#just because of how much it got me to realize about aloy and ikrie

[stormhaven13]

Alright. We have arrived. I am beginning the Survivor. Let’s talk about why Ikrie is my favorite character in the game other than Aloy. And to do that we're actually going to do a little story time of the first time I played Horizon. This is going to get long, so bear with me. I finally figured out how to do a read more, so the rest of this is under the cut.

So, when I first played her quests, I didn't fall in love with Ikrie. I liked her quite a bit, but it was just kind of casual, oh this character seems pretty cool. But I then went on and played more of the main quest of the Frozen Wilds, and Ikrie went into the back of my head. She'll come back, don't worry.

After I wrapped up playing this game, I do what I often do after a really good game or story, and I took some time to reflect on exactly why I loved this game so much. I've talked quite a bit about how much I adore this game's plot and world building, but I still think the number one reason for me is Aloy. I just love her character, I love her arc, I love the relationships she builds over the game, I love her design, pretty much everything about her is amazing to me. I also realized something super interesting, for me. I headcanoned Aloy as ace.

Now, I know this isn't that uncommon a thing, but I myself am ace, but I actually almost never think of characters as ace. I don't really know why, I just never have, which is especially strange, as being ace is the part of my identity I've understood the longest. Aloy is the first character in a very long time that I thought of as ace, just on my own. This intrigued me, and I went looking for fanwork, just to see what other people's takes on Aloy were, to see if there was more about this character that would resonate for me. And that's where I found the thing. The thing that opened my mind to how incredible Ikrie is.

I'll link it at the end of this, but I found a fanfic called Put Your Spear Beside Mine, and the characterization just blew me away. It looks at how alone Aloy feels, with no one to share all of the crazy things she learns over this game, and the dynamic between Aloy and Ikrie is just incredible. It explores how they are both basically outsiders with their clans, that they do not really believe in the laws and beliefs of their tribes. You may notice that this mold fits almost all of my favorite characters in Horizon, and yeah, I'm aware, but Ikrie ticks a lot of the same boxes as Aloy does for me.

While Aloy is not portrayed as ace in this fic, it opened up a whole new thing that I had loved about her, but hadn't been able to really vocalize, and now Ikrie was now balled up in all that. She has so many similarities to Aloy, with just a few key differences that just. Really hit home for me. She has a very close friend that just cannot understand her, and ends up leaving her. Rather than being alone from the beginning, she had a place where she was supposed to belong, but never quite did, but tried so hard to do it anyway. I know I say Aloy is autistic a lot, but those things just hit me very hard in a way that Aloy's permanent isolation never quite can.

And do I ship Aloy/Ikrie? I mean, yeah, I do, but that's honestly secondary to everything else, shipping Aloy with anyone was never my main concern honestly. I just love both their characters, I love how they are so close in characterization except for these key things that really do change them quite drastically.

Aloy will always be my favorite here, she's the protagonist, we see so much more of her, my headcanons for her are just so close to my heart, I probably dyed my hair red because of her she's just great okay? But Ikrie is caught up in all of that too, partially due to the ideas in that fanfic, but mostly because of the character that's already there.

Here's the fic in question, I highly recommend giving it a read, it just shows so much of what I love of these characters. And yes, this is why I think the Frozen Wilds should take place post game, this is the entire reason. Only warning to give with this is there is some smut in a few different parts, so if that's not your thing you should be aware of that. But this fic just showcases so much of what I love about these two characters, and you should absolutely give it a read. Also, @pikapeppa, who is the author, you're incredible and thank you for writing this.

But yeah, this has been why Ikrie is so important to me! I'm sure I'll say more as I play through the quest, but if you got this far, thanks for sticking with me!

#storm replays hzd #horizon zero dawn #ikrie #aloy #pikapeppa #sorry for the ping #just wanted to thank you as I'm fairly certain this my favorite fic of all time #just because of how much it got me to realize about aloy and ikrie #who I just love to death #hzd spoilers #I actually went up to my computer to type this and everything #it's basically an essay I wanted to do it right :p

[leonidas-writes]

The Brood part 2. The tenth arrives! Clearest backstory, also the one that they didn't fully intend to get.

Elisabet was working when she got a call, answering on instinct.

"Hey, Lis? This is Catherine, from Wakefield." She remembered her. Kind, had done a lot for them, matched them with four of their nine kids.

"Hey Cat. What can I do for you?" The other woman paused, and Elisabet did as well, dread pooling in her gut.

"I know you guys were gonna be done after Apollo, but I got a case and thought of you guys."

"Alright, lay it on me."

