Monthly patron reward for alexander-the-amazing on ! They asked for Valkos Movie Star AU! Hence the title pun on acting haha.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Chapter 37. The Act Of Confessing

Nora was always told that the life of a movie star was lavish, exciting, and full of boundless possibilities.

And for the first several months of her career as one, she believed the rumors to be true.

Movie stars were driven around in big, fancy cars, given the best clothes on the market, the most incredible makeup artists, and the most extravagant trailers and hotel rooms to stay in.

They walked on red carpets, got recruited for the best films of the year, won awards and trophies and the privilege of getting their handprints cemented in the ground for all eternity.

They got to eat at the best restaurants in whatever town they'd been flown to in whatever country in whatever part of the world in their studio's own private jet, which accommodated them with some of the highest complimentary service in the air.

Yes, Nora knew all of these things about the lives of movies stars were really, really true-

-because she always heard about such things from alllll of the stars she'd ever worked with.

But being typecast into always getting the roles of the backup or side character never got her any of those lavish, exciting things.

Her trailer was always very small, a little messy, and had surprisingly poor cell phone service. Thanks to that, she hardly even got to call her best friend Ren to vent to him about how she'd gotten yet another minor role.

The cars she traveled in were normal-sized ones, and the planes she flew in didn't have a lot of space or special snacks.

Such was her fate for the first year of her acting career.

But Nora had just considered herself lucky she'd gotten into the profession in the first place. After all, she was rather short, somewhat chubby, and definitely not as refined or charismatic as some of the competing actresses in this day and age.

But at the very least, her heartfelt acting and expressive nature had earned points in her favor.

So even when she was cast as a background character who only told the main actor where to go, or a maid whose only line was to tell what was for dinner that evening, she made sure to always perform her best delivery.

It did take some time, but eventually, producers began taking note of her skill, and needed to judge that over her appearance.

Therefore, after a year of her acting career, she got her first ever major role. Some actors got the big roles right from the get-go, but Nora found there was nothing wrong with starting out small and working her way up to a larger one.

Her first major role was to be a sidekick to a superhero in a humorous action movie.

But what she thought would be her first big break turned out to be a dud.

Of course she got more screen time and more lines, but almost 95% of those were jokes. She realized far too late how bad the writing of her character was, and how the only development she ever got was minimal and insignificant. Whatever important lines she did have were never taken seriously by the audience.

And so, Nora went from being typecast as a background character, to being typecast as the goofy sidekick who was only ever there for jokes or to get killed off.

She knew she should've considered it a step in the right direction... But at the same time, it felt as though she hadn't advanced at all.

What these roles were asking of her was to perform only a small fraction of her acting potential. She wanted to prove to people that she was more than just some silly, air-headed girl who could punch holes in walls for comedic effect.

But in this industry, proving yourself was all a matter of waiting for the right time to do so.

So she waited, traveling wherever the production team needed to take her to film the next part of whatever film she was acting in. She kept trying out for meaningful roles, and kept getting chosen as the silly sidekick, kept cracking jokes and failing around like a fish out of water, kept doing dumb things and sometimes getting killed off because of it.

She kept telling herself, "Maybe this will be the last time! Maybe next time I'll get a character who has decent writing!"

And she told herself again and again...

Today, she was going to get the part she wanted.

A few weeks ago, she'd finished acting for her most recent sidekick role. But today, she'd be trying out for a new film, this time of the romantic, slice of life genre.

She'd acted in these types before, but usually as the dorky classmate who always gave the wrong answer or the girl who'd trip and drop her books in the hallway and be saved by the main character – sometimes an aloof handsome boy, and sometimes a sweet, timid girl.

But she didn't want those minor roles this time. This time, she wasn't just going to be the background character or the clumsy classmate or the cheerleader who appeared in one scene.

This time, she was going to be half of the main couple.

So she showered, got dressed in her best skirt, shirt, and shoes, ate a bowl of cereal, and was off to catch a cab to the designated studio where acting try-outs would be held.

After more than a year in this business, Nora wasn't intimidated by all of the gorgeous and handsome people she saw already lined up and sitting there when she arrived. They were all dressed in the latest fashion, hair either slicked-back or curled and highlighted, cheeks powdered with every kind of makeup imaginable, nails polished and painted, shoes shined, the congesting scents of perfume and cologne so strong it could suffocate any novice who walked in through those doors.

Nora kept her cool as she went through all the usual preparations of signing in, getting her seat, and waiting for the director to arrive and give details of the scene they'd be auditioning for.

As she sat amongst the poised, pampered competition, she couldn't help but hear the subtle gasps of awe when a certain young actress walked through the doors.

She wore a short, earthy-brown skirt that was flattering enough to show off her slender, perfect legs. Her sculpted torso was adorned with a light golden blouse that revealed her strong arms and slightly-tanned skin. Her eyes were a dazzling emerald, and her long, crimson hair tied into a ponytail ran all down her back with a soft curve halfway down.

