• OPEN •

[carmesi]

WHO: anyone and everyone in solvunn
WHAT: mingle for the summoned, particularly the new people
WHEN: a day or two after the new summoned arrive
WHERE: in aloy's homestead—crossing some wilderness but close to the primary settlement
WARNING: TBA

A. THE JOURNEY THERE

The invitation to Aloy’s homestead is made shortly after the newly Summoned find their bearings within the Primary Settlement. Aloy begrudgingly agrees to it, but seeing as how their group has grown within Solvunn—it probably is for the best to be a little more open to the presence of others. Much like with the treehouse by the lakes, it’s good to know of another place further away from the settlements where the Summoned might feel comfortable enough to traverse into.

That is not to say that the homestead is very friendly to strangers, though. Aloy has set up tripwires, disguised pitfalls, snare traps, and other devices in the surrounding area, creating thus a challenging attempt for anyone who wants to travel there by themselves. Additionally, a way to avoid most of that (read: not all; consider it a bonus for getting close to the homestead) is to go through the arboreal parkour course that has been set up. A network of catwalks, platforms, and balancing ropes to traverse the woods. Reaching Aloy’s truly is a test of guts and skill. 


(Alternatively, travel with Wanda or Himeka—the path clears up for them. For the ballsy, follow Nero and Rocket; surely they aren’t scheming anything…)

And, past all of that, the woods will open up to a tall, spiky fence, about eight feet tall, and the gate will lead towards the homestead proper.

B. HOME SWEET HOMESTEAD

The seasons are turning, and while Solvunn doesn’t suffer from incredibly cold winters, there is definitely a chill in the air. Storm clouds in the distance by the coast rupture with booming thunder, bringing down the temperature quite significantly. It makes the bonfire burning outside a welcome source of warmth. Despite the threat of rain, there’s a strong chance the skies will clear up, as the wind picks up.

Within, Aloy’s homestead boasts the woman’s survival and technical skills. Making the most of her resources, there are meats hanging to dry, chopped wood on the side of the house, and animal skins splayed out that will most likely need to be stored at some point. The inside of the homestead is a simple affair, but for someone who isn’t in the business of receiving guests, it’s decent enough.

For today, the space—inside and outside—has a few extra wooden chairs and tables, picnic style, and they’re decorated with an assortment of food: recently harvested apples from the orchard, berries, roasted mushrooms and acorns, and more complex dishes thanks to Himeka’s arduous work in the kitchen the day before. At one point, a giant stew will cook over the bonfire, with meats and veggies, with bowls to the side for anyone to take their fill. Additionally, there will be grilled fish, flat breads, baked cabbage with lentils and, for those with a sweet tooth, apple pie. Wanda will also be sharing sarmale, a pot of goulash, spinach and cheese pastry—gibanica, and a table of assortments to build their own burgers. Additionally, there will also be apple cake and mandelbrot cookies. All in all? No one’s going hungry at the homestead.

But, worry not, all that food needs to go down with something. Barrels of mead and ale will be available for all to drink. For those who don’t want anything alcoholic, there is apple (and other fruit) juice available.

Make merry and mingle, new faces and old faces alike.

And, of course, please take one of the pamphlets.

C. THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING

Lightning strikes, and almost immediately the boom of thunder brings an eerie quiet to the homestead and the forest past its fences. There’s the awkward laugh the tries to break the silence, shaking the jitters away. Some are quicker than others in mobilizing, perhaps feeling the pinprick of raindrops that others don’t, and start moving what they can salvage from the food and miscellaneous items into the cabin. Some may choose to spare themselves of the rain, pushing the way inside or hiding under the roof’s awning at either side of the cabin; others may be entirely unbothered by the rain, as heavy drops fall fast from the darkened skies.

More thunder rumbles in the distance, roiling ever closer from the mountains in Thorne’s southern border.

A few Summoned might notice it first, that it isn’t really the rumbling of thunder that shakes the muddled earth. The grunts of approaching beasts are mixed with the sound of hooves drumming up in rhythm of an uninvited approach. Birds fly away in flocks as the mammoth boars make their way through the forest, inadvertently towards the homestead.

They are due their mating season, and traveling to the wintry mountains of Thorne has been delayed by the appearance of the beasts in the rifts, the journey now a toll on the boars as the continuous lighting and thunder confuses, frightens, and angers them.

They ram into the fence at different points, and chaos would soon ensue, but thankfully all the Summoned have their powers back.

Right?

D. CLEARING UP

After a few boars were felled, the rest scrambled and escaped, continued their path northward. Killing some of them was inevitable, but nothing ought to be left to waste. The skies clear, the waning moon appears over a colorful sunset, and the rain stops. The fire is built again in earnest, and meat is, quite literally, back on the menu at the grilling station, as per Nero’s helpful suggestion. Some fences need a little mending, and a general amount of cleaning up within the homestead needs to be done, too.

