#regressor shanks

[wordy-little-witch]

Also sliding in and out to ask if you have any other op characters you could see as regressors other than Buggy? Personal fav for me is Robin, partly I can’t find anything for her as the regressor, partly cuz she deserves it, partly because imagining Franky as her primary SUUUUUUPER caretaker is healing to the heart. (One of Little Robins favorite games is to climb on his back while he pretends to be flabbergasted and goes „Oh noooo where did Robin gooooo? Has anyone seen Robin?“ while she just giggles as he pretends to shield his eyes to look towards the horizon)

YES ACTUALLY!!!! I focus mostly on Buggy because he's my absolute favorite but I do in fact hc others as regressors

I'll divide them out under the cut with some headcanons as well bc this may.... get long honestly.

Robin

• starting here because she is the one in the ask and you're RIGHT AND SHOULD SAY IT LOUDLY!!!!!!!!!

• she's a playful person and that only gets x100 when she feels safe to regress

• she spent so long hypervigilant that it was honestly only with the Strawhats that she finally relaxed a little and wound up feeling that fuzzy blurry aspect in her head which took away some inhibitions. Nobody made a big deal out of it the first few times it happened. they were just happy she was happy. It's only after she reads a book on psychology on a whim that she begins piecing some things together.

• everyone is really excited when she finally feels comfortable to talk to them about it. And, in doing so, a few others on the crew also realize they may either benefit from it or already do it themselves.

• Robin really loves games and playing when she's regressed, and she laughs more openly when she's little.

• Franky is her primary caregiver, but everyone else on the crew also chips in constantly. (Zoro specifically always keeps an extra close eye when she's running around anywhere near the railing or somewhere potentially dangerous. He's the king of gentle redirection)

• Sanji will make her extra fun little snacks, cut fruit or little finger foods. He melts every time she beams at him or giggles or thanks him. He just wants to squish her cheeks~

• not an Aeathetic Regressor, honestly. She does what makes her happy, and her clothes aren't necessary for that, she's not obsessed with pastels or anything, she still finds morbid things amusing. She will, however, become the BIGGEST clothes thief ever and toddle after Franky in one of his button ups, spouting random facts about decomposition and the science of decay.

• spooky baby!!!!!!! Not on purpose, but she IS!!!!!!

• Luffy and her get on like a house on fire. He's one of her favorite people when regressed because he's just that perfect mix of On Her Level and Protective. He also has Mega Siblihg Energy. While Luffy himself is a complicated topic I'll get into later, he does take being her playmate and protector VERY seriously. He's also a polyglot bc I love the idea of him not being dumb at all, just operating on a different wavelength. They bond over Weird Facts and Special Interests, and they speak different languages a lot together, accidentally even making their own on occasion. ((Luffy also calls her mi pequeña luna even before the whole Gear 5 Thing, which becomes a bit of an inside joke))

• chewy stims chewy stims chewy stims if it can go in her mouth while she's distracted, it WILL.

• no particular age range, but she has determined she's likely an older kid - perhaps around the ballpark of nine? Maybe. Maybe not. Doesn't matter.

• can, will, and has justbwordless gone to Usopp, plopped down on her tummy, kicking her feet and Stared. He pauses slightly. "Story?" She nods. "Okay..... yeah, I got one-!!"

Moving on~

Luffy

• I will die on this hill bc I have so many thoughts on it and nobody does it??? Justice?????????????

• he is SO resistant to it, honestly. This may come as a huge shock to many, but this boy is a Captain and had to grow and survive FAST. He may be a little weird or perceived as 'dumb', but he is most certainly NOT. I love Dadan, Makino and even Shanks, but his most stable adult relationships were a barmaid, a flighty pirate, and a largely hands-off bandit woman. He canonically faced potentially lethal ordeals as "training" from a man he loved, yes, but also FEARED. It's overlooked so often bc of how optimistic and bright and semi-competent he is, but that boy has So Much Trauma.

• he's the captain and so he puts a LOT of pressure on himself, though it's rarely seen point blank.

• I think he involuntarily regresses pretty often and hides it exceptionally well by either Faking It or hiding away as quickly as possible.

• personal hc here that Robin was the first to address regression with the crew, everyone gave it a try bc Nobody There Had A Good Childhood, and nobody noticed that Luffy.... didn't. Or rather, nobody brought it up. At first.

• it's baby steps. They let him be. They never push, but they do encourage the times when his lock on his Haki gets a little fuzzier, bubbly, and his laughter is bright and clear and innocent.

• Luffy has a lot to unpack, and it only really comes to ahead when he's teetering just a little during dinner one night, wriggling happily, someone reaches past a little too quickly, a little too close to his head, and he flinches. Everyone freezes. The mood drops like an anchor. Luffy apologizes. He's subsequently smothered.

