3754/'Cause Every Blocker Needs Some Bling

'Cause Every Blocker Needs Some Bling
Date of Scene:	28 January 2018
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Elektra invites Darcy out for pizza at Josie's, and instead ends up having words with Clint Barton and Melinda May.
Cast of Characters:	Elektra, Darcy Lewis, Hawkeye (Barton), Melinda May

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Elektra has posed:
Elektra had Darcy's phone number, in fact, Darcy had been quite forward about putting it into Elektra's phone all by herself. Which had amused the other woman to no end. As luck would have it, though, twists and turns in her own life had made it so that some time had passed before she was able to use that number and drop the Agent a line.

She'd finally found the time, though.

E.Natichios>> Hey. Remember me? Tall, dark and exotic? Sat in your chair at Mercutio's? I'm thinking pizza at Josie's in Clinton, 8ish? Feel free to join me. Pizza, beer, and wings on me. -E

Elektra got there early, and ordered herself a beer and some water. She wasn't sure if the other would arrive or not, but she figured she'd wait until 8:15 before ordering that pizza.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
8ish. It meant that at 8:02 Darcy pushed her way in. The only reply to the text had been a thumb up emoji. Because Darcy had been in the middle of some stupidness at work and hadn't had time for much more than that. Darcy took the time to look for E, and when she spotted her, Darcy made her way over.

"Hey, Ram. How are you, Gorgeous?" she asks as she settles down, still in her work attire. The jacket gets shrugged off.

Elektra has posed:
The thumb up emoji had earned a chuckle from Elektra. It was so casual. Not really what she got from any of her other pursuits. And so very Darcy. Though, to be honest she'd almost expected a 'fuck ya, I'll be there' from the other woman.

A smile grows over Elektra's features as Darcy approaches. Her arrival had been noted even before the woman had opened the door to Josie's, but she'd waited until Darcy had seen her before allowing the smile. "Darcy. So nice you came. I was debating whether or not you would. I hope pizza and beer are okay?" With a gesture, she calls the waiter over. "I used to come here quite frequently with a friend. I confess a fondness. And don't be shy, we can have whatever you wish."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
If Darcy had had the TIME to type a reply, she would have sent back: Fuck yes I want your pizza bones in my mouth, god i want a beer sofa king bad right now, Ramrod take me away!!!

Alas, the thumb up emoji was all she had had time for. Her oversized purse and jacket are given to the empty chair at the table.

"Sorry about that. Work gets stupid. Fuck yes, pizza's great. God, I've been working so damn much, like... fuck. It's cafeteria food at work or TV dinners for one. The latter is just.. so sad. Fuck. And me? Shy? You don't know me well at all, do you?"

Elektra has posed:
There's a tinkle of a laugh from Elektra as Darcy is.. well, Darcy. But first she orders for them. Beer for Darcy. Hot wings - lots of sauce (perhaps unexpected looking at Elektra and her put together self). Pizza. Double pepperoni. All given with a quirk of brow to Darcy to see if that is satisfactory, or if the other might want to add to the order.

"Well, no," Elektra murmurs, "Shy is not the first word I think of when it comes to you. Though I'd meant more along the lines of feel free to get what you want. I'm rather flush, so money isn't an object here."

She smiles as the other settles, nodding in agreement. "Yes. Well, I've found I've been rather swamped myself lately. Something of a change of position in my professional life and it's taken a little more of my attention than I expected during the transitional period. However, I trust it's settled now and more of my time will be mine."

Her lips purse around an amused smile. "TV dinners and cafeteria food? Oh my. I feel almost bad suggesting pizza and wings. It sounds like you deserve something more impressive. However, I'm glad you came."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
It's clear by the way Darcy smiles at the order that Elektra could have ordered half the menu and Darcy would have been fine with it. Told that Elektra is loaded has Darcy's eyes rolling.

"Yes, yes. You are so damn posh and drippnig with money. Just fucking order what you like and make sure you're faster than I am at snagging the check or this might come to blows. If it's too much for me, I'll drop enough to cover my fair share... unless you want me to put out. Because you buying dinner is totally worth me giving you a good time. That's just fair... if this is like a date or something. Fuck... I'm really bad at this," Darcy admits. Because conventional dating is not something Darcy has likely ever done. Romance? A far flung something that just doesn't happen to her.

"Yup. I'm glad I came here too. Haven't been here before. But since you recommend, I'm happy to give them a shot."

Elektra has posed:
"Well, I'll be honest," Elektra admits once the waiter had gone with their order. "One of the best reasons to come here is the fact I can be anyone I want to be." There's a soft chuckle from the woman. "As for what it is, I don't know. I think for now it's two people deciding if they're friends or not. I'm afraid the last relationship I had has left me rather burnt on the notion of romance or the like, so I'd hate to mislead you. However, I do like you."

The chuckle returns, as Elektra retrieves a small bag from beside herself. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, given your posh and dripping with money comment, but I wanted to give you a present. Something of a thank-you for that afternoon in Mercutio's."

As it happens, the waiter brings by Darcy's beer, and Elektra needs to wait a moment, but once he's gone, a small bag is placed in front of Darcy. There are no labels on the bag, and inside is an equally plain box.

"I know you showed me several things on your wishlist, so I hope you'll forgive the assumption, but I have a friend who dabbles in such things and I asked if he'd mind. If you don't like them, well, we'll worry about that then. Go on. Open."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Two peoples seeing if things go further. Story of my life," retorts Darcy without bitterness. Thre can't be. Her friend's last relationship ended badly. Always a delicate thing, broken relationships. It's enough to have Darcy leaving off the topic so that there is surprise as Elektra offers over the present. Her eyes widen, and she's barely able to give a thanks to the waiter for her beer. Cheeks dusting with pink, the color seeming to give her freckles, Darcy opens the bag and then, slowly, the box within.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra wouldn't quite say she's *over* Matt, but she's accepted the inevitable, or at least as it is at the moment. There are things a person can't control, and while what the heart wants is one of those things, so is what someone else feels about you. And there where things he could not accept about her; things she couldn't or wouldn't change, and now that choice had been taken fully away from her. Even if she believed she could turn good from that state of affairs.

"Go on," she urges of the box. "They're made especially for you. I told my friend what you were like, and showed him a picture. Said you did the rollerderby. He assures me you should be pleased. I confess, I think it's some of his best work."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Darcy doesn't often get gifts. Mostly because her family doesn't really subscribe tot he material bullshit in terms of the showing of affection. Things are things. Memories, small moments that speak of soemone thinking of you... those are the important things. It's why Darcy licks people to show she likes them and thinks about them. It's why she's so good with wrangling people and appointments and supplies.

To have anyone order someone to craft anything specifically for her is a weird blend of 'what the hell do I DO with this?!' that has Darcy frowning lightly as she opens the box.

The frown dies to a little gasp at the beautiful dangley charms. The quality is unmistakeable. These are not Amazon special items, not rhinestone or cubic zurconium bits of glass. These are real, precious gemstones, and they glitter up at her making her feel so completely not worth anything even remotely this amazing.

Wide green eyes lift from jewelry to Elektra in complete disbelief as the other woman has managed something that likely has NEVER happened to Darcy Lewis before ever: Stunned Silence.

Elektra has posed:
The look on Elektra's face says 'mission accomplished', and that she's been repaid well enough in kind for her kindness. "I'll tell him you love them. If only you could see your face."

Her beer is sipped from, before she remembers. "Oh, in the bottom of the bag. The other thing you mentioned. You said you were saving for a bulk order. I was tempted to buy you something to go with the chargers, but I thought perhaps you'd think me too much. The jewelry, though, totally my pleasure. A beautiful woman deserves something to set her beauty off. Now, no more saving for Amazon baubles, hrm?"

Darcy Lewis has posed:
It takes nearly a minute before Darcy can muster a response and her response is to shove the box back at Elektra, hands trembling slightly.

"I can't! No no no. This... nope. Can't. Won't. Here," Darcy babbles, because her mind is scrambling and her cheeks are blushed enough to actually display the faint ghost of what might be freckles scattered over her nose.

Elektra has posed:
It's with utter calmness that Elektra pushes the box back across the table. "Can. Will. Yes." Her tones are touched with utter amusement for all her features are school to just *so* an amount of expression. "You're utterly adorable, you know. But I'm afraid I can't take them back. They're made for you my dear."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Again, Darcy shakes her head, closing the box, putting it in the bag, and shoving the bag all but INTO Elektra's face.

"Can't. WOn't. Can't make me!" like a child, her eyes scrunch and her head shakes, hiding the way she's trying NOT to shake. The blush hasn't faded as he beer sits on teh table untouched.

Elektra has posed:
The bag is grabbed up, and placed on the table, right between the two. Elektra regards Darcy, head canted ever so slightly to one side, a brow arched every so delicately. "Oh, you'd be surprised what I can make a person do, my dear. However, it doesn't change the matter that they're yours. Though, I'm curious, why the insistence on no?"

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Bag back in front of her, Darcy eyes it like it might jump out and bite her. She stuffs her hands into her black slack covered lap, shoulders hunching up around her ears. Fresh out of a too-long work day because something stupid happened at work and Darcy's been pulling too many long days trying to sort things out, her hair is still piled up into its usual work-a-day bun held up with red chopsticks.

"I'm gonig to break them, or lose them, or get behind on the light bill and have to pawn them because the plasma clinics starting talking to each other and won't let me sell any more that month or..." Successful SHIELD Agent dumps all her disposable income on taking friends out to eat or shoot pool and the pile of student loans while living like a broken college student still. Having such an extranvagent thing just handed to her makes her feel so weird and Darcy just shakes her head again, chin tucking down.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
It was boring pretending to be a drunk wreck for weeks at a time. So, when May came by to check on him, he dragged her out to grab something to eat so he'd have more than the four walls of his old apartment to stare at. Though, keeping with the mission, Clint is still looking rough, his cheeks are a forest of golden stubble, bordering the dark circles under his eyes. He's dressed in his purple and black motorcycle jacket, with a ball cap pulled down low over his eyes, to try to keep from being recognized, though with the stubble and all he's not exactly looking like Hawkeye, the guy they put on lunchboxes.

Pushing through the doors of the place he looks to May, "I promise, we won't be long, just need to get out of the place for a bit, going stir crazy," he says walking in and looking around for a table.

Melinda May has posed:
"Understood," May tells Clint equally quietly. Luckily for her, the faint expression of distaste at Clint's choice of dinner venue is honest, so easy for her to aim that look of distaste at cling and have it be in keeping with Barton's current 'drunk wreck' routine. In a slightly more normal tone she adds, "Just don't bankrupt someone at the dartboards. Again."

As per her usual habit, her eyes scan the room in a brief glance for defensible spots, sight lines, Darcy, alternate exits, threats... wait, what? Her eyes lock back on Darcy. And the clearly upper class woman seated with the younger agent.

Elektra has posed:
Again, Elektra is aware of the newest entries before they open the door to Josie's. There's a slight tensing of the woman as she regards them, keeping a small portion of her attention on the newcomers until she can ascertain what they're up to. The man looks dishevelled enough she might dismiss him. Might. She's aware enough that looks are terribly deceiving under the best of circumstances. And there's a certain ease to how he moves himself.

It's the woman, though, that brings her concern, Elektra noting the fluid way the other moves. Her awareness of the room. The quiet confidence with which she not only purports herself, but how she moves in the space she occupies.

Like herself, Melinda May owns the space she's in, and Elektra recognizes a potential threat.

She can't leave Darcy hanging, though, so she murmurs, "Well. You do present me with a conundrum, Darcy. Though you can't really break them. Unless you're much rougher with certain parts of your body than I imagine." Which Elektra allows the faintest of smiles at. "So you pawn them. They're a gift. Not a marriage proposal or an indentiture."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Darcy.... no such gerat admirer of her surroundings. She fails to notice May and Barton's entrance, completely caught up in this awkward dance of having been given jewlery. Cheeks still flushed enough to hint at the ghost of freckles on her face, Darcy finally huffs and snatches up the bag. The top gets rolled down around the box inside, and then it gets shoved unceremoniously into her oversized bag.

She'll get home tonight and dig them out and just STARE at them, trying to feel worthy enough to even touch them, let alone trade them out for the surgurical steel horse shoes she's wearing under her bra right not.

Darcy slouches in her seat, trying to find her cool again, because Elektra murdered it. Darcy watched her do it.

Beer is finally pulled up for a drink and her green eye finally cast about and spot May. The liquid nearly comes back out of her nose at seeing her SO voluntarily enter a place like this, and with.. Is that? Who the actual fuck? Purple.. black... Barton? Darcy coughs, puts her beer down, and reaches for a paper napkin.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
It'd been awhile since he'd been to Josie's it was a regular haunt during his brief stint as a vigilante, where he'd hustled pool and darts and listened for tips before SHIELD came knocking. He gives May a smirk, "No promises," he says about the darts. He's joking but does his best to sell it like he means it.

He does his own scan of the place then spotting Elektra first as someone who doesn't belong before he sees Darcy and more than that, sees Darcy seeing him. Rolling with it, Clint says sotto voice to May. "Darcy's here," then grins broadly and with a slight limp in his left leg, he makes his way over to the table saying, "Hey, Darce, what's shaking?"

Melinda May has posed:
Oh, she noticed. And this could be very, very bad.

May follows Clint, her usual lack of expression almost clearly showing how much she thinks this is a BAD idea. When he greets the younger agent, she stops a step or so back from the slightly limping archer and doesn't speak up, her posture neutral and seemingly completely relaxed, though anyone with a martial arts background would recognize her stance as being prepred for a imminent fight.

She appears to be keeping her eyes on the man, though her peripheral vision is quite focused on Elektra.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Clint approaches the table and Darcy pushes herself up to what is almost an impressive height. She's wearing her 'why the hell are these NOT stripper' heels again. She steps a bit toward Barton, to offer a hug because that's how Darcy rolls, and seeing his distress... being drowned in May's company is just...

"Hey yourself. How are you?" she asks, eyes flicking to May again. And May can see it. Darcy is COMPLETELY confused and a bit weirded out and jumping to ALL the wrong conclusions and suddenly remembering her manners...

"Umm.. May, Clint. This is Ram. Umm. shit. Ah, El..lektra Nachosomething... fuck." Darcy turns from her SHIELD peeps, blushing again, to look at Elektra.

"My SO-" Darcy blushes a bit deeper. "I mean, umm.. boss? And ah.. May. My boss, May. And Clint. Ah..." And once again Darcy looks horribly lost and completely confused, her eyes flittering back and forth between them. May knows the young agent too well, knows the exact moment Darcy's mind just finally gives up, flips the table, and has her mouth blurting out the first thing it grabs onto.

"When teh fuck did you two start dating? Oh my fucking God Clint I swear to Jesus my brain can not HANDLE this right now. I get that she's fucking hot as hell, and probably way more limber than... No. I can't finish that train of thought. Oh my fuck, my head has turned into Amtrak. Seriously, I'm dead. I died. I got hit by a car on my way over. This is pergatory." Darcy looks UP, putting her hands on her hips.

"This is because I calles him out on his balls, isn't it? Not fucking funny, dude. I want to go home now." And with that Darcy grabs her purse and jacket off one of the extra chairs at the table, throws herself back into her seat, and plops her stuff on to her lap.

"Have a seat. Order some beer. I'll know I'm dead if May drinks beer." And Darcy drops her forehead to the table top with an audible thunk that splashes a bit of beer over the rim of her glass.

"Ow."

Fuck. I'm not dead, am I?

....fuck.

Elektra has posed:
Well. Now this is interesting. Even if a little disjointed of an introduction to the pair considering Darcy's current state. Of note, though, is that May is an Agent - Darcy's boss. The man she's not so certain of, but she's not ready to underestimate him yet.

"Elektra Natchios," she murmurs softly, her features schooled to nuetrality as she waits for the newly arrived pair to join them. "We were just going to have pizza and beer. I'm certain we can order more."

She moves over, leaving a seat for one to take up, while still keeping herself oriented that she can see the main exit, while having a clear line for the back one as well.

"I'm sure you're not dying, Darcy. As for the gift, if you're still worried, I have an idea for you. A way to make them easier to accept?" She noted the way Darcy put the box into her purse like it was about to burn her. Had she thought this would be the reaction to her gift she might have gone for the pairs on the Amazon wishlist, however much it made her cringe inside to think of doing so.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint accepts Darcy's hug, patting the other agent on the back before stepping away. He blinks when she asks if he and May are dating. "What? No! Are you kidding?" he asks, before glancing to May for her reaction, briefly, before he turns back and says, "No. Just grabbing something to drink," he lifts his hat to run a hand through the mess of his short blonde hair before putting the cap back into place.

He turns to Elektra then, "Hey, nice to meet you, I'm Clint, and are you sure you don't mind us joining you? I mean if we're imposing we can grab another table."

Melinda May has posed:
Darcy's tirade or randomness has May raising her eyebrows at the younger agent's stream of consciousness outpouring. She doesn't really get a chance to tell the clearly freaked out woman that she has SOOO misread things before Elektra introduces herself far more coherently.

Inwardly glad that Clint is quick to debunk Darcy's HUGE jump to the wrong conclusion, she offers a tidbit to hopefully further sell his 'still messed up' act by saying almost but not quite under her breath, "Just /one/ drink, Barton."

And then she looks to see if the two women are going to insist that they join them for pizza and beer. Not that she was planning on drinking anything stronger than water even if she wants to now.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Gift already accepted, Ram. Let it drop please," Darcy replies to Elektra, voice muffled by table. A moment and then Darcy sits up, her usual smile on her face.

"If Ram doesn't mind, I don't mind. You can catch me up on bullshit or I can make up some bullshit," Darcy offers to Clint, because if he's not dating May and May's worried about the amount of alcohol he's drinking it means Clint's taking this whole Skye-gone-AWOL way way too hard and so he needs all the friends he can get and that means May's being a good friend where as Darcy's been (in her own mind) a little bitch for holing up in her work and not going to check on him and take him pot stickers and SO MUCH TO MAKE UP FOR!!! She kicks at the former purse chair.

"Sit sit. Sit?" Soemthing. She looks at Elektra then, grinning. Oh man this is awkward.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra addresses the newly arrived pair first, inclining her head to Clint, gesturing at the free chairs at their table. May gets a long, appraising look, then a slight nod of head. An acknowledgement.

"I don't mind at all," she reassures Darcy. "In fact, the more the merrier." A gesture is made towards the bar, making a small circle that encompasses the table, and several fingers are held up. Whatever it is she's imparting seems understood, as the bartender nods, and gets one of the wait staff to head back into the kitchen. Presumably to add to their order, while he, himself, pours a pitcher of beer and brings it over along with several glasses.

"Fine," she tells Darcy, with a smirk. "Gift accepted. Matter dropped. But I do have a business proposition for you."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"A business prop-" The question is interrupted by Darcy's cellphone ringing. It's a red-alert klaxon from Star Trek, and Picard's voice ordering Shields Up. Darcy groans and collects her phone, answering it very curtly.

"Lewis." What the fuck do you want? Darcy listens to the voice on the other end, brows pulling together, lips frowning.

"And this can't wait until morning?" More listening.

"I just left the... ugh. Fuck. Fine! Give me fifteen minute to walk my ass back there to sign for some stupid bo-" Clearly cut off, Darcy double blinks at whatever she's told, eyes flitting to Barton before she's nodding.

"Yeah. I'm on my way in. Hold the damn courier, and I swear to Jesus if this is a prank, I am forging signatures to send someone to fucking Brazil. Rainforest detail. Naked," Darcy grouses, pushing herself up and throwing her now hated phone into her purse.

"Sorry. Work's a bitch. No offense, May. I love my job. Fucking love everything about needing to sign for some box like stupid urgent," she says to the table before doing the hug/no-hug dance near Elektra before finally just leaning down to wrap an arm about the other woman's shoulder's briefly.

"I'll call you," is murmured into Elektra's ear before Darcy straightens and collects herself to make her way out.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint holds up a pair of fingers, "Two beers," Clint says playing the role. "And one shot," he tags quickly on the end as he takes a seat. "And Ram?" he asks Darcy and Elektra noticing the nickname. He gives Elektra an appraising look, she didn't' seem like one of Darcy's roller derby girls even if she did give off a sort of Nat vibe. He wouldn't be surprise if the woman could handle herself.

