Varl, naturally having been around the Banuk more than anyone else, had been observing; not in a weird, creepy way, but in a way in which it often left him letting out thoughtful hums, rubbing his chin in thought, and even narrowing his eyes too. He wasn't going to say he was suspicious of how his friend was acting, but he was suspicious of how his friend was acting. That wasn't to say that Nureka was antisocial, or rude, she could be if she tried, Varl guessed, but she tended to go against what most thought those within the Banuk would be. It was like watching Erend and his somewhat blundering ways whenever Aloy was around, that flustered acting and words and hesitant disposition to see if the right or wrong things were said. If Varl didn't know any better, he would say that Nureka may have some small harbouring thing for their Tenakth comrade.

Zo had watched, several times whenever Varl had these moments of musings, her own face being one of slight confusion. She did not get why her other half was suddenly acting all suspicious until one day, Varl just came out with it, just as Zo was about to commence eating breakfast, here he came just out with what was evidently on his mind.

"There's something going on," it wasn't clear what Varl was on about, he slid around the counter and sat beside Zo, she sighed and pushed her meal away. It seemed he was not dropping this, so she leaned her arms on the counter and looked his way. She'd listen, speak and comment if she needed to, but at the moment, she was confused. Varl's dark eyes widened and he grinned, looking around as if he was expecting someone to appear, he looked back at her. "Nureka and Kotallo."

Zo sighed through her nose heavily, "Are you gossiping, Varl?" She smirked, though even she wasn't blind. She had heard them, they were planning a trip to Memorial Grove, a journey which would take a day or two, depending on the route and how fast they were travelling. It wasn't like everyone here didn't come and go, Zo and Varl had been back to Plainsong a few times, even Erend had commented on how he might want to travel to Oseram run settlements. He had expressed curiosity over those which had come to dwell in Vegas, and what they were doing there. No one would even be surprised if he travelled to Chainscrape just for the sake of it.

They frequented places that were around their base, not just because of missing familiarity, or to see how everyone was doing, but there were problems, that they could help with, not everything had to fall on Aloy's shoulders. Even if the redhead was determined to be a one woman army, she didn't actually have to be. As far as Zo knew, the trip to the Grove was just that, it was a trip. There was no trouble, no real need to go there, not unless it was just the case of Nureka wanting to explore, but Zo found that a bit hard to believe that Kotallo would just be up for a site seeing tour of his lands.

"What? No!" Varl tried to sound offended, the scoff which came from him was more like a laugh than anything.

Zo leaned her cheek against her palm and looked at him simply. "And what do you intend to do with this information? If you ask Nureka, she's likely to just deny all, even comment on something else to change the subject. And if you ask Kotallo, all I see from that conversation is you receiving silence."

"Can't I be concerned for my friend?"

"That's the avenue you are trying to go down?" Zo found herself chuckling, Varl looked defeated. "As far as Tenakth go, Kotallo does seem like he is a good one. Worried or not, Nureka is going to be okay." Zo did understand where Varl was coming from. Zo flicked her eyes to the side, so far, they were the only two which were up, "Does Erend know?" She was looking in the direction of the multiple bayed room which Erend had taken to be his bedroom. It wasn't just him that resided in there, both Erend and Kotallo shared the room, with two bays free if anyone else happened to appear.

"Doubt it." Varl said awkwardly, Erend would admit to not being the smartest, but he made up for that in other ways. But Varl doubted Erend knew that his new Machine Strike and drinking partner was clearly becoming close to their Banuk Shaman.

"Maybe that's for the best," Zo said quietly and awkwardly, although she wouldn't put it past Erend to just blurt it out. That would be awkward, to say the least. Just musing on the Oseram seemed to summon him, he came out of his room, stretching his arms in front of himself and letting out one last yawn. Kotallo was behind him, tightening up the gauntlet on his forearm with a quick tug of the cords with his teeth, clenching his fist and even shaking his arm in the air to check it was secure, he gave a nod before moving around Erend as he stood on the opposite side of the counter talking to Varl.

The almost awkward look which was sent in Kotallo's direction by Varl, had the Marshal frowning slightly. What had he done? Zo however held out a plate for him, she had prepared pieces of food for people to pick and choose what to have first thing. He gave her a loose nod, thankful for what she had done before putting the plate back down and taking to placing food onto it.

