[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]

[Something in Zay's expression makes Nathan's heart flutter. He blurts out.]

I want you to meet my...

[He doesn't know what to call the collection of survivors. Before the fall of Adams Air Force Base most of them had barely known each other. And even now they communicate infrequently. Yet they were his history, and they were all unified by a shared past, a shared origin.]

...meet my squad.

[recalcitrare]

[Zay lags a step in surprise. That -- was not what he expected.] Really? [is the first thing that comes out of his mouth, because the rest of his mind hasn't caught up.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[...Now he has to come up with an explanation. Something more rational than "I want to introduce you to the family."]

If we did have to evacuate, we'd be seeking them for assistance once we were on the surface. It would behoove us to let them know who you are.

We'd have to use the relay, of course, but we wouldn't really be going on the surface at all. Our meeting point is an underground military intelligence installation. Highly classified back in the days of the Old World. Untouched by the wasteland. Aside from the military aesthetic, it should feel not too different from the Institute.

[As a bonus, this could serve as a way to slowly get Zay used to the possibility of leaving. Nathan can start by showing Zay something outside the Institute but that'll be less of a shock than full wasteland surface.]

[recalcitrare]

[Predictably, Zay starts to tense the more he realizes this isn't just Nathan being sentimental. He's serious. And he seems to mean soon. Even if it's an underground location, it's still...] You realize we'd get caught, don't you? If not on the way out, then most certainly on the way back. You've been in enough trouble as it is. We don't need both of our privileges to start getting docked.

[timesbureaucrat]

I have to go. I've already put out the summons.

With all due respect to the Director, he's not a military strategist. When you're in a vulnerable position, you don't blow off potential allies. Coursers may be deadly but they have no experience fighting off a battalion of Brotherhood paladins in power armor. We're outnumbered and outgunned. Right now the only thing keeping us safe is that the Brotherhood don't know where to find us. We need to seize advantages where we can.

[Nathan stops, drops his voice low again. He was getting too worked up by the end of that speech.]

You don't have to go. But I'd like you to. Although I despise some of them, they're the closest thing to a family I have. If you're worried about getting into trouble you can claim that you were trying to stop me and got pulled into the relay unwillingly. I'll back up your story.

[recalcitrare]

And let you risk exile? I don't think so. [That's the easiest thing to reply to. It'd be a lie to say Zay's head isn't spinning. Nathan wants to take him to meet his family -- family equivalent, but the point stands. It makes him tighten his hold on Nathan's hand. But then, so does the rest of it. Already put out the summons -- Dammit, Nathan. And, the idea of Nathan going up there alone, again...] No. I don't want something happening to you while I'm stuck down here helpless to do anything about it. Not again. [He doesn't want to go to the surface. Especially if it isn't necessary. But...]

[timesbureaucrat]

Then you'll come?

[It's that or handcuff him to the balcony railing in the atrium to keep him from going.]

[recalcitrare]

Don't look at me like that. Yes, I'll come, [Zay answers bitterly.] Goddammit.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan smiles. He tries to make it look smug but what he really feels is relief.]

Thank you. [He rises on his toes to kiss Zay's cheek.]

We'll leave tonight. At midnight.

[recalcitrare]

[Zay rocks back in surprise, eyes wide and round.] Tonight?! [he repeats, his volume ratcheting up without him realizing -- his pitch, too.] Are you serious?! You weren't going to tell me you were planning on running off tonight until now?!

[timesbureaucrat]

Why, did you have other plans for tonight?

[He smooths his thumb over Zay's knuckles. He supposes he'd better try to appease Zay.]

I didn't tell you before because I only finalized the plans a few hours ago. The others will arrive tomorrow, but I'd rather be there early, plus, it will be easier for us to sneak away at night.

[recalcitrare]

A few hours ago?! [Zay doesn't appear to be appeased. If anything, his outrage likewise ratchets up.] Nathan, what -- [He stops himself from going off on a swearing spree.] What are you thinking? This is -- This is mad. I'd expect more planning for something like this, not such short damn notice. How long have you been thinking about doing this?

[timesbureaucrat]

I've been thinking about it since I proposed the idea to the Director and was shot down.

My soldiers and I prepared for this contingency ten years ago. I'm merely activating plans that have long been in place.

[recalcitrare]

[With his free hand, Zay pinches the bridge of his nose. Well... There's nothing he can do about it now. Everything is already in motion, and even if he changed his mind about going, it's not like Nathan will, so he isn't about to take it back. It doesn't stop him from being frustrated, though. It feels like Nathan is making decisions without considering how it'd affect him again -- Except, if he voiced that, he's certain that Nathan will say that he did consider him. He planned on offering to bring him along, after all. This is just Nathan being single-minded and dense again. Dammit.] I'd appreciate more of a heads up next time, [he says, not bothering to hide his irritation. It's really the only thing he can do to try to prevent a repeat performance.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Of course, dear.

[Next time...]

Does that mean that you might be willing to go on future trips to the surface?

[recalcitrare]

Of course that's what you take away from that. No, that's not what I meant. I don't know if I will or not. I meant the next time you get it in your head to sneak off again and have been planning it in advance.

[timesbureaucrat]

As you wish.

...

The offer to improve your mood later is still open, by the way. You seem to need it even more now than you did before.

[recalcitrare]

[I wonder why that is, he almost says, but his expression is dour enough it speaks for itself. Instead, he says,] I most certainly do.

[timesbureaucrat]

After dinner then, if that's agreeable to you.

Or after we've settled into a living quarters at the hidden bunker. I used to look quite dashing in a uniform.

[recalcitrare]

[That brings a new thought to mind, and he frowns.] I suppose that means I'll need a change of clothes, as well. [He thinks of what Nathan has worn to his surface expeditions and he can't help but make a face.]

[timesbureaucrat]

If you wish, although it shouldn't be necessary. The meeting place is in an underground base that was established for American military intelligence. It's well hidden and locked up with a high security computer terminal. Since most wastelanders can't even read I highly doubt one could hack through that terminal, even if they found it. Aside from a bit of dust it should be clean and secure.

I'm changing primarily because I haven't seen these people in ten years and the uniform will help remind them of my authority.

[recalcitrare]

I won't bother, then. It's hardly as though your associates won't know where you picked me up. [... it's occurring to him that he hasn't seen Nathan actually wear the uniform. ... he wonders how it looks. ... how well it suits him. ... maybe he'll have Nathan preview it for him before they leave.]

[timesbureaucrat]

And the Institute has a solid pre-War pedigree. That should work in your favor.

[Nathan hopes it will.]

[recalcitrare]

[... right. This is going to be a group of people who share Nathan's prediliction for genetic purity. ... it's occurring to him, too, that there's a high chance this isn't going to go so well for him. ... he has a bad feeling about this. And it's starting to show on his face.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan sees the uncertainty on Zay's face.]

You'll be fine.

[He can't say that they'll approve of Zay, however, as much as he might like to. That Zay is an outsider, a civilian, is bad enough, but added to that is the fact that Nathan won't be fulfilling his civic duty and passing on any pure American genes with Zay. In truth he thinks it likely that they won't approve, but he outranks them and therefore he'll order them to keep their opinions to themselves if he has to.]