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Kitadaitō was one of the farthest islands from mainland Japan, earning a name as a safe and unprotected port within the riff-raff of the sea; goons, criminals on the run, and, of course, pirates. While some of the most hardened individuals have passed by your bar, you never felt unsafe.
In fact, the island of Kitadaitō is practically protected by the same tough individuals that come ashore. No one would ever attempt to hurt the small village, let alone the watering hole, The Yammering Yokai.
As a seasoned bartender and sake connoisseur, you have seen your fair share of characters. From the pit-stoppers to the regulars but all share incredible stories of life on the run from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).
Of all the individuals you have met, few have left an impression and even fewer left a name for you to remember.
All but one.
A cheeky and arrogant pirate.
Hawks.
His honey, densely braided and breezy hair mimicked the few viking-esque travelers who stumbled across your tavern. He typically has loose fitting black pants and a tight shirt to match, but the real eye catcher was the jewelry that he lined his wings with.
Cuffs of gold and jewels, that were likely stolen, lined his patagium. Similarly, chains dangled from his ears, connecting at the helix. He even embellished his hair, waving gold chains through the braids, or wearing cuffs on the matted pieces towards the back.
He was a beautiful man. Especially in comparison to his crew mates. But what really intrigues you is how he looks at you. With large golden eyes he analyzed you and you'd often catch his pupils pinning in curiosity.
Every thirty days his ship docks and he comes to the tavern first, collecting a round for him and his crewmates before settling on the stool to harass you in more ways than one.
Last time he docked, he reached over the bar and poured himself drinks just to, ‘watch you scowl him.’
Who’s counting the days he’s at sea, anyway?
Surely not you, he’s nothing but trouble. Flirting up a storm with every hussy and scammer in the bar. Anything to relieve himself of his manhood. One thing did rub you the wrong way, though.
His incessant flirting was never directed towards you.
Instead, you catch him flirting with others but still eyeing you up. Almost searching for a response, but you never gave it to him. Unfaithful men had no place close to you.
The small brass bell jingled and a small crew of degenerates walked in, with Hawks close behind. He gave a small nod and smile to you and shoved his hands in his pockets.
His crew, as always, took the window cubby and tossed their feet onto your clean wooden tables. You walked over with a tower of sake glasses and a full bottle.
“Boots off.” you tapped the scarred man's soles, “you know better than to do that in my bar.”
He chuckled mockingly, scanning his shipmates as they all shuffled their feet from the table.
“Sorry baby. I always forget you have a stick up your ass.” The man teased and you rolled your eyes, pouring the sake into glasses and sliding them to each crewmate.
The scarred man leaned into the table to get a look at your face, “...ya’know baby, I can put something better up that pretty little ass.”
You close your eyes and raise an eyebrow, before flicking your wrist out, pushing a bone spear through the skin and holding it to his throat.
The crew all pulled a weapon of some kind on you and held you at the same point you held their friend. The scarred man raised his hand, ignited with a bright blue flame and you could feel the heart on your face.
“I’m not a piece of meat.” You gritted, ‘don’t speak to me like that.”
Hawks chuckled, resting his arm across your shoulders as a large, wild red wing wrapped around you protectively, “hey now, that’s no way to talk to a prospect, is it Dabi?”
Dabi rolled his eyes and turned his head away from you. Hawks gently pushed your forearm down and you recalled your bone spear into your body, blood leaking over your palm.
“Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” He purred, pulling the towel from the back of your waist band.
You pulled the towel from his hand and wrapped your hand yourself, scowling at him. He raised his palms to his shoulders and gave a small laugh as you snatched the sake from the table. The crew carried on as Hawks followed you, sending feathers to aid you in putting the sake away and getting gauze from a beat up med pack under the bar.
Hawks brandished the gauze to you and smiled, “I know you don’t need it, but may I?”
You stared into his golden orbs and sighed, giving him your hand and palm. He smirked and began wrapping the wound from your quirk.
