[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]

[Regan scowls.] He's not one of us. Why should we protect him?

[Louis rests a hand on her elbow--although with Regan still in her power armor, she can't feel the touch. It's just an instinctive gesture on Louis' part.]

He might as well be one of us. His genes are good, his organization is a direct continuation of an American institution, and he has close affiliations with the Captain. And it's not just him we're protecting. Whatever plan we come up with will be something we can use if any of us are attacked by the Brotherhood.

[crowspy]

If the Cap'n not only told him about us, but brought him here, I'm pretty sure he's gonna get dragged along with us anyway. And if you wanna leave his back unprotected so he'll get shot, then you can deal with the consequences.

[falloutpslnpcs]

What is the plan if things go FUBAR? Do we evacuate from the Commonwealth?

[John has friends here, a life. But if the Brotherhood takes over, his presence will put those friends at risk.]

[crowspy]

That's what I've been assuming, honestly.

[timesbureaucrat]

If the Brotherhood is victorious, we convene here, or, if this location is compromised, Outpost Zimonja. Then, this time, we travel far enough away that the Brotherhood expansion can't catch up to us again.

[Nathan glances back at Zay.]

[recalcitrare]

[Zay isn't sure why Nathan looks to him. His instinct is to reach to settle a hand at the small of Nathan's back, but he doesn't want to touch him in front of all these people -- doesn't want to touch him with so many people watching them. Last night, when it was just the doctor, that was one thing. But here? Where his presence is being scrutinized? (His jaw is a tighter than normal.) Softly, he says to Nathan,] You'll have to show me where they are on a map, in case we can't relay directly there and we get separated.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Some of the tension unwinds from Nathan when Zay responds only with a practical consideration. He was afraid that even after the agreement they'd made between themselves, Zay would be spooked by this talk of running across the wasteland to lands unknown.]

I will. And I'll go over best routes and how to deal with potential hazards along the way and help you pack an emergency bag. If the worst should happen, I'll make sure you're ready.

[recalcitrare]

[Zay wishes he could kiss him, even something as soft and simple as a kiss to the temple. Instead, he simply nods, his expression quiet but loaded with emotion.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Sara grins at them and has to stop herself from saying something about how adorable they are. This is a serious discussion and she will be taken seriously.]

So how do we decide when it's time to give up and run?

[crowspy]

[Zay notices Sara grinning, and he narrows his eyes at her.]

And we need a code to announce over the radio for it.

[timesbureaucrat]

Code: "The stars have fallen."

If the Institute is seized, the Minutemen crushed, or the Railroad obliterated, we'll confer and assess our chances against the Brotherhood with reduced assets. I want to see those Brotherhood bastards destroyed, but I'm no Captain Ahab.

[recalcitrare]

You'd better not be, [Zay mutters.]

Roger, [the laundry man is saying at the same time, with another two-fingered salute.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Are there any further questions? Points of concern? Smartass comments? [He directs that last question directly to Bellamy.]

[crowspy]

[Well, that's just asking for it. Bellamy promptly sticks his arm straight up in the air.] Yeah, how do you like your eggs, Cap'n? [Zay closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan narrows his eyes.]

Over easy. Next question?

[crowspy]

How do you like to eat your sausage? Are you a fork and knife kind of guy, or do you just pick it up and -- wow, if looks could kill. [Bellamy is now being treated to a sharp, piercing glare from Zay, the kind of which normally has the other scientists in Advanced Systems leaping away and apologizing, but Bellamy, of course, just laughs.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Any relevant questions? [He doesn't wait for Bellamy to speak again.] Good. Moving on, the status updates we get over the radio are minimal, so report now on the status of your chosen location and life. Sharing our knowledge among each other, we should all get a thorough overview of the state of the Commonwealth.

[crowspy]

[Zay shuffles a little further behind Nathan as he seizes control back and directs them to the next topic. Unsurprisingly, Bellamy is the first one to answer.] Parked in Diamond City for the most part. Cushy job and everything. Do a bit of negotiating between the Lower and Upper Stands, play a bit of secretary for somebody every now and then, run jobs nobody else wants to in the meantime. [He shrugs one shoulder.] Feed some info to the Railroad every once in a while, when somebody drops by to ask questions. Make faces behind the mayor's back.

[timesbureaucrat]

And what's the state of Diamond City lately? Any thoughts from the settlers there about the Brotherhood of Steel? The Institute? The Minutemen?

[crowspy]

[Bellamy makes a dismissive gesture... with his head, because his arm has disappeared under his layers again.] Their opinions of the Institute haven't changed. Still hate them. Still terrified of them. The Brotherhood haven't been doing themselves any favors, either. Word's come around that they've been raiding farms, "requisitioning" the food. Traders are pissed. People who buy the food brought in by the traders are pissed. But nobody can do anything about it. The Minutemen have been growing in numbers because of it, but there's also a lot of people who're pissed at them, too, because they think the Minutemen should've shut this shit down already. [And this is exactly why Bellamy chose Diamond City to bunk down in. All that information at his fingertips.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

The Brotherhood have power armor and laser rifles. We have nice hats and pipe pistols. Shotgun if we're lucky. [John knows that Bellamy is just reporting what he hears, but he still feels the need to defend his honor.]

I joined the Minutemen about a month ago. Our numbers are steadily growing, but like I said, a lot of people's equipment is old. Fine for taking down a feral or a raider, but we're going to need better supplies if we're going to be much help taking on the Brotherhood.

[crowspy]

Yeah, I have no idea where those people are coming from on that. Sure, the Minutemen are going again, and sure, a hell of a lot of people joined up recently, but it's not like somebody's out there manufacturing fresh, half-decent weapons to supply an army, let alone an army meant to take down power armored troops.

[falloutpslnpcs]

Know who I bet is manufacturing fresh, awesome, high tech weapons? The Institute.

[Sara looks at Uncle Nathan and...Uncle Xavier...daring them to tell her that she's wrong.]

[recalcitrare]

[Zay, despite his quiet attitude so far, snorts.] No unwashed surface settler is qualified to use Institute weapons, if that's what you're driving at. And if you mean we fight the Brotherhood, I must remind you we only have so many coursers.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Sara rears back in affront and crosses her arms.]

Hey! I'm not unwashed. I bathed just four days ago!