#derek mays

[legendofsim]

Another teaser! Do these two have a connection beyond lawyer and potential client?

Derek Mays was made by @wannabecatwriter. 

[wannabecatwriter]

Derek Mays for @legendofsim‘s Wren’s Song

Traits: Ambitious, Charismatic, Perfectionist, Workaholic, Mean-Spirited

Former Debate Club prodigy Derek found his true calling in law. Armed with extensive knowledge of seemingly everything in his chosen legal field, he truly enjoys destroying his opponents’ feeble arguments in court. It has gotten to the point that several well-known attorneys in the area have dropped clients when faced with the prospect of having to deal with him as their counterpart. As a result, while he’s the best legal defense someone could get, many of his peers and acquaintances are on chilly terms with the guy.

And there isn’t really much reason to be friendly with him, since he often behaves in an equally aloof manner outside of the courthouse. Derek generally stays to himself and instead of spending time and effort surrounding himself with friends, he prefers to better himself at various things. His job, sports, languages... He’s one of those people who believe one’s education never truly ends.

He’s single, his preferred choice of “romantic partners” are one-night stands he can easily send away the next day. He doesn’t really think love exists. He might not be old and grizzled yet, but he’s seen enough people in the courthouse, who used to profess eternal love to one another and now hate each other’s guts. And then, there’s his own parents’ toxic marriage that poisoned his and his brother’s childhood. No, it’s easier to stay away from all that.

[legendofsim]

Derek stood in the cool air of the night, letting the wind carry his problems away. He was happy that all of his hard work had gotten Samara both custody of Hanson and Van Dyer’s assets. She had deserved it after all the man had put her through. Though through the ordeal he had realized something about himself. He deserved to be happy too, didn’t he? Sure, he would be rolling in cash now thanks to the percentage of the settlement he’d be receiving from Samara, but that didn’t fill the empty spot in his heart. “Finally done?” Mercedes asked, walking up to the male who was too deep in thought to notice her. “Good news, I hope?”

“Great news,” Derek said, locking eyes with the girl he couldn’t get out of his mind. What had started as a simple ploy to allow him to keep his job turned into so much more. A year of growing together and… Derek falling helplessly in love with a woman whom he knew to be a gold digger. A gold digger with a boyfriend. “Samara won her case which means we’ll both be rolling in cash pretty soon. Thanks again for scoring me this case.” Mercedes had been the one who approached him with the peculiar case she had learned about from her boyfriend and their mutual friend (he wasn’t so sure Mercedes was keen on Haley but he wasn’t sure she really liked anyone at all). Bringing it to him had not allowed him a promotion at the law firm he worked at, it netted him some serious money. “I will have your share wired to you in a week’s time.”

“Oh uh…yeah, thanks…” Mercedes voice trailed off and she frowned at the man. “You’re supposed to be happy, aren’t you? You got what you wanted.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be happy as well?” Derek shot back. “You’re going to be rich. No need to depend on any man any longer to get what you want. It’s your way out.”

“Yeah I guess,” Mercedes mumbled, looking at the ground. “I think…I don’t want a way out.” Hearing those words caused Derek’s heart to thud against his chest. Had she really fallen in love with River? No, that couldn’t be the case. She was very vocal about her distaste for the man as their relationship heated up over River’s growing closeness to this Haley girl.

“What do you mean?” Derek asked the girl. But he didn’t get a response in words, rather she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

[legendofsim]

One Year Later...

Samara looked into the empty halls of Van’s mansion with apprehension. This was the place she was held captive for months. Months that felt like years. A harrowing ordeal that she had to hide behind false smiles and proclamations of love for a man she had detested. “This is it? It’s finally over?”

“Yes it is, Ms.Jude.” Derek nodded at his client with a small polite smile. Though anyone could see the exhaustion in his eyes as he fought the court tirelessly to get Samara what she was owed. “Mr. Dyer’s house is all yours. The remainder of the money he owes you as his widow will be transferred to your bank account from his family. Though believe me, they are not happy.”

“I didn’t do this,” She mumbled, biting her lips which were sticky with dry lipstick from a long day of court proceedings. “Van forced me to marry him. He made me sign those papers. I wouldn’t have ever gotten mixed up with him if I had a choice.”

“I know,” Derek assured the worried girl. Her exhaustion was paired with a look of sadness that he hadn’t seen leave her eyes since he had met the young woman almost a year ago. “Which is why I fought so hard. Van isn’t alive to apologize, so this will have to do. But I’d say it’s a pretty good deal. You own his mansion, have millions of dollars in your bank account, and you even got a cute kid out of the deal.”

“Thanks to you.” Samara smiled at that. “Thank you for getting me custody of Hanson. He’s had it harder than all of us throughout this ordeal. No one knew what was going on at home. The poor thing.”

