Private Late Night Noods | Qell

[Taysonyl Callenid]

Qell Auraeli
​

"'Sup Q." Tay waved over Vanguard-9, giving a little grin to the other pilot before slurping up some more noodles. This ramen place was best on the megablock, and the owner didn't close his shop until four in the morning.

It'd been a while since they'd had one of their late-night run ins. Nissin Cup was the usual place; over the three or so months of training at the Academy they'd met up there at least a dozen times. Sometimes they caught each other at the exit and went together, sometimes one of them was chilling there when the other arrived. Either way, they always hung out for a bit and ate. Tay liked to think she had the bigger appetite relative to size.

As usual there was already two bowls out on the little table. Habit -- after all, this wasn't just a snack. If Qell didn't show, Tay would just eat both bowls on her own. It was alright; she preferred the soy sauce pork bone over the pork bone broth. The shopkeep knew her well and gave her a bit more meat. Firrerreo diet, or something.

"We're in the same squad," she started, between slurps (more like shovels) of noodles. "You hyped to be deployed?"

 

[Qell Auraeli]

N I S S I N . C U P
C O R U S C A N T

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Taysonyl Callenid
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In addition to several other improvements to the human condition, the K’paur side of her respective genetic cocktail lent itself to a prodigious appetite that not even the Galactic Alliance was set up to cater for. Sure, the Mess hall portions could take the edge off what would otherwise be a ravenous hunger, but nothing could sate her like a trip into the lower levels. Trips that had seen her become something of a connoisseur of street stalls, diners, bistros and bakeries over the last few months. Soon it wasn’t just about filling the bottomless void that was her stomach, but the thrill and challenge of seeking out the best dishes Coruscant had to offer. Trandoshani flatcakes from that little corner bistro down on Level 1891, those sweet Mustafarian lava buns from Fel’nek’s Bakery, bowls of scorching fodu in green fire sauce from the Melahnese quarter. The list went on and on, but she had yet to find a place as conveniently located or as culinary diverse as Nissan Cup.

Few things in life beat a good bowl of noods.

“Hyped?” Qell repeated as she slurped hungrily from the bowl she cupped just below her chin, all but inhaling the noodles. There was no need to put on airs here. Not when you were sitting next to the diminutive glutton of a Firrerreo that was Callenid anyway. She chewed a mouthful thoughtfully as she mulled over the other girl’s question, tapping her chopsticks on the edge of her bowl. “Don’t know if I’d say I was hyped, so much as ready. I was hyped the first day of the academy, now I just… Want to get out there, I guess?”

There was a certain addictive adrenaline high from combat (or at least the simulated kind she’d experienced thus far?), but it was the unparalleled freedom of flying that had really motivated Qell through the Academy. Freedom had been an all too rare commodity growing up under the shadow of House Metara. Nothing could rival that first sweet taste of it, not even Nissan’s legendary noodles.

“What about you?” She placed the empty container down, flashing a smal, lopsided smile at the owner as it was instantly replaced with another all but identical bowl a split-second later. First class service as always, but then again the pair were practically putting the man’s kid through college with these late night visits so maybe that was to be expected. “Think they’ve got a booster seat big enough to let you see over the dash?”

 

[Taysonyl Callenid]

Qell Auraeli
​

"That's hyped, dude. You wanna do it. You're, like, excited." Tay was excited. They were going to be real pilots. Tay couldn't wait to be behind the controls, matched up against people who really wanted to kill her. She knew sims weren't the same. She wanted to take hits, get back up, and hit right back. Hell, she wanted to crash again. She was hyped.

Her gaze wandered, finding the owner. A little wave and chopping hand gesture, and just as Qell got a new bowl Tay received her own bantha side and bowl as well. For someone who complained about being broke, she spent an awful lot at Nissin Cup. Few things in life beat a good cup of noods.

It'd be a waste to snort them out. Tay managed to stop herself from choking at Qell's comment. She slurped, chewed, swallowed, then snarled at Vanguard-9. "Oh, kark off. I am not that short. And you don't have that advantage when you're in the pit."

 

[Qell Auraeli]

N I S S I N . C U P
C O R U S C A N T

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Taysonyl Callenid
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Qell pursed her lips thoughtfully as she stared down at her noodles. Even a broken watch was right twice a day, so maybe Tay could be right. Maybe she was a little hyped for the upcoming deployment. It all still felt unreal. Seemed like only yesterday they were green cadets at the academy, now they were actually junior commissioned officers in the GADF and getting assigned to the hot new Battlegroup all the rookies were clamoring over. Alex, Frea, Tay and her somehow landing in the same squadron no less.

