Diva - Chapter 8

Despite zero desire to return to work, Ruby dragged herself onto a bus leading to Crescent Productions.  From there, she ducked into the ultra-familiar coffee shop for a cup of jet black coffee, then waited at the tram stop with a larger crowd than usual.

The newcomers - and they must be new based on the badges hanging around their necks and their chatty behavior - took over the whole sidewalk.  The regulars, of whom Ruby proudly considered herself now, cast curious, annoyed, or ambivalent glances at the collection of people from nearly every walk of life.  A group of young girls in pigtails, looking hardly out of high school.  An elderly couple in matching sweaters.  Middle-aged men and women.  Tall and short, skinny and rotund, athletic and not.  Curiosity didn’t convince Ruby to ask what they were here for.  Instead, she observed their anxious, excited energy before cramming onto the next tram.  

Unable to get a seat, she held onto one of the straps hanging from the ceiling and ignored the sweat prickling at the back of her neck.  Either the air conditioner had stopped working, or there were too many bodies squeezed into a small space.  Some relief arrived as a handful of people hopped off at each stop, but her curiosity grew when most of the newcomers stayed.  Even when they passed Studio 18, the tram remained near full capacity.  

Spotting her destination up ahead - the mini city built in the middle of seemingly nowhere - she suddenly understood why her peaceful morning tram ride hadn’t materialized.  If the crowd at the front of Crescent Productions was big, it was nothing compared to the mass of people milling around the lifelike city.

A sign directly outside the tram read, “Extras,” with a large red arrow pointing to the left.  As most of the people headed that way, Ruby went straight ahead, glancing over her shoulder once before heading toward more familiar faces.

“Badge, please,” a young man said, extending an arm to stop her from progressing further.  She scrambled in her pocket for her ID badge before holding it out for him to see.  Satisfied, he lowered his arm so that she could move further onto the set.

“Wow,” she remarked after joining Velvet beneath the small tent covering a solitary table holding their walkies.  “Didn’t realize it’d be so crowded.”

“Cinder mentioned a parade or something,” Velvet replied with a small shrug.  “I guess they want the street to be packed.”

“We don’t have to feed them all, do we?”

“God, no.”  Velvet laughed at the thought, much to Ruby’s relief.  “They get some snacks and plenty of water, but they take care of their own food.  Can you imagine cleaning up after that?”

“I’m trying real hard not to.”

Ruby shuddered while clipping a radio to her waistband and fitting the earpiece in her ear.  She gave Velvet two thumbs up once done, and the two of them headed over to a much larger tent thrown over stacks of tables and chairs.

“Not this again…” Ruby groaned, her arms and back protesting as she helped Velvet carry a long folding table into place.  “Didn’t realize this job would be such a workout.”

“A perk, right?”

Ruby grunted at the response while she and Velvet set up the lunch tables next.  Once the heavy lifting was done, they separated to set up what felt like hundreds of folding chairs.  The repetitive task proved a little mindless, but they finished just as that morning’s breakfast delivery arrived.

“Thank you,” Velvet told the deliveryman as Ruby opened the top box.  The first set of trays had just made it onto the serving table when Cinder strode over.

“Emerald’s out today, and maybe the next few days.  You two will cover.”

“Sure,” Velvet said.  Ruby nodded, too, but Cinder had already left to put out more fires.

“Wonder if she caught whatever’s going around?” Ruby asked while they prepared the rest of breakfast.

“Maybe…she seemed fine yesterday, but I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”  Velvet lightly bit her lip before offering a reassuring smile.  “How’re you though?  With - you know.” 

“Miss Sunshine and Rainbows?  I’ve got a new strategy - be invisible, then maybe she’ll be happy.”  When Velvet’s brow rose, Ruby shrugged.  “You’re right.  I bet not even that would make her happy.  I’m just…trying not to let her get to me.  As long as we can tolerate each other, things will be fine.”

‘Tolerance’ was the only solution Ruby had come up with the night before.  It seemed a low bar to clear, but Weiss had a way of making low bars feel like record-breaking hurdles.

“That reminds me…which one’s for Weiss?”  

