Kenza pounced on the box when it flew across the floor, picking out the previously contained objects from the rubble. Her search yielded a locket -- some metal, most likely brass, by the feel of it -- and a crystal box with what seemed like a gem-studded silver ring inside. [i]Treasure -- any other hunt, and I would have been thrilled to uncover something like this. But right now, this all is about as helpful as a pebble,[/i] she thought, sighing and rising to present the spoils.

"A locket and a ring in a crystal box," she said, holding the items out to the other hunters. 

Mistletoe immediately went for the locket, holding it up by the chain to examine the brassy locket itself. It appeared old and worn with time, not exactly rusty but well-aged nonetheless. Taking ahold of it, Mistletoe carefully pried the casing open with her nails, careful not to drop whatever was inside. [i]A folded paper![/i] she thought, a thrill of excitement running through her. Discovering treasure was nice, but discovering something else -- a message, a note, or even a map --  was even more amazing. Such items were messages that crossed time and space to reach out to her, communicating the mind of someone she'd never met.

"I'm going to open it," Mistletoe said to the hunters by her side, taking care not to rip the paper as she smoothed out the tight folds. The browning paper yielded with clarity the likeness of a young man in his early twenties or so. Sketched in ink, the portrait was -- while clearly not of immediately apparent value -- breathtaking for Mistletoe. Was this a lover, a blood-relative, or a dear friend? Or, perhaps, was it a piece of previous self from before some life-changing event stripped away one's identity? The drawing was in pen, suggesting that it might very well have been a self portrait, although Mistletoe couldn't fathom of who.

"He... looks rather common," Kenza said, losing interest as soon as she saw that she didn't recognize the inky features. "What of the locket then -- anything else on there?"

Mistletoe checked, rubbing her fingers over the inside to feel for any insignia. She felt, instead, words, and excitedly brought the locket level to her face to try and make out the etchings.

"It's too dark," she said, frowning. "We'll need to find a light source."

[hr][@hekazu][@lord of evil]