#[ just... i think he still has trouble seeing himself as part of the crew | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

avelera · 8 months

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Man, there’s all these little beats in OFMD S2 1-3 where people keep EXPECTING Stede to be upset or horrified about Ed’s actions and then he’s just. Not. In a way that reminded me of how a lot of fanon kept softening Stede into someone who doesn’t swear and is horrified at Ed for setting those ships on fire when imo to my eyes he was horrified for Ed because Ed was still so clearly distressed about it.

- Zheng Yi Sao asks Stede how he’s doing now that he knows Ed did horrible things to his crew and there’s this beat and Stede just pivots to, oh yeah, sometimes Ed is troubled. Like it didn’t occur to him to be upset on the crew’s behalf he’s worried about Ed.

- Izzy keeps trying to spare Stede’s feelings and cover up Ed’s spiral, but Stede clocked what was going on with Ed immediately and wasn’t the least bit intimidated or bothered. The knives brought the room together. Of course Ed’s trying to burn the world down or die trying. Duh. And I genuinely don’t think the STUFF in the Revenge mattered even a fraction to Stede as much as the signs of Ed’s breakdown broke his heart. It’s just STUFF, who cares.

- Lucius had to SPECIFICALLY call out Stede for not being surprised or bothered by what happened to him. What Ed did. Stede has to almost consciously remind himself to express polite concern. He just doesn’t actually care, instinctively or automatically, about what happened to Lucius. Part of it is he blames himself more than Ed. Part of it is he just doesn’t care, Ed is the priority.

They’re little blink and you’ll miss it pauses in some cases. Micro-expressions. The absence of a reaction. But honestly, I will scream it to the end of time, Stede is not some nonviolent creampuff scared or upset by Ed’s evil ways. He wants to join Ed in the atrocities. The man ran away to become a pirate. He asked if Lucius was taking notes during a murderous raid.

Stede’s at least a little on some kind of whackadoodle pirate comedy neurodivergence spectrum to the point where he actually really actually struggles to empathize with people, even people he cares about!, if their feelings conflict with his hyperfixation (piracy) and the love of his life (Ed Teach). He’s always, ALWAYS going to pick Ed over Lucius or Izzy or his crew or even his own feelings, if the option is there. He will literally throw himself overboard to get to Ed’s side. No pause. No consideration of anyone else or even his own safety.

Stede sometimes seems to have to consciously remind himself things like, oh yeah, the crew, I need to see to them. Not because he’s heartless or doesn’t care, but because it takes a bit of conscious effort for him to see beyond the laser-focused spotlight of what and who he does care most about, he has to remind himself of social niceties and other people’s feelings (just see him running away in the first place!) when he gets an idea in his head. It’s as if he had to train himself to consciously care about some things other people care about and as a neurodivergent person myself, that felt very familiar in a comedically writ large sort of way. I’d even argue that’s where all his aristocratic social niceties come from. They were his guidebook for how to do things “right” in a world that otherwise made no sense to him outside his hyperfixations. He practiced being a person through the aristocratic training because it was all so foreign to him from the start, including caring, actually caring, about the needs of others. Not because he’s consciously evil or consciously a jerk. The instinct just isn’t there unless he practices at it until it becomes reflex to ask how others are doing, because on his own his brain just doesn’t really notice or care.

I just… hope the fandom notes and has as much FUN as I do noticing all the little moments where even people inside the story of OFMD expect Stede to act in a normal way and instead he remains unhinged, laser-focused on Ed.

Stede’s not just an Ed apologist, he truly doesn’t blame Ed for any of it. He blames only himself. He doesn’t always voice this but he really really only cares about anyone else including the crew as a DISTANT second and he has to consciously REMIND himself to do so. He is able to rally to take action, to care about their physical needs like safety during the rescue, but he still struggles, deeply struggles, to remember to show empathy in a non-performative way for anyone except his special person, Ed.

Stede’s not a creampuff, not a nice guy, not some emotionally or morally perfect angel. He has to consciously practice caring about literally anything else but what he wants to do and his special person. And to me that’s a thousand times more interesting than shoving him in a box labeled “the blond, pacifist do-gooder good guy” in their relationship.

#this rant requires gifs I don’t have but trust me those odd little beats are there #bless Rhys Darby for making Stede so very neurodivergent coded because it SHOWS #ofmd #ofmd spoilers #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd meta #sometimes fandom flanderization makes characters so DULL compared to canon

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samstatsupremacy · 1 month

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My notes from the 92NY Q&A

Someone from Mayfair Witches is in IWTV S2 and Mayfair S2

Ben Daniels sent a thank-you letter to Rollin Jones re: working with such a beautiful cast and lovely project (and called himself Santi-baby in it). Jacob did his best Ben impression and read the email aloud to us.

The two actors Rolin KNEW they wanted from the beginning were Eric and Ben Daniels, before they even started casting

Jacob refused to pit Loumand and Loustat against each other. Said they have different vibes

Sam insists that we won't see "the real Lestat" until S3. We're only seeing everyone else's perception of him (very tongue-in-cheek). In response, Assad said, "Armand has a very good memory. Maybe the most accurate!"

Jacob said filming the Dreamstat scenes with Sam was like slipping on a glove, or an old sock (cue slightly inappropriate giggles from audience)

Delainey said her chemistry read with Jacob felt like everyone else in the room just faded away, and she bonded with him first on set

Lestat plays Harlequin instead of Lelio this season, and the moderator was so affected by Sam's performance that he said "I got pregnant after watching it." Rollin said it was "moves like Jagger" on that theater stage lol. Sam had trouble reconciling this part but he did have fun

Any time Jacob gets complimented, he tries to brush it off. He's so humble!

Delainey said Claudia knows Louis better than he knows himself, and Jacob* thinks he knows her but he doesn't

Eric said that Daniel's impression of Dubai situation is he's just sick of the lies and games from Loumand. He won't be intimidated, and if you push, he pushes back harder. He will not be bullied (much like himself, he added)

Lots of hype for ep5 of this season. Eric said it was the most traumatizing episode he's seen in his life. Everyone else agrees that it gets pretty heavy re: young Daniel's interview

Eric said "working with Jacob is like flying" and Jacob said "the feeling is entirely mutual" - so sweet!

Assad was so preciously nervous bc he admittedly still gets intimidated by the cast. He was struggling to finish his thoughts. He did praise how open and loving the whole cast and crew are. It was cute.

"When Louis meets Armand, Armand is kind of lost but putting on this facade of power that Louis sees through" (Assad's words)

Question: any fun moments off set that still make you laugh? Response: Sam and Jacob look at each other and just burst into laughter. They really struggled to find an answer that they felt was appropriate to share and barely answered it 😅

Q: What series would your character binge?

Everyone answered as their character:

Armand: Buffy

Daniel: Breaking Bad

Claudia: The OA

Lestat: The Real Housewives

Louis: The Real Housewives ("YOU LITERALLY TOOK MY ANSWER" to Sam)

This doesn't even cover the encounters I saw at the stage door. I'll do a separate post for that, maybe

#iwtv #interview with the vampire #amc iwtv #vampterview #I'M ON CLOUD NINE #just looking at my selfie with Jacob and giggling #iwtv spoilers #totally forgot to add that tag last night..... or to put this all under a read more i was just too excited to share!!

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dark-space-between-the-stars · 1 year

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You wear their hat for the first time (ASL trio)

Summary: You pick up their hat and wear it, they spot you. (Amazing summary, I know)

Pairings: Luffy x reader, Ace x reader & Sabo x reader

Warnings: none, just some wholesome content, enjoy. No pronouns used, G/N reader. I'm sure there are Grammatical errors, English is not my first language.

Author's note: these were supposed to be headcannons and I ended up making these elaborate stories (turns out I don't know how to do headcannons). I had to do Luffy's and Ace's version TWICE because I closed my app without saving. I might make a NSFW version someday.

Lyffy

Luffy had always been as bright and cheerful as the sun in your eyes ever since you were kids and you joined ASL's little gang. After you had parted ways promising to meet again in the Grand Line you went on your own adventures.

As fate would have it you encountered Luffy first, you shared an adventure and he was so happy to have you back into his life that he invited you to join his crew. Enjoying being around Luffy as much as he did, you agreed becoming an official strawhat pirate.

Some time had passed since you joined the crew and the more time you spent around Luffy the more you realized you liked him as more than a close friend. You wanted to be closer to him.

You decided to walk around the Sunny in an attempt to organize your thoughts about your childhood friend. You weren't expecting to stumble unto Luffy.

Usually in his favorite seat by the figurehead, this time he was on the grass deck taking a morning nap. His hat laying on top of his face.

Ever since you met Luffy way back in Dawn Island he has had his strawhat. It's his treasure given to him by Shanks. He is rarely without it, very rarely do other members of the crew have it, mainly as moral support from the captain in tough times.

You've never worn it before, but now, looking at it from above you wondered how Luffy felt when he was wearing it. Without realizing you had crouched down next to Luffy and were staring hard at his hat.

Your thought process led you to carefully lift it from his sleeping face and place it on your head. Once you realized how close to his face you were, your face heated and you retreated quickly, making sure not to disturb his nap further.

You continued your stroll walking away at a brisk pace, without avoiding thinking it would have felt better if Luffy had placed it himself. After some mindless strolling you ended up in the garden where you put your restless energy to good use by tending to the plants.

Luffy woke up when the sun that had been hiding behind some clouds came out and hit his face warming it. He squinted at the sun standing up groggily and reaching behind his back to grab his hat and place it on his head. Except the hat wasn't there.

"Mmmm?" Coming out from his sleepy state he looked around the grass where he lay, no sign of the hat. He noticed Robin sitting at a nearby table reading so he stood and walked towards her. "Hey Robin, have you seen my hat? I'm pretty sure I had it before I took a nap"

Robin looked up, she had seen the whole scene, laughing lightly she replied "Don't worry captain, it's in safe hands".

That made him frown, so one of the crew had it. He wasn't mad someone had taken it, as long as they had let him know. So know he was going to go look for the thief and get his hat back.

"They should still be above deck so you'll have no trouble finding them I believe" remarked Robin. His attitude did a 180, now it was like a game of hide n' seek and with Luffy's love for games he couldn't help but get excited.

He wasted no time, throwing his hands towards the crow's nest and rocketing himself towards the highest point of the boat. Once there he scouted the perimeter of the boat looking for his hat.

He quickly spotted it in the garden but due to the angle he couldn't see the body underneath. "He he I found you!" With his zero impulse control he stretched his arms towards the figure and once he was locked in he let himself fly again.

You having no time to react could only try to plant your feet firmly on deck. It wasn't enough, you both tumbled to the floor a tangle of bodies and hat. "Gotcha!" Exclaimed Luffy while laughing.

He had ended on top of you, straddling your legs with his. He was still laughing "Hey why did you take my h-" the word caught in his tongue.

His brain had short-circuited as he had finally looked at you. Really looked. Arms flexed at your elbows, you were looking up at him. The hat managed to stay on just as you had place it. You had it pushed up so the edges circled your face.

To Luffy it looked like a halo, it framed your face just right. Maybe it was the hat giving you a bit of Luffy's sunshine or just you but to him you looked radiant. He wanted to say all those things and more but he was bewitched.

"Sorry I didn't tell you it just sorta happened" you offered. Your speaking broke the spell he was under enough that be managed to say "You look good wearing my hat", smooth.

You still felt heat rising to your cheeks. You averted your gaze which had been locked on his face from the intense eye contact he had. Which served to bring attention to how you were laying, him on top of you. Your cheeks were burning.

"Um, Luffy you mind?" You asked, your voice and octave higher than usual. "No not at all" you were talking about his sitting he thought you meant wearing his hat.

"Could you please move?" You tried again. "Mmm? Oh yeah yeah of course shi shi shi" He chuckles as he rose. He was still mesmerized by how amazing you looked, cursing himself mentally for not placing it on your head sooner.

He offered his hand and you took it gratefully. He raised you with force, whoch made you end up flush against his chest. This was your punishment (reward) for stealing the hat, no personal space to process your raging heartbeat.

You quickly lowered your gaze towards his chest but he grabbed your chin forcing you to meet his eyes. "Don't look away, look at me y/n" He spoke in a serious tone which made your toes curl.

It turns out Luffy had been dealing with some confusing feelings of his own. Whenever you would enter a room he was in he would light up. He always searched for you first when the crew regrouped always looked at you after he told a joke to see you laugh his chest swelling with pride when you did. He enjoyed your laugh way too much. Finding you in the Grand Line had been a gift to Luffy, especially because you were not his crewmate and he got to go on adventures everyday with you.

So in that moment he moved his hand from your chin to the back of your head and kissed you deeply. It was a messy kiss, you were so shocked you couldn't react properly the first moments.

But then you understood what was happening and you melted completely into the kiss. Opening your palms from where they were against his chest. The kiss went on until you pulled away for air, if you hadn't Luffy would've probably kept going.

He smiled sheepishly at you "you really look good in my hat".

From then on Luffy would randomly place his hat on your head. Followed by a kissing session because he couldn't quite help himself when you wore it. Obviously, he kissed you often whether or not you were wearing his treasured strawhat.

Ace

You know how it's typical for Ace to pass out mid-meal? Well that also happened to be the best time to play pranks on him. You've played some minors pranks on him ever since you were children and he started exhibiting this behavior. They were always minor things, nothing too serious or mean.

Today you were having a nice chat during meal time on board the Moby Dick. Ever since you reunited on the Grand Line you had spent your time together. You were even invited to join Shirohige's crew which you gladly accepted.

Now, as per most times, Ace was mid sentence when he just PLOCK his face hit his plate and he started snoozing. You chuckled lightly looking at him endearingly. You continued with your meal, musing over how you would play with Ace this time when your eyes landed on his hat.

