Rank 2

Joker opened the door to Alice's studio and announced himself. The fashion designer emerged from her personal wonderland carrying a pile of clothes stacked so high the diminutive girl couldn't see over them. "Alright, let's get right down to business. I've got a recording session later today, and I want to get through as much as we can before then."

Alice paused to look Joker up and down for a moment, pursing her lips in thought. "By the by, some of these outfits are a little much, especially for people who aren't used to the fashion industry. So I hope you don't get embarrassed easy."

...

"Bring it on."

"Please be gentle."

...

Joker pumped his fist with vigor. "Oh ho, someone's eager." Alice giggled. "I hope that isn't just bravado. Now go on, we got a lot of clothes to get through."

Making his way to the changing room, picking up the outfits as he passed by, Joker began the process of changing out of his jeans and t-shirt into increasingly impractical outfits, exiting the changing room, doing a little spin to make sure they didn't fall apart, and repeating the process.

As he went through the outfits, Joker felt like he was getting a better idea for the fashion line as a whole. Alice's personal dress was a mishmash of various concepts and aesthetics that blended together into a cohesive whole, but the individual outfits took one facet of her dress and carried an entire look with it. Play card suits, clocks, cats, and frills were each designs, with only slight alterations needed upon his own feedback and Alice's observations. This one was too tight in the back, that one rode uncomfortably high in… places.

It was rather impressive watching how Alice switched from a seemingly airheaded girl to a serious professional, still jovial and light hearted, but focused entirely on her craft. "Are you sure you're not a model? Because you're a natural at this."

Alice tilted her head and gave him a flirty smile, as Joker became uncomfortably aware of how much skin this recent outfit showed off. "Though maybe natural isn't the right word. With a body like that, you've got to be putting in the work."

...

"I do sit-ups."

"I do push-ups."

"I drink plenty of coffee."

...

"Oh. Well, I suppose that'd give you the energy to work out…" Alice paused hesitantly. "I guess."

Before the pair could wrap up their miniature fashion show, the door to the studio burst open to admit one Ann Takamaki, trying desperately to look composed while gasping for air. Groaning as she gulped down more air, Ann approached the pair, dragging her feet. "Ugh, it's so not fair you don't have to go to school right now. I had to sprint all the way here to make it in time."

"And who are you?" Joker was a little surprised at Alice's tone, instantly devoid of the good cheer that had filled it a moment ago, replaced instead by a strange cadence that sounded like Alice couldn't decide whether to regard Ann with fear or disgust.

...

"She's a friend."

"She's a classmate."

"I've never seen her before."

...

"What?!" exclaimed Ann, taking a moment to get over her surprise with another deep breath. "Geez, warn me before you joke like that. I'm a friend of this guy's from school. I actually was supposed to drop by the other day, but I got wrapped up in a photoshoot."

"Oh, you're a model." Alice looked Ann up and down. "Of course you are. And you go to Shujin Academy too. Wonderful."

Not picking up and Alice's deadpan lack of emotion, Ann continued to charge blithely ahead. "Oh yeah, I didn't have time to change out of my uniform before running over here, did I? But I didn't have a lot of time to catch you. Being in fashion is tough work, huh?"

"Can I help you with something?" said Alice, trying to herd this invader along as quickly as possible.

"Well we needed those outfits, but this guy said you've already worked that out, so I mostly just wanted your autograph." Ann started, apropos of nothing, and panicked slightly. "Aw crap, I left in such a hurry my bag is still at school! I don't have anything for you to sign!"

Alice wasted no time, grabbing a marker off a nearby table with her right hand, grabbing Ann's wrist with her left, and scrawling down some lines on Ann's palm that might have been the name Alice. Before the ink had even dried, Alice was shoving her guests towards the door. Her tiny frame had no chance of actually forcing them to move, but the action itself had Joker and Ann going along with it. "There you and off you go! I have to get ready for my recording session now, so see you never!"

And with that, both Phantom Thieves were ejected from Alice's studio, the door slamming shut behind them.

"Oh man, I can't believe Alice Hiiragi signed my hand!" exclaimed Ann, jumping with excitement. "I'm never… okay, I'm probably gonna have to wash my hands eventually… Ooh, I know! Take a picture and text it to me!" Ann held her signed hand up next to her face with a big smile as Joker immortalized the moment for her.

AN: I realized upon starting this chapter that I had written my outline prior to fully completing Alice's Jail. So like, half the concepts for chapters had to be reworked. Not majorly, but enough to throw me off.