#I think he and Varl enjoyed each other
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4/30 - The way they smile to each other
WARNING: Post holds moments of tooth rotting fluff, an appointment with your dentist is strongly recommended after watching the video below
Ooh boy this is THE post that got me just screaming and running around because they smile at each other SO MUCH.
The first minute is just the body language, they stand awfully close, and since stone crest (?) apparently which for me was odd because you have a bigger personal space bubble with strangers. I know that could be from one trying to intimidate the other but the atmosphere around them is not that hostile. The zenith lab of just them walking is because they are walking WAY TOO CLOSE, I'm sorry I'm weird but I noticed it, Varl and Zo walk just as close when they are at plainsong too (sorry video is not there).
You guys know that thing when you spend too much time with someone or you like them a lot and you start moving at the same time and doing the same gestures? They crouch nearly at the same time, then they make that gesture with their arms and ALSO how they more their eyes while they're thinking.
We also have him pacing after Zo mentions the possibility of Aloy being lost to them too... he was standing perfectly still the whole time, but just at that thought got him anxious (and he is stoic boys, take that in mind). And the other I thought it was relevant to include was after the zenith base, she lingers a little more while looking at him and boys, look at their feet, big tip on body language, if both their feet are pointed towards one person in a group, that's their crush.
And finally two minutes and a half of just them SMILING, let me tell ya folks, it's a lot of smiles. If that's not synonym of "I really enjoy being around you" then I don't know what they mean. I will just let the video talk for itself
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<- Previous post "3/30 - The way she accepts him"
-> Next up "5/30 - The way she thinks of him"
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tag game (Horizon)
Thanks @singingkestrel for tagging me! This was fun!
1. ride or die ship (your otp):
Ereloy. When I first played HZD and Erend made his first appearance I didn't like him a bit because I prejudge him as the alpha male stereotype, but then the writers began to unwrap his layers, revealing the cinnamon bun inside him and I ended the game by being in love with that big Oseram and his mohawk. I shipped them then, when they had the two minutes conversation, but my obsession started with The Daunt reunion in HFW when he couldn’t avoid being upset because she left without saying goodbye, and then Aloy closing his wounds by defeating Asera in First Forge by his side, and Singularity with all those flirty lines and the side hug. I’ve always thought they were going to be end game (and I still hope we can choose that in H3). They care for each other so much, I can see them living happily together and I need to witness it.
2. most annoying ship: Ship and let ship. We’re all here to enjoy so if your ship makes you happy, there’s nothing wrong with that (unless they are sisters, that's it, that’s the annoying one for me).
3. second favourite ship: the second ship involving Aloy that makes more sense to me is Hawk and Thrush, and also involving the Sunhawk there is Kotalanah that has a special place in my heart (what can I say, they have chemistry).
4. favourite platonic relationship: I love the friendship between Erend and Varl there was so much complicity between them, makes me so sad that we only could enjoy it for a short time and now I hope we can see Erend having a similar relationship with Kotallo. Also Aloy and Zo, I need to see that friendship evolve even more in the next game, Aloy is going to need her wise advice.
5. underrated ship: This one is underrated mostly because it only exists in my head: GAIA/Gildun. Just imagine them having daily long-distance calls and then Gildun going to the base to meet her. The calculations GAIA is making at that moment let her know she is experiencing love and we can see her smile for the first time…
6. overrated ship: I don't know, I don't think there is one.
7. one thing i would change in canon: A lot of us agree, Varl’s death was unnecessary, Aloy had already lost Rost, she didn't need to lose a friend too to know how important people can be for her. Also, the way they wrote some characters in HFW and some plots in BS. But what I think is the big mistake is to have wasted the opportunity to make Aloy and Beta bond in Burning Shores, she could have been helping Aloy a lot more from the distance, giving us some cute sisterly moments. I hope they fix this in the next game.
8. something canon did right: A lot of things! That’s why I love these games! HZD is almost perfect, that game made me go through a roller coaster of feelings and I’ll never forget that.
Aloy’s personality evolution. You can clearly see the difference between HZD Aloy and herself at the end of HFW but it’s not forced, she learned through the way to get there.
The lack of prejudices. Obviously there are conflicts between tribes, mostly because of the different religions, but the Horizon world is showing us how humanity would be without racism and without homophobia, Guerrilla is doing a great job there.
9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom PLEASE BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF I WANT TO SEE/READ YOUR ART: I am very proud to be part of the Focus On The Heart team, a visual novel fan game. It is a huge project that I believe a lot of Horizon fans are going to enjoy when it’s done.
Also I’m proud of my Horizon’s characters as Greek Gods series of fanarts. I got distracted by other illustrations I needed to draw, but I plan to keep on doing them at some point.
10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): Gildun! He is a light in the darkness, but I want to talk about Zo because she is also perfect and she is very underrated. She is fierce but she is also lovely. She joined Aloy although that meant to deny all her beliefs. She confronted the Utaru chorus in the past and she doesn't hesitate to do the same when it’s needed. We meet a very interesting character and I hope that the fact she is pregnant doesn't mean she is not going to have an important role in the next game because that would send a very wrong message.
