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.
(IM BRINGING THIS BACK BABY JESUS)
(LOL "stop acting like a dead fish ali)
(Should I respond with kali)
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.
(You can respond with Kali if you want)
Noel nodded, turning to lead them back inside. “You’re Kali’s brother, right? And Ali’s my brother. They’re trying to figure out what to do with both of you.”
On top of all the embarrassment and confusion Alister felt, those words also brought in a wave of anxiety. Both he and Kali were newcomers, originally serving the aliens until someone rescued them from it. And now, the rebellion had to learn and see if it could trust them.
“Malachi was talking about how Kali wasn’t actually dangerous,” Noel continued. “Apparently she came from a women’s group that served the aliens, had been raised there. And uh, she was experimented on with her memories wiped? It’s still kind of a mystery. You know, I saw her and Malachi being all lovey-dovey earlier. It was kinda weird. They’re not even soulmates, on top of her trying to kill him.”
Briefly, Alister glanced at Evan, then back to Noel. “Ah… interesting.” He couldn’t find the words to say anything else.
He let out a soft sigh, but set down a gentle hand in alisters shoulder to let him know he was there for him. He looked back at Noel listening to her talk about how they needed to find out what to do with the two of them.
"She isn't dangerous…I know what I saw when she came to me, on accident, but still. As long as…whatever made her lash out isn't a part of the equation I think everything should be fine…if she's powerful then it would be Good either way to have her fighting by our side."
He spoke somewhat firm, in all honesty he just wanted to properly meet his sister without all the interruptions.
Both his brows raised as he heard that they were acting lovey dovey to each other, as much as he was starting to feel like a brother to her, he trusted malachi at the very least. You could say he approved.
"I mean, no one said you had to fall in love with your soul mate.'
“Yes… I think that will be a major reason to keep her around,” Noel determined. “She nearly choked Trent to death back there.”
Alister appreciated Evan’s touch, placing his own hand on top of his for a brief moment of acknowledgment. He kept his gaze on his sister, though, cocking his head a little.
“El, didn’t you say you didn’t want to meet your soulmate?” He asked. “And yeah, your relationship with your soulmate doesn’t have to be romantic. Maybe Kali and Malachi’s soulmates will be more platonic in nature. It’s not your business anyway.”
Noel, startled by his words, stuttered a bit. “I— yes, I know but—“ she gestured, shrugged her shoulders, and finally said, “I— I don’t want to fall in love with my… my soulmate. I thought I would be forced to.”
At this, some of Alister’s negative emotions were replaced by amusement. “Noel,” he sighed, rubbing her head with his hand. “So silly. And stop worrying about them, it doesn’t matter as long as Kali doesn’t go crazy and try to hurt him.”
(I'm so excited for Elise and casper)
"Noel…you do realize you don't have to fall in love with them right? I know alister talked about it but really…it might just be good for the two of you to be friends. You'll never know if don't meet them."
He smiled at Noel softly, before moving to smile at Alister, and rhen back at Noel. He moved to give her a gentle pat pat.
"All in good time I suppose."
He moved to look towards the entrance, "we should probably head inside…'
