#because Aloy is the Hunter in this story

[5ellaal5]

The Huntress and the Flood - a Greek Mythology AU

I went and wrote another "short" (for me!) A.U. of the Aloy/Kotallo (Kotaloy) relationship for the AUgust prompt.

This one is not explicit for sexy times but it has somewhat graphic depictions of violence.

It plays around with the allusions to Greek gods and mythology that is used by the computer programmers in the canonical game.

But goes a bit overboard with it!

Inspired by two episodes of the Spirits Podcast. (Link on AO3)

Link updated!

Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Horizon (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Aloy/Kotallo (Horizon),

Characters: Aloy (Horizon), Kotallo (Horizon), Erend (Horizon), Varl (Horizon), Fashav (Horizon), The Marshals of the Embassy (Horizon), Regalla (Horizon), Grudda (Horizon), Zo (Horizon), GAIA (Horizon), ARTEMIS (Horizon), HADES (Horizon), APOLLO (Horizon), POSEIDON (Horizon), Hekarro (Horizon), Dekka (Horizon), Ivvira (Horizon)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Mythology, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Nymphs & Dryads, Artemis Goddess of Hunting, vow of chastity, Game: Horizon Forbidden West, Pre-Horizon: Forbidden West Gemini (Horizon), The Embassy (Horizon), slightly worse than canon-typical violence, some description of in-game events, some description of alternative events, destruction and injury from floods, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, but not the kind you’re thinking of, I'm not saying Everybody Lives, but I'm not saying they died either, Canon-Divergent Tribal Culture & Customs, Gender-Blind Casting, Not sexually explicit which is surprising for me, but very full of violence and pain because Battle, I swear that less than 15K is a short work for me, A vignette without thousands of words of world-building? impossible for me, Author Is Sleep Deprived, but really I wrote this between 8pm and 5am one night, No Beta the initiation rites are secret, which means I’ll come back and fix the typos and confusing pronoun use after I’ve slept Series: Part 7 of Alts and Scenes and Prompt Responses Summary:

A hunter discovers a tree at risk of being destroyed in a flood, and protects it. The tree was actually a dryad, who falls in love with the hunter, and they get married and have a lovely relationship with each other!

Sorry, I meant a Huntress. Guess who the dryad is. And there were a couple steps in between the meeting and the H.E.A. Like, an Embassy gone wrong, for example.

Inspired by the story of Chrysopeleia and Arcas from Greek Mythology and Literature. Written for AUgust (Alternative Universe August) prompt for the Kotaloy Elysium Discord community.

[horizontwinflames]

Horizon AU: Twin Flames - Aloy, Beta and Elisabet (Zero Dawn Act) final concepts

*texts' transcriptions under the cut after the images*

Nora Beta's design was made by me.

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

Read about Isaac, their machine companion [here]

This was... so much work... *falls off* (talking about write all of this story in the past... 5 months omg)

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

Text transcription:

Aloy

172cm/5.6' - 21 years old

In this AU, Aloy is much more aggressive and socially distant than in canon. Although she grew up alongside Beta, so she knows affection and manners. Only Beta and Elisabet know Aloy’s true self: a gremlin, curious, funny, and loving person.

Her aggressive behavior towards other people is a mask and a defense mechanism. She developed such behavior due to how often she had to defend herself and her sister from bullies (and machines too), never allowing herself to lower her guard, also adding how much she internalized the pain from the shunning. Now that she is free to explore the world, she's willing to learn how to manage this behavior with her sister's help to stop fearing the world they want to explore.

Because she's been bottling her negative emotions for such a long time, she has a contained rage she has yet to learn how to use to her advantage. An easy way to trigger her is if Beta gets really hurt (either physically or emotionally).

Beta, her younger sister, is the most important person in her life. Aloy is willing to do anything to ensure her welfare and happiness, even if that means getting herself hurt or worse. Beta is the only person who can get Aloy to speak out her true feelings and thoughts and be a compass to help her how to handle negative emotions better.

Raised on the Nora ways of hunting, Aloy is an excellent hunter in this AU, just like in canon. But here, she’s also a ferocious brawler, and she does not only fight humans in hand-to-hand combat but also small machines. She has an unbelievable resistance to pain, is way more muscular, and is a bit taller than her canon counterpart due to her rather different physical training.

She followed her sister in her curiosity about the Old World, so Aloy started in this AU with much more knowledge about said subject. Just like her sister, she was also indirectly taught by Elisabet herself (through their Focuses) about programming and machines.

Beta

168cm/5.5' - 21 years old (possibly)

In this AU, Beta grew up alongside Aloy as an outcast. She is a skilled fighter and hunter like her sister, much more social and confident than in canon. Although, her confidence ends when she finds herself alone or in a discussion with another person.

Beta had a lot of health issues in her childhood and was way weaker than her sister for a long time. She has always been a scared child, afraid of confrontations face to face with bullies or machines, which led Aloy to protect her all the time they were away from Rost. Her dependence on her sister to protect her always bothered her, as she never liked to see her sister getting hurt, especially on her behalf. Now that she is free to explore the world, she wants her sister’s help to become strong and overcome her fears from childhood. She wants to fight by her sister’s side, not behind her anymore.

She enters a state of silent panic when under unbearable stress, becoming just as aggressive and violent as her sister normally is. The easier way to trigger this behavior is if she sees Aloy in a life-and-death situation.

Aloy, her older sister, is the most important person in her life. Beta is willing to do anything to ensure her sister’s welfare and happiness, even if that means getting herself hurt or worse. Aloy is the only person who can talk some courage and confidence to Beta. She’s also the only person Beta trusts for her safety, allowing her to let her curiosity go wild, especially when it comes to studying machines.

Beta was raised in the Nora ways of hunting, even if a bit later than her sister. But because of her said above issues, she developed a more stealthy and trapper way of fighting. She’s weak to pain and will always try to keep her distance from her target(s). 

When she met Aloy, she was out of memories, not remembering how she got into the underground bunker. She’s not even sure if “Beta” is her name, but she did have some knowledge about the Old World. The only thing she’s sure about is that bad people are searching for her out there.

Elisabet Sobeck

168cm/5.5' - Mid to late 40s

In this alternative universe, Elisabet is being kept alive in a cryosleep state by the Zeniths for a reason she has yet to find out. She can communicate with Aloy and Beta using a holo-avatar through their Focuses because of the “vivid dream state” her unconscious mind is in. Her holo-avatar has two forms: an orange jaybird and her real self.

Although, because of her frozen slumbering state, she can’t recall all of her memories. But she’s slowly being “defrosted,” and it’s a matter of time until she can remember everything. For now, the rising danger called HADES and things related to the Old World and Machines only give her some feeling of familiarity or some random information(s). 

Elisabet has been in contact with Aloy and Beta since they got their Focuses when they were kids, but she could only directly communicate recently. She has acted as an omnipresent guardian, watching the sisters and helping them by controlling their Focuses when necessary. She taught them about basic programming and machines that way.

She has an unexplainable motherly care for Aloy and Beta, which makes her (and the sisters) believe she's their mother- aside from the extreme visual similarity. She doesn't remember how she became a mother yet, but she'll do everything she can to help and protect her daughters.

[frodothefair]

Grima Wormtongue had a ward?

When it comes to writing about Rohan, I am quite excited for the opportunity to create more OC's. You've already heard about head healer Walda, Éomer King's yet to be named male secretary who is also his work wife, as well as Hafrith, the lady in waiting with a sweet personality and a tragic subplot. But more recently, in honor of @proletariatramen's years-long obsession with the Black Butler character Alois Trancy, I've come up with a Rohanese OC who will be a genderbent version of him. She will be another lady in waiting, and her name will be Ainsley, per the Rohanese naming convention which requires all names to have Old English roots.

Alright, so who is Ainsley?

Ainsley is a white-blonde wisp of a young woman with eyes like rainwater, and while she is beautiful, Lothíriel's first impression is that she looks like a mushroom that sprung up overnight after a rain. (As you already know, Lothíriel is not a very nice person when she is in distress).

Anyway, Ainsley's origins are relatively humble: she comes from a family of lesser nobles, and her home village was wiped out by raiding Dunlendings. She and her younger brother are the sole survivors, but afterwards, they are forced to wander, and eke out a living working odd jobs and trying to find their way to another part of the country where they believe they have distant relatives. In the course of their travels, Ainsley is forced to resort to sex work, and her brother dies from an illness.

Grima Wormtongue, Theoden King's crooked advisor, meets Ainsley in a house of ill repute where she finally ends up, despairing in finding her family. Grima sees something in her, and begins to sexually groom her, eventually taking her away and passing her off as his ward.

Using his influence at court, Grima secures a post for Ainsley as one of Lady Eowyn's ladies in waiting. Since Grima is trying to sink his claws into Éowyn as well, one of Ainsley's tasks is to spy on her mistress. But Ainsley ends up playing a dangerous game. She sabotages Grima's efforts by feeding him either false or useless information -- not because she particularly cares about Éowyn (more about this later), but because with all her trauma, she is on nobody's side but her own. Later, when Grima is discredited by Gandalf and the Three Hunters, Ainsley comes out about his abuse and manipulation of her, Éowyn vouches for her, and she is taken into the royal family's protection. After Éowyn leaves for Gondor, Ainsley becomes a lady in waiting to Lothíriel.

Personality-wise, Ainsley is about as erratic as Alois -- again, on account of her trauma. She is one of those traumatized people who was forced to watch their family die, emerged from the experience laughing maniacally, and never stopped laughing. As a result of her harsh years on the run, she trusts nothing and nobody, and hates most everyone she comes across, though she masks it all with a sweet and hypersexual flirtatious demeanor, peppered with a hint of playful crassness and casual abuse.

Oftentimes, she is seen dancing around like Ophelia, singing innocent-sounding, seemingly nonsensical songs that are actually quite sinister. She also has a collection of caged birds, like Ms. Flite in Bleak House, and names them things like "Justice" and "Grief." Unlike Ms. Flite, however, she sometimes releases the birds, and sometimes kills them for fun, all in an effort to channel the erratic nature of fate.

Hafrith, the head lady in waiting, has a way with Ainsley (mostly because Hafrith is a Saint (tm)), and most everyone else pities her and tolerates her oddities -- after all, if you've been abused by the universally vilified Grima Wormtongue, you've got infinite cred. All in all, Ainsley exists in the story for two reasons 1) to show yet another dimension of how Rohan is a broken realm, and how the war has taken a toll on its people and 2) to inject an element of chaos and hypersexuality into Lothiel's circle.

(Human) faceclaim: Tamzin Merchant or Elle Fanning. Alois Trancy is pictured in the middle, for those who have not seen the snime.

@konartiste @emmanuellececchi @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras @celeluwhenfics @dilettantefeminist

[tjerra14]

I just had a thought.. what if Ikrie had joined Aloy, Ourea and Aratak on their expedition into Thunder's Drum/Firebreak? Mostly pondering this Blue Orb because it would mean that she'd get to see the origins of at least some part of the Derangement.

Ohhhhhhh yes, that's an excellent idea, I would've LOVED that! Just imagine the potential for all that added nuance--of course, we get two Banuk perspectives for the quest(s) as it is, but Ourea is (understandably) focused entirely on CYAN (who is a friend, but also a spirit, so placed rather high within the Banuk belief system), Aratak is preoccupied with keeping his sister alive and safe (which is very interesting in itself, considering the balance the Chieftain/Shaman system evidently offers for a werak--as Burgrend suggests, the shamans focus on spiritual matters, and in doing so, protecting the scarce resources around them, while the chieftains see to the physical needs of their people, making sure that both the werak and the environment that sustains it will survive in the long term. They're both prime examples of that, with a personal spin), and Aloy is along for the ride out of curiosity, wanting to see what makes these machines different from their counterparts. Now Ikrie isn't anything like that. She's not there to save a friend, or protect a sibling, or satisfy a thirst for knowledge that respects no tradition or bounds. She might've put her spear beside Aloy's for this quest, or followed a Daemonic Scorcher that has been killing hunters on their way to Snowchants back towards the Cauldron, and ended up meeting Ourea, Aratak and Aloy in the power plant/idk what that Behemoth chamber with all the geothermal stuff and the Incident Report data point is actually called anymore this is terrible and offered her assistance. no, I haven't thought about this in a potential AU context at all And well. She might not agree with Banuk culture and beliefs on everything, but from what she says during her quest and beyond, there's nothing to suggest that she doesn't believe, in some capacity, that the machines have a place in the world, their own lives and needs that have to be respected, and quite possibly, in the Blue Light as well (in one manner or another). So I feel her seeing that those daemonic machines that have been causing so much trouble for her tribe have been deliberately twisted, crazed, altered to attack and fight no matter the consequences, would be absolutely horrifying for her to witness. CYAN's imprisonment, but on a simultaneously smaller and larger scale. The stories and songs of her tribe that she knows well enough to easily recite them to a stranger, proven to be somewhat true: there is a blue light, a harmonious spirit, but its influence is fading, and worse, there is an entity responsible for it. (So that technically makes HEPH the Big Bad of Banuk culture??)

An entity, at that, Aloy attempts to control but fails, meaning it escapes to wreak havoc somewhere else. Which would be prime motivation to chase HEPH down together with her, into the Forbidden West if need be, to slow down or even stop the Derangement that's harming machines/their spirits and her people alike. (And well. You know I'm very fond of that particular idea.)

Idk. Really love this idea, and all the potential it holds. Thank you so much for sharing!

[curioussubjects]

After spending the whole weekend grumpy and ruminating about Burning Shores, I think I finally figured out what has me so bothered about Aloy and Seyka's relationship. I wasn't gonna post anything about it beyond the one salty post because nobody needs to hear me go on and on about what's essentially an "I don't wike it" complaint. But the more I thought about the more I started to realize that my problem with Burning Shores is tied to the one big problem I have with Horizon as a whole, which is that Guerilla really seems to struggle with balancing Aloy's position as the protagonist and letting companions shine as characters of their own who can go on quests with Aloy without being useless or getting in the way (or both! too often both!).

