#thread: hunter

There weren't many people Hunter felt he could turn to in town, that number dropping by one and closer to one now that Val was seemingly out of the picture. He didn't want her to be, but given the situation, he didn't want to be around her right now. Instead he stormed around town looking for one of the two other people that came to mind that could offer support, and when he spotted one, Hunter beelined right for him. "Dude, you got a minute?"

Mo was still thrown from his talk with Cain, he'd hoped he and Val worked things out, if for nothing else so he didn't have to try and be helpful. They didn't mind Cain venting, but he struggled enough with handling his own feelings, let alone someone else's. There was a a small part that felt a little guilty that he wasn't better at being comforting, but he was the distraction guy. Least that's how he saw it. He'd been leaning against a building debating trying to find Eagan or one of his friends when someone dressed as mummy shambled in front of him.

Part of him was wondering if he had one shot too many when he recognized the voice. "Hunter? Damn dude just use all the fucking toilet paper in town why don't you," he said shaking his head. Cocking his head to the side he gave him a nod, "Yeah I'm on break, what's up?" Why was he still going along with Hunter's delusions? Cause it was the only way to get him to listen to Mo when he emphasized leaving the damn runes alone and follow curfew.

"Dude when I tell you I am having the worst fucking week you could imagine," Hunter sat himself down, segments of the toilet paper folding out of place and he pulled a load of it from around his head, discarding it onto the ground. "Like, I know you guys that work here are under NDA and strict contracts and whatever to like...not mention the outside world 'cause it shatters immersion and I'm am super happy that you actually break character for me but like...no one here knows who I am except like three people that I knew before all this and I'm finding it fucking weird. Like, fuck, I don't have my usual group of people for the like...support side of things."

He was rambling, he knew it, but he didn't give Mo chance to interrupt, wanting to get everything off his chest before Mo had to get back to work. "I think me and Val just broke the fuck up, but I don't know if we actually did 'cause we didn't really get to talk about it." He sighed. "And also, be honest, as my friend...am I attractive?"

Mo glanced up at the sky wondering what he'd done to suddenly be considered the relationship guy. Maybe he was spending too much time with Knightley, the whole good beside manner thing affecting him outside work. Plopping down on the bench next to Hunter he threw his arm over the back of it. He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the breaking character comment. At some point things would come full circle and he wasn't sure how Hunter would take it, as annoying as he could be Mo almost envied him. Ignorance was bliss after all. Bringing out a flask he took a few sips figuring he let him do his usual ranting before chocking when he called Val his girlfriend.

Sure the gossip column had said as much, and he'd spoken with Val over it. Her wanting to apologize for dragging him into it and like always he'd been willing to be a distraction. But hearing it from Hunter himself it still felt surreal, add in the realization that it seemed he had no idea of Mo and Val's situation. "She was pretty upset over the gossip column putting all her business out there," he said shrugging after clearing his throat, "So what did you talk about?" At his next question his eyebrows rose in surprise. Giving Hunter a brief once over he shrugged, "I mean when you're not covered in 10 rolls of toilet paper, I'd say yeah. So what is that what caused the break up?"

Mo was a good friend, a real friend. Hunter hadn't gone to the other guy much for advice but he'd always given him sound advice whenever Hunter had asked. That was something that didn't come easy, someone you could trust, especially in a town smaller than Hunter was used to. Everyone knew everyone, and everyone needed someone close. Hunter had Kirby, and Mo, and Val, but that last one was a little more up in the air.

"She seemed fine," he said with a shrug, "I told her it doesn't matter if you sleep with a load of people. Sure it ain't nice to have them fucking listed but it ain't the end of the fucking world. So we spoke about that, and then she said she likes me but wants to like other people and like-" he pulled a disgusted face, "-shit like that doesn't fly with me. You can't claim to be in love with multiple people at once, especially some guy she said she's known since school or whatever. Like that's ample time to know how you feel about someone. And it's fucking irritation dude...I really like her..." He shrugged, head shaking and looked down at the ground, genuine disappointment coming across his face. "It's 14 rolls, but I'll take that. They wanna say in the gossip column that I'm gay but literally no guys are actively trying to sleep with me, so what's the fucking point in spreading that rumour."

Mo's jaw clenched and he took a long sip from the flask as Hunter went on. Val hadn't been fine, one conversation and he should have known that. "People shit talked me towards the end of high school, it sucks in a small town to have people in your business like that," he said hoping maybe it click for Hunter that not everyone reveled in infamy. Staring at Hunter he thought over his own relationship, "I mean if you're not down for that then you're not down for it. Now's the time to get it out in the open if you two aren't on the same page about what you want." To him sex was sex, love was reserved now solely for Eagan, but that had been agreed on by them.

Drumming his fingers on his leg he shook his head, "Look dude, Val's been through more shit before we even graduated than most people go through in a lifetime. You can cut her a little slack for not wanting to fuck up a friendship." He'd been in the same boat after all. He held out the flask towards Hunter after taking another quick sip. "You sound... disappointed? Do you want dudes to hit on you or something?" The question was genuine. For the most part Mo would say he was straight, but lately he'd been thinking it over.

