Day 14 | Communicator To All

[ofpastnpresent]

[Rat-a-tat-tat. A-rat-a-tat-tat.

Click click click.

Rat-a-ta-ta-ta. Rat-a-ta-TA!

There's someone drumming over the comm channel.]

Comments

[cordelisse]

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

[Does she sound a little irritated. YES.]

[ofpastnpresent]

[Drum roll please!]

Kidding?

Why, we're never kidding!

We're very serious about what we do.

And what we do... [Another drum roll.] Is drum!

[cordelisse]

[You can practically HEAR the eyebrow raise through the communicator.]

NO. Really? I never would have guessed that what you do is drum. [The sarcasm, it is thick.]

Is there a particular reason you've decided to drum over the bloody comms?

[ofpastnpresent]

[Their smiles are audible as they speak, continuing with a light rim-clicking.]

The carnival was feeling down.

So we thought a nice lively beat would help lift its spirits!

[cordelisse]

The... Carnival... was feeling DOWN.

[ofpastnpresent]

Why yes.

The carnival has feelings!

Didn't you know?

[cordelisse]

Of course it does. [She can't get much more deadpan than she is now.]

[She takes a deep breath, and slowly releases it.] What about the feelings of the people IN the Carnival? Do they count? Or is it just the Carnival that matters?

[ofpastnpresent]

The Carnival is living just as much as you or I.

And why, everything matters!

But what have you new folks done to consider the feelings of the Carnival?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

[cordelisse]

Maybe the Carnival should have considered our feelings first. I certainly didn't ask to be here to do unto it at all.

[ofpastnpresent]

Plenty of patrons are able to come and go freely.

Everyone who ends up here is simply meant for something better.

Life outside the carnival can be soooo boring!

You just aren't looking at this with the right attitude.

[cordelisse]

Well, we’re NOT patrons. Are we. Prisoners fits us much better. Perhaps captives. Unwilling employees.

[Zoey’s voice is low. Quiet. Almost a little dangerous sounding.]

Meant. For. Something. Better. Well, PLEASE. TELL me. How, exactly, is being trapped in a Carnival against our will mean we’re meant for something BETTER.

Life outside the Carnival is damn pleasant compared to this. I’d like to get BACK to said life, as quickly as possible, thank you.

[There’s a pause, and another slow, measured breath.] I think my attitude is spot on, quite frankly.

[ofpastnpresent]

[ siiiiiiiiiiiiiiilence ]

We understand.

You have a lot of feelings against the Carnival.

But we like it here.

[cordelisse]

[Well fuck. There’s the sound of a tired, frustrated sigh.]

I’m sorry. [She means the apology, she honestly does, and it’s audible in her voice.] I just don’t take well to captivity.

I do. It’s not... [They’re obviously not going to get it so she just lets her sentence trail off.]

Why do you like it here? [The question is earnest, as if she’s genuinely trying to understand how ANYONE could like it here.]

[ofpastnpresent]

We can do what we do best here.

The Carnie is very nice to us. Except for when we get in trouble.

Wesley can see the past, and Salis can see the present of a person. People where we were from didn't like it.

So we took to the drums. Now we can have both here.

[Click-ta-ta-ta-rat!]

Makes for an interesting show!

[cordelisse]

[There’s a quick intake of breath, as though they’ve caught her by surprise.]

You can see the past and present? Is it just of people? Or can you see... what has happened? What is happening?

[There’s something almost resembling cautious hope in her voice.]

People don’t like what they don’t understand. It’s their loss.

[ofpastnpresent]

[A measured silence. Click, click, click, click!]

Well, more than just people. But it requires a touch.

Sometimes things just come while we drum. While we feel.

We'll find ourselves feeling what it is that we see.