Aloy’s vision is blurry as her eyes crack open, taking in the fuzzy murmurs of people talking nearby as her mind wakes to whispered words.
‘I’m not… I’m looking… plant life…’
‘Regardless Elisa… rest…’
‘Shh. Don’t… her.’
She feels warm, but also strangely… tethered?
Not in a bad way. Not at all.
The sound of humming enters her ears, along with what sounds like rustling paper pages. Aloy allows her eyes to adjust further, finally realizing the position she’s in.
More than half of her body is resting on Elisabet. Aloy’s frame is coiled around her side, her arm is wound over Elisabet’s middle, and her head is resting on her shoulder. She can distantly feel the unfamiliar, almost burning sensation of Elisabet’s arm around her back, and Aloy can feel more than hear Elisabet’s words, along with the soothing rhythm of her steady heartbeat.
Aloy listens to it, letting out a breath and closing her eyes once more as a gentle touch moves a stray piece of hair away from her face. In the next moment she feels a soft and foreign sensation against her forehead, causing all of the tension in her body to ease.
For the first time in ages, Aloy allows herself to fall back into her dreams.
Elisabet was fast asleep by the time Aloy next awoke later that morning, and was ultimately undisturbed as the huntress slipped away unnoticed.
Aloy never brought up what happened that night, and Elisabet didn’t ask about it either.
It was a… secret between them. One that no one else had to know.
Over the coming days, Elisabet steadily gained strength until she was able to navigate throughout the base on her own. Small trips at first, such as to the bathroom or the living room, but soon enough it was as if she had never been bedridden at all.
Ever since then, Aloy has noticed that the base feels… different.
There is a sense of warmth here that certainly wasn’t there before.
Aloy often hears Alva excitedly talking with Elisabet, asking endless questions about her latest discoveries from the APOLLO database.
‘Elisabet, and what was this drink like? “Coffee”? The Legacy tells us that the Old Ones drank it in the mornings. Sometimes multiple times a day!’
‘Oh, it was the best thing that you can ever imagine.’
‘So, I can safely assume that you liked it?’
‘I’ve already started drafting a plan to bring it back, yes…’
Erend has taken it upon himself to do odd jobs around the base for Elisabet, putting his hammer to good use under her instruction. They both came up with a new floor plan, strategically tearing down a few walls here and there to open the space more for the growing number of people living here. Elisabet even showed him how to use the base’s printing facility to make a few Old World objects, tools and appliances.
‘Hey Lis, so is this really an oven? You know, for cooking?’
‘Yes. Why?’
‘Just looks small is all. How am I supposed to roast a whole pig in this thing?’
‘I… suppose we can put a bigger one outside?’
‘Ha! Now you’re talkin’!’
Kotallo usually approaches Elisabet sometime in the evenings. Although they’ve unfortunately lost the ability to fight together, he’s been learning from her about a different way to hone his skills.
Through a new strategic game that the Old Ones called chess.
‘You’re a quick study, Kotallo. It’s not easy to catch onto the nuances of this game.’
‘I will consider that a great compliment. Though truthfully, I can see the similarities between this game and that of machine strike.’
‘Maybe it originated from chess? You’ve said before that some of your tribal customs have been influenced by the past?’
‘Perhaps. Who’s to say either way.’
When Elisabet isn’t spending time with any one of them, she is usually outside with Zo is in the garden. They’ve been tending to the ever-growing number of plants together like clockwork, building out a new system to hopefully expand the space in the near future.
‘The squash could grow here nicely. Would leave enough space for the cucumbers?’
‘If we move the squash there, however, what of the onions?’
‘The scallions or the vidalias?’
‘The um, forgive me. I’m trying to recall the difference. The… green onions?’
‘The scallions, then.’
‘Of course. Seems I will have to continue my studies of Old World horticulture.’
‘You’re picking it up well enough. Don’t sell yourself short.’
This place is… filled with Elisabet’s voice now. Her influence, her guidance, her teachings.
It’s comforting. Knowing that she is here.
Especially when it comes time to start enacting their plan against Nemesis.
Aloy and Beta have finally settled on an idea, and Elisabet has followed them in stride without question. It feels amazing to have her confidence. To know that Elisabet believes in her and Beta, and truly thought that they were taking the right steps to combat this threat to their new world.
And so, it was settled.
“My friends have a new mission – to spread the word, and ask for help.
They’ve taken it in stride. I think it’s because they’ve always known what I’ve only just started to understand. That the people of this world have the strength to fight any battle. The ingenuity to solve any problem. The courage to overcome any obstacle. And the resilience to rise after any setback.
As for me… I can’t say I’m not afraid.
What lies ahead will be harder than anything we’ve faced before.
But I know I can put the fear aside.
Because for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m not alone…”
With the deep-rooted confidence of knowing that she has Elisabet’s full faith and approval, Aloy sets out for the first time in weeks to trek back into the wilds.
Free to the world once more, she took her time embracing the wilds that she grew up in, reminding herself of who she is, at her core. Of that girl who had worked so hard to win the Proving years ago, who loved testing out new weapons and traps, adored finding new machines to override, and could get lost in herself for hours on end alone with her thoughts.
She doesn’t end up spending a terribly long time away, though.
Only long enough to ensure that everyone has settled in at their posts, and to clean up any lingering tasks that she wanted to take care of from her log.
