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

Alister's eyes went wide. "Ohhhhhh," he exclaimed. "So that's what it is? Then I guess I had a crush on that one kid in the weapons factory a long time ago…" Then his expression went blank. "So does that mean… I-I mean since we're-" he lowered his voice. "Since we're soulmates…?" he felt his cheeks grow warm.
If they had it on the menu, Noel would've already had the popcorn. But they didn't so she chewed on her bread roll instead. She grinned devilishly when Evan met her gaze, and she struggled to hold in her laughter.
"… so any of the info we might need should be somewhere in the officer's computer's hardware-" Charlie was saying to Emery in between bites of mashed potatoes before Matteo caught her attention. A confused expression crossed her face. "To the prison? We've been here for the past 70 hours or so, so… yes?" She shook her head, as if clearing it, and went back to talking with Emery.

Malachi chuckled. "Then I think you'll like my hacker friend, they've always wanted to either own a cat or build it themself if they had to."
They reached the edge of the rise, and suddenly a landscape that was half forests and meadows and half city bordered by walls stretched out before them. The longer Malachi looked, the more he realized that…
"It's District 6!" he cried. "We're almost there."

"oh really? What else are they like?" She continued to pet the little kitten, before making sure malachi wasn't looking and planting a small kiss on the little guys head before moving away and seeing where malachi was Looking.
"oh…" She didn't know how to feel about it, i mean how would you feel if the person who stole your boss was caught coming back with him? Like hey i know i took him from you but i actually saved him while he saved me haha crazy right?
She sighed.

Evans cheeks started to grow warm as well, at the mention of them being soulmates and he stumbled over his words "Ah- well uh+ um- you see- i mean-' i guess it could um work that way?" He whispered under his breath to Alister.
Trent just chuckled at charlie's response.
Matteo just took this moment to place his chin in his hands and his elbows on the table and kicking his legs for maximum cuteness.
"Well i was just wondering, how long you have been sitting there looking so, how do I put this, like an angel." He winked at Charlie, smiling innocently at charlie.

Noel didn't hear Evan's whispers, for which Alister was grateful. He stuttered incomprehensively before he managed, "Oh, okay." He blanked once again. "Wait, why does Matteo have a crush on Charlie, then? That's weird… right?"
He glanced at the boy and if he was being honest, something inside him squirmed when he heard Matteo's question. August, who had been trying to listen to Charlie and Emery, leaned over to him and said, "Storm, tell the kid to be quiet. God knows he'll listen to you."
Something like shame crawled through Alister's blood. Matteo was interrupting a conversation, and he wasn't doing anything about it. Was he supposed to be disciplining him? He looked at the others. Emery had been talking, but now they trailed off awkwardly. Charlie had a discomforted look on her face, but she looked to the floor as if refusing to pay any attention to Matteo. Alister put a hand on Matteo's shoulder, each passing moment making him wish he could disappear.
"Matteo, you're interrupting them. You can talk some other time, but for now, you need to be quiet, okay?"

"Oh, well, they're quiet, with their eyes glued to a screen most of the time," Malachi chuckled. "They're really smart as well, but oftentimes they don't know how to talk to another person unless it's about coding or hacking. I think that's why we're good friends, though. C'mon."
He gestured to the creature, who padded up to him. He steadied himself on her, clinging to her neck so he wouldn't get dizzy while he moved downhill past the rise.

The closer they got the more nervous she felt, the more anxious she felt. She almost wanted to claw at her skin, she wished for a disguise, any disguise. Sure they might recognize her, but her figure was the same and she was sure that malachi would tell them who exactly she was and then it would be over for her, and she didn't want to trapped in some rebellion strong hold.
She let out another sigh looking away, "Mhm."
The kitten continued to rest against the spinx.

"Oh, i didn't realize i was interupting yours guys conversation, I'm sorry." He nodded to Alister, quickly becoming quiet, and just moving to stand next to Alister and Evan, he moved to grab Alisters hand, just because he wanted to have phsyical touch and he was used to holding hands with his mom or dad, so he gravitated towards Alister.
Evan smiled slightly at the holding hands finding it sweet.
Trent looked away, but winked at matteo when no one is looking.

Charlie sighed. She wasn't one to hold grudges. "It's alright, kid. Just don't do it again."
They continued their conversation. Alister rubbed Matteo's hand in his, but he didn't smile, only saying, "You should eat, yeah?"
Interestingly, Noel was quiet. She had a focused stare trained on Matteo as if analyzing him, only occasionally dropping it to eat.

Malachi continued walking, but he sensed something in Arden's tone and glanced over his shoulder at her.
"Are you alright? It's okay, I'll explain everything when we get there."

