#— aloy character study.

[vvyvernicus]

Since I didn't officially participate in AU-Gust this year, I wanted to show off an AU I came up with for The Villainess Wants To Make Her Husband Slim Down fandom.

@juchioris has made plenty of shorts for this fandom for the AU-Gust challenge, so please check them out if you're interested!

This isn't a fanfiction per say, but another alternate AU with key details focusing on one character in particular who has major changes in comparison to canon, which alters the original story.

It's a little throwback to an old post of mine, where I turned the male lead, Alois, into a "Cold Duke of the North."

This expands on this version of him. Also spoiler warning for key changes that alter important plot points in the original novel!

It's a little lengthy, so I'm putting it below the cut!

In the original plotline of this universe, Alois Montchat is reviled as "The Toad of the Swamp". At the time our main female protagonist Camilla meets him, she is repulsed by him, as he has all the features that earned him that nickname (he is obese with blemished skin that's bumpy like a frog's). However, in this AU that is not the case.

This AU's Alois takes on a more regal appearance, more befitting of his status as a Duke. He's always well groomed and dresses in fitted clothes. His skin is clear because he regularly applies special creams to combat the strong magic in the air that damages people's skin in Mohnton. He's also a lot leaner than his canon self, no longer eating unhealthy meals and avoiding exercise.

His personality has shifted as well, fitting well into the "Cold Duke" stereotype. However he is also more confident and feisty than his more mellow counterpart. If someone doesn't agree with him, he's quick to assert his authority and won't hesitate to use his appearance to threaten others. There are still traits that remain the same, as it's still Alois at his core.

Underneath the intimidating aura, he's quite antisocial and a recluse. He disdains the idea of social events and refuses to go to them, not because in the distant past that his family was excluded from them, but because he just doesn't like people. Still loves reading and learning about history.

His first meeting with Camilla is much different. Originally, Camilla is sent to him as a bridal candidate as a punishment since no one wants to be wed to the hideous toad duke. In this AU, Camilla is still punished for being a villainess, but is essentially sent away to die.

This Alois is rumored to be monstrous, as he doesn't socialize and people who have interacted with him mention his poor temperament. Since Mohnton is a land where criminals were dumped, it would suit him to have a ruthless side to him. Camilla is sent off to be a bridal candidate for him, since other women are too scared, but it's wildly expected that Alois will just kill her instead. Camilla still has her uncontrollable temper and bad attitude, which everyone assumes will frustrate Alois and he'd put her out of her misery himself.

Camilla herself is not thrilled about this and is even a bit worried about the potential of dying at Alois' own hands. She still loves Julian, but has come to the terms that he wants her dead since he himself came up with the idea to send her to Alois. When she meets Alois, she does find him attractive, but also intimidating.

Instead of screaming at him to lose weight like in the original story, she holds her tongue more at first, worried that a wrong word may get her killed. Their first meal together is intense, with Alois telling her that he has no intention of keeping her around and that he doesn't trust her. Not wanting to get thrown to the streets, Camilla's new goal is to find ways to get on his good side while she tries to figure out a viable escape plan that guarantees a comfortable life for her.

Now, delving into the more spoiler territory of his character, Alois is a man who experienced some serious childhood trauma. This is still the case in the AU variant of him.

The events in the original are still canon up until Alois is 15 years old. This means that:

1. Camilla had still given him her cookies when he was 10.

2. He was taken from his true home and had his memories wiped.

3. His "parents" still treated him poorly and forced him to adopt fake traditions with the intention of altering his appearance.

Alois is secretly the true second prince in the story, but he was kidnapped and swapped with a fake shortly after his 10th birthday. He was forced to grow up in Mohnton and assume the identity of the heir to the duchy. However, because of his princely features (his red eyes and silver hair), Alois might be revealed as the true prince and ruin their plan.

To avoid looking too much like a distinguished royal, Alois was forced to eat an absurd amount of food, all heavily doused with fat and sugar. He also was not permitted to use skin creams to protect against the miasma in the air. Because of this, he rapidly gained weight just as planned.

However, once Alois turned 15, was when a switch flipped inside his brain in the AU. Tired of playing the part of the obedient son, suffering at the hands to please his parents, he rebelled against them. He was sick of eating the revolting food all the time, tired of feeling terrible as the food took a toll on his health.

His parents were not pleased and it devolved into a huge fight between them. He lost control of his magical powers during the fight and ended up killing them. At first he was shocked, but ultimately relieved not to be under their control anymore. The senior servants panic and try to control the situation, but he threatens to do the same to them if they dare force the traditions to continue.

Alois ends up losing the excess weight by returning to a healthy diet and engaging in active hobbies; favoring ones that can allow him to defend himself without relying on magic as it can be unpredictable. Despite this, he retains trauma from feeling like a prisoner in his own body for 5 years.

