Serissa of green Sesk

[Ruby]

Serissa
Wherhandler, Healer, Dragonless

Name: Serissa (serISSah)
Age: 33 (November 2989)
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual
Rank: Fort Hold Wherhandler, Master Healer

Physical Appearance:
Serissa is a beautiful blue-eyed blonde, your typical girl next door all grown up. Her hair falls in loose natural waves, the rich honey color highlighted with near white sunbleaching. As a wherhandler she's rarely out in the sun, so her skin is relatively pale, which makes her look rather washed out in the day but eerily beautiful at night. Otherwise, her skin is clear of blemishes and unsightly things like pores, except for the stray threadscore and a few residual scars on her fingertips and hands. Oh, and the huge, raking scars across her lower back. Since she can't see them, Serissa often forgets about them, totally unselfconscious unless her attention is drawn to them. They remind her of Ildyth.

Her height is nothing special, right in the middle of middle, but her legs are long and shapely for her frame. Despite her average height, her body is very well built, with a trim waist and a perky, full bosom despite her otherwise athletic shape. She's surprisingly strong and lithe, although she has lost much of the dexterity in her left hand and both of her knees remain stiff after 'the accident'. She still looks (and dresses) like a Dragonrider, from her flightleathers to the sunken, tired eyes of someone who sees too much death, although she hasn't been a rider in turns. Healing is her life now, and Sesk, although her appearance doesn't show it.

Her face is as delicate as her hands, with a pointy little chin and high, angled cheekbones. Eyebrows that are a shade darker than her hair arch over big eyes, often narrowed or scrunched up in a smile. Her lips always look a little bit pursed, full and ready for a kiss. Serissa really is a sight to see, and she knows it; you can tell from the way she walks and holds herself. She doesn't seem to want to use it, though. She dresses appropriately and professionally, and hardly ever meets people's eyes. Odd, to say the least.

Personality:
Serissa is a distinctly changed person from the sunny Bluerider that came to Selenitas. There are still flashes of that girl: an easy laugh, a bright smile, her tendency to accidentally, inappropriately flirt. She's still witty and sharp, but her humor tends to have more of a bite now than it did, and she's no longer outgoing. It's easy, as a Wherhandler and Night Shift healer, to speak with maybe only two or three people other than her patients every night. She's decided she likes it that way. Her bedside manner with patients is remarkably healthier than her treatment of the healing staff under her control; with them, she fakes happiness, and they believe her.

Serissa's loyal in her own way: if you're around, she'll remain your friend and stand up for you, etc., but she won't go out of her way to find you. Out of sight, out of mind, not to mention that she's still more selfish than is probably healthy. Although she's happy to greet new people with a smile and a feeling of welcome if she's in the mood, she is actually extremely cliquey, choosing mostly female company when she chooses company at all. After that first meeting she often comes off as aloof, and it isn't rare for her to become bored with someone after just one or two meetings. At that point she'll treat them dismissively and avoid their company, as long as the avoidance doesn't get in her way or make things more difficult for her.

She's quite intelligent and proud of her healing ability, especially now that she has progressed to Mastery. Ildyth cultivated a bit of a competitive edge in Serissa, and Sesk has exacerbated her tendency to not ask for help... and her attitude can come out at the most inopportune moments. Don't show her up or humiliate her, especially when she's feeling competitive: while her reaction can range from laughter to anger based on the person and the time of day, she's got a pretty short fuse. While explosive, fiery anger isn't really her style, her own special form of icy coolness can burn just as badly. She can and will hold a grudge forever, so it's probably not a risk you want to take.

History:
2989 - 2997: Selenitas Hold; Early Life
Serissa was born in Selenitas Hold, the child of Serill, a Selenitas resident for generations, and Ispin, a Fortian from the North looking for his eloped little brother. The oldest female in her family, Serissa was named for Selenitas Weyr's noble line, although as far as anyone knows the lines aren't related at all. Her family are just loyalists to the core, and every eldest female from every generation has been named that way. Truly an anomaly in family life on Pern, they do not foster beyond sending children to Crafthalls and occasionally Candidacy, and have taken over a particular corner of the Holder's Quarters for their own. The other Holders tolerate the family with good humor for the most part, forgiving their oddities in favor of their friendly, generally hard-working ways.

