Diva - Chapter 17

“Steady…” Ruby said while lowering a camera onto the pole that it should sit perfectly on if they aimed right.  Of course, ‘aiming’ a bulky, cumbersome piece of equipment was more of a pipe dream than reality.  It clanked off the pole and tilted in her hands, so she raised it again, blew a breath through her lips, and said, “To the left a little more.”

This time, success.  The camera slotted perfectly.  Even so, she held on a few extra seconds before letting go.

“See?  Piece of cake.”

“Only because you helped,” Oscar replied, shaking his head.  “I’m scared I’ll break something.”

“It is slightly terrifying, but you get used to it.”

“How are you so easygoing about all this?”  He motioned a hand around the studio, with the daily setup already in full swing.

“Because it’s just a job, right?  The worst they can do is fire me.”  Ruby pondered that scenario for a second before chuckling.  “I was convinced Weiss would get me fired when I started - or that she’d somehow turn me into stone.  Compared to that, dropping a camera seems pretty small.”

“You get along now though,” Oscar pointed out while following Ruby across the studio.  “At least, it seems like you do.”

“Yeah, I guess we do.”

It only took weeks of butting heads and one unfortunate incident with Cardin, but she left out those details.  Instead, she grabbed a coiled power cable and carried it to their recently installed camera.

“How’re things with Cardin?” she asked, glancing at Oscar before plugging in the cord.

“Fine, I think?  He doesn’t ask for much besides food and sometimes a new video game for his room.”

“Good.  At least he’s going easy on you.”

“It’s not usually like that?”

Thinking about Weiss’ behavior when they first met, Ruby laughed and shook her head.  “No,” she said while laying the cord out to the outlet.  “Not at all.”  

After making it across the room, she plugged in the cord and dusted off her hands.  Setting up cameras was a higher-level duty for her, but she enjoyed learning how they worked.  Or, at least, she learned how heavy they were and how to plug them in correctly.

On the cusp of setting up another, she caught sight of a limousine pulling up to the studio’s front doors.  Her heart promptly fluttered and a smile crept onto her lips as James hopped out of the driver’s seat.  He hurried around the long vehicle, but Weiss opened the passenger door before he got there.  From the way he shook his head and held the door, that must be a somewhat regular occurrence.  Weiss was nonplussed though.  She bid him goodbye and strode toward the building as if she owned it.  Which, in a way, she sort of did.

“Be right back,” Ruby told Oscar as her feet drew her to the doors.  She grabbed the cup of coffee from the PA table as she went and offered it to Weiss mid-stride.  “Morning,” she added while falling into step with Weiss.

“Good morning.” 

“Did you make it home before the rain?”  

Weiss took a sip of her coffee before nodding and saying, “I did.  Did you?”

“Nope!”  Ruby grinned when Weiss glanced at her, then rushed forward to open the door to Weiss’ room.  “Started pouring right before we finished.  Ended up soaked.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“It wasn’t so bad.  Nothing a hot shower couldn't fix.”

While Ruby beamed at the resolution - at the day in general, really - Weiss’ expression landed somewhere between amusement and skepticism.  “I’m glad to hear,” she eventually replied.  The short response suggested that she was ready to be left alone, but Ruby hardly turned away before Weiss held up a hand.

“Wait a second,” she even said, drawing Ruby back to her.  Ruby waited expectantly - eagerly, even - for whatever was on Weiss’ mind even though it could be something as trivial as a question about the schedule.  Then Weiss took a small breath and met Ruby’s gaze.

“I spoke to the person I know.  At The Diamond Gallery.”

“You did??”

“Yes.”  Weiss’ brow creased.  “Why do you sound surprised?”

“I don’t know, I just…figured you’re busy and…it’s not a high priority?”

The way Weiss tilted her head and squinted suggested that she would like to read through Ruby’s words.  “Well, it didn’t feel right waiting,” she eventually replied.  “And they’d love to meet you.”  Reaching into her handbag, she retrieved a small slip of paper and handed it to Ruby.  “Just call and set up a time.”

