Using his mug to mask his conversation, Lee quietly replies, "If my end goal was 100 gold pieces, I'd put that info you just gave me to use for some quick profit. But I want to play a longer game. For larger stakes. And that's the kind of knowledge one could save a life with at some point in the future."
Turning his back to the crowd, Lee says, "Tomorrow I want to trade a fiddle for a hand axe, but what I really want to buy is peace and accord between you and Rosie. Give it some thought and if we can come up with a reasonable plan to accomplish that, I'll do it and be in your debt." Lee tosses back the rest of his rum and gallantly barely winces. "Also, I'll tell you my whole, unedited story. You're a good guesser, but you missed on a point or two."
And with that Lee heads back to where Thren and Quinn are watching the action.
As the crowd roars around the fighting ring, Lark glides over to the crew lockers. He retrieves tools from his own locker and then goes to work on his target.
Lark finds the following in a locker he thinks is Fipps': 2 potions of holy water and a bottle of good brandy. It is labeled "Four medisinal porpusses."
Grok grabs onto Lee's sleeve. "Not so fast, cookie. I remember your 'lament' earlier today. You got a thing for Rosie or what?"
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Lee immediately stops and doesn't try to pull away from Grok.
"It's nothing she knows about or even suspects, probably. But you know how they say: 'It is a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the heart.'"
"Look. You know me. I think about things. Put the cart before the horse. Measure twice, cut once. All that. Well, for anything to really work out, Rosie needs to just calm down. I could work and work at getting to know her, but if she's all full of turmoil, nothing will happen. I won't even be able to get a read to see if I have a 'thing' or if a 'thing' can even exist."
"So, no. I don't have a thing for Rosie. But I could and not knowing would bother me."
"Also, the fact that you two are beefing bothers me. Besides 'a sassy mouth' vs 'no love of sass', do you two have anything that you are really fighting about?"
Lark grins down at the bottle and its label, nodding in appreciation. He grabs the brandy and the holy water and then re-locks the door. After stowing the loot and tools in his own locker he’ll rejoin the audience around the fight.
Thren thinks about what she's seen."Owlbear's favoring one side. He can't do much from his left, can he?" The bard whispers back to Sandara.
While Lark is moving back to his own locker, and Lee is still being questioned by Grok, Threnody watches on and makes commentary to Sandara Quinn as Rosie steps in as Owlbear's new challenger, to the laughs and derision especially coming from Fipps and Syl, as well as Plugg, Scourge, and Krine.
Sandara whispers to Threnody, "Think we should find a way to tell Rosie that?"
Plugg signals for the fight to begin.
Before Owlbear has even registered Plugg's signal, Rosie is charging forward, jabbing at his knee.
However, too eager to get started, she skids and harmlessly hits the cuff of his boot instead. The laughter from the onlookers increases.
Owlbear brings his fist down upon the little woman at his knees.
But just as you think he's about to crush her, she manages to just barely dodge him.
"Come on ya son of a cyclops-f#**er! I'm gonna win that prize!" Rosie goads.
They circle back to position as the next round is about to begin.
====
While Owlbear is completing his attack, Grok from over on the stairs replies to Lee:
"She was rude to me. She shouldn't be rude to an officer. AFTER I had very nicely given her important gear back--which I DON'T have to do for pressed crew--like that sweet axe she has, she wanted that stupid fiddle. And called me very nasty things when I explained that was a work of art that was claimed as ship booty, and she'd have to earn or pay for it." She looks over at the halfling woman, now taking on Owlbear for the hopes of earning that money. "I don't get why it's so important to her. She'll risk Owlbear crushing her head for the coin, but won't damn well apologize." She sniffs. "Most beautiful music's made with the voice, anyways." Grok drifts off, thinking about something else for a moment.
"C'mon Rosie, you can take him!" Thren shouts encouragingly. "Keep your guard up!"
"And lead from your right! Put some power into it!"
Not wanting to push his luck any further, Lark eases himself back into the crowd around the fight.
Owlbear 8/24
Rosie 4/17
Perhaps having heard Thren above the din, Rosie moves in again with a right cross, staying to her right.
However trying this new tactic, she doesn't quite position herself as desired and leaving herself more open than intended.
Rosie jabs Owlbear hard in the knee, and howling, he reflexively kicks at her...
... managing a lucky strike that hits her. She'll sport a nasty bruise on her shoulder in the morning.
Both stand strong and are ready to move into another round.
