Visiting Rights (Sean)

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean smiled at her exclamation. “I can’t say that I’m surprised.” He wasn’t a Luddite, but he also was set in his ways, and he had good reason not to use the computer for his filing system, not with student technopaths. “The students think I’m old fashioned too.” For similar reasons.

The telepath overheard the thought, but he chose to let it go. Particularly with his life story now on the table for discussion.

“The previous Hammel psychiatrist retired,” he offered by way of explanation. Unfortunately for anyone interested in a fascinating tale of intrigue and adventure, the story of how Sean had become the psychiatrist at Hammel was both uncomplicated and bland.

The telepath stirred his coffee before taking a sip; he then cracked a self-deprecating smile into his cup. “I never cared about the money.” That was true; he was well-compensated for his time at Hammel, but his salary didn’t compare with what he could charge in private practice. “The administration didn’t want to hire externally unless there were no other options; I was a good compromise.”

Sean took another sip of his coffee before he added, “That was at the beginning of the 90s, so I’ve been here for a while.”

However, since he graduated from college in 1979, he still had over a decade for which to account. Which meant, as she suggested, starting at the beginning.

“After college, I did my necessary years at Columbia; I stayed in the City because I had a good support network down there, and it was close enough to my family. My practice was down there too, throughout all of the Koch years.” He shook his head to himself, his expression shifted to a minor grimace at the memory. Even back when he had been religious, he had opposed the death penalty, and Koch’s law and order platform had been a nightmare.

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

Lyn snorted, somehow making the action seem dignified despite its inherently opposite intent. "Well, so much for feeling homesick or something similarly sentimental," she answered wryly, taking another drink of tea. "At least you found a place to fit for the last twenty years."

The lawyer shrugged nonchalantly at the remark about the Koch years, though she had some personal grudging feelings about that, too. Despite her atheism, she'd never been particularly keen on the death penalty; mostly this was from an economic point of view, partially it was morals. However, she had a much looser value on human life than those with religion often did. She disliked that her offices had been put under so much work during that time, especially because the riots were attributed to not only racial factions but metahuman ones. While it may have kickstarted her career in one way, it massively hindered her work in others. "I would imagine that you were kept just as busy as we were," she stated, bemused at the idea.

"So, aside from being an easy choice, what brought you back?" Until recently, the feline had never really intended to come back to Hammel, as her work was more on the side of the state rather than the person or corporation. She would be able to provide legal counsel, yes, however it would have been considered unwise to do so, especially with the anti-meta feelings of the court system at the time. A normal human lawyer would have given them more leeway. Plus... she never really enjoyed her time at the school aside from the time she'd spent with Sean and Maggie. Even in the 70's, people were afraid of what was different.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean offered her a smile. “I still miss New York sometimes. It’s a very different culture, but I make do.” He still visited the City, although that had been less frequent with the death of his parents, his estrangement from his sister, and Josh’s move to Vermont in 2010.

“That’s an understatement,” the telepath remarked before setting down his coffee mug. “I’m sure you can imagine the depression in the local communities with the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic.” He had treated AIDS patients while working at the hospital during his residency. When he had opened a private practice, depression had been one of his specialties, and there had been a never-ending supply of people – primarily men – coping with the disease or the loss of loved ones.

What a devastating time.

Sean then spread his hands as an approximation of a shrug. “Ultimately, it was the fact that I could do a lot of good here; students need the guidance I received, and I’m in a position to offer that to them. Plus, I was familiar with the area, and I had friends up here.” He knew people from the area, which made the transition easier. “Despite it all, I had fond memories of Hammel.”

The telepath knew that the same couldn’t be said for many people, Rose included. That was why staff positions at Hammel were often self-selecting.

His smile grew as he added, “It’s worked out just fine. Real estate was cheap when I moved up here, and so I have a house in a family neighborhood. And my partner and I are happy.”