The beginning of the Dragon Wars in 2996 had little effect on the child: Selenitas Hold was pretty much out of the way of Northern happenings, and she was already focused on her own dream. Serissa knew, pretty much from birth, that she wanted to be a Beasthealer, and save kittens and foals and baby firelizards and the like. Unlike most little ones who dreamed of dragons or of being Lady Holders with nothing to do but lay around, Serissa stuck to her dream, fussing at her parents until they agreed to send her to the Healer Hall - but not the one at Fort, no, and certainly not the Beastcraft hall at Keroon. That was too far away for 8 turn old Serissa, who knew nothing of the world. Instead, they sent her to the minor Hall at Southern Hold in the care of an unattached uncle.

2997 - 3001: Healer Hall at Southern Hold; Jr. Apprentice
Serissa's junior apprenticeship went by in a flash, as she ate up everything that was put before her. She wasn't at the front of her class by any stretch of the imagination, but what she did learn she learned at prodigious speed, especially the practical lessons. She was elevated to Senior Apprentice after her 4th Turn at the hall, when a Master called her in to his office. She had sought out some training in Beasthealing and Wherhealing, but he suggested a new course: that she transfer to the Healer Hall at Fort and enter the experimental field of surgery. With her dexterity and ability for the practical side of medicine, he argued, her talents would be wasted on general practice, where the most you needed to do was thread a needle. Surgery would be a unique challenge.

3001 - 3005: Healer Hall at Fort Hold; Sr. Apprentice
She took his advice, transferring to Fort Hold's Healer Hall for the second half of her apprenticeship. Serissa took to surgery like a shipfish to water, although she got to do very little of it while still an apprentice. As she approached her fourth year as a Sr. Apprentice, however, she started working more directly with the masters and journeymen. Everyone expected her to walk the tables before the turn was up.

3005 - 3012: Fort Weyr; Candidate, Weyrling, Rider
It was not to be. A Searchrider appeared from Fort Weyr just into Serissa's 16th turn, offering her a place next to the Queen egg at the upcoming Hatching. Blinded by the pride she knew her family would feel if she were to impress a Gold and seduced by the idea of transferring back to Selenitas, Serissa accepted without thought, only realizing once she got to the Weyr that this could mean the end of her Healing career forever. But it was too late; she'd already agreed to Stand.

The clutch hatched only three weeks later, and Serissa took the place she'd been promised, in the small circle of girls surrounding the clutch's largest egg. Imagine their surprise when the dragon that clawed his way out of the egg halfway through the hatching was Bronze, not Gold! Serissa had the unfortunate position between him and the rest of the candidates, so he shouldered her over without a second thought, raking claws across her lower back as he scrambled towards the boys, desperate for Impression to a young man named Magsinium. Sobbing and bleeding, Serissa curled up on herself, determined to return to the Healer Hall as soon as she got herself patched up.

It was then that she felt hot breath on the back of her neck, a rough, papery tongue trying to lick the blood off her back. She opened her eyes, meeting those of a Blue so pale he was almost white. Come now MySeri, I know it hurts, but you'll get no help laying there on the sands! Up up, your Ildyth will help you, let us go. Look, there is a healer coming already.

It was true - Journeywoman Allaen, a woman about four turns older than Serissa she'd known at the Hall, was there to bandage and comfort. She was out for the first week of training, but as soon as she could move, Serissa was up, sitting in on lessons even when she couldn't fully participate. Ildyth wouldn't have it any other way.

