The door to Kiryuin Ragyo's office opened. Soroi Mitsuzo entered.
"You called for me, Lady Ragyo?" he said, bowing though her back was to him as she looked over paperwork.
"Yes, I did," she said. A pregnant silence fell in the room, the only sounds being that of the wind outside and the scratching of Ragyo's pen on paper. Eventually, she lowered the pen and sat at her desk, turning her chair not to face the butler, but instead to the window.
"Soroi," she started, steepling her fingers, "am I correct in assuming you have a sister?" Though caught off guard by the question, the man nodded and replied without betraying his surprise, "Yes, ma'am."
"Then are you aware that your sister and her husband are involved with the activist group, Nudist Beach?" Soroi did in fact know this, however he responded, "I'm afraid not, ma'am. This is the first I've heard of this. I'm ashamed to learn this in fact."
"Then I'm sorry to say," the woman said, though her voice didn't display such feelings while her mouth had also curled up into a satisfied smirk, "that your sister and her husband were both killed in a recent raid on Nudist Beach's current headquarters." Soroi's stance stiffened.
"I...I see." Ragyo picked up a sheet of paper from her desk and began looking over it, saying as she did so, "You will be granted a temporary absence so you may plan a funeral, effective immediately. A maid will take over your duties taking care of Satsuki until you return." Soroi bowed and replied, "Thank you, ma'am. I shall go pack." As he turned to leave however, he was halted at the door as Ragyo then added, "Oh, and one other thing."
"It appears your sister had a son," the woman said, turning her chair into the desk. Soroi knew who she was talking about; his nephew, Shiro. He'd seen him only once, and even then, it was a picture his sister had sent him. Ragyo then said, "He survived the raid." The butler then turned around and said, "I am relieved to hear that, ma'am. I assume you will have him brought here or put into care?" Ragyo arched her eyebrow at the question, as though suprised at the request.
"Actually Soroi, I was going to have him killed." Soroi froze, shaken by this information. The woman continued, "I hope you understand, even at a young age, we have no idea what his parents may have taught him. I can't risk letting a potential Nudist Beach affiliate live." She waved her hand, dismissing the man, however Soroi didn't leave. Instead he stepped forward and said, sounding panicked, "Lady Ragyo, please reconsider. He's only a boy." Ragyo narrowed her eyes at the butler.
"Like I said, Soroi, I cannot risk letting him live," she said. The old man nodded, lowering his eyes away from her stern gaze.
"Yes Lady Ragyo, I understand. However I assure you, he couldn't possibly be a threat. Even if his mother and father have taught him the ways of Nudist Beach, he can be retaught. I'd be willing to teach him myself, he could even be a servant to either yourself of Lady Satsuki." Ragyo sighed, "I admire your willingness to save your nephew, however my mind is made up." Her chair spun around, facing away from the man.
"He has a gift!" Soroi said, in a last ditch attempt to save his nephew. The chair slowly inched around enough that Ragyo could peak out at the man while still remaining hidden away.
"A gift?" she said, eyebrow arched inquisitively. Soroi nodded.
"Yes. He has a way with sewing, even at such a young age. Surely such a gift would be useful to you, Lady Ragyo?" Ragyo nodded slowly.
"Indeed. However I already have a gifted seamstress in training, and I'm positive that she will be much more useful than your nephew," she said. Soroi could feel himself growing clammy has he struggled with the situation.
"What about Lady Satsuki, ma'am? Surely she could make use of his skill, since you said you wish for her to contribute to your business once she's old enough," he said. There was silence as Ragyo thought over this. Finally, she responded, "You make a good point. Very well then, your nephew will live." As Soroi let out an inaudible sigh of relief, the woman continued, "I'll have arrangements made to bring him here, even if it means there's an extra mouth to feed. These won't be his permanent living quarters, but at least for a while, he may live here. It would be useful actually, so he and Satsuki can get the chance to meet."
