Chapter Text
Thick gray clouds coated the sky as Shoka peered out the tiny window of her living room. She scrunched her brow at their unfavorable look while busily looping a soft white, tasseled scarf around her neck. Typically she didn’t mind a gloomy day, even preferred them, but this was a whole other matter. These were stormy winter clouds.
After finally getting her scarf adjusted the way she liked, she grabbed her raspberry red coat and slipped it on. There—she was all set to embrace the icy wrath of the outdoors.
…Okay, maybe that was a lie. The idea of leaving the warm comfort of her apartment for frigid air was almost unbearable.
“Heading out now?” Rindo's voice came from behind her, and she turned to face him.
“Do I really want to do this? The weather doesn’t look so great out there.”
“You’re the one who decided on today for a shopping trip,” Rindo reminded her.
Biting her lip, she sighed. “I know. And Fret’s probably already there, waiting for me like a total dummy.” Deep down, Shoka knew she couldn’t bail on him. They’d planned this shopping spree weeks ago, and this was also her best chance to find something special. At least Fret didn’t mind the cruelty of winter, unlike her and Rindo.
“Guess I’d better go before I change my mind,” she grumbled, heading for the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“No. I’m good, thanks. This trip is for Fret and you, remember? It’s your guys special shopping thing. Go have bonding time.”
She could tell by the expression on his face that he didn’t remotely want to go out in the cold either, not when he could stay home.
“Thanks,” she retorted dryly, glancing back at him in his comfy clothes as he stood near the cozy couch, TV in the background. She was envious.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rindo reassured her. “Make sure you walk quick. That’ll warm you up.”
“Very funny.”
“It’s true. The faster you move, the warmer you’ll be.”
“I’m not about to chance slipping on any ice out there.”
“Er, right…” That made him pause. “Actually, yeah. Maybe don’t go slipping on anything.”
“Trust me, there’s no way I’m letting a patch of ice send me to the UG.” With that, she grasped the door’s handle. “I’ll be back later this afternoon.”
“Have fun. Kage and I will make sure the apartment stays nice and warm,” he teased, offering a wave.
“Pff. Of course you will. Later, loser.” She waved back and exited their apartment.
Upon arriving in Meguro and heading to its thriving shopping district, she found Fret leaning against a railing outside of a ritzy department store, a warm drink clutched between his gloved hands. He looked every bit as fashionable as usual in a crisp, plaid wool coat and matching scarf.
“Shokie! I was just about to text you and see if you were ever going to show up. A guy could seriously catch a cold in this… cold.”
“Your skills with words could win an award,” Shoka quipped, coming to a stop in front of him.
“I’m just lucky I have this Peppermint Bliss to keep me all warm and toasty inside.” He lifted his drink for emphasis.
“Isn’t that the new latte everyone’s hyped over? But isn’t it just a vanilla latte with peppermint syrup?”
“That’s the one, and it’s every bit as amazing as they say!”
“Right. Anyways, I’m here now, so let’s get inside and out of this frigid hell already.”
“Yeesh. I swear you hate any weather that’s not mild and temperate. Sometimes you’ve gotta live a little, embrace the…” Fret paused to inhale a breath of frosty air, only to make himself start coughing. “Or… maybe… not,” he wheezed.
“Yeah, you let me know how ‘embraceable’ winter is.” Shoka snatched Fret’s drink before he spilled it everywhere.
“Thanks,” he groaned as the coughing subsided.
“Sure. When you’re done dying we can head inside,” she teased.
“I’m good. I’m good.” He took his cup back, downed the rest of its contents, and tossed it into a trash receptacle before splaying an arm towards the department store’s sliding doors. “After you.”
Shaking her head, Shoka rushed inside. An utter sigh of relief escaped her as the heat of the building hit her face. All she could do was stand there and bask in it, and the longer she did, the more it spread delightfully through her body.
A throng of people pushed past them, obviously in a hurry to get the goods they’d come for. No surprise there—it was Christmas Eve, after all. They probably had plans for tomorrow with their significant others.
“So you said you needed a gift for Rindude, right? Wanna tackle that first?” Fret inquired, picking up a basket for each of them by the entrance.
