The Park, Sunday Morning

[not_of_the_nora]

Yes, Aloy knew she didn't need to hunt to get by in this place. But not doing so made her restless, made her worry that with every minute on this island she was losing more of her edge.

So she spent her morning in the wooded area, hunting rabbits. Mostly for sport, choosing to startle instead of kill, but in the end she'd taken just one as a breakfast reward. She'd skinned it before leaving for the park.

Upon arrival to the park, she'd got a small fire going in a sandy area. She was sitting by that fire now, pushing pieces of rabbit meat onto sticks. Pushing sticks into the ground to hold those rabbit skewers when she was done with them.

She always thought about Rost when she did this. So she was smiling.

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[in_sidon_we_trust]

True to his intention of getting the most out of autumn before it went tumbling into the cold winter, Sidon was out and about, naturally drawn toward the park with its pond and its ducks and those flamingos, and, apparently, today, small fires in sandy areas for roasting rabbits.

He smiled when he saw who was there. "Good morning, Aloy! How are you today? Am I correct in assuming you've perhaps been doing a bit of hunting?"

A small bit, it seemed, of course, but it did make Sidon feel slightly better about all the local fish he caught to see someone else taking similar advantage of what he assumed was a recent catch by the looks of it.

[not_of_the_nora]

"I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Sunday," Aloy freely admitted. She waved at him. "There's still some left, if you want."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"I believe I can think of a few better ways for myself," Sidon admitted with a grin, "but I've thankfully already pursued at least one of them."

Morning swims were the best. Rivaled only by evening swims! Or perhaps afternoon swims might give them a good run for their money, and let no one discount the benefit and pleasure of a lunchtime jaunt, or perhaps in the cool dead of night....

...so, swimming, yes. He moved over closer, electing to sit nearby, though not too close too the fire, as it made conversations much easier when one was not positively looming over the other.

"What is it, if I may ask?" It certainly didn't smell like anything he'd prefer, but Sidon was hardly one to let that hold him back from at least trying it.

[not_of_the_nora]

"Rabbit," Aloy supplied. "I would've tried for deer, but we've only got so many of those on the island, and it seems wasteful to hunt one just for me. So... rabbits it is."

She pointed at the neatly-cleaned pelt on the other side of the fire, where it laid drying.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon's eyes followed the point curiously and gave a little nod, recognizing the name as one they had in Hyrule as well, though he might not have guessed that was what it had been on the deconstructed evidence of the pelt and the meat.

"I don't think I've tried rabbit before," he admitted, "though perhaps I shall, if you're offering, though I don't suspect it will likely make it into a my typical rotation of sustenance. I do like to at least try new things, though."

[not_of_the_nora]

"It's hard to get around here unless you're hunting for it yourself, anyway," Aloy said, reaching to grab one of her makeshift skewers. She offered it to Sidon.

"Though the rabbits here are fat and lazy."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Much like the fish around here when I first arrived," Sidon grinned, nodding his appreciation as he took one of the skewers. "I'm pleased to say that I believe now they've grown far more adapted to having such a fierce predator in the waters again; it makes things far more exciting for me, I must say! And thank you, Aloy, for sharing your bounty with me this morning; I shall have to spare a fish or two for you to thank you, the next time I go."

And with that, he carefully pinched a cute of the meat between the claw of his thumb and his forefinger to slide it off the skewer and pop it into his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully, considering it. Not the worst thing in the world, no, but hardly as appealing to his palete as anything from the sea. Still, it wasn't bad; he could see himself being quite content with rabbit if necessary, though probably not in any significant quantity.

[not_of_the_nora]

Aloy watched him for a moment, mulling over a few questions and whether they would be rude. Not that she particularly cared if they were, mind you, but it was a useful data point to have while she had the time.

"I take it you're not talking about sitting on the shore with a fishing rod," she said.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Even if perhaps some other Zora (more than likely those sensitive, crankly old Elders!) might have taken some offense to the comment, Sidon clearly didn't. He laughed heartily, with a grin to match. "Certainly not," he confirmed cheerfully. "Though I do sometimes bring a net or a line in case the sea is particularly generous."

[not_of_the_nora]

"So is that how you live at home?" Aloy said. "Swimming around, eating what you catch?"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"And sharing it with each other," Sidon confirmed with a nod and the faint, wistful smile of one who simply could not help missing his home a little whenever he spoke of it. "We're a communal race, for the most part, so we take turns, but since most of us enjoy it so much, there is never a lack of food at our disposal."

