In the back by the lake, a solitary figure perches on a tree branch overlooking the water. The very last rays of light ripple off it; they could easily mesmerize if he let them do so
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It's almost too late for Ingress to be outside, but she's practically a Herald, and Mr. Julia is right there in the water, keeping and eye on her.
"Oh, hello, Vincent," she says, as she walks along the shore. She's in her grays. That's what she usually wears when she's going back and forth to Haven.
It's his standard greeting: not particularly friendly or effusive, but he does reserve it for those he considers... friends, or friends of a sort. No one else merits his attention.
"Ingress. Hello. You are well tonight?"
She looks... older, somehow, and a small pang grabs his midsection. He misses those he knows at home.
All right; he can do this, even wearing the cloak.
"First, you need to find the right stone." Eyes long accustomed to near-darkness seek for and pick up a nice small rock: flat, not too light, not too bulky. "One like this. Then... stand with your shoulder to the water, like so." Gently, he adjusts Ingress' stance.
"And when you let go of the rock, do it quickly, at a flat trajectory. It should skip on the water."
Not the same rock, of course, but... there are many here that serve as viable candidates. Finding the right one, he pushes back the cloak; somewhere in his thoughts he realizes this exposes the pink ribbon he wears in Aerith's honor but... that is always there, whether or not anyone sees it.
His slender frame belies the athleticism and grace with which he moves; the rock skips five times before disappearing.
"They say... practice makes perfect. I have the advantage: I grew up near the sea and spent many hours skipping rocks."
"I... haven't been to Earth, so I can't say if Gaia is a different kind of world or similar. But it is a different planet in its entirety."
What he knows is that the people certainly look similar. He also knows that the physics are different. He and Tifa can do things those from Earth and many other places cannot. He would never, for example, advise Ingress to jump from the tops of trees to the ground as he does.
"One could come to the conclusion that many places are not so very different from Earth."
From what he's heard, this is a fair enough hypothesis. He leans down to pick up another rock, skimming this one with no small expertise. One, two, three, four, five, six... seven.
"When I was young, I kept track. The longest skip I ever had was eight before the rock disappeared." He's equaled it since but never bested it. Still...
"So. Ingress. When your rock makes nine skips, I... would be honored if you'd find me and tell me."
"Oh, hello, Vincent," she says, as she walks along the shore. She's in her grays. That's what she usually wears when she's going back and forth to Haven.
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It's his standard greeting: not particularly friendly or effusive, but he does reserve it for those he considers... friends, or friends of a sort. No one else merits his attention.
"Ingress. Hello. You are well tonight?"
She looks... older, somehow, and a small pang grabs his midsection. He misses those he knows at home.
Reply
She picks up a pebble and skims it across the water. Or tries to. It sinks after one skip.
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"I could teach you to do that. If you like."
His intention is not to insult, merely to offer the tiniest bit of assistance. However, if she says no, he won't take offense.
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"First, you need to find the right stone." Eyes long accustomed to near-darkness seek for and pick up a nice small rock: flat, not too light, not too bulky. "One like this. Then... stand with your shoulder to the water, like so." Gently, he adjusts Ingress' stance.
"And when you let go of the rock, do it quickly, at a flat trajectory. It should skip on the water."
He hands her the stone in question.
"Or would you like a demonstration?"
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She takes the stone and tries again. It skips three times.
"Oh hey, I did better. Can you make it skip farther?"
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Not the same rock, of course, but... there are many here that serve as viable candidates. Finding the right one, he pushes back the cloak; somewhere in his thoughts he realizes this exposes the pink ribbon he wears in Aerith's honor but... that is always there, whether or not anyone sees it.
His slender frame belies the athleticism and grace with which he moves; the rock skips five times before disappearing.
"They say... practice makes perfect. I have the advantage: I grew up near the sea and spent many hours skipping rocks."
Reply
She looks for another likely rock. It skips three times, too.
"I went to the sea a few times. There's an island near Greece we've gone to on holiday."
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Grease?
He... does not know where that is. He's done some moderate investigating into other worlds, but... resources are limited.
"If you hold your lower arm straight, the rock will skip further."
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She looks for another rock, straightens her arm, and skips it four times.
"Oh, hey, that was a good one."
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Already, he knew she was intelligent, so this is... no surprise.
"And Greece is a country. On what planet, if I might ask?" It's no land on his world; he's traversed Gaia numerous times and would know it if it were.
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What he knows is that the people certainly look similar. He also knows that the physics are different. He and Tifa can do things those from Earth and many other places cannot. He would never, for example, advise Ingress to jump from the tops of trees to the ground as he does.
Reply
She skips another rock.
"But it's not so very different from Earth."
Reply
From what he's heard, this is a fair enough hypothesis. He leans down to pick up another rock, skimming this one with no small expertise. One, two, three, four, five, six... seven.
"When I was young, I kept track. The longest skip I ever had was eight before the rock disappeared." He's equaled it since but never bested it. Still...
"So. Ingress. When your rock makes nine skips, I... would be honored if you'd find me and tell me."
Reply
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