Ruby motioned to the four trailers lined up across from the fake city, one of which must be reserved for their resident diva.

“Far left.”

“Got it.  Better check it out before she gets here.”  

After one last glance to make sure breakfast was prepared, since crew members were already filtering under the tent in search of food, Ruby went over to the far left trailer and knocked.

“Anyone in there?”  She waited a full thirty seconds for a response, but none came.  “Alright, coming in,” she still said before opening the door and stepping inside.  

Her nose wrinkled at the heavy smell of men’s cologne, but the rest of the trailer was barren.  No flowers, no candles, no decorations of any kind.  A minifridge hummed in the background, stocked with regular bottles of water and a few sodas.  The once-plush carpet had lost its plushness through overuse.  The dark brown furniture looked recently reupholstered, thankfully, though Ruby got the feeling only those with steel stomachs should use them.

A laugh slipped through her lips as she imagined how thoroughly and deeply Weiss would hate this.  Someone must have snuck into Weiss’ nightmares and stolen the perfect blueprint to rile the starlet up as much as possible.

For a moment, Ruby considered leaving everything as-is and suffering the consequences.  As much as that possibility amused her, she opened the windows and hurried off in search of anything to spruce the trailer up.  She peeked into the other trailers first, only to find them in comparable, if not worse, condition.

She had no luck finding a candle, but she managed to borrow a decent perfume from Coco - Coco’s only demand was that Ruby tell her if Velvet had mentioned her that morning.  Upon leaving a somewhat put-out but newly determined Coco behind, Ruby found some fancier bottles of water hiding in the giant coolers under the meal tent.  A throw blanket or something to cover the furniture eluded her.  So did any flowers, decorations, or those unmelted ice cubes Weiss must like since she had never said a thing about them.

“Guess this’ll have to do…” Ruby mumbled once her effort concluded.  The trailer no longer smelled like some pretentious man, but it remained barebones and basic compared to Weiss’ usual accommodations.  She might still get an earful for its sorry state, but she took comfort in knowing that she had done her job to the best of her ability.

She shut the door and gazed at the hectic scene in front of her from the trailer’s top step.  The horde of extras added another level of disarray to the usual morning setup, as did the new location lacking the basic necessities that she had grown accustomed to at the studio.  Cinder’s typically fast pace had increased substantially as she ensured everything progressed according to plan.  Sensing the assistant director’s elevated stress, everyone picked up the pace whenever she was near.

Unsure of how to help, Ruby hopped off the step and headed toward the extras.  Velvet and several other assistants had just lugged at least a dozen cases of water into the area and could probably use a hand passing them out.  Coco and her staff were also hard at work checking outfits one by one, mostly nodding at what they found or making minor suggestions - pop a collar here, remove a hat there.

“Need a hand?” Ruby asked Velvet.  Receiving a nod, she grabbed an armful of bottles and began handing them out to the crowd.

Most of the extras appeared eager and excited for the day.  They accepted the bottles with bright smiles and gracious ‘thank you’s before returning to marveling at the fake downtown or pointing out noteworthy features to their companions.  A minority appeared bored or uninterested in the process; they accepted a bottle with nods suggesting that Ruby was their colleague in this endeavor.

After everyone had received a bottle of water and the plastic wrappers were being collected, the energy suddenly shifted.  Whispers became more pressing and urgent, an inescapable sense of excitement buzzed through the group, and everyone’s gazes fixated in the same direction at once.  The enthusiasm pulled Ruby’s eyes to the entrance of the set, where a sleek black limousine had just pulled up and a chauffeur reached for the passenger door.

Recognizing the chauffeur, Ruby already knew who would emerge from inside.  The crowd, however, seemed to hold its breath until Weiss gracefully stepped out, looking like a model.  Her white skirt and silver heels showed off her legs.  Her white button-up draped off of her in the most flattering way.  A designer handbag hung from the crook of her arm, and designer sunglasses hid her piercing blue eyes.

Weiss’ arrival caused Ruby a fair amount of trepidation and, today, annoyance, but the extras reacted as most people did to a gorgeous, internationally known celebrity - excitedly.  Those standing closest to the road seemed to lean out in an effort just to be closer; Weiss rewarded them with a bright, award-winning smile and friendly wave.  She looked graceful.  Welcoming.  Delighted that they made the time to be here today.

As soon as she made it past the crowd, however, her smile disappeared.

Phony.

The word reverberated through Ruby’s thoughts like a gong struck by a mallet.  She wadded the ball of plastic in her hands and turned roughly to the side, as much of a head shake as she would risk, when Weiss approached.  A frown tugged at Ruby’s lips, but she forced a neutral expression while twisting the plastic into an even smaller ball.  Rather than walk by, however, Weiss stopped beside her and said, “Good morning.”

Convinced that the greeting must be for Velvet, Ruby didn’t bother acknowledging it.  When Velvet subtly motioned for Ruby to respond, however, she turned toward Weiss and offered a quick, lackluster, “Good morning.”  

Ruby’s gaze immediately went to the nearest trash can, waiting for Weiss to leave so that she could throw the garbage away and carry on with her day.  Her confusion grew when Weiss lightly cleared her throat and said, “Velvet, can you give us a moment?”

Velvet shared a surprised look with Ruby before saying, “Sure,” taking the plastic from Ruby’s hands, and hurrying off to throw everything away.  Without anything to occupy her hands, Ruby shoved them into her pockets and waited for Weiss’ scolding.  She thought it would be bad - initially, at least, but that became less certain as Weiss clasped her hands and searched for words.

“I wanted to apologize,” Weiss eventually got out.  “For what I said yesterday.  I wasn’t in the best mood and, well, I’m sorry if I came across as…harsh.”

Having never seen Weiss look so uncomfortable or even come close to using the word ‘sorry’ unsarcastically, Ruby stared, mouth open, until a slightly impatient noise came from the back of Weiss’ throat.  “It’s fine,” she hurriedly replied.  “Now I know you and water don’t mix.”  

She flashed a cheeky smile, but Weiss frowned.

“If you’re angry about it, then say so.  Don’t just pretend everything’s fine.”

“That’d be easier if I didn’t want to keep my job.”  Weiss’ brow furrowed at that, so Ruby shook her head and waved her hands in front of her.  “It’s fine,” she insisted.  “Besides, maybe you’re right.  Maybe I’m not cut out for this job, but I’ll still try my best.”

“You’d do better if you understood the types of people you’re dealing with and how to handle them.”

“Right.  Well…I guess we can’t all work with someone as easygoing as Pyrrha.”

Ruby’s chuckle abruptly cut off when Weiss stepped back as if Ruby had just slapped her.  Her expression briefly darkened before returning to a neutral, unreadable mask.

“I suppose we can’t.  But maybe that’s why they put the beginners with me - so I can weed out the ones who don’t belong.”

Conversation over, Weiss spun around on one heel and stormed to her trailer.  Ruby flinched when the door slammed, then sighed and shook her head.

“Way to go, Ruby.  Just piss her off some more, why don’t you?”

That hadn’t been her intention, but that was what she accomplished.  Unfortunately, rewinding the last few minutes and re-attempting the conversation wasn’t an option.  Instead, she shook her head once more and hurried off to find something to do.  

Cinder gave instructions to the extras now, who hung onto her every word like their lives depended on it.  Knowing Cinder, their lives might not depend on it, but their time on set certainly did.  The rest of the set had been transformed into an amalgamation of accurate city streets laden down by too many cameras, lights, and microphones.

“Need help?” she asked Jaune while crossing the street, but he shook his head.

“I think I got it this time.”

The jumble of cords in his hands suggested otherwise, but she accepted the answer and joined Velvet near the pop-up wardrobe department.  High chairs still sat in front of tall, lighted mirrors and countertops overflowing with makeup, but everything operated under a small blue tent with racks of clothing waiting nearby.

A flash of white instantly had Ruby’s full attention, her pulse creeping higher as Weiss left the trailer and crossed the set.  Rather than track Ruby down and demand a better trailer, however, Weiss met Coco near one of the racks of clothing, where they browsed through the options before Weiss took her typical seat in front of the mirrors.  She looked as disinterested as usual when one of the makeup artists flitted over to her.  Maybe she had already forgotten or dismissed what Ruby said.

“Good morning, you two.” 

The light, friendly voice brought an instant smile to Ruby’s lips as Pyrrha joined them.

“Good morning, Pyrrha,” Velvet replied while Ruby nodded to the beautiful redhead.  As usual, Pyrrha looked like she just stepped out of a magazine - dark jeans hugging her strong thighs, a red, sleeveless top showing off her arms, and dangling, golden earrings bringing out her vibrant green eyes.

“Looks like it’ll be a nice day, doesn’t it?”

Pyrrha looked up at the blue sky scattered with white, fluffy clouds, but the reminder of yesterday tugged on Ruby’s smile.  

“We shouldn’t have a repeat of the lake, at least,” Velvet replied.

“I hope not.  All that rain and wind…not the most pleasant experience.”  

Pyrrha shivered at the memory but quickly replaced it with another easy smile.  The optimistic response suited her perfectly, and Ruby smiled before the niggling sensation of being watched drew her attention to the side.  Weiss wasn’t looking at them though; she was frowning at her fingernails while the woman behind her ran a brush through her long, white hair.  Ruby glanced at Jaune next, but he had his hands full taping down yards upon yards of camera cables.

Pyrrha’s gaze followed Ruby’s but quickly, almost embarrassedly, returned.  She gently cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and nodded to the trailers instead.  

“How bad is it?” 

Ruby wrinkled her nose, which Pyrrha noted, and Velvet glanced that way before adding an encouraging, “You’ll probably be happier spending the day outside.”

Despite a soft sigh, Pyrrha didn’t complain.  “At least the weather’s nice,” she repeated before holding out her bag to Velvet.  “Can you put this in there for me?”

While Velvet took the bag and set off to do as instructed, Pyrrha smiled at Ruby one last time before joining Weiss in the makeup chairs.  Weiss returned Pyrrha’s warm greeting, however, by staring straight ahead and offering what looked like a single-word response.  Pyrrha’s brow creased slightly, but she settled into her seat and didn’t press.  She snuck a troubled look Weiss’ way though, making it clear that something was wrong.

Unfortunately, Ruby had a pretty good idea as to what was wrong.  Guilt stirred in her stomach, but she failed to see how she could fix the situation.  Talking to Weiss was basically out of the question, so she fell back on what seemed to be a recurring solution - shaking her head and walking away.

“Can someone fill up a bowl with water?” someone requested over the walkie while she left the wardrobe department.  “Take it to the bank.”

“I got it,” Ruby replied before jogging back to the meal tent and searching for a bowl.  After finding one of the paper bowls used for breakfast, she filled it with water - bottled water, just to be safe - and searched for ‘the bank.’  It was easy to find - a regal storefront with legitimate-sounding investment products advertised in the glass windows and two ultra-realistic ATMs outside.

Lacking further instructions, she scanned the crowd of extras loitering around the sidewalk and adjacent street before spotting the obvious recipient of a water bowl: the golden-haired dog sitting patiently beside a lady dressed as a jogger.

“Someone ordered a bowl of water?” Ruby asked after making her way over to them. 

“Oh, thank you,” the woman replied as Ruby set the bowl in front of the dog.  He immediately stood up and started drinking, wagging his tail and splashing water all over the sidewalk.

“He’s so cute,” Ruby said before looking up at his owner.  “Can I pet him?”

“Of course.  He’d love nothing more.”

Grinning now, Ruby waited for him to finish drinking before offering her hand for him to sniff.  His tail wagged faster, and she practically melted to the sidewalk so that she could scratch his soft ears and run her fingers through his long, wavy fur.  He leaned against her, causing her to fall slightly back before catching herself with one hand and laughing.

“You’re so friendly!” she said, petting him less tentatively now.  “What’s your name, handsome?”

“This is Cooper.”

“Cooper!”  His ears perked up at his name, and Ruby scratched under his chin.  “You’re such a good boy, Cooper,” she cooed.  “Are you excited to be in a movie?  Or are you just happy with all these people around?”

“Pretty sure it’s both,” Cooper’s owner replied, laughing as Ruby stood up and brushed fur off her jeans.

