(Untitled)

[dontlooklisten]

Sometimes there are things best done without the co-workers or the visitors or anybody else around. A day trip out to Great America Amusement Park is one of them. Sure, it's amazingly early in the season, but the way Whistler figures it, that's not such a bad thing. There'll be short lines and nobody's likely to bother them too much

Comments

[sime_channel]

"N-o." She informs him, head tipped back so that she can see the roller coasters. They definitely deserve a step closer to him and a soft "Meep. You're sure it's safe?"

[dontlooklisten]

"Positive," says Whistler. "Hundreds of people ride these things every day during the summer, and aside from a couple of stiff necks and things nobody gets hurt around here. They're really good about the maintenance."

[sime_channel]

"Alright." She offers the ticket-seller a small smile before bumping Whistler's arm with her shoulder, "I'm trusting you." She's a little nervous (who isn't?) but also looking forward to trying something new with the man she adores.

[dontlooklisten]

"It'll be fine," Whistler assures her. "You'll see. Okay, that big tall thing to our right- there's a big tall thing to our right, right? That's the Star Tower. It's not really a ride, it's sort of for viewing the park. There's a roller coaster up ahead, though, past the carousel, which is the thing with the horses and the music."

Pause.

"The fake horses and the music."

[sime_channel]

"There is a big tall thing to our right." She agrees, then frowns a little bit, "Why fake horses, Whistler? Are we going to the roller coaster?" She is so very, very not moving until he starts walking again.

[dontlooklisten]

"So that people have something to ride around on and calm down with after they've taken their kids on the thrill rides, I guess," says Whistler. "I don't know. It's pretty popular, though. And yeah, we are."

Oh look, there's a whole trainful of roller coaster cars going by! On the loop part!

[sime_channel]

"Meep." she says quietly, giving his hand a squeeze and then giggling, "Thrill rides? Is that what they...why don't they fall out, Whistler?"

[dontlooklisten]

"Well, partly because they're strapped in pretty well," says Whistler. "But partly because of physics. Come on, let's find a bench where you can still watch the coaster and I can explain it to you."

[sime_channel]

"Alright." She casts around until she sees a good place to settle down, then heads that direction, "Its just ahead of us, now." she informs him when they're close, "Explain the physics?"

[dontlooklisten]

Whistler finds it with cane first, hand second, and butt last. "Okay," he says once he's seated. "It's like this. When you spin something around in a circle very quickly, its natural direction of motion is towards the outside of the circle. Have you ever seen that happen with- I don't know- a rock on a rope, or a bucket full of water, or something like that?"

[sime_channel]

Suzi curls up on the bench next to him, not in his lap but leaned up against him, "Mmhmm. Some of the people from Keon hunted with slings."

You can get as much distance and power with a rock in a sling as with a bullet, if you augment right.

[dontlooklisten]

"There you go. Same idea," says Whistler, threading his arm around her shoulder. "The rock in the sling is held in the sling pocket by the speed and force you need to keep it moving in a circle. It's pressing too hard against the pocket of the sling to fall down, even though it would fall if the sling stopped moving. It'd be the same if you turned the sling's circling path on its side so that the rock was going upward part of the time and downward part of the time- it's being pressed into the pocket by the force of its forward motion way, way more than it's being pulled down by gravity."

[sime_channel]

"So the people are rocks and, um. The train is moving too fast?" She offers after a little bit, "I'm almost afraid to ask how fast we'll be going?"

[dontlooklisten]

One of the trains goes by again. Whistler cocks his head as the "AIEEEE!" dopplers away. "About that fast," he says, indicating the rollercoaster with a vague gesture.

[sime_channel]

"Oh boy." She says after a moment of consideration, "Oh, boy. I'll, um. Be able to tell you when we get off? How much? Fast? It was?" But she'll have fun, she's almost entirely certain.

[dontlooklisten]

"Great," says Whistler with a grin. "Just... hey, how tall are you? In inches?"

It's only just occurred to him that this might theoretically be a problem.