#nikia op oc

[mamamittens]

You know, when I was workshopping Nikia, King's appearance was revealed as well as his heritage and I briefly worried I'd need to explain if she was a Lunarian or nah.

Apparently tan with white hair, black wings, and fire are key features so she's mostly safe from being mistaken for one. But it did occur to me that it'd be interesting if the people on her island were like, a cross between skypeians and Lunarians and that is why, over time, they get such big ass wings. Biology is weird, and even weirder in One Piece, so it's not so strange to consider that old genes are rising up after so long.

And while Nikia is pale with white wings, the sheer size would likely throw King off if they met. Like, he may think she's half or something, especially with that streak of silver she naturally has.

Idk, maybe in the future I'll do more with this neat detail. It'd be fun. A little zest. Maybe Nikia's family specifically has more Lunarian and that's why she's the first to be able to fly.

Side tangent, Thatch (and Izou to be honest) would not be thrilled King is curious about her. Very not happy, back the FUCK UP kinda not happy. I feel like King would make it a little weird out of a sort of endling syndrome. No, she's not full Lunarian or maybe not even close, but she's close enough for it to hurt.

Fun thoughts!

[mamamittens]

Nikia has a hobby of learning new things. She doesn't always remember what she's learned, she's a little forgetful and absentminded behind the RBF, but it's pretty obvious when she's trying to memorize things.

Spending so long with little to no socialization means it's very easy for her to forget herself and get very... Weird bout learning something new. It's inquisitive and cute but also jarring to have her suddenly up close and personal to see what you're doing. Exactly how you're holding a blade to carve meat or roll dough. She's just FIXATED on what's in front of her.

This is how she learns sword play with Thatch and pistols from Izou. Sure, she knows how to hold a knife and carve. Do great damage while hunting. Or shoot a small handheld gun. But the finer details escape her. She's not confident holding the weapons. Instinctively more defensive.

It's an interesting process where they all learn a bit more about each other. Like how steady and firm Thatch is with his blades but quick as a whip. Izou a deft hand at a quick draw and steady grip. And they learn that Nikia still dances with her feet, instinct from years of dance as a child and playfulness translating to a very different style than Thatch's bold stance or Izou's unflinching aim.

Thatch ends up teaching her forms he's not that great at. A flowing rhythmic sort of style that favors reverse grips and grip changes with a twirl. She doesn't have his body strength to use his own style, so its better this way. It's a strange sort of dance and she often plays dirty by suddenly flaring her wings or obscuring her blades between feathers.

Her shooting style is more geared towards distance and hair trigger shots, so pistols are hard to get used to under Izou's tutelage. They struggle to find an intuitive style for her with much weaker guns and she ends up missing a lot. Her shots taking too long to line up so she over thinks. She just can't be patient with a gun, can't duel like Izou can against blades, lining his shots meticulously to win. She just wants to shoot their head and be done with it. He ends up finding the sweet spot with speed, helping train her wrists to handle the recoil she's used to taking with her whole body. It ends up a lot like gun-slinging in old westerns. Faster and faster until it's like you blink and miss it.

It's good exercise for them, forcing themselves to recontextualize how they fight.

Thatch still isn't okay after discovering how bad of an idea it is to encourage her to talk while she fights. He wanted banter, fun light stuff. But with all her focus on a fight, Nikia's filter dies quickly.

Sure, it's cute and flirty at first, but the... Violent intrusive thoughts really throw everyone for a loop.

"You look so cute with swords. So proud and accomplished."

"I should kiss your nose after this. You deserve to be flustered after tapping my ass with the flat of your blade."

"You have such a beautiful smile, Thatch. It makes me nervous to hold a blade to it--theres not point messing with perfection, even if I think you'd wear a Glasgow well."

"I keep getting distracted by your ankles, why do you wear slippers? One little knick and you'll never walk again--I worry about you so much, you know?"

"I hate it when our blades cross. I can feel the grinding metal in my bones and it makes me want to rip your face off with my teeth."

"I don't want to get too comfortable holding a blade to your throat. It's so easy to bleed out from the arteries there. Same for your thighs but if I manage to put a blade there, one of us has made a massive mistake."

Izou laughs at him, thinking it's about time he was on the other end of shit talk...

He definitely doesn't make the same mistake at least. Easy not to since she she's how loud guns are.

[mamamittens]

Had a hilarious thought of like, Nikia in Wano and naturally word spreads about this... Actually, what would they call a 'skypean'? They use different words in this country for all sorts of things so I wonder...

Well, they likely call King that too, so anyway! Word gets out and I can't imagine the various Beast Pirates aren't nosy shits who investigate a bit for some excitement.

It's obvious to at least King that she's not what he is, or at least not totally, but the wingspan is definitely not skypeian so he has different questions. More to follow if he learns she can actually fucking fly without a devil fruit. And those complicated 'last surviving member' feelings are not helped when Nikia thoughtfully adjusts her height to talk to him eye to eye.

They're rude tho so I imagine at least light kidnapping for this interrogation, which means wardrobe change time so I'll have something fun to draw later ig

Perhaps they think she's a seraphim given her strong resting bitch face.

"Do you know Doctor Egghead?"

"Wow... What a rude way to address a doctor..."

"that's his name."

"...ah. like yours is King? I imagined it was since no one uses the 'liege' or 'your Majesty' but it's hard to be sure sometimes. Not totally confident in the politics of Wano to say for certain."

"...yes."

"oh. Neat. Nope. Don't know Doctor Egghead. Why?"

