[Aloy sounds distracted — she's turned halfway toward the entrance of the shelter they're in, watching the rain fall in heavy and torrential sheets. She is often like this, when things become so quiet that she can fool herself into thinking she's alone. Always waiting to leave a room, or anywhere, never settled.
She can tolerate storms, she thinks. Were she alone, she would go out in it — rain had never bothered her, but she can't in good conscience drag Zero around like that. It's a strange consideration to have to make. Today it aggravates her, to be slowed down by the simple fact that she had to think about someone else even in her rare moments of true solitude too, though this comes with a heavy dose of guilt. It wasn't as if Zero had asked to be attached to her and her mission either.
Still, she drags her feet to the fire, stripping off the rain soaked armor with quick, efficient movements. There's still Desert Tenakth paints on her skin, running down in red and sandy yellow puddles, black like tar. In her underclothing, she prepares to sit across from Zero, but the light binding them shortens so quickly that it almost drags her over the fire. She curses, tripping over her own feet, and stumbles to sit next to Zero instead.
There's a tight exhale, but little else. Their arms are touching, skin to skin, but she can barely move without the binding going taut, so.
Eventually, she thinks past her growing frustration to remember to be courteous.]
[ They feel like little kids who have been forced to make up. Zero was obstinate only to a point where continuing would only grow to make her more frustrated.
She can feel her goosebumps seeking the warmth of Aloy's skin, she doesn't mean to lean in when she gives her noncommittal response. ]
Like it's your fault.
[ The thunder rolls in, so loud now in between the silence that followed lightning, the cavern shakes. Their fire flickers when the draft rolls in and when that cold hits her spine she shivers, tries to ignore the beginnings of her paranoia.
She refused to fall ill again.
Zero pops open her flask she always kept on her person and takes a swig. The amber liquid inside offers some placebo comfort; it's warm even on her lips.
[The unfortunate truth of the matter was even things that weren't Aloy's fault, she takes responsibility for. She offers a noise of agreement in response. Outside, the rain pours down like it has a grudge against the very earth it falls upon. Or perhaps, simply a grudge against the two lonely young women left to its mercies. Given her luck as of late, Aloy has to convince herself that it isn't the latter.
Zero leans into her and she's annoyed and ashamed at herself for feeling comforted by it after all the bickering and arguments they'd had over the past several days, fed up with one another and the increasing dead ends surrounding GAIA and their whole... trapped together predicament.
Aloy takes the flask without looking, just as she shuffles closer to Zero without thinking about it, only having noticed her shiver. She frowns at the flask, then takes a swig, and... immediately begins to cough, eyes watering.]
That's... [Another cough.] strong.
[Wiping at her mouth with one hand, she hands Zero back her flask with the other. The drink works through her, making her throat burn and her stomach feel warm. Eventually, she remembers:]
Thanks.
[Her voice is still a bit hoarse. She looks back over to the entrance to the cavern, and mutters almost absentmindedly:]
Should find something to block off some of the wind. [Even bone-tired, she was almost always thinking of something to alleviate someone else's discomfort.]
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no subject
[Aloy sounds distracted — she's turned halfway toward the entrance of the shelter they're in, watching the rain fall in heavy and torrential sheets. She is often like this, when things become so quiet that she can fool herself into thinking she's alone. Always waiting to leave a room, or anywhere, never settled.
She can tolerate storms, she thinks. Were she alone, she would go out in it — rain had never bothered her, but she can't in good conscience drag Zero around like that. It's a strange consideration to have to make. Today it aggravates her, to be slowed down by the simple fact that she had to think about someone else even in her rare moments of true solitude too, though this comes with a heavy dose of guilt. It wasn't as if Zero had asked to be attached to her and her mission either.
Still, she drags her feet to the fire, stripping off the rain soaked armor with quick, efficient movements. There's still Desert Tenakth paints on her skin, running down in red and sandy yellow puddles, black like tar. In her underclothing, she prepares to sit across from Zero, but the light binding them shortens so quickly that it almost drags her over the fire. She curses, tripping over her own feet, and stumbles to sit next to Zero instead.
There's a tight exhale, but little else. Their arms are touching, skin to skin, but she can barely move without the binding going taut, so.
Eventually, she thinks past her growing frustration to remember to be courteous.]
Sorry. It's temperamental today.
no subject
She can feel her goosebumps seeking the warmth of Aloy's skin, she doesn't mean to lean in when she gives her noncommittal response. ]
Like it's your fault.
[ The thunder rolls in, so loud now in between the silence that followed lightning, the cavern shakes. Their fire flickers when the draft rolls in and when that cold hits her spine she shivers, tries to ignore the beginnings of her paranoia.
She refused to fall ill again.
Zero pops open her flask she always kept on her person and takes a swig. The amber liquid inside offers some placebo comfort; it's warm even on her lips.
She offers it to Aloy. ]
It helps.
no subject
Zero leans into her and she's annoyed and ashamed at herself for feeling comforted by it after all the bickering and arguments they'd had over the past several days, fed up with one another and the increasing dead ends surrounding GAIA and their whole... trapped together predicament.
Aloy takes the flask without looking, just as she shuffles closer to Zero without thinking about it, only having noticed her shiver. She frowns at the flask, then takes a swig, and... immediately begins to cough, eyes watering.]
That's... [Another cough.] strong.
[Wiping at her mouth with one hand, she hands Zero back her flask with the other. The drink works through her, making her throat burn and her stomach feel warm. Eventually, she remembers:]
Thanks.
[Her voice is still a bit hoarse. She looks back over to the entrance to the cavern, and mutters almost absentmindedly:]
Should find something to block off some of the wind. [Even bone-tired, she was almost always thinking of something to alleviate someone else's discomfort.]