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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 20, 2011 15:42:19 GMT -5
Tail hummed slightly to herself as she wiped the bar off for the 10th time that day. It had been a slow day, so Chanda had left her in charge, while he went out on some other business. He hadn’t been that specific, and she hadn’t bothered to ask. She knew Chanda was a man with his secrets, and had learned when not to ask too many questions. She understood him though. There had been close to no costumers the entire day. It seemed the heavy, moist weather had made even the regulars stay in the comfort of their own homes. Had she had the option of letting someone else stand in the bar, doing hardly anything all day, she could properly have thought of another thing or two to spend her day with! But alas, he was the boss and thus she got the doubtful privilege of managing the place for the day. Tail stopped her work with a slight sigh. As she looked out at the rain pouring down outside the windows, a sympathetic thought went to Chanda. At least she hadn’t had to go out in the rain!
Finally Tali put the cloth down, realizing that the bar wasn’t going to get any cleaner. She leaned her against the back of the bar, quickly scanning the room. The only persons there, besides herself, were a sleeping guy in one corner and a lone woman in the other. The guy, a traveler, had bought a few things, but had mostly been waiting for the rain to clear. He had been tired when he came, but talkative. At least until he had simply been too tired to make any sense, and Tail, not having the heart to throw him out, had allowed him to sleep in the corner. The woman on the other hand, hadn’t said a word since her first order. She had just been sitting by herself for the better of an hour, not really doing anything, barely even touching her drink. Tali realized she was kind a starring at the woman and quickly looked down. She would let them sit, at least till the bar closed… or till Chanda came back and kicked them out. Not that he was likely too, but unsocial costumers, who didn’t buy anything was, after all, pretty lousy costumers.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 21, 2011 6:55:30 GMT -5
The universe had a cruel sense of humour. The rare, but much needed, rain came just as he was outside, in a meeting that went foul. The thunder covered the gunshots, and later the grunts of pain on both sides. Chanda had no idea whether it was a planned hit, but he had a feeling it was. The rain was something of an omen though and he knew there was something more to come. His attackers were left alive and strung up with rope, using a nearby sign as leverage. He didn’t need more blood on his hands after all, not that he didn’t make them bleed. With his attackers detained, he limped home, he wasn’t all that old but he’d gotten rusty. He needed to train again, either that or retire fully.
Chanda was drenched in rain and the blood of several people, including his own. His lip was bleeding, and a bullet had clipped his thigh. He was lucky, no bullet had imbedded into him, he’d need a few stitches, but nothing more. Still it was painful.
“In a time old cliché, you’re getting too old for this sh-what am I talking about, I’m not even forty yet.” Chanda laughed as he hobbled home.
‘Tali’, Chanda thought as he stopped just down the street from the bar. If she saw him like that, well he didn’t know what she’d do, but he doubted she’d be as flippant as he was with it. He huffed a little, deciding on a course of action. He could go through the back, but there was a bell on the door, she’d hear him and come running probably. Going through the bar would allow the customers to see him, but Tali would then be too busy with them to give him more than a nod. He limped up to the door and then leaned against the wall. With a sneaky look into the window, he realised the bar was empty, and Chanda huffed heavily. It was now or never. Chanda repositioned his clothing and then limped towards the door, getting an all the more proud look, in order to mask his wounds. As he opened the door, he quickly walked through the bar, towards the small gap in it, to get to the back.
