Sneak Peek - Diva (Patreon)

Hey again!  I hope I haven't been inundating you with posts recently, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek at one of the stories I recently finished - Diva!  (Honestly, I say it in the WALL-E voice all the time.)

This is from early in the story and should give you a hint of what you have to look forward to.  Considering we still have 39 weeks left of Queens of Remnant (lol...) I figure everyone will probably forget this by then! 

Also, this is what my writing looks like when 'finished,' but I usually go through it again and do a little fixing up to make it shine.  I don't feel like doing that today though so...you're getting this version.  Enjoy!

***

Ruby had only witnessed several days of filming, but the casting department had done a spectacular job.  Cardin perfectly embodied a cocky ex-sailor with a weirdly charming quality, like you wouldn't mind punching him in the face but also wouldn't mind grabbing a drink and listening to his stories.  Pyrrha’s desire to help others felt so genuine that Ruby often wondered if she was acting at all.  Then there was Weiss…

Weiss was smug.  Conniving.  She did and said everything with the certainty of someone who knew that they had already won.  That she had everyone right where she wanted them, and there was nothing they could do about it.  The self-satisfied aura was on full display as she sat at the plain gray table while Pyrrha stood on the other side.  The hint of a smile, the sharpness in her blue eyes, even the way she folded her hands and crossed her legs exuded indifference to the predicament she found herself in.

Weiss might be demanding and difficult to please, but there was something so satisfying and impressive about watching her act.  It was as if she had superior control over her expressions, her tone of voice, her movements, even her emotions.

Ruby’s highlighting slowed down every time the crew fell silent and the actors ran through their rehearsal.  In particular, Ruby listened to Weiss’ lines.  Whether loud, soft, or somewhere in between, Weiss’ words were always clear.  Ruby wasn’t the only one hanging on to every one, waiting for the next to be spoken in a uniquely perfect harmony.

Ruby was the only one who jumped when an obnoxiously loud ring interrupted one of Pyrrha’s responses.  She cringed when she recognized her ringtone and scrambled to silence it, but the damage had already been done.

“Sorry,” she said, her cheeks flushing as the entire production team stared at her.  Most people shook their heads or shrugged and moved on, but Cinder’s glare bored holes right through Ruby.  Cinder opened her mouth to say something, too, but Weiss crossed her arms and beat her to it.

“Why don’t you answer it?”

The building went deathly quiet after the pointed question.  Realizing that Weiss was waiting for an answer, Ruby forced a smile and licked her suddenly parched lips.

“Sorry, I thought I turned it off.”

“Obviously, you didn’t.  Now that you’ve interrupted, you might as well take the call, don’t you think?”

“Weiss,” Pyrrha said, gently touching Weiss’ elbow and motioning to the table on the stage.  “It was an honest mistake.  Let’s just start over.”

Weiss clenched her jaw and considered her options before snapping, “Fine,” and turning away.  The entire set seemed to exhale as a potential blow-up was avoided, but Ruby felt like a rock had just settled in the pit of her stomach.  Not even Pyrrha’s apologetic smile helped ease the feeling.  Emerald mouthing, “Smooth,” helped even less.

Cinder’s annoyed expression made it clear that Ruby just committed a grave mistake, but Ozpin distracted Cinder with a question.  Seconds, then minutes, passed.  The set returned to normal, the scene progressed from rehearsal to being captured on film, but Ruby hardly looked up from the booklet of lines in front of her.  She highlighted quips, quotes, and monologues alike, working so fast that her mind hardly registered the words.

She only took a break to help set up lunch then went right back to work until she finished.  Ozpin released them for the day shortly after, much to her relief for her cramped hand and depressed mood.

Spotting Weiss heading out for the night, Ruby grabbed the lines and met her halfway to the door.

“Finished!”  Ruby held out the booklet, which Weiss accepted with a nod.  When she turned to leave, however, Ruby stepped over and added, “Sorry about the phone thing.  It won’t happen again, promise.”

For a second, Weiss looked like she wouldn’t respond at all.  Then she calmly said, “If it happens again, you’ll be fired,” and walked away.  Watching that million-dollar figure leave the studio, joined by a burly man Ruby had come to recognize as her chauffeur or bodyguard, Ruby sighed and let her shoulders slump to the lowest they had probably ever been.

“Try not to beat yourself up over it.”  Ruby looked up and straightened her posture when Pyrrha stopped beside her.  “Mistakes happen all the time,” Pyrrha added.  “That’s why teamwork is so important.”

“Guess you could say I wasn’t a very good teammate then.”

“You’re still learning,” Pyrrha replied with a kind, patient smile.  “Everyone pretends like they’re experts, but we’ve all been there.  I think you’re doing a wonderful job.”

The genuine words accompanied by a genuine smile took a needle to the balloon of disappointment in Ruby’s chest.  “Thanks, Pyrrha,” she said as the pressure released and her smile became easier.  “Working with paint is a lot easier than working with people.”

“‘Paint?’”

“Oh, yeah, I’m a - I guess you could say an artist in my free time.”

“Ah.”  Pyrrha looked like she might ask for more detail.  Instead, she said, “Considering who you’re working with, I’m sure pretty much anything is easier.”

Pyrrha’s soft laughter lifted Ruby’s spirits, and a smile was much easier to come by when Velvet joined them.