When Darcy gets the call, he chuckles lightly, at the ringtone. "I got to get that one," he says, before frowning when the other agent has to bail. It was probably for the best, he hated to lie to her about Skye, but on the other hand it was Darcy, and she was always good company. "Shit Darce, good thing I'm not one of your adminions," he says with a chuckle. "And get your ass back here soon alright?, I need someone to sneak me booze when May's not looking," he says before giving May an innocent look.

Melinda May has posed:
Clint has left her with the least ideal seat at the table as Darcy gets that call and runs. She's strongly tempted to scruff the archer and march him right back out of this dive bar, but he's got a point. He's been cooped up too much lately. Also, this woman -- Natchios -- that Darcy was hanging with is a bit of a conundrum. She'll have to see if SHIELD has any intel on her, as she's clearly a foreign national. Greek or somewhere adjacent if she's hearing the accent correctly.

Of course, then Clint orders two beers AND a shot and makes that passing comment as Darcy's leaving. And, to keep with the act, she promptly turns furrowed eyebrows at Clint and yoinks the shot away the moment it lands on the table. Not that she plans on touching it.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra chuckles as the drink is yoinked, but the sound is one that is measured and controlled. Just bright enough. Just long enough. Just... too just everything.

But her leaning into Darcy's hug had seemed real enough, the woman brushing her lips upon the departing Darcy's cheek. "We'll talk. And when you wear them, I want to come watch the match."

Then Darcy is gone and it's just the three of them: Elektra, Clint, and May.

"Well, I do hope we all like pizza and wings. Hot sauce."

Her own drink sits in front of her, noticeably not touched, though she does sip at her water.

"So, are you both Agents, or is he your charge?" The question begins addressed to both, but settles upon May as it drifts down to 'he'. It's clear there's more to this picture than meets the eyes, though she isn't aware of what yet.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint makes a grab for the shot and comes up short, with a protesting "Hey!" that was mostly acting. Mostly. He grumbles and grabs one of his beers, rubs the mouth of the bottle with his sleeve (he'd been here before after all) then takes a long pull. "Yeah, I could eat," he says as the beer is set down half empty. He uses his sleeve again to wipe at his mouth.

"Me? Yeah, I'm her charge, or whatever," he says keeping his answer vague. "So, what about you? How'd you meet Darcy?"

Melinda May has posed:
"Yes," is the extent of May's reply to Elektra's question, or perhaps an acknowledgement of the pizza and hot wings. Take it how you will. She keeps her hand on the shot glass to keep Clint from trying to snake it back, though she'll likely let him try to snag it later. Maybe.

She does look at the younger woman to see how she replies to Clint's question. She's honestly curious to hear this. Though she's pretty sure the answer will boil down to Darcy being Darcy. Like usual.

Elektra has posed:
So that was how it was going to be. Clint would ask. May would observe. All in all it was delightfully amusing. But it would suffice for her purposes. And while May was the one Elektra truly wished to know more about, she turned her focus upon Clint, letting only her peripheral settle upon the other woman.

"Ah, that." Elektra shrugs lightly. "If you believe it, I stole her seat at a coffee house. Or so she said. I believe we horrified an older couple. I'd had a long day settling contract disputes and as it happens, the company was welcomed and lightened my spirits. I take it she's a good friend of yours?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint smiles one of his easy smiles, chuckling, "Yeah, sounds like something Darcy would do," he takes a more measured sip of his beer when he's asked about his friendship with Darcy. "Yeah, we met through a friend, she's good people. Which I guess you know, were you offering her a job or something when we showed up? I remember hearing something about business."

Melinda May has posed:
That DOES sound like the typical Darcy way of acquiring people, all right. May merely nods her agreement with Clint's assessment of Lewis, though by her direct look at Elektra, she's kind of silently saying that she won't tolerate anyone that takes advantage of the kid. So this job offer that Clint mentioned hearing had better be genuine. No 'or else'. It better be. Full stop.