"Vanguard, huh?" She reached for her chopsticks, "'Fearless to the finish.' You think they know what they're letting themselves in for dragging in your crazy ass on top of Shep's?"

Two daredevils. One who simply didn't believe she could crash and burn, the other one didn't seem to care. Both finding common ground out of shear competitive drive. Not that Qell could talk, although she would argue she directed that inwards. Sheplin and Callenid were a whole different story. Damn adrenaline junkies.

“Don't have the advantage? It's called reach.” As if to illustrate the point she languidly stretched out her arm towards the other woman, not even extending it fully before it came close to hitting her on the cheek. Holding it there for a few beats before shrugging and returning her attention back to her bowl. "Even with that healing thing you've got going on, it won't mean a thing if I could beat you senseless before you could close the distance."

She shook her head, "Goal is always to fight smarter, not harder."

 

[Taysonyl Callenid]

Qell Auraeli
​

Tay swatted away the hand and shook her head.

​

"I said in the pit. The cockpit. But like, that doesn't make sense, because I don't have one. I mean, I got BDE, but like. The pit. And I can kriffing reach the stick so don't you dare say shit about that." She picked up her bowl and took a long drink. Most people at the Academy knew Tay to be a bit of a bully, but as with most things Qell just had to one up her. Piloting skill, lineage, height -- basically what Tay wanted to be when she grew up.

Of course she didn't show it. She'd never give an inch, even against someone she knew was better in almost every way. Except for the one. Tay didn't fight smart, she fought hard. And it'd gotten her this far, so there was no reason to stop.

Not until she was smart enough to start using her head in a fight, anyways.

She sighed. Might as well try to learn something. Her gaze fell to her bowl as she put it back down on the table, her hands cupping it, as if absorbing the warmth.

"I don't think-" She made a gesture, searching for the words. "I don't think I'm really... ready.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to be out there. I wanna shoot shit. I wanna get shot out of the sky and cough up blood when I hit the ground. I'm just... not as good as you guys. Our CO's gonna see that quick." The admission terrified her, just like it terrified her what Qell might think of her after this. "I, um, still got stuff to learn."

She felt even shorter.

 

[Qell Auraeli]

N I S S I N . C U P
C O R U S C A N T

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Taysonyl Callenid
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Her chopsticks hovered over the bowl in empty silence.

Well, this had taken an unexpected turn. It was unsettling to see a moment of weakness from someone normally so tough, so grounded and outwardly self-assured. In the months since they'd embarked on this almost weekly culinary ritual, not once had the other girl dropped her guard like this.

She chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, debating her next words carefully. Her family hadn't really been big into the whole warm and fuzzy. Repression, resentment and detatchment were the hallmarks of the Auraeli household. Growing up with Alex had helped round off some of those edges, even got her open to up on occasion, but there was still a reason she wasn't the person people turned to for emotional support.

"Listen, Tay..." The Alderaanian made a soft, almost pained sound by way of a sigh before deciding to bite the proverbial bullet. Dipping her head to the side to look at the other girl while still giving herself the luxury to avoid making direct eye contact. "Look, from where I sit, you've got the reaction speed, the killer instinct, the endurance... You've even got the crazy ass mentality... All the key qualities that go into making a great pilot."

The K'paur shrugged and plucked at a stray noodle. Tay might not have been a natural like Alex or Frea, but the girl had undeniable talent and a never say die work ethic to hone it to the same degree if given the chance. She just needed to learn how to do that consistently.

"Your problem has never been about a lack of skill, its just your approach. You get in that cockpit like it's a shockboxing arena, like you're in a no holds barred fight with the ship and you've got to beat it into submission. By flying isn't..." Qell hesitated again, another moment of fumbling in the dark for the right words, trying to tailor an answer that both made sense and hopefully allayed some of the girl's concerns. "It's like a dance, yeah? You might take the lead, but you still have to trust that your partner will come along for the ride. If you try forcing it, all you really accomplish is some broken toes and a really awkward ride home."

She paused, cheeks tinging slightly as she realized how lame that had sounded, trying to cover it up by bringing her bowl back up to her face. Practically mumbling a disclaimer into the noodles. "Or, you know, something like that."

