Disclaimer: The rest of the trip around Halloween Town. Fluffiness and shenanigans ahead.

Roman massaged his temples, doing his best not to verbalize the mounting frustration welling in his chest. Being sent off on a fool's errand? Annoying, but all fine and good, considering the payoff. If they could truly put a little fear into the Black Cat, well, that was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, and certainly worth a few inconveniences.

But this? He was a several millennia-old vampire, damnit, not some mortal child to be coddled!

Yet, here he was, being carried by a creature half his size, because she didn't make noise when descending the treacherous stone stairway into the caves beneath Halloween Town. He could walk on walls, true, but the sound of his footsteps would echo where she could be, well, the Silence.

The practicality of it all didn't soothe his wounded pride in the least.

Rather than continue his own internal ranting, though, Roman kept himself focused on the task at hand, peering through the darkness to spy their targets. The great Black Cat was leading the way, of course, with her companion tucked up next to her, the Snow Spirit showing at least a little apprehension about the long drop into the tar pits far, far below. But that wasn't the same as fear, which he found slightly odd in such a creature. If she was truly one from another plane, he would think she would react the same as most mortals when confronted with the place where nightmares lived, but that wasn't the case. Just the opposite; she was adjusting quite well.

As Neo came to a stop, he frowned, allowing himself to be carefully set near the ledge so he could peer over with his accomplice, watching the scene thanks to the glow of the jack-o'-lanterns their targets held. Gambol Shroud, the only one of their number apparently aware of the tag-a-longs, tilted its head to look up at them, seemingly unconcerned that there was an audience to whatever was going on down below.

Blake watched as the Snow Spirit cautiously raised her lantern, allowing the dim glow to confirm they were standing at the bottom of the stairway, overlooking a seemingly bottomless chasm. Only by the power of her enhanced vision could the Black Cat make out the pillars hewn from rock that held up Halloween Town in the darkness beyond their little outcropping. Given how tightly Weiss was clinging to her arm, she wasn't keen on getting close enough to see them with her own eyes, though.

"So... is this where you found him?" She leaned back, quite content to stick close to Blake's side on the narrow ledge. The cutback to get down to this point was difficult enough to traverse that she seemed disinclined to move any further away.

Not that either of them were complaining, of course.

"Well, the first time Yang got stuck in the tar pits at the bottom of the chasm, I accidentally knocked him in while trying to get her out." That was, what, back in her first decade? It had been a long while. "I got him out and cleaned him up to apologize and he followed me home. After that, he took up residence in the house, and I didn't mind having a roommate."

"How magnanimous of you." Letting go of the Black Cat's arm for the first time since they left the pumpkin patch, Weiss offered her hand to the bat, suppressing a giggle as his little claws scrabbled for a good hold on her smooth skin. Eventually, he settled for hanging from her finger for a moment before letting go, spreading his wings and soaring into the darkness, squeaking out a greeting.

Anticipating what would happen next, the Queen of Halloween wrapped her free arm around the woman's shoulders, ears flicked forward as the answering squeaks of the other bats grew into a cacophony of sound, hundreds of wings beating as the entire colony awoke. In the next second, they swooped low, creating a whirlwind around the two while exchanging excited chatter; it was very rare for any to venture all the way down to the bottom of the caves to visit them. Almost immediately, Weiss pressed against her side, arm wrapping around the Black Cat's waist to keep them steady as the bats continued their squeaky greeting, flying up towards the cave mouth to enjoy the night en mass. All except Cecil, who calmly returned, landing himself in Blake's hair, just between her ears.

"That was interesting," Weiss said, a slight tremor to her voice. Though startled, the Snow Spirit recovered quickly enough, her cheeks dusted with a faint blush as she made no move to pull away. "Is that normal?"

"Whenever they meet someone new, generally." She chuckled, suddenly seized by the compulsion to brush a kiss against the woman's forehead. "Don't worry; they like you."

"Or they're just scared of you."

"Well, this one certainly isn't." Blake frowned as she felt her hair getting pulled, the bat trying to scramble around for some reason. "I think he's mad I took his spot."

