#the first encounter kept being buggy

[thewildnopeboat]

Guardian, looking at the Patheon Challenge flyers: That can't be too horrible.

Ghost, looking over it: You do realize those are almost all midteir Raid Bosses. One I remember gave you and your team enough trouble to make you guys have to camp and try again the next day.

Guardian, already calling up the team: Oh come on, it can't be that bad!

(Spoilers: 5 hours, 31 mins, 00 seconds)

[n-s4kayaky]

ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ ɪɴ sɪɢʜᴛ!

Pairing: Buggy the Clown x Fem!Reader

Summary: You have been with Buggy for a long time as his partner and faithful travel companion for at least 2 years. After the encounter in Orange City with the Straw Hats and having lost your precious Captain for several days, you and his crew finally find him but… He's made an alliance with a beautiful woman you don't know, you know Buggy loves you; But you can't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy because of that woman. Buggy notices and well… Let's say he's flattered and will teach you that he's completely yours just like you're completely his

Rating/Warnings: Explicit, 18+ Only, MDNI, Smut, some spoilers for the anime about LogueTown, Vaginal Fingering, Hair Pulling, Praise Kink, Pet Names, Penis In Vagina Sex, Rough Sex, Dom Buggy, Established Relationship, Fem!Reader, Oral Sex F!Reciving, Creampie, ensecurities in the Reader, jealousy on the part of the reader,

Many weeks had passed after the encounter with that straw hat boy who had fought with Buggy, and eventually due to his great confidence he lost, being turned into a small doll with feet, hands and his head, leaving you as the only memory of him what was left of his body. They made Buggy take to the skies and get lost from your side, you were worried, very worried, not only had you kept half of his body and he was somewhat helpless due to his condition but the crew already gave him up for dead. You went to a nearby island, where you were to celebrate his funeral, the whole crew was torn apart, many wept for the loss of their captain; But the one who was most worried was you. You hadn't eaten well for days to sleep, you clung to the torso of your missing lover tightly, still having a hope that he would return

After several events on the island where you were going to do the funeral, Buggy appeared in all his glory, calling with his power his remaining body and recomposing himself to be the complete man you loved so much. Obviously you were all happy to see him alive, in fact, the first thing you did was to go to him with tears in the corners of your eyes and hug him tightly, which he quickly returned to you while caressing your head with the affection that you remembered and longed for so much. After several reunions and hugs, Buggy asked you to follow him, and you and his crew did as the captain ordered, and led them to the shore where a large pink wooden ship with hearts and a large duck's head for a mast was waiting. A woman came out of that boat…Beautiful, she had perfect skin, beautiful black hair, a beautiful body as well as some nice features, the crew obviously came out when they saw her and quickly questioned their captain who this beautiful woman was and Buggy introduced her as Alvira, that woman had helped him while he was lost in the wide ocean and they had made an alliance to be able to finish off that boy with a straw hat. When you heard that, a small shiver ran through your body and a slight pang of jealousy pricked the back of your head, you tried to calm down and put the jealousy aside; But they only got worse…

♡₊˚ 🃏・₊✧

Here you were, sitting in a bar with Buggy, Alvira, Cabaji and Mohji with a cape and hood on which hid your body and face from any curious Marine. You had gone to LogueTown because of information that they had sighted the group of straw hats coming here, so Buggy and… She had decided to go there to meet them and fight. The bar where you were sitting was a bit crowded, the sounds were mixed; but your hearing had been focused on Buggy and Alvira's conversation, listening to all their words while your eyes were fixed on the glass you were drinking, trying not to notice how your attention was completely focused on them. Your body was ablaze with jealousy, your fingers intertwined in the fabric of your pants while your foot drummed due to the little anxiety that flooded your body. You knew perfectly well how much Buggy loved you, you had never doubted him; But in these moments you did begin to doubt. What if they're lovers without you knowing? I mean, that woman was beautiful and had an attractive body that made any man salivate for her. What if Buggy has stopped loving you for her? He was helping him when he got lost, plus they both have the same goal and we mention again their physical appearance. Besides, Buggy didn't spend much time with you those days, he spent his time in the office with that woman talking about his plans, which made your jealousy and insecurities go even worse

A voice snapped you out of your overthinking, you raised your head quickly, still somewhat disoriented, and saw that the caller was Mohji, who was watching you with some concern. Mohji is a good friend of yours, since you set foot on Buggy's boat you had struck up a good friendship, eventually, being such a good friend of yours you had told him what was happening to you those days and what was going around your head. You blinked several times and he cocked his head, "Are you okay Y/N? I see you…" I ask with some concern in my tone, making everyone at the table turn their attention to you, "I'm fine! Perfectly, don't worry… You spoke quickly, not wanting to draw too much attention, as much as they wanted to tell him how you feel to Buggy you were a little afraid of bothering him or something like that, besides, he seemed quite focused on looking for a good strategy.You just sighed and took your drink, taking a sip of this one. "As I told you dear my dear" Alvira said to Buggy as she put her hand on his shoulder, you widened your eyes when you heard her and quickly choked on the drink, coughing it up while you gave yourself a few small strokes on the chest. Dear? Like that dear?! How dare that woman call YOUR Buggy as my dear, who did she think it was? Again everyone looked at you "Are you okay sweet cheeks?, it's true that I look strange on you" Buggy pronounced as he watched you, you quickly shook your head as you took a napkin and wiped your chin of the traces of drink and saliva "I'm fine, I'm fine! I just swallowed badly," you said, letting out a small nervous laugh as you motioned to the waiter to bring you another drink, "Are you sure..?" Buggy muck before being cut by Alvira: "That's your third drink… Are you going to drink more?" He said as he looked you up and down scanning you

You felt your eye twitch and you looked at the woman with a small awkward smile. "Yes... There is, is there a problem?" You said with anticipation to see where it was going, preparing for the worst "Well, as much as we are pirate women we still have to maintain composure... You know, keep the line" He said while taking one last look at your body taking a sip of his drink, how hypocritical. You felt your soul leave your body at her words and return again, just as anger built up in your body and bubbled up in it. You cleared your throat slightly as you watched Alvira leave the glass on the table, who was silently watching your interaction. Buggy looked at Alvira with a grimace, you could see the annoyance and anger in his eyes; But before she could open her big red-painted mouth, Alvira spoke again. "I'm saying this for your own good." You got up from the table and slammed your hand on the wood, making the glasses shake from your blow. You looked at him seriously and immediately turned around. "My thirst has gone, I'm on the boat." You said dryly while As you were walking towards the exit of the bar, Buggy got up behind you; But before he could reach you, you had already left and Alvira had taken his arm to make him stay. "Dear, we must stick with the plan." "Fuck the plan and screw you, don't talk to my girlfriend like that again." He said angrily as he pulled away from the woman's grasp with a disgusted face.

At that moment Buggy's mind was crazy and his body was full of anger, how the hell did that woman dare to say and treat you like that?! He had no forgiveness, anyone who spoke ill to you deserved to be hooked to the spinning wheel and have knives thrown at him until he bled to death. You were a perfect woman, well, perfect was not enough for him, you were great in his eyes! With your beautiful body which he loved and admired every time you are under him, writhing with pleasure while you take him as well as you always do, your beautiful smile that he loves with his whole body every time he lets out a joke or any joke he knows. that will make you laugh, your beautiful hair and your beautiful face with its beautiful expressions, everything about you is perfect for him, and he will not allow anyone to say otherwise! He ran towards the ship and went straight to your room, where the door was closed. He knocked on the door gently while waiting for your response "Honey, are you here? Can I Come in?" He said in a low and sweet tone while he grabbed the door handle waiting for an answer.

In those moments you were lying in a small ball with your eyes closed while thousands of thoughts flew through your head from one side to the other. A part of you wanted to cry because of the helplessness and that feeling of jealousy; But another part of you denied you from crying, rather it forced you not to do so and instead be angry. Alvira had not only made you feel bad because of her comment, but she had also made you distrust Buggy and feel that horrible feeling of jealousy. You tried to swallow your own tears and avoid crying because some couldn't help but spill from your eyes. Hearing a knock on the door you quickly got out of bed and when you heard Buggy's voice you quickly wiped the few tears that had spilled from your eyes "A-come in!" As you gave permission, the door opened and Buggy emerged, who closed the door behind him and quickly went to your side. He got down on his kneesin front of you and placed his gloved hands on your cheeks, caressing them gently, in his eyes you can see his concern for you "Oh darling, are you okay? That damn Alvira, how dare she say something like that about you?! I'll talk later." with her, I'm so sorry" He said with a surprisingly soft tone in his voice as his gloved hands caressed your lips. A spark of warmth spread through your body; but it quickly dissolved when you thought about that woman again, you looked away from Buggy's face and put one of your hands on top of the one that was caressing your cheek "It's okay... Don't worry about it Buggs... Maybe She's right" You said almost in a whisper, Buggy raised an eyebrow in surprise and his hand gave you a small blow on your head, he grabbed your chin and forced you to face his face full of anger "NO, NO, NO! Don't talk nonsense doll "Everything he said was an insult and I'm not going to allow it!" "But, you have an alliance with her, I don't want it to be ruinedfor me... Besides, being the woman she is, she's right.." You muttered in a low tone while you observed Buggy "I don't care about the alliance! I just want to get rid of that stupid straw hat boy! What do you mean, being the woman that is honey?" He asked, certainly surprised by your words. "Well... I mean, she is a beautiful woman... And-and she has perfect skin, in addition to a good body and, and... No I know, she's much more beautiful than me... Plus it seems like she's interested in you, because she's always with you and has pet names for you, and and.." "Hey, hey, hey, Honey, stop there" Buggy silenced you quickly. , moving his hand from your chin to your cheeks again, his face had a small smile painted on his lips as he looks at you "Doll, you are PERFECT, that woman doesn't have to envy you, in fact, she should be the one who feels envy... Also, honey, are you jealous of Alvira?" You pursed your lips while you tried to look away, feeling like your faceHe blushed softly with embarrassment. "C-could it be..." Buggy let out a small laugh and you looked at him with annoyance. "Don't laugh! It's just! Your call, dear!" You said while you looked away, somewhat embarrassed. Buggy let out one last laugh and shook his head softly. Without warning, he grabbed your cheeks and gave you a warm kiss with a certain touch of need.

"Oh darling, you can call me whatever you want; but I'm YOURS... Do you want me to show it to you in a good way?" He said mischievously as he once again joined his red painted lips with yours, staining them with her waxy red paint. Buggy laid you on the bed, keeping his body above yours while he didn't break away from the kiss at any second. You felt his tongue pricking your lips, you opened them giving him access to his tongue into your mouth, and he quickly searched for your tongue with his muscle, intertwining them lasciviously, leading the rhythm of the kiss and being the dominant one. Your saliva mixed with each other along with your tongues, you could feel how your lower belly sent a spark of heat to your lower area, and you could notice how it began to get wet from excitement. You separated from the kiss due to the lack of oxygen, your mouths were still held together by the thin thread of saliva that came out of them, Buggy's eyes scanned yourface flushed and already stained by her makeup along with your breathing hard with desire "Look at you so pretty, already looking at me all needy, I bet your pretty pussy is already wet uhm?" He said with a wide smile on his face while he directed one of his hands to your mouth, you looked at his gloved fingers and you already knew what you had to do, you delicately took the tip of the finger of his glove between your teeth and Buggy was sliding his little by little, revealing his beautiful hand outside the glove. As if struck by lightning, his newly naked hand went down your body to the hem of your pants, lifting them up and putting his hand down your already damp underwear, his long fingers ran over your wet lips already stained in your excitement, making a small gasp came out of your captain's lips "Everything is wet for me... And to think that you were jealous of that woman, having you here and being so perfect for me" He commented against your sensitive neck,slowly licking it with the tip of his tongue until he wrapped his lips around your neck, biting into it and sucking on your tender flesh. You moaned at the sensation of her lips sucking on your neck and her fingers teasing your wet entrance.

Your captain's hands spread your thighs, exposing your wet entrance, he pulled away from your neck with a wide smile as he moved his body until he was between your legs. You gasped as his fingers moved across your wet pussy, picking up the moisture from it, once his fingers were soaked with your arousal Buggy brought them to his mouth, lasciviously licking them while his eyes watched your completely flushed face. Your pussy tightened at nowhere as you watched your captain lick his wet fingers in your arousal with such lust, causing a spiral of pleasure to swirl in your lower belly. Buggy stuck his fingers out of his mouth with a loud "POP" as he stared at you with hungry eyes "So sweet… He lowered his head as he stuck out his fat tongue which was already drooling with a mixture of your arousal, he gave your pussy a long lick, making you moan as he let out a sigh of satisfaction. Buggy quickly stuck his wet tongue into your tender walls, licking them enthusiastically while his big red nose rubbed against your needy. You groaned as you looked up, resting on your shoulders as you watched your captain's head between your thighs. You gently moved your hips against his face, causing Buggy to grab them tightly and push them against the mattress, making it impossible for you to move them.You gasped as he lightly pulled his tongue out of your wet pussy, now full of saliva and your fluids, his mouth closed around your needy clit, sucking and licking it as if it were a delicious candy. You saw the extrellas as you could feel the attention you needed, meows escaping your lips as you tried to move your hips against her mouth. Your hand moved quickly and went to Buggy's head, taking her scalp and gently tugging at it, Buggy moaned against your pussy and began to lick and absorb your pussy faster, one of his hands moved away from your hips and quickly inserted one of his fingers into your needy pussy, moving this one quickly as his tongue swirled around your clitoris, staining it with his saliva. You threw your head back moaning, feeling your orgasm build up quickly, another finger inserted into your hole, massaging your rubbery walls and hitting that delicious spot. You moaned and let out a loud moan, gripping your captain's scalp tightly as you cummed because of his skillful tongue and fingers.

