#I love Gildun so much

[nerd-artist]

Gildun in Nora High Matriarch 🤎

[pymsanz]

"It's good to see you, Gildun." Horizon Forbidden West - Aloy & Gildun

[i-am-confusion-03]

"Aloy! Is he in there? Or are you doing that thing where you talk to yourself again"

-Gildun, yelling over to Aloy as she talks to herself over a corpse

I love him so much

[catscades]

Yeah Seyka is cool, Londra is an excellent villain, the boss fight was one of the best in the series, but the BEST part of Burning Shores?

💕✨❤️Gildun❤️✨💕

[themissakat]

sorry about taking so long to think of words, but i think i finally have good questions.

what are your guesses for where the 3rd game is going to take place? Visit a new location or return to old locations of the first 2? the forbidden west and carja and nora?

How do you think aloy and friends are going to develop? where could the game go to further the character arcs of the squad?

words are hard you're good

gonna put a readmore bc it has a lot of Forbidden West spoilers!!

My first guess would be that we'll see something related to the Oseram homeland, as its the only one of the main tribes (aside from the Quen ofc) where we've met their people but not been to their capital. I don't have 100% certainty on this because the Oseram are the most nomadic of all the tribes we've seen thus far, those guys are everywhere, so its hard to say if visiting a centralized leader would be applicable to getting their support, as opposed to getting in touch with individual groups like the Vanguard at Meridian or the group at Burning Ember.

I think it would be so cool to see the Quen homeland, and I've read some fics that propose the potential use of Zenith tech (like the shuttle, its just hanging out still) to travel those long distances faster. It would be interesting to see if they push the travel that far, as they played a little bit with that in Burning Shores and going to the San Francisco area, but Vegas to San Fran is a little different than crossing the entire Pacific Ocean.

as for the characters, I really hope to see Aloy continue to open up about accepting help from others and not shouldering the entire burden herself. One of my favorite arcs in hfw was how Aloy contended with Elisabet's "legacy", and how she, at first, accepted sole responsibility for it, to the point of pushing everyone else away from her. Her being the "key" to the facilities obviously put her in a place of "if i dont do this, no one else CAN", but I think that the introduction of Beta and the staunch support of her friends really finally pushed her into "it is okay to accept help".

I think that meeting Beta and contending with their differences despite their being genetically identical was a very needed push for Aloy, because it put a mirror up to her experiences and reinforced for her that she IS NOT just a clone of Elisabet, but her own unique person as well. I will keep saying it but their sisterhood breaks me and rebuilds me into a better human, i love them so much sdjfhsd

I do think we'll be seeing a lot of returning cast of course, including Avad and hopefully the Nora as well. I'm very excited for the introduction of Seyka to the greater group, because I'm curious how the writers will handle Aloy actually having a requited romance, instead of just being the subject of a lot of people's attention. ( my thread for talking about hfw is called "Flirting With Aloy Like It's An Olympic Sport" for a reason ).

Despite not being the main focus of the story, there are SO MANY moments where Aloy interacts with romance and attraction that I can't see them not resolving that plot point for her and Seyka. I, personally, expect it to be tied into the concept of "after", of the future she will have once the future of the planet is secured. I personally headcanon that Aloy will struggle with this concept, as she has been completely goal driven her entire life, and to finally achieve that goal is something she has never considered.

I want to meet Federa and Zo's baby ofc. I dont have too many other specific thoughts about character arc resolution for the rest, aside from that I hope Erend finds something worth fighting for, as he has lost SO MUCH and at times seems to be the most lost amongst the group. He has his heart in the right place, but I feel he is very deep in his grief for his sister still, whereas a lot of the other characters have more specific goals or people to inspire them onward.

I can't think of any more specific thoughts atm sjdfd except, Gildun beloved, Burning Embers crew beloved, good characters all around.

[foibles-fables]

I know there’s a lot of turmoil in the Horizon fandom right now  but I just wanted to say that you remain one of the coolest people I have ever known in this fandom. You make amazing content and support so many WLW ships. You’re always up for crazy Theories and headcanons, and are kind to anonymous commenters,  even when they badly jumble their words and sound like they’re being mean, which I’ve definitely done by mistake but you understood my true intent, even before I clarified. Thank you for all you do in this space, you’re an amazing person that still makes me enjoy this game, even with the highs and lows of HFW’s writing and the recent shipping chaos. Please know your works have made me smile so much through the years and your posts always brighten my feed. Thanks for everything!

