One Piece: Grand Endeavours

Chapter Thirteen: Snowflakes

Nova
Around breakfast, when halfway through my pile of waffles, I glance out the window idly. White slowly trails from the clouds, blowing gently on the breeze, the flakes sticking to the window before melting. Large amounts stick to the grounds, thick and pillow like, reminding me of powdered sugar. Snow! Yay, yay, yay! I quickly put another bite into my mouth, trying to get through it as fast as I can, so I can go outside as soon as humanly possible. Although I'm not human, now I think about it. Um, maybe as soon as robotly possible? That sounds stupid though. Then again I am stupid so perhaps it works! So more 'yay' for creativity. "
"What's the rush, Nova?" Sanji asks, looking amused. "You can't eat food by inhaling it. Plus you could choke."
"Snow!" I say, cheerfully, with a wide grin. "I've never seen snow before! And it is so pretty!"
"And cold," Robin adds. "Around thirty people die of the cold a year and more die of things the cold can cause." I frown. Then grin again because I can't even get cold and thirty people aren't even that many with how many people in the world. Plus I'm immune to temperature, I think at least.

I get through the rest of the waffles and dash outside, a snowflake landing on my nose making me giggle. It feels funny. Part of the ground has a gleam, almost mirror like, maybe like a not wet puddle. Cautiously I put my foot on it and nothing happens so I decide to walk across it. Instantly my feet slip and I skid across the surface, slamming into a railing and falling into the snow. Ouch.
"Are you okay?" Usopp asks me, chuckling, helping me up.
"Yeah...I don't know what happened though," I reply, mildly perplexed. He chuckles again and I look at him in confusion, wondering what is going on.
"Right, sorry, didn't mean to laugh," he says calming down. "With snow you often get ice as well which is really slippery."
"Ohhh," I say, face palming. Ima dumb. "That explains a lot. I'm an idiot." And, let's be honest, I don't care.
"Nova, you're not an idiot," he says.
"Oh no, I am," I disagree. "But I am totally cool with it! Like snow! Snow is cool!" Usopp chuckles again.
"I disagree, but have to like your attitude towards this," he says between laughs. "How are you so positive?" I shrug and tap the ice with my foot, watching a slight crack begin to form on it.

"There's an island!" Nami calls. I glance up and see one not too far in the distance, the whole place covered in thick fluffy snow. This looks like a really nice island! Especially as there is snow. A whole island of it! So I can learn more about it and the fun it may contain.

We stop at the island and it is undeniably obvious that something is definitely going on. The place is crowded, fairy lights connecting each lamppost in a string of colour, balloons tied to each stores door knobs and various stalls are set up along the street. There is everything from face painting and henna to pink fluffy stuff and hot dogs to 'hook a duck' and tombola. Music is playing and there is continuous chatter of people passing by, hot chocolates and mulled wine gripped in their hands.
"I'm guessing something is going on?" I say.
"Seems like it," Nami says. "Maybe some holiday?" She goes up to someone and comes back with a nod. "Yup, an annual holiday. All the stalls are really cheap and most of the stores have huge sales. They get loads of visitors- hence why it's so busy- and it's to celebrate the founding of the island. This year will probably be even more special than most years as it's the 500th." Wow that's a super long time, especially to throw a celebration each year.
"So shall we split up and look around then?" Luffy asks. Everyone nods.
"I need to buy some booze," Zoro comments. Sanji rolls his eyes.
"You want to, you don't need to, Mosshead."
"Shut it curly brow!" Those two really need to come up with some new insults...

Danni and I head through the streets, keeping an eye out for a sweet shop. On the way I buy some rainbow popcorn from a vendor and offer some to Danni.
"Nah, it's fine," she says. "I'm guessing you got the ultra sweet one?" I nod cheerfully, putting a handful in my mouth. It tastes a bit like the skittles Usopp gave me earlier. Yum yum. "You know there are other foods." I shrug. Sweet food is the best food! Plus the sign says the sweet shop is just around the corner! Which is great.