Aloy gathered materials to upgrade her gear, helped Morlund with his flying balloon, found a few black boxes, and finally completed that ocean cauldron by the coast she had been putting off. The flight back to base feels so much easier after that, like a breath of fresh air now that she has spent some time away.
Even so, Aloy steels herself as she sees the mountains west of Plainsong come into view, remembering the resolve she made to herself to spend more time with Elisabet from now on.
To actually talk to her, and make the most of their time together.
All-Mother only knows what Rost or Varl would say about her squandering such an opportunity. She has to be better about getting to know Elisabet, especially after the scare they had with the merge… She can’t afford to waste any more time being stupidly insecure.
Not with everything she’s ever wanted finally at her fingertips.
Aloy can’t help from tensing as she opens the door to the base, her back tight like one of her bowstrings as she looks around for any sign of Elisabet or Beta. The living room is empty, but somehow, that sense of warmth is strangely still there.
Perhaps faded with the loss of the others, but there all the same.
It causes the tension in her frame to ease as she curiously walks through the empty space.
At first glance, things haven’t changed all that much.
Everything is in its proper spot, same as how her friends left it, but she can tell right away that Sylens has been through here recently. A fact which coincides with Beta’s updates.
While Aloy isn’t particularly fond of the idea of him interacting with Elisabet and Beta, at least he appears to be gone for now. Probably hiding in whatever hole he’s gotten his hands on this time to be an annoyance once more.
Aloy frowns at that thought and turns away from his room, moving into her own to unpack. It’s currently still pretty early in the morning, much too early for Beta to be awake, but she has a hunch about where Elisabet might be at this hour.
‘Welcome back, Aloy.’ GAIA greets through her focus as she is putting some of her weapons away. ‘All has been well since your departure. Elisabet is awake and enjoying the sunrise with Varl should you wish to visit her.’
‘Thought so. Thanks, GAIA.’ Aloy closes the lid to her stash.
The thought of knowing exactly where Elisabet is at this time of day reminds Aloy of a different kind of strength that was always there. Of exiting a cabin somewhere far to the East, and finding a certain someone fletching arrows by a crackling golden campfire each night.
Aloy pauses at that thought and glances at the pendant hanging on her shelf.
Something stirs in her chest for a moment and she thinks about grabbing it, before ultimately deciding to leave it behind as she walks out of the base in search of Elisabet.
The garden is now flourishing, slowly growing new vegetables and an array of carefully chosen fruits. It’s an odd, but welcome sight to say the least. The only gardens that Aloy has ever encountered were on the road, particularly by Utaru territory, or the odd few in the outskirts of Meridian. The Nora tribe, if they had any gardens, were purposefully not something that she took notice of. Rost had told her that such things were forbidden to even think about, as an outcast could quickly grow desperate for food and succumb to the temptation of stealing.
“Once that happens, the tribe had every right to react accordingly. You must be cautious of such things, Aloy.”
At the time, she didn’t have the courage to ask what that punishment would be.
Aloy pauses and quickly shakes her head, willing thoughts of the Nora tribe out of her mind.
It’s so strange. She’s been thinking about them almost constantly now, whereas before she hadn’t given them a second thought ever since the Battle of the Alight.
Aloy walks a little faster up the walkway, noticing that there is a proper bridge over the icy water and stairs now leading up to the garden. She glances to silently pay her respects to Varl’s grave, before checking out the other new additions to this space. There is a table and a few chairs out here now, along with a rather large floating bench hung up by chains. Elisabet is sitting in it, using her legs to casually swing it back and forth as she’s busy working on something in her lap.
Aloy looks at her for a moment, noticing that she is wearing the raiment that the Quen created in her image. Aloy had given it to her right before she left, hoping to use that limited timing to avoid any questions about it. She had originally kept those clothes because she didn’t have the heart to throw them away, but she supposes that sometimes things must happen for a reason. Seeing as she was now able to pass them along to their rightful owner.
Elisabet herself had been visibly thankful for the familiar clothes, but if she was curious about where they from, she ultimately didn’t question it. Which is just as well, because Aloy couldn’t even begin to imagine how to explain everything that had happened in Thebes.
Probably a conversation for another day…
But seeing Elisabet now, wearing those clothes, causes Aloy to pause.
Her face shifts into a small smile as she is instantly reminded of her dream. Of finding Elisabet waiting for her on a different bench among a field of blooming flowers.
Even more so when Elisabet looks up and also smiles upon seeing her standing there.
‘Aloy. When did you get back?’ She asks.
‘Just now actually.’ Aloy takes a moment to find her feet before coming to sit next to her.
‘I was wondering why you didn’t answer this morning.’ Elisabet comments lightly.
Ever since Aloy left, Elisabet has called her each and every morning. At first, Aloy was confused why Elisabet chose to send her a request for a call. Usually, whenever anyone wanted to talk to her, their voice floated into her focus without warning. Whether she was open to it or not.
Elisabet’s calls, however, clearly gave Aloy a choice to either accept or decline them.
True to her word at the Zenith base, Aloy can tell that Elisabet very clearly values her privacy.
To have her space respected like that, especially when so many have invaded it in the past…
In return, Aloy has never refused a call from Elisabet. Even on the few occasions when she could not answer, she always made sure to call her right back. Their calls do not last very long, either. Elisabet doesn’t demand Aloy’s time, and she doesn’t extrapolate the conversation unless Aloy initiates it.
Elisabet just… genuinely wants to know where Aloy is and if she is okay.
