⎡codes & keys⎦

❝ — I like airplanes. I like anywhere that isn’t a proper place. I like in betweens... HUNTER BEXLEY 35. airline pilot

[hunterbexley]

cassandra brookes‌:

Well, at least he didn’t slam the door in her face. That was a start, she supposed. Still, the way he spoke, the look on his face, it all made her stomach churn with uncertainty. “Okay,” she said softly, her own worry evident on her features as she stepped past him. Cass didn’t go much past those first few steps though, turning to face Hunter after he shut the door. The moment the words came out, Cass’s face fell. Private flight or no, she knew he had had his phone with him, and it hurt that he was lying to her so easily. And even if his excuse had been true, prior to the ball, Hunter would have texted her once he’d gotten home. Swallowing thickly, she nodded, holding the pie closer to her as though it was a shield. After a moment, she forced a smile onto her face. “It’s okay. No big deal.” A lie for a lie, she supposed, not even worried that he’d be able to see right through it. There had never been this sort of discomfort and tension between the two of them, and she honestly wasn’t sure how to handle it, or even if she could. “Kit told me you were okay, but since I hadn’t heard from you…” She shook her head, dropping her eyes from his face, more certain than ever that he was upset with her. “Anyway, I just thought I’d make sure for myself, I guess.” With her lower lip between her teeth, she placed the pie on the first flat surface she could find before stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest, still unable to look at Hunter, not wanting him to see the hurt in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you. Just– yeah,” the brunette trailed off before turning back toward the door. At the last second she paused, knowing she should keep her mouth shut but unable to stop herself from spinning around and gazing up at Hunter. “Did I do something wrong? I don’t– I feel like you either forgot I existed or you just wanted to pretend I did.” 

To feel this uncomfortable around Cass was foreign to him. She had always been that person that made him feel like he could be himself, and most, if not, all of the time he felt comfortable being completely transparent with her. However, that was also a lie for he had lied to her since the start of their friendship. At first, it was easier to just pretend he was omitting information rather than lying straight up to her face, but given the events at the ball, Hunter couldn't keep hiding such an important detail about his life. Her words said that 'it wasn't a big deal' but her features betrayed her and he could tell that there was something bothering her. The past week he'd been selfish, a man looking out only for his own feelings that didn't even stop to consider how he had affected Cass. "I'm fine," he repeated dryly for he was terrified that, if he showed even one single genuine emotion, he wouldn’t be able to stop any of them. "Thanks for coming," he said as he hid every real emotion behind a polite smile. He was being unfair, and he knew it but his own cowardice didn't allow him to be honest. If he were less selfish he would have told her everything and take off that weight off her shoulders. Just when Hunter believed he had bought himself more time, Cass turned and said what was going through her mind. Her words felt like a whip wrapping around his gaze and he can recognize the pain in her voice. "Cass... it's not like that," he started, looking away from her, no longer able to bear the weight of her gaze for fear he might crumble underneath it. "You haven't done anything wrong. There's nothing wrong between us. I am the problem." Her words, though, were somewhat true. For the past few days, he'd tried to forget she existed, and that was a horrible admittance but it was only to have some peace of mind. Of course, he wouldn't like to erase Cass from his life, he couldn't do that. She meant too much for him, but he also didn't want to bring her into the mess that was his life. "I'm sorry, Cass," he said, too quiet for her to hear.

[hunterbexley]

nick flanagan‌

Nursing an arm bent at an awkward angle, Nick grimaces as he shuffles. “Not to alarm you, but could I kindly ask a stupidly large favor from you?” He shrugs a shoulder to indicate the lame arm, hissing out a wince, “I, uh, need a ride to the closest urgent care.“

@catalinastarter​

He was in the midst of replying a text when the man approached him. The phrase 'not to alarm you' only meant that there was, in fact, a reason to be alarmed and when he lifted his gaze from his phone to look at the man he found the reason why he and the other man should be alarmed. "Uh— yeah, sure. My car is right here, I can take you there." Without waiting for his response, Hunter started walking towards his car that was parked across the street. "May I ask what happened?"

[hunterbexley]

paul matthews

@catalinastarter​

Weekends were bliss, that was the long and short of it, it gave a Paul a chance to get away from work and out in the fresh air, not locked away in a stuffy office. He’d headed out early, hiking boots on, pack on his back, and made his way to the trails Catalina had to offer. It wasn’t quite the same as what Massachusetts had to offer, but it was better than nothing and he appreciated anywhere he could get outside.

Following a long hike, he’d ducked into the nearest coffee shop for subsistence and was hovering around the pastry cabinet when he’d heard the door open behind him. He glanced back for the briefest of moments, not really taking in who was stood there and simply said, “You can go ahead of me, I might be here a while.”

Hunter entered the cafeteria with his order in mind, he seldom tried something new and if he ever did try something new, he always ended up regretting his choice. That's why when the man let him go first, he didn't hesitate to thank him and take up the offer. The barista already knew what he wanted, so the whole interaction lasted only for a few seconds. He moved out of the line and next to the pastry cabinet to wait for his order. "Have you decided on something? I know it's not easy and if I'm being honest I'm sure you'll like whatever you pick but..." Hunter started as he leaned against the counter, "the cannoli are really good," Hunter suggested to the man, even if no one asked for his opinion.

[hunterbexley]

cassandra brookes‌:

Closed starter: @hunterbexley​ Location: Hunter’s house Time: Late morning

It had been well over a week since the Founders Day Ball which also made it well over a week since Cass had spoken to Hunter. According to Kit he was doing more or less okay, or at least seemed that way, but he wasn’t responding to text messages or answering her calls. All Cass could think of what that she had done something wrong, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what. It wasn’t in her to just let things go, not easily, and especially not when it involved a close friend - even if she hadn’t recently come to realize her feelings might go deeper than friendship. 

