Naughty or Nice:

White... White... White... Everything was white. A thick blanket of snow covered the landscape as far as the eye can see. Not an unusual sight during Christmas right? Well, perhaps if Water 7 was a winter island. It was not. And as far as most of its residents were concerned, this snow and ice was crippling to the island's life and economy. The canals and waterways were frozen, as were all the docks. The thick ice stretched at least a mile out of at sea leaving every ship landlocked or worse frozen solid itself. This was the sight that greeted Tarte when she woke up that morning. The lady of the Tatin family sweets empire had come home for Christmas the day before. She didn't expect Christmas would come home with her overnight.

She was dressed warmly with a large fur coat worn over her usual clothes and winter boots for her feet. She had returned to the island packing presents and all sorts of clothing and this was a coat she had been keeping on hand in case she visited one of the winter islands in the Grand Line. After having lived on the island for practically her entire life, it was a very weird feeling to see a scenery that was totally unfamiliar to her. Most people here had only read about or seen pictures of snow in books and newspapers. They were at a loss with how to deal with the situation, let alone figure out the cause for this freak weather change. Most of them didn't have any winter clothes at all and simply made do with wrapping themselves up in lots of coats and blankets. Looking up though, the most obvious culprit to this whole thing was a large ominous black cloud floating stationary right above the entire island. Every half an hour or so, it was observed that it would deposit a large amount of snowfall on the island which was what eventually caused everything to freeze over. This was possibly the biggest 'disaster' to befall the island since the Aqua Laguna, but at least the citizens knew how to deal with that.

As she walked towards the main plaza where the townspeople were having a gathering to figure out what to do, she heard a commotion coming from the same direction and so she quickened her pace to see what was up.

The scene at the plaza was concerning. The citizens were standing in like a half circle, none daring to make a move. In front of them was terrible sight. The mayor was on the ground face down with a black eye. He was conscious but was too nervous and disoriented to try and do anything. It seemed like he just got slugged moments ago. On top of him was a tiny man sitting down on his back and making himself comfortable. There was a nasty sneer on his face and an intimidating glare as he eyed the people around.

Behind the little man was an assortment of holiday beings that would make one think that this was some sort of event, if not for the fact that they all looked rather menacing and yes the town mayor was down on the ground at their feet. Evil-looking snowmen, rabid-looking reindeer, and nasty-looking elves comprised the holiday-horror mash-up gathering. There were a few dressed up as elves but towered above the tallest people in the crowd so much that it was hard to think of them as elves. Seeing that the crowd was pretty much already pacified by fear, the little man sitting on the mayor finally spoke to address them.

"Testing, testing. Is this thing on? Good. Glad to finally get the attention of you naughty little boys and girls. I'm sure you're all wondering what this is all about. But let me cut to the chase. Basically Santa's delivering punishment for the world this Christmas and we're his trusty delivery boys. For Water 7, his present was a little snow globe. Ta-dah!"

The little man raised his arms and snow began to fall again from the dark cloud in the sky.

"Nice eh? Got your winter wonderland here in the flesh. I'm sure a lot of you are feeling happy seeing real snow for the first time."

There were nervous murmurs in the crowd.

"No? I guess you're just a bunch of ungrateful little turds. Well, you're in luck! I'm actually one of the nicer delivery boys employed under Santa. I mean we actually offer a return service. Nifty eh? Honestly we just wanna have a little fun... with your lives on the line."

There was a rumbling noise in the distance. From afar they could see dust clouds, er, snow clouds as something big and fast was tearing through the town and heading to their location. It didn't take long until they finally got a visual of what was throwing up all that snow. It was a drawn sled, pulled by half a dozen rabid-looking reindeer, much larger than the ones standing behind the little boss man. The sled stopped just short of running over the crowd, causing a few people to scramble out of the way. Sitting inside the sled was another tall burly man dressed in an elf outfit, his size and height becoming more apparent when he stepped out and stood next to the rest of Santa's delivery crew.

"This here is our sledding champ Big Tim. Also known as the fastest elf in the north!"

The man er elf known as Big Tim cracked his knuckles intimidatingly.

