[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

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran watches Zetta restlessly wander the room. She's been like this since supper and he's fairly sure he knows why.

Zetta never did handle helplessness well, and they're all helpless in the face of Shaun's illness.]

If you're feeling a need to commit cathartic violence, I have some names I could give you.

[capcious]

[Zetta makes a frustrated sound in the back of her throat as Riley watches her worriedly.] It wouldn't help. Fuck.

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran shrugs.]

That's always an option, too.

[Unlike Zetta, Ferran remains very still, seated with his legs crossed, his voice mild and without inflection.]

[capcious]

[Zetta stops for a moment, runs her hands into her hair and leaves them there for a second, then spins to look at Deacon.] We need to track down Curie and bring her down here. [Riley, who hasn't met Curie, blinks in surprise and confusion.]

[ersatzeverything]

Uh, I totally get where you're coming from but I gotta say that I'm not sure that bringing a synth down here is a good idea. Or a medical Miss Nanny in a synth body.

[Zetta's thinking about her son, which he understands. But he's got to think about the well being of the synth that Curie is now. From everything he's heard from inside the Institute about what they think of synths, they aren't going to care that their escaped synth got a personality makeover and a French accent. They're just going to see a tool that wandered off and needs to be repossessed.]

[capcious]

[Fuck. Zetta slides a hand down into her face and pinches her nose. He's right. She knows he's right. And since Curie is inhabiting the body of an escaped synth, it's impossible that someone won't recognize her and try to go get her wiped. But -- Shaun -- (And this is why she needs Deacon. It feels like pulling teeth for her to keep her blinders off right now. But she can't just do this to Curie without thinking it through. ... not just for Curie's sake, but for Shaun's, too.) She lowers her hands and sighs.] I know. Maybe if I talk to Shaun and get something set up -- A blanket statement that she's to be left alone, and her own private lab on top of that...

[ersatzeverything]

I can go with that. If we tell Curie what the risks are if the Institute breaks their promise and Curie agrees to accept that risk.

[capcious]

Yeah. I mean, jesus, I'm not going to force her to come down here if she doesn't want to. [She might have. Ferran might yet.]

[ersatzeverything]

Oh yeah, I never though you'd, like, force her. [The Zetta he first met would have, but he thinks she's better than that now.

Ferran, he's not so sure about.]

I'm saying that we need to be open and honest about this.

Wow, those are so not words I say very often.

[capcious]

[Something in her shoulders relaxes at his reassurance, but then immediately tenses back up. He shouldn't... be so certain of her. But he is. She aims for the joke.] You know shit is serious when you're the one saying that.

[ersatzeverything]

I know, right? I wish Dez were here to see this. Except, you know, the part where she'd go nuclear on the Institute.

[He can't wait to report back to her and tell her just how long he's been in the Institute. That's going to be fun. ...Not.]

[capcious]

[Zetta lets herself sidle up towards him.] Yeah, she'll just have to wait to hear aaall about it later, once the fun is over. [A beat.] Well, maybe not all about it.

[ersatzeverything]

Yeah, I'm definitely keeping some details for myself.

[Deacon slides an arm around Zetta's waist.]

So who's gonna be on Team Curie? Want me to fly solo on this one?

[capcious]

[She leans into him, ignoring just how much she's already relaxing.] Mmm... I know how well you can take care of yourself, but you also know how paranoid I get anyway. [She lifts her good hand to rub her knuckles up along his jaw.] So I'd definitely prefer you went with someone, but it's up to you. [And she knows he didn't have to ask. He could've decided for himself how to go about this, and none of them would've argued (much, most likely). The fact he put the ball in her court just makes her relax more.]

[ersatzeverything]

Eeny meeny miney mo...

[He points to each of them in turn even though he already knows who he wants to take. Zetta's still recovering and although she's out of the hospital she shouldn't be doing field work this soon. Ferran needs to stay and build rapport with the Institute. Ferran becoming truly accepted as Director could change everything for the synths.

So that leaves...]

Riley. Wanna crawl around a radioactive wasteland with me? It'll be totally fun, honest.

[inhonorof]

[Now that Zetta's relaxed, Riley has relaxed, too, and has been sitting next to Ferran, leaned over to be in his space. He smiles gently and teases,] Sure, but only because you're promising me a good time.

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon puts on a false sultry voice and waggles his eyebrows over his shades.]

I'm always a good time, baby.

[capcious]

Stop trying to make me jealous, because it's working. [God, she wishes she could go.]

[ersatzeverything]

Oh...uh, it's gonna be terrible. We're gonna work, like, all the time. Walk for 16 grueling hours a day, eat nothing but radroaches and cross right through territory that's controlled by deathclaw behemoths. That's right, creatures that are a cross between a deathclaw and a behemoth.

You're seriously not missing out.

[capcious]

I don't believe you. He's at least getting a blowjob out of this, let's not even pretend.

[reformedcriminal]

I'll keep you entertained while they're away.

[And give them a good send off before they go.

Ferran leans against Riley's side. He hates letting Riley out of his sight. There's always a little part of him that's afraid that he'll never see Riley again.]

[capcious]

[Riley responds instinctively, slipping an arm around Ferran's back and kissing his temple, all without really thinking about it.] You'd better. Or else I really will have to go test that prototype grenade I've been working on. Please tell me you're joking.

[reformedcriminal]

I don't know, it could be fun.

[Ferran said he'd keep Zetta entertained, not that he'd keep her out of trouble.]

[capcious]

See? We just need to take it to one of the back hallways, rig up a system to let us detonate it from afar, and we're golden. ... you are serious. Zetta...

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran smiles slightly at Riley and softly kisses his cheek by the edge of his lips.]

We can't let you and Deacon have all the excitement.