trustinthedevil | [ duplicity inbox]

[ peggy doesn't love her job. how could she? after having spent the better part of her professional career trying to avoid the secretarial pool, it damn well stings to be wading in its waters once again. but there are saving graces. for one, she's working under the auspices of someone from home -- which leads into the second grace because it matters to her that he likely knows she's built for work beyond filing and fetching coffee.

it's about biding her time. it's about waiting for opportunities. and it's about making the most of what she does now. so! she's only been here a scant few weeks (so much of that time spent aboard the cruise ship) before she's knocking on the frame of matt's office door.

it's late in the afternoon. close to quitting time. and she wants to catch him before he goes. ]

Mister Murdock. [ once his attention is got, she slips inside. she shuts the door behind her. ] I was wondering if you might consider helping me with a small project.

[ If Peggy is observant enough, she'll likely notice that Matt is not quite himself. After a few days of being out of the office following the Boat Incident, he's returned with less cautious optimism and more frustration. He's kept mostly to himself as much as possible, so he's a bit surprised to have a knock on his door. ]

Oh. Of course.

[ He turns off the recording of files he was listening to and raises his eyebrows. ]

What is it?

[ oh, she is exactly observant enough to notice the change in him. but she's a creature of (some) discretion -- and so long as his mood doesn't interfere with her ability to make a meagre income, she doesn't push him on those details. lord knows she herself appreciates a bit of isolation from time to time.

but today, and at his welcome, she ventures deeper into the room and helps herself to a chair. ]

How ill-advised would it be to...borrow a few contract copies? Say, for the weekend?

[ her tone is forcefully casual. light, innocent, but also anything but. she knows it's not exactly ethical; however, she doesn't much care. ]

I've been told you're a lawyer.

That’s one way to introduce yourself. Yes, I am.

Hi, I'm Erik and I'm looking to hire a lawyer. I'd like to incorporate myself and see how that fits in with contacting multiple submissives. I haven't read much literature on Duplicity law.

I can have a look for you, sure. Though submissives don’t really seem to have many legal rights so as long as you’re a dominant, I can’t imagine too many problems.

Edited 2018-11-28 03:19 (UTC)

All the same, I'd prefer all of it being legally taken care of by someone more legally competent. What's your hourly rate?

I'm flattered. I suppose my fees should be around five hundred an hour, but it just so happens that I don't do it for the money. Let's set up a meeting pro bono and once we figure out what it is you want, I can lowball a heavily discounted rate for the work.

Sure. I've attached my calendar so whatever time works for you, I'll come meet you at your place of work. And I'll have all this written down but there is one last thing I would like to know which is if the government here will either subsidize renovations for or assist in finding accessible housing if I intend to contract a submissive who is wheelchair-bound.

[ He links an attachment and appears to be a busy man who works odd hours. ]

Let me get in contact with my assistant and we can set up a meeting.

[ Erik has invited Matt to come to a private lunch to discuss matters. Not that he really cares but it's a pretty upscale restaurant. It's not quite Hogarth shit but it's nice. ]

Mr. Murdock, it's a pleasure.

[ He stands up and offers his hand to shake. ]

[ Matt doesn't really care about how fancy the place is, either. He can't really appreciate aesthetics, but generally nicer restaurants are a little quieter. And the smell better.

He smiles at the greeting, and he assumes that Erik has stretched out a hand in greeting, but you know what they say about the word assume. He keeps both hands on the top of his cane.

Sorry, Erik. Try not to make it awkward. ]

Mr. Lehnsherr. I hope I didn't keep you waiting long.

Not at all.

[ And of course because I forgot that Erik doesn't know that Matt can 'see' things fine despite being blind, he requests: ]

Could I shake your hand?

[ Not totally awkward at all. ]

Oh - Of course. Sorry.

[ It's fine. Matt can bear the brunt of awkwardness for the both of them. He reaches out his hand and once Erik takes it, there will indeed be a handshake before Matt feels for his chair and takes a seat. ]

[ Oh god this is so awkward. ]

Would you like some wine? Beer?

[ Thank god this menu has braille on it, Erik is about to die. Hey, at least he isn't falling over himself trying to 'help' by dragging Matt into chairs. ]

A beer sounds great, actually.

[ And he laughs, because, please Erik. Matt can hear your pulse betraying you. ]

Don't worry. I'm alarmingly competent.

Great, there's a good selection here, my favorite is the Altbier, it's quite hoppy and malty, a little bitter, and dry. I'm pleasantly surprised they carry it.

[ But at least that gets Erik to relax a bit, as he takes his seat. ]

You sold me. I'll try one, too.

