Diva - Chapter 5

The catering company had delivered lunch - a delicious assortment of fresh pastas, grilled chicken, and a full salad bar - on time.  Ruby had helped the other PAs arrange the aluminum foil trays, paper plates, and plastic utensils on long folding tables, as usual.  She then returned to the soundstage to wait for Ozpin to release everyone for lunch once the scene wrapped up.  

That was hours ago.

The food must be cold by now, but she told herself not to look over again.  Her stomach grumbled each time, which had become a near-painful experience.  The rest of the crew suffered with her as a general aura of misery permeated the air.  Some of them hid it better than others, but there were more than a few muttered complaints or sluggish responses as Ozpin charged onward.

“He must be a machine,” Ruby whispered to Emerald while he spoke to Cardin, Pyrrha, and Weiss on the stage.  He used his cane to point out various spots before picking up one of the props - an ‘ancient statue’ that was actually just a painted wood carving - and handed it to Weiss.  Weiss mindlessly turned it over in her hands while she and Pyrrha followed the instructions, but Cardin’s attention drifted as the explanation continued.  

His gaze moved around the intricately decorated ‘museum vault’ until he spotted a set of three glass orbs that were meaningful to the plot in some way.  He grabbed one and tossed it up in the air.  Then he did it again.  And again.  

The room’s frustration crept higher with each toss.  Ruby could almost hear Emerald’s teeth grinding together.  Even Velvet sighed.  As the distraction continued, Ruby suppressed the desire to smack the side of Cardin’s head and tell him to focus.  Eventually, Ozpin called out his name.  He nearly dropped the glass orb but managed to catch it at the last second and return it unharmed to the table.

“Let’s try again,” Ozpin said while exiting the soundstage.  Everyone returned to their starting positions for what must be the twentieth time - Weiss on one side of the ‘vault,’ where the wooden statue claimed a pedestal of its own.  Pyrrha and Cardin across from her - Pyrrha dressed in an officer’s uniform while Cardin wore the same ‘basic’ outfit of sweats and a tightly fitted tee.

“And…action.”

Everyone stilled as the cameras rolled and the actors sprang into motion.  

“Don’t move,” Pyrrha ordered, her firearm aimed at Weiss.  Disregarding the warning, Weiss remained focused on the statue.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”  Weiss dragged one finger along the pedestal’s edge before smirking at Pyrrha.  “Why don’t you take a good look while you can?”

“I said don’t move!” Pyrrha shouted when Weiss reached for the statue.  Weiss hesitated, her hand hovering above the piece, before picking it up.  

Red lights started flashing.  All three actors looked at the ceiling - Pyrrha and Cardin in surprise, but Weiss for only a second before leveling Pyrrha with a triumphant smile.

“I wonder what your boss will think when he finds you in here,” Weiss said, her gaze trained on Pyrrha while Cardin slipped closer.  

“He’ll be thanking me for bringing you in.”

Weiss clicked her tongue.

“And here I thought we wanted the same thing.”

“We do, but the way you’re doing this is wrong.”

“Not the way I see it.”

“How about we discuss more when you’re in prison?”

Weiss laughed at Pyrrha’s agitation - a clear, delighted laugh suggesting she enjoyed the banter regardless of the situation.  During that brief moment of distraction, Cardin grabbed a thin plaster plate off another pedestal and launched it at Weiss.  

In reality, the plate went nowhere near her.  She still ducked and glanced behind her as it shattered against the wall.  By the time she turned back around, Cardin was rushing at her.

“Chase!” Pyrrha called out as Cardin grabbed for the statue.  He reached for the wrong side though, resulting in an awkward lunge that Weiss almost comically stepped away from.

“Cut!”

The entire building seemed to sigh as the actors stopped.  

“We should just write him out of the scene,” Weiss spoke up, earning Cardin’s miffed look.  “You’re unnecessary,” she said right to his face.  “And you’re just taking up space.”

“Pyrrha needs me as backup.”

