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

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

Rhi wears a shirt of the palest mauve today, the soft fabric fitted to her body. Tiny buttons are done up all the way up the front, save for the very top two. Deep purple thread spins and twirls in a wild dance around collar and cuffs of the blouse, and its flowing sleeves are caught in tight at her wrists. Falling in the folds at her hips, the deep deep purple of Rhi's skirt matches the embroidery on her blouse. Looking close enough, you can just see the tips of well shined boots peeping out from under the skirt's hem. A knot of the blue and white of the seacraft is proudly worn on her shoulder, signifying her position as Headwoman. Around her neck is a fine silver chain. (+detail Rhi's necklace)

Her waist length hair is partially held back by an oval shaped hair clasp made of polished white bone. It is about the size of a young child's hand and has a brown leather thong threaded through evenly spaced holes around the edge. In the center there is a delicate carving of a firelizard in flight over a small ship on the ocean..

Dess

At 5'8", Dess is neither skinny nor plump, but rather, sleekly built - muscles defined but elongated gracefully beneath her smooth skin. She's obvious well acquainted 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 sloping 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 with a quiet grace, and self assurity that's probably been hard gained by her 35 Turns, 8 months, and 12 days turns of life.
Presently, a jade green dress, made of a slippery, springy material, hugs her torso before flaring softly against the round of her hips and falling in a gentle cascade to her ankles. About the hem and neckline, silvery threads weave delicate ivy patterns, dancing and shimmering in whatever light is provided and making the dress itself take on some life. On her feet, rope sandals wind up and around her ankles before clasping off to one side on a smooth, brown bead. Her hair hangs in long waves to just below her bottom, free this day, but for several small braids that have been woven from the crown of her hair and spun together into an artistic design at the back curve of her head. Lingering about her is the scent of salt and grass, the smell of the sea on storm tossed days.

Sitting primly on a stool across from Hugh, chattering away with twittering laughter and airy waves of her hands, is Dess Beneath her dress, one leg is crossed neatly over the other, and she looks to balance on the narrow seat as a bird would it's perch.. by some unnatural bending of physics and gravity. Hugh is scrubbing absently at some invisible spot on the bar and staring at the woman with a look of utter confusion as she prattles on. "Ha ha ha! OH yes! And you just should have -seen- the look on daddies face! You'd have thought I'd have asked to wear pants for goodness sake! So he says to me.. Desstra, dearling! You can't /possibly/ be serious! RED wine with fish?!" more twitters escape her and she flops one hand out dramatically, "Well of course it was just a /grand/ joke!"

Rhi wanders down the stairs from the craftmaster's office, hides under her arm and pauses grinning slightly as she notices the look on Hugh's face. "Good.. umm.. morning I assume it is by now, Hugh" she offers to the barman, to be acknowledged only be another look of confusion and a shrug of the shoulders. She moves across and rests against the bar as Hugh takes pity on her and serves her a glass of juice. After a sip, she smiles to the older woman "And good morning to you too. Can I help you at all?"

As another voice rises and Hugh at last is relieved of his barman's burden, forced to listen to this odd woman for the last half hour, Dess turns about with a little shift of her hips to smile down at Rhi. "Oh hellooo!" she pipes merrily, extending one hand daintily, fingernails so polished as to gleam and manicured neatly. "Why yes, I certainly hope so! You see, I'm Desstra Shayne Cloviant.. perhaps you've heard of my family? The Cloviant Winery of High Reaches Hold?" She gives a little sniff and giggles lightly, waving her free hand in that airy manner again. "Oh but of /course/ you have! Who hasn't, really.. Anywho! " she carries right on, brightly, as if she hasn't said a word out of the ordinary. "I'm looking for a little job while my sire gets his head back on straight! He's had a little.." and here she lowers her voice, green eyes glinting merrily as if it's all a great joke. "A little tantrum.. see? And he's put me out for a few days. I'm sure he'll take me right back in once my lady's gotten a good brandy down him!"

