Thud.
Chi landed on his butt as Tyson tossed him to the ground. The motion was neither rough nor gentle while he had lost all feeling in his legs and could not stand directly back up. Rubbing his own hand up and down against his butt to get the feeling back in his legs he sighed with a slight hiss. For a split second he thought he heard Tyson trying to hold back a laugh but the man quickly retreated away from him.
"Here, little rabbit." Tyson said as he tossed down a canteen of clean water he had prepared for himself at a stream to help the young man calm down.
"If anything happens to him I wont forgive you for dragging me here." Chi said as he cautiously picked up the canteen and sipped from it. He was not sure why the man was trying to help him but when it came down to it Fae and Chi had not met until they were pulled into this dimension either so he could not find much of a reason to question him over it. While he was drinking from the canteen a sudden thought came over him causing him to glance down at the canteen before his gaze returned to Tyson.
"Yes, it was me." Tyson answered him before he could even ask the question he was about to. For Tyson the question that Chi was going to ask was written all over the expression on his face as if he had a sudden realization.
"Why? When you met me yesterday all you've done is call me names." Chi could feel his head hurting over how complicated the masked man was acting with him.
"To be weak is not such a bad thing in life," Tyson paused to think for a moment as if he was recalling things from his past that were painful for him to remember. "When you're able to experiences things that would shatter any normal person with a calm mind and know that you should regret it all but there is nothing left of you to falter in your choices. That so called strength of will is the true weakness in life.."
"What are you-" Chi wanted to ask him what he meant by those words but before he could finish asking the man had already cut him off as if to stop him from asking.
"Little rabbit, when it comes to being weak just remember that it's that imperfection that makes you truly beautiful. Never change but, little rabbit, don't forget too that you are currently standing among savage wolves." Tyson walked over and took his canteen back from Chi who was giving him a puzzled gaze. The blue of Chi's eyes seemed to be in a daze as he tried to digest the words he'd given him.
Sitting down behind Chi with his back against the young man he could feel the warmth radiating from his body through their clothes. The sensation of his body heat was like electricity to him that caused Tyson's heart to beat slightly faster. There was something about Chi that just felt like it was calling out to him. It felt as though he had found something he could not refuse to protect and it made both his mind and heart feel confused to no end. Ten years had passed since his heart had last felt such feelings for another.
A slight blush was on Chi's face as he hugged his knees against his own chest where he sat. When it came to being so close to Tyson his own body felt warm and calm. Sounds of breathing could be heard from the masked man behind him and knowing he was back there behind him made him feel nervous. The situation that they were both in was so unusual to him that he had no idea what to say or do at such a time. He knew the man was trying to help him remain calm and motivated given the state of things but there were still so many things going on that he felt the sudden urge to tear up.
"You speak as though you've done this before." Chi finally forced out a few words as a mere joke. Neither he nor the others who were first years to Numen's Garden had been warned ahead of time about the few among them who'd been returnees.
"Ten." Tyson gave a simple number.
"Huh?" Chi felt confused at the random number as he turned his head slightly to the side to listen further.
"This is my tenth year being forced to compete." Muttering out those words Tyson could feel the tightness in his heart lighten just a bit as if a weight had been lifted. A heavy sigh echoing through his mask as he kept his eyes in front of him to keep watch. He did not allow himself to be distracted by the words of the young man.
"Well.. little demon.. your luck sucks." Chi felt sorry for Tyson but at the same time he was not sure what to call him. Since he felt the need to keep calling him a rabbit he could not help his urge to tease him back with his own made up nickname.
"Tyson." He stated his name out loud and clear to stop Chi from calling him a little demon. He could not stop a slight smirk from creeping up onto his face under his demonic mask. "What part about me is even little?"
"Yet I'm a little rabbit?! Fine, I'll call you Tyson but call me Chi! Chi! My Name is CHI!" He could not help frantically repeating his name at Tyson out of frustration. The slight sound of chuckling from the man could be heard loud and clear even with the demon mask on his face muffling the sounds.
"My fluffy little rabbit you surely are one who's soft at heart." Tyson spoke with a blunt and clear voice as he said what he thought about him. Everything about Chi to him felt like an innocent little bunny no matter how much Chi wanted to deny it about himself.
"It's not funny!" Chi shouted slightly as he turned around and gently punched Tyson on his shoulder. The man did not give him a complaint nor did he try to stop Chi from retaliating for his words; he simply accepted the punishment for what he'd said and allowed the boy to hit him. It was not rough because Chi had no intention to harm him he simply wanted to scold him for his comment.