("Just taking it easy as I write this. You'd think staying at home more would mean more writing, but nope! Apologies for not going quickly during this Intermission." - An author writing from his hidey-hole.)
"The demon blood in my veins boil in anticipation!" (IF)
During the time where the party rested, Thomas fast traveled between each of the nations to go check on the markets. To avoid getting further into the red, Thomas was checking on prices within each nation, hoping to get some deals on many of the things he had to buy. He focused mainly on restocking healing items and SP chargers, and avoided buying any new equipment, except one.
At Leanbox, he came across a traveling merchant who was selling various merchandise. The merchant's sales pitch, however, was all the stories he had for each item he was selling. He would recount some wild tale as though the item dated back to some old legend or had some major historical significance. For a while, Thomas simply listened in as the merchant told his stories to potential customers.
A lot of the stories were fantastical, though Thomas was certain many of them were not real. It was hard to believe them when you're telling the story of an ancient armor worn by a petty king when the armor looked to be crafted in the last decade. Or to talk of the origin of the Nep Bull as created by mysterious gnomes playing in Neptune's kitchen while she was sleeping. He was certain many customers were aware of this, as well, given how dismissive some of them were, or simply humoring him just to hear more of the tale.
As Thomas enjoyed hearing a few tall tales, he decided to buy something. In the end, he bought the "Legendary Leanbox Cutlass" from the merchant. The story he got was that it was a reforged blade that once belonged to a legendary pirate who sailed the seas around Gamindustri. The pirate was responsible for many thefts, and buried much of the treasure inside monster-infested dungeons. At least, that was the story told.
The story was enjoyable, if not likely false, but it was the stats and price that enticed Thomas to eventually buy the weapon. It also helped that it came with a fancy new scabbard that he really liked. It was mostly black, but was lined in emerald green, similar to his own eye color. The cutlass itself was a sturdy blade, though it was shorter than the sabres that Thomas had from Lowee and Lastation.
Thomas was looking over his recent purchase as, one day, he was walking down one of Planeptune's main streets. In particular, he looked at the hand guard, which was more ornate than the other blades he purchased so far. If it didn't belong to a pirate, he would not be surprised if this belonged to a naval officer. He smiled, as though he was reminiscing about some history, fitting his hand to get comfortable with the blade's grip. Legendary or not, he looked enamored with his new weapon.
Thomas passed by one of the public parks in Planeptune, and put away his blade, deciding to take a seat on one of the benches to rest his feet. He sighed quietly, hearing the sounds of the city mixed in with the sound of a few birds chirping from the nearby trees. He leaned back, glancing over to the trees. As he listened to the background noise, he could hear the sounds of people chatting, before a voice came out that sounded familiar.
Thomas leaned a little in that direction, making sure he wasn't mistaken. He could hear a bunch of kids chatting, sure, but then he would hear the familiar voice speak out. It was there that he recognized the voice, belonging to the Guild Agent, IF. Curious, he stood back up, and slowly walked towards the voices, stepping off the main path and walking along the grass. As he took his time, Thomas checked his inventory, and saw the cell phone that he bought with IF's assistance. It was still in good condition despite having been taken from him briefly during his capture.
There was a large clearing in the midst of this park. Actually, this area was home to a small baseball park, meant for kids from nearby schools to play at. From a distance one could see the small chain-link fence at the end of the park. It was no giant monster fence, but it was enough to tell you when someone would hit a home run.
It was a basic park, with dirt making up the inside diamond, a chain-link fenced area behind the plate, and around the team dugouts. There were only a few bleachers on each side of the diamond. However, it was on the dirt mound where there was a group of people gathered. The group were mainly kids, likely in middle school, sit and standing around IF, who was standing on the mound and telling her story.
