[TTD][Moscow] when the path reveals itself, follow it [Dante]

Tap. Tap. Tap. The sudden disturbance in the still air of her apartment had made Anya jump in her seat. She found herself pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose when they slipped down at the sudden jerk of her head. An owl? At her window? This was quite odd. Maryana only got owls from Dante, and she wasn't expecting any from a student she had helped at the end of the school's term. Who else would it be sending her an owl? Her siblings and parents were all muggles. They used emails or phones to get in touch with her. It couldn't be Dante. He was on his way to her apartment at this very moment. Maryana glanced at the oven clock as she jumped up from her crafting project to open the window. He'd be here any second.

When she opened the window, she felt the cool brisk air of winter. The winds weren't too bad, so she took a moment to stick her head outside and look up and down the street to see if her friend was on his way. No sign of him in either direction. He'd get here soon enough. Dante had been given very detailed instructions on how to find her house so he wouldn't get lost. She trusted he'd find the place soon enough. With a sigh, she rocked back onto her heels and took the letter from the owl. She certainly didn't recognize the little creature, but she gave it a pet and retrieved a treat she had often given Dante's owl. His feathery friend seemed to enjoy it just fine. The other owl had no protests but chirped happily when he got it before taking flight and returning to whomever he came from. She shut the window promptly behind him to keep the heat contained in her small home.

The letter was addressed to none other than her and decorated with fine, sleek ink that glistened in the light. When she carefully opened it up, breaking the wax seal,  she couldn't find the name of the sender. Instead, there was a short phrase written neatly inside. The handwriting wasn't familiar at all. JUST WHO ONE EARTH SENT THE LETTER?

In this wintertime a quest has been given
To those who seek their worth proven
In pairs you shall seek
Clues hidden quite unique
Where a prize shall await
Some of which are quite ornate

Among the flora where lovers trod
Sold by a woman in the quad
A secret note shall be hidden
If only one doesn't know what's forbidden
Give the master the hidden pass
In order to overcome your first impasse

As she mulled over the contents of the letter as she found herself pacing back and forth in her small living room, stepping over the beads and paint that were chaotically organized on the floor. She had her system when she crafted. Sitting in the middle of all of her supplies with everything in reach was just one of her crucial steps. Of course, she had intended to have it all cleaned up before he came, but she kept telling herself "Just one more bead. Oh! I can add a bit of paint here..." Crafting was her element. Something far more interesting and exciting had to happen to pull her away from it. The letter was just enough to do that.

Maryana slipped her winter boots on after she took a seat at her dining table. She must've reread the letter seven times when she jumped at the knock at the door. She reached for her winter coat and quickly turned off the lights before she saw Dante. "Привет друг! Hello, friend!" She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek informally to greet him. She'd grown comfortable enough over the past couple of months to show this sort of affection towards him. It was all friendly, of course. Though, she did blush and find butterflies in her stomach when he complimented her in his charming way and when she would look up to find him already looking at her. He greeted her in his usual way where he would take her hand and peck it gently. She always smiled brightly when he did that.

"Look at what showed up just minutes ago!" She held the opened letter up for him to read. "Did you do this? Your owl didn't bring it nor is it in your writing, but I'm suspicious." She squinted her eyes at him as he took it. Anya took the opportunity to slip her coat on. It wasn't too thick and bulky, but a soft pink coat that buttoned up the front. "It says to go in a pair. So, I want to go with you. "The flora where lovers trod.... Is it talking about a park? Couples walk around a park. Or are we going to a floral shop? Some old lady is selling them and I'm guessing she'll have our hint there. Then it mentions something forbidden. I'm not quite sure what it's talking about but we'll figure it out. I think we should try the park first. That seems more likely." Her observations came flooding out like a dam that had just burst. Maryana suddenly felt bad for not asking him how he'd been or what he'd been up to, but she was so excited about this new adventure that had come to her doorstep. Well... Window, but that didn't matter. "I'm sorry," she took a deep breath, realizing she hadn't taken a moment to breathe when she spoke about the mysterious letter. "How've you been? I'm really glad you made it. You've got exemplary timing."