Pyrrha Nikos. She was the newest, and most successful young actress of their time, landing just about any role she tried out for, even if it wasn't the one she'd been aiming for.

Nora had always admired her genuine nature, and the fact that she'd worked hard and earned her way into this profession, unlike many other rich kids who only made it in because their parents had paid for it.

Everyone knew Pyrrha Nikos was a threat to their chances of winning a part. Her killer smile as she walked in presently was enough to have several girls stand up and walk out without even bothering to try competing against her.

Nora couldn't deny that Pyrrha's presence here was a little intimidating.

Although she sort of had a celebrity crush on the other girl (then again, there weren't many people who didn't), Nora knew that competing against Pyrrha would almost entirely destroy her chances of attaining the role she wanted.

Grimacing, Nora tried to keep calm.

It's okay! Just gotta do my best and not give up! That way, even if I do lose to her, I'll have no regrets!

She was so busy coaching herself that she didn't realize the seat beside her had been free, and now Pyrrha Nikos was standing right in front of it.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry." She smiled kindly at Nora who jolted and nearly fell out of her seat.

"Oh-! Ho! I mean, hi! What's happenin'?" Her gut reaction was flustered and comical, and she couldn't blame her previous bosses for casting her the way they did.

Pyrrha chuckled amusedly.

"Is this spot taken?" She indicated the vacant seat and patiently awaited a response.

Nora grunted to clear her throat.

"Nope! Go right ahead!"

"Thank you!"

Pyrrha sat down in a very proper manner, with her knees together, hands folded, and back straight. Nora felt she was already paling in comparison to the girl beside her, but she refused to get disheartened.

"Sooo~" she hummed. "You tryin' out for the main female lead, too?"

Duh! Of course she is! That's what every single girl is here for, stupid! Gosh, why you gotta babble to your crush like some kinda-

"Yes!" Pyrrha replied happily. "I'll do my best anyway! I'm not sure if I'll get it, though."

Nora's eyes bugged out of her head in shock.

"What?!" she blurted. "Why not? You're like, only the most popular, most beautiful, most talented actress of our time!"

She might've spoken too enthusiastically or too blatantly, because she definitely noticed the blush that appeared on Pyrrha's cheeks wasn't just makeup.

The taller girl looked away.

"I'm flattered you'd think that about me. But I've just been lucky up until now. I'm not all that confident I'll get this role. Especially not when I'm going against someone like you. You're Nora Valkyrie, aren't you? I'd recognize you anywhere."

Again, Nora nearly fell out of her seat.

"ME?! You know who I am? What the heck are you talkin' about? All I've ever gotten up till now was the funny sidekick roll or the clumsy schoolgirl or the space-case best friend who only ever shows up to give the main character her homework. I'm more likely to get cast the same way for this film, if I get cast at all."

Pyrrha shrugged and smiled again.

"I don't think that's the case. I think you're a very talented actress. I've seen you in such a wide variety of films and shows before. And I really admire your work."

Nora blinked, dumbfounded as utter shock at what she'd just heard settled in.

"You-"

But her next words were cut off as the director appeared at last. He was a tall man with orange hair who wore a dress suit and pants, sported an old-fashioned hat, and smoked a cigar. His assistant was a small woman with multi-colored eyes and hair who looked ready to shred the contestants apart with her stare alone.

The man clapped his hands to get their attention, then removed his cigar from his mouth.

"All right, all right. Quiet, the lotta ya. I'm your director Torchwick and this is my assistant Neo. If you have any questions, please ask her, but don't expect a straight answer.

"Now then, we don't have all day, so let me make this brief. After some extensive discussion with the head honchos and writers around this story, we've made a decision. There's gonna be one female role guaranteed for the main couple – that's Lia. But Jamie's character's gender is up for grabs. So guys, gals, and everyone in between is welcome to try out for that part. Go nuts. All right then first up is..."

As he began calling people up, Nora was still trying to register what Pyrrha had confessed to her earlier.

She admires my work? Like...? My work falling down stairs and pushing the wrong button and making stupid jokes? How could someone like her look up to someone like me? I'm shorter than her anyway!

As other people were called up to begin trying out, the rest of them had to be silent. Nora couldn't talk to Pyrrha anymore to ask what she'd meant about admiring her, when it was Nora who had been admiring her all this time.

Before long, Torchwick called Pyrrha's name, and all eyes went to her. Everyone was eager to see the prodigy actress at work.

And no one was disappointed. She annunciated every word so perfectly, and her voice was only made even more impressive by the way she used her body language as well. She was very expressive and overall highly believable.

So it was no surprise to any of them when she'd finished her part and Torchwick called out.

"Perfect! Love it, darlin'. You're gonna be our main lead, no question about it. Now that means the rest of ya are gonna be trying out for her lover, so start lookin' over those lines pronto!"

