A wave of confusion washed over them, everyone started doing double takes and looking around. That is, except for Alister. His brow furrowed, and he murmured, “You guys… see him, right? He’s right here.”
Noel’s silver eyes searched all around her, only shrugging to Trent in reply. “You know where he is, Ali?” She asked.
He frowned. “He’s right here,” he repeated.
“No…?” Noel frowned back.
“We need to at least make sure he’s safe before we leave,” August said. Alister looked down at the boy, a hunch starting to creep up on him.
“Did you do something…?” He tried to ask Matteo, but a little unsure of how to form the words. “Why do you want to stay with me, little guy?”
He slightly shaking and clinging onto Alister, holding back from whimpering.
"You r-remind me of my f-family and I-i-i i dont want yous to get hurt, not like they always got hurt, i just want to stay with you and keep yous safe, i don't want someones that's c-close to me h-hurt.." he sniffled,
"I'm sorry …i did do something..but…i d-dont know how…or what to do to stop it…" He sniffed again.
Alister smiled, endeared by Matteo’s words. He bent down and ruffled his hair, then giving him a small hug. He remembered the families on the platform, waiting to sold, and he figured Matteo’s family wanted to save him from their fate. They must have seen the rebels and sent him to them.
“I do?” He said, a little surprise by it. “And you don’t have to worry about me, I can take care myself. But I don’t want you getting hurt either, it would be better if you stayed.” Sighing, he continued, “It’s alright, I remember the days where I had a hard time controlling my ability too. We’ll figure it out. I’ll make up something.”
He stood and turned to the others. “Hey, it’s alright. He’s safe, I’m sure he just decided to explore a little bit.”
Noel glanced at him, eyes narrowed. “Are you sure? He doesn’t seem to leave your side usually.”
He shrugged. “I understand the kid as well as you do, El.”
“Good point,” she conceded.
August crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. “I want to get going. I’m sure someone will find him sooner or later while we’re gone.”
There were some uncomfortable murmurs of agreement. Charlie put a hand on her hip. “I’ll keep a look out for him.”
He shook his head, "I d-dont know why…" He looked down at his hands before back at malachi. "it's n-nice to meet you m-malachi.." he smiled slightly at knowing both kalis name and just for malachi.
"And k-kali."
"nice to meet you too kid." She gave him gentle headpats, though internally was mostly confused.
Malachi studied the chaton, deciding to speculate silently to avoid frightening him. Had he always had the ability to shift into a cat? If not, maybe the aliens experimented with his DNA somehow to allow him to have that ability. If he had, maybe he was some sort of weird alien/human hybrid, which was interesting but too disturbing to think about, so maybe he was just kept as a specimen for study. Then his head started spinning again, so he leaned on the sphinx for support.
They walked on, the golden light and leaves around seeming to take on an ochre tone.
Quin just went to back to cling onto Kalis leg, she ended up offering him her hand, though she was still confuse, so she turned and kneeled slightly to face to face with him.
"Hey, quin, why do you want to hide behind me of all people?"
She knew he probably wouldn't get why she was asking but she had to ask or else it would pick at her brain all day.
He thought for a few moments, "Well…when you kissed my forehead, it felt like my mother was kissing me goodnight….so i just connected you and my mom.." he looked down, holding Kalis hand a bit tighter, "I'm s-sorry, do y-you want m-me to s-stop?.."
Shoot…i hope he didn't hear any of that..
"no. It's fine." She gave him headpats before unsquating.
Their exchange brought Malachi out of his thoughts. He blinked at them, unsure of whether to laugh or confront her about it. Mince, she loves the chaton more than me, he thought. Well, I suppose I can’t blame her.
(Also what does he mean by mince?)
(It means damn in French ddjfjk since he’s thinking, the French words are normal and the English words are italicized)
Alister smiled, endeared by Matteo’s words. He bent down and ruffled his hair, then giving him a small hug. He remembered the families on the platform, waiting to sold, and he figured Matteo’s family wanted to save him from their fate. They must have seen the rebels and sent him to them.
