Fated under the moonlight

Lin Jiayi ||| Daughter of Yue Lao ||| 27 - Cashier at Black Forest Bakery -

[mpxcassandra]

Cassandra watched the demigoddess's reaction to her magic and ultimately the forced color change. Jiayi did not seem bother whatsoever, even pleased at what she saw. That sent a huge wave of relief throughout Cassandra. While she was not necessarily the nicest demigoddess on the island, she sure did not care to force something up anyone, especially a pretty woman.

With a wave of her hand, after the demigoddess finally finished reviewing herself, the magical mirror disappeared. It's work had been done. Her brows raised even at the thank you, but in essence, she had gotten a hair color for free. "While it was definitely not intention, I am glad at least you enjoy what you see. I think you look pretty with this color as well."

Raising her hand to rub the back of her neck, she nodded her head. "Too bored and this place is too pink for my taste. I was temporarily trying to change the color." She admits, soon laughing slightly afterward. Moving from where she was seated, she heads behind the counter. "What did you come in here for? Let me make it for you on the house."

[mpjiayi]

"It might not have been intended, but it's a happy accident! It really is a pretty color so I can agree." She nodded as she spoke before listening the the other demigoddess' explanation over what caused the whole incident. It made sense, being bored and not a fan of the color? She could see why the other might have wanted to change it. Especially if she had the ability to do so easily without even needing a ton of work to change it or even remove the change.

"Oh! I think it was something about hot chocolate? I heard about it on the street and while it wasn't clearly explained I thought it might be interesting. Like I couldn't be sure if it was just hot chocolate or both that and ice cream or something entirely different! I just thought it sounded like fun." Jiayi smiled again as she spoke, fully moving up to the counter and taking a chance to look at all the things the shop offered.

[mpinsoo]

"Thank you ! I'm glad that you appreciated our efforts !" In-Soo answered, smiling at the young woman. At her remark, his gaze turned to Juyeon again. He was so beautiful, dancing, lights playing on his face, his whole body moving like a flame in the dark. "We were part of a dance crew, we won some competitions. I had to drop but Juyeon continued and dancing is his passion. He could easily turn professional." It was what he wished for his friend and he deserved it.

"That's very nice of you, Jiayi." The vet turned to look at her, his body shifting to face her more comfortably. "Yes, since we were teenagers, we met through dance classes. We were best friends at the time already." There was a nostalgic smile on his lips, his mind turned to the memories of their time together. "We reunited here, last spring." 

In-Soo peeked at Juyeon again and there was more than friendship in his eyes as he admired the other. He wasn't too sure of what he was feeling in that instant but he knew that he now wouldn't be able to live without his roomate by his side. "I really like him" he whispered.

[mpjiayi]

"Of course!" Jiayi smiled back, humming gently as she sat back and listened to the other speak. She could hear the fondness in the other's voice as he spoke, fully and completely. It's such a sweet explanation too. She listened more as he continued to talk too, letting him reminiscence for a minute but making affirming noises to show she was listening and just letting In-Soo talk.

As the other peeked at his friend, the moon's light soon revealed something the demigoddess hadn't seen before. She straightened slightly, her gaze following the little red string between the two friends before she focused on In-Soo's end of it. "Tangled?" She questioned softly, accidentally speaking the word out loud before she covered her mouth with a bit of a sheepish expression.

"Sorry, didn't mean to say that out loud. But honestly, I can hear it in your voice. When you talk about him? It shows a little though it's not obvious to where just anyone could pick it up."

[mpxyingyue]

Yingyue offered a warm 'thank you' to the other for their guidance. Granted, she could always pull up a map. The island wasn't that huge. However, it did make everything a whole lot easier than if she had to figure it out herself. Plus, it meant that she got to jog with someone, not stuck solely to listening to her music.

Once Jiayi was ready, Yue nodded her head, and she waved the other demigoddess out of the hallway to the door, which she held for the other woman as she exited. Once outside, she let Jiayi take the lead, keeping up pace with the other with ease. Jogging was a simple task for her, known for going on extended runs and used to running from trouble she caused. This was going to be a nice exercise.

