RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

Wow, two Freezerburn Weeks in one year? I could get used to this!

Sorry about missing that work I promised for Halloween; it ended up coming out worse than I would've prefer and, to be honest, I don't think most of you guys would've enjoyed it (a bit too much damage to team relations and psychological horror, all without a happy ending). I will, however, be writing for Freezerburn Week this month, as well as Monochrome Week next February and Bee's Schnees Week on whatever week it is next year. Most other WIPs are on hold because of other reasons including, but not limited to, sheer procrastination and life kicking into high gear.

December 11th: Alone Together


The smog hung heavy high above the old town of Patch, the setting sun able to just about burn through the dark cover to shine along the shoreline. Each wood and log building, having stood for hundreds of years, showed signs of damage from the smoke still crawling its way through the sky, belched out by the factories of Vale City only a couple dozen miles away as workers bustled in from the nearby train station.

The Crystaltree Inn was nowhere near a major stop for those returning from their harsh days at the manufacturing and coal plants. Yet everybody in Patch felt obligated to give the old tavern its fair share of business, even if the local wine tasted like piss.

A certain Miss Xiao Long was forever thankful for her customers' patronage.

Service was never booming (heck, a rush hour was rare in this tiny, forgotten village) but at least the tips were decent. She'd pretty much memorized everyone's routine and favorite meal, down to the point that they only had to wave her down as soon as they entered for her to jot down their menu and send it to the kitchen for an early prep. Blake was sitting at her piano, playing another tune she'd made over the weekend, a small jar filled of coins left on a stand nearby. The songs were never the same, but they all had a similar feeling that the blonde could only associate with Patch since the Faunus had moved there.

It was a familiar atmosphere that she'd known for over a decade now.

Thus, when a young woman sporting a form-fitting black suit, accenting her flowing locks of frost, barged her way through the main entrance and stood tapping a hole in the welcome mat with a rage-filled scowl, Yang was at a loss.

She greeted the stranger in haste, beckoning her over to a less intrusive part of the restaurant where her mutterings didn't disturb the other patrons through the sheltered booths. As Yang brought out some water for the customer, she almost found herself lost in the image before her: lit by the bleeding orange sun shining in from the window, a breath-taking masterpiece with marble-like features for such pale skin. A beautiful, almost sculptured, figure sat before her, hair tinted bronze and lush despite the mild evidence of dishevel, all topped off with an adorable pout (despite that ever-persistent glower clear within her crystalline eyes) across the face cupped in her hand. The phrase 'gorgeous' came to mind but she pushed it away; now was not the time to be caught staring, she had a job to do.

The clearing of her throat brought the glare up towards her and she would've been lying if it hadn't made her falter a bit. Nevertheless, she pressed on, setting the cold beverage in front of the customer that only managed to distract the suffocating rage for a few seconds.

"Good evening, miss. My name is Yang and I'll be y-your waiter tonight." She didn't mean to stutter but the other woman had narrowed her eyes, the intensity of the look spiking.

She remained composed though. One day, she would be speaking in front of the country's council; if she couldn't handle one angry visitor, there was no place in politics for her.

"What would you like to start out with?"

"Whatever's at the top of the menu, I guess."

Even as she jotted down that night's special, the comment had her mind moving. There was something in this woman's voice that seemed… she couldn't really put her finger on it, but there was a layer of sheer fatigue, as though she's resigned herself to Yang's confidence.

Yet…

…somewhere within that layer, there was a twinge of self-deprecation. However, it was so faint that she felt as though she'd imagined it.

"Of course. Is that all, Miss…?"

"Weiss. Just call me Weiss." With that, the white-haired girl leveled her gaze back at the glass next to her.

As she scurried back to the kitchen with the order, picking up empty trays along the way and waving greetings to many of the, now distant, friends she'd made over the years, Yang's mind began to work over the situation.

Okay, a young, likely rich, business lady that isn't from around here. Did she come in from the city? Why stop in Patch, of all places?

Of course, she personally felt that the town was beautiful, especially in the early hours of the evening when Vale's smog had finally faded away just enough for a picturesque scene of warm colors to pour over the forested landscape, waves lapping gently at the bay's shoreline. Even so, Patch wasn't exactly a wealthy town itself, much less a tourist hot-spot.

Why here, then?

When she returned with the meal, she noticed Weiss gazing out the window. Her eyes were… much softer than they had been before. The glass of water in front of her looked as though it hadn't even been touched. Clearing her throat, Yang sparked the girl's angry glare back to life, snapping back in her direction as she placed the order down in front of her customer.

"Is there anything else you'd like? Maybe something to drink? We have a great selection of wine in the back."

The words gave the businesswoman pause. For a second, she opened her mouth, as though she had a witty retort prepared, before looking back at the plate set before her.

"No, that's… quite alright."

Bringing her hands behind her back and giving a polite bow, Yang began to turn back towards the main bar, only to catch a faint whisper behind her.

'I'm such an idiot…'

Heels clacked to a stop. Looking back over her shoulder, the blonde took only a second to consider her words.

"Want to talk about it?"

Blue eyes went wide. She didn't look up, her frown still in place, but pinched the bridge of her nose as her face scrunched up.

"…I supposed that would do some good."

A soft smile breaking out on her lips, Yang returned to the kitchen and ended her shift, changing back into her gown and picking up a bottle of their best whiskey with nothing more than a wave from her boss Junior, who seemed rather busy reading through the local newspaper.

When she sat down right across from Weiss, the smaller girl's shoulders jumped. She looked up, gapping, as the blonde popped the cork off and pour out two large glasses, leaving one in the middle of the table, her left hand holding it in place, while she started sipping from the other.

"So. I suppose you have a story?" She winked. "Not many people visit Patch unless they're looking for some good carpentry wears."

Still somewhat shocked, the white-haired woman glanced at the glass set out before her, her hand on the edge of the counter clenching a bit. Her lips pursed and the scowl returned. "I don't have any business in this ransack town. I just…"

Her words fell away, as did her gaze. Yang patiently waited for the other woman to continue on, a small but encouraging grin gracing her features. Azure bore into lilac, but the waitress held firm until the businesswoman found herself breaking off, looking down as a light blush came across her nose.

Having her first chance to observe without fear of getting her nose bitten off, Yang's gaze raked over the shorter girl. The fine tailoring of the suit screamed Atlas, the rich neighborhood closer to the city, serving to confuse the blonde even more.

What's this little sugar cube's story? What's she doing so far into rural country?

"I…"

"Hmmm?"

The glazed eyes squeezed shut as Weiss balled up her fists.

"ImissedmytrainstopbecauseIendedupdrinkingalittletoomuchginalright?"

Yang blinked once. Then again. Then she bursted into laughter.

There weren't too many people still in the inn this late and most of them knew her so she didn't feel embarrassed for making the commotion, though Blake did stop her tune just long enough to shoot her own amber glare in her direction.

The other girl, however, was absolutely mortified. She brought up her hands to hide her face, not wanting to see the confused stares of strangers she knew she was getting due to the golden-maned buffoon she'd allowed to sit with her.

When her laughter died down into chuckles, Yang wiped a tear that had built upon under her eye with a sigh of content. The irony of bringing out alcohol to fix the girl's problem was not lost on herself. "So, let me get this straight: you managed to miss your stop on the train because you were too drunk to think straight?"

However, despite the teasing tone in her voice and the smirk she'd prepped, as she'd been expecting another withering glower, she felt her own face fall as Weiss brought her hands down to her lap, looking at her empty plate with a clear frown laced with melancholy.

"Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to…" Her words fell away from her lips as she took in the sight before her, the smaller girl looking back out the window.

Guilt moved to take the breathless place that laughter had occupied in her chest a moment ago. True, it was rather hilarious that this lady's story of frustration was nothing simpler than a little drunken mishap, but she had offered to help.

Then let's get on with that part, shall we? Just like any other customer, Yang; you're here to make her smile.

no, you're here to do more than that.

Taking a silent breath, she brought out her kindest grin, the diplomatic one she saved for emergency situations, and reached out to tap Weiss's hand. The woman almost jolted again, the glare returning only to be chased off a second later.

"Hey, there's no worry. I get it. Life doesn't always go the way you want it to, but… well, I guess I haven't followed my own advice, but you can always find someone to shoulder through it alongside you." Her shoulders slumped, her smirk managing to go even more lopsided. "I know everyone in this tiny town but I'm probably not as close to them as you'd expect. Ever since my little sis Ruby headed off to the city, Blake's really the only one I could go to when I was dealing with heavy stuff, but even then, I tended to hold back a lot." She found her own gaze shift over to the ocean out the window, staring across the bay at the rolling hills on the other shore, covered in thick spruce that just barely concealed the setting sun against the dusking sky.

After a few moments of silence, she looked back across the table to find an unexpected sight. There was no hostility, no annoyance or frustration or haughty expression to be found. Only surprise, clear and palpable as eyelashes fluttered and the blue eyes she'd become rather familiar with gazed back.

She looked… almost touched.

And maybe even a little bit charmed.

Another small chuckle left her lips as she took a second to move a golden strand out of her face.

"You know, this place is pretty run-of-the-mill, but I bet you if you spend some time looking, you'll find a few hidden gems." She couldn't help the wave of excitement that passed through her, choosing not to acknowledge the heat that came to her cheeks.

For the first time, Yang saw something she never thought she would less than a minute ago.

Weiss was smiling.

And it was just as beautiful as she thought it would be.

A dainty arm drew up and reached out to take the unoccupied glass, fingers lightly ghosting over Yang's own.

"That sounds… that sounds nice."