She wrestles her left glove off, freeing the ring. It gleams silver and cobalt in the pale morning light, coupled by accent stones. "Nice, huh? Soon I'll kill him for his life insurance."
"Oooh, very nice. Hey, they got life insurance out here? I wonder how many deaths you can collect that on," North jokes. But admittedly now he's actually kind of curious as to how that'd work.
Still, he shifts topics.
"So hey, I wanted to let you know--- I managed to get in touch with that girl Valdis, about what happened with South. I dunno if you ended up talking to her, too, since it seems like she's got some stuff goin' on, but we did end up kind of clearing the air."
She looks at him, a crease forming at the center of her forehead, indicative of listening to something important— how only Carolina can make the simple act of listening look like a complicated exercise. Anger flashes, unbidden.
Then, relief. An exhale.
"I want to. I should have, but I haven't been able to get ahold of her." She leans her weight into the fence, frowning. "How'd it go?"
Carolina's not the easiest to read, but without her helmet, North's keen eye catches her frustration. It's understandable--- he was, too.
"I don't know the details, but like I said--- it seems like she has some stuff going on. She was pretty embarrassed about the whole thing, was the impression I got. I don't think it'll be an issue anymore."
"Good. And, yeah, she's been going through it. Someone important to her left on the ferry. We'd all just gotten out of some Fear bullshit around the same time— like realms, I guess. It was brutal. I won't say any more than that, obviously it's not my place, but... It checks out."
She sterns again, jaw like a tight rubber band keeping her face together.
"I don't care what was going on. Valdis should have known better. Someone with her authority shouldn't go around threatening strangers. Drunk, not drunk, whatever. It's bad form." She sighs. "I'm glad she owned up."
"No, you're right. It was a mistake, and it wasn't appropriate. Not excusing it, I just understand how it happened, y'know? But she was accountable. She even chased me up herself after CT let her know I'd come by, so."
Even with how defensive of South he is, North will ever be the agreeable one. Seeing the best in others matters to him, and he can't help but empathize with Valdis's desire to be liked.
"But you know me, I tend to keep an open mind," North concludes casually. "She's a friend of yours, though, isn't she? Is this out of left field for her or is she normally kind of confrontational?"
"Yeah. She walked up on me when I first got here. Offered me an in with the enforcement. I didn't think that was fair to CT, and I wasn't in any rush to get back in with an outfit, so I said no."
Carolina shrugs, fits her glove back on. "She's not not confrontational. She stands on business. Has this sense of what people are going through," keeping it vague— it isn't her business to share the details of Valdis' empathy, "So, yeah, surprising. Normally she has a little more tact. I'm not surprised to hear you worked your usual charm, though."
"Aww, you flatter me," North jokes, pretending to tuck hair behind his ear and batting his eyes. "But yeah, she didn't seem--- unreasonable, just off-kilter. I figured you'd wanna know she got back to me."
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Date: 2026-01-26 12:00 am (UTC)She wrestles her left glove off, freeing the ring. It gleams silver and cobalt in the pale morning light, coupled by accent stones. "Nice, huh? Soon I'll kill him for his life insurance."
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Date: 2026-01-26 04:33 pm (UTC)"Oooh, very nice. Hey, they got life insurance out here? I wonder how many deaths you can collect that on," North jokes. But admittedly now he's actually kind of curious as to how that'd work.
Still, he shifts topics.
"So hey, I wanted to let you know--- I managed to get in touch with that girl Valdis, about what happened with South. I dunno if you ended up talking to her, too, since it seems like she's got some stuff goin' on, but we did end up kind of clearing the air."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-27 08:06 pm (UTC)She looks at him, a crease forming at the center of her forehead, indicative of listening to something important— how only Carolina can make the simple act of listening look like a complicated exercise. Anger flashes, unbidden.
Then, relief. An exhale.
"I want to. I should have, but I haven't been able to get ahold of her." She leans her weight into the fence, frowning. "How'd it go?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-27 08:44 pm (UTC)Carolina's not the easiest to read, but without her helmet, North's keen eye catches her frustration. It's understandable--- he was, too.
"I don't know the details, but like I said--- it seems like she has some stuff going on. She was pretty embarrassed about the whole thing, was the impression I got. I don't think it'll be an issue anymore."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-30 08:54 pm (UTC)"Good. And, yeah, she's been going through it. Someone important to her left on the ferry. We'd all just gotten out of some Fear bullshit around the same time— like realms, I guess. It was brutal. I won't say any more than that, obviously it's not my place, but... It checks out."
She sterns again, jaw like a tight rubber band keeping her face together.
"I don't care what was going on. Valdis should have known better. Someone with her authority shouldn't go around threatening strangers. Drunk, not drunk, whatever. It's bad form." She sighs. "I'm glad she owned up."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-31 04:39 pm (UTC)Even with how defensive of South he is, North will ever be the agreeable one. Seeing the best in others matters to him, and he can't help but empathize with Valdis's desire to be liked.
"But you know me, I tend to keep an open mind," North concludes casually. "She's a friend of yours, though, isn't she? Is this out of left field for her or is she normally kind of confrontational?"
no subject
Date: 2026-02-06 05:37 pm (UTC)"Yeah. She walked up on me when I first got here. Offered me an in with the enforcement. I didn't think that was fair to CT, and I wasn't in any rush to get back in with an outfit, so I said no."
Carolina shrugs, fits her glove back on. "She's not not confrontational. She stands on business. Has this sense of what people are going through," keeping it vague— it isn't her business to share the details of Valdis' empathy, "So, yeah, surprising. Normally she has a little more tact. I'm not surprised to hear you worked your usual charm, though."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-08 06:22 pm (UTC)A beat, and North's brow crumples lightly.
"How is South, by the way?"