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

"Indeed it is," Lyn mused, sipping at her tea wistfully. "I imagine that staying here again will make me miss the City all the more. Fortunately, I don't think that'll be for while yet - this is a well-needed vacation, I think." Given that Lyn wasn't anywhere near ready to retire, her move had been quite simply that; she needed to be away from the City, no matter how much she loved it so. What was that old saying? If you love something, let it go? Eh, something like that applied here, but at the moment the lawyer was much too interested in Sean's catching up to bother with it.

She nodded. "Yes, I can - it was a trying time for the country as a whole, not just use and those like us. But you seem to be no worse for the wear, even after so long in such a business as yours." There was a glitter of mischief in her eyes as she smiled at him, rolling the warm mug back and forth in her small hands. "Fortunately, it seems you have much more manageable clients this go around."

The idea of fond memories almost had the tiny woman scoffing, but she held back both her tongue and thoughts for a moment to think it over. Not all of Hammel had been a trying experience for her; she had made a friend or two that she could still stop by and call on when she was in town. They were few, yes; she hadn't been the friendliest teen. So, in a way, she could understand the call to return someplace where you felt accepted and needed. "I think everyone has at least one fond memory or two of this place," she assented. "Even someone who disliked it as much as I did."

She gave the telepath a smile to show that she agreed regardless.

Lyn quirked a silver-grey eyebrow at the choice of wording with his last statement. Though she wasn't totally sure, she had been fairly certain that Sean was a heterosexual (his dating of Maggie somewhat brought that into the realm of "obvious"). Oddly enough, she wasn't terribly surprised; the tall man (not so different from the tall youth he once was) always seemed to be a "love all" kind of a person; it just seemed to fit that he may have found someone... nontraditional. "Well, glad to see you weren't left too brokenhearted," the feline answered, grinning. "And just when did this come about, hm?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“I understand,” Sean said, and he did. After all, he had lived in the City prior to returning to Pilot Ridge. Josh had lived in the City for five decades – for his entire life – before moving to rural Vermont. Danny was from California. Even Cobalt and Leila had lived in Chicago in between their initial stints at Hammel and their coupled return to small town Vermont.

The telepath didn’t often like to reflect too much on the 1980s, when it came to the political climate. It had been the beginning of the economic shift in this nation, the gutting of the safety net that had taken decades to establish, and the demonization of minorities and LGBT people for political points. Not to mention that he had survived the AIDS Crisis as a man in a relationship with another man; it had been trying. “And you can say that. Although I’ll admit that none of my patients ever set my desk on fire.” Which was more than could be said for some of his students. Those were the moments in which Sean was the most grateful that he wasn’t a trainer. Working at Hammel had only caused him to admire Robert all the more for the sum total of his work.

He nodded in agreement. “That’s a fair assessment. There’s usually something fond between these walls, even if it’s something small.” Even Cobalt had his relationship with Elaine and the years with Morgan as a baby as memories of Hammel and Pilot Ridge, after all.

It occurred to Sean that the woman sitting across from him had no reason to know about the ins and outs of his relationship with Josh, let alone his dating history as a whole. They hadn’t spoken in decades, and the last time they had been face-to-face, he had still identified as completely heterosexual. College had served as an awakening for him in so many ways.

He returned her smile with a small one of his own, before answering, “Josh and I have been together for about a year and a half. And to answer your other question: since college.”

The telepath had no shame over his sexual orientation, because it was a part of him and posed no risk of harm to anyone else. Love was love, a belief that he had held long before he had left the Church.

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

Lyn quirked an eyebrow at the statement of pyromancy, smiling as she settled her mug in her lap again. "That reminds me - you said that you'd tell me about some of those stories, didn't you? Is this something I have privy to?" The thought of someone lighting Sean's desk on fire was more amusing to the lawyer than concerning, especially considering his current employer. It was bound to happen, as were various explosions, broken furniture, and simply "lost" items.

Nodding once in understanding, she took another sip of her cooling tea. As she'd thought previously, her old friend had indeed used that particular word intentionally. After all, Josh was most definitely a male name. "I see," she replied, smiling. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well, then. He makes you happy?"

She didn't think this unknown man wouldn't. Despite the fact that she hadn't seen the psychiatrist since their school days, Lyn knew the man well enough to know he wouldn't stay someplace where he was unhappy. If this Josh made Sean happy, she was certainly happy for the man as well. Sean was good people.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“So I did,” Sean replied, a rueful smile touched his lips at the thought. “There are so many, as I’m sure you can imagine, so I’ll start with the easy ones.” The easy ones also held no confidentiality or security risks to Hammel, and thus he felt no guilt at disclosing such stories to others.

As tended to happen when thinking about the trials and tribulations at Hammel, the telepath’s thoughts turned immediately to Vincent Verax.

After taking another sip, Sean said, “We have a student who will likely be here forever because of his lack of drive combined with his grades. You’ll probably hear more about him because he spent an entire year as a legal intern. But he jumps off roofs and juggles chainsaws for money.”

In addition to other, worse sources of spending cash. Like when he had blackmailed Sam Rixon about the night they spent together.

At the question, a genuine smile crossed the telepath’s features, and he nodded affirmatively. “He does, very much so.” He couldn’t say that each and every moment with Josh was perfect, since there were misunderstandings and arguments; they had emotional work to do, since relationships were always works in progress. However, it was unquestionable that he was far happier with Josh than he was without him, and he was grateful for the second chance they had forged together. “Aside from being my partner, he’s also my closest friend.”

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

"A chainsaw-juggling former law intern, hmm?" Lyn repeated, smirking at the idea. "Now that sounds entertaining. I'm certain I'll be assigned a case with him as the defendant sometime in the near future." Such antics certainly amused the prosecutor, but more often than not she couldn't help but feel that such things were the exact reason there were drunk and disorderly conduct laws in place.

"That sounds wonderful, Sean," she replied, giving the tall man a genuine smile in return as she used his preferred name. She would not likely have such a relationship (given the nature of her powers and her personality), but she was certainly happy that both Sean and Maggie had entered into stable and satisfying relationships. It proved that there were some people with common sense in the world. "It seems there's some justice in the world, then, since I can think of no one more deserving of happiness than you and Margret."

It was somewhat a joke at her profession, since often times people were set free unjustly, but as a lawyer for the state she had little control of that. What the people chose was their own right; Lyn couldn't change that even if her power had been something like mind-control. Then again, social justice was different from romantic justice, if only by how much of the population was in charge of such decisions.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean conceded that possibility with a rueful expression. He couldn’t guarantee that Vincent Verax was capable of avoiding the law. In fact, he was fairly certain that the boy would find himself in front of a judge sometime in the future, unless he had sufficient people to cover for him. If it happened at Hammel, then there was no fear of law enforcement, but Vincent lived off campus, with two people who also lacked prudent judgment. It was only a matter of time. “You probably will; he’ll be easy to recognize because he won’t have his pants on.”

If only that was an exaggeration.

The telepath nodded, the smile still on his lips from when he reflected on his relationship with Josh. It was wonderful, and he was quite glad to have his partner in his life – as his partner rather than as a friend. “I suppose one could call it justice, although I call it luck.”

Sean wasn’t always self-deprecating, but he also didn’t believe that relationships, or happiness, were a matter of justice. The universe, and human beings, were too unpredictable for that. Moreover, he was uncomfortable with the notion of justice guiding lives with all of the suffering others experienced across the nation and the planet. “But I am glad Maggie has her family.” He sipped from his mug and then said, “And is there anyone special in your life?”

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

The prosecutor quirked an eyebrow at this, more than ruefully amused at this point. No pants? In a courtroom? Really? Even if her thoughts weren't able to be read by the telepath before her, Lyn expression would have said it all; exasperation, amusement, and a hint of disbelief. There were actually people that ridiculous in the world? "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him," she replied, a slightly sardonic note touching her tone. "Will he be completely pantsless, or just missing his trousers? Best to be most accurate, you know. I don't want to be insulting some poor fool by calling him the wrong name based on an assumption of character. He may take it as an undeserved insult... or compliment."

