Nina Clarke: ᴍᴀʏᴏʀ, ᴀᴜsᴛɪɴ ᴛx & sʜʏ ʙʟᴏʙ (commonlaw) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2017-02-07 13:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | # 2020 [02] february, bode coldiron, nina clarke |
Who: Nina Clarke and Bishop Coldiron
Where: Mayor Clarke's office in The Capitol
When: 2/3/20
What: Talking through the current situation in the Greenbelt.
No matter how often Bishop found himself in the Capitol building now, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being alien in the environment of marble floors and men in suits. He was certain he wasn’t the only person aware that he didn’t fit in here either. No, the looks he received as he passed men and women in the hallways told him as much. They knew just as much as he did that were it not for his position within the MC or the amnesty they had been given, he wouldn’t have ever set a foot in the building. No. He would have been locked up in some proper government prison. He wasn’t though and he reminded himself of that as he stepped into Mayor Clarke’s office. Today he was here to discuss the events that had befallen his district of late, events that seemed targeted at the MC in some way, though Bishop wondered if they might simply be paranoid in that regard. Whatever the reason for them though, they needed to stop. As he stepped into the Mayor’s office Bishop gave a brief greeting to the young man who acted as Nina’s secretary and was relieved when he notified Nina of his arrival and ushered Bishop towards her office. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have sat in her waiting area for a little while, but in truth the Hellhound’s president was itching to discuss the reason he was here. “Afternoon, Mayor,” Bishop greeted her once he entered Nina’s office. “‘I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to sit down and discuss what’s been happening in the Greenbelt.” "Good afternoon." Nina moved in front of her desk to greet him offering her hand to shake before she gestured to the two chairs in the center of the room, sitting only once he had as well. "Before we begin, I wanted to confirm that you've already met with Chief Kulseth or another representative from the APD regarding this?" She wasn't opposed to this meeting, of course; if she was, she wouldn't have accepted it once she'd seen the invitation in her calendar. But even as Mayor, her hands were tied to a certain extent on this particular issue, and the APD already knew how much she wanted to find the suspects behind the persistent activity that had been plaguing the Greenbelt. As he sat Bishop stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles. To anyone who didn’t know the man he might have even come off as a looking calm or relaxed. Bishop was neither. Underneath the surface was a seas of frustration at the situation, he felt helpless in keeping his own district safe and he disliked being at the mercy of APD to figure this all out. Still, he was at their mercy and he had been keeping in contact with them. “Just stopped by the Chief’s office,” Bishop drawled. “I ain’t trying to go over his head.” He added with a genuine smile. Bishop had always respected Nina and he wanted to Mayor to know that he regarded the hierarchy of this case with respect as well. He might personally feel as if more could be done here, but he was not going to attempt to leapfrog the chain of command because of that. "All right." Nina rested her hands in her lap and crossed her legs at the knee, studying the man in front of her. She saw Bishop Coldiron regularly, but for all intents and purposes he was still a stranger to her. It was harder to surmise the specific purpose for his visit than it would've been with most of the others on her city council, and that alone intrigued her. "Then what may I assist you with today?" To be frank Bishop wasn’t sure there was much of anything that Mayor could do, but he valued her opinion and as of yet they hadn’t had a face to face about the arsonist problem in the Greenbelt. “Reckon you can’t do much more than give my your thoughts and opinions on all of this,” Bishop finally replied, his tone genuine and honest. “I value your opinion Nina, I have since our very first meeting." She couldn't help but laugh. "Our first meeting in a holding room in La Quinta, when you sought to cooperate to the least possible extent?" Nina couldn't hold it against him all that much back then, and she certainly doesn't now, but 'value' was the last possible sentiment she felt from Bishop Coldiron at the time. “Suppose I should have said our first meeting outside of prison walls,” Bishop corrected himself, though even at the first meeting he had felt a level of respect for Nina. How could someone not? She hadn’t even blinked an eye or flinched in the face of the Hellhound officers. “Although, I reckon you won’t believe this, but I thought pretty highly of you back then also.” It helped that she wasn’t a cop, if she had been Bishop’s opinion would have likely been very different. "Suppose I’m just looking to get a sense of what your take on all of this is,” he paused. “My guys and I reckon it might just be karma come back to bite us in the ass.” Nobody could blame a person either for wanting to seek revenge on them. What Bishop took umbrage with was the fact that whoever was responsible for this was involving innocent people who had never worn a patch on their backs. "It's certainly disconcerting." There was the political answer and the personal, and Nina was still learning how to balance both in her conversations. This meeting felt like one between acquaintances, though, not colleagues, so with great effort Nina allowed herself to skew in the other direction. "And it's frustrating, to go so long without any sort of forward motion. As far as motive goes, I suppose we'll not know for sure until the APD is able to question a suspect, but considering how isolated the activity's been…" Another pause then, as she struggled with boundaries, before she added: "It certainly seems as though someone's sending a message." It was obvious in the cress between Bishop’s eyebrows and the look in his eyes that he was a man who was more than a little frustrated with the lack of forward motion