CHILD OF THE NEW WORLD

Isaac, son of Jacob Seed and Sara Van Aller. written by carminaxrye and only-we

[sonofedensgate]

carminaxrye​:

“No it’s not different - the same risks exist here in Hope County as out there.” There were enemies dotted around every corner. More chapters of the Highwaymen, other groups of scavengers, other ruthless sects - the world was fractured at every juncture, not just here in their little corner of Montana.

“You make it sound like I’m out there on my own Isaac, you know that’s not how we operate. I’m part of a team and there’s safety in that team.” A team that composed of people from Prosperity and folks from Seattle; they worked together and split the haul of the expeditions between their settlements.

 “My mother has a voice of her own, she doesn’t need you to tell me how she feels.” Where the hell had all of this come from? And just when she took a breath to ask him that, Carmina was struck for words; a lunatic? Was that really what he thought about her friends and the work she did? “I don’t bad-mouth your allies or friends. I trust Thomas and he is family to me.”

"That's not true.", he immediately argued back. So quick that he hesitated for a moment after that. he didn't want to argue with her. Not again. Not about this... it was always the same. So instead Isaac took a deep breath, pacing a few steps and then finally forcing himself to sit down, rubbing his temples.

How could she make her understand?

Well, that was hard... because Isaac wasn't entirely sure what he was so mad about himself. Of course he had reasons, plenty. But why couldn't Carmina see them, too? Why did this even require an explanation.

"How can you trust those people? They are outsiders. They don't care for this land... only if they could take it as their own. They bring bad luck, I tell you. They did all those years ago. They still do. Sometimes I wonder, whether 'locusts' wouldn't have suited their group way better... I mean. Come on. What do you do on those missions? Huh? Tell me. You steal resources, don’t you? They just use a different word for it..."

[danaduchy]

[sonofedensgate]

@carminaxrye

[sonofedensgate]

@carminaxrye​ | X

What Isaac had seen and experienced in the past week alone had burst a lot of mental lines for him. Starting from begrudgedly accepting and finally joining one of Carmina's beloved missions. On short-notice. The other team-members hadn't been too thrilled. But Rush had agreed - under the terms that he trusted Carmina's judgement.

Isaac still thought this man was insanely naive, even if in this case it was for his own benefit.

At least like this Isaac got the chance to see more of what Carmina was so obsessed about. And by God, she had shown him a lot. And so excited. Isaac had been distanced at first, but seeing and hearing her speak and explain with such excitement... it had reminded him of their very first secret meetings in the woods around Hope County. When they had been just kids sharing their worlds.

And it had softened his glare.

Flying in a helicopter - he would never get used to that, he knew right away. But the insanity didn't stop when they came to the location of the mission. Some strange ruins and rusting metal structures, that Isaac couldn't understand the purpose of.

But it didn't matter. The circumstances could change, the mission was clear though. And Isaac sure as hell wouldn't be the reason this could go bad.

Because this all was dangerous.

Proof quickly came in the situation they were in now. Cornered in a tunnel. Strange scavengers coming from either side. Isaac tried estimating their numbers by flashlights and voices. But it was hard to tell in the darkness. He had considered an attack... but Carmina had a different plan.

And... he had to trust her here. So he only nodded. And then waited.

The voices came closer, steps could be heard. The light danced over the old and damp tunnel walls across from them. A few more moments. Just a bit.

But then light illuminated Isaac's silhouette against Carmina. Flashes dashing across her face. And there was a stutter in one of the scavenger's voices.

They had been spotted.

Turning around, Isaac instantly drew his knife, while he tried to escape the flashlight's bright circles. He could hide in the darkness well enough. He just didn't know where Carmina wanted to go. And how the scavengers would react.

The loud bang of a gun going off should be answer enough, though.

[sonofedensgate]

in-rush-we-trust​:

There it was. An open wound that tortured this boy. And it had been a pretty obvious one. What had he said? His mother had been killed in the attack. That must have been horrible. That whole attack had been horrific. And there was nothing else one could claim about that. The Highwaymen had been merciless… and it had been completely senseless.

Eden had been betrayed by Ethan. Though the rare few times Thomas had heard about that man, it had been… worrying things.

Keeping his eyes on the young Edener, Thomas was acutely aware that the mood could flip within a splitsecond. This was quite the delicate conversation now.

