#See: Chairman Buggy and not Captain Buggy

[moongothic]

I keep on seeing people mention how they want to see another Davy Back Fight during the Final Saga, and while I'm 10000% sure we won't see another Davy Back Fight

Unironically

I think a Davy Back Fight between the Strawhats and Cross Guild could be fucking hysterical

Especially because like. Buggy could totally challenge Luffy intentionally, desperately hoping that either Luffy will save HIM from Crocodile and Mihawk, OR that Luffy ends up taking Croc and Hawk into his crew if he wins

(Sidenote, DBF is normally only about exchanging crewmates and stealing pirate flags, but could you imagine if Buggy could demand to have Luffy's copies of the Road Poneglyphs if he won? Hell, I imagine Buggy could probably get away with innitiating the challenge regardless because once it's on, it's on, and surely his men would be so riled up Croc and Hawk would know there'd be no way to stop it anymore even though Buggy's not the true boss. But just to keep Croc and Hawk from trying to murder him on the spot Buggy could maybe suggest taking the Poneglyph copies as if it were a part of his plan from the begining)

And you know if Buggy challenged Luffy into a DBF Luffy might just accept??? Because it could be fun (in Luffy's mind)??? And it could be kind of on-brand for him to jump in on a challenge like that???

And yes

The idea of Luffy winning against Cross Guild in a DBF, resulting in fucking Mihawk and Sir Crocodile joining the Strawhats would be fucking hysterical man, and that alone makes me kinda want it

[beanghostprincess]

Canon and logic be dammed.

I just like the idea of Uta hearing Buggy making his own town (just as the Cross Guild was forming) and as soon she finished her tour, she headed straight to Karai Bari to spend some quality time with Momma Buggy.

Like picture if you will, Buuge's getting the usual treatment in a Cross Guild 'meeting', and a shy knock comes in. A lowly follow tasked to say that there's a visitor requesting the Chairman.

'Who?' A certain lizard and bird ask, 'a by the name of Miss Uta.'

And suddenly Buggy just pops up from the floor, miraculously healed, a sparkly (dare I say, flashy) look in his eyes, "Uta?? Red and white hair? Bunny loops, prettiest purple eyes???"

As soon as the subordinate nodded, Buggy was out the door! Practically flying to the docks.

Crocodile and Mihawk got up and followed the path (grumbling all the way, cuz who the hell is this? Taking away their clowns' attention and making him this damn happy??) Cut to see Buggy swinging the young lady around, elated to have her in his arms. All the while she hugging the stuffing out of the clown and giving him cheek kisses.

'Just who in the hell is this? And who does this little-'

"Momma!" The girl shouted with joy. "I missed you so much!!"

...... huh???

"I missed you too, sweetie!" Buggy grinned ear to ear as he nuzzled his nose atop Uta's head. And he just started to babble about all the things a mother would say

'What are you doing here?/ Have you been eating well?/ look at you! So flashy and cute! Was the trip over here okay? No troubles?' etc.

All of which just turned to white noise to Crocodile and Mihawk as they watched from the sides, both clearly surprised.

And then they picked up the talk from the people around them;

'Is that the famous Uta? Why is she here?'

'Wasn't she supposed to be on a concert tour?'

'Did the captain called her Bunny?'

'Forget that, did she just called Mister Buggy, Mommy??'

I just want Crocodile and Mihawk just shocked to hear that Buggy had a child and find it funny that she's more successful and competent than her 'mother's.

And maybe a bit jealous that Buggy spends 100% of his attention to her all day (the entire trip even).

THIS IS SO CUTE I'M SOBBING-- Uta and Buggy are so so so so sweet together. They make me go insane.

Nobody has ever seen Buggy so... Happy... And optimistic.... And genuinely caring and loving somebody this much. Like it's surprising how much Buggy changes around Uta. That's his little girl!!! Seriously. Buggy calls her his little girl, his little Bunny or whatever and she's all like "I'm older now!!! Stop saying that!!!" and he just hears a sweet little voice because that's still his little girl no matter what.

I want her to stay with them for a while and she is of course so polite and sweet to Crocodile and Mihawk because she is a star and knows how to handle social situations. But damn, she is scary when she sort of threatens them to never hurt her mom ever again. They won't listen to her but at least they won't do anything while she's here because... There's nothing scarier than a teenage idol.

They have girl nights together with Alvida, too!!! And nobody is ever allowed to mention Shanks because if they do, Uta ends up getting incredibly mad or having a breakdown and nobody needs a mentally unstable teenage girl with daddy issues to be angry. Buggy manages to calm her down every time, somehow, it's incredible.

