#this is definitely not about zo and varl

[foxshifts]

when two characters are in love the entire game, book, movie, or series, and one of them dies and you find out the other is pregnant and he died not knowing.

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 13 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

HIMBO: Aloy, did you ever meet up with Talanah again?

Zo: Where did this come from?

HIMBO: Kotallo and I were talking about Carja in the Clan Lands. I assumed they'd be killed on sight, but he says they're not.

Marshall Kotallo: They are hardly welcomed, but as long as they do not cause trouble, most outsiders are allowed to walk free.

FlameHairSavior: Her life would still be easier if she stopped wearing her Carja armor.

Marshall Kotallo: Tenakth armor is complex, and her lack of tattoos would give her away.

FlameHairSavior: She doesn't have to dress like a Tenakth, but even Oseram armor would be better.

FlameHairSavior: Anyway, the thing with Talanah got a little... tricky.

FlameHairSavior: Turns out she was looking for an old love, who was looking for HIS old love.

FlameHairSavior: She was supposed to be dead, but wasn't.

ForgeLordAleMaster: WAIT, TALANAH FAKED HER DEATH?

FlameHairSavior: What? No, the other woman was supposed to be dead.

Marshall Kotallo: Did your friend kill her? Perhaps change her mind at the last moment and send her into exile instead?

Zo: That idea seems to have come to you far too quickly.

Marshall Kotallo: [ShiftyEyes.png]

Marshall Kotallo: I will admit, not all Tenakth stories are about hunting and besting your foes in combat. Sometimes there is romance.

Marshall Kotallo: Usually involving fighting machines together.

HIMBO: Huh. Kotallo, remind me to show you these “romance books” I found. I think you might like them.

Zo: They're the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

ForgeLordAleMaster: [ForumWeaponLiteralSubjectChange.png]

ForgeLordAleMaster: WHY DID THIS WOMAN FAKE HER DEATH, ALOY?

FlameHairSavior: She didn't, she was pretending to be a man, and was serving in the Carja army. She was thought killed in an attack.

Marshall Kotallo: Why you people would cut off half of your population from serving in the military, I will never understand.

HIMBO: None of us are Carja.

Marshall Kotallo: Fair point.

FlameHairSavior: Anyway, she got captured, Fashav offered her a place as a soldier, she took it. She's been serving ever since.

FlameHairSavior:Then her fortress got captured and she got thrown into the prison.

HIMBO:But you cut through the enemy like dry grass, overthrowing an impregnable fortress by yourself.

ForgeLordAleMaster: AGAIN.

FlameHairSavior:  I had help! Talanah and her... whatever he is were there.

Zo: So Talanah's old love found his old love alive. Did they reignite their relationship? I am hardly an expert in Carja customs. What would be considered the right move in this situation?

FlameHairSavior: I have no idea what the Carja would normally do. The woman insisted she's Tenakth now and the Carja is dead. Talanah isn't sure how she feels about her old love any more. She's big on loyalty, so she might take him back, but I'm just not sure.

Marshall Kotallo: Varl, how would those romance books you found handle this?

HIMBO: I think about half wool have the protagonist pick the mysterious wandering heroine who arrived to help in the hour of greatest need.

ForgeLordAleMaster: HA!

Marshall Kotallo: And the other half?

HIMBO: The protagonist picks all of them. Everybody is happy.

ForgeLordAleMaster: ...DOES THAT WORK?

Zo: NO.

Marshall Kotallo: Sometimes.

ForgeLordAleMaster: HA!

β: im glad i dont have to worry about any of that

β: romance is weird and complicated and stupid

Zo: Don't be so sure.

Zo: Based on what I've read about your mother and observed about your sister, once you start going outside approximately ninety percent of the people you meet will fall in love with you.

Zo: I believe the term is “you'll have to beat them off with a stick.”

β: definitely never going outside then

FlameHairSavior: [ForumWeaponDisapprovalEye.png]

FlameHairSavior: Thanks, Zo.

Zo: ...oops.

Chapter 13 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[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

[meshla-cyarika]

Being Zo and Varl's child headcanons

A/n: SPOILERS FOR HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST

Zo is the best mother in the world.

She teaches you how to respect Earth and all of its living organisms, she also tells what to fight for (your home, friends, innocent lives etc.)

Zo spends less of her time at "The Base" and in Plainsong after the Zeniths are defeated so she can focus more on you

Oh and you're 100% babysat by Aloy, Beta, Alva, Erend, Kotallo and Sona

Because of Aloy, Beta, Alva, Erend and Kotalla babysitting you since you were a toddler, calling them you're aunts and uncles has become a second nature to you.

Oh my god my poor baby Sona when she first met you :,(

My girl was in tears when she first saw you because of how much you resembled Varl when he was a baby

Zo first introduces you to "The Base" when you're thirteen she also gives you you're own Focus then aswell because she thinks your a responsible young person and deserve to know the knowledge of your ancestors

Aloy definitely teaches you how to hunt (with Zo's permission of course) whether it's the wildlife or machines. Moments when you use your Focus to identify machines weakspots with Aloy's guidance, make her realise how much you reminder her of her younger self and how much she reminds herself of Rost.

Beta does what she does with everyone else - she explains the knowledge of the Old Ones to you in simple terms to get you to comprehend it

Alva teaches you about all sorts of information from data cores whether its agriculture or astrology or hydrophysics just anything she finds fascinating or thinks you'll find fascinating

Erend is a big father figure to you. Aside from Aloy he was one of your father's dearest friends. Erend tells you stories of your father, how loyal he was to his friends, how selfless. Not a day goes by when he doesn't tell you how proud Varl would be of her

Kotalla doesn't visually show affection, as he shows it in different ways. To you his form of affection is teaching you how to be a warrior and teaching you how to perfect everything he's taught you. You might not visibly see it, but Kotalla does adore you and would fight for you anywhere, anyday

Sona takes you East for months at a time to show you where Varl grew up - the Nora, the Carja and the Oseram lands. She teaches you their cultures, beliefs and history.

Growing up without a father was rough for you. Yes, you had more than you could ask for, but there still is that one piece that's missing from your life. You're family has picked up on this, by how you zone out sometimes or go through periods of silence. Aloy found a slight coping mechanism for you because she uses the mechanism herself. Whenever you feel detached or conflicted you can activate a hologram of your father with your Focus to talk to. Aloy does this with a hologram of Rost and it helps her get through her long journeys.

Oh and don't think for one second that your family of warriors won't be there for you.

You've got an important arena trial? Auntie Alva is cheering you along all the way no matter what.

Bullies at school? Uncle Kotalla will send them a death stare that could stop their small pathetic hearts.

Kidnapped by bandits? Don't panic, your badass grandmother Sona will destroy them and come to your aid.

Threatened to be an Outcast by The Chorus because you're part Nora? Sit back and watch mother Zo talk some godamn sense into them.

Questioned on your intelligence? Auntie Beta will argue agaisnt them and pull up your progress on your knowledge of the Old Ones with her focus to prove them wrong

Allies turn on you? Uncle Erend won't hesitant to smash them apart with his hammer.

Mocked for being fatherless? Aunt Aloy will convince you to challenge them in the arena so you can beat their ass.

Got a lead on something big? They're with you all the way.

[depressnt]

Interesting thought, what if GAIA promoted the Gaia Gang to alpha positions? So that Aloy and Beta wouldn't be the only ones to open the doors? This goes hand-in-hand with my Pantheon/magic/power armor au (shit gets wild) (only my closest friends know wtf I'm talking about) and I'm thinking in terms of all the a.is keeping their personhood but handing their soft and hardwares over to GAIA, they all get housed in machine minds like the Horus processor Sylens trapped HADES in, and GAIA is the only one who stays in the full system, but she can tap into each of these machines and speak through them or override them. Basically, the pantheon becomes interns

Who becomes Alpha of what department;

Aloy - GAIA (obv)

Beta - HEPHEASTUS (everyone's fav mad scientist and tinkerer) (this is my headcanon for her shsh)

Sylens - APOLLO (like he'd let Alva take it smh)

Zo - DEMETER (our plant QUEEN!)

