#Kotallo is in a state of 'this might as well happen'

[i-lavabean]

It's been too long since I used a Draw the Squad prompt

[pikapeppa]

“Looking to spar?” 😏

I am of the firm opinion that this was 100% a flirt and I cannot be convinced otherwise. A short essay below the cut for anyone who wants to hear the raving of a thirsty madwoman 😂

OKAY, so we know that the Tenakth place an enormously high value on strength and combat prowess, and that those who have injuries or illnesses that might impede their combat abilities are viewed as a burden to the tribe. Kotallo is the most obvious example of this attitude, but there is also Korreh from the Desert Clan, who is blinded by acid, and Garokkah from the Lowland Clan, whose dementia is progressing to the point that he’s not always recognizing his daughter anymore. 

One of my headcanons is that physical strength and combat prowess are also considered highly attractive traits in a sexual or romantic partner - which, obviously, would make Aloy a very attractive partner. I also headcanon that Tenakth flirting often comes in the form of invitations to spar together, with the idea that the physical closeness of sparring can become more sexual in nature as the sparring goes on. Maybe this is such common knowledge among the tribe that an invitation to spar is a well-known euphemism for wanting to sleep with that person -- like a Tenakth version of “Netflix and chill” or inviting someone in for ramyeon.

Now, if we accept all of the above, then Kotallo inviting Aloy to spar is 100% A FLIRT. But more importantly, the fact that Kotallo is saying this in the first place is a hugely significant indicator of his state of mind. When we first re-met him at Stone Crest, he was very much of the opinion that he was a maimed and weak, lacking in strength and combat abilities. If we apply my headcanons here, it is no small stretch to think that Kotallo would also feel that the loss of his arm - and in his opinion, his strength - would mean he is no longer attractive to other members of the tribe.

Now let’s consider the clip above, where Kotallo invites Aloy to spar. This invitation happened (for me) after Kotallo has asked Aloy to help him find the parts for his metal arm, but before Aloy has actually gone with him to the Ninmah research base. By this time in the game, he’s been at the base for long enough that he’s getting used to the crew and is hanging with them more; he’s offered to teach Tenakth history to Varl, and he’s played strike with Erend (though perhaps has not yet gotten drunk together with him -- I think that comes later). He’s also started fighting the Sunwings on the western plateau, which indicates that he’s regaining confidence in his combat abilities as well. In other words, he’s getting more relaxed, coming out of his shell a bit, gaining confidence and starting to let people in. And I believe that it’s this gain in confidence that lets him say something to Aloy that is so overtly flirtatious, and which could even be construed in my trash horny brain at least as being an overt proposition. He no longer sees himself as being weak, and thus his confidence in his own attractiveness is starting, slowly, to come back. 

Now, the other thing to consider: Aloy isn’t Tenakth (obviously lol). So it is entirely possible that she doesn’t catch Kotallo’s flirtatious meaning here. It is also entirely possible that Kotallo knows that Aloy doesn’t realize what he means -- and so this flirt is something like testing the water, WHICH I PERSONALLY THINK IS EVEN MORE ADORABLE. He’s sneaking a little flirt in there which she could treat as just an innocent offer, but also kind of just trying his hand again at getting his flirt on. 

TLDR - HE LOVES HER AND I WILL HEAR NO ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS. THE END. 

Also, final self-promotional plug: if you are interested in fic that explores Tenakth sexuality and cultural norms, and Kotallo and Aloy fumbling their way through these cultural differences, you can check out Becoming Whole on AO3! It’s long (>200k words and counting) and slow-burn with smut. 🥰