The World of Pern(tm) is copyright to Anne McCaffrey (c) l967. The Dragonriders of Pern is a registered copyright.

This is a log of an online roleplay on PernMUSH. This is not fanfiction, and the characters are copyright their respective players.

Dess(#13727PJce)

At 5'8", Dess is neither skinney nor plump, but rather, sleekly built - muscles defined but elongated gracefully beneith her smooth skin. She's obvious well aquainted with the sun, for she has a healthy glow about her, and her long hair, although a natural mahogany, is shot through with streaks of dusky blond. Her face seems made up of angles, her cheekbones sloaping down from her pixies jawline, her glittering, green eyes slanted slightly, and her mouth a swollen V above a pointed chin. Even her nose is set at a gentle incline. She carries herself gracefully, and with a self assurity that's born of wealthy blood. She's presantly 35 Turns, 9 months, and 2 days old.
Clinging to Dess' form, sea-moss green is shot through with silver, shimmering and dancing in any light that hits the soft, stretchy fabric of this two piece bathing suit. A modest cut for the top, it provides support while showing off only the faintest round of her clevage above the boxy neckline - cutting off tightly just beneith her bosom. An expanse of tight stomach stretches below this, and just as her hips begin to flair out, a swath of the fabric ties about them, knotted to one side and flowing down to tickle against the backs of her knees like a wrap-around skirt. Bright yellows and blues have been worked into the material in a bloom of flowers. Beneith this, her bikini bottoms are cut stylishly high, while still giving good coverage of her backside. Platform, rope sandles wrap up about her ankles, and one might wonder how she walks in them without falling on her face. Her hair is bound up in a sportishly shaggy knot, stuck through with a carved pin.

SeaCraft Hall - Docks(#2328RDJM)
The spacious, busy docks outside the Sea Hold offer plenty of room for crafters, merchants and other sailors to moor their ships. The Sea Craft itself makes good use of the ample space, moving completed vessels out from the Building Area as soon as convenient. But even when crowded with ships, the docks still have plenty of room to lounge around and watch all the bustling activity-- if, that is, you're not on duty! The autumn afternoon passes neath a sky unencumbered by cloud.
The building area lies to the east, a popular beach follows the peninsula to the northwest, and a path to the courtyard stretches up to the northeast.
Contents: Dess Sea Lizard Onyx Swift Twilights Dream Eye of the Wind Sunset Isle Zephyr Blue Infinity Halcyone II Morning Light Creeping Clouds Sky Chaser Mercury Swift Spindrift Siren's Call II Debatable Windspirit Dragon Wing Verticity Windhover
Obvious Exits: Harbour Beach ShipYards CourtYard

Aboard the Eye of the Wind, Audrin is striding around on her deck, shouting out orders to various apprentices and deckhands.

Sweeping along, Dess clumpity clumps her way down the docks, both hands held out daintily at her sides to assist her balances in her platform sandles. Several sailors stop and simply stare at the bikini clad woman - some for obvious reasonsons, while some are forced to turn away - their guffaws muffled. "Oooo Audrin dear!!!" she suddenly cries out, spotting the Master as she zones in on the shouts. Her lips pucker and hint as her brows arch in worry - her climpity-clumps coming closer as she teeters towards the vessel. "Oh my my - you really shouldn't shout so! By the time your fifty turns you'll have a voice like a mans, dear!"

Aboard the Eye of the Wind, Audrin visibly recoils at Dess' tones, frowning ferociously at laughing sailors, and beats a hasty retreat to the other side of the ship, ducking a little. If I can't see you, you'll go away. If I can't see you, you'll go away.

Dess watches the other woman dart away out of sight, and those little lips tug down just a hint further. "Oh dear.. She didn't hear me. I suppose I'll just have to clambor up onto that little boat of hers." With a gusty sigh, she climpity clops right up to the gangplank, setting first one platform onto it then another. She wobbles for a moment, almost falls over backwards, then reaches out to catch a passing sailor by the back of his shirt. "Oh do help me, dear.. I really /must/ see that Captain of yours. Poor dear.. no wonder she's a mess! Why, do you realize what a step incline like this does to ones arches!?" Bug eyed, the man simply stares at the woman holding him with a mixture of shock, bemuzement, and.. well, horror, as his arms are laden with a crate and she seems quite literally attached to him. Dess smiles sweetly now, and adjusts herself behind the poor man, clinging with both hands and giving a little patty-pat to his shoulder with the fingertips of one hand. "Now there's a love.. haul me up. Comon now, we've not all day!" And.. for lack of a better way to handle it.. he does.

Eye of the Wind(#7072JMVaes$)
Standing on the wooden deck, you get an impression of order and efficiency. Various members of the crew mill about, making ropes secure, scrubbing the decks, polishing the brass portholes and ship's bell.
Aft, is the Galley and chartroom and the hatch leading to the Halfdeck and crew quarters. In the bow, if you lean over the bowsprit, you can see the figurehead, a carved golden firelizard, her wings outstretched to salute the waves.
Obvious exits:
Captain's Cabin
Halfdeck
Contents:

Audrin still keeps up the pretence of ignoring Dess as the woman wobbles aboard, pinning her eyes on some knotwork the apprentices are attempting. Finally she gives up and just flat out stares in mute horror as Dess commandeers one of the sailors and continues to clomp aboard.

