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“Finest gowns you’ll ever see, for this price,” the salesman told Ashe. He was a customer at the bar; a travelling merchant who’d happened upon the Shrouded Isles by pure chance. “I’m sure this one would look lovely on you, Miss.” The man held up a dress with a green top and a warm brown skirt that reached down to Ashe’s knees. It had a yellow sash around the waist that tied into a bow at the back. It really was a beautiful garment.
Ashe’s eyes held mixed feelings. “I… uh, I have always wanted to be able to wear dresses,” she admitted, feeling the soft fabric. “I’m not sure I’d look good in them, though.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Aesling!” Markus said, sweeping in from… somewhere. “Anyone can look good in a dress, and you especially!”
Ashe raised one white eyebrow at the tiefling, wearing that one particular expression that said she wasn’t entirely sure he was being honest. “Really? Anyone?”
“Of course anyone. I’ll show you.” He turned to the salesman with a big grin on his face. “Whadda ya have for a guy with really broad shoulders?”
———
The evening found the bar with a new sign stuck outside the door. “Fancy dress night. Dresses provided.”
Everyone on the isles was there. Kyl’il wore a gorgeous silk gown in a deep ombre, Dont had on a cute little day dress with a skirt that bounced as much as she did, and even Charoth had been convinced to try on an adorable blue babydoll dress. Xandal glided around in a lovely cerulean gown with an empire waist and a mermaid-style flare in the legs, while Yorik sat contentedly at one of the tables with a mug of ale as he tried not to spill any foam on his toga. Kyr strutted about in a sparkling red cocktail dress with a slit up one leg. Gregor (who had somehow been convinced to wear something that wasn’t red for once) was in an earthy brown jumpskirt with a green t-shirt underneath.
Markus swept about the room in a floor-length strapless blue dress that was so dark it was almost black, with sparkles of course. His grin never once faded as he complimented everyone on their attire and made sure everyone was sufficiently taken care of in regards to food and drink. Occasionally, some of his imps would scurry around in their own little dresses and hand out flowers.
Ashe and Thog hid in the kitchen, still in their regular attire.
“You’re not gonna go out there?” Thog asked.
“Gods, no. You?”
Thog made a face. “Not for all the money in the world…. Markus’ll be pretty disappointed. He set this all up for you.”
“He’ll get over it,” Ashe shrugged.
“Sounds like you're trying to avoid admitting he might be right?”
“I am not! … Well, maybe. I don’t know. I’m nervous, okay!”
“There you are, Ashe!” Markus burst into the kitchen with a cloud of sparkles. “Why aren’t you in your dress yet?”
She would have responded with something sarcastic, but she was too busy trying to remember how not to laugh. It wasn’t often that she saw Markus without a shirt on, and she was amazed to find that his arms did in fact resemble noodles (as Horaven had once observed). That, and the fact that the fact that the tiefling pulled off the dress so well was just so utterly amusing to her.
His confident stance was what really sold the look, though. That, and his grin, wide as ever. It couldn't be helped; Ashe cracked. It started as a quiet snort, then a chuckle, which became a stream of giggles, before growing into full on laughter.
“Haha! You, ha, you actually did it! I didn’t think you’d actually put on a dress.” She held her side as it began to stitch. It'd been a while since she'd laughed this hard, and she had to admit it felt good, lung cramps aside.
Markus feigned insult. “Aesling, I am offended that you would doubt me so. When have I ever passed up the opportunity to look amazing?” And just to sweeten the moment, he struck a pose.
“Huh, I guess never,” the white-haired girl conceded, finally finding her breath again. “Alright, I guess I’ve got no choice now. Where’s the dress?”
Markus’ grin doubled in size as he pulled the green and brown dress from earlier from… honestly, gods knew where he pulled anything from. Ashe took it from him and proceeded to shove both him and Thog out of the room.
“If either of you peek, I’ll kill you, got it?” There was no real bite in her words, but the point remained.
The pair of men stared at each other for a moment. Thog shrugged and pulled a bottle of whiskey from under the bar. He poured himself a glass and offered one to Markus, who declined in favour of a bottle of keer that was still floating around in their liquor stash. He briefly considered showing the rogue the little black dress he'd acquired for him, but thought better of it, his eyes wandering to the gun on Thog's hip.
Ashe emerged a few minutes later. As it turned out, the dress’s sleeves were the sort that slipped off the shoulders to hang around the arms, just between the girl’s bindings. The outfit was somehow exactly her size (probably Markus’ doing) and showed off the bindings on her legs and around her collarbone rather tastefully.
Ashe blushed deeply at the matching gaped mouths on the guys’ faces. “Yeah, it looks weird. I know. I’ll go change back.”
Markus caught her wrist as she turned to leave and he smiled at her. “Aesling, you look breathtaking.”
Of course, Ashe blushed deeper, and then moreso as she realized half the bar’s population were watching.
Mercifully, Thog cleared his throat. “Hey, quit staring already!”
Everyone returned to their own business and the night went on jovially. Ashe mingled with everyone and bantered back and forth with Inien when she appeared in an elegant navy blue and purple dress and proclaimed that Ashe looked “not terrible”. It was an odd thing to watch, as the two were vaguely complimenting each other but saying each one as if they were throwing an insult.
“You know you’re an idiot, right, Markus?” Ashe asked Markus at the end of the evening as they sat by the reflecting pool.
Markus’ smile never dimmed. “I know, but I made you happy, didn’t I?”
“Hah, yeah, you did…. Thank you, Markus.”
“Anytime, Aesling.”
Ashe leaned against the tiefling, staring at the reflection of the stars. Markus kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the imp band inside began to play a soothing lullaby to send off the patrons for the night.