If she does have Lunarian in her family tree, the good doctor would probably be able to find out through testing.

This also means a nice rescue scene with more WBP, so I'm down for that too. It'd be fun all around, honestly. With Nikia just awkwardly sitting around like "wtf do you do when you're kidnapped??? There's nothing to do here but stare down this giant ass bdsm weirdo on fire and his weirdly intimate questions about my family history." While the Bois are running around trying to figure out where the hell she is and how to get her back from the Beast Pirates.

Maybe she's given a kimono setup with King's colors since she's sorta 'his guest' (and every anime kidnapping have the kidnapped do a wardrobe change so its basically a fun trope at this point) but she sneaks Thatch's foulard into the ensemble cause she doesn't trust any of them with it and it's a nice reassurance. She's definitely not telling what it means to her though, cause she absolutely knows by now the importance of color/style for pirates and her new threads are pretty obvious. Let them think it's her personal wear. Still not sure what she'd have from Izou so I'll shelve that.

Finally finds Izou and is like "I managed to put it all on myself!!! Not my style but your lessons weren't wasted!!!" And he's just like 😮‍💨 "that's nice, sweetie, but we should find you something else before Thatch sees and gets pissy. U know how he feels about wearing someone's colors" lmao

Izou is more chill about it but Thatch likely gets pouty on sight once he connects the dots. It's sorta their thing, the colors, ever since he gave her it.

[mamamittens]

Had the horrifying realization why I've been moody lately, really twitchy, irritated, and had the desire to cry very easily on top of wanting to workshop the arguably saddest parts of Nikia's story lol

Soon my least favorite part of having the full, feminine package

Just trying to piece together their (Thatch and Nikia's) reunion.

Did she ever call or was she just so relieved and hopeful that Thatch was willing to take that step she never got the nerve to? She must have waited weeks with no signs until her father delivered the news by accident.

She stared at her snail for hours, trying not to vomit as she worked up the nerve to call and give her condolences.

She never does.

Thatch, in a brief moment of clarity after surgery before being put under to heal, tells the attending nurse to "tell his angel he'll make it up to her soon" and the nurse assumes Thatch is delirious or speaking of his guardian angel, how else could he have managed to just barely dodge the worst of the blow without realizing Teach's intent?

(Thatch had been working on his haki cause he always wanted to know where Nikia was when he visited, worried and secretly wishing to let her know he would always see her)

So no one ever tells Nikia Thatch is okay, the truth kept secret in case Teach had darker plans that required Thatch dead. Most don't even know Thatch calls her, he bribed one of his brothers who mans the snails to keep his silence. The brother doesn't know her number and assumes Thatch would find a way to call himself.

There was no snail capable of making the call where they put Thatch to rest, a total lockdown of information with the patient kept under anesthetic.

Nikia has to make a rigid schedule to remember to eat. Structuring her days because her minimal appetite is gone, desire to cook stabbed dead. She mourns and keeps to herself, with few the wiser. Reassuring herself that Ace, headstrong Ace, is already going after Teach, and as a relative stranger, she has no right place in that conflict.

No right when she could never find the courage to call herself or even confess while he was alive. So she wears his foulard as a comfort and a reminder of her shortcomings. Hesitation kills, she knows this... And she hesitated for nearly three years.

Thatch wakes sometime shortly before Ace is captured and assumes Nikia had been called, shocked and exhausted but determined to recover. Then he gets the news of Ace's execution and the stress nearly gets him out back under again. Barely managing to behave himself well enough to watch the broadcast.

She insists on joining her father's crew to answer the call, desperate to do what she can to make up for three years wasted with her hesitation. Takes flight while they form a line around Marineford so high up she's mistaken for a bird if she's spotted at all.

Thatch is setting off the heart monitor like crazy but the nurses are too preoccupied watching their little brother sacrifice himself for his own little brother to sedate Thatch. Only for a shot from nowhere to buy them all precious time.

Nikia watches with fury, crying into her helmet as Teach steps out onto the battlefield. She doesn't recognize the sound they echoes in her helmet as human, something between a snarl and a sob as Teach and Whitebeard face off.

Teach laughs and her world spins. Fury burning her lungs how dare he laugh after what he's done--

Thatch sucks in a sharp breath as Teach is killed instantly, a horrible weight lifted as his would-be-murderer is denied his quarry for a second time.

She's sent hurtling again, shocked and nearly dropping her gun as instinct kicks in and she rights herself. Her hands trembling as she looks back to see Whitebeard glaring at the sky, a body laid out at his feet without a face, just a smear of blood.

She didn't even realize she pulled the trigger. She sucks in a sharp breath, lungs shuddering as she steadies herself.

With Akainu handicapped and Teach adruptly dead, the evacuation goes swimmingly, Shanks even showing up to assist. He never looks back as Luffy is carried off by his father's old Captain's son.

Nikia flies back, still well out of sight, and collapses onto the deck sobbing in her father's arms.

She's passed out and tucked into his bed when they receive the message Whitebeard wants to meet "The Marineford Shooter".

Whitebeard is furious when he recognizes Nikia as his old friend's daughter, angry an ally interfered in his fight with a young woman who looks worn and frail. Red eyes and dark circles behind glasses.

A familiar fabric wrapped around her waist as she anxiously pulls it tighter.

Then Whitebeard realizes it's deeper than he expected and she may very well have more reasons to have been there than her father. But she doesn't tell him, eyes anywhere but on him until just before she leaves.

Wounded eyes locking with his.

