#I need more talanah in my life

[maybirdie]

had to take a quick moment for my girls 💜

[foibles-fables]

love that the typical hzd hc is that petra provides any and all strap-ons needed by the wlw of the sundom but at the same time i think talanah would grab aloy by the face and be like. "light of my life. sun of my heart. if you get our sex toy from petra i will divorce you. petra will ask for constructive feedback. in public. during council meetings with the sun-king. I'm not living with that for the next decade aloy I'll run away and live in frozen misery in ban-ur before I let that happen"

“Aloy. Please, listen to me. I know other people who can make this happen, and more discreetly. Please. Petra makes it her foremost goal to fluster you. Let me take care of it. If not for your own sake, by the Sun, do it for mine.”

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 28 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

FlameHairSavior: Well, the Sons of Prometheus are dealt with.

HIMBO: NO MORE NEW MACHINES FOR THE REBELS!

Zo: Oh, good.

BoyNextDoor: Finally.

β: i guess now the tenakth can go back to doing whatever

MARSHAL Kotallo: Unfortunately, not everything is resolved. Unless I am mistaken, the rebels still have their existing machines.

FlameHairSavior: Yeah. No way to turn them all off at once.

MARSHAL Kotallo: So while their defeat is now inevitable, it will take time. They may even become more dangerous in the short-term, as they attempt to make use of their fading advantage.

FlameHairSavior: That's what happened with the Eclipse. Don't underestimate anyone with their back against the wall.

BoyNextDoor: How did you find them? I thought you were having trouble with that.

HIMBO: I BEAT UP ONE OF THEIR GUYS AND GOT HIS FOCUS. THERE WAS A MESSAGE WITH THEIR BASE ON IT.

HIMBO: ALSO, THESE GUYS AREN'T USING THEIR FOCUSES RIGHT AT ALL.

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, I scanned a few, and they basically had nothing on them. It was weird.

β: might have been an attempt at security

β: delete everything after every mission or before every mission so nothing can be stolen

FlameHairSavior: Maybe? Anyway, we infiltrated the camp and destroyed it from the inside.

HIMBO: WE GOT LIKE FIVE STEPS BEFORE WE WERE FIGURED OUT.

FlameHairSavior: That still counts.

FlameHairSavior: The boss was one of Dervahl's lieutenants. So, once again, this is all stemming from the Red Raids.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Of course.

BoyNextDoor: Of course.

DIVINER: We need a Carja friend so we can glare at them whenever this happens! Right now the closest we have is Erend!

HIMBO: HEY, I FOUGHT THE RED RAIDS AND DERVAHL EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!

DIVINER: Exactly!

MARSHAL Kotallo: Jokes aside, I'm surprised you haven't offered Talanah a Focus, Aloy. I was under the impression that she would make an excellent choice. She is a close personal friend, trustworthy, and a leader among her people.

FlameHairSavior: Haven't had the chance, to be honest. She's definitely on my list, but she's still dealing with her own thing. I don't want to try to force a question like this on her while she's still confused over her lover.

β: …

β: are you in love with her

FlameHairSavior: What?

β: youre apprehensive and uncomfortable talking about her current relationship status and dont want to bring her into a group where people make fun of you all the time

FlameHairSavior: What?

β: ive been reading varls books

FlameHairSavior: I really don't have time for this.

HIMBO: THAT'S NOT A NO! VARL, YOU OWE ME MONEY!

BoyNextDoor: It's not a yes, either.

DIVINER: Actually, I had a question about the Sons of Prometheus!

FlameHairSavior: Thank you, Alva.

DIVINER: We can get back to Aloy's love life later!

FlameHairSavior: [WorldsLongestGroan.gif]

DIVINER: What does Sons of Prometheus even MEAN??

FlameHairSavior: I think he was an Oseram hero.

HIMBO: NOPE, NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE.

DIVINER: I actually have, but not in any context that makes sense! It was the name of a ship in a movie of the same name!

BoyNextDoor: Well, where did the name come from in the movie?

DIVINER: Oh, it was too corrupted to watch! All we have is the summary!

β: in greek mythology prometheus was the titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity

β: and then he was chained to a rock and had his liver eaten by birds every day for eternity

DIVINER: …

FlameHairSavior: …

BoyNextDoor: Well that's morbid.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Quite.

Zo: There is quite a lot to unpack from that.

HIMBO: WHAT'S A TITAN?

β: think of them as like the gods from before the gods

β: the gods killed them except they didnt and they were all evil except the gods werent actually much better

β: the greeks didnt really have a high opinion

β: of anyone

β: lots of tragedies and hubris and people getting rightfully killed for their own stupid mistakes and also unrightfully killed for other peoples mistakes

β: and gods just screwing with everyone because

FlameHairSavior: I guess Sylens named them, then.

DIVINER: He's the only real option, unless they found the name after they got their Focuses!

FlameHairSavior: Actually, I meant because absolutely everything about that culture and that story sounds like his sort of thing.

Chapter 28 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[fivebyfive005]

I am calling this: My Thesis for Why Guerrilla Games Should Give Aloy a Romantic Relationship (and Why that Relationship Needs to be with Kotallo) 

Needless to say, this is long. 

I have played both HZD and HFW to 100% completion and – like, surely, anyone who has invested that much time in these games – have noticed a key theme that I think should be examined.

First, the principal feature that has defined Aloy’s personality is the fact that she grew up an outcast and had very little ability to form relationships with others. Her status as an outcast (and her and Rost’s desire for her to become an accepted part of the community) completely fueled her rigorous training in the beginning of HZD. Even once she began to find acceptance from others, however, she still clearly carried reservations about connecting with people (probably since they largely shunned her until she had proven herself), and she keeps prospective friends at an arm’s length. Undoubtedly her relationship with Rost was something of a father-daughter dynamic, but she never had friends until after The Proving, and even then, when she began to develop friendships, she still did so while simultaneously seeing herself as a loner. This much is evident by the fact that she set off on her own again immediately after the events of the first game. Moreover, I can’t help but think that her idolization of Elisabet Sobek contributes to her hesitance at forming relationships, given that Elisabet is very clearly a loner herself, with a tendency to also keep herself walled off from others emotionally, even from those with whom one would think that she would be close.

With that said, we see continuity in both games that suggests that Guerrilla feels that Aloy is wrong to have this attitude towards others. While they clearly paint Aloy as someone who (at least initially) sees connections with others as a weakness and/or distraction (like Elisabet, preferring to focus singularly on their respective missions), it is also evident by the dialogue that she has with other characters that GG is trying to steer her in another direction. Namely, they seem to be trying to say that healthy connections with others give you strength. Here are just a few examples of what I mean:

-          Rost: “It is my wish that you embrace the tribe. You have lived in isolation long enough.”

-          Fashav: “Take it from one who aspires to be a diplomat. Allies are essential.”

-          Aloy (talking to Beta about Rost): “The difference is…I had him. He wanted me to embrace the tribe. But then he gave his life for mine. He loved me in his own way. And that was enough.” Beta [who, mind you, truly had lived a life of total isolation without knowing love]: “What did it feel like.” Aloy: “It was like…having a strength that was always there. That’s still there.”

-          The Enduring: “So here is my wish for you, Aloy – do more than just survive. Flourish. The world will be better for it.”

-          Talanah (talking about love): “One day you’ll know what I mean…” Aloy: “I don’t know about that.” Talanah: “That’s what I used to say.”

 In the middle example here, where Aloy is speaking to Beta, we even see Aloy’s own realization that a source of her strength was her relationship with Rost. In fact, the forming of her relationships with her squad at the base is an important theme of the second game (and I would say the series as a whole). Nevertheless, it still seems like Aloy has not yet fully accepted the place for relationships in her journey, and I feel that she needs to really commit to this to completely surpass Elisabet, and to understand that she is her own person (not simply a clone that needs to live up to Elisabet’s reputation and fulfill her mission). Additionally, given the last two examples above with The Enduring and with Talanah, I feel that a romantic relationship where she can truly internalize the meaning of love in a different way is going to be essential for this process.

Now, this does not specifically answer the question, however, of why this relationship should be with Kotallo, so let me explain. I should say here that I am purely speaking about this out of belief that this would be best for the story and characters. Obviously I do love Kotallo, but part of that comes from the fact that I think his dynamic with Aloy is perfect, and I feel that he is the only worthy match for her romantically.