“Best part of my day,” she concluded.  “If you need anything else, just grab one of the assistants and we’ll get it for you.”

After one last head pat for Cooper, Ruby returned to the far end of the set.  Based on the props littering the sidewalks and the lack of frenzied activity from most of the crew, they were nearly ready to begin.  For the production assistants, that meant finding a good place to watch the action while also being close enough to help.  For Ruby, the process was as simple as finding Velvet, who always seemed to know exactly where to be at exactly the right time.

Today, their optimal location lay at one end of the street where extra camera equipment had been stored.  From there, they watched Ozpin lead Cardin, Pyrrha, and Weiss down the street.  Ozpin used his cane to point out different colored marks on the ground, explaining where to go and what to do when they got there.

The actors paid close attention.  So close, in fact, that Weiss hardly looked anywhere but at Ozpin or the marks on the ground.  When Cardin or Pyrrha said anything, Weiss crossed her arms and looked away.  Maybe Ruby was overanalyzing the situation - Cardin thought nothing of Weiss’ behavior, after all - but Pyrrha sneaking concerned glances Weiss’ way made Ruby’s guilt flare.

Fortunately, the group reached the end of the street before long, held a brief discussion, then returned to their shaded chairs to wait.  The extras took over the street next, and a ‘simple’ scene suddenly looked decidedly less so.

Cinder issued commands to the extras through a megaphone: “Baseball cap boy, turn left,” or “You three in the miniskirts, pretend you’re window shopping.”  That process alone took an incredible amount of time, but people remained in good spirits throughout.  Then the cameras were brought in, the actors returned to their starting positions, and the real work started.

When the action began, Weiss slunk through the crowd, ducking and dodging like a fish moving through water.  Pyrrha bumped or jostled several people as she struggled to close the gap between them.  Cardin trailed even further behind, attempting to spot Pyrrha or Weiss by using his height.  

What theater goers wouldn't see were the cameras sliding in front of the actors, and the way the extras had to make way for the hulking frames before filling in the gaps.  The effect looked much like a zipper pulling apart groups of people before sewing everything back together.  The level of coordination impressed Ruby more than anything she had witnessed so far.  Her eyes hardly left the street, and her anticipation mounted when Ozpin motioned that the practice runs were over.

“Cameras rolling,” Cinder said over the walkies, and the set seemed to hold its breath.  “Action!” Ozpin called out moments later.

Everything proceeded in the same fashion.  The actors followed the same paths.  The extras moved in and out of the way at the same time.  Visually, everything remained the same; the only difference would be the film captured by the cameras.

The first take concluded without a hitch.  Ozpin looked pleased by the results, nodding frequently as he watched the replay before making several tweaks.  The second take earned only one change.  The third took much longer for him to analyze, but he eventually nodded.  Cinder immediately grabbed the megaphone and addressed the crowd.

“We’ll take a thirty-minute break before Scene Two.  Extras with Group One, that’s all for today.  Group Two, see wardrobe for alterations.”  

The extras did as told - heading for the tram stop or to wardrobe - while Cinder set down the megaphone and tapped the microphone in her ear.

“PAs, clear the set.”

Ruby and Velvet sprang into motion at the instruction.  Joining the prop department, they carried or rolled away everything from food carts to groups of colorful balloons.  Before long, the street returned to how they found it: devoid of any celebration.  

As luck had it, they finished the work so fast that they still had five minutes of a break left.  Ruby took advantage by finding a nice, unoccupied wall to lean against - just outside of the barbershop - and downed an entire bottle of water.  Her gaze lingered on the mass of extras still waiting at the tram stop, and she silently sympathized with any workers trying to go home right now.

“Hey, cutie.”

The words broke her concentration, but she still looked both ways to confirm that she was the only one around.

“Yeah, you,” Cardin added, smirking as he leaned against the wall beside her.  “What’s a guy gotta do to get some food around here?”

“What do you want?  I can get it for you.”

“What’re they bringing for lunch?”

Ruby narrowed her eyes at the meal tent, searching her memory for the schedule.  “Same as yesterday,” she answered.  “More chicken and pasta.”

