Life Lessons

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Ruby Winters was a young woman of around twenty two, not that her parents would remember this fact. She was their youngest child. A mistake. Surplus to the achievement of creating their eldest. It hadn’t taken long for Ruby to stop ‘bothering’ her mother with her drawings as a toddler, knowing the response would always be the same; ‘Lovely’, without so much as a glance. She had taken up the piano, to which her father had told her was a waste of time and energy, after all... they didn’t need two pianists in the family. As she grew older, Ruby tried to ask her father to school her in the family business, to which he had told her it was not her place to know the family business. The business would belong to her elder sister one day, it was a useless endeavour to show Ruby how it worked. Eventually Ruby simply ceased interacting with her parents. She spent her days living in the farthest part of their sprawling mansion from them, not that they noticed. The young woman tried finding a job as anything at all, but as soon as they saw the name ‘Winters’, she was laughed away, most companies telling her to just go ask daddy to make her a pony, or whatever it was little girls wanted these days. Such statements barely made sense, as she had only the faintest understanding of what her family did. She knew they were part of a partnership that owned an extremely popular theme park that only the very wealthy could afford, such was her reason for staying away from it; She wanted nothing at all to do with anything Winters.
While she had grown up wanting for nothing in the material sense, the youngest Winter’s daughter was extremely poor when it came to personal relationships.

“We’re machines too, Joe.” Ruby replied as she watched her reflection in the mirror, barely recognising the version of herself who was looking back at her. “Our programming just takes longer.”

"Ruby, youre way too deep. Now come on. Let's get some dinner and then get to bed. I feel like I haven't slept in a month." She turned her sister toward the door, patting her shoulders.

Ruby hated to admit it, but her father had indeed done a wonderful job in creating this new world. Everything was just as she had pictured it when reading her books, right down to the chill in the air as the fog rolled along the dark street.

"this book here says there's a place across the street where Holmes hangs out. That's right up your alley I'm sure." Joe said, handing her the tour guide.

Rivy’s eyes seemed to light up and she grinned, practically snatching the book out of her sister’s fingers. “You think we get to crack a case with him? Track down Moriarty?” She gushed, already heading across the street.

"Rube, really?" Joe groaned, she was too focused on her sister to see the shuffling shadows that were edging along the alleyway. 
The quaint bar was quiet, filled with smoke with cigars and pipes from the men. There were very few women here and the ones who were were paid to sit in laps and giggle. Joe couldn't help but think of how much Kraven would love the atmosphere. She honestly didn't mind it too much herself. It made her think of mystery and intrigue.

Ruby hovered in the entranceway, taking everything in. It was just as she had imagined it would be, right down to the heavy smell of tobacco mixed with well matured Scotch. She spent another moment looking at all the faces, then seemed to find her motor functions again. “Wow, I bet Kraven will be sorry he missed this.” She mused, echoing her sister’s thoughts.

"I'm not so sure he did." Joe said turning her sister to where Kraven's dark head was bent over a round of cards. Beside him sat Sherlock Holmes.

Ruby instantly scowled, before she knew what had over come her, she tossed the book she was holding at the back of Kraven’s head.
“What the fuck?!” He roared, cards flying everywhere as he turned, pistol drawn to face his attacker.

Several men rose together their gun out and looking around. Joe didn't realize how tired she was until she looked around and couldn't tell what was human and what wasn't. The room was spinning. "Ruby...we..." She turned her eyes on Kraven, seeing him turning to her moments before she went down and blacked out.

Kraven was ordering the men around him to get Ruby out of there. He didn’t mean them to be kind about it either. He was scooping Joe up into his arms, and by the time she woke she would find herself in his private room a few floors above their current location.

Joe opened her eyes to the sound of rain, something new in the park. She rolled onto her side and pulled the covers over her head, for a moment thinking she was at home in her own soft bed.

Milo got word that his hosts were out of sorts and went to fix things. He waited until well after dawn, allowing Sherlock and his partner to settle in for the night before heading in. He didn't need them disrupted while they worked out their kinks as well.

Kraven had been lying beside Joe, though still fully clothed. He had fallen asleep some time before dawn as he let his future wife have her rest. Once she was awake, they had a lot to talk about, starting with why she had come to a narrative that wasn’t yet open.

Ruby had given Kraven’s men the slip, though she didn’t quite know where they had taken her. For now she had made it back into the street, but was more than certain that someone was following her. The young woman walked at a brisk pace, the thick fog that had rolled in making it harder to know which direction it was she was heading.

Joe realized she wasn't alone and sighed deeply. But instead of getting out of the bed she curled closer to him. At least for the moment she could pretend.

Milo could see two figures in the mist ahead of him and was sure he knew what they were. He was tempted to test them, just to see if the narrative was working correctly.

Kraven’s arm instinctively curled around Joe, and they stayed that way for some time. It was only the sound of something on the street below that roused him a little while later. Kraven carefully manoeuvred himself away from Joe and tried to make as little noise as possible as he crossed the room. It didn’t go as planned. The tall man tripped over his own boots, cursing as he fell, pulling a table over with him as he went.

