Shadowing Ivy
By A Shot of Amber
* ~ * Session 9: Revelations of Beauty * ~ *
The night sky was at it's peak, above them the last stars shone down on the land while lowering to the horizon the sky was edged with pink. A thin gray line that begins with dawn peering from the horizon has the sun prepared its time to rise.
Inside the Bebop, traveling through empty hallways to a small door colored with signs, to the room where she slept. The covers had slipped off her body falling to the floor reveling bare legs. Hair fell in pieces from the loose bun on top of her head covering the pale skin of her arms and face. Hiding from the world, ink black eye lashes resting on her cheeks and rose colored lips left open only slightly.
It was a pretty picture Ivy presented, until she began to awake. Her muscles tensing slightly has she closed her mouth and opened her eyes. Shining green iris shining in the darkness of the room. Every little movement was felt in her body, the fluttering of her heartbeat has she crossed over from the world of dreams.
It was the thought of those dreams that brought a smile to Ivy's lips and pulled her up into a sitting position. It was still early in the world, the small digital clock telling her the time with it's glowing red numbers.
Yet just because it was early for one thing didn't mean it wasn't to late for another. With a happy sigh Ivy stood up and stretched her arms above her head before placing bare feet on the metal floor and standing up. With a quick movement of her body and arms, Ivy picked up the quilt lying on the floor and opened to door.
Outside the room, inside the hallway she wrapped the quilt around her body holding it close with both hands. No one else was up yet; she was completely alone in this world before the sun rose. The harsh glow of florescent lights dimmed and softened has sunlight came nearer and nearer to them.
Over cold floors she walked, pausing only once to call Ein from his sleeping space in the corner before going on. Her destination becoming clear has the girl and the dog approached the control room and walked inside. The pre dawn light filled the room, creeping through the windows and crawling over the floor. It was through this light that Ivy walked to an empty spot in front of the windows and sat down. Drawing her legs up to her body and wrapping the quilt around her while Ein lay next to her. The two never said anything but each knew what the other was thinking.
For the past month she had done this, rising early from her bed and walking into the control room to see the sun rise. Together with Ein lying next to her they would watch that golden ball of fire rise into the sky before she went and made breakfast. No one ever knew of these early morning adventures, she was alone in the world.
" It's my escape.its my time to be alone and think and dream," Ivy would tell herself when she later thought about it.
While she waited for the sun to rise in the sky, her mind begin to fall into it pattern of thoughts. Words and pictures blurring together has she thought of him and them. People who hated her, people who loved her, who she loved, what she had seen and done..
" Doctor, come quickly! The patient has finally opened her eyes."
" Well, well, looks like our experiment was a success. We brought back something that they thought would never be."
" Who am I?"
" Do you dare to defy the leaders of the clan? You know what this means."
" Death?"
" They will kill you for what you are going to do."
" I don't care! I have to find it, my past, my freedom, something is calling me away from here."
" You know what will happen to a traitor like you?"
" Death.its always death for me."
Ivy cleared her mind of all thoughts and concentrated on the skies in front of her. Light had begun to pour into the Bebop; golden light has the sky changed from green to gold to pink before softening to blue. From the horizon rose the sun, its brilliant light chasing away the last of the night and covering her.
She blinked once and turned away has the sun grew brighter. She only opened her eyes again when that first bright flash had passed. It was all the same, the faded pattern of the quilt covering her knee. Bits of black hair resting on her shoulder from the loose bun on top of her head. Everything was the same, but at the same time everything was different.
It was a pretty picture they presented that early morning. The girl huddled up in a faded quilt while one hand absentmindedly petted the fur of the dog next to her. All the while the rays of sunlight shining down upon them.
* * * * * * *
The sounds of the wire whisk beat against the bowl in the kitchen. Ivy leaned against the counter looking down at the ground while rapidly beating the batter in the bowl. It had been an hour since the sunlight first spilled onto the ship where she sat with Ein. Now everyone had begun to wake up and drift out of their rooms.
Jet was watering the bonsai plants in his room, passing by with only a brief hello to Ivy. Faye lay on the couch half asleep staring up at the ceiling with Ed lying on the back of the couch above her while Ein lye below her on the floor. The only person Ivy hadn't seen that morning was Spike.
Ivy begin pouring the batter for pancakes into the frying pan, making perfect little golden circles while her thoughts wondered off.
" You know you're going to freeze dressed like that."
" I'm not cold," Ivy replied not looking up at the source of the voice.
