Bellara angles her head at Alessandra, wondering what the other girl might be up to. There were things she wanted back, her clockwork kit being one of them. Still, if she had a chance to recover weapons for them, it would be highly useful. "Other than my old kit that I use to tinker with, I would love to have my pistol back," she says wistfully. "It's not much to look at, I'll admit. The handle is scuffed, the wood discolored from being handled so much. Most people would think it doesn't even work from the looks of it, but she's mine and I hate being parted from her."
With a grateful smile, she takes the leg from the other girl. [b]"My thanks for this. I'll have to see if I can pay a visit to this...Grok."
Rum Actions
That night, Bellara partakes in the usual amount of rum and goes to bed rather early.
Internet has been spotty here these past couple of days. Borrowing wifi from a neighbor to post this. Sorry for the short night time post.
Bellara hmms softly as she examines the leg further before giving it back to Alessandra. "A nice find. You could get forty five gold pieces for something like this." She nods, handing the leg back to the other girl. "It's too bad they took my kit," Bell points at the fixed ankle and the carved ball of the foot. "That piece gives me ideas. I could work on something like that and give it some articulation with some clockwork and make it even more workable," she says idly. "I miss having something to work on in the evenings."
Daytime, Day 5
Dex:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Left alone for the day to do the ropework, Bellara has a lot of time to consider what she wants to do. Itching to get some of her possessions back, she searches the upper reaches of the ship, including the crow's nest in case there was anything that could be useful for her to trade.
Yay! It's above a 20! At least Bell will get to give Alessandra some info on the leg.
Alessandra:
Bellara laughs at Alessandra's dandified phrasing as she reaches for the wooden limb. "You've done well with Aretta yourself, my dear," she says, tossing a pleased glance at the terribly clad woman. Once she has the limb in hand, the blonde girl tries not to grimace. Such items were a common enough sight on a ship, though she herself had no wish to acquire such an appendage. She turns the fake leg, examining the band in particular, tapping at the metal with a fingernail. "Now here's an interesting bit of ornamentation. I never dreamed of seeing silver applied to such a practical object." Her tawny brows knit as she tries to figure out the value of Alessandra's find.
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
During the flogging, Bellara's hands ball into fists at her side as she catches sight of the cat. The wink and gleam on its wicked fingers as it slices at Doc's back tells her that this wasn't an ordinary whipping. The Drunken Hero's empty mug! How do they think they're going to run this ship if they keep beating everyone or dumping them overboard?
Once she has a moment to slip away, Bell sets out to find the injured dwarf, intent on checking on him as she had done with Alessandra. Luckily, she finds Doc after he manages to heal his own wounds.
Doc, hope you don't mind me arbitrarily picking a time to drop this conversation in.
Doc:
Bellara stuffs her hands in the pocket of her coat as she stands stiffly, well aware that she could be intruding. The dwarf had just finished downing a potion that melded whole the gashes left by the cat. "Thank goodness you have that potion. I was afraid we'd have to get you back to that Peppery Longfarthing woman." The Taldan girl seems paler despite the bronzing of her skin. She shakes her head and looks down at the tips of her boots. "I apologize if you'd rather be alone, Doc. I just...I simply did not want the night to go by without looking in on you."
Starting to turn away, Bell licks her lips, grinding out the last bit. "We'll get them back, Doc. We'll get them back, Scourge especially," she says in a whisper.
First Alessandra, now Doc. We can't keep going like this.
Bellara tilts her head back and laughs heartily. "Well of course I know the song! I sang it last night after dinner when you apparently tiptoed away for a bit of rest." She tosses a playful smile Diego's way. But even with the rum in her, Bell takes a cautious glance around the room, unwilling to sing for a crowd twice in a row.
Instead, the Taldan girl leans in closer to the tattooed man, blocking out the rest of the galley's occupants and quietly sings the words to the broken melody he was humming.
"Éist le mo chroí,
Go brónach a choích'
Tá mé caillte gan tú
's do bhean chéile.
