nexus_crossings | Remembering the Dead

Remembering the Dead

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?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Harley doesn't go into the details about how she got super-enhanced. But her own story was pretty violent, in her own way.

"So you get to explore space. That must be pretty exciting. An adventure."

She pauses a moment. Remembering what he told her before. And takes one of his hands in her own. "I'm sorry you have lost people during that adventure."

"... less explore an' more plunder, pirate and party."

Space isn't exploring to him, but he remembers the way Peter reacted and he thinks he can sort of get why it seems that way to a planetbound people. To someone who hasn't ever heard of anyone going off world.

She takes his hand and he looks... panicked? Confused? Lost? He has big hands, heavily calloused and scarred form decades of engineering and fighting. "S'okay. Was my fault. Di'n't mean ta, but I started the mut'ny."

"Nothin' like a good plundering party." Harley gets a happy look in her eyes. Like a shiny gleam of a child right before Christmas.

She keeps his hand in hers for a moment, tracing a finger over those callouses and scars. "I used to be at fault all the time. For bad things that happened."

"I know how that feels."

"Yeah. Last big hit we made, we must'a stole the income for a city for a year." Yondu had found a small, carved, black cat which had joined the ranks by the captain's chair. Kraglin had found a knife that was useless, but burst into rainbow light when exposed to sound.

"I challenged Cap'n. Weren't meant to be like that. Jus'... wanted him t' stop bein' soft on Quill. Puttin' him above all'a us. But Taserface took it t' mean mut'ny and... it all got fucked."

"You were a little jealous, maybe? That he was paying attention to someone else..." Harley also knows that feeling.

"For me... My ex-Pudding paid more attention to a vigilante, who went by the name of Batman. And they were both obsessed with each other."

"And poor Harley was just a play toy they forget about." She frowns for a moment. Then laughs. "Oh. That's me, by the way. Harley."

Ouch, Harley. Way to hit the nail on the head. Kraglin's startled look probably gives away that that is at least part of what was bugging him about it all.

"We pretty much raised Quill. Peter. Since we took 'im on Earth." Yondu was the closest to a dad, but Kraglin had been there the whole time, maybe like a... brother? Or something. Uncle?

"Kraglin. Kraglin Obfonteri, former First mate of the Eclector of the 99th Ravagers." He sighs. "Don't mean much now. Everyone's dead and the ship's gone. Good to meet'cha, Harley."

She might not have her shrink license anymore, but she still sees these things pretty clearly. Plus she had her 'love of her life', who didn't care about her.

"Kraglin." Harley repeats. Smiling. "The 99th Ravagers. Don't know what that means... but it sounds really cool."

"Ravagers. Mercs. Pirates. Both? Yeah. Both. Though I were always better at thievin' than blazin' blaster fights."

Or knifing people in the back. He was great at that, literally.

"Yondu got exiled 'n' I went with him. Bunch'a us did." He wrinkles his nose with distaste; being soft and talking about stupid, old stuff. "Who were y' puddin'? An' what you done time for?"

"Hey! I am a Mercenary too! Maybe I could teach you a few thievin' tricks."

She frowns slightly at his next question. "His name was Joker. And he sort of made me... who I am now. I lived for him. I died for him."

"He just used me up, until I couldn't do it anymore."

"A lot of different stuff. I was the Queen of Gotham once upon a time, until Batman thought me and Mistah J... Joker... were abusing our power. Batsy put me away into my gilded cage."

"Always up for learnin' more thievin'." Whatever might give him an edge and keep him alive a bit longer.

Joker. Not that odd a name in his world. But he sounds like bad people, not giving back for the loyalty given. Yondu could be a right asshole, but he looked after his people.

"... Batman? Ain't deposin' a Queen treason or sumthin'? Batman's nearly as dumb a name as Taserface."

Harley takes a careful look at him for a moment. Evaluating him quietly. "I don't think you would do good with any of my agility tricks. Ya' ain't got the body, no offense."

"But from the sounds of things, I think you would perfect with the 'make them underestimate you' gag."

Harley leaned into him again. "He liked to dress up like a big black Bat."

"And the Clown Prince loved getting under his skin. They deserve each other."

"Been told no one knows what I got the body for." Too tall, too thin, too bony... it doesn't bother him. His body does what he needs it to.

"An' I been makin' people underestimate me for decades. Don't look dangerous, not like most Ravagers." Despite the scars over his face and near his eye and the tattoos peeking out of the collar of his leathers.

A bat and a clown. "That's weird. Like, I seen some shit, and that's weird right there. Y'r better off well shot'a him."

Harley grins up at him. "Ya' missed a hella of an opportunity there, to make a flattering compliment about my body. Ya still must be hung up on your friend, huh?"

"Good. That is how you start. I can teach you how to use that to your advantage."

"Which one?" Harley smiles.

Kraglin blinks. "Ain't nice t' make comments like that." Kraglin is many things, but he wouldn't make the comment about someone male, or female, or both, or neither, or other. "I ain't a nice man, but my Mati raised us not bad."

Once he had the fin installed, it would be more difficult to be underestimated. Might get overestimated, because using the yaka arrow wasn't exactly natural to Xandarians, whatever their heritage.

"Both? Mostly y'r Joker."

It is a little surprising to hear that he wouldn't make comments about her, in that manner. And she smiles softly at him.

"Your Mati would be proud."

Harley bites her bottom lip. "One of Joker's bag of tricks is he heals pretty fast. He has been shot before. And claws his way back to get his revenge."

Kraglin laughs.

It's not a particularly pleasant laugh, but it's real. "No. No. Mati would not be proud of me bein' a Ravager. And even less proud'a me startin' a mut'ny after twenty sumthin' years."

He doesn't remember how long he was with the 99th. Doesn't much matter. Long enough that his hair has greyed and his scars gone numb.

Speaking of...

"My head's feelin' real better. This the same stuff as Joker uses t' get better?"

"But you are still a gentleman to the ladies. That is rare, honey."

She shakes her head. "No. Joker can do that all on his own, without a potion. You hurt him, and he just laughs. Then he hurts you..."

"Nah. I wouldn't get the door or nuthin'. Jus' won't make comments 'bout yer body." He'll happily grope, but only if someone gropes first.

"Sounds a bit like Cap'n."

Harley usually has no problems with groping first. But it seems to her that Kraglin still needs to heal from his loss first.

"Your Captain hurt you?" She frowned slightly. "Like... more than emotionally?"

"Me? Nah, not really. Not more'n usual f'r Ravagers." Punch ups happened sometimes. And he'd done a couple of stints in the brig while they found their equilibrium with each other as Captain and First Mate. "But other people? Sure. If it were just funny he'd laugh and hit back. If he got fucked off, that was when he'd whistle."

"I'm glad to hear that there wasn't something more... harmful." She has a lost look for a moment. And just takes comfort in leaning into him.

"A whistle? Huh?"

"Nah. Yondu was a good Cap'n. Only killed crew what deserved it."

Tullk's furious, horrified face, staring out through the airlock. Stupid bastard's should've laid low and waited for a chance to strike.

"Yeah. Had this Yaka arrow, could whistle like an angel and make it fly and dance. Ain't no one escape the arrow."

"You miss him a lot, huh?" Harley stares up at him. "Tell me more about him."

Kraglin resolutely doesn't cry, because Cap'n would've yelled at him about sentiment and kicked his shins for crying over him.

"Dunno what t' say. He was the Cap'n, even when he did dumb shit like keep Petey instead of handin' him over and not punch him in the face when he stole that damn M-Ship of his, an' collected them dumb, cute trinkets 'a his."

She reaches up to run her fingers against the side of his head.

"He sounds like he liked the simple things in life."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i'm off for the night but will be back in m morning.

good good... I love this thread so much

it's pretty damn adorable

no subject

no subject

no subject

surprise day out for me, but i will be back to this!

have fun!

Re: have fun!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject