The People Like Us

[Maya Esquivel-Haywood]

The grown-ups did not like it when she came to play here. They had all tried to keep the youngsters, the whelps, away from The Wall; where the outside world brushed up against their cage. Maya did not quite understand this, only seeing other people on the other side of the glass which made it all the more interesting for her. Sometimes she recognized people, those that showed up often, and she began to name those at least. There was Gafas, a large man with glasses who sometimes waved at her when he saw her here. And there was Bonita, a tall and beautiful woman in a white coat that sometimes gave her a smile when the other white coats were not looking. Of course, there were others but Maya truly liked Bonita and Gafas the bestest. They were the closest to friends that she had, although she had never heard their voice nor knew why they came to the wall and watched her with such interest. Today, Maya was just as close to the wall as she could get, her nose scrunched and leaving a print on the glass. Neither of her friends were here, though there were some people watching. Papi would have been angry to see her that close, she was certain, blowing air through her cheeks so that visitors could see her teeth. Some of them were laughing, others were annoyed by her antics. But she truly did not care. Her little hands made antlers on her head, and she moved her tongue about though she kept it off the wall. The wall had not tasted good the first time she had done that, so she had quite learned her lesson. She missed her Papi; that much was certain. He could only come visit her every so often, because Lina had told her that he wasn't allowed. Which was silly. Why wasn't her papi allowed? He was her papi! Papis were allowed! She frowned as she considered this, wondering if perhaps she should go find him and bring him home. Uncle Digg would think her quite brave if she did that, now wouldn't he? She did want so badly to make her Uncle Digg love her. She stepped back from the wall, picking up Mu (her stuffed cow) from the leaf pile. She had that determined, stubborn look on her face, and the crowds' eyes followed her as she stalked along the wall's border, determined to find Papi (or at least someone!)

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What 

Wiley was familiar with crowds, but he sure didn't like bein' the center of this kind of attention, if only 'cause of the fact that it aggravated him. He felt as though he were nothing but a zoo animal; the more he thought about it, day and night, the more he realized that this was the case. He was just like those lions he had pointed at as a kid in San Diego, when his dad had taken Wiley and his ma there for a trip one summer, and he just remembered the lions, gold as could be but not as vain or might as he had always thought. He guessed that Disney and wildlife documentaries had stacked his expectations too highly. He could just remember, clear as the day it had happened, the way they had lazed out in the sun, dusty and regal. But not wild. They hadn't been wild, no. 'An that was what Rowdy felt like now. Like his freedom had been swiped away and now these people were pointing fingers and laughing like jackals. His eyes flicked to the wall, to the rows and rows of people on the other side, children and wives and husbands and men and women and strangers, all of them strangers. He was merely the entertainment, with his bow strung across his back and his quiver rattling with each step that his stallion took. He eyed them with a sneer on his face, before redirected his attention to the stretch of desert beyond. He should've known better than to go to Fallen territory; there wasn't nothing to eat except for rattlers and coyotes, neither of which were wholesome suppers. He was preparing to turn Raider back the way they had come, toward the retromorph territories, when he saw a small brown head pop over a nearby dune. His brows hitched incredulously as that head was followed by slim shoulders. He pulled Raider to a stop and the horse complied, although his feet front hooves moved nervously regardless. Wiley pat the side of the stallion's neck, although he merely flicked an ear toward him in response.  He waited for the girl to come more near before feeling comfortable. He had been told by other Fulsi that some Viruses looked like children. "What're you doin, lill' lady?" Wiley drawled. He didn't think that a little girl should have been wandering by herself, so far from home. "Its an awful big place t'be out by yerself, ma'am." Rowdy offered her a smile, genuine, for a change.

[Maya Esquivel-Haywood]

Maya clung to Mu, her hands clutching his dirty plush fur as her feet sunk in to the dunes. It was hot, and she was tired already, but she knew her Papi was out there somewhere and she was going to find him one way or another! It really did not occur to her that she had no food, because she had already eaten her snack ration for the day, and only half a bottle of water sloshing in the side pocket of her pink rabbit backpack. Even though she had very little, she was still a target to anyone that might have saw her because what was she except a defenseless little girl, who might be held for ransom? Her dark hair was picked up in a breeze, her darker features scanning her surroundings from as she spotted a horse and rider. Papi? She wondered, squinting in the sunlight. She began to trudge slowly toward the figure, stopping near the top of the dune as she realized that it wasn't her daddy. Her little features changed, becoming more guarded as she didn't recognize this stranger and Lina had warned her about strangers. Papi too, but he was always warning her about things so she took his warnings less seriously. She hugged Mu closer, the drawl causing her to tilt her head. English was not her first language, having grown up in comfortable Spanish chatter until she was five when Papi had left her here with the Fallen; which had required English as that was the most common language. She bit her bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth between her teeth. She gave Mu a reassuring squeeze, as if to let him know that there was no reason to be afraid. "Hola,"Her little voice raised, and she realized she'd spoken in the wrong language. She switched quickly, though her English still had a bit of Spanish flare to it. "I am looking for my Papi...have ju seen him?" She asked, having nearly forgotten his question. She wasn't sure if she should let on that she was entirely alone. She had grown up in this dome after all. "He went to look for water." She lied, looking down at Mu and picking a stray fuzz off the top of his head. "Ju are stranger, si? Where do ju come from? Is that jur horse?" Quite a few questions, really, but what was to be expected of a child her age?

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Common sense told Rowdy that this was all a bad idea; he was walking on the devil's backbone, tempting fate or danger or both. This deep in Fallen territory, it wasn't what was considered wise talking to a little girl.  It just didn't sit right with him, riding away from her. He leaned back in the saddle comfortably, dropping a hand to rest it against the saddle-horn as he chewed on his answer. "Now that, lill' miss, depends on what yer Papi looks like."  Wiley had seen a pair of Scouts at a distance a while back; he hadn't been concerned with them. He had a whole list of excuses if anybody asked as to why he was there, in Fallen territory. He would just prefer having to answer them. He could not help but smile at her questions. He remembered being that young, in an offhand kind of way. Too much energy, too much curiosity. It had gotten him in his fair share of trouble; only, he hadn't ever spoken in a Spanish accent. "Si on the stranger part. An' I'm from Texas." He took her more literally than she probably meant, but it was still the truth. Rowdy figured he was doing right by her, so long as he was telling the truth. "Yessum, this is my horse. 'Is name is Raider." 'Course, the horse had earned the name once it became apparent how quickly he and Wiley were able to get in, and out, of raids. Hard-earned name too, ain't it, boy? Wiley reached out to stroke the stallion's neck; as it were, Raider shifted irritably beneath him, displeased with being forced to stand still for so long. When he attempted to move forward, Wiley leaned hard into the saddle and pulled softly on the reins. Raider obeyed with a vexed flick of his ear and a shift of his forefeet below. "What'bout you, lill' lady? It probably ain't a good idea to be out 'ere all by your lonesome, y'know?" Rowdy leaned forward, then, his voice lowering as though to whisper a secret. "There's some mean men who're ridin' out this far."

[Maya Esquivel-Haywood]

Maya looked him over, scrutinizing him with curious eyes. Her fingers tightened in Mu’s worn plush, as she rocked back on her heels, boots sliding in to the sand. The wind blew back her dark hair, the teal colored beanie pulled tight down over her ears. It wasn’t that cold, not in the Fallen desert, but Lina wouldn’t let her go with her friends until it was on. She debated giving him a description of Papa, but then again…maybe this stranger knew him. ”He’s tall.” She murmured, thinking about him. ”And he has a beard.” She nodded, confirming this mostly to herself. ”He looks like Uncle Digg, but he’s not Uncle Digg.” Sand bit her cheek where the wind blew it up towards her face, and she covered it with her arm until it died down again. Sand storms were dangerous here, and not something to mess with. She raised a little eyebrow as he used her language, just for a brief moment. ”What is Texas?” She asked, honestly not knowing. She had been young when she’d been brought into the Menagerie, and born in Spain rather than in the country jutted up against Texas. ”Is that jur ring?” She kept away from the stallion, much as she wanted to touch it. It looked rather uneasy to her, and Papa’s first lesson had been to teach her to read a horse’s body language. ”He’s pretty. Oh! Papi can turn into a ‘orse. Do ju turn into a horse?” She said, though she wasn't sure if it made a difference. She offered him a small smile, a shy smile. She kicked at the dune, sending sand scattering away from her though it all simply caved in again. ”I was looking for Papi, but ju haven’t said why ju are here?” She asked, looking him over again. ”Are ju one of the scouts?” She asked, thinking that the horse would make sense in that case. ”Or are ju one of the mean men?” She looked down at the stuffed cow, scratching his head between the horns. ”Mu is scared of mean men. But I am not. I am brave. Papi told me so.” She told the strange with a little smile of pride. ”I could beat ju up!” She told him, boasting. ”Lina taught me to punch boys.” She giggled, thinking about it. It had been rather simple really, but it had been funny to learn. She had felt bad for the hunter that they had used for practice that day.

