| Another New Client For Murdock |
| Summary: | Johnathan Plank seeks legal council from Mat Murdock to address his unnatural situation… |
| Date: | IC Date (2016-08-22) |
| Related: | http://marvelreborn.wikidot.com/log:2016-08-23-can-t-read-pete-poker-face |
| NPCs: | N/A |
| Scene Runner: | N/A |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
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* Law Offices of Nelson and Murdock – Closing Time *
It's almost the end of the day at the law offices of Nelson and Murdock. The old three story walk up leads to a long hallway that's lined with businesses that don't seem to do a brisk foot traffic. It's just a long sweep of a hard wood floor, past doors with windows framed in their top half. Names are clearly depicted in rather mundane typeface. There's an accountant, a private investigator, even an insurance agency. It's only at the end of the hall that the law office is evident, and at fifteen minutes til the end of the business day there are at least still some light on inside.
The door is unlocked, though there doesn't seem to be anyone inside. No secretary at the large desk that is out there to greet potential clients. Yet it only takes a moment for a voice to lift should someone enter, usually with a rather casual greeting of, "Hello, please do come in."
And should someone enter as such they'll most likely catch sight of the man in the door to his office. Matt Murdock, standing there holding a manila envelope in his hands with his white cane under his arm. The mirrored lenses in his glasses reflecting the scene around him.
Johnathan finally found the place. The law speaker, the law talker, or was it lawyer now? He had wandered around the cramp buildings for the last forty five minutes based on vague directions from a rambling old man he had spoken too earlier in central park. He stepped in and took in the surroundings. Wood, aluminum, steel, paper, and a law speaker wearing shades in the late afternoon. John smelled like the homeless center out of Chelsea, but he obviously tried to maintain his appearance. He tentatively stepped in, "Are you… the Law-yer? Law Speaker? I was told you might be able to help me out."
"I am," The man offers along with a small smile as he sets the folder down upon an end table near that door. He lowers the cane before him and it lightly makes a small click upon the ground as he steps away and towards Johnathan. When he's close enough he extends a hand even as he 'looks' towards Johnathan but not right at him, to the side a touch and as if far-far past his shoulder. "Matt Murdock, what can I do for you, Mr…?"
"Plank. Johnathan Plank. And before we get into details I want to check if I understand you're… I mean the legal system." His voice sounds tired with a touch of nervousness. His heart rate is calm, but he is definitely trying to puzzle something out. "How much time do we have and is there a closed door room we could talk in?" He finally looks down at the extended hand, then reaches out for the shake. His hand is not gripped and waits for Murdock to let go first before retracting his arm.
"Mr. Plank," Matt steps back and gestures with his cane towards the office from which he emerged. "We have at least an hour before I need to be elsewhere. Hopefully that will prove sufficient." The lawyer offers a small smile as he steps back, starting to move back towards his office his offhand reaching out and lightly touching the line of furniture that leads him back towards his door. He steps on through into the office, setting his cane lightly upon the desktop.
"Please close the door behind you and we should be reasonably private. Have a seat if you wish." He again gestures to the side at an empty though well cushioned chair opposite his desk. "Take your time telling me, Mr. Plank. But everything we discuss is in confidence."
The slender man pauses for a moment, enters the room and closes the door. Another short pause and then he walks around to sit in the chair. He adjusts his seating position once, twice, and then finally settles in and begins rubbing his left wrist with his right thumb. "I was told I had to pay you first. And then things would be in confidence. I had to hire a lawspe… sorry, lawyer before I could talk about my situation without worrying about it hurting me. How much do you charge?"
A tilt of his head is given as if he were trying to get another angle on him. Matt lifts his chin slightly and murmurs, "You are consulting me, Mr. Plank. I do not charge my clients for their initial consultation, waiving that fee yet maintaining the benefits of the client-attorney privilege. The only aspect I could not hold back from law enforcement is if you informed me of your intent to commit a crime in the future. If I learned of that, then I would have to report your intention."
That having been said he spreads his hands and says with a faint smile. "Barring that, however, there are no further assurances I can give you."
John nods. "Okay, I will accept that. How much is your fee after the consultation? And do you accept these?" John shuffles in his chair and pulls a few strips of cardboard from his pants pocket. The man had no wallet. He holds them up as if expecting the lawyer to recognize them.
For a few moments, Matt Murdock seems to be awaiting him to say something else. But then he turns his head slightly and lets his smile grow a touch. "Ah. I'm afraid, Mr. Plank, that when I was a child I lost the power of sight." He reaches for his cane and pulls it towards him, starting to fold it in on itself with faint clicks of movement. "We can discuss the fee later, you seem… agitated. It might be best for you to tell me what you are concerned with and we can proceed from there?"
The cardboard strips are placed gently on the corner of the desk and John lets out a sigh. "Sorry, I am just, not sure how to storyline this. I keep going through the logic of it. If I were those I was going to have to interact with - I would probably consider myself crazy. But I'm not. I know I'm not. So I'm being careful about what I say." He runs his fingers through his hair. Can this guy be trusted? Or is he about to take a calculated misstep and end up locked away.
