[Aloy is still, largely, trying to wrap her mind around the existence of other worlds--other versions of Earth, even, that weren't destroyed and simply continued along a separate timeline. Maybe this thing does exist, where Wanda and Billy are from, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can apply what they're familiar with to something similar on this continent. That seems, to her, like a recipe for disaster.]
Whatever she does--if she's even real--we can't assume she'll follow any rules you know from back home.
[Her tone of voice indicates that she'd rather be focusing on the task at hand, rather than discussing some kind of hypothetical creature that, for all she knows, only exists in Nero's brochure.]
[ steve listens to them all go back and forth talking about this baba yaga, and he can't quite shake the confused crease between his brows. and he gets the tone aloy has, that she wants to keep moving whether or not this information is real, so steve keeps his horse down the path. keeps close enough behind billy's and aloy's.
for a moment, he watches the trees of the forest they're heading into. and then, with another glance back to wanda- ]
Are there more than one? Like- should we be looking out for a bunch of other Yaga things around here too? [ like an army of baba yagas? steve really doesn't like the idea. ]
[wanda shrugs; it's mostly a child's tale, meant to keep children out of the forest and behaving well enough, at least in the continent she is from. a scary story to tell at night, the like.
steve's question is bemusing though, because an army of baba yagas—well, that would really be something else. besides, is he spinning the story in his head, making himself over something that, as aloy has stated, isn't really all that particularly significant here—?
she's about to reply, a smile on her lips, when her horse snorts, veers to the side, and stomps his hooves down on the ground, stopping short and ceasing going forward. their wagons stop, too, the mules nervous.
movement, from the woods, further ahead, closest to billy and aloy. just sounds, for now.]
[ Billy hears it just as his horse pulls up, refusing to move any further.
it's a rustling sound, and it's getting louder as whatever it is approaches. he shoots a look over at Aloy to see her reaction, before calling back to Wanda. ]
I hear it.
[ before he does anything else he throws a very subtle transparent blue tinted shield up around the four of them and their wagons. ]
[Aloy's reaction is as expected--all at once hyper-alert, her gaze trained on the source of the noise. She holds up a hand for the group to halt, because the last thing she needs is for one of the horses to spook, especially when most of them are inexperienced riders (riding a machine is familiar, but this is not a machine, so she counts herself among that number).
Not wanting to inadvertently escalate the situation (with the horses), Aloy swings a leg over the animal and drops to the ground, reaching for the bow strapped to her back in one fluid motion.]
Stay here.
[She's not going far, just dipping into the bushes in an apparent attempt to get a jump on the things that seem to be getting the jump on them.]
[ steve horse reacts first, shifting uncomfortably and side stepping away from wanda at almost the exact same time as the rest of the horses seems to notice. he’s not an experienced rider by any means, but he’s also not a complete novice, so it only takes him a moment to settle his own unsteady mare.
stay here aloy says, and steve’s got no plans to disobey, but his eyes go back to the mules, the cart, and with billy’s shield around them, steve keeps his eyes on the cart, on the general disposition of the others.
quietly, he pulls the short sword he has attached to his horse free, just in case. ]
Is it just one? [ his voice is low, probably only enough for wanda to hear, but he can’t quite pinpoint the noise himself. ]
[one thing wanda will have to commend the group for is the quick and rational way everyone reacts—not bumbling into danger, seeking to protect one another, and listening, actually, to directives from those more experienced.
steve's question makes her expression pinch in thought, allowing her magic, her powers, to gather whatever thoughts and emotions that can be picked out past their little group. it's not necessarily unusual, what she feels, but it's unexpected. it's—
well, it's gentle. friendly, almost.
she turns to steve, shaking her head.]
There's more than one. A group of... somethings. [she can't quite pinpoint what they are. she clicks the heels of her boots against her horse, a light encouragement to move further up the caravan.] I don't think we need the shields.
[that's at billy. she wants to get aloy's feedback, more so, whether she's spotted anything. and then, suddenly, as if waiting on their cue, a number of stone-like faces pop from around them—from the bushes, from under overgrown roots and behind trees.
they make a curious sound as they approach, looking a little too clumsy but certainly not all too dangerous.
wanda's stares at them, unsure of what to do about them.
hastily, before anyone (including herself) does anything abrupt:]
[it says a lot about the trust Billy has in Wanda that when she says shields aren't needed he immediately drops them. He does however stay at the ready, just in case he has to throw them back up in a hurry.
Which is about when they little army of stone creatures comes popping out of nowhere. Billy cocks his head to the side looking at them as they stare back. ]
Okay, they are kinda cute.
[ he already has a goat, he doesn't needs another pet.