To start off, Kotallo and Aloy have already had to win each over just to become allies; they did not just meet one another, only to have Kotallo fawning over her immediately. In fact, Kotallo starts out being pretty gruff towards Aloy, though a lot of this is likely related to his general bitterness about losing his arm. Nevertheless, when he first meets Aloy (for real, not counting the Embassy), Kotallo is snarky and short with her. He does not believe that she walks on water or will succeed with the mission that Hekarro gave them, and he is not particularly pleased about having to answer all her questions (though he does answer them anyway). With that said, however, she does chip away at him from early on, and you can see him soften a bit towards her (or at least he finds her mildly amusing) after their very first conversation when he tells her that it won’t be easy to get to the Bulwark, and she replies nonchalantly that it “never is.” Of course, after their experience taking down the Bulwark, his feelings towards Aloy have clearly changed to the point where he – at a minimum – has respect for her, if not outright admiration. This only grows over the remainder of the game, as Aloy continues to show that she is not only a fierce and courageous warrior (which is obviously appealing to a Tenakth marshal), but also compassionate, empathetic, generous, determined, and intelligent. Perhaps the most profound way in which I feel that Aloy wins over Kotallo, however, is by refusing to see him as having less value because of his arm. Moreover, Aloy even shows contempt towards others who spite Kotallo for his injury, particularly Tekotteh, who she gives seething looks towards when he grabs Kotallo’s stub painfully in the tent. This is also demonstrated by her looking to Kotallo with obvious anger in her eyes after Tekotteh calls her a savage, and him a cripple, with the two silently agreeing in that moment to publicly humiliate Tekotteh for his insolence. All of this must be extremely meaningful to Kotallo – who certainly even looks at himself as having less value after his incident with the bristleback – and I can imagine that Aloy not only refusing to look down on him, but also showing him that she still sees him as highly competent would inspire him, even without her flying on the wings of the ten.

From Aloy’s perspective, she also had no reason to see Kotallo as more than a means to an end at first, though it is clear from early on in their time together that she shares a sort of understanding about his experience of being rejected by his people. This is something that she remarks on as they venture through the Bulwark, and I can’t help but think that part of the reason that she let Kotallo “do the talking” initially when facing Tekotteh was out of a sign of respect that he could still do what needed to be done. It is clear that she also respects Kotallo for praising her character qualities in front of Tekotteh, when he says, “This one defeated Regalla’s champion, Grudda, at the Embassy. She fought honorably.” It is clear that when Kotallo first speaks about her victory at the Embassy she is a bit embarrassed, as is typically the case, however she gives Kotallo a look of gratitude, I dare say, after he adds his impression about her being honorable. It should also be noted that Kotallo did not need to add this latter remark, and while him proclaiming Aloy’s victory over Grudda had clear motive, him expressing his belief that she fought honorably seemed to be unsolicited commentary (stemming from either an innate urge to say this, or saying it in order to assuage some of her aforementioned embarrassment). Kotallo continues to prove himself as more than just a brooding soldier during their first mission together, as well. After she downs the tremortusk, she instinctively assumes that she will be the one to carry the canon back to the Bulwark, but Kotallo immediately volunteers to do this. It is an action that evidently impresses Aloy, and I don’t think it’s simply because of Kotallo’s sexy strength (though that probably contributed, as it should). Kotallo had previously been unsupportive of Aloy’s plan, and though he has, as Aloy pointed out, been ordered to help her by Hekarro, his willingness to carry the canon for her – and the expression he gives her when he picks it up – seems to be more of a sign of his solidarity as they work towards a common goal. Aloy can’t help but show that she is a little taken by this change in Kotallo, and I think that she gains some affection towards him in that moment. This affection seems to grow, as well, the more that she speaks to Kotallo, and learns that he has more awareness and intelligence than meets the eye. Leading me to my next point.

Both Kotallo and Aloy are insightful and thoughtful (more so than others whom can be thought to have shown interest in Aloy, such as Avad, Erend, Nil, Drakka, Petra, etc.), and I think this is would be an important quality for a romantic partner for both of them. They have other shared character traits, as well, which I feel put them on the same page, such as resilience, humility, and courage. They both seem to be primarily driven by an inner sense of integrity, and they have seen enough from life to have a genuine understanding of what really matters (for example, minimizing conflict despite both of them being fully capable fighters, and standing for what is right even if it seems initially like there is no real way to win). By the end of HFW, Aloy remarks about being glad that they were brought together (a sentiment that is shared by Kotallo), and at the end of the day, the camaraderie and respect that they have developed for one another is built on how they largely share common values. They seem to really see one another, which is highlighted by Aloy agreeing to help Kotallo build a new arm (while also acknowledging that she feels he should be “himself” as much as he can, since he has no less value with just one arm), and by the language Kotallo uses to express his admiration for her. Specifically, Kotallo admires her without being effusive, and when he wishes to be effusive, he does so in a way that seems to make an effort to not make Aloy uncomfortable. I think mainly about him telling her that she made him feel “inspired” after she flew on the wings of the ten. While this remark does seem to make her feel a bit awkward, she is less opposed to it than she is towards much of the other praise that she has received, and she does take the compliment in stride, telling Kotallo “Thank you, I guess.” There were a great many things that Kotallo could have said here instead – when the meaning that he was getting at was really that he was in complete awe of her – but he chose his words carefully to minimize her discomfort at being called something like “savior,” or “champion,” (which she hates). Instead of praising her for being amazing (which he undeniably feels that she is), he chose to focus on how she made him feel, which must be a nice change of pace for her, emphasizing the positive effect that she has had on him, rather than some sense of greatness that she does not herself really feel. Not to mention that Kotallo nearly always calls her “Aloy,” rather than giving her titles like so many others, and it’s actually really interesting to see him go from calling her “outlander,” to “commander,” to “Aloy.”

Additionally, I think Aloy and Kotallo would challenge each other in healthy ways, if given the chance. For instance I think they could help bring out a more emotive and passionate side of one another, by being a person with whom they can be truly open and vulnerable. Both of them deserve this, and even need it, since they carry with them great burdens, and have few people within their tribes to whom they can turn for support. Don’t get me wrong, Aloy’s squad has certainly become a source of some support, but Aloy is still hesitant to rely on them for anything, and Kotallo is still in the early stages of bonding with the group. Given the similarities between Aloy and Kotallo, however, they are perfectly made to compliment one another and provide each other with mutual sources of trust, honesty, and a sense of safety. They have already shown that they are supportive of one another, which is obviously essential, as well. In particular, Kotallo is selfless, and would never be resentful of Aloy focusing on the mission (just as Aloy understood inherently Kotallo’s need to return to the Grove when the threat of Regalla’s assault loomed). As such, they could actively support one another both on and off the battlefield, and through their relationship they would perhaps be even better equipped to fight back the forces that threaten Earth. (Again, the power of healthy relationships has already been imperative for the narrative thus far).

With that said, I also feel that Kotallo has enough conviction to oppose Aloy on hard issues, if needed. This is something that I could foresee becoming a problem in the future, since everyone basically just worships her without question at this point. Kotallo also leans a bit this way currently, but I think that if push came to shove – especially as he works with Aloy more, and comes to see her more as an equal and less of a solitary leader (which she herself would want) – he would be able to stand up to her in a respectful but essential way. Aloy is a great leader, don’t get me wrong, but at some point even the best leaders need to be put in check. Kotallo would be able to do this. And Aloy has already demonstrated that she has no problem calling out Kotallo if need be, such as by comparing him to “arrogant shit” Tekotteh.

Finally, I must also add that neither Aloy nor Kotallo would ever be bored by the other, since they are both energetic, curious, and intelligent people. They could keep each other engaged with deep conversation, and if the need to fight subsided, they could run around the wilderness finding seashells or old world relics. They would also always have worthy a worthy training companion in the other.

I agree that it has been right to avoid giving Aloy any serious romantic interest to this point, but Kotallo was not around until now. Kotallo is the right person for her to love (and to show her love in return), and this would elevate her to an entirely new level, giving her more sense of belonging, meaning, and hope. This would be a huge source of strength for her, not to mention that she deserves to be happy and to “flourish.” I feel like the folks at GG understand the importance of relationships, which is why I think that they would not be opposed to giving Aloy a romantic partner. And Kotallo is simply the best person to fill this role. 

Thank you for coming to my rant! 

[socialfilter]

I’m very (read: very) high rn so read all my burning (lol) questions/random thoughts about horizon that you can all answer in your own headcanons:

do you think you ever get people in tribes who defect from said tribe to go into another one? aside from fashav, jaxx (I guess) and fuck me, slaves, I wanna know if there’s like, an Oseram who talked his way into Carja nobility or something.

How successful is the fishing/farming economy in Horizon like…there’s obviously that boar farm and I’ve spotted a few fishing Carja outlanders by Kestrel’s Perch…but I wanna know if people are making livings out of that. We can’t all be machine hunters.

Do you think anyone has ever been squished by a Tallneck?

Do you think Tallnecks can run? (please god I hope they can’t - I would cry)

Not a question. Advice: Don’t try and override a Tideripper underwater. (I tried to do this when I was a little drunk and I’ve never been so frightened in all my life)

Is divorce a thing in this world?

I want to know who the Picasso is amongst the Tenakth. (it’s my golden boy Kotallo)

Give me Red Raid flashbacks.

I won’t lie, I had a dream where Meridian got razed and it gave me excellent hawk and thrush ideas (let’s burn Meridian DOWN!)

