I shuddered.
"Even don't want to know what you wanted to teach me."
"And I'll need to forget that somehow," the Proculian shook head. "Because I surely don't plan to apply in practice the method of removing t-shirt over shoulder and throwing underwear with foot."
M-m-a-a-a-a-th...
Lowering gaze, understood I stand actually with bare torso. And not only torso.
Grabbing jacket, pressed it to lower abdomen.
"Awkward," I smiled guiltily.
"And what are you trying to do now?" Chaya inquired. Interesting, is that just mask gathered so, or she really stands with raised eyebrow?
"This called shame," I explained.
"We called that genitalia," Sar thought, replied. "Seemed in your language same... Anyway, won't meddle in alien culture."
"And for that thanks," I thanked. "Can you... turn away?"
"Why?" the Proculian wondered.
"I need to dress."
"So dress."
"Can't when you look. Personal space and all... And not proper for girl to look at colleague's genitalia."
"Roughly that I told you at night when you decided you'll sleep in my bed because to your room far to go," Chaya snorted.
"But it's just further down corridor," I frowned.
"Exactly that I told you," Sar said reproachfully.
"And what did I?"
"You showed how you undress while match burns."
"Ah... Where did I get the match?"
"You brought a candle with you. Think from Teyla's cabin."
"And...?"
"And lit it, put on drinking column," Chaya demonstrated wax overflows on device. "And started undressing."
Oh northern fur beast... So ashamed since graduation when stomach didn't accept mix of rotten alcohol and chips. And that girl's dress was awful. No, later of course I apologized to Marina, but...
"I'm very sorry. Don't know what came over me..."
"But I know," Chaya extended index finger and poked at item by wall. "This you brought. Said drinks like water, and you already drank eight jugs, and me penalty because detaching from collective is sin. And overall I sinned, so..."
She meaningfully fell silent. And I stared cross-eyed at three-liter clay bottle-jug. Bet inside that very Athosian wine Teyla spoke of before... Know what was after we came to her room and before all this mess in Sar's bedroom with her Wraith show.
Covering eyes with hand, at least couple minutes saved from Ancient's condemning gaze. And all would be fine, but...
When looked at rumpled bed sheet, recalling even tossing in sleep I couldn't rumple it, inside all froze again.
Looking at Chaya, then bed, returned gaze to Chaya again...
The girl, peeling off face mask because of which nearly lost life, removed from head turban of gray towel and wiped moisture from face. Peering at her, wanted to yell in fury at self. How could take for Wraith clothes simple bathrobe?!
"Just say already," the girl, finishing with face, proceeded to blot wet hair, standing before another wall panel. I even lacked strength to resent that false panel slid aside opening mirror panel. Great! Rooms have mirrors too. Full-length at that!
And I only learned about shower couple weeks ago!
Well, pure shine!
"Just apologies won't suffice for what happened," I said, looking at bed again. "But... If you can forgive... I'd be very grateful."
"Fine," Chaya said suspiciously easily. "Deliver me three tons of sand from Lantea-2, and consider yourself forgiven."
Three tons... That's when Puddle Jumper inner volume barely allows lifting a ton. Fifteen hours one way, fifteen other, plus dig all that into containers...
"Fair," overcoming inner indignation, I said. "One more question... Don't take wrong, I'm no pig... I liked everything, just.... You're wonderful and all was top level... But memory issues and..."
"Nothing happened," Chaya sighed, turning to me. Your mother, she has a comb too! With hairdryer function! And me, damn, tousle with fingers or Teyla's gifted bone comb?! Maybe rooms have electric razor too? Otherwise leveling stubble with Ermen battle knife sharp as razor somehow no longer wants! "So don't worry."
"Thanks, stone fell off soul," I said relieved. Seeing girl looks at me questioningly and reproachfully, warningly raised hands before self. "No, I don't want to insult or similar. You're wonderful girl everywhere and golden character, and jokes explosive altogether. But I have rule—no romances with colleagues and subordinates. Hinders work and all..."
Chaya gifted me attentive studying gaze. And it suspiciously went over me bottom to top.
Lowering eyes, covered with hands.
"Don't think I didn't see something there," the girl smirked, returning to her occupation.
"Anyone tell you mocking people in bind isn't cool?" I asked, eyes searching clothing elements.
"Need very hard try to get in bind during intimacy," Chaya noted. "Similar says either of partner's inexperience or excessive arousal. But even so, by statistics..."
"Lord god, show at least drop of sympathy!" I implored, recalling bind meaning also in human anatomy. "I was drunk and apologized!"