Elektra has posed:
"Ah, that," Elektra notes with another of those negligent shrugs. "Not nearly as nefarious as it sounds. I failed to anticipate her reaction to a gift and thought of a way to make it easier for her to accept. I was merely going to suggest she coudl volunteer some of her administrative expertise to a project that I'm backing. Perhaps you've heard of it? The community centre complex in Gotham? As it happens, the day I met Darcy I'd finalized the last of the contracts procurring the land for the project. It was something of a tricky little maneavour given the last owner lives out of state. I had to ply through several lawyers as it happens to keep what I was doing under wraps and avoid a bidding war."

The pizza arrives, as does a heaping platter of wings. The pizza is double pepperoni. The wings, as stated, smothered in hot sauce. Perhaps surprisingly, Elektra grabs up a slice and takes an appreciative bite.

"You don't know how much you miss something like this until you haven't had it in far too long."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Mm, yeah, read about it," Clint says, he hadn't, but then stories like that didn't run beside the comics, sports page or the superhero section of page six in the Bugle. He puts a good face on the lie though and finishes off the beer before the pizza comes. "Well, not going to lie, Darcy sounds like a good fit for what you're after, and there's nothing all that nefarious about a job offer, just mentioned it because it suggested you agreed, Darcy's good people."

When the food comes, Clint digs in, grabbing a slice of pizza to start with. "So, been here before?" Clint asks Elektra. "Wings and pizza are the two least lethal things on the menu here."

Melinda May has posed:
Unlike Clint, May actually did read about that. She's got an interest in Gotham, after all, though it's not one she advertises to ANYONE. There are only a handful of people in SHIELD even that know about it. She can only nod again. "If Lewis wants to help out with that, I don't anticipate any conflict of interest."

And then the food arrives, and May finally lets go of the shot glass to claim a wing off of the platter. And she eats the thing like it's coated in a sweet tomato-based bbq sauce instead of the ubiquitous spicy buffalo sauce.

What? She's been shadowing Clint for long enough now that she's positively SICK of pizza.

Elektra has posed:
"Oh, well, I wasn't thinking of poaching her," Elektra tells May, her lips pursing into a positive moue of disappointment, "Merely allowing her to be more comfortable with matters. As it happens, the project needs helping hands, and I'm not in a position to oversee all the steps."

May is given a straight on, solid look. "It's a worthy matter, and a very small thing I'm able to do."

Translation: Don't push. Don't dig. The gesture is real. Let it be.

Her slice is chewed upon thoughtfully then, before she answers Clint. "Been here before? You might say. I was something of a regular for a time." But things were different then. Life had been simpler. She'd allowed herself to dream and believe. She wasn't so foolish anymore.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint's eyes cut between the two women, but he doesn't comment on the subtext between them, he only shakes his head then wipes off the mouth of his second beer and takes a drink. "Hm, sounds like a good project," Clint opines of the community centre. "Giving back and all of that. I do some community stuff from time to time, out in Queens mostly." That's something few enough would know unless they read the website of a certain archery range out in Flushing.

"Was a regular myself awhile back," Clint says. "How long ago were you around? I only ask in case I might of hustled you at pool. Hate to think I made a mark of someone who's buying me pizza." Of course he was fishing for more fodder for their subtle interrogation but his statement was mostly true. He's trying to figure out if they were around at the same time. He doubted it, Elektra stood out.

Melinda May has posed:
May simply nods to Elektra at her explanation. She would personally sign to get Darcy sent out of state if she thought that that community center weren't truly legitimate. As it is, having someone else willing to help the kid deal with her financial situation is a bit of a relief. She can only submit a raise proposal for Lewis once a year, and that isn't due to happen for at least another few months. And even then, there's no way a sufficient enough raise to kill Darcy's school loans would get approved.

She slowly works her way through about five of the hot wings, and somehow does so without needing eight napkins between each to keep her hands clean.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra shakes her head at Clint, a smile flirting upon her lips. "Oh, I do think you'd have remembered me if we'd met before. As it happens, I was dating someone who frequented here. I was attending university at the time."

There's another of those negligent shrugs as she sets her pizza down and reaches for her water. "It was some time ago now. At least a year has passed. Still, you don't forget such things."

