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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 26, 2011 12:40:59 GMT -5
”Don’t be” Tali said and smiled abit at Chanda. ”Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on once in a while. I’m just glad I was here to lend you mine” she said in a voice that left no doubt, that she meant it. She knew he didn’t like it, but at least he was man enough to admit he needed the help.
As they reached his door, she was ready to let go of him and say goodnight. She was rather shocked when he asked her to follow him in. ”You’re sure?” she asked, the words leaving her mouth before she could think. Of course he was sure, or he wouldn’t have suggested it. As the door swung open, she suddenly understood too. She looked rather surprised at the stairs. She had expected to see his room, not stairs with, from the look of it, more than just a few steps!
The decent into the depths, was slow but steady. Chanda was a big man, but Tali were stronger than she looked. Despite that, she could feel her arms getting heavier as they reached the end of the stairs. Tali couldn’t help but look around as they crossed the room. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but this room was so Chanda, that she couldn’t really be surprised by anything she saw. They reached the bed, and Tali gently helped him down on it. She pulled herself together, and fixed her eyes on Chanda ”You need anything else while I’m here?” she asked, thought she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 26, 2011 14:22:04 GMT -5
Chanda sighed with relief as he sat down on the bed, and off the wound. He looked at the bed, and then at Tali, and back down at the bed again. A smirk fell upon his face as he realised she was the first person at his bedside in a very, very long time. So long in fact, Chanda didn’t even remember the specific number of years. He looked over at the wine bottle. It was more important than first appeared.
“Pour me out a drink?” He asked, smiling a bit. He needed something to relax him. The pillow found itself put up against the wall, and Chanda moved back to lean against it. He wasn’t exactly sure what else to do, there was an awkward feeling of having a co-worker in his bedroom, let alone having someone so young in there too. He looked around the room a bit, wishing it was more respectable, or even more presentable. He didn’t even have a carpet. Instead the room looked more like a cell filled with his things. But of course, there was more to this room, just like Chanda, the room had its secrets. For a moment he wondered whether she’d figure it out, or whether she’d stumble upon it accidentally. He folded his arms and decided to wait and see whether she would or not. Staring off he pretended to be deep in thought, letting her go through the automatic motions. “After that you can go up and off to bed if you like.”
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 26, 2011 15:14:42 GMT -5
Chanda looked from the bed to Tali and back again, she quickly got a ’don’t event hink about it’ kinda look. She might owe him a lot, but that was taking it too far, and there was no way in hell she was going to tuck him in or something like that. When he asked her to pour him a drink, she quickly softened up again. ”Sure thing boss” she said with a smile, and went to his desk. As she poured a glass for him, her eyes went over the papers on the desk. She respected his private life a great deal, but she would properly never get a chance to spy into his life again. Might as well get as much with her out as she could. She didn’t dwell at it though, but as soon as the glass was poured, she turned to Chanda again, and handed him the glass ”There you go”. Tali looked around the room again, and something struck her. ”Why is this place so far down? We’re like, way below the cellar, aren’t we?” she asked abit curious. She could imagine he had extra hidden floors under the building. The thought amused her abit, seeing Chanda as some kind of secret agent, with his own hidden lair! Chanda might be a stange man, but that was properly taking it abit too far.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 26, 2011 15:50:49 GMT -5
Chanda chuckled at her expression. He wasn’t expecting anything from her, but the situation was bemusing all the same. He fiddled with his thumbs. Wondering whether she would get anything.
He soon caught her looking at the papers. Most of them were boring accountancy stuff; how well the bar was doing; how wealthy he in actual fact was; some were half finished letters to his daughter; some were notes from his minds or even drawings of people in the bar including Tali; there was a blueprint to several buildings; stock lists and a few more things as well. Chanda knew she’d have to take the pile apart to actually get anything juicy, and since Chanda knew she wouldn’t dare, she wouldn’t get anything.
He glanced over to the gap in the wine rack, the place there the wine bottle she was holding belonged and sipped at his wine. She then asked him about the room. His eyes flashed with it’s usual mysterious spark. “Well Tali. The answer to that question would be for me to know and you to figure out…” He chuckled, taking another sip. He wondered for a moment why she hadn’t left yet, she wanted to know more, and he was just teasing her with the details. Almost as if she was his source of entertainment for the evening. There was a desire to find out all of his secrets, and he wasn’t exactly going to force her out of his room, he was too bemused by her curiosity. Afterall, this was harmless pretty harmless, for now anyway.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 26, 2011 16:34:23 GMT -5
Tali wanted to make a face as she saw the drawings of herself, but forced herself to keep a straight face. She was though slightly disappointed not to find anything interesting. But then again, it was properly too much to ask that he left all the juicy stuff lying out in the ‘open’.
