[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

[timesbureaucrat]

[And Nathan's urge is to snark. Say something like "Is it really a high bar, considering the present company?" But this isn't a game now. Zetta is furious.

He runs his fingers through his hair, causing his curls to stand on end.]

I'm a pretentious ass with a superiority complex.

But you're right. It was uncalled for. And I doubt my genes are as pure as they used to be either.

[capcious]

[Her hackles start to lower. He's acknowledging he fucked up, instead of digging his heels in. Good. But she's not done with him.] You need to come to terms with the fact that your genes don't mean shit. And neither do anyone else's.

[timesbureaucrat]

[His eyes shift down.]

Our genes make us human. At what point do we become something else? Take super mutants for example.

[capcious]

I don't do philosophical shit like this, but I'm pretty sure what makes us human is whatever souls are. [... thanks, Zetta.]

[timesbureaucrat]

So FEV removes souls while it distorts genes?

[capcious]

[Zetta throws her hands -- ... hand in the air. (Her slinged arm flaps due to her reflex.)] I don't fucking know. [She tried. She doesn't know why she tried. She's going to blame Deacon and Riley.] Whether or not someone's lost their humanity is based on decisions and actions. There are a shitload of people Pre-War I'd say stopped being human way before the bombs dropped. [... and Ferran would be on some Pre-War people's lists, for what he did for his job.]

[timesbureaucrat]

So you're saying that being human in character is more important than being biologically human.

[He wants to believe it. It would make his fears of his own impurity irrelevant. But it's difficult to let go of the years of indoctrination.]

[capcious]

That's kind of what I've been saying this entire time. [Why are you only just now figuring that out?]

[timesbureaucrat]

I'm not sure how you can separate them. Inhumane humans aside, the super mutant experiment shows how changing the body can result in unfortunate side effects. Did you know that the FEV was originally created to enhance the immune system so that American soldiers could fight off a biological attack? Such a simple, worthy goal and look at the result?

[capcious]

[Zetta pinches the bridge of her nose. She's sure Zellweger is going to love Nathan not letting this conversation go. (... it occurs to her suddenly that Zellweger must've not seen her nearly strangle Nathan.)] Your argument doesn't make any damn sense. You could use that to say surgery turns someone inhuman. Or someone undergoing hormone therapy. And FEV is a pretty goddamn extreme example. Changing the body -- I swear to god, if it wouldn't send Shaun through the roof, I'd drag you to the surface now and force you to stay there for two weeks, among normal fucking people.

[timesbureaucrat]

Are they really "normal" up there?

[Nathan's recollection of the surface, back when he used to lead patrols in D.C., was that the surface was full off what was commonly called "Weird Shit."]

[capcious]

[She makes a dismissive hand gesture.] What passes for normal nowadays. Depends on where you go -- I know some settlers who are more normal than my old neighbors. Like, shit, I'm not talking Goodneighbor. I'm not even talking about Diamond City, god knows most of those people have some fucking neuroses. I'm talking about Sanctuary, County Crossing, Jamaica Plain. You know, out where the majority of the population actually is.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Curiosity rises up. Nathan knows he's straying a bit from the point Zetta's trying to make, but he wants to know.]

Where is Deacon from? [It feels odd to say the agent's actual name.]

[capcious]

Seriously? We're talking about normal people, and you ask about him? [Yeah, she's not giving that a real answer.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Are you saying he's not normal?

[capcious]

He's a compulsive liar who spends his spare time combining words and contemplating new disguises. If you asked him where he's from, he'd give you a different answer every time, complete with a different sob story about his mom. I'm engaged to him, and I don't even know when his fucking birthday is.

[timesbureaucrat]

Ah.

[Nathan's mouth twitches in a smile.]

So he passes for normal nowadays.

[When the competition includes a woman who dresses up like a giant ant, "normal" is relative.]

[capcious]

[u lil shit.] He wouldn't say he's normal, [Zetta corrects with an exasperated eyeroll.] I love him, but christ is he a bad example of the average wastelander. [He's better. He actually follows through on what he thinks is right, is actually trying to make a difference, has dedicated his entire life to it.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[All this talk of the surface makes him feel the pull to be up there, do be doing something. Ironic that he became an officer because he didn't want to be stuck in a lab all day, only to end up stuck in a lab all day.]

If I wasn't grounded after my last surface excursion, I'd fetch this hypothetical miracle cure for you and the Director.

[To go back to their topic of conversation before he roused Zetta's fury with his ill-thought out comment.]

[capcious]

[... aaaand they're back on topic again. Damn. She deflates slightly, then runs her hand through her hair.] And I'd offer to sneak you out to do it, but... no. It'd probably be best if someone she knew went and got her. I'll remind the others and have them go pick her up.

[timesbureaucrat]

As you wish.

[He can't say he's not a little bit disappointed by her decision. But she's right that this Curie person is more likely to go with people she knows than to blindly trust a complete stranger and follow him into the wasteland.]

[capcious]

[Zetta hears it in his voice. She lowers hers.] I still mean what I said. If you want out, we'll get you out. We haven't had a chance to clean up the place we'd want to put you, but we'll still make it happen.

[timesbureaucrat]

[It's tempting...

...but he glances at Zay to remind himself why he can't say yes. Zay would loathe the surface. If it were a matter of life or death, the Brotherhood razing the Institute, yes, he'd drag Zay out with him and make sure they survived. But he doubts Zay would relocate just because Nathan is feeling restless.]

Thank you for the offer, but not at this time.

[capcious]

[She sees that, too. And... christ. She's not surprised, but she gets it. Goddamn, does she get it. She resists the urge to sigh.] Alright. [A beat. Reluctantly:] I guess you should go do your job. [She's still loathe to be alone right now, but she doesn't think she can get away with continuing to push her luck. She'll probably finish fiddling with this prototype and go test it.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Indeed.

Zetta, I--

[He wants to say something about how he appreciates her friendship. How, despite their disagreements, he respects her tremendously. He'll offer any support she wants in this difficult time, she only need ask.]

Don't blow yourself up.

[Close enough.]