[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

[inhonorof]

[Riley frowns again. That wouldn't make sense, unless...] ... do they -- breed? [There's a sinking feeling in his chest. All the signs are pointing to... Riley starts back towards the shack the hound came out of.]

[ersatzeverything]

Sorry, I've never watched the National Geographic special on mutant hounds. But I'm guessing...yes?

[inhonorof]

[The moment Riley can see around the wall, his fears are confirmed. He covers his mouth with a hand.] Oh, no. Oh, no, no...

[gallifreynpcs]

Come on, Riley, deal with them and let's go.

[Everett shifts impatiently.]

[inhonorof]

Deal wi...? [Riley tears his eyes away from the puppies huddled together to stare at Everett in shock.] You can't be... Why? They're just puppies.

[ersatzeverything]

Puppies that are going to grow up to be monsters.

[Deacon strolls towards Riley's side.]

I hate to say it, but Everett might be right. They're-- [And then he sees them.]

Oh my god, look at their cute little wrinkly faces.

[inhonorof]

[Another horrible thought strikes Riley and he closes his eyes slowly.] God... The mother called for help. She could've tried to bite me more than she did, but instead, she was calling for help. [He feels sick.]

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon rests his hand on Riley's arm.]

Even if she was protecting her pups now, she was raised by muties. There's, like, basically a zero percent chance that she hasn't killed people and she'd kill people again if she'd lived. We would've had to put her down.

The puppies, though...maybe they can be saved.

[inhonorof]

[Riley breathes out shakily and nods, opening his eyes.] Yeah. I don't know... anything about their behaviors, so I don't know how different they are from normal dogs. But -- I... I can't just -- [Kill them. He slowly approaches the shack, lowering himself into a kneel. His voice goes soft.] Hey, babies... [God, he feels horrible. He slowly reaches out to brush his fingers down one of their backs. It squirms and whines, and his heart squeezes. They're young, really young, but their eyes and ears are open. He scoops his hands up underneath its belly and picks it up. It's heavier than it looks, and it starts squirming again as it feels him pick it up. It swings its open mouth around, but its teeth are still small, and not all of them have grown in. Riley brings it up into the crook of his elbow and slowly stands up.] Shhhh, shhhh, [he tells it as it starts squalling in distress, stroking its back with his free hand.]

[ersatzeverything]

I've never heard of anyone trying to raise mutant hounds, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.

[Deacon takes Riley's place kneeling by the three remaining puppies and tentatively pets one of them behind the ears. It yawns, showing a tiny pink mouth and tiny puppy teeth.]

This is crazy. We're on a mission. And what are you going to do after the mission is done? You can hardly take them back to the Prydwen.

[inhonorof]

I know. If we tried that, they'd kill them. But... [Riley's brow furrows. He glances to Deacon.] Do you think we could get a message up to Sanctuary? [He doesn't know how he feels about asking Barbara, Codsworth, and Irene to do this, but it's just temporary, until they can come back for them.]

[ersatzeverything]

Sure. I've got some pals that run up there all the time.

[Using the dead drop system as a puppy adoption network would be an abuse of resources, but he really does have some non-Railroad "pals" (people who know him by another name, another persona) who'd be willing to deliver an innocuous message to Sanctuary. Since Zetta's work on the town, it's become a northern hub for caravans and scavvers trading and resupplying.]

[inhonorof]

If we can get Codsworth to run down here and pick them up, then at least they'd have somewhere out of the elements to stay until we can pick them up. It's not like Dogmeat ever actually sleeps in his doghouse, anyway. [He's probably been sleeping in their bed since they've been gone.]

[ersatzeverything]

What're we going to do with them until Codsworth gets here? I'm pretty sure Paladin O'Haladin isn't gonna be okay with, like, us sharing our supplies with the pupsters.

[He rubs his thumb over one of their wrinkly, hairless foreheads. They look like a cross between a dog and a mole rat.]

[inhonorof]

[Deacon............. Well, at least it's not when O'Hallan is around.] I know. [Guilt claws at the inside of his chest.] But... I don't know how much they'd be able to do solid food at this point, anyway. So I don't know if there's anything we can really do to feed them, not with what we have. They're just going to have to hold out until Codsworth gets here. [Riley isn't aware of the way he's gently bouncing the puppy on his arm, the way he used to with Shaun. It's instinct.] The main problem is gonna be keeping them warm. [It may be fully spring now, but it still gets chilly. And while it's mildly uncomfortable for humans, he thinks it's likely a bigger problem for puppies.]

[ersatzeverything]

Maybe move them into one of the trailers where it's a bit more sheltered. And they can sleep in my sleeping bag when I'm not in it. Hell, they can sleep it in when I am in it. Pretty sure we'll all fit.

I can't believe you're going to all this effort over mutant hounds.

[inhonorof]

[Riley manages not to laugh at Deacon, but he can't keep himself from grinning. But that grin falters at Everett's words. He exhales slowly.] They're helpless, [he says quietly, not looking at him.]

[gallifreynpcs]

They're hounds. They're mutations.

[Riley grew up in the Old World. He should understand better than anyone how wrong creatures like this are, these things that are the result of deadly science left in careless hands.]

[inhonorof]

They're babies. [... his voice cracked a little that time. Damn.]

[gallifreynpcs]

They're still abominations.

[inhonorof]

As if they had any choice to be what they are. This isn't -- [Riley can feel his hands shaking. He doesn't want to do this.] I'm not... I'm not changing my mind.

[ersatzeverything]

Neither of us are.

I mean, I can't believe you're getting so worked up over puppies, pal. [Deacon throws Everett's earlier sentiments back at him.] Just let us do our thing.

[inhonorof]

[That feeling from earlier is back, and all Riley wants to do is curl up against Deacon and hide away from the rest of the world. Except it's not exactly the same this time. He wishes Zetta and Ferran were here. Except Zetta would snarl at Everett like he's an enemy, and Ferran would be shot on sight. ... the Brotherhood aren't their allies. This just... It just reminds him of that. He'd instinctively tried to make friends with them, but there are some lines that... he isn't going to be able to cross. Ones that matter. He managed to forget how much the Brotherhood made him feel like he was Pre-War all over again.]

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon picks up one of the puppies and holds it...uh, her, by the looks of it...up for Riley to take. They can carry two each.]

The quality of mercy is not strain'd.

[He read that in an Old World book once. Riley reminds him of it now.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley doesn't recognize the quote, but he can tell that it is one based on the way Deacon said it. He gently takes the puppy offered to him and holds it against his chest with one arm, bowing his head to softly kiss her little head. This is a mistake, because the puppies smell awful, but Riley fights against the instinctive way his nose wants to crinkle.]