Luis Benitez

Jeremy shook his head. He didn’t want to hear her excuses. Her trying to justify what they did. “Do you know what they do?” He stepped towards her. “My grandfather died at the hands of hunters. Did they shoot him?” He shook his head. “Did they… hunt him as a wolf after he hurt people?” He shook his head again. “They put wolfs bane… in our water supply.” He closed his eyes. He hadn’t even been born at the time. But the story had shaken the pack for so many years. They used extra filtration now. “You people are sick. You might start it to protect people… but you continue because you’re addicted. You like the rush. You enjoy it. Or you wouldn’t be doing it.” His eyes dragged over her. 

“I don’t trust you.” He turned his back, walking towards the railings.

Fallon sighed, “The scars run deep, and the people responsible aren’t here for your anger. Only me. I’ve taken other’s anger, I’ll take yours too. Anger and words at least, don’t hurt the way a ripped throat does. Or an arm out of a socket. Or being burned by a fire that can’t be snuffed out by water. Exsanguination only hurts for a short while, but you stay alive far longer than you’d hope for.” She said, with a shrug. “And that’s just the accounts of those who got caught in the crossfire. I’ll take their anger too, they can’t do much with it now that they’re dead.”

 He kept his eyes on the huntress. He wasn’t intending to let her out of his sight. “I wouldn’t say i’ve ever met a hunter with that mindset.” His own family had been burnt more then once by hunters. He would never forget that. He would never let them near his family. Even if he was developing a softness for one. “Hunters help people. Not werewolves. And yes, you helped plural. Don’t play coy. I’m Jeremy Henrikson. You’ve known who i was from the first day… haven’t you? From the day on the beach.” 

“Well you’ve met one, now.” Fallon said, honestly. “A lot of people come into this job after a tragedy, I didn’t so maybe I don’t have the PTSD that cause so many hunters to jump at shadows.” She said, speaking as if she didn’t have any issues after the things she’s seen. Nope, totally well adjusted human being. 

“Nope.” She said, planting her feet a little better to make sure she wasn’t placing undue weight on her bad leg. “You never actually told me your last name on the beach, so I just assumed you were a nice goofy man with the potential to add a noun to the list. Now you’re a nice goofy werewolf from a prominent family. Truthfully.”

Tomas kept his face unemotional per usual. He never showed a state of surprise… he hardly showed any emotion other then his polite smile. He didn’t like anybody thinking they could sense a weakness in him. It was his job to be that way and he was beginning to think that this woman, had a very similar job. “Indeed, an awful affair. But nobody was hurt. We should count our blessings. I still haven’t got the foggiest what thieves and scoundrels would want in a town like this. You know they say it was gangs? In Crestle Cove? Nonsense.” 

Fallon hadn’t looked into a death count, other than to take pictures of the fallen hunters to take back to the Order, so she was actually quite surprised at hearing there hadn’t been one in Crestle Cove. Good for her in the long run, since she was being called on to answer to the actions of people that had nothing to do with her other than be a pain in the ass.

“Unless you count some bruised egos, yes I think we were blessed.” And she counted herself in that bunch, not able to lie to herself that she wasn’t moping after everything.

“Hmm, and is it really safe for you to stay here now people know?” he asked, his eyes staying firmly on the woman. “Well, if you tell me what you really want, we may be able to come to some sort of agreement where you stay in my bar and I feel safer that you’re not going to murder my people.”

“Ha, please do,” he gave a dry laugh. “Though I am sure they’ll care about the complaints of a local werewolf. “No, changing it would be covering what you are… murderers. There is a history to the word and it is exactly how it sounds. People who are different have been hunted. My ancestors went through hell, and you wonder why I don’t want you here. Why others don’t want you here. You can’t do good using a word that means so much darkness to the people of this town.”

He shook his head. “You’re no different to the rest of them. Old beliefs… looking for a reason to kill. Tell yourself what you want. You’re a hunter, you all have different intentions, sprout different bullshit to justify your actions… it all ends up with the same outcome. Death.”

“Not all those wars. Many were just the opinions of rich men, the twisted ideas of power hungry men. Or just simply a war because they didn’t like something. And that’s exactly what your people do.” He pointed to himself. “I’m a person. I work. I run this bar. I pay my taxes. I’m an American. Just like you. I have family, people I love.” He pointed at her. “Your job only helps the people like you with your narrow-minded ancient ideals.”

“Safe or not, I have people I’m tasked with taking care of too so I’ll die protecting them just like you. If this is the place I die then so be it.” Fallon said. “All I can say is that my business here is with humans. Our business tends to be with humans more often then not when it comes to human supernatural relations. Since the town doesn’t keep humans out, I follow humans where they go.” 

“You’d be surprised.” She said. “They’d probably listen to you before they listened to me on that front.” The politics she’d never been good with, she just did her job.

“I get that you think you can lump us all together and then turn around and be surprised when it happens to you, but things aren’t as black and white as people want to make it. I’ve seen towns terrorized, innocent civilians torn limb from limb and traumatized by things that couldn’t begin to understand. If they mean nothing to you then I’d never be able to say anything to make you trust me. Especially when this town has an entire place called the killing fields, I think our histories share a bunch of bloodshed and pinning it all on me is not going to keep you safe.” She said, trying to not let the exasperation get the better of her, so she stood and placed a twenty on the bar top wrapping a jacket over her arm.

“It’s okay, I was just startled. No need to move,” He said, noticing that her expression looked a little in pain. “Are you alright?” He asked, glancing down at her leg. 

“Thanks.” She said, sitting back a little more fully.

Fallon took her hand away from her leg, not wanting to really let anyone know how much it hurt. “It’s fine. Just a little sore. I don’t know how to sit still so it’s just taking longer than normal to feel better.”

Wanting to move the conversation along she pointed at his notebook. “You an artist?” She asked, having caught a glimpse of the sketches.

“Hmm,” he mused, pouring a drink for himself. “A low profile and you’re throwing the word hunter around?” He raised a brow. “Well, you’re in my home. My bar. I’m going to have questions.”

“A job where you actively seek out to hunt people. People who are different. Hmm, maybe you should work on the title.” He took a swig of his drink, keeping his blue eyes on her. “I’m assuming you know what I am?” he asked. “Well, we don’t hurt anyone here. Ever thought maybe you are the ones who are different. Look at history and the wars humans made against themselves.”

“Was. Past tense. Kinda hard to now that most people know.” Fallon said with a sigh. “Shoot. Kinda want to keep coming to one of the only bars in town, for my sanity’s sake.” She said placing her bottle back on the bar top. Aria was bound to find out now that she’d been exposed while helping people during the hunter attack, it wasn’t really that much worse for her so smooth things over with the locals.

“I can submit the name complaint with upper management.” She said, since she had no say on the word usage of centuries old dead people that had been kept because of branding she supposed. “I figure changing it now would be disingenuous. There is a history to the word, I can’t change that but I can continue to perpetuate the good that we try to do and hope that it makes a difference.”

“I do.” She answered and nodded. “I’m happy to believe that. I try to be an optimist. I’m a realist, but I try to be an optimist.”

Ronan had been sitting in the park, scribbling doodles in an old notebook to pass his free time when someone had suddenly sat down on the bench next to him, startling him a bit. “Oh!” He breathed, jumping a little. “Sorry, oh my god– you spooked me,” He admitted sheepishly.

Fallon was still sore from her run the other day so when it started to hurt as she walked she immediately sat on the bench without a second thought to rest.

“Sorry, about that.” She said, her smile a little strained from the sore muscle in her leg. “I can... um, I can move if I’m bothering you.” She said, with no intention to move even if the guy told her to.

Jeremy chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. “All you have to do is ask and i’ll see what I can do.” 

