[ She listens distantly to the ruckus behind her. All of this was so common she can easily fill in the gaps in between Aloy's unintentional narration- it's a helpful distraction from the anxiousness that she didn't expect to come. ]
Yeah.
[ The vegetables go in the pot with a quiet splash. The smell of bone broth and simmered meat. She takes her time in answering, fixating on the task of dinner for a moment. ]
Beta says I have to stop smoking. She made me this thing- I breath it in when I have coughing fits and they go away.
[ She turns around finally, resting her back against the counter. ]
She says it's manageable, just need to be careful in the winter. That's all.
[Being a mother and partner hasn't made Aloy lose her observant nature. On the contrary, it's been magnified. She quickly surmises then, that Zero had possibly forgotten to tell her directly, but she'd likely kept Beta from mentioning it. She and her sister had bickered about these things, early on in the stages of Zero's chronic bouts of illness. GAIA, having taken the role of mediator in their dynamic without either of them noticing, had sided with Beta. Patient-doctor confidentiality, she'd explained, and reluctantly, Aloy had agreed to keep out of it.
Early on, this would be cause for argument with Zero too, but the years have taught Aloy to choose her battles. And she's happy to be home, content to be with her rambunctious baby and with the easy flow of her conversation with Zero. To hassle her about her caginess would ruin things.]
Okay. [...] Okay. That's good. We'll have to keep it warm in here then — I'll get more firewood. We're lucky not to be further north, at least. I'm still getting the feeling back in my toes.
[Ivy is trying, with all her might, to climb up Aloy's back. She winces when she yanks at her hair, then stands up to walk toward Zero, keeping the baby supported on her back in a piggyback ride.] I can put the girls to bed now that I'm back. A brisk walk around, and this one will be out like a light.
[The lack of sleep couldn't be good for Zero's cough, she thinks.
Drawn to the food, she stares down the pot of simmering stew, grabbing a wooden ladle to try and steal a sip of broth.]
[ She lets this transgression pass unchecked because she feels guilty. In any other scenario she would whack Aloy's hand away with a wooden spoon (and with the same ferocity as she would in battle at that). ]
Slow your roll there pal- you just got back. Last thing I need is for you to be out of commission for another two months. We have enough wood for now and Beta got the hot water working. She's working on spreading the power of a good bath to the rest of the Nora, by the way-
[ Her eyes drift just slightly behind Aloy. Ivy peeks over her shoulder, resting her fat baby head on it- cheek smushed against Aloy. ]
I remember when I used to climb you like that.
[ There's a smug little smile forming on her face. ]
[Accustomed to having her hand smacked for sneaking food before dinner was ready, Aloy waits for the blow, pleased and surprised when it doesn't happen. She risks taking another sip, and then decides to not press her luck with a third.]
C'mon. After a few bickering werak chiefs and navigating a stuffy Carja retinue in the freezing cold? Putting the kids to bed's a breeze. And you, [She points the ladle at Zero.] need the rest too. [Any minor reprimand in these words is quickly diffused by Aloy's smile.] Glad to here Beta's hitting her stride. And that the Nora are accepting technology. Never thought I'd see the day...
[Aloy nuzzles her cheek against Ivy's, an absentminded gesture of affection. She trails off when she catches the meaning behind what Zero says next, both eyebrows raising.]
Now, now, don't start anything we can't finish. [... after a moment of thought, she adds, amused:] ... Though, you know, if you did let me take the kids out, they'd sleep through the night. You could give climbing me a shot again, for old time's sake.
[She leans in, kisses Zero's forehead, more annoying than flirtatious.]
[ She rolls her eyes at Aloy's attempt at being smooth- it lights something in her, the spark a combination of how long they've been apart and her own stubborn spirit. In response to Aloy's inquiry Zero leans in, kissing her on the mouth, finding both comfort and something less wholesome in the gesture. It's a deep kiss, slow as they come but her tongue is ruthless. When Zero pulls away there is still the thinnest line of saliva connecting them. ]
Yeah, should be.
[ Is all she offers in response.
She's moving again, this time to pull Ivy off of her back. ]
Go eat.
[ There is some resistance from Ivy, though it dissipates once she realizes Aloy isn't going further away than a few steps. ]>
It wasn't easy- Beta had to work them over. Never seen a group of people so spooked over plumbing.
