Players:
Summary: Rashmi gets a sit-down with She-Hulk. Requests are made, hero-worship abounds.
Date: April 2, 2010
Log Title Quid Pro Bono
Rating: PG
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway
Location description, if any, goes here.
There really isn't a word that can describe the law offices of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway. One just wouldn't suffice. Two might work better, but only if those words were 'Transdimensionally Decadent.' The lobby for the law firm is designed to impress, and impress it does. It's got nice marble flooring. Huge front desk. Giant globe in the middle of a dais that seems to just float there, tuning slowly on it's axis. Every once in a while, a lawyer or personal assistant will walk through the lobby to one of the four hallways that branch out of this room. Sometimes you can get a glimpse of one of their clients, usually a super powered person of some type or a transdimentional being who's gotten stuck here and needed some kind of legal advice.
The receptionist is a blonde woman, perky and busy answering phones and directing traffic. She greets anybody who happens to enters with a friendly smile and a "Welcome to the Law Offices of Goodmam, Lieber, Kurtzberg and Holliway. How can I help you?
For several moments, Rashmi just sort of stands there in the middle of the lobby, trying to remember to breathe… and keep her mouth closed. With so much mind-searing elegance surrounding her, the task is much more difficult than one would imagine. Very nearly edging towards the receptionist's desk, careful not to actively touch anything lest she incur a damages bill that rivals the gross domestic product of a small state, she bobs her head to the perky blonde. "Um… hi… I was, um… I was wondering if Ms. Walters is busy….? Um… Just, I was told, um… I'd probably want to talk to her…"
The receptionist shows Rashmi some brilliant white teeth as she asks, "Of course. Do you have an appointment?"
Rashmi sags slightly in place. "I… I don't think so… But, Dr. McCoy said if she wasn't too busy, then it'd probably be all right as long as I didn't mind waiting…" Digging a carefully-folded piece of paper out of her book bag, she unfolds it and slides it across the reception desk, a simple note telling Jennifer to go easy on the child if she can manage. Though of course with at least four times the word count, as 'simple' is a relative term when speaking with Beast.
The receptionist daintily picks up the piece of paper, eyes moving back and forth, reading the note. It looks like she has to read it at least three times before understanding what Henry is talking about before leaning over to the telephone. "Hello, Ms. Walters. You have a visitor from Xavier's Academy….." Silence as she listens. "No, she doesn't…." She turns to the computer and taps a few things on it. "You have a five o'clock. Wilbur Day…. Stilt-Man….. Okay. I'll reschedule him." She hangs up and turns back to the young mutant. "She's with a client right now, but she should be done in about half an hour." Another show of pearly white teeth, "Please have a seat!"
Rashmi bobs her head, flushing deeply. "I'm sorry for making her reascedule… Thank you very much, though." Moving toward the nearest seat, she lowers herself onto the edge, eyes roving over the lobby once more. Even though a native of New York, this district alone may as well be another city, let alone the palatial appointments of the law offices, and there's enough to look at that her book won't even be needed to keep her busy.
After about half an hour a man comes for Rashmi. He's, quite literally, built like a concrete block. He stands a good eight feet tall, his skin is a concrete grey, and his head is nothing more than a large rectangular block. He's dressed business casual with a tie, and a pink shirt, and around his neck hangs a chalkboard. The receptionist looks up when he enters and she says, "Hey, there, Andy. Could you show this young girl to Ms. Walter's office?" The large head nods and turns towards Rashmi, and he holds up the chalk board that sasy, "Follow Me." It's weird, though. He didn't actually write anything on it.
While living at the Institute tends to inure one to the strange and unusual, Awesome Andy is… well, *very* unusual. So there follows a few seconds of staring up, and up, and up, in blank shock at the android with the concrete slab for a head, before swallowing and rising from the seat. "Okay… um… thank you, sir…"
Awesome Andy turns and trudges down the one of the hallways, occasionally turning sideways to let somebody else pass. It's clear that despite his huge size and questionable past, he's a gentle and considerate soul, and gets friendly greetings from all those present. In due time they come to a door with Jennifer Walters's name and credentials painted on the door, which he gently knocks on before opening it. "Go on in." says the chalkboard. Inside the office is that of a lawyer's. Everything about it says Lawyer. The big mahogany desk. The large comfy red leather chairs. The globe that swings open to reveal bottles of alcohol. The rows and rows of books that line one side of the office. However, the woman sitting behind the desk will come as a disappointment for somebody who might be expecting to see She-Hulk. Instead, they've got Jennifer wearing a charcol grey business suit and dress, with her hair up in a loose bun. "Hey, there," she says when she sees Rashmi, standing up and giving the girl a friendly smile. "Come in, have a seat."