Ruby stared at the name and phone number written on the paper, which felt more like gold than any simple piece of scratch paper torn off a memo pad.  When Weiss offered to get in touch with the person she knew, Ruby had believed that it would happen eventually, not the next day.

“If you call them now, you might be able to meet them tonight,” Weiss prodded when Ruby didn’t respond.

“Right.  I’ll do that.”  Ruby carefully folded the paper in half and smiled at Weiss.  “Thank you so much.  I really…I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

Even if Weiss didn’t particularly embrace the gratitude, as her nonchalant wave suggested, Ruby had to express it somehow.

“You’ll let me know how it goes?” Weiss asked, so Ruby emphatically nodded while backing toward the door.

“I’ll call right now then give you an update!”

So excited to do just that, Ruby opened the door, turned, and slammed her hip right into it.  After yelping, she shot a glance at Weiss, whose eyes sparkled at the bout of clumsiness, before awkwardly waving and leaving.  She hardly shut the door before pulling out her phone and heading outside for privacy.  Her heart sped up as she typed in the numbers, then double checked their accuracy before pressing call and holding the phone to her ear.

“The Diamond Gallery,” a young woman answered on the first ring.

“Hi.  My name’s Ruby Rose and I was told to -”

“Oh, perfect,” she interrupted.  “Can you come in tonight at six?”

“Uh…yes.  I think so.  That should be fine.”

“Great.  We’ll see you then.”

The call abruptly disconnected, leaving Ruby to stare at her phone while processing what just happened.  On the one hand, that seemed too easy - they were already waiting for her call and had time to meet that evening?  On the other hand…they were waiting for her call and had time to meet that evening.

After putting her phone away, she did a little jig on the sidewalk before heading back inside.  It felt surreal.  Too good to be true.  She would suspect an elaborate prank if Weiss had any disposition toward that type of humor.  Weiss could be very funny, but she wasn’t the prank-pulling type of funny.

Spotting Weiss on her way to wardrobe, Ruby bounded over to share the news.

“Got a meeting tonight at six.  Hopefully, shooting doesn’t go too long.”

“I’m sure you’ll have time,” Weiss replied, offering an almost reassuring smile as Coco walked over.

“Alright, gorgeous.  Let me introduce you to something less comfortable.”

“Oh, joy…” Weiss mumbled before following Coco away.  Ruby stayed behind, watching the two go before glancing at the clock hanging above the front entrance.  There was plenty of work to be done before she should even think about her meeting so, in the interest of not driving herself batty with anticipation, she set off in search of one of the many, many tasks she could help with.

“Has anyone seen Oob’s glasses?” Velvet asked over the radio and, just like that, Ruby was off to the races.

It didn’t take long to realize that she had a full day ahead of her.  Ozpin arriving with an extra-large mug served as an early warning, as did Cinder harping on every little task as if its timely completion meant the difference between life and death.  The first scene turned out to be incredibly complex but also an incredible distraction.  No way could she worry about her impending meeting when Weiss donned a jet-black catsuit in her quest to steal a heavily guarded gemstone.

Ruby was too modest to ever wear something like that, but Weiss showed nothing but confidence.  She knew she looked spectacular, and she was more concerned about listening to instructions from the safety team than worrying about the way her skintight bodysuit revealed every alluring curve of her body.

Several guards patrolled a vault room during the scene, but their job was easy: walk around in armor, hold a large, fake rifle, and look menacing.  Weiss had to be rigged up with wires and a harness and perform all sorts of acrobatics while pulling off her heist.  It was beautiful, in a way, like watching air gymnastics.  But it also took a great deal of time and patience, which Weiss displayed an impressive amount of, to get right. 

Ruby didn’t start worrying about her six o’clock deadline until Cardin arrived midway through the day.  Then Cinder pushed them through an entire set change like a dictator flexing her considerable power.  They probably wouldn't have stopped for lunch had Weiss not complained about feeling faint.  Spending hours in that tight outfit with hot lights beating on her while physically exerting herself definitely earned a break.

The effort earned an extra-large lunch portion, even though Weiss likely wouldn't eat it, before Ruby scarfed down some food of her own and set up the next scene.  They kept the same walls, thankfully, but spruced them up by hanging some vanilla artwork.  A rug was rolled out on the floor, then several more pieces of furniture were added to create a waiting room.

One of the ‘guards’ left.  The other changed into street clothes and sat in one of the chairs.  A pretty young woman arrived and was seated behind the reception desk, where she fiddled with a computer that wasn’t even plugged in.

“Ruby, get Weiss out here,” Cinder ordered during final preparations, so Ruby dutifully went to Weiss’ room and knocked on the door.

“Hey, Wei -?” 

When Weiss opened the door mid-name, Ruby quickly stepped back.  Weiss had changed out of the catsuit, thankfully, but still looked effortlessly beautiful in a blouse and short skirt.  Standing in such close quarters brought back memories of helping Weiss change yesterday, bringing a flush to Ruby’s cheeks in no time.

“Hey,” she repeated, smiling as if she had come just to say hello.

“Hey,” Weiss replied succinctly, if not a little teasingly, before her blue eyes darted over Ruby’s shoulder.  “Do you need something…?”

“Oh, uh, yes.  Cinder told me to get you.”    

Ruby gestured over her shoulder to Cinder, who was currently barking orders at the audio team.  Weiss’ gaze followed before returning to Ruby.  Eventually, she nodded, so Ruby grinned and stepped out of her way.  Ruby then glanced into the room to make sure Weiss had eaten some food - she had - before following Weiss to the stage.

Weiss’ pace slowed with every step though.  Soon, she stopped and frowned at the scene in front of her.

“They’re not ready yet,” she pointed out.  “Why did Cinder tell you to get me when they aren’t ready?”

Hearing the thinly veiled agitation, Ruby glanced at the set, which wasn’t ready, and threw out the first words that came to mind.

“I’m sure they’ll be ready soon.  Cinder probably thought it’d take me longer to get you out of your room.”

After working her jaw back and forth, Weiss ultimately sighed.

“I can get you when they’re actually ready,” Ruby offered, but Weiss shook her head.

“It’s fine.  I just…don’t like everyone staring at me…”

The last part was muttered so softly that Ruby barely caught it.  Even then, she thought she had heard wrong.  It only took one look around, however, to confirm that people were watching Weiss.  The two extras, in particular, gawked at her.  But even the crew, who worked with her daily, often glanced her way.  Whether they did it for their own protection or because they just found her to be that magnetic was unclear.  

All Ruby knew was that the more she noticed it, the more intrusive it felt.  They weren’t even looking at her.  They were only looking near her and she wanted to melt into the floor.

But she didn’t melt into the floor.  She stepped in front of Weiss instead, doing her best to block Weiss from the prying eyes.

“Sorry.”  She wasn’t sure who she was apologizing for but, fortunately, spotted a distraction.  “Cardin’s been pretty well-behaved recently.”

She nodded to Cardin, who lounged at a lunch table drinking a can of soda and chatting Oscar’s ear off.  While still the weakest link in the main cast, he had been less of an obvious detriment as of late.  Even better, he had been far less creepy around the women on set - at least, as far as she had seen.

“I may have told someone that his…behavior…makes me uncomfortable.”

“Really?”  Once Weiss nodded, Ruby asked, “Who?”

“The only person he’s afraid of.”

Weiss nodded over Ruby’s shoulder as Cinder stormed past and snapped her fingers for Cardin’s attention.  He proceeded to jump so hard that he spilled his drink down the front of his shirt.  That only annoyed Cinder more, as she rolled her eyes and dragged him to wardrobe, reprimanding him along the way.  

“She doesn’t actually care about how I feel,” Weiss explained after smirking at the scene.  “But she cares about finishing this movie on time.”

“Because that makes her look good?”

“Of course.  She’s in line to be a director.”

“Cinder as a director…” Ruby mused before shuddering at the thought.  Weiss nearly smiled at the reaction.  