Just wants to check in, nothing more, and seeing Elisabet’s name flash across her focus never fails to cause a small smile to come over Aloy’s face whenever the sun rises.
This morning was the only time when she didn’t answer Elisabet’s call, as she had already been gliding down off her Sunwing to meet her in person.
‘How are you feeling?’ Aloy looks her over. ‘Any more pain since last time?’
When Aloy had left the base, Elisabet still dealt with small bursts of pain if she stood up for too long, or if she moved a certain way. GAIA had said it would lessen over time, like many things, yet still prescribed Elisabet a few stronger medications for the time being.
‘It comes and goes.’ Elisabet shrugs, returning to her work. ‘Much better than what it was, that’s for sure.’
Aloy hums, happy to hear that, before catching a glimpse of what Elisabet has in her lap.
‘What are you doing?’ Aloy asks curiously.
There is a basket of yellow flowers next to her on the ground, and Elisabet seems to be weaving them together for some reason.
‘I collected those dandelions because they were in the way of a project I want to do. I was maybe going to brew some tea with them later.’ Elisabet muses. ‘But first I wanted to see if I still remembered how to weave them together.’
‘Weave them? Why?’ Aloy tilts her head, leaning closer.
Right now, the dandelions are all daisy chained together, their green stems forming a long line. Aloy furrows her brow, wondering what it is that she’s making.
A rope maybe? But it’s made out of flowers? That won’t hold for long.
‘You’ll see.’ Elisabet says. ‘How was your flight? You said yesterday that you were planning to fly back from that camp? The one in the middle of nowhere.’
Aloy can’t resist the uptick of her mouth in response.
Elisabet wasn’t always the best at remembering the names of settlements. Things like Meridian or The Grove were easy enough to remember, but she tended to struggle with ones that had adjective type names.
“Scorching… Spear? No, that’s not right.”
“SwampThorn? I’m close, aren’t I?”
At least she is getting the gist, if not the names.
‘It was fine.’ Aloy shrugs. ‘Sort of a long flight, but I didn’t run into any trouble at least.’
‘Well, I’m glad you made it home safe.’ Elisabet comments casually, unaware of how Aloy tenses next to her.
Home…
Could that be the warm feeling that’s been inside the base lately?
Before Aloy can think more deeply about that thought, Elisabet clicks her tongue and holds up her handiwork.
‘There we go.’ She looks over the chain of puffy yellow flowers, before grabbing a bit of twine.
Aloy watches curiously as Elisabet ties the two ends together, making a circle.
‘What is it?’ Aloy tilts her head, confused.
‘Here.’ Elisabet reaches over and places it atop Aloy’s head. ‘It’s a dandelion crown.’
She casually fixes the circlet of flowers over her braids with a gentle touch. Aloy instinctively tenses in response, unprepared for the sudden touch and unknowing how to respond, especially when Elisabet adjusts her long red hair to fall nicely over her shoulders.
‘There. Absolutely beautiful.’ Elisabet comments, her words coming naturally and sounding full of something that Aloy doesn’t dare think about.
After a moment, she pulls away, before pausing as she seems to notice Aloy’s posture.
The two of them haven’t touched since Aloy snuck into Elisabet’s bed some time ago, as if after that one moment, all of the courage she had was gone in an instant. Elisabet has noticed this change in her as well, and has kept a bit of distance between them ever since.
More for Aloy’s sake than her own.
A clear respect of boundaries.
Elisabet doesn’t take her words back now, though, and Aloy… doesn’t know how to feel about that. She’s been called so many things before, both good and bad, but those words from Elisabet make something in her chest light up like a flame. A foreign warmth spreads across her cheeks that has no business being there in the harsh chilled weather atop the mountain.
When Aloy doesn’t respond any further, Elisabet pulls away, creating more distance between them, and Aloy wants to shoot herself with a plasma arrow.
Aloy… wants a connection with Elisabet. She can admit it.
She wants Elisabet’s touch, her smile, and her embrace. She came here today with a clear resolve to be more open with that wanting.
So why? Why does she always find herself hesitating?
She doesn’t understand.
‘It’s… I love it.’ Aloy quickly offers instead, trying to appease the awkward tension that fills the air between them. ‘Thank you.’
Elisabet only gives her a small smile and looks away to grab more dandelions. Something in her eyes is closed off, but she doesn’t apologize for her touch, thank goodness.
‘You said you wanted to see if you remembered how to make one.’ Aloy says, wanting to keep the conversation going. ‘You used to make these?’
‘I did. With my mother, a long time ago.’ Elisabet sets out the flowers as if to start making a new one. ‘She taught me how to make crowns, and how to weave them into hair braids.’
Braids?
Aloy knows all about braids. The Nora have so many of them, all for any number of occasions and traditions. Even as an outcast, there were dozens that she could remember off the top of her head from Rost’s teachings alone.
But braiding flowers into her hair… that’d be something new.
‘Can you… show me?’ Aloy asks, her voice small all of a sudden without her consent.
‘Sure.’ Elisabet agrees easily, pulling up more dandelions from the basket. ‘Crowns are easy to make. I’m sure you’ll catch onto it fast.’
‘Not the… not the crown.’ Aloy clears her throat. ‘The braids…’
‘Oh.’ Elisabet straightens up. ‘It’s been such a long time.’ She puts her hand up to her chin, her brow furrowing. ‘I think I remember, but mine isn’t…’ She takes a lock of her own red hair, frowning at the short length.