"And so, just as it was coming down on that individual, I had no choice but to summon the demon to destroy the robot," IF said, gesturing a hand out as though she was calling out a spell, "Demonic Inferno!" She cleared her throat, making sure that she was simply acting out how she would cast her spell. "With that, the demon, though reluctant to help, incinerated the enemy right where it stood!" IF finished off her explanation with a small flourish.
"That must be some heavy power you had to use," one of the kids, a young boy, said while idly fiddling with his baseball glove. It seemed the kids were just practicing some baseball before IF somehow made it here.
"Yeah, it was," IF said in some sort of boast, "My body could only contain so much. If I don't unleash this power now and then, strange things could happen to me."
One of the other kids, a young girl, exclaimed in excitement, "You did all that without the help of the CPUs?"
"There are times where even the goddesses may not be able to help," IF said with some dramatics, "And sometimes we have no choice to face the evil that is within all of us." She then perked up from her brief moment of brooding, "It was true, though, that the CPUs were not available. In fact, after those events, I went with the others to get what we needed to save one of the Candidates. However, I think I'll save that for another time."
There was a little grumbling from the more excited kids huddled around. "You just started talking about that adventure!" The young boy said.
"And it's still ongoing," IF noted, "Besides, I just came by to see you all off before you have to get back to school."
"It's only a few minutes before the bell rings," the young girl explained, "But please? At least tell us what happens if you don't unleash that demon now and then?"
"Yeah, tell us!" Some other random kid exclaimed.
IF acquiesced, "Alright, alright. Just a few things, but once I hear that bell," she casually pointed in one direction, presumably at a nearby school, "That's it. Got it?"
There were some grumblings, but overall, the kids agreed. It was likely these kids were out on recess.
"Alright, well, let's see," IF took a moment to think, "The first signs are pretty standard stuff. I start to burn up, kinda like having a fever. It becomes dangerous to touch my skin."
The young boy joked, "Do you cook food on yourself?"
"No, I incinerate it. It's that hot," IF shot back, "If I was going to cook with these flames, I'd have done so before this fever."
"Your clothes don't burn off?" The boy continued to tease.
IF frowned a bit, "Quit interrupting. I was getting to that, actually. No, they don't. My eyes begin to turn red, and my clothes also start to change. The demon likes fiery red, being fond of hellfire and all."
There was a pause, before the young girl asked, "Do you start breathing fire and have this scary aura around you? How long before you lose control?"
"Nah, I don't breath fire like some giant lizard," IF shook her head, "I have to concentrate really hard to maintain control, but if I don't unleash the flames sooner, the demon might do it for me."
The young girl gasped, "Oh no! Has there been a time where your friends were in trouble because of this?"
"That's silly," the young boy said of the idea, "How could that even happen?"
In the distance, the sound of a bell could be heard. It wasn't terribly faint, so the people in the nearby park could hear it. IF smirked at this, "That's it. Better get back to class. I don't want to hear the teacher say you guys were late on my account."
Once more, there was some grumbling, but IF simply laughed at this, "Hah, go on now. I'll find some more time to tell you more soon. Get going!"
There was a bit of a scramble, but eventually all the kids ran off, heading back to school and leaving IF the lone person at the baseball diamond, with a satisfied grin on her face.
"Good to see they're good sprinters, at least," IF commented, as she heard a small notification on one of her phones. Given that she personalized each phone, making sure each had a unique tone, she had trouble getting the right phone from her inventory to take a look.
The phone opened to a text message reading: "Does the fire-breathing wind goddess need a break? Is that what you meant?"
IF blinked at the odd text, and looked from her phone to check around. The bleachers and benches were clear, but as she turned to look past the large part of the fence behind home plate, seeing a young man holding a phone next to him while waving a small hello with his free hand.
"How long have you been there?" IF spoke up to ask the message sender, Thomas. He responded by holding two fingers close to each other, to note how he saw only a little.
IF sighed a bit, "So, what brought you here?"
