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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 3:32:10 GMT -5
Athair seemed to... freeze for a moment. Her own FATHER had sold them? Who would do something so- And then, he recognized her, as her father's name filled his mind. It was Tikal, little Tikal standing in front of him now. He knew Pachacamac had no respect for his elders, but to sell the beads that marked his own daughter as a priestess... That bordered on sacrilege. " I never thought Pachacamac would fall so low..." Athair closed the distance between himself and Tikal, so he stood in the water with her. "Tikal... You are not to blame for your father's actions, nor should you feel guilty for them."
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 20:35:29 GMT -5
Had she not been so familiar with the mystique of their religion, Tikal might've been startled that Athair had known her name, let alone her father's. It had not yet occurred to her that this was someone that had actually personally known her family. Instead, she considered the actual words he said. There was no arguing that the loss of her beads, among other things, was certainly not her choice. Tikal had spent many, many nights crying when something important was forcefully taken from her by Pachacamac. But then, most nights with him involved tears for one reason or another. Regardless, she was left with a feeling of inferiority -- though that probably had little to do with the beads themselves. " Thank you," the priestess sighed.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 20:43:45 GMT -5
The elderly echidna's expression remained somewhat stoic, until he smiled softly, his thumb tracing a groove in his cane, a habit he picked up. "You've changed so much since I last saw you... But it appears that your father, and his affect on you, have not changed a bit." Athair looked around, as if expecting the larger echidna to appear any moment, bellowing at him for some perceived slight. "Where IS your father, child?" It seemed odd that Athair, of all things, wouldn't know this, but there was a reason for it. After departing Pachacamac's unpleasant company, he'd chosen to not watch the stubborn mobian, which resulted in him not watching his family, either.
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 21:06:18 GMT -5
The young girl turned and peered at her elder as he carried on about how much she had changed. Had they been part of the same tribe? Her memories of most of them were so vague; Tikal had rarely spent much time outside of hers or her cousin Lilli's families. He did look sort of familiar... ish... Eh, insignificant details. He'd just asked a question the young priestess found particularly cumbersome to answer. Tikal shifted and cringed slightly, the water swirling slightly around her shuffling feet. "He's.... I... the Swatbots...." The echidna's posture became increasingly poor, and she took a step backward into the water. "I.... um... we were about to cross paths.. with Swatbots." Tikal suddenly recoiled, as if expecting to be brutally reprimanded. " ...I didn't tell him. I... I ran away."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 22:03:22 GMT -5
Athair just nodded at Tikal's answer, and as he spoke, his voice was still gentle. "You should have warned him, yes, but perhaps the Goddess decided that he had done quite enough to you and your clan." The elderly echidna gave another slight nod. "It's good that you escaped safely, in any case. Knowing that stubborn fool, he somehow escaped safely as well." The priest's expression became a frown at that, as his hand holding his cane twitched slightly. Another habit, dragged up whenever Athair thought too much about Pachacamac.
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 22:10:03 GMT -5
As the old priest held his calm, Tikal's rigid posture slowly relaxed, and she released the breath she'd been holding. Sometimes it slipped her mind that not everyone was like her father. But then, it sometimes was difficult to remember when his hand was always on her shoulder. Tikal peered again at Athair. His steady composure brought her a sense of stability that she rarely got to behold, and it made her feel calmer herself. Building on the hope that he was very different from Pachacamac, the young priestess drew near again with hopeful eyes. "Elder... You seem to know my father, right? ......Did you also know my mother??"
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 22:25:13 GMT -5
The elder smiled softly at the mention of Pucca. He had mourned with the rest of the clan when she died, but... he had mourned more for her daughter, who had been left in the uncaring hands of her father. "Yes, I knew her. It was a sad day for everyone when she died... Pucca had been the catalyst that could have helped your father change his ways." Athair became pensive, his eyes fixed on the sand between him and his spiritual granddaughter, although several generations stood between them.
