Slime Slime Slime

In the end, the solution Aono settled upon was using as a hammock the acid-proof net she and Tamu had used to catch the slimes to start their slime farm. Slimes generally secreted acid only when they wanted to dissolve or digest something, but she'd seen her slimes occasionally leak acid when they dreamed in their sleep. She didn't want to accidentally dissolve her bed. Thus, the hammock hung over a large metal tub from another scheme Tamu had abandoned.

She laid there swaying, thinking about the man who she had called her best friend. An energetic squirrel man with bright yellow fur and dramatic gestures, who always had a prank or a plan cooking. At first she'd seen him as roguishly clever and even had a crush on him. Then recently she'd began to see him as feckless and aimless. Now... she was reevaluating that last opinion. He was those things, yes, but mainly he was a smart, funny, creative man who didn't know what he wanted to do.

Aono sighed at that thought. She wasn't sure if the argument that drove them apart was a stupid one or not, but she'd been gradually getting tired of being dragged into project after project by Tamu. And she'd had something that worked this time, even if it didn't work as rapidly as Tamu would like. Once she got out of debt, she would be making a decent steady income. And more importantly it was something she enjoyed. So when he had told her to drop it all and help him with his new idea, she'd snapped at him. That'd upset him, she remembered, and he'd wished her a good day and departed with a hasty flick of his bushy tail. Now that she thought about it, that reaction was odd.

With another sigh, she resolved to try and sleep.

Just as she was beginning to doze off, she heard a knock. "Gara?" A very familiar voice said.

That was Tamu's voice! Aono hastily got off her hammock, then paused. Did she want him to know about Aono? She wasn't sure how he'd react. But they'd been best friends since she'd arrived in the area. She wanted to think he'd stay so even if he knew the real her. But... there was a real chance revealing that to him could only make things weird between them. Though weren't things already weird with that whole argument estranging them?

Apparently she had hesitated for longer than she had though as Tamu's voice said, "Gara. If you're still mad, it's okay. I just wanted to apologize."

Huh?

Tamu continued, "I took a few days to think and... yeah, I haven't been fair, both in trying to drag you away from something you love."

Eh?

Tamu's voice was more regretful than Aono expected. "I just get excited about my ideas all the time and I didn't understand how much you liked the slime farm. It wasn't for me, but... I should've respected your love for it more.  I don't know if you still want to be my friend after all that."

"I do!" Aono said, then froze. She'd forgotten herself and spoke in her slime form. The form that had a definitely cute and feminine voice.

"Eh? Who's that?" the confused voice of the squirrel said.

Panicking, Aono dropped Slime Form and said, "It's me, Gara. I was just playing around wi-- forget it, I'm not going to lie. Not to you. Look, I'll come and open the door and show you. My new class, it gave me an ability... One that lets me be my true self." As she headed to the door, she slid on the Gara name over her own.

"True self?" Tamu said as the door opened in front of him, revealing the sight of his friend in a long loose tunic. "Wait, when did you get a class?"

Aono scratched her head. "Um. Remember that drake dung? I was feeding them too much. And one turned into a monster. Munched a couple of my other slimes before I managed to kill it. Got a slime-themed class."

Immediately, Tamu tried not to laugh, doing his best to stifle with his hand what came out and failing. "A slime class? Gods, you must've really loved those slimes!" He beat his other hand up and down, still trying to stop the laughter. "I'm sorry! It must've been scary! But it's just so fitting."

Aono shook her head as her own laughter broke out. "It sucked! I nearly died! But, yes, it's perfect for me!"

Both of them paused, waiting for their laughter to die down. Then Tamu hesitated. "And that ability?"

"Slime Form. I can set a shape I like and, um, I picked this one. It... best reflects my true self." Aono dropped the Gara name masking her real name at the same time as she activated Slime Form. Her heart beat rapidly as she waited for Tamu's reaction. There could be any number of reactions. Tamu could even go as far as freaking out and blowing her cover to everyone he could.

Tamu's eyes widened. "Wait. I know the sight of Status Concealment dropping. Used to use it for some pranks before I meet you. But you're clearly my best friend, I'd know you any day... Have you been Aono all along?"

Aono pursed her lips. "It's... complicated." And she explained about Forced Persona and her life so far. Everything she had told Sardu, she told her best friend.

