glory, as anyone knows, is bitter stuff

 - if i can’t have l o v e,

                                        if i can’t find p e a c e,

“Quite the Sherlock, aren’t you?” The man chuckled as he glanced at her, allowing himself to truly trace her features with his blue gaze. “But yes, I’m from this rather small town in Scotland, so you’d assume that I would be thriving in this serenity. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy living here, I surely do, but…” Dante smiled softly as he turned his attention to the road ahead, already seeing the outskirts of the town at the edge of the forest. “It’s nice when something great happens. When you get the chance to experience something different than your every day routine.” 

Giving an almost invisible shake of his head, there was a quick change in his tone, leaving the serious behind. “As I recall from earlier, you told me that you live in a villa, right? That sounds incredibly picturesque. How do you spend your days there?”

aurora felt the colour on the very tops of her cheeks rise slightly as she felt his eyes on her - which made sense, she told herself. it made sense because he was the first man, first demi-god to look at her like this. nothing more to it. ‘it’s not the same though, is it? home always takes a spot in the heart that can’t ignored.’ she mused, tilting her head ever so slightly at the idea a place might ever feel like home that wasn’t a bustling city. 

at the change in tone, she looked back up at him with a slight smile. ‘yes, i’m in a villa on the cliffs - it overlooks the jetty, the one that the fishing boats work out of?’ it was on the opposite side of the island, up a path that almost hid it from the main road. ‘i’ve only been there a few days, so it’s been a lot of unpacking. and then it’s been a bit of sunbathing, lots of emails and the tiniest bit of studying. i feel like studying is the only thing that is a connection to life before.’ she shook her head at herself, doing that unflattering thing where she just spoke about herself. ‘i’m yet to have a guest over, so i don’t know if it’s in a nice spot or not, really.’

Even though darkness was lurking behind them, the forest was as beautiful as ever. The trees gave shelter from the rough wind, and gave company of comfort. “I did my medical degree in London. Whereabouts did you live there?” Dante looked at her with an evergrowing smile on his lips. It had always been such a wonderful coincidence to stumble into someone with a shared past. “A few years now. I like it…but, I understand what you mean with the hustle and bustle of a big city. Sometimes, I almost feel like drowning here. “ The man’s voice took upon a quiet tone, almost laced with surprise. Why was he telling about his deepest thoughts to someone he had just met?

picking her path through the trees, aurora’s head snapped up at the mention of dante knowing london like she might. ‘i lived in knightsbridge for most of my life.’ she answered quickly, smiling back at him as her eyes went from his lips to his eyes. ‘that can’t be where you’re from, though? not with that lovely accent.’ she offered, looking back to their path as she felt the wind whip along her shoulders. ‘drowning in the silence. not a single car horn. almost as if we’re living in our own little bubble.’ she laughed slightly, twisting the diamond of her ring over and over with her thumb, before rolling her eyes at herself. ‘listen to me, rabbitting on.’ 

“Hey, at least you know how to cook,” Zooey joked, grinning up at the blonde. She was the type to overcook everything, no matter how hard she tried. She just didn’t have the patience to watch the food cook. She would get distracted with something, and by the time she returned, the food would be history. “Aurora? Pretty name. I’m Zooey, and it’s wonderful to meet you.” She couldn’t help the slight blush at Aurora’s compliment, not being used to showing off her artwork. “Oh––thanks. They’re just doodles, really, but it’s fun.” Glancing down at her sketchbook, she tried to see the sketches through Aurora’s eyes, but she couldn’t stop seeing them as scribbles. “Ah, well. Food? First things first, we need to get off these damn cliffs, yeah? Right this way.” Closing her sketchbook, she rose to begin the trek back toward town.

aurora matched the grin, taking the compliment about her name in her stride - no need to simper when she was off to a good start. ‘wonderful to meet you too, zooey. honestly, the drawings are beautiful. so much more than doodles, that’s what i do on a napkin during meetings.’ she took a slight step back to allow zooey to stand up, and then fell into step into her as they wandered down the cliffs. ‘how long have you been on the island?’

