#roger did his best i don't doubt that but yeesh

[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.