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Summary: Mayfair is having lunch at an expensive Indian place when Tony Stark shows up inviting himself to sit down at the table to have lunch with the attorney.
Date: September 20, 2011
Log Title: Currying Favor
Rating: PG-13
NYC- Tanzore
A favorite of NYC's upper class, Tanzore is famous for its Indian Modern dishes, a 'contemporary movement of Indian cuisine toward more modern taste and culinary sensibilities', as it says on their menu. The decor is dramatic and color, leaning toward the warm color spectrum. There are private rooms available, as well as seating for business meetings, romantic dining or any special occasion. Outside dining is also available for those who prefer to people watch over Central Park as they dine.
Late in the afternoon, Jordan Mayfair, dressed in one of his finer suits sits at the trendy Indian Restaurant as he taps on the table. The mutant attorney seems annoyed as the tapping gets a bit louder. Finally a young Indian waitress approaches, "Can I help you, sir?" Icily staring at the waitress, he sighs, "I have been sitting here for three minutes and only have a water. I'd like to place my order." Without giving her a chance to speak, he continues, "I'll have the chicken tika masala. Light on the curry and it had best not be too spicy." She bows and rushes off to attend to his order. Sipping the water, he looks towards the door as he frustratingly waits for someone to join him.
Entering the rather expensive restaurant via the chiming front door is Anthony Stark dressed in what Pepper considers his worst suit EVER. Despite her protests the fashion horror remains in the closet and is brought out from time to time. "Good afternoon," he greets the young lady who is showing people to available tables. Loosening the dark plum colored tie he motions with a hand waving her off. "No need; I've found my own table." As he strides past her towards Mayfair's table he works open the buttons of his silvery suit jacket so that by the time he invites himself to sit at the mans table the jacket is parted open. "Long time no see, Mr. Mayfair. I take it the afternoon finds you in less than agreeable circumstances judging by your expression." Shades are pulled away from his face then tucked into the kerchief pocket of the suit jacket.
The dour expression on his face changes to surprise and then to a grin, somewhat sinister, but could simply be his typical attorney expression. "Tony." The less formal greeting is more out of surprise than familiarity or disrespect. He stands up to greet the billionaire businessman and quirks a brow when he sits to join him. The grin grows a bit wider as he sits back down and looks at the door. A man, dressed in attire not typically worn at Tanzore enters, but when Jordan looks him over, the man pauses. Spotting Tony Stark, he quickly turns and walks out of the restaurant. "Sorry about that, I had been waiting for someone, but it seems he won't be joining us. So, Mr. Stark, how is the world today?"
"I've run off your company?" Tony doesn't seem to be all that sorry for doing so. In fact he's already pulling over an available menu from a nearby table then slips back into the booth perusing it with a keen eye for curry. "The world is pretty much how I left it yesterday. A disaster here, something falling apart there, a sprinkle of corruption on top." The menu is flipped back and forth then sat down atop the table as he uses two fingers motioning a waitress to come over to the table. "Yourself?" He asks before immediately telling the waitress that he'll have a glass of water as well as the spicy curry dish off of the third page.
"Well, not to worry. The way things are, I can still have the meeting with him while we sit and eat." As Tony makes himself comfortable, Jordan looks to the waitress as she brings a plate of some exotic looking bread and dipping sauces for the two businessmen and water for Mr. Stark. "The world is a busy place. Been busy with some cases and clients that are less than desirable." Shaking his head as he sips from his own glass of water, "I recently approached by an organization that wanted me to represent some of their henchmen, for lack of a better term. But I had to turn them down. While I am all for humanity, the Friends of Humanity are too unfriendly for my tastes. Apparently one of ilk attacked some people on the 11th. Blaming mutants again for the World Trade Center attack." He shrugs, "Had to them down."
Tony nods his head towards the waitress in thanks though he's immediately after the bread to dip. "Interesting cases or merely taking those that appear on your desk to pass the time till something decent comes along. Personally? I've always found affairs like that incredibly boring though needed. I am not one to watch Judge Judy though on occasion high profile court cases in the Supreme Court are interesting enough to watch on Court TV." Mercifully he derails his own conversation by dipping and eating bread while Jordan explains his latest case offering. An imperious eyebrow quirks at this, "It will be quite a challenge to find someone to take their case on. In the end I assume the court will end up appointing them an attorney."
"Fortunately, I can be picky with what I chose. I only take interesting cases." Jordan offers in an almost haughty tone, when he follows Tony's lead and looking over the various dipping choices he chooses to dip a piece of a pita-like bread into a green sauce. The taste disagrees with Jordan as revealed by his frown and quick attempt to reach for water to drown out the nasty flavor. "As for the Friends of Humanity, I am sure they will find some lawyer willing to take the case. Unfortunately, some lawyer will find the publicity generated from the case too tempting to turn down." Jordan leans back into his seat take a more comfortable position, "That is a type of press I do not need associated with my name. Even though I could have won it for them."
"Be glad you're not the DA," Tony chuckles. "If someone does willingly take that case there will be a lot of bad press swinging their way. Most do not understand that someone must act as a defense attorney regardless of their own beliefs about the clientele. A rather difficult role to fill as the FOH deserve to find themselves up the river." A particular sauce has been inched over closer towards Stark who is quite happily dipping bread into it off and on throughout the conversation. "Other than business how has life been treating you Mayfair?"
"True," is all Jordan offers with the now concluding conversation on the Friends of Humanity case. Pushing the basket of bread away from himself and closer to Stark, Jordan sips the water and again leans back in his seat, "Well, life has been work. Though unlike Jack, even though I am all work, I find some time to play." He shrugs, "With no family immediate family to boggle me down. I've been using some free time to work out, stay relatively healthy. I took in a ward now too. Poor kid was apparently something called a Morlock living in the sewers under the streets of Manhattan. So I spend some time with him as well. Make sure he gets on his feet and whatnot."
