I see you're wearing a proper dress now. Didn't think you were smart enough to stop with the combat underwear after getting your tits ripped off just once, I'll admit. Aww, are you mad? Come here, I don't mind doing it again!
-White Heart
August had passed by and Summer began to recede, though one could hardly tell. Or rather, the temperatures at IF's current position easily surpassed those of Planeptune in Summer.
Looking out of her window in one of Green Sigil's guest quarters, IF found a city built in three dimensions; the leanboxian capital of Revay consisted of several dozen layers, carefully integrated on top of each other and connected in various places. It was not a closed space, so one could see many layers down even from up top, though all the great parks had been wisely placed on the topmost layer. It was a green city in appearance, as befitted the Land of Green Pastures.
IF had arrived about two hours earlier per ship and found herself welcomed with smiles and happy faces all around as she made her way to the Basilicom; it was not the same curious attention one would get in Planeptune, though everyone appeared about as happy to see her.
Much to her confusion, many people were already wearing autumn garbs; shorts and skirts could hardly be found, most everyone walking in slacks and jeans, as well as long-sleeved shirts or sometimes even sweaters.
By herself, IF was quite glad that things had cooled down somewhat; she was sweating in her lighter clothes already, having to travel to Leanbox in the midst of Summer would have likely turned her into a mess. Or forced her to walk around without her coat.
Granted, considering what she saw and heard of Leanbox so far, she would not even stand out in shorts and a shirt aside from their black colouration. IF simply felt weird without her coat; that had not changed since she joined the Makers and likely never would.
The young woman flipped open her phone to check the time before nodding to herself. She had been a little early and taken the opportunity to settle in for the month of her stay, but now it was about time to meet her colleagues and Green Heart. Strangely, the thought of meeting the final CPU of the pantheon made her less giddy than the prospect of seeing Tekken and 5pb.. She had kept in contact with both of them, but talking to them in person was simply different.
Moreover, she had still not forgotten her meeting with Rei and what she learned about Tari. Ever since, she felt weird when speaking to her friends.
In this whole world, she was the only one who knew about the ninth CPU in Gamindustri. Though crestfallen and all but forgotten, Tari's Blue Heart still lived. Tari itself had fallen by its ruler's hand and nobody knew. Nobody would know, either. Nobody but IF.
The world felt slightly off whenever she was reminded of it. Nothing had changed in her everyday life, yet she kept on wondering whether there may be other secrets buried beneath the world. Remnants of even older nations, old scriptures, or perhaps even another Tome such as Histoire.
The most bothersome of it all, however, was that IF would never know for sure. She could not scour all of Gamindustri on her own and did not feel she should try, either. She already had no idea how she managed to lie her way through every conversation with people curious about her findings. First the archeologists, then her old teammates from the Guild, then Nepgear and Neptune, then Compa.
No one had noticed that she lied. Or if they did, they did not say. It also made IF wonder whether she was actually a good liar; she never thought of herself as one because she rarely saw the need to withhold the truth.
IF shook off those thoughts and decided to force herself into thinking of something else. After a moment of hesitation, she took off her coat and quickly threw it over the bed she would use for the near future. With her katars safely hanging on her belt and her pistol strapped to her thigh, the young Maker merely had to pick her wallet from one of the inner pockets and stuff it into one on her shorts. It bulged a little, but she could do nothing about that.
To ensure she did not change her mind, IF quickly left the room; her phone remained there, seeing that she did not plan on being interrupted for now. She also finished preparations at home; Compa would look after the potted plants she recently began growing. As embarassing as it was to admit her new hobby, her friend had immediately agreed to do it when she asked.
Once IF was out the door however, she had to stop once again. Her lips curled into a weak smile and she huffed in mock-exasperation. "Should have figured that. How long have you been waiting?"
Tekken smiled back at her without hesitation. "A few minutes, don't worry about it." The two women bumped fists in greeting, then the older one motioned for IF to follow and led the way. "It's good to see you again. How was your trip?"
"Same," she answered the first part before shrugging weakly. "The trip wasn't all that noteworthy. Now I know I don't get seasick though. A little surprising that there were no aquatic monsters." She could not help but go back to musing about that one in particular; the ocean was vast and without any humans to prevent the spawning of monsters, which should mean that the water was chock full of them. Yet her ferry had not encountered a single one.
Tekken chuckled at that and made a sweeping motion. "Aquatic monsters are more rare than you might think. Sure, some of the known kinds can swim, but, well, we guess that the Deity of Sin sees no sense in making something which has to be at sea, seeing that all those could actually hunt are our ferries. Leanbox is vast enough to sustain itself after all."
"I know," IF inerjected with a snort, "it's hard to miss the fact this place is a continent of its own right, though I heard Leanboxians like to joke about it." As Alexis had done on several occasions. Tekken simply nodded.
"Either way, without any monsters dedicated to the sea, well... sometimes you get a small horde making landfall, but they usually stay on the ocean floor or leave the water within hours of spawning. My Lady says that all four CPUs clean up in the depths from time to time, just in case."
