"Aster, what is going on here!" Raam exclaimed in disbelief, the first of them to break away from their stupor.

"Here, Lucina, take a seat." Aster commented; at his request, she adopted a light smile while in a simplistic and straightforward manner sat beside him. Her movements were methodical as she flawlessly smoothed her dress and hid any ability to see underneath with her crossed legs.

"I'll reintroduce myself, I'm Lucina, Aster's fiancee which he apparently forgot to mention." Her voice was soft but effortlessly traveled to everyone at the table. Her eyes narrowed into a playful scold as her head turned towards Aster who let out a forced laugh. Without missing a beat she adopted the role of the playful lover. 

"It seems the title eluded me, it is still a fresh fact. Last night to be exact." Aster apologized with an explanation.

"It was a magical night to be exact, Aster got down on one knee and swept me off my feet with an old fashioned sonnet." She proclaimed, zealous, hand over her heart with overexaggerated actions.

Roy, now levelheaded but still perplexed questioned, "So how long were you two together for then? Aster hasn't brought you up before now. He didn't even mention to any of us that he was planning to propose to someone. Instead always talking about how he dreaded the idea of marriage."

"Aster! I can't believe you!" Her lover persona was immediately dropped for hurt exasperation as she threw a jab at Aster's arm. Aster was taken back by her outlandish display but quickly realized her intentions for the situation. 

"Lucina, love, I was just scared of them judging me. I have told you numerous times of their tedious to overreact and poke fun of any which situation." Aster's voice lowered visually apologetic for his misdeeds.

"We went over this before, I can't believe you were still hiding me from them." With a cliche humph she refused to look at him.

Raam immediately butted in, "Whoa Whoa here, slow down for a moment something is dreadfully missing in this chain of events. If any of this is true why hasn't any of it been brought up to us?" 

"Raam, think back to the last girl I dated for a moment. The redhead with green eyes, you were literally flirting with her in front of me."

"Ah, yes, Scarlet, lovely girl, just because she came to enjoy my company shouldn't mean you stop introducing us to prospective love interests."

"Roy, do you remember, the brunette with blue eyes? Would have been from last March?"

"Katherine I believe she was."

"The moment I even mentioned her name, you used your police contacts to look up her entire family history."

"Yea, that sounds par for the course."

"This is, this is why I didn't bring up Lucina before now," Aster concluded shaking his head.

"Are you all ready to order?" A waitress interrupted, dressed in formal attire of a black vest and skirt with a white poofy undershirt.

"I'll have the steak, medium rare," Jun said handing over his menu.

Raam followed suit, "I'll have the seafood special."

Roy, "I'll have the steak, well done."

Lucina's face contorted in pain and confusion, "Well done? A well done steak? Are going to ask for ketchup next?"

Aster stifling laughter rubbed her back comforting her, "We all know Roy is an uncultured individual, but despite our best efforts he was lost to the darkside."

Roy not entertained by their display nudged Aster under the table with a kick.

The waitress laughed into her hand, "Sir it is okay, you are not alone in your request. What will the rest of you be having?"

"Salmon," Aster answered,

"Stuffed Lobster tails," Lucina 

"And I'll have the steak the cultured way of medium rare."

"I hate every single one of you," Roy protested.

Jun asked, "Now back to the important topic. I still don't believe you, what was the sonnet that you quoted?" Completely ignoring Roy's outburst.

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove." Aster with hesitation quoted, which sparked a glint in Lucina's eyes as she remembered the sonnet.
She cuts in before Aster can continue reciting, "O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken." She took an extended pause which Aster understood was done with the intention of him taking over.
 
"Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom."
 
Lucina interjected, "If this be error and upon me prov'd,"
 
Aster closed, "I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd." The two locked eyes as they interlocked hands adapting to their role of stereotypical partners.
 
"When did you two start dating then?" Roy asked visibly floored by their display.

"We met three months ago, was at Felix's bar. She came up out of nowhere, wasted of course, and threw herself at me." Aster made up on the spot his lips curved into a smile paired with eyes that were hiding laughter.

Lucina didn't miss a beat as her eyes took a darker tone that she hid quickly by closing them tightly, "Honey, we went over this before, you were the wasted one. You couldn't stop talking about some fight with a girl and how you were looking to be a good man."

"Sounds like Aster," The audience agreed unanimously. 

"Why do I put up with you people?" Aster said with a wide smile across his face.

"Because you love us!" They all laughed together, while Lucina watched with a giggle.

As they settled down after idle chatter their food came out to them. They threw more jabs at Roy for his overcooked steak while Lucina and Aster continued their romantic couple play, taking bites of food from each other's plates. "Memo, you been strangely quiet. You doing okay?" Jun asked concerned.

"I'm good, I'm good, just got something on mind." Memo admitted making the final cuts in his meal.

"You got a girl on your mind?" Raam jubilantly assumed.

"Not everything is about woman, playboy." Memo taunted.

"Not everything is about anime, otaku." Raam pushed back. 

"Okay you two, there is a reason we always put you on opposite sides of the table." Roy's unbothered tone cut through their tension.

"Memo, so what's on your mind?" Aster wondered letting Lucina have the last bite of salmon.

"This may seem weird, but Lucina, does the name Eun Akari mean anything to you?" Memo asked nervously while a momentary wave of shock spread across Lucina's face.