Thren is paying now some attention to the crowd, as Rosie got her message. In particular, she wants to note people's reactions as we go forward.
they can move up to 10 feet
Thren, you note the following about the onlookers:
Officers
Plugg and Scourge enjoy it any time someone gets hit. Krine in a way too, but she seems more interest in the fighting itself, not the pain -- in other words, Plugg and Scourge enjoy the pain and Krine enjoys the action.
Quarne watches with a blank, passive look. He is not enjoying himself, but obviously has no interest in interfering either.
Grok is obviously opting not to get involved one way or the other, seeing how she's perched on the stairs and talking to Lee.
Owlbear is focused on the fight. He is not enjoying himself, simplying doing as he is told.
Crew
Syl, Fipps, and Maheem watch on, talking and laughing with one another. Syl clearly laughs and cheers everytime someone is hurt. Fipps enjoys this as well. Maheem is the most focused on the betting aspect. They are rooting for Owlbear, but more for him to hurt Rosie than being supportive of him. They (Fipps and Syl more than Maheem) call Rosie nasty names.
Shortstone was watching quietly during the first match, but roots vociferously for Rosie.
Jack Scrimshaw watches with a sort of blank fascination. Hard to tell whether he is enjoying himself or horrified--he is young, and may not know what to make of it. He doesn't seem to take one side or another.
Tillie and Cog exchange bets with one another and chat about the fight. Tillie is drowning whatever enjoyment, fears, or concerns she has in extra servings of rum. Cog reflexively cheers when a successful strike is made, but then pauses to look pensive about it, as if perhaps someone told him to think a little harder than what is on the surface.... They root for Rosie.
Sandara is rooting for Rosie and trying hard not to look at that sack of gold.
Barefoot Samms and Giffer Tibbs appear grim. They talk quietly to one another and root for no one. Samms winces whenever someone gets hurt, whereas Tibbs looks angry. You get a sense they'd much rather be elsewhere if the officers' presence didn't frighten them.
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Lee thinks, "Handaxe?"
Lee gives the palms-upward-half-shrug gesture one uses to convey sympathy and agreement.
"Okay. You say she was rude and I totally believe you. She undoubtedly can be that way. And that's no way to treat you, especially after you provisioned her with a nice weapon. And even more so, you were just doing your job, cataloging and keeping track of loot. But look at her. Seriously, look at her go. She's going at it with Owlbear, who may outweigh her by 300 lbs or so, for a bag of gold that to her is just that fiddle. How good would it be to have that kind of dedication and grit working for you?"
Lee pauses and watches Rosie go at it with Owlbear.
"Look, if she wins, tell her that the fiddle is worth more than 100gp, but that you were so impressed with her performance against Owlbear that you are willing to cook the books for her. If she loses, tell her that someone offered to buy that fiddle for her and you would have told them to take a hike except for the way she fought against Owlbear was impressive enough for you to reconsider. Either way she will have won back her instrument and you don't look like a weakling."
Lee pauses to let that sink in.
"If you do all that, go to that kind of purely generous trouble to build a decent relationship and she's still rude to you, then she's not the person I thought she was. I'll be done with her. Nothing will change between the two of you. And you still come out ahead, financially. So that's a win for you with no down side at all."
Lee finishes with the same palms-upward-half-shrug gesture that he started with. Only this time he adds the slight head-tilt that turns it from a gesture of sympathy to an appeal for sympathy.
Muffin, being a 'people person' by nature, will take this opportunity to find a safe spot to observe from, and will settle down to sort out what all the excitement is about.
He immediately notices Owlbear's soft spot, but considers everyone in the room easy marks if one catches them on the stairs and gives just the right leg-rub.
Grok raises an eyebrow at Lee. "Just remember who's the officer and who's the mate before telling me what to do." Her for-one-moment serious frown breaks into a grin. "If she offers to buy it without calling me names, I'll sell it to her for the fairest price. But I don't make fluffy feel good lies, because I'm s~$* at them--and when she sees through them, she'll be mad, not feel better. And then wonder who put me up to it..." She smirks. "Unless that's what you want to happen."
Lee smiles and hold up his hands.
"Okay. You are right. I would never order you around. I'm just anxious and getting carried away. My hope is for peace and accord and letting nature run its course. But if Rosie does manage to weasel a little info out of you, then I suppose worse things could happen."
And Lee responds to her smirk with a good natured smile of his own before turning his attention back to the fight.
The next round of fist-fighting begins.
Rosie, not to be deterred, sidesteps in and jabs at Owlbear's knee again with another solid strike, and then she dodges to her right (Owlbear's left) and...
Even though he swings frighteningly hard, he misses her completely.