“Have you thought about my offer?” He asked quietly, focused on your injury.
“I have.” You stated in a short frustrated tone.
Hawks looked up with curious and bright eyes, “...and?”
You roll your head away and scoff, “you ask this every time you dock. I will not join your degenerate, rag-tag, pirate crew.”
Hawks chuckled and brought his eyes down to manage your injury, “Oh? You think I’m a degenerate?”
You roll your eyes and pull your hand from his, “you know what I mean.”
He leaned back and analyzed you, taking in your movements as you wrapped the gauze with a cotton strip.
“I’ve never seen your quirk before.” He groaned as you grabbed a glass and poured you both a round of sake.
“Well now you have.” You were short and sipped your beverage.
“He must have pissed you off pretty good for you to lash out like that.” Hawks teased, leaning back onto the bar, elbows on the edge, “don’t you get that pretty often here?”
You furrow your eyebrows and give him a curious look and he continued, “ya know, being hit on.”
With a scoff you lean onto the bar, “being hit on is only acceptable if I want it. I don't want it from him”
Hawks glimpsed to your lips then smirked, rolling his tongue over his molars, “is that so?”
“Mhm. Plus, with that kind of behavior…” you paused, standing erect again and shooting your sake, “...will get you killed. Then who will sit at my bar and annoy me?”
Hawks followed your lead and finished his drink and spoke as you poured him another, “You worry about me too much.”
“Well, there are few people that come by my bar on the regular…” you started, corking the bottle, “...and even fewer I like having around.”
“Well you know what I always say, ‘when the north star dies, so-...”
“...-will I.' I know.” You finished, gripping the neck of the bottle.
Hawks reached his hand across the counter, “hey, I’m serious. No one can catch me, I’m just a bit too fast.”
You roll your eyes and put the bottle back on the shelf, “you’re also arrogant. Which is almost as deadly as Funayūrei.”
Hawks chuckled, “I’ve managed to survive this long.”
“Hey! Hawks!” Dabi shouted, holding the door for his teammates, “let’s go. We’re hitting the brothel.”
“Duty calls.” He winked before stepping from his chair and turning towards the door.
A tightness in your chest coiled in frustration. For what? He does this every time. Drinks and hooks up, nothing new. But every time he leaves, knowing he’s getting off, sends a piercing bitterness through your veins.
Hawks looked over his shoulder, “we leave tomorrow. Mind showing me around for a cup of tea?It’ll be too early for sake.”
“I’d hate to intrude with your... hooker.” You spat, wiping down the bar.
He smirked, placing the sideburn braid behind his ear, “I have no interest in the brothel, but someone has to watch over these degenerates.”
--
There wasn’t a lot on the small island of Kitadaitō but a small shop with various imports from the docking ships typically had tea from the mainland, and even China. On rare occasions, coffee from further countries could be found - but the price was astronomical.
Hawks took it upon himself to order tea and the shopkeeper was kind enough to make it for you. Offering the space in the back with the irori to pour and enjoy at your own pace.
“The keeper said that this is from Honshu. Said some thieves stole it from monks and brought it for trade.” Hawks chuckled, pouring you a cup, “...hopefully the Gods aren’t too for us enjoying it.”
“They seem to ignore a lot, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” You retorted.
Honestly, you’ve never spent time outside the tavern. Spending most of your days behind the bar or reading whatever managed to make its way onto the island. You don’t plan on staying here. You just need an out.
But Hawks’ offer to join his pirate team didn’t sound interesting. Too much hassle for a bartender.
For a pirate, he spoke with dignity, and was incredibly well-versed in life outside of piracy. Moreover, he never had the slang that most sea-dwellers do...he sounded almost noble. You had never noticed before how different he was in comparison to the others.
You finished your tea and walked him back to the ship. He stepped onto the wooden ramp and stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to you,
“So…” Hawks started as you turned to leave.
You pause, giving him a side eye over your shoulder, “gonna ask me again?”
He smirked, “I was, but...You don't-...”
