Over the decades she's learned to find fulfillment in things more minute than survival. Her self-expression, her music, being a mother most of all.
But the house was up there. Zero had an affinity for the water, the ocean especially. It was nostalgic and oddly calming. It'd been a months long process, the blueprints themselves a gift from Aloy to commemorate their many years together.
The floors were made from shiny blue tile imported from the Quen mainland, walls washed in plain neat white making it stick out among the many ornate Quen structures. Every piece of furniture was purchased over time, some were even gifts - she'd become something of a stylistic tastemaker.
The problem however is that it was small. There was only one bedroom and their daughters had been (begrudgingly) assigned pallets on the floor.
She was kind of pissed at them, so she doesn't feel bad about it in this moment.
Zero is already cocooned in their bed, scrolling mindlessly through stupid videos on her Focus, when Aloy enters she peaks out from under her blankets.
Age, or her new lifestyle has softened her features some. The angles of Zero's face are rounder now, and the intimidating aura she'd once projected has worn away like a knife turned blunt from years of overuse.]
Did they let you have it again?
[ She's been trying to avoid her own spawn now that they've settled in their sleeping spots.
The lack of proper beds had only made them grouchier about the news. ]
Aloy has the harried, exhausted look of someone with the weight of the world on her shoulders — and for once, this isn't literally the case, as much as it felt that way. She slips into the bedroom quietly, running a hand through her hair in a subdued gesture of distress. Her "retirement" has softened her too — mostly about the midsection, which had come as a surprise to her, and the graying in her hair, which had not.
Her gaze softens at the sight of Zero wrapped in blankets. This sort of burrowing instinct was a habit of hers that never ceased to be charming to Aloy. She leans against the doorframe, arms crossed.]
Yeah. Alana told me to "be reasonable." [The way Aloy's chin lifts at this, as if in response to a challenge, is familiar.] Honestly. They're acting like I told them I was coming out of retirement.
[ The petulant, quiet arrogance holds her attention a second longer than it should. Briefly, she sees a flash, an image of the Aloy of 20 years ago. It makes her fond, and she wishes she could just blame it on the hormones they'd injected into her (to help her fertility blah blah blah) but becoming a mother has made her easily nostalgic.
Zero unfurls herself and sympathetically pats the space next to her. ]
That's why I'm hiding in here.
[ Once Aloy sits, Zero wraps her arm around Aloy's torso. It'd taken their children becoming adults for her to become willing to part with her prosthetic at night. ]
They said you should learn to tell me no.
[ She murmurs into Aloy's hip, hiding part of her face.
She got like this sometimes, it seemed to happen overnight but she occasionally sought comfort from Aloy like this. If acknowledged verbally she'd quickly draw away (as Aloy had learn once early on). ]
And it's a mistake every time you say yes.
[ No one on earth was as terrifying and cruel as your own children. Zero would wonder if Mikhail would be the same as her girls - attached at the hip one moment, and then judgement in a way that both infuriated and upset her.
Motherhood was a real bitch. Their kids learned how to have a bad attitude from two very masters of it. ]
[Zero leans into her for comfort, which by now had become so routine that she knows the way to behave, keeping her gaze fixed on the top of Zero's head rather than searching for her face, listening instead of speaking right away.
That their family existed in harmony was important to her. She had lamented the years when the girls were younger and seemed to bicker and fight incessantly. She'd stepped in when their youngest was flippantly cruel to Zero in the way children could be — in the way she'd been sometimes with Rost, when he had upset or angered her. Usually, this interference would end well, or at the least, with a temporary stalemate. This time, their children seem united against them, and she finds that her love for them wars with her pride and her love for Zero both. This was not new, but it was the first time she'd felt it so intensely. It would make her feel like a bad mother if she wasn't so annoyed by the two of them.
When Zero finishes speaking, a tight sigh escapes Aloy. Deep furrows settle in the space between her eyes.]
