Diva - Chapter 6

“What’s that?” 

“Oh.  Uh -”  Broken out of her concentration, Ruby glanced up when Emerald dropped her bag on the floor.  “Just a sketch,” Ruby said, flipping the notebook closed as Emerald peered over her shoulder.

“Well, come on.  Let me see.”

Ruby set her hands over the cover but, when Emerald gestured for it, opened it to the page she had been working on and handed it over.  The half-finished landscape wasn’t much more than a few trees and shrubs, but she planned on adding flowers and wildlife until the image spilled off the page.  Emerald didn’t ask what it was supposed to be though; she just looked at the sketch, turned it at an angle, and returned it with a lackluster, “Neat.”

“Just passing the time until breakfast.”  Ruby shoved the sketchbook into her bag and brightened when a deliveryman walked through the doors.  “Looks like it just arrived,” she remarked, flagging down the man’s attention as he searched the room.  He noticed her wave and nodded before hurrying back outside.  Moments later, he wheeled in several large boxes on a handcart.

“Right over there.”  She directed him to the breakfast tables so that he could drop off the boxes.  “Thanks!” she added, earning another quick nod as he rushed out to finish the rest of his deliveries.  “I wonder how much food he drops off every morning…” she mused while opening the first box.

“Enough to feed you for two days, maybe.”

“That long?”  Ruby laughed when Emerald rolled her eyes and grabbed two large aluminum trays from the box.  Ruby grabbed the bottom two and carried them to the table.  Several trips later, breakfast was ready to be served.

“What’re they doing?” she asked while she and Emerald broke down the cardboard boxes, nodding to the set.  Unlike previous days, the soundstage was void of any props or background scenery.  Several crew members were rigging up various tall poles instead.

“They’re starting mo-cap today,” Emerald explained while two cameramen rolled their cameras into position.  “Motion capture,” she elaborated, even though Ruby hadn’t asked.  “I swear, watching those stuck-up know-it-alls wear ball suits never gets old.”  

Emerald’s gaze slid to the door with that statement, and a smirk slipped onto her lips.

“There’s one of them now,” she said in a lower voice before elbowing Ruby’s side.  Ruby turned and, as soon as she saw Weiss, suffered a mixture of emotions ranging from dread to turmoil.  “You should make sure she doesn’t want your help getting changed,” Emerald added while Weiss strode across the entryway.  “Those suits are impossible to get into alone.”

Ruby took one look at Weiss, with her perfect outfit, perfect hair, and perfect makeup, and shook her head.

“I doubt she wants my help…”

“But PAs usually help out.”  

Ruby’s brow creased at that information, but her reluctance faded when Emerald rolled her eyes and turned away with a dismissive, “Suit yourself.”

“Ok, I’ll check.”  After grabbing Weiss’ cup of coffee, which should still be hot since Ruby had requested it as scalding as purgatory, she hurried to catch up with Weiss.  “Good morning,” she said before offering the cup, which Weiss accepted with a soft sound of acceptance but nothing more.

“Need anything else?” 

Weiss opened the door to her room but stopped and studied Ruby rather than enter.  Ruby quickly shook her head and slapped on a smile.

“I mean, of course you don’t!  You have your coffee.  You have your water and ice cubes.  You’re all set.”

The response garnered no inkling of amusement, so Ruby decided to quit while she was ahead.  “Alright…”  She lightly clapped her hands together and backed away.  “You know where to find me if you want help getting changed or anything.” 

“‘Getting changed?’”

“Into your mocap suit?  Since they’re hard to get into?”  

Ruby motioned to the stage, where an enormous green screen now took up the back wall, but Weiss merely glanced that way before staring at Ruby.

“Why would I need your help getting changed when there’s an entire department dedicated to it?  Even if there wasn’t, why would I ask for your help?”

“Sorry, I just -”  Ruby gestured over her shoulder but struggled to find an ending to that sentence.  Weiss, meanwhile, briefly glowered over Ruby’s shoulder.

“Did you think this through or did you just believe whatever she told you?”

When Weiss subtly nodded in Emerald’s direction, Ruby glanced that way and started sputtering.

“I, uh, she said that’s how it usually works, and it sounded right, so I just wanted to make sure to offer, in case you needed help.”

For a fleeting moment, Weiss looked nearly pitying.  Annoyance quickly dominated her expression though.  She shook her head and, while closing the door, added a curt, “That makes you the fool.”

Ruby stared at the door bearing Weiss’ name before glancing at Emerald, who flashed two thumbs up and a cheeky smile.  A sour feeling snuck into her stomach at the response, but she shook her head and walked away.