Spike leaned against the doorway to watch her cook.
" I don't know, they say winters on Jupiter are pretty cold and with the Bebop always being cold. You might freeze running around in that."
Ivy looked down at her clothes; she was still wearing her pajamas from the morning. Feeling to lazy to take them off even though they were nothing but an oversized dirty white shirt and some shorts.
" I don't feel cold, I actually feel quite warm, almost comfortable in a way."
" Well then I don't understand how anyone would want to dress like Faye in so little clothes," Spike replied grinning has he heard Faye shift on the couch and sit up.
" Don't compare me to her! I wear just the right amount of clothes!" Faye yelled from the other room.
" Please don't compare me to Faye, she's beautiful and well I'm only average." Ivy turned the pancakes on the stove with quick flicks of her wrist. Her lips were set into two thin lines while her eyes never left the stove.
Spike didn't say anything to this, he couldn't really think of anything to say to the bite in her words. Presently he turned and walked out of the room to practice his Jeet Kun Do exercises alone and in peace.
Inside the kitchen Ivy sighed and slumped against the counter, the spatula loosening in her grip. This was getting to be too much for her, this game she played with herself.
* * * * * * *
" Stupid thing, come on and work," Spike growled adjusting the TV wires in a vain attempt to get it to work.
Sitting on the chair across from the couch Ivy adjusted her headphones on her head and flipped a page in her book.
Firmly agitated by his vain attempt at getting the TV to work, Spike gave up and slammed his fist down on top of the counsel. Within seconds the static shifted and disappeared reveling a picture followed by music.
" Howdy buckaroos, and welcome to big shot!"
" How y'all doing today?"
" Finally," Spike muttered leaning back on the couch and putting his hands behind his head.
" So Punch what's up for today?" Judy asked turning to her co-host.
" Well Judy we've got a new bounty to wet the appetites of you bounty hunters out there, and shucks howdy! Today it's a big one! Seems we have a new man on the scene, his name is Hanoi Wong, and he's something to be dealt with."
" What do you mean sugar?" Judy looked confused in her cute way.
" He may be new to the police, but it seems his technique is something to reckon with. No one is really sure how he does it, but when he does it everyone knows!"
" What is he talking about? Could someone ask him to make sense?" Faye asked leaning over the back of the couch.
" I was just going to say the same thing," Jet replied walking into the room.
" Punch honey, I'm confused by what you mean with all this," Judy whispered placing one finger on her chin and looking down.
" Well looks like we're not the only ones." Faye slid over the back of the couch to sit next to Spike.
" Basically Judy, no one is sure what he is really after but you have to be careful around him. He's a slippery ambre, and he'll kill you with one flash before you really know what will happen." Punch held up one finger and nodded while Judy clasped her hands and pushed her breasts together.
" Ooo sounds scary!"
" He's worth 500,000 woulong if captured alive, and 100,000 woulong if brought in dead.
" Ooo sounds bad, if you kill him then the reward money gets smaller!" Judy shrugged her shoulders and turned to the audience with a pitying look.
" Well-" The TV went dead has Spike turned it off and dropped the remote beside him.
" What a waste, for someone who is so scary, he isn't worth much," Faye growled getting up and walking out of the room.
" Yea I could have been doing better things then watching something like that," Jet agreed heading out of the room towards the hanger.
" He's only worth 500,000 woulong if captured? Doesn't sound like such a big shot to me." Spike turned over on the couch and throwing an arm over his eyes.
" What are you doing now?" Ivy asked leaning over the edge of the chair and removing her headphones.
" Going to sleep, that bounty bored me, he isn't worth my time listening too."
Ivy didn't say anything to that, but instead just stood up and walked out of the room to listen to her music somewhere else.
* * * * * * *
She slid the door open carefully and looked out. The coast was clear on both sides, no humans or animals. Gathering her stuff up in one arm while draping a towel over the other Ivy proceeded to slip out of the room and close the door behind her.
Shutting it with the softest thud she turned and tiptoed down the cold metal hallway to the shower room. It was empty like she knew it would be; breathing a sigh of relief Ivy walked in and shut the door behind her.
The air was still heavy with steam from Faye's shower. The old leaky taps dripping water onto the chipped and worn tile floor. Ivy ignored this all and set up her bath supplies. Shampoo and conditioner in one corner, body wash in another while her lotion sat on the floor next to the spare towel. Next she turned on the water, testing the temperature till it was perfect before unwrapping her towel and dropping it onto the floor.