With a thoughtful frown, the Snow Spirit reached up, managing to brush her fingers along Cecil's head and body. "Come now, you can share for a little while, right? Be nice to her." Although the Black Cat didn't actually think it would work, she was pleasantly surprised to find the bat calm down, settling himself in a way that was at least less annoying that tugging on her hair. Any thoughts as to the inconvenience, however, flew from her mind as those nimble fingers briefly danced along the edge of one of her cat ears, causing it to flick involuntarily. She'd never had someone touch them before; it was a surprisingly pleasant sensation. "Is that better?"

"Much," she replied, tightening her embrace briefly. "Thank you, Weiss."

With a soft laugh, she pushed herself up a little, brushing her lips against Blake's jaw. "Anytime."

They stood there, in the dark quiet of the cave, with nothing but the lanterns' glow illuminating them. In that moment, the Queen of Halloween wondered if the sensation in her chest- the one that made her feel warm and brimming with newfound energy- really had anything to do with discovering something new in Christmas Town, or if it was coming entirely from the woman beside her. It certainly seemed to make itself known when those blue eyes sparkled just so, filled with something she couldn't quite articulate. Craning her neck down- and absently thankful Cecil wasn't actively trying to make things any more difficult- Blake pressed their lips together in a mistletoe kiss, nevermind the plant was nowhere to be found in Halloween Town. It just felt... right. Like it was the thing she was supposed to do, and the woman seemed inclined to think the same, leaning into the kiss just as much.

"WHENEVER YOU TWO ARE DONE BEING WEIRD, A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE GREAT!"

Weiss startled slightly at the voice, even though both of them recognized who it belonged to instantly. Turning her head to peer over the ledge herself, the Black Cat was unsurprised to see a very aggravated Clown glaring up at them, red eyes smoldering.

"You have horrible timing."

"I'VE LITERALLY BEEN STUCK IN HERE ALL DAY! LECTURE ME SOME OTHER TIME, BLAKE, AND GET ME OUT NOW!"

Of course, she had no intention of abandoning her friend, but she wasn't sure which irked her more: being forced to leave Weiss alone while she went down to help Yang or the fact that Cecil reclaimed his spot at the first opportunity.

Roman tilted his head, a frown touching his lips. Such mortal gestures weren't often exchanged among the monsters of Halloween Town but they weren't entirely alien to the older ones, those who were mature enough to bide their time rather than going for the easy scare. Millennia of observing Humans- even if it was for only one night a year- had imparted a considerable amount of knowledge regarding such rituals to the Vampire, but he'd never seen anyone try to recreate them here in Halloween Town.

He turned to look at Neo who, though centuries younger than him, seemed equally confused.

Worse than trying to piece through what they'd just witness, now he had to figure out a way to explain it to the others.

If it was anyone else, he'd call the whole thing a wash and quit with his skin intact.

But for the chance to scare the Black Cat, he could stick it out a little longer.

The Twisted Clown stomped ahead of them, muttering darkly as she tried her best to dislodge the tar still stuck in her hair. Despite Yang's anger, her friend was fairly confident it would only be a matter of time before she regained her good humor. It was most likely entirely dependent on how long it took to free her golden mane of the dark clumps, of course, but that was neither here nor there; the Mayor had gotten into enough rows with the blonde by this point that there wouldn't be any lingering bad blood between them. Just a promise of payback.

"Are you sure she's alright?" Weiss whispered, watching the raging Clown with a tight lipped frown, brows furrowed ever so slightly. "I can't help but feel responsible..."

While being pulled from the tar pit. Yang had accidentally let slip just who was responsible- ultimately- for her predicament, causing the Snow Spirit to feel guilty over the whole exchange. While she couldn't really blame her friend for divulging the information, Blake was also mentally kicking herself for not explaining things fully.

"You shouldn't; if anyone is to blame, it's me. I should've taken your advice earlier and talked to the Mayor myself." The Black Cat scratched behind one ear. Ever since she'd helped the Clown out of the tar pit, she hadn't been able to initiate contact with her companion, who'd spent the first part of the journey back hearing the full story and the second half fretting quietly while watching Yang slowly calm down. Cecil had apparently taken Weiss' side in the meantime, his beady eyes glaring accusingly at Blake. "I honestly didn't expect for things to go that far. It was only for a night."

"Oh, sure, you think Salem has so much patience, of course you do..." The blonde descending into muttering again, shaking her leg vigorously to dislodge the hardened cast of tar currently surrounding it.