Ruby had ducked into a small alley when she realised she was indeed being followed. She tried to plan her next move, but was interrupted as someone stumbled towards her, their hands covered in blood. The small woman wasn’t quick enough, and found herself with blood smeared down her ivory dress as she shrieked and stumbled back onto the street.

Joe couldn't help but laugh. She reached over and turned on the lamp on the bedside table, an impish grin on her face. "Reminds you of camp, doesn't it? All those times, your dad would section off a part of the park and hold summer camp. God I hates that. But it was fun when you and Barry Albers snuck into the girls cabins."

Milo smiled when he heard the scream and the hungry moan. He assumed it meant his hosts were in their loop and working well.

Kraven was rubbing at his head where he had bumped it and scowling up at Joe. “Oh yeah, fun for you. Do you realise how many asses I had to kick for other guys trying to kiss you?” He added, though was grinning now.

Ruby tripped over her long dr3ss, allowing the bloodied man who had accosted her to pin her to the ground now. The young woman was screaming, even as she tried to fight back. “Help me! I think the host is broken!” She wailed.

"No. Why would you?" Joe asked with a soft laugh. "Do you remember Davey Marcus? He punched me in the nose at the end of camp that year and said I was a frigid bitch. Daddy spent a fortune on plastic surgery i didn't want. You know I haven't seen him since that incident..." 

"Freeze all motor functions." Milo barked, pulling the frozen host off Ruby before it became too heavy. "What are you doing here?" He demanded, refusing to look at her as he stood the host upright and checked him over. "The part of the park isn't open yet."

“No idea why...” Kraven replied, though his dark smile told otherwise. “We both know you were far from frigid that summer...” he added with an even bigger grin.

Ruby slowly,pulled herself back to her feet, her whole body tensing when Milo refused to even glance at her. “What are you doing here?” She countered. “This was supposed to be a private narrative.”

"You never got farther than second base." Joe said, still watching where he laid on the floor. "So many of your friends called me ice queen. If they only knew, hum?" She asked, turning on her back.

"Exactly. Which begs the question to be turned back on you. Why are you here? This part of the park isn't open. Even to royalty." Milo muttered, still fussing with the host.

“I let them think that, rather than have them stealing what was mine.” Kraven replied, not out of arrogance, it was simply what he had always known.

Ruby narrowed her grey eyes at Milo when he called her that. “I don’t have to answer to you.” She told him, trying to imagine what her sister would say.

"You really think Davey or Ian Krust had a chance?" Joe asked, her long silken hair sweeping off the bed as she pulled it out from under her.

"You actually do. If you don't I'll call your father and tell him you and your sister are ruining his new narrative." Milo said, finally turning to her and crossing his arms over his chest."

“Maybe. You’re a pretty hard woman to read.” Kraven confessed, sitting up with his back pressed to the side of the bed and running his fingers through the silken tresses hanging over the edge.

“Fine. Go ahead.” Ruby bluffed, mimicking Milo’s action by crossing her arms across her chest.

"When you're basically a life-size Barbie for everyone else there's nothing there to read." Joe whispered. 

Milo pulled out his phone, already thumbing through his contacts. He didn't call Joseph often, but this required attention and Ruby made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” Kraven replied sternly. “You’re going to one day take over your family business, does that seem like something a brain dead bimbo would be doing?”

Sadness filled Ruby’s pale eyes as she saw what Milo was indeed doing. “I should've known better than to expect anything from a Kraven!” She practically howled before picking her skirt up and again running down the street.

Joe turned over, her silken hair slipping through his fingers. "You think I'll live that long?" She breathed, her lips now inches from his own. 

Milo sighed heavily. That name was nothing but a curse to him. He hated the sound of it. He hated what it implied. He slid the phone back into his pocket and turned toward the host. "Resume. Join the others." He said firmly.

“Do you want to?” Kraven breathed, genuinely not knowing what her answer be. He was watching those full lips now, almost wishing he didn’t already know how sweet they tasted.

Ruby couldn’t wipe the cold look in Milo’s eyes when he had looked at her from her thoughts as she ran. It cemented the realisation that those few brief moments they had shared together had indeed only been because he was simply appeasing the bratty child of his employer.

His question didn't sound anything like asking her if she wanted to live. Joe's stormy eyes were locked on his. "You tell me." 

Milo wished Ruby hadn't found out who he was. He wanted her to see him for himself. No one ever did. Why had he thpugth she'd be different? Even for a moment.

Kraven was no longer seated on the ground, her was leaning over Joe, his lips brushing against the hollow of her slender throat as he smiled. “Always.”

The young woman was ashamed to find she was crying as she ran. When had it happened? When had she had time to fall for Milo Kraven? That’s the thought that was running over and over inside her head as something else slammed into her, knocking the air from her lungs before sinking its teeth into her shoulder, ripping though the lace and into the soft flesh beneath.

Joe slid her fingers through Kraven's hair and whispered his name. How did this always happen?
 Jack Kraven had been her only vice for as long as she could remember. Even knowing that he was planning her death, she couldn't resist him.

Milo heard another scream and ignored it. This narrative was supposed to be filled with them. It would  kill him to know that it was Ruby.