#aloy x avad

[busybee217]

For the longest time I’ve only shipped Aloy with Erend but after playing a few hours of Horizon Forbidden West I really ship her with a lot of these characters. I hope for third game they take a page out of mass effect’s book & allow the player to chose their romantic partner. (or not at all cuz some people don’t want romance in their game) it would give me a reason to play the game over and over just to see the different options. 💕🫡

#horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #hzd aloy #hzd #hfw aloy #hfw #aloy despite the nora #aloy x erend #aloy x kotallo #aloy x seyka #aloy x talanah #aloy x nil #aloy x avad #aloy x drakka

[mancatrex]

Avad & Aloy getting a peaceful moment

#horizon zero dawn #my art #fanart #aloy #avad #hzd aloy #hfw aloy #hzd avad #aloy x avad #avad x aloy #avaloy

[givemebackmypills]

#king avad i love u so MUCH #nil i love u SO MUCHHHHhhhh #i love them SO MUCHHH!!! #I LOVE HALVA SO MUCH #sun king avad #aloy #aloy horizon #hzd #horizon zero dawn #nil horizon #niloy #aloy x avad #aloy x nil #my art

[eloiseeleanor]

Okay but what if in the third game aloy wants to prove to herself she is not Elizabet. So she seeks a romantic relationship AND IN GAMEPLAY you can choose to romance whoever you want (or not bother with it!)

In other words. I ship her with everyone and don’t want to choose…

#aloy #aloy x erend #aloy x kotallo #aloy x nil #aloy x talanah #aloy x avad #aloy x zo #aloy x petra #horizon fanart #horizon spoilers #horizon forbidden west #aloy hfw #hfw fanart #hfw spoilers #eloiseeleanorart

[foibles-fables]

Horizon Public Service Announcement! About a week ago, a handful of us put our heads together and opened an all-ships Horizon server. Our goal is supportive vibes, fandom unity, and just-plain good times!

If you want to come hang out with some truly chill and creative people--whether you're a multishipper, love raving enthusiastically about your OTP, or are a rare pare connoisseur--this is the place for you! We've got some really fun events planned, and we'd love to have you.

#horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #aloy #aloy x talanah #aloy x erend #aloy x kotallo #aloy x seyka #aloy x avad #aloy x nil #ereloy #seyloy #niloy #kotaloy #hawk and thrush #we legit have a channel for every conceivable ship but these tags are too long already lmao #please come have fun with us!

[alcalvin]

🫣

#aloy #avad #horizon #horizon burning shores #horizon forbidden west #Seyka #seyloy #meme #aloy x avad #horizon games

[retrowhatever]

All the Horizon Fanfic Stats You Never Knew You Needed

So I did some data analysis. More graphs and lots of rambling below the cut.

I love graphs. And spreadsheets. And making my hobbies unnecessarily complicated. So obviously once I discovered that there's an unofficial ao3 api, I had to learn a new programming language so I could throw some math at my Horizon hyperfixation and make some graphs about fanfics. This post is the result of that rabbit hole, I hope you enjoy it!

Before we get started, I want to make one thing explicitly clear: this post is a celebration. It's a celebration of fanfic, authors, and the fandom in general. If you have something mean to say about a ship, a writer, or a fic, this ain't the place. I made these graphs and wrote this post as a love letter to a game I'm obsessed with and the incredible people who make the fan content that is my main form of sustenance these days lol, so let's keep the discussion positive.

One last thing: I generated these graphs from data that I pulled on Aug 4, 2022. Anything published after that won't be reflected here. Alright, here we go! Let's see some graphs!

Fanfic by Length

The first thing I wondered is what the average length of fic was. I did not include any fics below 100 words, assuming they were either art or placeholders, neither of which provide any useful information regarding number of words.

I defined the categories as follows:

Ficlet - less than 2000 words

Short Story - 2K-10K words

Novella - 10K-50K words

Novel - 50K-100K works

Behemoth (pun fully intended) - 100K+ words

Obviously, there's some blurriness at the category edges, but it's pretty clear most fics tend to be relatively short. I'm genuinely surprised by how many huge, sprawling works there are though - I definitely expected there to be a single-digit number of behemoth fics. Mad props to the folks writing those monstrosities for the rest of us to enjoy!

Fanfic by # of Chapters

This graph kind of underscores the point about most fics being relatively short. There are almost twice as many single chapter fics than all other fics put together.

A thing I think is relatively unique to fanfic as a medium though, is that a fair number of those single chapter fics are novella or even novel length. You're not often going to find a book at a bookstore that's tens of thousands of words and has no chapter divisions, but that's not unusual in fanfic.

Fanfic by Author

Okay, the first thing you need to understand about this graph is the following numbers:

1

2.6

Those are the median and mean fics published per author in the Horizon fandom, respectively. In case you slept through your stats class, what that means is most fanfic writers have written one or two Horizon fanfics. Now go back and look at the graph.

...yeah. We as fanfic lovers owe a lot to these folks. Most of them are on tumblr, so even if you don't have an ao3 account (same, babe, same) you have no excuse not to go show them some love!

Serie11 is @valaloy

SoupAndChaos is @soupandchaos

mythicait is @mythicaitt

DragonRose35 I couldn't find a tumblr for

Kittleskittle is @kittleskittle

VidalsQueen is @sun-and-shadow-aloy

NorthernGhost is @thatsgonnabeanogho

sunspot (unavoidedcrisis) is @sunspott

januarys I couldn't find a tumblr for

foibles_fables is @foibles-fables

unstable_grad I couldn't find a tumblr for

Pikapeppa is @pikapeppa

YoGrossDude is @yogrossdude

bioluminesce is @owlswatch

wandereringray is @wandereringray

escafiils is @chloefraazers

Fanfic by Rating

Okay, now things are getting spicy! First of all, if I'd had to guess the most popular rating, it probably wouldn't have been Teen. But, given how popular the "fluff" tag is (foreshadowing for the tag graph later in this post), I guess it shouldn't be that surprising.

Secondly, I'm clearly not the only one who struggles to understand what exactly the Mature rating is for, considering it's the least-used rating by a fair margin.

Fanfic by Ship

The most popular ships, colour-coded based on orientation. From left to right: mlm, straight, wlw, poly, machines(?????), unknown

I want to reiterate here that I made this post to celebrate the awesome Horizon fandom, so if you're thinking of using this graph to argue that one ship is better/more correct than another... just don't, k? Good.

I also combined similar tags, so if someone used all three of the tags "Aloy/Erend", "Aloy/Erend (Horizon: Zero Dawn)", and "Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn)/Erend (Horizon: Zero Dawn)" for the same fic, that's actually going to count as three fics in the Aloy/Erend column. I'll probably end up redoing this graph eventually with a less naive counting algorithm, but for now this is what we've got.

Now that we've got methodology out of the way, let's talk about some cool things this graph shows!

First, Kotaloy shippers obviously have a lot of things to say. Unlike the other five most popular ships, Aloy/Kotallo is the only one involving a character that wasn't in the first game. And it's the second most popular ship! Y'all are rabid and I love it.

Second, of the wlw ships, the second and third most popular ships involve a character from the DLC and a character who dies immediately after you meet her, respectively. You guys are out here making meals from crumbs and I am impressed. Also, though, why don't Petra and Vanasha get more love??? I'm unsurprised that Talanah and her favourite Thrush are the #1 ship, but I (a clueless straight, to be fair) loved both Petra and Vanasha and definitely expected to see more fic involving them.

Third, I love the variety here. This graph only includes ships with at least 10 fics, and there are so many different ships represented! There were tons more that had 5-10 fics too, and it honestly made me so happy to see that there were multiple fic options for almost any pairing in the game.

Fanfic by Tag

Y'all. Look at all the fluff. People always joke about making their blorbos go through it in their fanfic, but like. There is SO MUCH FLUFF. We all really just looked at these characters and went "well, they deserve nice things for a change", huh? I also love how popular canon divergence is - anecdotally, I usually see that tag on fics that are like "well, what if that shitty thing didn't happen?"

That's not to say it's all sunshine and rainbows. The next two most popular tropes are "angst" and "hurt/comfort", and as an enthusiastic consumer of both, I'm not surprised. But again, anecdotally I see a fair number of fics tagged with one or both of those and a "fluff" tag.

Going back to the ratings graph, where we learned that the most popular fic rating is Teen & Up, it shouldn't be surprising that both "First Kiss" and "First Time" are more popular tags than any of the more explicit sex ones. Also, given that Aloy grew up an outcast, I think the popularity of those tags speaks to how fun it is for both writers and readers to delve into what that means for her when it comes to sex and relationships.

Finally, the most-used content warning tags will surprise exactly no one, I think. Canon-typical violence (because duh), PTSD (growing up a literal outcast before finding out you're a clone made by an AI so you can save the entire world from extinction will do that to ya, not to mention all the shit Aloy's friends/lovers have been through in their own lives), and canonical character death (glares at GEMINI) are all pretty obvious choices.

Conclusion

Because I have zero impulse control, I'm already working on a part two for this post, where I will address such pressing questions as "Which ship has the most verbose authors?" and "Who's the gayest Horizon character?" as well as recklessly use the powers vested in me by the math and algorithm gods to find some hidden gem fics that you might not have read yet.

In the meantime, I would love to hear some more opinions on these graphs! I've commented on some of the things I found interesting, but there's lots more to address here, so feel free to reblog this post or snag any graph you find interesting to use in a post of your own. I only ask that you tag me if you do - because I want to read what you have to say!!

Also, if there's any stats or questions about Horizon fanfic that you're particularly curious about, let me know. I'm limited by the information available on ao3, but I will do my best to find you answers and include them in the next post.

Lastly, one final reminder that we're here to celebrate the awesomeness of Horizon fanfic, the fanfic authors, and the fandom in general. I will humbly accept all constructive criticism about my (somewhat questionable) statistical methods and data interpretation, but ask that you keep comments about ships, tags, authors, etc positive and productive. Remember these are real people creating free content for the rest of us, and don't yuck someone else's yum.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you found this half as interesting as I did!

#doing data analysis of fanfic? just really letting my nerd flag fly here #horizon #horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #hzd #hfw #ao3 #fanfic #fanfiction #data analysis #plotly #aloy x avad #aloy/avad #alvad #aloy x erend #aloy/erend #ereloy #aloy x kotallo #aloy/kotallo #kotaloy #aloy x nil #aloy/nil #niloy #aloy x talanah #aloy/talanah #hawk and thrush #words i said #i made this

[pikapeppa]

I just read the new chapter of coming in from a western wind and ahhhh just seeing it update made my day but also the chapter (as always) was fab! 🙌🏼❤️

Aw yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! The updates are slow, I know, but never fear, the fic will be finished in time! 😊

For anyone who wants to check it out: Coming In On A Western Wind is here on AO3! Aloy/Avad, 133k words to date, rated E for smut. 🥰

-- love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika! xoxo

#sun king avad #aloy/avad #aloy x avad #hfw #horizon forbidden west #pikapeppa writes #fanfic writer's life

[horizonlandscape]

Aloy and Avad

#avad #hfw avad #avad hfw #avad and aloy #aloy and avad #aloy x avad #aloy #horizon #aloy horizon Forbidden West #forbidden west #horizon forbidden west #Beyond the Horizon #aloy horizon #horizon photomode #digital photography #video game photography #aloy photomode #video games #videogame landscape #digital landscape

[chloefraazers]

The Horizon Dating Simulator Project

There’s been so much interest and positive response to this! We’re so thrilled that fans across the board are looking forward to playing!

As an update, several ships have been filled with their teams, but we have some that could use another member! Aloy/Ikrie, Aloy/Petra, Aloy/Yarra, and Aloy/Alva could use another writer. Most ships have artists, but if you are willing to collaborate with the lead or be a back-up, this can help. And if there’s a writer & artist team that wants to take on Aloy/Avad…

Audio and coding help is always in need!

DM me here or @diiddums#1977 on Discord, or reach out to @kittleskittle for more information!

Follow #horizon dating sim project for updates!

Follow @/focusontheheart for updates!

#horizon dating sim project #horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #horizon games #beyond the horizon #aloy/alva #aloy/kotallo #aloy/petra #aloy/yarra #aloy/ikrie #aloy/avad #aloy x kotallo #aloy x alva #aloy x ikrie #aloy x yarra #aloy x avad #aloy x petra

[consider-da-lilies]

*sighs* Them <3

#sun queen au #aloy #sun queen aloy #avad #aloy x avad #alvad #dreamdrawrepeat #fanart #horizon zero dawn fanart #horizon forbidden west fanart

[felrend]

Avad/Aloy?

I ship them to a degree lol I love that they are opposites of each other and I think that could be a fun dynamic. Avad is quite romantic and if Aloy let him, he would do anything under the sun for her. And I think she would appreciate the ability to come and go when needed with the trust that Avad provides.

What I have an issue with is Avad worshipping Aloy or finding her as a replacement for his love of Ersa. I think he has some healing he needs to do before he can ever think of loving any one.

Aloy also needs to finish her mission before she can think of any type of connection like that. She's too focused on her path to save any one and she also needs to get used to letting anyone in to love her. She's gotten so much better from HZD but still has a way to go.

This was such a cute moment though!

#horizon forbidden west #aloy #avad #king avad #aloy x avad #shipping #ask me anything #thanks anon!

[mancatrex]

More Smooches for Avad

#horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #my art #illustration #aloy #hzd aloy #hfw aloy #avad #hfw avad #hzd avad #aloy x avad #avad x aloy

[horizon-of-fel]

Ao3 Fanfics

With the encouragement of a few friends, I have decided to start posting here on Tumblr my Ao3 Horizon fandom stories that I write. I'm fairly new to these parts, so please let me know if you see any way I can improve how I put these up. I also would love to hear from you guys so feel free to send me any Asks or messages!

My Works

Stories in Progress:

Road to Mainspring - Aloy/Erend In the weeks after the Battle of the Alight, Aloy is recruited to escort Dervahl to Mainspring with Erend Vanguardsman - a journey neither of them expected to go the way it did. Set after Zero Dawn, before Forbidden West. Rating: Mature/Explicit (for eventual smut)

Blood and Sandstone - Aloy AU re: Carja Red Raids An alternate narrative following the 'what if' of Aloy being kidnapped during the Red Raids for the Sun Ring instead of living her life peacefully in the Embrace, and what her life might've been like during that time. Features: Ersa, Erend (eventual Ereloy), Rost, Helis, Avad, Jiran and so many others... Rating: Mature/Explicit (for dark themes, violence, eventual smut)

Echoes of Enduring Hearts - Aloy/Avad Aloy and Avad navigate a complicated relationship before and after the events of Horizon: Forbidden West. Rating: Teen and Up (for now, who knows, will update if it changes)

Completed Stories and One-Shots:

A Breath of Fresh Air - Aloy/Kotallo (maybe completed, tbd) Set just before heading to the mission to the GEMINI cauldron. Kotallo notices Aloy getting antsy being cooped up in the base as they wait for Beta to prepare herself for the merge and finish the 'rig', so he invites her for an outdoor excursion. Rating: Teen and Up

Embers of the Past - Aloy/Erend Prompt for two minutes Oseramtober 2023 - "Ember" Aloy takes a friend's advice for some downtime and ends up coming face to face with a messy part of her and Erend's past. Will they be able to finally move past it or will it burn everything they'd built to embers and ash? Rating: Teen and Up

#horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #hzd #hfw #hzd spoilers #hfw spoilers #hfw aloy #aloy #erend #kotallo #avad #ersa #helis #ereloy #aloy x erend #kotaloy #aloy x kotallo #avaloy #aloy x avad #shameless self promo

[alysvolatile]

When Aloy, in disguise, returns to Meridian for one night during the long search for GAIA, she doesn’t expect to show up in the middle of Shadow’s Turning, the Winter Solstice masquerade festival. She doesn’t expect to meet such a handsome stranger, either—but there’s no harm in making the most of the occasion while she’s there, right?

It's the anonymous festival hook-up Avad/Aloy piece I wrote for @spaceguylewis's birthday! It's 8k words of pre-Forbidden West smut that somehow got yearning and wistful! AND features art from @jukeboxindie, the most talented artist I know!

#horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #aloy #avad #aloy/avad #aloy x avad #avaloy #fanfic

[luthien-under-bough]

Happy birthday @chronic-ghost! Through the power of Alvad, our friendship was made possible. Hope you enjoy!💜

the hands of the king

When Aloy returns to Meridian in the dead of night, Avad is the only one awake to tend her wounds.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: F/M Fandom: Horizon (Video Games) Relationship: Aloy/Avad Characters: Avad (Horizon), Aloy (Horizon) Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Hurt Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn), Blood and Injury, Medical Procedures, Needles, Fluff

#horizon zero dawn #horizon forbidden west #alvad #aloy x avad #horizon fanfic #aloy/avad #aloy #avad #my fics #gift fic