Chapter Text
“So, little huntress, how do you think this works?”
“It seems to me you keep drinking until...at least one person can't get home alone. Maybe everyone.”
“That's certainly the goal.” Vanasha replied. “But there are steps. Think of it as a game of favours. Here, Uthid has started the game. He's getting the 'first round'. We're not playing a serious game, but if he was playing against a novice for real, then he stands a good chance of being owed a favour when the night runs out.”
“I don't think this is how people actually think it works.”
“Of course not, Aloy, but it's not their job to understand the fine technicalities of social etiquette.” Vanasha replied, with amusement in her eyes. “You weren't brought up in this culture, so you need my perspective. Let me finish the metaphor, and you'll understand.”
It was a small inn that Uthid had taken them to. Regardless of whether he was guarding the privacy of the most recognisable Nora in Meridian, or this just happened to be a favourite haunt of his, Aloy was glad to be in a smaller pool of people. It was a lighter, airier building, that didn't smell of yeast and piss the same way some other inns did. While there had been a few stares in their direction and whispers, people had generally left them alone.
“Uthid gets the 'first round' of drinks. Having been bought a 'round', both you and I are now required to take turns buying him a drink. It would be rude to not buy everyone else at the table a drink too, and that's how you end up with a 'round'.”
“People really do come up with words for everything.”
“Oh yes. And of course, drinking is important, and requires many words.”
Through the crowd, Aloy spotted returning to them from the bar. “These are for you two.” Uthid said, pushing two tankards of a lighter liquid towards them. “I know it's only me drinking for real.”
“How considerate of you!” Vanasha said, smiling broadly. “And remember, Aloy, if the drink tastes bad, let everyone know.”
“That won't offend anyone?”
“They'll be...offended, yes - but they get get to admonish you for being a poor drinker, which implies that they are good drinkers.” Vanasha replied. “You're helping them secretly brag about themselves.”
Uthid groaned. “Enough of this nonsense.” He held out his tankard. “To Aloy.”
Aloy paused only momentarily before she remembered having seen this before, and clinked her tankard against his. “To...us?” she replied.
The others laughed. “You'll get there, girl.”
Aloy paused for a moment before finally putting the tankard to her lips and drinking a small amount. She furrowed her eyebrows, focusing on the aftertaste in her mouth. “It's...not awful.”
Uthid tipped his tankard towards her triumphantly. “See!”
“Sort of...honey? Is that what I'm tasting? And spices?”
“Precisely.”
“And that's how we corrupted the saviour of Meridian.” Vanasha teased.
“The more you drink, the better it tastes, so get started.”
“Is that because it – numbs my senses?” Aloy asked.
“Yes.”
“And that's the point?”
“Yes?”
Vanasha laughed.
Aloy sighed. “Well, it could be worse. I could be doing this with...Erend.”
“Oh, no.” Uthid agreed. “You don't want to go drinking with an Oseram. Not on your first go.”
“You say that like there'll be a second.”
“Never say never, Nora girl.”
“How come the vanguardsman never managed to convince you to go drinking, hmm?” Vanasha asked. “After all, he's such an advertisement for its joys.”
Uthid repressed a snort.
“Oh, so unkind.”
Aloy chuckled. “Well, it would certainly be memorable. Or – maybe not. Probably not.”
“A baptism of fire, and blank spots in your recollections.”
“Yeah. Drinking myself into a stupor isn't exactly a goal of mine.”
“Hardly helpful when you live life on the trail, of course.”
“I'm sure your vanguard friend wouldn't mind putting you up for the night.” Uthid replied, with an expression of feigned innocence.
Vanasha fake-gasped. “Uthid! How unusually crude of you.”
“Am I wrong?”
Aloy let out a long sigh. “No. No, you're not.”
“Drink up, Nora.” Uthid replied. “Tell us your troubles.”
“Yes, it must be such a pain to go through life unable to make friendships without people twisting themselves in knots over you.” Vanasha said, smirking, while Aloy drank.
“Mm, and you'd know nothing about that, would you?” Uthid snipped, with an amused smirk.
“Oh, is that a compliment? Such flattery.”
“Get away with you.”
“It...would be nice, yes, if people focused less on...deifying me and...more on me, I guess.” Aloy admitted.