The pair grew quickly, although they never really gelled with their Weyrling class after missing that first week of bonding. Instead, Serissa took a shift in the infirmary and started spending lots of time with Allaen and the other Healers. These friendships came in especially useful in 3006, when Thread returned and news from Selenitas filtered in to Fort Weyr: Sera had failed to Impress, and had committed suicide. The Selenitas Line was broken, and while much of Fort Weyr rejoiced (in their own special way), the Healers felt sympathy. Men and women from all over Pern, not to mention guardians of life, they understood, only cementing their relationship with their personal Bluerider. As a side effect, Serissa picked up her studies again, this time learning dragonhealing and more in-depth first aid.

Although Serissa and Ildyth were a competent pair, Serissa's healing placed them on a low-danger threadfall wing after graduation, drafted for battle wings only when things got drastic. Their lives settled in to an agreeable pattern, and Serissa had Allaen move in to her weyr under the flimsy cover that they were just roommates. Flights occurred with no real feelings or commitments made, Thread fell, battles were fought. Serissa stayed out of politics as much as she could, holding herself separate from 'the foolishness of men' as she called it. The war, however, never let anyone alone for long.

3012 was a year of change for Serissa - Allaen was called back to the Hall temporarily to walk the tables in preparation for a mysterious new assignment, leaving the Bluepair alone for the first time in almost four turns. Then, the wings were re-arranged, councils were held, whispering occurred. There had been a large-scale attack on Selenitas Weyr, spearheaded by Benden, in which C'leon had been killed, and during the chaos Bronzerider J'lorin and his wing had disappeared. Fort would return to Selenitas, using whatever means necessary to get J'lorin's whereabouts out of the soft, southern Weyr. Serissa would have none of it.

3012 - 3017: Old Selenitas Weyr; Rider, Dragonless
Rather than attack the Weyr that Serissa still thought of as 'hers' despite all this time and the change in leadership, she deserted. It was all too easy on a night sweep over Fort Hold - she knew the areas around the Crafthalls like the back of her hand, and going between to skulk behind the hulking building was almost insultingly easy. Aware that, without coordinates, there was no way she could warn Selenitas in time, Serissa turned instead for the shadowed High Reaches Weyr, hoping for sanctuary. What she found at the end of her week-long journey was the reason for the shadow: drugs, disappearances, and a pall that seemed to hang over the whole Weyr. Instead of allowing herself to be taken in by the half-mad riders, she took off, south this time. She returned briefly to Selenitas Hold before moving on to the Weyr, where she and Ildyth have done their best to keep out of trouble and beneath notice.

The need for subtlety only increased with the Wasteland invasion; along with K'thay, a fellow Fort bluerider who had been in Weyrling Training when she was (although they were not in the same class), Serissa did her best to blend into the woodwork, working diligently with the other Healers and the riders on Triage Wing. While she and Erilena regularly butted heads after a poorly handled Flight, a brief fling with Kalierre generally put the Dragonlady on Serissa's side, something the Bluerider was never shy about using (and/or abusing). She impressed a Firelizard - brown Daniel, child of Gold Ghost - which helped her blend in even more, and was eventually contacted by Mi'rah and invited to join a secret wing with the goal of removing the Wastelanders.

Although things looked promising, it all ended in tragedy. Selenitas discovered the Exiles robbing a tithe train, and were ordered to engage. Serissa and Ildyth, reluctant to attack those who had taken her in just a few short years ago, saw her opening - take out wastelanders K'ian and Romeoth, pass control to V'rael and Taith, and turn on the remaining wastelanders. She is confident her gamble would have succeeded, but it was not to be. Ildyth lost focus for a second, Romeoth acted in self-defense, and it all ended with Serissa missing a lifemate and the Wastelanders maintaining control.

The next few weeks were very dark for Serissa. While recovering from injuries sustained during the battle, she was under 24-hour observation, and numerous attempts at suicide were stopped. She very nearly managed to take her life during the chaos surrounding the Earthquake, but the combined might of Daniel and the Healers (and the shock of losing Kalierre) meant she got bundled on to a Wher and transferred to New Selenitas against her will.

3017 - 3020: New Selenitas Weyr; Dragonless, Wherhandler
Serissa's condition continued not improving, but eventually time proved its ability to heal and she reluctantly began to reenter society. M'gnum - the same M'gnum whose Bronze Higginth had scarred Serissa so many years before - encouraged her to attend a Wher hatching, as she wasn't able to leave New Selentias to return to Healer Hall. She very nearly wasn't able to enter the hatching quarters, but as it turned out new Wherlings were injured and she was the duty healer. That was when Sesk found her, impressing rather than going wild, and Serissa's life was changed once again.

After that... well, things were different. Being a Wherhandler was a big adjustment, and Serissa's wherling class didn't help matters. She was one of the older ones, and the only one with the loss of a dragon in her past - and everyone knew. She always felt like they treated her like broken glass, which she figured was fair, but was still vaguely disturbing. Sesk didn't seem to want to spend time with anyone but Serissa, Sena, and Sensk, which was fine by Serissa, so the pair remained somewhat aloof from their class. Serissa kept apathetic tabs on the war, tormented by her inability to be out their with her friends and flying brothers, unable to do anything until they came back to the Infirmary. The monsters in the dark were a different story, but fighting with a Wher was very different from fighting with a Dragon, and Serissa found her usefulness limited.

3020 - Present: Fort Hold/Healer Hall; Wherhandler, Master Healer
The summit occurred actually without Serissa's knowledge. She was too busy working with E'rro and Asharra on her Mastery, and patrolling for Kyman incursions. She knew that something was going on, but generally assumed that it would affect only the day-folk. That was not the case, but in the end, everything turned out well. While Selenitas remained hidden, Serissa couldn't return to the Healer Hall to continue her training, and she needed more than Asharra to promote her to full Mastery - her work in emergency medicine during the wars, coupled with some in-depth research on the success rates of certain simple treatments performed in the field before vs. after transport to an Infirmary or Hall qualified her for the position, now that she was no longer a Rider - but after the Summit, she was required to move back to a Hold. Well, Fort Hold with its attached Healer Hall seemed to be a very good choice, and Serissa spent another turn and a half on her Mastery research before the Master Healers invited her to walk the tables. Now she works in the Healer Hall's emergency ward, occasionally taking Sesk out to pick up patients that cannot make it to the Hall on their own.

Sesk
Green Wher

Name: Sesk
Color: Green
Age: 5 Turns (December 3017)

Physical Appearance:
The Mutual Green is a bit smaller than average for a green, though if one took into account her twin brother then they might believe she could have been larger if she had her own egg. She has a slightly stunted tail fork and smaller than usual ridges. Her claws are prone to chipping and breaking. Her wings are absolutely tiny and are about as useful as the average salamandyr's wings are. Unlike her Mutual sibling she has enough meat on her bones that she doesn't look sickly though she does lack the strength other greens her size possess. She apparently got the better end of the stick in the egg...at least in form.

She certainly did not luck out with her coloration. Her base is an unpleasant olive green on top of which she has dozens of light brown spots all over her hide, much like age spots. As if that wasn't bad enough this green has much the same banding that her brother does though they do differ some. There are several very close bands on her legs that line up with each other on each pair of legs as well as two bands around her neck. She also has one band around the end of her tail, just before where her tail fork is. Unfortunately for her these bands come in brilliantly clashing chartreuse green. When she moves quickly the bright bands on her legs also blur in an almost frightening way. When she runs to mate she barely glows at all.

The Mutual Green moves with a self-assured grace. She knows who she is and what she looks like and is not afraid to be seen, or so she tries to communicate with just her body language. Beyond what she wants to project not much else can usually be read from her body language. Mostly because unless she actually is agitated she doesn't feel quite enough for it to manifest physically. When she wants to be left alone, however, you can tell immediately. Her head will be lower and her mouth just barely open, ready to snarl at anyone who approaches. She's a fair runner but not that quick and has very little in the way of stamina. Also, she can't glide at all due to her wings.