"I see." It made sense when put like this; the Deity of Sin aimed to harm humankind, so simply filling the sea would do little to the people. If she could even conciously decide where her monsters spawned, which was not yet proven. Understandably, nobody could or wanted to ask Her about the matter.
IF eyed Tekken as they walked; her fellow Maker appeared as fit as usual, a spring in her step and a bright expression on her face. "How have you been doing?"
The Leanboxian answered without hesitation: "Pretty well. Did you know Cave and I are always the first to hear 5pb.'s new songs?" She did not, though she could see the reasoning behind it. IF had to grin at that.
"I didn't, but now I'm envious." Her friend laughed heartily, which was about the intended reaction. The younger woman chuckled as well, though their mirth quickly faded back into a relaxed silence.
Said silence did not hold too long, though; as Tekken led her into an elevator to rise to the top of Green Sigil, she threw IF a kind look. "I heard you're in contact with her, too." The Planeptunian made an agreeing noise, which prompted a brighter smile. "And I appreciate it a lot. We will probably tease you both about it with more people around, but I'm glad you gave her a chance; she's a sweet one."
Remembering that tranquil walk in Virtua that she had with 5pb., IF had to agree. "Yeah, she is. And thanks for the warning; can I expect teasing about our little outing, too?"
To her amusement, Tekken actually blushed a little and fiddled with the hem of her blouse. "Um, not really. I, uh, didn't tell anyone." The younger woman could not help but smirk about it, though seeing that made her colleague pout at her.
The elevator dinged and opened its doors to one of the highest storeys, releasing both Makers into another short walk. IF could not help but cast glances out of the windows; she saw parts of Revay as well as the vast ocean, even if her view was not as wide as it would be at the top of Planeptower. "Green Sigil is weird for someone unused to it," she noted off-handedly.
Tekken nodded her agreement and slowed down to look out the window as well. "Yeah, I guess so. Planeptower is just as weird if you're not used to it. Much taller, but far less wide. Lowee Castle is pretty, though." She raised a finger as she made her point and IF could only shrug.
"I haven't been there yet, despite Nep's best efforts. I probably should go there at some point, though. The twins could use the company with Nepgear and Uni eloping." Her companion snorted and they got going again, though IF remembered something she wanted to ask about. "I read that all four Basilicoms have roughly the same capacity; do you know anything about that?"
Sadly, her friend merely shrugged. "Sorry, no idea. I don't think the Black Box has a capacity to rival any of the others, though."
"Point." After all, Lastation's Basilicom was little more than a big office building with a small palace on top.
At this point however, another voice answered them from the room up ahead, its door open: "It is quite true for the most part; Noire, bless her hard-working heart, simply did not want to go along with the rest of us when we compared notes." It was a soft voice that appeared to be carried by the wind. IF could already guess who had spoken, seeing that she knew Maker Cave always employed a monotone voice.
"I take it we have arrived?" She could not help but ask Tekken, who nodded with an understanding smile.
They both turned and entered the open room, finding another three people already waiting for them, all neatly arrayed on one of two couches. A familiar blunette in a sunny sundress, an expressionless redhead clad in blue jeans and a loose, maroon-coloured shirt, and a blonde amidst the former two.
This blonde was what caught IF's eye as they entered, though. 5pb. and Cave were both noted, but her gaze remained on the woman between them; she was gorgeous. Her hair cascaded down her front and sides like liquid gold, glowing around soft features drawn into a gentle expression as she drank from a cup held by a gloved hand. Her whole appearance radiated serenity and kindness in a weird way that made IF fidget and avert her gaze shily.
She snapped out of it when Tekken slapped her back with suppressed laughter. "Yep, same as always." The younger woman blinked a few times while 5pb. and Green Heart giggled, the latter with a hand covering her mouth. Cave merely shook her head, though IF could not say what kind of emotion the gesture was meant to convey.
"It is adorable nonetheless," the CPU told Tekken warmly as she stood, moving with graceful motions to meet her. "I have been looking forward to meeting you, IF." Except that where Noire's grace was that of unopposed strength and pride, hers had an inherent softness that, instead of demanding respect, conveyed gentleness. "I am Vert, the Green Heart of Leanbox."
IF returned the woman's smile shily and took the offered hand. "I guess that makes eight out of eight then. I'm IF." Vert blinked at that for a moment before raising a hand to cover another chuckle.
"My, so you met the twins already?" She nodded, which made Vert's smile widen considerably. "They are both darlings, just like Nepgear and Uni used to be."
Now it was for IF to snort, the human woman slowly getting used to being in such an alluring presence. "I'd say Nepgear is still a darling, if less cute these days."
"Hear, hear," the surrounding Makers voiced their agreement in almost perfect unison, then broke into laughter. Even Cave, who had not shown much emotion before at all. IF had to smile at the general cheer while Vert gave her an appreciative nod.