Buggy does her hair and she sings for all of them! They make this huge party to celebrate she is here and I just know a lot of them are her fans, so she would have such a great time too!!! Buuut at the end of the day it's always just Buggy and her and Uta singing lullabies for both of them only under a starry night. I am. So not normal about them. I am not okay.

I don't want to make this about Shanks but they have to have a conversation like:

Buggy: Do you miss him? Uta: No! How could I??!?! I hate him. Buggy: You know, it is okay to miss you father- Uta: He's not-- Not anymore. Buggy: Whatever you say, kid. Uta: Besides, I like you better. Buggy: Pffft. Of course you do! Thought I-- Thought I was your mom, though? Uta: You can be both. As far as I know, both titles are free if you want them. Buggy: As if somebody other than me could match your flashiness, Bunny.

But!!!!! Crocodile and Mihawk??? Jealous of Uta???? Because Buggy spends all of the time with her??? That is amazing. And I also like to think Buggy becomes more competent and bossy when he's with Uta because if there's something scarier than a teenage idol is her parent. And Buggy would do anything for her. So he's extremely protective and also even a better leader now that he has to take care of her. While Mihawk and Crocodile are all like "????? Why the fuck did he not act like this before" and also "Why the fuck has he not talked to us all week ???". Because as long as Uta is near, Buggy doesn't fear them and he doesn't need to talk to them every day. And that bothers them soooooo much.

It'd be funny to see Uta getting along with Mihawk and Crocodile in the end. You all know (because I've talked about it) I just love Uta actually joining them and being the diva of the group. She's extremely protected and loved there!! Also please, add Perona there too because they're,,, Girlfriends,,, And they should meet,,, And be Cross Guild's princesses together,,,

[wordy-little-witch]

Silly Buggy ideas, but Buggy have oversensitive observation Haki but also Buggy having a strange ability not unlike the voice of all things, specifically being able to hear the echoes of energy from others. He can hear, see and sense the dead, the dying, the things beyond this world.

It's both INCREDIBLE useful and fairly useless. Buggy is constantly getting a lot of Input, because echoes exist everywhere and he's semi desensitized to it all. Sometimes they give him useful info, like a heads up about am attack from behind or little reminders. Sometimes they just wanna cause Mischief and Buggy, being the only "fleshy" who can see them, is their target. He gives as good as he gets though.

He forgets sometimes that others can't detect the other's, so he'll overhear a recruit in a heated discussion with another about ghosts existing, will drop a serious "Oh yeah they're definitely real. There's a bunch here, too" and then leaves, never to explain or expand on that again, his underlings now SWEATING bc Chairman Buggy What Do You Mean-??

Add in that certain blades in One Piece are given specific titles and specifications because they meet certain criteria. Yoru is one of the highest ranked blades in existence. She is imbued with Mihawk's Haki, but she's also spirited and has a soul - one imbued into her by the death of other handlers/smiths. Mihawk, as her Current Wielder, is able to feel and hear her, but Buggy can see her. He's.... a little intimidated by her, all things considered, but he's also got some survival instincts AND sense, so he's always polite. Yoru actually quite likes him. He isn't sure if he likes being favored by the patchwork persona of a giant and deadly weapon.

Crocodile meanwhile can never understand why Buggy has such a fixation on cleaning his hook. It's clean enough, but he will admit that it does often feel better when he gets it back from the clown. He'll allow it.

Buggy just has full on conversations with dead people when he's alone, not bothering to hide it at all, and because of the close proximity his main crew has had with him for so long, they also begin to find themselves Noticing things. None of them really have the same innate ability as their captain, but Buggy's Haki has braided into theirs just enough to give them glimpses, usually of the more powerful beings present.

Crocodile and Mihawk only really notice it when they are both tired, stressed, worried over a feverish, unconscious jester, and between one look and the next there is suddenly a fourth man in the room. They both jolt upwards, defensive, protective, until the man turns enough to flash them a familiar grin, and they both gape.

Gol D Roger cackles soundlessly at their expressions before turning back to Buggy. His smile softens, his eyes fall lidded, and sweat slick curls are brushed back from a burning forehead with a tenderness most would think the King of Pirates incapable of. The pinch in Buggy's brow twitches, a soft whine of discontent rising hoarsely from his throat. He turns his head, a mumble of what may have been nonsense or may have been a horribly slurred attempt at "cap'n-".

There is no sound from Roger, at least not that the dark haired men could hear, but they see the man move his lips, see Buggy's head turn towards him, like a flower to the sun. They smell the sudden wave of sea salt and rum and laughter, a scent without compare. They can't do much else but watch as a dead man takes up vigil at the side of a man he had once called son.

