Lupin Miya-Choi

For a few seconds, Alice’s senses went numb. There was a tide of pain that crashed down on her head and, though not lasting for long, blocked all the sounds that tried reaching her, including Lupin’s voice. 

The headache rushed in like a warning, telling her to stop searching into the void of her memory before worse things happened. Despite her delicate physique, Alice had always had the stubbornness that could tackle Mount Everest. While this pain was the most severe one she felt since her memory loss, its intensity was far from scaring away her determination to seek the truth of what had happened. But for now, for the sake of the beautiful night they were having, she temporarily abandoned the memory-retrieving task. 

Lupin’s warm hands on her cheeks and his pleasant touch on her throbbing temples did help to chase away the pain, his voice came back to her senses like guidance. She followed his hands to lift her head, and finally opened her eyes to see his concerned yet still so gentle face. 

“Thank you so much, Lupin,” she replied, her words were simple, but she hoped her soft smile and gaze would help to express her deep appreciation for him. As if afraid that even those might not be enough, she held his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Alice did not want to get them into a serious discussion, at least not when they were in public, Lupin was still concerned, and she was still waiting for the headache to completely subside. For now, she only wished to say it as a statement. “I may not need to get my memory back, but I do feel like there’s something more about this.” 

His saying about being happy to have her close as a friend made Alice think, just some fleeting queries, but she knew that they would get back to her from time to time until she found a satisfactory answer for all of them. 

Is it normal for friends to do all of what they have done together? Is it how Lupin would treat all his friends as well? Will she be happy to be just his friend?   

There may be a couple more questions, but Alice’s tired mind failed to catch. For now, she did want to get some fresh air, and probably stay in Lupin’s gentleness for a little longer, as long as he would like to have her around him tonight. Smiling a bit more brightly at Lupin, she confirmed, her voice got back to its light tone to ease his worry. 

"No need for thanks." He stated, offering her a weak smile. In some sense, he felt a ping of guilt. For all Lupin could tell, this happened after he had ended their relationship. He should had fought harder to find her, not expecting that she had just no longer wanted to see him and ran away instead. But, at this point, he could only be good to her from now on to make up for this.

Nodding his head, he looked over her visage. "After what has happened tonight.. Makes me wonder if the monster I fought was a diversion to get to you." He pondered, though he did not know if he was truly heling this situation. "Anything has seemed possible since I fought out that I have a godly father." Did he care if she got her memories? Yes and no. They could always make new memories, but he hated the confusion she endured in situations that was not foreign to him. But, the core of who she was had never changed.

When she finally stated she felt a bit better, he did return to his side of the table. Lupin had raised his hand for the waiter's attention as he spoke, not thinking too much about their path forward. However, her request to stay at his place did garner a brow raise, even if he had no qualms with it. Smiling, he responded warmly. "You are always welcomed at my place. I had planned on working on a suit. We can always talk about this then. And, the beauty of my loft, there are plenty of clothes for you to choose from to sleep in."

The Japanese demigoddess leant closer to look at the pictures. Everything was absolutely exquisite ! Lupin truly had talents for proportions and colors use. "This is beautiful !" she exclaimed, pushing his shoulder a bit. "You are really gifted. I'd love to collaborate with you one day, if you agree ?"

Nodding his head, he looked over at her. A small laugh followed. "Well, thank you. I appreciate the compliment. I am always down to collaborate, if you have the time. Just let me know when, and I am sure we can make something work!"

Ondine could only agree with that. She had seen some amazing designers during her years in the field and had done her best to learn from them. Everyone had different styles and she never understood why people couldn't lift each other instead of trying to rain on someone's parade.

At the request for pictures, Lupin nodded. Taking his phone, the demigod took a few steps closer to the demigoddess, bridging the gap between them. He scrolled to his designs, and he showed her a few images of clients wearing the suit and gowns that he had crafted for them. In the images, he even had a selfie of him in his hand crafted suit. "These are some of my works. All original and individual works."

Erik’s face creased into a smile that was barely visible in the dim lights of the bar. Lupin’s comment about the brute got him to take a short trip down memory lane, and then came up with a conclusion. 

“It seems like I have a knack for running into unsavoury guys. Whenever I go, often there will be some sort of chaos happening sooner or later,” he shrugged, the light smile living on as an indication of his own acceptance of the unwanted ability. However, as if to counterbalance that rather grim observation, Erik quickly added with a brighter voice tone. “But I also got out of such situations still fine, thanks to the help of heroes like you!” 

