The food looked great. It smelled of nothing. The others looked to enjoy it. Troy couldn't even feel it. The food would always disappear before it ever reached his tongue. It was likely for the best, not feeling that cycle of static again. Yet, whatever conclusions his mind had brought forth, his body had straight out ignored them.
Even if he was feeling no need to eat anything, his stomach had growled several times upon the sight of the food before him. Troy had never been one for fried fish, but it was looking better and better by the second. Having gotten himself a piece beforehand had not been a resolution made by his head. How he wished that punishment for that action had come. Perhaps that would have stopped those awful reactions to the fake food. There wasn't even anything to smell! It was pretty unmistakably fake.
“Do you want another slice?” Naadim asked. He had unanimously been declared the distributor of food. Only a single grabbing claw had been brought, and the man had been steadfast on keeping it on him. Some eerie personal attachment right there, but Troy wasn't going to pity it any wonders. More abstract obsessions had been witnessed before. Shivers still went up to his spine, when he thought of that poor car. There should have been a law against such acts. “We have plenty left.”
And, they most certainly had pieces to spare. Looking at the semi-alight fire, over it laid more than two full fish left. Some potatoes in tinfoil had been prepared alongside it, bringing more memories forth than Troy dared to think about.
“It will go unenjoyed. Best to let it go to another,” Nico acknowledged a hand motion already up. The distributor had taken it upon himself to answer the question in his mind, already fishing up another few parts of fish. Troy nearly grimaced upon it being brought to him. Through the thin paper plate, he could feel the heat from it. If he held his nose, it would all feel so real. If only he could taste it. Even just feeling it would be okay. The sensation of it inside him was credible enough to satisfy those annoying cravings.
Near-automatically, Troy brought the food to his mouth. It was physically brought inside, with no real emotion put into it. It could have been explained as a part of his character act but he honestly wasn't feeling it. Acting like he was actually eating, putting on the show of chewing, and swallowing was slowly making him go insane.
How long had the experiment been going on? Dr Fidelis had not been kidding about its length. With the boat being a test-length upon itself, lunch had likely passed by upon its end. Several more hours had passed by since then. Was it already dinner time? Was night already upon them?
Taking a glance upwards provided no answers. It had been night-time there for a long time now. The sun had disappeared a long while ago. Darkness filled up the forest, only lit by the full moon and the small fire they sat around.
Troy didn't understand it. What were they waiting for? Had he done something wrong? Had he said the wrong thing? Had he not said the needed key-word? Was he supposed to have catched some of the fish? Uncover the secret mausoleum under the lake, which only one of pure spirit can sense? Was he destined to be the king of Britons?
The last one gave a small smile to appear upon Nico’s face. Still staring up at the stars, Troy felt he could give the man that. It was the right mood after all. The silence between the men, the occasional crackling of the fire, and the wind moving in from the south all brought the ambience together.
Anticipation. That damn word being on the forefront of his mind again and again.
“Is this not beautiful?” Algie asked out of the blue. While Naadim had been reserved throughout nearly the whole journey, the gold medal of silence clearly came to that man. Since the rare words upon the exit of the car, not a hoot had come from the man’s mouth. Many times, he had looked ready to speak. Just as many times, he had closed it and walked away. “The place we all knew, grown into something we have not ever seen. Changed, transformed, and created anew. The trees are where I remember them, yet the bark upon them I have never before glanced. What is inside of them may be that of old, but that which is outside is newer than my niece. Might even rival in sheer beauty.”
A whisper ended the speech off, Algie leaning back in his small chair. They all had one, yet his sitting arrangements looked the most worn. From use, or from the man sitting upon it, nobody would ever know for certain.
“Harsh words for your own blood,” Naadin remarked with an… playful tone. A tone with a hint of mirth attached. A cheerful one.
“I know my blood better than any other man. If I say she does not have a promising future, I mean it. We are not known for beauty, but for our wisdom. Such as, not saying this information in front of my beloved.”
