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When the 'Bloody Hour' rolls around, tensions are high among the sailors. It appears that a number of people suspect that something happened in the bilges, but first hand accounts are non-existent. Rumors still swirl, though.
It finally comes to a head when Master Scourge accosts Aretta on the main deck. He takes note of the slashes on either side of her head and her amateurishly bandaged ear. "What happened in the bilges?" he demands.
Aretta looks at Tessa and then over at Patchy. "Uh, I fell, Sir," she answers after a moment. "You what?" Scourge asks, incredulously. "I fell, Sir," the woman repeats, her face reddening.
The gold-toothed man crosses his arms over his chest and turns his gaze to Tessa. "You fell," he echoes again, his eyes boring into Tessa's. "I see." He stares at the redheaded swashbuckler for another few heartbeats before turning on his heel and stomping off to the officer's quarters.
Marisan will turn up the charm and assist in getting the few stragglers on the crew fully on their side.
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Polli is oblivious, humming in tune with her imagination all day. So dumbly says "That couldn't have been caused by falling" to her forced together companions. "Well, unless there was a loose nail on a staircase... maybe a couple of them."
At night, she continues her hope to find a suitable place to kill a man quietly. As she does so, a sound erupts from the dark aft of the ship. A LOUD sound. Like a duck being stomped on by an overweight fisherman. Polli's curiosity gets the better of her, and her night vision picks out another of the crew that has similar optical abilities. The so-called Narwhal.
His truly spectacular nose seems to be stuffed to the heavens and back, and the dwarf is doing his damnedest to clear it on a rag. Polli has a noxious smelling paste that tears through snot, like rats through flesh. As soon as thoughts of murder passes, from having to smell the horrid stench, he realizes he's all cleared up and apologizes for smashing her in the nose. Something she understands and accepts, with a nod and your welcome.
Holding her swollen nose she goes below decks to read her book.
After watching the exchange between Scourge and Aretta Donomsail will go up to her with a look of genuine concern on her face. "That looks right nasty. If'n ya wants I could try to heal that up fer ya some." She will reach out to the side of Aretta's head palm open to show there is no ill intent.
"Gozreh laat u dienaar toe om hierdie een te help om voort te gaan op die pad wat u voor haar gestel het. Miskien sal dit haar toelaat om te sien hoe sy besluit het om te lewe dat haar lewe nie die beste is nie, en haar die kans gee om die balans reg te stel."
Azadi breathes a sigh of relief when Marisan returns to the deck looking none the worse for the wear. At the bloody hour, he’s downright impressed with the details of Aretta’s ‘accident’. "Well done, Red," he whispers while everyone is clamoring for seats.
After dinner he hops in the sea and enjoys a quick swim. As he's climbing out, he notices Fipps standing on deck and looking more dour than usual. For a moment he plans to climb right past him and head below but then he remembers Vi or Tessa, or someone, talking about how important it was to make friends. He thinks for a moment about what might appeal to the pudgy bully and then focuses on the water right below him. He spirals a current to create a little eddy and uses it to funnel a fish up towards the surface. Grabbing it by the gills, he climbs up onto the deck and drops it into a bucket. "Hey, uh, here you go, Fipps," he says awkwardly while handing the bucket over, "you look like you had a rough day... so, uh, do, you know, whatever you want with the fish... if you have a dagger you could filet it and eat it raw, that should be pretty tasty, or if you want you can just watch it die out of the water... I guess?"
Harmony is tense as the Bloody Hour comes around, more than half expecting Aretta to give the game away. When she doesn't Harmony catches her eye and nods respectfully - while she thinks the woman has been wrong right from the start it still takes guts to stand up to a man like Scourge.
Taking a mug from Fishguts she fills it with rum and heads towards the damaged woman. "Here," She says, offering the mug. "This should help with the aches from your fall."
Realizing that there won't be any entertainment for the evening Donomsail goes down to the sleeping area, seeing Polli reading her spell book she decides not to bother her "I know she needs her time ta study. Think I'll search fer Marisan instead." Finding Marisan interacting with other crew members, watching her laugh along with the ribald jokes she will signal her desire to talk privately. "You're in the middle of it, what do you think? Have we got a couple more over to our side? Also we need ta remove the cabin girl before we can dose the rest o' the officers. What do ya think can ya take her on in a one-ta-one?"
"We have many friends among the crew. I believe several will support us," Marisan tells Donomsail. She looks across the deck to where Caulky sits, sizing her up. "I do not think she would put up much of a fight, but her absence will be noticed quickly. We must have a plan for that."
