Spectra: The Eternity Vault

3 | Reality Check

The door to Tris's apartment creaked open at Note's touch, its aging hinges in desperate need of some lubricant. As she and Val crossed the doorway's threshold, a voice called out from further in, "Val, Note! Is that you?"

"It's us, Mae," Note called back in confirmation. A cloud of vapor and steam hung in the air, originating from the kitchen. Following its trail, Note entered the kitchen to see Tris dicing some chives on a cutting board. To the dahmak's right was a mowlin, her fur a dark midnight-blue, who was leaning over the stove and using a cheap ladle to stir the contents of a simmering pot.

Turning around, the mowlin's furry ears perked up as she caught sight of the synthoid. Her vermillion irises glinted with excitement, and she stepped away from the stove to greet Note and wrap her in a hug. "Hey, it's good to see you! Tris told me you're both staying for dinner?"

"That's right," Note heard from behind her, and she turned around to see Val in the cramped entryway. "I hope we're not imposing?"

Mae let go of Note and waved dismissively. "Of course not, you're always welcome here! Truth be told, we've kind of missed having you two around."

"Sorry about that," Val apologized as he entered the kitchen as well, rubbing the back of his head. "The last couple of months have been rough on our schedules."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she assured him. "We can talk about it over dinner if you like. And speaking of which, it's just about done." She returned her attention to the pot. "It just needs the finishing touch. Where did I put the—?"

Wordlessly, Tris moved to scrape her diced chives into the pot. Mae beamed at her. "Thanks, hon."

"Anything we can help with?" Note offered.

Mae shook her head, turning around and shooing both her and Val out of the kitchen. "We can handle ourselves just fine! Go sit down, we'll be out there in a moment."

Knowing Mae wouldn't take no for an answer, Note and Val backed out of the kitchen and made their way over to the living room. Plopping themselves down on one of the two couches available, they waited for their hosts to join them.

A few minutes passed before Mae and Tris exited the kitchen carrying three steaming bowls between them. Tris chuckled as she handed one to Val, then took her seat on the other couch with Mae. "She's been wanting you to try her latest cooking concoction."

"If it's anything like her usual cooking, I'm sure it's fantastic," Val assured her politely. The bowl was filled with noodles and broth, topped with a blend of chives and different seasonings. Val raised his spoon to his mouth, then widened his eyes as the taste hit him. "Damn, this tastes just like—"

"Tani's?"

He looked up at Mae in surprise, noting as she held her hands anxiously in her lap. "Yeah, it does. But Tani's closed down months ago, how'd you make this?"

She continued to fidget with her hands. "I remembered you saying that they had your favorite spicy ramen, and I know how disappointed you were when they closed. So I've been practicing and perfecting my own recipe over the last few weeks."

"You made this from memory?"

"Mostly," Tris answered with a smirk, wrapping an arm around Mae. "There was a bit of net searching involved, but she's got a real talent for culinary art."

"I'll say," Val agreed, swallowing another spoonful of ramen. It was near perfect—the saltiness of the broth, the heat in the back of his throat from the chili sauce, even the slight hint of lime on his tongue, everything was spot-on.

"I figured you'd be the perfect test subject," Mae joked. "If I had your approval, then I'd know I succeeded. It was good luck Tris managed to catch you outside."