Chapter Text
Group: Base Crew
Erend: so lemme get this straight
Erend: you WILLINGLY let sylens put you into that……. contraption of his
Alva: Yes…
Erend: and then it… swapped your brains??
Alva: It’s a little more complicated than that, but, yes. Basically.
Erend: and he doesn’t know how to put you back to rights
Kotallo: Not at this time.
Alva: But he is working on it! He said something about it being unnerving…
Erend: i mean. yeah. because it is
Erend: hey, @Sylens?
Sylens: What.
Erend: what the fuck, man?
———
Alva > Kotallo
Alva: Hey, so um
Alva: Question.
Kotallo: Shoot.
Alva: And please tell me if this is, er, insensitive
Alva: But I can’t help but wonder, um
Kotallo: Speak your mind, Alva.
Alva: 😬
Alva: What’s it like having two flesh and blood arms again?
Kotallo is typing…
Kotallo has stopped typing.
Kotallo is typing…
Alva: PLease don’t feel like you have to answer that!!
Alva: It’s just that I’ve been trying to get used to, uh, not having two, all of a sudden. Which obviously you had to deal with in a far more traumatic manner, so I’m not trying to invoke pity or sympathy, it’s just weird and I was wondering if…
Kotallo has stopped typing.
Alva: Aaaand I’m just going to… shut up now
Kotallo is typing…
Kotallo: It has been an adjustment. Not only do I have two limbs again, but they are not even mine. I am not used to the way they feel, or the way the muscles work. Although this body has the “muscle memory” of your movements, I find that I keep trying to override it, in a manner of speaking. I move as this body wants to, but as soon as I start to think about it, I find myself becoming uncoordinated. It is very strange.
Kotallo: Apologies that this took so long to write. It was a challenge to articulate the feeling in words.
Alva: No no, you’re good! I just felt like I was going to have to put my foot in my mouth if I kept going
Alva: Thanks for sharing!
Alva: And that makes sense. About the coordination, I mean. You’re not freakishly tall or anything, but you’re taller than me and I’ve almost bumped my head a few times already
Alva: I promise to keep your body in relatively good condition for when Sylens swaps us back!!
Kotallo: Hm, I had not considered that aspect of this situation.
Kotallo: Perhaps I will train in a less hostile environment today.
Alva: …
Alva: So where are you, exactly? Just out of curiosity?
Kotallo: At the summit, catching my breath from the climb.
Kotallo: A climb I should not have attempted while I do not yet have mastery over my movements.
Kotallo: It would be unwise to engage the Sunwings while in this state.
Kotallo: You have my sincerest apologies.
Alva: Oh, it’s fine! It’s just, um
Alva: I’m not used to that kind of movement so you’re gonna be, like, REALLY sore later
Alva: 😬
Kotallo: Indeed. I am hoping to have this body in optimal climbing condition by the time it is returned to you.
Alva: You can say I’m a little out of shape, it’s fine
Alva: I appreciate the “climbing” caveat, though. Never been much need of climbing mountains in the Great Delta or on a boat, ha ha
Kotallo: Everyone has their own strengths, and that is fine. I will descend now, rather than take on these machines.
Alva: Yeah, you might need some more practice if you want to go at them like you usually do
Alva: I’m more of a “help from afar” person myself
Alva: See you soon!
———
Group: Base Crew
Aloy has rejoined the network.
Beta has rejoined the network.
Erend: ayyyyy welcome back!! how was the cut
Aloy: cold!
Aloy: and we’re still here
Aloy: Beta and I managed to repurpose those towers HEPHAESTUS used, like we were hoping we would, and we just got them talking to the Tallneck
Aloy: finally
Beta: with minerva back in place, gaia should have had the ability to connect to the network here, but I was right. heph managed to block her ability somehow when it first took further control over the cauldrons around here.
Aloy: but we managed to sort it out 🏹
Beta: 😌 we sure did.
Erend: sounds like you two are havin all the fun out there
Aloy: are things boring up in the claim?
Erend: only when the ealdormen won’t shut their flaps
Erend: which is most of the time
Erend: but having the showmen on board has been a boon
Erend: that stemmur, I tell ya. he really knows how to sway an audience. we took a scroll out of @Zo’s library and stirred up the people against the ealdormen like she did with the chorus
Aloy: good work, Erend. I’m proud
Zo: As am I. I knew you had it in you. 🍃
Erend: ⚒️ shucks, guys. ur making me emotional
———
Group: Base Crew
Aloy: as requested, an update: we’re in the sacred lands now
Aloy: @Zo, Sona says hello and is asking after you and Vala
Aloy: I think I even saw a warm emotion on her face for a brief second
Zo: Thank you, Aloy. I appreciate that.
Beta: she’s scary. I can see what varl meant when he told me about her.
Zo: Varl told you about his mother?
Beta: only a little. when I told him I felt that aloy always compared me to elisabet and found me wanting.
>>Reactions: 🙇♀️(1)
Beta: he said he understood the feeling, except he had the pressure of living up to his mother’s deeds and to be a good role model for his sister.
Beta: and that it was difficult to figure out if he was doing a good job.
Beta: that’s all he said, though.
Beta: sorry. :(
Zo: I see. Thank you for sharing, Beta. I know you don’t find it easy to talk about your earlier time with us, but I’m always happy to learn more about Varl so I can tell Vala about her father when she’s older.
>>Reactions: [heart_eyes_crying.emoji](3)
Beta is typing…
Beta has stopped typing.
Beta is typing…
Beta: thanks. i’m trying my best.
Alva: And we appreciate you for it!
Beta: :)
Alva: :)
Beta: you’ve been kinda quiet, alva. how did sylens’ experiment go?
Alva: Wait. You knew about that?
Beta: yes, he consulted me about his plans. i told him he might need a bit more time to refine the design before testing it, but i assumed (correctly, apparently) that he would go ahead with it anyway.
Alva: Well! I think he got SOME data he can use…
Beta: …but…?
Alva: There were some. Side effects?
Kotallo: That is an understatement.
Aloy: [suspicious.emoji]
Aloy: what *kind* of side effects
Kotallo: Alva will be able to explain it better than I can.
Alva: Or better yet, the man himself! @Sylens
Sylens: Busy.
>>Reactions: 🙄(1)
Sylens has set his status to Do Not Disturb
Aloy: 🙄
Aloy: typical
Alva: Dang. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to… 😬
Aloy: what kind of side effects? good? bad?
Beta: you’re still talking to us, so it can’t be that bad. right?
Alva: Um. I mean, it’s more, um. Weird? Than anything?
Erend: alva and kotallo switched brains
Aloy: …
Aloy: what.
Alva: Okay, more like our consciousnesses were switched between our brains.
Aloy: WHAT.
Alva: Sylens is working on fixing it though!!
Kotallo: I do not understand the science myself. It is hard to believe such a thing is possible, and yet, I find myself looking at my own body through another pair of eyes.
Kotallo: It is surreal.
Alva: You can say THAT again
Kotallo: I do not need to. You can simply read the words. They are right there.
Alva: It’s just an expression, I’m just saying that…
Alva: Oh, you’re
Alva: Joking
Kotallo: Good divining.
>>Reactions: [sighing.emoji](1)
Alva: But for real, it really is super bizarre
Beta: ummmmm. @Sylens
Beta: i thought you wanted to test for brainwave patterns??
Beta: are you experimenting with consciousness transfers???
Beta: after what we learned about nemesis???
Beta: are you insane??
Sylens: I do not have time for this.
Sylens has left the Group.