Acacia
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So, this is a parallel story to Akira's... Therefore, it might be a bit out of order in the whole scheme of things. But I'm sure you'll all be able to figure it out. Hehe I hope you like it!! :3
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To say the least, America was... quaint. There was a considerably larger number of trees in the state of Virginia than I had ever seen in Paris, and, while I missed the magnificent garden, to be surrounded by indigenous nature was rather wonderful.
Flagrant and charming
Flora all around is in bloom
Inhabiting a strange new world
Living in nature’s finest room
However, the time I had available to relish in the beauty and serenity of my fellow plants was cut short when we were escorted to Akira’s home. Somehow, those cretins from the Xenogenesis labs had beaten us to her home and had completely wrecked the place.
It was in such horrible disarray, and, though I wasn’t particularly meilleurs amis with her, I offered to take the responsibility of tidying up her kitchen by myself. It was the least I could do. Everyone did their part, and, in a few hours, nothing seemed out of place, to my eyes, at least.
While I was struggling to be pleasant to everyone in the club, it was rather difficult when some of them, namely Ash and Sam, refused to be social. This was a club, was it not? Were we not meant to interact?
I suppose it was none of my concern. Most of the others were polite and hospitable, especially Karin with her timid yet kind nature, and I was surprised to find that I enjoyed exchanging casual conversations with her. At least Colette was friendly, though she came off as too formal sometimes, and that genuinely annoyed me.
Once the chandelier had been cleaned up, I was inclined to speak to Ela. She was the third of three winged members to join the club but the only girl. I figured she might be a bit different than the stoic, stiff nature of the guys.
“Salut, Ela, correct?” I inquired as she landed, rolling her shoulders. Staring at me with deep violet eyes, she nodded, eying me up and down. “If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly... are you?”
“I’m an Avian, and what are you, a vegetable?” she replied immediately, a single brow raised. Though she hadn’t really answered my question in the way I’d hoped, I was grateful she had at least responded. Caught off guard, I simply blinked for a moment, surprised by her brashness.
“Well, no, I’m a mandrake,” I managed to respond, overcoming my shock.
“That’s lame.”
“Excusez-moi?”
“You’re a plant,” she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You can’t really fend for yourself, can you?”
“Actually, I can handle myself in a fight,” I snapped, bristling. “I’ve never lost a single one.”
“That doesn’t make sense. And how the h*ll do you even have curves? You’re bigger than I am, but you don’t eat anything, right?”
“I’m part human, too, you know. And I am done talking to you,” I dismissed, turning away. Apparently, all mythological creatures with wings were just terribly rude and inconsiderate, and, thanks to Akira, we had three temperamental ones within the club. Fantastic.
After helping Akira prepare dinner and settling down with a glass of water for myself, she instructed us all to choose a room to sleep in. Having walked through the enormous house when we all arrived, I knew just the room I desired. Luckily, I was the first one there, and, after shutting the door and placing my few belongings on the bed, I strode to the large window, peering out into the forest.
Serene and beautiful in the moonlit, I couldn’t help but wonder how I’d never realized how lovely nature was even after the sun set. I’d always been so focused on the sun, finding it to be the only true source of life and magnificence in the world, yet, here, in the darkness, I was proved wrong.
A sharp rapping on the door drove me from my thoughts, and, rubbing my neck lightly, I made my way over to it, turning the handle to find Akira standing in the doorway, a stack of papers clutched in her hand. Puzzled, I awaited her explanation.
“I’m going to go read over all of these reports, so don’t disturb me, alright?” she instructed hastily, her eyes housing dark shadows beneath them. “If you need anything or have any questions, talk to Karin. She should be able to help you.”
“Akira, you look exhausted,” I observed, trying to show her I cared. “You should really get some re—”
“I’m fine,” she interrupted, stifling a yawn. “I just didn’t want you to disrupt my reading. I didn’t want to lash out at you if you made a mistake.”
“No problem,” I confirmed, bowing my head slightly. “If you need any help with that, don’t hesitate to—” She slammed the door in my face, cutting off my words. “—ask.”
Exhaling in a sigh, I returned to the window, my heart longing for fresh air. After having spent hours in a stuffy kitchen with strong-smelling chemicals, my lungs felt like they were about to die without their pure carbon dioxide.
Tossing a glance back at the door and deciding that no one was nearby, I opened the window stealthily, sliding out and landing on the forest floor in a crouch. Inhaling deeply, I rose to my feet, brushing off the damp leaves as quietly as I could. Only sparing a single glance back at the house, wondering for a split second what everyone, especially Dante, was doing, I began my hike through the undergrowth.
With the moon hanging high
Over the crisp, autumn leaves
Trunks stand, mighty and tall
Though they continue to grieve
My mind began to work on overtime without any distractions, and, though it wasn’t conscious, I couldn’t help but wonder about these scientists. It didn’t make any sense.
Why were they after us? How could they possibly know our locations and our powers? Why were they trying to kill us?
I couldn’t hope to understand, not then, not when the club was just starting out. We were but amateurs in this world, and, while Akira struggled to act as a leader, we had no idea what we were doing and no real guidance. We were regrettably clueless, and I only wished I could do something to aid in our discoveries.
The more I thought, the more persistent the pounding in my head became, water pulsing through my body and carrying the fresh CO2 throughout my body at an increased rate. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone out. It really had been a stupid move on my part; as a plant, I needed sunlight but could survive some time without it so long as I didn’t move too much. Since I hadn’t absorbed much sunlight or water that day, my energy was at an all time low, and it was seriously affecting me more than ever.
Letting out a pained groan, I allowed myself to rest against a lone tree, massaging the bridge of my nose as I did so. A ringing in my ears accompanied the steady throbbing in my head, and, unable to bear it, I slid to the forest floor, steadying my breathing.
Even but quick, my heart rate was decelerated greatly, and, as I slowly laid onto the damp leaves, shutting my eyes and surrendering to the temptation of sleep.
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I darted in and out of consciousness for quite some time, and, pretty soon, it was nearly impossible to distinguish reality from hallucination.
A shadow crossed over me, accompanied by the rhythmic beating of wings, and, though the hazy figure spoke to me, their words didn’t register in my mind. He knelt down, bringing his face close to mine, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I was rooted in place, my body too weak to function.
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A group of shadows crossed over me, and, instantly, fear seized my heart, wrapping around it with its deathly cold fingers. Sluggish, my mind couldn’t register the words the cluster of men were saying, but, as they reached for me, I knew whatever they were about to do wouldn’t be pleasant.
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Now in his arms, I could make out his words as he carefully carried me away, even though they barely made any sense to me.
“Acacia, don’t worry. I’ll get you back home. But you must be more careful, tutto bene?” His voice sounded loudly in my mind, fragmented and echoing. Too weak to answer, I limply nodded my head, unsure if he could see me or not.
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Roughly, they carried me through the darkened hallway, murmuring among themselves as they did so.
“Dépêchez-vous! L'anesthésie s'estompera bientôt,” one of the men cried, urging the others to move faster. “Nous devons nous débarrasser de son tout de suite!” Get rid of me? How? Where? Immobilized, I couldn’t move no matter how much I tried, my limbs stiff and unyielding, and, though I was frantic, I was unable to escape whatever fate awaited me.
Wait. The windows on the sides on the passage were too perfectly spaced, too small for a simple hallway. It was a helicopter. They were going to throw me out of the helicopter.
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Up above, the starry sky leered down at me, the luminescent spheres swimming in my vision. Dreamily, I stared at the Angel’s face, creased with worry and determination. As if he could sense my gaze, he peered down at me, offering a tight-lipped smile.
“We’re almost there.”
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Dancing around me, the men’s faces all seemed identical, their mocking leers all directed at my suffering. They laughed openly, tossing my body around carelessly and showing no kindness. With a sneer in my direction, the head scientist whispered to me tauntingly.
“Nous y sommes presque.”
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Panting, Dante climbed into my window with me in his arms, careful not to jostle me or cripple his wings in the glass. Gently, he laid me on my bed, covering me with a quilt he discovered folded at the foot of the mattress and leaving momentarily to return with a glass of water.
Holding me up, he guided the glass to my lips, and, greedily, I gulped it, my throat feeling as though it were on fire. With a smirk, he laid me back down, brushing a few pearly strands of hair from my face as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“You can rest now, Bellissima. You’re safe,” he whispered gently, swallowing hard. He continued to stroke my hair, and, though I normally would have shied away or smacked his hand, I found the action rather... soothing.
With a soft smile on my lips, I closed my eyes the whole way, knowing that he told the truth as I drifted into an uneasy sleep.
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Their laughter filled the air, tainting it with menace, as they neared the door marked “Sortie.” Shaking, I opened my mouth, finding words to escape my mouth.
“S'il vous plaît, je ferai n'importe quoi. Laissez-moi aller. Ne me blesse pas plus,” I begged, my voice nearly silent. They ignored me as one yanked open the airlock, an immediate breeze whipping into the cabin.
“Elle devrait avoir une chance de s'en tirer. Les produits chimiques pouvant disparaître avant qu'elle ne touche le sol. Donnez-lui un parachute, et nous verrons ce qui se passe,” the head scientist barked, one of his comrades obeying him instantly and attaching a parachute to my back.
“Nous allons vous laisser aller. Mais vous n'aurez probablement pas survivre. Vous avez causé trop d'ennuis pour nous déjà. Nous vous retrouver, un jour, et que vous utilisez pour le but que vous ont été créés. Vous ne serez jamais à nouveau en sécurité.”
His words cut through me, shattering any sanity I had remaining, and, as he laughed yet again, he shoved me backwards out of the side of the helicopter to plummet towards the earth.
With a scream on my lips, I frantically struggled to pull the pin on the parachute, my fingers still numb from the anesthetic. Tears forming in my eyes, I tried not to sob, knowing it would only make my situation worse. Finally, I managed to unpin the chute, sighing in relief as it opened up behind me.
Knowing I would live to see another day, my eyes closed, unable to manage the stress and fear any longer, and, willingly, for once, I surrendered to the darkness, eager to escape the horrors of consciousness.
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Opening my eyes, I moaned yet again, my body aching and stiff. I desperately needed sunlight, and, while my mind was still extremely foggy, I couldn’t focus on that, not at the moment.
After avoiding Dante’s stretched-out legs as he lay slumped in the chair, eyes closed, I made my way clumsily to the window, pushing the glass up and leaning out, allowing the light to absorb into my skin.
Feeling refreshed and energized, my mind clear and ready for the day, I shut the window tightly, spinning around and humming a song I’d written under my breath. Abruptly, I ceased my humming as I neared the mattress, turning to face the sleeping Angel.
As my eyes widened, everything that had happened the previous night came rushing back to me, and, stumbling, I fell onto my bed, gasping for air as the memories and dreams trickled through.
Apparently, the commotion had awaken Dante, and, with a start, he rose gracefully from the chair, his expression one of concern.
“Are you feeling okay?” he immediately asked, his brows furrowed. Swallowing hard, I steadied my breathing, staring up at the ceiling for a few moments.
“Oui, I’m fine,” I replied weakly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. An expression of disbelief crossed over his features, and, as a result, he cautiously moved to sit at the foot of the bed, staring intently at me.
“Are you sure? Do you need me to get you anything?” Though I knew he was only trying to help, I couldn’t prevent the surge of anger that flowed through me.
“Arrêtez raffolant de moi,” I growled lowly, catching him by surprise with my sharp tone. “Je ne suis pas faible. Vous n'avez pas besoin pour m'aider.” While he had previously been shocked by my outbursts, now he only appeared exhausted.
“Why do you always do that?”
“What? Do what?”
“Every time someone tries to help you, you either deny it sharply or snap at them,” he explained softly, staring into my eyes. “You’re worse than Griffin.”
“How dare you compare me to that putain trou du cul,” I barked, astounded by his accusation. Yet, at the same time, I realized the harsh truth to his words. Sighing, I lowered my eyes, bowing my head. “Je suis désolée. I shouldn’t be so rude. You’re just trying to be nice, and I appreciate it.”
Smiling, he reached towards me, patting my hand, and, hesitantly, I returned the grin.
“I’m glad you see things my way.” And, with that, the conversation should have been over. However, there was but one thing that genuinely bothered me from the previous night, and, despite knowing it wasn’t wise to ask, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“When you brought me back here last night,” I began, averting my gaze but still catching his wary expression, “you said something that’s been on my mind.”
“Oh? And what would that be?” he questioned innocently.
“You... you know what? Nevermind. I’m going back to sleep, and you should, too.” Abandoning my question, I slid down onto my side, curling my knees up to my chest and shutting my eyes, leveling my breathing.
Disappointed, he sighed, rising from the bed and exiting the room with only a few moments’ hesitation. Once the door was closed, I dared to crack my eye open once more, and, seeing that he was gone, I sighed, rolling onto my back. Under my breath, I whispered my unspoken words before closing my eyes once more.
“You called me beautiful. Je voulais juste savoir pourquoi.”
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Woooo romance and more backstories!!!!....... maybe I should broaden my horizons... NAHHH that’s why we have so many people writing, right?..... Right?........ Let’s just go with that, okay? Well, I hope you enjoyed it! And now you know why Acacia is afraid of heights... :3