With an apple pie in hand - her grandmother’s favorite recipe - she made her way up to the front door of the Bexley’s house, taking a deep breath before knocking several times. By the time Hunter answered the door, she was shifting her weight restlessly from foot to foot, second-guessing her decision to just show up at his door. “Uh– hi. I haven’t heard from you in a while and I was worried, so…” Her voice trailed off lamely before she shrugged and held the pie out in front of her nervously, attempting a smile. “Didn’t seem right to come empty-handed.” 

After the ball, Hunter didn't want to know anything about anyone. He tried to play it cool around his sister, but then it all got too real and he had to make up something to leave this town for at least a couple of days. He told Kit that he had a private flight but in reality, he just stayed in a hotel in Los Angeles. It gave him enough time to take in the whole situation and while he would have rather stay there, he had to come back and check on his sister. He hadn't spoken to Cora since the ball, and while he wanted to get more answers he didn't dare to go out and find her.

Hunter was surfing through the channels when someone knocked on the door. A knot formed in his stomach at the thought that it could be Cora, but once he opened the door and saw a friendly face his anxiety dissipated, at least until he remembered how he'd ignored all of Cass' calls and texts since he'd bailed her at the ball. "Hey," he tried his best to say that in a casual and amicable tone but his features betrayed him. "Please come in." He stepped aside to let her in before closing the door behind her. There was no excuse for his behavior the past days, well, there actually was an excuse but not one he was ready to disclose. "Yeah, sorry about that. I had a private flight and I forgot my phone." Hunter was a terrible liar and he regretted that answer the second it left his lips as Cass could easily confirm that he, in fact, had taken his phone with him as he had spoken to Kit in the past days. "Uh, sorry about how I left that night. I wasn't feeling good, a migraine, I suppose." He cleared his throat after telling yet another lie.

[hunterbexley]

rory hirsch‌:

So Rory was, definitively, not hallucinating. After all, no imagination of his could utter ‘Fuck you, Rory Hirsch’ with the same acerbity as the other could have had. And while Hunter had broken off the charade not too long after he spoke, there was a grain of truth to his words that Rory couldn’t quite shake away. Given the tragedies of months past, he’d inadvertently let many of his friendships fall by the wayside, his radio silence unexpected as it was prolonged. Enough time passed that Rory had begun feeling awkward trying to reach out, and so he’d let the phone calls and messages go unanswered, waiting for Fate to choose the most appropriate time for them both to meet again. 

But this — sleepless, rumpled, in a town both of them couldn’t wait to get out of  — hardly seemed appropriate. Served him, really, for leaving a bulk of his friendships up to chance. “Ah, you know you love me,” he remarked, flashing the other with a lopsided grin, “it’s.. not been the best few months, but it wasn’t as shitty as I thought it would be!” ‘Not been the best’ was a gross understatement, though in line at a coffee hardly seemed the best place to exchange pleasantries.

And so Rory briefly addressed the cashier, ordering ‘whichever is strongest’ (a fact that the cashier seemed to have understood with a knowing smile) before turning to face Hunter’s direction once more. “You go on say your order, ‘s my treat.” He offered with a small smile. “It’s the least I could do after making you think I was dead for months.” 

Hunter didn't hold hard feelings against Rory, how could he when he understood what his friend was going through? In the past few months, Hunter had also neglected so many relationships that he'd stopped keeping track of all the people he had to reply or send a 'thank you' note like his mother would have done. He clung to the hope that people would understand and if they didn't, well, fuck them. However, he was happy to see Rory again as he was probably one of the few, if not the only person that really understood what it was like to be back in this town.

"Yeah, I suppose I still do. What can I say? You are a lovable guy." Hunter admitted through a low rumble of laughter. After knowing Rory for so many years, Hunter could tell that Rory was trying to sugarcoat the situation with a 'wasn't as shitty'. However, he did not point it out. "I guess it could be worse, right? Hunter had no idea how it could be worse, as far as he knew, nothing could be worse than this.

"I wish I had run into you in a bar, so I could order the most expensive drink as a punishment," he teased before he looked at the barista to give him his order. "It's fine, just make sure to give some sign that you are alive next time," he said, a small smile resurfacing in the corners of his lips. "Do you have to catch up or do I have to make an appointment?"

[hunterbexley]

nathalia alves

"You would?” She asks, looking at Hunter with an interested gaze. “I wouldn’t have pegged you to spend your life savings in a place like that.” Nathalia muses before quickly straightening her back, putting up a hand. “Not that that’s a bad thing. You just… Seem like you’re someone who’s a lot more down to earth than anyone who could possibly be found in that place.” Slowly, she smiles a teasing grin as she continues with, “I can see you pulling a D.B. Cooper. Without the hijacking of an aircraft. Mostly parachuting from a plane and living in the unknown mountains with a brand new built cabin.” Nathalia takes in the theoretical situation with careful thought. What would she do or where would she go if she had the guts to shed her life savings? To let go of everything. “I think mine would be Fiji and go completely off the grid. No cell service, no Wi-Fi or data. Just, – Living off the land, becoming one of the locals. Eating fresh fruit and swimming in those blue-green waters every day? Ugh, absolute paradise.” Nathalia gives a hum of approval at the thought. Giving a short laugh, the model clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I’m surprised Disney hasn’t made a movie about it already. They seem to have everything else in the palms of their hands.” When Hunter asks if she wasn’t there to cancel, the woman shakes her head. She finishs off her drink and flags down the bartender for a refill. She didn’t want the drink, she was only buying her time and thinking about how much she didn’t want to answer his question. “No,” Nathalia says slowly, looking at Hunter for a moment before looking away again. She sort of regrets saying anything at all now. Nathalia knows that Hunter probably wouldn’t care if she didn’t give a straight forward answer, but in most ways, Nathalia was so tired of not being honest in how she felt, what she thought and keeping pieces of herself hidden. “I was there to surprise my boyfriend who was origonally there for business…” Declan was in Monaco for filming reasons, but Nathalia kept that piece of information to herself. “But, I guess it wasn’t that great of a surprise since he was too busy to see me, if you know what I mean.” Her voice drop, casually dry and a certain look in her eyes for Hunter to catch on. Declan, figuring since he was in a different country, thought he was free to do whatever he wanted. One of those things happened to be sleeping with another woman. Nathalia had to remind herself that they were together because of a contract. That didn’t mean the betrayal hurt any less. With Hunter’s mouth dropping, Nathalia bites back a smile while rising her brows. “He definitely isn’t 90’s Brad Pitt. So, maybe it’s still safe to put my money on you.” Nathalia throws a wink Hunter’s way, going back to a less serious vibe for the conversation.