An grá mór i do shaoil
Treoraí sé mé.
Bígí liomsa i gcónaí
Lá 's oích'.
Ag caoineadh ar an uaigneas mór
Na deora, go brónach
'Na gcodladh ins an uaigh ghlas chiúin
Faoi shuaimhneas, go domhain."
The words come out in a soft rush of breath that whispers across Diego's cheek. As close as she is to him, the power in her voice gives way to a huskier rendition, made lower by the rum in her system and her proximity to him. Bell moves back slightly once the song trails away, wearing a faint smile. "If you could only hear it the way I heard it the first time, with the skirl of pipes accompanying it. It was so haunting...so achingly sad and beautiful."
Just a bit of a retcon conversation between Bell and Diego.
When Alessandra collapses into sobbing, Bellara swiftly moves to her side, throwing a comforting arm around her. "There, there," she croons, smoothing down Alessandra's hair. "It's this ship, you know - it isn't you. They are too quick to punish by far. I daresay that Scourge up there doesn't believe in dangling a carrot. He is far too keen on using the stick." Bell remains beside the other girl, quietly stroking her hair or her back until the sobbing subsides. It's what she would have wanted for herself had she grown up with parents. Her lips twist in a wry smile.
Appraise:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Bellara looks over the trinket Alessandra hands over, the dim light showing nothing more than a pretty bauble. "'Tis a lovely piece, Alessandra. The red of that ruby would suit you well, though I doubt this ship would give us the opportunity to wear such pieces of jewelry. Well...maybe in the bilges when no one is looking, hmm?" She winks at the younger girl, attempting a small jest so uncharacteristic for the elegant Taldan. Still, something in Alessandra's vulnerability brought out a side of Bell she was unused to showing.
DAY FOUR
Daytime
Dex:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
The next day, Bellara works hard, though she keeps to herself. Narwhal and Maheem again. Since she didn't do so well with them last time, she was loathe to try again, focusing instead on the work on the ropes that needed to be done. The wind presented a challenge with the rope flapping about as she tried to perform her duties. When she gets a moment to herself, she wanders off to check out the outside of Plugg and Scourge's locked cabin, looking for anything that might seem like a trap.
Perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Including a +1 for finding secret doors/traps in the roll...and, I guess we're not finding anything today.
----------
Nighttime
A day spent with two surly riggers didn't help Bellara's mood. After dinner, she decides to forgo singing and drinks more rum than usual. She doesn't stop until her fair cheeks pinken and she feels that pleasant glow within her stomach. Despite her decision not to sing, she hums in between downing the rum. She even raises her mug Diego's way when she catches him humming something familiar. "I see that tune has wormed its way into your head. We should try singing that together at some point since you seem quite taken with the melody. It's Halfling, you know," she says casually. "I'll teach you the words, if you'd like."
Will Save:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 Will Save Reduction:1d6 ⇒ 6
Bellara keeps drinking and watches Alessandra work on Aretta. After a while, she pushes off away from the table, her rum still firmly in hand. The bench she was on scrapes back against the planked floor. Bell then saunters lazily toward Fipps, the person whose attitude had been irking her since their ill-fated encounter. She slams her rum down hard onto his table and plunks herself down onto the seat next to him. Crossing her legs at the knee, the Taldan girl leans against the table edge, adopting a perfectly sedate pose but for that cold gleam in her eye as she turns toward the bald man. "My dear Fipps, I think it's about time you and I had a conversation. This attitude of yours isn't one that I care for at all. I'm sure you realize that things could go much more smoothly if people weren't at each other's throats all the time." Bellara notches her chin up, a confident gesture born of her noble upbringing. "You see those people over there?" she inclines her head gracefully at Shaeda, Diego, Doc and Alessandra. "They're more to me than just the new mates on this ship. In the short time we've been together, I would consider them friends, and we stand together. Now, you may have noticed that while we gain allies, you seem to be losing them." There's that subtle nod toward Aretta. "I would suggest that you choose to stand with us instead of against us, or you may just be left fighting us...
