5055034455 | [exsilium] contact

[After a few minutes:]

Are you busy right now? Can we talk?

[And he means talk, not text.]

I've set up office in one of the empty rooms by the cells. I'm almost always there.

[Roslyn receives no reply because Saul just shows up, knocking gently on the door frame to alert her to his presence.

He'd have brought a peace offering, like coffee, but he has none left.

Maybe that explains why it looks like his hands are vibrating?]

[ She gestures to a seat but waits to finish a sentence on the tablet before looking up. ]

What did you need to talk about?

I owe you an explanation.

[The following pause is almost painful.]

And an apology.

[ Quietly folding her hands and giving him her attention. It's not that she looks hostile, just quietly very impassive. ]

All right. Go ahead.

[ There's a part of her that almost adds 'good fucking luck' to that because it would feel good, but there's not much point. ]

[That's too bad; it would have gotten a laugh out of him, at least. As it is, he just looks solemn and earnest. It's not a good look for him.]

The explanation is that I wasn't thinking straight. Stephanie was hurt when this mess started, people were panicking, I assumed that I should do something as the head of the Department —

[He pauses there, drumming his fingers against the table.]

I should've kept my mouth shut. Ditto for when Collette's post went up. She's right, as were you when you relieved me of my legal duties regarding the mutineers — I'm not so good with keeping my cool in situations like this, I admit it. I don't need to be excluded from a list to know that. Shit like this never happened back home. You'd think that almost nine months here would have me used to it by now, but...

[The drumming stops as he trails off.]

Anyway, I'm sorry. You have my word that I'll be more professional from here on.

[ She listens, the whole way through, and then she leans forward a little. ]

You had a position of authority and you abused it in a way that could potentially have escalated a dangerous situation. You told a young girl it was all right for her to release information that could have also potentially escalated the situation and given rise to further emotional reactions to things in a move so transparently manipulative it was almost painful and also invalidated the information you were using. Your judgment was poor and your use of your position equally so.

[ a slight pause. ] I appreciate that you seem to understand that, but your apology does not give me any faith in how you will handle the next crisis.

[As she leans forward, he leans back, listening just as carefully.

He looks a little on edge now, though.

Then, finally and quietly:] No, I didn't think it would. I just wanted you to know.

[ He can look on edge, but she's made her point. So she sits back again. ]

If your actions back it up, I'll accept the apology. Until then, your current actions are what stand.

[gurl y u gotta be so cold

Saul nods.]

Fair enough.

[ it has been a very stressful month saul okay

it's going to take a lot more than words to make any of it okay ]

Was there anything else you needed to say?

If there's anything you need me to do —

[If there's anything at all left that you'd trust me with —]

You know how to reach me.

[He'll show himself out.]

Yes, I do.

[ That's cool, she's fine with that. She has so much shit to do it's not even approaching funny. ]

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