Having Camilla as a bridal candidate was not something that Alois wanted. Not only does he distrust strangers, he also has no experience with women. So he does not know how to properly interact with her and tries to keep his distance initially.

When she arrives, he gives her the courtesy of having one meal with her per day, but he does not care to bring up conversation with her. Their meals are initially eaten in silence as Camilla tries to figure him out.

Although he is intimidating, he does not wish to bring any harm to Camilla. He makes sure that she is given proper accommodations so that she isn't uncomfortable during her stay. Even if he doesn't want to marry her, he's not cruel to her for no reason.

Just like in the original plot, when Camilla mentions that she likes cooking, he's compliant with her using the kitchen. He says that he would consider sampling some of what she makes, provided that it's not overwhelmingly sweet.

The servants still don't like Camilla much, but she also doesn't have to deal with the rude head maid Gerda.

While Alois is skilled with magic and has a lot of it because of his bloodline, he still trains regularly in other forms of combat. Mostly out of precaution and he finds that he can be more precise with physical attacks if he needs to defend himself in a pinch. As a result, he's in much better shape than his canon self.

This makes him look more like royalty, specifically more like a sibling of the two princes. There had been rumors of him being an illegitimate heir, with the past duchess having an affair with the king that resulted in Alois' conception. Alois himself couldn't care less about being a prince, truthful or not, and just wants to live a life of solidarity.

He trains so much because he is afraid of showing weakness after what he had gone through during his late childhood. Deep down, he secretly knows that his parents were trying to kill him off slowly by making him eat unhealthily for five years. So he does this as a continued act of defiance and self preservation.

Since Alois is not "The Toad of the Swamp", Camilla makes no jabs at his appearance. Instead she finds herself struggling to keep her eyes off of him, worrying that staring too much will have negative consequences.

Ah, the trauma. This poor man has a lot of it. Arguably more so than the original Alois, but probably a typical amount for cold dukes. While the canon Alois is slightly more open, this AU version buries his feelings like he's hiding previous treasure from thieves.

While he bottles up his emotions, there are times when they all come loose. Especially when his parents are brought up, more specifically the things they put him through. When Camilla eventually broaches this topic with him after seeing an old family portrait, with a younger, pudgier Alois, he completely loses it.

This is the moment Camilla realizes how flawed he actually is, despite his usual nonchalant, cold demeanor. She gets to understand him more as a person and see why he acts in the way he does. Camilla is terrible with providing comfort, but she knows how to listen, something that Alois never trusted anyone to do before.

Alois goes into full detail explaining his hatred for his parents actions and how he was rewarded by them by having to fix everything all on his own. He couldn't even trust his own servants, so many of them were discarded and replaced with new ones after the incident. He even goes so far to say that he doesn't even like his responsibilities that much, but he does then anyway because he is the sole heir to the dukedom.

From this moment onwards, Camilla decides to act nicer to Alois. Usually offering to be someone to vent to, in exchange Camilla vents her problems to him. This is what really starts to bond the two of them.

Just like in the original, Alois is still the ML, while Camilla is the FL. So by the same string of fate, they are destined to fall in love. And just like in canon, Alois falls first. Not to say Camilla isn't attracted to him initially this time around.

After they start talking and being more honest with each other, he finds himself wanting to spend more time with her. Though since he initially wanted nothing to do with her, it's hard for him to say he wants the opposite. So he spends a good portion secretly pining for her.

The main story events are when they really get to interact. Like when Alois has to go somewhere in the duchy, he makes up some excuse for why she should come along. At this point Camilla is no longer afraid of him and is somewhat happy to see new parts of the territory.

He's really bad at feelings. Poor guy doesn't know how to flirt to save his life, let alone have a charming conversation with a lady. His ego is too big to turn to Klaus this time around, so he's figuring it all out on his own. Camilla is usually not able to pick up on his interest, but she still finds him endearing.

At the very end of this AU they get married. Something we didn't see in the original story unfortunately. Alois ends up proposing to Camilla, who ends up liking him more than she expected, and she accepts.

I don't really have much to say about their wedding, just that Camilla's parents were not invited. Her personal maid from the royal capital, Diana, was able to come and then live with them in their estate. Other characters that show up, Klaus, Gunter, Nicole, they're all there too.

Oh right, the villains of the original novel. In this AU, it's bittersweet as while Alois and Camilla find happiness, the villains get away with their plans. Alois has no idea he's the true second prince and is finding his own happiness with the woman he loves.

Thanks for viewing this word dump of an AU! Not sure if I'll write a full fanfiction of it, but a small short here and there are high possibilities! This fandom needs more love.