Tessa waits with baited breath as bloody hour arrives. She’s mostly convinced herself that Aretta will back out of their agreement and speak up. When she holds the line however, Tessa smirks at Mr. Gold Teeth when he stares at her. She really wants to tell him that his plan sucked and he shouldn’t underestimate her again!
But she doesn’t. Keeping her mouth shut, she just smiles at him without saying anything.
Afterwards, she smiles when Azadi compliments her, making a note to thank him later and tell him what happened.
When Harmony tries to win Aretta over, she accompanies her and says ”Nice job.”
Holding her swollen nose she goes below decks to read her book.
~~~~~
She will reach out to the side of Aretta's head palm open to show there is no ill intent.
Aretta flinches back from Donomsail's hands. "Keep yer hands to yerself, ya horned-b+%&#!" Aretta snaps at the cleric before stomping away to a different spot on deck.
~~~~~
"... or if you want you can just watch it die out of the water... I guess?"
It seems that that's exactly what Fipps plans on doing as he tosses the flopping fish on to the deck to watch it slowly die. The grin on the fat man's face is not pretty.
~~~~~
"Here," She says, offering the mug. "This should help with the aches from your fall."
Aretta pointedly keeps her hands to her sides, refusing the mug. "Like I'd take anything from you," she says with a sneer. "Watch yer back, Big T~%*. Ya never know when a dagger's gonna grow there." She turns making another point of offering her own back before walking away.
~~~~~
why does nobody believe that it was just sex... hours and hours of the kind of sex most women shy away from...
Azadi stifles a sigh and forces a smile. ”Samms, I don’t know why nobody believes me,” he answers, ”but it was only ever a sexual encounter with her. I don’t think she wanted anything beyond that any more than I did. I’ve got her back if anything happens, and I think she has mine, but there’s nothing else going on there.”
Tessa watches Sandara and Harmony talk before the red comes over to talk to her and Marisan. She looks away when she places her hand on Harmony’s, something clicking in her head. She is climbing into the hammock when Sandara walks over to her and Marisan. She grins proudly and lifts up her shirt to show her bare-skinned belly. ”Thanks to my friends, I am. I’m sure Aretta broke at least two of my ribs before Donomsail fixed them.” she says, poking her right side.
She places her hand on Marisan’s and repeats but slightly changes Sandara’s own words ”I am very happy for the friends that I have. This ship would be incredibly dull without me. Thank you all for keeping me alive today, I know it was a team effort and you could have left me down there to die..” before leaning in and giving her a peck on the cheek.
She raises a finger and clarifies ”Just for the record, I was completely fine and had everything under control before Marisan and Vi dropped in.”
"O-of course you were," she agrees, her eyes moving this way and that. "Off to bed I go," she says. "By myself," she adds unnecessarily.
Marisan is quiet as Tessa and Sandara converse, but when Tessa lifts her shirt, she can't resist running a strong hand across the smooth skin of her belly. She smirks but says nothing.
Polli folds her book closed in her lap with a small thump. Pulling herself up to sitting, she smiles at the young man, "Oh yes." she twists in the hammock to get to the sachel she keeps hanging just within reach. Full of spell components, unmentionables (in case Tessa gets any ideas), and... The carving of the delicate air spirit is presented in her hand. Her fingers tracing the whimsical curves "It is lovely" she breathes, bright blue eyes rolling slowly from it to him "Thank you"
”I guess I don’t really know what I’m interested in yet...” Azadi answers Samms as his smile fades.
”I’m barely even an adult, if we’re being entirely honest... I just left my parents’ home a couple months ago... this is only the second ship I’ve ever been on and the first one was an entirely uneventful journey from Ilizmagorti to Port Peril... the closest thing to a real fight I’ve ever been in was spitting ice in Aretta’s face in the brig...”
The young undine chuckles softly, ”maybe don’t mention that last bit to anyone who didn’t just overhear it,” he adds shaking his head.
"I just about finished this one for Tessa and then I could work on another one fer ya. Is there something special you'd like?"
~~~~~
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Polli scoots a bit closer "For Tessa? Is it phallic? It seems like she'd like something phallic. For lonely nights... not that it seems like she has many of those." she gives a little laugh, looking over at the gathering there. Then she looks back up at him. "If you decide to make something for me again, Jack, make it something You'd love. I'd be very interested in what that would be." she smiles again and then wishes him good night.
”I’ll try, Samms, thanks,” Azadi replies before climbing into his hammock.
although the prospects of someone else making that particular offer again seem pretty unlikely...
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"I'll make ya somethin' pretty 'cause you're ... umm ... yeah, I'll make ya somethin' pretty." He nods to himself as he walks away.
Even Polli understands where he was going with that one.. Staring after the young man as he retreats, a soft rose blossomed on her cheeks, which gets her lightly humming again, then curling up in her hammock for sleep.
Tessa doesn’t move away when Marisan touches her belly, she has to restrain herself from turning back to face her so she can continue to talk to Sandara. She does let a soft sound escape her mouth that causes Sandara to turn so that her peck on the cheek becomes a peck on the lips.
Tessa had not intended to kiss Sandara on the lips. In fact, when she turns and her lips meet the other redhead’s lips, her eyes widen in surprise. Between Sandara’s lips and Mairsann’s belly rub, Tessa shivers as a chill runs through body, as she looks back and forth between the two women.
She bites her lower lip as Sandara walks away, wishing there were larger hammocks here.
Looking back at Marisan, she jumps into the hammock with a flourish and leans in to her ear to whisper something, placing her hand over her mouth to mask the word. After she whispers it, she moves the brawler’s hand back to her stomach again before leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips. She kisses her several times before whispering another few words to her.
Tessa lifts her shirt up again, reaching out and slowly sliding Marisan’s hand across her hip then her belly again. She rolls sideways towards Marisan and traps the brawler’s hand between their bodies as she leans forward to press her lips on hers, softly placing three quick kisses before finally drawing out a long fourth one.
She pulls away and looks at the Mwangi woman and says “By the way, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to wait for the Captains Quarters plan.”
"Hey, Red," Donomsail hears as she readies herself for bed. Turning the tiefling sees the diminutive form of Giffer Tibbs. The gnome reaches up and scratches the patch where her left eye should be. "I noticed that you can heal. Do you ...? Can you heal things like this?" she asks nervously, pointing to the patch.
~~~~~
The ship grows quiet again as everyone retires into sleep or other restful activities (for the most part).
[larger]22nd of Gozran - Day 14[/larger]
The morning dawns as most of the others and, after roll call and your morning biscuit, you set about your daily tasks. The normal routine is interrupted a little after midday with a shout from Azadi in the crow's nest. "SHIP AHOY!" he calls out.
At the announcement, activity on the poop deck increases. The captain quickly appears at the starboard railing with a spyglass and after a quick look, he laughs and directs the ship to come about. Within another hour the ship is visible to anyone that looks. It's a three-masted merchant vessel and it's clear that she's seen the Wyrmwood as well and has turned to flee. It's also clear that the Wyrmwood is faster.
Over the rest of the afternoon, the main deck is cleared of any extraneous gear and excitement builds as the distance between the two ships slowly closes. For the most part, the tasks of the day are forgotten as all eyes are fixed on the prey as it grows closer.
Sleep is hard to come by this night as the anticipation builds of what will come with the rising of the sun.
[larger]23nd of Gozran - Day 15[/larger]
Dawn comes and everyone pours out upon the main deck at the sound of the Ship's Bell. The morning biscuit is passed around, but attention is fixed on the merchant ship which continues to attempt to flee, but the distance between the two has closed to less than half a mile.
Captain Harrigan gives instructions to Ambrose and Harmony to slaughter half a dozen pigs, slit their throats and then throw them overboard to attract sharks.
Once that's done, Riaris Krine calls the six of you up to the poop deck. As you're climbing the steps up to the aft deck, Grok stops Tessa and after looking around, hands her her rapier. She gives a silent nod and then steps away.
Riaris looks as much at home now as she did while giving you your boarding training. Those of you without weapons, she hands over a basic one.
"Now listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna give you your orders once!" she shouts out at you. "The ship’s wheel is on the aft deck, just below the sterncastle! You’re going to grapple over, kill the guards on the sterncastle, take the wheel, and guard the ship’s boats! Kill anyone who tries to get away on one of the boats! Don’t move from the wheel until the fighting’s done, or you’ll have to answer to me! Oh yeah, as we get close, it’s going to get foggy!" she gives a twisted smile. "Just stick to what I told you to do!" She nods as if expecting no questions to her crystal clear orders. "Four-eyes!" she continues, gesturing to Polli, "Since you did the best at boarding training, you're in charge of your team once you get on the other ship!"
True to her statement, as the ships move even closer, banks of mist close in covering both ships.
There's the sound of grinding wood and the deck lurches under your feet as the two ships come in contact and there's shouting from within the mist around you. Off the starboard bow of the Wyrmwood you can see the railings of the enemy ship just ten feet away.