If Rashmi is at all disappointed to see Jennifer and not someone large, green, and likely to give most girls a complex, it doesn't show. With the nervous tread of someone approaching, not just a celebrity, but a hero on several levels, the redhead edges into the office, pausing to turn and give Andy a nervous smile and a nod of thanks. "Um…. hi, Ms. Walters," she manages, creeping toward one of the armchairs. "I… Thank you so much for agreeing to see me…"
"Thanks, Andy," she says to the android, once Rashmi gets settled. "It's not a problem. /Trust/ me. The longer I can put off seeing Wilbur the happier I'll be. He's annoying as a villain, doubly so as a client." Once Andy leaves and gently shuts the door Jennifer moves out from the desk to sit in one of the other plush red chairs, in an effort to alleviate some of the tension to be at more of the girl's nerves. "So what brings you all the way out here?"
"Well… a couple of things really, Ms. Walters…" Ducking her head and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she bites back the instinctual first response of 'OMG please say you need an intern' and takes a moment to sort her thoughts. "First, um… Dr. McCoy thought it'd be a good idea to meet you sooner or later… y'know… since it's pretty much my goal to be a lawyer, myself… And it's *really* hard not to have heard your name at all, when anything law comes up…"
Jennifer chuckles, leaning back in the chair and crossing her legs. "It's good to know that I have a reputation for something /other/ than being big and green."
Rashmi lifts a shoulder, blushing fiercely. "Well I mean, sure there's the She-Hulk thing… but you're a *lawyer,* Ms. Walters… and, um… I mean, a *really good* one," she says weakly, gesturing at the global wet-bar, the massive desk, and the chairs. "It's sort of hard *not* to look up to you for that, you know?"
Jennifer gives Rashmi a soft smile, tilting her head some. "You don't know how good it is to hear that," she says, sounding very sincere. "It's easy to see the things that She-Hulk does. What I do here… it's making a difference, too. It's just more subtle and not as glamorous." She stands up and says, "I'm sorry. Where are my manners. Would you like a soda?"
Rashmi shakes her head, beaming in response to the praise. "No, Ms. Walters, thank you… and it really does make a difference, you're right… Honestly, you're sort of the reason I want to get into politics, too, after I've had my own practice for a little bit. I always have…. just… well, y'know… since I found out I'm a mutant, it just pointed me in the direction I'd probably want to go."
Jennifer walks over to the bookshelf, and opens up a section of it that's a cleverly disguised mini-fridge, and pulls out a soda for herself. "So, Miss… I'm sorry," she says offering the girl a polite smile as she returns to her chair, "I didn't catch your name."
Rashmi blinks, eyes widening. "Oh, I'm sorry! I, um… Rashmi, Ms. Walters… Rashmi Franklin…"
Jennifer says, "So, Miss Franklin," Jennifer continues with a nod, walking back to the red leather chair. "I take it you came here for a reason other than to just gush all over me." Her tone is gentle, and amused. No reason to frighten the girl."
Rashmi dips her head, nodding. "Well… yeah… but I mean, it *is* an honor to speak with you, and I really *do* appreciate it. But, um… there's this extra credit thing for school… Mutant Ethics, specifically… We need to interview someone, and write about what we learned, you know? And… actually… I was sort of hoping, if he has the time…. Do you, um, think it might be possible to get some time to maybe, um… interview… um… Captain America…?"
Jennifer nearly chokes on her coke trying to hold in a spit-take when the shoe drops. "Excuse me," she says, holding the back of her sleeve over her mouth, and quickly turning away from the girl to hide the fact that she's trying very hard not to burst out in laughter. Once she's got herself under control she turns around with a very practices neutral expression. "I see. I'm sure something can be arranged, but, I have to ask, why come all the way out here to ask me? Why not go over to the Avenger mansion and ask him yourself?"
