week 6, post trial

[robitussin]

[Their numbers keep falling. Three people have died already this week, with two more on the way tomorrow. With the outburst the townspeople gave them once the results came through... If anyone were feeling downhearted, it's to be expected at this point. Things continuing at their current pace is a frightening thought, after all. Like last week, the offer to spend time together or meet in a central location doesn't come.

Hawks and Dabi wait for the morning in their cells, but the rest of the tourists are free to wander about the town as they please; free to rest, to talk with each other, and to try to gather strength wherever they can. So, where does the evening find you, Cartesio?]

Comments

[amburere]

[ In some ways, Dabi has been expecting this for a while now. Maybe not this jail cell or this town, but he's known that an end like this awaited him for months now. Still, he'd much rather have gone out in a literal blaze of glory—then there wouldn't be any time to think and get lost in his head. And there was way too much to think about right now.

He's tired. But the end isn't here yet, and even now he has unfinished business. Dabi is mostly content to sit in silence on the floor of his cell, lighting his hand on fire intermittently. ]

[robitussin]

[As she walks in later on in the evening and sees fire and engulfing his hand, there's a familiar but illogical rush of concern that she can't quite dispel. Still... Whether or not he's going to injure himself hardly matters anymore, does it?

There's only a hesitation of a few moments before she moves close to the cell bars, taking a seat.]

Hey.

[amburere]

Yo. [ For what little it matters, he does put the fire out as she sits down. ]

[robitussin]

[It's hard to know what to say here. Goodbyes aren't her strong suit, and while there are plenty she's curious about, what sticks out first is...]

Was it worth it?

[amburere]

I don't regret it. [ But as for worth, he pauses. ]

Figured out one thing at the cost of everything else. Dunno.

[robitussin]

[There's a small pause, but...]

Yeah? What'd you figure out?

[amburere]

Who's side [ Points next door to Hawk's cell. ] he's really on.

[robitussin]

You weren’t sure before all this?

[amburere]

[ He gives her a deadpan look that's probably all too familiar by now. ]

You really think I'd buy that the number two hero suddenly wants to turn coat just like that?

[marmoron]

[It's much later in the evening by the time Keith shows up here. He's almost certain this is a waste of time and that Dabi isn't going to continue that conversation during the trial, but whatever. He doesn't really stand to lose anything.]

How old were you when you first realized you could set things on fire?

[amburere]

[ Hey there Keith. That surprises him judging by how he tilts his head and blinks, but sure he can answer that. ]

Three. Why?

[marmoron]

Curious. You said you were never given a choice on what path to take.

[amburere]

[ Yeah, he did. He's not addressing that specifically but he will offer something else. ]

Quirks manifest before the age of four. If they do at all.

[marmoron]

And what happens to those who do manifest a quirk?

[Sure, he'll go along with making this about general statements rather than Dabi specifically for now.]

[amburere]

You get evaluated. Registered into the quirk database. Some quirks are more policed than others.

[marmoron]

So what happened to you?

[amburere]

{ He could just dodge the question entirely, give Keith the roundabout answer he did during trial and a few weeks back but- ]

Wasn't good enough.

[icariot]

[It's very late at night when the wall suddenly goes MIA. Hawks is quickly rising to his feet and heading over, caution mostly thrown to the wind.]

Dabi...?

[amburere]

[ The past 24 hours have been full of things he didn't expect, but this is one of the more welcome surprises. There one instant and gone the next, if Dabi had seen Overhaul's quirk he might have thought that's what happened here.

Doesn't matter though, cause he's also not wasting any time in standing up as soon as he realizes what's going on. ]

Hawks. Didn't think the Sarge liked you this much.

[icariot]

[That was strange, even for here, but Hawks isn’t going to question his good fortune too much in this moment. He’s going to make his way to Dabi, barely halting himself from bodily knocking into him, arms wrapping around his middle. His wings don’t stop either, and wrap around to cocoon them. They’re a useful curtain and a shield in case some part of this is a trick.]

What, no “birdie finally outta his cage”? [an attempt at shrugging with arms that haven’t moved] Don’t think he does either. Not his style anyway, from what you’ve said.

[amburere]

[ Slow on the bird jokes one time cause he's too busy with his head in the clouds about said bird, and this is what Dabi gets? The sudden contact almost surprises him as much as the wall being gone. ]

How 'bout birdie outta of the cage and into the frying pan instead? [ It's telling that there's no heat to go along with his snark, and that he forces Hawk's face upward with his hand so he can leer at him properly . That tension leaving his body is entirely coincidental, too. ]

[icariot]

[More reason for Dabi not to miss a bird joke opportunity.

Dabi's joke gets a huff of a laugh, but Hawks' heart isn't really in it. He meets Dabi's gaze, one side of his mouth ticking up, but to someone that knows him so well, it's rather obviously not his usual put together look. His hands slide down from their places, but snag and stay hooked in Dabi's jacket pockets.]

That's probably a more accurate description, yeah.

[amburere]

[ Dabi honestly wants to roll his eyes. That's an even worse reply than he gave just moments ago, and he's not going to stand for it. A heavy sigh later finds him lifting Hawks up—no explanation but straddling both the lighter man's legs around his waist and supporting him isn't an uncommon position—and moving them over to the cot. The space is tight, so he rolls Hawks on top of him (somehow they always end up like this), letting his arms stay wrapped around him when he's done. A regular hug is too much, but essentially a laying down one is more than okay—mutually wanted, actually. ]

Heard a pretty birdie say they liked this better.

[icariot]

[Hawks gives a short strangled sound at the sudden lift, his feathers puffing out in surprise, but instinct has him automatically wrapping around Dabi to help support himself. Relocating doesn't take long, and he soon finds himself laying across Dabi. The position is as familiar at this point as it is comforting, and he can feel any remaining tension drain out of his body. What's left of his wings drape to the side, just resting over the villains hands, while his arms lay across Dabi's chest for Hawks to rest his chin on.

Part of him was still reeling from his 'conversation' with Natalie earlier. It's rather plain that Dabi would have heard too, and either that or Hawks' state of distraction is affecting him too. Perhaps both, he muses as he settles further into the embrace and focuses on the breathing beneath him, the hands on his sides, the gentle tug of staples.]

You heard right, it's pretty bird's favorite place to be.

[Even a jailhouse cot pushing it to be long enough for Dabi, let alone big enough for two adults, is a decent prospect if they can lay here together one last time.]

[amburere]

[ The conversation he overhead just a few hours ago weighs heavy in his mind, coloring his actions. Playing with bright red feathers isn't new, but effectively preening them is. There's too many other things he's trying to resist right now to fight this impulse, and it gives his hands something to do. Something that doesn't involve fire, that is.

He can let the flames in his chest smoulder for a little while, until the execution. The last thing Dabi wants to do is emulate his father in the final hours of his life—as angry as he was, he wasn't about to take it on just anyone. Particulary the person who somehow understood him the most. ]

What a lucky bird. Even if they have awful taste.