The conversation had her thinking back on all the people she'd befriended since the Proving. How many of them had just treated her as a person, rather than something more than human? Almost none of the Nora, for sure. Sona, at least, had given Aloy the luxury of being treated with the same brusqueness as all her other braves. As for Varl – Aloy had to admit that she liked how honest he could be with his emotions, but even he could be burdensome at times. Of all of them, Nakoa, despite her gratefulness for what Aloy had done, had always felt like the one who had treated her most like anyone else. There was, she supposed, a certain coincidence in how other outcasts were the ones that she was often the most comfortable with.
Other than Erend and the vanguard, Aloy hadn't met many Oseram. Petra at Free Heap always kept Aloy on her toes. She was flirtatious and forthright, but at the same time, never straightforward. Aloy got the impression that Petra liked how she could always make Aloy blush. On the other hand, much like Vanasha, Petra never made Aloy feel uncomfortable. They had their flirtatiousness in common, but they also seemed like they had enough self-awareness and self-confidence to not get wound up in seriously seeking Aloy's attentions. Aloy knew, without needing to see it, that their flirtations weren't reserved just for her. As for other Oseram, someone like Varga was different – she was open and honest about her excitement for Aloy's accomplishments, but never seemed to idolise her or make ridiculous romantic gestures. If she did harbour feelings for Aloy, she didn't make it obvious that her emotions were anything other than strong friendship. Aloy had always enjoyed spending time with Varga, and for once she hadn't begrudged the presence of another hunter.
When it came to the Carja, Talanah came to mind first as someone who didn't fall over her feet at Aloy. Maybe it was because of how they'd met. Talanah had needed someone to help accomplish her own goals, and wasn't interested at the time in getting swept up with Aloy's. Talanah had always said how grateful she was for Aloy's help, and how she would always be there for her Thrush, but it was Talanah's independence and pursuit of her own path that had meant Aloy was always excited to see her. Talanah never made a fuss of her the way people like Erend or Avad or even Vanasha sometimes did. With Talanah, she could just be herself.
“I do have friends I can be myself with.” Aloy said. “But there are others that...I would like them to not hope to be anything other than friends.”
“That is the least humble thing I've heard you say.” Vanasha replied. “I'm extremely proud of you.”
“Yes, but Aloy, try not to take too many scrolls out of her shelves.” Uthid told Aloy. “Come on, keep drinking.”
“Ok, ok.” Aloy replied, and took a bigger swig. “How many of these am I going to have to drink?”
“Three people,” Vanasha said, drawing a circle between them in the air, “three rounds, three drinks.”
Aloy groaned.
“Do you find my flirtations vexing, little huntress?”
Uthid snorted into his drink in amusement. Aloy was caught a little off-guard by the question, but she smiled in response. “I, uh...no. I can't say I do. But I can tell that they're not to be taken too seriously.” Aloy felt that Vanasha had never sought to make Aloy uncomfortable, except perhaps occasionally when they had first met, and Aloy knew that then it had just been a power play. Their conversations had also spanned many different subjects, not simply Vanasha and her opinion of Aloy. Aloy had never felt ogled in Vanasha's presence, never felt like some sort of exhibit. Teased, perhaps, but never othered.
“If only everyone had such clarity of thought.” Uthid said. “And for the record, since you mentioned it, I find your flirtations extremely vexing.”
“Mm, but you like the attention.” Vanasha said, fixing him with a mischievous look. “It is true, I just can't help myself from charming everyone around me. And you're always such a good sport, Aloy.”
Aloy laughed. “I won't ask you to stop.”
“Then I won't.” Vanasha replied. She took a swig of her drink. “Do you intend to ask Erend to stop?”
“Oh, Vanasha.” Uthid tutted. “It sounds so cruel when you say it that way.”
“I don't think Erend is...I don't think he feels that strongly that I need to make a statement on it.” Aloy replied, taken aback. “Maybe...maybe, when we killed Dervahl, I got the impression he might have acted on it. But I don't think he feels that way any more.”
“True. That would have been an emotional time for him. And when you're young, it can be difficult to differentiate between adoration and admiration.”
“You can feel both.” Uthid commented.
“Oh.” Vanasha replied, raising an eyebrow and a smirk at him. “How insightful of you.”
“What, am I supposed to be a grey-haired monk? I know these things, woman.”
“What a shame there's no one in your life for you to use this knowledge on.”
“No. Don't get any ideas. You can keep this burgeoning scheme of yours to Aloy. Drink up and get your round.”
Vanasha chuckled, finished her drink, and stood. “Now, little huntress, you need to keep up with the other players, or you'll have a hard time.”
Aloy groaned and continued drinking. She wasn't sure that they were telling the truth when they'd told her that it got better the more that you drunk – or maybe it just wasn't having enough of an effect on her just yet. As Vanasha left, she hoped that whatever the Carja woman ordered would taste roughly the same as what Uthid had ordered.
“It's hard to have a serious conversation with her around, right?” Uthid said.
Aloy chuckled, and nodded. “She has her moments.”
“With you, maybe. I'm not as easy-going.”
“But you enjoy her company?”
Uthid sighed. “Girl, no one told jokes in Sunfall. None of any worth, anyway. And I had few friends worth keeping.”
“I...think I know what that's like.”
“Do you? The loneliness of solitude is very different to the loneliness of being surrounded by people.”
“I know a little about that, yes.”
Uthid looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then his gaze softened. “Then I regret that you had to experience that so young.”
They both lapsed into silence, and Aloy took the opportunity to try and finish her drink before Vanasha got back. Uthid chuckled.
“That's the spirit.”
Aloy put down her tankard, wrinkling her nose. “Are you sure it gets better as you go on?”
“Give it some time to hit, girl.”
“And this is fun?”
“As long as you don't do it alone, like your friend in the vanguard.” Uthid said, then laughed. “You know, if I had any of Vanasha's cunning, I'd say that's what you should do. Find him a drinking companion.”
“I'm pretty sure he drinks with the vanguard.” Aloy replied.
“What else do the Oseram do with their spare time? Hit things? Flirt with roaming Nora girls?”
“You say that as a joke but...that has been my experience.”
Uthid laughed. “Straightforward people, the Oseram. You should see Marad talk to them sometime. I've never seen a group of soldiers look so uncomfortable.”
Vanasha appeared back at the table with three drinks in hand. “He has a particular affect on young Maerkurt. Sometimes I think that boy could cringe straight out of his armour.”
“Vanasha, listen to this. I had a you thought.”
“Oh?” Vanasha asked, visibly amused. “Do tell.”
“Young Erend. He has his friends in the vanguard, and his friend the Prince. But who else does he have in Meridian? No one. Aloy gets him some friends, gets him settled into the city. Give him things to do so that he doesn't have time to stare after Nora girls.”
“His job is keeping Avad safe. He doesn't have that much spare time.” Aloy pointed out.
“That's not quite a thought I would have, but it's very unlike you. I'm impressed.” Vanasha replied. “You might be onto something. The vanguard have settled into the palace, but haven't really settled into Meridian. Maybe he needs some local...friends.”
“Oh.” Uthid replied. He pointed a knowing finger at Vanasha, as she placed his drink down in front of him. “I should have known you'd be lewd about this. You want to get him laid.”
“You're always so poetic, Uthid.”
Aloy thought about it for a moment, taking her drink from Vanasha. “That's...not a bad idea.” Aloy said. “And it could work on...a few people.”
Vanasha and Uthid laughed at her honesty. “See?” Vanasha said to Uthid. “I told you she'd be fun.”
“Conspiring to get Erend laid could not be further from my idea of fun.”
“But you think it would be – good for him?” Aloy asked.
Uthid fixed her with a long-suffering stare, then huffed and took a big swig. Setting his tankard down firmly, he replied, “It's as good an idea as any, and I'm not getting dragged into it.”
Aloy shrugged. “There aren't enough Oseram in Meridian for it to work anyway.”
“Considering how sweet he's been on you,” Vanasha said, “I don't think we need to consider tribe.”
“The vanguard are for more acclimatised to Meridian than they'll admit.” Uthid agreed. “Some of them have developed a bit of a reputation for themselves among the locals.”
Aloy started on her second drink. To her relief, Vanasha had bought her the same thing as Uthid had. Maybe even a little weaker – the sweetness in the drink was a lot more pronounced and – oh. Maybe it was affecting her now.
“Wasn't his sister sweet on – no. No. I'm not involved in this.” Uthid insisted.
Vanasha pointed approvingly at Uthid. “You're right. His sister was involved with the Sun-King. Allegedly, of course.”
Aloy laughed, shaking her head. “I can't believe we're talking about this so seriously.”
“I'm just trying to make a good friend's life that little bit easier.” Vanasha replied, with a smirk.
“No, you just don't want Erend making a face every time you flirt with me.” Aloy retorted, which made Vanasha laugh out loud.
“Huh, feeling that drink now, are we?” Uthid asked.
“She has a sharper tongue than people say.” Vanasha chuckled.
“Speaking of Avad,” Aloy said, “When we saved him from Dervahl, he, um....I'm not sure what he was trying to do, to be honest. But he essentially propositioned me.”
