Somewhere on the Mainland; Sunday Early Evening

[totalwildcard]

You asked Harley, it was a pretty good Sunday, so far.

She'd started out her day with no plan, and yet by happy accident (and it was definitely an accident, and not someone somewhere making room in a shared schedule to facilitate things, or anything deliberate on the part of anyone directly involved!) she'd run into Marc, and that had sparked a simple and easy plan after all: to drive him to the mainland for dinner, at a restaurant she'd overheard someone talking about on one of her off-island jaunts earlier in the week. It was supposed to be a family-run, no-nonsense little Italian place, and exactly the sort of thing Harley was in the mood for, especially right now with the company she had.

So life was indeed pretty good!

And Harley's mood wasn't soured even by finding out there was actually no parking available right by the restaurant. After some searching, she'd managed to find a spot some blocks away - which was to say, she'd sniped it from right under someone's nose with a truly reckless move. Which had led to some blaring horns from other cars. Which was all good in Harley's book! She had more important things to be thinking about, anyway!

"And the tiramisu's supposed to be amazing," she was saying, as they got out of the car. "Like, 'someone's 97-year-old tiny little Italian grandma made it' kind of amazing. D'you think they'd let me order that for an app and not just dessert?"

(NFB for distance, for the one modded with permission + some NPCs)

Comments

[totalwildcard]

Harley gave a decisive nod, like that matter was settled. Whether or not it was because she'd seen Cass's reaction in the rearview was no one's business but her own.

And as if to seal that, her expression brightened. "Ooh, not long now! I think we might actually beat the delivery guy."

[hasaknightjob]

"If he drives faster than you he's earned an extra tip," Marc said.

[totalwildcard]

"He's got a shorter way to go to begin with, though," Cass pointed out, because clearly it was safe for her to rejoin the conversation again.

Harley looked privately pleased, but still: "Yeah, but they also gotta make the pizzas first, don't they?" she retorted. "Can't just get up and start racin'."

[hasaknightjob]

"Bet Harley could still beat 'em even if they were in the lobby," Marc said.

Not really but hey, maybe it depended on how long pizzas took to cook.

[gothamists]

"Harley could beat anybody," Cass said, "because she cheats."

Harley just preened, for both parts. Because why argue with the truth?

[hasaknightjob]

"Whatever works," Marc said. "Not like we're in a real race or something."

[totalwildcard]

Harley shared a look with Cass through the mirror and then said, "Sorry, kid, he's got no imagination. Tragic."

[hasaknightjob]

"We're not," Marc pointed out. Because no imagination meant he couldn't even figure out what Harley was apologizing for.

[totalwildcard]

"Says you," Harley told him with a smirk.

And floored it. The street ahead was clear enough, it was fine.

[hasaknightjob]

"You're not getting a trophy at the end of it," Marc pointed out.

[totalwildcard]

"There's other prizes!" Harley retorted.

"There's pizza," Cass put in - even though that was actually going to be just for her.

[hasaknightjob]

"That's your prize," Marc said, since he agreed with the narrative even if he couldn't read it.

[totalwildcard]

"And I'll grab something else," Harley said, like it was just that easy.

With a little smirk at Marc because she was incorrigible.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc obligingly gave her an eyeroll. But this was good. He could handle this. Excellent topic changes all around.

[totalwildcard]

Harley snickered, just as obligingly.

"Okay, a couple more turns," she announced, "everybody hold onto your hats!"

Cass was the only one wearing one.

[hasaknightjob]

"Left mine at home," Marc said.

After all, it wasn't like he was undercover.

[totalwildcard]

"Then hold on to something else!"

At least this sharp turn was in the direction that wouldn't send him sliding into her? Small blessings.

Cass yelped in the back, then laughed.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc wasn't going to try holding on to Harley while there was a kid in the back seat. So he just did what he could to keep from sliding around too much.

Yeah there were seatbelts, but in a car this old Marc wasn't fully trusting they would help instead of get in the way. Maybe he'd feel differently if he didn't have access to healing but oh well.

[totalwildcard]

Ifs were so pointless, anyway, if you asked Harley. The present was what mattered.

And right now their present moment was this: another wild turn, then a slightly less aggressive one, and then along a street lined with apartment buildings until Cass patted the back of the front seat. "Harley! You're gonna go past it again!"

"Jesus, right!" Harley replied, bringing them to an abrupt stop, although thankfully not from a very high speed. "Every time, why did they have to make all these buildings look the same?"

Probably because they'd been built all at roughly the same time? It looked like an okay neighborhood. Far from upscale, but not really sketchy, either. Decent.

[hasaknightjob]

"This one yours?" Marc asked Cass. He wanted to be sure he had the right one in case he needed to come back for whatever reason.

[gothamists]

When there was no immediate answer, Harley turned to look back - and was faced with what Marc had likely already seen, which was Cass's slightly wary, slightly suspicious look.

"Oh come on, kid!" Harley said. "I woulda ditched him before takin' you here if he wasn't safe."

And because for some godforsaken reason Harley's word had actual value in this car, Cass relented, and nodded. "Number 12. It's under --" And here she looked to Harley "-- Quinzel."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc hadn't even been asking about the apartment. He could've found that easily enough on his own if he needed to. But he nodded. "Got it."

Yeah, he caught the name. But right now he figured Harley had made something up instead of using her own. When you came from a world of Bruce Banners and Peter Parkers and even Marc Spectors a name like Harley Quinn didn't stand out too much.

[totalwildcard]

The specific apartment number and everything was just... a combination between Harley's reassurance and the ease Cass had heard him drop that 'we' back in the warehouse.

Don't make her regret it, Spector.

Harley, of course, was already looking out the window. "Ooh, I think that's the pizza guy coming over there!" she said, pointing, before turning to Marc. "I'll just go -- see the kid off to her door, okay?" And to get a read on if Cass was actually cool without them, but she wasn't going to be dumb and say that part out loud.

[hasaknightjob]

"Got it," Marc said. He figured Harley wanted alone time with the kid. He understood.

[totalwildcard]

Sort of what Harley was counting on here.

"Great!" she said. "Be right back! C'mon, let's go, kid."

As if Cass wasn't already halfway out the car, flagging down the pizza guy.