13447/So Much For A Quiet Lunch

So Much For A Quiet Lunch
Date of Scene:	06 June 2021
Location:	Big Belly Burger, Gravesend
Synopsis:	'Paul' comes a'callin' to try to sway Natasha's affection. He fails and the god leaves in a huff.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Phobos

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The woman known as Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow, had a few personal vices. She enjoyed a good fight. She liked a good strong drink, even if her particular training and metabolism made that not as effective as it might be on some people. And she loved a big, greasy cheeseburger. A hamburger would do but she prefered that addition of melted fake processed cheese slice for some reason. At least when she went for fast food.

Today was one of those days. She was sitting in a Big Belly Burger, at the little plastic type tables with a tray in front of her holding her food. The cheeseburger and a slip filled with fries that were spilling over onto the paper covered tray. She had a chocolate milkshake to go with it which she sipped from time to time.

She'd have to do some extra time in the gym later to make up for it but she tried to cater to her cravings for this sort of stuff no more than once a month. Maybe twice. Not that she ate salads and stuff. But she did try to eat a little more healthy.

She was dressed not to catch attention. Blue jeans, a black t-shirt with a v-neck and no sort of image on it for once. It even fit properly. Must be one she owned and not out of the surplus box. There was a cap on her head, hair in a tight ponytail and that tail looped through the little hole at the back of the cap where the strap to adjust tightness was located. Her sunglasses were on the table next to her tray, having been taken off since the angle of the sun wasn't so bad at her window seat, more on the opposite side of the room actually.

Phobos has posed:
    It was not the best of settings one could ask for when seeking to catch the eye of a beautiful woman. Not the place that speaks of romance or of the swaying whims of Eros' favor assuredly. It was,in fact, so terribly mundane in some ways. It was something that one or more of the Gods would advance as a reason for why Humanity needs to have beings to worship. For if they have too much free time they end up making places like this poor hovel of an eatery.
    Yet one cannot be overly selective when one has plans to enact. And it is rare that this mortal woman is away from her work and away from that horrid little nephew of his. So of course she comes here, to this shrine to the banal. It was enough to get one to swear off humanity for good.
    But alas.
    When the tall blond man with the so tan skin, dressed in an exquisite grey Armani suit, enters the premises of The Big Belly Burger he draws eyes. People look at him, women give a double glance, and some of the men look away suddenly realizing that there... is a movie star or something. But not how one imagines catching a movie star off set. This man looks like those brilliant figures seen with full make up, the lighting just right, with an impeccable suit and all the lines clean and straight. And he smiles pleasantly to those around.
    "Greetings." He says as he walks across the room, not looking at Natasha pointedly. Up to the register he moves and speaks to the starstruck young woman who looks up and up at the tall six foot five man with his golden, almost literal gold, golden hair. Some words are exchanged, and after a few moments he has acquired food! Though not a burger, but instead a large order of golden French fries that seem to complement his skin one and that hair with that yellowish shade.
    Across the room he walks and then clears his throat when he draws near Natasha's table. He smiles a smile that beams like sunshine as he murmurs, "May I join you?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the man enters and attention turns his way, Natasha glances as well. Not because she's that impressed but for other reasons. If she didn't look, she would stand out from the crowd. Since they were all noting the man with the movie star looks and expensive suit in a place that was more often visited by those blue collar workers and college students. Yet there he was and all eyes were on him. So hers had to be as well.

Second? He didn't fit. At all. It made little sense to her for him to be there but the idle rich did odd things at time. Being able to afford that suit, no doubt he was in the rich category. It wasn't the typical lunch time, being a little later in the afternoon, so he couldn't be slumming from an office in the area. Well, not likely at least.

Once he got to the counter, she went back to paying attention to her food. Though she was aware of his approach, the sound of his shoes on a floor that seemed designed to make things squeak. Then he was there, smiling as he asked his question.

