Diva - Chapter 7

Ruby’s knee jittered faster when the bus stopped yet again.  She glanced at her watch, then at the nearby street sign, before sighing and letting her knee bounce some more.  Clouds had gathered overhead; hopefully not an omen of the day to come, but she knew better than to hope for the best when Weiss was involved.

The cup of coffee in her hand was still outrageously hot - a small blessing.  And, even though the weather had taken a turn for the worse, their first working day away from the studio felt like an adventure.  Unfortunately, her adventure had already started off on the wrong foot.  The line to order coffee had been twice as long as usual.  The buses were crowded, and traffic was moving at a maddening crawl.

While a new group of passengers boarded, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled through her mouth.  She switched the cup of coffee to her left hand when her right knee jittered - the last thing she needed was to spill it all over herself - and sent up a silent ‘thank you’ when the bus lurched forward.

Her destination was only a handful of stops away - she could see it through the bus’s wide front window.  The road angled down sharply now, racing down the steep hill until it met the lake.  The lake’s surface reflected the grey clouds above, and several white sails could be seen in the distance.  A wooden pier stuffed with shops and restaurants extended out over the water.  On either side of it, racks of kayaks and surfboards were sprinkled amongst colorful beach umbrellas.

Her knee bounced faster when the bus stopped at the pier.  Several passengers departed before the bus sprang back into motion, driving along the edge of the lake now.  Moments later, an immense crowd of people, vehicles, and large equipment drew her eye.  Nearly a dozen white trailers were parked along the side of the road, with four or five of them much fancier than the others.  The slew of giant box trucks with “Crescent Productions” emblazoned on the side had their holds opened and silver ramps leading to the ground.

Ruby stood before the bus slowed down, hopped off as soon as the doors opened, and speed-walked toward the commotion.  She was probably on time by the rest of the world’s standards, but the world’s standards didn’t apply here.

“Hey, Jaune!” she called out to the cameraman, who glanced up from the tangled cables in his hands and attempted a wave.  “Have you seen Weiss?” 

“By the dock, I think.”

“Thanks!”

Considering Ruby had only worked at the studio before, she had no idea what to expect at an off-set location.  Three minutes into the day, she could only describe the atmosphere as chaotic.  Crew members raced everywhere, stomping paths into the grass as they carried or rolled boxes of equipment down to a dock jutting out over the lake.  Two white speedboats and a pair of jet skis - one blue and one green - rocked up and down in the water.  Multiple people - far too many, it seemed - scurried around on the boats with cameras and microphones.

Catching a glimpse of snowy white hair, Ruby altered her path and hurried over.  Her nerves grew with each step, unable to forget the unfortunate interaction from the day prior.  Weiss didn’t like her - an opinion Weiss was entitled to and shouldn’t impact Ruby’s ability to work.  Like Yang said, not everyone had to like her.  They could just be professionals who happened to interact daily.

“Good morning!”  She forced a chipper smile that disappeared when the girl turned around.  “You’re…not Weiss.”

“Dinah,” the girl with Weiss’ white hair and Weiss’ stature replied.  “Body double.”

“Oh…”  After an awkward pause, Ruby asked, “Do you know where the real Weiss is?”

Dinah nodded over Ruby’s shoulder, back up the hill Ruby had just raced down, and Ruby spotted the real Weiss immediately after turning around.  Weiss was currently listening to a tall gentleman near one of the large tents set up between the street and the dock.  Seeing Weiss’ perfect outfit, perfect poise, and perfect posture, Ruby couldn't believe that she had ever mistaken Weiss’ identity with anyone else.  

Hurrying back up the slick grass, she consoled herself that Weiss was somewhat hidden behind the tent and being in a rush had dampened her observational skills.  Regardless of the excuse, she wished for those few wasted seconds back while approaching Weiss and the tall stranger.

“ - we’ll probably need a few tries,” he said while Ruby steeled herself and walked over.  Without a word, she held out the cup for Weiss.  Weiss glanced over out of the corner of her eye, frowned, but accepted the cup anyway.  

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruby spun on her heel to make a quick getaway.

“I have a suggestion.”  

Ruby froze at the smooth, unemotional voice and slowly turned around.

