Erwin Smith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
solutioning) wrote2013-10-31 08:04 pm
solutioning) wrote2013-10-31 08:04 pm
[2] zwei | sense and sensibility
Before the fireplace lay a green rug, two chairs, and a table on which rested an old-world novel bound in crimson linen; this last was an orphan from the two massive bookshelves which dominated the western wall of the office. The open window admitted the shouts, gentled by distance, of the soldiers training in the courtyard below. A long yellow column of afternoon sunlight draped lazily upon the wooden floor and the rightmost third of Commander Erwin Smith's desk. Here there was the restful scent of paper, and a sense of order as steep and clear as if drawn from a deep well.
Erwin himself was seated at his desk, where he was drawing up a set of expense authorizations in his swift, neat handwriting. The sound of footsteps in the hall disturbed his focus not at all. The pace was intimately familiar, and he knew by speed and heaviness what to expect, and how soon to expect it. He finished the line just in time to look up, tip his pen into the inkwell, straighten his shoulders, and in all other ways convey to his visitor that his attention belonged completely to the matter at hand.
"Welcome back." It was not necessary to indicate the comfortable chair on the other side of his desk. "How did it go?"
Erwin himself was seated at his desk, where he was drawing up a set of expense authorizations in his swift, neat handwriting. The sound of footsteps in the hall disturbed his focus not at all. The pace was intimately familiar, and he knew by speed and heaviness what to expect, and how soon to expect it. He finished the line just in time to look up, tip his pen into the inkwell, straighten his shoulders, and in all other ways convey to his visitor that his attention belonged completely to the matter at hand.
"Welcome back." It was not necessary to indicate the comfortable chair on the other side of his desk. "How did it go?"
:o how dare you sleep
After some consideration, he frowned thoughtfully. "No. I want to talk to all three of you together, along with Armin Arlert. I'll summon you after dinner."
Those two Shiganshina boys had a part to play in this. Their distance from Mikasa had to be carefully managed, and Erwin had developed an excursion for them while Levi and Mikasa were away.
"Any other questions?"
no subject
"Will we be missed?" he said.
He didn't particularly mean in the will you need us around? sense, but more like will the rest of the Scouting Legion know you've sent your two best soldiers out alone into the field?
no subject
"As you know, the annual finance conference will begin the day after tomorrow." Each branch would argue for its funding. Typically, Erwin went with a new recruit to stress the importance of the Survey Corps. They made no immodest requests and were almost never declined. But in this case... "I intend to send Arlert to argue for us. And Eren, to support him."
All eyes would be on the conference. Something in Erwin's smile might have indicated that he expected this line of argument; in fact, he had planned for it almost exclusively.
"There will be secondary benefits for your mission. Everything has been arranged."
He had foreseen all difficulties. There was no aspect of his plan more in doubt than Levi's own agreement; with that secured, Erwin felt confident of pursuing the rest.
no subject
When Erwin said 'everything' he almost always meant everything, so with regards to the mission, there wasn't much left to discuss. Now he had smalltalk to fall back on -- or at least what qualified as smalltalk for Levi, though despite the comfort, he didn't want to linger in the commander's office overlong.
"I've heard Arlert has a way with words. Put him in charge of the speeches and correspondence, and we might end up with more than a dozen new recruits."
When it came to bantering with Erwin, often the best Levi could do was pitch him a few knowingly unsubstantiated jibes.
/just jams in some exposition like a jerk
Even this delegation had been arranged to further Levi's work with Mikasa. Erwin could assure her that Eren would be in the safest place possible - deep within Wall Sina, in the king's own halls, with Armin at his side. The other prong of his attack rested on the diversion as well: the conference, with its showy, youthful new Survey representative, would draw most of the attention, and what was left of the prying eyes could be satisfied with the radiant explanation. But what Erwin would say later that night, to Mikasa and to Eren, was that the fortress represented a potential fallback position should there be any need to conceal Eren from the crown - that would explain the need for such a small team and such intense discretion. In addition to searching for the source of the attacks, Mikasa could examine the location for structural integrity and suitability.
She would go willingly and work thoroughly. Everything else was up to Levi.
jam away!
"Then he's where he belongs."
Levi understood that Erwin's manipulations would soon take form, and that the board was set as well as it could be. He wouldn't fail.
"All of these brats from the 104th sure have stirred up some shit."
Both good and bad shit, admittedly, and though humanity hadn't won many battles since their emergence, Levi refused to believe that things had gotten worse. More than anything, they'd needed more weapons, and now they had them.
ooooh heichou ooooooooooooh
To take over from us, he meant. Nobody in the Survey Corps bothered with a retirement plan; even beyond that, age hunts a man more viciously than any titan. If they could not win the war themselves, he and Levi, the banner would have to be passed. Someone like Jean, or Armin, would succeed Erwin. Someone like Mikasa would succeed to Levi's position. Except she did not have Levi's compassion or his drive.
Just one of the many kinks to be worked out as the future unfolded.
"You don't have any concerns, do you?"
d-danchou, you jam so hard
He drained the last of his tea and tipped the cup a few appreciative inches toward Erwin before setting it down. He, too, was optimistic toward their young, would-be successors. Levi could still call them brats, but with some endearment now, and even the tiniest bit of self-mockery.
"Will that be all?" he asked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhMUXN3kGK8
He held Levi's gaze for a moment to lend weight to his thanks, and watched him as he put down his cup; there was a genuine warmth in this attention which went above and beyond the conscientious care Erwin took with all his soldiers.
Then he began to clear away the paperweights and the map. There was still a lot of paperwork before him, and Erwin wished to return to the meditative practice of signing and sealing, counting and acknowledging, to drive away the specter of doubt which clung to his thoughts.
never stopped laughing tbh
It wouldn't happen anytime soon. Levi believed this, and his intuition had always been good.
"Erwin."
Levi was not a warm man, but there was a certain brutish intimacy to his version of 'you're welcome.'
"I'll see you with the brats," he said.
And with that, Levi rose and left the Commander to his paperwork.