#fothdrakka

We wanted to launch off their semi-playful banter from the start. Calling back to “the way of the desert” brushes off the growth he’s tried to achieve, whereas stating that it’s noble does acknowledge his change, but de-personalizes the exchange. Drakka takes his leadership seriously, but he’s shown to be open to change inspired by Aloy, so this is what that answer is referencing.

We know Aloy has a hard time letting people in, whether it was Varl, Zo, or even Beta. Here, she’s still a little guarded, but she’s also grown a lot and is now giving Drakka a choice of if he wants to know her secrets. He knows she has a lot of them, after all. Telling him he wouldn’t understand is like saying he’s shallow and deliberately keeping him in the dark; while saying her stories are complicated isn’t necessarily underestimating his capacity to understand, it is Aloy remaining closed off.

While we did have a bit of fun with this one, we also wanted a romantically-inclined Aloy to meet Drakka where he’s at, instead of always the other way around. He does have the ability in canon to flirt with her with his, “So… you think maybe I could fly away with you?” line, so this is Aloy rising to that level of playfulness. Changing her mind entirely is Aloy backing off from a particular challenge, whereas simply referencing his spikes keeps things too casual.

Sensing his apprehension and knowing he can’t swim, this is Aloy taking his comfort into consideration. The biggest difference between this choice and “Don’t move” is Aloy indicating in the romantic path that she’s including Drakka in her plans, and isn’t just going to figure everything out for him. Forcing him to swim, on the other hand, completely takes all of Drakka’s agency away and puts him in danger.

This one is tricky, but it shows that Aloy is taking Drakka’s words and ideas seriously. She isn’t dismissing them or insulting them. Aloy is acknowledging that the situation is complicated, but Drakka has put in a respectable amount of thought to his plans. She isn’t giving him a semi-backhanded compliment with “Not the worst idea,” nor is she doubting the plans entirely as in, “Are you sure that’s enough?”

This is also on the trickier side, but it’s not an admonishment or adding insult to injury by asking what he was thinking. She also isn’t trying to diffuse the situation with bad humour. Aloy is telling Drakka to calm down because he can trust that she’s got him.

Once again, this is a choice of how vulnerable Aloy is willing to be—from not at all (“I’ve moved on”) to only a little (“I… got hurt”) to trusting him with an unseen side of herself. Here, Aloy is expressing a certain level of exposure and openness to Drakka, and letting him see a side of her she doesn’t often show others—or herself. By admitting that she was so close to dying, she’s also admitting that she was afraid in a very intimate and human moment.

This option again fits the pattern of Aloy playing with Drakka when the situation calls for it. She’s not questioning his intelligence (“You know what fishing is?”) or experience (“You don’t swim, but you fish?”). She’s become comfortable being cheeky with him, and Drakka responds well to flirtation.

One of Drakka’s canon quest lines involves him wanting to prove himself as Commander and look good for the Desert Clan, which Aloy admonishes. After, he mentions trying to live up to her example, which is what we expanded on in this route. By saying that his plan will “make him look good,” Aloy is dismissing his personal growth and showing she still thinks of him as the hothead she first met. Stating that he’s doing what’s best isn’t wrong, but is more logical than personal. This option has Aloy recognising that he’s grown and offering heartfelt and personal praise, rather than going back to what she thinks is most important to him.

After their adventure in the ruins, this option shows that Aloy does care about Drakka, but also trusts his judgment. They’ve fought together numerous times now, twice already against Thunderjaws, and he’s a proven hunter. While none of the options are “wrong,” the other two disregard his abilities and judgement to various degrees. He’s not reckless or in distress, and she’s counting on him to take care of himself while coming around to the fact that she cares about what happens to him.

In the final flashpoint, that trust comes full circle. Aloy can either bark orders at Drakka, or try to “save” him, or acknowledge the fact that he’s able to handle the machine. Aloy knows Drakka has her back in combat and that he’s fully capable of handling the Thunderjaw without her, so she can take her eyes off them to find her weapon once more. They’ve come a long way in their blossoming friendship to something more, and Aloy is ready to open her heart to make room for Drakka.