Nightingale quietly studied Nyryx as she undressed, then sprawled naked across the shabby mattress in the room they rented in one of the crumbling apartments off Comber Way. It was a refuge away from the Nest and crew, who were now part of Nightingale's everyday. They had accepted the others in a time of need and their once secluded retreat, hidden beneath the streets of the Night Market, had become a somewhat overcrowded base of operations for the Night's Feathers.
"Chin a little higher darling. Perfect. Now hold that for a moment."
Nightingale's fingers worked the charcoal into the paper and the simple lines began to take on form. Tone and texture transformed the simple sketch into something vital, her very essence captured in monochromatic hues. It was curious for Nightingale to get such gratification from sketching a model as spirited as Nyryx. Their usual appetite was for those of a more fragile disposition.
"It's unnaturally warm tonight Alexandre, why don't you take off your coat. You know you can trust that I would never tell a soul that you're really a..."
Nightingale rose quickly and Nyryx fell silent. They avoided eye contact as they hastily went about packing away charcoals and paper. As Nightingale made to exist the room, they felt a hand rest on their forearm and tensed.
"I meant no offence Alexandre. A woman in my line of business has seen all one can of humanity and it's ghastly. You're very good at hiding what you are from the world and you had me guessing for months, but we've spent over a year meeting like this and I'm convinced that you want me to know who you are. You're as tired of wearing these masks as I am, no?"
Nightingale's slate grey eyes met Nyryx's dark pools, eager for acknowledgement.
"Secrets are there to keep others safe darling, I won't have you end up like that poor Wraith. They're no friends of ours, I grant you, but to be left in that manner for all to see is truly barbaric. I have opposition who would see me and mine come to a grizzly end and you mean something to me Nyryx..."
"...And you mean something to me too Alex" She cut in. "You can't keep pretending you're someone else to everyone, that's just not healthy. Now please, put your things down and come sit with me a while. We can be ourselves with one another no?"
Nightingale did as they were asked. Perhaps Nyryx was right, perhaps they wanted her to know the truth about them. One could only keep secrets for so long in a place like Doskvol and the truth was, they were tired of keeping them.