Varl - ARTEMIS (he seems like he'd like dogs and cats, also the idea of beasts of burden would appeal to him- he's still wary of the Metal world bc of how he was raised, and the idea that machines replaced what once was saddens him terribly, he wants to bring that back)

Erend - MINERVA (protection! Also, smart and nimble+strong himbo is iconic, MINERVA definitely gets stuck in a lithe feline-like body and it's a hacker, its thing is signals and computers, it'd be icked out by the idea of... eugh... getting physical. Erend balances that out by being his usual burly charming self)

Alva - POSEIDON (she's so mad, she wanted APOLLO- but Sylens scares her. After all the trouble she went through with the floods and her struggle with the Leviathan system, plus being from a sailing tribe (or at least growing up probably close to the coast) She feels a connection to the water. Also I hc she designed an irrigation system for her farm and it's design got promoted all over her area, it's why she was qualified and picked to go east and not some other diviner)

Kotallo - AETHER (this feels obvious, but also I feel like Hekarro spoke to AETHER, and I hc he allowed his Marshalls to speak to it as well, just once. Kotallo asked it if there was anything it missed, and it said it missed its mother)

Unspecified: HADES and ELUTHIA, because we don't really need them anymore, also I think ELUTHIA and APOLLO go hand in hand- so Sylens can take it if he gets a sudden passion for reproductive rights. He seems like the type who'd spread knowledge and equality just so he doesn't have to deal with biased and bigoted idiots, so imo he'd be the second to voice the opinion that they should re-instate ELUTHIA for couples who cant have kids to use (the first was Alva, who just had the thought first because she'd already heard of the concept) and HADES is dead and buried, but Beta might try something interesting with those HADES kernels in Latopolis, dunno

Side note, Sylens wanting to spread the knowledge of APOLLO to the rest of humanity is a little bit the only selfless thing he ever does, but it also won't happen for a long ass time because of the delicate way they'd have to approach this massive prime directive violation

[thessalian]

Thess vs Important Side Quests

Playing a little bit of catch-up.

YESTERDAY

Back to base. I guess there are worse ways to wake up than morning coffee and cutscenes.

Aww. Erend. You and Kotallo are getting along. (No, really; you are. You would know if you weren't; trust me.)

One thing I've been asking - and I don't know if I can ask GAIA about ... I mean, we have reasonable prosthetics even in our now; they must be better in this version of the future, if they can create whole machine creatures. Can we not ... get ... Kotallo a prosthetic arm, or something? If he wants one?

Varl and Zo are so cute. ...Okay, who's gonna die?

No, but seriously, Varl ... you can't just tell someone to throw out their gods and build new ones. We will fix their gods.

Hi, GAIA. Here's AETHER. How're we doing on--?

Beta. I ... kind of get why everyone's a little side-eyeing you, but I guess the person who finds the "this will not work" in every plan does help refine the plan. Still, could you please give some positives--?

Ah. Okay. Yes. Thank you. No, don't worry, I can can deal with the Quen. I made friends with the Tenakth, didn't I?

...Can we? Now? Fix the land-gods?

YES!

Ah, Kotallo already asked about prosthetics! Great! I will definitely help with that!

Side quests ahoy but with all the cutscene, I don't have a lot of time. So over to Cinnabar Sands to free a land-god.

Aaaaaaaand hunting. No big.

...Is ... is that Burrower literally hiding from me? Instead of the other way around? It will not come out from behind that rock. Oh well. Climb rock. Silent STRIKE. And done.

(Like, literally; need to get to work.)

TODAY

Right. To that little pond where I did sort of free that land-god, but before I had the reboot code--

Aaaaaaaaand there's a Snapmaw.

...You know what? Fuck it. C'MON AND FIGHT ME, YOU MECHANICAL PAIN IN MY ASS!

And ... you will ... apparently stay in the water while I POONK all your weak spots. Win!

I'm loving the little bits of lore Zo's giving about the festivals to the various land-gods. I'm a sucker for world-building.

Aaaand over to Plainsong and-- Huh. Fane. Hi. Ah, dumping seed pouches from Kel and her apprentice because they can't be allowed to grow in Plainsong again. Sucks, but I can see the necessity.

Hi, Zo. I know, finally, right? I've been waiting to do this for ages and--

...Awwwwww. This is ... actually really beautiful. And I like the whole thing where ... I guess Elizabet Sobeck insisted that GAIA (and by extension the subfunctions) be ... at least somewhat human. GAIA didn't just build machines, but machines that look like creatures, because ... c'mon, wouldn't we? We anthropomorphise everything anyway. And if the Plowhorn land-gods have to have a reboot sequence? Have it sing; why not? Utilitarianism isn't the be-all and end-all, and what's life without a little joy, even in the supposedly utilitarian things?

Right. Onward to helping Kotallo pick up prosthetics bits.

If he decides he prefers the challenge of only having the one arm, I ... will respect his choice but be a little miffed at having to fight Spectres and things for him.

...Then again, I wouldn't want him to feel obligated to keep it if he's uncomfortable with it, even if I did go to a lot of trouble.

Right. I'mma let him go back to Base and ponder. Thornmarsh or Tide's Reach? Thornmarsh or Tide's Reach?

*checks quest log*

Thornmarsh. I have hints of issues in Thornmarsh, but no actual quest. I at least want the quest active in my journal.

Hrm. Poisoned water. I have time.

Dam made of machines, and more rebels? Gods, where do they all come from? I took out so many camps!

Climbiiiiiiiing...

Hangiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing... Stupid Fireclaw.

Right. Fireclaw goes first.

Oh, pity's sake, I am standing right here, rebels. Does my hair blend into the yick in the river? What.

Theeeeeere we go.

Well. All of this is just plain gross. Rebels are assholes.

Teamwork! ...And I can boot up my work machine while I wrap stuff up!

I ... don't even have time to check what my reward for this was; I gotta get to work fast!

Right. Yes. Worktime. Ugh, they've left the long shit for me again. I hate my colleagues.

[jikanet-tanaka]

Ideas for stories and such...

I'm a bit overwhelmed with plot bunnies right now, and I think writing them all out is the best way to get 'em all straight. So... here are a few ideas for future fics I'd want to write. I dunno which one(s) I should focus on first...

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

A Saga Most Ordinary : I have ideas for two more chapters, one about Eivor playing Dungeons and Dragons with the three Good Boys, along with Hytham, Randvi and Tewdwr, and another about her and Valka Staging An Intervention because she thinks Sigurd went and joined some cult because of his new girlfriend (ie Fulke).

Untitled/maybe it’ll just be chapter two of an existing fic, I dunno: A new companion piece/sequel of sorts to ‘Nornir's Curse, Nótt's Counsel’ about Randvi and Valdis just hanging out (on the beach while their respective spouses watch over the young ‘uns) and talking about their (rather similar, really) lives.

Dishonored

Take Your Silver Spoon (Dig Your Grave) : A two-shot about two bastard-born princesses of the Kaldwin line. Part of it is already written, I just need to get off my ass and do something about it lol

You and Me and The Leviathan Makes Three : An AU where Daud survives the events of DoTO, and Billie is stuck trying to find new purpose in her life while teaching a god-turned-boy how to Human and a suicidal old man how to… not be a total wreck of a person . Oh, and the Abbey of the Everyman is falling apart all around them (which makes the Boysider happy, since his two newfound biggest goals in life are 1) to destroy organized religion and 2) to save the whales. Every chapter would be set in a different isle, with titles based on sea shanties.

Dracula

Untitled : A little one-shot about how Drac might have gotten to Mina on the night of October 3rd. Because the details are kinda hazy on that, right?