“I wouldn't work with her, but plenty of people will.  I’m fortunate enough to have a choice.”

“I guess when you’re starting out, a job’s a job, right?”  Ruby chuckled and ran a hand through her hair, but her eyes flitted to the clock with the thought about her own possible future coming to mind.  Weiss’ gaze followed before returning to her.

“You’ll have plenty of time as long as Cardin keeps his act together and the props work like they should.”

“Right.  Definitely.”

Ruby masked her burgeoning nerves behind a smile, but Weiss frowned.

“You’ll have to go home for your portfolio first, won’t you?”

“Probably should.  They usually want to see your work before hanging it on their wall.”

While Ruby chuckled at the joke, Weiss pursed her lips and glanced at the clock again.  “You’ll have time,” she repeated, though less certainly.  The lackluster response renewed Ruby’s nerves, but Cinder’s voice ended the conversation.

“Actors to the stage now.”

“Oh good,” she said aloud before smiling at Weiss.  “They’re ready now.”

When Ruby extended an arm to the soundstage, Weiss headed that way.  Ruby followed only halfway before breaking off to join Oscar near their typical perch at the front of the studio.  Only Ozpin had a better seat to watch the action - at least, that was Ruby’s opinion as she watched Weiss and Cardin step onto the stage.  The young actress playing the receptionist was particularly tickled by Weiss’ presence, but Weiss offered only a glance before focusing on the rehearsal.  

As usual, Weiss listened to Ozpin’s directions and followed them to the letter.  If the scene didn’t turn out as intended, it was due to Ozpin’s vision not matching up with reality, Cardin flubbing his lines, or - in this particular scene - the failure of the strange device her character wielded after confronting Cardin in the waiting area.

From Ruby’s understanding, it was supposed to make a loud noise followed by spewing smoke into the room.  It made the noise just fine, going off like a gunshot that made her flinch every time.  The smoke, however, failed to materialize.  Or, if it did, it was a thin, sad spurt far removed from providing cover for an escape.

Weiss’ frustration palpably rose with each successive failure.  This time, however, Ruby shared some of Weiss’ outward impatience, shifting from side to side and glancing at the clock between every take.  When she considered asking if she could duck out early, she hardly made a motion before Cinder’s glare convinced her to remain still.

The props team swapped out the dud with a second version, which emitted more smoke but spun on the floor like an out-of-control children’s toy.  That one was quickly replaced by a third and, based on the urgent attempts to correct the first one, no other backups existed.

With another attempt underway, Ruby silently prayed for everything to go as planned.  The actors had their lines and motions mastered by now - they just needed the silly prop to work.  And, if she was going to make it to her meeting on time, she had to leave soon.  

The beginning of the scene progressed without a hitch, then Weiss threw the device onto the ground and prepared to make her grand escape.  The crew seemed to hold their breath before collectively sighing when the device did absolutely nothing.  The props team feverishly experimented with the first and second versions, but Weiss picked up the dead device and walked to the edge of the stage.

“Why are we doing this when this isn’t ready?” she demanded, brandishing the dud to Ozpin.

“We’ll get it fixed,” Ozpin assured her, but she scoffed.

“Even if you do, I’m not touching some untested prop that could blow off my hand.  Test it on one of them and then maybe I’ll try again.”

After a dismissive gesture at the props team, Weiss threw the device on the floor and stomped off.  Everyone watched in stunned silence when she didn’t retreat to her room but instead stormed straight out of the building, where her dutiful chauffeur had already arrived to pick her up.

That cyclone of fury blew right past Ruby, but Ruby felt none of the lashing winds.  On the contrary, Weiss caught her gaze and mouthed ‘good luck’ before heading outside.

Dismay remained in Weiss’ place, but Ozpin shook his head and removed his headset when the device suddenly popped open and spewed smoke across the stage.  “Leave everything,” he decided.  “We’ll finish first thing tomorrow.”

Some people shook their heads and muttered amongst themselves while powering off or setting aside their gear.  The props team collected their failed work and hurried to the back of the building to regroup - a long night might be in store for them.  Ruby, meanwhile, beamed at the turn of events.

