Chapter 17: Fun And Games

Hunter was feeling a bit depressed lately, it was almost like being held in an underground prison and not being aloud to even see the sun was having a negative effect on him? No that couldn't be it. After all the people in charge cared so much about the well being of their prisoners. So against his better judgment he had taken some of Alex's advice and decided to get 'Shitfaced'. Because that was amazing advice it really was. No, no it wasn't not only did Hunter not feel any better emotionally but he actually felt worse physically. This was best shown by the way he was currently laying in bed groaning from his headache.

"Not feeling well?" Not recognizing the voice from behind him Hunter turned around but winced as he did still feeling groggy. As he did this he saw the unexpected but familiar face of Haru, his first opponent in carnival corpse.

"Haru? Why are you in my room?" The man smiled from his chair next to the bed and explained.

"Because it's not your room, it's mine." Hunter looked around seeing that this was indeed the case. The room wasn't all that different from his but there were some key differences like a plant in the corner, a rug in front of a leather couch, or the larger with a DVD player next to it. It wasn't much but considering Hunters barren room it certainly was more homey.

"Oh... How did I get here?"

"Well after you went and got yourself drunk you passed out, after that I found you laying outside a bar and carried you here to make sure nothing happened to you.

"Thanks Haru I HMMG-" He slapped his hand over his mouth and sprang to his feet as he felt vomit making its way up his gut. He then bolted out of Haru's bed and into the bathroom where he hunched over the toilet and emptied the contents of his stomach. When he was done he groaned and rested his forehead against the bowl. Haru then walked in and opened the cabinet and pulled out a medicine bottle containing a purple liquid. He pulled off the cap, filled it up, and handed it to Hunter who drank it. Before scrunching his face in disgust. "Why do they always make medicine taste like crap?"

"I don't think taste is what they're concerned about." Haru bluntly replied.

"Good point, anyways thanks man if I can repay you just let me know." Hunter got up to leave but Haru stopped him holding an arm in front of the younger man

"I'm actually more concerned about you Hunter. Getting drunk out of nowhere like that doesn't seem like you." Hunter sighed, Haru could clearly tell something was up so Hunter decided to come clean.

"Well... Truth is I've been feeling pretty down as of late."

"Well why do you think that is?" Hunter winced at this, in truth he didn't really want to talk about how he felt, It was just the way he was. But Haru already knew so there wasn't any hiding that fact now.

"I think being crammed down here is getting to me. I don't know maybe it will pass."

"You shouldn't keep this to yourself Hunter, have you tried talking with anyone?"

"Not really, I asked Alex what he did when he felt down but... You can guess how that turned out."

"You know Hawk is... Different from than most people."

"Thank you!" Both Hunter and Haru turned to see Alex standing in the doorway next to Shiro who waved. They both looked shocked at their sudden appearance "What?"

"How did you find me?"

"Turns out we can add super smell to Shiro's list of superpowers."

"Shiro has superpowers?!" The albino teen got excited hearing this but was ignored as Hunter raised the question.

"Super smell?"

"Yeah, she's like a bloodhound." He rustled Shiro's hair as she smiled "So what's up?"

"Well... Yeah." Alex was probably the last person Hunter wanted to talk about this with. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, he just didn't want to bother him with his personal issues after all they were his to deal with. so he made up an excuse. "Honestly I'm just bored. Like really bored." In the corner of his eye Hunter saw a look of disapproval flash across Haru's face before returning to his usual stoic expression. Alex on the other hand took this at face value and started thinking until he came up with something he thought Hunter would enjoy.

"Well why didn't you say so, I've got just the thing."

Alex starred into Haru's eyes looking for the slightest hint of weakness but his calm demeanor was stopping him from getting a proper read on the older man. Meanwhile Haru was looking at Alex's face looking for any visual ticks he could find, unfortunately Alex was keeping his smug look stone still giving Haru nothing to go off of. So they stared at one another fruitlessly raising the tension in the room. Hunter and Shiro sat across from these two, Hunter was watching the two curious as to how this would turn out while Shiro seemed to be in her own little world as she stared down. That was until she stood up and pointed dramatically saying.

