| Something Akin To a Brother |
| Summary: | Serenity tries to pay Matt Murdock for his previous advice. He asks for a song instead. After she leaves in a hurry, she encounters Wonder Man. |
| Date: | 2016-09-07 |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | None |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
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It has been a long evening in the city at a studio working on her first single but rather than letting the intern assigned as her driver take her home, Serenity has him drive her to Nelson and Murdock instead. The intern tries to talk her out of it because that's really not a good part of town to take the car into. Especially with the evening coming on.
Unfortunately for her poor driver, Serenity insists on going anyway. He lets her out in front of the building then tells her to wait five minutes before coming out when she calls for him to come back since he does not intend to stay in Hell's Kitchen to wait for her. Acknowledging the warning, she makes her way to the door of the law offices and knocks quietly, hoping someone is still inside.
The driver might even have advised her that the hour was late for the office to be open, yet the lone light in the window on the third floor would prove evident that at least someone is still up there burning the early evening oil. The front door to the building, however, is still unlocked what with the first floor having a laundromat and a package store that's nestled into the corner.
Once she's up the stairs and in the hallway that leads to Nelson and Murdock she'll see the light, from behind that window in the door, moving around a bit. For a moment a silhouette comes into view, just a man's shape standing there pausing for a moment. Then it resumes its activity afterwards.
When she gets close enough an interval will pass perhaps awiating for her to knock on the door, yet if she hesitates eventually a voice will lift. "Hello, please come in."
Serenity opens the door and steps inside. As she does so, she speaks into the room, "I know it's late, Mister Murdock, but I was hoping you might still be here. It's Serenity. You remember me right?" There's something soft and hopeful in her tone, unlike the cringing fearful girl he met before but the voice is the same. Her heartbeat is rapid though out of nervousness.
A smile touches the man's features, and at the moment he's got a desktop cleared with a variety of papers scattered over it, all in braille of course but they have a particular order though a few of them have pictures attached, images of a few known individuals from the Irish Mafia that have gone missing, not that she'd recognize them unless she had been spending more time in the neighborhood.
Yet Murdock turns to her, setting his own sheaf of papers down upon the desk as he rests his cane lightly upon the floor. He's standing behind the desk, looking a touch tired at the corners of his eyes, barely visible behind those mirrored-lenses. Though he does seem glad to see her.
"Ah, hello Serenity, yes I haven't forgotten you. I'm very pleased to have heard how life has turned out for you."
Serenity smiles when she looks at his face but that makes her even more nervous inside. She swallows once before slowly stepping forward, "I wanted to thank you for the help you gave me when I needed it." She slowly crosses toward him. There's a smell of fresh money in the air as she comes closer.
"It was my pleasure, Serenity." His lip curls a bit as he turns his head in her direction, his gaze seemingly past her and a touch over her shoulder. Matt rests his hands upon the grip of his cane, though when she draws near one slides free as he gestures with palm up to her as if to demonstrate his words. "You had a lovely sound, it'll be good for you to share it with the world, and fitting you'll be able to make a living with it."
He starts to step to the side, the cane lifting to tuck under his arm as he moves. "Can I get you something? Tea, or some coffee? I'm afraid Foggy ate all the donuts." His lip twitches slightly, and to be fair he had one, and so did their secretary but still.
Serenity shakes her head in a low soft on hair over her shoulders. When he gestures toward her with his hand, her breath catches in her throat at the brief thought he might be able to touch her. When he steps away and offers to get her something the breath is released almost inaudibly as her shoulder sag a little in disappointment. She puts a smile back on her face so he can hear it in her voice, "That is sweet of you to say. Some tea would be nice actually, but you don't have to." She pauses to lick her lips and just look at him for a moment before quickly continuing in a nervous rush. "I had my first day in the studio today. I… got an advance to take care of anything I might need before the revenue starts coming in. I wanted to pay you out of the advance. For the advice you gave me before."
"You don't have to do that, Serenity." His voice lifts faintly to make sure she can still hear him even as he steps to the side into that small break room alcove area, amongst the tea-bags, coffee, and microwave near a sink. He rests a hand upon the counter and starts to lightly touch each object, trying to find the proper fixings for a nice cuppa. He finds a bottle, twisting the top off and begins to pour some fresh water into one cup, and then the other.