The reaction earned Velvet’s head tilt, but Ruby was already collecting her bag from beneath the table.  PAs typically left after breaking down the set, but there wasn’t any set breakdown to do.

“Can you cover for me if Cinder’s looking for anything?” she asked Velvet regardless.  “I have a meeting at six, and if I leave now I should make it.”  Velvet hardly nodded before she added, “Thanks!” and rushed outside.

She needed her portfolio, so the first bus ride took her home.  Her knee jittered the entire way, and she nearly tripped while bounding up the stairs into her apartment.  A cracked tooth wouldn't have slowed her down as she flew into her studio, grabbed the binder holding photographs of her work - she was extra grateful that she had taken the time to add her most recent completions - and flew out again within seconds.  Then she waited for another bus, a short break for her to catch her breath, before heading to the other side of town.

The slow crawl through busy streets amplified her anxiety, but getting off the bus and running the rest of the way would only leave her sweaty and gross.  She stared out the windows instead, knee bouncing and fingers tapping the binder lying across her lap.  She only looked at the time when her stop arrived and she scrambled off the bus.

Miraculously, she made it with a few minutes to spare.  She used those minutes to take several deep breaths, only moderately calming her racing heart, and switch into artist mode.  

Knowing that this was Weiss’ contact, she couldn't escape the added pressure as she walked to one of the nicest art galleries in town: The Diamond Gallery.  The gallery was so nice that she never bothered submitting her work there.  It always seemed like a long shot - it still seemed like a long shot - but she was at least going to meet this person since Weiss was kind enough to set up the meeting.

The gallery’s exterior sparkled with elegant white lights and a classy black-and-white sign.  It sat between two high-end clothing boutiques and across the street from an expensive home furnishings store, seemingly the perfect location for well-heeled customers to buy all of their home decorations in one spot.  Through the shockingly clean glass windows, the predominantly white interior showcased bursts of color, shapes, and an incredible metal sculpture in the shape of a tree.

After one more deep breath, Ruby opened the door and walked up to the desk.

“Hi,” she greeted the young woman seated there.  “I’m here to meet with Winter?”

The young woman glanced at the time before motioning to the right side of the gallery and saying, “She’s right over there.”

The moment Ruby looked over, she froze stiffer than she ever had in her life.  Had the receptionist not been watching, she probably wouldn't have moved for a good decade.  Instead, she swallowed and hesitantly approached a gorgeous young woman who was the spitting image of Weiss.  Winter was slightly taller, her posture somehow even more refined, and her pristine white hair pulled up into a bun, but Ruby would recognize those distinguished features anywhere.

“Uh, hi,” Ruby said, drawing piercing blue eyes.  “I’m Ruby.”  She stuck out her hand, earning a deliberate look that she had received so many times at work.  “You must be…”

“Winter.”  Winter shook Ruby’s hand before clasping her arms behind her back and squaring her shoulders.  “Winter Schnee.”

For as much as that was obvious through appearance alone, shock still swept through Ruby’s veins.  Before she stared for too long, she shook herself out of the surprise and asked, “Are you…related to Weiss?”

“I am.”  A familiar little smile quirked at the corner of Winter’s mouth.  “She’s my sister.”

“Oh, wow,” Ruby breathed out, failing to come up with a more sophisticated response.

“For her to say that someone has an ‘incredible amount of talent…’” Winter added before pausing and shaking her head.  “Let’s just say I’ve rarely heard her phrase anything so positively.”

“Are you sure you were talking to Weiss?” Ruby asked, so Winter quietly chuckled.

“Fairly certain.  I haven’t heard from her in a while, but some things haven’t changed.”  Winter drifted off for a moment, her blue gaze softening, before her attention moved to the binder in Ruby’s hand.  “Is that…?” she began, so Ruby quickly offered it to her.

“My portfolio,” she explained while Winter took it and flipped to the first page.  “I still have most of them, except the ones I marked.”  She pointed to a small yellow ‘x’ on one of the pages, which Winter hummed at before continuing.

