Flint is his own man.. and I didn't know this particular hair had gotten twisted up like this.
[Raylan wasn't stupid enough to miss what this was - a chance - nor was he dumb enough to abuse it, not when he was otherwise so often giving it.]
Yes.. As did the butt of my bat. [There was no 'And I didn't shoot him'; if Kiryu didn't know Raylan was Capable and Willing, he didn't know the Marshal well and Raylan didn't think that was the case. There was also no pointing out Izzy's sword in all of this either.
It was a barely a scratch and he wasn't worried about it.]
Pagan and I started our relationship while he was an inmate. It's a unique situation.
[ Which is an olive branch of shared experience. They'd kept their relationship very much a private thing, kept to themselves. Lark had gotten involved, purely out of concern for Pagan and the ethics of the situation. He trusts that Jedao and Raylan have it in hand; it isn't a 'comment'. It's just an acknowledgement that it's a hard line to walk sometimes, and he knows it personally.
But he has more to say.]
How would you handle things, if a warden came to talk to your inmate with a bat and chose not to talk to you about it?
Or about the fact that your inmate had stabbed someone?
[Hello Camp Counselor. But bless his small bubble and focused thought; the ethics of the situation started and stopped at direct supervisor - Flint wasn't his inmate and had never been.]
I'm not sure what you mean. [It couldn't be an anti-gay thing, not with tone that was put into 'relationship'.]
Yes, I understand that this stepped outside'a general rules. [There didn't need to be any nose-leading, however gently and well it was done.] And for that I apologize - I should have spoken to someone before my neckhairs got too far up but in my defense, I had just spent twenty minutes field stitchin' Roman's side back together while I heard the story. A moment of lapse judgement.
[He could apologize to Kiryu, no problem. He knew, after it happened, that he should have a better handle on his reactions. His temper. Professional misstep.]
[ ...he'd made it about Warden behavior as opposed to a personal thing. He's a little confused at the confusion here. But he's just going to move on. Maybe it was a language thing? He doesn't know. Probably best to move on.]
You don't need a defense, Givens-san. Because we aren't enemies. We're co-workers.
[ Less nose-leading and a lot more trying to understand. This was the first he'd heard about it, after all: nothing can be assumed. Passionate feelings certainly explain a lot; he's jumped instead of talking or consulting with people more than once. He'd never give anyone guff for that. But there is one thing that doesn't explain.]
Is there a reason you didn't speak to me afterwards?
It's not something we've talked about yet; I wasn't aware he felt this particular way about it.
[Raylan did not feel compromised by it, despite his kneejerk disagreements with not only the opinion but also the way Flint had gone about it. Flint's opinions were his own. How they sorted out the differences of opinion was, essentially, small beans.]
Just providing some context.
I didn't feel a need to. Everyone's fine and Izzy is a big boy. As much as I support this system that's been set up here, I still believe that not everything has to move through it. If it had bothered him enough, he would have told you anyway, and that's his right. But not every misstep needs to be tattled on.
Won't happen again. [He made the promise easily, but it was the right choice to make. He shouldn't have let his temper slip. Should have kept to the line sooner than his self correction called for.]
My mistake.
I'd ask if you're disarming him, but seein' how as he tried to throwing knife gut Roman with a steak knife, that seems a redundant question. I'll ask this instead. Are you going to address it with him?
[ He will. He's not avoiding the discussion. But there is one more thing.]
I want to ask one more thing: are you aware Roy-san put his hands on Hands-san as part of his... teasing? Made things physical before anything got to that point?
Put hands on? What like, pushed him? Because no, and considering how Roman is, I find the idea of him punching a man as forwardly aggressive very unlikely. As I was told it, worst he did was lean in too close before Izzy tried to pin his hand to the bar.
What's Izzy say? [Because he assumes that's where the assertion comes from.]
I'm sure you're not suggesting that that's a good enough reason to open up a man's side. If he'd broken Roman's fingers, or his nose, or hell, both, this would be a different conversation. If he'd managed to stab Roman's hand, this would be a different conversation.
[But Flint had also needed a Known kind of language in his first few months here. Raylan knew firsthand; he was the one to throw him into Zero.]
[ He can understand how something happened without agreeing with it. ]
But I will point out that to a man like Izzy, that behavior has connotations. Depending on the man, depending on the culture, there's a greater insult. Requiring a greater response.
[ He dips his head. ]
The situation was interrupted by the breach as well. Roman ran, trying to avoid consequences, and the knife was... a reaction while he was still coming out of the breach.
[ He holds up a finger. Just for a second, before he dips his head; he just wanted to provide, not an excuse? But some... ]
Oh, I understand what kinda man he is, Kiryu, I was raised with men like him. And I know what it likely means that he snaps that hard at rule breakin' contact.