“I’ll join.” you interrupted.
“...-seem to...what?” He finished in a light shock, his wings puffed.
“I said, I'll join.” You repeated, turning your body to him.
Hawks took awhile to answer, “....really?? Then-...”
You laughed at his loss for words but interrupted him before he got too much hope, “no. I was kidding. But the look on your face was really good. Try again next time?”
You gave a wave over your shoulder as you turned and headed back to the tavern, where you spend most of your life.
--
Another 30 days is just around the corner and there was an excitement you carried. Wondering what stories Hawks had to tell this time. But all that came crumbling down when a crew entered your bar.
The leader was a large man with four cursorial type appendages from his shoulders. They looked exhausted as they stumbled into the available booths.
They began murmuring about their experience at sea and you couldn’t help but overhear them.
“...I can’t believe he made it out alive…” You heard one mumble.
While setting glasses down to pour sake another quietly spoke, “I heard the waters were covered in blue flames and it rained blood red feathers!”
“What are you talking about?” Your curiosity got the best of you.
The skinny female shipmate turned and leaned on the table with a face of shock, “have you heard of a ship named The Liberation?”
You nod, “I have, that’s the one with the shipmates that go by the Akutō, right?”
She drug his response like a stressed drunken man, “aye, child. They ran into the Defense Force and ended up turning on each other.”
You swallow hard knowing that Hawks is on that ship, “...and? What else do you know?”
She shook her head, closing her eyes, “it’s a gruesome tale. Not for the faint of hea-...”
“Tell me what happened.” You interrupted and pulled up a chair to sit with the crew.
The woman sucked air in through her teeth, “we heard that the Akutō turned on themselves after one struck a deal with the Defence Force. Dabi had raised blue hell over the sea, burning everything in his path, even his own ship.”
She took a breath, “he must have pissed off a yokai as there were red feathers raining from the sky like a blood storm. Only two survived, the rest were killed or captured. They’ll probably be executed soon.”
A tightness in your chest coiled around your throat, remembering the other night when the north star seemed dim and lacking life.
The 30 day visitation never came.
Neither did 60.
And by 80, you were positive he was dead.
But the star still shined, which you held onto as a small sliver of hope.
Another day, and another ship that wasn’t The Liberation. Even if you wanted to see Hawks again, it could never happen now. The island upped their security, and was crawling with police and members of the Maritime Self Defense Force.
If Hawks came, he’d surely be caught and executed for piracy.
You helped supply beverages for a man who was a little too cheeky for your taste. He grabbed your rear and you heard the brass bell chime behind you.
“Really sweetheart, I missed our 30 day sake date twice and you’ve already moved on.”
The familiar voice excited your heart but you turned to see a blonde man in the Force uniform. He had honey blonde hair that was shaved on the underside and a large pink scar peeking from his shoulder up his neck onto his face.
And no wings.
“I think you have the wrong person.” You roll your eyes, swatting the man's hand off your ass.
“Really? Have you not been watching the stars?” The Force member asked, “...especially the North Star?”
You stop and turn back to him, analyzing his face, “Hawks?”
“I told you, I’m too fast to kill.” He chuckled, “sorry, I’m late. Had some…” he looked over his shoulder to his back, “...healing to do.”
Hawks rested his hand on the shoulder of the man who grabbed you and squeezed, “let’s not touch things that don’t belong to us, yeah?”
The man winced in pain and nodded and Hawks sat at the bar, as usual. He reached over, and poured himself a drink and one for you.
“I know it’s a bit too late, but my name is Takami Keigo.” He said, sliding a cup to you, “I’m a seaman for the Maritime Self-Defense Force and work directly with the Admiral in Tokyo. Please accept my apology for lying to you.”
“Nice to meet you Keigo, but if you work in Tokyo, why come back?” You ask, taking a sip of the sake he poured.
“Because of you. I already missed two sake dates because I was hospitalized, I couldn’t bear missing another.” He smiled, “...now about that offer.”