He nodded in agreement with Lupin’s statement about the god heritage that they and an unknown number of their acquaintances bore in their DNAs. His still adrenaline-high brain swiftly conjured another hypothesis, which he did not hesitate to share with the other demigod. 

“I guess it has something to do with… how do you call it? Something like…the divine attraction? Like, have you ever experienced this impulsive urge to do something without any particular reason? Maybe it’s not really just a game of randomness that we demigods meet, and so, it’s very likely that we’ve met more demigods along the way than we thought we did. The possibilities are endless here, you know.”

Erik stopped his thoughts from running so that he could focus on Lupin’s answer, which he was delighted to learn about. “That’s great that you two have found a haven here, that’s pretty much the same reason why I’ve got to come and stay on this island as well.” Erik was far from being familiar with deities from his own and other pantheons, except for the major, arguably most well-known ones. Still, he dared to make a guess based on what he had learned and seen Lupin did, both in his celebrity past and the fight he had just engaged in few minutes ago. 

“Please correct me if I am wrong, but based on what I’ve seen in you, I guess god Xbalanque’s powers are related to physical strength?” 

When Erik offered a theory about the attraction of demigods, Lupin nodded his head. He definitely could agree with that point. Lupin had already found a few people he knew from his past in an odd type of coincidence. If not by their nature, he could only blame it on acts of the fates which could be just equally responsible. "I can get behind that. Divine attraction.. What a concept." And a great name for a new fashion line.

Mount Phoenix had been a blessing for the two injured demigods. So now, he wanted a bit of a break from the constant travel and battle of monsters. "Oh really?" He asked, though Erik did not seem like someone who would have anything to run from. "The island is definitely the perfect place to create a life. I definitely think I will be here for a long time, if not the rest of my life." The demigod admits. He had never really thought that far, but he did not see any lie in what he said.

haoyu barely noticed the gaze on him, and was not at all aware of the softening look in lupin's eyes. the demigod's own gaze remained cold, almost dead, as he simply stared into the distance as he waited for the veil to be put into his hair. when the veil was finally put on top of his head, haoyu simple blinked before straightening his posture, sticking his chin out just a little in regal elegance. he allowed lupin to shift the fabric around until the man deemed it absolutely perfect and then waited as lupin took a step back to admire his work.

and then, the designer held out his hand to haoyu. the demigod glanced down briefly before lifting his own and placing a warm hand into lupin's proffered one. now it was time for haoyu to grace lupin with a quick nod of his own, careful not to jiggle his head too much lest the veil shifted in ways that wasn't desirable. haoyu then allowed himself to be led, and he walked gracefully next to lupin. it wasn't a difficult talk at all, since he was allowed to walk barefooted. was it cold? yes. but haoyu was used to the cold. as a child, he often had walked on worn and torn shoes, the cold piercing through the thin fabric, turning his toes almost blue. yes, haoyu could deal with a bit of cold. easily.

a picture of grace, of ethereal beauty and absolute elegance; that was what haoyu showed as the two of them passed by the curtains and towards the line-up of other models who were fussing with their outfits, checking if last minute alterations needed to be done. a few of them stopped to stare, because haoyu was icy in a way that was absolutely perfect for the look and the concept of today's show. lips parted only slightly, the plumpness of them was accentuated perfectly underneath the crimson lipstick. the dusted blue eyelids with glitters underneath perfectly showed off the demigod's chestnut eyes which remained stony.

Once the pair stopped at the location, Lupin looked around for a moment to get a grasp of where exactly Haoyu was to be placed. The girls, despite their concerns and fawning, had slowly started making their way to their spots. It did not take long for the open spot to appear, and Lupin brought the man there. It was only then that he finally let go of the male's hand, and he took a step back to ensure that this was the place he wanted Haoyu to be. With one last head nod, he smiled.

"Keep your gaze icy. The moment you walk off that stage, you are free to get your items. I'll have your payment with them. They are being watched and secure. If you have an issue, let me know." Lupin coached and guided him. Not long after he finished speaking, his assistant came to his side, quickly ushering him to his place. Lupin flashed him a quick thumbs up, and with that, he walked to where he needed at the end of the line up so that he could make his final wave after the girls(and guy) made their scene.

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Times spent in Lupin’s companion had Alice realize something that she found truly fascinating. While she always preferred to hide behind her mind and tact in conversations with most others, the relaxed, somewhat goofy side of her often emerged when Lupin was around. It was true that knowing the rich past they shared did help her defence mechanism ease up, but if that was the main reason, then she should have also acted in the same manner with those who had positive connections with the past her. Yet, since it had only happened when she was with Lupin so far, Alice could not help wondering. 

