“Mmm~ Yum! Could you pass the pepper, please?”
“Arf!”
“Salty. I need water.”
“Arf! Arf!”
“...What am I looking at exactly?”
“Sorry, Val.”

Yuuji faced the silver-haired beauty with a wry smile as they watched the bizarre scene before them.

Elis and Sidheag happily chomped away at their food while the giant grey wolf Faolán panted at their side, occasionally passing items to the duo at their request.

“Are spirits allowed in here?”
“Nobody else seems to mind, but somehow I can’t help but feel we’re still the only sane people in the building.”

As they looked around the warmly lit restaurant, happy faces and jolly groups lined the tables. It was a cheery place with bustling sounds here and there, and after trying his food Yuuji could see why. He took another bite of his tender, juicy steak, and the flavour bursting forth on every chew shaped his mouth into a goofy smile.

“At this point, I tend to just ignore it.”
“Your mental fortitude is surely something to be admired.”

Valeriya sighed softly but seemed to agree with him as she tore her view from the other side of the table, and gently took a piece of lamb to her lips. Her movements were elegant, clearly shaped by some past customs from her upbringing, and while her face remained unchanged after tasting her meal, her crimson eyes shone with curiosity.

“...”
“See? It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“Hmm. It’s very impressive.”

Even with Valeriya’s subdued reaction, Elis found the perfect opportunity to jump in. Her words were animated, and her cheeks still held a faint blush from the ecstatic expression she wore as she savoured her own meal.

“This is my favourite place to eat on the island. Of course, each restaurant has its good points, but I’ve never had a bad meal here!”

Elis’s long flowing hair had been braided into a neat pink waterfall that swung left and right as she danced blissfully with every bite. The food was undoubtedly good, but she seemed to have a way to elevate the mood with her presence, and every forkful seemed better than the last when faced with her buoyant aura.

“Mmm. It’s always tasty.”
“Arf!”

Sidheag had a pleased look on her face as she gathered together her bountiful salad. She’d brushed her wavy hair behind her shoulders to eat, and even with her still pale complexion, she seemed more lively than normal.

Faolán lightly barked his agreement, and despite not only being a wolf but a spirit wolf at that, seemed delighted to be there.

Manifested spirits weren’t true living creatures, so they didn’t need to eat, drink, or sleep. Their personalities were often representative of their owners, whether that meant it was a facet of who they were that was hidden deep within, or a carbon copy that shared their thoughts and emotions one for one.

“Looks like the newbies are havin’ fun over here. How’s the meal?”
“Gracie! It’s amazing as usual, thank you!”
“You’re a sweet one, give me a shout if you need anythin’!”

The young girl who had come out to check on them gave a toothy grin and a wave as she left. Yuuji was surprised at first when she seated them, as she seemed to be the only wait staff in the room, and looked to be in her mid teens at most. Her accent had a strong Australian twang, but her friendly demeanour and diligent work made her a perfect fit for the role, and it wasn’t just Elis that she seemed to be on good terms with while making her rounds.

“I first met Grace on the restaurant’s opening day. She was a little shy, and it was difficult to understand her, but she was just adorable!”

Noticing the curious glances from the first-timers, Elis began to explain more. Yuuji was well aware the girl was a foodie, but it was moments like this where she really seemed to shine.

“I was one of the first to join Phoenix, so there weren’t many restaurants open at the time. With a name like ‘A Taste of Home’ it was hard to resist coming here, but I was so pleasantly surprised!”

It was Yuuji’s first visit here, but he recalled seeing the glowing reviews left by a certain gourmet online, so he’d been looking forward to the chance to try it out. He didn’t see any reason to decline when Elis had invited him and Valeriya to join them, and he was more than happy now he had tasted the food for himself.

“Such a wide variety! And the difference in cooking methods are all performed masterfully, it’s like I’m travelling the world with every bite! I only wish I could have room to order the whole menu every time, it’s such a wasted opportunity when I miss out on a limited-time item-”

“Elis…”
“Arf…”

As their friend began to ramble on, Sidheag and Faolán both chirped in, causing the girl to blush profusely and return to the conversation at hand.