"Oh joy i can't wait for you too explain everything" she grumbled walking along the side of the spinx.
"Malachi be honest, do you really think they will just let me go that easy? Seriously? I mean come on, think about it, being realistic even if I'm not locked up and interogated i will get some sort of restraining device, and no one I'm telling you no one will want to be near me or trust me."
She snapped at him, "it's not okay and I'm not alright, never have been i doubt i will be in the future.' she let out a sigh before just looking away.
"you know I'm right Malachi."

Matteo looked up at Alister, before looking back down again, alister wasn't smiling, he made aoister upset and now he was probably upset at him for interupting the pretty lady's conversation, he looked away. "I don't wanna eat.."
Evan the mom walked over and told Trent that he shouldnt be getting matteo in trouble.

"Oh joy i can't wait for you too explain everything" she grumbled walking along the side of the spinx.
"Malachi be honest, do you really think they will just let me go that easy? Seriously? I mean come on, think about it, being realistic even if I'm not locked up and interogated i will get some sort of restraining device, and no one I'm telling you no one will want to be near me or trust me."
She snapped at him, "it's not okay and I'm not alright, never have been i doubt i will be in the future.' she let out a sigh before just looking away.
"you know I'm right Malachi."

His expression darkened. He stopped walking, forced to remove himself from the foolish idea that everything would be fine and dandy once they got back to the prison. Strange, he seemed to be indulging in many foolish ideas lately. Perhaps he'd hit his head one time too many.
"There will be security measures we'll have to take, yes," he said slowly. The realization of what might happen was finally occurring to him. "You'll most likely be interrogated, and we will each give our accounts of what happened between my abduction and my return. You wouldn't be restrained or locked up… I think. Just let me do the talking. Except of course, when you can't. But they'll listen to me, they have to-"
He flinched when she snapped at him. He was silent for a moment. She was right, but Malachi was afraid of saying so. He leaned on the creature, feeling himself grow dizzy.
"You don't have to come," he said at last. "I can make something up, say you let me go then disappeared. After all, if all you really want from coming is your name or maybe your brother, then you don't have to come with me. Come later, in the night perhaps." He sighed, regretting his negligence of Arden's feelings about it all.

Matteo looked up at Alister, before looking back down again, alister wasn't smiling, he made aoister upset and now he was probably upset at him for interupting the pretty lady's conversation, he looked away. "I don't wanna eat.."
Evan the mom walked over and told Trent that he shouldnt be getting matteo in trouble.

Alister looked at the boy, concerned. "Are you sure? You look…" he pressed his hand to Matteo's ribs, his concern growing when he felt them protruding. "You're definitely underweight. You need to eat, okay? So you don't get sick or weak. You can have my roll."
He took his roll from his plate and handed it to Matteo, his embarrassment from before fading.

Matteo looked over at the roll, before taking a small bite of it and chewing it. He continues to take small nibbles of the bites, obviously being upset but he didn't want to say no to Alister, knowing Alister was upset.
"thanks…" He sat down with his head down, eating small nibbles of the bun.
Evan sighed as put a hand on trents shoulder, "I know you guys were just having a little fun, and that's okay I'm not against having fun but just, not right now okay? Maybe when charlie is not talking to someone and just maybe later."
Trent nodded with a sigh, "alright.."
Evan smiled at him, "Thank you." He turned back to Alister with a thumbs up.

She turned back to see him flinch when she snapped at him, something in her made her feel bad about it, like it was familar to her.
But why?
Why was that one single motion making her feel sympathy? She was upset at him and the situation so what the heck was that?
She stumbled back a bit, looking away. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She muttered out, gritting her teeth. It didn't seem to be coming in visions anymore, it was more like painfilled flashes of memory, and this wasn't a pleasant one.
She bit down on her tongue at the urge she got to scream, not from pain, but from the intense feeling she got.
She let go of her hand, panting a bit before continuing to move forward, ignoring any looks from the two of them and shoving them away( well she might have tried too, but she probably would have done it weakly.)
"i just….i don't want to trapped, i don't want to be held captive, not again. Okay?"
She spoke not looking at malachi with a bit of bite in her words.

Malachi and the creature shared a glance before he said, “We rebels do not hold our fellow humans captive, Arden. If being in the alien’s clutches has taught me anything, is that treating each other like the aliens treat us will destroy the human race as we know it. If there’s one thing I know without a doubt is that they will not hold you in one of the prison cells out of revenge or spite. So please, rest assured of that.”
The creature tried to get close to her, but a low whine came from her throat as she was pushed away.

He rubbed Matteo’s shoulder in reassurance before going to eat his mashed potatoes. He caught Evan’s thumbs up and nodded in reply.
By now, the cuts and bruises were healing or had been treated, and so the flowers on Alister and Evan’s bodies began wilting. Alister scratched absentmindedly at the wilting poppy on his cheek.

