Let's Be Civil (S.H.C.P)

[Emily Suddenfield]

A noise came from the door to the office of the S.H.C.P.

Knock knock.

OOC: 

Tags: Stevie-Rae  first, then any SHCP that wants to join.

[Stevie-Rae]

This was one of the occasions I was not in the office. I had just come back from a meeting with Kaar about my next step. Nothing... He had told me nothing. 'Finish what I have given you.' Dammit all anyway. I hated when he told me that. I was not a child. Alright, maybe I was still legally a child, but I was not a toddler.

I had a large bag of giant gummy bears I had bought for Cale. I knew how much he enjoyed them and hell, why not, right? I had just turned onto the long hallway that led from Kaar's office to mine when I saw Emily. I stopped dead in my tracks and my eyes narrowed.

"He's not here. He is out doing his job like I told him to. Mind telling me why you ganged up on one of my people? I thought we had already figured all this shit out."

My tone was just above hostile. I was so ready for her to come at me, all I had to do was drop Cale's treats and I was golden.

[Emily Suddenfield]

She paused, her brow twitching.

"Ganged up? What are you talking about?"

She kept her hands in her pockets and stared. She was utterly confused! She'd had a conversation with Cale only....who else could she be referring to?

[Stevie-Rae]

I stood my ground. I didn't trust her or myself not to start something if i got closer.

"Cale. What happened with Cale? I'd kind of like to know if he was exaggerating or not. From your reaction, you are either a very good liar or he was."

My hand lightly squeezed the bag. I was mindful not to squeeze too hard. They were gummies after all and IO didn't want them crushed before they got to Cale.

[Emily Suddenfield]

She stared. So….Stevie-Ray had already spoke with the male. She shouldn’t have gone after that bagel after all.

“I see.”

Emily would walk forward, hands in her pockets, eyes not leaving Stevie-Ray’s.

“So you spoke with the blonde, who told you his side. I can’t imagine it sounded good. But….clearly you have some doubts, which leads me to be hopeful. I came here to try and help.”

She’d stop about five feet away, watching.

“I came into the gym, and saw a group of people fighting. I’d never met Cale before, and didn’t know who he was or what he was about. I saw the start of the fight though- three men tried to gang up on him. My first instinct was to jump in and help him- but instead, I shouted at them to stop fighting to try and both avoid hurting people and to also give them the chance to stop and change their course. I know the baseball boys- and as expected, they listened when I told them to stop. Cale did at first, the three fighting him entirely letting down their guard. Cale turned and punched one in the face, despite James' arms being down and no further overt threat being presented further. I, however, did not directly put Cale down because I noticed his badge at that moment. I stepped between them, and told Cale to stop or I’d stop him. The three were no longer fighting- that I didn’t touch him was out of respect for being SHCP, the warning being given for the same reason.”

Emily brought a hand out and shook out her hair, pulling her hood down in the meantime.

“After that, Cale said he was defending himself despite punching a student who stood down, as though I was trying to keep him from the fight earlier thus putting blame in my court. However, I took it to mean he was defending himself before, to which I said that those actions were fair. That he had a right to defend himself. I advised him that, in his role as a school police officer, that he should always give students the chance to avoid harm though. That it’s better for them in the long run to know we’re watching and be worried about being caught, that to cause severe mental, physical and emotional harm to someone through pain and broken bones right out the gate. Besides, it would only perpetuate the problem and make our job harder by turning the populace against us. He said that’s not the case- that unless you hurt them, they won’t learn their place.”

Emily knew she had no reason to explain all this to Stevie-Ray. In fact, she could have left it as it was- she owed nobody any explanation. But if Violet and Mel taught her anything- it was that civility in the face of adversity could go a long way.

“Throughout our long conversation on our conflicting ideologies, he repeatedly insisted that despite the offense, despite whatever troubles were happening in their lives or in the school- that if he saw anyone breaking a law he’d do his job and beat the shit out of them. He'd make sure they were constantly looking over their shoulders for him any time they did something bad. I told him that such actions not only went against student and civil law- but against what I felt was his role as a moral officer and leader. I said if I ran into a situation in which he didn’t at least give a chance to someone to walk away…to recognize who you are and what your role is and change their minds- as those baseball players might have done had they known he was SHCP- then you’re no better than the bullies. You’re just one with a badge. And I’d treat him as such. I'd put him down.”

She glanced over at Stevie-Rays office before turning her eyes back to Stevie-Ray.

“I don’t want to fight you. Or your people. But if your goal is to make sure that all students live here in terror that the SHCP will hospitalize them or bring their fist down on every little occasion…..well, you haven't seemed the type so I'm sure that's not the case. And maybe I over-reached, speaking my mind on how I'll treat his words and actions. On telling him I'd put him down. But as his Captain, I know you’d likely let the actions of your subordinates speak for you as I do mine. Which is why I came to you now rather than later. You don’t owe me an explanation, just like I didn’t owe you one. But we’re two sides of the same coin here. There is no need to go to war over something like this. But if his actions, his mentality, his rule of law clarified as total subjugation is your own....I won't hesitate to take that step."

Her eyes were unapologetic, but were still kind. Calm. She was reaching out, in a sense. Giving Stevie-Ray a window as she hoped to have from here on out. If that promise at the end was the only focus...then Stevie Ray wasn't who Emily thought in the first place.

[Stevie-Rae]

I narrowed my eyes as she came forward, my fingers released the bag of gummies and they fell to the ground. I took a single step forward to ready my stance for the fight I was sure was about to come. Balling my fists, I prepared mentally. This wouldn't be fun. My people were not hers to command as she saw fit.

As she began to explain, I released my stance and listened. When she shook out her hair I stooped to pick up the bag and stood again to face her and listen to the entire story. Once she was done, I got my turn to respond.

"Right. So he didn't start it with you. I gave him orders to do as he saw fit to keep this school in line. I will correct him as I see fit. He did wrong by punishing out of place, but you should know that it is the SHCP's right to dole out punishments as we see fit. It is our duty. Seeing as how we are right above the Pillars in stacking order given by the administration, I suggest you try not to piss me off. Leave my people alone. I will punish bad behavior. Not you. If you come at one of my people again, I will see that you are removed from your position, as is also my right as Captain of the SHCP."

I took a moment to let that settle in before continuing.

"I must thank you though, you straightened out a problem I had with you. I need to -forgive the pun, but- police my people. I'd rather not fight you either. I want to like you and work with you to protect this school from others and itself. However, I will not hesitate to protect it from you. I'll leave your people alone, or should I say person, and you leave mine alone."

If she'd let me, I would walk past her and into my office. As far as I was concerned, this conversation was over.

[Emily Suddenfield]

Emily wouldn't respond as she listened. She'd shake her head with a small smile before it vanished at the latter statements. I'm sorry. What? Above her in stacking order? Strip her title as per the administrative law? Leave punishments to her? What a ridiculous, falsely inflated sense of self importance this girl had.

She'd step in front of Stevie-Ray as the girl tried to go, holding up a hand for her to stop. Her brow was furrowed in confusion at the clear disdain SR was expressing in her words and actions.

"You and I are equal in rank."

Unlike Stevie Ray, Emily felt no need to pretend she was above SR, despite the fact that she'd taken down half the schools gang leaders, taken on any challenge that came her way and was actively pursuing what she felt was some hidden conspiracy. In fact, had this convo gone better, she'd planned to share her information with her partner group. Instead, she comes back with, in laymans terms, a statement of "Don't ever issue orders to my people, I do that. I'm higher in rank than you, and I'll take away you're cute little badge of honor while I do real work if you even look my way wrong. Now off you go little puppy". Then she stepped off, slapping Em in the face. It was all the girl could do to get a grip on the rage in her chest from such disrespect, after everything Emily had said and come here with. With nothing but peace in her mind, and talking with her ally.

