I can't help but think about what if Buggy was raised in White Beard's ship rather than with the Rogers? In my heart of hearts I really do want to believe that Rogers cared and treasured Buggy like he did Shanks but afaik Shanks feels like a favorite; he's given the strawhat, and there's the Wano flashback of the Roger pirates about to face off the Whitebeards, and Shanks is wearing Roger's current captain hat on top of the straw hat while he's munching on some chocolate (😭) and idk, it makes me feel for the little clown
Whitebeard seems like he's a better father figure than Rogers considering his treasure is his family, so I wonder if he would have a better understanding of how Buggy feels, and how to raise a kid who doesn't take to battle as quickly as the other kids (let's say Marco bc he probably is the only other kid in the ship). Would Whitebeard celebrate and praise Buggy for his creative inventions and bombs? Would he encourage Buggy to be the flashiest boy of the Grand line, and to wear his red nose proud bc no matter what, he loves Buggy the way he is anyway? Idk I'm just thinking about what if Buggy wasn't broken and jaded :')
I'm still a Shuggy enjoyer so I want Shanks to be still a part of Buggy's childhood. What if Shanks is interested in Whitebeard's youngest bc he's also a kid too, and he's super eye catching. Shanks probably tries to fight Buggy but he gets overwhelmed by Buggy's bombs or whatever, or because Buggy's too good at dodging and/or running away (Whitebeard probably clues in that Buggy's not battle heavy, but he has immense potential when it comes to escapes and getting out of danger). Shanks just falls in love with this kid who he can't quite grasp and always looks forward to seeing again. Or maybe Shanks also gets adopted as a Whitebeard, but Whitebeard's parenting polishes Shanks and Buggy's strengths in a way where one doesn't feel inferior to the other and they're both happy kids. Lots of maybes...
Case and point, Buggy as a Whitebeard would maybe fix him 😭
buggy as a whitebeard pirate… i do think he ends up mentally healthier for it, but not necessarily because “roger’s a bad dad”—imo he’s not trying to be anyone’s dad, he’s buggy and shanks’ captain, it’s a different relationsh—*a long hook drags me offstage*
ahem. anyway.
potential upsides to being a whitebeard pirate:
if buggy’s in whitebeard’s crew, he is whitebeard’s family. there’s no room for doubt, he joined the crew this morning and has already been called ‘son’ three times.
lots of support, resources, etc. should he eat the chop-chop fruit. this is a crew with a lot of devil fruit experience, they know how to deal with the limitations that arise. if buggy mopes and complains about not being able to search for treasure underwater, i bet somebody comes up with a diving suit or a little submersible boat he can use; if he wants to swim, they find him a fresh water pool; etc.
there’s not just two kids around—he’ll get less focused attention, yeah, but the same is true for everyone. cap’n dad might play favorites, but i think that not being the favorite hurts more when there’s only two options. when there’s five, ten, dozens of other kids fighting for his attention… well, buggy might be bitter about not being the favorite, but he surely knew the odds weren’t in his favor. also, not being codependently reliant on one single peer/friend can do wonders for your mental health.
no childhood trauma over the crew breaking up and the captain dying!
potential downsides to being a whitebeard pirate:
he never gets to leave the nest. whitebeard pirates who want leadership roles can become division commanders; if they want an independent leadership role, i guess they can become captains of whitebeard subordinate crews? but it seems to me that they only leave if they die, retire, or turn traitor. i think buggy would find that stifling. whitebeard: the world’s most powerful helicopter parent?
there’s not just two kids around—if focused attention turns out to be something buggy really needs, that’s a shame, because he’s not gonna get it.
this is not a crew that cares about finding treasure or going on grand adventures. i don’t think buggy is gonna be too happy about whitebeard’s “the real treasure was the family we found along the way” ethos. though maybe he just ignores this, the way ace ignored whitebeard’s lack of interest in the pirate king title.
adulthood trauma over the captain dying and the crew falling apart/being destroyed by a traitor!