[greymouse42]

hello! I wrote something!! 💚 I'm really excited to have written a piece for @churchofseiroszine diving into Alois's history, and his & Seteth's friendship over the years.

Preorders are still open — it's a cool project and proceeds will be donated to a good cause. Please check it out! 💚

[ferinehuntressmoved]

— aloy visage. — aloy attire. — aloy interactions. — aloy answers. — aloy aesthetics. — aloy headcanons. — aloy character study. — aloy attractions. — aloy desires. — aloy skillsets. — aloy scenery. — aloy playlist. — aloy games. — aloy body study.

— aloy default verse. — aloy arcane verse.

[ferallfemmesa]

[muse] aloy — visage. [muse] aloy — attire. [muse] aloy — interactions. [muse] aloy — answers. [muse] aloy — aesthetics. [muse] aloy — headcanons. [muse] aloy — character study. [muse] aloy — attractions. [muse] aloy — desires. [muse] aloy — skillsets. [muse] aloy — scenery. [muse] aloy — playlist. [muse] aloy — games. [muse] aloy — body study.

[weeb-cheese]

DO NOT LISTEN TO MITSKI WHILE WRITING SAD FANFIC THAT SHIT HAS A KICK

[spearmaiidenmoved]

[muse] aloy — visage. [muse] aloy — attire. [muse] aloy — interactions. [muse] aloy — answers. [muse] aloy — aesthetics. [muse] aloy — headcanons. [muse] aloy — character study. [muse] aloy — attractions. [muse] aloy — desires. [muse] aloy — skillsets. [muse] aloy — scenery. [muse] aloy — playlist. [muse] aloy — games.

[deleteblogdfsdafss]

[muse] aloy — visage. [muse] aloy — attire. [muse] aloy — interactions. [muse] aloy — answers. [muse] aloy — aesthetics. [muse] aloy — headcanons. [muse] aloy — character study. [muse] aloy — attractions. [muse] aloy — desires. [muse] aloy — skillsets. [muse] aloy — scenery. [muse] aloy — playlist. [muse] aloy — games.

[warpaiint]

Tag 003.

[muse] aloy — visage. [muse] aloy — attire. [muse] aloy — interactions. [muse] aloy — answers. [muse] aloy — aesthetics. [muse] aloy — headcanons. [muse] aloy — character study. [muse] aloy — attractions. [muse] aloy — desires. [muse] aloy — skillsets. [muse] aloy — scenery. [muse] aloy — playlist. [muse] aloy — games.

[warmaiidens]

here

[horizontwinflames]

Horizon AU: Twin Flames - Isaac (Zero Dawn Act) final concept/design.

*texts' transcriptions under the cut after the images*

REPOST, EDIT/USE OR FEED MY ART TO AI ISN'T ALLOWED

Read about Aloy, Beta and Elisabet in this AU [here]

omg... I thought I would never finish this... BUT YAY! Here it is finally! Isaac's final design and concepts!

This AU has an ongoing fanfic! You can read on Ao3: [LINK]

Text transcription:

First image:

Isaac - Roughly 3.2m/10.4' -Unknown age (probably just a few months).

Isaac is an original machine character in this alternative universe.

Isaac is the loyal machine companion of the Sobeck family, serving as both a traveling and battle mount. The sisters unintentionally created him while trying to figure out a way to increase the machine override time. The process they applied in the -back then- simple Watcher rebooted their AI and programming back to its essential functions and disconnected them from their original master, HEPHAESTUS. Once he received his name from Beta, the three family members became his new masters, which he unthinkingly obey to.

Due to his blank AI, Isaac is developing his own sentience and personality by absorbing his masters’ traits and behaviors and learning their morals and concepts. He also downloaded all of the sisters’ Focuses’ data to have some initial communication and works as a backup, so he only knows what they know.

He can speak with anyone with a Focus through its text-to-speech function by sending text messages to them - thus, people who don’t have a Focus only hear his Watcher noises. He can still communicate with other machines normally, so he also works as an information gatherer to help in missions and studies.

Second image:

Once a simple Watcher, now a super advanced mount and best friend of the Sobeck family.

Isaac's customizable body can adapt him to travel in any terrain, even underwater. He's able to reach high speeds at a low energy and heating cost - he's also lighter than it seems. His sleek, almost snake-ish, body shape makes maneuvering more dynamic for his rider.

His propulsors give him the ability to do long leaps and high jumps, helping the sisters get to places they wouldn't be able to reach by themselves. But a repetitive use of said skills in a short timespan can drain his energy and overheat him quickly.

