[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

[capcious]

[Riley is silent. Zetta cuts in,] He was an abusive piece of shit who went to fucking jail after he got caught.

[ersatzeverything]

[Jail? This was deeper and darker than he expected. Deacon slowly pulls his sunglasses off his face. If Riley's going to talk about this, he deserves to be able see Deacon properly instead of looking at a mirrored mask.]

What did he do?

[He asks quietly.]

[inhonorof]

[Even so, Riley's eyes fall away from Deacon's face.] He... yelled. A lot. He blamed Riley for literally fucking anything that happened.

[ersatzeverything]

[And the pieces click into place.

Deacon smooths his thumbs over Riley's cheeks.]

He was pretty dumb then, because I can think of a ton of things that weren't your fault. Like the existence of Cram. Or like when holotapes skip. Or flat Nuka Cola.

[inhonorof]

[Riley laughs softly, his heart not really in it.] I can... only imagine... what it was like for my mom, growing up. [Deflect, deflect, deflect.]

[ersatzeverything]

Hey.

[Deacon kisses him softly.]

It's good that you're concerned for other people and all, but you're allowed to acknowledge your own pain too.

[inhonorof]

[Riley returns the kiss, eyes sliding shut, and he keeps them closed.] I don't like thinking about it, [he says, barely inaudible.]

[ersatzeverything]

Okay. [Deacon whispers. He's the last person who'd insist that you shouldn't hide from your past. Sometimes hiding from your past is a super good idea.

He kisses Riley again.]

[inhonorof]

[Riley returns the kiss, soft and slow, gradually relaxing into it, into Deacon. Those memories... They're long, long behind him. It's... He's okay. He's okay.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran walks in while Deacon is kissing Riley and running his fingers gently through his hair.

Well. That's a lovely sight.

He removes his shadow-grey hat and coat.]

I see you've started without me. Zetta, shall we attempt to catch up?

[capcious]

We haven't quite. [A part of Zetta has relaxed as Ferran has come through the door. She rises to come greet him, hands sliding across his chest, then down around his waist.] How did it go, gorgeous?

[reformedcriminal]

The mission was a success. The seeds were safely delivered and no synths were killed.

[He flicks his gaze to Riley and Deacon. There's more to say, but he doesn't want to say it in front of them. They might not approve of Ferran murdering a settler in cold blood, even one as despicable as Sutton. And he knows they wouldn't approve of his dose of recreational Med-X earlier. He'll tell Zetta everything later.]

[capcious]

[Zetta can imagine what that little glance means. It didn't go as smoothly as Ferran is saying, but he isn't willing to go into it. She slots her body up against his and leans up to kiss his jaw.] Good. I'm glad the courser didn't give you a hard time.

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran slides his hands along her waist to settle on her lower back.]

X6 protects me very well. He's loyal to the Institute.

[capcious]

Mmm, there would've been a time I would've said that would make a problem for us. But if all goes well, it shouldn't.

[reformedcriminal]

He's extremely difficult to read, but I think he's warming up to me. Or at least warming up to the idea of me being Director.

[He rests his cheek on the top of Zetta's head. After what happened with Sutton, he'd like to curl up with her or Riley now.]

I should also tell you that I slept with Zellweger and Lone again.

[capcious]

[He's being cuddly. Even after hearing about Nathan and Zellweger, it's a sign of how much the surface mission truly shook him. She rubs her thumbs in slow circles on his back and rests her head on his chest. Otherwise, though, she doesn't let the realization show; outwardly, she snorts in amusement.] Did you? I thought they were trying to pretend they didn't ever in the first place.

[reformedcriminal]

And I'm sure they'll do the same again this time. After all, it wasn't me they had sex with, it was the Silver Shroud.

[His arms wrap around her a little tighter.]

[capcious]

[... he's really not doing well. She leans back, not pulling away, but she wants to tap her finger under his chin.] I'm hungry. Feel like tagging along as I go grab something from the cafeteria, gorgeous?

[reformedcriminal]

[Thank god for how well Zetta knows him. As terrifying as the prospect was back in the early days of their relationship, it was a godsend now.]

I could do with a snack.

[capcious]

[Zetta rises on her toes to kiss him properly, even if quickly and chastely, then starts to pull away, letting her hands linger, tracing along his hands before she's out of reach. She crosses over to Deacon and Riley and lightly settle one hand on Deacon's shoulders, leaning in to kiss the top of his head. The other, she strokes her fingers through Riley's hair, making his eyes flutter.] We'll be back soon.

[ersatzeverything]

[Deacon tilts back his head to look up at Zetta before she goes.]

Bring something back for me, yeah?

[capcious]

[Zetta grins. Always thinking with his stomach.] Yes, alright. [She trails her fingers along Deacon's shoulders as she walks away towards the doors.]

[reformedcriminal]

[Ferran triggers the door to open and holds it for her, waiting to follow behind.]

[capcious]

[Once they're out in the hall and the door is closed again, she reaches to thread her fingers with Ferran.] I'm thinking a nice, abandoned old lounge. [A beat.] And then we can swing by the cafeteria on the way back to get something for Deacon.