Remembering the Dead

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley Quinn is seated on a large rock in the Nexus today. She seems to already to be in the Halloween spirit, as the colorful young woman is dressed as a circus ringmaster. But despite her colorful costume, her usual energetic spirit seems to be missing today.

She has a bouquet of flowers in her hand. And takes one of the flowers, then slowly removes the petals of the flower one-by-one, scattering them underneath her.

"This year is going to be the first time that I am not in Arkham, during a death-a-versary. And I am not really sure what I should do?" She bites her bottom lip for a moment. "How do you remember those who are gone, without letting the memories overwhelm you?"

Comments

[delphicbooksandbaubles]

She smoothed down the apron of her
= "https://i.pinimg.com/236x/80/b2/a8/80b2a84c125cca7d36bae04b9fe24f80--scifi-channel-tin-man.jpg"Dorthy outfit and her eyes softened as she looked up. With a slight eyebrow raise. That name rang a few bells. "Ahem..well personally I light lanterns or make a little something they liked. Share stories of the good times or memories of them, to focus on. " She replies softly.

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley smiles at the familiar costume. "Where is your Toto?"

"Lighting lanterns sounds like it would be fun."

[delphicbooksandbaubles]

Ashlynn smiles slightly and softly chuckles, "I'm looking for one, at the moment. " She murmurs softly, she did rather like collecting plushies, and friends. Maybe she could find one or the other at the same place perhaps.

"Aye. " She murmurs and nods. "They can be.. " She murmurs and looks thoughtful. "Know any place that has good materials for such?" She asks warmly, she'd be happy to help make some for folks.

[sweetcandygirl]

"I am sure there might be a shop where I could find materials here in the Nexus." Harley does not mention going back to her own world.

"Ya'know, we can also find you the materials to make you a stuffed Toto."

[delphicbooksandbaubles]

She smiles warmly and a slight twinkle sparks in her eyes. "Ooh, yes that would be excellent. " She murmurs warmly and intriguely excited.

She tries not to wiggle too much. "I'd very much appreciate it.. unless ya like some company?" She half asks half offers in a friendly tone.

[not_the_question]

The Doctor doesn't wear a costume. In fact he rarely wears anything other than what he normally wears.

He purses his lips for a moment then rubs them as he debates how to answer her question.

"The simple answer is 'move on.'"

Which is only simple to say, much harder to do.

[sweetcandygirl]

She looks up at him for a moment, tilting her head. Harley plays with the remains of the rose in her hand for a moment.

"The simple route is often hardest to follow."

[not_the_question]

He raises an eyebrow in question at her remark.

"I didn't think you wanted easy. I thought you'd want something that would work."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley makes an over-exaggerated sigh. And then hops down from her rock.

"I wonder if my friends have moved on, without me..."

[lastravagerstanding]

Kraglin hasn't been in Nexus long. Long enough to harass a couple of people and be grateful for some space that isn't the Quadrant and well meaning idiots who remind him of everything that happened.

He's grubby, and scruffy, and has obvious bandaging on his head from where he's had recent cybernetic implants put in.

He sidles over and, in a show of generosity, produces a halloween lollipop from one of his pockets and offers it to her. "Dunno. Bit too recent f'r me to know."

[sweetcandygirl]

Awwww. He is offering her a lollipop. That makes her smile. One of her famous, bright-white teeth, smiles.

And then she proceeds to unwrap the lolly, and start licking it. Not even bothering to check if it is LOL'd. Or poisoned.

"Who died on you, honey?"

[lastravagerstanding]

He gives her a hesitant smile back, his teeth gleaming purely by virtue of all being metal. He doesn't sit next to her, just stays standing and rocking on his feet.

"Cap'n 'n'crew. All'a them." He gives an awkward shrug and reaches up to scratch his head where it's healing. "How 'bout you?"

[sweetcandygirl]

His smile reminds her of some of the unusual people that she left behind. And she offers out a hand to him, her skin so pale that one could easily believe she was wearing white gloves, when she wasn't. It is a silent offer of 'come up, sit by me'.

"Former boyfriend. And someone else, a teammate who understood me. And me..." She tilts her head. "Ya' need something for those cuts, honey?"

[chiron_survivor]

Adia spots Harley easily, even as engrossed as she is with the stack of paperwork that she's looking through. She gives her friend a warm smile, a smile that turns to concern as she realizes that Harley is not her usual peppy self.