“People don’t tend to betray me.”, he answered simply. It hadn’t happened, at least not on this scale. Sometimes people were dissatisfied, but rarely had that ever led to aggression. And if that had happened, Rush had met it with an open discussion. he wasn’t without fault, he knew. But so far he had not given anyone reason to truly betray him. And he hoped he never would.

“But if that ever happened… exile, isolation and abandonment are way worse than death could ever be.”

He scoffed at Rush’s words. “Everyone is betrayed in their lives.” It was a cruel reality, but true. Isaac had seen it throughout his life when one fellow Edener killed another in the bunker. He had been much younger then, the memories hazy and unclear due to clinging to his mother at the time ... but murder was murder.

A life was a life, and his father had cast the man out of the bunker. There was no room in Eden for the likes of betrayal. Uncle Joseph had betrayed them all and turned his back on them, only for Ethan to bring the Locusts through their gates himself. “What changes is how people react to that betrayal.”

“Isolation and abandonment are apt punishments, but not for a person who betrays his own family.” Isaac bit his tongue at that, beginning to slowly walk around Thomas Rush again. He was becoming distracted; Ethan was dead and that chapter of life was finished with. Back on-track; stop this man from coming back to Hope County and summoning Carmina away. “Tell me, Thomas Rush, what is it you do now? Why do you return here year after year? This is not your home.”

[sonofedensgate]

carminaxrye​:

At first she thought this was a joke and he would turn around with a big goofy smile on his face, completely entertained that he had fooled her. But when Isaac did turn around to look at her, there was no humour at all.

Running her fingers over the edges of her journal, Carmina slowly stood and shook her head. “You don’t need to go on all those Chosen hunts and trials, but you do.”

“You think I don’t feel the same worry every time you head up North?” She put the journal down on one of the shelves with the other trinkets and collections of mementos. “I take the risk because it means I can help new people and learn new things that can help folk here … isn’t that worth some adventure and risk?”

"That's different.", Isaac was quick to claim that. Because to him these two things could not be compared.

"I do my duties... here. Within Hope County. I am always here. So even if something happened to me, you would know. Everyone would know. And I could be saved, because we both have our settlements here, our families. That is what safety is."

Why wouldn't she understand that... she was completely wrapped by this concept of learning and adventure and exploring. Rush really had sold that well to her.

"But your folks need you here. Not out there chasing after some lunatic, who doesn't understand how a real family works."

[sonofedensgate]

in-rush-we-trust​:

Well… he had offered. And Thomas wouldn’t pull that offer back. His hand dropped regardless.

This boy was way too deep in his head. What years of being beaten down by some made-up laws could do… rules were important for any settlement. But Thomas had a feeling that New Eden was building its own powder keg.

Had there ever been a story of a cult that ended well?

No. Not as far as he could remember.

Neither before the bombs, and sure as hell not afterwards. They always self-sabotaged at one point. Like this man was doing.

“Of course you won’t.”, he replied calmly, “I understand that you can’t simply leave, if your duties are that big. But the offer stands. If you want to join and expand your knowledge, you are welcome to do so. Carmina likes you and thinks you trustworthy - and I trust her judgement in people. Even though your settlement had a lot of folks I wouldn’t want to cross.”

That was an honest opinion. There were quite a few… special people among the Edeners.

“You remind me of one of their leaders… and a bit of Ethan, that poor soul.”

“You do not mention me and that traitor in the same sentence!” Isaac all but roared the order at Thomas Rush and he immediately regretted it when birds flew from the nearby trees.

Rookie error. He had let his temper get the better of him and that could be dangerous - giving away his location and alerting anyone in the vicinity that he was there. Stupid move. He took a step back away from Rush, using the physical space to make his brain take a mental step back. This man talked about Ethan as if he was to be pitied. “He betrayed his family, caused us so much death.”

“You should not pity him. He earned his own fate.” Those words were quieter, almost a tone he would use with Carmina. And somewhere in that moment was a glimpse at the lost youngster he’d been stumbling through the burning New Eden because the reality of what his cousin had done still confused and angered Isaac. “Tell me, great Thomas Rush, what do you sanction an acceptable punishment to one of your closest betrayed you?”

[sonofedensgate]

@carminaxrye​ | X

He was so tired of this. Once he had loved every story she had told him. Once he had begged her for more and more. Even when she had started her first missions, he had been curious. But after she had set out for months... well. Now he hated this.

Why did she have to find this as her new livelihood?

Even after all these years... it only got worse.

And her promise sounded empty to him. Sighing and running a hand over his face, Isaac turned around halfway to the door.

"... and what if one day you don't? You don’t need to go on those missions... why take the risk? What if one day something goes wrong out there?"

[sonofedensgate]

in-rush-we-trust​:

Kid was filled up to the brim with his religious rules and outdated laws. It was a pity, really. Back then Thomas had been fascinated with the way the Edeners fought. Relentless and without fear - but they had been filled up to the gills with some drug. These apples of Eden, as they called them.

And who knew what radiation-damage they had done to this boy’s brain, but Rush could hardly judge that.

He could see through the words of this guy, though. And it tickled a small smile from him.

“… you don’t want her to leave here because you cling to her.”

There were a few things that made young men stupid. Most of them were bad, but some just were genuine. Like friendship. Love. Was that what was riling this guy up so much? Carmina had told Rush about her secret friendship with this young Eden boy. And who knew what could have grown out of that? Was Carmina even aware of it?

Poor kid.

Shaking his head a little, Thomas decided that he surely wouldn’t fault a young man for that. And that he would always give out chances. Only that would allow them to grow.

So he held a hand out, offered it to the young man, as he nodded over his shoulder.

“You can come with me - I will show you the next mission she has taken interest in. We could use more numbers in that anyway. You get to come with us, see a bit of this outside you know nothing of - and return here with her. Richer in experience and time with her. How about that?”

He didn’t cling to Carmina. If anything the pull between them was equal. They had spent months and years with little to no contact after this man and his people had brought ruin to the county and to New Eden. His people had needed him then and he had had to grown up fast after his mother was murdered.

But still they had ended up drawn to each other, despite it all. Not that that was any of this outsider’s business.

Perhaps that was why Thomas Rush’s offer surprised Isaac enough to halt him in his tracks as he slowly walked a circle around the man. He knew his expression showed that shock so he rushed to mask it; do not let these failure of a leader see the surprise. So he instead mustered the dirtiest look he could conjure and directed at this offered hand. “I go with you?”

A scoff and laugh and Isaac truly felt like this was a trap. How had he wondered when Carmina showed him her newest sketches of the world beyond. Listened to her tales of what the sea sounded like, or a rolling thunderstorm. No. He was a Chosen and he had his duties. This was nothing more than a test. A trial of his loyalty? “I have responsibilities to my people. I hunt, I fight for them. They look to me to protect them and I will not let them down. I won’t be distracted by you like Carmina is.”

[sonofedensgate]

in-rush-we-trust​:

Thomas had the instinct to fall half a step back - but he didn’t. He knew not to show any little bit of intimidation. Especially not towards some hot-headed young man like this. This Edener was a giant, really. Thomas wasn’t tall on a good day, but that one could tower, if he wanted to…. somehow that reminded him of someone…

Rush was already wrecking his mind for what Carmina had told him all those years ago. And still was telling him. She talked so much - because she loved this world and its experiences. It was a beautiful thing. She would one day be a great leader due to her unafraid curiosity.

Leaning forward a bit, Thomas returned the glare he was given.

“What are you on about? Carmina is her own person. I offer missions to people, who are capable and motivated to do them. And she wants to learn and explore. People like her are who will build the future - you, though? You could learn from her first. Eden is a religious cult that walled itself off to every outside influence. You can’t grow like this. But you need to. Believe me, boy, you’d be better off joining us on some missions outside of this valley.”

He didn’t understand this at all! And that just served to stoke Isaac’s frustration and anger. This puny man was the sole reason no one ever stayed in his life.

His mother had been killed because of the trouble Rush had brought to Hope County. Ethan had been swayed to the side of the Locusts because of Rush, betrayed them and caused so many people to slaughtered. And his uncle Joseph had never come back from the North because of the Captain this man commanded.

And now Carmina too.

“New Eden is strong and survived much more than the likes of you will ever know.” That comment came out in a growl and he did nothing to mask the contempt in his tone. Eden was the strongest settlement in this area because they had a strong leader. His father would not allow their people to be led astray as Uncle Joseph and Ethan had done in the past ... their people had suffered too much already.

