\ Haven:Mist and Shadow Patrollogs/Korinas Decursing Attempt 240801
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Korinas Decursing Attempt 240801


(Ash's decursing attempt)

[Wed Jul 31 2024]

On the Covered Walkway in the White Oak Courtyard
The center of White Oak Courtyard stops just short of the Fountain of
the Faceless Mermaid. It's flanked on the two grassy northeast and
northwest corners by stone benches. The walkway continues north toward the
Asylum and Laboratory and south toward the Arts building and Academy. Far
beyond them and shrouded by the woods lies the Dormitory Enclave

It is night, about 90F(32C) degrees, There is a waning crescent moon.

Korina seems to have picked up a cursed dagger somewhere along the way - that's probably relevant information somewhere. It's tucked in a loop of her shorts, and she gives Ash a look that might be interpreted as mildly worried, if they're being generous. "Get up," she tells them.

"Good," Korina tells them, supremely unimpressed and somewhat flustered at having to figure out how to stop a panic attack from continuing. She stares at them for a few moments, before telling them, "Breathe properly." That will surely work.

Korina casts an annoyed glance back at the people in reception - that's you, Viktorin - and ends up just reaching out for Ash's wrist and tugging them along with her, apparently finished talking here. "Keep talking," she tells Viktorin along the way. "See where that gets you."

Korina yeets Ash right into the water, and then throws a cursed dagger at them. "There. Fix on that instead."

Ash shrieks, flailing, not knowing how to swim. The water is too deep for them to even stand, let alone pick up the knife. Is this the point where their obedience ends? And... perhaps them, while they're at it.

"You can't /swim/?!" stares incredulously at Ash - why did she even expect otherwise? The dagger, fortunately - maybe unfortunately - is cursed enough that it seeks out their hand instead of sinking to the floor, so now they're failing with a deadly weapon in the water instead of without it, and Korina definitely isn't equipped to keep them /both/ afloat for the next however-long-this-takes. "Fucking-" the rest of that is cut off, and she resigns herself to just hoisting Ash over her shoulder while she treads for shallower waters.

A section of Ash's clothing catches fire.

Korina definitely went the wrong way and ended up in deeper waters before she found her way to the bank, and she just throws Ash over onto the grass like a wet sack of potatoes before climbing on herself, dripping wet. "This place is awful," she tells them, mouth twisted into a frown. "You should just not go to college." All their problems solved, just like that.

Right in time for Ash's clothes to light on fire too. Korina stares at them like 'see, should've stayed in the water'.

Ash manages to burn while wet, but hey, it helps them dry out. After getting clear, rolling to put the fire out (and careful with the knife, now), and gasping for breath, they sit up, sighing. "Th-thank you... I'm fine now. And I think I may quit... there's supposed to be some special power ritual if you graduate... but I can't be around that man right now." They shake their head, their dreads still wet, and looks down at the knife. "R-right. This."

A blast of force sends Ash flying into Korina.

Ash starts focusing on the knife, murmuring something as they raise their hand over it. Trails of energy come from the knife to their fingertips, like the lightning from a plasma lamp... but they're clearly still distracted, because the energy surges, knocking them back into Korina, where they curse, "FUCK!"

Korina looks incredibly dubious at Ash's claims of being 'fine', but if it means she doesn't have to try and console them again, that's fine by her. She's still mid-process of squeezing water out of her hair though, which is the only reason why her hands aren't free to catch Ash when they're thrown into her, and she offers them a displeased glare once she's finished stumbling - if mildly. Just don't let the cursed item she handed you knock you around, Ash. "Take it slow. It is not going anywhere," she tells them regarding the dagger, so this may be /some/ sort of a lesson, at least. "Fucking up magic because you are sloppy and not paying attention is how you get blown up."

An arc of lightning blasts out of the artifact to strike Ash, sending him flying.

Ash growls, their pitiful, sobbing self of 5 minutes ago buried under anger, rage. "Fuck, this is all her FAULT. Why'd she have to be so fucking *useless*?! Stupid whore!" They lurch forward, towards the knife, where they channel energy again, trying to suck it out of the blade. The energy is... jagged, not right. They're still not focused. "I can do this! I've done it before! Plenty of times. It's not hard! I'm usually just... better! Fucking bitch!" They'll probably get themself blown up again, at this rate, as their emotions have simply gone from one extreme to the other. Heartbreak, panic, terror... and rage- oh, and there it goes.""

There's a low little rumble that vibrates through Korina's chest, and she reaches out to grab Ash by the back of the neck from where they've fallen after the arc of lightning went striking right through them, claw-tipped fingers digging into the delicate skin where their pulse thrums. "Do work that sloppy one more time," she warns upon a growl, "And I will make sure you can never do magic again." She squeezes, just slightly harder. No protege of hers...

The artifact emits a flash of blinding light.
Ash slams the ground with their hands, angry, and back to the knife. Take it slow? Can they really? "No, I got this... I'm not going to disappoint you again, I got this." So, when they said they were fine... maybe they weren't. Now, after having begged Korina to pick them up, they're overeager to make up for it, to the point where they're probably going to fuck themself up. But, that won't stop them. "Do better, *be* better, Ash...." They growl, going back over to it, but gets caught before they can do so. They stop short, freezing as they realize that their haste is only making them fuck up more. They nod slowly and, from where they are, begin again. Slowly.




Ash slams the ground with their hands, angry, and back to the knife. Take it slow? Can they really? "No, I got this... I'm not going to disappoint you again, I got this." So, when they said they were fine... maybe they weren't. Now, after having begged Korina to pick them up, they're overeager to make up for it, to the point where they're probably going to fuck themself up. But, that won't stop them. "Do better, *be* better, Ash...." They growl, going back over to it, but gets caught before they can do so. They stop short, freezing as they realize that their haste is only making them fuck up more. They nod slowly and, from where they are, begin again. Slowly.


They spread out their hands. They suck the energy in - almost too fast, again, but they manage better control this time. Slower... careful. Failure is not an option, so they gather every ounce of focus.... (fix)

The energy flows properly, this time. Nothing like dire threats to focus the mind in times of crisis. Its drawn to Ash's hands across the distance just as easily as it would have if they were there, and their eyes half-close as they fall into something of a trance. They drink, drink, drink... until, at last, it's gone. They close their hand with a snap, as if grabbing something, and they hold their fist for a moment longer before... letting it go, the curse dropping like sand as they turn their fist and loosen their fingers.

Korina doesn't let go - her hand remains clasped around the back of Ash's neck, nails little pinpricks of pain where they threaten to pierce their way through skin with any sudden movement, but she releases the hold /just/ slightly when they start again, eyes remaining narrowed. She watches, all through the way they gather energy to break the curse, focusing upon the ebb and flow of the ritual magic, and finally, finally, there's a soft, approving noise before Ash is free again.

With a final burst of power the curse on a silver dagger is broken.