[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]

[... oh. Oh. The idea of picking the joke back up after everything makes Riley laugh, even before the punchline.] Olive who?

[ersatzeverything]

Olive you.

[Of course he's making a joke of his declaration.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley figured that's where that was going, or somewhere similar, but he still laughs. He kisses Deacon's forehead.] I love you, too, [he says more directly, smiling. He slips his hands around Deacon's and tugs lightly.] C'mon. Let's go lay down. I'm pretty sure we deserve it.

[ersatzeverything]

We so do. Muties and raiders and robots all in one day? Real unfair.

[He lets Riley lead him.]

[inhonorof]

[Now Riley lets himself drop onto their bedrolls, legs sprawling out. He holds his hands out for Deacon, fingers wiggling.]

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon grins, sets aside his shades, and settles himself on top of Riley and between his legs.]

Hi.

[inhonorof]

[Warmth spreads in Riley's chest as Deacon takes his sunglasses off. His hands settle on the small of Deacon's back, and slowly smooth upward.] Hi. You know, this is exactly where I wanted to be all day. [He leans up slightly to nudge Deacon's nose with his.]

[ersatzeverything]

In a bedroll in a trailer park? Oh man of simple wants.

[He gives Riley a soft kiss.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley's eyes lull into the kiss.] What can I say? I'm easy to please.

[ersatzeverything]

Lucky for me. [He kisses Riley again, this time at the corner of his mouth.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley nuzzles his nose against his cheek, rubbing his thumbs gently against Deacon's shoulderblades.] It's been... a day. [A beat.] How did you really outrun the vertibird?

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon chuckles.]

The lies are seriously more fun. Are you sure you want the boring old truth?

[inhonorof]

Yeah. I doubt it's as boring as you're saying.

[ersatzeverything]

It really is boring, and that's not a lie.

I seriously just ran as fast as I could. I can do a pretty good sprint and knew from watching our flights that Alex'd have to do, like, pre-flight checks and stuff and that it'd take him a few minutes to get the vertibird off the ground. I bet on the fact that I'd have enough of a head start and the trailer park was close enough that I'd be able to win the race.

[inhonorof]

[Riley laughs.] Okay, I guess that is kind of boring. But it's still great. No wonder you were dying when you got here. I think the best part is that no one's ever gonna believe you actually did it. Zetta and Ferran are going to think I'm helping you with your lie if I agree.

[ersatzeverything]

I know, right? Now I get to say that I won in a race with a vertibird, and no one will believe me. It's awesome.

[inhonorof]

[Riley loves how much Deacon loves things like this. He thinks, maybe, that it's the secret of it -- knowing what's true and what isn't. It's funny, too, when it's something like this, harmless and just fun, but... It always seems to Riley like it means more than that to him. No wonder he gets along so well with Zetta and Ferran. Secrets like this are, for them, a game -- It's making their privacy, something that makes them feel safe, into a game, just for the people they trust to be behind those walls. Riley, still smiling, kisses Deacon again, just as softly as before.]

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon closes his eyes and soaks in the sensations. Riley's lips moving against his, Riley's hand warm on his back. He's calm and relaxed in a way Deacon rarely is. Riley's just like that. It's like a super power.

When the kiss ends, he murmurs against Riley's lips.]

Uh, by the way, don't tell Alex how I did it. Pinky swear.

[inhonorof]

[Riley begins to giggle.] Yeah, okay. I won't tell. Pinky swear. [He removes a hand from Deacon's back so he can hold up his pinky.]

[ersatzeverything]

[He hooks Riley's pinky with his own and shakes.

And then leans down and licks Riley's pinky fingertip. Because it's there.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley laughs outright now.] I don't think that's how that's supposed to work, [he teases.]

[ersatzeverything]

It's like a spit in your hand and shake-slash-pinky swear super combo.

[inhonorof]

Okay, that makes sense. But I don't know if I should be offended or not. Do you really think you need the extra insurance? You that worried I'll tell anyway?

[ersatzeverything]

Nah, I trust you.

[Deacon says it casually, but he means it. Really really means it. And Deacon only trusts, like, four and a half people. (Tinker Tom is not "all there" so Deacon can only trust half of him.)]

[inhonorof]

[A warmth glows in Riley's chest at that, and he can't help but kiss him again.] Thank you.