Snow whispers


It was late afternoon. Six o'clock. It was already dark outside, and everyone was facing cold winter days. Snow covered the roofs, trees, and streets. The door has just been opened. He always came at the same time. A smile adorned his face, a black cap covered his head, individual strands of pitch black hair hung from the cap into his face. His boots, which were lightly covered with snow, trudged into the bar.

"The usual?" Asked a brown-haired girl, whose curls shimmered golden brown in the light, and filled a beer mug.
"Yes.", He answered her and she put the beer in front of him.
"Thanks, Malaika.", He grinned and poured the beer in.
Silently she wiped the counter, the wood of which was now gleaming again in a dark hazel brown. She quickly pulled out another beer mug and filled it with beer again.
"More supplies?" Asked the black-haired man and looked at her in amazement.
"No, Ace, not today, not tomorrow either ... or ever.", She teased him and made a face.
"It's a shame," he said and grinned. His mug was half empty ... or half full.
Meanwhile, she went over to a green-haired man and put the newly filled beer mug on his table.
He looked up, with a rather grim look, nodded to signal to her that everything was okay with him.
"Quiet, today, isn't it?" She asked, looking at him. She waited curiously for his answer. He just averted his gaze and grumbled.
'Then not ...', she thought and went back to the counter.

"Are you going to the Christmas market today?" Asked the freckled man and continued drinking his beer.
"Christmas market? No, probably not ..." Ace looked at her in amazement.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You heard right, Portgas."
"You can't really miss something like that!"
"Yes, I can.", She replied and polished a glass.

Books. Meter thick books. Lying uncomfortably in the chair, she slept. All around them lay the writings packed with words. The mute intelligence beasts. Grumbling, she complained about her current sleeping position until a beep woke her. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, the display of her cell phone illuminated the room. Too bright for her eyes - in her opinion. She reached out her arm to come to the small table on which her cell phone lay.
Three missed calls, one SMS that has just been added.
She quickly hit the correct keys, quickly read the message, and put the phone back.
"Tomorrow at seven Christmas market ... Because it's you, Vivi, because it's you.", She mumbled and tried to fall asleep in her chair again.

Snow is falling slowly from the sky ...

She trudged through the thin blanket of snow, white flakes fell down, she kept her hands warm in her jacket pockets, her hat kept her ears warm, only her cheeks were red from the cold."Well, who persuaded you to go?", Ace tried to tease her, who came with her after his daily ration of beer.
"Oh, Ace, miracles happen, don't they?"
She smiled; Ace laughed. But something kept her from smiling like that ...
She hated snow. White, cold, lonely, too quiet ... The only contrast to this snow-white world were the bare trees and the lonely houses of the streets in which they were. In one of the bushes she heard a blackbird chirping in front of her, ready to fly away.
Gradually they greeted the various scents that immediately reminded you of Christmas. Cinnamon, anise, orange, lemon, chocolate ... So much ... Roasted almonds, chestnuts ... gingerbread. Nevertheless, their enthusiasm was not shown. It was the snow. Only the snow and the warm glow of the lights couldn't change her mind.

At a booth selling crepes, she saw her blue-haired friend who was apparently adored by a blonde guy. Ace had slipped away, at another booth he suspected his brothers, where there was loud clamor as they passed it.
"This beauty, this goddess of beauty, what's your name?"
Vivi just giggled, saw her friend and came over to her.
"There you are!" She called to her and hooked herself up to her.
"What about him?", Malaika asked and looked at the blond boy who was also targeting her.
"Two angels!" He exclaimed and came up to them.
She didn't know what to do, how could you get rid of an 'I-love-all-women' suitor?
She looked around for help, who could help them?
While the two stood there and let themselves be adored by the blonde - they just didn't want to ignore them and leave - a tattooed, black-haired man armed with a speckled cap won at a stand and took a white, fluffy bear.
What should he do with that? He, a man, now dragging a bear with him.
"What am I going to do with you now? I wouldn't have got anything else anyway, right?" He said calmly to the white stuffed animal. He walked casually through the stalls, paused here and there and then smiled.
"Oh, there you are, angel.", He said and put an arm around Malaika's shoulder. Confused, she turned to him and looked into his face. From the side she glimpsed his plush friend.
"Trafalgar?" She mumbled questioningly and he indicated that she should 'play with'. She quickly kissed him on the cheek, Sanji's love hearts turned to fire of jealousy.
"SANJI !!!" someone shouted and immediately he obeyed like a dog and was back at his crêpes stand. One heard a 'Nami-chan !!! "

"That was all for the cat.", Malaika said and pulled the white bear out of Law's clutches.
"Do you think so, imouto-chan?" He smiled slyly.Yes, she was his little sister, at least that's what they called her.
"That little one is Bepo, I'll give it to you if you want."
"How is it that you drag such a bear with you?" Vivi laughed and Law just grinned back.
"Won," he said and Malaika looked at Bepo in her arms.
"Are you sure?" Asked Malaika and looked at him with wide eyes. Brown. This color, warm, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary either.
"You are my imouto-chan and I as your Nii-san-"
"Nii-chan!", She interrupted and corrected him.
"Being your Nii-chan must make you happy."

The snow stopped slowly. It fell in a whisper, almost noiselessly ... The clouds, driven away by the wind, loosened the sky and now showed stars in the sky.
No matter. She didn't care about the white splendor.