It was the season to be jolly... Well it would have been if said person were stuck on a rather depressing island with a train-a-holic, a negative pink haired ghost girl and the biggest grump-cat in the world. Trouble sat in the library by the fire place letting the warm lighting cheer up her mood. That and she was trying his hand at making a Christmas sweater. Personally, she thought it was going rather well actually. A cheeky grin as she worked in the peace and quiet. Zoro was out, well training, Mihawk was watching over like a good teacher and Perona... Well she didn't care really were all of them were. They were leaving her be and not bringing down her cheery Christmas spirit.
Trouble's short gray hair was style and spiked slightly to one side, two matching pointed ears with straight long tuffs at the tips twitched with concentration. The flames of the warm fire danced in the Iris blue eyes as they scanned over her work carefully making sure she didn't make a mistake. Odd little orange marking to highlight them on her skin like warpaint. Even her tongue was pinned down between her teeth being softly chewed when she reached the more difficult parts. She couldn't help but feel like she was at home from the life she had as a kid. She knew is wasn't true. They were just a pleasant thought that clouded her mind this time of year. Simple happy thoughts that made her smile.
Her quiet time was interrupted however with the sound of the door to the library opening. She sighed softly her ears lower with the sound as she hid her work behind a pillow on the chair she was in. Picking up the book on the table by her side she opened it to a random page and read a few lines. It was a book a few times she had read in her travels. So she knew the story well enough to recite it. If you were going to trick the eyes of the Hawk you had to be cunning. In came the three mood killers, Preona claiming that it was too cold in the castle, Zoro dusting off the snow from his clothes moving to rest by the fire to meditate and Mihawk, who spared Trouble but a glance before moving to his chair by the fire.
Removing his hat, he poured himself a glass of red wine, "Haven't you grown bored of that book by now Bobcat?"
Mihawk had the annoying habit of calling her by her Pirate name. She hated it. She wasn't a Bobcat Lynx, she was a Northern Lynx*. Bobcats were smaller more lanky in appearance than the Northern Lynx. They had a brighter coat too. Northern Lynxes were fluffy with large paws to better trek across snow and ice with grey, black and white coats to blend in with their terrain.
She flicked her ears with irritation, "Haven't you grown bored of asking that question?"
He smirked and sipped his wine. He admired her back bone, very few had the bravery to talk to him, let alone reply with snarky remarks. He looked over the creature that made a show of ignoring his gaze. She wasn't a lean just like her Zoan fruit suggested. She was sturdy with powerful muscles that were used to chase down prey in thick snowfall. Bright eyes with large pupils to collect all the light they could. Pale skin that was covered with a long grey scarf with golden initials of T.S. in the corner, a open jacket that had a grey leopard pattern with an plain golden yellow shirt underneath, and comfy thick grey track pants with gold stripes going down either side of the seams. His marveling was cut short however by a whine of Perona.
"Hawkeye, I'm cold and hungry! What is for dinner?" griped the pink princess.
He took another sip of his wine, "And what am I do to about it?"
"Make me something!" she wailed causing Mihawk to turn a glare to her, "...Please..."
Mihawk turned his gaze back front, "We have very little to cook with and hunting well do us no good in this snow storm."
Trouble stood with a huff as she closed her book, setting it on the table once more. She turned heading out of the room walking with a lazy stride.
"And where are you going?" Perona tilted her head along with the two men watching her.
"To put an end to your whine. I am sure Hawkeye could find some nice cheese to go with it," and with that she was out of sight.
Zoro let out a laugh at at the girl's expense as Mihawk cracked a smile.
~Time Skip brought by Snow Crunching Footsteps.~
She stalked through the thick snow fall down wind of a herd of deer. She blended masterfully into the wind swirling flakes and thick white foliage. She had her eyes locked onto a large proud stag that was standing over his herd. She inched closer every so gently shifting with the wind and snow as the beast flickered its ears. In the twinkling of an eye, all hell let lose. She shot across the sun in a beginning of a big chase, the herd broke off scattering wildly as she stayed on the large stag she selected. They leapt through the deep snow, Trouble closing in as she took tighter corners aiming to keep up with the creature built more sprints. The poor beast only seeing yellow, the colour of fear with the Lynx closing in.
Both animal where running up a large snow bank, the stag beginning to pull again of the shorter legged creature. The creature suddenly jumped then bellowed as it began to fall. Trouble saw it wasn't a snow bank but a cliff handing over a frozen lake. She skid and slid trying to come to a stop, she knew a drop this high would only stain the ground with her guts. She found herself front claws clinging into the snow as her hind legs tried to find traction in the cliff face to pull herself up. Cha-Tawnk! The sound echoed on the ice below her but she didn't dare look down. She knew if she did she would panic more. Trouble was brave against many things; blood thirsty pirates, 'justice' fueled marines, spiders! But heights, no. Trouble was built for staying close to the surface, not dangling off the edge of it. She snarled and ground trying to claw her way back but. She finally let out a roar of pure fear and frustration.
~With our three Jolly-Killers.~
Perona was floating about the room, bored out her mind waiting for Trouble to come back with food. She floated just above the Lynx's chair arms folded across her chest. She frowned deeply before kicking out.
