"Simon, condition those are in, they're not going to be worth anything - even to a collector," Frank said. "You might get some silver for them... but the weight to value ratio is all off. And you're going to get rat shit all over everything else in your bag."

"Simon, I'd leave your backpack in the library, in case someone enters while we're elsewhere in the house, and notices something has changed - better not to give them any clues, beyond the noise we're already making. Of course, you could just put the books back for now and keep your backpack on you, not like they're going anywhere.

Let's back up out of here. Ken? On to the next door."

Jonny actually like books as much as anyone, but there wasn't much point in carrying them around for now.

Ken sighed at the constant conversation and tried to keep his attention focused on likely avenues of attack before Jonny gave the signal to move on. The books were an exciting find, and he could understand why they had evoked the back and forth, but up at the front Ken was still steeling himself for an ambush as he moves on to the next door on the left.

ooc: There is one door at the end of the hall (to Ken's left as he leaves the library), and one across the hall as he leaves. Which do you mean?

Let’s head across the hall.

Ken leads the group into what was once a writing room or study, judging by the massive wooden desk sitting against the far wall under the windows, broken down and riddled with rot. It holds three drawers on each side - all hanging open - and a large central closed drawer.  The room contains nothing else aside the customary rubbish, and has two windows looking out into the back garden.

James maintains his place in the marching order.

======
OOC: Been super busy, sorry for absense; kelp an eye on things but had insufficient willpower remaining to actually do anything even vaguekly creative)

Simon held his tongue instead of remarking on all the commentary he was getting, but he did grin wryly, and shrug in a way that could be bashful at everyone who spoke to him.  When they reached the room with the desk, he immediately fixated on the desk and its central drawer.  "There's a reason that drawer is still closed, am I right?  Locked or trapped, or both?"  He pulled his hatchet out of the loop on his pack, and entered the room.  "I think we should investigate.  Richard, you think you could try to prod it open with your spear?"

"I have a dagger for prying stuff open if that's what we are going to do."

He looked to Jonny.

"Is that what we are going to do?"

He wasn't sure they could stop Simon from attempting even if Jonny said no but he was going to try to respect the chain of command, as it were, before all semblance of order was thrown out the window.

"I'll pick up a pry-bar, but the hatchet's a better option than wrecking your dagger. Though it'll make a lot of noise, and we're trying to catch the smugglers off-guard, Simon."

With considerable reluctance, Simon dragged his eyes away from the drawer, and restowed his hatchet. "You're right. We know they're here somewhere, and it's not worth the risk they'd hear us." He grinned, amused at his own reluctance to walk away. "Sorry everyone."  He left the room, trying but failing to not look back.

OOC: Sorry, I missed there was a door at the end, too.

Fortunately wiser heads prevailed, the production of firewood brought to a halt before it had even begun. Still, Jonny thought a reminder was in order.

"Guys, we're here to look for the smugglers. There's no need to loot anything, take anything, break anything, at least until we find out whether this place is occupied or not. Making any noise will just draw attention. Let's just take it easy, one room at a time, and see what we find."

After a brief scan to make sure there wasn't anything under or on top of the desk, Frank pointed toward the door at the end of the hall and gave Ken a questioning look.

Still saying nothing James continues along with the group.

Ken gave Jonny a silent thumbs up as he encouraged the others to not draw attention, nodded to Frank and then tried to his best to be quiet as he approached the indicated door and gently tried it to see if it was locked. If it was not, he opened it as quietly as he could.

The door opens to a bare living room that caps the west wing, with windows on the north, west, and south walls. A doorway to the north leads to a small patio, the paving cracked and overrun with weeds. A pile of trash occupies the southeast corner, but other than that, the room is empty, missing whatever furnishings it once held, aside from the fireplace built into the west exterior wall.

Simon peered at the fireplace from his place in line outside the door, gave the pile of trash a cursory glance, and unconsciously his fingers twitched.  He frowned, opened his mouth to speak, shut it again, and then he grinned ruefully.  He leaned over toward Frank, whispering loud enough that the others could hear, but the sound wouldn't carry far.  "Nothing happens to the house in this adventure, right?  I don't want to think I'm missing out on a chance to search it.  Not to mention it's property that doesn't seem to have an owner for much longer.  I wonder how much it would cost to renovate and live here?  Might make a decent base of operations once it's not harboring a tax dodging import/export company."

Frank looked at the house. "Why here, specifically? The wood's in such bad condition we'd have to tear it down and start over. Which we could do anywhere. Like somewhere thatisn't nestled in between the biggest swamp on the planet and the slave-trading pirate country. Maybe somewhere that's more of a transportation hub because just getting to the next adventure could take months."

"Do not shit on the American dream, Frank.  Home ownership is the promise made to every tax paying, hard working, social security number having adult."  He scowled.  "Sure, this is a fixer-upper, but this world hasn't seen real estate flipping yet.  We could make a killing."  Finally he muttered, "DC is in a swamp too."

The fireplace, the pile of trash, even Jonny was getting antsy and thinking of taking a good look around. But he knew he'd better stay on message.

"Okay, back out and let's check the east wing."

James continues to maintain his place in the marching order.

Ken led the way back to the entrance, end then the hallway behind the stairs heading east. There were no doors on the north side, or at the end - the north instead held windows looking out to the backyard where a well could be seen - but there were two doors in the south, about ten yards apart, seemingly indicating two rooms.

"Any door you choose, Ken. Maybe we'll get to toss coins into the well for luck later."

It had all been very quiet thus far, but Jonny was pretty certain that wouldn't last.

Ken silently nodded and proceeded as quietly as he could to the next door on the left before he briefly inspected it and tried the knob.

As they crept through the dusty corridors of the house, Simon felt the tension growing inside him as a blooming heat, his heart began to pound, and sweat prickled on his skin.  He reached out and braced himself against the dirty wall, and felt his nose tingle like skin warming after a brush with frostbite.  For a moment he was back on the island, starving and thirsty and filthy, and preparing to charge monsters that couldn't possibly exist.  His breathing, already loud in his ears, shuddered as he tried to calm himself.

You're fed, watered, and as clean as a bath without a hygiene routine can make you.  Frank is here, you have friends around you who seem willing to fight, and you chose this.

Slowly, his breathing eased and the internal heat receded, making him shiver as the moment of panic passed.  He could still feel the stress of the situation, an uncertain future where violence seemed inevitable, but he no longer felt like he would collapse to his knees, or run out of the house.  He smiled in a grim sort of pride, and wondered at how marvelously adaptable he'd proven to be.  Nothing in his old life had prepared him for this.  No one asks themselves how they'd fare if they suddenly appeared in a magic world filled with threats and death.  No one you'd want to know, anyway.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Thu 16 May.