Her soaring head-tails had gotten a lot better the time Chanda had been sitting down, and were now picking up a different vibe and from there, it didn’t take a Q’Sik to know why he was suddenly in such a good mood. The alcohol did its job and did it good. The thought of taking advantages of it struck her but it just seemed so… low. She knew she could do it she had done it before though it had been a long while ago. It was her birthright and came so natural to her that it most of the time gave her the creeps.
”You're drunk Chanda..” she stated and stepped back to the desk. She just couldn’t do it, not to him. He had his reasons for keeping his secrets secret she was sure. Instead, she found the cork to the bottle and closed it, before going to the wine rack. ”Get some sleep” she said as she slid the bottle back in the only open gap available.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 26, 2011 16:57:28 GMT -5
“Oh, I’m not drunk Tali, I’d never allow myself to get drunk in your presence… Seems you aren’t using your Q’Sik talents to their full advantage Tali…” He teased, watching her. Time seemed to slow for him as she did exactly as he thought she’d do. The one other person who’d realise what to do was Tali. Put the wine back in the rack, not left on the side for him to get, put in the proper place,.
There was a loud click as she placed it into place. The click was followed by several more clicks and then something unlocking. Chanda folded his arms, highly amused, waiting for her expression. The wine rack shook as it was moved back and then pushed aside. There, stood before her was a rather large room, in fact the room was so large, an old steamship sat in the hanger, dusted and unused. On the walls were multiple weapons, enough to make it an armoury at least. The ship was not very big; it wasn’t much bigger than a fighter. There were trunks off to the side, piled up against the wall, with dust all over them. The room wasn’t just a hanger, in fact the room carried on into the darkness. It was a launch room as well as a hanger.
Chanda smiled to himself, like an excitable school child. He wondered how she would react what she would think of it.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 26, 2011 17:38:09 GMT -5
Tali rolled her eyes at him ”If I were, you wouldn’t have any secrets left to tease me with!” she teased back in a sweet, almost flirting voice that seemed very unlike her. She gave herself a mental slap and slid the bottle all the way in.
What happened next took Tali completely by surprise. She took a quick step back as the clicking started, and stared as the wine rack opened. Seeing her secret compartment theory going from a farfetched idea, to reality so quickly took her by surprise to say the least. When the door had opened completely she slowly walked up to it and peaked inside. What she saw there only shocked her even more. ”By the twelve…” she muttered to herself. It wasn’t just a little store- or workroom, it was a freaking hanger! For several long seconds she just stood there and stared, before finally looking back at Chanda with a mixed look in her eyes, not sure if she should believe what she had just seen. Unsure of what to do, she ended up just staring at Chanda a while, before looking back into the secret room. Seeing that is was indeed still there, she started to regain a bit of her senses. ”That was… unexpected” .
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 26, 2011 18:18:57 GMT -5
Chanda was thoroughly surprised by the almost flirty tone to her voice. So much so, that he lost himself for a moment. He wished for a second that he was a Q’sik, just so he could tell whether it had been genuine or not. He figured it wasn’t though, if it had been she’d have flirted with him a long time ago. It was the alcohol talking, he was sure. He turned away to stare into space, and cracking his knuckles in a way that made him wince. He’d forgotten that hurt after punching people.
When he heard the locks click back and the door slide away, he turned to look back at her. He gave into amusement, turning to put his feet off the bed and move himself into a seated position. The surprise took control of her, and all Chanda could do was smile as she moved in and peaked into the room. He wanted to ask what she was thinking, but he would allow her the chance to stand and stare.
Chanda watched her as she turned back to him and just stared. He waited for the questions, the accusations and the wonder. It never came; instead she didn’t quite seem to believe what she saw. Chanda knew that was his fault, and would’ve gotten up to show her some sort of comfort. With his leg, he couldn’t. Instead, he just sat there watching her. “It seems I must apologise for such a surprise… It didn’t seem to have the effect I was hoping it would have...” Chanda smiled.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 27, 2011 6:31:04 GMT -5
Tali looked abit at Chanda and couldn’t help but laugh a little. ”How did you expect me to react?” she asked and turned her eyes towards the ship. She knew next to nothing about ships and space travel, but that ship looked pretty damn big to her. ”How did you ever get it down here?” she then asked. Someone should have noticed a hangar like that, in the middle of the city! Shouldn’t they? It all seemed so unbelievable and yet she knew that if anyone would have a secret hanger under their house, it would be Chanda.
The thought of how he had come to own something like that crossed her mind, but the answer seemed pretty simple. His wife had been rich, and judging from the dust on the ship, it could easily have been from when he first arrived at Sukilti.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 27, 2011 7:36:21 GMT -5
Chanda smiled. “I dunno, I expected more questions, possibly anger, accusations, and allsorts.” He was pleasantly surprised at her. She seemed surprised, but not much more. He was patient with her, letting her soak it all in. Then he finished his wine and he sighed. That was enough alcohol for the evening.
When she asked him how he had even got it down underground, he looked up at her. “Easy, the city is ontop of a set of catacombs, old underground rivers, long since dried up, they run all over the place, I assume pirates once used it as I’ve found gold and other stuff down here. I’m not talking about the pirates we have today, I’m talking about the pirates of old, the ones who used ships that rode of waves. I found this place and built my way up, so to speak. So the answer to the question, I flew it in.” He grinned, folding his arms. He could tell she was thinking, but what was she thinking.
“You should probably close the door now… If you want to catch a cold. You can always go in and have a better look around, if you really want. There isn’t much interesting in there beyond the ship…” He lied. Of course there was more to see in that room, the weapons, and the contents of the trunks. He wondered whether she’d call his bluff, but perhaps she would be respectful of him, again. Not that she needed to, he knew she respected him.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 27, 2011 8:34:56 GMT -5
Tali shook her head at him ”If you want to have a secret hanger and arsenal in your basement, that’s really none of my business” she said with a quick grin. At least it hadn’t been up until now. She wasn’t really sure why he all of a sudden let her into his secret like he had that night. Coincidence? Or maybe he had kept it all to himself so long, that he just needed to tell someone, that one just happening to be her? Or maybe he knew he didn’t have long to go, and was starting to prepare her for whatever consequences’ his big bad secrets might have? She didn’t know, and a part of her didn’t want to know.
A mental image of ‘Chanda the explorer’ popped into her head as he explained the origin of the hanger. The thought of Chanda as devious adventurer, searching for hidden treasure and ancient kingdoms seemed all too fitting for her to take it seriously. She has a hard time imagining him doing something for personal gain and riches alone. All things he did, he seemed to do for someone else than himself being it the kids from the neighborhood or his daughter or someone completely different.
”Well, I’ve never really seen a ship up close before” she said with an innocent smile ”Won’t be long” she added, and went in before he could change his mind. She had called his bluff, but would have gone in anyways with his invitation. Even if there was nothing of interest in there, she doubted he would let her in again, so better safe than sorry.
First she headed for the ship. She had been in one once, but was still amazed with how pilots made them go beyond the sky, and into the infinity of space. After a quick look and walk around the ship, she turned her attention to the other things in the room. The weapons made her shiver. They had properly just been left behind by the pirates she tried to convince herself, without much success. She focused on the trunks instead, wondering what they were holding. She walked to the nearest of them. A quick peak wouldn’t hurt, would it? Chanda would properly stay in bed, and never notice at all anyways! Her curiosity got the better of her. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission she thought, as she opened the trunk.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 27, 2011 12:15:18 GMT -5
Chanda’s ship was old and dusty, but without the dust it could have been beautiful. The ship wasn’t all that large, from the outside the sphere-shaped cockpit could be seen through dusted green glass. There was two seats, one of the pilot, one for the co-pilot, but there was also seats behind them, seating possibly two more people. Behind the cockpit sat another room. It was small, and used primarily for sleeping. There were many hatches and cupboards built into the wall. There was a very small engine room underneath the living area, which would fit just one person inside, and at a squeeze at that. On the back of the pilot’s chair sat an old jacket, obviously this belonged to Chanda, due to his unique thin frame. There were a few objects in the cockpit room, but nothing of real importance. The outside was plated with copper panels that would’ve shone in the light, had it not have been for the dust. The ship was armed with an electro-magnetic pulse for air combat, and equipped with a special smoke launcher that would interfere with ship controls as well as defeat visual sensors allowing his ship to get away. There was no lethal weaponry on the ship, whatsoever. Despite the dust, it was in perfect condition, almost as if it had hardly been used in fact.