I care about the gameplay mechanics less than the writing because the gameplay stuff seems more like level design growing pains than anything else. And we have examples of it being done quite well to (Varl in the tutorial portion of Forbidden West) annoying (here's looking at you Cauldron in Frozen Wilds) or, well, useless as combat support (always, in my experience, with the exception of how it was handled in Zero Dawn's final battle). However, I wouldn't have as much an issue with this gameplay fumble if it wasn't for the impression that the narrative wants me to believe Seyka is somehow immune to it. Or more of an equal to Aloy in terms of ability and responsibility than anyone else, which is just not the case. Everyone plays third fiddle to Aloy because Horizon doesn't actually have a party system! There's nothing special about Aloy and Seyka taking turns with a ballista, or whatever. Seyka was still surplus during combat, or straight up in my way, just like everyone else. That said, I don't know if the experience is different in higher difficulties because I play strictly on story mode, so make of that what you will.

So the writing. It actually pains me a little bit to write this because I love Horizon's story so much (and this should tell y'all something because I detest what if AIs were people plots). I love the characters and I absolutely am bonkers for its worldbuilding. No other game has made me cry as much or be as angry (fuck you, Ted). Yet, sometimes the characters do fall a little flat when they interact with each other. Conversations between Aloy and NPCs often don't flow well from one topic to the next, and they can end abruptly too, in a way that goes beyond the Aloy's conversational skills. The pacing is a bit wonky, too, in how quickly bonds develop or transition. Not that this is always the case since there are some great characters moments, and I also think introducing the Base was a solid step in making everything feel more cozy and believable. I guess what I'm trying to say is that too often I feel I'm being presented relationship concepts, but not being given the time to let those relationships develop organically. Perhaps also a case of growing pains; it just sucks that a game so well put together narratively can struggle with something so central to its interests.

But anyway, this post is actually about Burning Shores and why the whole romance subplot with Seyka and Aloy was so...bland to me. The problem lies primarily with how Seyka was conceptualized as character-- or, well, how it comes off: she really seems to have been created to be Aloy's love interest first, and a character in her own right second. It's like Guerilla just asked themselves what would make a great love interest for Aloy and, though the answer was someone who can keep up with her, they ended up careening straight into Aloyx2 with a Seyka veneer, and not much else.

Seyka is a great hunter and warrior, she bucks tradition to stand for what's right, she's kind of an outcast now, she has sister issues! She got herself a focus she wasn't supposed to have and it made it really hard for her to fall in line with the Quen's social structure! They even rappel the same! But who IS Seyka outside of Aloy and wanting to be with Aloy? How IS she affected by so suddenly stepping outside of her social role? She seemed to have been quite comfortable in it before, so how much is she struggling, really? How is her experience different from Aloy's since Seyka wasn't actually ever an outcast (and I mean the Admiral was in her corner the whole time). Did she have other ties to the tribe beyond her sister?

I don't know, guys, for a character that was meant to be so central to Burning Shores, I came out of the game knowing precious little about her. And as a result, there's a complete lack of tension between her and Aloy, and it'd be so easy for it not to be the case! Even their banter is more like stock competitiveness than anything interesting, which was a missed opportunity because there was an alternative to that was just begging to be leaned into more: Aloy didn't have to be the serious one for once! Their banter as the player explores Pangea Park was such a fun variation of usual commentary. Plus, Aloy's "miss me?" line when she comes back from exploring on her own was super cute. But to make their relationship compelling, Seyka would've needed to be her own person first, rather than a collection of Things She Has In Common With Aloy.

To make matters worse, what the narrative tells me is special about Seyka and Aloy's relationship isn't so special after all when it's echoed across Aloy's relationships with several other characters. How many times to we see characters be more than capable to hold their own in a fight alongside Aloy? How many characters are also shown to be smart enough to keep up with her? And how many characters are trying SO HARD to share Aloy's burden with her? Or who could share common ground with some of the things Aloy struggles with? And all the while, these characters are all very distinct not only from each other, but from Aloy herself and their dynamic with her. If Seyka is more successful than they are, well, why is she? And why aren't they? Because the plot demands it isn't really enough of a reason when you're shooting for character-driven storytelling.

Of course, it just adds insult to injury that the whole relationship develops in the span of what a month? At most? So that scenes like Aloy comforting Seyka halfway through the DLC don't seem like's it's been earned. It might have been a better bet to have swapped Seyka and Alva's introductions to the story. It's worth noting, too, that I only care so much because I'm not convinced Seyka is just a summer fling, so she really did deserve more than a speedrun of finding love during summer camp.

On a much much smaller note: I do feel a certain way about how other potential love interests kind got exited pursued by bear during Forbidden West too with Telanah (bisexual people exist, do not come to me talking about comphet) and Varl getting love interests of their own, and Nil becoming even more of a side character lolsobs Nil HZD you will always be famous to me.

I very much hope H3 does more for Seyka because as it is I'm so not invested it's not even funny. I also live in fear that the line from the Pangea movie about coming back because the love interest is home is gonna feature in some way in their reunion and it's Not Gonna Be Convincing. Incidentally, let nobody tell you writing romance is easy.

Secret good Seyloy that exists in my head save me, etc.

And, frankly, I know people like to rebuke some criticism of Horizon with "this isn't a BioWare game," but Guerilla could do a lot worse than taking point from Dragon Age and Mass Effect in how they handle companions.

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 10 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

Marshall Kotallo: Who was that Carja woman? Aloy said she was a friend, but did not give many more details.

β: i didnt see anything

β: anyone

Marshall Kotallo: She wasn't here for long. She just used the passage through the mountain.

FlameHairSavior: That's T

FlameHairSavior: That's Talanah.

Zo: Are you texting while fighting again?

FlameHairSavior: No.

Zo: Are you lying?

FlameHairSavior: ...no?

HIMBO: Please concentrate on what you're doing.

HIMBO: I'm going to have enough trouble explaining all this to the Nora without "also, the Anointed daughter of the All-Mother got killed because she was texting too much."

FlameHairSavior: I told you not to call me that.

HIMBO: And I won't, if you stop multitasking.

ForgeLordAleMaster: I CAN PROBABLY EXPLAIN, ANYWAY.

ForgeLordAleMaster: TALANAH IS THE SUNHAWK, LEADER OF THE HUNTER'S LODGE IN MERIDIAN.

HIMBO: I think I met her at the battle.

ForgeLordAleMaster: YEAH, SHE WAS THERE. I WAS BUSY KEEPING MY IDIOTS IN LINE, BUT I HEAR SHE DID GOOD.

ForgeLordAleMaster: SHE SOMETIMES ACTS LIKE EVERYONE SHE MEETS IS GONNA HIT HER WITH A HAMMER.

HIMBO: I think I know the type.

ForgeLordAleMaster: SHE'S GOT A LOT TO PROVE, BUT SHE'S PROVEN IT. NO ONE IS REALLY COMPLAINING ABOUT HER BEING SUNHAWK ANY MORE.

Marshall Kotallo: What did she have to prove? I assume she is a capable warrior. Why would it be worse for her than anyone else?

