Report 59. Action

[bernardelli]

Comments

[frost_jewel]

[Mia is doing what feels natural to do in any new town - exploring and speaking to the 'locals,' as it were.

And then finding the nearest water.

At first it didn't look like this woman wanted to be interrupted, but when she threw a rock things changed a little.]

Excuse me. Are you skipping stones?

[bernardelli]

[ She stops mid-throw, gripping the rock in her palm hard so it doesn't fly off, and she turns around, startled. ]

Ah--... um... in a way...

[frost_jewel]

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

[bernardelli]

It's alright. I was just a little... lost in thought.

[frost_jewel]

[Mia bends to pick up a flat-ish rock, skipping it with three sharp bounces across the shallows of the lake.]

I'm not very good at it.

[bernardelli]

[ She actually tries to bounce the rock in her hand but... it only plops into the water. ]

Looks like I'm not, either.

[frost_jewel]

[handing her a flatter and smoother rock instead]

Try this one.

[bernardelli]

[ She takes it and tries to flick her wrist as Mia had, and it skips once, at least, before sinking. ]

A little better...

[frost_jewel]

It just takes practice. ...A lot more practice than I've had.

[bernardelli]

We don't really have any place to do this, where I'm from.

[frost_jewel]

Neither did I. A friend had to teach me. ...It's much easier to skip stones on a frozen pond.

[bernardelli]

Frozen? ... I imagine. It couldn't sink at all, then.

[frost_jewel]

[Mia just laughs. It's sort of like cheating. And it seems to have distracted this woman from whatever was making her look so sad.]

[bernardelli]

Do they still bounce, at least?

[frost_jewel]

They slide across the ice. It isn't much of a competition.

[bernardelli]

No, I guess it wouldn't be.