nexus_sages | made waves with some friends I know

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made waves with some friends I know

The season is a'changing, the weather is warmer. The forecast calls for high temperature, low humidity and a light breeze. A near perfect day. What better reason to gather the friends and have a good time with a bonfire? Grab a beer, have a seat. Cheery tunes fill the salty air. There's plenty of room and so much to eat.

Matt Murdock is actually dressed for the beach. Still likely more than usual. He burns so easily. There's no way he could have done this alone. Anyone who is anyone in Nexus knows that there is that distinct Verity Willis touch on everything. If the sounds and the sights don't get you, it is going to be whatever Clint has on the grill. That man is magic.

[ooc; Come on in, guys and gals! Hop threads, twist time for sooner, later and all things in between. It's a real party. Don't be shy!]

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"Thanks."

He says with a nod and then ... he thinks about the fact that maybe a nod is not the best way to go with a blind guy.

"These are your friends, huh?"

He'll never ask anyone to stop speaking or doing as they do. Besides, it's easier than explaining he can hear the bones and muscles in the neck move and the slight change in the air indicating movement.

"Yes. For the most part. I'm Matt Murdock." Because it's apparent they haven't met.

"They seem like good people." In fact, some he knows for a fact are good. "Helpful to us lost and wondering around types.'

"Han Solo."

"You must know at least one or two to be here right now." Matt tilts his head to the fire pit. The heat tells him where it is.

Han...? Okay. He grins a little and extends his hand.

Han shrugs and then, remembers blind. Should he bother telling this guy whom he doesn't know who he is and isn't friends with? It's a bad idea where he's from, but the Nexus is such a different kind of place.

"I might know one or two." He confirms.

Also, now that he's thinking about things, this guy seems pretty well balanced for a blind guy walking around on sand without any help. The blind people he's encountered would have had a much harder time.

Though it seems time for a handshake now. Matt above any other person who has ever shaken his hand before will learn a lot about him in the act.

He has callouses on his hand that should belong to a much older man than the twenty-five year old Matt's talking to. The bones in his hands had been broken once before and not reset by a professional, nor surgically repaired. If his fingers have curled around his hand enough to feel the bottom knuckle, he'll notice it has scar tissue. His hand has a faint amount of sweat, but that's due to temperature and not nerves. His pulse confirms as much. So do his breaths.

In turn, the smile is not missed by the Millenium Falcon's captain, but since he's never heard of a Matt Murdock before, he can only assume it's another guy from earth who recognizes him. Wouldn't be the first. Won't be the last.

Well, as a practicing recluse and man of secrets, Matt would do the same or feign obliviousness and see what can come of it. It is all a matter of tactic. It's the lawyer in him that is attentive to phrasing. Sly one.

Nexus has Matt Murdock in rare form. Because virtually no one knows of his street brawling alter ego or of what is expected of him he chooses to walk about as he's always wanted to. There is a risk like anything else. Today is not for concerns about risks, worries or discoveries.

Hands tell a story that was never, ever considered in his boyhood. Hard work, hard time, hard life. It is good manners to not let on what knows and how he knows it. Verity has given him a talk very early on. And there are so many realities and stories. Best to let them be as they are. Though knowing that does not stop the swell in is chest remembering glow of the television cutting the darkness. For two heart beats he is seven years old on the couch of that cheap, small apartment with Battlin' Jack Murdock beside him, enduring questions as they watched. "Is he a good guy, dad?" Luckily the handshake doesn't last as long as his reverie.

Matt clears his throat and adjusts the plastic shades. "Great to meet you." His own hands are not smooth. Boxing callouses, dryness from the protective gloves, a busted and healed knuckle from trial and error. It is nothing he can actively hide. Seldom does it bring up questions.

"You are actually joining, right?"

Certainly, the two men have that in common. Han seems to be in situations where he has to watch what he says all the time and has plenty of things he just doesn't care to share with other people. No doubt a human lie detector will notice that he's very guarded and inclined to speak in half-truths and sometimes straight lies.

Matt deserves the chance to be comfortable. One would have to imagine it is exhausting living two lives full time. That doesn't mean his new 'friend' isn't going to try to figure him out. It's what he does with everybody. And boy does he have a lot to figure out when he shakes the kid's hand. He has blue-collar hands - maybe the hands of a guy who has had his share of back alley brawls, which Han is familiar with because he's certainly been there more times than he's like to count. A white-collar look? That's harder for him to tell, having never been to Earth.

When it comes to the attention that Han gets from Earther's he's taken it with a grain of salt. Most often there's someone here who recognizes him, they do tend to respect him and sometimes admire him ... which is a bit of a trip considering the people at home tend to look down at him. Nobody has had the gall to tell him anything outright, though. Which is just as well because he'd laugh in their face if they tried to tell him he's with the Rebel Alliance.

He's twenty-five right now. About six months before meeting the Skywalkers when he arrived here. The man in front of Matt is definitely more criminal than hero.

"You too." He says, though the attitude suggests he's saying that because it's the expected answer. He doesn't know Matt. Time will tell if it's great to meet him or not. "I don't know that I will. Nice of you to extend the hospitality though."

The motivation for lying is a very enlightening factor in the equation. Survival is a drive for both men. Misdirection and secrecy mean that there is always room to move and maneuver out of a situation. Or in. Long ago Matt has come to accept that any person will lie. He can't and shouldn't be insulted by it. Especially when he considers himself to be a great big one.

This get up Matt has on is probably one of the more casual pieces. But yes, fairly white-collar for beachwear. He doesn't speak like a punk kid from Hell's Kitchen. That's really what he is deep down in his heart. And that's why he is going to talk to him like it's just another person strolling on up to the party like a stray cat. No spoilers out of this guy, not a peep.

"Yeah, well, not like there's any urgency to deciding. Except for maybe how much everyone is eating and drinking. ...maybe the eating part is more urgent." Doesn't seem like everyone is out to get wasted.

It's the fact that his hands resemble an alley brawler's hands that he finds so curious. It made him think up a couple of questions he feels would be ... impolite to ask right now, but they're on his mind. Tucked away for perhaps the next time they meet.

His judgment of Matt, thusfar, is that the guy seems nice enough and unassuming, but something is off about him and Han just can't figure out what it is.

"Got a feeling we'll see each other again." Han says after a moment of reflection. "It seems likely if some of your friends are also my acquaintances."

Maybe whenever they pop up Matt would be inclined to answer. And truthfully. For now they both have their questions. Most of Mr. Murdock's will stay tucked away or subversive. He can't ask about anything in that galaxy far, far away right now because they're just two very stubborn, not exactly personable individuals trying to carry on a decent conversation in the sand.

"Some? Shall I take a guess?"

'What's space like' is one he never, ever gets tired of answering. Though, so long as the questions aren't about him, he tends to not mind them. The Nexus and being marooned here has kind of taken this guy off his game a bit, but he has the ability to be charming and likable.

"I doubt I'll confirm if you're right or not, but go ahead. Shoot."

Edited 2016-06-02 13:40 (UTC)

That's a question everyone wants to know. Matt too. It will take more imagination to get him there. That's a curiosity to be satisfied at another time.

"That's fair. Well, let me see. You'd be at the foot if it were Clint. And you'd already know what you're in for. I don't think you're with Groot--that's the tree guy. We're not previously acquainted so it would either be Schön, Verity or Hunter." These ears are listening for any indicators at all.

Sadly, good as Han's sabacc face is and it is quite good when he's trying to hide his reactions to things, it ain't really going to help him all that much against Matt's gifts. Han can't even control his frustration half the time, much less exercise control over his heart rate and breathing.

That said, Han thinks he's being as difficult to read as ever.

With Clint's guess, he's wrong. Han has learned poker from the man, drawn against him and the archer has actually saved his cocky ass from an early death via pneumothorax. Regrettably, he doesn't know what a good cook the man is yet. He also, has not yet met Hunter.

He's right with the other guesses. He hasn't met Groot. He recently became indebted to Schön. As for Verity, he certainly knows her, the set of his jaw hardens briefly at the mention of her like he had gritted his teeth.

"Not bad." He says with a shrug. Still, bilissfully ignortant that he's already given up info to Matt, but he will at least give the devil his due - he was closer to the mark than Han expected. "An amature mentalist or something?"

Edited 2016-06-02 18:30 (UTC)

Facial expressions are easy money at any poker table. They're playing a game of truth and ego. Matt isn't putting his cards in sight at all. That's not very sportsmanlike by any stretch.

Clint Barton is a hell of a guy. Throw in being an chef with world class archer, athlete and mighty hero. For Mr. Solo? They're on well enough terms. He's the kind of person you would want to have at your party, grill or not. Good, honest company. The same goes for Groot.

Schön is a special, fickle case. Matt likens him to a respected professor or eccentric artist. Both together.

And then...

Verity. Oh. Though it is an unexpected reaction to find. She's never a point of tension. Well, negative tension. Matt mouth twitches before he settles in a passive grin. "I try," he even has a shrug for that. Jeez, Murdock. "No, I'm actually a lawyer."

It's not as if Verity has been unkind to him. In fact, he was closer to her than anyone else that he'd gotten to know in the Nexus for his first few months. She even put her entire life on hold for a few days just to nurse him back to health. He owes her more than he's ever likely to pay back, but it's emotionally complicated.

"Explain what you do." Han says. No obvious analogous equivalent springs to mind when he uses the word 'lawyer' in any on the languages he knows.

She had told him of their friendship, of how their have been misunderstandings. In Matt's eyes there is no crime, no offending party just people being people. Verity is the kind of person that has the capacity to care beyond the typical person. She doesn't see it. And people need that more than expressed.

People like Han.

People like Matt.

"Ah," Matt shifts again in the sand. "I represent a client in a court of law before a designated judge and jury of peers. The client is either accused of committing a crime or taking another party to the court to dispute a violation of their rights, safety or property." He's trying to keep it simple, keep it logical and not too text book or dispassionate. Saying my life's work sure don't sum it up to someone that's never heard of it before.

Matt and Han have plenty in common. No doubt they'll come to even find some of that out if they remain on good terms. But she told Matt about Han. Likely even expressed frustration caused directly by him. Curiously, she did not tell Han about Matt. You have to wonder about that. The Corellian definitely will, when he's finally privy to said knowledge.

Han tilts his head thoughtfully and listens to the explanation. There were lawyers and court systems once in his galaxy, but they were on tumultuous ground by the time he was born and within a few short years ... well, lets just say there was no room for a complicated legal system in Palpatine's Empire.

"We don't have those anymore." He says with a slight frown. "I get what you mean, though."

Both orphaned. Both trying to make the most of life, wandering either literally like a ship without a harbor or figuratively. Both using and abusing lies to get by. Both with long suffering, much loved long haired companions... The list keeps going. Perhaps the degree of similarities endeared Verity. Or simply because he really is that charming. Matt learned about their friendship after the difficulty.

"Anymore?" Matt can't hide his expression. "I'm not sure what else I do if my line of work was obsolete." He has a hunch that's not the case. "It's given me an idea of people. No mentalist abilities needed. I mean, you really didn't answer my question." Outloud.

That sounded like a question. Does he want him to explain it? He doesn't imagine the intricacies of galactic policies would be easy to explain to a presumable earth man. Hell, it all makes his head hurt trying to understand how they went from a sprawling republic to one man's Empire.

"One guy calls the shots where I come from." He says. "He re-wrote the penal code and simplified the system. If his men catch you, you get punished. That's it. No more pesky trials to slow things down."

At that thought, he folds his arms. "Are we talking about the same question I told you I wasn't going to answer?"

Kind of him to explain. Matt just is saddened that he hadn't considered the entire fallout and restructuring involved with an Evil Empire. What Han says makes sense. Minimal head hurting in explaining this one aspect.

Let's add happiness under threat by a single, power hungry individual to the list of similarities too.

"A rough time." To put it mildly. Inhuman. Of course he'd be preaching to the crowd. "I'd have difficulty being compliant." That punishment is no doubt final.

Matt shrugs. "Yes. That one. If I were a mentalist, a good one, I would have some how persuaded you to tell me. So. I guess I ought to just stick to the courtroom."

Yeah, it turns out letting one power-mad old guy will have these massive repercussions on the galaxy. Who knew? As it is, the galaxy has been under Palpatine's reign since well before he began to consider government and how that affects one Corellian trying to make a decent life for himself. He might have had more years with his parents than he had as a republic citizen and they disappeared when he was a toddler.

"It is what it is." He says with a shrug. A dangerous time to be a smuggler, but then again, it's never been an easy life. Besides, there's a certain amount of work he gets just because there is an Empire that people want to avoid being tangled in. Not as if he would have to be a smuggler if not for ...

"Probably for the best that a man with that much influence over another's free will isn't working in the court? That doesn't seem very fair."

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made waves with some friends I know

More likely Black Sabbath.

Sabbath in Spaaaaaace

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nnngh my own typo ah well.

It's okay! Typo is my native language.

the song of our people is misheard lyrics?

xD Never heard that line before. Clever.

;D

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