diff --git a/piker/storage/__init__.py b/piker/storage/__init__.py
index 21e258a6..cca77c69 100644
--- a/piker/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/storage/__init__.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def get_storagemod(name: str) -> ModuleType:
 
 @acm
 async def open_storage_client(
-    name: str | None = None,
+    name: str = 'nativedb',
 
 ) -> tuple[ModuleType, StorageClient]:
     '''
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ async def open_storage_client(
 
     # load root config and any tsdb user defined settings
     conf, path = config.load('conf', touch_if_dne=True)
+
+    # TODO: maybe not under a "network" section.. since
+    # no more chitty mkts..
     net = conf.get('network')
     if net:
         tsdbconf = net.get('tsdb')
diff --git a/piker/storage/cli.py b/piker/storage/cli.py
index 3afb696a..11d2b490 100644
--- a/piker/storage/cli.py
+++ b/piker/storage/cli.py
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ async def del_ts_by_timeframe(
 
 ) -> None:
 
-    resp = await client.delete_ts(fqme, timeframe)
+    path: Path = await client.delete_ts(fqme, timeframe)
+    log.info(f'Deleted {path}')
 
     # TODO: encapsulate per backend errors..
     # - MEGA LOL, apparently the symbols don't
@@ -105,15 +106,15 @@ async def del_ts_by_timeframe(
     # for the delete errurz..llululu
     # if fqme not in syms:
     #     log.error(f'Pair {fqme} dne in DB')
-    msgish = resp.ListFields()[0][1]
-    if 'error' in str(msgish):
-        log.error(
-            f'Deletion error:\n'
-            f'backend: {client.name}\n'
-            f'fqme: {fqme}\n'
-            f'timeframe: {timeframe}s\n'
-            f'Error msg:\n\n{msgish}\n',
-        )
+    # msgish = resp.ListFields()[0][1]
+    # if 'error' in str(msgish):
+    #     log.error(
+    #         f'Deletion error:\n'
+    #         f'backend: {client.name}\n'
+    #         f'fqme: {fqme}\n'
+    #         f'timeframe: {timeframe}s\n'
+    #         f'Error msg:\n\n{msgish}\n',
+    #     )
 
 
 @store.command()
@@ -166,85 +167,106 @@ def read(
     fqme: str,
 
     limit: int = int(800e3),
-    client_type: str = 'async',
+    # client_type: str = 'async',
 
 ) -> np.ndarray:
 
-    end: int | None = None
+    # end: int | None = None
+    # import tractor
+    from .nativedb import get_client
 
-    if client_type == 'sync':
-        import pymarketstore as pymkts
-        cli = pymkts.Client()
+    async def main():
+        async with get_client() as client:
+            syms: list[str] = await client.list_keys()
 
-
-        while end != 0:
-            param = pymkts.Params(
+            (
+                history,
+                first_dt,
+                last_dt,
+            ) = await client.load(
                 fqme,
-                '1Min',
-                'OHLCV',
-                limit=limit,
-                # limit_from_start=True,
-                end=end,
+                60,
             )
-            if end is not None:
-                breakpoint()
-            reply = cli.query(param)
-            ds: pymkts.results.DataSet = reply.first()
-            array: np.ndarray = ds.array
-
-            print(f'loaded {len(array)}-len array:\n{array}')
-
-            times = array['Epoch']
-            end: float = float(times[0])
-            dt = pendulum.from_timestamp(end)
-            # end: str = dt.isoformat('T')
+            assert first_dt < last_dt
+            print(f'{fqme} SIZE -> {history.size}')
             breakpoint()
-            print(
-                f'trying to load next {limit} datums frame starting @ {dt}'
-            )
-    else:
-        from anyio_marketstore import (  # noqa
-            open_marketstore_client,
-            MarketstoreClient,
-            Params,
-        )
-        async def main():
+            # await tractor.breakpoint()
 
-            end: int | None = None
+    trio.run(main)
 
-            async with open_marketstore_client(
-                'localhost',
-                5995,
-            ) as client:
+    # if client_type == 'sync':
+    #     import pymarketstore as pymkts
+    #     cli = pymkts.Client()
 