“Oh, yeah. But… Maybe we should just start with some light browsing.” It was true she’d intended this shopping mission to find Rindo a Christmas present, but she still wasn’t sure what that would be. What would feel special enough?
“Works for me. Why don’t we hit up the more classy part of the store? I’ve been dying to check out some of the new lines they’re carrying this season.”
“Oh yeah! I saw Razzmatazz posted about opening their line to department stores on Kwetter last week. Are they really carrying it here now?” Suddenly thoughts of presents flitted from her mind, replaced by some of the latest fashions that had piqued her interest.
“Sure are. I checked before heading out today. I think it’s Razzmatazz and Cherry Kordial?”
“Cherry Kordial has a little too much of those obnoxious pink colors, but some of their stuff isn’t the worst. I’m mostly interested in the other one.”
“Yeah, that one’s definitely more on-brand for you.” Fret grinned, stepping onto an escalator.
“I mean, it’s not Gatto Nero, but it has a lot I like.”
Once they reached the second floor, they were greeted by a grand winter-themed display. Giant paper snowflakes dangled from the store’s ceiling, setting the mood for mannequins dressed in elegant coats, expensive sweaters and skirts, and a few dresses. They were all pretty nice, but extremely pricey, and definitely out of Shoka’s budget. So sadly, she moved along.
Fret was already ahead of her, checking out a…
“Hey Shokie! Lookie what I found,” Fret called to her in a sing-song tone that was more than questionable. “Here’s a little something-something you might be able to count as a ‘gift’ for Rindude.”
Forcing herself to register that he was currently in the women’s lingerie department, she realized that he was gesturing at a mannequin bedecked in a very sensual nightgown.
A strong surge of embarrassment, and the desire to knock Fret’s block off, welled up inside her, but just as she was about to stalk over and pull him away from this department, she paused. The negligee actually wasn’t the worst. In fact, it was lowkey elegant with a tasteful lacy black bodice dotted in tiny beads that caught in the store's light. It was also satiny, but not in that tacky way. Its v-neckline didn’t plummet too far down either.
“See? Totally you! Am I right?”
Shoka pursed her lips tartly, still plenty flustered. “Y’know, if I wanted help finding something like… this, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
“Hey, I just call it like I see it, and I bet you Rindude woul—”
Cheeks now officially burning, Shoka acted on the urge to whap him this time. “Okay, no. Enough. Let’s just move on, okay?”
“Yeowch! Okay, fine. Can’t blame a guy for trying to help spice up your nights.” He winced, but moved along as she’d asked, migrating towards where the accessories were.
Huffing, she began to follow her deeply annoying friend, only to stall a few steps in, eyes still lingering on the nightgown. It really was pretty… And if she liked it, it couldn’t hurt to have something more of that flavor in her repertoire of nightwear, could it? Rindo finding it attractive would just be an added bonus. After about two seconds more of debating, she snatched up a gown in her size and quickly stowed it in her basket. No one had to know she was interested, and with that, she hurried after Fret.
Once caught up, Fret shot her a very ‘knowing’ look.
“Oh shut up,” she snipped, embarrassed.
Thankfully he knew better than to drag the subject on and changed it to a new one. “Hey, did you hear that a lot of scarves this year have vertical stripes?”
“Ugh. Yes. Please don’t remind me.”
“I don’t know who thought this was a good idea.” He waved a hand towards a display of scarves, including the tragic striped ones.
“Someone totally wasted?”
He snickered. “I could see it. A designer who was totally sloshed one night, not thinking about the disaster they were about to create.” He plucked one of the horrible things from a mannequin and looped it around his neck, striking a pose. “How’s this?”
“Ravishingly hideous.” She rolled her eyes.
“Thanks. I do try.”
Lifting her phone, Shoka snapped a picture of his beauty shot. “It really shows.”
“Wanna give it a try too?”
“Do I look like I’d be caught dead wearing that fashion disaster with my nice coat?”
“Aw, you’re no fun.” Fret mock-pouted, returning the scarf to its home.
“Do we even need anything from this section?” she asked, browsing through some warm looking gloves.