"Female, estimated two weeks." Elisabet froze. Estimated? "No name, not registered at any hospitals. Left on the damn doorstep. No record, no way to track any parents, was just left there."

"We'll take her."

"You don't need to talk to Gaia?" There was a note in her voice that said she knew exactly why she didn't.

"No. I don't, I know she'd wanna help this kid." Catherine's voice was fond.

"You're both good people. I'm glad she's gonna have you. When do you wanna pick her up?"

"Tomorrow. We'll have a name when we come to get her." A soft laugh came across the line, and she felt her cheeks flush despite herself.

"You're a good person, Lis. How's noon sound?"

"Sounds good. Thank you, Catherine. Now I've gotta call Gaia to tell her we're adopting a two week old daughter."

"I don't envy that conversation. Good luck." The call ended, and Elisabet took a minute to gather herself before she called her wife. She answered the call as promptly as ever.

"Hello, Elisabet."

"Hey Gaia. We adopted another kid."

"What?" There was shock and anger in her voice and fuck, she could've handled that better.

"Catherine called me about a two week old girl who got left on their doorstep, no records or anything."

"And you said yes." The tone was far more understanding now, and there was a pause. "We'll need a name."

"Yeah. I was thinking something metalurgic, to cheer Heph up after Apollo said his first words without him around."

"We can't make it too overt or Minerva would be angry." She smiled a bit.

"You're such a peace keeper love. How about solder?"

"You can't name a child solder! May as well name them wire." Elisabet chuckled.

"Sprocket?" Gaia was smiling, she could hear it in her voice.

"Mm, why not go all out? Argentum."

"Oh, I love when you speak latin to me." Gaia laughed at that. "What about alloy, huh?" And then she paused.

"I hope you made a note of that."

"I will now!"

~

They had a name when they showed up at the agency, and Aloy was brought home in Elisabet's arms. She was introduced to her siblings, and Hephaestus was the first one to hold her. And he smiled and spoke softly and they knew immediately that he was going to dote on her the exact same way he doted in Apollo. Hades was not allowed to hold her, as he wasn't allowed to hold Apollo, because neither of them knew how to keep him from acting the way he did, cruel and cold. Aloy was loved by her siblings, though, and that was all that mattered to her mothers.

~

Aloy was four, and running around the yard with Apollo and Vala, chasing them as she shrieked with laughter. Hades was ten, and had never outgrown his cruel anger. So when he walked past them all on his way out, knocking Aloy over, he didnt care about the startled shout and the upset look he was given. Aloy stood back up, Vala and Apollo there and checking on her, but it didn't help her mood much. They went inside, to Hephaestus, and Aloy curled up in his lap. Aloy wasn't sure why Hades had pushed her, wasn't sure it was on purpose. So she didn't say anything about it, just curled into her oldest brother.

~

Aloy was six and her brother came and sat next to her. Her right eye was swollen and her knuckles were red.

"I broke a kid's nose for not leaving Minerva alone, once." Her eyes widened and she looked at him.

"Really?!" He nodded.

"Really." He looked at her, took her hand, kissed the sore knuckles. "Which is why I'm sure your hand hurts." She blushed a bit, pulling her hand away, but he just chuckled. "Long as you were defending you or Apollo, they won't care too much." She cuddled into him.

"They were pushing him around, making fun of him." Like Hades did to her, she didn't say. "I told them to stop and one of them stepped forward and told me to make them. So I did." Hephaestus kissed the top of her head.

"You've got such a big heart, Aloy. Don't let anyone take that from you." She nodded, and he kissed her head again. She closed her eyes.

~

Aloy's eye hadn't even fully healed from her run in with the bullies when she snapped at her older brother.

"Stop it!" He paused, one eyebrow raised.

"Or what?" She huffed, hands curling into fists.

"Or I'm gonna punch you like I did the bullies that were hurting Apollo!" Hades chuckled, smirking a bit.

"You couldn't hurt me if you tried." He crouched, face to face with her. "You're a weak little brat, what could you-" Her fist met his jaw with a solid crack, and his eyes widened. His hand pressed to where she'd punched him, and he snarled. "You little-"

"You're such a bad brother! You always make fun of me and push me and I hate it! I hate you! You're a terrible brother and I'll punch you next time too!" And her chest was heaving and he was staring and then her eyes widened and she ran to the edge of the yard, to... To Hephaestus, who he'd looked up to the entire time he'd been here, who was picking Aloy up, who was looking at him with confusion and anger in his eyes and oh, it was directed at him. Why was he angry with him? He stood, and Hephaestus pulled Aloy closer to his chest before turning and leaving. Hades huffed. And then rubbed his jaw, thinking on her words. Was he a bad brother? He'd thought that was just what siblings did to each other.