"I... I-I'm sorry about your son."

Whitebeard makes another call, seeking to settle the debt he owed her for saving Ace's life and possibly his own.

He sees her face when Thatch appears on deck, embraced gently by his brothers who missed him dearly.

He sees when Thatch sees her and what she's still wearing as she slips away before she makes a scene. Grumpy but amused when her father threatens Thatch, who's still healing.

Nikia nearly collapses onto her bed, sobbing with relief and shame that she's still too afraid to talk to him.

Thatch hovering in the doorway as she falls apart. Spooking when he pulls her close and settles back onto the bed, just holding her. Retroactively terrified she was at Marineford while being so proud she went to war on his family's behalf wearing his colors.

"I thought you were dead."

"... I meant to call."

Thatch considers all the reasons he hesitated. All the reasons she probably did as well. Still does as she moves to kiss him and freezes, settling her lips between his eyes while still crying instead of where she clearly intended to originally.

"S-Sorry, you're still injured."

Thatch decided he's hesitated enough. That she's gone far enough for him and his.

"I'll never be too injured to kiss my angel."

He pulls her down and kisses her properly, gently holding her wet cheeks between his palms. Noting that she's lost weight. Her eyes look tired.

His 'death' weighed heavily on her.

But they can talk about it all later. Their fears and future aspirations. Take it slow or fast. Why they both hesitated so long.

Later.

For now, they just hold each other close and rest peacefully for the first time in a very long time. Both of them.

I'm going to go cry now and pass TF out for work lol

[mamamittens]

Was a bit meh today and decided to draw Nikia in a more dressy post-Thatch meeting fit.

With his foulard thingy wrapped around her waist. Idk how big foulards are meant to be but Thatch has pretty broad shoulders and wears it loose normally so eh, here we are!

Shit, forgot the markings on her wings... Eh, I can just say they disappear when her wings are this small since they're meant to be more 'freckles'???

More in OP style too, or about as much as I could recreate really. Started to be done with it all by the time it got to shading/highlights so it's a little more meh in that aspect.

This is about what she'd look like with her wings shrunk but nothing else changed, so maybe like dinner with her folks or something where she doesn't want to smack things by accident but doesn't mind filling out her top like she naturally can.

I figure her mom gets a little depressed at the implication her daughter feels the need to hide her natural... "Features" so Nikia avoids it when out with her mom specifically. At least then she's not alone in this specific struggle lol

I also finally decided how Thatch and Nikia first meet, though it's incredibly brief, it's a little fun!

Basically WBP come around because Nikia's dad told them about the island and got a personal escort but Nikia is on "dock duty" so she personally shows up to fill out paperwork. Who they are, what sights they're interested in, and who to contact in an emergency with one of their crew mates. That kind of thing. And then she gets a call about an avalanche and folks trapped in the snow and has to go.

But before she does, she does this little curtsey and wishes them a wonderful stay with a cheery smile before taking off. Thatch missed almost the entire visit but comes up just in time to see her go and jokes to Marco like "Damn, am I so unloved here that no one bothered to tell me we were visited by an angel?"

Imagine his surprise when he goes to Winter Isle to check out the exclusive ingredients grown there and happens on Nikia's lodge? The rest, as they say, is history (or rather, the future since I haven't actually written it yet???)

[mamamittens]

Well, didn't get as much done today but I'm on track to finish the first comm this week at least. Would have helped if we didn't have a +1 today but tomorrow is looking to be the same so idk how much progress I'll make after a shower and dinner.

Not going to lie, I fell into a bit of a slump the past two weeks which was... Interesting. Stress, burnout, anxiety, or whatever really said "make time or it'll make you" huh? Mostly with inexplicable exhaustion. Anyone in my DMS probably noticed I was spacy as fuck and honestly, it was a bit embarrassing. Is embarrassing.

Got a discord group I've basically not interacted with (sorry Franky bro) cause I've been so spacey and tired. Hopefully I'll clear my plate enough to chime in soon without losing the plot.

I'm still tired. But it's not quite soul deep this week so far. Still not quite Tuesday though so we'll have to wait and see on that front. Helped I slept 14 hours and then spent the day with my brother and his friend who treated us to dinner and a movie (The First Omen, I liked it but kept forgetting it was a prequel. Did NOT expect to see full pussy in a nightmare/hallucination scene so warning to the dam that was wanting to watch it.) and saw the biggest fucking parmesan chicken in my life.

They brought that bitch out on a pizza stone and I legit thought he changed his mind and ordered pizza. A pound of chicken the size of a personal pizza COVERED IN SAUCE AND CHEESE ENOUGH TO PASS AS A LITTLE CEASERS.

Mad lads.

And I also started thinking about Nikia in Wano again! Shockingly, it's been a minute. Seems like pouring out my hyperfixation has helped me focus on other things instead of being consumed by pokemon while in the middle of One Piece shit lol

This is about the end of the useful updates btw, the rest will just be me rambling about Wano thoughts

So, I suddenly had the thought about what little dramatic plot would go nicely in the middle of this for the bois to do while the Straw Hats are fucking shit up.

And clearly, Izou is gathering Intel while keeping Thatch from blowing their cover. Nikia taking advantage of her anonymity to do some sight seeing and maybe take some eyes off of them cause who wouldn't investigate this new woman with giant ass wings?!?

(she's not a fan of the nosy bitches but we tolerate things for the people we love. They'll make it up to her later lol)

Had the hilarious mental image of Thatch disguising himself, specifically his hair. Very upset to part from the pompadour and gets a topknot that has a suspiciously shaped bundle up top. Izou hates it but picks his damn battles at this point.

