[In a very good example of how poorly she's adjusting to some things, there is no reply to this message. Instead, it takes her around ten minutes to scrounge up something that feels appropriate to swim in and to make her way to the simulation room. She spots him right away where he's standing at the door, but more important is that she can feel his familiar signature in the Force like a warm beacon, something that makes her heart feel just a little lighter.
Even for the brief few days they were cut off from the Force it was too long. She's glad things are back to normal now.]
You made it sound like this should be something I close my eyes for so you can surprise me.
[ Luckily, Finn's not very surprised (and certainly not offended) that she doesn't respond. Instead, he waits like he promised, standing outside the door in swim trunks and a tank top.
He leans off the wall when he senses her approach and beams when he sees her. Yes, she looks... pretty damn incredible, but more than that, she looks comfortable and happy. Finn laughs once she's beside him. ]
That would be perfect, actually. Don't open them until I say so?
[ Finn will take any and every opportunity to hold hands, it's true. And he happily takes Rey's now! She's clearly so thrilled about it.
Either way, he doesn't take that blind trust for granted. That being said, about the Force acting as a safety net, she probably can't sense things in the simulation itself. Finn certainly can't. It makes for a weird experience, but at least nothing can hurt you (probably).
Anyway, he walks her inside. The air is warm, crisp, there's the sound of waves and birds and people chattering in the distance. And if she's not wearing shoes, she may remember the feeling of sand beneath her feet. This sand is clearly not the same as a desert's sand, though, and it gets even more obvious the further they walk.
Finn stops them when the sand has turned wet and hardened a bit. ] Okay, you can look now. [ Probably no sooner than he says it, a tide comes in to wash over their feet. ]
[She is, in fact, wearing a pair of sandals that she slips off and carries once she feels the familiar shift of sand under her feet. He's right that it feels immediately different, somehow softer than the hard packed sands of Jakku, and finer in a way that surprises her. Even the warmth of the room is less oppressive and she can't help smiling faintly as she follows along, eyes still closed.
He'd told her there was water in her future but the sound of the waves is so different from the way the water crashed so violently against the cliff walls on Ahch-To, and when they stop and she digs her toes into the wet sand she can't help that she's already entirely in love with the concept of beaches.
Opening her eyes only drives that home and she just stares for a long moment, lips parted slightly in wonder as she looks over the crystal blue of the water.]
[ Finn adores this reaction and watches Rey for a moment before looking back to the waves. ]
No, not really. This is a simulation that some of the others programmed. All of this is as real as everything in the Sunlight Room, except you can change what appears in here.
I... haven't spent much time in this room. Usually creeps me out, but this is nice.
[What does she think. She's still so captivated that she can't pull her eyes away from the ocean as the waves roll over her toes to roll her eyes at him, but she can squeeze his hand lightly.]
Thank you.
[It's enough of an answer, she can trust him to translate her meaning the way he always seems to be able to.
And then, because why not, she starts to tug him with her out into the water. That's what they're here for, right?]
[ It's a perfect answer. His smile grows warmer while he squeezes her hand a little.
Her walking (and taking him) out there shouldn't be very unexpected, though. His eyebrows jump, but he happily follows, treading water as they go steadily deeper into the waves. ]
There may be a drop. [ So, y'know, watch your step. But he speaks softly, not wanting to interrupt this for her. ]
Then stop me before we get to it, I can't swim. I hadn't planned on dying again so soon.
[It's a joke, if a bad one, but one that's said so offhand it's probably clear she doesn't actually think it's going to hit wrong. She's too busy being absolutely enthralled by the feeling of the water pushing and pulling her body, gentle but not entirely unlike the Force when she allowed herself to fall deeply into a meditative state.
Gentle and there, moving through and with her. As she sweeps her hand through the water to test the drag of it on her limbs she decides quickly that she does in fact like this whole swimming thing, even if she isn't actually doing it and her feet are still planted firmly on the ground.
Despite the grim thing she's just said, she looks very happy.]
Will this stay like this for long? I'd be sad to see it go.
[ His lips thin, but all Finn does about that joke is squeeze her hand a little. It is a bad joke, but he's not going to stop her from however she wants to cope with it.
But he's not going to bring it up. This time. Instead, he lets out a breath and allows the edge of his lips to tip back up in a tiny smile. ]
For a little while, but it'll always be programmed into the sim room, I think. You can just recreate it whenever you want. Or create a different beach or something.
You never got to see Ahch-To. It wasn't pretty like this, but it was the first time I ever saw the rain.
[Out of everyone that she knows, she knows Finn will understand exactly how important that moment was for her, why she would want to share it with him.]
I wish I still had the Jedi texts I got from the temple there, there's so much we can both still learn from them.
[ He squeezes her hand again because, yes, he does understand. Maybe he doesn't get it entirely, but their lives were similar as much as they were different.
Besides, just standing in the rain sounds... kind of amazing. ]
Maybe they'll show up on the station one day. But if they don't, we'll figure it out. The Jedi started somewhere, right?
[It is so rare that she opens up to anyone at all, but there's always been something about Finn that managed to burrow down through all the armor she had built up over her entire lifetime to the heart of her, cracked her open and showed her it was alright to put her trust in some people.
He's never let her down. He wouldn't start now.
Her smile is small and sad as she squeezes his hand back.]
I just wish I knew what I was doing sometimes. It feels like the only thing I've been good for is throwing myself at the problem and hoping whatever I made up worked, and now...
[Now she has the weight of rebuilding the whole Order on her shoulders. It's a little too much sometimes.]
[ Said like it's so ridiculously obvious. And even though he sighs, there's a smile. ]
If it helps, I think you're doing everything right. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just... you... Does that make sense? [ Doesn't sound like it. ] I just mean, you're doing great already. And if you think you aren't, I know a lot of people who would help.
