#fothtalanah

This is an important initial callback for these two. Even if Aloy’s response after the selection seems harsh, it’s the correct one! While they have somewhat of an awkward reunion, this aspect of their bond is still a meaningful touchpoint and an important reminder for them both.

Banter time! We see some of Aloy’s most enthusiastic and truly carefree moments whenever she’s hunting machines with Talanah. Talanah matches her energy effortlessly, leading to the comfort and familiarity of fighting together. This is how they relate, and this is what has opened the door for more.

The reasoning behind this selection is multifaceted. First, it involves Aloy articulating her emotional experience with Seyka to someone other than Varl—and, in doing so, evaluating in real-time how she feels about it now. Second, Talanah would value her candor about the situation—even if it might not be what she herself wanted to hear. Aloy’s response here leaves nothing to doubt and nothing hidden or minimized.

Another exercise in vulnerability. It would be one thing for Aloy to speak of the physical pain of her injury, as in the neutral response. It’s another thing entirely to speak of the lingering mental anguish. Talanah, at her core, cares. Deeply. And Aloy trusting her with her fears, giving them a new emotional ground on which to connect, marks a monumental step in their relationship.

While Talanah’s self-chastisement prior to this checkpoint isn’t exactly unwarranted, it’s not all the way correct, either. Aloy hearing her genuine remorse and responding based on the whole no-nonsense truth—that actions and inactions and doubts from both of them led to their parting of ways in the Forbidden West—would mean more to her than platitudes or righteous anger.

Breaking into new domains of vulnerability is a theme here, isn’t it? There’s something to be said about telling someone the story of your life. At this point, Aloy hasn’t had to actually do that for anyone. Choosing to tell Talanah everything in her own words is an endeavor in both openness and terrifying freedom. It means trust and it means being seen wholly, bare. And Talanah has always only wanted to see.

Referencing Talanah’s gift was pretty much a shoe-in for this path. Particularly the line about it being displayed directly outside of Aloy’s bedroom door at the Base. (It’s true. Go check!)

It’s all about the tension. It’s all about the yearning. It’s all about Aloy allowing herself to simply be in a moment, for once, and welcome the comfort the sight of Talanah brings after the dream from which she just woke. (It’s definitely all about the yearning. And almost, almost kissing. We considered going for it. In some other world, that version exists. Director’s cut.)

This might have been the one that tricked you. Probably thought about the inherent intimacy of tandem riding—the close contact, hands on hips, chin on shoulder, the tight grip—and you’re certainly far from incorrect! But the Sunhawk deserves to fly her own Sunwing and would take the challenge head-on. It’s another mark of Aloy’s trust in her abilities.

Points for being nice to Milu. Talanah cares a lot for that little sprout.

Letting Milu take the last shot on the Stormbird lends evidence to Aloy’s growing patience with others and her willingness to encourage them for encouragement’s sake alone—something Talanah would absolutely notice and appreciate as a teacher herself.

One of the goals with Talanah's FOTH script was to highlight the parallels between Talanah and Aloy's brief past romantic encounters, and to explore how coming out of them with a greater understanding of self might lead to the two of them becoming ✨closer.✨

Let's start with the chronological first, the end of the first act--the moment (and flashpoint choice, indicated, the Good one) after Aloy tells Talanah about fighting the Horus in the Burning Shores, accidentally letting it slip that she didn't do it alone. Screenshots in order because it's a LONG copy/paste, lmao.

This one took me a while and a number of iterations to get to what I felt was right. With FOTH in general being set post-Burning Shores, this was a very necessary conversation. It's implied earlier in the script that Talanah's path follows the Brain answer during BS's ending flashpoint. And in approaching this conversation, I wanted to be respectful of what Aloy experienced with Seyka, the way she felt for her in each scenario, and what she learned about herself--while at the same time acknowledging the realism that not every spark leads to a flame. That in and of itself would also be a lesson for Aloy. As Talanah told her during Forbidden West, these things are complicated.

And, clearly, by her fluster, Talanah's been harboring some similar complicated questions and confusion of her own. (more on this in the next section.) (Plus it made me giggle and twirl my hair and kick my lil leggies while I wrote it.)

Finally, I thought it might be interesting for part of Aloy to hope telling Talanah about Seyka would affect Talanah the same way hearing about Amadis affected her. Again. These things are complicated. People are messy. Aloy was hurt. And sometimes, even briefly, we are not at our best. To have her still harboring some resentment (also explored in the next section) over the whole Need to Know thing felt yummy.

This next section comes in the second act and was written to directly parallel the above. To reciprocate the openness, the vulnerability, the hinted (less subtly in this one) change in understanding.

First of all, it was ridiculously gratifying to just turn the Amadis question into a nothingburger. Girl he was never seen again!!!! The fuck!!!