"You know, I've known I was a demigoddess for a while, but I've only been here for a few weeks. It's so odd to think a place like this exists and the people out there." She casually chatters. A genuine interest in her tone. "Have you lived here a long time?"

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi nodded at the other's thank you, humming brightly and quickly moving into her jog. She had thanked her for holding the door too, a light nod and another easy smile as she did.

"Mmhm! I can agree with the thought. And well... I've know I had a power for quite a while. Since I was a child, honestly. I just never really understood it until a little while before I discovered this place though. If you know what to look for, you can find information about a lot of things!" She chatted back, her own tone open and curious.

"Did something happen to tell you what you were? I haven't met a lot of people who knew for a long time just yet! So I like the stories that people can share. You know?"

[mpinsoo]

In-Soo and Jiayi had kept contact since the Hallow's Eve Ball but it truly was the first time that they were able to spend some time together. And there was no better place for that for two Chinese demigod than the Lunar New Year festival. Juyeon had joined them (it hadn't needed much convincing to be honest) and the three youngsters had spent the loveliest day together.

They had visited as much activities as possible, playing, shopping, eating delicious food and admiring the numerous small shows offered to the public. They ended their day by watching the dragon dance. In-Soo and Juyeon had even joined the dancers once their spectacle was over, learning their moves, enjoying the shared moment.

The son of Erlang quickly got tired though, his body still not in the best shape yet to dance for a long time. He had left Juyeon with their new friends, joining Jiayi on the bench from where she was taking everything in, flopping besides her. 

"Yeah, I'm exhausted !" In-Soo exclaimed, smiling back at the young woman before watching the lanterns glowing in the falling night. "I was in a big... accident last year, my body is still weak, I only recently started to dance again. I'm still a bit rusty."

[mpjiayi]

Another little smile played across the demigoddess' lips as the other spoke. She nodded at his explanation, stretching a little and letting a soft breath go while she relaxed again. "I see! Well, you're still doing a good job. Even if you were a bit rusty." Her gaze shifted to Juyeon again before she glanced back to In-Soo. "You're both so good, it looks professional!" She added, speaking her earlier thought out loud.

"I'm glad you were having fun too though, you and your friend both. It's really cute! You move well together too. Have you known each other for a long time? You're really familiar with each other." She had a genuine curiosity about people most of the time, she would refrain from asking questions like this with complete strangers.

But, In-Soo was a friend! Thus, she'd like to know more about him.

[mpxyingyue]

Yingyue watched the demigoddess before her. A wide smile grew on her lips when they answered her. Jiayi could have easily ignored her, but instead, they met her with kindness. As the other approached her, she lessened the gap, resting her hands comfortably on her hips. "The gym? Ah! Yeah. I have only been here for a few weeks now. I'll join you on a run to there! I have no clue where it is at." Yue admits.

"My name is Yingyue, but you can always just call me Yue!" She speaks warmly, holding her hand out to the other. "I run daily, whether for exercise or because I have gotten myself into trouble." She teases the other. The more she looked at Jiayi, the more the other looked familiar. Yue wondered if the other was some cousin or something due to the gods. But, she did not quite feel the need to ask.

"You ready to go?"

[mpjiayi]

"Sure! I wouldn't mind showing you where it is." Jiayi agreed, smiling lightly as she spoke with a little nod as well. As the other demigoddess introduced herself too, the Chinese demigoddess made a mental note to be sure she remembered the name and bouncing a bit on her feet again shortly after. She stretched a bit more too, working out her limbs a bit before accepting the outstretched hand and nodding once again. "I see!"

She laughed a little too, somewhat amused by the little tease and returning the grin with one of her own.

"Ready when you are! Let's go!" She remarked back, tone light and smile still present. She gestured forward as she spoke, shifting to start moving and considering conversation topics that could help pass the time while they jogged together. She too, noticed the slight sense of familiarity with the other demigoddess but... she couldn't pin point what exactly it was either.

Maybe she'll ask once they've talked a bit more.

[mpjiayi]

Tangled Thread

an important previously plotted Pre-LNY Thread for the good friend @mpinsoo

Jiayi hummed a little as she relaxed on a bench in the park, it was slowly getting darker and close to one of her favorite times of the day. She and In-Soo had made plans to hang out and they had been for most of the day. In-Soo had even managed to snag one of his best friends to join them too. It was sweet, how close In-Soo and his friend were... she'd seen them at the Hallow's Eve Ball too. How they danced and interacted, it had made her smile.

She loved witnessing close friendships like that the most.

After a little while of watching the two play around, she noted that In-Soo started making his way over to her instead while leaving Juyeon to dance on his own for a little while. Just a silly little dance meant for fun and nothing serious. Though even then the male still looked like a professional dancer. They both did, even if In-Soo was apparently still a little out of practice.

She waved once the male was closer though, gesturing to the open space on the bench beside her. "Hey! Taking a break already?" She asked once he'd taken a seat, smiling at him gently as she spoke.

[mpxyingyue]

Running into You

@mpjiayi

Yingyue exercised every day in some compacity. Though typically, she found running to be one of her more soothing forms of workout. So, despite the cold that had taken over the island, she still decided to go out early that morning for a run. Yingyue bundled herself up, knowing that the temperatures had been sinking lately with no end in sight of the snow. She had made a mistake once going in just simple workout gear, and she wasn't going to make it again.

Having just exited her apartment, she was in the middle of a stretch when she saw another demigoddess exit her apartment. She knew little people on the hallway, and so, she finally saw this a chance to meet. Especially since the other demigoddess seemed dressed in work out gear as well.

Clearing her throat, she called out to the other. "Are you about to go run too? Need a partner?"

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi stretched and gave a soft yawn, rolling her back a bit to shake off sleep as she got ready to go out and exercise a little bit. She didn't do it often, though she'd been meaning to check out the studios in Zero to Hero to do a little dancing. She glanced up a bit when she heard a voice call out though, glancing around before catching sight of another woman in the hall way. "Oh, hello!" She called back, humming a little at the question.

"Well, I'd been meaning to go to the gym. But yeah I can run! It's a great warm up! You're a bit newer here, right? I know I've seen you around but it seems we're both usually in a hurry! Ah, I'm Jiayi by the way! Nice to meet you!" She added, approaching the other woman and bouncing slightly on her feet. "Do you usually go running?" If they were going to run together, conversations were always a nice way to start!

[mpyanluo-deactivated20240512]

sharp eyes watched as the cashier carefully took out the fruit pastries from the display and started packaging them nicely. he was surprised to note when she even went above and beyond, adding a little bow, and it made yanluo smile a little. this was someone who enjoyed their job and listened carefully to the needs of customers. the god really appreciated the small gesture.

taking out his wallet, yanluo moved closer to the register and kept waiting patiently until the demigoddess turned to face him again, placing his order on the counter. when she asked if there was anything else she could help him with, yanluo simply shook his heart first before speaking. "no, thank you, though i think i will be returning again sometime. but first, i'll have my colleagues judge the pastries" yanluo winked at her before lifting his wallet a little to indicate that he'd like to pay.

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi was always sure to take good care of the bakery's customers. The owner and Taavi along with the rest of the shop's crew all worked very hard every day. Her job was small but she still wanted to give the same level of effort as everyone else did. How could she not? All she had to do was stand at the register and assist customers, effort and flare were important in helping a business to be successful.

Everyone should be doing what they could to make everything go well and run smoothly.

"Okay! I'll be happy to see you again then!" She remarked brightly, smiling wide as she spoke before setting up the payment at the register and gesturing for the male to choose his pay method. "Hopefully it turns out well! I know they're really tasty, especially if you like the fruits and things used in them. We use the freshest ingredients we can! As I've heard my boss telling people, so...!"

[mpyanluo-deactivated20240512]

the kind demigoddess' demeanour was comfortable to yanluo, and definitely worked to ease his worries regarding the fact that his baking efforts had gone awry. she reassured him that his colleague would be happy to receive something nice, implying that it's the thought that counts. yanluo supposed that she was right.

unfortunately, he had been rather boastful that he would be able to pull off baking a cake but the god would just take the embarrassment and hope no one commented on it later.

the cashier helped to pull some pastries out, complimenting the fruity pastries and yanluo figured he might as well buy them as he was running out of time and they did look rather appetising. with a gentle smile, feeling clearly less nervous about the gift now, yanluo nodded. "i'd like five of them please." he requested, and noted there was just enough left. hui wei cha didn't have many employees but the ones who were there on a daily basis would surely appreciate the pastries.

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi smiled when her words seemed to assure the other a little, nodding once as the male decided to purchase the fruit pastries. She hummed a little as she carefully put each pastry into the packaging, arranging them nicely to try and add to the customer's efforts at doing something nice for his colleague.

Once she finished she even added a little bow with some of the more decorative options for orders and purchases denoted as special or celebratory occasions.

"Here you are! I even made it look a little pretty to try and add to the thought! I hope that's alright. Is there anything else you might need or that I could potentially help you with?" She did consider the thought the other might be in a bit of a rush though, especially if he's on a time limit of sorts.

She contemplated suggesting the man return later if he had other business to tend to but still needed a few things at the bakery but... well it's probably better to finish what one needs all at once too.

[mpxcassandra]

Cassie had always secretly hoped that she would get fired. She hated the place, but she had stayed there so long for the original owner. Cassandra was a softie when came to the right moments, and now that she saw a possible situation that would get her fired, she could not tell whether to be worried or happy. But, in the end, she was concerned for the demigoddess. She was sure that it could be fixed, but she hated to have forced a change on such a pretty girl without their consent.

"I--. Well, yes and no. Give me a second." She paused, and taking a moment to flip through her spell book, she landed on a page about creating a reflection. Extremely careful now in her pronunciations, the demigoddess spoke in Ancient Greek, and as she did so, a floating mirror appeared before Jiayi, granting her the ability to now see her new hair change. While Cassandra definitely thought the other woman looked absolutely stunning blond, she had already started flipping for a new spell.

"You look beautiful." She admits without any hesitation. "I think I can change your hair color back or even to a different color. Again, I am sorry. I was trying to change the wallpaper... not your hair."

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi waited patiently as the other demigoddess flipped through the book she had in front of her, watching just a bit curiously until the floating mirror appeared before her.

"Oh! that's nifty too!" She exclaimed, smiling again as she spoke. She took a moment, tilting her head left and right to see the different angles. He hair had grown out since the last time she bleached it blond so it's nice to see how the bright color looked in a longer style.

After a few moments, she decided she liked the look and would keep it if she was able to. "Thank you!" She stated brightly, smiling more and giving a little nod as the demigoddess explained about changing it back or giving her a different color. She shook her head slightly after, waving her hand a little before speaking.

"I think I'll keep it for now! I do like the blond look, I had it short when I first arrived here so seeing it after it's gotten longer is quite nice! But I see, bored I take it?" She added, grinning just a little bit. "But it's really fine. Don't worry. It's hair! Colors always look nice regardless of how they happen!"

[mpyanluo-deactivated20240512]

a custom request? that would be nice but yanluo wondered how long that would take. he needed them now and he was already running late. turning his wrist, the god checked the time on his simple but expensive watch and winced slightly. definitely running late.

"eh, how long do you think custom pastries would take? i have maybe 45 minutes left until i have to get to work." yanluo explained, turning pleading eyes on the cashier. when she asked who the order would be for, yanluo's facial expression turned a bit sheepish and he averted his gaze - once again perusing the cake display. "my colleague's birthday." he mumbled, clearly feeling a bit embarrassed for reasons unknown to even the god himself.

"but maybe it's ok to offer pastries that weren't home made.. what do you think?" he asked the demigoddess as his eye fell on a couple of pastries decorated with different types of fruit.

[mpjiayi]

"Ahh, at least a few hours. Hmm..." Jiayi took a moment to think before the other answered her other question and she nodded with a little smile.

"I see! well, I think it'd be alright if you asked me. Taavi really makes such pretty things and I'm sure your colleague would just be happy to receive something nice. If not... well, I can go scold them for you!" She was joking with the last remark but she certainly would be disappointed if anyone got mad and didn't follow the 'It's the thought that counts' belief she does.

After all, not everyone was skilled in everything! If someone went to this much trouble for her, she'd be happy to receive whatever they wanted to give her!

She caught note of what the other was looking at a moment later, smiling again as she shifted to pull the pastries out so the man could get a better look at them. "I do have firm intel that these are very delicious. I'm sure they'd work out for you if you'd like to purchase some?"

[mpxcassandra]

Misspoken Color

@mpjiayi

Cassandra found the afternoon to be completely dull at Ice Ice Baby. She had a few waves of customers throughout the day. Despite their cold product, the cold weather seemed to help others crave the cute ice cream flavors they had, and as they added hot chocolate on the menu, many customers wanted to try the mix of such a hot drink with their favorite flavor. For the last hour, no soul, though, had stepped into the shop, and she quickly found herself completed bored and desperate for something to do.

Lounging on one of the table chairs, the demigoddess had pulled out her miniature grimoire, flipping through the pages for a spell that might could she could practice. While she had grown exponentially better at certain spells, specially the ones that made her life easier, Cassie still hard a lot to learn. She soon landed on a spell that seemed interesting enough, claiming to temporarily change the color of the target.

And, so as she spoke her spell, Cassie intended to temporarily change the overly colorful walls to something that matched her vibes. Yet, the door opened right as she was close to finishing it, catching her by enough surprise that she misspoke enough of the spell that it no longer fit its intended purpose. Instead of changing the wall, the hair on the beautiful demigoddess changed before her eyes, some gorgeous rendition of blond.

"Oh, no." The woman uttered under breathing, jumping up. "Are you good?"

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi had been enjoying the beautiful day, her gaze drifting amidst all the pretty whiteness as she walked through the city. By chance, she had overheard some people talking about the Ice Cream shop and how they offered hot chocolate and ice cream at the moment. It made her curious, so after a bit more walking around she decided to visit the shop once she came across it.

It looked like a cute shop honestly, it was definitely a place she could see herself visiting in the summer as well.

After a moment of admiring the cute little place, she opted to enter and hadn't even had a moment to look up at the register when the other demigodess' spell struck. She blinked at the sudden tingle she could feel washing through her hair, glancing at a stray lock that had fallen out of her ponytail that was now a pretty tone of blond. She hadn't planned on changing her hair yet but she wasn't about to complain at the new color either.

The Chinese demigoddess just laughed a little, reaching around to pull her hair loose before looking at the cashier with a small smile. "You wouldn't happen to have a mirror, would you?" She asked after a moment, tone light and friendly as she spoke. "But, I think I'm alright!"

[mpyanluo-deactivated20240512]

yanluo usually wasn't one to forget pleasantries such as a polite greeting when meeting store employees but embarrassingly so, he had actually forgotten to greet the lady behind the counter when he'd so hastily entered the bakery. so when yanluo was suddenly spoken to, the god blinked, pushed his glasses a bit further up his nose and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"ah, yes, hello." he said quietly. shuffling a little closer to the display. his posture was a little stiff, and barely concealed uncertainty oozed off the god. "well, i am looking for some sweet pastries for a coworker's birthday. they need to look simple.." because if he wanted to appear that he had made them himself, then the cakes definitely had to look as simple as they could.

glancing up at the woman who spoke, yanluo let his gaze move over her facial features, taking in the nose ring, the sweet smile and open expression. she was quite charming, and the god understood why she'd be a perfect candidate for a cashier at a bakery. she looked as sweet as the pastries she sold.

