mamamittens

[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.

#mittens update #mittens rambles #one piece op oc #nikia op oc

[mamamittens]

Well, I got halfway through a comm, so there's that. Then I realized it was Whoops All Set Up and I hadn't considered how to write the interactions to lead up to that smut so I took a step back to think it over.

I was asked for fluffy romcom and I'll be damned if I don't deliver it!

But that's a later problem, here's me rambling about ideas for an alternative shine riolu design for Platinum, Fin's service pokemon.

So, I decided against keeping canon colors and mostly the same design cause damnit, I still don't like the yellow.

I'm sure game freak had lovely reasons for the yellow but I hate it.

Away it goes!

And anyway, while I was at it, I figured I'd further tweak the design to highlight how Platinum was specifically picked for Finley. Perhaps as a favor from someone who was really moved by her tragic backstory.

Silver, her original Abra, looked pretty normal aside from a spiky ring on his tail. But that's more because it was pretty early in the days of Designer Breeding more geared towards unique iterations of pokemon. Particularly driven by the growing market for coordinators trying to get a leg up. And as a standard ish support pokemon he didn't need to look outstanding, just more identifiable if something happened.

So I decided towards a slightly artistic inspiration.

A mostly silver/gray coat explains the name easily enough. And I do like the original color pallette so I kept the blue/black. They also look unexpectedly tall and that's partly because I suck at the proportions but idk, maybe Platinum is just unusually tall as well lol

The flourishes make Plat look more rugged and (according to my roommate) dirty lol. But it's meant to be like paint brushes and paint splatter. Had no interest in a rainbow baby or anything too crazy.

The goofy leg/pant bulge looks more like a deliberate attempt to imply shorts, which I appreciate more than trying to figure out wtf canon is doing with that drumstick butt (or frankly dick shaped torso, it's so damn close to being a dick, I can't unseen it and I'm sorry you won't be able to either).

This is without any support pokemon gear. A vest is the obvious choice but when he evolves it'll have to be adjusted cause of the chest spike Lucario has. Maybe I'll just stick to a bandana? Or a belt?

...ah, I forgot to try the button... Well, whatever. I like it as is regardless. It's a little fancy but not too busy? If anything I might get rid of the 'holes' in the dark sections so it's just paint splatter inspired.

Be easier to draw at least lol

Idk if I mentioned earlier but Fin's official job is illustration/painting. Mostly for books and other projects she can consult for and do at home rather than travel. Very much a home body until the start of the fic when she decides she's well enough to handle it. Likes watercolor specifically for painting personal projects such as her old team's books or for friends (when she finally has them). But does oils, acrylics, murals, and mixed mediums as well.

Perhaps Platinum was a 'thank you' gift for a personal mural from a breeder who put Platinum through official support pokemon courses.

Despite being a support pokemon, Platinum is just as happy in a battle as any other riolu. His first duty is just to Fin though. So he would be more likely than most to forfeit a match if his trainer showed too much distress or lash out unexpectedly in times of peril.

This both pairs well with the rest of her destined team and against one specifically who would rather be doing that themselves. But for now I'll leave it at that lol.

Platinum will be her only special/shiny Pokemon. Unlike Edna, she doesn't have any connections or unexpected 'gifts' netting her rare pokemon.

#mittens muses #mittens update #custom pokemon design #ill die a hater for shiny riolu/lucario #maybe its meant to be gold but pokemon doesnt do enough color work to make it clear visually #so instead theyre just little lemonaid doggos #better than that weird green shade they keep going back to tho #ill give them that ig

[mamamittens]

Things that I gotta do this weekend or at least in the very near future after my brother's visit is over.

Comm for Mitty

Comm for Ceb

Art piece for zine

Redesign Platinum, I wanna have fun with his form instead of sticking so close to canon shiny riolu

Probably rewrite New Tracks, still fiddling with background

Beat sword and then violet

#mittens update #to do list #my brothers visits are always very interesting #hes a wildcard lol

[mamamittens]

I did my Level Best to empty out all new blorbo thoughts to properly attend to my two commissions so we'll see how that goes tomorrow after work I suppose.

A sneaky peak at my hard work designing yet another precious pokemon OC with a backstory too damn sad for me to function nearly two days cause my weakness can be boiled down to "Old Yeller Adjacent"

The design for Finley Novak, 19~ retired champion of Kanto with the second shortest run behind (I believe) Gary who managed to beat the previous champion just before you and gloated for all of five minutes... I think it was Gary at least. I don't have clear memories of whoever Red's rival was.

They actually inspired Red's rise to fame despite the tragedy, though he didn't need a psychic pokemon to battle.

Their title is "The Lone Champion" due to the accidental explosion (Team Rocket attack that got out of hand) of the Indigo League just before they were officiated after beating the previous champion that resulted in the death of her entire team. They moved from Kanto to Unova when they turned 18, desperate to escape the dark shadow of their fame.

Ironically, if it wasn't for this incident, they would have been "The Silent Champion" due to their selective mutism. They directed their team in battle through Silver, their Abra and starter.

Following years of therapy, a series of successful children's books that started as a therapy project, and managing to take on another support pokemon (Platinum 'Plat' the shiny riolu), they wish to take steps to get back into battling via the Battle Subway.

They tends to squat in battle as their nerves make them unsteady and it provides a unique view of the field. They only stand when they're confident there's nothing else they need to see. They also constantly cover their eyes, finding eye contact intimidating. Sign language is unreliable since their hands shake easily so they often have to pause and start over slowly to enunciate their signs.

Fin speaks softly to her Pokemon whenever possible to make sure her voice still works but as of yet, cannot manage to speak to other people, even her therapist.

Still not sure if she does the plot of black/white or is just present while it happens. We'll see how fun and fancy free I feel about it later but I'm definitely interested in her going through Arceus Legends with the baneful fox mask.

#mittens updates #mittens rambles #pokemon oc #no romance only friendship and sadness

[mamamittens]

Not sure what happened over the years for "automatically my favorite little guy" to include anyone

Who looks like they need a hug

Looks like they need a nap

Secret badass with lazy front so real they barely remember to be a badass

Two people who mirror aesthetics or are twins in some way

Doomed by the narrative but if only there was a step slightly to the left they'd have made it to a happy ending

Any combination of the above

But it's a little bit of a gamble finding fanart and fanfics with them. Specifically if it's the twin thing cause I'm currently on a Pokemon bend so naturally "I don't care if Game Freak stands on top of HQ and screams they're not autistic, the train Bois are absolutely autistic" are my current favorite blorbos. And man is it a toss up if fanart or fanfics are going to just be straight up incest. Like, so bad AO3 fics habitually tag #not incest and any variation thereof. Which I appreciate but it makes me nervous to write for them ngl

I guess this is just a consistent problem for twins in fandom... Siblings get along too well and before you know it, there's an entire mountain of art of them kissing. Should have had a scene where they try and strangle each other over petty bullshit, give that Cain Instinct a workout.