"Every year he makes a 'killing' at our sled races back home. The carnage he brings every race was just such a joy to watch that this year we wanna share the experience with you people! That's right! A sled race with Big Tim! That's our condition for our return service! If any of you win, we leave and the big bad snow clouds go away. Simple eh? But if you lose, it's gonna be a white Christmas in more ways than one."

The little boss elf roared with laughter and his gang behind him followed suit. Clearly there wasn't anyone among them who thought the citizens of Water 7 even had a chance of winning. Well, for people who had next to no experience in the snow, the odds were definitely stacked against them.

"Oh, and since you guys have the home court advantage, we'll be adding a few obstacles on the race track if you don't mind! Gotta liven things up yeah? And just to make things clear, in case some of you people didn't get the message yet, you don't have a choice in this matter. I mean, unless you prefer the entire island turn into a popsicle without putting up a fight. I think we're being generous here. The other places are just being razed to the ground no questions asked."

There was another round of laughter from Santa's evil forces.

"So yeah, race begins at noon. Starting line is at the docks and the finish line is... yep the very top of Water 7."

He pointed at the central city fountain which was now frozen like a steep mountain peak.

"By the way, as part of our 'service' we're renting out sleds and reindeer to use in the race. I 'highly' recommend them! I can't guarantee they won't try a bite your hand off though."

After some more laughter, Santa's evil forces finally began to move out. Some headed for the docks while the rest spread out around town, presumably to set up the 'obstacles' for the race. They took the beat-up mayor with them, probably as a warning to anyone thinking they would be a hero and not play according to their rules.

Having taken in every bit of information that spewed out of the little boss elf's mouth, Tarte stood there pondering her next move. The town was in trouble and as one of its locals, she did feel some obligation towards saving it. But even without the perilous situation they were in, Tarte was honestly interested in participating in a sled race. It sounded fun. She has had some prior experience riding bulls in the canals of Water 7 and she figured it was similar. Well she never actually raced with them. But she has tried having them go faster than the town speed limit. Oh the lecture she received that day.

She ended up heading out to the docks without much of a plan as she wanted to see what everyone else was thinking of doing about the coming race. Worst case scenario, she would bite at boss elf's offer to rent them sleds and reindeer. Indeed on one side of the docks, Santa's forces seemed to have setup a makeshift rental stall and a few brave souls were already lined up. There was also a huge red tent there where the 'champ' was staying and prepping for the race. Tarte wondered if she should go for the rental too.

Her thought process was interrupted by a loud crash. A large icicle had cracked and fallen nearby and a man who was busy making his own preparations for the race was unlucky enough to be right underneath it. Tarte recognized the old fellow as one of the policemen who patrolled the town when she was younger. If she was not mistaken, the man had a fairly large number of dogs that he raised as pets or to help with police work. True enough, right next to him was a dog sled team. Well they probably weren't meant to be a dog sled team, but they certainly looked impressive and believable. They tried to assist their master by pushing the icicle off him. Tarte along with a few other people also pitched in to get him out which they did in the end. But the result was rather tragic. The old man broke his arm and leg and was in no shape to participate.

"That's some dreadful luck Willy. It's a shame. Your team actually looks great. Better than those going for the rentals anyway."

Tarte spoke as she offered the injured old man a spare coat and a cup of hot chocolate.

"Little Tarte? So you're visiting again this year? I'd say you have worse luck coming home to this tragedy."

"That's true. I can hardly believe it. Santa delivering punishment for Christmas? It's crazy. Are we sure they're not just wacky pirates with a Christmas theme going on hoping to make a name for themselves? Freezing an island is certainly noteworthy."

"Just between you and me, a few boys actually tried fighting them earlier and they got beaten half to death. Pirates or whatever they are, they mean business. No choice but to play along and hope they keep their word."

"Has anyone tried to call for help?"

"This snowstorm is blocking out all signals so we can't reach anyone through the Den Den Mushi. The sea's frozen solid so all the ships are stuck and no one can get out. They got us good and trapped."

Tarte walked over to one of the dogs she was familiar with on the sled team and gave him an affectionate pat.

"Say, you were planning to join the race with these boys right? Have you gotten anyone to take your place yet?"

"No not yet. Honestly this team was just something I threw together with the best ones I have. They don't have any actual experience with the snow but they're great on their feet. I was hoping that would be enough."

"Yes, that's what I thought. Barely anyone here has ever even seen real snow. I can imagine most are at their wits end and desperate. I on the other hand have had my fair share of dealing with snow. You could say it's a necessity for designing coats. If you haven't gotten anyone to replace you yet, do you mind if I do it?"

The old man nearly spit out his drink.

"Are you serious missy? This race is bound to be all sorts of dangerous. As a man of my position, I can't let a common citizen risk their life for this, let alone a little girl."

Tarte frowned slightly.

"Well, I don't see you trying to stop the rest of them out there. And besides, you're technically retired and just a common citizen yourself. An old man or a little girl, what difference does it make? At least I'm not the one with a broken arm and leg. Neither am I a little girl. I stopped being one quite some time ago thank you very much."

"Your stubbornness hasn't changed."

"Indeed it hasn't. So if you know what's good for you, lend me your team. I'm a citizen who wants to protect this town too."

The old man sighed.

"Alright, alright. You win. Your parents will have my neck for this you know?"

Tarte laughed and went over to introduce herself to the rest of the dogs. This race was going to be interesting.

"Ughhh, my head" The gentle voice of Melissa echoed out in to the small box room located deep within the slums. "WHAT IS WITH THIS FUCKING HEAT MOIRA" She shouted with a wince, her own voice bringing on a headache. The black haired woman sat up within the bed she had occupied for the night. In actuality the head was not as much of an issue for the woman as she let on. Though it seemed more effective today, possibly due to the hangover sweats, her body trying to exude the toxic liquids she had consumed from every orifice.

"Fuck sake Mel, take a look outside and you'll see why the fires are blazing" Moira uttered as she opened the door to the spare room  in which Melissa had been staying in. Mel's eyes raised upwards, looking at Moira whom was covered in blankets and puffy clothing. "What the fuck are you wearing you daft cow" Melissa said, laughing into the duvets.

Moira glided over the room, pulling the curtains over revealing the outside world. "What the fuck" Melissa gasped, pulling the duvet from her, revealing the fact that she was sleeping in the buff. Her naked body glistening with sweat. "Ugh, bloody hell Mel, put some frigging knickers on ya clarty skank" Moira said, covering her eyes before throwing one of the blankets are Melissa. "Oh Moira, what don't you like what you see" The naked woman teased, shaking her hips as she caught the blanket. The two woman would giggle as Melissa wrapped herself up for Moira's benefit.

"So what am I meant to be looking a...... is that snow" "Yup, Iv lived in Water Seven for thirty years, and this is the first time its ever snowed, and apparently this came on very quickly, its about 8 foot deep in some places" Moira informed Mel. "Uhhhhm, Melissa, why are you smiling like that" Moira said, her face showed concern and confusion. While Mel's, well, her smile was indeed wicked, it was indeed scary to look at. "Looks like I'm going to be making a deposit from a few banks today, how do you fancy some heat dials for this place?" "Don't tell me, You know the deal, I let ya stay, you do you and just skim some off the top for me." Moira said shaking her head with a smile. "Done deal babe" Melissa said dropping her blanket as she began to get dressed.

Melissa's clothing wasn't totally fit for the snowy weather, though she did have a winter coat, her boots came up to her ankle, while her socks where pulled up just below her knees, then it was skin, skin, skin, all the way up to her rather short, black plaid skirt. While her maroon coat pretty much covered her top, though she did not need it, Moira had insisted and practically forced the woman to wear a scarf, determined that Melissa would catch her death within the cold. If only she knew. Unlike every other person within the world, she was the only one who was never affected by the cold, and well, the snow. The snow was apart of her. Yet it felt strange, different perhaps. As she walked forward, their seemed to be a malice within it.