HIMBO: The Carja don't let women fight.

Marshall Kotallo: ��

Marshall Kotallo: [SkepticalOwl.png]

HIMBO: It's not MY culture.

Marshall Kotallo: I will admit I had heard that before. I simply wasn't sure to believe it. I assumed Carja squads were segregated.

Marshall Kotallo: Still, to go from having to prove herself to being leader of a powerful squad is an impressive feat.

HIMBO: I'm guessing there's a story there.

ForgeLordAleMaster: OH, BY THE FORGE YES. BUT IT'S ALL POLITICAL SCRAP.

ForgeLordAleMaster: THE HUNTER'S LODGE HUNTS MACHINES. SO WHEN THE DERANGEMENT STARTED, THE MAD SUN-KING ORDERED THEM TO FIND A SOLUTION.

ForgeLordAleMaster: THEY FAILED, OBVIOUSLY.

ForgeLordAleMaster: SO THEN HE ORDERED THEM TO FIND MACHINES FOR THE SUN-RING. LONG STORY SHORT, THEY ARGUED, HE THREW THEM INTO THE SUN-RING, AND ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS A BUNCH OF STUFFY NOBLES WHO BARELY KNEW WHICH END OF AN ARROW WAS SHARP. EVERYTHING WENT DOWNHILL.

ForgeLordAleMaster: TALANAH BECAME THE NEW SUNHAWK BEFORE THE BATTLE OF THE ALIGHT, STARTED LETTING IN PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO HUNT AND STUFF.

β: who was the mad sun king

ForgeLordAleMaster: YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE MAD SUN-KING WAS?

β: how would i know that

Zo: Jiran was the previous Sun-King, and he was in power twenty years ago when the Derangement started.

HIMBO: When the machines started becoming more aggressive.

Zo: Correct. He became convinced that the Sun was angry, and could be appeased by blood sacrifice. He started raiding every surrounding tribe for captives to sacrifice in the Sun-Ring, fighting machines.

ForgeLordAleMaster: JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, EVERYONE WHO WASN'T A SUN-MAD CARJA CRAZY KNEW THAT WAS A PILE OF SCRAPPER LEAVINGS FROM THE START. DON'T NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TERRAFORMING MACHINES AND ALIEN SIGNALS TO FIGURE OUT THAT BLOOD SACRIFICE ISN'T THE ANSWER.

Zo: Eventually, Jiran's son overthrew him and became the new Sun-King, putting a stop to the Red Raids.

ForgeLordAleMaster: HE HAD A LITTLE HELP. YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THE CARJA SOLVED ALL THEIR PROBLEMS BY THEMSELVES.

Zo: Of course not.

β: who arethe carja

β: who are the carja

ForgeLordAleMaster: ...YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CARJA? THE BIGGEST TRIBE IN THE REGION?

β: how would i know that

Marshall Kotallo: Did the Zeniths not teach you anything about local politics?

β: no

Zo: ...oh. Oh dear.

HIMBO: Does that mean the Zeniths don't know, or that they didn't bother teaching Beta?

Marshall Kotallo: Both, I suspect.

Zo: Beta, why don't you come up? I think this is something best explained in person.

Chapter 10 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[uwmspeccoll]

Milestone Monday

On this day, November 6, 1771, Alois Senefelder (1771-1834) inventor of lithography was born. The son of an actor and tasked with supporting his mother and siblings after his father’s death, Senefelder began his own acting career at age twenty and extended his occupational talents into playwriting. Unable to afford to publish a new play he’d written, Senefelder experimented with what he called “stone printing” in the 1790s, etching acid resistant ink onto limestone and subsequently inventing the first planographic process in printing. Senefelder perfected the chemical process and designed a special printing press with the help of the André family and within five years lithography was being used as a cheap form of creating reproductions by publishers and in mapmaking by land surveying offices throughout Europe.  

By the early 1800’s Senefelder and his contemporaries were thinking of ways to introduce color to lithography. Senefelder outlined his ideas on chromolithography in his 1818 book A Complete Course of Lithography, but it was Godefroy Engelmann of France who was awarded the patent for it in 1837.  

In celebration of Senefelder’s birthday and all that he contributed to the printing world; we’re looking at the American Encyclopedia of Printing published in 1871 by Menamin & Ringwalt of Philadelphia. Included within the section on lithography is a storied portrait of Senefelder surrounded by his tools and accomplishments. The lithographic portrait was printed by Duval & Hunter, lithographers and chromo publishers out of Philadelphia.

It wasn’t long before artists saw the appeal of lithographs and began taking advantage of the new printing technique. Lithography was far more approachable than other printing methods of the time like engraving, because artists could draw directly on the stone with familiar tools, such as pens and crayons. They did not need to master a new medium or skill to create highly accurate prints with deep textural qualities.

Among the artists of the 1800’s diving into lithography, Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) excelled in the medium. Daumier was a prolific French artist who created more than 4,000 lithographs in addition to his many sculptures, paintings, drawings, and wood engravings. His specialty was satirical social caricatures of Parisian life where he effortlessly blended artistry, social commentary, and humor as showcased in the following lithographs held within our collection. The prints were published in 1840 by La maison Aubert of Paris. 

View other posts from the American Encyclopedia of Printing.

View more posts with lithographs.

View more Milestone Monday posts.

– Jenna, Special Collections Graduate Intern 

[loyrend]

Companion Review:

Ten & Aloy:

When I first played the game and saw these two together, I initially thought, ‘aww, they’re cute together.’ However, I didn’t consider two things at first: one, she was just a child when they met, while he was likely in his teens, 18 years old at the very least, which made his smile toward her a bit concerning (I felt) in retrospect. And two, even as an adult, he has this clingy, borderline ‘stalker’ vibe that doesn’t sit right.

He constantly hovers around her, almost as if he doesn’t trust her abilities or her independence. It’s like he needs her to need him in some way, and that subtle possessiveness comes across as both controlling and, honestly, a little unsettling. He seems like the type who could end up being overprotective to the point of obsession, almost like he sees her as his project or responsibility rather than a person with her own agency. To me, he comes off as either a stalker, a groomer, or maybe even both.

(Now, I acknowledge, I might be completely wrong here, because I often mistake a manipulation for kindness). All this could be because he’s sheltered and genuinely concerned for Aloy’s safety, not wanting her to go out of the gates and risk being killed, but honestly, to me, the whole thing feels a little off. He’s seen her as a child outcast, so he’s aware that she can handle herself out there—if her ‘lone wolf’ demeanour wasn’t enough of an indicator that she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It just seems like he doesn’t trust her individualism, or worse, he’s trying to undermine it by constantly stepping in, as if she’s incapable of making her own decisions. If anything, her independence should be something he respects, but instead, it feels like he’s trying to impose his version of what’s best for her. That type of behaviour can easily cross the line into something more manipulative, especially when he doesn’t seem to take hercompetence into account.”