You know what? Usually I reply to these kinds of asks with a hilariously zany meme and some earnest capslocked gratitude. But I want to be super, super serious and genuine with my appreciation for this one. It's so flattering and fulfilling to hear you say this. Honestly, tearing up a little. I always strive to be a fount of positivity and enthusiasm about the things I enjoy, even when being positive is incredibly difficult (see: immediately post-HFW, lmao). So it means so much to me to hear that opinion reflected back. So thank you, truly, from the very bottom of my heart. <3 <3 <3

I do wanna talk about the current unsteadiness in the fandom. No matter what, Burning Shores has shown us one very, very important thing: Horus terrifying protect Gildun with our lives Aloy is beautifully, canonically, fantastically queer. This is the central takeaway and something to fuckin' celebrate, everyone. Representation matters--and for sure, unabashed representation like this is so absolutely crucial in today's world. Guerrilla has done an incredible thing and it's an utter amazement to have received it.

But beyond that: nothing else has changed. We absolutely do not need to be engaging in bickering and discourse. Everyone is still entitled to their headcanons and (respectfully-stated!) opinions. No ships have been sunk. There is a place in this fandom for everyone. I don't want to start having to avoid bitterness in this space that's given me such solace and joy and community over the last few years. That's no way for a group of people to share in the enjoyment of something.

Everything is still SO fresh and new, but it’s high time to begin evaluating our responses—especially with GG's quiet announcement of the third game being in development. Let’s shape up in support of our series and carry love and light forward, being enthusiastic about our favorite parts and letting others have their joy as well.

[maybirdie]

Horizon Asks

Thanks for the tags @singingkestrel and @meg-noel-art !

1. ride or die ship (your otp): Ereloy. As if that’s news to anyone lmao

2. most annoying ship: I see y’all trying to start drama, I’m not falling for it lmao. Oh wait actually...Talanah/Amadis 🤣

3. second favourite ship: Between Kotallo/Talanah and Abadund/Morlund. One for spicy, one for sweet. Also Petra and like, most of the women in the game

4. favourite platonic relationship: I love the big brother/little sis vibes between Beta and Erend even though we never see them interact really. I love that she mentions that he makes her laugh. Also Aloy and Gildun - obsessed.

5. underrated ship: Drakka/Yarra - LISTEN I KNOW but it’s the ultimate enemies to lovers and I love them. Also Avad/Ersa....starcrossed lovers ftw

6. overrated ship: more instigating I see

7. one thing i would change in canon: One? LMAO. So many things post-HZD. Particularly the way Erend got shafted and how many threads got dropped (we didn’t get a post-Daunt makeup scene? Really??). Also Talanah should have been an official GAIA gang member, hands down. And I’ll be honest, the way romance for Aloy was handled in general.

8. something canon did right: The entire arc of HZD is masterful and perfect and it’s been a long time since I’ve been that gripped by a mystery in any media. It was always going to be hard to top, but I would love if the next game reverted back to that kind of storytelling vs the “doing too much” trend of HFW

9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom: A hard choice, but I think I have to pick Love Games just because it was such a labor of love between myself and @sorbetowl​. I had a blast collaborating with such a talented artist and friend! For that reason I’m SUPER excited to be working on the upcoming VN, Focus on the Heart - already such an amazing experience!

10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): GILDUN GILDUN GILDUN GILDUN GILDUN

11. the character i relate to the most and why: Definitely Erend. There’s a reason I ship him with Aloy lol. I guess there are pieces of both of them I relate to hard - Aloy’s impatience with rude people/social situations and her love for solitude, Erend’s self-consciousness and sense of responsibility for keeping everyone happy and feeling good. The combo of them hits real close to home.

12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: Tilda was a really tough character for me for personal reasons. She’s a wonderfully crafted villain but she also makes my skin craaaaawl. Which I suppose is exactly what she’s meant to do, so well done Guerrilla 😂

13. something i've learned from the fandom: God so much. I rolled into the Ereloy discord totally clueless back in April 2022, and feel like I have so much useless lore in my head now (and I’m not anywhere near some of the real lore people I know). But beyond lore, I’ve really learned how important empathy and putting yourself in other’s shoes can be. It’s amazing how many new friends I’ve made from being open to other people’s POVs, and how much I’ve seen people hurt each other because they’re not open to it.

14. three tags i seek out on ao3: Sensual Fingerblasting (iykyk), There Was Only One Bed, Sparring as Foreplay

15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: Slowly by Olivia Dean, Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon cause what better Friends to Lovers song is there?

tagging: No pressure tags!! Also sorry if this is a repeat for anyone. @souls-that-have-senses, @sorbetowl, @imamandajulius, @emtazer, @brekkie-e, @cranialgames, @nerd-artist, @xxxhellfireravenxxx 

[cicadaknight]

burning shores thoughts below

things i liked:

The companion combat! Seyka felt genuinely helpful without taking away from the challenge. I’m excited for what that means for H3’s combat style for various companions.

