The siblings chuckled at Trent’s remark, the laughter making Noel feel better. She didn’t want to admit it, but she felt almost dirty, tainted. Why, she wasn’t completely sure. Perhaps the numbness in response to what had happened to her was fading. She leaned on her brother’s shoulder.
Alister still stared at Evan, rather unable to look away. Ever since last night, he felt more drawn to him, added with how he took care of that disgusting guy who forced himself on Noel. Perhaps this was what a crush felt like. Unfortunately, he had no idea what to say to Evan.
"there's that beautiful smile," Trent smiles at Noel, "you were missing it, don't you agree Evan.' he nudged Evan and Evan nodded to them, "Yeah, she's always got a smile that could make everyone smile back at them."
He turned back to Alister still holding his hand.
"so…how are you fairing on the mission so far?"
“Oh, stop it,” Noel said, nudging Trent playfully. “We’re on a mission here guys.”
Alister was able to tear his gaze from Evan just long enough to glance at her. “But it’s true, El, c’mon. I’ve missed that smile too.”
She just laughed a little again, hiding her face with her hand. Why did she feel her eyes getting wet?
Alister rubbed her shoulder affectionately, turning back to Evan. “I… I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t completely ruin it, right? And we have a lead on your leader. So I guess I’m doing alright. How about you?”
Matteo stayed near Charlie, almost clinging to her leg as he watched Alister leave, very worried that something would happen to him like something happened to his parents, like when they told him to run but they weren't right behind him like they said they would be.
He almost let out a slight whimper, please com back safe…please …
Charlie glanced down at the boy, patting his head in an attempt to console him. “They’ll be alright,” she said. “C’mon.” And she led him inside.
Emery was still glued to the holographic screens, swiping and tapping rapidly between them. Charlie sat leisurely next to them, finally hoping to relax. Today had been a busy one.
“What’ve you found?” Charlie asked.
Emery barely glanced away from their work. “Hmm? Oh, yeah I’ve found things. Took some digging, but it definitely seems like we’re looking at Arden’s sibling here. I still need to translate most of the text, but after that, I should have everything.”
Charlie gave them a thumbs up, a little too exhausted to do anything else.
“Have you found that kid?”
Charlie raised a brow. “Yep, he’s right here.”
Emery glanced away from the screens. “Uhh…” as they were also in the vicinity of Matteo’s shout at the time, the they couldn’t see him any more than Charlie could before he touched her.
He just followed after Charlie, clinging onto her as much as he could but still allowing her to walk, he let them talk looking around Emery's area before hearing them talk about him.
He moved pulling Charlie with him as he touched Emery as well, suddenly appearing infront of emery which would probably scare the crap out of her, or just shock her either one.
"sorry…i..panicked.." he muttered, holding onto them both as he looked down in embarrassnent.
“Oh, stop it,” Noel said, nudging Trent playfully. “We’re on a mission here guys.”
Alister was able to tear his gaze from Evan just long enough to glance at her. “But it’s true, El, c’mon. I’ve missed that smile too.”
She just laughed a little again, hiding her face with her hand. Why did she feel her eyes getting wet?
Alister rubbed her shoulder affectionately, turning back to Evan. “I… I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t completely ruin it, right? And we have a lead on your leader. So I guess I’m doing alright. How about you?”
"yeah, your doing more then Alright Ali." He let the nickname slip out, smiling at him like a proud parent ajdjejd "Yeah, I'm just hopping that we can locate him and he won't be injured in any he's strong, and smart so I'm not super worried but it's still there you know?" He moved to put a comforting hand on Noels shoulder for a good bit.
Quin tilted his head at them, "A-Are y-you g-guys t-together? Like d-dating? B-because if your h-holding b-back because I'm here t-then y-you d-don't h-have you can k-kiss if you want." He just kinda held his hands behind his back and like head tilted back in an innocent way as he walked infront of them.
Kali turned her neck towards quin so fast she almost got whiplash with wide eyed and bright red, "k-k-k-kiss?!"
If he was being honest, Malachi had completely forgotten that Quinn was still there. From the moment the child spoke he tensed up, accidentally squeezing Arden slightly in his arms.
“K-kiss? Dating?” A wave of confusion and disturbed embarrassment washed over him. ”Non, non, we met only yesterday, why would we be– patienter, were we acting like we were-”
He stopped himself. Now that he thought about it, he realized he was acting too friendly. And she was doing the same back to him! The realization hit him like a train, he wasn’t sure how to feel or act. What did this mean?
Eventually the only words that his brain could conjure were spoken. “I- je suis profondément désolé, Arden, pardonne-moi s'il te plaît, je ne voulais pas te donner la mauvaise idée ou quoi que ce soit- uh, do you want me to put you down?”
(What does all the french mean-')
(i'm deeply sorry, Arden, please forgive me, I did not want to give you the wrong idea or anything-)
"……" She was silent for a majority of Malachi's freakout, because she had come to the conclusion that Quin wouldn't have assumed that out of nowhere.
She had been…doing things that made it look like they were dating.
….
WHAT WAS SHE DOING WHY DI SHE ACT LIKE THST WHY DID SHE ENJOY ACTING LIKE THAY WHY SHE DID LET HIM DO THAT TO HER AND SAY THOSE THINGS TO HER WHY WAS SHEE FREAKING OUT WHY WAS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL TO HER IT SHOULDN'T BE SHOULD IT?
She was extremely zoned out. And bright red.
Quin was confused "What?"
He just followed after Charlie, clinging onto her as much as he could but still allowing her to walk, he let them talk looking around Emery's area before hearing them talk about him.
He moved pulling Charlie with him as he touched Emery as well, suddenly appearing infront of emery which would probably scare the crap out of her, or just shock her either one.