11. the character I relate to the most and why: I never thought about this until now, but I guess I can relate to Beta, all the traumas of her past aside and I’m way more social than she is but... I work remotely and my hobbies are almost the same as my job so I’m always indoors in front of a screen, like she is (using her focus constantly). She is also afraid of a lot of things, which is essentially my everyday mood. I can relate to Erend sometimes because I tend to make fun of myself to hide my insecurities.
12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: AMADIS, but also, The Quen as a tribe (not talking about individual characters here), they have the best outfits and they are sailors, and that is great… it is their society which is very disgusting, nothing good could come if it’s inspired by a start-up structure. I also don't like Carja. Anything imperialist makes me wanna puke.
13. something i've learned from the fandom: I’ve learned what to be in a fandom means, this is the first time in my (long) life that I join one, I’ve been screaming about other games and series before but mostly to myself and to friends that didn't fully understand me, to be able to talk freely about blorbos (a word I didn't knew existed until last year) with the lovely people I’ve met it’s truly a relieve. Also I think (and I hope🙏) being in this fandom and this obsession is helping me improve my English.
14. three tags i seek out on ao3: friends to lovers, angst with a happy ending, it’s not unrequited they’re just dumbasses (and some others I don't want everyone to know 😉).
15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: I come with knives by IAMX, I can see Aloy singing it to herself to stop her from having meaningful relationships.
tagging: You don't need to answer if you don't want to (sorry if you have already been tagged) and everyone is welcome to do it although you haven't been tagged @sorbetowl @meg-noel-art @chloefraazers @kittleskittle @hartlesshart @emtazer @xxxhellfireravenxxx @bookmancer-legendarium @boobaloof (edit because I wanted to tag @artekai too and I forgot 🥲)
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Thanks for the tags @maybirdie and @nerd-artist
1. ride or die ship (your otp): Big surprise it's ereloy! I have never been so focused on a ship before and I am not mad about it at all.
2. most annoying ship: I am not a drama-llama, I really don't have beef with other ships, this is what the fandom is for. We should all be free to ship our ships without others putting us down!
3. second favourite ship: I have several, I fully blame two-minutes for getting me into Kotallo/Talanah! Big fan of Zo/Varl, Morlund/Abadund and Avad/Ersa I also ship Abadund/Clipboard lmao
4. favourite platonic relationship: I love the relationships that Beta forms during Forbidden West, I really hope she is a bigger part of Horizon 3. Each of the gang teaches her life skills and how to navigate the world.
5. underrated ship: I don't have an answer for this one!
6. overrated ship: No drama-llama here!
7. one thing i would change in canon: I would love to have seen more of Ersa, the comics were amazing but I'd love a game set during the Liberation, learning more of Erend and Ersa's story with Dervahl.
8. something canon did right: I played HZD on a whim, my brother mentioned it to me as he thought I would enjoy it. I was so confused while I played. What happened to the old world? Why had humanity gone back to a tribal existence and what did the machines have to do with things? I was completely hooked, gripping story and lovable characters mixed with a thrilling story. Perfect.
9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom: I don't particularly think I've created anything spectacular for the fandom, I'm just a hobby artist who enjoys drawing these two idiots! There are so many fantastic creators that I love screaming about.
10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): Erend. He's been my favourite character since the very beginning. He's a lovable goof with a cheeky smile and I am very blessed to have the tasset glitch to enjoy and share with my friends!
11. the character i relate to the most and why: I don't relate to any one character specifically, I see a bit of myself in Petra, Talanah and Aloy. I'm very strong-willed with a sarcastic sense of humor and a dirty mind!
12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: I have a list of characters I want to shoot in the ass with an arrow, these include Sylens, Tilda, Dervahl, Helis, Vuadis and Nil. Among many others.
13. something i've learned from the fandom: I joined the fandom back in June 2022, I finally felt confident enough to post a AU ereloy fic on AO3. What followed was an invite to join the Two Minutes discord server and meet some fantastic and extremely talented folk! I've learned to be more confident in myself and my artwork, having that feedback has helped me improve and its wonderful to be able to scream about my favourite blorbos!
14. three tags i seek out on ao3: All the sex. Sensual Fingerblasting, Sexual Tension and Explicit Sexual Content.
15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favourite character: Hear Me Now by Bad Wolves ft Diamante. It makes me think of Erend struggling with drink and his grief after Ersa passed, Aloy arriving in Meridian and bringing him out of himself. There is a very strong undertone in this song of the whole 'friends to lovers' which is one of my favourite tropes, especially with ereloy.
tagging: No pressure tags!! Sorry for repeats! @maybirdie @sorbetowl @chib95 @littlelionpaw @hothotpot
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Ask Game (Horizon Fandom)
Thank you @sorbetowl for tagging me! I’m really bad at keeping up with these tags games but this was fun to write out.
1. ride or die ship (your otp): For sure, Ereloy! Erend is just the sweetest and most loyal character. He doubts himself a lot but is always willing to give his all for his friends. And I’m sure he gives the best hugs with his giant arms, I just wanna snuggle him!