• getting Luffy to really regress is difficult. One would think it would be easy with his normal demeanor. One would be very very wrong. The Luffy he is now is the one cobbled together by his experiences, under layers and layers of protective shielding and self applied armor of love. Luffy acts most like a child when he's big. Luffy acts far different when he's little.

• he also looks different when he's little. Current theory is the weirdness of his Devil Fruit, the way his body shifts and morphs according to whims and wants and stimuli. He used to shrink down after Gear 3, so sometimes just.... physically being tiny isn't TOO unusual. And having the little white curls peppered into raven hair is odd, but it is Luffy, they've seen, done and experienced weirder....

• Lil Lu, as dubbed by the Great and Powerful Big Bro Usopp, is quiet. He's firm stares beneath messy curls, red-brown eyes peeling layers of a person back and studying them bc that is how he can tell who is Safe and who is Not. He is not diluted by the cloak of sunshine, though stars still glow in his veins. He's quiet, he's slightly calmer, but he's also... more open than they're used to. Luffy doesn't cry easy. Lil Lu seems to make up for that in excess. He happy cries, angry cries, sad cries - they all learn to navigate the different tones of tears.

• Lil Lu also picks his people. It's usually not the exact same, but he'll choose a person and be their duckling for the day or evening. Sometimes it's Sanji, and Lu wants to help and hold his pants leg and just Be There. Sometimes it's Nami, and he helps count out the berri or draws her pictures while she works on a map, beaming under ink smudges and parchment smells. Sometimes it's Zoro, with the naps and occasional playtime, or Usopp and Chopper with games and stories. Sometimes it's Robin and Franky, the former big or little, the latter delighting in the trust given to him. Sometimes it's Brook or Jinbei, the oldest on the crew who understand better than most when the weight of the world crushes a too-small chest and grief stains his every cell. Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's many, and sometimes he wants to be alone. It's all progress.

Shanks

• ironically, not a whole lot on him. His regression is blurry at best, and it's diluted in part due to his alcoholism. It mostly manifests in going semi or nonverbal, wanting more hugs and cuddles, being a little more emotional than usual - something often times attributed to drinking as opposed to smth psychological.

• his crew eventually puts it together that Drunk Shanks and Needy Shanks are very different, and they simply adjust accordingly. Nobody ever really.... brings it up?? But they know. And Shanks knows. And they know that Shanks knows. That's enough for them.

• honestly Shanks' regression is on the older end, but it's from around the time he was selectively mute.

• traumatized teenage captain hours.

• really likes texture stims btw. Lucky Roux made him slime once and he was mesmerized for hours.

Law

• not a regressor but I wanted to include him anyway bc he went the full opposite of everyone else. He vibes as a caregiver no I do not make the rules but I do enforce them.

• Law, upon meeting little Robin and Lil Lu: you activated my Loving Side, now SUFFER- ((He spoils them but has safety rules and they thrive with the structure honestly, 100/10, he and Franky become The Best At Wrangling The Tinies))

Uta

• I don't know quite yet how she vibes but the vibe is THERE okay, it simply IS and I will die on that hill. She either regresses or she's a caregiver, but regardless she is very Big Sister Coded, especially to Luffy.

Perona

• pastel goth baby. On the younger end, and Mihawk and Zoro were the ones who clocked her habits at Kuraigana. She herself never really clocked it but they both started.... slowly accommodating it, and she was blindsided by it.

• eventually came to terms with it, and while they never put a name to the behaviors, Zoro knew damn well what was going on after sailing with Robin. Big Brother Energy honestly.

• it's only after the time skip, after some time away, and when she reunites with Mihawk that the greatest swordsman knows now what it was, thanks in part to Buggy.

• on that note, she and Buggy get on like a house on fire and it's adorable and mildly terrifying bc smth may, in fact, literally catch fire.

Okay that's all I have rn ily thanks for the ask, y'all have no idea how happy it makes me to see stuff in my inbox ♡♡♡♡♡♡

[marimology]

Would it be alright to request some sfw agere with a transman reader x Shanks, Beckman & Rayleigh (separately, or just whichever characters you're comfortable with)? Just like pure fluff/comfort please- I'm so glad I found this blog man there's never any content for POC or transmen/men so thank you so much 🙏🏾

notes : mini spoilers regarding shanks’s background story i’m sorry this is so short anon it’s been a while since i’ve written agere content 😭

— goes into “whatever my boy wants my boy gets” mode

— you definitely drawn on his face before ( with washable marker ofc)

— he also regresses because he had his earlier childhood spent on rogers ship

— prank calling buggy

— hides paci’s around the ship (this wasn’t on purpose you both just lose stuff)

— you want to “match scars with him”? he’s grabbing a marker and drawing his face scars on you.

