Teaching Some Manners over Gelato

June 07, 2015:

Joshua, Lynwen and Pepper enjoy some Italian desserts. Peggy attempts to teach Constantine proper manners.

Little Italy - New York City

One of the major small 'villages' within the city proper. Here is where,
historically, the Italian immigrants came in to land and created a small
piece of home in their new land. With Italian bakeries, delis, restaurants
and such, life here harkens back to an easier, slower paced time. The area
is known for their festivals; San Gennaro being the 'biggie' in which they
close streets off with barricades for 10 days of celebration in September.

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

Who can resist dining in the open air on a fine summer's day? Joshua and Lynwen are sitting at a wrought-iron table on the patio of a mom-and-pop restaurant, studying a menu while a waiter clears dishes from the table. "If you feel brave, you should try the coffee," Joshua suggests to Lynwen. "I haven't tried the gelato here, but some of my students rave about it." The young man could pass for one of his students. He is wearing jeans, a casual button-down shirt, and loafers.

"What is Gelato?" The woman ask in heavily accented English. She sitting next to him and peering down at the menu. Then she points to something on it. "What is that and how do you say that word?" She asks him. She would appear to be the same age as him. Her long curly golden hair has been braided and bound up with gold clips. She is dressed in spaghetti strap lavender sundress. Around her neck she wears a heavy gold torque and matching armbands grace her arms. Around then a light breeze seems to curls around their feet and causes the umbrella above them to sway.

Down the street, Peggy Carter moves with a purpose. That is, actually, her usual means of getting one place to another even if she does not have a destination in mind. Summer is a lovely time to wander about the city and Peggy has not actually gotten much of a chance to sightsee despite being in this time period for a few months. As she walks, she notices Joshua and Lynwen. The woman rarely forgets a face - it's a necessary skill for a competent spy. However, whether the two of them wish to speak with her, that's a different matter all together. Her steps slow just slightly, but she can certainly keep walking should it be necessary.

Joshua tilts his head for a moment, and then he explains. "Galato is an unusually very rich ice cream. They have several flavors here, some with fruit and some with berries." He speaks slowly and pronounces each word distinctly for Lynwen's benefit. He glances down the street and spots Peggy when she is still far from them. When Lynwen asks about a word on the menu, he peers at it and answers, "That is tiramisu. It is a very sweet and delicious. Carefully choosing words that are familiar to her, he explains the dessert. Many people enjoy it. Would you like to share one? They're usually big enough here for two." He looks at the waiter, who nods his head in agreement. When Peggy is closer, he inclines his head to her in a motion that could be either acknolwedgement or greeting, depending on how the woman chooses to interpret it.

The wind dances around and Lyn notices where Joshua is looking. Her moss green eyes go to where Peggy is. She then says to Joshua in Welsh. «Could we try both, we can have her join us and she can also try them with us that way we will have the right amount, do you really want me to have the coffee, we will be up all night?» She stands up by their table and then calls out as she waves, "Carter , come have Galeto and Tir ma su with us?" This is said in English and her accent is thick.

Either way Joshua means his head incline, Peggy takes it as an acknowledgement. At the call from Lynwen, the agent's slower steps turn to a full out stop. Her eyes quickly glance up at the store sign, taking in where she is before smiling at the two at their outdoor table. "Gelato?" She smiles. "I was lucky enough to acquire a taste for it in Italy. That was, of course, quite awhile ago." Much longer from today than it was for her, though. "You don't mind?" she asks, moving closer to their table without yet sitting down.

"Mind?" Joshua queries. "Why should we mind?" He smiles and waves to the empty seat. "It's a fine evening and you're quite welcome. The food here is very good." He looks toward ehe front door of the restaurant, in time to see the waiter returning. Joshua signals with a nod that the waiter should come and take an order.

John finishes his interminable crossing of the street, where the traffic light was taking FOREVER, and shag-legs it to where Joshua and Lynwen are eating. Not recognizing the bird with them, the sallow-faced Brit looks left and right and closes on the patio, walking up the short steps with a heavy clomp of his Oxfords on the decking, and heads towards their seat.

"'allo you lot," he greets Joshua and Lyn, hands jammed into his duster pockets. Peggy gets an open head-to-toe and a bawdy wink of greeting. "What are you troublemakers doing today?"

"Mind?" Lynwen frows a little. "Aww, you are welcomed. I have not had it before, or that other desert. There will be more than enough. Besides, Joshua would like to try the coffee and if I try it with him we will be up to greet the dawn." She tells the woman as she goes to take her seat again. She smiles warmly. They are seated on the patio to a small Mom and Pop cafe. Her gaze goes to Joh. "Eating come and join? Practicing too." She says to them all.

Pepper Potts finally finishes the phone call that had kept from so much as ordering a beverage, and she smiles apologetically to the server that had been waiting patiently. The usual very generous tip she normally gives waiters has already increased by nearly double. She shifts slightly in the uncomfortable medical sling supporting her right arm and then winces as something responds to the movement by twinging. And then, as if to make her day even BETTER… she hears THAT VOICE. And she catches a whiff of lingering cigarette smoke. Oh god. Not here. Not now.

"Some people only offer to be polite. Though, with that logic, you may still yet be attempting to be merely polite in insisting I stay." Peggy smiles at the pair and then studies Pepper's arm in a sling. She's met the woman once while drinking with Tony. "Ms. Potts," she nods in greeting. "I hope you're alright?" The sling is given a pointed look. The arrival of John is given a raised eyebrow. It's not exactly a subtle once over he gives her and the woman does not take too it kindly. Immediately assuming he must be some sort of beggar or otherwise bothered passerby, she replies promptly and with her own clipped British accents, a very proper dismissal, "May we help you, sir?"