If this was the type of person Mel and Violet respected and cared about, Emily had been wrong to try and listen to them in the first place.

"Who told you that you were both above me and had right to strip me of command? Whoever said it- even if it was the administrator himself- lied. Did you think that because you were clenched in the fist of the faculty that it made you somehow...more? You have zero rights in my hierarchy. You have zero rights to my title. You can issue orders all you like to the contrary- I'll still come to school with this jacket on my back until someone takes it by force. That's the creed of the School Captain, Stevie-Ray. That's the law. You either give it up, or get beaten and have it taken. There is no other way- believe me, I've checked."

She didn't take her eyes from the girl.

"We can get along, as equals. But hearing that you think yourself above me is not just disconcerting. It's insulting. I think you know that. What I don't know is why you'd take the time out to try and make a baseless statement passed off as simple fact as though it would mean nothing to me when I came here in good faith. You seem, in fact, to have had a problem with me from the start...throwing down your bag as though my words of an alliance meant nothing to you and you were prepared to throw down. If you have a problem, come out and say it, don't hide behind orders to leave it to you that mean less than nothing to me when I've seen the results....or lack thereof."

Tch. This chick...and here Emily thought she was the one with the biggest stick up her bum.

[Stevie-Rae]

I stopped as Emily stood in my way and held up her hand. So she didn't like what I had said. Good. Her and I seemed to have some issues from the very start. I didn't trust anything she was doing. I didn't like the way she led. I didn't like anything about her... Besides her hair. GOD BLESS HER HAIR! I took a breath and leaned against the wall. This was going to take a while. Perhaps I was wrong by telling her that... Perhaps I should have... Whatever.

"Look, honey. I have been given no reason to trust you. Everything I have seen you do has led me to believe you can not be trusted. If I had a good reason why I should... Maybe then I could trust you. Maybe if I knew that you would leave my people alone. Maybe if I knew that what you were doing was something other than a tyrannical leadership. Maybe if I knew who you really are..."

I paused and looked down the hall. Sighing deeply, I waved her forward.

"Come into the office. So far, I am the only one here. We can talk inside. Maybe if we can figure things out then we can come to a better understanding. I don't like you, but I don't know you. If you won't step down and won't be taken from your position, then I have no choice but to work with you right?"

I dragged a hand over my face. This was going to be a long day. Sure I wanted to work with her, but she seemed to be taking things from bad to worse constantly. If I tried to trust her and get to know her and what the hell she was doing instead of constantly butting heads... Who knew, maybe things would work themselves out.

[Emily Suddenfield]

Emily didn't know what she was thinking- from the School Captains position, she had someone threatening her position without due cause. But SR's words, regardless of those thoughts, said that it was about trust. She seemed to acknowledge that she had no right over Emily by indicating that the SC wasn't stepping down or being removed. That caused Emily to visibly relax. Then, she said to come into the office. Em would step aside and let her lead the way.

"No offense but....I'm not sure why you don't trust me. I've never been tyrannical. I've never seen you as an enemy and I don't know where that distrust fostered. If I did something you didn't like, you should have come to me about it like Mel did. I have an issue with trust surrounding you, but not because I have a problem with you as a person. I don't trust your role. School Hall Police are given too much free reign, and are in essence meant to be an arm of the faculty. Trained and led by the faculty to give them more power over the students. That's something we don't need. As for ordering around your people- Cale is the first person I've met and I ordered him to do nothing. I tried to help him, and you. Because from an non linear, non objective point of view, senseless unrestricted beatings of the populace without attempt at subjugation in another less damaging way is more tyrannical than anything I have done."

She would step into the office and look around. Not altogether different from her own.

"But truth be told, you haven't given me a reason not to like you until this conversation. And you seem to have eased off the command and control rhetoric so I'm fine with talking."

She'd slump into a chair, turning off her phone alert as it vibrated.

"Ask any questions if you'd like. I've never tried to hide."