that Nina had just mentioned. “Reckon it ain’t anything but a message being sent to the Hellhounds, and I ain’t saying we don’t deserve it, god knows we’ve done enough to deserve it. But they’re endangering the lives of people who are innocent,” Bishop paused as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “You know I’d sleep better at night if they were just targeting me, or targeting my officers. Not that I’d like it any better, but we’re used to being targets,” he let out a heavy sigh. “But I keep waiting for the day some innocent person gets caught up in this mess.” By now his officers knew all of these concerns, Bishop hadn’t hid his feelings from them, but it was nice voicing them to another human being, someone a tad more removed from the sins of the Hellhounds. "I beg your pardon, but -- it sounds as though you mean to say that the other Hellhounds are innocent, but your officers aren't?" It was an interesting distinction for him to make, from her perspective; as far as Nina knew, the man who'd been taken into UMCB just a few days ago had worn the patch. And it wasn't a distinction she, nor others in the city, would be able to see as clearly as he did. “Not exactly, darlin’,” Bishop started, aware how his earlier statement might have given that impression. “What I meant was that we were always the shot callers, most patches simply followed our lead, so while they ain’t innocent, I’d feel better if it were the officers getting the brunt of things. We lead ‘em all in that direction after all. Plus, some of those places that burned inside of the Dog Park weren’t ever owned by a patch, they belonged to women who just so happened to get caught up with us.” He hoped he was making his point clear now. Bishop knew the line between who he viewed as innocent and who wasn’t was murkier than some others might see it. “Does the city keep a record of the new faces that arrive? Maybe if they do that list might give y’all some clues?” "Yes, at this stage of the city's growth, we do. I can see what can be done, but I'm not sure if it would be overreaching for them to investigate newcomers simply because they're new to the city." Bishop nodded. “I ain’t saying investigate ‘em really, just thought maybe a ‘new’ face might actually be someone returning to the city. Someone the government might not be familiar with, but someone like you or the chief who’ve been around longer might see a name that sticks out.” This still felt a little like grasping at straws. "And then do what with that information? Invite them in for questioning simply because their name sticks out?" “That ain’t my area,” Bishop started, repeating words he had said to Chief Kulseth when he had asked the same thing. “Reckon I’m just throwing things out there and hoping something sticks. I feel at a loss here, my district is being terrorized, and while it ain’t lost on me that we did the exact same shit to this whole city once, we’ve ain’t doing it anymore.” His frustration seeped into his tone and his expression. Bishop didn’t like feeling helpless, he never had, but in this he did and it made him feel uneasy. She could understand the frustration, really. Still, his own irritation with the situation was starting to tease out her own anxieties about it, too. She paused, considering this, before adding: And I expect this is something you brought up with Chief Kulseth when you met with him?" Nina understood his need to exhaust every possible opportunity for assistance or help, but she couldn't help but yet again feel as though he was pushing for something she couldn't give. Perhaps if she messaged the Chief her words would have more pull than Bishop's, but that was all she could offer -- and it would do better for everyone if it didn't seem as though Bishop didn't want to bring up ideas with the APD. “Don’t worry, I ain’t trying to go over someone’s head here,” Bishop began with a faint smirk. “I mentioned this idea to the Chief already, but I figured it didn’t hurt bringing it up to you either. Thought you might have a different take on it, maybe?” At this point he was willing to do just about anything to get this case solved. His district was being targeted and that didn’t sit right with Bishop, not in the least. "I think that the idea is interesting in theory, but it lacks a means of actual implementation." Despite her best intentions, she was beginning to grow frustrated. "Is there a purpose behind this visit that you cannot accomplish through city council meetings and discussions with the individual in charge of leading the investigation, or is it simply to rehash your conversation with Chief Kulseth and hope that my opinions differ from whatever he's happened to say on the matter?" Bishop was already shaking his head ‘no’ before Nina had even finished her sentence. “Nah, I ain’t playing bend the ear of every important capitol person until I get the answer I want,” He knew they were doing everything they could, even if he wished they could be doing more. “I came here today because I suppose meeting with you made me feel like I was doing shit, instead of waiting for the next bad event to strike,” Bishop could admit that using up Nina’s time like this was likely frustrating to her. “And because I thought maybe you'd thought of something I hadn’t or had some kinda sage advice,” he paused a beat and offered her a smile. “The previous president seemed to think you had a good head on your shoulders and I’ve found that to be true.” They didn’t talk about Rodeo much anymore and most days Bishop thought that was for the better, but he couldn’t deny that the man who used to hold the position he held now also thought highly of the woman sitting across from him. Nina pressed her lips together, barely suppressing a wince at the mention of their mutual acquaintance. Once upon a time, despite her best efforts, he would've been someone she considered a friend. It was impossible to see their relationship as anything but manipulation and use. "Mr. Hawkins thought a lot of things, true and false alike." “Look, I know we’re just spinning wheels here and Chief Kulseth’s the one who’ll get results from all this shit, but I ain’t ever had this many people relying on me before and it’s pretty