A door opening and a rush of booted footsteps signalled the last riser to actually be up and about. Nureka came in in a rush of blue clothing and trailing brown curls, she practically skidded to a halt beside Kotallo, popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, gave him a quick smile and went trotting off around the counter and hopped up onto its surface. Varl waved a hand at the tables, there were perfectly fine tables and seats present, yet she just finished eating the fruit in her mouth and waved a hand his way. Zo found the interaction amusing and let out a quiet laugh, though she swatted a hand Nureka's way when she went to nab a piece of fruit from her plate.

"Get your own!" Zo laughed, she was a cheeky one, but Nureka slid from the counter and trundled back to the foods Zo had earlier prepared. By now Kotallo had moved aside, and had taken to sitting at the seats Varl seemed adamant to get Nureka to sit at. Erend was sitting opposite to him and didn't seem as in a rush to get breakfast as everyone else.

This little morning routine had become the norm, and it was also this scene which Aloy had come walking in on. She hadn't told anyone she was coming back, but the moment she was noticed, food was no longer interesting and she just smiled kindly at her friends coming to welcome her back. Zo offered her some breakfast, which Aloy did look thoughtful over, "When was the last time you had a proper meal?" Zo asked, sounding like a concerned mother as Aloy did try to look like she was trying to think of a convincing reply.

She failed, "Fine, fine. But I'm not able to stay here long."

"Got somewhere else to rush off to already?" Erend asked, coming to her side and crossing his arms with a smirk on his face.

"Well, we are on a bit of a time limit, aren't we?" Aloy placed her hands on her hips with a gentle sigh. Nureka held a hand out to her, Aloy just sighed and reached behind herself and tugged her breathing mask free along with her spear. It wasn't like she wasn't able to upgrade it on the road, she had come across many smiths and armourers who had aided her so far, but Nureka liked to look over the work, intrigued and curious to see another person's work, but also offering to enhance Aloy's stuff if she could.

"Be that as it may, that isn't an excuse to not eat, or sit and rest for a moment." Zo said, holding out a plate and watching as Aloy accepted it with a thankful look. "With you being here, we are to believe you managed to get Poseidon?"

"Yeah, though it wasn't easy." Aloy said, remembering all too well the amount of swimming she had to do, but also the Tideripper which she had encountered too. "But that's one more down." She'd deliver Poseidon back to Gaia once she was clearly allowed to go to the AI. She hadn't seen her friends in a while, and she had missed them as much as they had missed her; so really, a moment to sit and eat and just catch up with them, seemed nice, normal in fact; and it would be a completely normal routine, if it wasn't for the impending doom which was threatening all of life on the planet.

Erend happily forfeited his seat, if only because by the time he returned with food, Aloy had already taken it for her own with a smile. He couldn't begrudge her moment and just stood close by picking at the food on his plate. The healthy way of eating which Zo tried to share amongst them, really wasn't doing it for him still. Though of course it beat some of the rationed food a guardsmen could have while on patrol, it still wasn't his go-to meal of choice.

"Which one is next then?" Nureka asked, split between eating, wanting to look over the items Aloy gave to her, but also catching up with her friend in general.

There was a slow deliberating nod from Aloy, she was thinking over the question yet had a hesitant look on her face. "Demeter. Though, I did receive a strange signal from a source I'm not sure about."

"Not Sylens?" Nureka's nose slowly scrunched up, her voice sounding hard as she clearly stood radiating annoyance. How could anyone of them not be annoyed over the man? He was secretive, rude, had played Aloy completely; kept her in the dark with just about everything, which rendered them in the dark too. Not to mention him stealing things from Nureka's own tribe, the grudge ran deep here, safe to say.

Aloy shook her head, "No, no. I haven't heard from him for a while, which could be good, or bad. I guess it all depends on the outlook." She popped a piece of food into her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. She didn't trust his silence; his silence wasn't a good thing.

"I'm saying bad." Nureka held her hand up before hoisting Aloy's spear under her arm, attaching the breathing mask to her own belt and somehow still managed to pick up her plate of food, and retreat to her room. She was more than happy to leave the others to their catch up with Aloy, Nureka knew the redhead would come find her to talk and collect her things back; Nureka planned to just have a catch up with her then.