“Why don’t you just handle everything the first time?  I’ll watch then try it on my own.”

“If Mr. Ozpin will allow it,” the gentleman replied while Ruby breathed another big sigh of relief and scurried away.  “That’ll probably make things easier,” she heard him agree while Emerald fell into step beside her.

“I’m just waiting for the day she vaporizes you with nothing but a glare.”

“You probably won’t have to wait much longer,” Ruby replied, glancing over her shoulder while Emerald laughed.  Weiss sipped her coffee and nodded at something the stranger said.  From outward appearances, she was the same aloof-yet-professional actress who Ruby had met on the first day of filming.  Maybe Ruby only hallucinated seeing her cry.  

“Where’re we supposed to put breakfast?” Ruby asked when she realized that she had no idea where to go.

“Right there.”  Emerald pointed at another big, blue tent set up over nothing but a patch of grass.  Before Ruby asked the obvious - mainly, where were the tables and chairs - Emerald rolled her eyes.  “Best part about filming on location?  We get to set up everything from scratch.”

Ruby sighed at the towering stacks of folded tables and chairs but wasted no time hauling the first table down with Emerald.

“Good morning, you two,” Velvet greeted them once she arrived, earning their soft grunts of acknowledgement.  Before long, the three of them abstained from any conversation while setting up the breakfast area.  The crew descended on the tent like vultures the instant the food made it onto the serving table, and Ruby impatiently waited for everyone to get through the line before chowing down on a heaping plateful of bacon and scrambled eggs.

After eating and cleaning up breakfast, she, Emerald, and Velvet joined the rest of the crew by the water.  Ruby quickly learned that filming on location was a vastly different beast from filming at the studio.  Not only did they have to set up everything from scratch, but the elements posed a unique challenge.  Even moderate gusts of wind were enough to move cables or pull microphones out of position - the current bane of the sound crew jerryrigging microphones and sound dampeners all around the boats.

“Seeing double?” Emerald teased, nudging Ruby’s elbow and nodding to a group standing on the dock.  

Now that Ruby knew there were stunt doubles on set, spotting the mirrors proved easier.  Cardin’s was shorter and leaner than his muscular build.  Pyrrha’s looked slightly thinner, Weiss’ slightly taller, but both of them wore wigs mimicking vibrant red and pure white hair.

“Hey, ladies.”

Ruby’s brow rose as the real Cardin sauntered past in nothing more than a pair of dark-blue swim trunks and tan sandals.  

“Like what you see?” he asked, running his hands down his washboard abs before flexing his giant biceps.  His chiseled frame was impressive, but Ruby only nodded while Emerald said, “Very nice, Cardin.”

“Don’t worry, Em.  I got more for you later.”  

When he snapped the waistband of his trunks against his hips and winked, Ruby and Velvet both looked at Emerald in shock.  “Sure, Cardin.  Whatever you say,” Emerald replied, a glint in her eyes as he laughed and strutted down to the dock.  Ruby shared a concerned look with Velvet, but Velvet ultimately pursed her lips and shook her head.

“Good morning,” a light, cheerful voice called out moments later.

“Good morning, Pyrrha,” Velvet replied, but Ruby froze before she could add the same.  Wearing a red bikini with gold accents, her red hair tied up in a ponytail, Pyrrha looked like a goddess.  

“A bit chilly today,” Pyrrha remarked, glancing up at the cloudy sky.  “Hopefully, the clouds clear up soon.” 

“Hopefully,” Velvet agreed before Pyrrha waved and headed to the dock.  Her prominent calf muscles gave away hours of training, as did the undeniable strength in her back and shoulders, and the definition in her arms…

“I’m sure Cardin appreciates your leering.”  

Ruby balked at the snappy voice, but her eyes widened when she turned around and found Weiss wearing a stark white bikini and a sheer, white top that draped off of her shoulders and was so thin that it might as well not be there at all.  The outline of her abs was clear as day, and the rest of her was thin yet toned to the point of perfection.

“I wasn’t -” Ruby began, but Weiss didn’t even pause on her way down to the water.  

