Bonus story : More than just colleagues : Part 10 : Movie Night

Emma patted the empty spot beside her.

“You can survive a slightly worse viewing angle for two hours.”

“That is true.”

He finally pushed the chair back toward the table and walked around the sofa. Emma shifted over to give him more room, and Aldric sat down beside her.

“Perfect. Now that we’ve solved the strategic problem of seating arrangements, can we pick a movie?” Lucas asked.

The food arrived about ten minutes later. This time, Lucas had followed Patrick’s advice and ordered only four pizzas. He placed the boxes on the table, then froze when he saw the greasy cardboard touching the surface.

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked.

“We spent all day cleaning this table.”

Patrick handed him several paper napkins.

“Put these underneath.”

Lucas arranged them beneath the boxes.

“I’m becoming responsible.”

Karim took a slice of pizza.

“It’s been twelve minutes.”

“Every improvement has to start somewhere.”

Aldric examined the napkins beneath the boxes.

“This precaution will indeed reduce the grease marks.”

“Thank you. Finally, someone appreciates my efforts.”

“Patrick came up with the solution,” Karim said.

“That clarification was unnecessary…”

They filled their glasses while Lucas continued searching. Patrick rejected a comedy that Lucas claimed to have already watched six times, Emma did not want to watch a horror movie after spending the afternoon cleaning, and Karim was fine with every suggestion. Aldric, meanwhile, watched the posters scroll past.

“Why does that one have a sword?”

“Because it’s a medieval action movie.”

Aldric studied the poster. A man in armor held a long sword in front of a burning castle, while several riders appeared behind him.

“It looks interesting.”

Emma turned toward Lucas.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because we know exactly what’s going to happen.”

Lucas smiled.

“Exactly.”

Aldric looked at both of them.

“What is going to happen?”

Emma took a slice of pizza.

“You’re going to spend two hours explaining everything the movie gets wrong.”

“I have no reason to comment if the events are coherent.”

Patrick gave a quiet laugh.

“That means we’re going to hear him for two hours.”

Lucas pressed the button.

“Sold.”

The movie opened with an aerial view of a fortress built on top of a hill. An army was approaching through the valley as dramatic music accompanied the appearance of the title. Aldric took a bite of pizza.

Lucas glanced discreetly at him, then at Emma, before looking back at Aldric. For almost three minutes, he remained perfectly silent.

On the screen, the commander of the fortress gathered his officers around a table covered by a map. One of them announced that ten thousand enemy soldiers would arrive before nightfall and that they had only three hundred defenders. The commander decided to close the gates and hold the walls.

Aldric frowned. Lucas closed his eyes.

“It’s starting.”

“What is?” Aldric asked.

“Nothing.”

The hero then ordered several dozen archers to take their positions on the walls.

“They are too close together.”

Emma began to smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“A single attack could take out several archers at once. They should leave more space between them.”

Lucas raised a hand.

“Maybe they don’t have much room on the walls.”

“The wall extends for several hundred meters.”

Patrick took a sip of his drink.

“Let him. We knew what we were getting into.”

The movie continued. The enemy soldiers placed several ladders against the wall while the defenders waited until they were almost fully in position before reacting. Aldric set down his slice of pizza.

“Go ahead,” Emma said.

“They should have acted sooner. A ladder is much easier to push away when no one is on it. Waiting until ten soldiers have started climbing only adds unnecessary weight.”

“But that would be less spectacular,” Lucas said.

“Is their objective to defend the fortress or put on a show?”

“For them, defend the fortress. For us, the show.”

“That explains some of their decisions, but it does not make them more reasonable.”

On the screen, one of the defenders finally pushed over a ladder filled with enemies. Lucas raised both arms.

“See? It works.”

“With considerably more effort than necessary.”

Patrick started laughing as the first clash ended in a temporary victory for the defenders.

The hero then went down into the courtyard and removed his helmet despite the presence of numerous enemy archers surrounding the fortress.

“Why is he removing his protection?”

“So we can see his face,” Emma said.

“The other soldiers already know what his face looks like.”

Lucas burst out laughing.

“Not them. Us.”

“Then he will put his helmet back on before the next battle.”

A few minutes later, another attack began. The hero ran toward the walls, sword in hand, still without his helmet.

Aldric slowly turned his head toward Lucas.

“Don’t say anything.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“I know exactly what you were going to say.”

“In that case, there is indeed no need for me to say it.”

Emma started laughing as well.

“Don’t look at me! I’m not responsible!” Lucas said.

“He has an excellent helmet. Why does he not use it?”

Patrick smiled.

“Maybe he wants to hear better.”

“Protecting his head seems more important.”

Karim nodded seriously.

“I agree with him.”

“Thank you.”

Lucas pointed at Karim.

“No alliances.”

The movie continued, and the battle grew increasingly spectacular. Explosions sent several soldiers flying through the air. Flaming arrows streaked across the sky. A battering ram was brought up to the main gate while the defenders ran in every direction.

Aldric watched the battering ram with far greater interest.

“This one is well constructed.”

“Finally, something he approves of,” Lucas said.

“The overhead protection is sensible, and the wheels appear wide enough to support the weight.”

“I knew we’d eventually earn his approval.”

The movie then showed several archers firing flaming arrows at the structure.

“But that attack is ineffective.”

Lucas sighed.

“That didn’t last long,” Lucas sighed.

“The outer wood is damp and protected. A few arrows will not be enough to start a significant fire.”

“What should they do?” Patrick asked.

“Concentrate their projectiles on the men pushing the structure. Or use stones. If they have oil, they could also try spreading it in front of the wheels to slow its approach.”

A little later, the hero left the fortress with about ten riders to ambush the enemy army.

“No… This operation is unnecessarily risky.”

“They want to destroy the enemy supplies.”

“With ten riders.”

“They’re the best.”

“That does not make them invisible.”

“He has a point again,” Patrick said.

Lucas turned toward him.

“Stop encouraging him.”

“A night attack on their supplies could work, but they would need several groups, prior reconnaissance, and most importantly, a retreat route prepared before the assault.”

“How do you know they didn’t prepare all that?” Emma asked.

On the screen, the hero announced to his companions that they would improvise once they got there. Aldric raised a hand toward the screen.

“There.”

Emma burst out laughing.

The ten riders entered the enemy camp, set several wagons on fire, and escaped without suffering any losses. Lucas raised his glass in satisfaction.

“Victory.”

“The outcome does not necessarily validate the method.”

“They succeeded.”

“A poor decision can produce a good result.”

Patrick nodded.

“I say that a lot at work.”

“See? This movie is educational,” Lucas said.

The hero then faced an enemy officer in a duel, and both men discarded their shields so they could fight using only their swords.

“Why? The shield works perfectly well… It does not appear to be damaged. So why discard it?”

“To make the fight more impressive,” Lucas said.

“He is deliberately making his defense less effective in order to impress people who are not even participating in the battle…”

Aldric continued watching the duel. The hero blocked an attack by striking his opponent’s blade, spun his sword in his hand, and performed a particularly spectacular move.

“That movement is unnecessary.”

“But it looked amazing,” Lucas said.

“It leaves his right side exposed for almost a full second.”

“One second is nothing.”

“In a duel, it is an extremely long time.”

Lucas took another slice of pizza.

“I believe you.”

The hero performed a wide spinning motion, turning his back on his opponent.

“He just deliberately turned his back on an armed man.”

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“But he caught him by surprise.”

“He surprised me too.”

Patrick had to put down his glass because he was laughing so hard, and even Karim was struggling to keep a straight face. Lucas turned toward Aldric with a smile.

“I think I really like watching movies with you.”

“And yet you asked me not to comment.”

“I changed my mind.”

The movie did not contain only tactical mistakes, however. Aldric appreciated several details about the fortress, some of the formations used in the later scenes, and the way the soldiers communicated with flags from different sections of the wall. When one character finally took the time to explain his plan before a battle, Aldric nodded approvingly.

“Finally,” Lucas said.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m just happy for him.”

The final battle lasted almost twenty minutes. After the main gate was destroyed, the hero gathered the remaining defenders in the inner courtyard. His speech inspired the soldiers, who formed a line in front of the stairs leading to the keep.

When the commander finished by declaring that they were fighting for the families sheltering behind them, Aldric nodded.

“I imagine you’ve done that before,” Lucas said.

“Given speeches?”

“Before battles.”

“Yes.”

“What did you say?”

“It depended on the battle.”

“Can you give us one?”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“For what purpose?”

“To finish the movie.”

“That does not require a speech.”

Karim smiled as he picked up his glass again.

“Too bad.”

The final battle eventually ended with the unexpected arrival of reinforcements that saved the fortress at the last moment. When the hero reunited with his companions in the middle of the courtyard, the music swelled again and the credits appeared.

Lucas stretched out his legs.

“There we go.”

Patrick looked at the nearly empty pizza boxes.

“Not bad.”

Emma nodded.

“I liked it.”

“Me too,” Karim said.

Lucas turned toward Aldric.

“Well?”

“The overall result is satisfactory.”

“But?”

“Several decisions could have caused the fortress to fall long before the reinforcements arrived.”

Patrick stood up to collect the boxes.

“What score would you give it?” Emma asked.

“According to which criteria?”

“Forget it. Bad question,” Lucas said.

“We would need to distinguish the quality of the entertainment from the military coherence, the depiction of the weapons, the design of the fortifications, and the behavior of the characters.”

Lucas looked at Patrick.

“Too late.”

“The fortress is well positioned. The walls are credible, although some of the defenses could have been reinforced. The enemy army has a considerable numerical advantage but uses it poorly. Its command lacks coordination, and several assaults are launched without sufficient preparation.”

“We really are getting a full report.”

“Let him finish,” Emma said.

“The fortress commander has good qualities. His men trust him, and he remains calm in difficult situations. However, he personally takes too many risks.”

Patrick nodded.

“I noticed that too.”

“He repeatedly leaves a defensive position to participate in the fighting when his primary role should be coordinating the units.”

“But he’s the hero,” Lucas said.

“That status does not protect him from an arrow.”

Emma smiled.

“In movies, it kind of does.”

“That is a particularly dangerous rule.”

Karim started laughing.

Lucas grabbed a bottle and refilled their glasses.

“Okay. Different question. Which character was the best?”

“The captain of the north gate.”

“Who?”

“The man commanding the north gate during the first attack.”

“The one with the beard?”

“Yes.”

Lucas looked puzzled.

“He’s on screen for maybe five minutes.”

“That does not affect the quality of his decisions.”

“Why him?”

“He is the only officer who checks his arrow reserves before the siege begins. He orders his men to change positions after each volley to limit casualties, refuses to pursue an enemy group that retreats, and waits for confirmation from command before opening the gate.”

“I’d forgotten he even existed.”

Aldric continued.

“He effectively protects his section of the fortress, takes no unnecessary risks, and loses very few men.”

“So your favorite character is a competent background character. That’s boring,” Lucas said.

“I was asked which one was the best. Not which one had the most screen time.”

“Fair point,” Karim said.

“And the hero?”

“Brave. Charismatic. Capable of making decisions quickly.”

“So, the best?”

“No. He takes off his helmet.”

Emma’s laughter echoed throughout the living room, and Lucas shook his head.

“You’re never going to forgive him for that.”

“That decision was unnecessary.”

“Okay. What about the villain?”

“Poor commander. He has ten thousand men against three hundred defenders and still loses the siege.”

Patrick raised his glass.

“Hard to argue with that.”

“Maybe the three hundred were just really good,” Lucas said.

“They were competent, but the enemy army could have isolated the fortress and waited. They had far more men. The defenders had limited supplies. A prolonged siege would have considerably reduced the risks.”

Lucas grimaced.

