Stillwater. One of the most boring and dangerous cities I've ever lived in. If you consider drifting from state to state living, of course.
Gang violence ran rampant in this town, much like others I've been to, but something seemed so… malicious with how these gangs were attacking. It wasn't just about the graffiti tags anymore. If another gang saw you simply wearing another gang's colors, they would shoot on sight, no questions asked. I try to keep to mostly black clothing because of this. I can't wear blue because then I would be identified as a member of the Rollerz. If I wore red, I would be one of the Carnales. Yellow, Vice Kings.
And then purple, my favorite color, I couldn't wear thanks to the Saints.
I resorted to wearing green, second favorite to purple, and even used a thin green ribbon to put my hair up in a fat bun. I just threw on some black leggings and a sleeveless top with a strip of dark green running down the middle. My sneakers were primarily black, though they were rather worn with the amount of use and battering they've went through, and I had small green stud earrings on, though they were just some cheap things I bought from Bling Bling. Actually, now that I think about it, I hope I don't look like I'm screaming rob me, rob me!
Maybe I should just leave for another city, Steelport maybe. But I've heard of the Syndicate there…
Honestly, I just don't know where to go anymore, or whether or not it's worth worrying over. I have an apartment here, which isn't much to really say, but it's not too shabby, since I managed to fix it up and redecorate. I don't exactly have a means of transportation beyond a bike, and the only weapon to my name happens to be a hunting knife I… uh, inherited, let's just say, so if a gang does decide to throw down, I'm in a bit of trouble.
Only a month and I'm thinking of bolting again…
"Watches! I got some watches!"
I didn't really pay attention to my route at this point, merely running over my options. I mean, eventually someone will find me, and eventually I'll have to disappear all over again, but I'm okay with that. I expected that.
Stupid police. Stupid parents. Stupid boyfriend. Ugh!
They should know by now why they can't find me. I just wish I could take a minute to simply rest and enjoy life, if just for a small while. Maybe that's just me fantasizing. Probably. I'm not that lucky.
I shrugged off the watch seller's hand grabbing my attention and shook my head no with a slight gesture to my pockets, shrugging. I'm not actually broke, but it's easier to shake sellers off your tail.
"No cash on ya? Shame. Well, if you ever want one of these high quality watches, you find me here, girl."
A polite head nod and a smile was what I replied with. My hand drifted to the phone in the pouch on my belt, my fingers slipping in to cover it protectively.
One of the streetside girls turned from applying her makeup and pasted on a plastic smile, tanned skin blemish free and brown hair high in a ponytail. The red dress was far to small in both the bust and the butt, making it look like it was squeezing the life out of her.
"Hey baby, I could— oh. Hey there, Chika."
I blinked, taking a closer look at the woman. Chocolate brown eyes and a small beauty mark by her left eye. I've talked with her before. Daniella.
I waved with a slight smile, tapping her arm once. She looked at me with some concern, to which I wanted to bark a laugh at. She always knew I'd be fine.
"Everything okay? No unwanted visitors at the apartment?"
I shook my head no.
"Find a job yet?"
I eased my emerald green eyes off to the side, an embarrassed flush flooding my face. Daniella tisked, running her fingers along her purse.
"Well, I know you're not interested in my line of work, but if you ever change your mind…"
I resisted an eye roll. I was not going to become a prostitute. And besides, before I left, I withdrew all of the money from the bank. At least my parents were useful for something.
Instead, I merely smiled kindly and squeezed her hand, drawing a heart on her palm to show her my appreciation at the thought. Daniella gave me a smile that was plastic yet again, eyes suddenly darting to the side, and I followed her gaze. Color drained from my face. Vice Kings.
"Man, fuck the Rollerz!"
Three of them, spitting and yelling in front of a Rollerz tag on the side of a building. They looked mad, furious, and even worse, they had guns.
Pretty sure my hunting knife wouldn't work in this situation, unless I could teleport of course.
"Levar, you gonna let those bitches disrespect us?"
"Shit, whatchu think?"
