[closed] the only constant is change

[capcious]

Who: the Fallout AU crew
Setting: the Commonwealth
Summary: BoS things, institute things
Warnings: Fallout warnings, smut
Other: [original notes] [first post] [second post] [third post] [fourth post] [fifth post] [sixth post] [seventh post] [eighth post]

- minor timeskip to when the BoS has its feet under it again, shaun asks riley to go up and keep an eye on them and deacon goes with
- they get assigned to a BoS squad composed of AU versions of chancellery guards (paladin archimedes o'hallan, knight-captain anthony norris, lancer-sargeant alex reyes, knight riley reynolds, knight everett wynter, knight henry "hal" saller, aspirant 'jack' "deacon" 'priest')
- maybe some minor quests involving getting to know them, gotta get some solid Bonding going
- sarrith (sarah, secret enclave remnant) and sal's romeo and juliet romance
- that one quest where you get the nukes from the glowing sea for the BoS
- wynter's mistake and gradual ghoulification and the position it puts the squad in
- blind betrayal

- shaun announces ferran officially as his successor
- ferran dealing with the short institute quests that result from that
- shaun discovering ferran's a slut and trying to talk to him about it
- zetta freaking out bc they're spending all this time waiting for her to recover and dealing with the BoS, and not having the time to try to figure out a way to save shaun
- zetta, in general, driving shaun slowly up the wall because she's cooped up and needs to be kept occupied or else Bad Things Start Happening, why is this shaun's life, this was not what he was expecting at all
- ferran going on missions with x6-88 / house divided, warwick
- nathan and zay's one night stand with ferran becoming not a one night stand any more
- at some point we need to have nathan call deacon a mongrel to his face so zetta can go positively nuclear
- zay finding out nathan is taking buffout

- build towards the railroad and institute being on better terms (not *stable*, but they need to be in a position where they're willing to make an alliance at the battle for bunker hill and afterwards to take the BoS down)
- probably need to do a meeting with dez and carrington, bc jfc (and ferran being the next director makes it easier to make negotiations on the institute's behalf though shaun probably doesnt fully trust him with that wrt the railroad yet, shaun needs to see ferran make decisions that benefit the institute OVER the railroad for that)

- mass fusion happens before battle for bunker hill, lighting a fire under the brotherhood's ass (still use it as the faction cut-off point?)
- at the battle, brotherhood wins -- keeping them a legitimate threat and serving as the push for the institute and railroad to work together against them

[image] [lyrics]

well, oh, it seems you're a lot like me
you dug yourself into places you never thought you would be
but don't you fret, and don't you mind
the only constant is change,
and you never know what you'll find

yeah, tomorrow i might wake up nice and clean
and i might believe the things i said i didn't mean
and this might turn and wind up just the way we'd dreamed
and i might become the things i swore i'd always be

Comments

[recalcitrare]

I imagine he already has boasted to his marriage partners. But he doesn't strike me the type. He's got far too much a collected image for that. No... I think we should be alright.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Zay's answers are rational. They make sense. Nathan begins to feel calmer.]

And what if he's interested in an encore?

[recalcitrare]

[Zay's lips thin. He hasn't forgotten about Ferran's "next time" comment. His eyes dart around them, but everyone else is just as busy as they're supposed to be and is leaving them alone.] I suppose the real question is whether we'd be tempted.

[timesbureaucrat]

...and...if we are?

[Nathan knows he is, as much as he doesn't want to admit it.]

[recalcitrare]

[... which means Nathan is, otherwise he wouldn't have said it, which means Zay's resistance will crumble soon after. Damn.] Then we might still have a problem.

[timesbureaucrat]

Lovely.

[All right, back to pretending that he doesn't want it. Because not wanting it would make everything so much easier.]

[recalcitrare]

[Trying to keep an affair with the Director-to-be quiet would be hard enough. Trying to keep an affair with the Director -- Zay turns back to his terminal and the message on it.] Do we know yet when he's meant to take over?

[timesbureaucrat]

Not yet. I imagine that the Director will gradually transition authority from himself to Mr. Raines...or is it Mr. Reynolds now? Anyway, I assume that the shift in power won't happen all at once. And when Mr. Reynolds is ready [It should probably be strange to refer to a person who's come on his face by his last name, but he had practice in the military.] then the Director will retire and let him officially take his place.

[recalcitrare]

Hopefully he's ready sooner rather than later, then. It'll make it easier to be clear about which Mr. Reynolds we're referring to, because one of them will be Director Reynolds.

[Yes, that's looking on the bright side, Zay thinks dryly.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Because of course that's the critical issue at stake here.

[recalcitrare]

Certainly not, but it's worth commenting on.

But the point I intended to make was that it means we've some time to work out how we want to handle this.

[timesbureaucrat]

I believe I already know how to handle this.

[Pretend it never happened and repress all feelings and desires.]

heck i forgot to pick my icon in that last tag, rip

[recalcitrare]

As do I, but we don't quite have a plan for if he approaches again. [Aka, they need to start steeling themselves now.]

/says a very nice eulogy

[timesbureaucrat]

I'd suggest pretending that he's not there, but once he's Director, that will be difficult.

[And even when he's not Director, ignoring Ferran is difficult. Nathan wants to look at him.]

[recalcitrare]

Minimizing contact shouldn't be too difficult. It's hardly as though we're especially high-ranking. And as Director, he'll be busy enough he won't be able to hang around his wife nearly as often, so that particular problem won't continue to plague us. [As it is, right now, nearly every time Nathan goes to check up on Zetta, Ferran is there.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Zetta will heal soon anyway, and then undoubtedly once again be rushing all around the Commonwealth hither and thither with her Railroad mongrel.

[recalcitrare]

There's that, as well. So all in all, once he's officially appointed, there will be little issue in keeping away.

[timesbureaucrat]

Right. Easily dealt with.

[Apply repression and denial, repeat as necessary.]

[recalcitrare]

We'll be alright. [Zay taps his fingertips under Nathan's chin and kisses him, quick and chaste.] With that sorted... Back to work with us.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan glances around afterwards as if to make sure no one saw that. His eyes scan over past the door and then snap right back because speak of the devil. A very tall...attractive devil. With the serpent of temptation.

He makes a small distressed noise in the back of his throat.]

Zay?

[recalcitrare]

[That sound Nathan makes has Zay turning his head even before his name is said, has Zay reaching for Nathan's hands again. And then he sees him. And is immensely relieved that he wasn't taking a drink again.] Dammit, [Zay hisses, squeezing Nathan's hand.] Just get back to work. Ignore him.

[timesbureaucrat]

Right. The plan.

[Nathan pivots back around and stares intently at the screen of his terminal. If he ignores the problem hard enough, it will go away.

Only Ferran doesn't. Instead he approaches them.]

[recalcitrare]

[Goddammit. Zay tries to ignore him, but he already hates someone hovering over him while he works as it is. He's bristling too much already. This isn't going to work. Zay glances hotly at Ferran.] What is it? We're rather busy.

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran raises his eyebrows and slips his hands in his trouser pockets. His voice is calm and mild.]

The Director sent me. He asked me to pick up everything Advanced System has on the long distance communication project.

[recalcitrare]

[Zay's voice is clipped, temper being badly held at a low boil.] Then you're talking to the wrong people. Go talk to Dr. Filmore.