#midydoof art

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

“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 abandoned.

and so shanks and buggy return to their status quo: buggy shouting, shanks amused. i really cannot overstate how much i adore @midydoof’s art, y’all. the dreamy watercolors, the facial expressions… every piece, every time, a delight. i hope you are all as appreciative as i am.

for any new readers: this is part eight of eight (yes, we’ve reached the end!) of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is about forty-six hundred words and brings us to the end of our story, with shanks and buggy going their separate ways—for now.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

“Fine!!” Buggy growled, snatching up the scrap of paper.  He fixed the number in his mind and tucked it away.  “But remember: I’m still mad at you!”

His hand outstretched, a smile crept across Shanks’ face.  “Okay, Buggy.  Call me sometime, we’ll meet up so you can remind me why.”

—

“I’m still mad at you,” Buggy said around a skewer of fishcakes, jabbing a finger at Shanks.

Shanks giggled, deep in his cups.  “Sure, sure,” he said agreeably.  “Tell me more about your induction, did Sengoku really keep calm the whole time?  With you there?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

—

“I’m still mad at you!” Buggy spat, right in Shanks’ face.  Then, startled, he glanced down between them.

“Did—did you just…?”

Shanks’ hand loosened its grip on Buggy’s shoulder.  “Be as mad at me as you like,” he breathed, sounding even more stunned than Buggy.  “Apparently I’m into that.”

—

“I’m still mad at you!” Buggy choked out, clutching Shanks’ hand.

Shanks rolled his eyes.  “Really?  Now?”

Idiot.  “And I’ll remind you of that every day for the rest of my life!”

Finally putting together what Buggy meant—had maybe always meant—when he said those words, Shanks smiled, awestruck.

—

“I’m still mad at you,” Buggy grumbled, passing Shanks a half-coconut filled with rum.  His own drink, a bit more balanced in the coconut water to rum ratio, went down smooth.

Shanks laughed, unbothered.  He was as relaxed as Buggy had ever seen him.  “Yeah, yeah.  Love you too, Buggy.”

" -And I'll remind you of that every day for the rest of my life"

I was stuck in an airport with the thought 'Buggy would find a way to incorporate "I'm still mad at you" into his wedding vows' and then it spiraled a bit.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Shanks—Buggy blinked, not believing what he was seeing—pouted.  “Can’t I get a kiss goodbye?” If someone had told him even yesterday that Shanks would become such a baby the second he was shown the smallest bit of affection… “You know what?  Fine.”  A delighted expression bloomed on Shanks’ face as Buggy walked back to his side.  Buggy smiled, laid a loud, wet kiss dead-center on his forehead, and pulled back to watch his face crumple.

@midydoof is as much of a menace as buggy himself. how am i supposed to go about my daily life while this art exists??

this part has had a few lines of new dialogue added to one scene; i realized as i was doing my edits that i’d dropped the ball on one of the topics of conversation buggy wanted to discuss in an earlier chapter, and this was a tidy way to take care of that loose end.

for any new readers: this is part seven of eight of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is about fifty-five hundred words, and sees us through the usual morning after problems that come with people like shanks (captain of the ship, sap) and buggy (clown, idiot).

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

“Yesterday, you said you’d like to sit down and catch up if you weren’t so busy. If you really meant that… I hear tomorrow’s gonna be a shore day, at least for those of us who don’t have a real role on your ship, so I was thinking…” Buggy shrugged, trying for nonchalant. “I dunno. Maybe we could do that? Can you spare an hour for me?” “Yeah!” Shanks grinned, so wide and bright Buggy could hardly bear to look at it. “Absolutely, I’d love that. But forget an hour, I can give you the whole day if you want.” When Buggy frowned, puzzled, Shanks explained, “I was about to ask you to make time for me.”

i am no doubt repeating myself, but: @midydoof is so good at faces that, like buggy, i can hardly stand to look at this. just—augh, my heart.

for any new readers: this is part two of eight of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is a little over three thousand words, and sees buggy eating breakfast, telling tales, and making plans with shanks.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

“Even if I could bear it, we’ve always wanted different things as pirates, we wouldn’t work well together.  So what do you want here?  What are you trying to get?” Shanks smiled, a slightly sad edge to it, and lifted Buggy’s hand to his lips.  He pressed an insistent kiss to the back of the hand, like he was a prince out of some fairy story.  “Time with you, Buggy.  That’s all I dared hope for.”

another moment i 100% wrote to bait @midydoof into drawing it, another time it totally backfired on me because i cannot help but swoon every time i look at this. just, mentally i am here: 🥰🥰🥰

for any new readers: this is part six of eight of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is about fifty-six hundred words, and sees buggy finally stop overthinking things and just kiss the guy already.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Buggy craned his head back to look up at Shanks.  He looked tall from this angle, and taller still when he leaned over Buggy, resting his hand on the back of the bench.  Shanks’ expression was unreadable, but intense.  Buggy’s mouth felt dry again.  Oh, this was bad.

i don’t know what to tell you, folks, if this @midydoof art doesn’t rock your entire world we may just be fundamentally different types of people, because this made my god damn month when i first saw it. it’s a miracle i didn’t give in and share it with y’all immediately.

for any new readers: this is part five of eight of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is a little over five thousand words, and is basically just the cover to chapter 581. really! pay—pay no attention to the art and blurb up top! this chapter’s just about oden, i promise! (...the soup, not the samurai.)

