#the only other character that gets close to it (for me) is kotallo

[phanthief]

too lazy to download the screenshots since no one gives a shit anyway but when you sit at varl's grave and the prompt to get up only says 'farewell'......now tell me why do i cry every time i see it...

[robinpixels]

Have you ever thought about how much worse the dynamic between Beta and the Zeniths are, when you do up the timeline and realize she could be as young as fourteen/fifteen? In no way a developed socially adept child because she grew up with freaking holograms and had no positive physical contact?

If you ignore the age bit. Beta probably only knows physical touch through the Specters and maybe some robotics around the ship. The first time she has physical contact that’s nice isn’t even from Aloy. It’s from Varl. And then he gets brutalized and she has no one to hug her or pull her close because Aloy is also socially inept (and possibly 19/20). Zo is trying to deal with the loss of not only the guy she liked but her baby’s dad. The others aren’t even sure how to connect. Though Erend might cause he’s a sibling.

But just. Does anyone else realize how traumatized Beta actually is and how much worse it is for her?

Opinion or your own thoughts? Cause this has me very concerned for how Beta could be mentally for the next game.

oh hello!! haha, god its been so long since i've put my hzd/hfw thinking cap on but i love chattin' shop and opinions and i've a few to toss around

to start around my thoughts personally i've always interpreted beta from the time we know her to be about 18! not from any hard concrete evidence, so this is definitely not a correction, i just gleaned so from initial impressions and from a personal bias in my head how its quite poetic to me if Aloy were staring back at someone that could resemble a version of herself back when she first started her journey. Then lending to her personal frustration when said mirror doesn't in actuality resemble her (or Lis, in her view) at all. its even more devastating to me in this sense too 'cuz what she could have had as a 'childhood' is essentially already all gone. but yeah, long story short - while if i'm honest i don't think she's a child anymore, she is definitely very much so floundering and struggling in her young adulthood (i still stand by how she's depicted in False Negative, like that's just Her to me, Tessa u absolute wonder u).

god, ur probably right about her not having positive physical contact all this time - either violence or nothing up until the point she meets the GAIA squad. the concept of the bond beta and varl could have had always makes me SO sad to think about, it could have been so good, and personally it does frustrate me how they never leaned more into it to the detriment of both varl and beta. they could've had such a beautiful meaningful friendship (please pardon 'Ro is Annoyed at How Varl was Treated as a Character In-Story, Part Infinity, but this does touch upon it). It's undeniable she's been through a whole hell of a lot in that brief span of time she was on Earth and away from the Zeniths - the whole crew has, and as trauma does it's definitely gonna leave them all scrambling.

but in my wholesale opinion i gently pat ur head and assure you she will probably be alright at the end of the day! while FW was imo incredibly garbled in its delivery in places it does make clear that coming together to form a community to withhold against adversity is the goal here, and one everybody at Base recognizes and I feel are making great strides to get there! i have faith in this motley crew - Alva is Alva, bubbly and cooperative as ever; Kotallo's stoic but incredibly warm and well-meaning; Erend is Erend, he's always been good to his friends; Zo as an Utaru probably knows better than anyone the importance of community support and cooperation. as for Aloy i think she's taken that good bopping to the head in regards to learning to depend on people and letting people depend on her - she's got a lot of solitude issues herself as is to be expected but it really did warm me seeing how she's trying to get over them for the sake of everyone around her, and is enjoying finally leaning on that community too. my most precious babygirl. i'm very proud of her

i'm absolutely positive beta is in astoundingly good hands - they're all in astoundingly good hands w one another! it's been so cute to me how post game you can tell she's starting to heal and engage with others, just how the team had done before and after her. While absolutely I think they're all going to have their missteps and stresses and maybe a falling out here or there as they try and adjust, I honestly think the horizon series is at its core all about having compassion and care for your fellow man (albeit taking no shit from them at the same time) and the world you live in, so I doubt any of them will even accidentally leave Beta behind. she's got a sister, a mom, and a wholeass family now!! i adore how all the post-game content has been beta shyly but slowly but surely getting better, determined as she is to contribute the ways she can now.

hahaskdaflj; you were probably expecting an angstier response out of me and oh believe me i love the angst!! but i also have such a soft spot for when horizon goes all Indomitable Human Spirit on us it makes me go all gooey. i think the kids will be alright <3

on a funnier note to an extent i believe in beta precisely BECAUSE she's already a little unhinged. girl came in with the box already banged up and inherently fucked up. yeah miss beta 'let me just knock myself out cold and tear this implant directly out of my head that'll thwart em' sobeck will fit right alongside that hall of madness now known as Base GAIA she'll do just fine and dandy. i've gotten such a taste for unhinged sapphics lately and when horizon delivers it DELIVERS

[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 

[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 🥲)

[pikapeppa]

Kotaloy Celebration Week, Day #4: Rude

Day 4 prompts: wild/dangerous/feral, or ravenous/desperate/“I can’t get enough of you”. I'm a smut goblin so I used them all. 😂👹

The whole piece is ~12k words; only an excerpt is here. Read the rest on AO3.

**************

Kotallo landed his Sunwing on the tower of the tallest ruin north of Hidden Ember, then dismounted and stretched as he surveyed the landscape. 

It was early afternoon: a blazingly sunny day, as usual. From this height, he could see straight across the ruins of old Las Vegas to Hidden Ember itself. The settlement’s immense holograms weren’t visible yet because of the height of the sun, but Kotallo didn’t mind; he wasn’t here to admire the Visions of the Desert today.

He was here for her. He was here to enjoy a few stolen hours of Aloy’s time between his duties and her own, and he couldn’t wait for her to arrive.

He unhitched his bedroll and a saddlebag from his Sunwing, then fondly patted its neck before making his way down the stairs that led from the tower’s roof to the inside of the tower itself. This ruin was shaped almost like a Tenakth guardtower: its tall slender base was topped with a large shelter that was open on all sides and topped with the roof where his Sunwing was roosting now. Aloy had told him that this shelter used to have floor-to-ceiling windows to protect the Old Ones from the elements, which Kotallo thought was strange; it was common knowledge that fresh air was essential for keeping the lungs healthy and strong, so he wasn’t sure why the Old Ones would have wanted to seal themselves into a shelter with no way to access the open air. 

In any case, there were no windows now, and a welcome breeze was blowing through the shelter and wicking some of the sweat from his skin. The roof overhead provided a blessed reprieve from the sun, and the interior of this shelter was dotted with tables and chairs, as well as an empty space on the floor that was wide enough for Kotallo’s spread-out bedroll. 

He surveyed the inside of the shelter with satisfaction. Aloy’s suggestion had been a good one; this was an excellent place for a long-awaited afternoon tryst.

At the mere thought of a tryst with Aloy, his cock began to stiffen. He tsked quietly at himself. “Have some restraint,” he muttered, and he started rolling out the bedroll.

In truth, he was quite close to the end of his restraint. He hadn’t masturbated for almost a week now, all because he’d foolishly agreed to a cheeky challenge from Aloy.

It had all started with an innocuous comment on her part while they’d been chatting via the Focus a week ago; Aloy had remarked that she was going to wear her Lowland armour when she went to help Alva with something out at Legacy’s Landfall. 

“Hm,” Kotallo said.

“What?” she said. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

“I have… concerns about the idea.”

“Oh? What are your concerns?”

“That the Quen may break their necks upon your arrival at Landfall’s Legacy.”

“Break their necks? Why would they break their necks?”

“From whipping around too quickly to stare at you as you pass them by.”

For a moment, she was silent. Then she scoffed. “You are not serious.”

He huffed in amusement, and she let out an incredulous laugh. “Okay. Who are you, and what have you done with Kotallo? Did Drakka body-swap with you or something?”

“Body-swap?” he said. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a thing that happened in some ancient vids,” Aloy said. “Beta and Alva told me about it. Two characters would switch bodies so they had to learn what it was like to live each other’s lives.”

He was confused. “They did this on purpose?”

“No. I don’t think so, at least. From what I understand, it was usually because of some strange magical reason. Alva said it was a… ‘trope’? Anyway, we’re going off-topic.”

He smirked. “The topic being what, exactly?”

“The fact that you just used the lamest pick-up line on me,” she said. “Tell me the truth, did Drakka put you up to that? Have you been spending too much time at Scalding Spear recently?”