Rhi stands there through all this shaking her head almost impercievably in near disbelief, all the while keeping a polite smile on her face. "Desstra was it? " she asks, extending her hand "I'm Rhi, the Headwoman here at the Hall. I don't know but that we could find you some work if you think that's what you want, but I assure you that no job around here is a 'little' job. All are as important as one another, and we expect everyone to treat them as such. If you're still interested though, I'm sure that we could find something for you. What kind of work can you do?"

Dess feathers her fingertips against Rhi's, barely making contact before it's pulled away and she's dipping both hands in an "Oh you!" gesture of amusement."Of course of course! I'm sure if /they/ can do it /I/ can do it! " She rolls those bright eyes merrily, her smile a perfect little heart beneath her nose. At the younger woman's question, she pauses, lifts one graceful and perfectly filed fingertip to her lips, and presses it there in artful thought, lashes fluttering as if this helps the mental process. Finally she widens her eyes immensely and a candle seems to light over her head, illuminating her expression. "Oh! I did laundry once! Well... it was really just rinsing out my hankie, of course, but I did it all by myself and Tinky didn't even help an eency bit!"


Rhi sends a quick glance to Hugh in an 'can you believe this' look before looking back to Desstra. "A whole hankie by yourself?" She grins at this point, not her usual happy grin, or even amused, but an underteminable grin that could spell trouble. "If you're that efficient then it's the laundry for you of course. You'd be near indispensable there I would think." Her gaze drops to those manicured nails and the grin widens "I assume that you 've brought clothes with you, that you wouldn't mind possibly getting a little soiled? it doesn't matter of course if you haven't, I can arrange something for you if you would like.'

Apparently, Dess isn't used to being criticized, because whatever insult might have been found in Rhi's surmisation of her hankie story is lost on the woman - as her smile brightens further with pride. "Oh of -course- ! I could probably organize those little drudges in a jiff for you! You know.." and she lets her eyes slide sideways, tucking in her chin as she twitters again and actually pressing a hand to the side of her mouth, as if this will keep anyone from hearing her next words. "All you really /need/ with them is a firm tone to remind them who's who!" She obviously doesn't get the difference between what her social standing /was/ in life, compared to what it's about to become. Clearing her throat lightly and plucking up a pink, flower embroidered hankie from one lace encrusted sleeve, she dabs at her lips lightly before continuing, waving the little square of cloth absently. "Oh yes yes! I've an old, velvet dress that should do. Velvet!" her tone distasteful as she rolls her eyes heavenward, shaking her head sadly. "Such a /last/ season material! Sisal is /so/ much more in style these days, don't you agree?" she eyes Rhi pleasantly in expectation.

There's a sudden sputtering and Hugh is in motion, his shoulders shaking suspiciously as he grits his teeth and turns away, his guffaws muffled by sheer willpower on his part.

Rhi nods... nods and nods some more, enraptured by Dess's obvious knowledge of what the drudges at the Hall need. "I thank you for the offer, Dess." She says, inclining her head, though whether in thanks or to hide her expression is unclear, "But I've got everyone working just fine around here for the moment. Though rest assured, that should I have a problem, I'll call to you for your more experienced advice." She thinks "Velvet? You know, that would probably be most uncomfortable for you, cause it gets just -so- heavy when it gets wet. I'll find something that should be a little lighter for you. I wouldn't want to think that you were less than happy during your stay at the hall. If there's anything else that I can get for you though..."

Dess nods happily, her lips curving up into a flashy smile that shows off perfectly even, white teeth. "Oh of course! My door is always open!" the last, she sing-songs, waggling the fingers of one hand at Rhi and laughing lightly. However, this friendly banter ceases on a surprised look when Rhi mentions velvet being heavy when wet. "Wet?.. did you say?" she echo's, giving a false little titter as if to say "You couldn't possibly be serious..... could you?" She swipes back a coiled little lock of hair, and pulls her shoulders back to give Rhi a queer look, searching for some signs of this being a joke on the younger woman's part. "W-well yes.. yes of course! Oh! Oh of /course/! You mean when it's /washed/! Oh! Whew!" she actually swipes her fingertips across her forehead and gives the headwoman another one of those 'You kidder you!" jolly looks, wide smile returned. "You really had me going there for a minute, you kidder, you! I thought you meant that /I'd/ be getting wet! Ha-ha-ha!" Another breezy laugh and she slips from the stool gracefully, continuing on without so much as a pause. "And as a matter of fact.. I'm just /dying/ to see my quarters! I assume they come with the job? I'm sure they're quite lavish.. Tillek's guest suite is just extraordinary, and they're only a ride away!"