Now completely naked Ivy stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. Hot water poured down onto her head, over her face and down her body. Turning to face the water Ivy let her thoughts run free and wild.
' Spike.he was there so much. All the time.when she was around him she could see he wasn't really there. He obviously was in love with someone/
' Was it Faye? Was she the one that Spike was in love with?'
" No! It can't be! Those two fight like there is no tomorrow," Ivy laughed picking up the wash cloth and squeezing a little soap into it. " Still sometimes I wonder who it could be."
Over and over the wash cloth rubbed her skin. White sudsy bubbles covering her body in foam while she ran the cloth over her arms then bent down to wash her legs before rising the cover her stomach with bubbles. All the time thinking about the past and what was happening now, about the Bebop, and Spike, and the clan.
" Have you ever wondered what happens to a person when they die? You know, do they go to heaven and live on has an angel or do they simply just stop existing?"
" I don't, I guess never cared to find out."
" I wonder if we as people even really do exist. What if we are only a dream of another person and when that person awakes the dream is over and we are no longer alive. If that is true then life is only a dream and sometimes when I look at life, sometimes, I feel like I'm just watching a dream."
One hand reached over and grabbed a bottle of shampoo, squeezing a small amount into her open palm.
" What's your favorite flower?"
" Roses, red roses. Deep red, the color of blood."
Shampoo was rubbed into her hair, hands covering each strand with white bubbles. Massaging the scalp before moving down to the ends.
" Look at that bird flying in the sky, do you see it? Someday I want to be like that bird and fly away from here. Far away to the ocean, I've always wanted to see the ocean, with the sun setting on it."
White suds traveled down her back as the hot water pounded down. Keeping her head under the water, Ivy reached over and picked up a bottle of conditioner, squeezing a little bit into her hair.
" There's a dream I have all the time, almost every night. In it I'm standing in a graveyard with the rain falling on me. I see a person in the distance smoking a cigarette and holding something in his hand. I start to run towards this person but as I get closer I slow down till I'm standing in front of him. The whole time his face is in shadow except for the glow of his cigarette. He doesn't say anything to me; there are no sounds except for the rain falling on the graves. Then he removes the cigarette from his mouth and throws it to the ground. I look down at the glowing embers that die on the wet pavement then up again only to see that he has disappeared into the rain."
One hand pulled open the shower curtain, the rings scraping against the metal rod. Ivy quickly dried off her body, rubbing the fluffy white towel over her arms and legs before sitting down and putting on some lotion.
Her thoughts had quieted down now, leaving their familiar territory of remembrance and thinking about something more comfortable. What to make for dinner that night.food shopping.and money issues.
Ivy stood up and wrapped a towel around her; another one was wrapped around her wet hair. She gathered up her belongings and walked out of the bathroom. Stopping once to make sure the main room was empty before going over to Ed's computer "Tomato" and kneeling down to skim through the music files. She selected a song and pushed the play button before lowering the volume slightly. Music filled the ship while Ivy stood up and walked out of the room with all intentions of going to her room.
" That's a nice look on you."
Ivy stopped and turned around to see Spike standing in the hallway behind her smiling slightly. A book dangled forgotten from one hand as he strolled up to her, his eyes roaming over her body.
She blushed and moved the bath supplies in her arms to cover the cleavage she knew was showing.
" I just got out of the shower," Ivy replied looking up at him.
" Don't you have a robe?" Spike grinned a bit at the blush he saw on her cheeks.
" No I don't, I didn't think I would see anyone around so I just wore this," Ivy replied bravely refusing to meet his eyes which she knew were looking down at her with humor.
" Oh that's fine, it's a good look on you. Faye runs around in clothes like that all the time, except hers cover a little more."
Ivy looked up at him with a questioning look then suddenly understood his joke. A smile spread on her face has she placed one hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow at him.
" Very funny Spike, you must be in a humorous mood today."
" Has a matter of fact I am," Spike replied grabbing her free arm and sniffing the skin of her wrist.
Ivy blushed brighter red at the feel of his hand touching her bare skin but she refused to loose her composure and instead snatched back her arm and gave him a dirty look.
" What are you doing?" She cried wrapping both arms around the bath supplies she was carrying.
" Smelling your lotion, it's a good scent, very fresh," Spike replied brushing past her.
" Smelling my lotion?" Ivy repeated before whirling around and shouting at him. " You grabbed my arm so you could smell my lotion?"
" Yea, it's vanilla, I like that scent." Spike raised his book in the air once waving it to her slightly before disappearing into the main room leaving behind a confused Ivy.
She looked down at her arm then back to the door that Spike had just disappeared through.
" It's not vanilla, it's cherry."
* * * * * * *
" Hey has anyone see that wench?" Jet walked into the room carrying a wrench in one hand looking around the room for her.
" Which one? You mean Faye?" Spike asked from the couch where he sat reading a book.
" Yea, she disappeared a while ago and I haven't been able to find her."
" Why would you want to?" Spike just yawned and turned the page never taking his eyes off the book.
" She took the money in the safe again," Jet replied dryly.
Spike didn't even blink or make a move. " How much?"
" Twenty four thousand woulong or in other terms, everything we had."
" Oh great does this mean I have to go on another search for her?" Spike finally looked up from the book meeting Jet's eyes with his own.
" If you want to get the money back that it, we're low on food again. That money was going to buy more for the trip to Mars."
" She runs off with all our money, leaving us broke and hungry, and I have to go and get her back," Spike groaned closing his book and throwing his head back.
" Howdy Amigos!"
" Big Shot! Were we tell you about them bounties!"
Jet and Spike looked over at Ed who was sitting on the table one toe still holding down the button on the television.
" Ed what are you doing now?" Spike asked giving the girl an annoyed look.
" Ed watch big shot! Big Shot is on!" Ed replied grinning at the two men.
"And now to all you cowboys out there, Big Shot would like to make a formal apology for a mistake we made earlier in our programming," Punch pulled off his hat and placed it over his heart.
" We sure are sorry to all you cowboys out there!" Judy replied in a perky voice.
" What are they talking about?" Jet stepped in closer leaning in next to Spike.
" We made a mistake on the bounty price of the famed murder Hanoi Wai. It seems he's worth a lot more then just a measly 500,000 woulong," Punch pulled back on his hat and turned to Judy.
" Oh yes he sure is worth more! How much is he worth Punch honey?" Judy clasped her hands together and looked confused.
" Well it seems his crimes are worse then the police thought. This cowpoke is something they have never seen; he uses some kind of magic never seen before by the ISSP. His bounty is now said to be worth 5 million woulong if captured alive."
" And if he dies that you can kiss the bounty goodbye!" Judy shrugged and made a mournful face.
" Not exactly Judy," Punch shook his head and turned to the audience. " If he is killed then his price is worth at 300,000 woulongs. The ISSP will do anything to get this guy out of the way."
" What has he done that is so bad?" Spike asked.
" It seems he's already wiped out the population of one plant with this magic of his. Were ever he goes, he brings with him sickness, pain, and devastation. He's one mean bounty boy. Be careful buckaroos this is something new to Big Shot." Punch nodded his head and placed both hands on his hips.
" Good luck and happy hunting cowboys!" Judy waved at the screen before Spike turned off the TV and stood up.
" I know where she went."
" Who?" Jet looked up at him with a puzzled look.
" Faye, she went to go find this Hanoi Wai. She must have known his bounty was higher then they first stated. She went after him and because of it she's in danger." Spike dropped the book on to the couch and started walking out of the room, with Jet following behind.
" Now Spike you don't know that, for all we know she could have gone to the races to squander away our cash," Jet reasoned.
" No, she's after Hanoi Wai and I'm going to find her."
" When were you ever interested in finding and saving Faye? I thought you couldn't stand her," Jet replied stopping in the hallway while Spike walked on.
" I can't, but the thought of 5 million woulong calls me forward even if means saving her.
" Go figure." Jet grinned and turned away heading back into the main room.
* * * * * * *
" Hanoi Wai?" Ivy said the name to herself in the darkness of her room. Her hands moving swiftly to braid the ocean colored ribbons into her hair. Two braids on either side with the bits of color weaving through them. The rest of her hair hanging loosely down her back.
"Looks I'm out for an adventure." Ivy smiled and picked up a hair tie, wrapping it around the edge of the braid before getting up and walking out of the room.
See you later space cowboy.
Spike: So looks like the show is finally starting to pick up.
Jet: Yea but the next episode is nothing special. In my opinion it's kind of boring.
Spike: I would have to agree with you there. I don't see any point in talking about the next episode either. It's just full of drama, violence and ghosts.
Ed: Ohh!! Spooky ghosts!!
Jet: The next episode is " Snow Fall Recluse Part 1"
Spike: We can't necessarily guarantee that it will be interesting to watch.
