"I can be a bit of a charmer myself, if I put my mind to it, but like you said, there's always the sorting out once the magic fades. For some reason folks tend not to take too kindly to it.", Jan remarks.

"Of course, if I don't look like myself, they don't know who to be mad at..."

Highhead looks at Marrin and frowns.

”Not identical. The sisters dumb and ugly. Vovia is beautiful and smarts.”

He seems quite happy that you’ve agreed to take on this task for him.

Ava smiles at her friend, "Don't we all want more friends?  I think that would be more entertaining as well.  As for changing looks, Jan... trust me, my face is one that people don't tend to forget."

And unless anyone stops her, she starts heading towards the other building, enjoying the breeze coming off the water.

Marrin gives Highhead a long look,

"They look the same, don't they? Great. Just great."

---

Marrin informs the rest of the minor wrinkle of potential twins.

And responds to Jan,

"I could also switch up my..."

She watches Ava go,

"Or we could just go. Let's see what we can manage. I'm going to put on a new face and see about clearing the way for Ava."

She'll jog past Ava with a wave,

"See you there, just give me a few."

She'll duck behind something to put on the face of a salt and pepper haired older woman with a glassy eye and scar cutting her upper lip before heading to the two guards,

"Morning boys, I's gots a question fors yas."

She slurs and whistles a bit while waving, seemingly drunkenly with her hands casting charm person on both of them.

(DC 16 Wisdom save)

"Yas remember me?"

Both guards watch older, weathered Marrin approach with a bit of a 'what now' expression, but when she starts talking and whistling to them they both smile, seemingly feeling quite positive towards her.

"What can we help you with ma'am?" one of the guards asks.

"Yas being all soft on mah! Yas knows mahs name is Missy (Misseh)! Ayes be needing a hand from yas, two big ol' boys. Won'ts be takings more than a few blinks."

((What is the layout near this office? Presumably warehousing and piles of crates not to very far off, but would put them out of sight of the front door?))

The sea is to the west and the city to the east. The office is on the sea side, and a roadway separates it from warehouses to the east. Heading south the docks extend out into the sea until you get to the southern most part where a breakwater extends into the sea, which is where Highhead's office is.

The front doors look south. If someone was to go east from the front doors and then turn north into the street and go to a pile of crates and an entrance to a warehouse, they would be out of sight of the front doors. But from dusty fairy's recon of the building, you do know there are windows on that side so someone inside could see what's going on. Though the guards would not be able to see the door.

-----------------------------------------

"Well, Missy, we'd love to help, but we really have to stay at the door here. Maybe just one of us could go help?" one guard suggests.

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Marrin can throw a Persuasion roll into the mix too (w/ advantage from Charm Person).

Are Avaria, Ethel, and Jan waiting to see what Marrin is up to?

 "Aye needs yas both! Comes on boys, no one's gonna miss yas to help mah..."

She pleads.

Persuasion (base 21, adv): 23

The two guards look at each other then shrug.

"Okay, but only if it's quick," one guard says. The other nods and adds "Vovia will kill us if she catches us away from the door."

They both look quickly at the door, as if voicing the name of their boss would magically make her appear. But when no one opens the door, they smile and follow after Missy Marrin.

Jan would like to have gotten close enough posing as just another dock folk to have gotten good visual on the guards (and over heard them talking). As Marrin leads them away, she'll duck out of sight of anyone else and shift her appearance to match one of the guards. K will be placed in watch to alert her up anyone stirring within, or if Marrin or her guards start returning. 

"Sounds like we're skipping the sweet talking?"

Jan asks Ethel and Ava in her approximation of the guards voice.

Missy Marrin would take the boys away from the door and towards the docks, back to where Ula and Hammerdasher offered to help Bigge.

"Gots a trip comings up, ayes needs to get good with the gods. Yas boys can helps ol' Missy helps some sailors!"

Missy would point at the lumber and look around before asking,

"Who's lumbers this bes? Yas okay with Missy and the boys helps with a load or twos?"

She catch Ula's and Hammerdasher's eyes and give her a wink and Marrin's half smile.

Before she and the boys start helping carry some lumber.

Avaria follows up with Jan after the guards head off with Marrin.  She looks from the now guard look of Jan to the door and back.  "Yes, that's a good impersonation, but now what?  I don't know how to convince whoever is inside to give back the ring!  I mean, I can knock her out and take it off her hand, is that what you want me to do?"  She looks to Ethel as well, waiting for either a nod or direction.

"I can try going in and trying something similar with Vovia, you two follow if you hear it not going well?"

Ava breathes a sigh of relief.  "Sure, sure.  We can be the lookouts and yes, definitely come in if it's not going well.  Did we want to listen for a certain word or phrase?  Or just when it sounds like there is trouble?"

Ethel pops her head into the scheming session.  "What about this?  Tell her Highhead took out a loan against the ring, and with her breaking off the engagement he stopped payments.  We represent the lender.  Either she can return the ring to us as collateral, or get back with Highhead so he starts making payments again?  Its crude but I'm sure you girls can sell the ruse?"

"Want me to keep playing the guard, or join you as a representative of the lender? The former might bring less questions as to how you got in, and I can bring charm to bear if negotiations break down on your end? Or if you want me to do the talking, can drop a charm on them from the start, and use the ruse to explain the request? If the charm takes, she won't care that the guard let us in... or me in, at least."

The guards start carrying the remaining lumber and supplies to the Wish. Hammerdasher and Ula look bemused by the whole charade, sure that Missy is Marrin or maybe Jan. Bigge sees them approach the ship and shakes his head at the two guards.

"We're not paying your prices. You're thieves." Bigge says. "If you're doing this you're doing it as charity. Otherwise put it down now."

The two guards look at Missy, confusion on their faces.

"Are we doing this for free, Missy?" one of the guards ask.

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So far no one seems to have noticed the missing guards. The group does hear voices inside the stevedore's office but can't quite make out what is actually being said.

"Doing it for the gods, we is! Yas not gots to pays nothings. Missy will gets her boys a drink after fors the helps! A drink for Missy toos, ayes thinks..."

She'll give Bigge a wide smile.

((I keep typing up posts that I apparently don't really post...))

Jan will check the handle of the door to see if it's locked from inside, just to make sure that all their planning isn't for naught.

Bigge doesn't look completely convinced, clearly not aware that this is Marrin in disguise, but he relents and takes the extra help.

Jan confirms that the door is unlocked (Stealth check please).