Final Fantasy XVI

The Tale of the Telamonides : Before the mission to Drake’s Head, Mid shows up to the Hideout to Bring Chaos and Shenanigans to everyone’s live. Because I was sad that we never did see her interact with Cid.

Gravity Falls

Dungeons and Dummies : …I need to finish this you guys, I already have it all planned out. I feel weirdly anxious about this story, mostly because I don’t happen to have the whole of the rules of D&D stamped in my brain (shocking, I know). It’s like I’m afraid I’ll have someone go, ‘hey, that’s not how it goes in the Player Handbook, page so-and-so blah blah blah ’ so I don’t even try, you know?? It’s a weird thing.

The Awesome Mixtape of the Apocalypse: A story where Dipper and Mabel’s parents join both sets of twins on a roadtrip to Gravity Falls. The concept would be that Mabel made a mixtape with songs for everyone in her family (so for example Ford definitely gets weird prog rock like this, listen my dad was a happier, most well-adjusted Ford, and that was his shit, car trips in my family were trippy), with each character represented by a particular musical style (the Pines mom’s got punk ska like Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto lol…) and each chapter corresponding to one song. I got every big story beat and character moment planned out, I just… need to get off my ass and write, I guess.

Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West

Untitled : Aka Aloy watches Varl and Zo together, gets confused/frustrated, and shares a convo with Erend that helps her figure out she’s asexual. Sweet!

Untitled Rost and Ersa fic : Rost and Ersa, as ghosts, hang around Aloy and Erend for the events of the first game (and have a mini ship war about the merits of Ereloy as a couple). Also known as ‘Rost Gets Another Grumpy Daughter Because These Are Sure Fun To Collect Or Something’.

Mass Effect

Untitled : Just a little Shakarian ficlet about Shepard listening to Thane’s story about how he met his wife after the events in Garrus’ loyalty mission and her being like, oh, oh boy, oh no.

Radiant Historia

Will You Learn to Love (Without Consuming): A little one-shot set in the Apocrypha ‘verse which is not compliant with the canon shown in Perfect Chronology. Basically my take on who became the big Mana Monster causing the desertification (and why he’s a foil to both Heiss and the Conuts Guy).

Déjà Vécu : A one-short about Ernst and Heinrich (and, by association, Stocke and Heiss) because I guess that’s what I always write about in this damn fandom.

This Sweet Corrupting Reality : Basically the only parallel history I would have liked to see in Perfect Chronology, that is, Stocke wakes up and realizes he is now King Ernst of Granorg.

[artekai]

tag game (Horizon)

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

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

2. most annoying ship: I plead the fifth

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

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

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

6. overrated ship: I plead the fifth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[foibles-fables]

are Talisah and the Zo&Varl kiddo friends?

Yes!!! Their daughter Vel is about ~3.5 years older than Lis, and she's definitely the cool older cousin figure Lis is starry-eyed over. She and Zo live in Utaru lands, but they're inseparable during visits and get-togethers.

[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

[metalgearsolidexclamationpoint]

Finished Death's Door, The Dying Lands, and gained access to the Base. Subsequently climbed up the mountain and overrode a Sunwing, who is currently parked outside of Memorial Grove. I really hate to tempt fate, but… UH has not shown itself to be, like, ultra hard.

I think part of this is resource management. Supposedly HZD made it infamously difficult to get resources on UH. Merchants jack the prices way up, and drops are much more limited. I circumvented this problem by doing a whole-ass NG+ playthrough where I opened every chest, picked every berry and ridgewood, and used hardly anything but advanced hunter arrows so that when UH rolled around, I would have enough echo shell or crystal braiding or whatever. I'm also trying to be a little more conservative with my ammo, although it does feel like aiming is less forgiving -- perhaps there's some secret aim assist on Normal difficulty. Or maybe it's just more "realistic" in arrow trajectory? I feel like I'm going high with a lot of shots, and nerves definitely caused me to miss the stupid attachments in the Recluse Spider room. Luckily, Erik didn't actually do that much damage, and my outfit was my shock-absorption outfit (not to be confused with my anti-acid attire).

The Dying Lands was the first quest I had any worries about (assuming UH wouldn’t be overwhelmingly difficult from the get-go), and indeed, the first battle I died in was the Clawstrider bonanza. I remember dying to that fight a few times in my first playthrough. But I was also not great at strategizing (there are elemental pots/dead Bellowbacks all over the place that I didn’t use very effectively), and pretty sloppy overall. This time I played much more defensively and Berserked the Clawstriders in hopes it would give me time to pick off the stupid scroungers or whatever who apparently show up just to cause chaos. I need to be a little smarter about environmental assets, because I was trying to brittle them and wondering why Varl seemed to have an ice weapon, when in fact he had set off a little frozen pot.

The Grimhorn wasn’t bad (or the Leaplashers in the beginning of the cauldron), and Varl and Zo were much, much better at distracting and taking out the weaker enemies than I anticipated. They pretty much kept the Grimhorn’s companions at bay while I worked at taking down the big boy – much more so than I expected from non-controllable companions. I’ve always been diligent about placing traps around the arena every time it looks boss-like (the final override of a cauldron, obviously, but also the room where you meet Beta, the elevator where you fight Erik), but I haven’t used the tripcaster or ropecaster at all, and I barely use special stamina moves. Half the time I can’t figure out how to use them (how do you notch 3 arrows?? Do you keep hitting R1?? I get knocked the fuck over every time I try and it seems to all come to nothing!!). I really thought that I was going to suffer in UH based on how little of the new mechanics I bother to use – the aforementioned special moves, melee combos, shredder gauntlet/specter gauntlet (I can’t lock-on to an enemy then line up the aim to shoot it without getting fucked up for enough time to make the lock-on disappear – skill issue, sure, but my stupid hunter bow with advanced arrows has killed everything fine so far, and only takes a few shards (of which I have 60K) and ridgewood (of which I have 2.5K) to make new arrows)/boltblasters (takes waaaaaaaay too long to do anything), but so far it seems like I’m fine without it. And if I beat UH without it, why learn to master it at all? Sigh.

I finished The Fraud by Zadie Smith during the cutscenes. Fantastic read, and a great example of historical fiction being, basically, a parable for modern issues without being too winky or didactic (for the most part. There were a few moments that were too on-the-nose…). I had time to do this because besides the a few rebel back-stabbys, the Tremortusk, what is more or less an on rails section, and a Slitherfang that dies in a cutscene anyway, the next two chapters were basically just talking.

The Tremortusk was the imminent fight I was dreading the most -- I thought it would be the wake-up call (again…). It killed me a few times in my first playthrough. Funny thing, I’ve fought so many Dreadwings, Slitherfangs, and Tiderippers to farm upgrades that I’m not worried about those upcoming battles (in Demeter, the Kulrut, and Poseidon) even though I’m sure they can fuck me right up.

As it turned out, the Tremortusk was a simple matter of freezing and dodging it. The Kulrut was a simple matter of holding down the R2 button (my wrist is not pleased with me). And the Slitherfang was a simple matter of setting it on fire. Apparently there was a Tenakth giving me fire support, as she kept yelling at me to get it in range, but I saw no actual evidence of her hitting it. And I guess I just never noticed before that it dies specifically in the cutscene. I know that this is so it can collapse in such a way that it forms a bridge to get out of the arena, but it really gave me the impression that actually I only had to survive for five minutes and the fight would be over. Maybe it just felt that way because UH does feel a little like you are just chipping away at a huge and yet indeterminate health bar.

So now I'm worried about the Specters in the next mission. I think it will be my next potential wake-up call, followed by the Apex Thunderjaw in Faro's Tomb, plus doing the end of that quest in the stupid outfit. I'll probably be there in about three hours… it's kind of crazy how linear and quick the main quest line is. You know, if you already put 125+ hours in it so moving from point to point is a breeze.

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 28 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

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

HIMBO: NO MORE NEW MACHINES FOR THE REBELS!

Zo: Oh, good.

BoyNextDoor: Finally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

β: might have been an attempt at security

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

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

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

FlameHairSavior: That still counts.

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

MARSHAL Kotallo: Of course.

BoyNextDoor: Of course.

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

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

DIVINER: Exactly!

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

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

β: …

β: are you in love with her

FlameHairSavior: What?

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

FlameHairSavior: What?

β: ive been reading varls books

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

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

BoyNextDoor: It's not a yes, either.

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

FlameHairSavior: Thank you, Alva.

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

FlameHairSavior: [WorldsLongestGroan.gif]

DIVINER: What does Sons of Prometheus even MEAN??

FlameHairSavior: I think he was an Oseram hero.

HIMBO: NOPE, NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE.

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

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

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

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

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

DIVINER: …

FlameHairSavior: …

BoyNextDoor: Well that's morbid.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Quite.

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

HIMBO: WHAT'S A TITAN?

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

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

β: the greeks didnt really have a high opinion

β: of anyone

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

β: and gods just screwing with everyone because

FlameHairSavior: I guess Sylens named them, then.

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

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

Chapter 28 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[reliquiaen]

You get me. There were so many little nods to characters from the eastern tribes going to the west and being like... assimilated almost. With Fashav, and that girl who's name I forget who was part of Talanah's questline. Like clearly there is more to the Tanakth than just killing and murder and it would've been so interesting to explore more of how those separate cultures interact, how relations are between people over the long term when they're living in such close proximity. Fashav's death, also, was such a waste, I would've loved to see more of that bridge building with him as a mediator. There was so much potential for a follow-up side-quest later where he and Aloy exchange notes or something.

I did not watch almost anything in trailers and promos because I knew I was going to play it regardless and I wanted to go in as clean as possible (I think I deserve a medal, tbh, because the ONLY spoilers I got were from the dlc with Seyka). But yeah, I was expecting more to be made of Regalla (and Asera to a lesser extent) but it just wasn't there. And I can understand the devs not wanting to do another civil war main plot, but also, in comparison to what we got, I would've preferred that haha.

These games sure do be having a Romeo and Juliet timeline between first meeting and love. Like with Varl and Zo, then also Talanah and Amadis (timeline questionable here, I guess, does Talanah say they met ages ago or recently, I don't remember), and Aloy with Seyka right at the end. I understand wanting to show time passing or whatever they were trying to do, but yeah, I prefer when there's a little more time dedicated to building up a relationship. It would've been nice for Varl and Zo to be idk, flustered on first meeting and then every time we pop back to base we get some ambient dialogue showing their relationship progressing. Equally so with Seyka. I quite like her (might be developing a bit of a bias for the Quen characters, actually, oops), but I would've liked the time and space to spend with her before relationship. Which isn't to say I think there was NO build up, they were flirting basically right from the start, but the dlc was what? A week long, tops? My preference for slow-burns shining through there, I guess. Again, maybe it's a me thing, but I do like her for Aloy, I think there are some interesting parallels between their characters, they play off each other in a nice way, I just wanted more time to develop that relationship than the five mission long dlc. (I have more thoughts about their relationship, for what it's worth, but if it's a touchy subject like you say, I might just... keep them to myself lol.) And I am definitely with you on the pregnancy story arcs, another fear I have is some kind of shoe-horned thing where the child is Important For Reasons™ due to their parentage. It would've been cool to have a child raised with both Utaru and Nora traditions, but this kid will only have Utaru now. So...?

Yeah, the Zeniths did feel like a series of increasingly desperate rug pulls a lot of the time. Like yeah, they're the bad guys, but no they're not, but yes they are, but they're invincible, except if you're Sylens, so now they're all dead, except this one, but now he is too.

Maybe it's an indictment against myself, but I found the conflict between Drakka and Yarra pretty straightforward. He wanted the force a conflict so he could have power and he was leveraging whatever he could to do so, also his leadership qualities are questionable when his followers are doing whatever and he has no idea (if we believe him about the water pump). Whereas Yarra kept the water supply a secret so as not to start a panic but she was looking into an alternative. Was the secret a good idea? Maybe not, but her motives were totally understandable. I get that they didn't want this problem to be clear cut and Yarra isn't without her own flaws, but show me a Tanakth who isn't going to get a little violent to defend her power. Maybe that's the whole point, haha, that we're all going to have disagreements about this.

I read your comment about Talanah and Amadis and laughed. Absolute truths, right there, I was so annoyed about her questline that I'm choosing to believe it didn't happen. It amounted to nothing in terms of character development for her anyway, so no loss. Except maybe I lost a little bit of time by playing it.

Well I finished Horizon Forbidden West (dlc included) today. The quality of life improvements were very good, I have absolutely abused the bottomless storage space. Not sure how I feel about the story though. I have... issues with it.

[socialfilter]

headcanoning HFW characters’ favourite machines because I can:

Aloy: Easy, it’s her Sunwing. No ifs, buts or maybes. It’s her damn bird, might be her favourite because Beta gave it to her, might be because she seems to quite like heights. I should also include Tallnecks, purely because I just love the way she interacts with them.

Talanah: Now I want to say it’s Stalkers but tbh that’s my personal preference. For Talanah, it’s most likely Stormbirds. If that girl could have a pet, it’d be a Stormbird. Change my mind.

Kotallo: It has to be said I absolutely adore that boy. His favourite machine is either the Tremortusk or Behemoths. Honestly if you found him a mount, it would be a Behemoth because they’re such big bastards - I just think he likes them.

Zo: Grimhorns and Plowhorns. Easy peasy.

Varl: I like to think it’s Chargers. They’re the machines he learned to ride and was the first one he got to interact with after Aloy gave him a Focus.

Erend: For Erend, although he hates machines, he does have a favourite and that, for me, is Fireclaws and Frostclaws. Anything that would take one hell of a smack from his hammer to take down, he likes. Fireclaws are absolutely huge and he likes a challenge. If it’s not the bears, it’s definitely Widemaws.

Alva: Alva doesn’t hate machines but she doesn’t like being near them. If we were talking personality-wise, it would probably be Burrowers because they’re not too threatening and let’s face it, pretty cute. That being said I like to think, if she looks at them from a distance, it’s Tiderippers.

Beta: Burrowers. At some point, she’ll override one and use it as an assistant to help her make things. You know she wouldn’t tell Aloy about it either and chaos would ensue.

Regalla: Slitherfangs, ‘nuff said.

Yarra: Yarra doesn’t have a favourite. Meat is her favourite. (it’s totally Rockbreakers)

Drakka: Drakka’s favourites are definitely Thunderjaws. The meaner the better.

Dekka: With Dekka, I think she’d have a favourite machine she could ride that wasn’t initially fearsome-looking but could still pose a threat if she wanted it to. For that reason, it’s Bristlebacks.

Hekarro: Slaughterspines and Rollerbacks. He’s such an imposing figure, I reckon his taste in machines is the same.

Fashav: hmmm I struggle with Fashav because we don’t know him awfully well. But I think it would be a machine that is something you’d also find in the Sundom so…Ravagers?

Elisabet: Look I know she’s dead but you can’t tell me she didn’t have her favourites. Aside from GAIA and her obvious sub functions, I think her favourites would be Grazers. They’re non-threatening and pretty normal to look at. If it’s not Grazers, it’s Plowhorns.

Tilda: Again, she’s probably barely seen any actual machines but I think - if we’re talking Aloy’s world, it would be Sunwings or Scorchers. Sunwings because I think they’re quite elegant when they’re not squawking all over the place. Scorchers because idk, if they were domesticated animals they’d give off ‘I’ve been expecting you Mr Bond’ sorta vibes. does that make sense?

——————————————————————

Me, I have too many personal favourites. It’s probably Dreadwings, Stalkers, Tiderippers and Shellsnappers. Anything massive or anything that can turn invisible - I’m in.

