13010/All Dat and Dim Sum

All Dat and Dim Sum
Date of Scene:	09 October 2022
Location:	Xi Ban's Dim Sum
Synopsis:	Hank's dim sum grandma approves of Dawn, and pulls her best winggrandmother.
Cast of Characters:	Hank Hall, Dawn Granger

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Hank Hall has posed:
    True to his word, Hank was in his room after Dawn had had a chance to rest, starting the road to recovery from the jet lag and adjustment away from the UK timezone. While he was generally restless, certainly when Dawn was away, he managed to find himself able to relax and enjoy the calm serenity that came with her mere presence, and sat in his room reading. Yes, reading. Stretched out on his bed, he was paging through a biography on Teddy Roosevelt, just lingering and waiting for Dawn to wake up.

    He had slid a note under her door last night shortly after returning to his room, but giving her enough time to have fallen asleep. He could not help himself from doing it - a gilded invitation to Xi Ban's dim sum house, if she were to wake up at an appropriate hour. And an alternate suggestion if her sleep carried her too deep in the afternoon. Trying to be unobtrusive, but it was hard for him to resist the reach out. A glance to the clock, casually, as he reads. Still plenty of time to go to Xi Ban's. And if not? He was pretty sure wherever their path found them, he would enjoy himself. And after their talk last night, he had finally accepted that he would not be the only one.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn probably could have slept more, given that it was the first sleep in a while that she actually felt at ease. Between recovering from the jet lag and settling back into where things had actually started feeling like home, she'd had a deep, restful sleep. Upon waking, she unpacks her suitcase and puts things away before she notices the note under the door. Picking it up, she takes a moment to read it with a hint of a smile on her face.
    It's not long until she's dressed and ready to go, standing outside Hank's door with a soft knock. She pauses afterwards, not sure if the knock was quite loud enough and she listens for any sort of response or movement, knuckles raised and ready to make a louder noise if necessary.

Hank Hall has posed:
    There is an audible *thump* from the other side of the door as Hank vaults up from the bed the moment the first knock is heard. A more cautious or focused man might have taken a moment to throw a bookmark in, but Hank will just find the page when he comes back to it. He is at the door and opening it almost immediately, the whoosh of the door opening enough to breeze some of his hair. "Oh, hi," he says, as if surprised by both the knock and who it is. Clearly, he is not, because he is already wearing jeans and a t-shirt, as well as sneakers, and clearly ready to go. If, of course, that is what Dawn wants.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "I'm here, as promised," Dawn says, adjusting her purse that's slung over one shoulder, lifting it over her head to hang more securely across her body rather than something that might slip off and fall if she wasn't paying attention to it. That and she might end up not paying attention to it or forgetting. "Also as promised, thank you again for the ride and dinner, I owe you a favor so long as you don't make it too ridiculous," she grins before she nods in his direction. "You good for dim sum? Wouldn't want to leave Xi Ban waiting and you've certainly got me curious about the food. That is, assuming the offer still stands and you didn't already go get some."

Hank Hall has posed:
"As promised," Hank echoes, with a smile. He is already prepared to go, stepping out the door and closing it behind him. "I told you you didn't have to thank me, Dawn. I feel like we're probably beyond keeping tabs on favors between ourselves." He nods in agreement, and pats his belly. "I'm not going to say that I've been starving myself in anticipation of this, but you had at _least_ another hour before I was going to meander out and grab something random." He smiles broadly at her. "I'm not sure now who is more curious, you about Xi Ban's food or you about Xi Ban."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "A little of column A, a little of column B," Dawn replies, stepping out of the doorway so that he can exit. "She sounds nice, and you're a repeat customer to the point of even going with 'the boys'. That says a lot about both her and her food. I'd say it's equal at this point, but we don't know how curious Xi Ban is to know if you'd invited me." She smiles over at him. "You do know I'm still going to thank you regardless of how much I'm sure we'll trade favors. I think it's important to know that your efforts are appreciated."

