Once Mari mentioned the sky her eyes turned up from the ground. She had been pacing back and forth too lost in her own interests to acknowledge anything outside.

"That is true, yes" Luna said with some hesitance. There had been more than a few times where Luna meant to return to her office and took the route most similar to the one she knew in the Night Court. "I prefer it with less light and having my powers" Luna said sternly. She was exhausted and disgruntled by her current circumstances. In this rare instant, Luna regretted her sternness "I apologize, Marisol. I did not mean to snap towards you"

Once her glass was filled, she immediately took a big gulp and rolled her eyes at Marisol's teasing but with a small smile and still blushing. "Shut up." She said pushing her a little once she came close but finally pulled the tie from her hair and let it fall down like a black thick cascade over her shoulders and back. Penélope shook her head a little and it actually felt good to not have her hair tight up like that. She was used to the usual pain.

Why didn't the chisme surprise her one bit? The little she knew about men, Penélope hated. She made a disgusted face at the story. "Gosh men are gross. Won't touch one with a five foot pole." She wasn't really aware what that might entail about herself so she said it without thinking Mari would take it this or that way. "Good for her that she rat him out? Does she need me to punch him? I can. I could break his knee or something." It was always fun to scare little male fae.

mari's smirk only widens watching her friend's reaction, playfully shimmying once more as she gets lightly pushed back with a snort as she brings her own glass to her lips, letting out a low whistle as she watches the day fae's hair fall down to her shoulders. "wow, what a knock out! do a spin, do a spin!" she teases, as she starts to grab the elastics needed and placing a pillow on the couch to sit on behind her to give the stylist a better position.

"aren't they? just running around sticking it in wherever and acting like they're the victim after? and you know what? I would pay to watch you do it, too...luckily enough, though, she sounds like she's gonna be just fine. didn't need his money and happily called him out publicly called him out whenever he tried to go near her." she snorts in delight at the thought as she starts to part through the woman's hair with a rat tail comb. "so i'm assuming there's no one special back at home, then? considering your reactions?" the humor was clear in her voice, not meaning to pry, just genuine curiosity, but was also ready to change the topic if needs be...mari just couldn't help herself sometimes when it came to subjects like this.

"Virg?" He repeated the syllable like he was testing a blade's edge, flat and neutral. The word felt strange in his mouth, like she'd taken something from him without asking. He didn't know if he minded. "It's just Virgil. That's all there is." She didn't seem to care. She was already weaving between stalls, holding up fabric. He watched her for a moment, trying to catch up. She moved like she knew exactly where she was going, even when she kept stopping every few feet to inspect a bolt of fabric or thread.

"Leather works," he said, latching onto the practical question because practical questions were safe. He reached out and touched the edge of a stall as he passed. Old habit, checking for stability. The wood was cold and rough under his fingers, still solid despite the cracks. "It's durable. It holds. I don't need style or comfort. I just need it to not tear when I'm..." He stopped, shrugged. The motion was stiff, his wings shifting with it. "When I'm doing my job. Whatever fabric does that, that's what I want."

"Black," he said finally, because she was still waiting and he had to say something. "Black is practical. Hides dirt, doesn't show blood. If you want to add something else, I won't stop you. You seem like the type who does what she wants anyway."

she composes herself back again once mari goes back to addressing her new companion, who somehow agreed to follow her, even with the state of things, and she can't keep from smiling playfully at his gruff answer; he was very fun to rile up, she was coming to learn. she tsks, as if disappointed, and turns back to him from over her shoulder once more. "mm. so it's safe to assume that 'virgy' is also off the table?" she lets out a soft huff. "fine, 'just virgil', it is, then."

"well, of course." she lightly rolls her eyes at this with a soft flick of her hand, as if it was obvious and he should have known her better than that, as if this wasn't just their first meeting. "i'm not going for any cheap fabric, here, ever. I clothe and style the high lady of my court, whoddaya take me for?" mari's back to teasing, playfully shaking her head up at him. "I suppose preferences are always just...nice to be aware of. and if that's leather for you, I can work with that...might just need a stool when we get to your measurements, though. you're like this...giant...brooding, dark...mountain. but! that does work for some ladies, so hey!...or men! I don't know what you're into."

marisol tilts her head at that, pondering. "hides blood, huh? I didn't think being a personal guard dog would be so exciting, I have so many questions now! and I also know just the thing to remove both dirt and blood from clothing, so i'm jotting that down for later by saying it out loud, because I have nothin' on me for that right now. but aww. I do do what I want, yes. that's so sweet of you to notice, already! I might just keep you if this project doesn't end up boring me." she's grinning again, trying to see how much she could get away with in terms of teasing.

"No, I wasn't..." He stopped, then started again. "I was just standing here before. Not doing anything important. So." He shrugged, the motion stiff and awkward. "This is fine." She launched into questions about fabric and flow and flexibility, and he listened, processing. She talked fast, thought fast. He was still two sentences behind, trying to catch up. She threw another smirk at him, and he looked away. The back of his neck felt warm. He wasn't sure why it was doing that, didn't want to examine it.

"Flexible," he echoed, latching onto her question. Fabric was easier than whatever else was happening. Fabric was practical and didn't make the back of his neck feel warm. "Wings aren't static. They shift even when they're folded. If the shirt doesn't shift with them, it pulls at the seams," He touched his left shoulder, tracing the line where the leather reinforcement had worn thin. "I've tried reinforcing this one, but the stitching never holds."

she's weaving through, trying to see what to keep holding onto as options through process of elimination as she speaks to him through over her shoulder. "good! because ya know what, virgil? can I call ya virg? i've decided just now that what we're doing now is very important. because I have been itching to get my hands on some sort of project to keep me occupied and sane from...lets call it current events?" she lifts up a piece with a questioning look, waiting for a yes or no, unaware of what she might have just stirred. in him.

she nods along as she listens to him, tongue sticking out just a bit as she picked out a few more pieces before glancing toward the stitching he was tracing over in his shoulder. "oh yeah, no, regardless of what I'm picking up today I'm fixing that whole top of yours later. you can figure out what type of favor you owe me for it later, or don't. I don't really care, either way it's gonna bug me if I don't do that myself. it does look like that part is due for a little tlc, though, do you like the leather? does it work? we can always figure that out. and while we're at it, are there any preferences in color or other types of material as well? comfort and style can coexist, despite popular belief! whodda thought, huh? i of course, will always choose the latter," she gestures to herself, as if it's obvious. "but do as I say not as I do."

"Virgil," he said. "Guard of Dawn's High Lady. And by the way, I was walking. Exploring. Looking at the stalls. Then you walked into me and called me a wall. Now you're inspecting my stitching." He released her hand, perhaps a little too quickly. He'd never been good at conversations. He knew that. He'd been told one too many times. His voice was too flat, his words too blunt, his timing always slightly off. He'd learned to compensate by saying less and letting the silence do the work. But she didn't seem to mind the silence. She just stood there, holding her fabric, waiting for him to catch up.

"Fine," he said, the word coming out flatter than he meant to. "If you're so insistent on it, then lead the way. I'll follow. And if I walk into you, we'll be even."

she hides the triumphant smile as he gives in, moving ahead so he couldn't see, eyes down to watch her steps in the stilettos, making do in the cobblestone street but fairing just fine as she does so. "yeah? you sure there wasn't any more standing and exploring that you wanted to do? i'm not keeping you?" she throws a shit eating smirk over her shoulder before picking up the pace a bit. "now. since introductions are out of the way, what would you say are top concerns for tops that need to be altered for wings like yours? you mentioned the wings need space, obviously. so something that flows or at least within that area would be better? maybe something more flexible?" she's looking through stalls as she speaks, stopping to eye any fabrics she happens to spot along the way. a new project like this could be a fun challenge, and she always accepted a challenge.

closed for: @stylistofthedark

THE SITUATION WAS DIRE. The loss of magic was just the tip of the iceberg of problems that had awaited with morning's first light. But, Yiren had decided not to think about it tonight - not to think of her lack of shadows, the lack of soothing darkness that enveloped her, walked alongside. No, she would not think about it now. Tomorrow. There will be a whole day ahead to ponder and panic about it.

perhaps even longer.