Like his owners, he's not adept at using one single type of weapon. Isaac's tail ranged weapons and armor can be changed to better adapt to the situation. However, he hasn't developed efficient battle techniques yet, as he's still learning with the Sobecks. Note that his Sawtooth's sabers aren't intended to be used to fight but to climb and carry objects.

Melee Tail Weapons: Thunderjaw's tail, Stalker's tail blade, Stormbird's tail (also used to swim), Frostclaw's front paws.

Ranged Weapons: Thunderjaw's Disk Launcher, Ravager's Cannon, Scorcher's Mine Launcher, Bellowback's Snout.

Armors: Nora (stealth), Carja (speed), Oseran (tank), Banuk (damage), Old World (mixed).

Isaac is a mount adapted for two people: One is the rider, and the other is the cannoneer. He syncs with them through their Focuses, so his responses to their commands are more instantaneous. The rider directs Isaac where to go and when and how to use the tail weapon. Meanwhile, the cannoneer controls the ranged weapons and propulsors.

Only those who have a Focus can see his holographic face. The images shown are a collection of emojis the sisters found in Old World Ruins (which they update when they find more). His three "horns" also can move solemnly to make him more expressive.

Being composed of many different machine parts makes Isaac the first machine chimera to exist - still keeping the base shape of a Watcher, but huge. He was customized by the Sobecks little by little through the Cauldrons they visited on their first journey.

He can still stretch his neck like a Watcher can normally do.

His eye received enhancements to better aid the Sobecks in their daily life and journeys - such as infrared, thermic, and ultrasound visions.

He also has in his head a sound device to play audio files, such as music from the Old World, and a holoprojector.

[kiasnocturnality]

𝒌𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕

. * ⋆  . · browse the library  ˊˎ -

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄

can he sire other vampires? | info

brushing his hair for him | imagine

all ears | imagine

you tell him he's no longer welcome in your home | imagine

*feeding from you for the first time | imagine

*NSFW alphabet | headcanons

does he hate being a vampire + his blood | info

the Leblanc family | info 

seeing his reflection for the first time | drabble

an act of affection to help you de-stress | drabble

how he reacts to a darling with dizzy spells | headcanons

leblanc legacy | interactive fic

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒔

he finds you stuck in a tree, trespassing on his land | drabble

does Nasana shed? | info

how would he react to you tending his wounds? | imagine

how he kisses | headcanons

role reversal! naga reader, human Nasana | drabble

*make it fit | imagine

*NSFW | headcanons

yandere! Nasana | headcanons

*you’re too embarrassed to moan for him | drabble

*play fighting with him in heat | imagine

his s/o brings him a hot meal during his brumation | headcanons

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒊

how he kisses | headcanons

how he reacts to you having a dog | drabble

yandere! Takeshi | headcanons

*NSFW | headcanons

listening to him talk | drabble

his date loves Japanese mythology | imagine

lipstick | imagine

*Takeshi with a virgin reader | drabble

*predator/prey with Takeshi | drabble

*polyamorous! yandere! Takeshi | headcanons ft. Lisheng

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂

how she reacts to you gifting her jewellery | imagine

she saves you from drowning | imagine

*sweeter than blood & hearts & marrow | drabble

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒐𝒏

*how it feels to be holy | imagine

how he reacts to his s/o asking if he’s a mafia boss | imagine

how he is with his s/o | headcanons

archangel! s/o discovers his plans | drabble

his darling falls to her doom | drabble

the reader is a private investigator, hired to investigate Aphae | drabble

*somnophilia | headcanons

*NSFW alphabet | headcanons

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒗𝒂'𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒉𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒏 (𝒕𝒂𝒆𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏)

her human darling is her knight | headcanons

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒖𝒒𝒖'𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒉𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒏

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒌𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔

can’t handle the cold? | imagine

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒄.

what they would study in a modern setting | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they react to finding you injured | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they react to you singing | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

*biting | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they would react to meeting each other | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

crossovers | info (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

how they are with kids | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

*NSFW | headcanons (Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

you help them preen their feathers | headcanons (Desdemona, Aphaeleon) 

fun facts | info (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

*how they are with a soft, submissive reader | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon) 

yanderes seeing a rival with their darling | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon 

where they like to be kissed | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

general yandere behaviour | headcanons (Alois, Desdemona, Aphaeleon) 

what they’re like as older siblings | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

bathing with them | headcnaons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon) 

what your fav character says about you | shitpost (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon)

*who’s into predator/prey dynamics? | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona) 

the languages they speak + reacting to hearing their s/o say sweet things in their language | info + headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

their darling snuggles up to them while they rest | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

their darling has a fox laugh | headcanons (Alois, Takeshi)

their darling is feral for them | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi)

their darling is afraid of thunderstorms | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

*Take taking his s/o in front of Aphae | drabble (Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

