Chapter 6: Persona Gestation

The Galleria was a pair of daunting twin towers that rose up to the sky, nestled amongst the busy business area of skyscrapers in downtown Academia, with covered conveyor pedways bridging between the two buildings and their surrounding highrises scattered sporadically on every other floor. It was considered the mall of malls, shops big and small lining within, interspersed here and there with restaurants and fast food chains, coffee shops and movie theatres, an amusement park and even a water park. In short, anything and everything could likely be found there if one had the patience to go through the hundred floors on each building.

And so it was that Claire Farron found herself working in one of the most popular stores in Galleria Building A, located on the fiftieth floor right near the centre where the ongoing traffic of shoppers could easily see them, most especially the target demographic of the store-that-was-based-on-a-popular-television-program.

Moogle Village was a Saturday morning series about the daily lives of Moogles, centred around a character called Mog and his adventures. Mog and his friends and a re-creation of their village could be seen and enjoyed in person if one were to go to Nautilus. But to bring the Moogles to the fans who weren't able to afford the trip, it was deemed that a store dedicated to them was in order. And thus, Build-A-Moogle was created where Moogles of all shapes and sizes could be made and customized to whatever the customer wanted.

If there was a very particular thing that Claire hated about the job (despite how well it could pay depending on how much she'd sold—and it paid pretty well since everyone couldn't seem to have enough Moogles), it would be the uniform. It consisted of a purple bodysuit with a harlequin diamond pattern with various Moogle plush toys stuck all around. As one of the Moogle Queens who handled the toys, it was her job to pluck the lucky Moogle from her person and fulfill the customer's requests on how they want the plushie to look like. All around the store were various items that could be used for optimal customization: wings, bobbles, and plastic eyes of all shapes and sizes, and even costumes ranging from a White Mage, Black Mage, pirate, cat, dog, and even a chocolate.

It was well into the afternoon close to the end of her shift when she was putting the finishing touches on a panda Moogle for the little boy in front of her that Claire found a pair of visitors she hadn't been expecting.

It had been a week since she had met them, a week that brought her no closer to a decision to their proposition, no matter how much Serah had been egging her on to take the job they offered.

(One week since she had seen him, but who cared about that tiny little detail anyway, certainly not her, and she certainly wasn't counting the days, no, not at all).

Claire packed the Moogle into its special box and slid it over to the cashier to be processed, then walked from behind the counter to the two young women who were cooing over the tiny hats on the shelves.

She cleared her throat. "Do you need help?" (Is it really just the two of you? Nobody else? Certainly not someone who had silver hair...) She was careful not to divert her gaze from the two, although she was trying to peek from her periphery for a certain head of pale hair. Just in case. For no reason at all.

The redhead with the pigtails turned, bouncing in delight as she clutched a Black Mage hat. "Oh, hi, Lightning! How have you been?"

"I'm fine. Erm...Vanille, right?"

"Oh! You remembered! I'm so glad."

"Hello," greeted the Seeress with a warm smile.

"Hi." answered Claire. "...um, Yeul?"

"Yes. This shop is very lovely. It's the first time we've ever been here."

"It's a paradise!" exclaimed Vanille. "A Moogle's own fashion house!"

That got a mild giggle from the Seeress and even made Claire's lips twitch into a small smile. But the rose-haired woman couldn't help feeling that ogling over Moogle merchandise wasn't the actual reason for their coming here. A small part of her couldn't help regretting telling them that this was one of the places she worked in.

"So...what brings you guys here?"

The two looked at each other for a moment, showing an amazing feat of silent communication consisting of eyebrow twitches and elbow nudges before the redhead finally sighed in exasperation and deposited the hat back onto the rack.

"Well," began Vanille, "we came to give you something—"

"—as an apology," finished Yeul.

Claire was taken aback. "Apology? For what?"

"For barging in on you and Hope."

Had she heard that clearly? She was flabbergasted. They made it sound as though...well, something suggestive was happening between Hope and her that warranted the apology. Claire voiced the only word that she could utter in this situation. "What?"

"You know," at this time, the redhead was fidgeting with her hands, "last week when you were having lunch together all cozy-like."

"What?"

"He's not the type to show it, but we could tell Hope was miffed," relayed the Seeress. "He really likes you."

"What?" It seemed it was really the only word left to Claire, her mind absolutely boggled and her pulse jumping at the mention that he liked her. But she'd rather not really believe it and content herself with denial. Because...well, just because. There were lots of reasons. Very good reasons that she was sure would spring up in her mind any second now.

"So we thought it's only right we should apologize to you," claimed Vanille.

Claire couldn't help raising a brow at that, and finally managed to gather her scattered thoughts. "Why not apologize to him?"

The redhead snorted. "Yeah, right. He doesn't need it."

The Seeress sighed, a look of disapproval quickly flickering over her face, immediately wiped back to her usual neutral expression when she turned to Claire. "What Vanille means to say is this is also our way of apologizing to him," clarified Yeul.

So, how exactly does apologizing to me equate to apologizing to him? thought Claire. Is this what it's like to work with them? To not make any sense whatsoever? Maybe this was a good indicator that showed why she shouldn't take the job they offered.

"So, are you almost done with your shift?" asked the redhead.

Reluctantly, she nodded. "Yes, why?"

"So we can give you our apology."

"We'll wait outside the store while you change into your street clothes," said Yeul.

"O-kay." Claire couldn't help feeling suspicious, and wondered in what universe would an apology consist of something more than words spoken. And what did their type of apology have to do with her and Hope anyway? It wasn't even a big deal, them barging in on her and Hope's lunch meeting. She had been done with her food anyway by the time they showed up. But all things considered, the only way to see just what they meant would be to go with them.

So she went to the back, peeled off the remaining unsold Moogles still stuck to her and placed them on the shelves by the door and went to the locker room to change into civilian clothes. Once finished, she smoothed what she could of her hair and contemplated making a run for it by using the back hallways reserved for the mall employees...but that would be unlike her and rather inconsiderate to boot. And besides, the two, for all their quirks, were nice and friendly. And maybe, just maybe, they might lead her to see Ho—nevermind. She didn't need to see him anyway. So it didn't matter.

Signing out her timesheet, she waved goodbye to the remaining Moogle Queens and exited the store, nodding to the two young women that waited for her.

"Do you have the rest of the day off?" asked the Seeress as they stepped up to meet her.

"Yes," answered Claire with a small frown. "Why?"

"That's good," replied Vanille in Yeul's stead. "I hope you don't mind accompanying us to where we can give you our apology? It might take some time."

Frown in full force, Claire acquiesced anyway. "Sure, I guess. It's fine."

"Great!" The two each hooked an arm through Claire's on either side. "To the Academy!"

The fashion show for the Princess of Dalmasca was to be held in the first week of December to commemorate the end of the fall semester, just before the final exams for the term came to be in full swing. There were two categories for the final grade: the foremost (and the theme of the fashion show) was which would become Princess Ashe's favourite amongst the garbs presented to her. The second was the Department of Design's judgment on technical achievement in how the groups blended style with technology, particularly in the use of a device called the Pocketspace Arsenal.

With the recent trend of the populace coming to prefer style over important necessities for weapon storage such as scabbards and holsters, personal safety had become an issue. Fashion was all good and well, but it was hard to be appreciated for it if one came to be in danger, and so it was that the Pocketspace Arsenal was created. The PSA was a handy device for storage without adding bulk or clutter to the fighting fashionista. As its name suggested, it used a pocket of hyperspace to store a person's arsenal of weapons. With it, one could carry a great number of swords, halberds, daggers, and even hammers without being hampered by their weight since they were being kept conveniently elsewhere, but handily available when summoned.

With the wide range of possibilities presented by this new technology, Yeul couldn't help but brainstorm on ways they could utilize it to its full potential. Pride over their brand was at stake, and of course she wanted to impress the Princess of Dalmasca and the faculty...But for everything to come together, it was important that their representative possess the qualities that epitomized what the House of Paddra was. And Hope had found the perfect person to represent them.

Now Miss Claire Farron just needed to believe she was that person.

And it was proving to be an impossible feat despite the delicate method they'd been using to cajole her by pleading to her femininity and the assumption that she was therefore naturally inclined towards love for fashion.

Yeul was glad that the monorail ride was over, although she couldn't help the anxiety that frayed at her nerve-endings, checking her phone to make sure that she'd read the message correctly, holding it like a lifeline as she led the other two to their destination. She couldn't let herself lose hope yet.

Within the Academy was a network of paths and fields that connected the buildings, providing green space for students to hang out in to bask in the open air during breaks between classes. Connecting the buildings themselves were pedways and bridges that were especially convenient during the fall and winter terms when the temperature grew too cold to walk outside.

There weren't a scarcity of students out and about on the grounds, busy on their way to their next classes or to the various food courts around the campus, and the three wove their way to the double doors of the glass-and-steel structure of the Department of Design building.

They turned immediately to the right to the seating area by a set of stairs, the tenseness on Yeul's expression easing as she caught sight of a familiar head of purple hair.

Caius Ballad was her foster father, a renowned hair and makeup artist that the Department sometimes called on for guest appearances for lectures on beauty and hair care. As a result, he had formed several acquaintances with the faculty as well as a number of students—one of which happened to be keeping him company currently, much to Yeul's dismay. It wasn't as if she had any misgivings or objections to any company Caius kept. The only exception was this particular person.

Said person witnessed their arrival, and a crackle of their rivalry seemed to permeate the air even as he used his foot to nudge the man sitting across from him.

"Caius, we're here," Yeul called out warmly, wrapping her arms around his shoulder from behind his chair before he had a chance to fully turn from his seat.

"Yeul," he greeted back, a small smile on the corner of his mouth as he squeezed her arm in a return hug, then indicated to the person across from him. "You know Yuj, I'm sure."

The Seeress sent Caius's companion a sickly sweet smile. "Of course. He's our enemy, and we always know who our enemies are."

"Enemy he may be, but you can't help but admire his fabulous shoes," cut in Vanille as she flopped herself down beside the blue-haired young man. "Yuj, baby!"

"Vanille, my darling!" he greeted back, and as one, they kissed each other's cheeks, laughing gaily and exclaiming their mutual admiration over each other's choice of clothing for the day.

Yeul straightened from her position and indicated to Claire. "Caius, I want you to meet Lightning. Lightning, this is my foster father, Caius Ballad." Then she pointed to the blue-haired man. "That guy over there is Yuj Koizumi, the head designer for our rival group, Lenora's Garage."

At the mention of his name, Yuj looked up, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he waved. "Nice to finally meet the model that captivated our dear Mr Estheim."

Claire tensed. There it is again, she thought, quickly retracting her reply to his greeting as her skin prickled over the idea that a certain someone liked her. "It's not—I mean I'm—he isn't... And we're not... Whatever. Nice to meet you, I guess."

The four before her couldn't help but be taken aback by her reaction, and she absolutely refused the blush that was threatening to take over her from spreading through sheer force of will.

Yuj leaned towards Vanille and dramatically intoned in a loud whisper, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

The redhead playfully pushed his head away. "Behave yourself."

He assessed the newcomer, sizing her up with his gaze, finally alighting on Claire's hair. "I always thought he'd be drawn to blue," he said with a pout, fingering the ends of his azure locks.

"Well, babe," replied Vanille, "sorry to burst your bubble but you've been proven otherwise."

Deciding to take matters into her hands since it didn't take a seer to foresee where this situation was headed, Yeul clapped her hands and pointedly indicated with a sickly sweet smile, "Yuj, I'm sure you have things to do and other people to see."

The blue-haired designer matched her smile as he flipped his hair over his shoulder. "But of course, I can see that my welcome has run out and Lenora's Garage isn't going to run itself." He kissed Vanille's hands and gracefully unfolded his crossed legs as he rose from his chair, all in a fluid motion, a look of calculation briefly crossing his face before he leaned down and placed a kiss on Caius's lips while Yeul was still watching. Pulling back, he reached out to caress Caius's cheek. "Always a pleasure." And then with the same hand, he ruffled Yeul's head. "May the best designer win, little one."

The Seeress straightened her back and possessively placed her hands on her caretaker's shoulders. "I don't approve of him as a stepmother, Caius."

The man with purple hair could only curl his lips in amusement. "Now, now, children, don't fight."

Yuj shook his head all the while smugly pointing to himself. "You have no control over who dwells in his heart, dearest." Turning to Claire and drawing her into the circle which she was unsurreptitiously stepping back from. "Don't worry, Miss Lightning. You're in good hands. Trust me, I should know." Sending her a knowing smirk, he addressed his probable paramour over her shoulder, "Caius, I really think blue would suit her well."

"She's perfect as pink," countered Vanille, waving her hands in a shooing motion. "Away with you already."

"Blue," he called behind him as he walked away.

"Pink."

"Blue."

"Pink."

And so forth they called out to each other until he was swallowed by the crowd of busy students.

Yeul touched Claire's arm and indicated to the vacated seat beside Vanille. "Sorry about that. Let's start over, shall we? Claire, this is Caius Ballad, a professional hair and makeup artist."

The rose-haired woman reached out and shook his hand.

"I thought your name is Lightning," said Caius as he looked back and forth between his charge and the newcomer.

"Ah, that's something they'd been calling me because of Hope."

"I see," he responded, though still puzzled, letting go of her hand.

Equally perplexed, she voiced out, "I'm not really sure what I'm doing here and meeting you for, though."

"Oh?" He eyed the members of House of Paddra. "You didn't tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Claire turned to look at the two that brought her here, waiting for an explanation.

"Of course we did," piped up Vanille. "We told you we're giving you our apology. And he's here to help us give it to you."

Claire couldn't help the alarm bells that were suddenly ringing at the back of her head, feeling her stomach drop. It was becoming clear that she probably should've asked what they meant by 'apology' as it was turning out to be different from how it was usually defined.

She was almost fearful of the answer, but she dared ask anyway. "And what exactly are you giving to me?"

Caius merely gave her a watchful look as Vanille bounced on her feet excitedly and Yeul sent her a beatific smile.

"We're giving you an apologetic haircut, of course."

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

APPENDIX

Build-A-Moogle – based on the Build-A-Bear Workshop. I figured it would be a fun concept to run with, and it's inspired by Mog's DLC from FF13-2 and Lightning's Moogle Queen outfit from Lightning Returns.

Caius Ballad – he has the role that he has in this fic because his VA, Liam O'Brien, voiced Seiji Kisaragi, a hair and makeup artist in the Paradise Kiss anime

Yuj – has blue hair and is interested in fashion, much like George Koizumi from Paradise Kiss (so I gave Yuj George's last name just for fun).

Blue and pink argument - reference to the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty

Thanks for reading :)
Dec/2014