2. most annoying ship: We don’t ship shame in this house.
3. second favorite ship: Hawk and Thrush (Talanoy? I can never remember the combo name). Surprisingly, I actually fell for this ship first, before Ereloy. The damage HFW’s writing did to Talanah’s character broke my hope for the Sunhawk to be a main companion and let Ereloy jump into the lead.
4. favorite platonic relationship: Gildun and Aloy. Truly, Gildun is my favorite non-companion NPC; he’s just the sweetest! I’d play a whole game that was just these two delving through ruins together. I also really love the older-sibling-care the Base companions take with Beta, especially Varl; wish we could have seen more of that.
5. underrated ship: Morlund/Abadund. I’ve accepted this ship so completely that I forget it’s not actually canon. But I love these two!
6. overrated ship: If people are enjoying themselves, what’s the harm?
7. one thing i would change in canon: There’s a lot in HFW’s story I would change, and the Burning Shores DLC too. But I think it mainly boils down to pacing. Too much was introduced into HFW at once that the pacing suffered; it felt rushed to me. Like other fans have written in far greater detail than me, I would have liked Regalla to remain the big bad of the second game, with hints from Sylens or other ways that there’s something even bigger out there but the Zeniths wouldn’t be revealed until the end of the game. Aloy can still be finding subfunctions but with the intention of needing more than just Minerva to bring GAIA back. Getting her back and in the Base a third of the way through HFW felt so weird; it would be a much better endgame triumph. The final mission is Aloy defeating Regalla, Sylens cryptically says she’s actually made things far worse, Aloy restores GAIA with the subfunctions she collected, and the Zeniths are revealed at the very end, maybe alluding to Beta but keeping her in shadow so she’s still a mystery. (I will say I’m hopeful that the writers will pull off Nemesis, especially if they go creepy with it like the Burning Shores datapoint hints; it just felt like Regalla and the Zeniths were rushed through the second game for this secret big bad ball of digital ghosts)
8. something canon did right: The entirety of HZD is phenomenal but I’ll challenge myself to pick something in the main quests of HFW. I’ll say that I loved Faro’s Tomb. The CEO was a delightful egotistical jerk, the reveal of the survivors through datapoints was well paced, and Faro’s final fate was the perfect end to the dumbass who destroyed the world. I even liked that Faro’s monster form is just left to our imagination. Definitely my favorite of the main story quests.
9. a thing i'm proud of creating for the fandom: Memes, memes galore, memes for days! I started making them for fun on my Horizon discords and Tumblr but they’ve branched out further than I expected; to other Horizon discords, to Twitter, one meme even inspired a fanfic. It’s why I made my side-blog now for all the Horizon silliness I can come up with and sharing what others make too. I’m glad others are enjoying the various silliness
10. a character who is perfect to me (wouldn't change a thing): The Oseram showmen trio. They bounce off each other so well and they’re great fun to interact with. I hope they make a comeback in Horizon 3.
11. the character i relate to the most and why: Alva. Not a heavy hitter in battle but the dear girl is always trying her best. She rambles about things she’s excited about, which I do constantly. She’s always trying to be cheery for others, even when she’s probably so worried about her family and her girlfriend back home, which is just me in a nutshell.
12. character(-s) i hate the most and why: I don’t think there are any characters I hate. I’ve been disappointed by some for being poorly written or not used to their full potential like the Zeniths but none I hate.
13. something i've learned from the fandom: Find your little corner of the fandom, filled with like-minded people, and try your best to make it a happy place to be. We can all be disappointed by certain canon things and vent our frustrations but I think time in the fandom is better spent celebrating and enjoying things in the chosen media. It’s why I stepped away from Horizon for the last month; I realized I was getting too bogged down with post-Burning Shores negativity and it was all I was talking about. Now after a little cool down, I’m missing Horizon and want to get back into the world and characters I love. Every fandom and every fictional media has its ups and downs; the highs of Horizon are where I like to focus my time and energy. We’re all just geeks excited to take down giant robots with a spear in the end.
14. three tags i seek out on ao3: Hurt/Comfort, Not Unrequited They’re Just Dumbasses, Smut With Feelings
15. a song i strongly associate with my otp/favorite character: I can twist nearly any song to be for my OTP but I’ll go with Better Than Love by Griffin House for Ereloy.
Pretty sure I’ve seen every Horizon person/blog I follow complete this ask but, if anyone was missed, have at it! And steal it for other fandoms too! Consider yourselves tagged, if you’re interested :)
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We’re not gonna get it but wow I’d love a DLC or spin off of Forbidden West from Varl’s POV
#rewatching the first chapter and tbh#it’d be kinda lit#watching him get used to a focus#learning more stuff#having him find datapoints and seeing his reaction to vista towers and vantages#I’d love to see more of his opinion on the old world and its people#and we’d still have the gang#OKAY BUT SEEING KOTALLO TALK TO LIKE LITERALLY ANYONE OUTSIDE OF ALOY#cause I wanna see the contrast and tbh#I think he and Varl enjoyed each other#we’d get more of Alva and Varl which we didn’t see much of to begin with#idk about y’all but I wanna know what he talks to GAIA about#hearing him lament over his mother and sister…#hearing him vocalize how he misses the tribe and the goddess he once knew#I just#I WANT. MORE. VARL.#U G H#horizon: forbidden west#varl
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Finally played Horizon: Zero Dawn (spoilered thoughts within)
First of all: The game’s amazing. Well worth the money. One of the best I’ve played in a good while.