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Buggy leaned back against the alley wall and spread his legs wide to make himself appear shorter (and to be easier to hide). When Shanks didn’t seem to get the memo, Buggy rolled his eyes and tugged him closer, and closer, until Shanks was standing almost too close for propriety, the bottom hem of his cape hiding both of them from view. His hands pressed to the wall above Buggy’s shoulders, Shanks stared at him intently, an eyebrow going up as they heard the Marines run past without giving their hiding spot so much as a first glance, let alone a second one. “Impressive,” he said.

i suspect i'm gonna end up saying something like this every time, but i just adore the art @midydoof made for this one. the lighting! the poses! the very clever way of drawing buggy when he's so well disguised he shouldn't look like buggy!

for any new readers: this is a little under two thousand words of post-roguetown, pre-canon shanks/buggy, once again involving disguises (though one of them was better planned out) and first kisses.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

“When I saw these scars the first time, I thought to myself, I wouldn’t have let that happen!” Buggy laughed; Shanks’ face was frozen in surprise. “Yeah, stupid, right? Like I could’ve gotten between you and Teach. Like I would’ve wanted to.” Buggy shrugged. “Still thought it.” Giving in to the impulse, Buggy pressed forward, tracing his thumb down the line of the outermost scar.  It was rough, a sharp-edged divot in Shanks’ face.  Unnatural, especially on someone like him.  “It’s weird, seeing proof you can actually get hurt.” Shanks’ eyes had fluttered shut; they opened at these last words.  “Buggy…”

confession time: i only wrote this scar-touching sequence because i was certain that if i wrote it, @midydoof would draw it. and on one hand: yup, called it, good job self, but on the other, i have been haunted by this image ever since. augh, shanks' face. (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

for any new readers: this is part four of eight of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is a little over forty-five hundred words, and covers the morning portion of shanks and buggy's date totally platonic day out.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Shanks leaned in. Just as he got too close for propriety, he sucked in a breath. In a whisper, he said, “That was you?” Buggy gave him a look that said: Obviously. That said: How else would I know about it? That said: Why? Does it matter? Did it matter? He stared up at Shanks, and, far from the first time, had no idea what he was thinking.

y'all. i just can't stand it. the faces are too good. idk how @midydoof takes my words and turns them into stuff like this every time. artists are fucking magic.

this part has probably had the most changes made to it to prepare for crossposting, including an entirely new scene at the very beginning to make the fic more clearly a "between the pages of canon" story. we're covering everything that happens to buggy from just after chapter 580 to just before chapter 593! also i think the new first scene makes the last line of the fic read better.

for any new readers: this is the beginning of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! it should be eight parts totaling a little over thirty thousand words by the end. this part is about three thousand words, and gets buggy and his hundred-or-so closest friends aboard shanks' ship, the red force.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Shanks was not entirely sure how things had gone so far out of his control, but here he was: twenty-four years old, a burgeoning pirate captain, being kissed by his old rival/friend/crush (by Buggy!) in the back of a hat shop in the East Blue.

here it is: the piece that started it all. the drawing that made me expand a six-hundred word ficlet into over thirty thousand words of nearly canon-compliant shuggy fic. god, i fucking love this art. (shanks' face!) @midydoof's the best.

the fic has been edited a bit since its original tumblr posting, both for spelling/grammar issues and to make the story a little more substantial so it can stand on its own, without the context of the original post.

to any new readers: this is about a thousand words of post-roguetown, pre-canon shanks/buggy, involving hastily-put-together disguises, technically-mistaken-identities, and first kisses.

enjoy!

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Galdino paused.  He looked very closely at Buggy, who flushed a little under such scrutiny.  Galdino pressed his hands together like someone about to start praying, took a deep breath, and let it out very slowly.  “How about I tell you what I thought was happening, and then you can tell me what you think is going on.” Hm.  Ominous.

@midydoof continues to absolutely nail the expressions i was imagining when i wrote this fic. galdino’s really going through it this chapter. (he’s really going through it in this fic as a whole, tbh. one of many downsides to trying to make yourself invaluable to somebody like buggy: you become invaluable to somebody like buggy.)

for any new readers: this is part three of eight of the long, post-marineford part of this shanks/buggy series! this part is a little over twenty-five hundred words, and sees buggy pretending he isn't having a crisis and galdino doing his best to advise someone who won't tell him what he needs advice about.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Buggy was always the best at finding good hiding places.

