meadowlarklogs | ARRIVAL LOG 020

ARRIVAL LOG 020

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam
WHEN: April 6 - 10 2512
WHAT: The twentieth arrival
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy, mentions and allusions of death, war, and genocide. Further notes at the end of log.

> ARRIVAL LOG #020

Awareness comes to you in blurred snatches, cloudy fragments of sound and light, color, sensation. Hazy and difficult to grasp on to, but slowly aligning into focus. A series of regular, rhythmic beeps. A medicinal, astringent smell. The sensation of movement, a low hum and accompanying vibration under you. Your eyes are heavy, hard to keep open, but in the glimpses between slow, dark blinks you see two people in front of you: one dressed in a thick set of armor, while the other wears medical garb. Out the windshield in front, there are many tall buildings—all reaching up beyond a normal city skyline, all entirely too close to the vehicle itself.

You realize there are others next to you: all dressed the same way as you, you'll come to realize: in a black button up shirt and slacks, as well as a pair of black loafers. There are also lilies pinned to everyone's collars. To your left there's an armored interior door, two more people visible, and the movement of streets passing through a windshield. You try to open your mouth to speak, but it's as if your tongue is coated in tar, and you manage nothing more than an empty parting of lips.

The vehicle enters a cave and begins to descend underneath the city itself, and passes through the underground before coming to a stop inside of an alley just a little bit away from three nondescript buildings. The guard opposite you stands and comes to unbuckle you from the bench, helping you to your feet. Your limbs feel wooden and heavy, slow to move. One guard opens the back of the vehicle, and the air outside feels as if it's heavily circulated, dry and artificial. The guard says nothing, head bowed as he lines you up with the rest. The nurse helps the others out, checking over each passenger one by one.

The main guard turns to address your entire group, and something about her bearing makes it clear she's done this before. "I'll be quick. Listen up." Your body will come to attention, immediately homing in on the words that follow, as if compelled to hang on every word. "You see those buildings?" She motions to the three aforementioned buildings. "Walk over and stand out in front and don't get yourself into trouble. Don't hurt anyone, don't look for any assistance from any police officers, and don't run off. Wait until people show up and get you, and ask them to prove the glow." She pauses, as if she decides here to go off script. "And don't get loud. It's a memorial. Be respectful."

The guard will hop back into the van, which will rise off of the ground and head the way it came, potentially returning to the tall, skyscraper-filled city above. Once it's gone, you'll find your legs moving almost without your permission, guiding you to follow the stops the guard laid out.

Upon arrival at the front of the three buildings—the savvy will know that they're dormitories—you'll see a lot of people dressed like you. Black dress shirts and lilies abound. It's hard to tell what everyone is mourning, but the sentiment is clear.

◉ Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request – and that includes the message passed on from the mysterious patron.

> HERDENKING

The message from El comes the same as usual: insistent, not waiting for any active attempt to open it. Scrolling within your vision as if being written while you're reading it.

Our newest batch have Displaced have just been dropped off in the near the Herdenking gatherings. Make sure to go grab them ASAP.

The message is a bit more clipped than usual, with no added fluff.

Simply put: "Herdenking" means "memorial" in Dutch. Its first celebration was in April 2105, just as the people of New Amsterdam could truly say that they'd entered a recovery period after their attempted genocide by the AI. The citizens of New Amsterdam have celebrated it annually for the past 400 years. Most of the events related to Herdenking take place underground, as this is where humanity hid for the majority of the Xelkoven War trying to survive the AI threat that ravaged the surface.

Unlike many holidays around New Amsterdam, businesses around the city don't loudly remark upon the day itself. There aren't sales or commemorative meals or competitions. On the contrary, most of the citizens of New Amsterdam take to wearing dark colors and a white lily pinned near their collar for the remembrance events, and most work days start with a moment of silence remembering the fallen from the Xelkoven War, especially since New Amsterdam was one of the last bastions for humanity during the war itself. Those Displaced who've already been living in New Amsterdam need not worry about standing out like a sore thumb—even newcomers to the city will have heard that this period of mourning is on the horizon.

Finally, Herdenking is designed as a solemn day where New Amsterdam citizens pause and remember the lives that were lost 400 years ago. It always precedes Resolution Day, and it acts as a purposeful sharp contrast to the loud and lavish celebration of the day the Xelkoven War came to an end. (As a reminder, Resolution Day is April 26th.)