"Quite true," she allowed with a wink. "It is so wonderful to finally meet the girl all my dear friends keep talking about. You certainly are a woman of character." The implication that she had the attention of CPUs made IF a little sheepish, but the feeling passed when a white-gloved hand rose and petted her head. As demeaning as it would normally feel, IF merely ducked slightly in the face of a goddess as she felt returned to being a small girl.
"I am afraid I have some work to take care of for now, but I am looking forward to getting to know you better. You will join us four in the evening, yes?" She only slowly stopped petting IF, who felt herself relax under the attention.
Answering took her a moment, though. "Um, I guess?" She knew she was here for work, but it was an invitation she wanted to follow.
Vert chuckled again and released her with a warm smile. "Marvelous. I will see you all in a few hours then. Welcome to Leanbox, IF." And with that, she sashayed out of the room.
In IF's defense, her fellow Makers' eyes were following Vert as well until she left their sight. Once she was gone, the brunette dropped onto the empty couch with a sigh. Vert was... intense. Noire was much more reserved and thus easier to deal with, same as Blanc. Neptune came closest, but she got used to the purplette long ago.
"It's like she isn't sure whether she wants to play up the mom or the flirt, so she's doing a bit of both," 5pb. commented with a grin. "Welcome to Leanbox, I hope you'll come to like it."
"Yeah, thanks. Good to see you're well." IF spent a moment combing her hair with her fingers, seeing that Vert had ruffled it before. Then she exchanged a nod with the present redhead. "And nice to meet you, Cave."
"Likewise. You handled our Lady quite well." The older woman delivered her compliment in a monotone, but IF got it anyway. Thinking back to the encounter with Vert made her feel a little weird though, which Cave apparently noticed. "And like most, you are a little smitten with her."
IF blinked at the redhead owlishly, wondering for a moment whether this was what having a crush felt like. Then she shrugged and put the notion aside. "Maybe so." Not that the idea did not make her blush a little, but the others thankfully did not comment on it.
"Don't sweat it," Tekken advised her with an understanding grin. "We all were or still are the same; she has that kind of effect on people."
Cave interjected again once her colleague had finished: "A saying that courses between those who know Lady Vert is that her being transcends gender and preferences; even those not interested in women will be watching her closely when she enters the room."
She delivered that entire statement in the same flat monotone, which made IF crack up at the absurdity of it. Tekken used the moment to seat herself next to the brunette, leaving them opposite to 5pb. and Cave. Though she was still the youngest in the group by a few years, IF did not feel out of place. She had gotten used to her situation by now.
In regard of age however, she realised something else. "Just, uh, I don't know what you guys had planned for the evening, but I'm not old enough to drink under leanboxian law." Even though most places would likely make an exception if a Maker asked nicely, IF would not exploit her authority and influence like that.
Twenty-one was the minimum age to drink alcohol in the Land of Green Pastures, being the highest of the four; Lowee required one be twenty years old while Planeptune and Lastation set the bar at eighteen, the latter with an exception allowing lighter spirits like beer starting at 16. IF had not really tried any alcohol yet, aside from some wine during special occasions like Compa's birthdays. She did never feel like it was a good time to experiment with such things, though she was not opposed.
"Oh, it's fine." Tekken made a discarding motion while nodding at the door which snapped shut at that moment. "We don't go drinking with Lady Vert anymore; she never actually gets drunk and then teases us about whatever we did. 5pb. is a fun drunk, though; she gets all touchy-feely." Said blunette averted her gaze sheepishly.
IF rolled her eyes at that, but let it go without any comments. Not that she would have had the time, seeing that Tekken followed up by nudging her with an elbow. "It's a little weird to see you without your coat on, though." Her soft tone of voice clearly held curiousity, making it clear this was a question; only when she said it did IF remember that she left the garment back at her room, and promptly began to feel its absence again.
It did not help that she now had 5pb.'s attention while Cave was examining her more curiously. IF slightly shrunk in on herself. "It's uh, I just figured it would be too warm to work while wearing it here, so I took it off."
Now that she was actually paying attention to it, she realised that all of her colleagues were tanned. None of the three approached chocolate-coloured skin as one imagined the typcial leanboxian to have, but IF appeared almost pale like a sheet in comparison; she clearly stood out as a foreigner.
Cave simply shrugged at her, though. "You can choose between sweating in your coat or risk getting sunburned. I recommend the sweat, it goes off with a shower and doing laundry." Her colleagues giggled and even IF found some amusement in the redhead's dry tone, though the woman herself merely tilted her head slightly.
"Either way," 5pb. interjected once she got a grip, "we should head out soon. I haven't fought small fry in a while."
"I don't think any of us have," IF told her with a shrug. "Who could have expected half of Planeptune's share of small monsters to show up here?" It was a joke she heard a few times and found funny herself; a notion which Tekken, going by her renewed giggling, obviously shared, but the reality of it was that the Guild in Leanbox could not keep up. "But you're right, let's get going."
It felt a little weird to take charge like that in another nation, but she already learned that nobody minded it much. They were all on the same side after all.
So it was that, after a short detour for IF to retrieve her coat, the four of them headed out. Many monsters would not even know what hit them.