Shipwrecked, a closed thread

[Lady_Kit]

OOC: Please read along as Ariosto and I work though the trials and titillations of a man and a woman from two different worlds who must suddenly depend on each other for survival and comfort in the aftermath of a shipwreck.

Ari will play the owner/captain of a small but sturdy fishing boat. He’s a handsome and rugged man who knows that hard work will get you most of what you want in life. Being smart will supply the rest. He has only one use for the rich, cash. He figures that the wealthy only have one real skill, spending money. He does enjoy the occasional wife or daughter of one of the well heeled though, and has no problem being the “rough” sailor if it makes it easier for them to let him play with their tanned and toned bodies.

My character is one of those tanned and toned bodies. She is also a pain in the ass. Her only redeeming quality is the ability to learn. Dianna Chandler has never worked, will never work, and may not even be familiar with the word. She can’t cook, sew, or apply a bandage in an emergency. She is 25 years old, has fashionably cut blonde (her natural color) hair, large blue eyes, and firm 36D breasts (not natural). She believes that if you don’t have money you are nothing, and frequently demonstrates that opinion with her rude and condescending behavior. Fate is about to step in and give her a chance to change.

Dianna is soon going to learn an important lesson; Daddy’s money can’t fix everything. The lesson begins when she makes an impetuous decision that takes her on an extended weekend with a man as narcissistic as she. The second part of the lesson comes when she decides to abandon her companion for greener grass. The conclusion of her course is the practical, wherein she gets hands on lessons in survival and the erotic possibilities of being shipwrecked.

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The Caribbean sun glared down on the white yacht anchored in the bay. From the port deck angry voices could be heard, one deep and male, the other shrill, petulant and decidedly female. In the surrounding vessels, occupants cringe as they prepare for day number 4 of “Melodramas of the Rich and Useless”.

The yacht was completely out of place in this particular spot. Fishing craft, small sailboats and skiffs of every sort surrounded it. Most folks here lived on shore, so motoring off to another harbor was not an option. The nearest safe harbor was several hours away at the next island, and the livelihoods of the fishermen depended on their arrival at the proper spot for casting their first net of the day. So everyone stayed and endured. Engine trouble had stranded the large white craft here, and sporadic storms had delayed delivery of the necessary parts for repair.

From the sounds of things on the yacht, something else was about to break, and one Dianna Chandler (affectionately known to her friends and family as Princess) was about to make a decision that would change the rest of her life.

Edward, I’m leaving! I simply cannot endure this floating shantytown for another second. I’ve phoned Daddy, and he’s sending the jet to Jamaica for me, but I must make my way there on my own. I asked Captain Bob to find be a suitable craft for hire, and I’m setting sail as soon as my bags are packed.

 

[ariosto]

Captain Slade Shannon

OOC..Looks like a good one Doll...but it'll be tomorrow before I can post. I gotta date with a blonde bombshell at Rick's tonight...come on up I'll buy ya one.

 

[ariosto]

The Busted Flush was named after the houseboat that Travis Magee lived on. John D. MacDonald was about the only author Slade Shannon read anymore. Back when he was younger with aspirations for higher education he read voraciously...but that was before, the drugs, the booze and the inheritance of a 40 foot fishing boat.
He'd kicked the drugs and almost kicked the booze but he didn't kick the ocean that the boat had opened up to him.
In the past decade he'd become a fixture around the little town of Saint Vincent...fishing, salvaging and generally leaving himself and the Flush available for whatever came along.

On this particular day as he pulled his drab gray boat along side the enormous gleaming white yacht, he was nursing a hangover and feeling mean as a snake.

"Look at that man Diana! I'm not letting you go anywhere with him!"
Edward fumed at the top of the companion ladder as the swarthy Slade guided the Busted Flushalongside.
He was a disreputable looking character allright.
Wearing a battered fishermans cap over a craggy weathered, strong jawed face that was in bad need of a shave. He was also almost naked...
khaki shorts faded to nearly white and the long billed hat, that's all there was.
He did have a nice body though, she thought. Broad shouldered and lean...and as he got closer she could see a pair of cool gray blue eyes frankly appraising her.
"Shut up Edward and give me my bags."

"Hey up there!...Are you the Chandler dame?"

*Chandler DAME!!?*

"Cause you might wanna rethink this...a weather front is moving in that might catch us before we get to Kingston."
His voice was raspy with an accent she couldn't place.