"Yo, kid. Where is everyone going?" The Snow Queen asked a passing child, who was wrapped up as much as a kid could be, with his face red as red could be. "Gee Miss, havent ya heard. SANTAS IN THE SQUARE, COME ON COME ON I'LL TAKE YOU" the excited child uttered, quickly with his mittens on, he grasped her hand and began to pull her through Water 7. "Miss, arencha cold, your gonna be chillllyyyy," the kid said as he pulled her forward. She giggled as she and the kid walked, hand in hand. "So what are you going to ask Santa for?" Melissa sweetly asked. "I just want two things" the excited kid replied with. "and that would be" "I want my mum to be able to live in the business district so we can be warm and not have to worry about money any more......and for my daddy to come home" "Wheres you daddy?" The devil fruit user asked. "Heaven" The boy replied as they ran.

It wouldn't take them too long, running quickly joyfully towards the plaza, though the sight of the citizens of Water 7 caused Melissa to wonder what exactly was going on. Barely any of them where dressed in winter garb, many shaking and huddling together, still holding on to the kid, Melissa would tighten her grip. "Stay close, something doesn't feel right kid"

With child in hand, Melissa would push through the crowd to see what the real commotion was all about. Being short, she had to pretty much push her way to the front, when she did though, she would gasp in surprise. Standing in the plaza upon some form of stage, where those a kid dreams off, except they weren't really exactly how you would imagine them. The snowmen were terrifying to look at, and towered over the largest of men in the crowd, The reindeer where foaming at the mouths, their coats covered in what looked like dry blood. "Wheres Santa" The boy said, looking scared. Biting her tongue, Melissa wasnt sure what was going on. "Shhh, lets just listen" She said as the Elf began to speak.

"Testing, testing. Is this thing on? Good. Glad to finally get the attention of you naughty little boys and girls. I'm sure you're all wondering what this is all about. But let me cut to the chase. Basically Santa's delivering punishment for the world this Christmas and we're his trusty delivery boys. For Water 7, his present was a little snow globe. Ta-dah!"

The little man raised his arms and snow began to fall again from the dark cloud in the sky.

"Nice eh? Got your winter wonderland here in the flesh. I'm sure a lot of you are feeling happy seeing real snow for the first time."

There were nervous murmurs in the crowd.

"No? I guess you're just a bunch of ungrateful little turds. Well, you're in luck! I'm actually one of the nicer delivery boys employed under Santa. I mean we actually offer a return service. Nifty eh? Honestly we just wanna have a little fun... with your lives on the line."

"What does he mean miss? The kid asked. "Kid, I want you to turn around and get home, stay in with your mom, you understand us" Melissa would keep her eyes upon the elf as he brought his hands to the air. Then, it began to snow. "What the.....thats my power" she said gently to herself. "What is going on"
""Nice eh? Got your winter wonderland here in the flesh. I'm sure a lot of you are feeling happy seeing real snow for the first time."

Melissa looked to the crowd, whom seemed to get even colder, the cold that they where not used too sapping their energy, turning her eyes back to the crowd of Christmas Creatures, she would glare at the elf. "Too many of them, I couldn't take them all down before they hurt someone" Melissa  thought to herself. "I'll just have to see where this goes".

"Whats that noise" Melissa said out loud, though the rumbling sound that echoed through out the island of Water 7 would drown out any and all sound. Though looking back to the shorter elfs, judging by the look of delight, whatever was coming couldn't be any good. It really did not take too long, as Melissa surveyed the crowd, her eyes settled for a second or two upon a woman, clad in pink with a parasol, she seemed to be one of the only few dressed for the winter weather. Though her eyes would rip from the woman as a giant elf being pulled along on a sleigh by some of the biggest animals you have ever seen. "Fuck me, he's a big lad" Mel uttered. "Kid, you gotta go, this might get messy". Thankfully this time, the kid listened, tears streaming down his face as he pushed through the crowd.

"This here is our sledding champ Big Tim. Also known as the fastest elf in the north!" the small boss said, while at the same time as his introduction, the largest elf, Big Tim would crack his knuckles, his small beady eyes glaring at the citizens, as if they where ants to be squished. "Every year he makes a 'killing' at our sled races back home. The carnage he brings every race was just such a joy to watch that this year we wanna share the experience with you people! That's right! A sled race with Big Tim! That's our condition for our return service! If any of you win, we leave and the big bad snow clouds go away. Simple eh? But if you lose, it's gonna be a white Christmas in more ways than one."