I want to know how far children in various tribes are allowed to wonder from their settlements. Obviously we had the whole situation with Yarra/Drakka where a kid went missing so I imagine not far but I wanna know if they’ve got some level of freedom.

On children, do tribes have midwives?

Give me more children’s tales (the Banuk and the Utaru gave me some but I must have MORE)

Let Erend find more Old Ones music. Let him find Taylor Swift. (Personally I think Kotallo would like Radiohead, but that’s jus’ me).

Seyka and Alva interact. Now.

I really want a quest where Aloy helps the wrong person, i.e she doesn’t get the full story and ends up complicit in somebody important’s murder.

somebody (me) needs to kidnap aloy.

I also need a proper red-light-full-alarm-fuck-me-she’s-gonna-blow scene where aloy needs to hoof it outta there (I need more intensity than thebes, much as I love thebes).

bring me more main quests like thebes. I love dropping into some big old place and being HORRIFIED (read: author had nightmares about GAIA Prime).

What do we think the bloodiest Aloy has ever gotten? That would be interesting.

Conscientious objectors must’ve been a thing during the Red Raids, right? (I suppose this is already proven but my question still stands).

Also may be already proven, what was the Oseram role in the Red Raids?

Why is everybody a cousin of Avad?

Let Ikrie be the unhinged Banuk that’s in the Forbidden West.

What does Ikrie do when Banuk who will obviously know who she is pitch up at the Hunting Grounds? Mighty awkward is it not?

Do we think, aside from the racing squads, a tribe might figure out how to ‘tame’ machines? we’re mighty fucking lucky that the machine racers are the good guys cos christ, they could wipe out some settlements with that kinda power.

Let Morlund fly in H3.

Let Talanah Khane Padish have a Sunwing in H3.

Do we think there’s some renowned legendary heroes for tribes that are not the Old Ones? Thinking along the lines of The Enduring, people like that…

I wanna know what certain tribes do with people with disabilities. With the Tenakth it’s certainly less than ideal 😐 and the Utaru are seemingly a little more humane about it. I imagine with the Banuk it’s probably death-related (that whole Survive, Prevail, bollocks). I wanna know what the Quen, the Oseram, the Carja and the Nora do.

Regarding a deaf character (which I won’t lie I was really hoping Seyka was bc I couldn’t find her VA until the day before BS came out), I want to know if their signing is similar to ours. When will we have deaf characters?

Why are there not more musicians amongst the tribes like…Korreh is currently the Hozier of the Utaru. You could easily have drummers from the Oseram. I know the Nora have got some kickass war songs (plus it’s proven they sing, as do the Utaru).

Why is it, on every quest that involves looking for somebody, they’re fucking dead?

Why does everybody have sisters?

I think Aloy has fantastic taste in music.

Do we think twins are seen as blessings or curses in different tribes?

Can H3 please send us to some more rural ruins? Author wants to be nosy in ancient houses.

Are there jewellers in Meridian?

What are some yearly festivals amongst tribes? Zo touched on Utaru ones but I must know more.

I want to know what warriors with allergies do? (I would be said soldier with allergies)

I want to know how many children in the Sundom/anywhere have been abducted by the Tenakth…or I at least wanna know what the hell Ullia was getting up to…

Piggybacking off that, surely there must be Tenakth soldiers/tribespeople that were born into different tribes and taken away…? That’s only if Ullia’s claim was true I guess.

Where did the cannibal rumour come from? (Obviously the Carja but who thought that up?)

Tell me more about the HZD and HFW prisons…

I want to know more about bandit motives. Obviously you stumble across small ambushes but then there’s whole camps like what are they doing there?

I would like to know more about Sunfall. They have wholeass slaves there. I imagine the whole slave situation is relative to the deal Vezreh had going on with the kidnapped Utaru.

Give me a character that’s deaf and travels with a hearing/signing companion please.

Do tribespeople have pets? (Surely it can’t just be Yarra)

What’s the deal with Yarra and Meat? Please tell me she found Meat as an abandoned baby or something…

I want to know if people are naming their weapons.

Do you think there’s like, a Banuk/any tribe shaman (besides Ourea) who is weirdly knowledgeable about Old Ones shit? Guy has no Focus but could tell you a whole lot about Ted Faro (I’m aware of who I’m describing but not That guy)

Where the fuck did Lel go?

I love that some settlements/campfires have little gossips that’ll give you a quest of some sort. Yes, give me the drama you saucy little minx.

Do you think people believe in ghosts? I think it’d be pretty cool if you heard the voices of the Old Ones as you were walking through valleys or rivers.

Less wrecked planes in H3 please. I love the idea but it just makes me uncomfortable.

More old battlefields in H3 please.

I think there should be some sort of ‘crawl’ effort going on. Aloy crouching is simply not enough.

Bring Furahni and/or the cool Sun-Priest back.

I love that some machines disappear. Like where’d you go? 😈

How do we think Beta is going to adapt to this new world?

Will anybody ever move Verbena’s body? Because it is literally…exactly where we left it.

Speaking of which: I want a closer look at Tenakth tags and Utaru seed pouches. I want to know what other tribes have.

Are sports (that are not hunting) a thing? I reckon the Carja are javelin throwers (it’s hunting related but ygm), the Oseram are most definitely boxers.

If Tenakth are painters, does that make the Quen the scribes or something?

What is the education system in the Horizon world? Obviously different to our time but like,,,,what would a parent do with a child that showed no aptitude for stitching or hunting or literally anything? Nothing good but I must know.

How common is disease in terms of death amongst tribes?

I loved Garokkah’s ‘In The Fog’ quest. Guess it shows that the Tenakth, despite their policies seemingly regarding the disabled, aren’t totally heartless when it comes to helping people within their tribe. That being said, it’s implied his daughters were trying to hide his illness. I wonder what happens to him?

I want to know more about the Odyssey.

I want to know more about Beta’s actual upbringing like…I know it was cold and horrible and heartless but I just want to know more about her.

Who the fuck piloted the Odyssey?

What happens to orphans in different tribes?

Give me more dumbass Tenakth teenagers.

I think the Utaru smoke their own brand of weed. The Carja definitely have a special spice. Tenakth? Paint-sniffers.

Do you think there’s tree surgeons?

WHAT ABOUT THE FREE REAL ESTATE?

Give me a Hunting Party kinda option like…i imagine this’ll happen in the Horizon Multiplayer but I wanna take out a little squad of Lowlanders and go and fuck that goddamn bear up

Holy shit, picture it. Sun-Nuns.

[holodaxy]

Okay so stay with me as I've been having thought...mostly Hawk and Thrush Thoughts...sort of...

Is there a fic (and there isn’t because I’m about to get oddly specific – maybe this is more of a cry to write this because I won’t) where somebody has inadvertently gotten close to Beta (on purpose seems a bit cruel and horrible) as an Aloy replacement?

In my head it’s Talanah – in some way this seems wrong and a touch out of character, but you know those oddly specific details? Well yeah, she works for those oddly specific details so stick with me here…

So Talanah crosses paths with Erend and naturally they get on about Aloy and he mentions that she’s spending a lot of time helping reunite the Quen Fleet and rather innocently makes a joke about how Aloy is more interested in spending time with a Quen Marine than reuniting the fleet (because of course the GAIA Gang have been gossiping about Aloy and Seyka – not to mention they’ve got an inside source! Alva is right there!) Talanah isn’t impressed by this information, though doesn’t know why (Erend has a good idea, but he’s already opened his big mouth once so he’s not doing that again).

How Talanah makes her way to the base I’m not sure (I can’t work it all out!) and cue an awkward first meeting with Beta because of course Aloy didn’t mention that there’s this anxious identical ‘twin’ wandering around. So Talanah is about to leave (because this wasn’t on her ‘Life with Aloy’ bingo card) when she discovers Beta doesn’t know how to use any weapons and really, how could Aloy be so careless as to leave her twin sister all alone in the base with no way to defend herself? Anybody could walk in! As evident by the fact Talanah had just walked in – that’s her argument and she’s sticking to it, she won’t hear any objection from Beta about how the base security was likely programmed by Aloy to let Talanah in because she's been there once before.

So Talanah sticks around to show Beta how to use a bow (or any weapon really) and Beta totally isn’t her Thrush because that would just be weird (not that the whole situation isn’t weird to either of them, but its just a little nice for Beta to have company and for Talanah to be away from the stress of the Hunters Lodge). And I can totally see Beta being the one to tell Talanah everything – about Nemesis, about Zero Dawn and Elisabet Sobeck, about how she and Aloy are clones (again, none of this was on Talanah’s ‘Life With Aloy’ bingo card). She’d also give her a Focus (because Beta doesn’t understand why Aloy isn’t handing these out like sweets to people!) and shows Talanah how to use the Focus and oh look! They’ve taught each other things and that’s nice.

