[Day: Mystery. (Monday, August 2, 2004)] [Ivy's asleep. Isn't that cute? She's just coming to, a warm light beating on her eyes and body and faintly scratchy ground digging into her skin. It's an odd feeling. In her half-asleep daze, she vaguely recalls something like that before, and while not perfect, it's more comfortable than anything she's felt in a long while.] [Rise and shine, Ivy!] [Intro Session Start.] * Ivy opens her eyes wide right when she wakes, her green orbs darting this way and that. [It's bright! She sees poles sticking from a wood chip covered ground. About four feet above her is a grate of some sort, and when looking up she stares straight into what's probably the sun.] [The grate's propped up by four poles, one on each corner, and she could crawl out easily if she wants. Ivy can hear motors in the distance, though it's not loud and nothing's nearing her.] [The sky is blue. For the record. There's a few clouds. One might be identified as a 1-Up Mushroom! If, y'know, you're into that sort of thing.] * Ivy scrunches a brow in confusion. She moves closer to the grate, putting a hand against it. [It's covered in some sort of red plastic, so it's not unpleasant to the touch right off, though it gets a little warm and sticky against her palm pretty quick.] * Ivy doesn't pay any mind to the sensation of it. She does try to lift it up though. [It doesn't budge.] * Ivy turns her head to behind her, fear and confusion showing through at... well, probably nothing. [There's nothing there! Well, there is something. Another grate, but that one's higher up, and more poles holding that up. The wood chips go on for a bit, and in the distance, she can make out a concrete walkway with a paved road behind it. There are buildings past that; they stand fairly close together.] (Past the poles, or the walkway is something she can get to where she's at?) (Past.) * Ivy turns back to the grate in front of her. After a moment, she decides to crawl through the space between the poles and the grate. [Ivy... succeeds! Go her. Some of the chips cling to her body as she removes herself from the ground. It's a touch itchy.] * Ivy doesn't brush them off. She does stand up if she can though, taking a look around. [Ivy stands! Man, it's bright now that she's not under shade. She sees the chip-covered ground and a black metal fence surrounding that ground on all sides except the one with the walkway. The poles stick out in various places, propping up those grates, and she could climb up said grates if she wanted, to a half-chute of some sort, also metal, going from the highest grate to the ground.] [To her right, she can see some seats swinging from chains attached to a horizontal pole that's held in the air by a few other poles. They swing a little in the breeze, which also messes with her hair.] [She can also see a ladder going up to another grate, which leads to a series of horizontal bars, suspended by some other bars. There's a second grate at the end.] * Ivy stands 5'6", her thin (but fit) nude body showing for whoever may walk by that she's a C-cup; wavy blonde hair falls just past her shoulders. She squints her eyes against the sun's rays, but starts to walk toward the walkway. After a second of walking, she swiftly turns to look behind her. [One of the swings creak! OMG!] [But there's nothing there.] * Ivy backs away from the swing as if it might eat her. She turns back around, clutching the silver collar around her neck as if it were habit. She continues walking! [The swing doesn't leave its set. Lucky for Ivy.] (In this universe, that IS a good thing!) [Ivy walks, wood digging into her feet, and she quickly reaches the sidewalk. It's *hot*.] * Ivy pulls her feet off of the hot sidewalk when she first touches it, not expecting the hot. She doesn't make a peep though, but after a moment, she puts her feet back on it and starts walking. She looks as if the hot barely touches her now. [Ivy walks along the sidewalk in an undetermined direction! She approaches a place where another road and the one she's walking along meet, and this one has a few vehicles going along. She spots a red one, then black, then another red, and a green. Varying sizes and shapes, all on wheels, all just zooming by.] * Ivy 's eyes widen at the sight. She quickly backs away from the scary vehicle things! Maybe they work for the swing! (How many car wrecks will the +5 naked Ivy cause today? It's a mystery!) [Another comes along. It's beige. It slows, and she hears a shrill whistle as it goes, but it does not attack.] (Fortunately, she's not at a busy road. Yet.) (Hee hee.) * Ivy looks absolutely terrified at the vehicle that just whistled at her. She's now looking for a way to walk that doesn't have the cars near it. [She can go back the way she came! She's also by a building.] * Ivy heads toward the building! [Ivy takes the short walkway through a black fence and up a couple steps to the building! There are italicized, metal numbers above the door. 925. There's a screen door