It would have probably backfired though, not even going to lie. God knows two characters actively trying to kill each other is basically just fandom-aphrodisiac at this point.

#pokemon ingo #pokemon emmet #oof ive been here long enough to not yell at clouds #but its still jarring lmao #i love my brother a lot but I'd still murder him for cold fries

[mamamittens]

Can you please do a Platonic Yandere Whitebeard Pirates and U.A pirates (they're Yandere for the U.A pirates) a group of twenty kids, who are notorious for making, but good kids, who protect and save those from the navy Injustice

The Whitebeard pirates grow fond and attached to the U.A pirates, because of how good they are despite being pirates, so how would they react when the U.A pirates are being targeted by the league of villains, and always having injuries, bandages, and scars on their bodies please it's your choice

The phrasing of this ask is sending me cause it's sort of written like I wouldn't know what My Hero Academia is but also like I do.

Also, like Whitebeard's crew has something against any other pirate crew just cause they're pirates. He notoriously likes uppity brats with daddy issues and a thing for violence. And Class A (plus everyone's favorite sleepy purple boi if my memory is right) covers that collectively. Where their teachers are, idk. It kinda sounds like it's just the kids and honestly, that's a recipe for disaster for everyone else. Aizawa works so hard to contain his gremlins and now this? smh

I'm also a little confused from a world building perspective cause ain't no way in hell the league of villians would mesh well with marines or the WG. Which leaves rival pirates but if they're both just pirates, what's the beef? What's the persistent beef at that? They don't beef with Class A just cause it's on sight??? It's like, a whole 'we live in a society' thing.

I doubt LoV would be siding with the marines when they're being assholes, though they may not directly go against them unless it benifits them I suppose... that does leave the question as to why they're riding UA's ass this hard that they're constantly fucked up?

Seems kinda mean, which is weird to say. Doubt WBP would agree with it if they ran into it so they'd definitely intervene since they're already yandere. Probably keep em close and train em up before setting them lose IG?

Not sure what kinda answer you're expecting from this honestly. May as well have asked "Hey, if I smack this hornets nest with a stick and they've been imagining me twitching, foaming at the mouth at the precipice of death, what would happen?"

Probably that. The obvious thing you clearly expect.

#mittens answers #platonic yandere #bnha #who set these kids loose?!? #did worlds collide or reincarnation worked a little wonky #you'd think lov would have bigger fish to fry and without class a in the way #like they'd seriously defend celestial dragons #several are just vibrating to commit warcrimes as is #peace was never an option

[mamamittens]

A Lone Melody (Pt. 10)

Main

This chapter was sponsored by @yanderefangirl as part of the "Oh Shit Sale", thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Warnings: Implied but not seen violence against a child. Health/dental issues. Racism.

Word Count: 2,109

Melody had been crying a lot lately.

To be fair to the young girl, she had a lot of reasons to cry.

Her dah, silly, aggressive fishman that endlessly teased her only to toss her high above his head with a toothy grin, had left.

Uncle Fishy, the sad man who held her so tenderly despite the hurt in his eyes, had died.

Her face hurt from the way her teeth had broken on her pah’s necklace one night. The jagged shards cutting her skin more than her small fangs ever could before. Venom seeping into the wounds providing no relief but heat. The thick liquid thinning out in her mouth as it wept endlessly from her teeth. She kept swallowing it so she wouldn’t just be drooling onto the table but it made her feel worse. Too full to eat or drink anything considerable even if it smelled really good.

Melody felt bad too. On the inside. Where her heart softly stuttered when she sobbed, not just her stomach that wanted something filling besides her own tainted spit.

She knew everyone was worried about her. Pah. Auntie Shar. All the nice ladies at the café. Even the two weird pirates that sat across from her.

But Melody just couldn’t stop crying.

The least she could do, was try and cry quietly. Maybe if she did, it would stop hurting.

Maybe her teeth would get better.

Maybe she wouldn’t swallow so much of her own venom anymore.

Maybe dah would come back…

And then she could eat with Tha-ch and Mar-co with a smile so even they wouldn’t look so worried for her.

Everyone would be happier if she stopped crying…

But Melody just couldn’t stop.

She gave them a hug after wiping off her face—something that they seemed to appreciate given how wet her napkin was.

They smelled… different. Familiar. Like sea salt and sun. The burn of booze and aftershave. Different but familiar. Their skin soft despite the rugged nature of piracy as she rubbed her face on their throat, teeth painfully clenched shut despite the instinctive desire to bite. To see what it felt like to cut into something warm.

Dah taught her better, even if he didn’t like humans compared to fishmen. Though he did emphasize exceptions to the rule.

But Tha-ch and Mar-co weren’t exceptions.

They were friends.

Friends that pah seemed wary of when she told him. Auntie Shar whispering something in his ear too low for Melody to hear. He seemed to relax, swiping his gentle thumb under her eyes.

“I think I may have found a dentist for you, pup. We’ll go to the office tomorrow and see if he’s willing to try and help.” Pah rumbled softly, smiling as she buried her nose into his chest, rubbing her face against his skin.

The promise of relief brought with it a swift collapse into sleep.

Melody will remember this day, though hazy with pain and emotions.

The kindness of her family as they sought to comfort her until a solution could be found.

And the two strange humans that eagerly distracted her and shared a meal despite her state.

The next day, however, Melody would remember far more.

--*--

Hody Jones slinked through an alleyway, nose wrinkled at the foul stench of refuse and humans. Those damn pirates had managed to worm their way into the good graces of his king and saw fit to stick around. Polluting the very air he breathed like they had a right. It sickened him, honestly.

The way they all happily traipsed down the streets, gawking at the land and people.

Obviously, Fishman Island was a beautiful place outside of the slums. The mermaids an obvious attraction to outsiders. But that didn’t mean Hody wanted to see them drool over his people. Even the frail mermaids deserved more respect than that. Though, they at least kept their hands to themselves, unlike many other groups of humans that managed to get in.

That was about the only thing they had going for them though.

Hody wished, not for the first time, that he had the strength to beat them all away. Show them how little they were worth compared to him. But this wasn’t just any group of pirates. These were the Whitebeard Pirates. They swarmed like cockroaches under the banner of Edward Newgate. And as pissed as Hody was, even he knew his limits.

But the sound of soft sniffles over scraping refuse under his feet challenged that notion swiftly.

Enraged, Hody quickly rounded the corner and found the mutt sitting on a bench outside a dentist’s office. It was almost dizzying how rapidly his emotions swirled with the realization.