He grunted. “I’m offended that you think I couldn’t come up with such a remark on my own.”

“I don’t think it’s something you should be offended about,” she said dryly.

“Hm,” he said, amused. “In any case, my point was this: that backless Lowland armour makes you look even more attractive than you already are. You may find your mission with Alva interrupted by endless Quen propositions if you wear that armour among them.”

She clicked her tongue. “You make it sound like it’s unusual for me to be propositioned by random strangers while I’m just trying to get things done.”

“Fair enough,” he conceded. “Then I rescind my concerns. Wear your Lowland armour with my blessings.”

“Thanks,” she said, in a tone that reminded him fondly of her sweetest and most acidic smile.

He smiled faintly as he settled back on his bedroll and folded his arm behind his head. “I will imagine you fondly in that armour when you set out for Landfall’s Legacy.”

“You will, huh?”

“Yes. I miss that armour.”

“You miss it?”

“I do. I only had the privilege of stripping it off of you twice before.”

She let out another little laugh. “Fire and spit.”

“What?”

“You’re really, um…” She lowered her voice. “You’re really horny tonight, huh?”

She wasn’t wrong; his cock was hard from the memory of Aloy wearing that backless Lowland top of hers. But he was in the mood to taunt her tonight. “What makes you think that?”

“You’re being really, um, forward,” she said.

“I am always forward with you,” he pointed out.

“I know,” she said. “But you’re more… I don’t know.”

She sounded a little shy now, a little coy, and it softened his mood just slightly. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s not that,” she said quickly. “It’s just, um…” She trailed off.

“What’s the matter?” he said gently.

She was silent for a long second. Then she let her breath out in a sigh. “It’s hard to take when I don’t know when I’ll see you next.”

His heart squeezed with fondness. “We have done this before, Aloy. We will be together soon enough.”

“It might be more than a week, based on what Alva’s telling me about this data she wants to find,” she warned.

“Then I will wait more than a week,” he said simply. “This waiting is worth it when you are the reward.”

She let out another soft exhale: a slightly-shaky one that sent another swell of heat to his cock. “Okay. You’re right. Okay. Wait, when you say you’ll wait… what do you mean, you’ll wait?”

He was a little confused. “I mean just that. I’ll wait for you for as long as it takes for you to return.”

“Oh,” she said. “Yeah, okay. I thought you meant… something else. Never mind.”

“What did you think I meant?”

“I thought you meant you weren’t going to…” She lowered her voice again. “That you weren’t going to masturbate until we saw each other again.”

He huffed in amusement. “That is not what I meant, no.”

“No, of course. Right.”

Her tone was curled with humour now, which piqued his curiosity. “What are you thinking now?”

“You won’t like it,” she said.

He quirked a brow. “Tell me what you were thinking, Aloy.”

He heard a soft huff of laughter. “I was thinking of a challenge, but… no, you won’t like it.”

A challenge? he thought with interest. “Tell me the challenge.”

“Okay, fine, but just remember that you asked for it,” she said. “I challenge you not to masturbate until we see each other again.”

He blinked. “Until—? But we don’t know how long that will be.”

“I know,” she said. “I told you you wouldn’t like it.”

He glanced down at his hard cock with some dismay. He’d been planning to masturbate as soon as they finished their Focus call. Then Aloy spoke again. “It’s okay. It’s a difficult challenge, so you don’t have to accept it.”

He frowned. “Are you calling my warrior’s honour into question?”

“No, of course not.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Your tone would say otherwise.”

She laughed again: a soft, husky laugh that sent a fresh wave of heat through his blood. “Uh-huh. Well, I can’t force you to accept a challenge, so—”

“I accept your challenge,” he interrupted.

“Wait, really?” she exclaimed.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Which means that you are now bound to the same challenge. Do you accept?”

“Do I—? I mean, yeah, sure. I don’t think it’ll be difficult for me.”

He grunted. She really was trying to goad him. “Not difficult? You think this will be easy?”

“I kind of do, yeah. I already haven’t — I mean, it’s already been a few days for me. I don’t think it’ll be hard for me to hold off for another week or more.”

“Good for you,” he retorted. “Then be certain that you do not imagine how hard I am right now as I imagine you in that Lowland armour of yours.”