So! The cheap trope drama I figured I'd give a little spin was!!!

Amnesia!

Manufacture to be specific. As maybe a follow up once King clarifies that Nikia is absolutely NOT Lunarian. Maybe to keep her in check so she doesn't run off before they do DNA tests to see wtf she is. No idea she can fly, so they (I feel like Kaido is the one suggesting it first cause he's a bitch with Big Mom seeing no issue and King just going along with it cause Nikia may not be like him but she's close enough he doesn't feel alone so whatever works, right?) go with a bit of a caged bird thing.

She's a 'guest' while she 'recovers' with King 'looking after her'.

And even with no memory of who she is, she doesn't trust this set up at all. Like, more in an awkward way cause it's clear she's meant to be displayed in a way so she can't 'repay' her 'hosts' like she'd traditionally want to via chores or cooking. She doesn't know what she's supposed to do at all and hates it. Her aloof expression just barely masking the 'someone give me a social clue about wtf is going on already'.

Gets on well enough with King, especially once he stops wearing the damn mask cause it really freaked her out. Pretends to be amicable with the others, can't erase the 'hostess' mask that easily. So it's a legit surprise when she finally admits she doesn't like or trust anyone there at all and has smelled the bullshit from the start and just didn't say anything.

Runs into Yamamoto at some point and likes his spunk even if he's a little weird. Has a hard time keeping up the act under his insistent investigation about why she's there cause honestly, same fam. Why am I here? WTF is going on?!?

I feel like Big Mom tries to touch her wings at some point out of curiosity and King stops her cause I can't imagine that's not a pretty intimate gesture for even Lunarians. Wins brownie points. Thanks for being a bro and all that.

On the night of the throw down the Bois finally manage to get into the palace and shit and Nikia immediately recognizes Thatch from his silhouette despite still not remembering shit.

A hilariously awkward "oh, hey, what are u doing here? Trying to steal shit? I heard it was bad out there but this is pretty risky don't you think?" And Thatch is staring at her in full Wano gear, makeup and all like

(⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠)

"I'm looking for my lover"

"OUR lover"

"ye that. Uhm. U seen her?"

Nikia just stares at them.

"... Ya gonna describe her or am I supposed to vibe check everyone I've seen here?"

They do recognize her btw, it's just painfully clear she doesn't so they're wondering if she's the real deal or something.

Cue Thatch trying to come up with a noteworthy detail she'd realize is her own feature but her hair has been changed up and he doesn't even think about her wings. Trying to be smooth and razz her up a little to knock some memories loose.

Notices the lipstick.

"Oh! She has a freckle on her lip! Right here!" He's so proud of himself, Izou ready to smack him as he continues "It's my s--one of my favorite places to kiss!"

It takes a moment before she blushes, realizing the obvious implications.

"ah... Why do I get the feeling you were about to say something else? Are u sure your lover would like you talking about that with a stranger?" She's flustered horribly as Izou smacks him.

"Ignore him. He's being an idiot. May we have your name?"

Honestly didn't have an alt name planned, thought it would be funny briefly if it was Nika but idk. Not committed to that but yet.

Anyway! She does remember on her own as she considers how compelled she feels to trust the two and how familiar they are. Comforting, dare she say. And, without remembering she can fly either deliberately does her 'clearing exercise' or is tossed up in a fight.

The clearing exercise is a rather dangerous, borderline suicidal act she does every so often when she feels conflicted or uncertain.

Usually, she'd go to the practice cliffs with updrafts. And then she'd fall down. The idea is that the threat of death would help clear her mind and what really matters to her. Is it really that important if it's not the first thing she thinks of when faced with the threat of death? And then she uses her wings to glide out of danger. She never does this injured, but the awareness that inaction will kill her is part of the process. She tends to overthink so this really streamlines the process in a way that can't be argued with.

She did NOT mention this habit to anyone before so the bois bout shit themselves when it looks like she's free falling to her death. Maybe Marco is there and goes to help only to end up banking with her as she recovers instinctively at the last moment, memories flooding back.

She's a little too good at faking an uncontrolled fall as part of her 'fighting style' to throw people off and it's steadily giving the bois gray hairs. Mostly because she's lost control while flying a lot due to the chaotic up/down drafts on the mountain.

Anyway, thats about all I thought of while spiritually ascending from this plane of existence for this scenario. Who knows if I'll use it or scrap the whole damn thing.

[mamamittens]

I was super wiped today, had a headache, had to take out my ponytail and cosplay a Witch of the Wastes with my bushy ass hair free (coworker legit thought I was a whole different person and I can't blame her. My thick ass hair was actively trying to eat my face), and got minimal work done at home.

As far as the Oh Shit Sale is going, I've got down one sponsorship, I'm tinkering mentally on the second (not confident how I'm going to transition to the next parts ngl), and a pending commission so honestly, not doing too bad. Things are looking up financially outside of the sale so I'm hoping once the slots are filled (or even before!) I can retire it. We'd be pretty clear if we didn't all have debts outside of the house itself but it is what it is I suppose.

Anyway! Sleepy ramble time! Back at it with Nikia and the Bois!

So, yesterday I had some fun thoughts about how things would fall into place and it's into slightly hindered by my relative lack of knowledge for Izou. I do feel my vibe check of "can be in charge, would rather not unless shenanigans" is accurate. He just wants to vibe to his own thing.