“No, she doesn’t.  Pyrrha’s more than capable of handling this without you.  You’re a hanger-on she’d rather arrest than have tag along, using priceless artifacts like frisbees.”

Weiss angrily gestured to the broken plate behind her, which Cardin glanced at before scoffing.

“Jeez, Weiss.  Don’t be jealous I’m getting screen time.”

“I’m literally the headliner, you imbecile,” Weiss snapped.  “You’re only here so men have some meatbag to ‘identify’ with and straight women can stare at your muscles.  I can think of twenty other idiots who fit that role and know how to follow directions.”

“Ok,” Ozpin interrupted, stepping between them before the argument exploded.  “Let’s just try again, shall we?”

Weiss and Cardin glowered at each other rather than respond.  Even though Cardin towered at least a foot taller than Weiss, her posture and expression dared him to test her.  “Yeah, sure, whatever,” he eventually grumbled, scowling at her one last time before returning to his starting position.  Weiss glared daggers into his back before lightly stomping to the white ‘X’ placed on the floor for her.

Remarkably, Ruby agreed wholeheartedly with Weiss, but that was probably just her hunger talking.  Her stomach growled for the hundredth time while the camera, sound, and lighting crews reset.  Stillness settled over the studio once that was done and Ozpin called out, “Action!” yet again.

Pyrrha pulled out her sidearm.  Weiss picked up the statue.  The two of them began bantering, but Pyrrha hesitated for a split second when one of the microphones dipped into her field of vision.

“Cut.”

“Shit.  Sorry,” the microphone holder sighed, setting it down and shaking his arms.  No one grumbled at the mistake - the poor guy had been holding that microphone for hours now - and they wordlessly prepared for yet another take.  Meanwhile, Ozpin - and Cinder this time - stepped onto the set to offer more instructions.

“I’m so hungry I could eat fake fruit right now…” Jaune mumbled while carrying a stack of film reels past.  

Fake fruit sounded better than nothing, but Ruby forgot all about eating when she noticed Weiss’ subtle, impatient hand gesture.  Grabbing a bottle of water from the bucket of ice that had sat beside her for the past few hours, she dried it off with a towel and removed the cap while hurrying onto the set.

“It might be easier if you hold it out in front of you,” Ozpin advised Weiss, who accepted the water without a word.

“Why don’t I just hand it to him instead?” Weiss replied before taking a drink.  

“It doesn’t need to be obvious.  Just make it easier for him to see it.  Right now, he has to reach around you, which might be where the issue starts.”

“I’m fairly sure the issue starts in the empty space between his ears,” Weiss quipped.  Cinder nearly smiled - the closest Ruby had ever seen her to looking happy - but she maintained a passive expression when Ozpin glanced at her.  Ozpin opened his mouth to offer some form of reassurance, but the conversation stopped when a loud grumble interrupted.

Ruby grimaced when the three of them turned toward the source of the noise: her stomach.  “Sorry,” she whispered, stepping further away so that her stomach didn’t interrupt again.  Weiss’ gaze lingered before returning to Ozpin, who set both hands on the top of his cane and said, “I’ll talk to Cardin right now.  Let’s just try it this way and see how it goes.”

“If you insist…” Weiss muttered before shoving the bottle of water into Ruby’s hands and returning to the white ‘X’ on the floor.  Taking that as her cue to leave, Ruby recapped the bottle and hurried back to her seat.  While the crew carried on with fading optimism, Cardin swung his arms and bounced on the balls of his feet.  

“Hey, Pyrrha.  Think I can juggle these?” he asked, picking up all three of the glass orbs.

“Stop messing around,” Weiss snapped, knocking the grin off of his face while simultaneously voicing everyone else’s thoughts.  Cardin looked like he wanted to retort but, in the face of Weiss’ scowl and the rest of the crew preparing for another take, set the orbs down and returned to his position near Pyrrha.  Pyrrha offered an encouraging smile to Weiss, who took a deep breath before finding the same neutral expression she had used all afternoon.