"Go Fish!" And with that all tension was sucked out of the room like air in a vacuum. Hunter sighed, his legs still crossed on his spot on the ground, and tried to explain that they were playing a different card game.

"Shiro this is poker there is no fish."

"Oh." She eyed her cards unsure of what she was supposed to do with a red Two and Seven. So she decided to just say something that she had seen in her cartoons that always worked. "Then I'm all in!" She said with the same energy she had used just a few moments ago pushing all of her chips into the middle. Hunter who had already folded due to one truly awful hand failed to hold in a laugh as the the other two players groaned.

"I'm out." Haru said placing his cards face down.

"Ditto" Alex followed. Shiro stood there puzzled for a moment before coming to the logical conclusion.

"Wait so does that mean Shiro wins?" Alex nodded and confirmed for her.

"Yep, good job snowflake." Hearing this Shiro jumped up cheering before pulling the pot over to her triumphantly. Then Alex's door was once again opened without any regard for privacy or personal space. Like really, was it gonna take someone walking in while he was jacking off for the message to sink in? Any way the culprit this time was none other than his pseudo-friend Minatsuki. "Why do you people keep busting into my room?" She scoffed at the comment and retorted.

"Oh please, you don't get to bitch at me about barging into rooms, mine still smells like smoke." Alex rolled his eyes at this.

"Don't tell me you're still all pissy about that?" A chip then struck Alex right on the nose. He turned to see Shiro who gave him a disapproving look.

"Swear." Alex slapped his forehead and groaned.

"Hijo de puta" Everyone but Hunter looked confused at that. And then became more confused when Hunter responded in the same language.

"tu hablas español?"

"si, soy bastante bueno en eso."

"Wait, what?" Shiro asked braking the two from their conversation.

"Don't worry about it." Alex dismissed with a chuckle.

"So what are you doing anyway?" Minatsuki asked to shift the conversation to anything that didn't involve a language she couldn't even identify.

"Playing Poker."

"Are you playing for money or..." Alex ignored the obvious suggestion and explained.

"Well we were going to but then Shiro joined and that plan went out the window." Minatsuki paused, while it certainly wasn't the original reason she had stopped in but it sounded like a decent time killer.

"Screw it, im in."

"Do you even know how to play poker?" Hunter asked receiving a glare from the older teen.

"Does Shiro?"

"She did just win." Haru pointed out, much to Alex's disdain.

"Then I should be able to join no problem" Alex shrugged, why not? After all more people just made it more interesting.

"Alright then, Haru shuffle her in." A few hands later and Alex was in the lead with Haru close behind. Hunter had found himself in the middle with a clear lead against Shiro. And dead last with only five dollars worth of chips left was a furious and flustered Minatsuki.

"This is bullshit!" She screamed slamming her hands on the table upon getting her new hand. Seeing a chance to screw with her Alex disregarded his sub-par hand and said.

"I think I'm gonna raise" This succeed in enraging the sadistic teen as

"How the hell do you all keep beating me?" Alex smirked before stating in a matter of fact way.

"Because you suck." Minatsuki fumed at his taunt but he didn't seem to care as he threw a few chips into the pot. Hunter looked down at his cards, he had a good chance with his current cards and planned on raising. Then he was caught off guard by Shiro who was giggling quietly, Hunter leaned in and whispered.

"Good cards?" She shook her head and joined him whispering.

"That's not it" She then pointed at Alex who was currently having a back and forth contest of insults with Minatsuki who was getting redder and redder. "He likes her." Hunter didn't see it, in his mind it was more like the childish bickering that kids usually did. But then again considering Shiro's mindset he saw why she would think that. Haru then interrupted saying.

"Right well I need to go after this hand so lets make this interesting. All in." Alex smirked and did the same.

"You're on Robin." Minatsuki was clearly not pleased by this turn of events but didn't back out tossing her remaining chips into the middle.

"Fuck it, I'm screwed anyway." Needles to say she didn't win.

"You cheated!" Minatsuki accused her arms crossed and a sour look on her face. Alex looked up from the fight schedule with a somewhat bored expression. They stared at each other for almost a solid minute before Alex shrugged.