Nice to know they don't think I have any agency with this. [...] I'll tell them it was my idea.
[The two of them found disagreeing with her much more difficult, for obvious reasons.]
[Wobbling slightly at Zero's sudden movement and energy, Aloy laughs softly at her defiant response, pleased to see that her listlessness has abated.]
Okay, okay. So the plan's still on, then. [...] I'm still going to talk to them again, though. Let them know the decision's final. Letting them know was a courtesy, not a vote.
[A little sigh follows this, then, and she asks, a bit hesitantly:] Do you think they're going to hate us after this?
I know. I... guess I didn't expect them to be so upset. Surprised, sure.
[She was guilty of these blindspots on occasion, when it came to her children. Their mingled idolization and need to compete with her came with unexpected consequences. Zero was the one Alana shared the most with, and Alana had been the most surprised and angered by their announcement.]
But I'm sure. You know, I'm actually a little excited.
[Her gaze shifts up to the ceiling.] I think it'll be fun. It's the first time that I haven't been busy in, ever? The girls are all grown up, the world isn't on the brink of total collapse again...
[She breathes out in a huff.] I won't have to miss anything this time.
[It's a placating gesture, but it's one from Zero, so she allows it with minimal eye rolling.]
As far as keeping up with you's concerned, I've got it handled. [The mischievous, challenging glint in her eyes is familiar.] Managed just fine the last two times. Besides, I'm not the only old geezer around here.
[Zero's aging had been more graceful than hers so far — unsurprising. It didn't keep her from waking up with aches and pains, however.]
And I'm still holding out hope for one that takes more after you.
[ Her smile is small and shy, though she's facing Aloy her eyes don't land on her. It felt too embarrassing. ]
You say that now.. let's see how you feel when it can't understand your smartypants language.
[ And then suddenly she pounces, crouching and jumping, knocking Aloy onto her back.
She pins Aloy's wrists above her head - Kotallo had been a boon over the years a she used her prosthetic less and less.
She's still strong, wants to stay strong for as long as possible. Aging was scary for shallow reasons, but also because she feared not being able to defend herself or her family.
Zero leans down, so close her lips skim the curve of Aloy's ear. ]
Doesn't matter. [Aloy says, noticing Zero's smile and not commenting on it, though it makes her expression warm anyway.] If they're interested in something else, that's go-
[But she doesn't finish her sentence — Zero's pinning her to the bed before she can. Aloy tests her grip by shifting her wrists experimentally. Firm, but she's reasonably certain she can break free if she puts her back into it. That being said, she's disinclined to move yet. Instead, she snorts in amusement.]
Oh yeah? Ever heard of practicing what you preach? [...And a beat later:] We're doing this? Now? They're a room away.
[Now Aloy's eyeroll is full and dramatic.] You're a complete menace. What did I do to deserve that?
And, [a very familiar, disgusted face follows this, the grimace exaggerated by her cheeks being pulled at.] gross. Ugh, don't call it that. That's not how it works, by the way.
Hmph. [Aloy pats at her now reddened cheeks, watching as Zero rolls off of her.] I'm not a nerd.
[She was a nerd, but the harmless bantering is both amusing and comfortably familiar.
As for her children... Aloy raises an eyebrow.] Hey. Why are they always my kids when they're being difficult? Maybe they're being disagreeable because of your genes.
[This was a regular thing too, even though she knew very well that genes didn't work that way, either.]
[ It's hard to know if she's making a joke or actually believes that.
In a very Zero manner, she follows up her jabbing by melting into the shape of Aloy's body. And there she stays, content in the quiet intimacy of their closeness. ]
They're assholes because we are too. But they're your kids because they're the best of you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Over the decades she's learned to find fulfillment in things more minute than survival. Her self-expression, her music, being a mother most of all.
But the house was up there. Zero had an affinity for the water, the ocean especially. It was nostalgic and oddly calming. It'd been a months long process, the blueprints themselves a gift from Aloy to commemorate their many years together.