So one day they decide to venture out of the base (again, I don’t know, I really don’t know why) and who do they stumble across? Well Amadis of course (because every story needs a villain – that was harsh, he’s not actually going to do anything wrong this time). He doesn’t get a close look at Beta and just thinks Aloy has drastically cut her hair and changed her clothes (she did it like three time the last time he met her, where is she hiding those armour sets???) and he passes comment about how both he and Talanah were using each other to get over other people the whole time. Talanah has an ‘oh fuck’ moment and Amadis goes on his way again not realising he's caused total turmoil again.

So Talanah’s ‘oh fuck’ moment hits home that she’s drawn to Beta because of Aloy and she’s done exactly what she never wanted to be and made somebody her second choice. And deep down I think no matter how close the two of them were getting, Beta knows she’s an Aloy replacement and her self esteem is so far in the ground that she’s just pretty much ‘that’s just it for me, I’ll never be anything other than the inferior copy’ (and my poor baby Beta, I want to hug her) so she’s just kind of clung to somebody being nice to her even if it’s possibly (keep possibly in your mind) not meant for her in the first place.

I didn’t say this wasn’t angst – I mean, my opening summary of this didn’t indicate there wasn’t angst!

How this ends I’m not sure – I have two options, again…stick with me…

Aloy returns to the base right in the aftermath of the ‘oh fuck’ moment and is totally confused about what Talanah is doing there, but she’s kind of grateful that Talanah was looking after Beta. Then she finds out how close the two have gotten and is not impressed because how dare Talanah go near Beta! And Aloy totally won’t admit to being jealous and what Quen Marine? She’s be reuniting the Quen Fleet!

The two then have a long overdue heart to heart and all their feelings laid bare, happily ever after Hawk and Thrush. This ending seems a bit harsh on Beta who I don’t think deserves that so from stage right enter some unseen original character who has never, ever laid eyes on Aloy and knows nothing about her so they can like Beta for being Beta.

Option 2 goes totally the opposite way, enters rare pare mode and Talanah realises Beta is a totally different person to Aloy and while the original reason she spent time with Beta was Aloy (and was totally wrong) she’s actually rather drawn to Beta’s totally different personality and quirks. Cue Aloy returning to the base with Seyka and being totally confused about what’s going on – and has Beta just stolen her moment? She was about to introduce her girlfriend to the gang and now Beta and Talanah are a thing and…well…typical sibling bickering.

Of course there’s hidden option 3 which is everybody is miserable and unhappy, but that seems a bit bleak even for me.

Well thanks for sticking with me for this long…whatever this is – I don’t know what this is. I’m going back under my rock now, I’ll keep these wild idea to myself as this got out of hand 😁

[mr-jaybird]

action scene writing tips

a couple days ago, i mentioned that i love writing action scenes and was happy to give advice on them. @charlezarrd asked me to write some up, and tragically i have been busy writing code and not fanfic. but here they are, just a little late!

this got long, so tips below the cut:

action scenes are all about tempo. when i'm writing an action scene, i am generally trying to write something that will make my readers feel like they're on a breakneck race to find out what happens next. real life dangerous situations (and i've been in more than i'd like) tend to feel very fast, like your perceptions can't even keep up with everything happening around you. it's that feeling i try to replicate when writing

to achieve that, it's okay to bend grammatical rules. i will deliberately write run on sentences, with clauses that would normally be a sentence on its own separated by a comma, in order to induce a feeling of rushing from one thing to the next with no time to separate your thoughts/feelings/experiences

for example, from my work:

She’s not going to make it, she’s not going to make it, she pushes and pushes and refuses to let herself open her mouth and speed up the drowning by trying to gasp in air that isn’t there.

each of those clauses could be its own sentence, but they're all running into each other instead!

the em dash is also your friend—using one like so can enable you to jump from one action-packed thought to the next, creating a sense of urgency

another example:

Aloy breaches the surface, drawing in air, but after a few huge gasps she looks down and sees Talanah below her, perhaps ten feet away, motionless and sinking—there is no hesitation.

it creates an abrupt, decisive feeling in your work!

if your scene goes long enough, it can be important to put pauses in that rapid tempo in to create breathing room. a good use of that can be taking a paragraph to show your character thinking through their tactics or strategy, which can show they are approaching the situation intelligently rather than reactively (if that's what you're trying to convey)

if you DO want the character to come across as reactive, you can take a pause instead with them taking a hit and needing a moment to catch their breath and get up from it, talking about the sensations it induces and/or the decision to keep going

for physical fights specifically, i tend to visualize it in my mind as comic book panels

for example:

He’s so much faster than Lis would have thought given his size, and even as she tries to dodge out of his way, he’s grabbed her and tossed her back against the wall. Lis hits with her shoulder, hard, and stumbles, slightly dazed. He’s already brought a fist to her stomach though, and Lis doubles over, winded, gasping for breath. The man strikes her back, hard, and she crashes to the floor.

each sentence there was a "panel" to me, and i needed to briefly describe each to have the fight work as a sequence. visualizing them that way helps me keep the fight sequence moving fluidly and logically

in general with fight scenes, it's important to keep track of which limbs are currently where and make sure each action flows naturally into the next—in complete honestly, i find it mechanically very similar to writing sex scenes in that respect

it's also important to remember that action scenes are often just as much mental as physical. pay attention to your character's reactions and emotions and highlight them occasionally as you go, so that you don't lose the emotional heart of your story in an action scene that's not actually saying anything about the character

above all else, have fun with it! think of crazy scenarios and go wild. don't get intimidated out of writing something you don't know--god knows i have never fought a giant robot t-rex

that's what i've got for now, hope it helps!

[deadspacedame]

I Know You

A/N: Hey there fellow friends! I haven’t written anything since 2016 but Sebastian and Ominis got me feeling all kinds of ways. I have this headcannon in my mind where my Hufflepuff girl is in love with Sebastian, and my Slytherin girl is childhood friends with Ominis and its this group of Slytherin’s who adopted the Puff. So I’m randomly making drabbles based on that. Please enjoy this little one of Ominis and MC Talanah, basically him touching her face.

Word Count: 1353

Fluff

Ominis Gaunt - MC Slytherin Female.

------------------------------------------------------------

Talanah made her way down into the Slytherin common room from her dorm – most of her housemates were heading to the Great Hall for dinner, and she was preparing to follow when she noticed Ominis pacing by the fireplace.

Sebastian was no where in sight, probably glued to Ellie's hip somewhere in the castle. Those two... She used to tease El for liking Sallow. Honestly, what poor taste; but seeing how happy she made him when they met in 5th year, it made him less annoying to be around. Plus, Sebastian has grown on her since 1st year, not much, but some. El used to tease her in return, about how she thought Talanah needed to feel more, and let people in, she didn't get it at the time, but now...

Her eyes were glued to Ominis as he silently bit at his thumb, his eyes cast down at the ground. He looked like he was internally struggling.

Talanah frowned and made her way over to him.

“Hey,” she said. Apparently not hearing her coming, Ominis flinched so hard that she did as well. “Are you alright?”

He looked up in her general direction, his gaze cast slightly over her left shoulder. Cute. What? She hastily tossed that thought away.

He still hadn't replied.

“Ominis?” She moved closer to him, a unnerving feeling building in her stomach. “Are you hurt?”

“No. No, I am fine. My apologizes.” He shook his head and his shoulders loosened slightly. “Just lost in thought, I suppose. Are you heading down to dinner as well?”

“Yeah, I was going to before I saw you biting your nails to the point of blood. Let me see,” without warning, Talanah reached out and grabbed his hand, bringing it up and addressing the damage. If he were anyone else, she would've ignored them, or told them to get over it, but this wasn't just anyone. It was Ominis, her childhood friend. Somehow that made all the difference, though she didn't know why.

His skin was soft to the touch, nail beds raw and bitten down past the white. “Yeah you chowed down good, these are going to hurt in the morning.” Her thumb unconsciously rubbed across his knuckles.  

“Talanah...”

“Pretty sure cannibalism is majorly frowned upon in the Muggle world, you know.” He let out a chuckle and Talanah felt something flutter in her stomach. “Come on, lets get some food, take your mind off whatever it is you're worried about.” hand still wrapped around his, she started to pull him towards the staircase leading out of the common room. Boys and all their drastic life crisis'.

“Talanah wait - “ There was tone to his voice that she hadn't heard before and she stopped, looking at him once again. His hair was slightly out of place, which was odd in itself, his body trembling so gently that if anyone saw him, they wouldn't see it. But Talanah knew him, this was something that was deeper than just brushing off. Something was genuinely eating at him.

She waited for him to say something, letting him take it at his own pace. She gave his hand a squeeze.

He sighed. “This is going to sound really stupid,” He said.

“I like stupid. I'm friends with you, aren't I?” He didn't laugh. She swallowed. “I'm sorry,” Talanah didn't know why she always deflected with sarcasm or tart remarks, it was just something that always seemed to happen. She wasn't good at feelings, she didn't know how to handle handle her own, let alone anyone else's. Ellie was actually a huge helping hand when it came to that side of her, though she hated the ginger Hufflepuff at first, she slowly weaseled into her soft spot pretty quickly after joining the group. A few times she had said things that had hurt El, and after many arguments, and Sebastian getting protective, she had finally let down some of her guards and allowed El in.