The side mission where you rescue imprisoned Quen and they help you fight waves of Walter’s cronies. If I had to guess, they wanted to have more complex battles in FW (Wings of the Ten/Singularity) but were limited by the ps4 and/or pandemic. Being able to fight alongside a larger group of allies in H3 would be stellar.

It seemed like Aloy didn't immediately over-narrate the solution to puzzles? Hated that in FW.

Once you get the sunwing in FW you’re less incentivized to run around or use other mounts. But Burning Shores compensated for that nicely with the verticality of the map and introduction of mount-specific actions. Overall, I feel like I had more fun looking for things to explore.

Gildun's mission was perfection. No notes.

Ashly and Kylie’s performances were beautiful. The facial/body animations seemed so much more subtle and detailed than the base game.

Personally, I really enjoyed Aloy and Seyka’s dynamic. The banter, the curiosity, the admiration, Aloy getting to be nervous and goofy. Mmm. Good soup. Love that flashpoints might be more significant to the plot in H3.

things i didn’t love

Walter's arc overall? He just felt like a stereotypical caricature to me. No depth, no charm, no intrigue. Honestly, we already had that with the majority of the other Zeniths, I was expecting something to set him apart more than his unparalleled narcissism. I don’t understand why Tilda wouldn’t have mentioned him. Nor do I fully understand why he wouldn't need GAIA.

Kina's character as a whole felt uncharacteristically one-dimensional for a Guerrilla game. She's supposedly the Quen's most notorious and talented navigator, she's beloved by her people, and yet the most we get from her character on screen is this starstruck, damsel in distress. I wish there'd been some sort of side quest after we deal with the Horus where we could have gotten to know her.

I was expecting more underwater exploration, especially with the Waterwing.

Part of me enjoyed stumbling across things like Brin's painting, the toy bow, and brimstone caches. But I wish all the required collectibles and aerial captures were marked.

I didn't dislike what we learned about the Quen, but I wanted more. They've got a wealth of rigid traditions, power dynamics, and boiling tension. But it feels like Aloy and Seyka manage to skirt around everything without consequence.

I expected more new machines given the new region and Hephaestus's newfound freedom and chaos.

Lastly, it feels so fucking sad that the rest of the companions didn't make an appearance. A team debrief at the base before they all go on their new missions? A focus call where they let Aloy know what they're up to rather than leaving a data point behind? (Also the fact that Aloy personally gave Gildun a focus but not Talanah. Side eye, Guerilla, SIDE EYE.)

[the-desolated-quill]

I’ve been quite open about my dislike for Burning Shores, but there is one saving grace.

I wasn’t expecting to get this emotional over his side quest. I love Gildun so much. And I’m so happy he has a Focus now and is part of Aloy’s team. I’m actually sobbing with joy 😭🥲

[singingkestrel]

tag game (Horizon)

stolen from @foibles-fables / @finrays.

1.ride or die ship (your otp): Ereloy fics and art give me so much serotonin it's unreal.

2. most annoying ship: I don't find any ships annoying. There are some that are not for me, sure, but if people love it who am I to judge?

3. second favourite ship: Ugh, I dunno. Beta/Milu is adorable, Aloy/Ikrie is classic, Niloy can make for some very interesting reading, but I guess Hawk and Thrush makes the most sense.

4. favourite platonic relationship: It's got to be the Erend and the guys in the Vanguard. Their endless jibes and grumbling at each other are very reminiscent of some of my very best friendships. Varl and Erend's interactions are great, too, they're just so easy with one another.

5. underrated ship: I really like ships that involve minor characters - the recent rair pair roundup has been delightful for me. I long for a fic about some of the Oseram salvagers getting to know the Tenakth whose land they've invaded.

6. overrated ship: see no. 2.

7. one thing i would change in canon: Like, a lot. There were some pretty big chunks of HFW (and Burning Shores) that just didn't sit right. I don't think I can better the responses of @foibles-fables and @finrays (both of whom might be actual geniuses), but I'd settle for the returning characters (Varl, Erend, Talanah, Avad) to be treated better!

8. something canon did right: I think the Horizon series is best when it focuses on poignant storytelling over action. The way the history of the metal world slowly reveals itself at the Grave-hoard and in the Zero Dawn facility below Sunfall is hauntingly beautiful; I'd love to be able to play them for the first time again. In HFW, the quests in Dunehollow to recover POSEIDON were practically perfect, and Gildun's return in Burning Shores was the best part of the DLC by a country mile. In both these cases you get to peek into the lives of a person from the past via emotionally impactful datapoints whose recorded thoughts parallel the people you're trying to help in the present, yet it never feels too on-the-nose. Of course it helps that the people you're trying to help are some of the best realised characters in the whole game.