The floors were made from shiny blue tile imported from the Quen mainland, walls washed in plain neat white making it stick out among the many ornate Quen structures. Every piece of furniture was purchased over time, some were even gifts - she'd become something of a stylistic tastemaker.
The problem however is that it was small. There was only one bedroom and their daughters had been (begrudgingly) assigned pallets on the floor.
She was kind of pissed at them, so she doesn't feel bad about it in this moment.
Zero is already cocooned in their bed, scrolling mindlessly through stupid videos on her Focus, when Aloy enters she peaks out from under her blankets.
Age, or her new lifestyle has softened her features some. The angles of Zero's face are rounder now, and the intimidating aura she'd once projected has worn away like a knife turned blunt from years of overuse.]
Did they let you have it again?
[ She's been trying to avoid her own spawn now that they've settled in their sleeping spots.
The lack of proper beds had only made them grouchier about the news. ]
no subject
Aloy has the harried, exhausted look of someone with the weight of the world on her shoulders — and for once, this isn't literally the case, as much as it felt that way. She slips into the bedroom quietly, running a hand through her hair in a subdued gesture of distress. Her "retirement" has softened her too — mostly about the midsection, which had come as a surprise to her, and the graying in her hair, which had not.
Her gaze softens at the sight of Zero wrapped in blankets. This sort of burrowing instinct was a habit of hers that never ceased to be charming to Aloy. She leans against the doorframe, arms crossed.]
Yeah. Alana told me to "be reasonable." [The way Aloy's chin lifts at this, as if in response to a challenge, is familiar.] Honestly. They're acting like I told them I was coming out of retirement.
no subject
Zero unfurls herself and sympathetically pats the space next to her. ]
That's why I'm hiding in here.
[ Once Aloy sits, Zero wraps her arm around Aloy's torso. It'd taken their children becoming adults for her to become willing to part with her prosthetic at night. ]
They said you should learn to tell me no.
[ She murmurs into Aloy's hip, hiding part of her face.
She got like this sometimes, it seemed to happen overnight but she occasionally sought comfort from Aloy like this. If acknowledged verbally she'd quickly draw away (as Aloy had learn once early on). ]
And it's a mistake every time you say yes.
[ No one on earth was as terrifying and cruel as your own children. Zero would wonder if Mikhail would be the same as her girls - attached at the hip one moment, and then judgement in a way that both infuriated and upset her.
Motherhood was a real bitch. Their kids learned how to have a bad attitude from two very masters of it. ]
no subject
That their family existed in harmony was important to her. She had lamented the years when the girls were younger and seemed to bicker and fight incessantly. She'd stepped in when their youngest was flippantly cruel to Zero in the way children could be — in the way she'd been sometimes with Rost, when he had upset or angered her. Usually, this interference would end well, or at the least, with a temporary stalemate. This time, their children seem united against them, and she finds that her love for them wars with her pride and her love for Zero both. This was not new, but it was the first time she'd felt it so intensely. It would make her feel like a bad mother if she wasn't so annoyed by the two of them.
When Zero finishes speaking, a tight sigh escapes Aloy. Deep furrows settle in the space between her eyes.]
Nice to know they don't think I have any agency with this. [...] I'll tell them it was my idea.
[The two of them found disagreeing with her much more difficult, for obvious reasons.]
no subject
No. Fuck em' - they don't even live with us. I never ask for shit! Gave up my body and life for those brats. Don't regret it.. but fuck 'em.
[ She's gotten good at that, the mom guilt and occasional harmless resentment. ]
no subject
Okay, okay. So the plan's still on, then. [...] I'm still going to talk to them again, though. Let them know the decision's final. Letting them know was a courtesy, not a vote.
[A little sigh follows this, then, and she asks, a bit hesitantly:] Do you think they're going to hate us after this?
no subject
No. They're just gonna' be pissed for awhile. They're good kids.
[ It's said with confidence even despite her earlier griping. ]
You still sure about this? You can still run for the hills, or just say no.
no subject
[She was guilty of these blindspots on occasion, when it came to her children. Their mingled idolization and need to compete with her came with unexpected consequences. Zero was the one Alana shared the most with, and Alana had been the most surprised and angered by their announcement.]
But I'm sure. You know, I'm actually a little excited.
no subject
She's sure they're angrily whispering to each other about how stupid their parents are. ]
Yeah? Tell me about it.
no subject
[Her gaze shifts up to the ceiling.] I think it'll be fun. It's the first time that I haven't been busy in, ever? The girls are all grown up, the world isn't on the brink of total collapse again...
[She breathes out in a huff.] I won't have to miss anything this time.
no subject
Her fingers strum the side of Aloy's face. ]
You're a good mom to them. And you'll be a good mom with this one too.
no subject
[Leaning into the touch, Aloy manages a lopsided smile.]
You wanna tell them that? They put me through the ringer today.
no subject
[ Zero pats her cheek, the mood shifts entirely. ]
Worry about how you're going to keep up with me, ya geezer.
[ The last time they'd experience pregnancy hormone addled intimacy. And the last time they'd get to partake in all the things that came after that. ]
So? What's your wishlist for this one?
no subject
As far as keeping up with you's concerned, I've got it handled. [The mischievous, challenging glint in her eyes is familiar.] Managed just fine the last two times. Besides, I'm not the only old geezer around here.
[Zero's aging had been more graceful than hers so far — unsurprising. It didn't keep her from waking up with aches and pains, however.]
And I'm still holding out hope for one that takes more after you.
no subject
You say that now.. let's see how you feel when it can't understand your smartypants language.
[ And then suddenly she pounces, crouching and jumping, knocking Aloy onto her back.
She pins Aloy's wrists above her head - Kotallo had been a boon over the years a she used her prosthetic less and less.
She's still strong, wants to stay strong for as long as possible. Aging was scary for shallow reasons, but also because she feared not being able to defend herself or her family.
Zero leans down, so close her lips skim the curve of Aloy's ear. ]
It's not nice to call people names.
no subject
[But she doesn't finish her sentence — Zero's pinning her to the bed before she can. Aloy tests her grip by shifting her wrists experimentally. Firm, but she's reasonably certain she can break free if she puts her back into it. That being said, she's disinclined to move yet. Instead, she snorts in amusement.]
Oh yeah? Ever heard of practicing what you preach? [...And a beat later:] We're doing this? Now? They're a room away.
no subject
Nah, don't need to traumatize them after we made them mad as hell. I'm gonna blue ball you until it's baby making time.
[ she cups Aloy's cheeks, tugging on them in a childish way. ]
Maybe it'll make your spunk stronger.
no subject
And, [a very familiar, disgusted face follows this, the grimace exaggerated by her cheeks being pulled at.] gross. Ugh, don't call it that. That's not how it works, by the way.
no subject
[ she tugs on aloy's cheeks like she is ventriloquist and Aloy is her puppet.
Many things have changed, for the better even - but some things about their dynamic would always remain the same.
They brought the children they'd never gotten to be with one another.
Zero offers mercy and rolls off of Aloy lying next to her once more. ]
Anyway, not my fault your kids are in the next room. Other wise I'd show you a good time.
no subject
[She was a nerd, but the harmless bantering is both amusing and comfortably familiar.
As for her children... Aloy raises an eyebrow.] Hey. Why are they always my kids when they're being difficult? Maybe they're being disagreeable because of your genes.
[This was a regular thing too, even though she knew very well that genes didn't work that way, either.]
no subject
[ It's hard to know if she's making a joke or actually believes that.
In a very Zero manner, she follows up her jabbing by melting into the shape of Aloy's body. And there she stays, content in the quiet intimacy of their closeness. ]
They're assholes because we are too. But they're your kids because they're the best of you.