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Type: Text
Sender ID: velocityraptor (Hawks)
To: Everyone
Subject: Hitchhiking
Warnings: Talk of severe bodily harm and maybe a bit of murder.

[ Anyone who happens to have one of Hawks' feathers, either because he gifted it, or they just happened to pick one up, will find that three days ago they darkened a shade or two as the connection to the man himself was cut off - they are now disconnected feathers, and would need to be replaced sometime in the future, if one still wanted one. ]

Hello! Sorry to trouble everyone, but I need a favour.

I'm on Eltrut, and I need a ride to either my crew's island or out to their ship, or something. It's not a rush, but if someone's willing to make the trip I can help out with chores on board, or even pay you if you get me back to my place.

[ Hawks has never, outside of MANTA board requests, set foot on a ship willingly for any length of time, in fact, usually he's flying where he wants to go.]

I appreciate it, thanks.

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[ He has several questions, but then it's the last part that catches his attention the most after all.

They've talked a fair bit about Keigo's parents, and about... complicated family emotions. They sound like they were horrible, but he knows it's not actually as simple as that, so he'll keep his tone gentle. More effort than the Commission got, at least. ]

Was she... alright?

You sound surprised. (As though surprised that he is, like they expected him to be used to being outsmarted. Sorry Hawks, you befriended a rude little asshole.

...But also they're currently pulling the wool over his eyes about their own nature and powers, so...

Ugh, that's a lot of fucking blood. They'll work on applying pressure to their hand before they start to bandage it.)

Smart villain. (Making it feel like Hawks' family is threatened. Taking control of the narrative and ruining the public's trust he'd worked so hard to build. Burning him so extensively without killing him. Making it so that even if Hawks were somehow rescued and survived he would carry the pain forever.

Beaten in every sense of the word. Even if it makes them want to find that guy and punch him, they can't help but be impressed.)

[ He is surprised, but he doesn't comment on that. Most people don't keep up with him in many senses of the world, but he and Dabi were playing some form of 3D chess.

At the question, he raises a hand like someone would maybe if they were shrugging, but he isn't moving his sore shoulders. ]

She left a note and fled, so I assume so. She wants nothing to do with me.

[ That's not quite how she phrased it, but it wasn't far off. The result is the same, she fled like a coward. ]

[ It may be incredibly far from the same situation, but he still can't help thinking of course she did.

...He wonders if Keigo actually read his.

He's also angry again, especially given he's pretty sure this woman doesn't actually deserve any forgiveness. ]

I'm sorry.

[ He'll leave it at that. He's not sure if expressing the anger would go over well, and Keigo already knows he relates on feeling unwanted. Chris doesn't need to. ]

...Your mother sucks.

(Blunt and rude as always.

Also still applying pressure to their hand.)

I didn't want to see her anyway.

[ The words of every defensive hurt kid, most likely, and there is hurt there, a wound that will likely always linger to some degree. Hurt and fear, but at the same time, he's also not lying. He didn't want to see her. He doesn't. ]

She doesn't deserve to see you.

[ He will be that negative, at least.

He looks up from the bandages—at least he's almost done—to check on Chris, and that seems like a while if they're still bleeding. ]

You okay?

[ He won't actually approach again. ]

(The bleeding is actually slowing down now. Looks like it's about time to wrap it up.)

I'm fine.

(Fortunately, they brought more bandages than Hawks is likely to need even with his extensive injuries. They'll use some of the extra to wrap their hand.)

Dick's right. You're better off without her.

(Back to rude nicknames again, apparently.)

[ At least Chris looks to be okay, he wants to help, but he knows Richie has it. He also knows that Chris is pretty touch averse and he understands their reaction perfectly. If they needed help, he's sure they would let them take care of it.

He pats Richie lightly in encouragement. He appreciates the effort he's putting in to bandage him. He shouldn't need them long, but it's appreciated. He knows he's burdening them at the moment. ]

When they buried the Takami name, they cut all ties between us, so it's not really like we're mother and son at all.

[ If that's how it works. ] But if he'd killed her, someone would have to make sure she was given a proper resting place. I don't know why he didn't. She didn't give details, she said in her note that they came in, she told them everything about me and my dad and then decided to leave so as not to cause me any trouble.

[ He was a spy, undercover, everything she just did caused him immense trouble. ]

I probably won't see her again. She added she was proud of me, but that seems like a load of shit, if you ask me.

Edited 2025-07-21 09:33 (UTC)

[ He bristles a bit at the nickname, but doesn't actually say anything. Maybe it's a good sign if things aren't too serious for them to be obnoxious? Sure, he'll go with that.

The little pat gets a faint smile, at least. Before his expression sours at the rest of the details about the note. It might be nice if any of that was true, but given what he knows he really doubts it. ]

Sounds like one to me, too. If she was she'd have made an effort.

(They finish wrapping and come sit nearby, leaving plenty of room for Faulkner to work on Hawks.)

Yeah. So what? She gonna sit there and be proud that her son is some great hero while just ignoring that she sold you into slavery? (It's pretty clear he's told Faulkner at least most of the truth.) Sounds about as bullshit as someone trying to tell you they're in love with you after you've overheard them mocking your racial ancestry. (By which they actually mean "repeating every nasty myth the government spreads about Re-Genes", but fuck you Faulkner, just cause Hawks gives you his secrets doesn't mean you're getting theirs.)

(But more importantly...) So ...Keigo Takami then? You want people other than Faulkner calling you that?

She got all she wanted out of it. [ His presence, his agency, none of that mattered to her. He can't figure out why he even exists. Was it unexpected? Did she try and baby trap his father? That seemed equally likely, with how much she threw it in his face.

The question makes him hesitate and this time he does shrug a little bit. ]

Everyone knows my name at home now, whether I want them to use it or not is not going to be a factor. They will or they won't.

...Yeah. Wasn't sure how much of that you knew.

[ Which is why he was being vague about exactly why he disliked Keigo's mother, in front of Chris. As far as he knows, he knows a bit more of the history than anyone else here. He's also a little curious about that oddly specific example, but he's not about to ask.

He gives Keigo a little pat on the hand in between working on bandages. ]

That might be true at home, but it's up to you here. I think they were askin' what they should call you?

[ Unless he interpreted that wrong. ]

Yeah. I don't give a shit about your homeworld.

(Fuck those people, as far as Chris is concerned. Fuck them for sitting around letting all this shit happen right beneath their noses, and fuck them for falling for Dabi's tricks.)

[ There's still hesitation and uncertainty there, because the name still sets off internal alarm bells. He's been conditioned not to answer to it, or at least he was when he was little.

And yet, just being Hawks isn't going to be a thing going forward is it? Of course not. Dabi told the entire world about his family, what he's been up to...any semblance of privacy he had, which was already virtually nonexistent has already been stripped away from him again. ]

Keigo's fine. I'd really rather not go by Takami.

Doesn't sound to me like they deserve for you to go by their name.

[ He ditched his own surname a long time ago, he doesn't really intend on ever telling it to anyone. And that's not even one that would mean anything to people. He just doesn't feel like being associated with it.

He works on the bandages a little more, before looking Keigo over. ]

Alright... I think that ought to be good for now. Do you know how often they'll need to be changed?

They should probably be changed every day. If the wounds get infected they'll likely have to be debrided. That probably already happened while you were unconscious if you saw actual modern doctors in your homeworld, but here it may not be an option to sedate you while they scrape all your healing skin off and you have to be put on whatever antibiotics exist here in a desperate attempt to keep you from going septic and dying, Keigo.

(Hopefully, they can scare him into taking care of himself properly.)

Edited 2025-07-22 01:51 (UTC)

[ He's not in a hurry to die or anything, so he just holds up his hands in a placating gesture. He'll behave. And yet, he'll still make a quip. ]

That would be a new one. [ Incorrigible.

As for Richie's words, he considers his thoughts for a moment. ]

I still need a hero name. I might be free, but I can't afford to retire now. I'm still number two and I think it matters more than ever what I do.

[ He doesn't enjoy Chris's description at all, but he's glad if Keigo isn't arguing about getting care, if nothing else. The rest makes him pause for a moment, trying to decide how to phrase what he wants to say. ]

Is there... is there that much point in thinking too much right now about what you'd do if you go back again? Did you... remember anything from here?

[ Because he's been told people don't. A fact which he is deeply existentially bothered by. ]

(The bit about the hero name gets their attention.) Could still pick one to use here. I had a hero name before I picked a new normal name. (Let Faulkner assume the normal name change was due to being trans.)

Forgot everything about us, right? (They work hard to keep their voice steady and nonchalant. Faulkner just had to ask, didn't he?)

[ His mind racing about the things in his world is a reaction to having been there, but Richie has a point that it doesn't apply here. That's both good and bad. He's back to being an exhausted, stressed mess, with additional injuries. He bows his head a little bit. ]

That's right. I didn't remember you while I was there. I didn't know what was going on here while I was there. I wish I did.

[ He's not going to lie about it, but at the same time, he knows it's painful. It's something he'll process over time, the fact he could lose all of this and never even know it. It's a lot. ]

As for my name, I don't know.

[ He had to ask, he couldn't help it, but he's not happy he did.

He doesn't want to talk about this anymore, he doesn't want to think about this anymore. He doesn't want to think about Keigo going home and forgetting them and possibly getting hurt again or worse.

He doesn't want think about losing all the progress he's made, of being scared and alone and choking on black water, stripped of even the cold comfort that there are people in this world who would care if he lives or dies. ]

Then you can't plan so maybe you should just... focus on being here. And letting us fix you.

[ He moves to sit next to Keigo. He just wants to be close. ]

You should have a name you like, though. Whether that's making Hawks or Keigo your own or finding something new that suits here.

...It sounds like you want to keep Keigo and ditch Hawks.

(Which, given he's been calling himself Hawks since he arrived, will likely be an awkward and drawn out process even if everyone here is the sort to respect something like that.)

I ...it's probably not a good idea to talk about now. (Eyes flick over, briefly, to Faulkner.) But I know a bit about the hero naming process.

I don't know.

[ Keigo will shift slightly and drop his forehead onto Richie's shoulder, leaning against him. He's uncomfortable, sure, but still he's kind of glad he's not alone in his apartment, tending to his wounds alone. ]

I've been Hawks a hell of a lot longer than I was ever Keigo.

[ He can't help glancing at Chris a little curiously; he's not sure what secret aspect of 'hero naming' would matter here, especially when Keigo isn't likely to have more than one identity going as far as he knows. Or why it would matter for him to hear about it. But he won't pry right now.

He can't hug Keigo since he doesn't want to touch his back, but he'll stroke his hair. ]

Well... you don't have to decide right now. You can try things out, if you want. And I'll call you whatever you prefer me to.

[ It did make Faulkner feel special to be told Keigo's name, but it also sounds like that information was used to hurt him back home, so he'd understand being soured on it. ]

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(CW: Talk of nasty medical stuff, specifically debridement)

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