Hank Hall has posed:
It is a brief two-step as Hank is not quite sure whether to offer a hug, or an arm, or a hand. He settles for vaguely placing his hand out in space and letting Dawn decide what she wants to do with it. "If you want to know, hang out outside and watch how quickly she asks me where you are." He winks at her. "And yes, I know you're going to thank me, and I'm going to ask you for permission, and make sure you are doing what you want, and..." He shrugs. "These are just the way we are, but it doesn't mean I won't keep reminding you that you don't need to thank me." He laughs softly at how they keep circling the same topics. Eventually that might stop. Maybe.

Dawn Granger has posed:
The topic circling seems to be mostly because those are the things they both find important. Dawn, however, is briefly distracted by the offered arm. Mostly because it means she has to make a decision or guess as to what it's for. She settles for hooking her arm around his. "Lead the way," she says before directing her attention back to the prior topic. "Maybe we'll keep at it, but I don't mind. It's certainly very us, I'd say. You continue to give me reasons to thank you and I'll be sure to do the proper amount of thanking."

Hank Hall has posed:
    With an ease and comfort, Hank reaches out to pat Dawn's hand with his free one as she takes his arm. "Of course," he says, heading off towards the elevator. Navigating questions with ease it seems. "Oh, just you wait. I have not even _begun_ to give you reasons to thank me," he says with a grin, stepping into the elevator.

    Riding the elevator down, Hank glances towards Dawn. "So, it's not a bad walk, probably about fifteen minutes or so, maybe twenty if we want to take a languid pace." The door slides open and he escorts her out of the building towards the sidewalk. "I'm fine either way, you're the one who was in Europe yesterday."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "I'm almost slightly afraid of what you're going to do that I'll have to thank you for," Dawn says, a grin given in response as she follows him into the elevator, arm linked with his. He is leading, after all. "An extra five minutes probably wouldn't hurt. I did sleep *really* well, but taking it easy isn't a bad thing. Even if I'm not exactly jetlagged like I thought I might be, my brain keeps thinking it should be a different time right now. That bit I'll have to readjust to."
    When they make it to the sidewalk, Dawn smiles. "Twenty minutes is plenty of time of think up answers to all the questions she's likely to pepper us with." She, of course, is always prepared to be prepared.

Hank Hall has posed:
"Are you really?" asks Hank with a grin, giving her a brief hip check. "I'm the least scary person imaginable. Just a bit ol' teddy bear." He chuckles at that concept, then nods in agreement. "I'm in no hurry. But glad to hear that you're at ease so quickly. Hope it doesn't lead to a crash later, but if it does, you know, you just do what you need to do."
    There is a brief grin from Hank. "Oh, _all_ the questions, don't you worry. Some you haven't even thought of. Who knows where she is going to go?" The grin seems to make a minor bit of uneasiness, perhaps. There may be something that he is slightly worried about in the upcoming interaction, but overall, he seems just as excited to see it as she is. "Just remember that she means well, no matter what she says."
    It is a lovely autumn day in New York, and certainly a prime day to spend a few extra minutes casually strolling to a destination. Hank, as promised, seems to be in no hurry, letting Dawn set the pace.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "Well, I don't find you actually all that scary, at least when you're around me. You've got a softer side you sometimes let come out," Dawn notes with a grin in his direction before taking a moment to really think about what exactly the woman might have in store for them question-wise. "I'm certain she means well," she agrees. "It sounds like she's just concerned about you and your happiness, which makes her pretty nice in my book. The fact that you had to warn me, though, is only slightly concerning."
    Dawn seems to enjoy the autumn weather, watching the leaves that threaten to fall from the trees whenever they happen to pass by one. There aren't many, but she does seem to pay attention when she does catch a glimpse of one. She keeps the pace slow, but measured, and makes sure he's got the lead if he needs to tug her in a direction around a corner. "I'll thank you now in advance for the dim sum."

Hank Hall has posed:
    There is a deep sigh from Hank at that statement. "Let's hope it stays that way," he murmurs. He knows what he was like when she wasn't around. And he hopes beyond anything that he will never get like that in front of her. Can he? Or does she totally suppress it? "And yeah, she is great. Honestly, I'm building it up way more than it'll actually be. She probably won't even say anything. It's all in my head." He laughs. "Some fantasy of a wise old grandma watching over me or something. She probably won't even recognize me."
    Hank is able to lead with the slightest of shifts of direction, and there are not that many twists and turns. Dawn is watching the leaves. Hank is watching Dawn watching the leaves. Careful to look away, of course, if she looks his way. Trying to stay polite. But he cannot exactly keep himself from doing that. He laughs at her thanks. "Of course you will." He grins at her. "I don't mind collecting them, I suppose."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "It doesn't matter if she's larger than life or just a kindly grandmother who makes dumplings, she made an impression on you. That's the important part. Besides, we seem to be good at deciding our own stories. The Titans Pizza Fund, after all, is one of our best." Dawn nudges him slightly, hip bumping him. "I hope you have a shelf to contain all of these thank yous, they'll certainly be a whole collection." She smiles at him fondly when she pulls her eyes back from the trees, even if he *is* already looking away from her again.

    "I do like the idea of you having someone else to look out for you, even if it's in an entirely different context. I'm sure she'll make sure you're eating and socializing, regardless of if you want that or not," she teases.

Hank Hall has posed:
    "Just wait until I start with my theories about Dick," murmurs Hank with a laugh, enjoying the light and casual conversation. The feel of her against him. The very _rightness_ of it all. "Oh, I think I will need to dedicate an entire bookshelf to you before all is said and done." He steals a look at her, this time catching her looking at him. And a smile emerges. And a breath. Relaxing more by the minute as it slowly starts to sink in that he is not alone in this. Not in the slightest.

    "Oh, you should see how much food she brings out. I don't even have to order anymore, I just sit down and she descends upon me like a... " He laughs for a moment. "Hawk." And then he stops, and nods forward. "Hope you're ready. Because we're here."

    And indeed, there they are. The entrance is somewhat non-descript, but inside the large glass window is a mostly packed house of diners, employees with carts winding among the tables. Hank reaches out to pull open the door, and nods to Dawn. "After you..."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn is well aware of the saying that the hole-in-the-wall places serve the best food. With an exterior as plain as the front, she's already certain this will be quality food even before they step inside and she sees the fairly packed place. She gives Hank a gracious nod and a small smile as she releases his arm so she can step inside now that he's opened the way.

    While part of her wants to peek over at the carts just to see the food, Dawn is mostly scanning the room for the infamous Xi Ban. At this point, she's far too curious about the situation to the point of it reaching above and beyond the smell of the food--which, once again, makes her realize how hungry she is. "Thank you," she adds after she's inside.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank just laughs as he racks up another thank you, and he nudges Dawn again. "Gonna set up a 'thank you' jar soon, and see if I can earn my way to retirement that way." He exchanges some polite words with the hostess who guides them to a table. He slips his arm out from hers to pull the chair out for her, and waves down to the seat. "If you thank me, I'm tipping you over." But as much as he knows that she will, he also knows that he won't.
    He moves over to take up a seat next to her at the large table - there is still a chance that others will be seated at the large communal table, although they are alone for now.
    For now.
    Hank settles back in his seat and turns to look at Dawn. "I hope you're hungry." The carts start rolling their way, with all manner of dumplings and other delectables available.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn opens her mouth to thank him, then simply grins and holds her tongue. Clearly he's a bad influence. She settles in the chair, glancing between the carts and Hank. "I hope you'll pick for us, you're the one who knows what's good here. I am, however, quite hungry so a large selection is absolutely fine with me." She smiles wryly at him. "You plan on making me go broke when all I'm doing is being polite and thanking you for all of the kind things you're doing for me? How cruel."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank grins as the thank you is dodged. Clearly, he is the _worst_ kind of influence. And he also knows that this is likely a one-time deal. "Oh, it's easy. See that?" He points at something in a tray. "That's good." And the tray is put on their table. "See that? That's good." He points at a metal pan with a set of dumplings in it. "See that? That's good." A tray of sticky rice. He leans to the side, his lips moving towards her ear as he half-mock-whispers into her ear. "Catching a pattern yet? Everything's good."
    He straightens and pulls out the napkin with a flourish before laying it in his lap. And that's when Dawn's retort about the retirement comes out, and his face twists in an oddly puzzled reaction. Something about that line, about her reaction, just struck a totally discordant note in his mind, and as he puts together her question with how _he_ was thinking of it, he realizes why. He starts to open his mouth, closes it, and then seems to try to think of a response, his cheeks starting to flush slightly.
    Rescue comes in the form of a four foot ten inch firestorm that appears at the table as if summoned by ritual. "Hank, where've you been the past two weeks?" Then eyes lock _immediately_ on Dawn. They move up and down her form, linger briefly on the braid, and then back to her eyes. "You are Dawn! Welcome to my restaurant!"
    Hank quickly adopts that "out of the frying pan, into the fire" expression, leaning back into his seat as if to pull himself out of the line between Xi Ban and Dawn.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    With whatever Hank was thinking about being pushed aside as Xi Ban approaches, Dawn smiles broadly at the woman. "Thank you," she offers warmly. The grandmother, at least, will get the appropriate thanks. "I'm happy to be here. Hank has raved about how good this place is and he decided to ask me to come. I've heard good things about both your restaurant as well as about you. I hope that Hank has only said good things about me. I don't entirely know all of what he might have told you and..." She lets her gaze slide to Hank. "... he's a tricky one sometimes."