"Hi, Harley... I like your costume." Adia is dressed in her usual casual clothes, although she has a pretty floral scarf draped around her neck. She finds some room on the large rock to join the other woman, stuffing her papers into her messenger bag so she can give Harley her full attention. "Our ship has a shrine for people that we've lost. We put up photos, or folded-up letters. Little trinkets that remind us of them. It gives us a place to grieve, and permission to walk away when we need to go back to our lives."

They're going to build a memorial on Earth, too, but she's not about to delve into her good news. She'd rather help Harley with her troubles first, as she did for her the last time they spoke.

[sweetcandygirl]

"That sounds nice. To have that place where people can grieve, and remember those who were important to them." Harley tilts her head.

She takes off her ringmaster hat, and produces a chocolate bar for Adia.

"I am not even sure I have pictures of my friend."

[chiron_survivor]

The sudden appearance of the chocolate bar makes her giggle. "Thanks," she says, before opening the wrapping and breaking off a piece.

"It doesn't have to be a picture." She smiles reassuringly. "Anything that reminds you of them would work. Even just writing their name down on a piece of paper. And any place can be a shrine, too. So long as it won't be disturbed."

[sweetcandygirl]

"I still have his jacket... he gave it to me, when it was raining." Harley frowns for a moment. "But I would rather keep it. Keep wearing it."

[boldygoing]

"Getting drunk's always a winner if you don't have anywhere to be the next day."

Jim Kirk hasn't seen this particular lady around before, but she reminds him a little of some of the people he used to hang out with, back when he ran more with the wrong crowd. And his answer is pretty much in line with how he handled this exact situation, back then - got so drunk he didn't give a shit about any of his losses, or the hole he'd managed to find himself in, or the fist no doubt punching him the face when he hit on the wrong person.

That being said, those days are behind him now. Mostly.

"Not the healthiest way to deal, but it's probably the easiest."

[sweetcandygirl]

"If only it was that easy." Harley pouts, just a little. "Alcohol doesn't have an affect on me."

"Affect. Effect. Which one is it..."

"Either way... can't get wasted anymore."

[boldygoing]

"You too, huh?" Jim says, a little sympathetic. Yeah, he knows what that's like. Was a fair trade-off, though - never getting drunk again is a small price to pay for the immune system he's got now, thanks to Samus' wonder vaccine.

"People tell me visiting graves is supposed to help. Starfleet's got a kind of memorial garden for those lost in the line of duty, since there aren't exactly bodies to bury sometimes."

[sweetcandygirl]

"It is all good. Other nasty stuff can't hurt me either." For Harley, it was Red who hooked her up. Basically, so she could be around her best friend, without getting sick from the toxins. And it has saved her life plenty of times.

Harley frowns. "My friend doesn't have a grave. Not one I am aware of."

"Why aren't there bodies? They burn them, or something?"

[crazystranger]

Leaning nonchalantly against a nearby surface, eyes narrowed as he watches her and an unlit cigarette held between his lips. His gaze follows one of the petals as it flutters down, jerking as it lands as if the sound of that tiny, weightless bit of flora has startled him.

"Why not let them have at it? What's so bad about a few memories?" Even if he's pretty damn sure she doesn't mean a few, and he still doesn't think that's a problem. "Let them have atcha. Let the damn memories flood your head until you can't even breathe, and they're all you can see, hear, even taste."

His voice is rough, undulating as he pushes away, walking... stalking... closer to her.

"Do they matter to you? Do you care about them?" Nearly a challenge in his tone, head cocking slightly as he reaches up, plucking the cigarette from his mouth. "Why you holding back?"

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley snaps her head up at him, when he starts speaking, and watches him as he speaks. As he stalks closer to her. She tilts her head, and leans forward, towards him.

"Ya'think that you got what it takes to handle me, not holding back?"

[crazystranger]

For a moment he pauses, stopping between one step and the next. Jaw jutting forward slightly, eyes widening though it doesn't show fear. Not with the way one corner of his mouth quirks upwards.

"I think I have friends who might be upset if I did. Alone," he says, not thinking about how threatening that sounds. Not even intending to. His desires are not to harm, learning how much some things he does can help. "Most think they're letting go, and they're not. Humans hold back. They fear their emotions. Do you fear yours?"

An honest challenge, frowning slightly. "A shame if you do."

[sweetcandygirl]

"So you can't handle it." Harley shrugs her shoulders. She really does not find his statement threatening.

"Every other year, they drugged me to keep those emotions away." She throws up her arms. "Every other year, they fear me so much, when I just wanted to..."

"Cry. Laugh. Fight. Love. Dance."

"I'm free of them this year, and no one is here who can handle it all."