She laughed again: a distinctly breathless laugh. “You and the Lowland armour.”

“No, you” he said. “You in that Lowland armour while I slowly strip you out of it. While I slowly push your legs apart so I can see exactly what I will be rewarding myself with when this challenge is through.”

She huffed. “You’re… such a piece of work.” 

“I could say the same for you.” 

She tsked. “I’m going to sleep now.”

“As will I,” he said. Then he purposely lowered his voice to a growly register that he knew she liked. “Be careful not to dream of my tongue between your legs, licking up all of those sweet juices until you’re begging me to mark you as mine.”

She exhaled again — that sweet exhale of desire. “Bye, Kotallo,” she said roughly, and she was gone. 

And so began a week during which he and Aloy mutually tortured each other via their Focuses every night. Their nightly calls started off innocently enough, but their conversations were so thick and taut with the knowledge of Aloy’s carnal challenge that they inevitably segued into what he and Aloy dubbed ‘suggestive talk’: taunting suggestions of what they would do with each other when they were finally together again. There was one night when he could have sworn that she was touching herself while he described how deeply he was going to sink his fingers inside of her when they were reunited, but she’d sworn that she wasn’t, and he had no choice but to believe her.

In retrospect, this was a foolish challenge: one where neither of them had any way of proving that they’d stuck to the terms. They could only take each other at their word that they’d adhered to the rules of the challenge. But a challenge was worth nothing if a soldier’s code of honour couldn’t be assumed, and Kotallo stubbornly adhered to that honour, even as his appetite for Aloy grew hotter and greedier with every passing day. 

And now, here they were: on the cusp of finally being reunited, and on breaking the dam of stubbornness and soldiers’ honour that had stopped each of them from finding their pleasure despite the exquisite torture they’d inflicted on each other via their Focuses this week. Kotallo was ready, his cock rock-hard with a lust that had been denied for far too long as he awaited a call from Aloy telling him that she was on her way. 

He tried to distract himself as he waited. He smoothed out his bedroll, and he used a length of bandage-cloth and some water to wipe some of the desks and chairs clean. But he couldn’t deny the fact that he was cleaning the furniture in case Aloy wanted to be fucked on it. By the time the shelter was sufficiently tidy and readied for a tryst, Aloy still hadn’t called, and Kotallo was getting impatient. 

Keep your restraint, he told himself harshly. He pulled off his chestplate so the desert breeze could cool his sweat, then smoothed his palm over his hair. He needed to be patient and disciplined for just a little while longer. When Aloy arrived, he could finally unleash all of his pent-up frustration and desire, but until then, he needed to keep his Ten-forsaken restraint.

He sat on his bedroll and opened his holo display to search for something to look at. He opened all sorts of files: holos of Metal versus Meat, Quen recipes that Alva had transcribed, data about HEPHAESTUS that Beta and Sylens had uploaded over the past couple of weeks. He even tried listening to Concrete Beach Party at a loud volume, since it was effective at pulling his attention away from his burning muscles when he was working out. But nothing he found was able to keep his attention. His mind kept returning to Aloy, to his memories of her voice, her teasing words as she taunted him through the Focus by forcing him to imagine the things she would do to him if they were together—

He stood up from the bedroll and began to pace. Be patient and calm, he scolded himself. Hold on to your discipline for just a little while longer. He just hoped she would call him soon to say she was on her way, or he was going to snap when she arrived. Oh, was he ever going to snap: he was going to sink his fingers into her hair and pull her head back and bite her throat, or he was going to push her down on the bedroll and bury his face between her legs, or… by the Ten, if she didn’t call him soon, he was going to meet her on the roof when she arrived and start stripping her before she could even get inside of this shelter. He would stand up there on the roof under the brilliant sun, baring her cream-and-golden skin so he could stare at her and touch her and lick her until she was sobbing his name…

The Ten fucking save him from himself, his cock was throbbing. He exhaled hard and punched his metal fist into his palm to distract himself as he paced around. Be patient, Kotallo, he thought. You need to keep this hunger in check.

For just a little while longer, he needed to be fucking patient.

Read the rest here on AO3!