[He knew all too well.
But he bobs his head. Context was important and only fools tried to cut that off people. That's how you underestimate very capable people.]
Unfortunately, it doesn't help him much. It don't make it any worse either; he is what he is. But he's been here long enough to know that this ain't his boat. He's not top of the proverbial food chain. His actions got him a fraction of the consequences he would have gotten in a Kentucky Holler to say nothin' of a pirate port.
[Everyone was fine. No one was headed for a toll. Or a demotion.]
Just like you've been here long enough to know coming after him with a bat was out of line for a warden.
[ Yeah. He's not letting that fly without commenting. He's served time, been on the other side of those bars. He's seen what happens when wardens decide to dispense their own justice, especially when it comes to showing people just 'where they are on the food chain'. ]
I'm not excusing him, Givens-san. And while I don't intend to take his weapons away from him, he's getting some hard lines around when it leaves its scabbard after this. Lines I will be watching now that I know there's a conflict.
But you should talk to Bright-sensei. Or Crozier-san. Sooner rather than later.
[It was outta line. He could admit that to. He wasn't going to argue the statement. It didn't make him sorry for it in the slightest, however. And that's where he was sure the real issue lay.
But that gentile air chilled considerably at the suggestion he go 'talk to someone', his face dropping into a more firm seriousness that wasn't abrasive but didn't suggest any kind of movement of view. Kiryu might recognize it as a line drawn, that he wasn't anywhere close to crossing.]
I'll skip the hell of the Clipper for a second time, if it's all the same. I'm perfectly fine.
I don't believe that you're excusing him. But I am glad to hear there'll be some lines for him to bounce around against. First steps and all.
As long as you keep your bat away from the inmates outside of baseball practice.
[ There. Nice and frank. No bile. No anger. Not even frostiness. Izzy's not the only one he'll be keeping his eye on. Because there is nothing 'fine' about that. ]
I'll do my best. [He'd already made his promises. Those came few and far between but he took them seriously, when he wasn't lying. Kiryu was doing his job; no need to lie to the man. But he also couldn't force the Marshal to do shit, and maybe his heels dug in a little at it all.]
You mean Roman's. I'm sure it will.
[Worst he had was the equivalent of a razor nick. Barely a scratch.
Normally, this was where he'd end the conversation, but Kiryu was driving this, having been the one to come to him with the problem. He was patient enough to let Kiryu have his say and ask his questions. Wasn't really Raylan's place to decide it was over, not without being a big fucking child about it and he'd rather hell freeze over.]
[No hard feelings, but Raylan was well aware of the lines that had been drawn. Which was fine; it happened sooner or later. It was the way of People and there was some validation on having it happen here. Somethings were iron clad.]
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[ It's all he's going to say until he asks another question. Because he only has what Izzy said to go on. And he trusts Raylan. ]
You... spoke to Hands-san?
[ That is the tone of someone giving you a chance to come clean. Who is willing to listen.
Who won't take it well if that gift is abused like he's a fucking idiot. ]
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[Raylan wasn't stupid enough to miss what this was - a chance - nor was he dumb enough to abuse it, not when he was otherwise so often giving it.]
Yes.. As did the butt of my bat. [There was no 'And I didn't shoot him'; if Kiryu didn't know Raylan was Capable and Willing, he didn't know the Marshal well and Raylan didn't think that was the case. There was also no pointing out Izzy's sword in all of this either.
It was a barely a scratch and he wasn't worried about it.]
And everyone involved is fine.
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[ Which is an olive branch of shared experience. They'd kept their relationship very much a private thing, kept to themselves. Lark had gotten involved, purely out of concern for Pagan and the ethics of the situation. He trusts that Jedao and Raylan have it in hand; it isn't a 'comment'. It's just an acknowledgement that it's a hard line to walk sometimes, and he knows it personally.
But he has more to say.]
How would you handle things, if a warden came to talk to your inmate with a bat and chose not to talk to you about it?
Or about the fact that your inmate had stabbed someone?
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I'm not sure what you mean. [It couldn't be an anti-gay thing, not with tone that was put into 'relationship'.]
Yes, I understand that this stepped outside'a general rules. [There didn't need to be any nose-leading, however gently and well it was done.] And for that I apologize - I should have spoken to someone before my neckhairs got too far up but in my defense, I had just spent twenty minutes field stitchin' Roman's side back together while I heard the story. A moment of lapse judgement.
[He could apologize to Kiryu, no problem. He knew, after it happened, that he should have a better handle on his reactions. His temper. Professional misstep.]
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[ ...he'd made it about Warden behavior as opposed to a personal thing. He's a little confused at the confusion here. But he's just going to move on. Maybe it was a language thing? He doesn't know. Probably best to move on.]