“By the way, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to wait for the Captains Quarters plan.”
"Patience is a virtue, but self-denial is a sin. If you want something, take it," the brawler says in a throaty whisper. She pulls Tessa back down for another kiss as her hands roam over her body.
***
Marisan grabs a cutlass and prepares to board!
This time Harmony definitely blushes and certainly watches Sandara (or her backside) as she makes her way to Marisan's hammock.
Unfortunately this also means that she's watching as Sandara speaks to Tessa and 'somehow' the two end up kissing. She frowns in the near-darkness and lies back in her hammock, her good mood abruptly deflated.
She takes her bad mood out the next day by ensuring that amongst the pigs is the billy goat who has spent the last two weeks defecating (literally) on her efforts to keep the galley clean. She doubts the sharks care much and it does give her a certain amount of satisfaction to think that the truculent animal will no longer be able to wander through her nice clean galley and cause whatever wanton destruction it wants.
Always act confident. Even if you aren't. The words of her acting coach and her mother blend in her mind as she feels her legs start shaking. Right Harmony. Think. Breathe. You can do this. She takes a deep breath of salty air and then another as the trembling stills.
She looks up and down the ship, exchanging nods and brief smiles with the people whose gaze she meets. Some many former enemies now... not enemies. Her eyes catch red hair and her smile falters for a second. Not now silly girl! That voice sounds remarkably like her mom when she started daydreaming during their nocturnal outings. Your mother will have my hide if she finds out we've been out this long! The memory brings the smile back to her face - a genuine one this time and she leaps up to the rail.
"This is what we've been training for. Rich pickings and plunder!"
Grabbing a club Domonsail stands as far from the deck as possible while still being part of the boarding party.
"Not a killer I'm not. I'll be there fer my friends I will. Help 'em out, keep 'em alive, mess with the other folks but not kill 'em."
Polli's eyes narrow at being put in charge, especially since the grumbles of a certain berry would be coming any second. Taking a short spear, she'll frown heavily, agreeing with the desire not to kill men and women who are doing nothing other than protecting themselves... but she also does not want to die herself.
Once semi alone "Choosing a leader based on climbing speed is absurd. I'm not the leader any more than any of us are." both abdicating and not accepting anyone else in the role either, at least not at the moment.
Pushing up her glasses, she'll bring up what is more important than leadership. Getting over to the ship... "My suggestion would be to tie a rope around Donomsail's and Harmony's waist. The rest of us go over first, carrying the other end. Then Tessa, myself, and Azadi would protect Marisan as she acts as an anchor if either of you falls, hauling you up quickly, instead of losing you to sharks."
Tessa breathes a sigh of relief when Grok hands back Wayfinder. She reaches out with both hands and accepts the blade with a nod. "Thank you." She slides the rapier back into her sheath before joining Team Leader Polli.
"Good plan Polli. I'll do my best to get across quickly and set up on the other side."
Polli eyes Tessa suspciously, she is being WAY too cooperative. Quickly she goes over everything. Pants on, so no stealing her underwear. She's not getting a rope around her, so no accidental bondage. And Tessa might be Tessa but she wouldn't punch someone on her side in the nose before a battle to the death... would she?
Maybe something happened to put her in a good mood?
When offered a weapon, Azadi just smiles and points to his cestus.
”Don’t be too quick to dismiss that responsibility, Polli,” he offers with a frown, ”it means that if any of us shirk our task, or we fail at it, you will be held responsible for it...”
”And the rest of us would do well to remember that too... charging off to take on some other task may be tempting but know that it won’t just be your back under the cat...”
As the ships draw near the young pirate closes his eyes and begins to gather more water around him. The strain taxes his body but plates of ice begin to form in his watery shroud protecting his vital areas.
Polli frowns back, "There is a difference between being the target of punishment, and being a leader, Azadi. The one is thrown at you, the other... Earned ideally, but usually Bought, in my experience." she shakes her head "Truthfully, I want neither, but I understand and appreciate your meaning."
Then looking around to the others "I'm loud if nothing else, so in the mists, you'll know where I am, so I'll plant myself at the wheel in case we get separated, and start shouting at our adversaries. Last 'leaderly' advice..." pinching the sleave of Donomsail "... she is most likely the difference between living and dying. If there is anyone to protect in all this mess, it is Her."
Once she ships start grinding together, she starts her normal muttered complaints about life, fate, and general misery.
Combat Begins!