Weiss’ ability to channel different emotions continued to impress Ruby.  No matter how annoyed she might be - and in this case, she was clearly very annoyed - she could flip to believable joy or agony in the blink of an eye.  Even a newcomer like Ruby could tell that Weiss operated with a far greater range than Cardin or even Pyrrha.  Pyrrha was best when acting in a ‘good’ capacity, but Weiss could vacillate seemingly at will.  Cardin, meanwhile, paled in comparison to his co-stars - Weiss was right, his purpose seemed to start and end at being something tall and muscular to look at.

“Alright, everyone.  From the top.”

The studio quieted in preparation for another attempt - this one dumbed down to accommodate Cardin.  Ozpin called out, “Action,” and the scene played out once more.  Pyrrha drew her weapon, Weiss took the artifact, the alarm went off, Cardin threw the dish then lunged for the statue.

This time, he managed to grab it.  Pyrrha holstered her weapon and rushed over while Cardin and Weiss fought over the worthless figurine.  During that struggle, Cardin tugged hard to one side, yanking Weiss along with him and slamming her hand into the table.  Weiss instantly yelped and dropped the statue - it hit the floor with a thud preceding stunned silence.

“My bad,” Cardin quickly apologized, but Weiss stepped back when he reached toward her.  Grimacing, she cradled her injured hand while Cinder and Ozpin rushed over.  Only when her grimace subsided did she inspect the damage.  Disliking what she found, she clicked her tongue and turned on Cardin.

“You broke my fingernail, you moron,” she snapped at him before brandishing the evidence to Ozpin.  “How am I supposed to finish the scene like this?”

Ozpin inspected the damage thoughtfully, gently turning Weiss’ hand from side to side while she glared at Cardin.  “It should be fine,” he concluded.  “We’ll fix it in post.”

“Are you serious?”

Ruby cringed at the tone and accompanying scoff.

“My character is supposed to have impeccable style,” Weiss continued, planting one hand on her hip and displaying her other.  “And this is the furthest thing from impeccably styled.”

“No one will notice,” Cinder drawled.  It was, quite possibly, the worst thing she could have said at that moment.  Weiss let her know it by flipping her long, white ponytail over her shoulder.

“I’ll notice,” she huffed before dismissively waving a hand.  “I’m not working like this.  I’ll be back after a manicure.”

She stormed off the set before anyone said otherwise.  Ruby watched her leave, just as stunned as everyone else.  The studio door shut behind her and, for a second, no one moved.  The crew eventually shared glances, unsure of what to do, until Ozpin sighed and said, “Alright, take a break.  Everyone be back by four.”

While Cinder rolled her eyes and started debriefing with Ozpin, Ruby blew a breath through her lips and caught Emerald’s gaze.  “What a bitch,” Emerald grumbled before sauntering over to Cardin, who looked unbothered by the role he played in what just happened.  Everyone else quickly seized the opportunity to eat, abandoning headphones and cameras in favor of the lunch table on the far side of the room.  

The cold food garnered no complaints from the famished crew.  Ruby’s stomach grumbled watching heaping portions of pasta and grilled chicken make it onto plates, but she took some solace knowing that she would be stuffing her face in a moment’s time.  Already salivating at the thought, she swallowed and smiled when Velvet and Pyrrha walked over.

As if Pyrrha’s natural beauty wasn’t enough to make her stand out in a crowd, the police uniform combined with her striking red hair certainly did.  Yet she walked beside Velvet as if unaware of the attention she garnered, and even deferred to Velvet to speak first.

“Want to eat with us?”

“Yes.  Please.  I’m starving.”  

Ruby started following them toward the lunch line but froze when she glimpsed Jaune out of the corner of her eye.  Unlike the rest of the crew, who’d abandoned their posts at the first available second, he knelt on the ground untangling the long power cord.  His brow was furrowed in concentration, and Ruby smiled when an idea popped into her head.  