— if you regress when he’s not around one of your comfort items is a strawhat you both made together

— “sailor, prince, captain, first mate” are names he likes to call you

— likes to trap you in a blanket burrito or jokingly puts you in “air jail”

— in the one piece world they probably have coloring book versions of wanted posters, you own one and you both like to color in his crews posters.

“it’s beckmann ^_^” *shows beckmann*

“why do i have purple hair?” beckmann

“why don’t you have purple hair” shanks tapping his foot arms cross

[babybatsanonymous]

Regressor Uta who has accidentally knocked out Shanks MULTIPLE times because she didn't realise she was singing.

[shinydreamtacoprune-blog]

i plug my phone in bc )it died, and )it was bathtime for me (god i sound like a fvckin age regressor rn) um-

and then i come back downstairs to my phone again, go on this app, and see i have 51 notifications/chats?

omg

shank y'all 🤪

[dragon-queen21]

HI ! back again, im sorry for the lack of closure of my last ramble, i was going through it and just couldnt write anymore (im fine now!) i apologize for that and all the typos. i didnt get to re-read it before i submitted it.

-Im actually half hispanic too! twins! but your right, i can definitely see ace being pretty good at spanish, and luffy knowing a selective amount. luffy can hold a conversation but hes not going to start speaking it fluently out of nowhere. all his crew can speak the same language, and robin is always there if someone else doesnt speak what they are, so he definitely wouldnt have as much practice as if he were still living in the goa kingdom.

-kinda odd hc but for some reason i also feel like spanish would be his first language considering his island would be located in brazil and then he was taught english by maybe garp? or makino? (or would it be japanese? sorry i watch in dub) and shanks was the one who taught him more of eng/jp (like slang, nicknames, etc) and ge eventually just picked it up more and like you said his spanish got really rusty

-imagine that when ace luffy and sabo were kids luffy tried to teach them eng/jp. it was actually going pretty good until the 3 of them started spurting out pirate lingo when garp was around.

now fast forward imagine little luffy with ace and luffy starts trying to teach ace eng/jp and ace is pretending to learn it all again to make him happy aweeeee

-Now back on captain smoker, luffy somehow gets smoker to carry him or hold his hand (the fear of being alone is insane) and smoker is PRAYINGG his men dont find him. theyd totally tattle on him

imagine luffy getting upset because they cant find his crew and smoker is trying his boy scouts best to calm him down. smoker is sweating BULLETS on the hunt for these strawhats (all of a sudden when he needs them theyre not causing a rucus) (smoker ends up getting luffy like candy or something to try and chill him out)

smoker gives luffy back to the crew and theyre all debating whether or not to tell smoker that luffys actually a baby right now (they end of giving him their gratitudes and booking it for the time being, knowing luffy, theres gonna be a next time.)

-i also wanna drop what if shanks were with luffy if he were regressed? how would that come about? maybe luffy regresses after not seein shanks for ten years and shanks is just like “this checks out” and treats him how he used to ? him and shanks’ crew all just chill with little luffy, i find that ADORABLE. (luffy and usopp regress together on the red force and yasopp gets to treat his son, like the child he left banchina with) (sorry im a believer that usopp doesn’t absolutely HATE his dad)

-babyspace luffy being babied by shanks (and the crew) because everyone in the one piece world just KNOWSSSS dragons a dead beat, and theres no way garp coddled this kid HE WOULDNT BE SEEN DEAD

wow can you believe this and my last submission was supposed to be about sanji? luffy stole the spotlight

okay this is getting way to long i fear, but thank you for continuing to read and answer my rambles, i mean when i say that it means a lot to me. and in your last-last reply to me, im happy that i can make your day. i hope these continue to do so. thank you so much🤍

and i wanna say this, dont ever feel that you need to answer my asks, i understand that i write a lot, i dont ever want to overwhelm you.

📷

Eh first of all,don’t worry about any typeos, have you seen my writing even proof reading I struggle man ;-; I’m just glad you’re feeling better <3

Second; eyyy twins!!! :D

~Mkay but I will raise you one, Luffy ‘teaching’ Ace swear words and then being like “bu’ you can’t say those cause den Sanji and Nami get angry if you says.”

“trying his boy scouts best”

<- XD I love that. Poor guy. The ONE time not a single thing is happening anywhere!

~Smoker offering to buy Luffy cotton candy when he sees a sweets stand, only has the regressor crying more, babbling something about a… Chopper??? And he’s so confused. Kids like candy. What the heck?!

~ I can imagine meeting up with Shanks and a conversation going something like this.

“Uh captain, you aren’t wondering what’s happening to Luffy or if this is like- a devil fruit affect?”

