Later, dawg [Open!]

[meat_mooks]

|| Attention, crew. Those who wish to attend the funeral of Matthew O'Connor, please report to the Observation Deck. ||

Another death announcement so soon after the last. It's a sad day.

Once again, the Observation Deck is arranged for the launch. The departed crew member, better known as Punchy in his lifetime, is encased in a central pod. The deck is lit by the starlight pouring in from the open window, a blazing blue star that will soon be Punchy's final resting place.

Another life lost. Time to say farewell once more.

Comments

Re: Reactions

[appletastic]

Applejack was attending this funeral too. It was only right: paying respects to the fine fella she'd played in the mud with on one perfect afternoon. Anypony who could do that was all right in her mind.

She could understand crying. She could understand screaming. She could totally understand hitting things! Applejack almost wanted to do all three. But this reaction was entirely new to her. Maybe the strange purple-haired woman knew something she didn't.

"...what's all that for?"

Re: Reactions

[hit_girl_mindy]

Hit Girl hid a smirk. Well, showtime. Just as well too: she'd rather grieve as her alter ego right now than having to cry and be sad on command. At least this way she could be disapproved of and it'd be totally in character.

"He was a true OG, or wanted to be," she said, shaking her head. "So the custom when a guy you respected like that bites it, you pour out some alcohol as a sign of honor. It's kind of a gangsta thing."

It still made her laugh, uttering that on Stacy of all places, but that was giving way to a choking feeling she'd suppress with a swig of this stuff.

"Ack! Who thought that something sweet would actually burn on the way down!"

[appletastic]

That was...interesting. She tilted her head in thought.

"So he would've liked it? That's...almost like planting an apple tree when somepony dies, I suppose. You know what?"

She shifted her hip, weighing the seeds in her bag.

"Maybe I oughta do that---you okay there, sugar?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Yeah, something like that." Hit Girl stared at the flash a moment, sighing. "Though I guess I didn't figure his number was up just yet. Kinda thought he would have been here until the end, when the war hit."

She chuckled. "Yeah, believe it or not. I kinda feel pretty good. This stuff isn't bad, for alien wine. It's kinda citrusy, but like, with a sort of metallic aftertaste."

Yup, she's drunk and yet still commenting on her actual wares. The store came first, after all.

[appletastic]

Applejack scratched a hoof against the floor, lost in a sad thought. It was far from the first time people had passed on.

"Oh, so that's what it is. Is it helping?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

"For me its working. Instead of crying over him, I feel like he'd want more laughing, revelry, remembering the kind of guy that he was. It's actually the way some people choose to treat death in my world. I always thought it was a better way to honor someone who was full of life."

She staggered slightly. "And also, I kinda like testing what I can take with something that clouds my head."

[appletastic]

"Whoa there," Applejack cautioned, walking up to allow the girl a body to lean on. "Laughing's fine and good, but I don't think he'd want you to be sick."

He seemed like the kind of person who'd much rather be happy and healthy, Applejack remembered with a sad sigh.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"I won't get sick," She said it plainly, as a promise, but she did finally top her flask and put on her belt.

And then she reclined to a couch, shaking her head. "One more of our guys gone. Knew this guy though: not well, like a lot of these others. But he was cool, smart, had promise. He was the kind of guy you'd count on and could laugh with."

She bent her head a moment. "I'll miss that guy."

[appletastic]

"I did laugh with him once," Applejack remembered, settling down in front of said couch. "I'm sure I would've done more. He got his hooves dirty to help out. A gal can really respect that."

She bowed her head, covering her eyes with the brim of her hat.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"He and I could talk about where we were from," Hit Girl said, grinning. "Unlike most of the crew, when he spoke with slang I knew exactly what he was saying. It was nice, having that piece of home still there on the ship. It makes you feel a little less naked, knowing someone is just as out of place and from somewhere you can both share."

She stretched her neck. "You guys ever have to deal with this kinda stuff, where you're from?"

[appletastic]

"And it sure means a lot, having somepony from home," Applejack agreed. She was fond of some of the crew, sure, but nothing beat time with the people she knew best from home.

The question struck her as odd. Her ears drooped. "Dying, you mean? 'Course. Everypony dies, same as all y'all. We didn't usually have wars, but accidents happen. Ponies get sick. We get old."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Hit Girl looked a little distant, certainly older than her age. "Yeah," she said. "So if you don't have that, like me, you find it in other ways with other people. "So it sucks when you lose one."

She shook her head here. "Not dying like gradual old age dying. I mean dying like Punchy. That ever happen there, in Equestria?"

[appletastic]

Applejack nodded. "It's rare, but it does. Accidents can happen to anypony."

That particular subject was personal to her. She kept her head pointed at the ground.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Damn. The Mindy part of her wanted to reassure her, tell her that it was all right, that she could keep that to herself if she wanted to. But she also knew there were things in Hit Girl in that she WAS, that she would always BE and no one could change that.

"Those accidents happen more than they need to in some places. I'm guessing less so where you're from. Well, here it is: ugly truth is we're flying by the seats of our pants, and the victory of not dying so we get by is getting to be a doomed way to be."

[appletastic]

"No. It ain't over yet." Applejack stomped a hoof into the deck. "I miss Punchy. He shouldn't be gone. But that don't mean we're all going. He wants us to live."

It was hard to say it through her grief, but someone needed to. They had to dig their hooves in and fight harder.

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Never said it was," Hit Girl said, hiding a smile. It was something she liked about Applejack that she thought Rainbow Dash lacked a little bit: conviction. "But its one of those times where we have to reflect on how easy it is to lose somebody."

And considering the circumstances, they were lucky. Hit Girl put her flask away. "Those pony people are lucky to have you reminding them you're strong enough for this."

[appletastic]

"Just like I'm lucky to have them."

Applejack looked out at the crowd, remembering, hoping. "They remind me that I need to let loose once in a while. I won't do it now, but later on."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Eh, I dunno about that, you seem to be able to adapt more than you give yourself credit for. From what I've seen, you have Hydroponics down pretty well."

That, and she handled this better than most. Hit Girl was not sure how to deal with criers.

"Yeah, best time would be later."

[appletastic]

"Think you'll swing by the farm? I might even have some cider."

It was coming along nicely with everypony's help! She was proud.

[hit_girl_mindy]

Oh, she knew about the cider all right: she'd been itching to try some of it herself.

"Yeah, most definitely. Hey, that reminds me: have you tried displaying that stuff via that Mindy girl with the restaurant?"

[appletastic]

Oh, that was right! Mindy. That other lady she hadn't seen in a while. She was about Hit Girl's size. Most of the humans here were taller---full-grown, Applejack reckoned.

"Nah, but I oughta. We'll have enough to get it rolling soon enough. I'll let you know."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Better to keep one person from the other: the last thing Applejack needed to find out was exactly what Mindy was capable of, push come to shove. She was pretty glad the Overlord couldn't see her though: likely he wouldn't have been able to stop laughing his ass off.

"You do that," she said. "A little more understanding with the people on the ship ain't gonna hurt anyone."

[appletastic]

"Yup. Hopefully we can all knock our heads together and feel better."

Actual knocking would hurt, but a meeting of minds? Coming together and sharing stories sounded good. "It'll all be at the diner soon enough."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"We'll see." Being drunk didn't mean that Hit Girl suddenly looked at the brighter side of things. It was seriously times like these where they could use a Batman.

"Sounds good. Maybe you can even ask for some kind of compensation for you and your friends."

[appletastic]

"I don't know what kind of compensation we could ask for, but it's worth a shot." Applejack shrugged. "I'm gonna send out a poll. See how many want some cider, so we know how much to make."