[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

[inhonorof]

So far... We've been the ones asking all the questions. Is there anything you guys want to know about us? [He hopes it'll turn the tables somewhat, and help diffuse... well. No. There's no diffusing the tension between Zetta and Torvald. But he worries about the rest of them.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

Yeah, why the fuck should we follow you. [Torvald says, crossing his arms over his chest. Louis murmurs at him hoping to keep him calm.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley hasn't really been able to figure out what Torvald wants. Regan seems to want order, like Nathan -- maybe moreso. She turned to the Gunners... She's the type where the military life absorbed her, and it's all se knows and wants. Louis... He's trying to be a balancing factor, but it doesn't seem he's being listened to. But he's the least opinionated of them, too. John and Sara, they seem like they've adopted the wastelander life without issue. With John's comment about the Minutemen at the beginning... He's already made his decision about whether or not to support them, with or without the rest of the Enclave remnants. But Bellamy and Torvald are the two mysteries to Riley. Torvald bought into the Enclave purity ideaology hard, complete with the superiority thing. Bellamy... has been mostly silent. And it occurs to Riley suddenly that Deacon's been letting him get away with it -- He's slipped Zetta's notice, Riley thinks, but Deacon's actively talked to him, and not tried to force any answers out of him. He... wonders why. Riley mulling his thoughts over shows itself as hesitation. When he finally answers, it's in the same quiet level he's been using.] We don't... want to start a nation. I don't know if that sounds like it's a good thing to you or not. But... We don't want to try to tell people how to live their lives. We just... want to make them safer. Once people can live with less fear, then... We can, too. The Brotherhood... There are -- [He hesitates, stops himself. He doesn't think saying that there are good people on the ground would... help anything at all, here.] Their goals... mean that a lot of people who haven't even done anything wrong would die. And they're willing to take from regular people so they can do whatever they want. The Minutemen aren't a solution to everything, but... It can help keep people safe, and without extorting them. The Institute... The Institute has a lot it could offer to the surface, so many ways it could actually help, but... They've been isolated so long, they're out of touch with how things really are up here. What they're doing to the synths is... [... he sighs.] It's not something we can allow to keep happening. They deserve to have the same freedoms as anyone else. They're not human, but... that doesn't mean they're lesser. And the Institute has a long way to go before it fully wakes up to that. But... We can't -- We can't afford to give up on them. We can't. We just -- We want to live in peace with our family. And we want other people to have the chance to do the same.

[bostoncrossing]

[Torvald opens his mouth again but Louis interrupts him before he starts with a soft "Let other people have a turn, yeah?"

Carrington is the first to step up.]

I already know your allegiances and ideologies. What I want to know is what would you have us do, if you had the obedience of this group. You're being offered a loaded weapon here. If you accept it, what do you plan on doing with it?

[capcious]

[Riley turns and looks at Zetta. Zetta internally swears. But she can't say she's surprised.] Honestly, I have no fucking clue. This wasn't something we ever really -- [She glances at Nathan. She can't say they never thought this would happen; he offered already to align himself to her, and it came up then. They just... didn't expect this with his entire group.] It's nothing we thought would happen. I mean, fuck, I clawed out of that hellhole thinking I'd lost everything and that I needed to save my son. [She runs her hand through her hair and leaves it there at the back of her head.] I don't fucking know. Right now, our capability to run around and take care of problems is kneecapped. But it'd be weird having you guys solving Minutemen problems. I mean, Riley could set up some introductions or an announcement or something, but... I don't know. Our goal with the Brotherhood right now is infiltration. Then again, if there are operations we need to interrupt... And god knows we need to distract the fuck out of them. [Again, she glances at Nathan; they need to distract the Brotherhood from the teleportation frequencies.] But I don't know how comfortable I am with the idea of asking you guys to be the goose in a wild goose chase. Look, we weren't expecting to have a -- I don't know, an elite hit squad or whatever you guys would end up being. We're usually the only ones doing that shit.

[timesbureaucrat]

Until you know our particular skills and talents, I wouldn't expect you to have a strategy on how to best use them.

[Nathan trusts Zetta not to order him to do anything he wouldn't be willing to do.]

I'm rather certain that all of us would be happy to serve as a thorn in the Brotherhood's side in any capacity, however.

[capcious]

Yeah, but leading them on a wild goose chase sounds exactly like the kind of risk we shouldn't ask you guys to take. Like, shit, it'd be useful, but it'd be a stupid reason for someone to get hurt or killed.

[timesbureaucrat]

We're no strangers to risky missions. Your concern is appreciated, but so long as you give us the authority to refuse missions that we deem unacceptably reckless, I see no issue with you asking.

