beating heart

“The Sentinels having a concrete opinion? It must be amazing.” 

Rose laughed but it was true. Why were they so cryptic? Was it for the drama? Probably. She had been on her early morning surveillance for she would be busy in the evening and also due to the fact that since the earthquake, she had have trouble sleeping. It was strange to think how she could compartmentalize all her trauma from her past, but this earthquake was what had shaken her the most. “I’m down for some coffee if you are though.”

“Plus, the bagels are to die for, I hear.”

“I don’t think it’s both of them. Just Kryptos.” 

Rey giggles back, but it’s mainly for show. She hasn’t seen Rose in what felt like years, or at least months. It could have been yesterday, though. Everything in the world seemed to slow down during the harrowing escape from the Carnival. She’d think of the time and even though it was only around 9 hours of earthquake related happenings, it seemed so much longer. Hm, maybe the Sentinels were right about how strange things had gotten since her father’s murder and Maurice’s disappearance. 

“I’d love to get coffee with you!” Rey exclaims, excited. She’d missed doing seemingly normal things. “And a bagel, apparently.” 

Rey was just finishing up her morning run, the cool air becoming thick and making the sweat stick to her skin. She stops, sipping drinks from her water bottle and taking a seat on a park bench overlooking the river. It’s scenic, she’ll give the park that, even if a bit of sadness still sits in her stomach when she remembers the good times she’d had there with her father. Her mind wanders from there, and she walks towards the restaurants that line the park, trying to find someplace to eat before she returned to Solo Automotive for her afternoon shift. 

She pauses outside a restaurant, and asks another person who’s standing around, “Is this place as good as the Sentinels say?” 

“Whatever happened to patience, huh?” Poe said through a laugh. Letting her drag him into line, he only lets himself glance at the metal contraption once more before focusing on Rey again. “Seems too safety conscious for Hermosa, if I’m being honest,” he said with a small grin. 

Still dragging his feet, he finishes up the last bite of the cotton candy. “I swear, if I puke on this ride…” he said, trailing off. He knew Rey wouldn’t back off; once she got an idea in her mind, she saw it to fruition. “Can we make the goal not dying, instead of dying in a fun way?” he says, his voice almost a whine. 

“Patience is for losers.” Rey half-shouts, over the newfound sound of music blaring out the speakers. Sometimes, those kind of things at carnivals were just faulty. She smiles, “Of course, Hermosa is the most dangerous place on Earth. Have you ever lived in Jakku, though? It’s worse. Much worse.” She grimaces, “I barely remember anything but the like, vibe of how dangerous it was.” 

“Eat up, Poe!” Rey exclaims, and drags him a bit. “The goal is both! Both will be fun, and look we’re already next. I wonder why the line is so short?” Rey questions, knowing well that it’s because of how scared people are of thrill rides, “Poe, listen, you fly prop planes for a living. This is nothing. You can do it.” 

“Isn’t that the fun part, though? Almost dying but in a safe way?” Kingsley counters, flashing the source of the voice a knowing smile. But it’s as he does that his mind stutters, flips haphazardly through memories he’s assume to be tucked away, until it comes to a halt. He remembers this girl. Not her name. But that they both struggled to land an adoptee in that damned orphanage of theirs.

He substitutes his awe-stricken silence with a broad smile. “Let’s. But, listen, if you’re throwing up – I get a refund.” Cue a jesting wink before he retreats back to his thoughts again ( the thief might not look like it, but he did have an affinity for overthinking ). That is, was she yet another piece of the past worth fleeing from?

Perhaps, only by actually talking to her, will he know. Kings begins cautiously, words strung together slowly as he cocks his head, “We’ve.. met before, haven’t we? A lifetime ago.”

“Nah, I’d rather die dangerously.” Rey replies, a crazed smile flashing across her features. He looks familiar, Rey thinks. At least as familiar as most of the residents of Hermosa are. Rey’s been through stranger after stranger who turned out to be her father’s friend, or even a few times his moral enemy. But this person, they’re... different. He doesn’t seem related to her father, but still feels familiar. 

“Oh, of course I’m throwing up. No refund, it’s practically guaranteed!” Rey looked up at another group unloading from the cart ahead of them, and laughed as a child nearly fell from dizziness. 

Rey pauses, “I think so. You seem very familiar, but I can’t really place it?” Rey moves up in the line. “Hmm.” She thinks for second, “I’m the worst at this, you’ll have to clue me in. What was your name again?” She asks, and finally it clicks. “Wait, were you ever at the orphanage in Hermosa?” 