“Would you stop looking at me like that?” She exclaims with a laugh, once again hiding her face from Hunter’s questioning eyes. “I’m not telling you now.” Nathalia shows her face again, this time with her nose stuck up and crossing her arms over her chest, joking her stubbornness. “I’m tired of your judgment.” She rolls her eyes, “Of course you’ve never been on a weird date. Look at you!” She gestures to his, well, whole self with a loose wrist. “If anything, the people you’re going on dates with are probably trying to impress you.” Nathalia gives Hunter that reads ‘and you probably don’t even realize’.

Leaning back in her chair, Nathalia regard’s Hunter coyly with the narrowing of her dark hues. “Huh, - That so?” Nathalia runs her tongue against the front of her teeth and gives a short upward nod of her chin. Challenging Hunter once more for the answer. “So, there’s absolutely no way to convince you otherwise?” Her tone becomes suggestive. Extending a long, slender leg, Nathalia’s heeled foot nudges against Hunter’s calf. Nathalia returns his smirk with easy confidence. She would never give someone sex for a simply answer like this. This was just some harmless and fun flirting for Nathalia. “One of the reasons, yeah. I just had to… Get away. From everything. Everyone.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “I just needed a recuperation period, that’s all.” Nathalia clears her thought of the confession. With a thankful smile she says, “Thank you. I appreciate giving me the advantage… But, crap. Yeah, you’re right… I actually like going to gala’s and benefit events, that’s going to be the hard part.” She gives a gentle pout before allowing the corner of her lip to curl with annoyance.

With Hunter leaning forward, her annoyance melts into a chuckle. “I’m still trying to figure out what that something right is myself.” Nathalia winks, never afraid to knock down a man’s ego a few pegs. The way she was doing it with Hunter now was a little different. She wasn’t trying to be mean about it. In fact, she was still trying to giving him compliments. “Born and raised here,” Nathalia repeats, wondering what that was like. “What’s the difference between not liking it here when you were a kid as opposed to not thinking it’s as bad now?” Her eyes look over Hunter while waiting for his answer. Things change, people change. Your memories are skewed and there’s always something deeper. They might be strangers, but Nathalia was fiding Hunter more and more intriguing by the passing moment. “Alright, don’t believe me,” She says, taking a casual sip of her drink. “It is,” She agrees easily, “It is what I said about your Krav Maga skills. — Unlike your skills, mine will leave you without money in your pockets, so just don’t be upset with me when that happens.” Her grin is smug and assured. Oh, how Hunter has no idea that she truly was more than good at poker. “You know, that makes complete sense.” Nathalia nods slowly, agreeing with his words. “Both wanting to find something familiar and Indiana not having the best seafood,” She laughs on Hunter’s part for figuring this out the more difficult way. Nathalia smiles. Genuinely. One dimple crinkles. The way her teeth are perfectly shown gives this away. “I’m glad I interrupted your plans, too. It’s been a fantastic first date.” She smiles, then quickly changes her features with the furrow of her brows. “What? Like fighting a shark is hard?” She asks him, now with a brow arching as if she were serious. “Tell where you’re taking us for our fourth date and we’re even.” She grins with a quiet laugh, knowing exactly what she was doing. “No murder? Okay, well…” She lets out a heavy sigh of thought, “I guess that’s alright. That at least still leaves sitting on the roof of a moving train, stealing from the place of your choosing and skydiving.” Nathalia nods her head to one side, almost as if she were convincing herself those were totally normal crazy ideas. “No! A win is a win. I’m flipping the tables here and I’m going to get you the cute stuffed animal prize.” Nathalia smiles, clearly proud of herself for beating Hunter in a theoretical game of skee ball and winning him a prize. The model snorts at his words and gives him a fake, sympathy look. “Gosh, yeah. Knowing how to shoot some hoops would really just make you that much more attractive. Like, knowing that one specific talent would really just be the cherry on top.” She snaps her fingers in a ’oh, shucks,’ sort of movement. Because she was very clearly being sarcastic. “What did you just say!?” Nathalia asks, mouthed agape from being honestly shocked from what came out of Hunter’s mouth. “Did you just say that air hockey is almost on par with chess, strategically?” Nathalia laughs a belly deep, loud laugh, throwing her head back. As someone who avidly and loved playing chess, she did not agree with this at all. “That is so not true!” Reacting, a palm lands on her chest, then covers her mouth with laughter. Coming back to eye sight, Nathalia shakes her head at Hunter. “Is that another game I’m gonna have to kick your ass in?”

"If I had that amount of money and nothing else to spend it on, then I wouldn't mind doing it there." Hunter wasn't a gambler, he always waited for that winning feeling that kept you wanting for more but it never came. "Is that just a nice way to say I don't like fancy enough?" he teased her with a smile, knowing that she was right. He didn't enjoy places like that. Hunter couldn't hold back the rumble of laughter that came after the D.B. Cooper comment. "It does sound like something I wouldn't mind, parachuting, I mean. I don't think I could live in the unknown mountains, I still need some sort of human interaction." While that didn't seem like it in the past months, Hunter was the type of person that thrived when he was with a group of people and he was sure that things would go back to normal in a few months once he was left this town and back into his old lifestyle. "Fiji is a wonderful place, so I don't blame you for wanting to live there," he replied before he looked at her, debating whether to ask or not the following question. "But..." he started as he leaned his elbow into the bar, "wouldn't you get bored there? I'm not talking about the no Wi-Fi thing, I think we can all survive without it. I mean, living in the same place?" Just the thought of being in a place for too long made him feel uneasy, he was a man consumed by wanderlust. He noticed a change in her demeanor, suddenly she seemed a bit tenser and he wondered what he had said that triggered such reaction. However, soon enough, he found out the reason. "What an asshole," he blurted out, his tone came out harsher than he had intended. "I know it's cliché but you probably deserve better." He didn't know her that well, but Hunter knew one thing and that was that no one deserved to be cheated on. "That's all I wanted to hear!" He said before raising his arms triumphantly.