A moan came out of your captain's mouth, causing it to vibrate in your pussy, you moaned as you watched as he gave one last lick to your already sensitive entrance, panting in front of it as he slowly pulled his fingers out of your pussy, reveling in the sight of your wet pussy squeezing around nowhere as it came out of you. She licked her lips stained in your fluids and saliva while the makeup was a complete mess, one of the fingers that was in your hole went up to your, massaging it through your overstimulation, making you moan and arch your back "Look at you looking so pretty to me… And you thought another woman interested me? Baby, you're so mensa, I could never leave this sweet and delicious pussy" He said as he gave a little slap to your damp slit making you moan. Buggy got up from between your legs, looking at you with a look full of lust and need, he hurriedly began to take off his clothes with the help of his Chop Chop power, leaving him totally naked before your eyes. You watched his beautiful cock, erect to his belly, its pink tip bringing out some pre-cum, moistening it. Your captain's body got on top of yours as he brushed his erection against your wet entrance, poking your and caressing your wet lips as he taunted you, lightly poking his tip in and out, feeling the need build up inside you.Buggy's remaining red mouth moved closer to your ear, biting your lobe as he spoke to you in a whisper, "Now… Let me show you who I belong to, darling." He said in a purr against your ear as he slipped completely into your deep hole. A moan came from your lips in unison, your arms wrapped around his neck, bringing his body closer to yours as he felt him open your walls to accommodate his cock. Buggy gasped in your ear as it began a deep, rapid pace, hitting that delicious spot inside you several times. Both bodies rubbed against each other, moaning every time the hair on her chest brushed and tickled against your sensitive nipples. "M-look… Taking me so well… Fuck, baby I love this wet little pussy you have..!" His punches grew harder, Buggy's hands darting to your hips, grabbing the tender flesh of it as he hammered your insides. Your head turned backwards and your captain took the opportunity to start attacking your neck with bites and hickeys

You felt how the accumulation of pleasure formed in a spiral in your belly, your walls were pulled against your captain's cock making him gasp while he bit hard your neck, you moaned as you felt how his pelvis rubbed against your clit, the orgasm almost came and as if Buggy read your mind he directed one of the hands that were on your hips towards your clitoris, brushing this one quickly "Come on honey, cum around my cock… Hold me like you know how" As if it were magic, as he barked the request between moans and gasps you couldn't take it anymore, cum around his cock while you let out a big moan. Buggy stuttered with his movements, feeling your pussy milk his cock hard. He grabbed your hips tightly again and started hitting you as if he wanted to break your pelvis, you arched your back at the overstimulation, drooling lightly while all you could say were incoherent babbling. Buggy watched as his cock was swallowed by your pussy and a white ring of fluid formed around it. He gasped as he chased his release, gave a big thrust at the entrance of your cervix and cum, laughing as his cock threw a good load of his cum inside you, making you feel warm and full. Buggy collapsed on top of you, both of you with rapid breathing and sweaty bodies, your captain's lips met yours, giving you a kiss full of love and adoration "Now, I hope it has become clear to you that I am yours… Like you're mine, aren't you doll?" He said with a wide smile on his face as he looked at your blushing face. A small smile escaped your lips stained in her red makeup, the insecurities and jealousy had completely disappeared from your body. You wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips "He's absolutely right, Captain…"

[shittalkcornstalk]

“Take One For The Team”

Part 4

Synopsis- A throwback to your first encounter with Buggy! Also after being encouraged by an unknown ally, Buggy finally feels that things are working in his favor, maybe it’s time to take that next step?

A/n- It’s been a bit since the last upload, but I finally have some new content! This chapter is short cause the next one is a doozy! I’m gonna start a taglist if anyone wants to be added just lmk! As always let me know if I miss anything in the warnings :)

Warnings- xfemreader! , Use of Y/n, 18+ minor dni, Eventual Smut, mild manipulation, alcohol use, abuse of power slightly

Word count 2k

Chapter 4 “A New Perspective”

It was a fairly smooth outing for the rest of the day. The shopping proceeded as usual and you helped the Captain carry around the bags he needed, though he ended up dragging most of the bulk. You insisted you could carry a larger load, he’d seen you help with cargo before, but he grumbled something and readjusted the weight in his arms.

“It’s fine, I’d look like a real jerk making you carrying all my shit-“

He had a public image to maintain. You laughed it off and picked up the last few things before heading back to the ship with him. As you boarded the ship you noticed a couple of men looking at you and the captain before turning their heads to mumble something you didn't quite make out, nothing important probably. You'd drop off the bags in his work room before going to your own to plop down on your bed and rest. Even if it was a casual day of shopping and dining, the stress of keeping appearances and all that walking took it out of you. Your thoughts kept drawing back to each moment laughing and enjoying Buggy’s company. His lit up eyes at the sight of the explosives, his bright smile, and the laugh he had (even when it was at your expense…) all these things sunk you deeper into your bed and pulled you into a cozy comfort. What would have happened if you never approached the captain that day, if you never caused that spark in him.

You remember the day you saw his ship dock on your island it wasn’t too hostile of a takeover. He sure tried to make it one , but he soon learned there wasn't much to loot. He docked for a day. He needed him and his crew to recuperate, after all your town wasn't gonna put up a fight. You’d been held up in your lonely apartment until you felt it safe enough to leave and explore what the crew had done to your town. There wasn’t much to distinguish between the previously abandoned buildings and the ones ransacked from the pirates. It all looked like the same rubble to you. The town you were staying in wasn’t anything sentimental, you’d been jumping for a bit now trying to find somewhere. With your lease ending soon and no commitments to the town or work you’d been doing, maybe it was time to seek new employment. You’d wanted a life out of the sea growing up, but that would've been as a marine, becoming a pirate would seem like a jump into unknown waters. Still you wanted to see what this crew was all about, maybe they’d be willing to take you to your next destination for some extra labor.

You headed out to where it seems the most commotion was and found the band of Pirates. It was an intriguing sight to see a crew full of all sorts of misfits. A clown sat big and tall in the center in the bar they’d ransacked. There was broken glass on the floors and a couple of the local tough guys were out cold on the floor. His voice carried through the crowded room in a vibrato you could feel ringing in your chest. He laughed and cheered to another successful day, though you’d eventually learn this was not very true. He plopped himself over into a private booth with a couple of people you’d later come to know as your friends Cabaji and Moji. You forgot they were there when you introduced yourself to Buggy for the first time, they saw just how smugly he looked at you approaching him. You at the time were too set on a working mindset to notice the shifting glances over your body, and the chuckles he’d held under his breath as you spoke. You talked to him very directly that day you introduced yourself to him, he always liked that you did that.

“Hello, you are the pirate captain known as Buggy the Clown, correct?” He nods, motioning his hands for you to keep talking” Well my name is y/n l/n sir and I have come to ask if you were recruiting.”

Buggy seemed a bit shocked, he was hoping you were just some fangirl ,but you wanted to work under him? You didn’t look very strong and you didn't carry any weapons that may allude to a speciality. Though you seemed willing and that's all he really needed out of a crew mate, but you brought something else to the table that the others didn’t. Buggy’s crew were a mostly unfortunate looking bunch of men. They were gruff and intimidating, he knew that social rejects were rarely lookers but they were always loyal. You on the other hand were quite attractive to him, he wouldn’t mind having some eye candy on the ship. He would’ve accepted you right then and there if you were just another man looking for work, but he wanted to test you. You brought out a little malicious intent from the Captain. He’ll see how responsive you are to him somewhere more private.

“Ok y/n, I’m sure there's a room around here somewhere where we can have an audition. I run a tight ship here, I don’t need any stragglers-“ He puffed out his chest a bit and walked past the two, who just happened to notice him float just slightly above the ground to make himself taller. That's a joke they never let you in on, gotta leave some self respect for the Captain.

He sees a small room with a few barrels, it's just some stock room. Based on the low storage it's already been well robbed. He drags a chair behind you with a floating hand and motions for you to sit. You try to hide your shock.

“It’s a devil fruit, gets em’ every time-” He says smugly.

He looks down at you, circling you a vulture. He starts darting out questions to you, trying to make you falter.

“What’s your name again kid?”

“Y/n l/n, Captain” He perked up a bit, you were quick to pick up the honorific.

“And what can you do for me y/n” His hand glides under your chin and lifts your head up to meet his intense piercing blue gaze.

He was playing an intimidating act, as you expected from a pirate .Ultimately this was still a standard job interview, you were gonna play into whatever the interviewer wanted, and that seemed to be obedience and respect. It was true he liked how obedient you were, but why he liked it was beyond you at the time. Knowing what you knew now you regretted not paying closer attention to his lingering hands and watchful eyes, you should’ve guessed from the beginning his intentions with you.

“I can serve wherever you need me sir, I am not much of a fighter, but I can train. I have knowledge on ship maintenance- and I’m not opposed to manual labor.”

In the future when Buggy would go about his own reminiscing about this moment, he’d hang onto that first sentence. ‘I can serve wherever you need me sir’ He repeated those words as he fantasized about what turns that audition could've taken. How vulnerable you looked sitting down looking up at him in the small musty room. He almost regretted not taking you there and then, would’ve saved him from all the stirring emotions you brought out in him.

“I see, we’ll be entering the Grandline in the next year, are you prepared for the danger that entails? This job isn't for the weak of heart. So if you're scared of any of that now, it’d be best to leave while you still can little girl. ”

You hadn’t expected Captain Buggy to be as ambitious as he was, searching for the one piece was no small task. Maybe the Buggy Pirates were a bit out of your wheelhouse, but you needed to get off this island sooner or later. You could always bail in whatever town they raided next if things didn’t work out. Plus the guy interviewing you seemed interesting enough, this could be a fun experience. So you looked past the risk and looked at the Captain with determined eyes, you weren’t some little girl.

“Sounds fine to me, Captain.” You spoke unwaivered. He couldn't get to you and it made him excited in more ways than one. You’d make an excellent addition to the crew and even serve as a little challenge for him. Turns out that challenge would end up with him being a desperate mess for next 6 months…

Buggy later announced your addition to the crew rolling out another barrel of ale for his people. You celebrated with a mug and tried to socialize with your new shipmates. It really was a mismatched sort of men. You saw a woman standing far away looking over you all but you’d assumed at the time she was just an onlooker, not your future ally and matchmaker. Ultimately you packed your bags that night and set sail with the crew the next day.

As you reminisced drifting off to sleep another paced with excitement across the ship. Buggy had finished his shopping day with you in success. He paced in his study thinking about every time you smiled today. Eveytime he made you laugh. When you called him by his first name and it rolled off your lips like it was nothing. He didn’t completely screw the day up and he prayed to whatever god in the sky that was watching over him today would look fondly upon him again. He needed another day like that, he needed every day to feel as good as today felt. He stammered and paced before looking over to the other person in the room.

“You should’ve seen her, the way she twirled her hair, I thought I was fucked when the shampoo thing came up- shes gotta not be completely replused by me right? That's gotta be a sign I’m finally getting somewhere here” His voice sounded pleading, like he had to convince himself that these interactions actually happened. He turned to his confidant and looked for some reassurance. “What do you think Alvida?”

Alvida laughs, she’s well aware of how today was going to play out. She made sure of it. After months of Buggy pestering her about you and what to do, when she finally saw you take interest, she had to start playing both sides.

“You know I think if you just talk to the girl honestly, you’d get where you actually want to be, and not here whining to me about it-'' She spoke candidly.

When she saw you flirt for the first time she knew it wasn’t real, but she could change that. She loved how much less complaining Buggy did in those first weeks, and when you stopped it became incessant. When she got involved she realized Buggy needed to play along too if you were gonna actually fall for him. Just as she started giving you advice, she did the same for him. She told him to be kinder, put on the charm more during training, and most importantly catch you off guard with direct advancements. She was so proud of him the day she paraded you around in the tiny outfit.She was relieved seeing you all flustered and hearing how well the little date she set up today worked. This was a sign that her days with a sappy, yearning, drunk clown would soon be over.

“Why don’t you let her know how you feel at the final night out, that way if anything happens you can drink enough to forget-“

“Fine I’ll think about it…” This would be alot for Buggy to manage, admitting something like this was big for him. But you were worth the risk.

[kookie-doughs]

Daddy Cupid: The Asshole

Modern!Donquixote Doflamingo X Reader

-When your father grows weary of your single life, he takes it upon himself to play matchmaker. With him knowing the entire city, he embarks on a mission to find you the perfect match.

Chapter 2: I'm literally the best stop complaining

The question of why you hadn't blocked Doflamingo's number had crossed your mind several times. The answer, you supposed, was that you kept it in case there was an emergency or something related to your father's persistent matchmaking efforts. But every time he sent you a barrage of messages, you questioned that decision.