‘You can use my hair.’ Aloy says, almost too fast.
Elisabet blinks at her, startled, before shaking her head.
‘Aloy, you don’t want me braiding your hair. It’s been years since I’ve braided anything.’
‘I can always fix it later.’ Aloy insists.
Elisabet looks at her for a long moment, slowly taking in Aloy’s posture and expression. Somehow, even without words, she seems to understand that Aloy is asking much more of her than simply braiding hair.
‘Alright.’ Elisabet relents.
Somehow, Aloy ends up laying down on the swing bench, her head resting in Elisabet’s lap. Elisabet didn’t want Aloy to be uncomfortable on the cold ground of the mountain, and Aloy could not muster up any protest.
Especially not as the reality of what is about to happen sets in.
Aloy tries not to tense up as Elisabet runs a hand through her hair, more than likely looking for a spot that wouldn’t interfere with the other braids already peppered throughout her red locks.
‘Are you sure?’ Elisabet asks one last time, sounding more hesitant now after seeing all of Aloy’s perfect braids up close. ‘They’re not going to be as good as yours.’
That’s the point.
They will be Elisabet’s braids. In Aloy’s hair.
But somehow those words die on her tongue.
To the Nora, especially to Nora daughters, having their hair braided by their mother is ritualistic. Sacred. It is way to take their mother with them. Always.
Or so Aloy has been told all her life.
Ever since she was a little girl, she’s craved that connection. With every fiber of her being. As she grew older, she had thought she already snuffed out that naive girlish want.
But now… with Elisabet here… it’s…
In the end, Aloy can only nod in response, settling further onto her side and handing Elisabet a small pouch of hair ties. Elisabet takes them without any further protest and combs her fingers through her hair for a few moments longer.
Aloy tenses as she feels that first pull against her scalp.
The last time she felt someone touch her hair was when she was very young.
Young enough for Rost to still be teaching her how to braid.
“Rost, do it for me again! Please. I haven’t learned it yet.”
“Aloy, soon you will need to learn how to do this on your own.”
Rost’s words sounded a bit exasperated, but his tone of voice gave him away. By then she had already learned how to braid, and he probably knew it too.
Still, he always chose to indulge her. Until the day came when he could do so no longer.
“But why can’t you keep doing it for me all the time?”
“Because, Aloy…’
Rost had let out a sighing breath, and she remembers how he turned her little face up to look at him.
“I am not your mother.”
The sensation against her hair is the same as it was back then, and something hurts in Aloy’s chest as the memory flashes by.
‘Aloy…’ Elisabet calls, resting a hand on her elbow. ‘Talk to me.’ She says simply. ‘You’re shaking.’
‘I… don’t know.’ Aloy admits after a bit of effort.
‘Do you want me to stop?’ Elisabet asks, already pulling her hands away.
‘No.’ Aloy says firmly, putting a hand onto Elisabet’s knee. ‘Please.’
Elisabet is silent, and when Aloy peeks over her shoulder, her face is contemplative and assessing. A deep intelligence is behind her eyes as she looks at Aloy, her gaze heavy.
But she doesn’t ask further, simply doing as Aloy requests, and starts braiding.
The pull slowly gets easier to deal with, and after a few moments Elisabet brings Aloy’s long hair forward to show her the braid, now filled with dandelions.
‘You weave the stems through it in alternating sections. Here, you see?’
Aloy looks at it with interest, nodding as she doesn’t trust her own voice in this moment.
She takes a piece of her own hair from behind her ear and tries to duplicate Elisabet’s handiwork. It ends up looking lopsided, especially at this angle, but is pretty all the same. The two of them then take out their respective braids and rework them together until they’re just right, before moving on to make more and more.
Aloy ends up with about five different braids full of fluffy yellow dandelions. Combined with the crown, they feel like a soothing waterfall of flowers as they cascade down her back and shoulders.
What’s even better still is that when Elisabet runs out of dandelions, she simply continues braiding anyway, seemingly for the fun of it and nothing else.
Aloy lets out a breath, content and settled as she looks out at the frozen world beyond the mountains, feeling the rays of the rising sun kiss her face as she relaxes further into Elisabet.
‘Aloy. Those came out so pretty.’ Beta compliments sometime later as they’re walking up into the projection room. ‘And I like your crown.’
Aloy and Elisabet spent a few hours on the garden swing, simply spending time together without words as Aloy rested with her head in Elisabet’s lap. She maybe thought that she would be embarrassed about it when Beta eventually asked what they were doing out there for so long, but for some reason she’s not.
It’s as if her body really needed that time somehow.
Perhaps in a way that she didn’t quite understand yet.
‘Thanks.’ Aloy says, keening her eyes upwards to look at the dandelion crown on her head. ‘Me too.’
Beta then curiously gestures to a braid resting on Aloy’s right shoulder.
‘What kind of braids are those by the way? They’re different than the other ones you have.’
Aloy raises a brow and pulls the braid closer to examine it. Instead of the standard plait, this one weaves back and forth into itself in a much thicker, tighter braid.
It’s unlike any that Aloy’s seen before.
‘I don’t know.’ She admits, tilting her head.
‘Hm…’ Beta gazes at it with puzzlement also, before looking up as Elisabet enters the room behind them. ‘Mom, what kind of braids are these? The ones you did to Aloy’s hair?’ She asks, missing how her sister tenses next to her.
Although Beta doesn’t appear to stutter anymore at the title, Aloy still isn’t gotten used to her calling Elisabet that. Not at all.
‘It’s called a fishtail braid.’ Elisabet supplies easily while walking past them with three cups of water.
It’s then that Aloy notices a third desk in the center of the room that hadn’t been there before. Elisabet’s desk has already seen some use it seems. There are several flowers on it, as well as numerous pieces of paper, Old World electronic files, machine parts and books.
‘Is it sort of like a ponytail then?’ Aloy asks, wrinkling her brow with thought as she watches Elisabet place a cup onto each desk.
She’s heard of a ponytail at least. But ‘fishtail’ is something new.
‘They’re both named simply because that’s how they look.’ Elisabet explains while pressing a button on one of the devices atop her desk. GAIA’s logo shines from it while it quietly boots up. ‘A ponytail looks like a pony’s tail, and a fishtail, well…’ Elisabet lets the sentence hang as Aloy examines the braid again with interest.
There is nothing like a fishtail braid in the Nora tribe.
No, this is a braid from Elisabet’s world.
Something for only Aloy to wear.
The thought fills her with a strange warmth as she carefully brushes the braid behind her shoulder to settle against her back with the others.
Being back at base, with both Elisabet and Beta here, is an experience that Aloy can’t entirely describe. It’s made twice as intense, too, given the fact that no one else is here.
It is just the three of them, plus GAIA, all working together towards the same goal.
Aloy’s senses, which are usually hyper focused on anything and everything around her in the wilds, are slowed down here in a way that she wasn’t expecting. Beta’s huffs of confusion whenever she gets stuck, the clacking sound of Elisabet’s fast typing, and the sound of the two of them bouncing ideas off of GAIA, all become background noise for Aloy in a strangely comforting way.
Slowly growing familiar to her, and associated with only the two of them in her mind.
Like the sound of Rost fletching arrows, or chopping wood in the back yard, or grinding flowers for face paint, or turning stew over in that clanky metal pot.
As she thinks of him Aloy unconsciously reaches up towards her neck, and frowns when she doesn’t feel a familiar pendant hanging there.
Night falls upon the world at some point, and Elisabet decides to make dinner.
This is first time that she’s offered to do so, and it’s met with protest.
‘But, you shouldn’t stand up for that long. What about the pain in your feet?’ Beta questions. ‘Or your back? Yesterday you said it was hurting a lot, right?’
‘I could make something?’ Aloy offers, and tries not to be offended as she sees her sister grimace in her peripheral.
She already knows from the others that her cooking skills leave much to be desired.
But it couldn’t be that bad, right?
‘I have a chair. I’ll be fine.’ Elisabet waves off their concerns. ‘I promise to let you both swoop in if there’s a problem.’ She switches the oven on and starts grabbing cooking utensils Aloy has never seen before from out of the cupboards. ‘Let me do this. I want to.’
Despite Aloy and Beta’s near constant check-ins, Elisabet easily cooks something simple from the Old World. Her cooking is different than anything Aloy has tasted before. It’s not as spicy as traditional Carja dishes, nor as mild as the Quen’s typical fish cuisine, or as greasy as the Oseram’s.
No, it was simply just… flavorful. In the best way.
Apparently, according to Elisabet, it was a dish that she used to make all the time. Called spaghetti and meatballs, complimented with some oven toasted garlic bread.
‘Usually, I’d have a glass of wine with something like this.’ Elisabet says while placing a basket of bread on the new dining table in the living room. ‘But apparently all this place has for alcohol is beer and nothing else.’
‘Sounds like there’s only one culprit for that.’ Aloy muses while taking a piece of bread, immediately enjoying the crunch and the flavor as she takes a bite.
‘I wonder if Erend will ever drink it all?’ Beta ponders, looking around her sister to glance at the multiple cases of beer huddled by his usual spot.
There’s even more in his room, supposedly.
‘He’ll have to at some point. Because it’s going to sit there and collect dust otherwise.’ Elisabet muses while twisting her fork to gather up her pasta noodles.
Aloy pauses to watch her, having previously been having a hard time taking bites without getting sauce everywhere. Without even thinking about it, Aloy mimics her, finding right away that this technique is much easier.
‘Not a fan of beer, huh?’ Aloy teases.
‘Let’s just say of all the things I’m thrilled this world was able to recreate, beer is definitely not one of them, no.’ Elisabet says, earning a chuckle from both Beta and Aloy respectively.
Once dinner ends, Beta asks Aloy if she would like to watch a holo with her and Elisabet. Apparently, it’s become sort of a routine for them to watch one every couple of days after dinner.
‘You could join us, if you want?’ Beta asks shyly.
While Aloy is happy to see that she and Elisabet have gotten closer, especially with how worried Beta was about all of this at first, something in her declines the offer.
‘You go on ahead.’ Aloy nods towards the stairs. ‘I want to finish what I was doing up there.’
Beta looks at her, and Aloy can almost feel how her sister deflates at the refusal.
‘Oh, okay. Well, next time then.’
‘Next time then.’ Aloy parrots, then turns and makes her way into the projection room.
The dome has gone back to its normal black state by now, having been set onto the desert theme for most of the day per Beta’s request.
‘Hello, Aloy.’ GAIA smiles as she comes up the stairs. ‘How did you enjoy your meal?’
‘It was really good.’ Aloy admits as she goes past GAIA towards the drone module. ‘I haven’t had a meal like that in a long time.’
Others have made meals for her before. There is a rotation here at the base, after all.
But this felt more… personal.
Elisabet had said that she wanted to do it and was already planning to make more meals in the future. But Aloy can read between the lines. She knows that Elisabet really means that she wants to make more for her and Beta specifically.
It’s… something that a mother would do, Aloy realizes.
It’s such a small thing, but it means so much more than she thought it would.
Aloy lets that thought drift away as she absentmindedly clicks through the drone overlay options for the dome, eventually landing on the snowy mountaintops. With a satisfied nod and a short mention of approval from GAIA, Aloy turns and approaches the AI.
‘GAIA, how have things really been going around here? With Beta and Elisabet?’ She asks, knowing that the AI will give her a straight answer.
Beta seems fine whenever they’ve called each other. Elisabet has as well.
There’s no cause for concern, but a more thorough analysis couldn’t hurt.
‘Elisabet is making excellent progress in her healing journey.’ GAIA supplies. ‘She still grows winded when performing physical exertion, and struggles from time to time with moderate pain. However, her vitals signs are all healthy per her latest analysis.’ GAIA looks to Aloy with interest. ‘As for her mentality, she and Beta have grown quite close. The two of them seem much happier, now that they have found each other. And you as well.’
‘That’s good.’ Aloy says, feeling a smile creep onto her face as she looks away. ‘After everything the two of them have been through, I’m glad they’ve found some happiness.’
‘Indeed.’ GAIA nods. ‘Though, Beta has divulged that she has missed you terribly while you were away.’ She recounts, causing Aloy to blink and look up at her. ‘And although Elisabet has not said so directly, I know she has worried for your safe return.’
‘She doesn’t have to.’ Aloy assures. ‘I can handle myself.’
‘Of course.’ GAIAI hums, before the sound of sudden music comes from downstairs.
Aloy tilts her head as she listens, hearing Beta and Elisabet talking over the beginnings of a holo. When she eventually turns back to GAIA, her expression slips as she fiddles with her fingers.
‘GAIA, I’ve been meaning to ask for your help. With something.’ Aloy admits, speaking with her hands as she often does when she’s a bit nervous.
It’s a trait she shares with Beta, though she’s unsure if they both inherited it from Elisabet.
There’s so many little things like that. Things that she wants to ask Elisabet.
But there never seems to be the right time.
Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.
‘Certainly, Aloy. What do you need assistance with?’ GAIA asks.
‘You have access to APOLLO.’ Aloy says, earning an affirmative nod from GAIA. ‘Do you think you could assign me some training modules? About, I don’t know… coding maybe? Or data?’
While collaborating with Beta and Elisabet today, it is slowly becoming apparent to Aloy that she is sorely lagging behind when it comes to technical knowledge. Especially when directly compared to the two of them. Aloy isn’t a doctor, nor is she trained to use Zenith technology. And while Aloy has grown and learned so much over the past few years, she’s unfortunately come to realize that she still has so much more to learn and catch up on.
Thanks to one Ted Faro…
‘I certainly can.’ GAIA tilts her head a bit. ‘However, if you are requesting to learn about coding and robotic engineering, there would be no better teacher than Elisabet herself.’
‘I know.’ Aloy says, having expected this comment in some form. She frowns and crosses her arms over her chest as she glances back to the stairs. ‘I don’t want to bother her with this.’
‘Based on all previous encounters noted between Elisabet and yourself, as well as my understanding of her personality, I do not believe Elisabet would see your inquiry as a bother in the slightest.’
Aloy fiddles with her fingers again, the thought of Rost entering her head once more.
He taught her everything that he knows.
The thought of learning from Elisabet in that way…
Learning how to braid flowers was one thing, but learning Elisabet’s craft? Her entire legacy and expertise?
That’s something else entirely and Aloy doesn’t want to think about it right now.
‘I know. But, I just have to do this on my own.’ She eventually says.
‘As you wish then, Aloy.’ GAIA waves her hand, bringing up the APOLLO interface. ‘I will assign a few modules to acclimate you to the APOLLO learning database.’
‘Thanks, GAIA.’
Aloy would probably never admit it, but she’s found a new respect for Beta tonight.
Her sister had said she’d learned physics, biochemistry, calculus, biology…
Aloy was struggling with just the basic practice modules.
This way of learning is completely alien to her in a way that she wasn’t expecting at all. She couldn’t imagine how long it took for Beta to actually learn everything that she knows today from this thing, not to mention the amount of time she must have spent at a desk going over numbers and code figures.
Elisabet too, for that matter.
It is taking every ounce of concentration for Aloy to keep focus on her virtual tasks, that she barely hears when someone else enters the room. One glance up confirms that it’s only Beta, but Aloy still flips a switch on her focus, setting the device onto the privacy setting.
‘Hey Beta. How was the holo?’ Aloy asks, thankful for the excuse to take a break.
‘It was really great!’ Beta smiles and takes a seat at her own desk. ‘It was about a mermaid who fell in love with a prince.’
‘A… what?’ Aloy looks at her, confused.
‘A mermaid. They are these mystical creatures that live in the ocean and are half human, half fish.’ Beta explains excitedly and pokes through her focus interface. Not a moment later, Aloy here’s the sound of data being shared. ‘The mermaid in the holo was named Ariel. She reminded me of you, actually.’
Aloy raises her eyebrows and opens the file, only to be greeted by a picture of a girl with a green fish tail and long red hair swimming joyfully through the ocean waves.
‘… It’s the hair, isn’t it?’ Aloy asks, giving her a look.
‘Well, yes that.’ Beta waves a hand dismissively. ‘But she’s so headstrong, and curious about new things from the human world. And of course, she can swim forever underwater, just like you.’ Beta swivels in her chair to properly face her desk display. ‘Mom picked it out. She said she used to watch it all the time when she was a kid.’
Aloy tilts her head, imagining a young Elisabet watching a screen full of mermaids.
‘You two have gotten pretty close, huh?’ Aloy comments quietly, seemingly more to herself than anything else.
Beta hears her, though, and turns to look back at her older sister.
‘I’ve been meaning to tell you, Aloy. I see what you mean now. About the strength that’s always there.’ Beta places a hand to her heart. ‘I can go to her for anything, and just knowing that she’s there, it’s…’
‘There’s no other feeling like it.’ Aloy acknowledges, her face softening as she sees her sister’s happy expression.
‘Yea.’ Beta says with a shy smile before looking towards Aloy. ‘What about you? She did your hair this morning. Have you been spending any more time together besides that?’
‘Not really.’ Aloy says, using her foot to swivel her chair back and forth, something in her instantly easing as she feels the new braids sway against her back. ‘She calls me every morning, but I haven’t… not yet.’
Beta looks at her and nods.
‘I think you’ll get there. Some day.’ She says, trying to be helpful. ‘It’s different for me, because I’ve never had… but you…’
‘I know, Beta.’ Aloy sighs, turning back to her focus interface.
The two of them lapse into silence after that, working together in a comfortable silence. At some point the snowy mountaintops grow dark around them, hundreds of white snowflakes adrift as little particles of light in the projection glow.
It’s a short while after that when the sound of footsteps can be heard.
Elisabet enters the projection room without ceremony, and pauses at the top of the stairs. She gives Beta a look, which the younger redhead returns with a surprised, almost sheepish gaze.
Aloy only looks between them with confusion, unable to decipher their silent conversation.
‘Um, just a few more minutes.’ Beta eventually says. ‘I didn’t realize the time.’
Elisabet sighs and goes to Beta’s desk, shutting off the display with the push of a button.
‘I don’t think so.’ Elisabet says, both looking and sounding tired. As if she’d just woken up.
‘But this time I’m really close to…’ Beta starts.
‘Beta.’ Elisabet shakes her head. ‘You asked me for help to fix your sleep schedule, and I promised you that I would.’ She says, her voice firm yet understanding. ‘But nothing’s going to change unless you’re consistent with it. That means the same time every night.’
Beta looks up at Elisabet, before glancing at her sister.
‘Don’t look at me.’ Aloy holds up her hands, now catching on to what all the fuss is about. ‘Believe it or not, your sleep schedule’s worse than mine.’
‘I don’t think that’s true?’ Beta denies. ‘Sometimes you stay up all night, too.’
‘Only when I have to.’ Aloy says with a frown.
It isn’t exactly something she does often, or rather she tries not to anyway. But when the world needs saving, sometimes it’s unfortunately just inevitable.
Beta opens her mouth to protest further, and Elisabet frowns at her.
‘Beta. Do not drag your sister into this.’ Elisabet places her hands on her hips disapprovingly. ‘Aloy is a grown woman who can handle her own sleep schedule. She doesn’t need me to baby her.’
Aloy silently sits up a bit straighter, her chest tightening for some reason in response to those words.
‘Okay…’ Beta relents. ‘It’s just… really hard. There was no day or night cycle on the Odyssey.’
‘I know. It will be hard for a while at first.’ Elisabet acknowledges, then pauses to hold out a hand expectantly. ‘You said you’ve been too distracted by NEMESIS’s code to sleep, right? I bet I know of a simple way to fix that.’
‘I…’ Beta says, her words dying in her throat as she hesitantly looks at Elisabet’s hand. After a moment she nods, resolve coming over her eyes. ‘You’re right.’ She agrees, hesitantly taking off her focus and handing it to Elisabet.
‘You’ve lived your whole life connected to a device. No wonder you can’t sleep.’ Elisabet says gently, reaching out to brush her fingers through Beta’s hair, where her scar lay underneath. ‘Just try it for tonight. See how it goes.’ She says reasonably, causing Beta to nod once more. ‘Really, you shouldn’t be sleeping with a focus on anyway.’ Elisabet says, tucking a lock of red hair behind Beta’s ear. ‘Surprised you haven’t poked your eye out yet.’
‘Is that even possible?’ Beta asks suspiciously and looks at her sister.
‘It’s never happened to me.’ Aloy simply shrugs.
‘It’s possible.’ Elisabet looks at Aloy and shakes her head. ‘Trust me, GAIA and I would know.’
‘Indeed.’ GAIA agrees. ‘While Travis was uncomfortable for several days, thankfully there was no lasting damage from the injury.’
‘There was actually.’ Elisabet says lightly. ‘Don’t forget about his ego, GAIA.’
‘Of course.’ GAIA acknowledges, causing both sisters to chuckle.
‘Well, goodnight then.’ Beta takes a deep reluctant breath. ‘I’ll uh, let you know how it goes.’