May gets another of those almost bland looks. "Feel free to check it out. Or shall I help you? I know you must have questions. About who I am. What it is I'm doing. Perhaps even some about the project itself. Really, do feel free. I have nothing to hide."

Which, as it happens, is not only the world's biggest lie, but one of the greatest truths she's told as well. Her life is a duality where both ends of the spectrum exist in tandem.

It's the only way she knows how to live.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Yeah, would have remembered you," Clint says before he grimaces. "Heh, a year ago? Then yeah totally different times then," Clint says. He'd been hanging around here eight years ago, when he was trying to half-ass being a superhero, before SHIELD snatched him up. "So, who was this gu-" he begins to ask conversationally before Elektra throws down a proverbial glove. He let's May handle things, but he watches both ladies as though expecting things might escalate.

Melinda May has posed:
May wipes her hands seemingly idly, apparently done with the truly lackluster food. "I've already read up on the community center. It's a good thing that that city desperately needs." She makes a mental note to REALLY dig up every bit of dirt SHIELD can get on this woman. Because people don't throw the gauntlet like that without a reason.

"I suppose I'm still wondering why someone who clearly is more than financially independent would bother with that kind of venture. Unless this guy lives there now and you're trying to make a grand gesture." Which, if that's the case, it could not be more yawn-worthy. But, she's heard of bored little rich kids doing more for less reason. So, if that's your schtick, Ms. Natchios, more power to you.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra's answer is for Clint, but it's given to Agent May. She knows it's a challenge, but she's fine with that. May would look anyay, and as it happens, she's taken beyond care to keep her two lives separate. And she knows her answer will hold all the reasons that May is looking for.

"I was dating Matthew Murdoch."

It suffices as answer to both who, and why.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Huh," Clint says. He'd heard of Murdoch. Local kid done good, in Hell's Kitchen, lawyer for a lot of good causes, they'd never met but they'd been at a couple of the same functions. "He's a good guy," he remarks before he does take another sip of his beer. Now that things were in the open there was no more need to put up a friendly front so he leaves things to May for a bit while he nurses his beer.

Melinda May has posed:
May has also heard of Murdock. And yes, she noticed the past tense there. But the fact that Elektra says so as plainly as she did means the couple likely parted ways at least somewhat amicably. Maybe.

"He is. A good lawyer, too. I'll check up on this community center. But at the same time, I don't have any plans to tell Lewis to refuse any job offers you put in front of her. It's up to her to choose them or not."

Elektra has posed:
Elektra's tones are carefully couched, "He's very good. I wish things had turned out differently between us. As it happens, there are some few plans..."

Though she doesn't elucidate upon them. She's spoken to others, though. And to both Foggy and Matt. It's a limbo she's still not certain what to do with. A plan she's not yet ready to let go of.

"Perhaps you can help me, then? A way to keep her dignity and offer her the help she needs? I made a misstep with my gift to her. I'd like not to repeat that experience."

Melinda May has posed:
May considers for a moment. "Don't offer it to her, she'll see it as charity. Give her a chance to offer to help you with that community center project. And let her do it her way. Her methods are unorthodox, but she gets her jobs done, and done well."

She then leans forward a bit, looking at Elektra squarely and possibly conveniently forgetting to watch over the shot glass quite so closely. "But if I ever find that you've taken advantage of her trust and willingness to help, we //will// be talking again."

And that sounds more like a promise than a threat.

Elektra has posed:
There's the slightest quirk of brows from Elektra at the not at all thinly disguised promise. She's made more than a few in her own lifetime to recognize what it is.

Elektra doesn't need to lean in to respond to May, but she does. Just enough to make it clear that they will meet as equals on this or not at all.

"Oh, we will be talking again, but it won't be over that. I have no desire to break that spirit any more than you wish to engage me. Just so we're clear, I'm many things, but there are places even I won't go."

And then she sits back as though that little interchange hadn't happened. The faintest of smiles upon her lips. Another bite of pizza taken.

She's yet to have a sip of her beer.

Melinda May has posed:
"Fair enough." May sits back as well, then looks at Clint and the bottles around him as if to gauge how much he's drunk so far. If he's got more than three empty bottles in front of him, she's going to cut him off.