"Thank you, Lady Ragyo. I'm truly grateful," the man said, bowing. Ragyo's only response to this was to wave her hand, dismissing him once more. He reached the door, only to be stopped again.
"Soroi. Just one more question." He turned around slowly; she had her eyes narrowed again, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Yes, Lady Ragyo?" Watching the old man carefully, she asked, "I have to ask, Soroi, how exactly you knew of your nephew's sewing gift?" The butler cursed at himself mentally; even though it had saved Shiro's life, that sort of information being blurted out in the heat of the moment, without context...
A small smile appeared on the butler's face.
"I'm deeply sorry, ma'am. Quite some time ago, my sister did send me a letter, telling me of Shiro and his talent. It was the first I'd heard of the boy, and my sister didn't mention her affiliation with Nudist Beach. I'm afraid the letter slipped my mind in light of the new information. It won't happen again." There was a pause as Ragyo continued to scrutinise Soroi closely, before she finally muttered, "Very well then. I'll forgive your lapse in memory this time. You may leave." He bowed one last time.
"Thank you, Lady Ragyo." And with that, he finally left the room, the clicking of the door behind him echoing around the room.
Some days later, a young boy found himself being led through the massive halls of the Kiryuin Mansion. His blond hair was scruffy and some shades darker than its natural colour, while his skin was still dirty from his previous living conditions, and in his hands, he clutched a small wooden box. The maid he trailed behind stopped at a door, then turned around to look at him, a kindly look in her eye.
"Now Shiro, I hope you settle in well. Your uncle should be home in a week or two, however in the mean time, I would be happy to help you with anything," she told him. She then pushed open the door and continued, "This is where you will be staying while you are here. I'll be along later tonight to clean you up." His hands tightened around the box and he nodded in reply. With that, he shuffled into the room. The door was closed behind him. Left alone in the room, his room, he didn't really have much to do aside from investigate and see what had been left for him.
Placing the wooden box on the nightstand next to the bed, he first wandered over to the desk which stood against the wall opposite the door. It was the most obvious thing in the room, if not for its placement, then for what was on it; a sewing machine, already threaded with white thread. Climbing up onto the chair, he could then see more sewing supplies, such as different coloured thread spools and two rolls of tape measure. Shiro couldn't help but wonder sarcastically if they wanted him to use the equipment that'd be oh so carefully laid out for him.
It was at that moment that the door behind him opened again. He turned around in his chair; it was a girl. Probably not much older than himself, yet suprisingly tall even regarding this, she had long, dark hair. Shiro crawled off of the chair and opened his mouth to speak, however she spoke first.
"You are Iori Shiro, correct?" she asked. The boy nodded in confirmation, and she continued, "Your uncle Soroi told me about you before he left. He's my butler." Shiro knew what this meant; this girl was the "Lady Satsuki" he'd heard the maids talking about earlier. The daughter of Kiryuin Ragyo and heir to the woman's impressive company. That much he'd picked up while living at the Nudist Beach complex; Nudist Beach didn't like Kiryuin Ragyo, or her company. And maybe that extended to the family as well. Unsure of how to respond to the girl, he decided to remain quiet.
Not that his silence mattered; Satsuki, despite not asking or having permission granted to her, entered the young boy's room, her attention focused on his desk. Looking up at the sewing machine, she said, "Soroi also told me that you apparently have a talent for making clothes. I must admit, that is impressive, given your age." After a brief hesitation, Shiro nodded his head and muttered, his voice hoarse from lack of use, "Thank you." Satsuki then pulled open the top drawer of the desk and pulled out what appeared to be a pattern. She looked over it, then turned to Shiro.
"I would like you to make me a dress," she said. He was surprised by the request, thus prompting him to ask, "But why?" Satsuki placed the pattern back in the drawer as she replied, "Simply because I would like one. That, and I would like to judge your skill. Soroi did also say that you will have to work for me when we are older. I'd like to see if it would be of any worth to keep you around that long." The vague yet ominous threat in her words made Shiro nervous. However he kept his expression neutral as he reached up and grabbed a tape measure from the desk.