‘Alright. Sweet dreams, Beta.’ Elisabet says with a fond smile, which is shared by Beta for a moment before she walks away.
Once it’s just the two of them, Elisabet turns to Aloy casually.
‘How are things going so far?’ She asks, her tone curious. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask what you’ve been doing over here.’
‘It’s been… going well. I guess.’ Aloy says. ‘GAIA’s been helping me with a few things.’
Her focus is still set to private, but Elisabet furrows her brow as she looks at where the display screen should be. Aloy feels tension come over her frame with anticipation, as if Elisabet somehow already knows what’s there without being able to see it.
‘Well, if you ever get stuck, you can always ask me for help.’ Elisabet offers.
‘I know.’ Aloy says and looks away from Elisabet’s gaze. ‘I will. If I need to.’
Elisabet frowns for a moment, looking over her.
‘… Alright.’ Elisabet hums then puts Beta’s focus into her pocket. ‘I’ll be going to go back to sleep myself, then.’ She says with a yawn, before noticeably pausing.
For a moment, Aloy thinks that maybe Elisabet will also tell her to go to sleep, but instead she only reaches toward a dandelion still weaved into her red hair.
Elisabet’s fingers hover close, but noticeably do not touch.
‘Don’t forget to take these out before you go to bed.’ She humbly reminds Aloy. ‘Or you’ll wake up with yellow stains everywhere.’
‘Oh…’ Aloy says, looking at her braids before touching the crown still resting atop her head. She’d sort of forgotten it was there. ‘Right. Didn’t think about that.’
Elisabet only smiles at her knowingly and turns to leave the room.
‘Well, goodnight Aloy.’
‘Goodnight… Elisabet.’ Aloy silently watches her go before turning to finish her work alone.
About an hour or so later, Aloy returns to her room and sits down on her bed.
She gingerly takes the dandelion crown off her head, cradling it close as she looks it over. She has met plenty of weavers across her many travels, and while Aloy has never thought about taking up that profession herself, she has weaved a basket or two in the past. This style of binding, however, is odd. She spends quite a bit of time looking it over, trying to decipher the secret of how exactly Elisabet managed to create it.
‘I’d probably have to take it apart to understand.’ She mumbles to herself, before shaking her head, unwilling to do so in the slightest.
Instead, Aloy places the crown onto her shelf, right next to the jewelry stand with Elisabet and Rost’s pendants resting on it. Aloy looks them both over as she cautiously takes the other dandelions out of her hair. Her fingers are purposeful yet hesitant, desperately trying not to damage the braids underneath as she delicately places the flowers onto her desk.
‘I wonder what Rost would think. About this.’ She muses, cautiously running her fingers over Elisabet’s braids. ‘If he saw me now, I’d… like to think he would be happy for me. For finding the answers I’ve wanted. And… for at least trying to be open with Elisabet.’
Aloy thinks that thought over, knowing that she should be trying harder still.
“Precision… not enough… must be… perfect.”
She frowns as her old words come back to her, from the Proving.
She likes to think that she’s gotten better at that mindset. About not always needing to be perfect. But sometimes those thoughts will rear their ugly head. Especially whenever something important comes along.
And right now, this is too important for her let up on.
Aloy has to be better about forming a connection with Elisabet. She has to try harder.
She knows she does. And she will, no matter what it takes.
She sighs as she lies down in her bed, suddenly exhausted as she touches her new braids. Aloy traces her fingers over them, taking her time to memorize each and every one until sleep starts to come for her. Before it does, she reaches up after a moment’s deliberation to take off her focus and put it safely to the side.
She falls asleep soon after, her fingers carefully cradling red fishtail braids.
Bonus Scene:
‘I don’t know what I’m doing, GAIA.’ Elisabet admits the next morning, when the sun hasn’t yet begun to peek over the horizon and Aloy and Beta are still sleeping soundly in their beds.
‘It is my deduction that motherhood is not an easy task to undertake.’ GAIA surmises through Elisabet’s focus.
‘That’s true.’ Elisabet sighs, taking a sip from her mug of dandelion tea as she leans her hip against the breakfast bar. ‘Beta I have experience with, I guess you could say. Vivian was around her age before the world changed.’ She frowns, tapping her mug with her finger. ‘But Aloy… she’s an adult, and I don’t know if she needs me the same way. I don’t know when I’m pushing too hard, or if I should even be pushing at all.’
‘Query: Did you stop needing or wanting your mother when you were Aloy’s age, Elisabet?’
‘No.’ Elisabet closes her eyes and shakes her head, her expression softening. ‘I still need her, even now.’
‘Then perhaps Aloy thinks of you in the same way.’ GAIA proposes. ‘Even if she has never said so out loud.’
‘Hm.’ Elisabet hums, thinking. ‘You may be right.’ She admits. ‘It’s… different. Being on the other side.’ She muses. ‘Moira and I took parenting classes, but that was about how to raise a baby. Not anything like this.’
‘I would say that you are doing a magnificent job, Elisabet, especially in regards to the current circumstances.’ GAIA praises, her words genuine. ‘Both Aloy and Beta are noticeably at ease in your presence, and you are currently going through great lengths to care for both of them to the best of your ability.’
In response to those words, Elisabet only lets out a breath, looking towards Aloy’s room.
She ultimately neither confirms nor denies GAIA’s words as she silently heads outside to watch the sunrise.
Dream Eater Allyphant Creations 
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