There were a few occupied tables but there were quite a few that were not. Which meant he had an agenda. The question was what. "I guess."

Phobos has posed:
    "Thank you," The man says as he sits down, the tray making a faint clatter. He positively takes up the entirety of the plastic seat opposite her as he eases into it, crossing a knee over his and letting it lounge there, his shoulders shifted to the side as he affected a so at ease posture that it might seem staged. If only it didn't frame his handsome chiseled features so perfectly, and let her see the way that suit hid such strong arms with their creases. He was broad of chest, and smile, and arrogance even as he looked at her.
    "My name is Paul." He looks around, quirking an eyebrow, then back to her. "I thought I should come by since one of my many many holdings is nearby. Good to know the land upon which you hold sway." He gives a nod several times.
    "I know it is not the healthiest of fares, but I am very concerned about my physical well-being that I must maintain." Another nod slowly, as if what he said was indeed normal and how people talked.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha picked up a fry, popping it into her mouth and chewing as he took up his so-practiced posture. Then he started talking. Which had her hiding a smile as she listened to the manner of his speech and the fact he was trying to be impressive with what he was saying to boot. His many many holdings. As though the suit didn't already say he was rich. Land upon which you hold sway. Healthiest of fares.

Either he enjoyed the theater and Shakespeare far too much or he was talking to impress. She couldn't imagine this was how a person would talk normally. It kind of reminded her of something in the back of her head.

"Is that so?" she asked, keeping her smile easily hidden with her training. She just had a mask of curiosity as he was speaking, as though she actually gave a damn. "Looks like you manage to maintain just fine. Spend more hours in the gym or your work?"

Phobos has posed:
    "Ah yes, indeed." The Golden Man opens his arms and seemingly entirely accidentally flexes those large biceps. He's no Hercules, nor Hulk to be fair. Not quite even Thor in all honesty, but he does have a beauty to him, more mature and well-groomed yet somehow other-worldly, while someone like Alexander had a handsomeness to him... but this man was another thing entire.
    "I often exert myself, in the past I even trained for the Olympics." He says that as if dropping such a so very serious name, even as he looks askance at her and asks with a smile, "What do you think of that?"
    For indeed clearly that is true enticement. Then he adds, "Come, after you finish your repast you shall walk with me. And I shall show you such things. Then we shall wander under the boughs of a willow, join hands as we drift into a docile mountain stream, and then make love under wondrous moonlight."
    He extends a hand as if knowing the answer can only be one thing, "What say you?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Oh dear God.

Natasha blinked. Twice. He couldn't be serious. but he sure as hell seemed to be as he continued to run off at the mouth and finally offered that hand.

It took everything in her power not to laugh. Everything.

"I ...appreciate the offer. However, you don't know me at all. And asking me to just run off with you and make love is a bit presumptuous upon literally meeting someone and speaking for all of one minute.."

She did not take his hand. In fact she withdrew hers, letting them drop into her lap. "While I am certain this has worked for you in the past, and likely will in the future, it is not working for you now. I'm not interested."

Phobos has posed:
    Indeed. Dear God.
    'Paul' watched her as she spoke and he listened as she started at about... 'I' but after that word then his expression fell a little bit more as she continued speaking. A little more when she condemns him to presumption. A little bit more even when she says it worked for him in the past, which he responded to with a nod as if to say, 'well of course.'
    But it's when she gets to the point of refusal and says she's not interested. Then he says succinctly, "What?"
    Then he follows up with. "Perhaps you did not hear me correctly." Because assuredly that's it. He smiles and pushes his tray to the side onto the nearby other two-top table and leans forward. "I am saying I wish to take you as my lover, share with you my riches, perhaps get you with child so you can have something to fill your days. As you can see..."
    He turns his head to the side and smiles, "My beauty? It is singular. My prominence? Unmatchable." He lifts a hand as if to stay her comments then adds, "And my masculinity, I assure you it is unmatched. You have been chosen. A rare opportunity this is."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"And I assure you, my hearing is just fine," Natasha returns as he continues to push the issue. Just the sheer audacity of his assumptions is both painful and amusing. A child to have something to fill her days? What century was this guy from?