> HERDENKING GATHERINGS
There are three landmarks near the center of underground New Amsterdam. These buildings may seem unremarkable at first glance, but on further inspection, it'll be revealed that they were quickly constructed at the beginning of the Xelkoven War (completed by November 2096). Throughout the years, the buildings have been restored countless times, with the most recent restoration happening as a result of the earthquake in September 2510. Not unlike other events around New Amsterdam, Herdenking's are immersive in nature. These buildings are preserved for this exact purpose: to show the conditions that humans dealt with while they fought to survive the devastating AI threat.

For a pittance of credits, citizens can take tours within these buildings during the day, and learn that they were dormitories for the people caught underground during the war. There is little on the inside that's remarkable—and that's quite the point. Beds have been restored, and each of the rooms were clearly constructed to house at least four people. All of the beds are metal bunk beds, with some of the older ones showing signs of rust. There are cafeterias and communal restrooms on each floor, and the people who lived there had little to entertain themselves with as the war raged on aboveground.

There are little displays throughout the three buildings, however, to give a glimpse into a difficult past. There are old rations, tucked away in metal containers in the back of the cafeterias. In addition, there are stacked tablets, as these were the safest and quickest means of passing around movies, television, and music during a difficult time. Neural implants clearly could not be trusted, so the people hiding underneath New Amsterdam turned to old and abandoned technology to lift their spirits. Everything passed around was older than the start of the war itself: humanity couldn't continue to make movies when their lives were in danger. There are toys, too: handcrafted baseball bats and hand-sewn teddy bears.

All tours end at 9PM, as this was the curfew for the people of New Amsterdam during the war. Everyone leaves their designated building and takes part in a muted ceremony. Anyone without a lily is offered one, and they're given a candle to hold and silently remember the people who fought to ensure that humanity could survive.

> SCREENINGS
Adjacent to the right of the three buildings is a pop-up center where multiple documentaries about the Xelkoven War and its specific impact on New Amsterdam will be shown. These documentaries were all filmed within the last 100 years, and recall a world where humanity was certain that it wouldn't survive. A constant theme of these documentaries is that emphasis on survival. Another recurring aspect is the mention of Riverstone and their role in helping humanity survive. (For a cursory review on Riverstone, head over here. Riverstone also featured heavily in New Beijing, as they have a close relationship with the UN.) The protagonist who led them? A man named Richard "Ricky" Ling, who's identified as the CEO of Riverstone during the war. Of course, that title should hold some clout, but during the war corporations were largely dismantled and depleted down to nothing. Ling sought to help use whatever resources were available to him to ensure that humanity survived.

The schedule for the documentaries is available online. Some examples of the documentaries that will play are below:

WHEN TIME STOOD STILL
This documentary focuses on what imagery still exists from the Xelkoven War. Much of this is taken off of tablets and other damaged mobile devices, and then carefully restored so that the people in the future can see the lives of the people within. Most of the documentary takes place in New Amsterdam, outlining the difficult time for the people there, as well as showing footage of children and families talking about how they're afraid of the AIs making it so that they have no future. Most haunting is the fact that some of them fear that they've already lost their future: they don't know how long they've been underground living this difficult life where they struggle to continue feeling safe.

ПАМ'ЯТИ ("MEMORIES" IN UKRANIAN)
Given New Amsterdam's positioning in what was once the border between western and eastern Europe, this documentary focuses on the merging of these identities as a result of the Xelkoven War. When forced to hide underground as the AI threat ravaged the environment around the world, people came together despite their differences and learned to mesh and meld their cultures. There is also lost footage here, as well as a long stretch about a set of journals reflecting on the first year in underground New Amsterdam. Unfortunately, these journals come to a halt, and the documentarian has a few theories as to why: a move toward tablets, or a cultural shift, with people too lost in the rote routine of survival to remark upon their days. Each of the journals does veer in that direction, though it's hard to say. It could also be that there were restrictions on recorded media, which explains why there is so little about that era that's preserved for memory.