“She could build a future here. Here is all that matters!” Because Hope County was Eden itself, it was the one place he knew that you could graze cattle on grass plains, but yet hunt for a meat-rich diet in the forests, whilst growing crops on remaining land. It was enviable; that was the Highwaymen and this Rush disappointment had wanted to come here and settle the land. Their land. Taking another step closer, Isaac was struck by how normal this man was. He didn’t have the same leader quality that his father possessed. There was no reason to fear or respect this outsider.

“But you keep filling her head with out there. She doesn’t need to leave, she has everything she needs here. But she likes to help people and you keep taking her away ... don’t you get it? She has everything she needs here!” Because here was safe and he could protect her. Maybe some day there might even be an answer for them to stop hiding their meetings and be honest. He was strong and a good leader, as was Carmina. It made sense for them to build their own future ... but not if she kept running off with these sinners. Not if Rush kept taking her away from him.

[sonofedensgate]

in-rush-we-trust​:

What the fuck was wrong with this one…

Thomas had already learned back then to not question the New Edener’s behaviour too much. They live din their own world. But he really did not like this one just towering over him and looking at him as if he was dirt.

And of course the best part came last.

He did not want to be ‘the great’. He had never wanted to be some kind of idol. It had happened, yes. And it had brought the downfall of it all and now people sometimes associated his name to failure.

He wouldn’t run from the shame. But he wouldn’t stand for something that wasn’t his fault either.

His eyes threw the young man a warning glare.

“Listen, I regret what happened. But I am not the Highwaymen. What happened to New Eden is on their shoulders - and on part of New Eden’s.”

After all there had been traitors among them. The Captain had even tried to salvage and help during the Higwhaymen-attack. Carmina, too.

His eyes narrowed at the mention of those people. Carmina wasn’t dead… what kind of list was this… It took Rush a few more moments to begin and puzzle the memories together. Carmina had told him that in secret. Poor young lady had been absolutely worried about this, even though you should never feel guilty for friendship. Especially one that bridged settlements.

“…. you’re the New Eden kid Carmina befriended. What happened?”

Isaac bristled when this sinner blamed New Eden for what had happened. “You, your train and people brought war to this county. You thought it would be fine to just bring in your people and re-settle our lands?”

His lips pulled back into a snarl and Isaac stood closer, glowering down at this would-be hero. He was puny and greying; nothing like his mental picture at all. Easy to kill and remove from this world. But the cons outweighed the pros of that.

Taking a measured step back to look him up and down again, Isaac’s hands gestured at Rush. “You, sinner. You’re what happened.”

“She left here to go find you.” That was a chip on his shoulder Isaac refused to let heal. He had been a lonely kid and she was the one he wanted to talk to the most in the world ... and she had left him alone for months. All to find this joke of a leader.

“And now you fill her head with all these stories of the world outside this county and she leaves on missions for weeks and months. All because of you.” There was anger back in his voice and he refused to let it fade. Because Carmina was the one person he wished would stay here. Realise that she could be happy here and stop running around after Thomas Rush.

[sonofedensgate]

in-rush-we-trust​:

Mustering the young man, Rush tried to wreck his mind for a face he could apply to this one. But it seemed impossible.

Many names. Oh, how mysterious. Rush knew that some people liked to change their identities more frequently than their clothes. Or that some simply didn’t want to have any identity at all… all fine and good. As long as they didn’t have this slightly passive aggressive aura towards him.

Gesturing towards the blond man, Rush vaguely shrugged.

“Judging by your clothes… you’re from New Eden, aren’t you? So, for what am I to blame in your books?”

He couldn’t help the slightly cutting tone in his last question, though Rush sighed just a moment later.

“Look, kid. I am sorry what happened to your settlement those years ago… but that was the Highwaymen’s doing. We tried helping. We always do. I would’ve rather been your full ally.”

“Sorry?” That earned a bark of a laugh from Isaac and he grinned, moving away from the tree to circle around the great Thomas Rush. He had heard Carmina talk about this guy so much, he had conjured up a mental image of him ... and this wasn’t it. His father was a powerful and strong leader; this man was not.

From a distance he looked more intimidating and commanding. But up close? Looking down on the man, Isaac was struck by how normal he looked. Weak even. He knew he was tall in stature and years of training had honed his muscles; his height and strength were assets his father had taught him to use to his advantage. 

“You are sorry, that is true.” Sorry, pitiful and an utter disappointment. So why the hell did Carmina have such an obsession with the man? “My mother died in the attack on our people. I held her hand as she took her last breath ... the great Thomas Rush, and all you brought here was death.”

“All you do is take people away. My mother, the people of my settlement. My cousin. Carmina.”

[sonofedensgate]

@in-rush-we-trust​ from here

He knew who this man was. Had seen him first when he was a small boy sneaking around Prosperity’s territory, and then again these years later. He wasn’t one of the locusts but he was just as bad.

In Rush we trust.

Leaning back against a tree and Isaac slowly looked Thomas Rush up and down. He thought he remembered him being taller, but he had been a boy when he last came to Hope County. It didn’t even matter if the man didn’t know him, if anything Isaac preferred it that way. “I have many names.”

Prince. Young wolf. Would-be Herald. Isaac. Nephew. Son. “But you, I  know who you are. I know you’re the one to blame.”

[sonofedensgate]

You Look Good Wearing What?  

Isaac looks best wearing: ① Visual Kei style.　② Humourous Shirts.　③ Doctor uniform.

“.... what is any of that?”

tagged by: @carminaxrye​

[sonofedensgate]

carminaxrye​:

She didn’t know what she’d expected in her head, but the grown-ups had always talked about the bar in town and laughed about the stories they told. In her head it had been some dark-lit building with music and laughing … or at least had four walls and a roof.

This though? This wasn’t what she had wanted to find at all; the Highwaymen had begun to move into it. It was quiet now, like Isaac said, but the bright paint everywhere and metal containers organised in a large square; they were making an outpost out of it. The prints on the ground only validated it. “Might want to tell your dad the locusts are nesting here.”

Stooping down to look at the prints, she glanced up at Isaac. “They must be fresh enough, else the wind would blow the sand and ruin the impression.”

But there wasn’t any noise; she strained her ears, but heard nothing. Taking it as a chance to explore, the teenager dipped under what had maybe once been a bar counter. Dust, empty bottles, bullet holes; it all told a more disappointing story as she moved aside an old metal stool. Carmina paused though when faces looked up from the sand beneath the seat; photographs. Picking them up, she squinted at the writing on the back. “Who’s Tracey Lader?”

Isaac was careful. Slowly walking through the sand, trying to leave as little imprints as possible. His eyes always darting around. They were out in the open, if you overlooked the broken parts of this ruin. Around them was just flat land. Unfortunate location. He didn't like it.

But Carmina was caught up in her mission to find out about her past. He would protect her through that, but he didn't have much hope for it.

Glancing over to her at that name, Isaac shrugged.

"Never heard that name."

Getting closer, he looked at the small pictures she had found, taking some for himself to check whether he found anything that looked familiar.

"Those are pictures from before the Collapse."

Easy to tell. The buildings were intact. But the nature... it looked so much duller. Only green. Mostly. And the sky was only blue. All the colors were missing and that didn't just come from teh age of the photos.

Holding one up that showed the bridge intact, Isaac had to grin a little. He would have gone wild about that as kid.

"They're from here. All of them are. So Tracey was someone who lived here... sinner or sister. Don't know... guess she isn't around anymore. Maybe we find more of those? My father once said everyone had a bunker. And those hav ethe most old stuff."

[sonofedensgate]

carminaxrye​:

She almost rolled her eyes when he started asking all the questions. Isaac had definitely been more fun when he was younger. Lately he’d become a real stick-in-the-mud; long gone was the scrawny kid who used to sneak out on adventures with her. She missed those days.

But he had a lot of people watching him; expectations on what kind of leader the herald’s son would become.

“We explain that we mean no harm, and we leave.” She reached out to his arm as he searched for an arrow, pushing it gently away from the quiver. “- not everyone outside of Eden is an enemy.”

“I’ll do the talking, you know I’m good at that.” She offered a knowing smile; she wasn’t exactly someone who was skilled with stealth. She was getting better, but the teenager knew her strengths lay more with shock-and-awe type of battles. “The old bar isn’t far from here, we’ll go there and see what I can find, Maybe we might not even have to go to another location.” Carmina figured deep down it was a pointless search because she was never gonna get all the answers she longed for; the personality and traits of her parents, who she resembled most, whose personality shone through most? Pausing before heading for the door, she looked up at Isaac again. “Thank you, I mean it.”

Isaac gave her a questioning look, as if he couldn’t believe she even said that as she claimed not everyone outside from Eden was an enemy.

“But a potential enemy.”

Isaac would rather be safe than sorry. He didn’t want to pour any more salt into the wound, but especially Carmina should know that the outsiders were dangerous. He kept silent for now, though. He didn’t need to put any more of a damper on her. She hadn’t been that excited in weeks… or months.

Following her out of the church, Isaac grinned at the gratitude.

“Thank me when this mission is a success.”, he said as if there was no doubt it would be. He really hoped this wouldn’t disappoint Carmina… maybe they could find a few trinkets and she’d be happy with that. He wanted to see her happy. But he also was acutely aware of the threats from the sinners and scavengers.

The woods and grasslands around the church were quiet. Birds chirping, always a good sign. Nonetheless, Isaac kept all his senses sharp and his eyes darted around constantly. He could treat this like training after all, even if they weren’t in direct danger.

That bar she had spoken about… Isaac wouldn’t even have called it that. Looked more like a simple ruin. Shed. Something in between.

“I don’t think anyone is around…”, he mentioned, trying to make out any little noise, though he kicked at a bit of sand in front of them. There were foreign footprints.

[sonofedensgate]

carminaxrye​:

Yes! He was onboard; she knew pleading with Isaac could sometimes get her way, because they bounced off each other so well, and if it was the other way around, Carmina would help him in a heartbeat.

“Yes! You’re the best!” She almost hugged him, only she knew he’d pull that wannabe-Jacob expression and tell her to get control of herself, so she just jumped up and down on the sandy spot instead.

Plan? Did she properly have one of those? Not exactly, but she had a few starting points. “My parents had a house not too far from here, I wanna check our old bunker and then maybe double-back to this town.”

“There was a bar around here somewhere, where everyone gathered - there might be some pictures or something.” It was vague and she knew that the more she spoke, so Carmina shrugged and looked up at Isaac. “I didn’t really think much past getting you to help me.”

It was true, Isaac really tried acting adult and mature recently, mostly to earn his title and respect among the hunters and prospective Chosen. And with his father. So he just eyed Carmina’s excited jumping now, where years ago he would have joined with a grin.

Shaking his head, he couldn’t get around an amused breath blown through his nose.

Aaand of course she didn’t really have a plan.

“Alright… then we go to these places, I guess?”

Isaac was already feeling for his bow and the arrows he had with him. Maybe they could get that all  dealt with within a day. Maybe they could be back home before anyone noticed… because Isaac really didn’t want to have to explain that.

“I really hope you know what you’re doing- wait. Aren’t there some of the surviving sinners around those places? What do we do if we come across them?”

[sonofedensgate]

carminaxrye​:

There was that sharp look in his eyes that told her even now Isaac was gonna be a Chosen, or the next Herald like Jacob. He was defensive and accusing all in the same breath.

She kept her hands up, as if it might calm him down, though Carmina didn’t blame Isaac; Eden was all he ever knew. It most of what she had ever known since being a small child. And it wasn’t that she was ungrateful, not at all - if Jacob and the others hadn’t found her, she would have died or been killed.

“I know I have a family now … but I had one before.” Why couldn’t he understand that? “I had a mom and dad who brought me into this world, is it wrong to want to know about them?”

Isaac still wasn’t sure about this. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Carmina for a few seconds, as if he hoped she would see that this would only plunge them into trouble. But of course she didn’t. Why did she have to be so thick-skulled? Even his father had noticed that early on.

And it hadn’t gotten better over the years, not at all... plus she was his best friend. And she had that look in her eyes...  

Letting his shoulders sag, Isaac blew a breath through his nose. Let God have mercy on them, his father and Linny would strangle them both.

“Fine… I will help you. But – how?”

That was the first core question they had to figure out here. It wasn’t like they could just ask someone, right? Or go out onto an adventure and find clues. That was not really how the world worked. If they wanted to go back to where she had been found, they would be dangerously close to a territory that was still inhabited by sinners.

“What’s your plan?”