Once safely on the deck, Dess releases the sailor she's used as a burden beast, and waves him off with some fly comment about seeing her later about a remedy for that leathery skin he's obtaining. Actually blushing, the man frowns as he hurries away, casting his Captain a look that clearly says "Throw her over or I will!". Of course, Dess herself doesn't seem to notice at all, and instead turns her bright attentions onto Audrin with a flashing smile and a little, fashionable wave of her hand. "Oh there you are! Why dear.. I was calling you. You really mustn't shout so.. it'll do horrors to your voice!" Rushing right on, she clops over to the other woman and daintily pats at stray bits of hair, tucking them back into place blandly. "Now then, dear.. I've come to see about that job you offered? I'm ready for my little test." Suddenly, there's absolute stillness and silence, as even the lowliest apprentice turns looks of horror and amazement on Audrin.

Audrin's mouth opens but no sound comes out. She clamps it shut and stares for a long moment. Another burly sailor comes over, "Now, Miss. Ya sure you're in the right place? 'eadwoman Rhi is probably who you'll be lookin' for." He flashes Audrin a glance before attempting to lead Dess away.

With an airy laugh, Dess shakes off the burly sailor, somehow slipping right under the arm held for her and poping up before Audrin. In one smooth motion she reaches to try and tip the other womans chin up with two fingers, what could pass as a kindly smile creasing her lips. "Well of course I'm in the right place! I met your Captain here just the other day and she mentioned a test of fifty laps or some such? I'm sure I'll do quite well.. captain of our little swim team back home, I was. Now don't stand there catching trundlebugs, my dear Captain.. Goodness me, you'll get wrinkles with your mouth open like that before your due time!"

Audrin finally gathers her frayed wits together and bats Dess' hand away irritably. "Get back to your work you gossipy bunch of she-wherries!" she suddenly bellows at the crew, who are naturally all ears. She then gives the woman her full attention, "Are you serious?" she asks bluntly, stabbing an oily finger at Dess' attire, "You're not exactly dressed for swimming in the harbour."

Dess hardly bats an eyelash as Audrin bellows her commands, instead, she gives the sailor who tried to lead her away a knowing smile.. as if to say "See there? Now on with you..Shoo,scat!". As a finger is jabbed at her, she chuckles warmly, as if Audrin is /just/ such a kidder - and with a quick flick of her fingertips she's untied the sash about her waist and clomps to the nearest railing. Delicately tying it there, the flowery thing waves like a flag in the seabreeze, and Dess gives a satisfied little nod. As she bends down to untie her sandles, delicately plucking at the beads of them, her voice issues from her smoothly. "Of course I'm serious, dear.. and I'm sure this will do quite well for swimming in the harbor. My goodness me, but the cold water gives the skin a little spring, dont you know?"

"You're aware, of course, that a harbour is quite different from the open sea or the beach." Audrin's voice drips cynisism and she strides to the railings, "I said back to work!" she shouts as several crew stop to leer at the sudden amount of exposed leg, "The harbour is relatively still so it collects all sorts of things; dirt, seaweed, the odd dead fish..."

"D-dirt.. Dead fish?!" Dess flusters, having just stepped out of her sandles.. perhaps that's a good thing, for she leans heavily against the railing and looks somewhat faint - her eyes widening in shock as she flutters a hand to her chest. "Well.. my my my.. how -awful-!" There's a moment of hesitation, and for a split second it looks as though she might just put everything back on and leave immediately. Then.. she lifts her chin, straightens her shoulders, and pushes off towards where Audrin stands with a determined expression. "Well it certainly can't be any worse than washing out the nursery items! And I'd far rather be out where I can get some sun than stuck in that stuffy place with those cacking wherry's! I'd grow pale and drab in a sevenday, I just know it! Now then.. fifty laps you said, dear?" She beams at Audrin, reaching to undo the knot of her hair.

"Let 'er do it Cap'n!" One of the crew shouts, "I'll save her if she starts to drown!" Several of the rest of the crew start whistling and catcalling. The captain, however, silences them with a vicious look and lets down a rope ladder into the dock below, "If you complete the fifty laps," she pauses, obviously doubting that Dess will be able to manage it, "I'll let you stay on a trial basis. If you don't take well to shiplife then I'll let you go. Understood?"

Dess puckers her lips at the hoots and catcalls, but the twinkle in those green eyes shows she really quite enjoys it. The pose she strikes, one hand on her hip, said hip cocked, just screams "Yep.. Still got it.". Reaching out, she sets her hair stick on a nearby crate with her free hand and gives her head a carefully crafted little shake, spilling loose her long hair. "Well of course, dear! I'm sure everything shall work out just wonderfully.. Why, perhaps I can even help you spruce things up a bit! My goodness, but Master Benrak's little boat looks ever so much better now that I've done with it!" Without a seconds more pause, she half glides half struts her way to the rope ladder and swings a leg over the side, lowering herself cautiously. "Will you be watching, dear -- or should I borrow one of these drudges?" She hesitates long enough to glance pointedly at one sailor.. apparently drudge/sailor.. they're all grouped into one catagory to this woman.

Audrin blanches a little at Dess' little show and nods stiffly, "Sweet Faranth, I must be stark raving mad." she comments to herself, "I'll be watching. Ready to fish you out." she confirms, her lips going into a single flat line. One of the sailors steps forward a little, grinning maliciously. "Did you tell her about the man-eating packtails?" he inquires of the captain.

(Will Dess complete the fifty laps?! Will Captain Audrin -really- let this froo froo woman onto her ship?! FIND OUT! IN the next episode of -dumdadadummm!- The Adventures of Dess!) (To be continued....)