“I’ll wait then.  Didn’t get to have any yesterday.”  Cardin set both hands on his head and flexed his biceps.  “Food’s a no-no on beach day.”

Ruby nodded by default.  Once his words sank in, however, she tilted her head and said, “You didn’t eat yesterday?”

“‘Course not.  Food messes with these.”  He poked his stomach with one finger.  “It’s kinda a ‘thing.’  Bet Weiss didn’t eat either!”

He raised his voice for that last part as Weiss approached them, deepening the scowl that had already been on her lips.  Ruby instantly recognized the look and stood straighter, but those intense blue eyes still drilled holes right through her.

“What are you doing?” 

“Just chatting,” Cardin replied, even though the pointed question had been directed at Ruby.  Weiss made that even more apparent by scowling at Cardin before glaring at Ruby.

“Don’t you have better things to do?”

Biting back a flare of frustration, Ruby did the diplomatic thing and pointed out, “We’re on break.”  Of course ‘break’ meant nothing to Weiss, who looked annoyed that Ruby even brought it up.

“Damn, Weiss,” Cardin cut in.  “Can’t even let her enjoy her break?  Someone hates sharing…” 

He mumbled the last part loud enough that only Ruby heard, which only incensed Weiss further.

“What was that, Cardin?  You should really learn to speak up.  We’d get our scenes done faster.”

The palpable shift in the air made Ruby glance between the two actors and wonder if she should leave before things got worse.  Before she came to a decision, Cardin drew himself up to his full height, towering over both of them, and repeated, loudly, “You don’t like sharing, do you?” 

“With you?  Why would I when you’re a disgusting pig?”

“At least I’m not a vapid bitch.”

“Do you even know what that means?” Weiss shot back, crossing her arms but not backing down.

“No,” he admitted with naive simplicity.  “But I heard Cinder use it this morning, so I know it’s bad.”

“God.  You couldn't be stupider if you tried.”

“You’d be surprised,” Cardin snapped before wrapping an arm around Ruby’s shoulders and jabbing a finger at Weiss.  “Why don’t you mind your own business?  Ruby and I were having a great conversation before you butted in.”

Ruby glanced at the heavy arm on her shoulder before looking at Weiss, suddenly fearing that they were approaching a volcanic eruption.  She had never seen Weiss so angry - jaw clenched so hard it might break, mouth set in a deep scowl, eyes narrowed, and posture rigid.

“That conversation is over,” Weiss hissed, her voice low and dangerous.  “She’s going to get my lunch now, and if she doesn’t, I’m talking to Cinder.”

Weiss didn’t look at Ruby with the ultimatum, too busy glaring at Cardin, who scowled right back.  Recognizing an impasse and having no desire to be included in whatever was going on between them, Ruby ducked out from beneath Cardin's arm and scurried away like her job depended on it - which apparently it did.

“Do they hate each other that much?” she asked Velvet on the way out, but Velvet just frowned at the duo before shaking her head.  “I’m going to pick up lunch for Weiss,” she explained while grabbing her bag.  “Think you can handle them?”

“Doesn’t look like I’ll have to.”

Ruby glanced back and breathed a sigh of relief as Pyrrha walked over to the pair, ready to serve as peacekeeper like usual.  The innocuous conversation had turned sour in no time.  Of course, Ruby was unsurprised - Weiss had that effect on people, almost as if she sniffed out then snuffed out any menial measure of joy around her. 

Shaking her head at the thought, Ruby joined the remaining crowd waiting for the tram and boarded when the next one arrived.  As much as ‘get my lunch’ sounded like an insult, she actually enjoyed it.  For the rest of the crew, filming carried on as usual.  For Ruby, the general chaos became a peaceful break with only one pressing objective: ordering lunch.  

Once the tram dropped her off at the front of Crescent Productions, she crossed the street and made her way to the fanciest restaurant open for lunch.  She had never eaten there, mostly because the eye-watering prices would set her bank account back by a decade, but the food smelled good.  Weiss liked their salads and, considering Weiss liked very little in the world, Ruby was more than willing to pick one up whenever Weiss wanted.

