Learn to Nod

Trewy and Nemu were sitting together one evening. The next day they would finally reach the slime cave, but before that they had something important to do. Something that Nemu had put off until now. Why? It would be hard. Probably the hardest mission in Nemu's life until that day. But life is not always easy. He knew that, and therefore, he had to improve!

Trewy looked at him. Waiting and prepared to laugh. She'd gotten him to do it, but it had taken weeks to convince him. Actually, she knew he wanted it too. Not just because he was embarrassed. It was part of his training. Better control over his body would also make him stronger and that was important to him. Trewy was already prepared for her upcoming laughs.

"But don't laugh, okay?" Said Nemu. Knowing full well that it was wishful thinking.

"Okay, okay. I'm just here to observe and help." Said Trewy nodding. But the twitching corners of her mouth proved otherwise.

Nemu let out a sigh.

"I'll get started now."

And so, Nemu began his training.

Trying to nod.

Attempt #1

Wobble Wobble

Like expected, Trewy bursted out in laughter while holding her stomach.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Said Nemu. Already annoyed.

"And you said you would try to nod, and not.... That!" Said Trewy while still laughing.

Before, they played cards and Nemu won almost every game. So she figured he deserved some laughs.

"Hey, it's not my fault! My body is not made for nodding." Demanded Nemu.

"You told me that Rimuru can nod. So it's possible for your body too." She said with a big grin on her face.

"That's not fair. He was once human, so he's had a lot of practice. And I don't even know how to begin!"

He shook his head. Well, not his head, but his body. And that didn't look so strange. Moving his body sideways was almost like shaking his head.

"Excuses. You see. A head shake to fake works pretty well after all. So you must be able to nod, too." Said Trewy. "Just do the same thing, but from top to bottom."

Well, at least she wasn't only here for laughing, but tried to give some advice. That's also why Nemu didn't try it alone. He needed confirmation that it will work and he will try until Trewy can't laugh at him anymore!

Sooo, he kept his body straight. And then,

Attempt #2

This time, he tried it slower. He leaned his body slightly forward and back again. However, as he leaned back again.

Wobble

And again, Trewy started laughing. Nemu didn't know if she laughed louder than before, but it felt like it.

"What was that supposed to be?" She asked, while laughing with tears in her eyes.

"That's, just... How my body moves!" Demanded Nemu. How is it even possible that he can't nod while he is jumping around all day? Trewy meanwhile saw it even when he blushed, besides him being red!

And he blushed. The situation was unpleasant for him. But to become stronger, he had to go through it!

"You just blushed, right?" Said Trewy, who had finally stopped laughing.

"How do you even see it? I'm already red!"

"That's a skill." Said Trewy and shrugged.

"Yea, for sure. A skill..." He'll figure it out eventually. At least, he hoped he'll figure it out.... Probably not. Maybe it's because she's female? There are skills that races have, maybe different genders have certain skills. He will investigate that later. Oh, he had an idea!

'Guide, do different genders also ha...' He tried to ask but was interrupted by his own skill.

[No.]

Nemu sighed again. Something he had mastered by now. Probably Trewy's fault!

Attempt #3

He had to keep his body tension while doing this.

And so, slowly forward and even more slowly.... back. He did it!

"Try again." Said Trewy, looking at him.

"I just did it!" Said Nemu excitedly.

"What do you mean?"

Now Nemu was confused. "I... just nodded?"

"You didn't move at all." Trewy sighed. At first Nemu thought maybe Trewy was lying because she didn't want him to make it. But by now he knew her well enough that he could tell when she was lying. Well, most of the time, but this time she was honest. How did he learn that? Playing cards! Whenever she tried to bluff, he could tell by now.

"Okay, I get it. I need to do it faster."

Attempt #4

He did what was close to holding his breath.

Quickly. While holding his body tension. Just down and up again. And then he had an idea! To hold his body tension he could just use his skills.

"Hardening!" He said out loud. And now...

Down! And up!

Trewy looked at him. Nemu was tense.

"What was that all about?" She asked and raised her brow. "That looked like you were shaking."

So, that wasn't right at all? He was disappointed. If Rimuru hadn't done it successfully, he probably would have given up long ago. Because he thought it was impossible for a slime to nod. But it is possible! He just needs more practice. And his Hardening won't help him here. Nor could he always use his skill for it. So he gave up on that.

Okay, time for...

Attempt #5

This time, faster, while keeping his tension but with.... less tension.

Down... and up!

Wobble

'Ahhhh' He screamed in his mind. And Trewy... she started laughing. She almost fell off the log she was sitting on all the time.

After she stopped laughing, and she laughed for a while, she tried to help.

"Look at me." She said to Nemu. "Just down and up. Down and up." While she nodded successfully.

"This is... unfair! Humanoid bodies are just overpowered!" He exclaimed.

Actually, that wasn't true and he knew it. With his slime body, he had many advantages that Trewy didn't have. His magical perception, he couldn't be hurt, his flexibility, he didn't have to eat and he was virtually invisible in his pancake mode.

Trewy let out of sigh and shook her head. "Just try again." She said and picked up some of the berries she had picked earlier. Nemu was reminded of something. In Tempest, there was a show on a stage. And the people in front of it had something called popcorn. Why did that remind him of Trewy? Probably that was her show.... She enjoyed it. Someday..., he decided, he will get his revenge!

He could use her snoring, but she couldn't hear it herself and it was boring the next morning. She just said it never happened. And the possibility to record something did not exist in this world. At least he didn't know about it. He was about to put that on his list, but that wasn't worth it.

However, again...

Attempt #6

More body tension, but not too much. He also had to move quickly. Down and up.

Trewy looked at him tensely, a berry in her mouth.

Down... and up!

And immediately, he realized, that was too fast. As he left from the ground for a second.

Trewy burst out in laughter.

"That looked like you were going to jump!" She said while holding her hand in front of her mouth. The berry was still in her mouth.

"You know what? I'm just going to do this until it works!" He lost his patience.

Attempt #7

Wobble

Attempt #8

Wobble Wobble

Attempt #9

Wobble

Attempt #10

Wobble Wobble

This time Trewy not only had tears in her eyes, she laughed so hard that she felt backwards from her logs and spread her berries all over the floor.

"Ahhh..." Nemu shouted. "I give up! That's just stupid! Why would I need to nod anyways...? I'm a slime!"

And so, the first attempt of his nod training failed.

"I'm going to sleep!" Without saying anything else, he jumped into the tent.

After a while, Trewy was finally able to stop laughing. Still with tears in her eyes, she sat back on the log.

'Whew, that was a close one. Attempt #3 was pretty good. Good thing I let him win a few times in the card game!'