Well, it's not Fine Dining.(Open)

[norafreeze]

The rather grubby diner had been willing to hire her, despite her lack of official documents. She had been able to work with Miss Colton at the women's shelter to get herself this job. Thankfully, there were more pressing matters in Gotham then her personal history. The one good thing she had noticed about this lock down was that the eateries were doing well, after all, no one could go anywhere outside of Gotham for a bite. As a result, business was good for the eating experience that was 'Ditto's Diner'.

With her hair pulled up in a big blond ponytail, a short bright red dress with a white apron and scuffed black shoes, Nora looked about the same as every other waitress in the diner.

The squeaks of un-oiled stools at the counter, the split seams of the retro-styled booths, the windows streaked with children's french-fry greased finger prints, the chipped and cracked blue flooring, this was certainly not the place to go on a first date.

A 'CRASH!' made Nora jump, and she saw a plate of coleslaw and burger splatter its way across the floor. She groaned, and left her post at the register to get the broom and some paper towels. This was going to be a long shift.

Tugging her white apron down a little as she leaned down to begin sweeping up the soggy mess, Nora couldn't help but remind herself that this was what she had been wanting, a normal world. Normal people being clumsy, buying some lunch with their families, thier children crying as they were told to eat their veggies.

[Joan Leland]

Ever since Joan's regular coffee shop was partially exploded by the Riddler she'd considered that it was the time to find all new places to stop by, or perhaps more wisely stop having regular places altogether. Since that day however she'd spent most of her free time safely shut up inside and if not for the FBI she might have stayed that way a while longer. While there was food getting in people like to horde when under siege and the Doctor had neither the regular work hours to be there at the shops at the right time to get the best stuff, nor the heart to take everything first anyway. In short she was tired of cheap noodles and curry and felt the need to get out of the flat.

Weirdly it was the look of the place that made Joan decide to eat there, there was nothing worse than going out for once and discovering you're practically the only one in the entire restaurant who's not sat with a partner. Unlike the fancier options in the city no one was bringing a date to the diner, not if they wanted the chance of a next date anyway. There was the odd family sure but somehow they just bothered her less.

Almost as soon as she opened the door though there was a loud crash and Joan froze in the doorway, looking a little alarmed as she quickly glanced around and made sure it really was just an accident this time. It still leaves her slightly hesitant but a moment later she finally steps in, carefully avoiding the mess on the floor as she made her way to a table.

[norafreeze]

As Nora finished sopping up the mess that had spread itself across the floor, she noticed someone new had come in. She looked both tired and slightly out of place in this sub-par resturant. Still, Nora supposed this place couldn't only have 'the regulars' in all the time. She shot a glance to Reg, a mid-thirties man with hair that was a little too smooth and a talent for offending ladies. Wilfred, the quiet old man in the corner with the sad brown eyes and the constant slice of pecan pie. The Berrings, a family with three noisy children and a constantly frazzled look.

Tucking the broom into a cleaning bucket to deal with later, Nora scrubbed her hands and walked over to the woman who was already heading to a table, offering a friendly smile. " Hello, you can sit anywhere you like and I'll be with you in a moment." Waving off to the left, where there were still some empty booths and a table she needed to clear away, Nora let the woman find herself a seat.

Micky in the kitchen was calling her name. Repeatedly. Nora sighed, and went over to pick up the order. "Thanks, Micky." She balanced the baskets of fries and burgers on her tray and hurried over to the three college kids that had been waiting. Passing the food out, Nora checked that they didn't need refills and gave a glance around.

The child that had sent his burger and slaw across the floor was being scolded, and fed his mother's potato chips. Nora walked over and with her fixed grin asked, "Would you like to get something else for him?" The Mother looked tired and the father almost ready to scream. Nora had the feeling this child was not an angel to raise. The Mother waved her off, "No point. He's in a throwing phase. Everything ends up on the floor lately." Nora smiled, looked at the child, who seemed too old to have such 'phases' and left them with their bill.

Now...ah yes! Nora had almost forgotten there was still a woman waiting for her. Walking quickly, Nora made her way over to where the woman had settled in, and pulled her stained pad of paper from her apron. "Would you like a drink to start or have you decided on your order?"

[Joan Leland]

There was a time when Joan might have fitted in with the regulars without a second glance, that was a doctorate and several suits ago though. She might be dressed down in jeans, jacket and t-shit but she'd have to be trying to blend in before she stood a chance.

Despite looking out of place Joan isn't feeling it though. A little smile appears as she scans her eyes over the regulars, her attention only diverted as the waitress speaks. She nods to Nora with a polite smile "Hello. Thank you, no rush" hungry though Joan was it wasn't like she had anywhere she needed to be any time soon. She followed the wave to an empty booth and set her bag down next to her as she settled in.