The game itself is beautiful (amazing scenery and dungeons), and the machine enemies are gorgeously designed. They will punish you if you get cocky, too. Combat is by means automatic, especially when the bigger machines start getting thrown at you in more enclosed spaces.
Both the overall myth arc AND Aloy’s personal storyline are incredibly written, and tied together beautifully, allowing for plenty of perspective reflections on the latter as new information for the former becomes available.
Sidequests abound. While most are mechanically very similar (go to [x] and kill the machines there), the tertiary characters who the actual quests revolve around are a delight. Varied and entertaining, they really help to build the world that Aloy explores (some personal favourites of mine are Nil [leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not he wants to die as well as kill a lot of people, but he’s so effectively written as creepy. Like you know there’s something wrong with him from the first line of dialogue], Talanah [veteran huntress who quickly befriends Aloy, and their joint exasperation with their respective mistreatments from others allows them to bond quickly and deeply], Vanasha [manipulative spy/politician who masterminds an operation that is one of the most damaging and disruptive for the enemy faction, all while being so delightfully self-confident]. The Frozen Wilds DLC adds some other gems, like the Hunters Three [a trio of outcasts out to find closure over the death of their mentor while riffing off each other lovingly], Ikrie [a Banuk warrior who acts as a foil to Aloy, choosing to become an outcast with her own freedom when presented with the flaws and restrictions of her people - severing a very close personal relationship to do, to the benefit of both in said relationship], and Varga [Oseram metalworker who effortlessly falls into an easy companionship with Aloy]).
The main plot is long, and heavy on emotionally charged moments. The overall goal is surprisingly hopeful, as well as extremely dark. There’s a recurring theme about how light and shadow both get more powerful as the other does.
Aloy reluctantly allies with the mysterious evesdropper, Sylens, and their interactions are terrifically entertaining. To be blunt: They can’t stand each other. Sylens is a completely unlikeable dick driven solely by a desire for knowledge, while Aloy doggedly pursues any information about her mother. Their interests just so happen to intersect there, but it’s always apparent that they’d rather be dealing with anyone else.
One of the most complete character arcs in the game is that of prevalant and commonly-appearing side-character, Erend. He starts out as an immature mid-to-late-twenties dudebro who dicks around fighting and hitting on 18-year-old Aloy, but pretty quickly starts drinking his respect-women-juice and getting his act together. He grows into one of the most endearing allies for Aloy, dropping his sleaziness and bravado, and acknowledging her prowess and leadership. By the end of the story, he’s definitely one of the most likeable characters. Like, you’d happily share a drink with the guy regularly.
~
There are some flaws, as with all games:
1) The Fast Travel system is frustrating. For the majority of the game, unless you press deep into the wilderness first thing, it’s not unlimited. Until you finally unlock the Unlimited Fast Travel Pack, each time requires a single-use item. For a game this large, that’s quite annoying. Fast Travel has been a common staple of open-world games for some time now, and I don’t think there was really a need to try to reinvent that particular wheel. The loading screens for fast travel are also 10-20 seconds long each time.
2) For all the varied machine enemy designs, it’s really annoying that you can only ride the horse/goat/bull variants. The game gives you a mechanic to ‘override’ machines, making them non-hostile to you while hostile to other machines, and making the above three rideable. That being said, you’re gonna be supremely disapponted that the game lets you override the twenty-metres-tall robot T-Rex and then can’t ride it. Same for the multiple three-metres-tall giant cat variants. There are also giant condors, giant moles, giant crocodiles and giant rhino variants, and you can’t hop on those either (IT WOULD’VE BEEN SO COOL!). It really makes the override mechanic seem underutilised, especially given how important it is to the story.
3) The Datapoint collectables do really well in fleshing out the mythology of the series, there are just too many of them. Multiple kinds, with double digit numbers to find for all of them, makes it a drag to hunt them all down. They could do with streamlining that for the sequel.
4) I feel like Vala and Bast dying almost instantly was a waste, especially given how Bast was a childhood bully to Aloy (stuff can always be done with that, even on a small scale), and Vala is constantly talked about post-mortem as someone who could’ve potentially been a great friend to Aloy (they seem to warm to each other quite quickly during the five minutes they spend both alive). Vala’s death especially is kinda galling, because it serves to boost Aloy’s interactions with Vala’s brother Varl, as it is very similar to...
5) While Erend himself goes through a very successful character arc, it does unfortunately involve a woman (his sister, Ersa, who is superior to him in every sense [he tells you this himself without fuss]) getting fridged. We only see Ersa for a few moments in person, as she then immediately dies. It’s very unfortunate that Erend’s otherwise great writing is marred by this.