[snorkeldays]

Okay time for me to return the question because now I'm curious!! :3 What is your favorite Horizon tribe and why? ^^

whuh oh this one is gonna be HARD

i like the Nora, objectively—their system of braves, and how they select them through the proving, is REALLY cool to me, and i like how they “justify” their choice to stay in the valley because they have to stay within all-mother’s sight. that said, its interesting to see how they interact with a “higher being” of their own invention. it isn’t the sun, like the carja, or the blue light in the Banuk, but it’s something that gives them solace in how they understand the world. the mountain gave them life, and so the mountain will continue to give them life, right? that’s their thinking, and i think it is super interesting because it’s a parallel to the garden of Eden, but, at the same time, if eve never ate the apple, she wouldn’t never realized the truth of sin, similar to how the Nora will never realize the truth of the old world bcus their beliefs just don’t accommodate it

THAT ALL SAID, i also really like the tenakth. the flight museum wings of the ten thing was a little odd for me, because the museum is so local to one region and the tenakth are the biggest tribe we’ve seen so far, and so their religious beliefs are a little lost on me when compared to how much i like and understand the Nora, but the tenakth are my kind of characters personally—they have that flavor of fighting spirit that i love seeing in characters and fiction, and that I love writing and drawing about. that fighting spirit is so—

man. It’s so raw to me, because the tenakth will never back down from what they believe in, and they’ll fight for what they love and what they want to protect. i love that. the physicality of it, the fact they aren’t willing to throw themselves in the fire of conflict, and that even their leaders will do it—unlike the carja, the tenakth are on equal footing when it comes to being soldiers. they view one another as other soldiers, as other fighters who deserve respect and honor. i love that they wear makeup and tattoos to remember their trials and their errors and their victories. i like how they teach bravery. ofc, i don’t agree with all their ideas—wounded soldiers being “useless,” and whatnot, is all very icky to me personally, but I like that the tenakth who get hurt don’t take it as a “im helpless,” they take it as a “this is another challenge I can rise up to.” Kotallo is a prime example of that, and i love him for it

and the different clans within the tribes are so cool. I like that they have little “state” governments to govern smaller sections of their areas, because a single ruler can’t possibly account for all the needs a specific clan needs. it’s refreshing to see, especially since the carja are So Damn Divided on what they want all the time because avad is only one man trying to rule a massive area. the carja kingdom and the tenakth territory aren’t so different in size, and that’s why the tenakth are so much better off politically instead of starting red raids every few years. a little self governance doesn’t hurt, and it’s nice to see it take place in the horizon world tbh, and it’s nice to see that, for the most part, it works for the tenakth. as soldiers, they know what they need, and they don’t take excess—they don’t conquer even if they *could,* but they defend and protect and provide and that is invaluable to them as a culture and as a people

also, tenakth as the name is very close to tenacity. i like words and i think that’s cool :3

[xxbloop-meep14]

Alright I love horizon both games are fantastic, but I have a lot of thoughts so why not share them here, I think zero dawn is better then forbidden west, zero dawns story was awesome, about a girl who grew up as an outcast tries to fit in with a tribe only to find out her story is bigger then that, so she explores for her mother, and its just a huge story that is easy to get invested in, but not only is the main story interesting the side quests are interesting as well, the character design is awesome every character is written well in my opinion, and the main characters are also so likeable especially varl he's so awesome and sweet, him and Aloy are besties nothing else I swear, I also think he really helps Aloy tells her to give herself a break, now i'm gonna take a bigger dive in characters.

VARL. my boy is precious he's so great he's sweet funny so caring, and plain just loveable, he's so sweet to Aloy always sicks by her side no matter what, even through all the crazy shit, he's gets use to a focus for her he stays even when Aloy snaps at him, he makes sure Aloy isn't putting the world on her shoulders even though it is, he lets her talk about rost and beta and Elisabet and about the zeniths, he has to be the best character.

EREND. ok I like him I do he's funny and stuff but fuck people ruined him for me, like your allowed to ship whoever you like yes but god I just hate that ship, Aloy and erend bleh gross NASTY. I don't know what it is it just annoys me so much. but he's a decent character but like I said the ship ruined him for me I literally ignore him in the game because all I see is the ship, its actually funny how much it bothers me.