Before thoughts could go deep, the scent of freshly served food rose to offer her a pleasant distraction. As hungry as she was, Alice maintained decent table manners, taking small bites and making as little noise while eating as she could. Being innately observant, Alice quickly noticed how most, if not all of what interested her tastebuds were left ready on the plates for her to take, and that was slightly too obvious to be just a coincidence. She could not help a shy yet happy smile, then accepted Lupin’s caring gesture by blissfully savouring the best pieces of the dish.

That was exactly how things were like before whenever they shared a meal, Lupin leaving the best for her, and Alice receiving in silent thankfulness, not forgetting to pay him back in some other ways.  

But even good food and fine wine could not distract Alice from the surge of odd feelings suddenly stirred up by the song. The room was filled with the beautiful song, the singer’s mellifluous voice elevated the lyrics and melody almost into a hymn, yet it made her feel harder to breathe.

Alice sought Lupin for help, and at first, his response added more weight to the heavy question circling her mind. 

“Important moments of our past?” she parroted, perplexity almost palpable on her face and in her voice tone. Was it the theme song of one of the movies they starred together? Her mind rushed to recall all of the movies that she had watched since that fateful reunion with him, but as the melody did not match any of the songs that had played in those movies, the option was quickly eliminated. 

Was it played in one of the events that they went to together? On a trip with his family? Nothing came to Alice’s mind, and then Lupin peppering tender kisses on her palm came as a major hint. 

“...When you…proposed to me?” she asked, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt washing over her at how much uncertainty there was in her response. It was a guess she came up with by combining all of the hints Lupin had given, backed up solely by logic and none of the gleams of the past. 

In her memory, it remained tar black. A vast field of nothingness that now as she was trying to venture back into, it started to hurt, physically. 

“I…I just guess, Lupin, I still don’t remember it. I cannot recall anything about that moment.” The confession came with much effort, as she did not wish to disappoint Lupin, not when his eyes were full of hope, but she also could not lie to him. One of her hands stayed still in his, while the other came up to hold her forehead, trying to stop a headache that was creeping up so close to numbing her thinking. 

And once of those hurdles seemed to appear. Alice happiness seemed to dissolve at her head became wracked with whatever consumed her mind. His act of affection did not help her, though she seemed to gather from where he kissed what he had meant. But, he could see in her pain, through the flicker in her gaze. His heart ached immediately. Did he accidentally make it worst? Should he had just given her a straight answer? He knew he had been a bit greedy with his affections, though he had not know the scope of what the demigoddess was to endure.

Though, Lupin was no master when it came to handling emotions. He was kind by nature, but this was far out of his scope of comfort. However, he could not dare let her struggle anymore. He had already let her down enough. "Ah. Yes. The proposal." He stammered with a panic striking his core. He could fight any monster in his sight, but this was far different. As she still held onto his hand, he finally pulled himself together. He had no time to falter when she clearly was in a bad space.

"Alice, don't force yourself to try and remember anymore." He finally spoke up, urgency in his tone. It was not a command, though he wished she would follow it for her own sake. He knew she meant well, but it was not worth it to him to see her in pain like this. No memory, good or bad was. "The past is where it will stay. It is not going anywhere. Don't hurt yourself to find it."

Lupin finally let go of her hand as she looked down. The scene made him feel uneasy, and all he could try to do was help. Carefully, to avoid the plates of food, he moved to reached across the table, cupping her cheeks as his thumbs moved to try and gently massage her temples. Lupin lifted her gaze to him, trying to catch her gaze. "Hey. Why are you apologizing? There is no need for this. Not at all. You do not have to explain yourself to me." He explains. While he had been so happy to think she remember even a bit of their past, he would rather a lifetime of new memories over a constant pain over the past.

The demigoddess' smile never left her as they talked. She hadn't expected much when coming to Mount Phoenix and now she had a sibling and an acquaintance back in her life. "Wonderful ! I can't wait to show you the few changes I made to the shop." She chuckled, leaning against her own cart too, her fingers reaching to play with a piece of tulle. "Probably, yes. Even only a couple of days would be nice. But now I'm intrigued, tell me more about this gala ?"

Lupin was rather pleased at the offer. He did quite appreciate other designers. He saw designing as a form of art that required personalized creativity and talent. In a community where some designers saw each other as competition, he wanted to champion their work just like he did his work. "I'd never turn down such an offer." He politely confirms. "And the gala typically happens near the end of summer. Black tie formal. It typically has pretty good participation. I'd recommend starting to stock up, if I were you. Undoubtedly, you will be busy! I was last year making custom pieces. Barely had time for my own!"

“Who am I to reject designer Lupin? He wants to make another bespoke dress for me, I must be insane to say no to such an offer, right?” Alice replied jokingly. She mirrored Lupin’s gesture, leaning toward him and perching her head on her folded hands, her eyes gleamed under the restaurant’s atmospheric lights. “Was anyone upset because of our lack of attention? I hope there was none, but if there was, I hope neither of us cared about that.”  

Her witty smile, her dramatic intonation, and the cocky arch of her eyebrows uncannily resembled the manner of her most well-known character, the one she co-starred with Lupin. Alice now could not know, but Lupin might still remember, that after being showered with compliments and acknowledgement for that iconic role, she had struggled for a long while to escape its wide-spread shadow. It was not a bright time for her and their relationship, when Alice grew restless and started seeking “inspiration” through alcohol, substances, parties, and fishy companions. She did not sink too deep nor too long, but there were so many things she had not told Lupin before their breakup, and then her missing happened. She owed him an apology, that was for sure. 

Alice was back to her focus mode as Lupin resumed talking about his umma and okasan, easily recognizing the meanings of the words and what they implied. When he recalled their reactions toward their breakup news, Alice nodded her head slightly in understanding, her smile wore a tint of sadness. “It must have been a hard time, I may understand why your umma and okasan reacted the way they did. But like you once said, the decision was to protect me, you just tried to do what you believed was best for us, so I still don’t think you were the one at fault.” 

She blinked, eyes widened in nice surprise as Lupin revealed that his mothers had learned about their reunion on the island. There was a loving smile she could not hide as she imagined their conversation on the phone. “Oh dear, they are so sweet, I really want to meet and talk to them!” but she was quick to add, regretfully, “but you’re right, it makes sense not to let them know about my memory loss for now. But I guess it’s safe for you to pass my words to them? I just want to say hello, and that I’m grateful for their care for me, and I wish them all the best.”

Alice was not aware that she was getting emotional until the soothing warmth of Lupin’s palm covered hers. She smiled rather sheepishly at the sight of their linked hands, tilting her head while yet another piece of their shared past was being given back to her. “Studying menus before the first date sounds like something I would have done,” a witty chuckle escaped her as she then revealed, “I must confess, I did check out this restaurant’s menu, and those of all restaurants on this island last night. I’m just not that good at making decisions, you see.” 

She chimed a thank to the waiter before shifting her gaze back to Lupin. His description of their very first date, despite being brief, was enough to elicit an amused chuckle from her. “I bet the old me loved the sight of you in the rain, she must have thought you were dashing, even in a soaking wet suit.” That was the truth. Alice did assure Lupin more than once that night that he looked immaculate, that she did not mind the rain one bit, and even proved her statement with a kiss on his lips. 

Soon after that, the food was served. As their table was quickly filled with mouth-watering dishes, Alice watched with undisguised excitement. “Let’s eat!” She exclaimed, picked up a fork to take a piece of garlic bread, and let out a hum in satisfaction at the crunchiness. 

Alice tended to be quiet when eating her food, and so for a while, there were just occasional exclamations about the food’s good tastes coming from her. When she was about to move to her second squid pizza piece, a catchy intro came up from the stage, and the singer burst into a beautiful song that made Alice stop on her track. 

“Wise man say, only fools rush in…”

Deliberately, she put down the utensils, turned around to look at the singer, and did not turn to look back at her date until the first verse of the song had passed. When their eyes met again, Alice’s face was already covered in bewilderment and frustration, as if she was about to remember something related to the song, but it kept running away from her mind. 

“I think I’ve heard this song before,” she explained in a low voice, her gaze cast down to look aimlessly at the dishes on the table, striving to search into the mysterious hole that was her memory. “I keep feeling like it’s something important, I just…can’t remember what it is.”

The ache of familiarity came from her actions. And, it took him a second to settle on the source. He wondered if she had finally sat down and watched their drama together, or was this a moment of her acting out the past without even realizing it? He wondered if he should bring it up. However, he did not want to focus on her lack of memories either. He wanted tonight to be positive for the both of them. Though, a part of him felt relieved. Maybe, somewhere in there, those memories could be retrieved.

Lupin did not have any hard feelings toward his mothers for their reaction. They meant well, and they just had not wanted their son to miss out on someone he truly did love. "Of course. I will pass along some of your usual tidbits. They won't know the difference." Unless Sakura snitched. However, he doubted his sister to do as well. They were nearly always on the same wavelength.

Comfortable, the demigod's thumb gently stroked the back of her palm. "We have the luxury to not have to make a simple decision. No need to stress out regarding that. Plus, just means more food for us." Lupin had found her need to prepare a cute tendency of hers. Though, he had rose colored glasses on her from the moment they held their first date. Lupin, despite his size and muscle, was a bit too tenderhearted for his won good, and as he had fallen for her, he had done so hard. It was why he had not minded to break his heart to protect her.

With her reassurance, he had to refrain from laughing. Alice did not need to have her memories to be the woman he loved. While his love for her had never left, that growing familiarity helped to restoke his love for her once again. Alice had been on his mind for a while now, and she would maintain a stronghold on it.

As the food came, her excitement pulled him from his thoughts. And, he nodded his head, having paused to enjoy his wine before the food. And, when he ate, he chose his bites with intention, leaving the bites that he knew she would favor for her to take. He had always done that for even though he doubted she ever realize.

Lupin had paused again for a sip of his wine when the song came on. Turning is attention over to the singer, a fond smile grew on his lips. What a great song and better memories. So, he turned his attention back to Alice. However, his brows immediately raised at her facial expression. He noted the confusion and more so the frustration on her face. It was like she was so close to something yet out of reach.

His gaze didn't change until her question. His heart clenched at her pondering. The glimmer of hope radiated in his stare. Lupin reached across the table to take her hand back. "This song played in very important moments of our past." He said, not providing her with the details of it. He wanted her to try harder to figure it out herself, to dig in her mind for that memory.

"Oh. Do not worry about this. I was just helping." Lupin spoke, not needing anything in return for his actions.

yanluo considered himself superior compared to the other death gods, who all seemed to have some screws loose. they each had different screws loose, but they were loose nonetheless. yanluo was unlike any of them. and not just in the fact that his sanity was more or less harboured but also in the way that his duties far outstretched those of your average death god. was he arrogant? not per say. his feelings were rooted in facts.

when lupin mentioned that he may have a workaround for yanluo's blood concerns, the god was pleased and smiled warmly at the demigod. yanluo removed his finger from the rim of his wine glass and placed his hand above the other on his knee, keeping his elegant poise. lupin then spun his sketchbook to face the god and yanluo glanced down at the intricate and beautifully drawn sketches with interest.

the demigod's words resonated with yanluo who nodded slowly, and was quite happy to find understanding and careful contemplation of the gods' situation in lupin's speech. it was exactly true, and for a god like yanluo keeping up was perhaps even more of an issue as he spent most of his time inside diyu, which was essentially a whole other world. time also passed differently, and technology was nonexistent. fashion wasn't exactly important either but whatever fashion they did have always denoted someone's status.

lupin then went over a singular sketch with him, and explained his work ethic to which yanluo nodded and glanced over at the demigod. "that is perfectly fine." the god answered, noting how lupin kept referring to him as sir but also not feeling for correcting the demigod. it was refreshing to be referred to so politely.

"in terms of colours, i prefer my modern clothing to be black but my own traditional robes have all sorts of colours. in that sense, i don't think you have to hold back when it comes to colours. though muted ones are preferred, no matter the colour." yanluo explained, having understood lupin's need to know more about his preferences regarding garments. "i like simple but elegant pieces, which are easy to put on and wear. i also do not carry weapons on me so there is no need to consider adjustments for such things. while i do practise sword wielding from time to time, i will not stroll about with my weapon on any other occasion."

With the god's agreement, Lupin was pleased and it warmed the grin already on his lips. Yanluo seemed convinced already, though it would really come down to the garments in person. While he didn't imagine that the god lacked creativity, there was something about the physical garment that paper never could truly capture, and Lupin had quite the talent in drawing.

As the god spoke, each desire and want was noted. Yanluo's taste did not seem hard to accomplish. Lupin never knew what he would get with a god. Whether it was the desire to be invisible or to showcase the expanse of their ego, Yanluo seemed to not meet either expectation, instead settling for a delicate balance of immersion and maintaining his divine position. For the demigod, this collection for the other seemed to have good potential.

Lupin settled down his pen back onto his tablet that he had used for note taking as the other still had the sketchbook before them. Lupin had a few more questions, even if the other had basically given him creative freedom. "Would you like me to design a piece or two for special occasions? These could be a bit brighter in design, likely a combination of red and gold for good luck." Though, did gods even truly need good luck? "And a yellow design for the color's meaning." He knew the relation with yellow to royalty. But, would a god match that definition? If anyone did, it would be a god, he supposed. "Also, other than the component of blood, is there anything else I should be aware of? Like bodily modifications or transformations?"

