The small home is the only sign of human life for miles. Samus had completed the bounty earlier. Hordes of shadow monsters, coloring the forest black with their numbers.
They had been no match for her plasma cannon. It was routine work, eliminating them one after the other. Samus had derived no pleasure from her work, simply getting it done. It was almost mundane, after a point. Now, she was looking forward to collecting the bounty from the homeowner and returning to her ship.
She knocks on the wooden door, then steps back. She supposes her work did have meaning, if it makes this person's life a little easier. It must be difficult living away from civilization, the only support being yourself. Samus can empathize with that.
The wooden door swings open, revealing a middle aged man, black hair combed back on his head, and casual clothes adorning his body. He blinks, staring at the red armor plating of her suit, before raising his eyes to look at her visor. "Woah. I suppose you're the bounty hunter that accepted the job?"
Samus nods. "I need my payment."
"Yeah! Of course. Thank you, those monsters have been making me uneasy. It only seemed like a matter of time before they took over my house. I don't have the luxury of safety in numbers, if you know what I mean." The man turns to head inside, then pauses. "Why don't you come inside while I collect your money? It would be rude of me to leave you standing outside."
Samus wordlessly steps inside, her HUD scanning the interior of his home. It's a well maintained place, sparse in its decorations, but accomplishing its goal well. She can appreciate that. In the kitchen, there's a pot sitting on the stove, steam rising from it. Her HUD notes the presence of edible food inside of it.
Apparently, the man notices where her gaze is going, even despite her visor. "That's some chicken, rice and vegetables I cooked with these spices. I was going to eat it… about right now. But I need to pay you first."
Samus looks over to the man, who now has his back to her, rummaging through a drawer. He pulls out a wad of cash. "Here. For a job well done." He goes over to her, holding it out.
Samus wordlessly takes the cash, taking her time to count the bills, like she's done many times before.
Silence falls between them, as the man idly watches her count the money, her armor clad fingers not struggling at all with the thin bills.
"Yknow, if you'd like, you could try some of the food I made. You've helped me out a lot today. I'd be happy to share some of my food with you, too."
Samus pauses, the green of her visor slowly rising to look him in the eye.
He fidgets slightly.
It's been a while since she's had home cooked food. The rations on her ship were bland, and tasteless. Normally, she wouldn't even entertain this offer. But recently, she's been wanting a change of pace…
"Okay." Samus pockets the bills, and they disappear into a hidden compartment in her suit.
Samus notices how he lets out a small sigh of relief. Did he want her to stay that badly?
"Nice! Here, take a seat." The man touches the metal arm of her suit, before walking forward and pulling out a thick wooden chair for her.
She takes a seat, back straight, as she watches the man ready two plates of food. Steam rises from them. Despite herself, she can't help feeling a spark of anticipation. It's been a while since she's had home cooked food. Actually, she can't even remember…
In moments, the food is placed in front of her. Chunks of meat are sliced up into small pieces, mixed with rice and an assortment of vegetables. A silver spoon rests on the side of the bowl.
"Here. I haven't tried it yet, but I hope you like it." He grins, before moving to sit across from her.
Samus takes her time, considering what to do. She could take her helmet off, that's the most convenient option for eating, but she doesn't want to do that here.
Eventually, he looks down, spoon pushing the food around, before bringing it to his mouth and chewing. He looks up, meeting the green glow of her visor. He seems to startle slightly, before talking.
"...Is there a problem? You haven't, uh, started eating."
Samus realizes she should probably eat before she makes the man too uncomfortable. She sighs. She walked right into this. If anything, the man is no threat to her. The monsters she eliminated earlier were no challenge either. Resigned, she raises her hands to her head, disengaging the airtight locks around the helmet that keep her safe from dangerous atmospheres.
She places the helmet next to her on the table. She can feel the man's eyes on her, but she ignores it.
She picks up her spoon, forcing herself to eat the food. This is what she came here for, anyways.
She chews. The food actually has flavor. It's probably the best tasting thing she's had in years.
She raises her eyes to the man's, noting the small surprise there. "It's good." she says simply.