When she eventually opened one of the trunks, It was revealed that there was a bag of gold pieces inside. Along with the gold, was some letters, an old photo of what appeared to be a nine year old Chanda. There were clothes, and some items that must have been very familiar to Tali. Tribal ornaments and toys from childhood sat in the trunk next to old objects that Chanda had owned. In all there was a trunk for every year as Chanda was old. This was his life, his entire like all in one space. This was the reason why no one knew him; he had collected everything about himself and hid it away. The whole truth sat before her. Chanda had allowed her that glimpse in his life, a chance to know everything. It was almost like a test of temptation. Tali might’ve realised Chanda stood watching her from the doorway. There was an almost vulnerable look in his eyes, however he still smiled. “As much as I know I can trust you with those secrets Tali. Do you really want to know?” He asked.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 27, 2011 14:48:20 GMT -5
Tali looked abit at the picture and smiled. Young Chanda was kind a cute! The smile stuck on her face as she picked up one of the toys with careful hands. It looked almost like something she has once had herself. She remembered how she had loved to play with it on rainy days, just like the one that very day. There were memories in those things, not only for him but for her as well. She knew the ornaments were from back home, but some of them were even from tribes she knew.
”There is an old saying. If no one truly knew you in life, no one will remember you in death”. It was superstition from Vetusolum old stories of spirits and ancestors, of how important it was to never forget those that went before. Tali had never shown much homage to her childhood beliefs in puplic, but she had grown up with it and could not refuse believing, if only just abit. Tali put the toy down and closed the trunk ”Your secrets are not mine to revile Chanda. They will be a burden, I’m sure. But when and to whom you share your secrets with that’s up to you” she said in a more serious voice ”So if you want me to know, tell me. Walk me though the trunks of your life” she continued, a slight irritation starting to appear in her voice ”If not, go to bed and stop teasing me about it” she said, leaning back against the trunks.
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Post by yosticaltari on Jun 27, 2011 16:10:07 GMT -5
Chanda smiled watching her as she handled his toys. She recognised some, some more than others. He was ten years older than her, but they may have met long ago. He wondered for a while what she would’ve looked like as a child. Memories flooded back of the other tribes, of the children.
There was a moment of silence as Chanda walked into the room. Still limping, he made his way over to her. “Where do you want to start hmmm?” he asked. He noticed the irritated tone in her voice, was that his fault, or didn’t she expect for him to notice her looking into his secrets? He came to a halt near her. “You opened trunk number nine, my last year of innocence before adulthood. I always as an early bloomer in that respect…” he smiled. Unlike her, Chanda put most tradition behind him, perhaps that’s why he hadn’t returned home since he left. He’d kept the trunks more out of habit than tradition, at the request of his mother. They were meant to hold things that meant something to him, but he filled them with facts too. He knew she wanted to know, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it, he couldn’t help but smile at that fact. He wondered what she thought of his things, and more so of the bag of gold. It was the gold he’d found in the swamp, a bag of treasure, his first ‘loot’. As was tradition in his tribe, if a treasure was unclaimed it was yours, and no one could take it from you. He’d never even touched it since he placed it in the trunk. Back before he archived everything however, he’d look at his gold every night before bed. He was going to buy an airship with it, but he never did. You could put a price on the gold , but not on the symbol it represented.
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Post by Dragonflower on Jun 27, 2011 17:09:55 GMT -5
The irritation in Talis voice was more from her being tired than anything else. All his games hadn’t exactly been good for her mood. Her attention quickly found something else to focus on though, as he asked where she wanted to start. She didn’t answer right away, but waited for him to come closer. Since he insisted of hurting himself as much as he could, the lest she could do was give him the time. ”Why not start at the beginning?” she suggested when he had finished talking. She quickly felt her head-tails getting sore again, and added ”But we should wait until tomorrow. Right now you need to rest”. Her curiosity might be driving her mad, but his health still was still more important to her. Maybe her and Chanda had never shared as much personal stuff as they had that very night, but Chanda was still the closest friend she had on the entire planet.
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