Rhi actually goes so far as to return the oh-so-sincere laugh and makes the most of Dess's change of topic to leave the discussion of washing where it lay. "Your quarters are sure to be adequate to your needs." She says lightly, knowing too well that there is going to be a discrepancy in what those needs and Dess's wants are to be. "I'll arrange them first thing in the morning if you don't mind sleeping in the guest quarters for tonight of course. It's just a little late and would mean that you couldn't settle till the early hours, and I'll have to show you round the laundry bright and early in the morning. Letting this little smattering of information settle briefly , she continues "But I'll get you settled as soon as you're ready."

Dess positively beams at her 'new companion', for indeed, she thinks Rhi -must- be one of a good social baring.. she certainly reacts as if she understands her own point of view. In lilting tones, she fairly coo's to the younger woman, "Oh you're just a dear! I'm sure daddy will repay you kindly for taking such superb care of me whilst he deals with this little breakdown he's having in reason..." She sighs gustily, her shoulders rolling with the weight of her life burdens, and she shakes her head a little. "It's so sad.. he was such a strong man just a month ago. But really!" suddenly she's all self righteous indignation and she stuffs her nose in the air, giving a delicate sniff of disdain. "He wanted me to marry Sir Mecky of Fecklers Stables! Can you /believe/ that?! Marry a stable owner! Hah!" Apparently, this is beyond all reason in her view. "But anyhow - I /am/ rather put out this night, now that you mention it.. if i don't get some sleep I'll have bags under my eyes in the morrow!" The horrors of it all!

"A stable owner indeed!" Rhi's hand comes to her mouth to cover the sudden coughing fit that she finds herself the victim of. Regaining a little composure, but certainly a little redder in the face, she smiles. "We wouldn't want that of course, so if you'd like to follow me, I'll show you to your temporary quarters. She takes another couple of sips from the all but forgotten drink, places it back on the bar and waves a good-bye to Hugh as she starts towards the door. "I hope you enjoy your stay with us though. Even if it's not quite what you're used to."

"Oh I do so appreciate it! Poor mums is surely beside herself over this whole mess.. I'll send her a letter this eve. If the healer has let her waken from the fellis juice, I'm sure she'll be much relieved." Dess smiles sweetly, her brows lifting expectantly, "I assume you have /Gold/ firelizards to carry messages? I do so hate to trust those twittish ones.. " she shudders lightly, and turns quickly towards the once again staring Hugh. "Here you are, my good man! A little something for yourself." She sets down a tiny coin, barely something you'd give a child for running an errand, on the bar and pushes it daintily with a fingertip towards the 'tender, her smile now obliquely polite. Hugh grunts, eyes the coin, then the woman, then Rhi beyond as if to say "Get her out of my bar, before I'm forced to toss her o're the docks." Dess, oblivious as usual, hurries with a faint rustle of her dress to catch up to the headwoman. There's a moment of panic as she's almost forced to touch a hefty sailor just in from cleaning fish, then, face crinkled up against the smell - she edges on tippy toes about him and moves quickly to Rhi's side. "Well goodness! You'd think some of these men would take a decent bath before entering a proper establishment!" She murmurs under her breath, obviously put out by the state of the man she just danced about.

Rhi turns sharply as the intended murmur carries further than was intended during a lull in conversation. Waving a 'it's all right I'm dealing with it' kind of wave to the sailor nearest to the comment, who had at this point started to rise from his seat. She waits for Dess to catch up and ushers the woman towards the doorway muttering "It's the Seacraft, Desstra" , as if that should say enough. "Come, lets get you to that room." With that she's out the door.