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I said this before and I'll say it again.
Alec and Lily's friendship is underappreciated
Here is the tidbits of their growing friendship throughout the series (mostly happened in short stories, cassie i need more of them)
“One of the Nephilim,” said Lily, bad girl that she was, and she drummed on the table of their booth with shining blue fingernails. “My, my.”
“Hi?” said Alec.
—What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything
“I think I saw you earlier,” said Alec hesitantly. “You were—making out with a faerie girl?”
(...)
“Why, you want to make something of it?” The woman bristled. “How happy I am to see the Nephilim constantly crashing our parties. Were you even invited?”
“I’m a plus-one,” said Alec.
The vampire girl relaxed slightly. “Oh, right, you’re Magnus’s latest disaster,” she said. “That’s what Raphael calls you. I’m Lily.”
(...)
“I’ve decided I detest you,” Lily told Alec.
“It’s mutual,” Alec said dryly.
Unexpectedly, that made the vampire woman smile, before Raphael dragged her away.
****
“Someone dropped a piece of roof on me,” Bat told him, blinking in a way that was more owlish than wolfish. “Inconsiderate.”
Alec realized Bat was not so much on a murderous out-of-control rampage as mildly concussed.
“Easy there,” he said, as Bat tumbled against his chest.
He looked around for the most trustworthy person, for someone to be on his team. He took a gamble and dumped Bat into Lily’s arms.
“Watch him for me, will you?” he asked. “Make sure he gets out all right.”
“Put that werewolf down immediately, Lily,” Raphael ordered.
“It really hurts that you would say that,” Bat muttered, and shut his eyes.
Lily considered Bat’s head, pillowed on her lavender bosom. “I don’t want to put him down,” she announced. “The Shadowhunter gave this DJ to me.”
—The Red Scrolls of Magic
"Don't waste my time, Lily," Alec said. "What do you want?"
"I want you to sit down and help me, I suppose," Lily grumbled.
Alec had sat down.
****
"I like Alec so much," Lily told Magnus at a party months later, slightly drunk and with glitter in her hair. "Especially when he gets snippy with me. He reminds me of Raphael."
"How dare you," Magnus had replied. "You are speaking of the man I love."
****
"LIGHTWOOD!" Lily bellowed, charging in.
"Ah yes, Lily Chen, I believe?" said Robert Lightwood, turning to her with the dignity of the Inquisitor and no sign of surprise. "I remember you were interim representative for the vampires on the Council for a time. Glad to see you again. What can I do for you?"
(...)
Lily did not care. "Not you!" she snapped. "Who even are you?"
"I'm the Inquisitor?" said Robert. "I was the head of the New York Institute for over a decade?"
Lily rolled her dark eyes. "Oh, congratulations, do you want a medal? I need Alexander Lightwood, obviously,"
****
"I do not talk to Nephilim about Downworlder business," Lily said severely.
The Lightwood parents stared at her, and then swung their heads in sync to stare at their son.
Lily waved a dismissive hand in their direction. "Except for Alec, he's a special case. —"
****
"You're sure the werewolves have this in hand?"
"Yes," said Alec. "You didn't need to charge to Idris and spill Downworlder business in front of my whole family."
"If they're your family, they know you can handle a little thing like this," Lily said dismissively.
****
"What?" Lily asked, looking up at Alec and sounding shy suddenly. "I always liked children, when I was alive. People said I was good with them." She laughed, a little self-consciously. "It's been a while."
"That's great," said Alec. "You'll be willing to babysit occasionally, then."
"Ha-ha, I'm the head of the New York vampire clan and I'm much too important," Lily told him. "But I'll see him when I drop by your place."
****
She stood on her tiptoes in high-heeled boots, kissed Alec on the cheek, and sashayed out.
"I do not like that vampire's attitude," said Robert in the silence following Lily's departure.
"Lily's all right," said Alec mildly.
—Born to Endless Night
“I thought I might bring Lily,” he told Magnus. “She can speak Spanish. And I thought it might cheer her up. She likes Jem.”
