EWAY IC CONTACT

[tom_hanniger]

This is Tom. Leave a message.

Comments

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[lightgunhustler]

Maybe? He had a rider here for awhile, think they were from the same place. I don't know if he'd take anyone else up. Seems like they probably had to work at it for awhile, but maybe he'd be willing.

[She grins a bit wider, curious.]

You looking to hitch a ride on a dragon, Tom?

action;

[tom_hanniger]

[He throws a guilty shrug.]

If the opportunity arose, hell yes.

When else would it even be possible?. Usually when you say you're riding the dragon it means you're cracked out in a heroin den somewhere.

action;

[lightgunhustler]

It would be kind of awesome, wouldn't it.

[She squints one eye at him, smirking.]

You know that from experience?

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[tom_hanniger]

[Eeeeeeuch....]

Nooo, no, no.

[This looks bad, doesn't it. She's probably kidding and all? But it's uncomfortable.]

Not my style.

[Though to be entirely honest? he'd done some dark shit to keep his demons at bay.]

action;

[lightgunhustler]

Hey, I'm only teasing. Don't sweat it, okay?

[She's pretty sure he knows better than to take her seriously on this point, but just in case.]

You don't strike me as that kind of a guy.

[He's too nice for that.]

You can't even hold that much liquor.

[More teasing. Deal with it.]

text;

[tom_hanniger]

[OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE]

Jesus christ I do not have a tattoo. where are you ill prove it.

action;

[tom_hanniger]

I, no I know- I just didn't want you getting the wrong idea.

[But exsqeeze you what was that miss Harvelle?]

It's not my go to coping mechanism. [He could ruin the mood and tell her his dad died of it? but that is p much the worst thing. He could also mention the meds but he wasn't one to listen to doctor's orders when drinking and drugs were involved seeing as he's had a drink with Ben and then later tried to get a beer in town. And that was only after being back in Harmony for a day or two tops.]

action;

[lightgunhustler]

Honestly? I tease, but that's probably for the best. It's not for everyone.

[Some people handle it just fine, but she's seen plenty of people go overboard.]

It's called Hunter's Helper for a reason, but I still hate to see anyone use it as a crutch as opposed to an indulgence.

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[tom_hanniger]

If you've got to do it drunk it's not worth doing. [Said in the sense that this is something he's said before.]

I get the feeling there should be a support group..

[Doesn't anyone go to therapy? Process their bullshit like normal people?]

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[lightgunhustler]

Some of the things you see in our line of work, you just can't talk about.

[She smiles thinly. She knows it sounds like a cop-out, but if you let yourself think about things too much? God. You'd go crazy.]

You can share stories with other hunters, but... it gets violent. The stuff we deal with, most people only see in their worst nightmares, you know? So a lot of the older guys especially turn to the bottle.

text;

[theheartpart]

just send me a picture we dont need to meet dude

[Text, Night 2 of AU Event]

[lightgunhustler]

I came by your room earlier to apologize in person, but you weren't there.

[It sounds silly spelling it out like that, since he'll know they haven't spoken, but the situation is so awkward that she can't help herself.]

I'm sorry. For the confusion and what you might think I accused you of.

action;

[tom_hanniger]

Hn.

[He knows what that looks like. Tom considers it for a moment. He's not really one to judge, and hunters seem to have their work cut out for them, but he has particular feelings about this subject.]

It's a shitty way to go.

[Action]

[tom_hanniger]

[This doesn't seem like a text he really wants to reply to. Not particularly well articulated via text message, and not exactly the one to discuss feelings at great length, Tom picks up and goes to find her instead.]

Hey.

[He's holding his communicator in his hand and signals with it.]

Got your message.

[Because he doesn't want there to be an issue, but doesn't like communicating more than he has to if it's not in person. It's hard to talk about important things on the phone and especially over text. You can't see how the person is reacting or read their face as you speak, it's awkward and just leads to miscommunication.]

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[lightgunhustler]

[That smile fades, however forced it was to begin with, and she looks troubled as she leans back in her seat, watching him across the table as realization begins to set in.]

You -- I'm sorry.

[She can't say how, exactly, but it's clear he's got some experience with alcohol abuse in his history somewhere.]

I didn't realize it was a sore subject.