Looking around Joan could almost imagine she was back in her little home town. The regulars had different faces and the diner had it's own little quirks but the atmosphere was much the same and it was a lot more relaxing than going to a fancy restaurant.

There's a good minute where Joan just watches the people in the diner, getting a feel and coming up with a few ideas about the people. She can't help it, it's not until Nora is on her way back towards her that she even glances at the menu "A coffee to start with would be fine" she still has to address the question of whether to be healthy or bad, the surroundings aren't encouraging her to be healthy "Anything you'd suggest?"

[powermaniac184]

Lisa stepped out of her car, making sure it was locked, then opening the door to the diner. Gotham was no New York. In New York you had to check your car every twenty minutes for it would be gone, vandalized, or worse destroyed. In Gotham all of the above were likely but now it seemed as if the villians were going to rip the city in half. Thank god for Coffee she thought.

As she opened the door she saw the doctor who she kept running into, she subtly moved to the side, she wasn't going to interrupt. But she also noticed a waiter trying to deal with stress. Lisa had been there. She was a waiter for a time, no it wasn't easy. Easy would be signing some motions and convicting a rapist.

" Guess the whole town needed more coffee." Her light and serious tone made her mood easy to identify. But her demeanor was still "Lawyer", that would hardly change. She stood standing over the table, looking at the waitress who looked very tired, but chose not to say anything.

[norafreeze]

Nora jotted coffee onto her notepad and choked down the immediate question of "Cream, sugar or black?" when the woman continued.

A few moments thought, and Nora shrugged lightly. Wincing as her shoulder twinged, "I don't know. I'm partial to the Reuben and the Broccoli chowder, but I hear the Chicken finger salad is nice." Very little was considered wonderful in this Diner, everything a filling, but slightly greasy dish. She supposed that those who came were here for the prices, not for the quality.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw another woman enter, this one looked about as out of place as the one already seated. Nora wondered if everyone else was getting restless being trapped in Gotham and was trying something new.

Nora wasn't sure how to respond to the professional looking blonde, or even if the statement was directed towards her. She gave a small smile, and rolled her shoulder a little to keep the cramp from coming back. Nora noticed that there seemed to be some recognition between the two women, at least from the blonde that had just entered and Nora asked, "Will she be joining you?".

[Joan Leland]

The mention of the chowder results in a small twitch of Joan's mouth and not a good one. Bad experiences with diner chowder in the past "The chicken salad I think" growing up Joan had been in one of those families that came for the prices, she didn't save as much as she used to back then, she didn't have to but she still remembered some of the diner rules her father had had, such as the waitress usually knows what to avoid on the menu, though usually only when they've been there a long time.

Nora's little wince is noticed and while she's not that sort of doctor she does still have both enough curiosity and concern to ask "Everything alright?" it's at that point an unexpected but familiar face walks in of course, surprising indeed. Joan might at least feel she fits in with the diner crowd but she never would have expected to see Lisa or really anyone she knew there "This is an unexpected surprise, Lisa" she nods to the waitress before glancing back "If she wants a seat she's welcome to it" she doesn't know if Lisa's staying around but she offers and answers Nora all at the same time.

[norafreeze]

Nora jotted the order down and with a light smile, nodded in affirmation as to whether she was alright. She was mostly, she'd just been aching something terrible lately. She could only assume she'd been taking things too fast after her being cured.

The woman that entered, Lisa was what the current customer had called her, checked her watch and didn't seem inclined to stick around. As if suddenly remembering she had to be somewhere, Nora watched as the woman apologized and greeted them at the same time, and then left the Diner. She probably was an important and busy woman by the look of her, and Nora shrugged the odd encounter off.

"Would you like any creamer or sugar for your coffee?" Nora asked the customer with the dark hair, trying to set things back on track.

She heard someone clear their throat loudly, then let out a slow whistle, Nora glanced over her shoulder. Reg had adjusted himself to lean on the counter, and smile in his weasel faced grin over at the woman Nora was currently waiting on. Nora knew that look, she sighed, and blew a strand of hair away from ticking her nose. "I'd ignore him. I do ignore him. Ignore him." Nora advised awkwardly, trying to sound helpful without quite knowing how to put it. If the woman even gave a glance at Reg, he'd be over here in a blink. He was a lonely, desperate creep, and Nora wished he'd pick some other Diner to hope for a date in.

[Deleted]

Staggering in, looking to be in shambles as well as just having awoken from a deeply drunken stupor, was a scruffy, elderly, raggedy, homeless man. Tufts of greying brown hair stuck wildly out from underneath his hole filled, filthy dark blue beanie cap. He was clad in oversized grease and grime covered tattered brown duster coat. Ruddy torn jeans and a used business man’s man shirt created the vagabond’s ensemble beneath the streetwise trench. Brown eyes seemed to somehow twinkle with a certain liveliness despite the myriad of wrinkles about his grimy, unshaven, greying face. His form was solid, but hunched some and he appeared to move with a bit of a stoop in his gait. He was a familiar, dirty old face around these parts of Gotham—Matches Malone was his name.

No one ever knew his real name; the poor bastard had apparently suffered some sort of nervous breakdown making him forget his past life before the life of poverty and filth he now lives in. He was nice enough—when the occasion called for it. He was civil enough—when the occasion called for it. But if there was easy money to be made, or some dirty job that needed to be done? He was there in spades—no matter the occasion. Hobbling into the small diner, he ignored the looks from the other patrons; a man like him had seen it all, lived through it all, nothing shocked him. And why should it? The truth of Matches Malone real identity wasn’t just some mystery no one knew the answer to… It went deeper than that.

Matches Malone was Batman, or more aptly put, Matches Malone was Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne was after all, nicknamed in his alter-persona, the World’s Greatest Detective and he held something of a title for being a master of disguise. Matches Malone was one of his many, many disguises. Right now he was doing his rounds in a more FBI laden area—so using the disguise of Matches was more prudent than using the masked cape and cowl of the Bat. Not to mention, he had kept tabs on the newly cured Nora Fries, given her status as former obsession of one of his great enemies, Dr. Victor Fries, aka, Mr. Freeze—her safety was in mind during this particular round of patrol in Gotham. He made his way to the service counter, coughing into an oily handkerchief.

“Can someone ‘round here gimme’ a glass of water? Lil’ H-2-O to wet the ol’ whistle, eh?”

His voice thick with a New Jersey accent, and heavy as though he was struggling for his next breath of clean air—uncomfortable without a cigarette to puff on. A match was tucked between his teeth in anticipation for his next smoke; gritty teeth chewing on the wooden end of the stick.

[Joan Leland]

A nod and a wave of goodbye to Lisa and Joan continued just as she was, perfectly comfortable to be dining alone still "Just creamer will be fine" any further comments if there were any are stolen away by the whistle. Joan couldn't help it, it was practically human nature, she glanced just as Nora was warning her to ignore the man. She instantly understood the warning as he started to get up and she sighed heavily and mumbled back to Nora "Too late but thanks for trying to warn me"

There were some who would try to avoid such a situation, ignore the man even if he was coming over but Joan just accepted it as an obstacle to tackle before she could eat in peace and waited for the man to begin his lines so she could shoot him down, or not, depending on the lines. She wasn't expecting much though. With the demand for her attention elsewhere Matches Malone barely registered on her radar. Batman she'd met on occasion if she happened to be working when a patient was captured and brought to Arkham, Bruce Wayne she's at least seen from a distance at a few social events she'd got to go on behalf of the asylum but the connection between the two was unknown to her and his current appearance sparked no recollection, she didn't even look his way aside from to note who was speaking when he asked for water.

[norafreeze]

Nora jotted down the request for creamer, half ready to leave when the woman did exactly what Nora had told her not to and looked up at Reg. Oh well, she had done all she could. Nora gave the woman a small sympathetic smile and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as someone shouted out for her.

She turned from the table, to get the woman's order in as well as take care of the new customer. It wasn't that she was in a bad mood, she just hated it when people acted like she should be everywhere at once. Tiffany had left a few hours ago, and Nora was currently the only waitress here.

The man had wandered in, looking filthy, drunk, and had a cough that sounded like it was going to kill him at some point. Taking a deep breath, trying to keep from snapping at the man, she put aside her annoyance at being shouted for like a dog. He was sad really, dirty and sick, Nora reminded herself not to be rude, he was a human like everyone else here.

Stepping behind the counter, and taking a moment to pass the order for the coffee and chicken salad to Micky before turning back to the homeless man with her best smile. She got a glass and dropped some ice from the whirring machine to her left into the cup and poured some water in as well. She passed it to him, her shoulder stiffened again a moment, she paused as she forced her fingers open and the glass clattered gently as she put it on the table. Rolling her shoulder slightly, she blinked up at the man. "Anything else, Sir?"

Remembering that Reg had been shmoozing his way over to the pretty woman in the corner, Nora shot a quick look over. Reg had pulled up a chair. His greasy hair smoothed back with his left hand as he gave a weasel faced smile. "Hello lovely. You're looking pretty lonely."