covering it, and a button to one side, and a potted plant at her feet.] * Ivy pushes the screen door experimentally. [Ivy pushes at the screen! It gives until her hand hits the actual door, which is wood. That doesn't give so well.] * Ivy looks at the door quizzically. After a couple more shoves, she walks away. She starts to head back toward the road, though so she can walk in the direction of the road, but avoid the cars if she can. Yeah, I know, I don't see it happening either. [Ivy ignores the handle! Go her. She continues heading the way she was originally going.] * Ivy walks! She's ignoring the cars as best she can. [The cars don't ignore her! As she approaches, a couple of them beep. She gets another whistle. And one nearly rear-ends the other.] * Ivy covers her ears with her hands, her face showing near panic as she continues on. [Ivy's now standing right next to the street. The sidewalk continues to the right and left, across the street to her left. There's another sidewalk on the other side of the road ahead of her.] * Ivy tries for the sidewalk on the other side! She waits till there isn't a car coming, and then heads across! Look, she's not stupid! Yay! [Ivy looks both ways before crossing the road! A car comes along towards her, and it nearly crashes into a tree, barely braking and swerving in time. It stops where it is, a little distance from Ivy.] * Ivy shudders and then rushes away from the car. [It... doesn't rush after her. The passenger door opens, though, and a tiny Latino woman steps out. "Hey! Hey chica!" she calls. She starts half-running after Ivy.] * Ivy starts running faster. [Ivy's running! There are more cars ahead of her, in the distance! They're, uh, going faster.] [The woman runs faster, but Ivy starts to slowly outdistance her.] * Ivy doesn't let up once she starts running. Run! Run! [Ivy runs straight to the busy street!] (Yay more car wrecks!) * Ivy rushes along the busy street, not looking at the cars, just what's ahead of her. [Ivy runs STRAIGHT into the busy street, and she can hear screeching and beeping and a crash or two and people yelling and a whistle and oh man, it's a mess, but somehow she makes it through unscathed. She doesn't hear the woman running behind her, but frankly, with all the MADNESS it's hard to tell. The humanity!] * Ivy still has her hands shoved against her ears, her face looking absolutely terrified as she continues running. Go adrenaline! [Ivy keeps running! Naked! In the summer! Both ways! Behind her, she can hear more cursing and screaming and crashing. And someone's laughing very loudly. Weirdo.] (*Cracks up*) (^_^_v) * Ivy doesn't let up. She's panting a little at the exertion, but her fear is driving her on. [Ivy runs, and runs, and terrified as she is, she starts to slow as she gets thirsty and short of breath as the heat seems much less pleasant than it was earlier and the sidewalk much hotter.] * Ivy eventually slows down when she can't handle the running any longer... and then finally stops. She takes a few deep breaths and then drops to the ground to rest. Umm... I don't think she plopped down on the street since it's busy and all. [Ivy sits on the sidewalk. There are more buildings around her. They look very similar to the one she walked up to earlier. Some more of the vehicles are on both sides of the street, but they're not moving. A few trees are spaced out here and there along the walk.] * Ivy, after catching her breath, walks over to a random building. She tries once again to shove at the door. [This one's glass! It doesn't even get to the wooden one behind it.] [In the distance, over the motors, Ivy can hear a shrill wail. It's getting closer.] * Ivy whirls her body around toward the noise. [She can see a vehicle turning onto the street she's by! It's black and white and has flashy red and blue lights on top, and it's probably making the noise.] * Ivy moves her back against the glass door, her eyes fearful, but strangely resigned. [The car slows as it reaches the building, eventually coming to a stop. The wailing stops, too, which is much easier on the ears, though the lights stay on, and the driver's door opens.] * Ivy starts shaking, but she doesn't move besides that. [Out steps a man in his forties, with dark brown hair and a short, bushy moustache. He's dressed entirely in dark blue, and there's a shiny badge on his shirt. He's wearing shades. He pulls his pants up (he's not particularly big, though he is taller than Ivy), looks around, and then fixes his gaze on her. His mouth drops open a bit.] * Ivy eyes the man as if he's the strange one in this scenario. She still doesn't move away from the door though. [He recovers soon enough, walking around the car. He's going slowly, and he clears his throat. "Excuse me. Miss?" His voice isn't particularly harsh; it's actually quite friendly. He's addressing you, Ivy.] * Ivy keeps studying him, her eyes trailing along his clothing. She doesn't answer back. [He takes a few more steps, then stops, giving her space. He has