The waitress comes towards the table dropping off the meal Mayfair ordered before Stark arrived. She retreats as quickly as she's allowed. Unaware of her behavior Tony continues to nibble happily now that all of the bread apparently belongs to him. "Oh the irony," he chuckles. "For a time I had taken in an unfortunate young lady seeking to help her for a time. I'm familiar with the Morlock's which is to say I would rather they not have to live in the sewers. It will be some time if ever before they will be able to be topside. The social climate is bad enough as it is for Mutants in general. Those with distinguishing features the worst off. I do not need to keep trailing on about that, pardon me."
"Well, the world is not a nice place. For Morlocks, for mutants, for minorities. Hell I am sure out there, there is someone who hates billionaire playboys who run multinational companies and wear armor to save the world." Jordan shakes his head, "I swear, sometimes, the world seems like a miserable place, but we make do. In our own way we do what we can." Jordan shrugs as the meal is brought to him. He eyes the waitress a moment and then offers a smile. She bows and rushes off. Jordan seems pleased by the food before, but he chooses to wait until Tony's food comes so as not to be rude."
Tony peers over at Mayfair, "Someone? I could fax you a list of individuals that would rather I not exist." He does however agree with the man about the rest of the points made. Several minutes later the curry arrives table side leaving the men to have their respective lunches. "Your young charge fairing well?"
When Tony asks of his young charge, Jordan has to think a moment. He has a tendency to leave Shifter alone at the estate. Mayfair offers a smile, "Axel is doing fine. He is enjoying life at my estate and has managed well enough. He has even learned a little more control over his mutant abilities. "When the food arrives for Stark, Jordan places the napkin across his lap and begins to mix the chicken tika masala with basmati rice. "It's been awhile since I have had some Indian food." Lifting his glass of water and holding it out, "Cheers," he offers to the billionaire.
Stark's glass is lifted from the table then tilted in the direction of Mayfair's though the glasses never meet, "Cheers." A sip of water later the glass is returned to the table in favor of picking up a spoon to stir the curry around then portion it out over rice slowly. Bits of meat can be seen in the mixture and it's a very vibrant red hue. "This is a rather good place for Indian cuisine. Personally I prefer actually flying over to India though I do not have the time at the present. I am however glad Axel is doing well at your estate. Sometimes all someone really needs is one individual to care about their particular circumstances and their lives change. Hopefully for the better mind you."
Once the toast is made, Jordan sips and enjoys the meal before him. "Ah, well while I do well myself, I cannot jaunt off to exotic locales at the drop of a hat." Jordan smirks a bit. "And I believe it is doing Axel well enough, though he does miss some of his Morlock friends. I attempted a meeting with some of them, but their leader I believe is some mutant named Mask or Masque or something to that effect. Very unfriendly fellow."
Tony hmms before eating a bit of his curry and rice. Once he's done chewing his mouthful he manages to chip in a semi-useless piece of information. "I know of a few masks and particularly Madam Masque but your Morlock leader is none of the above. I just thought it amusing to mention this completely at random." Smirk. "It might be better to arrive in the tunnels with your young friend and a peace offering of something they desperately need below. It's at least an attempt and if it works then there you have it."
"Well, I gave them two trucks worth of supplies. They took the supplies and food and whatnot, but Masque was just rude." Jordan shakes his head as he munches on his meal as well, "I had Axel with me as well. Masque displayed a rather nasty ability too. He could mold flesh into whatever he likes. Ugh. Definitely one to avoid." When Tony blurts out his random fact on the Masques that he knows, Jordan quirks an eyebrow, "Oh yeah of the Maggia." He then sips more of his water and continues on his meal.
"Might be how the man is in general," Tony shrugs for the Morlock leader being rude even though gifted with supplies. The molding of flesh visuals nearly puts him off his curry…nearly. "Hopefully whatever connection you may attempt to forge will at least smooth a few rough edges. As long as help flows in it's something. Nor does one man's behavior speak for an entire people. This of course you already know."
"Very true. I've been called many things in my time. Rude being the nicest. My manner is court is a bit more aggressive than most. But that is what it takes to win." Jordan, nearly finished with his meal, "So, Stark, is that offer still open to taking some cases for Stark International?" Jordan sips his water and gestures for the check fro the waitress.
Tony has ate fairly much all of his meal by this point and is now using the remaining bread to soak up what little spicy curry is left to be eaten. "If you've put in your interest with the department someone should be in contact with you. All I know of their affairs is that they take up two floors of an office building. I am not in the know of what they handle on a daily basis. By all means seek out the opportunity."
"Then I shall seek out. With me on the legal team at Stark, I can win you a few cases." The waitress brings over the check. "So you graced me with your company today." Slipping a card to the waitress she goes over to attend to the check. "This was a pleasant surprise. And I will be sure to pass by Stark Headquarters." Jordan concludes.
What goes unmentioned is that the legal department at Stark does well enough that there hasn't been a loss in ages, and certainly not something related to what Tony himself may or may not have done. Also, when in doubt Jennifer Walters! Not that she and Tony get along very well but that has nothing to do with her professional skills nor does it have anything to do with Tony's dislike for attorneys in general. Noting that Mayfair paid he bows his head in thanks for the gesture. "You've got that? Excellent." Shades are put back on as the billionaire eccentric slips from the booth. "Next time on me. Don't work too hard." With a trademark grin he's off!