KOTALLO. again the same thing happened people ship him and Aloy bro no come on he sees Aloy as a leader not a fucking girlfriend, but he's decent and funny he's adorable sometimes, I like how he doesn't wear his metal arm because he's accepted who he is I thought that was nice, I like how he's just a quiet dude he likes fighting and helping he's pretty sweet I like him I just hate the ship between Aloy and him please no.

ZO. bro she's awesome her and varl are adorable, I find it funny how she beats up erend, she's also really caring, my favourite moment between Aloy and zo is when Aloy is so puzzled when zo mourns for a machine that tried to kill them, she's pretty epic.

ALVA. alright she's cute she's just awkward and a nerd very likeable, she's smart and funny, weirdly I don't have many opinions on her I just think she a decent character.

TILDA. bro is interesting I swear she's just has so much trauma and so many issues most abandonment issues I don't think she's actually a bad person I think she's just kinda messed up and is scared I don't know.

ok i'm done with characters sorry I'm blanking ANYWAY.

I like forbidden west but sometimes its to much you know its fun the story is decent but its just to bloody much its kinda all over the place like the blight and then the zeniths random death you know it feels like its trying a tad bit hard, but I still like it, it can definitely be tedious at times but what game isn't tedious be real, and I like all the new characters but I don't fully understand why we got so many new ones, I feel like the game was really good when it was just Aloy and two other people but I like the idea of Aloy on her own and I understand its not great to be alone she needs company which I agree its good to have companions. but I just felt it was a good story like a girl on her own with all this responsibility she struggles but finds her way through you know I don't know I actually think its harder for Aloy with so many people around her because if she messes up she'll let down the world and her close friends so she tries harder which isn't so great because she's just adding more on her shoulders.

now one more character dive.

ALOY. Aloy is the best character ever. she's so strong and funny smart and just amazing, like I said I love the whole story of her saving the world going through countless things to get what she wants and needs, I think she wants to be alone because that's how she grew up alone she had rost but he was cold and I think she struggles with her friends because she just doesn't understand she does eventually get use to it but still I do believe she just wants to be alone and that's why she's out all the time yeah she goes out to get stuff but I think she also does it to get away from people in the base even though you control her I feel like she's just in and then out immediately she's always on her feet, she cares about people a lot but I think in the back of her mind she's still the little outcast who kids ran away from so instead of people running from her she runs away from them, but she doesn't notice this.

anyway I'm done hope you enjoyed my random thoughts and could relate to what I think. Thank you for reading :]

-Meep

[diviner-alva]

You guys know what? Something I noticed and just love is that even if Kotallo is the only one at the base Beta doesn't mention talking to (that made me sad but understandable he's pretty scary and serious) he and Beta have a lot of intricate things? Let me elaborate: twice in the game an npc says to Aloy she can't save the world on her own, and the scenes that followed the statements were the introductions of both characters.

Kotallo show up seconds after Fashav says "A task so important and it's just the two of you? Take it from someone who aspires to be a diplomat, allies are essential". The camera focus completely on him they were not subtle, and we just get him so much later in the game too.

Beta appears minutes after Sylens says at the proving lab "Maybe saving the world is too big a task for any one person, even you", then Aloy finds MINERVA and replies "Still think I can't save the world on my own?" then again seconds later Beta appears on screen. Also the camera closes up on her like when it did in Kotallo's introduction.

But what I noticed is that they were hostile with Aloy at first, they weren't on the best of terms. Kotallo was frustrated with (everything actually) having to escort an outlander to his homeland to deal with the commander that exiled him. Beta is frustrated with Aloy's lack of progress and she panicked fearing she would be captured again. Not to mention they three share similar backstory and traumas, isolation, being sneered at by other people, shunned, stared at, being the object of other people's disgust... we all know the angst very well (Kotallo has a plus with Aloy, the Embassy was the Proving 2.0)

And I noticed indirectly how Kotallo and Beta are connected to a few things about Aloy, the introductions, trauma and backstory. But now you see, Beta gave Aloy the sunwing override, the one she used to save the tenakth and fly on the wings of the ten which made Kotallo be just in awe because he imagined this feat since he was a child. If he ever gets to fly on one would be something of extreme significance for him. But this wasn't even the primordial thing, it was the attack at the Zenith base, they only got their army because Kotallo blew up the regulator so Beta could inject HEPHAESTUS into the printer matrix. Without them they probably wouldn't have survived the Zenith base with the overwhelming amount of specter drones.