9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: Eh. Alas, I'm not artistically talented. I just take virtual photos of stuff I like. I put a lot of effort into my machine headshot series, though. If you go to @singingkestrel and search for 'headshots compilation' (or 'hfw machines') they should all come up.

10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): None of the main cast were treated 100% right in HFW. I mean, there are some things that make me genuinely angry if I think about them too much. Varl dying for no good reason, Erend being turned into a bumbling oaf, Regalla being criminally underused... ugh. UGH I SAY!

But you know who is perfect?

Morlund.

I love his optimism and his determination and his intelligence and his companionable nature. He's a nerdy mad inventor and a very strong candidate for the most overtly hopeful and kind chap in game (I mean, there is also Varl. And Gildun.) and I just adore him.

11. the character i relate to the most and why: I look at the Oseram in both HZD and HFW and see myself, my friends and my home. I adore their aesthetic with all of its chunky wood and sturdy iron, I love their down to earth attitude, their culture of hard work and social drinking and affectionate insults, their adventurous wanderer spirit and inventiveness and willingness to argue about everything. Are they flawed? Sure! Like me, they're loud and blunt and often speak without thinking, thinking they know best. Unlike me (I hope), they're too dismissive of other cultures, their lack of environmental awareness is deeply concerning, and we all know 🕯The Claim🕯 is going to be a hideous hotbed of rampant sexism - one that I will gladly watch Aloy tear to pieces like a tasmanian devil with a grudge. I don't think I can pick a single Oseram character I totally relate to, though.

But I do relate to Tom Paech. As soon as I heard those broad antipodean tones swearing about wanting to inflict actual bodily harm on Ted Faro I knew I'd found the scientist I was supposed to identify with. He was hot-blooded, as he put it, whilst also revering nature, the 'miracle of life.' And him wanting to help, despite significant reservations, and then not wanting to live on once the job was done? Exactly how I think I would have reacted. Plus as a marine biologist/ecologist (assuming I'd be in any way qualified!) I'd end up working on ARTEMIS too.

12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: There are characters you are meant to hate. It's fun to have a villain. Ted Faro, Helis, the Ceo... but the hate is both intentional and enjoyable. They're good characters. If I had to pick a character I disliked where this wasn't the aim, however, I'd have to pick... hmm. I'm not sure. Amadis seemed largely pointless and annoying in HFW though. Talanah deserved better.

13. something i've learned from the fandom: Before HFW came out, I hadn't been involved in any fandom for about a decade (maybe longer, eek!) - I was a solitary creature. Coming back made me rediscover the joy of sharing my obsessions with others. Also that it doesn't matter how small your contribution is, someone will enjoy it.

14. three tags i seek out on ao3: That's between me and my ISP.

15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: I don't, really. Bit weird, considering how much of my life involves music, and how readily my brain seems to play musical association with images. But I can't think of a single one. Sorry 😕

tagging: No pressure, but I didn't tag anyone in the last one so I thought I should do it this time. @mehoymalloy @robo-dino-puppy @meep-m33p @maybirdie @nerd-artist @astralpaint @i-lavabean @pikapeppa @banukaihelpme aaaand anyone else that wants to.

[tjerra14]

what if ikrie joins the gaia gang at the base since it seems like it’d be considered a werak

sylens cannot be the only banuk they ever meet lol

Anon, I absolutely love the way you think and let me tell you, there's nothing more than I want from the third game than this. Sylens, for all intents and purposes, might look like a Banuk, but even the Banuk doubt he was ever truly one of them, and even if he was, he seems to like thinking himself outside of and above all tribes, so arguing he's the Banuk representative at base is wobbly at best. Let's face it: when they made their game about Aloy learning the importance of friendship and gathering her team for the current and coming challenges from all the tribes, Guerrilla kind of forgot that the Carja and Banuk exist, too. (And then got rid of the Nora, but that's something for a different time, so I won't get into it.) Where Ikrie joining the gang is concerned, there's a few scenarios I've spent entirely too much time thinking about that come to mind. We know that back in Frozen Wilds, she'd lost everything she held dear, and had her life completely uprooted, realising that what she thought would be her path could never be. When you talk to her at the hunting grounds, she says that she's in no hurry to return to Ban-Ur yet, and it's not too unlikely she might ultimately decide that she won't return at all. So, where would she go from there? She seems like a restless character, much like Aloy, so the hunting grounds won't be her final stop, and even though she considers starting some of her own, I feel she might not want to tether herself to one spot right away. (Plus I feel Lauvuk would have an encouraging thing or two to say about her leaving and seeing the world and asking that girl out.)