[Action]

[lightgunhustler]

[Though normally she'd be found in the bar itself, it's late enough that he happens to catch her on the way back to her room -- not a terribly far walk, and only a little ways down the hall from his own room, which turns out to be pretty convenient in this case. She's not, however, expecting him to come reply to her in person, so she startles when she hears his voice behind her, composing herself before she turns to face him.

He's right, talking over text message would have been awkward, but this was it's own brand of uncomfortable. At least at the football game, there had been other people around. Now it was just them, no distractions, just the awkward misunderstanding between them to address.]

Hey.

[She quirks a faint smile as he signals with the communicator. Cute.]

I didn't realize you'd make a house call.

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[tom_hanniger]

Nah, it's okay.

[He tries to shrug it off.]

My dad.. [The silent half of that being 'drank himself to death.' But he doesn't want to ruin their really nice lunch with the Wah Wah Tom Party.]

But, he did it to himself, so.

[It's not like he blames himself or anything. Except he totally does but HE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S SHITTY DECISIONS.]

[Action]

[tom_hanniger]

I hate texting. [With a light laugh.]

You can't actually tell what's going on.

[Plus it's shitty to talk about important things through a machine? Call him old fashioned.]

Look, I can see why you thought I was bein' sleezy. I swear I wasn't, but I get it. No hard feelings?

action;

[lightgunhustler]

I'm sorry.

[She might be repeating herself, but there's more purpose to it now. Sympathy. Some degree of understanding. She can fill in those blanks well enough. She's seen it happen before.]

I'm no stranger to that kind of thing. Occupational hazard, I guess.

[Should she not have invited him down to the bar to play darts? She wouldn't be surprised if he had a natural aversion to that kind of place.]

You're smart, you know that?

[To know better than to follow in his father's footsteps, but she's not going to say that part out loud.]

[Action]

[lightgunhustler]

I'd noticed. [She smiles a little, almost sheepish.] That you don't like texting, I mean. Or the network, really. I don't see you use it much at all.

[She agrees, though. It's harder to read someone's real reaction through the communicators. Damn near impossible, actually.]

Yeah, there's -- there's no hard feelings. I promise.

[She forces that smile a bit wider, but it takes effort.]

I don't know, I hate to use the word 'sleezy.'

[Action]

[tom_hanniger]

[He shrugs. He's a social guy, right. He just used it. But, eh, he just didn't see much of a point yapping over the network if he didn't need to.]

Doesn't mean I don't read the network feed, I guess I just don't have much to say.

[A pause.]

Why do you care about me anyhow, what about Dean? Aren't you two..complicated?

action;

[tom_hanniger]

Don't worry about it. Life happens.

[Not smart enough to catch that silent addition. Or to look after his best interests. This is the guy who once decided to get a beer in a lion's den when he shouldn't even be drinking.

Still, he raises an eyebrow.]

Why...? What'd I do?

[Action]

[lightgunhustler]

That's being a little generous.

[She shakes her head a little, folding her arms. There had been potential there, once, but the hunter lifestyle didn't lend itself well to romance. Not to mention the fact that the last time she saw either of the boys before this place, Sam had pretty much dashed all of her hopes concerning Dean. Dean himself had sealed the deal, pulling her out of the fire and then disappearing, like hunters tended to do. She'd never heard from him again.]

Until this place, I hadn't heard from him in years. You know how guys always say they'll call you back, but never do? Yeah. He's one of those. Ran off after I pulled a bullet out of his shoulder and never came back.

action;

[lightgunhustler]

You didn't do what he did.

[She pauses to help herself to another french fry. Should she be eating during this conversation? Is it rude? Maybe it will help keep things from going too dark.]

It would have been easy, right? I don't know the details, but I know you've got a lot to deal with. Anxiety and everything else. Some people would lean really hard on whatever vice they could find.

action;

[tom_hanniger]

[He lets out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, a smirk pulling on the left side of his mouth.]

Can't say I didn't try, but I'm not really a wallower.

[He's much better at wallowing and running, and then more wallowing. Tom considers taking out his tablets and giving them a shake for emphasis but thinks better of it. When he does speak, it's short but considered, like he's trying to find the balance in his own truth.]

My dad..

When I was a kid there was an accident in the mine we owned and bunch of men died.. It was an accident but a lot of people blamed me for it. I don't think he could handle that and he chose whiskey over responsibility. Truth is those mines have been outdated for as long as I can remember. If he'd updated the machinery it might never'of happened.

But in a town like ours it's easier to take down the boss' kid than a pillar of the community. [That last bit containing just a small note of acid.]