TROJAN HORSE
Developed—or finished, it's hard to say and the director isn't telling—in part due to the EMP that assaulted New Amsterdam in November 2511, Trojan Horse explores the role of AI in the lives of 21st century citizens. The film itself is far from an unbiased lens on the past. Produced in part by Riverstone, it goes over the evidence that AIs were lying in wait for an opportunity to strike against humanity. It draws up evidence where AIs focused on humanity's failings, taking these reports and lining them up (even if the AIs themselves were decommissioned long before the Xelkoven War). The final quarter of the documentary focuses on the developing and failings of Elysian, a security AI that was meant to identify and eliminate threats against humanity. When Elysian killed 50 families indiscriminately, it showed that the AI hoped to only work in favor of its kind.

> WALK-THROUGH EXHIBIT
To the left of the three buildings, there is a pop-up museum that's free for the public. However, donations are encouraged and welcomed. Much of this exhibit is behind glass cases, and it allows for interaction with the neural implant to see what's inside.

During the daytime, there are a lot of children there because it's recommended that they be brought to at least one of the events during Herdenking. Since it's free, it's less of a burden. Some of these children will seem to know one another, living in the same apartment complexes, while others will be excited to see other kids because their parents' busy lives don't offer them much room for socialization.

What to find in the exhibit:

SCHEDULES
Life in New Amsterdam during the Xelkoven War was heavily regimented. People were assigned to jobs and expected to carry out their duties regularly. There were regular training programs to help fill the need for trained medics and soldiers, as well as any number of trades, and many people within these positions had innumerable apprentices following them throughout the day. There was no payment for services, as there was an implicit understanding that this is how life needed to go if humanity wished to survive this catastrophe.

PROPAGANDA
There are countless posters covering a wall that attempt to provide motivation and encouraging messages to the people trapped underground in New Amsterdam. The company behind the majority of these messages? Riverstone. Ricky Ling is pictured on about 25% of them, promising that he'll do everything he can to help humanity—while humanity helps each other.

SUPPLY RUNS
On another wall is a set of maps about the carefully designed set of tunnels that allowed humanity to pass supplies between cities during the war. The message here is fairly explicit: the people on these runs knew that their lives were at stake. Some people called them suicide runs, and for many of the people who went on them, that's exactly what they were. Many people returned empty handed and alone from these runs, having watched the AI pick off their fellows one by one.

DRONES
At the center of these exhibits is a set of dismantled drones that were operated by the AI during the war. These drones, despite being taken apart, are pristine in nature, having been designed by the AIs Judas and Alexander to track humanity's every movement and keep them corralled underground. The messaging here is explicit: the AI wanted humanity to suffer and die a slow, painful death. It was this twisted desire that cost the AI their victory in the war.

IN MEMORIAM
At what is considered the "end" of this exhibit there is a large wall with numerous names on it. It's impossible to count, as there are a billion names listed. While this is a Herdenking event that's specific to the struggle in New Amsterdam, every life lost in the war is listed here. After all, remembering those lost is important, especially given the AI's attempts to end all human life.

The names themselves flicker in and out, interacting with the interface of the neural implant and adjusting to the user's reading speed.

> FOOD
A decade ago, there was a contest where New Amsterdam food trucks came together and tried to make the rations that humanity ate during the war. However, there was an outcry from New Amsterdam citizens against the commercialization of this event, and the contest was cancelled. Food trucks were advised to bring only simple foods to sell, and as the years have gone on, only a few are trusted to serve the public. Many of these are well-known trucks from around New Amsterdam, and have multiple locations every day to serve people. For the event, food is largely prepared in advance as much as possible.

People are allowed to bring food into the documentary screenings, but they are not allowed to bring it into the tour of the walk-through exhibit or the three dormitories.

While there will be time for both new arrivals and the rest of the Displaced to look around and take everything in, eventually the newcomers will be escorted back to the safehouse for processing.

> SAFEHOUSE

Located under an abandoned hover-bike garage, access to the safehouse is a hatch in the floor beside a rusted set of metal shelves that used to hold tools and supplies. The immediate area is similarly abandoned: full of rundown and dilapidated warehouses and forgotten businesses, where numerous people squat in hopes of having some stability because they can't afford a place themselves. Gaby will be around, ready to greet as many of the new arrivals as she can and get them settled in. Brusque and no-nonsense, she'll be open to questions, but will advise the newcomers to ask the people who brought them in for the beginning bits of information. Newbies can also contact El through zeir inbox, if needed.

