Blood is warmer than Wine. (Lena and Vice)

[Vice]

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water." ~ Galileo Galilei.

And so, Vice stopped running for just a moment. And suddenly she, at last, noticed the difference in the world. The time that had passed. The pain. The loss. The sacrifices. But it was just a moment because running was all she could do. 

The warm wind wrapped around Artie as she laid on the wine cellar floor. Watching the sun peak through the cracks in a barn-like roof. Italy was beautiful. And here Artemis was free. Free from her family the Dracula's. Free from putting her other family The Gypsies in danger. The only downside was no one could know where she was. If she was okay or alive. 

"Hey! This shipment came with a letter for Ya!"

Theo's voice echoed. Swirled around the room like fresh wine in a glass. She sat up and forwarded hed brow. Who would know how to contact her? She was on her feet and at Theo's side in a flash. He jumped "I'll never get used to that."

"Sorry."

She plucked the letter from his fingers. The scent of everyone who'd handled it wafting into the air and hitting her senses. Theo. Luna. Lily. Selina. Madeline. There was another scent there. One she didn't recognise but it was faint. Nothing to worry about. She perked up now knowing this letter was from Madeline. 

"Twenty years." 

A sad huff passed her lips. When she pushed Maddie away. She really hadn't realised how much time had passed since the twenties until now. She opened the letter but her mind wandered as a sharp breeze twisted through her hair before she could read the words. 

She snapped back to the present with a sad look in her eyes. "It happened again. The Wind gave you another warning." Theo looked at Artie but she didn't reply. Instead, she leaned on a barrel of wine and let her emerald eyes focus. 

Time was short now. The letter had taken longer than Madeline probably knew it would to reach Artie. Sending a reply in the same fashion would take too long. And the favor Maddie was asking for would've been missed. So she wrote her reply. Held her hand to the sky. And let The Wind take it away. 

She was happy to hear from her old best friend. Relieved she was alive. Happy she was well. And glad she had found a new best friend to take her place. Unlike most who might be jealous. Artie wanted Maddie to still be distant even though they now had this new open line of communication. 

At last, the date of the favor arrived. And Artie went to the small-town pier to be sure to greet her personally. 

Madeline had described Lena to a T in her letter. Going beyond just appearance. But personal style and demeanor too! Which made her easy to spot. Though to be honest there weren't many people at this small Boat port anyway. It was the only one that sailed into Tuscany. 

The Wind swirled around Lena gently. Lovingly. Drawing her attention to Artemis. Who despite having never met Lena. And only just learned of her existence days ago. Had the biggest heartwarming smile spread across her face as she waved. 

"Vice."

She never said her real name in public anymore. Something she included in her letter back to Maddie so they could both be aware. She helped her with her bags. Even if she didn't need it and guided her out. "Madeline wasn't lying when she called you stunning." 

"Now to get home. We could take The Wind." 

She glanced at Lena with a mischievous look in her eyes.

[1k3cjsghp4qws]

Travel. Adventure. Hell, even friends. If you’d told Lena back then that this is what she’d be able to experience she’d have laughed in your face, almost entirely resigned to her fate. Now revenge is at the top of her list and she can only be grateful that she was blessed with such luck as to consider Maddie a friend. Now here she is, pulling through for the blonde yet again with a connection across the ocean to help Lena out.

She stirs her finger idly in the still waters that lay under the pier she’s on, staring up at the bright sun without squinting. Waiting for the boat that will take her into Tuscany from whatever nowhere place she’s currently in. She’s lost track at this point, the tiny places all tend to blur together into one giant block in her mind. Though what isn’t a block in her mind is the last conversation she’d had with Maddie, sitting in her living room while Lena softly strummed at the strings to her guitar. The other woman had always found it comforting so it was just a habit the two had gotten in while Maddie talked. She’d described her friend, Vice, in great detail, a particular talent of Maddie’s that Lena’s always appreciated. One might have expected jealousy to flare in Lena’s sky blue eyes as Maddie spoke of the other woman but none was present. Lena has never been the jealous type.

The low sound of a boat horn pulls the blonde’s attention to the approaching ship, the only one likely to even arrive at this tiny port today, so she gets to her feet and grabs her two bags. Could she fly the distance? Eh, not likely, she’d tire long before she got there, but should these men want to surprise her with trouble she certainly could get far enough that they’d never find her again. That’s why she walks with confidence up to the captain and climbs aboard.

Sailing to Tuscany. The closer the town gets the more she finds herself torn between two big emotions. She’s excited to meet Vice, to see the other person Maddie considers a friend, to hopefully make a new friend herself. On the other hand, the purpose behind her trip stays ever present in the back of her mind, permanently seated and needling her like a storm chasing them down. She’s good at hiding though. Fantastic at masking. It’s how she survived her situation so long. So when the boat docks in Tuscany only excitement is visible on her features.

Vice is noticeable to Lena immediately even without the gentle encouragement of the wind, not that Lena minds it’s comforting presence. It’s strange how it almost seems to wrap her like a friend’s hug, drawing a larger smile to her pink lips and she walks toward the woman who waves to her with a wave of her own. “Lena.”

Of course Vice knew that, but still. Only polite, much like Vice insisting on helping with her two measly bags. “My, Maddie’s been talkative then because she wasn’t kidding about you being gorgeous either… and yet she can’t spare these compliments for herself.”

She shares a small conspiratorial smile with her new acquaintance, one of the only people who Lena figures will understand. She’s quick to catch the mischievous glint to Vice’s eye, an answering one of her own immediately sparking as her lips curl into a smirk.

“I’ve never taken the Wind before. I’d certainly love to give it a try!”

[Vice]

"Our Madeline is still as self deprecative as ever it seems." Artemis chuckled but you could tell she wasn't trying to be funny. A frown dawning her face at the moment. All these years and Maddie was still just as broken as she recalled by the sound of it. She partially blamed herself. In pushing her friend away she condemned her to a neglectful and pain-filled life. At the time she'd thought it was for the best since she knew what her life would become. She was trying to save and spare Maddie from the dangers of knowing her but in the end, it seemed keeping Madeline in her life would've been better. 

The frown only last a second but her thoughts and regrets would last forever. She is quick to perk right back up when Lena agrees to take The Wind and The Wind is quick to show its approval. "You know what makes the Gypsies so very different from the other species in the world?" She was only slightly hushed as a proud smile dawned her face and she harshly eyed the people harshly eyeing her. She growled at one of them as they passed making them jump away. Chuckling to herself as she continued to walk out of the port house. She stopped as they exited and The Wind brushed past her cheek and played with her hair. 

Artemis took a calming breath.  "Despite being absolutely hated by the world around us for all the wrong reasons..." She glanced over her shoulder at Lena and dark smirk twitches at the corner of her lips. She spun on her heels to face her and as she did, launched Lena's luggage into the air in a casual manner and after a moment the luggage never came back down. In fact, it was likely already where it needed to go. "... We gypsies..." Artemis was the next one in the air. Falling back but much like Lena's bags never hiting the floor. Her feet lifting as she floated with The Wind circling her gently to keep her afloat. 

"... Don't need to hide the wonders we can do."

She winked and with a flick of her wrist caused The Wind to completely capture Lena and lift her off the ground. 

"Just breath. Air walking can be the simplest thing if you don't treat it like something you already know." She moved closer to her and smiled "you have to trust The Wind completely and believe it'll take you where you need to go."

She gave one last smile and took one more deep breath. Leaning back and like a leaf in The Wind began to blow up and away. 

"Just breath and let The Wind guide you."