[Aloy appears out of the bush, next to the group without any fanfare, almost as if she's never left. It appears she's come to the same conclusion--these creatures seem harmless, if the fact that she's lowered her bow is any indication, but she's still hesitant to get too close, putting herself between the group and the creatures that watch them.]
Yeah, cute until they decide we're a threat.
[Suffice to say, she's still ready to fight at a moment's notice, but for now it seems like both groups are simply watching each other.]
Is this just a hunch, or are you actually...sensing something?
[ a group of somethings. steve doesn't like the sound of that, the pack mentality of creatures reminding him a little too much of the demodogs. it has him on edge, prepared for just about anything, at least until he knows what they're dealing with.
wanda moves up in the caravan, and steve stays behind, not wanting to leave the back of the caravan exposed. he adjusts his grip on his sword, glancing up towards wanda and billy, then back again.
and then he sees the faces. his eyes widen, and then narrow again, like he's trying to get a better view as they slowly picking out the fact there are...definitely more of them. steve counts six, maybe seven, but then aloy is appearing out of the treeline ahead of them and steve realizes no one else is really stressed. ]
Have any of you seen them before? [ he's new here, so steve is just trying to play catch up. when he turns back, the creatures are slowly moving out from where they'd been hidden, seemingly just as curious and...hesitant? maybe? steve's eyes go from the creatures and then back to the rest of the group.
aloy says until they decide we're a threat and steve decides, then, to slide his sword back away again. he's not going to be the reason they get attacked, if he can help it. he pulls his horse to a stop, watching the approaching creatures, trying to decide what would even make sense to do here.
there are...quite a few of them, and steve's horse snorts, sidestepping a bit closer to the supplies. ] There's uh. A lot of them back here. Should we maybe keep going?
[to answer a couple of questions in one, wanda simple says,]
I can read minds.
[—it's not quite as cut and dry as that, but she can definitely distinguish thoughts and emotions, to the point where even with a superficial glance around she can tell if someone is lying or disguising themselves for an ulterior motive. as it were, from the group right now, outside of their new approaching friends, steve is the one most alarmed.
it definitely is prudent to not let one's guard down, though. steve is right to want them to keep going, but their path seems otherwise blocked; the creatures placing themselves between and in front of the wheels of the wagons, seeming ready to make some kind of demand. wanda feels the surge of something—
holding tight onto her horse's reins, wanda steps off and down to the ground. there is something particular about these creatures, and she is trying to assert what exactly it is that they want— and just as soon as the thought of FOOD! pops into her mind, the creatures start pointing at their caravan.
ah.]
They want food. [their supplies. hm.] They might not let us through otherwise.
[ Billy keeps eyeing the creatures apprehensively, especially one that just seems to be staring at him- it's a little creepy.
He can't get into their minds like Wanda can, at least not without more effort and concentration and he's otherwise distracted, but it doesn't surprise him when Wanda says food and they start pointing at their wagons. ]
Food? But, they look like they are made of rocks, what exactly do they eat? [ Not that Billy wants to give them their supplies, those are needed, but he might be able to conjure something if neccessary. ]
[Part of Aloy feels like they don't have time for this--sitting around and mind reading creatures that don't actually seem interested in attacking. She has half a mind to suggest that they simply find a way around the blockade, but if it's just a matter of finding them something to eat, a nonviolent approach (or an approach that otherwise does not aggravate their unwanted guests) is probably wise.
Billy voices something she's considering herself, and she takes a moment to think back to her brief excursion through the underbrush.]
There are berry bushes a little deeper in the forest. I saw some half-eaten apples, too.
[ as wanda slides off her horse, steve does the same, though he does still feel on guard, there’s less intense worry. instead, he steps a little closer to the ones nearest to the back of the cart and watches them - almost in sync with wanda’s words - point and gesture to the supplies.
food. okay, that’s not exactly dire. if the little things just hungry, that’s something they can work with, right?
steve, slowly and carefully so as not to startle the creatures, takes one and then another step towards them. ] They can’t want much, not with how small they are. [ steve asks, trying to remember what dustin had told him a couple years back about baiting. about the demodogs.
please don’t be like dart steve thinks to himself as he slowly squats down next to the closest one, taking his time to slip his hand into the pouch at his side and pull out half a piece of jerky of his own rations he hadn’t finished and holding it out to see if the creature thing is even interested, or if they’re dealing with more vegetarian type…rock things. ]
They for sure can’t understand us, right? [ steve asks, maybe a few seconds too late, as the closest one to him takes a couple of steps forward, sniffing at the offered dried meat. as if the survival instinct finally reaches him, steve sets the piece of jerky down and steps back away, just in case they have some kind of secret collection of super sharp teeth. ] Because we could just leave a little behind and and while they’re distracted book it out of here…
We could. We don't want us to bother later, though. These woods may go on for a bit longer.