After ordering and paying with her Crescent Productions-issued card, she waited only a few minutes before the host delivered a takeout bag to her.  Lunch in hand, she returned to work at an unhurried pace.  She was not in a rush to see what the rest of the day would bring.  Plus, she didn’t want to find out what would happen if she jostled the lettuce and assorted vegetables too much, especially when Weiss was in a mood.

Maybe Weiss decided that she could get Ruby to quit by making her life even more miserable.  If that was the new strategy, then…Ruby might have to re-evaluate her ‘tolerance and professionalism’ plan.  Tolerance only went so far, and her mental well-being would eventually become a priority.

“You love your sister, you love your sister,” she repeated to herself after boarding a blissfully empty tram.  Keeping this job for Yang, however, became less of her primary objective as spite crept in.  If she could survive the entire production, she would prove something not only to herself but to Weiss.  Maybe Weiss would learn not to treat people like disposable napkins - good for one use before going into the garbage.  Or maybe Weiss would be really pissed off that Ruby never left -  that honestly sounded like an acceptable resolution, too.

Re-determined by the silent pep talk, she hopped off the tram and speed-walked back to the set.  The level of movement amongst the crew told her that it was safe to approach - they were either between takes or still setting up the next scene.  She scanned the set, expecting to come up empty, but was surprised to find Weiss sitting on one of the giant black cases used to lug around the cameras.  

“Oh, Ruby.  There you are.”  

Ruby hardly made it three steps in Weiss’ direction before Pyrrha set a hand on her elbow and gently guided her to the side of the street.

“Sorry to bother you,” Pyrrha added before Ruby asked what was going on.  “I was wondering if you know why Weiss is being so quiet today.  More so than usual, I mean.” 

Pyrrha’s emerald gaze flitted to Weiss before beseeching Ruby for an explanation.

“Uh, I’m not sure.”  Ruby shook her head but, when Pyrrha’s expression fell, added, “The only thing I can think of is - uh, well, this morning I might’ve, kinda, told her that you’re easier to work with than she is.  But I doubt she cares about that.  Or what I think, in general.”

“Ah…I see.”  Understanding dawned in Pyrrha’s eyes, but she didn’t elaborate.  Instead, she pointed at the bag in Ruby’s hand and asked, “Is that for her?”

“Yeah.  Lunch, as demanded.”

“Is it alright if I give it to her?”

“...Sure?  If you want to.”

“Thank you, Ruby.”  

Pyrrha took the bag and smiled before walking over to Weiss.  Ruby watched, brow furrowed and heart clenching a little too hard, as Pyrrha tentatively approached.  Weiss looked up when she noticed Pyrrha’s presence.  Pyrrha held up the bag and gestured at the space beside her.

Ruby didn’t realize that she was holding her breath until Weiss scooted over to make room.  A sigh rushed through Ruby’s lips when Pyrrha sat down, though neither of them said much at first.  Eventually, Pyrrha said something that made Weiss’ shoulders sink.  Only then did Weiss start talking, making small hand gestures to emphasize her points.  

Pyrrha gave her full attention to every word before responding.  Weiss listened with a pensive, calm expression, nodding every so often.  No anger, no frustration, no sarcasm.  Just a beautiful person listening to the words of another beautiful person, talking about who-knew-what but still sorting through what appeared to be complicated emotions.

…phony?

The word held no reverberation this time.  It struck Ruby’s mind like a flutter, hinting that something might be there before disappearing just as quickly as it appeared.

Weiss went through so many masks daily that it was impossible to determine what was real or fake without reading her mind.  Maybe Weiss couldn't even tell.  Maybe it had become so normal for her that her demanding, sarcastic side was just as real as her friendship with Pyrrha.  Maybe she simply said or did whatever it took to ensure that she never found herself in a subservient position to anyone else.

“Ruby?”  When Ruby finally tore her gaze away, Velvet pointed out the delivery truck unloading their lunch.  “Help me set up?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Ruby glanced at Pyrrha and Weiss one last time, wishing she could hear their conversation, before following Velvet to the meal tent.  Thank god for Pyrrha, she thought before pushing that problem from her mind.  Unpacking aluminum trays filled with chicken and pasta sounded like a much healthier task than trying to figure out how Weiss worked, so that was exactly what Ruby would do.