"So take out Big Tim and that annoying boss elf" Mel thought to herself. It seemed like the smartest plan, can't lose if the main enemy is dead. Though the elves did not seem worried, for after giving his introduction, the small boss elf would put his head back and laugh, followed by a chorus of cackling from the other elves, oddly enough their laughing seemed to be to the tune of We wish you a Merry Christmas. Eventually the laughter died down, but that just seemed to make the silence coming from the crowd even more deafening.

"Oh, and since you guys have the home court advantage, we'll be adding a few obstacles on the race track if you don't mind! Gotta liven things up yeah? And just to make things clear, in case some of you people didn't get the message yet, you don't have a choice in this matter. I mean, unless you prefer the entire island turn into a popsicle without putting up a fight. I think we're being generous here. The other places are just being razed to the ground no questions asked." "Other places" Melissa said, what places, could it be her home, could it be her place. No, it had protection. it would be safe, she was sure of it."[/color] She said outloud, though the chorus of christmas laughter echoed out once more.

"So yeah, race begins at noon. Starting line is at the docks and the finish line is... yep the very top of Water 7." The elf said pointing to the destination "By the way, as part of our 'service' we're renting out sleds and reindeer to use in the race. I 'highly' recommend them! I can't guarantee they won't try a bite your hand off though."

"You wont get that far" Mel said to herself, turning away, she would put an end to this before it began.

Melissa would have found her way to a tall building, allowing her to shadow the boss and the larger elf, along with his rabid reindeer. She would have to be rather sly, the Christmas monsters had dispersed over the course which so happened to be all over Water 7, one wrong move and well they could attack the citizens at any time. She would have to play this slyly,. So she danced across the rooftops, like a cat hunting its prey, ever so silent. Her feet barely made a mistep as she followed them down, with a flurry of snow moving ever so gently through the air, forming back into the female as she stood upon one of the crows nests. The Frozen ships unmoving, she had kept the elf and his sleigh master in sight. "Now, how should I do this" she mused to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled gently as her own snow flowed from her skin, flowing into the drifting snow of the sky. Forming into lances of snow, the spears took form dramatically. "Lets e..." "COME HERE YOU LITTLE FUCKING TWAT" Shouted a males voice. Turning her head, Melissa looked towards the source, roughly eight men where trudging down the docks. "Captain Boderra and the Tyrant Pirates" Melissa said to herself. Who would have known that such a well known pirate was within Water 7's boundary, "Listen here you prats, I Captain Boderra of the Tyrant Pirates have come to demand that you and your creepy band of spazzes piss off" The captain said as he drew his sword.

"Looks like I won't need to do much" Melissa said as her lances dissolved into the snow. Melissa fizzled in to the snow, leaving the pirates to deal with this mess. Eventually though she would find herself back in the plaza, as everyone was getting a little crazy trying to get ready for the sledding competition. As she wandered waiting for the news of the pirates win, she would over hear a wounded man telling the same woman with the umbrella, that the pirates lost. "Fuck me, The Tyrants lost" Mel said as she walked to the reindeer hut. "Looks like I'll have to join in and wait for my chance" she said sighing. "I want a reindeer but no sled" she would say to the elf who would just grunt and bring out a shaggy looking reindeer. As she took the reins the creature attempted to bite her, though all he would get is a mouthful of snow before getting punched in the eye by Melissa.

"Let me tell you sunshine, fuck with me, and I'll be eating reindeer for dinner" she said, glaring to creature whom cowered from her hand.

OOC:

As expected of such a short notice, few if any could round up their own team they could use to participate in the race. And so there was an inevitably long line of the brave and the bold at reindeer rentals. The elf manning the counter was looking all pleased at making a few quick cash at their little operation and was handing out the reindeer in droves. One particular guy asked for ten and nearly got mauled to death after the elf handlers handed him the reins. If anything it served as a warning to anyone from trying to bite off more than they could chew. From then on, most people asked for one or two at most.

