Acacia
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The title means "Under the Rose" which is a phrase meaning "To keep a secret." Just so you know. ;D
So, here is the next installment in Acacia's adventure! I hope you like the innuendos that may or may not send you into a shipping frenzy. ;) Ehehehe. :3
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“Avec mes souvenirs. J'ai allumé le feu. Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs. Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux,” I sang quietly to myself as I sat along the brook’s edge, brushing through my white locks with my fingers.
Surrounded by a dense layer of towering oaks and pines, I felt right at home, embraced in my element, and, for once, I didn’t have to hide. It was a good thing, too; all my potions had been left behind in my apartment.
I stared into the clear water, driving my thoughts from my Parisian home. Even though it had only been a few days ago, my whole experience in the city seemed as though it were a dream.
Vivid hallucinations
Yet I know they once were real
Like a dream long forgotten
The anguish I still can feel.
The currents flowed past the field I knelt on, reflecting my face in a distorted manner, the colors altered by the cerulean hue. My eyes, heterochromatic with one silver and one violet (even I had to admit it was a strange combination), stared back at me with an unnatural intensity. Was that really how I looked? Or was the water playing tricks on my weary mind?
Leaning forward, I narrowed my eyes, peering into the depths as if I could uncover the secrets my own eyes disclosed. I’m not sure why I was trying to do so; perhaps it was to check if my composure was strong enough for others. Nonetheless, I was unbelievably distracted, so much so that I didn’t hear someone sneak up behind me.
“Pourquoi chantez-vous de ces chansons tristes?” a soft voice questioned from somewhere off to my left, and I immediately shot backwards, away from the water’s edge, my thorns making themselves known as I readied myself for a fight.
Sebastian raised his hands in surrender, an amused smile on his lips. I sighed, placing my hands on my lap and looking away, rolling my eyes. He moved closer, taking a seat beside me on the smooth quartz surface.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he murmured, laughing quietly under his breath. Sighing, I turned to face him, drawing my knees up to my chest and draping my arms over them.
“I just like the way they sound,” I explained solemnly, managing a steady stare. He raised a single eyebrow, obviously not believing me, but I didn’t care. I had my secrets and I was certain he had his.
“Right,” he breathed, reaching towards the water-clogged soil and retrieving a flat stone. He skillfully skipped it across the water, running a hand through his hair. He remained silent for a good five minutes, leaving me fidgeting uncomfortably.
“What do you want?” I groaned exasperatedly, narrowing my eyes and exhaling heavily. Chuckling, he rose to his feet, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“We have a flight to catch,” he explained, glancing at his watch. “It leaves in an hour.” Shocked, I rose hastily rose to my feet, raising my eyebrows and crossing my arms over my chest.
“What do you mean, a flight?” I demanded harshly, my voice louder than what it should have been. “You didn’t tell me we’d have to fly anywhere. Where do you intend on taking me?” Eyes wide, he gestured for me to “simmer down”, taking a step towards me.
“Calm down,” he crooned, placing a hand on my shoulder. I hadn’t realized it, but I was shaking and my thorns were out once again. Inhaling deeply, I retracted them once more, throwing his hand off of me as I did so. “I thought you might react like this, so I knew it’d be a dealbreaker. We need to go to Greece to meet up with some of the rest of the club. There’s another one of us over there. Our ‘leader’ is already there, and I was instructed to find her as soon as I found you.”
“So, what, am I just some sort of tagalong? Some baggage?” I laughed mockingly, turning to face the forest on the other side of the creek. “This is exactly what I was talking about. I don’t even have a purpose in this. Plus, I’ll just give you guys away. If you haven’t noticed, I’m green.” He didn’t seem affected at all by my outburst; in fact, it was as though he expected it.
“If you’re so worried about someone seeing you,” he began, pulling a slim parcel from his pocket and tossing it to me, “take this.” I caught it easily, unfolding it immediately. “And we haven’t even started our investigation yet. We need more recruits before we can look for clues.”
“What is this, some sort of... invisibility cloak?” I questioned, pinching the bridge of my nose and holding the material as far away from myself as possible. Laughing, he shook his head, sighing and massaging his temple.
“No, of course not,” he scoffed dismissively, furrowing his brows. “We may be mythological, but nothing like that exists. It’s just a cloak to hide you. It'll cast shadows on your skin so it'll look normal. Well, what humans consider to be normal.” Releasing my grip on my nose, I felt my jaw slacken slightly, my lips parting.
“How... Why did you have this?” My voice was softer with this inquisition, my curiosity honest.
“Well, I saw your picture and figured it might come in handy,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “My friend used to use them a lot. She had a whole closet full of them and was willing to spare one. She was glad to help. You’ll meet her soon enough.”
“Is this the friend that you bought the flowers for?” I automatically asked, mentally hammering myself immediately. I didn’t want him to delve into my life, and I hadn’t intended on intruding on his. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to —.”
“It’s alright,” he laughed, cutting me off. “No, the flowers were actually just a way for me to talk to you and make sure you were the one we were looking for.” I pursed my lips, nodding in thought. He ceased laughing, regarding me with an inquisitive gaze. “You’re allowed to ask questions, Acacia. Don’t second-guess yourself. You can trust me.”
Nodding, I sighed, driving all unimportant thoughts from my mind and turning around with my back to the water.
“Right, well we should probably get going if we want to catch the flight,” I stated, swallowing hard. “Sorry I wasted so much of our time. I’ve just... it’s a lot to think about, you know? Just in general.” I couldn’t explain it, but I trusted Sebastian.
I guess it was because neither of us were truly human, but, even so, I didn’t understand. And I definitely couldn’t understand why I would continually let him see the vulnerable side of me, the side I was constantly trying to keep under wraps.
“Il va bien se passer,” he murmured, his smile reassuring. “Je sais comment vous vous sentez. It will get better. Just stick with me and the rest of the MCC and you’ll be fine. I promise.” Biting my lip, I contemplated his words. Hesitantly, I nodded, sighing as I did so.
“Alright, fine, I’ll suck it up,” I confessed, blowing my hair away from my face. “Just don’t... don’t ditch me, okay? If I go with you, that means that you have to guide me through things. Until I get the hang of the whole deal. Sound good?” Grinning, he nodded, regarding me with an unreadable expression. “What?”
“You’re just rather... interesting. That’s all,” he replied simply, smiling, and he left it at that as he jogged to our campsite. Unsure if I was to take that as an insult or a compliment, I shrugged, racing after him.
We had a flight to catch, and, while I wasn’t sure if I’d get along with the others, I figured I would need to get it over with sooner or later.
A new adventure awaits
A mystery to solve
An internal battle
I refuse to devolve.
La Fin!
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Hey, guys! Sorry this post is short (well, it’s short to me...). I’ll write more poems in the next post! *sobs* I’m sorry I don’t write enough poetry!....
I hope you enjoyed the little interactions (and apparent “shipping” conflicts) in this! Thanks for reading! Hehe. :3