[not_of_the_nora]

"Do you live in the water?" Aloy asked, plucking another piece of rabbit meat off a skewer. "Or alongside it?"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Zora's Domain itself is elevated above the water," Sidon explained, beaming for the opportunity to talk about his home, gesturing eagerly with his hands to help with the description, "but it's designed in a unique way that allows for the to be water running through it at all times, though just a little, so there's no where that's really dry, exactly, save for a few spots intended for the comfort of visitors that might not be so keen on being so consistently wet all the time. It's nestled in a mountain with a great scattering of ponds and lakes, rivers and waterfalls, too, so while we do not spend all our time necessarily in the water, it is never, never far away."

[not_of_the_nora]

"It sounds... pretty," Aloy offered, processing the idea thoughtfully. "If a little moist."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"I think that's a perfect description!" Sidon laughed happily. "Excellently observed, Aloy! Pretty is just the beginning of it, though. The Domain was carved ten thousand years ago from the very ore found within the mountain itself, so, essentially, as someone once pointed out to me, we basically live in art!"

He positively adored that description, and so he was shamelessly stealing it and using it, though he liked to think the person who coined the phrase wouldn't mind too terribly.

"...but moist."

He flashed a grin at the addendum before happily attending to the next bit of meat on the skewer, tilting his head slightly. "Is there much water where you're from?"

[not_of_the_nora]

"I was raised in a valley called All-Mother's Embrace," Aloy said. "There's a small river running through it. But nothing like what we have here on the island, let alone what you're talking about."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon's grin took an unabashedly proud tilt. "I very much like to think that there's nothing like what Zora's Domain has to offer anywhere," he admitted, "and tales from those I've talk to from far and wide seem to do a good job of confirming that. All-Morther's Embrace sounds lovely, as well. What an exceptional name. Quite obviously, I have no way of knowing if it's an accurate response, but it immediately brings to mind feelings of...comfort. Of pleasantness. Of warmth."

[not_of_the_nora]

Aloy shrugged.

"They call it that because it holds All-Mother," she said. "It means more to the Nora. And Rost."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon's head tilted, his frown more thoughtful than anything else. "So is All-Mother a thing?" he asked. "Or is it something different?"

[not_of_the_nora]

"It's a mountain," Aloy said flatly. "And a goddess, if you ask some."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Ah!" The revelation of this detail made Sidon grin; mountains he could certainly understand! As well as goddesses and their ties to the landscape and the world around them. "I see! Yes, that makes sense, then, that's a good name for a mountain, as well. Though, and pardon me if it's rude to ask, but the way you said some leads me to believe that you do not believe that it is also a goddess?"

[not_of_the_nora]

Aloy shrugged. "My mentor believes it," she said. "All the matriarchs believe it. But all my two eyes can see is a pile of rock that they're using to tell people how to live."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon offered Aloy a bit of a sympathetic smile at that. "Sometimes," he mused, "it can be difficult to see something as more than what it appears, especially when we've no reason to believe otherwise. Are there any particularly good stories about All-Mother?"

He did love stories, and religions and goddesses seemed excellent foundations for good ones, too.

[not_of_the_nora]

"I'm sure there are," Aloy said. She was shooting for light, but didn't quite get there. "But my mentor isn't exactly known for talking, and I'm an outcast to the other Nora."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Oh."

To his credit, Sidon did try not to seem disappointed with that answer, but, unfortunately, he wasn't very good at attempting those sorts of things.

"I see. Well, that's a shame. I rather like hearing stories about other people's worlds; after all, we all come from such different places, it would seem like such a missed opportunity to not learn as much as we can from each other. I've heard about so many other fascinating places already. Is there perhaps...some other stories you do have to share, even if they're not particularly about All-Mother? Perhaps something about yourself, something that had happened to you specifically?"

[not_of_the_nora]

"I don't really have anything exciting to tell you," Aloy said wryly. "I was born, the Nora cast me out, I've spent the past years training to be part of the Proving. That's it."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"You might be surprised!" Sidon goaded, lightly, with an apologetic lilt to his smile. He was trying to be better about not being so...so very much when he talked to people, but it was terribly hard, especially in moments like that. He'd hate to seem pushy, but he was just so genuinely interested and intrigued. "Something that seems very dull and commonplace to one person might wind up being terribly thrilling for someone else, especially someone not as familiar. Take this Proving, for example. I assume that is some sort of test, but it could be something different. I haven't the faintest idea, because it is something new! It's hard not to find new things exciting."