Now grinning, having realized the value in the tactic Threnody advised her on, she delivers an uppercut...
... to a place in an unfortunate and easy reach for a halfling, that delivers Owlbear a considerable amount of pain. Much of the crew gives out a sympathetic groan in response.
Half doubled over, he steps backward, throwing out his hands to guard himself from any other attacks. "No, no more!" He cries.
Rosie is about to raise her hand in victory, but is cut short as Plugg snarls, pulling his cat-o-nine tails out of his belt, brandishing it threateningly as he shouts:
"You're not allowed to yield, you stupid dog! How are you letting this worthless slip pummel you? Get in there and fight like you were trained to do!"
Plugg picks up a heavy tankard sitting on a barrel next to him and throws it to the ground at Owlbear's feet. Looking back and forth between Plugg and Rosie, sheer terror on the giant man's face. He whimpers at the sight of Plugg's brandished cat, and despite being barely able to stand, he bends over and picks up the tankard, wielding it like a makeshift pair of brass knuckles.
Giffer Tibbs shouts, "That's not fair! You said bare hands!"
In response Scourge pulls out his whip and cracks it toward her.
It strikes her jaw, leaving her a nasty burn, and she backs away, but continues to glare defiantly at the boatswain. Samms puts her hand on her shoulder but joins her in the glare, regardless of the fact that she is in the whip's range as well. Scourge growls, "Not your job to say what's fair, whelp!"
In the meantime, Owlbear raises his mug and looks at Rosie, his lip quivering. She raises her guard, preparing for the next round, although her bravado has faded and she seems uncertain. The crew have grown silent save for Fipps and Syl who describe in graphic detail what they think Owlbear should do to Rosie's face.
Owlbear 21/24
Rosie 4/17
Looking back and forth between Plugg and Rosie, sheer terror on the giant man's face. He whimpers
"Owlbear looks back and forth..."
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"I thought we were here to see some sport, not a bloodbath!" Thren calls into the now-quiet room. "We've had some fun, let it lie. If Owlbear cuts Rosie's throat with that shiv, we'll be even more short-handed. And we can't afford that, can we? Call it a draw, split the purse, and let's all leave it at that. We can shed all the blood we want with the next ship we take." In the dim light, the tiefling's eyes...do they seem to glow? "Unless, of course, you really want to explain to the captain why we're not getting where we're supposed to be, when he wants us there, just because you didn't like the way one little fight was going...?" Thren hints helpfully, her tone a bit darker. Her tail is twitching like a whip now, matching Scourge's movement.
Also to Lee:
*The giant-guard-dog-man-pets-too-hard-but-good-to-sleep-on is sad and very scared. Help him.*
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Lee turns from the crowd so that only Grok can see him, rolls his eyes dramatically, and says, "Don't laugh at me if I pee myself a little during the lashes I'm going to get for doing this..."
And turning back to the crowd with a straight face, Lee lifts his voice to be heard over the crowd and says, "Here, here! Let's act like shipmates and call it a draw. If we want real blood we can extract it from the next ship with the grave misfortune of crossing our path! A toast to the biggest and smallest of us all..."
...and raising his tankard...
[dice=Diplomacy - Being Thren's "Hype Man"]1d20 + 5 +2[/dice]
"...May they fight others with the same heart they showed us tonight!"
Lee steels himself for any impending lashing. He's going to take it (and hopefully shake it off in a heroic manner) rather than dodge, just to make a point.
Lark chimes in, ”That’s a grand idea! Thanks to Mister Plugg for showing us how to fight and not letting anyone get hurt! Let’s hear it for Plugg!“
At Threnody's chilling speech (and chilling logic), Plugg grimaces. "How DARE..." he starts, but then cuts himself off, realizing she has a point about things getting out of hand--and getting back to Harrigan.
Rosie backs off, lowering her hands. "She's right, we should be done with this."
Scourge brandishes his whip, looking to Plugg for next moves, and Plugg gets up, about to bring down his cat on Owlbear when Lee steps in from the corner, spinning the whole situation to honor the warriors, and a few begin to tentively raise their cups in toast...
And the Lark finishes the job, turning things around so that Cog, Tilly, Samms, Giffer and Jack nods, still raising their cups. And since it is in honor of Plugg, Syl and Fipps cannot help but follow suit. Maheem even quietly mutters, "He did yield first."
Plugg spitefully throws his drink at Owlbear, picks up his purse, and throws a scattered handful at Rosie, looking all like an overgrown spoiled child forced to share his toys. He glares at Lark, Lee, and Threnody---even he has the smarts to know it would be foolish to punish them for defying him now, but you have a sense he will not let you live this down one way or another.