“Is it cool if Jaune eats with us?  I told him I’d eat with him this week.”

Nerves and excitement sparked in Pyrrha’s emerald green eyes, but she smiled when Velvet turned to her for approval.  “That’s fine with me if it’s fine with you two.”

After sharing a knowing look with Velvet, Ruby said, “Great!  I’ll meet you over there.”  

While Velvet nodded and walked with Pyrrha to the lunch line, Ruby hurried over to Jaune.  Being so focused on the cord, grumbling to himself, he only noticed her when she said, “Hey, Jaune!”  His eyes snapped up at his name and a friendly smile followed.  

“Hey, Ruby.”  He lifted the coiled mess in his hands.  “Kinda wish this would untangle itself.”

“I’ll help with that later,” Ruby offered while looping her arm under his and tugging him to his feet.  “Want to have lunch with me and Velvet?  Pyrrha, too.”

Since Pyrrha was undoubtedly the most popular member of the entire production, the opportunity to have lunch with her was exciting.  Jaune’s reaction, however, rivaled that of a child told they were about to meet their favorite superhero.  He followed Ruby across the room, but he sputtered, “Are you sure?” and “Only if you’re sure,” the entire way.

While assuring Jaune that they were sure and they did want his company, Ruby hesitated when they passed Emerald and Cardin near the front of the stage.  She almost kept walking, but she paused and said, “Uh, Emerald?  Want to eat lunch with us?”  

She motioned to Jaune, but Emerald responded with a fake smile.  

“No, thanks.  I only eat with the cool kids.”

Even though Ruby knew not to take any of Emerald’s ribbing to heart, it still hurt a bit when paired with Cardin’s laughter.  

“That means you’re eating with me,” he said, leaning over and setting a hand on Emerald’s waist.  Emerald looked down and, after a scowl flickered across her lips, turned a sweet smile his way.

“Sure, Cardin.”

Ruby frowned at the interaction but, when Emerald sent her a triumphant smirk, flashed a smile and motioned Jaune over to the lunch line.  Pyrrha and Velvet already had their food, probably because any line or wait seemed to disappear for Pyrrha, and had settled at a table tucked near the corner of the building.

“I hope you like cold pasta,” Ruby said when their turn to get food finally arrived.

“I’d eat frozen pasta right now,” Jaune replied while scooping out two heaping spoonfuls of pasta salad.  Ruby followed suit, listening to her stomach rather than her mind as they piled food onto their plates.  Once done, they navigated through the other occupied tables and chairs before joining Pyrrha and Velvet. 

Jaune trailed behind Ruby as if trying to hide behind her, which would work much better if he wasn’t a foot taller than her.  Pyrrha spotted him easily and smiled; her expression brightened even more when she saw the overburdened plates in their hands.  

In Ruby’s family, an opportunity to tease like that would never be missed.  Here, Pyrrha just watched them sit down, snuck one more amused look at their overwhelming amounts of food, and focused on Jaune.

“Hi, Jaune,” she said as he sat across from her.  “How’re you?”

“Pretty good!  Great.  Hungry.”

Pyrrha’s eyes sparkled when he motioned to his mountain of food with his utensils, but there was no tease to be found.  “We were really delayed today, weren’t we,” was all she said.  Jaune nodded before stuffing the first bite into his mouth - a forkful so big that he couldn't possibly speak for the next minute.  Ruby grimaced at his table manners, but Pyrrha seemed entertained by it.  Of course, Pyrrha was probably used to everyone being on their best behavior in her presence.  Maybe she enjoyed his lack of tact.

Regardless, Ruby shook her head at the weirdly charged energy and dug into her meal.  She wanted to follow Jaune’s lead and devour everything as fast as possible, but she forced herself to take smaller bites - smaller bites became especially important when she noticed the dainty, refined way Pyrrha approached her salad.  After several minutes, however, her hunger subsided enough for her to break the silence.