"Paul," she said the name carefully, as though not buying it really. "I appreciate that you have taken an interest in me. I'd be complimented probabyl if I wasn't horrified that you seem to be stuck in the last century. Or the one before that."

So much for a nice quiet lunch. "I assure you my days are busy enough. I have no need for a child or your attentions, as rare an opportunity as this may be."

She leaned back a bit in her seat. "I don't need a lover. I already have one and I am completely happy with him. So, you should take your attentions to someone else who might be more interested."

Phobos has posed:
    Now, by this point, they are indeed drawing glances and attention. And one of the other patrons raises her voice and calls out, "I'll go."
    But she is, alas, ignored by 'Paul'.
    She'll see the flow of his thoughts clear on his face. There's first incredulity, as if she had taken leave of her senses. Then there is laughter as he embraces the absurdity that she could possibly feel this way. But then anger makes its way onto his features as he says. "And yet you bed down with that half-breed as easy as you will?"
    A dismissive rude noise is made as he shakes his head. "Come now, look upon me." And he turns his head again, this time showcasing the other profile. "Am I not the most beautiful man you have ever seen? Witness the noble brow, the proud nose, the strong chin. See how virile I am with my full lovely head of hair." He touches a finger to said hair as if she couldn't find it without direction.
    "Am I not perfection in the masculine form? Do I not have all that women of any age may wish?" Then he extends a hand palm up, and overturns it, as a cascade of rubies fall from his fingers like coins dropped into a fountain, red gemstones fall and skitter and plink upon the table, the tray, even into her drink.
    "You wish for riches, I have many. You wish for security. A god's woman is unassailable. To deny me? Unthinkable."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Yeah, didn't want the rest of that anyway," Natasha murmured as she watched a stone fall into her milkshake. "I've kind of lost my appetite."

Now she knows what century he's from. And it isn't so much the century as the location. The comment about bedding the half-breed had given her the final bit of proof she needed.

"Let me give you some advice, 'Paul'. This may have worked back when you were worshipped on high on Olympus but it doesn't fly in them modern world. Yeah, you can find some women who will go for it but in the end, they are just with you for your power and material reasons. Even your looks. But it isn't for love and true feelings for you, as a being. Because with your ego? THere is no room in your to love someone outside yourself."

She stood up, preparing to pick up her tray. "Take your words and your riches and offer them to someone else. I'm not interested as I said before. I'll stick to the half-breed who is more man than you could ever hope to be."

Then she gives him a look that is sympathetic. "I almost feel sorry for you that you will likely never find that yourself."

Phobos has posed:
    'Paul' does look entirely severely distraught in some ways, his eyes wide with a hint of anger and that same incredulity as if this world just did notmmake sense to him. He sits back down in the chair even as more rubies fall out of his sleeves and onto the tabletop, a few hit the floor and skitter across the way which has a few people near the counter scooping to pick them up.
    She rails at him with her advice, telling him how it may have flown in the past, but not in the modern world. How women will go for him just for the power and material reasons and his looks. But all the rest of it for the next few seconds are lost to him as he just looks at her as if she were taking crazy pills.
    "AND?!"
    But then she stood up and he watched her from his seated posture. Then she has the /gall/ to declare the son of Ares more a man than him and he sputters, "You speak /Madness!/"
    Yet he pushes himself to his feet. "Feel sorry not for me, feel sorry for yourself. It is not wise to spurn the advances of a god! I shall not be denied!"
    And as he says that he lifts a hand, snaps his fingers, and abruptly winks out of existence with a flicker of golden sparkles that fall to the floor as well. Which takes a moment for it to register with people...
    And then there's a rush as people dive for those rubies.