“I dunno. But it’s always fun just to window shop. And I could always use a new scarf,” he mused.
“Don’t you have like over fifteen of them, at least?”
“No. Yes. Sorta?” Fret was already caught under the spell of a classy gray number. “There’s always room for more.”
“Does your budget agree with you?”
“It’s holiday time. I can splurge a little.” And with that, he dropped the silky scarf into his own basket.
“True words of a shopaholic.”
“Gotta own it like you sell it.”
“Uh huh.” She had to admit, there really were some beautiful scarves mixed in with the awful ones. An ornately crocheted one with variegated colors caught her eye. It was more for style than comfort, but after a quick peek at the price, she backed off. She already had the negligee, which wasn’t cheap.
Forcing herself away from the scarves and gloves, she moved onto hats. “How about this to go with that fancy scarf you picked up?” Shoka jokingly waved a red and green beanie at him.
“That just screams ‘lumberjack,’ so I’m gonna have to pass.” Fret made a shooing motion at her.
“Aw, but haven’t you heard? That’s ‘in’ now.”
“Not as long as I’m alive, it’s not.”
“Ouch much for lumberjacks.” She dropped the hat back on its stand.
“Maybe I’ll try and help them redefine their look. It could be my next big project.”
“Right. Good luck with that.”
“No no, for real though, it could be called ‘Lumber Man’s Chic Apparel.’”
Shoka almost choked on a laugh. “Remind me why I hang out with you again?”
“Because I’m your fashion guru.”
“I think that’s Shiki and Eri.”
“Okay fine. Because I’m your bestest shopping buddy?”
A soft hum escaped her lips as she pretended to think about it. “Fine, fair enough.”
Beaming, Fret hooked arms with her. “So what do you think, shopping buddy? Anything here you might need?’”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think there’s anything in this boutique I need, and there’s definitely nothing here that’d suit Rindo.”
Fret opened his mouth but a quick kick at his foot silenced him.
“No. We’re not going back to the nightwear topic again.”
“Got the message loud and clear, Shokie Dokie.”
They strolled through the center of the store’s upper level, where several white trees stood dotted with dazzling crystalline ornaments.
“Hold on a sec.” Shoka pulled away from her friend in order to get a picture of the display. The glittering effect it had was too perfect not to share on her blog.
“We could try the home goods department next? Rindude might be able to use some coffee stuff or a fun popcorn maker.”
“That doesn’t feel personal enough. Not for Christmas,” Shoka mumbled, angling her phone for another picture.
“I mean, you could just go with the obvious and get him something FanGO related.”
“I know I could, but I wanted to do something different. Something more special to us and our time together, or I dunno… just something meaningful to him.” She could feel a little embarrassment bubbling inside her again. Her words sounded so cringey.
“D’aw, that’s so sweet, Shokie. I knew you had a soft gooey center in there somewhere.”
“You’re literally no help. And weren’t we supposed to be keeping an eye-out for Razzmatazz and Cherry Kordial?”
“Right, right, we were. We’ll stick with that then figure out the rest.”
They continued browsing until they found the brands they’d been searching for, and Shoka admired most of what Razmatazz had to offer. Some elements were slightly similar to Gatto Nero, but the clothes tended to be more flowy, and each piece had some form of glitz. Tasteful glitz. A few rhinestones bordering a collar, or a light dusting of sparkle on a skirt or on pants. It wasn’t over-played, and that’s what she appreciated about the line.
Meanwhile, Cherry Kordial was primarily pinks and creams with minor accents of black. The line was a little more sugary than Shoka preferred, but it did have a few things she found likable, including a pair of gloves. In the end, all she indulged in was a pair of lacy black tights with tiny glittering starbursts on them from Razzmatazz.
“Well that was fun. Who knew they’d have so much? I thought they might only have a small selection here for those brands.” Fret had just finished sticking a pair of stylish pants into his basket.
“We’ll have to come back sometime, maybe when they get their spring line in,” Shoka replied.
“I’d be down for that.” Glancing at his partially full basket, Fret tilted his head back at her. “Do you want to look for anything else here, or move on to another shop?”
Shoka shook her head. “I don’t think I’m going to find anything here for Rindo, honestly. Nothing feels… right.”