Laughter. Laughter upon laughter came from the two. Evon chuckled along from the side, finding obvious humour in it, no matter how predisposed his mind might have been. Nico sat as still as ever, enjoying the added noise. White noise for the deaf, or screaming for the poor. A true symbol of boredom getting all in the end.
The cheeriness continued for a while. No more jokes were said. No more words, laying it on even more. Each time both would quiet down, the men would look each other in the eyes, before going right back to their screaming. Manly screaming of course... As long as gender stereotypes about voice pitch had reversed upon itself.
“We should have done this more often,” Evon remarked from the side. “If this is the kind of mood to expect, we could all have benefited from such a trip greatly.”
Like the needle tacked into a water balloon, the mood had utterly disappeared. It was curious to see, the two men growing right back to their quiet demeanour. Not a look was shared, both having the same intention of never saying another word in their life. Was it shame holding them down? Troy could clearly see their want to take up another gag, bringing the temperature right back up.
Glances were given to the bag. And not the bag with fishing rods. As if that would bring the back genuine friendship they had brought forth.
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“... I think I will need another piece,” Nico said, having emptied his plate in the meantime. The round piece of paper was delivered to the waiting hand of Naadim, another half of a potato put upon it, with a small side of fish.
“Big appetite you have there, Nico,” Evon said likely to break either the silence or the stares. The other two weren't having anything anymore. After a minute of Nico eating alone, all others seemed to have been done with dinner. The remaining foods were thrown in the bushes, a gift to animals residing close by. The smell would likely attract them by morning come.
“It is a special day. Rare occasions require rare actions,” Nico answered. Troy felt like slapping himself, his way of speaking being morphed more and more into that of which he hated to hear. But… speaking plainly would ruin what they had already obtained. Stopping now would bring ruin.
Quite the perspective to get for his childhood, even if the excuses likely weren't the same. Alike but not identical.
Glowing before them steadfastly, no more branches were given to the fire. It had been slowing down it's crackling for a while. Troy felt bad for the non-sentient thing. It worked so hard to live, not knowing it had already been given up on. No wait… the group was more along the lines of waiting for it to die. The stares Naadim and Algie gave the light was nearly frightening. They knew what would happen, they knew why it was happening, and they knew that they would not like it.
“It most certainly is. Wish we had brought more to celebrate it with.” Evon answered yet again.
“More weight will make it all the harder for us, you must discern! A heavier burden would bring you twisted pleasure, would it not?” Naadim nearly shouted at the younger man. Anger was prevalent upon his face, it scrunched up to show exactly what he felt for him. “You know about it! The others know of it because of you! Do you feel proud, you sad excuse for a-”
“Friend,” Algie calmy told. The voice was low, just as the tone was, but the group could hear it all the more clearly.
Naadim stared at the bearded man, the focus of anger switching over. It did not take long to dissipate, the presumed catalyst not being within view any more. The arm ready to strike was lowered slowly. A look was given to its palm as if to speculate just what he had been prepared to do.
Troy saw him sit down in his seat yet again. No reaction had come from him. No reaction had come from Evon either. The first had been a wonder, and the second had been quickly deemed a mistake.
Brain damage had been imminent, yet the younger man had not even flinched. Instead, a carefree smile had been given to his would-be attacker. A hug of the eyes, inviting it all in. If anything, the kid nearly looked disappointed.
No more conversation was given freely. Troy got the rest of his food to dissipate before the paper plate going away along with it. Naadim likely took it from the ground. Nico didn't notice, staring up at the skies yet again. Memory had finally begun kicking in. He could almost recognize the figures in front of his eyes. The belt of a demigod, and the mistakes it brought with it.
A long time was spent thinking. Thoughts went by in a slowed downstate. Troy never put too much focus on what went by, not bothering to remember most of it. Only the more forceful ones ever got more than a moment of his time.
Adam had not said anything hitherto. It had been a long time since the last message. Ideas about him contacting the AI had been thought of in desperation. It had been in one of the more monotonous states, that the idea had been manifested. Troy felt shame for creating it.
