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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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. ]

(It's less a secret aspect of hero naming and more not wanting to tell Faulkner about Sidestep. TBH, they're not even sure they want to tell Keigo: a part of them is worried he'll start trying to call them by that name.

...That part of them is dead. It's not a wound they're keen to revisit.)

Yeah.

[ It was, for some reason, thrown in his face to hurt him and it's not like Keigo is even surprised by this. He doesn't really know what to think about it. His brand is equally tarnished too, but all the same he's just tired. ]

I appreciate that, but I might just stick with what I have. I have to think about it, and that's weird enough. I've never really spent time thinking about my name except to give it to Richie. I don't get to make those decisions.

[ He does now, though that hasn't sunk in. ]

They're in your hands now... here if nothin' else. But you don't have to change anything you don't want. Just get some rest, for now, yeah?

[ He doesn't want Keigo to get overwhelmed with decisions on top of everything else. He just wants to try to make sure that he'll actually be alright. ]

You do now... but Faulkner's right. It took me two years to pick out a normal name, you've got time to think on it.

(After a moment or two longer, they get up.)

I'm gonna clean up. (Put away or discard leftover supplies. Sweep up the shards of glass that didn't stab their hand. Wipe up the blood they dripped onto the floor.)

[ He's tired, it's probably obvious in the way he's leaning even heavier against Richie, which is probably not fair of him. He just nods in Chris' direction. ]

Thank you.

[ Keigo doesn't think the electronic voice is doing it justice though, he's really grateful to them for helping him out. ]

Thanks, Chris.

[ He might normally offer to help with that part, but right now he's busy letting Keigo lean on him. He really doesn't seem to mind, though he'll shift a bit to make it more comfortable before going back to petting his hair sort of absently. ]

I'm sure the professor won't mind you staying here for a little while, or... with me, if you want? Once you're a little better. Whatever you like.

[ Well: whatever Keigo prefers within reason. He'll be insisting that it's somewhere people can help easily. ]

Turo won't mind. Just don't push yourself and die where he can see you, it'll freak him out.

(Looks like they're back to asshole humor.)

Can also call your crew.

(They'll go take the unused supplies back to storage. It'll be less than a minute before they're back.)

Think you can help get him to bed? (They ask Faulkner, because it looks like Keigo is about to nod off.)

Come on, if I was gonna die, I'd have done it already.

[ Hey, he can serve it back to Chris if need be. He doesn't know what he's going to do, he's too tired to think really. Their perception is correct. ]

I need sleep for awhile.

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

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