Her own little Hufflepuff therapist.

Though her and Ominis went way back, and she was closer to him than anyone else, it still slipped out around him too. She didn't like that. She didn't want to hurt him.

“Talk to me,” She said gently. “I promise I'll listen. No jokes, no snide comments.”

He hesitated at first, before letting out a huge breath. “I don't understand why it's been on my mind so often recently, but I realized I -,” he looked away from her and swallowed. “I realized that I don't know what you look like.”

Silence fell between them. That wasn't what she was expecting him to say.

“I know I don't know what anyone looks like, but with you... I want to,” He reached toward her face before stopping, uncertain. “Can I...?”

It took her a painfully long moment to understand what he was asking, but when it clicked, she felt warmth spread throughout her body and pool in her cheekbones and tips of her ears. They had known each other for years, and yet, they had never really touched that often. Sure they held hands occasionally, usually when she was leading him somewhere, like tonight. But anything more than that was rare, even hugs.

She wondered what it would be like to hug him. Feel his body pressed against her, feel his heartbeat.

She must have been silent for too long because he started to retract back into himself, his arms lowering and an embarrassed expression flooding his face.

“Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. I know you don't like – “ his words were instantly halted at the feeling of her hands suddenly grabbing his and placing them on her cheeks. Her incredibly warm cheeks. This was a bad idea...

Time seemed to slow right down then, he was looking directly at her – not off to the left or the right, like normal, but straight into her own. She felt herself slowly get lost in his smoky eyes as his fingers started to drift over her skin. It should've felt uncomfortable, the both of them standing in the common room in dead silence, but it wasn't. It felt... good.

He started with his thumbs gently tracing her eyes, the curve of her eyebrows, the slope of her nose to the little point at the end, before moving down and along her jawbone to her neck. She felt herself shiver involuntarily and closed her eyes, her body turning to putty under his touch. She wanted to be closer to him and for once that thought didn't scare her.

Ominis was still looking at her when his fingers wove through her hair and brushed against the metal stud in her ear.

“Your hair,” he whispered, as if he didn't want to break the bubble they were in. “What colour is it?”

She knew he could perceive light, but didn't know if his wand let him understand certain colours. She didn't want to pry into something so personal, so instead she replied with: “When you close your eyes, what do you see?”

His brow furrowed at her question. “Darkness.”

“That's what my hair looks like.”

The confusion melted right off his features and was replaced with pure affection before he closed his eyes. Her heart swelled at the sight of him, she had hoped it would give him something he could physically see to associate the feeling with, and she wasn't disappointed. He followed the strands to the end, where they brushed the base of her spine. She hadn't bothered to put it up today, and she was instantly glad she didn't.

Ominis, eyes still closed, breathed a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his forehead against Talanah's, a small smile pulling its way across his mouth. He looked so peaceful.

“Thank you,”

Talanah's arms instinctively came around his waist, pulling him slightly closer to her, his robes soft under her fingertips. They stood there for what felt like hours, sharing each others breath, and before they knew it, the common room door opened and they heard the chattering of their housemates.

They had missed dinner.

------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! Please see reference photos, Talanah and Ellie :)

[shizuu-chann]

I need to write my thoughts, so if you have no interest in Horizon: Forbidden West, then feel free to move along. No worries. But I have Thoughts about the Burning Shores DLC, more specifically the introduction of Seyka as a love interest. Spoilers abound; you've been warned. Also, not looking for a debate. I won't be debating. If you like Seyka and the romance, that's your business. I'm not here to change you mind. I'm just here to express my opinion.

Before anything else, let's address one thing: my opinion on this pair has absolutely nothing to do with it be a lesbian couple, or fuck's sake, Seyka's race. Anyone who knows me or has been following me for a while knows that none of that offends me, and I embrace diversity in all forms. So, for anyone inclined to do so, don't come at me in the comments/reblogs/tags trying to paint me like a villain because of my opinion on the plot and the romance itself as a plot device. Everyone knows this is the website where if you say ANYTHING negative about the above, there are going to be people who decide you're a bad person when you're not, and I don't feel like dealing with that.

Getting into it, I'm sure you could gather from the paragraph above the cut that I am not a fan of the Aloy/Seyka pairing. Seyka has grown on me a bit more since playing through the DLC a second time, but man do I think she makes a terrible first impression (and by "first," I mean the first time playing through the entire main story). I hate how she jumps down Aloy's throat for "keeping secrets" when she does the same thing, and I hate even more that Aloy gives a shit about how upset Seyka gets hearing about Nemesis coming to destroy life on Earth. Like, bitch, she asked. Don't get upset with the person who told you the truth when you asked for it, and don't feel somehow guilty about revealing the info when that's what the person literally wanted! To be fair to Seyka, she says something similar when she said "At least you were honest" when Aloy apologizes (again, why???) for "dropping that on her." So, there's that, I guess.

In general, I just think the whole romance was weird and out of place. If I had to choose between Seyka and no romance, I'd choose no romance. Personally, I ship Aloy with Avad. I really like Avad, I think he's cute and a good person, and I'd be interested to see how they would make that relationship work. Barring Avad, I like her and Erend, or even Talanah (Talanah's crush on Amadis notwithstanding). At least with any of those three, or even just Avad or Erend, there's history there. Aloy knows Seyka for, like, two weeks tops in game (going based purely off how many day/night cycles went by while playing through this time, more like 5-7 days). It feels very much to me like a summer camp fling: something that's fun and new, and you really get along with this person, but then you have to go home and back to reality, and eventually you forget about each other and move on. I'd be okay with her joining the squad back at the Base, but only as a friend. I really don't feel like dealing with that weird tension in the next game.

Which brings up my next point on why this romance is not good, in my opinion: why did they introduce it so late? Now, I enjoy DLCs. If they seem worth it, I'll buy them, because I love new content and places to explore, but I am also of the opinion that devs/writers shouldn't put seemingly important characters or character development into extra, and clearly optional, content. If it wasn't in the base game, then it's not as important. Otherwise, it would have been included, again, imo. There are going to be people who won't play Burning Shores, and if Seyka makes an appearance in Horizon 3, a lot of people are going to be lost, confused, and reasonably annoyed. I've kind of shipped Aloy with Avad for two entire games at this point, but they're going to introduce an actual whole ass love interest for Aloy in a DLC that you can only play AFTER you've beaten the base game/main quest line? That just feels so forced and strange, and I don't understand why they would do that.

I can understand Aloy not having romantic feelings for anyone in the first game. She's on a mission to find out where she came from and why, stopping another end of the world with HADES, etc. And while the second game is similar, this is also Aloy's character growth journey. She learns how to make friends and rely on them. She learns that she doesn't need to take the fate of the world onto her shoulders, that she can share that burden with people she learns to trust. So introducing a love interest in Forbidden West feels reasonable--but not in a DLC at the end of the game. They should have introduced Seyka much earlier. Hell, I might have even accepted her introduction when meeting Alva at the Greenhouse or going to retrieve Alva and delve into Thebes! I would have been MUCH more receptive to Seyka/Aloy then! But after the whole story is over? Why? For what? What was their thought process???

I've already had an attachment to another character for Aloy to fall in love with, and went the entire second game thinking that maybe she and Avad could have something (because, at least the way I play/interpret it, they seem to have something, even if it's only a mutual respect--I mean, Avad clearly has a crush, but I play Aloy like she reciprocates, but is just too busy to think about it). All that only for some random person to show up and get shoehorned into the plot at the last second and go "hey, look at me! I'm hot and badass, AND a carbon copy of you, Aloy! I have all your physical abilities, the same temperament and outlook on life with only minor differences, and we both even have sisters! Isn't that awesome? Aren't I awesome? Now, act like a weird, stuttering mess as you develop this weird and out-of-character attachment to me after knowing me for a week."

I've run out of steam writing this now, but I think I got my point across. This crush of Aloy's just feels so out of place and out of character. It would have been much better had it not been so abrupt and fast. If she'd had the whole game, or at least a decent chunk of the MAIN game to develop it, I would be more receptive, but this? I just can't. I don't like it. ANY romance introduced THIS LATE and THIS QUICKLY is bad.

[burnitalldowndarling]

Horizon dlc frustration

I waited all that time for the Horizon Burning Shores DLC and it was a big disappointment.

Not because we finally get a romance for Aloy. I don’t know where the bigoted fake gamerbros have been, but Aloy’s queerness should not be a surprise. (Yes, we know they aren’t really surprised, just are taking every opportunity to be homophobic, but still.) It was already implied in that she’s a clone of a lesbian or bi woman.  Her reactions to other characters’ flirtations have actually felt more asexual than anything else -- not interested, puzzled by others’ interest, clearly hasn’t experienced anything resembling sexual attraction or desire at any point. But ok, the devs decided to make her sexual and give her a romance, and... that’s the best we get? That?

