Actually Serious

Participants:

harper_icon.gif ryans2_icon.gif

Scene Title Actually Serious
Synopsis Desmond Harper stops in to Ryans' office in order to discuss one tricky matter of business with him.
Date June 7, 2010

Fort Hero


The office is still fairly plain, since the occupant hasn't even tried to fix it up yet. His desk is neat, ordered, with a small Bonsai tree sitting on one corner and on the other a picture of his girls. A few others, from his older years with the Company, sit on the top of a trio of filing cabinets. One is the photo of his family and the Ichihara's.

A brown canvas duster and the old fedora, that is something of a signature for the older agent, hang on a hook by the door.

The Assistant-Director himself is sitting at his desk, having been called back to deal with a few reports — Oh joy. He is long tired of the cast, especially when he's naturally right handed. Writing and typing is a pain with the bulky thing, to the point of being irritating. It's amazing anyone can read his left handed writing.

Brows are furrowed as he awkwardly signs another bit of paperwork set on this desk, as he's trying to get done so that he can get back to his home. As he had feared, the melting snows had made a minor flood in his basement, so he had some work to do. Not to mention his greenhouse had taken a good amount of damage from the weight of snow.

There's a quick three-beat rap-rap-rap on Benjamin Ryans' door that threatens to keep him away from hoem just a little bit longer. Coincidentially, the knocking is coming on the heels of the very topic of the paperwork he's trying to get off of his desk, paperwork that comes with a black and white mugshot of Lucas Campbell paperclipped to it. That knocked on door opens befoe Ryans can even vocalize disapproval, followed by the smiling face of agent Desmond Harper leaning in with one hand waving.

"Hey there, Ben," Harper offers with a certain jovial sensibility. "You got a minute?" The way Harper insinuates himself into the office implies that whatever answer Ryans gives isn't going to be anything but yes. "I heard some talking going on down in the cafeteria and thought I'd come on up to talk to you about something…"

As the door opens to let one of the few people at the office, he's rather not see, Ryans' mouth actually tugs down a touch. Heavy sigh escapes through the older man's nose and his pen is tossed down on the desk, as he leans back in his desk chair. "I'm going to guess no matter the answer, your going to take that minute, anyhow." His tone is bland, lacking any emotion.

Waving at the empty chairs across from him, with his cast, the assistant-director gets comfortable, "Might as well take a seat." The corner of Ryans' eyes crease slightly as he gets to the point and simply asks, "What don't you like about what is being done?" Cause obviously, that can be the only reason the annoying man is in his office delaying him that much more.

There's something of a lopsided smile on Harper's face at the accusation of why he's here. His progress into the office brings him to stand behind the offered chair, not sitting either out of some obnoxious desire to be contrary of perhaps just because he doesn't feel like a good sit at the moment. Hands resting on the back of the chair, Harper rolls his shoulders in a lazy shrug, then offers an askance look over to the photographs that pass for decorations in the office.

"Campbell," is the first name off of Harper's lips when his eyes settle back on Ryans. "I hear you've got him in custody due to his involvement in an investigation and I can understand that. But I've heard that you're looking to return Luke out into the wild under his own recognisence despite the fact that he violently assaulted several federal agents during his initial registration process and saw fit to… how did the reports put it… microwave one of your agents in an escape attempt and serve as a potential conspirator with a traitorous former member of your organization?"

Harper leans forward, folding his arms over the back of the chair, head quirked to the side. "Walk me through how this sounds like a good idea, Ben."

Brows lift slightly and he gives a little look of understanding, "I can see why you are hesitant." He would fold his hands together, but of course, he can't… so instead he leans forward, resting his arm on the desk as he meets the other man's gaze without flinching.

"However, he has shown that he can control his ability. I observed on occasion that he is capable of not microwaving someone when upset. Not to mention, the only reason he was working for Akado, was he was being controlled. When he would come out of these black outs he was disturbed by what he saw and upset by it. One witness of this was an Empath, she confirmed the emotions were true." Internally, the old man is not like having to use Huruma as a character witness, but…

Ryans' brows lift slightly at the other man, his weight shifting slightly in his chair. He lifts a hand to hold up a finger. "But… even I can see the boy does have a temper and could use an attitude adjustment… I understand this, however, I'm hoping to curb some of that with the charges being places on him." That finger stabs at the file, before he pushes himself back again. "He will be marked with a tracer… and he'll be wearing a gps tracker for the length of his parole. The community service could be good for him as well."