"In that case," he asked, unravelling a strip of the stiff, unused plastic from the roll, "would you like me to take your measurements now?"
A week had passed in the Kiryuin Mansion, and Shiro had not only settled in quite well, he'd also made significant progress on Satsuki's dress. If anything, it was nearly done; he could possibly finish it that day. In fact, he had just finished having dinner, and was on his way back to his room to do just that when he noticed that the door was open. At first, he assumed it was one of the maids that'd let themselves in to clean his room. However this thought was quickly forgotten when he saw a girl he didn't recognise walk out. And she was holding his box.
"Hey!" he called to her, running the rest of the way. The girl turned her head to face him, her insanely large pigtails bouncing from the movement. He couldn't help but grimace at the cheerful smile she wore; it just seemed too sickeningly sweet.
"Th-that's mine," he said, pointing at the box. "And what were you doing in my room?" The blonde giggled, a childish giggle that was as sweet as her smile, "I was just looking." She then giggled again, continuing to make Shiro feel uncomfortable. She was just plain disturbing! Everything about her was unsettling; her personality, her movement, and even her clothing, which was very loud and overblown with detail to the point of tackiness. Yet the positioning of each bow or frill or piece of lace seemed deliberate.
"Can I have that back?" he asked, motioning to the box. She thrust the box in his face as she said, "Sure, it's boring anyway." With that, she turned around and began walking away from him. Feeling quite disturbed by the entire meeting, Shiro entered his room, his focus initially on the contents of the box as he made sure it was all there. However, when he finally looked up from the box, he very nearly dropped it in shock. For the dress he'd been making for Satsuki lay stern across the floor in several neat pieces.
"By the way!" Shiro jumped at the sudden interruption. Whirling round, he saw that very same girl standing in his doorway, still smiling.
"I saw the dress you were making for Lady Satsuki. Honestly, it's pretty disgusting," she giggled. Her words stung, especially since Shiro had worked so hard on the dress. His shoulders drooping at her criticism, he asked, "Really? What was wrong with it?" The girl's blue eyes sparkled excitedly.
"Well for starters, the stitching was pathetic. I tore it apart with just my pinky!" she said, holding out said appendage for emphasis. She then continued, "The fabric was just too rough for Lady Satsuki's delicate skin, and the design was just gross in general. I speak for Lady Satsuki as well as myself when I say I'm ashamed." The fact that all of this negative feedback was being delivered with her still wearing that saccharine smile made it sting even more.
"I see," he muttered, clutching the box tightly, "well, thank you for your feedback. I will try to improve for next time." The girl laughed again, a tinkling bell that sounded like it was at the wrong pitch.
"I suggest you don't even try again. That is a truly horrific attempt and I fail to see how you could improve from it. Besides, Lady Satsuki already has someone to make her dresses, and that someone is much better than you. And also closer to Lady Satsuki, so they know what she likes." Shiro frowned and asked in a harsh tone, as he had been able to put two and two together from their entire conversation, "Would that someone be you?" The girl nodded enthusiastically.
"Mais bien sûr!" she said suddenly in French, "I'm Harime Nui of course, Lady Satsuki's personal designer and future Grand Coutier of Lady Ragyo's corporation!" She turned and began skipping out the door again, stopping only to turn back and say with a smile, "So you should just give up now and never try again." And with that, she continued skipping out of the room, leaving the boy with the remains of what would've been Satsuki's dress.
That night, Shiro had continued to work, going against Nui's very brutal advice as he began anew with Satsuki's dress. However working so late into night wasn't such a good idea, as several times he had stuck himself with the needle while threading the patterns together on the dress mannequin, plus the lack of suitable lighting made it difficult to determine how neat his stitches were or even what colours he was using with regards to fabric or thread, especially since his only light source was that of the moon. However he had to keep working.