fucking daunting,” Bishop was being more frank and honest than he would normally feel comfortable with, but if anyone understood being given a role that felt daunting, he thought it might be Nina. "Never? What about last summer, while the rogues were at large for the entire season? Or even just before then, when you assumed leadership because your officers believed you should?" “Suppose you’re right in that the same people were relying on me then as are now, but both felt less dire somehow,” Bishop replied honestly. “When I took the leadership role I knew what to expect, same goes for when we were facing the rogues, I knew who’d gone rogue and while I ain’t saying I knew who or how they’d attack, I knew they would. This arsonist, it’s all one big damn question mark. I don’t got any fucking clue who the person is or why they’re doing it or where they’ll strike again and it’s all happening right outside my front door.” A sigh followed his statement and he couldn’t mask the tiredness in his eyes. “When do you know you’re doing enough?” "I suppose it has to do with what's actually within your control and what's not, and realizing that there's a difference." Nina tilted her head, studying him intently. "Similarly, there is a difference between doing all you can and overdoing just for the sake of doing. Believe me, that's a lesson I've had to learn myself." Last fall's zombie outbreak had been a testament to that. "I've found that eventually, during every problem there comes a time when you have to trust that others will be able to come through and that you've exhausted all of your options. As hard as it is, you can't fix everything by yourself." A nod was Bishop’s first response to Nina’s words. Normally he was the one giving advice, but the Hellhound’s president appreciated the fact that he had someone who could give him some also. “Sounds like it ain’t an easy lesson to learn,” Bishop began with a faint smile. “Reckon I don’t got to tell you that Hellhounds ain’t real used to relying on other people to solve our problems,” he added. “But you ain’t wrong either. Intellectually I know I ain’t going to fix this problem, reckon I just don’t like feeling like the fate of my district is in other people’s hands, no matter how skilled those hands are.” "It ain't," she agreed, allowing a smidge of her Texas accent to creep into her words before she smoothly pushed it aside. "Just remember, thinking you're the only person who can or should solve something is a dangerous trap. I think we both know two men who were prone to thinking that in recent history." A slow smirk appeared when Nina let a little bit of her polish disappear. Bishop liked getting a glimpse behind the current so to speak and he didn’t bother hiding his feelings on that matter. “Ain’t? Don’t tell me I’m rubbing off on you mayor,” he joked lightly, earning a brief amused smile from her, before his expression slipped back into something more serious. “Reckon we do and I appreciate the reminder not to follow in their footsteps,” Bishop liked to think he would be better than that as president, but he also knew he was only human and having people around him to keep him in check was important. “Got any surefire ways to remember you ain’t in charge of fixing everything?” The question was asked with complete sincerity, one leader to another. “Or did you step into this position already knowing it ain’t all on your shoulders?” "It's not something that comes easily," she admitted, though she was sure Bishop already knew that much from their time working together on city council. "I struggled with that for a long time, but it wasn't until…" Nina paused, wondering how best to phrase things without falling into the trap of talking about things she certainly couldn't talk about, then continued: "I think the best thing is having someone -- more than just one person, actually, if you can, as that always helps -- but someone who's willing to remind you to take a step back. I'm the sort of person who needs to be interrupted, to have someone get in my way about something that otherwise I'll pursue until it runs me ragged. Without having that -- people like that, I mean -- I'd likely still be spinning my wheels more often than not." As Nina gave her advice on how she managed not to get caught in the trap of thinking she needed to fix everything, Bishop’s mind instinctively drifted towards thoughts of Hazel. If there was one person in his life who could keep him grounded and sane, it was her. “If it came easy I reckon you and I wouldn’t be havin’ this conversation in the first place,” Bishop remarked as he pulled himself back to the present and into his conversation with Nina. “Makes sense though, finding a person to keep you in check, someone who can act like an anchor and ain’t afraid to tell you when enough is enough.” Hazel already did her part most days in asking how his day was, but if he asked he was certain she would remind him he didn’t need to fix everything either. Then there were his officers, men and a woman who could also remind him that he wasn’t the only person who felt responsible for the people of the Greenbelt. The longer Bishop thought about it the more he realized that he had that same support system in place already, he just needed to get his head out of his ass turn to them. Invite them in and let them remind him it wasn’t his job to fix the whole damn Greenbelt. “For the record, I’m real glad you got people who’ll keep you from spinning your wheels,” Bishop remarked. “You’re the best damn mayor Austin could have asked for after all of the shit it’s been through,” he took a pause. “I appreciate your advice here. Reckon there ain’t a lot of people in Austin who know what it’s like to step into a role you never expected to hold…” "I think there's more than you may suspect, though I appreciate the compliments in turn." Nina knew Joel could sympathize with that just as readily as she could; even Sgt. Rusten, a woman with whom she rarely saw eye to eye, had never imagined herself serving in local politics. "We're all figuring this out on our own, and it'll all sort itself out sooner or later." Hopefully, they wouldn't run out of time when it came to solving the problem currently at hand. |