The senior agent spreads his hands out slowly, "If you wish, we can require anger management courses? Maybe some therapy?" See! He can be flexible.

"You're actually serious, aren't you?" Harper asks with a touch of amusement in his voice, "I mean you're really, honestly not joking? Because you sounded like you were kidding at first." There's a point of Harper's right index finger at Ryans as his head shakes, finger ssnapping as he makes a you kidder, you expression. "So exactly what sort've story are you telling to the family of the agent he flash-boiled on the escallator during his escape attempt? That you're letting his killer go because he's sorry? Ben you and I both know that isn't how the world works. People don;t just get to do bad things and then… you know, walk away from it?"

Tilting his head to the side, Harper lifts a hand and strokes fingers over his chin, leaning away from the chair as he does. "I'm just, largely, here to observe… but you know this is the kind've thing that looks bad on paper. When you take something like this and look at it from an impartial, outside perspective? You're letting a violent, dangerous person that you just told me knows how to control their power back out onto the street…"

Breathing in deeply, Harper crosses his arms over his chest. "But, this is your call to make, I just call it like I see it. Were you going to at least assign him something like a parole officer?" One brow goes up inquisitively, silently asking who Ryans had in mind with just a look.

Benjamin Ryans doesn't even change expressions as Harper continues to talk, looking more bored then anything at the younger man's act. At the last question, the expression Harper get is one that clear asks — 'Do I look stupid?' "Of course… he's being assigned a parole officer. That is a required portion of parole. Or am I getting it wrong… age rattled brain you know." There is actual sarcasm in the old man's tone, fingers giving a flick towards the side of his head. "We're still scanning possible candidates for the job, since I don't want to hand it to jsut anyone."

Quiet for a moment, Ryans look thoughtful. "You say it looks bad… hmm…" Eyes narrow dangerously at the man standing, Ryans words have an edge to them. "So… the government itself is allowed to let murderers and killer walk free, but when we give a kid a second chance… it looks bad?" The question is asked innocently.

"What Campbell did under his own power, is nothing compared to what I've seen allowed to walk free with a pardon." His voices lifts ever so slightly with that last word. Yes… he knows there have been pardons given. "Explain that to me."

"They saved the world," Harper admits something very openly and unlike him with that and a shrug of his shoulders. He's letting his words hang on the air though as he turns towards the door, offering Ryans' is profile and an askance look. "What good's Luke Campbell done for anyone lately?" Lifting a brow, Harper reveals a mild smile and nods his head, letting his stare come down to his feet as he turns his back on Ryans.

"Just doing my civic duty," Harper adds as he starts to walk for the door, hands tucking into the pockets of his jacket. "In the end, the call's yours and the director's to make. Just… make sure it's a choice you can live with. If that kid kills again… it isn't my hands with the blood on 'em."

"He's a kid, with a lot to learn and had a crappy mentor and a bitch of a mother." Shoulder rise slowly into a shrug, seemingly unaffected by what Harper says. "Never know… the kid may yet save the world."

A small smile threatens to tug up the corner of Ryans' mouth. "Many of our own evolved agents have had questionable paths… yes… you can say some turned rogue, but so did some very good people. I've had a partner or two that turned out alright."

Picking up his pen again, the Assistant-Director adds to the man's back, while dragging paperwork to himself, "If you never give anyone a chance, the world would be a very empty place, Harper." Ryans observes softly, "We'd all be locked away or simply dead."

"Sounds like a very safe place for the people left," Harper admits with a half-hearted smile, looking over his shoulder to Ryans before turning away and stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind himself. It's not the most graceful of exits Desmond Harper has ever made, but the point he wanted to get across was delivered effectively.

The rest of it is in Benjamin Ryans' hands.


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