The tiny half-breed was curled in on itself. Trying to appear smaller, perhaps. Why they were there… well, Hody could guess, but not why they were alone. He’d never seem it alone before. Always being carried and doted on. Spoiled. Hody felt his lips curl into a sneer.

Well… if he can’t do anything about the worthless humans, the least he could do was solve everyone’s problem with the mutt’s teeth.

Sneer twisting into a more approachable look, Hody stepped forward and called out.

“Hey there.” It turned to look at him, bright red eyes locking with his.

…she looked so young.

His hand itched to get it over with already.

--*--

Edward huffed, a smile hidden under his moustache as his sons argued behind him. Thatch whining about his innocence as Marco mercilessly teased him for flirting with a married mermaid.

“I was just speaking facts! She is beautiful! I didn’t know it was a crime to state the obvious!” Thatch complained, to which Marco scoffed.

“Maybe not, but leaning into her space and putting your hand on her tail was probably what offended her husband more than anything else.”

“I didn’t see her tail! I SWEAR!” Thatch screeched, “I meant to rest my hand on the table—how was I supposed to know she was resting her fin there?!”

“By looking?” Marco responded dryly.

Thankfully, Edward was there to scold his son enough to get the incident blown off with no issue, though the mermaid in question seemed deeply amused.

As a favor to his silly boy, Edward was taking the long way to the ship. Allowing the two to tease each other without dragging the rest of the ship into it. The slums weren’t exactly welcoming, but between his size and reputation—as well as the show his sons were putting on without realizing—no one argued about their presence. His boots clicked against the dirty street with a familiar cadence. Slow, steady gait eating the distance just enough to let his sons keep up in their distraction.

The sound of the slums background noise in his ears. An unfortunately familiar one even after all this time.

Hushed arguments. Small, contained violence as street kids shoved each other, daring one to try and pickpocket ‘fresh meat’. Store keeps selling wares at ridiculous prices to whoever was dumb enough to wander so far from the marketplace. It all blended in behind his son’s argument.

Until a sharp sound cut through it all just as they rounded a corner.

A heavy, meaty slap.

And then a high, young wail.

Edward’s eyes snapped to the scene, his sons falling silent instantly.

A tall fishman towered over a toddler. Hand raised over his opposite shoulder. The baby collapsed on the sidewalk, small hand to their face. His eyes narrowed as his strides quickly ate the distance. Curly black hair like his son, Teach, contained under a small white cap. But the resemblance did little to soothe the instant anger Edward felt. His hand curling in the back of the man’s shirt and tossing him into the wall.

“Oh, shit, that’s Melody!” Thatch gasped, scrambling past Edward and falling to his knees to fret over the child. Edward felt pride in how quickly his son acted as he pinned down the offender with his boot. The fishman glaring at him with a sneer as the child cried great, heaving sobs. “H-Hey, baby, it’s alright. The mean, mean man can’t hurt you. Pops got him—lemme see the—oh he got you good, huh?” Thatch cooed in his softest voice.

Marco quickly joined Thatch as the two helped the child up and inspected the damage. Edward was a little surprised Marco hadn’t already tried healing the obvious bruise but trusted his son had good reason.

The door to what appeared to be a doctor’s office slammed open. A man Edward recognized as Jinbe looking around wildly with a fury he felt sharp kinship with.

Clearly, this was ‘Melody’s’ father.

Jinbe seemed to pause at the curious sight before him, glancing between his crying child, Edward’s fussing sons, and himself. Boot digging into the fishman snarling up at him.

“What is going on here?” Jinbe growled with an impressive depth. The fishman under his boot seeming to pale despite his already white skin, expression faltering.

“W-Was just trying to help the mutt!” He defended with a gasp as Edward pressed his boot down a little harder in fury. “C-Clearly someone needed to knock those teeth loose!”

Jinbe sucked in a sharp breath and spun on his heel, gently pushing aside Edward’s sons to scoop up his child, taking in the damage.

Even before the child was in Jinbe’s arms, they were small. Pale gray skin with dark fingers. White hair tipped black and red with the biggest, watery ruby eyes Edward had ever seen. A large mark on her cheek cradled by small hands rapidly growing a dark purple. Blood and some sort of bright blue liquid seeping from her lips as she whimpered. Edward’s heart went out to the poor child.

“Melody, pup, let me see.” Jinbe held his daughter close and gently opened her mouth, eyes narrowed at the jagged, bloody mess of her teeth. The man inhaled sharply with a hiss. “I do not care what your excuse is—you. Struck. My. Daughter?”

Marco, ever brave, stood up and cleared his throat. Jinbe’s eyes were sharp as he looked at Edward’s son. Not faltering in the slightest, Marco gave a thin smile.

“I’m a doctor with the phoenix fruit. If you want, I can see what I can do while you handle… that.” Marco offered, Thatch instantly standing at his side.

“I’ll hold her hand if it helps! Marco’s the best doctor.” Thatch grimaced. “We heard you were… having trouble finding someone to treat her already.”

Jinbe seemed to struggle, body tense as he looked at his crying child and the three humans. Edward felt regret settle in his chest at the obvious distrust.

Still, he understood. Even under better circumstances, Jinbe had little reason to trust human pirates.

“P-Pah-pah?” A soft, hoarse voice whimpered. “H-Hurts, pah…” she spoke with difficulty through tears and her swelling mouth. Broken teeth likely not helping matters any.

Jinbe melted, pressing a kiss to his daughter’s hair.

“Doctor…Marco?” Jinbe partially cooed at his child, glancing at Marco in question. “—He wants to help. Can you be brave for me, pup?”

Melody sniffled but nodded, burying her face into Jinbe’s yukata before turning and reaching out to Marco.

A little surprise, Marco reached out hesitantly, looking to Jinbe for permission.

It was given reverently. Exactly how Edward would if he had to hand one of his children to someone else to take care of them as he could not. Heartbreaking reluctance and resolve to have the best hands sooth his child’s need. And Marco nodded, lifting the toddler to his chest before looking to the office.

“Think they’ll let me use their space?” Marco mused mostly to himself and Thatch.

Jinbe snarled.

“They better.” Jinbe glared pointedly at the window where a fishman in a doctor’s coat flinched away. The door opening seconds later.

“O-Of course! C-Come in—oh, you poor thing I-I—come in, please.” The fishman doctor wilting at the sight of the bruised child still clutching the side of her face.

Marco and Thatch went in.

“…thank you, Captain Whitebeard.” Jinbe huffed, tears in his eyes as he reluctantly looked away from the now closed office door.

“Just Whitebeard will do… father to father.” Edward acquiesced, lifting his boot as Jinbe stalked forward towards the now thoroughly frightened fishman.

Jinbe took in a sharp, steadying breath and bared his teeth at the man who struck his child.

Edward gladly took a step back and smiled.

He couldn’t wait to call this fine young man his son… and gain a granddaughter in the same breath.

#one piece #one piece yandere #a lone melody #platonic yandere #one piece oc

[mamamittens]

Current list 4/7/24

Writing commisions

Taken (pending)

Taken (pending)

Open

Open

Open

Story sponsorships

Taken (complete, A Lone Melody)

Taken (pending, A Lone Melody)

Cancelled*

Cancelled*

Cancelled*

*While a decent idea to start with, I realize now that my plate is too full for the teeth pull that updating fics I already struggle to update is. The added guilt as money/need failed to clear the way to additional chapters just makes me feel more shitty than I already do. I apologize for anyone that had not taken up the offer and was waiting until they could afford to do so.

Good news is that I likely will not continue the sale at all as some things fell through but things are looking up. And my mom is sending me money to pay back (a little of) the untold amount I've sent for what's essentially gambling games for my mom over the years lmao

Not out of the woods yet but the additional money will ensure we can buy groceries and pay some of the smaller bills while hoarding money for the bigger bills.

Thank you to everyone that has participated so far and your patience. I hope to clear the pending sales soon and that you all are happy with the end results.

Oh SHIT Sale

Well!

Uh, good news first! I’m okay, and will likely be okay, things just suddenly got very… unfortunate. In a very rapid amount of time. I'm going to need to step carefully for the foreseeable future or there will be problems.

So, here’s the deal. I need money. And the sooner I get on that, the better I’ll feel in general. I won’t go into detail to keep this as ‘guilt-trippy’ free as possible but, the household income (not from me) just dropped and I’m hopeful that it will recover soon but the job market is… lacking. To be blunt.

Now, I’m not expecting people to just give me money. So, I’m doing a bit of a sale.

Typically, commissions are $1 for 100 SFW words and $2 for 100 NSFW words. (So, $30 for 3K SFW commission and $30 for 1.5K NSFW commission).

For now, that price will be halved.

So, for a limited time, $1 will get you 200 SFW commissioned words and $2 will get you 200. Or just $0.50 for 100 SFW words and a $1 for 100 NSFW words if you prefer to think of it that way.

Can’t think of any prompt for a commission? Why, you can just shove that money into a pending work I already have and just… haven’t updated. Sponsor a chapter, so to speak.

Now, please understand, I would ordinarily never. Do. This.

My fanfiction is, generally, for free because it’s a passion of mine for as long as the passion survives. And considering how personally I take my stories, I would never ordinarily put a paywall in front of chapters or compromise my earnest passion for monetary gain in an already established fanfic. I started these stories because I had a deep desire to tell them. To tell my stories. And you, the general audience, are free to enjoy them for as long as I am capable of writing them and posting them online.

As such, in the case of this option, it won’t be treated the same as a commission. A chapter will have a flat rate. Let’s say… $20 bucks upfront (commissions may still be half upfront and the other half upon completion but I would appreciate it during these trying times if the full amount could be paid all at once). And then I really have to do it damnit, inspiration be damned.

You're basically paying to shove my nose into the story and write damnit.

Nothing quite like brokenness to inspire, I suppose. You can chose the story, naturally, and how many chapters, but that’s it. I can’t in good conscious and without feeling more gross than I already do, compromise more. If I reach the end of the story… we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but I do believe I’ll refund the appropriate amount or you may transfer that to a different story as you please.

I sincerely hope you understand.

This is in NO WAY a reflection of how I WANT to write fanfiction. And it will not persist once the current issue is resolved.

How long is this “Oh shit” sale going?

Well, as long as it has to, to be honest. If, somehow, all my monetary problems are solved before any of the comms are complete, then that money just goes to my credit card bill. Something I’ve needed to whittle down for a while but haven’t been able to and definitely adds to the amount the household ultimately needs to keep churning.

For simplicity, I’ll do slots to be filled. That and it’ll keep everything organized. Once the slots are filled, I’ll close the “Oh shit” sale until it’s done so I don't end up with a massive pile of work to stress over.

First come, first serve, and if you just want to send some love my way in the form of money, I have a Ko-fi, which is what I’ll be paid through regardless for simplicities sake.

Keep in mind normal commission rules apply, including concerning NSFW content, commissioner ages, and character ages. And kinks. I WILL refund money if it has been preemptively sent before the details have been ironed out. Please wait until I have confirmed I can do it before sending any money, barring tips, which are greatly appreciated if possible.

Writing commissions:

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Story sponsoring:

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#mittens update #oh shit sale #open commissions #i will also not feel so gross once ive closed the sponsorships so thatll be a relief

[mamamittens]

Well Saturday was a bust. Slept in so damn hard but fuck I needed that. Hopefully tomorrow will be more productive especially since I poured out all my brain goo for the angsty pokemon AU I spontaneously developed. And refined it somewhat since I just Was Not Vibing with the next chapter of what I should actually be writing...

May shut down half of the sale early if it's just going to be this damn hard updating old fics. I'll complete what I've promised but after that... Idk man, I now just feel twice as bad since there's actual money on it. And if the stress I've already got has me this tired, I probably don't need to be adding to it this aggressively.

Anyway, no rambles tonight, just a note that I now need to actually name and design the character for my angsty fic lmao. I'm thinking afab nonbinary in depression era. We'll see when we get there.

#mittens update

[mamamittens]

Napped after I got home from work where I spent at least three hours trying not to cry cause I made another fucking pokemon story and kept making it sadder like a FUCKING MONSTER MY GOD and now I gotta sleep cause imma be writing like mad this weekend.

Got the next sponsored chapter of A lone Melody to write and then two comms, hopefully I'll get them done this weekend but it'll beeeeeeeee interesting cause I've been absolutely exhausted.

One day I'll learn how to realize I'm feeling stressed before the crashing stage.

Ah, for reference this means I have 3 sponsor slots left and three comm slots left in the Oh Shit Sale. I don't wanna overwhelm myself but I kinda forgot to consider that I'm already a tad overwhelmed. We'll make it but it'll be a close scrape.

Ah, right, I don't wanna mix this update with rambling so ig I'll just leave it at this!

I now have two plot bunny stories for Pokemon verse! "You've Got a Delivery!" And "Redemption of the Lone Champion" (title pending for this one but damn is it hurt comfort ngl).

Like, I was legit crying before my nap cause I came up with another detail for it. Glad I managed not to cry at work cause idk how I'd have explained to my coworkers that I just made myself sad with my imaginary OC story...

Little excited to get to write these, actually. Maybe I'll spend a bit of time committing more deets to the fics so I don't forget the good parts I've come up with. Y'all... May not appreciate me much for the second fic though, cause DAMN does it hurt and it's just bullet points right now basically.

#mittens update #yes the lone champion idea is connected to the rambling about nonverbal pokemon battles #imagine social anxiety induced selective mutism combined with ptsd and depression #really earning that emotional support riolu

[mamamittens]

Rambling time!

