Hypothermia and You: A Guide No One Ever Reads

[andrend]

WHO: Kylo Ren
WHERE: Near the fountain
WHEN: Evening, November 15th
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: Incoming angry wet former Jedi with family issues
STATUS: Closed

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It took almost no time at all for Kylo Ren to realize he had been submerged. The unfamiliar clothes that clung to his skin were heavy with the weight and chill of the water, and stuck uncomfortably to his skin while he fought to find the right orientation to kick and push himself upward. Everything on his body fought against his upward movement from the thing strapped to his back to the heavy and unfamiliar boots on his feet. When he breached the surface, both hands gripped tightly to the edge of the fountain and he hoisted himself out of its watery depths, rolling over the edge to the hard ground on the other side with deep, gasping breaths for air.

His thoughts were spinning wildly, and a chill clung as tightly to his skin as the over-saturated cotton pressing against him so uncomfortably. His mask and uniform were gone, and although he could feel the weight of the pack resting against his back, he could not sense his weapon. The air was frigid. His wet hair, skin and the drenched cotton and fabric clinging to his body did nothing to hold back the below freezing chill in the air. Rather than sit and gather his thoughts, Ren immediately began to remove his shoes and socks and set them to the side with his backpack. The scrub shirt followed, until Ren was left barefoot with only a tank top and the trousers.

Anyone out in the cold could come across Ren carrying a dripping backpack and bundle of foreign clothes as he deliberately makes his way barefoot into the town. His primary mission: find shelter before losing any of his digits or limbs to the cold. If not encountered in that state, Ren can be found eventually breaking or pushing his way into the first building he comes across in search of shelter from the elements. Especially if the building is giving off smoke or light.

Comments

[teen_angst_bullshit]

"I should probably know it," Veronica admits with a slight wince, feeling bad. It would probably be cold comfort to point out that despite not knowing his name, she'd been the first person to notice he was gone. "We never formally met and things were a little weird those first days." It's the best excuse she's got, even if it isn't much of one.

"You were with a guy with red hair," she offers, feeling kind of shitty because she doesn't know that guy's name, either. She arches her eyebrows, hopeful, and rears slightly back in her seat at the intense stare being directed her way.

This kind of shit, she thinks, is probably why she hadn't learned his name last time.

"I'm Veronica," she slowly offers, and stares back at him, expectant.

[andrend]

Ren can at least discern who he may have been with from her comment and he watches her for a moment before forcing himself to relax some. He can play the amicable sort for a while. If she didn't know either of them then it was doubtful he had much to worry about.

"Kylo Ren." There. Favor returned. He looks away, pressing himself closer to the fire. "What purpose do you think this place serves?"

[teen_angst_bullshit]

God, he is so strange. Veronica really tries to avoid throwing stones in her glass house, but there's a stiffness there, a strict withholding that sets her off balance. Heather comes to mind, so carefully meticulous and closed off, and yet managing to seem the opposite when it suited her. She'd been good at it; he's still got some work to do.

"You might as well ask me for the meaning of the universe," Veronica replies with a faint, helpless little laugh. It isn't really a laughing matter, but shit, what else can she do about it?

"So like, is that a compound name? Do I call you Kylo?"

[andrend]

"Ren is fine." Technically it was a title, more than a name. Kylo would have been the better choice. But he was used to going by Ren, and he felt he had earned that title well enough.

At least he's warmer, and mostly dry but for the damp hair keeping his head cool. The desolate planet seems less promising with each passing moment, but he is alive and for the moment he can work with that.

"The other man was likely a General by the name of Hux. Though why he would have been with me in this-" He pauses, glancing around the inn for a moment before shaking his head. "Outpost is beyond me. He rarely leaves his station. Certainly not to go on any of the missions I took."

[teen_angst_bullshit]

The name Hux snags some scrap of memory and Veronica nods. "I wish I had more answers for you, believe me," she says, her brow creasing in sympathy.

"So, a quick rundown of the basics, just for your information," she continues with a gesture his way. "This is the inn. You can stay here if you want, or there are a bunch of houses if you want privacy. Some have people already living in them, so I'd double check before settling in. Um, there's a midday meal here everyday that everyone is invited to. It's free, but if you want to contribute food for it, it's appreciated. Food in general is like... A lot of people share or trade. Some people are good at hunting, some at plants, some at not much," she adds with a little laugh. "But nobody will let you starve. Oh, and all the houses should have a furnace to heat them. But you have to have wood for it. I had to learn how to use it when I first got here; I can show you if you want, if you haven't done it before, either."

[andrend]

Ren at least listens. He knows when to shut up, and having information about the odd little outpost would be important if he wants to survive long enough to get away from it. When she stops, he buries his hands in his pockets for warmth, moving closer to the fire and offers her a nod.

"Thank you. Your help has been-" If he's honest, a bit less than what he needs but she seems to be offering what she can and he can't fully fault her for not having the answers he needs. That hasn't stopped him in the past, but he currently has no reason to assume she is keeping answers from him. Anyone at this outpost can't possibly want to be trapped here. Especially not with him.

"Appreciated. I will take a look at the furnace. It seems heat is going to be important here." And then he would learn what he could about what was edible on this planet, for his own sake when he moved beyond whatever this group of captives were doing and tried to find his own way out. He needs supplies and an awareness of the world he's stuck on before he takes that risk.