There were several places around the island where it was not unusual to find Zooey sketching, but the cliffs over the water was one of her favorites. Although she was an extrovert, there were some things she preferred to do alone, and drawing was one of them. The cliffs were perfect; being so high up, they rarely attracted crowds. She was there now, had been for some time, and was just beginning to grow frustrated with the wind ripping through the pages of her sketchbook when she heard a voice from nearby. She glanced up from her drawings to see someone she’d never met before. “I think you’re the first person I’ve seen today, too. Congratulations.” She smiled at the other woman. “I’ll do you better––it just so happens I was about to grab a bite myself. I’ll show you the best lunch place on Icaria, if you’re up for a little company.”

aurora was someone who could appreciate beauty - probably like everyone else on this island, with the parentage considered. she’d always been a lover of artwork, particularly sketching. how could she not be, in the world of fashion? but it was rare for her to stumble across someone actually working as she was there, and she rather wanted to just stand and watch for a while. unfortunately, she was too much of a talker for that. ‘i would love that, i’m sort of bored of my own cooking.’ aurora returned the smile easily, easy as breathing. ‘i’m aurora, very new to the island. sorry to disturb your sketches, they’re beautiful.’

“It’ll be a slight walk in the forest, but I don’t think darkness will set before then.” The man answered as he started to walk towards the direction of the forest, relishing the sight of the old trees bowing to the power of the wind. This was truly the most exciting part of living here - was it a child of the Anemoi playing with their powers, or was it merely nature showing off its strength? “How have you been enjoying the island so far?”

aurora wandered easily to keep pace with him, matching step to step as they entered into the forest. she’d expected that the forest would feel encroaching and claustrophobic, but it felt as if the trees knew who they were and were whispering of their approach. she had to start getting into her head that they probably were talking about the pair of them. ‘it’s a bit of a change, to be honest. i’m used to the hustle and bustle of london, you see so this way of life will take some getting used to.’ she shrugged a little, watching where she trod so she wouldn’t trip over the roots. ‘how long have you been here?’

“Luckily for us, the gods know very well how to treat us.” The man chuckled as he watched her close the distance between them. Her face was not one he recognized, all telling signs that she indeed was a new resident at their beloved island. “It’s very nice to meet you, Aurora. I’m Dante.” Taking her hand in his, he gave it a gentle shake After a long and rather demanding day at the hospital, the experience of meeting someone new was a very welcomed one. A carefree conversation, relaxed laughter and a second to pause the blitz of every day life. “If you wish, I can show you my favorite little bistro. The best food and the best scenery in town.”

his hand felt solid, dependable - good qualities in a handshake. aurora turned off to the cliff again, watching the colours merge together as the clouds drew in. now she knew who her mother was, it made her wonder so much whether these things were chosen for her to see and enjoy. ‘that sounds lovely, dante. to be honest, i feel like i’ve just been inside my little villa for the last few days on my own. i would love to get to know the island from a person rather than a book my mother left on my desk.’

 Dante should have known better than to venture so far out as the wind got more and more violent across the island. He had walked through the empty woods, hearing the crackling of the trees all around him much like an aggressive harmony and as he stood there at the edge of the cliff, he watched the rippling of the waves beneath him. As the sun slowly set over the ocean, it threw its pink and orange rays over the stormy water - and the gods be damned if it wasn’t a beautiful sight. To be honest, he would never have guessed that another brave soul would find their way to the same spot where he was standing, yet, as a voice called out to him, the man turned around with a bewildered glimmer in his eyes. 

“Well, I could say the same to you.” Taking a step closer towards the stranger, he answered, “would be a rather sad island if there weren’t amazing restaurants to eat and drink at, wouldn’t it?”

aurora smiled as she continued up to the cliff edge, firstly to the stranger and then out to the open sea. the air hit her cheeks, as if trying to push her away from the danger of the sea edge. she stood next to him and glanced up, noticing their height difference ever so slightly. ‘it would be a very sad island. and not at all what i would think the gods would want for their children.’ she extended a hand, still with that same easy smile that looked as if it had come straight from her mother. ‘i’m aurora. devereux. i moved here a few days ago, still coming to grips with the whole place.’

‘you know you’re the first person i’ve seen all day, and certainly the first person who could brave the wind. you couldn’t recommend a place in town to eat, could you?’