“You could tell me the Sun himself had propositioned you, Aloy, and I'd probably believe it.” Uthid said.
“Yeah, I-” Aloy began to comment on the needless gendering of the Sun, and then decided it wasn't worth pursuing. “Anyway. I don't think he's serious about it any more either. I think...I think he was just feeling too many emotions to process correctly. But I still think about it when I see him. At the end of the day, I would just like to be able to see my friends in Meridian without it playing in the back of my mind that there's something going unaddressed on their end.”
“And you are talking to precisely the right person to get this moving.” Vanasha replied. “However, getting a Sun-King involved is a whole other affair. He receives marriage propositions as often as he receives assassination attempts. But it is me you're talking to.”
“After such an assault, a Sun-King's marriage would rally the people.” Uthid commented.
“Oh, I, uh, don't think it needs to be that drastic.” Aloy said.
“Mm, yes, a consort would probably do.” Vanasha agreed.
“A....consort?”
“A consort. You know, companion to the King?” Uthid replied.
“Is that different from a normal relationship somehow?”
“The Sun-King's wife needs to be as much a political power as he is, and therefore she is normally married to him for political reasons, rather than affectionate ones. Both parties then usually take lovers.” Vanasha explained.
“That's...bizarre.” Aloy responded.
“No it's not.” Uthid said.
“Yes it-”
“It's besides the point.” Vanasha retorted. “If we're going to find the Sun-King a lover soon, you're not going to undo generations of tradition to do it.”
Uthid took a long swig of his drink rather than continue the argument. “Hurry up, Aloy.”
Aloy groaned. Slowly, she got to work on getting through the second drink.
“I think this sounds like a lot of fun.” Vanasha said. “I have to admit, I've been bored. Not a lot of people have been scheming against the Sunburst Throne these days, and the remnants of the Shadow Carja are very quiet. A little mischief to help a friend would be exactly the kind of thing to keep me occupied in these peaceful times.”
“And what would you expect me to do?” Aloy asked, between mouthfuls.
“Well, at present, it's hard to say.” Vanasha replied. “As with any operations like these, we must always start by gathering information. From their interest in you we can surmise that 'independent women who are strong in every way' is...within their interests.”
Uthid snorted.
“I certainly can't fault them for that. But is that usually within their interests? How often do they encounter a person who meets that description? Are they usually interested in women? Are they usually interested in someone less authoritative than themselves?”
“Ok. I still can't believe we're talking about this seriously.” Aloy replied.
“...but?” Vanasha asked, pointedly.
Aloy stared at Vanasha, then put her drink down. The world was definitely a little mellower now. Colours seemed simultaneously a little warmer, and a little less defined. She found she was having to focus a little bit on the mouths of her companions, because if she didn't, she would struggle to hear them correctly. “But...yes, it would solve my problem.”
“Good!”
“I'm still not getting involved, but Erend definitely needs someone who can take charge.” Uthid commented.
“Yeah, I don't think I want to have that conversation.” Aloy quickly replied.
Vanasha laughed. “Aloy, give me your shards. I'll order for you.”
Aloy dug in her pouch for the required shards, counted them – carefully, because counting them was somehow unusually difficult - and then held them up in a closed fist. “Just – promise me you're not going to make me...gather information. Or something.”
“Aloy, you know that's my speciality.” Vanasha replied. “Don't worry. I'm close enough to the Sun-King's sphere that I know where and when to ask. And Uthid can go drinking with the vanguard.”
Uthid waved a hand in protest. “Absolutely not. There is-”
“Don't you want to help the saviour of Meridian? Don't you want to help improve Oseram-Carja relations?”
“Ugh. You're a thorn in my side, woman.”
“So you say.” Vanasha countered, smirking. She held out her hand for Aloy's shards. “But, people are given to telling you things, Aloy, so try and think like me if they start telling you anything I can use.”
“I could never have your expertise.” Aloy replied.
“No, you couldn't, but you are exceedingly intelligent, and are naturally easy to talk to.”
Aloy laughed. “Flattery gets you everywhere, doesn't it?”
Vanasha smiled. “So you'll see, Little Huntress. Now, try and finish your drink before I return. We're playing against an expert, you see.”
Uthid rolled his eyes as Vanasha walked away. “Very clever. Aloy,” he said, holding out his tankard. “here's to a future where we don't get roped into Vanasha's ridiculous schemes.”
“They're not so bad.” Aloy said.
Uthid shook his head. “Fine. Here's to a future where I don't get roped into them.”
Aloy smiled, and clanked her tankard against his.