“I wasn’t leering at him,” Ruby muttered under her breath while Emerald snickered beside her.  Cheeks warmed, she frowned and only snuck glances toward the dock, where Weiss and Pyrrha easily caught her eye.  To call the duo ‘beautiful’ would be the understatement of the century.  They looked like supermodels, only prettier and more radiant.  

The tall man from earlier soon joined them on the dock.  He spoke to Ozpin and Glynda before ushering the actors and their doubles onto one of the speedboats.  The group walked along the deck listening while he pointed out various objects.  Some of the sound crew worked around the group, hanging precariously off the boat’s side to hook up their microphones.

“Are we supposed to do anything?” Ruby asked Velvet before long.

“Not until someone asks.”

“The best part about being on location,” Emerald added before stretching her arms over her head.  “We get to relax.”

What Emerald termed ‘relaxing’ made Ruby shuffle her feet and glance around.  The production team had taken over one entire corner of the lake, and the commotion had drawn onlookers.  Everyone watched the scene down at the dock with rapt attention, whispering to each other or holding up cameras to snap photos.  

“Who are they?” Ruby asked Velvet, pointing at several people keeping the onlookers away from the trailers and motioning for people to put away their phones.  

Velvet glanced behind them before saying, “Location assistants.  They’re in charge of securing the set.”

Ruby nodded and searched for anything else of interest, but a boat roaring to life brought her attention back to the water.  As strange as it was not to have much to do, trying to help would only hinder the work taking place.  Too many people crawled over the boats and dock as it was.  So, heeding Emerald’s advice, she tried to relax and watch the scene unfold.

Eventually, the boats pulled away from the dock, each time ferrying a different cast out over the water.  Several times, the boat lingered in the middle of the lake before returning.  Sometimes, a quick circle was all it took.  Weiss went once, accompanied by her stunt double, for one of the longest trips.  Back on dry land, Pyrrha and Cardin received instruction on the jet skis.  Eventually, they also hopped on board with guides, then took a few spins without.

“Is it supposed to rain?” Ruby asked at one point, looking up at a sky that had only darkened as the day progressed.  The lighting crew had their work cut out for them, constantly adjusting the lights as the weather worked against them.

“I didn’t think so…” 

Velvet’s brow furrowed as she looked at the clouds - a worrisome action that grew more frequent amongst the crew with each passing minute.  Cinder seemed particularly annoyed by the darkening sky, scowling upward for the better part of the morning before finally speaking to Ozpin and Glynda.  The boats had returned from the water - training and practice complete - but everyone stood around waiting for Ozpin’s next instruction.

“Uh oh…” 

A raindrop landed on the back of Ruby’s hand immediately after Velvet’s comment.  Then a second, larger one splashed on her arm.  

“Get everything covered!” 

Ruby wasn’t even sure who shouted the order, but she scrambled into motion with everyone else.  The raindrops fell harder and faster, sticking her clothing to her skin as she raced to the dock.  Chaos ensued as people threw tarps over cameras and unclipped lights that had been painstakingly adjusted that morning.  A cold wind picked up, making the tarps and covers just as unruly as the slick grass.  

Seeing Jaune struggling to cover his camera, Ruby ran over and helped.  Then she helped one of the light guys tie a plastic bag around a floodlight.  One of the sound guys shoved a box of microphones into her hands next, a nod toward the main tent the only instruction given.  The rest of the crew had the same idea - get as much under the tent as possible.

She had just delivered the box to safety when the sky opened up and started pouring.  Rain fell in thick sheets, hitting the tent so fast and hard that the sound drowned out everything else.  The people who had made it under the tent looked on as the stragglers raced up the hill with the last few items, getting drenched in the process. 

“Ruby?”  Pyrrha hurried over to Ruby, expression worried.  “Can you keep Weiss company, please?”

“‘Company?’  Like -?”

“Stay with her until the rain stops.”

“Uh, ok?”

“Thank you.”  

Pyrrha touched Ruby’s shoulder before ducking under the umbrella Velvet held out for her and hurrying the last few steps to her trailer.  Confused but loath to turn down Pyrrha’s request, Ruby raced over to Weiss’ trailer, getting thoroughly drenched in the process, and hastily knocked on the door.