“So will we ever finish this scene or is Ozpin making us stay overnight?”

“I’m sure we’ll get it soon,” Pyrrha assured her.  “Sometimes, it just takes a few tries before everyone’s on the same page.”

“I can’t believe Weiss just left though,” Velvet remarked.

“I can,” Ruby huffed while Pyrrha sighed.

“These long scenes can be frustrating.  If one little thing goes wrong, you have to start over.  It’s probably best that we all take a break and come back ready to try again.”

“The poor sound guy definitely needs a break for his arms.”

“Watch.  This won’t even make the final cut,” Jaune said.  Pyrrha laughed.

“That would be the worst that could happen, wouldn't it?”

“Pretty sure the worst that can happen is Weiss tears Cardin’s head off in front of everyone,” Ruby mused as her gaze drifted around the lunch tables.  

Cardin and Emerald sat nearby, with the former looking none the worse for wear considering his countless mistakes throughout the afternoon.  At the moment, he had one hand resting on the back of Emerald’s chair while he leaned closer, waving a potato chip in front of her lips until she rolled her eyes and ate it.

“Oh, Jaune, I watched that movie you recommended,” Pyrrha commented, drawing Ruby’s attention back to their table.  

Jaune quickly swallowed the bite in his mouth before saying, “Yeah?  Did you like it?”

“I did.  But it was a bit scary to watch alone…”

Pyrrha trailed off and sent Jaune a glance, but Jaune nodded and speared another mountain of pasta.  “Got it.  Less scary next time,” was all he said before shoving his fork into his mouth.

Ruby slapped her forehead with one hand before sharing a disbelieving look with Velvet.  Fortunately - or maybe ‘remarkably’ was a better term - Pyrrha wasn’t dissuaded by Jaune’s obliviousness.  “Do you have any in mind?” she asked instead.

While Jaune squinted in thought, Ruby glanced up as someone dropped into the seat beside her.

“Hey, Velvet,” Coco said, her smile instantly bringing a blush to Velvet’s cheeks.

“Oh, hey, Coco.  How’re you?”

“Much better now.  But you know that’s how I always feel when I’m around you.”

Ruby’s brow rose at the forthright comment, and a glance at Velvet made it obvious that she was too busy blushing to attempt a response.  Coco didn’t seem to expect one - she turned her gaze to Pyrrha instead.  

“I’m eating carefully,” Pyrrha replied unprompted, but Coco dismissed the response with a wave of one hand.

“Weiss just stormed out of here in one of my best outfits; it’s her I’m concerned about.”

“For a manicure,” Ruby huffed, but Coco tilted down her sunglasses to peer at Ruby over the black frames.

“Let me see your hands.”  When Ruby’s brow furrowed, Coco stuck out a hand and motioned for Ruby’s.  After glancing around the table, Ruby obliged.  Coco took her hand lightly and turned it over to see her nails.  “Is this…paint?” Coco asked, looking up for an answer.

“Uh…yeah.”  Ruby retracted her hand and picked at the red paint lingering under one of her fingernails.  “It’s hard to get off sometimes.”

“Ruby’s a painter,” Velvet offered.  

Coco studied Ruby more intently, making her fidget before nodding and turning away.

“Hand,” she directed at Pyrrha this time, who willingly held her hand across the table.  “You can tell a lot about someone from their hands,” Coco explained while looking over Pyrrha’s perfect, manicured nails.  “Beautiful without being pompous or flashy,” she concluded before motioning for Jaune’s next.  He hesitated, earning an impatient gesture, before setting down his utensils and doing as requested.  

“Normal and functional,” Coco surmised seconds later.  Jaune’s brow creased as he stared at his hands, oblivious to Pyrrha’s glowing smile.  Coco held out a hand for Velvet’s next, which Velvet offered without hesitation.

Coco touched Velvet’s hand tenderly, gently turning it from side to side as if memorizing every detail.

“Understated,” she mused before intertwining her fingers with Velvet’s and squeezing.  “But with incredible amounts of inner strength and beauty.”

Velvet’s blush deepened the longer Coco held her hand.  Ruby began to wonder if they would spend the rest of lunch like that when Coco let go and leaned back in her chair.

“See?  Hands say a lot about us.  Doesn’t surprise me that Weiss refuses to work when hers aren’t saying what she wants them to say.”

Ruby found herself nodding along with everyone else at the oddly astute wisdom.  After another second passed, however, she frowned.

“Wait.  What about me then?”

“What about you?” Coco asked, so Ruby motioned with one hand.

“What do mine say about me?”

Coco smiled as if she had expected Ruby to ask that and retook Ruby’s hand.  After poking and prodding for several seconds, she hummed and looked up.

“You care about what people think, but you’re willing to get your hands dirty.”

Once Coco released Ruby’s hand, Ruby searched it for anything suggesting either of those personality traits.  Finding nothing but her regular hand, complete with paint underneath her fingernails and a small cut from an unfortunate interaction with a piece of paper, she shared a miffed look with Jaune.  Pyrrha smiled at their expressions and lightly shook her head, so Ruby finished eating while sending plenty of glances toward Coco and Velvet or Pyrrha and Jaune.

By the time she finished lunch, she was convinced that if Jaune possessed even an ounce of Coco’s natural charisma, he and Pyrrha would be married already.  Instead, he brought up every sweet, astonishingly platonic topic imaginable while Coco heaped layers of flattery on Velvet.  The flattery melted Velvet as easily as the summer sun melted butter.  On the other hand, Pyrrha looked more than enamored by Jaune’s excitement to talk about the different types of camera rolls or the sneakers he replaced after wearing holes in the bottoms.

After glancing at the clock, Ruby set both hands on the table and stood up.  “I should get to work on that tangled mess you left over there,” she told Jaune, grabbing her plate and motioning for him to stay put when he tried to follow.  “Stay here,” she half-teased, half-ordered him.  “Let the PA do some work.”

Much to Pyrrha’s delight, he settled back into his seat without an argument.  

“Do you need help?” Velvet offered.

“Thanks, but it’s kind of a solo job, I think.”  

Ruby smiled to assure Velvet that she didn’t mind working on it alone, but Velvet’s gaze flitted to Coco before a nod followed.  With the two pairs jumping back into their conversations, Ruby dumped her plate into the garbage bin and returned to the mess Jaune had abandoned moments earlier.

“How’d you even do this…?” she muttered while picking up the giant, octopus-like ball of cords.  Instinct suggested she should tug on it to get what she wanted, but that mentality likely led them to this point.  Instead, she sat cross-legged on the floor, pulled the mess into her lap, and searched for one of the ends.  Upon finding it, she unsnaked it through the chaos inch by inch.

She didn’t mind the tedious tasks.  She kind of enjoyed them, actually, especially as pleasant conversation from the crew’s delayed-but-extended lunch break filled the air.  In comparison to painting, where she overthought everything right now, threading the cable through loops and knots proved to be cathartic.  And, even more unlike her current artistic endeavors, she felt a sense of pride and accomplishment when the first cord escaped the chaos.  

A second cord soon joined it and, before she knew it, the entire mess unraveled into five separate cables feeding five separate pieces of equipment.  Of course, she had hardly celebrated before the most difficult part of her job walked - or, more accurately, marched - through the doors.  

Head held high, Weiss crossed the entryway as if this were her first arrival of the day.  Remembering the reason for Weiss’ abrupt exit, however, Ruby stood up and intercepted her near the stage.

“Hey, Weiss?”  Ruby naturally reached out but withdrew when Weiss gave her hand a distrustful look.  “I was just wondering if you’re ok,” Ruby said, shoving her hands in her pockets and wishing she had thought this conversation through.