And what's amazing is how they grow, how Aloy help them to have confidence in themselves and how they are helping Aloy to rely on others. Kotallo learns to just be himself even after creating the mechanical arm, he wants Aloy there to test it with him. Beta at GEMINI did so much to capture HEPHAESTUS and Aloy gave her the confidence to do it. It's easy to see later how Aloy admires and trust both of them, the plan she made with Beta and Kotallo is the ultimate proof of that. There's also these beautiful exchanges they have with her:

K: I do not know what you have planned, but it doesn't matter. All that remains is to follow you to the end, whatever that may be.

A: Thank you, Kotallo. I'm glad all this brought us together.

K: You brought us together. And I'm grateful too.

*Focus recording at the basement*

B: Thank you, Aloy. You've been my shelter. And I would risk it all again to be by your side.

A: I'm sorry Beta, but I'm getting you back no matter what.

And also! With Beta, Aloy won't feel pressured into living up to Elisabet, which gave her so many fucking anxiety amongst other issues, she can be her own person and learn how to be herself (see what Kotallo said after the arm? "The rest of the time, I will simply be myself"). And let's say here that Kotallo is one of the few to now put Aloy on a pedestal, he minds his words with her, after she flew he told her how he felt instead of saying she was a deity (and even that made her a little uncomfortable). But let's mention that she doesn't mind the trophies he puts at the base of their victories together, she also didn't seem bothered when he defended her in front of Tekotteh.

I just like to think of how they are extremely important in the game, I just love so much this subtle things and yes I am using that as a reason to believe they won't die in the next game okay? I think they are one of the most complex characters with a lot of depth and would be a waste to make them like this just to kill off in the end. And plus they are the ones that seem to resonate with Aloy better, I think she needs them just as they needed her.

[isan0rt]

This is gonna be really rambly because I am two months out from my reactions to HFW but imma try to put these down anyway.

But tbh the big thing for me thematically about Horizon: Forbidden West that really pulled me in was like... How much the theme is about how to learn to be a part of society when you have never fit into that before, how to learn how to let people love you, and about embracing yourself instead of the expectations placed upon you by your ancestors without totally throwing heritage away.

Like, HZD was so much about loneliness and trying to find an identity, so much of the game is just Aloy's solo journey to find who she is, and people try to get close to her but she won't let them in. The game feels lonely even when you're interacting with other characters. Aloy is searching so desperately for some identity, and it's fascinating because she wants to reject her Nora heritage but the way she looks for identity (in a mother, who can guide her) is so Nora even as Aloy tries to reject that part of her.

And then in hfw she has found the concept of who her mother is, but she's become consumed with living out her mother's legacy in a way that's still, again, a deeply Nora way to think... But while also acting like she's still an outcast who can't let people get close to her! Her motivations are ALL about trying to live up to the expectations of people who are fucking dead and who also lived extremely solitary, isolated lives. She loses Rost, and while she's struggling with the void in mentor figure left by his death, Sylens steps in and tells her she has no place in society, and that her only value is her genetics and her usefulness as a tool. Her social skills are total trash for obvious reasons, she doesn't feel comfortable with affection for obvious reasons, and so she dips without even thinking that anybody would even miss her.

But then they do!! Her friends will not just let her fuck off!! For the first time in her life, people missed her, and are upset with her that she just walked away, and Aloy straight up just does not know what to do with that! She still doesn't see herself as valuable or likeable as Aloy, just as the avatar for Elizabet. She can't comprehend why Varl won't let her just walk off, or why Erend is so hurt that she didn't say goodbye. She resists the idea of letting them put themselves at risk for her, when her only value is that she can throw herself at danger for everybody else.

