Jade flinched slightly as Ivy shouted, knowing fully well that she wasn't fine. "Ivy we looked everywhere for you, we've been worried!" Without thinking, Jade wrapped her arms around Ivy in a hug. After she realized what she had done, she figured she was already going to get her ass handed to her so she just latched on, nt caring about the outcome.

Ivy stood perfectly still, arms at her side, feeling like a confused child. What was this? She was no fool, she knew how people expressed their emotions for each other, but she had never been on the receiving end of it. There was an unexplained warmth that shot through her body, feelings of comfort, security and kindness... things she had been deprived of for longer than she could remember.
Unable to stop herself, she tentatively returned the hug and began to weep silently. Before she knew it, her entire body was shaking with loud sobs as she buried her face in Jade's shoulder.

---

"Fuck..." whispered Kyo, looking around at the group as the sounds of Ivy's crying penetrated the walls. "Maybe we should leave, guys. She's going to be pissed if she comes out and sees all of us here, listening to her sobbing."
Raphael gave Carolyn an uneasy glance, unsure of what to do. He felt that Ivy needed support, but he could also tell that she was a lone wolf and someone who guarded her personal feelings very protectively. Standing outside and listening to her cry felt... intrusive, and it made him uncomfortable.

Jade said nothing as Ivy sobbed. Part of the reason was because it was a first, the second part was because she didn't want her to keep her emotions bottled up.
After letting her cry for a bit, and when Jade knew it was right, she let go of Ivy. "I know you don't want to talk, but at least let me know something. Let me get you some food. I don't know where the hell you've been or anything."

Aphrodite makes it to the group as they all have a look of confusion on their face as what to do next. She motions to Dark and points in the room, he nods confirming her assumption that Jade and Ivy are in the room together. She heads toward the room, takes a deep breath and enters to see a puffy eyed Ivy and Jade. The reunion is touching, that leaves a smile on her face, and a little comical to see Ivy in tears. She looks back at the group waiting out in the hall and gently waves her hands to give Jade and Ivy room as they're about to walk out.

"Just let it go." she commanded quietly, her gaze lingering on Jade for a meaningful moment before she detached herself from her arms.
Ivy regarded Aphrodite with a curt nod, trying her best to not act as if all of these voyeurs had not been intruding upon an extremely private moment. She stood in front of the group and addressed them clearly and confidently.
"Where I was and what I did there is none of your concern. Nothing happened. I'm fine. Don't ask me about it."
Kyo stared at her, taken aback with how quickly she had reverted to her usual self. The pain in her eyes told a different story to the one that came out of her mouth, but this was no time to protest. If Ivy wanted her ordeal kept a secret, then a secret it would remain.
"Ivy..." came a supremely uncertain voice. "You don't know me, and I'm guessing you don't care to. Which is, totally fine, by the way. Uh... Where was I? Oh. Right. Um, I know it's really hard for you, but I think you're the one person who can help us stop-"
"No." interrupted Ivy in an icy tone. "Goodbye."
Without waiting for any objections, Ivy walked straight towards Kyo and Carolyn. Hastening to let her through unhindered, the two stepped to the side and the group watched her leave, a confused and awkward silence settling over them.

-Ivy has left scenario 31-

Jade frowned as Ivy walked off, but she was a tiny bit relieved that she had opened herself up for a brief moment. "I tried." She muttered, turning towards the others once Ivy was gone. "You guys are nosy as hell. Did y'all know that?"

Scenario 30

Blair passed down the halls of the White Mage guild. It was close to the Summoner's guild, and there was a reason for that- at one point in time it was thought that primary Summoners always had the ability to use White Magic as a secondary power, but it was then learned that that was not the case. Regardless of the truth in that rumor, the reality was that the White Mage and Summoner's guilds were practically adjacent. Also, the White Mage guild's halls were white and pretty. And Blair liked that.

Along the way, she found a small aluminum box. She read the labeling after opening it and pocketed it, continuing on her way. Passing the dorms, she noticed muffled screams coming from one of the dorms. Like someone was doing terrible unspeakable things to someone else.

Blair proceeded to bang her fist on the door. "Hey! Are-are you okay in there?!"

Blinking slowly as his mind registered the sound of banging on the other side of his door, Jacob sat up slowly, his music still playing in the background. He couldn't remember where the other half of his leg was, and the person out there sounded a bit worried. Well, far be it from him to cause others issues. Forcing himself off the bed with a grunt, he fell to the ground, now on his knees. Shuffling his way over to the door, he opened it and looked out, before realizing the cloth was still in his mouth. Awkwardly removing it, he looked up at the girl in front of him.

She was just a bit short compared to the one-footed man kneeling in front of her, or she would be if he were standing. The similarities between their choice of dress didn't escape him, though: the boots and the jacket covering her made Jacob half-smile. Letting out a groan and clutching at the back of his leg where the pain was harassing him, he forced the smile to stay on his face. "Uh....yeah, I'm-"

Clenching his jaw and cursing mentally, Jacob felt his hand clench shut as the pain got to him for a moment. "I...just pain. Just regular old....regular old amputee pain stuff." This was going nowhere. He always had difficulty explaining his phantom pains, not that he'd had to do so very much. "It's a thing that happens...."

Trying and failing to suppress another moan of pain, he fell back, pushing his legs out to the side, lying on his back and looking up at the girl in front of him. "You're the first person who ever actually interrupted this...I wonder what everybody else thought." Managing a chuckle, Jacob looked around the room, trying to catch his attention on something before sighing and looking back at his...guest? "But yeah....I'm....okay, I guess?" He could barely even convince himself.

