Yondu Week 2022
Theme: Laughter
The Sound of Laughter
Yondu Udonta was sweat encrusted, and tired from another successful mission, and wondered more to himself of the hellhole they had cast themselves into. Walking away from Stakar and his crew, trying to forge a new life, because deep down he couldn't shake off the sense of betrayal or the haunted look in Kraglin's still scared eyes.
The events having robbed Kraglin of his enthusiasm for life, to the point when Stakar told Kraglin he was being transferred to another Clan, Yondu found himself not even hesitating to volunteer to join him along with Horuz and Iztel.
All of them wanted to put Stakar behind him as a Captain, only to find one that was worse. Which made them wonder why Kraglin who was the initial suggestion, was going to be cast into more of a hellhole.
At least Stakar made sure they were fed, all Riddhi cared about was being the biggest bloodthirsty bastard there was, in which there was no equal share, it was just Captain and the rest.
In a way, his withering glare cast Yondu back into the mindset of a slave and he hated himself for that, how he had become subservient, becoming the thing he once was, not the man he had become.
And more than once he had thought about contacting Stakar, but his ego seemed to get in the way because that would mean betraying Kraglin, and he couldn't do that.
However, every time he heard that laugh across the decks, that travelled through it, like a warning Yondu found himself trying to move faster. Because that laughter was demented, when the Captain laughed you never knew if he was sincere, thought something was funny or just wanted to rip your head off.
Yondu had never had a sense of humour but now that sound of laughter kept him constantly on the edge. At least Starker understood to just leave him alone, but for some reason, Riddhi saw this as a threat, a silent person plots.
So Yondu acted more jovial, more open until he felt like he was a performing animal at a zoo. Kraglin and he had taken to just drinking together, enjoying the silence, though Yondu had noticed over the past few weeks that Kraglin looked more skittish, as in just being on the decks was reopening old wounds.
The other night, when Kraglin who bunked with him in their shared quarters, just crawled into bed with him, it was nothing sexual, hell he never would with Kraglin no matter how drunk either of them got.
But the Xandarian just buried his face into Yondu's chest, muttering "You get warmer when you sleep, like a radiator". Yondu had explained more than once that was how his species operated. But didn't volunteer any more information since and Yondu never wanted to tell Kraglin about it, even after all their years of friendship and what they had been through.
Lying in bed together, all Yondu did was brush Kraglin's hair with his hand while his friend wore a troubled look on his face, which Yondu couldn't decipher, whilst both of them would do anything to get out of the hellhole they had found themselves in.
For Kraglin who had jumped from Stakar's betrayal into this, he was half tempted to jack it all in with the Ravagers and was tempted to ask Yondu to join him, but where would they go? Now that was an issue for both, feeling adrift with just the Ravagers choking them like a ship in port.
This development made Yondu feel more worthless inside, as he took his bandana off, revealing the crater on his head. Which left him more exposed and open and gave him lingering headaches which he tempered by booze.
Yondu had finally gotten used to his headpiece, designed with his own hands in a remnant of the fin that had been cut off when he was a child. Which never had the chance to grow thanks to his parents' betrayal, and as soon as he had joined the crew. Riddhi perhaps sensing a possible threat ordered it to be removed.
Yondu didn't know how to protest, as Kraglin who hadn't been there when Yondu gritted his teeth and assembled it, but volunteered to remove it, which he did as gently as possible following Yondu's instructions.
"He'll give it back you know, when he gets to know you, he'll give it back" was Kraglin's reassuring words whilst Yondu just drunk to numb his sense and kept quiet.
Now his fin and Yaka arrow were in a locked box in Riddhi's quarters whilst Yondu felt emotionally hollow, and one year in he hadn't got them back even though he had drunk through his pain and worked as hard as he could.
Kraglin had already left for a shower since even though the bunk they had, had its own one, the Captain just diverted the water which had a habit of running out and everyone sitting in their sweat encrusted clothes.
It was a miracle none of them had come down with lice, as Yondu decided to wash, and left the bunk almost colliding with Horuz and Iztel who studied Yondu with his left hand.
"Easy Yondu, the way I'm feeling I'm more than happy to rip someone's s arms off with my own two hands, at the moment". Iztel said, in a tone that displayed weariness and pissed, since he had volunteered to also come over, and now realise he had made a mistake.
But admitting it, hell he was more stubborn that the Centurion in his company, while Horuz, having heard all this before just rolled his eyes, and acted indifferently.
"Yeah whatever", uttered Yondu, as they all walked past the shower, the door still open and the sound of running water and caught a glimpse of something that made all their jaws drop.
"Oh god, Kraglin"
To be continued
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