This morning, you woke up to a whopping 41 messages from Doflamingo. As you scrolled through them, you realized that they ranged from him checking up on you, to him insulting you for being injured in the first place, and even included a series of videos where he flexed his wrist to prove he was perfectly fine.

His face was definitely not something you wanted to see first thing in the morning, and you couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to block him without him coming to harass you afterwards.

Of course, Doflamingo isn't the only one who had your number. Among the various messages some are from friends like Smoker and Buggy, one message stood out and grabbed your attention - it was from Marco. Your heart skipped a beat as you read his message, curious about what he had to say or if he had any explanation for the awkward situation from yesterday.

You smiled at Marco's message, appreciating the prospect of a pleasant lunch to lift your spirits after dealing with Doflamingo's antics. You replied with the name of a good diner you knew, and when he confirmed the plan, you slumped onto the couch, contemplating what to do while you waited for lunchtime to arrive.

Excitement for your upcoming date with Marco filled you, and you decided to share your anticipation with your friends. You posted about how thrilled you were for the date and took the opportunity to block everyone related to Doflamingo from seeing your posts (sorry Law, i can't trust you). You wanted to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable day ahead.

As you looked at your excited post about the date your dad had set up for you, a strange feeling washed over you. Why were you so excited about this? It was yet another one of your father's matchmaking attempts, something that had become more of a burden than a source of joy.

The realization made your happy bubble burst, and a frown crept onto your face as you pondered why you had allowed yourself to feel this way about a situation you had little control over.

Feeling a bit more reluctant this time, you decided to dress more casually than the day before. Your preparations were quicker today, and you arrived at the diner in a more relaxed state, hoping that today's date with Marco would turn out better than yesterday's unexpected encounter with Doflamingo.

As you sat down at the diner, you tried to banish any thoughts of Doflamingo from your mind. However, your efforts were in vain as you saw the man himself walking towards you with a smug, shit-eating grin on his face. It seemed that he was determined to make your day miserable once again.

"Oh, love, I didn't know you'd be here. How perfect!" he cooed.

You prayed, hoping Marco would arrive already, as ignoring Doflamingo became increasingly difficult with each breath he took.

"Y/N sweetheart~ what would you want to eat hmm? you know since your disabled right now~ i can feed you and all that i wouldnt want my darling straining her hand. im just that sweet" Doflamingo sang.

"I can feed myself just fine," you retorted, struggling to maintain your patience.

Just as you were about to lose your cool, a ray of hope appeared in the form of your doctor, entering the diner. His smile brought instant relief as he approached your table.

"Hey, doc!" you called, your scowl turning into a smile. "Fancy running into you here. Three time in a row, aren't you lucky?"

He chuckled, "Maybe it's fate that brought us together."

Curious, you asked, "So, what brings you to this place?"

"I'm actually here for a lunch date," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Ah, a date?" you replied. "Where's the lucky person?"

"I have no idea," he laughed, "My dad arranged it and didn't tell me much, except that it's his friend's daughter."

Your eyes widened in realization. "Wait, Doc, is your name Marco?"

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "You've seen me twice now, and I had my name tag on both occasions." He laughed

Doflamingo, who had been hovering nearby, didn't seem thrilled with Marco's arrival. His confident demeanor wavered as he realized you might be genuinely interested in getting to know Marco better.

You couldn't help but laugh at your own obliviousness. "I guess I was too focused on my wrist to notice your name. Sorry about that."

Marco continued, "So, are you two on a date?"

You quickly clarified, "Oh, no, not at all. He was just asking for food." You stressed pushing him away. "Although I think, we're the ones who's supposed to be on a date."

Doflamingo, however, seemed unfazed by your attempts to distance yourself from him, and just glared down Marco.

As Marco and you exchanged introductions, the atmosphere shifted subtly. It felt different from the forced encounters your father arranged. There was a genuine sense of curiosity and interest in each other.

You took a seat at the small corner table, Marco joining you. Doflamingo, looking slightly put off, hovered around, but you chose to ignore him. You were more focused on Marco, trying to get to know the person behind the doctor you'd seen thrice this week.

"So, Marco, tell me about yourself. I've only heard about you briefly," you said, genuinely curious.

Marco leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Well, I'm a doctor, as you know. I recently moved to Grand Line to work at the hospital here. I enjoy reading, running, and cooking. And I have an inexplicable fondness for cats."

You chuckled, finding his quirks endearing. "That sounds nice. What made you choose a career in medicine?"

"It's a long story," Marco replied with a shrug. "But mainly, I wanted to help people. Plus, I'm a bit of a science nerd."

You nodded, appreciating his dedication to his profession. The conversation flowed effortlessly as you talked about your own interests and experiences. Marco was easy to talk to, and you found yourself enjoying his company more than you'd expected.

Meanwhile, Doflamingo seemed increasingly irritated by the situation, occasionally making snide comments and eye-rolling gestures. You tried to ignore him, but his presence was hard to ignore.

Eventually, you decided to order your meals, continuing to enjoy the conversation. It felt different from the forced setups your father orchestrated. With Marco, there was a genuine connection, a sense that you might have more in common than you'd initially thought.

Despite Doflamingo's interruptions and attempts to annoy you, the lunch date with Marco turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. You couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't a bad match after all.

He interrupted your conversation with Marco several times, making snide remarks and trying to draw your attention back to him. It was clear that he wanted to assert his dominance, proving that he could disrupt your day no matter what.

However, you were determined not to let Doflamingo ruin your time with Marco. You politely but firmly asked him to leave your table, but he wouldn't budge. His persistence was infuriating, and it became a battle of wills between you and the persistent man.

Despite Doflamingo's best efforts to annoy you, Marco remained composed and understanding. He didn't engage with Doflamingo's antics but instead focused on your conversation, as if he could block out the interference. His unwavering support and patience impressed you even more.

You nod towards Doflamingo, annoyance evident in your expression. "How do you manage to tolerate him?"

Marco lets out a chuckle. "Well, growing up in a household with at least 19 brothers can prepare you for dealing with all kinds of personalities. Edward adopted a lot of kids after my mom passed away, so I've had my fair share of interesting characters around."

Your conversation continued, but alas, Doflamingo always wins. His antics grew tiresome, and you decided it was time to end the lunch and escape the annoying man's presence. You politely excused yourself, thanked Marco for the pleasant time, and promised to meet him again soon.

"As long as it's not about your wrist." You both laughed.

As you left the diner, you couldn't help but feel that Doflamingo would continue to be a thorn in your side.

Doflamingo pouted, "Hey, I thought your dad liked me. Why is he introducing you to others?"

You shrugged, "He doesn't like you; he likes every bachelor in this city."

Doflamingo confidently declared, "That's me. He likes me. Tell him you don't need to meet others; the great me is already taking his time meddling with the likes of you."

"God I hope you stop."

"I'm superior to that Marco guy in every way. I'm smarter, stronger, taller, you name it."

"Mhm, congratulations. Now, could you please go away?"

"Why go on a date with him and not me? Rayleigh said he also suggested me?" Doflamingo asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.

You turned to him, a mix of disgust and confusion on your face. "Please tell me that's not a genuine question," you replied, unable to comprehend how Doflamingo could believe he was a better choice.

"Well, I guess your puny, stupid brain can't comprehend my greatness," Doflamingo quipped with a smirk.

You scoffed in response and rolled your eyes, refusing to engage further in his arrogant banter.

Doflamingo continued with his arrogant comments as you walked together, making you grit your teeth in frustration. After a few more minutes, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Thinking it was finally time to get away from him, you walked ahead and leave him behind. However, you realized you had arrived back at your place.

You looked back at Doflamingo, who stood there, glancing around and occasionally locking eyes with you.

You blinked in surprise, realizing that Doflamingo had indeed walked you all the way home. You stood there, staring at the doorknob, not quite sure how to react to this unexpected situation.

"Are you seriously struggling to grasp the concept of opening a door? You've been standing there for a good ten minutes," Doflamingo jeered with his signature arrogance.

Your eyes widened, and you blinked in disbelief at his audacity. Staring at the doorknob as if it held the secrets of the universe, you stammered, "I-I..."

Doflamingo's mocking tone left you flustered and at a loss for words, making your response little more than an incoherent mutter.

Fueled by frustration, you exclaimed, "Whatever!" and slammed the door shut behind you. You rushed away, hoping to find a way to escape from Doflamingo's relentless presence. However, as you peered out, your heart sank when you realized he was still there, watching your every move with that infuriating smirk.

Your face burned with frustration as you stomped towards the elevator. Once you reached your apartment, you rushed inside and peeked out from the balcony, half expecting Doflamingo to still be standing by the door. To answer your question, he was walking and was a few meters away.

He had walked you home and even waited until you entered your apartment before departing. The whole situation left you confused.

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[the-bar-sinister]

Major differences between Deicide universe and One Piece canon that happen prior to Deicide: Onigashima Aftermath

Mihawk is Crocodile's first mate in their early days of piracy. Crocodile is Whitebeard's son. Galdino is a cabin boy and later crewmate on their ship.

Crocodile, Mihawk, Buggy, Doflamingo, Vergo, and Daz have an accidental misadventure together on a lost island in the aftermath of Roger's execution.

Donquixote Rosinante is the victim of a precursor to the experiments performed on Kuma.

Caesar Clown is involved in the experiments on the Vinsmoke Siblings, and is the one who assists Sora with her attempt to thwart part of them.

Marianne/Miss Goldenweek's abilities are due to a devil fruit.

Vivi is 20 during the events of Alabasta rather than 16.

Enel is killed during the Skypeia arc.

Carrot is the crew member who the Straw Hats acquire at Thriller Bark, rather than Brook, and she remains with them throughout.

Gecko Moria is ejected from the Warlords due to his failure against Straw Hat Luffy. He slinks off from his miserable defeat to get drunk on a resort island, having lost all his drive. He remains there for two years.

After hearing news of Marineford, Vivi becomes determined to rejoin the Straw Hat crew and runs away from her kingdom. She runs straight into Crocodile, adventures with him and the remnants of Baroque Works during the timeskip, and gets a devil fruit for herself. 

Bon Clay, with the encouragement of his fellow prisoners, sneaks out of Impel Down with the intention to join up with the Straw Hats. He ends up with Crocodile and the former Baroque Works members.

Koala and Sabo discover that Ace's soul is sharing Sabo's body. They reconnect with Ace's former first mate Deuce.

Luffy spends more personal alone time with Hancock during the timeskip, training on the outskirts of Amazon Lily rather than another island.

Vergo survives the events of Punk Hazard, his body found in pieces by Doflamingo and reassembled. He is resting/healing outside the city during the events of Dressrosa, but rushes in at the end when he discovers there's trouble. He's in time to save the Donquixote family from captivity by marines, but is unable to get to Doflamingo who is being kept separately.

Rebecca, (who is 18, not 16)  wanting to determine her own path, and not wanting to be forced into a peaceful life after her experience as a gladiator, flees Dressrosa with the Straw Hat crew. 

The Straw Hats are not separated in Dressrosa, and travel to Zou together. 

Crocodile's ship catches up to the Straw Hats as they're leaving Dressrosa. He has a short reunion with Robin, and delivers Vivi to the Straw Hat crew as promised. He then goes after the marine ship carrying Doflamingo, and successfully frees him from custody.

Viola has a change of heart and rejoins the Donquixote pirates as Violet.

Events of One Piece Stampede and Film Gold happen.

Crocodile forms Cross Guild with Mihawk, Buggy, Doflamingo and Hancock.

The Straw Hats encounter Lim and Adio– something like the events of "One Piece Odyssey" happen.

When Sanji is forced to leave the Straw Hats for his wedding Rebecca goes along to watch after him. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats go after him immediately, despite Sanji's insistence not to.

After the events of Whole Cake Island, Caesar Clown joins the Straw Hat crew on a permanent basis. Luffy insists that his position on the crew is "Chopper's assistant". 

During the events of Whole Cake Island, Rebecca gets close to the Vinsmoke siblings, and in the aftermath of the event they adopt/kidnap her. The siblings abandon their father to Big Mom's wrath and sail away, after which they convince Rebecca to undergo enhancements similar to their own.

In the aftermath of Whole Cake Island, Pudding flees the Charlotte family trying to find her own way in life. Katakuri discovers her leaving, and follows her as a sort of bodyguard. They eventually end up running into the Vinsmoke Siblings and Rebecca.

Koala, Deuce, and Isuka accompany Sabo (and Ace) on their raid on Mary Geoise during the Revelry. 

Otama is 18 years old, rather than 8.

On Wano, Luffy finds out about Kaido and King's backstory and is unsettlingly reminded of himself and Zoro. These feelings lead him to resist his urge to kill Kaido during their battle, and to discover that "Gear 5" has some kind of mind of its own.

Big Mom also survives the battle on Wano, but winds up in a coma. She is brought back to Tottoland by her children.

Deicide: Onigashima Aftermath starts, and Deicide and One Piece canon completely part ways so much as to become unrecognizable.

[team7-headquarter]

Now that I'm reading One Piece, let me say this: even when I think One Piece is better written, the comparison between both mangas in their pre timeskip period is often done poorly.

Naruto decides to be immediately a more explicit and visceral story in terms of cruelty, with a main cast of 12 year old children. While One Piece takes its time building the foundation for its characters and future arcs, Naruto jumps right into the issue at hand. The first chapter is practically spelling it out to you, the reason why Naruto could and even should be a villain, given the circumstances. He's a sad sight, the loneliness and general dark feelings coating Naruto as a story are strong from the very start. I'm not saying that One Piece doesn't have a lot of dark themes and feelings too, but Oda style is to use comedy and good humor to balance it first. One Piece is lighter at the beginning.

For example, compare the East Blue saga and the Land of the Waves arc. Unfair, I know, but I want to prove a certain point here.

Each arc of the East Blue has a bit of cruelty in it, the worst being Arlong Park. In the 3 first arcs, when Luffy meets his three first nakamas, we can say it is more comedy than tragedy. No one dies, there is cruelty and battles, but it's kept on the "safe side". The villains are shown to be more "evil" than anything else. Morgan, Buggy and Kuro are pirates after all. Then they reach the Baratie and things start to get serious. Sanji's backstory is heavy (everything Sanji and Zeff went through is dark, from the starvation to the amputation and the grey scale of their animosity turned bond). You have the first hint at Nami's complexity as a character, you get a taste of the Grand Line in the Mihawk and Zoro encounter where Zoro almost dies, there's explicit sacrifice...

Like I said, Arlong Park is the worst of it all. The story of the town, of Bell-Mere and her children, of what the fish-men did to Nami... It would be incorrect to say that comedy is out aside. First of all, because one of the most common purposes of comedy is to build the ground for drama. You will need a light mood to present the gravity of the situation at hand. The reader must be desperate to see the characters laughing and joking again, to recover the good times, to preserve the bonds and friendships. All the previous arcs needed to be so silly for Arlong Park to be impactful. Nami lived through hell. There's war and discrimination, abuse, manipulation, government corruption and betrayal. I'd never dare to say it's a light arc.

With Naruto, it's like they went straight to their own Arlong Park. It doesn't get clearer than the explanation Tazuna gave about what was going on with Kato and the bridge. They step out of the gates and there's an assassination attempt where Kakashi pretends to get explicitly murdered in front of the kids so he can figure out what they're dealing with. You have the story of how the local town hero was basically crucified to get his arms ripped by Kato's men. Hell, before all of these you have things like the Uchiha massacre and Sasuke saying his goal is to kill someone.

Then the top of the cake: Zabuza and Haku. They end up dead, both of them. Suddenly the enemy is not just "evil" or "ambitious" but also very very human. Kids killing kids or refusing to kill kids, it's a nightmare. Kakashi kills Haku with a chidori to the chest and the manga lingers on the blood of it all. There's a panel when Sasuke takes a hit meant for Naruto— the visual impact is insane. That one panel of Naruto awakening the kyubi's chakra and threatening to kill Haku? This is not a story about pirates and treasures and dreams. This is a story about survival and murder and duty, where a kid happens to want to dream above all the misery of his world.

Compare now the Arabasta saga and the Chuning Exams. Both are about politics, foul play to take a country/hidden village down, how normal people are nothing but pieces of a bigger game, how the world is baster and more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine.

The difference is that the straw hats choose to participate and choose how to do so. Every step is one they take conscious of the risk. They are teenagers still, sure, but they have their agency and they're powerful enough to not let anyone else push them around. They're at the heart of the conflict, they know what's going on behind the curtains. One Piece is about freedom, something that people in Naruto clearly lack. Even when there's death and sacrifices and a lot of cruelty, it's shown differently than in Naruto.

Team 7 gets thrown into the mess of Konoha's crush knowing nothing. The Chunning Exams are a shit show. The horror of Orochimaru and the cursed mark, the Hyuuga's plotline about family branches and slavery, arms exploding, Rock Lee's fight, Hiruzen's death, Gaara's backstory... Team 7 (at least the kids) move on such a different scale. It's terrifying. The Chunning Exams are war in a micro scale, designed to keep the power balance using their lower class soldiers, children included.

I can keep going, but well. I feel like I made my point clear with this post.

While Naruto's story pace is faster, the characters and the themes aren't rushed per se. It fits that in a world in constant conflict, things keep coming faster and the characters can't catch a break. The journey of the straw hats allows them more time to build the foundations of the crew, going from island to island. The way the stories are told are different too, so it'd be futile to compare them if you don't acknowledge that. What are the core values of the story? What is the general feeling? What is it trying to tell and how it corresponds to the way the story is told?

You either ask yourself those questions or you'll get a half-assed analysis, at most.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

If you wanted to convince someone to give shuggy a chance what would you tell them? I wonder what arguments you would find the best for them

well, that really depends on who it is i’m trying to convince! you have to tailor your argument to your audience, after all.

if it’s someone totally new to one piece, i wouldn’t offer too many details upfront. the way their history is gradually revealed in canon is really compelling for me, i wouldn’t want to ruin that experience for a new reader. i’d probably describe the ship in vague terms… something like: luffy’s mentor has a messy, almost tragicomic history with one of luffy’s antagonists, which reveals itself to be even messier the further you get into the story.

now, if it’s someone who already knows the whole story, i don’t have to worry about spoilers, i have find a way to explain the appeal of the ship.

for me, that’s tied up in narrative stuff. their roles in the story, their character arcs, how their relationship fits into the larger themes of one piece… so rather than present an argument for shuggy, i think i would probably present my audience with the type of questions this ship makes me think about, in the hopes that thinking about those questions for themselves will help my audience to understand where i’m coming from when i say i ship it.

if they’re pretty neutral on shanks and buggy as characters, i think i’d use a similar tack as with my one piece newbie: they’re narrative foils with a tragicomic history, going from twenty years no contact to being back on their bullshit again on sight. and now they’re both emperors searching for the one piece! do you think the seriousness of their goal can overpower that instinctive reversion to old habits? are they going to squabble like children over whose ship landed at laugh tale first?

if they’re already a fan of shanks, i think i’d emphasize the shared history kept secret. in one piece, characters tend to fall into one of two categories; either “never shuts up about the past (it’s my motivation/grudge)” or “never talks about the past (to keep precious memories safe/keep painful memories at a distance),” and shanks is definitely in that latter category; narratively he’s almost always associated with the future, and we’ve only seen him talk about his past with people who were part of it (rayleigh, whitebeard). buggy was a big part of that past, and things between them ended badly. do you think memories of buggy are more precious or painful to shanks these days? do you think that could change? would buggy have to be part of his present or future for shanks to feel comfortable talking about their past?

if they’re already a fan of buggy, i’d focus on buggy’s character arc. buggy’s most emotional moments in one piece have involved shanks—specifically, shanks accidentally wrecking his plans in increasingly tragic ways, and shanks never understanding why because buggy wouldn’t admit what his plans were in the first place. this, and the battle of selfishness vs selflessness that’s an ongoing theme with buggy, seem to be leading to a character arc-concluding encounter. there’s no way of knowing how that encounter will end… but we can guess. what do you think would be most satisfying: shanks accidentally helping buggy succeed this time? shanks accidentally wrecking buggy’s plans for a third time, but getting to know why? buggy choosing to wreck his plans for shanks’ sake? the two of them choosing to work together? something else altogether??

and if they dislike either shanks or buggy… well, i’ll be honest, i don’t think i could convince a hater to ship it. 🤔 maybe if they hated both of them, i could convince them in a “those two deserve each other (derogatory)” kinda way.

[grandmaster-anne]

PRINCESS ANNE The Royal who can’t get enough of Australia

The Australian Women's Weekly

By Juliet Rieden | Published 20 April 2022

The Princess Royal is famously pegged as the British monarchy’s hardest working royal because of the hundreds of engagements she carries out each year, so it came as no surprise that Her Royal Highness was the first member of the House of Windsor to fly out to Australian shores when border restrictions lifted.

True to form, the three-day tour, followed by a hop over to Papua New Guinea to mark the Platinum Jubilee, was carried out at a frenetic pace. But with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, by her side, the Queen’s only daughter was in her element reconnecting with a part of the world she tells me she has always loved.

The Princess was ostensibly here for a working visit as patron of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) for its bicentenary. To mark the occasion the royal couple had been invited to the opening ceremony of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, spending the whole day at the showgrounds.

Palace aides then tailored a bespoke program of engagements to touch on other key areas of interest for the Princess, especially talking to members of frontline services for fire and floods. “My husband’s brother lives at Lismore. Fortunately, up the hill. We’ve been kept in touch with the flooding,” she explains in my exclusive interview in England in advance of the tour. “I have to say it’s one of the things about the Sydney Show which I think brings together so much of the impact of what’s been happening, the extreme of the fires you’ve suffered and the floods. Sir Tim and I are working farmers so very much appreciate the opportunity to visit the Sydney Show.”

Princess Anne first visited back in 1970 and today she and Sir Tim arrived at the opening ceremony in the same historic horse-drawn calèche that 52 years earlier she had climbed into with her parents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and elder brother Prince Charles. That trip was the young Princess’s first major overseas tour and also the first time the now ubiquitous ‘walkabout’ had been tested in Australia.

This was the groundbreaking new way the royal family connected with the public, no longer standing on ceremony, but heading out into the crowds to meet people face-to-face. While it is now considered a cornerstone of royal tours, for the shy 19-year-old such encounters proved intimidating. “To be faced with a wall of strange faces, which may look very friendly at the time, but where do you start the conversation? That is quite a daunting prospect,” she confesses, smiling at the memory.

“We started the trip further south, so the introduction to the walkabout was in Melbourne. Sydney was a lot more buzzy, and of course, in a way the Easter Show is exactly the right place to go when you first go to Australia because there is everything that is Australian there and people from all over the country. It is a huge introduction to Australia; a really good place to start.”

Despite the anxiety of fronting up to crowds – which were huge – the Princess’s passion for the Show was ignited that day. “I was really delighted when my father asked me to succeed him as Patron of the RASC,” she said on this visit and her fervour was clear to see.

The Princess insisted on staying on foot in the showgrounds rather than being chauffeured in a buggy, so she could chat to as many people as possible. As she strode through the crowds she was greeted by excited faces and gasps of delight. And when she was called on to hand out ribbons for prize-winning calves and rosettes to youngsters involved in Riding for the Disabled, of which she is also the patron, she eagerly shared her knowledge of farming and rural life.

Watching from the sidelines, it was obvious that the royal has an army of fans in Australia. Indeed, as soon as her attendance was announced some weeks before the visit, ticket sales soared. Usually it is the following Easter weekend that is most popular, but the star power of the Princess Royal pushed April 9 to the top of the show’s sales’ charts, with 55,000 through the gates that day.

As a member of the royal family, crowds are an occupational hazard, but I wonder if the Princess still found them as confronting today. “It’s always interesting – because you just find people with stories to tell. So yes, I’m less daunted but maybe approach it slightly differently. Of course, weirdly, technology rather gets in the way now because whereas in those days [there was] the odd camera – now if you’re not careful it’s a wall of phones and you can’t actually see anybody,” she laughs.

Back in 1970 Princess Anne watched and learned from her parents, a necessary process of osmosis that formed her initiation into a life of service. “We’d been away for a while by then so we were getting into the swing of it. I think there is no way they [the Queen and the Duke] could have prepared you for just how tiring it gets. Suddenly you find that you’ve woken up in the middle of the night having a nightmare that you’re standing in the middle of a reception and you can’t speak. That creeps up on you and I think you just learn to pace yourself. I can now sleep in any form of transport, which does help!”

Choosing the right wardrobe was another learning curve. On that first trip the Princess’s hat was caught in a gust of wind and reporters famously heard her utter “bloody wind”, a comment which fuelled the tabloids. “Milliners do things which make perfect sense when you’re standing still inside; it makes slightly less sense when you’re outside in a draught, especially when it’s blowing from behind you, but that’s experience, as they say. These things you learn how to deal with.”

Another sartorial lesson adopted from her mother was putting weights in skirt hems. “For some materials that was an absolute necessity. It’s fine if you want to wear light clothes but airports, always breezy, never a good idea, so you find some way of dealing with that. It’s a very old-fashioned habit. You wouldn’t find it much now unless you actually asked or had things specifically made.”

Prince Charles had been to school in Australia at Geelong’s Timbertop and was already a fan of our outdoor lifestyle, ocean swimming and surfing. “We did go to his school in Geelong and I had a chance to meet some of his friends,” the Princess recalls. “I rather envied him that opportunity, I have to say. I could have done with seeing a bit more [of Australia].”

Nevertheless, on that first trip the Princess did manage to fit in her own private time out. “I was race riding at the time and I actually went out and rode for three days. From my perspective it was trying to keep fit because I was coming back to riding at home so I didn’t really want to spend a week sitting on my backside doing nothing. I rode a horse that had been in the Australian [1968 Mexico Olympics] team in Centennial Park in Sydney. That was, in retrospect, one of the bravest things I’ve ever done but he was a lovely horse,” she tells me.

Why brave? “Because I jumped some of the fences there,” she beams.