“Not too busy Tali?” He asked, smiling a little, but inwardly he winced as the but on his lip widened. Whilst at the bar, he took a look over at the meagre crowd. “Let them stay until the rain stops, if it doesn’t, give them some rooms upstairs, I hear there’s a threat of flooding in some areas, I’d rather not lose customers…” He turned and limped towards the back door, instantly breaking the façade.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 21, 2011 8:19:22 GMT -5
Tail was, for the 4th time that evening, checking if any of the bottles on the shelf were empty. She had already been down in the basement after full bottles once, but she checked it anyway, half to be sure, half out of pure boredom. Once in a while she looked hopefully towards the door, as if she hoped someone would sneak their way in without her hearing the door. It was there, while taking a quick peek at the door, she saw a well known figure peeking back through the window. Her smile widened significantly as she grabbed a whisky glass and one of the stronger bottles from under the counter. It tasted like shit, but there was nothing better for getting the warmth back in the body. As she poured the glass, she heard Chandas familiar voice. ”Never been busier!” she laughed back, putting the bottle away again. She nodded a bit as he continued, to let him know she was listening, and put the glass on the counter for him. ”Sure thing B-“ the last word died in her mouth as she looked up and saw Chanda limbering. The initial shock almost made her push the glass on the floor, but caught it with a quick ”Shit!”. ”What the Bloit happened to you?!” she exclaimed,as she hurried to his side to support him, her eyes very worried. She had put most of her Vetusolum slang behind her, but it always popped up again when she got angry, stressed or, as in this case, worried. ”You got mugged or something?!” she continued as she helped him out back, and found him a chair. ”Wait here, I’ll find you something to clean yourself with” she said quickly, and disappeared further out back. To her it looked like he had had the crap beaten out of him. She hadn’t really seen any bruises, but it was kind a hard to see what was what when he was covered in blood and rain like that. But limbering like that, he could only have been beaten up. Right? She returned shortly after with a pile of cloths in one hand and a bottle of disinfection in the other.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 21, 2011 9:06:18 GMT -5
Chanda smiled at her concern, it was her all over. There was an almost glint in his eyes as she held him up. “Blimey, it’s like being married again, calm down woman.” He sat down in the chair as she provided it, and winced at the wound on his leg. She was busy worrying about him, and he couldn’t help but find it thoroughly amusing.
His eyes twinkled as she asked him whether he got mugged. “Yes… I got mugged.” Chanda smiled, as she vanished into the back. That wasn’t entirely correct, but the less Tali knew, the better. His hair was a mess, and he was soaked to the bone, so much so, he couldn’t help but shiver a little, despite it being nice and warm in the room. His cut was bleeding still, over chin in a slow stream, but it looked like it was thickening, gradually it was stopping, which was good. Chanda was beaten up quite badly, especially in the areas that couldn’t be seen. Had his clothes been removed, his biceps would show signs of two pairs of strong hands, holding him in place, whilst another hit at his ribs and stomach. Chanda always was a tough man, and had gotten away without a broken rib, or maybe that was the attackers’ intention. His knuckles were sore, obviously as a result of him fighting back, which must have been when the guns were drawn. The scrape from the bullet was aimed downwards, if it was a bit higher, Chanda would have lost something more than a bit of flesh, if it was a bit lower, he may not have been able to walk for a while. He may have been one of the luckiest men alive at that point. Tali returned and Chanda smiled at the amount of stuff in her hands. “I think I should do this myself Tali, I wouldn’t want either of us to suffer the embarrassment at my only ‘major’ wound.” He stated simply, going to get up to take them from her.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 21, 2011 10:48:43 GMT -5
”If you wanted me to be calm, you should have seen a doctor first!” she replied sharply. The initial shock of seeing him in such a stat was slowly giving in to anger. How did he dare to come bashing in the front door like that, pretending nothing was wrong, and then not allowing her help?! When he tried to get up, she gently pushed him back ”I think your pride will survive” she said a bit softer, handing him a few clothes from the pile, putting the rest down beside him on the floor. The amount may have been overkill, but he was bleeding quite a bit, and a man his size could quickly bleed through a cloth or six. Or at least that was what Tali reasoned.
