[OPEN] november/december catchall

[lightkeeping]

Who: aloy and you
When: throughout November/December
Where: solvunn, nocwich, the horizon
What: boot camp, survivalist nonsense, continued camp cleanup, robot dinosaurs, whatever I WANT
Warnings: will list as needed!

[open and closed starters in comments! If you want a custom starter or something specific, just hit me up. I’m on plurk at whitticus and on discord also at whitticus.]

Comments

solvunn

[lightkeeping]

i. offerings

[It’s fairly common knowledge that Aloy doesn’t live in the commune. Though she’s willing to lend a hand on a day-to-day basis, following her to the outskirts of the farmlands at the end of the day will reveal that not only does she live in the woods, she patrols it, too. Perhaps you can catch her resetting traps in the general area of her compound, or even escorting a lost villager.

When she is out and about in the woods, she pays special attention to monitoring the shrines. Are you doing a sacrifice? Do you want to? Too bad.]

Don’t touch that.

ii. boot camp

[Aloy does, however, make a point to come to civilization every so often, mostly to trade and train. It seems she’s not optimistic in Solvunn’s ability to protect themselves, given the political climate of the continent and also what lurks in the woods.

Sure, the council usually has something their sleeves, but given the fact that she doesn’t trust them, well. She’s more than used to taking matters into her own hands.

They’re not very keen on handing out weapons, but there’s plenty of improvisation to be done with farming tools. Despite the fact that she is not terribly good with people, she’s set up a training area complete a straw dummy (it is extremely ugly) and makeshift spears. At other times of day she might be imparting survivalist wisdom, showing a villager basic skills like starting a fire without a flint, tying knots, or fletching an arrow.]

Here. Give it a try.

[She promises only to judge a little.]

iii. the compound

[Now that everyone’s pretty much been to her house (such as it is), Aloy is a bit less hostile to random visitors. How can she be, when the location is now common knowledge? The path that leads to her compound is still outfitted with traps and pitfalls and tripwires, but luckily you probably have a better idea of how to avoid them now, right?

Provided one does not fall in a hole and makes it to the compound, one might find that it’s certainly in better shape than the whole rainstorm-and-wild-boars thing left it. Aloy seems to have used it as an excuse to do some home improvement, bolstering the fence line or otherwise hauling something heavy. Suffice to say, she's not necessarily amused by any interruptions.]

Hey--Give me a hand with this.

iii.

[hairington]

[ steve likes to think he's gotten better at surviving. aloy hasn't really given him a choice over the last few months, training him even when he hasn't asked to be trained and providing places for him to learn at every opportunity they had. and, compared to the steve who hadn't gotten dragged out of the lake naked and afraid, he has improved.

does that mean he's actually good at it? absolutely not. but he does survive on his own, and aloy must think he can since she's the one who told him to come find her when he was ready to do more...specific training. and it's a combination of things that's led him here, one that's been building over the course of the last few months. he wants to be better, to a point where he's not a problem, a burden, the last one in the race. and maybe that's his own problem, choosing to compare himself to the likes of nero and aloy, but that doesn't mean he has to stop trying.

so he's here - stumbling his way through the last of the woods and traps and puzzles and whatever it is aloy's got hidden out there. he's harried, exhausted, on the other side of panicked and definitely covered in various bumps, bruises, sticks, and foliage - but he makes it out, stumbling free of the treeline and coming to a stop about thirty feet from where aloy is...fixing a fence? ]

U-uh- [ they both know he's going to help, he's mostly stalling so that his heart-rate can return to something akin to normal. ] Sure.

[lightkeeping]

[Aloy's offer to Steve has been given before, and remains open without expiration, for whenever he wants to swing by and learn something else. She doesn't necessarily think him any less competent than herself or Nero--he's proven that several times over, at this point--but he comes from a different kind of world, and therefore hasn't really been able to cultivate real survival skills until arriving here.

And, perhaps, even though she lives by herself in the woods, she still enjoys the company of a friend. If she notices his harried state, she doesn't acknowledge it, merely offering him a nod.]

Thanks.

[Aloy shifts a little so that he can slide in next to her, then she digs her heels into the ground and counts them off so they can push the piling back into place.]

Still cleaning up from the party.

[Rather, reinforcing, so that what happened at the party does not have a chance to happen again.]