All. By. Yourself." The corner of Bell's mouth lifts until she wears a smirk.
After dinner and her performance, the Taldan girl gets a chance to catch up Doc. Bellara beams at the dried up dwarf once she gets the dagger in her hands. Promptly pocketing the dagger, she gives in to a sudden impulse to hug the old dwarf. Considering their difference in height, poor Rogar gets a face full of lace from her sleeve as Bell wraps her arm mostly around his head. "Oh you clever man, Doc! I feel so much better for having this on me. It's not my pistol, but it is definitely a step up from fisticuffs. Rest assured that you have my gratitude."
Alessandra's flogging catches Bellara off guard. Each time the cat struck the girl's flesh, Bell clamped her jaws together even tighter, willing herself not to interfere though she desperately longed to.
Once Alessandra withdrew, Bell's first instinct was to go to her immediately. Worried that the young girl might not want to be seen in such a state, she hesitates. Later, noticing Shaeda coming out of the hold, Bell decides to hazard a visit. Pausing by the halfling, she gives Shaeda's small shoulder a grateful squeeze for visiting the young girl before she continues down. Her long limbs eat up the distance to the hold, though she slows her steps once she nears Alessandra.
She sensed the half-orc's embarrassment at having her back bared for all to see, and opts not to stand too close, allowing the hold's shadows to give the other girl a sense of privacy. "My dear Alessandra, I came to check upon you. If there anything you need, anything at all, do let me know." She shakes her golden head in misery at her inability to provide solace to the girl at a time like this. She creeps a little closer to Alessandra's huddled form, her hand fluttering awkwardly in the other girl's direction, unsure whether or not her touch would be welcomed. Sighing softly, she drops her hand instead. "I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone."
I laughed too. I suppose I could be the treasurer. Warning though: I'm in the midst of doing some serious house cleaning where we are at and I'm a tad distracted, so I'll need you guys to double check!
So far I think we have:
21gp, 12sp
Golden earring set with ruby (Is this one item?) - given to Alessandra
Medium sized MWK dagger - given to Doc to trade
5 daggers - assuming 1 to each person, although Doc didn't seem to want one?
What did I miss?
Do I count the items that were already previous belongings like Doc's stuff and Alessandra's tools?
I'll turn this into a google doc when I have time.
With a good night's rest and a belly full of vichyssoise behind her, Bellara faces her day with aplomb. The blonde Taldan is practically brimming with cheer as she climbs the masts, knots the rigging and hoists sails with enthusiasm. Aided by her swiftness and innate sense of balance, Bell's work goes by smoothly. She is pleased to find a halfling working beside her. The long arms and the missing fingers don't bother her one bit, she's seen such injuries at the shipyards in Taldor.
As Bell ties a complicated knot in the rigging, she turns to the halfing. Her smile is genuine, unlike the last time she attempted conversation with her shipmates. "It's good to be working up here today, isn't it? I'd take a day up here where the sun and wind are fair over having to spend a day below decks. If there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know. My name's Bellara, by the way. What's yours?"
Diplomacy:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Nighttime
Once dinner is out of the way and Bellara has enough rum in her to consider performing again, she waits until Diego has done his performance for the night. After the tattooed man finishes, Bell stands, carefully smoothing down her jacket to give herself time to quiet her nerves. After the last performance, she willed this one to be more in line with what she was capable of. Striding confidently to the middle of the tables in the galley, she belts out a slow, pensive ballad. The words are in halfling, but the melancholy sentiment is clear in the melody, no matter the language.
Éist le mo chroí,
Go brónach a choích'
Tá mé caillte gan tú
's do bhean chéile.
An grá mór i do shaoil
Treoraí sé mé.
Bígí liomsa i gcónaí
Lá 's oích'.
Ag caoineadh ar an uaigneas mór
Na deora, go brónach
'Na gcodladh ins an uaigh ghlas chiúin
Faoi shuaimhneas, go domhain.
Aoibhneas a bhí
Ach d'imigh sin
Sé lean tú
Do fhear chéile.
An grá mór i do shaoil
Treoraí sé mé.
Bígí liomsa i gcónaí
Lá 's oích'.
Smaointe, ar an lá
'Raibh sibh ar mo thaobh
Ag inse scéil
Ar an dóigh a bhí
Is cuimhin liom an lá
Gan ghá 's gan ghruaim
Bígí liomsa i gcónaí
Lá 's oích'.
Halfling translation:
Listen to my heart,
Forever sad
I'm lost without you
and your wife.
The great love in your lives
Will guide me.
Be with me always
Day and night.
Weeping due to the great loneliness
The tears, sorrowfully
Asleep in the quiet green grave
In a deep peace.
There was blissfulness
But that is gone
You followed
Your husband.
The great love in your lives
Will guide me.
Be with me always
Day and night.
A thought, on the day
You were at my side
Telling tales
Of how things were.
I remember the day
Carefree and happy
Be with me always
Day and night.
Perform Singer:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
Without a single instrument accompanying her, Bellara's voice fills the galley, strong and pure. The song's words have always moved her, it spoke of something she longed for but never had. Tears begin to wet her lashes. Her eyes slide closed as she recalls the song taught to her by one of the older shipyard workers during her youth. She lets the song trail away after the last note, tossing a small nod at Diego.
Once she has a chance to slip away, she checks in with her friends. Frustrated with the locks she encountered while trying to explore, Bellara is eager for any news about their new ship. "Has anyone been successful at finding anything useful? I was thwarted by locks each time I tried!"
The song is Smaointe by Enya. I've always used Irish for the Halfling language, so I thought this was appropriate. Thanks for the clarification, Lodestone. Also, if there is a chance to get a dagger from Doc, Bell would like to be armed. I also made the assumption that the vichyssoise was served to everyone for dinner. If not, my apologies!
Okay, since everything is locked or accessed from the Captain's quarters, then I could just pass on trying to explore since there's nothing really TO explore at the moment. Also, to save time and get the game moving, Bellara is to do normal rum rations and going to bed early. Sorry, I'm exhausted from the very long trip here. I need to hit the sack.
We were traveling with a cat who has never been in a car for longer than the few minutes it takes to get to the vet. Then we decided after a few test drives with her to take her cross country. LOL
All that packing, two days of driving for hours and hours and hours...and we are finally at our destination!
Posted quickly. Let me know if I missed anything else. I skimmed things and just wanted to get Bell's alternate area to explore picked out before I unpack and dust this place. -.-
Bellara nods at Alessandra, thankful that someone was watching out for her. "I suppose there is a time and a place for everything and I shall take a pass on this one for now. I thank you for your concern, my dear. I'll try elsewhere."
The Taldan girl withdraws with grace and picks a less complicated target nearby.
Trying instead for area A5a - the cabin girl's quarters.
Argh. Leaving tomorrow for that long road trip. I'm not packed yet. Still have a million things to do, so I will likely be scarce today as well as this weekend.
Lodestone, regarding your question about whether or not Bell wants to go into the Captain's quarters, I was basing her move on what she would likely do as well as the information regarding A2: The Poop Deck. It says in the Campaign Info that the Captain and Mr. Plugg spend most of their time there when they're on deck, so I figured there would be time for her to slip away when the Captain obviously isn't in his quarters.
Plus, there is the Sneak option that I thought worked this way: if she passes her checks for the day (which she did), then she can briefly explore an area make one Perception roll or other skill roll with no chance of detection, which is why I thought it was safe to check out the Captain's quarters under those circumstances.
Going to bed, but I thought I'd ask my question first.
Bellara smirks at Aretta's comment half a beat before she makes an elegant salute at Plugg once he gives his orders, her long fingers grazing her temple. "Aye Sir, main sail it is!" she says with gusto before ambling off toward the main mast. After barely scraping by on explaining the fight from this morning, she aims to work well to not draw any further attention to herself.
