“Uh…? Yes, I am human,” Carlos said carefully. Hesitantly. “Uh, no – no offense, but… why did you lick me?”
“… That’s how you Terrans greet someone, right?” He practically asked, after all, that was how the Terran he knew greets people.
“Uh… no, not really,” Carlos said. “Some places we would
give one-another a kiss on the cheek, but… no, that’s about it. Usually, in a
professional setting we just… shake hands.” He offered his hand for the other
to take. “But – I mean, unless your people don’t do that then that’s cool too!”
He started to lower his hand back to his side, unsure. God, he kind of hated
space.
Yondu chuckles. “They like you… oh look it’s a baby.”
A tiny smaller then Carlos one floats around pressed against a much larger one obviously it’s Mother.
Carlos gasped softly. “Oh, my goodness,” he said in awe. “That’s
incredible,” he said again, watching the creatures as he tried to memorize
every bit of them.
The baby creature acts much like a whale floating around and spinning around playfully.
“Oh my goodness,” Carlos repeated. “It’s so cute… how old do
you think it is?”
SEND ME ☟ FOR MY MUSE TO TURN BACK INTO THEIR YOUNGER SELF, WITH ONLY THE MEMORIES THAT LEAD UP TO THAT AGE.
Yondu was sleeping on a pile of clothes, he looked tired and much younger than before, he was thin and already had some scars, apparently he was 8 years old.
Carlos looked down at Yondu, but then he
raised his hand – the one carrying the boots – and pointed to the yellow sign. “That
right there,” he said. “My translator says that that says ‘Limelight Café’. They
have food and drinks inside.”
Yondu looked up, looking at Carlos, Carlos really didn’t really seem to be a master, he looked at some older children they were hugging theirs tall people, maybe … Yondu held Carlos’s leg and hugged, it was like he was with fear and shy at the same time “Food …” He repeated, he wouldn’t leave Carlo’s side and when he finally went in there, the place was full and this made Yondu be very scared and hug Carlos’s leg more strong, almost crying, many people, many, what if there’s a master there?
The hugging surprised Carlos. He looked down at the child
and realized, of course, that he must be very anxious. If hugging him helped,
then of course Carlos would allow it. He slowly walked them toward the front
counter, stopping just short of it to look at the menu. He looked down to ask
what kind of things Yondu wanted to eat when he noticed the expression on his face.
“Yondu? Hey… are you okay? Do you want us to go back
outside?”
Carlos had only meant to be quick in the bathroom. He washed and sanitized his hands and came back out. He was surprised, and a little alarmed when Yondu wasn’t where he’d left him. But a short search later, Carlos found him in the kitchenette.
“Oh, there you are,” he said aloud. “Hey, uh… whatcha doin’, buddy?”
Carlos was shocked by the glass breaking, but
then panic welled up in him almost immediately when Yondu dropped down to pick
it up.
The adult yelped and even before he saw the
purpleish blood start to appear on Yondu’s fingers he crouched down and reached forward, grabbing the child’s arm’s, forcing them still. “Yondu, drop the glass!” he exclaimed. “Don’t’
touch it!”
This whole situation made Yondu immediately afraid and crying a lot when his arm was held and when Carlos told him to drop the glass that was what Yondu did, he let go of the glass and quickly bent, putting his head on the floor and hands on the side of his head, he was visibly bowing “I’m sorry … master … please .. please Master…” He apologized non-stop, crying and begging to be forgiven, he had broken something of Carlos and he would probably be punished.
Carlos picked up Yondu under his armpits and pulled him away
from the glass. He knelt in front of the child and started rubbing his
shoulders. “Yondu… Yondu, look at me, buddy. It’s okay! It’s okay, buddy, I’m
right here!” Carlos was confused at first about why Yondu was crying, but then
remembering what had happened to Yondu before hit him like a freight train.
Fuck – his yelling must’ve scared him.
“Y-Yondu?” he tried again, dropping his voice down lower. “Yondu…
buddy… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry – I shouldn’t have yelled. I’m not going to hurt
you, I promise. I’m so sorry, Yondu…”
Yondu chuckles. “They like you… oh look it’s a baby.”
A tiny smaller then Carlos one floats around pressed against a much larger one obviously it’s Mother.
Carlos gasped softly. “Oh, my goodness,” he said in awe. “That’s
incredible,” he said again, watching the creatures as he tried to memorize
every bit of them.
“Don’t
worry. I got you. You won’t float away with me. I’ll get you.” Floats
into the center of the creatures and some stop to nudge curiously at
them little tentacles caressing at them gently as the float around them.
Carlos gasped when one of the tentacles slid down the front
of his suit. “Oh – Oh my god,” he gasped. “Yondu, I… what are they doing?”
“Calm down. There…. seeing you… or.. feeling.. it’s how they see. By touch. There just checking you out. See listen there singing you a song. Means they like you…. and now there dancing.. flashing there colors. That’s how they say hello.”
Carlos just held onto Yondu’s suit, his body frozen as the
tentacles – or rather, feelers – catalogued him.
It was so strange. Carlos had never experienced anything
like this. It sort of reminded him of dolphins back on Earth. Or elephants –
just large, curious creatures that liked people well enough.
“That noise… er, the song they’re singing… is it telepathic?
I’m… I’m having a bit of a hard time being able to tell.” It was in his head…
but his translator wasn’t doing anything with it so he couldn’t be hearing it
through the radio in his helmet.
Yondu nods. “Yes. They sing to you each song is different for everyone. I’m getting a different song. I’ve met this pod before.” Holds him close and smiles and kisses him.
Carlos looked at him, a little surprised. “You’ve seen this
pod before?” he asked. He then looked back at the animals. “What… what are they
doing out here? In the cold and nothingness?”