"That grudge isn't going, I hope if they ever cross paths, she doesn't try and launch herself at him." Varl rubbed a hand to his chin in thought, frowning slightly at that thought. In fact, a small part of him wouldn't mind someone at least taking Sylens down a peg, the condescending ways in which he conducted business just rubbed everyone up the wrong way. Though some hadn't met him personally, they didn't actually need to, to know what he was like and how he acted because of Aloy telling them. All in all, not someone to trust.

"Did he hurt her?" Zo, naturally not liking the thought of anyone being hurt, let alone a friend was asking out of concern. Though from the hesitant looks on Aloy's and Varl's faces, she guessed she may have been somewhat close.

"He stole machinery and pieces of tech from her tribe. The Banuk are quick to distrust, even quicker to hate if they're wronged. They trusted him, thinking he was one of them...and he stole from them, they tried to find him, but failed. Honestly, I don't know if he even is a Banuk, but they don't like to talk about him. The only reason why Nureka knows about him, is due in part to being a Shaman." Aloy paused in her explanation, "She wasn't one of them who let him in close, but it isn't hard to find information out if you know who to talk to, and the right people." Here she thought of Ourea. The woman was helpful, wise, and clearly someone who Nureka had once looked up to at some point in her life.

Zo nodded her head, she could understand the dislike now, it was a personal matter to trust someone and then for them to cheat, and steal. She turned away, returning to where she usually stood and worked until Varl cropped back up in front of her and decided he'd research into something too. It returned to a rather peaceful state then, everyone getting on with their own things, Aloy seemed content enough to leave them to it while she went and visited Gaia, even check in with the AI to see how things were going for her.

Nureka was half-chewing fruit thoughtfully while leaning over her desk, tools in hand and tinkering with the spear before her, ignorant in part to the information sharing where Sylens was concerned. Fine tuning something that could create a charge and even explode was delicate work; a deep frown of concentration was on her face, her hair tied up, eyes staring intently at her work with tools around her, some even within her grasp.

"Hey," Nureka looked up with a smile, Aloy was loitering a little in the doorway before Nureka just waved her in. She didn't want to disturb her or make her jump, because then there goes another piece of wall, and a new hole. "How's it going?"

"The spear, or here in general at the base?" Nureka put her tools down and rested her hands against the desk with a smile on her face. Aloy's question was a rather open one, very vague.

Aloy looked around her room, narrowing her eyes in thought before shrugging and looking back at her. "Both, I suppose." She guessed there was a way to kill two birds with one stone here. Though she was always a little bit worried about her friends here, she didn't know what they got up to when she wasn't present, and they were all so different; as it is, she had already heard that most seemed surprised about Zo's act of rebellion, and leading a charge, having now to look at the otherwise peaceful Utaru in a whole new light.

Nureka let out a thoughtful noise, she sat down in the chair near to her and gestured to the other. There was a moment of pause, a look sent Aloy's way by Nureka before the redhead relented. Nureka shook her head, scooting forwards and resting her crossed arms on the desk. Always in a rush, would taking five minutes to sit and rest be that bad? "The spear is fine; I see you've done some fine tuning while out in the wilds. With the pieces I have here, I can fine tune it a little more...but it'll do!" Nureka explained while waving her hand suddenly in the air and smiling down at the work she had done so far.

Aloy was curious, "Where did you get the parts?" She knew everyone went out and about, they were completely free to do so. She didn't think Nureka was one for just going out on a hunt, getting pieces she needed then coming back. It just wasn't something that she was inclined to do, due in part to taking a machines life without a purpose, without a reason just didn't sit well with her; however, the Banuk in Nureka would always be battling to come out for a challenge and a fight, it was a part of her nature she wouldn't be able to quash that forever, it was perhaps a little contradictory, maybe even hypocritical, but that was that.

Nureka's eyes widened and she wagged a finger towards the door, no doubt in her mind indicating elsewhere in the base. "I don't suppose our Tenakth friend has told you he likes fighting the Sunwings further up on the mountain?"

Aloy actually let out a confused laugh at that, turning to look over her shoulder and then slowly back at Nureka. They couldn't see Kotallo, or the room he inhabited the most when researching and reading on his Focus, but the glance was enough to get the hint across that Aloy too was dumbfounded and looking for him. "Really? No, I didn't know that. But at the same time, that doesn't surprise me."

