There was something about the holiday season that didn't sit right with Blake, a feeling that bled through each and every holiday and left her feeling rather bitter while everyone else was cheery. As a faunus, one that had been with the White Fang for a number of years and who barely remembered her parents, any sort of festivity left her with a sense of loneliness that made her chest ache fiercely. When she had been with the Fang, there had been no time for holidays; every day had been a battle to survive, to find shelter, to fill their aching bellies…
Gift giving and carving turkeys hadn't been high on their list of priorities.
If there was one day that Blake despised though, it was Halloween. Being a faunus was bad enough, but to be a cat faunus with black ears on Halloween was… It was not a fun time.
Her teammates didn't understand. They thought she was being her introverted self, not wanting to participate in dressing up or going out to the Halloween party that Beacon was hosting for its students. Yellow eyes narrowed, pupils all but vanishing as Blake shifted back, away from her partner who was holding up a rather skimpy witch's dress in one hand, a pointed black hat sitting atop her blonde hair.
"C'mon Blake, trick or treat~" Yang sang, wiggling her fingers in Blake's direction. "You ditched out last year, you don't get to do it again."
"I don't see why not," Blake retorted, ears drawing flat and eyes shining with distaste. "I don't want to go, simple as that."
"Why not?" Weiss asked curiously from her spot on her bed where she was brushing her hair. Blake had been surprised the first year when the Schnee heiress of all people had deigned to participate in something as trivial as a Halloween dance, but from what she had understood of Weiss' childhood, she was just making up for lost time.
She still found it ironic that Weiss was going as a princess this year. Complete with tiara.
"Yeah, why not?" Ruby echoed, voice muffled from the fake plastic fangs she had in her mouth. Her signature cape was wrapped around her shoulders, and her hair plastered back with enough gel it would have made Neptune proud. "It's not the same if you don't come."
"Actually it will be the same seeing as I didn't go last year. I'm not interested." Figuring that to be the end of the discussion, Blake cracked her book back open, eyes lowering to the black font with exaggerated interest. Said book was quickly plucked from her hands, and Blake was hard pressed not to hiss in response, settling for an angry glare at her partner, who seemed none to pleased about the decision.
"You're coming and that's that, even if I have to carry you." The frown on Yang's face was neither cheerful nor playful. "You're not just gonna mope around the room all night, it's Halloween! Trick or treat, ding dong the witch is dead and all that jazz. They're even doing a pumpkin carving contest."
Blake cringed inwardly.
The sound of a throat clearing had both of them glancing over, the staring contest forgotten. Weiss was tapping her foot impatiently, arms crossed. "Forget it, Yang. You can't force her to come if she doesn't want to. We're going to be late at this rate."
Throwing her hands up in the air, Yang huffed out a 'whatever' and stormed out of the room, but not before giving Blake a dirty look. Weiss followed suit, giving Blake a small nod with Ruby trailing behind looking nearly identical to a kicked puppy.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Blake walked over and grabbed her book from where Yang had flung it, sinking back into her bed with the intention of finishing her book. Flipping back to the page she was at, she began to read.
Or tried to anyways.
Visions of Ruby's hurt face, Weiss' clear dismissal and Yang's anger haunted her, making it hard to concentrate. Guilt pooled in her stomach, making her feel nauseous. It took another fifteen minutes of rereading the same line over and over again before she conceded the battle. With a weary sigh, she set her book down gently on the covers beside her.
Surprisingly enough, it wasn't too hard to scrounge up a costume. Sifting though some clean white sheets, she managed to drape them across her body in such away that it looked almost regal, and after raiding both Yang's and Weiss' jewelry boxes, she had been rewarded with two thick golden bracelets, matching anklets, and a heavy bronze necklace. After a quick touch up to her makeup, her eyes were outlined with dark eyeliner, making the amber color stand out.
Perfect.
Blake stared at herself, frowning at the way her ears stood out. She was half tempted to hide them beneath her bow like the old days, but she hadn't done that since the end of her first year at Beacon and wasn't about to start again. Her school knew she was a faunus, and for the most part no one had cared except for people like CRDL.
Plus if her own team caught her binding her ears again, there would be hell to pay.
Resigned to what was inevitably going to happen, Blake slipped on a pair of rather fancy flat sandals that had straps criss-crossing all the way up her calf to just below her knee before making her way to the auditorium. The path there was devoid of life, something that Blake was grateful for. Even before she entered the building, she could hear the pounding of the music spilling out into the grounds, so once she pushed open the doors the sound nearly deafened her.
