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Just Like the Movies - Chapter 7

Just Like the Movies - Chapter 6

Ruby stood, fists planted on hips and marker clutched in one hand, in front of a scribble-covered whiteboard.  Her eyes flew from note to note, each nothing more than a fragment but more than enough to spin her mind faster.  A tiny voice reminded her that she should proceed carefully, but the majority of her knew that she wouldn't regret this decision.  The last time suc...

Just Like the Movies - Chapter 5

After tugging the long sleeves of a weirdly flowy shirt, Ruby frowned at her reflection.  No matter what she did, too much fabric dangled around.  At first, she thought the extra strips were meant to be belts, but even her fashion-impaired mind knew that the result looked horrible.

“Ruby?”

“Oh, thank god,” she muttered before pulling back the dressing room curtain....

Just Like the Movies - Chapter 4

Ruby leaned back in her chair, chin resting on the back of her hand and eyes slightly narrowed, while Penny added notes to the whiteboard.  Those notes were then connected to previous nodes by lines - some straight and some zig-zagging amongst events like a starship zipping through the stars.  

“That’s good,” Ruby commented once Penny returned the marker to its tray.&...

Just Like the Movies - Chapter 3

Ruby’s brow remained furrowed as she stared at the young woman’s features frozen on the screen.  “I didn’t feel it,” she decided before turning to the quiet, discerning young woman beside her.  “Did you?”

“She has a nice voice…but I don’t think she’s right for the part.”

“You have something good to say about everyone,” Ruby mused while motioning...

Just Like the Movies - Chapter 2

“Hey, Ruby?”  One of the assistants stood and flagged Ruby down on her way to her office.  “You got an urgent message from Glynda about Cinder’s comments last week.  She wants a call ASAP.”

“She realizes I can’t control what actors say off set, right?”  When the girl hesitantly shrugged, Ruby sighed and took the slip of paper with Glynda’s message on ...

Just Like the Movies - Chapter 1

Many of you will remember the oneshot with the same title (and most of that oneshot is in this chapter). Apparently, people really liked this one and wanted a continuation. So, here we are! The 'Kevin Feige AU.' Ten chapters of White Rose goodness. Enjoy!

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‘Can’t wait to meet her!’

Yang ended the message with an impressive array of emojis, each...

Diva - Chapter 26

At long last, the whole story is out in the open. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did! My favorite parts were often Ruby's unique metaphors and analogies. (I guess, technically, those were my metaphors, but you know...)

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Nothing started the day off quite like getting a cup of coffee.  Of course, Ruby rarely drank coffee since she had e...

Diva - Chapter 25

What was worse than riding the bus on the weekend?  Riding the bus on the weekend while lugging around a canvas-sized cardboard box.  Her most recent painting hid inside, nestled in much less protective cover than she would like.  Every time the bus lurched over a pothole - or a curb in one instance - she struggled to keep her balance while preventing the painting from banging ar...

Diva - Chapter 24

“Back again?” the cashier asked as Ruby dropped a handful of paint tubes onto the counter.

“I’ve been on a roll.  And this place is close to my apartment.”  

When Ruby gestured in the general direction of her apartment, the cashier nodded, scanned another paint tube, and slid it aside.

“Do you paint a lot of seascapes?”  Ruby tilted her head, ...

Diva - Chapter 23

‘Sure you don’t want anything special?’ Ruby typed while the line inched forward.  ‘Scone?  Latte?  Anything other than a dark abyss of tar?’

She waited only a few seconds for a response.

‘The usual, thank you.’

A second message quickly followed.  This one a slightly warmer, ‘But please get yourself anything you want.’

What Ruby want...

Diva - Chapter 22

Despite the bags under her eyes and general ache in her tired limbs, Ruby’s skin buzzed as if she had just stuck a fork into an outlet.  As much as a small part of her wanted to stay in bed all day, grasping at some form of recuperation from work, a much larger part had fueled her out of the apartment in record time.

The red shirt hadn’t made the cut today - her cheeks still hadn...

Diva - Chapter 21

Nerves sparked through Ruby’s veins like fireworks as the tram meandered through Crescent Productions, stopping at studio after studio for employees to begin their work days.  If those nerves got any bigger, she would spill bitter, jet-black coffee all over herself, which sounded like the perfect excuse to call in sick or pretend to have a family emergency.

The tram stopped, releas...

Diva - Chapter 20

Ruby blinked, tilted her head, then rubbed her tired eyes and squinted at the canvas.  Nothing erased the general mind-fog she had woken up with this morning, making it impossible to decide if she was looking at a masterpiece or a piece of trash.  Unfortunately - or fortunately given her current mindset - she didn’t have time to dwell on the conclusion.  Even though it felt lik...

Diva - Chapter 19

“Does this look good?”

When Oscar held up the small, white paper flower, Ruby plucked it from his hands.  The petals were uneven and the stem a bit lopsided, but otherwise it met the requirements.

“Pretty good!” she concluded, dropping it onto the growing pile.  “Try to make your creases a little sharper and they’ll be perfect.”

“Got it.”

Brow...

Diva - Chapter 18

“‘Morning, Oscar!” Ruby called out after entering the studio.  

“‘Morning, Ruby!”  He leapt to his feet and bounded over to greet her.  “You’re in a good mood.”

“Who wouldn't be?”  When his nose scrunched, she laughed and dropped her bag underneath the PA table.  “We have another exciting day ahead,” she added while clipping a ...

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.”

Thi...

Diva - Chapter 16

Today was a big day.  How big, Ruby didn’t know.  But it felt big - at least, to her - and her light, bouncy steps suggested that it was big.

She had visited the Vale Museum of Art many times.  Sometimes with friends, sometimes with Yang, sometimes alone, but never like this.

The wide stone steps leading to the lobby disappeared underfoot as she jo...

Diva - Chapter 15

Ozpin motioned with both hands and then made a sweeping gesture toward Weiss.  Pyrrha and Weiss intently followed his gestures, absorbing his instructions with the professionalism that they were both widely known for.  Cardin, on the other hand, let his gaze drift from Ozpin to the tables and chairs in what looked like a military cafeteria.

Weiss glanced at him out of the corner...

Diva - Chapter 14

After spending most of the previous night drawing anything that struck her fancy, Ruby still had her sketchbook on her lap, fighting bumps and lurches while riding the bus to the other side of town.  She didn’t mind the small jitters - those added a strange sense of personality to the image - but each pothole threatened to send a sharp mistake through the heart of her work.

If Weis...

Diva - Chapter 13

Ruby stared at the trees, with their soft brush strokes and gentle hints of green and purple, while slowly setting her paintbrush aside.  The paint added so much texture to their knots and craggily bark that she almost wanted to touch them.  

She didn’t.  She searched for any sliver of opportunity to add the dash of blue in her hand before the brush returned to the d...

Diva - Chapter 12

Ruby arrived so early that only the sound guys, who might as well be nocturnal based on the hours they kept, beat her to the studio.  With plenty of time to spare, she claimed her typical spot at the PA station and got out her sketchbook.

She didn’t know why she bothered; she couldn't finish an outline when the front door drew her attention every time it opened.  She ended up ...

Diva - Chapter 11

Ruby could not stop fidgeting as she snuck another glance at Weiss, who had hardly moved let alone said anything since they left the studio in her chauffeured town car.  She just sat there, posture perfect, hands clasped in her lap, brow furrowed, and a slight scowl on her lips.  It was impossible to tell what was bothering her - was it Ruby’s presence, what happened with Cardin, or...

Diva - Chapter 10

Hand steady, Ruby layered two quick strokes of dark blue amongst lighter blue clouds.  Smooth brushstrokes, not sharp.  More, not less.  When she leaned back to inspect the image as a whole, however, she saw exactly what she had imagined: the ocean, the sand, sunny skies, and as many colors as she could realistically use.

Tilting her head and squinting resulted in the same ...

Diva - Chapter 9

After several days on location, returning to Studio 18 felt like returning home.  Everything had remained just how they left it: meal tables set up and ready to go, soundstage half-prepped for the next scene - a cave of some sort - and the PA table laden with every miscellaneous tidbit a production might need.

Ruby arrived early and commandeered half of the PA table for herself. ...

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 whol...

Diva - Chapter 7

Ruby’s knee jittered faster when the bus stopped yet again.  She glanced at her watch, then at the nearby street sign, before sighing and letting her knee bounce some more.  Clouds had gathered overhead; hopefully not an omen of the day to come, but she knew better than to hope for the best when Weiss was involved.

The cup of coffee in her hand was still outrageously hot - a s...

Diva - Chapter 6

“What’s that?” 

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

“Well, come on.  Let me see.”

Ruby set her hands over the cover but, when Emerald gestured for it, opened it to the page...

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.  ...

Diva - Chapter 4

The next day wasn’t better.  

Neither was the day after that, nor the days following that.  Even though Ruby knew where everything was located around the studio, learned a bunch of terms she’d never heard before, and figured out how to rush everywhere - usually while carrying two or three things at once - she still failed when it came to an important piece of h...