[Stevie-Rae]

I unlocked and opened the door. Moving inside I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Lipton Sweet Tea for myself and looked to Emily to see if she wanted anything. I mulled over her words for another moment before answering.

"I don't like how you keep so much to yourself. It seems like even your own followers are seeking me out instead of staying with you. You have picked fights with my own people, and you have challenged Mr Asiv. I don't see how you can still be ok with the things that are going on here. I do see that my people are given quite a bit more power, but it is because we have a more important job. Not only do we see over the school, but we see over your people as well. I don't like lording ownership over others, but if I must do it, then I will.

"Cale is my problem, not yours. He is in my ranks and I will deal with him and dole out punishments as I see fit. I would appreciate you keeping to yourself around my people. You have proven unable to keep to your own affairs. I know you don't understand what I mean when I say we 'see over your people', but it was a role given to me by the staff. The staff only give me orders, they do not control me. I am not one to follow blindly.

"So long as I can ask any... Why are you so secretive. If you are trying not to have people dislike you, then why all the secrecy?"

I sat down in the chair across from her. If she had asked for a drink i would set it on the table and lean back in my chair. Hopefully this didn't go terribly awry.

[Emily Suddenfield]

Emily's eyebrows drew down. How to put this kindly?

"I'm honestly not meaning to offend you here- but it sounds to me like you don't understand your own role and the purpose of the Correction Police. There is a key difference between your role and mine. That difference is who supplies our power. The Pillar system is meant to be a force of challenge, to harness and hone the student body's anger and frustration toward a common goal or enemy. Me. It's also meant to help control the violence among the populace by putting it down in an unrelenting way. The power I have is imbued and represented by the actions I take through the eyes of the students- actions allowed but not ordered by the Faculty because they see the changing, seeking current of attitude shift in my direction rather than in the direction of the administration. It causes violence to recede. It causes constant shifts in power and struggles among the students while reducing the number of attacks to the staff. My power is given and taken by the students and ignored by the faculty- which means my title falls under nobody's ownership except the students themselves. That's the beauty of the role. The Pillars have served Faculty in other schools because the Faculty breaks them, putting them up as puppets. Changing the old guard with a guard more pliable. They have yet to try that with me- but they found a way around it. They've created your force."

Em's fingers tapped lightly against the desk.

"Your power is different. You have no authority given to you by the students. You have no power given to you by the parents, the government or by school law. Your power, in it's entirety, is granted by the faculty. You were created by them, for them, under the leadership of one of them. Claiming otherwise is to close your eyes to reality. Whether you believe it or not, you aren't just a little bit the hand of the faculty- you're the hand, wrist, arm and shoulder among the students. If you don't believe me, tell your leader no, even when he tells you to do something agreeable. Tell him you'll do whatever you please in matters he brings to your attention and see how he reacts. As for Cale, you're spinning a broken record. If I see someone with strength acting like a bully just because he knows how to throw a punch, I will step in, badge or not, and make sure he knows how to take one. I haven't been here nor am I here now asking your permission to do it- I'm telling you I'm going to do it. That's the whole point of being School Captain- I don't have to ask anyone to do anything I do. I literally just do it."

She'd give a single "tch" at the mention of secrecy.

"Again, you're making assumptions that I'm secretive based on no attempts to talk or find out yourself. When have you asked me a question that I've refused to answer? I'm not, nor ever have been, secretive. Nobody asks me questions, and I do not report to you for thoughts or decisions I make. If something I do makes you curious, ask me about it. I have nothing to hide. If by secretive you mean to ask why I haven't asked for closer collaboration with you, I've already said it- I have no way of knowing whether what we do will be constantly fed into the staffs ears. If you say it won't, that you're not under their thumb, I'll try my best to believe that until my trust is betrayed. And my people coming to you is not something I've ordered but to be honest, it's also not something I care about. I encourage my allies to find whatever strength they need- if they find they have more potential for growth with you, by all means. Help them grow."

Emily knew she came off as abrasive but....at least she was honest.

OOC: I'll try to intermittently reply here when I can to keep it going.