You hummed pensatively. Now that you thought about it, you had never worn his hat, prank or otherwise. You lifted it from his head and placed it in yours. You finished your meal, and he still wasn't up which wasn't uncommon. You even left to subdue some enemy pirates who were stupid enough to start a fight with the Whitebeard pirates right by the boat.

Finally tired of inhaling rice grains from his plate Fire Fist Ace woke up. He was a little groggy but was ready to continue his conversation with you when he noticed you weren't by his side. He finished his meal and stood up walking towards the already dying commotion.

He was about to reach the railing when you got on board with a few crewmembers that had gone with you. Ace froze in his tracks, he reached for the top of his head now noticing he didn't have his hat. Instead, it lay on top of your head.

He placed his fingers in his chin admiring the view in front of him, smiling appreciatively. You lookex a little ruffled but otherwise he couldn't see any injuries which eased his mind. He started making his way over to you. Meanwhile, you were oblivious that he had spotted you laughing with your crewmates.

When he reached you, Ace grabbed you by the waist with one hand pulling you towards him. Your back flush against his chest. "Hello there sexy" he greeted. You turned your head meeting his eyes "Hey there handsome" you purred back flipping his hat in greeting in the signature way he usually does. This casual flirting between you had been going on for some time now.

What had surprised you most after your reunion was how different he acted. He was now cocky, flirty, had become a powerful commander in Shirohige's crew AND had learned some proper manners mostly. You didn't mind this change at all. In fact, you found yourself attracted to Ace like you never had before.

The more you flirted jokingly, the more you enjoyed it. Even going as far as becoming upset over the fact that he could do it with other people. He never did though, for some reason (he's a bit slow) he only enjoyed teasing you. Loved seeing the way you would react to his attitude and what sore of witty comeback you would throw back at him.

"Where did you get this nice hat?" He said tapping it with his free hand. "Oh you know, I picked it up from an unconscious person, the usual" you snickered.

"Oh is that so?" He raised his eyebrow. "I do recall having it on my head as I was dining". He remarked. "Oh yes, I do believe it was your head it was on top of" you made a pensive gesture as if trying to remember who you took it from.

He chuckles. "Well, I'll just say hat lending doesn't come cheap these days, especially if I didn't consent to lending it in the first place" both of his hands were on your waist fingers laced at your front. "Oh my, how much are we talking about?" You leaned into him resting your head against him.

He grinned at you, "I'll take a kiss as payment". Now, you had been presented a choice. You turned around to face him, leaned closed and kissed him, on the mouth.

Ace's reaction was priceless, his eyes went big like plates. Sure, the possibility had always been there, but he thought he'd get a kiss on the cheek at most. You smiled against the kiss and he didn't waste a minute kissing back.

You kissed until the surrounding crewmates found somewhere else to be, someone even shouting "get a room!" You withdrew from the kiss. "The hat looks good on you" He finally said.

"Why thank you, though the payment for borrowing it seems a bit high I don't get that much allowance" you replied grinning wide. "High? It's just one per lending. That seems like a fair price" He frowned.

"Plus, you can pay in advance" He winked. "Oh in that case I might get a week's worth a day" that made Ace blush. You smiled feeling satisfied at his reaction, it was not always he demonstrated when he was flustered so it was a nice change of pace. "That would be no problem at all" He managed to reply.

Sabo

The fact that Sabo's signature hat had remained attached to his head even when his memory hadn't was how you had reunited with him (though to be fair you also heard Koala calling his name, you just put 2 + 2 together and approached him).

After witnessing one too many injustices you had seeked out the Revolutionary Army intending to join, though you hadn't expected to meet them so soon and Sabo among them.

Afraid to hope, you approached him and confirmed his identity. Crying you launched yourself into his arms and caught up to date with him. He then welcomed you under his wing as a member of the Revolutionary Army.

Now Sabo being Sabo he always had a hundred thoughts racing through his mind. It was common practice for him to forget stuff and then race back for them like his notes, pipe and of course, his hat.

There was a Super Important Meeting scheduled for the important members of the army on a different island than the base. You were heading out to the meeting when you spotted Sabo's hat in his study.