"At any rate, I apologize for my hand in this mess-"

Almost immediately, Yang whirled around, expression set into one of complete and utter seriousness as she jabbed a finger at the Snow Spirit. "Oh no, no, no, you don't get to apologize!" The finger moved, this time indicating the Black Cat. "Do you even know how long it's been since the last time she came down to visit the colony? Or the last time she spooked the twins? We're finally getting our Blakey back; you don't get to be sorry about causing it!" Flicking her hair over her shoulder, the blonde turned around and continued walking, doing her best to pick the tar out without sacrificing her luscious mane. "If it means I have to take a bath in the tar pits every couple days, then fine, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna complain about it, too. Seriously- do you have any idea how long it'll take to get this gunk out of my hair?"

While the Clown kept up her grumbling, the Queen of Halloween watched her companion out of the corner of her eye, the jack-o'-lantern's glow illuminating her features. The warmth was back in her cheeks, which brought out the deeper hues of blue in her eyes, but once again Blake found herself wishing she could spend more time in Christmas Town, where her features were as naturally pale as her element. Then again, when Weiss looked her way, placing a hand on her forearm, she couldn't find much to complain about here, either.

"You will make it up to her, won't you?"

"Absolutely." She shifted her arm to around her companion's shoulders, pleased when the Snow Spirit leaned into her side and Cecil miraculously managed not to protest. "We'll go down to the catacombs when she's calmed down; she always has fun down there."

"Wait, did you say what I think you just said?" Yang had whirled around, all traces of her former anger gone, for the most part. There was still a hint of red around her pupils but the wide grin she sported eclipsed it almost completely. "We haven't been down there in ages!"

"That certainly seemed to turn her attitude around." Weiss smiled, wrapping her arm around the Black Cat's waist in response.

She nodded as her lips curled into a brighter smile. "The skeletons should be rattling around by now. Would you like that to be our next stop?"

"While that sounds rather appealing..." The woman turned her head, pressing closer by the smallest amounts. "I'm afraid we haven't the time at present."

The Queen of Halloween had enough warning to brace herself before a heavy, thick miasma descended from a nearby rooftop, bearing one very angry Mayor, her blood red eyes bleeding into the thin red veins stretching across blackened skin. Salem was often the picture of evil authority but, when properly incensed, she was a level of terrifying that was a hair's breadth below Blake when she didn't try and nearly on par with Adam when he did. Despite the delightful prospect of a night spent among the skeletons, even Yang had fallen quiet and slunk back, showing proper respect and doing her best not to incite the Mayor once more. Blake, of course, merely came to a stop, watching Salem's approach with only a little agitation. Really, hadn't she dealt with enough interruptions and stragglers tonight?

"I see you've returned." Blake counted it in her favor that she seemed calm, even if the darkness swirling around her spoke of a rage that was typically only seen from Yang. "And how long will you be staying this time?"

"Just the night," Weiss replied, her voice steady despite the slight tang of anxiety in the air that had the Black Cat crinkling her nose in distaste. She pulled the woman in tighter to her side, trying to remind her that there was nothing to fear and mollified by the relaxing of her tense form that followed.

"Not you." Red eyes focused on the Snow Spirit for a moment. "Frankly, you can stay as long as you like, provided you can motivate her to do some work." Salem's gaze shifted to the real target of her ire. "Though I'm not sure anything can at this point."

"We still have over three hundred and sixty days before the next time we can even cross the plane." There was a touch of exasperation in her tone, one eyebrow raising in tandem with the hand still holding the jack-o'-lantern Weiss carved aloft. "But, have we done landscape carvings before?"

The writhing mass of darkness receded slightly as the Mayor leaned forward, inspecting the pumpkin with a critical eye. It wasn't much, but Blake could sense the slight unease that came with confronting the unfamiliar.

"... Explain."

"Imagine our usual army of jack-o'-lanterns, depicting horrible scenes and shifting images." A flick of her ears was enough to cause the one she held to morph, only going as far as eliciting a twitch from Salem before allowing it to revert back. "Weiss gave me the idea."

Once again, Salem's gaze drifted to the Snow Spirit, lingering for a moment before her eyes slid closed and she turned, a few ominous cracks heralding the switch back to Ozpin. The moment he was in control, he smiled, arms opened wide. "That is a splendid idea! Illusions of that magnitude can be tricky, but I've no doubt we can find something to make it work." He nodded tapping a finger against the cane that appeared from the lingering darkness. "Yes, the Witches could conjure a spell, or perhaps the Poltergeist can affect the change herself. The possibilities are limitless..."

