Thunderjaw Heart - Horizon Zero Dawn Fanfiction

Kevin

Bast opened his eyes, woken up by a strong hit on the jaw. He instinctively used his forearms to protect his face and rolled to the other side of the bed, letting himself fall on the floor to escape his assailant. 

"Kevin ! Watch the light, dude !"

Recognizing the voice and understanding he was not in danger, he looked at Kïma throwing the pillow back on the bed. He was almost sure she had lost her mind in the frozen wilds. Were the Old Ones actually talking like this ? If so, what did that even mean ? He promised himself he would search it up someday.
Her hair was a mess, she wore the same clothes than the day before and she had not cleaned her face from the black lines under her eyes that she had tired to wipe away. Did she sleep last night ? She seemed insane again. But at least she was smiling. 

"What do you want ?", he yawned, crawling back on the mattress. 

"Well... if what Damarko said is true, Aloy should arrive tomorrow", she started. 

"I know", he smiled, arranging the pillow back to where it belonged.

He was going to be able to bother the redhead again. That was nice.

"And I obviously cannot meet her like this."

She was probably talking about the ripped skins and furs she had been wearing for All-Mother knows how long.

"I agree...", Damarko grunted from the other side of the room. 

"So, first of all, I'm going to wash myself. And then you're coming with me. We are going shopping", she announced all at once.

"Can I stay here ?", Damarko hurried to ask.

"No", she answered, walking in the bathroom.

Bast let his head fall back on the pillow, sighing. Maybe he was going to need new clothes as well, actually... The ones Quatu gave him were a little too warm for the Sundom.
Ah, the Sundom...
He chuckled, remembering Damarko's expression when he got to meet Avad, the day before. If only he knew that he had to drink with him ! Kima had succeeded to keep her composure in front of her sunshine and had told Erend about the Omin colony. He had thanked her and had left to plan another attack, based on the blueprints she had sketched for him. 

"Should we hide ?"

"How old are you, Dam ?", he laughed, getting up to prepare himself. "We are going to go with her and help her find something so that Aloy and her finally get together after that long and traumatic separation. That's the perfect scenario, honestly."

"What about the Master Override ? If Aloy does have it, we should find HADES and kill it once and for all right now, don't you think ?"

"We don't know where this demon is and I don't know about you, but I think Kïma needs a moment with Aloy. To uh... clear her mind a little."

"So she stops talking nonsense ?"

"So she stops talking nonsense", Bast confirmed.

She came out of the bathroom a minute later, drying her hair with a towel. Her face was finally clean and she had not bothered to put any other facepaint on. She was wearing old clothes she had probably found in some closet.

"Ready to go ?", she asked, throwing the towel on a chair.

They both followed her after another desperate growl from Damarko.
She led them through the palace, perfectly knowing her way. They reached the crowded alleys of Meridian shortly after, where Bast instantly tensed up. They just came back from the Cut, where it was cold and empty and there they were, surrounded by hundreds of people under the Carja Sun.
He hit his thigh to distract himself, focusing on following Kïma.