Aloy & Sun-King Avad:

Honestly, I thought these two were cute together, and of course, I shipped them immediately. But after playing Zero Dawn and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that, unfortunately, they wouldn’t be compatible in the long run. While I love the idea of them ruling side by side, I now see that: 1) Aloy is a free spirit who doesn’t exactly excel at socializing unless absolutely necessary, and as a ruler, you’d have to deal with people and their problems constantly. 2) She’s not someone who enjoys attention—in HFW, she was embarrassed by a statue of herself and even more uncomfortable being called a ‘savior,’ though she grins and bears it. These traits just don’t align with the responsibilities of ruling.

(Not to mention that she didn’t want to become chieftess of the Banuk clan or even be a Sun Hawk of the Hunters Lodge — that goes to Talanah anyway but still it goes to show Aloy doesn’t want any sort of hierarchical status, she prefers her feet firmly on the ground, proverbially speaking)

However, if Avad actually stepped down—like he mentioned he might—then maybe I’d reconsider this option. It’s something I’d love to explore further, especially if the devs ever decide to make Horizon 3. There’s potential for a shift in dynamics that could open up more opportunities for Aloy’s personal life, though it would depend on how the story develops. But then again, this could be one of those ideas that fits better as fanfiction or headcanon.

Horizon 3 would most likely focus heavily on the conflict with NEMESIS, with action and adventure taking center stage. Romance would probably take a backseat unless it’s woven into some kind of epilogue or a minor subplot. It’s hard to imagine a full romance arc in a story that’s all about high-stakes survival and technological warfare, but I’d definitely be interested if they managed to work in a quieter, more personal moment for Aloy. In the end, it’s all just speculation unless the devs surprise us with something completely unexpected.

If Aloy had accepted Avad’s offer, it could have been a powerful strategic alliance more than a romantic one. — although I suppose there could always be time for that if the the feelings were mutual and as we’ve seen it definitely is on his part — From Avad’s perspective, it would have been an opportunity to integrate the Nora, a highly independent tribe, into a broader alliance, reinforcing his influence over the different factions. As king, Avad had already achieved some degree of coexistence between the Oseram and Carja, and bringing the Nora into this fold would make his vision of a united, stable region even stronger.

For Aloy, however, this alliance might have posed challenges. While her authority and leadership capabilities are undeniable, her independence is essential to her character. Aligning herself formally with Avad would have inevitably drawn her into political responsibilities she might find restrictive, given her calling to roam and address threats beyond any singular kingdom. Additionally, her connection with the Nora is complicated—they see her as an outcast rather than a direct representative. So, while she could hold influence over her people through Avad, her authority with the Nora wouldn’t necessarily be rooted in mutual trust or shared ideology.

In this scenario, if Avad married Aloy, he would gain influence over the Nora tribe, even if he wasn’t king anymore. By marrying her, he’d be able to bring the Nora closer to the other tribes he’s already united, like the Oseram and Carja. This marriage would give him a way to connect with the Nora and include them in his vision of unity.

Nil & Aloy:

Again , I used to ship these two because they had something in common—they were both outcasts from their respective tribes. There was something appealing about the idea of two people who had been cast aside finding understanding in each other. But then I realized that, in reality, they’ve probably only seen each other a handful of times: once in Zero Dawn and another time in HFW. Despite their shared experiences as outsiders, their interactions have been so limited that it’s hard to justify any deep emotional connection. While I was initially drawn to the idea of them bonding over their mutual struggles, I’ve come to see that their relationship is more of a surface-level connection than I first thought. It’s almost like they’re more symbolic of each other’s isolation than truly connected on a personal level, especially considering how little time they’ve actually spent together. It’s a nice thought, but in the grand scheme of things, there’s not enough to make it a strong, lasting connection.

Varl & Aloy:

In Horizon Zero Dawn, we see Varl’s admiration for Aloy, which some might interpret as the beginning of a possible romance. But HFW reveals a deeper layer to his character—he’s able to move past his initial feelings for her and grow in his own emotional journey. When he meets Zo, we see that he has a capacity for a more profound and true connection.

This shift emphasises how sometimes what we perceive as romantic interest is really just admiration or respect, which can be misinterpreted until someone like Zo enters his life, allowing him to experience an emotional bond on a deeper level. His relationship with Zo also brings out a more vulnerable, supportive side of him, which highlights that his connection with Aloy was more a reflection of his admiration for her strength and mission rather than true romantic potential. (But it also doesn’t mean they’re not also good friends)

Erend & Aloy:

When it comes to to these two characters, I’m a proud member of Team Loyrend, and here’s why: from the very beginning of Horizon Zero Dawn to Forbidden West, Erend has been a steadfast ally by Aloy’s side. His loyalty and support are unwavering, making their bond one of the most solid and dependable in the entire series. But there’s something else that makes their connection even more fascinating—Aloy’s name itself is a piece of the puzzle. “Aloy” comes from the word “alloy,” which means a blend of metals, and is only one letter away from “steel.” Now, consider this: the Oseram people, Erend tribe, are known for being master tinkers, skilled in crafting and engineering. This irony adds a whole new layer of depth to their relationship.

While Aloy’s strength is often seen in her physical abilities, there’s a deeper kind of resilience in her connection with Erend, built on mutual respect, trust, and shared experiences. It’s not just about the big battles they fight together—it’s about the quiet moments of support, the alliance that grows over time. Their bond shows that true partnerships aren’t just about romance or grand gestures; they’re about consistency, loyalty, and working together toward a common goal.

Given their combined strength, it’s clear that their partnership would be exceptional in both practical and combat scenarios. Aloy’s ability to craft and modify weapons, paired with her ingenuity, would only be enhanced by his technical skills—should she ever need an ally to push her boundaries. While Aloy is fiercely independent and capable of handling most challenges herself, having someone who can design and build something entirely new could offer her an edge, especially in particularly challenging battles or when facing new enemies. Their collaboration, whether in fixing equipment or taking on cultists and machines, could create a synergy that strengthens both their individual abilities and their teamwork, making them nearly unstoppable on the battlefield. Their compatibility would beyond just fixing things—they would be a powerful duo both strategically and emotionally, able to rely on each other in ways that would deepen their bond.

(Like or repost if you want me to do a part two— maybe for the females this time! 🤭

[kingsleywrites]

About Me + Request Guild lines (Please read before requesting anything)

Hello, so I have just decided to write on Tumblr so I created this blog! I also write on wattpad my name on there is King-0f-Hearts and I am in the process of getting an AO3 account. I have a main account here where I just mess around and post on the occasion.

A little bit about me!:

My name is Elijah but you can call me either King/Kingsley or Elijah/Eli I am fine with either of those.

I am a trans man (he/him) and I'm omnisexual

I decided to start writing on Tumblr in hope of not only getting my work out there but also to help improve my writing and get requests. i also want to write without sticking to a specific book like this is any different but i guess this is how my brain will work

Request Guild lines:

My request box will most likely always be open so don't be shy to shoot a request over to me, I will be more than happy to do it.