"We can discuss the matter more tomorrow," Blake said, more than a little pleased she'd managed to send the Mayor off on a tangent so quickly. "We were about to head down to the catacombs."

"Excellent." Ozpin nodded, tapping his cane against the cobblestones as his mind raced. She could just imagine half-a-hundred ideas already forming behind those spectacles he wore. "Then I'll speak with you about it tomorrow." He bowed slightly to her, out of respect, and then to Weiss. "And, please, feel free to visit any time. We could benefit from some new ideas around here."

"Pragmatic as always." The Queen of Halloween watched him turn and leave, gently rubbing her companion's shoulder. "I'm surprised she found me so quickly."

Cat ears immediately laid back at the scrutiny she was suddenly under, blue eyes flashing. "Blake. Didn't I say we both had duties to attend to before I left? Did you not attend to yours?"

"Well, I, uh- I perhaps didn't attend to them as well as I should have-"

"Blake." Her tone was firm, though her expression softened, fingers splaying along the Black Cat's side. "Things will be difficult enough in Christmas Town with my father and sister breathing down our necks. I'd rather if we could enjoy our time together in Halloween Town."

Picking up on the guilt hidden beneath the words, she immediately ducked down, pressing a kiss to the woman's forehead. "I'll enjoy our time in Christmas Town just the same, as long as I'm with you, Weiss. But I promise I'll be better from here on out."

"Good." The Snow Spirit nodded, motioning with her jack-o'-lantern. "Now, the catacombs?"

"Right." With a smile, they both started walking again, though their pace was slowed as they took in the blonde's confused expression in tandem. Honestly, Blake had nearly forgotten the woman was there, having done her best to avoid drawing Salem's attention. "Yang? Are you okay?"

"I have no idea." Her brows were furrowed, a small frown on her lips, and she looked like she was puzzling over the greatest mystery to exist. "I'm kinda confused as to what I just witnessed."

Weiss looked between them in concern. "Which part?"

"Literally all of it." She gestured towards the pair. "I... I really don't know, but, uh, ya know... keep it up." Yang shook her head, blonde locks mostly free of dried tar and bouncing around her smiling face. "I don't get it, but, it's working, I think. So, yeah. Keep it up and let's go!" Yang turned, leading the way to their destination once again. "I haven't gotten to throw back a few marrow brews in decades. This is going to be great!"

As the trio went, Blake found herself thinking up more ideas to present to the Mayor, filing them away for later. She wanted to focus on ensuring Weiss got the most out of her second tour around Halloween Town, but she also was intent on maintaining her promise. Thankfully, the ideas were coming quickly, each one at least worth a second thought when she had the time, and they would only become even better once entrusted to Ozpin and Salem, one side or the other working their innate magic to turn fright into an art form. When they passed through the Hellgate, the iron swinging open for them automatically, the Queen of Halloween pushed the thoughts to the side for the time being and handed off her lantern to Yang. Although the Snow Spirit objected at first, the protests became halfhearted once she saw the pitch darkness awaiting them, the stairs hewn from crumbling rock difficult enough to traverse without the added limitation of being unable to see more than an inch past her nose.

Blake held her close and took each step with a smile, pleased by the lack of distress coming from the woman in her arms. As great as it felt to strike fear into others, being the source of comfort was strangely satisfying as well.

She could get used to it, in fact.

The catacombs were a dark, damp departure from the world above, where light only existed thanks to flickering flames of green, red, or blue, depending on the passageway chosen. According to some of the older skeletons, there used to be a path lined with purple that her predecessor spent ages exploring, the flames having snuffed out when she decided to pass. Blake had often considered looking for the lost passage when she was younger and especially after she grew disenchanted with the terror that was her birthright, but after a few fruitless attempts, she stopped. There was no telling what awaited her and Gambol Shroud was too stubborn to give any hints. Even now, the spectral cat just led the way down the tunnel lined with red flames, where the majority of creatures gathered in an ancient hall. Sometimes, the skeletons held gladiatorial fights there, batting away at each others structures only for both sides to reform once the battle was over. Usually, though, they were content to do what skeletons did best.