Shanks meanwhile with a toddler regressed Luffy clinging to his side

“Nah, seems normal to me”

~Usopp would definitely be shy around his father. Sticking towards Luffy and following his lead.

~Let Luffy be spoiled! He needs the love and attention that he gives others.

“Luffy stole the spotlight”

<- As he often does. You know I started a fic with Nami and Usopp and it slowly just evolved to just start focusing on Luffy. It just can’t be helped sometimes :3

I love answering these! I literally got home and was like :0 :D new message!! They don’t overwhelm me at all. As long as you’re okay with me taking a couple days to respond :3

<3<3<3

[the-leech-lord]

STIMBOARD MASTERLIST PART 3

SDMP/SMPLive

Jschaltt

Apandah

Aztrosist

Mikasacus

MrToasten

Joko

Disney

Snow White

Cinderella

Aurora

Maleficent

Ariel x Nani

Ariel

Ursula

Belle

Jasmine

Hercules

Hades

Buzz Lightyear

Woody

Misc

Kamen Rider Ichigo

1984

Purple snake

Girl by Daoko

Blackie from Nightmare Cafe

Smiley from The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

Warden from Superjail

Comic collector

Mafuyu Asahina

Big Al from Vocaloid

Raised by the World Wide Web by Crustsox

Literally Me by Cyborg9k

Kinitopet

Charlie Dompler

Pim Pimling

Mesmerizer by 32ki

Shitposts

The Hardest Image to Ever be Put to Pen and Paper Stimboard

Anti-stim Q

me after collecting the old dirty asbestos from the ‘popcorn’ ceiling (very yummy)

Wokey D Pronouns

Sonichu

Agere

Regressor! Goku

Regressor! Swap Sans

Caregiver! Swap Papyrus

Regressor! Dream Sans

Regressor! Luffy

Caregiver! Sanji

Caregiver! Zoro

Flip! Shanks

Caregiver! Scotty

Pet regressor! Sanji

[wordy-little-witch]

Buggy should get to do Crocodiles nails and it should be a very comforting experience for both of them. For Crocodile because not only does he feel handsome in his body after transitioning to a point that made him comfortable, but he also now feels like this finally gives him the ability to enjoy something again that he had mixed feelings about when he hadn’t transitioned yet, beautiful, dark and harsh colors coating nails on a hand that felt too feminine in a way he couldn’t describe yet.

Buggy just likes to sit crosslegged between crocodiles legs on the couch, back touching his chest, as he instructs the man to lay his remaining hand to rest his hand in his lap and Buggy gets to debate with himself wether today a sharp crimson color or a more subtle, velvety plum kind of tone would be more applicable.

This originally was just about little!Buggy but honestly Buggy is such a fashionista that when he has finally widdled Crocodile down and proven that, yes, it actually DOES look really good, he probably could even convince him to do this once or twice a week

… That being said Buggy, age eleven doing Shanks nails with some polish they looted from the last marines and Roger walking into the room like “…. what’s going on here?” “C-Captain!?” “We… I … Buggy and I…. We were doing our nails- I ASKED HIM TO HONESTLY AND-“

“Me next.”

Cue Roger walking around with an incredibly amateurish and not specifically color matched manicure for the next few days or so.

Okay but honestly? I'm in love with this. Little! Buggy probably would have fun spa days with his crew, where they all do each other's nails and hair, and he's THRIVING there it's fun and he can stim and wriggle and laugh and it's amazing. Maybe the first time Crocodile caves is after a few times where he's joined them, maybe something about the gathering in question is Off or Buggy's struggling to drop. The Logia user makes a semi-rash decision.

"Here," he rumbles, reaching a hand out to tap Buggy's shoulder. "Don't make me regret this, brat."

It's the start of a frequent occurrence. Buggy, big or little, enjoys working with his hands and the focus can help him calm down and relax when he's a little too tightly wound. Sometimes Mihawk will give him a chance to do his nails, too - and Buggy hates that he thinks it, but he really prefers Croc's hands when he's regressed. The size difference and semi-gruff/semi-gentle way he offers it just takes Buggy to those precious few years when he truly felt safe and loved and it's only reinforced when they care about him so much. Mihawk is refreshingly new, but Crocodile is comfortingly familiar.

Speaking of familiar and the past, however, that bit with Shanks and Buggy? They really would. I have the weirdest suspicion they both swiped some bottles from the same place, and convened later on like "look what u got for yo-OHHHH!!!!"

They're up late, doing each other's nails by lantern light, trying to stay quiet but struggling between the giggling and excitement. And they both freeze when the door swings open.

"What are you boys doing up so late- oh. What's going on here?"

And Buggy chokes a little, so Shanks dives headfirst into babbling explanations, trying to take the prospective heat off of Buggy, both a little scared and-

Roger grins. "Can I be next?"