“Y’okay. Let’s pay then move on to the next opportunity.”
They quickly made their way to the registers, and each paid for their goods. Opting to have her new negligee boxed up securely along with the tights, Shoka tucked the box under her arm and hurried out of the building once Fret had finished too.
While there were no signs of snow flurries outside, the sky seemed absolutely ready for it.
“Woo boy, is it me or did it get way colder since we were out here earlier?” Fret tugged his scarf tighter around his neck.
“Feeling frosty?” Shoka asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Maybe just a smidge,” Fret answered, jogging in place to keep warm. “So which store next? There’s a glassworks shop, records store, chocolate shop, and plenty more—”
“Chocolate shop?” Shoka inquired, cutting him off.
“Yeah, it’s new and supposed to have the best chocolates this side of Meguro.”
“It never hurts to check out a candy shop, right?” Shoka said nonchalantly, trying to hide her desire to get a sweet treat.
Fret simply grinned. “Chocolate city it is!” He veered towards the street, then dashed across it before any more traffic came.
The shop itself was cute, with a ruffled awning and curved glass window displaying a variety of candies on pedestals. More sweets could be seen lined up on shelves behind the counters, soft light illuminating them. Everything about the array was far too inviting.
Ducking past a small group of people exiting the building, Shoka darted inside. As expected, it was delightfully toasty, and even better, delicious scents wafted through the air. Mostly chocolate of course, but there were undertones of cream and vanilla.
“Damn. I wish I could bottle the air in here.” Fret inhaled a deep breath as he followed her.
“Why don’t candles come in scents like this?” Shoka whined.
“I’ve smelled some that are chocolate or vanilla scented, but they never get it right.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Shoka turned to browse the case nearest to her. It was filled with holiday-themed bon bons, delicate icing gracing their tops. Some even had silver candy pearls placed elegantly in the designs. The sight made her want to try everything.
“Man, there are way too many options here. I don’t know where to start.” Fret leaned over the case, peering inside.
“Me either. They all look amazing.”
“Maybe I’ll get a mocha bon bon and muscat truffle. What are you getting?”
Shoka barely heard him as she considered the price of each treat, until Fret nudged her. “Earth to Shokie.”
“Sorry. I’m just not sure what I want yet.”
“Pick a couple things you wanna try. My treat.”
Blinking in surprise, she looked up at him. “Are you sure? They’re not exactly cheap.”
“Hello. Today’s splurging day, remember? Just take it and have fun.”
“Okay, fine. Thank you.” She smiled just enough to show him she meant it. “Guess I’ll get a blackberry truffle, and…” She skimmed the case, there were too many options. “Maybe strawberry cream.”
“Blackberry and strawberry. Gotcha.” Fret happily strolled up to the register and gave their order.
Shoka meanwhile continued to browse until she noticed orange cream chocolates as well. Rindo loved orange flavors, so maybe she should get him something. Not for a present, but just as a little token of her outing. “Hold up, I want to add an orange cream one too. I’ll pay you back for it, though.”
“Getting Rindude something, too?” Fret asked, digging his wallet from his pocket.
“Yeah, I figured he might like a little something sweet.”
Though he didn’t say anything as he added on the extra candy, she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was trying not to comment on something.
Huffing lightly, she waited while the cashier boxed up their chocolates, one for Fret and another for Shoka.
“Here ya go, Shokie.” He offered her a small paper bag containing her box, and she took it.
“Thanks again.”
“No problemo. Anything for my cute shopping buddy.” He winked.
Rolling her eyes she gave him a light shove. “Where should we go next?”
“What about the second-hand store a few shops down? I betcha we could find you something for Rindude there.”
“Sure, works for me.” She really hoped something would at least stand out to her there as the right gift. No way she’d come home empty-handed.
A brief walk got them to the second-hand store quickly enough. It wasn’t as nice as the previous places they’d visited, but it was filled with a variety of treasures. Shoka recognized so many things she’d seen growing up, like Gacha Pals and trading cards. Then there were clothes that ranged from miserably boring, to simple and useful, to unique and different. One piece in particular caught her attention—a pleated skirt with a belt to match. Curious, she checked the price tag. It wasn’t too bad…
No. She shook her head, reprimanding herself. This time she was shopping for Rindo, not herself.
