July Arrivals

[sixthiteration]

WHO: Arrivals
WHERE: The fountain park
WHEN: July 1, 12:00 PM
OPEN TO: ALL
WARNINGS: N/A
STATUS: CLOSED

---

In the snug circle of an old park, a fountain sits burbling beneath a broad, midday sky.

Once-neat paving stones have buckled and cracked from the slow nudge of wayward roots. Benches stand covered in lichen and rust. Three paths push into the underbrush like the spokes on a wheel, the encroaching forest creating lush tunnels through the dark.

But the fountain stands singular and pristine, brightly splashing in open rebellion of the deep, muffled sounds of a place long ago gone to seed. A vibration hums through the ground, there and quickly gone, and the water in the fountain trembles, lapping against the high walls of its cool, pale reservoir.

It is the first of July.

It is precisely twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

Comments

[tobeclosetohim]

"Yeah." Jo gritted out, all teeth and anger. "I'm getting that. Which is going to go very badly for whoever's idea this was."

What the fuck was this even? Jo dropped her bag, pulling at her clothes, hard and unhappy. They were out everything, were they? What the hell did she have? Where was Jack's hat? River's bracelet? Her gun and other knives? Nothing she'd seen him toss out even looked like it was useful, and she was done being soaking wet, with heavy, and dripping everywhere. But there was a tank a top under this obnoxious black thing, and Jo was peeling the top layer off already, and then looking down with a frown. This wasn't even her soaked white bra under her soaked white tank top. At all.

"I'm going to have a nice, intimate, chat with whoever the hell put these clothes on me, too." Which, yeah, really does come out as threatening as she's thinking about it. No one went around changing all her clothes and stealing her things from her. No matter where she'd ended up this shit had never been done to her, and it wasn't going to fly now either. That bastard could have his balls burned off for all she gave a damn right now.

[andrend]

She had spirit, Ren would give her that. He could feel the anger coming off her even with how difficult the force was being. That anger was good, though, because Rn understood it. He felt it, too. And he had similar thoughts to her own when it came to opinions and threats toward whoever interfered.

"When I find them they will not be capable of chatting with anyone." But there was no one else to blame. Not yet. He didn't bother removing his soaked clothing, despite other options being available in the pack he had been given. Apparently he was just fine crouching there with water still dripping off of him consistently.

He glanced skyward after a moment, squinting at the sun.

"Do you know which system we're in?"

[tobeclosetohim]

It's easier, so much easier, to be filled with rage and violence at this second than anything else. She doesn't want to slow down, doesn't want to think or overthink, or begin to step foot in the dreaded, chilled, thoughts already waiting at the edge for her. It helped that this guy wasn't telling her to calm down and being all pedantically helpful. He looked just as put out, and his question made her look up.

The question easy enough, when she glances up. It's sun up still, and that's not helpful.
"No clue. It's probably better at night to figure out anything like that."




Beat.

"Not that I want to still be here come night, or even have any clue really how to help you with that in the slightest."

[andrend]

"It doesn't matter. We need to find a communicator or a ship." He needed to get in touch with Snoke. And General Hux so he could order him to send a ship to pick him up. He was so irritated with everything that it had not even occurred to him they might be on a planet backwards enough not to have the right technology.

"And some weapons." He wasn't going to wander around a strange planet, unarmed. He hadn't even realized yet that Rey had left a scar across his face, and he did not think anyone would recognize him. That made no difference, though. A foreign planet could hold any number of threats and he needed to be prepared.

[tobeclosetohim]

"Pretty sure you just proved we don't have those." God. Fuck. She never thought she'd suddenly miss having that network comms device, that never shut up and people never learned how to use right, and suddenly she wanted it. But she didn't pat anything on herself this time. There was no point. She was taking her shirt and trying to wring it out, before she was going to end up tying it around her waist.

"Whatever might be here, it isn't right here," Jo considered, adding, a little too sharp still as she was looking at the edges of all the plants and greenery surrounded this area. But it looked like there were structures in the distance. "Maybe we split up and start looking around somewhere that isn't the fountain or some trees or grass."

Or these idiotic backpacks that only had, apparently, everything they were never going to need.

[andrend]

He nodded, at least. He couldn't physically force himself to tell her she was right. He was too irritated to be agreeable. But he didn't immediately become combative or contrary over the suggestion. She was right. They would learn nothing waiting around by the fountain.

"One of us should stay here and look around first. We could be missing something." His fingers twitched at his side. Without his mask, his uniform or his lightsaber he felt exposed, and with the force evading him nearly completely he felt cut off from more than just his teacher and his resources.

"I'll give the area another look and go that way." He pointed to one of the three barely distinguishable paths among the overgrowth. With it being noon and an unfamiliar planet he had no idea what direction that way was, but he knew what it looked like.

"Which one are you taking?" He looked at her expectantly while pulling the coat from his pack on over his still soaked clothing. It was 84. There was no call for it. He didn't seem to care.

[tobeclosetohim]

"I'll take the other one," Jo nodded toward the next of the three paths from the foundation area, after a few seconds of watching his odd choice with the coat. Oh, well, right? She took part of hers off, and he put more of his on. Different strokes, completely different folks.

She turned one direction, but looked back, and even though she said the words, they were more a strong armed order than anything like a suggestion or a concern. "Watch your back. In case."

Of anything. Of everything. Creatures. Monsters. Sudden traps and holes.

She had no idea how green he might be. Angry, yeah. Experienced, no clue. None at all.

Don't try to die, and end up screaming, and make her come running back to save you from the greenery.