"You see Diana this is foolish. Now you just stay right here and we'll be on our way in a few days."
Edward slipped his hand around her waist but she pulled away with a look that could kill and tossed her bags into Shannon's arms.

"NO WAY!...I'm going with you now...RIGHT NOW!"
Diana didn't know much about boats and stepped off at the wrong time, plunging with embarassing inelegance onto the Flush, right at a grinning Slade Shannon's bare feet!

"Welcome aboard Lady!"
He made no effort to help her up.

 

[Lady_Kit]

Ooouufff… Slapping her palm on the deck Dianna resisted the urge to fly into a kicking screaming tantrum. This was not the way she had planned to exit. Edward was supposed to be much more contrite, for one thing, and for another, this…this barbarian was supposed to be so much more servile. Pushing herself to her feet, she gives the captain a withering glance.

Well, I’ve never been treated like This before!

“Well, maybe that’s your problem doll.” Slade observed with a lecherous grin.

With a more serious look, he continued. “Listen, you want to leave now, the price doubles. I could loose my boat in the storm. We’ll be lucky if we make it all the way as it is, I’ll have to provision up, just in case.”

“See, Princess, see I told you he couldn’t be trusted! Now come back up here and I’ll have Olaf give you a nice massage, and then we’ll have a nice cozy dinner.” Edwards whining voice traveled clearly across the gap between the yacht and the fishing boat. Dianna looked first at the ultra preppy Edward in his designer clothes, handmade Italian deck shoes, and perfect grooming; then, at the worn shorts, battered hat, and hard sailors body. There was no question. The body won.

Turing her back on Edward, she extends her hand, I’m Dianna Chandler, and you are?

Tipping his hat mockingly, the gruff captain replies, “I’m Slade. If we have a deal, you can stow your bags below, if not, it’s back to the boyfriend.”

We have a deal, you’ll get the agreed to amount now, and the balance in Jamaica.

Thinking briefly that she could just order Slade to take her things below, Dianna reconsiders and decides that people probably don’t order the man around very much. Taking her bags, she heads below without a second glance at Edward.

She drops her bags quickly, not liking what she thinks she can see in the dim light. She does note the bed, covered by clean, if rumpled white sheets. A picture forms of Slades tanned body, lying nude on those sheets; she shivers and is glad that she’ll be off the boat long before sleeping assignments are a problem.

It would never do to sleep with the man! He’d undoubtedly be the one in charge. He’d have none of the delicacy of her other lovers. His hands wouldn’t soft, but rough on her skin, and that stubble on his chin…well…it made her wet to think about the way it would feel; definitely best not to think about sleeping on the boat.

 

[ariosto]

The Flush pulled away from the white yacht in a cloud of greasy diesel smoke that left a disgruntled Edward choking in their wake.

"How long till we get to Jamaica mister Slade?"
She was gripping the rail and being sick for the fifth time in the last two hours.
Even in a calm sea the old boat had a distinctive pitch and roll that had undone many an 'old salt'.
The sea was not calm right now and Shannon knew it was going to get worse.

"I ain't Mister Slade. I'm Mister Shannon but I figgered we'd do better on a first name basis."

"How...long...Slade."
Her voice was weak. He looked at her with an expression as close to pity as his weathered features would allow.

"Mebbe 30 hours, maybe more...depends on this damned weather."

They'd left the yacht only this afternoon but it seemed to Diana she'd been on this wretched boat forever.
She was on her third change of clothes and wasn't sure she had the strength to put on another.
Slade had taken his own sweet time to tell her not to throw up into the wind on an uproll.

The weather was getting bad fast. Long slow swells were plunging the Flush up and down like a roller coaster and the South East horizon was purple with storm.

"Lady maybe we better go back to SaintVinnie and wait this one out."

"No."
Her eyes flashed at him in the gathering dusk.
"NO!...I want to go home!...NOW!"

 

[Lady_Kit]

“Oh god…I’m going to die…OH GOD Please let me die soon!” Dianna thought as the boat heaved itself up above the turbulent waters once again. The motions threatened to revive the seasickness that had subsided since her stomach had finally emptied of, what felt like, everything she had ever eaten.

The storm that Slade had predicted had struck just as night began to fall and he had sent her below where she would be the least problem to him. She had been told to stay put until told to do otherwise, and for once Dianna had obeyed. The frightened woman wondered if perhaps she had finally gone to far to have her own way, and had decided, for the moment at least, that Slade probably did know best and she should do as he said.