Moving along, she browsed other items, eventually coming across a scarf filled with little Chocobo prints. Some were snoozing, others running. A few even appeared to be jumping. It was really adorable. But despite being FanGO related, Shoka knew one person who adored Chocobos more than Rindo or her. Fret. This was the perfect combination of two things he loved—scarves, and the silly little yellow birds.
Biting her lip, Shoka pulled the scarf free of its hook. She couldn’t not get this for him. The Twisters had made a thing of exchanging gifts on New Years every year, and this was the perfect thing to give Fret. She’d already gotten Nagi a specialized pen that was themed after Lord Tomonami’s sword.
Scooping up the scarf, she cast a furtive glance around. While Fret continued browsing further away, she swept over to the counter as fast as she could. “I need to pay for this real quick,” she told the cashier.
He gave her a bit of an odd look, but after earning an annoyed glare from her, he rang up the order. “Here you are.”
“Find something for Rindude?” came Fret’s voice, making her jump.
“Oh, uh. Not exactly. I just… found something we needed for the apartment.”
“So, no luck with his special prezzie yet, huh?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
“Well, we could try the game store on the corner. Maybe you’ll find something he hasn’t tried yet.”
“Maybe. Couldn’t hurt to look.” Who knows, maybe she really would find something perfect there. And she wouldn’t mind checking some stuff out herself either. Not that she’d get herself anything. Hopefully.
She and Fret made their way through the hustle and bustle of people and into the game store on the corner. It turned out to be different from most of the ones she’d visited in Shibuya or Minato, where Rindo lived before they’d moved in together. It was two stories high, with neon lights lining every shelf to give the games an added glow. She had to admit that it was kinda cool.
Fret whistled. “Swanky. I haven’t been here in forever.” He swiped a finger along one shelf.
“Yeah, I’m actually impressed,” Shoka murmured. “Wait, why didn’t you ever mention this place to us in literally all the times we’ve come over to Meguro to hang out?”
“Uh…” Fret stalled, trying to figure out words. “Well, we kinda didn’t really ever go shopping here? Usually we hit up Shibuya.”
“That’s not going to save you. I’m judging you so hard right now.”
“We can totally come back again sometime—and bring Rindude!”
“Uh huh. That so makes up for all the times when we were younger.”
“Come on, Shokie, let a guy off the hook,” Fret whined.
“Mm, I’ll have to think on it.” Shoka turned to browse some of the retro games now. Made for the oldest of consoles, their cartridges were big and bulky. She already had most of these loaded on her computer as digital files, but it was cool seeing the real thing. Cool until she saw their prices and immediately put back the one she was checking out. “Nope. Not happening.”
Fret peered at the price too. “Ouch. That’s steep.”
“It’s vintage, so I’m not surprised.” Moving further along, she passed by a bunch of mundane sports games, party ones, and shooters. “I wonder where the classic RPGs are?” she said aloud.
Looking back, she realized she’d lost Fret to the party games. He was busily checking out the latest—one she’d seen advertised a zillion times already.
“I’m pretty sure that’s just an upgraded version of what you already have.”
“Yeah, but it totally has at least fifteen more mini-games added to it. Look! It even includes charades and twenty questions.” He held the game aloft, like it was something precious.
“It’s also full-priced.”
Pouting, he gazed longingly at it.
“Hey, it’s your money. I’m just pointing out the facts.”
“You’re right though,” he sighed, setting the game back down. “I’ll just wait for a sale.”
“Wise decision.”
Finding herself close to an escalator, Shoka stepped on, hoping to find more of what she was looking for up above.
Besides being lined with more games, the second floor boasted a whole arcade area and a corner for merch. A shelf of FanGO plushies lured her in, particularly a Black Nakk that sat beside an adorable Kyubi and a variety of Moogles. However, she forced herself to resist the temptation. She had to focus and find something for Rindo.
Turning away, she trailed her fingers across the spines of a row of games nearest to her. These were mostly sci-fi, and sure, a few names piqued her interest, but they still weren’t what she was hoping to find.
“Found the fantasy RPGs!” Fret called from further down the way, and she hurried along over to him. He was brandishing a spiffy new game—the latest entry in a series where the hero typically rescues the princess. Shoka actually liked the switch-up in this one, though, since the princess finally had her chance to play hero.
“What do you think? It’s part of that series you guys like, right?”
“It is, and I already have it. I told Rindo he could play it after I’m done.”
“Damn. I thought I might’ve saved your bacon.” Fret set the game back in its display.
“Nice try.” She elbowed him playfully and moved on, browsing some games from a decade ago and re-releases of even older ones. Lingering on one title in particular, she distantly remembered Rindo telling her about a game he’d really liked playing with his brother before he’d turned into a sourpuss. She knew his brother had gotten rid of the game as they’d gotten older, but Rindo still had fond memories of it. What if she could find that same one for him again? Maybe he could spend a little time playing it with his brother now that they were on better terms. Or just enjoy it himself.
The game she happened to be looking at resembled what he’d told her, but it wasn’t this one… What had it been called?
“Find something?” Fret asked.
“Not exactly. But I think I know what I want to get him.”
“Yeah? What’s it called? Er, assuming it’s a game.”
“It is, and no clue.”
“So… Then how are you going to get it for him?”
Huffing out a sigh, she looked up at her friend. “I’m just going to have to skim through everything, unless you happen to know its name. It’s something Rindo used to play with his brother. An RPG where you pick from multiple characters to play as, then work through a bunch of levels as the story progresses.”
“Uhh…” Fret rubbed his neck, deep in thought. “Something he played with his bro? I’m pretty sure stuff with them had already gone sour by the time we started hanging out, so he probably wouldn’t have told me.”
Pursing her lips at the lack of help she was getting, Shoka kept searching. “I think it had something to do with gods? Maybe it had a Norse name?”
“Was it about all those crazy gods and their big tree?”
“‘Their big tree’... What a flattering way to sum up a whole mythology.”
“What? It’s true, isn’t it? There’s some tree that’s like mega important. I think.”
Groaning, Shoka decided it was better to ignore him and began quickly sifting through more games. She had to hope the game would stand out to her, and she wouldn’t totally overlook it. But nothing popped out as she neared the end of the row. Maybe the store didn't have it. It was too late to order online, even if she could remember the name of it.
Just as she was deciding whether to give up or try another section, the colorful spine of a game caught her attention. She plucked it from the shelf, and sure enough this was just the sort of gold she’d been searching for—the game Rindo had told her about. There were little clips he’d shown her videos of on the back of the case and all the characters she’d heard him describe. Finally, her gaze snagged on the price. It was about as expensive as the games she’d looked at earlier.
“Yeesh, that’s high for an oldie,” Fret murmured from behind.
“Like I said earlier, ‘vintage.’ It’s probably out of print now, too.”
“You’re still going to get it for him though, aren’t you?”
“Yeah… I think I have to.” She smiled. “I know it was important to him, and I think he’d be happy to have it again.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet of you, Shokie.” Fret draped an arm around her and pulled her close for a hug, making her cringe.
“What is with you and being so… feelsy all the time?”
“Because it’s nice seeing you all happy?”
Rolling her eyes, she muttered, “You’re such a loser. You know that?”
“Of course. What else would I be?” He grinned, knowing she meant that in a good way.
Shoka shook her head, then free’d herself from his embrace. “Anyways, at least I have the perfect gift for him now.”
“You wanna get it gift-wrapped?” Fret asked.
She shook her head. “No, I think I’ll do it myself.”
“Alrighty, then I guess we’re good to go?”
“As soon as I buy it.” She clutched the game close the whole way to the register, as if afraid someone might snatch it if she let go.
“Wanna grab a bite to eat before we head our separate ways?”
“You want to spend more money?” she questioned as her stomach growled.
“What? I’m starved.”
“Fine. I could actually use a little something too.” Smiling faintly, Shoka felt as though a weight had been lifted from her. She’d found something sentimental and meaningful for Rindo. Now all she needed to do was keep it hidden until she could wrap it.