She sighed, moving her hand so the creature could get close to her, she couldn't deny it for any long amount of time, especially since it felt so familiar to her.
She stroked it gently, before looking at Malachi.
"this seems childish, but….do you, promise?" She asked while looking away and stroking the spinx.

He let Alister rub his shoulder, enjoying the shoulder rubs as he continued to nibble on his bread slowly but surely being able to finish it despite his claim for not being hungry.
Evan went and sat down next to Alister and Noel, giving matteo gentle headpats.
Trent just went over to noel.

Noel continued to stare at Matteo, only glancing at Trent in acknowledgment when he came over.
"Why did he even decide to come with us…?" Noel wondered, half to herself and half to Trent. "You saw those enslaved families, right? Did he belong to either of them? And how did he get away and approach us without being noticed?"
Meanwhile, when Alister saw that Matteo had eaten his food, he smiled at him proudly. "You ate it all! Good job." He patted his shoulder and remembering his sister, he turned to her and said, "You're eating too, right El?"
"Yeah, I am, stop worrying about me, you dork." She gestured to her plate of half-eaten mashed potatoes, forced to turn her gaze from the boy to her brother.
"That's kind of difficult when I've been worrying about you for literally three years, but okay." Alister rolled his eyes. Noel smacked his shoulder. He laughed.

The sphinx purred, leaning into Arden's strokes. Freedom is so terrifying, and yet even more terrifying is freedom being stolen, she seemed to say.
Malachi stared at the girl, his thoughts making him pause. Yesterday, she had seemed so uncomfortable, even fearful, with being free from the aliens, probably for the first time in her life. Now she was making him promise that she would never be in captivity again. Of course he could understand how she felt, he had gone through a somewhat similar experience, but it seemed so sudden. Perhaps it was, again, that he had been unconscious for most of the time she had been processing those feelings.
"Je promets, I promise," he murmured. "And it's not childish at all. Promises are a big deal."

Noel continued to stare at Matteo, only glancing at Trent in acknowledgment when he came over.
"Why did he even decide to come with us…?" Noel wondered, half to herself and half to Trent. "You saw those enslaved families, right? Did he belong to either of them? And how did he get away and approach us without being noticed?"
Meanwhile, when Alister saw that Matteo had eaten his food, he smiled at him proudly. "You ate it all! Good job." He patted his shoulder and remembering his sister, he turned to her and said, "You're eating too, right El?"
"Yeah, I am, stop worrying about me, you dork." She gestured to her plate of half-eaten mashed potatoes, forced to turn her gaze from the boy to her brother.
"That's kind of difficult when I've been worrying about you for literally three years, but okay." Alister rolled his eyes. Noel smacked his shoulder. He laughed.

Trent shrugged looking at the kid, before looking back at Noel.
"Who knows, maybe he somehow was able to get away from them?"
He whispered to Noel, laughing a bit at the sibling stuff.
Evan smiled as well, eating a little bit as well.
Matteo looked up at Alister, "It's nothing big just a bread roll.." he played it off like itwasnt a big deal., Though it was to him at least a little bit.
"Do you…have another?..'

The sphinx purred, leaning into Arden's strokes. Freedom is so terrifying, and yet even more terrifying is freedom being stolen, she seemed to say.
Malachi stared at the girl, his thoughts making him pause. Yesterday, she had seemed so uncomfortable, even fearful, with being free from the aliens, probably for the first time in her life. Now she was making him promise that she would never be in captivity again. Of course he could understand how she felt, he had gone through a somewhat similar experience, but it seemed so sudden. Perhaps it was, again, that he had been unconscious for most of the time she had been processing those feelings.
"Je promets, I promise," he murmured. "And it's not childish at all. Promises are a big deal."

"yeah…" She softly agreed with the spinx still sttroking them gently as they continued to approach.
"Okay …well it doesn't matter if they are a big deal, promises got broken like there nothing..so prove to me they are a big deal, and keep it."

He sighed. “I think that’s because nothing is guaranteed these days, you know?” He smiled gently as he watched her stroke the beast. “Promises simply become something to say when when you want it to be meaningful, or to simply please someone. But it’s also a sacred thing that binds you to someone. If you break the promise, you break the bind. You break the bond you have with that person; it’s a betrayal. That’s why this is a big deal to me. Your promise binds you to me, and I value you and your company. You are a friend to me. That is why, even though nothing is guaranteed, I will do everything in my power to keep my promise.”
Their eyes met, and he hoped she could see his sincerity. It wasn’t just that she was his friend, either. He knew what it felt like to be trapped, contained, to be at the mercy of your captors. It was something he vowed to never experience again, and he wondered if Arden made that same vow.