You couldn't help but smile and shake your head. Sabo was already at the rendezvous point, no hat, most likely upset. Fine, you could do him a small favor.

~~~~~~~~~

You reached the meeting place and smiled to yourself. Sabo was there alright, head resting on his palm a frown on his handsome features looking towards the wall. You made your way to the table, purposely choosing a seat right across him.

Everyone who saw you smiled greeted you with gestures instead of words so as not to alert the clueless boy of your arrival. Finally, the meeting started and Sabo was forced to look forward immediately spotting his hat then you, wearing it.

He stood up straight in his chair, mouth opening and closing like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Indeed he couldn't find the words, but also, important meeting and all.

You met his eyes and lowered his hat in greeting a small smile resting in your lips. You then proceeded to pretend Sabo didn't exist for the rest of the meeting which was hard considering all he did was stare at you.

You looked towards all members as they spoke, not once meeting Sabo's eyes or acknowledging him. Just a little prank, a prank that was driving Sabo crazy.

Sure he was staring, but he couldn't help it. You were dazzling his entire existence right this moment. The hat suited you perfectly. It complimented your outfit which made him wonder if you had changed to wear the hat better even though it had been a coincidence.

Finally, the meeting was over and you rose to leave hoping to keep the prank going a little longer. Sabo practically jumped out of his seat dodging other meeting attendants trying to speak with him.

He caught up with you, grabbing your hand to spin you towards him making you face him. "Y/n", he said smiling, "Don't you have something of mine?"

"Mmm? I'm not sure what you mean?" You feigned ignorance trying your hardest not to smile too wide. Sabo just laughed pushing his hat down so it obscured your sight. "I'm sure you do"

You took it off chuckling and Sabo bowed prince style so you could return the hat to its rightful place. He straightened still smiling "not to be biased about my own hat, but you look fantastic wearing it"

Ignoring the butterflies riding rollercoasters in your stomach you gathered your courage and asked "so, where's my reward?" That threw Sabo off a little "reward?" He asked.

"Yeah for bringing you your precious hat" you crossed your arms, waiting. You had a crush on Sabo and loved when he dotted on you, complimented you or took the time to help you or hang out with you. Anything he would give you, you would cherish it.

Sabo thought for a moment, rubbing his fingers on his chin and closing his eyes. After a couple mmmm's he opened his eyes "I got it!" He exclaimed a light pink tint in his cheeks.

Without giving you time to react or act he grabbed you by the waist with one hand, he leaned in, pushing your body back and kissed you on the lips passionately.

You were tense as a spring one second, the next you were leaning into the kiss wrapping your hands around his neck. You both allowed the kiss to go on until you had to break apart to breathe.

Still in a leaning position Sabo asked "was it enough of a reward for you?" He was grinning. All you managed was a "mmmhm", you both went in for another kiss.

#one piece #monkey d. luffy #luffy #portgas d. ace #ace #sabo #luffy x reader #ace x reader #sabo x reader #monkey d. luffy x reader #portgas ace x reader #portgas d ace #monkey d luffy x reader #monkey d luffy #asl brothers

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standfucker · 1 year

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Finding Out You’re Stronger Than Them - Logia Edition (Smoker + Ace)

Feeling very stuck with my WIPS lately, so I decided to try my hand at a bullet-point style drabble. Ace’s and Smoker’s went fine, but Crocodile’s and Kuzan’s immediately grew into something too big for a bullet point list and will be posted separately, if I can get them to a point I’m happy with. Have these two for now.

CW: Just a little bit of violence

Ao3 Link

Smoker

You’ve been rising quickly through the ranks. Smoker’s heard that you’re strong, but by the time you get assigned to him, he has yet to see it for himself.

You’ve followed all of his orders thus far, and past reports on your behavior are generally positive, so when you block him from chasing a pirate one day, he’s taken by surprise.

“This one’s innocent. I saw it for myself. He’s trying to support the village.” You get into stance, eyes blazing with defiance, fully ready to take on your captain.

“It doesn’t make a difference,” Smoker says. “He’s still a pirate.”

“He only stole from nobles. People who wouldn’t miss the wealth. It makes every difference.”

“Get out of the way.”

“No.”

He turns into smoke to go around you, but you grab at where his ankle would be, your haki forcing his body back into shape, and swing him into the ground with such force that stars dot his vision as the wind is knocked out of him.

No one told him you could use armament haki.

“I’m stronger than you. Don’t get a big head because you’re my superior. I’ll surpass you soon.”

“I could have you court-martialed for this,” he gasps.

“Then do it. See if I care. That person was innocent–I know I did the right thing. I don’t give a shit about your opinion,” you pause, then add, “Captain.”

You crouch next to him as he struggles to sit up, still dizzy from the brutal impact. Picking up his cigars that have fallen, you dust them off before sticking one back in his mouth and putting the other in yours. You take an experimental puff, wrinkle your nose at the taste, and deftly twirl the cigar between your fingers. He finds himself staring as you exhale, smoke curling around your profile.

“I requested to be transferred to your unit because Tashigi told me you were different from the others,” you say, and pop the second cigar into his mouth as well. “So don’t disappoint me, Captain.”

The blush on his face is from indignation, or that’s what he tells himself. It’s the audacity. You have some nerve to talk to him that way. To lay your hands on a superior, to obstruct the law.

And yet. He shouldn’t, but a part of him–a big part of him–can’t help but admire your conviction. Enough so that he doesn’t report your insubordination.

It’s always refreshing to find a soldier who thinks for themselves, but it’s also dangerous if you cross the wrong superiors. (God forbid you talk back to someone like Akainu, which Smoker knows you would do without hesitation.)

Smoker will have to keep an eye on you, to make sure you don’t get into trouble you can’t get out of…

Ace

One day, Ace realizes that in all the months since he’s officially joined the crew, he’s never seen you fight, not even to spar.

When he asks Marco about it, he says, “Oh, that’s because of the collateral damage, yoi.” Ace thinks Marco is joking and laughs. Marco does not.

But can you blame Ace? You’re one of the gentlest pirates in the fleet. You’re the kind of person who stops crewmates from squishing bugs, and who’s so stricken by the dead dogs at the end of your novels that you cry for days afterward (getting to hold you when you seek him out for comfort rules, but why you keep reading those, he does not know.)

After a battle with an enemy crew, one in which you don’t participate, Ace asks some crewmates why you abstained.

“Same reason Pops doesn’t join the small fights,” Haruta says. “Too messy, you know?”

“Wait, just how strong is Y/n?” Ace says, now realizing Marco was being serious earlier.

“Don’t worry about it, Ace,” you say behind him, making him jump. “Just know I’m stronger than you.”

That stings his pride, enough so that he challenges you to a friendly match while crewmates exchange glances.

“Sure, after you’ve rested from this fight. I’d hate to have a handicap.”

“I’m not tired! I can take you right here, right now.”

“Right now?” At Ace’s nod, you shrug. “Well, okay then. Here I go!”

You vanish.

He can’t sense you anywhere. By the time he figures out you’re behind him, it’s too late. One of your hands wraps around the back of his neck, the other on the hem of his pants. When he can’t escape by turning into flames, he knows you’re using haki.

You proceed to slam him face-first into the deck so hard he breaks straight through it, stuck upside down in the wood. The crewmates on the floor below blink up at him.

“You challenged Y/n, didn’t you,” one of them says.

Once his head stops swimming, Ace pulls himself out. His nose is broken and bleeding and he’s covered in scratches and splinters, but he’s looking at you with a newfound sense of awe.

“Logia types,” you shake your head, lip curling, “always so full of themselves.” Then you look stricken. “Oh, I hurt Moby again... Pops will scold me…”

And, look.

Ace knows what he likes. He’s not ashamed to say he found the whole thing extremely hot, but he has the decency to keep it to himself. (Literally the entire crew could tell, but no one tells Ace that either.)

He can’t stop thinking about the fight (if it could even be called that.) He stays awake at night, picturing the way your mouth moved when you said ‘Logia types,’ the little smirk afterward. He had always liked you, but now there’s a newfound aspect to his attraction, and he’s down bad.

Ace wants to know even more about you after that, asking you about your history and how you learned to fight. Luckily, you don’t mind the attention, and your humoring him feeds into his ego until he’s practically following you around in his free time. The rest of the crew takes notice, teasing him about being your shadow–but you never complain, so why should he care?

You've been spending lots of time together since then. He keeps fantasizing about saying “my partner can kick your ass” to people, but he hasn’t actually asked you out yet. It’s unlike him to be so gun-shy, yet every time he works up the nerve to ask, he only gets as far as “Hey, Y/n?” before your sparkly-eyed, saccharine “Yes, Ace?” crumbles his confidence to dust. But he’s Fire-Fist Ace, damn it! He faced Pops alone to save his crew, so why is this so difficult?

If he asks the other Division Commanders for help, expect a Looney Tunes style sequence of each one suggesting a courting method and it failing spectacularly and going up in literal flames, until he finally gets so frustrated with the whole thing he ends up just shouting his confession.

Bonus:

“There, there,” Ace says, patting your back while you cling to him and sob into his shoulder. “It’s just a stupid book.”

That was the wrong thing to say. With your emotions already running high, your misery shifts to rage in an instant.

“YOU JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND THE BOND BETWEEN A KID AND THEIR DOG BECAUSE YOU ATE EVERY ANIMAL YOU ENCOUNTERED GROWING UP!!” you wail, then hiccup, sob, and bury your face into his chest.

Ace wisely decides not to point out the food scarcity of his home island. There are better times, and at least you’re holding him tight...

#one piece imagines #ace x reader #portgas d ace x reader #smoker x reader #smoker one piece #portgas d ace #one piece x reader #zen writes

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wistfulcynic · 7 months

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a non-izzy-centric reading of the events of season two

i didn't really want to get into this because it's so, so tiresome and i'd rather talk about the things i loved about this season. Poison, positivity, etc. But.

reading this post about people doubting their own judgement due to the overwhelming noise from Izzy stans along with a rewatch of season two from start to finish made me realise that i too had been influenced by a year and a half of being intensely frustrated by people insisting so loudly that OFMD was in fact the Izzy Hands Show. My initial issues with S2 mostly stemmed from overcompensating for that by resenting any development of Izzy on the screen because i did not want it to feed those people. Which meant that i also was centring Izzy in a way that he should not be centred! i was letting their noise lead me to read him as far more important than he actually is.

So i looked back at several points from the season that had me feeling uncomfortable and which, from a cursory browse through the Izzy tag i've concluded his stans see as a contradiction or a betrayal or something and re-evaluated them from the perspective of Izzy not being a main fucking character.

point one: "He's our dick."

When Archie (a newcomer and therefore a fairly effective audience stand-in for anyone not balls deep in fandom bullshit) asks Jim why they're going to so much trouble for Izzy, who she has immediately clocked as "kind of a dick", Jim gives this response. Which, if you think Izzy is important, may read as an expression of reluctant fondness. But then, Jim continues: "There was a time when life meant something on this ship. When we lived for each other, not just to survive." These lines are punctuated by a flashback to the famous Revenge crew found-family Renaissance-painting moment. Jim is nostalgic for the "good old days" of the Revenge under Stede's people-positive management style. It is out of respect for that (seemingly) lost way of life that they take the trouble for Izzy, not for Izzy himself. They'd have done the same for anyone, because they desperately want life to matter again. Izzy, as the person whose gamy leg is a direct result of his threatening Ed and bringing the kraken era down on all of them, is simply the one whose life happens to be on the line.

(honestly, i love this from Jim, who was one of Stede's boldest detractors in season one and still the crew member most likely to call him out on his bullshit. That's your "reluctant fondness" moment right there.)

point two: the new unicorn

apparently Izzy stans see the gift of the unicorn leg prosthetic as a symbol of deep love and respect from the crew to Izzy. Which is an absolutely wild reading when you look at what led up to it.

There's tension on the ship. Divisions. Lucius is chain-smoking and jump-scared by his own shadow. Jim, Archie, Frenchie, and Fang are overcome by guilt over their mutiny and frantically scrubbing nonexistent blood from the deck in what is a fantastically darkly funny Lady Macbeth moment for them. Izzy is sloppy drunk and yelling nonsensical abuse at the unicorn masthead. Roach, Pete, Oluwande, and Wee John make a well-intentioned but ill-conceived attempt to bring everyone back together (i say "everyone" but Izzy, significantly, is not included) which leads to them all being at each other's throats in the sort of mutually-assured-destruction configuration that starts world wars. It's a great scene. Izzy is not a part of it.

until he interrupts them, throws the unicorn legs at them and in his drunken clumsiness breaks his prosthetic. He then pointedly refuses their offers of assistance and drags himself away along the floor by his arms.

my friends. This is peak pathos. The crew do not respect Izzy in this moment, they feel sorry for him. They realise that he's worse off than any of the rest of them and that knowledge brings them back together. Making the unicorn prosthetic is barely about Izzy at all. It's about the crew coming together, repairing the rifts in their found family and as a bonus helping out their grumpy second cousin who doesn't really want to be there but has nowhere else to go. It's also a very generous offer of a new place on the ship--as the new unicorn--and a fresh start. Because that's what life on the Revenge is. For everyone.

point three: la vie en rose

much has been made of Izzy putting on drag makeup and singing at the Calypso birthday party, and fair enough. That's a big character development point for him. i don't hate it, though i wish there'd been more build-up to it, a longer conversation between Izzy and Wee John at least (insert obligatory "fuck Max" here) but regardless, if we accept Izzy's amputated leg as cutting off his old self and replacing it with the unicorn then we can arrive at a place where he's able to participate in a drag performance without too much cognitive gymnastics.

i've written before about the curious choice to have Izzy sing La Vie En Rose in French (after he initially sang it in English) at the very moment when Ed and Stede are having sex for the first time. On first watch i felt viscerally troubled by it, it felt like a validation of the obsessive psychosexual reading of Izzy's feelings for Ed. Looking at the season as a whole, it feels more like a (cringy, creepy, waaaay over the line) attempt on his part to signal approval for Ed and Stede's relationship. Especially when taken in conjunction with his (super creepy, like wtf who greenlit this) interruption of their breakfast in bed the next morning to make a ham-fisted innuendo. Weird but okay i guess, it's not like Izzy and social niceties have ever gone hand in hand.

many people point to the drag scene as the crew embracing Izzy and welcoming him as one of them. Again, i don't disagree. But, also again, this is not specific to Izzy. This is just what they do. They also embraced Archie with her snake-cult stories, they re-embraced Ed (who yes, they do love, refutations of arguments that they don't love Ed are a whole other essay though) and later they embrace Zheng and Auntie and also Jackie who once stole their savings jar and threatened to cut off their noses. That's what they do! They embrace people! That's what the show is about!

point four: the death scene

i have to be honest, i still hate this. i don't hate that Izzy died, i hate that he died in Ed's arms with Ed calling him his only family. That still feels unearned to me, and alas was probably another victim of the shortened season. But even with this extremely kind and forgiving death scene, the stans are not satisfied! They feel that the entire crew should have been gathered round, assuring Izzy of their profound love for him. There should have been weeping at the funeral, wailing and gnashing of teeth, rending of garments etc. It's what he deserves as such a beloved member of the crew!

except he wasn't beloved. He was accepted, yes. Welcomed, even. But acceptance is a far cry from love. Cheering as someone sings a song at a party does not mean you feel ready to weep at their deathbed or proclaim your undying affection for them.

yet even so, the crew are visibly distraught at his death scene. There are tears in many eyes! But effusive declarations of feeling from any one of them other than Ed would have felt (to anyone not convinced Izzy is the main character) completely wrong and very weird. You can headcanon what you like to fill the gaps in canon but on screen we have seen very few meaningful interactions between Izzy and any of the existing crew aside from Fang and Lucius and to a lesser extent Wee John. Izzy's primary relationship with another character is with Ed and so, as much as i still don't like it, Ed is the only one who has any real reason to be at Izzy's side as he dies.

