homosexuals | [FIRST IMPRESSIONS & PERMISSIONS]

𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙸𝙼𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂

APPEARANCE

portrayed by matt bomer. mid-30s (34), but looks closer to 40. 5'11. dark brown, almost black hair always carefully slicked back and swooped to one side with pomade. thick brows and almond-shaped bright blue eyes. light to slightly tanned skin. classically handsome with a strong jaw and old hollywood gentlemanly vibes. smooth skin that is clearly cared for, even though he's a smoker. probably smells like a combination of cigarettes, scotch whiskey, and woodsy, masculine cologne. no stubble other than occasional five o'clock shadow, and no hair from the neck down other than on his arms and legs. toned but lean and athletic physique - abs and arms are fairly prominent. under his left shoulderblade, hawk has visible knotted skin from an old war wound.

FASHION

if there's one thing hawk spends money on besides booze, it's clearly his wardrobe. his meticuously maintained closet is chock full of finely tailored three-piece suits, oxfords on vintage shoe cedar tree stretchers, cufflinks, ties, trench coats, and fedora hats. he's most comfortable in suits and takes great care to coordinate everything from head to toe. he tends to favor the typical navys, blues, and grays of a political man in the 50s. according to the costumer for fellow travelers, everything was authentic and matches his personality: from his more expensive preference for boxers down to his undershirts.

hawk is always dressed for the occasion - whether it calls for tuxedos or something more casual, but it never gets too creative or draws more attention than necessary. when he's not going anywhere formal, he'll forego ties, and he also favors aviators and monogrammed accessories like his belt and cufflinks. when things wind down or he's in more "safe" atmospheres among friends or the cozy corner, he also doesn't mind unwinding.

for more casual attire, he tends to dress like a vintage grandpa - plaids, slacks, utilitarian jackets.

DEMEANOR

hawk is everything he's meant to be on the surface: a suave, debonair, confident, charming, and politely civil politico of the 1950s. he's often neutral and vague in his commentary, controlled and measured in letting his actions and motivations remain hidden and kept internal while engaging. he has an extremely dry sense of humor, occasionally sarcastic and a little biting. he's also not above making a few raunchy insinuations here or there in the right company among friends. to the average dc politician or member of his circle in the social world of senator smith and the joe alsop's of the world, he's what every upstanding, reliable and reasonable man of the times is supposed to be.

beneath his cool exterior, however, is a man who is equal measures full of wounded vulnerability and ruthless survival instincts that have shaped everything he is today. hawk carries a secret that he neither feels guilty for nor regrets - he's a gay man who is actively working to undermine senator mccarthy, roy cohn, and all of their governmental cronies who are working to flush out "deviants" and subversives from washington. there is only one man in washington he trusts: senator smith, and he keeps his cards extremely close to his chest.

hawk is not above throwing those in his way under the bus - he can pretend to be as bloodthirsty and judgmental of the very same life he leads in the dark, and he only does it by keeping things no-strings and getting in and out as fast as possible with strangers. tim laughlin is the first person who unlocks the softer side of hawk: a man who enjoys cuddling together after sex, who wants to listen to him talk about his family tree, who will gladly learn everything about tim but still wants to protect his own machinations and is forced to bifurcate and balance each side of his "life".

for all the seemingly bad things he does, none of it is so black and white: it's either to protect himself or someone he cares about like tim, senator smith, or the greater good. he certainly doesn't fancy himself a hero, at least not beyond the man who smiles and keeps favors up his sleeves to cash in at the right time and can keep doing it because he's a revered war hero and self-proclaimed "bulletproof", "irresistible" man. good luck unlocking his traumatic lore!!

VOICE

EXAMPLE 1 - humorous

EXAMPLE 2 - casual

EXAMPLE 3 - private/soft

EXAMPLE 4 - angry

EXAMPLE 5 - flirtatious

MAGIC & TELEPATHY

hawk is a normal human and i'm open to characters with magical and telepathic abilities reading him, but please ask me ooc-ly to plot for it beforehand!

here are a few things they'd be able to glean off the surface:
✮ anything from the appearance section/basic info
✮ lives in washington dc
✮ works for the state department as a mid-level bureaucrat
✮ attended ivy league university of pennsylvania & majored in political science
✮ war hero - earned a bronze star as a sergeant during wwii, stationed in velletri, italy
✮ speaks fluent english, passable italian and german
✮ reveres senator smith like a father

these things are more deeply protected and actively being hidden:
✮ despite his mask of a model law-abiding citizen, hawk is a gay man
✮ likes young men with dark hair and delicate features
✮ doesn't feel shame or any guilt for his preferences
✮ will do anything to protect himself and those he cares for
✮ big survival instinct
✮ comes from money, momma's boy + poor relationship with his father
✮ registered republican with actual liberal leanings but doesn't vote
✮ doesn't believe in religious institutions or god
✮ was shot during the war by a krupp k5
✮ had ptsd - spent a few months recovering in delaware

CODE BY TESSISAMESS

𝙾𝙾𝙲 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂

CONTACT: pm!

ACTIVE TIMES/PACE: cst time zone, mainly free in the evenings + weekends

BRACKETS/PROSE: brackets for action preferred but can match!

BACKTAGGING: absolutely!! backtagging is my bff. also if for some reason i've missed a tag or haven't replied in some time please feel free to check in, chances are i either never received a notif or got swallowed by life but am still interested.

THREADHOPPING: yes from canonmates, otherwise ask if needed but most likely yes!

FOURTHWALLING: ok with general politics stuff but not true fourthwalling - ask if needed!

TRIGGERS: none off the top of my head

𝙸𝙲 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂

PHYSICAL AFFECTION: flirtation is completely fair game! friendly gestures from women will be reciprocated on the surface, but hawk is a closeted gay man who lived through the lavender scare and mccarthyism in the 50s so everything will be extremely surface level.

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE: ask first, but sure. hawk is a ww2 decorated army veteran so he definitely knows his way around a fight if needed.

TRIGGERS: fellow travelers is a historical fiction based around several decades of us politics and eras. the main things that have affected hawk directly are anti-gay sentiments and homophobia, closeted living, drug and alcohol usage/abuse, death of a child, and the aids crisis of the 80s. if there's anything you'd prefer not be mentioned in a thread feel free to let me know ahead of time and i will make sure to avoid it. hawk himself doesn't really have any ic triggers other than the death of his son down the line in the 70s and is pretty good at masking most things, but if you'd prefer to opt out entirely based on the canon please also feel free to comment below.