It was clear that her penchant for both sarcasm and dry humor had yet to wane with her years.

With an amiable shrug, Lyn agreed, "Luck works just as well, I suppose." She took a calming drink from her tea, the beverage now cool enough to take swallows of. She'd always loved ginseng in her tea, even before she started drinking it regularly to calm her nerves. Chamomile tended to help best, but it also tended to make her tired; unwise, this early in the day. Perhaps later once she had fully settled into her office downtown.

The reference of someone "special" in her own life made the lawyer give a negative noise in the back of her throat. She waved a hand, again negatively, before swallowing and replying, "Goodness, no. I gave up on that years ago. I've been looking into getting a pet sometime after I settle, perhaps, but an intimately human relationship is not something I look forward to trying again."

Someone who didn't know her well would likely not have spotted the hint of resignation in her confidence, but someone like Sean would know better, even if he didn't know how to slip stealthily over her mental walls. Being a powerful female in a male-dominated world made dating a harrowing experience. Add in her meta-human powers and well... there were some "interesting" people out there that she would rather not get to know. The only regret that she had in that regard was the fact that Lyn had been starting to wish that she could have children. Alas, genetics were against her in that regard, and a single working near-senior was likely to be unable to adopt or foster on her own. Still, at least she had Maggie's kids; those she could spoil rotten until the Earth itself stopped turning.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“He’s a narcissist, and so he assumes everyone is as interested in his body as he is. So, that would be no pants and no underwear.” As unfortunate as that was for anyone within visual distance of Vincent Verax. “But you’re in luck, since his internship ended, and he displays no aptitude for law, nor any inclination to continue in that field of study,” Sean added, with a wry smile.

That was as positive as news could become when Vincent Verax was involved. Instead, he was Hammel’s responsibility and concern; given his academic difficulty, he would continue to be their responsibility and concern long after Sean had retired. At least he was out of Josh’s hair, so that half of their household could be free of the young man.

The telepath’s expression became sympathetic, given her thoughts and her reaction to his question. He understood the source of the difficulties, of course. He could never know what it was to be a woman of a certain age in a male-dominated profession that rewarded character traits branded “masculine” and “unfeminine.” He also could never know what it was to have a physical ability similar to what she possessed. However, Sean had experiences similar enough to understand, and his telepathy and associations over the years gave him plenty of insight. “Relationships can be difficult,” he said, which was an expression of comprehension as well as solidarity.

Despite his current partnered status, and his many ex-lovers over the years, he had been resigned to retiring a bachelor. “The pitfalls are harder, even among metas.” Certain powers were branded more concerning than others. Psychic powers, certain physical powers. Such was the human imagination and the state of mental associations and prejudice. Although this was hardly revolutionary; he knew for a fact that she was well-aware of that.

“What type of pet were you considering?”

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

With an expression halfway between a distasteful sneer and a scoff, Lyn brought her mug to her lips for a deep swig of the cooling beverage. After her friend had finished his piece on the subject, she added, "That's all well and good, but from your description of his 'extra-curricular activities', I don't believe I'll be able to avoid him. Here's hoping, however." She lifted her mug in a slight toast, then rested in her lap again.

The lawyer shrugged nonchalantly; she'd long since resigned herself to having few close friends, let alone a relationship with that much intimacy. People were people, and that's all there was to it. If people were disgusted by the idea of her power in general (or creepily fetishist about them), that had nothing to do with her, and that was all she had to say on the subject. Sean may show sympathy for her, but she didn't pity herself - what it was is what it was.

"Well," Lyn answered, pondering the idea. "I don't do well with other people's dogs, so I doubt that having one of my own is a good idea. It's the same with cats, surprisingly; I'm a bit too territorial for that to work well. Though I have given both considerable thought, especially if I can find one that is submissive enough. Fish would distract me from working at home; same with serpents, rodents or birds. Besides, I want something relatively clean - work keeps me busy enough thus extra cleaning is not something I look forward to."

