The trip back through town is quite loud for you, but quiet for anyone else that might be around, given Ruem is the source of all the noise. She has, admittedly, quieted down over time, though. What started as screaming and cursing and sobbing, including a suggestion to wake up the guard so he can arrest Radestro (you pointed out this would result in you getting arrested too), has dwindled down to a frequent sniffle and the occasional quiet “fuck.”

Near the outskirts of town, fatigue catches up with you. Despite the chill in the night air, and despite how much you’d like to collapse into your dorm bed, you find a building and press your back against it, sliding down to the ground. The gold you’re carrying sags in your arms, filling your lap, a few pieces dropping to the dirt between your legs. Gold is really heavy, actually, and holding a bunch of it after both physically and emotionally draining yourself is taxing.

“Why’re you stopping,” Ruem says next to your ear, her voice hoarse and nasally.

Your head falls back and thumps against the cold brick behind you. “Tired.”

Silently, Ruem rolls down your arm, coming to a rest on top of the gold that hasn’t yet slipped to the ground. For a while she just sits there, staring vacantly to the side, a little spirit ball nestled in your arms, along with a pile of gold. That’s not something you imagined you’d ever think to yourself. You’d laugh at the absurdity, but you’ve forgotten how.

Her big white eyes shift up to stare at you. “Shouldn’t you get back to my dorm? Isn’t it cold?”

You shrug. “Yeah, a bit.”

Silence again, for even longer this time. She looks away, at nothing in particular. “…I really thought he loved me.”

Wincing, you look down at her. “I’m sorry.”

“I really thought someone finally—” her voice hitches, her little body trembling.

What can you even say to that? Does she just mean romantic love? Because if not, then… “Wh—what about Kittpey? Or Umeso? Or even me?” you offer, trying to smile. She doesn’t see it.

“Friendship isn’t love,” she says with unwarranted confidence. Surely that isn’t necessarily true? But arguing the point with her right now seems futile. If not friendship, though, then there’s always…

“What about family?”

Before the last word is even fully out of your mouth, Ruem gives one short, sharp laugh. “Bullshit.”

Flapping your mouth closed, you sit and wait for elaboration. She provides none. It’s not like your own personal experience does much to refute her concisely stated opinion, but you always got the impression that most people felt quite different about family. And your sister was good to you, at least, even if you rarely saw her toward the end. Should you press the issue?

Before you can decide, she speaks again. “It’s their fault I’m stuck like this.”

There’s an in. “Like a spirit ball?”

“Yeah, kinda!” she shouts, glaring up at you, though you can tell the feelings behind that glare aren’t directed your way. “If they’d just— If they hadn’t sent me here, trapped me here, then…” Her voice dwindles, though her glare doesn’t.

“Well, silver lining, because you were here, I got to meet you. And also I’m in a body?” You pause, trying not to think too hard on thoughts you’ve long been ignoring. “I don’t have any idea what would’ve happened to me if I didn’t end up in your body, actually.” She’s looking at you, some of the fire gone from her eyes, but you find it difficult to maintain eye contact. Voice shaking, you say, “I—I guess I’d probably be like those s—spirits Umeso sees… h—how’d they describe them? Inert?”

“…That would be a shame,” Ruem admits, softly, looking away again. Your heart swells the tiniest bit.

Silence reigns once more, your brain shifting to focus on the sound of the breeze and the cold of it against your skin. It doesn’t feel as bad now, though, after Ruem’s admission. The two of you sit there, not quite looking at each other but, at least on your end, enjoying the companionship. As the minutes tick by, a question slowly rises to the top of your mind. Eventually you quietly voice it.

“Where will you go, once you’ve got your body back? Where are you running to?”

Her answer doesn’t come nearly as fast as you might have assumed, given how sure she seems about her desire to run. “…I don’t know. Somewhere my parents and their money can’t reach.” She stares back up at you, her bright white eyes piercing in their intensity. “Why did you help me?”

“Like, in general, or…?”

“To rob a bank, stupid,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I’ve got some self-awareness. I knew it was a stupid thing to do, even before Umeso made their opinion clear.”

“You’re my friend,” you say with a shrug.

“So is Umeso, apparently, and again, they didn’t help me rob a bank. So…?”