Seyka is just boring. All the amazing, interesting women Aloy’s met! Petra started a town! Talanah is single-handedly changing hunting culture in her tribe to be more inclusive! Tilda was creepy, but Jesus, Regalla! And instead of them, Aloy latches onto this angry, incurious jock, who gets access to a long-forbidden Focus and... seems completely uninterested in it. It’s clear that this lack of curiosity is why Aloy doesn’t invite Seyka to be one of the Companions (tm) -- but if she can’t even be friends with her love interest, why even have a love interest? I might have understood if they’d at least let poor Aloy get laid, but all that for just a kiss? This woman is constantly risking her life to save the world and y’all can’t even let her get a nut? Really?

(Yes, yes, we also know this is misogyny; the devs seem to think Aloy needs to be virginal to be admirable. That just adds insult to injury.)

But apart from that... my God, what a boring, poorly-written story. The villain was just more of the same, another Zenith, ooh scary. And we got more of the Quen! Who are easily the least-interesting of the tribes. There were opportunities to make the Quen more interesting here. They’ve got a brewing religious and political revolution! They’re a colony of their mother country that’s been cut off in a strange land, and normally that means the colony would eventually want independence! But none of that happened. We got no new revelations about the world. No new character interactions worth anyone’s time. It was bittersweet to talk to Sylens and realize we’re probably not going to get any more character development for him, even though he made such a powerful turn at the end of Forbidden West, because Lance Reddick is dead.

It’s so frustrating to realize they just... phoned this in. Horizon Frozen Wilds at least added some interesting lore to the world (another AI, showing Hephaestus as a genuine threat, lots more about one of the least-explored tribes)! Burning Shores just... killed time.

[saewokhrisz]

......amadis/avad.....👀

[head in hands] is this who we are ?! is this what we represent ???

but i guess this is the little boat ill be rowing, thanks @foibles-fables

also just to preface i am engaged with these two on such a surface level but its also SO intruiging as a concept, but also hard to imagine an indepth characterisaqtion for amadis cuz he doesnt have one so we'll make shit up i think suits as we go, mostly basing on the comics cuz he was too wishy washy in "need to know" for me

who is more likely to hurt the other?

girl help amadis will upset the soft hearted king first ill put my money on it

who is emotionally stronger?

neither and i will stand my ground on this, theyre just have lots of bottles to package emotions in, like a liqour store (also amadis has 0 emotional inteligence im sorry)

who is physically stronger?

avad OBVIOUSLY

who is more likely to break a bone?

amadis cuz hes an idiot like that, but also definietly out on the field more

who knows best what to say to upset the other?

amadis, like have yall seen how he talks to talanah in the comics mans is so mean and for what

who is most likely to apologise first after an argument?

avad. its avad. again, 0 emotional inteligence for amadis (but he can try and learn with time)

who treats who’s wounds more often?

the one who is most likely to break his leg is also the one most likely to get treated, and what is love if not learning first aid (when as royalty u literally dont have to) so u can patch up the idiot carja trapper u managed to find as ur boyfriend

who is in constant need of comfort?

amadis hisses as the idea of someone comforting him, and avad is a well adjusted (debatable) man , but yk when ur mean cat will come into ur room to sit inconveniently close to u when ure in a shitty mood? yeah that

who gets more jealous?

amadis, we're talking about THE sun king, cmon, how many possible courters could marad find him is unknown, but he does not handle the idea of that remotely great

who’s most likely to walk out on the other?

amadis LMAO?

who will propose?

avad, as we know, is not shy about doing so at all LMAO

who has the most difficult parents?

can we get an ouja board in here?

who initiates hand-holding when they’re out in public?

avad (much to amadis' dismay)

who comes up for the other all the time?

amadis is so insufferable (derogatory) about nessa/rittaka and WILL also be insufferble (affectionate) about avad, and also i mean, when u live in meridian, with the sunking...hard to avoid hearing abt him in conversation!

who hogs the blankets?

the boyfriend from the caves vs his radiance the sunking? avad obviously

who gets more sad?

constant sad boy hours for these two theyre so annoying (affectionate), but im leaning towards amadis, esp during that adjustment period of moving into the sundom and accepting that rittaka moved on with her life

who is better at cheering the other up?

avad !!

who’s the one that playfully slaps the other all the time after they make silly jokes?

leaning on royal/noble upbringing for both id say neither are likely, but id think amadis would have a broader body language??? esp after time at the carja millitary that noble upbringing gets washed down a bit

who is more streetwise?

Mr. Man of the Woods

who is more wise?

avad! (when he doesnt leave his braincells home, which uh was apparently not the case when aloy returned to meridian, sir why)

who’s the shyest?

...no comment. its amadis.

who boasts about the other more?

sunking "i will hype up my pathetic little boyfriend from the caves" avad, but seriously i think he'd talk quite fondly of him :(?

who sits on who’s lap?

poor avad tries to get his screeching racoon of a bf to sit in his lap at least 3 times before his dumbass realises he actually likes it, after that its just free seat at most occasions, when no ones around

[subfunctions]

more fic thoughts (oops), considering the pairing of the newbies with subordinate functions, as Betas to the fic’s Alphas.

the human-AI line-up goes: Varl and ELEUTHIA, Vanasha and MINERVA, Erend and DEMETER, Avad and APOLLO, Petra and HEPHAESTUS, Talanah and ARTEMIS, Sona and AETHER, Sylens and HADES, [redacted] and POSEIDON. and, of course, Aloy and GAIA.

I could change plans for POSEIDON and pair him with a newbie as Alpha (or even someone from the Frozen Wilds, since this fic was planned out before that dropped, LMAO). unfortunately, his presence in HFW doesn’t give me much of an inspirational jumping-off point (literally cannot get over the sub-functions being functionally KILLED OFF.... never wish for anything, ladies).

so I’m rolling that over in my mind, but in the meantime, possible pairings (not necessarily based on the most obvious):

Alva with HEPHAESTUS. the Quen are.... a hot mess of orientalist tropes, so I’ll have to think about reworking that too, but in the meantime, something about the potential dangers in the pursuit of knowledge paired with the potential dangers of machine creation, and coming to realize both the necessity of checks and balances in order to curb those dangers, and the difficulty of fairly implementing those checks and balances without tipping over into, uh, authoritarianism. plus, Petra and Alva as a duo (older lesbian and baby lesbian 💙), practical, communal application of knowledge vs. its more esoteric pursuit, collection, and hoarding, and Alva’s personality paired with my grumpy-ass Heph.

Kotallo with MINERVA. MINERVA had the only offensive purpose of Zero Dawn, and she is one of the few subordinate functions who fully completed her purpose, leaving her bereft and in need of new purpose like the loss of an arm might. Kotallo and Vanasha would play marvelously against each other -- more chances for Vanasha to torment very serious men with bad jokes, while she also struggles with leaving behind a hard-edged past for something softer. and Kotallo, in an ironic twist of fate, babysitting and trying to temper my MINERVA’s feisty fight-y attitude.... much potential there.

I’m a little torn on Zo -- DEMETER is the obvious choice and would work easily (DEMETER reading her poetry to Zo 🥺). the idea of Erend trying to be a sort of “mentor” to Zo is great comedy, and they have some sweet interactions in HFW. but that would depend on how a reworked timeline shakes out, since DEMETER doesn’t come into play until later, and ELEUTHIA would also be a good choice that’s a little less obvious (much like pairing Erend with DEMETER). I like Zo/Varl in theory (in practice, I’m side-eyeing any Pair The Spare with black characters that conveniently dodges around interracial relationships). it would be a good way to give them some depth, with ELEUTHIA playing the most unsubtle matchmaker in history. and something about exploring the creation of life and its heavy responsibility without shoving in an unnecessary pregnancy + absent father trope (BLEGH 🤮), while pairing ELEUTHIA’s representation of new life with Zo’s nature as a gravesinger and the bloody past that led her there (cycle of life and such). and I could always have Zo develop a strong bond with DEMETER too, after DEMETER joins the fold, since Zo would be the most readily primed to develop quick rapport with the sub-functions. 💙

and then maybe pulling in some particularly shiny secondary characters from HFW as more Betas, in the same way that I have Teersa as an ELEUTHIA Beta. I’ll have to see, and it all depends on what I might theoretically do with the timeline, should I pursue this rewritten fic.

[foibles-fables]

What's that? Random asks? Don't mind if I do!

How did you hear about Horizon that made you want to play it, and how was that first time?

Howdy hello and HECK YES! I love this question.

So--summer 2020. I'd just come back from a decade-long hiatus from fandom in general, and was starting to learn the new ropes and spaces (this former livejournal clown breaking into discord and twitter, etc.). One night, I was scrolling through my twitter timeline and happened to stumble upon the freshly-posted E3 announcement trailer for HFW. And even though I hadn't really played a narrative video game since the PS2 era, I decided to watch it. And, huh! I remember saying, "Badass freckly redheaded archer...seems relevant to my interests." The graphics were absolutely gorgeous and what little hints of the story were present in that trailer (especially for someone who knew nothing of the narrative background presented so far) were compelling.

