While Roxas' coworkers perch on piles of white Hot Topic boxes, he opts to sit on just one, a taped up, sturdy number, unwilling to risk falling on his ass in front of a crowd.
As a result, Roxas stares up at his new colleagues and feels like a pleb, especially when Saïx begins speaking from his four box throne, posture sure and regal, as if he has never played Jenga in his life.
"As you all know, Christmas is coming."
Cheers and groans erupt and the squeak that leaves Roxas' own throat is something in between.
"As such, our store owner, Xemnas, the sexiest man alive, would like—" Saïx cuts himself off as Roxas chokes on air.
Roxas congratulates himself on his one box choice, because he definitely would have just toppled a tower with the full body jolt he just performed.
Saïx looks mildly irritated at the interruption of his staff meeting by such a lowly serf. "Yes, Roxas?"
Roxas shakes his head. I can't have possibly heard that right. "Nothing, sorry."
Saïx nods his head, a prince bestowing unearned leniency, before continuing in the same pretty, formal monotone, "As I was saying, Xemnas, the sexiest man alive, has gifted us with a completely new floor plan this holiday season, and I would like some holly jolly volunteers to…"
This time Roxas knows he's heard right. His nose scrunches and he coughs. A man with dark dreads and fierce sideburns gives him a firm pound on the back and Roxas is frankly surprised his spine does not crack. The rest of the team cackles, except Saïx, the portrait of composure.
"Roxas?"
Roxas winces. "Who…?" he asks weakly.
"Xemnas," Saïx repeats simply, spreading his palms.
"The sexiest man alive," choruses the entire assembled staff of Destiny Island Shopping Mall's Hot Topic.
"I…" Roxas shakes his head and wraps his thumb in his lanyard, "I don't understand."
"You will," reassures a deep narrator voice. Roxas' mouth flaps open when he realizes it belongs to a bear of a man with curled auburn hair and the most severe resting bitch face Roxas has ever encountered. Roxas squints to make out his name tag. Lex. "When you see him."
The store manager nods as if the matter is settled, smoothing his pastel blue hair and bun, before returning to the clipboard. "I'd like those interested in working an overnight shift to rearrange the store to sign away your souls on this piece of paper," Saïx deadpans, passing off the board to a tall, muscular woman on his left with short, flyaway blonde hair and violently green eyes. "Should our numbers be insufficient, I will be forced to resort to siccing Axel on you."
This is received with gasps, chuckles, groans, and a "god forbid" from the blonde woman.
Saïx's lips twist finally, his smile indulgent. "And nobody wants that."