Date: 4/12

Stand back in the alleyway in front school again was strangely nice, especially after being in that castle for god-knows how long. I pull my phone out to check the time and my eyes go wide when I finally see the time. 'What! That can't be right, we've had to been gone longer than an hour.' I look over at Sun to see him leaning against the wall of this alleyway.

"Well… that was fun, wasn't it?" I ask as I put my hands on my hips and cocking them slightly.

"Fun! Yeah, almost dying is tons of fun." He sides down the wall and sits on floor looking up at me and speaks with a tired tone. "You're a strange girl you know that right?"

With my right hand, I rub the back of neck. "Yeah… I got that a lot back home."

There was a pause between us as I start to reminisce about Inaba. 'I miss home.' A sad look must have been present on my face as Sun speaks up. "Sorry about that Ruby," He stands up, moves towards me and places a hand on my left shoulder with a smile on his face. "I'm going to help forget about your home town while you're here."

I move my right hand and place it on top of Suns' and smile back at him. "Thank you Sun; you truly are a great friend." 'He's got surprisingly soft hands.'

"Well… we should be able to get those guys we saw in there to fess up to the physical abuse Taurus has been doing, then he'll be done." A fire behind his eyes returns as we remove our hands.

"You sure that that's going to work Sun?" He raises an eyebrow at my question. "Well, considering that me and you have some form of rep at school, so no-one will talk us because of that." I turn around and walk towards the entrance of the alleyway.

"Well… true, but that's how we get them." I hear Sun say as I stop at the entrance.

"So you want us to try to scare them into talking to us?" I ask and an "Mmhm" is what I as a response as from him. "Who knows, it could work."

Standing there at the entrance of the alleyway, I look up at the school with amazement that a place like Taurus' could be real. As silences fall between us, I watch as a few students come walking out of the building and down the steps 'The school clubs must have finished then.' It's then that I hear my stomach rumble again.

I clutch at my stomach slightly and look at Sun. "So, ramen?"

A devilish grin forms on his face when he looks at me. "Follow me bro." He walks off in the direction of the station before I could ask anything else.

I stand there and watch Sun leave, I speak aloud to myself. "Bro huh, never thought I'll be called that anytime soon." Before I could start to catch up to Sun, a familiar voice greets me.

"Oh! Rose-san, I thought you left already?" I turn around to find Weiss looking up at me slightly. 'God bless short girls.' Seeing a raised eyebrow from her, I realize that I never answered her.

"Oh, well, erm…. well I thought that I left some think at school." I rub the back of my neck as speak. "Turns out, I had it the whole time." I finish with a slight chuckle and she looks at me as though I grew a second head. "Anyway, what are you still doing here Senpai? School finished an hour ago."

"Oh, well as Student Council President, there are responsibilities that I complete, even if school has finished." She speaks with a sense pride and her head held high.

"But I'm glad I found you before tomorrow. After speaking with Ms. Toyoguchi, She thought it was best that I tutor you so that you don't repeat the same thing as yesterday." She looks at me with a small smile and I can't help but smile back.

"Why do you tutor me Senpai?" I ask looking her in the eyes and seeing her shrink in on herself slightly.

"Li… like I said, after speaking with…" She began in a weak tone before I cut her off.

"Because you were asked to by my homeroom teacher, who, by the way hates me already. So please tell why she would want you to tutor me?" I ask in an angry tone.

I watch as Weiss finds her footing before answering me. "It was my suggestion actually." She plays with one of her buttons on her halter vest. "Due to your transfer, you would have have missed several months of learning, hence the offer to tutor you." She steps closer to me and I could feel my heart start to beat faster.

"I've seen your past test scores Ruby, you were among the top in Yasogami High." I watch her place her left hand on my chest, right above my heart and I swear that it felt like I was about to have a heart attack. "You've a good person Ruby; I just want to help you get back there."

I reach up and place a hand on top of hers, noticing straight away how soft her hand was and look at her beautiful baby blue eyes. "So… when do you… "Before I could speak any more I hear Sun shout as he comes back towards me. "Yo Ruby, what are you doing?"

We remove our hands and she steps back a bit. She looks up at me slight disgust and I respond with a toothy smile as I move to the right and turn to face Sun to see a smile that I've never seen on him before. 'Oh fuck me.' I raise my left hand and wave it slightly in hopes that he doesn't do anything embarrassing for me.

"Oh, I see you're chatting up the Ice Queen again." My hand gesture must have gone over his head as he speaks and the groan from Weiss indicates that she wasn't too pleased either.

"So what do you want with her Prez? She's done nothing." I watch as in a matter of seconds, Suns' whole demeanour changes.

I look back at Weiss to see a stern blue eyes looking back at Sun and I start to fear for his life. "SHE hasn't done anything to my knowledge. Why? Has she harmed a student or a teacher?" She spoke in an authoritative tone that is both scary and oddly arousing.

I look back at Sun as he takes a step back from us. "N-no not at all. Right?" They both look at me, Sun with a pleading look on his face, Weiss with an inquisitive look and whilst look at her, I nod my head several times in response to question.

I hear a sigh from Sun before he speaks again. "So… yeah," He rubs the back of his neck and turns to me. "Do you want to get going?"

I nod at Sun and when at idea forms in my head, I look at Weiss. "Do you want come with us Weiss? Sun is taking me too a ramen place."

A look of surprisement and then hurt crosses her face before she shakes her head side to side. "Oh, no thank you. I need to head home and start cooking dinner for Sis." She lets a small smile forms as she bows slightly. "But thank you for the offer."

I bow deeply in return and straighten before I speak. "Well, okay then Senpai; give your sister my regards." I smile at her before I turn to Sun. "Shall we go?" With a nod from him, I follow him to the station.

I was on my way home after a "study" session with my girlfriend Pyrrhas' house when I started to hear some commotion just a ways away. It was quite late in the day when I decided to home so there weren't anyone around when I started to hear the commotion. But after everything Inaba went through, it was not unheard of to hear these types of things, but they mainly happen during the day so to hear raised voices at night always piqued my interests.

The one great thing about living in Inaba was that at night, you could walk down some roads and not worry about a thing but as I made towards the end of the street that I was on, the voices grew louder to the point that I could pick out two female voices, one of distress, the other with a slight slur. When I made it to the T-junction, I could see the headlights up against the buildings to my right and two figures standing in the light.

Looking back on it now, if I didn't walk down that street and took my normal way home, then I wouldn't be here talking to you, but I couldn't let someone (even a drunk woman) manhandle someone else. As I made my down the street towards the two, I could hear the cry for 'Help!' form one and the slurred shouts to 'Shut up!' and 'Get in the car!' from the other

With only several houses that separating me and them, I could at least see who it was. I recognize the woman who was shouting for help as I've seen her behind the counter at the bookstore in the shopping district in Inaba. Her blue eyes always looked so bright with her dark hair framing her face nicely. She was shy whenever I spoke to her, but having a scar on my face and having intense looking sliver eyes does have that effect on people.

The other woman I had never seen before, especially in Inaba before. The first thing that I notice was that her skin was deathly pale; she looked more like a vampire than anything else, the fact that she was wearing a floor length dress and had white hair that was tied into a high bun didn't help either. It was only when I got closer and the sounds of sirens in the background, that the bookstore assistant noticed me and shouted for help, that I was able to get a good look at the drunken woman's face. The only clear feature that I could get, apart from her pale skin, was that her eyes seemed to glow slightly red. It was uncomfortable to look her in the eyes for long periods of time and when she spoke, you could smell the alcohol.

"What're you looking at? Get outta my face!" The drunken woman yells at me with slur. "This ain't a show. Get lost kid."

She turned away to talk to the assistant. "See? This is all your fault you stupid bitch!"

I watch as the drunken woman raises her to attack the assistant, who was now cowering in fear and without realizing it, I step forward and put a hand on the pale womans' shoulder and pull her away. What I didn't count on was that the drunken woman would lose her balance and fall to the ground.

Standing there looking at the woman on the ground, not moving at all, I start think that I might have just kill her, but when she moves to get up and turn around to face me and the shop assistant, we see a cut on the centre on her head, with blood seeping out and running down her face.

The deathly woman reaches up with a hand and places it on the cut, soaking her hand with her own blood before she speaks. "Dam brat! I'll sue!"

With the police sirens not too far way, the woman stands and pulls a small handkerchief out of an invisible pocket and dabs at the blood and the cut on her head before she pushes past me and up to the assistant. "When they show up, you are going to stay quiet and be a good little girl." I watch as the bookkeeper recoils away from the deathly looking woman.

Before I could intervene again, I see a police car round the corner and I let a heavy sigh. But when the officers got out of their car and walk by me and up to her that I realized that I'm about to be up shit creek without a paddle very soon.

The next thing I know was that I was being arrested and then it went downhill from there, from losing my friends and girlfriend, from being expelled from Yasogami High, having to move out here for this probation, I got alienate for only trying to help. I think the only people who didn't abandoned me where Rises' Grandmother, her, her friends and my mother.

"The hell man! How much shittier can that asshole get!?" Sun almost yells before he crams the rest of his ramen into his mouth.

"Calm down will ya!" I briefly look around to see several people look over towards us and I instinctively lower my head back towards my bowl and eat some noodles.

"Sorry. But just hearin' your story makes me angry!" I hear the clink of Suns' bowl hitting the counter. "So… you're livin' here for a year right?" I nod as eat some more noodles. "Then your place must be sweet then, especially since you're here by yourself."

I choke on a couple of noodles a little and look at Sun with a slightly red face and a small smile. "Look Sun…, you're nice and all, but I tend to swing for your team more often than not, if you catch my drift."

It was Suns' turn to turn red in the face and stutter. "Th-that's n-not… that's not what I was getting at and you know it!"

I let out a chuckle and eat some more of my ramen before I reply. "I do know it, but~ it's nice knowing that I can make a cute guy fluster." I lift the bowl to my lips and drink some of the broth and immediately tasting a lot of ginger. 'Dam you Sun'

"But no, it's not. I'm living in an attic of a coffee shop in Yongen-Jaya, whose owner may or may not hate me, so…" I give a light shrug and eat some more of my ramen.

"HA! Were more alike than I originally thought." I feel Sun's hand on my right shoulder as I rest my chopsticks in my bowl and turn to face Sun with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not as bad as you've got it; I'm living with my mom and not in some old guy's attic in a coffee shop." He removes his hand and rubs the back of his neck. "I guess it's how we're treated like a pain in the ass by the people, like we don't belong."

I grab my chopsticks and continue eating as silences falls over us. As a rustling sound reaches my ears, Sun speak up. "Its rush hour on the subways, I suggest you kill some time before headin' home."

"So what do you want me do then? I don't know what's around here." I ask as I start to twirl one of the sticks between my right fingers and rest my chin in the left hand.

"Well you're in luck, there's an arcade nearby that I've wanted to go to and I've heard that they just got Gun About." He says as he types something on his phone and then put it away.

"So… you want me to go with you then?" I ask as I watch him reach over towards the container that held the ginger, opening it and then looking over at me.

"Well it is two players and I'll pay… come on man eat up, you won't find ginger like this anywhere else." With his free hand, he reaches for ginger and I smack it away with the chopstick that I was twirling.

"Aah! What gives?" He rubs his hand like it hurt, even though I didn't hit him that hard.

"I think I've had enough ginger for one day. But yeah, I'll go with you." I pick the other chopstick up and continue to eat.

As a silences falls over us again, I let the noise of place fall over me, the sounds of chopsticks on porcelain, of food being cooked, of conversations of art and the economy. It was nice, not having to worry about anything and as much as I come to respect Sun in the short amount of time I've known him. He does have a way of ruining things.

"I've gotta thank you… for helpin' me early." I look over at Sun to see the biggest smile I've seen on his face. "Anyways, I got your back like you got mine from tomorrow onwards. As long as we do something about Taurus, then I'm sure we'll both feel better about bein' at school."

With his enthusiasm being so infectious as I smile back and nod. "I hope your right Sun but you can count on me."

Suns' expression changes to one of realization. "Oh yeah!" He pulls his phone out from a pocket and holds it up in front of himself. "Tell me your number. Chat ID too."

With a sigh, I pull my phone out from my jacket. "Just as long as you don't send any dick pics, then I'll be fine." With our numbers and chat id exchange, Suns' expression turns to one of determination as he clutches his phone tightly.

"Just you wait Taurus… Let's hit up those guys that were kept as slaves tomorrow, yeah?" I nod in response before he continues. "Good, the volleyball rally is tomorrow. Shit's recommended by Taurus, but thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon and we can walk around unnoticed."