As Pyrrha was announced to be the winner of the main female role, Nora clapped for her and meant it. She knew most of the other people who clapped did so bitterly, but Nora didn't mind losing to her of all people.

She's a great actress and totally genuine! I'll just have to try out for the other role! No problem! I'll be the second main character, and that's pretty darn good!

She was a little worried, though. She saw a lot of other talented people go up and try out to be Pyrrha's character's lover, and Mr. Torchwick was clearly the kind of director who would stop everything as soon as he saw what he liked and wouldn't even give the rest of the auditioning people a chance to perform.

But as the tenth, and then the fifteenth person walked away, Nora could see he still wasn't satisfied.

At long last, he called her name, and she jumped up from her seat. No one else seemed to think she was much of a threat to jeopardize their chances, but she was determined to prove them wrong.

Nora took her place on the stage beside Pyrrha and waited for their cue to begin. She knew her lines perfectly by now.

Torchwick called out to them. "All right, confession scene. Jamie's telling Lia how they feel about her, you know the drill. Annnnd action!"

Nora had been in-character since the second she'd been called up. Jamie was a reserved, quiet person, a contrast to the roles Nora usually succeeded in getting. But she wanted to prove how diverse she could be with her skills.

Pyrrha said her line first, reaching down to take Nora's hand.

"Jamie..." she said, voice wobbling and full of emotion. "I... I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm feeling for you, but it's more than friendship. I don't know what to do..."

Nora got teary-eyed at Pyrrha's performance, and she worked with it to add to her own.

"Lia..." she said softly. "You think I don't know what you're feeling? And you think I don't feel the same way? Hah... We've been friends for four years. And I've loved you for at least two of them. Maybe even longer than that. You're just... so incredible. You're funny and smart and caring and beautiful a-and you always know just what to say..."

She tapered off, let her voice wobble and break, then continued. "And I'm... so lucky to have you in my life... I'm so glad... Because..." She took a deep breath and squeezed Pyrrha's hand, gazing desperately up into her eyes. "Because... I love you, Pyrrha!"

The set went dead silent.

Everyone was so enraptured with her performance that it took a moment for them to realize she'd said Pyrrha's actual name instead of the character's name.

Part of the reason it was so flooring was because Nora's emotions were very real, considering the fact that she had been crushing on Pyrrha for a long time, even if it wasn't exactly to the point of being in love with her.

For a frightening moment, no one moved or spoke, and Nora realized her blunder in mixing up the names.

"Oh, shoot. I-"

"Cut!" Torchwick shouted and clapped his hands loudly. "All right, that's a wrap folks, we're done for the day! Congratulations to our two lead actresses! I'll send someone to give ya the details. We start filming next week. Bravo!"

As people applauded their performance and began to clean up and head out, Nora and Pyrrha were left in the center of the stage, still staring at one another.

Pyrrha was the first to recover, wiping her eyes as the reality settled in.

"Wow! That was... so incredible! I-I never expected- Oh! I-I'm sorry! I hope I didn't sound rude! I just meant I didn't expect to feel so caught up in the moment like you made me feel! That's not to say you're not an amazing actress, though! Because you clearly are! I just meant... I mean, I've never worked with anyone who's made me feel that way before." She flicked her eyes nervously to Nora, hoping she hadn't said something wrong.

But the ginger-haired girl only broke out into a huge smile.

"Wow! I did it! I really did it! I got a main part! Holy crap! And it's- with you! With Pyrrha Nikos, of all people! With my number one crush!"

Again, she realized her blunder too late. Nora gasped and slapped both palms over her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers.

Pyrrha was blushing again.

"Um... I'm sorry...?" The taller girl said softly. "Did you say... I was your crush...? Do you really mean it?"

She didn't seem upset or disgusted as Nora had feared she might, so that motivated her to be truthful.

"Yeah... kinda... I mean, you're funny and smart and caring and beautiful-"

"And I always know what to say?"

"Yeah!"

Pyrrha laughed out loud that time, a hearty, wonderful sound that revived Nora's smile tenfold. She laughed as well.

"Wow..." Once she'd calmed down a bit, she sighed dreamily. "Not only am I finally getting a main role, but it's with my crush. Like holey moley, could this day get any better?"

"You know..." Pyrrha mused. "I think there's a way to make acting these parts easier. For example, if we got to know each other a bit better. Perhaps over coffee?"

Nora's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"I think my day just got better."

Pyrrha laughed again, her cheeks rosy red.

"Come on. I'll take you to my favorite cafe in town! My treat!"

Pyrrha offered her hand politely. Nora squealed as she stepped forward to accept.

As far as she was concerned, this day would be the one to start the newest, and best chapter of both her career, and her life.

A/N: As you can all probably tell, I have no ideas how auditions work aahaha ;~; I hope it didn't take away from the story too much.

If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!

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