So like, I am and have always been deeply curious about how folks with issues verbally speaking handle shit in pokemon. Like, selective mutism, straight up being mute, nonverbal, or stutters. Tics perhaps.

Just... Various speech impediments.

I'm partial to imagining selective mutism personally because I really feel the urge to cease speaking in confrontations or in front of crowds. Perhaps a whistle? Or a flute? Something to communicate without words... Or some sort of pokemon able to read minds and communicate telepathically. Maybe.

This clashes somewhat with my personal issue with pokemon seemingly only knowing four moves. Though I'm not sure how firm they are to this rule in the anime, I understand it for games at least. Makes it easier and forces you to strategize. Without memorizing hundreds of move effects.

But you can't tell me your Pikachu forgets how to tackle something just because you taught them volt tackle, iron tail, thunder bolt, and babydoll eyes or whatever. Sure, maybe YOU forget tackling is an option, but there's no way "physically bodyslam them" was forgotten by your Pokemon. And that goes for anything else they learn. I'll believe the 'upgrade' attacks end up being favored over weaker, basic variant before that. Makes more sense at least.

Anyway! This just makes it more difficult to piece together how one would go about fights if they can't or won't speak. Their pokemon can't always be watching them for signs, that's asking to get your shit rocked.

It's an interesting question and I personally just really love the idea of someone nervously, silently doing a fight to the best of their ability. Going back, befriending the opponent (train Bois right now cause I have submas brain rot and I'm not even mad), until one day they stammer their attacks. Growing more confident and exhilarated, pokemon thrilled to hear their commands while they (the opponent/s) are in awe that their friend is so comfortable in such an intense environment that they use their voice.

It's a sweet little sentiment.

Also, little riolu with a service vest as emotional support/pokemon support since somehow this fighting type is able to hear human thoughts or whatever. At least Lucario is? But baby riolu in a little vest riding their trainer's shoulder. Or a the hat one that will hunt you down for feeling things too loud. That'd also be really cute.

Would a service pokemon be allowed to fight in a pokemon battle or are they required to sit out for their actual job outside of self defense?

Interesting world building questions for later I suppose.

#mittens rambles #pokemon thoughts #im sure someone's already considered this but i dont see it often literally anywhere and am BEREFT of it

[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).

#mittens rambles #one piece oc #nikia op oc

[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

#mittens rambles #one piece #one piece oc #nikia op oc

[mamamittens]

Well, we have a game plan but the coming weeks will be quite illuminating about if we'll need to take out loans to consolidate pre existing debt.

The "Oh Shit Sale" is still ongoing btw, which basically means half off commissions and the chance to sponsor a chapter of a fic I haven't updated for $20 bucks (ABSOLUTELY A LAST RESORT FOR ME AND NOT IN ANY WAY GOING TO CONTINUE ONCE I FEEL COMFORTABLE IN MY CURRENT FINANCIAL STRIFE).

I will be very glad to announce the sale has ended but for the moment, it is still very much active.

Anyway, time for something less depressing! Like rambling about my new pokemon OC until I feel able to go to sleep!

So, I have a very definied look for Edna during work hours. Very... Althetic chic? Idk, she's wearing leggings and sleeveless mock turtleneck, it's very much A Look. So I was trying to figure out what her 'comfy' wear would be.

Personality wise it would make sense for her to prefer comfy, soft fabrics. She doesn't like conflict despite being very fit, as her workout routine is stress relief, which is why her normal outfit is so athletically inclined. My roomie suggested sweater dresses? But I'm not committed yet.

Whatever style it is, I want it to be cute and very... Soft? Like, cuddling would be so fucking amazing. Perhaps sweats and thick sweaters. Like a lazy librarian?

And her hair... It's already down for her main look, save random braids from her Pokemon friends. And that much hair would be heavy as shit so idk if she'd pull it up. Doubt she'd bother wearing her Togapi beanie though. Maybe one big braid with little braids throughout since she has time to let them actually do her whole hair. Just a thick, chunky braid lol

I also put some thought into how her job works. I doubt they'd be so slave driving she'd drop off a package and immediately return. She'd likely have a bulk delivery to a region she needs to complete in a certain time frame and as long as she's not late, it's fine. So in her off hours she'd likely be cleaning out whatever housing she owns in the area of her aunt's personal affects, saving them for her folks when it's sentimental or donating. I like to imagine her ordering local, sometimes with her most recent troublesome client as an apology for making her jump through hoops to deliver a package THEY ORDERED.

I imagine all of her aunt's properties are decked out for housing pokemon and eggs. So she's well prepared for the shenanigans her aunt's charm brings.

As for why she doesn't do pokemon breeding, well aside from ruining the egg gag if it's on purpose, she just doesn't have the eye for it. Edna really loves pokemon so she wouldn't have the heart to critically evaluate a Pokemon's worth the way her aunt did. She could absolutely do it if given time, but she'd just end up adopting all the 'failed' attempts, which isn't viable. She also wouldn't be able to stand people that would pay for such services as they'd likely be very dismissive of any perceived lack in a pokemon.

For sleeping arrangements, Yolky has preferential treatment as a rule. And also because they wind up as the smallest in her party, even by Togepi/Togetic/Togekiss standards, being slightly smaller than the smallest known measurement. (I may fudge numbers a bit cause it's infamously unclear how tf these professors are measuring these pokemon, so maybe Yolky's final form is measured by wingspan?) And Baby and Danny sleep nearby depending on where they are. For storms, Danny likes to keep watch with Helper (who never really sleeps to begin with, literally keeping ghostly vigil and watching over any eggs) and Baby likes to sleep on Edna's legs if Danny is present. Particularly once they evolve into an alpha Sylveon (as yet another joke on Yolky's expense, he's so mad about that).

Parcel has insomnia so they often stay up with Helper but do enjoy napping as they travel on trains and such. If they can manage, they like sleeping against Edna's back/hair.

As part of the universal weirdness concerning people casually carrying around incredibly heavy pokemon, there are many times where Edna doesn't even notice one of her Pokemon are asleep in her hair, using braids as footholds or securing points. Usually Yolky, especially once Danny starts braiding her hair with his poison spit to prevent frizz. Accidentally boosts all of their poison resistance with this stunt but he's not sorry, just embarrassed.

If it's Yolky in her hair, he's often mistaken for a massive bow, not helped by his unique, shiny-bred appearance.

Ah, for reference, Baby is a shiny Eevee that evolves into Sylveon. Danny (Cadenza) is a shiny Toxitricity. Parcel is a shiny Delibird (from work, she doesn't hatch or find this one). And Helper (Little Helper) is a shiny-bred Chandelure from her aunt that she inherited with many properties and a 'Happy Egg Charm' that unbeknownst to Edna, spawns increasingly rare eggs on top of determining viability of eggs, compatibility of two pokemon, and if an egg is shiny.