[hairington]

[ honestly, steve had been planning on coming out here some time ago - aloy had made her offer a couple of times, and he'd taken it to heart each time she did. and he's thought about it, time and time again. why hasn't he made it out there already? well, really, a couple of things - but they all end up sounding like excuses that aren't actually good enough.

the main reason is that steve was partially worried he'd die on the way there. and then they had the huge get together out near her place, and he felt...stupid, actually, for being so terrified. plus, it's aloy. and he likes hanging with aloy. there's really no issue when it comes to how much or how little he's able to handle because she's never really made him feel bad either way.

steve gives her an easy smile when she says thanks and steps in next to her, mirroring her stand and digging his heels in to push as she counts. it doesn't take much when it's the two of them getting the piling in place. ]

Shit, seriously? [ he asks as he stands, picking a bit of the twigs and leaves from his hair and wiping off his sleeves. ] All from the party? I should have come early, sorry.

i

[sketchycharacter]

I wasn't!

[Defensive, thy name is Nathan Drake. He's not lying, though; he wasn't touching the shrine, but he was bending over to get a closer look. No one ever accused him of being cautious.]

What would happen if I did?

[lightkeeping]

Are you sure about that?

[Okay, maybe Aloy gains some amusement in making a full-grown man say things like I wasn't! in defense of his snooping around in the woods. She knows that Nate is a bit nosy, but it's nosy in the way that she's nosy. Aloy's just been here too long and seen too many supernatural mishaps to take her chances, and she'll warn others of the same.]

Might be someone's grave. Or maybe the god it's attached to is listening.

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate shrugs. He's reasonably sure, yeah, but getting into a yes-I-am, no-you're-not slapfight about it is a conversational dead end.]

Please, as if it'd be the first grave I've defiled. And I'd hope the local gods have better things to do than watch what I get up to.

i.

[durge]

( Remembering the way to Zalyshyty's shrine comes easy to Haelva -- though she can't say if that's because she is meant to know it by heart or because it pulls at her like each coin does. She visits it weekly; more when she's given a coin to follow to the forgotten dead. That someone else is there this time, watching her, has her taken aback -- she spins, tense, but then relaxes as she sees the other woman. Aloy, wasn't it? From the welcoming party. )

Why? I am simply returning what they gave me. ( She holds up a small brass coin, easily flipping it up into the air before catching it again. ) It is the least I can do for Zalyshyty.

[lightkeeping]

[Aloy is aware that more Summoned are venturing out into the woods--both out of boldness and curiosity. It's not lost on her that because she has a compound out here that others think they might be able to accomplish the same. All the more reason to keep an eye on these kinds of activities.

Haelva does seem to have an offering, which has Aloy's hackles up. So far, no good has come from drawing the gods' attention, and the fact that this one is already known by name is not comforting to her.]

Yeah? Who are they the god of?

[durge]

( Haelva opens her mouth to respond, considers, and then shuts it. That hadn't been something it had imparted on her, though she could make a guess. Instead she shrugs with one shoulder before crossing her arms in front of her chest. )

That never came up in conversation. ( Sorry Aloy, it's a bit more than just visiting the shrine. ) Though if I had to make an educated guess, it would be a god related to funeral rites, or the forgotten dead. Rather benign on the whole.

( Comparatively. )

nocwich

[lightkeeping]

i. oleuni square

[Aloy mostly frequents markets out of necessity (really, she mostly frequents society out of necessity), and buying things for the novelty or for the sake of simply having it doesn’t really register, so it’s probably a good thing that she doesn’t have much money. Regardless, this neutral zone is always a good opportunity to get her hands on equipment and products she might not be able to find in Solvunn. The prospect of trading with the merchants here is enough to bring her through the portal every month.

She’s a naturally curious personality, even if she appears slightly uncomfortable in this kind of setting. In her perusal of the square, she seems drawn to various elixirs, and though it’s not at all apparent what any of them do, that’s not going to stop her from uncorking one and giving it a good sniff.

Probably unwise!]

ii. hunting grounds

[The more her speed, and given the chance, Aloy tries to get some time in every month. The weapons are nicer than what's available in Solvunn, and it's a good opportunity to get some practice in.

She doesn't need a partner (and doesn't necessarily want one, either), but she does understand this is kind of how it works. Still, Aloy isn't going to approach anyone on her own, only raising an eyebrow when a nearby Summoned looks like a good candidate.

She knows, by now, not to judge based on appearance, but given the huge discrepancy in technology among the Summoned, wants to make sure that her convenient partner knows what they might be getting into.]

Can you shoot?

Hunting grounds

[northerndragon]

[He is choosing a bow when the question comes, or trying to -- he looks up, distracted.

Ah. She had come crashing past him in the Horizon once, on some great beast that was not entirely alive, and the flash of her red hair had reminded him so strongly of someone else that he had found himself unable to talk much.

Since then, he's seen her in the distance here and there, with the other Summoned. Her presence doesn't jar him anymore. It never should have to begin with. He responds to her question with a more or less friendly face.]

Aye. Not so well as some, but better than others. I've taught the bow. [He never comes away from a day's hunt without at least a few hares, but she would not know that.] You?

