Ruby wrapped Roman's jacket tighter around her chest, guarding herself from yet another breeze that swept through the streets. She huddled the jacket under one arm and pushed the shade further up to better cover her eyes. The sky was overcast, and it probably didn't make much sense for her to be wearing sunglasses out in this weather, but Ruby preferred weird looks from people she didn't recognize to the spark of realization in her friends' faces. She could not afford to be discovered.

On the other hand, she remembered that today was exam day, so very few people—if any at all—would be around to go shopping. However, with Ruby's semblance, her younger self constantly made trips out to Vale that would cut right under the wire on her schedule. She could always make it back in time, even if she were buying weapons cartridges thirty minutes before she had to sit down and take a test worth thirty percent of her grade.

Lucky for her, she was nowhere near any of her favorite shops. In fact, she was right in the middle of commercial district, home to the malls, boutiques, and overpriced shops that she hated the most. Security might just follow her around in every store she would walk into, but so long as she paid, Ruby didn't think she would have any problems with them.

Ruby picked a random shop along the street, sign blocked by scaffolding, and yanked the door open, stepping through the threshold of warm air blowing in the entryway. The immediate stench of perfume floating through the foyer alerted Ruby to the fact that she either just walked into a high-end department store or a crappy mall. But upon visual inspection of the way the staff dressed, she realized that it was the former. Ruby groaned.

The staff paid no mind as she walked over to the far wall, lined with racks of crisp clothing hanging delicately from their respective hangars. She drew her fingers over the fabric, feeling the materials between her forefinger and thumb.

"Is that a Jean Atelier?"

Ruby jolted, turning in the direction where the question came from. One of the staff stood behind her, covering her mouth as she giggled at Ruby's plight.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Your coat. Is that a Jean Atelier? The detailing of the threadwork even on leather is so evocative of his work. It's gorgeous."

"Wha—oh." Ruby looked down at Roman's jacket on her body. "This jacket's actually not mine."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "This isn't actually mine." Ruby examined the inner lining beneath the lapel. It did, in fact, bear a label with a threaded inscription, "Atelier."

"Well, your boyfriend has good taste," she said, smirking.

"W-what? He's not my boyfriend," Ruby laughed nervously, holding her hands up in a defensive position.

"Sure," she cooed. "Anyway, do you need any help finding anything today?"

"Uh, actually, yeah, I need some pants and shirts for a work uniform." Ruby look around the shop. It was a splash of vibrant colors, all of them too floral or poppy for her intent.

"We do have some basics on the next floor. These down here are just our seasonal items."

"Oh, thank you," Ruby said. She walked past her and up the stairs to the next floor. The section was color-coded, but each of them were more late-summer, early-fall tones. No simple black pieces in sight. Ruby grumbled, examining the price tag on a random shirt to assess whether it would be worth her time to keep looking. It read "fifty lien."

"Hell no," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking back down the stairs. Once she was out the door, she pulled her shades off her face and tucked them into the collar of her shirt.

Patience thinning, she pulled her scroll out of her pocket and searched for a department store. One displayed as being only six blocks up the road from her. She sighed and began walking down the street.

The air brushed across her exposed skin and put chills in her body despite the thick material of Roman's jacket. He hadn't contacted her since yesterday to get it back, but so long as he didn't ask to get it back, Ruby wouldn't say anything. She had to admit-it was a nice jacket.


The sale items in the junior section were all located two floors below the ground. Ruby flapped the edge of her shirt to mitigate the sweating, but it was no use—all the air around her was a warm, humid mess. She didn't like to think about the fact that she was probably walking around in a cloud of vaporized sweat while the lights tested her potential for epilepsy. She instead tried to focus on the clothes in front of her. She found three hoodies, five pairs of black jeans, and a wide assortment of black tank tops. She figured that their necklines were supposed to dip a lot lower instead of riding up her waistline, but at the price they were being sold at, she didn't care.

Ruby picked up a pair of boots in her size, slung the rest over her arm, and walked to the checkout counter. She wiped a line of sweat away from her brow.

"Find everything okay, miss?" asked the cashier.

"Yeah," she huffed, drained of her energy.

The cashier rung up her items in silence, but the noise was filled with clicking heels, obnoxious pop music, and discombobulating lights. He cleared his throat and announced her total. Ruby removed the appropriate lien and handed it to him, clearing her own throat in kind, but it was dry and scratchy. She was evidently dehydrated.

He handed the change back to her and sent her off with, "Thank you. I can help the next person over here."

In the elevator, Ruby started to feel dizzy. Roman was right, she probably should have gotten more rest in compensation for how most of the water she drank didn't have much of an effect on her since she blacked out. In a moment of brief reprieve, she realized the elevator was quiet. Not even her apartment was this silent, and even if she couldn't hear horns honking in the distance or gunshots, her mind filled the void with an endless stream of sprawling thoughts that made her head spin. But with her slipping state of consciousness, she could shut all of it out, at least for a little while.

Ruby knew that she would have to take care of herself eventually—she had no intention of passing out on the street. She made a deal with herself: she would walk to the convenience store by the apartment building and buy water, painkillers, and earplugs. The next couple of hours would be nothing but dead silence.


Hey guys. Last chapter for at least a couple of days. I move in tomorrow, so I have to get a lot of stuff done. I just want to express my appreciation for how much you guys have been supporting this story, and, well, me ever since I took over creative control. So thank you guys so much. Sera asked me to let you guys know that she's gonna get back to writing soon because she finally got everything sorted out with the university. You'll see more details later when she posts about it on the forum.

Rosewick4Ever: Thank you! And about Roman and Ruby flirting...it's definitely not going to be traditional. BUUUUUT I still think you'll like it. I hope I hear from you again in the future-I'd definitely like to hear what you think about how this story pans out.

To everyone who is going to be starting a new semester soon, whether it be at high school or college, I wish you the best of luck! I'll see you all next time :)

-Mima