Chapter 59: Cinematic Reverie

A light appetizer was brought out shortly after their drinks and Lyra had almost devoured it all. Jake let them have his portion and did not mind waiting.

It didn't take long before the smells of their food reached their table.

Lyra suddenly shot up as she heard the waiter bring their orders.

The waiter pushed a cart carrying Aria and Lyra's food and placed it on the table.

"A little while longer on the rest of the food sir." The waiter said.

"It's fine, I read the prep time beforehand." Jake acknowledged the waiter's statement as he brought a few more drinks for the trio.

The plate of pasta was pleasantly prepared and smelled good.

Lyra took a bite and her eyes widened at the taste.

"Mmm, it's so good." She spoke after taking a bite.

Aria also took a bite after she saw Lyra taking another.

"Wow, it really is amazing, here Jake try it." Aria excitedly spoke before twisting her fork with some and bringing it towards Jake.

"Is it really.." Jake spoke as he took a bite of Aria's fork.

'This is genuinely good, Atlas.' Jake thought.

(The quality of the food is extremely high, it seems they use Earth-grown ingredients. The recipe is probably half a millennium old.) The Atlas remarked.

Lyra stopped eating when she noticed Aria feeding Jake and herself happily and quickly did the same.

"Here Jake." Lyra spoke as she pointed her fork of pasta towards him.

"It's okay Lyra, I know you're hungry, you can eat it." Jake smiled and declined her offer.

Lyra pouted again and squinted her eyes towards him.

Jake knew she would pester him if he carried on eating from Aria's plate.

'Hah, they're so competitive.' Jake thought.

(This is just the beginning.)

"Fine, I'll share with both of you okay, then when my food comes we can all eat that." Jake proposed his offer to the two.

"Okay." Aria agreed.

"Yes." Lyra nodded.

So Jake slowly ate from both Lyra and Aria as they alternated turns. Jake was happy that the portion size was decent, unlike many high-class restaurants which gave a miniscule amount of food.

Soon enough, Jake's food had arrived, the girls once again shifting their attention from him towards the new dishes.

"Your dishes sir." Allan had arrived with a waiter, placing the Karahi and Peking Duck while taking away the used plates.

"Could we also get.." Jake was cut off as Allan had placed a few empty plates and cutlery on the table before nodding.

Jake nodded back before turning his attention to the girls.

Half an hour later:

After finishing their food, Jake informed Allan of settling the bill.

"The food was amazing Jake!" Aria spoke as Lyra swiftly nodded in agreement.

"Mmhmm, the best food I've ever eaten." Lyra excitedly spoke.

Jake and the girls had shared the 2 dishes and it was more than enough to sate their hunger.

"Your bill sir." Allan politely spoke as he handed Jake a holopad.

Jake quickly signed and paid, while also leaving Allan a generous tip.

"Would you please pass my compliments to the chef?" Aria spoke to Allan.

"I will, that would mean a lot to him. Your chef was my grandfather." Allan thanked Aria as he accepted her request gratefully.

The trio then stood up to leave as Allan kindly escorted them out, of course giving them a few souvenirs too.

Just before leaving Jake had managed to catch a glimpse of their chef, standing out of the kitchen and giving a small nod.

Jake smiled and waved goodbye as they left their restaurant.

'Atlas, that man.."

(He's almost 2 centuries old.)

'He's in great shape for a man that old. Did you find out who he was?' Jake asked as he followed the girls towards the cinemas.

"What movie do you guys want to watch?" Jake asked the girls as they looked over their options.

"How about this one?" Lyra pointed towards a poster of a movie featuring a knight overlooking a battlefield.

"Hmm, Law of the Wicked?" Aria thought for a moment as she looked at the poster.

"It's a pre-invasion movie, you sure you don't want to see something newer Lyra?" Aria spoke as she looked into the details of the movie.

"I don't mind, looks cool enough, although it's a little long. What do you say Aria?" Jake asked his sister.

'So you're saying my family sponsored the movie?' Jake had asked the Atlas a few moments prior.