[ She sits when Aloy does. Ivy tugs at the neckline of her clothing, as babies do when in close proximity to their food source. ]
There's a girl in the tribe who helped get them to agree. I don't think it's the plumbing that had her all worked up, if you catch my drift.
[It takes her by surprise, though it shouldn't. These games of one-upping one another had become less common as the two of them fell into the hectic life of raising two children, but their attraction for one another hadn't waned. The kiss is slow and thorough, and Aloy is flushed and out of breath by the end of it. Dumbfounded, she offers no resistance as Ivy is pulled away from her. As Zero leaves, however, she mutters under her breath:]
Jerk.
[It takes her a moment to remember what she was doing. She listens, eating while sitting with her back against the wall. These little habits were commonplace in her — as if she were always prepared to go somewhere else in a hurry. She's relaxed, despite this. The stew is good, the company better. She half-smiles at Zero's updates, only to look up, suddenly, at the remark about Beta.]
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no subject
Yeah.
[ The vegetables go in the pot with a quiet splash. The smell of bone broth and simmered meat. She takes her time in answering, fixating on the task of dinner for a moment. ]
Beta says I have to stop smoking. She made me this thing- I breath it in when I have coughing fits and they go away.
[ She turns around finally, resting her back against the counter. ]
She says it's manageable, just need to be careful in the winter. That's all.
no subject
Early on, this would be cause for argument with Zero too, but the years have taught Aloy to choose her battles. And she's happy to be home, content to be with her rambunctious baby and with the easy flow of her conversation with Zero. To hassle her about her caginess would ruin things.]
Okay. [...] Okay. That's good. We'll have to keep it warm in here then — I'll get more firewood. We're lucky not to be further north, at least. I'm still getting the feeling back in my toes.
[Ivy is trying, with all her might, to climb up Aloy's back. She winces when she yanks at her hair, then stands up to walk toward Zero, keeping the baby supported on her back in a piggyback ride.] I can put the girls to bed now that I'm back. A brisk walk around, and this one will be out like a light.
[The lack of sleep couldn't be good for Zero's cough, she thinks.
Drawn to the food, she stares down the pot of simmering stew, grabbing a wooden ladle to try and steal a sip of broth.]
no subject
Slow your roll there pal- you just got back. Last thing I need is for you to be out of commission for another two months. We have enough wood for now and Beta got the hot water working. She's working on spreading the power of a good bath to the rest of the Nora, by the way-
[ Her eyes drift just slightly behind Aloy. Ivy peeks over her shoulder, resting her fat baby head on it- cheek smushed against Aloy. ]
I remember when I used to climb you like that.
[ There's a smug little smile forming on her face. ]
no subject
C'mon. After a few bickering werak chiefs and navigating a stuffy Carja retinue in the freezing cold? Putting the kids to bed's a breeze. And you, [She points the ladle at Zero.] need the rest too. [Any minor reprimand in these words is quickly diffused by Aloy's smile.] Glad to here Beta's hitting her stride. And that the Nora are accepting technology. Never thought I'd see the day...
[Aloy nuzzles her cheek against Ivy's, an absentminded gesture of affection. She trails off when she catches the meaning behind what Zero says next, both eyebrows raising.]
Now, now, don't start anything we can't finish. [... after a moment of thought, she adds, amused:] ... Though, you know, if you did let me take the kids out, they'd sleep through the night. You could give climbing me a shot again, for old time's sake.
[She leans in, kisses Zero's forehead, more annoying than flirtatious.]
Food for thought.
Is the stew almost ready?
no subject
Yeah, should be.
[ Is all she offers in response.
She's moving again, this time to pull Ivy off of her back. ]
Go eat.
[ There is some resistance from Ivy, though it dissipates once she realizes Aloy isn't going further away than a few steps. ]>
It wasn't easy- Beta had to work them over. Never seen a group of people so spooked over plumbing.
[ She sits when Aloy does. Ivy tugs at the neckline of her clothing, as babies do when in close proximity to their food source. ]
There's a girl in the tribe who helped get them to agree. I don't think it's the plumbing that had her all worked up, if you catch my drift.
no subject
Jerk.
[It takes her a moment to remember what she was doing. She listens, eating while sitting with her back against the wall. These little habits were commonplace in her — as if she were always prepared to go somewhere else in a hurry. She's relaxed, despite this. The stew is good, the company better. She half-smiles at Zero's updates, only to look up, suddenly, at the remark about Beta.]
What? Who?