Please read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Saphrians_Water_Reflection@hotmail.com.
By A Shot of Amber
* ~ * Session 9: Revelations of Beauty * ~ *
The night sky was at it's peak, above them the last stars shone down on the land while lowering to the horizon the sky was edged with pink. A thin gray line that begins with dawn peering from the horizon has the sun prepared its time to rise.
Inside the Bebop, traveling through empty hallways to a small door colored with signs, to the room where she slept. The covers had slipped off her body falling to the floor reveling bare legs. Hair fell in pieces from the loose bun on top of her head covering the pale skin of her arms and face. Hiding from the world, ink black eye lashes resting on her cheeks and rose colored lips left open only slightly.
It was a pretty picture Ivy presented, until she began to awake. Her muscles tensing slightly has she closed her mouth and opened her eyes. Shining green iris shining in the darkness of the room. Every little movement was felt in her body, the fluttering of her heartbeat has she crossed over from the world of dreams.
It was the thought of those dreams that brought a smile to Ivy's lips and pulled her up into a sitting position. It was still early in the world, the small digital clock telling her the time with it's glowing red numbers.
Yet just because it was early for one thing didn't mean it wasn't to late for another. With a happy sigh Ivy stood up and stretched her arms above her head before placing bare feet on the metal floor and standing up. With a quick movement of her body and arms, Ivy picked up the quilt lying on the floor and opened to door.
Outside the room, inside the hallway she wrapped the quilt around her body holding it close with both hands. No one else was up yet; she was completely alone in this world before the sun rose. The harsh glow of florescent lights dimmed and softened has sunlight came nearer and nearer to them.
Over cold floors she walked, pausing only once to call Ein from his sleeping space in the corner before going on. Her destination becoming clear has the girl and the dog approached the control room and walked inside. The pre dawn light filled the room, creeping through the windows and crawling over the floor. It was through this light that Ivy walked to an empty spot in front of the windows and sat down. Drawing her legs up to her body and wrapping the quilt around her while Ein lay next to her. The two never said anything but each knew what the other was thinking.
For the past month she had done this, rising early from her bed and walking into the control room to see the sun rise. Together with Ein lying next to her they would watch that golden ball of fire rise into the sky before she went and made breakfast. No one ever knew of these early morning adventures, she was alone in the world.
" It's my escape.its my time to be alone and think and dream," Ivy would tell herself when she later thought about it.
While she waited for the sun to rise in the sky, her mind begin to fall into it pattern of thoughts. Words and pictures blurring together has she thought of him and them. People who hated her, people who loved her, who she loved, what she had seen and done..
" Doctor, come quickly! The patient has finally opened her eyes."
" Well, well, looks like our experiment was a success. We brought back something that they thought would never be."
" Who am I?"
" Do you dare to defy the leaders of the clan? You know what this means."
" Death?"
" They will kill you for what you are going to do."
" I don't care! I have to find it, my past, my freedom, something is calling me away from here."
" You know what will happen to a traitor like you?"
" Death.its always death for me."
Ivy cleared her mind of all thoughts and concentrated on the skies in front of her. Light had begun to pour into the Bebop; golden light has the sky changed from green to gold to pink before softening to blue. From the horizon rose the sun, its brilliant light chasing away the last of the night and covering her.
She blinked once and turned away has the sun grew brighter. She only opened her eyes again when that first bright flash had passed. It was all the same, the faded pattern of the quilt covering her knee. Bits of black hair resting on her shoulder from the loose bun on top of her head. Everything was the same, but at the same time everything was different.
It was a pretty picture they presented that early morning. The girl huddled up in a faded quilt while one hand absentmindedly petted the fur of the dog next to her. All the while the rays of sunlight shining down upon them.
* * * * * * *
The sounds of the wire whisk beat against the bowl in the kitchen. Ivy leaned against the counter looking down at the ground while rapidly beating the batter in the bowl. It had been an hour since the sunlight first spilled onto the ship where she sat with Ein. Now everyone had begun to wake up and drift out of their rooms.
Jet was watering the bonsai plants in his room, passing by with only a brief hello to Ivy. Faye lay on the couch half asleep staring up at the ceiling with Ed lying on the back of the couch above her while Ein lye below her on the floor. The only person Ivy hadn't seen that morning was Spike.
Ivy begin pouring the batter for pancakes into the frying pan, making perfect little golden circles while her thoughts wondered off.
" You know you're going to freeze dressed like that."
" I'm not cold," Ivy replied not looking up at the source of the voice.