"i tried baking some cakes myself but it didn't work out." yanluo blurted out, his sudden honesty catching him off guard. he hadn't meant to say that. blinking, the god pressed his lips together.

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi smiled again at the man's quiet greeting, listening to his explanation with small little nods to show she's following his words. "I see! Well... hmm." She moved to look over the little displays, Taavi always created wonderfully beautiful cakes and pastries so a 'simple' one wasn't quite that easy to find.

She considered going to the kitchen for a moment to make a special request for something 'simple' before the man suddenly spoke up again. She blinked, lips curving up as she moved one of her hands to hide a quiet giggle at the sudden confession. "I understand, would you like me to ask our baker to whip up a custom request? I'm sure he can do something simple if he's asked to." She stated lightly, smiling gently once more as she spoke.

"Were you trying to do something special for someone?" She continued, expression and tone warm and open.

[mpnephi]

That’s probably why many of them had ended up in Mount Phoenix. Their powers used for the satisfaction of others. Nephi could read the hearts of others but he wasn’t able to understand his own, he couldn’t see how he had been exploited by his own mother behind the pretext of worship. Maybe Jiayi and himself weren’t so different after all. Connections to higher powers for the glory of others.

How could he know love when all he had given in his life was pain and death ? Even the person he had cared for the most had known pain at his hand, bearing the proof of it on his chest. There was no way to come back from that, no way to find a normal life and feel. Nephi’s life was an illusion, a carefully crafted scenario to mislead others.

He was and always had been a fraud.

Nephi looked up at her. Was she related to a god of love ? That would explain a lot. Or maybe she was just naive. "If you say so" he sighed, looking towards Keonhee’s window again. "I’m not even sure I would recognize it, even if it was real" he added, standing and stretching in turn. It was very late. "I’ll let you know if it happens."

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi smiled again, glancing up slightly to follow the other's gaze before looking back at him. "Just be open, even if it's hard for you. I think it's a concept that finds people when they need it the most. Or it comes to people unexpectedly. If you ever have questions, I'm free to give answers. At least for things I might actually know about. You can find me at the bakery during the day if you'd like to chat again." She stated lightly, musing the other wouldn't really want her number.

They were strangers that are now acquaintances in her mind. She'd be happy to talk to him again if he chose to seek her out.

"I look forward to the news." She added, smile light and gentle as she slipped her hands into her pockets and briefly looked at the thread she could still see leading into the building before clouds passed overhead and made it vanish as the moonlight was blocked behind them. She hummed lightly, stretching as well and looking to the darkened sky above.

"Boy, is it late! I should be getting back to my apartments too. But keep our conversation in mind, okay?"

[alicemp]

rain, pastries, and lost memories

[…] Was she really seeing what she thought she was seeing? But it’d been so long. No word, no nothing. Everyone believed she was missing, she had been for a year and yet… could it be possible? She started tearing up as she continued to stare, soon holding up her other hand and turning around for a few moments. She had to collect herself, she couldn’t just start crying in the middle of work. Especially since none of this made sense. On top of all that, Jiayi didn’t think she saw any recognition or familiarity in the other demigoddess’ eyes. So, she had to be wrong. It couldn’t be it. Once she calmed down, the demigoddess turned back and took one of the napkins nearby to dab at the edges of her eyes. “I’m… I’m sorry. You just look like a close friend of mine, she went missing a while ago. You wanted pastries? A recommendation?”

[…] She let off a breath before deciding that she’d never find anything out if she just let things pass without asking whats on her mind. She couldn’t help hesitating again though, one hand moving to drum her fingers against her hip until she felt she could ask without getting too emotional again. An inhale, an exhale, and then she looked the other demigoddess over one more time before speaking again. “I see, I apologize again… I… that’s my friend’s name too.” She spoke softer, tone a little uncertain but determined. “Are you really Alice? My friend… I… I haven’t heard anything for a year or so but you’re here and you look like her and you have the same name but…” She looked down before shifting to look at the cakes that were displayed nearby. Each was a ready slate, only missing wording for customers like Alice who wanted custom messages. “I don’t think you recognize me if you are her and that’s… confusing. We’re good friends though we didn’t often have chances to meet before you– or she, disappeared.”

Alice observed as the other demigoddess’ hesitation spoke, her confusion got loud. At this point, she had collected almost sufficient clues to conclude that the cashier knew the past her, and that they were not enemies. 

She could not help smiling as the same scenario was unfolding all over, only with a different lovely face. Being recognized by someone who definitely had known more about her than herself, hustling clues to tell friends from foes, watching as a wide range of surprise and doubt ran through their facial expressions, then the explanation, then stories, then the guilt of forgetting coming later at night to swallow her up. 

“I get it, that’s totally alright,” she replied to the other’s apology with a soft smile and all the patience in the world. At least she had known and accepted what had happened, meanwhile, it was still a fresh shock that Jiayi did not see coming. Alice could not help feeling sorry for bringing trouble to the other’s day. But it could be a blessing in disguise, who knew?  

Alice let the other demigoddess finish voicing all that she needed to say, thinking about the response in the meantime. An uncanny feeling crept upon her mind, as it started to get much easier for her to phrase an efficient explanation, as if the script was finalized, and she just needed to quickly rehearse it in her head. When it was her turn to speak, she said it calmly, as if it was someone else’s life story and she was the uninvolved witness. 

“My name is Alice McMichael, and that’s almost everything I remembered about myself when I woke up on the island’s bridge. They said it’s severe memory loss, and no one’s sure how to cure it,” she shrugged her shoulders lightly, no particular emotion played on her face.

“Though I ran into my ex-fiance Lupin, and he told me quite a few things, about my acting career and our relationship, before we broke it on our vacation, the same day I disappeared for a year. It matched what you said, so I guess I’m really your missing friend.”

She released a soft sigh before continuing, this time with an apologetic smile to the other demigoddess. “I’m so, so sorry that I can’t remember you, there’s nothing I can do about that for now. But, maybe we can talk more, catching up, in a sense? Maybe that could help spark something in my mind. Just, only if you wish to spend time with me, of course.”

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi listened as Alice gave her own explanation, nodding slowly as the other demigoddess spoke. She could understand it a little better now but she still wondered what even happened. Last she'd known, the other was missing... but now she's here with no memory of anything other than her name. It saddened her a little, but at the very least this meant her friend was okay and in front of her right now. Even if she couldn't recall their friendship or how they'd known one another.

"It's alright, what matters is the fact you're safe and okay. I... worried a lot while you were missing. It's a relief that you're here, even if you can't remember me." She smiled softly back at her, just taking a moment to fully take in the other's presence.

"I'd love to though, we never were able to hang out a lot after you got busy with your career. I still supported you when I could, messages through our phones were the most we could do more often than not. But we were close friends. I wasn't someone a lot of people knew about because I wasn't in the industry like you were." She added, explaining a little of her part before looking at the clock for a moment.

"I still have a little while left on my shift, do you have a new number or phone? I could message you when I'm free and then we can talk. I'll tell you how we met and about our friendship and maybe I can even tell you more about me too. Does that sound alright to you?"

[mpyanluo-deactivated20240512]

( a doughy situation ) x jiayi

; @mpjiayi

it was a secret, but yanluo loved birthdays. but he loved them not for the reasons most people would; he didn't particularly love them for the company or the presents that he would receive. no. he loved birthdays because of the sweets, more specifically cake. yanluo had a couple of specific interests and one of them was baking. there was only one problem though... he absolutely, unequivocally sucked at it!

so currently, the god of death was in a bit of a dilemma. it was a coworker's birthday and he had confidently mentioned that he would be providing cake at work to celebrate their birthday. but yanluo's oven was black and his kitchen a mess, and a couple of burnt cupcakes had found their graves in yanluo's waste bin.

there was only one thing left for yanluo to do, a plan b situation: buying some baked goods from black forest bakery.

swallowing his pride, and trying not to cringe, yanluo strode quickly through the downtown streets on his way to the forest bakery. he had to make haste because he had to be at work in an hour. it was a cold morning, but yanluo felt none of the biting winds as he rushed towards his destination.

yanluo stumbled into the black forest bakery, the ringing of a bell signifying his arrival. the door closed a bit too loudly behind him but yanluo didn't notice as his eyes immediately took in the delicious display before him. cheeks flushed both from cold and exertion, yanluo stepped closer to the glass display, running a hand through his glamoured short hair, and wondered which pastries would make it most believable that he made it instead of bought it.

[mpjiayi]

Jiayi had been organizing the little displays of the bakery's baked goods between brief chats with one of the bakers she had befriended. She glanced up from her conversation at the ding of the bell and turned around to go greet the stumbling customer once he had righted himself and moved over to the display. She waited patiently as he looked over the offerings, taking a moment to observe him quietly. A fairly pretty man indeed! His short hair looked quite nice on him and the demigoddess could always aesthetically appreciate pretty people.

After a few minutes and when the demigoddess had mused that maybe the man was having a little trouble deciding on what he wanted, the daughter of yue lao spoke up. "Do you need any help or recommendations, sir?" She asked lightly, moving more towards the display as she spoke with a soft smile on her lips. "If you need any assistance I'll be happy to help you! Or are you looking for something specific maybe? What can I do for you?"

[mpinsoo]

In-Soo smiled and nodded. "I guess so ? We work together and I think we make a good team." He couldn’t wait to go back to the clinic, to be with Chang’e and Sun again. Like Juyeon’s place and The Flower Mill, Stop&Paws was a safe haven for him, somewhere where he felt at peace. "It was more than time" he answered, raising his glass to her before slowly sipping on his sweet drink. It was a bit sickening but the amount of alcohol made it for it.

"Yeah. I’m not sure when I’ll return to the Yao Guai Apartments" the vet added. His first hesitation to confide in Jiayi was long gone. She was so nice, so gentle that he didn’t fear her judgment anymore. "It’s hard to pass by his empty place everyday." He always felt his stomach drop when he did, he just couldn’tt bear with the feeling of abandonment.

In-Soo looked away from Jiayi at her words, fighting the tears threatening to fall. He nodded, sniffing a bit. "Thank you" he whispered. "I will do my best and I’m lucky enough to have wonderful friends." He turned to her again, a soft and melancholic smile on his lips. "I’m hopeful I’ll soon be able to count you amongst them." He accepted the patting, quickly squeezing her hand before she could take it back.

"So, tell me… How do you like the island so far ?" he asked, shaking the sadness from his shoulders.

[mpjiayi]

"Even more then!" Jiayi returned, smiling brighter for the other as she spoke. It's precious to see, every single time. The bonds between people regardless of the intent said bonds held. She hummed, nodding at the other's remark as she drank her own drink in return. She truly is glad to meet the other, even if it took a bit to do so. Now they have and she'll make sure to greet him anytime she sees him.

Further understanding washed through her at the other's remark, nodding slowly while resisting the urge to offer the demigod a hug or something along those lines. It sounded hard too, she couldn't imagine the depth but the situation was an incredibly difficult one. She squeezed the other's hand back and just held it after he essentially stopped her from removing her own. "It's always good to count on your support group. That's what they're there for and if anyone ever says they don't want to be, they are not a true friend." She murmured softly, smiling gently at the other's words.

"Mm... it's nice so far! I feel like there's so many people to meet and never any time to meet any of them. My coworkers and boss at the bakery are all good people though. I've enjoyed working with them."