Nobody at any Market would question Lily’s presence. Everybody had heard of the Downworlder and Shadowhunter Alliance by now, and it was well known that members of the Alliance helped each other out.
Magnus raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I know Lily likes Jem. I’ve heard the nicknames.”
****
“Do you . . .” Alec coughed. “Do you want to talk?”
Lily tipped her head back to stare all the way up at him. “About feelings? Do we do that?”
“Preferably not,” said Alec, which made her smile. “But we could.”
****
There had been a time when Alec was unsettled by vampires, but Lily had always so clearly needed someone, and Alec had wanted to be there for her. They’d been teammates running the Alliance with Maia for long enough now that Lily felt like Aline Penhallow, a friend close enough to be family.
****
“So you’re Alec Lightwood,” said the head of the Buenos Aires Institute slowly. “Then this must be your Downworlder whore.”
There was a terrible silence.
It was broken by Lily, who blinked and said: “Excuse me? Have you been living in a hole? Are you not aware Alec is dating famous warlock Magnus Bane and is not interested in ladies of any persuasion?”
There was a rush of whispers. Alec didn’t think everyone was stunned by this information. They were stunned that Lily would say it, as if they expected him to be ashamed.
“Let’s be clear on this matter. This is my friend Lily, the head of the New York vampire clan.” Alec put his hand on his seraph blade, and the whispers hushed. “Think very carefully,” said Alec, “about how you wish to speak of her. Or of Magnus Bane.”
****
“You can stay here,” he agreed grudgingly. “The Downworlder cannot.”
“Like I want to,” Lily sneered. “I don’t stay in places where the décor isn’t ten out of ten, and this place is a minus fourteen thousand. OK, Alec, let’s make a plan for where we will meet up after I find a nice windowless hotel room. Do you want to—”
“What are you talking about?” Alec demanded. “If they won’t have you, I won’t stay here. The hell with this place. I’m going with you.”
****
“Leaving aside your destined honey lamb and all, I know there was Jace. Is it just guys with golden eyes?” asked Lily. “That is a very particular taste you have there, friend. It really narrows the playing field. So no other crushes besides Jace? Even a teeny tiny one when you were young?”
“Why are you leering like you know something I don’t?” Alec asked warily.
Lily giggled.
****
Lily was sitting cross-legged on the ground, one elbow propped on Alec’s knee, to be near the child. She tilted her head toward Rafael and asked him if he would please get on with it, because the sun was rising and she’d have to go to bed soon.
****
“Lily’s vulnerable during the day,” Alec said. “I’d rather stay with her. Will you be all right in the windowless room, Rafael?”
****
Alec rose and guided her, a hand on her trembling shoulder, to the bed. He pulled a sheet over her as if she were Rafael. Then he positioned the chair between Lily and Rafael and the entrance, and took his place there.
“Sleep, Lily,” Alec said, gently. “I’ll watch the doors.”
****
“Are we going to smuggle our way into the house in laundry carts?” Lily asked Alec excitedly.
Alec blinked at her. “No, we’re not. What laundry carts? I’m a straightforward person. I’m going to knock on the door.”
(...)
“I know Rafe stole your phone,” said Lily, “but who stole your sense of adventure?”
****
Alec bundled the woman into Lily’s arms. Lily was small enough that it was difficult, but she was strong enough to bear her weight.
“Take her. I have to get the others.”
“I don’t want to go!” Lily shouted over the crackling fire. “I don’t ever want to abandon anybody again!”
“You won’t. Lily, go.”
****
“Ah, there’s that smile,” said Lily. “It’s been two days, and I missed it.”
Alec stopped smiling and made a face at her, but when he looked at her properly, she was fiddling with the zip of her leather jacket. There was something about the set of her mouth, as if she’d set it determinedly so it wouldn’t tremble.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Alec said. “Also, you’re the worst.”
That made her smile. Lily wiggled her fingers in farewell. “Don’t you forget it.”
—The Land I Lost
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