“He’s safe with you,” Derek said confidently. “I believe that wholeheartedly.” The two exchanged more pleasantries before Derek bowed his head. “I do have to leave now. I have someone waiting for me, but enjoy this life you’ve been given. Don’t feel guilty about it. Van did terrible things and this is not even a fraction of what you deserve as his repentance.”

“Yes, thank you.” Samara nodded towards him as he gathered his things to leave. Though she had spoken those words aloud, neither she nor Derek believed that she would let go of that feeling any time soon. But, Derek had done his job and now it was time for Samara to make her own peace with the world.

[legendofsim]

Wren’s Song [45: Samara’s Epilogue]

One Year Later… Samara looked into the empty halls of Van’s mansion with apprehension. This was the place she was held captive for months. Months that felt like years. A harrowing ordea…

The first epilogue is out on WordPress now. See what’s become of Samara, one year after the events of the last chapter. It will be posted on tumblr tomorrow~

Special shoutout to @wannabecatwriter who made both Derek Mays and Nathan Sommers who show up in this chapter. 

[legendofsim]

“Our contract is up. That means we won’t have any reason to keep seeing each other.” Derek held the girl tightly, feeling that if she let him go, he’d disappear forever. “You’re going to go back home and I’ll never hear from you again. I’ll have to convince River to get back together with me so that we can get married and then divorce so I can hire you…”

If not for her tears that soaked through his new white shirt, he’d have thought she was joking. But, he knew she truly meant what she was saying. The cold hearted girl was opening up to him, and she felt the same way that he had. “You and River broke up?”

“Yes. I told him I didn’t have feelings for him and he admitted he didn’t have any for me either. We were just holding onto some stupid thing because facing our real feelings were too hard. We both love other people. It’s stupid to keep denying it to myself. You stupid jerk, you made me fall in love with you!” She cried, hitting his chest with a hard punch. But Derek didn’t care. He was smiling. “You…you…! Stop laughing!”

“You’re like a child,” Derek mused. “A child who can’t handle their own emotions. You don’t have to get back together with River just to see me. I will formally take you on a date. A real date that people take each other when they want to get to know the other person without trying to use them for money. If we hit it off, we can go on a second date. Then maybe a third, and a fourth…?”

“You’re so difficult,” She mumbled, leaning back into Derek’s warm embrace. Though Derek knew what that meant for her. She had admitted enough to him this night. Dealing with Mercedes was always spontaneous. He never knew what he’d get. Today was one of those days. But he knew this was because of the life she had growing up in the foster system, fighting and scraping to get enough just to survive. She had never had the luxury of putting her emotions first. It was going to be tough but Derek was willing to help her come to terms with how she felt even if ultimately it wasn’t him she chose.

“I’ll walk you back to your hotel. It’s late,” Derek replied, slinking his arm around the girl’s waist. He knew their future wasn’t certain but he’d enjoy the time he had with the childish girl who made his heart soar.

[legendofsim]

The company manager droned on and on and on about office etiquette. Whoever enters the office first should feed the fish in the lobby aquarium, if you get a cup of water from the fountain make sure to throw your cup in the garbage, hold the door open for the person behind you… All things that could have been said in an email, not at an in person meeting they group wasn’t getting paid for. “Alright, meeting is over. Everyone can leave except for Derek. Hang back.” Curiously, Derek watched as the others filed out. What would his boss want with him directly? Derek usually hung back and had his head down. So long as he did his job, he assumed that was okay. “You chose to become a divorce attorney, why?” His boss asked, eyeing the male.

“Is that a trick question? I just found an interest in disbanding a loveless marriage. Why should someone be trapped in something they don’t want to be in?” Derek frowned. “So?”

“How many people in the world do you think are in need of a divorce attorney? You’d think a lot, right?” Derek didn’t move. He allowed his boss to do all the talking, not sure where this was going. “A lot of people need a divorce attorney and yet, no one is coming in to hire you. We have plenty of other divorce attorneys in the firm but you…you seem to turn down every single case. Does it really matter who you’re working for if you’re getting paid?”

“Of course it does,” Derek said, incredulously. “Even I have some damn integrity. I’m not representing someone who doesn’t deserve it.”

“Well with that attitude you’ll be out of a job. I have no room for someone so picky in my firm. What’s the point of me paying you, if you’re not doing your job? Find a client, or leave. It’s that simple.”

“I have a client!” Derek cried, not thinking about his words. “You didn’t see her leave my office the other day? She needs a divorce from her husband.”

“Oh? You didn’t turn her away? How charming. Good. But having a client isn’t enough. You need to make a profit. So, show me the results. You have until the end of the month. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” Derek mumbled, standing up to grab his papers. He hurried to his office to make a few phone calls.

[wannabecatwriter]

I promised @legendofsim a sim for someone in Wren’s song quite a while ago. It took me some time to get him out, but here he is. I’ll send him over tomorrow, along with the bio.