faderift | [OPEN-ISH] Sometimes I feel like my brain turns to leaves

WHO: Julius, Ellie, Strange, Barrow, Wysteria, Benedict, and anyone else who wants to tap in
WHAT: Julius has a new job
WHEN: Vaguely after the return from the Silent Plains
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: Feel free to tag in responding to the main text, or talk to me OOC if you'd like to hash out a bespoke starter.

When Julius realized he was the last dedicated project leader remaining, it had been clear to him that the position was likely to change or vanish in short order. The organization has contracted, and distinctions that were once useful have become redundant. It's not as if his knowledge from the project would be lost, or that he doesn't trust the new division heads. To the contrary, he's worked with Niehaus on red lyrium for years, and Derrica is among his nearest and dearest. They are sensible choices and that are also personally advantageous to him.

If a small part of his mind registers frustration at not swinging up the ladder himself, there's another part ready to point out all the reasons he wasn't the most strategic choice, many of which were the results of his own actions. It's fine.

Seneschal is unquestionably a position they need filled, and also one that requires trust. He's here because he's earned that. And he's willing to shelve his own ambitions (or at least turn them down a bit) in the name of a well-run, effective organization. It's not as if he isn't a practical man. But it's an adjustment. It certainly feels a bit like starting over, not least as he settles into a new office. He's not set official office hours yet, but he can be found sorting through a variety of books, papers, and correspondence more often than not for the first week or so.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Barrow is indeed adjacent to the training yard, in what has come to be known as his Throne: a rickety wooden chair dragged over to the equipment shed and draped sarcastically with otherwise unusable fur scraps, coupled with a three-legged table (it used to have four) on which he keeps his mug of coffee, his cigarettes, and now a little diorama of twigs, pebbles, and miscellaneous objects that, if one squints, might pass for a view of the Gallows from above.

It's where he holds court most mornings, calling drills and observing when not actively demonstrating, but at the moment that Julius approaches he isn't so occupied. He looks up from his rudimentary war map and offers a friendly smile, adding "our new Seneschal," to the greeting.

Julius returns the smile easily enough and raises his hand in greeting as he comes up to Barrow's work area. The makeshift map catches his eye, and he moves around so he can get a better look, nodding when it resolves into a familiar outline. Glancing back up at Barrow, he says, "I hope I'm not interrupting. I wanted a word, but it's not urgent if you're in the middle of something."

"Not at all," Barrow assures him, and casually flicks at a pebble to shift it out of place, a motion of no doubt inestimable violence.

"What's on your mind?"

His expression twitches toward a smile at the flick of a pebble, but most of his attention remains on the other man. "First, I mainly just wanted to establish contact in my new role. It's been some time since we had an acting Seneschal, so I thought it might be worth checking in to see if there's anything urgent with the fortifications I should know about."

Presumably if it was very urgent, he'd have heard another way, but with Julius newly overseeing the Gallows' logistics he's aware he needs to take a new and different interest.

"Righto. Well..." Barrow settles back in his chair, idly rubbing at the stubble on his chin.

"The main issue with the fortifications as I see it, Seneschal, is the people we need to operate them being less than ready or willing."
His little education sessions, it seems, were on the underwhelming side.

"We've got the weapons, we've got the walls, but I'm not confident in our company's ability to defend itself if we find ourselves wearing Starkhaven's boots."

"Fair enough." None of them are likely to forget anytime soon how tenuous things felt after Granitefell. "Is it just a matter of too few of us stretched too thin? Or do you also think we need to press for training to be less purely voluntary. I don't have the latitude to do that myself, but I could speak with the relevant Division heads." And if it's we just don't have enough people, well ...

...it's not as if Julius disagrees. But it isn't a problem they'll solve fast enough for it to be the only solution.

Barrow's head bobs back and forth in a way that seems to indicate a little of this, a little of that-- "hate to push for mandatory training, as I know this isn't a case of anyone sitting around with their thumb up their arse. They've got other things to do, maybe also things everyone would be better off learning."

He turns his hands palm-up in a shrug of resignation. "So, to answer your question: yes. Not enough people, not enough prioritization, but that's only speaking as someone whose specialty requires multiple operators to make the thing go."

"Obviously, the ideal solution would be recruiting, but I don't how how much power I have to push for that; I'll certainly mention it. And I'll have a word with the Commander about training assignments. That said, in the meantime, are there systems we could automate? For example, there's a school of magic developed here in Kirkwall that, among other things, involves applying tremendous downward force. I wonder if we might be able to develop runes or other enchantments to make something that would usually take several operators workable by one or two." He tilts his head, thoughtful, and adds, "That may be an unworkable suggestion, I grant you. My knowledge of siege engines is elementary."

In fairness, probably because mages can do things like "exert tremendous downward force" directly at the enemy, and so are better used for things other than directly manning fortifications.

"NO, no-- you might have something there."

Barrow scratches the stubble on his cheek, thinking. "In the office there were some old notes about glyphing ammunition-- I couldn't make heads or tails of them, but maybe you could?"

"I can't promise the results, but I've always been rather handy with glyphs. I'm happy to take a look." He seems mildly cheered that the suggestion was met well. "And in the meantime, I'll make some notes for you about spells that might be useful. Perhaps we can schedule some time to experiment, before we move on to attempting a broader application."

"Brilliant." Barrow smiles, a warm and genuine grin tinged with relief. Finally, someone smart and magical who isn't also terrifying. "My afternoons are usually pretty open, when I'm not fucking about with the fortifications."
But this also counts as fucking about, so there's license.

Julius smiles too, and if it's less broad, it's not without warmth. It's nice to feel like he can offer at least some immediate assistance. "I'm working out when my office hours will be, but I'm sure I can find time to coordinate with you. I might also mention it to Provost Niehaus; I know our Research division is busy, but it's the sort of problem that might interest them and might not otherwise come to their attention."

"I'll do so, then," Barrow muses, "been meaning to bother them about a few things anyway." Viktor's not off the hook for his nebulous statement about whatever amazing thing they're working on, after all.

"Excellent. Keep me posted, and I'll get back to you with the notes on glyphs. We'll see what we can do about the problem in lieu of pulling new personnel out of thin air." Or, considering rifters, until they pull them out of thin air. "I'll be in touch."

[OPEN-ISH] Sometimes I feel like my brain turns to leaves

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places a bow