Hank Hall has posed:
    "He has been very loyal and steadfast!" is Xi Ban's first insistence. Hank immediately starts to sink back into the chair as if that will somehow serve as refuge. "He comes with his friends, but always waiting for you to come. He is a good man." Clearly, there are some misunderstandings at play that Hank has for whatever reason failed to correct. Or perhaps he has tried, and those efforts themselves have failed. She walks over to him. "But he needs to eat more." Then she walks around past Hank's chair to move over to Dawn's, smiling down at her. "I'm so happy to finally see you here." She turns and looks over at one of the women pushing a cart and starts barking orders in Mandarin. "You have to let me know what you think!" She reaches down to give Dawn's shoulder a firm, but friendly squeeze, smiles, and then she is back off to the kitchen.
    Hank's staring at the plate in front of him, occasionally daring to glance sidelong at Dawn.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    When Hank looks in her direction, it turns out that Dawn is grinning. "Always waiting for me. That's certainly very sweet," she says. Whatever conclusions that the woman has come to, she doesn't seem to feel the need to correct it either. She does take in his lowered gaze. "She might be right, though, you should eat more. You're no Caitlin, but you need some fuel to keep going just like the rest of us. I also have a feeling Xi Ban takes delight in people enjoying her food."

    She is, in fact, going to make sure to tell the woman her assessment once she's sampled... basically a bit of everything. "She's lovely, Hank, you seem to be pretty good at picking out friends."

Hank Hall has posed:
    "Yeah, I mean..." Hank decides to let it go. Anything else will just dig him further into the hole. Although, is it really a bad hole? "I eat plenty," he decides to defend. "You just want me to have one of those adorable bellies, admit it." He returns that grin though as he starts to arrange some of the trays. And then a few more show up, and he starts dishing them onto Dawn's plate first, and then his.
    "I don't know if it's me picking them out or what, but I guess I can't complain." He looks over at her and laughs. "Even if the best of them are picked for me. Definitely feels like someone is watching over me, you know?" He starts filling up his own plate. "Just wait until the custards come out."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "No wonder you like it here, you're getting spoiled rotten," Dawn says, playfully, allowing him to serve up her portions from the trays. "You're just trying to make me thank you." There's no grin, but more of a fond smile at this point. She waits for Hank to get his own before she's going to start eating--it's only polite. "You know, I get that feeling too. I wonder who on earth could possibly be watching over you here." He's close enough to get a playful nudge, so that happens shortly after before she sets about to sample some of the food. She must like it, as she shuts up for a moment or two in favor of eating.