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Post by DB on Feb 4, 2008 22:49:36 GMT -5
There's a phrase that accurately describes what happened next. That phrase is "Speak of the Devil". Limping slowly from the bushes came a rather large, dark coloured echidna, apparently battered, bruised, and burnt from a previous encounter. The two would surely recognize him instantly- it was Pachacamac. He'd only barely managed to escape the SWATbots from earlier with his life, and had spent the aftermath searching for his daughter. Being skilled at tracking, it hadn't been -too- difficult... and his anger managed to dull whatever pain he was feeling. Anger because his daughter hadn't warned him of what was to come. Anger because she ran off and abandoned him so quickly, as if she were prepared for the moment. And now anger because she'd apparently run into that old coot, Athair. The sight of the old man caused his stomach to sink, and he'd managed to calm himself a bit before shuffling out of the bush. Limping toward the two, he nodded to the elder. "Greetings Old One." And then to Tikal. "Are you alright?"
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 22:59:52 GMT -5
A strained, almost inaudible gasp escaped her throat as Pachacamac ambled out of the brush. Her eyes widened with horror. He had found her already?! How could he POSSIBLY have tracked her down so quickly?! And now he was angry; Tikal had no doubt he'd figured out what she'd done. Every fiber in her body insisted on fleeing a second time, especially while he was wounded and less able to persue... But Athair was watching. And she knew better than embarrass her father -- or worse, expose his secrets -- in front of outside eyes. The priestess gulped forcefully, struggling to find her voice. " Y-yes, Father." She didn't trust to speak more than necessary at that moment.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 23:05:40 GMT -5
Athair had his back towards Pachacamac as he arrived, and simply glanced over his shoulder at him. A moment later, he turned to face his great-great-grandson. " Speak of Gerado..." The elder mumbled, his expression becoming highly displeased. Although only one who knew Athair well would recognize it as such. "As I thought, you did survive." No real greeting, simply a stare that seemed to bore into the younger male.
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Post by DB on Feb 4, 2008 23:11:40 GMT -5
Pachacamac looked Athair in the eyes, for only a moment, apparently found that uncomfortable, and shifted his gaze to look out at the lake. "Barely by the skin of my teeth- if there were any doubt that those machines are nothing more then man-made demons let it be laid to rest." He turned to look over to his daughter, his expression becoming slightly more steely. "I'm glad to see that you are safe, though I'm wondering why you hadn't warned me- you hadn't mentioned anything would occur today."
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 23:18:20 GMT -5
"I..." She couldn't shake. Trembling would give her father away. Tikal tensed every muscle in her body. "Ah-I..." Her father's eyes were too menacing. They choked the breath from her, but demanded an answer. Her face sank to the water rings around her calves. " ....I..." What could she possibly tell him? That she'd withheld the information? She was going to get it as it was without admitting that. But what was the alternative? To lie? It was obvious he already knew what she'd done; lying would just make things exponentially worse. What should she say? What could she say? " ... ... ... ... ... I... I'm sorry, Father..."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 23:29:46 GMT -5
Athair's eyes never left Pachacamac's face, as he traced that worn groove in his cane. "Divination is not always as simple as you'd like to think, puggle." The elder's expression was steely, as he gripped his cane a little tighter. "But, I have a question of my own for you." There was a long pause, an uncomfortable silence forming between the two males. "What was so important, that you would steal your own daughter's knowledge beads, and then sell them, along with whatever else you may have taken from her?" If looks could kill... Pachamac would be cremated right about now.
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Post by DB on Feb 4, 2008 23:34:37 GMT -5
Pachacamac... could... FEEL... the stare. He turned slowly to face the elder, barely making eye contact. "Food and supplies, Elder. How would we survive the wilderness with nothing to eat and nothing to keep us warm at night?" He turned again slightly, glancing at his daughter. "It doesn't matter now, though. I lost much of what we had just to get away from those horrible machines."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 23:41:41 GMT -5
Athair still kept his eyes locked onto Pachacamac as he pondered the younger mobian's answer. "That may be so, but I notice you do not deny STEALING Tikal's possessions, when you could have simply asked." Athair's eyes narrowed, as he started slowly approaching his extended grandson.
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Post by DB on Feb 4, 2008 23:51:57 GMT -5
Pachacamac's eyes widened every so slightly at the older echidna's advance, actually scuffling a bit away from him. A comical sight to see such a hulking echidna apparently afraid of an old man bordering on ancient and very ancient. "I admit it slipped my mind- I was more concerned about our continued survival! I thought it was understood between us that that was more important than what can be easily replaced once this was over... she hadn't told me that it bothered her!" He turned again to her. "She barely speaks to me! How am I supposed to know?!"
