forum “You don’t know what they did to me. To us.” (a continuation of an abruptly deleted thread)

Started September 23, 2020 by @Tired-but-passionate

tune

Something inside him tingled as he heard Evan’s words. He laughed. “My little breeze?” He suggested before laughing again. “Well, I like both. You can call me both, if you want.”

Noel had also been watching them, studying their behavior. “Indeed. They are clearly smitten by each other.”

He smiled uncontrollably. “Ohh, ma chatte rouge, eh? Chatte noir is chatte rouge now.” His fingers reached up, combing through her hair peeking out of his chest. “Don’t hide, ma chère. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

She swatted playfully at him, though was caught off guard as he ran his fingers through her hair and found herself relaxing as he did so. Maybe she really was like a cat, she was enjoying headpats of whatever this was. It felt nice…
"oh chut, tu agis n'est-ce pas toi-même l'ombre d'une fraise…" She mumbled to him, muttering as she spoke.

"I don't know if I like it…what's he even see in her, she just tried to kill him." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

Something inside him tingled as he heard Evan’s words. He laughed. “My little breeze?” He suggested before laughing again. “Well, I like both. You can call me both, if you want.”

He laughed softly as well, "Aw my little breeze, it's cute just like you." He smiled at Alister as he spoke, not blushing as much as he was before but it was definitely still there on his face.

Noel wasn’t exactly worried about that. “But how is she so different now? It’s this side of her that he likes obviously, not the side of her that tried to kill him. But how do they make it work?”

”Mais je ne me cache pas, maintenant?” It seemed his smile would never waver. ”Si vous arrêtez de vous cacher, nous pouvons être des fraises ensemble.”

"Heck if I know!" He grumbled, crossing his arms as he watches them be blushy. It didn't sit well with him.

She moved her head back from his chest lightly.
"tout le monde nous regardera comme des fraises… peut-être pas tout le monde mais la plupart des gens… je ne veux pas que les gens me regardent…" She looked down as she spoke, only Malachi could clearly see her flustered face from where she was.

At this, his blush intensified. “I— I am? I, I uh…” he couldn’t conjure anymore words to say, until a thought struck him. He gasped softly. “Can I call you my little song? I think… I think you would be a great singer, with your powers…”

His hand slid from her hair to her cheek as she moved to look at him. ”Ahh, alors c'est de ça que tu as peur,” he murmured. He looked around to see who was watching them, and gave Trent and Noel a death glare. When they turned away, he looked back down at Kali, caressing her gently. ”C'est bon, il n'y a plus d'yeux sur nous maintenant. J'adore voir votre joli visage, mais si vous êtes mal à l'aise, je comprends.”

Malachi had spotted them, and he didn’t look happy that they were watching. Noel quickly looked away, shaking her head. “It was a rhetorical question, Trent.”

She looked up at him as he spoke, watching as he moved to death glare at the people watching them and the looked back at her. His words made her flustered even more, as she looked away but he could see her face completely. It was like looking from above at her red face.
"« vous et vos paroles coquettes… comment pensez-vous même que mon visage est tout cela… ? ne devriez-vous pas flirter devant votre peuple ? »" she mumbled under her breath, "even though I might enjoy it.."
She fidgeted with her hands as she spoke, moving to look up at him.

At this, his blush intensified. “I— I am? I, I uh…” he couldn’t conjure anymore words to say, until a thought struck him. He gasped softly. “Can I call you my little song? I think… I think you would be a great singer, with your powers…”

He chuckled as he watched Alister stumble over his words, before he ended blushing more. "Oh- uh- yeah you can call me that. Though I don't know about the singing part.." yes you do Evan, you litterally sing all the time and Noel could probably tell Alister about it if she wanted.

He smiled wide. “Yay! And c’mon, it makes sense. Your voice is already pretty to listen to while you talk.” His gaze softened as he stared at him, and he pressed a finger to Evan’s blushing cheek. “Strawberry.”