So I feel we have:

Ikrie staying in the Cut for a while after she last sees Aloy, eventually meeting Gildun, either while visiting Song's Edge, or just stumbling across him on the road, possibly finding him in a bit of a pickle once again; and after talking to him decides to accompany him west on his delves, for protection and company. Since we know Gildun passed through the later-collapsed tunnel, which would put them into Aloy's general vicinity, she could either go and seek her out, or we keep with the game's events and they meet up while Ikrie is trying to get Gildun out of another door incident ("By the Blue Light, you turn away for five seconds and he gets himself trapped again! ....I think I broke that button over in the next room.") After some catching up and Focus-acquiring Ikrie decides to join forces with Aloy again--fate's a long climb on a high cliff for people like her and Aloy, and what higher cliff and better challenge to rise to than facing Nemesis?, and returns to Base with her. (For bonus Banuk points insert Inatut in Gildun's protection squad here. I feel he would really hit it off with Erend, and eventually join the Vanguard. Vanguard Inatut rights!)

Another option would be her arriving late to the Battle at the Spire with Starbucks. News travel quickly in the Cut, even in remote areas, and a hunting ground is a hub for travellers seeking some training and maybe some rest before or afterwards. So Ikrie hears the rumours, and the stories, and learns that Aloy needs help saving the world. Both Aratak and Inatut have already left, and while she might not be able to catch up with them, she hurries to Meridian. When she arrives, the battle is over, the world is (for now) saved, everyone is celebrating, and Aloy, who she came to help, is nowhere to be seen because she already ran away (once again). Since there's nothing for her in Meridian, but she still intends to help Aloy, she joins Varl on his quest to seek her out, maybe following up on a different rumour than he does right before Forbidden West starts so they meet up a little later than that. (This one also comes with a side of Vanguard Inatut. I may be rather passionate about that one.)

Of course, there's also the shippy option fitting the timeline I have for them in my head, but ignores canon a little (or a lot): Aloy straight up asks Ikrie to accompany her to the West, the two of them set out in pursuit of the rumour that there might be an intact copy of GAIA somewhere in the wilderness of No Man's Land; the Embassy happens, Aloy runs off again and Ikrie is left to follow in her tracks, eventually finding her all messed up in Stone's Echo after her narrow escape from Latopolis. While Aloy is resting and healing, Talanah, Milu, and Varl catch up to them, and ultimately the events of Dying Lands take place, so that they all find the Base together.

Long story short, Ikrie as a Gaia gang member yes please. Imagine all the fun she'd have getting into all sorts of ridiculous challenges with Kotallo, too. The Sunwings at the top of the base would never know peace again.

[nerd-artist]

tag game (Horizon)

Thanks @singingkestrel for tagging me! This was fun!

1. ride or die ship (your otp):

Ereloy. When I first played HZD and Erend made his first appearance I didn't like him a bit because I prejudge him as the alpha male stereotype, but then the writers began to unwrap his layers, revealing the cinnamon bun inside him and I ended the game by being in love with that big Oseram and his mohawk. I shipped them then, when they had the two minutes conversation, but my obsession started with The Daunt reunion in HFW when he couldn’t avoid being upset because she left without saying goodbye, and then Aloy closing his wounds by defeating Asera in First Forge by his side, and Singularity with all those flirty lines and the side hug. I’ve always thought they were going to be end game (and I still hope we can choose that in H3). They care for each other so much, I can see them living happily together and I need to witness it.

2. most annoying ship: Ship and let ship. We’re all here to enjoy so if your ship makes you happy, there’s nothing wrong with that (unless they are sisters, that's it, that’s the annoying one for me).

3. second favourite ship: the second ship involving Aloy that makes more sense to me is Hawk and Thrush, and also involving the Sunhawk there is Kotalanah that has a special place in my heart (what can I say, they have chemistry).

4. favourite platonic relationship: I love the friendship between Erend and Varl there was so much complicity between them, makes me so sad that we only could enjoy it for a short time and now I hope we can see Erend having a similar relationship with Kotallo. Also Aloy and Zo, I need to see that friendship evolve even more in the next game, Aloy is going to need her wise advice.

5. underrated ship: This one is underrated mostly because it only exists in my head: GAIA/Gildun. Just imagine them having daily long-distance calls and then Gildun going to the base to meet her. The calculations GAIA is making at that moment let her know she is experiencing love and we can see her smile for the first time…

6. overrated ship: I don't know, I don't think there is one.