Her faunus ears flattened of their own volition, the beginnings of a headache starting. Still, there was no turning back. Blake moved through the crowd as if she were a ghost, nothing but a blur of white and gold as she slid past people with ease, eyes trained on a bright yellow mane and a blood red cloak. The three were taking a break from dancing, sitting around a table as they chatted.
It was Weiss that spotted her first, one eyebrow rising as their eyes met. The heiress smiled, saying something to Yang and Ruby before gesturing her way. The two sisters spun in unison, and Blake knew that she had made the right choice as Ruby's eyes lit up and Yang broke out into a wide grin.
"You came!" Yang exclaimed as soon as Blake stopped in front of them. "And you look fantastic! I didn't know you had a costume already!"
"I didn't." Blake was forced to nearly yell over the music. She held out her hands so that Yang could see the bracelets. "I just threw something together at the last minute, these are yours."
"Well they look great on you!"
Turning to Ruby, she could see that the girl was practically vibrating with excitement over the fact that she was here. "The team is complete once more!" Ruby cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "C'mon, let's go celebrate with punch and dancing!"
Despite the pounding in her skull, Blake nodded her head, and the next hour was filled with a whirlwind of dancing. All three of her friends were happy that she had joined them, as they proclaimed several times, and Blake was content to dance with each one of them as one song bled into the next. Finally once the latest song had ended, Blake withdrew from Weiss's arms and gestured towards Ruby, where she and Yang were more wrestling then dancing. "I need to take a break for a few minutes and get some air, why don't you join them?"
"Please," Weiss sniffed, lips twitching as she restrained a smile. "Those dolts? I'm chaperoning more than I am dancing, so hurry back."
Dipping her head in acknowledgment, Blake strode off, making a beeline for the door. The blast of fresh air was refreshing after having been in what felt like a sauna filled with sweaty teenagers, and Blake took great pleasure in leaning back against the cool wall. The headache had not gone away, and thanks to how loud the music was, there was a buzzing sound in her ears even now that she was outside.
She wondered how long she could stay out before her team began to worry that she had left them. Figuring she had a few minutes, she decided to take a quick stroll around the grounds to stretch her legs and enjoy the peaceful scenery before delving back into the mass of people once more.
It was only when a voice off to her right spoke that she realized just how far she had gotten from the dance. "Trick or treat, kitty cat. Nice costume."
Blake turned her head; a group of men stood there, none of whom were native to Beacon as they were definitely past the age of even the oldest student. They were in their mid-twenties, and the looks on their faces disturbed her even more than the leers she was receiving. Even from where she was standing, Blake could smell the alcohol wafting off of them, making her nose sting.
Cruelty shone in their eyes, glittering with malice and free of inhibition thanks to the (no doubt) multiple drinks they had already had.
A flash of fear shot through her, eyes glancing backwards automatically to safety. She was a huntress-in-training at one of the best schools in all of Remnant, but without her weapon, without her teammates, and with old voices of the past haunting her, she was nothing more than a scared little girl again.
Inhaling sharply, Blake flashed them a quick smile before turning around, intent on making her way back to the dance.
She hadn't made it more than two steps before a rough hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Stubble scratched at her cheek, and Blake was frozen to the spot as he spoke. "I said 'trick or treat'. You don't just brush me off, girlie. I gave you a compliment." The hand that wasn't gripping her wrist moved upwards, and Blake let out a pained hiss as meaty fingers yanked on her ear, sending sparks of pain through the sensitive appendage.
His reaction was immediate; Blake was shoved away so quickly she nearly fell to the ground. "She's one of them filthy mutts!"
Another man, taller and broader than the first (to the point that Blake wondered if he was on steroids) stepped forward, the look of loathing so apparent on his face that Blake flinched, ears pulling down towards her scalp. "Thought Beacon was too good for 'em mongrels." Before she could stand up, he grabbed her arm and yanked her up, holding tight.
"Musta lowered their standards somethin' fierce," a third spoke. Shaggy hair, clean shaven, a rather handsome face that would have been attractive if his features weren't so twisted with disgust. Blake took a step backwards, wishing that she had just stayed home. She should have known better.
A sickening grin came to Steroids-man. "You know what they say about black cats, dontcha, lads? Bad luck if ya cross one."
Oh no.