6) The final mission in the story is underwhelming. The significant buildup for both of the primary enemies featured in said mission is not proportional to their actual encounters. The human enemy is easily killed, and the machine enemy is just another iteration of a robot you’ll have killed half-a-dozen times by that point. Something of a let-down.
~
Still, I fully recommend getting the game (as well as the Frozen Wilds DLC, which adds a solid 8+ hours onto the game’s playtime while introducing new machine variants and gear, as well as the aforementioned characters and a plot that fleshes out the myth arc for the series). It’s a great time overall, and you’ll really enjoy how the game mixes fantasy and sci-fi so superbly.
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The Armor of Contempt- Part 11
@the-fluffy-underbelly
IV
“The most ghostly of the Ghosts melted through the sunlight towards the foot of the town wall. They made no sound, and their signing was so understated that even their hands were whispering.” Oh, I like this image. They’re so damn stealthy!
“It was an odd detail that only real recon experts would pick up, but each Tanith scout had his own “flavour” of silent movement. Mkoll flowed like liquid, running through the levels of darkness. Bonin had a dry drift to him, like a shadow moving with the sun.” They even have different kinds of stealth!
“Hwlan, who moved like smoke, took up a spot by the gate and held cover as Maggs and Leyr crossed up the paddock to a woody clump of wintergorse. Leyr was Tanith, and moved as secretly as slow thawing ice.” More similes!
“Maggs was short and broad-shouldered, and had a scar that dropped vertically from the corner of his left eye. Off duty, his mouth could give Varl’s a decent race. He had his own style too. It was “try damn hard not to get seen and killed”.” I do like Maggs, even if he doesn’t get a fancy stealth description.
“The guard heard the clinking, and headed right over to the source. As he came down the ditch to the door, Maggs just got to his feet to meet him in one smooth motion and buried the blade through his neck. Maggs caught him in an embrace and pulled his body back down into cover with him. A blink of an eye and they were both out of sight again.” That’s pretty damn smooth.
V
The enemy starts to fight back, though some of the Ghosts must be through the walls.
“Seena and Arilla” I don’t think these names have popped up before, but I’m guessing, given their names, that they’re Verghast women who were in the resistance, joined up with the Tanith, and keep using the heavy guns because they’re good with them.
““Like tin cans on a stump,” she murmured as she lined one up.” Jessi Banda is awesome.
“Close by, Nessa Bourah looked up from her long-las. “Like tin cans on a stump,” she grinned, speaking the words with the slightly nasal flatness of the profoundly deaf.” And Nessa! I’d forgotten about her.
“Something considerable exploded behind the wall and the mortars shut up. The scouts were plying their trade inside.” Yep, they got through. And are making things blow up.
“Filth littered the streets, and the buildings were all in miserable repair, though many, like the town walls, had been refitted or converted using a patchwork of unpleasant materials that weren’t immediately identifiable. There was a grey-green sheeting that was halfway between flakboard and tin, and odd, resin-like substances.” I suppose it makes sense that Chaos would have their own, weird building materials.
“It was as if, rather than taking the town over and occupying it, the Arch-enemy had nested in it.” Like they’re birds?
“Some were using goads and lashes on a team of half-naked, emaciated human wretches — skin and bone and rags — forcing them to ferry shells from a supply stack to feed the weapons. The wretches were prisoners, captives, grotesquely malnourished and abused, the stigma rune branded on their faces.” The people are really not doing well. Not after years of slavery.
And the slaves are so numb to everything they just stand there while the scouts attack and probably all get killed by their explosion. The people here can’t just be saved by soldiers showing up. A lot of them can’t be saved at all.
“It occurred to Mkoll that there were no people because, like any resource, they had been used up.” It’s what Chaos does. They use up everything around them until the world is dead. Gereon’s been stripped of resources for years.
“Gereon was close to exhaustion. As Gaunt had feared, and privately confided to Mkoll, they were bringing liberation far too late.” Gaunt’s right. Some things can’t be healed.
“Mkoll and Hwlan scurried through the dry, dead husks of homes and workplaces. Every room contained a warm, stale atmosphere and a yellowed cast of neglect. Everything had shrivelled and flaked. Window glass, where it still existed, was stained the colour of amasec. Dust mould and a virulent fungus, violet and blotchy, were endemic across walls and ceilings. Heaps of dead blowflies, like handfuls of coal dust, lined every windowsill.” Everything’s just... dried out. Desiccated. Left to fall into disuse.
“Twenty, and one, Rawne had put it, “for luck”. Major Rawne, who knew about these things thanks to what he described as a “misspent youth”, had built the detonator himself.” Rawne’s sense of humor is amazing.
“For the first time he realised, with a strange start, that there were no cobwebs at all. Arachnids, like rats and lice, had accompanied mankind out into the stars and had permeated all his living spaces. What had happened to all the spiders here? Was there something about Chaos that drove them out or — and Hwlan had always had a thing about spiders — was the absence of webs a sign that spiders enjoyed some sort of collusion with the Ruinous Powers? He wouldn’t put that past them, filthy little wrigglers.” ok....
