[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]

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.

[crowspy]

[Bellamy is lucky that he's facing John and Sara, because he can't help the way he rolls his eyes. He turns back to the group at large, his arms disappearing again.] Yeah, seriously, [he drawls, unable to help himself from ribbing at least a little bit.] Why can't he see that all eight of us can repopulate the entire surface with our beautiful and wholesome genetics?

[falloutpslnpcs]

Fuck no, I'm not repopulating the surface with any of you guys. No offense, but ew.

[crowspy]

Well, you heard the woman, [Bellamy says to Torvald.] Looks like you're gonna have to talk to your brother's wife about this whole preservation of our heritage thing. [He knows this is summoning Regan to come and eviscerate him for even suggesting it, but he has a point to make.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Torvald glances nervously back towards the door to the command center as if he's afraid of the same thing.

No Regan appears.]

There are vault dwellers whose genes have been protected against the ravages of radiation. Or if the Captain had chosen a woman of the Institute, their advanced technology may have preserved their humanity as well. He is betraying America with his selfishness.

[crowspy]

[He's not surprised Torvald isn't backing off, but that fearful reaction is exactly what he was aiming for. He leans back against the edge of the desk he'd melodramatically draped himself across earlier and crosses his ankles. His hands are back in his hoodie pocket under his layers, fingertips drumming lightly against his pistol. His entire posture is casual and unconcerned.] Look, you're just gonna have to belly up to the fact that we aren't living under all those restrictions any more. If the Cap'n feels like hooking up with a guy or three, pretty sure there's jackall any of us can do about it. And the same goes for the rest of us. Besides. [He grins, but the warmth he shares with John and Sara is entirely absent in the expression.] For all the bitching you're doing, you sure don't seem to be in any hurry to preserve your heritage.

[bostoncrossing]

[Carrington steeples his fingers like a professor preparing to deliver a lecture.]

Not to mention after ten years of living on the surface and weathering rad storms blowing in from the Glowing Sea, I dare say none of our DNA is what it used to be.

If you insist on clinging to old American ideals, there are better ones than President Eden's ridiculous notion of purity. Try freedom. Or justice.

[crowspy]

[Out comes a hand to point at Singh.] Remind me to get you a beer later.

[bostoncrossing]

[His hands part to cross his arms over his chest instead.]

I don't drink.

[crowspy]

Fine, make it Fancy Cakes instead.

[bostoncrossing]

I don't eat preservative-filled Old World food either.

[Sara pipes up.]

I'll take the beer and the Fancy Lads.