[telumendils]

i’m just thinking so much about aloy’s apparent lack of patience for tribal beliefs in hfw when she seemed to be so much more careful how and what she revealed to the nora and banuk in hzd/frozen wilds, and while i definitely don’t think she’s right to be pushy and dismissive of other people’s traditions, i do think it makes sense for her character to behave that way when she does. 

by the time we rejoin her in hfw, aloy’s already spent 6 months searching for a gaia backup with no results. that’s a lot of what probably feels like wasted time while the biosphere continued to deteriorate more and more rapidly around her. it makes sense that she doesn’t feel like she has time for tradition when she finally has a gaia backup in her hands. 

more than that, i don’t think aloy fully grasps the depths to which belief in something can impact the heart of a culture and community because she’s never been part of one before. she grew up an outcast, resentful of the nora and their beliefs because those beliefs had only served to get her cast out with no explanation. then she found her first focus at such an early age, it helped to shape her entire worldview. it doesn’t occur to her how seeing one of the land-gods turned into a weapon and then destroyed could rock zo’s worldview. 

but zo, my beloved, challenges her on it at every turn, and that is so key to aloy’s development throughout the game. she won’t take any of aloy’s cynicism quietly and she sticks around to help so aloy gets to see how important the land-gods are to zo and her people. she sees how hard zo works to find a cure for them with gaia’s help. she witnesses the fight zo has with varl when he suggests gaia could simply replace the land-gods once they nab hephaestus. 

and while aloy’s always in a rush, zo’s personal quest is all about having patience. there are several points where all you can do is wait for zo to be ready to progress the quest. even the task of bringing the reboot code to all the land-gods would’ve been tedious if not for the fun little challenges aloy faces to reach the three she’s assigned. zo’s quest is about having the patience to heal what’s broken about tradition so the people can thrive again, offset against the utaru chorus’s belief that tradition dictates the tribe should wither and die with the land. 

in the end, aloy goes from being dismissive of zo’s tribal beliefs to finding the time and the patience to help zo preserve what’s good about utaru tradition because she can see how important it can be to preserving a community. 

we call that growth. 

[cclightroast]

Finally! I have finally finished this 6k fic lol. This is a continuation of the last few fics (I really need to figure out a title pls help lol.) Once again, biggggg preesh to @labyrinth-of-thoughts for the highly detailed ideas/outline. You really get my writing gears in the right place and I've enjoyed fleshing out your prompts!

There is smut! So beware! It is easily skippable if you aren't comfy with reading it! Please enjoy, and I promise I'm getting to the other asks that I've gotten too! Thank you all so much <3

The others have grown used to seeing the Veera and Tenakth disappear and reappear from the warrior’s room daily and have come to realize real quick not to disturb them when they’ve been gone for a long period of time.

Varl had found that out the hard way.

At the time, Y/N had just moved her things into Kotallo’s room as it would be more spacious and give an extra room for if one of Aloy’s companions needed somewhere to stay, and to say they enjoyed their time behind doors was an understatement.

Kotallo had his hand on Y/N’s body every chance he could take, his lips sliding over every inch of visible skin. They usually end up in the same position. Y/N straddling her lover’s thighs, pressing herself as close to him as humanly possible, and Kotallo with his hand gripping her hip like a vice. This is how Varl found them.

They didn’t blame him for interrupting, in fact they found it quite hilarious. The Nora had came bustling through the door, directing a question towards the Veera when he stopped dead in his tracks, his sentence falling off quietly.

“SORRY!”

He only stood for a moment to make sure he wasn’t imaging things, but nope, that was definitely the couple and by the look of the Veera’s bare back facing him, he could tell he had definitely interrupted something he shouldn’t have.

Y/N had glanced over her shoulder just in time to see him walk briskly back through the doors whilst shaking his head. Once the door closed behind him, she turned back to her lover and held his gaze before both started chuckling.

“He’s not going to look us in the eyes for days.” She muttered, leaning back down so her lips barely brushed his.

“Maybe that will teach him to knock before entering.” And with that final remark, the marshal had closed the remaining space between the two and they were back where they were before being interrupted.

Varl, on the other hand, had just entered the common area with a mortified expression on his face, garnering the attention of the only person there, which just so happened to be Erend.

“What’s with that face? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Dropping into the seat across from the Oseram, he ran his hands down his face in disbelief. “I just walked in on Kotallo and Y/N…”

“What’s so bad about that it’s not like they were… OH!”

Erend came to the quick realization of what Varl meant and didn’t even try to hold back the bolstering laugh that bubbled inside his gut. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes as he slammed his fist repeatedly on the table. He could not believe what he just heard and Varl knew that he would never be able to live that down. By the end of the day Erend had told Zo and Aloy about what had happened much to Varl’s dismay.

From that moment forward, everyone had become more accustomed to knocking before entering any room, not risking the chance of being scarred for life. It took Varl about a week before he could look at the two without heat creeping up his neck, but after that everything went back to normal.

With everyone seated at the table for dinner, Aloy had began telling the group about her plan to make a trip to Barren Light the next day with Erend, prompting Zo and Varl to mention their plan to go to Plainsong for a few days before turning to the couple.

“Are you two going to stay at the Base?” Zo directed the question towards the Veera, who in turn looked to Kotallo with a curious gaze, noticing the thoughtful look on his face.

“I was going to say yes, but it looks as though Kotallo has just thought of other plans.” Her lips quirked up into a small smile, watching as the man in question turned to face her.

“We should visit the Sky Clan at the Bulwark; see how they are fairing against the Rebels since their wall was damaged.”

He was indeed curious as to how his clan was holding up, but it was honestly an excuse for him to show her more of who he is and where he was raised. He truly wanted her to see more of him, and he couldn’t fight the small smile when she agreed to come.

“That’s a good idea. Plus, I’m eager to see the damage Aloy did to the wall.” The red head shook her head with a grin, but Y/N noticed how her eyes lingered on Kotallo’s left arm and how her lips turned downwards after a few moments.

It was then Y/N made a mental note to talk to her after dinner.

“Aloy, could I talk to you?”

The Nora nodded and followed the woman to a quiet corner of the Base. “Kotallo recounted his visit to the Bulwark quite fondly. He told me about what you did in order to convince Tekotteh to send his challengers to the Kulrut… but there’s more to it, isn’t there?”

She watched as Aloy gave her a strained smile in return before taking a breath. “Did – did he tell you Tekotteh hurt him?” she was careful with her wording, obviously wary as she saw Y/N’s expression go blank.

“What?” Aloy almost shivered at the dangerous lilt behind the woman’s eerily calm voice. Aloy didn’t want to make the Veera anymore upset, but she had to tell her so she could be ready for the tension to come.

“Tekotteh clapped him on the shoulder.” She began, “Squeezed his upper arm.”

Y/N thought she was seeing red. “His injury would have been weeks – if not days – old.” Nodding in agreement, Aloy continued. “Kotallo did his best to hide it but… I could see how bad it hurt him. Others would’ve folded entirely.”

She couldn’t even imagine the pain it must’ve caused him. Physically and mentally. Aloy could practically see the vein in her forehead pulsing as her jaw clenched in anger. The Veera was stewing in anger, a rage that Aloy had never seen from her. She knew she had to calm the warrior down and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I’m only telling you because I know Kotallo won’t, and I think it’s best you know everything.” She paused momentarily. “What Tekotteh is like, I mean… so you don’t go in blind.”

The whole communication aspect of her and Kotallo’s relationship was still a work in progress, so although she was upset he hadn’t told her, she understood why he didn’t. He did not want her to make a fuss over something that had happened in the past. No matter how near that past was.

“Thank you, Aloy. I appreciate you telling me. I’ll let you know how the trip went when we return.”

…

She had decided to not make it known to Kotallo that she knew about what had happened only to not cause any friction before the long trip to the Bulwark. Instead, she tried to focus on other things and not let the anger eat away at her.