Spike leaned against the doorway to watch her cook.
" I don't know, they say winters on Jupiter are pretty cold and with the Bebop always being cold. You might freeze running around in that."
Ivy looked down at her clothes; she was still wearing her pajamas from the morning. Feeling to lazy to take them off even though they were nothing but an oversized dirty white shirt and some shorts.
" I don't feel cold, I actually feel quite warm, almost comfortable in a way."
" Well then I don't understand how anyone would want to dress like Faye in so little clothes," Spike replied grinning has he heard Faye shift on the couch and sit up.
" Don't compare me to her! I wear just the right amount of clothes!" Faye yelled from the other room.
" Please don't compare me to Faye, she's beautiful and well I'm only average." Ivy turned the pancakes on the stove with quick flicks of her wrist. Her lips were set into two thin lines while her eyes never left the stove.
Spike didn't say anything to this, he couldn't really think of anything to say to the bite in her words. Presently he turned and walked out of the room to practice his Jeet Kun Do exercises alone and in peace.
Inside the kitchen Ivy sighed and slumped against the counter, the spatula loosening in her grip. This was getting to be too much for her, this game she played with herself.
* * * * * * *
" Stupid thing, come on and work," Spike growled adjusting the TV wires in a vain attempt to get it to work.
Sitting on the chair across from the couch Ivy adjusted her headphones on her head and flipped a page in her book.
Firmly agitated by his vain attempt at getting the TV to work, Spike gave up and slammed his fist down on top of the counsel. Within seconds the static shifted and disappeared reveling a picture followed by music.
" Howdy buckaroos, and welcome to big shot!"
" How y'all doing today?"
" Finally," Spike muttered leaning back on the couch and putting his hands behind his head.
" So Punch what's up for today?" Judy asked turning to her co-host.
" Well Judy we've got a new bounty to wet the appetites of you bounty hunters out there, and shucks howdy! Today it's a big one! Seems we have a new man on the scene, his name is Hanoi Wong, and he's something to be dealt with."
" What do you mean sugar?" Judy looked confused in her cute way.
" He may be new to the police, but it seems his technique is something to reckon with. No one is really sure how he does it, but when he does it everyone knows!"
" What is he talking about? Could someone ask him to make sense?" Faye asked leaning over the back of the couch.
" I was just going to say the same thing," Jet replied walking into the room.
" Punch honey, I'm confused by what you mean with all this," Judy whispered placing one finger on her chin and looking down.
" Well looks like we're not the only ones." Faye slid over the back of the couch to sit next to Spike.
" Basically Judy, no one is sure what he is really after but you have to be careful around him. He's a slippery ambre, and he'll kill you with one flash before you really know what will happen." Punch held up one finger and nodded while Judy clasped her hands and pushed her breasts together.
" Ooo sounds scary!"
" He's worth 500,000 woulong if captured alive, and 100,000 woulong if brought in dead.
" Ooo sounds bad, if you kill him then the reward money gets smaller!" Judy shrugged her shoulders and turned to the audience with a pitying look.
" Well-" The TV went dead has Spike turned it off and dropped the remote beside him.
" What a waste, for someone who is so scary, he isn't worth much," Faye growled getting up and walking out of the room.
" Yea I could have been doing better things then watching something like that," Jet agreed heading out of the room towards the hanger.
" He's only worth 500,000 woulong if captured? Doesn't sound like such a big shot to me." Spike turned over on the couch and throwing an arm over his eyes.
" What are you doing now?" Ivy asked leaning over the edge of the chair and removing her headphones.
" Going to sleep, that bounty bored me, he isn't worth my time listening too."
Ivy didn't say anything to that, but instead just stood up and walked out of the room to listen to her music somewhere else.
* * * * * * *
She slid the door open carefully and looked out. The coast was clear on both sides, no humans or animals. Gathering her stuff up in one arm while draping a towel over the other Ivy proceeded to slip out of the room and close the door behind her.
Shutting it with the softest thud she turned and tiptoed down the cold metal hallway to the shower room. It was empty like she knew it would be; breathing a sigh of relief Ivy walked in and shut the door behind her.
The air was still heavy with steam from Faye's shower. The old leaky taps dripping water onto the chipped and worn tile floor. Ivy ignored this all and set up her bath supplies. Shampoo and conditioner in one corner, body wash in another while her lotion sat on the floor next to the spare towel. Next she turned on the water, testing the temperature till it was perfect before unwrapping her towel and dropping it onto the floor.