*how they react to their darling calling them daddy/mommy | headcanons (Alois, Nasana, Takeshi, Desdemona, Aphaeleon, Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

their favourite activities | headcanons (Va’ariniel, Taruqu’inel)

general fluff | headcanons (Takeshi, Aphaeleon)

*how they feel about hypno kink | Alois, Desdemona, Va'ariniel, Taruqu'inel

✩⋆ ﾟ⢄・𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓𝒔

*in the night | drabble (Lisheng, edenspetals’ OC)

*polyamorous! yandere! Lisheng | headcanons ft. Takeshi

𓋼𓍊⋆ﾟ like my work? why not: ⋆ support me �� join my taglist  ⋆ consider following/reblogging

[communistkenobi]

also I know I’m strolling in seven years late to Horizon’s representation problems but I feel like these games are an instructive example in how the liberal imagination understands “good representation.” the game seems to take a lot of care in demonstrating (what the developers understand to be) a fully post-racial society by way of universal racial integration - every society or ‘tribe’ or group of people you encounter is almost uniformly racially diverse. Being generous, I think this is an attempt to avoid any possible racist implications in the fanciful costumes and outfits that Horizon is known for; there is a lot of focus in representing the different people of Horizon’s world through what they wear. You can immediately tell an Oseram from a Carja, not by their racial makeup, but by their clothing. This means that, if you meet a particularly ‘savage people’ (a term characters in the game use semi-frequently) who wear ‘exotic clothing’ and face-paint, the diverse racial makeup of the group prevents (or is intended to prevent) a racist conclusion about that group. 

Likewise, the game presents a world free from systemic homophobic prejudice - Aloy is notably gay, but also her asking people about their partners, or assuming other people around her are gay, generally passes without comment. Horizon is presenting a fully ‘integrated’ social world, one whose conflicts are not meant to map onto ‘modern-day’ racism and homophobia.

But the underlying logic and structure of racism and homophobia (and binaristic, oppositional gender) are left intact. Humanity in Horizon is still presented as fundamentally separate from nature, moving overtop of it, extracting what they need from it, but never part of it as such. And this construction of nature as separate from “man” is not problematised, “man” just gets universalised into “human,” and “human” gets universalised into a non-racial category. This is completely side-stepping the history of this construction of nature as a white supremacist, colonial, capitalist construction, an understanding of nature as something colonial Europe is meant to hold dominion over through the dehumanisation of non-white, non-European people, converting them into non-human labourers and pests who live atop the land Europe is attempting to colonise and enclose. “Nature” in the modern western understanding is a fundamentally racial concept; nature is a ‘scientific, rational, biological’ container meant to house everything non-human about the world, an object to be studied and exploited by the one true subject of history, Mankind - and who is considered part of mankind is a question of whether you belong to the white European ruling class.

I think Aloy in particular represents this problem well - her access to and understanding of pre-apocalypse technology makes her universally suspicious and dismissive of any religious or ‘spiritual’ beliefs she encounters in other groups, frequently getting into reddit-atheist-adjacent quibbles with the ‘unenlightened,’ ‘primitive’ people of the world about the fact that the machines that harvest food for them and take care of the land are not gods, silly, they’re just machines! Her only real counterpart in terms of technological understanding is Sylens (a Black man), who is an antagonist. Like despite the game’s attempts at neutralising race as a coherent category, it is kind of unavoidable to notice that the protagonist is a white woman who’s only equal is a Black man engaging in constant deception for his own benefit lol

And Aloy’s anti-religious sentiments are deeply funny, because the game’s narrative itself has a theological relationship to technology - humans destroyed the world with technology, yes, but salvation of humanity is only possible through technology, specifically a globe-spanning technological system meant to be an environmental steward to the planet, repairing the damage caused by previous technological catastrophes and human wars. Human beings themselves are insufficient to the task of taking care of the planet, and “nature” itself is incapable of self-governance or regulation. And the way this technological system is made to function properly again is, hilariously, unlocked through the genetic code of a white woman, a perfect clone of the technological system’s original creator. the solution to Horizon’s central conflict and threat is, ultimately, a white saviour 

And so the appropriative elements of Horizon - calling the Nora ‘braves,’ the abstracting of hundreds of north american Indigenous cultures into mere aesthetics and symbols, the invocation of words like savage and primitive, and so on - are not surface-level problematic elements of an otherwise anti-racist game, they are indicative of a liberal anti-racist imaginary, a place where we’re all equal human beings whose main problem are vague sectarian grudges, without looking at or dealing with any of the underlying ideological frameworks that produced race or gender in the first place.

