It's Just Magic

Food Glorious Food

They were taken over to the table quickly and Edendir made sure certain people were kept separate. Nathan floated around the restaurant stealing food off people's plates and Dodger was in the space with the largest room behind it, glaring down at his leg. Lilly immediately went on her phone and Ryan was shuffling further and further away from Amber.

"Don't let her order for me," he said in a low voice to Edendir. "Or I'll get no food whatsoever." 

"Why?"

"The diet thing?" Ryan reminded him. "I came here to get away from lettuce and celery, not to be force-fed it."

"No salad," Edendir promised, clicking his fingers under the table and making all the supposedly-healthy meals on the menu vanish. Amber frowned slightly and Edendir busied himself in conversation with Ryan, spouting nonsense about hats that could pass as conversation. 

"So, let's all share stories," Aunt Katy said, trying to be enthusiastic. "What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done? Lilly, you can go first."

"Urgh," Lilly said, glancing up from her phone. "Do I have to?"

"Lilly," Aunt Katy said in a warning tone.

"Fine!" Lilly threw her phone down onto the table and folded her arms. "I sent a text to the wrong person. Dylan, you next."

"Um..." Dylan thought for a minute or so and then shrugged. "I don't know. I can't think of anything."

"It's only fair," Aunt Katy said. "Try and come up with something, Dyl."

"Probably uploading a personal, stupid video and forgetting to put it on private," he said after more thought. "I deleted it but there's always a chance it could be retrieved, if you knew how."

"Boyd, you next."

"I fell off stage in the middle of a performance once," Boyd said honestly. 

"How the hell did you do that?" Dylan laughed.

"I tripped over the amplifier lead and toppled forwards. I kept playing as I went down and was caught by the crowd. It was pretty cool," Boyd said with a smile. "Crowd surfing is fun but slightly terrifying."

"Olly's turn," Lilly said. "Go."

"Hmm," Olly said thoughtfully. "Well once I was playing a horror game in a restaurant much like this one and I got a jumpscare and I screamed. Loudly."

"Don't scream today," Edendir said. "Or play horror games. Or even be antisocial and go on your device." He stared at Lilly pointedly. "Nobody can."

"Edendir can go next," Lilly shot back, narrowing her eyes. "What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done, Edendir?"

"It happened when I was younger," Edendir began.

*

A five year old elf clutched his school books to his chest and looked around anxiously. He knew that the other children would be polite to him because he was the prince but that meant he wouldn't see anyone for who they were. He wouldn't get any real friends and that was making him feel terrible.

"I'll take those," a boy said kindly. He slid the books from Edendir's arms and smiled. "My name's Kristoffer. What's yours?"

"Edendir," Edendir replied, his voice high pitched and quaky with fear. 

"Are you okay?" Kristoffer asked. "You seem scared."

"I'm afraid of people," Edendir admitted. "I know that people aren't going to be honest with me and that's making me nervous."