A Suikoden III Short. Usual disclaimers apply.

Main Characters: Geddoe, Ace, Joker, Queen, Jacques, and Aila

Pairings Warning: …Rabid fans of Jacques/Aila may find hints of that if they want…

Chapters Read: Geddoe 1-2 finished and Geddoe 3 begun.

Explanation: Selecting the perfect disguise for their resident naïve Karayan girl was a bit more difficult than what we were allowed to see…

~ * Fashion Nonsense * ~

"I don't see the point of this," griped Aila. "I mean, even the ironheads aren't stupid enough to fall for something like this."

"I don't see why you're complaining," Queen retorted. "Most girls your age would love the chance to pick out a brand new outfit without having to worry about paying for it themselves."

"Maybe where you're from," Aila shot back. "But Karayan warriors don't obsess over such silly things."

Queen's eyebrow twitched slightly, but she merely replied dryly, "Then stop obsessing over this and just pick something out."

The tan girl huffed and leaned against the wall, folding her arms. She couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. She happened to like her battle leathers very much; why did she need to pick out an entirely different outfit?

It wasn't like it was going to change the fact that she was a young Karayan warrior. It wasn't like any ironhead who didn't have dirt for brains wouldn't be able to tell her proud Grasslander heritage just by the fact she was going to be wearing more 'modern' (she rolled her eyes at that term) fashion.

So why were her new mercenary companions convinced it was going to enable her to waltz right into Vinay de Zexay like she lived there?!

However, she had to face facts – she wasn't about to talk Geddoe out of this… or anything else, for that matter. Like it or not, Aila would have to pick out some articles of more 'ironhead-friendly' clothing and get used to wearing it.

Dragging her heels, the proud and stubborn archer began looking unenthusiastically through the selection ranging before her. A Calerian merchant looked on, full of the eagerness and excitement she should have felt, ready to offer unsolicited advice on what kind of outfit suited her best.

"Now, sweetheart, for you, I'm thinking some nice contrast of colors would be best," he remarked in an odd, nasal voice, indicating a rack next to him. "No offense, but earth tones are so last season. Right now, everything's bright and flashy – Red! Orange! Yellow! Gold! All the colors of a brilliant fire! It's the latest rage in Harmonia!"

"…No thanks," Aila muttered, eyeing the salesperson with a disturbed expression.

She unconsciously decided to take a page from Jacques' book and proceeded to tune out the merchant's impassioned ramblings, quietly thumbing through stacks of clothing. If she absolutely had to choose a new outfit, she was going to ensure it was something she'd like – not the 'latest craze in Such-and-Such'.

The main thing she wanted was something that wouldn't be too constricting. She needed plenty of freedom of movement if she was going to keep fighting with her new allies and friends against whatever had destroyed her village. She couldn't be tripping over her heels or treading on some fluffy, oversized skirt, that was for sure.

She also needed something that would 'breathe'. Aila enjoyed feeling the gentle caress of the fickle wind against her bare skin, even when it carried a frosty bite or heavy warmth. So she definitely wasn't going to bundle up in something that would cut her off from the breeze's touch.

It had to be lightweight, too. She couldn't risk getting weighted down by unnecessary accessories and other useless junk. A simple design, that's what she wanted…!

Aila stopped rifling through the ranks abruptly and stared round-eyed at the article she'd just come across. The make was a bit odd, but it looked promising…! She quickly picked it up and hurried over to the dressing room to change.

~ * ~

"I still think this is a waste of money," griped Ace, leaning against the wall with arms folded stubbornly over his chest.

"Will you stop complaining?" Joker demanded, glaring at the mercenary accountant. "I say it's a good plan."

"Like the Zexens won't be able to tell she's a Karayan just by looking at her skin?!"

"If you've got a better plan, then let's hear it," prompted Queen.

"………It's a waste of money," Ace repeated lamely, looking away from the others.

Geddoe and Jacques didn't bother to add their two cents to the conversation. The leader of the Twelfth Unit of the Southern Frontier Defense Force and the withdrawn marksman just leaned against the wall facing the door of the shop Aila had been ushered into and waited silently for her to return.

"…And another thing! How long does it take for a woman to pick out a single damn outfit!" spat the disgruntled Ace, pushing away from the wall and waving his arms in the air for emphasis.

Queen opened her mouth to give another scornful retort, but Aila chose that moment to step out of the shop modeling the outfit she'd found.

"Well? How does this look?" she prompted, looking expectantly at the five mercenaries.

They didn't answer right away. The quintet simply stared at her in awed silence. Geddoe's one good eye looked fit to bug right out of its socket, and the others were faring no better. Even the typically blank-faced Jacques was looking rather odd, as his pale white cheeks turned blushing pink.

Aila blinked in confusion. She couldn't understand why her five friends were staring so strangely at her. The Karayan looked down at her new clothes, trying to figure out why they garnered such a reaction.

…Well, it fit what she had been looking for, in a sense. It was very unrestricting, consisting of barely enough bright red fabric to wrap around her chest and waist. There was a strange, sheer substance connecting the two main pieces together, but it wasn't blocking against the pleasant breeze currently wafting through the desert town.

About the only thing she didn't really like about the outfit was the strange headgear that was included. All the same, she'd put on the odd-looking headband with its fluffy extensions, figuring that she'd just stand out if she didn't complete the 'look'.

"Well, how does it look?" she repeated, turning around on her heel to give them a full view of her back.

Ace and Joker both snorted and immediately turned to face the wall, covering their faces with both hands. Aila immediately was concerned: when had they taken such serious wounds to their heads? She hadn't seen any sign of blood before, but she'd gotten a glimpse of bright crimson before they'd turned around…

Come to think of it, Jacques' face, though still expressionless, had turned a bright crimson.

"Jacques, are you getting sick?" Aila asked concernedly, leaning forward to feel the other archer's forehead.

It didn't feel too warm, but now the poor pale boy was practically beet red.

Geddoe closed his eye and cleared his throat, sounding remarkably uneasy. Aila looked over at him.

"Geddoe? Are you feeling sick too?" she wondered.

Queen quickly stepped forward and grabbed the younger girl by the wrist.

"Say, Aila, why don't you let me help you pick out something?" she suggested, a strange-looking smile on her face.

"What? But I like this one…"

"So do the guys," Queen muttered under her breath, pushing the confused Karayan girl back into the shop.

After the girls both disappeared back into the clothing store, Geddoe heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed his aching forehead. He then looked over at the other male members of the Twelfth Unit. Jacques' heavy blush was fading quite nicely, and his expression still hadn't changed. Ace and Joker gradually got their vicious coughing and choking fits under control, though both still kept their hands clamped over the bottom half of their faces.

"…Say, Boss?"

"…What, Ace?" the dark-haired commander half-sighed.

"…I humbly retract my previous complaint."

"…Hn."