Docking Request Accepted
It seems like eons now, since I last truly heard that. The ship being pulled to it's spot, the pod being recovered as I empty out into my quarters. That haze in which I awake in, slowly standing straight. The soft lights of the room slowly growing brighter as my eyes adjust, seconds turn to minutes and nearly an hour before I feel well enough again.
"Definitely something I need to get used to this again..."
Stepping out into the station proper, I look around. The hustle and bustle of a rather gated community as though they weren't. The fresh sights of a stationed turned into home, a planet on a smaller, confined scale. A couple of trees dot the pathways, more than likely real ones in this sector of space compared to the machined ones you find in other, more crowded stations.
It had been some time since I last properly set the proverbial foot into space, leaving my home on Faswiba to be a capsuleer yet again. As I walk along, I notice a small open shop lined with wares and trinkets. An odd sort, rather red in color, yet well kept. The rust is only an illusion, yet the young woman manning the stall would say otherwise.
"Sir! You look like the sort who needs one of these!" she calls out with energy, me being caught staring at her booth, and yet now I feel obliged to entertain her.
"What are you selling, if I may ask?" I inquire, walking up and looking around, rough bits of metal, scorched or chipped, on strings of all sorts and sizes, one would imagine a junkyard, on a pocket scale!
"Ah, well Sir, I am here to spread the word but more importantly, the blessing of the Nomads!" she says with hopeful cheer.
"Good luck charms then?" I continue, seen some even painted here and there
"Some, sure, but most are more than that! You are a podder are you not?! You of all should understand the lengths at which it takes to travel, to root yourself from one place to another!"
I am taken aback, sure I might not be the hardest podder to identify, but not within the first minute. "Alas, I am, and on some respects, I do. I have recent decided to make my home here."
"Ah, well welcome to Boystin! I can only guess your journey was tiring and perilous, as well, here in Solitude, that's about a days' work if you're going anywhere. Regardless though, I'm sure there is still much traveling to be done, and none do it as well as us Matari!" She says proudly, a sparkle in her eye that I haven't seen for a good while. She proceeds to talk about her people's struggles, the caravans she's been part of and seen, even recalling stories of her tribe.
"I've heard it all before though, so why does she seem so captivating?" I ask myself, finding more relevance now than at any point previously.
"Sir?" she calls out
"Why does this feel like it strikes me to my core?"
"You alright?"
I snap out of my brief daydream, smiling "Ah, my apologies, I feel a bit overwhelmed, and starved..." I make an embarrassed smile and gesture to my stomach. She merely chuckles and smiles.
"Ah, well I must say, you're in luck!"
"Why, do you sell food as well?!"
"Ah! Well no, not yet! However I do know of a few good places to get some grub around here!" she says, blushing at first and then pulling out her datapad to bring up the map. "Let's see...depends on what you're in the mood for, but these places are all within a short hop form each other"
I look over the map, watching her point out and circle a small area just the next floor up. "Ah, it's just up there! Wonderful!"
Before I know it, she pulls down the wall of her shop, barely catching my head. Before I knew what had happened, the door on the side of the building opened up and out she walked, a casual zip up hoodie with loose pants, her black hair seeming nice knotted back. "Hope you don't mind if I come with you! Been meaning to get food for a while now."
"Uh...I don't see why not?" I am partially baffled, since we only met not but 5 minutes ago, maybe 10. I started to walk with her as she skipped ahead and lead me to the elevator lift. As we stepped on I saw her push a button, the door sliding shut behind us. No matter where you are, feeling your body getting pushed down as the lift moves upward is always an odd experience.
"So Sir, what brings you out here to Boystin?" she asks as she leans backwards against the smooth wall of the lift
"Ah, er, well..." As I start to answer her question, I search my own mind frantically trying to find an answer. I mean, there has to be a reason someone would move the bulk of their assets out to place in the middle of nowhere, at least, that's what Solitude is. "...Too find myself I guess." I finally answer, feeling as if a lifetime went by.
"Find yourself? Sounds big!"
"Haha, Yeah, a bit now that I think about it" I say, staring out at the floor
"Well, I'm sure some food will help you even more!" she exclaims as the lift comes to a stop and the doors open. She rushes out ahead of me before others try to get in. The smell of food fills the air as I step out, and then it hits me, I cannot recall the last meal I had aside from a cup of tea.
I stop for a moment, looking around, stalls of all sorts and sizes, all nationalities and regions line the whole route "Over here!!" I hear her voice, seeing her wave, already in line for a rather derelict looking place. I make my way over, stomach growling more as I pass a few places. You name it, this place has it. As I got to the line, she's almost to the counter
"So what you in the mood for?!" she asks, pointing up at the menu "They got the best home style food here!"
"How do you mean?" I inquire, looking at the menu, an almost exclusive Matari menu "Ah, I've never really tried much of this cuisine, some places I've been to b=put too many spices on it."
She just grins and steps up and orders two of the special, somehow, while having a lengthly conversation with the man at the register. After paying, she walks to the end and I follow.
"You owe me 17 isk by the way!" she says, turning around and handing me a cup of liquid "And here's your drink!"
"I, uh, er..."
"Who IS she?!"
I took a sip, a cool refreshing lemon soft drink before finding a table to sit at. I looked around, everyone else eating, every piece of food looking more delicious than the last.
"Roasted Pator Boar!" she said, sliding the first try in front of me, the seasoned meat filling my nostrils and my mouth watering. As I take the jerky-like meat, I bite into it, such wonderful taste filling my senses, my stomach moving to heaven, a joyous smile creeping upon my face. I look over and see her smiling at me as she nibbles.
"There's something about this girl...I can't quite put a finger one it, but there's something..."
"The name's Sorril!" she exclaimed before taking another bit
Author
Topic: Friends and Food (Read 718 times)