Mkoll talks to the enemy in their own language to distract them, then stabs the guy in the face! Nice!
VI
“The pile of rags was something vaguely human. An old man, an old woman, Hwlan wasn’t sure.” Probably a mostly dead slave who’d passed out. Though they were able to get up and run for a bit, so maybe only half dead.
“Do you not know how to sign? Bonin signed angrily.
Yes, Maggs signed back, and to prove it elaborately signed, You are a total feth-wit.” LOL. I do like the bits of humor.
Maggs and Bonin are outnumbered and have nowhere to run. Not good.
“Occupation troops were scrambling down from revving trucks by the gates when the baby carriage appeared. It was rolling free, jiggling over the cobbles, picking up speed as it came down the long slope of the road. A couple of troopers looked at it in frank puzzlement, others called to friends and comrades. The baby carriage rolled right past a few mystified troopers, past a truck, heading for the gates themselves.” It’s not every day you see a lone baby carriage, rolling through town.
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rules: choose any three fandoms (in any order) and answer the questions.
tagged by @denerims, thank you! i’m doing an all video game one
tagging: @simptasia @veator @canonicalgay @eyeb0t @euxiom @yahooanswer and whoever else wants to do this!
fandoms:
mass effect
fallout
horizon zero dawn
the first character you loved:
uhhhh garrus vakarian
my father doctor james “liam neeson” xiao
aloy. all the answers are gonna be aloy, just prepare yourselves
the character you never expected to love so much:
probably tali! the first time i played through i found her uninteresting (i didn’t hate her, just thought she wasn’t as captivating as the other characters), but as time has gone on i’ve grown to really love her to the point where she’s definitely in my top five characters.
hrm. fawkes i think! maccready as well, and i think veronica too. im trying to do at least one from each game
probably nil, he is rather cliche but i really enjoyed getting little bits and pieces of his story as you clear out bandit camps. and his, you don’t want to kill me? but i thought we were friends :’(
the character you relate to the most:
probably tali again tbh, specifically me1 tali in that sense of being young and on your own for the first time. also shepard, because like... i feel like everyone projects so much on their shepard and that was absolutely the case for me.
veronica, we’re both wlw who love to Punch. and marlene ofc
it’s aloy, what did i tell you. HUGE relating to her, i love her so much... i think we both have that curiosity mixed with a sometimes damaging Fury, i identify a lot with her feeling a lot all the time because that is... me... also im a huge fucking sucker for parental-child relationships as evidenced by marlene. and when i was a kid i desperately wanted to know how to use a bow and arrow. one day i’ll do it...
the character you’d slap:
FUCKING IDIOT SPACE NINJA KAI LENG I’LL FUCK YOU UP. also udina and the illusive man cause FUCK those guys
i wouldn’t even bother with caesar i’d just let boone deal w him and if my luck is good they’ll both die and i’ll be rid of them, DEFINITELY COL AUTUMN HE KILLED MY DAD, father... eh i don’t even want to slap him i’m just then-perish.png but definitely kellogg. fucking cereal asshole
i think i’d give sylens a good slap but just for being an asshole, i really don’t have too much against him other than the fact that he’s condescending, but deffo FUCKING TED FARO IDIOT CAPITALIST MOTHERFUCKER DIG HIM UP SO I CAN KILL HIM AGAIN YOU IDIOT YOU BLEW IT ALL UP DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL YOU BLEW IT UP AND FOR WHAT???
three favorite characters in order of preference:
you cannot make me do this in PREFERENCE??? okay... garrus, mordin, does my own shepard count?
uhhhhhhhhHHHHHhhhh my own oc duh, nick holloway valentine, PRESTON GARVEY!!!!! special mention to the “IT’S GHOULS I TELL YA! RELIGIOUS GHOULS IN ROCKETS!” guy
aloy, elisabet, varl, special mention to gaia my ai mom
a character you did not like at first but do now:
miranda! i didn’t actually hate her or anything, i just mostly found her cliche but as i got more of her story i understood her motivations better and now she’s one of my faves
benny, at first i was like... just over him, i guess, but as i played more i got why people found him interesting, bc he’s very much one of those gray and gray morality characters, esp as put up against a courier who’s like “well you did this the wrong way, im gonna do exactly what you did except because im doing it, it will be right,” i don’t exactly LOVE him but i find him interesting
erend, i found him pretty annoying at the start of the game, especially in his hitting on aloy (to his credit, he backed off very quickly when she said no so he was probably just reading the mood very badly lmao) and in being kind of a jackass but as i’ve mentioned w other characters he went through a lot of development and now i’m rather fond of him! still don’t get why ppl ship him w aloy tho... vanasha and varl and petra and vala are RIGHT THERE!!!!
otp(s):
fucking... shakarian obviously, i’m really fond of femshep/tali as well... illusive man/death... WREX/BAKARA IS VERY GOOD
MARLENE AND THE REAL BOY, non-male lw/amata, preston/hanna, sintin, arcade/male courier, christine/veronica... ;-;
i don’t have that many tbh! for this game i really felt like the familial relationships were the emotional center, but i do really like aloy/varl and aloy/vala, aka “my bf didn’t believe i was bi so i broke up w him and dated his sister” jk jk varl is much nicer than that. and of course aloy/dodge rolling, my fave move ever
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Horizon Zero Dawn Thoughts
So I finished Horizon Zero Dawn yesterday, and I thought I’d share some thoughts about it. I’m going to go into spoiler territory. If you don’t want to be spoiled, keep on scrolling. Also, this is kind of long and rambling, so warnings for that as well.
