2013.05.01 - A Proposition

About two days after the party Emma called up Eddie and invited him out for dinner, if his schedule and. . .adoptive parents would allow it. To help make up for the party in the previous evenings. It was at an establishment called "Per Se" in upper Metropolis, and average meals there ran over $300. Inside was quite posh as you would image.

Emma herself was seated at the allotted time, dressed in a nice white blazer and slacks, with a silver corset underneath. While she waited for her guest to arrive, she texted with speed.

Eddie was surprised by the call but he agreed to come meet Emma for dinner. Of course once he found out where the meeting was, he was a bit nervous. Until tonight, he's only ever been on the roof of this place and at the dumpster around back. In another suit and tie with a little lightning bolt pin on the lapel, he arrives on time and eventually finds himself directed in Emma's direction.

"Ms. Frost-ma'am?" he chimes, not wanting to startle or interrupt.

Emma immediately pocketed her phone and looked up at Eddie. She gave him a friendly smile and rose, shaking his hand. "Eddie, so glad to see you. Come, come sit down."

She adjusted herself back into the chair, and ordered herself Earl Grey tea as the waiter arrived at once.

Eddie nods, shaking Emma's hand. "Thank y-you for inviting me," he replies. He waits for Emma to sit down before taking his seat. The waiter arriving so soon makes hum jump again and he draws a blank on what to order. After a little mental scramble, he just requests an iced tea.

After the waiter left them for the time being, she knitted her fingers together on the table and let out an exhale, "And now that we don't have a hundred eyed watching, Eddie, I wanted to once again apologize for reading your thoughts. No harm was intended, just Shaw and I are curious sorts."

Eddie just looks a little embarrassed when called on his nervousness. "S-sorry. Bad habit," he replies. There's a pause at the mention of mind reading, Eddie still beating himself up over a recent runin with another telepath but he pushes past the thought and offers a smile. "It's alright. You two r-really could have just asked."

"What bad habbit?"

Emma leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs in front of her self. She was true to her word, Eddie's mind was his own unless he thought "loudly" in which Emma couldn't avoid it. Emma smiled, "Oh? Like why you were of interest to Thor and the Lady Sif? That would have taken quite a bit of time, and I wanted a quick result. It was an intrusion on your personal thoughts and I apologize."

She reached out to take her tea as it was delivered, "So how did that come to pass? And as well, tell me more about yourself."

"Being jumpy and over n-nervous," Eddie replies, blushing faintly. "Like c-calling almost everyone 'sir' or 'ma'am'," he adds. He's keeping his thoughts a bit more tightly locked down tonight. "It w-would have? It seemed like a simple answer to me," he shrugs it off though. When the drinks arrive, Eddie thanks the waiter for his and leans back a little. "Well, um...Sif f-f-found me digging in the dumpster near the apartment and she and Thor took me in. And well um...what would you like t-t-t-to know?"

Emma tilted her head to the side, "You were homeless, I assume? Dreadful, I just met a bright young mind just the other day in a similar predicament. Heartbreaking. Are you still?"

She looked up to the waiter, "Steak, medium rare with a side of asparagus."

Eddie nods, frowning a little. "I w-was. For two years," he explains. "You d-did?" he's curious who it was. Eddie may not be on the streets anymore but he does still have contacts and does his best to help out other homeless kids. "Oh, n-n-not anymore. I live with Thor and Sif in their apartment," he replies with a little chuckle. When it's time to order, he looks lost for a moment too before ordering a simple pasta dish. He's not picky when it comes to food, he's just bad at picking out what he wants to eat.

Emma nodded as she took another sip of her tea as she considered the boy. She handn't expected Thor and Sif to invite them into their home. It was sweet. As she places the drink aside, "I did. I extended her an offer into my school. Now tell me, where are you going for studying, currently? Any aspirations for college?"

