[Lilly] Arcadia

Arcadia


A gentle breeze whistles through the leaves around us, giving way to the cool temperature on this beautiful autumn morning.

A remote cabin getaway for our week long honeymoon, out in a northeastern forest of the United States. It was quite an intriguing idea when Lilly proposed it to me; she wanted to come here during autumn as the leaves were changing colors. Now, just a few weeks later, here we are, her arm locked with mine as we walk down a hiking path not too far from our cabin.

It's one of the most, if not the most, gorgeous sights I've seen in my life. Leaves trickling down from the tops, showing signs that winter is fast approaching. The colors all blend together to make a beautiful landscape, all enhanced by the crisp morning air. The air here feels pure, filtered by the trees and fresh as we're fairly high up in the mountains, making breathing simple and satisfying.

Our pace is at a slow stroll, taking everything in stride on this trip. I turn my head to Lilly, who has her eyes shut as she takes in the surrounding sounds. Birds are chirping and leaves are rustling as we continue to progress along the path.

"Hisao?" Lilly speaks up, her voice blending right in with the soothing sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

"Yes?"

"Could you describe to me what you see?"

I'm immediately brought back to the past.

Fireworks at Yamaku, describing the beautiful explosion of color as she attentively listened to the noise above. The first time I ever really had to describe what I was seeing to someone, and it truly made me think.

What do I really see?

How do you describe sight to someone who has never had the opportunity to use it?

I shake my thoughts off as she faces me attentively, waiting for a response.

"Of course." I stop and grasp her hands with mine, turning my body to face hers. She giggles a bit as I lean in and give her a kiss on the lips before I turn to my surroundings. She stands patiently as I gather my thoughts, sort of describing the area as I go.

"Well, I guess we'll start with color. Splashes of orange, red and brown seem to be the most abundant, colors that are supposed to make you feel warm. The shade of orange is that of the fruit, while the red matches more of a savory apple and the brown like bark of a tree." Lilly listens intently, her eyes still closed as she attempts to focus on my words. The breeze once again rustles the branches and leaves around us, emphasizing my description of our surroundings a bit.

"The trees are old looking, but it gives a nice feel to the area. A place that has seen many seasons, storms and snowfalls alike." She hums a bit in approval, smiling as my words continue to flow seamlessly. "The path is of a fresh layer of dirt, but it's compacted well. Some leaves have fallen along the length of it, which is what results in the crunching when we walk"

Lilly raises her hand for a moment, indicating for me to stop. I look at her for a moment, slightly puzzled. She reaches her hand up and caresses my face a bit, tracing my lips with her fingers to understand my smile and confusion. She giggles a bit before sealing her actions off with a kiss.

Her lips are soft and taste of french vanilla, the robust flavor making itself noticeable. The sensation is uncomparable to anything I've ever felt before, and I find myself a bit disappointed as she pulls away. She let's out some light laughter and rubs her nose against mine, a childish gesture that she has always seemed fairly fond of.

"You've gotten quite good at letting me see through your eyes a bit, you know that?" She gives me a light smile and intertwines her hand with mine once again.

"I guess it's just because how often I end up doing it. You're always using me as your eyes." I whine a bit, which earns me a playful punch on the arm and a pouty face, which actually catches me off guard a bit. She generally doesn't hit me unless I actually strike a nerve. "I'm sorry! I was just kidding!"

She laughs heavily and traces up to the point where she hit my arm, placing a gentle kiss on it.

"All better? I didn't mean to hit you that hard." She really does treat me like a child sometimes, but I can't say I mind it. Her motherly attributes truly are some of her best traits, I must admit.

"It doesn't hurt there though, it hurts here." She looks a bit puzzled as I pull her hand up to my face, dragging her finger tips along my lips. She giggles at my immaturity, but proceeds to wrap her arms around my neck, pulling me into another deep kiss. After a few moments, we split, and I hold her in a tight hug for what feels like an eternity.

Finally, she wiggles free and offers her arm to me once again, a smile being offered along with it. I glady take it, as we begin to head off down the path forested path once again.

"Where to, m'lady?"

"I don't know... how abot you surprise me?"

I laugh a little and rustle her hair a bit with my off-hand as we approach what appears to be a clearing in the woods. We come to the end, and I'm taken aback by the sight before me. Lilly obviously hears what I see, as she turns her ear towards the location of the sound. I pull her along at a fast pace, catching her off guard.

"Hisao, where are we going?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. For now, it's a surprise."

Light reflects off the water as it cascades down the rocks, a light mist floating above it as it crashes into the bottom a couple of feet below. We walk up a small clearing, which proved to be a little bit of a struggle, to the top of the fall. I bring her over to a rock at the edge of the stream that feeds the feature, the rushing water speaking to Lilly as a large grin forms on her face.

"A stream?"

"It's actually a waterfall." Her muscles relax with the sound of water cascading over the rocks to our left. I sit take a seat and tug her arm to indicate that she should join me. She does, and as we sit there, listening to the relaxing and foreign sounds around us, I pull her in close to me. She nuzzles her head into my chest, and I take a look up into the deep blue sky above us.

What a fantastic way to start the day.


'Arcadia' is a song produced by Blend & MH20