So I think Horizon is, despite attempts to imagine a post-racist world, nonetheless very limited in how it represents this post-racial world because it understands racism as prejudice against particular phenotypic characteristics, not an underlying logic that renders “nature” and “human” as fundamentally racial concepts in history

[k3n-dyll]

None of what I am about to say is in support of Naughty Dog I just keep seeing this every time a new video game that features women comes out and it simultaneously amuses and angers me.

So I guess ND is coming out with a game called Intergalactic and the trailers or whatever came out and it happens that the main character is a woman with a shaved head and men are like, freaking the fuck out about the 'uglification of women in media' again and I don't know that shit boggles my fucking mind. I'm gonna admit it, she's hot to me, okay, but even if she wasn't I simply couldn't imagine the idea of being angry that I'm not attracted to a woman? I know why they're mad, I fear a lot of cishet men don't view women as people and only feel like they owe 'respect' (basic human decency) to women they wanna fuck because they, like all of us were raised in a patriarchal society, I know that, I've taken sociology/gender studies classes. But just....like it's so indescribably stupid to me either way that I can't help but cackle every time it happens.

It happened with Abby from tlou bc of her muscles, it happened with Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn because they had the audacity to detail the peach fuzz that every single human has (because we're mammals), it happened with the Nextflix Lara Croft series because they gave her a more realistic build for the shit she does (she looked stronger and was sapphic - how dare they make an obviously already sapphic character explicitly sapphic🤬), it's still happening with Vi from Arcane because they gave her muscles (which again, for all the shit she does is actually quite understandable for her character), and now they're seeing a woman with a shaved head and bursting into flames like a sinner in church.

As much as I know the reasons why so many cishet men have issues with women in the media they consume not looking like gooner bait complete with with oversized tits, a size zero waist and the bold glamour filter, it still sends me every single fucking time

[foibles-fables]

another fic tag game!!

Thanks for the tag, @dazzleyourmindseye!!!!

How many works do you have on ao3?

91!

What's your total ao3 word count?

297,344

Your Top 5 stories by kudos

I'm gonna approach this one a little differently, since Warrior Nun skews the results, lmao. Here are my top stories by kudos for all of my contemporary fandoms, starting from the one with my most works to fewest:

rest like you belong here (Horizon, Aloy/Talanah)

The Weight of Us (Legend of the Seeker, Cara/Kahlan)

Because the Light Is Close (Warrior Nun, Avatrice)

leave the horror here (ATLA, Rangshi)

the veins grow in slow (Critical Role, Imodna)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

99% of them, yes! I cherish each and every one, and always just wanna express my sincere gratitude!

Do you write crossovers?

Not really my forte, but more power to the folks who can make them work.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

It's among my favorite things to write! I love a good smut as character study moment, because most of my faves end up having some pretty interesting quirks to their psyche that can be teased out during sex.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

A couple of them, and it's a huge honor.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not in the true nitty-gritty sense of the sentiment, but @meg-noel-art's input was pretty crucial to scripting Talanah's path of Focus on the Heart.

What's your favorite all time ship?

the million dollar question. I do think Cara/Kahlan will always win here, being the awakening it was. without them, there would be no others. But Hawk and Thrush is an obvious close second.

Whats a WIP that you want to finish but probably never will?

avoiding the question by saying that sometimes I get a hankering to completely rewrite The Weight of Us

What are your writing strengths?

Emotional immediacy. Close POV. Syntax and diction. Figurative language.

What are your writing weaknesses?

My speed. Iterative perfectionism.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet, but want to?

Yangvik and Tyzula. I'm also dying to write some Morrigan/Leliana, should the right idea hit.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

oh man this is a tough question with a very mercurial answer. it changes day by day. in scrolling over my works, today, gray areas and expectations (Horizon, Aloy/Talanah) is speaking to me.

no-pressure tags: @mehoymalloy @http-mandy @chocochipbiscuit @askweisswolf @melikochan and anyone else who wants to snag this from me!

[fayesdiary]

Bernadetta and Rhea for your ask game, since I'm curious about your thought process behind writing them for Lavender Mint

Oh boy, this is gonna be long. Since you asked about Lavender Mint I'm also gonna include some notes specific to it as well albeit separate for obvious reasons.

Bernadetta

To be honest she's kinda in an odd spot, because as much as I try to keep all the info about her accurate to canon... I've also made no secret I really don't like her writing because I feel it treats her as little more than a joke. To the point I feel like her portrayal in LM is almost an alternate take on her character simply because it's treating her way more respectfully.

So I guess for her I'll talk about some more obscure details in canon and the more deliberate changes in LM!

Canon

Despite all her claims to be a recluse and wanting to be alone all the time, she does want friends. Her supports with Dorothea and Petra make it crystal clear. The thing is, along with her fear everyone is out to get her, she's also afraid people will get hurt because of her, courtesy of her father beating her only friend near to death.

