[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

[coursers]

Luck isn't necessary. The Brotherhood will be removed before they can pose a true threat. [Spoken with utmost confidence.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran wishes he had that confidence. The Institute is formidable, but so is the Brotherhood. Coursers versus Brotherhood paladins would be a hell of a fight.]

Indeed.

[Saying anything else would imply that he doubts the coursers' competence. He doesn't, but he also doesn't think that victory is a sure thing. The Brotherhood are professional and well equipped. If they want to win they're going to have to work hard for it.

They're close to Quincy now, so Ferran keeps quiet and rests his hand on his pistol as he eyes the surrounding buildings for signs of movement.]

[coursers]

[X6-88 takes point again, rifle still out. He moves quietly through the urban rubble with an almost supernatural level of stealth.

With his sunglasses in place, it's difficult to tell where his eyes are, but behind them, they're scanning all around them. He knows where the Gunner patrol routes are, and knows where to avoid them and their lines of sight. He guides Reynolds through those paths, and though they spot Gunners on guard duty, they aren't spotted in turn.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Watching X6 at work, Ferran has to admit that coursers would make astonishing guerrilla fighters. Two or three working together could probably wipe out a whole Brotherhood squad in a surprise attack and then vanish.

He follows slightly behind X6 as they navigate through Quincy. Almost at the homestead now.]

[coursers]

[Once they are away from the Gunners territory, X6 becomes less rigid, and it's even noticeable, though just in small signs: he starts making sound as he walks again, holds his rifle a little lower, his shoulders untense, his chin tilts up.]

Not far now.

[reformedcriminal]

[X6 relaxing makes Ferran relax. If the courser's superior senses aren't detecting nearby threats than they're probably truly safe--or as safe as one gets in the wasteland.]

Good.

If anyone other than Warwick himself asks why we're here I'm going to tell them that we're interested in trade.

[coursers]

Understood.

[X6 doubts they'll address him, only Ferran. Wastelanders tend to overlook what they assume to be hired muscle, and it's an assumption that he's taken advantage of in the past.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran, too, is hoping that no one will ask him to explain X6 and just assume that he's a hired guard, one who's good enough to buy better than average gear. There are enough people who wander the Commonwealth that they should be able to pull it off. Ferran knows how to present himself as a person who won't settle for less than the best. That's practically his default mode.]

[coursers]

[As they approach the homestead, no one rushes to greet them. The only people in sight are those working the fields -- two men, a woman, a teenage girl, and a young boy -- and seem to be focused on their work.

And, yeah, it definitely stinks. The smell was distinctly noticeable starting a good distance away.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran's nose wrinkles and he has to fight the temptation to pull his scarf up around his mouth and nose to block out the smell. But he doesn't want to give off any "suspicious" vibes and covering half his face would likely make the workers uneasy, even if only subconsciously.]

Christ, how do they stand it?

[coursers]

I have no idea.

[Though X6's expression hasn't changed, his distaste is still audible.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran looks for a man who fits the description he was given of Roger Warwick. One of the men tending the field looks promising. He strolls that way, casual traveller looking to resupply.]

[coursers]

[X6-88 observes as Reynolds speaks the code phrase to Warwick, and follows as the synth guides them over away from the fields to discuss the issue he reported. It turns out, the foreman has grown suspicious of the truth, that Warwick is a replacement, and has sent one of the workers to Goodneighbor, presumably to find assistance and spread the word. X6 has all the self-control expected of a courser, so he doesn't swear under his breath, or at the synth. But he does reprimand him, because if the synth had been more competent, this wouldn't be a problem.

He notices that the synth refers to the Warwick family as his wife and children. X6-88 wonders if perhaps this is the true issue, that he's become compromised. Replacements very rarely go rogue, but sometimes, they do lose themselves in their roles like that. But Reynolds doesn't comment on the slip. X6-88 will simply have to note it in his report once this is all over.

The Warwick synth accepts the packet of experimental seeds and returns to the fields. X6 looks to Reynolds.] Orders, sir?

[reformedcriminal]

We go to Goodneighbor.

The foreman appears to be reluctant to make a move until his accomplice has finished his task so we deal with that first and then return here to deal with the foreman himself.

But before we leave I want to assess the foreman. Minimal interaction, I just want to get the measure of him.

[It will help him plan how to deal with him after they return from Goodneighbor.]

