one will be done because I have also just been absolutely slam-dunked into a shitton of new inspiration for my post-canon casefic (which finally has a name!) and that will take priority as soon as I can actually sit down to write it, but HERE enjoy:

It is new still—not the feeling, but the freedom of its expression. Only a month has passed since Charles sat Edwin down and confessed he didn’t quite need forever to figure out the rest, after all. It laces Edwin’s breath up tight, like drawstrings pulled around the meeting between his lungs and esophagus (or what phantoms of them still remain), to feel the love he has so great for this boy as close to sleeping as ghosts can get in his lap. It makes him want to kiss Charles, and though he can do so freely now, he does not.

I will be no-pressure tagging @blusandbirds, @wordsinhaled, and anyone who sees this and wants to do it! like almost all the people I would have tagged in this have already been tagged LMAO

[lily-alphonse]

hihi!! i read ur sandy fic literally today and i couldn't get it out of my head im so obsessed😭it hurts SO good i just finished rereading it again, and I was wondering, since Steve refuses to talk about his previous experience at the End, what actually happened there? :0 (sorry if this is smth that's easy to piece together I'm not very bright sometimes T-T) Also, did you have any ideas on stuff that happened in other cycles that you didn't end up including? Hehe, personally my headcanon is that for their first hug in a future reunion, Steve would try to hug Sandy for as long as he can before Sandy learns that it hurts him, so that he can get his proper hug dosage in. Sandy give that lonely man a hug damnit :') He's been waiting for like 3 lifetimes!!

EEEEEEEEE

Ok first, if you are reading this and haven't read Sandy: An Enderman Tale, here is the AO3 link, this is going to be a spoiler-filled discussion

And second I want everyone to know that fic writers DIE for this level of engagement, I'm deceased, melted into the ground and incredibly flattered, thank you 😭🪦

Now to answer

Oh gosh the End. Oh man. Well consider this, right. How many Enderman does the average player have to kill to even open the End portal?

😬

Lmao yeah... that's... not something Steve is proud of.

I hadn't put much thought into it before but here is how I imagine things would have gone before the events of the fic, which will also explain Steve's hangups surrounding the End.

Steve wakes up in the world of Minecraft with no memory. He only knows his name, and that he is not of this world. He begins as an even more reckless adventurer than he is now, and just wants to experience everything the world has to offer

He kills a ton of Enderman and uses their pearls to find and open the portal. He knows somehow this portal is his escape out of this world

He makes it to the End and dies in his first attempt to kill the dragon. It was a rash decision to even try, he isn't even all that certain he wants to leave this world yet. He intends to go back some day, maybe once he is tired of being immortal.

It is at this point that he meets Sandy. Sandy saves Steve, playing out much like chapter 1 except for more hesitance on Steve's part. They have a tenuous ally-ship, mostly held up by the fact that Sandy won't quit following Steve.

Steve is hesitant to accept that Sandy could be good because of all of the Endermen he's slain assuming they were mindless monsters. What if one of them was Sandy? What if they are all like Sandy?

While he is in denial and trying to process, Sandy just keeps following him. Like I'm imagining he even builds a base under a lake only for Sandy to pop in as soon as he builds a ceiling tall enough lol

Steve lashes out at Sandy in misdirected anger at himself. Ok wait Ive just decided something very dramatic, he strikes Sandy when they won't stop following him. He's almost surprised when Sandy subsequently goes insane and hits him back, and he actually ends up killing them.

Instant regret. The Enderpearl left behind fucking haunts him. He goes to the End again out of desperation. Maybe there is some kind of answer to be found there, maybe Sandy will respawn there somewhere.

He finds nothing. It's exactly like the last time. Just endstone and faceless Endermen and a dragon that wants to kill him. But in a way everything has changed since the last time he was here. HE isn't the same.

As a last ditch effort, or maybe feeling sorry for himself, he makes eye contact with an Enderman. Sandy doesn't come to save him this time, and he is ripped apart. It feels fitting, in any case, that they should have a tiny taste of retribution for what he's done to them.

A long time passes before he encounters Sandy again. He's decided he's not leaving this world. Clearly there is so much more to experience that he can't even fathom, if his friendship with Sandy was even possible.

When Sandy finds him again he is beside himself, and actually scares Sandy away with his intense reaction. So he learns to be more casual about it in the future lol. He also learns that explaining what happened at the End is a no-no, because when he mentioned attacking the Enderdragon, Sandy got angry and went away for a long time.

There is a lot of trial and error in this go around. Sandy would either die because of rain or getting in the way of a monster again. Or maybe they attempt the Nether and Steve learns, no more Nether, lmao.

I did want to expand on the concept of the End with that in mind. It becomes sort of a symbol of his past failures and who he used to be. Even the fact that he nearly killed the Enderdragon and escaped this place haunts him.

He still has a lot of growing to do, he still displays selfishness and recklessness, but his relationship with Sandy is steadily making him a better person.

I love that you have a headcanon that's so fun for me. I would also like them to have a very long hug BUT it wouldn't be in the beginning since Sandy is easily spooked at first. At the end of the last chapter, Sandy is more accepting of the physical affection. So it just takes a while for them to warm up to the idea. It would prbly also help if Steve didn't make them kill him at any point lol. I see them making hugs a regular thing in a future lifetime, as long as Star is sitting somewhere out of sight!

Thank you for your ask and your incredible support my heart is warm ♥️