On A World Called Horizon

Two Strangers, So alike

The snow crunches under Rey's heavy boots, and she finds it and the slight nip in the air refreshing. The cold night it promises, however, has less appeal for her. Her garb keeps the worst of the cold out for now, at least, and Aloy seems to know where she's going.

The huntress glances back at her occasionally as they head up the slope. Her bow hasn't left her hand once in the hour they've been on the move.

Rey finds she's comparing herself against Aloy on a lot of levels. They look quite different, true – Aloy's skin is pale and her hair is fire, piled up atop her head or trailing behind in an appealing chaos of strands and braids. Her eyes are sharp, little shards of emerald and oh, right now they're suddenly fixed on Rey.

Caught peeping, Rey tries to find something about her to be innocently interested in. That triangle of metal clipped onto one ear?

That'll do. She points, trying to ignore the mild suspicion she feels from the redhead. "Is that decorative?"

"Oh this?" Aloy taps a finger against it, and Rey realises there's a line of blue light running along it. "It's called a Focus. And no, it's much more than decorative. Helps me read machines, hear ancient voices... I have to remind myself that it's not really normal."

Rey raises an eyebrow just a little. "I've got something similar, as it happens."

"Your... gift?" Aloy seems to realise she's slowed, letting Rey catch her up, and pulls herself back from asking. She turns away from Rey so they're just walking side by side. "Tell me about it once we've got a fire going."
Her curt surface is a little tricky to get a handle on, but thanks to Luke Skywalker, Rey has some practice there. "About that. Why are we going uphill?"

"There's a cave up that hill, to the left there."

The sharp eyes, green as glass, flick back to her "You're looking at me again."

"Sorry." Rey struggles not to. Because while this woman looks different to her, they both move in a way that's surprisingly alike. It's a strange mix of physical assurance and a... wariness. Aloy's got a warrior's poise, but there's something vulnerable under the hard surface. "It's just, you're... kind of striking. Even to someone from offworld."

Someone, she thinks, who's seen things Aloy might have never dreamed of. This world's sentients appear to be all human. Aloy's never seen a Mon Calimari, Twi'lek or Neimodian. She has no frame of reference for species whom most of the Galaxy think of as totally normal. She's missing out on so much, and Rey realises she'd like to show her.

Aloy's thoughts are more down to earth, however. "Funny, if you are from the stars. The way you'd move, I'd have said you were a huntress too." So she sees it too. Somehow, to Rey, that's gratifying.

She's also noted they've got similar scars, just above the brow.

"Well," she replies, "I guess we're actually quite alike. In a few ways... not least that we're not great with people."

Aloy smiles. "I have an excuse. Grew up with people thinking I was even human. Not many would even have spoken to me."

"I see that, and raise you my parents selling me for booze." "Booze?"

"Alcohol."

Aloy's eyes widen. "Seriously? That's dreadful."

"Well, they did it to keep me safe, but their way of doing it was to sell me to a man with a face like a squashed arse who made me search... does wrecks mean anything to you?" Aloy shakes her head. "OK, made me search ruins for a living. Ruined... star... vessels. You know?"

Aloy nods and she continues. "I'd find bits of gear, strip them out and hope they'd buy me enough food."

"Well, you seem pretty smart for the daughter of morons," Aloy says airily. Then she winces. "Crap, I'm so sorry-"