 

[Taysonyl Callenid]

Qell Auraeli
​

Tay found herself in suspense from the first "Listen, Tay..." all the way to the "something like that". It struck her that she might've actually found something here, realized something. That she wasn't alone, wasn't completely alone, wasn't a complete loss. Just like Qell she slurped her noodles and kept her gaze averted from the other woman. Just like Qell there was something of worth in the person sitting across from her. Only, Tay didn't quite have the perspective to understand herself in the same way.

It terrified her that Qell knew more about her than she herself did, but she couldn't stop listening; hoping, that she might learn enough to stop feeling like she'd always be the last among them. First to hit the dirt, anyways.

In truth, Tay didn't even shockbox properly. It was always a beatdown. An endurance test. Every time, her coach told her it was just like that. A dance. Graceful, balanced; a beautiful thing. Not something she could force. But she never listened. It was always about her. Always about the pain. Every hit taken was a badge of honor to keep forever. She was going the distance, always getting back up; didn't much matter how hard she could hit, only how many hits she could take.

But a starfighter didn't quite have the same endurance, did it?

She shook her head, eyes on the table still slurping noodles. Her voice was soft. Breaking, almost. "Thanks. For- for the advice.

"Or, you know, something like that."

She dared to glance up at Qell, face tingling just as the other's.

"Probably, uh, could use a few dancing lessons. I'm pretty shit at that kind of thing," she said. She stirred her noodles, thoughts idling elsewhere. "We should go clubbing, or something."

 

[Qell Auraeli]

N I S S I N . C U P
C O R U S C A N T

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Taysonyl Callenid
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"Don't thank me. I didn't say anything that wasn't true." The Alderaanian replied honestly with another dismissive shrug of those deceptively slender shoulders as if it was no big deal, but a small smile quirking at the corner of her lips spoke volumes. Quietly proud of her the minor accomplishment. She hadn't been able to offer as much advice as she would have liked, but a successfully navigated minefield was a successfully navigated minefield. Maybe she wasn't completely terrible at this whole emotional business as she'd first assumed. "They must have seen it, too."

She paused to drain the last of the broth from her bowl, sucking the remnants of salt from her lips gently as she placed it back down on the table. Chopsticks placed across to stop the old man from grabbing her another bowl - at least for now, anyway.

"The instructors wouldn't have recommended you for Vanguard if you didn't have potential. Alex and Frea, they're naturals. They were born to fly. It's like breathing to them." There was a faint note of bitterness to her voice, but it sounded as dull and distant as a storm that had long since rolled over the horizon. Jealousy that had faded over time. She side glanced the younger girl, the smile turning slightly sardonic, slightly conspiratory. "But you and me, we have to work for it, twice as hard, if we even want to match up. Doesn't mean we're any less of a pilot. Doesn't mean we don't deserve to be there as much as them, yeah?"

At least, that's what Qell told herself as she racked up hours of overtime in the flight simulator. Practicing the same damn rolls over and over again until she was performing them in her sleep.

"And hey, if nothing else, just means we've got an excuse to stay on that dancefloor a little longer, right?" She slipped lightly to her feet, moving far more gracefully than a girl her size ordinarily should. Pausing to dig a few creds from the pocket of the jacket she had hung around the back of her chair, fishing out enough to cover her bowls, Tay's and a little more beside for the service before slipping it over her shoulders. Looking at the other girl expectantly. "Speaking of, you coming or what?"

 

[Taysonyl Callenid]

Qell Auraeli
​

Again Tay was enthralled by the other girl's words. Maybe it was just because Qell was talking about her, or maybe it was that buried need for validation suddenly rearing its head and eating its fill. Yes, she thought, I can be a good pilot. I can do this. Little did Qell know; she'd secured a lifelong friend.

Tay needed to work on the friend thing. And the long life thing. But at least she knew she could work at it.

"Oh. Shit. What?" She blinked, then picked up the bowl and drained the rest of the broth and noodles. Her offer to go clubbing had been more of a 'sometime'; she hadn't expected them to head out right then. But the more she thought about it (her train of thought lasted around three seconds) the more she warmed up to the idea. She had nothing else to do tonight. Why not?

She put down her bowl and waved her thanks to the noodle man, then grabbed her own coat before heading to the exit. "Yeah, let's go."

The coziness of Nissin Cup was washed away by the buzz of speeders and cool night air. Coruscant's lower levels still held a small sense of familiarity for Tay, but even then she didn't always know her way around. "Do you know a place? 'Cuz like, I do, but it's not that nice, and the only reason you go there is 'cos the spice is best on the megablock, and then you think you had a great night after passing out right after your trip.

"Well, unless you're into that stuff.

"Are you into that stuff?"