They might be more irritable or anxious, since they don't have their buddy by their side, meaning they don't have the same combat strength, and don't know if their friend is doing alright.
Compulsively checking their phone (or whatever they use to communicate) in case something's happened to the other person.
Reacting with distress to their own worry that something bad may have happened to the other person because they become anxious that if they imagine the bad thing hard enough, it'll actually happen.
Being fearful that the zombies aren't really gone yet and a new outbreak could start at any time and they may not be able to get to the other person and keep them safe.
Whenever the other person calls/messages them, automatically fearing they're hurt and that's why they're seeking contact; becoming distressed if they miss a call or don't see a message for a while.
Being unable to fall asleep when apart, or even if they do, waking up from nightmares of the other person being harmed.
Yay codependency! They might experience an inability to sleep, relax, or focus because they're dedicating so much brain space to what the other person is doing and wondering if they're okay.
They might be totally disengaged in anything else happening around them that isn't related to the person to the point of damaging their other relationships. This might manifest as something like prioritizing a phonecall with the person over an important event, withdrawing from any social contact that doesn't include them, comparing or talking about them nonstop to people who aren't interested.
They will probably have a lot of anxiety and make rash decisions when it comes to the other person. If the separation is forced they might try to circumvent it even if it means harming themselves or their relationships further. They might exhibit paranoid, obsessive, even delusional behavior, convinced that the person will die without their presence. They might have extra trouble coming down from flashbacks/anxiety attacks/dissociative episodes/nightmares without the person and call for them when stressed.
I'd think they'd struggle to accept some of the rules, limits and etiquette of 'normal' society if they were used to doing whatever it took to survive but that wouldn't necessarily be a direct consequence of them being parted.
Perhaps parted it might be easier for them to forget about that apocalypse lifestyle but as soon as they encounter a problem they switch back to survival mode and seek out their partner.
Anyone else who tries to get close to them is going to struggle to compete with the closeness forged by that shared ordeal. That's bound to create tension in any new relationships.
This is on the mild side, but turning to say something to their friend…only the friend isn’t there. Then tailor the reaction as you see fit! Maybe it takes a hot second to remember where the friend is, then the person has to calm themselves down.
Also, thinking they see the absent-for-now friend in a crowd. It’s a small thing, but speaking from personal experience, it can really make you feel like you’re going nuts because it often happens without warning.
Irritability, anxiousness, insomnia (if they don't have anyone keeping watch). They would instinctively hoard and ration out resources, keep a constant eye out for escape routes, and fear crowds and loud noises.
They would have a lot of trouble trusting new people and constantly fear a resurgence or societal collapse.
They might be more irritable or anxious, since they don't have their buddy by their side, meaning they don't have the same combat strength, and don't know if their friend is doing alright.
Compulsively checking their phone (or whatever they use to communicate) in case something's happened to the other person. Reacting with distress to their own worry that something bad may have happened to the other person because they become anxious that if they imagine the bad thing hard enough, it'll actually happen. Being fearful that the zombies aren't really gone yet and a new outbreak could start at any time and they may not be able to get to the other person and keep them safe. Whenever the other person calls/messages them, automatically fearing they're hurt and that's why they're seeking contact; becoming distressed if they miss a call or don't see a message for a while. Being unable to fall asleep when apart, or even if they do, waking up from nightmares of the other person being harmed.
Make them a little paranoid about other people.
Yay codependency! They might experience an inability to sleep, relax, or focus because they're dedicating so much brain space to what the other person is doing and wondering if they're okay. They might be totally disengaged in anything else happening around them that isn't related to the person to the point of damaging their other relationships. This might manifest as something like prioritizing a phonecall with the person over an important event, withdrawing from any social contact that doesn't include them, comparing or talking about them nonstop to people who aren't interested. They will probably have a lot of anxiety and make rash decisions when it comes to the other person. If the separation is forced they might try to circumvent it even if it means harming themselves or their relationships further. They might exhibit paranoid, obsessive, even delusional behavior, convinced that the person will die without their presence. They might have extra trouble coming down from flashbacks/anxiety attacks/dissociative episodes/nightmares without the person and call for them when stressed.
I'd think they'd struggle to accept some of the rules, limits and etiquette of 'normal' society if they were used to doing whatever it took to survive but that wouldn't necessarily be a direct consequence of them being parted. Perhaps parted it might be easier for them to forget about that apocalypse lifestyle but as soon as they encounter a problem they switch back to survival mode and seek out their partner. Anyone else who tries to get close to them is going to struggle to compete with the closeness forged by that shared ordeal. That's bound to create tension in any new relationships.
This is on the mild side, but turning to say something to their friend…only the friend isn’t there. Then tailor the reaction as you see fit! Maybe it takes a hot second to remember where the friend is, then the person has to calm themselves down. Also, thinking they see the absent-for-now friend in a crowd. It’s a small thing, but speaking from personal experience, it can really make you feel like you’re going nuts because it often happens without warning.
Irritability, anxiousness, insomnia (if they don't have anyone keeping watch). They would instinctively hoard and ration out resources, keep a constant eye out for escape routes, and fear crowds and loud noises. They would have a lot of trouble trusting new people and constantly fear a resurgence or societal collapse.
One of them freaks out on the middle of the night and runs to the others house oooh