“Eep-! Sorry! I-I just think the food here’s tasty, is all!”
“Haha, it’s nice to see you’re passionate about it.”
“...I agree. You should do what you enjoy, Elis. It’s thanks to you I had such a lovely meal, after all.”
“Valeriya…”

Hanging on the words of the stoic beauty, Elis returned a brilliant smile. It seemed her plan to get closer to Valeriya was working, even if it was just slightly.

“Alright~! On to the dessert menu! If you’re looking for something with a dry but fruity taste, I’d recommend this…”

Set free from her momentary embarrassment, Elis unleashed her full potential, and aptly described each of her recommendations from the sprawling menu in passionate detail. There wasn’t much stopping her now, so Yuuji did his best to smile through the information barrage, and either nodded or shook his head at moments he thought appropriate, fighting back cold sweat all the while.

******

“Pu~ah! I’m stuffed.”

Elis let out a contented sigh as she leaned over in her chair. Her earlier attempts to be polite and sit with good posture had entirely faded, but it was hard to chastise her when they all secretly wanted to do the same.

“You lookin’ to yabber for a bit, or d’ya want me to go gettin’ the bill?”
“Mmm~, bill please Gracie~!”

Elis waved her hand languidly as she struggled to move from her position, but a pleased smile was glued to her face. Grace laughed quietly and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment as the group began discussing splitting the bill. They didn’t chat for long before they were interrupted by an unexpected newcomer.

“Fahkin’ hell, ya’ah right! Elis brought a bloody bloke with ‘ah! ‘Appy day!”
“Da! Get back in the kitchen!”
“He’s fair dinkum ‘andsome inne’? Tucker’s on the bloody ‘ouse cobber!”

Without warning, a big bearded man stepped out of the kitchen door, and with a huge grin on his face, he began roughly slapping Yuuji on the back while speaking in tongues. He wore an off-white apron over his scruffy chef clothes, and the smell of countless spices wafted over alongside him.

The group was totally paralyzed as they watched Grace the waitress desperately try to pull the man away, with her own accent becoming more and more incoherent. Elis most of all seemed ready to faint at the sight, likely not out of confusion but something else entirely.

“Fahkin’ bloody oath mate, ya betder look afder ‘ah awr it’s yah balls!”
“DA! KITCHEN!”
“Don’t crack the shits Gracie, I’m takin’ the piss!”

Finally, Grace managed a superhuman feat of strength, yanking the man back towards his workstation and closing the door firmly behind her with a huff. She took a moment to recollect herself as the room remained stunned.

Valeriya hadn’t moved an inch the whole time, staring in disbelief at Yuuji who seemed to have already come to terms with the situation and was now sipping water casually while the rest of the group remained in silence.

“...Are you alright?”
“Hmm? Me?”
“Yes, you. Did you have any idea who that man was or what he was saying?”
“Hahaha, of course not.”
“...”

His nonchalant attitude was borderline heroic to see, but she felt he must have seen a lifetime of bizarre occurrences to be able to move on so quickly.

“Ahm sawrry-... sorry about that. My da got a bit worked up is all. He says the food’s on the house for ya’ trouble.”
“He’s a great chef, I’ll be coming back here for sure.”
“Strewth, ya’ must’ve gone troppo…”
“I’m sorry?”
“N-Nothin’. We’d love to see ya’ again. Thanks for comin’ Elis, Sid, and ya new mates.”

Grace gave a shy wave as the table left the restaurant, a variety of expressions on their faces.

For Faolán and Sidheag, it seemed to be business as normal again. Yuuji chatted with the girl as her spirit sniffed the surroundings leisurely, all living in the moment as if the last few minutes never happened.

Elis and Valeriya however locked eyes as they walked in silence. It was only for a moment, but the two of them felt comfort in the fact that they weren’t alone, and they wordlessly agreed that it was best to follow suit and move on.

For Valeriya at least, she left her first real meetup with friends having more questions than answers about her newfound friends.