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

[sweetcandygirl]

She draws back her hand after noticing that twitch at her touch. Harley doesn't want to overstep her boundaries right now. She likes him after all.

"Sounds like it is more like the same reasons one gets on the Suicide Squad."

[lastravagerstanding]

"Pro'bly. Name like that. Weren't no future on Hrax, not f'r me. When Cap'n offered me t' join, I joined. Space seemed better 'n minin' and starvin'."

Presumably, Suicide Squad was suicide missions, not just people dedicated to killing themselves. "So y'r squad got all the shit dangerous missions?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"The most dangerous. The ones where it didn't matter if we came back alive, or came back successful... because they thought us insignificant."

[lastravagerstanding]

He nods along to that. He knows that. He knows the feeling, the understanding that coming back is purely optional and your death might just be preferred.

"Get anythin' good f'r it?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"Time off our prison sentence." Harley shrugs. "And I got a Cappuccino machine the last time."

[lastravagerstanding]

"Dunno what that is but it sure sounds fancy." A cap-pu-chee-no machine.

[sweetcandygirl]

"It is like really, really, really good coffee. With whipped cream."

She beams at him. "Do you want one?"

[lastravagerstanding]

"Coffee." The word isn't familiar, but it could just be a different word for something he knows. "Hell, sure. Sounds good."

Free food is always good.

"Want another of them sweets? I stole a bunch off'a this jerk in white kept threatenin' to have his death soldiers shoot me."

[sweetcandygirl]

"How about we go to an actual pub, eat, drink and be merry?" Harley jumps off her perch with the idea. And holds out her hand to him again.

"We can save the sweets for dessert."

[lastravagerstanding]

"... Y' payin'?" Ravagers always worry about that sort of thing first.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Of course honey." She beams at him again.

[lastravagerstanding]

"Definitely!" Someone else is paying, any Ravager is in. One like Kraglin, who has been informed he must be hosting a tapeworm with the amount of eats without putting on weight, will take any food going at any point.

[sweetcandygirl]

She takes his arm in hers, and leads her to the Nexus pub that she frequents. That she has been to more than three times now. She even has a booth set aside where she sits with her new-found friend.

"Feel free to order anything ya' like." She hands him a menu.

[lastravagerstanding]

Kraglin walks fairly steadily... which involves a certain amount of sway not entirely related to the brain surgery. He gives the place a once over as they come in, checking out the exits and then folding into the booth and collapsing.

"Um..." he takes the menu and squints at it. "I 'unno what most'a this is."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Oh!" Harley looks at him for a moment. Then decides on an order, that she thinks he would enjoy.

When the waitress comes, she orders two large Porterhouse steaks, both medium rare. With onion rings. And a strawberry milkshake for her, while she orders him a Cappuccino, a neat Scotch, and a glass of orange juice.

"There... that is settled."

[lastravagerstanding]

Steaks means meat. Probably. He likes meat. "Gotta be better 'n ship rations." After a few weeks in space, even the rat infestations start to look like promising fare.

"When Petey saved Xandar, we all ate like kings for weeks on that story. Good thin' to, after he cheated us, otherwise we might'a had to hunt him down."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Well, let me take care of you today."

Harley tilts her head at him. "Have you been in the Nexus long?"

[lastravagerstanding]

"Uhh..."

He doesn't know how time works here. "Couple'a hours? I guess. Ain't been more'n half a rotation on Xandar at most."

[sweetcandygirl]

"You adapted really well." The waitress arrives with their drinks.

"What was your question, honey?"

[lastravagerstanding]

He blinks. "Question? I ain't got a specific question right now. Actually, might, what're y' drinkin'?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"Usually the Nexus brings you here, when you have a question for the masses." Harley explains.

"This is a strawberry milkshake. Would you like to try it?" She offers him her straw.

[lastravagerstanding]

"Oh." He thinks about that. "No. Jus' needed space. Petey keeps fussin' and the twig wants to climb me 'n' I can't take Rocket lookin' at me like I made Yondu make the choice he did. There ain't much space on a ship to hide."

That is a filthy lie. With so few of them on the Quadrant, there's space, but it feels too empty and claustrophobic at once.

"Yeah, sure." He leans in, take a quick draw and sits back, trying to decide what he thinks. "Tastes... expensive."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Is that right?" Harley laughs softly. She thinks he is adorable, in his own little way. "It is mostly milk and strawberry ice cream."

[lastravagerstanding]

He reaches for the whiskey next, inhales and recognises the smell, taking a deep gulp and sighing. "Ship really only has long life supplies. This tastes like... planetside, like Xandar. Not like Hrax. Hrax is a shit hole."

Fresh fruit, ice cream milk, it's all stuff that they only get in places where the food can be trusted.

[sweetcandygirl]

"I should take you for a picnic. Feed you a lot of fresh fruit."