"I don't have any society codes Mr. Murdock. I don't. I need them but I don't have any papers to get any. They no longer- I mean, I'm unable to- I figured I would see if there is a way to safely get society codes without getting put away in a sanatorium. I can't apply for work. I can't rent an apartment. I have been stuck in the shelters for the last two months and I can't seem to figure a way out of them."
A furrow touches the man's brow as he sits opposite him and listens to the words he offers. Under normal circumstances it is very well likely that the lawyer would perhaps try to keep the man calm and angle him towards seeking help for his current state. But the words he offers, the sincerity behind them, the steady beat of his heart… it all combine to mix with the revelations of the last few days and allow Murdock to grant some weight to the man's problems.
"Mr. Plank," A hand rests upon the desktop, "Am I perhaps correct in assuming that you are experiencing a disconnect with the world. You have been displaced, and find yourself amongst strange yet perhaps familiar settings?"
John's head snaps up, he recognized the suggestive knowing tone, but isn't quite sure what to make of it. "Strange? Absolutely. Familiar? No! Nothing is familiar. None of this is supposed to be here. Something wrong happened. This isn't quite right. If I'm going to fix it I need to work, not wonder if my shoes are going to get stolen the next day."
He sits back in his chair, rests his elbows on his knees and sets his fingers to rubbing his temples. "I woke up in the hospital several weeks ago. And the lady said that Barrowton Texas never existed. That's not possible. They said they couldn't find a record of me anywhere. That's not possible. This place is not possible. But I'm here. And I need to figure out how to work inside this system. Nothing is the same." He seemed to realize he said more than what he intended to say, but that also seemed to relax John a bit.
A deep breath is taken as Matt Murdock furrows his brow. He tilts his head to the side as if considering something beside John's chair before he shifts his attention back to the man. "Mr. Plank, I may have an avenue for you to pursue that could perhaps aid you. I will need to contact a few people and then in turn get them in touch with you. Is there a number I can contact you at, or a place you spend your time at?"
"What do you mean? I thought you said what we talked about was between us? Sorry, I'm not sure how your, I mean, THE legal system works. What is it you want to do?" John tenses and straightens in his chair, turning his left ear slightly towards Murdock as if to listen extra carefully.
A breath is taken, "I believe you may be the victim of a situation that's going on for various people." Matt tells the man levelly. "They find themselves in a world that is strange, unusual. There have been a fair number of people who seem to be displaced, if you will." Matt gestures to the side, "It is not common knowledge. But I have encountered one or two, and also there is a man who is looking into what legal recourse people such as yourself might have, what options might be open to them. I gave him some advice about the matter. I may actually take some action in the courts in the near future. But in the interim, it would perhaps benefit you to speak with this person."
A long stare. John licks his lips and breaths in through his nose and goes back to rubbing his wrist. He has down shifted from agitated state four to state two, so to speak. "I don't have one of the walki's everyone uses. I tend to rotate between the shelter at Chelsea, here in this "kitchen" place and one other in uptown so as not to exceed the three day staying limit imposed at those places. I can use your pay-phones though, if it would be easier for me to walki-in."
Matt smiles faintly, "Perhaps meet me back here this same time next week? I'll have gotten into contact with him by then and perhaps arrange a meeting or a phone conversation." The lawyer rests his hands in his laps and says quietly, "Do you think that would serve sufficiently for your needs? Or would you prefer an earlier time?"
"Waiting - it doesn't change my current situation. Law speaker’s actions are known for taking a long time. So I was expecting to wait it out. So yeah. That sounds agreeable. Is there anything I need to do in the duration to help this out?" John looks across at Murdock. He was going to bet on this law-speaker. It seemed his most probable choice.
There was a small shake of his head as he tells John, "I don't believe so. Just try to keep yourself safe, do not draw attention to yourself. The shelter on Chelsea has a labor service which you should be able to volunteer for that will make sure you are able to feed yourself and have a place to rest." A small frown touches his features, "Ask for Father Mulhaney, and tell him that Matt Murdock sent you. He should hopefully be able to do right by you."
With that said the lawyer gains his feet and offers his hand again. "With any luck I'll have some answers for you in a week's time and perhaps a course of action."
The smaller man took a moment longer than would be socially agreeable to stand up and return the handshake. This time the grip was firmer, but the timing on the release was still off. "Thank you Mr. Murdock. I will touch you here in a week then." He nods his head and turns his back and walks out of the office. Leaving the cardboard slips on the corner table.
“Till then, Mr. Plank." Murdock's voice follows after him, though once Johnathan is gone he takes a seat back at his desk, looking pensive for a time. On a whim he reaches a hand out to the small cardboard slips the man had set down. Fingertips lightly brush its surface, feeling the minute grooves and density of the various markings. He cocks an eyebrow as he realizes that they are lottery tickets, and curiously enough… both of them are scratch-off winners.