\ Haven:Mist and Shadow Encounterlogs/Korinas Odd Encounter Sr Lucas 240830
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Korinas Odd Encounter Sr Lucas 240830

In the vibrant setting of the Great News Community Center's chapel, amidst the clash of spiritual decor and the charged air of recent magical workings, Korina and Ash's evening takes an unexpected turn. Korina, having just finished her dealings with the arcane, is interrupted by Ash’s arrival, bloodied and burdened with food, drinks, and a peculiar stuffed bunny. Their brief moment of camaraderie, centered around a shared meal and barely concealed disdain for certain beverage options, is cut short by the beep of their devices. The Corporation has tasked them with investigating a body found in an alleyway off Main Street. Without the luxury of refusal, they prepare for the grim assignment, their banter giving way to the realities of their nocturnal duties.

Ash, grappling with a mix of laziness and an apparent familiarity with disposing of inconvenient corpses, suggests a plan involving gasoline and a mirror, showcasing a blend of pragmatism and macabre humor. Korina, ever the leader despite her own reluctance, insists on taking a car to the scene to avoid further sullying her motorcycle with Ash’s bloody state. Their journey to the alley behind the bank is marked by the oppressive mid-summer mugginess and an undercurrent of conflict between Korina's desire for efficiency and Ash’s slothful tendencies. Upon their arrival, the duo is met with the unmistakable and unsettling scent of fresh death, setting the stage for what promises to be a harrowing investigation into the night's darker mysteries.
(Korina's odd encounter(SRLucas):SRLucas)

[Thu Aug 29 2024]

In the Chapel at Great News Community Center
Lit by west-facing windows looking out on the street, the community center's chapel exudes vibrancy. Bright banners with uplifting scriptural verses adorn the walls, complementing the lively atmosphere. Simple rows of folding chairs are arranged facing a stage, where a well-worn pulpit stands ready for impassioned sermons, and contemporary praise music often fills the air, inviting attendees into a spirited worship experience.

Behind the pulpit, an altar covered in a fiery-hued cloth has been newly installed, on which rests a golden tabernacle. Nearby, a small closet is situated filled with rolled-up prayer mats, and when the folding chairs are moved out of the way, the floor is opened for the mats to be put out. A mark has been made on the wall to indicate the qibla - the direction of Islamic prayer, facing distant Mecca. Compared to the rest of the center, everything is extremely clean in ths place. A massive paschal candle sits aside the altar, white with ornate red and gold accents.

It is night, about 76F(24C) degrees, There is a waning crescent moon.

SRLucas says "Alright! Still a mist room, so pose and I should still be able to run an encounter for you guys! "
SRLucas says "OKay awesome. DId Ash get a pose? I did see Korinas"
Ash says "Not yet, was typing."
throws a thumbs up.

Ash walks in looking bloody, dirty, but happy. They carry a bundle of food and drinks under one arm, and a stuffed bunny in the other. They were humming before they opened the chamber's entrance, but are silent by the time they come in, shit-eating grin still on their face. Their bare feet step carefully into the room, avoiding ruining anything their mentor might have going on.

Ash walks into the place just as Korina is beginning to finish up her business with magic, and perhaps start her cleanup. Still, the air still has that quiet but charged kind of feel to it - like when the ozone in the air is still heavy after a lightning storm. Before the two can do much talking however, there's a small beep of notification on relevant electornic devices that comes around. First for Korina, then for Ash as well, perhaps because he's in the vicinity? Either way, it seems like there might be a little bit of business to get up to tonight, for the sake of the Corporation.

The Corporation really needs to figure out what Korina's nap timings are, and not send her work to do during that time. She scowls down at her phone immediately at the beeping - there can be nobody else texting her at this time of the night - then up at Ash, just because they happen to be in the vicinity. "Is that mine?" comes the question regarding the bundle of food under Ash's arm; trick question, it's always hers - and she's fishing out her phone with one non-bloodied hand, wiping the other off on a nearby washcloth kept for this sole purpose. "Good timing. I am hungry."

Ash start to look at their text - but, they know what the priorities are in this situation. They hand Korina the food, a ham and cheese croissant sandwich, then looks over the various alcoholic drinks they have. "Wine? Jack and Coke? Some... coffee?" They seem to doubt the last one, and drink from their own cup, before looking back to their phone to read the message.

Korina narrows her eyes at the offering of wine, and then further at the Jack and Coke, and then /even/ further still at coffee until she's squinting with thin-slitted eyes at Ash. "... no." she decides, and viciously chomps down on the croissant, first taking a single bite, and then devouring it whole in one go before she follows Ash's lead to look at the message herself.

Checking their messages - both of them will find a short explanation: A body's been found in one of the alleyways that cuts off of main street. You're awake so you get to deal with it. As usual, the company doesn't really bother with the 'asking' part. Still, it doesn't sound like a great deal of labor intensive work at the very least. Taking the time to take a bite of that pastry, Korina can't help but feel that small rush of carbs and energy from eating as she's just so recently down some of her own sense of inner essence. Ash meanwhile, sees a similar message, indicating the alleyway appears to be the one cutting behind the bank on the north end of Main.

Ash they let out a deep, resigned sigh, the kind that speaks of their laziness and sloth. Their shoulders slump slightly, and they absentmindedly brush a stray ashen dreadlock from their face as they glance over the messages once more. Their eyes linger on the instructions, and they mutter to themselves, "I've got some gasoline in my stuff I can grab. What do you think? Should I pick it up, head to the woods, and burn it all? Or... wait, we'd need a mirror for that. Ugh, so many steps."

They roll their eyes with a touch of exasperation, the corners of their mouth twitching into a half-hearted smile. Their hands fidget as they think, one gripping the Hello Kitty phone while the other taps rhythmically against their thigh. Clearly lost in thought, they pace back and forth, their steps uneven and distracted. Every so often, they cast a sidelong glance at Korina, seeking some form of confirmation or guidance.

"Well, we could always just path it or shove it in a big enough box," they continue, their voice trailing off as they try to work through the logistics aloud. They give a small shrug, their expression bored and annoyed. Their gaze shifts to Korina once more, their posture straightening slightly as they ask her, "Anyway, shall I go grab the gasoline?"

With a flick of their dreads, they turn toward the exit, their movements almost theatrical. They tilt their head in Korinas direction, their eyes wide with a sense of curiosity.

Even before she's finished reading the message in its entirety, Korina is eying Ash in that way they've probably come to know well by now: the all too familiar 'Go do the things while I take a nap' way. There's some conflict there though, a glance over at the door leading out, an internal dilemma of 'What Would Nikolai Do' (Answer: do the job properly) - before she sighs out a breath and climbs to her feet. "You are driving," she tells Ash. "I am not getting all your blood and smelliness on my bike." There's a pause then to actually take in their appearance, before she questions: "Why do you have two backpacks?" Since, obviously, that part is more important to question about instead of the blood and the dirt. Maybe one of them can be a gasoline-can backpack. Speaking of: "Why do you have gasoline?" She does follow them out of the room though, so presumably the answer is yes.

Moving from the room and presumeably toward a car that will see them toward the southern end of town across the bridge and toward the bank. Things are quiet this time of night inside the small town. The air is warm and the wind moves with a brisk pace that somehow doesn't bring any relief from the somewhat muggy heat of mid-summer. As the duo of Korina and Ash eventually will find their way toward their destination (a stinky alley behind the bank filled with dumpsters and trash and the smell of urine and homeless people) they'll be hit with a more distinct smell well before they make the scene. Fresh death.