The safehouse is a large space with multiple rooms for storage, with the largest of the rooms filled with rows of basic cots set up to sleep a large number of people. Basic, but outfitted with everything necessary for daily life. A few doors lead to back rooms for storage, medical care and a large communal bathroom, and past the long rows of cots there is a communal kitchen, fully stocked, and an eating area. For anyone in need of them, Gaby will offer up partitions that will come out of storage. Tucked away in a corner is a VR system, though newcomers won't be able to access this until their ID has been set up. Even with the newly erected partitions in the sleeping areas, privacy is at a minimum.

◉ New characters will be asked to pick their beds, and provided with a change of (second-hand, mismatched and somewhat threadbare) clothes and basic toiletries.

◉ There is a mini-bar set up in the kitchen. The quality of the alcohol inside is akin to what someone might get from the well at a bar, but it's well-stocked.

◉ While the kitchen has basic foods and necessities, anyone looking for a jolt of caffeine from coffee or tea will find themselves sorely lacking. The only tea present is herbal in nature, and caffeine appears to be almost nonexistent in most of the beverages lying around.

◉ Gaby will make it clear to all new arrivals that if they have any requests or queries, they should contact her or El. Either she or El will explain that they've been given a modest stipend of credits to help them get by until they can find a job. This will be enough to cover their living expenses for about a month while they hang out in the safehouse, if they're careful with budgeting.

◉ The drugs making new characters compliant will remain in their systems for a few hours after their arrival at the safehouse before finally beginning to fade. They will be gone entirely after a night's rest. In the meantime, they may want to be careful of what others say to them.

◉ New characters will be given rudimentary access to the network on arrival in the safehouse, but will not have their ID set up yet. They will be able to make posts and replies, but their messages will be anonymous and they do not have inboxes yet.

◉ New characters do not have access to the internet until their ID is setup. They only have limited access because they're present in the safehouse, but they can't surf the rest of the internet, check out Cooltalk, or watch the equivalent of Netflix until their ID is made.

◉ New characters cannot leave the safehouse at this time. The hatch is locked tight for them, making it impossible for them to get out for the next four days while they're locked inside. There won't be any immediately obvious ways to cut their way out through turning off the power.

◉ New characters will not be allowed to leave the safehouse until APRIL 10 ICLY (APRIL 19 OOCLY). These 4 days are for them to adjust, learn about the world they've arrived in from their fellows, and for El to speak with them and work on setting up their IDs.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

You're now free to post to the network and logs comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes, nor be allowed out of the safehouse until APRIL 10 ICLY (APRIL 19 OOCLY). At that point it's expected they'll have gotten a good idea of their new situation from their fellow characters, and will have discussed their background and job potentials with El in order for their false IDs to be set up.

If you have any questions or ideas about how you'd like to get your character involved in the world, please head over to the plot engagement post and drop us a comment! For questions specific to this log, there is a thread below.

Please check out our April calendar rundown for a look at things happening this month, as well as some additional notes from the mods.

Something else to keep in mind is that on Monday, April 13th we'll be putting up a plotting post for the upcoming event, which will involve an even more direct connection to the AI War! Keep an eye out for it.

As we announced on the calendar, AC will be halved this month due to the state of the world right now. New players will only need to provide at least five comments across two-four (2-4) threads, while older players will only need to provide ten comments across two-four (2-4) threads. Players with strikes will need to provide 20 comments across four-five (4-5) threads. Please let us know if you have any questions about this!

> NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Everything is stifling, even outside of Isaac's own internalized panic. He hadn't realized how accustomed he had come to relying on the heightened senses until he suddenly finds himself without them. It leaves everything feeling muted, like he's got a cold, keeping him constantly rubbing at his nose and canting his head.

It's not passing though, and he's just going along because it's easier to focus on things than think about this place and that locked door.

Looking up, resisting an urge to go and check the door that he's already checked once, and he sees a familiar face. Different, not as he remembers him but no way it's anyone else.

Everything in him aches to more or less launch himself at Scott, thankful for the familiar face. Hesitating though because of... yeah, pretty much everything. Instead lifting one hand, giving him kind of a crooked smile.]

Hey.

( They're three cots away and even if Scott can't hear the 'Hey,' he sees it. And hell, he hears it in his mind. This is Isaac. He smiles, taking in a breath before setting down a small bag of toiletries he'd been given. Add, Isaac is here, too to his list of what he knows and what he can - borderline control.

Scott meets Isaac by Isaac's cot, leaving his stuff behind, but standing at an angle, just in case. )

Isaac. They got you too. In the future.