"Are they... are they dancing?" Weiss tilted her head, leaning forward as much as she could without upsetting the Black Cat's balance. Despite the way being lit for the last part of their journey, she hadn't demanded to be returned to her feet yet.

Something Blake was reluctant to do, honestly, but eventually had to, and looked towards the center of the hall, where the majority of the skeletons were knocking around to the rhythm of their band. Although mortals became terrified anytime they heard rattling bones, the monsters of Halloween Town associated the sound with the skeletons enjoying themselves. "They are. The catacombs usually host a party the week following our return from the mortal plane. Something about scaring humans gives them a lot of energy."

"And, they're really good!" Yang laughed, a wide smile on her face as she flicked the last piece of tar away. "Something about not having all the extra meat to move around makes them the best dancers."

Before the Snow Spirit could inquire further, mugs of marrow beer were shoved into their hands by some passing skeletons on their way to join the others. Their music was always lively, ironically enough, a combination of ideas taken from the mortal realm and done with a Halloween Town flare. Someone would invariably volunteer to be uses as a piano or xylophone, the spiders would donate strings to be used on basses and guitars, their hollow skulls made decent enough drums- the skeletons made do with what they had, and the result was always entertaining. Blake hadn't been down to visit in so long, it was almost a shock to find herself nodding her head along to the rhythm as Yang surged forward, tossing out greetings like she'd never left for more than a day.

"So, this is what Halloween Town does when they aren't preparing to spread terror?" Weiss cautiously tasted the contents of her mug, blinking in surprise. "It tastes like candy cane eggnog."

"Egg nog?"

"It's a Christmas Town thing." She quickly explained, a smile curling her lips. "The next time you visit, I'll make you some."

"I look forward to it." Blake took a drink from her own mug, relishing the taste for a moment. Most of the time, she came to watch the skeletons enjoy themselves, not participate like Yang did, but the longer they stood on the edges of the dancing mass, flashes of the Clown's colors showing through the bleached white and dusty yellow, the stronger the urge became to join them. "What about dancing? Is that a 'thing' in Christmas Town?"

The Snow Spirit looked at her, fingernail tapping against her mug. "It is, actually. Perhaps I can show you?"

Their mugs were left with the jack-o'-lanterns and, much to Blake's surprise, even Cecil was willing to let them enjoy themselves, detaching from Weiss' shoulder to take refuge in the stalagmites high overhead. Eyeless sockets turning their way only briefly before the skeletons gave them space, a wordless invitation to join the party. Blake gave a bow, which was matched by an amused smile and a pretty curtsy before Weiss took one of the Black Cat's hands in hers and began leading the dance. It wasn't what the Queen of Halloween had expected- in fact, most of their inconspicuous audience seemed equally surprised- but the movements felt more natural the longer they went, the simple shuffling of feet evolving into longer steps that flowed seamlessly into the next, one hand clasped lightly in hers while the other rested against her shoulder. Once she felt confident enough, the Black Cat took the lead, spinning her companion once before resuming their movements, allowing the hand on the Snow Spirit's hip to pull her closer.

"Do you have any other traditions to show me?" She hadn't meant for her voice to come out so soft, but considering how close they were, Weiss had no problem hearing her.

"Many." The woman stepped closer, blue eyes shining like gems in the firelight, drawing Blake down. "But there are a few I'd like to revisit, first."

With a chuckle from both of them, they closed the distance, sharing a kiss that caught the attention of the skeletons surrounding them. Although Yang could be heard somewhere in the back complaining about them 'being weird again', Blake and her companion paid their audience no mind, returning to dancing without so much as acknowledging the eyeless stares directed their way. The Black Cat could hear the rattling around them change, shifting from the music and movement tones to ones that denoted communication- very few of them could properly talk, either from lack of trying or for nothing to say- and soon the entire room was buzzing with a new kind of excitement that fueled the party once more.

"What was that about?"

"Doesn't matter," Blake replied, though she had a sneaking suspicion it would make itself rather obvious soon enough, especially once she saw Cecil and Gambol Shroud make their way out of the ancient hall, back down the corridor they'd used originally. "But I suspect we've just started something."