@Dante Boscono

This was going to be a special day for the two. Dante was excited and nervous at the same time. What if she didn't approve of his attire? What about their plans would they go wrong? The Italian man wasn't sure what to think about this get-together. It wasn't the first time he visited her before, but it certainly wouldn't be the last that he was certain of. Sure the weather was a bit nippier here than it was back home and in London, but the scenery was still beautiful. He even watched an owl fly by on his way to her home.

wearing quite a few layers of clothing he was dressed for the weather. He would be nice a warm should they go out and about the streets. His heavy boots trodding through some snow as he made his way towards Anya's house. When he reached her door he gave the door a few raps and she soon answered his call. She greeted him in Russian calling him his friend. To which he responded with, "Hello to you too! И тебе привет!" They had been taking it upon themselves to respond in their own language and the others to help familiarize themselves with the language. Usually just short phrases so they didn't get too overwhelmed with the language, but it certainly made things easier for them to communicate with each other without using a translation charm every meeting. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek which gave him a small tinge of blush to his face. Taking her hand he gave it a peck back and said, "It's lovely to see you again. Рада снова тебя видеть." He wanted to add more to his sentence, but decided not to and let her do any talking for a bit again.

He wouldn't have to wait long for her to talk though as something interesting had shown up at her home. A letter that was written in poetic AABBCC verse form. After reading it over he deduced it was a riddle. He gave a small smirk about it. This was interesting for sure. He didn't answer her question about if he wrote it though and instead turned his attention to Anya who was changing into a pink coat. "I think this is a riddle," Dante said questioningly looking at Anya, "possibly a scavenger hunt maybe?" Though if Anya had heard this question of his he didn't know as she seemed to be really into this letter as she went off trying to deduce what it said.

Dante couldn't help and smile at her enthusiasm. It was one of the things that he liked about Anya. It was like she was a ray of sunshine that brightened up his life. She took the dark clouds away and made every day sunny to the Italian. "It's ok," Dante reassured the young woman when she apologized for her words. She had returned to the world and went back to the normal social graces people gave to visitors and friends. To which Dante responded with, "I'm doing fine, but let's turn our attention back to this letter." His eyes scanned the parchment again reading a few lines over again. The beginning was definitely an intro to the hunt letting the players know the rules of this game. The second part was the meat of this riddle. "I think it might be a flower stand. Do they have a flower stand in a park or town square around here?" Dante looked up from the paper and towards Anya. "If I had to hazard a guess this is a riddle for a scavenger hunt so there is a strong chance the clues tie together."

While she truly did want to catch up with him, Dante was open to the prospect they focus on the letter. She had to guiltily admit that she was rather excited he did that. He always seemed to know just how a conversation should go.

Anya took his hand as she led him out the door. She was careful going down the steps and then felt herself reaching for his hand again as they made their way along the sidewalk. The witch caught herself though and instead buried her hands into her coat pockets. They weren't dating-officially speaking. She'd caught him glancing at her from time to time though and she always blushed a little when they made eye contact.

Nothing had been said about the matter so she often had to supress the feelings for him and remember that they were only friends at the moment. When she told her older sister about him over the phone, she had insisted that Anya was dating Dante. Her argument was that no one would travel across the continent to visit someone as often a these two did if they weren't dating. The words echoed in the back of her mind, constantly there, but she wouldn't say anything about it. Both of them had a tricky history with past relationships so it was better to play it safe then jump right in she concluded. Though, she would be honest with herself that she had already fallen for him-literally speaking-when they first met

For a moment, she had paused with alarm, retrieved her wand discreetly, and whispered something under her breath. Her apartment's lights immediately darkened except for the strings of lights that decorated the place within. Though they couldn't hear it, she locked the door as well. Once she was satisfied her home was secured, she tucked the wand away and continued on their walk.

"Let's not keep the babushka waiting! It's too cold for her to be staying out. Winters in Russia are brutal. It doesn't seem to be too bad tonight," she tilted her head up to the sky and inhaled deeply. She exhaled slowly to see her breath before she glanced up at Dante. The smile that made itself known couldn't be helped whenever she looked at him. He made her so happy and there were strong emotions she felt about the man.