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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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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. ]

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. ]

[ 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?

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.

[ 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?

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.

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.

[ 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.

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?

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.

[ 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.

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?

That's an interesting point.

[ Erik gives it some thought. Personally, he doesn't mind it... there have been occasions when it felt like a breach of his privacy, particularly with Charles. But there were also times when he found a sense of peace from the contact, even warmth. Again, with Charles.

It's complicated. ]

I haven't, no. I suppose you're right.

[ erik and charles' facebook status is "it's complicated". ]

We're used to being unliked, at least.

[ it's so natural to speak in the plural, she'd started as soon as she'd revealed her sisters to erik and esme has never been parted from her sisters like this, but a small part of her whispers the reminder that she's alone. ]

It's funny because humans hate us all, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find many mutants willing to let us use our powers without restriction. [ reeva didn't even like when the triplets spoke to each other silently. ]

[ If Facebook was a thing in the sixties, it absolutely would. ]

People don't like the thought of having their free will being taken away.

[ That doesn't seem unreasonable to him. He would certainly be concerned to have a telepath as an enemy, knowing all the ways they could manipulate him. Having his own freedom taken from him in the past has left him particularly averse to the notion. ]

That said, whether or not I'd be willing to let you use your powers is a moot point. You are more powerful than that, no one can control you in that way.

[ It's rather the other way around. Erik certainly wouldn't oppose her using her powers if it benefitted a cause he stands for, for instance. ]

Yeah, and that's why I'm lonely.

[ no one can stop her from using her powers but when she does, they grow angry with her. she rubs her arm idly, letting the sting of the burn marcos left her with radiate down her arm. ]

My sisters were always there though.

[ He can't really say anything that will ease that. She's not alone, she's lonely, and with what little she's shared about herself and her sisters, Erik can imagine why. ]

This all must be awfully quiet, to you.

[ Not that he can begin to understand how a telepathic connection like that would work, but to be disconnested from something like that must be overwhelming. ]

[ her boots scuff against the railing, heels bumping the pieces of metal he'd repurposed into nails. ]

It's... hollow.

[ it's not just the quiet, esme feels empty. she isn't anything without her sisters, like her identity has been carved out and there is nothing to replace it because esme doesn't know who she is without phoebe and sophie. she's already learned to be the oldest sister when she was never meant to be the eldest, she shouldn't have to learn how to be alone, too. ]

[ Erik is quiet for a moment, not for lack of anything to say, but because he's focusing on sending her a message through the bond that seems to link all the Summoned's minds together. ]

It doesn't have to be.

[ The words will appear on her vision, as if written on the landscape, or a piece of the railing they're sitting on. He remembers the first time Claude showed it to him, how amazed he was by this form of communication, and he wonders if she's been told yet or if this her first time experiencing it.

He doesn't need to be a telepath to know this will come nowhere near to what she shared with her sisters, but he hopes it will serve as a small comfort. And, if she needs it, an assurance that she can reach out to him whenever. ]

[ it's not the same, the words don't rumble into her mind in erik's voice, she can't feel the warmth of him, but it's a kindness nonetheless and esme is not used to that. mostly because she put herself in the position opposing the majority of people that would show her kindness.

her own words come in exceedingly neat print, delicate and rounded and the same shimmering blue of her eyes when they glow. ]

I appreciate that.

[ Erik can certainly relate to that. But such were the choices he's made, and for better or worse, he doesn't regret what he's worked for throughout the years. Being older, having seen the outcomes of his own actions, he knows he could have done much differently, but there's no point in lingering on that. Time can't go back, all he can do is try to make better choices from here onwards.

So, this is something new he's trying: kindness, and an attempt at letting her know that she's not truly and entirely alone here, not if she doesn't want to be. ]

It's not the same, I know, but I'm afraid I lack your unique abilities. You can reach out to me with your mind if you want, I don't mind. I'm not unfamiliar with the experience, actually.

[ At the very least, it won't be strange or shocking, and he won't mind so long as she doesn't go around digging into his memories. ]

[ her hands curl around the post again, looking at erik askance like she is finally apprehensive enough to avoid his gaze. everyone thinks they will be fine with it... but he knew her mother, charles xavier is one of the most famous mutants there is, probably with the exception of the man sitting next to her.

her eyes glow and it's just a gentle thing, esme knows how to slip in even when she's expected, but she doesn't. it's almost like a knock, a gentle touch before she shyly steps on through the psychic connection, allowing the door to remain open behind her. ]

« Thank you. »

[ while it sounds like her voice, soft and light and so relieved it feels like the gratitude itself is relaxing, there is a sort of hum, like an echo that isn't there. ]

[ It's not the sort of connection Erik necessarily sought out, in fact he used to wear his helmet on occasion precisely to avoid that sort of interaction. With Emma, and with Charles especially; there were situations where he knew that he would have slipped in to change his mind, or to stop him from doing something. He could not risk having the man hinder his own plans.

But he doesn't think he needs to concern himself with that here, at least for now. The way she reaches out is different, careful and timid, and he appreciates that more than anything. ]

« You're welcome. »

[ He's not sure whether the thought reaches her, if she can sense it in his own mind. He could always communicate with Charles, but it was different then; he had to speak aloud and have him hear the words from the distance, and with the help of Cerebro too. But with Emma, he did share thoughts on occasion, particularly when they were around other people and Erik didn't want anyone else to hear an idea or a plan. Maybe it'll not be so different with Esme. ]

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