The Vice King named Levar began shaking a spray can and spraying golden paint over the royal blue of the Rollerz tag, and I felt my jaw twinge when I saw three figures clad in blue approaching them. Ice formed in my veins, my head became woozy as a sudden rush of adrenaline jolted through me at the prospect of danger, and I turned to Daniella.
Go, I urged silently, waving my hand in a shooing motion down the sidewalk where the watch guy was not so casually meandering down. Daniella clasped her hands together, knees shaking.
"What about you?"
I'll be fine.
She saw my answer in my eyes, having known me since the very first day I arrived in this degraded city, and nodded after a moment, stumbling on her heels as she hurried away. I crammed myself in the doorway Daniella had been leaning in, watching with curiosity.
"The fuck you think you doin'?" One of the Rollerz spat.
"Jus' being civic minded is all," A Vice King threw out his arms and sassed, a smirk sliding across his lips.
The Rollerz didn't look amused, "That so?"
"Yeah." Levar turned from the graffiti tag. "Some dumbass cracka came along and shit all over this wall, we was just cleanin' it up."
Oh. Oh these guys were so dead.
Smack.
Called it.
The Rollerz and Vice Kings began punching and kicking each other, using baseball bats and the like. Levar sprayed a Roller in the face with his spray can, and threw it at the retreating blue clad gang member.
Then a red car pulled up. With men wearing red bandanas. Fuck.
"Hector says buenas noches." That's a gun!
Although it wasn't directed at me, I covered my head with my hands as bullets zoomed towards the Rollerz and Vice Kings. I heard screaming, heard the Roller that ran before sprinting back, and I suddenly didn't feel too safe in this doorway.
Peeking my eyes open and taking a quick look at where everyone was, I bolted, down the street in the direction I sent Daniella, nearly tripping on the curb and running across the crosswalk—
Squealing tires. Car!
The red car containing the Carnales screamed towards me, and just for a moment I froze, eyes bulging wide as I just saw a car, and kept thinking car. Snap out of it!
I lunged to the side, feeling the very edge of the bumper lightly clip my left knee. A small burst of pain sprouted there, but I think I could manage it. I caught my breath as I peered over at the car that nearly just killed me. That thing looks like it's going to explode…
My blood ran cold. A gun cocking.
I felt my hand grip the knife in my pouch, sliding it out as a Vice King pointed his silver pistol at me. I kept my hand behind my back, gripping the sheath tightly. He looked triumphant, but scowled cruelly at me as he said:
"Wrong time, wrong place, girlie."
I watched as his finger began to twitch, and in the very last second, I lunged, hearing a gunshot but no pain. The momentum from my lunge had me plunging my hunting knife into the Vice King's stomach, and I twisted for good measure. Only… the Vice King didn't make a noise. He just kinda… flopped.
And then someone pushed the Vice King off me, a stunned silence enveloping the scene as my knife was still in the Vice King's stomach. His blood had dripped onto my hands, speckles of crimson red on my camisole.
"You okay, playa?"
A chocolate brown hand filled my vision, and I blinked up in surprise as I met kind and soft brown eyes. He's wearing purple…
"Julius, let's move!"
Another man, Caucasian, standing behind Julius. A gun in his hand. The gunshot…
My hand blindly ripped the blade from the Vice Kings stomach as I took the hand of this Julius character, gaping at the two gang members. I was just saved. By the Saints.
Julius hauled me up, an arm going around my waist when I felt my knee begin to collapse a little bit, and I saw the other guy, who wore a purple polo, stalking forward and scanning the area with his gun pointed… sideways.
Sideways. Straighten it you idiot.
Funny how I'm criticizing the man that just saved me, but I was never really the grateful type.
A sudden explosion knocked us off kilter, and I felt heat wash up my back before receding again, Julius pulling me practically off my feet while trying to run away from the explosion. Ah, the perks of being little…
Julius let me sit propped up on a brick wall, and I nearly flinched away when he began inspecting my slightly injured knee. What the fuck is going on?
"That doesn't look so bad, you should be fine," He assured me, and I felt a small, small flare of annoyance go to my head. I knew that, thank you very much.
"That's Troy, you can thank him later." Julius gestured to the man that saved me. He looked anxious.
Troy nodded his head with a slight smile, relaxing more for my sake I suppose. "Hey."