No fool Rashmi, who sighs quietly as Jennifer turns around, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "….Actually, Ms. Walters… It's sort of backwards, honestly… I mean… I really *have* always wanted to meet you… but, there's just… I *couldn't* just walk up to the Avengers Mansion, you know? And it's *Captain America,* who just knocks on his door with a tape recorder, you know?" Looking down at her lap, she wrings her hands quietly. "So… I guess you could just call it a really good excuse to come meet you."
"Kill two birds with one stone, hunh?" asks Jennifer with a hint of amusement, as she walks around the chair and sits in it. "Like I said, I should be able to arrange something. Especially for one of Xavier's kids."
"I know it's *really* presumptuous to ask," Rashmi says, "and I'm really sorry to put this on you, but… Thanks for being so patient." The chore done with, the redhead seems to relax, fractionally. "Um… d'you mind if I asked how you got started doing law?"
Jennifer grins and leans back in her chair as she sees her guest relaxing. "You could say it ran in the family," she says. "My father was a cop. Sheriff, actually. Becoming a defense attorney caused a bit of a rift between us for a while, early in my career. Then the whole She-Hulk thing happened and, well, that sort of changed everything."
Rashmi bobs her head. "I can imagine… That's something I never really understood, though… I mean, I know that everyone deserves a fair trial… but… How do you handle it, if you're defending someone you *know* is guilty? Or d'you just try to pick cases carefully?"
Jennifer gives Rashmi a stern look, having heard this question from many different people many, many times. "Let me ask you two things in return. First: Are you qualified to make that judgement, that somebody is guilty, without knowing /all/ the facts, without hearing arguments both for and against the defendant? Second: Where is the line between somebody who you *know* is guilty and somebody who *might* be guilty?"
Rashmi straightens, chin lifting. "Of course not, Ms. Walters. Nobody is qualified to make that decision who isn't on a jury, and even then not until the case has been presented." As she answers, her voice alters subtly, taking on the tone of a student given an oral pop quiz. "But the line gets really thin with enough reliable evidence… I guess what I was asking was more… I don't know. It's the job of a defense lawyer to provide reasonable doubt, but I guess the question is honestly how you reconcile that with your work with the Avengers, Ms. Walters… I mean… do you avoid cases when you've helped make the arrest, or…?"
"I have to," answers Jennifer. "If I come anywhere near a trial that I was involved in as an Avenger as anything other than a witness, they could call it a mistrial due to conflict of interest." She sighs, slumping a little. "It's why I'm no longer on the active roster for the Avengers. As much as I like the work… there's more work to be done what I'm doing. Laws that govern the superhuman is fuzzy at best. Absent at worst, and I'm doing my part to see that when new legislation gets drafted, it's fair and constitutional."
Rashmi looks down at her lap for a moment, nodding to herself. "…You know, Ms. Walters? You're right. And, just in case no one else ever says it… thank you. Really… I hope you never stop doing this."
Jennifer sighs wistfully, "I wish I had more people think the way you do. It took a long time to get most of the Avengers to see that I'm doing more than just 'letting criminals walk free'" She says this last with the requisite air quotes. "Especially Iron Man. But the law applies to /everybody/. Not just the people we want it to. You asked me how I could do it, how I can justify it. I do it because I want to see justice done. I do it because everybody deserves a fair trial. Especially the guilty ones. I do it because justice doesn't mean winning all the time. A lot of lawyers lose sight of that fact. "
Rashmi listens, a slow smile growing on her face, spine straightening ever so slightly. "I'm really glad to hear you say that, Ms. Walters… That's the sort of lawyer I've always wanted to be. And I really do hope, someday I can accomplish half of what you've done fighting from the bench."
Jennifer chuckles, and then takes a sip of her coke. "You have big aspirations," she says approvingly. "I'm curious. You're one of Xavier's students. What can you do?"
Rashmi opens her mouth for a moment, closes it, sighs, and shakes her head. "It's almost impossible to try and explain…" Drawing in a deep breath, her gaze rises ceilingward. A moment later, a half-dozen faintly glowing spheres of force fade into view, spinning in a slow, lazy orbit about a foot above her head. "Addison says it's kind of like telekinesis, but pretty limited. I can't make them stop moving, but I can pretty much make them go wherever I want them to go… up to about sixty feet or so…"
Jennifer studies the spheres for a few moments. "Hmm. Telekinetic, you said?" She looks thoughtful for a moment or three before suggesting, "You know, the person you really want to talk to is Sue. Richards, that is." She adds that last as not everybody is on a first name basis with the Fantastic Four like she is. "If you want somebody who's power is a lot like yours." She shrugs, "If you're interested in going that way. You may not be." Another considering glace at the teen. "How old are you?"
Rashmi's mouth opens, closing again as she's mercifully saved from having to discuss the Fantastic Four by a much more mundane question. "…Seventeen, Ms. Walters. Eighteen in September."
Jennifer sips her coke thoughtfully. "Seventeen," she muses. "What are your plans for college?"
Rashmi lets out a quiet breath. "…I'm actually sort of conflicted there, Ms. Walters. I mean, I'm definitely going to apply at NYU… but I've been wondering if it might be a good idea to stay at the Institute a couple more years… get some, ah…. post-secondary education, I guess you could say."
Jennifer can't hide a disapproving scowl at that. "I would /highly/ encourage you to pursue the more academic path." Then, under her breath, "Lord knows I could use a competent intern for once."
Rashmi is silent, for a moment, brow furrowed, clearly unsure if she heard the woman correctly. "I… well… I'd *really* like to start as soon as I graduate, Ms. Walters… just… I'm not sure how much you're aware of what's happened at the Institute, after the Inferno mess…?"
"I can guess," says Jennifer. "Even though I'm retired, I do hear things from the Avengers from time to time." Not /quite/ insinuating that the Avengers are keeping an eye on the X-Men. Quite. "Don't get me wrong. Xavier's dream is an admirable one, and he's done more to help young mutants find their place in the world than anybody else. But the X-Men, well, sometimes their actions are as much a detriment as they are a boon. Two steps forward and one step back."
Rashmi lets out a quiet breath. "Okay it's not *quite* like that, Ms. Walters," Rashmi begins with evident relief. "I'm not planning on being an X-Man anytime soon or anything. Just… There are a lot of people at the school who are important to me, you know? And, after what happened this last month, I'm… I don't know. I guess I'd feel better if I gave a little back to them. Not with the X-Men, just maybe as a teaching assistant, with a little training on the side."
Jennifer nods approvingly. "I can appreciate that," she says. Just then the buzzer rings on her phone. She gives the device a murderous glare and looks back at Rashmi apologetically. "Excuse me." She stands up picks up the headset, setting the coke down on her desk with her other hand. "Yes?" A pause, and then another murderous glare. "He's WHERE!?" She pinches the bridge of her nose as if a migraine suddenly just wholloped her brain a with a Louisville slugger, as the man on the other end continues to talk to her. "Okay…. okay. Tell him I'll be right there and /not to hurt anybody/." She slams the phone down on the reciever, nearly breaking the device as her skin starts to show a tinge of green. "I swear to GOD Wilbur has got to be the stupidest criminal I've ever come across." She rushes over to a coat rack and gets her jacket. "I'm sorry Miss Franklin. That was my five o'clock. Apparently he was upset that we rescheduled his appointment and now he's holding a Starbucks hostage demanding that he see his lawyer."
She shoves her jacket on and starts to button it up. "Which would be me. Andy will show you out." She then rushes out the door. And then rushes back in. "Oh, and look me up if you need an internship somewhere." Then she rushes back out again.
Rashmi's eyes bug out, mouth falling open. She *had* heard Jennifer right, after all… "Um… Okay, Ms. Walters. Thanks for seeing me, and, um… tell him sorry for me? Since it is kind of my fault and all… Good luck!" she calls just before the door closes. For a few moments she sits there, eyes roaming over the office. Then, with a deep breath, she rises from her chair, poking her head out into the hallway in search of Andy.