Taking a break from the rides to finish up his cotton candy, Poe followed Rey as she wandered aimlessly towards the Twister. He had made a promise, to himself at least, that when he bought the wristband he would go on every ride at least once. But now, as they got closer? Maybe he would be fine without this one ride. 

“Can I at least finish this first?” he asked, the blue cotton candy already slightly melting onto his fingers. “Do they even test these things?” he asked as soon as they were in line, his eyes following the cart on the track. He didn’t want people to think he was scared, but Rey was different. Rey had seen him worse off than being a little scared of a carnival ride.

Rey looked down at the cotton candy. “Come on, shove all of it in your mouth and let’s go!” She exclaims, a huge smile on her face. “Poe, you don’t want to make me go alone. Plus, didn’t you say you were going to ride every ride. This... seems to fit that description.” She laughs, and drags him into line. 

“Yes, they have them inspected, like, constantly. And they test it every time it goes around.” She responds, and frowns as she watches it on there, “It shouldn’t have any problems, really. It’s supposed to be a bit scary.” She pauses for a second as she moves up in the line, “Really, though, this death trap better be fun. If we die I want it to be a fun death.” 

Dima made a mocking noise in the back of his throat– “I’d forgotten how disgustingly courageous you can be. Calm down, Ripley.” He didn’t move from her side, however, instead knocking their shoulders together companionably.

Nicknaming her after his favourite heroine was hardly an insult, and even if it were, Dima only meant half the insults that fell out of his mouth, anyway. The penchant for the cutting was the only thing his mother ever gave him.

“If you don’t vom after letting this thing jerk us around, you definitely will after you go drinking with me.” He eyed her up and down. “You’re, what, 140? I’m from Russia, Rey'ka, alcohol costs twice as much and we still drink three times as much as you Americans.”

Dima paused, and then gave her a quick grin. “Actually, I think I’d like to see that.”

She laughs at the joke, and accepts the name wholeheartedly. “I think I’d like space, don’t you? It’s a whole place to explore, and there’s no way we’re all alone out here.” She pauses, “I always thought the stars were much more important than us here, anyways. Like, they’re so very beautiful and even though Hermosa is pretty, it could never compare to what’s got to be out there.” She moves up a few points in line. 

“Like, have you seen Avatar? That whole planet was so much prettier than here. I mean, I don’t really remember the plot, only the pretty trees.” She laughs at herself on that, “I should maybe watch that again sometime.” 

“Of course we’ll vomit! Either on this ride or immediately after when you take me drinking, since you’ve promised now.” She smirks, “I think my dad taught me enough to keep up with you, just ask Poe, I out-drink him on the regular.” 

“Why do you always hit me with these existential quesitons? I just want to drink and have a good time but now I’m in my feelings and ugh, fine. I guess it was the first time he took me on a hike, when he decided he wanted to adopt me. Before we’d only hung out at the orphanage and in supervised stuff, but they let us go on some crazy nature hike and he’d built me this walking stick and it was just so - it was so cool - and he was just so cool and I- I miss him. I miss him a lot.” 

“Yes, I think I definitely have. When I was little and more recently, I’m not ashamed to admit. Sometimes they take on a life of their own and it’s just more fun to pretend they’re something closer to human when all you’ve done is talk to them for four days and nothing else. Is that sad? That sounded sad.” 

DATE & TIME: June 15th LOCATION: The Ferris Wheel STATUS: Open

The wheel went up and down. The twister spun from side to side. The mirrors lied. People lost at games they knew were rigged. It was the way the carnival had always been, how life had always been. But call it instinct or delusion, but Alice could taste something distinct about tonight, a bitterness on the edge of her tongue. Or maybe you’re just hungry, a doubtful voice interjected, ruining her thought process. 

Maybe that was true. But food could come later - for now, she had work to do.

Work and play. For Alice, they were one and the same - driven by passion and a longing, nay hunger, to know. Tonight wasn’t about the big picture stuff. Tonight was about the people - how they saw Hermosa, how Maurice’s disappearance had effected them. Withdrawing her phone from her pocket, she set it to record, eyes gleaming as she moved to stop the first person in her path.“Hey! Think you could spare a couple of minutes to answer a few questions?”

Rey had wandered ever since she’d arrived. This place was bring without her father to watch people with. It was so strange to be without him, but at least she could maybe meet up with Finn later that night, a familiar face would do her a lot of good. Speak of the devil and they should appear, she thinks, as she almost bumps into Alice. It doesn’t take much to pull her out of her melancholy, and seeing someone she knows has already done that. 

