shellphones

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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 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.

[ He'll try to take that as comforting, but he's not entirely convinced. Even if Chris was joking. ]

Yeah. C'mon, let's get you to a bed in the infirmary for now, okay?

[ And he'll offer to help if Keigo needs someone to lean on. Letting him rest does feel like the highest priority, they can worry about everything else later. ]

It only usually works that way, Keigo.

(More serious now. Just because he survived immediate death and is stable doesn't mean things can't go wrong.)

He'll probably be pretty hungry once he's rested a while. (To Faulkner.) I'll check in on him later. (For now though they'll clean and take care of other stuff.)

[ They're probably right, his hunger will kick in eventually. Although he doesn't really need to be he drapes his arm over Richie's shoulders to lean against him, to let himself be led to a proper bed at least.

He's doing okay, as far as he thinks he can be at the moment. Things will seem more clear after he sleeps. ]

Okay. I can go for food whenever. Got... plenty of other stuff to do around here, in the meantime.

[ He's pretty sure he'd lose his ability to keep holding it together if he went home or stopped doing things. So he's just planning to do tasks around the conservatory and hope that staves off panicking.

But for now, he'll lead Keigo to a proper bed and try to get him settled down. ]

Fridge here is stocked.

(It always is.)

I've also got pemmican. (They know Keigo likes that.)

[ Although he's on his feet and leaning, he's still moving pretty slow by his standards and obviously he can't really keep forcing his voice to work.

In the infirmary, before Richie can escape he'll wrap his other arm around him to give him a little squeeze. He really is glad to see him, even if he hadn't remembered in the moments at home, he's always happy to see him, and he's appreciative of his help right now. ]

Hm? What's that?

[ He's assuming it's a food from context clues but he's pretty sure he's never heard of it.

And then he'll be a little startled by the hug, but he certainly won't object. He has to remind himself not to hug Keigo back, and it's not helping with trying not to get emotional, but he's still glad for the affection. He leans against him just a little. ]

Alright, you—you need to get some rest. I'll be around here somewhere when you wake up.

It's basically just the human version of those fat cakes you can put in bird feeders.

(Does Chris find it amusing that the bird man eats what's basically bird food, but for humans? Yes.

Once they're done with other chores, they'll probably set up a little tray of pemmican cakes for him when he inevitably wakes up hungry.)

Edited 2025-07-29 03:21 (UTC)

[ Keigo smiles behind the mask but he nods, raising his hands in a placating gesture. He's going, he's going.

He really doesn't need that much encouragement. He lets go of Richie and finds his way to the bed, pulls back the blanket and eases himself down on his stomach.

He's out like a light the moment he gives himself permission to fall asleep again. ]

[ He gently pulls the blanket back over Keigo, since he's mentioned getting cold easily.

After that Faulkner heads back to the break room and... just kind of deflates. He'll sit down in a corner, and take a few minutes trying to pull himself together before he does anything else. ]

Couch is right there, Dick.

(They'll give him about a minute or so of sitting in the corner before saying that and pointing to the couch.

No, really, Turo made sure the set up was extra comfy to encourage napping. Sit on the damn couch, Faulkner.)

[ What was it Keigo had him do before? Deep breath, count—

And then Chris talks to him and he's startled, which does actually at least sort of help too. ]

...I know.

[ And yet he tends to go for the floor when he's stressed. For a long moment he thinks about just staying there to be contrary, but then he'll finally get up and move to the couch instead. ]

Idiot.

(Fuck you for making them care, Faulkner.)

...You tried ruby chocolate yet?

[ He huffs a little at the first part. He doesn't particularly want his weird stress responses criticised, but he's also too busy being stressed over other things to be too upset. ]

Yeah. It's pretty good.

[ But it seems fancy so he doesn't usually take much. And one of his other stress responses tends to be not eating enough, so despite knowing where the snacks are they hadn't really occurred to him. ]

Want some?

(They know Turo keeps it around, and they can just buy him more to replace it if it turns out he's unhappy about having it taken.)

[ He starts to say no, but then he has a feeling Chris is going to insist he eat something even if he doesn't really feel like it... and at least it's chocolate. ]

...Guess I'd have a little.

[ He's absently picking at a loose thread on the couch now. ]

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