The insult stung because it was right.  She was a fool to trust Emerald’s advice rather than follow her instinct, or at least get a second opinion from someone she trusted.  Before she dwelled too long on that hard lesson, however, the radio in her ear sparked to life.

“Someone find Glynda,” Cinder’s voice came through loud and clear.  “Ozpin needs her now.”

Eager for the distraction, Ruby tapped the microphone, said, “I’m on it,” and hurried to complete the task.  Knowing Cinder would expect it done within minutes, she set off at a near-jog and kept her head on a swivel looking for a tight blonde bun or glasses.

Glynda typically hung out near her office in the front of the studio or around the soundstage, but she was in neither of those places right now.  She also wasn’t in the sound department, or watching playbacks at the video tent, or anywhere on the right side of the huge building.

Ruby silently cursed herself for choosing the wrong direction as she rounded the back of the soundstage.  She had already convinced herself that Glynda was in the costume department when a glimpse of blonde hair drew her attention to the art department.  

The composed, unflappable woman looked out of place amidst the disarray, but her serious expression suggested she had an important reason for being there.  Her steadfast gaze remained on the art director, a hyperactive gentleman with spiky green hair and perpetually foggy glasses who everyone affectionately called ‘Oob.’  Whatever Oob had to say involved plentiful hand gestures to the three short, white columns beside him.

Ruby had been raised not to interrupt a conversation but, imagining Cinder tapping her foot and looking at the clock already, walked over without hesitation.

“Can’t we just have someone make something?” Glynda asked as she approached.

“I suppose that could work…”  Oob tapped his chin before pointing his finger in the air.  “The most obvious question is who.”

“You’re in charge of props,” Glynda reminded him, exasperation slipping into her tone.  “Shouldn’t you know someone?”

“I know many people!  But finding someone who can do this will take time, and then it will take them time to create our magnificent masterpieces.”

“Our only options are three weeks from now or three months from now.”  When Oob opened his mouth, Glynda raised a hand to silence him.  “And three months from now isn’t an option.”

Oob’s mouth snapped shut.  Sensing an opening, Ruby cleared her throat for their attention.

“Sorry,” she apologized before turning to Glynda.  “Ozpin’s looking for you.  It sounds urgent.”

Glynda sighed but said, “Thank you” for the message.  She half-turned to the front of the studio before spinning back to Ruby with far more interest.

“You said you’re an artist.”

“I…am…yes.”  

Ruby glanced between them, curious about the unexpected question, but Glynda shot Oob a triumphant look and motioned to Ruby.

“I just solved your problem.”  Ruby’s brow creased further, but Glynda just tapped her shoulder and said, “We’ll pay you for the work,” before walking away.  Ruby watched her leave before turning to Oob for an explanation.

“I believe you’ve just been volunteered for our most important mission!” he said before waving her forward.  “In case you’re unfamiliar, in this scene Parker steals several priceless artworks.  We commissioned several, but they haven’t arrived, and I’m afraid time is of the essence.”

“So…you want me to paint them?”

“Precisely.”

Oob nodded, but Ruby opened and closed her mouth before eventually spitting out, “I don’t know if I’m good enough to do something for a movie.”

“I’m sure you’re quite capable.  Do you have any photos?”  

“I…do.”  

Pulling out her phone, she found the album of pictures she had taken for Velvet and passed it over for Oob to look at.

“I see…” he mused while flipping through the photos.  “Yes, perfect.  We need three original works in this style.”  He returned the phone to her and tapped the photo on the screen.  “Can you do that in three weeks?”

“I think so…yeah.”

“Wonderful!”  While Ruby pocketed her phone, he walked over to three pedestals and touched each in turn.  “We’ll have our masterpieces just like we imagined.”

Unsure if he was speaking to her or himself, she lingered for several seconds before hurrying away.  The studio buzzed with activity as she returned to the front of the building, but her mind scrambled to grasp what just happened.

They wanted to use her paintings in a movie.  A movie.  That would be the biggest audience she could have ever dreamed of, but she also didn't think she was good enough.  She would try her best though; she didn’t want to let Oob or Glynda or the rest of the production crew down.

“Ruby?” Velvet asked over the radio.  “Can you get Weiss?  They’re ready for her at costume.”

“I’ll get her now.”