-                while end != 0:
-                    params = Params(
-                        symbols=fqme,
-                        # timeframe=tfstr,
-                        timeframe='1Min',
-                        attrgroup='OHLCV',
-                        end=end,
-                        # limit_from_start=True,
 
-                        # TODO: figure the max limit here given the
-                        # ``purepc`` msg size limit of purerpc: 33554432
-                        limit=limit,
-                    )
+    #     while end != 0:
+    #         param = pymkts.Params(
+    #             fqme,
+    #             '1Min',
+    #             'OHLCV',
+    #             limit=limit,
+    #             # limit_from_start=True,
+    #             end=end,
+    #         )
+    #         if end is not None:
+    #             breakpoint()
+    #         reply = cli.query(param)
+    #         ds: pymkts.results.DataSet = reply.first()
+    #         array: np.ndarray = ds.array
 
-                    if end is not None:
-                        breakpoint()
-                    result = await client.query(params)
-                    data_set = result.by_symbols()[fqme]
-                    array = data_set.array
-                    times = array['Epoch']
-                    end: float = float(times[0])
-                    dt = pendulum.from_timestamp(end)
-                    breakpoint()
-                    print(
-                        f'trying to load next {limit} datums frame starting @ {dt}'
-                    )
+    #         print(f'loaded {len(array)}-len array:\n{array}')
 
-        trio.run(main)
+    #         times = array['Epoch']
+    #         end: float = float(times[0])
+    #         dt = pendulum.from_timestamp(end)
+    #         # end: str = dt.isoformat('T')
+    #         breakpoint()
+    #         print(
+    #             f'trying to load next {limit} datums frame starting @ {dt}'
+    #         )
+    # else:
+    #     from anyio_marketstore import (  # noqa
+    #         open_marketstore_client,
+    #         MarketstoreClient,
+    #         Params,
+    #     )
+    #     async def main():
+
+    #         end: int | None = None
+
+    #         async with open_marketstore_client(
+    #             'localhost',
+    #             5995,
+    #         ) as client:
+
+    #             while end != 0:
+    #                 params = Params(
+    #                     symbols=fqme,
+    #                     # timeframe=tfstr,
+    #                     timeframe='1Min',
+    #                     attrgroup='OHLCV',
+    #                     end=end,
+    #                     # limit_from_start=True,
+
+    #                     # TODO: figure the max limit here given the
+    #                     # ``purepc`` msg size limit of purerpc: 33554432
+    #                     limit=limit,
+    #                 )
+
+    #                 if end is not None:
+    #                     breakpoint()
+    #                 result = await client.query(params)
+    #                 data_set = result.by_symbols()[fqme]
+    #                 array = data_set.array
+    #                 times = array['Epoch']
+    #                 end: float = float(times[0])
+    #                 dt = pendulum.from_timestamp(end)
+    #                 breakpoint()
+    #                 print(
+    #                     f'trying to load next {limit} datums frame starting @ {dt}'
+    #                 )
+
+    #     trio.run(main)
 
 
 @store.command()
@@ -260,7 +282,7 @@ def clone(
     import polars as pl
 
     # open existing shm buffer for kucoin backend
-    key: str = 'piker.brokerd[d07c9bb7-b720-41].tlosusdt.kucoin.hist'
+    key: str = 'piker.brokerd[a9e7a4fe-39ae-44].btcusdt.binance.hist'
     shmpath: Path = Path('/dev/shm') / key
     assert shmpath.is_file()
 
diff --git a/piker/storage/marketstore/__init__.py b/piker/storage/marketstore/__init__.py
index d435fb66..416ef7eb 100644
--- a/piker/storage/marketstore/__init__.py
+++ b/piker/storage/marketstore/__init__.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ from anyio_marketstore import (
     Params,
 )
 import pendulum
-import purerpc
+# import purerpc
 