Leaning back, he finally reached out for his once again. He paused, taking a sip. "I believe simple garments with elegant embroidery and accessories should allow me to accomplish what you want. But, I do admit that take a bit longer than normal, as all of my embroidery is done by my hand and not machine. " Was it a tad unnecessary? Yes. However, Lupin felt that the use of machine made clothes too robotic. It was that human touch and passion in each sew that brought a piece of clothing to life.

"Thank you." He spoke. A soft chuckle followed his words. He had been rather straight professional up until this point, but Lupin did not mind to speak a little personally. In the end, if their partnership flourished, he imagined that they would get closer by nature of him learning of the other to better their clothes. "I learned to draw at a young age. My okasan was a makeup artist for my umma, and when she taught me, those skills clearly transferred over to my sketching and drawing skills." That was the beauty of being raised by two beautiful women. In terms of creativity, he was an all kill.

Ondine smiled at the compliments, a light pink dust settling on her cheeks. She was proud of her shop, of her employees and her creations. It was nice to be recognized, especially by someone in the same profession. "Thank you ! We already have lots of orders so we're quite busy. Next time you pass by, come in and say hi, ok ?" She gestured towards his cart, just a bit surprised to see its content. "Seems you're busy too." 

He nodded his head, a fond smile on his lips. Lupin definitely did not mind stopping by again. Though, he had not ever needed to since he designed his own clothes. "Of course. When I am in the area, I will make it my priority to stop by." The demigod leaned a bit forward against the cart. He had been on no rush to go anywhere. "Even though business is good, I hope you can get some rest too. After Christmas, I believe it will calm down for a while until the sunshine festival or the gala."

lupin's silent need to have haoyu experience what it would be like to be a real model had been fulfilled, because by the time the demigod was finished being touched, he felt almost violated. his hair had been pulled, his skin had been prodded and poked one too many times and his head and chin had been grabbed continuously by various hands of which he didn't know the owners. despite looking absolutely glamorous, haoyu honestly couldn't see the appeal in modeling. but it paid well, so he kept his mouth shut and followed instructions as he was given them.

in that sense, haoyu was without really realising it a pleasant 'model' to work with. besides a glare or two, the demigod hadn't flinched or eeped or made any movement to make the staff's lives difficult while he sat in the chair. he let himself be pushed, pulled and turned as the stylists and make-up artist deemed fit and it wasn't until he was actually done that he let out a big sigh, satisfied that the whole process was over and done with.

now faced with the huge gown, haoyu picked up on the order to get dressed and was vaguely aware of privacy curtains being pulled around him. that's when it finally set in that he would have to get undressed.. in front of lupin and two attendants wearing new faces. haoyu's face shut down, leaving only a neutral expression which made the make-up appear even more ethereal than it already was. big blue-dusted eyes avoided looking at everyone as slightly trembling hands started undoing the dark blue sash around his waist.

this was perhaps the hardest part of the transformation. haoyu knew that he was thin, malnourished even. he didn't like showing bare skin around strangers, or anyone else for that matter. and with his powers currently activated, haoyu knew that with his smaller shoulders he looked even slighter than he normally was. the only consolation to him was that maybe his thin frame would make the dress look prettier. he would at the very least fit into it more easily.

haoyu removed his blue outer taoist robes, then the white inner ones. his hands no longer trembled now that he focused on getting the task done. throwing the robes across the back of the chair, haoyu kicked off his loafers and slid out of the blue trousers, leaving that one on top of his other clothes. now only left in his underwear, haoyu's face remained stony as the gown was brought to him. the attendants finally touched him as they helped him into the big dress, and haoyu's skin erupted into goosebumps at their cold touch.

Their adaptability impressed him. Lupin had some trust in the man before him compared to earlier. His moment of desperation seemed to be paying off. Whether this was a one time deal, he just had to hope that the other would do their part correctly when the time the walk came.

When it came time to dressing, Lupin allowed his attendants to tend to the other. He could tell the other's uncomfortableness with the changing. And so, the demigod, out of respect, shifted his gaze to the side. However, he could hear how easily the movement went. No tears or stretched, he must have fit perfectly in the dress he made. How the fates had been on his side.