Hank Hall has posed:
    "Who can argue with that?" Hank says, as he settles back to look at the array of food on the plates in front of them for a moment. He laughs, returning her smile. "Oh, I don't think I have to _do_ anything to make you thank me, Dawn. I just have to sit here and be myself, and let you be yourself." He nods to her plate, an indication for her to eat, as he waits for a moment. Perhaps wanting to watch her as she digs in and experiences them for the first time. His smile broadens. "Who indeed," he says quietly. Just watching her. He lets her continue to eat, only picking up his chop sticks after she has had a good sampling. "You realize the same people are going to be watching over you, right?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "You're lucky I like you too much to disagree with your statement of you being you and me being me," Dawn says, once she's had a pleantiful portion of food. She enjoys talking, but the food is just as he said it was--very good. She's at least partially distracted by it, but the rest of the time she's focusing on Hank. "I know, I appreciate being watched over. Something about feeling safe and comfortable. Also well fed, at this rate. I'm certain there are plenty of things we'll both get to share."

Hank Hall has posed:
    "I mean, sure, I'll take that, but how is _that_ the most objectionable thing I've said today?" Hank grins as he stuffs a shrimp shumai into his mouth, once again choosing to put the entire thing in rather than taking a bite. Good thing he has a big mouth. He nods in agreement with her statement, a smile forming. "I imagine this is really just the beginning," he says after swallowing down the shumai. To that end, he reaches over to pick up his glass of water and holds it out to her as if in a toast. "To Hank and Dawn. Partners in crime." It just sort of comes out that way, and then he nearly giggles at all the layers that come from that line.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Toasting with a glass of water somehow feels appropriate, so Dawn picks up her own glass and holds it out towards his. "To Hank and Dawn, partners in crime," she agrees with a small laugh. She takes a small dumpling and pops it into her mouth all at once. She might not have as big a mouth as he does, but she can keep up. Sort of. When she's finished chewing, she looks back to him. "It's a good beginning, honestly. I was worried we might have been off to a rocky start at the start but I think we warmed up to each other."

Hank Hall has posed:
    There is a broad smile as Dawn returns the toast, and Hank raises the glass briefly before taking a long sip. He grins as she takes the entire dumpling into her mouth, and nods. "See, you can do it too," he encourages. Setting the glass down at the table, he nods. "That's on me," he says without much hesitation. "And I'm sorry that I made anything awkward with any comparisons, or..." He trails off. She knows. He knows she knows. "I feel closer to you than I have anyone else, Dawn. And I don't care if it's magic or not. The feeling is the feeling, and it's reality."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "I hope you know that it's a mutual feeling, Hank," Dawn agrees as she looks back over at him, forgetting the meal for just a moment. "You're easy to talk to. You're fun. You're charming, even when you're teasing me. You make me feel like I can relax and not worry about *everything* because it'll be okay with you here. I can trust you. All of that... that means a lot."

    Her smile broadens at the mention of the magic. "I think, if anything, that is there to remind us we're connected... and we get to decide the rest of it. I'm really glad that you can feel close to me like that. It really does require a level of trust that I don't have with anyone else."

Hank Hall has posed:
"I do. You've made it clear enough to get through even _my_ thick skull." The meal is forgotten entirely as Hank watches Dawn, listening. He absorbs her words, and his face shifts as he listens. Penetrating his psyche, and knocking down whatever doubts had somehow managed to linger. "I feel the same," he finally says.

    "We do get to decide, don't we?" he asks, somewhat rhetorically. He pushes a couple of dumplings around with his chop sticks, idly rearranging them into a proper column. Maybe a bit of Dawn leaking over. "I..." He starts, turning his gaze up to meet her eyes. The phrase stalls for a moment. And as if knowing that he was facing some sort of peril, Xi Ban manifests directly behind them.

    "Time for custard yet?" Two plates are foisted at both of them, what appears to be a yellow bun, some sort of darker yellow on the top surrounded be something of more substance.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Perhaps there was some sort of peril, but as the woman reappears, Dawn offers her a small smile. "Well, you've brought them out so we might as well try it right now," she agrees, glancing from the custard plate to Xi Ban fully. "Thank you so much for all of this, all of the food is wonderful. I can see why Hank keeps coming back." Whatever moment they were having is temporarily forgotten in favor of food.