[she finds interest in what aloy says about the berry bushes and the half-eaten apples. the important thing would be to keep them away from the wagons and from trying to get into the supplies meant for thorne—the last thing they want is for the equivalent of forest mice to arrive into thorne and for it to be considered an insult.
wanda walks up over to aloy.]
Let's get some of those fruit. [and then, turning to billy, she asks something she's been curious about.] Can you transmute things? We could make the half-eaten apples whole.
We get those, set them aside, and with any luck they won't bother us anymore.
[best to be respectful of what dwells in the forest than to try and trick it. she grabs a basket from one of the wagons, nods to aloy.]
[ Billy nods his head as he answers. ] yeah, I can do that, I can also conjure things if that would be easier. I'm just wondering why they would be stopping us for food if they just wanted apples and berries. Maybe they want something they can't just find here.
[ He moves forward towards the one that seems fixated on him and conjures up the first fruit that comes to mind- a pear. Similar enough to an apple but also not something he's seen here. he offers it to the little guy who sniffs it and grabs it and takes it back to the group. At the same time, the creature Steve offered the jerky to grabs it and does the same thing. The group of creatures seem to be examining the food and chittering among themselves before it disappears. More come forward including the original two almost like they are wanting more.]
Well, that seems to have worked. Why don't you guys get some berries and the apples and Steve and I can put together something here and maybe that will be enough to appease them and let us pass?
[Well, the good news is that they don't seem to be picky. This is still much more of a detour than she'd ordinarily like, but she's also aware this is a democratic situation. If the rest of the group wants to appease the creatures before they move on, she isn't going to stop them.
What she will do is continue to patrol the perimeter while all of this happens. She does her part to pick berries when she sees them, but she's mostly focused on making sure there aren't any other surprises, while this happens. Eventually, however, the group reassembles.]
Seems like enough.
[It better be enough--they've wasted enough time here as it is.]
[ steve watches as the little creature takes his jerky and then disappears into the forest, watching as if he could possibly understand anything that they're doing. it doesn't help, but after a moment billy mentions something about Steve and I can put together something here and maybe that will be enough to appease them and it pulls steve's attention long enough that he doesn't notice one of the creatures take a special interest in him, following him even as he heads back to the carts, as he starts to gather what he can.
after a bit, steve and billy have most likely gathered quite a bite of the supplies that are - more than others - expendable, and have started to collect them together. by this point, too, steve has noticed one of the creatures has crawled itself into his bag and has not, exactly, found its way out yet.
( it's possible that he's been feeding it small bits and pieces of the jerky and supplies they've found, but he's been attempting to be extra sneaky about it, so whether it's been noticed is up to everyone else. )
with the rest of the items stacked together, steve steps back from the many eyes watching him from the forest, unsure. ]
Would we know if it isn't?
[ like...should they be wary of some kind of unimpressed attack? or do they thing think thing will just. work? ]
[as wanda and aloy return to set the berries and apples they've found with what billy and steve have stockpiled, it should honestly be enough—as aloy states. the creatures start to move closer towards them, and wanda motions for them all to let them just go about their business.
it is certainly enough to distract the lot from blocking the wagons' wheels and being in the way.
maybe they've managed to actually avoid disaster (whatever that entails for these creatures). so, with a flick of her wrist, she sends a telepathed message to the mules pushing the wagons to start moving. they better not waste any time while the creatures are distracted eating their food.]
We'll find out.
[if nothing else, at least they'll know how else to distract them. she heads back to her horse.]
[ Billy takes up his position back in the front of the caravan with Aloy knowing Wanda and Steve have a handle on the back. If they get stopped again they will be ready, but the creatures seem to be content with the food that they found for them. He wonders if they will stop them again on the return trip. At least they will know what to do if that happens.
It's not much further to their destination and they find themselves getting there without another block in the road. Delivering their supplies to Thorne seems a little too easy after that but Billy isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. They got it done and that's the most important thing. ]
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no subject
Whatever she does--if she's even real--we can't assume she'll follow any rules you know from back home.
[Her tone of voice indicates that she'd rather be focusing on the task at hand, rather than discussing some kind of hypothetical creature that, for all she knows, only exists in Nero's brochure.]