But they don't let her think that way! Varl comes back for her every time, Erend comes after her even after she hurt him so badly. She meets Zo, who challenges Aloy's deeply hypocritical relationship with religion and tradition (Aloy is rejecting Nora tradition of following the all-mother while still living her life for Gaia's approval!!) and shows Aloy a way to engage with the good parts of tradition and culture without being trapped by the fetters of how things have always been done. Kotallo is rejected from his role in life because of something outside of his control, and Aloy can see her own experience in his. Alva demonstrates how to look at the flaws in dogma and challenge them and seek truth while also showing how it's not that easy to just throw out an entire belief system.

And importantly, they all love Aloy!! They will not let her fuck off by herself!! And Varl straight up calls out how nobody but Aloy wants her to be alone, and how losing Rost really fucked her up!! And it did!! She clearly feels like she got him killed, and she is afraid to watch that happen again and have it be her fault, and yet her friends WILL NOT let her just isolate herself. She is part of society, just like them.

And then there's Beta!! Beta who reflects back Aloy's own face, who at first feels like a threat to Aloy's only sense of self-worth. Aloy can't see Beta as an individual at first because she doesn't fucking see herself as an individual, only an avatar for Elizabet. And Beta scares her, and she can't comprehend why they are different and why Beta can't be like her until she understands the difference is that Aloy _is actually_ part of society in a way Beta has been denied, and she always has been.

Everywhere Aloy goes in both games, no matter how far into the West, she is immediately clocked as a Nora. Her religious trauma within her own cultural group does not actually make her not part of that group! She has a place in society that is immediately recognizable by total strangers, and did even before she became the savior of Meridian or whatever. She was raised by someone who loved her and imparted the values of his culture into her from the day she was born! And Beta doesn't have that!! Beta, unlike Aloy, was treated as a tool instead, and she has no confidence in her own abilities, because no one ever believed in her the way Rost truly believed in Aloy. And Aloy finally realizes that she is more than just Elizabet's avatar!! She finally understands that Aloy is valuable and loved as _Aloy,_ and always had been, since the day she was born.

And she finally lets people in!! She lets people love her!! She learns to value the cultural practices and beliefs of the people she meets, she learns to honor her own past without letting it define her, she values the world she lives in too much as it is to let the Zeniths touch it. She learns to love herself by learning to love Beta, and she demonstrates that she does believe that society as she was born into, with its history and culture and tradition, is worth preserving over a return to 21st century ways stagnated in the same people that destroyed it. She rejects Tilda's attempts to be shoved back into the Elizabet box. And she is so firm in this, even fucking Sylens decides that he'd rather bet on her than try to save his own ass in the great unknown.

And I don't really have a conclusion to this whole ramble except that this game truly touched me so deeply, and the themes hit me so hard, IDK that I've ever had a gaming experience quite like it. I fucking love this game you guys thanks for coming to my TED (lmfao) talk.

[magellanicclouds]

Forgive my very sudden absence friends. I have been very unwell the last few weeks, and though I am finally starting to heal, catching up on everything I’ve missed at work has been it’s own sort of nightmare. My equal has done everything he could to prevent so much coming down on me all at once, and I am beyond grateful, but there is only so much one person can do. 

In happier news, being confined to energy-sapped resting and sleeping upright on the sofa incidentally allowed me to spend more time with my significant other, which has been lovely despite it all. Also, if I can gush for this moment about not Halo, but another series that’s become very close to my heart. I watched my boyfriend play through most of the new Horizon game - Forbidden West - and, without further context, can I just say that Kotallo is one of the most beautifully and thoughtfully weaved characters I’ve experienced in a very long time, and I am hopelessly caught up in him and his experience. I never thought I’d see myself shipping Aloy with anyone, but they just work so well?? help. ; O ;  Honestly, the entire Tenakth people are absolutely incredible. Just as with the first Horizon game, I was moved to tears so often by the full and rich stories of the side-quests, and felt so connected with so many of the characters, no matter how ‘tertiary’ they were in the grand scope of things. They are all handled as people with their own lives and fears and hopes. You get a very large sense of life in this world. They really improved the conversational energy of people in FW as well. The ways everyone speaks and moves around so organically, it’s so engaging. The music is so soulful and emotional, and the visual beauty of the entire world is breathtaking. ‘ U ‘   

Now that I have spilled my heart on all that, lol - I will return to a more normal activity soon! And I truly hope everyone has been well and happy, hydrated, well-fed, and rested. I miss and love you all! 💙