Rose & Ruby
Illustration, Story Development
Dec. 2020
Inspired by Sister, Sister, this cartoon is a coming of age story following cat twins named Rose and Ruby who live in different neighborhoods of New York. After finding out the other exists, a sisterly bond is formed between the two, leading them on an adventure to ensure this new friendship lasts.
Rose Cooper and Ruby Parker are cat twins who were separated at birth, each being adopted by a different owner. One day, at the age of five months, they find themselves to be at the same vet clinic for their monthly checkup. As Rose and Ruby await their turn with the doctor, they decide to be friendly and make conversation with one another. After describing where they each come from and how they got adopted, they realize their stories seem fairly similar. Rose and Ruby soon realize they’re twins and are filled with excitement. However, the problem is that one lives in the South Bronx with her mother and the other one lives in the East Village with her father.
As they think the situation through, they conclude that they would ultimately want to live together in the future and the only way to accomplish this is by getting their adoptive parents to fall in love. The adoptive mother, Emily Cooper, and the adoptive father, Joseph Parker, have completely different personalities, but it was now Rose and Ruby’s goal to bring them together and become one happy family. While Rose is next in line to see the doctor, she quickly realizes her time with Ruby is fading and suggests a common area they could meet at the next day. Although they come from different neighborhoods in New York, Rose and Ruby’s plan was to meet at Central Park everyday at 3 o’clock to conspire. This grand plan doesn’t sound so easy, but the sisters are determined to grow up with one another no matter the cost.
Full Story
Character Development
Rose Cooper is a five month old kitten who lives with her mother, Emily Cooper, in a small apartment located in the South Bronx. Rose enjoys following the rules and acts very mature for her age considering she’s a young feline. Some would say her life is boring, but she likes to call it safe. Throughout the course of this adventure, Rose will learn to be a risk-taker and have some fun. Although she will make mistakes, hanging out with Ruby will teach her to go outside her comfort zone and overall enjoy time as a child.
Ruby Parker is a five month old kitten that lives with her father, Joseph Parker, in a small apartment located in the East Village. It’s important to note that when Ruby puts her mind to something, she gets it done. However, her impulsive tendencies often result in conflict. Throughout the course of this adventure, Ruby will learn to make smarter decisions. She will drag Rose into trouble, but eventually learn not to put themselves in dangerous situations that they can’t get out of.
Emily Cooper is a twenty-six year old baker from the South Bronx. She moves to New York to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery, leaving important things back home in Georgia including her family and long time relationship with her now ex-boyfriend. After a week or so in the South Bronx, she decides she wants a pet to keep her company and this is when Rose is adopted. Rose quickly becomes Emily’s best friend and keeps her busy such as any other kitten would. As Emily continues to pursue her career, she hopes to meet someone and eventually fall in love once again.
Joseph Parker is a twenty-eight year old accountant from the East Village in New York. He was raised in Brooklyn, but decides to move to East Village for a job opportunity. He works long hours, but whenever he comes home from a hard day at work, he finds himself seeking some sort of companionship. This is when he decides to adopt Ruby. Although she’s a hard cat to take care of, Joseph appreciates the company and enjoys spending quality time with her. Joseph has always made his career his top priority, but now that he is getting older, he wishes to fall in love. As he continues to pursue his career in this new area, he hopes to take risks and put himself out there.
Rose and Ruby meet at the clinic for the first time. While sharing their respective adoption stories, they realize there are many too many similarities to just be a coincidence. As Rose is thinking, she starts to get uncomfortably anxious and decides to step outside her pet carrier. While moving around, Ruby notices a a birthmark on Rose’s left side that perfectly matches her own in the same location. This is the proof they were looking for to confirm they really are twin sisters.
Environments
#1 - Vet Clinic
When Emily goes to work, Rose spends most of her time sleeping on the couch or watching television. She stays in the apartment all day long, waiting for Emily to happily join her after getting home from a tiring day.
#2 - Emily’s Apartment
When Joseph goes to work, Ruby likes to explore around the apartment and do whatever she pleases. She is very reckless and doesn’t think before doing something, so Joseph always seems to come home to a mess whether that means scratched furniture or chewed wires.
#3 - Joseph’s Apartment
Rose and Ruby meet at the park entrance everyday around 3 o’clock and spend the next hour or so going over ideas on how to make their adoptive parents fall in love. The only way to ensure that they grow up with one another is to bring Emily and Joseph together.
#4 - Central Park
On a Winter night, Rose and Ruby meet up at Central Park to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Instead of scheming, they take the time to enjoy each other’s company and spread some holiday cheer.
#5 - SEASONAL: Meowy Christmas