Round 1
As the ships draw near, Azadi shapes a blast of cold and hurls at the nearest enemy sailor.
Polli attempts to clear the way with a sleep spell.
After she chants her arcane words she suggests "Tessa, that one... the ugly one right in front of us, looks like he is favoring his right leg." she assumes the swordswoman knows what to do with that information, even if Polli herself doesn't.
Then she'll pull off her glasses to make the jump next round.
Maybe it’s the fact she could have died earlier, maybe it’s the fact that fact she saved her life, either way Tessa is quite “energetic” this evening. She eagerly displays said energy wiggling out of remaining clothing and doing her best to not flip the two naked women off the hammock onto the floor.
Tessa hurls the grapple towards the enemy ship and quickly begins to make her way across to the other side.
Suddenly the wind around Polli starts twisting like a miniature gale, causing the mist (and her hair) to twirl and spin.
Crossbow bolts come flying out of the mist and most of them miss. Marisan and Harmony are both struck.
Harmony can't help but yell as a crossbow bolt comes flying out of the mist and right through her leg. It misses the bone thankfully and she knows better than to pull it out, but it hurts like a witch!
Stay off the sides next time fool! She commands mentally, before raising her voice once more.
"We need to stop the crossbows, let's go lads!"
She then collects a grapple, ready to throw at the next opportunity.
As the ships close, Marisan focuses on the few weeks she spent training to fight while blindfolded, relying on her other senses to locate her foes.
A crossbow bolt flies out of the fog, striking her in the stomach! She snarls in pain but quickly snaps off the shaft of the bolt. With a running start, she leaps to the enemy ship, narrowly clearing the guardrail. She lands in a forward somersault and uses her hands to spring forward, propelling herself towards the nearest enemy feet first!
The mists are too strong for her to notice if any of the sailors went down from her sleep spell. Then one by one her 'team' leaps through the mist to become nothing more than smudges. Sighing in irritation at things having come to this, the sylph pockets her glasses then runs at the railing, jumping for all she is worth.
Once over, she'll get her glasses on again, and direct some advice over to Marisan since she hits like a boulder, not that she needs the help. "Marisan, the mouse there is scared to death of you." as any sane person would be, assuming again a warrior would know more about what to do with it than her.
Seeing her teammates get slammed by crossbow bolts Donomsail is impressed by their ability to get past the pain and still press the attack. Before doing anything else Domonsail lets loose with a burst of energy to take care of her allies wounds.
Then realizing that she needs to get herself to the other ship, not only to be there for her teammates but also to avoid the wrath of Krine and the others who are no doubt watching and looking for any excuse to dole out some form of punishment, she takes a running jump and closes her eyes as she does her best to get onto the other ship.
Amazed to find herself standing on the opposite deck she lets loose with a wild laugh and a large smile that shows her sharpened teeth to whomever may be looking. She then moves into position to supply aid to any who needs it.
While his comrades begin leaping to the other vessel, Azadi fires another blast of cold ahead of them, aimed at the origin of the crossbow bolt that struck Vi.
He just about holds his breath with anxiety when Donomsail charges forward to jump, and smiles broadly when she clears the gap. Once everyone who's jumping is safely over, he trots forward and leaps across as well.
Marisan leaps across the span like a gazelle and seeing a sailor at the top of the stairs directs her fury at him, landing a solid kick that sends him stumbling back.
Tessa successfully hooks the other ship's railing with her grapple and after pulling it tight and lashing it off, she scrambles across to the deck of the other ship.
Donomsail sends a wave of healing energy that benefits both Marisan and Harmony. A leap across the sound of churning waters below lands her on the deck of the merchant vessel.
Azadi sends a blast of cold and icy air, but isn't sure if he hit anyone.
Harmony shouts out words of inspiration as she prepares to grapple across.
Round 2
The sounds of combat come to you muffled through the mist from the main deck of the ship. It seems that combat has been thoroughly engaged.
Polli calls out some advice to Marisan.
A figure steps out of the mist toward Azadi and stabs at him with a shortsword, but the stab is wild and easily avoided. The man Marisan kicked drops his sword and flees across the deck into the mists.
You hear other movement and voices in the shrouding gray, but can't see what else is going on.
Seeing the others jump Harmony abandons the grappling hook, backs up and then runs and jumps. She clears the gap easily and lands in a crouched position, one hand pulling her rapier clear as she lands.
Marisan drops into her rocking dance, stepping forward through the mist. She leaps into the air to kick the first enemy she comes across, rolling across the deck and balancing on her hands as she kicks the legs out from under another!