And, it was true. Once he saw the demigod finally approach him, he turned his gaze toward them. While Lupin had held a rather professional and emotionless stare, the demigod softened at the other's image. For what had seemed like a rebellious demigod, he had calmed before the other. Was this the power of money for them? How miserable. Reaching forward, Lupin pressed the veil securely on to top of the demigod's head. As the sheer tulle cascaded around the demigod's frame, Lupin took another moment to strategically place the fabric so that it would not bother the demigod nor need to be adjusted before the other walked across the stage.

Taking a step back, the demigod gave one final glance of the demigod. He was rather pleased at the entire image. It seemed to work perfectly, from the hidden hair and makeup to the way the dress lingered on the male's frame. With a quick head nod, Lupin offered his hand out to Haoyu as the attendants finally moved around them to pull away the curtains.

Hiding behind the chair Lupin had just stood up from, Erik watched with his widely open eyes the fight between the two demigods, or more like the moment when Lupin squashed the angry drunk into a puddle of groans. Everything happened so fast; Erik was glad he did not blink, since when he could witness such an awesome action scene in 5D?    

While he was capable of dealing with the situation on his own, the outcome would definitely be much messier and more painful for all the parties involved. Thank all the stars above, Lupin was there to save the day, conveniently reminding Erik why there was a time when he was embarrassingly obsessed over the ex-actor. 

With Lupin’s heroic act, the assailant was dragged away and the bar’s zeal for fun resumed in no time. Before Erik could get himself fully out of his ‘shelter’, Lupin got a gentle hold of his forearms, lending him the support he was not sure he needed to stand up straight again. 

“Thank you so much for helping me, I’m all alright,” he responded with a sheepish smile, realizing just now that his voice was still trembling from the adrenaline rush. The alcohol he consumed earlier that night was all gone, so now Erik was no longer tipsy, just trying to calm himself down and not be too awkward in front of his once celebrity crush. 

“I’m so sorry for dragging you into this, that was…Man, I don’t even know what got into that guy. He kept bothering me, then went nuts when I rejected him.” 

Erik explained, not wanting Lupin to have an impression that he was the troublemaker this time. In other situations, that might be true, he could be the instigator, and usually, Erik could not be bothered with clarifying his doings. But Lupin just helped him get rid of the drunk guy, and more importantly, the ex-actor seemed to recognize who he was.   

“It’s so unbelievable that we’re both here, Lupin. I guess I should have known that you’re a demigod from the beginning,” Erik’s voice went slightly higher in newfound excitement like a long-term fan talking to his beloved idol, the rowdy incident was quickly left behind and forgotten.

"I am glad you are fine. You do not need to explain anything to me though. He seemed like the problem from the start." He spoke calmly, despite the adrenaline that still pumped through his veins. "I heard the regulars here can be an unsavory bunch, and I guess he is one of that bunch."

The excitement in their voice elicited a smile onto his lips. "I guess we both should have realized that about the other, but it is still so odd to think about it, even now. Makes you wonder how many other people we have met that are the same." He reasons. He had met a person or two from his past already. Maybe, he believed that their divine blood brought them together. But, it was also likely the work of the fates themselves.

“Oh, they’ll have a classical concert this early Spring? How wonderful!” she exclaimed, hints of anticipation for attending the event with Lupin brought subtle sparkles to her eyes. “We definitely should go! It’ll be my first time watching an orchestra live performance! Well, the first one I’ll remember going to, to be exact.” 

Alice ended her statement with a relaxed smile that reached her eyes, as she wanted to reassure Lupin that she was not over-stressed about her memory loss. So far, she had not found a way to live in peace with that fact yet, and she doubted she would ever be able to. Inexplicable headaches and mental exhaustion still haunted her, but at least, she got used to talking about it without being eaten by fear or guilt, and there were people she could trust, with Lupin being among the most significant ones.   

As her companion mentioned his mother and homeland, Alice listened with all her heart and mind. It was one of the abilities she was born with - collecting verbal clues, picking up nuanced signs, paying attention to body language, and drawing precise conclusions without bombarding other interlocutors with basic questions. Besides, Lupin was talking about the most important person and the most important place in his life, so she felt the urge to give him her full attention. 

“I wish one day I could come to your hometown, and have dinner with your mom,” Alice spoke, an honest desire she was not sure where it was rooted from. Then, she recalled seeing Lupin’s mother in some photos he had shown her in their fateful reunion. There was a loving smile on her face as she added, looking at Lupin with all the tenderness Alice did not realize she had. “She must be a wonderful woman, and a wonderful cook too!”