So I looked up some info and found out that it was a sequel to a 2017 game. Cool. Filed that away for later, deciding to get a PS5 when they released later that year.

Jump-cut to late December. I managed to get my hands on a PS5, and it was delivered a couple days before Christmas. Which was awesome, because life was not going super well and I needed a heavy-duty distraction. At this point I had kind of pushed Horizon to the backburner and was instead excited to play AC Valhalla as my first game! But when I booted up, I learned that my mother had bought me the disc version as a Christmas gift. I was left with a couple of days to try other stuff out before I could dive in to ACV.

So, I shrugged and downloaded HZD instead. And the rest is kind of history.

Went into it kind of ambivalent and really hoping I would like it. I had tried to play BotW and was completely overwhelmed by the open-world aspects, and not in a pleasant way, and I hoped that wouldn't be the case here. I'd also never really been into a ton of action games before, as most of my old faves were turn-based. The gameplay itself wouldn't be the clincher for me--that would be the story.

WELL, good news is, I was hooked from the prologue. I would equate playing HZD to not just watching a narrative masterwork unfold, but being in the driver's seat of one. Each discovery Aloy and I made was enthralling and exhilarating, and I legitimately could not stop playing. Could not stop exploring. Every side quest, every collectible, every corner of the map (besides the hunting grounds after earning my Suns at the Nora one, SORRY TALANAH). The entirety of "Deep Secrets of the Earth" had me staring into the darkness of my gaming room in a mix of existential horror and pure amazement. I wept at the ending. The HZD cast left an indelible mark on my heart, and it really reminded me of just how powerful game stories can be. Still trapped in hyperfixation hell (affectionate) over it.

The fun didn't stop there, though. By the time I finished the game (I took my time!), it was early February 2021. I feel very lucky to have sauntered in when I did, because it really seems like it was the perfect time to join the fandom. Folks were coming out of hibernation from both 2017 and the 2020 PC release, hyped with excitement and theories for HFW. Within those first months I met some of the most fabulous and now-lifelong friends (and more <3) I've ever had.

Bottom line: after playing HZD, Horizon and the fandom pulled me through a very very very difficult time in my life. I'm eternally grateful to this series and the meaning I derive from it. Especially from the first game--its vibrant narrative, and its absolutely fantastic characters. Lightning in a bottle, man.

And no, I still haven't finished AC Valhalla. lmao.

[felrend]

Characters in HFW – Part one!

Let’s get to the fun stuff you guys! How can I not talk about the wide cast of characters in this game? You thought my Aloy post was going to be long? Well buckle up buttercups! Cause we’re in for a good time!

This post will be focused on our returning characters! 

King Avad:

I was really excited for the chance to get back to Meridian and catch up with a few people from the city. I liked Avad in HZD but did not feel the connection that I saw going around between these two. He was going through grief over losing Ersa and Aloy is no ones second choice. But the moment I saw him practically rushing over to Aloy, I saw that spark that the shippers felt. The way he was so elated to see Aloy and you can tell he was trying to compose himself. He was like a kid in a candy shop at the mere thought of seeing her again. He knew she would have a strong resistance to the stature marking her honour and was quick to reassure that he put restraints on the sculpture. Because after all, he wants Aloy to come back. He is practically waiting to throw the crown away and go with her. All she has to do is say his name and I love that haha Avad also isn’t trying to hold her back which I’m grateful for. He knows what she is doing is important and doesn’t need all the answers, just the hope that she would visit him again. I don’t know how Aloy feel’s about holding such a high standard to her, but the fact that she blushed and the coy smile she gives was enough for me to be on board. Avad is a good man and he is trying to mend all the bonds that his father destroyed. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with him again and hoping we pass through Meridian for a possible DLC. Maybe even have Avad tag along for a quick side mission lol

Itamen: 

This little gum drop was such a delight! I did not think I needed any type of interaction with him after HZD but I’m so glad the developers gave us a scene with him. You can see how happy him and his mother are now that they have been saved from the Shadow Carja. He can have a real chance of a childhood, even though he’s being raised to be the next King. You can tell there is real love between the brothers and Avad just wants the best for him and Kadaman. It brought me a lot of joy to watch Aloy drop to his level to talk to him and I know she will keep her promise to come back and teach him archery lessons. Another heart stolen by Aloy! But I think Itamen stole a bit of her heart too

Vanasha and Uthid: 

Lets just get this out of the way, she wants to ride the Carja captain and he has no idea what to do with that information hahaha the sexual tension between the two of them is rampant and they just gotta make that happen. I love how she’s still the sassy bad influence that doesn’t mind calling Aloy out but also showing that she cares for the huntress. Uthid is always going to be the man of few words but you can tell he’s just as happy to see Aloy too and understands her need to take off when she has to. She’s more than earned his respect and loyalty. I better see more of them in the future! And her new outfit does nothing for her figure. Let her show off those killer abs!

Talanah:

well wasn’t this a rollercoaster of a storyline for our dear Sun Hawk? Let me get this out of the way. She deserved better. She proved why she is so beloved among the fans. She’s strong, smart, funny, a bad ass. I totally understand where people are coming from with the writing. It’s warranted but also it shouldn’t have ruined the game for anyone. I think this was another avenue for people to see that life goes on with out Aloy. Feelings might not change but affection for someone else can. Over all I’m glad we got such a long side quest with her. Right when I think it’s over, they carry it all over the map and I love that. But I don’t believe the door is closed between the two of them. You get snippets of something else there that I at least picked up on. Talanah leaves a particular gift for Aloy back at the base as well as that sweet scene between them at Barren Light. Talanah has things to figure out and the Hunting Lodge to get back to. But that doesn’t mean what they have is completely gone. I want to see more of Talanah and I doubt Guerilla Games is done with her too.

Varl: 

Oh where do I begin? He is 100% the heart of this new found family and let’s be real, he created this family for Aloy. He knew when to push back when she started to shut down, even going so far as following her for six months to make her understand that she’s not alone. Aloy needed someone just as stubborn to break through her walls. It made my heart happy that the first few hours of this game was all about teaching Varl how to use the focus and making Aloy uncomfortable with having someone else around. She had to slow down and answer his questions and have him understand how she saw the world. I don’t think it would have worked if it was anyone else but him by her side at the beginning. She needed another Nora who understood why she acted the way that she did. The torment of being neglected and shunned for 18 years. There is no way for Varl to understand that pain but he has that empathy for Aloy and the patience. I love that he calls her “the Anointed” as punishment for her running away after the battle for Meridian. He knows what makes her squeamish and will use that to his advantage to prove a point. And Aloy needs that, she needs the push back and someone to challenge her.

I also love his new found relationship with Zo. I felt bad for all of the Varloy stans but in some way Aloy needed to see that life can move on passed her. She can’t be the center of everyone’s world and seeing him move forward with someone is supposed to be painful. But I’m glad she never let that get in the way of her friendship with Varl or with Zo. The teasing between them is everything and the fact that Varl goes to Aloy for love advise is hilarious. “You’re asking the wrong person, you’re on your own”. Fucking gold. Guerilla Games also needs to give us a comic (or SOMETHING) for the bromance between Varl and Erend! I want to know what shenanigans they got up to while Aloy was gone! They clearly bonded in Meridian and I’m so grateful for that.

Now for the big moment that we have all been dreading. Gemini. The absolute worse outcome I can even think of. I know some people assumed that there would be a death in the game but Varl was not the one I was expecting. I felt my heart rip out and didn’t believe that it was real. I assumed that he would be out for the rest of the game. That he would be “the guy in the chair” because that’s what he has been this whole time. How can you give us this incredible character and kill him? Why prove that no one is safe? I understand that there is a price to war but fuck. Not Varl. Not the one that knows how to comfort Aloy or knows when to pull her out of the darkness. If it wasn’t for Varl, we wouldn’t have gotten the scenes of Aloy’s clear grief of Rost. Or the fact that she is welcoming more people into her life and most of all, welcoming their love. The moments we get after are gut wrenching and beautiful. And I hope Aloy doesn’t shut down over his loss but honours him. Varl deserved better but he was also willing to sacrifice everything to protect the one’s he loves. I don’t want to see the scene of Aloy delivering the bad news to Sona. Or well…the mixed news.

