12420/Sensei and Student

Sensei and Student
Date of Scene:	13 August 2022
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Dinah and Alexander catch up a bit.
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Dinah Lance

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There are more pizza restaurants in the city of New York than there are of any other type of business. Nothing is held in such esteem nor as much of a necessity of life as a good place to grab a slice in the big city. New Yorkers love their pizza and they spend an egregious amount of money each year on the cheese and bread and pepperoni concoction.
    So when a new place opens, almost always with a sign that declares, 'Voted #1 Pizza in all of New York!', it barely registers. But when Lucio Vitali opens a pizza restaurant...
    Well people notice.
    "I'm telling you it's delicious, heavenly, worth the wait." The voice of the young Olympian is a warm thing, amused, as he had touched base with a frenemy from an age ago whom he recalled having a conversation with about the best pizza in this region of the States.
    And when he realized that this restaurant was opening he had to convince her to come.
    Of course that's before he knew that the place would explode in popularity...
    And that the line would be halfway around the block with a wait in the hours...

Dinah Lance has posed:
As they approached, Dinah could only shake her head. She was in her regular persona today. No fishnets in sight! Her short black hair was a little wild, curling as she'd recently had it trimmed up. She was dressed in jeans and a button up shirt in blue. "I mean if it is really as good as you say, I'm willing to try it," she promised the young man who had been and sometimes still was her student.

Though when she saw the name on the building, she let out a little 'huh' sound. She glanced in the doorway, not trying to skip the line because that was just asking for an angry mob on their hands. But she was trying to spot something.

There he was! Lucio Vitali himself, buzzing around from table to table, greeting people though often he would disappear to the back to make sure they were making everything properly. But he happened to turn at the moment she was peeking in and he let out a bellow. "DINAH!"

She winced and glanced apologetically at Alexander as she tried to duck back outside. "Uhm. I did the flowers for his daughter's wedding last year. Great guy."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Alexander, as he so often is, is in rather relaxed clothes today. Blue jeans, a black t-shirt that hugs the contours of his broad chest, and a blue overshirt that in turn obscures it. He has an easily given wry smile at the moment as Lucio appears, and when he recognizes Dinah, not the Black Canary, but Dinah... he grins.
    "We are totally capitalizing on this acquaintance." He says, likely figuring that they can translate this into totally skipping the line. He straightens up and stands at her side, "Hello, Mr. Vitali." He says with that award-winning smile and gregarious look to him.

Dinah Lance has posed:
Vitali was not to be deterred that easily and suddenly he was there at the door, much to the excitement of the crowd. Or at least those who recognized him. They began to murmur and call out to him, a few bringing up phones to snap selfies even with him at a distance.

He caught Dinah's hand. "Did you come to eat? You must come in. Come come!" He dragged her into the door and she had to laugh softly.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Vitali. This is my friend, Alexander Aaron. Alexander, meet Lucio Vitali. And I have to agree, he has the best pizza ever. It was good enough, his daughter had offered it as an option at her wedding. So I got to taste it. How are Isabelle and Henry?"

"They are wonderful. Expecting a little one! It will be my sixth grandchild," he said proudly as he led them to a booth in the back. One he kept set aside for only his special guests of family.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Good to meet you, sir." Alexander knows how to do that thing. That thing that young men know how to do when meeting with perhaps people of authority. Like fathers of daughters or school deans or the like. It all depends on the smile, which in this case is the All-American mildly bashful tilt smile that borders on a half-grin. Then there's the wide eyes affecting that oh so small hint of innocence. And then couple it with properly calling people by their polite title.
    "I had no idea, Dinah knew Chef Vitali."
    Don't overdo it, however. Don't want to come off as ass-kissing. He gives a nod then and waits for him to offer a hand should he wish. Then he follows along letting the two catch up.

Dinah Lance has posed:
No handshake. Vitali was a hugger. Dinah got one. Alexander got the next, unless he protested. If he did, then a handshake would suffice but Vitali would be oh-so-disappointed.

They were led to the table and settled in. "Whatever you want! I take care of you both tonight!"

"That's not necessary. We were planned on dinner here, were going to wait." But he had that look so Dinah stopped. "Alright, alright. we'll accept politely and not be a pain in your backside."

And before long, he was rushing off to the kitchen. Leaving the pair along at their table.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Utterly unrepentant about their abuse of her connections, Alexander's already unfurling the napkin. "I should ask you to go places more often." Since apparently she's got the ins. Yet he's grinning crookedly even as he gives a nod to the young fellow who wanders by to fill their water glasses. Once those glasses are filled with icey goodness he looks back to her.
    "So I need the update on what's been going down with you, how you're doing, are you keeping up with your practice." That causes him to half-smile, or more smirk really since he was stealing her words from her and using them back on her. Likely knowing full well that someone like Dinah could never fall down on her practice.
    "Involved in anything interesting I could poke my nose into?" He finally offers.

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah has to laugh softly, giving a negative head shake. "It was luck that I happen to know him. It's never really helped before. I'll just consider this as good luck since you are with me. Makes you my good luck charm."

She put her napkin in her lap and opened up her menu, although she left it laying on the table instead of holding it in her hand. "Nothing really to update. Life is running the same as it always seems to. My training I keep up with daily. Randomly there is some crisis that requires me to help the League. Go out often on patrol at night." She shrugs a little. "Not sure there is much else."

Then she gives a nod. "There is a thing we are looking into that's been happening on shorelines. Trying to find the source of some sort of...muck monsters. Which might be related to some Elder god or something. I Honestly am out of my league on it, no pun intended."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Ahh, your good luck charm." Alex says with a slight wryness to the tone as he leans to the side and sets his knee up on the bench seat next to him, leaning back against the wall a little lazily. He rests an arm on the tabletop and occasionally takes a sip of his water while looking across the way to her.
    Those pale hazel eyes follow along with her words, gaze dropping to her lips now and again then back to her eyes as she talks to him. His head bobs a little as she talks about the status quo being the status quot. Until she gets to the latter part and his eyebrows climb.
    "That's interesting. How'd you stumble on that?" He reaches over for the plastic straw that was left behind and tears the end off of it before sliding it into his drink.

Dinah Lance has posed:
"It's pretty graphic so I won't get into details before we eat," Dinah says, because that just isn't something she wants to think about when about to have pizza. The gooey cheesy goodness might not be as tasty and she wasn't going to chance that happening.

"Actually Aquaman is the one who is dealing with it. A few of us are helping him, trying to figure it out. My part has been research really. Finding out if any other monsters have attacked people along the shorelines." She gave another little shrug. "Can't say I've really done much of anything. He and Mera are doing the heavy lifting."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Ohhh," He says, then he adds lightly, "Aquaman."
    And he lets that sit there with a wry smile as he looks across the way at her, the silence rather damning as he waits... and waits... and waits to see which of them will break.
    Until finally he says, "I've never met the guy, but he has some connections to the Greek Pantheon I'm told." A nod is given as he rests a hand on his bent knee, gaze wandering a little.
    "So."
    He repeats.
    Then he adds again for the benefit of those in the back. "Aquaman."

Dinah Lance has posed:
She arches a brow as she regards Alexander curiously. Trying to figure out what he is getting at. Because whatever pitch he is throwing, she is missing it entirely.

At mention of the Greek Pantheon, that gets a look of surprise and a soft 'huh' from her. "I wasn't aware that he had anything to do with the Olympians. Is it because of the whole Atlantis tie? Or something else?"

But the way he keeps saying the name. "Aquaman." She didn't want to use his real name because she knew that wasn't really publicized. "Teammate. Talks to fish. Boyfriend. Works in my shop." She threw out little details one at a time to see if that's what he was fishing for. No pun intended.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    His smile grows and grows, until he's looking away as if embarrassed but then helooks back shaking his head. "Ok," He says almost grudgingly after she confesses about the Fishguy being all of those things to her. "Working in your shop with you? That's kinda cool."
    He sits up then as they get handed their menus when one of the waitresses passes by, just a quick scooch of them forward and given to each. They may be eating free and earlier than most of the people outside, but the restaurant is stills wamped.
    "But yeah, Atlantis connection, but some of the gods have a close relation with Atlantis as well. Poseidon considers it his for several reasons. As does Athena for the wisdom they have or such."
    A small shrug is given, "Still." Aquaman.

Dinah Lance has posed:
"He's gorgeous so draws in a lot of business. I'm unapologetically using him to increase my bottom line," Dinah admits. She flips open the menu and glances over it but then turns her attention back to Alexander instead.

"True. Posidon and Atlantis. Makes sense. Not sure the Athena part does to me but okay." She is evaluating the 'still' he'd said. And finally she shakes her head. "He's a lot of fun to hang around with. Funny, smarter than people give him credit for. Likes a good beer and a good bar fight."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Oh his bottom line, I see."
    Of course that's the moment when the waitress finally makes it over and she pipes up cheerfully, "Sorry guys, it's a madhouse, what can I get you to drink?!"