Communicating with such fickle ideas was not within Nico’s scope. He might have had beliefs, but none had been proven to be based on myth.
One by one, the lights had disappeared. The fire was no longer ablaze. It had been enough to see for a while. A half-hour ago, they had thought it over. But, there had still been light from within. The structure built had been whacked with a club, and was left exposed to the cold air. It had not taken much more.
“The sun will soon be upon us,” Nico said. It was not yet obvious, but continuous observation had let him regard the mild enlightening of the side. Troy would give it an hour or two before it could be called early morning.
“We will have left before the light touches us,” Naadim said, being the first to get up from his chair. “Let this walk begin.”
“That took some time to start,” Evon said from the side. A swing or two of the arm was observed by Troy as if waking his body up from some action. A warm-up, good to get the blood flowing. “Mind if I bring a can along.”
Algie’s eyes narrowed when looking at the younger man. But, a loud exhale was given to it.
“If that is what you wish, I have no will to stop you from it. Bring your drink along. You better enjoy it.”
With the other three packing away their chairs, Troy felt inclined to do the same. Getting up, the chair became much more straight with a twist, allowing it to be easily packed inside the car. The future really was a good place to be.
Naadim and Algie went around the car, bringing out assortments of gear. Troy was not able to see it, having instead restrained himself to only hear the grinding of alloy.
'The final message has appeared,` Adam sent. The first message to be received in too long.
“Of course it has,” Troy chose to mutter. Evon had walked down towards the lake again. It was not long away, but enough to not overhear the mutterings of a tired man. The other two were similarly preoccupied, gathering things Troy wasn't sure he desired to see.
'Nico had already planned what will pass now. Algie and Naadim shall remain on another path than one of you and Evon. You will take a walk down the side of the lake. When Evon requests it, you are to oblige. That is all.`
Of course, it was.
A nod was given to the two, which was stiffly returned. A hug or two were also exchanged before Troy marched down to meet the kid.
Evon didn't react much as Troy reached him, staring up at the sky much as he himself had done not long ago. The eyes were glossed over though, not focused much on the sight before him.
“The sky really is beautiful. Algie may have said so earlier, but I don't think he could appreciate much like I do… Nico. Do you ever get the feeling of a purpose? A full understanding of what you must do?”
Troy looked at the younger man for a few seconds, studying the expression. It was serene. The corners of the lips were slightly upwards, but that was likely only for the benefit of Nico.
“I do think so, Evon.”
“Huh. Well, you can call me jealous of you officially then. I thought I did as well. I thought for a long time I had it all figured out. I did what I thought I was destined to do. But… it turned out not so. I have understood that now.
Not like it will do any difference soon. Naturally. While I might not have understood the feeling of knowing one’s destiny before, at least I know my own now. Are you creeped out, that I just said that? That it comforts me? That I am happy, that I know what will soon happen?”
Nico was not able to answer, for Troy was not able to find anything to say. What did the kid expect? Likely something only Nico could think of.
For the first time in their little stand-of, Evon finally looked at Troy. Really looked at him.
“I really do want to thank you, you know. I can't give anything back that I owe to you. Not anything that will be worthy enough.”
“I do not expect for you to pay any of it back,” Nico stated, for the first time not as calm as before. Evon slightly raised his eyes at this, but it was damped down to serenity soon enough. “Shall we take a walk?”
“Lets. I hear the moonlight reflects perfectly on the lake.”
Neither did look at the lake.
Nico returned to the car, syringe in hand. It was handed off to Algie, who hugged him one more time. He was left in the car, the other two during their part of the task.
Troy didn't look on. He closed his eyes, as he felt his legs rest from sitting down.
*Well done!* Was heard from the earpiece.
*You can head out now, Troy. What a performance!*
Opening his eyes, it had all turned white. Upon getting up, even the seat had turned into nothing. It had all been a simulation. A fake world, put upon a white canvas.
“Sounds good.”