Y/N was doing a pretty good job too, until they reached the foot of the Bulwark, and she heard the voice of who she assumed to be Tekotteh booming over the damaged wall.

“Well! The favored son returns! To what do we owe the pleasure?” he stared down at the two, staring as Kotallo stepped forward. “We have come to give aid. We have word of rebels and machines testing the Bulwark.”

It doesn’t take much to see the absolute look of disdain on the leader’s face, even from that far below. He wanted to spit on them and tell them to fuck off before sending them on their way, but Y/N knew he was aware just how valuable Kotallo was to them in their efforts.

His hand made a lazy motion before turning and walking away from the edge, not even bothering to watch the two enter the settlement. By the time the duo had gotten inside and led towards Tekotteh’s tent, the man was already sitting comfortably on his throne, watching the two approach.

He had given Kotallo a once over, snarling his nose slightly at his missing limb before his gaze slid to Y/N’s, slowly taking in every inch of her. Kotallo’s spine goes rigid as he sees his gaze linger on certain areas of his partner’s figure and fights the urge to step between them and shield her with his body.

“Mm, you’ve brought a Veera warrior with you. One of Aloy’s new companions, I assume?” He never moved his focus from her, even as Kotallo introduced her to him. It made Y/N’s stomach turn, her fingers twitching, wanting to do nothing more than grab her knife and gauge the man’s eyes out.

“It has been some time since we have had dealings with the Veera and I will say, it has been a terrible shame if you are any example of what we have missed.” Tekotteh smirks, fully expecting her to swoon at his feet.

Y/N straightens defiantly. “My people, like yours, have had their fair share of hardship.” His smirk dropped, noticing how she deliberately dodged his compliment. “Hm.” He stood from his seat and stepped between the two, brushing against Y/N before stopping at the entrance of his tent.

“Come. Surely you are hungry from the trip. I’ll escort you.”

Seeing how Kotallo moved to the right side of the commander, the Veera put herself in between the two, standing directly to the left of Kotallo, guarding his weaker side. Though his wound is not as painful anymore, she did not want to see him put in another situation like before.

They walked like this throughout the village as Tekotteh pointed out different things to Y/N and talked about Sky Clan traditions, much to the ire of Kotallo. He had wanted to be the one to teach her of their ways. Not him. He held his tongue the entire time, though anyone could see the annoyance brewing behind his neutral expression.

“Here’s the common area, I have some work to attend to, so I will leave you here. I will return later in talks for the aid you’ve offered.”

He gave one more lingering look to the Veera before turning on his heel and walking away. Y/N had let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding before looking around the room, noticing most people that were present had their focus on the two of them. Half seemed to be watching Kotallo’s every move as he led them to a somewhat empty table, while the other half was curious about the outsider walking beside him.

As they sat down, Y/N stared boldly at anyone who dared make eye contact. She knew things would be said about Kotallo and her, and though he ignored them, she made sure to let it be known that she would not be intimidated.

The couple spoke quietly to one another as they ate, Kotallo focusing on her while her eyes jumped around the room every few minutes. He knew she was ready to be away from the prying eyes as he was too, but they sat there even after their food was gone and the sun began to disappear, waiting for the Commander to make his grand appearance again.

By the time he did appear the moon was well lit in the sky and a cold chill took over the atmosphere. Him and a few of his guards sat across from the couple and spread a map out across the table.

The map showed nearby locations of rebel camps and outposts, even showing a route where they patrolled by the Bulwark. Y/N was relieved that they were actually talking shop instead of him making passes towards her, but that relief did not last long.

“We will be celebrating the coming of spring tomorrow night. Since you are unaware of our traditions, you will sit beside me during the feast. I shall tell you all about it.”

The muscle in Kotallo’s jaw jumps. The celebration in question was indeed one for the coming of spring, but in Sky Clan traditions the celebration also doubles as a mating ceremony of sorts. They call it that, although it is really just a way for the clan to hook up with whoever they want.

Kotallo knew what he was implying and bit his tongue. Oh, how badly he wanted to lay his claim on Y/N in front of Tekotteh right then and there, but he couldn’t. It was not uncommon for Sky Clan Commanders, especially Tekotteh, to push himself between arrangements of lower ranking tribe members. Especially if the women were his type.

He was known to love getting to people, and Kotallo didn’t want to give him what he wanted and have him increase his efforts.

“As much as it is an honor to be offered a seat at your table, I must respectfully decline.” The Veera is not well-versed in Tenakth culture and their ways, but she is not naïve to the game Tekotteh is playing. “I am happy to stay with Kotallo for the celebration.”

People began to murmur, she hadn’t realized that everyone was eavesdropping on the conversation, though it really didn’t shock her. Of course they would listen in, and now that the conversation switched gears, she had a feeling this was going to be the talk of the settlement.

“You would rather choose this cripple?” The Commander sneers, gripping the edge of the table tightly, as he could not believe what he was hearing.

Y/N was using all of her restraint to not lash out, but her patience was wearing thin. “I prefer courage to cowardice.”

He scoffed in disbelief, jumping from his seat to gesture at Kotallo’s left arm. “He’s maimed! His company would not leave you satisfied!”

Staring up at the Commander with a flat expression, she spoke loud enough for people in the nearby vicinity to hear.

“He has on every other occasion.”

Kotallo’s eyes widened slightly at her statement. He had not expected her to claim her involvement with him, especially in front of Tekotteh.

“So, again, I must respectfully decline.” She also stood from her seat, straightening her armor out. “And if you would excuse us, our visit does serve a purpose and we won’t fulfil it without rest.”

The two held eye contact for a few long moments before the commander huffed and ordered a young warrior to escort them to their quarters. Y/N had followed the warrior first, with Kotallo flicking his gaze between his Commander and his lover before trailing after her.

He was proud of her for standing up to Tekotteh, but he was worried that he would take that as a challenge and respond more… harshly in order to get what he wanted. The thoughts running through his head plagued him the entire walk to their tent, completely disregarding any of the conversation spoken between the Veera and the young warrior escort.

…

The warrior held the tent flaps open for the couple, allowing them to enter before bidding them a good rest and scurrying off. It was a cute space with a lot of the telltale signs of the Sky Clan scattered about. Y/N had walked around the room to look at all the details while Kotallo began to mindlessly strip out of his armor, garnering the attention of his lover, who immediately took notice of the faraway look in his eyes.

“What is it?” she walked up behind the man, wrapping her arms around his waist as she pressed her chest against his back.

He glanced down over his shoulder to look at her before lowering his head with a sigh. “Tekotteh won’t let this go. Not any time soon. I don’t doubt he’ll keep trying to pursue you when given the chance.”

Pulling out of her embrace he sheds the last bit of armor he had, leaving him in just his pants, and sat on top the bed, resting his chin on his hand, his elbow propped against his right thigh.

“I know,” Y/N began with a shrug. “I’ve dealt with men like him before, it’s nothing I can’t handle.” With a shake of his head, Kotallo looked up at her. “That’s not my concern. It’s just –.”

He let his sentence hang in the air and Y/N could see those old doubts creeping back in. “What? You think I’d go for Tekotteh’s alpha male displays?” That causes him to scoff. “No. I do not. I don’t think he would know what to do with you, even if you did.”

The Veera saw an opportunity to change the pace and put Kotallo’s doubts to rest right then and there and made her move.

“Oh? And you do?” her stomach flipped at the smirk he gave her.

“Mm, perhaps.” Kotallo moved his hand so that it was laid lazily across his leg, leaning a bit further forward while eyeing his lover.

Tilting her head, an almost feline smile pulls at her cheeks. “Prove it.” The Marshal straightened his back and held his hand up for Y/N to grab while he spread his legs invitingly.

She took his hand and allowed him to pull her in so that she was standing between his thighs, holding eye contact with her lover as she slowly climbed onto his lap, her legs trapping him from either side.

