Nil and Itamen

Headcannon: Nil, Avad and Itamen are brothers. What would happen if Nil and Itamen were forced to hang out?

Dedicated to @northisnotup, who inspired this oneshot. Thanks! xoxo

Aloy instructed Itamen to practice shooting arrows while Nil stood silently just behind her. Itamen was obedient and cooperative, but Aloy couldn’t help but notice that he kept glancing warily at Nil.

After some time, when Itamen was sweating from exertion, Aloy allowed him a brief break and a drink of water. But as Aloy lifted her Oseram flask to her lips, Itamen suddenly spoke.

“Why did Mother say you’re no better than Helis?”

Itamen was looking at Nil, who raised one eyebrow. “Because I’m a killer, and so was Helis,” he said bluntly.

Aloy bit her lip nervously. Neither she nor Nil had been briefed on how to answer these kinds of questions, but she was fairly sure Nasadi wouldn’t be pleased if she’d heard Nil’s answer. But before she could interject, Itamen was asking another question. “If you’re a killer like Helis, why does the Sun King let you in the palace? Aren’t you an enemy?” He was gazing at Nil with a surprising amount of challenge in his face, but Aloy noticed that his hands were trembling.

Read the rest on AO3.

Uthid: …and that’s how the Shadow Carja make a tequila sunrise.

Vanasha: You’re not serious. They add wine to it?? That’s sacrilegious. It’s a waste of perfectly good wine.

Aloy: I was going to say it’s a waste of perfectly good tequila.

Uthid: … well I guess I won’t be playing bartender at the Sun King’s next birthday party.

Nil and Aloy argue about who would have won if she’d agreed to fight him on that mesa overlooking the Spearshafts. 

“I’d have ended you, Suntress. I’m just as fast as you. You couldn’t dodge me forever.” He grabbed suddenly for her arm.

Aloy snatched her arm out of his reach and skipped nimbly around a large fern, placing the plant between herself and Nil. She snickered. “Just as fast, huh? Yeah, right. You’re like a Trampler compared to me.”

Nil eyed her, his silver eyes burning with humour and desire. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking for all the world like a Sawtooth waiting to pounce. Then he raised one eyebrow. “I dare you to put this little argument to the test.”

Aloy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, and Nil continued. “A sparring match. You and me. You can use your spear. I’ll use my knife. We’ll find out once and for all who would win.”

Read about their shenanigans on AO3.