[ Not that Matt's been missing his fancy imported beers. It's almost like his fridge is constantly being stocked with them. ]

So. I'm curious to hear more about your ideas and how I can help you achieve them.

[ He motions for the waiter to bring them two and then starts: ]

Well, I did offer to sign on 15 submissives. I only ended up with one, but I suppose my offer is open-ended, so I'd like to have a template of sorts, since I have a few things that stay constant. No sense in reinventing the wheel.

Fifteen.

[ Matt raises his eyebrows. It's not surprsing his mind goes to maybe less-than-reputable ideas. No offence to Erik, of course, but Matt can't help but wonder what other reasons a Dominant would want so many submissives while having a lawyer on hand. ]

And it's - A business venture, that you're thinking of?

Oh no, I just want to incorporate myself as an individual. I'm juggling two careers right now, one of which is self-employed, and I'd like to eventually be fully self-employed.

[ Plus he thinks that maybe it might be easier to get lent money for his business if he has an actual business front. ]

I'm an architect, and a photographer.

That seems reasonable enough.

[ Does Matt sound relieved? He is. He didn't want to have to be solicited to represent some sort of submissive working ring. He sips his beer with an appreciative hum when it's brought to him. ]

The good news is, the people that run this place seem to like us making lives here for ourselves. Your skills are viable, too, so that's a plus in your favour.

Yes, I'm fortunate in that regard.

Good, isn't it?

[ He means about the beer, which he also takes a nice big drink of. ]

So, of course, I'd like an estimate of the amount of hours you think this might take.

[ have a series of text messages, responses to a conversation with a mysterious other party. ]

I don't know what I want. How can anyone, in this realm. All desires subordinate to a power the natives refuse to explain and the visitors can't begin to grasp. The self unrecognizable under collar and chain.

I think if I met him on the streets in Manhattan I'd like him. Ten years ago you couldn't have paid me to go on a date in Hell's Kitchen, but ten years ago I was an asshole and not good for particularly anyone.

I already like him. Obviously. The sex is great. That ass, four stars. There's this thing he does with his tongue, a subconscious gesture. Just something where suddenly you can see it.

Being 40 I don't traffic in "cute". But sure.

Look, if we keep going I'm going to call him and, again, 40, so I actually can't be doing this. Delete this immediately, exercise that class privilege and buy me a drink.

[ The delight at getting a text from Stephen goes to confusion and then amusement. Matt is pretty smart, thank you kindly, so he’s quick to form an idea about what’s happening. ]

You know a lot of guys from Hell’s Kitchen here?

[ He could have just not replied, but ... There’s a laugh lingering in his voice as he does. ]

[ Fighting back hadn't helped matters; he'd had the bruises and cut knuckles to show his efforts, a lasting sting along the slowly healing gashes, but enough evidence, from friends and strangers alike, had shown that no one found success with trying to fight their way out of capture.

It's days into their stay at camp, his stomach running on little food, mostly bread pieces (snuck into his pocket overtime by Cable) and tree bark (no thanks to Roan's strange solutions), but he spends more time surveying the area, looking for weaknesses, for something that might spell a hint at anything they can progress with.

He isn't fond of team-ups, but desperation sometimes calls for another outlook. And he knows someone who has a certain special way of quite literally seeing things from a different angle. ]

Hey. Still alive?

[ Matt's playing along, more or less. Like most everyone, he feels no small amount of rage. It's hard for him to not act out on it but he thinks of the people he cares about. No point in getting himself in trouble. He needs to be here for them.

So he's been doing what Frank probably suspects he's been doing. Listening, watching in his way. The sudden audio message doesn't take him as much by surprise as it should have. ]

We both know from personal experience that neither of us are that easy to put down.

[ There's a vague chuckle on the other line, short as it is because Frank's hardly in the laughing mood these days. All the same, he knows the trials it takes to take a man down like persistent Matt Murdock.

The same is easily said for himself. ]

You got that right. [ A pause. ] You know, uh — think we could really use a chat right now. How about it?

[ Not on the phone. Too invasive for anyone to listen. ]

I think you're right.

[ Are they friends now? They're certainly something. This is the second time Frank's reached out to him about something, and Matt isn't sure yet what to think about it. He figures it's pretty serious if Frank's coming to him. ]

You better not get me in trouble.

[ They're not friends; at least not to the point that Frank would openly call it that. Even if there's a loose sense of trust that he holds for him, much higher than he would for most of the others in this city. ]

Do I look like trouble? [ Rhetorical question. But best to be left unsaid over the line.

A beat, and then: ] I need help with my laundry.

[ duplicity inbox]

action » mid-november

no subject

no subject

Text

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Action, later

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

misfire.

voice reply

audio, days into camp—

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject