Tik, tik, snap.
Right hisses under their breath and fishes out a second set of picks.
Behind them, a soft, habitual clearing of the throat, and that half-elf’s shot voice. “Won’t work?”
“Bad picks. Just wait a moment.” In the corner of their eye, Right sees Fray shrug and lean against a collapsing stone wall, arms folded over his chest. Karlach and Gale are further ahead, scouting a route to see where this place leads. Regrettably, this means Right is stuck with the freak.
Another minute passes in the relative silence, interrupted only by the distant echo of their companions’ speech and the soft tik, tik, tik of the picks against the tumblers.
Snap.
Right’s hiss is louder this time, not unlike the sound a cat might make. Their tail lashes. They pat their pockets, in search of the remaining picks they know are there. Mercifully, Fray says nothing.
It’s a large chest. It’s dusty and old, and the lock mechanism is probably rusty. It’s hardly that Right’s skill is not up to snuff. They’ve been doing this for over half their life.
Tik, tik, tik.
Snap.
Which makes it so much more aggravating when Fray says, amusement in his voice, “Performance anxiety?”
Right’s jaw snaps shut as tight as the chest.
Fourth set. Tik, tik, tik. He’s going to say something else. Right can feel it.
Tik.
“Maybe s, say please?”
Snap.
“Would you like to do it?” Right says, twisting to fix Fray with a glower. The idiot is grinning. It’s like this is the funniest thing he’s seen in weeks. It doesn’t fade, even when he puts up his hands as if in peace. Right glares a moment longer before finding their last set of picks. At this point it’s a matter of principle.
“Be funny,” Fray says, and Right grits their teeth, “if nothing’s inside.”
“If nothing is inside, I’m going to put you in it and lock it again.”
“Like to see you try.”
Tik, tik, tik.
Click.
Right takes a breath, relieved. Something within glitters. Their mollified mood is soured as they hear soft clapping behind them. “Five tries,” says Fray. “Record time?”
“That’s it. You’re going in the chest.”