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.

Ruby looked at the gun for a long moment, then up into the ice coloured eyes that were watching her. “I’m not your honey.” She informed him calmly, not wanting to admit that she had no idea how to fire a gun anyway.

“This friend of yours... should I be worried?” The host asked. “Couldn’t forgive myself if that pretty head tumbled into a ravine.”

The man took the gun back without a word and tucked it into his belt weapons holster. "You're never going to learn unless you step outside that box, little girl." He took the empty glass from her and waved it at the bartender who was quick to fill it back up.

Joe rolled her eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to me. It can't. Trust me." She muttered, patting her horse's neck. "See you around, Cal."

“And what makes you think I want to learn to be a killer?” Ruby shot back hotly. “I happen to like my box, it’s free from jackasses like you.”

“Luck always runs out, miss.” Cal called after her, though even this host knew it was a fruitless endevnour.

"Isn't that what everyone comes here for?" The man snorted, shaking his head after downing the drink. "Everyone wants to discover their true self. Don't they?"

Joe snorted at this and swung herself into the saddle of her palamino. The rancher was not too far.

“Quite an assumption to say that every one’s true self is a murderer.” Ruby replied. “Is that what keeps you here, tits and blood?” She sneered.

"I've been around the block a few times, yeah." The man said, holding his cup out for another drink. "I've seen what people are like. If you haven't, you're missing out."

Joe was frustrated to find the rancher's house empty. There weren't even cattle in the field. She found herself wondering if this was part of the new narrative.

“I beg to differ. People suck. That’s all there is to it, why would I ever choose to involve myself with people beyond what is necessary?”

The ranch wasn’t as empty as she assumed. By the time she had searched the house, Kraven had taken up a seat on the porch, having sent her horse galloping back to town on its own.

"Because it's worth it to find out what the real you is capable of." The man in black said. "Don't you want that? To see what you have buried inside yourself?"

"Damn it." Joe saw the horse's back side as it headed over the hill. It would be after dark before she could call for anyone. And then her eyes rested on...him. "Kraven. What are you doing here?"

“No.” Ruby replied bluntly. “It’s buried for a reason.” she added rather darkly.

“So this is where you come every time...” Kraven remarked as he looked over Joe’s change of attire. He clicked his tongue, then took a long drink from the bottle of whiskey he had taken from her saddle bag. “Disappointing.”

"Because you're afraid?" The man asked, finally setting down the glass and turning to head out the door.

"Oh hardly." Joe snorted. "The ranch is too light weight for me. I'm sure you say the same."

“Anyone who claims they aren’t afraid of their real self is a goddamn liar!” Ruby shouted after him, wondering how she had managed to get even more tightly wound since coming in here.

“Let me guess...” Kraven grinned and took another drink. “You got daddy to write you a dirty little narrative involving some savage hauling that perky little ass back to whatever godforsaken hole he lives in?”

The man in black turned back to her and topped his hat at her. "What's there to be afraid of, honey?" He asked, heading outside into the setting sun.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't play with the hosts like you do?" Joe asked curtly, seating herself primly on the railing.

Ruby sighed and sat down at the bar again. “Everything...” she muttered as she signalled for another drink. 

“Liar.” Kraven replied bluntly. “Cause you sure aren’t getting any anywhere else, princess.” He added with a smirk.

The man in black felt the same way Ruby's sister did. There was nothing new in the park anymore. But today he had finally found something. It was worth pursuing. 

"Why do you think I have to be getting some, Kraven? Just because you've nailed everything in the park doesn't mean I have." Joe said firmly. "You need to get out in the real world and grow up. You don't care about anything or anyone."

Ruby had had several drinks by the time she ventured back outside. She felt a little more confident, even if she was certain people were looking at her and laughing. “Time to see what all the fuss is about...”

“I care about me.” Kraven replied with another smirk. “Seriously though, you’re way too uptight. What is so bad about enjoying the more base things the park has to offer?”

The man in black was watching her from across the street. He wannted Ruby. Something in him said he needed her. This was a feeling he wasn't going to ignore.

"Of course you care about you. That's all you've ever cared about." Joe said, shoving her finger through her hair. "Stay away from me, Kraven. I'm not for you."

Ruby wasn’t accustomed to people watching her, so didn’t think that’s exactly what was happening as she walked down the street to the stables. She figured taking a horse and simply riding anywhere was better than pretending she was here for the sex and violence like everyone else. She was smiling now as she patted the nose of a pure white mare.

“Oh? Some people might think other wise.” Kraven replied, taking another gulp of whiskey before getting to his feet. “Well then, princess, why don’t you tell me what you are here for?” He added once he was towering over her.

The man in black was once again surprised by Ruby's choice of horse. No one ever chose the white mare. The skiddish thing had something wrong with her programming. No one ever rode it without getting bucked off. Nevermind went so far as to touch the beast without getting bit. This was one robot that didn't know the rule don't hurt the guests.