Hunter again gave a half-assed shrug. "That's what happens in small towns. It's basically a real life version of the internet: everyone knows each others fucking business and nothing stays private for more the three minutes." That's why he always preferred the cities, enough space to be what you wanted without scrutinisation unless you specifically put yourself into those scenarios. But here Hunter didn't have the luxury of knowing people, or having those same people to fall back on when shit got tough. Sure he'd tough it out himself, he'd had to build up a thick skin, but people would happily jump to his defense on his behalf. Here, he was flying completely solo, and it seemed each day there were more and more things being thrown at him to knock him off course. "I'm not down for that. That ain't how a fucking relationship is supposed to work. You're supposed to be someone's everything." Hunter Hilton the romantic, who would have thought it. "Yeah well, she seemed pissed so I'm gonna leave her to it. She knows where to find me when she's not with her other boyfriend."

Hunter debated taking a drink, but finally opted to take the flask, knocking back a considerable swig of whatever it was in there. "Yeah I'm fucking disappointed. You know what it's like to turn up somewhere where nobody thinks you're hot? When people are making all kinds of thirty content online. And fucking Liam making it sound like no one would wanna fuck me, I'm a fucking catch dude. Like people would be fucking lucky to get a fucking kiss out of me, let alone sleep with me. But I don't understand why people here don't find me hot..."

Mo hardly remembered the Internet, but if that was what it was like maybe it was for the best. His jaw clenched harder at Hunter's thoughts on relationships. "Maybe it's not for you, but it works for other people. I mean hell dude, Eagan is everything to me. I'd go fucking insane without her, but we're on the same page about keeping things open for sex." If it didn't work Hunter that was his right, but they hated how condescending it sounded over all. He was gripping his knee and shook his head, "So that's it then? You're just gonna ignore her now?"

Taking the flask back Mo took his own swing before stuffing it on his belt. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to hold his breath to relax but it came out in a huff. "Dude don't take this the wrong way, but you have a habit of trying to piss people off. You know if you're nicer I'm sure plenty of people would be down to fuck." His brow furrowed as he stared at Hunter, "So what Liam some guy you crushing on or something? Cause I know a couple guys who would be up for hooking up." Knightley would say Hunter was too young he mused, but Xander would likely be up for the bit of snagging an influencer. Though Lonnie had wanted to get into the gossip column he thought idly. "Just cause you're hot doesn't mean people want you if you act like a dick. It's suppose to be in your pants not in your personality."

The whole concept was weird as far as Hunter was concerned, definitely not something that worked for him and evidently he wasn't afraid to voice that opinion, a trait which thus far in life seemed to continually get him into trouble. "Well fuck man, maybe this shit is just a small town thing. Everyone in everyone's business literally, that's how the gossip column is so fucking stacked man, because everyone fucking already knows it." Was it really so wrong to want to be with the girl he liked without having to share her with other guys? Was his sex good enough for her to come back for but not good enough to want to stay with? "Fuck off, I ain't ignoring her. I'm giving her space. That's what you're supposed to do when a woman is pissed at you."

Hunter didn't get chance to take another drink before Mo had taken it back, and he just let out a disgruntled huff, leaning forwards so his elbows rested on his exposed knees. "No offense taken," he managed to bring out a chuckle; pissing people off had become Hunter's entire brand to the point it may as well be a personality trait, "but I don't want to fuck. Me and Val were doing fine." And then Liam's name was brought back and Hunter stood from the bench swiftly and defensively, "I do not have a crush on Liam of all fucking people. He started a fucking fight with me, then started to blame it on me and telling people I was pissed because he rejected me, and that I'm 'desperate' for his dick in me. Well news-fucking-flash, I don't wanna be some loser bottom for Liam." He folded his arms tightly across his chest, more toilet paper crunkling and falling from his body. "Besides, I'm always nice to people I wanna sleep with, so thats a shitty point to be making."

"Giving her space or running off cause she gave you an answer you didn't want?" Mo snapped, they were going in circles a bit and his own frustration was starting to show. He didn't think Val had done anything wrong, should she have been a bit more honest? Maybe, but it was also on Hunter to have communicated what he was looking for. "Look you both had different expectations for what you wanted this to be. You want actual advice maybe get it all out in the open and listen to how she's feeling before getting pissy someone isn't doing exactly what you want."

When Hunter jumps to his feet, Mo does at well not liking the look on the other guy's face. It took a minute for the name to click, he'd been drunk at Val's party but he remembered now. The guy was a new dad, and friends with Val. "Dude you sound way too hung up on a guy you just got in a fight with. A guy whose also friends with Val by the way, he was at her birthday party and everything." Shaking their head they stared at Hunter, "Like you can just ignore the guy, he's a new dad anyways. Pretty sure he's got better things to do than to keep telling people you're into him or whatever."

"I'm not fucking running off," Hunter was equally quick to snap back, frustrated at how much Mo was seeming to fight against him. Mo was supposed to be his friend, he was supposed to be helping him, supporting him, not questioning every other word that came out of Hunter's mouth. "Dude, it is out in the open, I did fucking listen, and I'm not being pissy...but I see what's going on here." A sudden realisation on Hunter's part. "Staff in this place obviously gonna stick together, to you guys guests just come and go, and I'm just another guest to you guys."