While Winter studied Ruby’s art, Ruby nonchalantly studied her.  The striking similarities somehow put Ruby at ease, as if she were talking to a friend.  The subtle differences, however, instilled a sense of caution reminiscent of the days when she had no idea who Weiss was.

She still had no idea who Weiss was.  If she had any clue, she wouldn't have assumed that Weiss was just a frequent customer at this gallery.  

Winter made a small sound, somewhere between curiosity and approval, and tapped one of the pages before moving on.  That piqued Ruby’s interest, but her anticipation and dread grew as the end of the binder approached.  If Winter was anything like her sister, she would be brutally honest.  Ruby needed to prepare herself for anything.

“Interesting,” Winter concluded.  She then turned the binder around and showed Ruby the most recent additions.  “These have a different feeling from the others,” she explained while flipping through them.  “They’re…lighter.”

Despite searching for the source of Winter’s observation, Ruby found no clear answers.  She had enjoyed painting them more - they were what she wanted versus what the other gallery owners wanted - but otherwise lacked any defining characteristics in her eyes.

“And where are these?” Winter asked, pointing out the three pieces that Ruby created for the film.

“Oh.  Uh, they’re props right now.”

Ruby wasn’t sure if she was allowed to say more.  Thankfully, Winter didn’t press.  She nodded once and flipped forward another page.

“I’d like to display these.”  Winter pointed out Ruby’s two most recent works before looking at her.  “Do you have prices in mind?”

“Prices?  Oh, prices.  Like, if people actually want to buy them.”  A nervous laugh slipped through Ruby’s lips, but she rubbed the back of her neck and scrambled for an answer.  “Uh, I mean - I haven’t really considered that yet.”

The response sounded good in her head, but Winter gave her an understanding smile. 

“Would you like me to set them?  I can use my knowledge of the other work we currently have.”  Winter gestured at the pieces of art hanging on the wall, so Ruby gratefully nodded.

“If you wouldn't mind?” 

“It’s not a problem at all.”

After blowing a breath through her lips, Ruby finally smiled.  “Thank you,” she added, struggling to follow a train of thought that wasn’t squealing or bouncing around her skull like a pinball.  “Um, should I…bring them here then?”

“Yes.”  Winter found Ruby’s disjointed response amusing - her eyes glimmered the same way Weiss’ did - but soon regained her business-like demeanor.  “Drop them off whenever it's convenient.  If I’m not here, you can leave them at the front and they’ll be taken care of.  One of our artists will be moving out in three weeks and we’ll put yours up then.”

“Ok, wow, yeah.  Ok, I’ll bring them over right away.”  Ruby was probably forgetting some important information, but her brain wasn’t functioning to its highest ability at the moment.  She beamed and resisted the urge to hug Winter instead.  She stuck out her hand and said, “Thank you so, so much,” while Winter politely shook it again.

“You’re very welcome.  Thank you for taking such good care of my sister.”

Again, that hint of a smile, but Ruby was too elated to wonder what it meant.  “She’s really great,” she replied before gently backing toward the front door.  “I’ll pack them up and get them over here pronto.”

Once Winter nodded, Ruby beamed one last time and then spun around to head for the exit.

“Wait,” Winter suddenly said, freezing Ruby in place and forcing her to turn back around.  “Ruby Rose…” Winter began, her brow thoughtfully furrowed.  “Any relation to Summer?”

The name pricked Ruby’s heart, but she still smiled sadly and said, “She was my mom.”

Understanding dawned in Winter’s eyes, followed by a fair amount of confusion.  “Why didn’t you lead with that?” she eventually asked, so Ruby shrugged.

“It doesn’t feel right, I guess.”

There wasn’t a better explanation that didn’t involve an hour of going through Ruby’s childhood.  Fortunately, Winter didn’t ask for an explanation.  She simply nodded, leaving Ruby to wave and head outside.

As soon as Ruby was out of view, she squealed, threw her arms in the air, and waved them around while dancing in a circle.  When she came to a stop, an older gentleman eyed her with concern.