Sure enough, they weren't dancing for maybe an hour more before Ruby came bounding into the room, dragging none other than Penny, The Doll, behind her- a ginger creature whose body composition shifted between wood, metal, and cloth depending on factors not even the Queen of Halloween could begin to understand. After observing Blake and Weiss for a while, the two started dancing themselves, mimicking the motions as best they could and throwing in their own little flares here and there, the Reaper's scythe appearing in a flash and disappearing just as quickly. A little after that, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren appeared, and then more, and more, until all of Halloween Town except for a few wayward souls were packed into the hall, dancing or joking or sneaking in a few scares where they could, laughter nearly drowning out the music.

And at the center of it all, nearly oblivious to what they'd started as they continued their dance, were Blake and Weiss.

Emerald sighed, pushing her way through the crowd. As much as she would've preferred joining the rest of the town in their impromptu celebration, Cinder had given her very specific instructions, and the Mummy was not the sort to fail at a given task. Mercury often teased that she was 'cursed' with a perfectionist streak, but he was a bit of a suck up himself, so it didn't bother her. What did, however, was trying to find Roman- the ridiculously flamboyant vampire- and failing that, even in this crowd. One would think he'd stick out even more than usual, in fact, given his tendency to thrive in the spotlight.

"Em! Hey, Em!" She rolled her eyes, shoulders slumping as she turned to wait for her unfortunate partner in crime to arrive, bounding up with his tail wagging hard. "You found Roman or Neo yet?"

"Yes, Mercury, they're right here." She waved a hand to the little bit of empty space beside her, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "Say hi!"

"Oh, very funny." He rolled his eyes, scratching idly behind one ear. "So, you haven't found them yet."

"Have you?" She pointedly reached up and flicked his nose, prompting a whine from the Werewolf. "We're never going to find them at this rate!"

"Children, when will you learn?" The hard smack of Roman's cane came down on both of their heads just as the words were said, prompting the duo to glare at their counterparts. "You'll only be able to find us if we want to be found."

Emerald glared at the Vampire, the smug look on Neo's face amplifying her frustration. "Cinder sent us to find you."

"And, while I'm sure she has her own plans about when we should reconvene, I think she wouldn't begrudge us a little indulgence, wouldn't you agree?" He lifted the mug in his other hand to his lips while the Silence enjoyed her own brew, both hands wrapped around her glass. "After all, this is a rather unique event."

"I'll say; haven't seen the catacombs this lively since I tried swiping a tasty femur last century."

"Even I am inclined to agree." Emerald and Mercury jumped as the Flame stepped up to the four, lips curled into a smile. "This is a special occasion. It would be a shame to waste the night plotting away when there's fun to be had." Eyes like the heart of a fire swept across the crowd, landing finally on the Black Cat and the Snow Spirit, rocking gently to the beat and utterly preoccupied with each other. "Time is on our side, so let's enjoy the moment for what it is." The Mummy frowned for a moment before a hand was extended towards her, the invitation warm as opposed to the deadly heat Cinder was capable of producing. "A dance?"

"Uh, sure." Emerald nodded, putting aside whatever else might be needed of her for their plan to work and allowing the Flame to lead her out into the press of monsters and skeletons. They were only in it for a scare, after all, so there was plenty of time to simply enjoy themselves in the meantime.

The moon was once again edging towards the horizon by the time Blake and Weiss emerged from the Hellgate, stepping out into weakening moonlight with wide smiles. Although they hadn't truly got around to half the things they wanted to do that evening, the hours spent dancing with all the denizens of Halloween Town were well worth the distraction, even if they both seemed more worn out than the first time the Snow Spirit visited. They took the path through town towards the cemetery at a leisurely pace, silence between them as they walked. It was companionable, born of their mutual weariness and comfort, right up until they began passing the headstones. Then, it shifted to expectant, with their parting looming in the dark forest beyond and the constant reminder of their responsibilities making everything all the more difficult. Part of Blake wanted to assure her companion that she'd be back in Christmas Town after two nights, at the latest, but that was unlikely given how adamant the Mayor was about getting started on ideas for next year.

Weiss pressed close to her, looping an arm around her waist. "Sugarplum for your thoughts?"

Ignoring the impulse to find out what a 'sugarplum' was, the Black Cat instead sighed, though she did return the embrace with an arm around the woman's shoulders. "We're both going to be busy for the next few days, I assume."

"This is true."