For the most part there was no trouble in lines though there was a slight commotion caused by a guy carrying a guitar. The elf couldn't care less if people made a ruckus since the citizens fighting among themselves instead of working together to win was definitely a welcome occurrence. As though 'grateful' for messing with the other participants, the elf handed Klinghoffer a large stag. The creature's body was covered with scars and it was missing an eye. He seemed a lot more 'calm' and 'dignified' than the other rabid reindeer though there was unmistakably some blood dripping from its mouth.

"This here's old Francis. Used to be the rival of Killer Keith, Big Tim's lead reindeer. Well, Francis' team lost big time last year and he was the only one on his team who survived the victor's mauling. Just between you and me, he's probably out for revenge on this race. Good luck!"

The little elf laughed which resulted in Francis giving him a menacing glare. The reindeer stag then walked over to Klinghoffer giving him a look of 'disapproval'.

When Melissa's turn came, the elf handed over one of the younger bucks. Wild and hot-blooded, it was probably thinking it could score huge points with the does if it made an impressive performance here. It even tried to take a bite out of the female pirate to try and show who's boss... only to have the situation turned around on him. One punch later and he was cursing his luck for being paired with the lady in red.

About a quarter of an hour before the fated noontime race, almost all of the participants were done making their preparations and the rentals finally closed. A few were still making some last minute adjustments. No one really knew what to expect. Some were nervous. Some were excited. Some were hoping to get a big fat pay-off for saving Water 7 and couldn't care less about the island itself. And of course some just genuinely wanted to kick Santa's evil forces off the island and ending their threat to their daily lives. Tarte herself had just finished double-checking that the harnesses on her sled team were nice and secure. What was noticeably different from when she first got started was that all the dogs were now wearing cute little knitted coats. They were not snow dogs after all and she felt some protection against the cold was necessary. Though in all honestly half of her just wanted to try dressing up the puppies, much to the dismay of some.

A bunch of elves rolled by and started handing out parchments to all of the participants. In it was a crudely drawn 'map' of the race course they would take around the town. Frankly it was hard to make heads or tails of the drawing and there were some symbols and such on it that were possibly elven in nature and thus gibberish to everyone else. The elf handing them out explained that the boss would come out shortly to explain things personally anyway before the race starts.

Mellissa would drag her buck around with the reins, every time he tried to resist he would be met with a swift slap to the nose. "LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE FUCKER" she shouted. Many of the bystanders that stood would glare at her. Sighing, she would look to the reindeer and bring her mouth closer to his ears. "I will skin you, and then I will skin the rest of your family, don't underestimate a pretty face" she whispered. The Reindeer now locked on to her would shiver. Melissa would open up her hand so that only the creature could see, snow swirling within her palm, creating small figures of a reindeer and a girl skinning it. "This will be you" she said closing her palm, crushing the snowy figures.

The Reindeer seemed to be on its best behaviour now, walking with her, glancing away whenever she brought her hands higher than her hips. As she wandered with her ride, she would stop when she came across the woman with the pink coat whom she had spotted before, this time though not only was she sporting a healthy winter coat, but her sled team seemed to be sporting them also. Melissa loved dogs, and dogs dressed in human clothing just made her go "AWWWWWWWWWWWW" she would squeal so loud that her buck reared up due to being surprised. She would pull the reigns down bringing it harshly back to the ground. "Your gonna make a nice fluffy purse" she said roughly to the now shuddering creature.

"Your coat and the coats of these little puppers are just GORGEOUS" she squeaked to the uniquely dressed woman. At this point in time, a few little girls not entirely dressed for this weather would run forward,. "M..m...m..iss...c.c.c.an...caaan...m.m.mmy sss.is..ster and I...cl...app...clap...them" one of the girls said through chattering teeth. The other girl shuddered more severely but you could tell she really wanted to clap the dogs as well. "You poor things, your freezing" Melissa uttered. Without a single thought she unbuttoned her own coat and draped it around the first girl, the coat being far larger than her, while stripping off her wool cardigan. She draped the cardigan over the second girl and simply smiled. Not a single change of her face showed that the extreme cold bothered her.

A few minutes passed and the elf would soon be handing out maps. "Thanks dwarf" Melissa muttered as she scanned the map. Pretty much the only thing she understood was where the starting position and ending positions where at. "Ugh...Pink coat, you understand any of this drivel?" Melissa uttered, adjusting her shirt.