Knives of a feather

Valya made her way through the streets of the Night District, humming to herself at a low volume, almost inaudible even for herself through the sounds of her surroundings. It was taking her a lot of effort to suppress her smile behind her mask, in eager anticipation of her upcoming covert meetup.

Not that she cared about civilians, few of them knew her well enough for it to matter. But there always was the risk of running into Defender patrols with known coworkers, so poker face it was, as hard as it was. Hell, she was barely managing not to skip.

She made her way to the club, where she patiently waited in line as people's temperatures were taken. Once inside, she quickly went up to the bar and got a drink. Not too stiff, but also not lightweight enough to draw attention. Her mask was stylish enough to seem reasonable to keep up, but not too distinctive as to be memorable. It made her feel like a spy, all those efforts taken to go under the radar.

Soon she made it to the courtyard, shared between establishments and decorated with lights above, twinkling as if they were stars. A place where some went to reminiscence about a night sky they would never see again, stars visible with the naked eye. She heard the stories, had seen movies, but it still felt alien to her. Ymir was her home, her place of birth, so to her only eternal day existed. Yet she understood the romance of the subtle light shining in the dark.

It didn't take much effort to sneak to the corner that was blocked from people's sights, with the humming machines clashing with the sound of music reaching out from multiple clubs. Not a great place to enjoy the beat, but a nice place for some privacy. She felt a bit giddy as she realised her love was already waiting for her, stepping forward from the shadows to greet her with a smile. Both their faces broke out in joy at the sight of each other, united again for just a short while.

"Tina, you look gorgeous." "So do you, Belle." They giggled at their use of nicknames, meant to provide a bit of privacy in case they were overheard. Valya noticed her love held hands behind her back, hiding a gift. She grinned, holding the same posture. "On 3?" "On 3." They counted quietly then showed the boxes of similar sizes to each other. A quick blink then they traded.

As her love opened the box first, Valya waited patiently. When the box opened, she spoke to explain. "I had it made to celebrate your new job. It's a Bowie Knife with extra thickness to it and a sturdier handle and guard, to properly handle your strength. Should work well even when having to deal with thick hides, but shouldn't get stuck in bones."

Her explanation was met with a bright laugh, which confirmed her suspicions. She opened her own present, finding a more slender knife of similar shape. Even the engraving was similar, with a small easter egg referring to their first meeting hidden inside it. They looked at each other, keeping their faces somewhat neutral but failing to hide the giggling shine in their eyes.

Her love came with her own explanation. "Since I heard you're going on another Exploration soon, I figured you could use a solid knife. Can't risk not having anything to skin a predator with. The guard should hold up against a claw, so you can also use it as last resort if needed. I hope you will never need that, but we'd best be prepared, Jaan."

They shared a few more laughs and teasing barbs about their similar tastes, before going in for a kiss and leaving the world behind. Beyond the ceiling, the eternal day still awaited them, but for now they were hidden from watchful eyes in a partial darkness, being able to be themselves for just a bit longer before having to hide their secrets again.