"I was walking on by, taking a moment to rest on a park bench when I overheard ya," Thomas said, turning to one side to point where he was coming from, "Well, I overheard your voice from there, so I came to check."
As the two began to chat, they both moved towards one of the sets of bleachers on the side of the baseball diamond. IF shrugged lightly, "I guess that makes sense. My voice is pretty recognizable."
Thomas put his phone away while slowly walking over to the bleachers, "Since you asked me, I shall ask you. What brought you here?" He glanced in the direction of where the kids ran off, "Anyone you know?"
"Sorta," IF put her phone back into her pockets, shifting her coats around to feel a little comfortable, "More like, this place is an old friend I know."
"Oh?" Thomas' eyes moved around the park, "Was this a place you went to often?"
IF nodded, sitting down at the edge of the bottom row of bleachers, "Yeah. I was a student at the school those kids are going to now, in fact. Some of the teachers I know there invite me back to speak to the kids now and then. Stay in school, here's some safety tips, that sort of stuff."
"Huh, guess you do have a bit of fame in Planeptune after all, huh?" Thomas remarked, sitting himself down at a comfortable distance next to IF.
"More like the teachers still remember me," IF shook her head, "They see someone running around the Planeptune Basilicom or the Guild office and someone they used to teach. Figured that I be good at public speaking suddenly."
Thomas smiled weakly, "You're not?"
IF rolled her eyes up, "I'm not bad. Not that great, either. I feel like I'm brought in for show and tell, though."
"You don't seem to mind, if you've been coming back here," Thomas pondered aloud.
"Yeah yeah," IF said dismissively, "I'm not gonna lie about that. The students at least get a little break from the usual lectures and homework, so that's why they like seeing me."
Thomas paused a second, then asked, "Are the teachers okay with you talking about demons and all that when you visit the students? Unless you're only brought in for Drama class or something."
IF's eyes widened briefly, and she stammered, "O-of course I don't talk like that over there! The teachers wouldn't be inviting me back if I did that. No, it's just... uh..."
Thomas waited while IF folded her arms on her lap. IF looked down, nervously fiddling about with her loose sleeves. "Uh, you see, uh... ah what the hell, this is embarrassing to explain," IF closed her eyes and even fidgeted, "Uh, you see, they're still kids, and they do enjoy listening to a story. Also, some of the students wanted to hear about what I do... and... well, I get carried away."
"IF..." Thomas said with a grimace.
"Look, we were all like this when we were younger!" IF winced, "What do you think sounds cooler? That I have a demon's blood coursing through my veins, or that I just happen to know a bit about using fire magic?"
"I think having magic at all is remarkable," Thomas responded, his face souring briefly, "In hindsight, learning about magic earlier may have been useful."
IF blinked, "Really? You knew nothing of magic?"
"I wasn't too fascinated with it when I was younger, at least, not enough to try to learn it," Thomas said, adding, "I preferred learning conventional methods." He then cleared his throat, "Ahem, I mean, I enjoyed magic in stories and-" He stopped himself, "IF, that doesn't explain why you indulge in this form of story-telling."
IF shook her head, "How do I explain this? Hmm." She pondered this for a second, before turning her head to the school, "The school I went to? Middle school? It was a really important time in my life. A time I still looked on fondly."
"Oh?" Thomas raised his eyebrows at this, waiting for IF to continue.
IF smiled weakly, "Yeah. Tell me, have you ever felt like you could always do more?"
Thomas gave IF a small stare, not really wanting to answer that. IF sweatdropped, "Hahaha. Right. It's something that drives me, as well. It's why I decided on a career in the Guild. I can take quests, search for treasure, help people out, and do things that might be overlooked by the goddesses." She muttered, "Even then, I still feel like I could do more..."
"Hmm?" Thomas overheard the mutter, growing a little curious.
"It's nothing," IF added, "Point was, I had pretty big dreams when I was growing up." She turned herself to one side, looking past Thomas, and into the park, "In middle school, I let my imagination run with me. While some of my classmates were playing baseball here, I was out in the park having adventures."