7. one thing i would change in canon: A lot of us agree, Varl’s death was unnecessary, Aloy had already lost Rost, she didn't need to lose a friend too to know how important people can be for her. Also, the way they wrote some characters in HFW and some plots in BS. But what I think is the big mistake is to have wasted the opportunity to make Aloy and Beta bond in Burning Shores, she could have been helping Aloy a lot more from the distance, giving us some cute sisterly moments. I hope they fix this in the next game.

8. something canon did right: A lot of things! That’s why I love these games! HZD is almost perfect, that game made me go through a roller coaster of feelings and I’ll never forget that.

Aloy’s personality evolution. You can clearly see the difference between HZD Aloy and herself at the end of HFW but it’s not forced, she learned through the way to get there.

The lack of prejudices. Obviously there are conflicts between tribes, mostly because of the different religions, but the Horizon world is showing us how humanity would be without racism and without homophobia, Guerrilla is doing a great job there.

9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: I am very proud to be part of the Focus On The Heart team, a visual novel fan game. It is a huge project that I believe a lot of Horizon fans are going to enjoy when it’s done.

Also I’m proud of my Horizon’s characters as Greek Gods series of fanarts. I got distracted by other illustrations I needed to draw, but I plan to keep on doing them at some point.

10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): Gildun! He is a light in the darkness, but I want to talk about Zo because she is also perfect and she is very underrated. She is fierce but she is also lovely. She joined Aloy although that meant to deny all her beliefs. She confronted the Utaru chorus in the past and she doesn't hesitate to do the same when it’s needed. We meet a very interesting character and I hope that the fact she is pregnant doesn't mean she is not going to have an important role in the next game because that would send a very wrong message.

11. the character I relate to the most and why: I never thought about this until now, but I guess I can relate to Beta, all the traumas of her past aside and I’m way more social than she is but... I work remotely and my hobbies are almost the same as my job so I’m always indoors in front of a screen, like she is (using her focus constantly). She is also afraid of a lot of things, which is essentially my everyday mood. I can relate to Erend sometimes because I tend to make fun of myself to hide my insecurities.

12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: AMADIS, but also, The Quen as a tribe (not talking about individual characters here), they have the best outfits and they are sailors, and that is great… it is their society which is very disgusting, nothing good could come if it’s inspired by a start-up structure. I also don't like Carja. Anything imperialist makes me wanna puke.

13. something i've learned from the fandom: I’ve learned what to be in a fandom means, this is the first time in my (long) life that I join one, I’ve been screaming about other games and series before but mostly to myself and to friends that didn't fully understand me, to be able to talk freely about blorbos (a word I didn't knew existed until last year) with the lovely people I’ve met it’s truly a relieve. Also I think (and I hope🙏) being in this fandom and this obsession is helping me improve my English.

14. three tags i seek out on ao3: friends to lovers, angst with a happy ending, it’s not unrequited they’re just dumbasses (and some others I don't want everyone to know 😉).

15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: I come with knives by IAMX, I can see Aloy singing it to herself to stop her from having meaningful relationships.

tagging: You don't need to answer if you don't want to (sorry if you have already been tagged) and everyone is welcome to do it although you haven't been tagged @sorbetowl @meg-noel-art @chloefraazers @kittleskittle @hartlesshart @emtazer @xxxhellfireravenxxx @bookmancer-legendarium @boobaloof (edit because I wanted to tag @artekai too and I forgot 🥲)

[artekai]

tag game (Horizon)

Thanks @nerd-artist for tagging me!! I am flattered :3

1. ride or die ship (your otp): GAIA/Lis ❤️ I felt so validated when Sylens said the "two moms" thing, you have no idea.

2. most annoying ship: I plead the fifth

3. second favourite ship: Erevad! I never considered them until I read a really good fic about them and I was sold lol.

4. favourite platonic relationship: Hmm 🤔 I really enjoy Aloy & Sylens :D I missed him a lot in HFW (given he wasn't in our Focus any longer). mlm-wlw hostility real. Also, Aloy & Gildun and Aloy & Morlund are both very sweet but I suppose they have similar vibes lol.

5. underrated ship: Any of the ones I mentioned lol, I feel like they don't get as much love as others, haha. Which is understandable because it makes sense to gravitate more towards the GAIA gang! But other than that 🤔 I think Aloy/Zo and Aloy/Alva are pretty cute and underrated, even if I don't exactly ship them myself c:

6. overrated ship: I plead the fifth

7. one thing i would change in canon: *side eyes HFW hard*

Just one thing, though? I'd have to concur with most of the people I've seen do this tag game so far and say it's Varl's death. I'm pissed about that.