We head inside and there are so many sweets. Hundreds of jars of bright colours, almost containing the rainbow line the shelves. There are too many options! Bars of chocolate are lined up and packets of sweets are around the large room. This is basically a dreamland for sugar obsessed people like me. The person watching the shop behind the counter is sat on the stool. It looks like he's doing the Sudoku or crossword often at the end of the newspaper. I look through the sweets and Danni goes over, probably looking for a specific sweet thing.
"Hello Sir!" she says. As I look at the sweets behind the counter I notice that he looks up from the newspaper.
"Hi Miss," he replies: from what I've noticed Ma'am is for married women and Miss is for unmarried women.
"Do you have these sweets in here? They're raspberry flavoured and have this jelly stuff in them and are covered in little sugar balls?" she asks. His eyebrows knit in thought.
"I think so, just let me check the catalogue a second," he replies, flipping through a large book. "Yeah, we do. They came in a few days ago. How many would you like?"
"Five beli worth please," she says, putting the note on the counter. He weighs out what looks like500g and puts it neatly into a paper bag then puts that one into another paper bag.
"What's with the extra bag?" she asks.
"The weather makes everything get pretty soggy," he says. "Especially paper." I notice Danni seems to be deep in thought.
"You look super familiar..." she comments, evidently trying to place him.
"Oh," he replies, looking ever so slightly, barely noticeably, less calm. "Well I used to do something besides this so it is probably that."
"Probably in the news at one point," she mutters. There's a slightly awkward silence so I go over with the majority of the sweets I want.

"Jeez Nova!" Danni chuckles. "Got enough?" Honestly, maybe not.
"I'm only getting a few kilos," I say with a sheepish grin. "I'm stuck between the specialized sherbet bombs and chocolate popping candy though. Which do you think?"
"Not sure," she says with a shrug. "Sir, which of them is better?" Fair question, since he works here he probably knows his way around the specialty sweets.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Sorry," he says apologetically. "I don't like sweets." That is incredibly ironic but at least he didn't do what most stores do and just recommend the most expensive one.
"I'll get both then!" I say, cheerfully. Then I can figure out for myself which is better! He packages them and I pay. Danni and I thank him then head outside back into the snow, the four carrier bags worth of sweets continually bashing against my legs.

"I need to get some fabrics, anything you need to do?" I ask her, nibbling on the balls of cookie dough chocolate I brought in there.
"I need to get my dagger sharpened," she replies. "What you planning on making?"
"Not sure yet," I reply. "Depends on what I can get fabric wise. So you recognised the person in the sweet shop from somewhere?"
"He just looked super familiar..." she says looking deep in thought again. I consider.
"You're a fan of the Straw Hats," I point out. "Maybe he was in one of the articles at one point."
"Yeah probably," she agrees. "Oh well, it's probably fine." It turns out the fabric shop and weapon shop are right next to each other so she goes in one and I go in the other.

I look at the various thick, fluffy, materials then I glance at the snow. Cold. Fluffy. Cold. Fluffy...Idea! I pick up a fluffy fabric in varying colours, some foam, connector pieces, felt for a liner, some elastic and a strong, hard band. This will hopefully be cool. As an afterthought I pick up a needle and thread so if we stop in a cafe or something I can make a start on them. Another bag joins the growing pile and as I head out Danni leaves the weapon shop.
"Figured out what you're making?" she asks me. I nod cheerfully.
"Shall we head back to the others?" I ask her. She nods.
"May as well," she agrees. "Want some help with the bags?"
"I've got it," I say, uncertainly. "I brought loads so I have to deal with the consequences."
"Nova, it's fine, really," she says. She takes the bag of fabrics from me and gives me a smile. "There, is that easier?" I nod, sheepishly.
"Yeah, thanks," I say with a grin.

Life is getting better and better! Nice friends, snow, loads of sweets and new awesome fabrics. This is great!