That was something Nina was terrified of, being asked questions about herself, where she had come from, what she'd been doing. Especially since she wasn't always sure of what she'd been doing at all. How much had been real? How much was it her mind playing tricks on her? How much of it reflected her fears and desires?

She didn't know. She wasn't sure she'd ever know.

And at the sight of Ariadne's wings, Nina's eyes widened.

"How beautiful," she said quietly. "You're...very lucky. That they're both beautiful and--and you can hide them. Is it easier to hide them all the time? It seems very personal, all of these ways we can be changed. It's a little scary." She being scared was her normal, especially in the lead-up to her performance as the Swan Queen.

"What else will she do," Nina asked in a slightly shaky voice.