They blink, dumbfounded. But they nod. He settles down with an exaggerated groan onto the floor, complaining about his "old man bones", getting giggles from his boys. They look over the bottles, and Roger decides one can have a hand each - make it fair, he claims. Shanks does some solid color on each nail of his delegated hand, tongue out as he adds random embellishments. Buggy takes a few moments longer before he does a neutral coat, then carefully does his best at a mix between french tips and a wave pattern with white and blue. On the ring finger, he giggles nefariously to himself as he takes a toothpick and adds a red flower.

It's messy, not professional in the slightest but Roger wears it proudly, even if he choked on air when he saw Buggy's handiwork, threatening to noogie the kid when his nails dried.

((Bonus points, someone on the crew tried to make a snarky teasing remark to Buggy for his bright nails One (1) Time the next day. Shanks lunged into the exchange to gush about his own nails. Roger then got involved too, showing off his nails. Then he decided to "make it a crew bonding experience!!" The next island they docked at, he demanded they get "nail paints. All the nail paint!!"

"It's nail polish, captain."

"All the nail polish!!!!"

It's weird at first, but it becomes fun when everyone finally relaxes. Buggy turns out to be one of the best with the brushes, and the others let him practice on them frequently. It's a rare spot of harmless fun))

((Bonus points, the sentiment spreads to the Whitebeards too after one battle where Roger cries because the fight chipped his manicure and he begged Buggy to fix it. Sitting around the fire, Buggy just plops into his captain's lap, holds the man's hand in his own lap, and works on fixing it. Whitebeard chuckles warmly about it, and the captains make conversation about it. Newgate then drops a casual question of "do you accept new clients, little blue?"

So Buggy winds up getting passed over lap to lap, starting with whitebeard and including many others. Izou and he get into a spirited conversation about color theory and beauty tips.

He's very happy that Teach hard passed on it, and to this day he doesn't know if it was genuine disinterest or if the other declined due to the absolutely murderous waves of Haki coming from Shanks every time he got within several feet of Buggy. Regardless, he is grateful)).

Just. Buggy being a little fashionista and tiny Diva, Big or Little and the cuteness that ensues and just AAAAAAA

(Also whatever you do, don't imagine Buggy, regressed, laying on his tummy, kicking his feet and concentrating so hard while he carefully paints Ritchie's claws. Don't think about Buggy going Puppy's claws so they match and getting guavawani kisses during the whole thing which results in giggle fits and a messy but happy clown. Don't do it, buddy. You might die-))

[wordy-little-witch]

Shanks and Buggy should both be regressors because Shanks also feels like a mayoralty depressed little guy to me and if anyone has taken a number just as much as Buggy did from his days as a Roger pirate it’s him thanks for listening to my Ted talk.

No but srsly I can just imagine Shanks as having some extremely off days where he usually drinks himself into a stupor because yay bad coping mechanism, but what would actually do him some good is to feel taken care off again or to at least be with someone who „gets it“

Buggy would absolutely „get it“, even tough he also probably would be reluctant to even just watch after a regressed Shanks at first. Probably has an easier time when he’s also regressed and feeling just a bit older than Shanks and can take that responsibility („older“ is a broad term here since Shanks regression is mostly nonverbal and also muddled. He could be anywhere from 15 to 5 and sometimes he’s somehow both at the same time somehow). In that case he will go absolutely „annoyed but caring older brother“ mode on Shanks tough, who’d just follow him around like an oversized Puppy and mostly just watches him do stuff with curiosity. Rarely initiates anything play related, rarely talks and rarely asks for anything, but if Buggy snatches a knife out of his hand and berated him for using something so dangerous in his state, before cutting the apple Shanks was about to cut himself, he’ll just beam at him with happiness.

Oh and also, chews on everything. Chews on the cloth of his coat, chews on his fingers, chews on random piece of driftwood he found at the beach. Has probably more than once been catapulted out of his regressive state because he was chewing on a pen and then realized to his horror that „Oh fuck. I obliterated this thing.“ before looking at a befuddled Benn with blue ink all over his lips.

YESYESYES THIS THIS ENTIRELY THIS X100000000

Okay but on a absolutely dead serious note, I feel like Shanks regressing as well is absolutely within realm of possibilities. I feel like Buggy probably does it more... idk, visibly? Identifiably? Shanks usually passes as just "Oh it's just one of those moods" whereas Buggy hides away instinctively and struggles to let anyone in on that level of vulnerability because of how absolutely WACKED out his trust issues are.

Honestly, when it comes down to it, they both have this ingrained instinctive reaction to one another. Buggy is feeling too tiny in the face of the world? Shanks can't tell where his lines end and the world begins beneath the fluff and fuzz? Small things of each other are what brings comfort.

