Fashion Statement

"So, Shiki," Sanae said as he tilted his mug back. "How's the fashion business going?"

The soothing taste of coffee as it slid down his throat was endearing, to be sure, but it was no match for her smile. Hers was bright and bold and beautiful—nothing at all like the way it was before the Game, quiet and meek and cowardly. "I've made some progress," she replied. "Eri agreed to model my designs at an amateur show in Tokyo. It gathered some attention, but not much."

"I'm sure you're just being modest," Sanae said with a grin. "You know, the boss is pretty busy, but he likes to give you a helping hand when he can. Runs around wearing some of your outfits sometimes."

"Joshua does?" Shiki blinked. "But… wait, that's not possible."

"What's not?" Sanae asked, winking at her. "Even if you haven't seen him, he does quite a bit of real-world shopping when he can. The moment he saw your trademark – by the way, that was a nice touch, using a modified Reaper decal as your logo, I think he was flattered – he snatched up one of everything."

"No, that's not what I mean!" Flushed, Shiki shook her head. "I-I'm honored that he thinks so highly of them, and that he tries to make them trendy! It's great! But, it's just… I haven't designed any men's wear yet!"

Sanae burst into laughter, clutching his side and only barely setting down his mug before it has a chance to spill. "You think that matters to him?" he managed out, chuckles still hiccupping out of him as Shiki's face burned. "To an all-powerful being, something as irrelevant as gender roles hardly makes a difference! And none of the Reapers have the guts to so much as mention it."

"Ah, good point, I suppose." She cleared her throat, still struggling to compose herself. "Well, at any rate, it's good to hear that he's as… him as ever." Sanae chuckled again, but if she noticed, she made no mention of it. "But you didn't call me down here for just idle chitchat, now, did you?"

"You call this idle chitchat?" Sanae asked, scoffing and putting a slender-fingered hand to his chest, a look of mock pain dancing across his face. "I'm hurt, Shiki. Truly, I am."

Shiki shook her head, grinning despite her best efforts. "Then what would you call it, Mr. H?"

Sanae hummed, taking another sip of his coffee in thought. "I'd call it… reminiscing," he decided, and a soft smile took his features. "Yeah. It's nice to just sit back and reflect every now and then."

She nodded; and the two shared a moment, each enjoying the sweet taste and fragrance of their beverages, and then Shiki spoke up. "Would you like to hear about the others, as well? Neku's in college now, you know, and Beat—"

"Whoa there," Sanae interrupted, holding up a hand. He was displaying his cocky grin again, with pride as always. "We were talking about you, I think. The others will get their chance to rock the spotlight. I can see it in your eyes, Shiki; I can see the urge to delve into the littlest details of that fashion show you mentioned, the latest designs you and Eri have collaborated on, or made separate from each other. Why don't I indulge you a little."

Shiki stared at him, her jaw agape, startled all too easily. "…Are you sure?" she said at last. "I haven't had a chance to really talk about it to anyone; everyone's always so busy these days. I don't want to bore you."

"You're as selfless as always," Sanae replied, chuckling. "Lay it on me, sister."

And so, with her eyes alight, Shiki dove into the most minute of details; she left nothing out, not from the new contacts she made to the angles of the lighting on the stage that Eri walked. Sanae couldn't help but smirk a bit as he watched and listened.

She was happier than he'd ever seen her. And that, Sanae supposed, was a bit of a fashion statement in and of itself.

Elsa's Note: I know that Shiki's not really a designer in the game, but if she wants to make it big in fashion, she would have to start designing her own clothing. So by this point, she's been taking lessons from Eri and working with her. I hope this bending of canon is plausible?

Anyway, thanks for reading! I love reviews, by the way.