Hank Hall has posed:
    Escape! Until he opens his big mouth again, most likely. Hank smiles graciously at Xi Ban. "Can't argue with that," he agrees with Dawn, taking the plate. He nods along with her review, but otherwise is quiet, letting Dawn and Xi Ban chat. It is going to happen anyway. He just watches in silence, wondering how it will go. And it goes predictably.
    Xi Ban places a hand on Dawn's shoulder and leans over to whisper into her ear. Although the volume at which she whispers renders the purpose of whispering somewhat suspect. "I can tell from how he smiles when he says your name, you're lucky to have someone think of you like that. Take care of him." She squeezes Dawn's shoulder and glances at Hank, who is doing his best not to put his face in his palm. "Eat more." And then she disappears back into the kitchen.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    If that's what Hank can been afraid of happening, his fears certainly come true. Dawn listens, making sure *not* to look at Hank while she does. She's pretty sure one or both of them would entirely melt into a puddle were they to make eye contact. She cracks a smile at Xi Ban as she disappears, then she looks back to Hank with her smile widening. She is, of course, not going to explain exactly what was said; she's going to focus on her food, proceeding to take a smile bite of the custard.

Hank Hall has posed:
That smile is hard to miss, and as much as it makes Hank reflexively smile back, part of him wonders what just happened. He has his suspicions. He glances towards the kitchen, and spots Xi Ban in the small circular window grinning at him and giving him a thumbs up. He sighs to himself, and then looks back at Dawn. He still returns her smile, arching an eyebrow slightly. But he leaves the topic well enough alone, for now.
    "Now you know the secret to my sanity while you were gone," he says, as he retrieves the napkin to dab at the corners of his mouth before setting it on the table. "The magic of dumplings."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn innocently focuses on her custard for a moment or two more before she ends up looking at him again, the smile becoming much more of an amused one the more she catches his gaze. "I had no idea such magic dumplings existed, so I'm incredibly grateful to you for sharing this secret. Hopefully I won't need them to cope with anything that intense anytime soon." She doesn't, in fact, plan on going anywhere and that's the promise hidden within the playful language.

Hank Hall has posed:
There is something in Dawn's smile that tells Hank he is in trouble. Not a bad way, of course. In the very best way. "I'd share any secret I had with you," he says. "Especially the good ones." Now would have been a reasonable time to circle back to his retirement scheme. But he doesn't. Not yet. "I hope so too." He reaches out to take her hand. "As long as I can, I'll make sure _you_ never need them." He seems to have missed her subtle point a bit, and elected for a mallet in response. But the sentiment is much the same.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn is much better at the subtle than Hank. The much more hamfisted response prompts a grin from her. His words were *exactly* a Hank response and it's hard for her not to grin. Her hand rests in his, a soft squeeze given much like she had the night before. "Next time I'll have to see if you want to come with me," she says.

Hank Hall has posed:
    And, typical Hank, his face twists for a moment as, for the first time, he considers that as a possible solution. Not that he had selfishly not considered relocating, but the idea that Dawn might want him to join her? He looks at her for a long moment, as if briefly trying to work out what to say, before deciding that maybe words were not really what he wanted to express. He leans towards her, and...
    Their waiter pops up, handing over the bill on a small black folio with two fortune cookies resting on top. "Whenever you're ready!" he says with a smile, slipping away as suddenly as he appeared.
    Moments later there are distant sounds of Xi Ban yelling in Mandarin upon his return to the kitchen. Certainly not related. Certainly.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn actually laughs slightly, glancing back over at Hank for a moment before she looks towards the cookies. "The best part... reading a fortune that is more likely some wise saying and not an actual fortune." She doesn't release his hand, but her other reaches to scoot the cookies towards the two of them. "Shall we see what our lotto numbers are?"

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank is not one of those who typically believes in fortunes, but since the arrival of the cookies seems to have altered at least somewhat the trajectory, for better or for worse, he shrugs and grins. "Ya never know, sometimes these things are dead on." He reaches out to pull his cookie over, not giving up Dawn's hand either, breaking it in half with his fingers and retrieving the slip of paper. He peers down at it, and reads softly. "It's amazing how much good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit." He shows the paper to Dawn, and peers at the numbers on the back. "These aren't nearly enough for Lotto." he remarks.

Dawn Granger has posed:
    It's a little tricky for Dawn to do the same thing, but she manages to one-handedly break the cookie and pull her fortune out. She lets out a surprised laugh at it before she looks towards Hank. "Your shoes will make you happy today." She's grins, then looks vaguely towards her feet. "I can't say I know exactly what *that* means, but I suppose I'll have to spend the rest of the day meditating on the significance behind this."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Hank watches Dawn work the cookie, minor amusement preventing him from offering his services. He laughs quietly at the fortune, and then looks down at her feet as well. "Well, either it means they are so comfortable they make your feet feel good, or they are _so bad_ that after your over-eager teammate forces you to walk 40 minutes round trip to join him for lunch he offers to give you a foot massage to make up for it." He looks back up at Dawn. "Hard to tell from here which it is, I gotta admit."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "Mm, you *forced* me to go to lunch with you and forced me to spend the extra time enjoying the autumn in the city? Clearly you need to be an over-eager teammate way more often," Dawn laughs. "So they're comfortable enough that they get me home okay, I would hope. Walking for another twenty minutes and them hurting wouldn't exactly make me happy. The foot massage does sound like a good interpretation of the fortune, though."

Hank Hall has posed:
    Laughing at that, Hank leans to the side a bit to pull out his wallet. "Look, I'm just trying to work fortune's arrow somehow. Not a lot to work with there." He grins. "You gotta find a way to convince me not to try to get the credit for things, I guess, right?" He arches an eyebrow at her for a moment. There is a brief moment of thought. Very brief. "If your dogs are barking, I'll quiet 'em down." A pause. "If you want, that is."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    "I think I just got the raw end of the deal with fortunes," Dawn smiles, then tips her head in his direction. "We might be trying too hard. You do get bonus points for the foot massage, though. That's pretty clever." She glances between him and the kitchen. "You might make a suggestion to them to get better fortunes." Her free hand takes a bit of the crushed cookie to toss into her mouth.

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank nods, sighing for a moment. "Yeah, sorry. A bit of a stretch there, I suppose." He slips a few bills out of his wallet, still one handed, and then slides it back into his pocket. "I think they all come from one guy who is trapped in the factory somewhere, so I'm not sure they really have a choice." He shrugs, and then grabs the remains of his cookie as well. "Let me know when you're ready to head out. They certainly don't mind if we hang out, so when they say no rush they mean it, but I don't know what else you have to do today."

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn can't help but smile that the entire time neither of them have released the hand despite the impracticality of it. She finishes the cookie, then glances back to Hank. "I'm not in a rush, but I did enjoy the walk. Maybe we can just take a longer route back? Unless you're in a rush to get back home. I didn't exactly ask you your plans either."

Hank Hall has posed:
    "I took a few days of vacay to make sure I was around to help you get settled, so I'm not due back until the middle of next week. Got all the time in the world." Hank gives her hand a squeeze, and then finally releases it. "So yeah, I have nowhere to be, and wherever you are is probably better than whereever else I could be, so..." He shrugs. "Shall we?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
    Dawn gets to her feet, stepping out from around the chair and pushing it back in before she looks back over at him. "Thanks... that actually means a lot. It might be nice to take it easy for a few days. So... let's start with a walk."

    Instead of waiting for Hank to lead the way, she reaches over to take his hand and lead him out of the restaurant.

Hank Hall has posed:
    "That sounds perfect," says Hank, beaming a smile at Dawn. He turns to follow along as she leads, giving her hand a squeeze as he heads to the door.
    He glances towards the kitchen and sees Xi Ban still berating their waiter, but she pauses for a moment to give Hank a double thumbs up. He nods his head to her, and then turns to smile back at Dawn. "I'm all yours..."