 from piker.service.marketstore import (
     MarketstoreClient,
diff --git a/piker/storage/nativedb.py b/piker/storage/nativedb.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b151111
--- /dev/null
+++ b/piker/storage/nativedb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,309 @@
+# piker: trading gear for hackers
+# Copyright (C) Tyler Goodlet (in stewardship for pikers)
+
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+'''
+`nativedb`: a lulzy Apache-parquet file manager (that some might
+            call a poor man's tsdb).
+
+AKA a `piker`-native file-system native "time series database"
+without needing an extra process and no standard TSDB features, YET!
+
+'''
+# TODO: like there's soo much..
+# - better name like "parkdb" or "nativedb" (lel)? bundle this lib with
+#   others to make full system:
+#   - tractor for failover and reliablity?
+#   - borg for replication and sync?
+#
+# - use `fastparquet` for appends:
+#   https://fastparquet.readthedocs.io/en/latest/api.html#fastparquet.write
+#   (presuming it's actually faster then overwrites and
+#   makes sense in terms of impl?)
+#
+# - use `polars` support for lazy scanning, processing and schema
+#   validation?
+#   - https://pola-rs.github.io/polars-book/user-guide/io/parquet/#scan
+#   - https://pola-rs.github.io/polars-book/user-guide/concepts/lazy-vs-eager/
+# - consider delta writes for appends?
+#   - https://github.com/pola-rs/polars/blob/main/py-polars/polars/dataframe/frame.py#L3232
+# - consider multi-file appends with appropriate time-range naming?
+#   - https://pola-rs.github.io/polars-book/user-guide/io/multiple/
+#
+# - use `borg` for replication?
+#   - https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/quickstart.html#remote-repositories
+#   - https://github.com/borgbackup/borg
+#   - https://borgbackup.readthedocs.io/en/stable/faq.html#usage-limitations
+#   - https://github.com/borgbackup/community
+#   - https://github.com/spslater/borgapi
+#   - https://nixos.wiki/wiki/ZFS
+from __future__ import annotations
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager as acm
+from datetime import datetime
+from pathlib import Path
+import time
+
+# from bidict import bidict
+# import tractor
+import numpy as np
+import polars as pl
+from pendulum import (
+    from_timestamp,
+)
+
+from piker import config
+from piker.data import def_iohlcv_fields
+# from piker.data import ShmArray
+from piker.log import get_logger
+# from .._profile import Profiler
+
+
+log = get_logger('storage.nativedb')
+
+
+# NOTE: thanks to this SO answer for the below conversion routines
+# to go from numpy struct-arrays to polars dataframes and back:
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/72054819
+def np2pl(array: np.ndarray) -> pl.DataFrame:
+    return pl.DataFrame({
+        field_name: array[field_name]
+        for field_name in array.dtype.fields
+    })
+
+
+def pl2np(
+    df: pl.DataFrame,
+    dtype: np.dtype,
+) -> np.ndarray:
+
+    # Create numpy struct array of the correct size and dtype
+    # and loop through df columns to fill in array fields.
+    array = np.empty(
+        df.height,
+        dtype,
+    )
+    for field, col in zip(
+        dtype.fields,
+        df.columns,
+    ):
+        array[field] = df.get_column(col).to_numpy()
+
+    return array
+
+
+def mk_ohlcv_shm_keyed_filepath(
+    fqme: str,
+    period: float,  # ow known as the "timeframe"
+    # shm: ShmArray,
+    datadir: Path,
+
+) -> str:
+
+    # calc ohlc sample period for naming
+    # ohlcv: np.ndarray = shm.array
+    # times: np.ndarray = ohlcv['time']
+    # period: float = times[-1] - times[-2]
+    if period < 1.:
+        raise ValueError('Sample period should be >= 1.!?')
+
+    period_s: str = f'{period}s'
+    path: Path = datadir / f'{fqme}.ohlcv{period_s}.parquet'
+    return path
+
+
+ohlc_key_map = None
+
+
+class NativeStorageClient:
+    '''
+    High level storage api for OHLCV time series stored in
+    a (modern) filesystem as apache parquet files B)
+
+    Part of a grander scheme to use arrow and parquet as our main
+    lowlevel data framework: https://arrow.apache.org/faq/.
+
+    '''
+    name: str = 'nativedb'
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        datadir: Path,
+
+    ) -> None:
+        self._datadir = datadir
+        self._index: dict[str, dict] = {}
+
+        # series' cache from tsdb reads
+        self._dfs: dict[str, pl.DataFrame] = {}
+