"Oh come on! You have to tell me." Hunter laughed, and very wholeheartedly before he nudged her lightly in an attempt to persuade her to give him more details. "Okay, okay... I won't judge you anymore." He raised his right hand as a sign of a promise, although he wasn't sure if that was one he'd be able to keep. His brows furrowed with a puzzled expression upon his face. "What is that supposed to mean?" Hunter wasn't entirely oblivious to the fact that, well, he'd won the genetic lottery but that didn't mean people were trying to impress him all the time. "Believe it or not, I've had my fair share of rejections." The most hurtful by his wife, who left without saying a word but it wasn't the time or the place to recall that. "Also, you say that as if you were some kind of Frankenstein. I could say the same about you, look at you!" He mimicked her gesture with his wrist. "As far as I know, you could be the princess in the new live-action Disney is going to do about Monaco," he teased but he meant it. She did have the air of a movie star.

If they weren't having such a playful and entertaining conversation Hunter would have given in easily after such action. Men were easily convinced and Hunter was sure that Nathalia, quite frankly, was a woman that easily could swarm anyone's head whenever she wanted. At her proposition, he hummed out as if he were considering it. "While tempting..." he started, leaning in up closer to her, "I don't know why you want to ruin the surprise of our fourth date," he finished, lips now curled up into a smirk before he leaned back in his chair. "And how is it so far? The recuperation period, I mean." It was a bit ironic how some people thought of Catalina as the perfect getaway, but that was only because their past wasn't tied up to this island. "You do? Well, in that case, I'd recommend you to find a plus one who can save you from those unwanted interactions with Catalina's elite."

"Wow! You're really raising my ego just to tear it down," he replied, shaking his head with a feigned hurt expression. "But it's okay, I can take it," Hunter smirked at her, a semblance of a crooked smile on his lips as he winked at her. How could he reply to her following question without killing the mood? For a fleeting moment, he thought of telling her the real difference. Catalina, after all, was his home. The place that held most of his memories with his parents. Yet, Hunter decided not to be that open, and not because he didn't feel comfortable enough to admit that to Nathalia, even if they really didn't know each other that well. In fact, he was surprised by how comfortable he felt around her. He didn't mention it because well, he was having too much fun and he didn't want to turn this into a sob story. "The time, I guess," he finally replied before his eyes dropped down to her drink. "I haven't been back long enough to hate it that much." There was some truth in his words, it was only a matter of time before Hunter felt eager to leave. "I feel that you are not only undermining my Krav Maga skills, you are also underestimating my poker skills and I don't appreciate that," he pointed out, nodding along with a feigned degree of animated arrogance. Unfortunately for Hunter, Nathalia wasn't underestimating anything. He didn't really have any poker skills to brag about, he could brag about his Monopoly or UNO skills but unfortunately for him, that wouldn't earn him any sort of economic profit. "Indiana has a lot of good stuff, but seafood is not one of them." He chuckled at the memory. Another smile fought its way onto his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smile this effortlessly, lately, smiling felt like an obligation, and he was getting tired of mustering fake smiles. "Feel free to interrupt my plans again," he added, a soft humble version of a smile rested upon his lips. "Okay Elle Woods, I'll tell you." He rolled his eyes and let out a really heavy, almost tired sigh. A sigh of defeat. "I won't take you to Fiji because that's the place where you'll go when you want to be alone and some peace of mind," he started, trying to think of the best place where he would take her. He'd been to many places and from what he could gather about her, so had she. "I would take you to my favorite place in the world. This city called Salzburg in Austria. I guess it has it the typical charm of a European city, but I don't know, it's the only place where I'd consider settling down." If he wasn't enjoying her company, that's the place where he'd rather be. "Interesting choices. I've already tried skydiving, so we can rule that out. I've never stolen anything from anywhere nor I've sat on the roof of a moving train. There's no train here, so I guess that leaves us one choice..." He shrugged as if there was no choice but to find the nearest store and steal something from it. "You would get a cute stuffed animal for me?" He put his hand over his heart. "Okay, fine, you can keep that win and I'll keep the stuffed animal." It wasn’t even about winning per se, he just liked the banter with her, it was the experience of seeing her laugh. "I'm truly convinced that the reason why I'm single is that I don't know how to shoot some hoops," Hunter said in a serious tone before a smile returned to his lips. "I said what I said." He lightly banged his fist on the bar, resting his case even if he didn't believe that but it was fun to see her reaction. "Nah," Hunter shook his head, "it's another game in which I'll let you win." Not that he needed to do that, he knew she was probably right and that she would kick his ass mercilessly.

[hunterbexley]

faith vaughn‌

How was she in such a conversational profession and the concept of talking to people outside of work was such a messy situation for her. Or maybe she was just in capable of a good conversation where her entire conversation wasn’t clearly or purposefully ordered for certain things. “Thanks” she nodded, her eyes catching the origami-ish action, she couldn’t do anything like that. She could do the little shift things where your hands hold it in but anything else, she was absolute trash at. Faith snickered at his response, she had to agree, the night was as bad as she had thought, even if it had more interaction that she was hoping and even if she was forced here. Faith nodded slowly, a small shake, “no, it’s- that’s good, this is a good night for good things? Something like that. I think that was meant to sound more encouraging than it actually came out.” Faith paused, going through the recent things that had happened to her. Work was easily the first thing to come to her mind, but this was the last place she wanted to think about anything work-related. Ah. “Interesting… Well I had a pretty weird date recently, but it happens to the best of us, right.”

Soft laughter spilled from his lips as blue eyes glanced her way. "You tried and that's what matters," he said, also trying to sound encouraging but he didn't succeed. A more positive person, rather a person in a better mood would have tried to make the most out of this night. How often does this kind of event happen? But due to the recent events in his life, he struggled to see the silver lining. "The night is still young, so I guess good things can still happen, right?" Hunter flashed her a smile before he put the napkin aside once he'd finished. "It's more common than you would think." He could really relate to that comment, especially after the last date he went on to. It had been so awkward that the mere thought of it still made him cringe. Maybe if he'd been at a different time in his life things would have worked out. "My sister set me up with someone a few weeks ago, and let's just say it didn't go that great. What happened in yours that made it so weird?"

[hunterbexley]

cassandra brookes‌

Closed Starter: @hunterbexley​ Location: Outside balcony Time: Late evening

Despite coming to the casino together, Cass hadn’t really gotten much of a chance to spend time with Hunter yet. Not as much as she’d been hoping to, at any rate. They had gone their separate ways earlier in the night to speak with people they knew and she honestly hadn’t seen him since. But the night was still young, and Cass used the moment of free time to duck out onto a balcony, finding relief from the crowded ballroom in the form of a fresh breeze playing through her curls. 

After what felt like a bare moment alone, she heard someone else slip outside behind her, causing her to turn and glance over her shoulder, her face breaking into a smile when she realized it was none other than her wayward date. “Well, hey good lookin’,” she said, turning fully to look at him. Her features fell into a mask of concern though at his appearance, the words not feeling well tumbling out of his mouth in a rush. The man looked like he was about to have a panic attack more than anything - something Cass was all too familiar with herself. Without a second thought, she stepped up to Hunter and took his hand, pulling him aside before placing her hands on his cheeks. “Hunter, hey– look at me,” she coaxed gently. “Deep breaths, okay? Just take a few deep breaths and then we’ll get out of here.” Going with him wasn’t even a question in her mind; if he didn’t feel well, she wanted to make sure he made it home safely.

If he had his phone right now, Hunter would have called his sister and let it all out with her. Charlotte would have known how to calm him down and what to do, but that was not an option. He hadn't seen Cass since they both went their separate ways to talk to some people, and while he trusted her, Hunter knew that he couldn't tell her what was happening without coming clear with this aspect of his past. He decided to leave the main room and have some fresh air on the balcony. Just as he opened the door, he noticed that Cass was also there. His first instinct was to avoid the conversation altogether but instead, he froze.

It was until she spoke that he realized how agitated he was, his heart thudded in his chest, and his hands were shaking. He did as she said and took a few deep breaths, although he could still feel the pressure on his chest. Pull yourself together, pull yourself together. He thought, but his body decided to ignore such command. There was no way to ignore what was happening, he knew that sooner or later she would ask what was happening and he wouldn't have an answer. Well, he did, but not one he was willing to disclose right now at least. "I'm okay," he managed to say, although it took all the effort in the world to say it and even so, it hadn't come out as convincing as he would have liked to. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed. Don't worry, it's fine." That was a white lie, while he was overwhelmed, there was a reason for that and that reason had a name.

[hunterbexley]

kendall ryan‌

Kendall glanced over at him, and shook her head. “Nah, I couldn’t possibly recharge in a place like this,” she said, a smile playing at her lips. “I’m just trying to keep the charge I do have. I’m probably hovering at 50 percent, maybe.” Kendall let herself lean back against the wall, slightly turned towards him. “I think it’s that much more exhausting because of how easy cell phones make it. Y’know?”

She had a point, no one could really get a break from all the social activity in a place like this one. "That's more than what I have left. I guess I took it for granted and assumed that if I kept myself busy talking to people time would fly, but that didn't really work out." Hunter shrugged, before letting out a sigh. "I guess you are right. Having a face-to-face talk is a lot more exhausting than sending a text. So, what is your plan to get through the night?"

[hunterbexley]

faith vaughn‌

Starter for @hunterbexley​ // Founder’s Day Ball

Make conversation, be more social. Faith needed to convince herself to step out of her comfort zone, that and her space in the corner was getting more and more crowded. Maneuvering around the crowded space, she glanced over at the only open spot she could fine, “is this space open?” she smiled, taking a seat. She tapped her fingers on the table lightly, smiling nicely at the other people at the table, leaning back into her chair as she watched all of them continue their small conversations. How long did she have to stay here? “How’s this whole thing going for you so far?” She asked turning to the person next to her. That was lame. “Uh, best thing that’s happened to you recently, like this month, what was it?”

The longer he spent time at the party, the more he understood why their phones had been confiscated, if he had his he would be at this same very table but looking at the device. He had engaged in conversation with the other people in the table, but he didn't know them that well and truth to be told, he wasn't also very interested in the conversation they were having. In order to keep himself occupied, Hunter grabbed a napkin and started folding it, trying to remember the steps to fold it into a pinwheel, a trick his mother had taught him when he was little. He was so entranced in the activity that he didn't even know her presence until she spoke. "Oh, no please sit down," he said with a small smile before returning his attention to the napkin as he figured she would join the group's conversation. When she spoke again, it took him a few seconds to realize she was talking to him. "Uh,  it's not as bad as I thought." I didn't mean it was good either. "Would you believe me if I said tonight?" That was a lie but it was better than telling her that he really couldn't think of something good that had happened in the previous months. "What about you? Anything interesting has happened to you?"

[hunterbexley]

cora kyle‌

Whatever silent oath Cora had taken some hours before to be one of those more sober among her friends - a one night only venture and something that had been passed onto her through the flaw ridden system of, it’s your turn - clearly wasn’t something she had any hope of sticking to. The glass she held barely empty before the next slipped between lithe fingers. Her innate inability to say no proving itself far more imminent venture surrounded by the glitz and glamour of the ball itself. Two years, and even still, she was still swallowing back the knowledge that she had to be careful who she spoke to or ran into. It’s not something that she could safely claim had been her brightest idea two years prior, but running from things and people she didn’t want to run from, proved a little less difficult knowing she couldn’t be shocked in Catalina. She knew who was here, and who exactly would never be again. A stringent ache that pulled a weighted string from beating organ at a near-constant and methodical rate. Despite the skewed recognition the masks offered, Cora had pulled aside by the manager of one of the hotels looking to partner up with her budding company. Undoubtedly, it was a conversation she’d desperately wanted to have, but somehow being three champagnes deep and then some didn’t feel like the right time. Though perhaps, it was a far better venture than the twisted, corroded knife that would draw barely healed puncture marks wide open with something as fleetingly simple as the sound of her name on his tongue. Words that might have usually slipped without thought choked her, Cora falling silent but for the deafening sound of everything within her chest imploding all at once. Leave the mask on, leave the mask…– She was never quite as lucky as she might have liked to have been. Posture crippled as shoulders fell with the lacking breath in her lungs, “I – Excuse… Excuse me,” Muttered in a near incoherent trip over her own tongue to her previous company, the singular step Cora reached to take towards the bathrooms dwindled instantly with his hand curling far more gently than she deserved around her arm. It scored heat across her skin and carved against marks that already existed within the very marrow of her bones as far too much of her felt the guilt-ridden feeling of relief to r be with him in any such capacity after so long. Only, she knew that the same feeling couldn’t possibly live within the curvature of fingertips that she peeled away from her arm now. “An invite.” A breathless timbre that barely made itself known within the cacophony of sounds that flooded the room. Swallowing thickly, Cora cleared her throat and forced another pace between them, “I got an invite.” Which, didn’t exactly explain to him how and why she’d received one in the first place, just that she had, and that she was here. Manicured brows caught a crease and doe hues sought out the intricate design on her own shoe, “You’re… I thought you’d never.. –” Breathe. Just breathe. “You never liked coming here. Home, I mean.” It was the one thing she’d found herself betting on after everything, then again, it wasn’t so farfetched to believe that the menial, yet sharp edges of subconscious thought might have even hoped, that one day he would.

He wanted it to be a mistake. No, in fact, he needed it to be a mistake for he wasn't prepared to confront her tonight in such a public space. To say he hadn't thought about this moment would be an understatement, he’s thought about this moment, right here, ever since he came home to found she was no longer there. The divorce had been quick and Hunter had lived in a state of disbelief for the next weeks after before his walls had eventually come crumbling down. The group of people looked at them as they step away, their faces wondering why the tension had choked all life from the air before they carried on with their conversation. Once alone, Hunter didn't bring himself to look at her instead, he stared off into the distance until she replied to his question which sent a chill down his spine. If this was a different story, he would have laughed at the straightforward answer, however, he felt angry at the lack of response. Inevitably his eyes latched on to hers, not looking away for a moment. "Is that supposed to be funny?" He snapped back, he didn’t often do that, but this was no ordinary conversation.

Throughout their marriage, Cora had never given him any reason to doubt her but after the way she left, Hunter wasn't sure if he still knew the person standing before him. In fact, every word she said felt as if she was twisting the knife over and over. "So you thought that the best idea would be to move here?" Hunter replied followed by a humorless chuckle. She wasn't wrong, though. Catalina was the place he once swore never to return to, but life always found a way to bring him back. "How did you even think this was a good idea? My family lives here and—" He paused and wondered if she already knew about his parents which also made him wonder how long had she been in town. "Hold on... how long have you been here?" He finally asked, a frown encroaching on his forehead. There was an unsettled movement in his stomach willing him to back down and leave, but he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to get some well-deserved answers.

[hunterbexley]

kendall ryan‌

location: founders day ball tagged: open ( @catalinastarter​ )

Kendall was an introvert, wholeheartedly. She needed extroverts with her at these kinds of events, to pull her out from her own head, but she was just going to have to rely on her good friend alcohol to do that for her. As she leaned against the wall, watching someone tear up the dancefloor to Britney Spears’ Toxic, she took a big sip of her drink and grimaced as it burned going down. She barely took a breath before finishing it, pushing up with her shoulder blades off the wall to head to the bar to get another one. 

Hunter usually thrived in social events like this one, and while he had to admit that being talked into coming to this event tonight hadn't been so bad, he also needed a break from all the interaction he'd had so far. That's why he sought shelter in a corner, but to his surprise, he wasn't the only one trying to escape the rest of the party. "Is this the place where you recharge your social battery?" he asked with a light chuckle as he leaned against the wall next to her. "You know, I'm actually old enough to remember life without cellphones but I don't remember social interaction without them being this exhausting."

[hunterbexley]

sara vilaro‌

@catalinastarter​.

Only two hours into the event and Sara had already managed to lose her purse and the roommate that she arrived with. Not that she was all too concerned with what Lia was doing. The girl could hold her own without her roommate, but it was Sara that needed a familiar face in the crowd. With the train of her mahogany coloured gown dragging behind her, Sara shuffled around the crowded hall, hoping to find some company, but was instead greeted by the contact of someone else’s cold beverage. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” she hissed through a barely maintained, fake smile and tightly gritted teeth as she felt the cold beverage biting into her skin.

Hunter wasn't a stranger to events like these, although this was the first time he was asked to wear a mask. However and in spite of the familiarity, this kind of event brought, he couldn't help but feel out of place. It had been years since the last time he attended such a formal event, maybe he had lost practice or he wasn't still in the mood for this. Whatever it was, he was stuck inside this place and he also had no other way to distract himself as his phone had been taken away. With some drinks in hand, Hunter was on his way to go back to his table when he got distracted by a man dancing his heart out to Mambo No.5. He glanced at the dancefloor for a few seconds but in that short lapse of time, he managed to bump into another person and spill both drinks on her. "I am so sorry," he was quick to apologize, saying a curse of his own under his breath. "Let me get you a napkin," he said as he went over to the nearest table and grabbed one for her. "Here you go. Once again, I'm sorry. Let me get you a drink, or anything just to redeem myself."

[hunterbexley]

FOR: @cxrakyle​

LOCATION: Founder’s Day Ball

TIME: Evening

Hunter wasn’t nearly drunk enough for this yet. How he had let Cass talk him into coming here remained a mystery. The evening was a strange sight, everyone was hiding behind a mask and if he was being truly honest with himself, he liked the idea of wearing one as he was very little interest in making small talk. Months had passed since his parents' death and while it was still painful to think about that, he was also tired of those stares and he wasn't sure if he could stand another conversation that started with 'sorry for your loss'. He didn't need that painful reminder. It was still fairly early but the casino started filling, and as the minutes passed it started to feel more like those charity events his parents used to take him when he was younger, some of which happened in this very room. Everyone was dressed to the nines and surrounded by that particular party vibe. Perhaps it was because of the masks, but as he waited at the bar for his drink he began to listen to the conversations happening around him as if he was playing to guess who was the person behind the mask. But what he didn't expect, what he couldn't have foreseen was the way one of the voices from that group made his heart quiver. He'd seen her around that same night, but it was until he heard her that he realized why she seemed so awfully familiar.

A breath stuck in his throat, eyes blinking rapidly in surprise as if it were a figment of his imagination. Could it really be her? Maybe he spent too much time with her on his mind that now he was leaking that into his reality, but it didn't seem so. He should have known better than to approach her, especially after every pain that she’s caused him, but he did it anyway. "Cora?" That was a name he hadn't said in years and never expected to utter ever again. His family and those friends that had known her knew better than to mention that name. Hunter wasn't sure if she would recognize him which is why he took of the stupid mask. He believed that maybe she didn't even think about him. That was the only logical explanation as to why she was here, in his damn hometown. The last thing Hunter wanted was to start a scene, so he softly grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the group. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice was flat and his eyes peered right over the top of her head, never actually meeting hers. He should be angry, he should be asking more questions than that but he was still trying to convince himself that this was not a sick trick his mind was playing on him.

[hunterbexley]

reagan jacobs‌

With as much as she traveled in her lifetime, Reagan had no lack of people she’d met over the years in passing. Be it from one of the locations she’d stayed at for work or, in some cases, the airports she spent seemingly half her life in, she found herself with connections that spanned all over the globe. Most of the time it was people that she simply never ran into again, but in some rare instances, she somehow managed to run into the same people over and over again. In the case of Hunter, it had started to happen so often that Reagan had started to almost take it seriously that perhaps he was, in fact, stalking her. A ridiculous thought, but one that had started to feel real the more she ran into him. So, when she saw him walking towards her on the street, there was a moment where the surprise nearly grew her eyes straight out of her head. Hunter was probably one of the last people she’d expected to see on the island and yet, there he was. 

“You have got to be kidding me. I think we may just need to call them up because clearly this stalking thing is getting out of hand,” she teased back, her head shaking in amazement at the situation. She’d seen the man all over the globe and now, by some crazy chance, they had wound up again in the same place. “I mean, my god, you’ve finally taken things out of the airport and into the real world. I’ve been here for five years and I can confidently say I’ve never seen you here. Starting to think you’re making up home towns now.” Her own tone was just a jovial, a hint of teasing coming out clearly as she laughed, the situation almost unbelievable. “But yes, of course. Regina George. Glad to see you again, Ernie,” she greeted, not missing a beat as she took a step forward to offer a warm handshake. “You’re really from here, huh? Small fuckin’ world. For what it’s worth, it’s good to see you again.”

It wasn't rare for him to run into people in different places or parts of the world, although most of those meetings happened in airports or hotel lobbies. However, after a few months back in Catalina, Hunter was still getting used to running into old familiar faces and the unbearable small talk. He enjoyed more running into a colleague he'd seen perhaps once or twice in his life than cross paths with people he'd known for years. That is why this particular encounter didn't bother him and he certainly wasn't looking for an excuse to leave. "You're kidding, right?" he asked, waiting for her to start laughing or something that could give him any indication that she wasn't serious and she hadn't lived here for the past five years. After a few seconds, Hunter realized that she was serious. "That's because I haven't lived here since I was eighteen," he stated with an easy-going smile. It was true, for the most part. Once he left, he swore to never come back but of course, his mother made sure that he didn't stay true to that promise. So, every Christmas he would come back for a couple of days but that was about it.

"Ernie? Yeah, that's who I am, sure." Hunter agreed with a chuckle before shaking her hand. Have they ever talked for more than five minutes? The longest conversation they had happened when she accused him of stalking her and they definitely didn't discuss their hometowns in that interaction. "Born and raised here," he replied, trying his best to conceal the disdain he felt for this place. "Good to see you again too and that this time there are no cops involved," he teased, another smile easily catching his expression. "So, five years, uh? I wouldn't have taken you for the kind of person that stays in one place for that amount of time. Why this place?"

[hunterbexley]

cassandra brookes‌

Cass let out another boisterous laugh at his question before nodding in agreement with him as he answered himself. “Yeah, no. Definitely weird. But if you’re honestly that curious you can always just, I dunno… rub my head or somethin’? I’m sure if it’s that misshapen you’ll be able to feel all the weird curves and edges.” She arched a disbelieving brow at his next comment, scoffing when he did his best to look offended by her comment. “As a matter of fact I do think you’d use them intentionally if you thought it’d get you what you wanted,” she teased right back. Not that she actually believed he’d do it in a mean way, but she would easily give him her last piece of cake if he pulled those damned adorable eyes on her. Cass jokingly placed her hand against her forehead then, pretending to swoon over Hunter at his words. “Oh, Hunter… you’re on to me. I can’t go on if you’re not around… I don’t know how I’ve even made it through these past few months,” she teased, complete with the heavy southern accent and the batting eyelashes as she gazed up at him. She straightened up and chuckled again, dropping the impression of the southern Belle before giving her own look of faux offense. “Better than me? You wound me, man.” She shrugged in response to his comment. “I kind of expected it to be complex, to be honest. I don’t feel like just anyone could fly a plane, you know? And it makes a lot of sense that landing and take off would be the tricky parts. Guessin’ once you get it in the air it gets easy for a bit.” Honestly she wasn’t sure if trying to fly a plane would feel too much like driving a car, but she was sure that if she had a panic attack, Hunter wouldn’t hold it against her. “Cloverleaf is literally like what it sounds.” She pantomimed the pattern in the air in front of them with her finger. “You ride the horse around 3 barrels in a specific pattern to see who can do it the fastest. It’s all about teamwork with your horse, cause you gotta have the speed, the ability to stick close to the barrels without knocking ‘em over, and you gotta bolt across the finish line.” It probably seemed silly to some, but she loved the feeling of racing around the barrels and the sense of connection with her horse, so she tended to be a little passionate about it when she talked. 

Hunter pretended to consider the offer before shaking his head as his shoulders relaxed. "Nah, I believe you," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You really have a bad image of me, don't ya? It's not my fault that you can't say no to me. I think that says more about you than about me." While he wasn't going to admit out loud and give her the satisfaction of being right, Hunter was well-aware of the effect he had on her, but it wasn't a secret that he also struggled to say no to her. He dramatically rolled his eyes toward Cass, laughing as he couldn’t hold back his laugh any longer. "You don't need to be that sarcastic," he retorted, nudging her lightly. "Just so you know, I did miss you." He wasn't joking around even if his tone made it seem like he was, he really missed her when she wasn't around and even if they texted each other often, it didn't feel enough. "Okay, okay... maybe not better but it would make a better story." He shrugged, lips stretched into a crooked, amused smile. "I mean, it's not an intrinsically difficult skill. What makes it difficult is the consequences of failure. The stakes are really high and not everyone can deal with that kind of pressure." If Cass really wanted to learn, he would take the time to teach her. However, if all she wanted was to fly around he would also do that for her, and because he truly enjoyed her company. His gaze followed her finger as she pantomimed the pattern, his brain trying to picture it. "I assume your horse must have a lot of trust in you and vice-versa in order to do that." He wasn't a rider and he was ashamed to admit that he was a bit afraid of horses, but he understood the connection Cass had with hers and how that was a key element.

[hunterbexley]

ava halliwell‌

Prioritising everyone else but herself — that was Ava’s coping mechanism. It was a terrible and unhealthy way to avoid every aspect that was wrong with her life, yet it kept her mind distracted daily until she became too exhausted to think at the end of the day. One day, she was sure, that this was going to backfire on her. But today wasn’t the day. A positive side of her homecoming was her reconnecting with those that once had a dear and close place in her life. Hunter being one of those people, although initially thinking that the two had lost touch, somehow they crossed paths in New York City of all places. A city she was grateful for a fresh start, with no one knowing about herself and her family at all, but ultimately she was thankful she had a friendly face around whenever the city seemed to big and lonely to her. It was funny how they went through stages of their lives almost around the time, although it was the tougher times that seemed to bond the two of them nowadays. Particularly in the past year. The brunette couldn’t have been more relieved to find Hunter back in Catalina too, but the day when she heard about the unfortunate news, her heart sank for him. The visits to her funeral home turned from a friendly visit to a professional capacity, but Ava did everything in her power to organise the funeral and give Hunter and his sister the time and opportunity to provide his parents a proper goodbye. It was why she often kept him in her thoughts and felt as though it was her duty as a friend to check up on him. But lately, she was feeling rather lonely herself and needed the company too, especially from someone who understood what she was going through right now. “Unfortunately, I look just a bit too old to be Charlie,” She answered teasingly, before grinning at his response. “I knew it. Pie is the key to everyone’s heart. I was hoping you’d say yes too, because I would really feel guilty eating it on my own.” Stepping inside his home, Ava followed him into the kitchen, before waving her hands quickly at his apology. “Oh, don’t you start apologising, it’s fine,” She reassured him. “I’ve been busy too, so I get it.” She would respect it if he needed the space too, because god knows how many times she reminded in the walls of her house simply to avoid any social interactions. “Me too. My house just feels…a little too empty sometimes.” She confessed, although she hoped that Hunter would understand her sentiment. “I’m okay,” She started. It was the truth. Hardly making a scratch into the new year so far, nothing really seemed to be going wrong, yet. “Business have been slow but I think I should take that as a good sign. Everything is still really the same to be honest.” Her marital status, for example. But she wasn’t about to dampen the mood when she was here to check on and to catch up with her friend right now. “None of that ‘new year, new me’ crap from me though. But what about you? How are you?”

Coming back to Catalina wouldn't have been his first choice, he couldn't deny that being surrounded by old friends had made everything a bit easier. Ava was one of those friends and Hunter would be eternally grateful for all she had done for him and his sister over the past weeks. While he tried not to dwell too much about his parents' death, Hunter was sure that without Ava's help, grief would have come in waves, threatening to consume him entirely. Up until now, Hunter had never really experienced this kind of loss. He'd seen it happened but it was always a distant relative or someone else's relative. It was sad, he sure knew that and he felt a feeling of dread but he never fully grasped it. It was hard to understand how the rest of the world kept going after something like this happened and it wasn't a secret that Hunter was struggling to fit back into a normal and painless routine. That's why seeing Ava outside his door put a genuine smile on his face as he not only felt comfortable around her but also understood. "I would hate to make you feel guilty, so I have no choice but to eat that pie with you," he replied, a chuckle leaving his lips. Her demeanor slightly changed when she talked about the emptiness she felt in her house. He'd had that feeling before when his ex-wife left, but this was different. This house had always been full of noise even if the place was still too big for a family of four. His father watching football in the living room while his mother spoke with one of her sisters in the kitchen. Now this place was like a gaping void, needing to be filled with sounds, words, anything. "I know the feeling," he said with a shrug. He didn't need to start pouring out all of his feelings as he knew that Ava understood. "Ah! So that means you don't have a list full of unreasonable stuff you want to achieve in the next 366 days?" he laughed, he himself never understood why a new year meant everyone had to change their entire life. Hunter took a few seconds to answer her question, not because he was preparing to lie but because he wasn't sure how he was. These days it was hard to tell. "I've been alright," he finally said but didn't sound very convinced. "Better, I mean," he added, concluding that this answer was closer to the truth. He didn't feel alright but at least he didn't feel a shear of nothingness anymore. "Want to do the honors?" he said as he offered her the knife to cut a slice of pie.