“Weiss?” she called out from beneath the too-small awning.  “You in there?”

She shivered when a gust of wind blew across her wet clothes but waited several more seconds before shaking her head and turning away.  The door opened at that exact moment, surprising her so much that her foot slipped on the wet steps.  She yelped as her balance vanished but, thankfully, grabbed the railing before tumbling down the steps. 

“What’re you doing here?” Weiss asked while Ruby sorted herself out.  “Besides nearly killing yourself.”

“Pyrrha asked me to keep you company.”  

Of everything Weiss might have expected, it clearly wasn’t that.  For an instant, she looked like she wanted to slam the door in Ruby’s face - her hand even tightened around the door handle.  Then she sighed and stepped away from the door.  “Don’t get water all over everything,” she grumbled while retreating to a creamy white sofa near the front of the trailer, which was warm and smelled like the lavender candle sitting on the table.

Weiss pulled her feet up onto the sofa and stared at her phone, seeming nonplussed about wearing nothing but a bikini while Ruby looked down at herself.  Her shirt and jeans were plastered to her while blades of grass stuck to her shoes.  Getting a single piece of grass on the pristine white carpet would probably earn her a one-way ticket to hell, so she didn’t dare step off the mat in front of the door.  Raindrops pelted the top of the trailer, adding a constant metallic ting-ing noise that broke the expanding silence.

Ruby swung her arms, rocked on her heels, and glanced around the trailer, but Weiss said nothing.

“It’s really coming down out there,” she finally said when a particularly ferocious spat of rain pounded the roof.

“I hate the rain…” Weiss muttered without looking up from her phone.

“Who hates rain??”

“I do.”

“Does it make your hair all frizzy or something?” Ruby joked, earning a withering glare but nothing more.  “Ok then…” she said, raising her hands and letting it go.  She listened to the rain until the silence got so uncomfortable that she had to speak again.  

“I don’t mind rain.  I think it’s nice, especially if it’s not cold.  Waters the plants, makes the air smell clean…besides, isn’t it relaxing to listen to?”  She paused to listen to the raindrops pattering on the roof before smiling.  “We had a treehouse growing up, and I used to sneak out there whenever it rained so I could listen to it.”

Weiss just huffed, so Ruby tapped her fingers together then patted her stomach.

“I wonder what’s for lunch…” she mused.  “What’s your favorite meal of the day?”  She gave Weiss several seconds to respond before adding, “Mine’s breakfast, but lunch is a close second.  Dinner is good, too.  Breakfast for dinner though…that’s, like, the pinnacle of eating.  Nothing beats pancakes at midnight.”

“Do you ever stop talking?”

Ruby frowned and glanced at Weiss, who hadn’t even looked up from her phone.

“Sorry, just…trying to make conversation.”

“You can stop trying.  Sucking up will get you nowhere.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?”  Her brow rose when Weiss replied with a succinct, “Yes.”

“Ok…it’s not, but…sure.  Whatever you say.”

“I’m only saying what I see.”

“And maybe what you see is a little biased by some trust issues.”

The response sounded better in Ruby’s head, but even then should never have seen the light of day.  Weiss’ scowl made that abundantly clear. 

“If you want to psychoanalyze someone, start with yourself.”  When Ruby’s brow furrowed, Weiss gestured to the windows.  “You run around trying to make everyone like you, like some oblivious, naive child.  You think that green-haired golddigger will ever like you?  No, she won’t.  So give up and move on.  Trying to be her friend is pathetic, and watching her toy with you is just sad.”

“Wow.”  

For a moment, Ruby couldn't think of anything more to say than that.  The further Weiss’ words sank in though, crawling under her skin and poking her for no good reason, the more annoyed she became.  

“I get why you don’t like rain now.  It makes you transform into an even worse person than usual.”  

When Weiss just huffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder, Ruby pressed on.  

“Did someone hurt you?  Is that why you’re like this?  Because I’m trying to be patient and understanding, but you really know how to make someone wish they were reading your obituary.”

“Is that what this is?” Weiss shot back, her eyes flashing a dangerous blue.  “Patience?  Understanding?  Trying to get to know the ‘real me?’”  She scoffed and rolled her eyes.  “Do you have any idea how many people just like you I’ve watched flame out of this world?  Nothing about you is cut out for this.”