She did not look back at the menu until the waiter came to collect their order, not wanting to stress herself over choosing the dishes. By looking at the way Lupin left his menu lying untouched the whole time, and how completely unfazed he was by her indecisiveness, Alice quickly realized that they must have gone through the same scenario more than a few times in the past. 

While Lupin was making the order, Alice could not help chuckling softly, giving the confused waiter a light shake of her head to indicate that it was not related to him. When asked about her wine of choice, her reply came easily. “Riesling, a moderately sweet one, please.”

Alice happened to read quite a lot of books about quite a lot of topics in the library, and tonight, it proved to help her pick a wine suitable for the plates of seafood they had ordered. When the waiter left, she resumed their conversation with a playful question. 

His mothers had loved Alice just as he had, and so, he knew his mothers would be sad to know she did not remember them, though it was clearly not her fault. "Don't worry. You have on multiple occasions. When I ended the engagement, I thought umma was going to beat me up, and okasan was not much better either. It might one of the most upset moments I ever saw them." He stated with a weak chuckle. It was funny now. Back then, it was not. It had taken enough explanation to get to a reasonable ground. There was so much about their end that he regretted. "I told her we have re-met. I don't think I can get off the phone without hearing questions about you. They do not know of your memory loss."

He nodded his head in approval at her wine order, and once the waiter walked away with their menus, he relaxed again. A hand reached out over the table to grab one of her hands into his. Her question made him chuckle, a small knowing smile rested on his lips. "You actually did not take that long, though I have suspicions after knowing you so long that you had reviewed the menu before we even got there." He jested with good amusement. A thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand.

Just this summer, she woke up on the bridge leading to the island with zero memories left in her mind. Her life back then was a bottomless void she desperately found ways to fill, struggling between moving on and figuring out what happened in her past. And now, when winter reached her zenith of beauty, she enjoyed an intriguing play with Lupin, and now having dinner with him in a fancy restaurant. Life felt miraculous and fulfilling, despite the uncertainty of the future and the secrets of the past still looming above them. 

“I just noticed that everyone I’ve met here is an artist, in one way or another. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” She told him after half a minute of watching the performance from her seat. To his question, she shook her head lightly. “No, this will be my very first time having dinner here. How about you? You’re surely not giving off that new-client vibe, if you ask me.” 

Soon, a waiter approached their table, handed them the menu, then gave them some time to ponder over what they would like to order. Even before Alice flipped to the first page of the menu, she had already said, much more to herself than to Lupin, but he could hear her clearly from across the table. “I’ll definitely need some garlic bread.”

Alice could not remember, but before her memory loss, garlic bread had always been one of her all-time favourites. Whenever she went to a restaurant, the very first dish she asked for would always be garlic bread. Her second favourite was seafood, and so she flipped right to the seafood section, her eyes scanned the list of fancy Italian names and their English ingredients, soft eyebrows knitted close to each other in thoughts. 

After a few good minutes of serious consideration, she let out an exaggerated sigh of frustration.

“Oh lord, shrimp risotto, squid pizza, seafood stew, I can’t choose!” Again, to her unawareness, those were among her favourite seafood dishes back in the day. With or without her memory, Alice still had the same struggle when it came to making up her mind about food. 

"Yes. Whether a child of an art god or just musically inclined, the island definitely has entertainment down. I think I overheard that Apollo will be bringing the symphony back soon for a early Spring concert. We will definitely need to attend." He told her with a light smile. Nights like this proved much potential, and if he could open another one, he would definitely do so.

He shifted his gaze to the musician for a moment. "I've been here quite a lot, actually. It reminds me of home. Nothing can replace mom's food, but I know this is as close as I can get without having to put the effort in." The length his mom would take in creating their red sauces showed to her craftmanship, but he definitely did not have the time to follow her recipe. "But, I do not think I am on first name basis. So, you can't make fun of me." He teases, turning back to look at her.

Lupin, though taking the menu, did not open it. He truly did not need to do so. He had a feeling that she would not be able to choose between all the delicious items on the menu. Lupin, so far, had not found one that he disagreed with, and he planned simple to order the other items she had wanted so she could get a taste of both. It had not been the first time he had done so for her, and he hoped it would not be the last.

So, when she talked about the items she wanted, he had to mask his chuckle. He was about to respond when the waiter came back by. Smiling at her, he then turned his gaze up to the waiter. "We want some garlic bread, and I think we want to split the following dishes: shrimp risotto, squid pizza, and a seafood stew." While it might be a bit of overkill for just the two of them, he did not quite mind.