Scourge likewise spares the whip for now--he can't get away with whipping people for cheering Plugg--but he oozes over to Fipps and Syl and whispers something in their ears before returning to Plugg's side.
As Plugg, Krine, and Scourge back away and head to the stairs, Grok steps next to Lee and whispers in his ear, "Back away now..."
She backs up the stairs three quarters of the way up the hold, and while it is evident to everyone in the lower deck that she stops Plugg on his way up, it is hard to hear the hushed words she exchanges with him over the din. Lee and Muffin, even if backing away, are still the closest and might be able to hear most easily.
Plugg exhales in pent up fury. "So be it, but I'll find a way to see you repay me, Grok. In blood, preferably. Just remember I'm the first mate here."
"Aye aye, sir."
A few moments later, Grok returns down the stairs with the purse of gold in hand. She marches up to Cusswell and holds it out to her.
"This is yours, I believe. You earned it, Cusswell."
Stunned, Rosie takes the purse. Nearby, Shortstone is picking up the other few pieces of gold that Plugg threw at her and handing to her for her to put in the bag as well.
Grok turns and leaves, remarking, "Store's open tomorrow morning as usual." As she passes Lee, she mouths at him you owe me.
Rosie and walks over to Threnody, holding up the purse. "I wanted to buy back my fiddle," she says quietly, "But... you said to split it, and I'll split it with you. If it wasn't for you he would've probably smashed me good, and you led the charge there at the end. I didn't want to have to keep going--but I didn't want him to kill me under Plugg's orders either."
While she awaits Threnody's reply...
Quarne takes a look at Owlbear and says, "Come sleep in the sick bed tonight, Mr. Hartshorn, I'll give you some compresses."
Owlbear nods at Quarne. "Okay, Stitchman." He drops the tankard on the ground, and as he starts to limp after Quarne, he turns and looks at Threnody, then Lee and Lark, and gives them a sort of awed nod. Muffin is able to check on (and possibly curl up upon) Owlbear as he lies in the "sick bed" (spare hammock) fore of the ship.
Some of the crew avoid Lark, Lee, and Thren---and they certainly avoid the hell out of Rosie---but a few--Tibbs, Samms, Brackett, Shortstone, Cog--nod at them with respect. It will still take time to ensure these folks warm up to the privateers, but they certainly made an impression. Quinn outright grins.
While much enmity with the officers and their lackeys may have been earned tonight, so have friendships--long may they last.
Muddled by the rum Lark has no chance of overhearing Grok in the stairwell.
Approaching Threnody and Quinn Lark says, ”Great save! I was thinking about throwing Cusswell a weapon, but when you spoke up I realized de-escalating was a much better idea.”
Gesturing for Lee to join them and lowering his voice Lark says, "Do you think we should set a watch tonight? Will Cusswell and her winnings be safe?"
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The tiefling shakes her head at the purse. "Keep it and get your fiddle back. You can pay me back by accompanying me some night. Getting your music back was almost as important to me as it is to you." Thren looks up in the direction of the departing officers. "Come dawn, you may think that I owe you plenty, depending on what those officers of ours decide to do to the lot of us."
Then she looks at Lee and Lark. "Thanks for backing my play. It was the best thing I could think of on the fly, and I suspected the most I would get was a scourging from Scourge that distracted him from the fight." The bard yawns. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to my hammock, though I doubt I'll sleep well for a few nights. I think Rosie's safe; she's the recipient of our actions. We're the ones likely to have problems." Thren nods to Sandara in farewell before hitting the sack.
Lee acknowledges Grok and mouths *I owe you* back to her.
With that, Lee approaches his friends, spinning his now empty tankard on his forefinger.
"If you hadn't spoken up I was planning to toss this to Rosie, but why would I want to do that to poor Owlbear?"
He nods to Lark. "Great minds think alike but we're lucky Thren was faster than either of us. That being said, Grok is now firmly and probably permanently on Plugg's 'undesirable person' list. Probably for the rest of her life. Or his..."
Rosie does not argue with Threnody, but gives her another grateful nod, and, massaging her shoulder, goes to bed. The crew are all giving her a wide berth--no one wants to mess with the little woman who brought the Owlbear to his knees, and you surmise she will need little extra protection.
As the morning bell awakens you, you assemble yourselves and head to the stairs to head up to the main deck for assignments as usual.