Truthfully, a cat was her best option; they (like her) tended to be very independent and aloof, with only a need for food and the occasional bit of affection to suffer living with humans. The prosecutor was only worried that she would have to fight for dominance with the animal, and neither she nor any pet would want to deal with that.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

The thought of Vincent being arrested for indecent exposure was one of the many reasons that Sean, despite his frustration for the boy’s antics, thought it best that Vincent had to remain at Hammel. At least the school could keep him safe from some of the repercussions of his behavior, particularly when he wouldn’t learn better on many matters.

But the telepath could toast to the idea of Rose never having to meet Vincent, and he lifted his glass. “Here’s hoping that you’ll only encounter him through my memoirs.”

The ones that didn’t exist.

Sean nodded as he listened, both to acknowledge what she said as well as to agree with the validity of her explanations. Considering her abilities and how they affected her personality, he didn’t think that a dog was a wise choice. Despite the fact that the only pet that he had ever had was a dog, he could no longer imagine having one, and hadn’t had the interest in decades. Cats required less care, they had the same desire for independence that Rose had, and the telepath thought that for those reasons and others, they were preferable to dogs. Particularly if smaller pets like rabbits, fish, or birds were also off the table due to her abilities.

“I’m sure if you tell the local animal shelter what you’re looking for, that they’ll be able to help you. This is Pilot Ridge, after all.” Any business in Pilot Ridge was aware of meta-human concerns and, in order to survive with such a large meta-human population, took those concerns into consideration. Besides, there had to be submissive cats out there.

[Lyn Ivchenko-Lewis]

Chuckling ruefully at the idea of Sean's memoirs (she had no doubt at all that he'd never publish such a thing), Lyn tapped her mug against his gently before taking a sip to close the agreement. Hopefully, Vincent Verax would be a name she would never see on a docket.

"Well, aside from those interesting antics, what other kinds of shenanigans have you seen recently? Or not so recently - we do have quite a bit of catching up to do." Despite havin enjoyed herself at Hammel less than the average student, the cat in her was exceptionally inquisitive in regards to other people and their tomfoolery. Schadenfreude, in a way, but mostly just because the psychiatrist himself seemed more at peace with his place in life and willing to talk about such things. She never would have asked while they were in school - aside from the fact that for the longest time she didn't like Sean, it would have been terribly rude given his own feelings on his powers.

"Mm, that's true." Rolling the mug around in her hands again, Lyn looked up into Sean's eyes again. "You never did like animals much, did you?" There had been something he'd said a long time ago; that animals were 'blank' to him. Or something like that. "I'll have to look into that in a few weeks. Is there anyone in particular I should talk to at the shelter?"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean wouldn’t, as it would be an invasion of privacy to make public everything to which he was exposed as a result of his telepathy and his employment. He even had plans for his journals once he had cast off this mortal coil, although that was a topic for another day, and a matter for the executor of his will at that.

“We do,” the telepath agreed with a chuckle. He intended to focus only on the more amusing, harmless anecdotes, as opposed to anything more grave or confidential. As such, Sean leaned forward somewhat and said, “Imagine, if you will, a pyrokinetic teenager with poor control and a habit of smoking marijuana and drinking under-age...”

Sean had enough stories about Sam Rixon to keep them occupied for the rest of the afternoon, while still keeping others in reserve for future conversations.

Still, Sam was only one student out of hundreds that Sean had encountered over the intervening decades.

The telepath spoke at length, sharing stories and answering questions. Behind the crow’s feet around his eyes and the middle-aged build, there were sparks of the same Sean who had been a Hammel student. Primarily that most of the stories he shared came from a place of fondness, even if that fondness was inexorably entwined with exasperation. The desire to help shone through as well.

“You should come over sometime for supper,” he proposed. “I cook, and you need to meet Josh and try his baked goods. He’s developed quite the talent.” While he had to share credit with Riley, the telepath gave his partner more credit than Josh gave himself for that.