Things I will do:

Fluff

Angst

male x male

male reader

gender neutral reader

FTM reader

platonic

romantic

Obsessive

Yandere

Suggestive scenes (No smut and as long as they are within any guidelines of the people being written)

Headcanons

Drabble/short stories (are they the same? idk)

Little disclaimer I just decided to start writing obsessive and yandere alts of characters and due to me never doing something like that before it may be very cliche and just outright bad

Things I won't do:

Smut (I do not feel comfortable writing it)

Age gap

Female reader (y'all have enough stories go read your own, there are not enough male reader and gender neutral reader stories out there so just let us have this)

character x character (I just dont really enjoy writing it, I have nothing against it just isnt what I really want to write for)

Fandoms/Characrters I write for:

Shows/TV:

Gravity Falls (Dipper, Mabel)

Arcane (Vi, Jinx, Milo, Silco, Claggor)

Anime:

Hunter x Hunter (Killua, Gon, Kurapika)

Promise Neverland (Ray, Norman, Don)

Attack On Titan (Levi, Eren, Armin)

Black Butler (Ciel, Alois, Finny, May-Rin)

Blue Exorcist (Rin, Yukio)

Movies:

None, open to suggestions :)

Games:

DSMP, only using the characters in the SMP and not their real life selves (Dream, Technoblade, Tommyinnit, Georgenotfound, BadBoyHalo, Wilbur, Tubbo, Quackity, Ranboo)

Resident Evil, only 2 and 4 because those are the only games I've seen so far. (Leon)

Sally Face (Sal, Larry, Travis, Todd, Ashley)

Cuphead, ONLY PLATONIC (Cuphead, Mugman)

Little Nightmares 1 & 2, ONLY PLATONIC (Mono, Six, Runaway kid)

Other (Books, other pieces of media etc.):

Any of Wilbur's bursonas (Simpbur, Argbur etc.)

Genloss Ranboo (I know very little about Genloss and I plan to educate myself because from what small bits I've seen it's so cool)

Creepypastas (Jeff the killer, Ticci Toby, Masky, Hoodie, Ben Drowned, Jane the killer, Clockwork)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This list is subject to change as my interests change and I gain and lose hyper fixations. Probably the Fandoms that I'm in the most in Resident Evil, Gravity Falls and DSMP but I will still write for the others.

Just because a character from one of the fandoms isn't on the list doesn't mean you can't request it it just might take a little bit because these are the characters that I know the most about.

If any of the creators or characters that are written about say or have said that they are not comfortable with stories being written about them I will remove them from the list and remove the stories if needed.

I don't have a writing schedule so if it takes me a long time to get your ask posted I am sorry! I just take forever to write and then I will get really distracted or I just won't want to write one day.

Thank you for checking out this blog, feel free to request something!

My main account:

My Wattpad account:

Update! I got an AO3 account! I already made a separate post about this but here's the account on this post so people can find it easier:

[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 😁

[kyndaris]

L.A. Calling

From one red-head protagonist to another, I thought the brief lull during the holiday season (for games I was interested in anyways) would be the perfect opportunity to try out the Burning Shores DLC for Horizon: Forbidden West. After all, there was a reason why I kept the game despite finishing it after a hundred hour marathon of a month gaming last year. That reason, of course, was to ensure I knew the new story threads leading into the third game. But with the passing of Lance Reddick, it was also a chance to catch a glimpse of his last performance as Sylens - Aloy's reluctant ally.

So, from the highs of the Star Wars universe, I plunged back down to a post-apocalyptic Earth where robot dinosaur roam and a rogue A.I. is hurtling back to destroy what remains of humanity. Good stuff!

Following on from the ending of Forbidden West, Burning Shores sees Aloy heading down to the ruins of Los Angeles after being notified by Sylens that Walter Londra, a member of Far Zenith, had headed there following his arrival on Earth. Aloy agrees to investigate and heads down the coast on the back of a Sunwing.

As she approaches the the remains of Los Angeles, Aloy is shot down by a drone tower. With the help of Seyka, a member of the Quen, they take down the machines in the area before heading to Fleet's End: the settlement the Quen have made since floundering in Los Angeles after a typhoon.

It isn't long before Aloy agrees to help the Quen out and find their missing people. And it certainly wasn't very long before I was scrambling across the map of old Los Angeles to scrounge up collectibles and completing the scattered side quests and errands available on the map.

Could it have benefited with having a Tallneck to climb up? Yes, but given Aloy had flight on her side (granted soon after taking down the first drone tower), it wasn't very long before I managed to explore most of the map and engaged with a few select new machines like the Bilegut and the Stingspawn.

From a narrative perspective, Burning Shores didn't really add anything new to the overarching plot except another scavenger hunt across an open world for a weapon to take down Nemesis. Or, perhaps, the third game will truncate the search a little by focusing it once more in some area of the North Americas. Here's hoping, though, the Horizon series takes our allies across the seas and try something a little more different from the remnants of the ol' United States of America.

At the very least, though, Aloy walked away from the adventure with a new ally she was keen to work with. All throughout the DLC, Seyka stayed by Aloy's side and proved to be an effective fighter. Was it any wonder she proved to be Aloy's first actual love interest?

Both of them are capable warriors and hunters of machine. Both are practical problem-solvers, doing what needs to be done instead of fussing about if it'll offend someone's sensibilities. And both are driven.

I'm actually somewhat relieved Aloy didn't try to push Seyka away. Although, it did take her a while to finally admit the impending threat that was Nemesis heading back towards Earth, keen to destroy the Earth. Still, Seyka had her own secrets when it came to her sister and her fears Kina had willingly joined up with Walter Londra (a fairly forgettable antagonist) who was willing to irradiate the surrounding land in order to escape back into space and be surrounded by a loving and brainwashed cadre of followers.

Combat-wise, Burning Shores added in a few new different skills to tackle on enemies. In the end, though, I found myself still relying on tried and true abilities. Given it had also been a year since I last played Forbidden West, my skills were also quite a bit rusty. So, I'm not ashamed to admit I did dumb the difficulty down just to ensure I could enjoy the story rather than struggle in a high-end area because I'd forgotten Aloy couldn't parry attacks like Cal Kestis or that the way she normally tackled enemies was from afar with ranged attacks.

It was also a matter of relearning the status effects of the game, like drenched and frozen and shock and corrosion.

Targeting weak points also proved to be a trying affair after all the different games I'd played over the year. Especially given how the machines move and make it difficult to target the one spot that'll do MASSIVE damage.

Or maybe I just need to 'git gud' as the pro gamers like to say.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Burning Shores. It was good to dive back into the Horizon universe and tackle on a map that wasn't as large as the base game. It also helped there weren't a ton of collectibles needed to be found and unearthed. So, my map wasn't entirely pockmarked with '?' to drive my curiosity and insatiable need to uncover every. Single. Point. Of. Interest.

Thank goodness for small mercies.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there are huge open-world games where I need to collect a thousand and one items calling my name.

[finrays]

Do you mind if I keep going about adaptations? 😆. Let's think that the tv show happens (animated for our heart's sake), aside from the main campaign which sidequests do you think are the most important to complement the story better on screen?

