Orchestra Day 14

[yondu]

[Video]

[Yondu's opting for a video post though he did consider audio. But he really wants to put out there how important this is to him. He needs help and he can finally damn well practice what he preaches and ask for it.]

[Okay, deep, uneasy exhale before explaining.]

I uh.... before I showed up here, the same day even, there was a mutiny aboard my ship. Had a buncha folks decide they didn't like I was takin' cheaper jobs to keep from doin' stuff I weren't comfortable with. I was usually able to make excuses- we still made plenty but a few outspoken bastards were real upset I didn't always pick the options with more in our pockets, and then my first mate got jealous. Called me out in front of everyone. 'Caused a shitstorm. [He's a little distant in describing that.]

He didn't know how bad it'd get. The traitors... they uh... Hell... Alright if you're a kid or you don't gotta deal with a lotta death, just turn this off. Get the hell outa here. It ain't for you. [He takes a moment for them to do that if they care to. Alright? Good. Carrying on.] I was detained proper at the time. Couldn't use my arrow, couldn't fight, too hurt to get loose. They shoved 'em one by one out an airlock an' I couldn't save 'em. We're talkin' a hundred plus men dead, one by one. It was not just a few. Just left to float like garbage thrown out a window and they laughed about it and mocked 'em as they watched 'em go.

[There's a moment of shaky-breathed anger, but, you know, what's done is done. Assholes what done it are dead now, they cain't do it to anyone else or use his ship to go make the universe an even worse place or harass his family. He's good.] Dyin' in space is like freezin' and drownin' at the same time. Every moment of it hurts 'cause you feel your outside freezin' in, an' at some point you know even if you was saved the life left in ya wouldn't be worth it. [He can say that from experience. There's a little bit where you know how bad the damage is.] Almost three decades some of those men had been with me. Good and bad. I didn't make a lotta friends but they did mean somethin' to me. And someone gave me the idea maybe I could put 'em to rest if I could do somethin' memorialwise. I don't want the last thoughts directed at 'em to be their own crewmates bein' happy about 'em dyin'.

Ravagers... when we die, usually we're remembered. If our bodies cain't be picked up, we're toasted by our crew. If our bodies are there, we're put in the ship's engine. Turned to stardust, get to travel forever. And the one that's usually for captains is a ship flying its Colors- you do this big light show. Well, no crew here besides myself to drink to 'em, and their bodies ain't anywhere to be found [not to mention a hundred-some people is a lot] so I figured I'd ask anyone that can do lights an' illusions if they'd help me out to fly them the Colors whenever we're at a stop where our lives don't depend on it and there's a sky overhead. They weren't captains but they was loyal enough. I don't know if I could pay ya, but I been sittin' on knowin' what happened to 'em and I ain't been able to think of a way to really make it right.

Comments

[worthallthis]

"I did tell him not to expect any budding romance," Soldat says dryly. "Because he had that look." Which might serve as a warning for Yondo, too. Soldat loves, and deeply, but Soldat is not interested in love-making in any form, probably not for a while, if ever. "But. If it'll be good for you to do it. I'm pretty sure I'll sleep better with a little more space, and just one person sharing that space, who I trust. And you're that." They hesitate a beat, then tuck their arm around Yondu's shoulders, just for a moment. "Okay."

[yondu]

"Eh, I told him an' Sanzo that." He waves dismissively. "When I was all bent out of shape, said it wasn't a romantic thing. Just that you was the person I trusted most."

As emotional as the two of them can get, or as close in proximity, he's very aware that they're not built for that. Soldat's been too used and abused and Yondu's got his own pile of baggage he's trying to deal with. They're two strays who can tolerate each other enough to sleep in the same cardboard box. At least that's how Yondu sees it.

[worthallthis]

There's maybe a bit more than tolerance going on here, Yondu. Even Soldat can admit that much, on both their parts.

They give his shoulders a little squeeze, then pull their arm back. "Okay. So how do we. Do this. I haven't paid any attention to how the double rooms work." They consider the private rooms for rent, and offer, "I've got points if we need them."

[yondu]

Well, that is true. Two strays that can comfortably share that cardboard box.

"I dunno. I could ask. ...I'm feelin' lazy though an' just talked my heart out so I'll kick around Sanzo later for information."

He almost calls him Koumyou, because he's still getting used to having permission to use the name. But he's trying to call him Sanzo to others.

[yondu]

Point. But I would bet any one of those men would have liked to see you throw a giant sized monkey shine so long as they didn't get squished.

[He can already imagine Tullk taking bets on what he could do, and Oblo turning it into a drinking game.]

[katzenpfote]

Fireworks? I can do that. I'm familiar with it... but any particular colors that you want, or just... colors, generally?

[worthallthis]

"Crowley and Aziraphale, too. And there might be instructions on the ICPs." Later, though, yeah. For now, they're going to-- have an adrenaline let-down, actually, because they'd been gearing up to ask that very question and now they don't have to. They sag back into their seat. "I was afraid you'd be annoyed. Or get the wrong idea. And here you go and beat me to it."

[thawed_pride]

You have already seen my aptitude with illusions. I am more than willing to assist in whatever way I can, particularly after...

[Well. He got at least a glimpse of what happened, and that glimpse was more than enough.]