“Come on.” He reached down and took the woman’s waist, helping her up from the floor. Jeremy had never really understood boundaries well. “I was hoping we could talk. About before. About us kicking ass together. First of all… why would a hunter help werewolves?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Fallon said, grumbling the entire time Jeremy picked her, but never protesting. She might be stubborn but she trusted the man was not going to harm her, especially after they had fought together. Once on her feet she huffed out a reluctant, “Thanks,”

“No, I don’t and that gives me every reason to be wary of you and not trust your intentions here. No one giving themselves the title of hunter has ever meant well in our town. History, all of the stories, they show that.” She sighed, glancing over her. “Fine. I’ll walk with you. I still don’t want you to pass out on me. You’ve just pushed your muscles too far,” she noted.

“I’m a witch… I have my own problems that I don’t need to share with you,” she said as she started to walk. “Don’t you get it? You’re calling it a mission. In our town. Whatever you’re doing is never going to be welcomed by anyone here.”

“Then answer me this… do you want peace between the humans and supernatural? Yes, we helped each other that night… and I still don’t know where we stand. Magic you?” she laughed a little, the words sounding slightly funny. “Believe it or not, we don’t just use magic on people. We have our own rules and morals too.” She paused. “So you do have a boss? What is he trying to prove here?”

“Because it’s his town, his people. What did you want him to do. Welcome you with open arms? Put his people in danger?” She sighed, glancing down at her leg. “I’m a paramedic. I have this really good stuff for it. I also have you know… witchy stuff. But I don’t you want that.”

Fallon wouldn’t argue with the town’s history. It was one catastrophe after another, but hunters hardly shared the bulk of it, but that did depend on what history you read.

“I figured that much. Kinda zoned out while running.” Fallon admitted, the air feeling cold against her still sweating body. The quicker she got to take a hot shower the better. 

“Exactly why I lied and had a cover. But things happened and I got found out. I knew there would be a possibility of becoming persona non grata, but It’s my job to put myself on the line to help others.” Fallon said matter of factly, feeling like they understood each other pretty well. “We all have our secrets and agendas, especially when it comes to all of this supernatural business.” She’d been at this too long she didn’t know how to relate to people anymore. Everything was about her mission so this distance that was created when people found out actually suited her more.

“Of course I do. So I don’t blame you for being wary. I know I would be. I don’t think there’s anything that I could say to get you to fully trust me.” She said, honestly. And she sighed when turning to talk about her boss. “Ultimately, I think my boss wants to prove that while we can all live peacefully we should never forget the differences between our species. To not respect those differences and understand them means people will get hurt. On all sides.” She said, having seen it first hand enough times that the sentiment was true for her. 

Fallon chuckled at the idea of the stern and very scary Mayor greeting her with a hug. “I’m more surprised I didn’t get forcefully ejected from the city limits or worse. But I’m not lying, we talked. I’m still here because he allows me to be.” Though that was a tenuous allowance she knew and it meant even more she needed to be here to keep an eye on Aria lest she get found out too. 

“Hmm, sorry to hear that. It wasn’t nice,” he said, wiping a cloth over the bar. Though her next words caught his attention. “Wait… what? What was that whole thing about asking me for a job?” His blue eyes looked over her face. “Were you playing me? Who are you?”

“Of course it is, we all have people we want to protect. Is that why you’re here?”

“Yup.” She said, nonplussed probably the alcohol really softening things for her. “Just trying to keep a low profile. Figured if I was looking for a job, people would ask less questions.” She said, eyes still on the distant wall. “I’m a hunter.”

The werewolf was trying his best not to laugh, but it really wasn’t working. Even after all that he’d found out about her… the fear just wasn’t there. “And i’ll be running 5ks still when you’re using a zimmer frame” 

He watched her run ahead, laughing to himself. He covered his mouth as she fell again. This time he stopped, ducking beside her. “Admit defeat yet? That was quite a Fall.” 

“Hopefully some nice pack takes me out before then.” Fallon, grumbled under her breath, fully intending to one day bite off way more than she could chew to go out in a blaze of glory. 

This town wouldn’t be that though.

“You can just leave me here you know. Get on with whatever you were doing and leave me here for the vultures, they’d be much better company I’m sure.” She said, through gritted teeth as she took in deep breaths to calm herself.