[coursers]

[In truth, X6 didn't ask just because he needs to know what they're doing next. He wanted to see how Reynolds is going to handle this, the way that he plans. X6 finds his assessment to be logical, and he finds himself not disappointed. Not impressed, but not disappointed.]

Yes, sir.

[reformedcriminal]

[Now to find the foreman, Bill Sutton. It doesn't take long. He tells the man that Warwick said that Sutton could pack up 5 mutfruits for him, then waits and observes the man as he goes about the task.

Sutton is sullen and suspicious and has a bit of an addict's twitch. Maybe he can be convinced that his delusions of Warwick being a synth are a side effect of the drugs. When Sutton hands him a bag of mutfruit, Ferran takes advantage of his proximity to dip a quick and nimble hand into his pockets. A few caps, a Jet inhaler, and a scrap of paper. Ferran takes the paper to examine later and leaves the rest.]

[coursers]

[Sutton doesn't notice the pickpocketing, but X6 does. It was... unexpected. Reynolds doesn't seem the type to have that set of skills, or the inclination.

He wonders what that piece of paper is.

He waits until they've passed Quincy again before bringing it up.] What did you retrieve from the foreman?

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran takes the paper from his pocket, unfolds it, reads it. His expression doesn't change.]

Nothing of importance, but it does give me further insight into Sutton's...character.

[Ferran decides then and there that he's going to find a way to kill the man.]

[coursers]

[X6 observes him, but there are no hints as to what that insight might be.

But what the paper reveals only matters in one way.] Does it call for a change in plan? [That's what is important.]

[reformedcriminal]

No. We continue to Goodneighbor and find Sutton's accomplice. [And possibly kill him, too, if circumstances require it.]

[coursers]

[X6 is not curious -- it's inappropriate for a courser -- so he does not pursue the matter further. He simply nods, and their travel to Goodneighbor continues.

They locate the farmhand in the Third Rail. Reynolds chooses to pose as a mercenary looking for information about the job in order to get the details of what he was planning with Sutton, and then used that position to convince him they were unreasonable for believing the concept Warwick is a synth. X6-88 has to admit it's a smart play, from several angles.

([X6-88 liked that.])

They have the information they need now, and the issue the farmhand poses has been neutralized. But before they leave Goodneighbor, Reynolds insists on stopping so he can change clothes. When he re-emerges, he is wearing a long black trench coat and a silver scarf tucked neatly down the front. X6-88 doesn't understand why, but he also doesn't ask. For all that Reynolds talked about the courser uniform standing out, the two of them dressed like this will certainly stand out more.]

[reformedcriminal]

All right, I'm ready to head out. [It's a lot of travelling, but he needs to make it back to the homestead before Cedric does or else he'll recognize him and grow suspicious. He needs to get Sutton out of the homestead and kill him before Cedric returns.]

I'll tell you what the plan is once we're out of Goodneighbor.

[He likes Goodneighbor but he won't discuss Institute business within its walls. Too much risk of someone overhearing something and selling the information.]

[coursers]

Yes, sir. [Perhaps the change in outfit has something to do with the plan. He fails to see how that could be, but perhaps Reynolds will enlighten him.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran waits until they're clear of the narrow winding alleys around Goodneighbor before talking.]

Sutton is a drug addict, alcoholic, and miserable excuse for a parent and husband. A wretch of a human being in every way, and Sutton knows it. Warwick--the real Warwick--was no peach himself. The synth is an improvement on the original. I think I can convince Sutton that drugs and envy are clouding his brain, that it's easier for him to believe that Warwick is a synth than to believe that a man can turn his life around because if it's the latter it proves what a failure Sutton is.

If it doesn't work, we may have to kill him.

[And if it does work, he's going to tell Sutton that he should leave the homestead. He nearly destroyed Warwick's family, after all. And then he can ambush him and make it look like a Gunner attack.]

[coursers]

[So, no, the outfit hasn't been explained. As X6 figured.

Reynolds' solution would continue the trend of smoothing things over while turning their own thoughts against them, which X6-88 approves of, as it makes it seem as though the Institute had no presence in the situation at all, as Father wanted. He can't say he understands the... emotional intricacies of the situation, but they aren't for him to understand. If it were him, he would simply ensure that Sutton died while away from the farm. But not understanding won't affect his role or his performance.]

Understood. I'll follow your lead, sir.