Okay. First off. Holy FUCK the diversity in this game. This is not a “Whites populated with whites” fantasy game. Everywhere you go, there are people of color in varying roles, with varying personalities. The level of racial diversity is impressive especially compared to the majority of games. Background characters, main characters, one time quest givers – the game does not shy away from racial diversity in any way, shape, or form. Which is quite refreshing as this isn’t seen in the majority of games.
Secondly, the representation of sexuality is great in this. When you first go into the Nora tribe, there is a male NPC talking to himself. “I know I like him, but do I like… like him?” I thought this was a nice, probably token nod to homosexuality the game. I’m used to games doing this. I’m used to media doing this. If there is a homosexual relationship portrayed, it’s going to be of hot women.
Throughout the game, though, you help a lot of couples both reunite and mourn each other – both homosexual and heterosexual alike. Gay male relationships are represented too. (Though there’s like one couple that both make it out alive, so…)
And while I’m on the subject, Aloy gets flirted with by both men and women in this game. While, sadly, there is no romance option, there is more than one person who lets their interest be known. I don’t know if this was a feature that was tabled, or if this is maybe something they’ll put into the sequel. (I’m partial to Avad or Vanasha, but I know there are some hardcore Varl fans out there too. Hell, I’m sure there’s a few Erend fans as well.)
Of course, a female protagonist who isn’t based around some sexualized premise is rare enough on its own. (In fact, the developers had to jump through hoops to get a female protagonist at all.) While described as “pretty” Aloy’s value is never focused around her looks.
Story wise, there are times when the game is awkward. “Bam! Exposition!” is the best descriptor I have for it. This is particularly noticeable in the first parts of the game, but does fade out as you progress. It is a bit jarring, especially as other parts flow so organically. A bit more editing on the script, a few more takes, and it might have felt smoother.
The theme of motherhood in this was strong, but never felt sappy or overwhelming to me. The Nora having a matriarchy based around child bearing was a good move as far as narrative shortcuts go. Of course, Aloy is so obsessed with her origin when she comes from a culture that is based around motherhood being an absolute strength. (Props for an unusual take on motherhood in this way instead of being some mystical, soft gobbly gook.)
This thread does seem to peter out mid-story before kicking back up at the end. A pity as I, personally, think it could easily have been woven in with Sun King Avad. With his brother Itamen having a different mother from him and the Shadow Carja calling Itamen the true Sun King, there is clearly a story there. Perhaps it is laid out in one of the scrolls I have yet to scan.
Instead of holding the theme of motherhood throughout the main story, it feels like a bit of a detour into Carja’s patriarchy. It falls into an equality narrative for a while. While not unrelated, I felt like the middle section was almost a different game for a while.
When it came to the main villain, the game was again a bit muddied. It feels as if it was supposed to be Aloy vs HADES as a mirror of Elizabet Sobek vs Ted Faro, with Aloy and HADES being more extreme examples of each other. But Helis and that Oseram dude whose name I’ve already forgotten – they felt ultimately unsatisfying to me. If they had been merged into one character, it might’ve been more satisfying to kill Helis. Instead, I felt as if those two were just in there because the game needed a couple boss encounters.
And speaking of Oseram dude whose name I can’t remember, let’s talk about Ersa. More specifically, how she’s a great example of “convenient death after one last conversation” is a thing in this game. Because it happens enough to be repetitive. How often it happens take away from the impact of what should have been a poignant death. What would have been an interesting end to a quest becomes run of the mill as it is mirrored in side quests.
And speaking of Ersa – let’s talk about Avad. Now, I love Avad as a character. I love him so much that when he asks Aloy to stay, I was very much into the Heart option. “I don’t think either of us are ready for that just yet,” I tell him. Then, later in the game, he asks for forgiveness for confusing me with Ersa. “You were right,” he says, referencing something my Aloy didn’t say.
Sometimes the game gives you a choice, but drives its own narrative anyway. This can get annoying. If you want the character to react in a specific way, don’t give a choice at all.
Aside from that, the game play is pretty damned solid. I only ran into a couple of glitches throughout the game. Once I got used to how the game wanted me to do the sprinting, the command functions were smooth. (Fuck hunting geese though. My final tearblaster upgrade is still unfinished.)
The Sci-Fi story was good. I think most people assumed this would be a “Mankind caused the apocalypse” story, and it was. But the story was pretty damned engrossing once I got to the actual creation of Zero Dawn. The desperation, the intrigue, the characters: they were all excellent.