Asking Marisol to join her for a nightcap or few was a logical turn of illogical events. She'd already checked up on the majority of her court, her siblings and the inner circle that had been in a bit of disarray with their powers going poof! At least the magic did not seem to have it out for her and the Night court personally - as far as she could tell, that is.

who knows what the culprits planned next.

Taking out an assortment of drinks and a few salty snacks she smuggled from the kitchens ( even if the Starlight staff had been more than happy to provide ), Yiren beamed as the knock on the door announced Marisol's arrival.

"I wasn't sure what does one usually do for a girl's night, so I took a very questionable amount of alcohol and some snacks. Please, come in."

once she sets all the things down, she turns back to yiren, and extends her arms out for a hug, scurrying her way forward to meet her half way, the only giveaway of her trading her usual stilettos for fuzzy slippers being the lack of clicking and difference of height, as she usually was able to walk just fine in them no matter what. and once they pull back from their hug, she steps back to look the other woman over, grabbing both her hands in her own. "now, we've got all night, but how are we feeling? or is this just one of those "I don't wanna think about it" sort of nights? because i'm also great at that. and! I also brought some fabrics with me to get your thoughts on a possible new sash or whatever else your heart desires as a little pick me up?"

Intimidating face. He heard that a lot. He never knew what to do with it. Was he supposed to apologize? Change his face? He didn't know how to change his face. He was aware of the absence at his shoulders, the stillness where shadows should have been, coiling and watchful as always. They'd been silenced. He felt naked without them. Exposed, like a blade with no hilt.

"I'm not trying to be in the way," his voice came out flatter than he intended. Then again, it always did. "I was standing still. You walked into me." A pause. Was that rude? Probably. Clarify. "But I should have moved. You're small. Easy to miss." He didn't mean it as an insult. He wasn't sure if she'd take it as one. He was still adjusting to the silence in his own head.

as he questions her so bluntly the fae isn't even batting an eye as she eyes his top, already moving around him to inspect the handy work he's mentioned, brow furrowed just a bit and a head tilted a bit to the side. "you've had to do this multiple times." she states it like a fact, like it's obvious. "and sure it gets the job done for the time being but I can see it ready to break off again...were you doing it blindfolded or in a rush?" too much?

after things becoming as serious as they had gotten, a fear that marisol had was not being able to do much in her position to help when needed, especially when she had such a close position and friendship to the high lady of her court. she didn't want to just be standing there looking pretty (and she would) when more chaos struck down on them all. maybe at least some sort of self defense could be good to learn. and when she had heard the other could show her a few things, without needing to sacrifice her signature heels she all but jumped at the chance, so here she now was, dressed down in what she felt to be appropriate (though it was still pretty dressy by any other standards) and nodding along to the other as if she had just been enlisted to an army of some sort, wanting to make sure that florencia knew she was taking this seriously

"What do you want with my hair?" Penélope asked confused, looking at her long black waves that her tightly up in a pony tail at the moment, over her shoulder. She was sat up roughly on an arm chair, always feeling too big for this kind of places, fearing the chair might fall under her. "Stop that..." The Valkyrie grunted and rolled her eyes but didn't mean anything by it. Marisol was beautiful, obviously and her batting her long eyelashes at Penélope, well, she was weak and blushed. "Chisme. Siempre. But I will take a full glass of whatever you're serving me. Necesito."