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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.

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[ A war is a war. There isn't a better or a worse, it's all just bad. Losing everything, being surrounded by violence, or by the constant fear of losing everything. Actually losing everything. She mentioned once how Sokovia no longer existed; he dreads to think how much more she has lost. ]

The sentiment is mutual, Wanda.

[ Maybe that's what draws them together. Maybe that's the underlying feeling that makes him feel like she's just someone he can let close. He could be wrong, but he's always trusted his instincts when it comes to people, he'll trust this one as well.

The question that comes next catches him so off-guard, that he can't help the pained chuckle he lets out, pushing it back down quickly enough. ]

I, ah... sorry, it... it was. For a while, yes. [ He looks at the cookie in his hand, thoughtful. ] It's hard. Finding a place in the world where you belong, after you go through something like that. I'm sure you know.

[genuinely, this is so strange. people can sympathize with her and her circumstances, acknowledge her pain, but never has she met someone with such parallel understanding of what it's like. wanda feels like a bit of a kid, again, and she moves on the bench so that she's sat facing him, legs crossed under herself, pulling at her skirt to cover her legs.]

I used to have talks with my brother like this.

[back when he was the only one who could understand her. munching on something delicious to make it easier to swallow all that anger and sadness.]

We wanted Sokovia to just be free of war, so we could rebuild and it could go back to what it was... We didn't want it destroyed. [and yet] New York felt like home for a while, for me. [and though this conversation just lands into sadder territory, she tries to correct that.] You ever been?

[ It's a dreadful thing to bond over, he wouldn't have wished it on her or anyone else. But there is a comfort in finding common ground nevertheless, something he hasn't often found with other people. He still wishes it weren't so.

He smiles a little, pained and understanding. To hope that things could just be as they once were. But time marches on, unforgiving. What's lost can't ever be regained, barring very few and incredibly precious exceptions. ]

I have. [ Now, at least, he doesn't look quite so miserable about the topic. ] Someone I know has a school there. Charles Xavier. He's a mutant, like me.

[and this might be, perhaps, an easier place for both of them to land on—in new york, away from the troubles of war that mar their memories of europe as a whole.]

You mentioned something like that before, but I didn't know there was a school. For mutants?

[it sounds like a place one could call home, if there were others like you.]

What kind of powers does he have?

[ It is undoubtedly the safest place in Erik's memories to revisit. Where he's been happy and sad both, but where, instead of a place where he's lost everything he's loved, there remains a door always open for him. A friend waiting, no matter what happens. ]

Yes, but I doubt Charles would ever turn his back on any mutant, of any age. He's built that school as a safe haven, a place of hope.

[ Erik hasn't always shared in that view. He respects it, though. Immensely so. ]

He's a telepath. A powerful one.

Charles sounds alright.

[it does seem like a good place to revisit, and wanda's attention folds unto itself as she is drawn with interest at this concept of a school for mutants to live in. she wonders what kind of place it is like—she wonders what other mutants there are, the variety of powers amongst all of them.

a colorful bunch, perhaps.

she munches on her cookie, finishing it up in time to say,]

A telepath? I have mind powers, too. Were it not for my magic I would seriously buy into your idea that maybe I could be a mutant, too.

[a light joke, but one that she wouldn't have minded if it had been true.]

[ He confirms her guess with a nod. Charles is, indeed, alright. He has his own flaws and shortcomings, but he's always trying to help, to do better. Erik never thought hope could get anyone anywhere until he met him. ]

Well, maybe in another world, you are. Who knows?

[ She is still unique in her own way. Close enough, so far as Erik is concerned. It's the kind of minor detail Charles wouldn't care about, just as an example. ]

Are you a telepath too, or is it something else?

Who knows.

[a couple of jumps through the multiverse, and wanda is pretty sure that maybe—just maybe—there is a high enough chance that she existed in a universe where mutants are a thing. she doesn't recognize it now, charles xavier, but it might be something she gets to gather in time, should she be allowed to perceive something of what the men was like.]

—I was called weird at first, while my brother was just fast. I'm a witch, though, I know that now. [she raises a hand so that the same scarlet magic he had seen before dances between her twitching fingers.] But I can move things with my mind, and do things to the minds of others. That's always something people hate to hear, though.

So, I tend to keep it to myself.

[and erik just gets to know about it.]