Buggy has a red blanket, his favorite blanket with eyelets and lacing, he adores it, the fiddling, the texture, the color, and he refuses to tell anyone or admit to himself that, half asleep, cuddling that blanket, the lacing pressed to his cheek, it isn't a tent around him, earth beneath him, it isn't on land where he's resting - it's on a boat, in a tiny storage room turned cabin, in a hammock or on the floor or in a familiar yet distant bed, far too big for a far larger man,, sea salt in the air and his Red under his snuggling might.

When Shanks is fuzzy and struggling to process input, struggling to offer output beyond the pressure in his teeth against whatever can soothe the urge, he is staring at the sea, he is looking at the shifting blue hues and remembering bright hair and brighter eyes that shifted just the same with the waves of emotion in a familiar little face. He is remembering a time when he would feel funny like this and a smaller, paler, scarred little hand would grab his and drag him away from whatever was going on, would gently smack a knife from his hand, would take over and complain with faux-anger in his high little voice as he mothered the redhead and blushed furiously when Shanks turned that warm-fuzzy-heated-happiness into a smile to give to him.

Even decades later, years apart, pieces of each other remain and offer comfort when needed the most.

Should the rifts between them ever mend, should a world exist where the rift is not there, or is not quite to jagged and jarring, they'd be each other's. They always have been and always will be, soulmates in any and ever way imaginable, a connection deeper than labels can define and beyond the spectrum that humans use.

They, to this day, would find safety and security with each other. Buggy's regression is still hypervigilant, perceptive and cerebral which offsets Shanks' body and brawn. They click in ways most can't fathom but simply Is and Was and Will Be.

The first time Shanks visits Karai Bari, Crocodile and Mihawk see it first hand. There is a time frame there, and initial setting of the stage. Buggy and Shanks fall into banter as easily as breathing, biting comments and affable laughter, but it's in the body language that the truth lies. It's how Buggy can lean into Shank's space, on the side of his missing arm, pass into that vulnerable spot and Shanks does not move away. He just smiles, easily, as if this isn't something he'd flinched away from not even three years ago when Mihawk himself passed that space. It's how Shanks reaches out easily and catches one of Buggy's flailing arms and the jester doesn't disconnect to keep moving, just squirms and complains loudly. It's how they easily meet eyes and millions of words are exchanged between two men with barely a thought.

It's then how later on in the night, as they are relaxing post dinner, Mihawk feels the pickling-flowering-gauzy sensation Buggy's Haki makes when he is teetering on headspaces, when he makes the decision to attempt a tasteful exit with his little clown in toe, and the swordsman watches as Buggy slips easily into Shanks's space, grabs his bottle of nameless drink, and drops it to the floor with a pout. "No," he demands, grabbing Shanks by the cheeks and bonking their heads together. "'S bad for you."

Mihawk expects many thing and yet nothing by way of reaction from his former rival. By the way Crocodile shifts his weight and hand minutely, he is preparing as well. Neither is ready for the little plume of strawberry-spiced-clouds by way of the other emperor's energy oozing from him as he laughs - it's nearly a giggle, nearly a snicker, and his hand comes up to tap-tap pause tap-tap on the freckled arm of his clown-faced captor.

Buggy just giggles, nodding. Shanks beams and doesn't hesitate, lunging. Mihawk is quick to grab Crocodile's shoulder, palm haki coated to be safe, watching on as he realizes suddenly that the two Emperors before him had so suddenly, so readily, become the two little Princes before him in complete confidence. There's an emotional component there, he knows, can feel it in his diaphragm, but that takes the back burner in lieu of the dawning realization from his sand man boyfriend at his hip, watching the children cling and laugh and push at each other.

Before a scaffold was built in a small east blue city some two decades ago, two boys were each other's in a way nobody could explain or replicate. It was a bond forged on survival, trauma, codependency, and dreams bigger than their little hearts even put together could weather. Despite the tlchanging tides and dawning eras and passing days-months-years between, they've never strayed far from that - front what they are, from who they are to each other. They've changed. But that's always the same.

And now, they have just a few more people on hand who are willing to ride the waves there at their sides in varying capacities.

Mihawk and Crocodile never expected to have two semi feral part time kids, but weirder things have happened.

They don't really mind rolling with those punches

[wordy-little-witch]

Regressor Buggy concepts to cope with my current stress (apartment complex is having work done which involves horrible drills and AAAAAAAA BADSOUNDBADSOUND -)

So let's gooooo

• Buggy doesn't really have an age range - or if he does, it's so wacked out bc of his baseline that he just goes "mmm shrug". Mihawk actually asked him about it because, after feeling Buggy's Haki shift the way it had the first time he was faced with the situation, he dove into research and books to figure out what it was, how to help, etc.