“How about you stop talking about me like you know me.”

Weiss froze at the icy response while Ruby clenched her jaw to hold back a flood of other words she would love to say.  She just crossed a line - she knew that better than she knew her own birthday - but her frustration refused to let her take it back or apologize.  They stared each other down instead, not a sound except for raindrops interrupting the tense silence.  Then a smug smile slipped onto Weiss’ lips.

“You don’t like me.”

“I don’t know you.  Maybe you’re a wonderful person.”

Weiss’ dry laugh voiced Ruby’s thoughts on the matter, but the self-satisfied expression rankled Ruby even more.  As did the way Weiss stood up and sauntered over, her smooth skin and perfect figure on full display while the smirk caught Ruby off guard.  Ruby’s heart lodged in her throat, but she didn’t dare move as Weiss walked right up to her.

“Admit it,” Weiss cooed while reaching up and straightening Ruby’s collar, oozing seduction as intoxicating as her perfume.  “I make you miserable.  You look forward to leaving set each day and dread coming back in the morning.  You think I’m a cold, demanding, undeserving bitch.  So why don’t you do both of us a favor and quit?”

Ruby’s heart stayed in her throat as Weiss’ hands smoothed across her collar and rested on her shoulders.  They had never been this close for so long, and Ruby grappled with the overwhelming sense of danger yet visual cues of intimacy.  She snapped her mouth shut on her first response - a fiery exclamation that she would regret - before chewing over her words and spitting out the truth.

“Because my sister, who’s always done everything for me, just got engaged and I want to get out of her hair so she can finally live her own life.  So I need this job to make money so I can get an apartment of my own.”

“So noble.  I bet there’s nothing in it for you.”

“There isn’t.”

“You wouldn't admit it even if there were,” Weiss snapped, drawing her hands back and looking at Ruby in disdain.  “You don’t think I can spot a phony when I see one?  The only difference is that I’m not getting taken advantage of left and right.”

“I’m not -” Ruby began but stopped as Weiss’ words sank in.  “Wait.  Are you saying you’re a phony?”

Weiss blinked but then scoffed and stepped away.

“This is just pretend?” Ruby pressed.  “You’re pretending to be awful?”

“Just shut up, will you.”

Ruby frowned as Weiss spun around and retreated to the sofa.  She picked up her phone and burned holes into it, writing Ruby out of existence as much as anyone sharing the same space could. 

Ruby could practically feel the steam coming from her ears as tense silence took over the trailer.  She wanted to storm out - rain be damned.  She wanted to hurl some bad names at Weiss in the process, or demand answers for the angry questions swirling in her mind.  But speaking another word would only light a fuse that she didn’t necessarily want to light.  And she told Pyrrha that she would stay, so she did.  

She stood there, staring at the wall across from her, fists lightly clenched and scowl semi-permanent, until the rain finally eased up.  The sky lightened as the pitter-patter of raindrops slowed, so she looked out the window.

“Looks like it stopped.”

Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and stormed outside.  Everything sparkled with fresh raindrops, the air was clear, and the sun peeked out from behind lingering clouds.  Under the main tent, urgency had returned to the crew, who now rushed to put everything back into place so filming could begin.  Ruby headed back to the tent, eager to put Weiss and their most recent conversation behind her.  

“Get those back to the boat,” Cinder snapped at one of the cameramen before spotting Ruby.  “Help him with this.”  She pointed at a large box filled with microphones before rushing off to whip more people into high gear.

Despite the cool breeze left in the storm’s wake, Ruby worked up a sweat carrying the first box down to the lake then running back up the hill to help with another, then another, and another.  Fortunately, setup progressed faster the second time.  Everyone knew exactly where their equipment needed to be and nearly tripped over each other getting it there.  Glynda and Ozpin returned - Ozpin holding a steaming mug in one hand while watching the commotion; Glynda adding direction here or there.