“They live out here…space the void is there habitat…. they go planet side to feed but this… is there habitat… they are old ancient creatures..”
“It’s incredible,” Carlos said softly. “We don’t really have
things like this on Earth… except for maybe in the ocean, and even then they’re
very hard to see. Our technology just isn’t quite advanced enough…”
Another feeler had come and started to feel around one of
Carlos’ legs. He found himself holding the leg out to let the creature explore
him.
“Don’t
worry. I got you. You won’t float away with me. I’ll get you.” Floats
into the center of the creatures and some stop to nudge curiously at
them little tentacles caressing at them gently as the float around them.
Carlos gasped when one of the tentacles slid down the front
of his suit. “Oh – Oh my god,” he gasped. “Yondu, I… what are they doing?”
“Calm down. There…. seeing you… or.. feeling.. it’s how they see. By touch. There just checking you out. See listen there singing you a song. Means they like you…. and now there dancing.. flashing there colors. That’s how they say hello.”
Carlos just held onto Yondu’s suit, his body frozen as the
tentacles – or rather, feelers – catalogued him.
It was so strange. Carlos had never experienced anything
like this. It sort of reminded him of dolphins back on Earth. Or elephants –
just large, curious creatures that liked people well enough.
“That noise… er, the song they’re singing… is it telepathic?
I’m… I’m having a bit of a hard time being able to tell.” It was in his head…
but his translator wasn’t doing anything with it so he couldn’t be hearing it
through the radio in his helmet.
Yondu nods. “Yes. They sing to you each song is different for everyone. I’m getting a different song. I’ve met this pod before.” Holds him close and smiles and kisses him.
Carlos looked at him, a little surprised. “You’ve seen this
pod before?” he asked. He then looked back at the animals. “What… what are they
doing out here? In the cold and nothingness?”
“Don’t
worry. I got you. You won’t float away with me. I’ll get you.” Floats
into the center of the creatures and some stop to nudge curiously at
them little tentacles caressing at them gently as the float around them.
Carlos gasped when one of the tentacles slid down the front
of his suit. “Oh – Oh my god,” he gasped. “Yondu, I… what are they doing?”
“Calm down. There…. seeing you… or.. feeling.. it’s how they see. By touch. There just checking you out. See listen there singing you a song. Means they like you…. and now there dancing.. flashing there colors. That’s how they say hello.”
Carlos just held onto Yondu’s suit, his body frozen as the
tentacles – or rather, feelers – catalogued him.
It was so strange. Carlos had never experienced anything
like this. It sort of reminded him of dolphins back on Earth. Or elephants –
just large, curious creatures that liked people well enough.
“That noise… er, the song they’re singing… is it telepathic?
I’m… I’m having a bit of a hard time being able to tell.” It was in his head…
but his translator wasn’t doing anything with it so he couldn’t be hearing it
through the radio in his helmet.
“Don’t
worry. I got you. You won’t float away with me. I’ll get you.” Floats
into the center of the creatures and some stop to nudge curiously at
them little tentacles caressing at them gently as the float around them.
Carlos gasped when one of the tentacles slid down the front
of his suit. “Oh – Oh my god,” he gasped. “Yondu, I… what are they doing?”
Tilts
his head and leans in and kisses his head. “While you look cute when
you Worry I’d rather you didn’t worry. I won’t let you be hurt.”
Carlos’ mind stopped for a moment when Yondu had leaned in
and bumped their helmets together. He glanced at the other, frowning slightly
in confusion, but realized that it was a gesture of affection on Yondu’s part.
Or maybe it was a kiss – he didn’t know, he couldn’t feel it through the
helmet.
“I… I’m sorry,” he said apologetically. “I just… you’re
talking about spacing people while we’re
outside in space. I… can we change the subject? If it isn’t too much to ask…”
Carlos hated to ask, but if he was going to finish the job and do it well, he
realized he needed a distraction from… the nothing that surrounded him.
“Yeah.. Sorry…. I have to work on the threats around you… the meaning I was trying to get across was they try anything it’s the last thing they do.” Looks around handing him tool he asks for at times.
Carlos was thankful and sooner than he thought he started to
feel comfortable with the work that he was doing. At least, less uncomfortable –
being without a floor or gravity was still really disconcerting. But with Yondu
there, hanging onto him so he didn’t drift off, he was doing pretty good.
“I think we’re getting close to proper safety parameters,”
Carlos said eventually. “I’ll have the seals tested in just a bit.”
Nods then grins and pulls Carlos away from his work to turn towards the void and a school of space whales as the called them. Bioilluminecent sting Ray/jelly fish floating around the void.
Carlos was at first confused when Yondu touched him, but
when he felt the pulling a brief flare of panic went up his spine and he
quickly grabbed onto Yondu’s arm, accidentally releasing the wrench he had.
But suddenly, that panic was replaced with awe as he saw the
creatures moving by the ship. He barely had any mind to grab the wrench before
it floated away before returning his attention to the beasts floating alongside
them.
“Oh my god,” Carlos murmured in wonder, watching them. “They’re
like… it’s like an ocean.”
“They are harmless gentle creatures. They love to play with space travelers. Come.” Uses the jet boots and slowly flies himself and carlos to the creatures and they make ringing sounds that seem to echo around them.
Carlos yelped slightly, clinging onto Yondu as he they were
jetted toward the animals. “Wait – wait, play?
Yondu, isn’t that – isn’t this a bit dangerous? We’re not tethered to the ship!”
That noise… it was impossible to make noise in space because
it was a vacuum – there was no air for the sound to vibrate through. How in the
hell was he hearing this? Was it… was it some sort of telepathy thing?
The Perfect Scientist 