"Well, we can go that unnoticed can we?" I ask and a groan leaves Sun.

"You know what I mean Ruby, just finish up so we can go." Annoyance clearly in his tone as I finish eating my ramen.

It was getting dark by the time I made it back to Leblanc and as I open the door, I was greeted by the sight of an empty café, the smell of coffee and curry and James sitting on one of the stools reading a newspaper. He looks up at me when I enter.

"So you actually went to school today then?" The same disgruntled tone from the other night returns.

"Of course I did." I say with a slight annoyed tone.

"I guess you learned your lesson after what happened yesterday then. As long as you're not getting into trouble and bring it here, it's fine by me. I don't know what you've been up to, but trust me, you'll be gone if you start causing problems." He pauses for moment before he continues. "In case you forgot, your life is not a free one right now."

"I understand Sir." I say in what I thought was a regretful tone as I lower my head slightly.

Feeling my phone vibrate, I pull it out and see that Sun had message me.

Monkey King: Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you.

Can you see this?

Red Rose: Nope.

Monkey King: You've an ass, you know!

I'm gonna be counting on you tomorrow, OK?

Red Rose: You got it; it'll be nice not having to look over my shoulder.

Monkey King: I know what you mean bro.

Let's save those guys who've been getting abused. You and me.

Well, see ya tomorrow!

Monkey King Offline…

Red Rose: See you tomorrow.

Message unsent. Please try again later.

"Sheesh, are you even listening to me?" I hear James say in an angrier tone than I heard before.

I put my phone away and look at James. "Sorry about that James, my new friend wanted to know if I got home safe."

I watch James slump slightly and sigh. "Just stay away from bad influences, Ok?"

I smile and nod and start to walk past him. 'He's not going to be happy when he finds out.' I manage to reach the end of the bar before I hear the sound of the newspaper being folded and placed on the counter.

"I'm gonna head home for the night. I'll lock the store up. Don't go wandering out." I hear James say in a relieving tone.

I stop and turn my head slightly and say. "Alright, good night James, sleep well." Before I continue towards the stairs and my room.

When I got to the top of the stairs, I drop my bag on the table and stretch my back and arms out. Hearing them crack, I let out a sigh of relief. "How the hell is he that good at that game? First time my ass." I say to myself as I take my jacket off, take my phone out and put the jacket next to my bag.

When I hear the door being locked, the feeling of being alone in this city creeps up on me. "I wish I could have a hug from mom, but then again, she did say that they'll try and visit me. I just hope mom brings me some of her cookies."

Moving over to my bed and sitting down, I look around the room. "If I'm going to living here for the next year, I'm going to have to get a wardrobe and some room dividers; I'll ask James tomorrow to see if I can get some of them."

Looking at my phone, I realize that I was out a lot longer then I wanted to and with what I had promised Sun, I decide to get ready for bed. Leaving my phone on the bed, it doesn't take long to remove my clothes and find my rose printed pajamas trousers and black tank top in among my bed sheets.

Finding my phone on the floor, I found that Sun had message me.

Monkey King: That app on your phone had a red eyeball icon right?

Red Rose: Yes. Why do you ask?

Monkey King: I found it on my phone.

I don't even remember installing it!

Red Rose: You wouldn't have. It installs itself.

The one who created the app Ozpin, told me that he can grant the app to other people.

I don't fully understand it myself tbh.

Monkey King: Oh. Wait…

Who the fuck is Ozpin?

Red Rose: I'll tell you more about "that place" another time Sun.

Right now, I'm tired, especially after you beat me at Gun About.

Good night Sun.

I close the chat app down and take my glasses off and put both of them on the window sill and settle down for the night.

It was the cold and damp feeling of Velvet Room that wakes me and as I resist the urge to get up, until I felt the familiar metal of Melanies' baton against my head that I decide to get up and walk over to the bars.

It was quiet till Ozpin spoke. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you."

"Then please continue Master." I say in more of a sarcastic tone. I was half expecting Melanie to hit me but it never came as Ozpin just continued.

"What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?" He gestures the prison cells that is the Velvet Room.

"Not the first cell I've been in, bit cold though" I say as I grasp the bars to my cell.

"Ah, glad to hear it. It seems you have nerves of steel." His voice echoes around the room slightly. "Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today, you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven't you?" A chill runs through me when stops talking.

'The only over person I know with a persona is Sun.' "You must mean Sun?" I ask and all I get is a nod for Ozpin.

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or by faith, lend you their strength."

"In other words, they are the bonds with those who have been robbed of their place to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well." A silences fall over the room as I absorb everything that Ozpin just said.

"So you want me to make friends with people who are in a similar position that I'm in?" I ask and again he nod.

"Most of Tokyo is probably in the same boat as me; do you expect me to become friends with everyone?" I ask and all I get is stare from him before speaks again.

"That is up to you Trickster, the choices you make are yours and yours alone." Ozpin says before he gestures to the Wardens in front of me. "Girls, if you please."

I look at Miltia as she turns to speak to me. "Personas are the strength of heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain."

"There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't." I hear Melanie say. "So you better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power."

I look back over to Ozpin as he speaks. "Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition." He lets out a deep chuckle before continuing. "Then we have a deal."

'I get the feeling that Ozpin has a lot riding on me.' "You lot are talking like this is a video game, this is my life we are talking about." I say in an annoyed tone and only getting silences as an answer.

"Well, you will understand it all in due time Trickster. Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation." Ozpin says before he and his desk vanish in a cloud of blue and black smoke.

"Now, this conversation's over! Got lost, Inmate!" I feel Melanies' baton against my head before the world turning to back.

When I open my eye, I was expecting to wake up in the attic of café Leblanc on the wider then wide booth seat that I was calling a bed, but instead, I woke up sitting on a chair the wrong way. I believed it was chair as it was black in every direction I looked. It wasn't like I had blindfold on, I could see myself, it was the fact that everything was black.

"Where the hell am I?" I wonder aloud and getting no response, I try to get up, only to find that I couldn't move any part of my body except my head.

"What the fuck is going on?" I shout and try to move again, but to no avail.

I can't remember how long I there for but It felt like hours, but everything came to a halt when I heard her voice.

'Oh! You're awake!' She giggles and I feel a hand on my right shoulder. 'I must of fallen asleep whilst waiting for to wake up' She shift to a more stern tone and her grip on my shoulder tightens.

"Aah fuck… What the fuck do you want this time?" I shout and the hand moves from my shoulder to my jaw and she pulls my head to the right, till I'm looking at a pair of golden eyes.

'Oh I have plans for you my sweet little gem, like this for instants' She leans in close till her eyes are the only thing I see and then moves to my right and brings up a floating pattern of what looked like a clock face.

Looking more closely at it, I could see that there were points on the north, east, south and west; it had twenty-one spaces on it, I could see that three of them had writing in it. Sitting in the center was eye that looked like it was moving.

"So what exactly is that used for?" I ask as I try to pull my head out of her hand.

'It's so I can keep track on how well you've doing.' The design disappears and her hand goes as well till I feel both of her hands on my shoulders.

'You have no idea how long this took me do you?' I feel her lips against my ear and her hands gripping the shoulder straps of my tank top.

"How would I know, I still don't really know how you exist." I say in an inquisitive tone and I feel her hands tighten around the shoulder straps as she sighs.

'It hurts that you don't care or know about me, after all… I am you' I feel a slight wetness behind my ear and I shiver out of fear or arousal. 'Mm… we taste delicious Ruby, but it is a shame that you had to go and hurt my feelings.

"What are you talking abo…" Before I could finish my sentence, in one swift motion she rips my tank top off, leaving me bear chested. "What the fuck?" I shout as I turn my head slightly, only to end up getting my head push forward, into something black.

'God, you whine too much. I was planning on not causing you too much pain, but I think you deserve it now.' She must have moved away briefly before placing her hand just below my shoulder blades in the center.

It wasn't too long before her palm of her hand started to warm up till it burned. I tried scream but whatever my face was pressed into seemed to muffle any sound I'd try to make. I passed out shortly after I started smelling my skin burn.

Authors Notes

I live and so does this story, the only reason this chapter took so long was due to work and the fact that it's coming up christmas so... but I've had fun writing this chapter, a lot more than the others oddly.

What I am interested in is your thoughts on the characters that I've picked to play whom so far and who do you think I've picked to play certain characters.