She pointed off in the distance to a more dark area of the park, with boulders laid about, "See that part over there? I wasn't content to say I learned a bit about fire magic, so me and Compa acted out a story where I made a pact with a sealed-away demon. To protect those close to me, I would have to give away everything..."
"And so began the path to darkness," Thomas said with a small smile, "I think I kind of get what you've been doing."
"Really?" IF pulled back from her pointing, and looked over at Thomas' face.
Thomas hummed quietly, as he looked back into IF's face, as if trying to study her expression. In truth, he was enjoying the moment, being able to tease IF a little. After a moment studying IF's face, pretending like he was judging, Thomas chuckled, "Huh. So you're telling some tall tales whenever you got some free time."
IF furrowed her brows, as Thomas looked amused, bringing out his sheathed cutlass in front of him for IF to see. "Have you heard the story about this legendary blade?" Thomas said lightly, "I'm pretty sure it's non-sense, but this merchant was telling a lot of crazy stories about the stuff he was selling. I'm certain the stories were full of crap, and yet, I went and purchased this... because sometimes, I just enjoy a good story."
Thomas continued, grinning at the puzzled IF, "I'm sure those growing kids with active imaginations don't care one way or another if your stories are true. The fact that it reminds you of those times made you feel nostalgic." He paused a moment, thinking, "You're certain they know you're stretching things a bit, right?"
"Yeah," IF said, "They kinda figured once I say different things in the classroom when I visit."
Thomas nodded, "Is that so? In any case, I guess they enjoy a good story as well. Still..." He pointed the sheathed blade in IF's direction, "Much like how this blade is still valuable even without the stories, the IF I have seen with my own eyes so far has been just as remarkable."
IF blinked, her cheeks turning a small shade of red, before flustering, "You're full of it. The hell is your game in this, anyway?"
"I am not joking, IF," Thomas frowned, putting his cutlass away, "In many ways, I envy you. You're not a CPU, yet you are strong, brave, and capable of handling many things on your own. You have friends from as far back as childhood who care about you. You take many quests and tasks the others haven't done. You're a recognized name around Gamindustri. The goddesses even look to you for help. I am not sure you even need to make up some demonic backstory to show how amazing you are."
"Ah, s-so your game is to flatter me with praise, is that it?" IF scoffed, "I mean, I'm not gonna say no to more praise. Don't expect me to suddenly go easy on you, though."
"That's fine," Thomas said with a small wince. "I still have much to learn," he said with a glance aside, "After all that's happened, I need to be more careful if I have any chance to match-"
"You're doing enough already!" IF shot back, "Just try not to run off on your own, alright? You getting captured gave us a bit of a scare."
"A-ha, I'll try," Thomas said nervously, as the two briefly turned away from each other.
Before they could resume, though, IF noticed someone dashing back from the direction of the school and heading to the bleachers they were sitting at. It was the young girl who IF regaled with her story earlier, as she checked under the bleachers to find her glove.
"Sorry! I ran off without getting back my glove! See you later, miss I-hmm?" She stopped, seeing there was someone else with IF. She blinked at the man, tilting her head, "Who-wait! You!"
The two looked surprised by this, but Thomas was especially caught off-guard, "Excuse me?"
"Miss IF? Is that him? The one you mentioned saving in that story earlier?" The girl was quick to ask, looking somewhat in awe.
Thomas was simply puzzled by this, as IF responded, hesitantly, "Yeah, this is the one. Um, shouldn't you rush back to class?"
"Wow! Hey mister fallen angel!" The girl said with a polite bow, "Please be careful and look after miss IF! And good luck trying to redeem yourself and find your way back home!"
"Uh, yeah, o-of course?" Thomas responded in a bit of confusion, politely returning a bow.
The girl smiled back and waved, "See ya!" And, much like gust of wind, she dashed off just as quickly as she dashed in.
This left the two in a moment of silence at what just happened, before Thomas murmured, "IF? A fallen angel?"`
"Haha, it sounds much better than 'former co-worker,' don't you think?" IF said in embarrassment, "Gives the story an interesting dynamic."
"I don't know exactly how to feel about this," Thomas, the fallen angel, remarked.
"There's still so much I need to learn." (Compa)
It was another day in Leanbox, and rebuilding efforts were still underway. Even though this was a time for rest in the party, that didn't stop a few members from helping out during this break. This was the case for Compa. In Lastation, she helped out with one of the homeless shelters. However, this time in Leanbox, her role was to bring in medical supplies from the continent. She, along with many adventurers and Guild members, spent some time to bring Leanbox some much needed help. Potions, bandages, whatever could help out was sent over. Leanbox had been isolated from the rest of Gamindustri, and had depleted much of what they had in stock. It would be a while before Leanbox could get back to its self-sufficient ways.
Compa was not alone in this, as she brought along Thomas to help bring in the last shipment of potions Histoire had sent from Planeptune. It wasn't too long before they carried the last few supplies into the Basilicom to be re-distributed by staff and other workers all around Leanbox.
Even though the items were not too heavy, thanks to everyone having large inventories on their person, it was a bit of a workout for both Compa and Thomas, and the two went outside to take a slow, calm walk through downtown.
"Phew, that seemed to be the last shipment for now," Thomas said, wiping a bit of sweat from his face.
"Yep! Thanks for helping out, Tom-Tom!" Compa said cheerily, even as she felt a little fatigued.
"Is this usually something you do in relief efforts?" Thomas asked.
Compa giggled, "Hehe, I needed the exercise, so thought I should help a little while I do it." She then exclaimed, "It's important to get your regular exercise, even during a period of rest. It's like something my grandmother told me, 'Good things come to those who sweat!'"
Thomas blinked a few times, muttering, "Is that how the saying goes? Could've sworn that I heard that phrased differently..." He shook his head, before giving his arms one more stretch, "Aah, anyway, I think I'm gonna head back to Planeptune and take a nap."
"Isn't that what Plutia is doing?" Compa asked.
"So I've heard," Thomas nodded, "I remember she said she was going to call Ultradimension and check on her home."
"Probably finished with the call and already sleeping," Compa said as she clasped her hands behind her back, taking the stroll at a leisurely pace.
Thomas laughed, "Haha, most likely. Tell me, Compa, you know of people who sleep that much?"
"Well, we both know that Nep-Nep sometimes takes a lot of naps. I think Plutia's a very special case, though," Compa said, "Other than that, can't say. That's a secret."
"Aha, right you are, can't delve into that confidential stuff," Thomas said apologetically, "My apologies, Compa."
Compa nodded, "It's alright. By the way, speak of, have you been sleeping any better?"
Thomas stopped his walk, wondering if he should speak more about his latest dream, "Well, I-"
"Ah, there you are, miss Compa! I'm happy to find you here!"
The two stopped their walk, turning back to see someone, er, something approach the two, waving one arm to get the nurse's attention. Catching up, the creature appeared to be a very muscular man. He certainly had the build of the typical bodybuilder, with visible abs and muscles all over his body. The man was only wearing a speedo, so it was hard not to notice the muscles. Or that he was a very blue person. Or his Dogoo head.
Thomas reacted by jumping back a bit, freaked out by the strange person's presence. However, Compa remained as cheerful as ever, smiling to the creature, "Oh! Hello mister Dogoo! It has been a while, hasn't it?"
The Dogoo Man, who I shall refer to as, uh, 'Dogoo Man,' stopped his quick walk immediately, standing in front of Compa and Thomas and giving a polite bow, "It indeed has, miss Compa. I was told that you were delivering supplies around here, so I ran as quickly as my manly muscles could carry me. I trust you are well?"
"I am. Thank you for asking, Mister Dogoo," Compa answered, before asking, "How have you been? Are the others well?"
"Oh, yes," Dogoo Man replied, "Everyone was working together in the underground resistance." He frowned, recalling, "It was especially hard on some of us who were targeted for extermination."
Compa blinked, "Oh dear! The robots were trying to exterminate you?"
"Me and every other monster," Dogoo Man raised a fist, flexing his arm muscles as well. This caused him to visibly wince, before he eased up, "But it would take more than just a robot army to bring us down. These muscles aren't just for show."
"I am glad to hear that," Compa smiled, before she turned her head beside her to see a guarded, stunned Thomas. She looked at Dogoo Man, explaining, "Oh? Uh, excuse me a moment, mister Dogoo."
"Uhhhhhh," Thomas said, looking like a goof with his mouth hanging out.
Dogoo Man nodded slowly, his Dogoo head bobbing up and down.
Compa, noticing Thomas' reaction, went over to give his nearby elbow a small poke, "Tom-Tom?"
"Aah!" Thomas jumped a bit, before coming back to reality, "Uh, sorry. I did not mean to stare."
Dogoo Man appeared amused by this, "Ah, you must have been entranced by my muscles! Many often are. Even the other males cannot help but notice. I suppose they are envious."
Compa kept calm, trying to explain, "Tom-Tom, mister Dogoo here is a friend. He was helping out with Gold Third here in Leanbox during that last crisis, and even helped us out against the baddies." She then said in a 'quiet' aside, whispering aloud, "He's actually an evolved Dogoo!"
"H-he is?" Thomas blinked a few times, still perplexed by this, "I... I mean, I've seen big Dogoos but not one so, um, different? Uh, wait, he's a friend? Friendly?"
Dogoo Man laughed at this, "Haha, it is alright, sir. I am indeed a Dogoo, a Dogoo Man, as evidenced by my pectoral perfection!"
Thomas continued on the earlier question, ignoring Dogoo Man's flex, "He's a friendly monster?"
Compa gave a small nod, and Thomas' eyebrows perked up. "Is that so?" Thomas asked, suddenly having more interest. Thomas relaxed himself, standing up straight and making a polite bow, "H-hello, sir. My name is Thomas. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Despite his earlier unease, he seemed rather happy to meet with a monster who wasn't trying to hit him in the face.
The creature returned a similar bow, "I humbly accept your greetings, sir Thomas. Are you a friend of miss Compa?"
"Ah!" Compa realized she was to make the introduction, "Yes! Actually, he's been helping the CPUs alongside me and Iffy."
Dogoo Man's face grew surprised, "Oh, so the rumors of a male party member helping out were true. This truly is a surprise." He leaned over to examine the man more closely, "So, you're the lucky individual?"
Thomas sweatdropped, "There certainly was a lot of luck involved..." It was becoming harder for him to deny this, given all the help he's had since the beginning of this adventure.
Dogoo Man leaned back, wincing a bit, and looked to Compa, "Apologies. I had another reason to meet with you, miss Compa."
This time, Compa noticed the change in Dogoo Man's expression, "Are you alright? Were you hurt?"
"I am sure that I will be fine," Dogoo Man assured her, "However, it's about my precious muscles. I may have pulled something during that last fight. However, I am not sure who to turn to."
Compa nodded slowly, "Okay. I may not be a doctor, but I can take a look for you, if you like."
"I appreciate it," Dogoo Man said.
"Er, wait, Dogoos can pull a muscle?" Thomas asked, confused at the prospect.
That question lingered as Compa led Dogoo Man to one of the guest rooms at the Basilicom. There wasn't anybody occupying it, and Lady Vert gave Compa and the other party members permission to use any of the rooms if need be. Thomas curiously followed behind but stopped just short of entering the room.
