[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]

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!

[recalcitrare]

[He rolls his eyes.] Present company excluded, I know you lot have actual training. Not her, [the laundry pile quips.] She was too young. Being a drill sargeant's daughter helped, but still.

[falloutpslnpcs]

Could you equip us? As you say, we have the training, and we'd be fighting your enemies on the surface so you don't have to. [Louis directs the question at Zay.]

[recalcitrare]

[Here, he shrugs and shakes his head.] I don't know. I'm hardly in charge of the SRB. I design weapons, I don't have an armory of my own. And we wouldn't be able to safely sneak out enough for all of you. Even if we did it one at a time, we're risking enough just coming up here for this. [Besides, they may be Nathan's people, but he doesn't trust them.] Not to mention, if a band of organized soldiers start firing on Brotherhood patrols with Institute lasers, it's only going to raise questions as to how they got a hold of them. And I severely doubt you want coursers knocking on your doors.

[timesbureaucrat]

I'll broach the subject, but frankly the chances of getting weapons from the Institute would be higher if you're aligned with the Old Worlders than if you're freelancing. The Directorate would certainly want some manner of oversight, some assurance that your use of any weapons given to you won't harm Institute interests.

[And even if they do agree to be Zetta's strike force, he doubts the Institute would be willing to arm them. But it doesn't hurt to sweeten the pot. And Zetta herself can probably assist with upgrading their arsenal once a deal is made.]

[recalcitrare]

[Zay severely doubts the Directorate would ever support this. But... He glances at Nathan. He understands, he thinks -- trying to nudge the group closer to accepting the idea of working with the Reynolds. He'd known that Nathan was evidently close to Zetta, but, this... hm. Zay doesn't understand the appeal in them. But -- It doesn't matter whether he does or not. This is Nathan's show. And it's hardly as though Zay has any better suggestions, since Father won't have them.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Knowing that the request will at least be considered, Louis returns to the task of offering updates on their own corners of the Commonwealth.]

Bunker Hill is remaining neutral in this conflict so far, as it always does. I imagine the merchants and caravans there would welcome trade with the Brotherhood. They welcome trade from anyone with caps.

If open fighting breaks out, expect Bunker Hill to keep its head down and sell ammunition to all sides without bias.

[crowspy]

Figures. Caravanners tend to only care about profit and survival. [A beat.] Not saying that as a bad thing, mind. Just stating fact. Can't hardly blame 'em; they take on a lot of risk. Profit means they get something for that. And picking a side in a war without a clear victor is asking for profits to get cut somewhere.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Louis shrugs. No offense taken.]

And as far as they're concerned, it doesn't matter who wins. Commerce goes on. They have no skin in the game.

[crowspy]

Bingo. The most they'll have been affected is with the whole food thing I mentioned earlier.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Regan snorts in disdain.] Cowards.

[Then adds, for Louis' benefit.] Except you, love.

The Gunners hate them all, but the Brotherhood worries them. They see the Brotherhood as the only real threat to their military superiority in this region. So far the Brotherhood has stayed away from the Gunner strongholds in the south, but it's only a matter of time before that changes.

[crowspy]

They're right to. You guys have your assaultrons and shit, but you don't have nearly enough power armor to go around to make standing up against the Brotherhood actually feasible long-term.

[timesbureaucrat]

Especially if they've repaired Liberty Prime. [Nathan muttered bitterly.]

[crowspy]

Man, don't even joke about that.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Carrington flinches at the reference to Liberty Prime. Regan's jaw tightens. Louis looks down towards the ground. Torvald's fists clench. John pales and Sara shifts closer to her father.]

[recalcitrare]

[Zay only knows what Nathan told him -- had only seen Nathan's reactions to it. Seeing the rest of them react more dramatically... ... he thinks back to the look at Nathan's face that night when they'd talked about the Brotherhood invading the Institute, the way he'd said Zay's name. He wonders if that scenario bothered -- bothers -- him more than the giant robot. ... wonders why. ... he allows himself to reach out and gently, lightly, touch the small of Nathan's back.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan starts in surprise at the touch, nerves wound tense at the turn the conversation has taken. But he swiftly relaxes as his mind catches up to his adrenaline instincts.]

It wasn't a joke. Whatever strategies we make, until we've confirmed without a doubt that Liberty Prime is out of the picture, we need to seriously consider the possibility that they have or will have it at their disposal and we must have a plan to counter that abomination if necessary.

[crowspy]

[Bellamy puffs out a breath.] It's a good thing we know they have our files, 'cause otherwise I'd be suggesting I try to infiltrate.

[timesbureaucrat]

The Old Worlders have already done that. They've been spying on the Brotherhood for weeks. They've heard nothing about Liberty Prime so far, but I can't say whether that's because it's broken, or still in D.C., or simply that our spies don't have that level of trust yet.

[crowspy]

[Bellamy lets out a low whistle.] They really have been sticking their hands in every cookie jar.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Nathan inclines his head in agreement.]

And between them have divvied up the Commonwealth rather efficiently. Zetta Reynolds running with a Railroad agent. Ferran Reynolds increasing his ties to the Institute as the appointed next Director. And Riley Reynolds, Old World military veteran, has the Brotherhood's trust.