The thick ropes at the mast's base serve as good handholds and footholds for Bellara to start her climb. Thankfully fortified by that thin stew last night, she climbs steadily, avoiding looking too closely at the gaudy designs on the clock she encounters. The Taldan girl does, however, make note of the time. She aims to go exploring once she finds the proper opportunity to do so.
After her previous attempts with other members of the crew, Bell is delighted to be working alone. She even hums to herself as she works, idly raking her hair back when the wind tries to whip it into knots. Thankful that the work of furling and unfurling the main sail by herself didn't tire her out, she decides to do a bit of reconnaissance. Feeling daring, Bellara slips away to explore an area of the ship.
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Depending on Rogar's answer re: influence vs. exploring the store, Bell will check out either the Quatermaster's Store or the Captain's Cabin, A5. Question: as a rigger, why do the checks change at times from Acrobatics to Strength?
Bellara's eyes widen as she catches Shaeda's look. If the halfling thinks that I'm the one to talk ourselves out of this situation, she is sadly mistaken. Ah well, but one does what one is capable of.
Letting a smirk settle upon her lips, the Taldan girl casually reaches up to grab Aretta's arm draped around her. With the lacy frill at her sleeve falling over her hand, it hides her intent as she turns her hand inward and closes it around Aretta's flesh. Bell takes the opportunity to squeeze tightly, digging her nails in the woman's exposed forearm, silently reminding Aretta of the solid blows that she and Shaeda delivered quite recently. A semblance of truth would be the woman’s wiser course of action here, or there will be consequences.
She turns to stare coldly at Aretta, though her words are aimed at Plugg. "Sir, I believe that this woman's eyesight must still be plagued by sleep if she dreamed up such a scenario. Certainly none of what transpired involved kissing, jealousy, or anything of the sort. Your new crew members,” she pauses, her other hand indicating herself and her four other fellow captives, ”were merely stowing their hammocks away and getting ready for the day’s shift up top. Now, I’m certain that with this lady here being more than awake now, she will realize what she said and inform you of everyone’s intent to merely go about their duties which are of utmost importance here. Don't you agree?” She jostles Aretta's arm for emphasis.
"I mean, who has time for other things when there is so much work to be done on this ship. Am I right?" Another jostle.
Bellara flicks her gaze meaningfully at Shaeda as if to say that she has to do her part too.
Intimidate and long winded chatter aimed at Aretta to influence her attitude to help them talk their way out of this mess. If the Influence Attitude is successful, rolling the duration below too.
Used to verbally sparring with others, Bellara snaps back. "Pretty little boys, I'll have you know. Now there's a word that doesn't apply to you..." She winces, her words cut off as Lonnegan's blow lands on her arm.
Bellara whistles through her teeth as their dual assault at Aretta fails to knock the woman out. "What do they call ladies like you in Andoran anyway? Tough cookies?" she says sarcastically as she takes another swing at the woman.
Could someone clarify this for me? If Shaeda confirmed her crit on Aretta (which I'm assuming it did since Bellara connected with a 13 and Shaeda rolled a 15 on her crit confirm roll), would her damage be multiplied by 2?
I thought that Aretta would be at 10NL: Shaeda's 3, multiplied by 2 = 6, plus Bell's 4.
Bellara shakes off the hit to her chin, swiping at it with the back of her hand. Aretta's comment catches her attention. Pivoting on her heel, she turns to face the awfully dressed woman. "Apparently your mother missed teaching you manners," she grinds out before throwing a punch.
Roll for unarmed in my last post = 12, plus the 1 from Shaeda's Freebooter's Bane = 13 attack roll. Rerolling damage since I forgot it was d3 and not d4 and adding the +1 from Shaeda to that.
With Fipps down, Bellara smirks as she turns her attention to the pirate to her right. She takes the time to smooth down her jacket where Fipps poked her as she stares the man coldly in the eye. "Jape, is it? I would hope that you think twice about your actions, lest you find yourself unexpectedly sleeping next to your friend here." The words are delivered softly enough, though her posture says otherwise as she hikes up her sleeves and balls her fists.
Intimidate/Demoralize:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Bellara stands with her fists raised in front of her at the ready, just waiting to see if her words sink into the thick-headed lad that decided to accost them today.
In the next moment, she lets her fist fly, aiming for Jape's chin.
Unarmed:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12 Damage:1d4 ⇒ 3
Sorry it took a while today, guys. Terribly busy getting ready for the Big Road Trip (with a car sick feline too). EDIT: I just read that demoralizing an opponent is a standard action, so consider her punch roll for the next round if that's okay.
Hi guys! It's summer, so weekends are busy for me now. I'll be pretty scarce next weekend as well...going to be doing a loooooong drive.
Alessandra - I jumped on the Buccaneer archetype for the game. Didn't realize what I was giving up. But then again, I've never played a regular gunslinger, so maybe I won't miss what I've never had. :D
Bellara returns Diego's grin with a lopsided smile of her own. The man's carefree demeanor was enough to turn her thoughts away from the unfortunate demise of Magpie, even for just a little while. She cocks her head to one side, hooking her thumbs into her belt. "A very nice attempt at a jest. It would probably work had this been my first time aboard a ship and myself a bit more gullible. I assure you though, it is not and I am not." Her smile widens a fraction. "But I thank you for your compliments. My music instructor would be pleased to hear them." She inclines her head as if they were within a gilded ballroom instead of the galley of a pirate ship.
When Diego strikes up a conversation with Rosie, Bell considers the rest of the crew one by one, trying to garner any information that might be useful to them.
One man in particular catches her eye. More than the others, he seemed riveted by the tattooed man's performance. She seeks Diego out once more, clapping him on the shoulder while she leans in to whisper, "This may be nothing, but I couldn't help but notice the one with the blue scarf on his head. He seems particularly interested in your choice of material."
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Alessandra:
Sometime after their impromptu performance, Bell feels a hand on her shoulder. She whirls around instantly, tense and on guard. Her shoulders sag in relief when she realizes the person behind her was Alessandra. The girl unerringly manages to touch upon all those parts of her that were soft and often well hidden. "I am glad to hear that I have made one friend, my dear. You may count me as yours." Bellara gives the half orc girl the same regal nod that she had given Diego.
She then waits for a time when the crew gets more raucous in the their drinking before telling Alessandra in a low voice, "I'll be passing on this observation to Diego as well. You are likely far better at making friends than I am. There is a chap with a blue scarf tied around his head. His response to the performance was far more positive than the rest of them. Perhaps there is something there we can use to our advantage."
Bellara eats her dinner woodenly, shoveling in the water fish stew only because she knew that a long day of working the rigging required her to replenish herself. Halfway through the bowl, she heaves a sigh of relief at seeing Doc back on his feet again. She raises her spoon in a small wave of greeting at the dwarf, though her face remains pale and drawn. Witnessing a keelhauling firsthand affected her more than she cares to admit.
She shrugs at Alessandra when they get a moment for a quick exchange. "I'm not making friends here anytime soon. But other than that, I'm fine. What of you? Is your stomach is feeling a little better?"
When Diego appears, Bell wrinkles her nose only slightly. Though there were definite olfactory offenses committed, at least the man's looks made up for it. Once she hears his offer, the Taldan girl downs her grog in a few gulps. "It's been quite a while since I've been in front of people," she confides nervously. Despite her admission, the girl gamely gets to her feet to accompany Diego.
Perform:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Distracted as she was by the recent keelhauling, Bell fumbles through the first few words. She definitely didn't drink enough grog to be doing this. A flush starts where her cravat leaves off and steadily rises to her cheeks. Her voice comes out strong, certainly. But Bell's attention is clearly elsewhere judging by the awkward pauses that occur whenever it was time to do her part.
Once the performance was over, Bell leans into Diego, her long hair brushing against the ink on his arms. "I...I'm truly sorry about that. Today hasn't been one of my better days."
Bellara listens carefully, her brows inching up as understanding creeps in. Perhaps we share more than just the misfortune of being here.
She places a comforting hand on Alessandra's still heaving shoulder. "It's alright, my dear. One day, you and I will have a talk. Today, however, is not that day," Bell muses, leaning over to watch Diego climb up valiantly to join them. There it was again, that appreciative smirk for the way the tattooed man chose finesse over brute strength.
"And as far as not doing the normal thing goes, I suppose it's because we are all in the same predicament here. It seems to me that we need to pull together if we have any hope of surviving this ordeal intact, yes?"
I think this should clear up the misunderstanding, and I doubt they had too much more time for conversation up there.
Alessandra, posted in-character regarding the misunderstanding.
Shaeda, thanks. I'm also trying to read up on gunslingers. I think that in general, just let me know if I'm not rolling things I'm supposed to. I have precious little actual tabletop experience and most PbP games I've seen die before a lot of combat actually happens, so my gaming experience regarding actual Pathfinder rules has been limited.
Years of singing in taverns and sailing around the Shackles have afforded Bellara the luxury of anonymity where she thought her name and the shade of her hair no longer mattered. And yet this girl's flippant comments brought it all back again, the loneliness and the pain of not belonging. For just a moment, that hurt is reflected in her eyes, amber getting the slightest layer of sheen.
It takes a few heartbeats for Bellara to collect herself. Alessandra was already going on about the wonders of the sea. She shakes her head, then deliberately rakes her long blonde locks away from her forehead with her slender fingers. Lifting her chin in defiance, the wind whips at Bell's hair until it flows like an incriminating halo around her. She turns to look Alessandra in the eye. The Taldan girl's voice is husky with emotion as she clarifies, "I meant the cook, Alessandra. His name is Fishguts."
I'm not familiar with this AP. I barely got to skim the Player's Guide when I rolled Bellara. There is a ship to ship combat section that takes up a good portion of the guide.
Does this mean we'll all get separated into our own ships? I hope not, since the party has people with stories I'd love to see unfold. I like character interaction too, so I'd hate to see that go away. :)
Alessandra, Bell wouldn't have called Alessandra "Fishguts." That was what Plugg said the cook's name was, and she'd rather not be near someone named thusly. ;)
Bellara works steadily, thankful for her sure footing and the balance that years of sailing on various ships bestowed upon her. After a few furtive glances at the pair working with her on the rigging while tying off some line, she decides to at least make conversation with the one so very aptly named "Narwhal."
Considering her present company, Bell lets that Taldan diction of hers slip in favor of something she hopes wouldn't alienate her even further from her new shipmates.
"Name's Bell. I figured if we're to work together, we could at least swap names."
Knowing that making friends wasn't her strong suit, she goes back to focusing on her work, hoping that she didn't gaze at the dwarf's prominent nose for too long.
The poke to her chest snaps the Taldan girl back to the present, torn as she was between reliving that odd flip in her stomach from Diego draping his arm across her shoulder, the gut churning terror at watching the dwarf fall, and the worry that she surprisingly felt when Plugg hit the half-orc. That glib reply she tossed at Alessandra while they were still up in the crow’s nest was almost forgotten.
Earlier with Alessandra:
”Oh, don’t you worry, there are many things I can’t do - spending time with someone named Fishguts being one of them,” Bellara says with a smirk. ”Why do you think I climbed up here so quickly? And trust me, holding my tongue is proving quite difficult under the circumstances. Having said that, do try not to rouse their ire, my dear. They are far too quick with that cat around here.”
For now, Bellara squares her shoulders, nodding curtly at Plugg. Inwardly, she was relieved to be as far away from the tasks of cooking and rat catching as she could possibly be. "Right then, up top with Maheem and Narwhal." Her gaze can't help but travel to where Doc disappeared before she works her way up the mast once more.