As sunset gives way to nighttime, the sky—once marred in dark tones of gray—gives way to a beautiful night sky, with stars and constellations to be delighted by many. Wanda will be offering to dry the wet clothes of those still sticking around, and Himeka hands over warm cocoa or warm cider, something for everyone.

Now that things have quieted down, and with folk sitting around the fire or standing just by the edges of it, Rocket and Wanda inform everyone of the letter from the Nether that they received—something, perhaps, so they can get a general idea of what everyone thinks; about getting involved, about helping, about Solvunn’s interests in all this. It’s not meant to start an argument, debate, or a long conversation, but it’s something to have everyone think about — to know that they might be sent off somewhere else, soon, for a while, and brace for the trip.

Those who have been in Solvunn for a lot longer will be around, to ask questions or start a conversation about what has happened, what is currently happening, and theories for their futures, here.

Aloy didn’t mention anyone can stay to sleep, though, so best feel ready to head back at some point.

Comments

[cuckooo]

[ the way esme lifts her boots out of the way is automatic, but his power is not one she is unused to. aside from her own, lorna's power is the one she is most used to. shifting out of the way of a coffee spoon flying into lorna's hand was not an uncommon occurrence. ]

Thank you.

[ he might have noticed her watching him earlier. she was trying not to stare, really! but she's seen his face on television for years, on the computers at the lab listed under mutant threats, in sentinel's files, in the hellfire club's files. she's totally normal about him though! ]

I'm not particularly useful when it comes to heavy lifting, [ she admits with a shrug. ]

[heavymetals]

[ Maybe he noticed. Maybe he also pretended that he didn't, because usually that kind of attention doesn't come for good reasons, and he is kind of fine with no one knowing who he is. There's just a lot about his past that he's glad to leave behind, a lot he still frequently struggles with, and this is as close to a clean slate as he's ever going to get.

And then, there's that small part of him that's too curious for his own good, and wants to know exactly how she knows him, or what she knows of him. He also can't shake the feeling that she reminds him of someone. ]

We all have our own strengths. That's nothing to feel bad about. [ He gestures up to where she's sitting. ] May I join you?

[cuckooo]

If you'd like.

[ like she is going to say no to him, ha. that would be a funny joke. her hands curl around the railing so she can keep her balance as she looks up at the unfamiliar stars instead of watching erik like a creep. she didn't see the stars as a child, or much of the outside at all, they've always fascinated her. ]

Most people don't like my strengths.

[heavymetals]

[ Well, he wouldn't ask otherwise. But he doesn't say that, and instead just takes the permission and levitates himself off the ground, gliding through a series of magnetic fields that bring him up to where she is.

He sets his feet down on the beam, then takes a seat next to her, taking a moment to find his balance before he looks at her. ]

Does it really matter what other people like?

[cuckooo]

[ she glances over at him, lips pursed, eyes flashing with her own power though she doesn't dip into his mind. wanda tried to coax her back into her powers but the loss of her sisters feels like a weight around her neck and she can't bear to loosen it. ]

No. But it is lonely.

[heavymetals]

[ That's probably for the best, he wouldn't take kindly to having his mind touched without consent. He can tell she has some sort of ability, but it could be anything; it's foolish to think or even hope that she too could be a mutant, when no one else among the Summoned seems to be. ]

It doesn't have to be. It's all a matter of finding the right people.

[cuckooo]

Which isn't exactly easy, is it?

[ it doesn't seem fair, to know who he is without telling him. usually esme wouldn't say anything, use it to her advantage, but he's magneto. the magneto, and she finds the words spilling out before she can stop them. ]

I used to watch videos of you, when I was a little girl. [ she is barely 21 so "little girl" was not so long ago. ] From the news.

[heavymetals]

[ No, it's not easy. But sometimes it is worth looking for that. Erik hasn't always had luck with that either, it comes and goes. Even with Charles, getting along and seeing eye to eye seems to fluctuate, but at the very least he's always accepted him, flaws and all. So it's not impossible to find someone like that.

That's a thought set aside for later, as his focus quickly shifts to what she tells him next. His shoulders draw with tension. Usually nothing good comes out of a conversation that starts like that. ]

Did you, now. [ He actually considers telling her that she still is a little girl. Gonna pass on that. ] Tell me that you think about all of that.

[cuckooo]

[ she almost immediately regrets telling him because of the stiffness that comes to his frame but she can't take it back now! ]

It was the first time I ever heard someone say we deserve more than what we have. A future.

[heavymetals]

[ He looks away, quiet for a while. It's not that he's uncomfortable with getting attention, to be honest he's always liked being able to draw people in and it's served his cause well in the past. But it's a toss of the coin, meeting anyone from his world. Could be good, could be bad. He doesn't know what to expect, and he doesn't want to be to her, or to anyone, what he once used to be.

What he sometimes still is. It's a constant struggle. ]

That's all I've ever wanted. For mutants everywhere to know that they didn't have to stand alone. That we have a right to a place in our world.

[cuckooo]

We grew up— [ hmm, how to make it palatable? there probably isn't a way to soften their inhumane upbringing but esme certainly tries. ] Sheltered, so we didn't know.

[ she looks back up at the stars, exhales a questing breath. ]

It didn't seem fair to not tell you.

[heavymetals]

[ He understands. Life is complicated, difficult in its own way for everyone. Erik would be the last person to judge. But if he managed to inspire at least some sense of self-worth in anyone, he'll consider it worthwile. ]

You weren't wrong. I do prefer knowing.

[ He looks at her again. So familiar. Even the way her eyes glow blue. ]

What's your name?

[cuckooo]

Esme Frost.

[ she knows he knew their mother, even if they never got the chance. she was long dead before the quintuplets arrived on the scene. the triplets had to comb through the hellfire club's files to even find pictures of her. ]

I don't have a code name or anything, just Esme. [ surely "the frost sisters" doesn't count and she won't be accepting all the cruel things they called the girls at the lab. ]

[heavymetals]

Just Esme's fine. I also prefer just Erik.

[ He doesn't mind Magneto, will promptly take up that mantle again when he needs to, but there were things he did then that he's not exactly proud of now. He just wants people to know, wants to prove to himself that he's different now, that he can be better. ]

Any relation to Emma Frost?

[ That would certainly explain the familiarity he feels. ]

[cuckooo]

She's our mother. [ a beat. ] We're clones.

[ so not really her daughters, not really people to some people. mutant clones really does test the edges of people's willingness to give the girls any autonomy. should they be locked up because they're abomination against humanity because they are mutants or because they are unnatural because they are soulless clones. ]

[heavymetals]

[ Erik's eyes widen, surprise and a whole lot of confusion on his face. He would have a lot of questions there, but thankfully she answers a good portion of them when she explains she's a clone. ]

Our mother? [ That stood out immediately. ] How many more? Who— [ How to put this gently. ] — made you?

[cuckooo]

Creed Financial.

[ that is an easier answer than how many frost girls there are and she finds that even though magneto was very important to her budding personhood, it aches too much to have to talk about celeste and mindee still.

she licks her lips, aware the pause is growing too long. ]

There's three of us.

[heavymetals]

[ The name doesn't ring familiar to him. But then, she is a clone, she could be from any point in time. What he does know is that Trask Industries were the ones who got their hands on Emma, along with a number of his mutant brothers and sisters, so he can't help wonder how it went from that to Esme. ]

Why create three of you? Do you know?

[cuckooo]

We're more powerful together. [ an ubër-telepath.

her shoulders lift in a shrug, uncertain but at the same time seemingly unbothered by the uncertainty and she is tamping down any discomfort she feels. it's easier to confront her existence if she is matter of fact about it; esme is practiced at keeping her composure.

she knows why they were an odd-number, at least, that was clear from the start. ] And each of us were easier to control if they threatened the others. None of us have diamond skin.

[heavymetals]

I see.

[ So when she said her upbringing was sheltered, he imagines this what she meant. She's not just a clone. She's an experiment, an attempt to replicate Emma's unique powers. Clearly, not something so easy to achieve.

It doesn't sit well with him. It's not Esme's fault, and it doesn't matter how she came to be. She exists now, and she's a mutant. But to know there are people out there with this kind of power, this kind of access to mutants to allow them to do something like this... ]

Emma was extraordinary. Don't take this personally, but I am glad they weren't able to replicate all of her.

[cuckooo]

[ she does not take it personally, smile touching her expression and softening her in a way that makes her youth all the more apparent. ]

Maybe someday you could tell me about her.

[heavymetals]

Someday.

[ Things weren't always perfect with Emma, mainly because Erik was secretive at the time and he has a feeling she wouldn't have agreed with some of the things he did. But she was loyal to a fault, bright and fearless. He had a great deal of respect for her, which probably shows now. ]

Were there others, like you and your sisters?

[cuckooo]

There's no one like us.

[ she may not actually be emma frost's daughter but apparently that indefatigable armor of confidence is indeed genetic, even if they diamond armor wasn't. there may actually be other clones, but esme is unaware of them (and so was the hellfire club) so to her, there is no one like the frost triplets. she and her sisters are a one of a kind hivemind. ]

Telepaths are pretty common though.

[heavymetals]

[ That manages to draw a smile from Erik. There are a number of traits he appreciates in people, but that confidence, maybe even pride, it's pretty high on the list. It also reminds him of Emma. Can't say he minds having a good kind of reminder, for a change. ]

I'm not sure I would ever call a telepath common. But maybe the ones I met have made me biased.

[cuckooo]

It's the complaint we always overhear, that's there are so many of us.

[ complaints she overhears because she has no concept of other people's personal mental space. maybe that is the problem, esme! ]

We're useful, but have you ever met anyone that particularly likes our powers?