And I've considered Thatch pretty well by this point. Strikes me as a bit of a poon hound tbh, which is an interesting thought if I'm going with Thatch/Izou ship. At the very least Thatch is fully capable of being a perv if his idea of a 'perfect devil fruit' is the clear clear fruit for exactly the reason most middle school boys want invisibility... And the current holder for that matter.

Considering who Izou was a retainer for, IE a man who whored around so hard a literal war started apparently, then he likely isn't that upright about strict monogamy. There are definitely boundaries he'll have (if my understanding of harems are clear, he'd likely have a rule about protection/no babies, cause that's main baddy privileges and Izou isn't a side hoe) but I haven't decided how far that goes. At the very least he probably entertains side lovers and Thatch testing the waters for a more included lover.

But between the two of them, Izou is probably the more sensible one. He's the one to draw lines and pull Thatch back into reality when he goes swooning on a tangent. That's not to say he's immune to flights of fancy or bad decisions, he's just less likely have issues like Thatch does.

So he's not surprised when Thatch sees a pretty woman for all of five seconds and starts to pursue her. He IS entertained by how basically feral she is, only barely holding onto her hosting duties while Thatch flits about. Only to wind up in nearly the same position as she accommodates him awkwardly but sincerely.

She's not good with people, borderline burnt out from Thatch being ridiculous, and would clearly rather curl up and sleep for a week. But she still goes out of her way to ensure Izou is comfortable and gives them privacy with plenty of warning about free time. Casually mentioning where the laundry room is so they can clean up after themselves.

Okay, so he thinks it's fucking hilarious Thatch's would-be-lover is doing her best to wingman, but the gestures are still quite sweet for someone Izou just knows wants them gone already. Also a bit of a pushover, so he worries a little about her managing the cabin with so many possible creeps out there. (Izou is far from a hero but what man doesn't like showing how capable he is? Thatch is definitely worse about it though).

Izou falls after countless conversations and many sweet, loving gestures. Thatch is enchanted at first sight and just keeps finding reasons he was right to trust his gut.

Nikia, though not showing it very well, loves having amicable company. Envying their relationship together but ultimately happy they're happy. She realizes she's in love when she notices how happy their calls make her. Proof they still think of her. And then she quietly tucks it away, refusing to ruin their dynamic because she doesn't know what else to do with a crush--having not really bothered with that before. (Her 'ignorance' is only mostly genuine. the rest is a concerted effort to not read into their interactions with her, even though Thatch is barely a step away from serenading her if it means getting his point across. Thankfully he's stabbed before that happens or she would have died from embarrassment).

[mamamittens]

Well, another night where I'm trying to go to sleep but sleep won't come to me, the cheeky bastard.

So why not ramble about Nikia and the maybe Izou/Thatch ship?

So, if I recall correctly, I had sorta planned on some drama with Thatch hiding part of his relationship cause he was trying to soft launch the idea to Nikia but didn't want to spook her away since she clearly did not do people. You know, with the whole, living on a mountain in near total isolation thing?

And I still like the easy drama but if I'm serious about it, I can't see it lasting the entire first week. Not totally at least. Izou would definitely give Thatch a day or so to make an ass of himself before popping up. And as ill inclined to socialize as she is, Nikia isn't stupid and knows gay people exist. She's just got enough tact to not outright ask once she sees them interacting.

She likely gets a few brownie points from Izou when he notices she's trying to give them couple space and time without making it awkward. Does bully Thatch about chasing her out of her own home though. He's a very physically expressive man and it's almost impressive she doesn't pick up on his intentions. Izou takes longer to really get behind the idea of her as a partner but I'm pretty damn sure they'd both be weak to someone who likes taking care of them a little.

Whether it's in fights or little things like fresh sheets while they're out. It really gets to them when someone takes the time to do something nice for them. They also like someone fretting over them when they stay out too late and come back covered in snow. Swiftly bundled up in front of the fire with a hot drink fixed up.

(Thatch giving Izou a sly look cause he knows damn well Izou is loving the shit out of this)

Also the hugs. Half the reason Nikia has big, fuck off wings is cause hugs would be so damn comfy. It'd be criminal to not consider it a positive.

Maybe there's a super dense snowstorm at one point that forces them to sleep in the main room, the upper level 'sealed' off to retain heat without wasting firewood and they cuddle lol. It takes a bit of work cause Nikia curls up in a ball, used to sleeping alone, and they have zero issue with physical space. But the end result is super cozy and cute. Thatch is teary eyed in the morning cause he doesn't want to get up, half buried in feathers, hands curled around Izou's waist and Nikia's hip. She's just sandwiched in there and buried her face in his chest, Izou right behind her.

If they sleep for another few hours, no one's the wiser lol, but Thatch absolutely uses the incident as propaganda for why they should totally go for it.

Chickens out when Izou calls him on it though lol

[mamamittens]

I finally took a break from Arceus Legends and drew at least a potential idea for Nikia in Wano (specifically running into trouble with King/Beast Pirates due to questions about her appearance).

Damn. All she wanted to do was go on a little vacay with the Bois to Izou's homeland.

One Piece style to the best of my patience and ability, sort of showing how dark her wings have gotten over the years as I'd spit balled previously.

I figured a fire theme would work but I'm not super familiar with kimono patterns. The gold patterned fabric is Thatch's fancy foulard and she is wearing a match to Izou's hairpiece.