"Which means I won't be able to visit for... three nights?" Her ears drooped at the prospect but the Snow Spirit's light chuckle brought her attention back, looking down into her captivating eyes.

"There's a saying in the mortal world: absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"We don't have hearts," Blake said, furrowing her brows in confusion. She knew of the organ, of course- showing a mortal a beating one was good for a shriek, usually- but didn't understand what it had to do with anything.

"Don't we?" She shook her head slightly, reaching up to gently cup the Queen's jaw. "But that's beside the point. What I mean is that the time spent apart will make what we spend together all the sweeter." Her thumb brushed over the swell of one cheek gently. "Taking a little extra time to ensure there aren't any interruptions hardly seems like an exorbitant price."

"I suppose you're right." The words were a murmur as she turned into the contact, bringing them to a stop just before crossing over the wall. "In the meantime, promise me you won't forget what I said." She pulled the hand from her jaw away, brushing her lips across Weiss' knuckles. "You are important and magical and I'm glad to have met you, to know you as I do. Don't let anyone dissuade you of that."

"I won't, but I expect you to keep your promise, too." She reached up, gently tapping a finger to Blake's nose in admonishment. "If I find out you didn't talk to the Mayor or left without informing Cecil, you'll be in trouble."

"Well, I don't want that, of course." With a smile, the Black Cat turned, escorting her companion into the dark forest once more.

The woman did her best to navigate the treacherous footing but ultimately succumbed to being carried, holding the jack-o'-lantern out in front so they both could see. The one carved by the Snow Spirit was left in Ozpin's care while the other was brought with them- a memento of the night, supposedly. Frankly, Blake was a little pleased that her poor attempt at capturing the joy of Christmas Town was worth the trouble and resolved to come up with a better memento next time.

So wrapped up in her thoughts, she almost stepped into the clearing without pausing to allow Weiss to stand, a little sorry to already have the weight missing from her arms. The moon had already ceded the sky to the sun, daybreak trickling through the trees in pale streams.

"So... three nights?"

Weiss chuckled, stepping forward and slowly wrapping her arms around the Black Cat's middle. This was somewhat new but it reminded Blake of their kiss beneath the mistletoe, so she returned the embrace lightly, waiting for some indication of what to do next. It didn't come, and eventually she just enjoyed the feeling of the Snow Spirit in her arms for what it brought her: a sense of peace.

"Blake, take as long as you need to settle things here." She pulled away, a smile on her lips. "Whenever you come to Christmas Town, I'll find you. All you have to do is play in the snow."

The Black Cat nodded and pressed a kiss to the woman's cheek, smiling in spite of the parting as the Snow Spirit went to her portal. The moment the door was opened, cold flooded the clearing, her body beginning to dissolve into a flurry like last time. Before retreating, she rose up, pressing cool lips to the Queen's cheek.

"Take care, Weiss."

"Rest well, Blake."

Almost before the portal closed, she felt the strange shroud of loneliness settle around her shoulders, a frown tugging at her lips that their time together was already over. For the moment, she reminded herself, turning to head back into Halloween Town. The quicker she attended her duties, and the better she did them, the more time she would buy for the two of them to explore each other's worlds in peace. At this point, she wouldn't even mind leaving the mysteries of Christmas Town as just that, as long as she had Weiss for company.

By the time she returned to her home- barely remembering to keep the door open long enough for Cecil to swoop in, distracted as she was- Blake had a mental list of things to suggest to the Mayor, half formed ideas that would need Ozpin's attention or Salem's vision to be brought to life, and it a start in the right direction as far as she was concerned. She marched up the stairs and into a seldom used study that housed all the books she'd found throughout the years, many of which she'd read dozens of times. The dust was displaced as she brought the tomes out, delving into them once more to flesh out her ideas, using one of the Crow's feathers and a well of black tears to scratch them out on a piece of parchment.

The sun was high in the sky by the time she stopped, too weary to continue pushing herself. She climbed into her bed that day with the strong hope that she could be back in Christmas Town by the third night and have absolutely no worries upon her return.

Author's Note: So... we're about a third of the way through this thing (I'm damn near done writing it, just a few more scenes left). I'm going to increase the posting regularity because I really want this done by Christmas. Probably not going to happen but I'm going to try. Thanks again for those hanging with this story, and be prepared for more fluff, more shenanigans, and more 'evil'.