Now completely naked Ivy stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. Hot water poured down onto her head, over her face and down her body. Turning to face the water Ivy let her thoughts run free and wild.
' Spike.he was there so much. All the time.when she was around him she could see he wasn't really there. He obviously was in love with someone/
' Was it Faye? Was she the one that Spike was in love with?'
" No! It can't be! Those two fight like there is no tomorrow," Ivy laughed picking up the wash cloth and squeezing a little soap into it. " Still sometimes I wonder who it could be."
Over and over the wash cloth rubbed her skin. White sudsy bubbles covering her body in foam while she ran the cloth over her arms then bent down to wash her legs before rising the cover her stomach with bubbles. All the time thinking about the past and what was happening now, about the Bebop, and Spike, and the clan.
" Have you ever wondered what happens to a person when they die? You know, do they go to heaven and live on has an angel or do they simply just stop existing?"
" I don't, I guess never cared to find out."
" I wonder if we as people even really do exist. What if we are only a dream of another person and when that person awakes the dream is over and we are no longer alive. If that is true then life is only a dream and sometimes when I look at life, sometimes, I feel like I'm just watching a dream."
One hand reached over and grabbed a bottle of shampoo, squeezing a small amount into her open palm.
" What's your favorite flower?"
" Roses, red roses. Deep red, the color of blood."
Shampoo was rubbed into her hair, hands covering each strand with white bubbles. Massaging the scalp before moving down to the ends.
" Look at that bird flying in the sky, do you see it? Someday I want to be like that bird and fly away from here. Far away to the ocean, I've always wanted to see the ocean, with the sun setting on it."
White suds traveled down her back as the hot water pounded down. Keeping her head under the water, Ivy reached over and picked up a bottle of conditioner, squeezing a little bit into her hair.
" There's a dream I have all the time, almost every night. In it I'm standing in a graveyard with the rain falling on me. I see a person in the distance smoking a cigarette and holding something in his hand. I start to run towards this person but as I get closer I slow down till I'm standing in front of him. The whole time his face is in shadow except for the glow of his cigarette. He doesn't say anything to me; there are no sounds except for the rain falling on the graves. Then he removes the cigarette from his mouth and throws it to the ground. I look down at the glowing embers that die on the wet pavement then up again only to see that he has disappeared into the rain."
One hand pulled open the shower curtain, the rings scraping against the metal rod. Ivy quickly dried off her body, rubbing the fluffy white towel over her arms and legs before sitting down and putting on some lotion.
Her thoughts had quieted down now, leaving their familiar territory of remembrance and thinking about something more comfortable. What to make for dinner that night.food shopping.and money issues.
Ivy stood up and wrapped a towel around her; another one was wrapped around her wet hair. She gathered up her belongings and walked out of the bathroom. Stopping once to make sure the main room was empty before going over to Ed's computer "Tomato" and kneeling down to skim through the music files. She selected a song and pushed the play button before lowering the volume slightly. Music filled the ship while Ivy stood up and walked out of the room with all intentions of going to her room.
" That's a nice look on you."
Ivy stopped and turned around to see Spike standing in the hallway behind her smiling slightly. A book dangled forgotten from one hand as he strolled up to her, his eyes roaming over her body.
She blushed and moved the bath supplies in her arms to cover the cleavage she knew was showing.
" I just got out of the shower," Ivy replied looking up at him.
" Don't you have a robe?" Spike grinned a bit at the blush he saw on her cheeks.
" No I don't, I didn't think I would see anyone around so I just wore this," Ivy replied bravely refusing to meet his eyes which she knew were looking down at her with humor.
" Oh that's fine, it's a good look on you. Faye runs around in clothes like that all the time, except hers cover a little more."
Ivy looked up at him with a questioning look then suddenly understood his joke. A smile spread on her face has she placed one hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow at him.
" Very funny Spike, you must be in a humorous mood today."
" Has a matter of fact I am," Spike replied grabbing her free arm and sniffing the skin of her wrist.
Ivy blushed brighter red at the feel of his hand touching her bare skin but she refused to loose her composure and instead snatched back her arm and gave him a dirty look.
" What are you doing?" She cried wrapping both arms around the bath supplies she was carrying.
" Smelling your lotion, it's a good scent, very fresh," Spike replied brushing past her.
" Smelling my lotion?" Ivy repeated before whirling around and shouting at him. " You grabbed my arm so you could smell my lotion?"
" Yea, it's vanilla, I like that scent." Spike raised his book in the air once waving it to her slightly before disappearing into the main room leaving behind a confused Ivy.
She looked down at her arm then back to the door that Spike had just disappeared through.
" It's not vanilla, it's cherry."
* * * * * * *
" Hey has anyone see that wench?" Jet walked into the room carrying a wrench in one hand looking around the room for her.
" Which one? You mean Faye?" Spike asked from the couch where he sat reading a book.
" Yea, she disappeared a while ago and I haven't been able to find her."
" Why would you want to?" Spike just yawned and turned the page never taking his eyes off the book.
" She took the money in the safe again," Jet replied dryly.
Spike didn't even blink or make a move. " How much?"
" Twenty four thousand woulong or in other terms, everything we had."
" Oh great does this mean I have to go on another search for her?" Spike finally looked up from the book meeting Jet's eyes with his own.
" If you want to get the money back that it, we're low on food again. That money was going to buy more for the trip to Mars."
" She runs off with all our money, leaving us broke and hungry, and I have to go and get her back," Spike groaned closing his book and throwing his head back.
" Howdy Amigos!"
" Big Shot! Were we tell you about them bounties!"
Jet and Spike looked over at Ed who was sitting on the table one toe still holding down the button on the television.
" Ed what are you doing now?" Spike asked giving the girl an annoyed look.
" Ed watch big shot! Big Shot is on!" Ed replied grinning at the two men.
"And now to all you cowboys out there, Big Shot would like to make a formal apology for a mistake we made earlier in our programming," Punch pulled off his hat and placed it over his heart.
" We sure are sorry to all you cowboys out there!" Judy replied in a perky voice.
" What are they talking about?" Jet stepped in closer leaning in next to Spike.
" We made a mistake on the bounty price of the famed murder Hanoi Wai. It seems he's worth a lot more then just a measly 500,000 woulong," Punch pulled back on his hat and turned to Judy.
" Oh yes he sure is worth more! How much is he worth Punch honey?" Judy clasped her hands together and looked confused.
" Well it seems his crimes are worse then the police thought. This cowpoke is something they have never seen; he uses some kind of magic never seen before by the ISSP. His bounty is now said to be worth 5 million woulong if captured alive."
" And if he dies that you can kiss the bounty goodbye!" Judy shrugged and made a mournful face.
" Not exactly Judy," Punch shook his head and turned to the audience. " If he is killed then his price is worth at 300,000 woulongs. The ISSP will do anything to get this guy out of the way."
" What has he done that is so bad?" Spike asked.
" It seems he's already wiped out the population of one plant with this magic of his. Were ever he goes, he brings with him sickness, pain, and devastation. He's one mean bounty boy. Be careful buckaroos this is something new to Big Shot." Punch nodded his head and placed both hands on his hips.
" Good luck and happy hunting cowboys!" Judy waved at the screen before Spike turned off the TV and stood up.
" I know where she went."
" Who?" Jet looked up at him with a puzzled look.
" Faye, she went to go find this Hanoi Wai. She must have known his bounty was higher then they first stated. She went after him and because of it she's in danger." Spike dropped the book on to the couch and started walking out of the room, with Jet following behind.
" Now Spike you don't know that, for all we know she could have gone to the races to squander away our cash," Jet reasoned.
" No, she's after Hanoi Wai and I'm going to find her."
" When were you ever interested in finding and saving Faye? I thought you couldn't stand her," Jet replied stopping in the hallway while Spike walked on.
" I can't, but the thought of 5 million woulong calls me forward even if means saving her.
" Go figure." Jet grinned and turned away heading back into the main room.
* * * * * * *
" Hanoi Wai?" Ivy said the name to herself in the darkness of her room. Her hands moving swiftly to braid the ocean colored ribbons into her hair. Two braids on either side with the bits of color weaving through them. The rest of her hair hanging loosely down her back.
"Looks I'm out for an adventure." Ivy smiled and picked up a hair tie, wrapping it around the edge of the braid before getting up and walking out of the room.
See you later space cowboy.
Spike: So looks like the show is finally starting to pick up.
Jet: Yea but the next episode is nothing special. In my opinion it's kind of boring.
Spike: I would have to agree with you there. I don't see any point in talking about the next episode either. It's just full of drama, violence and ghosts.
Ed: Ohh!! Spooky ghosts!!
Jet: The next episode is " Snow Fall Recluse Part 1"
Spike: We can't necessarily guarantee that it will be interesting to watch.
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