It's the main gag, it's a whole thing and I'm having a blast imagining it.

Edna usually gives the Pokemon or eggs to local professors, fueling a massive conspiracy in every region about how tf she gets these rare eggs. Only the professor from her home region knows the truth cause he's familiar with her family and aunt. But he just never seems to get the chance to explain. Whoops.

#mittens update #mittens rambles #pokemon oc

[mamamittens]

A Lone Melody (Pt. 9)

Main

This chapter was sponsored by @yanderefangirl as part of the "Oh Shit Sale", thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Warnings: Discussions of dental issues, child abandonment, abuse, racism, mourning, and poison.

Word Count: 3,183

As Jinbe expected, things got a lot harder.

Well over half the crew left with Arlong for their damn revenge and the sudden lack of so many hit hard. Especially for Melody, who’s small world just got even smaller than it had been before.

They set sail for Fishman Island in the hopes that familiar stomping grounds would soothe the loss they felt.

Melody hadn’t stopped crying for longer than an hour at a time, tears clinging to her lashes even when she had her favorite snack. Jelly crackers topped with chopped coral—poisonous of course, a real bitch to prepare safely but she loved it more than anything else they could make. It was about the only thing she could keep down and Jinbe was unsure if it was because she loved it so much or if the poisonous quality was so desperately needed.

What was worse were her hands… she kept gnawing on them in her anxiety. Covering her skin with a thin layer of poison and tiny puncture wounds. Anything they gave her to relieve the urge to self-soothe either didn’t last or just seemed to make it worse.

They were halfway to Fishman Island when Jinbe was awoken by a different kind of crying.

Not the soft, upset sobs in her sleep that he sometimes woke up with his hand rubbing her back to sooth her. But a sharp, gasping, pained cry. Jinbe’s chest tingled, drool soaking his yukata. Almost burning from prolonged exposure to the toxin.

Even in the dark, Jinbe could see it. A thick pool of venom in Melody’s mouth, small hand grasping a metal ring. Which she shouldn’t even have but still.

“Oh, pup.” Jinbe cooed softly, sitting up carefully as the poison penetrated his skin and made him dizzy. “What happened?”

As gently as he could, he pulled down her chin, mindful of the literally glowing venom laced drool. It was bright enough he could make out the sharp points of her teeth. And the several that were broken, bits of fragments on her tongue. He winced, certain this would not get better until her teeth came out. But with the amount of venom and the sharpness of her fangs, few could afford to risk it.

It had only been a few minutes of it sitting on his skin and Jinbe already knew he needed to wash it off now before more dramatic effects take place.

Faintly, Jinbe recalled that baby teeth could be stubborn. Adult teeth fall out all the time for shark-fishmen. Arlong did it as a party trick when he got drunk, new teeth popping into place almost instantly.

“P-Papah! H-Hurt!” Jinbe felt his heart sink.

Melody barely ate as it was. With her teeth in this state, it would only get worse.

“I know, I know, Melody.” Jinbe cooed, taking them to the washroom so she could rinse out her mouth with salt water. The last thing she needed was an infection on top of all of this. While she was tearfully gargling the water, Jinbe briskly cleaned himself off, removing his yukata and putting it with the wash. “We’ll see about taking you to the dentist when we reach Fishman Island. There has to be someone who can help there. In the meantime… liquid diet, I’m afraid. Hey, maybe we have one of those silly straws lying around?” Jinbe suggested with a frail smile, trying to cheer her up as she openly drooled the venom down the sink.

It was thinning out now, at least. No longer the thick, viscous, glowing liquid.

Melody needed more fluids anyway. Stock was easy enough to make… Jinbe frowned, wondering if they’d need to add poison to it or if a lack would help keep her production down until her teeth can be addressed. It can’t be good to swallow that all the time. But unfortunately this was a very unique biological problem none of them were sure of.

They still weren’t sure what kind of fishman she was. It was entirely possible that she didn’t need to produce venom and it’s just a byproduct. But it was equally possible that now that she has, she couldn’t stop.

For a moment, Jinbe resented Arlong so much it burned. If that stubborn bastard had just stayed put, this wouldn’t be an issue. Melody… she was too young to understand why she shouldn’t do certain things that made her feel better. Biting—such a common shark instinct—was in many ways, a language of it’s own. Jinbe himself had issues teething when he was young, though not nearly as much as his other shark-inclined brothers. Arlong could have walked her through teething in a more healthy way. Communicating her needs without accidentally killing someone with her venom.

All they could do, was their best, really.

And it burned Jinbe that he didn’t know if it would be enough.

But it would have to be. He could never face Arlong—or Fisher Tiger—if he failed to care for Melody when she needed him most.

--*--

Hody Jones was born into the filthy slums of Fishman Island and feared more than anything that he would die in it.

Die caked in the refuse created the misery humanity generated without thought elsewhere, cast over their shoulder into the shadows.

Unimportant.

Forgotten.

Ground to a pulp under the heel of a filthy human’s boot where they should consider themselves lucky to even see.

When he heard of Fisher Tiger, he felt inspired.

Now there was a man who knew what needed to be done. Had the balls to climb those lofty, gilded peaks and shake the filthy humans down from up high. And many rightfully joined his crew—though not Hody Jones, who was too young to be properly brought aboard. Arlong, a man of great strength and value, happened to step off the island onto that ship of opportunity. And Hody couldn’t wait to join him and the others.

But Hody Jones would never get the chance.

Killed.

Murdered.

Fisher Tiger was dead and the crew fell apart.

Hody never felt such resentment in his life to have missed such an opportunity.

Arlong, the man Hody so looked up to, took up that mantle in Fisher Tiger’s name. Leaving behind almost half the crew and Jinbe…

And that mutt of a daughter.

Hody’s lip curled in intrigue and disgust.

A half-breed? Really, Arlong?

If it wasn’t for Arlong pursuing those worthless humans in the name of justice, Hody would have thought he had gone soft. There must have been something to the mutt, for such a great man to see value in dirty blood. Hody had only seen her on occasion, Arlong’s brief visits never bringing her to the slums.

Hody felt… conflicted about that. On the one hand, he understood.

The slums were unkind to anyone. Let alone half-breeds, rare as they were.

But on the other… did Arlong view this mutt as better than this place?

How? With such filth in her blood, how could Arlong think such thoughts?

And here she was again, this time carried by Jinbe.

Even from a distance, Hody could see how the small girl’s lips were pressed into a wobbly line, eyes tearful.

Good. She knows something of the value they’d all lost at least.

Hody listened close to see why Jinbe had returned rather than raze the humans alongside Arlong—though he knew Jinbe had always been softer than his counterpart.