shiny black shoes. "Miss," he says, "Are you all right?"] * Ivy looks down at his shoes. Hey, they ARE shiny. She then darts her head back to look at him. She looks confused more than afraid at this point. [He smiles encouragingly and holds a hand out towards Ivy. There are a few calluses on it. His other hand is away from any of the black instruments at his side, and she can easily see it. "Do you speak English?" he tries. "Hablas espanol?"] (And now I wish I could do tildes here. Oh well!) (Hee.) * Ivy stares at the hand, but doesn't move toward it. [He doesn't move forward, and he doesn't let the hand drop, waiting.] * Ivy starts to edge away from him. That is, she's taking her back away from the glass door and edging sideways so she doesn't walk into him. [Ivy does that! The man just watches her. He speaks, and it's fairly soothing, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I want to help. I can take you some place with clothes," he gestures to what he's wearing, "and shoes," he points at his feet. "Shelter? Home?"] * Ivy stops edging and actually takes a careful step toward the officer. She slowly moves a hand out to touch the material of his shirt. She then darts it away as if she'd been burned. [He blinks behind those shades, but he doesn't move. The clothes aren't painful to the touch.] * Ivy trepidatiously walks around the cop, and starts toward his car, eyeing it curiously. [The cop looks a touch more amused at this point, the corner of his mouth quirking. He walks a few steps behind her, slowly, so she can keep track of where he is. The car doesn't move. Lights on top of it are flashy and pretty!] * Ivy looks at the lights, her brow raised as if something's trying to click but isn't quite doing it. She gently places a hand on the light on the top of the car. [The light flashes below her hand. Coooooool.] * Ivy glances at it a moment more, and then suddenly whirls around to look at the officer. She eyes him uncertainly. [Officer Friendly's kept his distance. He's unbuttoned and removed his shirt; there's a white cotton shirt under that and a vest, so he's not exactly unclothed. He holds his outer shirt, badge and all, out to Ivy.] * Ivy eyes the shirt suspiciously. She darts her eyes left and right of them and then shakes her head. ["No, take it." He takes another, slow step towards her, still holding it out.] * Ivy starts trembling as she backs away from him and his shirt, shaking her head a bit more forcefully now. [Ivy backs into the car.] [He frowns. "Are you sure?"] * Ivy stops! She nods slowly. She then turns around to look at the car once more, eyeing it as if it's #8 across on the newspaper crossword puzzle. ("8 down: Police drive around in these.") (Hee!) [He pulls his shirt back on, buttoning it up and waiting.] * Ivy starts circling the car, eyeing it thoughtfully. [The car sits there.] * Ivy finishes checking out the car and then turns back to the policeman. After a moment, she turns away from him and starts walking off. [He blinks once, then he starts walking after her. "Wait!"] * Ivy stiffens as she comes to a stop. She slowly turns to look at him once more. [He stops when she does. "Can I help you find someone? Family? Friends?"] ("I don't need you causing more accidents and getting raped later, okay?") (Ha!) * Ivy eyes him for another moment. She doesn't look like she processed the last couple words, but she shakes her head anyway. [He nods. "Food?"] * Ivy eyes him suspiciously again. ["I won't hurt you." His hands are still in the open. "I just want to help. Promise. You can stay here."] * Ivy, after a moment of hesitation, finally nods. She then kneels down to the ground and then sits. [Ivy sits on the sidewalk again. The policeman gives her a glance before walking to his car. He opens the door and activates the com, but the car doesn't move.] * Ivy stays put, a hand fidgeting unconsciously with her collar. [After about ten minutes, the lights on the car flick off, and he gets out of it. He closes the door, then walks over, having a seat a few feet away from Ivy.] * Ivy turns to look over at him. [He smiles a little. "What's your name?"] * Ivy looks at him as if he has a third head. [He doesn't have a third head! It's good for everyone, considering. "I'm Jeff," he says to the naked teenager conversationally. "Jeff Thompson."] * Ivy just looks at him. [He points out the collar. "What's that?"] * Ivy clutches hold of the collar. She then looks over at his neck, and blinks. She gets up on all fours and walks over to him. Kneeling next to him, she slowly brings her hand to his bare neck. [He blinks a few times, nearly shying away, but he lets her do it. One hand covers the club at his side, and his eyes stare straight ahead.] * Ivy looks down at where his hand went... and sees the club. She instantly moves away from him and then moves her body into a submissive position, her eyes closed as she shakes. [The cop looks confused at Ivy's sudden change in behavior. "What's wrong?"] [Ivy vaguely notes another vehicle