(Yes, a lot of information and history was lost in the early stages of the war which is why it took a bit longer for me to find this out.

Also, it seems your family at the time had kept involvement in the production of the movie hidden from the public.) The Atlas spoke, piquing Jake's interest.

'This was in the early 2020s right?' Jake asked the Atlas.

(Correct, production started in 2028 and ended in 2031, It was released into cinemas in 2032 on a limited release and then the war started a year later so it didn't enjoy a lot of publicity.

However, copies were saved and the film is still released in Cinemas on Earth from time to time as there are much more 'Classic' cinema Enthusiasts than elsewhere.)

'I don't know much about my family pre-invasion. Dad said our family served during the war and then split off after with the main line staying at the Devon Manor and somewhere in Europe.

I asked Dad and Mom multiple times about the rest of my family, but all he said was that they stayed out of public light and were private citizens since Dad became a governor.

I couldn't find anything about them too, so it's either they changed names or are more hidden than the SRB.' Jake jested.

(That could very well be true, after all your family line is quite old, and since the Government had also wiped off most of your family's data after your father's incident, the best source for more information would be your family's manor.) The Atlas replied seriously.

'Yeah, I doubt they would want to be involved with us after we got exiled.'

"Let's go for it, the reviews say it's really good, a hidden gem they said." Aria spoke up, snapping Jake out of his conversation with the Atlas.

"Got it, let's go and get some snacks one time too." Jake said as they walked to the reception of the theatres.

"Seems like we're the only ones here." Aria spoke in a hushed voice as they walked to their seats.

"Better for us, it's like having our own private cinema." Jake responded as they took their seats.

Even though the movie was old, it still took advantage of the many features of modern-day cinema.

Realistic weather, sound and motion feedback was incorporated in almost every movie nowadays and had been perfected for almost a century.

This made the cinemas an enjoyable experience and reinvigorated the industry after the rise of streaming services.

Jake and the girls sat in the centre rear side of the seating arrangements, the best seats in the house according to the Atlas.

Soon enough the movie started, set in 11th-century Europe. A pair of twins struggling to survive after losing their parents to war.

Jake was surprised at the attention to detail in the movie, the locations, events and scenes made it feel more of an autobiography or a documentary, yet it still carried suspense and action at the right moments, giving a perfect blend to the film.

Aria and Lyra were even more immersed in the movie, the scene of the main character escaping with his sister and her friend after burning down the supplies and camp of the invading mercenary army had reminded them of Naru as they quickly glanced at Jake with blushes on their faces.

Jake meanwhile was in awe of the cinematography of the film, the camp going up in flames as the main character escaped into the darkness of the night.

It seemed like the director had tried to bring out the most out of every scene of the film which Jake appreciated.

"Jake, you okay?" Aria asked her brother, who seemed deep in thought as they left the theatres.

"Huh, yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired." Jake responded, flashing a tired smile.

"Me toooo!" Lyra moaned with her eyes half closed as she slouched her shoulders and leaned on Aria.

"Let's find a hotel for a few hours." Jake suggested as they all seemed tired.

As much as the trio wanted to explore the bustling nightlife since the city never slept, the safety, leisure options and station shift timings had great influence on the city.

They were quick to find a hotel, multiple in fact just outside the mall and made their way into one.

The interior of the hotel was white, giving off a polished and modern look.

"Welcome to the Deus, how can I help you?" A female receptionist stood up, greeting the trio courtesyly.

"Hi, do you rent out rooms for half a day?" Jake asked as they still had things to do.

"Yes, the minimum duration of stay is 12 hours and we have multiple rooms available. Would you like a standard, high end or luxury suite." The receptionist spoke as she showed the trio a list of the rooms available and the pricing.

"A 2 bed high en-" Jake was interrupted by Aria who spoke up.

"Can we have a standard single be droom please."

"Sure that's no problem." The receptionist replied as she stood up to fetch something.

"It's fine, it's our first time here and we've splurged enough for today, I just want to sleep." Aria spoke to Jake answering the questions he would have asked as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Jake could only shake his head and give a small smirk at her thoughts.