That was a thought that stung, but he swallowed that down and stood firm. "Oh yeah, the fucking birthday party, how could I forget, oh wait, because I wasn't fucking there." Now that still stung. He understood Val's reasons given the shit that just happened with Liam, and sure he got Val all to himself the next day, but instead of being at the barbeque with the few people he had come to call friends, he had been alone. "Well whoever the fuck decided to sleep with him needs their fucking brain tested, and you say he's got better things to do but he clearly doesn't when he keeps trying to fuck with my life."

Staff. For fuck sakes Mo was starting to regret playing along, but the guilt that Hunter could get actually hurt or worse had been too strong since he met him. Was he annoying and aggravating sure, but he was still just some guy who's come to the wrong town. That didn't mean he deserved to kick the bucket. "Dude if this was about staff sticking together I wouldn't be over here shooting the shit about it with you." What was it Knightley said about being a neutral observer or some shit? Yeah that sucked he didn't get how that worked outside of medicine. They did genuinely feel bad for Hunter, he didn't seem to have anyone in his corner. And while it was mostly his own fault, it just seemed so damn lonely. Even when he'd been at his lowest he still had his family, still had Eagan.

Mo briefly grimaced, right he'd talked about it with Val, she'd come frequently enough to talk it over. Him with his Eagan situationship and her romantic choose your own adventure drama. "You don't think she wanted you there? Come on dude it wasn't just Liam, I know you had beef with Cyan or something. That rune stunt didn't win you any favors either," he has to keep his temper in check briefly holding his breath. One of the runes he'd tried to fuck with had been Eagan's, it was only the fact that she chased him off before any actual damage could be done that had kept him from losing it. That and he did feel partly responsible for telling him about the runes in the first place. "You ever think about just burying the hatchet with those dudes? Just as Hunter man, not whatever Internet thing you got or had going on," he said. Val had said there was more to Hunter than what he showed most people, and he did believe that, he'd seen glimpses of it here and there. He frowned at the follow up comments, "You got in one fight, the hell else he done to you? You act like people are out to get you here."

“Exactly,” Hunter clicked at the air and pointed in Mo’s direction, “if it was a staff vs guests thing, you wouldn’t be talking to me about this shit. Which shows you’re actually a decent friend. Shows you care about me enough to not want me to get hurt!” It all rationalized so well in Hunter’s head that the clear disconnect that seemed to be happening was throwing him off a little.

“Cyan is…different. But he doesn’t go out of his fucking way to fucking antagonize me. How do you know about all that shit anyway?” Had Liam been talking to them all about Hunter’s life before the town, all the internet beef he had with people. Had Val told them all?! “Dude the rune shit was funny as fuck, never seen so many people freak out over some fucking graffiti on a door. People seriously need to lighten the fuck up.” Seriously he couldn’t have been the only person to mess with the runes since this place opened? “Fuck no. I’m only being nice to Cyan ‘cause he’s fixing my phone. Liam can fuck himself, take his freak baby and that fucking weird Lennon bastard and go wander into the woods with the ghosts for all I care.”

Mo blinked staring at Hunter's hand in front of him, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. At this point Hunter's way of making everything make sense to his point of view was borderline insane to them. "If I wanted you to get hurt I'd let you walk out at night or just best your ass myself," jury was still out on that last one. "I know Cyan too dude, we got stuck together during the storm. He was having a rough time," somehow that had turned into him being invited to hang out with him and his crew. He already knew a few of them, like Val or Wren, becoming actual friends with Cyan hadn't been the plan that night but he wasn't complaining. His jaw clenched and he glanced away seeing that hay ride again. How long Hunter could go before the truth hit him in the face he had no idea. Though he was starting to wonder if it ever would at this rate. Shaking his head he looked back at Hunter, his fist had moved before he could even think. Catching the other guy on the jaw, moving back he shook his hand out.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Some dude calls you gay so you say he and his kids should just fucking die? Those babies aren't even a year old dude," he snapped, "You know what? Dude wake the fuck up. I played along for way too long, I'm not some fucking paid actor. You said I'm your friend, so if I need to beat some fucking sense for you to get it through your head that this shit is real then fine." His fists had balled up at his side as he glared at Hunter, "Like what's it gonna take for you to realize this ain't some fucking theme park? Your rune stunt could have gotten someone killed, we already lost a whole family cause someone fucked with a door at the beginning of the year." Eagan, Val, and Cyan run through his head. "You know Val had to report in she found someone dead in the woods? Our old teacher went next. You even give a shit how much that hurt her?"

"You couldn't best me ass if your fucking life depended on it," cocky until the bitter end was Hunter Hilton. Considering Liam had just beaten his ass, there wasn't much doubt that Mo could probably do the same too. Fuck, he really needed self-defence lessons or fight practise or something. He couldn't be known as the one constantly getting clocked in the jaw. "Yeah but you don't know him like I know him. The Cyan he is here isn't the Cyan he is out there. He's like me, no matter how much he denies it, we're the fucking same." No new town, or new business or new baby would change that.