slowing to a stop nearby.] * Ivy doesn't acknowledge it. She's too busy staying stalk still, the shaking now halted. [The door to the car opens and closes, slamming shut, and the cop looks over that way. Someone walks from the car in their direction, though Ivy isn't looking to see who.] * Ivy doesn't budge, even still! [Ivy's covered unceremoniously by a blanket. Her world went dark! "Well, look what ya picked up off the street, Thompson," she hears a hard, female voice say.] * Ivy drops to the ground and lays in a half-ball inside the blanket. ["Don't be so harsh," Thompson says. "She's like a trapped animal." The woman grunts and says, "Probably abuse. They're checking missing people now."] [The edge of Ivy's blanket is pulled up a touch, a ray of light peeking out from under it.] * Ivy looks over to the light! [The blanket's pulled up a little bit more and over Ivy's head. The woman's doing it; she's wearing an outfit like the man's. She's a very dark brown, with black hair that's probably forced straight and appraising dark eyes. Her mouth is twisted into a frown, though it's not exactly directed at Ivy.] * Ivy appraises the new person, her eyes looking to her clothing first, and then stay on her bare neck. ["God, what happened to you?" the woman asks, still crouched and looking at Ivy. Her other hand is holding something in a rectangular, shiny package, and she lets go of Ivy's blanket to open it before handing it to her. "Here."] * Ivy maneuvers to a sitting position. She looks at the package and cautiously moves a hand forward to take it. [The woman doesn't move away, and Ivy takes the package! The contents smell sweet - it's some sort of grain, a little sticky, and there's bits of chocolate in it.] * Ivy looks at it quizzically. She looks up at the woman, confusion still showing on her face. ["It's for you," she says. "Eat it." She looks back to the other officer. "She give a name?" He shakes his head.] * Ivy puts a finger in the meal in experimentation. She then moves the finger to her lips and gives a cautious lick. She looks back down to the food with shock and then suddenly eats it with abandon, with her fingers, of course. [The man blinks. The woman blinks. The man says, "You have more in the car?" The woman nods. The man runs off.] ["Easy," the woman says as he leaves, "There'll be more. You don't want to choke."] * Ivy slows down a notch, but she finishes it pretty quickly. [She chuckles and adjusts Ivy's blanket so it's not falling off her. Right about now, Thompson returns with five more granola bars. He puts them on the ground and opens one, handing it to Ivy.] (Ah, granola bars! Okay, fingers used to eat it - not so strange!) (Yup!) * Ivy snatches it up and devours it! ["I'm gonna check to see if they have anything," Thompson says, and the woman nods. She opens another bar, handing it to Ivy as he goes to do so.] ( You are my new best friends EVER.) (Yup!) * Ivy takes that one similarly to the way she took the second. Chomp! [She keeps handing granola bars to the bottomless pi- er, sweet young girl before her. Sweet young terrified naked starving girl. Yes.] * Ivy takes the fourth bar a little more slowly, savoring it. [About ten minutes later, Thompson comes walking back. "They got a potential match," he says, and he looks to the girl. "Ivy Thorne?"] * Ivy is on her last granola bar at this point. Upon hearing the name she stops chewing. She looks up at Thompson as if he just said something interesting, but she doesn't nod. [He crouches, bringing himself to eye level with the girl. The female officer looks to him, too. "Ivy?" he asks. "Is that your name?"] * Ivy cocks her head to the side, looking to be in deep thought... or maybe she's just spacing out. [He waits a bit, then looks to the other cop. "They're contacting Ivy's parents now. Warning them not to get their hopes up, but for verification... It's not safe to just move her like this." The woman nods.] * Ivy finishes off the last bite of the granola bar, but doesn't get up. She does glance at both cops as they talk, looking to be noting what they're saying. ["How soon?" she asks, and he shrugs. He looks to Ivy. "It'll be all right."] * Ivy stands up, blanket falling from her shoulders as she does so. She walks over to the female officer and slowly brings a couple fingers to trace the sparkly badge on her chest. [She looks at the guy cop as Ivy does that, and he just shrugs again. She doesn't move, though, and lets Ivy do it.] * Ivy then moves a hand cautiously to her throat. [The woman tenses a little when Ivy does that, but she still doesn't move.] * Ivy moves her other hand to the collar on her throat as she trails her hand along the female officer's bare neck. [The man blinks. "Do you want that off?" he asks.] * Ivy eyes widen as she turns to Thompson. She then steps away from female cop, and looks away. [They exchange a look, and then the female cop steps forward and tentatively tries to put a hand on Ivy's shoulder.] * Ivy pulls her shoulder quickly away