Thoughts consumed by what she should paint, Ruby reached Weiss’ door, knocked twice, and opened it.  “Hey, Weiss?  They’re ready for -”

As soon as she saw Weiss’ tear-filled, red-rimmed eyes, she knew that she had made a horrible mistake.  Her survival instincts told her to turn away, pretend she saw nothing, and get the hell out of there.  Unfortunately, the longer they stared at each other - Weiss looking stunned to the point of inaction - the louder her concern grew.

She should leave.  She stepped forward instead, and the action broke the unspoken truce.  Weiss immediately scowled, stood up, and threw the tissue in her hand into the trash can.

“Is something wrong?” Ruby asked anyway.

“None of your business.”

“It just looks like -”

“Get out.”  

“But -”

“Get.  Out.”

When Ruby didn’t immediately move, Weiss stormed across the room, shoved Ruby into the hall, and slammed the door in her face.  It narrowly missed her nose, yet she stood there, frozen, rather than move away.  Her heart raced now, though she had no idea if she was scared, worried, or both.

“Where’s Weiss?” Cinder demanded.  “We need her now.”

Still standing in front of the door, Ruby raised a hand and tapped the microphone.

“She’s in her room but…I don’t think she’s coming out anytime soon.”

A short silence followed - Cinder being kind enough not to swear over the airwaves - before a response came.

“Then find a way to get her out.  If we don’t start soon, we’re not getting this scene today.”

“Right.  Ok.  I’ll try.”  

What Ruby really wanted to do was leave Weiss alone for the rest of the day and possibly forever, but apparently that wasn’t an option.  Instead, she took a deep breath and hesitantly knocked on the door. 

“Uh…Weiss?”  No response, so she glanced around before adding, “Cinder says they need you now or we won’t get the scene done today.  So if you wanted to come out, that’d be pretty great...”

Ruby waited but, as the silence extended, sighed and reached up to her earpiece.  Before she announced her failure, however, the door tore open and Weiss swept past.  “Makeup,” she called out without a glance at Ruby.  One of the makeup artists scrambled to her station as Weiss sat down, all huff and attitude.

The tears had dried and makeup would soon hide any suggestion that Weiss had ever been upset about anything.  The outside world would never suspect that something was wrong, but something must be wrong.  Something must be horribly wrong if it made Weiss cry.

Ruby returned to the PA station to swap out the battery in her radio, glancing toward the costume department several times.  An unshakable frown had settled on her lips.  Several minutes ago, she would have bet good money that she wouldn't care if something upset Weiss - Weiss upset other people all the time, didn’t she kind of deserve it?

Now…Ruby wasn’t sure if she cared, but her heart wasn’t rejoicing either.  That gnawing feeling persisted even after Weiss and Pyrrha followed Coco into one of the changing rooms.  Ignoring Emerald’s smirk, Ruby waited near Velvet until the actors emerged in form-fitting black suits with white orbs stuck all over them.

Emerald was right about one thing: the outfits looked ridiculous.  But the actors approached the situation with the same professionalism as every other scene.  At least, Pyrrha and Weiss did.  Cardin passed Emerald on his way to the soundstage, pointed to his chest, and said, “Like my balls?”

“Let’s go, people!” Cinder shouted before Emerald responded, though her thin smile suggested that she had no kind words to say. 

Before long, the stage came to life with preparations for another long day of shooting.  The green screen and motion capture cameras added a new dimension to their work that Ruby found fascinating but also difficult to focus on.  Her attention drifted to Weiss often, searching for evidence of the emotions from earlier, wondering if Weiss should even be working when something else must be on her mind.

As far as Ruby could tell, nothing had changed.  Weiss listened to Ozpin’s instructions in the same vaguely impatient manner that she always did.  She offered feedback every so often.  She willingly coordinated her actions with Pyrrha but rolled her eyes every time Cardin opened his mouth.

Everything progressed smoothly.  The actors pretended to run from some unseen danger then jumped at the very end.  Pulleys lifted them into the air before slowly returning them to the ground.  They ran through the scene several times without a hitch before switching gears in preparation for the next.  

During the interchange, Weiss waved Cinder over and exchanged several words.  Cinder then nodded, looked around, and motioned Ruby over.  Ruby frowned but knew better than to do anything other than get to Cinder quickly.

“Go help video for the rest of the day,” Cinder told her, adding a shooing motion at the end.

Ruby glanced at the video guys huddled around monitors before looking at Weiss, who didn’t even come close to making eye contact.  Being relegated to the edge of the room felt like a punishment, but she nodded and said, “Sure.  I can do that.”

“Great.”