• Crocodile also looked into it a little more, but not to the same extent as Mihawk; or rather, not to that extent in theoretical knowledge. He looked into options for toys, clothes, etc. Their love languages are acts of service (Mihawk), and gift giving (Crocodile), so they do their best. They just happen to go overboard.

• Buggy has always been a clothes thief, so honestly when he's regressed, nothing makes him feel cozier than a too-big-button up. Especially if it's stolen. And smells safe. And the owner of said shirt is big, grumpy and chases him for it.

• Buggy's actually pretty low maintenance when regressed depending on Vibe. Often times, his idea of a good time is parallel play or coexisting comfortably. That can mean playing with his ropes or blocks while Croc does paperwork and Mihawk reads, or it can be cuddled up with a 'wani and reading himself or playing with his hair. Sensory seeking lil guy.

• Top Ten Nap Spots With Baby Bug:

1) Crocodile's Lap

2) Mihawk's bed

3) with Ritchie or his guavawani, Puppy

4) rafters

5) his bed, but specifically with all his plushies

6) bottom of Alvida's closet

7) hammocks

8) Shanks' bed

9) in the aerial silks

10) on the top level of the big storage loft in the meeting room.

• Buggy is the reigning champion of hide and seek - up to the game being semi-banned unless Mihawk is on the island and involved because Buggy's Haki is akin to a cloud and he's the only one who can track Bugs when he's regressed and hiding.

• Buggy isn't exactly a picky eater, but regressed he can come off as picky. In actuality, before being adopted by Roger, he didn't exactly have access to lots of food, and on the ship he would often forget to eat entirely without Shanks or someone else reminding him. Nowadays, he has a schedule to eat and still often forgets to do it. He just forgets more easily when he's little, and he gets easily distracted. Mihawk has gotten a bit of absystem down with small snacks and grazing habits, but sometimes Buggy's just... not interested in it.

• cat coded, ironically. He and Mihawk will fall asleep in warm patches of light and Crocodile will never admit to putting his coat over them. Not even when they return his coat.

[wordy-little-witch]

Out of all the characters you see as regressors, who do you think would be most delighted by getting temporarily deaged (Hi Bonney?) and who would just… stress out 24/7 because that’s NOT what they want from regression?

Ooooh that's a really good question.

So the ones I hc as regressors are mostly ones with.... hella trauma. It's not a requisite for regressing but it's smth I'm more familiar with si I err there. On that front, I think most if not all of them would be really stressed by it.

Overall I think Buggy and Luffy would be the most stressed by physically regressing to child sizes.

- for Buggy, it's jarring and that was the time he was most vulnerable. Add on some of the other psychological issues I usually depict him with, and I think actually being child sized while regressed would be a HOT MESS and it would take a WHILE before he could calm down enough to do anything other than dissociate or cry

- Luffy is vaguely similar, but his panic and stress is more external based, if that makes sense? He's the captain and needs to protect and guard his crew, needs to Be There And Be Strong for them - it's smth that already makes regressing in general harder on him. If he DOES manage to slip and Bonney beloved makes him child sized, he's going to lose his marbles - that was the age when he lost so much, when he wasn't strong enough to keep people, when he was weak and vulnerable and unable to protect himself let alone others and he's a captain now and- it's not fun. It's Very Not Fun.

Those in a tentative middle ground would be Shanks, Robin, and Sanji

- Shanks' regression is more muddled than most, but he'd still be REALLY stressed if he was suddenly child sized ((and I'm leaving the arm thing to interpretation, tho I am personally leaning to Still No Arm)). Like Luffy, he's a captain. He's got a crew to protect, and on top of that, he never wants his crew to end up like like the Roger crew either. He's a lil ball of jitters atp. I do however think he has enough trust in his crew to calm down a bit easier than Luffy or Buggy - they're powerful and he doesn't internalize the same way either of them do. All in all, he's still just kinda Blurry and Quiet and more apt to gnaw on things.

- Robin has been in survival mode for the majority of her life. Her parameters for childhood are heavily skewed and she's unfamiliar with the idea of unconditional love and protection. She's learning, and she's growing, and she's trusting. But when she regresses and Bonney makes her a matching size, her brain sort of blue screens for a moment. Logic wars with her emotions and panic. She's new to understanding safety and love and support, but she has wanted it for her entire life. So when her hands are suddenly the hands of a far-too-small-survivor, she reverts to old habits, the instinct to hide and flee and scurry. But then the new habits, the ones she's cultivating, take root and she dares to reach out, to ask, to desire. And they meet her halfway with warmth and love and comfort and snacks and games. It eases up from there.