He'd promised Satsuki a dress. A dress that would determine whether or not he would have the honour of working alongside Satsuki in the future. Despite what he'd been told by Nudist Beach - that no Kiryuin could be trusted, and it'd be better to die for the cause than to do anything for the family - he couldn't help but value his life, and if he wasn't deemed worthy to work for Satsuki, then there was no doubt that he would be killed.
He let out a yawn, which quickly turned into a hiss as once again, he jabbed the needle into his finger. He let out a sigh as he released the needle from his hand, letting it hang from the dress by the thread. Moving away from the mannequin, he reached under his bed and pulled out his box and opened it. Inside was just little bits and pieces from when he was younger; some baby teeth as well as a hospital card with details of his birth. There was also a picture of him with his parents, one of those rare moments when they were fully clothed. Leaning against his bed, he sighed again as he looked at the dress; due to having to start again, it was only a plain design so far.
"Reduced to having to do something for a Kiryuin," he muttered, clutching the picture tighter. Then, he heard a light knocking at his door. Worried that he'd been caught up past curfew, he quickly pushed the box back under his bed and climbed onto the bed. However before he could pretend like he'd been sleeping the entire time, the door opened, revealing Satsuki as the knocker.
"Lady Satsuki, you're still awake?" he asked, surprised. She entered the room fully, closing the door quietly behind her before she responded, sounding eerily quiet, "I couldn't sleep." Turning to face the boy, "Nui told me what she'd done to the dress you'd been making." Shiro looked away and said, "While it was unnecessary of her to take apart the dress, what she told me was merely constructive criticism. I'm improving."
"You don't have to make excuses for Nui. She is just naturally cruel, even if her demeanour would make you believe otherwise," Satsuki said. She looked toward the mannequin and said, "Even with her discouragement, you still try. You have conviction." The boy climbed out of the bed again and simply responded with, "I promised you a dress, so I will make you a dress."
"I know you will." She then walked up toward the dress, running her fingertips along the fabric as she continued, "I admire such determination. Determination and dedication." Her fingertips halted at the stitch lines, where after a brief pause, she began to trace each stitch.
"You put such dedication into each stitch you make," she murmured. Shiro nodded though it wasn't a question, slightly taken aback by her attitude. She finally turned away from the mannequin and told him, "You should get some sleep. You can continue working in the morning. I'll tell Nui to leave you alone." She made to leave, then paused at the door, where she said, "It takes time to make a masterpiece."
"Ah, yes," Shiro said, sounding unsure, if only because Satsuki's behaviour worried him. She turned to him again and said, "Iori Shiro, you should know that your position is safe. I would like for you to make more clothes for me for many years to come, so long as you apply the same dedication and determination to everything you make." Shiro, taken aback by what he'd been told, nodded, and said, sounding surer than he had for a long time, "Of course, Lady Satsuki. I promise." Satsuki smiled.
"And do not be afraid to take your time. For even the best of things - a dress, a monument, a plan - takes time. The final product must be perfect."
"Always," he replied, as she finally opened the door, and as he climbed under his bed sheets and began drifting off to sleep, he could've sworn he heard the girl echo his reply as she walked down the corridor.
And that is about as close to a backstory for Iori Shiro as we will ever get, unless we get something during the OVA this September, or more info from Trigger.
Cause if I'm honest, it really bugged me that we were given this character, and he had such build up about him - he's the nephew of the butler of the heir to one of the most successful companies in the Kill La Kill-verse, as well as a three star student - and yet we receive nothing in return. He's literally just there to be the tailor, to make the Goku Uniforms and to keep Junketsu under control for Satsuki. While all that is pretty important...it ain't really much when you think about it.
So yeah. I took some liberties while writing, like with personality, cause I doubt everyone was always the way they were in the show, aside from Satsuki, but granted, she's motivated by the supposed death of Ryuko.
Hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to review and fave if you so please.
Angel-chan x