Joshua shakes his head and taps the table. "If we wanted to be merely polite, we wouldn't have invited you, Carter," he explains. "You're genuinely welcome. A delightful evening like this should be shared and enjoyed." He waves a hand to indicate the quaint outdoor surroundings. He looks to Lynwen and reminds her, "I did suggest wine if you don't want the coffee, love. As for being awake to greet the dawn, that seems appropriate. Yanks do call this the city that never sleeps." He chuckles. The clomping form Constantine draws Joshua's attention, and he waves to the man. "I see that you've managed to dodge New York's finest homicidal drivers!" he calls. When John approaches, Joshua looks from the man to Peggy, and notes her wary look. He remains silent to see what will come of that.

"Blimey, where have /you/ been all my life?" John says, immediately, giving Peggy a thoroughly appreciative examination as he shuffles around the table, finding a stool near Joshua and Lynwen. "Please tell me you're not just a figment of my imagination, telling me it's time to go back to Liverpool."

He blinks when he realizes Pepper is sitting nearby, missed in his evaluation of Peggy's leggy form. "Cor, Pepper, is that you?" he says, dragging heavily on his cigarette. "I haven't see you since that dustup with the Book of Sins. Narsty business. You look a bit peaked, luv. Trip and fall getting out of the shower, bust your wing?" he asks, wiggling his right elbow unconsciously.

"Carter this is John he be a friend." Lynwen says as she looks between John and Carter. A nod and smile is offered to the poor woman seated next to them. They are becoming a lively bunch of Brits. Mind you her own accent sounds like a strange cross between Welsh, Cornish and Norse. She looks to Joshua. "We will get 2 of each?" She asks.

Pepper Potts asks the waiter for a cup of tea — one of the few places she trusts to make a proper cup in her mind — then looks over at Constantine, Ms. Carter, and the couple. It really IS UK hour over there. "Hello." She hesitates to say more because, well, Constantine. Last time she spoke to the man, they had a disagreement.

It does seem as if Pepper is now surrounded by British Isle folks. Luckily, the poor woman has certainly dealt with worse. "Yes, I was just out walking, myself," Peggy tells Joshua with a smile. Instead of having it fade into an angry expression at John's rather forward appraisal of her figure, it brightens. To those who know her, this is dangerous; especially for whoever is on the receiving end of such a thing. "Perhaps I am." Then, a foot expertly snakes out, hooking onto one of the legs of John's stool and yanks. The smile fades back into a very serious expression as she looks at John and tells him in no uncertain terms, "Now, wake up." One thing is clear, she does not like to be ogled.

She looks to Lynwen at her assessment that John is a friend, her look softening, though not seemingly apologetic about her actions. "I see. His manners leave much to be desired," she informs the Welsh woman. She glances at Pepper, though, noticing the woman has yet to explain her injury. That's more worrying than dealing with oglers or niceties.

Joshua's cell phone suddenly intrudes on the quiet, relaxing evening with a harsh alert. Joshua pulls the device from his pocket and peers at it. "Lovely," he laments. He looks apologetically to Lynwen before he sighs and explains, "I'm afraid that we have a small … domestic emergency. Our gardener has arrived twelve hours earlier than we expected. I'm sorry that we must leave in a rush. Please feel free to order whatever you would like for dessert, along with drinks or coffee, as you see fit. It will be on my bill." He signals to the waiter, murmurs a few words to him, and then he with our compliments." He crams the phone into the pocket again. "Never a dull moment," he adds with a shake of his head. He holds Lynwen's chair for her until she, too, is on her feet and nodding to him, ready to leave. "Good evening all!" he calls. Soon, they are walking at a brisk pace, heading toward the nearest subway station.

John's ass hits the ground and a surprised squawk escapes him. He looks around in surprise, then blinks at Peggy. He grins shaggily around his cigarette and leans back, supporting his weight on his palms. "You're a right firecracker, aren't you?" he says, chuckling softly. He looks at Joshuan and Lyn, an eyebrow going up when they leave, then looks at Peggy. "So is this your way of asking a bloke out for a drink, or…?"

Pepper Potts sighs and finally speaks up. "Mr. Constantine, if you would join me over here, please." Please, before Ms. Carter very neatly and politely eviscerates you in the middle of this bistro's patio. She offers Ms. Carter an apologetic look as Lynwen and Joshua take their leave. Today is just not shaping up to be as peaceful as she was hoping for.

Unsure of whether her push of John's chair is the reason for Joshua and Lynwen's sudden exeunt or if there really is an emergency, Peggy frowns just slightly. Then, of course, she rolls her eyes quite fantastically at John's response. Well, at the very least he's committed to his follies, she will give him that. "You have a very strange notion of what an invitation is," she tells him, eyebrow raised.

To Pepper, she gives a warmer smile. "Forgive the intrusion, Ms. Potts. I'll be sure to make it up to you another time. Howard's stocked a lovely selection of teas that we used to drink back in the day." Or, that she used to drink back in the day. Howard was always more into coffee. "You'll have to come by and try them. Have a lovely evening." John, on the other hand, gets no other goodbye before she turns and makes her way back down the street.

John gets to his feet slowly, smacking the dust off his ass. "Hate to see you go, but love to watch you leave!" he calls after Peggy, a sly grin crossing his craggy features. Looking unbothered by his graceless fall (lord knows he's been slapped in bars more than once), he moves to Pepper's table and swings a seat out across from her, hooking his ankle over his knee and slouching comfortably. "So, Pepper, luv. Been a day. How's tricks?" he asks, cigarette wiggling from the side of his mouth.

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