[ Erik hums, understanding this better than most. He doesn't pull away as he once would, but still regards her with interest, more of her to be intrigued by. ]

People are guarded when it comes to their minds, understandably so. We don't like to know when someone could take away our free will.

[ Just to say that he would understand that kneejerk reaction towards her, even if they would be wrong. ]

I'll keep it to myself, if that's a concern of yours.

—at least here in Solvunn having powers like these aren't seen as a criminal act.

[she puts her hand down, grinning up at him. she can trust him with her mind reading abilities, and she knows that he will do a good job of keeping it from those that don't deserve to know of it.]

I think you promised me you'd show off your own when they came back to you.

The fork trick was a bit neat.

Nor should it be.

[ But isn't that just tragically familiar, too? How often are mutants treated as criminals, dangers to society, monsters? Can't say it's nice to hear it's prevalent in other realities. ]

Trick? It's a little more than just that.

[ But fine, if she's going to tease, then he'll take the bait. He draws a few more items of cutlery to him, hand stretched out, as forks and spoons twist and reshape into a perfect little bird resting on his palm. ]

I think I'll owe your friend a new cutlery set.

[ He can do more, of course, but wouldn't want to wreck the whole place. ]

You might.

[and wanda’s glad he’s taken the bait. it allows her to see that he can create something of beauty with his powers, as most times people with powers are considered dangerous monsters with not a shred of imagination or admiration for the beauty of the world.

she takes the metal little bird from his hand and looks it over.]

Though I imagine this is the least that you can do with your powers.

[she sets the bird down on the table beside her, and with a twirl of her hand, the cutlery that he had twisted and reshaped are now placed back on the table.]

—this way we can keep the little bird without feeling guilty about it.

It is, but doing more might end up being a little... destructive.

[ It's not what he wants to do, here. Not until he finds himself in a situation where he absolutely must. For a simple power display, this is good enough. Simple, harmless. And the little bird did come out looking fairly good, if he might say so.

He watches with an arched eyebrow as she replicates the cutlery he took, letting out a soft huff. ]

Now who's showing off?

[ Not that he's complaining. He likes being able to see what others can do. He has a feeling that she can do things much more exceptional than just that.

Glancing to the bird again, he lifts a shoulder. ] Keep it. If you want.

[destructive, huh.

wanda tilts her head, looking down at the bird on the table. if she really wanted to show off, she’d bring the bird to life; that’s something about her powers that she isn’t quite so open about, though.]

I’ll keep it. When you become a famous metal sculpture in Abraxas, I’ll boast over the fact that I have one of your very first pieces.

[that’s just her teasing, turning her gaze back at erik.]

You said your friend had a school for mutants. Were you a student there, or a teacher?

[ Well— while metal exists in nature, usually when Erik makes use of the metal surrounding him, it's a structural part of a lot of man-made things. It tends to cause some chaos and just generally wreck several things around him; buildings, infrastructures, machinery, and such. He also cares very little about said destruction when he thinks he has good reason to use his powers like that. ]

I hardly think that will happen.

[ He has no artistic inclinations whatsoever. Still, he understands it for the joke it is and shoots her an amused look, before moving back to the topic of Charles's school. ]

I was neither. Charles wanted me to stay, he asked several times, but— [ He trails off, takes a breath, then shrugs. ] Things just didn't work out that way. I'm sure he thought he could wear me down, with time.

[ And maybe he wasn't so wrong. Erik was genuinely tempted once or twice. ]

[one can dream, erik. who is to say what anyone will end up doing, now that they're in abraxas, after all.

—as for charles, erik speaks of the man with plenty of fondness. but there's something else there, too. things never get to be quite so simple, can they?]

You are proud to be a mutant.

[there's no question about that.]

What did you do, then, if you didn't stay at the school your friend set up?

[ He raises an eyebrow at her statement, smiling because— well, it is pretty obvious, isn't it? ]

I am, of course. All mutants should be. Or people like you— extraordinary.

[ Mutant or not, it hardly matters at this point, least of all in a place like this.

Anyway, things have never been simple with Charles, not since the day they met. Charles was perhaps naive enough to think they could be, at some point, but they've seen too much, experienced too much, both together and on opposing sides, to believe otherwise. ]

I tried to achieve our goals through different methods. [ His tone carries regret. Worn out, exhausted, finished. And yet, he of all people knows how easy it could be to draw him back in. ] Things didn't work out so well. For neither of us for a while, but in the end, he managed to create something good.

