Talking? (Markise/Michael)

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael wasn't at all sure about a shirt with a hood and no sleeves, it seemed a little counterproductive to say the least, but he nodded and took the clothes and disappeared behind the door with a low okay. He pulled the pants on, and even though they weren't nearly as tight as Dare's, they were closer-fitting than most of the ones he wore, and he tugged at them a little before pulling on the shirts. He flicked a look over at the mirror and had to admit that Markise was good. Still, it felt so strange. A few moments later he took a deep breath and opened the door. "Well?" he asked, though he looked back at the mirror instead of at Markise.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's eyes took a slow path over Michael, noting how things fit and how they worked together before pulling back and looking at him as a whole. "It looks good," he said. He stepped forward and gestured lightly in warning before reaching to pull the hood up just to see. Michael's hair was a tease now, but Markise couldn't see Dare letting it stay covered no matter how fashionable it was. That wasn't the reason he was about to reject this outfit, though. He was working toward the third, but he wanted to see a couple others first and make sure Michael really was okay with this. He seemed to be.

"It looks good for a club," Markise said. "Dare would be glaring at everyone if he could take his eyes off you, but it's just too much cloth for dancing, you'd boil." He hoped his eagerness wasn't showing.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael reached up to brush his hair to the side, beneath the edge of the hood. He rarely wore hoods, anyway, unless they were on cloaks, it was different. "I can imagine," he said, a small smile coming up to his lips at the thought of Dare doing that, though his words weren't about Dare. "No, I don't get the hood, I'm sorry. I do think it looks good, though." He looked over at Markise, raising an eyebrow.

[Markise Sterling]

"That's the point of it," Markise said with a smile. He handed Michael another outfit to try on and sent him back in, knowing the low waistline on the jeans wouldn't be visible under the long shirt, but hoping Michael would play along anyway. The shirt wasn't much in the cut itself, but it branched out into actual color, rather than the dark or neutral tones he always seemed to be wearing.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael almost wished for the hood back with the color. Darks were nice, they helped him blend in, even when he branched away into others it was only browns or tans, more things that helped him blend in. But looking in the mirror gave him pause. He supposed it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. So he came out, possibly looking a little more on the nervous side than he had last time, though he was a little more comfortable this time overall.

[Markise Sterling]

"Oh, that looks good," Markise observed. Michael looked alive now, instead of like someone's shadow. "How do the jeans fit?" He could only see so much with the shirt he'd given, but that bit he saw was nice. It all boded quite well for the pièce de résistance. Michael had such a nice body! Why did he cover it up all the time?

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael pulled up the edge of the shirt and looked down at the jeans. "They fit perfect," he said, then brought his eyes up to the mirror again to get a better look. It wasn't what he normally wore, but they looked good. He looked over at Markise and gave a smile. "I don't know how Dare can stand wearing the jeans he does." Not that he was complaining.

[Markise Sterling]

"Me neither, I need to breathe," Markise said. He wasn't about to complain any more than Michael was, though. Dare had the body to pull of those tight-ass jeans, so it worked out for anyone who was looking.

"Okay, last outfit," Markise went on, dragging his thoughts back to the present. "Try this one on and don't argue, I'll tell you why it works." He handed Michael stack of clothes, assuming he'd be able to figure out what went where on his own. It was another pair of low-rise jeans, fitted in all the right places, but with a straight leg. It was a light vest in a muted green and a long fitted tee in such a thin cloth that had it not been black it would have been see-through. It had a design on the chest, but not so much that it would overwhelm or detract from Michael's hair. And a pair of black arm-warmers that covered the palm and back of the hand, with thumbholes. Because the tee was short-sleeved. Markise smiled.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael took the clothes, but started feeling the nerves again when he realized it was a short sleeved shirt. He changed clothes, though he eyed himself in the mirror for longer than he had before. "Dare tried to get me to wear short sleeves and arm warmers before," he said, before he even came out. He had turned it down, even if there could have been a sticking charm. It was just too easy to panic that the cloth would slip. Still, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's reply was caught short at actually seeing Michael. His lips curved into an appreciative smile. "You look f~ing hot," he said. There was no reason to mince words when giving someone an ego stroke. He stepped up close and straightened the vest again, though it was more an excuse to break through whatever massive personal bubble Michael probably had. The man needed his bubble broken.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael looked at Markise, surprised at the reaction. "Thank you," he said, smiling at the unexpected compliment, though he still felt heat rising in his cheeks. "I'm just paranoid..." He pulled at the upper edge of the left warmer. He wished he wasn't so paranoid, the Mark wasn't even as dark as it used to be, though it was still painfully obvious.

[Markise Sterling]

"Don't be," Markise said. "They'll be fine and you'll forget you're even wearing them. Ready to hear why it works?" he asked. Without waiting for a reply he went on, his gaze moving over Michael. "It'll be like lingerie to Dare. You're showing something that's usually covered, but not everything. It's a tease, and Dare loves a tease." Most men did, though they didn't realize it. He looked up at Michael, silently asking his thoughts.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael licked his lips nervously, both at the idea of actually going out and showing this off and at the feeling of Markise looking at him like that, before he looked over to see his reflection. He wanted to surprise Dare, though, and this would definitely shock him. He bit back another complaint about the fabric sliding. "I did say I wanted something different."

[Markise Sterling]

"It's different," Markise assured him, "but not so huge a style change that no one will recognize you. It's modest, but modern." Markise caught himself. Don't oversell it. He backed off and looked at Michael's reflection as he thought about Dare's reaction. His lips pressed together a moment before he spoke again. "Do you want to push it farther?" he asked. "Not with the clothes, I mean you could use a belt and a couple accessories if you wanted, but have you ever thought about putting on a little makeup? Just for the night out?" Markise wondered if he was the devil on Michael's shoulder that he felt like.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyebrows came up. "Dare...Dare's put a little on me before. I've never thought about learning to do it or anything." He didn't think it was something he needed to learn to do, and Dare seemed to have fun putting it on him, anyway. It wasn't something that was as big as changing the basics of what he wore, he supposed. "I don't know."