Princess Anne is adamant that agricultural shows like the Easter Show still have relevance. “The great thing about the Sydney show is since it first began it’s been bringing people [together] learning about Australia and how to be more successful in farming to build on its strengths in that time,” she explains. “The emphasis will have shifted [and] we certainly found in this country that agricultural shows have made a bit of a comeback because they’ve recognised that it is not so much about the farming community that needs to be stuck together, it’s introducing and making sure people understand farming who no longer have that automatic connection.

“Two hundred years ago everybody would have understood perfectly what the shows are trying to do, but that would have been a market, somewhere where you could promote how good you were in front of other farmers. Now, it’s more a question of educating populations as to the issues and challenges that farming faces.”

On the second day of the tour the Princess was eager to meet with Rural Fire Service volunteers and pay her respects to the families of two firefighters who had tragically lost their lives in the 2019 bushfires. It was emotional for Errol O’Dwyer who held his son Andrew’s framed photo as he talked to the Princess. Standing next to him was Andrew’s little girl, Charlotte, who was just 19 months old when her father died aged 35. In her speech the Princess highlighted the impact of loss on a community and the risks volunteers take on. She had no notes and spoke from the heart.

Afterwards she visited the Sea Heritage Foundation’s MV Cape Don, a lighthouse tender vessel under restoration, where her brother’s charity, Prince’s Trust Australia, is partnering with an initiative to train First Nations’ youth in the maritime industry. The Princess and former naval officer Sir Tim were fascinated by the ship and the project. “I think there’s the scope for making use of the history to inspire the next generations, because we’re all short of maritime workers,” she comments.

In a few weeks the Princess Royal will be joining the celebrations for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and inevitably our conversation turns to her mother’s legacy. “It’s a very difficult thing to put your finger on. I doubt if there’s a single description that would fit the bill,” she muses. “There is an element of constancy here in terms of attitude to service and recognition of service, the values that individuals bring ... I think she’s been able to support that and bring those people to the fore in a way that is so important.

“[Likewise] The Queen and I had a discussion the other day about the difference between fashion and style and I think maybe that’s relevant in the sense that she didn’t do fashion but she certainly does style, and style tends to last longer. You have an individual style and it’s a quality which has a long-term value.”

And while the longevity of Her Majesty’s reign is historic, her sheer volume of knowledge is also quite mind-blowing. “Yes, when you tot up the number of leaders of countries and her own prime ministers, that’s a quite extraordinary perspective.

“Her memories and understanding of each of those was they reach that point and the impact they can make – but equally having the ability to recognise that every individual could do it slightly differently. That may be part of the value. We’re not all the same.”

The Princess’s father was her mother’s “strength and stay” and now he’s gone, his contribution is fully recognised. “Unwavering support is probably the best way of describing it,” his daughter notes. “I think he also understood the things he was better staying out of – although it was quite difficult in the early days – but there were also distinct areas where he could help and did. His input and perspective and the fact that his travels took him to a slightly different area of the country and internationally could have a real impact. I think he learned how to distinguish when those moments were.” The Princess concedes that her father would have had a tough initiation. “I’m sure it wasn’t very easy to begin with because there was no such thing as a role then. He had to invent that one.”

When I ask what lessons she has learned from her mother, Princess Anne returns to the idea of style. “Maybe it is that style in the long term and the way you do things, remaining constant. I think it’s the way you treat people, with respect for individuals. When you’ve been around for long enough and people keep changing at the top of your organisations, if you’ve had a good relationship, a bit like prime ministers, you need to accept the next one because that isn’t necessarily the only way of doing anything. There are moments when you think, ‘are you sure that’s what you ought to be doing?’, but you have to stand back and let them get on.”

When the Queen was crowned, her daughter was second in line to the throne; today she’s 17th behind her younger brothers. It’s a gender penalty that is no longer applied and many feel it should be fixed retrospectively to reflect The Princess Royal’s unfailing sense of duty and service that, at 71, is as strong as ever.

But Princess Anne says she feels her gender has never been an obstacle. “I have been treated as an honorary man for a lot of my life. I did take part in a sport which didn’t have any gender balance. It was open to both, end of story. So, I had the benefit of being treated equally … although oddly enough when I first went to Australia I found a difference, the men went down one end of the room and the women went up the other. I didn’t think that was entirely appropriate.”

Now, Princess Anne thinks Australia has moved on and it’s a place she never tires of visiting. “I think Australia remains as one of the most attractive places to go to, for whatever reason – work or leisure.” 

[yujo-nishimura]

"Told you so..." - Part 8

This is a private ongoing fic just for me and @lostfirefly

Since tumblr doesn't let me post it privately I need to share it publicly, but feel free to scroll through the content, since this is just for our own amusement. ;)

Warning: strong language ;)

Helga and Buggy stood outside the small chamber, growing increasingly impatient as they urged the two other inmates to quickly collect their belongings and make their way out. While waiting, Helga gently nudged Buggy's side to get his attention.

"Do you think they're together?" she whispered into her captain's ear.

"What do you mean?" Buggy replied, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Like, together together," Helga clarified, her face turning slightly red.

"Together together?" Buggy repeated, making suggestive gestures with his hands to emphasize the point.

Helga blushed even deeper and nodded. Buggy seemed to be not convinced.

"I doubt it. Look at how fearful she is of him, and how Crocodile seems indifferent to everything."

They both noticed how the former warlord leisurely sat down on a bench, puffing on a cigar with evident pleasure.

"But can't you feel the tension between them? Maybe Yujo has feelings for him but can't express them," Helga observed, her eyes fixed on the girl, who kept a distance of at least three meters from Crocodile while hurriedly packing her belongings. Helga couldn't help but recall the day she had confessed her love to Buggy, and how he had initially doubted her sincerity.

"You? In love with someone like me? I mean... sure, everyone admires the great Captain Buggy, but do you mean love love?" Helga chuckled as she reminisced about that day. Buggy had initially been hesitant when she expressed her feelings, but he eventually followed her into the crew's quarters during the day when no one was around. Taking his hand, she guided it gently over her chest to her heart.

"I really do love you, believe it or not!" she had confessed. Overwhelmed by his desire for her, Buggy had immediately begun kissing her, pushing her back onto the crew's bunk beds. Their first intimate encounter had been rushed and clumsy, and Buggy had even almost hurt his back in the cramped space. But Helga had held him close, showering him with kisses.

"Of course I love you, you silly clown!" she had repeatedly reassured him as he lay on top of her, gently entering her, marking her as his forever.

Now, observing Crocodile and Yujo, they did not look like they were imprisoned here together. However, Helga sensed a certain tension between them, and being a woman herself, she was sure she could pick up on those subtle cues.

Inside the chamber, Crocodile closed his eyes, savoring the deep enjoyment of finally having a cigar again after his long imprisonment. However, Yujo urged him to hurry, but he simply ignored her. As she finished preparing herself, the former warlord stood up, discarding the half-smoked cigar by throwing it to the ground. He swiftly retrieved his coat, shedding his prisoner shirt and pants with Yujo still in the vicinity. Unable to resist, she blushed and found herself staring at his well-built, muscular physique. Despite the hardships of prison, he maintained an impressive form, and his strong arms effortlessly reached for his shirt.

"Like what you see?" he chuckled, his deep voice resonating within Yujo's being.

Flustered, she quickly averted her gaze, her face burning with embarrassment. "Of course not. You're not the first half-naked man I've seen on the Grand Line...!"

"Good. Then why don't you change clothes as well? After all, you're not the first naked woman I've encountered on the Grand Line either," Crocodile retorted, draping his coat over his shoulder and flashing his signature sly grin.

Yujo clenched her teeth, frustrated by his blunt remarks, and swiftly changed the topic. "Do you think those two out there are together?" She pointed discreetly at Buggy and Helga, whispering to ensure they wouldn't overhear.

Crocodile cast a sidelong glance at them, observing how they stood outside, engaged in their own whispered conversation, with Buggy's hand resting on Helga's back. "I believe they're not just together; they're probably also fucking," he remarked, laughing at his own crude comment.

"You're quite repulsive," Yujo retorted in disgust, determined to focus on the task at hand and lead them all out of the prison.

"But deep down, I know you secretly enjoy it," Crocodile muttered to himself as he lit another cigar and followed Yujo out of the chamber.

[anand07723]

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[kierancampire]

I just beat Horizon Forbidden West!

I loved the first game, though i admit i remember little of it. I think this game expanded super well on it, from my memory of 1, it's hard to say which i preferred! They did really well with it! Loved the story, world, gameplay, the fighting, taking down machines, sidequests were super good and felt like they actually mattered! It was super enjoyable! Put about 60 hours in and there is still lots left to do!

However, there were things i disliked. Quite buggy, from being unable to progress quests, characters not moving, things disappearing under the floor, there were quite a few. Climbing, like Assassin's Creed Odyssey, was so frustrating, Aloy would just stop climbing or get stuck. It's kinda annoying knowing there is DLC but for PS5 users only. Also, i hated missions where other characters joined, they just scream at you the whole time, often repeating things endlessly, to the point i wanted to mute the game. Also the climbing animations where it slows down or tries to be tense like Aloy won't make it? Just so slow, tedious, and unnecessary. And also, some of the enemies were so difficult/impossible to knock parts off or focus on certain areas, due to them just CONSTANTLY moving and nothing helping, so getting parts, i literally gave up on some enemies as i just couldn't do it

However, my biggest gripe with the game. God. Fucking. Damn. Aloy. Fucking Aloy. If Aloy gets hit. You. Are. Fucked. When they make the third game, god fucking damn i hope they improve on that. The *AMOUNT* of times i got stun locked and killed! Or the fucking arena, where everything is time based, and often very strict time limits, but i failed because Aloy kept getting hit by water, explosions, or other things, and she just fucking flails, launches, falls over, but then takes an *ACTUAL* fucking century to get back up, to the point where often, and this happened SO fucking much, where by the time she got up/i got control again, the enemy did another attack, and it restarted the whole fucking process, sometimes until i died. And again, especially so in the arena or "certain" encounters, where you are in a small place, no where to hide, nothing to really hide behind. You can't go too far away, or the enemies just fire a constant barrage of projectiles at you, often leading to that issue of you in a 5 minute animation trying to get back up, so you die and can't hit back. But then if you get too close, they again spam attacks that just stun you and deplete your health in seconds! And trying to run away is futile! Everything has a lunge attack that lets them bridge the gap in less than a second, and you're stun locked! Like, if you can't tell, fucking hated this aspect of the game, i dunno how they decided it was okay and just went with it. It made *SOOOO* many parts of the game unenjoyable for me! Like i said, can't be too close, can't be too far, can't hide, can't run, can't back up, you can barely attack if at all between Aloy just fucking flailing for 5 minutes any time a fucking pebble taps her. Like, my god, i hated it

Also, i dunno if this was just me, but i literally never used melee, even in forced close range encounters. 3 reasons for this. 1, melee seemed so weak and you usually always need status ailments from ranged weapons. 2, groups of enemies just fucking destroy you, so you want to take them down one by one or from a distance, throwing yourself in for melee is a death sentence. 3, to sorta expand on that, stealth is so crucial to the game, to the point there are a ton of perks/an entire tree for it. So the game kinda forces you to go long range, bows are much more powerful, they inflict status, expose weakness, close range combat kills you, stun animations kill you, and there are a maltitude of long range options only one melee option. I just don't even really see why it is in the game? Or why the game seemingly tries to force close encounters on you at time to try and make you use it? There is literay no advantage to melee?

Also yeah, if it isn't obvious from a lot of my gripes, fucking hated Tiderippers. Elephant in the arena was hell too. But like i said, i did honestly really enjoy the game at the same time, it's gorgeous, i took so many scenic screenshots, it continues the story well, i just really liked it. But yeah, there could be some major quality of life improvements haha

[chromatic-lamina]

shichibukai and double dealing dogs

I posted this earlier today:

Was wondering how much Law’s decision to become a shichibukai was influenced by seeing Boa Hancock well and truly make the system work for her. Of course he would have been aware of Doflamingo and co, but he was up close and personal with her. Will post a panel later that kinda kicked this thought into being.

and decided to make a whole new meta-post cos’ of time and effort and it got away from me. 

SO

Hancock sails right up beside the Polar Tang when it surfaces after having turned a bunch of marines into stone and having commandeered their warship.

Although Law is not fazed (Bepo might be another matter), the ship completely overshadows the sub, and the cannons are clearly on view. It’s a ballsy move for anyone, but one for which Hancock faces no consequences (unrevealed events after the Reverie/Levely aside), and not just because she’s beautiful.

Just to reinforce what she’s sailing, and more so, who she’s stolen it from (and from right under their noses) there’s this panel below where Ivankov first appears.

I kept the whole page just to show the sheer size of the ship, and Hancock’s words at the end about what type of vessel they’re sailing. Ivankov is 4.49 metres tall (14′8″).

And as seen in the panel below (and the one before it, not on display), it’s Hancock who gets the Polar Tang across the Calm Belt, and with a pirate ship in that case.

Like, maybe before this encounter, all that Law thought when he heard the word ‘shichibukai’ was this kind of bullshit:

Law and his crew are sitting right at the back of the Human Auctioning House, with a clear view of Doflamingo’s Jolly Rogers.

Seeing how Hancock used the role to also break the law—but in order to

help rather than harm (unlike the Human Auctioning House)—and to gain access to places that others usually couldn’t (Punk Hazard, anyone?), I could see Law taking stock and realising that the shichibukai role had possibilities beyond personal gain and inflicting misery.

 Even so, he’d be aware that many would view him as

a government dog.

Of course this dude, ex-shichibukai, was also on board (panel below):

So Law’s obviously aware that not all of them are arseholes (although, Jinbei becoming a warlord was why Arlong was released), and he’s also seen firsthand what the government does to warlords who won’t play their game when it comes down to the line.

Law’s a smart man. I’m sure he’d know about and weigh up the actions and words (and read between the lines) of all the shichibukai, but maybe Hancock’s actions did spur him on a bit. 

Like, she’s not altruistic that we’ve seen. She’s offering shelter because she’s smitten with Luffy. But she doesn’t have any love loss for the World Government, and it doesn’t seem that she’s obviously exploitative and oppressive in the ways that Moria, Doflamingo and Crocodile were/are. Same goes for Jinbei and what we’ve seen of Mihawk.

Luffy obviously wins for having encountered the most warlords or ex-warlords, but Law’s running a close second, even though the Kuma he encountered was an actual pacifista, I’ll include it, because it indicates his views and experiences of warlords (I guess Buggy was a pre-warlord).

So did Law feel he was following this guy’s footsteps/wishes

when he became a doctor AND a pirate AND a government dog? Rosi only wanted him to be a doctor, but he occupied and manipulated two worlds.

 Or maybe this guy below was Law’s role model for seeing the opportunities in shades of grey

Though Vergo only really wanted Law dead. But why not be a brown-noser, double-crosser, sycophant if everyone else is doing it for their own gain (or the gain of an institution, like the navy or the Family).

Or is the role model this guy?

Doflamingo’s pretty keen on him becoming a pirate, and Law becoming one and then gaining a shichibukai position must have appeared to Doflamingo as if Law was emulating him left, right and nicely off-centre. 

The Heart seat was still open for him at this stage of canon (and also the chance for Law to perform the eternal youth operation).

Doing the right thing and believing the nice words doesn’t always get you what you want after all.

[n-s4kayaky]

Satisfying journey Pt.2

Part 1

(Notes: Hi! I'm new to writing stories on this app. While I am familiar with writing the occasional one-shot or comic strip, it's been a while. I'm writing this story for my own enjoyment and excitement. I just wanted to let you know that if there are any grammatical errors, I apologize. I'm also more than happy to hear your suggestions and feedback. For now, this is all I can share. I hope you enjoy this story)

Pairing: Buggy The Clown x F!Reader

Summary: You woke up in a dirty and damp cell after your encounter with the pirate Buggy The Clown, you didn't remember much, your whole body hurt, especially your face. You spent several hours there until you heard someone entering the cell, it was our favorite captain. He asked you several questions and, well, you didn't know if things had gone well or badly at that moment.

Warnings: Depictions of Violence and Torture, small mentions of blood, mentions of hanging, Buggy being a complete jerk and a perv, sexual tension and teasing, romance, humiliation.

Your eyes opened hazily as you looked around with your vision half-clouded. The first thing you noticed was the strong smell of humidity in the air. The room was mostly dark, illuminated only by a weak ray of sunlight coming through a small, round window. Your whole body hurt, especially your face, specifically your cheek and nose. You felt something dripping from your nose and brought your hand up to it, only to see that you were handcuffed to a chain that was attached to the bars of a cage. You took the substance that was dripping from your nose, realizing it was blood. That damn clown, his punch was so strong that it made you faint and bleed from your nose. You lightly touched it, feeling relieved that your septum wasn't broken. Once you inspected your body for any kind of injury or bruise, which fortunately you didn't have, you looked around.

You were in a kind of cell, which looked more like a lion's cage, some hay was scattered on the floor, which had tangled in your hair. You saw on the other side of the bars a pile of expanded bags and several old fabrics that looked like old ship sails, from among the sacks of unknown content you saw how several rats scurried and hid, well, you knew you wouldn't be alone in that cell, hopefully they would become your friends. You groaned, rubbing your cheek still feeling a trace of heat due to the slap Buggy gave you. Who did that guy think he was? Enslaving a poor village for his own pleasure and to receive forced applause and laughter, it made your heart shrink. And it wasn't just that he enslaved a village, but he also imprisoned you, why?! You were just looking for a new place to start a new life; but you didn't want your new life to rot in the cell of a sadistic pirate clown's ship. Although, for some reason, you couldn't stop thinking about him, his face passed fleetingly through your head, if it was true that he had attractive features; but what were you doing thinking so much about him? He had put you in a cage! Although you didn't deny that you had always had certain questionable tastes... Before ending up here, in your other village you collected "Wanted" posters and hung them on the walls of your room, it couldn't be denied that some of those pirates were attractive, especially that man you liked so much... What was his name? That swordsman... Mia.. Mih... Mihawk! Yes, that was it! You remember that every time there was a new poster you took it and kept it.

You woke up from your dream when your stomach growled, grumbling for some food. You were so hungry, the last thing you ate was a half-rotten apple. In addition to hunger, you were thirsty, your throat was dry, and no matter how much saliva you accumulated and swallowed, it didn't quench your thirst. As if someone was listening to your thoughts and especially the growling of your stomach, the door opened, letting out a loud creak. A man came out of the door, dressed in a striking way like the rest of the crew. Half of his face was covered by his hair, and the other half of his hair was shaved and had lines of different colors. A large scarf covered part of his mouth, and in his hands, he carried a tray with a glass of what looked like milk and a piece of bread. Your stomach couldn't help but growl at the sight, as little as it was at that moment, it was enough for you, you were too hungry. That man looked at you and approached the cell at a tortuously slow pace. Once in front of the cell, he crouched down and opened a small compartment where he was able to pass the tray with the glass and bread. "The Captain will come to see you in a few minutes," he said in a cold tone as he closed the small hatch through which he had given you the tray. Before you could ask him anything, that man had left through the door, giving a loud bang that made the cage vibrate under your feet.

You sighed and looked at the tray with the glass of milk and the piece of bread. Your stomach growled again and with trembling hands you took the bread. It was hard, too hard. You knew that if you put it in your mouth as it was, your teeth would break before you could take a bite. You made a face and took the glass of milk. It wasn't very big, but it wasn't very small either. You quickly remembered the knife you had in your back pocket, you stood up and searched for the small knife with hope, but it vanished when you didn't feel the knife where it should be. Those damn pirates, they must have taken it. With the little strength you had left, you took the hard bread, breaking it and making thousands of crumbs fall to the dirty floor of the cage. You took your glass of milk and took a small sip, as you thought it was plain milk, without a hint of sugar or honey to sweeten it. You took your broken bread and dipped it in the milk, making it softer. After several seconds under the milk, you took the piece and brought it to your mouth, letting out a sound of delight as you started to eat the bread soaked in milk. It seemed like the best culinary dish a chef could have prepared for you. Little by little, you finished the bread along with the milk, putting your fingers in your mouth and sucking them to take the last drops of milk that dripped from them.

Did you see how the rats from before came out of their hiding places among the sacks, timidly approaching the cage when they smelled the breadcrumbs that had been scattered, they seemed fearful, wanting to approach but backing away when they saw you. You let out a slight laugh and took a breadcrumb, carefully approaching one of the rats, it smelled the breadcrumb and with its little paws took it, bringing it to its mouth and quickly returning to the pile of bags. The other rats also approached, surrounding you, a little panicked you began to give breadcrumbs to the rats and they would run away to eat them in hiding.

Suddenly the door opened with a bang, causing the few rats that were left with you to run away in terror. You looked at the door and saw that it wasn't Buggy. He wasn't wearing his orange captain's hat, and instead had a white bandana with red stripes on his head, revealing his blue hair. He also wasn't wearing his big orange coat, which exposed a red and white striped sleeveless shirt with several belts. His biceps were clearly visible and muscular, indicating that he worked out. Your eyes carefully scanned his muscular arms, but you quickly looked away, embarrassed that you were ogling your captor. Buggy easily noticed your actions and a playful laugh escaped his red-painted lips. 'Enjoying the view, darling? I can't blame you,' he said in a playful tone as he approached you, standing in front of your cage.

Your cheeks heated up in embarrassment and you let out a small groan. 'There's nothing to enjoy,' you spat defensively while glaring at the pirate. 'Darling, don't lie to me. I know I'm someone worth admiring,' he said. 'Whatever you say... What the hell do you want from me?' you muttered irritably as you saw that the man had easily read you. Buggy laughed again as he crouched down enough to be at the same height as you. 'I feed you and I don't decide to kill you, and this is how you thank me?' he said, feigning a tone of sadness as his blue orbs rested on your face. You rolled your eyes at his response. 'You've locked me up and chained me up like a damn animal,' you said furiously as you faced the clown. Buggy laughed amusedly as his eyes lingered on your face, staying for a few long seconds on your nose. He brought his hand to his mouth, taking off with his teeth the dirty white glove he had on his hands and slowly took it off, revealing his bare hand. His nails were trimmed and painted the same color as his blue hair. Without a doubt, this man cared about his perfect appearance.

You watched in amazement as he removed his glove, and then you saw him lick his thumb, moistening it with saliva. Your cheeks turned a shade redder. What was that clown planning? His bare hand approached your face, easily passing between the metal bars. Instinctively, you moved back, afraid that he would slap you again for your response. But moving away didn't help you much, as he separated his hand from his arm with those strange powers that you still didn't understand. His flying hand approached your face, and you closed your eyes, expecting the blow. But it never came. You only felt the strangely delicate touch of his saliva-moistened finger passing under your nostrils. When he removed his hand from you, you opened your eyes, bewildered, watching as he put his hand back on his body, took it out from between the bars, and looked at his thumb for a few seconds. It was stained with some dried blood that had previously dripped from your nose from the blow he had given you the day before. After observing his finger, dyed red with your blood, for several seconds, he brought it to his mouth while his eyes were fixed on you. He watched you closely, seeing your reaction as he playfully licked your blood from his finger. You remained perplexed from your position, watching his actions while your face heated up again. What the hell was he playing at? He took his finger out of his mouth with a wet "POP" and put his glove back on his hand while his eyes remained fixed on you. "Delicious," he said cheerfully.

"Good dear, I must say that you are there for two simple reasons. The first is that you caught my attention, and believe me, that's something difficult to do with me," he said as he slightly stood up from his position and began to walk around the cage while his eyes never left you. "The second..." He faced you again and suddenly a hand flew towards you, grabbing your neck firmly and forcing you to stick to the bars of the cage. "I don't know if you remember, but you ruined my show... And those who do that don't end up well, let's say... Very well," he said as his fingers pressed harder on the sides of your neck, blocking your blood pressure. "You didn't follow MY rules, you didn't applaud when I told you to, and to top it off..." His palm pressed against your trachea, making it harder for you to breathe. "You spat on me, me, the great Buggy The Clown! You humiliated me in front of MY spectators!" He said furiously as he watched with some amusement as you tried to catch your breath. "And believe me, I'm not going to forgive you just like that, simply because of your pretty face, doll," he said as he slightly loosened his grip on your neck, letting you take a breath of air before tightening it again. "Besides, as I mentioned before, you should have thanked me. I could have easily killed you and your pretty body would be at the bottom of the ocean being wasted by some hungry sharks..." A sadistic smile decorated his face as he watched your face slowly turn purple. "I think you should thank me NOW..."

You watched him as you tried to catch your breath, feeling your eyes tear up and a slight thread of saliva fall from your mouth, you opened it and whispered as loudly as you could in those moments, "T-thank you..." Buggy's smile widened as he watched your futile attempts to pronounce a word, he tightened his fingers while pressing your body even harder against the cold glass bars. "What did you say, doll? I don't think I heard you well." "T-th...Thank you!" You released with your last breath, feeling your vision blur and how you would faint again. Buggy's hand abruptly separated from your throat, allowing you to breathe again, quickly taking a deep breath, coughing in the process as you looked at the clown with teary eyes. The hand that was on your throat a few seconds ago moved towards your head, starting to caress it with some affection as he watched you from the other side of the bars with a satisfied smile. "That's how I like it... I know you can be a good girl, you just need a little push." He winked at you as he moved his hand away from you, sticking it back to his body

You gasped, still a little dizzy from the lack of air and the dizziness in your body as you watched Buggy look at you with amusement. 'Well, since you thanked me and showed me that you can be a good girl, I'm going to give you another chance, okay?' he said, watching your face and occasionally lowering his eyes to your body, causing shivers to run through it. 'I have something planned just for you, my dear. Let's put you and that spoiled mouth of yours to good use,' he said, stopping his eyes on your lips for a few seconds, then looking away and getting up, wiping the accumulated dirt off his pants. 'I'll come back for you tomorrow and show you your new function here. Don't try anything stupid or you'll regret it,' he said in a chilling tone as he began to walk towards the door, opened it, and before leaving, gave you one last look. 'Don't ruin your position as a good girl... unless you want to be punished,' he chuckled and winked at you, then left through the door, slamming it shut and leaving you once again in the darkness and dampness of your cage.

You sighed as you brought your chained hands to your neck, slowly caressing it and stopping at the spot where Buggy had pressed his fingers. You looked at the door one last time, letting out a small curse. You curled up into a ball and closed your eyes, going to sleep and waiting to see what would happen to you tomorrow.

[reginaldqueribundus]

Still absolutely obsessed with the idea that One Piece is a tabletop roleplaying campaign, because think about it:

RPG damage mechanics explain why punching someone really hard does more damage than a lightning strike or shooting them with a rocket launcher

probably a homebrew version of an existing system run by a slightly inexperienced DM who didn’t realize the absurd ways his party would break the game

Luffy’s player came up with a ridiculously detailed backstory for his character and then promptly forgot most of it, which is why the other players are so shocked when his brother and grandfather show up

Coby was originally a PC but was so underpowered next to Luffy the DM let him play Zoro instead

Zoro was supposed to be an antagonist hence why he goes from pirate hunter to pirate

He and Luffy keep putting every single point they have into combat which is why they suck at everything else

Nami’s player had to put points in a ton of other skills to balance them out which is why she isn’t as “strong” as they are

Usopp’s player actually came up with a killer sniper build, but he ends up struggling a lot in combat because the DM had to give every enemy a million hit points to stand up to Luffy and Zoro

Zoro wasn’t supposed to fight Hawkeye at the Baratie but Zoro’s player just…did that so Hawkeye holding back was the DM trying not to kill him

Nami was supposed to tell the party about Arlong and then they’d go fight him together but her player decided to steal the ship in the middle of the Hawkeye / Krieg fight because “it’s what my character would do”

Sanji’s player gained extra character points by taking the limitation of only fighting with his feet and put the extra points into food preparation

Shanks was originally supposed to join the party as an NPC but the DM realized he was way too powerful

The first Logia class they encounter (Smoker) is broken because none of the players put any points into counteracting intangibility bcuz they didn’t think they’d need it

Buggy’s “map of the Grand Line” became a “map of the way to the Grand Line” because the DM realized a) he couldn’t just give them a map of the entire GL and b) he didn’t want to have to draw it

the log pose absolutely reeks of “something the DM came up with so he could decide where the party goes”

the party was supposed to find Mr. 3’s hideout in Little Garden and get the eternal pose to Alabasta but over half the party got captured immediately thanks to some unlucky rolls and splitting the party

Sanji wandered off by himself so the DM invented the Unluckies encounter to give him something to do

Drum Island was something the DM came up with last minute because he had this great story idea inspired by the American healthcare system, and Nami getting sick was just an excuse to get them there

Then someone’s little sister joined the campaign, which is why Dr. Kureha’s reindeer is suddenly also her medical student because she wanted to play a cute animal, she read Chopper’s backstory aloud and everyone loved it

Nami would’ve taken fatal fall damage in the avalanche but Sanji took it for her, but this put him at 0 hit points and he kept critical failing the heal check so he couldn’t join the final fight

The DM thought Luffy’s name was cool and decided to make it part of the campaign lore around this time, hence why Gold Roger becomes Gol D. Roger

Vivi was a PC but her player had to leave the group which is why Vivi stayed in Alabasta

Robin’s player worked with the DM to create a very detailed backstory carefully tailored to tie into the DM’s campaign setting, but she got tired of being the only one trying to find out anything about the story and lore so she decided to retire her archaeologist character and play as Franky (who was designed to be as ridiculous as everything else in the campaign)

Water 7 was supposed to be Robin’s exit from the campaign but the DM didn’t expect the party to actually go all the way to Enies Lobby to get her back, and everyone got so into it Robin’s player decided to keep her

Someone else joined the campaign but didn’t know the system they were using very well so they let him use Franky’s character sheet

Usopp’s player was also getting frustrated with his character being useless in every encounter which was why he got an upgrade and all the Water 7 / Enies Lobby stuff happened

The DM tried to tell the party about Ace’s execution multiple times but they kept failing their listen / gather info rolls

Thriller Bark was supposed to last way longer but the party beat everyone way faster than the DM thought so he made the encounters for Sabaody way too strong. The Kizaru / Sentomaru / pacifista fight was almost a TPK until the DM had Kuma show up and teleport everyone away

everything from Amazon Lily to Marineford was the campaign going completely off the rails with Luffy doing a bunch of stuff off by himself with a ton of NPCs and trying to save Ace while the DM kept railroading everything toward Ace dying to push the plot he wanted while the other players were upset they weren’t doing anything

the DM and the party stopped and had a discussion on what they wanted out of the campaign, with the DM agreeing to not railroad them or split the party anymore, and the party agreeing to at least sort of pursue the actual campaign story

the time skip was the DM stepping back for a while to focus on school/work while the players leveled / balanced their characters a bit

nobody thought Brook’s player would come back because he joined right before everything went off the rails

the DM brought in a co-DM during Fishman Island which is why the story suddenly gets more coherent and focused

Jinbe became the co-DM’s PC because they wanted to play and by this point he was the same level as the party anyway

anyway yeah. One Piece as a tabletop campaign. This has probably been done somewhere already, in the vein of Darths & Droids, but yeah.

EDIT: yeah, this is already a thing. It’s called Grand Line 3.5 and you can check it out here. It’s apparently been going since 2013 and has just reached *checks notes* the Little Garden arc.

[springday-aus]

Superpower!AU with Hyungwon

—

Group: Monsta X

Member: Chae Hyungwon

Genre: fluff, romance, small [very minimal] angst

TW: car accident - don’t worry, no one died 

Type: Bulletpoint AU 

Word Count: approx. 2.8k

→ Inspired by the AU Prompt: “I know you can read minds and I really like you so I’m constantly filtering my thoughts—stop making fun of how I think of fighting giraffes, it’s my go-to when I think about you shirtless” 

so Hyungwon has the power of telepathy

how he got it was rather odd

he wasn’t necessarily born with it—it kind of came to him

despite what people might think, it wasn’t radioactivity

it was actually due to an accident

when he was young, there was a minor encounter

basically, there was a car and semi-truck incident

next thing he knew, his parents were in critical condition and he was being rolled into the ER for surgery

when he woke up, he was in his hospital bed and the ventilator was hooked up to him

he heard the voices of the nurses and the doctors, but their mouths weren’t moving

originally he brushed it off since he hasn’t fully recovered and his vision kept going in and out

but once he did recover… he could still hear them

luckily, his parents were okay

and that was how he was able to confirm his new-found power

he was able to hear theirs first and it was…. insane

he was freaked out, his parents were freaked out 

once they calmed down, they tried to figure out what to do—they eventually came to the conclusion to just let it happen

they can’t control that so they might as well figure it out together 

at first, it was uncontrollable, so he heard these voices whether or not he wanted to hear them

it was always loud and his own thoughts were never heard in his own head

oh, the amount of migraines he’d gotten from a young age…

but, don’t worry, he learned to maintain it as he grew up

now, he’s able to listen whenever he looks at someone and concentrate a bit more

he’s got a better control of it, but it also means he has to be careful as to where he looks bc he doesn’t wanna listen in on someone’s private thoughts

he’s always been getting in trouble when he was trying not to get in trouble when it comes to his telepathy

that tends to happen a lot in general though

because you’re hearing a lot of thoughts that you’re not trying to hear

which is why music became a good route of distraction

at first, the monsta x boys made fun of him for not getting airpods, but, after telling them about his telepathy, they understood why he got those big ass headphones

but, we’ll get to them later

anyways

bruh, high school was extra rough on this man

can you imagine hearing all of those thoughts? especially of hormonal teenage boys?

nasty

anyways

I like to think that this is why he sleeps so much

when he first got it, it was very emotionally draining for him and he slept like twelve hours at a time

unfortunately, he got into this habit and now he can doze off if he zones out enough

he slept a lot in high school, considering that he was trying not to hear his teacher’s thoughts and the other students and focus on the lesson and would end up falling asleep on his desk and then getting in trouble with the teachers

again, it’s that whole getting in trouble without meaning to get into trouble

so anyways

his family are the main people who know and god

the amount of family tea he’s gotten from his parents’ thoughts

while he does hate being able to hear all these thoughts without a choice, his favorite is the family gatherings and reunions

homeboy could make a tv novella with all the information he’s got on his family

because his immediate family are the ones who know, whereas his cousin that’s like twice removed doesn’t, but that’s justifiable

also, his parents have to be careful when they’re talking about him or his younger brother tho

(Hyungwon: “dad, am I not your favorite?”

his dad: “I don’t have have favorites”

Hyungwon: “the lies”)

other than his family, his long time friends also know, i.e. the monsta x boys

I’m talking long term because he’s so comfortable with them and Hyungwon was stupid and let it slip

Jooheon: I know we agreed on Chinese but I kind of wanted pizza

Hyungwon: “we can get both if you want”

Jooheon: “get what?”

Hyungwon: wait a second

oh, whenever they play games, Hyungwon uses this telepathy to help him cheat

and Changkyun was suspicious of how Hyungwon, the guy who falls asleep 20 minutes into a movie, had such good gaming tactics

his suspicions were confirmed when Hyungwon told them but they all also lowkey were confused and didn’t believe him, altho it did fill in a few of the gaps

like how Hyungwon gives perfect gifts for people that they can actually use

and how he can easily solve issues before they can even become bigger issues

there were just bits and pieces that came together and he did get to prove it

Kihyun: “what am I thinking about?”

Hyungwon: “I don’t think you would want me to say it in front of our Minhyuk here”

Kihyun: …… “okay, you pass”

but revealing this also means a lot of questions

especially from Minhyuk, who’s bouncing around and is curious as to how it works

and isn’t like always being verbally asked

like, the questions will just pop into their heads and Hyungwon hears it

actually what he hears is

Minhyuk: can he hear animal thoughts?

Minhyuk: do they speak English? or do they speak in that animal sound?

Minhyuk: should I ask him? or am I going to be bothering him?

Minhyuk: okay, try to be casual and slip it in and-

Hyungwon: “I can only hear people’s thoughts, now can we please get on with the meal?”

Minhyuk: oh right he can hear mine

Hyungwon: “YES I CAN HEAR IT PLEASE BE QUIET”

Wonho: …. “what’s going on????”

this is why he favors you compared to the others

you’re curious, but not like super curious like Minhyuk

but it’s also because your thoughts are the most hilarious ones

it’s primarily because you censor a lot of your thoughts with other thoughts and they are….. eccentric

there’s a reason tho

long story short: you like him

you two are basically childhood friends

you met in middle school and woke him up before he could get in trouble and it was all history from there

it wasn’t until around the college years that the feeling hit you like a ton of bricks

and when it did hit, you were lucky Hyungwon wasn’t around to read your thoughts

because……... oof

he went from that kid with acne that you used to spray water at to keep awake

to a handsome young man that makes your heart pound so loudly in your chest

he had told you about these powers of his about a year into college, when he realized you weren’t going to disappear from his life so easily

but also because you were thinking about how the fbi is definitely listening in on your conversations because you got an ad on instagram about those sleeping bags that make it look like you were being eaten by a shark and he HAD to make a comment

Hyungwon: “dude what the fuck”

You: “what?”

Hyungwon: “how bad is your anxiety that you’re worried about the fbi agent in your phone?”

You: …… **narrows eyes** “I didn’t say anything about an fbi agent”

Hyungwon: ah shit, here we go again

anyways

that’s just a small glimpse of what Hyungwon has to hear

your thoughts were hilarious to tune into, to the point where Hyungwon listens in when you’re daydreaming and it’s like his news for the day

and it only got worse (at least for you) because you were constantly censoring your thoughts after your self-discovery of your feelings for him

you two were studying in the library one time for finals and he got real close to get a good look at the textbook to see where you were

and you couldn’t stop thinking about how close he was

but when he looked at you

you immediately switched your thoughts to think about that time Wonho choked on his ramen noodles

Hyungwon: “why are you thinking about Wonho choking?”

You: “because it’s funny?”

Hyungwon: …… “fair point”

and so now, you have something to turn to each time an incident happens

whenever he says something that makes your heart flutter, you think about Ted Bundy’s yellow buggy

whenever he makes you unconsciously jealous, you think about fat cats sitting on glass tables

you have something for everything

and Hyungwon has no idea because you’ve gotten so fucking good at hiding it

until one day, you were out with the boys, trying out this new restaurant that opened beside the river

Jooheon talks about how nice it would be nice to go to the beach sometime

Shownu tries to start plans and says y’all could plan a barbeque and make a whole trip out of it

but then Kihyun whines, saying he’s not ready because he hasn’t gone to the gym in a month

Wonho: “you haven’t gone to the gym period”

Kihyun: “better than me living there like you do”

Wonho: “and who’s the one with the abs?”

Kihyun: “son of a bitch”

that got you thinking

Hyungwon? on the beach? that means he’s just gonna chill on the side

but that also means….. a shirtless Hyungwon

Shownu: “what do you think (y/n)?”

You: “nothing, absolutely nothing”

Hyungwon looks over at you with a knowing look in his eyes

You: “what?”

Hyungwon: ………….. “why are you thinking about fighting giraffes?”

Minhyuk: “.... is that really what (y/n)’s thinking?”

Changkyun: “dude”

You: “sorry for thinking about the zoo?”

Hyungwon: “we were talking about the beach, why were you thinking about the zoo?”

You: god, I wanna die

Hyungwon: “well, are you going to die before or after the beach trip?”

Shownu: “we need to keep track of the body count, (y/n), this is important” 

sometimes you also wonder why you like him when these moments occur

but then he gives you that smile and you think to yourself

it do be like that 

and because you all are trying to plan out the beach trip, you couldn’t stop thinking about…. shirtless Hyungwon

therefore 

starts up more thoughts about fighting giraffes ensue

and more teasing on behalf of Hyungwon to you

Hyungwon: “do you wanna go to the zoo instead???? is that why you keep thinking about these giraffes????”

You: I. want. to. die.

Hyungwon: “you’ll die if you join the fighting giraffes—oW OWW OKAY I’LL SHUT UP”

the nonstop teasing for weekkkkkksss

until he finally asks you, the day before the trip

Hyungwon: “seriously, are you upset that we went out to the beach instead of the zoo?”

You: ugh, this whole ass man keeps making fun of me for thinking about fighting giraffes, this is your fault for being so fucking attract-

You: WONH O CHOKI NG ON RAMEN

Hyungwon: “WHOA NO FINISH YOUR THOUGHT”

You: NO

You: WONHO. CHOKING. LALALALLALA-

you avoided him for the rest of the day and filled your head with more censored thoughts

so he couldn’t hear anything else

and he didn’t

homeboy was left so confused because

he really likes having you as a friend but

having you as a partner would be so much better

he’s liked you since high school

hearing your thought process and little quirks

he grew fond of them

he knows it’s really invasive, but, in his defense, he was still learning to control them

and he found himself staring at you more and more, accidentally hearing your thoughts

one thing he really hated about his power is that even when he’s just taking in your presence………… he can still hear it even if he doesn’t try to

but anyways

he was sure of his feelings, but didn’t wanna push anything until he was absolutely sure

and now just might be that chance

so, after ducking him the entire day, which is hard to do when he’s trying to find you the entire day

(it’s not that hard considering all he hears from you is “FBI AGENTS GET OUT”)

(at least, that’s what you were trying to think so he doesn’t hear anything else about how you were going to explain yourself)

and he manages to catch you when the boys set up a bonfire and there’s no other spots…… except the one next to Hyungwon

which he totally, 100% did not plan

;)

anyways, you try to distract yourself by focusing your attention the marshmallow you have roasting over the fire

whereas he’s trying to read your mind, but it goes to waste as your attention is solely focused on the marshmallow

hence the tune of IU’s Marshmallow being played in your head

some of the other guys leave the bonfire, either to take a nightly beach stroll or to sleep 

and that left you, Hyungwon, and a melting marshmallow that you were trying to keep from completely burning

before you could flee though, Hyungwon speaks up

Hyungwon: “what? no fighting giraffes?”

You: “I will hit you with a flaming marshmallow”

you thought about it for a second tho, why did you think about fighting giraffes?

the boys were talking about the beach and then they talked about the trip

and the beach made you think about a shirtless Hyungwon

…………. shirtless Hyungwon

FIGHTING GIRAFFES

Hyungwon: “wait what”

You: fuck

You: “fuck”

and then your worst nightmare happens

he starts laughing

You: “sssttttoooppppppp”

You: “it’s my go-to when I think about you shirtless, okay? are you satisfied?”

he keeps laughing

Hyungwon: “do you like the image that much that you have diverted your thoughts from it?”

You: bitch

Hyungwon: “I heard that”

You: “I KNOW YOU DID” 

there’s a bit of a lull and you try to focus on your marshmallow again, but the heat on your face isn’t from the fire alone

Hyungwon: “don’t be embarrassed”

You: “I’m embarrassed because it’s you, idiot”

Hyungwon: “why?”

You: because I like you

Hyungwon: “how dumb of you to think I didn’t feel the same way”

you turn to him

You: really?”

Hyungwon: “yeah really”

Hyungwon: “your marshmallow is burning”

that’s not the only thing burning 

you both assumed that was the night that you both agreed to date

the next day, were the boys shocked that the two of you are dating?

not exactly

bc they knew Hyungwon liked you for quite some time and also the fact that whenever one of them did think you were cute….

let’s just say Hyungwon’s mouth said idc but his eyes said he could murder them and get away with it

also he trusted you enough to tell you about this secret of his, so there was definitely a high chance he was going to develop romantic feelings for you anyways

*cue a sad Minhyuk in the corner somewhere*

KIDDING

or am I

anyways

there isn’t much change to your relationship

other than additional cuddling and pecks here and now

altho there are a couple of changes

your thought processes are more clear because now you have nothing to hide but

they are also unclear because it’s like

Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hyungwon. Hy—

he also tries more and more not to hear your thoughts, but sometimes it’s hard not to hear them, especially as he openly stares at you more and more

but then again, because of that, he’s gaining better and better control of his powers

he lowkey does use it when you get into arguments because it gives him a better understanding of your perspective and that allows him to provide his and it opens up more communication between you two, even if you don’t have telepathy

also he tried to make up for it by saying everything he’s thinking

that was a very bad idea from the start bc you got annoyed really quickly

but you also kind of sympathized with him

You: “I’m sorry you have to hear my thoughts all the time”

Hyungwon: “that’s not your fault”

You: “but that’s not yours either”

he loves being able to talk to you about these things bc it really feels like someone’s in his corner

you try to understand him better and make things easier

whether it’s getting him better headphones

or distracting him with your own obscure thoughts

I’m very sure that anyone who dates Hyungwon in general is going to nap with him so…

many many naps with him with lots and lots of cuddles

you both take care of one another, physically and mentally

especially since you know he isn’t the type that opens himself up to many people

and hearing all of these thoughts, yours and others, must be exhausting for him 

anyways in this household we love and protect Chae Hyungwon bc homeboy is just tired and needs a break 

[nerdy-bits]

The Unspoken Rules of Stealth Games

I love stealth games. They are my absolute jam. I’ve been an Assassin’s Creed acolyte from the beginning and Splinter Cell rests firmly atop my list of favorite franchises. The industry isn’t flooded by this genre, but there are a fair number of quality contenders. The Dishonored games are a tour de force, I love the critically mixed Deus Ex prequels deeply, I only play Far Cry with my knife and bow, Ghost Recon is a kind of comfort food, even in Uncharted 4 I avoided combat in favor of being a sneak. In fact, really the only thing I like more than stealth gameplay is cooperative stealth gameplay (though I am a sucker for tactics games). There is just something about clearing a room with a friend, no enemy wise to your presence. Splinter Cell has brilliant co-op. Far Cry is at its best when your crew chooses the silent approach, one friend getting dirty up close with a blade while a ranger picks off sentries, putting arrows between armor plates. 

Most stealth games though, avoid multiplayer completely. I frequently lament that I can’t take out targets as agents 47 and 46. Most of these games, to me, feel like they would be better with a friend. Now a part of that is certainly because most things are better with friends but, secondarily, these games are difficult. Having a friend to help could both ease the game of chess you play in every encounter or allow creators to add differing levels of complexity. 

I could talk about the possibilities for, maybe literally, days. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. At least not today. If very few stealth franchises build out co-op experiences, a fraction of those games create adversarial multiplayer. Splinter Cell has tried it. Spies vs Mercs, a mode that pitches Splinter Cell agents against NPC-esque mercenaries, leverages darkness and verticality against mercs with flashlights. It’s, as I previously described, brilliant. By pitting factions against each other with different abilities to navigate the gamespace, adhering to the stealth game loop is the only thing that gives the spies an advantage. 

Assassin’s Creed also dabbled in multiplayer. Both PvP and PvE. The latter, while promising, fell victim to the extremely buggy launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity. Network issues, net code issues, strange pop-in, the experience was fractured from the start. The former, PvP variant, was introduced with the release of AC Brotherhood. Across a handful of game modes, and choosing between an impressive lineup of characters, players hunted each other down across crowded maps utilizing a number of distractive, offensive, and defensive abilities. 

The Brotherhood multiplayer was great in the first few weeks, but as time progressed players became savvy to the underlying systems and within months of release the idea of “Stealth” all but disappeared. The reasons, I believe, are perhaps why so many stealth games leave this feature off of the list: Balance and participation.

A few weeks ago Hood: Outlaws and Legends came out and a group of friends and I grabbed it up. At only thirty dollars it was kinda hard not to just grab it and give it a shot. Hood takes place in the Robin Hood universe (mythos?) and tasks players to cooperatively - stealthily - infiltrate an area, track down the Sheriff, pickpocket a vault key from him, and then abscond with the loot in said vault. It’s like Payday with a bow and arrow. 

Pulling off these heists is actually pretty fun. The PvE (versus AI only) mode allows you to dig into the mechanics of the game while working out the kinks in your team communication. Before long we were complimenting well placed shots and perfect dual takedowns as we carved our way to our prize. The formula is solid, if a bit repetitious. The requirements don’t change at all between maps. The location of the vault chest will move around from heist to heist, but that is really it; and after a few rounds we had grown a bit too familiar with the process. The game also randomly chooses the maps in this mode, so we ended up playing two maps in three games, which was a bit of a bummer. Also your XP gain is dramatically limited in this AI centered mode, which pushed us quickly into the game’s core mode: heists against competing human players.

The formula doesn’t really change for this PvPvE mode, save the fact that at the same time you are hunting for the Sheriff, his key, and then the vault, another team is as well. Initially the prospect of this dynamic was interesting, but pretty quickly it devolved.

This was when I realized multiplayer stealth is critically dependent on its players participating in the right way. Now some games incentivize this participation or choose to restrict your abilities altogether. Think AC: Brotherhoods scoring system for kills which took points from you for being loud or conspicuous. Spies vs Mercs restricts teams abilities based on their faction. Mercs literally cannot hide in the dark. Spies will not win a gunfight. 

Hood doesn’t really build any advantage or disadvantages into its gameplay loop. We started our first round of PvPvE and began to sneak around the map the same way we were in the PvE mode. Being seen by guards locks the area you are in down. They close all the gates and begin hunting for you. Against AI this was a paradigm shift. The whole group has to go into ghost mode or just shelter in place until the heightened awareness drips away with the invisible clock. In multiplayer you get notified if your opponents incur a lockdown. This is done presumably to give you a brief jolt of encouragement. Thoughts dart across your mind, “They are locked down, they got caught, we have a few minutes to creep ahead and really gain an advantage. 

Only that wasn’t the case. 

Ryan and I stopped playing the Brotherhood multiplayer a few months in. It was nearly impossible to play the game by its own rules. Shooting a target with your wrist mounted pistol was always the worst way to pull off a kill, but useful if your target just kept evading you. You received a meager serving of points and would move back into the crowd in an attempt to reestablish yourself as an agent of stealth. By the end of the first month people were sprinting across rooftops, shooting down into the crowd, and then running off to do it again. They had discovered that if you ran around on the rooftops it didn’t raise your profile and that picking off a target from a rooftop with a gun, the penalty wouldn’t be enforced unless you killed a second target. First kills in this method would rack around 1800 points, the second kill a measly 300 (the numbers may be way off here, its been years. It’s the proportion that’s important. 

The second kill was the system working, discouraging loud tactics with point penalties. But if you went and hid, let the system time out, and then did it again, you could farm high point value kills in perhaps the least clandestine way possible. Brotherhood became a shooting gallery. It was absolutely untenable. Assassin’s Creed would get away from adversarial multiplayer after Black Flag. I barely returned for Revelations. 

As we were creeping through the bushes in a castle courtyard, our band of merry thieves, we got the first notification that our opponents had triggered an alarm. A wave of relief hit the crew. We’ve got some time. Then the second notification came, then the third, then a fourth. Our relief was subsumed by a revelation: they are just ignoring the stealth altogether. What followed was a painfully reminiscent race to the objectives ignoring area guards altogether (If a gate got dropped each team had a character that could just lift the gate). Our opponents got the key first, found the vault first, and moved the prize first. Each time we got close we were either picked off by a camping Robin, thatching us through the reeds with pinpoint accuracy, or we got bodied by the two melee characters Tooke and John.

Dying, spawning, and running back to the objective is a drag in any game. In a game where you have to make a getaway, every second you have to run back to the last place you saw the objective is a second of distance they get to make. Combat felt clunky and secondary to a stealth system that had been completely abandoned. Knowing that your opponent trips an alarm is incredibly useful, but knowing when they got the key, that they had found the vault, and having a tracker for how far the chest was moving was a bit much. I kept thinking about how much cooler it would have been if we had found the Sheriff only to discover the key was already gone. Imagine coming across a vault that had been looted already, your team scrambling desperately to find out how far their opponents had gotten. 

Still, none of this works players don’t abide by an invisible set of rules, therefore relying on those rules just ends up feeling like a mistake. A private lobby with eight people, all who agree to be stealthy is one thing, hoping that the community at large adopts that mindset is, ever more clearly, dependent on systems. The question is, in an industry that builds to player’s fantasies of power, how do you implement these systems and simultaneously empower players while also guiding their play-style along the path you desire?

How do you penalize running around like Rambo adequately? How do you incentivize stealth to make it the only way players want to engage?

@LubWub ~Caleb