[lightkeeping]

[Well, if he's choosing a bow then she hopes he knows how to use it, at least a little. Jon affirms that, and Aloy decides that instructing others means he'll be able to hold his own. She gives him a nod.]

If you're better with a blade, I'll cover you.

[Of course, he could be here to practice, so as long as he doesn't slow her down, Aloy won't stop him.]

Or we could make it more interesting.

[northerndragon]

[He pauses, considers it, and his expression that had been friendly enough turns into a nearly mischievous half-smile.]

I am better with a blade.

But I'm curious about what you'd call interesting... I might be a fool to say no. I might be a fool to say yes. Let's hear it.

i

[assembles]

[ It's basically just habit now, to come to Nocwich the one weekend it's open. It used to be that he and Sam would use it as their opportunity to see Natasha in person, but that routine has sputtered out for obvious reasons.

Still, there's Wanda, there's Istredd, there's a handful of other people who he's gotten to know from other factions, whether through the pit or not. If he happens to run into them, then great.

And speaking of friends made through the pit...

Steve is walking through the markets idly, not really interested in purchasing anything but just window-shopping. When he spots Aloy in the middle of sniffing from some questionable bottle, he walks over. ]

What is it?

[ He sounds just a smidge skeptical, but he nods to her in greeting. It's been a while, their last interaction a quick exchange in the middle of a fight — on his end, at least. ]

[lightkeeping]

Not sure.

[So, probably she shouldn't be smelling it, but it's too late for that. She's certainly done worse, and she offers it to Steve in case he wants to determine that for itself. Probably some minor effect or another, but that's not what's important, now that he's here.

She sets the vial aside and takes a step away from the booth, her attention now on him.]

It's good to see you. I'm sorry I didn't check in after the Thunderjaw.

[assembles]

[ Steve doesn't think it's the best idea to go sniffing at things when you don't know what they do, but on the other hand, he's pretty sure the merchant would have stopped her if it was that bad of an idea.

Either way, it doesn't seem to matter that much. Aloy's focused on him now, and he nods in agreement that it's good that they happened to run into each other. It's always nice to encounter a friend or acquaintance from another faction. ]

Oh. [ He shuts his eyes briefly and shakes his head, waving her off. ] Don't worry about that. There was a lot going on then. [ And she probably had her own monsters to try and take down. ] If it weren't for your input, I'm guessing Geralt and I would have walked away from that a lot worse off. [ He's confident they would have figured out what to do, but it would have taken way more trial and error against a formidable foe. He smiles briefly. ] Thanks again.

horizon

[lightkeeping]

i. forbidden domain

[As with many domains, the mountainous backdrop of the American West is not necessarily reachable, though this particular setting indicates a war-torn past, the corpses of military tanks and machinery half-buried in the ground, the implication of something far more monstrous in the distance. Thankfully, it all seems immobile. Defunct. Visitors can make their way through fields of red and purple flowers, and the ruins of what was once a home. There’s a strange stillness to it all. Blue lights dance in the distance.

One of the mountains—one that’s actually reachable, anyway, has a door, and the base is available for intrusion. Someone is talking in one of the interior rooms—Aloy, of course, who is leaning over one of the desks, seemingly lost in a one-sided conversation. She recounts the events of the last month--the dragons, the search for the cure, news from the other factions.

Probably as good a time as any to interrupt, though at the first sound of intrusion, she’ll stop what she’s doing and look up.]

ii. that explains the laser raptors

[The entirety of the Horizon is only a few square miles. Easily traversed by foot, by why do that, when she can simply will anything she likes into existence? Aloy is still not so comfortable with the Horizon that she’s going to venture outside the realm of what she knows, but when it comes to getting around efficiently, she doesn’t see the harm. If this place is real—real enough, at least, the last thing she wants is to be caught off-guard by something, especially given recent events.

So here she is, doing the aforementioned exploring, except, you know, aerially. She’s riding what appears to be, for all intents and purposes, a robot dinosaur. This is all extremely normal, of course. No need to flag her down (actually you probably should).]

ii.

[divinityfrompain]

[ Julia is very new to the Horizon, having only made her domain a day or two ago. It was fun, she had a great time, and she loves the space she's created, which looks like a nice treehouse of a kind. But it's only now she has stopped being skittish about traveling out and about, so she's walking around, looking at everything as she goes.

She's seen Aloy, having been to the Summoned party at her house, and also seen her around, but let's face it, the redhead can be a little intimidating. Or at least she is to Julia, who is a city girl and adapting slower than others to Solvunn's lifestyle. She loved her parkour set up at her house though and meant to ask to come back and try it, but it never seemed like the right time.

