Disclaimer: So, a few time skips ahead while we enjoy the fluff. Yay.
The sun was just beginning to set when the two appeared in Christmas Town. Seeing as this was the first time Blake had entered the plane with Weiss at her side, she gave control of their descent to the Snow Spirit, a flurry of snowflakes ferrying them down gently. However, a cursory glance around the white covered hills brought a small frown to her lips, and the moment they were settled on the ground, she realized it wasn't her imagination.
"Weiss? The snow-"
"Is shallow, yes." Blue eyes scanned the hills and trees, where only a thin layer of the stuff remained. "I haven't been here for a few days and I doubt the others tended to it in my stead. It's not their place, after all."
Stepping behind the woman, she gently wrapped her arms around Weiss' waist, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of snow white locks. "What does this mean for you?"
Her voice was soft, a tremor of worry making it warble slightly, but she was quickly set at ease by arms settling atop her own as the Snow Spirit leaned back into the embrace. "Nothing, ultimately. I'm not any weaker for the lack of presence in the mortal realm. Many of us have fallen away, no longer needed, but we hang around." She turned her head enough to brush her lips against Blake's jaw. "We don't Sleep like those in Halloween Town. We're eternal but... overlooked. Some hide away, forgotten by the rest of us, and others help however they can. It's how things go."
The words came as a statement, no sign of doubt in her voice, but there was a twinge of sadness. Although it would come eventually, Blake understood that when she did Sleep, it wouldn't mean her importance to Halloween Town diminished. She would merely play a different part and act as a guide for the one who took her place. To think that Christmas Town merely disregarded those who had withstood the passage of time for 'too long' was disconcerting.
"You don't have to be forgotten," she said, melancholy infecting her tone. "There's always a place for you in Halloween Town."
"I'll need to improve my scaring skills to be worthy of it." Weiss lightly joked, though she didn't laugh. Cool fingers reached up though, touching the white cat necklace still sitting at the base of her throat, almost as if assuring herself that the offer wasn't made lightly. "But I'll keep that in mind."
Truthfully, the Snow Spirit was already improving by leaps and bounds. Sure, her abilities weren't as universally scary as some of the other creatures prowling the dark alleys, but when she was motivated, Weiss could be quite intimidating. She'd certainly sent Neo and Roman scurrying away the day before without so much as lifting a finger and their joint scare against Pyrrha, Nora, Jaune, and Ren had gone over quite well a few days before that, too. The time between was spent strolling through the oft forgotten parts of Halloween Town, exploring nooks and crannies that the Black Cat had found and forgotten centuries prior. Except for Blake's meeting with the Mayor, during which Yang and Ruby volunteered to provide Weiss with company while learning more about the concept of 'presents' from the source, the two hadn't left each other's side. However, eventually the woman felt the need to return to her home plane and leave the Queen of Halloween to her preparations, especially seeing as the Holiday Season would soon reach its peak, a time when her absence would be taken as a personal affront by her father. It was wise, then, for them to spend at least a day among the snow and lights before parting ways- but only for a little while, she was assured.
To be honest, Blake was beginning to doubt she'd ever willingly separate from the Snow Spirit for any period longer than a handful of days. After marching through five centuries with little variation between, every minute with Weiss seemed like a whole new experience, and it was liberating in a way she couldn't have imagined before.
"Hmmm, what are you thinking about?" The sadness from before was gone as the woman tilted her head enough to look up and over her shoulder, blue meeting gold. "You seem happier than a moment ago."
"What makes you say that?"
"You're purring."
Blake blinked, pulling her arms back and stepping away. "I was not purring."
"True, but you are blushing." The Snow Spirit turned, the mischievous smile that always appeared whenever she was trying to scare someone appearing. "It suits your complexion, actually. Quite fetching."
"What are you trying to accomplish?" The question was light, seeing as there was no point in denying the change in her appearance. It might not be for the same reasons as a Human but Blake was just as familiar with their customs for expressing themselves, and there was a touch of embarrassment regarding the idea that the fearsome Black Cat, whose roar could quite nearly send young, healthy adults to an early grave from sheer terror, was purring like a harmless little kitten. Then again, the cats she'd come across while traversing the mortal plane were a force to be reckoned with themselves, if suitably provoked.
"I just want to ensure that you're suitably motivated if we decide to... indulge in a Christmas Town tradition."
That had her ears perking, one brow raising in slight surprise. "Oh? What's this tradition?"
Wordlessly, the woman bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, using her other to cup and mold it. After a few seconds, Weiss presented a sphere of the compacted powder. "First, this is called a snowball."
"And you were making comment about our originality?" The Black Cat couldn't help but tease, though she did lean closer to inspect the product. "What's it for?"
"A snowball fight."
The words- and their obvious implication- registered the same second as the Snow Spirit jumped back, a quick jerk of her left arm sending the projectile flying. Unsurprisingly, it hit Blake straight in the face, the blast of cold nearly knocking her onto her rump as she quickly scrubbed the lingering snow away. When she looked up, gleaming golden eyes landed on her smiling companion, who already had another snowball ready to throw.
"That was a mistake," she said, launching herself to the side to dodge the next shot.
Blake quickly scooped up some snow, trying to form her own ammunition for a counter attack while dodging the Snow Spirit's steady assault. It was difficult- it took her three tries to figure out that simply mashing the snow together wouldn't work- but the moment she finished one, she paused long enough to hurl it back at her attacker. Despite being literally made of the stuff, Weiss was indulging her enough to allow the snowball to crash against her cheek, letting out an undignified squeak of surprise before retaliating. She spent most of her time dodging at first, slowly learning how to best form her ammunition before being able to do so quickly, and it became obvious the woman was going easy on her. The moment she could form and throw snowballs in one smooth motion, however, Weiss kicked up her assault a notch, forcing Blake to use whatever shadow she could find to quickly move to the woman's blind spot.
It was a long battle that ranged all over the snow covered hills, their laughter ringing out with every hit. Although the first one was a shock to the system, the Black Cat quickly took each with a grin. By only the best timing she could manage, Blake landed three consecutive hits before ducking behind a tree for some respite.
"I think I'm winning!" She called out in jest, having long ago lost track of any 'score' that could be kept. When Weiss didn't answer her, though, the Queen of Halloween cautiously peeked around the wood, watching for any sign of her companion. She flicked her ears about, trying in vain to gather where the Snow Spirit had run off to, and settled for calling out again. "Weiss?"
"Up here."
Too late, the Black Cat looked up in surprise to find the woman hovering above her, snowballs formed from the powder that formerly covered the trees branches poised for just a moment before they rained down on her in a seemingly never ending stream. She'd raised her arms up to block them from hitting her face but it was futile, the snowballs breaking to shower snowflakes all over her before the subsequent ones began burying her in a small snow drift. By the time it was over, there was about a foot of snow covering her that took a little bit of effort to displace.
"That wasn't very fair." The chastisement was gentle, a smile curling her lips even as she broke her upper body free, though she stopped struggling for a moment as Weiss descended to plant a kiss against her lips in apology.
"I couldn't very well let you beat me at my own game, now could I?" The Snow Spirit softly teased, waving a hand to dispel the remainder of the snow and set the landscape back to its pristine state. "I thought you'd enjoy the challenge."
"I believe you're more competitive than I am." Flicking her ears to ensure all the snow was dislodged, Blake stepped closer, taking one of Weiss' hands in hers. "Is there anything else you can show me that doesn't end in being buried alive?"
The Snow Spirit scoffed, though the smile on her pale lips lent the noise a different meaning that it might otherwise have. "I thought you might enjoy the novelty of being buried in snow as opposed to dirt."
"Well, you're not wrong." She conceded, chuckling. "But I'd rather we do something where I can actually see you. That's a bit harder to do while buried."
"For you." With a wink, Weiss led her by the hand away from the tree. "Come. We'll make snow angels-"
"Snow Angels?" Her ears perked, recognizing the words as something she'd heard and thinking a moment before placing the memory. "Those exist?"
"In a sense. I'll show you."
"Neptune got lucky with that guess." Blake muttered, though she misjudged how well her companion could hear now that they were back in Christmas Town. "Thankfully, that's where his luck ran out." The Black Cat laughed, interlacing their fingers as they walked through the snow. "I'm glad mine is better."
"I feel the same."
The cool wind gently swirled around them, snowflakes beginning to fall from the sky now that Weiss was back and fully exerting her strength. Even if they never made it into Christmas Town proper on this trip, Blake found herself hard pressed to complain. No matter how wondrous the plane was, her company was far better.
Roman tapped his fingers against the table, teeth grinding together as the mutterings around him built into a dull roar. It was coming up on the third week since their Queen of Halloween had brought her favored guest to their plane and the most any of them had gotten from Cinder regarding her plan was that it was 'progressing', which was a bit hard to believe when all anyone could say of the duo was that they seemed to enjoy each other's company to a startling degree and that Blake hadn't held so much passion for her role in at least two centuries. It was as if the Black Cat had reverted to her beginning years without losing any of her skills, tackling every obstacle with a youthful enthusiasm that was only bolstered by years of experience. The streets hadn't seen this much activity in many years, the monsters usually content to retreat to their little hovels and pass the time idle, but now creatures that had remained unmotivated for decades walked the streets again, drawn to the surface by the little tricks being left everywhere.
It wasn't just Blake doing it, either. Sure, Ozpin or Salem might leave surprises around town to test out some new ideas, but the main reason for the sharp uptick in scares was Weiss. Although lacking the benefit of a predecessor and existing purpose to draw upon, the Snow Spirit seemed bound and determined to become at least passable in the art of fear, and her attempts were proving fruitful more often than not the longer it continued. While the Queen of Halloween was using the monsters as guinea pigs for what they would unleash upon the mortals come next year, her companion was becoming well versed in their traditions and adding her own flair, and everyone benefited from the sudden resurgence of interest from their beloved matriarch.
Well, everyone except Adam, who was gloomily sulking in the corner of the tavern, blood red eyes boring a hole into the Flame's back. His impatience with Cinder's plan was becoming palpable and the Vampire honestly never thought he'd see the day when the two of them agreed on something.
Every night to pass without actual progress being made was just another bout of nerves Roman had to deal with, and Neo's continued avoidance of the Snow Spirit was troubling as well. The Silence still hadn't gotten over being forcefully catapulted into a world that made no sense, where her very body betrayed her, and that likely wouldn't change for a while yet. She might never truly recover, in fact.
"Roman!"
The sharp bite to his name brought the Vampire's gaze up, meeting burning orange as he defiantly frowned. Regardless if he was in this mess until its end, Roman wouldn't stand to be pushed around again. "What?"
"Pay attention," Cinder said, the embers rising from her dress adding to the dim light, betraying that she was becoming either eager or nervous herself. "We need to go over what we know."
"What we know is that this won't work," he replied, slouching in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. It might come off as a tad petulant, true, but he was nearing his wit's end. "There's no way to scare the Black Cat- unless we're inclined on joining the not-quite-dead prematurely."
"I wouldn't say that's entirely true." Melanie offered, nodding for her twin to continue.
"By the way Jaune and the others were talking, the Snow Spirit can."
The assembled creatures exchanged glances ranging from surprised to curious.
"Impossible." Adam pushed off from his little corner, passing beneath one of the lights.
That was another thing about this whole ordeal that set Roman's skin crawling. From some place unfathomable, the Shade was marshaling his strength to the point he actually appeared solid, no flicker of lantern light passing through his body as he sneered at the bar. It was almost as if he was readying for a fight, one that he would undoubtedly lose. Adam refused to take the warnings about Christmas Town to heart, believing that Weiss was as helpless as she seemed. Little did he know the horror that awaited him in that other plane.
The Shade scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Whatever that creature is, she could never be capable of something so impressive."
"I dunno. She can wail as loud as any banshee." Mercury pointed out, ruffling his fur as he settled back into his chair. "And she's picked up on this stuff quicker than some."
"Being apt at replicating a few cheap tricks isn't the same as-"
Adam cut off and dissipated in the blink of an eye as the main door swung open, admitting the very subjects of their conversation. Roman shrunk in his seat, focusing on the cup of blood he'd abandoned much earlier in the night and staring into it like it was the last thing he could do. For their parts, Cinder and the others didn't seem perturbed by the duo walking in, the Flame even so bold as to bid them good evening.
When he did risk a glance, the Vampire was heartened by the lack of animosity radiating his way, a pleasant smile on both faces as Weiss offered up a strange little stick colored like the Malachites' ensembles, drawing their attention effectively. Blake stood behind her, talking quietly with the Flame.
If only she knew, he thought, sinking further into his seat. So focused on the Queen of Halloween, he was startled somewhat when one of the sticks was offered to him, his gaze drifting up to meet Weiss'. "Uh... thanks?"
"It's nothing. Just a small treat." Blue eyes darted over to Blake a moment before she leaned in, speaking softly. "I trust you and your friend are alright? You both seemed eager to leave."
"We... are better, yes." He tipped his hat with one hand, a polite smile on his lips. "I'm afraid the trip isn't something we plan on repeating, though."
"That's a shame." Roman tried not to flinch. "Here, it's a candy cane. I think you'll enjoy it." Although wary, he accepted the... candy cane... and turned it over, spying out of the corner of his eye the Witches eating their own. "You can bite it, if that seems more reasonable."
He raised a brow. "How else would you go about it?"
Rather than explaining, Weiss popped one of the remaining sticks into her mouth, allowing the hooked end to dangle out. "They last longer this way."
"I'll... consider it." Summoning his most polite expression- because he certainly didn't want the woman revealing their little meeting in Christmas Town to Blake- the Vampire took a small bite of the candy cane. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, honestly, but the sugary treat certainly was an improvement over his imagination, pulling a thoughtful hum from him as he turned it over, examining the red stripes swirling around it. "This is rather delicious."
Roman popped the bitten off part back into his mouth, attempting to replicate the way the woman was consuming it, allowing the treat to dissolve slowly on his tongue. It was much sweeter than blood, of course, and lacked the copper tang he enjoyed, but it was good all the same.
"I'm glad you approve." Weiss smiled at him, inclining her head politely. Sensing there was no danger, Neo cautiously approached, prompting a stifled little noise of surprise when the Snow Spirit turned and found the smaller woman standing there. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you over there. Here."
The Silence accepted the treat with a befuddled frown before mimicking the Vampire's cautious taste.
"Did you bring enough of these for the whole town?" Emerald eyed her cohort's inelegant way of enjoying the treat- which couldn't be helped, really, given his elongated snout.
"Of course." She paused, weighing her words a moment before continuing. "It's something of a Christmas Town tradition, to give gifts to others."
"They're very much appreciated," Melanie said, her twin nodding. Absently, the Vampire noted that the red clad sister's candy cane was inverted, showing off more red than white. "What did you want in exchange?"
Weiss frowned slightly, looking to her constant companion. "You weren't kidding." The Black Cat chuckled, giving a fond shake of her head. "I seek nothing in exchange. In Christmas Town, we give gifts to spread joy, not in expectation of reward."
"Joy?" Mercury tilted his head, looking all too much like a puppy in that moment.
"I like this joy," Miltiades said, setting a hand on the cold cauldron. "But if you ever need a spell or potion, let us know."
The Snow Spirit seemed relieved that they didn't try pressing the issue- Roman doubted any of the other monsters she'd dolled out the candy canes to had relented the fight so easily- but she did cast another look around. "Is Adam not here?"
Everyone came to a sudden halt, equal parts surprised by the question and worried about giving an answer. In the end, it was Cinder who spoke up, a soft smile curling her lips. "He just left, actually."
"Ah, I see." Plucking one of the candy canes from her remaining bushel, Weiss offered it to the Flame. "If he returns, would you give this to him?"
Cinder raised a brow but accepted the offering. "Of course."
After that, the two left, quietly discussing where they would go next. Roman considered it mildly odd that Blake hadn't noticed the shift in tension but, then again, she probably chalked it up to the Shade's mention, never suspecting that Adam's presence was for something much different than idle chatter. He'd mentioned her visit shortly after the Snow Spirit's departure the first time but didn't reveal any details about their talk; apparently, they parted ways with vastly different impressions about how the conversation had gone.
Still, now that Blake and Weiss were safely on their way to somewhere else, the assembled monsters exchanged anxious expressions, each keenly feeling the same driving force.
It was Junior who eventually voiced what they were all thinking. "Well... we have to scare them now."
That much was true; although striking terror into each other was as much a means of asserting their will as to pass the time, it was also a means of showing respect. One didn't bother with the effort of a scare for someone they didn't hold in some regard. Especially when they were all resistant to the typical tricks they played on mortals. It took effort to make a monster feel fear and, even if that bar was set lower for the Snow Spirit purely from being unaccustomed to such tricks, the simple act of bringing them delicious treats demanded reciprocation.
Roman used his tongue to flip the hooked part of his candy cane up, nearly going cross-eyed as he looked at it and then at Neo, who was quite pleased with her own treat.
So, perhaps Christmas Town wasn't all bad, but neither of them had any inclination to go back, even if there were more candy canes hidden in the blinding white landscape.
"Are you going to come out now?" Cinder called, offering up the second treat while lightly chewing on her own. The cracking of the candy was soothing, almost like splintering bone, but without the added headache of fighting off a skeleton to get it. "There's a gift for you."
"Keep it," the Shade said, materializing a step away from the woman and glaring down at the offering.
Honestly, Roman thought he was being rather petulant, refusing such a gesture, but he also wasn't about to convince Adam to rethink his decision. Not with the way the Witches were eyeing the now unwanted gift. Cinder merely shrugged, tossing it over her shoulder for the twins to fight over, eventually settling on breaking it in half as a compromise. Her smoldering gaze raked over the assembled creatures, smile growing a little wider.
"So, we're all in agreement?" She pulled her candy cane away to twirl it around her fingers. "We thank the Snow Spirit in the only way we know how?"
The Vampire couldn't help but nod as the others let out a cheer; even if the bad feeling he had regarding the whole mess hadn't abated, he was far too much of a gentleman to allow such an act to go without an appropriate response. But he didn't fail to notice how Adam's expression twisted into one of malice, eyes glinting in a way that set Roman's nerves on edge. He looked over, meeting his cohort's gaze for a moment, hetero-chromatic eyes reflecting his concerns.
They would need to tread carefully if they wanted to give Halloween Town's beloved Queen and her honored guest a good-natured scare... but their combined efforts might not be enough to temper the Shade.
Author's Notes: Oh shit, the 'villains' are getting their acts together. Be scared, y'all. Thanks reading, following, faving, and reviewing this trek into the ridiculous; your support is greatly appreciated! Also... do you have any idea how hard it was not to make a 'do you wanna build a snowman?' joke here? Like, seriously, greatest accomplishment was my self control here. Damn, I'm impressed.