Chapter 319: Dejavu?
Ty, his exhaustion showcased by the sweat dripping from his head, managed a weak attempt at friendliness despite the weight of his tiredness. "Hey, I was just being friendly, but whatever, I guess," he said, stepping aside a bit, trying to ease the tension.
The woman with fox ears, taken aback, responded sharply. "First off, no one asked for you to be nice or sweat or anything like that. I don't even know you, and the first thing you do is ask me about my ears?!"
Ty, somewhat flustered by her reaction, attempted to clarify. "W-well, yeah, I've never seen someone with ears, unless those are fake or something. Then I guess that makes sense."
Her indignation was immediate. "EXCUSE ME?! THESE ARE NOT FAKE EARS, YOU PIN NEEDLE SIZE BRAIN!"
Trying to defuse the situation, Ty urged, "Ok, Ok, calm down. I've just never seen someone with fox ears, I think that is?"
"A fox? I have no idea what one of those is," she admitted, her frustration still evident but mingled with confusion now.
Before the conversation could spiral further, Ty felt a hand on his shoulder. "Come, let's go. You can talk with the participants at a later time,"
"No, no, no! You don't just get to insult me and casually walk away! No wonder you stay locked up!" she exclaimed, planting her hands firmly on her hips, her demeanor radiating anger. Ty couldn't help but notice, beneath her blue vest, she wore a brown shirt adorned with some type of latches, paired with simple blue garb pants and sandals.
Rubbing his head, Ty offered some unsolicited advice, hoping to lighten the mood. "You know, you should really put shoes on when you run the 3 mile. It might be hard to post a good time in sandals."
She glanced down at her sandals, her irritation clear. "I don – I don't need your advice," she retorted, brushing past Ty. "Stop trying to be friendly when I will have to take your life later. That's just not fair to anyone. Let's go, Mother Margaret I can't stand to waste anymore time right now."
The lady in the coat, known as Mother Margaret, simply offered a faint smile and followed her without a word.
Caught in the awkward aftermath, Ty searched for something to say that might salvage the interaction. "Well, what's your name at least, in case we get paired up in the Arena?" he called after her, trying to bridge the gap their exchange had created.
There was a brief silence before the woman, Roa-Lin, turned to face Ty. "My name is Roa-Lin, and when I win this whole thing, I will revive everyone I have lost and fix this place!" With those words, she spun around and moved forward, leaving a promise hanging in the air.
Ty, not to be left out of the exchange of ambitions, responded, "Well, my name is Ty Hockenson." He paused briefly before continuing, "When I win, I will return to where I belong. I hope to find a way to do that without killing people, however." He offered a faint smile, hoping to convey a sense of camaraderie despite their circumstances.
Lt Daemon, clipboard in hand, interrupted their moment. "Let's go, Demon Boy, we don't have all day," he said, steering the conversation back to the task at hand.
Ty pondered Roa-Lin's words and her determination. 'She seems to be carrying a lot…' he thought, sympathizing with her burden. Shaking off the reflection, he agreed, "Sure," and followed out. As Lt Daemon placed the stone cuffs back on him, he remarked, "I know you won't try anything, but rules are rules right now."
Ty walked on, the weight of the cuffs a reminder of his current state, yet Roa-Lin's declaration lingered with him
As they made their way back to the prison, Lt Daemon offered some insight. "Very smart to try and win over the affection of someone from the Ro-ax clan. Though they all have a general temper, they make great allies if befriended. They can tend to be very animalistic, though, so do try to keep your distance."
Ty, processing the Lt's advice, nodded. "Yeah, trying to leverage whatever I can to seem less like a monster to these people. To be frank, I don't plan to always have this view of me being a monster, though my main goal is just getting out of here and back home."
Lt Daemon acknowledged Ty's perspective. "For now, we just have to focus on what we can control. It's a good thing you haven't tried to run away or anything like that. I'm sure most people in your situation, feeling they had been unjustly imprisoned and treated like filth, would snap and attempt to lash out."
Ty nodded slightly, his thoughts far-reaching. "I can't afford to be that brash. Even if I wanted to, I have to scope things out. If I felt I could do it, then I probably would have," he mused, hinting at a strategic patience beneath his youthful exterior.
Lt Daemon responded with a note of approval. "Smart. I won't divulge why, but if you stay alive long enough, you'll figure it out. Besides that, let's get you back so we can spare some time for sparring. That move you pulled off was intriguing," he remarked, his curiosity piqued by Ty's display of power.
Ty, reflecting on his actions, replied uncertainly, "Yeah, I'm not entirely sure how I did it myself. I just envisioned an attack I had seen in the past. Though it wasn't real, but uh, yeah." He faltered, his mind wandering to a specific anime that had inspired him, even as he struggled to convey the connection clearly.
Lt Daemon cast him a puzzled look. "Uh, okay. Well, anyway, let's get you signed back in," he said, deciding to move past the awkward moment.
Upon entering the prison, they found Goey at the entrance desk, accompanied by another guard. Both were engrossed in a telecast of the event, discussing the performances analytically until their conversation was interrupted by Ty and Lt Daemon's arrival.
The lieutenant, taking the lead, addressed the personnel at the prison. "I have brought the prisoner back, though I will be in charge of him for the rest of the day. I'll be taking him to get some food and for some more sparring training, so we won't be back until the evening. Is that understood?"
Goey, now standing and donning an overcoat that added a layer of formality to his usual attire, greeted them with a cheeky, brimming smile. "Sounds good, sir," he replied, his demeanor light yet respectful.
The lieutenant, noticing the change in Goey's appearance, commented with a hint of pride, "Got promoted, I see. The jacket looks good on you, young man. Keep it up."
Then, turning his attention to Ty, Goey added, "Don't cause any problems, okay? You've been great up to now."
Ty, attempting to maintain a serious demeanor, nodded as they exited the prison. He noticed Lt Daemon fetching some keys. "We're taking a bit of a detour," the lieutenant mentioned casually. "Don't want too many people seeing you having a good time, of course."
Confused, Ty inquired, "Why not just have me eat some of the prison food?"
The lieutenant replied, "Because I think this will be more worth it and might help answer some questions. Just get in, Demon boy."
Shrugging, Ty complied, sliding into the passenger seat as the lieutenant entered the vehicle and brought it to life. The car's engine emitted a light roar from the hood and sides.
Lt Daemon then placed his hand on the center console, where cup holders would typically be. Ty watched, intrigued by the u technology, as a sphere glowed blue, spun, and whipped around.
Moments later, the car sped down a road that transitioned from pavement to patchy grass and then became bumpy. To Ty's astonishment, the vehicle began to float lightly above the ground.
Ty, fascinated by the car's operation, remarked, "I really have to learn how this engine works. It's pretty cool that it can work without a steering wheel."
The lieutenant, eager to share a bit of insight, explained, "Well, to explain shortly, it takes a power cell infused with basic energy that goes into an electricity combustion engine that just needs one's own magic inputted into it. It's such a small amount even a child could manage to start it."
Ty, still wrapping his head around the concept, replied, "Electricity and combustion? That seems a bit odd, but I suppose a lot of stuff here is odd."
As their conversation about the marvels of this world unfolded, the vehicle transitioned back to solid ground, leaving behind the patches of dirt and grass as it reconnected with concrete. They came to a slow stop outside a building labeled "Dine n' Masteries."
Looking towards the entrance, Ty thought he caught a glimpse of Jade, only to realize it was JJ, clad in a dark black dress, holding a thin book.
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