[closed] let's go de-fense

[thereneverwas]

WHO: Barrow, Flint, Marcus
WHAT: let's talk about FORTIFICATIONS
WHEN: for comedy's sake let's say a few days before DeathPlot
WHERE: Misc Office M
NOTES: if you don't do the safety dance you will be left behind

In proper Barrow fashion, he closed his eyes and submitted his name and then forgot about it for a month and a half, and when the posting arose, he continued to pretend it didn't exist for another week or so before finally, while gazing absently at the battlements one day, he realized time wasn't going to slow down.
And so it is that Barrow has requested the presence of the two most likely collaborators in his newfound position of Master of Works, also known as The Bloke In Charge Of The Siege Things, and it's with a very convincing (he thinks) confidence that he welcomes them into the spare office, where he has laid out some glasses with a decanter of whiskey and some assorted biscuits (what do official types drink during meetings, anyway?).

"Gentlemen," he begins, the disarming smile plastered on his face-- look, look at me, you have to work with me now, let's pretend we like each other-- "thank you for coming. I thought I'd have a look into what's already in place before I start making any grand plans."

Comments

[katabasis]

"And your sister," as another completely random one, a casual remark before Flint drains his cup, leans forward, and sets it there at the edge of the desk.

"Draw up lists for who you both think should be required to muster in an emergency, and see that Matthias gets it to my desk for review. I'll make sure its brought before the other division heads to secure their buy in, and that anyone not included on it has the opportunity to volunteer to learn."

[thereneverwas]

Redvers, of course. Maybe they should invite him to this meeting too.

"Righto," Barrow says, finally setting down the documents and trading them for another biscuit, which he bites in half. "Will do, Commander. Off the top of your head, anything else you think I ought to look into, to get things rolling?"

His gaze darts to Marcus as well, including him in the question without saying so directly.

[luaithre]

His chair scrapes against the ground as he stands, a sound that clips over the end of Barrow's question and glance towards him, which could be the start of some sort of sudden, impulsive refusal—

"I'll collect a roster," comes the explanation. His office is one flight of stairs up, anyway.

Marcus takes a moment to reset his papers in front of his own chair, take a biscuit with a look to Barrow that suggests that this biscuit is being removed from him personally rather than only the communal plate of them, and makes to go fetch.

sorry it took me 12 days to write the dumbest tag

[katabasis]

Somewhere in there, Flint makes eye contact with Barrow while patiently waiting for Rowntree to retrieve his biscuit and remove himself from the room. And though the particulars of the look have the tenor of something verging on sympathetic—maybe something along the lines of, 'This fucking guy, am I right?'—what Flint actually says when Marcus has gone is:

"See that you don't fuck this up, Barrow."

you're valid

[thereneverwas]

It's impossible to miss the implications of the biscuit's departure, and Barrow watches bemusedly after Marcus for a moment, interrupted in his thoughts only by Flint's addressing him. He turns his gaze on him pleasantly enough, giving a little nod as though he was just told he's doing a great job.

"Appreciate the vote of confidence, Commander," he says breezily, amusement in his eyes, "I'll do my best."

And then he dies like a day or two later.