Cinder walked away without another word, leaving Ruby to cast another glance Weiss’ way before moving to her new location.  The videographers didn’t even look at her, so she slipped off to the side of the video ‘room’ and waited for someone to ask for help.  She couldn't see the soundstage anymore, but she could still see what happened through the video screens in the tent.

As the next scene got underway, she realized how accustomed she had become to being near the action.  From here, she wasn’t in a position to quickly help if someone needed something.  Especially Weiss, although it felt like Weiss was the one who wanted her out of sight.

That thought lingered even as she watched the screens track every orb on the motion capture suits and learned a great deal about how the process worked.  She left to set up lunch, during which Weiss disappeared into her room, but returned for the rest of the afternoon.  

As the day wound down, she resolved to apologize for intruding on Weiss’ privacy.  She should have waited for a response; she usually did but had been too swept up in Glynda’s request that she forgot both her manners and who she was dealing with.  So she hung around while the rest of the crew headed home for the day, helping clean up while watching Weiss’ door like a hawk.  As soon as it opened, she set down her broom and jogged over to meet Weiss by the door.

“Hey…Weiss?”  

Ruby reached out but stopped herself before touching Weiss’ arm - thankfully, considering Weiss glared at the encroaching digits before Ruby shoved them deep into her pockets.  

“About earlier…”  A scowl quickly appeared, so Ruby rushed out the rest of her thoughts before losing her nerve.  “I’m really sorry I walked in without waiting for permission.  That was rude and dumb and it’ll never happen again.”  

When Weiss didn’t immediately stomp away, berate her, or say anything at all, Ruby took a deep breath and added, “And I know we don’t know each other very well and you don’t exactly like me, but if you ever need someone to talk to…or something…”

She lost her courage before fully extending the offer and rubbed the back of her neck while Weiss frowned at her.  Eventually, Weiss squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and said, “You’re right.  I don’t like you.”

The words sank into Ruby’s heart like a blade, but Weiss brushed past before she attempted a response.  Not that she had anything to say.  Instead, she listened to Weiss’ heels tap away before rubbing her chest and muttering, “Ouch.”  

“Looks like she’s warming up to you,” Emerald quipped while walking past, shoving the blade in a bit deeper on her way out.  

Ruby glanced at the door before forcing a smile and an upbeat, “We’ll be best friends before you know it.”

A bolder lie had never been told, but Emerald rolled her eyes and left rather than point out the obvious.  Ruby, meanwhile, looked around the rapidly emptying studio and sighed.  Eyes trained downward, she put the broom away and grabbed her bag before heading out, too.  She embraced the silent tram ride to the front of Crescent Productions before catching the bus home.

Her knee bounced the entire way, unable to relax after another turbulent day.  She got out her sketchbook but didn’t draw a single line.  Her mind refused to let go of what happened - not Weiss snapping at her, that was normal; Weiss showing any downcast emotion wasn’t.

She shouldn’t care.  She really shouldn’t.  Yet by the time she hurried into her building, stomach grumbling and feet aching, her mind refused to let go of Weiss’ red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.  After walking into the apartment, finding Yang and Blake cuddling on the sofa, she shut the door, dropped her bag on the floor, and threw her arms in the air.

“Ugh!”

“‘Ugh?’” Blake repeated while Yang frowned and muttered, “That doesn’t sound good…”

“I just had a day.”

Yang and Blake shared a glance before Yang waved Ruby over to the living room.  “Let’s hear it,” she added as Ruby willingly took the floor in front of the sofa. 

“Well, first, Emerald gave me some bad advice, which wasn’t very cool of her.  It made me look like an idiot and probably didn’t help my relationship with Weiss at all.  Not that we have anything even resembling a relationship because she’s just so -”  Ruby gritted her teeth and clenched her hands in front of her before throwing them down to her sides.  “Frustrating!  Like, why would anyone bother being nice to her when she has zero respect for anyone?  Besides Pyrrha.  For some reason Pyrrha’s fine but the rest of us suck.” 

Before Yang or Blake responded, not that either of them knew what to say, Ruby took a deep breath and let it all out in a long sigh.

“Actually, that makes sense; Pyrrha’s an angel.  But the rest of us aren’t bad, right?  Sure, we might not be Pyrrha levels of good, but we can still be good people who just want to help when someone’s sad.  You don’t have to lash out every time someone tries to be nice.  You can just say, ‘No, thank you, I’d rather bottle up my emotions and take them out on others.’  Like, fine, then enjoy being a cold, stuck-up jerk for the rest of your life.”

Tirade over, she took a deep breath and quickly exhaled.