“I do?” He said, a little surprise by it. “And you don’t have to worry about me, I can take care myself. But I don’t want you getting hurt either, it would be better if you stayed.” Sighing, he continued, “It’s alright, I remember the days where I had a hard time controlling my ability too. We’ll figure it out. I’ll make up something.”
He stood and turned to the others. “Hey, it’s alright. He’s safe, I’m sure he just decided to explore a little bit.”
Noel glanced at him, eyes narrowed. “Are you sure? He doesn’t seem to leave your side usually.”
He shrugged. “I understand the kid as well as you do, El.”
“Good point,” she conceded.
August crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. “I want to get going. I’m sure someone will find him sooner or later while we’re gone.”
There were some uncomfortable murmurs of agreement. Charlie put a hand on her hip. “I’ll keep a look out for him.”
"I'm staying right next to yous, i don't care what anyone says."
He continued to glue himself to Alister in everyway but the Litteral way.
"Please, just let me stay by yours side…i-i can protect you…." he mumbled sniffling and clinging to him even though he knew the answer he would probably get is no.
Evan gave Alister a look, but just shook it off, he believed Alister. "Yeah, we need to look for malachi."
Trent nodded though he could probably track the kids scent if he needed too but they didn't seem to worry about him.
Their exchange brought Malachi out of his thoughts. He blinked at them, unsure of whether to laugh or confront her about it. Mince, she loves the chaton more than me, he thought. Well, I suppose I can’t blame her.
She looked over at Malachi, assuming he hadn't heard Quin say that, then a smug expression went on her face as she smirked.
"are you jealous malachi?" She pursued her lips at him, smirking smugly at him.
Extremely smug.
He blinked. Then his lips spread and a nervous laugh came out of his mouth. “W-what are you talking about? Jealous? Moi? No, no, non, je ne suis pas jaloux, pourquoi diriez-vous même cela?”
He looked away, embarrassment written all over his face.
She moved over to him, "Malachi, Breathe i can't understand you when your speaking french." She resisted chuckling, but she's still smirking smugly at him the whole time, and you know it was stretched out intensely.
"oh is the Black panther Embarrassed?" She moved over and ever so gently grabbed his chin and pulled it down to look at her, if he's already down it's tilted up.
“Je ne peux pas- je ne peux pas m'arrêter de parler-“ He gasped as she grabbed his chin to look down at her, eyes widening and heart pumping, and he began to realize it wasn’t just her darkness that made her powerful.
”Panthère noire? Embarrassé?” he pushed her hand away, feeling his head spinning. He tried to get his brain back into English mode. ”S'il te plaît- please, cat, I’m getting dizzy.” He held his head in hands. “We’re never going to make it if this keeps up…”
She couldnt help but let out a chuckle or two looking at malachi with the same smug expression, "Oh? tu es fatigué? par tous les moyens … laissez-moi vous porter, panthère, je ne peux pas laisser la panthère trop embarrassée maintenant, n'est-ce pas?"
she swept kicked his legs out from under him, catching him and holding him bridal style.
since when did i….huh, must be a skill returning through memorys returning…
she thought for a moment, before glancing down at him, grinning and continuing to carry him as they walked.
Malachi was rendered speechless. Being swept off his feet caused his mind too swim and a headache to bloom in the back of his head. He tried to breathe, but that was rather difficult when he saw Arden grinning down at him. He had no choice but to let her carry him, his vision blurring and head pounding.
A rumble of laughter seemed to come from the sphinx’s throat. It is rare that the memories themselves return first.
"I'm staying right next to yous, i don't care what anyone says."
He continued to glue himself to Alister in everyway but the Litteral way.
"Please, just let me stay by yours side…i-i can protect you…." he mumbled sniffling and clinging to him even though he knew the answer he would probably get is no.