as for the brevity of the funeral and the fact that they went straight from it to Pete and Lucius's wedding instead of having, idk, a prolonged wake at which everyone speaks at length about how important Izzy was to them, i mean. Obviously that wasn't going to happen. More than enough screen time had already been given to a side character who spent most of it either being miserable himself or making others so. It was time for the rest of them to find some moments of joy. As Izzy himself said, not moving on is worse.

in conclusion, i'd like to address the people saying that Izzy should have lived so he could continue his arc of self-discovery and sure, that would have been great--on the Izzy Hands Show. But OFMD is about Ed and Stede and Izzy had served his purpose in their story. i feel certain there will be copious fanfics to soothe anyone who feels Izzy was shortchanged.

on the show, though, he was treated in a very logical and foreseeable way as the antagonist who was able to see the light at the end but not necessarily to thrive in such a well-lit environment. Literature (by which i mean also films and tv) abounds with examples of this sort of character. They see the error of their ways but they are too stuck in them, shaped by them, to exist comfortably in any other way. They help bring about change to benefit others and not for themselves, that is the bittersweet beauty of their endings.

Izzy let Ed go. He embraced the softer parts of himself. He died surrounded by people who may not have loved him but at least accepted him as one of their own and felt genuine sorrow about his passing. That is a satisfying narrative end for a reformed antagonist! If you truly feel that he was shortchanged by it then you have forgotten what show you're watching and what sort of character he was.

Izzy Hands: not the main character, still an interesting one, absolute nightmare, what a guy.

#our flag means death #ofmd meta #ofmd season two #izzy critical #the izcourse #izzy hands meta #sorry not sorry to people who are going to hate this post but writing it has been therapeutic for me #i'm tired of hating a character on a show i love so much so i shall go back to thinking of him as the nasty rat man and focusing on faves #saira has Thoughts

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amuseoffyre · 7 months

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"I don't even know who I am"

What I have loved about the show from day one is that it has been an unflinching examination of identity and what makes it: the things that shape people into who they are and how that impacts on how they act and react to the world around them.

The exploration of Ed’s sense of self has been so beautifully handled and I know that if/when we get a third season, they’re going to do even more with it.

This is a character who has been raised with violence and cruelty his whole life, who was told “we’re just not those kind of people” when he yearns for something better, who killed to protect his mother, who ended up under the heel of a brutal tyrant of a captain who used sadistic punishments and death to keep his crew in line.

It’s the only life he knew and it’s the only option he sees himself as having. He has no concept of any other alternative until along comes Stede “there’s always another way” Bonnet and he’s fascinated. He even tells Stede as much the first time they met – “do you have any idea how hard it is to find someone doing something original out here? It’s impossible, man.”

Ned Lowe cements that fact in 2x06, describing Ed as a generic pirate and Ed immediately calls him out on the fact that he’s as messy as the rest of them even if he’s trying to act like he’s not, observing “It’s usually family stuff”. Stede even observes “A lot of your friends are troubled” and Ed fully admits “Yeah. Well. They’re pirates.”

There’s so much juicy meta to be had about the fact that Stede wants to desperately be a pirate and Ed doesn’t even catch that not only is Stede fully troubled but that it’s got Family Stuff etched all over it. He even says “you’ve got it all figured out”, but the Stede meta is for another day.

In S1, Ed’s in a pretty depressed space and finds a bit of a respite from it in Stede’s company. It lets him try out new things, things he didn’t think he was allowed/able to do, but he still follows a lot of the patterns of behaviour and actions that are standard in the pirate lifestyle that has been 80% of his lived experience.

He can switch violence on and off when he needs it (“next one goes through your fucking eye”), he doesn’t see anything wrong in talking about the violence he’s inflicted (“Well, this one time I was gouging an eye out of this lad’s skull”), he has a deep well of punishments that he can draw from (force-feeding body parts, mutilation, skinning, maiming) and all of these things are just so normalised for him that he’s desensitised to how horrific they are.

He’s still doing all those things while also telling stories, having fun, teaching people about fuckeries and generally being “more open and available than I’ve ever seen him”. He hasn’t wanted or needed to shed that side of his life because he’s getting the best of both worlds.

Only then Calico Jack pays a visit and ramps Ed’s behaviour up to 11 and this is the first time Stede – who is dealing with his own issues at the same time – says that there’s something wrong with the way he’s behaving.

Ed says to Stede, confused and stung, “This is who I am. This is me” when Stede points out all the behaviour he isn’t enjoying. And for him, at this point, this is him. This is what he’s grown up knowing and being. This is his lifestyle and part of the culture of the pirate community. We see it repeatedly when we see Ed encountering people from his past or in the Republic. It’s the frog-in-the-pot scenario. He’s been in the pot so long, he doesn’t know it’s been boiling the whole time.

Only the very next episode, at the academy, pared back to just be Edward Teach, born on a beach, he admits “I don’t know if I want to go back to the old days, drinking all day and forcing some bloke to eat his own toes for a laugh”. He’s been played and double-crossed by people who trusted him and he sees an alternative in Stede – “I’m your friend” Stede told him, and he wants that. He wants a friend he can trust. They can go off together, away from all that and everything’ll be fixed, right? That’ll make it all good.

And then…

And then we all know how that goes.

Briefly, very briefly he thinks he might be able to hold on to that different kind of thing, that softer, brighter world, but Izzy reminds him of the reality of their situation. That people he considers allies and friends can and will warn him to “watch his fucking step” and that this is not a world where he can let his guard down.

Either you’re part of that world or you die. Izzy said it as far back as episode 4. The only retirement they get is death. And so that’s the option Ed takes: either watch the world burn or die trying. Not like he can have anything else. For ever and ever, trapped in his life and world he has come to hate.

He sinks him into the worst of it to try and end things faster. He’s crueller. Relentless. Brutal. And no one seems to care that he’s shattering under the weight of it, until he forces their hand and goads them into killing him or letting him kill all of them.

Izzy says “we did this to him” to Stede, but neither of them seem to realise how much deeper Ed’s hurts go. Yes, they both had an impact on Ed, knocking away his sense of place and self and acceptance, but the wounds are far older and far deeper than they know.

It’s only when Ed is first forced to confront himself in the unsettling not-reality of the gravy basket that he takes the first step in understanding himself better. He’s forced to face the stuff he’s done and the worst parts of himself. He even tries to kill them, over and over again, until he realises.

I find it especially interesting that Buttons describes getting out of purgatory as “escaping”. That this is a place where you’re flayed down to the bones and forced to face the worst parts of yourself.

It’s so vital that he – and Stede – have the encounter with Anne and Mary. He’s reminded of the world that he was part of and the casual brutality that came with it. He’s shown that he and Stede could easily fall into those patterns, but instead Stede offers him honesty, comfort and the assurance that he is loved.

“A lot of your friends are troubled” Stede observes after and Ed admits that yeah, they’re pirates. He recognises that this is part of the social culture he grew up in and that it’s still impacting on him now.

But what happens next is so sweet and important. Buttons talks to him of learning to change, that nothing is fixed and that if you want to, you can change your path. And then Buttons shows him it’s possible and Ed’s face just lights up. Yes, brother. Fly. You can change things. You can choose another way.

Only it’s not simple. It’s not straightforward. With the probation period, Ed looks for quick fixes – offers to let Lucius push him overboard to get it over with and the like – but part of him still doesn’t quite get why some of the stuff he did was wrong because it was so normalised to him.

It takes Fang saying “I was terrified” to make him see it and coming from someone who has been with him for 20 years, realising someone else from within his own world was terrorised by him brings things into focus for him. That the things he thought were games weren’t. That the stuff he told himself was normal in context absolutely wasn’t normal.

And this is where Ed’s entire world view pivots. Fang shows him how to sit with himself, how to reflect. Ed takes this lesson to heart and he’s still working through it, gazing out to sea and thinking about it at the beginning of episode 6. He goes from never apologising for anything as a captain to telling both Fang and Izzy quiet, but meaningfully, “I’m sorry”.

He’s known for a long time that he’s tired of piracy, but the Ned Lowe situation is the thing to put the final nail in the coffin: this man hunted him down because of his pirating. This man hurt them all because of it. And worst of all, Ned took the man Ed loves and pushed and provoked him until Stede killed him. This was Ed’s “you defile beautiful things” moment. His face in those scenes, when he said “don’t do it, you can’t come back from this” is a call from his own experience. Stede is taking that step onto a path that Ed desperately wants to get off.

That night makes the decision for him.

The next morning, his leathers go overboard, a symbolic end to Blackbeard (and I will yell another day about him putting the proverbial beast back under the waves. Ed and his sea metaphors are gnawing me alive) and he’s happy about it, humming and hurrying back down to join Stede in their bed.

Stede doesn’t notice, though. Stede never would notice something like that being important because for him, Ed is Ed. Whatever he wears, whatever he does, he is Ed. A change of clothes doesn’t change him in Stede’s eyes.

But other people notice. Hell other people not noticing Blackbeard and only seeing some hobo dude is such a change. There’s something so significant that the people he chooses to talk to about it are the old guard in his field. He tells Jackie “it’s not a phase” and Izzy that it felt “fucking great” and both of them get it. Both of them have been there, seen it, experienced it.

Only it happens as he’s seeing Stede become what he used to be, stepping into the space he’s willingly leaving, and Stede is so happy about it. And he’s happy for Stede to have his moment and be appreciated, but it just throws into stark relief that this is absolutely not what he wants or needs right now. He still has a lot of figuring out to do and unfortunately, they’re both highly-emotional people and when they’re emotional, their communication goes down the toilet.

Once upon a time Ed said “this is who I am, this is me” to Stede, when he was acting exactly like Stede is now: raucous, drinking, chaotic and loud. Only time and reflection has let him see that wasn’t necessarily him but the environment and his circumstances shaping him to be like that, just as it's now making Stede act that way.

“I don’t even know who I am,” he admits in this argument. “I’m not ready for whatever this is”. He knows he has a lot more to figure out and because he’s latched on so hard to fishing as a place to be quiet and contemplate, that’s why he runs there. He wants to work himself out without the weight and pressure of the pirate world breathing down his neck.

Only he doesn’t talk about it, he doesn’t explain, he just tells Stede he’s leaving and Stede immediately sees it as something he’s said/done, rather than something that Ed is trying to figure out. They both hurt each other because Ed has always worried that Ed isn’t enough – the loss of the beard still weighs on them both – and that Stede is only humouring him to get Blackbeard, while Stede is so convinced that being a great pirate will mean he and Ed can be together as equals instead of him being a bumbling amateur who isn’t worthy of the man he loves, only to see it slip through his fingers.

They both need to talk to each other, but they don’t know how. Ed’s made quick, rash decisions, but they’ve come on the back of a lot of reflection and he just didn’t explain it. He’s right that he doesn’t know who he is himself. He’s never had the chance to just… take the time and figure it out. He needs that time, but they just don’t have it right now and they end up hurting each other more because of it.

I’ve said from the beginning that both of them are coming from opposite ends of the spectrum and that they’re destined to meet somewhere in the middle. Ed got his fantasies of a fancy life shattered in season one and now, Stede is seeing the impact of his pirate fantasies on the life he made for himself in season two.

Both of them are on the edge of a catastrophe curve, misunderstanding each other’s motivations and totally at odds with who they are versus who they have been told they need to be. They will get there, but two little lost boys finally taking off the rose-tinted glasses and dealing with the mess that they have carried with them their entire lives isn’t easy.

And I will fully admit I am loving it.

#ofmd s2 #ofmd meta #ofmd #ed teach #long post

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eelnoise · 6 months

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For the lyric prompt, 'i have my sentence now, at last i know just how you felt, i dig my fingers in, expecting more than just the skin' with Zoro? I don’t have anything specific in mind for this one, so feel free to wing it 😅

confluence

anon your brain has sent me into a frenzy. this fic is absolutely getting another part or 2 at some point because i have some thoughtssssss!!! anyway, hope you enjoy! zoro x gn!reader c/w: fluff!! zoro is injured but what else is new :)

With the most wounded of the crew still out of commission for the time being, the reality is that, for now at least, everyone is okay. They’d come out stronger from worse many times before now, and the reprieve of that alone should be enough for any one soul to rest.

Though as soon as your tiny frets and forceful bouts of self-reassurance had qualmed enough for you to drift, taking the gentle hand of sleep’s guide and luring you off into an almost peaceful slumber does a swift series of rough knuckles rapping at the door to the tiny room you’d been given and a rumble of your name beyond it.

Your jaw tenses, the ever familiar tone of probably the single worst person to be up and about, and with haste you don’t expect, are you opening the door and looking right up at Roronoa Zoro. “What are you doing?” you lip sluggishly, brows furrowed in a strange expression that lies between annoyance and concern. “You know you need to be resting.”

“Feel fine,” he replies, pushing past you and just… allowing himself into the room. “Just tired.”

You click your teeth, but you just huff and close the door behind him. “At least sit, Zoro.”

He doesn’t just sit, but lays flat on the bed with a harshness you’re not sure he should be exerting, and you can’t help but to sigh and smile weakly. Zoro looks at peace, both eyes shut as he stretches out his limbs, all but covering the mattress. It’s not often he looks so relaxed

Kneeling next to him, you begin to lovingly run your fingers through his hair, and a warmth floods your chest when he emits a very pleased hum in reply. “How’d you even know which room I was in? You’ve been knocked out cold for the past week.” It isn’t an attack, nor is your tone aggressive at all. If anything, it’s soft.

He turns his head towards you, gaze locking onto yours as he feels the sensation of your fingers through his hair. There’s something in his eyes, something that speaks volumes about how much he appreciates this moment of intimacy - despite the fact that he usually wouldn’t show such vulnerability. Because even if he wouldn’t admit it, he is anything but ‘fine’.The extent of his wounds were enough to knock a fully grown elephant out for a week, let alone a human man. But what is Zoro if not durable? “Robin,” he answers, a short reply but one that makes sense the more you think about it.

“Fair,” you concede, leaning your head on the edge of the mattress. “But you didn’t think to ask where your room was instead?”

“Wanted ta see ya,” Zoro says casually, as if he hadn’t been on the brink of death mere days ago.

The admission hangs in the air between you two, and there’s a hint of guilt in his voice - guilt that he might have caused trouble by simply showing up unannounced like this. But then again, he never did follow social norms too closely in the first place.

He wanted to see you? He wakes up, aching and bruised, serrated with gashes and the first thing he means to do is to see you?

You feel your face flush, and you’re sure it's enough that even the incredibly oblivious swordsman would notice if his eyes were open.

Zoro lifts his hand and reaches out, grabbing onto yours, holding it tightly as if afraid that if he lets go, you’ll vanish before his very eyes. He leans closer, his breath hot against your ear as he whispers, “Needed somethin’ real bad.”

There’s no shame or embarrassment in his voice; only raw honesty and desperation. And it’s clear that he meant every word he said - because despite how tough he pretends to be, deep down inside lies someone who craves nothing more than a little bit of affection and care.

