For day 10 of the June RWBY art challenge : Favorite pairing(WhiteRose)
Chapter 1 – I'm with the band
"Relax, you'll be fine." Yang patted her sister on the back as they walked into the theatre.
"That's easy for you to say, you're already in!" She whined. "What if they don't like me?" The 20 year old redhead fumbled with the large black carrying case in her hands.
"Obviously they liked you, these are callbacks after all. If they didn't like you, you wouldn't be here." The blonde assured with a comforting smile.
"But It's the Vale Harmonic, Yang!" She cried causing the older woman to chuckle and push her sibling along as they walked.
"Yeah, and you want in it don't you?" She asked as they walked through the theatres lobby.
"More than anything." Ruby sighed wistfully.
"Well then go get 'em!" She gave the younger one a shove through the doors. She stumbled through, nearly tripping over her own instrument.
Rather than a week prior when Just the orchestra's leader Mr. Ozpin and his assistant Glynda Goodwitch had been there, there were about 20 other people in the house. A couple with instruments as well, other call backs and a few who just seemed to lounge around in the seats scattered around the theatre, but close enough to the front to see and hear well.
Yang gave her a gentle pat and a reassuring smile as she walked past down the rows and slid into a seat beside another woman with long black hair, a bow atop her head who was sitting with a few others who smiled and waved, calling out quiet greetings.
Ruby swallowed thickly. Some of the members had come to see the callbacks. She glanced around but one in particular drew her attention. A woman, probably Yang's age give or take a year sitting in the row behind her sister and her friends. She had blinding white hair, pulled back in an off center ponytail high on her head.
She was wearing white jeans and a light blue blouse. She almost didn't look real.
She was probably the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
'You're so gay' She gave herself a shake as Yang's voice rang out in her head. Hefting her instrument case she trotted down the steps toward the front, not noticing the icy blue eyes that glanced in her direction.
Ozpin smiled at her as she sat with the other call backs before turning to the other assembled musicians.
"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming. So let's go he ahead and get started. Jaune Ark, if you would be so kind as to get us started?" He said as he took his seat at the table beside Ms. Goodwitch.
A nervous looking blonde seated next to her stood up holding what was obviously a guitar case. He hurried to the front and set up his instrument. Ruby was really only half paying attention, to worried about her own turn, but she still heard some of what he played, he was pretty good. They asked him to play a certain piece, handing him the sheet music and when he was finished Ozpin asked him to play whatever he liked.
She nearly laughed out loud when what he started playing was the opening theme of an anime she knew. No one else seemed to notice. She clapped along with everyone else when he finished.
"Ruby Rose?"
She took a deep breath through her nose and stood up. Yang gave her a wink as she walked down the aisle.
She unzipped the case carrying her baby. Her precious bass as Glynda came up to her and handed her a page of sheet music. She glanced it over before setting it on the stand and grabbed her bow.
She almost looked ridiculous with her 5'8 but petite form sitting behind the massive instrument. With a deep inhale her bow slid across the strings, Bach's cello suite no.1 prelude in G wafted from her hands out into the theatre.
When the last notes had faded away Ozpin wrote something down as he nodded.
"Alright, now if you would play us a piece of you're choosing." Glynda informed her.
Ruby barely managed to suppress the grin that wanted to split her face as she nodded. She set her bow aside, which only served to make Ozpin cock a brow, but she didn't notice as she began slapping the wood in a beat only she could hear, at first.
The fast rhythmic sound of a jazzy tune filled the once quiet theatre as deft fingers slid up and down the instruments neck and plucked at the strings, Ruby lost herself in the sound and vibrations of the instrument in her arms.
A white jean clad leg jerked as her foot tapped automatically, in rhythm with the upbeat tempo. It was like hypnosis in her ears.
After a couple minutes that seemed far too short, Ruby's hands stilled and the last notes faded into the rafters. A loud applause came from her fellow tryouts and the veterans. She could hear her sisters wolf whistle. She gave a small embarrassed bow as she came back to herself.
Ozpin hid a small smile behind his clasped hands, when he put them down his face was as neutral as ever.
"Very nice. Thank you, Miss. Rose." She smiled and nodded her thanks as she put away the bass.
There were a couple more tryouts before Ozpin stood from his seat and turned towards the hopefuls.
"Thank you all for coming today. If you would like to wait in the lobby we should have our decisions made within the hour, if you must go, we will call you if you made it, if not, thank you for coming and better luck next year." He dismissed them.
Ruby hefted her base onto her shoulder as she made her way out into the lobby.
"Ruby!" Yang was walking up to her grinning. "You did great!" She slung an arm around her little sisters shoulders and squeezed.
"Thanks, but so was everyone else." She sent a small smile Yang's way. Yang blew a raspberry in no particular direction.
"You were better though." She assured. Ruby rolled her eyes but smiled.
"I think you're a little biased, but thanks."
"It's what I'm here for." Yang gave another squeeze before letting go. "You want to wait around for the results?" She wondered. Ruby gave a nod.
"No sense waiting around at home for a phone call that may never come." She shrugged. Yang looked like she wanted to protest her unusual pessimism but Ruby beat her too it.
"I'm thirsty." She stated looking around.
"There's a vending machine around the corner over there." She pointed at the end of the hall. She nodded and went that way, Yang called out to her. "Get me a mountain dew!" She handed her a quarter and Ruby nodded.
She turned the corner and found the machine just as Yang had said. She popped the coin in and hit the button for Yangs drink. It tumbled down with a loud clunk. She put it in her hoodie pocket and dug into the pocket of her black jeans.
"Aha" She smiled to herself as she pulled a quarter out of her own pocket and scanned the choices more carefully.
Silver eyes brightened when she saw the button with a picture of her favorite strawberry soda.
"Sweet, strawberry." She pressed the coin to the slot but its slipped and with a few loud clinks rolled under the machine.
"Nooo!" She laid her bass against the wall and go onto her knees unaware of the eyes on her.
"Come back quarter." She could see it pressed back against the wall where it had stopped. Her fingers didn't even come close to brushing it, much less getting it.
She pursed her lips together as she stared at that little circle of metal, mocking her.
'Well that's nice…" She sighed to herself. The quiet plink of a coin entering the slot perked her ears and she shot up when the rumbling of a soda down the chute hit her. She looked up and anything she was about to say died on her lips as soon as her eyes locked onto the same woman that had been in the theatre.
She was even prettier up close.
She pulled the soda out of the machine and held it out to Ruby.
"It looked like you could use some help." She quirked a somewhat nervous smile.
Really pretty. Ruby felt ratty next to her in her black jeans and red hoodie.
"Uhh.." She wanted to slap herself. A delicate white eyebrow quirked
'snap out of it, Ruby!' She mentally slapped herself
"Oh!" She jumped up off the floor. "Yeah.." She took the offered drink. "Thank you…"
"Weiss. Weiss Schnee " She supplied, holding out her hand. Ruby took it at once and then mentally berated herself for being so overly eager, as was her usual.
"Ruby Rose." She returned, pushing some stray black and red locks behind her ear.
"I heard. You play bass." She glanced at the large instrument leaning against the wall. Ruby glanced back at that, almost forgetting that it was there.
" uh…yeah." She shuffled her feet nervously.
"Decently well at that." She added. Blood warmed Ruby's cheeks.
"Thank you…you're a member already, right? I saw you in the theatre." She trailed off, wondering if Weiss found it weird that she had been looking at her. If she did it didn't show. She nodded.
"Yes, I play 1st chair violin."
"Wow, 1st chair? You must be really good."
"Naturally." Weiss answered seeming to stand a little taller, though the effect was lost on the taller Ruby. Weiss, eye level with her neck.
Ruby completely lost track of the time as they slipped into easy conversation, though she did lose herself a couple times admiring the woman before her. She had to mentally shake herself.
It wasn't until she got a text and checked her phone and saw the time.
"Oh, I've been here for 50 minutes..i should get back." She stood from the bench she and Weiss had gotten situated on and shouldered her base.
"Wait, Ruby…I hope this doesn't seem to forward but I was wondering if you'd like to get coffee or...something with me sometime…" Her face stayed calm and neutral but her muscles were tight with anxiety.
Ruby stared blankly for a second before she realized she was being asked out. Her stomach flipped.
"O..oh, uh, yeah." She smiled nervously. And dug thru her pockets till she found what she was looking for.
A red sharpie.
Quickly, so as not to wuss out she grabbed Weiss's hand and quickly jotted down 7 little digits, face as red as the sharpie, and not daring to look up at said woman.
"Call me." She croaked before turning and running off back to the theatre entrance. A small crowd had gathered around a piece of paper taped to the wall.
Before she could get close Yang was running at her full tilt.
'Ruby! You did it, you're in!" She scooped the red head into her arms and swung her around.
"What, really?!" She squealed in excitement hugging the blonde back tightly.
"You're in, Sis. This is so exciting!" Yang set her back down but was still smiling widely. "Let's celebrate. Let's go to dinner, my treat."
Ruby laid in bed smiling to herself as she let all the warm delicious food had Yang had bought settle in her stomach. Laptop in her lap as she surfed the web.
It had just been the best day all around. She thought with glee.
She had her first practice with the rest of the orchestra day after tomorrow, and she couldn't wait.
Her phone buzzed on her night stand and she picked it up, hitting the unlock button for a message from an unknown sender to stare back at her.
'Ruby, it's Weiss. Would you like to have lunch after practice with me Saturday?'
Even alone in her room, thinking about the beautiful violinist mad her stomach flip.
'Sounds good, See you then.' She typed out and sent.
She really couldn't wait.
Au prompt: Sit next to each other in Orchestra
Hope ya enjoy!
Malthazar LOS