"Mr. Parker engaged my services and his retainer should cover most everything. Besides…" He turns back to 'look' in her direction, "I'd rather you pay me by naming a song after me or something." His smile is open, genuine, even as he puts those cups into the microwave, sets the timer, then turns it on.
Serenity hesitates with the money held out in her hand slightly, "Peter engaged your services? But… that makes you his lawyer not mine." She stops when he turns that smile on her. Her breath catches again. She just holds it for a moment of soft fantasy before she lowers her hand and slips the money back into her fringed bag. "I'll dedicate the next song I write to you. Promise." The fantasy has softened her voice with just a hint of a dreamy quality but hearing that makes her straighten. She's immediately nervous again that he will notice.
Oh he definitely notices, it's not much that can get past an individual who can hear the subtle lies one tells even themselves in the lilt of a voice, or the subtle intensifying of a heart's beat, or those tell-tale catches of breath. But he has had years learning how to ignore them when it is polite, to grant people the illusion of what stories they tell themselves, for who is he to damage them?
Yet the microwave beeps and he pulls out the cups of tea, resting them there on the small counter for him to dip a few tea bags into them, letting the tea steep for a time. He looks back to her, "See, you'll give me the gift of immortality in song. Now isn't that worth more?"
Once that's said he turns back and starts to move in her direction with one cup of tea, reaching out with his hand to find the edge of the desk, then to set it down there before her for her to take. "In all honesty, Serenity… it is nice when things work out well. It doesn't happen often for me, so this one time. Feels like a win."
Serenity picks up the tea and sips from it just the way it is even though there's no sweetener or anything in it. She opens her hand as if to reach out toward him then a breath later lowers it again, "I will. And I will send you a copy of my single when it releases so you can always remember the one that went right." The tea sloshes a little in the cup as her hand shakes nervously. She quickly sets the cup down again. "Can you still be my lawyer if I get into any kind of legal trouble. I mean mine not through Parker Industries? I can give you a separate retainer if you need it."
"The door will always be open to you, Serenity." His smile is gentle as he reaches a hand out and lightly touches her shoulder, just a small touch as if to steady her, to strengthen her, to show her the strength he sees in her and to let her 'see' it through his own perception. Then, as quickly as it occurred, it's gone. He turns his back as he moves towards the small breakfast alcove, taking up his own tea. And, indeed, no sugar nor cream for him either.
Lifting his cup upwards, he takes a faint sip, holding it with both hands. "I'm sure in five years time I'll have all your mp3s and all."
When his hand touches her shoulder, Serenity's breath catches again. Her heart is about to beat out of her chest. She licks her lips again and places a hand on the desk to steady herself as she simply watches him move across the room. She silently wishes she had the courage to face the almost certain gentle rejection and tell him but finally shakes her head at herself to dismiss the notion. "You are a very good man, Matt Murdock. Thank you for trusting me with what you did that night when I was so upset. I'm not used to people trusting me. Trust hasn't been a big part of my life."
He pauses then with his tea in hand. Matt turns his head to the side slightly, his brow furrowing as if a myriad of different thoughts were flickering through his mind. A faintly sad smile touches his lips as he turns his attention back upon her and tells her quietly. "I'm glad to have been able to help you in whatever small way I could, Serenity."
With that said he takes a faint sip from his tea and then he tells her, "And, for what it's worth, Mr. Parker seems inclined to do right by you. He seems trustworthy. Stand by him and he should help you as well. Alright?"
Serenity nods quickly, "Oh he gave me my break when there was absolutely no reason for him to other than a trio of songs in his cluttered lab. I am going to make him a million dollars. I won't accept anything less." She glances down at the tea then picks it up again. Matt made it for her so it's going to get finished before she leaves.
A small laugh comes from him, pleased at her confidence and her animation. Matt gives her a small nod and adds quietly. "That's great, Serenity. I really hope you do. But if he's taking more than ten percent of your gross, then you give me a call." He 'winks' should she look to him, and takes another sip of his tea. He lightly brushes fingertips over the watch on his wrist, checking the time, though he makes no mention of needing to go, perhaps just making sure he's not late for the future.
"How is everything going otherwise?"
Serenity looks down at the watch pendant hanging round her neck and actually checks the time when she notices him check it, "The lawyer you set me up with said it was a good deal, so I'm going to try and hope that's right. I signed up for classes at Xavier's Institute as well. They're going to help me get my equivalency and learn more about what I can do. Who knows. Maybe it will make me an even better singer."
A nod is given as he sips and then he smiles, "It couldn't hurt. Maybe you'll get the chance to study musical theory and history. I think you'd perhaps enjoy that." As he says that he takes another sip, then sets the tea cup down with a faint ceramic click. "You should be excited, you have a very bright future ahead of you. You'll find school exciting, an amazing career most likely, and who knows, perhaps you'll meet a boy that turns your head." He offers that gently, his smile open and offered so.
Serenity finishes off her tea in a quick swallow as the suggestion that she might find a nice boy makes her want to cry for a second. She licks her lips and says, "I haven't trusted someone in years. Would you be too upset if I tried it out with you first?"
That causes his brow to furrow for a moment as if he didn't entirely understand what she said, but then he smiles again a touch lighter as he murmurs, "Of course you can trust me. Or did you mean something else?" He sits down on the edge of the desk, resting his hands on his left thigh, his head turned just so and to the side in that instinctive posture mankind inherited from its ancestors of attempting to hear something from a different angle to understand it better.
Serenity hesitates a moment. She'd dearly like to try something else with him, but she'd never be able to forget his response and she cannot bear the thought of his image forever being linked to something that would make her sad. So while her heart pounds wildly and she knows he hears it, she says, "Just the trust. I dearly need to trust someone who won't hurt me. It's been a long time." She hesitates then asks in a tiny voice, "Can I hug you?"
That smile shifts a touch sad, but still warm as he stands up and extends his arms towards her, "There's no harm in a hug." He offers her gently, then adds. "And you can trust me to be fair, and up front with you. I don't mind being considered as something akin to a brother, I'll always have your best interests at heart."
And as he says that he steps forward, his hand finding hers and giving it a gentle squeeze as he draws her towards him, holding her close for a moment and gently brushing her hair with one hand.
Serenity slides both her arms around him and holds him close even though she can feel herself trembling in his arms. He can smell the salt tang from her gathering tears when she finally whispers, "Thank you for everything. I'm going to get out of your hair. I'm sure I interrupted something important." She draws back and turns to go, hoping to get away before the tears can fall.
Again his hand gives hers a faint squeeze, then he sits back down gently on the edge of the desk, his smile still a touch sad as he rests his hands together and turns his head in her direction as she makes to depart. "Take care of yourself, Serenity. You're going to be doing great things. Don't worry." He takes a deep breath, then holds up a hand in a small wave as she departs, letting her go to make her own way in the world.
It is only after she runs out of the building that houses Nelson & Murdock that Serenity remembers that her driver said to give him five minutes and to wait inside because the streets in this part of town aren't safe at this time of night. She looks around nervously as she pulls out her phone to call her driver to come back.
Red eyes cast here and there in the night. A pimp a few blocks down was waiting on his money. Small-time stuff.
Simon was on patrol. Looking for shady characters that weren't dressed like a caricature from the 70s.
Instead he found a nervous Serenity. As he was only sort of slowly floating, trying not to give off too much energy output, he descended carefully, before landing under the glow of a streetlight, across the street from Serenity. That red jacket, those sunglasses, the bright red W. It was Wonder Man!
It's Wonder Man! That is a far safer place to wait than where she is standing. Serenity looks back and forth down the street several times to gauge the speeds of the oncoming cars. She picks the proper rhythm to pass between then then proceeds to jaywalk across to the other streetlight where the hero is as she waits for her driver to pick up.
"Fancy seeing you outside of Nelson and Murdock's," Simon says as he opens his arms to offer a greeting hug to the young woman. "You look scared out of your wits. You okay?"
Since a hug was offered, Serenity takes it. It's Wonder Man. You don't even have to trust him to know he won't hurt you. He's both a big name celebrity and a big time hero. She draws back from the hug and brushes at the moisture on her cheeks, "Matt Murdock is my lawyer. I just forgot… I was supposed to call my driver and wait inside for him before I came out on the street." She puts her phone to her ear and says, "I'm across the street with Wonder Man. I think I can convince him to stay until you get back." She gives Simon a hopeful look.
"Take your time," Wonder Man told Serenity. "Also… were you crying? Is everything okay?" the super hero asked.
Serenity nods and assures her driver, "That's where I'll be." She closes her phone and slips it into her fringed handbag before slipping that over her head. She glances to Simon, "I… was. It's nothing I'm just a little emotional. Thank you for coming down. I wasn't supposed to come out until my driver was here."
"That's okay," Simon said, slowly letting go of her from the hug. "Why were you crying? If it's okay to ask," Simon asked anyhow. "If you were talking to your lawyer and crying… did…" he paused, "did someone die?"
Serenity shakes her head quickly, "Not that I know of. Not recently anyway. How are you doing Simon? Can I call you Simon or should I call you Wonder Man?"
"Your preference," Simon said. "I guess Wonder Man when I'm busy being heroic, and Simon otherwise? So… Simon right now, I suppose." He shrugged, smiled.
That draws a smile from the nervous young lady. "That's nice. Do you spend a lot of time being a hero? Seems like it would be dangerous."
"Well, it helps if you're bulletproof," Simon smiled. "And when you're strong enough to throw the Hulk into space. Though that's just a temporary relief, and he always lands angry."
Serenity's eyes widen at the mention of the Hulk, "Oh I would not like to be there for anything like that. You must lead an exciting life."
"From time to time. Right now it's mostly just about getting the team back together, and standing watch in case something happens." Simon positively beamed at that.
Serenity smiles, "I'm just a singer. I'm not any use to heroes such as yourself unless you want a theme song in which case you'd have to get permission from Parker Industries."
"Doesn't Parker already have a jingle?" Williams teased with a grin. "And no. I don't need a theme song. But thank you."
Serenity laughs very softly before humming the Spider-man song for a few bars. She giggles, "So he does, but he also happens to be my employer and paid for all those clothes I bought so I have to make him some money."
"And that kind of money is in commercials, and good negotiations to get residuals. If you can do jingles and songwriting for various commercials, products, or shows or whatever… you'd get all sorts of dough. May not be famous, but steady, good money."
Serenity stares at him for a moment, "I try to avoid jingles actually. I can't forget them. It's hard to have something pointless floating around in your mind like that."
"But there's a lot of money in it," Simon smiled. "Are you feeling a little better, now?"
Serenity gives a single longing look across at Nelson & Murdock. "I suppose I am feeling better yes. Thank you Simon."
"Well," Simon smiled as he sat down on the sidewalk, setting his legs over the curb. "I'll stay right here by you until your driver shows up. Sound good?"
Serenity settles down beside him, "That is very kind of you. I suppose I should have heeded him when he said it was too dangerous to come here at this time of night."
"Well, you got some awesome people around here right now. Daredevil. Power Man. Iron Fist. Maybe Jewel… though I'm sure she changed her name by now," Simon grinned.
Serenity nods, "Daredevil saved me one night. I was busking and someone decided to be offended by my presence. Daredevil saved me."
"Hell's Kitchen is Daredevil's territory. I'd say I shouldn't be here, but when super heroes start drawing lines in the sand, something is wrong," Simon said. "If you're… unlucky, you might even meet Hercules." He laughed at that.
Serenity blinks several times, "Hercules? As in the son of Zeus? Since when is he something more than literature from Ancient Greece?
"You do know we have Thor, too, right?" Simon asked. "But yeah. Hercules. I'm not sure if I'm stronger than him, or if he's stronger than me." He didn't exactly want to test it, either.
Serenity smiles, "Well of course. Thor's an Avenger. Everyone knows the Avengers."
"Sometimes, Hercules Avenged, too. But he's just as real as Thor." Simon nodded.
Serenity pushes back up to her feet as she sees her car coming in the distance. "But not as good as you. Every knows you."
"Yes, but I'm also not perfect," Simon smiled as Serenity stood up. "Looks like your ride's almost here."