Asbjörn

Asbjörn quirks his lips. He couldn't begin to understand what they were all talking about, but he decides to keep to himself. He contemplates, momentarily, the pros and cons of hunting such a creature, but he senses, somehow, that it's energy is responsible for their continued existence. He frowns slightly, not liking at all what that implies. He flicks his eyes toward the door, and Anika. I think, perhaps, that you should probably keep your distance from that otherworldly fog, lady. He crosses his arms. It's not right. He considers the possibility that she already knows, but she certainly isn't acting like it.

( Ling: [/slightly stunned look on face at the fact that somebody is touching her]
She doesn't get many hugs! You're doing her good! )

Mika
Mika relaxes visibly at Agatha's assurances. Jesus. Okay. He turns his attention to the cellar door, and then to the note, expression calming into something closer to his usual studied indifference. The fact that something unusual happened apparently doesn't bother him at all, so long as somebody else experienced it too.

After a moment he turns to Anika. Do I have a-- I don't think it's the same thing. It's not important. What about floorboards? Like in...what...The Pit and the Pendulum? Is that what the note is on about?

Ling
Ling can't resist giving him a critical look. However, it apparently doesn't motivate him to correct himself.

Tindwyl
The barbarian over here is right, y'know. About the fog. Her smirk belies but does not entirely hide a note of unease. I doubt that sh-t is anybody's idea of good news. Looks like goddamn tentacles from where I'm standing. So, what, there's a body under the floor? Is that what we're supposed to draw from this? Shall I start prying up the f-cking floorboards?

Mika
Mika throws up his hands. If you're going to start screwing with this thing, I'm out of here. Let's take it slow. Digging down through the floor seems like the hard way to open a door.

Tindwyl
Harder than hacking it down with an axe, you mean.

[Some of my posts might be really, really short as I don't want to push you guys into any action. So my apologies for that!]

Anika:

Well do you have any better ideas? If your friend was missing wouldn't you want to find them the fastest way possible?

(( How long are these floorboards - shorter than 12 feet? ))

Eleanor

It seems like that's our only option. So.. tools. Eleanor took a look around the inn wondering where they'd find the necessary tools; a hammer and a crowbar. Wasn't there a broom closet in the kitchen? She dashed off towards the kitchen and a few moments later the rest of the group could hear her rummaging through a broom closet. Eleanor returned to the group brandishing a hammer and crowbar, one in each hand.

Uhm, who is going to do the heavy lifting here?

[[Yeah. I'm thinking more along the lines of the shorter 3-4ft boards that unevenly line floors. It's hard to describe since I don't really have a picture of my bathroom floor readily available. xD]]

At Eleanor's question, a reluctant silence falls upon the three of them.

Ling
Ling turns to Mika.

Mika
Mika turns to Asbjörn, and then after a moment looks over at Ling with a glower. Hey. I photocopy stuff and answer a phone all day. Does this guy look like his job is answering a phone?

(( Sorry for the super short post! ))

Eleanor

Eleanor gives a snort of derision. Maybe not but he's already given it a go. She holds the tools out to Mika clearly expecting him to take them.

( Meh, now the rest of us have permission not to stretch out our replies painfully 8D The original of my last post was something like "Ling looks at Mika. Mika looks at Asbjörn." Then I was like "better do something about that."

Also sorry about Mika being a jerk everybody. He's...frustrating. >:\ )

Mika
Mika folds his arms, looking at the tools skeptically. If something starts killing us in self-defense, I don't want to be the first one in the line of fire.

Tindwyl
Oh, shut up, you wimp. The floor isn't going to eat you.

Mika
Mika mutters in an undertone, How the hell am I supposed to know. He looks up from the tools at Eleanor with a sharp frown.

Asbjörn

Asbjörn gives Mika a confused look at the words "phone" and "photocopy." Such things do not yet exist where he comes from. He assumes Mika is speaking an oath and leaves it at that.

His frustration growing beyond the bounds of his patience, Asbjörn tucks his ax into his belt and snatches the tools from Eleanor's grasp. Strange to think that there would be so little strength and industriousness in such a mountain of a man. Glancing back and forth between Eleanor and Agatha, he finally asks, Where is best to begin?

Anika

Anika frowns at Mika. We shouldn't make Mister... Mister... Anika looks at Asbjorn apologetically. Make you do all the work. I'm sorry, what's your name? I'm Anika. Thank you for trying. Everything.

The letter mentioned the door. It'll probably be either the front door or the cellar door.

Asbjörn

Asbjörn plants the prybar between a couple planks near the cellar door. and began hammering it in. I am--clank--Asbjörn, son--clank--of Leif. He sinks the prybar into place with a final mighty strike. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. He then places the hamer on the floor and changes his stance to pull back, lifting the plank from it seating.

(( Nolori, do you think it would be of value to have an OOC thread where we can just chit chat? Because I have all kinds of OOC commentary about the characters I'd love to share with you and Meguzu but I don't feel it's appropriate to do so in the sheer amounts I can come up with in the IC thread. ))

( I'm in with Lore, an OOC thread might be nice. You know we can come up with pages of random talk about charries P: )

Mika
Mika frowns back at Anika. Well, when the inn doesn't collapse and swallow us all, I'll get on that. He takes a few steps back as Asbjörn lifts the hammer. Doesn't look like he's doing so bad to me.

Tindwyl
You're just a lazy ass.

Mika
I don't see you picking up the slack.

Tindwyl
My job is sitting around at a desk all day conjugating verbs.

Mika
My sense of self-preservation doesn't equal lazy-- His comment cuts off when Asbjörn's hammer drops. Mika takes several more steps away from them, face even whiter than usual, as Asbjörn pulls up the plank.

[[Works for me! I'll make one after the post.]]

The Inn

The inn repsonds to the prying of the floor boards with a low moan, but makes no hostile movement or sound. The moan does not sound like pain as much as irritation.

Beneath the floorboards is a small metal box. There are no markings on it and its only definable feature is a small mechcanism on its face. The mechcanism has three seperate rotating pieces. When rotated different numbers appear 0-9. This appears to be a lock, keeping the box shut.

Eleanor

After the floorboard had been pried away and the box revealed Eleanor was careful to examine the box carefully before she leaned down to pick it up. She lifted it up to see the underside and peered at all the sides before she made her way over to Agatha.

It looks like we need a number to open the case. I can divine for it with either mirrors or water but there's also you, Grandmother. I have the feeling your Sight would be clearer than mine.

[[OOC thread!]]

Agatha

Agatha smiles slowly. My sight is not what you seem to think it is, darling. I am not a psychic of any sort. I can see through the walls, but that is all. My sight is relativly normal otherwise.
This is obviously not the entire story. Agatha spreads her hands on the counter and frowns at the box. There's a case? I don't see anything.

In a lower tone she adds: There's a woman, over by the door. She bent down and fumbling with something, but her back is turned. I can't see what it is. She's crying. Agatha takes her hands off the counter and puts them on her cane instead. I don't see any case, much less a number to open it.

Eleanor

The witch frowned in obvious concern. I'm not sure how to proceed. Any suggestions, anyone?

Ling
In the ensuing silence, Ling almost winces at the squeak of the marker. Do you know who the woman is? She hesitates for a long moment, looking over at the area of the door with wide eyes. Maybe we should try the floorboards by the door. Maybe it means something.

Mika
Mika shakes his head. His expression is a scowl, but layered over confusion and fear. When he follows Ling's gaze over to the door, it's only for a split second before he groans something incomprehensible and retreats to collapse into one of the nearest chairs, turning it so his back faces the door. The drawn look on his face doesn't lessen despite his studied ignorance.

Tindwyl
Tindwyl takes the box from Eleanor, flipping it over in her hands. Unless one of you two has seen a three-digit number carved into the wall or painted in blood or something around this stupid place, I guess we're down to mancies or hexes. Or opening up the floor around the ghost lady like this chick wants. Tindwyl gestures carelessly at Ling.

Asbjörn

Asbjörn leans on the bar and shrugs lightly. If you think it will work, I recommend you proceed with... whatever it is that you suggested. Do you have everything you need? He isn't familiar with the procedures for such rituals, but he is aware that they sometimes require components--the bones or water, perhaps. If not, there's always the prybar, he says, a smirk creeping across his face.

Eleanor

Eleanor seems to take charge in the moment of silence following Asbjörn's suggestion. We'll do just that, Asbjörn, son of Leif. She turns to Agatha and asks, Grandmother, can you show Asbjörn exactly where the crying woman is so he can pry up some more floorboards?

I'm going to gather what I'll need to See into the past and maybe figure out what the number to the box is. Eleanor heads upstairs to fetch the scrying mirror she had found in her room this morning.

Agatha

Of course. Agatha stands up and makes her way over to the door way. She puts her hand on the wall and nearly rubs the bandages over her eyes before stopping herself. In the middle of a heavy sigh her breath catches and is very still as though she is hiding from something. The moment passes and she snatches her hand away from the wall. Quietly she says, Here. And taps her cane on the floor near of the front door. It is just behind the place where the lock box was.
----------

Anika

Are you alright, Agatha?
----------

Agatha

Fine. I'll be... I'm fine. I don't always see the right... time. That's all. I'm fine. Agatha makes her way back to the bar.

Asbjörn

Asbjörn gives Agatha nod and goes to work, prying up several planks this time. He is unsure of what exactly he is looking for, but he is certain that no one really knows exatly where it is.

(sorry for the super short post, not sure what else to do <_<)

The Inn

The travelers find nothing else under the floor boards.

Eleanor

She returns to the group with a hand mirror that's shrouded in black silk. Eleanor takes a seat next to the first spot where the floorboards were pried up and looks up at the group. She's disappointed they didn't find anything below the floorboards that had just been pried up.

What should I scry for first, everyone; the number or the floorboards?

Asbjörn

Asbjörn shrugs. It makes little difference to me, so long as we end up doing them both. Should I put the floorboards back?