"sorry…i..panicked.." he muttered, holding onto them both as he looked down in embarrassnent.
Emery made a sharp intake of breath as they felt something touch them; it was a bit of a shock after being sucked into researching and hacking for so long. Then Matteo came into view, and they quirked their brow in confusion. They should’ve seen him go to touch them, right?
“Um, it’s alright kid, I would do the same thing,” they said.
Charlie watched them with interest. Why had Emery been so shocked when Matteo touched them? The way he touched them both as he spoke… Charlie thought back to the moment when they’d lost Matteo, and then it clicked.
“So… just by saying that we couldn’t see you, you became invisible?” She was half asking him, half wondering to herself.
He heard her question and got spooked just a little bit, jumping slightly.
"u-Uh-! I think so-? I don't really well- know how it works..all i know is that i yelled at the alien and they couldn't find me and that's how I got away from them, so i figured it would work with you guys but i don't know how to turn it off…or how it works…" He almost fidgeted with his hands before realizing he nodded to keep hold of them.
"yeah, your doing more then Alright Ali." He let the nickname slip out, smiling at him like a proud parent ajdjejd "Yeah, I'm just hopping that we can locate him and he won't be injured in any he's strong, and smart so I'm not super worried but it's still there you know?" He moved to put a comforting hand on Noels shoulder for a good bit.
He blushed when called by his nickname. "Yeah, I am, now that you're holding my hand," he ventured shyly. "And yeah, I get it. It was the same with Noel."
Speaking of which, his sister put her own hand atop Evan's, rubbing it with a solemn expression on her face.
They were about to turn a corner. Vixen's fox ears quivered, and she whispered to August with urgency.
He heard her question and got spooked just a little bit, jumping slightly.
"u-Uh-! I think so-? I don't really well- know how it works..all i know is that i yelled at the alien and they couldn't find me and that's how I got away from them, so i figured it would work with you guys but i don't know how to turn it off…or how it works…" He almost fidgeted with his hands before realizing he nodded to keep hold of them.
Emery slowly turned back to their work, deciding to just listen. Charlie rested her head on her hand, looking at the boy.
"Maybe just say that we can see you again?" she suggested.
(Are they getting close to Malachi and Kali?)
(no, they still need to go on for a bit before they hit the District 6 border)
He heard her question and got spooked just a little bit, jumping slightly.
"u-Uh-! I think so-? I don't really well- know how it works..all i know is that i yelled at the alien and they couldn't find me and that's how I got away from them, so i figured it would work with you guys but i don't know how to turn it off…or how it works…" He almost fidgeted with his hands before realizing he nodded to keep hold of them.
Emery slowly turned back to their work, deciding to just listen. Charlie rested her head on her hand, looking at the boy.
"Maybe just say that we can see you again?" she suggested.
"I can try…" he swallowed, "Um, You can see me again." He spoke as he let go, he wasn't using it with much eumph or force so it he wasn't using it at all, it usually came out when he was very emotional. Not just causally. "Did it work?"
"……" She was silent for a majority of Malachi's freakout, because she had come to the conclusion that Quin wouldn't have assumed that out of nowhere.
She had been…doing things that made it look like they were dating.
….
WHAT WAS SHE DOING WHY DI SHE ACT LIKE THST WHY DID SHE ENJOY ACTING LIKE THAY WHY SHE DID LET HIM DO THAT TO HER AND SAY THOSE THINGS TO HER WHY WAS SHEE FREAKING OUT WHY WAS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL TO HER IT SHOULDN'T BE SHOULD IT?
She was extremely zoned out. And bright red.
Quin was confused "What?"
He glanced down. “Arden? Chat noir?” Seeing her so red and yet so out of it made him giggle, but it didn’t last long. He turned back to Quinn.
“Ah, sorry, I tend to go back to French when I get stressed or something. It’s nothing. Um…”
He really wanted for Arden to answer so he knew what he should do, if she was still okay with him carrying her.
Of course, there was also the question of how and why their relationship came to be this way. He was pretty sure they’ve never spoken to each other or acted like this before this moment, and it had always seemed like she’s never liked him anyway. Sure, she said they were friends, but then it seemed to go way past that much quicker than he expected. What had changed? He thought back to the many times when she had tried to both kill him and saved his life, and he smiled. Perhaps it had always been like this.
(Skdmdmkfdkdjd i love that too much)
I mean if she could of character office style say it would probably be like, "He's.jusy got that adorable innocent face where it's like, i can't just leave them like that all alone! And i can't hurt them either even though there personality is aggravating"
Though right now, she was still trying to get out of her zoned out super flustered state, her blush had mostly calmed down by now. That's when she finally zoned back in.
"…huh?" Blink Blink
"I can try…" he swallowed, "Um, You can see me again." He spoke as he let go, he wasn't using it with much eumph or force so it he wasn't using it at all, it usually came out when he was very emotional. Not just causally. "Did it work?"
Charlie blinked as he disappeared as soon as he let go, a little weirded out by his disembodied voice. Emery looked back to see if he was still there.
“Uh, no,” Charlie’s said. “Hmm, maybe the effect will fade over time.”
Malachi laughed. “You know what, I’ll just keep carrying you. I like doing it.”
Beside them the creature yawned, then looked at them curiously. She had been humming quietly this whole time, figuring that the two of them didn’t want to be interrupted in their shenanigans. Malachi leaned against her, a little dizzy from the shock from a few moments ago.
"You…okay?" She noticed the fact that he slightly leaned on the creature. She was honestly concerned about him and didn't want her carrying him to be too much of a burden.
"you sure you want to carry me?" She stared at him a bit of concern showing up in her voice and face.