Tali sighed and handed him the bottle too. ”At least let me get you some dry clothing so you don’t get sick too” she said, obviously about to give up. He was an adult man, old enough to ask for help when he needed it. He had scared her when she had first seen him. One thing was seeing people half eaten by the wild animals in the marsh where she was born, but seeing Chanda hurt like that, hurt not by animals, but people, it scared her. Her eyes were still worried, as she turned away again, and went to fetch him some clean clothing, whether he liked it or not.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 21, 2011 16:52:31 GMT -5
Chanda smiled a little at her. “Psssh. Doctors, right, because I’m dying… Besides, it’s only a graze.” He was thoroughly charmed at her concern, be it a little over the top, in his eyes at least. As for her second statement, he laughed a little. “I have nothing for my pride to be hurt over, well maybe a set of torn trousers, but still, could have been worse.” He smirked as his next sentence formed in his head. “It was more your virtue, I was worried about.” He grinned, slipping off his boots and then his trousers. He then wrapped up a small ball of cloth and soaked it in the disinfectant and placed it against his skin. He hissed, swore and let off a rant of words in multiple languages, none of which made sense. He then used the rest of the cloth in his hands to tie it against his wounds, tightening it as much as it would go, and then tended to his lip.
“I. Hate. This. Stuff.” He groaned getting to his feet and grabbing the whiskey Tali had placed on the bar. He took a long drink of it, and grimaced. He then realised he was stood in the bar, without his trousers on. “… They’ve seen worse.” He muttered before walking into the back again. “Tali, I swear, you need to stop worrying about me.” He said as he limped off to find her. “Where did you go? You better not be in my bedroom, it’s out of bounds. Even if you’re trying to save me from whatever illnesses people get nowadays.”
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 21, 2011 17:26:51 GMT -5
”Calm down” Talis voice sounded as she came back with some of his clothing over one arm. ”I know how highly you value your private life, so I grabbed something out of the laundry” she said, handing him the clothing. Her eyes flickered to the gun wound on his leg for a moment. She didn’t comment on it. If he wanted her to think he’d been mugged, she doubted she could get him to tell her otherwise. ”You return like a bloody mess, and all you worry about is my virtue?” she said rolling her eyes slightly at him ”Now I’ve truly heard it all. But besides that, I have to worry about you! If you go out and get yourself killed, I’d be out of a job!” she added with a slight smile. Whatever had really happened, he would fine in a few days, a week at most. He would live, at least this time and only time would tell if he would be as lucky the next. Though she smiled now, the worry still lingered in her eyes ”You should get some rest though. I’ll stay and close down for you” she said in a voice that didn’t set the matter up for discussion. Normally he was the one to close the place, but she knew the drill, and if it could get Chanda off his feet, she could survive the extra hours.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 22, 2011 10:08:35 GMT -5
She knew him rather well, more so that most people did, perhaps more than his former wife, the woman that held all of his secrets. There was something amusing in that, but Chanda couldn’t quite realise it. He felt her eyes on his wounds and looked away a bit. He could tell she wanted to know, but he wouldn’t tell her, not unless it involved her, at this moment however, it didn’t. There wasn’t much he’d tell her, in fact he kept her out of his private life. If he told her nothing, there would be no lies, and Chanda did hate lying to people. Chanda smiled taking his clothes, and vanished into another room to change. When he came back, he walked over to her and smiled. “You wouldn’t be out of a job.” He smiled, leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. The kiss wasn’t out of love, but more of a kiss you gave a sister, or a mother. He then looked her in the eyes. “With my past, and my future, I’ve planned for my death, and what happens afterwards. If I die today, you get this place and everything inside, minus the things in my room; those will go to my daughter.”