"And that hinders me recalling this night to you whole remaining life?" Chaya inquired innocently.
"Seems now understand why other Ascended didn't like you," I muttered, finding socks. Great, at least no suspiciously biological on them.
While pulling them on, understood Chaya silent. Unusual for her in such moment. Thought she wouldn't miss chance to tease me or something...
Casting quick glance at girl, noticed she literally froze before mirror. Face froze in expression hard to describe in words... Something middle between panic, fear, disappointment and universal sadness. Oops, seems I pressed sore spot of former Ascended. Though, how would she know what happened on higher being planes?
Seeing I look, Proculian returned to combing hair as if nothing. Well, and I won nomination 'Find white t-shirt on white sheet'. Third try. Almost done...
"Look on work desk," Sar said mentor-like, looking straight ahead. In mirror naturally.
Exactly there I found missing part of my underwear set. Rumpled but clean, they lay atop several paper sheets. Peering, saw some vaguely familiar blueprints. And yes, not paper but rather tracing paper. Incredibly convenient when creating blueprints based on object section. But... What reminds me this thing like a star?
Dressed in full silence from both of us. Chaya dried hair, I tidied self. Almost. Head still chaos reigned and... Don't know why, but hangover rolled only now.
'Need quick figure what this winish is and why hits brains so hard,' I thought, stuffing carried equipment into pockets.
"Won't help?" the Ancient addressed me.
In hands she held her necklace. Nothing special—just string threaded through shiny pebbles and round central shell.
"Yes, of course," taking jewelry, felt it's quite heavy. N-da, seemed ordinary hollow bijouterie. "Easier for me if you turn..."
Without extra words, Chaya turned back and moved hair aside. Before my eyes presented milk chocolate colored skin. Touching it, fastening necklace, felt like touching velvet... Very tender. But at same time seems incredibly elastic.
And from her smelled incredible bouquet of aromatic herbs. Curious, don't recall girl using perfume before. Or this shampoo? If latter, I want too! Tired of washing with tar-smelling laundry soap analogue!
Second try managed clasp. Chaya must have very developed spatial orientation and nimble fingers to do it herself.
"Thanks," Chaya said quietly, turning to me. "If you found all your things, I'd like to be alone. Need to work on something."
"Yes, of course," I nodded, heading to exit. Passing hand over panel, turned at same moment doors opened.
"And what's that thing on your blueprints?" I asked at moment Chaya sat at that very desk. Hm, even didn't try burn it after my... Hm, clothing element was there.
"One my old project," she lip-smiled. "Interesting idea, but still had row of critical errors making it impossible to implement."
"Hope you won't build this thing in our city?" I inquired, estimating phrase 'row of critical errors' might mean supernova explosion, star system destruction, space-time breach and who knows what else. Ancients didn't skimp in errors usually.
"No," Chaya assured. "Just restoring from memory the tech and blueprints. Helps distract from daily routine."
"You know, there other ways to reboot brains..."
"I know," she said coldly. "But afraid if I drink as much Athosian moonshine as you yesterday, throwing underwear with foot won't compare to what I'll do."
Somehow got completely unwell.
"Wait," I embarrassed. "Moonshine? Chaya said it's wine..."
"No offense to Athosians, but difference between distillation and fermentation processes exists," Chaya said. "You didn't think hunter-gatherer society knows fermentation?"
"Hoped," I grimaced. "Because distiller somehow harder to invent than crush berries with feet and forget about them for time."
"And they have high-tech lighters but use torches and bone needles," Chaya said.
Well... Distiller in principle heritage of other, more developed civilization.
"Purely for checkbox... How unbound are you in intoxication state?" I decided clarify in advance. Well, who knows, might come useful in future.
"Believe, better not see," the Proculian got serious.
"For example... Planet explosion?" I clarified.
"Or death of all living on it," Chaya shrugged. "Or superweapon destroying organic matter galaxy-wide. Or figure how use black holes for instant travel. Or kill all Ascended..."
"Remind me never pour you," swallowing lump in dry throat, I said. Liver feels she's not joking. This time definitely not.
"I'll write several warning programs," Chaya said. "They'll activate Atlantis self-destruct mode every time I'm intoxicated."
"Think we'll just do with your self-discipline," I cleared throat.
"Me too that seems great option," Chaya smiled. "And now, couldn't you finally leave? I'd like to be alone."
"Of course," I stepped back and exited her cabin threshold. "Of course."
Waved goodbye to girl with hand, but she already returned to blueprints as soon as I was beyond her dwelling.
She's somehow strange.
And why her blueprints seem so familiar to me?