“But then the movie would have lasted six months.”

“I am beginning to understand that this factor has a considerable influence on military decisions in your movies.”

The discussion continued. Lucas defended the hero with far more conviction than he probably actually felt, simply because he found it amusing to push Aldric into elaborating on his arguments. Emma sometimes sided with Lucas before abruptly switching sides whenever one of Aldric’s explanations seemed convincing. Patrick preferred to watch the debate and only intervene when a remark gave him an opportunity to provoke Lucas.

Lucas pointed at Aldric.

“You really do watch movies differently.”

“How do you watch them?”

“When I see a battle, I wonder who’s going to win.”

“So do I.”

“No. You wonder why archer number fourteen is standing forty centimeters too close to archer number thirteen.”

“The distance was indeed insufficient.”

Lucas buried his face in his hands. Patrick checked the time on his phone.

“It’s already past ten.”

“Seriously? That went by fast.”

The last slices of pizza were growing cold in their box, and several glasses were almost empty. Yet the conversation continued. Lucas talked about a series he wanted to start. Emma recommended another one. Patrick explained that he rarely watched more than one episode in the evening because he almost always fell asleep during the second.

“You’re getting old,” Karim said.

“You’re two years younger than me.”

“Two important years.”

Lucas raised his glass.

“Personally, I can watch an entire season.”

Emma turned toward him.

“And then you wonder why your apartment is never tidy.”

“I thought we were done with that.”

“Never,” Patrick replied.

Patrick asked Emma a question about her work. She told them about a particularly strange apartment she had shown where the owner had installed a bathtub in the middle of the bedroom. Lucas initially refused to believe her until she pulled out her phone and showed them a photograph.

“Why is it there?”

“The owner thought it looked modern.”

Karim looked at the picture.

“That’s bad for the humidity.”

“There is no partition protecting the furniture from the water. This layout is poorly designed.”

“Thank you for the real estate expertise,” Lucas said.

Emma put her phone away, and the conversation immediately moved on. Patrick told them about the time he had tried to repair a leak himself and ended up causing a much bigger problem. Lucas said he would have paid good money to witness the scene, while Patrick replied that he would have appreciated someone who knew how to shut off the water properly.

Around eleven, Karim placed his glass on the table and straightened up.

“I’m going to have to head home.”

“Already?”

“My son will be awake before I am tomorrow morning if I stay any longer.”

Patrick stood up as well.

“I’m going to head out too.”

Emma nodded as she picked up her phone.

“Me too. Otherwise Aldric is going to start calculating the last metro trains.”

Aldric took out his phone.

“The last one is at—”

Emma placed a hand on his arm.

“That was a joke.”

Aldric looked at his screen, then locked it.

“I see.”

Lucas burst out laughing as they began tidying up the few things that remained. He carried the glasses into the kitchen and put the plates in the dishwasher.

“I never thought I’d see this,” Patrick said.

Lucas closed the dishwasher.

“I’m a new man.”

“We’ll talk about that again in a week,” Karim said.

“Why does no one believe in me?”

Emma picked up her bag.

“Because we saw the apartment yesterday.”

“You people really can’t let things go…”

Patrick put on his jacket, Emma slipped her shoes back on, and Aldric checked that nothing had been left on the table. Karim adjusted the sleeve of his jacket.

“By the way… Next time… come have dinner at my place.”

“Of course.”

“Gladly,” Patrick said.

Emma smiled.

“I’d love to.”

Karim finally turned toward Aldric.

“And you?”

“Yes.”

A smile appeared on Karim’s face.

“Perfect.”

“But I’m warning you. After what we just did here, I’m going to inspect your apartment.”

Karim opened the door.

“You can try.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No.”

“It sounded like a threat.”

Patrick stepped into the hallway.

“At Karim’s place, you’re mostly going to discover what a tidy apartment looks like without outside intervention.”

“I thought we said we were moving on.”

Emma burst out laughing as she left the apartment, and Aldric followed her out while Lucas closed the door behind them.