Bela Talbot (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
enjoythe_ride) wrote2008-03-19 04:51 pm
enjoythe_ride) wrote2008-03-19 04:51 pm
[TBS] Civil litigation
[The Larry Paul in question is ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lawyerlarry, and is used with the permission of his awesome mun. This is back when Larry and Bela first met, building backstory and all that. Because every good thief needs a lawyer, yes?]
Larry Paul was a strange man. Well, for a lawyer, at least. She was sure that if not for his profession, she wouldn’t have found him strange at all, but because he happened to be sitting behind a lawyer’s desk and offering her legal advice, things just seemed rather—out of place. Regardless, she heard he was good, and she needed this ridiculous matter to go away as quickly as possible. Hence, why she was sitting in his office and studying this strange man, trying to get down to the root of things.
“So let me get this straight?” he began with a sigh. “You want me to defend you against a larceny charge?”
“Not exactly,” she replied, crossing her legs in front of her as she readjusted her skirt, giving the man her best friendly smirk. “They can’t prove I took the item they’re looking for, so they’re suing me instead.”
“So this is a lawsuit?”
“It is a lawsuit,” Bela nodded, before giving him a friendly smile.
“And why exactly do they think you stole this—ancient African artifact from them, Ms. Talbot?”
“Do you want the real reason, or the reason I’m going to give in court should you choose to put me on the stand?”
Larry paused for a moment, before shaking his head slightly, and looking back down at the file. “I think that answers my question well enough.”
“I thought it might,” she smirked, before leaning to one side on the chair. “It really is a open and shut case. They have no proof that I stole the artifact, and really—this is all just a huge misunderstanding.”
“Is it really?”
“Yes—first of all, that artifact is not in my possession.”
“You could have sold it.”
“Second of all, I have a bill of sale for the bloody thing,” she said with a sigh.
“A bill of sale?” Larry said, his eyebrows arching slightly.
“A bill of sale.”
“And why is he suing you then?”
“He claims he doesn’t remember signing it, but he clearly has my money, so the fact that I have to go through this song and dance after what I did was perfectly legal.”
Well, maybe not so legal. But using a small bit of voodoo to convince him to see things her way wasn’t exactly going to brought to the court’s attention—the beauty of living in a society where no one believed in magic any more.
“I can understand why that would be frustrating for you, Ms. Talbot.”
“Good, I’m glad,” she said, giving him a bright smile. “So does this mean you’ll take the case?”
“I’m afraid you’ve won me over,” he said with a nod.
“I promise it will be well worth your while,” Bela sighed, the smile widening as she moved closer. “I have no problem rewarding work well done.”
“What every lawyer wants to hear,” he smirked. “Shall we talk strategy?”
“We shall,” she nodded, before settling more comfortably into the seat, feeling a slight weight getting taken off her shoulders.
508 words
lawyerlarry, and is used with the permission of his awesome mun. This is back when Larry and Bela first met, building backstory and all that. Because every good thief needs a lawyer, yes?]Larry Paul was a strange man. Well, for a lawyer, at least. She was sure that if not for his profession, she wouldn’t have found him strange at all, but because he happened to be sitting behind a lawyer’s desk and offering her legal advice, things just seemed rather—out of place. Regardless, she heard he was good, and she needed this ridiculous matter to go away as quickly as possible. Hence, why she was sitting in his office and studying this strange man, trying to get down to the root of things.
“So let me get this straight?” he began with a sigh. “You want me to defend you against a larceny charge?”
“Not exactly,” she replied, crossing her legs in front of her as she readjusted her skirt, giving the man her best friendly smirk. “They can’t prove I took the item they’re looking for, so they’re suing me instead.”
“So this is a lawsuit?”
“It is a lawsuit,” Bela nodded, before giving him a friendly smile.
“And why exactly do they think you stole this—ancient African artifact from them, Ms. Talbot?”
“Do you want the real reason, or the reason I’m going to give in court should you choose to put me on the stand?”
Larry paused for a moment, before shaking his head slightly, and looking back down at the file. “I think that answers my question well enough.”
“I thought it might,” she smirked, before leaning to one side on the chair. “It really is a open and shut case. They have no proof that I stole the artifact, and really—this is all just a huge misunderstanding.”
“Is it really?”
“Yes—first of all, that artifact is not in my possession.”
“You could have sold it.”
“Second of all, I have a bill of sale for the bloody thing,” she said with a sigh.
“A bill of sale?” Larry said, his eyebrows arching slightly.
“A bill of sale.”
“And why is he suing you then?”
“He claims he doesn’t remember signing it, but he clearly has my money, so the fact that I have to go through this song and dance after what I did was perfectly legal.”
Well, maybe not so legal. But using a small bit of voodoo to convince him to see things her way wasn’t exactly going to brought to the court’s attention—the beauty of living in a society where no one believed in magic any more.
“I can understand why that would be frustrating for you, Ms. Talbot.”
“Good, I’m glad,” she said, giving him a bright smile. “So does this mean you’ll take the case?”
“I’m afraid you’ve won me over,” he said with a nod.
“I promise it will be well worth your while,” Bela sighed, the smile widening as she moved closer. “I have no problem rewarding work well done.”
“What every lawyer wants to hear,” he smirked. “Shall we talk strategy?”
“We shall,” she nodded, before settling more comfortably into the seat, feeling a slight weight getting taken off her shoulders.
508 words