At the end, Tamu just looked dumbfound. Then he suddenly screamed while clutching his head, "Fuck! What the fuck! What was even that? That's real fucked up! I knew the Pure Kingdom was fucked up, but not that fucked up. Fuck!"

"Yeah..." That was all Aono could say.

"...I always thought you were a bit girly. Guess I see why now." Tamu rubbed his head. "I should've realized."

Aono shook her head. "The only one who figured it out was Ghaan and, well, you know about her fairy eye."

"Guess you were really good at hiding it. It really is quite a thing, though. You being who you are. I'll deal, though. Oh, yeah, can I stay for the night? I came back late and realized I left my key at home four days ago and everyone who can get it open are asleep. And I didn't pick the ability that includes lock-picking." Tamu just shook his head and laughed sheepishly.

Aono blinked. "Wait, where were you for four days?"

He gestured. "Out camping. You know how that helps clear my mind? Yeah, I needed a lot of head clearing."

"You camped out for four days? Did you let people knew?" asked Aono.

Tamu waved off toward the distance. "Yeah, I left a note at my door."

Aono just groaned. So this was why she hadn't seen any sign of Tamu for four days. And she hadn't gone to his house because she'd been afraid of a repeat of the argument. "At least you're okay."

He nodded. "Yeah... had my own run-in with an inside-out wolf monster while out, though. Uh, I got a class."

Aono sighed. "I was just about to say camping alone like that is dangerous. What class? Are you using Status Concealment or something like it?" Tamu's status still displayed him as level 0 and without any class.

"I'll show you." Tamu made a dramatic flourish and as if a cloth slided off his status, the truth was revealed. Trickster. Level 1.

Aono rubbed her forehead. "...Are you going to register for patrols?"

He grinned. "Of course. I just felt like surprising people. Shush, don't tell anyone until the big reveal tomorrow."

"Tamu..." Aono shook her head with a smile. "You're always like this."

Tamu looked at Aono. "So, how many people know? About you, I mean."

Aono considered. "You, Sardu because she burst in on me while I was wearing makeup, Ghaan because of her fairy eye, a tailor in the next town over because I asked them to make me a blouse and skirt though they might've just thought I liked wearing things like that."

Tamu blinked. "Old Briig? The one who we asked for a few things for pranks because they're tight-lipped? Four people... I'm not gonna tell you what to do but you probably should tell people so you don't have to keep pretending to be Gara."

Aono sighed. "I know... I want to be Aono all the time so bad. It's just... I don't know how people'll react."

Tamu held up a finger. "I'll tell you! Mild confusion and very slight chaos! And a lot of questions asked, then folks'll just go on about their business. Even that cranky Ghei will just complain about having to remember the new name or go 'Why are you wasting my time with this? I don't care.'"

Aono couldn't help but break into laughter. "Gods! He really would react something like that."

Tamu grinned. "Yeah. Remember his reaction the time we dyed his hogs green and wrote his favorite poem on them? 'You blundering pus-eyed bean-brained lackwits, at least you have good taste. Now wash it off.'"

Aono giggled at the accurate impression. "No wonder he has the Barbed Bard class."

"Yeah. Look, it's your choice. But the sooner you tell people, the sooner you can get something that doesn't get damp like that." Tamu gestured at Aono's tunic, which was slightly soaked through just from her body. "And what're you doing for a bed? Do you sleep in your old body or..."

Aono sighed. "Remember that slime-catching net? I'm using it as a hammock with one of those big metal tubs below."

Tamu blinked. "Can't make for very comfortable sleep."

"Yeah... Know what, I'll start telling people tomorrow or the day after. I have to... work myself up to it." Aono hugged herself.

There was a troubled look on Tamu's face. "You don't hafta push yourself. Whenever you're ready... But I promise folks won't go all Purity on you."

"You're right... But we should go to sleep. It's fucking late. You can use the usual bed." Aono had a spare bed she kept for Tamu whenever he slept over at her place. He had one in his house too.

"Yeah, I was all keyed up but even I'm running out of energy." He jokingly staggered over to the extra bed and collapsed onto it.

Aono climbed back into her hammock... and laid awake there for a while.

Her crush on Tamu definitely hadn't gone away.