“Basically, it looked like Weiss was having a rough day.  I wanted to help, but she decided to make my day miserable instead.”

Yang and Blake stared at Ruby while absorbing the torrent of words just thrown at them.  Eventually, Blake leaned back and lightly shook her head.  Yang, meanwhile, rested a hand on Blake’s knee, nodded, and said, “Ah, I get it now…”

“What?  What do you get?”

After glancing at Blake, whose passive expression suggested she had drawn the same conclusion but refused to voice it, Yang softly chuckled and ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair.

“How do I put this…?”  Yang lightly bit her lip before standing, setting her hands on Ruby’s shoulders, and looking Ruby square in the eyes.  “You want everyone to like you,” she stated.  “Which is great!  And I love that about you.  But it means you don’t do so great when people don’t like you.”

“Why doesn’t she like me?” Ruby half-asked, half-wailed, throwing her arms in the air once again.  

“Some people just don’t want to be friends, Ruby.  That’s on them.”

“Couldn’t she at least be nice then?  I try to be considerate to her.”

“Well, yeah,” Yang admitted with a shrug.  “But she doesn’t exactly sound like a nice person.  And I bet she doesn’t have many friends, so try not to take it too personally.  You could be the smartest, richest, funniest person in the world and she’d probably treat you the same.”

“Unless I’m Pyrrha,” Ruby pointed out, but Yang shook her head.

“There are always exceptions, but you shouldn’t kill yourself trying to make yourself one.  This was supposed to be an easy side gig, right?  Not something to stress over.”

Reminded of her reason for doing all of this, Ruby took a deep breath and tried to exhale all of her frustration.  Here she was, trying to do something good for Yang.  Instead, she was only causing Yang concern by griping about Weiss all the time.

“There was one good thing that happened today,” she mentioned.  “Well, ‘good’ but also super intimidating: the director of the art department asked me to paint some props for the movie.”

“Get out.  Really?”  When Ruby nodded, Yang grinned and patted one of Ruby’s shoulders.  “That sounds so cool!”

“Right?”  As usual, Yang’s infectious energy had Ruby bouncing on her toes in no time.  “Maybe I’m not a ‘real’ artist, but my work could be in a movie!”

“You are a real artist,” Yang replied, so Ruby made a face and shrugged.

“They only gave me three weeks, so I should probably figure out what to do and start working on it pronto.”  Ruby took one step away from the living room before turning back.  “In case that wasn’t clear, I’m basically going to be shut in my studio whenever I’m not working.”

Yang laughed at the clarity, her lilac eyes sparkling, while Blake shook her head and pressed her hands to the blush on her cheeks.

“Loud and clear,” Yang said, high-fiving Ruby before plopping back onto the sofa beside Blake.  The dip in the cushion tilted Blake into Yang’s side, not that she did anything to stop it.  Nor did she protest when Yang’s arm wrapped around her shoulders.  Recognizing where that was going, Ruby playfully rolled her eyes and retreated to her studio.

The smell of paint and brushes worked wonders in erasing some of the day’s stress, especially as she flipped through the finished or abandoned canvases stacked in the closet.  After finding the one Oob had selected, she pulled it out and set it near the window.  Taking a step back, she crossed her arms and stared at it for inspiration.

Though several years old, it was still one of her favorites.  The premise was simple: a couple sharing an umbrella as they walked through a park.  Despite the nighttime setting, she had managed to incorporate more colors than she thought possible.  The pathway lamps served as glowing beacons of orangish-yellow that reflected off the tree canopy as well as the water lining the path.  Purples, blues, greens, and reds also found their way onto the canvas, creating an extraordinary night-time affair that she wouldn't mind attempting again.

Specific ideas proved elusive, especially as her thoughts drifted from the rain-soaked setting to the tears in Weiss’ eyes.  Like a superhero wishing for more villains or a god coveting fewer worshippers, Weiss Schnee experiencing such profound sadness that she was brought to tears seemed unlikely, bordering on impossible.  Apparently, she was human, which made it even worse that Ruby couldn't help.  

But Weiss didn’t want help from Ruby or anyone.  Weiss begrudgingly accepted Ruby’s assistance for trivial matters, but anything more than that?  They hardly knew each other, and they wouldn't know each other so long as Weiss had anything to say about it.

Yang was right.  They didn’t have to be friends; they only had to work together.  Ruby could take the snooty behavior, but she needed to be tougher.  She needed to stop taking things personally.  Like Emerald proved today, they weren’t all one big happy family.  This was a job.  They were there to collect a paycheck or network for a future position; that was all.