Morning shifts were slow, so Sunset checked her phone whenever she had a moment to herself. Twilight had messaged her twice already, first with suggestions about how to dress for dinner, then later with an apology for "telling her what to do", instead with a list of interests for each of her family members, sorted by priority.
By the time her shift ended in the early afternoon, she hadn't sent anything else, but also hadn't responded to Sunset's attempt to calm her down. Even over texts, it was plain to see she was fighting her nerves.
"Hello everybody~!" a cheerful voice called into the diner from the door and her individual greetings came closer and closer to the staff room. Finally, the door swung open and Pinkie skipped over the threshold. "Hey, bestie! Happy quitting time!"
Sunset smiled and opened her arms for Pinkie to skip into. After a short hug, Sunset started changing out of her uniform while Pinkie changed into hers, as eager to get to work as Sunset was to get home. As she adjusted her top, she glanced down at her phone again, before putting it away in her pocket.
"Waiting for something?" Pinkie asked, slightly muffled by her own hair as she fought to pull it all through the collar.
"Oh, I'm meeting Twilight's parents at dinner tonight and she's pretty nervous about it."
Pinkie gathered her hair in her hands to tie it back, a few strands slipping out like springs. "You didn't meet them yet?"
"It just... never came up?" Sunset picked up her jacket and shrugged. "It'll be fine. Might be a little embarrassing, but it's no big deal."
"Yup. Not like you're a bad influence or anything."
Sunset stopped just as she had slipped the studded leather jacket over her shoulders. She glanced down at her studded boots and the small chain hanging from her belt. "Um, yeah..."
Pinkie didn't seem to notice her apprehension, fixing her hair in the mirror. "And sure, you're an interdimensional invader who tried to enslave the whole school, but that was years ago." She turned on her heel, making the skirt twirl, before skipping to the door. "Gotta get started, kiss Twilight for me!"
The door shut and Sunset felt her confidence crack, only snapping out of it when her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Rarity hummed to herself as she reordered the suit jackets on their rack, tilting the hangers so one could have a decent view of each piece at a glance. It was part of her usual closing time routine, making sure everything was in order for the next day. It was her favourite part of working the floor, aside from advising the more pleasant customers.
The door chime abruptly stopped the song on her lips short. Did she forget to turn over the sign? She left the ties and quickly headed through towards the entrance. "I'm so sorry, but we just..." She stopped short again. "Sunset?"
The door fell closed behind the redhead, who was catching her breath and had a look of nervous panic in her eyes, not unlike the one she had worn for nearly all of finals week. "Rarity," she breathed finally, "I need your help. It's an emergency."
Rarity quickly closed the distance and put her hands gently on her friend's arms. "Of course, darling, whatever kind of--"
"A fashion emergency."
The worried confusion was instantly washed away by a swell of confidence. "Tell me everything," she said right away, hooking her arm around Sunset's and leading her towards the women's section.
"I'm meeting Twilight and her family for dinner in three hours, I haven't done laundry in five days and none of my clean clothes will do!"
Rarity slowed a bit, looking down at Sunset's clothes. Cherry red top, dark orange and peach skirt, the usual jacket and accessories. "Oh, but darling, you look lovely! Sure, there's the usual clash, but that's part of your appeal, isn't it? Maybe you're overreacting just a tad," she suggested gently.
Sunset took a breath, running her hand through her hair. Rarity couldn't help but notice one of her rings slightly catching on a strand, but bit her cheek about it. "I don't know, maybe. But maybe my appeal is the problem? Studs and chains don't make for the best first impression, I don't think."
"First impression?" Rarity adjusted her work glasses and gave Sunset another once-over, taking a step back physically to also distance her mind and look at her more critically. "You mean you haven't met her family before?"
"No, it just... kind of never came up." Sunset shifted awkwardly. Her usual confidence was lacking today, the pressure on her was clearly visible.
"Alright, let's get started." Rarity quickly stepped behind her and took Sunset's jacket by the shoulders, helping her quickly slip out of it. "What do you know about them?"
"Well, they're suburban private school parents, for one. Her dad has an office job and her mom is a writer. Hang on..." Sunset slipped her phone out of her pocket, while Rarity was already looking over the shelves and racks, her mind fading out everything that didn't match Sunset's complexion.
"Oh, here we go. He likes fishing, game shows and word puzzles and she likes... literature and thrill sports?"
"Perfect. Then we only need to play down your adventurous nature, not hide it." Rarity picked two different tops from the table display and a short dress from one of the racks, putting them into Sunset's arms. "These should be your size, try them on while I get you some boots."
"Thanks. Hey, do you have a makeup kit on you?"
"Do I have--" Rarity stopped and turned back to her friend with a smug smile. "That's cute, darling. Who do you think you're talking to?"
Twilight hadn't sat down in the last five minutes, she had barely even stopped pacing, unable to keep things out of her hands, torturing a stress ball now that she'd put down her pen. "It's only two hours now. It'll be fine. It'll be fine, right? Tell me again it'll be fine."
"It will be fine," Fluttershy complied patiently, from the other side of the video call.
"Right. Nothing to worry about. They'll like her and everything will go smoothly." She took a deep breath and finally sat in her desk chair again. "Except what if they don't!? What if mom doesn't like her? What if Shining doesn't!?"
"Is there a reason they wouldn't?" Fluttershy asked, passively petting the white rabbit on her bed.
"I don't know? Sunset is almost perfect, but I'm heavily biased!"
"Almost perfect?" Rainbow Dash chimed in, lounging behind Fluttershy, barely in the shot.
"She leaves her clothes everywhere, she sweats easily, and she has this habit of cracking her knuckles that drives me crazy," Twilight explained flatly.
"Yikes, harsh critic." Rainbow sat up and leaned over Fluttershy's shoulder. "So, what if your mom doesn't like her? Will you break up?"
"No, of course not!"
"Would you not move in with her?"
Twilight wanted to answer just as firmly again, but found herself hesitating. "I do want to."
"So? Do it! You're an adult, you can do whatever you want. But it won't matter because they'll like her fine!"
"It will be fine," Fluttershy repeated, with the same serenity as before.
Twilight nervously passed the stress ball between her hands. "Okay, but what if--" Before the thought could fully form, a few notes played from her phone and she nearly dropped the ball to pick it up right away, opening Sunset's image message. "Oh..."