Fipps Chumlett, Slippery Syl, along with Jaundiced Jape who probably just came in from the night shift, all loiter around the stairs. As the three of you approach, they move to block your path.
"In a hurry?" Fipps says. "Such big talkers, ain't you? Everyone's so impressed wif yer little speeches last night. But I noticed, none of you had the livers to volunteer to take on Owlbear yourselfs. I fink yer all talk. And Master Scourge, see, he don't like folk who're all talk. So we're here to show you how to get things done proper, wif our hands."
While Fipps talks, Syl and Jape move around to block your movement around him, and before you even have a chance to reply, they clench their fists and charge. Expecting trouble, you are fortunately quick to put up your guard.
You do note they DO have weapons which remain sheathed. You can easily surmise they intend a beatdown, not risking Harrigan's punishment for murder.
Some pirates, a few going to bed/relax from the night shift, but none move to interfere and those who look like they may consider it are blockaded by night shift crew.
Thren's mood isn't too good this morning (they need stronger tea on this ship!), so while she isn't surprised at yet another issue regarding the crew on the ship, the bard isn't thrilled about it either. Her fists are up as she begins to sing a rousing Andoran battle-anthem she heard from a sailor back on the Aurora's Kiss.
Standard Action: start bardic performance, Inspire Courage. Lark will at least enjoy the +1 competence bonus to attack, weapon damage rolls and morale bonus to saves vs. fear and charm. Lee and I will get the benefits too, or course, just not make any attack rolls in time for this to kick in.
Move Action: Thren moves up toward Syl, figuring that maybe she should start getting the pecking order in the rigging sorted out right now....
Muffin moves into a spot where he can watch unobserved.
Lee can handle himself in a fight, sort of, but if anyone else tries to join the fight Muffin can let Lee know.
Lee 5' steps W and attacks Jape with, as unlikely as it sounds, his closed fist.
"Who likes idle chit chat, anyway?" Lee says to Jape.
"Wow. It's tough to be a lover in a world full of fighters."
Thren moves in while chanting a rousing naval battle tune.
Perhaps inspired by last night's fight and seeing Rosie take down Owlbear, Lee steps in to take on the big half orc, but clearly does not have similar fighting acumen and misses. Jape leers at him with an open mouth, revealing his tongue was cut out--perhaps agreeing chit-chat is not for him either.
Seeing his friends move into the fray, he joins them, stepping up to join Lee in facing Jaundiced Jape, hoping to focus on the largest of the three opponents first.
He lands a solid uppercut.
Caught off guard, Jape staggers and tries to return the same favor to Lark.
But the pain in his jaw is clearly unbalancing him.
Fipps tries to even the numbers versus Jape and swings at Lark as well.
Likewise the rogue efficiently dodges the big bully's clumsy blow.
Syl in the meantime kicks at Threnody.
Threnody is less lucky and takes a hit.
Lee swings at whatever portion of Jape he can reach.
"How are you going to walk of that debilitating charlie-horse, big fella?"
After attacking, Lee take a 5' step W.
"Not bad. If I'm being hit by a goblin baby!" Thren mocks her opponent, working her comments in-between verses. She retaliates by head-faking at Syl for a headbutt then backhanding the woman.
All the while, Thren continues to sing, smiling despite the split lip Syl gave her.
Lark presses the attack against Jape. ”Keep it up Lee. You get ‘em low, I’ll get ‘em high!”
Lee kicks Jape in the back of the knee, which does not do massive damage but causes him to buckle forward, making it easier for Lark to deliver another uppercut to the chin. Before the big half orc can even register what has happened, he staggers and falls to the ground, unconscious, his lip dribbling blood onto the wooden floor.
Fipps' grin fades from his ugly mug as he sees his compatriot fall but he does not back away yet. Holding his position blocking passage to the stairs, he joins Syl in beating up on Threnody...
... managing to club her on the shoulder.
Syl leers while attempting a jab at the gut, "A goblin baby could still hold you down and eat you alive, weakling!"
She deals glancing damage, but Thren is feeling enough pain in enough places she is in danger of passing out soon.
Lee sashays around the hold to get to a flanking spot against Fipps.
And being inspired both by music and the walking tour of the western portion of the hold...
...still manages to be the least dangerous sailor on the boat.
Diagonals: When measuring distance, the first diagonal counts as 1 square, the second counts as 2 squares, the third counts as 1, the fourth as 2, and so on.You can't move diagonally past a corner (even by taking a 5-foot step). You can move diagonally past a creature, even an opponent.
You can also move diagonally past other impassable obstacles, such as pits.