-Sanji's regression is.... difficult to explain. It's born from a lack but the youngest he goes is around early teenage years. He still cooks and laughs and tries to smoke and puts on a fuss when the other's tell him no but secretly is happyhappyhappy about it. He's just a bit shorter, a bit thinner, less stubble with Bonney's intervention, but he still stresses over the lessened muscle mass, worries and worries and worries - but the crew just slips into normal behaviors, other's stepping up and sending him to play or goof off or relax because they're crew - nakama - family - and he'll always be a priority with them. It's a bit easier with Sanji, ironically enough.

Those least bothered are Perona, and, ironically enough, Ace

- Perona does get the initial surprise and uncanny Valley but she recovers pretty quickly bc she's kind of excited. When she regressed ANYWAY, she trusts her safety with her cg implicitly, or even with her ghosts, so she's not exactly SCARED so much as "whoa what happened??? Oh. Wow, I'm so cute!!!!" She's very excited and is absolutely getting into all manner of mischief. Happy spooky girl hours!!!!!

- Ace has.... a lot of Issues going on around regression. He struggles against it a Lot, but finding his crew and later joining the Whitebeards, he finds that it's a little easier when he can trust others. As a result, being a whitebeard pirate helps him a lot. So when Bonney accidentally-or-on-purpose makes him tiny sized, he's Angry and Annoyed and Mildly Stressed but the rest are just so excited about a Tiny Ace that the stress turns from "Oh no danger" to "Izou please I am begging you I don't wanna wear the cat eared footied pajamas".((spoiler alert, he loses. ((Extra spoiler, Izou then makes a point of making multiple pajama sets with different animals)))).

[wordy-little-witch]

Regressed Buggy entertaining himself with tying ropes for hours on end.

Regressor Buggy wanting to play POKER of all things with Crocodile, because that was the first card game he learned on the Oro Jackson. Crocodile denies, not because Buggy cheats (which Buggy claims isn’t even really cheating, because back then all of the crew had at least one card stacked away in their sleeve), but because he’s a sore loser and he doesn’t need the brat throwing a temper tantrum near him. Regressor Buggy who crosses his arms at this and pouts, but who’s heart flutters at being called a brat of all things, because he grew up around men who would call him and Shanks „little bastards“,„you two little shitheads“ or „you snotty brats“ affectionately a million times before they ever uttered a „sweetheart“ to them (He likes those too tough.)

Regressor Buggy who hums the filthiest sea shanty’s you ever heard to himself while playing but doesn’t know a single children’s nursery rhyme of the top of his head. He has to think real hard before he even remembers twinkle twinkle little star.

Regressor Buggy who positively beams with joy when Mihawk gifts him a butterfly knife. He has always been good with knives and throwing knives is one of his favorite things to do even when not regressed and he actually did practice with Balisongs before specializing more on those. He runs up to Mihawk excitedly to show him how good he’s gotten, letting the knives twirl around his fingers with ease, not even close to nicking his skin and his Chop Chop Powers having to activate. Mihawk graces him with a nod of acknowledgment and Buggy rides that high for hours.

Just…. Regressor Buggy and his extremely dangerous and unchildlike favorite activities to do when he feels teeny

YESYESYES I LOVE YOU

Absolutely, Buggy has the least child friendly hobbies even little, especially little, like this boy has no filter. Ironically, he swears less when he's Big. When he's little, he swears like the sailor he is, the sailor he was raised as, and the first time someone tries - futile though it winds up being - to correct it, he's just. Bamboozled. And also angry. But mostly confused.

He plays knife games, he loves knots, the closest he has to a "typical" toy/activity is building.

When he was little, he and Shanks had a set of blocks. They shared them, Roger carved them, and Buggy had this one block in particular that he got attached to. He still had the block, and it's about the size of the palm of his hand now, the paint has been worn out, the edges smoothed and dented and chipped. He keeps it in a box of precious keepsakes.

Buggy's more used to rough and tumble men and Crocodile being a little more firm is the most familiar to him. He gravitates to Croc specifically for that, the size difference, and the logia user's propensity to just scuffing him like a kitten with his hook ((the first time Croc does it while Buggy is regressed, the little clown giggled hysterically, kicking his feet, and Crocodile had to take a moment to process that)).

Buggy's also used to level headed, chilly distance, and so Mihawk also hits all those points. He's whine and complain and throw a tantrum, but Mihawk's steady response helps him process things. His emotional regulation is in the trenches, he has big feels that he can't handle on his own, but Hawkeye's calm collectedness gives him something to grasp onto even in the worst of his explosions.

They're the perfect mix of familiar/safe and new/supportive.

Buggy has a plethora of things that aren't healthy, things instilled from a young age and things he acquired in response to other things. Buggy copes as best he can with things, but having a safety net helps in ways he never really anticipated.

The turn around of distrust and paranoia to him finally feeling secure and safe is rocky, but once it's done, he's doing better than he has in ages.