[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

[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.

[crowspy]

[Bellamy shakes his head, bangs flopping into his eyes.] Still sounds too good to be true.

[timesbureaucrat]

You can judge for yourself when you meet them. But you should know me well enough to know that I'm not easily impressed.

[And therefore anyone who impresses him is genuinely impressive.]

[crowspy]

I assume that's meant to apply to Chef, too. [It sounds like a jibe, but Bellamy is only half-joking, is mostly probing for information and reactions. Zay, for his part, mouths "chef" to himself with a displeased tug to his lips.]

[timesbureaucrat]

You assume correctly.

And his title is "Doctor."

[He knows it's useless, but he has to try.]

[crowspy]

[Nothing solid yet. He doesn't imagine he'll get a whole lot for a while. He'll just have to keep trying. But that doesn't mean he's going to keep pushing now. Bellamy is, as one of his old coworkers once said, "infuriatingly patient."] How soon do you think you can arrange the meeting?

[timesbureaucrat]

Using Institute technology, I might be able to get them here today. Now. If they're available.

[Nathan notices Singh shift in alarm at the prospect. And it just makes Nathan more desirous to get the Old Worlders here immediately so he can find out what Singh's hiding.]

[recalcitrare]

[Zay glances at him in surprise, too, and his mouth pulls down into a frown right away. Secretly using the relay twice like this -- once leaving, once returning -- is going to get them enough trouble. But using the power draw to add another trip? And to sneak out the Director's mother, who is being kept there for her health, on top of that? But he can't voice that. Not directly. No one on the surface can be allowed to know about the Institute's power problems. Instead, he says, voice pitched low,] Nathan? Are you sure about this? [If Nathan gets caught while he's down there, leaving Zay stranded on the surface...]