Snowbliss

The snow outside had been consistent for the last few days, a rare sight in Burrowgatory. Usually, the snow would be piled high for a few mere hours before it started to melt, the last traces of it gone in a matter of days. Yet the world outside Valentine’s window remained white, tendrils of brown breaking through from the ground and forming the usual trees she’d memorized. Each morning, the sight would be nearly blinding as the cave crystals reflected the light against every window pane, shining unwelcome light through curtains and into the eyes of sleeping succubuns. Even still, Valentine knew many of the people that shared the city found the sight a cause for celebration. It was another day that the snow survived - another day that Burrowgatory remained a winter wonderland. 

Some shops remained closed for the occasion, though the ones that did found themselves raided by succubuns preparing for the frosty apocalypse. Milk and bread disappeared from shelves faster than stockers could account for, and cashiers struggled to check out lines of succubuns with huge carts yammering about the closed roads and crushed powerlines. On the days Valentine worked, she’d overhear conversations from customers about the outside and the cold, some complaining while others remarked on how it was good for business. After all, many buns found themselves scurrying inside for warmth and tempted to stay for the drinks and food, providing business for the Wonderland Casino that Angora sang praises for to her employees and business partners. “It’s another great day in Burrowgatory,” was how she’d announce her presence into rooms, insisting her employees smiled and talked up tables to improve their mood and earn the business their perhaps shadily-earned cash. 

Val herself found the snow enticing, just the same as her gorgeous boss and the more playful buns that found themselves outside building snowmen and pelting their neighbors with balls of pure cold. Snow wasn’t something she’d seen often; her short life in Burrowgatory not graced often with the sight of it. She found herself fascinated by it, often venturing out onto the porch to watch new snowflakes fall and imps play. It was another day of that sort, her hooves moving like clockwork to take her into the chilled air with her breath could be seen with each exhale. It felt clean to her lungs, fresh and clear as water. Her cheeks instantly glowed, nipped by the frost and sending shivers along her spine. Pulling her scarf further up her face, she carefully navigated down the stairs - a dangerous task, when they were piled high with white and the railing was the same. It was times like these where hooves seemed more handy, better equipped to stand the blanket of coolness than feet might have been. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about wet socks.

Turning behind her to the door, Valentine smiled at the doll still standing worriedly at the threshold of the house and porch, his frame shaking in the wind he was mistakenly letting inside. His eyes lingered on the yard and the snow, teeth chattering and face red. Even despite the lack of heat, Valentine could see the usual perspiration lining Akio’s forehead, though she knew it wasn’t anything to marvel at. The nervous doll always seemed to have a worrying level of anxiety at any given situation, something Valentine knew he couldn’t be blamed for. His life hadn’t always been easy.

“Come on, Kio! It’s safe, I promise. I’ve got you,” she beckoned with her hand again, watching Akio teeter unsteadily on his own hooves. His face hardly peeked out above the scarf sprawled about it, and she could see his gloved hands fiddling awkwardly with the zipper on his coat. He stepped back, then forward, over the threshold. Val extended a hand, waiting for him to close the front door before he could take it. His hair swayed in the wind, bits of snowflakes resting atop his hat and the tufts of blue it didn’t quite cover.

“I-I’m coming…” Akio’s voice was obstructed by the chattering of his teeth, though it made its way to Valentine just fine. His shaking hand found her’s, allowing her to guide him down the stairs and into the lawn of white. He still seemed to struggle even when he was no longer on the stairs, wobbling and leaning on her for the support she was willing to give. Val grinned, her other hand moving to steady him.

“Good job. We’ll probably need to clear off those stairs…” she trailed off as inspiration struck, freeing her hands from Akio and kneeling down in front of the cause, “Say, have you ever had a snowball fight before?”

“A s-snow-” Akio’s reply was interrupted by a pelt of white at his chest, leaving him speechless for a moment before a flurry of giggles left him. He seemed almost too stunned to do anything but laugh, freezing Val in place with her hand still in the position it had been in when the snowball left it. It was difficult to tell if he was only laughing to appease her, his nervousness often prompting him to do such things. Before she could question him, though, he had swooped down, grabbing a handful of snow and sending it flying into her face. 

Valentine wiped snow from her nose and burst into her own fit of giggles, jumping into action and forming another quick ball to spring at Akio. He attempted to dodge, tripping on snow and face planting with a surprised squeak. Val rushed forward to help him up, met with another handful of snow in her face. She noticed he wasn’t forming balls in the way she was, only scooping up snow and throwing the pile loosely at her. She bent down to form another ball, purposefully slow to give him time to watch her do it before it ended up replacing his nose.

Soon, the two were bounding across the yard in mock-battle, chasing the other and pelting each other with snowballs and Akio’s imitation of it. It wasn’t long before Valentine found that her clothes were soaked, and, just from a glance, she could tell that Akio’s were too. She was having too much fun to care, though, focused instead on landing another ball on his shoulder and sending him stumbling away mid-chase. She dodged behind a tree as he jerked a half-formed ball in her direction, plastering it onto bark while she worked to form another. He scurried off in the direction of the porch at the sight, earning a snowball between his shoulder blades. He grabbed a handful of snow from the stairs as she gained on him, throwing it at her in quick succession when her arms went up to shield her face. 

“Hey - hey, I yield!” Akio’s hand froze mid-air at the words, though he was quick to regret it when he caught Val forming another ball. He scrambled away, sweeping up snow as he did and packing it together until he had a defense ready to be launched in Val’s direction. A ball, just like her own, glittering in the crystal light and heading for her face with a vengeance. She was too slow to move, falling backwards with a yelp and throwing the snow in her hand at Akio.

“Oh, good throw!”

“T-thanks-” Another ball interrupted him, and he was quick to respond with another well-formed ball aimed at her back.

It wasn’t long before the stairs were clear and the yard was pockmarked with odd holes that revealed even more snow, hoofprints sporadically littered next to them and interrupted with occasional imprints of knees. Valentine and Akio slid back inside after a brief look, shivering and shedding their drenched clothing and making their way to the kitchen for hot chocolates and the warmth of the room. Akio’s hand slipped into Val’s, the doll leaning on her as she pulled the door open and revealed the familiar cabinets and counters.

“T-thank you, V-Val… T-that was f-fun..” 

Valentine turned, planting a kiss on his cheek and grinning.

“Of course. Let’s do it again sometime, okay? We’ll call that a truce.”