[Him and Poe, and Poe is stuck back in their world and unable to do much of anything for either of them.
But his optimism is something she doesn't have the heart to tamp down, so she nods, gives him another quick smile and then splashes some water at him.]
We didn't come here for this, though. I'm sure the beach is supposed to be somewhere you have fun.
[ Finn gives her a Look that's both amused and exasperated. He misses Poe a lot, too, though. More so since Rey arrived. That being said, he's made a lot of friends here and knows that Rey will do the same.
So he doesn't say it, not right now. She'll find out.
Instead, he flinches and laughs when she splashes him. ]
We can always make a sand castle or something. [ He's seen those sprinkled around here already. But even as he suggests it, he splashes her right back. ]
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no subject
Even for the brief few days they were cut off from the Force it was too long. She's glad things are back to normal now.]
You made it sound like this should be something I close my eyes for so you can surprise me.
no subject
He leans off the wall when he senses her approach and beams when he sees her. Yes, she looks... pretty damn incredible, but more than that, she looks comfortable and happy. Finn laughs once she's beside him. ]
That would be perfect, actually. Don't open them until I say so?
[ He reaches out a hand. ]
no subject
I should have seen that coming.
[But she reaches for his hand all the same and in the greatest showing of her absolute trust and faith in him, closes her eyes.
Can she still feel everything around them thanks to the Force? Yes. But still, it's the symbolism of the thing.]
no subject
Either way, he doesn't take that blind trust for granted. That being said, about the Force acting as a safety net, she probably can't sense things in the simulation itself. Finn certainly can't. It makes for a weird experience, but at least nothing can hurt you (probably).
Anyway, he walks her inside. The air is warm, crisp, there's the sound of waves and birds and people chattering in the distance. And if she's not wearing shoes, she may remember the feeling of sand beneath her feet. This sand is clearly not the same as a desert's sand, though, and it gets even more obvious the further they walk.
Finn stops them when the sand has turned wet and hardened a bit. ] Okay, you can look now. [ Probably no sooner than he says it, a tide comes in to wash over their feet. ]
no subject
He'd told her there was water in her future but the sound of the waves is so different from the way the water crashed so violently against the cliff walls on Ahch-To, and when they stop and she digs her toes into the wet sand she can't help that she's already entirely in love with the concept of beaches.
Opening her eyes only drives that home and she just stares for a long moment, lips parted slightly in wonder as she looks over the crystal blue of the water.]
Has this always been here?
no subject
No, not really. This is a simulation that some of the others programmed. All of this is as real as everything in the Sunlight Room, except you can change what appears in here.
I... haven't spent much time in this room. Usually creeps me out, but this is nice.
What do you think? [ As if anyone has to ask? ]
no subject
Thank you.
[It's enough of an answer, she can trust him to translate her meaning the way he always seems to be able to.
And then, because why not, she starts to tug him with her out into the water. That's what they're here for, right?]
no subject
Her walking (and taking him) out there shouldn't be very unexpected, though. His eyebrows jump, but he happily follows, treading water as they go steadily deeper into the waves. ]
There may be a drop. [ So, y'know, watch your step. But he speaks softly, not wanting to interrupt this for her. ]
no subject
[It's a joke, if a bad one, but one that's said so offhand it's probably clear she doesn't actually think it's going to hit wrong. She's too busy being absolutely enthralled by the feeling of the water pushing and pulling her body, gentle but not entirely unlike the Force when she allowed herself to fall deeply into a meditative state.
Gentle and there, moving through and with her. As she sweeps her hand through the water to test the drag of it on her limbs she decides quickly that she does in fact like this whole swimming thing, even if she isn't actually doing it and her feet are still planted firmly on the ground.
Despite the grim thing she's just said, she looks very happy.]
Will this stay like this for long? I'd be sad to see it go.
no subject
But he's not going to bring it up. This time. Instead, he lets out a breath and allows the edge of his lips to tip back up in a tiny smile. ]
For a little while, but it'll always be programmed into the sim room, I think. You can just recreate it whenever you want. Or create a different beach or something.
no subject
[Out of everyone that she knows, she knows Finn will understand exactly how important that moment was for her, why she would want to share it with him.]
I wish I still had the Jedi texts I got from the temple there, there's so much we can both still learn from them.
no subject
Besides, just standing in the rain sounds... kind of amazing. ]
Maybe they'll show up on the station one day. But if they don't, we'll figure it out. The Jedi started somewhere, right?
no subject
He's never let her down. He wouldn't start now.
Her smile is small and sad as she squeezes his hand back.]
I just wish I knew what I was doing sometimes. It feels like the only thing I've been good for is throwing myself at the problem and hoping whatever I made up worked, and now...
[Now she has the weight of rebuilding the whole Order on her shoulders. It's a little too much sometimes.]
no subject
[ Said like it's so ridiculously obvious. And even though he sighs, there's a smile. ]
If it helps, I think you're doing everything right. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just... you... Does that make sense? [ Doesn't sound like it. ] I just mean, you're doing great already. And if you think you aren't, I know a lot of people who would help.
no subject
[Him and Poe, and Poe is stuck back in their world and unable to do much of anything for either of them.
But his optimism is something she doesn't have the heart to tamp down, so she nods, gives him another quick smile and then splashes some water at him.]
We didn't come here for this, though. I'm sure the beach is supposed to be somewhere you have fun.
no subject
So he doesn't say it, not right now. She'll find out.
Instead, he flinches and laughs when she splashes him. ]
We can always make a sand castle or something. [ He's seen those sprinkled around here already. But even as he suggests it, he splashes her right back. ]