5) Catboy negotiator?
I open my eyes to find myself in the same interrogation room as earlier, Ellie is in the room with me, she has various devices and potions. The effects from the potion i think have worn off, although I can’t be too sure, so I test this by saying a lie, “I am completely green”.
It worked! I am not under the effects of that potion anymore, and while I am annoyed with Alver and Ellie, I am going to possibly help them. Information for information, unless they try to drug me again, in which case I will find that cloak from earlier and leave the town.
I think this town is called something like waterfall? clearwater? safewater? Yes, safewater is right.
I think that means the water nearby is safe, also, earlier she mentioned the water being safe. I think I read somewhere that in medieval times people would drink alcohol due to it being safer than water, something to do with sanitary habits.
I should be able to escape and survive at least in terms of water, or maybe I can convince them to help me.
I decide to ask a question to Ellie, “Are you… going to hurt me?”
She quickly responds with a “No! Of course not!”
That is good, but I can’t guarantee that she is telling the truth. Maybe I could get her to drink the truth serum herself…
I ask “Can I leave? Also why did you drug me”, she looks a bit nervous and responds, “because we need to know if you are related to the demon, and your avoidance of answering is quite incriminating.”
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I respond with a “I am allowed to speak how I please, and I do not appreciate being drugged and having my state of mind altered. Maybe we could come to some type of agreement, if you tell me about the situation, then I’ll tell you what I know, if anything.”
She contemplates this for a moment before responding with a “okay, a back and forth with answering questions.”
I agree to this, and then we start the back and forth.
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Her: “What are you”
Me: ”A cat-person”
Her: “Can you tell me what that is exactly? I’ve never heard or seen anyone like you.”
Me: “I’m not entirely sure, I just sort of woke up like this, I wasn’t always like this.”
Her: “You weren’t? How did you become… this?”
Me: “My turn, I continue answering questions if you don’t tell Alver, he’s a bit aggressive, and I want you to hear everything before you give him some incomplete answers. In exchange you agree to help me, and I’ll help you.”
Her: “But we just agreed on terms?”
Me: “Yes, but I think this would work out better for all of us.”
Her: “Fine, but the whole truth this time, no mincing words, and I’ll agree to not hurt you.”
Me: “Fine”
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We spent the next few hours talking over everything. Alver came, but left after Ellie told him to. I told her about my strange double memories of being the cat, how I couldn’t do the things that the cat could, and how I thought that the cat was some entity, but not a demon. She was surprised when I mentioned waking up in a forest with cat ears, and how I’d been a human prior. I told her it really was best that I not tell her where I was from, and for some reason she accepted that. I didn’t tell her about the weird information beams, they were weird, but don’t seem important at this moment. Eventually Ellie told Alver everything, but unluckily he decided to confront me before hearing the whole explanation.
“So you are the demon cat!”
I respond with “I’m not a demon, nor entirely a cat. And that cat wasn’t either! It was something, but certainly not that! Also I think I’m not that entity, but have some of its memories! It really acted more like a child than an evil demon”
He responds with a “If I was cliche I would respond with a ‘that is what a demon would say’, but I am not. I don’t trust you, but I’ll take Ellie’s word on trusting you. But if I find out you’re lying, then curiosity won’t have killed the cat, I will have!”
He has threatened me multiple times, If I had the strength, fighting skills, and confidence to take home on, I would right now. But now is not the time, and so I’ll have to retaliate later.
I start to ask if he could bring in Ellie, before she shows up herself and tells me that, “I’ll tell you about the nearby areas tommorow, for now you seem to need some more rest, also we should all have some food. We’ll have you join our investigative team tomorrow. You’ll stay here as we can’t have you walking the streets with how you look.“
Alver gives an annoyed look at Ellie, but nods reluctantly to everything she said.
Team? I’ll be part of their Team? I wonder for a bit about the implications of that, will it be good or bad, helpful or a hindrance, a blessing or a curse?
Anyway time to get some food, then sleep before tomorrow.