“Alice, hey, sure. What are the questions about?” Rey asks in response, a smile on her face. “I’ve got all the answers, or at least that’s what everyone seems to think.” Rey turns towards the camera fully. “Is this like Cash Cab, because if so - I’m going to completely fail at that. I’m not good at trivia games.” 

“I don’t - The worst part is I don’t remember! I remember the day before but we’d been arguing about something with the shop and I know he wasn’t like, really mad at me. But he was still upset and I just. I just miss him now. I don’t want to think about how I found him, I want to think about like, better things.” 

“Listen Rose. Listen. Everyone. All of the brunettes are beautiful and you’re amazing too like. Rose, listen.” 

Without John and Michael pulling her this way and that around the carnival, Winnie felt a little directionless. She’d told her parents she wanted a chance to explore on her own but she hadn’t expected it to feel so much like she was without two of her limbs. Still, she knew she mustn't let this opportunity go to waste. It’s a chance to act like a child again, if only for the night. So she wanders the carnival grounds, taking in all the sights and smells and sounds, with a smile on her face. 

The hurricane twister catches her attention, as well as many others, and her opinion of the ride is a lot like the one spoken aloud. She’s just grateful that John and Michael were with her parents now or else they probably would’ve asked to ride it. She’s about to turn and walk on when she hears Rey ask to go together and she’s even already gotten in line! “Oh, well, I’m not sure if I have enough tickets left,” Wendy replies, obviously stalling. “How many is it again?”  

Rey was happy to run into Winnie, even though she seemed a little too “grown up” for Rey’s tastes, the girl always seemed to want to have a little bit of fun when it was prompted. For instance, this time. Rey looked down and counted the tickets, pretty sure that the number was enough. “I think it should work!” She exclaims, and then she lowers her voice to a partial whisper, “Even if it doesn’t, I know the operator. He’ll let you on if you’re with me, no problem.” Rey was pretty sure it wouldn’t be an issue, but she still flashed her brightest smile at an old friend who used to work at the garage. 

They were very close to the front of the line, and Rey looks Wendy up and down, “Where are your shadows?” She asks, a bit of laughter int heir voice, “I’d think that John and Michael would want to attend the fair with you no matter what, they always seem to be up for an adventure.” The line moves suddenly, and Rey moves forward like it’s nothing, nodding at her friend and preparing herself for an adrenaline rush. 

There was nothing- not the food, not the laughter, not the lights -that really made a carnival more than the squeaking rattle of a rickety thrill ride. There was no way to miss it, even when it blended into the overproduced music that blared through hidden speakers, even under the shrieking pleasure of its passengers. It was a song in itself.

One that Dmitri particularly detested.

Dima looked up at the modern colossus, his nose scrunched in distaste as the spidery arms of the rode swooped overhead. “Really? This one?” He looked longingly over at the Pirate Ship, a perfectly relaxing swinging boat ride that Dima had actually been looking forward to.

But Rey slipped into the line, laughing, and Dima followed after her. Her smile had been rare, lately, and it tugged him along, helpless to the urge to keep it on her face. “Okay, fine, fine.” Dima felt the corner of his mouth pull into a crooked smile. “But when it flings us into orbit, I’m blaming you.”

She laughs at Dima’s longing look towards the pirate ship ride. That one was for amateurs. When you were looking for danger, you came straight to Hurricane Twister. She smiled as he joined her in line. “Really, Dima, you’d think that one of these days you’d figure out that I’m all about being thrown into orbit.” 

“We can go on the pirate ride after this one, if you still want to.” She looks up as people load onto the cart and take off, and she knows the danger is there, but the fun she could be having is holding higher priority. “I mean, if we’re both still in possession of our lunches when we get off this thing.” She moves up a few spaces in line, putting her two or three rides away from getting a spot on the ride she’s just decided is the best at the carnival. 

“Or we could give up and get drinks instead.” She grins, “It’ll surely be easier on our poor little hearts once we’ve gotten over the terror of this coaster!” 

“I don’t know how anyone can get on this thing!” Rey exclaims, “It’s practically a death trap!” She looks at the way the tracks rattle and shake with every twist and turn a cart takes, and grimaces. Taking a sip of her oversized drink, Rey watches as people shriek with equal joy and terror, and she considers her options. 

She could just stand there and watch the people as they had fun, or she could be the one having fun herself. She feels the plastic of the wristband she’d bought in place of tickets, giving her unlimited access to any ride there, digging into her wrist and she lets go for a second, and allows herself to move into the line with only a sly smile on her face. 

“I take it back, it looks fun. Come on, let’s go together!”