A mischievous grin was slapped upon his face. “You’ll end up working here until old age, and there’s nothing you can do about it!!” He walked past her to grab a bottle of alcohol, and then headed into the back, just as she told him to get some rest. Chanda laughed, wanting to show some cheekiness, but he knew he shouldn’t. “Fine… I’ll rest, but I’m opening up tomorrow, whether you like it or not. I am not going to sit down and lay about like some house pet.” He groaned sitting down in the backroom.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 22, 2011 15:50:15 GMT -5
Tali waited outside the room while Chanda changed his clothing, listening to make sure he didn’t suddenly collapse or anything. Just to be sure. Though he looked okay, she knew he would do anything to hide otherwise. She could imagine him on his deathbed, telling jokes and claiming it to be nothing more than the flue. Tali turned her cheek to let him kiss it. ”Luckily you won’t be dying anytime soon, so you got plenty of time to meet someone else to bequeath it too!” she said with a slight laugh, but couldn’t help but blush a bit, though hard to see against her dark skin. She had never really thought about what would happen to the place if he died, but the bar becoming hers had never crossed her mind. A warm smile crossed her face as he stated he would be opening the next morning. ”I know, I know. I could tie you to your bed, and you would still find a way to up by morning!”. She has rarely met anyone more stubborn than herself, but Canda… Canda was in an entirely different league! She turned to go back into the bar, but stopped again”And if you need anything, let me know. Because unless this ends up being the only dry building in town, I don’t think I’ll have anything better to do” she said quickly, before heading back to the bar. She knew it might help sway him to let her help. Other than that, is was the truth. As Tali entered the bar again, she sighed heavily. While Tail had been helping Chanda, the woman had left, and only the sleeping guy was alive. She took out a key for one of the bars room, and woke up the guy, handing him the key, and giving him directions to the room, before heading out back again. ”All empty now. You think anyone gonna come, or should I just close down now?” she called out, not quite sure where he had gone.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 22, 2011 16:21:07 GMT -5
“Me find someone else?” Chanda faked offense, with his mouth open wide. “How dare you even say such things Tali! You know I’m loyal to you and you alone.” He grinned playfully, having the backdoor propped open with a wooden carving of some ancient creature. He was sat in a sort of living room, although it wasn’t really used much, unless Chanda had company. There were pictures on the wall of children he had helped over the years, and the fireplace was mounted with toys of all kinds. Across from the fireplace was a wide window, covered with thick curtains. At the moment he was on a lounge chair, and already he felt uncomfortable, he wanted to work, he wanted something to keep his hands occupied, or at least his mind. With her next statement, Chanda smirked devilishly.
“Many women have tried to tie me to my bed, Tali, few have succeeded…” Chanda joked. Even Tali knew that there was barely any women in Chanda’s life, besides her and the female locals, and even then each of them were kept at a distance Tali knew when she first joined his ranks. But still he joked, it was a way of distracting himself from the pain, from the events before and from the worst kind of pain. She had spoken again, but Chanda only caught bits of it, instead he just sat there, staring into the sky through the curtains. She would be fourteen by now…
Tali spoke again, louder this time; she was just outside of the room. Chanda turned to the door. “Go ahead and close up, there’s no point in making you stand behind an empty bar, polishing glasses that I’m sure you’ve done twenty times already. Then you can come in here and keep me company, I trust you aren’t leaving tonight, right?” he asked, holding his pocket watch close to his chest. He’d done this often, when deep in thought, but never opened it. He could feel the ticking against his chest, a special kind of ticking. It didn’t tick like a clock. Instead it ticked twice for every second and only Chanda knew why.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 22, 2011 16:50:32 GMT -5
”Got ya” Tail called back, and shook her head at Chanda. He could say what he wanted, but one day a sweet lady would come in those bar doors, with fresh flowers in her hat, and swipe him off his feet. Maybe the same day her own man would return. She sighed again, this time only to herself. It didn’t matter how hard she tried, or how many other sweet guys she met, she just couldn’t get that Q’sik man out of her head. A man who didn’t care about her, a man she had fought hard to just give her a glance, a man who left her to her fate a place far from her home where she had never been before. A man to whom she was nothing she simply couldn’t let go off.
Closing down didn’t take long for Tali. She had already done all the preparations, so all that was left was locking up, and taking the days earnings to the safe. As she headed to the living room, she undid the two top bottoms of her shirt, and opened the vest of her working uniform completely. Passing the bar she grabbed herself a light drink, before joining Chanda. ”There, all closed up” she proclaimed in a low voice, before sitting down opposite him. She could tell he was in deep thought, and didn’t want to disturb him, so instead she just sad there, watching the pictures on the wall, lingering a moment with one she thought she recognized, before moving on to the next in line.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 22, 2011 17:34:27 GMT -5
Tick, tick, tick, tick. The sound almost echoed in the room as Chanda just stared off thinking of his child. He chewed on his lip a little, thinking back over the past fourteen years. He should’ve gone back to Patria, his pride got in the way. Instead he was sat with a woman, who should’ve followed her heart. It was then he noticed he was staring at her now, sort of lost in his thoughts.
“I hope you didn’t worry about me too much Tali.” He smiled, ripping himself back to reality. The bottle he had taken through with him was on the table with two glasses. He realised he had never seen her drink, but there was a first time for everything. He poured himself a drink before taking it, and then sitting upright. Her gaze as off at the pictures, and he gave a smile. “For a moment there, I thought you recognised someone. I didn’t think you’d be the sort to know the little mischievous scamps of this town…” Chanda got to his feet and wandered over to the pictures. “I’ve helped all of these children, and offered them a place to sleep at night… None of them ever come though; I don’t think the trust a man with so many rumours, especially if they believe I’m with the government. But thankfully Finch gives them a home, even if he puts them in the firing line.”
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 22, 2011 18:12:14 GMT -5
Tali shook her head slightly still staring at the pictures. ”I’ve seen men in worse conditions when I was young. But it’s different when it’s someone you know” she answered plainly. The mash had brought many a corps to her village back then. Travelers not paying attention to the warnings of the native, or simply thinking they were better than that. She had just been lucky never to be the one to find them. As he continued she tore her gaze from the pictures and met his eyes. ”I thought I did too..” she admitted ”I’ve had my share of bad company since I got here. I was damn lucky to get a job here, or else I’ve might… well, you know what they say. If everything fails, a Q’sik will always make a great ‘companion’” the last part came with a grim face, but it was the truth. Q’sik was known for their natural beauty and abilities to persuade men as well as women. Tali had never really shown much of these trades herself though. It was hard to tell if she was just hiding it, or simply didn’t care for them. It didn’t take a professional to see her potential beauty. She was pretty, no doubt, but still an unpolished jewel, that didn’t really care enough to shine. ”Somebody properly told them you eat their toes” she said with a smile, not thinking twice about if he got it or not. It was a reference to an old Vetusolum story that parents told their children to keep them in their beds. It said, that if a child left its home at night, the Mashman would come creeping up between the planks, and eat the child’s toes. It was a rather silly story, but one of the few she had never forgotten.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 23, 2011 7:35:19 GMT -5
“You’re a sweet woman Tali,” Chanda smiled, stretching a little, before taking up a toy from the back of the couch and examining it a bit. Like Tali, he’d seem men in worse conditions, hell he had been in a worse condition before. Chanda smiled at the thought, he’d have given her a heart attack if she saw him at one point in his life.
If everything fails, a Q’sik will always make a great companion. Although it was true, Chanda hated it. “I always disliked that saying… My mother tried to set me up with a Q’Sik as a young man… As much as I loved the girl, I couldn’t help but grant her, her freedom. I have no idea what happened to her, but I hope she’s got a good life.” Chanda froze. He realise he’d given her one of his secrets, and then looked at the bottle. He’d been drinking from it without even realising it, and already it had affected his subconscious. He sighed heavily. That was enough drinking for tonight. He placed the top on the bottle and leaned back.
As she said reference the familiar story, he laughed. “ohhh… Quite possibly! The marshman of Sukilti… I like it.” Chanda pondered, giving a grin. “I wonder if I get a costume…”
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 23, 2011 8:03:21 GMT -5
Tali smiled ”So people tell me!” she said with a slight laugh. Most people saw Tali as the sweet, innocent girl next door. Those people could even begin to imagine what she had actually seen in her few years. ”Well, you’re not the only one” she said and smiled a bit at his slip ”I’m sure she dose. We do have a talent for making things work out, one way or the other” she said with a grin, not putting more into it, than smalltalk. She knew he would hate her is she made a big deal out of it. She would rather keep it cool, and who knew! Maybe more little things would slip out. Maybe one day they would get pissed together and share all their little secrets. On day, maybe.
Only if you make it yourself, and then I believe you would be a truly terrifying sight!”. She couldn’t even imagine him sew, let alone what he would make if he actually could.
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