Abasi did not hear his first guest, only becoming aware of her when he turned to look at the door, vaguely aware of a presence in that direction. He jumped as he saw her, not only because he had not expected a figure; she seemed to be half-statue, growing greenery up her legs yet still apparently very much alive. Cautiously he approached, unsure if he was dealing with a spirit or God and anxious to please.
Before he could stumble through questions Loren appeared, apparently with knowledge of the strange woman: a friend of his, he said. "Hello, Loren. Ah--" Attempting to give his best fond hello, Abasi reached to take the Launceleyn's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "--And your friend. Welcome."
Another stranger appeared then, one who seemed familiar with both of his current guests and came bearing a question. "It is not a home for the bodies. It is somewhere to prepare them for rituals for the benefit of the living." Funerals had never been for those who were dead; giving them the supplies to be successful in the afterlife was, but the rituals, the parts of the ceremonies where family could stand around in tears? That was entirely pantomime for those remaining, an attempt at comfort.
As strange as the two strangers were, he hoped they might help him anyway. At least he knew Loren would. Nodding to each of them in turn, he began to speak of what needed to be done. "If you could help me with the needed work on the building, I would be very grateful. There is filth to clean and things to clear, as you can see. I also need to make a sign, but I am still learning the writing here and would like some help with the creation of it, so I can be sure it says the correct thing."
"Lastly..." He looked towards Loren, hoping he might be able to assist with this task, but it was open to any who could accomplish it. "I wish to store corpses in the alcoves in the back. I do not have the right tools for swift preserving here, so it would be best if they were cold. In Egypt I accomplished this by placing the bodies deep underground, but...here we do not have that luxury close by enough to be practical."
With all the things needed set out, he picked up the wood for his sign and put it against the wall by the door, so it was clear it was not one of the things that needed to be taken out. Then he watched to see what everyone else would begin to do, so he could take on the remaining job.
--
There is much to do!
Either:
- Help to clear the mud and mold
- Magically (or otherwise!) make the wall-alcoves cold
- Help to lift the debris and fallen building parts from the ground
- Write 'Funeral Home and Morgue' on the sign
No Order!