~

When Aloy turned seven, Hades gave her a present for the first time. And she took it, wary of what it was, opening it when she shook it and nothing happened. And her eyes widened at the small, badly made, stuffed snake. She looked up, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I wanted to do something to apologize. I didn't... Realize how bad I was. So. Sorry." And she stared at him for a long moment, and then hugged him, snake held in her hand.

"Thank you. Sorry I punched you." Hades had frozen when she hugged him, but he ruffled her hair now.

"Mm, don't worry about it, kid. You got a mean hook." She smiled sheepishly, and Elisabet gave Hades a nod from the side. Looks like he didn't totally fuck up the apology.

~

Aloy was ten when she came home, flopped on the couch, and buried her face in her hands. Minerva and Eluthia were at college, but the rest of her siblings would want to make sure she was okay. Apollo, however, walked in behind her.

"Aloy's got a crush!" A pillow was launched at his head and he laughed, throwing it back.

"A crush?" Of course Demeter was the one that spoke up first. She was grinning. Aloy threw the pillow at her.

"Shut up!" Hephaestus walked over and picked her up, ignoring her indignant shriek, sitting where she'd been and holding her to his chest.

"On who?"

"I'm in biting range of you!"

"Talaaaanaaah." Artemis smirked.

"What was it? The beautifully tanned skin? The incredible archery skills?" Aether laughed.

"Was it the rich family?"

"I will make nine robots, one specifically tailored for each of you, to ruin your lives in the most annoying way possible." Her siblings burst into laughter, and Elisabet walked out of the kitchen, smiling a bit.

"Hey, she takes after me, leave her alone." She walked over, rescuing her youngest from her brother's arms. "To be fair, I am also curious about Talanah. Tell me about her." She was taken to her room as she started talking about her friend, who was only her friend, and she curled into her mother's side, content in the warmth of this situation. When her mother started laughing, she froze, and very quickly tried to remember what she had be just said.

~

College was hard, but at least she had Talanah. And she'd met Ikrie, too, and Ikrie was awesome. When they'd brought her home over holiday break, she'd known it was gonna be a shock for her, finding her massive amount of siblings. Still, she could see Ikrie was nervous when they pulled into the massive driveway and saw the other cars there.

"You gonna make it, snow ghost?" Ikrie snorted, smacking her arm as she parked and killed the engine.

"Just introduce me to your damn family." Aloy laughed, getting out of the car, and she was ready. She knew Minerva. Knew the snow on the ground meant war. So she was prepared to dodge the grab at her collar, dropping and flinging snow at her eldest sister, who laughed, tackling her down. Ikrie stared, at least until snow smacked her in the face.

"Perfect shot, Heph!"

"You expected anything less?" Ikrie made a snow ball and scanned the area, trying to find her attacker. And then someone came out of the trees to her right, she turned, and shrieked, falling into the snow. Aloy groaned.

"Hades, tell me your not covered in blood."

"I'm not covered in blood."

"Is it fake blood that you're covered in?" His silence told her all she needed to know. "What injury have you got?"

"Knife in my neck." Ikrie smashed snow into Aloy's face.

"Could've warned me your brother likes to do gore prosthetics!" She grinned at her.

"Mm, nah. Too much fun to see how you reacted." Minerva was pulled off her, and she could see her brother now, fake knife sticking from his throat, blood on the knife and trailing down his neck. "Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"Very." He helped her up, and she brushed herself off.

"ALOY!" She was knocked forward into the snow as Apollo tackled her, and she sighed.

"Hey Apollo." He moved off, grinning, and then turned to Ikrie.

"So. You're Ikrie, huh? Aloy talks about you a lot." His face was shoved in a snow bank.

"You're insufferable!" Hades smiled, and Minerva and Hephaestus both laughed loudly. Ikrie smiled, her face flushed slightly. She shoved Apollo further into the snow drift.

~

Hades had had an interview, one where he talked about why he was so passionate about his work. And so Eluthia had declared that they were gonna surprise him. Getting tackled in a parking lot probably wasn't how he'd wanted to end his day but, joining in on the dog pile her siblings had made, hearing Hades shriek indignantly, maybe it was a good way to end it.

#horizon zero dawn #Aloy #Elisabet Sobeck #GAIA #HEPHAESTUS #MINERVA #APOLLO #AETHER #ARTEMIS #HADES #Ikrie #The Brood #I intend to do chapters about all the other kids #But I knew yesterday that I wanted to do one about Aloy