"I should probably stay outside for this examination," Thomas said, "So perhaps it would be best if I head out."
"Actually, is it alright if you stay around for this?" Compa asked, opening the door to the room, "I mean, if mister Dogoo will allow it. I... I admit I am not familiar with a Dogoo person's physiology."
"And I am?" Thomas said dryly.
The creature chuckled at this, "It is alright with me. This will be a great opportunity for people in your field, miss Compa. Plus, it will give me an opportunity to show just how great these muscles truly are, even if they're a little sore. It may answer some question both you and mister Thomas have about our species."
Thomas hummed, "I suppose I don't mind observing this, as a witness. For science."
"That's the spirit!" Dogoo Man looked pleased by this.
"Thanks, Tom-Tom," Compa replied, "It shouldn't take too long." She looked to a nearby table, and pointed it out, "Uh, mister Dogoo? Would you please take a seat there?"
"Of course!" Dogoo Man got to the table, seating himself on one edge and patiently waiting. Compa checked within her inventory for some of her equipment, and went to wash her hands in the nearby bathroom before returning to begin her examination. As this was happening, Thomas took a chair at the other end of the table and went to a corner to watch.
Although Compa was no doctor, and Dogoo Man was not another human or CPU, she was careful and precise in her examination. As Compa was looking over the creature's biceps, Thomas arched an eyebrow.
He then hummed, "Hmm, it is strange. I always figured Dogoos were more... malleable. Are those really similar muscles to ours?"
Compa blinked, giving the muscle a gentle poke, checking Dogoo Man's reaction while trying to find the exact sore spot. Hearing Thomas' question, she spoke, "Feels that way. Normal Dogoos are pretty, er, gooey. I still feel that texture, but there's more strength, a shape there... oh, mister Dogoo, is that area the most sore?"
Dogoo Man visibly winced as Compa poked close to one of his biceps, "Yeah, that's the one." Compa nodded, and spent some time looking over the area, while the Dogoo person turned his head over to look at Thomas.
"We have many ways of evolving, though admittedly, most wild Dogoos usually grow in size rather than develop anything else," Dogoo Man explained, "However, sometimes, when we grow past our weak levels, we can develop beyond our squishy selves. In some cases, like myself, we grow our own strong, flexible bodies. Our heads are still pretty gooey, though."
He said this while moving his other arm to give a poke at one of his cheeks. The Dogoo Man's finger certainly contrasted to the roly-poly Dogoo for a head.
"I can certainly see that," Thomas muttered, before noticing Compa was busy poking her own bicep. "Uh, Compa?" Thomas had to ask, "Just what are you doing now?"
Compa sweatdropped, pulling her arm behind her back, "Uh, sorry. I am trying to compare our muscles, to better diagnose mister Dogoo's bruise here."
"Really?" Dogoo Man seemed surprised by this, "Are my muscles not so similar to the average human's? Though, I must admit, miss Compa, comparing my muscles to yours-"
Compa laughed weakly, "I know. I don't have quite the build to match." She then sighed, "I can't be absolutely certain unless I have a-oh!" Her eyes came across Thomas, and she snapped her fingers, "I got an idea! Tom-Tom, could you please take off your shirt?"
Thomas flinched, "E-eh? Excuse me?"
"Oh!" Compa went on to clarify what she meant, "I was hoping you could help me compare muscles by checking your arm."
"Uh, I'm not exactly muscled like this guy," Thomas said with a nudge of his head in Dogoo Man's direction.
Dogoo Man grinned, "Oh ho, feeling a little insecure?"
Thomas frowned a bit, "No..." He rubbed his temple briefly, thinking. "Alright, I suppose I can do this. For science, right?" Thomas said this with a glance over at Compa.
Compa nodded, "Yep! When you're ready, just sit on the table on this side." She pointed out the other end of the table, as Dogoo Man moved a bit to make some space.