One side of my mouth lifted up as I flicked my hand in the air as a greeting. I wasn't going to thank him, but I was at least going to be friendly.
"The Row ain't safe anymore, girl." Julius reeled in my attention, and I found his voice… calming, somehow. "We got gangs fighting for shit that ain't theirs, and you in the way? They don't care if you're representin' or not."
Hold up… this sounded like a practiced speech…
Troy suddenly looked worried, flicking a nervous glance at me before saying, "Julius, this is no time to recruit."
Recruit?!
"We need all the help we can get, son."
"No we need to get our asses out of here!"
Oh my god. Are they serious?!
"In a minute! Look, the Row's got a problem. Come to the church when you wanna be a part of the solution."
I gaped, and he looked at me seriously before nodding. Snapping my mouth shut, I frowned contemplatively, and he smiled a bit before walking off with Troy. Join the Saints?
At first thought I blew it off immediately. The violence demonstrated right here should be enough to sway me from gang life, but then I thought about it. All my time running I've always been defenseless, unable to even own a gun because I didn't want to use my name. All I have is this knife, my phone, and the apartment that I technically don't even own. And the only person that knew me is Daniella, and she didn't even know my name.
I can hold my own in a fight, hence the blade. I knew how to shoot pistols at least. I'm fast. If I wanted… I could probably do it.
And I've killed before.
I took out my phone, grinning a little at the purple case detailed with black swirls. I already had the flags.
{Hey Daniella. Are you at the apartment?}
Not a second after I sent out the text, Daniella answered.
{Yes are you okay? Oh my god why on earth did you stay?!}
{I have something to talk to you about. Stay there.}
At that, I stood, brushed off the dirt and grime from my clothes, and started running.
…
…
…
"You want to do what?!"
I winced at the pitch of Daniella's voice, rubbing my ear tenderly before repeating my movements.
:I want to join the Saints:
"WHY?!"
I rolled my eyes. :It's a job, isn't it?:
She glared at me, narrowing her caramel colored eyes and running a hand through her long hair. "That's not the type of job I meant!"
:Oh look who's talking about an actual job:
"Hey!"
:Daniella, I'm not very patient for most jobs. I can fight. I can do it:
She sighed, long and drawn out. "You are not making life easy, Chika."
I shrugged, lounging on the leather couch that was slightly worn around the edges. My life was never easy, so why should it be now?
"How are you even gonna talk with any of them if you join?"
I paused, cocking my head before replying, :I can write notes, or…:
"Or…?"
:Oryoucouldtranslateforme!:
My hands moved so fast the words blurred together, and Daniella had to take a moment before replying.
"Uh. No."
:Fine then. I'm taking a pen and paper to the church:
"Are you seriously going through with this? Just because one Saint saves you doesn't mean you're in debt to them for life! Just take the help and be on your merry way!"
:I always repay my debts:
She knew I wasn't joking, and I wouldn't be swayed from my decision. I honestly don't even know why I consult Daniella on this sort of stuff. Maybe it's because we're roomies. Maybe because she's my only friend in this city.
Or, maybe she's the only one that's ever there.
"Alright then… I know I can't change your mind." Daniella sighed, rubbing her face. "Just… try not to get yourself killed. And if you really, really need someone to translate for you, and I mean this has to be a dire fucking emergency… I'll translate for you."
:Thank you:
"Don't mention it, seriously," She grumbled, looking at the clock. "Well… if you want to make it to that meeting at the church, you better go and get dressed Chika."
I grinned suddenly, jumping up and running to my room. I can finally wear purple again.
...
...
...
Hello there, Lonessa here! *Sigh* I don't know why I do this to myself, but I have started yet another long project. I'm going to die everyone.
So this is my own interpretation of the psychopath we all know and love, and in this she is mute. And I'm probably going to skip over a lot of the SR1 events since I haven't played the game as extensively as the others so I know less about it. Chapters will probably become longer than this first one as well over time.
And updates will probably be a little slow, since my RWBY fic Wilted is getting almost all of my attention at the moment, but I will do my best to update at least once every two weeks!
I hope you all enjoyed, and as I always say, happy writing to all!
Lonessa out :)