Shifting uncomfortably against the wall, you consider lying. Part of the truth is not particularly flattering, and the other part you’re not sure anyone but you really understands. But Ruem’s been opening up to you… shouldn’t you try to do the same?

“I… have a hard time saying no to people. Even people like, um…” You jerk your head back vaguely in the direction of the bank. “You know, him.”

Ruem glares in that direction for a moment, then looks back at you, a nonexistent eyebrow raised. “Seemed like you had an easy enough time saying it to him back there.”

Nodding, you say, “Well, it’s easier when I’ve got someone else on my side, or someone that I’m defending, you know? When the focus isn’t entirely on me, or I’m feeling angry enough to kinda… get past the people pleasing.” You pause, considering if it’s a bad idea to continue. There’s no need to burden her with it, right? But it would be a weight off your chest, and you’re trying to open up, so… “I, um… had a much harder time when it was just him and me, alone. You know, before tonight.”

Here eyes widen. “You don’t mean…?”

“No!!” you shout, the sound echoing through the silent, sleepy village in a way that you immediately regret. Much quieter this time, you say, “No. I mean… it got close, uncomfortably close. But we never did more than make out. Maybe a little bit of, uh… heavy petting.”

Looking as mortified as a little black ball with white eyes can look, Ruem says, “So… that wasn’t the first time he’s touched you like that.”

“…N—not exactly, no. First time he’s done it while he thought I was unconscious, but…” She’s not going to be mad at you, right? It is her body and her boyf— well, ex-boyfriend, afterall.

Nuzzling her face against your arm, Ruem says, “Girl, I’m so sorry… I didn’t know. You didn’t have to—” She gives a frustrated groan. “If you’d said something, I would’a told you that you don’t have to! Not that it’s your fault, tho!”

Shrugging helplessly, tears forming in the corner of your eyes, you croak out, “I—I don’t know how much it w—would’ve helped. I do a l—lotta things I don’t have to.”

“…Like rob a bank,” she practically whispers.

You laugh, wiping a tear away with your shoulder. “I mean, yeah, but… I did kind of want to do that.” She raises her ‘eyebrow’ again. No more putting it off, time to explain the other part… “The thing is, I wanted to prove I could do it.”

“Why?” she says, incredulous.

After a soft sigh, you say, “I never really… accomplished anything, in my old life. Was never really good at much, besides videogames, maybe. And even with those, my skills were hardly anything to brag about.” A ghost of a smile appears on your face. “But I really did it! I used another world’s magic to break into a bank! I mean, I needed your help, sure. But with practice, I bet I could do it all on my own!”

Squinting at you, Ruem says, “So you broke into a bank for… personal fulfillment?”

“Well, that and because I wanted to see if I could actually manage to break into a building successfully.” Here it goes… “You know, ‘cause I think I’m going to have to do it again.”

“At a different bank??” Ruem says, clearly not following.

“No!” you say with a short laugh. “I, uh… don’t actually know what sort of building it is, yet? I’m kind of still figuring it out.  It’s got a dungeon, so maybe some sort of castle?”

Ruem blinks at you. “Hey, Biat, you’re my friend, maybe my best friend at this point, and I support you, but also: what are you fucking talking about?”

“Ellemenie!” you say, probably too loudly. “I’ve got to save Ellemenie. And I assume it’s going to involve breaking into wherever it is she’s trapped.”

After staring at you for another few seconds, recognition finally appears in Ruem’s eyes. “Wait, is that the dream girl you were talking about!?”

Oh good, she remembers. “Yes!”

“Is she even real??”

Yeah, that’s about what you expected. Scrunching your mouth, you say, “I mean, I think so? She knew about the attack right before it happened, and my dream self touching her seems to work kinda like you touching me or Umeso. That goblin girl even saw me, by accident, so they’ve got to be real people, right?”

“The fuck is a goblin girl.”

You wave a hand. “That’s not the point. The point is that Ellemenie is trapped there by some evil boss guy, who is also the guy that sent that giant monster to attack us. So I’ve got to rescue her.”

For another few seconds, Ruem just stares at you, but then her eyes narrow, this time as though they’re part of a sly smirk. You don’t like it. “You love this girl, don’cha?”