"Of course I did." Minatsuki's Jaw dropped at this, wait he had actually cheated? "What, did you really think I was gonna let my little sis show me up in poker?"

"Well... how?" Alex smirked and flicked his wrist producing a three of hearts from his sleeve.

"It took me a while to get it down properly, but honestly the hardest part is switching out cards."

"Do you think you could teach me?" Alex raised an eyebrow at this

"Looking to make some money?" Minatsuki just shrugged saying.

"Money, Fun, Shit starting. Whatever really."

"Well alright then. Pay attention"

"See I told you!" Shiro said trying to whisper and shout at the same time, from next to her hiding spot by the crack in the door. Hunter frowned realizing that he had been tricked. Not that he honestly expected any better from Alex, he was just mad he had been fooled.

"I can't believe he was cheating."

"What? No about Alex and Minatsuki!" Hunter still didn't see it, not entirely at least. But he got a better idea of what she meant there was certainly something there but whether it was some kind of romance, attraction, or flat out lust he couldn't figure out and thinking about it, well it wasn't his business or Shiro's for that matter.

"Come on Shiro, let's give them their privacy."

"So why did you come here in the first pace?" Alex asked flicking away the last card he had shoved up his sleeve.

"I was bored and figured you'd be an easy target." He hadn't tried to show it but this comment clearly irritated him but he tried

"Easy target, Me? Are you serious?" Minatsuki saw that she had touched a nerve and decided to dig deeper.

"Have you forgotten how I kicked your ass in our fight?" She mocked pissing Alex off even more.

"You mean the fight I wasn't allowed to defend myself in?" His voice raised ever so slightly, but it was enough to give Minatsuki the indication that she was doing a good job getting under his skin.

"Sound like you were too chickenshit to fight back to me."

"You know I could kill you and no one would stop me right?" Alex then said in a dead serious tone, but this did nothing to deter Minatsuki

"Oh I'm sooo afraid." She held her arms up in mock fear "Please, you won't lay a hand on me." She said walking closer invading his personal space. "You like act like you're some big tough bastard who grew up in some fucked up hellhole but I'm not buying it." Alex narrowed his eyes at her what did she know about him? "You're just a scared little kid who's lashing out at whatever you think deserves it, and to be blunt you suck at that too. So if you want to threaten me stop acting like some sad fu-" She was cut off when Alex hand grabbed her by the throat and pulled her closer. Alex glared directly into her eyes, just who the fuck did she think she was?

"One more word and I'll tear out your throat." Minatsuki Rolled her eyes at this.

"You weren't listening were you?" She then moved her hand over his injured shoulder and jammed her thumb into it. He summoned his blood to his hand that was still holding her neck forming his claws. But she didn't even flinch at the sharp poking near her jugular. "You don't scare me Alex." There was more silence as they looked at one another until Minatsuki closed the distance and kissed him. He froze still as she shoved her tongue into his mouth and started feeling around with it, Alex briefly considered biting it off but she pulled away before he could and smirked at him. "Truth is you're kinda cute when you're not trying to act like some kinda badass." Alex pushed her off of him and made a fist in case she tried retaliating. But there was nothing, once again they watched to see who would try something first.

"Get the fuck out of my room." For the first time he had caught Minatsuki off guard. She had expected something, anything else than that.

"Really? All that and you just kick me out"

"Yeah, now beat it." To his surprise she didn't fight this or try to get in the last word, she just turned around and walked out leaving Alex alone. He sighed and pulled his cigarettes out lighting one and putting it in his mouth. "What the hell is her problem?" He asked rubbing his temples. Well in truth he knew, hell, she had told him. He just didn't get her, or rather how he felt about her. Conflicted was probably a good word for it. On the one hand she was sadistic, cruel, foul mouthed, and manipulative. But at the same time he had seen a glimpse of a softer side to the girl, one that cared even if just a little. And if he had to be honest he did find her pretty attractive and he found the way she hurt him was downright sexy an- Oh god, what's wrong with him? When it all came down to it he think she put it best 'You're just a scared little kid who's lashing out at whatever you think deserves it' That sentence described the two of them perfectly as much as he hated to admit it. Maybe that's why he didn't like her, she reminded him too much of himself.