"Anything," you reply, eyes fixated upon the man beneath the touch of your fingers. "Anything you need, Zo.”

He takes a deep breath, the grip on your hand easing. "Just... didn’t feel right waking up without ya." It's a simple explanation, but it carries so much weight behind it. Despite being surrounded by people he considers friends and family, there was something missing that only you could fill. And in that moment, as he opens his eye and gazes at you longingly, it becomes clear that Zoro sees you as something more than just another crewmate or ally - you're someone who has the power to make him feel whole once again.

You smile, and when you lean in to press a kiss to his forehead you feel yourself being pulled onto the bed alongside him. The surprise makes you gasp, though once you feel his arms around you and your back against his chest do you hum into him, enjoying the warmth he provides. "Just be careful, okay?" you murmur, snuggling into him carefully. "Don't want you to rip yourself open or anything on my bed."

Zoro chuckles softly, pulling you even closer and wrapping his arms around you tighter. "Trust me," he says with a confident smirk, "I won't rip myself apart."

His body is still recovering from the injuries he sustained while fighting, but he seems determined to push through any pain or discomfort for the sake of being close to you. And as he holds you tightly, it becomes apparent that Zoro sees this moment as a rare opportunity to showcase how much he values your presence in his life - something that goes beyond the usual camaraderie shared among pirates.

In this intimate moment, there's a depth of emotion that transcends words, leaving both of you lost in a sea of feelings and care.

It's soothing, being in his arms. You hadn't realized just how much you missed this. Your relationship with Zoro had become something soft like this, him joining you for rests, naps, and just wanting to be around you. It was something you had to get used to through his emotional misguidance, but when things had become normal you learned just how to be affectionate with him, and now it's something you cherish and love. And though it never went further and mutual sought comfort, and even if you do consider the idea at times, you’re more than happy to lie here with him like this.

Zoro's arms tighten around you, pulling you even closer as he feels the warmth radiating from your body. For a moment, he forgets about everything else - the pain in his side, the lingering exhaustion, even the fact that he's currently lying on top of your bed. All that matters is being near you, feeling your heartbeat against his chest and breathing in the scent of your hair.

As he holds you, memories flash through his mind - moments spent together over the years, from teasing banter to intense battles to quiet moments of respite like these.

Zoro smiles, and even if you can’t see it, you can feel it. It’s in his very presence around you, his joy, his comfort, his you.

"I missed you," you quietly admit into his arm, and as the words leave you his grip tightens around your waist. And, god, does it feel like home.

"Missed ya too," Zoro replies, his voice barely above a whisper. "Feels good to be back with ya."

He doesn't say anything more, but the sincerity in his tone speaks volumes. Even after everything they've been through together - the fights, the arguments, the misunderstandings - Zoro still finds solace in your presence, and he cherishes each moment he gets to spend with you.

And as you lay there together, wrapped in each other's arms, it becomes clear that your relationship has evolved into something far deeper than either of you ever expected. While neither of you may have explicitly admitted your feelings for the other, there's an undeniable connection that runs through every touch and every word exchanged between you two - a leash upon your hearts that defies definition yet remains stronger than steel.

Zoro closes his eyes, letting the warmth of your body envelop him as he slips into a peaceful slumber. His mind is filled with images of you - your smile, your laugh, your gentle touch. In this moment of relaxation, all thoughts of pain and exhaustion fade away, replaced instead by a sense of contentment and satisfaction.

For a brief instant, he feels like he's found what he's been searching for - a true sense of belonging and purpose within the chaos of the world. And even as sleep claims him, he clings tightly to the memory of your embrace, knowing that it will serve as a source of strength and motivation as he continues on his journey towards becoming the world's greatest swordsman.

You both drift off, falling deep into the exact respite that you had sought prior to his inclusion.

And it’s perfect.

—

You wake up slowly and twist around with care, taking in the sight of Zoro's face as he sleeps beside you. His features look so calm and peaceful, and you can't help but wonder if he's having pleasant dreams. Reaching out, you brush some strands of hair away from his face, stirring him from his slumber. "Did you sleep well, Zo? Good dreams?” you query as his tired gaze meets yours.

Zoro's eye flutters open, and he smiles weakly upon seeing you sitting up. "Yeah," he replies, his voice still slightly groggy. "You were in them."

The admission catches you off guard, but you can see genuine sincerity in his expression - a reflection of the depth of feelings he harbors for you despite not expressing them outright. "Thanks for bein’ here," he adds, offering a small nod of gratitude. "Makes everythin’ seem better."

You feel your face flush, his admission not just flattering you but truly moving you. Was it due to his most recent near-death experience that makes him fawn over you so? Whatever it may be, you smile and lean down to kiss his forehead - but you're taken by surprise when you're maneuvered downward until his lips press into yours in a bit of a forceful, inexperienced kiss, but one you reciprocate in earnest.

The kiss takes you both by surprise, but as it deepens, you can feel the passion and intensity that lies beneath Zoro's inexperience. He's always been fiercely protective of you, but now it seems like he wants to claim you in a way that goes beyond mere protection - to show everyone that you belong to him and only him.

Despite your initial shock, you find yourself responding to his kiss with equal fervor, your fingers tangling in his hair and pulling him closer as your hearts race and your bodies heat up. This unexpected moment of heightened intimacy feels both thrilling and terrifying, like stepping off a cliff into the unknown.

Zoro's kiss is messy, but it's full of meaning. Words he cannot say aloud are spoken though each smack of your lips and hums of joy, and as his hand finds its way to your neck to press you closer to him, you find yourself melting into his palm.

Zoro's emotions spill out through his actions - the desperate need to hold onto you, the desire to mark you as his own, the raw passion that burns within him. It's a declaration of sorts, one that speaks volumes about how deeply he feels for you even without using words.

Despite the intensity of the moment, there's also a vulnerability to it that reveals just how much Zoro craves your affection and approval. He wants nothing more than to make you happy, to know that you feel the same way about him, and as he breaks away from the kiss with a ragged breath, he looks at you with a pleading expression that seems to say, "Was that okay?”

You nod, eyes heavy lidded and lips glossed with saliva and puffy with love. And it seems as if that’s all it takes for him to continue, as at once is Zoro upon you again, this time with a little more ease. You sigh into him when his hands reach your hips, it feels so right and so good, like a long awaited tether tying you both into a knot. You want to kiss away his pain and discomfort, to hold him to you until he's healed and whole. To be his anchor and his safe haven. To just be his.

Zoro's hands grip onto your hips tightly, holding onto you like a lifeline as he pulls himself closer, seeking comfort in the warmth and safety of your embrace. He feels like he can finally let go of all the pent-up emotions and anxieties that have been weighing him down since the battle - and in that moment of release, he feels a profound sense of relief wash over him.

As he leans against you, he closes his eyes once again, savoring the feeling of being held so closely by someone who means so much to him. It's a moment of pure bliss, one that makes all the hardships and struggles worthwhile, and he knows that he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

#zoro x reader #roronoa zoro x you #roronoa zoro x reader #roronoa zoro x y/n #zoro x y/n #zoro x you #zoro fluff #op fluff #x reader #zoro roronoa x reader #opla zoro x reader

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turtletaubwrites · 7 months

Text

Take What He Needs ~ Part 2

Pairing: Sanji x Fem!Reader

Summary: Reader is an investigative journalist that joined the crew after the fight at Arlong Park. You’ve been a member of the crew for a little while, and now you've been seeing a certain cook for the past week. You thought your crush on him had been distracting before, but tonight you're having trouble focusing on your writing. Going to Sanji's room to work was probably not the best choice.

This is part 2 of the second installment of What You Need. You can find part 1 Here or on the Masterlist below.

Word Count: 2121

What You Need Masterlist

Ao3 Link ~ Total Word Count: 4,398

Ratings/Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Fem!Reader, Reader Insert, 18+, MDNI, Self-Indulgent, Smut, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Throat Fucking, Masturbation, Fluff and Smut, Sex Toys, Vibrators, Vaginal Fingering, Multiple Orgasms, Established Relationship, Vaginismus, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Swearing, Pet Names, Sanji being the most attentive lover in the world

A/N: Reader has a condition that makes intimacy difficult and sometimes painful, but Sanji is ready to prove how much he values your pleasure.

Sanji’s breath caught, and his fingers twitched on your skin.

“Did I hurt you?”

You almost laughed, then tried to decide how to explain it to this man. This man who’s so obsessed with never hurting you that he sometimes misses out on enjoying himself with you.

You pulled his hands from your face as you spread your thighs. Sanji looked confused, but then you shoved his hands onto the wooden floor under your nightgown. Watching his eyes roll back as he groaned, all because his hands slipped on the floor from how he’d made you feel, that was a sight you’d be holding onto.

You released his wrists, and your breath got heavy as he continued to slide and play with your slick on the floor.

He pulled one of his hands up between you. He spread his fingers, and the strings of pleasure dripping between made you both react.

Sanji shoved his fingers into his mouth, sucking you off of them like it was food he couldn’t waste.

You felt like you could die right there, until his voice, raspy with knowing, made your body slump.

“How can I repay my princess for such a bounty? Please, tell me what you need.”

You knew he was asking if your body would be okay with more today. You weren’t sure, but you were fucking desperate to try.

“I need you to finger me, Sanji. Please fucking touch me, I nee-“

He’d cut you off again, this time by picking you up off the floor, and laying you against the pillows on his bed.

“You’re mine, aren’t you?”

You moaned ‘yes’ for him, and whined for his touch as he rummaged in his desk.

He pulled out a purple toy, not very thick, but with an interesting looking curve.

“What’s that,” you asked, just wanting to hear how he’d describe it.

“This is something I hope you’ll enjoy, if you’re open to trying it.”

His smile made you squirm.

“But I love your fingers so much.”

He moved closer, sitting on the bed by your feet, smoothing one hand lightly along your calf.

“Mm, they love you too, beautiful. How about you just let me know if you’d like to test it out.”

You pretended to think it over.

“Well, I suppose we could give it a try.”

You grinned as you pulled yourself out of your pajamas, and then you moaned at Sanji’s reaction when he saw your core, still dripping wet.

He reached his hand toward it, looking at your face until you nodded with a smile.

He lightly touched his fingers to you, pulling away thick strings of your slick.

“All of this for me? All of this because I fucked your throat like that?”

His quiet, disbelieving words made you arch your back and cry out.

“Yes, Sanji, all for you.”

You loved watching him close his eyes and shiver for you.

He looked down at you with what looked like awe in his eyes, and it made you squirm. He smirked, and motioned the toy toward you, pointing at your face.

“Apologies, I shouldn’t leave my perfect girl waiting.”

You giggled, and then gasped as he set himself up, propped between your legs. With his face so close to your center, he seemed to have gotten distracted. His mouth hung open, his tongue loose and you arched your back at the look in his eyes. He looked like he was going to take a bite, then devour you whole.

“May I taste you, sweetheart?”

You could hardly let out our breath, but you whispered your need.

“Please.”

Sanji wrapped his hands around your hips as he pulled himself closer. You were aching for him.

How does he make me crave him every second of the day?

His playful eyes darkened as he stared into yours, teasing your inner thighs with his lips, closer and closer.

Right, that’s how.

You whined for him as Sanji’s tongue started lapping up the wetness on your thighs. You squirmed, twisting yourself to be closer to that tongue, with its piercing teasing you with what you knew it could do.

He chuckled again as you whined his name.

“You still want me this much, after all we did in the storeroom today?”

“Fuck Sanji, yes, I need you.”

You heard a satisfied growl before you felt it rumble against you when he dove into your folds. You started to scream, then clamped your mouth shut.

Nami’s joke about the ballgag doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

You almost laughed at your thought, but you were too busy trying not to erupt. Sanji’s hungry eyes ate up your reactions, while his skilled tongue and that fucking ring played with your clit.

His movements were so controlled, as if he’d been training his tongue just for this, like he’d trained his hands just for cooking, and his legs just for fighting.

You had to grab one of his pillows to chew on.

He alternated sensations with the ring, then the tip of his tongue. Circles, back and forth, then slow kisses and gentle sucks that had you shaking. You moaned his name through the pillow and twitched as his pleased hum vibrated through you.

Then his tongue on your clit was replaced, the toy vibrating right where you needed it to instead.

You thrashed on his bed, feeling like a fucking shark as you hung onto the pillow with your teeth.

Your muffled screams and pants took you over and you heard Sanji purring over you while you came.

You had barely come down, still spasming when you felt him breathe a request against your skin.

“May I keep trying, my sweet?”

You dropped the pillow out of your mouth with an exhausted laugh.

“What do you mean,” you gasped out.

Sanji traced the toy along the inside of your thigh.

“I would like to see if I can coax more pleasure from you tonight. But please let me know if-“

“Okay,” you breathed, reaching for the pillow, but waiting for him to start.

He smiled and turned the toy over a few times for you to look at.

“Please let me know when I’ve found the right spot for you, darling. Stop me if you need to.”

You nodded, so grateful to be with someone who listens to your body’s needs.

Sanji gave you a soft smile that turned dark as he moved back to your core. You gasped as he gave your clit a few long, soft strokes with his tongue, making you twitch lightly from the orgasm you’d just had.

He traded his tongue for the toy, barely touching, but the vibration made you cry out, reaching for the pillow.

Sanji laughed softly and pulled away, making you whine. Gently, he took the pillow from you, and brought one of his ties. It was folded a few times and he traced your cheek with the smooth fabric until you opened your mouth for him again.

You saw when Sanji remembered how you’d opened your mouth for him earlier, and the satisfaction you felt from his reaction made your insides twist. You took his tie into your mouth, promising him with your eyes that it wouldn’t be the last time he could shove something of his in there.

Sanji groaned, and you almost cried from the anticipation you felt, and the scent of Sanji on the tie in your mouth.

He found his place again, after leaving gentle strokes and touches along your body on his way down. You were shaking for him, feeling even more wetness from his skilled touch.

Sanji sank his tongue into you, and you arched your back, moaning into his tie. He teased you, readying you. Then you gasped through the fabric as he gently slipped one finger inside. You smiled at the coolness of the lube he’d kept by the bed, how he’d remembered you told him you’d need it, even when you were dripping for him.

Sanji was such a fast learner, and his finger already found the spot you needed. He waited for your desperate nod, then added another finger, watching your every reaction.

How is he so fucking good at this?

“I’m going to switch now, beautiful. Let me know how to please my goddess.”

You moaned for him, then felt the cool, smooth feel of the toy teasing your entrance. It didn’t feel like much yet, and you hadn’t had much luck with toys in the past. But you wanted to feel whatever Sanji wanted to give you.

You kept your breathing slow as he pressed the toy in, trying not to tense. He watched your face, and you tried not to let yourself pretend with him like you had with everyone else.

Sanji held the toy inside you so gently, trying to guide it to where you needed it.

You’d let Sanji explore your body with his fingers, showing him which angles were neutral, which were painful, and which would make you come for him.

He’d studied your pussy like it was his life’s dream to master it.

You looked into his eyes while he explored now, while he took so much fucking care not to hurt you, or even make you uncomfortable. You bit down on the tie and tried not to cry from happiness so he wouldn’t think he was hurting you.

