Chapter Text
Despite the fact she was shelling out shards by the pocket-full seeing the look of abject disbelief on her sister’s face brought Beta no end of glee.
Knowing how good of a rider Aloy was it came to no surprise to anyone that she’d win the rodeo. It was a forgone conclusion.
But Beta could be petty, and on this particular afternoon she decided to bet against her sister, much to her twin’s surprise.
And had let to this very moment.
“You bet against me?” Aloy sputtered in disbelief as she watched her sister hand off the last better their winnings.
“I did,” Beta quietly said as she tied off her sachet of shards, which was now significantly lighter, and affixed it to her belt. She then grabbed her poncho, a gift from their mother Elisabet who wasn’t able to attend today and threw it over her shoulders. She let out an involuntary sigh of comfort as she let the weight settle atop her body.
And then her twin’s voice had to ruin the moment.
“Really Beta? Again?!” Aloy exclaimed as she approached her sister. “Are you trying to make me mad?”
The shorthaired girl shrugged nonchalantly even as her twin tried to loom over her, unsuccessfully for many reasons. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Varl and Zo nearby, watching things unfold. The Nora was sporting a large grin on his face, while the Utaru looked exasperated.
Did Beta mention that this wasn’t the first time she did something to annoy Aloy?
“Well…you did forget to leave your stick of dynamite outside the ranch,” she said, and gestured towards Aloy’s ever present stick that was tied to her belt.
The braided rider looked down at her belt in confusion, before her eyes jumped to her hairline and looked back up at her sister.
“That was two months ago!”
“I have a long memory.”
“So do I! That’s not the point!”
“That’s exactly the point,” the machine wrangler casually said as she whistled for Screech, her Longleg.
Hearing the familiar sound, the machine perked up from its spot and ambled over, weaving through the crowd that lingered around the rodeo and approached its mistress.
Beta smiled fondly at the machine and let it kneel down to let her mount it, before it stood its full height. Without much thought she patted its head. Peering around the machine’s neck she gave Aloy a jaunty salute, along with a cheeky wink, and then clicked her tongue as she guided her machine towards the exit, leaving her twin sister bewildered and sputtering in her wake.
“Oh by the way, you are now forgiven!” she called over her shoulder.
“What? Forgiven?” Aloy exclaimed in confusion. “Beta!” she shouted after her sister, only to receive a wave in reply.
The rider kicked the fence in frustration, only to suddenly hear Varl cackle. She gave her friend a withering glare, which only made him laugh even harder. Even Zo couldn’t keep a straight face, although she simply smiled in amusement.
“Stupid Beta,” she mumbled petulantly.
“At least it was only for that,” Varl chortled as he approached his friend. “Remember that time you brought those Fanghorns into her orchard, and she overrode your Charger?”
Aloy said nothing, and simply grumbled under her breath.
Varl laughed some more as he gently tapped Aloy on the shoulder and nodded towards the saloon. “C’mon, Erend’s waiting. Already got us a table.”
The redhead sighed and finally allowed her shoulder to sag. “Fine,” she muttered and followed after Varl and Zo.
Just another day being a Sobeck.