OH, you gotta have the Hunter’s Lodge questline, absolutely. And Petra’s quests at Free Heap are a must as well. Both focus on a fun character, and help give us more insight into the cultures they come from, which is one of the most fascinating parts of the game world; the tribal societies. Plus, having Talanah as part of the trifecta that fights alongside Aloy on top of the Alight really pulls the “All of the Tribes Working as One” thing into more focus; she’s the Carja ally we would be missing without the Lodge quests.

I’d also really like to see Vanasha’s quests, since they’re just so RIP-ROARING cool, and because taking away Itamen and Nasadi and killing off Bahavas (I try very hard not to sing Kokomo in my head every time I type his name) puts the Eclipse in a desperate position, and gives them a real reason to go balls to the wall and fling everything they’ve got at Meridian in the final act.

And I would absolutely like to see Frozen Wilds tackled, despite it being DLC; Aratak and Ourea’s quest line at LEAST.

Basically, the Big Ones. The ones that feature characters who returned in Forbidden West. Who returned in Forbidden West for a reason; because we fell for them so hard the first time around.

There’s so many side quests and characters that I love so much, but that I think, unfortunately, wouldn’t translate well. My guy Brin comes to mind; there’s no real good place to put him into the story for TV, sadly.

Ah, well… that just means he’s all ours >:)

[papirouge]

you are right, "woke" has truly lost all meaning as a term... one of my new favorite games has a very basic and positive message to it but because the localization inserted some nonsense about a nonbinary character it got labeled as "woke SJW trash" even tho the rest of the script is pretty accurate to the original Japanese

I also saw comments about how just including a gay relationship in this game is "agenda-pushing" like I really don't get that tbqh. it just reminded me of people complaining that the new Zelda game is "woke" because it has a few characters who aren't lily white and Zelda has short hair lmao

LMAO Dying at the "woke" Zelda bc some characters are Black. Isn't that a fantasy game? like, with magic, talking trees, trolls and shit but Black people existing is a reach?? (they did the same for Lord of the Rings TV show)

I think the reluctance of these folks to see non White people in fantasy content is bc White people want to gatekeep fantasy as a 'White only' genre. Which is funny because White people have no problem reappropriating foreign genre for their own gain 🙃

Funny how these woke hunter always forget those Hollywood movies adaptation of foreign stories where the studio ALWAYS need to shove a WHITE hero for some reason or purposely use a story where a White character can outshine others?

Remember the samurai movie with Tom Cruise? 7 years in Tibet? Also Mulan love interest was supposed to be a White man initially, but people complained and it's been scrubbed off. There are whole think piece exposing how the Whites LOVE inserting themselves into POC stories to elevate themselves as heroes. Even woke storyline don't go that far with their non White characters ; they are always confined as side kick and minimum screetime (is it true that all the dark skin characters of the house of dragon ended up dying after the first season?? lmaoooo)

And I always said that the issue wasn't non White people being shoved in "White people story" because when Black Panther happened their were still mad and were seething about that movie catering to Blacks (but don't you dare saying movies featuring mostly White people are catering to White, it will make you an awful wokester lmao). Whites will always feel entitled for other races to relate to their stories, but never the other way around. There's a post floating around cathblr with Catholics raving about Arabs discovering the Lord of The Ring and enjoying it a lot. And I couldn't help but think: would those catholics turn the favor and rave about an Arab movie with islamist undertones...? 🙃 lmao.... Those people are soooooo transparent 💀

Everything is woke if you try hard enough, anyway. Scrotes are seething because they consider some video game female characters are purposely made ugly (like Aloy from Horizon Dawn. A scrote was coping bc the mocap actress was much more beautiful and he couldn't wrap his hand as of why they would change her face to make her look more 'rough' ...when he's just too stupid to grasp that this choice is actually pretty coherent with the storyline since homegirl is nomad WARRIOR.).

I also remember when they made a revamp of Mortal Kombat chara design and changed characters body proportion to become more realistic, scrotes got mad lmao It's hilarious how they think they're really doing something 'counter-culture' but they only show how porn fried they are. There's no way to think this

...is better than that

Btw, all those ANTI praising Japan for being anti woke are up to a very hard wake up call. Many japanese celebrities are vocal LGBT+ supporters, a significant amount of online stars are gay/queer (Ryuchell, Peey, Kemio...). Even recently a member of AAA (a famous pop band) came out as gay 😬 there's a huuuuge push for LGBT visibility into the Japan entertainment right now, so it's obvious they have no idea of what they're talking about... The other day on Twitter I've seen a post summing up why Western conservartard scrotes love Japan

This post was in a thread about nuclear bomb and American burgers saying it was oKay tO kIlLs thOusaNd of CivIlIanS bEcAuse jApan wEre tHe bAd GuYs 🤡

The USA humiliated Japan in the non threatening " tech/anime obsessed pacifists". Unlike other countries that still have a minimum of pride and honour, Japan doesn't remind the USA how bad they are and the unchecked harm they done to them. They are also completely economically submitted to the USA (there are still American base out there.....). So the USA give them a cookie and constantly elevate them as the perfect non White country 🙃

[tjerra14]

WIP Whenever

Thanks for the tag, @foibles-fables!

Excerpt from a canon-but-slightly-to-the-left Aloy/Ikrie fic exploring more of Ikrie’s background, while also making up a whole lot of stuff for the Banuk. Started to work on this one almost a year ago, but I’m only just now getting around to actually continuing and hopefully finishing it!

There’s two Stalkers down by Longnotch, she had said, stripping a Grazer corpse of its canisters and discarding a cracked one, blaze leaving yellow stains on the ground. They’ve got a few hunters already, Aratak says. Do you want to come with?

Longnotch is far, further than you usually roam. With her, the distance passes unnoticed.

Same as the bird’s song, your non-committal pleasantries—impressive work with those antlers, I would’ve shot them to scrap—fade into the twilight as you walk, cede to steady breaths and the soft mechanical whirring of the Charger following in your tracks. The quiet poses the questions that are still trapped against your lips: how have you been and where are you going and what’s with that cut on your cheek, are you alright; and the one that’s the most pressing of them all, how long will you stay?

Even unheard, they won’t go unanswered. Patience will provide what her words do not: another smile, perhaps, a shrug; late-night campfire stories and then one day all too soon, always too soon, the coldness of her absence like a winter’s breeze.

But for now, she’s here. She’s yours, as much as she will ever be—a huntress seeking the help of another, a temporary companion for a road you walk because she asked you to. Someone you only know how to let go, with no way to tell if she will return. Such is the way of your heart: it seeks what it can’t have—acceptance, belonging, love—in the unlikeliest places, hoping against hope that for once, it will be different. Maybe this time, it won’t be just about putting down some Stalkers.

Maybe this time, she’ll stay.

There is no doubt that she won’t. Is this love, you wonder, watching her silhouette darken with the dying light. Do I love you, Aloy?

And if you did, shouldn’t you leave her as far behind as possible? Save yourself—save her—the pain. After all, there is nothing else you have to offer.

If you see this and feel like sharing your WIP, please consider yourself tagged!