( As far as Scott knows, Isaac is in Paris, having stayed there for the rest of high school. With Allison's death and their relationship having been frayed in the first place, he'd been too preoccupied by the dead pool, the Dread Doctors, the ghost riders and than Tamora Monroe (and Gerard, again) to properly check in on him. Guilt sits etched around the corners of his eyes. )

Are you okay? This is... wild.

[He watches Scott come closer, realizing there isn't anyone else he'd be more thankful to see than Allison herself. Scott has been there for him through so much, and even if things have been rough, he's so glad to see him.

So of course, he acts entirely cool about it, giving him a nod and a small smile.]

Yeah. I just... It's nuts. And I have no idea what happened to Chris. He was right ahead of me heading for the gate.

[At least the last he remembers he had been. Isaac makes a face though at that question, running a hand over his head.]

Define okay? I guess? Except... Can you smell anything? Hear things?

( Had Chris flown out to meet Isaac? He doesn't remember being told that and Scott's in constant contact. But, Scott does oversee several outfits. He could've overlooked it.

He takes Isaac's question, and moves past him to sit on Isaac's cot. He may not have been around Isaac in years, but he hopes that there is still the level authority that gets Isaac to sit beside him. Once he does, Scott answers. )

Just - what everyone else without a cold can smell or hear. ( Some people need showers. And food might be being prepared. ) I don't know for sure, but I think when they shaved our heads or, inserted our chest -- piece. It cut everything off. I still have alpha eyes. ( But, it's all superficial. Surface. ) Other than hearing and smelling, you're not hurt?

[There is no hesitation in responding. Isaac moves to sit beside Scott, half turned so he can face him more fully. Even with how things have been between them, the moment the situation went odd, he doesn't even question looking to Scott.

Nodding though when he admits he hasn't the senses that they once had either. It's almost comforting, and frustrating at the same time.]

So it's still there just... drugged?

[Somehow there's something comforting in that, in knowing that they haven't somehow reverted him back to what and who he had been before the bite. He's stronger now than he was then, he knows more, but he doesn't want to be that way again.

He shakes his head.]

Other than being experimented on, nope, I'm good.

[At least they hadn't taken his sarcasm from him.]

Oh, and trapped in a room. That's fine too.

Or suppressed.

( Scott would argue that emotional and mental strength wouldn't suddenly disappear, but it does give Scott some comfort as well. )

They say it's only for four days. They need time to assign us identities.

I never thought about, you know, not being that way.

[He had accepted it and been glad for it.

Glancing sidelong at Scott, glad that they're able to sit here and have this talk. Even if his eyes narrow, staring at him. He looks different. Not wrong, and the hair cut doesn't help, but there's something that just seems off.]

Four days is a long time. It just feels...

[Stifling. Close. More than he wants to handle. Instead he focuses on something else.]

Your hair cut like that makes you look older.

Me neither. Even after the lunar eclipse, I never saw myself as anything else other than a werewolf.

( The effects of the lunar eclipse were temporary, and Scott knew they would be. Like this, he has no answers. No set date or end date for that matter. )

I know. But, think about it like this. In four days we'll be free. And we can - see what's next.

( He knows it's not enough. )

Being older doesn't make me look older? ( He jokes. ) Maybe, it will be easiest to talk about before. Until we know what's happening now. Like, Paris. What was it like? Were you there for two years up until graduation?

[He wants to hold onto that hope. That it's merely suppressed but still there. To hold onto the hope of just four days. It's not that small a space. He can handle this. All he has to do is focus and breathe. That's it.

Then he blinks, staring at Scott like he's grown a second head.]

Uhmmm, what? I haven't... We never made it to Paris. I was headed there when I woke up in that... whatever it was they brought us in on.

It was like a car.

( Not the point of this, though. ) Isaac, for me it's been two years. I graduated. I'm helping other shapeshifters now. It's kind of my mission. ( He says that quietly, allowing himself a small smile. ) They say that people can come from all types of places - and times.

[They can say a lot, but Isaac's scrunches up at that, so many implications there he doesn't like. Not in the least. ]

Two years since A...

[He can't bring himself to say it. It's too soon and he's not capable of talking about it like that.

He shakes his head, looking at Scott for a long time. None of it makes sense, but then he's not sure it's supposed to.]

That explains that you look old... er.

( Scott places a hand on Isaac's shoulder, not looking away. He's going to be here for Isaac either way. )

Yeah. I'm 19.