"Well everyone else on this hall thinks that it's something extremely kin-", Blair said, stopping herself. "You know what? Never mind. I thought it was someone dying."

She looked around, noticing the cloth that was used to bite on during the painful episodes and pointed to it. "We have meds for that, you know.."

Jacob blushed at the first words out of Blair's mouth. That much was to be expected, but hearing it outright was another matter. Grimacing at her comment, he shrugged. "Call it paranoia. I'm...too worried about getting addicted to something. I've heard too many stories about friends divebombing after they came back....they offered me all sorts of shit, but the most I'll touch is extra-strength Tylenol." Taking a few deep breaths, he rolled his jeans up, exposing his stump, and started to massage it a bit. The relief was nominal at best, but anything was welcome.

Blair pouted, and taking a small zip-lock bag out of the inside of her jacket, tossed it towards Jacob. Inside the bag contained what seemed to be a bunch of dried-up plants, and even though the bag was supposed to be relatively airtight (it's not a vacuum seal after all), a slightly pungent smell came forth from it, but it was also subtly and strangely relaxing.

"Yeah, that Tylenol isn't going to cut it. That should, though! All natural", she said with a smile, giving a thumbs up.

Looking between the bag and the woman in front of him, Jacob frowned. "I....that's...." Illegal? Who cared? Immoral? It wasn't any worse than drinking, and he'd done that a few times. It could offer some relief. Probably, at least. Sighing, he restarted his sentence. "That's probably a half-decent idea, cuz you're goddamned right about the Tylenol. I don't have anything to smoke with, though..." Nor did he have a lighter. Or matches. He didn't need really them, and having things like that around was at best unnecessary.

Blair put her index finger to her lips and with a flick of her free hand, closed the door with a little bit of wind. "Shhh." She did not need or want prying Psions to catch on to such activities. They were annoying enough to begin with.

She kneeled on the floor and pulled out a small pipe and Zippo lighter from her pockets. Interestingly enough, the lighter had a symbol of a moving cloud engraved on one of the faces. After assembling all the pieces together and giving it a light, she gave it to Jacob. "Well you do now!", she said with a friendly smile. "Hope this helps."

Once again looking between the woman, who was know in his room, and what she was offering, Jacob shrugged and took it from her hands. Inhaling some of the smoke, he coughed roughly, pulling the pipe away from him. "Holy....holy shit. That was like....shit, that was like the first time I had Scotch." Pulling it back up to his mouth, he inhaled some more and coughed yet again. "This...ain't too bad, I guess." Forcing the words out between gasps, he chuckled a bit. Even with the pain still plaguing the back of his mind, he at least had something to occupy him for now.

Blair laughed as she got off the floor, dusting herself off. "It's not, but don't overdo it. Don't use it all at once and only use it when you feel pain, got it?"

She opened the door gently and exited the room, now back in the White Mage guild's halls. There was a peculiarly dressed and helmeted man standing by the stairway and bannisters at the end of the hall. Cancer.

Cancer was pacing back and forth frantically, looking underneath tables and various decor for a missing object. "Where is it? I knew I pocketed it from the medical ward and now it's GONE."

Blair snuck past Cancer, looking back and smiling at the strange Wanderer before she went down the stairwell.

"It was here! I know it was here! My precious! My precious Adrenal-IIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEE-"

/Cancer and Blair left Scenario 30/

Coughing as he continued smoking, Jacob barely realized that the woman was leaving. He hadn't even gotten her name, shit. Now he felt like an ungrateful bastard. Sighing, he went back to smoking and closed his eyes.

After he finished what was in the pipe, he took a few slow breaths and blinked slowly. Okay, that.....was something new. A good kind of new. Moving over to his closet, he stashed the contraband into his rucksack, hiding it deep in the bag. Crawling on his hands and knees, he searched for his prosthesis and affixed it, carefully getting to his feet and regaining his balance. Accomplishing that, he walked over to the door, deciding that now was a good time to satisfy the munchies.

/End of Scenario 30

Dark and the others watch as Ivy leaves them behind. Waiting for a bit until Ivy is out of sight and possibly can't hear them. He softly speaks.

"Meeting in the kitchen, all of us."

End of scenario 31

Scenario 32

Dark holds the kitchen doors open as the group files in, and takes any seat available. Checking the hallways to make sure that no one is approaching, Dark locks them into the room and stares at the silent group. Kent is the first to utter a noise as he looks over at Carolyn and Raphael.

"Did you two find anything new?"

Scenario 32

Making his way to the kitchen, Jacob smiled as the marijuana was taking effect. Damn, either this was some good stuff, or he was just a lightweight when it came to pot. Regardless, he felt SOOOO much better. Finally arriving, he tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Frowning, he leaned against the door and started to complain. "Come ooonnnnn, I'm just hungry. I wanna make some food. Can ya let me in? I promise I'll keep whatever you're doing secreeet." Blushing as the thoughts of what people had believed him to be doing returned to his mind, he chuckled a little.

Aphrodite stands up angrily, stomping towards the cabinets and grabs all sorts of chips and cookies, then goes towards the fridge with a gallon of milk. She looks at Carolyn before approaching the door.

"Discipline me later."

She unlocks the door and flings the food towards the man and slams it shut and locks it once more.

"Thank you come again!"

She heads back to her spot in the kitchen and awaits Carolyn and Raphael to speak.