Buggy's fever breaks early the next morning.

[acescorazon]

Buggy x Mihawk x Crocodile prompt: Mihawk and Crocodile's bullying and beatings start taking a toll on Buggy, especially since he's somehow fallen irrevocably in love with both his "business partners". After a incident where Crocodile goes too far and Mihawk actually intervenes to stop him, Buggy falls fully into despair and decides to fully fall into the ocean to certain death. He waits until late at night and sneaks off to the docks. He falls in and expects the end but just as everything goes dark he sees a pair of golden eyes and hands reaching for him. When Buggy opens his eyes again he's very much alive, with Mihawk and Crocodile keeping vigil over him. Mihawk is mighty pissed and Crocodile is uncomfortable in his guilt. They figure things out eventually, messily and all.

Bestie if you didn't read this post, this is for you (as well as some of my other anons/ ppl who sent in requests ) LOL (it explains my shenanigans.)

ANYWAYS!!! Bby your idea...she's giving slow burn...she's giving...make it hurt...She's giving multi-chapter series realness. She deserves so much more than a one shot. She's a star who deserves to shine brightly...and i'm giving her what she deserves LOL. i don't have a title, so fuck it we ball, but consider this a prologue since it just really goes over Cross Guild's past briefly. So for anyone about to read,i'm not telling you how to live your life, but i'm juuuust saying you might want to have read up to like Ch 1082?

The sounds of canons being fired and screaming can be heard all over the island, and Buggy swears that he’s moments away from having a full blown panic attack. Why now? Why did they suddenly decide to abolish the warlord system? Buggy was just starting to enjoy his newfound power and, more importantly, protection. His men keep screaming at him, begging for him to do something because Buggy’s so strong and powerful, and mighty after all. He sailed the sea with Gol. D Rogers, Dark King Rayleigh, and a young Red Haired Shanks after all. He ‘led’ a prison escape after all. He ‘fought’ in the war after all… He’s the one who’s a former warlord of the sea after all…  Buggy must be a formidable foe, right? Buggy must be able to bring him and his men to victory, right? Buggy can take on some marines…right…?

Buggy watches in horror as a fleet of marines attack his battle ships, sinking them, as they gradually begin to encircle the entire island. Oh, they’re doomed. His men are still yelling at him, asking him questions that he can barely process at the moment because he can’t breathe let alone talk.

“Chairman Buggy, what are your orders, sir?!”

”Chairman Buggy, the marines just sank another one of our ships.”

“Captain Buggy, why are you just standing there?!”

“Chairman Buggy, do something!!”

“Captain!!!”

Buggy’s…Buggy’s got to go, like, right now. He can’t handle this. He doesn’t know what to do, this attack happened so fast… He swears the world government abolished the warlord system just this morning, and they already have marines on their ass. He needs off this island before it burns down and he turns to ash with it. He hopes and prays that he still has at least one good ship that he can escape on, and as for his men…

God, Buggy can’t do this. He can’t do this. The amount of men he controls has grown considerably after the war, and he can’t’ confidently say he can evacuate everyone on the island, not that he thinks anyone wants to leave in the first place. His kids are all dedicated and always willing to fight…(Buggy wishes he can say the same.)

Screw it, he’s calling for that evacuation order.

“Chairman Buggy, someone’s attacking the marines!” Someone’s attacking the marines…? Did Buggy have men out at sea that are now returning home and diligently attacking the marines now that they see the island is under attack? Does he have any allies who were conveniently on their way to visit, when they noticed the marines were attacking them? Is this just another group of pirates who noticed the marines and wanted to make a name for themselves, so they decided to attack them while they just so happened to be attacking Emptee Bluffs Island? Who are the heroes saving Buggy and his children?!

“Hey! It’s Crocodile!”

“Chairman Buggy, Crocodile is here to save us!!”

As soon as Buggy hears that name, his stomach drops. No, why? Why now? Why is this all happening to him now? There’s only one reason why Crocodile would be coming to Emptee Bluffs island, and Buggy…Buggy needs to leave. Forget his men, they’ll be fine, Buggy’s the one whose life is in grave danger. In all honesty, he’d rather be facing the Marines than have to deal with Crocodile’s wrath.

Buggy leaves the tent where he makes all his official announcements to his men, and his men watch him, confused, as he tries to make his escape. Some of them even mindlessly try to follow him, and Buggy doesn’t have the heart to tell the men following him to leave him alone because they’ll just bring unneeded attention to Buggy while he tries to flee. He makes it two, no, three steps out of the tent before he sees him, heading his way. “AHHH!”  Buggy screams at the top of his lungs, instantly, spinning back around on his heels and trying to push through a crowd of men, “Let me through! Let me through!!!” He orders them, trying to get back inside his tent and hide.

“Chairman…What’s wrong…it’s just Crocodile?”  

It is not just Crocodile. Do his men not realize how scary this man is? Do they not realize that their beloved Chairman and Captain is moments away from getting his ass beaten? Buggy forces himself through all the bodies in front of him and rushes back into the tent, but it’s too late.

“Running away, Buggy?” He hears a deep, intimidating voice call out from behind him. Ah, so it looks like this is the end of the road for Buggy, huh…? What does he do now, he doesn’t think he can out run Crocodile…

Beg for mercy?

Buggy slowly turns around, waving nervously at Crocodile, “Uh, hey!” He greets him, voice already shaking as he speaks. He’s going to scream, cry, and vomit, and all in that order. “I wasn’t running away… I was just, uh…” he trails off, unsure of what excuse he could possibly use in this situation because Crocodile saw him make a run for it with his own eyes. He notices belatedly that Crocodile has that other tall, slightly less intimidating but still extremely scary, fellow with him…Daz…? They all escaped prison together, didn’t they? And…There’s also…Mihawk? Why is Mihawk with him?

Crocodile’s cold voice brings Buggy crashing back down to reality, “Whatever. Where’s my money, clown?” Where’s his money…right…Right…the money that Buggy borrowed after the war, and most definitely has right now… That money…

(He’s lucky if he even has money for lunch.)  

Buggy forces a bright smile onto his face, “Y-your money?!” he repeats, trying to buy himself some more time while he figures out an excuse that’ll save his ass. “Well.. You see.. about that…” he’s just about to start babbling bullshit when Crocodile narrows his eyes at him, giving him the nastiest look. Oh! Okay! “Crocodile, please.” Buggy whines, “Look around, I have so many kids to feed…and… and It’s not exactly like business has been booming…and, and…I just lost my biggest money makers…and…”

Buggy’s never been one to admit his failures,  but this is a matter of life or death, and truth be told, Buggy’s delivery service hasn’t been doing too hot lately, but he just needs a little bit more time! He… He can fix everything, and get Crocodile his money back. “Please, just...Give me a month…” He begs, and Crocodile gives him that look again. Oh, okay! That’s obviously way too much time! “Three weeks, give me three weeks and I’ll have all your money… plus interest…”

Truth be told there’s no way in hell he’d ever be able to repay Crocodile the amount of money he owes him in that amount of time, and he sure wouldn’t be able to pay him interest on top of everything, but he… he just needs an excuse. If Crocodile believes him, then… Then as soon as he gets the chance, he’ll pack up and leave. He’ll dye his hair and change his name, and…

Crocodile scowls at him, “You’re saying you don’t have my money?” Well, no…but, yes… but, no he’s definitely not saying anything like that…what… what he is saying is that he’s broke right now, and just needs a little bit more time… “That’s fine.” Crocodile tells him, despite still having a terrifying look on his face, and there’s a moment where Buggy’s filled with hope.  Is...is his life saved? “I can just sell you.” Crocodile says the words, ‘I can just sell you.’ nonchalantly, and like Buggy isn't human, like…like he’s nothing more but an object, and like his life has no meaning to it. God, what did Buggy get himself into?

“Hey…Hey…Croccy, baby…Hey!” Buggy raises his hands up. Is it hot in here? Is Buggy the only one sweating right now? “We’re friends…remember? We escaped Impel down together remember?!” he stammers, trying to remind Crocodile of all the good times they shared together like….when they… well, uh, there was that one time where they… and then there was that other time when they… Oof.

Buggy is the one using his powers to make himself look ten times bigger than he should actually be right now, but for some reason, he still feels so small especially as he picks up the not so subtle shifts in Crocodile’s expression. He goes from slightly irked, to fully annoyed, to looking like he’s moments away from ripping Buggy to shreds.  “Oh, I remember, but I need my money now. I’m starting a new company and I need that money, clown.” Crocodile announces, and Buggy’s not sure how much longer he has before Crocodile snaps and beats him within an inch of his life. “If you can’t pay me back now, you need to make up for the money you’ve borrowed in other ways. Understand?”

Buggy swallows hard. God, what now? What does he say now? He considers making a run for it again, when all of a sudden an idea forms in his gigantic brain, “Oh!” He exclaims, “I know! I know! I can be your errand boy, or something,” he suggests, “I can work off my debt to you!” Crocodile’s cold, harden expression remains on his face, until Buggy casually stammers out:

“I…I have men who can give your new company the flashiest debut possible! My men can do it all: printing, design, advertisement, you name it…Just please don’t kill me!”