That wish grew when Weiss pursed her lips and scrutinized Ruby from head to toe.  For a second, she looked like she would just walk away - that was her typical response, after all.  Then she crossed her arms, set her mouth in a phony smile, and said, “Well, I’ve been repeating the same five lines for four hours because some meathead can’t turn correctly.  Do you think I’m ‘ok?’”

“Right.  Yeah, he’s…frustrating.”  Ruby glanced at Cardin, who was trying and failing miserably to crack jokes with Cinder.  “I meant your hand though,” she explained.  “Is your hand ok?  It looked like you hit it pretty hard.”

Brow furrowing, Weiss glanced at her petite, delicate fingers and freshly manicured nails.  If Coco were here, she might say that Weiss’ hands reflected beauty and fragility - if Coco was even brave enough to say anything even slightly negative in Weiss’ presence.

“I’ll survive,” Weiss concluded, running her thumb across her fingernails before letting her hand fall back to her side.

“Good!  I’ve heard that broken fingernails cause, like, one hand amputation each year, so you never know.”  Ruby’s chuckle ended when Weiss’ brow furrowed.  “That was a -” she began before shaking her head and forcing a smile.  “Do you need anything?”

“Yes.  I need you to stop asking that.”

“So I’ll just…read your mind then?”

“Perfect.”

Ruby stifled the urge to roll her eyes, throw her arms in the air, or make a sarcastic remark.  “Fine,” she said instead.  “Forget I asked.”

Weiss frowned at the response but, ultimately, sighed when Ozpin motioned her back to the stage.  “Hopefully, the pin-head can get it right this time…” she muttered while walking that way, leaving Ruby to scoff and watch her go.

“Hey, you did it!”  Jaune’s joyful remark snapped Ruby away from those thoughts, and she grinned while he inspected the recently freed cables.

“Nothing a little patience can’t handle.”  Ruby planted her hands on her hips like a superhero before catching sight of Pyrrha joining Weiss and Cardin on the set.  “Oh.  Jaune, I have to tell you something real quick.”  After glancing around to make sure they were relatively alone, she motioned Jaune closer and lowered her voice.  “Just so you know…when a girl says something is too scary to watch alone, she’s asking you to watch with her.”

When his eyes widened, Ruby patted his arm.  

“Just thought you should know for next time.”  

“Next time?” he repeated before chuckling nervously and sneaking a look at Pyrrha.  He blushed when she caught the glance and smiled, prompting him to awkwardly wave.  She returned the wave but, the moment she turned away, he ran that hand through his short blonde hair and blew a breath through his lips.  “Right,” he said, clapping his hands together before looking for something to do.  “I had an idea!  You can pick up the cord this time.  That way it won’t tangle.”

“Pick it up…?”

“Yeah.  The camera moves across, right?”  He motioned his hand along the metal track bolted to the floor.  “If you pick up the cable while the camera moves, it won’t tangle.  Just don’t get it stuck in the tracks.  And don’t make any noise.  Or trip.  Or coil it too tight.”

“Is that all?” Ruby joked before nodding.  “Got it.  I’ll be fast, careful, quiet, and not clumsy.”

“Great.  That’ll be a huge help.”

Ruby chuckled to herself when Jaune prepared the camera to record another attempt at the scene.  While he and the rest of the crew set up, her gaze drifted back to the stage.  Ozpin spoke to Cardin while Pyrrha and Weiss made light conversation on the other side of the fake museum vault.  Weiss kept her back to Cardin - the posture could be coincidental, but Ruby would bet her entire existence that it wasn’t.

How could someone so pretty and talented be so infuriating?  It was almost as if Weiss knew exactly what to say or do to make someone not like her - a skill Ruby didn’t envy.  Maybe Weiss believed that they were all beneath her.  That would explain why the only person she showed a shred of respect for was Pyrrha…

Whatever the reason, Ruby would learn how to deal with it.  They clearly weren’t going to be friends, but she could be professional.  Besides, this wasn’t even her career - this was just a side job to help her reach some current life goals.  It would be nice if they could be civil, but…apparently, that was wishing for too much.