The mutt had taken Fisher Tiger’s passing hard, and the leave of her ‘father’ harder still. Her teeth were messed up and no one was willing to risk the venom to pull them out. Hody Jones frowned, rubbing his own jaw thoughtfully.

Must be those weak human genes. A proper shark would have shed them by now. She probably just needed a good knock across the face to loosen them. Of course, given Jinbe’s well known softness and his size, the man had neglected to do so already. He likely wouldn’t take the suggestion well either, not that Hody felt he was close enough to the man to advise such a thing.

Arlong, perhaps. If he hadn’t thought of it already. But Jinbe? No.

Even if it pissed Hody off to see the mutt weeping so incessantly, it was hardly his place to assist or advise. Some suffering would do the welp good anyway. Toughen up that weak, tainted blood. At least she didn’t look too human. Had that going for her at least. Muddy gray skin splotched with pink from her weeping about the best indication Hody could see without getting any closer what a mutt she was.

If Hody had to be around it for any real length of time though, he made no promises to not fix the issue himself. It wouldn’t even be hard—likely harder to not break that weak jaw than anything else.

--*--

It would be a stretch to say that Whitebeard’s crew was wholeheartedly welcome at Fishman Island. Their captain was good friends with King Neptune at this point, so they could dock with little issue. But they were to behave themselves. Any trouble would see them scrubbing toilets for a year using their own toothbrush. Or worse.

Thatch, having recently been promoted to sous-chef under the aging commander of the fourth division, was having a blast.

Fishman Island was a unique place with more fishman and mermaids than you could shake a stick at! He was behaving though! He barely even drooled at all the lovely mermaids he saw working and living their daily lives. Certain that, while used to human men ogling them, they’d not be terribly receptive to any attempt on his part to charm them. Marco ambling alongside him like it was nothing, the two of them looking for a place to sample the local cuisine.

Naturally, they stopped at a mermaid café, but it was clearly popular so it totally wasn’t because the waitresses were all mermaids!

Thatch would deny it until his dying day that his heart stuttered at the lovely, smiling faces that greeted them. So sue him! He loves his family, but they’re not beautiful mermaid women, now are they? Half of them can’t seem to master washing their own ass, it’s no wonder they needed an hour long lecture from Marco to behave.

Thatch also kindly ignored the implication of Marco specifically going with him over anyone else.

The café was bustling though, quickly drawing Thatch’s attention away from the beautiful women. Nearly every table was occupied, the waitresses shuffling back and forth with food and drinks to keep up with demand. The hostess smiled, dark eyes only just betraying what a long day it had been and Thatch felt a little ashamed at his momentary gawking. At least he didn’t make a complete ass of himself.

“Table for two, please.” Marco smiled brightly, holding up his hand in greeting. Thatch reflexively smiled as well, taking in the delicious smell of what seemed to be soup. Perhaps the special of the day? He couldn’t wait to try it!

The woman, glanced down at her podium and frowned, marker hovering over what must have been the seating chart. Crescent shaped shark tail swaying with a hint of anxiety before she looked up at them.

“I can seat you two now but… perhaps you’d prefer to wait another fifteen minutes for a different table?” She asked softly, her voice sad as she glanced over her shoulder to what appeared to be the only open area.

There was a corner booth and the surrounding two booths and table were empty. In the corner booth was a small child in a booster seat, head buried in their arms with fluffy white hair jerking. Clearly, they were crying. Paper and crayons scattered in front of them with a neglected cup near their elbow. Thatch frowned, heart aching for the poor kid.

He understood why the tables were empty, though not why the kid was crying for so long the busy café effectively bubbled them in isolation.

“Aw, are they okay?” Thatch came closer to the hostess and asked with concern, keeping his voice down. The mermaid sighed.

“That’s Melody. My niece. She’s… having a hard time right now.” She looked at them, gaze lingering on Marco’s tattoo openly displayed before she relaxed. “Fisher Tiger was her uncle… my foolish brother went to take revenge and left Melody with Jinbe. There’s something wrong with her teeth but no dentist will see her so he’s out trying to find someone that will.” Thatch felt his face fall.

Oh, the poor kid. Thatch could remember having a toothache when he was young and couldn’t understand how his whole face hurt that much from just a little bit of bone.

“Why won’t they see her?” Marco asked, ever the doctor even when he was out of the med bay. The hostess squirmed, uncomfortable and upset.

“Mostly, it’s because she’s… half. But it’s also dangerous… look, do you want to wait or not?” she asked, abruptly changing the subject while they reeled that the kid was half human. “It’ll be about fifteen minutes before another table is empty.”

“Can we sit with her?” Thatch asked gently. “Maybe we can’t do anything about her teeth, but some company might be nice while you’re busy.”

Sure, they weren’t really that skilled in taking care of kids, but there was no way they could wait around while one was crying her eyes out. They weren’t monsters, like apparently all the dentists on the island were.

The hostess though, narrowed her eyes at them. Weighing them individually until she looked back one last time to the poor kid. She snatched up two menus and jerked her head for them to follow.

When she got to the table, she leaned over and brushed aside the girl’s hair, nearly whispering.

“Hey, pup. Would you like company while I work? These two are Whitebeard Pirates, they’re friends of King Neptune.” Thatch looked over at the half finished drawings. Vaguely recognizing the waitress by her crescent tail. There was a few of what may be a man with a jagged nose he also faintly recognized, accompanied by a caricature of the kid in question and a big, blue ball in a robe.

There was a red man with black hair scribbled over harshly, paper scrunched up into nearly a ball that, given the context, may very well be the poor girl’s uncle.

The girl sniffled, lifting her head to look at them curiously. Gray skin a ruddy red with the brightest ruby eyes he’d ever seen between thick clumps of bangs tipped black like her fingers. Her face was a mess of snot and tears, lips seeming to glow blue as the hostess sighed, pulling out a rag and tenderly wiping her face.

Thatch crouched down, resting his chin on his arms.

“Hey, sweetie. You don’t mind a few pirates joining your table, do you?” Thatch asked softly. She sniffled, looking at his hair curiously.

“…does it grow like that?” she asked hoarsely and Thatch grinned, hearing Marco snort.

“Nah! I—”

“He spends a whole hour fixing his hair like that. Preens all day to make sure it stays in place.” Marco cut him off in amusement. Thatch squawked in protest but the kid giggled, voice watery.

“They’re funny. Like Hat-cha, can they stay, Auntie Shar?” she asked quietly. The woman in question sighed, brushing a hand through the kid’s hair.

“You sure?” she nodded.

“Eating alone isn’t as fun.”

Now that was a sentiment Thatch could get behind.

The hostess gave them a stern look but slid the menus on the opposite side of the booth.