Nureka leaned back in her seat and nodded, "The parts are from them."

"He bought them back to you?" Aloy was trying to figure this out, it seemed oddly specific and she didn't mean it in a nasty way, but rather nice of Kotallo to do that. Not that the Marshal wasn't nice, he was a hard one to crack, but it was clear that underneath everything that made up the Tenakth, he cared for those around him to an endearing level.

Nureka shook her head, "Remember Arnak?" Aloy nodded slowly, she had found his Grazers, read his notes; so full of longing, sadness, some regret and hope, she didn't fully understand where Nureka was going with this, but she was curious to find out. "I'm doing an Arnak."

Aloy smiled, "Notes and Grazers."

"Notes and Grazers." Nureka smiled back, happy to see her friend had clicked what she meant instantly. Not that she wasn't surprised, Aloy was incredibly quick. "There's a spot up top, which is now is home to the first. Kotallo seemed content to go fight the Sunwings while I did my thing. I just harvested what was left over."

Aloy looked thoughtful, a small nod happening now and then when listening to Nureka speak. She leaned forwards in her seat, even leaning an arm on the desk and looking at the tools and her spear which were present and now forgotten about for the moment. "So where does the Grove fit into this?" Aloy just came out with it, watching as Nureka just waved her hands in the air and then buried her face in them with a groan. Aloy just smiled, that smile just grew into a grin, this was as amusing to watch as Varl when Zo was being forward with him.

Nureka looked up slowly, though she did glance at her hands to make sure none of the paint on her face had flaked off too much. Seeing no spots of green, she held her hands up in defeat. "Armour."

"Sorry?" Aloy couldn't even hide the confusion from her voice or face, a small laugh even coming from her in disbelief. She'd have to go break it to her gossiping Nora friend that he may be barking up the wrong tree here. Ever pragmatic with all things tactical, Aloy was not surprised to hear the reasoning for visiting the Grove, would be something involving gear. It was, after all, the nearest place which would have armour which would interest Nureka; no offence to those in Plainsong.

"I want to upgrade my armour. I want to see what they have to offer."

Aloy blinked slowly, her green eyes just staring at Nureka for a long while before sighing. "Varl thinks it's a date."

"I know what Varl thinks, he isn't very quiet at talking."

Aloy did grin at that, he wasn't the most inconspicuous when certain things were happening. He wasn't the most tactful either with words or actions. But that was one great thing about their friend, he definitely wasn't afraid of just saying it as it is. "It isn't like he has much footing where this sort of thing is involved." After all, it wasn't like him and Zo wasted any time becoming a couple, was it?

It was Nureka's turn to blink slowly and look at Aloy for several quiet seconds. "Oh!" She exclaimed suddenly, it clicked, "No, no. Kotallo and I? No...no." Nureka laughed nervously and waved her hands in the air with a shake of her head to accompany her nervous laughing. Aloy just raised an eyebrow, Nureka's cheeks flushed a little red and she just let out a defeated noise and turned back to the spear. "This should be good to go, by the way."

"You're as subtle as Varl! Is that your way of telling me to leave?" Aloy joked, standing when Nureka did and taking her spear from her grasp when she held it out to her. With ease she reached over her shoulder and attached it back into its holster.

Nureka rolled her eyes, "If I wanted you out of my room, I'd just tell you, Aloy." She held her arms up though, bringing the redhead close and giving her a loose embrace. "Be careful out there," she didn't mind the joking, and wasn't offended, but she would always be concerned about her friend out in the wild doing who knew what.

"If it makes any difference, Kotallo seemed to speak fondly of you, just to let you know." Aloy said while removing her arms from around the brunette haired Banuk. Fondly may have been Aloy's word of choice, fondness and Kotallo seemed like a hard thing to spot and figure out. But he seemed to enjoy the time he spent with her, Aloy had also been told, though a little begrudgingly by him, that Nureka had even changed the dressing on his arm. Aloy took a step back and smiled, even though Nureka was looking at her with a very weird expression, something akin to hesitance and realisation. "We're all fighting for a better tomorrow. What use is that better tomorrow, if we are still all separate and divided? I think it's already clear from us all being here, we are better together, then apart."

"Some more than others, hm?"

