Erik followed Doreen's example and went to the restroom first, to wash up and arrange his hair a bit. After being done, he stood in front of the mirror for a moment, contemplating... Aaah... haven't felt this good in years.
The small dining room was fit with balloons hanging all around the ceiling, while the table had been already set up with everything they might need. The food had been placed in conservation bowls in the middle, along with a few bottles of beverages. Erik opened up a bowl and noticed some sort of fish-based stew, from which he put some for Peter, who loved fish. The other bowls contained an exotically decorated salad, a fruit-n-cheese pie and some kind of steak - all of which were based on Crayterian recipes, Erik commented. Since there was no staff, he kindly offered to serve everyone with whatever they preferred.
Once everyone was eating happily, conversation sprouted on its own, with both Peter and his father giving Benjen plenty of attention. After all, it was his birthday. "So, Ben - how's school so far? Are the teachers nice? Have you made friends?" - Erik asked on a friendly tone.