[mamamittens]

I was thinking again for the seemingly-hopefully-not-too-distant time I clear out a least a few of my ongoing fics enough to justify officially writing my self indulgent shelf shippy fic with like, a real character arc for Nikia.

So like, scroll on to ignore my should-be-sleeping rambling lol

I was tinkering with how encompassing Nikia's haki would be. Taking my own liberties with how it works since most of it is handwaved. Off topic, I would like it to be visible, at least for strong showing of it cause I feel like Anime Bullshit gets harder to swallow when the crazy effects are meant to be invisible and more... Metaphorical. Like Demon Slayer. They gotta look batshit if they're not actually flinging fire and elemental attacks all over the place.

So, obviously, her best haki would be observation as a more... Passive, ability. Intended more like a sixth sense for her surroundings and unique ability to find things/people with ease and without a lot of training. Over time she's able to make mental maps and locate people along with their general vibe/mood. It gets to the point that she sort of knows when things are going to happen. Rarely taken by surprise by a phonecall or visitor.

This leads up to a day where she's plagued by this dreadful feeling with no source. Feeling like she needs to call Thatch but not knowing why and too scared to bother him for nothing. Until she wakes up that night in cold sweat, staring at Sheldon (her snail lol) like she's expecting a call but... Knowing she won't be getting one. Her paranoia growing with every day until she gets the news of his 'death'.

Her other skill with observation is cloaking her presence. She's always just really blended into a crowd despite her wings and when flying? Damn near impossible to spot her. Even without her gun flinging her wildly around.

Armament is a skill she learns through being battered by the rough winds. Clouds fucking hurt to fly through, even with proper coverage. And blizzards are a bitch and a half. So even without any serious combat experience like most Marines/pirates, she's got pretty good armament. Particularly on her wings, which helps buffer them from sudden wind changes and weather phenomenon like hail (ouch). I like her 'color' being teal highlights on the usual black. Seems fitting. She also shoots with armament to help stabilize shots over long distances and to save her seastone bullets for real emergencies. They are expensive after all. And armament works just as well for weaker prey.

I was also revisiting what kind of character arc she'd have, going from shy and reserved to competent mountain ranger but aloof. Originally I wanted the grand reunion to be a quiet, intimate affair because I'm not a fan of big, showy, 'weep and wail in front of everyone for a solid five minutes' kind of thing. Just seems awkward. But it would be a lovely emotional climax for someone that's spent so long compartmentalizing their feelings to keep things from getting awkward or inconvenient to just fall apart like that. Maybe not wailing, but running across the deck without realizing she's even moved, hasn't breathed since she spotted him.

Thatch, utterly shocked at this warm reception, being enveloped by familiar fluffy wings as she embraces him. Crying and struggling to cling without squeezing his bandaged chest. For a moment, it's just them. As she's crying and he's apologizing for not calling. The crew shocked as Whitebeard looks proud to have pulled this together so well. It takes a bit to pull herself together, even longer to stop burying her face in his chest, but eventually she calms down enough to pull away. Sheepish but exhausted from crying and the past few months.

There's a party, naturally, with Thatch forbidden from doing anything strenuous or drinking more than a couple of mugs of beer. Resting next to Whitebeard who's on a similar bed rest. The two curled up in each other's arms as they eventually drift to sleep. Whitebeard dozing off next to them protectively. Glaring when someone goes to wake them. Or when Nikia's dad looks too pouty and like he's about to make her go to bed (Thatch can sleep on deck for making his baby cry, thanks).

It's all very soft and sweet in my head, but that may just be because I'm tired and I always fantasize about cuddling and sleeping when I'm tired lol

[mamamittens]

Well, I belatedly realized I had the wrong screen tone, but as a first go of a whole ass page, it's not bad I don't think!

Also a good go at the odd, "glasses eyes" for a low-key jokey joke.

[mamamittens]

Had the funny thought about how Nikia being dumped into a pre established Thatch/Izou dynamic would accidentally reintroduce bad habits from both of them they claimed to have outgrown in the early stages of their relationship.

Like, I imagine Thatch isn't afraid to throw down and was %1000 ready to do that for his bae at the slightest hint of offense. Like, it was a fucking PROBLEM how quick he was to sock someone who insulted Izou. It was partly out of a strong desire to defend someone that matters so much (in a new, emotionally vulnerable way) to him and partly because he's a bit of a possessive/protective menace to society.

Most pirates get weird about 'their' shit and people, to be honest. Thatch just happens to be people friendly most of the time.

Izou is, naturally, quite offended at the implication he can't handle himself. It took several incidents and a few arguments to chill Thatch out.

He didn't change his stance on the topic. He just learned it was less trouble to let Izou shoot their kneecaps himself instead of leaping to his defense at every opportunity.

For Izou, he used to be a massive shit and bait the fuck out of people who showed interest. Mostly in himself but also Thatch. The amount of pirates he got good by letting them spend several minutes talking about how 'beautiful of a lady' he is before ripping them to shreds in a deep, rolling voice. Really weaponized his appearance to nip any perceived threats at the bud. So in essence, he was hardly an better than Thatch.

Thatch had to intervene and get him to lay off because it started getting out of hand in how quickly Izou did it to ANYONE that approached either of them. And not even for flirting reasons. It became a knee jerk reaction. Izou reluctantly agreed and started saving it for the real creeps that needed to be taken down several pegs.

So when Nikia pops up, shy and avoiding confrontation as she is, they both backslide into old habits hard. Not for each other, because they'd already communicated how much they hated it for their own reasons. But specifically when Nikia is involved.

Izou starts to get riled up cause of all the fights Thatch gets into and tries to talk to Nikia about it. Getting her up to speed with the trouble they both got into the last time these bad habits kicked up.

Only to see, much to his horror (and intrigue) that she didn't... Terribly mind. Like, she didn't like confrontation but she'd be lying badly if she claimed it wasn't... Very flattering how they both got over her interacting with strangers.

Like... Really flattering.

She's embarrassed about it though and it takes a bit of prodding to have a proper conversation.

After a long, honest talk, they agree to some boundaries because it really did get out of control last time. Thatch is thrilled to be allowed to show off his skills (even if it's a bit caveman like at times) and Izou can indulge his sadistic tendencies with barbs and flustering Nikia to scare off people bothering them.

The boys assume Nikia doesn't have a particularly possessive, protective, or sadistic streak.

Wrongly.

It's just an on/off switch because she doesn't entertain games with her feelings. If someone insults them and think they can get away with it, the won't.

And unlike the boys, her range is very, very impressive. And she has one rule.

One shot. One kill.

It's a bit more final than theirs, which is why it takes so long for it to show. She doesn't like to lose her temper, preferring to bury it... But if she absolutely can't?

Another crew manages to insult them and get away before they can be caught, jeering into the sunset. And Nikia just quietly goes to her room and comes back not five minutes later equipped for a short flight with her rifle.

"Uh, baby?!? What's that for!? You're not thinking of teaching them a lesson, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Oh, good. They're not worth it, sweetie--"

"You don't learn anything after you're dead. This is an execution."

And then she's gone. Up in the air for barely a minute, thunder snapping through the air as she fires for each person that pissed her off.

Then, like nothing happens, she sits on deck and cleans her newly fired gun before putting it away in her room. Kissing their cheeks as she goes.

"...That was hot, right?"

"Oh, absolutely. I thought she'd be the soft one out of the three of us."

"She still is. She just has a long fuse."

"Really long fuse. Better not light it."

"Pft, no shit!"

[mamamittens]

Had the funny thought about Thatch losing a dare and having to cross dress.

He'd normally go to Izou for obvious reasons, but he's still in hot water from a prank and would rather not get castrated, thanks.

So he pops over to Nikia hoping for some assistance.

"Uh... Sure? Wait, is this a 'funny, hah hah, big man in a lady's dress' kind of dare or a 'you plebs thought my range was limited?' kind of dare?"

He has to pause at that.

"...I prefer the latter." He admitted. If he has to wear a skirt or whatever, he'd like to look good.

"Oh, sweet. Touching the hair or nah?" He instinctively goes to shield his pompadour before wincing.

"I... Guess we can style it differently."

He didn't expect much help, to be honest. She didn't really dress up a lot to start with. But, shockingly, she had a lot of thoughts about styling clothes and makeup. Every step asking if he preferred this or that. To actually look feminine or to just rock feminine clothes.

Was very flattered she didn't believe he needed much makeup, because anytime Izou does this, he insists on a firm foundation. Part of that upbringing and style in Wano. But no, Nikia knew and preferred a more natural approach.

Well, for a simple man, at least. He sat through the whole thing and still wasn't sure she actually put makeup on him, it barely registered to his eyes. Though he looked a bit younger. Not soft, but certainly enchanting. A little eye shadow and liner for his eyes ("You have pretty lashes, so we don't need to do much to them really") and little contour for his face ("You've got a strong jaw already, this is just making it pop a bit") and softening up his wrinkles ("Seriously, stop scowling whenever you scowl so damn much. It's literally all on your forehead and it's weird").

A nice flowy skirt to his knees with a wide belt for his small waist. A pretty blouse emphasizing his shoulders without clinging to his ("Super well defined and sexy muscles, don't you think, Nikia?" "...Thatch? Are you fishing for compliments after I spent an hour doing your makeup?" "...no."). Hair gently tousled in a wave over one shoulder in a loose braid. If it wasn't for the facial hair, Thatch would think his reflection was a lovely, if a bit masculine and flat chested, woman.

"And kitten heels for those dainty, princess ankles." She handed him, ignoring his sputtering denial. "Don't forget to wash your face tonight before bed or you'll ruin your pillow. Also, maybe moisturize sometime. I know it's manly to be rugged or whatever, but dehydration isn't a stylistic choice. It's an unfortunate dietary concern."

"Is that why your so soft?" She stared at him dryly.

"Yes. Or my skin cracks. Specifically my hands. Moisturizing my face keeps me from looking demonic when I don't sleep enough. It's a favor for everyone."

Very helpful. A little too helpful, judging by the way someone grabbed his ass before they saw his face.

The look they made when he scowled at them over his shoulder, though, was priceless.

He won that bet though, and now a few brothers had new blackmail hanging over their heads from before they realized who the pretty woman was.

[mamamittens]

Hilarious thought (building off of prior post that, tldr, basically wonders if Thatch has Healthy but White As Shit cooking out of necessity of being at sea with fucked trade routes in the grand line) that Nikia's home islands has like, a thriving fucking agriculture scene so she grew up with damn near every spice, herb, and additive under the sun being an hour old by the time it hit the stalls at most.

So when Thatch cooks at her cabin, he has no idea about her spice cabinet until she manages to bully him out of the kitchen and fucking cries at how overwhelmed he is by the seasonings. Shit he could barely get ahold of a few times a year in small quantities, the works. He thinks she went all out for him but she gives him a look like he's weird.

He's not trying to be an ass, he just assumed a winter island wouldn't have most of the basic shit either and never noticed.

"This is my mom's pot roast recipe... Did you ignore my spice cabinet on purpose or...?"

Utterly horrified he totally missed the thriving spice culture because he wanted to forage for fresh ingredients on Winter Isle. Which would not have spice growing naturally outside of the frost berries.

So she pulls out her recipe books and he finds so many innovative uses for stuff he had to carefully ration if he got ahold of it at sea.

Begs his captain to put the islands under his protection for that alone--but does totally want to impress the suddenly much more intimidating mountain recluse with more complex taste than previously expected.

She's accidentally bougie and his attempts to impress get harder as he realizes her particular tastes doesn't totally capitalize on the local cuisine but certainly aren't natural for him. IE, no super spicy food, fish, or cooked veggies.

He's thrilled by the challenge but it's still a lot all at once at first lol

[mamamittens]

Okay, it took about... Idk, 6~ hours to do this? Definitely at least six cause I've been coloring and whatnot for about five hours and I know I didn't whip up the sketch in just an hour.

Anyway, here's the spooky weird Nikia for the goofy priestess au I've been bouncing around for a while now. Almost did silver chains cause silver just works better with the cooler color vibe, but considering she didn't pick these, gaudy ass gold is better lol

She looks so ominous but also like she's meant to be a statue. Just looked at, not touched. Which fits.

When she 'trades' the jewelry for freedom, she needs help removing all of it cause it's legitimately tangled into her wings and around her body. Very noisy, heavy jewelry she's glad to get rid of. Though she liked the sound of bells, the intent and amount was excessive for her.

[mamamittens]

For my low-key failwife au verse, here's food for thought.

How often do you think harassment is an issue? Like, 99% of OP men are absolutely unrepentant perverts, yes, even my bby Thatch.

That's right you fuck, I haven't forgotten the invisibility comment. Sicko.

Anyway, specifically on the Moby, I can't imagine it's usually an issue but there are troublemakers. A ship and crew this big, with nurses dressed like that, someone is going to act stupid. And not in a 'the nurses brought this on themselves' way, but like...

I'm still not over the gogo boots and mini skirts. On a SHIP. AS NURSES. YOUR FEET MUST BE HORRIFICALLY MANGLED MA'AM, SOMEONE GET HER COMFY SLIPPERS STAT!

The animal print was also unnecessary. Who decided this??? I'm sure they could change if they wanted but like, I just want to talk... that this is the standard to begin with???

PERVERTS

Got side tracked.

So, eventually the accidental bitch face would fail to ward off particularly bold weirdos. Ones that notice how conflict avoidant she is and tries to make a move, likely unaware there are already interested parties they'd have to answer to.

I had fun imagining a bold attempt is made to grab her ass but winds up with a fist full of very sensitive flight feathers that happen to cover her up. And for his troubles he gets a startled yelp and her wings poofing, flaring out sharply and slamming him into a wall.

With a fist full of feathers, so now her wings are bleeding, she's crying cause he basically just ripped a chunk of hair out, and the dumbasses that were encouraging him are aware of how fucked they are.

Now, I did consider what division she'd be in and decided it would likely be Haruta simply because I headcanon him as primarily information/communication based. They've got contacts everywhere. Izou's is more for like, infiltration honestly. Maybe. Still not sure. And this is because she helps run the library so it made the most sense. (Thatch pouted for a week)

Anyway, point is, Haruta has dibs and is pretty pissed off. As well as aware that if Thatch and Izou find his punishment lacking, they'll step in, so to keep some peace he'll have to make it pretty damn good. He's also pissed cause no one fucks with Marco's division members cause they know better and views this as also a slight to himself.

Nikia's just upset cause flying is ruined for a while and her whole body aches from oversensitivity. It's so close to her spine she limps around and just wants to curl into a ball and cry for a little. Even after treatment she's super sore and there's not much to be done but wait.

This is when Thatch learns how sensitive the feathers closer to her back are and is retroactively horrified he basically succeeded where this dude failed by accident.

She flinches anytime someone gets near her wings for a while and it pisses off Izou a lot cause he really likes bonding by helping her preen but she just can't stand anyone touching them right now. Eventually she heals enough that her regular molt regrows the feathers and sheepishly asks Izou for help since she can't reach the new pin feathers to free them from the sheathes.

He manages to pull in Thatch and very carefully coaches him on how to properly, platonically, preen her big ass wings without making it weird. Which Izou is quite good at naturally.

Maybe it's on deck in Whitebeard's shadow, the old man pleased the hurt has been soothed enough for her to feel safe doing so more or less in the open. But he does glare when anyone gets too close with twitchy hands.

Marco gets a pass in his Phoenix form and abuses this to rile up Thatch and Izou.

I imagine they both can have bouts of possessiveness and jealousy but Izou stews in it more compared to Thatch who will loudly complain first before acting. They're both fairly secure in their relationships so it's not usually a problem (maybe used as fuel for spicy bedroom time lol) but in this uncertain phase with Nikia they're more sensitive than usual. They do try not to be pricks but very much carry an energy of "we called dibs first".

Doesn't help she's fairly passive in interactions so it's harder to get a read on her interest in people as well as communicating rejection. They'll gladly do it themselves but (rightly) fear pissing her off as it comes across as patronizing.

And excessive coming from two commanders. Possibly more depending on how severe and who happens to be there.

No one wants these two to start a brawl and Nikia has no idea how ready they are to deck someone if they try that shit again.