“You’re waitress will be here shortly.” It sounded like a threat.

Probably was.

Thatch could feel eyes on his back as he slid against the wall and picked up the menu.

“I’m Thatch, and this goof is Marco… got any recommendations?” Thatch asked with a charming smile, the kid still crying softly despite her mood clearly lifting with the company.

“The soup is good but ah have ta have clear. Can’t chew right now with my teeth broke. It hurts but auntie lets me drink it with a silly straw.” She informed them with a crooked smile. Thatch nearly winced when he saw several teeth clearly broken. Strangely, bead of blue liquid pooling down the pearly whites. “’M sick too. It sucks.” She pouted.

Thatch’s heart really went out to the poor kid. Sick, dental problems, and mourning? Yikes.

Marco nodded though.

“Soup sounds good. Clear soup is good for you too. I’m sure you’ll get better in no time.” Marco affirmed gently, though he was definitely curious about why she was in a café rather than resting in bed somewhere. Or conked out on medicine until they resolved her teeth. Maybe she was too young to take anything?

Regardless, they mostly minded their business and ordered their food under the watchful eye of an eel-mermaid waitress. Thatch asking if he can draw with the kid while they waited. Thoughtfully, she agreed and offered to share her favorite colors with him if he wanted, which Thatch accepted with the gravitas of being offered kingship. For a toddler, it was about the same anyway.

Marco spent his time picking on Thatch for having worse coloring skills than a toddler—it was a good time.

Even if the food was shit, Thatch would have to say this was his favorite café meal so far.

Until they brought their food and Thatch nearly had a heart attack. The waitress sliding a bowl of nearly clear liquid in front of the kid. Bits of vegetables floating in the mixture, including mushrooms that were incredibly deadly. Deep red with a yellow stem sliced into thin strips, innocently twirling around the silly straw.

Before Thatch could toss the bowl away from the still crying little girl, a hand was shoved in front of his face. Bowl of soup offered to him—poisonous mushroom free.

“Her dietary requirements are a little… different.” The eel-mermaid explained with a look of understanding. “We don’t know what kind of shark she is, but whatever it is, they apparently eat poisonous things regularly. And produce venom—Shyarly spoke of issues getting a dentist? Well, one nick and they’d be risking their lives. Alongside her… heritage, well… it’s no wonder none are jumping to assist.”

“Ah, is that what that blue liquid is? Fascinating?” Marco commented blithely, easily accepting the wild information with intrigue. He looked thoughtful though. Perhaps wondering if his own devil fruit would be helpful.

But Marco was hardly a dentist and intervening without asking the kid’s guardians would go poorly.

Thatch could only imagine how well it would be taken if a grown man just stuck his hand into a toddler’s mouth and started plucking teeth. Thatch grimaced at the mental image and just ate his soup.

It was good. Savory and clearly well made.

He’d need to ask after the recipe! His family would love it!

#one piece #platonic yandere #a lone melody #one piece oc #one piece thatch #one piece marco #one piece hody jones #one piece jinbe

[mamamittens]

Hey Mittens I would like to sponsor the next chapter of A Lone Melody. We can discuss the details in the DMs. Honestly I just wanna help out a friend.

You can just message me in DMS, I really appreciate it. It's a solid 20 I didn't have before and right now, it's the little things lol

(just saw your message btw, I haven't really been interacting much online lately, my bad)

#mittens answers #oh shit sale

[mamamittens]

Oh SHIT Sale

Well!

Uh, good news first! I’m okay, and will likely be okay, things just suddenly got very… unfortunate. In a very rapid amount of time. I'm going to need to step carefully for the foreseeable future or there will be problems.

So, here’s the deal. I need money. And the sooner I get on that, the better I’ll feel in general. I won’t go into detail to keep this as ‘guilt-trippy’ free as possible but, the household income (not from me) just dropped and I’m hopeful that it will recover soon but the job market is… lacking. To be blunt.

Now, I’m not expecting people to just give me money. So, I’m doing a bit of a sale.

Typically, commissions are $1 for 100 SFW words and $2 for 100 NSFW words. (So, $30 for 3K SFW commission and $30 for 1.5K NSFW commission).

For now, that price will be halved.

So, for a limited time, $1 will get you 200 SFW commissioned words and $2 will get you 200. Or just $0.50 for 100 SFW words and a $1 for 100 NSFW words if you prefer to think of it that way.

Can’t think of any prompt for a commission? Why, you can just shove that money into a pending work I already have and just… haven’t updated. Sponsor a chapter, so to speak.

Now, please understand, I would ordinarily never. Do. This.

My fanfiction is, generally, for free because it’s a passion of mine for as long as the passion survives. And considering how personally I take my stories, I would never ordinarily put a paywall in front of chapters or compromise my earnest passion for monetary gain in an already established fanfic. I started these stories because I had a deep desire to tell them. To tell my stories. And you, the general audience, are free to enjoy them for as long as I am capable of writing them and posting them online.

As such, in the case of this option, it won’t be treated the same as a commission. A chapter will have a flat rate. Let’s say… $20 bucks upfront (commissions may still be half upfront and the other half upon completion but I would appreciate it during these trying times if the full amount could be paid all at once). And then I really have to do it damnit, inspiration be damned.

You're basically paying to shove my nose into the story and write damnit.

Nothing quite like brokenness to inspire, I suppose. You can chose the story, naturally, and how many chapters, but that’s it. I can’t in good conscious and without feeling more gross than I already do, compromise more. If I reach the end of the story… we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but I do believe I’ll refund the appropriate amount or you may transfer that to a different story as you please.

I sincerely hope you understand.

This is in NO WAY a reflection of how I WANT to write fanfiction. And it will not persist once the current issue is resolved.

How long is this “Oh shit” sale going?

Well, as long as it has to, to be honest. If, somehow, all my monetary problems are solved before any of the comms are complete, then that money just goes to my credit card bill. Something I’ve needed to whittle down for a while but haven’t been able to and definitely adds to the amount the household ultimately needs to keep churning.

For simplicity, I’ll do slots to be filled. That and it’ll keep everything organized. Once the slots are filled, I’ll close the “Oh shit” sale until it’s done so I don't end up with a massive pile of work to stress over.

First come, first serve, and if you just want to send some love my way in the form of money, I have a Ko-fi, which is what I’ll be paid through regardless for simplicities sake.

Keep in mind normal commission rules apply, including concerning NSFW content, commissioner ages, and character ages. And kinks. I WILL refund money if it has been preemptively sent before the details have been ironed out. Please wait until I have confirmed I can do it before sending any money, barring tips, which are greatly appreciated if possible.

Writing commissions:

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Story sponsoring:

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#open commissions #i feel gross already but... well it is what it is #I do not like this #In any sense of the word #but i'd like to pay my bills and every bit helps #mittens update