8. something canon did right: Other people have also mentioned it before me, but I think Horizon's writing excels at the datapoints. Just slowly having to figure out the past, putting the pieces together, getting glimpses of the tragedies (and the little joys) that once happened in those places, filling in the blanks... The environmental storytelling is amazing 👌. The intrigue, the curiosity, the mystery. It really scratches the urge to explore abandoned places and imagine what it was life was like for the people who once lived in them, so close yet so far away. HZD really did it well with the Zero Dawn facilities and I think HFW captured that magic again with Thebes. I crave more of that.

9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: I'm not sure I can say anything I make is "for the fandom" since I only make OC stuff 😭 Believe me, I want to be more integrated in the fandom, but not as much as I want to focus on the blorbos from my brain 😔

I guess I can mention To Err is Human, my vampire AU fic, since, if all goes according to plan, that should be relatively fairly split between my OCs and canon characters. Sorry that it's taken me so long to update tho :( As for art, please look at my man :) And here he is again with my favorite Aloy I've drawn lol. I also still really like this one! Also this. And this. And this. And

I've realized I could go on all day actually so I'll stop myself now lol.

10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): Sylens. I love him, crimes and all.

11. the character I relate to the most and why: Beta. Something something about characters who have the same neuroses as you but in their world their neuroses are justified (sigh). And Gildun! His quest in Burning Shores really grabbed me by the throat, oof. In some ways I also relate to Aloy but not as much, I think.

12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: Well, I could just name the usuals, Ted Faro, the Ceo, Lansra, etc. But they're the characters we're meant to hate, so, ironically, it doesn't feel right to say I hate them, you know? I appreciate a well-crafted villain, and I definitely appreciate their role in the narrative. So, do I really hate them? Yes but actually no.

It's like that one post that goes "I don't care if a villain is redeemable or not but by god please make them interesting." I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little bit insane about the likes of Faro and the Ceo lol, so I'd say they did their job. I actually enjoy them being in the narrative.

As for the Zeniths... I used to just hate them straight up, not just for what we're meant to hate them, but for what they did to the narrative. I then started my quick descent into madness until I came to love to hate them lol. But I still think they deserve this spot more than anyone else given that they still make me see red half of the time.

13. something i've learned from the fandom: uhhhhh I'm not sure? Interesting to see the differences between the Persona fandom and the Horizon fandom I guess. In a lot of ways they have the same issues all fandoms have but idk, it's different. I'll leave it at that.

14. three tags i seek out on ao3: I don't really read as much fic as I would like to because of readers' block... But when I do, I feel like I tend to look for Beta-centric stuff. And Nemesis stuff hehe but there's very little of that. I feel like, at least in this fandom, I tend to gravitate more towards genfic instead of ship-heavy stuff. Those aren't three tags but still three things so fair enough.

15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: I have a few playlists but I'm not sure any songs in particular jump out to me as much as Sad Machine by Porter Robinson, which has been my quintessential Horizon song from the moment I finished HZD. It still gives me the same chills that going through ELEUTHIA-9 gave me... God, I really wish I could go back to when I was first playing it and experience that feeling again. I might actually cry listening to it now.

Tagging: @banukaihelpme, @cicadaknight, @thatpunnyperson, @snorkeldays and @hartlesshart, but absolutely no pressure to do it! I guess this is more of a [insert your fandom here] thing, so, for any other mutuals who see this, if you wanna do it for your fandom, please tag me as your tagger, I would love to see it 🙏

[ramblingcj]

Ok, since I got bits of Burning Shores accidentally spoiled since Tumblr decided not to work, I bought and played it out of spite. It was a bit short, but I still enjoyed it. And it got me thinking. 

I briefly mentioned this in another post but I like the subtle growth that Aloy goes through during the games. She grew up as an outcast. Raised by a man who, although loving in his own way, wasn’t the touchy-feely type. So physical touch wasn’t something Aloy was used too. She isn’t against it, she just isn’t used to it. I think that final talk she has with Rost really illustrates that. She wants so badly to reach for him, but doesn’t know how or if it will even be welcome. 

Over the course of both games, she gets more and more comfortable with it. With the possible exception of her hugging Teersa, she often mirrors the gestures that others show her (I don’t remember if anyone hugged Aloy before she hugged Teersa). Most people in Zero Dawn will place their hand on Aloy’s shoulder and she later mirrors that gesture in Frozen Wilds and Forbidden West. Erend put his arm around Aloy’s shoulder at the end of the game and she later mirrors that same gesture with Beta. 

Varl helped her realize that she has people around her who really cares about her and wants to be there for her. That she doesn’t have to be alone. Family and loved ones aren’t always the people of the tribe you’re born into. They’re the people you find along the way (which is another reason I’m so annoyed that Talanah was sidelined like that). Over the course of the game and meeting the others, Aloy grows more and more used to the idea that “home” isn’t necessarily a place. 