In what felt like no time, the boats were ready, and the rest of the scene proceeded without a hitch.  Weiss, Pyrrha, and Cardin returned, piled onto the boats or jet skis, and headed further out over the lake.  Observing from the shoreline turned out to be a slow, tedious affair, as not much happened that Ruby could see.  Then the actors returned, the stunt doubles took over, and a tepid scene became a thrilling chase across the lake. 

Pyrrha and Cardin’s doubles drove the jet skis at top speed, frequently hitting waves that launched them out of the water.  Weiss’ double expertly piloted the speedboat through a series of sharp spins and turns, creating towering sprays of water that sometimes doused the film boat.  Eventually, the jet skis raced up alongside the speedboat and the drivers climbed aboard.  A scuffle ensued, ending with Cardin’s character going overboard.  He treaded water before Pyrrha’s double eventually dove in to help him.  

The second run-through was equally exciting to watch, though the silent reaction from the crew on shore might suggest otherwise.  Ruby glanced around when all of the boats converged to discuss the most recent take.  Most of the crew watched or talked quietly amongst themselves.  Cardin was, unsurprisingly, flirting with Emerald again.  They stood separated from the rest of the group, where no one could overhear what was being said.  Pyrrha and Weiss were closest, sitting on the chairs designated for them.

Ruby hardly glanced at Weiss before clenching her jaw and turning away.  She could now safely say that she had never disliked someone so much.  Not only was Weiss impossible to please, but she also thought Ruby was a lying, brown-nosing doormat.  Which was rude, wrong, and frustrating.

Ruby’s agitation loosened its hold, however, when a breeze blew across the surface of the lake.  If she was cold, the swimwear-clad actors must be freezing.

“Don’t you dare care,” she scolded herself, crossing her arms and staring straight ahead.  “If she needs something, she’ll ask.”

Regardless of what she told herself, she peeked to the side again.  Noticing Weiss’ shiver at the next stiff breeze, she sighed.  

“Dammit,” she huffed before running back up the hill.  Jogging across the slick grass was an adventure in itself, but she made it to the wardrobe trailer in no time.  “Coco?”  

She knocked on the trailer door and hopped back to the sidewalk when it opened.  Coco’s height could be intimidating on a good day but giving her the high ground only amplified the sense that she was looking down on Ruby. 

“Sorry to bother you.”  Ruby flashed an apologetic smile before motioning to the lake.  “Do you have some coats or jackets or something?”  

“I probably do.”  

Coco disappeared into the trailer without another word, leaving Ruby outside wondering if she was supposed to follow or wait there.  Before Ruby asked, Coco reappeared with an armful of soft, fuzzy bathrobes.

“It’s all I’ve got,” she said while dumping them into Ruby’s arms.

“Better than nothing.  Thanks!”  

Robes in hand, she hurried back to the lake.  The boats and jet skis moved at a sluggish pace at the moment.  More of the crew had found places to sit, whether on boxes or overturned crates, while waiting for their next task.  Cardin had joined Weiss and Pyrrha at their designated ‘talent’ station, either because he got bored or Emerald found something else to do.  Despite how unapproachable the trio appeared, Ruby made her way over.  As expected, Weiss scowled as soon as she noticed the intrusion.

“What do you want?” she asked, her tone as biting as the wind.

“I thought you might be cold.”

Ruby offered a white, fluffy robe that looked as comfortable as sleeping on a cloud.  Weiss stared at it for so long that, despite the goosebumps visible on her arms, Ruby thought she might decline it out of spite.  She snatched it out of Ruby’s hand instead and wrapped it around her shoulders without a word.  As Weiss pointedly turned away, Ruby offered the other robes to Pyrrha and Cardin.

“You’re a lifesaver, Ruby.”  Pyrrha’s gaze flitted to Weiss before she took the blue robe, leaving light pink for Cardin.  When he threw it on without hesitation, Pyrrha laughed and said, “Looking great, Cardin.”

“Chicks dig pink,” he bragged before gently tapping Ruby’s shoulder with one fist.  “Thanks, hot stuff.  Was about to turn into a popsicle out here.”

The gratitude went a long way in improving Ruby’s mood, but one glance at Weiss’ tightly clenched jaw convinced her not to linger.  She nodded and returned to her previous post instead.  Emerald sauntered up beside her before long, appearing from nowhere to nudge her elbow and shoot a meaningful glance to the actors.