Immediately feeling your cheeks warm, you shake your head from side-to-side. “What!? No!!! I mean, you said friendship isn’t love, anyway!”

“Yeah I wasn’t talking about friendship,” Ruem says smugly. “I mean, wanting to break into a bank just to practice for a future rescue of some girl you barely know? That’s really stupid!” She laughs. “You’ve got it bad. girl!”

“I don’t—!!” Puffing your cheeks up, you glare daggers. “I would do that for any friend! Umeso or Kittpey, too! Even you!”

“Wow, so the truth comes out. You’re in love with me, too.”

Fuming, you toss Ruem off your hands, spilling more gold coins onto the ground in the process. You cross your arms, huffing and puffing futilely even as Ruem reappears on those same arms, still looking obnoxiously smug.

“I didn’t hear a noooo~!”

“No, I’m not in love with you!! I’m not in love with every girl I see, dammit!”

“But, I mean, you’re a huge lesbian. You told me yourself! So…”

Rolling your eyes as hard as you can, you say, “Lesbians are also not in love with every girl they see! And! I just said that to get Radestro off my back!” Ruem cocks an eyebrow. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’ve got to be a girl to be a lesbian, and I’m not—”

She laughs in disbelief. “Oh wow, what? How are we back here? We literally had a whole conversation earlier today about you being a girl!”

“I mean—!” Ugh, how is she not getting it?? Sure you want to be called a girl, but that doesn’t make you one! It makes sense in your head, dammit! “It’s because… Like, look, I’m stuck in your body, right? Which is a girl body. So it’s weird to be—”

Grinning at you in a way that you know would be showing teeth, were she to have them, Ruem says, “I bet your dream woman Ellemeh-whatever calls you a girl, too.”

Heat fills your face all the way up to the tips of your ears. “Th—that doesn’t— I—I—I—!”

Just straight-up cackling at this point, Ruem says, “Oh gods, you are the gayest girl to ever exist, Biat, how are you even trying to deny it!?”

“L—look, just because the spirit of a guy who’s in a girl’s body wants to be called a girl, even in her dreams where she has a different body, that doesn’t mean she, or he— oh, no, I hate that, but I mean—” Ugh, that doesn’t help your point. “Look, if you could read my mind this would be easier, it makes sense in there.”

“I think that’s the only place it makes sense,” Ruem says, rolling her eyes. “Also, you have a second dream body?? What’s it like!?”

This isn’t going to help your case either. “Um, well… kinda like when Ellemenie and I fused, if you remember…”

Ruem blinks. “So like a girl.” You nod reluctantly. “Biat, you are such a girl that I feel like a complete dumbass for not realizing it sooner. Lie to yourself all you want, but the truth is obvious!”

You huff, puffing your cheeks again. “Whatever.”

After laughing some more at your expense, Ruem quiets down and says, with more sincerity than you’ve perhaps ever heard in her voice, “Thank you, Biat.”

Where did that come from?? “F—for what?”

She just nuzzles against your chest, not explaining herself. Heart swelling, you can’t help but wrap your arms around her little round body. Despite the chill in the air, you’ve never felt warmer, hugging your friend.

In fact maybe it’s too warm, actually? Wait, Ruem is glowing, and is starting to sink into your chest. Your skin is glowing, too, now!!

“What—!?”

Your body glows white-hot, losing form and definition for a moment, before it takes on a familiar form again, but notably not the form of Ruem’s body.

No, we’ve taken this form before. Or… part of us has? Oh wow, this is — this is amazing!!

“Holy fuck!” we shout, absolutely beaming.

Exceedingly

Hi, everyone, thank you for reading!! If you'd like to read more and to support me as a writer, please consider joining my Patreon! There you'll be able to read at least a chapter ahead, sometimes more, and you'll get to read first drafts as soon as they're done!

I really, really want to make a living off my creative works someday, but I struggle with things like self-promotion and writing consistently. I've been struggling with both lately, but I'm particularly awful at the former, so please, tell you friends about this story and please consider that Patreon, I would really appreciate it! Every bit of support I get motivates me to keep things going and to move that much closer toward my dream. Thank you so much!!