15026/The Eyes of The Beholder

The Eyes of The Beholder
Date of Scene:	29 May 2023
Location:	Fred's Diner
Synopsis:	Emma Frost has a care break down and runs into Matt Murdock at a late night diner.
Cast of Characters:	Matthew Murdock, Emma Frost

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Matthew Murdock has posed:
It is late, the clock on the wall of Fred's Diner read 2:30 in the morning. Not surprisingly then that the 24 hour place is almost empty. Just a single booth in a back corner has an occupant. One Matt Murdock, who is sitting in a shirt and tie, and his jacket having been removed to sit on the bench of his booth beside him.

Matt was out visiting a client and ended up staying to help them try to fix their sink. His sleeves are still rolled up. Thankfully he didn't mess up his suit or shirt, which aren't the most expensive anyway.

His stomach grumbling, Matt has stopped into the diner for a bite before heading home. He has about a half of a chicken sandwich left, and some fries and a soda of some sort. He's sitting with his back to the window behind him, seeming to be looking out at the diner through his dark glasses. The waitress behind the counter is chatting with the night cook through the gap in the wall where he places the plates when ready.

Emma Frost has posed:
There she was, her Bentley broken down, and her driver sitting there busy while waiting for a tow and makings ure that ninety percent of the car wasn't gone. Emma might not have a fondness for her employee, but she couldn't exactly abandon the man out here, so it meant that she couldn't take a drive back. Not that there were many options and even the subways were of questionable availability at this time. So, waiting for however long it took for another car to be sent out to her from her own corporation..

She could only sigh over while going into the Diner with an 'I'm getting out of the weather' expression over to her employee. No, i twasn't his fault.. As much as Emma Grace Frost might wish it was if only as that would justify indulging her pettiness. But she was not her family..

The irritation radiating off the extremely rich woman entering into the diner looking like the last thing in the world that should be there would be bright enough even for the blind to tell.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt Murdock hears the click of the heels that come in through the door. Stiletto's from the sound of them. The swish of silk adds to the impression of expensive dress. Though Matt just notes those things somewhere in the back of his head, as he's focused on the chicken sandwich.

It's not too bad as diners go. The bread is fresh, the counters were clean so it didn't pick up a lot of flavors from other things that had been set down on the counter previously.

The waitress, however, an older woman with "Velma" on her nametag, does pay Emma attention as she comes in. Though they occasionally do get people in fancy attire, stopping to eat after clubbing, the platinum blond is something else entirely. "Hello, grab yourself a table, or a seat at the bar if you want," Velma offers.

Emma Frost has posed:
The people who work here are good, and they've done nothing to earn Emma's ire. So, at the veryleast it's not directed over at them nor is the general 'rich person supremacy' thrown in their direction beyond what radiates off her naturally. Emma's irritation does, however, radiate off her. There's a low grumbling from her.

"Ah, thank you." Her voice in heavily Boston English made from the most expensive boarding schools pretentious enough to be London could manage. She ends up sitting over close towards Matt, and goes to let out a sigh. "So what do you recommend?" She shouldn't eat here, but she has her doubts as to how long befroe the Bentley gets picked up and that while Henry is a.. He hasn't done neough to deserve her abandoning him.

She does, however, go to start scanning everyone in the room.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
The vibe from Velma probably has her considering what kind of tip she could end up with. The woman is actually fairly nice, but then she doesn't serve a lot of women wearing real jewels like Emma is. The cook hasn't checked out the new arrival yet. He's in back on his phone.

Matt, meanwhile, is sitting seeming to look straight ahead where Emma has sat down. Though he picks up his sandwich and takes a bite, that seeming to have taken his attention fully given there isn't much reaction Emma picks up on. Surely not the kind of reaction that men normally have towards her.

Velma comes to the table and sets down a menu. "The chicken fried steak is good if you want something a little more hearty. The gravy, pepper gravy, is really good. There's some fresh blueberry pie too if you just want something sweet," she suggests.

Emma Frost has posed:
Well, it's called a greasy spoon for a reason. And while Emma's nowhere near hungry enough to want to try something here nor does she wish to have that much grease put into her.. It would be rude just to sit here and take advantage of their time. "Just get me some salad with whatever you have that's freshest." Emma keeps her tone polite. "And I'll pass on the pie, but thank you." The word is 'stay polite, ignore her existence until she leaves, get a nice tip'. A light telepathic nudge to push down curiousity and hopefully Emma can just wait..

Presuming this goes through, there will be enough of Velma's suddens hift of light curiousity to 'not really caring' to likely get Matt's awareness over.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Velma takes the order and says, "I think the arugula is pretty fresh, and the tomatoes are good. Little cherry ones." Velma smiles to Emma and then heads back behind the counter to put the order in.

The cook comes over to take the slip that Velma hung up for him. Which is the first time he gets a glimpse of Emma Frost. His eyes bug out a little bit and a grin crosses his face, assuming he can do so without him thinking she's noticed it.

The man in the corner with the dark glasses doesn't really seem to be paying Emma any special attention though. Matt takes another bite of the chicken sandwich, thinking about the problems with the building and landlord that is client is having.

Emma Frost has posed:
There's a sigh from Emma. She knows full well what she brings out. Normally she appreciates it. But tonight there's too much crankienss in her to really be bothered. Sos he just goes to give the cook a little nudge over for it to be meaningless. The grin is quickly wiped away and hopefully anything exotic about her presence.

To Matt, the shift in the position from the ktichen and the cook's attention is probably easy enough to pick up. Emma goes to glance over at Matt. Huh, he doesn't seem to be paying her attention. That's rare. He gets a curious look from her. Assessing. Definitely facing him and evaluating. But not calling out to him. Not waving her hand at him.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
The man in the corner has whiskers, too thick to just be five o'clock shadow, but kept very short just the same. He's looking ahead of him, in the general direction of Emma, yet there doesn't seem to be those little adjustments of his head that would turn his gaze directly towards her behind those dark glasses.

He takes up a French fry, nibbling it quietly and not showing any particular reaction to Emma looking his way. It's not just the lack of body language. The lack of emotions there is so easy for Emma to pick up on. Heck, even gay men usually react more to her presence than he is.

Emma Frost has posed:
The man's blind - Emma can tell that purely by the glasses and total lack of eye movements. But for all the reaction he has he might as well be a golem. No one has that good control. Someone could get pissed at Emma Frost. Some could lust for her. Some could feel her she's scum to be ground beneatht heir feet. But this? This total indifference is rare.

"You appear to have found something particularly interesting over." SHe would muse, a cock in her head of a woman used to being appreciated, even to the point of fending it away - and curious why he's not.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt Murdock takes another bite of his sandwich, setting it down on his plate. It seems to take him a moment, maybe because Velma doesn't answer the query from the newly arrived woman, that her words might be directed at him.

"I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?" Matt asks. Assuming he receives some kind of affirmative sound, he says, "Oh, just enjoying my sandwich. It's been a long night," he replies to her.

Emma Frost has posed:
There's a chuckle from Emma - the wordless type when someone realizes that the chuckle won't be noticed so they feel like it's fine to do it from social mannerisms. "You merely seemed rather caught up in introspection." Emma would muse. Words relaxed. Not poking at Matt's brain.. Moreso generally curious.

"Normally at this time of night one finds themselves trying to move on with life to get to rest or so caught up in things it's an obsession. You appear to be between neither end of the spectrum."

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt eats a few more fries as Emma is speaking, and then washes them down with a sip of the soda before replying. "Just thinking about a work thing," he tells her. "Which is what had me up late, and missing dinner," he tells her.

"What about yourself?" Matt asks before picking up the sandwich and taking another small bite from it. While he's chewing it, Velma grabs a plate from the window to the kitchen, and carries it around to Emma. There's a salad with some bleu cheese, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onions and croutons. "Here you go, ma'am," Velma says, setting the plate down for Emma.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would slide down, moving to accept the salad, "Thank you Velma." Emma goes to idly put down a bill to pay for the meal. The bill has two zeroes after it and probably will be about a third of what the woman might make on a graveyard shift on this side of town.

"And yet you seem to be taking your time rather than scarfing it down so you can go home and sleep." She would note.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
The man seems to consider the comment before replying in his deep voice that tends to keep to a single, calm tone most of the time. "Yes, just letting myself relax for a little bit. My girlfriend is away with work so nothing quite for me to make it back to, tonight. Except a cat. Who will be just as good meowing for food at 3 AM as he would have been at 2 AM," Matt replies with a soft, wry smile.

He is making is way slowly through the sandwich though, finishing off the last bite of it and then wiping his fingers on a napkin. "How is your meal?" he asks Emma.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "Fair enough." Given she was the one that just had Catseye chasing her all the way to her penthouse in the city the previous eve, she was hardly one to claim otherwise with cats. There's the shift in posture of someone being amused in a way at bringing up a memory of agreement.

"Oh, I haven't started on it." She would reply over to him. She hadn't taken a bite. "And you might be?"