despitethenora | Sneck IC inbox

(. . .)

aloy: If it helps you. That’s fair enough.

Tryse: I'd also like to think it would help me understand you a bit more.
Tryse: Either way, thank you.
Tryse: Let me know when you feel like it's a good time.

aloy: Ha. You’ve had me figured out a few times.
aloy: What about tonight?

Tryse: You are an onion. Many delicious layers. I work in each one.
Tryse: The more I do, the better I can help others understand you, too.
Tryse: Maybe save you some frustration.
Tryse: Or help you fall in love with a lovely blonde.

aloy: I’ve never been called an onion before.
aloy: But I can always use a little less frustration.
alloy: Tell me what you see, after?

Tryse: I could have called you a cake.
Tryse: You might have objected to being called sweet, though.
Tryse: Both, I think, are delicious, and they can have layers.
Tryse: And your lips, I've tasted.
Tryse: I'll let you know what I see.

[There’s a bit of a delay.]

aloy: I hope you want to taste them again.
aloy: Something for you to think about until we meet up.

Tryse: I hope to.
Tryse: Until tonight, then.

aloy: Good. See you then.

[True to her word, it's time for a knocknocknock on her door in the evening.]

[She’ll come to get the door for Tryse, nice and polite for her friend.

There’s a new addition to the room: a board’s been set up for playing with Airi, with a variety of blocks to change the level of the board’s “terrain;” and a pouch of carved machine figures.]

Have a good day?

[She steps on in, glancing around. Board game? Huh. That's new.]

Not really. Tried to make some air conditioning, you might have seen the remains of that attempt. Got lectured by Donatello again. I don't think he appreciates just how obnoxious he can be at times, especially when he's pulling that "My opinion is the only one that actually matters, here's five reasons why" spiel.

I hope yours was less irritating.

Mm, when you know that my opinions are the ones that matter.

Why do you think I go to such lengths to learn them?

Maybe you just like a challenge.

[She flashes Tryse a smile, and closes the door before heading over to settle at her bed.]

Not much challenge for me anymore when I can just kiss you until you tell me what I want to know.

[She's gonna remain standing. Sitting on the same bed as Aloy was safe, once. Now that their feelings are out in the open, though, she doesn't trust herself. It was so much simpler before she knew that Aloy would allow, wanted even, Tryse to push further. 'Aloy's not interested' was such a useful crutch.]

Is there anything that should stay off limits while I'm in there?

Oh, is that the real plan?

[Aloy hasn’t even considered that angle. For her, it just seems practical, doing this without the tower.

Maybe a little bit was hoping for Tryse sitting on her bed. Whatever.

Aloy considers the question. Shakes her head.]

No. Maybe don’t try fishing up the memory of that death, considering what happened to one of your allies. But I’m not interested in holding something back from you.

It might work, if you haven't gotten bored of me yet.

I'll stay away from that. I have the answer I wanted. But... Well, let's get started.

[She goes to a knee in front of Aloy and takes her hand. Gently presses her lips to Aloy's knuckles and lets it linger for a moment, like a chivalrous knight with her lady.

And that's the contact she uses to initiate the heart dive.]

Of course I haven’t.

[She lets Tryse have her hand, a small contentment bleeding off of her at the kiss.

Tryse will find herself in the same room as before, but the holographic mural at the top of the dome is changed, depicting instead: Aloy, armed and armored, standing in front of Airi, one hand subtly gesturing for Airi to stand back and let her handle things. She’s facing down an aloof silver-haired woman in shiny white-and-gold clothing. On the lower level, where a variety of objects have been shelved with candles to light them, there’s something producing much more light.]

Hello, GAIA. What's changed in my love's heart since our last meeting?

[She's pausing to admire that mural. If only the others, if only Claudine, could see Aloy as she got to. And then she moves down, to inspect the shelves she hadn't done last time. Find that light.]

[“Welcome back, Tryse.” The AI’s presentation remains perfectly smooth, no apparent reaction to the specific way Tryse refers to Aloy. “You may find that Aloy’s priorities are more narrowly focused than during your previous visit.”

The lower level is a walkway ringing the dome, with items placed on shelves. Presently:
-A Seeker’s mark.
-The faceplate of a machine, modeled to resemble an antelope.
-An old world trinket, a charm of the globe.
-A blue charm on a necklace.
-A lone, potted flower.
-A headdress, metal and draped with blue wires.
-A carving of a robot pterodactyl.
-A book prominently labeled “Cosmic Frontier,” with additional pages of paper tucked in at the back cover.
-A frog plushie in a witch’s hat. A metal shard has been propped against its tummy, glowing very brightly.
-A bear statue.
-In the dim candlelight, there’s a dark silhouette, positioned as though crawling up onto the walkway from below.]

Take care of Airi first and foremost? Give me a rundown, please.

Also, how did the Elysium Category work?

[She trails her fingers over the shelves, noting each item. She catches herself about to cast a spell on the flower, to freshen it somewhat. The bear, who could that-

She pauses, glancing at the silhouette. She takes the shard in hand and moves towards it, holding her hand up so she can get a good view of this little invader.]

[”Managing Airi’s recovery and protection are indeed the first priority. Several activities that are nominally practical, but incidentally pleasurable, are active. These include exercise with Airi and Adora, and engaging in games that encourage tactical thinking with Airi and Crow.”

Just touching the shard offers a heavy dose of emotions: trust, admiration, amusement. Almost a reliance.

The shard’s light illuminates the figure as Tryse moves in: a pillow-sized alligator plushie. Its eyes seem to flash red in the movement of the shard’s light.

”The Elysian category produced minimal effects. Nostalgia mixing with the sense of loss, perhaps blunting it. A confirmation of the meaning in sacrifice.”]

I need to teach them both how to play chess. Or perhaps learn that game I saw in Aloy's quarters.

[She has to bite back a laugh at the plushie. She tosses the shard up and down in her hand, then moves to settle it back in against the frog, where she'd found it.

When she turns back to the crocodile, her fingers twitch. She'd love to burn it, given the sinister gleam, but. She'd promised no changes this time. Instead, she'll just give it a little pat.

The book. Cosmic Frontier. Hadn't she seen Aloy with that once or twice? She can't quite recall. The flower... She reaches out to touch the bear, instead. It can't be representative of the god here, can it?]

Not the results I'd hoped, but... Would you say it was worth it?

Edited 2023-07-16 21:24 (UTC)

[Just touching the plush offers a complicated mix of emotions: pain, inevitability, frustration.

If she still doesn’t choose to burn it, the bear on closer examination is the statue in the woods, complete with the hole that serves as the entrance to the cloth materials ruin. Just touching that carries a sense of wistful catharsis, comfort, and a sort of sleepiness.

”The best I can say on the matter is the results were not objectionable.

“Regarding the game Aloy has acquired. It is called Machine Strike. Despite her habits and her relationship with people in general, she found enjoyment in playing against many as she traveled the Forbidden West, without needing an established relationship with her opponent.”]

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