[wisdominshadows]

Do you have any specific patterns in mind, or would anything work?

Video

[gathersnomoss]

I have some light magic. Fire and electricity as well, though those can be dangerous in large enough quantities to make a show.

I've been the last survivor. It's...

[and words are failing here]

Not something I'd wish on other people. Better than dying, but it doesn't feel like it at the time.

[yondu]

"You don't do anything to annoy me. Part of why I figured I could ask ya." He's not going to claim he can't be annoyed. Oh, he can definitely be annoyed. Peter was a champion at it.

"And I know how it is for you. I don't even hug ya, I came up with other ways of showin' I give a shit. And besides, it's also for me... As much as I care about ya, I need somethin' that I don't think you could give me. ...Actually I don't think anyone could give me, and I need to stop lookin' for it. I'm too damn old and need to put it out of my head."

He smears his hands down his face. Right. What he has now with all his friends is good enough. It's a hell of a lot better than what he had back home. He needs to hang onto that, give up the other shit.

[yondu]

Light magic'd do it.

Yeah I uh.... [He's made so many promises to them that when he was done here, he'd join them. It's hard to pull himself into an idea where persisting wouldn't be some sort of disrespect.]

[When you have never been introduced to the concept of 'survivor's guilt', happening right here...]

It's led to a lotta bad dreams. Asked Raven to help me out with 'em but sometimes Void shit makes 'em happen anyway. It's a pain in the ass. What happened with yours? [If he doesn't mind sharing 'cause, well, it's on the ICP. It did take a lot for Yondu to say what he said about his crew.]

->lab

[blue_ice]

[ Seto lifts a hand to greet Yondu when he hears foosteps. ]

Hey. So we want a celebratory memorial, right? I thought I'd start here.

[ He activates his first draft, and a small flame of light flickers to light. It steadily rises, a simple orange flame shifting to blue. It expands, and the color shifts again. As it grows, the colors expand...and soon enough, the colors swirl within the flame, and little stars of ember start to rise from it. One hundred, each in a different shade encompassing the spectrum. The 'stars' hover above, swiirling in a number of intricate patterns. ]

But that's just a first draft.

[gathersnomoss]

Long story. Easier to tell here, because everyone involved except me is a stranger to you, but something I'd rather not broadcast. I don't know how much detail I'd need, but it has to do indirectly about why I was transformed.

[yondu]

[Right, Vexen had seen those floating, frozen, pained corpses, generated by illusions and what he assumed was his own mind.]

Thank ya. A death like that is... it's bad enough. Havin' your corpse treated like a joke adds the stink to the shit.

[Vexen had his firey death and Yondu and his crew had their icy ones. He knows he'd get it.]

[yondu]

Our Colors were usually shades of red. Other'n that beggars can't be choosers. I'm not picky and they would have been honored to be treated as that important. And they were. Loyalty goes a long way.

[yondu]

Ours were mostly shades of red. Other than that I ain't picky. They would have just been glad for the honor. Like I said, usually it was just for captains.

[thawed_pride]

If it would be of assistance, I could provide a more respectful final image for those I have seen.

[He can't retrieve the actual corpses to lay them to rest properly...but anything is better than the final memory of them being used to mock and torment their captain.]

[yondu]

I'm gonna head to the library in a few. [Just to keep moving around, keeps his head from settling.] If you wanna meat me there or somethin'.

[yondu]

I think I'm alright with just the colors. It's...

I dunno. With how many men it was, I don't know if I wanna replay seein' 'em all again. Not at the moment anyway.

[Void storm hit him hard. He needs a little coping time.]

I just feel like they deserve the respect, and the injustice of what happened to 'em should be remembered.

[nell_of_soulwood]

You don't think they would be offended? They're awful nice and I wouldn't want to upset them.

Okay, then meat hand pies and maybe something lighter for others too.

[yondu]

[The stars hurt his heart a little. Thinking that they never got the proper funeral, they're just out there floating somewhere. He would hope that Kraglin could do something about it but he doubts he would remember where they were.]

More reds [he says sadly, distantly, not disappointedly.] We always used a lotta reds.

[Though they didn't participate in Ravager funerals often, not being invited and all.]

I dunno why I didn't try this earlier, considerin' how I've been keepin' track of people what pass on. Even on some of these worlds we stop at.

[thawed_pride]

[He nods.]

If you simply wish for symbolic displays, then I shall provide whatever you consider appropriate.

Video --> Action

[gathersnomoss]

Right.

[that's time enough to settle into the library, though Yondu might well beat him there.]

This is going to involve some of the more metaphysical stuff from my world. I'll explain as I go.

When I was starting out, I was working with a small group. Nominally we were independent, but we had a hidden patron. A famous white magic user, who was capable of healing almost anyone. Charitable acts don't exactly pay for food and shelter, so he had us go after bandits and other problems for the reward, then donate some of the extra to him.

[He's leaving out a lot of details here. If Yondu cares, he'll ask.]

[blue_ice]

I can do a separate one for them. But this is for you.

[ He hits the slider. There are so many shades of red...from the brightest fire blaze to dark crimson. Other colors, whites, oranges, yellows, remain to complement them, of course. ]

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