The fabric is silky-soft to the touch, and inset with glimmering rhinestones. But...

"It's very... revealing," Sophie admits.

'Revealing' is an understatement. The dress itself is pretty, but the plunging neckline is—for lack of a better word—generous.

Biana squints thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right. Here, take this one instead." She shoves a different dress into Sophie's arms.

Sophie bites back a sigh and surveys the displays that line the store. Each one boasts dozens of dresses in varying colors and styles that shimmer and sparkle under the chandelier lighting. The end of the building isn't even visible from here; it feels more like standing in a fancy museum than a dress boutique in Atlantis.

Biana, however, has been having more fun than a kid let loose in a candy shop. She's been eagerly dragging Sophie around the boutique all morning, sizing her up against the dresses on display and demanding she try on at least half of them. Her enthusiasm is so infectious that Sophie has to admit she's enjoying dress shopping, even under the guise of pretending to be a normal teenager.

"This is so fun!" Biana squeals through her own armful of dresses as they head back to the fitting rooms. "I haven't been here since Alvar broke up with his last girlfriend. She used to take me shopping all the time 'cause he didn't want to."

Sophie tries to laugh along, but hearing Alvar's name feels like a punch to the gut. She tries to shove the guilt away, but the memory is too recent—she pictures herself standing over him again, watching his body writhe on the sandy floor, his teal eyes blown wide in fear—

"Sophie?"

She blinks. "What?"

It takes her a moment to realize Biana isn't the one who called her name.

Leaning against the wall beside the fitting rooms is none other than Keefe Sencen. Beside him is Tam, who looks generally less pleased to see them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Keefe asks, a surprised but pleased grin spreading across his face.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Biana exclaims, rushing forward to exchange a quick hug with him.

"We're waiting for Linh to finish trying on something," Tam pipes up, gesturing at the fitting rooms behind them. "And she's taking forever!" he shouts at the closed door.

"One moment!" Linh's muffled voice yells back.

Keefe glances over at Sophie. "I didn't realize Foster was going to the dance—but I'm sure she's had no problem landing a date." He winks.

Biana rolls her eyes. "Oh, leave her alone," she says, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. "Fitz asked her. I'm just here to help coordinate their outfits."

Keefe raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Fitz? This is the first I'm hearing of it."

Keefe still has an arm slung around Biana's shoulder; it's casual, but fond. Sophie knows the two have been friends for a long time, but their easy affection with each other still catches her off guard. She has to admit they look good together. Maybe it just feels weird now that she knows Biana and Maruca recently broke up. Or because Keefe suddenly seems very interested in the fact that Fitz is her date.

Sophie shrugs, suddenly self-conscious. "He was just... being nice."

Tam wrinkles his nose. "Matching outfits is kind of weird, don't you think?"

"It is not!" Biana scoffs.

Sophie winces. "Well—"

The door to the fitting room bursts open. "Ignore him," Linh says with a little giggle. "He's just grumpy that we dragged him along to go shopping." She holds up a rumpled dress in her arms. "Also, this one is too itchy."

Tam throws his head back and groans loudly. "We've been here for three hours, Linh—"

"And you can wait three more," she insists. "Go ahead and use this fitting room, Sophie. I'm done for now."

"For now," Tam mutters.

"Let me know if you need help!" Biana calls as Sophie closes the door behind her.

Without the noise of the twins arguing in the background, it's suddenly overwhelmingly quiet being by herself in the fitting room. In between Black Swan missions and staying on top of her schoolwork, she hasn't had much time to herself lately, so she savors the silence while changing out of her clothes and slipping on the dress.

Sophie steps back to look at herself in the mirror, and her eyes widen.

She's wearing the night sky—or at least, a dress that looks like it. The dark blue fabric is complemented by speckles of delicate silver embroidery in the shape of small clouds, suns, and stars. The sheer puff sleeves gather delicately at her forearms, and when she fluffs the skirt around her it feels as light as a feather.

It's not even the dress that shocks her, but the way she looks. Something about the dress' gentle elegance and tulle skirt and open neckline makes her appear soft in a way she didn't know she could. She tilts her jaw slightly to obscure the still healing scar on her chin, and for a brief second she mourns the kind of life she could've had if she wasn't the Moonlark—one where she goes dress shopping only to shop for dresses and nothing more.

She shakes the thought away.

The only downside to the dress is that she can't reach the zipper in the back. However, Biana did offer to help, and would probably be more than happy to see how it looks on Sophie anyway.

She pokes her head out of the fitting room. "Hey Biana, could you—oh."

There's no one standing outside, which she should've guessed from the absence of voices. No one, that is, except Keefe, who's idly picking at his nails with a bored expression.

Without looking up, he says, "They went chasing after something sparkly across the room. Tam included, though he only went with them 'cause he didn't want to be left alone with me." Keefe snickers at that, then looks up at her. "Did you need something—whoa."

Sophie's face prickles with heat as he rakes his gaze appraisingly over her dress. "Yeah, but it's just, uh, the zipper, actually—"

"Sure, I can help with that," Keefe replies, and before she knows it he's standing behind her and resting a gentle hand on her waist.

She doesn't know what else to do except sweep her hair to the side and let him work the zipper up. Even through the fabric of the dress, she can feel the weight and warmth of his touch against her back. It's startling, like every nerve in her body has reoriented itself towards him, and she has a sudden gut feeling that turning her back to Keefe is not a smart move.

But he steps back as soon as the zipper is closed and the dress is snug around her torso. "Is that okay?"

Sophie smooths her hands down her sides, pretending to feel the fabric instead of chasing away the trail of goosebumps down her spine. "Yeah, thanks."

She turns to face him, and he's still staring at her. He blinks, opens his mouth to say something, and...

"I did it! I found my dress!"

Linh barrels past them into the fitting room with an excited squeal, something long and silky bundled in her arms. Sophie has to gather the skirt of her dress around her to avoid tripping Linh by accident.

Following her are Biana and Tam, looking pleased and annoyed, respectively. Biana's eyes light up when she catches sight of Sophie.

"Oh, Sophie..." she breathes, pressing a dramatic hand to her chest. "You look gorgeous."

"You sure Fitz is the best she can do for a date?" Keefe mock-whispers to Biana, who laughs and rolls her eyes.

Sophie grins along with them. For the first time, she finds herself actually looking forward to the dance. It doesn't have to be some huge distraction like Stina seems to think—Sophie can still go to the dance and stick to the mission and have fun with her friends. All in one night.

After all, she thinks in amusement, what could go wrong?