We should keep moving.
no subject
for a moment, he watches the trees of the forest they're heading into. and then, with another glance back to wanda- ]
Are there more than one? Like- should we be looking out for a bunch of other Yaga things around here too? [ like an army of baba yagas? steve really doesn't like the idea. ]
no subject
steve's question is bemusing though, because an army of baba yagas—well, that would really be something else. besides, is he spinning the story in his head, making himself over something that, as aloy has stated, isn't really all that particularly significant here—?
she's about to reply, a smile on her lips, when her horse snorts, veers to the side, and stomps his hooves down on the ground, stopping short and ceasing going forward. their wagons stop, too, the mules nervous.
movement, from the woods, further ahead, closest to billy and aloy. just sounds, for now.]
Billy? Aloy?
[something's coming.]
no subject
it's a rustling sound, and it's getting louder as whatever it is approaches. he shoots a look over at Aloy to see her reaction, before calling back to Wanda. ]
I hear it.
[ before he does anything else he throws a very subtle transparent blue tinted shield up around the four of them and their wagons. ]
no subject
Not wanting to inadvertently escalate the situation (with the horses), Aloy swings a leg over the animal and drops to the ground, reaching for the bow strapped to her back in one fluid motion.]
Stay here.
[She's not going far, just dipping into the bushes in an apparent attempt to get a jump on the things that seem to be getting the jump on them.]
no subject
stay here aloy says, and steve’s got no plans to disobey, but his eyes go back to the mules, the cart, and with billy’s shield around them, steve keeps his eyes on the cart, on the general disposition of the others.
quietly, he pulls the short sword he has attached to his horse free, just in case. ]
Is it just one? [ his voice is low, probably only enough for wanda to hear, but he can’t quite pinpoint the noise himself. ]
no subject
steve's question makes her expression pinch in thought, allowing her magic, her powers, to gather whatever thoughts and emotions that can be picked out past their little group. it's not necessarily unusual, what she feels, but it's unexpected. it's—
well, it's gentle. friendly, almost.
she turns to steve, shaking her head.]
There's more than one. A group of... somethings. [she can't quite pinpoint what they are. she clicks the heels of her boots against her horse, a light encouragement to move further up the caravan.] I don't think we need the shields.
[that's at billy. she wants to get aloy's feedback, more so, whether she's spotted anything. and then, suddenly, as if waiting on their cue, a number of stone-like faces pop from around them—from the bushes, from under overgrown roots and behind trees.
they make a curious sound as they approach, looking a little too clumsy but certainly not all too dangerous.
wanda's stares at them, unsure of what to do about them.
hastily, before anyone (including herself) does anything abrupt:]
I don't sense a threat from them.
no subject
Which is about when they little army of stone creatures comes popping out of nowhere. Billy cocks his head to the side looking at them as they stare back. ]
Okay, they are kinda cute.
[ he already has a goat, he doesn't needs another pet.
He looks over at Wanda. ]
Can you tell what they want?
no subject
Yeah, cute until they decide we're a threat.
[Suffice to say, she's still ready to fight at a moment's notice, but for now it seems like both groups are simply watching each other.]
Is this just a hunch, or are you actually...sensing something?
no subject
wanda moves up in the caravan, and steve stays behind, not wanting to leave the back of the caravan exposed. he adjusts his grip on his sword, glancing up towards wanda and billy, then back again.
and then he sees the faces. his eyes widen, and then narrow again, like he's trying to get a better view as they slowly picking out the fact there are...definitely more of them. steve counts six, maybe seven, but then aloy is appearing out of the treeline ahead of them and steve realizes no one else is really stressed. ]
Have any of you seen them before? [ he's new here, so steve is just trying to play catch up. when he turns back, the creatures are slowly moving out from where they'd been hidden, seemingly just as curious and...hesitant? maybe? steve's eyes go from the creatures and then back to the rest of the group.
aloy says until they decide we're a threat and steve decides, then, to slide his sword back away again. he's not going to be the reason they get attacked, if he can help it. he pulls his horse to a stop, watching the approaching creatures, trying to decide what would even make sense to do here.
there are...quite a few of them, and steve's horse snorts, sidestepping a bit closer to the supplies. ] There's uh. A lot of them back here. Should we maybe keep going?
no subject
I can read minds.
[—it's not quite as cut and dry as that, but she can definitely distinguish thoughts and emotions, to the point where even with a superficial glance around she can tell if someone is lying or disguising themselves for an ulterior motive. as it were, from the group right now, outside of their new approaching friends, steve is the one most alarmed.
it definitely is prudent to not let one's guard down, though. steve is right to want them to keep going, but their path seems otherwise blocked; the creatures placing themselves between and in front of the wheels of the wagons, seeming ready to make some kind of demand. wanda feels the surge of something—
holding tight onto her horse's reins, wanda steps off and down to the ground. there is something particular about these creatures, and she is trying to assert what exactly it is that they want— and just as soon as the thought of FOOD! pops into her mind, the creatures start pointing at their caravan.
ah.]
