She'd have to thank her, one of these days. Kalika's nightmare visit had finally given the little telemetric that last little push into taking a deep breath and taking action. She loved Marcus. She had always loved Marcus. Aurora's birthday present had sat too long on her dresser, gathering dust while she tried to gather her confidence. Well, her choice had been made for her. If hell was going to rain down on them all, it was important to let Marcus know exactly how she felt about him. 

Grinning at Memphis as he pulled up outside of the house, Evie reached down to the black duffel bag at her feet. "Will you tell Ash I'm not coming home tonight?" Any and all eye-contact was avoided, regardless of what witty quip he might have had; she was blushing enough as it was. Even if she had every intention of simply watching The Grapes of Wrath or discussing the economy with her vampire master, she would have blushed. It's not like she knew exactly what was going to happen, but ... this was all a very big thing. Shacking when sober? This was new. Which was kinda sad, but hey. She was workin' on it.

Shutting the cab door, Evie slung the bag over her shoulder, watching as her personal body guard slash chauffeur drove away. Gaze shifted to the skyline; the sun was just beginning to touch the sea, casting a glow of red and orange over the moving water. It was truly breathtaking.

After knocking and being admitted by daytime security, a few of whom she recognize and all of whom knew her by description, Evie found her way to guest bedroom. Tossing her bag on the bed, she was quick to unzip her loose-fitting jeans, stepping out of them as they puddled at her feet. Black tank-top was peeled from her naturally olive-colored skin, joining her jeans on the floor in crumpled disarray. Standing in nothing but a pair of blue and white striped boy-shorts, Evie moved to the bag, unzipping it quickly. Inside sat a simple black dress, short and silky. One she had bought on a forced shopping outing in Hawaii, before she'd had to leave for the safety of them all. A fitting dress for tonight. Slipping it on over her shoulders, shimmying the soft fabric into place, the telemetric pulled her necklace from between her breasts, letting it sit against the dress. A heart from her Loke, a stone from her Aurora. Her sister, and her protector. She carried them with her wherever she went, as surely as she carried Marcus and Ash.

Grabbing a small bag from the duffel, Evie moved swiftly into the bathroom. She could feel the sun growing more and more scarce; time was running out. This needed to be perfect. Grabbing eyeliner and mascara, Evie went to work. Simple make-up worked best for her ... and she didn't know how to put on other stuff. Once her lashes were coated and her lids lines, causing her eyes to pop from her angular face, she went to work on her chestnut-hued hair. Brushing and combing until it lay soft and glossy in waves down her shoulders, so much longer than when they had first met. A good deal more controlled, as well. Reaching for a small compact of powder to take off the small shine on her nose, and a tube of strawberry chapstick that was more necessary for nerves than for cosmetic purposes, Evie gave herself a good once-over. One last thing.

Bare feet moved swiftly back into the bedroom, finding the small ring box made as a gift from her stone sister. Okay. You can do this. After opening the box, Evie stripped off the glove on her left hand. Taking a deep breath, she placed the ring on her fourth finger. There was a small thrum of power within the metal; the weight was odd, but reassuring. Having worn gloves for the past several years, she had no recollection of what wearing a ring had felt like. Strange, but ... good. Its partner was placed, after some thought, around her necklace. Safe keeping.

Her still gloved hand took another gift given to her, this one by Loke. A gorgeous pair of cashmere gloves, much nicer than the well-worn cotton ones she was discarding. With them in place, she had only to put on shoes -- simple black flats, a standing in heels around Marcus was kinda dangerous -- and toss her sneakers and discarded articles back into the bag. For the first time in a long time, Evie guessed people could describe her as ... maybe a little bit sexy. Which was just frickin' terrifying.

Opening the door, she peeked down both lengths of the hallway. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. So ... why hadn't she changed in Marcus' room? Fuck. She should have thought of that. With a little unhappy moan, she collected her things, and darted from the room. Must have been funny for people she passed; the master of the city's human servant scampering through the estate trying not to look at anyone, blushing a fierce color of crimson. She didn't slow her pace until she had descended to his chamber, and closed the door behind her. Abandoning the bag by the door but out of the way, she let herself try to think of how to do this. Did she sit on the bed? Or sprawl on the couch, or ... fuck. She had no idea. Choosing, finally, to stand only slightly awkwardly, facing the door. Surprise.