[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

[bostoncrossing]

They recently lost their mercenary surface agent, and with the Brotherhood breathing down their necks, they may want to expand their surface capabilities.

[He's not going to explain how he knows about the Institute's personnel losses.]

I have no idea what the Institute's long-term goals are, so I can only speculate. But Lone bringing a stranger doesn't bode well.

[crowspy]

Where are they, anyway? It's... [He'd check his watch, if 1) he had one, and 2) if he wouldn't have to pull his arms out of the amorphous blob of his clothing to do so. Instead, he tilts his head one way then the other, in the fashion of someone making a vague gesture with their hand.] Y'know, a couple of hours before everyone else should be showing up. I really doubt Mr. Stickler is still asleep. [He pauses.] Actually, pointless question, never mind. Also: gross.

[bostoncrossing]

[Carrington doesn't want to answer Bellamy's question, he really doesn't. So he's glad when Bellamy rapidly comes up with the answer himself.]

Indeed.

I'm going to make myself some tea. Care for some? [Because being not evil and also not making Carrington explain where Captain Lone is deserves a reward in the form of a bit of basic politeness.]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy shrugs.] Sure, why not. [Gotta do something to kill the time. ... though, he's gonna have to take his mask off to actually drink the tea. Oh, well. There'll be plenty of time to put it back on before everyone shows up.]

[bostoncrossing]

[Carrington takes his time walking to the galley, making the tea, and drinking it. When he returns to the command center, his least favorite member of their odd little group is there. Lieutenant Williams is in his power armor, helmet under his arm. The Enclave insignia was scratched off long ago and it's painted now in streaks of red and black and decorated with barbed wire. On the chest piece graffiti spells out "ashes to ashes, dust to dust." He drops a Gatling laser on the floor near the door as he circles the room.]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy meanders after Singh, but doesn't stay matched with his sedate pace. The tea made for him ends up abandoned, half-empty, because his curiousity and restlessness predictably rear their heads. He putters around the rest of the facility, poking his head into different rooms, nosing about in anything left over on shelves and in containers. (He avoids the living quarters, though. Again: gross.) He putters back towards the command center when he hears a loud thudding sound. Oh, goody, he thinks.] Heyyyyyyy, Torvald, [he says instead, his arms magically appearing out from his layers as he spreads them wide as if welcoming a good friend. Even his voice is full of exaggerated joy.] Long time, no see! [It's a good thing he hasn't put his gas mask back on, after all.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

Touch me and I'll crack your skull like an egg, Yamamoto. [Torvald snarls, looking down at him from his armor enhanced height.]

[crowspy]

Oh, come on. It's like you don't know me at all. [Bellamy smiles beatifically and decidedly undeterred. Yeah, he wasn't gonna touch shit, my dude. Touching people isn't something he does. But the joke in this response is the fact that none of them know each other very well, outside of a couple of exceptions.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

And you don't know me, no matter how much you pretend, spy.

[With a hiss-stomp of each hydraulics powered step, Torvald walks to a corner of the room and exits his armor. The bulk and raw power of it is intoxicating, but it's impractical for indoors. The leather of his clothes is dyed dark. Even without the power armor he towers over the other two men in the room.]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy places one hand over his heart and drapes his wrist across his forehead, rocking back on his heels as if he's been struck.] Oh! How wounded am I! A fatal blow! I shall never recover! Remember me fondly, oh loyal compatriots! [This is why no one likes you, Bellamy.]

[bostoncrossing]

Remember, yes. As for the rest... ["Fondly" might be pushing it. ]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy falls back against the nearest desk, dropping onto his back on its top, legs flopping dramatically, wrist still firmly on his forehead.] Dead, defeated, gone forever, [he bemoans.] With not even a single person to grieve my loss!

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Two sets of footsteps in the hallway approaching the central command room.]

I'd miss you, Uncle Shouta.

[crowspy]

[And now, Bellamy springs back off the desk and onto his feet, placing both hands over his heart now.] At last! A single connection in this cruel world! [A beat. He breaks character to add:] And don't call me that.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Sara grins.] Okay, Grandpappy Shouta.

[crowspy]

Okay, wow. I was gonna say it makes me feel old, but now I'm just offended. I'm not even going gray yet.

[falloutpslnpcs]

Hm. Some of us aren't so lucky. [John's hair and beard have some salt and pepper that it didn't ten years ago. He follows his daughter into the room, swinging a shotgun off his shoulder to prop up against the wall next to Torvald's Gatling laser. He and Sara are unremarkable in dress: jeans, flannel, sturdy boots, and canvas jackets to keep off the chill. The clothes of Commonwealth settlers.]

[crowspy]

Nah, I don't know what you're talking about. [A more genuine sunny smile goes here; he likes the Granites. They're the ones he's kept the closest contact with.] Well. [He claps his hands together, rubs them, and then withdraws them back into his layers.] Looks like we're just missing the happy couple. And the Cap'n, of course, but he's, uh, occupied. [And this is a "little shit" grin. Guess what, guys. No, really. Guess.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Sara rolls her eyes in exasperation.]

Is he trying to hack the main computer server here?

[She swears, Uncle Nathan cares more about computers than about people sometimes.

Uncle Doc snorts.]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy sniggers.] Uh, yeah, no. I'd tell you, but I'm pretty sure you're too young to understand. [Sara's not too young to understand. But he knows that phrase is more likely to tip everyone else off. ... whether or not Sara catches on to it, he's not sure. Sometimes he expects her to catch things, but they soar right over her head. It's part of the fun, though; it's a good kind of unpredictability.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Sara, John, and Torvald all stare at Bellamy with varying degrees of surprise and horror.]

Oh. My. God.

If you're telling me that he's getting a morning quickie, I do not want to hear about it.

[After Sara's finished, John rumbles.]

And I don't want to hear how you know what a quickie is.

Dad. I'm 20 and I have ears. Haven't you heard caravan guards talk before?

[crowspy]

[Bellamy tries not to laugh at the looks on their faces. Okay, that's a lie. He cackles and points at them all. Which probably makes it look like he's pulling a fast one on them, actually.] No, really. He brought somebody with him from the Institute and they're totally all over each other. Doc, back me up on this. You're the one who told me.

[bostoncrossing]

It's true.

[Carrington faces Torvald.]

It's a man.

[Getting it out there early because it will be better for everyone if Torvald processes it now than is surprised by it later.]

[crowspy]

[That bit is news to Bellamy as well, but he doesn't react at all. Instead, he's turning to face Sara and John, his arms appearing out from under his layers so he can make a broad "what did I tell you" gesture.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[John doesn't look surprised and Sara, who grew up in the Commonwealth, doesn't understand why it matters at all. But Torvald's expression darkens.]

Now more than ever the Captain should understand the importance of preserving and passing down our genetic heritage.