…

Somehow Buggy survives his encounter with both The Marines and Crocodile…Don’t ask him how, he’s always had the stupidest of luck. It doesn’t matter though, as soon as Buggy gets the okay from Crocodile, he’s looking for the best choice among all his men to design a flyer for their, well, Crocodile and Mihawk’s new company; Cross guild, hm, it’s got sort of a ring to it.

Buggy finds a few of his men and orders them to design and distribute a flyer for Cross Guild, and tells them to make it look flashy…because if it’s not, Buggy can kiss his life and or freedom goodbye.

Okay, that should keep Crocodile off his ass for a couple of days, right…? It’ll take his men a few days to design a breath taking flyer and then distribute it, and then Crocodile will see that Buggy’s actually a really useful guy after all!

That’s how Buggy thought things would go at least.

Buggy’s most devoted followers make a flyer for Cross Guild in a day and a half, taking pride in the fact that they didn’t stop for a break even once during the process, and the results are: Terrifying. As soon as he sees the poster, Buggy knows that he’s doomed and that what little chance he had at surviving and living a somewhat decent life was gone. It’s not like the flyer is poorly designed…it’s just… Buggy’s face is sort of… for lack of better terms... his men made it so that Buggy was in the center of attention while the other two look like an after thought, and that’s…that’s not what he wanted.

Buggy’s just an errand boy!

As soon as he sees Cross Guild’s debut flyer, Buggy feels violently ill again, like he’s going to throw up his breakfast, and he quickly orders his men to redesign the flyer so that Buggy doesn’t get killed, but they...

“Oh, we already distributed it.”

Okay, don’t panic. Don’t panic, maybe there’s time to fix this..or at least run away before Crocodile and Mihawk see the flyer. Buggy exhales a shaky breath, trying to figure out what he’s going to do about this whole flyer situation. Is...is there any way to just…just, make all the flyers go away? No? It doesn’t work like that?

Fuck.

[Next Part]

[ideas-4-stories]

TRIGGER WARNING: Loss of Pregnancy Due to Domestic Violence

Cross Guild Romance: Buggy hasn't been seen in days and Mihawk and Crocodile start to get annoyed and reluctantly concerned. They go to his tent where it's like Buggy's crew is being bodyguard like. They are no match for Mihawk and Crocodile though, and have to let them through. They find Buggy in bed, looking pale like he's been crying. Mihawk and Crocodile wanna know what's going on and are like bulls in a china shop, demanding to know why their "Chairman" isn't out of bed. They're kinda assholes about it until Buggy just sits up in bed, looks them straight in the eyes and says " I had a miscarriage." Mihawk and Crocodile are stunned, they actually say sorry, and leave. They come back later though, Mihawk having cooked Buggy a delicious meal and Crocodile carrying a box of care items. Buggy is stunned but not displeased. Mihawk and Crocodile are awkward as heck but genuinely want to help Buggy recover. Then they happen to see this large bruise on Buggy's stomach and demand answers. It wasn't just a simple miscarriage, whoever the father of Buggy's baby was decided they didn't want a child with the Star Clown and took drastic measures. Mihawk and Crocodile want blood and they will get it. Buggy will get to have his family later, just with two powerful men instead.

Okay, Mihawk and Crocodile needs to be just like that. Being awkward and guilty... they need to be very guilty. And them bringing over these that they can do really good is so cute.

May that bastard will die a long, terrible, horrific death I say the unnamed piece of shit should have. There will be no name for a shitty person like him ever. Rest in pieces and being beaten to a pulp.

Buggy's crew being so sweet and caring for their captain. Trying their best to keep him safe, but I doubt Buggy wants them to lose their lives to Crocodile and Mihawk like that. Maybe Buggy told them to step out of the way because he didn't want them to be hurt.

[rorywritesjunk]

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

Crocodile brings on a former assistant to manage Buggy and his workload. Buggy realizes he likes it when Taron praises him for the littlest things.

Rating: PG-13 to start. Chapters will be rated depending on content. Warning: Slow burn. AFAB nonbinary character. Buggy is touch starved and a virgin who thrives on praise. He's also a bit of a mess because he's thinking he's going to finally be killed by Crocodile. Set with the Cross Guild but won't be a poly fic (as much as I love that unf). However, mentions of past/somewhat present TaronxCrocodile stuff. Also Buggy is bratty, whining, a little pathetic. He doesn't want to do anything. Word Count: 1,810 A/N: My self indulgent submissive Buggy fic.

Title comes from "Take Me To Church" by Hozier.

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7

Chapter 3

“No.”

“Please?”

“You have work to do.”

“Oh, come on!” Buggy whined as he slumped forward, pounding his clenched fists on the table as he looked at Taron with pleading eyes. “It’s nice out! Let me go outside! I need fresh air! The sun is good for me!”

It had been a month since Taron arrived to work with Buggy. Since arriving, his productivity was… better. It wasn’t the greatest but Taron did manage to keep him on task, even when half of the time he fussed and complained like a child about his work. It wasn’t his fault he was the face of the organization, it just happened! If he knew this much actual work was involved he would have left a long time ago. It was miserable. He didn’t get to have as much fun as before now that Taron was here, keeping a watchful eye on his every move.

Ever since the wardrobe incident, Taron wore the sparkly cravat. Their other clothes remained the same, not replaced with some loud design Buggy had wanted. They did seem to be a little more comfortable, no longer wearing the vest, leaving the top few buttons of their shirt undone. When they rolled their sleeves up one day in front of Buggy, he couldn’t help but stare at their arms covered in tattoos. Buggy hated that he stared at them as they pushed their sleeves up past their elbows, rolling the fabric to keep it in place before placing their hand on the table for support as they leaned over him to look at the form he was complaining about. 

“Pleeeeeease let me go outside!” He whined pitifully as Taron crossed their arms, fixing him with a look. It wasn’t anger or frustration in their eyes but… amusement. 

“If you really want to go outside, Buggy,” They started to say before leaning down close to him, a smirk on their face, nose almost touching his. “Then beg for it.”

“W-What?!”

“You heard me.” They chuckled softly. “You’ve already started, but just a bit more and I’ll consider it.”

“I-I’m Captain Buggy! I’m the Chairman of the Cross Guild!” He shot back, voice cracking, stunned by the audacity of Taron telling him to do something like that. “I will not beg on my knees like some dog asking for a treat!”

Taron grinned. “Didn’t say you need to be on your knees, but that would be a sight to see.”

“How-How dare-”

“If you want a break from paperwork, you’ll ask nicely, Captain.” They grinned as they leaned in again, grabbing him by the chin, turning his head to look at them. “I’m not asking you to beg for your life, y’know, just for you to get outside, that’s all.”

He gulped, eyes wide, his heart pounding as he listened to them. What was it about them that made Buggy react this way? They released him, giving his cheek a pat before they pulled away from him. Praying no one would see this, he pushed his chair back and got down on his knees in front of them. He muttered something under his breath before looking up at them.

“Can I go outside?” He asked grumpily with a glare as he kneeled. Taron reached for his face and he leaned back, hoping to avoid a slap, always on edge for them to finally show their true colors and attack him, but instead their fingers stroked his cheek gently before resting under his chin, tilting his head up to meet their eyes.

“Say please, Buggy.” They said softly. “That’s the magic word, understand? You’ll say please whenever you want something from me.”

His mouth went dry, he was at a loss for words, looking up into those kind brown eyes. He swallowed heavily and nodded slowly. They pulled their hand back and Buggy tried to follow, wanting their touch, but they took a step back from him and looked down, crossing their arms as they waited.

Buggy cleared his throat and took a deep breath before asking, “Can I please go outside?”

“Yes, you can.” They said with a chuckle. “Good boy, Buggy.”

And there it was, good boy said so kindly to him, no sneer or sarcasm in those words, and he hated that he had come to love hearing it. Why did two little words make him feel like he was on top of the world? Why did Taron have to say it like that? He hated that he was there, on his knees in front of them, begging for something as ridiculous as going outside for fresh air.

They held their hand out to him to help him to his feet but he slapped it away, not wanting to feel their hand in his because he wasn't sure he'd be able to let go. Taron cocked their head to the side, looking at him curiously before shrugging and stepping away from him, leaving Buggy to himself as he finally stood up, looking down at his feet. 

“I think thirty minutes should be enough.” Taron said as they headed for the door. “It's good for you to stretch your legs and get exercise.”

Buggy said nothing as he followed after them, glaring at the back of their head as they exited the tent only to push past them and walk ahead of them. Why did they have to tag along? He wanted to be alone, not have them hovering. He would return to work when he was ready but Taron didn't trust that.

He glanced back at them as they walked. They weren't looking at him, instead looking upwards to listen to the sounds around them. He didn't want to have them around yet if he said anything Crocodile would shut him up. Buggy wondered if there was anything he could do to get them to quit on their own, but that would come back to the problem of Crocodile again. He wanted to keep Taron around while Buggy didn’t.

Buggy glanced back at Taron and stopped walking. They did the same, looking at him curiously. 

“Why did you agree to work for me?” He demanded. Taron raised an eyebrow and Buggy corrected himself. “Why did you agree to work for Crocodile?”

“Because I respect him.” They told him with a shrug. “And he took care of me when I worked for him under Baroque Works.”

“He ‘took care of you’?” Buggy looked at them in disbelief, using finger quotes to emphasize how he felt. “Crocodile? Him?” He looked skeptical. “I don't believe you.”

“That's fine that you don't.” Taron chuckled as they started walking again. “I just appreciated everything he did for me, so when he contacted me about working for him again, I took the chance.”

“But you don't work for him! You work for me!” Buggy insisted as he followed after them. Taron looked back at him and grinned.

“I work with you, Buggy. Crocodile is the one who pays me, not you.” They reminded him. “He hired me to keep you on task and he has been very pleased with my work so far.”

“What happens if I don't listen to you?” Buggy asked. “What will you do then?”

Taron stopped and turned to look at him. Buggy almost regretted asking that but he tried to stand tall, to not show his fear of them. They took a few steps towards him, he took one step back. They grinned, reaching up to pat him on the cheek gently.

“I'd rather you be a good boy for me, Buggy.” They replied, holding their hand to his face. “Otherwise Crocodile won't be too happy and neither of us want to see that.”

Buggy swallowed nervously and found himself nodding. He hated himself for leaning into their touch, looking at them with fear in his eyes. Taron took a step closer, still grinning.

“Good boy.” They murmured as they stroked his cheek carefully. “You do listen well when you want to, it’s just enforcing the behavior.” Their other hand reached into their pocket, pulling out a piece of candy for him. They started to hand it to him but Buggy didn’t budge, too focused on leaning into their touch. Taron was intrigued by how touch starved he was, noticing how he would follow their hand whenever they touched him. Without hesitation, they unwrapped the candy and held it up to his mouth, pressing it against his lips. “Are you okay?”

“Mhm.” He mumbled as he took the sweet treat, closing his eyes with a content sigh. Taron glanced around before looking back at the pirate. It would be a little odd for someone to walk up on them: Taron with their hand on his face while Buggy leaned into it. It was almost like he was suddenly put under a spell and Taron really didn’t want someone walking into this.

“Buggy, we should head back. Someone might see us.” They said, pulling their hand away. Buggy opened his eyes, blinking slowly, before he suddenly straightened up and glared at them. He spat the candy out and pointed at them.

“What are you trying to get at?!” He demanded. Taron cocked their head to the side with a frown.

“Nothing.”

“Liar! Y-You touched me and-and why, why?!” He asked, voice quaking as he took a step back. “Why did you really come to work here, huh? Did Crocodile bring you here to assassinate me?!”

Oh, he finally cracked. It only took a month. Taron thought he would have freaked out sooner. They smiled and took a step toward him. Buggy stood his ground, hoping he could look intimidating but he didn’t feel like he was. Taron worked for Crocodile. They had been affiliated with Baroque Works. They had to be dangerous. Why was Buggy being an idiot and letting his guard down around them? Did they have Devil Fruit powers they kept hidden? Were they going to kill him in his sleep? Why were they reaching out to touch him again, caressing his cheek, smiling so sweetly at him?

“I’m not here to assassinate you.” They told him. He opened his mouth to protest some more but they put a finger to his lips, shushing him gently. “I promise. I was only brought here to help you do your paperwork. You don’t need to be scared of me.” 

“You work for Crocodile!” He shot back, pushing their hand away. “I can’t trust you! You could kill me in my sleep!”

“It’s been a month and you’re still alive.” Taron shrugged. “Besides, as we have seen, I don’t need to really resort to threats to get you to do the work. You thrive on positive reinforcement.” They smiled and crossed their arms, giving him a quick look over. “Let’s head back. Can you finish your work tonight like a good boy?”

[waynekelton]

Football Manager 2020 Mobile Review

Apparently, one regular-as-clockwork yearly update to the Football Manager franchise is not enough, which means that prospective managers now have three different flavours to choose from. The fully-fledged version is the Old Trafford of football management games, it may not be the newest, but it is still the biggest and the most renowned.

The tablet-tailored Touch version is more like the London Stadium, flashy and new it might be, but it lacks a sense of history and ownership. This leaves the Mobile variant, which was first introduced on the PlayStation Portable back in 2006, before making its debut on IOS in 2010. This is more like Bournemouth’s Dean Court ground, a tight and compact design that, not so long ago, was completely reoriented to make the most of the limited space available.

Space is definitely at a premium when trying to squeeze Football Manager onto mobile devices. Not so much space in terms of memory (although the game does take up a hefty 2 GB) but space in terms of screen size. Football Manager spits out more stats than the most motor mouthed of American sports commentators and sees more menus being presented than on the busiest day at Waiter Training School. A nip here and a tuck there is certainly essential, but does this extensive surgery leave behind a game that flatters to deceive?

Initial impressions are promising, with an expansive range of set up options on offer. You can create your own club or embark on a thirty-year career at a team of your choice. There is also a challenge mode, which features seven scenarios that thrust you directly into the heart of the action. You may find yourself in a relegation battle, dealing with an injury crisis or maintaining an unbeaten run. Finally, you set your manager’s reputation which reflects the difficulty level, it will be much easier to entice star players if you are a household name rather than unknown.

It makes more sense to highlight the new features rather than to dwell on the familiar core gameplay. The addition of Danish and Greek leagues means that the mobile version now boasts over 60 leagues, spanning 21 nations. This may be a far cry from the 116 leagues and 52 countries of the fully-fledged version, but it still offers more than enough choice for most would-be managers. The upgraded youth development system ensures that you now have more information on the progress of your youngsters before they are snatched away for a pittance by bigger clubs. You can even ask a seasoned pro to take an impressionable youngster under their wing and mentor them. Hopefully, this will not lead to them getting involved in stealing taxis or drunken road accidents.

Other additions include a reserve team that presents the opportunity to get your young players playing at a higher level or improve the fitness of seniors that are recovering from injury or loss of form. There are also call ups to under 21 national teams and more options for dealing with media reports. Finally, derby games have been introduced, adding some extra passion and rancour to matches against your nearby neighbours. To sum up, not really bursting with new features or ideas, and there is always the feeling that ideas are always being held back to help justify next year’s release.

There are advantages to being leaner and meaner, foremost is that the mobile version plays much faster. So, if you want a life outside of your virtual management responsibilities then this may be the way to go. The downside is that tactical options feel limited and the no-frills highlights do little to disguise the fact that this is just an exercise in juggling numbers. The user interface may have been updated but it is still far from perfect. There is a labyrinth of information to wade through that can make even relatively simple actions such as nominating a captain or even seeing the latest league table more cumbersome than it should be.

Many screens allow you to swipe left and right to bring up pages with yet more in-depth information. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to accidentally select something rather than swipe it, which can take you to a completely different set of screens. The sense of information overload is also prevalent in the transfer market. Trawling through players can feel like finding a needle in a haystack, but there is a real sense of satisfaction when you discover a hidden gem.

Despite the game’s premium price, there are still additional unlockables and challenges that can be acquired. The most expensive of these is the database editor, this may allow you to play God, but it costs as much as the game itself. Some unlockables have to be earnt through your endeavours, for instance, you can remove all transfer windows by making a huge transfer profit. Others can also be bought with real-world money, such as acquiring a sugar daddy chairman and other equally depressing money-grabbing ways to cheat your way to the top. Maybe this is all a satire on the underhand wrangling and financial unfair play rules that plague the modern game?

The developer’s preference for drip-feeding new ideas means that there is not really enough new content to recommend this if you already have last year’s version. Unless you are the sort of person who simply has to have their favourite club’s first, second and third strips on the day of release. The game is still a little buggy, but the programmers seem to be very responsive when it comes to resolving problems. Licensing issues may annoy perfectionists; England fans will breathe a sigh of relief on discovering that the German national team is missing, but Juventus fans will be cross to discover that their beloved team has been renamed Zebra.

Football Manager 2020 Mobile Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[rorywritesjunk]

No context WIP post because I'm about to go into work and I have no self control. This is from the self indulgent smut. It will have a nonbinary OC. It will get smutty. And it's a slow burn. Buggy will be sub, needing praise, whiny, pitiful. I love him. Also again, out of context snippet below. It's set when the Cross Guild is formed.

This is from the third chapter I'm working on.

~

“If you really want to go outside, Captain Buggy,” they started to say before leaning down close to him, a smirk on their face, their noses almost touching. “Then beg for it.”

“W-What?!”

“You heard me.” They chuckled softly. “You’ve already started, but just a bit more and I’ll consider it.”

“I-I’m Captain Buggy! I’m the Chairman of the Cross Guild!” He shot back, voice cracking, stunned by the audacity of Taron telling him to do something like that. “I will not beg on my knees like some dog asking for a treat!”

Taron grinned. “Didn’t say you need to be on your knees, but that would be a sight to see.”