Not like Shanks, who’d inevitably overlook some crack in the wall that carried sound straight through to Mr. Rayleigh’s quarters, or a dip in the tarp ceiling where rainwater would pool and eventually spill right on top of your book. No, every Buggy-sanctioned hiding spot was primo real estate: secure, cozy, and totally invisible to the outside world.

Shanks wasn’t surprised to see he’d yet to lose the knack. Somehow, on Shanks’ own ship, he’d found a spot that Shanks had never seen before. The sight of him there, that familiar-unfamiliar back grown broad with time, in a space that should belong to Shanks but was undeniably Buggy’s own, made so much fondness well up in Shanks that he thought for a moment he might choke on it.

The moment passed, and Shanks was left with the exhaustion that had brought him drifting in Buggy’s wake in the first place. A hiding spot claimed by Buggy was one that was safe, guaranteed to be free from onlookers, and right now that was something Shanks needed more than words could say.

He looked without looking, confirmed they were alone, and let the exhaustion weighing him down literally weigh him down, pulling his back into a tired curve, his head coming to rest against that dear, deceptively strong back.

Buggy’s shoulders spasmed as he cursed, loud and vivid with surprise. “Damn it Shanks, don’t sneak up on me! Get off!”

Shanks huffed a sigh against Buggy’s shoulder. Well, he hadn’t really expected a warmer welcome than that. “Sorry, Buggy,” he murmured. “Just give me a moment, please.” Not really meaning to say it, or at least not meaning for Buggy to hear it, he whispered, “I’m so tired.”

He could feel Buggy’s eyes on him, but he couldn’t bring himself to move, not even the half inch it would take to lift his eyes to see how Buggy was judging him today. He knew Buggy would be judging; he always had, and Shanks had always been found wanting. (He deserved to be found wanting.) But right now he couldn’t bear it.

And then a miracle happened.

One of Buggy’s hands patted Shanks on the shoulder, an awkward attempt at comfort from a man who’d never been very good at it. He huffed an affronted, put-upon sigh. “Fine,” Buggy allowed. “Two minutes!  And you owe me!”

A small smile crossed Shanks’ face, pressed deep into the reassuring bulk of Buggy’s back. He could stop, if only for a minute.

“Thanks.”

Yonko in need of a break. Just for 2 minutes. Then it's back to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

You were worried about that kissing scene???? It was so good I was reading it while giggling and kicking my little feet

(context in the tags; the kissing scene in question)

oh, absolutely i was. like i said back when an anon asked me for shuggy kiss headcanons, i am usually so ace that all i can write is fade to black kissing scenes (where i establish that kissing happened but do not describe the kiss at all), so writing a kissing scene with any kind of detail is really new to me.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

me an hour ago, writing fic on the clock bc Why Not: augh, i just can't handle scenes with physical intimacy, i'm too ace for this, i'm just gonna mention that kissing happened and move on

me now: …orrrr maybe i can go back and describe this kiss in loving detail for five hundred words, anything's possible

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Three asks in one

1. “since i don't think shanks is likely to find out this particular truth” you don’t think so? I’m gonna be honest I always hoped they would make amends with both learning the truth. I really don’t want this to be one sided. I think shanks is hiding a lot and I hate the idea of him not knowing how much buggy saw in him.

2. “an act of public humiliation?” We need a whole episode where shanks just agrees to that and the whole 20 minutes is just him in random situations with buggy next to him who in the worst possible moments asks him to do weird humiliating but stupid stuff. Shanks will be talking to gorosei and suddenly he hears “and now crack the egg on your forehead”

3. Sorry if it’s already there, I couldn’t find it. but will you ever post your nonfic shuggy thing on ao3?

(context for 2/3 of this)

well, as much as i would like for shanks to find out the truth, i don't actually think mihawk's gonna spill the beans, and i find it hard to imagine buggy ever being honest with shanks about it. but maybe i'm wrong! maybe they get to laugh tale at the same time and it starts raining and buggy snaps and dramatically reveals all! he's a hard one to predict sometimes.

i would 100% watch that episode.

the near miss fics aren't posted on ao3—yet! i have some edits (mostly spag, some content & structure) to make before they're ao3 ready, and i'm holding off on some of those until after i finish the post-marineford story. (i do think i'm on the last part, but it's been a hard part to write.) but fear not, you'll know when it's going up on ao3 because i won't be subtle about it! i'm gonna crosspost! and self-reblog! and share all the art @midydoof has been sending me!! (i am very excited for that last part especially :3c)

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

SCREAMMM

@the-obnoxious-sibling wrote me such a wonderful fanfic for the OPexchange back in April and I've been dying to illustrate one of my favourite scenes from it ever since.

Again, a thousand thanks for the fic buddy, it brightens my day just to think back on it ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