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Wiley couldn't help but smile as she considered him. Smart girl, he thought. She wasn't giving him her trust right away, which was a good thing to do in the Menagerie, especially at her age. He rubbed at his jaw and listened to her with that damn smile as she spoke. He wasn't humoring her, nah, he was genuinely listening even though tall and beard and Uncle Digg did not help him get a mental image of the man, aside from a pretty stereotypical image of a man in the Menagerie. He swung himself off of Raider as the wind blew, landing with a jangle of metal and the rattle of his quiver.  "I can't say I've seen 'im, but I'll keep my eyes open for yer pa." It was the best that Wiley could offer and he did so with an apologetic shrug. He thought that even if he did find him it would mean something bad for himself; he was trespassing, after all. He gave her a glance as he spoke, moving to drag Raider's reins over his head and drop them until they brushed the ground. It was the best he could do to tie the horse and he watched as the Thoroughbred mix finally calmed down enough to stand still. Figures, since I ain't on him no more.  He turned back to the little miss and laughed again. Guess she ain't from America. Maybe she was born here. "Texas is kind of like a Ring, yeah. But it ain't really a Ring for me now." He missed it, really. He missed the sun and the smell and the rodeos, not that it mattered. He took a step from Raider after fixing the horse with a distrustful stare so he could kneel down in front of the little girl. She was cute, wasn't she? Rowdy's smile was crooked as he thought of how she'd grow up to be a heart-breaker at this rate. She knew her way into a man's good graces, didn't she? Compliment his horse. Wiley swelled with pride at her comment, even if it was from a child. "Thanks. 'Is name is Raider. An' nah, I wish I could shift into a horse. I ain't so lucky. I turn in ta' a snake." He wrinkled his nose distastefully, grimacing as though that were the worst thing. He chewed over her next question, standing as he thought. He paced back to Raider and stroked the stallions neck thoughtfully. Telling her the truth could get him beat--by her, from the sounds of it--but Wiley thought that it was wrong to lie to a kid. "I'm kinda a mean man, I guess, but I ain't  really mean. I'm really sorry though." He looked at her with concern, playing along with it. "Don't beat me up even though I've been bad." He pulled his hat down against the glare of the sun and thought of how he should have been going soon, anyway. Besides that, he could have explained how Fulsi had the right to move along the borders of Fallen... he just didn't have an escort, which wasn't allowed.  "I know you're all tough an' all but what're you doin' out here by yourself? Wouldn't yer Papi be worried?" Wiley wouldn't have liked his kid wandering around in the Menagerie, alone.  ""

[Maya Esquivel-Haywood]

Maya looked concerned as the stranger got down from his horse, though she did not do more than shuffle uncomfortably. She was a little disappointed when he told her that he could not remember seeing her papa, and she looked over her shoulder across the dunes. She almost hoped he would come over one of them; merely because for all intents and purposes…he was her dad. She loved him. He explained that she had been sort of right about the ring of Texas, and she made a mental note to ask someone about this ‘Texas’ later. She was a curious little thing with a thirst for knowledge outside of the only home she had ever known. She did not want to be stuck with the Fallen her whole life, she wanted to go out and be like Papi and Uncle Digg. Uncle Digg was always telling her stories of his grand adventures and she knew that was what she wanted to! Raider. Maya knew what raiders were, and the name of the horse was unsettling. ”Why did you name him that?” She asked, giving a little frown even as he kneeled and smiled at her. She had been in the midst of a raid once, remembering how terrifying that had been. ”Do ju raid people? That’s not nice. I should beat ju up for scaring my friends and taking our food!” She rattled off, tugging Mu closer. She had no idea who had raided her family, had no idea that he probably hadn’t been part of the raid at all; still why would you name a horse that? She wrinkled her nose at him. ”A snake? Those are scary!” She told him, though he seemed to know that himself. ”Papi says that I am a deer, but it’s like…a baby one.” She nodded, watching as he turned away from her and going back to the horse. He told her that he was a bad man, but not a bad…bad one. Or at least that was what she understood. She pulled on the edge of her hat, her fingers tightening in the worn fluff of her stuffed cow. ”Ju know, Papi says that sometimes I’m bad…but sometimes I’m good too! Otherwise he wouldn’t be nice to me.” She gave a little smile as she moved across the dune and closer to the horse. She lifted her hand for him to smell, so maybe, just maybe, the horse would let her pet him. ”So maybe this is just one of your bad phases, and you just need a whoopin’ to set ju straight.” She said, looking up at the horse rather than at him. She shrugged, her backpack shifting against her back with the movement of her shoulders. ”No, I can take care of myself.” She told him with a swell of pride. She let her fingers tickle the horse’s lip before she pulled back, glancing at him. ”Maybe we can walk together until I can find him?” She offered, her dark brown eyes wide and asking.

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ooc: rusty han is rusty.