Aloy held her hands up and just smiled while backing off a step, "I didn't say that," she cheekily said while turning on her heels and taking to walking out. "Thank you for the upgrade," Aloy did turn one last time and smile her way, truly thankful while watching as Nureka lifted up a hand and waved her way.

Nobody was particularly subtle, clearly, and Nureka just sat back down with a heavy sigh in her chair. Though she did end up wiggling to sit up straight and take to picking up tools which were still scattered on the desk. It would be no use keeping them splayed out and just laying here. Though her room may look a little cluttered, what with drying racks, shelved cases, plus machinery parts and weaponry here and there, but she did try and keep it clear. Organised mess if anything was the saying Nureka was going with.

Tilting her head back to look over her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes slowly at the items leaning against the wall. Being almost at a tilt, and very close to actually falling out of the chair, Nureka slammed the chair forward and jumped up. Picking up her own spear, she turned back to the desk, stupidly having just packed her tools away, she took to getting them back out. It would be a shame to not use the machine parts left over.

She didn't emerge from her room for another hour or so, Aloy had left not that long after checking in with everyone, and those in the main space seemed content to continue researching and reading. Nureka however, had had enough of that for the time being. If she crammed anymore information into her head, she was sure it would crack like an egg; so instead she grasped onto items she was sure she'd need, even going as far as finding a small knapsack and putting things in there before leaving her room. It was a little sad, shutting the door and knowing she wouldn't see it for a couple of days; she had become so familiar with this place, that leaving it, even for a small while, just seemed odd.

It wasn't like she hadn't travelled before; she could do it again, plus it would be nice to do it with company. She didn't do that really last time, when going Meridian. Rearranging the packs straps on her shoulders, she peeked around the doorframe and smiled Kotallo's way. He was inspecting a holo-map on the table, his hand on his hip as he seemed keenly interested in something. Nureka felt bad, just walking into the room she kept her hands on the straps on her shoulders and looked awkwardly at Kotallo when he finally realised, he had company.

"Are you happy here?" Nureka's question caught him off guard, that was clear with how he straightened up and looked at her strangely. He was about to speak, ask her if she was well, until she came out with this question. "If you are busy, or are happy here, I don't want to uproot you for a stupid reason." Nureka said with a small sigh and a shrug. Kotallo offered to help with the Grazers, and he had said yes to accompanying her to the Grove, however; watching him working away in here, it just seemed to Nureka that it would be an unnecessary thing for him to do, if he was happy with how things were going. It would be rude of her to expect him to just come along with her, leaving behind this new, yet odd life, he had found here at the base.

"It didn't appear to be a stupid reason," Kotallo just decided to use the words she did and watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other. Gesturing a hand to where her own hands still rested, he couldn't help but state the obvious: "It seems you are ready to go."

Nureka shrugged, the pack on her back making slight clinking noises as she did so, which earned a curious look to be sent her way by Kotallo. "Just about." She clearly wasn't going to explain what was in there, and Kotallo wasn't completely sure he wished to know. Stepping forwards, she looked up at him with a slight frown, "Yet again, thank you, but I meant what I said."

"If I said to you that I too would like to return to the Grove to see how things are going, after Regalla's ambush at the Kulrut, to see how those which contended to become Marshals were doing, would you then try to stop backing out of this agreement?" Kotallo just turned and asked her plainly, though he could see she listened intently to his words. "Are you ready?" Kotallo perhaps sounded a little blunter then than he meant to, watching as Nureka blanched a little.

She inhaled slowly, inclined her head and flicked her eyes sidelong at the map. She looked at it thoughtfully for a moment or two before rolling her eyes back to his. With a smile, she stepped back and gestured to the door. "Lead the way, Marshal." Nureka didn't know the way to the Grove, her being in front was pointless. If she led the way out, and continued to lead, all she could imagine was Kotallo telling her she was going the wrong way, or to turn onto a certain path, and then another.

Kotallo didn't need to be told twice, his own weaponry was on the table behind him. He simply attached them to himself before walking past her and towards the door. Nureka turned on her heels and trotted after the silent Tenakth. Noticing the pair exiting, and heading towards one of the exits in the base, their three friends looked their way, Nureka just waved and then noticing Kotallo had left and was waiting near the exit, she just picked up her pace and ran off.