They want food. [their supplies. hm.] They might not let us through otherwise.
no subject
He can't get into their minds like Wanda can, at least not without more effort and concentration and he's otherwise distracted, but it doesn't surprise him when Wanda says food and they start pointing at their wagons. ]
Food? But, they look like they are made of rocks, what exactly do they eat?
[ Not that Billy wants to give them their supplies, those are needed, but he might be able to conjure something if neccessary. ]
no subject
Billy voices something she's considering herself, and she takes a moment to think back to her brief excursion through the underbrush.]
There are berry bushes a little deeper in the forest. I saw some half-eaten apples, too.
[A shrug.]
Worth a shot.
no subject
food. okay, that’s not exactly dire. if the little things just hungry, that’s something they can work with, right?
steve, slowly and carefully so as not to startle the creatures, takes one and then another step towards them. ] They can’t want much, not with how small they are. [ steve asks, trying to remember what dustin had told him a couple years back about baiting. about the demodogs.
please don’t be like dart steve thinks to himself as he slowly squats down next to the closest one, taking his time to slip his hand into the pouch at his side and pull out half a piece of jerky of his own rations he hadn’t finished and holding it out to see if the creature thing is even interested, or if they’re dealing with more vegetarian type…rock things. ]
They for sure can’t understand us, right? [ steve asks, maybe a few seconds too late, as the closest one to him takes a couple of steps forward, sniffing at the offered dried meat. as if the survival instinct finally reaches him, steve sets the piece of jerky down and steps back away, just in case they have some kind of secret collection of super sharp teeth. ] Because we could just leave a little behind and and while they’re distracted book it out of here…
no subject
[she finds interest in what aloy says about the berry bushes and the half-eaten apples. the important thing would be to keep them away from the wagons and from trying to get into the supplies meant for thorne—the last thing they want is for the equivalent of forest mice to arrive into thorne and for it to be considered an insult.
wanda walks up over to aloy.]
Let's get some of those fruit. [and then, turning to billy, she asks something she's been curious about.] Can you transmute things? We could make the half-eaten apples whole.
We get those, set them aside, and with any luck they won't bother us anymore.
[best to be respectful of what dwells in the forest than to try and trick it. she grabs a basket from one of the wagons, nods to aloy.]
Let's be quick about it.
no subject
[ He moves forward towards the one that seems fixated on him and conjures up the first fruit that comes to mind- a pear. Similar enough to an apple but also not something he's seen here. he offers it to the little guy who sniffs it and grabs it and takes it back to the group. At the same time, the creature Steve offered the jerky to grabs it and does the same thing. The group of creatures seem to be examining the food and chittering among themselves before it disappears. More come forward including the original two almost like they are wanting more.]
Well, that seems to have worked. Why don't you guys get some berries and the apples and Steve and I can put together something here and maybe that will be enough to appease them and let us pass?
no subject
What she will do is continue to patrol the perimeter while all of this happens. She does her part to pick berries when she sees them, but she's mostly focused on making sure there aren't any other surprises, while this happens. Eventually, however, the group reassembles.]
Seems like enough.
[It better be enough--they've wasted enough time here as it is.]
no subject
after a bit, steve and billy have most likely gathered quite a bite of the supplies that are - more than others - expendable, and have started to collect them together. by this point, too, steve has noticed one of the creatures has crawled itself into his bag and has not, exactly, found its way out yet.
( it's possible that he's been feeding it small bits and pieces of the jerky and supplies they've found, but he's been attempting to be extra sneaky about it, so whether it's been noticed is up to everyone else. )
with the rest of the items stacked together, steve steps back from the many eyes watching him from the forest, unsure. ]
Would we know if it isn't?
[ like...should they be wary of some kind of unimpressed attack? or do they thing think thing will just. work? ]
lmao steve...when u r scared but want a cute pet
it is certainly enough to distract the lot from blocking the wagons' wheels and being in the way.
maybe they've managed to actually avoid disaster (whatever that entails for these creatures). so, with a flick of her wrist, she sends a telepathed message to the mules pushing the wagons to start moving. they better not waste any time while the creatures are distracted eating their food.]
We'll find out.
[if nothing else, at least they'll know how else to distract them. she heads back to her horse.]
Let's keep moving.
no subject
It's not much further to their destination and they find themselves getting there without another block in the road. Delivering their supplies to Thorne seems a little too easy after that but Billy isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. They got it done and that's the most important thing. ]