Erend:

Oh Erend. My love for him is never ending and I am a complete simp for the Captain of the Vanguard. The fact that we had to wait to see him was torture and Guerilla Games knew exactly what they were doing. The build up to them being reunited, the peak of them seeing each other and then a punch right to the heart. Erend’s pain was written all over his face and I’m glad that he is the one that shows the implications of Aloy’s actions. Where Varl comes from a place of level headed thinking, Erend is coming from the heart. She hurt him, deeply. He wears his heart on his sleeve and he isn’t afraid to show that. Which is refreshing to see from a “manly” character. Does he handle it well? No. His passive aggressive comments are just as hurtful and when he brushes her off when she reaches out was an even bigger blow. “What kinda person does that?” It shows that they are still getting to know each other, despite how close they have gotten. He doesn’t fully grasp that she has no idea how to deal with people or their emotions because she was an outcast. He was the first “outsider” that showed any interest or affection for her and Aloy has no idea how to deal with that. But it’s the small actions that mean the most to her. He takes a moment to compose himself and you know that he’s already forgiven her. He will always forgive her. He’s growing as a person too and you see that throughout this whole game.

Some people say that he’s insensitive or was dumbed down but I don’t see that at all (the dumbing down part at least). Erend is literally learning how to interact with brand new tribes that he has only heard stories about. He believes in the stereotypes because how else is he supposed to meet them? He has never gone that far West before. And if it wasn’t for Aloy or Varl, he never would have. His willingness to learn and to get to know them and their ways of life should mean something. Plus, he’s dealing with strong people who aren’t afraid to put him on his ass when he’s taken it too far. And Erend is willing to eat some humble pie. He’s also learning a whole new language with the ancient glyphs! Not everyone can learn something new so quickly. You see the different levels of learning from everyone and I don’t see people picking on them. Erend isn’t used to dealing with fragile equipment. He’s used to hammer and steal. Products that are meant to have a strong grasp, so give him a break. No one on the team is trying to belittle him, so why are you? I’d like to see you learn a whole new language and alphabet in 24 hours. I do wish that Aloy would have reached out and offered to help him study. It would have been so cute to see her sit with him and go over the data that he was struggling with. Plus, a sweet little gesture to show that she cares.

I could write a novel about the amount of love I have for Erend. Every interaction he has with Aloy it just makes me want more. The soft smiles they give each other and his willingness to be there and help is everything I could want from him. Every time she asked if he found someone to share a drink with, I was begging for her to ask if she could join him. And when they got that moment, I squealed! I wish you could have had that moment again. And don’t get me started on the end scene between them!! The way he pulled her in to his side and held her and then when he’s riding off to Vegas and looks back, there is such yearning in his eyes! UGH! I’m also super bitter about the two of them not going to Las Vegas together. She makes a point to say that he would love it and that they should go together. SO GIVE US THAT SCENE GUERILLA! I want to see his eyes light up to the holograms and finding that ember for her! Rude!! Don’t build that up and not have a follow up!

Ereloy feels like they are headed in the right direction and this is exactly what I needed from them. For Erend and Aloy to end up together in this game wouldn’t be right. She’s still too focused on the mission as well as her new found sister. But you can see she’s starting to think about the future. And I hope she can see him involved in that future in some capacity.

 Well this was a very giant post and we haven’t even gotten to the new characters! I’m sorry to keep you all waiting but I swear the next one will be about our bigger additions to the crew!

[leonineus]

Horizon: Forbidden West AU Thoughts (Beware of Spoilers)

Aloy is a sensible person. Headstrong and stubborn (one of the many reasons she's such a loved protagonist), but sensible.

I would think after Letopolis, she would consider that she should probably draw on more of her allies and contacts; people to help combat hostile monsters, people to help support and enhance their efforts, people that she knows that she can Trust.

Picture the scene: Varga setting up a workshop in the Base so that she can crank out even better mechanical marvels for the team to use. She might even, on mention of her from Aloy, contact Petra and ask for her input - Petra would probably find a way to put Chainscrape in someone she trusts' hands and immediately move to the Base herself.

Also note what would happen if Aloy made the mistake of mentioning Delah & Boomer to them; suddenly she has not two but FOUR weapon-crazy Oseram women cooking up Weapons of Machine Destruction inside her Base.

Nil (who I'm aware is in the game but I never got around to trying the Gauntlet Runs on my first playthrough so I didn't encounter him) probably would have been Aloy's first pick to help her resolve the Rebel issue - Regalla would have found herself very short on manpower within a few weeks.

Ikrie, the Aloy-from-another-tribe, would have leapt at the chance to actually help people, when that wish to do so drove her from the Banuk in the first place. She'd also love the opportunity to test her mettle against the new machines in the West, and I can see her Vibing with the Tenakth.

On the note, given Aloy is technically still a Chieftain, I'm pretty sure that Aratak would have brought the werak down from the Wilds with him if she'd asked them to come - the Forbidden West certainly WOULD have been a survival challenge for them! Potentially it could also have given Aloy a communications link with CYAN to assure her that GAIA's attempts to contact her are for good.

Talanah, whatever her personal reasons for coming to the Forbidden West, I'm fairly sure probably would have stuck around if Aloy had asked it of her, particularly since she already canonically knows about the Base from having used it to get through the mountains in the first place.

Teb, ever keen to repay Aloy for saving his life, might well have come to the West himself, eager to provide his services to Aloy and his stitching capabilities putting him in good stead to assist with the Fearsome Foursome's campaign to maximise the Gang's offensive and defensive potential (as well as give Aloy grey hairs well before her time with some of the loud noises that come out of their workshop).

Poor Beta, though - all these vibrant personalities she suddenly finds herself surrounded by, all of whom would probably have taken one look at her similarity to Aloy and gone Must Protecc at once. It seems fortunate - at least for her - that Vanasha wouldn't really have been able to come west given she's now Nasadi's personal bodyguard - she likely would have leapt on the opportunity to influence Beta and possibly traumatised the poor girl.

I also personally think we could've done more with the Base. I know we got a good amount of stuff making it Home for all of them but I think there could have been more.

The addition of four Oseram tinkerers would have let them add more to the Base, and with the education from the Focuses, they could have been able to refine and design more things. I think it's safe to assume that the showers are non-operational given they dump stuff in that area, so maybe a nice big heated bath made of Oseram steel so they can all wash off the stink of the day, to pick one example?

Having more heavy combat-types in the Gang would have given them all a need for a combat training area; fighting each other to improve on their skills or just to let off steam.

And that's not even without considering the impact having all these other faces in the GAIA Gang would have on the storyline? Perhaps the Zeniths get a rude awakening about the capabilities of the local primitives when the Fearsome Foursome get inspired by the Sons of Prometheus' example and manage to create their own anti-Zenith weapons.

With the added boost of those weapons and the larger number of heavy hitters, perhaps certain tragic events at Cauldron GEMINI would not have occurred.

Gotta wonder how Erik Visser might have fared in his attempt to recapture Beta if that were the case - one sadist to another, I think Nil would have made mincemeat out of him if Visser had first been shot with some anti-Zenith weapon to disable his shields and potentially his weapons first.

[iwillbecomealawyer]

how aloy reacted to both varl and talanah when it comes to their respective partners lives in my head rent free.. she deserves to be happy

and the cutscenes showing her reaction with varl and talanah,, didnt help??;$,& like id like to think the animators fucked up the rigs or something but it rly does look like she was uncomfortable/jealous in both when talking to/about their s.os

some examples are the scene where aloy just looked so somber when she insisted varl to go with zo to plainsong, how she averted her gaze when both of them kissed, and her blatant confusion or might i say even jealousy when she saw how close vo and varl were

one other way to look at it since the game is rly hammering the ‘no man is an island’ message in, is that maaybe aloy is more sad on the fact one of her most trusted companions left her and shes kind of upset about that and during that brief moment she realises how much she values them. i rly like varl and aloy together honestly and im so glad i got to see more of their dynamic. they seemed to rly care about each other and hold the same values, with varl literally following her just so she doesnt hurt herself like wow ok you are DEDICATED. and yeah id just like to think aloy kinda realized what she was missing when he went off with zo

and as for talanah… ohhh talanah. i have a lot of Thoughts about the quest but rn ill just talk about aloy (and me probably being delirious from too much copium honestly)

i can only read it as aloy trying to be invested in talanah’s relationship but she was just not. she played a little tease for her in the beginning but she just became less and less enthusiastic trying to console her about amadis. and that enthusiastic ‘really?!’? her smile when talanah hugged her? come oooon. girl was pining

what i at least liked about this quest is how aloy has always shown to be dismissive or new about the idea of friends but once talanah was mentioned, she was open to calling her ‘an old friend’. she was even willing to point out how she wanted to see her despite her important quest. and in the actual sidequest, she was willing to help her all the way through. i would talk more about these two’s relationship more in a separate post but hajamdmsmfmsm im too incoherent for analytic shit but we’ll see ill most probably do it and word vomit lmao

however with all of this said, i could also see it in a way that aloy is simply not knowledgeable about the idea of love, which is very understandable since shes never had an ounce of social or romantic interaction in her life until the past year. so yeah i can admit im coping too much and i choose to stay this way bc crumbs orz

ANYWAY i digress i havent finished forbidden west yet but all i literally want from this game is for aloy to have HER definition of a happy ending. ive seen her stressed, sad and angry too much already… she doesnt need a love interest okay im fine with that!! i just really want her to be happy