ArchivedLogs:Skipping Stones

Skipping Stones
Dramatis Personae Ellin and Jack
In Absentia	2015-11-16 'Still figuring out handling it.' (Part of Flu Season TP.)
Location <XS> Lake
Bright, bright, bright; the lake glitters wide and expansive here, stretching off into the distance. Sunlight, moonlight, starlight, it catches them all. Lapping at the rocky shore, its deep waters are frigid in winter and cool even in summer. A stone pier stretches out a ways into the water, wide and smooth, though often icy in winter. The water teems with life nevertheless, home to myriad species of fish that provide for ample fishing or just lazy watching on a slow summer day, for those who want to take a boat from the boathouse out to the center of the lake, or perhaps lounge on the pier and try their luck. It may have been another unseasonably warm day but its still cooler down by the lake. And at least one student has ventured down to the lakeside rather than get involved in any of the random activities going on around the campus this evening. Just a pair of floating jeans, sneakers, and a school hoodie, Jack is standing on the water's edge. He's got gloves sticking out of his pocket but floating where one hand should be is a bunch of small rocks. Every so often, Jack picks one up and sends it flying across the surface of the lake with his telekinesis to see how far he can send it and how many times he can get it to skip before it vanishes under the water. And the girls are certainly up for a little bit of relaxation. This includes capris and close-fitting white t-shirts that somehow still fail to show much of anything. There are, however, only two of them present at the moment. Three and Five, if the numbers on their t-shirts are any indication. Three has a large bruise on her calf, and both of them have little cuts or scratches on their arms. And with their stomachs doing flipflops still, the coolness near the lake is very appealing. As per usual... they are enthusiastic. The bouncing of the rocks sets up with effusive clapping. A phone even comes out to text: <LOL tahts pritty good!> The clapping gets Jack tensing in surprise and the rock that had been ready to launch is brought about like a tiny, ineffective shield. The empty clothes relax though when Jack sees the Ellins. The text has him glancing at his pocket and then sighing. Letting the rocks fall to the ground at his feet, Jack takes his phone out and checks the text before putting it away and carefully pulling on those simple gloves. Just disposable ones he was given. His signs are a little awkward and mix in finger-spelling but he's trying at least. 'Not supposed to use text' he signs, shoulders slumped. 'but thanks'. After another moment, his head tilts slightly. 'What happened?' Let's out a quiet 'oh'. With a nod, Three takes up signing, while five wanders over the the edge of the lake, holding her belly. 'Oh okay. I don't really know what happened.' She too mixes in fingerspelling and awkward signs, but she's working on it. 'I was talking to Taylor last night and then I kind of blanked out. And next thing I remember, I had a few cuts and scrapes and stuff. Two got the worst of it, but it was all bandaid-stuff, not infirmary-stuff." 'Text infects too,' Jack sighs as he signs this. Not news he was happy to learn. He glances at Five before turning his attention back to Three with an unseen frown. 'Are you sure you shouldn't tell the infirmary?' he signs carefully. 'About the blacking out?' 'Right. Right.' The girl makes an embarassed face, then shakes her head at Jack,'I'm on the treatments right now, and I feel awful. I've been keeping them updated on my sickness, though. I just wish the nausea would stop. And I'm so hungry all the time.' As if to punctuate the statement, her stomach growls, and her face turns pink. 'God this cure sucks so much.' 'It could be worse' Jack signs after a deep breath. 'Can they give you anything for the nausea?' his question is signed before Jack crouches down to pick up one of the rocks he'd dropped. He tosses this one with his arm, watching it skip twice across the water before signing once again. 'Where are the other you?' 'Yeah it could. Ironically, worse is not having the cure. I don't like it but I'd rather not die.' She slowly sits her other self down, and they lay back, fingers and hands twisting through the air. 'I'm using a lot of maalox so far, and trying not to move around. One is in the tub trying to cool off. Two is studying sign, and Four is laying on the bed eating beef jerky.' Three closes her eyes a little bit while five watches for signs,'You okay? How are you handling all this?' 'People complain about the cure too much,' Jack lets his hands drop after signing this. He picks up another rock as he watches Ellin's signs. The empty hood nods at the run down of locations and Jack lets the rocks he's picked up float. 'I'm not sick' he gives his standard answer. It doesn't technically answer the question but its what he's been telling people. 'Too much for signing' he adds after a moment. There's a laugh before Jack sends one rock flying over the water, pauses, and then sends the second one to crash into it. Both end up breaking before they hit the water. 'Still figuring out handling it.' 'Have you had the cure then?' Rather than rebuke, the sign is a genuine expression of curiosity. As for not being sick? Ellin shrugs,'Doesn't mean that other people being sick isn't going to make things rough on you. I guess that puts you in the same boat as the rest of us, though.' The two of her are quite for a moment, until finally Three sits up to grab a rock and try her own hand at skipping rocks. She immediately sinks the first one. 'No. Never got sick,' Jack shakes his head as he signs. There a laugh devoid of any mirth from Jack a moment later, the invisible teen lifting a hand to scrub at his face. He stops about a second in, empty hood glaring at the latex glove covering his hand. 'Rough is too nice' he eventually signs. He watches the sunk stone and shakes his head. Telekineis gives Ellin's shoulder a light tap and Jack signs 'watch' before scooping up a rock. He demonstrates the motion slowly at first without throwing anything, showing how to flick the wrist the right way. Then he mimes throwing too softly and then too hard before shaking his head to indicate they're not the way to go. After that, he finally throws the stone and watches as it sinks after the third skip. 'I suppose it must be. There was someone you were worried about in the city. I hope it turned out okay.' Three is watching Jack carefully alright while five mimics the arm movements slowly, attention drawn by the 'tapping'. At least her procedural apprehension seems to work okay. Sure, her next stone when she tries it only manages to skip twice, but mathmatically, that's a huge percentage increase in effectiveness! She whoops loudly, apparently excited. 'I did it! I did it! Oh, that is so awesome!' 'Worried about lots of people. Here and there,' Jack signs, gaze turning towards the mansion for a moment. He turns back to Ellin to watch her try skipping the stone and nods at the whooping. 'Good throw.' he offers. The girl nods a little bit to Jack, and then the two of them stand up, dusting her hands off on her capris. 'I don't know whow ouldn't be worried in a screwed up situation like this. I hope they all turn out okay if they can. I know it's not much, but if there's ever anything I can do... You let me know. Thanks for teaching me to skip.' A pause, and then the Ellins offer,'I'm going to go get something to eat. You want anything?' Jack is quiet for a long time, just looking out over the water for a long moment after Ellin's signs. Eventually he shakes his head. 'No. Think I'm going to nap. Bye.' Ellin the girl nods,'Can't blame you. No way to know if any of us will be getting much sleep in the following days.' Ellin makes a face, rubbing at her own, and has Two wave,'Goodbye. Be safe.' And off she goes to the kitchen. Probably to eat, like, two pounds of meat.