"What is taking her so long? I am starving!" she sent a pillow to the floor with the action.
Mihawk didn't lift his gaze from The Bobcat's favourite book she left behind, "Hunting is not an easy task. Less so in a snow storm, even one as mild as this. Try to show some patience."
The ghost princess frowned and lowered her gaze down and caught a glimpse of the ugly sweater that was once hidden. She let out a banshee's screech and shot away from the chair faster than a bullet. Zoro frowned opening his eyes breaking his meditation to glare at where the girl was not a second before. He then blinked softly potting the knitwear. He stood, moving to pick it up and cracked a smirk looking at it.
"I forgot, it is all most Christmas..." He tilted his head looking at the rather ugly design.
Perona peaked out from a bookshelf, "Burn it! Its so ugly! How could someone so stylish make something so un-cute!?"
Mihawk lifted his eyes to study the sweater in the making, "... It is rather unsightly..."
Zoro frowned at them, "It is meant to be. Every year Trouble makes what she calls an Ugly Sweater from Christmas. It was a tradition of her home." He looked back to the handy work, "This one has to be the best one yet... I still have the one she made for me on the Sunny."
Mihawk smirked, "Really?"
Zoro glared at him, "They aren't for wearing unless you wish to. They are very good on cold nights alright?"
Mihawk looked back to the sweater when suddenly a muffled wind carried roar made it way to his ears. He stood calmly with a word as he gather up his sword and coat. He began walking out not speaking a word to the two guests of his house. He simple remained calm and headed out into the frigid air of his island.
~Time Skip brought by a gush of cool wind carrying snowflakes.~
Troubles claws dragged on the ground as she was losing grip. Truth be told it was her fault, her claws were wearing and tearing from trying to find ground. It was painful clawing at stone she decided. Fleck of red adorned the snow that hand been scrapped to the sides in her effects. She was on her last leagues, she wasn't giving up though. But try and try as she might, gravity was a force of nature few could fight against. She closed her eyes as she slipped into the air. If was almost peaceful, she felt fly through her fur. It was cool, calming, almost like a gentle breeze of her home village hidden in the mountain's port. Suddenly a loud sickening pop and mind blinding pain shot through her.
She bellowed out in a great roar as her free paw swung and dug deep onto the limb that had caught her. A grunt sounded above her and began pulling her to safety. She was heaved onto the snow and dragged away from edge by the scruff of her neck. She huffed carefully creaking open her eyes finding a pair of double strapped black boot before her. She lifted her gaze to meet the burning honey eyes most men feared in the world. Mihawk was staring down at her with a stoic face.
"You have a dislocated shoulder," his voice only was slightly breathless.
She closed them, "It is a small prince compared on how it could have turned out... Thank you."
He knelt down slinging her gently across her shoulder like she was a kill. She gave a slight growl of discomfort but didn't complain. They began there slow trek back to the safety and warmth of his castle. Her eyes were beginning to droop. She nestled gentling into his warmth.
"Mihawk," her voice was drowsy, gravel like in his ear.
He gave a small hum of acknowledgement.
"There is a deer on the ice below... If it is still one one piece you can use that to shut the Negative Princess up..." and with that she drifted off to sleep on the hawk's shoulders.
He gave a shadow of a smirk, "It would be wasteful to not at least look."
~Time Skip brought by a welcoming fire and the smell of milk tea.~
Trouble laid before the fire, still in her lynx form. She was lounging like a cat on a rug. She was curled tight around herself protecting her fixed shoulder that was now bandaged to help restrict movement. Mihawk was cooking the the kill of the day in the kitchen unable to protect the feline from the question of her two fellow house guests.
"Seriously, Trouble, what the hell happened? I know that deer hit you. You're to quick for that," Zoro tried again.
"Drop it already..." she grumbled not opening her eyes to greet them with her Iris gems.
"... Maybe she ran into a rock?" Perona suggested.
"Maybe I tripped by a pink annoying fog or a thick headed green tree," Trouble growled beginning to bare her teeth.
They both spoke at once, "What was that?!"
"Children, leave her be... Almost falling off a cliff has made her grumpy," Mihawk walked in carrying the plates of food.
He sat down the food for Zoro and Perona to eat at a small table set up in the room. They both blinked and looked to Trouble who was in turn glaring at Mihawk not looking at them. They both huffed knowing they will get nothing else at the moment and moved to eat. Mihawk moved to his chair by the fire that was by her side. He sat then bent down lowering a dish of chopped venison with a nice sauce in from of Trouble. She sniffed carefully before sitting up to eat.
Mihawk spoke in a soft tone not heard over arguing teens at the table a few metres away, "That ugly sweater you were making..."
Trouble froze just before she went to take a bite of her food.
".. It is too large for you and the shape it wrong for your shape," he had a knowing smirk.
She frowned and gaze a huff, "Don't let it go you your head..." She took a bite ending the conversation.
He gave a light chuckle and rubbed one of her ears. Picking up her book he kept reading where he left off. After all, deep down, the Hawk had a weakness for cats...