and takes another few steps back. Her eyes look fearful again. [The woman frowns. "Now you did it, Thompson," she says. "Sorry!" the man replies.] * Ivy stays standing a safe distance away, eyeing both officers cautiously. [Right about now, Yet Another Cop Car (tm) comes driving down the road! Good lord, it's Policefest 2k4.] [It screeches to a halt right nearby, and Ivy can hear a female voice yelling, "Ivy!" It's vaguely familiar, and not in the female cop way.] * Ivy's body tenses visibly, her eyes darting toward the third car. [The backdoor opens, and out comes running a familiar woman in her mid-thirties. She's very well preserved, slender, with long, golden blond hair that's tied back and bright green eyes, and is wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Behind her steps out an equally familiar man, older in appearance and also blond, with short hair and brown eyes.] [He's got a dress shirt, tie, and slacks on, and is looking a little more wary, choosing to walk instead of run.] * Ivy takes a few more steps back as she sees the rushing woman coming toward her. Fear is very present on her face. [She slows as she reaches them. She's smiling, and crying. "Ivy. Don't you recognize me?"] * Ivy darts behind the female cop, peeking out to eye the woman from a safe distance. [The female cop blinks, then she looks to the woman. "Mrs. Thorne?" she asks. The woman nods.] * Ivy turns her attention to the man and gives him the once over as well. ["Yes. I'm Jerine Thorne. That's my husband, Peter." The blond woman gestures behind her to the man approaching.] [Peter Thorne looks at the peeking Ivy, and he smiles in relief, though there's some worry there. He looks like he's about to cry, too.] * Ivy ever so slowly edges from behind the cop. She walks a little closer to them, stops, walks a little bit closer, stops... and then she moves over to right in front of Peter. She's still just looking at him though, her eyes scrunched as if she's trying to remember. [Peter looks back. "Ivy," he says, as though he can't quite believe it. "My little girl." He reaches up to brush her cheek.] [Thompson relaxes a bit, as this happens, and he holds his hand out to Jerine. "Officer Thompson," he says, as the crying Jerine shakes it. "This is Officer Smith." The female cop nods.] * Ivy lets him, her eyes fixated on his face. ["Don't you remember me? I'm your father." In the background, the officers talk it up with Jerine, who's watching the pair of you, but Ivy probably doesn't note what they're saying.] * Ivy cocks her head at him, not at all paying attention to the convo behind her. [Peter swallows, and he reaches down to take Ivy's hand, if she lets him.] * Ivy moves her hand as if she's about to jerk away... but then stills. Her eyes continue searching his face. (I love how the fact that she's naked hasn't really hit them yet. Lost daughters showing up out of the blue will do that!) [He takes her hand gently, and he gives it a light squeeze. "It'll be okay, Ivy," he says to her. "Take all the time you need. It'll be okay."] (I'll say. They're too happy that she's THERE.) (Hee hee.) * Ivy looks down at their hands and then turns around to look at Jerine. [The conversation dies down when Ivy does that, and Jerine looks at her hopefully. "Ivy?" she asks.] * Ivy studies her for a good minute and then turns back to Peter. She then gently pulls her hand away, but continues standing there. [Jerine tries again. "Do you want to go home? Ivy?"] * Ivy glances at Jerine once more and then back to Peter. She moves a hand out to cautiously touch his chest. [Peter lets her. In fact, he brings his arms around, wrapping them around Ivy in a hug.] * Ivy is hugged! She stills in his arms for a bit, but then slowly her head settles on his chest. A tear makes its way down her cheek, but she's not sniffling. ["It's okay," Peter murmurs into Ivy's ear, stroking her hair. "It'll all be okay. You're safe now." Jerine approaches, slowly, and then gives her a hug, too.] * Ivy hugs her too, a second tear falling. ... And then a third. [Jerine kisses Ivy on the temple, and they hug. Ivy probably vaguely notes the police chasing off a couple approaching kids. "Let's go home," Jerine says after a long while.] * Ivy glances over at the cops after Jerine says that, not really sure where they fit in. Does she take them too? [Jerine and Peter look a bit confused, then Jerine blinks and says, "Oh. Just us, Ivy. We'll need to talk to them a little first, and then it's just us. Okay?"] * Ivy turns back to look at the parents and nods slowly. [They both smile, and now even Peter's crying. Ivy's mother walks over to the sidewalk, picking up the blanket and heading back, wrapping it around Ivy, and Peter leads her to a car while she goes to talk to the cops some more.] * Ivy mechanically walks to the car with him. She even gets in if he does! [He does get in, holding her hand all the while, as Jerine works out the details with the officers. Soon after, it's a ride home.] [Intro Session End!]