[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

[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.

[crowspy]

[Bellamy looks to Sara and points at her instead.] This is why you're my favorite. You appreciate me.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Sara smiles sweetly.]

Thank you, Uncle Bellamy.

[From down the hall a door opens. And the stomp of power armor approaches.]

I think that's Aunt Regan coming. Guess we should tell her that she'd better start having babies and mothering. For the preservation of humanity and all. You want to do it, Uncle Torvald?

[crowspy]

[When she actually calls him "Uncle Bellamy," it's a sign to him that she knew that wasn't just him being cheeky at Singh. His grin this time is lopsided, with just one corner of his mouth twitching up.

And then she goes and makes him proud, and his other hand comes out from under his layers so he can thread his fingers under his chin and look expectantly at Torvald.] Oh, please do it. Look at that, I'm even asking nice.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Torvald scowls at them both and says nothing as Regan enters. Her power armor is better maintained than Torvald's, painted black with the white skull of the Gunners on its chest. Her husband Louis follows behind her, dressed in the well-do-to suit of a successful merchant. Regan makes sure that the Gunners and raiders leave Louis' caravans alone.

She sets her Tesla cannon by the other weapons and pulls off her helmet.]

Where's the Captain? He called us here. He should be punctual. I have troops of my own to oversee now and I loathe wasting time.

[crowspy]

[Bellamy's forefingers dart out and he wiggles them from side to side as he says, in a sing-song voice,] Cap'n has a boy-friend.

[falloutpslnpcs]

I don't care if he has a harem. He summoned us and I came--grudgingly--but if he's not here in ten minutes I'm leaving.

[crowspy]

See, [Bellamy promptly says to Torvald,] Regan doesn't care. Pretty sure that puts you down as the only one, buddy.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Louis breaks in.]

Wait, you're serious? The Captain actually has a boyfriend?

[crowspy]

Totally serious. Doc saw them together last night. Poor bastard. And there's been no sign of 'em all morning.

[timesbureaucrat]

No sign of whom?

[Nathan says as he strides in wearing an Enclave officer uniform and cap, plasma pistol holstered on his hip. He scans the room.]

Everyone's here as far as I can see.

[crowspy]

[It's about time. Bellamy casually turns in his direction, more so he can try to get a glimpse of his paramour than anything else. Equally casually, and with an innocent expression, he answers,] You, Cap'n. Most of us've been here for ages. We just thought it was weird you hadn't turned up yet. [Note him not mentioning at all the boyfriend thing. (And there's no sign of him, either. Zay is lingering back on the other side of the doorway, observing, but not entering yet.)]

[timesbureaucrat]

There was little point in my being here before everyone had arrived. I set up an alert system to let me know each time the access password was entered.

[And counted each soft ping from his terminal while Zay was doing things that made him hope that at least some members of the squad would be late arriving.]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy's casual attitude continues as he says,] So what were you doing while you were waiting to squeak in under the wire? [A beat.] Enjoying breakfast? [Another beat.] A nice sausage, maybe? [B e l l a m y.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan doesn't blink as he watches Bellamy. His eyes narrow and his jaw is tight.]

As a matter of fact I did. A sausage and a pair of eggs. Do you have a problem with that?