[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

[gallifreynpcs]

[Deacon trots off to find O'Hallan and Hal automatically starts to carry the puppies to the trailer assigned to Riley and Deacon.]

And I bet we can find a box or a crate to make their bed in. So they don't try to wander off.

[inhonorof]

[Riley is far, far too distracted by how much he appreciates how Hal is looking at this, treating this, to worry about what, exactly, Deacon is going to tell O'Hallan. He's starting to relax again.] If we have to, we can probably section some space off and set up a barrier to keep them in. It wouldn't have to be much. Underneath a desk would work, I think.

[gallifreynpcs]

That's true. They can't weigh more than five pounds. It's not like they're going to jump or push it over.

[Hal enters the trailer and looks for a good place to put the puppies.]

[inhonorof]

[There are a couple of wooden boxes in here, but they're too small to hold all of them -- but there is a desk, and enough junk that they can fall back on Riley's idea. They decide to get them blocked in so they can have their hands free to collect various bits of cloth and rags to line the floor and wall with and make that nest. As they work, Riley continues to relax again. For someone who was raised in the Brotherhood, Hal is taking to the idea and the task readily -- and more than that, but with kindness, too. Riley wonders if his father is the difference between Hal's outlook on this and Everett's.]

[gallifreynpcs]

[Hal pulls the moldy old blankets off the bed and brings them to the desk and then stops.]

If we get enough bedding from other places, maybe we should put this over the desk. It'll help hold the warmth in their den.

[inhonorof]

[Riley can't help but smile up at him from where he's kneeling, tucking a moth-eaten curtain into the back corner.] You're great, [he tells him unthinkingly.] Seriously.

[gallifreynpcs]

This matters to you and Jack. You're my brothers now and brothers stick together.

[Hal doesn't see it as doing anything great or special. Taking care of these ugly little puppies doesn't hurt anything and it's what Riley and Jack want to do so he'll support them doing it. Divisions only weaken them all.]

[inhonorof]

[Something in the center of Riley's chest warms.] Still. [Everett insisted we kill them, he thinks about saying, almost says, but decides against it. It feels too -- He doesn't know. One part childish, tattle-telling, and one part... like he'd be trying to turn them against each other, or something. Instead, he goes with,] It means a lot.

[gallifreynpcs]

Thanks.

I'm glad you're with us. With the Brotherhood. Letting outsiders join was controversial but people like you are exactly the reason why we shouldn't close our ranks to people who weren't born into it.

[inhonorof]

[There it is, that twist of guilt he feels like he's been bracing himself for since they were assigned to this squad. Riley's eyes fall before he can think about how that might not look good.] Thank you, [he says, voice quiet again.]

[gallifreynpcs]

[Hal just thinks it's shyness and modesty on Riley's part, and smiles, crouching by the desk and fluffing up some of the cloth they've already gathered.]

[inhonorof]

[After another quiet moment of working around the puppies, something finally belatedly hits Riley: namely, that he has no idea how Deacon's choosing to sell this to O'Hallan. He trusts him, and he'd been distracted, so he hadn't thought twice about it, but -- ] Oh, man, [he half-groans, smearing his hand down his face. They're pretty much done here, anyway.] I'm gonna go check on D -- Jack. [Close. Real close. He's going to actually slip up sooner rather than later, he thinks, but at least Deacon chose his fake surname to help him cover for it in the inevitability. (... and for the joke, but it's useful.) He stands, grimacing a little as his back and knees complain at him, and starts to head out of the trailer.]

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon's heading towards their trailer as Riley leaves it. When he sees Riley, he grins and gives him a big double thumbs up. Mission accomplished.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley half-laughs. He backs up until they're both inside, and out of habit is reaching to settle a hand on his hip.] What did you say?

[ersatzeverything]

I showed him a picture of Irene and told him I'd hook him up with a date if he let us keep the puppies. [No he didn't, but it's a good story.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley laughs in full this time, and loudly in his surprise.] Come on. What did you tell him? [he tries again, this time putting some plea into his voice. Zetta and Ferran would recognize it as the warning sign that the puppy eyes are coming next, even if this isn't entirely calculated on Riley's part.]

[ersatzeverything]

Okay, fine, I told him that Elder Maxson gave you a personal, secret mission to save all the puppies and kittens and little bunny-wunnies of the Commonwealth. Ad victoriam!

[inhonorof]

[He laughs again, but then the puppy eyes do indeed start to come out.] Fine, I'll just ask O'Hallan later, then, [he says around them, ducking his chin even as he's still grinning.]

[ersatzeverything]

[Oh god, that look. None can stand against it.]

Okay, you got me. I told him that you knew someone up in Sanctuary who raised dogs and stuff and would want the puppies. It's basically true. Just the someone in Sanctuary doesn't know they want these puppies yet 'cause my message hasn't been sent yet.

And I told him that it's not gonna interfere with mission and you were, like, totally dead set on getting these puppies to Sanctuary and if he didn't let you do it this way then you were going to take off right now and leave him short-handed.

[inhonorof]

Wow, it's amazing, [Riley can't help but tease. He knows Hal is still in the trailer with them, but they're going to be spending enough time with Deacon that there's no point in trying to pretend like he doesn't lie all the time. Besides -- This isn't necessarily going to give that away. It'll just make it sound like Riley was expecting Deacon to lie about it. Which... is true. It's just not the full story.] You actually told him the entire truth. Well. Mostly truth. [Riley wouldn't bail immediately. But he's pretty sure he would be willing to split off if it was the only choice he had.]

[ersatzeverything]

Freaky, huh. It was that or tell him that the dogs were obviously descended from your pre-War pooch--you saw the resemblance right away--and you felt obligated to save them.

[inhonorof]

[Riley lowers his head. He still... tries not to think about his dog. His heart stops in his chest for a second.] I don't think he would've bought that, [he manages with a small smile.]

[ersatzeverything]

Yeah. Guess not. That's why I had to go with the truth. Bummer.

[inhonorof]

[To distract himself, he leans over to kiss Deacon's forehead.] Hal helped get the puppies comfortable. They should be able to keep warm enough for now, and they shouldn't be able to wander off when we're not here watching them.

[ersatzeverything]

Awesome. [Deacon bites back the rest of that sentence, which went something along the lines of "Maybe not all Maxson groupies are total assholes after all." But he totally thinks it.]

I'll get that message out as soon as I can, try get Codsworth down here fast.

[Because even if they're warm and safe, they're going to need to eat and they don't have that ability here.]