Eddie nods a bit. When asked about where he's studying, Eddie actually looks a bit surprised. He's not used to being asked that. "Well, um...I'm taking courses to get my GED at this center for homeless and f-f-formerly homeless teens," he answers. When asked about college, the power booster shrugs. "I've n-never really thought about college."

"As a teacher I can not /allow/ that to happen. Before I begin a GED is not something bad, there are so many who could improve their lives who do not have one. BUT. You are a bright young mind with abilities above the average. So you deserve more."

She leaned forward on the table and looked to Eddie, "You are one of the younglet's just say 'Heroes' of our nation. My school is specially catered to those needs. It also offers college courses up to a graduate."

You say, "Everyone needs to think about college, if you want to have a successful career. What career do you picture for yourself?""

Again, Eddie looks surprised. He wasn't expecting that at all. "You're a t-teacher?" he asks, the first question that manages to get out. "I'm a what?" he asks, a little nervously. He's been trying to get better about the secret ID thing and now he's wondering if he slipped up. "I...I'm n-n-not sure school is for me. The last time I went it was b-b-b-bad," he says. The kid was a bully magnet and that was even before the rumors about him being gay started. When asked about careers, Eddie blinks. "Um," he pauses there. Really the only 'career' he ever pictured himself in or ever wanted was being a superhero and he's already doing that. He doesn't say it though. "I n-never pictured a career or a j-job or anything like that, really. I work part time as a barista now..."

places her head into her hand, she had a feeling this had happened to him. She was delighted that Thor and Sif had taken him in, but job plans and a future? She doubted were ever mentioned, "Yes I know who you are in your alternate identity darling. Already you have a shining future. I only wish to help."

She looked over to the side as their orders were delivered far before then expected, "A Barista part-time is nothing awful. But you must think long term. And more importantly, it would be a place to expand upon your current abilities, do you understand what I am saying?"

Eddie tenses immediately, frowning. "Oh..." he trails off. "Then um...well, that's all I ever r-really wanted to do. Helping people and b-b-being a superhero is well...a dream come true, ma'am," he admits with a smile.

He waits until after the meals are delivered to keep talking. "Expand? I'm...I'm not sure how I c-could expand on what I c-c-c-can do."

Emma ran a finger along the edge of the table, "You have no desire to be more then you are? I have no doubt that you are talented darling, but there are plenty of young minds like yourself who also need improvement. My talent is to train young minds such as yourself to explore new capabilities in their skills, such as your own. Does this sound like something you would be interested in?"

Eddie blinks. "Ma'am, I never thought I'd even g-get to where I am now. B-better is still um...well...still an idea I'm not used to," Eddie admits. "I...don't know. I wouldn't m-mind getting better if I could but I'm still n-not sure about school..."

Emma looked over the boy as she cut into her steak, "There is nothing to be nervous about. But education is important for every generation of our age. I know day to day villains attack but it is important to have our priories. And my school handles both. Give it some time to think it over, or better yet come visit my school."

Eddie looks down quietly as he starts to eat his pasta. He considers his options, mind going a mile a minute. "I c-could come visit sometime? That sounds like it could be interesting," he replies. "Umm, where is it? And when would b-be good for a visit?"

Emma smiled as she took a large bite of her meal, and swallowed before responding, "Metropolis, so obviously far from here. And you can visit anytime, just let me know when and there will be a limo waiting for you. I'll be sure to give the tour in person."

Eddie nods. He finishes off his meal quickly enough, eating fast but neatly. "You d-don't have to send a limo, ma'am," he says. "A tour sounds great though," he says. He starts to say something else when a song rings from his coat pocket. His eyes go wide and he glances at his phone after taking it out. His thoughts get a little loud for a moment. A general 'oh boy' when he sees the message. "Oh man. I um...I'm r-r-really sorry, Miss Frost, but I have to get going. This is um...s-something for my other indentity to take care of."

Emma smiled as she took a large bite of her meal, and swallowed before responding, "Metropolis, so obviously far from here. And you can visit anytime, just let me know when and there will be a limo waiting for you. I'll be sure to give the tour in person."