Once again Joe gave a heavy sigh. "Kraven, I thought we always had a silent agreement to go our own ways when we were here. Why are you suddenly so interested in what I do for fun?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "And don't call me princess. It's possessive and I'm not yours."

Ruby patted it’s nose once more, then lifted herself up into the saddle. The horse seemed to give little resistance, and was only too happy to trot in the direction she was telling it. The small woman on the large white mare waited until she was at the end of the street before breaking into a pounding gallop that would cover a great distance in little time.

Again there was that self certain smirk. “I’m beginning to think you don’t know the meaning of the word fun.” Kraven replied, daring to reach out and push his fingers through her e omg hair, watching as the silken strands quickly settled back into place.

The man in black raised an eyebrow as he watched Ruby ride off.  He didn't know why he was surprised she could ride so well. Other than the fact the horse should have sent her right back on to that lovely little bottom of hers, she was one of them. The park guests who was born and trained to do everything with perfection. Why else would she be so good at it?

"Fun is just a word." Joe breathed, her storm colored eyes locked on the deep blue ones belonging to Kraven.

Ruby hadn’t known she could ride until she swung up into that saddle. Usually she failed at everything she tried, not like her big sister who seemed perfect at every task assigned. Now she was put in the open, the young woman closed her eyes for a brief moment as she rode, relishing the feel of the wind in her face as her long hair whipped out behind her. She finally understood why people came here.

“So Is princess...” Kraven breathed, tilting Joe’s chin up as his thumb lightly traced over her lower lip. “But you still took offence to it, duchess.” He added with a smile that had most women melting in his arms.

The man in black was following behind, making sure to keep his distance. He wanted to see how this lovely creatures story played out.

"You're still using possessive words, Jack. I'm not yours to posses. I never will be." Joe hissed.

Ruby had finally come to a stop when she saw a group on the crest of the hill not too far away. She wasn’t here to take part in the ‘narratives’ her sister always spoke about. She was here to enjoy the beauty, nothing more. The white mare complained slightly at being made to simply stand here as it’s rider decided what she was going to do.

The dark haired man narrowed his equally dark eyes somewhat. Joe knew he hated being called by his given name. “Say that when you realise nobody else will have you.” He growled.

Once again the man in black hung back, watching to see if Ruby would notice this group of people was being attacked by Indians and try to help them. This world told alot about a persons character whether they wanted to believe it or not.

"I'm fine on my own thank you very much." Joe said softly, her tone taking on an almost heartbroken note.

Ruby heard the frightened screams of a woman being attacked. At that point she didn’t know it was a host, all part of the narrative to get a guest to ride into the thick and play the hero. The young woman was already telling herself she was an idiot. As she rode closer, praying she wouldn’t have to actually fire her gun. “Hey! That’s no way to treat a lady!” She shouted, clearly the courage only came from the three shots of alcohol inside her.

“Are you?” For once, Kraven didn’t seem to be mocking her. “Do you honestly believe that?”

The man in black nodded his head as the Indian turned away from the now dead woman to Ruby and pulled the knife out of the woman's head. He spoken quickly in his native tongue gesturing that she get on the ground.

"I have been so far. Why would that change?" Joe said, wrapping her arms around herself as she stared out at the coming twilight.

Ruby was no longer on her horse, but she wasn’t getting down to her knees like he was instructing. Her ornate gun was in her fingers, though it wasn’t yet raised. The small woman was staring wide eyed at the bodied heaped up, all missing the top part of their scalps.

“You brought your sister here, for one thing.” Kraven pointed out. “Since when did you give enough of a shit to bring that useless creature anywhere?”

"What's the matter, honey? You scared? Shoot him!" The man in black shouted from a distance. "Come on! Are you wearing pants or not?"

"Since daddy started talking shit about a new narrative and I started smelling a rat." Joe finally admitted. "He's trying to distract me from something and I was trying to get back home to find out what."

The other voice was enough to cause Ruby to turn her head in its direction. Big mistake. The Indian threw a heavy fist our, catching her across the temple and sending the young woman to the ground in a crumpled heap.

“Then why are you still here?” Kraven challenged. “You dropped your package off, but here you are... looking for... something. Some... one?”

"That was a low blow!" The man in black shouted in cherokee, swinging off his own horse and leaping into the pile of indians. "Let's see you try that with me!"

"Goddamn it, Kraven. Why are you asking so many questions?" Joe asked, shoving off the railing and putting distance between them. "You gave as much of a shit about me as I did my little sister. So why are you here now, trapping me at the rancher's like you're trying to get to know me? Go play dolls. You're creeping me out."
Once again she took the defensive stance, wrapping her arms around herself.