"This is just weird," Thomas muttered to himself, heading over casually to the spot, fiddling with the sleeves of his hoodie before pulling it over his head, slowly removing it. Though he was fairly toned, he was in no way as buff or muscled as Dogoo Man. Nonetheless, as Compa went over to check between the two, she found it easier to compare the two and get a better idea of Dogoo Man's sore muscle.
It was here, however, that Compa noticed something else, going over to Thomas' right arm. Further up his arm, along the shoulder, there was a large, slash-like scar going across from over the collarbone and diagonally down towards the center of the chest. There were also similar, much smaller scratches above and below the scar.
"Oh!" Compa's eyes widened at what she saw, "You have a mysterious scar? Ooh, tell me the backstory! Was it a big fight? Did someone hit you with a giant uppercut? Is that why you act the way do with fighting?" She then held herself back, "Wait, sorry. I got a little excited."
Dogoo Man blinked at Compa's reaction, as Thomas glanced away. "I hear it is a common thing with male protagonists to have some sort of scar or old wound," Dogoo Man said, "It's not as entrancing as my muscles, but I am sure you'll turn many heads with that, sir Thomas."
"I-it's not attractive in the slightest!" Thomas scoffed at the notion, "It's just an old wound from my younger days. I was a lot more reckless then. Hello Continent had its share of dangerous monsters."
"Hmm," Compa prodded the scar for a moment with her finger, "It certainly looks like it faded with time." She held back at something crossing her mind, judging by how she shot a glance at Thomas to read his expression. As Compa was awfully close, Thomas kept looking away, flustered and with reddened cheeks. Compa then pulled back, going over to check on his unscarred bicep, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
"Th-there isn't much to talk about," Thomas said quietly, his eyes looking upwards, "Unfortunately. I guess it would make an interesting conversation topic if I had more to say."
"Don't worry about it," Compa smiled a little, as she went back to her task, heading back to Dogoo Man, "I don't think it looks bad, by the way."
Dogoo Man chuckled at this, "Told ya. Women like scars about as much as muscles. I'm surprised you don't go around shirtless."
Thomas shook his head dismissively, "I like my hoodie just fine, thank you very much." He probably didn't like the idea of being shirtless, anyway. He certainly wouldn't do that in Lowee, for instance.
Compa giggled, turning her attention to Dogoo Man, "I got it. Mister Dogoo, I see the problem now, but it's nothing to worry about. It's simply sore. Take some time to rest it off. You might want to stop flexing so much for a while."
Dogoo Man gasped, "But-"
"No buts!" Compa interrupted, "Your body needs time to relax and heal, even for a small bruise."
Dogoo Man sighed, "Ah, I suppose I have no choice. Maybe today, I shall head to the beach for some sunbathing."
Compa tilted her head, "Are you sure about that? Wait, do Dogoos get sunburned?"
Thomas saw that Compa was finishing, and went to put his hoodie back on. "Uh, well, that's done," Thomas said as he slowly hopped off the table, "Anyway, I have some business to take care of, so I'll be heading off."
"Okay, take care, Tom-Tom, and thanks for helping out!" Compa exclaimed.
Thomas smiled briefly, "Of course. See ya later. And take of yourself, Dogoo Man."
Dogoo Man waved a little, "Will do. Give my regards to the others!"
"Uh, s-sure," Thomas said as he waved goodbye to the both of them, and turned to head out. It certainly gave him more questions about what happened in that last adventure.
While Thomas left to reflect on what he just saw, Compa hummed quietly to herself, thinking back to the scar she saw.
"Oh? Miss Compa? Still thinking about that scar, are you?" Dogoo Man asked, partly amused by this.
Compa didn't pick up on this, but she nonetheless responded, "A little. That scar may have faded with time, but it was pretty deep. He would've needed a lot of healing taking a slash like that. Not something one can easily forget."
Whatever it was, it seemed that this mysterious scar had more... uh, mystery.