Evan gave Alister a look, but just shook it off, he believed Alister. "Yeah, we need to look for malachi."
Trent nodded though he could probably track the kids scent if he needed too but they didn't seem to worry about him.
Alister rested his hand on the boy’s head, smiling sympathetically. “I can’t let you come. Even if you could protect me, I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened to you. It would be just irresponsible of me to bring you along.” He then caught Evan’s look and flushed with embarrassment.
Vixen’s eyes looked over them all, her expression dead-pan. “I can sense him nearby. I’m sure the wolf-boy can too. He’ll be safe as long as he’s here, right?”
August nodded slowly. She took a breath. “C’mon team. We got a lead on Malachi.”
As she led the search party out the door, Alister managed to free himself of Matteo’s grip, following after his sister and soulmate out of the prison.
Malachi was rendered speechless. Being swept off his feet caused his mind too swim and a headache to bloom in the back of his head. He tried to breathe, but that was rather difficult when he saw Arden grinning down at him. He had no choice but to let her carry him, his vision blurring and head pounding.
A rumble of laughter seemed to come from the sphinx’s throat. It is rare that the memories themselves return first.
"Yeah, who knew i could speak french and understand it even just a little bit?" She responded to the spinx, before turning back to Alister, giving him a boop and then continuing to walk with him in her arms.
"oh yeah malachi? Dont forget to breathe, i would hate to bring you back to the rebellion dead and say oh yeah he died because he forgot to breathe."
She looked back ahead as she carries him.
"I'm staying right next to yous, i don't care what anyone says."
He continued to glue himself to Alister in everyway but the Litteral way.
"Please, just let me stay by yours side…i-i can protect you…." he mumbled sniffling and clinging to him even though he knew the answer he would probably get is no.
Evan gave Alister a look, but just shook it off, he believed Alister. "Yeah, we need to look for malachi."
Trent nodded though he could probably track the kids scent if he needed too but they didn't seem to worry about him.
Alister rested his hand on the boy’s head, smiling sympathetically. “I can’t let you come. Even if you could protect me, I don’t think I could live with myself if something happened to you. It would be just irresponsible of me to bring you along.” He then caught Evan’s look and flushed with embarrassment.
Vixen’s eyes looked over them all, her expression dead-pan. “I can sense him nearby. I’m sure the wolf-boy can too. He’ll be safe as long as he’s here, right?”
August nodded slowly. She took a breath. “C’mon team. We got a lead on Malachi.”
As she led the search party out the door, Alister managed to free himself of Matteo’s grip, following after his sister and soulmate out of the prison.
He let go of Alister at the last second, but in turn that meant that since Alister wasn't holding onto him anymore it meant that Alister was prone to be affected by his charmspsak and no longer see him, so he moved to run and then bumped into charlie, causing charlie to see him based on touch to see kinda thing of his ability.
Evan nodded to august, and followed with alister trent and noel out the door.
(You said Alister when it should be Malachi ddjdjkhahahah)
He coughed, "Allez au diable," and tried to focus on breathing. It was easier now that his vision was going out of focus, but since Arden was so small the way she carried him made his body all scrunched up and constricted, which made inhaling and exhaling harder than if someone larger was carrying him. And it's not like I can just get out of her arms, I don't know if she'd let me, he thought to himself. It's fine. This is fine. In through the nose and out the mouth. It's fine.
It was not fine. This was insane. Out of pure shock and exhaustion, Malachi felt himself go limp in the girl's arms. He hadn't even been aware that he'd been so tensed up.
He felt malachi go limp in his arms, and honestly she was a bit just a bit worried about that part, she tried to adjust it to where it was an easier position for him, though she didn't say much and just let him relax, seems she was about finished with the whole flustering up malachi.
Hope That Malachi was being careful where he laid his head wink wink nudge nudge i mean he was in the position for a small but comfy pillow
Anyway they just continued to walk.
