[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

cont'd

[inhonorof]

[ 01 ] [Riley stands a little straighter as he notices John approaching, lowering his hand from Zetta's back. Zetta doesn't immediately move away, though, having not noticed John -- but once she does, she sidles away slightly, ready to head to Deacon or Ferran, but she wants to know what this is going to be about. (And whether or not Riley will want or need the support.)] [ 02 ] [Bellamy doesn't move from his perch at the edge of the desk, and offers Louis an easy grin as he drifts over.] Heyyy. What's hangin'?

01

[falloutpslnpcs]

[John gives Riley a salute. Crisp and clean and a perfect angle of hand and elbow.]

General. Sir, we've never met before, I wanted the opportunity while you're here. Captain Garvey speaks very highly of you, sir.

[inhonorof]

[Riley feels color rising in the back of his neck as John snaps into a salute.] I... That's... That's not necessary, really. I mean, I appreciate it, but I'm not... You don't need to salute for me. Garvey speaks highly of Ferran, too, but you shouldn't believe him, [Zetta adds helpfully.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

He does speak highly of Mr. Raines...Reynolds...the other Mr. Reynolds. And of you as well, Ms. Reynolds.

[He turns back to Riley.]

I'm not just saluting you, General. I'm saluting the rank.

[inhonorof]

[Riley rubs the back of his neck. He still... feels self-conscious about it. But he doesn't know how to explain without risking being... impolite, he guesses. Zetta, meanwhile, snorts as John admits how much Preston talks all three of them up. Of course he does.] I... yeah, I know. I'm just... not used to it. I never hit command when I was enlisted -- didn't want to, didn't... feel like I should be in charge.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[John relaxes out of his army posture and into a more casual stance.]

Even thought you didn't want it, you'd better be ready to grab hold of it with both hands when you need to and step in and be a leader. Or else the Minutemen with fall into chaos. Or worse, someone like Torvald will fill the power vacuum.

[inhonorof]

I know, [Riley says again, without hesitance and more softly.] They're all depending on me. And they're... They're not united by a common goal, not exactly. They all want to defend their homes, but that doesn't mean each others' homes, too, necessarily. [... he's feeling more inadequate, though, not less. Especially after all the talk of what the Brotherhood has been doing to the settlements. He knows what he's been doing is important, but... still...]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[John can all but see Riley's insecurity hovering around him.]

They give you any leadership training in the army back in the old days?

[inhonorof]

Not unless we applied or were elected for it. They were... [Riley hesitates.] ... selective about it. And racist.

[falloutpslnpcs]

[John wishes he were surprised to hear that, but he isn't.]

If you want some training, I'd be honored to teach you everything I know.

Most important thing is that you don't need to feel like a leader to be one. Leadership is something you do not something you are. Otherwise they're be no point in training for it.

[inhonorof]

I... [He's taken aback by the offer, and he rubs the back of his neck again.] I -- would appreciate that, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. We'd have to make the time. We've been pretty tied up. Yeah. That's been a pretty big problem. It's why we haven't been able to get the Minutemen fully organized or equipped.

[falloutpslnpcs]

You know where to find me. Any time. Any day. Whenever you're ready.

2

[falloutpslnpcs]

At my house, a tasteful painting and some curtains. Better not ask my brother that question, though. The answer's probably nightmarish.

[Louis leans against the desk.]

[crowspy]

Yeah, not gonna lie, once I figured out what he was up to, I was reeeally hoping it'd be a, like, temporary thing. Vent some anger or whatever, then move on to something distinctly less, y'know, nuts. No offense.

[falloutpslnpcs]

He's got a lot of anger. It may take a few more decades for him to vent it all.

[crowspy]

Thaaaaat's... concerning. Like, very. [And that's an understatement.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

Maybe giving him a better target will help.

[Louis wants to believe that once Torvald has an appropriate enemy to focus on he'll stop with the indiscriminate violence. But he fears he's being overly optimistic. Torvald was rather violent in nature even before the Brotherhood defeated the Enclave.]

[crowspy]

I hope so. For your sake as much as his.

[falloutpslnpcs]

Enough about my problems. What about your problems?

[He doesn't know if Bellamy has any problems. But that's why he's asking.

And to change the subject away from something that's uncomfortable.]

[crowspy]

[Bellamy grins.] Since when did I ever have problems? [Maybe from other people, that'd sound like a lot of bullshit. But Bellamy's history backs him up; personal problems don't tend to happen for him a lot, not since he became old enough to snark back at the people in the Enclave who held on to the lingering Pre-War racism.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Louis laughs.]

How do you always manage that? I need to learn to be that lucky.

[crowspy]

[I have better taste in people to hang around in any real capacity. Can't help your brother, but your wife sure doesn't help. Also, let's be honest, you love the trouble.] There's a trick to it. It's called, "be Bellamy."

[falloutpslnpcs]

I'll work on that.

I'll get the face change first, and then work on practicing your speech patterns. [Infiltration humor. Although Louis never did that kind of infiltration. His trick was just to be a friendly ear to talk to.]

[crowspy]

I mean, that'll help, but the true key to Bellamy success is right up here. [He taps his temple.]

[falloutpslnpcs]

[Louis nods solemnly.]

The ineffable Bellaminess.

[Regan calls out to Louis from across the room. She's ready to leave.

Hollers his name, more like.]

Time for me to go.