Kotallo’s hand rested on her lower back, shivering under the feather-light touch of Y/N’s hands trailing up his chest before stopping at his face, holding him in place as she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his for a few silent seconds.

Her lips replaced her forehead as she trailed kisses down the bridge of his nose, pausing over his lips. Kotallo closed the distance, kissing her softly at first before gradually increasing the intensity. His mouth parted her own quivering lips with so much fervor that she felt dizzy.

His tongue swept across Y/N’s bottom lip before slipping inside, all the while his hand begins to slide under the fabric of her undershirt. Her veins felt like they were on fire, her heart pumping nothing but pure heat at the sensation he was giving her. She was sure that she would pass out from it all but was saved by the Marshal pulling away to rid her of her top.

As soon as her torso is bare, he wastes no time in pressing his lips to the base of her throat, dragging them down her sternum to take a peaked nipple into his mouth. A breathy sigh escaped her, and her hips roll against him reflexively, unintentionally making Kotallo pull a sharp breath from between his teeth. The Veera smirked at the response, humming when he turned his focus to her other nipple while rolling her hips once more.

“You keep that up and this will be over before it’s started.” Kotallo’s voice vibrated against her chest like a bass, looking up at his lover from under his lashes.

“Consider this an exercise in control.”

Huffing out a laugh the Tenakth reaches between them, pulling his already hard cock from the confines of his trousers and rubs the head against her core. Y/N bit her lip before lifting herself up from his lap just enough so he could align himself with her as he began to push in gently.

The couple maintains a heated gaze, watching the other’s expressions like a hawk, wanting to drink it in as Y/N slowly seated herself back onto his thighs. Only, Kotallo gripped her hip to stop her when she was halfway, keeping her still to feel him stretching her, to let her feel the burn beginning in her thighs. While he held her there, he bared his teeth and claimed her throat, and then her breasts.

He relished in the sounds of her soft whimpers, feeling her legs beginning to shake on either side of his thighs. He groaned at the feeling of her nails latching onto his shoulders and decided to finally move. All in one motion, he pulled her down and snapped his hips upward, burying him to the hilt. The movement was so fast it knocked Y/N forward with a loud gasp, having to steady herself with the help of his shoulders.

Kotallo paused long enough for her to adjust before setting a steady, deliberate pace. With each thrust he made the tension in her body increased, the coil in her tummy winding up tightly with an unbearable ache. Her nails raked across his shoulders, causing his hips to falter with a groan. He had thrusted into her harder than he had intended, too focused on the sting of her nails in his back and the pleasure it brought him.

He withdraws almost entirely, gripping her hip hard enough to bruise. “No, no, no.” Y/N’s voice was breathless, her chest heaving harshly as though she had been running for hours. She tried moving in order to chase after the fleeting orgasm, but his grip was like that of Oseram steel.

“Easy.” He muttered with a heavy breath, smirking when his lover glared down at him with her beautifully flushed face. “Why?”

“Consider it an exercise in control.”

Y/N whined and when he shifted slightly below her, she began to beg. “Please, please, please…” she trailed off with almost unintelligible whispers, wiggling her hips for good measure. He snapped his hips up and she cried out in euphoria, mind and heart racing at a dizzying speed as Kotallo fucked her harder – faster than before.

The rolling of Y/N’s hips became hurried, whimpering when she felt the telltale pulse of those inner muscles that came before the wave of pleasure came crashing down on her. Kotallo moaned when he felt the first pulse and then he swore under his breath when the next one came. Her walls were tightening around him, almost fluttering.

“Shit,” her mouth fell open, hips stuttering as those inner muscles squeezed again. Once. Twice. Before the coil snapped, sending her well over the edge of no return. A loud cry left her as she dropped her head on her lover’s shoulder. The intensity of her orgasm boiled Kotallo over, spilling his seed into her with a low moan of, “Ah, fuck.”

They rode through their high and once the sensations calmed Kotallo felt Y/N’s entire body twitching as well as a few tears on his shoulder. With a soft smile he pressed a sweet kiss to his lover’s shoulder, brushing his thumb over her hip bone to help her recoup.

“I wonder if Tekotteh’s spies will include this in their report. The walls around here aren’t exactly built for… well.” Y/N mumbled against his skin, chuckling when she felt her smile before pulling her back to look her in the eye.

“Does it bother you?” From what she had told him about the Veera, they were a little more private when it came to their couplings. At least in comparison to the Tenakth. He did not want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way.

“No…” she began, “I kind of wish I could be there to see Tekotteh’s face, actually.” Kotallo gave a bolstering laugh and Y/N couldn’t help but smile, her heart full and nearly bursting.

…

The next day the couple went to find Tekotteh to begin aiding their clan, at least that was what they thought they were going to be doing. Turns out, Tekotteh found a way to keep them from actually helping with rebuilding and fighting back against the rebel camps. They were given the duty of training the young warriors of the Sky Clan, which Y/N didn’t mind, but she could tell the Commander was trying to keep them away from him.

Kotallo took on the older children, who were the more experienced warriors. While Y/N took the younger ones that were less experienced. She had started them off with easy combinations to use in battle before moving on to defense tactics.

During one of the short breaks, she noticed one of the younger boys being targeted by a larger kid. She could hear him calling the younger boy names, belittling him until the boy snapped at the older child.

Y/N took a step forward as the older child backhanded the younger, sending him flying to the ground, but was stopped by Kotallo’s hand stretched out in front of her, giving her a stern look.

“He needs to figure it out himself.”

“That boy is the youngest here. He’s barely able to spar with these kids.” she retorted; her eyebrows furrowed with worry for the child.

“He is Tenakth.”

She watched as her lover stepped away to return to the older kids, calling them over to continue their training. Her heart broke at the thought of not being able to step in, but she did understand why Kotallo told her not to interfere. They come from two walks of life. While her tribe values stepping in for the weak to help them grow, the Tenakth push their weak until their either sink or swim.

Going forward she keeps an eye on the kid. She can’t help it. He reminds her of herself as a child. She was smaller, weaker than the rest of her peers. It took a lot of bruises, bleeding, and losing fights for her to learn the skills she has now. She wouldn’t know half of what she does now without the help from her elders and she wants to return that favor. She sees something in him and knows that the Tenakth would dismiss him entirely if he couldn’t learn, and he deserves a fighting chance.

So, she makes sure to give him extra help, being as subtle as possible. She had spent most of the morning going over those two areas until deciding to have the kids partner up and spar while using these new techniques. She made her rounds without singling him out, only giving him advice once she had made her away to him and his partner.

They had sparred for a good while, so she called for a break, watching as all the kids disperse. All but one. With a frown she approached the young boy who was on his hands and knees in the dirt. She could spot the bruises from a good distance, but the closer she got she saw just how exhausted he looked.

“Don’t give up now.”

She stands over the child, her heart tightening at his glassy eyes when he looks up at her. She can see his lip wobbling, so she continues. “Do not give up. I know you’re hurting. I know you’re tired and I know your heart is stronger than both. You are a warrior. You are Tenakth. No matter what, get up. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how tired or scared, or how badly you might be losing. You get to your feet. Understand?”

The boy nods and gets to his feet shakily, dusting himself off. He turned to join the other kids on their break and Y/N watches with bated breath as the older kid approaches him with a smug look.

She couldn’t hear what was being said, but soon the altercation turned into a brawl. The younger boy was losing. Badly. Y/N stood back alongside the other adults that were watching the fight closely, Kotallo included. Though it pained her to do so, she knew it was his battle.

Kotallo’s eyes flowed between the fight and Y/N. Watching how she reacts to the boy getting knocked down over and over again. The boy was bruised and bleeding, tears streaming down his face as the other kids laughed at him. He looked around, noticing how none of the adults made a move to help. And then he caught Y/N’s gaze.

The Marshal stares out the corner of his eye as his lover gives the child a subtle nod, returning his focus back to the boy, who in turn had set his jaw and pushed himself back up.