“Guess rumors about the lake monster were true, huh?” she teased, smirking when Ruby shook her head.

“Come on, you two,” Velvet interrupted, tapping their shoulders and motioning them away from the lake.  “It’s almost time for lunch.”

Grateful for any excuse to be as far away from Weiss as possible, Ruby followed Velvet to the main tent and helped set up lunch.  The crew filtered in shortly after, and a pleasant drone of conversation soon filled the air.  

Weiss didn’t show up, but her absence was so typical that Ruby shouldn’t have even noted it let alone felt guilt prickle at the back of her mind.  She reminded herself that there was probably food in the trailer and ate quickly, hardly following Velvet’s conversation.  She stewed over Weiss’ comments instead, then gratefully shoved them aside when it was time to get back to work.

The rest of the day passed in a blur.  The boats raced across the water several more times, creating a spectacle with all of the cameras and equipment attached.  Before Ruby knew it, they had to break down everything they had set up that morning - a long, physically exhausting process that didn’t leave much time to think.

She nearly drifted off on the bus ride home, her head knocking against the window whenever they drove over a bump or hole in the road.  She dragged herself upstairs to her apartment and, even though her tired arms protested, managed to fit her key in the lock and open the door. 

Not even a step inside, she averted her gaze so as not to get an eyeful of Yang and Blake kissing at the kitchen island.  She dropped her bag on the ground and cleared her throat to announce her presence, which came as a surprise to them both.

“Oh, hey, Ruby!” Yang greeted her.  She grunted in response while scooting past them to get some water.  Blake had the decency to blush, especially since Yang still had her pinned to the counter, but Yang didn’t move away until Blake subtly tapped her shoulder.  “How was work?” Yang added while stepping back so Blake could slip past.

“Horrible.”  Ruby took a long drink before adding, “Just, really awful.  Like the orientation to hell - they didn’t have the eternal hellfire, but there were definitely demons.  At least, one demon.”

Blake arched a brow, but a soft laugh slipped through Yang’s lips before concern filled her lilac eyes.

“Ruby, if it’s that bad, why don’t you just quit?”

Facing that question for the second time today - though Yang’s caring tone was opposite of Weiss’ challenging one - Ruby let her shoulders droop.

“Blake and I are in no hurry for you to leave,” Yang added, wrapping an arm around Ruby’s shoulders and tugging her close.  “It makes me sad just thinking about it, so you don’t need to put yourself through hell - or, you know, the orientation to hell.  You can still focus on your art and wait for that to pick up.  That’s completely fine with us.”

Yang turned to Blake for support, so Blake emphatically nodded.

“I know,” Ruby sighed, feeling her shoulders sink to a new low.  “I just…want to prove I can do this.  That I can do something.”  She frowned at the thought before shaking her head.  “Besides, if I quit, she wins.  And I really, really don’t want her to win.”

Yang and Blake shared another look - they had been doing that more often as of late, Ruby noted - before Yang chuckled and squeezed Ruby’s shoulders.

“Alright, then.  You show that stuck-up, gorgeous actress that she’s not getting the better of you.  The Rose-Xiao Long family can put up with anything!”

Ruby mustered a smile and small laugh when Yang raised a triumphant fist in the air.  Her smile brightened when Yang hugged her before walking over to the refrigerator and opening the freezer.

“Blake and I were about to make ice cream sundaes for dinner.  You in?”

“We were?” Blake asked, only to be shushed by Yang.  “Right, we were,” she added, though she playfully rolled her eyes at Ruby.

Ruby laughed at their antics and settled onto one of the stools at the island.  “I’m definitely in,” she told her sister, who grinned and began pulling ice cream containers from the freezer.  Blake grabbed bowls and toppings, and Ruby watched it all with a smile.

Weiss’ words replayed in her mind, but she shook them from her head and focused on Yang and Blake’s lighthearted banter instead.  She wasn’t a phony.  She was just trying to figure out her life.  Fortunately, she was blessed with friends and family willing to support her on that mission.  Their opinions meant more to her than anything a cold, heartless actress could ever say.