She even adresses those points herself. She tells Beta that the “thing” that she had that Beta didn’t was Rost. She had someone who loved her. Even if he wasn’t the most affectionate or talkative, it was obvious that Rost loved her. Beta didn’t have anyone. I think that was also eye-opening for Aloy. Yes, she grew up alone. An outcast. But she did have someone who loved her. She wasn’t entirely alone. She also embraces the idea that she doesn't have to be alone. She grew up alone but also made the choice of being alone. If Varl hadn't followed her, she would've faced everything on her own in the Forbidden West. The whole game was about Aloy realizing that she doesn't have to be alone.

In Burning Shores, she recognizes that being alone isn't necessarily always a good thing. So much so that she even throws shade at Sylens for always being alone. So much so that she tells Gildun that he'll always have her and even gives him a Focus, telling Gaia to check in on him every once in a while.

Then with Seyka, she voices those feelings. Home is not always a place, it can be a person or several people. Where they are, home is. Of course with Seyka, those emotions are a wee bit different lol. 

[dany36]

ok what i really wanted to yell about before witnessing that beach cutscene.......WAS ABOUT MY BOY GILDUN!!! OH MY GODDDD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!! 😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ AHHHHH!!! he was my favorite character in the frozen wilds and was obviously my favorite sidequest in the previous DLC!! seeing aloy be so happy to see him and remind him that YES GILDUN, YOU *ARE* ALOY'S FRIEND!!!! was such a joy to see!!! my girl aloy even hooks him up with gaia so that he has someone to talk to as well and thus won't feel like he's all alone!!! AHHHH LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP WILL ALWAYS WIN!!! 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧

[foibles-fables]

You already talked about your thoughts on the romance, but what did you think of the rest of the plot of the DLC, with the Quen and Londra? I believe you posted that you didn’t love the overall plot and writing of Forbidden West, so I was curious if the DLC had done better plot-wise for you or if you had concerns going into the third game?

Since you're asking outside of the romance, I will answer outside of it as well!

So, Ashly Burch herself compared the DLC to a summer blockbuster movie--and I have to say that she was right.

On the surface, the plot was fun. Definitely an action thriller with the cult, and the Zenith tech, and the Horus! The stunning visuals definitely helped with all of this, too.

The writing? Fell flat to me, sure. (Like a summer blockbuster.) And most of my criticisms do fall in line with the issues I had with HFW.

There was a lot of inelegance in the telling of things, not the showing. The Quen were, IMO, underutilized for it being their DLC. Interesting aspects of their culture were touched upon, but--never quite enough, you know? We get told about Compliance...told about their other issues...but not really shown a lot? And I think that's definitely credence to the sparsity of the Burning Shores as opposed to the Frozen Wilds, where we were immersed headlong into Banuk culture. It would've been nifty if there had been more (mandatory) side quests to tether us to the Quen more, like having to build up clout to challenge Aratak in FWilds.

As far as the plot with Londra--while the "oh no, somehow a Zenith escaped" plot is a little convenient, it does a really nice job of 1) establishing the DLC as postgame and 2) containing the DLC unto itself. I can overlook the convenience writing of Zenith Tech (both for the spaceship and the Horus) because, well, it's what we were given in HFW, so there's precedent. I thought the cult was a pretty good and believable angle, too, given the nature of the Quen and their relationship to the Ancestors.

Which...brings up one of my major ????s. The handwavey reason for the Fleet's End Quen not recognizing Aloy as Elisabet Sobeck--because their Diviners are gone? That doesn't match up super well with Alva's dialogue to the Marines in HFW. "Don't you see? etc." That was one of the issues that threw me.

The other was...how Kina was treated at the end? About how she would need to earn Seyka's forgiveness? For being young, brainwashed, traumatized, prepped to be taken as a creepy wife stand-in mate? Oh man. That was...pretty yeesh and not the outcome I was expecting from that conversation, TBH.

I think a lot of the Dangers (the cult, the radiation, the Horus, the Kina issue) could have benefited from some more time to breathe, but it was a short DLC! Maybe picking and choosing the crises would've helped. Not stretch everything so thin, you know? Trying to do So Much all at once, a lot like HFW.

BUT! I gotta shout out the absolute gems, too. Once again, the datapoints were the heart and soul of the series--I hope the datapoint writers are proud of themselves, because goddamn, they should be. And Gildun's quest? Don't even talk to me. Made the whole DLC for me. I adore the way he's written, and I adore the way his quest highlights Aloy's growth since FWilds in subtle ways. Chef's kiss.

That kinda covers my base-level thoughts, nonny! I'll be back with "AND ANOTHER THING" if anything hits me, lmao