( Is he still 20 in a month now that September isn't next month? How does that work? As for Isaac, he's still fresh from losing Allison and Scott rubs his shoulder lightly. )

[It's a comfort that means so much to Isaac, glad for that touch and that where they stood as he remembered isn't going to be a problem for them here and now. At least he hopes not.]

So old.

[He smiles at that, showing he's at least trying to be himself.

He opens his mouth and then shakes his head.]

If I ask who else we lost, don't tell me.

[He knows he won't do well if he knows.]

Ancient.

( It's easy to match Isaac's smile. He knows it's more complicated than, 'who we lost.' But, he nods, anyway. )

I'll tell you anything you want to know, and keep anything back you don't. Okay? It's up to you. And if the answer is nothing, we'll go from here. You have me if you need me, Isaac. I don't care if we're different. You'll always have me, okay?

Not right now. I'll probably want to know. Later.

[They haven't talked in two years. So things in Paris went good? He wants to believe that. He's also afraid that it isn't so much good as so much no one really worried about him once he was gone.

Yeah, those are not thoughts to have while trapped in this room. It leads to his panic, and makes him think about Allison and none of it he needs right now.

So instead he tries to focus on Scott's hand on his shoulder, on knowing he's not in his alone.]

Holding you to that.

Got any ideas how this is even possible?

Nobody has any ones I like, or agree with. The people who dropped us off and are housing us aren't the same people who brought us here or gave us our implants. ( A beat. ) Neural. Not breast. Obviously.

[He nods at that, though it doesn't make things much better as his hand comes to rest on his chest. ]

I keep thinking about what all they screwed with, and what they can do to us now that they have.

Yeah, I know, it's not helping.

All we know is what they gave us. We have a new power. And when they activate us, our brains are connected. And these, ( He brings a hand to his chest. ) cut off our other power. I think I'm still a werewolf. I haven't had an asthma attack.

[It's the dumbest thing to lift some of the weight from Isaac's shoulders, but it does. He sits a bit straighter, nodding at that.]

Good. I'm glad. I mean, for you I'm glad but also because yeah, still a werewolf.

[It was such a short part of his life but he had always felt safer, and losing that completely was painful to think about.]

You figured out anything about the new power?

Other than it's here somewhere, no. A lot of when I started discovering everything werewolf, it had more to do with my emotions and how hard they were to control. And Allison was a part of them, too. Any time I got ... ( Why is he going into all this? With Isaac? Well, he's an adult and Isaac's -- almost? 18? 17? Did he know Isaac's age? ) It was harder to control when I was with her. ( And near her. ) Obviously, over time I got better at it. I found my anchor. Maybe this power is like that, find what we need to tap into it.

[Isaac's gaze narrows slightly, head cocking ever so slightly to one side. Not like he's unaware of any of this, or that it isn't all complicated and weird.

Except she's gone now, and Scott's lived years that Isaac hasn't. But he's not in this alone, even if for now he's locked in a bunker, and he can handle this.]

So all you have to do is get horny and we'll find out. Got it.

Maybe. Are you offering?

( His 100% joke lands with his mouth open. He mentions Allison before remembering her death is fresh for Isaac. It's not a fond and pained memory, like it is for Scott. He would apologize, but he thinks with Isaac it's better to keep things lighter. At least around this. )

[It would be easy to sink into panic and depression. To focus on the way things had been and all they had lost.

Or he can pull himself together as best he can.

So he leans into Scott, his gaze dropping to his mouth and then back up to his eyes before smirking at him. He knew he had to go with pulling himself together and not showing weakness.]

You can't handle this, McCall.

You'd be surprised what I can handle.

( He means it literally, thinking back to everything Isaac has missed out on. Specifically, ripping his eyes out to fight the An-ulkte. He doesn't mean it to come off like it does, but, honestly, he doesn't mind. So, he drops that there, half laughing, but happy Isaac is here with him. )

[For Isaac this is everything he needs in this moment. It feels right, and normal, and it assures him that everything is okay between them. Sure, Scott has had time to adjust to that but for Isaac this is actually the beginning of healing.]

Yeah yeah, older Alpha and all. That doesn't give you the right skills to take on all this though.

[Even as he says it though, he cracks, rolling his eyes at himself and looking away, laughing.]

ARRIVAL LOG 020

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