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[yondu]

[There's no particular view, just some market stalls, off kilter and moving a little as Yondu starts talking in his drawl (which sounds markedly southern U.S.).] So, I'm tryin' to build up a collection again. I get little figurines. You know, of animals and people and stuff? And I line my workspace with 'em. Sort of good luck charms. [His blue hand comes into view, showing what looks like a tiny porcelain deer person about four inches tall or so. And it is, frankly, adorable.]

But see, I didn't exactly show up with any of 'em.

So I'm lookin' for some new ones. So tell me if y'all come across any places that got good selections of these sort of things.

This is another'n I got. [And he switches items, showing a jeweled frog thing. He misses his cute little collection of adorable crap. Don't question it.] Just as an example.

Comments

[inconsequence]

[Needless formality is practically their calling card. Funny thing, that. They smile with an ease that rosies the natural pink of their cheeks - entirely too practiced to be wholly sincere, but not blatantly unpleasant.]

Truthfully, gum is not my preference. These packages have been languishing in my Pacdisc for some time, unappreciated.

[yondu]

[After having seen how bad off he was when they first got booted to Avagi, he expects that the kid is just really good at putting up a front. Not that it's different from too many other people he knows.]

Passin' off your unwanted stuff, huh? Alright. I'll give it a try.

[inconsequence]

[The gum itself is otherwise unremarkable. Packaged in silver foil, bright pink and sweet, and they hand him one of their twenty-four packages, because what else are they going to do with it?]

[Additionally, one small sack of glistening rubies is passed over.]

As requested.

[yondu]

[For the moment, Yondu takes the gum and puts it in his pocket. He needs to entertain that goal-directed bit of him.]

[He holds a ruby up, peering at it between his blue fingers, looking at it with a scrutinizing eye that matches it in color.]

Where the hell did you even manage to turn these up?

[He sounds pretty impressed.]

[inconsequence]

It was something of a consolation gift, as far as I recall. I'd not anything to trade, so I was allowed a few belongings to enable bartering.

[A pity prize, in essence. Is it any wonder that they've not made any use of it? They sound just as disparaging as one might expect, to speak of any present given over in the interests of pity.]

[His eyes are red. Like...ha ha.]

[Like theirs.]

[yondu]

[Terrans with red eyes are unusual, but this kid seems like they might not be Terran exactly. Who knows. He might be wrong. Does it matter?]

[The rubies are pocketed as he pulls out a strip of gum, unwrapping it with the confused difficulty of a man meeting something new. Unwrapping rations? An entirely different monster somehow from handling candy.]

Feel's weird.

[He observes, before putting it in his mouth.]

[And just... lets it sit. Is he supposed to suck on it? Is it that sort of thing? Then chew? Okay he'll chew just a little.]

[The chew turns into an open mouth knowing, baring teeth as he's trying to figure out if this is what it's supposed to be doing.]

[inconsequence]

[According to everyone from their world. Or - most everyone. They're not exactly human; just pretending to be one, to keep certain someones happy. They certainly didn't expect to enter this exchange with the intention of entertainment, but this is nonetheless...a spectacle unto itself. Plainly, this man has not encountered chewing gum before.]

[They should possibly look into how one goes about explaining things without sounding condescending, but that is practically how they are at baseline. So.]

You chew it, sir. And, potentially, blow bubbles.