The screaming wind and pounding waves were deafening in the small cabin of the boat. Dianna wondered if Slade was still at the wheel, she hadn’t heard him swear for some time and she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. She hoped that if the time came to abandon ship he would remember she was here.

The pitch of the boat seemed to suddenly change, and Dianna at first thought that the storm had passed. Then, the wet and angry form of Slade Shannon came through the door to the deck.

“Well, Princess, I’m afraid we’re going to be just a little late getting you to Daddy. We’ll be making an unplanned stop on the way.”

Wha..what do you mean? Stopping where?

“That is a very good question, and I wish I had an answer! Now move it! We’re abandoning ship, the Flush has struck a reef, and we’ll be lucky to get off with our skins. Move it, Lady!” With an sharp movement, Slade threw a lifejacket at the stunned woman and began tossing items into a waterproof bag.

Eyes wide with fear, Dianna stands uncomprehending for a minute before answering.

But, where will we go? Slade…SLADE! Where are we going? She yells in desperation.

Without looking in her direction, he answers, “We’re on a reef, just offshore of a small island. We’ll take the launch and hope for the best. Now, damn-it move your ass before we go to the bottom with the boat!”

 

[ariosto]

As soon as she emerged on deck Diana was struck by a vicious wave that nearly sent her overeboard.
Slade grabbed her and bundled her into a tiny launch on the lee side of the Flush.
He had to scream to make himself heard above the wind and the crashing water tearing at the reef.

"Laydown!...Stay still...This damned dingy hasn't been in the water in 5 years!...keep your fingers crossed!"

Diana knew she was going to die.
She was very ornamental on the beach but a lousy swimmer at any time...If she ended up in the water tonight it was all over.

Slade pushed away from the fractured hull of his boat...his life, and knew that she was a goner.
He doubted in the morning if there would be anything left. Her back was broken and each new wave was ripping her apart.

She was lost rapidly in the dark and the cockleshell they were in began to spin crazily until he could sitdown and get some oars in the roiling sea to stabilize their motion.
In the intermittnet flashes of lightening he could see the long low line of palm trees on the island they would call home for awhile.

He nudged Diana with his knee
"Hey Doll you wanna see where we're goin'!?"

"NO!, " she screamed, "Just get me there!"

 

[Lady_Kit]

Slades manical laugh did little to comfort Dianna as she huddled in the leaking boat....Leaking Boat!!!

Slade!!! The boats leaking!!! We're going to drown...Oh God! I'm too young to Die!!!

The thrill of battling the elements for his life was something Slade hadn't experienced for years, and he remembered now how much fun it could be.

"Come On....Doll! Take a look at what life and death are all about!" A moan from the vicinity of his feet was the only response and Slade felt a brief stab of pity, but it was quickly sqaushed by his more practical side. Digging the oars into the surging waves, he makes one more push for shore.

One last crash drops the launch to the sandy shore, and Slade is out and dragging the boat further up the beach. Stopping he shouts to Dianna to get out, but neglects to explain timing the waves. She is swamped as soon as she becomes upright. Coming up sputtering, she doesn’t even have time to yell before she is being drug along with the boat.

At the edge of the trees they stopped. Both collapsed to the ground exhausted heaps. After too brief a rest, Slade demanded that Dianna help him overturn the boat and prop it up for a shelter; after which they crawled beneath, and lay tightly together in the darkness.

During a sudden lull in the storm Slade heard Dianna quietly say,

Thank you, Slade. I owe you my life.

 

[ariosto]

"Yeah,"
He was looking out through the gusting rain at what was left of the FLUSH, slowly being ground to toothpicks on the reef.
"Well it could get pretty damned lonely on this island before we get picked up...You got any cards?"

"Cards!"

"Sure we can play a little strip poker and get warmed up maybe."
He automatically reached in his shirt pocket for a cigarette and came up with a shapeless wad of paper, foil and tobacco.

"Christ!"
He was about to hurl it into the rain, when she caught his wrist.
"Wait...we can dry it out after the storm...It can still be used."

He looked at her with a new appreciation.
"Hey that's right, I wouldn't think a doll like you would think of that."

She grinned,
"A doll like me needs a smoke damn bad right now too."

Inspite of her forlorne wetdog appearence at the moment, Dianna
looked damned good. Maybe being shipwrecked wouldn't be so bad afterall.