that's the way the money goes [may chores]

[ryanne]

Dinag watched as Vix worked with interest. Instead of just sitting there staring at it, he touched every inch of the wood, pushing and pulling, looking for a give in the solidity of the box. It was informative to see him at work because he would have never thought that the bottom would push back like that. He probably would have just sat there, looking at it, trying to see a difference in where maybe a key could appear. Instead, the other candidate moved things, relying not only on his eyes, but on touch and feel as well. Everything he saw was noted.

It was coming apart! The bottom moved back and down slid a front panel revealing a lock. Okay, step one w as done. Now they just needed to find a key. Dinag leaned a little closer, trying to get a slightly better look when Vix looked up at him. Immediately, he leaned back, a slightly sheepish look on his face until Vix apologized (for what?) and then moved the box towards him. Oh, yeah, it was his turn to try and figure it out.

Okay. Now he was nervous. He was good at taking things apart and putting them back together if he knew how they worked. He could read a plan and follow directions, but this whole figuring it out for himself was rather new to him. He nodded to Vix, though, and lifted the box slightly, looking at the bottom.

Remembering how the other male had done it, he began to run his fingers along the top, feeling for a difference in the wood. He pushed each part of the design before moving down the sides. That all felt solid, but he couldn’t be positive. Reaching the bottom that was slid out, his hand slipped a little bit when he put his thumb on the bottom right corner when he meant to turn the box to the side. He suppressed a triumphant smile. Instead, he just grinned slightly and pushed the trim to the left. Looking at it, he saw the edge that meant that a strip of wood on the side would slide through the newly created path.

Sliding that edge out, he revealed the hollow base of the box. With a gentle shake, out came a key.

“Alrighty,” he handed the key and the box to Vix, “Open it.”

[Avu]

It wasn’t his intention to make the other boy uncomfortable, but Vix…didn’t really know how to not. His stare was, at least, directed not at Dinag but still on the little box, hands curled quietly in his lap, as the other Candidate started to examine it. The little space for the lock was still visible, gleaming gold against the wood, and Vix focused on it, mostly. He was sure they could find the key, but if that didn’t work…well, they could always pick the lock. Quite possibly the archivists had removed the key anyway, just to prevent this scenario. Or something. He wasn’t really sure how their minds worked, but really…there had to be something weird if they willingly stayed in the Archives, right?

Vix was about to say as much, just to make sure Dinag didn’t have his hopes up too high or anything, when something else gave and that thought was utterly banished. His eyes brightened, and Vix actively scooted forward in his chair, leaning forward to see – though he restrained his hands, keeping them under the table so he couldn’t, as was instinct, grab it. So strange, having to share something with another boy – especially his age. As the hollowness was exposed, Vix tilted his head to the side and – yes. The golden key that fell from it matched the color on the lock, and…

Both eyebrows flicked up in surprise as he accepted box and key, spinning it around so that the lock faced him again. It surprised him, the gesture, but…Vix wasn’t about to complain. The key fit neatly, perfectly, with a little click, and opened smoothly. The box unfolded onto the table, and Vix had to slouch over to look inside. As it was, the contents drew a look of complete surprise across his face, and then he snickered despite himself. His fingers closed around the cool object, and he drew it out, flipping his palm over to show it to Dinag –

Another key.

This one was far too large to even consider being intended for the box, even if there was another lock hidden somewhere. Made from heavy metal and stained with darker spots, it had two distinct prongs on one end, and a simple loop on the other. “What d’you think?” Vix inquired, crinkling his nose faintly; he turned over his hand, depositing the key with a gentle ‘clink’ onto the table and pushed it towards Dinag, leaning back in his chair. “Search the Archives for big silver locks that match this one?”

Of course, it could always just unlock some old moldy records or something. But at least it was something to do, right?

[ryanne]

Another key? This just kept getting more interesting. It was silver, obviously old, but with age came intrigue. Dinag grinned with excitement. He’d just started this quest to make friends and to ease the tension a little bit in the room. Okay, so what, maybe he didn’t start this to make friends, but more to keep Vix from thinking he was weird for actually copying the records. Anyways, it didn’t matter. There was the next piece to the puzzle and, by Faranth’s Egg, he was going to figure out what the entire picture was. Dinag was not one to give up halfway through when something intrigued him.

“You take the left side, I’ll take the right,” he suggested, his voice beginning to show his excitement. He took a good look at the key, making sure he noted how big it was and what the shape was, he nodded. “Let’s go.”

With that said, he started his search over again, starting once again in the furthest row at the furthest corner, taking more care this time to look at the wall, the shelves, the records. Slowly, he began to even rifle through the records themselves, making sure that none of the shielded the lock that they were looking for. He wondered what the lock protected. Perhaps it was another room, a bigger box, a valuable record, or even that starscope that Vix seemed so interest in taking apart. It could be anything and it was quite a thrill looking for it.

Even though he was finding nothing.