My quibble with the whole thing was the idea that Elysium and GAIA Prime could be sealed for a lifetime, but that creating a living space underground would be impossible because of the swarm. To me, these things contradicted each other. If you can live for 100 years in Elysium, why can’t you sustain beyond that? Kind of a loophole – which I’m guessing is related to the whole mysterious signal thing.
Which, of course, brings me to the ending of the game. I knew Aloy was going to go to Elisabet’s home. That was a given. But I found myself really moved by the way it was done. The framing of the shots, the music playing – it was beautiful. (Even if it was a bit unbelievable that Elisabet was still sitting there untouched after hundreds of years.)
The credits were actually pretty nice with good shots as you moved through the cauldron. The thanks to cosplayers and fan artists was actually a surprise. Of course, the end with Sylens and HADES is Marvel levels of tease. There are a lot of places the story could go. Does Aloy try to reboot GAIA? Who sent the signal to HADES? Can APOLLO be restored? If so, will people actually want to listen to it?
What about the clone protocol? Elisabet’s notes said they decided not to implement that, but Aloy is her clone. Are there other Alphas out there? Did some of the other facilities around the world spawn human life as well, or was it just the North American one?
My theory about who sent the signal is that Ted Faro was successful in building his whatever. There is a data point that says some tribe somewhere believe the old ones still walk among them. Either he was successful in sustaining human life, or he built his own facility with a functioning education system like what he destroyed. (I’d wager him cloning himself too, but maybe not.)
Overall, I liked the game. The pacing was off in places, but I really enjoyed it.
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Sabbat Martyr- Part 5
@the-fluffy-underbelly
FOUR
MAGNIFICAT
“And the city was falling. Partly under the fury of the attack, and partly beneath the weight of an inexplicable sense of defeat and loss that had settled over the population during the hours of the night.” Shit’s gonna get really bad. It’s interesting that the psychological aspect of the battle is a very literal, external force in this case.
There’s a losing battle going on and Hark is thinking about visiting a scientist’s study. Ok, you nerd.
“But war, as ever, anchored Hark to the ground. In twenty years, he had travelled to and served on over forty worlds, many of them rich with cultural treasures and sites of significance. He had never enjoyed the indulgence of visiting any of them. There was always fighting to be done, or battle orders to review and, when that was over, a troop-ship waiting to convey him to the next theatre.” Poor Hark. Can’t do what he wants.
The twin commissars are creepy. I’d forgotten about them.
“He answered their queries, complimented them on their squad turn-out, and told them a joke about an Ecclesiarchy convent and a curiously shaped fruit that made them laugh so loud it drew disapproving stares from the Keetles.” It’s nice to see Hark unbend. He just usually doesn’t need to, since Gaunt’s around.
““I was born ready, sir,” Varl replied, then paused. “That’s a lie. I was born horny. I got ready during my early teens.”” FFS, Varl.
“Meryn was a young, slickly handsome Tanith with more front than the entire fething crusade.” LOL. I find it interesting that Meryn gets worse as Rawne gets better.
“And then there was the matter of that ridiculously sinister moustache Meryn had been cultivating.” LOL
Uh oh, now Meryn knows about Soric’s message.
“Rawne, a spectacularly unreconstructed Imperial male, had been dead against the admission of women troopers from the outset, and Banda — oozing self-confidence and physical appeal — had long been a particular thorn in his side But in the trench hell of Aexe they had been wounded together, and had helped each other through, and in the process had reached an understanding. Rawne relied on Banda’s good counsel now as much as he did that of Feygor or Caffran. Some even rumoured that Rawne and Banda were lovers, but no one dared ask either of them to confirm it.” Oh, Rawne. I do wish their relationship was better written.
Poor Milo’s wrecked. He knows the girl who died was the Saint.
“Gaunt met him head on. His scything, energised blade, the power sword of Heironymo Sondar, glowed like a sliver of ice as it deflected two of the storm-warrior’s laser bolts up into the blackened roof.” I wasn’t aware a power sword could do that.
“She wore a suit of intricately-worked golden battle armour so fine and form-fitting that it had been clearly fashioned for her by master metallurgists. Pieces of polished chelon shell had been set into the bodice and wide pauldrons. Imperial eagles formed the couters at the elbows and the poleyns at the knees, and the same symbol was also etched in repeated ribbons down the thigh plates and along the vambraces. Her left hand was covered with a gilded glove that had silver eagle claws extending from the fingertips. Her right hand was bare. Beneath the dazzling golden plate, she wore a suit of tightly-wound black mail, each link formed in the shape of an islumbine bloom. A white skirt, long and flowing and fixed with purity seals and prayer streamers, billowed from her waist. The heavy golden gorget rose up high to her chin, but her head was uncovered. She’d cut her hair short, sheared it off crudely in fact, so it fell in a glossy black bowl over her pale head. Her eyes were green, as green as an infardi’s silk, as green as the rainwoods of Hagia.” Woo! Saint Sabbat is back!
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