"We don't want no bad luck following us around," Stubbles muttered, eyeing her. "I think we should get rid of her."
No no no.
As the man's hand reached up to cover her mouth, Blake did the only thing she could think of: opening her mouth wide, she bit down as hard as she could on his hand, breaking skin thanks to her sharp canines. He let out a yell of pain, yanking his hand away before backhanding her. Blake saw it coming, but let it hit her and push her away from him, using the momentum to scramble away.
Then she turned and fled.
Her footsteps echoed down the sidewalk as she ran, her breath coming out in panicked gasps. Behind her she could hear the hooting and hollering of the men, cries of "c'mere kitty cat' and 'trick or treat, bitch!' following her. Blood dripped into her eye from where a ring on the man's hand had caught her.
So terrified was Blake that she didn't even notice when she passed the auditorium, and three separate blurs of yellow, white, and red. She did, however, notice when she came to a dead end, having run to the point where the school and the auditorium met, leaving her with nowhere else to run. Panting hard, she rested her forehead on the wall and tried to force her tears back.
This wasn't happening.
Not again.
A sharp sting to her side had her crying out, pain blossoming as the rock that hit her fell to the ground with a thud. "That was for my hand, you fucking bitch!" Another rock was thrown, but Blake had spun around, ducking so that it hit the bricks above her. The crack echoed through the small corridor.
Surrounded by walls on three sides and the men in front of her, Blake could only bare her teeth and snarl. If she had been thinking, if she had been smart, this would have been an easy fight. But she wasn't thinking, fear having overruled any semblance of logic long ago.
"If we take her ears away, does this mean we get good luck?" one of the men asked aloud.
"I dunno bro, but why don't we find out?"
It was only when a hand threatened to pull her ear off that she realized how close they had gotten. Letting out a cry of pain, Blake did her best to curl up and make herself a smaller target. She was certain her ear was going to rip off at any moment.
"Blake!"
Suddenly the hand on her ear was gone, and Blake no longer found herself pinned down. Gentle hands cupped her cheeks, and Blake could see silver eyes looking at her worriedly. Off to the side, Weiss was standing between her and the men, and Yang…
Yang looked every bit the furious witch, the air sparking before her and her eyes a murderous red. "What the fuck do you bastards think you're doing to my partner?" she asked quietly.
"We're gettin' rid of the bad luck!" Shaggy hair answered, voice slurring.
"Bad luck?" Yang echoed.
"Yeah! Black cats 'nd Halloween, ya know?" Stubbles said, gesturing towards her. "Gotta get rid of 'em."
Beside her she could hear Ruby gasp, the smaller girl trembling against Blake. It was probably the first time she had ever actually seen her leader so angry; Ruby was glaring at the three men, eyes hard and mouth set in a firm line.
Yang scowled, the glow around her casting shadows along the brick wall. "Wrong answer."
Blake turned her head, unable to watch as the sound of skin hitting skin reached her ears, the scent of copper filling the air. It was only when Ruby let out a sharp "enough, Yang!" that it stopped, small groans of pain coming from the trio that were currently bleeding onto the concrete.
Crimson eyes met hers, and Blake fought to keep from dropping her gaze as Yang stared at her. Slowly, the red bled away until all that was left was lilac, albeit several shades darker than normal. "You're bleeding," Yang said roughly, her fingers touching Blake's temple and coming away red. "Those fucking assholes. I oughta kick their ass some more."
"That won't help matters, Yang," Weiss huffed. Kneeling down, she tore a strip from the bottom of her dress and dabbed it lightly against the wound, ignoring Blake's soft protest about ruining her costume. "Please, Blake. Like I care about a silly dress at this moment. Just… Just let us help."
"What're you even doing here?" Blake croaked, eyes closing as Weiss wiped away the ruined mascara, taking caution not to get any in her eyes.
"We were worried," Ruby murmured. Opening one eye halfway, Blake could see the small redhead wringing her hands, looking ready to cry. "You were gone for so long, we were wondering if you were okay, or if you had gone back to the dorm without telling us."
"Oh…"
"Is that… Is that why you didn't want to come out with us?" Ruby asked, voice quiet as if she was trying to keep from startling Blake. "What those guys said, about black cats and Halloween.."
Blake nodded slightly, trying to ignore the way her friends stared at her. Looking past them, she could see the unconscious forms of the men that had chased her. "It happens to lots of faunus, not just me, but if you're a cat faunus then… it's always worse. There are always people like them that think it's a joke and try to.. Sacrifice us."
Three gasps were heard in unison, and when Blake glanced back at her teammates, she was surprised to see just how horrified they looked. Weiss in particular seemed to have paled several shades, small hands balled into fists.
"Blake," Yang said tentatively. "I-We didn't know, I swear. I-"
"I know, Yang. It's okay." Blake gave her a weary smile. "I know you were just trying to get me to have fun, and I did until.. well… this." She made to stand up, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Tilting her head up, she could see Ruby unfastening her cloak. "What're you-"
"Your costume is kinda… coming undone," Ruby said, cheeks turning pink. Blinking, Blake dropped her gaze and nearly died. While she had been running, the knots she had used to tie the sheets around herself had loosened, and one end of the cloth was now draped loosely down her side, exposing her bra.
The flap of fabric drew her attention just before Ruby's cloak settled around her front like a blanket, protecting her from view. "There, now you don't have to worry," Ruby mumbled shyly. The leader shared a gaze with Yang and Weiss, nodding as they all seemed to come to the same conclusion. "Let's head back home."
Blake's eyebrows furrowed together. "You don't want to go back to the dance? I can handle myself from here now that they're… out of the picture."
She nearly flinched at the three angry glares that were sent her way. "I think we all agree that your safety is paramount, Blake," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "What kind of teammates would we be if we were to just let you wander off along after what just occurred?"
"What she said." Yang.
"Yeah!" Ruby.
Blake found herself hefted up suddenly by strong arms, letting out a soft cry of protest. "Put me down, Yang!"
"No can do, partner." A grin was her answer, although even as Yang spoke, Blake could see the worry lurking in those lilac eyes of her. "I'm not letting you go. You and me, we're gonna head back to the dorm and I'm gonna take care of your head and get you all cleaned up, okay?"
"What are we, chopped liver?" Weiss' voice echoed, along with the tapping of her heel on the ground. "While you were off smashing those brutes into the ground, I put in a call to Vale's police department. Someone will be along shortly to collect them."
Just the thought of the flashing red and blue lights made Blake feel ill. "Can we go before they get here?" she pleaded. The police department had never thought well of her kind, and she had had one two many run ins with them to be anything other than wary.
She could see the way Weiss hesitated, obviously battling the proper procedure of sticking around to give statements versus what she knew would make Blake feel better.
"Why don't we all just head back," Ruby said, breaking the silence. "It's not like they don't know who you are since you called it in, Weiss. And these guys aren't going anywhere. I'm… pretty sure their legs are broken."
"Broken," Yang confirmed when Ruby glanced at her. "Jerks aren't going anywhere."
"Annnyyway, despite Yang's… maiming, I'm sure we can make statements tomorrow. For now, why don't we just head back and get Blake taken care of. Then we can all get comfy and watch spooky movies and eat candy until we barf."
"Gross, Rubes."
"Heathen."
"That sounds perfect, actually," Blake whispered, drawing the attention back to her. "I just want to lay down right now." She was tired. So tired. Resting her head on Yang's shoulder, she curled up under Ruby's cloak as best as she could. Yang smelled nice, and Ruby's scent was still embedded into the fabric of her cloak.
Blue eyes softened, and Weiss gave a slight nod. "Alright. Statements tomorrow, sleepover tonight."
"Yeah! Official Team RWBY Halloween Sleepover is a go!" Ruby cheered. Yang grinned, shifting Blake in her arms before beginning the short trek back to the dormitories. Ruby and Weiss flanked each side, and if a high heel stepped on someone's chest, or a boot kicked a shoulder, no one said anything.
An hour later and everyone was relaxing on Blake's bed, having changed out of their costumes the minute they had gotten in. Weiss and Yang had doctored Blake's wounds despite her protests that she was fine.
There had been a lot of anger and a few sparks of flame when they had found out about the rocks.
But for now, everything was peaceful. Currently Blake was resting against Yang's front with the brawler's arms wrapped around her, chin resting between Blake's cat ears, occasionally reaching up to give them a gentle rub. Ruby was on her left, head on Blake's shoulder and arm thrown across her stomach protectively, and Weiss was on her right, one hand resting on Blake's thigh. No one spoke, the room silent except for the sounds coming from the small tv that rested on the dresser as the main actress was chased around by the axe murderer.
As terrible as the evening had gone, Blake found herself despising Halloween just the slightest bit less.