SEEKER

“ there’s few differences between man-made machines and monsters like this. the illusions this world creates, there is nothing natural about them. iron might be more truthful than the bone and blood of these creatures. “

     — ❝ Uh huh.... Right, ❞ what is this guy going on about?

   “ It’s a maze ran by fairies…I don’t know if it has walls, but wouldn’t the fairies stop you from, y’know. Cheating?”

     — ❝ Well, I mean... ❞

Call it intuition ( y’know, being an assassin and all ), but something told him he was being watched.

It started when he was walking down the streets of the ward he was in. At first, he thought it was just people staring at him because, let’s face it, his getup isn’t the usual wardrobe choice that people would wear, but as Jacob continued onward, he realized the eyes he felt were coming from somewhere else. Somewhere… above? Another assassin who had spotted him, perhaps?

That’s what he thought, until someone started throwing small pebbles at him! Not enough to hurt, mind you, but still enough to catch his attention. He allowed it to continue… Until finally one pebble was thrown to make him sigh out and finally scale the building where it was coming from.

     “Y’know the old saying.. Throw a pebble at me once, shame      on me. Throw a second pebble at me, shame on you. Yes,      that’s exactly the saying, you don’t need to fact check–”

And when he finally got on top of the building, Jacob almost fell right off of it once he saw who the mastermind behind the pebble throwing was.

     “… Allie?”

     — AS the brunet looks at her with surprise and a wide-eyed look, Aloy looks to him with familiarity... With fondness. While it seems like she hadn’t been gone for a while, it also feels as if she hasn’t seen Jacob in what feels like ages... And thus, she can only look at the assassin with the utmost affection reflected within her verdant hues, hands now folding together in front of her frame.

     ❝ I was wondering when you’d climb up here, ❞

       it’s not difficult to catch the suspicion.  of course, this subject is the only one that allows Manako to lose her calm.  with a soothing smile she wears when treating the children who came to the Reach’s clinic, she tries her best to keep the conversation moving away. 

       ❝ Hmm, I didn’t craft my poncho myself, but a nice tailor where I worked did so for me.  I wish I was that talented. ❞  she finishes her pondering and folds her hands together happily.  

       ❝ That’s impressive, though!  Is Rost your friend? ❞

     — ❝ Really? You can learn! It’s really easy, ❞ Aloy is quick to tell the stranger, smiling all the while. It’s nice, she thinks, to be able to speak with others for once; for others to not look at her with scorn or try to hit her with rocks.

     ❝ And Rost is... Well, ❞

       ❝ M-my … horns? ❞

       instantly, the Xaela’s hands fly to the sides of her head.  she digs her fingers under her hair above her horns, then pulls down her blue locks to cover those monstrosities.  her cheeks beam beet-red the entire time.  and once the horns are covered, she frantically checks her body with her hands to make sure her scales are covered and her tail is tucked away in her pants.  uncomfortable, but necessary.  she is a hyur: human.  she has to be. 

         ❝ Sorry, little one, ❞  Manako’s voice is soft,  ❝ I don’t know what you’re on about. ❞  please work.  ❝ B-but I can ask the same about your clothing, too.  Did you make it? ❞

     — QUIRKING a brow, Aloy tilts her head curiously as the stranger struggles to cover her so called ‘horns’. If she didn’t want them to be seen, why doesn’t she just take them off? Maybe... She can’t? But why would that be...?

     ❝ Uhhh, ❞

     ❝ Okay, ❞ she’s suspicious and it’s plain to see from her expression... But for now, the little girl lets it go... With the keyword being ‘for now’.

      — ❝ Woooow! How did you make those? They look like antlers!! Did you get them from hunting? ❞ the youth points at the stranger’s horns, looking on with amazement. While it’s not odd for people within The Embrace to adorn their garments with various animal hides and the like... Never before has Aloy seen an animal that would possess such horns for the other girl to take. Normally she’d use her Focus to try and figure out what it is, but...

     Somehow, it only seems like her Focus works about five times a day... Which is quickly used up by how often Aloy scans everything around her.

Oh – oh, no. She was a really young girl, wasn’t she? Rui must have practically knocked her off her feet, and he definitely looked more than a little bit sheepish about that revelation. He really hadn’t meant to stumble back into anyone at all, but the fact that it was such a young girl…

“A-ah–”

For as shaky as his legs felt, Rui really didn’t feel like it was fair for him to keep sitting at her feet. He stumbled a bit but managed to push himself forward and up, which caused a terrible wave of coughs to rise in his chest.

“I should be alright, yes… I don’t really think I’d be difficult to carry, but it’s probably better if you don’t try…”

Ignore the fact that he had to wobble to the side a little bit to lean against the nearest building to try and keep himself standing for the time being. Rui looked absolutely exhausted already, but at least he wasn’t coughing for the time being. And… this was another child, right? She was even younger than he was, so while it wasn’t likely she understood any of this any better than he did…

“Can I ask something?”

“Have… you found anyone that you know, here? Um… like your parents, or anything.” Maybe it was overstepping his boundaries a little bit, but he really hoped she might have an answer. He’d had enough of feeling so lost and concerned already.

     — ❝ Alright... But if you get tired let me know! ❞ the redhead is quick to reassure the stranger despite his worries, puffing out her chest rather proudly. Though he doesn’t seem to be part of the Nora... Well, he’s still someone that isn’t shunned like she is and thus, Aloy tries to make a point of proving herself to him. 

     ❝ Anyone I know? Well, Rost is usually always making me follow him around... But I haven’t seen him here, ❞ the girl begins her answers, looking up in thought before offering a gasp.

     ❝ There’s parents here? Do you think my mother is here? I wonder what she looks like...! ❞ clearly caught up in the boy’s wording and not processing it correctly, Aloy is soon swept up in her thoughts. While she still intends to participate in the Proving... Maybe somehow she could meet her mother in this place instead?

      — ❝ I wonder where outside of The Embrace this is? Surely it can’t be a part of Mother’s Cradle, Heart or anything in that area! ❞ she sounds rather excited about that, actually.

“You should try that weird abandoned city! Yesterday, or whatever it’s called! There’s lots of junk there, plus it’s super fun to explore!”

“That’s mean. I didn’t choose to be this.”

“And it’s twice mean when I’m trying to be helpful and honest~” Oh well, stealing wasn’t that difficult after all. 

     — ❝ Uh huh. Right, ❞

“I was once called oracle and high priest. I’m obviously right. As for them, well. One of them is called Zeed, he doesn’t have a nickname because his name’s so dumb so fits him well. The other one is Freckleface II.” 

“Maybe you can make use of them. It’s 200 Dust for this piece of wisdom”

     — ❝ Where I’m from, oracles and priests are usually wrong, ❞ she is quick to correct him, brows furrowing as he speaks. Why does she always attract this sort of company...?

“So I know two guys who are just walking junkyards. Does that count?” 

     — ❝ Count towards my search? No, ❞