You don't need a defense, Givens-san. Because we aren't enemies. We're co-workers.
[ Less nose-leading and a lot more trying to understand. This was the first he'd heard about it, after all: nothing can be assumed. Passionate feelings certainly explain a lot; he's jumped instead of talking or consulting with people more than once. He'd never give anyone guff for that. But there is one thing that doesn't explain.]
Is there a reason you didn't speak to me afterwards?
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[Raylan did not feel compromised by it, despite his kneejerk disagreements with not only the opinion but also the way Flint had gone about it. Flint's opinions were his own. How they sorted out the differences of opinion was, essentially, small beans.]
Just providing some context.
I didn't feel a need to. Everyone's fine and Izzy is a big boy. As much as I support this system that's been set up here, I still believe that not everything has to move through it. If it had bothered him enough, he would have told you anyway, and that's his right. But not every misstep needs to be tattled on.
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[ That's all he's going to say about it. Because nothing else he'd say would help much of anything. He's made his position clear, and so has Raylan.
He's worked with much less reasonable people.]
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My mistake.
I'd ask if you're disarming him, but seein' how as he tried to throwing knife gut Roman with a steak knife, that seems a redundant question. I'll ask this instead. Are you going to address it with him?
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[ He will. He's not avoiding the discussion. But there is one more thing.]
I want to ask one more thing: are you aware Roy-san put his hands on Hands-san as part of his... teasing? Made things physical before anything got to that point?
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What's Izzy say? [Because he assumes that's where the assertion comes from.]
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Threw his arm around his shoulders, around his arms, tugged him around, acted aggressively friendly.
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[But Flint had also needed a Known kind of language in his first few months here. Raylan knew firsthand; he was the one to throw him into Zero.]
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[ He can understand how something happened without agreeing with it. ]
But I will point out that to a man like Izzy, that behavior has connotations. Depending on the man, depending on the culture, there's a greater insult. Requiring a greater response.
[ He dips his head. ]
The situation was interrupted by the breach as well. Roman ran, trying to avoid consequences, and the knife was... a reaction while he was still coming out of the breach.
[ He holds up a finger. Just for a second, before he dips his head; he just wanted to provide, not an excuse? But some... ]
Context.
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[He knew all too well.
But he bobs his head. Context was important and only fools tried to cut that off people. That's how you underestimate very capable people.]
Unfortunately, it doesn't help him much. It don't make it any worse either; he is what he is. But he's been here long enough to know that this ain't his boat. He's not top of the proverbial food chain. His actions got him a fraction of the consequences he would have gotten in a Kentucky Holler to say nothin' of a pirate port.
[Everyone was fine. No one was headed for a toll. Or a demotion.]
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[ Yeah. He's not letting that fly without commenting. He's served time, been on the other side of those bars. He's seen what happens when wardens decide to dispense their own justice, especially when it comes to showing people just 'where they are on the food chain'. ]
I'm not excusing him, Givens-san. And while I don't intend to take his weapons away from him, he's getting some hard lines around when it leaves its scabbard after this. Lines I will be watching now that I know there's a conflict.
But you should talk to Bright-sensei. Or Crozier-san. Sooner rather than later.
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But that gentile air chilled considerably at the suggestion he go 'talk to someone', his face dropping into a more firm seriousness that wasn't abrasive but didn't suggest any kind of movement of view. Kiryu might recognize it as a line drawn, that he wasn't anywhere close to crossing.]
I'll skip the hell of the Clipper for a second time, if it's all the same. I'm perfectly fine.
I don't believe that you're excusing him. But I am glad to hear there'll be some lines for him to bounce around against. First steps and all.
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[ There. Nice and frank. No bile. No anger. Not even frostiness. Izzy's not the only one he'll be keeping his eye on. Because there is nothing 'fine' about that. ]
I hope your stab wound heals well, Givens-san.
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You mean Roman's. I'm sure it will.
[Worst he had was the equivalent of a razor nick. Barely a scratch.
Normally, this was where he'd end the conversation, but Kiryu was driving this, having been the one to come to him with the problem. He was patient enough to let Kiryu have his say and ask his questions. Wasn't really Raylan's place to decide it was over, not without being a big fucking child about it and he'd rather hell freeze over.]
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[ He'll offer a bow of his head, end things civil. Respectful. Hopefully make it clear where he stands on things without aggravating things worse.
Thankfully, his time as chairman has given him just a bit of diplomacy. ]
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[No hard feelings, but Raylan was well aware of the lines that had been drawn. Which was fine; it happened sooner or later. It was the way of People and there was some validation on having it happen here. Somethings were iron clad.]