+    @property
+    def address(self) -> str:
+        return self._datadir.as_uri()
+
+    @property
+    def cardinality(self) -> int:
+        return len(self._index)
+
+    # @property
+    # def compression(self) -> str:
+    #     ...
+
+    async def list_keys(self) -> list[str]:
+        return list(self._index)
+
+    def index_files(self):
+        for path in self._datadir.iterdir():
+            if 'borked' in path.name:
+                continue
+
+            key: str = path.name.rstrip('.parquet')
+            fqme, _, descr = key.rpartition('.')
+            prefix, _, suffix = descr.partition('ohlcv')
+            period: int = int(suffix.strip('s'))
+
+            # cache description data
+            self._index[fqme] = {
+                'path': path,
+                'period': period,
+            }
+
+        return self._index
+
+
+    # async def search_keys(self, pattern: str) -> list[str]:
+    #     '''
+    #     Search for time series key in the storage backend.
+
+    #     '''
+    #     ...
+
+    # async def write_ticks(self, ticks: list) -> None:
+    #     ...
+
+    async def load(
+        self,
+        fqme: str,
+        timeframe: int,
+
+    ) -> tuple[
+        np.ndarray,  # timeframe sampled array-series
+        datetime | None,  # first dt
+        datetime | None,  # last dt
+    ] | None:
+        try:
+            array: np.ndarray = await self.read_ohlcv(
+                fqme,
+                timeframe,
+            )
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return None
+
+        times = array['time']
+        return (
+            array,
+            from_timestamp(times[0]),
+            from_timestamp(times[-1]),
+        )
+
+    async def read_ohlcv(
+        self,
+        fqme: str,
+        timeframe: int | str,
+        end: float | None = None,  # epoch or none
+        # limit: int = int(200e3),
+
+    ) -> np.ndarray:
+        path: Path = mk_ohlcv_shm_keyed_filepath(
+            fqme=fqme,
+            period=timeframe,
+            datadir=self._datadir,
+        )
+        df: pl.DataFrame = pl.read_parquet(path)
+
+        # TODO: filter by end and limit inputs
+        # times: pl.Series = df['time']
+
+        return pl2np(
+            df,
+            dtype=np.dtype(def_iohlcv_fields),
+        )
+
+    async def write_ohlcv(
+        self,
+        fqme: str,
+        ohlcv: np.ndarray,
+        timeframe: int,
+        # limit: int = int(800e3),
+
+    ) -> Path:
+
+        path: Path = mk_ohlcv_shm_keyed_filepath(
+            fqme=fqme,
+            period=timeframe,
+            datadir=self._datadir,
+        )
+        df: pl.DataFrame = np2pl(ohlcv)
+
+        # TODO: use a proper profiler
+        start = time.time()
+        df.write_parquet(path)
+        delay: float = round(
+            time.time() - start,
+            ndigits=6,
+        )
+        print(
+            f'parquet write took {delay} secs\n'
+            f'file path: {path}'
+        )
+        return path
+
+    async def delete_ts(
+        self,
+        key: str,
+        timeframe: int | None = None,
+
+    ) -> bool:
+        path: Path = mk_ohlcv_shm_keyed_filepath(
+            fqme=key,
+            period=timeframe,
+            datadir=self._datadir,
+        )
+        path.unlink()
+        return path
+
+
+@acm
+async def get_client(
+
+    # TODO: eventually support something something apache arrow
+    # transport over ssh something..?
+    # host: str | None = None,
+
+    **kwargs,
+
+) -> NativeStorageClient:
+    '''
+    Load a ``anyio_marketstore`` grpc client connected
+    to an existing ``marketstore`` server.
+
+    '''
+    datadir: Path = config.get_conf_dir() / 'nativedb'
+    if not datadir.is_dir():
+        log.info(f'Creating `nativedb` director: {datadir}')
+        datadir.mkdir()
+
+    client = NativeStorageClient(datadir)
+    client.index_files()
+    yield client
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c63622b2..cb5d7df8 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ setup(
             'piker = piker.cli:cli',
             'pikerd = piker.cli:pikerd',
             'ledger = piker.accounting.cli:ledger',
+            # 'store = piker.storage.cli:store',
         ]
     },
     install_requires=[
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ setup(
         'cython',
         'numpy',
         'numba',
+        'polars',  # dataframes
 
         # UI
         'PyQt5',