He was unsteady on his feet and clearly in pain, but he lifts his chin and returns to fighting position. It surprised Kotallo to see him stand back up but after seeing the prideful expression on Y/N’s face, he understood that she had a hand in his newfound determination.

The bully was unnerved that he got back up, after all he had been quick to fall and stay down. This distraction allowed the younger boy to get a few good hits in. They fought a while longer before the older kid landed a punch that knocked the boy completely out, much to Y/N’s dismay. She was hoping he would be able to make a comeback, but he was already too beat up.

Kotallo had carried the boy to the healer before the couple made their way to the dining area where the feast was being held for the spring celebration. He spoke none of the child, deciding to leave it be, and instead focusing on how his lover’s eyes lit up at the decorated dining area filled with his tribe.

“So, this feast is a celebration of Spring?” Y/N whispered as the couple found a place to sit at one of the many tables filled with food.

“Yes, but it is also a celebration for… well coupling.” He watches as his lover’s eyebrow raises and a smirk pulls at her lips. “Oh? I guess we should join in the celebrations then. I wouldn’t want to disrespect Tenakth traditions.”

Kotallo snorted quietly, “We couldn’t have that, now could we?”

The couple talk amongst themselves as they eat and drink an assortment, occasionally conversing with any tribesmen that sat near them. It was obvious that a few of the Sky Clan did not have the same feelings towards Kotallo as Tekotteh did, which Y/N was thankful for. It was nice seeing him speak to people he hasn’t seen since the last time he was here.

As the night went on so did the drinking and soon the whole area was filled with rambunctious conversations and laughter. It was hard to listen to other conversations with the other’s bleeding into them, but one did stand out to Kotallo, one that made his eyes narrow, and his spine go rigid. He had completely stopped eating to focus in on what the group of people behind them were talking about.

“I’m surprised Hekarro is keeping him as a Marshal, it is a bold move to place trust in a cripple.”

“We can only hope that doesn’t bite him in the ass if he’s left with only the cripple against Regalla’s forces.”

Laughter ensues, causing Kotallo’s blood to boil. Hasn’t he proved himself? Hasn’t he made it known that he is still strong regardless of the loss of his limb?

Y/N felt her lover tense up and when she looked up at him, she could practically see the anger rolling off him in waves. It hurt her to see him like this and to hear his own tribe saying disrespectful things about him.

Wrapping her arms around his waist she leaned against his left side before nuzzling her face into his neck, turning her head up slightly so she could press a kiss to the underside of his jaw. She wanted him to know that she was here and that she understood what he was feeling right now, but she wasn’t expecting him to snap his attention down to her with his eyes widened slightly.

Displaying affection in public is a big deal amongst the Tenakth as it shows just how committed a couple is to the entire tribe. Kotallo felt his chest fill up with an emotion he really couldn’t place at that moment, his heart actually felt like it was going to take off. Turning so that he was facing Y/N more, he leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to the crown of her head, holding that position for a few seconds before returning to their previous position.

His eyes catch Tekotteh across the room, and if looks could kill… well Kotallo would probably be six feet under. He knew this would send the Commander over the edge and steeled himself mentally for what was about to come. Puffing his chest, Tekotteh bounds over to the couple and stands over the woman, smirking down at her as if she was just going to spread her legs for him in front of the entire tribe.

“My, my, don’t you look absolutely ravishing tonight.” Y/N fought the urge to roll her eyes as she barely turned to glance at the man over her shoulder. “Why don’t I give you a… tour of how we celebrate the arrival of Spring?” The underlying suggestion caused Kotallo to cringe, but he did not turn to face him. He knew his lover could handle herself, so instead he listened closely to her response.

Yet, she gives none. She only stared blankly at the commander whose smug look slowly fell into one of annoyance as he scoffed from her lack of response. “I’m quite tired of the games, girl. Come spend time with a real man.” His hand reached out to grab Y/N by her upper arm and a switch was flipped.

She stood up from the table with so much force that her plate and mug shook, startling the nearby Tenakth. The vein in her neck was pulsing and she felt like she was seeing red as she flipped around, coming face to face with the commander, her shoulders squared.

Kotallo had turned completely in his seat, watching with bated breath as his lover glared up at Tekotteh.

“Do not touch me.” She seethed, not letting his slight height advantage intimidate her.

“And what will you do, little Veera?”

The Veera stepped closer, almost nose to nose with him, and to Kotallo she looked every bit the warrior he knew her to be. His eyes slid over to Tekotteh’s goons who had moved closer to the commander and stood from his seat as well, yet not interfering.

“Amongst my people, only the weakest men target those who cannot fight back. Only the weak take aim at those who are already wounded.” Though she was not present when he grabbed Kotallo’s freshly wounded arm, she could see what he did vividly, and it made her livid. She bared her teeth to the man and dropped her voice lower. “Touch me, Tekotteh, and I will embarrass you in front of all your people.”

Just like the bully in the training grounds, Tekotteh is unnerved by her and Kotallo could see it plain as day, but he held his ground. Both warriors stood nose to nose, glaring at the other even as one of Tekotteh’s warriors that had approached laid his hand on her.

She had pulled away from him and shoved the warrior back but held her gaze. At this point Kotallo knew that if this kept up, the two would come to blows and cause them more problems that none of them needed, so he intervened.

“I believe we will be taking our leave early. Our assistance seems to not be needed anymore. If Regalla proves to be too difficult to handle, we will return.” Kotallo spoke as diplomatically as possible, practicing as much restraint as he could in that moment. His hand gently gripped her balled up fist and pulled her towards him, not even acknowledging how Tekotteh was looking at them anymore.

“Come,”

It didn’t take the couple long to grab their supplies and hit the road, and once they finally were a good distance from the Bulwark, Y/N let out a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back.

“I cannot stand that pretentious pig. I was so ready to shatter his teeth.”

Kotallo could see her shaking in anger and with a laugh he pulled her into his side by her waist. “I would have given a lot of shards to see that, but I think doing so would have caused a lot of issues if we ever interact with them further.”

Sighing, she leaned her head onto his shoulder. “You’re right… as much as I hate it.”

…

Entering the base, the couple dropped their supplies by the door and made their way to the common area, where Erend, Zo, Varl and Aloy all sat, staring at the duo with a confused expression.

“What are you guys doing back so early?” Erend stood up to greet the warriors, who returned the greeting with tired smiles. Y/N plopped onto a bench and stretched out so that she was laying down across the seat, leaving Kotallo to recall what had happened at the Bulwark with Tekotteh.

“By the forge… Y/N really tore him a new one, huh.” Kotallo smirked, nodding. “I think that deserves a drink!” He hurried off to gather up the group’s mugs and his finest ale, yelling over his shoulder for Zo and Varl to whip something quick up to eat.

The Veera felt her legs being lifted up before being laid back down on a familiar surface. The arm she had covering her eyes dropped down and she smiled lovingly at the sight before her. Kotallo was sitting at the end of the bench, having pulled her legs over his lap with his hand resting on her knee, brushing his thumb across the skin. She focused on the feeling of the repetitive motion and watched his facial expressions as he and Aloy continued to speak about the trip.

Varl was complaining to Zo as to why they had to be the ones to cook whenever the Oseram wanted to drink, while Zo had just pulled him along to gather ingredients, having already decided the quickest thing to make for such an occasion. Y/N thought about their little family and how her life had changed thanks to the fiery red head taking a chance on her and bringing her along.

“Y/N.”

She snapped out of her thoughts with a slight jump, “Food is done.” Kotallo pulled her up just in time for her to see Varl place two plates in front of them and smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t realize I was out for that long.”

“I thought you fell asleep on us.” Erend began, hastily passing the ale around the table before plopping down next to the Veera. “Now that your cat nap is over, tell us again how you chewed up Tekotteh’s manhood and spat it back out.”