The whole point of having an elite team is to have them do the difficult and dangerous missions that others can't.

[capcious]

[Zetta smears her hand down her face, then sighs.] Well -- Yeah, no shit, we wouldn't be trying to force you guys to do anything. [That's the only thing she can comfortably answer. This still doesn't sit right with her.]

[bostoncrossing]

That would certainly be a change from the old days. [Carrington says, bitterly. The Enclave didn't allow for conscientious objectors or refusal of orders.]

[capcious]

Yeah, well, obviously, you know my feelings about totalitarian bullshit.

[falloutpslnpcs]

I'm willing to risk my life for something worthwhile, but fighting for your safety isn't very motivating. Why should we join up with you instead of jumping on a caravan out of the Commonwealth and never coming back?

[Louis is interested but not yet convinced.

Regan, however, stiffens at the thought of running away again.]

[capcious]

Did you miss the part where we're trying to secure the Commonwealth's safety in order to secure our own? Which means it'd be your safety too? [... she should probably consider shutting back up soon.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

I understand that. But...well...running is easier. And certainly safer.

[Regan can't stand it.] I'm not going to run from those self-important boyscouts.

[inhonorof]

Not everyone is suited for a life on the road, too. I don't think you can run forever. Even if we kick the Brotherhood out of the Commonwealth, that won't stop them from trying to expand elsewhere instead.

[timesbureaucrat]

I'm not ruling out strategic retreat as a last resort, but I don't believe it should be our first choice.

You're free to disagree of course, but if you leave the Commonwealth now you'll likely leave alone.

[crowspy]

This is gonna sound weird coming from me, of all people, but I gotta agree. [Coming from Bellamy, who always errs on the side of caution, who, despite all appearances, doesn't like to jump until he knows which way the wind's blowing and everything that's passing under him when he does it. Louis would know that better than any of the others here, maybe even John and Sara. Bellamy's spent the most time with them since the move from Adams, but he's worked with Louis.] Running when it's that or die? That's one thing. But if we bail at every first sign of Brotherhood, we'll be back out on a tanker on the west coast before you know it, just waiting to get blown back up.

[timesbureaucrat]

Precisely. It's clear that the Brotherhood is not going to stop until somebody stops them. And the longer that takes, the more difficult it will be and the more powerful the Brotherhood will become.

On both practical and moral grounds, I believe we need to be a part of that fight.

[They can't leave something this important to their future survival in someone else's hands.]

[capcious]

So what're you gonna do? You seem to be the only one who wants to book it. For now, anyway.

[falloutpslnpcs]

I'll stay. I'm not going to leave my...my colleagues.

[He takes Regan's hand, subtly, as if he hopes that no one but Regan will notice. Regan equally subtly pulls him a little closer to her.]

[capcious]

[Yeah, she's not surprised. She doubted he'd take off on his own when his wife wasn't willing to go with him. Who the hell would?] Who's next?

[falloutpslnpcs]

[John speaks up next.]

Would you assist in supplying us if we worked for you? The shotgun and leathers are good enough to protect the fields, but if I'm going up against Brotherhood paladins I'm going to need something with more mass-times-acceleration.

[capcious]

Yeah, I think we can help with that. I've got random stashes of shit in different settlements from when we were staying there to build them. And even without that, we've got enough connections to be able to get you guys shit that'll do better at keeping you alive.

[falloutpslnpcs]

Who else is going to fight the Brotherhood? Because right now it's been looking like the Railroad and the Institute are hiding in their holes and the Minutemen are turning the other way when Brotherhood patrols come requisitioning at the settlements. [Regan asks.]

[capcious]

[Riley shifts guiltily.] The Railroad aren't soldiers, and I don't know why anyone would expect them to be. They're already fighting the Institute, and the Brotherhood would probably try to stamp them out if given the opportunity, but this isn't the war they chose to enter. If they decided to join in, it'd be best to treat them more like an intelligence agency than a branch of a military. The Institute has been working on gathering information to act on. They haven't been picking fights with the Brotherhood because, frankly, it's not worth kicking the giant bear hellbent on sniffing you out in the ass if you aren't doing it with a tactical nuke. ... and, alright, we've been distracted and haven't been taking the time to properly build up the Minutemen. [And listening to Deacon maybe a little too much.] But we've been fucking busy, alright? We can only juggle so much at once, even with four of us. [... wait, maybe she wasn't supposed to be officially counting Deacon in that. But, fuck it, it's the truth.] You try playing politics with the Institute and try to talk them out of trying to wipe out the Railroad while also trying to infiltrate the Brotherhood.