“If I properly identified myself to you, that would have made this visit official. For the sake of technicalities that you don’t need to understand at this moment in time, I told you what you needed to know.” Haley divulged in an equally vague manner, but for both of their interests, albeit he was not privy to sharing every detail that pertained to their current discussion. If he came here with a title, announcing who he was and what he was to the DSA, on a technicality, what he was orchestrating would be interference in the battle he was arming himself for. Haley cannot be condemned for what he does with his personal time, but he can be condemned for what he does with his title tied into the DSA. Not that Ruina would understand, as he believed, nor did she need to know every move he was carefully making on his chess board.

Listening with something close to intent as Ruina shared the reaction the public had to her presence, Haley stared on thoughtfully. She looked away as if the reality was still one difficult to directly face. If she harbored any sense of insecurity or pain that the case had roused in the aftermath of tarnishing her name then she was still optimal to coax into what he wanted. “That’s exactly why nobody cared to hear what you had to say. Peddling the same slogan to the public gets old, unrelatable if you will. Innocence alone is not attractive enough in itself to fix the opinion of the picture that had been painted of you. I shouldn’t have to tell you that preaching to the agents of the DSA was a waste of breath, though. If you want the acknowledgment you’re looking for from any large organization, you have to win over the public and use their voice to force the right people to listen to you.” He explained, giving her the courtesy of a free consultation he would have charged heftily for in any other case, and of course, if he was here officially.

Ruina’s comment regarding the explanation of her ignorance of her father’s worth in the DSA prompted no change in approach in Haley’s demeanor. “That’s a shame,” he mused neutrally, “a missed opportunity to properly learn from someone revered so honorably, who resided in your own household no less, just seems like a waste of knowledge and conduct.” Haley was not the family type by any means, but he supposed he could see how one may view that separation as necessary, or as a kindness. But children do not stay children forever, and what better way to defend one’s children than bestowing knowledge that wielded real power? Porter did not raise Haley nor Byron with a veil on how the world factually operated, there was no sugar coating to shield naivety, and Haley was grateful for that kind of upbringing. He was not jaded or blind to the nature of people, and he did not allow himself to be cheated or tread over. Most importantly, Haley learned how to work the world around him rather than be worked by the world. That, he believed, was an invaluable lesson.

As Ruina gave her standpoint on exoneration, Haley did not exactly disagree because it was true to a degree. “More accurately, it’s how the one exonerated wields their declaration following the ruling that determines just how guilty they continue to be perceived. There will always be those who oppose the ruling no matter what is done, but there is a majority of the population who are swayed through the right approach to their appeals.” The law and public opinion are both two very powerful entities in their own rights. If they are merged symbiotically, it’s a powerful concept to leverage. For Ruina, the fallout even after she was deemed innocent brokered a gap between those two things that has cemented an ideal that is less than favorable. It would be a bit of a challenge to bridge, but not so great a feat that it was impossible to mend as much as he believed to be possible.

Raising a brow as she pressed for clarification on her role in the spotlight, Haley did not budge to the level she might have been looking for. “It means exactly what I said. You’ll be a centerpiece in the public eye again for the effort to tilt the perception of who you are, as both a person and as an impending positive contributive force in society.” Still providing her vague details, he almost found every spark of agitation and skepticism in her expression amusing. It was a small treat for him, not that he was going out of his way to provoke such reactions from Ruina, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

The moment Ruina seemed to be taking to reflect was one Haley gave her the decency to do in silence, having even more courteously averted his gaze to a section of her home he had no real care to observe obsessively over. A subtle smile blossomed on his features as Ruina gave her determined decree agreeing with his offer. “Wise decision,” Haley replied in approval. “I’ll have more official documents delivered to your hands tomorrow morning - eight promptly -, where we will have our first official meeting together. Among those documents will be some that will appoint me as your current attorney, and all jurisdiction that comes with being your legal representative. My services for you from tomorrow forward will be at no immediate financial cost as long as you abide by the terms of your cooperation in a separate contract I’ll be presenting tomorrow.”

Smoothing the top of his hair with his hand, Haley offered another thin smile. “I look forward to being more than just a stranger on your doorstep,” he said in a tone of carefully concealed satisfaction as he opened his wallet, producing an official card he offered to her with his full name and identification as both an agent and legislative associate. “This will conclude our chat, Ruina. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Once the card and his dismissal had been delivered to the strawberry-blonde woman, Haley saw himself out of her home as if he was already comfortable with coming and going from her residence. The initial hurdle of his ambitions was cleared today though, and while smooth sailing was not realistic on his horizon, Ruina’s initial agreement was the catalyst to a great change.