Personality:
This green is amazingly easy going. It's almost impossible to elicit a passionate emotional response from her, particularly if it's a negative response. Subtle emotions frequently flit across her eyes, mainly a quiet contentment with life. Her nature makes her easy to go to for help because she very rarely denies anyone. Sometimes she may seem a bit too trusting in someone when she helps with mischief or other ill things but she'll simply argue that she's trying to make them feel supported and loved in order to turn them around. Often times, though, she likes the mischief to liven things up a bit since life can get awfully dull otherwise. She will never instigate it so others doing so gives her a bit of an excuse.

She's a pretty individualistic girl. If she can do something on her own she will. She will also reject most help unless she's in dire need of it. Despite this individualistic streak she tends to indulge others, her twin in particular, when they want her attention. This does eventually lead to her having to force others to leave her alone to her thoughts. During those periods she's prone to lashing out a bit even though she does regret it afterwards. With Hers she's not very affectionate at all. She largely only appreciates Hers for the things they can do for her that she can't do so easily herself and attempts to be there for them for that reason only. She holds some fondness for them, of course, or she wouldn't have chosen them but it isn't the defining point of their relationship from her side.

The Mutual Green is slow to judge others and never goes by the first impression unless it's proven right. Since she thinks herself unpleasant to look at she absolutely hates when others judge based on appearances. She will actually often go out of her way to get to know the socially-deemed uglies. Or the ones that think they are. She doesn't necessarily ignore those that do judge based on appearances but she does judge them on being too judgmental. She'll let them know it, too. She's not afraid of stating her opinion about things...on any thing. She's a pretty good sounding board for ideas, both good and bad, even though she can't always think of better ideas.

Daniel
Brown Firelizard

Name: Daniel
Color: Brown
Age: 6 Turns (September 3016)

Physical Appearance:
For the most part this brown is a dark near black shade of brown, in fact it’s only visibly brown when directly compared to black. The only markings on his body give him an odd look indeed, almost as if he were clothed in brown-black for his head, part of his neck, his tail just above the mid point, and his feet are all a just off white shade, the colour of old, dry, bones. Add to this the subtle variations in his base colour that ripple and shift when he moves and the impression of a clothed firelizard is complete. As if to go with his mostly dark hide his eye colour will also always be dark.

This brown is pretty well average in size, although you’d never know it from the way he holds himself. His long, sleek body is perfect for holding himself perfectly proudly erect under most circumstances, if he’s unhappy it’s very easy to tell by the slumped stance he exhibits. His head will always be held high on his elegantly long neck, his legs always straight, and his tail always curled neatly behind him. The only thing about him that doesn’t fit into the elegant image are his wings, which are gigantic, seriously huge enough to hinder him in the air as much as help him, his flight will always look slightly undignified thanks to these massive appendages and so he prefers to walk when he can and fly only as necessary. In addition to being so remarkably large his wings are one of the most expressive aspects of his body often flared or flicked for emphasis and when not in use for communication they fold around him like a huge black cloak.

Personality:
If his stance suggests a stern, unbending creature, full of pride in himself, well then it would be right. This is one brown who is not at all humble, he takes what he considers of be justifiable pride in everything he achieves. At times he seems driven by what he considers his duty, whether it be to carry out a task for his bonded, to protect a child, or to eliminate a threat, he will always carry out what he sees as his duty to the best of his ability and the limits of his strength. When it comes to failure: unacceptable! If not prevented by injury or exhaustion he will likely throw himself at the same task over and over, trying a different approach each time until he either succeeds or is incapacitated, or a greater task distracts him.

Though his iron will may gain him followers and admirers it will likely not gain him many friends, however he will always be closest to his bonded and his clutch siblings, although he may not always agree with them. Speaking of disagreement, no matter what the cause he will always have but one reaction whether he wins or loses: sulk. Oh yes this otherwise dignified brown is quite the master of sulking, he has perfected the slumped pose and the defiant glare, the complete ignorance of others that makes them uncomfortable enough to heed his wishes and leave. In the end he will always be needed to be shocked out of his moods by someone.

Ildyth
Blue Dragon

Name: Ildyth (ILLdith)
Color: Blue
Age: DECEASED

Physical Appearance:
Ildyth has a build that appears small and light, although in length he is a little on the long side for a Blue. Despite his added feet, he's proportional, with only one body part not quite fitting on his slim frame: his behind is wider and rounder than usual, almost to the point of being considered 'fat'. This gives him a waddly, bouncy appearance when he walks, even when he's doing his best to be svelte. Luckily, it doesn't seem to affect him in the air - any bounciness there comes from his personality and has nothing to do with his body type.

Long, thin wings make Ildyth a fairly speedy and agile dragon for his size, definitely more agile than other blues as long as he is. He trades out endurance, though, barely able to last even half a fall. He often has to pull out of Flights early, especially if it is a particularly high energy, high-impact Flight, as he can only keep that sort of thing up for a handful of minutes at a time. As such, he usually tries to impress females early on, with dramatic twists early on and more straightforward, energy conserving patterns later on.

If you saw Ildyth in the dark with his wings closed, you might think he was an enormous white. It is only in daylight that you can tell he's actually a very pale blue-grey, and his torso, head, and neck consist of the same unbroken shade. His back paws fade into a slightly deeper blue, and the same color bands each of his front legs and the bottom half of his tail in thick rings. It is once he opens his wings, though, that non-believers will realize that he truly is blue without question: his sails are a solid cornflower color, distinctly darker than the rest of his hide. He's a blue, alright, just a blue of the often pale Fortian breed.

Personality:
Ildyth has two distinct personalities: his true self, which he shows only to his rider, is a sweet, caring motherliness laced with acerbic dark humor and an oddly pessimistic outlook. He tends to hope for the best but assume the worst, and constantly second guesses and puts down himself and others out of insecurity. It's nothing to do with his (and he'll never compete against or put his down, as they are permanent partners in everything), Ildyth is just aware that he'll never be the best. The problem? he still wants to be.

As a result, he is extremely over-competitive to the outside world, and that colors everything he does. Flying out to the beach? He can do it faster. Comparing wing size? His are bigger/wider/longer. Chatting about recent flights? He caught a better female. However, all of this comes off as extremely good-natured; Ildyth never seems to be trying to out-do others, especially since he so often loses whatever competition he's in now. It is often taken as a joke or playfulness, much to his chagrin. He always intends serious competition, but his vapid mindvoice and bubble-butt mean that no one takes him seriously, so he often goes along with whatever assumption his opponent makes, especially when he loses. Might as well save face.

He also loses most of his humor and pessimism with those that aren't his rider, attempting to be 'normal' and instead coming off as bubbly, conceited, and concerned with totally inconsequential goals. Always underestimated and even dismissed by the dragons around him, Ildyth has the unfortunate habit of chasing only the biggest, most beautiful, worst tempered Greens, then mooning after them for months once they get tired of the endless competitiveness and bubbly blathering. He is generally considered sweet, air-headed, and useless, so most people keep their distance, leaving him with few (if any) friends; but if someone were to give his a chance and get close to him, they'd find the true dragon underneath. Then again, that might not be an improvement.

[x] By checking this box, I am saying that I have read the Rules and History, and will follow them.

[Rei]

I'm a little confused by the CPR part? Are you trying to say she helped found it?

I'm pretty sure Brekke used that on F'nor in the books when Canth returned from trying to go to what they thought at the time was the red star and wasn't breathing.

So I'm pretty sure medicine has advanced that far. Unless you mean something else? Which you very well might. I'm tired and my brain is fried. Clarification on that part?

Other then that she looks good. ^^