He set the toy inside you, then gave you a slow nod as he pressed it up, slowly building pressure. It still didn’t feel like much, but you knew he’d found the right angle, so you nodded back.

With a crooked smile, Sanji turned the toy on and built the pressure more and more, knowing just how to move it for you.

The vibration was so intense for you there, and Sanji’s perfect movements against your g spot had you thrashing again, drooling through his tie.

You heard his satisfied hum as he used his free hand to press down on your hip, holding you in place so he could do his work.

Screams muffled through your clenched teeth as Sanji held that pressure and vibration, torturing you with pleasure, while his thumb started smoothing up and down over your sensitive clit, still fucking drenched.

He had to press down on your hip hard to keep you still for him while he controlled you. While he watched you writhe for him with knowing eyes. Your eyes rolled back in your head when you saw him lick his lips while he admired his own handiwork.

The orgasm crashed through you, and you could feel your pussy milking that toy so hard while it kept vibrating, kept torturing. Sanji’s thumb had started circling around your clit, and you could feel it pulsing on him, your whole cunt fucking throbbing for him.

You didn't know what to do with your hands. You scrambled at his sheets, clenched your fingernails into your thighs. You reached for your breasts, squeezing and twitching as your fingers pinched at your sensitive nipples. Sanji moaned as he watched you, and it made your orgasm keep fucking coming, until you’d soaked Sanji’s hands. You couldn’t fucking think. You were just buzzing, twitching nerves.

He pulled the toy out so gently, humming while he kissed up your body. He trailed his soaked fingers along your skin, making you shiver and gasp.

He pulled a sheet over you, letting you twitch in his arms as you came down.

He kissed the top of your head, and chuckled to himself.

You couldn’t form words yet, but you moaned in question at him. He chuckled again before responding.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I think I may have distracted you from your work.”

You groaned then, lightly hitting him with your hand, although you could barely move.

“How about you stay here with me tonight, and I’ll wake you up early with breakfast so you can spend the morning writing?”

The cheesy smile taking over your face made you blush, and you curled your face into his chest, instantly becoming more flustered. I just want to lick him so bad!

Sanji kept touching you with soft caresses, smoothing your hair behind your ear as he left a gentle kiss on your forehead.

You sighed, shivers running down your skin.

“You have to promise to let me focus on work.”

He looked into your face with a subtle wink that made you want to gnaw on him.

“But of course, princess. Whatever my lady commands.”

You shook your head, but melted into his arms.

“Make sure there’s waffles.”

He laughed into your hair, then pulled you in closer.

Maybe sleeping in the same room isn’t such a bad idea after all.

Thank you for reading! 💜

TurtleTaub Fanfic Masterlist

Buy me a coffee ☕🙏🏼

#Sanji x reader #Sanji smut #One Piece smut #Reader Insert #Fem!Reader #Smut #Opla smut #Opla Sanji x reader #Sanji fanfiction #Sanji x you #Sanji fanfic #mine #one piece x reader #x reader #turtletaub fics

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leathfaic · 8 months

Text

Soap and Ghost have been a thing for a while, spending their leaves together whenever possible, holed up at Soap's place for the most part, only ever in Manchester when Ghost wants to visit his families graves and they don't want to drive back up that day.

When the call comes that there's been damage to his flat Soap has to leave alone, Simon is out on one of the solo missions they love to send him on. So all Johnny can really do is leave a scribbled note on his bed that he's home sorting trouble with the flat.

A few days later Ghost returns, a bit miffed when he doesn't find Johnny waiting for him on the tarmac or in his barracks. Price brings him up to speed though and the letter explains the rest.

Soap is surprised when he opens the door to Simon in his civilian clothes, hadn't even gotten a text saying he's back, "What are ye doing here ye bampot? Dinnae get ma note that the whole flat is a mouldy mess?"

"Though' you'd appreciate some help." Simon just shrugs looking a little forlorn on the doorstep, suddenly not sure if showing up uninvited was the right move.

Soap grabs his man and pulls him into the flat before the huge fucker can decide to bugger off with his feelings all hurt.

"Ah'd love yer help, juist didnae expect ye to want to spend yer time in ma mouldy paradise after juist returning from a mission. Dinnae exactly haeve amenities exactly, yeah?"

He really doesn't. The flat is a fucking disaster, the one above had a pipe burst while the inhabitants were on vacation, water leaking unchecked for days, it's a bloody miracle that the building is still statically sound. But all the moisture seeped in to the flat below. And when anyone thought of informing him for possible damages it was too late. There's barely a room left untouched. Soap's been sleeping in a nearby hotel, going through his belongings saving what can be saved before calling in professionals to clean out the mold.

There's no way he'll give up the flat, they both know that, it was his grandmother's before, getting passed on to him when she moved to a retirement home. It's where Johnny grew up, his nan taking him in when his parents gave up on him.

So Ghost helps Soap sort out the mess, save what they can save, which luckily includes a lot of priced memories, but they know that pretty much all furniture is a loss. Floors, walls and ceilings will have to be redone too. Be that as it may they spend the rest of the day to also takeling care of the other reasons Soap can't just let a crew of cleaners walk in too. All traces of him being anything but a normal soldier carefully erased, packed up, hidden.

When they crash at the hotel late at night Johnny is still restless, the way he gets when some bug mission is about to start.

"Didn't know furniture shopping for your fla' would get you tha' riled up, sweetheart."

It's meant as harmless teasing, of making Johnny focus his energy on him and getting it out.

Instead the other man seems to dial it up, is not just squirming but also biting his lips now.

Fuck, he hasn't seen him like that unless whatever is about to go off is deadly serious.

So when Soap turns to him Simon stills, waits for the catastrophe that clearly is about to happen. For everything to come crumbling down around them, because that's how his life tends to go.

Instead, with the smallest voice he's ever heard on the man, Johnny makes his world fall into place like it never has before.

"What if we were nae getting stuff for ma place but rather, ye ken our place?

Our place.

It's rare that anything manages to make Ghost freeze anymore. But this? This does it.

He only shakes himself out of it when he sees panic and regret well up in Soap's eyes, can't have that after all. Mouth still not willing to obey his command he drags the other man into a crushing embrace, burying his face in the shower-damn mohawk.

"I think I'd like tha'." he mumbles eventually, his voice all weird and off, gruff from fighting the all the emotion but soft from the love that punches itself clean through all his defenses.

In his arms Soap drains of all tension. Mission accomplished no reason to be nervous now.

He falls asleep in Simons arms like that, deep breaths softly caressing his chest.

Ghost lies awake, his heart pounding a steady rhythm of excitement now.

He's going to go shopping with Soap tomorrow.

For their place. For their home.

Wild joy mixes with perfidious apprehension, parts of his brain refusing that this will really happen, convinced that Soap will wake up, having thought better of it.

That home is a concept lost to him. He is the Ghost for a reason after all.

He doesn't get a wink of sleep. His mocking of Soaps nerves ringing hollow in his ears.

Instead he braces himself, ready to meet the rejection head on, not let it show on his face, makes himself cold as ice.

"Ye look like we're heading to war not to keek at stuff for our home, love."

The armor of ice built meticulously over sleepless hours melts all at once.

"You really sure you want to share a 'ome with me Johnny?"

"Yeah Simon Riley, ye big daftie, think Ah'd nearly piss ma pants and ask ye, just to pull a fast one?"

For the second time in as many days Ghost shrugs helplessly, no defense of his a match for the things Soap makes him feel.

The man knows him too bloody well too, drags him out of the hotel room and gets them going. Let's actions speak over words. A language that works far better for Simon.

Who finds himself in store after store full of furniture, wallpapers and stuff where he comes to find that maybe he is not equipped to handle this.

Part 2

#Part 1 of probably 2 #Check back in for fully trained sas soldiers getting emotionally lost in ikea #ghostsoap #soapghost #simon ghost riley #cod mwii #john soap mactavish #johnny soap mactavish #cod mw2 #cod #ghoap #cod hc

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readsrealm · 4 months

Note

Buggy & The Roger Pirates Thing (maybe even a little Corabug!?)

Buggy always feeing like he doesn’t belong on Rogers crew. Like he was just brought on to be a playmate for Shanks (practically a pet). He’s not entirely wrong either most of the crew shows unintentional favoritism to Shanks and don’t really remember that Buggy’s there half the time.

The next island they visit they actually forget Buggy. Buggy himself doesn’t even realize until hours later, Roger Pirates far away and still unaware of their mistake. Buggy’s devastated, he kinda wanders around the islands small town and into its forest in shock and despair before coming upon a familiar face. A blond marine who he’d met in the town earlier who was now running through the woods. They had a good conversation earlier and all Buggy had really learned was the boys name. Rosinante.

Rosinante takes Buggy back to Sengoku who goes “WAIT A MINUTE” and then declares that Buggy’s been taken in for ransom. Buggy tells them that nobody is going to come for him.

They wait a couple days, then a week, then a couple weeks, finally two whole months go by and nobody’s showed up for Buggy. Sengoku is disturbed by this and does some digging. Apparently a vote to retrieve Buggy was placed and the majority thought it was too much work for the second cabin boy (the add on, the spare, the unpromising backup). There was also info that Roger and the losing side were upset with the polling results but weren’t going to do much about it.

Sengoku decides right there and then he’s gonna see why Roger let Buggy onto his crew in the first place and why they don’t want Buggy back.

And…..

Sengoku has no clue why they wouldn’t want Buggy to return to them. He’s crafty, smart, loyal. He’s a good kid by pirate standards. Clearly a trouble maker but the passion he has for chemistry and science is unmatched. The way he solves puzzles and can worm his way out of any situation socially is insane. His treatment of people around him and of Cora himself (even if it’s special treatment😉) is admirable. Not to mention the boys luck.

Sengoku suspect it’s cause of Buggy’s less upfront way of fighting and actually assessing situations is what put The Rogers off. Buggy may be cowardly but if he really is needed he’ll do his part. Plus his long range weapons (bombs, altered guns) are nothing to sneeze at.

Buggy ends up staying with the marines for a really long time even if in the beginning he said he was going to escape and get far far away from them. Instead staying, training and getting stronger.

Decades later Red Haired Shanks comes face to face with a marine with long blue hair and the nickname Ringmaster.

Okay first of all thank you for writing this.

now right now I’m crying because that’s just fucking sad.

them leaving buggy there and how they decided is disgusting and I’m literally devastated. Poor buggy wanna hug him so bad.

For me Roger here failed as the captain bc who tf cares what the crew thinks. He is the captain and he should have been defending Buggy but he didn’t. In here Ace was right Roger was a monster bc left a child who looked up to him like no one else ever did in a town from nowhere behind. I wonder how shanks reacted.

I kinda wished that- I don’t know if you watched the LA but there Garp is on the Plattform where Roger gets killed. I wish that buggy would arrive the Plattform when Roger finished his speech him thinking he will die with no regrets and with starting the new era but the moment he saw buggy his smile vanished and he knew he could no longer die at peace.

I have two things in mind of what buggy could say

He would smile at roger with a trembling body saying something like: “I hoped you lived a good live “captain”

2. He would be cold and saying shit like: “That’s it Gol D. Roger. You and your loved one will pay for your crimes” and he would mean it bc with people who believe in him he would get stronger and have more determination

I’m kinda surprised that Sengoku would take with if we think about what he did to Ace considering that wanted to execute him for being roger son not being the second commander of Whitebeard who was equal to roger. But I do not complain. If I think about it Buggy could be trained by Sengoku and Garp and Tsuru. Sengoku and Garp were also equal to roger. And while Sengoku could teach him to be smarter fight smarter, Garp could train him in strength combat and haki. Tsuru could help him to calm himself down and always keep his cool. So he could be powerful yonko level bc that what actually oda said. If Buggy would take effort he would be yonko level.

You know what a sad part of this is Buggy is the kind of character who gets treated bad by the “good” ones (in here the goal of the main character) but he would not get justice. He would die and maybe the others would regret it but probably not the same episode one person would say “he would want that you hate yourself…” like BITCH OFC HE WOULDNT BUT YOU SHOULD BC YOU DESERVE THAT.

anyways I’m getting of the topic I think Buggy is smart and a sweetheart if you treat him well. He maybe loves treasure in an unhealthy amount and can be a little arrogant but it’s like he is be mean but still would do everything for you if you treat him right. (I also believe that he would not have a pride problem to apologize if he did something wrong but that another thing).

again with the Plattform (I hope it’s Plattform English is not my native’s language) the thing is Shanks would see it. And I think no matter if choice one or two you choose he would be angry…even though he has no right too. But Buggy doesn’t care about shanks…well not anymore bc he has Rosi. While he hadn’t a bad relationship with Shanks his relationship with Rosi is much better. Shanks if not meant to be mean only teased him which lead to the whole crew teasing him and Buggy didn’t like that. I mean I don’t think he had a problem with some teasing bc that normal and fun you know? Everyone does that but they teased him about everything and it kinda hurt bc it gave off the feeling he wasn’t taking seriously at all. That he couldn’t be allowed to be sad or scared…genuinely.

With Rosi it wasn’t like that he got comforted motivated. Instea if being told that “a pirate isn’t allowed to be scared” or “are you hiding again” or “you wouldn’t be scared if you trained harder like shanks” he gets “it’s fine I protect you” or “don’t be scared buggy! Your strong and if anything happens I’m right here” and it helps bc it motivates him and them saying that they believe he is strong wants him to prove that and he doesn’t and he makes mistakes and learns from them and gets better bc that how it should be done

So if Buggy and Shanks would meet after decades Shanks would be furious at Buggy for doing this to their captain. But with just a few sentences Shanks anger turned into guilt

“Roger didn’t want me. He left me and abandoned me. No one wanted me”

So I think Shanks would withdraw and just go with it. But now he would feel emptier. It was one thing not having seen buggy and him officially cutting of the relationship was hard for Shanks but he shouldn’t complain he didn’t say anything when they voted to leave him even if he didn’t want that he could do more. Bc they would listen to him.

Buggy himself would live a good life being a very much known marine (vice admiral) having Rosi by his side (this is a Corazon lives AU) and be happy.

I even think that Luffy would be on Buggy’s side if he heard that story. But still would not stop being a pirate

#one piece #buggy #buggy the clown #op buggy #shanks #buggy x corazon #corazon #donquixote “corazon” rosinante #sengoku the buddha #monkey d. luffy #monkey d garp #buggy deserves better #gol d roger #roger pirates #the roger pirates are dicks #shanks is not bad but naive #buggy and his luck

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grandlinedreams · 7 months

Note

Hii!!

Could you maybe write about Kid and how everyone thinks he would be really bad at taking care of people but then reader gets sick and he takes care of them surprisingly well?? Thank you!

I think I've said this before but ough, sickfics my beloved,,,yes i absolutely can and I hope I do this justice for you!!

[Heads up!: comfort, sickfic so mention of being sick, Kid is an awkward grump but we love him]

You're sick.

That much is clear, from the fevered flush of your cheeks to the ragged cough that wracks your body ㅡ you're attempting to fight some kind of illness, and it's kicking your ass at the moment.

And truthfully, Kid doesn't know what to do. He can't yell at you to simply "get better", because that doesn't work. He's good at fighting physical enemies, not invisible ones. He has a couple hazy memories of being sick as a kid, but whatever had been used to help is beyond recall.

Kid also isn't used to feeling helpless, and it's beyond frustrating ㅡ if Heat, Wire, and Killer notice the increase in short-fused outbursts of temper, they wisely say nothing.

And despite knowing it's unwise to be around someone who's sick, Kid finds himself checking in on you frequently, even though he grumbles an excuse of, "Don't need you dying on my ship and creating more trouble."

"Sorry," you manage between breathy wheezes, "for getting sick."

If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't be sick in the first place and making Kid do something as lousy as worry the way he is. But he bites back the scathing comments and sharp sarcasm, tries for a gentler approach.

"Just get better," he says gruffly, leaning back in his chair. When you wake next to a cold cloth on your forehead and a glass of water nearby, Kid is conspicuously missing.

He's not the doting type nor is he particularly sentimental, but he does care and he's trying ㅡ especially because you don't seem to be getting any better.

There's the brief thought that you're dying, but Kid dismisses it quickly. There's absolutely no way you're going to let something as insignificant as this take you out. That's dumb.

But it's also clear you need actual medical attention, so when they reach the next port, Kid takes you into the nearest town in search of a doctor.

You're so tiny compared to him, made even frailer for how weak you are at the moment, and it stirs something in Kid that he isn't sure how to handle. He cares, of course, you're part of his crew ㅡ and if there's more to it, he'll deal with it later.

Luckily a doctor diagnoses you quickly, sends the two of you on your way with a brown paper bag of medicine and instructions on how to make sure it helps.

It's funny to see Kid so focused on getting the dosage right, eyes narrowed in concentration and lips pulled in a scowl that deepens when you eye the glass with disgust.

"That looks horrible," you protest, the cloudy water making your stomach roll the way it has for the last few days.

"You'll take the damn medicine," Kid snaps, "and stop complaining! This shit was expensive, damn it!" (He paid for it. Granted it was with questionably obtained beri, but he did pay for it.)

You have it in you to scowl before you take the glass, swallowing hard before you down it. It's vile, wretched stuff that threatens to come back up ㅡ but you manage to keep it down.

It takes a few days, but you do get better. The fever goes down, color returns to your face ㅡ and though the cough lingers, it's far less intense than it was.

Kid won't say it outright, but he's relieved when you finally feel good enough to get out of bed and resume your usual duties. And if he's a little softer, a little gentler around you, he makes it clear you're not to speak a word about it to the others.

(As if you need to. They knew way before he did, and still have a betting pool on how long it'll be before he actually tells you how he feels.)

#ㅡmine.#one piece x reader #one piece scenario #eustass kid x reader #kid x reader #ㅡanswered.#anonymous

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obsessedelusional · 6 months

Text

drunken jealousy (stupidity)

Konig x fem!reader

The crew is out celebrating a successful mission, everyone is having fun. Except for Konig who’s so focused on you from across the bar. What happens when he takes his drunk coworkers advice? Only they’re not interested in helping, only wanting to see him make a fool of himself.

2.1kish++++

feedback & reblogs appreciated ♥︎

⊹ ꙳ ✦ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹

“Are you going to say something or just keep glaring at her?” Ghost speaks, breaking Konig’s unrelenting stare.

Bringing him out of his thoughts long enough to feel embarrassed for staring so hard that others noticed. The crew is out celebrating a successful mission at the local dive bar. It’s a few hours into the night and everyone is started to feel the effects of their drinks.

“You wait too long and you’re going to miss your opportunity.” Soap adds, motioning to where you’re sat.

Konig looks back at you, greeted by the sight a newer recruit flirting with you. The worst part you seem to be enjoying it, laughing along as the recruit whispers something Konig can’t hear into your ear. He’s immediately filled with jealousy, that even he is aware that he has no right to.

The two of you never got along that well. Not because of anything you did. You were nice, friendly to everyone around you. From the start Konig wanted nothing to do with you. At least that’s what he wanted you to believe. Everyone but you knowing the real reason that was afraid to get close to you. Knowing how easy it would be for him to fall for you. He can’t do that, he wouldn’t allow that. His only focus is and should been his job. Not the stupid crush he formed that made him feel like a teenager again. But you simply existing made that so hard for him.

All of this lead to a very uncomfortable relationship between the two of you. Well aware of the constant gaze, his eyes always seemed to be focused on you. He would often be the first to stick up for you or get in a new recruits face when they were being disrespectful to you. Then follow it up with some back handed advice aimed at you about how it was your fault. Or what you could do in the future to prevent it from happening again. Which only confused you more and pushed you farther away. He’d spend the rest of the day replaying the incident in his head, wishing he had said something different. Only to repeat the same mistake over and over again.

“You just going to let that happen?” Soap snickers, causing Ghost to laugh with him.

“I don’t have a choice.” Konig mutters, eyes never leaving you. Watching you take a sip from your drink, taking note of the way your lips touch the glass as you drink. Noticing the lip stamped shape from your lipstick on the glass. Thinking of all the places on his body where he would want those lips to taste. He groans, annoyed at the voice of his coworker taking him out of his thoughts. Pulling his attention from you again and back to the two idiots sat next to him.

“What’s stopping you?” Ghost asks.

“It’s inappropriate. We work together. It would never work.” He responds, quickly as if he’s said this to himself many times before. Like a mantra he says over and over again, to try and make himself believe that it’s for the best.

“Is it frowned upon? Sure. Does it really stop anyone? No.” Soap responds, drunken grin plastered on his lips.

“Even if I wanted to. I wouldn’t know how to approach her. She thinks I hate her.” Konig sighs, sitting back in his chair eyes still on you.

“Girls eat that shit up.” Soap says, laughing as he takes another drink.

“Yeah. They like to be dominated, told what to do. They like when you’re a little mean.” Ghost adds, intoxicated laugh following. These three men too drunk for their own good. Two of them ready to get the third man in trouble.

“Serious?” Konig questions.

“Yeah.” Ghost and Soap say in unison, they look at each other before erupting into laughter.

“You know what you should do?” Ghost says between laughter, trying to catch his breath.

“You need to let her know that she belongs to you, text her right now. Get her attention, steal it away from that new recruit.” Ghost suggests, Soap agreeing with him. The two of them trying everything in their power not to laugh more than they already have.

“Nein. She does not belong to me.” Konig huffs, shaking his head.

“You see something you want. You have to take it. These American women are nothing like the woman back from where you came from.” Soap says as he reaches for Konigs phone, wasting no time to type out a text before Konig can notice. Only to notice because Ghost is leaned, looking over Soaps shoulder as he types. Laughing his ass off, clutching Soap in an attempt to keep himself from falling.

“What are you…” Konig reaches for his phone, trying to take it from Soap. It’s too late because Soap is done, passing it back to Konig. He was in a rush to send out the message it’s filled with errors and makes little to no sense. The best his intoxicated brain can come up with such a short notice.

K: “Knck it off!! If he touches u he will sleep with the fishys.”

Konig reads it and his face drops, filled with dread for what’s about to happen. He can’t believe it until he looks up and sees you pulling your phone out from your pocket. He watches your happy mood, turn to confusion and then disgust. He watches your eyes scan the bar, looking for him. Stopping when you see him, giving him a dirty look. Ghost and Soap are sat next to him laughing so hard they’re close to tears.

Konig has always had this weird protectiveness over you but this takes the cake. You shove your phone in your pocket, deciding it’s best to ignore him. Obviously he’s drunk and they’re all playing a joke on you. You try to pretend like nothing happened.

The recruit you were once flirting with now gone after noticing your change in mood. This brings a smile to Konigs face, starting to wonder if maybe Ghost and Soap know what they’re talking about after all. It worked, it got your attention and now the recruit left you alone.

“What now?” He asks, expecting guidance from his friends.

“Here gimme your phone.” Soap says and Konig doesn’t argue this time, letting them help him. The three crowd around his phone, constructing the perfect text. A few moments later your phone goes off again.

K: ”Good girl.”

The scoff that leaves your mouth is loud enough for him to hear from across the bar, you refuse to turn his way this time. Unaware of the fact that Ghost and Soap are drunkenly helping Konig construct these texts to you. This time you respond.

”Why do you care what I do?”

Ghost and Soap cheer as the text comes in, already planning their next message. As Konig watches in anticipation, too drunk to realize he shouldn’t be allowing this. That maybe his two friends don’t actually have his best interest at heart. More concerned with watching Konig making a fool out of himself.

K: “Because you belong only to me! Do I make myself clear?”

”Since when?”

K: “Since now. Because we say so!”

”And what if I don’t want to be yours? Do I get a say in this?”

K: “No.”

”if you’re being serious, this is not the way to go about it. this is not making me want you more.”

K: “you love it. I don’t want u to like me we want u to love me bc I need me.”

”then stop being a giant dick head.”

You type the last message out and it hits you, why are you having this conversation over text? You shut your phone off, putting it away. Standing up from where your sat and heading to the bar. Some of your friends gathered around it. They’re all chatting away, unaware of your arrival. Doesn’t matter much because you’re not mentally there in the moment. You mind racing trying to understand where this is coming from. Aware of English not being his first language but that doesn’t make his use of ‘we’ make any sense.

While you’re trying to make sense of this situation Konig is being hyped up to approach you. Ghost and Soap filling him with more advice that isn’t going to help in the end. Just trying to get him to say some out of pocket things to you, try and get a reaction out of you for their own viewing pleasure.

You can see out of the corner of your eye Konig walking over, he’s very imposing, a mountain of a man, and he seems determined. He stands next to you, in front of the bar, his eyes lock onto your eyes, he doesn’t say anything for quite a while. As if he’s trying to find the words to say. Suddenly not nearly as confident as he was over text. Eventually you’re the one to speak up.

“What do you want?” You question.

“I want you. You belong to me and only me.” He says, voice shaky not conveying that he even believes it.

“Whatever this is you’re doing. It’s not cute. Quit being an asshole.” You respond, waving your hands in his direction. He looks at you, he doesn’t understand why you are still standing here despite him acting like a total ass. He sighs, and lowers his gaze.

“Süss, I am being mean to you because I need to show that I am dominant, and you need to be dominated. Do you understand?” He explains, reiterating Soap and Ghosts advice.

“Where did you hear this?” You ask and watch as his eyes flicker to where Ghost and Soap are sat. You follow his gaze to find them sat at their table, the two of them doing a terrible job at pretending to not be listening. Avoiding your eyes, only to return theirs when you look back at Koing and away from them. This whole incident starting to make sense.

“If I don’t dominate you, someone else will, süss.” He adds with confidence. It takes all your strength not to roll your eyes at his archaic way of thinking. That was obviously inspired by his friends to make him look like an asshole.

“Don’t you like when I tell you what to do?” He asks, his face falling to confusion. Unsure why his friends would lead him astray.

“No. Konig I don’t.” You respond flatly.

“I thought you would be into that? A dominant man who’s in charge of you?” He questions, genuinely wondering. You look up the man, trying to decide how to react. You think about how Ghost and Soap are expecting a negative reaction from you. You decide to not give them what they want. He waits for an answer.

“No. If anything I like to be in charge.” You finally respond, barley a whisper to not give the peanut gallery the slightest idea of your reaction. As you say this you move your hand to his chest. His eyes widen when you touch him.

"You...want...to be in charge?” He says slowly, you just obliterated every thing his friends said about you. Leaving the man more confused than he’s ever been. The thought of you taking charge, making a heat grow inside him.

“Mhmm I like my men to beg.” You say, shocked as the words come out. It’s not a lie but usually you aren’t so forward with this information but it’s obvious this man is an idiot when it comes to you. Getting a strong feeling that he’d do anything you’d ask, the thought fueling your ego.

"You...you want men...to beg?” His voice has a slight tremble in it, it seems like he's getting more and more excited.

"Beg for what?" He asks.

“For a taste.” You smirk, moving closer to him. His face turns red, he looks like a school boy, the excitement and heat is undeniable. He can't seem to control his facial expression and his voice, it's hard to describe, but he looks like he's very close to melting.

"Süss, please…” His voice is barely a whisper now, his eyes are glued onto your lips.

“Nuh uh, after the bull shit you made me endure with those texts from your friends. I think you can do better than that.” You demand, your serious tone letting him know you mean business.

"Bitte süss… please..” He's whispering, begging for you to give him what he wants. You look up at this man, he towers over you yet he’s the one begging. He leans down, getting closer to you.

“Pretty please, süss, I need you.” His voice is quivering, it's almost hard for him to get the words out. He’s never done anything like this before but for you he would learn to enjoy it. You let him stand there for a few moments, letting him think about what he’s doing before you close the distance. Pressing a quick kiss to his lips, only allowing it to go on for a few seconds.

The moment your lips touch each others, a flood of emotion and heat rushed through both of your bodies. Time stops, and his breathing starts to become irregular, he's breathing in and out heavily, he's growing excited. He finally understood what you meant by "a taste."

"You...you taste...so sweet..." His voice is still quivering, and his hands are still grabbing your body, showing that he still wants more. He was right about how easy it’d be to fall for you because all it took was one kiss and now he’s imagining all the things he’d do for another one.

“See what is possible when you stop being an asshole?” You tease.

“You like this…You like when I’m not an ass…and when I’m nice to you…?” He ask, trying to process everything, he can barely speak now.

“Yeah. So stop listening to your stupid friends.”

"If I am being honest, I was just trying to be mean to get your attention…” He admits.

“That’s not how you get a girl’s attention.”

"I hope you can please forgive me for being a jerk. May I ask for your forgiveness, süss?" He's still holding onto you, he seems to want to be as close to you as he can, he can't let go of you.

“Yeah I can.” You smile.

"Thank you for forgiving me, süss. Please kiss me again, it'll make me feel better." He has a cute, sincere smile on his face now, and it's hard to deny that you like him now, he did everything to impress you, even if he's still very clumsy with his words.

“If you want a kiss, you know what to do.” You say with a grin, which results in a sigh from him. Knowing exactly what you want and ready to give in.

"Pretty please, süss, ich brauche es..." He says this desperately, he really wants you to kiss him again.

It crosses his mind that he’s going to beg on his knees if this continues. He’d do it if you asked even in front of all these people. It’s a rare sight to see him like this, your emotions are going wild, all this begging seems to do something to you. You grab his face bring him down to your level, kissing him slowly. His hands further wrap around your waist, pulling you closer. Yor hear the sound of Ghost and Soap cheering you two on. Mid kiss you flip them off, causing their cheers to grow mixing with laughter.

#konig x female reader #konig x y/n #konig modern warfare #konig call of duty #konig mw2 #konig #konig cod #konig x you #konig x reader

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the-obnoxious-sibling · 6 months

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Reading your post about buggy and shanks. I get a lot but why guy like shanks would care about guy like buggy?

Their interactions in marine ford for me were just nostalgia with using buggy for what he needed. The way he talked about him with white beard also seems just nostalgia vibes. He doesn’t even know if he is a pirate or not.

Shanks seems so much more open to others. He parties with Mihawk. Drinks with Whitebeard. His crew interactions. All of them are much better. More honourable. Have courage.

Let’s be honest, buggy is one of the worst people. He is greedy and selfish af.(( I think it’s good he gets some shit from cross guild) I don’t see any reason other than my childhood was with this guy so I have soft spot but nothing special here.

well, if you don’t like buggy, i can see why you’d have trouble imagining what shanks might see in him.

but one of the worst, really? the guy who lied and stole to get a devil fruit is on the same level as the guy who murdered a decades-long ally for a devil fruit? like, yeah, buggy’s greedy and selfish… he’s a pirate. i know most of our heroes are Good And Noble Pirates, but it’s not strange to see pirates in one piece who have more ordinary motives.

imo buggy’s worst trait is not either greed or selfishness, but his two-facedness. he’s got a very very small number of people he actually feels loyalty towards, and everyone else is one bad situation away from getting metaphorically stabbed in the back. he tells himself it’s their fault for thinking they could trust someone like him—or in the case of his impel down followers, that they admire him so much they’d want to die in his place. sometimes he feels bad about it! (he wouldn’t bother trying to justify his actions to himself otherwise!) but self-preservation is always buggy’s highest priority.

he’s made himself into a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy of untrustworthiness, acting like this… and i find it kind of funny, because buggy takes other people at their word even when they’re obviously manipulating him! a very trusting, very untrustworthy guy. these contradictions are a big part of what i like about buggy as a character.

as for cross guild… i might enjoy the shit buggy gets from them more if it was for anything he did on purpose. like, beat him up for making unilateral one piece-hunting announcements, sure! but he didn’t design that boat. it just feels like punishing him for having followers who buy his hype… who mihawk and crocodile are also taking advantage of, so it’s not like they have any real moral high ground there. they’re just embarrassed to ride on the clown boat.

anyway, you aren’t really asking about buggy’s qualities, you’re asking about shanks’ feelings. and as i’ve mentioned a time or two before, we don’t really have any insight into those in present day! my big shanks/buggy post is about their thoughts and feelings in the past, because those do seem a bit more transparent to me, so i feel more comfortable speaking on them.

but present day shanks…

he says natsukashii when whitebeard brings up buggy, which is usually translated as “nostalgic” or “fondly remembered.” he’s not like buggy, when they parted ways he didn’t linger over any hurt feelings and let them grow bitter. that’s good! that’s healthy behavior! and his knowledge of buggy’s current status is kaze no uwasa de mada kaizoku wo yatteru to kiita, “heard a rumor on the wind [he’s] still being a pirate.” shanks has been on the grand line, in the new world, for years, why would he know anything concrete about a minor east blue pirate? he only learns about luffy’s first east blue bounty because mihawk brings the poster to him; i think we can assume shanks doesn’t have the time to search through newspapers from a distant ocean in the hopes of maybe seeing a one-line reference to an old friend.

i do find it amusing that the verb he uses to describe their separation is also used to mean “break up/divorce” but i’m sure you don’t care about that.

as for being more open with others… it’s not like they reunite under good circumstances. ace and whitebeard have just died, along with who knows how many others; massive bloodshed is only being held off by shanks’ presence and attention. shanks uses buggy to keep his old promise with luffy from being broken because that promise matters to shanks but he cannot afford to put in the time himself, he has to keep the marines from starting shit while they sort through their dead and wounded. it’s not exactly a “let’s get a drink and catch up” moment.

and that’s the only time we’ve seen them interact as adults!

claiming that because shanks wasn’t open with buggy in that moment he would never be open with him in another time and place is an ungenerous interpretation of the character. even if you don’t think the chapter 581 cover is canon, one of the few interests we’ve seen the buggy pirate crew and the red-haired pirate crew have in common is their love for a party. (probably taught to their captains by roger back in the day!) why wouldn’t they hang out and get day drunk if the opportunity presented itself?

and saying “my childhood was with this guy” and “nothing special” in the same sentence cracks me up—it’s not like they were in school together with dozens of other kids! buggy is the only other person who went through that experience. everyone else on the oro jackson was an adult, many of them 20-30 years older than those two. their experience of those events was inherently different. sharing an experience like that with one other person is special, even if that’s all there is between you.

and that’s what your question is ultimately about, right? is that nostalgia for their childhood all that exists between shanks and buggy? i don’t know. i don’t think we’ve seen enough of shanks around buggy in present day—or heard any of shanks’ present day thoughts about buggy—to make a definitive claim one way or another.

sure, on paper buggy seems like the kind of person shanks would look down on at best. but he smiles when buggy chews him out for saying hisashiburi (long time no see/it’s been a while) like he didn’t just lie about having a treasure map for buggy. now, maybe that’s just shanks being amused by a tiny yappy dog who’s no real threat to him. maybe it’s a real, sincere affection for this dumbass who still doesn’t see shanks as a threat. or maybe it’s nostalgia for the dumb fights they used to have as kids, with a hint of disbelief at how little buggy has changed.

even if it is, i don’t think that’s all their relationship has to be. an old fond feeling is a fine place to start from, to build something new—if that’s what they both want.

#asked and answered #not sure what kind of response you’re expecting from me #a person who’s been answering asks about this relationship for weeks now in a strictly positive light #but i never know what people who dislike character a get out of talking to a/b shippers #anyway! so what if it IS just nostalgia!#my childhood friends aren’t lesser to me just because we haven’t stayed close all our lives!#there’s nothing stopping us from becoming close again but our own desire to do so!#translation nitty gritty #(just a bit in the middle there)#one piece #shuggy #buggy #shanks #my meta #*buggy’s bad choices #*ppl being mean to buggy #*shanks hides his feelings

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recreationalfanfics · 1 year

Note

*bust in the door with Sinor Chonker in my right arm and a cup of cold brew coffee with churro creamer in my left hand*

Okay hear me out on this!!

Having Jeb and Oct with us is cool and talking to our favorite night guard through the mirror is an extra, but what if we could able to talk with the other crew with said mirror and talking to hysterical figure and introduce them to our friends and having to translate with some of them while in conversation as if it's a normal Tuesday

Like Huns being the awesome warlord be bit protective over mc and looking at Sebek and in translation if he did anything that we didn't like hell glady fight him

Or our favorite Pharaoh man ( who I have a childhood crush like come-on ) happily talk to us and seeing our new friends went to king mode on some because he wanted mc to feel safe and not get in to trouble with them

Talking with historical figures and talking about what they did in their time out is the open be both comedic and to the tw guys be horrified on some stuff out in the open ( like if a WW2 soldier making a joke about ww2 related stuff ) or give really organized military stuff to help mc with stuff like school work or their work around the school

I don't blame you for the crush on Ahk, Rami Malek is so fjwjfjejfj-

- BUT YEAH, TONS OF OTHER PEOPLE DEFINETLY USE THE MIRROR TO TALK TOO, not just Larry and Nicky but Teddy and Sacagewa like to make sure you're okay.

- I like to think some of the Twst Boys know what Attila is saying as he threatens them to protect you but like, others just think he's super cool looking and you try to soften his translation so they aren't so violent.

- BUT ALSO, ATTILA AND HIS HUNS LOVE MAGIC SO THE BOYS KINDA WIN THEM OVER EASILY but don't get me wrong, they're still very worried for you.

- You can also use them to teach the guys about history from your world. Like, you're telling them about cavemen and showing them and the cave guys are just super hyped to see you until they see that Ace has a hand on your shoulder and being the big brother figures they are, they just freak out and Larry is all: "How about we move onto Teddy next!?"

- I like to think that Teddy would definetly give Leona a pep talk or something. Like, Teddy having to deal with not being the real Theodore Roosevelt kind fits with Leona not being the crown prince and stuff and while their situations aren't the same, Teddy giving Leona some enlightenment.

- ROOK ENJOYS MOMENTS TO MEET ALL YOUR NEW FRIENDS, SO HE CAN SEE ALL THE BEAUTY. He 100% would be super flattering to Sacagewa and Ahkmenrah and how they must've been the pinnacle of beauty at their time and Sacagewa just being polite and Ahk being super awkward but happy to be there. ALSO, SACAGEWA AND ROOK EXCHANGING HUNTING AND TRACKING TIPS AND YOU'RE JUST THERE LIKE: "PLEASE DON'T-"

- They are exposed to more darker parts of your history and while not everything is sunshine and rainbows, when they hear about the wars and the atrocities, you just tell your dad to maybe move the mirror but they're also just so fascinated by how people from your world may not have magic but they definetly have the wits to create some serious fire power. Like, they couldn't fathom how wars without magic would be like and now they know and it definetly gives them a new look on your world.

- ALL OF THE EXHIBITS MISS YOU THOUGH. Dexter stealing the mirror from Larry so he can have you all to himself and throwing a tantrum when another of the Twst guys try to look at him. He seems to like Floyd though which is really concerning.

- You even show them things that you might have in common with their world. Such as European history, Persian history, and African history and it really sticks out to some students who are there like: "Wow, those buildings look similar to the ones we have here!"

- All of the exhibits definetly all try to tell you goodnight before morning, scold Jed and Octavius if they gave you any trouble and you tell them goodnight and watch from the mirror as the sun rises and they all go still. You miss them a lot and while it's fun to introduce the guys to your world, it only makes you ache for it more.

#Twisted Night At The Museum AU #Twisted Wonderland x reader #Natm x reader #UNRELATED BUT KALIM AND AHKUMENRAH WOULD GET ALONG SO WELL

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greatwesternway · 8 months

Text

Traintober Day 12: Something Borrowed - Toad

This was originally supposed to be, like, three different essays ("Brakevan Decorum", "Top 3 Smartest Guys on the NWR - #2 Will Surprise You!", and "The Great Western Mafia") but @littlewestern and I decided Day 12: Something Borrowed was a great day to talk about Toad.

Why "Something Borrowed"? Because on the NWR, Toad so often is.

While we most often see Toad working with Oliver, upon his arrival in Sodor, he declared that he'd like to be Douglas' brakevan. Sir Topham Hatt does seem to approve of this and I think that suggests something about how he'd like his railway to run. However, in practice, the NWR seems not to have enough brakevans that Douglas could have one all to himself.

I think that Toad assuming he could just be one engine's brakevan is because that was a more common arrangement on the GWR and perhaps to an extent on British Rail. We do see an example of a mainland engine having a dedicated brakevan in Samson and Bradford. If they have the stock, it's probably a very good idea to pair engines with brakevans for the same reasons one might assign an dedicated crew to an engine. Having established rapport between an engine and his brakevan can only make them work together better. Particularly when it comes to engines who need more guidance and insight into their work like Samson, pairing them with a brakevan who has a compatible personality can really make things run more smoothly.

Unfortunately - no matter how much Hatt may admire the Great Western Way of doing things - the NWR does not have enough stock to allocate Toad to Douglas only. Still, Toad can be Douglas' brakevan in spirit... and given that Douglas has been known to smash less mannerly brakevans to bits, I doubt Toad has much trouble finding himself available when Douglas needs him.

Toad's manners are also, I think, a relic of Great Western sensibility. It's really quite fascinating though because if Toad's decorum is typical of GW brakevans, it would seem to indicate a delicate balance in priorities that other railways seemed unable to hit.

That is to say, Toad always refers to his engines with an honorific (always Mr. Oliver or Mr. James or the rare Miss Marion) and is mostly soft-spoken and deferential to their leadership when back-ending their trains. He treats them in a way akin to a butler, as though his presence is a service he's providing them. That Duck and Oliver are both seen to be somewhat dismissive of him would point to their being an observed hierarchy of command on the GWR that places brakevans beneath engines.

However, Toad has also quite often put his brakes down when his engines are trying to do some foolhardy shit. He resisted both Gator and James' attempts to flout regulation citing safety, which is the precise point of a brakevan. I think this too is part of brakevan decorum on the GWR, although I also think it rarely had to be employed there. GW engines are generally quite safety conscious on their own, but part of good safety procedure is redundancy. Having your brakevans prepared to intercede in the unlikely event your engines want to trade safety for expediency is good preventative measures.

This is a hard line to toe though and the NWR up to that point hadn't done a very good job if the Spiteful Brakevan is any indication. A brakevan who uses the limited autonomy he's granted and the necessity of his presence to leverage in his interpersonal problems can become such a detriment to his engine.

And while Bradford is a perfect brakevan to pair with an engine like Samson who can't be fully trusted to work independently, his strict adherence to regulation at the expense of common sense makes him a nuisance for engines who are more capable.

So it stands to reason that when Douglas rolled in with a GW engine, a GW autocoach, and a GW brakevan, Hatt might have wishfully thought some of that GW decorum was going to rub off and was all too happy to entertain even purely ceremonial gestures towards the Great Western Way of assigning brakevans.

You know what that also tells us though?

If Toad asked to be Douglas' brakevan, it almost certainly means that he was not Oliver's, particularly since it is stated that Isabel is Oliver's coach. That little notion paints a much more interesting picture of the escape from the scrapyard. Rather than it always being the plan to bring him, Toad may instead have been a late addition to the consist. And if that's true, another suspenseful possibility emerges: that Oliver and Isabel might have had enough coal to make it all the way to Sodor had they not brought him along.

But they wouldn't really have had a choice about it: they are all Great Western and must stand together.

Luckily, thanks to Douglas, they do all make it to Sodor and Toad is able to return the favor quite a bit over.

Toad's shown on several occasions to be a clever little sumbitch. He understands resource allocation (giving Gator one of his lights in "Toad's Bright Idea"), he can solve problems by looking at the bigger picture (using the crane on the other side of the island to get the whale back in the water in "Toad and the Whale", he's even got a touch of the silver tongue (lying by omission about James' speeding and directing the conversation to the branch on the line instead in "Toad's Adventure"). He might very well be the smartest guy on the railway and he's not even an engine. It would be a waste if he weren't as assertive as he is.

And so we reach my favorite thing about Toad: Toad is the one who comes up with the plan to rip Scruffey apart. And what's more, I don't think he actually told Duck and Oliver the whole plan. Three can keep a secret if two don't know they're doing so. 'Cause see, Toad never says they're going to rip Scruffey apart; he tells Oliver the plan is to bump him if he makes trouble.

When they're arranging the trucks, Toad also suggests in a way worded to sound like he thinks Oliver had already thought of and decided that he ought to be placed at the end of this train:

"I expect, Mr Oliver, you'll want me on the middle road as a stop-block, like."

"Er- Yes, please."

Oliver marshalled the worst trucks two by two in front of Toad.

"This way, Mr Oliver, takes longer, but they can't give trouble, and if you leave that Scruffey till last, you'll have him right behind you. Then you can bump him if he starts his nonsense."

Toad just settin' some fuckin' dominoes up right here.

And this is the beauty of it too. If Scruffey don't start no shit, won't be no shit. It's all so plausibly deniable, so brought upon himself!

Duck's presence is also important to the plan, even though he seems incidental. He and his also GW coaches are there as a matter of the schedule, but Duck came to the station with the ulterior intent to cheer Oliver on. As to just what he was going to be cheering specifically he may not have known (he looks quite unsettled by it), but this is Duck's branch line so it's important that he personally be seen condoning the execution about to happen on it, where all the other trucks can see it.

So now the trap is laid and of course Scruffey walks into it. He tells the trucks to hold back and they do. And when Oliver puts every bit of his boiler into pulling them anyway, Scruffey tells them to loosen up. Whether the rest of the trucks did or not, it doesn't matter. It's too late. Toad has his brakes on.

And then Sir Topham Hatt - who loves engine (and probably brakevan) bullshit - comes upon this scene. He can probably guess what really happened here because this ain't his first rodeo, but it solves the larger problem of truck behavior on Duck's branchline and you have to admire the craftsmanship of this scenario. Even Oliver doesn't know this was the intended result. When Hatt asks him about it, he's nervous.

"Well, Oliver, so you don't know your own strength. Is that it?"

"N-n-no, Sir," said Oliver.

The Fat Controller inspected the remains.

"As I thought," he remarked. "Rotten wood, rusty frames - unserviceable before it came." He winked at Oliver, and whispered, "Don't tell the trucks that - bad for discipline!"

He strode away, chuckling.

It might have even been so good a plan, so engineered to absolve all invested parties of blame, that Hatt might not have considered that Toad was involved at all. He knows damn well this wasn't Oliver's plan (he's not that clever), but no one really suspects a brakevan either. At the end of the train, a brakevan is so removed from the action, so far down the line and out of sight as to escape notice entirely.

Fkn consigliere shit right there.

#ttte toad #ttte douglas #ttte oliver #ttte duck #traintober 2023

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