She glances up when she sees something flying and her mouth actually falls open, gaping at what appears to be a robot dinosaur. It's astonishing and honestly, super insanely badass. Julia may be new to the Horizon but she isn't new to thinking big so she pushes off the ground and flies into the air, having assumed as this place isn't real, you can do just about anything. ]

Aloy! [ She waves at her, hovering in the air, not as high as Aloy is flying, but not that far below. ] That is the coolest thing I've seen ... ever.

[lightkeeping]

[By now, Aloy is accustomed to various Horizon shenanigans, to the point where she doesn't necessarily blink when someone flies up beside her. It's a little surprising, but not because she's taken aback by magic anymore--just that she's more inclined to land if someone expresses interest in her ride, rather than make them to the work.

Still, she's not exactly prepared for this kind of interruption.]

Hey--!

[She reins in the machine, trying to match Julia's speed (something of a feat when they're both in the air), seemingly unaccustomed to having to do something like this. Aloy is making the effort, which is what counts.]

Do you want a ride?

[divinityfrompain]

[ As Aloy and the robot dinosaur come closer, she moves forward to look at it, her hazel eyes amazed. She's only seen something like this in a dream or the type of thing a geek would draw that could only exist in their mind. Julia could have waved her down but this seems much easier, to take the questions to her. She seems to be hovering in the air like Superman, definitely the inspiration for the flying. ]

Julia.

[ She introduces herself again, regardless of whether Aloy needed that or not. There aren't a whole lot of Summoned to forget, but she is really new, and there was a good crowd of people at the welcome party. Her smile is bright and she claps her hands in delight. ]

Oh my god, can I? I'm obsessed. Does it have a name? What is it?

[ She's ridden horses but nothing like this before so she's not sure entirely how to do it, or what the comfort level is, so she waits for Aloy to direct her. She's easily moved and enthusiastic. ]

I can't believe you have a robot dinosaur pet.

i

[earthborn]

[The first time Shepard had found herself on Aloy's horizon, she'd stumbled into the Base by mistake, drawn by the illusion of modernity, of something fucking normal for once in the vision of a perfectly ordinary hatch mounted into the side of a cliff wall.

Now she takes her time, considering the flowers, and the views, nature overgrowing the rusted-out hulls of defunct tanks; the rotting bones of a civilization not very different from her own, when you came down to it. Funny how things work out.

Still, she does have business here. Enough sightseeing; Shepard heads into the base, seeking answers.]

Aloy, you in— oh. [She'd looked for a hailing button. For a place so dependent on holographic interfaces, they were surprisingly sparse. Maybe she was missing something, here.] Sorry, tried to knock. Finish your log, I'll keep.

[lightkeeping]

[Aloy is less hostile to visitors of the Base nowadays, having come to terms with the fact that there's no real privacy here, if someone is particularly willful about getting inside. Shepard has been here before, though, so she's not an unwelcome presence. As soon as she announces herself, Aloy straightens from her position hunched over the desk, shaking her head.]

I was finished anyway.

[She neglects to address the fact that it isn't a log, really--Aloy isn't recording anything (though that might be a good idea, now that she thinks about it). But if Shepard can't tell the difference between Aloy recording a log and Aloy talking to absent friends, that's probably for the best.]

Need something?

[Or is this a social visit?]

ii. (december)

[gynvael]

[ It's not that he misses the Horizon, precisely, but Geralt's been in this sphere long enough that he's become accustomed to the working parts of it. The cities, the desert, and yes, the Horizon. It feels right to at least step inside it after being away for so long, if only so he can make sure nothing strange has occurred in his absence.

Nothing strange has, technically, but as he's riding Roach down the nonexistent path, he glimpses...hm.

Geralt tilts his head up, squinting at the mechanical raptor he's seen before. Once, on the mountain with Aloy. A similar one in the Free Cities that he took down with Steve's help. Fortunately, that one didn't take to the air.

He pauses. If Aloy is anything like him, she isn't up there because she's seeking company. He lifts a vague hand in greeting from below—ready to part if she flies onward. ]

[lightkeeping]

[Ordinarily, she might return the greeting and keep flying, especially because Geralt generally strikes her as someone with places to be and things to do--not so different from her, really. It does, however, occur to her that they do have something to talk about, so when she catches sight of him, Aloy brings the Sunwing in for a landing.

Up close, the machine is not much larger than the Clawstrider she uses to cross land, though of course it's reminiscent more of a large bird than a raptor. Despite being made entirely of metal and carbon fiber, it nonetheless acts like a real animal, giving a few aborted flaps of the wing to stabilize itself. Aloy reins it in.]

Hey--

[She doesn't dismount, not yet. If Geralt wants to continue onward, she'll oblige him, but Aloy would feel remiss if she didn't say something.]

I never caught up with you after the Thunderjaw. Steve says you did it.