She looked up at him as he spoke, watching as he moved to death glare at the people watching them and the looked back at her. His words made her flustered even more, as she looked away but he could see her face completely. It was like looking from above at her red face.
"« vous et vos paroles coquettes… comment pensez-vous même que mon visage est tout cela… ? ne devriez-vous pas flirter devant votre peuple ? »" she mumbled under her breath, "even though I might enjoy it.."
She fidgeted with her hands as she spoke, moving to look up at him.

He couldn’t help but snicker softly. ”Je suis désolé, c'est difficile de ne pas le faire,” he said. “Tu es tellement mignon, ma chère. Devrais-je arrêter? Je peux essayer.”
By now some of the others were giving them side eye glances, then quickly looking away. Malachi didn’t seem to mind, or maybe he didn’t notice.

Kali definitely noticed all the side glances people were giving them, and she just leaned in close to Malachi, he could still see her face, but she hated the attention. She shook her head, why should let there stares get her? It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong. Sure she did something earlier but that wasn't her fault, and she wasn't doing anything know. She moved away his chest a bit more and moved stare right back at those giving side glances, before looking back at Malachi.
"Oh, tu arrêtes, tu es trop adorable…" She muttered to him, hoping that no one else could understand what she was saying, she almost didn't want Malachi to hear her.
"La panthère noire est aussi la panthère rousse que je vois, mais je suppose que ça ne me dérangerait pas d'être des fraises avec toi…"

He smiled wide. “Yay! And c’mon, it makes sense. Your voice is already pretty to listen to while you talk.” His gaze softened as he stared at him, and he pressed a finger to Evan’s blushing cheek. “Strawberry.”

He exhaled as Alisters smile, finding it amazing to look at.
"I-it is..? Well thank you." He chuckled softly listening to Alister talk.
He felt Alister press a finger to his cheek and just poked Alister on the cheek as well with a chuckle.

Malachi was about to respond when Charlie groaned loudly. “I can understand everything you’re saying. Can you please just get a room?”
He stuttered, then retorted, “Well, excuse me! She just woke up, I’m just comforting her.”
“That is absolutely not what you’re doing.”
“You’re one to talk, you’re the one who made her go violent.”
“Oh, thanks so much for reminding me.”
August piped up. “Calm down you two. Mal, I just notified Ara— I mean, Collins of your return. She said she’ll organize the replacement of the others still in District 7.”
“Collins?” He had to think for a moment. “Oh yes, thank you. Charlie, since you’re so talkative, we should all continue our discussion.” He looked back to Noel and Trent. “And give some explanations.”

"Maybe you should just go to sleep and stop listening." She glared at Charlie,
"Your lucky I didn't hurt you more then I did."
She huffed at him.
"He is too comforting me.." she muttered underneath her breath.
She just watched as they talked, listening and staying close to Malachi.
Trent was observing this as well and moved to step forward.
"yeah there sure as heck needs to be explaining done here."

He smiled wide. “Yay! And c’mon, it makes sense. Your voice is already pretty to listen to while you talk.” His gaze softened as he stared at him, and he pressed a finger to Evan’s blushing cheek. “Strawberry.”

He exhaled as Alisters smile, finding it amazing to look at.
"I-it is..? Well thank you." He chuckled softly listening to Alister talk.
He felt Alister press a finger to his cheek and just poked Alister on the cheek as well with a chuckle.

Evan’s touch made him shiver a little, and his smile turned shy. He moved his hand from simply poking his cheek to caressing it. Evan’s laughs were like music to his ears, and he couldn’t stop looking at his lips. Those soft, pale lips…
“Thank you,” he whispered. He leaned closer, but suddenly the nervousness returned. He wanted to do… something, something that he’s never done before, and it frightened him. Would Evan be okay with it?

Malachi let out a breath. “Okay, look. Kali didn’t start attacking because she wanted to. It was because her mind was being controlled by someone else.” He glanced down at her, hoping she didn’t mind him speaking for her. “Saying those words were a trigger for her to start acting violently. And I’m sure you’re familiar with this, Charlie.” He turned to the woman, who was quiet for once.
“Yes,” she said. “From… from what I remember, some decades ago the aliens started figuring out that humans were genetically adapting to their invasion, so they captured many humans into their ranks and used them against other humans. If they aren’t capturing humans to be killed or experimented on, then they are using them against their own kind. I think she and I came from the same group, one made up of entirely women. They had a system where they would employ some of them over the rest, to keep the group under the alien’s control. The way they did that was through these strings of command words that would allow the speaker to gain control over the other person. I was… I was one of those. Those who would be in control of another. Control of a person would sometimes be passed around if it was necessary. That’s what I thought had happened. Kali seems to be one of those who was controlled, though…” she glanced at her. “You’re much more powerful than the average солдат. They must’ve also experimented on you…”

She didn't mind Malachi speaking for her, she knew that he would do her at least some justice with his words. One could say she had faith in him, which she hasn't given out to hardly anyone.
She glared at Charlie when she had about finished up talking.
"I don't know what happened to me, all I know is they kept me locked up and following there commands ever since I can remember, I didn't know right from wrong, and then Malachi helped me escape and I actually started realizing things weren't how they seemed.." she looked at him, not wanting to look at anyone else.
She sighed, "Those trigger words, shove me in the backseat of my brain and make it so that I'm no longer in control and make sure that I carry out my mission, whatever it is. It's not something I can just get out of." She muttered, thinking back to who she hurt. She took a deep breath, "I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I don't want any trouble..I just wanted to get the interrogation over with until miss assumptions over here decided to get against my warnings. I told her it wouldn't work, and she still went ahead with it. She seems to have an issue with listening to even her own commander." She glared at Charlie, crossing her arms.
Trent just listened looking from noel, and then Malachi and Kali and then back at Noel. It was a lot of information to process.

Charlie returned the glare but said nothing. Her pride had been wounded enough already. Malachi sighed. “Let’s move on, d’accord? I just wanted to make it clear that she isn’t a threat to us. Now, I already gave August an account of my… abduction and escape, and would rather not repeat myself. But do you have any other questions?” He looked to Noel and Trent.
“Well, what are we going to do with her now?” Noel asked. “We could destroy the book so she doesn’t go crazy again, but will she fight for our cause?”
“If I may,” August offered, “you are Evan’s sister, are you not? He should be listening to this.”
Malachi nodded in agreement. “Noel, would you go get him? You can get your brother too.”
As she stood up to leave, Charlie glanced to the side. “Oh yeah… him. Should we talk about him, too?”
“Probably. A lot of sibling reunions around here,” Malachi said. He put a hand on his forehead. It was a lot.
“He did well during the mission to search for you,” August said. “He was originally with the aliens as well, but it seems he also has no where else to go.”
Malachi started rubbing his temple. ”Alors… Noel, you can update Evan on what has been said so far. For now, let’s discuss the two of them and then exchange stories.”

He watched Alisters smile turn shy and leaned into his hand that had began carressing his cheek. He continued to smile at him, moving to cup Alisters cheeks with his hands. He noticed where his gaze fell, and he leaned forward slightly so that he could hear Alister better. Only after he spoke did he realize how close they were.
He leaned forward, and they were need inches away and just as he had a thought-
He saw Noel in the corner of his eyes and jumped away.
"n-noel-?"

Alister could feel his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. He immediately parted from Evan, still feeling the imprint of his hands on his cheeks. He turned, seeing Noel cross both pairs of arms over her body.
“Sorry guys, hate to interrupt your little make out session, but we’re having a discussion that you should probably be apart of.”
There was a hint of a smile on her face, but Alister also saw some sadness in his sister’s eyes. He blinked at her, trying to remember how to breathe.
“C’mon Ali, stop looking like a dead fish and get over here,” Noel said, gesturing for him to come over.
He forced a chuckle, then stood, giving her a side hug. His face burned. He looked back to Evan, shrugging at him.

He coughed a little, more so moving to clear his throat so when he did finally attempt to talk his voice didnt stutter or crack. He moved to get up from where he was sitting and fanning his warm face, he saw alisters shrug and just kinda shrugged back though he felt embarrassed heavily by Noel showing up out of nowhere.
He made his way over to the two of them, "I guess we're needed back in the room for a debrief..?' He assumed, even if it were previously stated. He was surprised when his voice didn't stutter or crack at all since he still felt like he turned to mush.