She is very talented in seemingly all forms of creative hobbies! ...Even if, as almost every artist, she is extremely self-conscious about her skills.

Her uncle is the only one in her family she felt genuinely comfortable with, and the reason she felt safe with Alois. Given how she talks about his death, it's likely it happened years before she joined the Academy, or at least enough time for her to come to terms with it.

The actual reason she gets out of her room in CF timeskip is because she's afraid of getting killed alone in her room with no one finding out. In the other routes she freaks out when you agree with her and tells you it's not funny, but in CF she goes "well, got me out of the room at least so I guess that's good?"

Lavender Mint

She is a lot more perceptive than her canon counterpart, her abusive upbringing playing a huge part in it. for example she wouldn't still be oblivious at the fact Jeritza is the Death Knight during the timeskip oh my god I hate their support so much

That said she tends to jump to the wrong conclusion most of the time, though.

Irony is her second name. Often she'll be right for the wrong reasons (suspecting Thomas for Flayn’s kidnapping) or be this close to figure out something way earlier than she should (speculating the Goddess skewered Demonic Beasts to make the Relics or that a demon blacksmith made them and pretending it was her work)

The biggest difference between her and canon Bernie is that she's actually allowed to react to the plot.

After the Conand Tower incident she became absolutely terrified of Demonic Beasts and the Heroes' Relics, and wants nothing to do with either of them. One of her biggest fears is turning into a Demonic Beast herself.

She becomes more and more inquisitive about what is going on, not exactly due to a sense of curiosity (for example, while she does notice Flayn saying something from time to time she often doesn't inquire further) but out of fear for her own safety, especially after the Flaynnapping. Who knows what's lurking just out of the corner, after all?

It's also the reason she goes out more out of fear of dying alone in her room after Jeralt's death. For all she knows she might get killed and be replaced by one of them.

Takes feeling powerless to help very badly ever since Yuri's "death". It's what prompts her to eventually start studying Faith magic.

Speaking of faith, she's in a very odd spot regarding religion. She has seen it be used as an excuse by nobles to do what they want (mostly her father) and she already is pretty pessimistic as a person, so from her point of view the Goddess abandoned humanity and never looked back, something which in a sense she gets. She doesn't hate the Church especially after getting to know Rhea, but her faith is still in such an awkward spot she gets stumped in her Faith magic and eventually must find faith in something else.

It hasn't quite come up yet, but a big part of her arc will be learning to take responsibility and that yes, she does deserve better and friends and a found family that actually loves her unconditionally, but she also needs to stop running and hiding away and be there for people who need her.

Also in general her anxiety is treated way more seriously. It's even a tag!

Ironically one of the people who questions Rhea the most, even if she loves her to the point of wearing a lily on her hair during timeskip. She's more like Seteth in that regard.

Compared to canon where she feels safe around Byleth for absolutely no reason, here she can't get a read on them due to being emotionaless at first with their reputation as the Ashen Demon preceding them. Which of course only means her mind gets... pretty creative about what they might be thinking.

That feeling of safety has moved over to Flayn instead, which I find to be way more fitting.

Bloody Mint

If she had a complete freakout when the Flame Emperor is revealed to be Edelgard all along, she goes into outright BSoD when Byleth joins her. To the point Rhea turning into a dragon is almost a footnote.

Feels extremely indebted to Petra since she helped her escape and go back to Garreg Mach so wants to return the favor and help her get out of the War Crimes Squad however she can. Even tries learning the Brigid tongue.

Awkward relationship with the Blue Lions since, you know. She never shared a class with them and she's a former Adrestian noble.

Quickly takes a more cynical turn compared to LM!Bernie. If there she's okay with Rhea being a dragon because she helped her and saved her life countless times, here it's because "she's not the one who tried to kill her the whole year".

Speaking of Rhea, she's really worried about her for obvious reasons.

Desperately tries to get her former classmates to realize what they're doing and stand down. Still can't process their 180.

She's obviously doing way worse than in LM, but after Flayn and Alois get killed in Garreg Mach? Oh she’s pissed and DONE trying to talk the War Crimes Squad down. She's out for blood now.

Rhea

Ok let's be honest, there are enough misconceptions about Rhea to fill a whole book, so I'm just gonna focus on what I believe are the key concepts needed to get her right.

Canon

Her three core motivations that make the foundation of who she is are, in no particular order, protecting the Nabateans' legacy and what's left of her people, protecting the people under her care and ensuring humanity doesn't destroy itself and Fodlan with it. Again.

And in her mind, reviving Sothis back is the solution to all three of these. Sure, there's the obvious attachment and sentimental factor, but if someone could fix the trainwreck that is Fodlan it would be her mother, right?

Firmly against the mentality of "sins of the father". She despises the Elites for massacring her people, but she never laid a finger on their children. Heck, she lets their descendants attend her Academy with no questions asked and one of them is even one of her personal knights despite the fact she (unknowingly) wields a Nabatean's mangled corpse as a weapon!

She WILL keep the people she is responsible for safe, no matter what. Even if she has to risk exposing herself to do it. (Saving Jeralt with her blood, turning into a dragon to save everyone's lives. Twice!)

She trusts people with her life, but not with her secrets, both in fear of what might happen if they knew the truth and because she believes she has to shoulder everything herself. Not even her family knows the full picture.

Actually a really patient and calm person when her trauma isn't being deliberately triggered over and over.

Lavender Mint

Painfully aware of her own shortcomings. Coupled with her compulsive secret keeping, it's why she's so desperate to bring Sothis back.

Her, Seteth and the other Saints are explicitly siblings. Also she considers Sitri her daughter, mainly for Occam's Razor reasons.

Loves trolling Seteth, but the moment she sees he's in genuine distress? She'll raise hell and back for him.

Like with every other surviving Nabatean, the word "beast" used in the dehumanizing sense is a huge trigger. Even if someone says it as a joke and not even directed at her she'll be immediately on edge.

Considers the aftermath of the Tragedy of Duscur her biggest failure in modern times. To her, it's the Zanado Massacre all over again. And the fact she failed to stop another genocide and can barely welcome people of Duscur into Garreg Mach without causing an uproar tears her up inside.

Her, Seteth and the other Saints are siblings, she's Flayn's aunt and considers Sitri her daughter. And Cyril her son, even though she's still struggling to admit it.

She's in the closet, locked the door and ate the key. If there's a non-zero chance anyone might view her family as nothing but beasts to be cut down, she will NEVER take that risk. Sure, Cyril, Catherine and many others love her and would protect her with their lives and she would do the same for them but... would they do a 180 if they knew?

Has a complicated relationship with Jeralt. She saved his life by giving him her blood and never regretted it, she hid the truth about her and Sitri repeatedly for fear of her kind's safety (again, super closeted), and viewed his leaving as a betrayal of her trust. That it was the opposite and that she's the one who betrayed his is something she realized only after his death.

Still, she regretted and was hurt by his leaving. While she does keep tabs on him from time to time (mostly because Jeralt started a world-renowned mercenary company under his own name because he's a fucking moron, so news about him was bound to come to her regardless), she never sent anyone looking for him until Alois finds him by chance. She also doesn't believe for a second Byleth’s not Sitri's child, but she lets it slide because she doesn't want to antagonize him further.

On his part, Jeralt of course noticed plenty of sus things about Rhea (like the fact that she can give blood that not only super heals and gives the freaking Crest of Seiros but extends lifespan by a lot so Goddess knows how long she lived, the fact the previous Archbishops are suspiciously similar to her and so on) but never told anyone about it, not even Byleth. He "figured he still owed her that much, at least." Likewise, he would never stand against her and not just because he's afraid of her.

Really fond of children and animals, and is what makes her job worth it to her. Also has a talent as a therapist but never realised until LM because, well. She always kept her distance and her first "patient" is Bernadetta.

Compared to canon where it's very ambiguous, her view of Byleth here is more gradual, as she starts to suspect they're a reincarnation of Sothis only after seeing they can wield the Sword of the Creator and only because absolutely sure they're Sothis after they dye their hair.

Ironically Edelgard is a massive blind spot of hers, because of course she is. She's the descendant of her best friend she may or may not have fucked, of course she's fond of her and wouldn't suspect her for the world! Which is of course why she takes the Holy Tomb incident VERY poorly.

Bloody Mint

It's Crimson Flower, so she is obviously not having a good time.

Her fury at Byleth and Edelgard is pretty much the same compared to canon, but similar to her view of them her descent into insanity and shift from "I will take several nukes to the face to save everyone" to "Burn Firdhiad down if it means Byleth and Edelgard die" is way more gradual.

Like her relationship and alliance with Dimitri is genuinely benevolent, something she absolutely sees the irony in. And both take advantage of the fact Edelgard is wasting five years looking for Byleth-sensei-sama to take care of their people and try to get them to safety.

Much less open to the idea of talking doqn the War Crimes Squad. Even butts heads with Bernie a little in regards on helping Petra escape because she is DONE getting backstabbed. Still eventually relents leading to an alternate take of her and Bernie’s paralogue.

The breaking point is obviously Flayn and Seteth dying at Garreg Mach and only gets worse from there.

[krastbannert]

Another snippet I wrote recently, this one from machine heart, an Aloy character study with a side of Ereloy: