10566/Pizza Time in Old Brooklyn

Pizza Time in Old Brooklyn
Date of Scene:	28 December 2019
Location:	Angelo's Pizza - Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Carlo, the new owner of Angelo's Pizza, meets a couple of interesting customers - Pippi and Alopex! Leonardo skulks in the shadows!
Cast of Characters:	Carlo Paccioretti, Pippi, Leonardo, Alopex

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Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
Saturday evenings are generally busy for Angelo's Pizza, but tonight - Saturday night after Christmas - was a different beast entirely. Sure, there were the occasional deliveries going out and a few pies were consumed by the regulars, but the usual crush of people expected for the dinner rush never materialized. Thankfully, the old man had warned Carlo of such things. The buffet wasn't nearly as full as it would be, and while the ovens were warm, there wasn't going to be any wasted food or, if there was, it'd be very little. Even Gina, the lady who ran the counter while Carlo was in the kitchen, was given the night off to spend with her family in Queens with Carlo's blessing, which meant that it was Carlo cooking, cleaning, and doing everything in the pizza shop this cool December evening.

College Football was playing on the screens, the volume low, and Carlo is sitting idly behind the counter, flipping through the closest TV to see if anything reached out and embraced him. He's open, but the place is realtively deserted.

Pippi has posed:
    Relatively deserted is a good thing. Pippi was snooping around, a 'relatively safe' area to get some training in when it comes to steath and recorn. She shifts her weight on the rooftop, leeaaaaning over as she looks over the alleyway between buildings, her tail drawing up, her ears rising, her brilliant magenta hair peeking out from her dark hood.

    And she leeaaans over, a little bit further --

    Tilts...

        And flops forward, misjudging her balance as the brick she had her hand on comes loose and falls. She windmills, her eyes going wide, attempts to grab on another brick, squeezes it too hard and pulverizes, it, and then gives a small "YIIP!" before she takes a fall, tumbling into a cardboard dumpster, whose lid slams shut.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo was nearby. He was also in the traditional disguise so many abnormal creatures of the world often go with when trying not to stand out: trenchcoat and fedora. Mikey's small enough to get away with a ski coat and knit cap, even with the shell. Donnie's got the height to deal with. Leo and Raph fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to height and size, but there's only so much they can do to avoid standing out.

The thing is, how much longer do they need to worry about it? How much longer /should/ they worry about it? Keeping the lair safe and secret is still paramount, but there are a lot of weird-looking folks topside. How much worse could it be for a few more to come into the open?

Still, it clashes with the ninja mentality. The Shredder operates more in secret than in broad daylight. So do the turtles. Some of these thoughts are interrupted by a couple things: the smell of pizza from the new place they were told of, and the sound of Pippi crashing and burning in the dumpster, leading to a grimace from the ninja turtle. They were on different rooftops, so there was no way to just reach out and stop the fall, so he whisper-shouts, "Pippi! Are you okay?"

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
The building was a bargain when Carlo purchased it, for reasons such as that. There were some repairs to the masonry that were needing to be done, but with the weather being all wintery and Carlo being a new customer, it's taking a while to get someone on the books to come out and give an estimate on the cost of repairs. And with the pizza shop being what it was, the neigborhood wouldn't stand for it to be closed down for repairs so...yeah. Bad bricks. They'll be fixed by spring. Promise.

The bang from the alleyway behind the shop, followed by the yelp of something that sounds like a dog, gets Carlo shaking his head with a sigh. The register drawer is locked with a big padlock and shoved out of the way into another locking spot - just in case this is a diversion to clean out his meager take for the day - and heads to the back alley through the hall. A few flicks of a switch and the floods come on, bathing the alleyway in light. These are mostly used when he gets early morning deliveries or has to take the trash out after closing, but they work just fine. A few more locks on the back door and Carlo steps out into the alleyway, looking at the dumpster and the crumbled bricks on the ground outside of it.

Arriving after Leonardo's call, the alley looks relatively deserted. "Anybody out there?" He calls out in the direction of the dumpster. "If you're hungry, you don't need to dig. Come in, get a slice. Business isn't too busy tonight. Might end up closing early." He

Pippi has posed:
    "'M'okay!" comes a muffled sound from the dumpster, and Pippi's voice can be heared. She shifts her weight in the cardboard, and pokes her head out the dumpster to the direction of Leonardo's voice.

    And then the lights come on. She gives a soft sound, and she ducks back into the cardboard dumpster, the whole thing rattling around -- until the sound of the offering of food.

    ... well, free food?

    The lid of the cardboard dumpster lifts, and the red-and-white face of the canine pokes out, red nose sniffing. Looks like a pitbull fell into the dumpster! ... but from where?

Alopex has posed:
    Somewhere up above, there's a sigh. "More balance training," muses a fox as she peers over the edge of the same building Pippi was on. Leo has already asked the question Pex had, and with the answer offered up, Alopex relaxes. She's not too surprised that someone comes looking in the alleyway, but with what Donnie had mentioned, she's not to worried about it.

Leonardo has posed:
Caution, however, is the name of the game where Leo is concerned. He may be the least likely of the four turtles to be open in public about what they are. Not that he won't act if he feels Pippi is in any sort of danger, but with Alopex also nearby there shouldn't be any trouble dealing with whoever comes out if hostilities are to ensue.

Yet, Donatello didn't seem to think that would be an issue. Leonardo eases back into deeper shadow as Carlo comes outside to inspect the noise, and eyes narrow behind the slits of the blue mask. A moment of truth will be coming shortly as Pippi shows herself.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     Oh, it's just a dog! Carlo is careful - that much Leonardo can certainly tell, judging from the way he checks out the surroundings before stepping into the alleyway towards the cardboard-filled dumpster. "Hey there, pup." Apparently the lights coming from the wall and shining down the alleyway have given the dumpster a measure of shadow - that and the hooded sweatshirt blend to make it look like there's a dog peering out of the dumpster instead of anything different and interesting. "You picked the wrong dumpster to dig around in. Nothing good to eat in there at all." He's unarmed, as far as can be told as he approaches. "Now no biting, okay? Let's get you out and I've got some porchetta scraps that you can have."

     Finally reaching the dumpster, Carlo stands to the side, making sure the puppy-dog eyes see everything he's doing.

Pippi has posed:
    Puppy-dog can see what Carlo's doing and ducks back in, ears drawing back, giving a short lived whine as she lets the lid close. She glances around in the gloom, and bites on the inside of her cheek. She could smoke bomb. She could try and make another escape, and she waits to see if anyone provides distraction before, sheepishly, she speaks out "... actually I fell."

Alopex has posed:
    Well, if Donnie trusted the place, and by extension the detective, maybe they could. She keeps eyes on Carlo as he approaches. When the pup speaks, her eyes slip right back to the pizza fella again. This was the moment..

Leonardo has posed:
Donnie Trust is not Leo Trust, and Leo Trust is on a higher plane of existence.

(Let's not even think about Mikey Trust.)

The eldest of the turtles frowns at the potential mess Pippi's got herself into as Carlo takes note of her, and then she drops the guise and speaks in an entirely different way than he must have been expecting. That moment of truth? Here it is.

Leonardo tenses, waits, but he is poised to leap down at the first sign of danger to Pippi. No doubt Alopex is in a similar mindset, if he knows her like he thinks he does.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
\
     Carlo was reaching for the dumpster lid, thinking how big the dog must be to have a) gotten into the dumpster, b) how strong it must be to lift the lid by straightening its head and c) how bad its sense of smell must be to not know there wasn't any food in there when the voice - a feminine one - comes from inside. He stops and takes a half-step back, his breath billowing steam in the freezing air of the alleyway, looking around, like it might be a hidden camera show from the seventies, before bravely stepping forward again. He must be seeing things. Dog-faced woman? Nah.

     There is a shovel next to the dumpster - which he does not grab - and he moves easily to the side, ready to bolt if whatever is in there decides to come out swinging. "Okay....whoever you are..." He's sounding a tad nervous, but determined. "I'm going to open the top and help you out. Got a few slices you can have if you want 'em. Soda. Warm place to put your feet up for a little while. Friendly neighborhood pizza guy, y'know?" He looks around again, just to be sure, before carefully opening the lid of the dumpster and taking several steps back, like one would if they were expecting a bear or a snake to be inside.

Pippi has posed:
    Might be that Pippi was expecting a bad reaction, because inside, she's poised to take a blow when the lid opens.

    Indeed, it is a dog-faced-woman. Kind of. She's got a lean build, and weas wearing a dark colored hoodie, which now is pulle dback a little bit showing a shock of magenta 'hair' -- curly and going all over the place! -- seen between her arms, which are lifted up over her head to protect her head from getting bonked with shovels! Her muzzle is squareish, and has a scar crossing it where the fur has grown back funny. She wears ripped jeans, her ears were back and her tail was curled.

    "I'm not going to hurt you!" she squeaks out.

Alopex has posed:
    Up on the rooftop, no reindeer fly, rather hands draw close to weapons, waiting to see what comes next. A lid is lifted, no assault is made, but Pippi looks afraid of the man. The fox is ready to jump, to defend, but no, not yet, not now. Seeing the pup so defensive has put Alopex on edge but, no, another moment, just one more moment to see what Carlo does next..

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo maintains a spot across from Alopex, different buildings, but within view of each other. He seeks her out for a moment of eye contact, a hand silently moving in a 'hold' gesture. He is not worried, so much, for Pippi, but probably more now for the guy if he does something foolish.

Instead, he's offering warmth and food? It's a confused expression that forms on the ninja's face, which only Alopex may be privy to at the moment. Regardless, he takes up a new position that puts him in a better place to leap down if need be, still blending in with his surroundings.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     Carlo doesn't fit the mold of the usual counter guy at a pizza shop. Yes, he's got the jeans, the apron, the non-slip shoes, the white t-shirt dusted with cornflour to let the pizzas slide on the floor of the oven, but he's got some heft to him. He definitely works out, judging from the arms and back. The words come out and he bounces up on his toes, peeking over the edge of the dumpster briefly to check that, yes, this does seem to be exactly what's printed on the box, taking another step forward, resting one hand, then the other, on the edge of the dumpster and really looking in to see who's come tumbling down.

     "Hey." Carlo's voice is calm, his head turning this way and that to look around before he speaks again. "I'm not going to hurt you. I make pizzas now. No hurting from me, no hurting from you, okay?" He tilts his head to the side for a second and then hesitatintly reaches in. His left hand is there for Pippi to take and get pulled out, but he's ready to snatch it back in case bites are coming, offering a hand out. "I'm Carlo. I took over Angelo's about a month ago from the old man."

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi's nose twitches. He smells like pizza grease and spicy smoked meats and sweat and corn and flour and even a french fry or two that might have been caught in his shoes at some point. She catches deoderant and handsoap. Her head tilts as her arms draw down slightly, and she wrestles with speaking again or acting Dumb Puppy. She catches the scent of Alopex and Leonardo about, and her ears rise up, slowly coming forward as she blinks and looks up at Carlo.

    Her fingers tap nervously against the cardboard below her.

    "Hi."

Alopex has posed:
    The halt from Leo is noticed, acknowledged, but her focus is only below. She only barely notices it out of her peripheral vision. Carlos doesn't go to attack, Pippi seems to feel safe, and the fox starts to relax. A little. So far so good, it would seem.

Leonardo has posed:
This..is interesting. A normal human, by all accounts, seemingly all right with the idea of a dog-mutant-person. There are bound to be some more accepting than others - just look at Woody, the delivery guy at Rupert's. Still, dogs are seen as cuter than turtles. Even foxes get that 'awwww!' reaction.

Without any attacking going on, Leonardo is content to observe. He can learn a lot alone from simply studying what happens, even if he is never seen. It is..part of their training.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     "Hi." Carlo offers a smile and a hand out for the dog girl to take. "C'mon. Girl like you don't need to be in the trash like that. You want, I can close up the front and you can come and have somethin' to eat, yeah?" He nods towards the open door behind him. "I'll even leave the back door open, so you can come and go as you like."

Pippi has posed:
    There's no warnings, shouts, or Pex-Whistles from above, and Pippi hangs her head a moment, and accepts the hand up. Up and out of the cardboard dumpster, she brushes herself off, standing up straight, her ears swivelling about as she looks up to Carlo. She's only about five feet tall, and her tail draws down, curling slightly as she looks at Carlo cautiously.

    She look up, glancing around -- the offer of food is horribly strong to tempt her, after all, and she exhales as she rubs the back fo her hed, the hood coming down all the way and showing all that bright pink hair.

    "I probably shouldn't." she replies, not looking at him. "They worry."

Alopex has posed:
    Tsk. Now now, Pippi should be happy for the food! Still, the fox smiles at her comment. They do indeed worry, but the man had done nothing to earn Alopex's spite. Probably had done nothing to earn Leo's anger either. Maybe in a moment she'll hop down. It depends on how things continue.

Leonardo has posed:
Of course they worry, but Pippi should know she isn't alone here, and the fact neither of the others have descended to rain fiery vengeance upon poor Carlo should be a good thing. Now, Leonardo comes to perch close to the edge of the roof he's on, the bricks apparently in better shape. Perhaps he'll let Pippi go inside without following.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     "No problem." Carlo takes a step back, being sure that the girl has enough room to go whichever way she wants. "They can come in too. Don't know how Angelo's was under the old man, but with Carlo running the show, anyone who wants to come is more than welcome. C'mon." Carlo motions and starts heading for the back of the pizza shop. "I'ma leave the door open. You want to come in, come on in. You want to go somewhere else, just close the door. Easy enough." he offers a warm smile, scrubbing his right hand through his straight hair, trying to push down a little bit that's sticking up and failing miserably.

     "So, I'ma go in now and put on a meat lovers, clear the place out. I gotta have dinner too, y'know." Carlo grins, walking towards the back, glancing at his watch before lifting that hand in a wave. "I'ma gonna turn off the lights and if you don't come in, I'll close the door in about five. Clemson and Ohio State are about to kick off. Should be a good game." He reaches the door and flips off the floods, the alleyway plunging into darkness. "See you later, miss."

     And in he goes to the lighted hallway of the pizza shop, leaving the red-haired girl in the alley, alone.

Pippi has posed:
    "... I'd sya he's safe." Pippi whispers to the night, and her tail gives a little bit of a wag as she goes , and goes into the light, her tail giving a little bit of a wag as she follows Carlo in after a moment, nails tapping against the tile in the kitchen.

    "My name's Pippi." she states a sshe follows him in, and takes a big, deeeeeeeep breath, her tail giving a wag at the smell of All. That. Food.

    "What's a Clemson and Ohio State?" she questions as she follows, leaving the back door open so that Alopex and Leonardo could come in if they wanted.

Alopex has posed:
    The pizza man seemed to know his current and future clientel. Meat lovers? Pippi's safety plus the name of the fox's preferred pie gets her to drop down, silently, behind the cardboard bunker that Pippi previously played at peeking out from under.

    Not long after the pup has entered, Alopex moves in behind, hood up, taking in the sights, sounds, scents, and the game that's on. Huh. Ohio State was winning. Good on them.

Leonardo has posed:
There is a hint of a relaxation in Leonardo's stance after Carlo's gone inside and Pippi offers her thoughts on the situation. He seeks eye contact with both the fox and the hound before he says, "I'm not ready to let him see me yet, so I'll keep watch up here just in case. If it all checks out, see if you can bring a pizza or two with you. I'm curious to see how he makes them." Leo, ever cautious. He will cover things from outside, make sure it stays safe. Pippi's opinion is one thing, but if Alopex later vouches for the guy as well it will mean more.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     The back of the pizza shop, the part people normally don't see, is a veritable wonderland of cool things. Yes, there's the requisite woodpile for the wood burning oven and the coal pile for the coal burning oven, but there's also a small gym set up in a corner, a locked area with a pretty nice selection of tools - both woodworking and mechanical - and a staircase leading to the second floor which, judging from the locks on it, is where Carlo hangs his hat. And true to his word, once Pippi makes her way into the building, the shop's been closed down. The Open sign has been turned off and the front door locked and the only person inside, is Carlo, busy behind the counter with a round of dough, carefully pressing it out into a circular shape on the counter to start building a Meat Lover's pizza. It's warm in here, thanks to the ovens, the windows at the front foggy from the temperature differential, giving the outside world an ethereal look, made even more magical by the christmas lights strung around the outside, twinkling. It's nice.

     Carlo looks over at the clicking of nails on the tile floor of the restaurant and is pleased to see the red-haired woman carefully approaching. "Good to meet you Pippi. It's Clemson vs. Ohio State in College Football. Not anything I play or even have a bearing on, since my team finished it's bowl game yesterday, but it's a national championship team versus another really good team so, as far as football goes..." He gives the dough a toss stretching it out a little more over the pizza peel in a circular shape, adding tomato sauce with a ladle. "Should be a good game." Toppings are added now. A base of cheese and then meat. Lots of meat. Pepperoni, canadian bacon, sausage, a little chorizo, and crumbles of breakfast bacon are sprinkled liberally over the top. A few bits are shifted around, a little more cheese goes over the top, Pippi gets a look to make sure there's enough meat and, if there is, the whole thing goes into the oven to bake for ten minutes or so.

Pippi has posed:
    "What's a bowl game? Is it played in a bowl, like a cereal bowl? Or a fish bowl? Are they bowling with their feet? Is that footbowl?" Pippi questions, rapid-fire as she just pulls up a stool and watches, her nose twitching at all the smells and sight of the shop, as Carlo makes the pizza up. So. Much. Meat.

    Pippi is checking all around, supicious, slightly, of the invitation into the restaurant. The last time she was in one, after all... waaaas not a good time.

    "I make pizza sometimes at home. I tried to make one with tacos, but it just got all soggy from the cheese." she explains thoughtfully, giving a little wag of her tail.

Alopex has posed:
    Realizing just wandering in without a word of warning may be a bad idea, even if Carlo is expecting it, Alopex decides to speak up, "Soggy, but with good intentions," Alopex offers as she comes in from the same direction as the others. As she comes into view, the fox holds up both her hands, hoping to show she means no harm. "I'm one of 'they' that worry. Sometimes," she says before looking over at Pip. "And honestly, why worry so much about free food, hmm?" grin. "He's nice. And I wouldn't turn down free food, that's for sure."

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     Apparently that's enough meat but Carlo adds on just a little more to be sure, putting the peel back in its cradle and leaning against the counter, answering all of Pippi's questions as if it's an everyday thing. "It's played in a stadium without a roof, which is called a bowl in slang, but it's also the name of the series of games they're playing. It's football, so nothing with feet aside from kickoffs, extra points, and punts."

Carlo reaches in after a moment with the peel and turns the pizza in the oven, checking the crust on the bottom to make sure it's browning properly, then turns back to Pippi. "You've got to start simple with pizza. If you can't do dough like we do here, you can get away with a big tortilla or Naan bread from the indian place down the road. Aditya runs the place. Good guy."

     The voice from the back room has Carlo leaning back to look over the counter towards the back. There's no dark void in the back, so the door got shut behind the second person. "Pleasure. Any more coming in? I figure this one pie'll handle us three, but if more come in, I may have to throw another one in." He wipes his hands on a towel and offers his right hand. "Carlo Paccioretti, at your service. I guess you an' Pippi pal around?"

Pippi has posed:
    "This is Alopex. She's my older sister and teacher. Kinda. It's complicated."

    The canine's nose sniffs at the back. "I don't think anyone else is coming, though. Leo must have dragged Mikey off by the hood." she jokes, and she gives a soft cough, and then expounds:

    "Ah... no, I used tacos, crunchy tacos, as the topping. Along with sausage and scrambled eggs." she gives a wry grin, her canine teeth being shown off. How does she *talk* through those?

Alopex has posed:
    The fox shakes her head, "No, I think the other is, well, being cautious. It's his way of things," she admits as she takes a place beside Pippi. Considering the pup was in full view, the fox pulls down her hood a moment later. Arctic fox with a particular bit of purple paint around her eyes. "Nice to meet you, Carlo. I go by Alopex," she introduces. "And ah, you could say that. We have led .. somewhat similar lives."
    A smile is given the pup. "That's probably likely, or they could still be outside and Mike could be making a fuss about not getting some pie," she shrugs, looking back to Carlo. "One should be fine. Thank you." No need to bring up burger bias, tonight. Free food is always good food.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     First day he gets a trenchcoat-wearing guy with two fingers and green skin and his monkey friend, a few days later he gets a fox and a mix between a pit bull and a poodle that both speak pretty decent English and apparently enjoy pizza. Brooklyn, man. What can you say?

     "Allopex. Pippi." Carlo looks from one to the other to be sure he has the names correct, pulling out the pizza and slapping it on a big aluminum tray after slicing it into eight equal slices with one of those giant knife things that live behind the counter at every pizza shop. "Crunchy is tough to do with a home oven. The coal ones that I have get hot enough to cook the pizza fast without letting whatever's sitting on top get too soggy, but having something like this for home cooking is a little tough." He slaps the side of the brick oven with a grin, lifting the pizza up now that's it's cooled enough to be touched and carrying it triumphantly to the one table he has left set up, right beneath a light, where the pizza goes, almost like a museum presentation. Plates and napkins are set out, too. "Go ahead and take a seat and start. I'm gonna grab a bottle of coke. You two want anything? Water? Juice? Soda?" He's giving them options!

     "Can't say I know what your lives were like before now. At least you got each other and whoever Leo and Mike are now, right?" Optimism!

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi's ears draw forward as the table's set up,and she breathes out a moment, sniffing as she turns to Alopex, and asks "Can I have a soda pop?" in a hopeful voice, her tail wagging before she turns and asks: "Do you have grape? I haven't had a grape soda in for/ever/." she replies, and she goes to sit down, looking over the meat pizza and wiggling her fingers a moment, but she waits, politely, for their host.

    "See? Donnie was right, this guy's okay!"

Alopex has posed:
    "Iced tea, if you don't mind?" Alopex asks. Every parlor was different, burger, pizza, or otherwise. "This is a very nice place you have, Carlo. I've come by it a few times but I've never been inside. The family we are a part of truly adores their pizza, one far more than the others, and I don't mind it either, but my biases lay elsewhere. I hope you don't mind my honesty.. .that being said though? Not many places offer chorizo. You, sir, found my little secret." then she asides to Pip, "Don't tell Mike."

    At the question, the fox can't help but smile, "Certainly. I'm not about to impede your desires when it all comes free, Pippi," she suggests before picking up a slice for herself. As she nomfs, there's a nod of agreement. Donatello was indeed correct, Carlo was a good person, and had good taste in what toppings he had for pizza. Oh yes. Yes indeed.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     "One grape, one iced tea coming up." Carlo calls from by the cooler in the back as ice is gotten in glasses, tea is filled and a glass bottle of grape soda is rescued from obscurity in its slot in the refrigerated cabinet. After a few seconds Carlo comes back, triumphant, with his bounty. Pippi gets a glass of ice and a grape soda in a bottle, while Alopex gets a glass of iced tea with lemon, sugar, and a spoon on the side, for her to doctor as she pleases. Carlo sits down in the third chair by the counter with a glass bottle of Mexican Coke - at least that's what it looks like thanks to the spanish writing on the outside. Medio Litre, anyone?

     "Pizza isn't for everyone, that's for sure. It's just what keeps the lights on and the TV running." The game is muted so conversation can be had while they eat. Pippi is served a steaming slice, Carlo getting one for himself. Alopex already started so she gets a napkin box slid over, just in case there's too much grease to be had which, to be fair, is a possibility with Chorizo. "That said, I'm wanting to do a couple of things. Change the menu up every once in a while. Do chopped cheese. Burgers. Smoke chickens and brisket. I've got the room in the warehouse to set up all sorts of intersting things on a cycle. Make this place the go-to for when you're hungry for different things. Do different things but do them well. Kind of a challenge."

     Carlo lifts up his pizza and takes a bite, chasing it with a sip of soda.

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi crosses her heart with her finger at the mere idea of keeping a secret from Mikey about the spicy sausage topping was enough. She exhales, and rubs the back of ehr neck a little bit before she pulls her slice and takes a big nomf out of it, unbothered by cheese or spiciness.

    "OOH OOH!" she states, with her mouth full, and then swallows. "Pierogies! There's a polish place up the block that makes them with buffalo chicken! Which tastes different than buffalo buffalo, but beside the point. Pierogie pizza! Or take a chicken, bone it, smoke it, and /stuff it with another slightly smaller, deepfried chicken/!" she offers.

Alopex has posed:
    Creative pup, that's Pippi. "Mm, burgers. Now that's different, and you'll have me marching right back in here if you can get a little creative with that. Used to know a really good place when the F... when I was on assignment pretty far off one time. It's where I got my taste for them. Miss it, wish I could remember where it was," the fox muses, ending with a sigh before chasing the pizza and the feeling down with the tea. "Mm, well measured," she comments on the tea before settling back against her chair for another bite.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     "I could just hit the button, but it steeps for too long for my taste. Five minutes thirty seconds, give or take a few seconds for a perfect carafe that'll last me the afternoon. Not a lot of iced tea drinkers up here. Guess it's a Southern thing." Carlo shrugs and takes another bite. Pippi's enthusiastic suggestions have Carlo grabbing for a notepad to jot these down. "I've done pizza with Tortelini on top - those little knots with cheese in them - but perogies....hmm...or chinese dumplings, even. Change up the stuffing. Even end up doing something really cool, like a Butter Chicken Perogie pizza." SCIENCE MAY HAVE GONE TOO FAR!

     Pippi's suggestion about the smoked chicken stuffed with a fried chicken may take a little more doing....a one-off experiment, sure, but maybe not a usual thing if he can't figure it out.

     Burgers though, Carlo can do pretty well, despite the pizza. Coming through the back, Alopex might have seen the grill set up to use wood and charcoal to cook them, so chances are he can sling a tasty burger. "You want potato roll, cibatta, or something with a little more heft? How about the meat? I generally do an 80/20 but I've tinkered with other things, like venison and Chorizo." He lifts the pizza to underline, taking another bite. "Can even do the onion burgers I used to have when I went through Oklahoma for training." Carlo grins. "You hang out here, I feed you good." Despite being a dog-woman or a fox-woman, it seems.

Pippi has posed:
    Pippi nomfs more on the pizza, content to just eat something fresh in a place that does not smell like a sewer. "What's butter chicken? Is that... just what it sounds like?" she questions, and leans back a moment to let her stomach settle -- so much grease.

    'So, you were in Oklahoma? Training for what? Football? Foozball? Cowboy training?" she questions, her ears drawing forward. "What's an 80/20?"

Alopex has posed:
    Noms. Blinks. Perked ears give away Alopex's sudden interest. "I like this one," she says to Pippi non-chalantly before biting into the slice again. It's quite a compliment, one Pippi may recognize more quickly then Carlo. "Mm, I just always prefered tea. It may be a thing further south in america but I blame the more... far-eastern training I've had for it," she explains before sipping at it again. At this point she's happy to just listen a bit.

Carlo Paccioretti has posed:
     "Military, mostly, Pippi. I was in the Air Force and retired about a year ago when they moved me from Italy to Germany. I had enough time in so.." Carlo shrugs with one shoulder, folding his pizza over and devouring the rest in three bites. "I came back home to Brooklyn. As far as Butter Chicken goes? It's...." He thinks for a moment. "It's a spicy tomato-based sauce with a lot of butter and some indian herbs and spices in it to make it taste really good. You eat it over rice. I was thinking of putting that chicken and sauce inside the perogie and doing that on the pizza. Just really mix the worlds up a little. And 80/20 is the amount of meat and fat I put in a burger. Kind of a standard blend."

     Claiming a second slice, Carlo leans back and crosses one leg over the other, glancing at the score of the game that he's not really paying attention to just so he'll know when the locals come in talking about football in the morning. Did you see that ludicrous display last night? They should have kicked that field goal. It was a travesty. Or something like that. "I never got a taste for tea. I mean, I know it's a thing in England, but I'll drink it cold, like that, and I like to smell it, but I guess my taste buds are burned out from too much beer and rich food in my time in the military."

Pippi has posed:
    "I like the tea that Sensei drinks. It smells nice. THere's some that smell more like flowers, or fruit. Some smells spicy. Mint's okay, but I don't like sweet tea. It's too sweet. It makes my nose feel funny." Pippi's muzzle wrinkles as she considers, that red nose giving another twitch. "I like water. Or blue slurpee. Or grape soda."