[owlswatch]

Another one for the one word prompt (if you wanna): 39. — prescient

Even after Aloy scrubbed herself clean, after Thebes she couldn’t stop feeling a phantom film of ash or sweat or blood. She stood by the food stores in the base and couldn’t move, couldn’t decide where to move. Remember that cleansing, poisoning fire that burnt up what Ted Faro became? The heat of it made the ceremonial clothes (like the Matriarch’s, like the moment of exile) burn against her skin. Remember Ceo’s expression before he died, the ruddiness of his skin? 

Ted Faro had been alive. He had been alive the entire time. Aloy flattened her palms against the cool counter. Zo’s herbs hang drying behind it like nothing had changed. Something was very wrong about that. 

Soft footsteps interrupted what threatened to become a blank paralysis. Varl padded to the corner of the counter and met her eyes.

The Metal Devil is real, Aloy wanted to say. That Nora name was convenient shorthand, but not accurate at all. Faro himself wasn't the Nora's devil, and Aloy had heard the stories first the night before her Proving. They hadn't been baked into her as a child. She hadn't believed.

Her terror was from the old world, not the Nora. Faro’s life horrified her so much because he had been right. He’d seen a future where he lived, although not in any sense of the word either his or Aloy’s world had known. Ted Faro’s plan had worked. Horrible. He had been in there burning while Aloy’s name had bounced off All-Mother Mountain, while she had explored the ruins under Sunfall, while she had pulled dying words out of HADES, while she had met GAIA for the first time, while she had — everything. Everything. 

Whatever Varl saw in her expression, he opened his arms.

Aloy let him hold her. She slumped almost as limp as Beta had been in his arms, nuzzling against the boar fur at his shoulder. It smelled like Rost’s clothes had. She couldn't stand to show her fear as long as Beta did. 

(Faro had extended his life and made sure he could kill everyone else with the snap of a finger — )

With the sense of waking up from a nightmare, Aloy steadied herself on Varl’s arm. She was more comfortable with a hunter’s clasp, wrist to wrist, than with the surrender of the embrace. 

“What’s wrong?” Varl’s voice was soft.

“Faro was alive. He was still down there, in Thebes. The Quen dug it all up. We thought it was just a ruin. But there was something — he was alive, Varl.”

“There really was a devil down there.” His tone was still soft. Aloy looked down at the armor over his forearm. Maybe on another day or in another year the words would have bit at her. She felt the echo of teeth. But coming from him, now, she knew he had reconciled his feelings about Nora spirituality. And hadn’t he encouraged Sona to break taboo back at the very beginning when the Eclipse oilers were fortifying ruins in Nora territory? Varl had always been both devout and flexible.

Aloy shivered. “A person. And the worst thing about it is that I didn’t know. All that time …”

"How?"

"Machines, medicine. A doctor he threatened unless he treated only him." "Aloy, that's ... horrible. Disgusting."

"I was so ..." She didn't want to say 'scared.'

“You felt ambushed, right? But there was no way for anyone to know.”

And that’s what I hate, she almost said. Except that it sounded too much like Sylens, battering at doors that weren’t his to open. She was trying to be less like him. 

Except that Faro might have wanted to make the whole Earth into that kill-switched house if he’d just been conscious enough to do it. All the while Aloy was walking past the wreckage of Corruptors in fields of pink and yellow flowers, Faro was still dreaming of the kind of obsessive control that had lead to those machines destroying the world in the first place, if he had enough mind left to dream. Enough mind yet to see and shape the future.

She took a deep breath. Clutched Varl’s arm again and let go. 

“I know,” she said. “Thank you.” 

His nod had some hesitation in it. He'd be digesting the knowledge himself. Maybe she'd direct him to Alva. For now, he helped her think of the flowers more than the machines.

[huntinglove]

Hi Ghosty. I have a couple questions about your tags. I’m on the mobile version of tumblr. Do I have to add the heart or star on the tags in order to blacklist them? If so, how do I add the heart or star to the tag, are those emojis? Sorry if this is obvious 😅

No need to apologize at all nonny!! They're not emojis, they're text symbols! I understand it can be hard to type it because of that so I'll add the symbols I use right here I really hope this helps 💙💙💙

For fandoms -> ❧

For miscellaneous tags -> ✯

For selfships -> ❥

❧ ✯ ❥

Under the cut are all of my current tags, please copy anything you need to blacklist! (Also, when you do so, please remove the parenthesis () or square brackets []!)

Fandoms:

❧ tawog

❧ toh

❧ welcome home

❧ animal crossing

❧ black butler

❧ demon slayer

Tags:

✯ lovely asks (nice asks)

✯ how bothersome (anon hate)

✯ dreaming near the stars (imagines)

✯ homely ships (my ships)

✯ wonderful ships (friends/mutuals' ships)

✯ i hope you'll smile (memes/positivity)

✯ here's a question (polls)

✯ living and creating (art/edits)

✯ let me tell you a story (writing)

✯ let me know what i can do (ask memes)

✯ oh my (nsft, if you're a minor please blacklist this tag!)

✯ let's get serious (discourse)

✯ undead ramblings (random)

✯ speaking from the grave (vent)

✯ recovery break (queue)

✯ my heart sings (playlists)

✯ a ship has sailed (things I ship)

✯ a heart full of love (gushing)

✯ welcome to the turned mansion (turned mansion original universe)

✯ ghosty's mail (submissions)

✯ sweet little heart (age regression)

✯ reanimated dove (dark imagines) Selfships:

❥ golden heart (Hunter)

❥ my emperor (Belos)

❥ let's duet (Raine)

❥ i'm already cursed (Eda)

❥ playing together (Collector)

❥ cat lovers unite (Amity)

❥ two dorks against the world (Edric)

❥ devil eyes (Bump)

❥ when does a man become a monster (Viktor Arcane)

❥ stalking the stalker (Yoonbum)

❥ dreaming on the rails (Enmu)

❥ set my heart ablaze (Zuko)

❥ bunny on ice! (Yuuri)

❥ building our own world (Tadano)

❥ you make my heart bloop (Zucker)

❥ the puppet and their lover (Donna)

❥ two halves of the same coin (Tenebris)

❥ when does a man become a monster? (Viktor)

❥ guarding chaos (Nathan & Cleo)

❥ love with a dash of poison (Gyutaro)

❥ emotions greater than words (Kyogai)

❥ the ghoul and the reaper (Grell)

❥ ghastly knock out! (K.O)

❥ turbo hauntings (T.K.O)

❥ my one true ruler (White Diamond)

❥ the love virus (Ashton)

❥ the sun sets over the ocean (Tanjiro)

❥ death can't do us part (Emily)

❥ special lover's discount (Howdy)

❥ you make my heart smile (Barnaby)

❥ welcome home my love (Wally)

❥ you make hell feel divine (Stolas)

❥ the duality of love (Todoroki)

❥ snoozing together (Beau)

❥ naps and kisses (Sherb)

❥ a ghost and a half (Napstabot)

❥ a laugh for a kiss (Undertaker)

❥ cultist royalty (Douma)

❥ forgive me father (Muzan)

❥ us against all else (Alois)

❥ glistening on the battlefield (Bismuth)

❥ bonely hearts (Sans)

❥ at the center of the ring (Joker)