[ Certainly something better than what Erik did. ]

[wanda isn't so sure about that bit regarding people like her.]

I'm sure you know what people say about witches.

[and 'extraordinary' is certainly not a word for it, though thankfully it's seen less as something negative here in abraxas than back in her own world. nevertheless, things are never quite so simple, and this conversation about 'charles' isn't, either. wanda can tell, from how erik talks about it; what he sounds like.]

Did you — part ways?

[ He huffs in amusement, tilting his head at her. ]

People haven't been burned on stakes for centuries now, where I'm from.

[ Presently, he doesn't think many people speak ill of witches. They're largely considered myths, though, to be fair. Wanda would be more quickly lumped in with mutants, which really proves Erik's point. She is extraordinary, no matter what lesser minds may think or say about it. ]

A number of times. Events often conspire to bring us together again. [ He says with equal parts fondness and regret; not all of those reunions happened on the best of terms, although at least this time around, they've managed to part on a happier note. Still, a little bittersweet. ]

Neither have they been in mine, but for me, specifically, [a pause, searching for the words; it's easy to get used to how different it has been here in abraxas, and so falling back into what it is like for her, in her own world, always includes unearthing something painful.] I've never done anything right.

[that's a bit of a hyperbole, but—]

I'm sure there are many who would rather see me locked away in a cell.

[wanda frowns. there's something about how she finds herself so earnestly being honest with erik. maybe it's the sense of kinship found between them. a light shake of her head, her curiosity spanning elsewhere. his story is more interesting than hers, in her perspective.]

—so, what do you do? If you weren't at the mutant school with Charles, but things still happened to bring you two together?

[ There are more than just a few parallels between them, it seems. Erik smiles, but it's a sad thing, the realization of their shared misfortunes, and perhaps, their similar mistakes. ]

And yet, here you are. A second chance of sorts.

[ Or third, fourth, whichever one it is. Erik's lost count of his, at this point. Maybe this time, it'll actually stick. He has to believe it will. ]

Well, I... founded the Brotherhood of Mutants. A less peaceful approach to the way humans treated us. We were hunted down, I was arrested, Charles and some of his allies broke me out. Long story, but he needed me for a mission that involved changing the future. Which we did, though I nearly ruined it.

I went into hiding for a while after that. [ He won't go into details, it's too painful. Too personal. ] People eventually found out who I was. I joined a megalomaniac intent on remaking the world. Turned against him and joined Charles's team in the end. But it was a close call.

[ There are a lot of details he's glossing over, but he would rather this not be an overly detailed account of the last decades of his life. Instead, he leaves it at that, tilting his head to meet her gaze. ]

You're not the only one. I've made my fair share of mistakes.

[and yet here she is.

if anything, being in abraxas has taught her that she's better off putting her past behind but trying to do and be better than her mistakes. sometimes she succeeds, but other times... well, it all kind of just happens one way for her.]

It sounds like quite the life.

[—because it isn't just a story. it's a compilation of many, many things that have resulted in this very specific moment. wanda also thinks that those wounded closely by war are always waging a war within themselves, never quite managing to quell the chaos that dominates their lives.

with a quiet sight and a small smile, wanda picks at another cookie.]

At least we’re here now to share almond cookies together.

[it is a lot, and erik has shared a lot with her—and viceversa.]

Here’s to a second chance of sorts.

[or whichever number they’re both on, at this point.]

Oh, yes. [ He huffs, smiling. ] And that's just a brief summary of it.

[ A lot having been simplified or omitted entirely. A lot that Erik isn't necessarily comfortable sharing, even if he were to go into further detail. But it is a lot, he's well aware. His life has never been quiet, or peaceful. Even when it was, it didn't stay that way for long.

He picks up a cookie himself, lifting it up and gently touching hers. You know, lacking an actual drink right now, that'll do. ]

L'chayim.

[ Erik doesn't remember the last time he's said that, but it seems fitting. A little nostalgic. He finds himself more comfortable with it than he thought. ]

[even if life has never been quiet, or peaceful, for the two of them, at least this much they can have in common. at least this much can offer respite. for familiarity within the new and unknown—even if it is a familiarity that neither of them really quite understand yet.

it does feel nostalgic, as the words roll naturally from wanda's tongue with her sokovian accent.

maybe reminders of the past aren't so bad, if you can share them with someone else who understands their significance.]

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we could wrap here!!