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Post by Leda on Feb 4, 2008 23:53:55 GMT -5
As if illustrating her father's point, Tikal remained silent as a tomb, her face still fixated straight down into the water and every muscle tight as a drum.
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 4, 2008 23:58:23 GMT -5
Athair didn't stop his approach, nor did he change his speed, his stride slow and purposeful. "You could have started by not teaching her to be afraid of you." The elder's voice was... almost cold, a bad sign. "You could have done better than, as I do not doubt for a moment, exploit her abilities for your own selfish gain." Athair's grip on his cane tightened. "Perhaps then, MAYBE, she would have gladly helped you, perhaps offered her beads herself. But you chose to have a servant... NOT a daughter." Athair's hand, which gripped his cane tightly, was actually shaking as he resisted the urge to beat his extended grandson senseless.
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Post by DB on Feb 5, 2008 0:05:03 GMT -5
As if desperately attempting to ward off said beating, the larger echidna grasped at his injured arm, as if to remind Athair that he was already injured enough without being bludgeoned with a cane. "She's not afraid of me! I'm her father! All I've been doing is trying to keep the both of us safe! I don't understand what's wrong with this!"
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 5, 2008 0:23:04 GMT -5
The elder echidna stopped, and looked over his shoulder at Tikal. "Child... I ask you this, as a priest to a fellow priestess... Are you afraid of this... person?" Athair pondered his question for a moment, then continued. "And I ask that you answer, not as a daughter, but as a priestess." Athair watched Tikal silently, waiting for her answer.
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Post by DB on Feb 5, 2008 0:25:46 GMT -5
Pachacamac simply gave her... a look. One she was probably familiar with. And then he held his breath.
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Post by Leda on Feb 5, 2008 0:36:51 GMT -5
(1 = doesn't look, 2 = does look) [dice=2] As she was addressed, Tikal made a move that put her in a deeply conflicted position: she raised her face to look at the man addressing her. Athair had posed a very dangerous question, and Pachacamac wasted no time in reminding her how perilous her answer would be. The priestess gulped. What was she going to do?? The last thing she wanted was to lie to someone that had been so kind to her, someone who had actually helped her to feel at ease and stand up to her father. But at the same time, Pachacamac's rules had been well ingrained into Tikal's psyche; to betray the act he put on for outside eyes would mean there'd be hell to pay once they were alone. And they would eventually be alone. His sudden appearance today alone had reiterated that. Tikal's distraught eyes clenched as she shrank back from the two men before her. " No," she finally whispered. " I'm sorry, Elder; I l-lied to you."[rand=6533406513858795905236371799012361467686630847954443165506161364]
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 5, 2008 0:40:13 GMT -5
Athair was quiet as he gave Tikal another look, then turned his gaze back to Pachacamac, catching the tail end of the look the younger male had given his daughter. ". . ."
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Post by DB on Feb 5, 2008 0:42:59 GMT -5
And he turned again to Athair, gesturing to the girl. "Are you satisfied now? May we move away from this topic? Surely there are other things that we could benefit from discussing."
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 5, 2008 0:48:40 GMT -5
Athair simply frowned a bit. He knew Tikal was lying for her father, but he had no intention of confronting her, so instead, he simply took a step away from Pachacamac. "Very well. What would YOU like to speak about, puggle?"
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Post by DB on Feb 5, 2008 0:50:10 GMT -5
BROW. HIKE. "... pardon, Elder?"
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 5, 2008 0:56:06 GMT -5
Athair simply shrugged. "Nothing, simply an old habit... Was there something you wished to speak about?" Athair's eyes again locked onto the younger male. Or are you simply trying to make an excuse to leave, I wonder?
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Post by Leda on Feb 5, 2008 0:59:00 GMT -5
Speaking of trying to leave, Tikal slowly began edging her way toward the shore, in hopes of avoiding further crossfire from the ongoing battle.
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Post by DB on Feb 5, 2008 1:01:48 GMT -5
Pachacamac glanced at his daughter, keeping an eye on her. He didn't want to have and track her down a SECOND time. "Well, first, Elder, would you happen to know if there was somewhere Tikal and I could take shelter? Possibly a passing caravan?"
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Post by V for Vizetta on Feb 5, 2008 1:04:27 GMT -5
The elder shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I've been traveling alone since I parted company with our tribe." And you.Athair noted the movement from Tikal out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing about it, or even react.
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