“Sorry,” she said, her cheeks warming.  “Just got some really good news.”

Whether or not that was an adequate excuse for her outburst, he nodded and carried on.  Ruby, meanwhile, glanced at the gallery before grinning and hurrying home.  She reached the bus stop right as the next bus arrived and found a seat moments after hopping on.  As the bus pulled away from the curb, she blew a big breath through her lips - it sounded almost like a squeal - and curled her fingers into her lap.

She couldn't believe it.  She couldn't believe any of it.  First, that Weiss set up a meeting.  Second, that the meeting was with Weiss’ sister, who was every bit as poised and beautiful as Weiss.  Third, and most importantly, that Winter liked her art enough to display it.

Ruby did a happy little jiggle in her seat at the thought.  One of the other passengers glanced at her, but she paid the wary attention no mind.  She could hardly contain her excitement for the entire ride home and practically bolted as soon as the bus stopped near her apartment.  The stairs disappeared underfoot.  The hallway soon joined them and she threw open the door moments later.  A pleasant aroma greeted her, drawing her swift attention to the kitchen, where Yang and Blake were cooking dinner.

“You’ll never guess what happened!” she announced, beaming as she nearly jumped onto one of the barstools.  “My work’s going to be in The Diamond Gallery!” she added, throwing both arms in the air before either of them guessed.  

Blake’s brow briefly furrowed before her expression brightened.  Yang processed the news for a few additional seconds before her eyes widened.

“Seriously?” she asked, then laughed when Ruby nodded.  “That’s awesome, Ruby!”

Yang nearly pulled Ruby off the stool in a giant hug while Ruby beamed and returned the sideways hug.  “Thanks, Yang,” she added before bouncing in her seat.  “I can’t believe it.  It’s so surreal.  Quick - pinch me to see if I’m dreaming.”

Ruby held out her arm but yelped and jerked it away when Yang pinched her.  “Not so hard!” she whined but quickly regained her smile when Yang laughed.  “I’m not dreaming, so it’s for real.  They’ll go up in a few weeks - you’ll come as soon as they’re up, right?”

“Oh…”  Yang grimaced and glanced at Blake.  “I’m busy, like, all of that week.”  As soon as Ruby pouted, she smiled and shook Ruby’s shoulder.  “Of course I’ll come!  Are you kidding me?  My sister’s paintings are going to be in a gallery?  I’ll camp out a week before.  I’ll watch the employees hang those bad boys on the wall.”

“Good.”  Ruby reserved a solemn nod for Yang before grinning at Blake.  “You can come too, Blake!  But you don’t have to…yet.”

When Ruby waggled her brow at the implication, Blake smiled and reached for Yang’s hand.  

“Of course I’ll be there.”

“And we should celebrate!” Yang added.  “How about we go out for ice cream after dinner?”

Blake nodded at the suggestion while Ruby pumped both fists and hopped to her feet.  “I have to pack them up!” she announced before rushing to her studio.  Yang’s delighted laughter followed her away, rejuvenating her smile as she reached the small room stuffed with art supplies.

After closing the door, she leaned against it, took a deep breath, and released it in a sigh.  Her smile returned immediately, and her fingers tapped against her phone in her pocket before she pushed away from the door and walked over to the finished works leaning against the wall.

She couldn't believe that she met Weiss’ sister.  She couldn't believe that Weiss called her sister.  She couldn't believe that Weiss helped her reach a goal she’d set for herself long ago but never made any real headway on her own.

Weiss didn’t have to help, yet she had.  Voluntarily, even.  That single, remarkable fact melted Ruby’s heart faster than the sun melted an ice cube on a warm day.  

As Ruby searched for a way to safely pack and transport several large canvases, she realized what a soft spot she had grown for the surly, withdrawn movie star.  A lot of people might think that Weiss was demanding and short-tempered, but…she was actually really great.  Really, really great.

Maybe Ruby should tell her that.  Maybe she would hate hearing it, but also…maybe she should hear it from someone.  After today, Ruby was more than willing to be that someone.