fandomtownies | Pizza Planet, Saturday Evening

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Pizza Planet, Saturday Evening

Leto had suggested pizza for his dinner with Turtle, and she hadn't objected to this choice. So here they were, seated at a table and looking through the menus. Of course, this was a business dinner, so Leto assumed she was going to persuade him to vote for her later, but that would most likely provide entertaining conversation. Despite this being merely a business dinner, he had dressed up a little, although perhaps Turtle wouldn't be familiar enough with Arrakeen fashions to notice. He wasn't wearing a hat, after all.

"So, what would you like?" he asked, smiling at Turtle over the menu.

[Leto is here with Turtle but the place is open]

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And, despite this definitely being a business dinner (she was writing it off on her taxes to prove it and everything), Turtle, too, seemed to have dressed up, in green, as usual, but entirely to make herself look more presentable as a candidate, really. The fact that it was decidedly very cute was just a reflection of the fact that she was playing up her cute youthfulness, married so well with her professionalism, to her advantage.

Really.

"Bacon," she decided, because, no, there could never be enough bacon in one's life. "Bacon and pepperoni, maybe extra cheese. That's probably my favorite. But you should pick, Leto. I grew up with pizza; they didn't really have it where you're from, to my recollection."

"No, Ghani introduced me to pizza after I arrived here. But I have never tried bacon and pepperoni pizza, so I will trust your judgement on this." He gestured for the waiter that they were ready to order. "And to drink?"

"Root beer," Turtle said, without missing a beat or bothering to think, and grinning. "Root beer's great to have with pizza, especially bacon and pepperoni."

"I don't think I've tried that," Leto replied, but he ordered two root beers together with the pizza. "Anything else?" He grinned back at Turtle.

Turtle actually did take a second with that one, but then she remembered she was trying to write this off anyway and, besides, she had plenty of money.

"Cheesy bread," she decided with a nod. "You can't really call it a pizza dinner without the cheesy bread, too."

"Of course not," he said with another grin and added that to the order. When the waiter had left them, Leto continued: "And before we start with polite conversation I have to say that that dress really suits you." He gave her a look that reinforced this statement.

"Well, thank you," Turtle said, straightening with appreciation and pride and giving a prim, professional nod. "I feel that green usually does. Not only is it my favorite color, but it also brings out my eyes. Not all of us are graced with ones that stand out so well on their own."

He chuckled. "Well, it's a matter of context. They don't stand out on Arrakis." He paused, then added: "How has your week been?"

"Productive," Turtle said, with a thoughtful tilt of her head. "And the break from radio last night was particularly nice. Sookie was making a really good breakfast dinner in the common room, and I was actually around to enjoy it, plus, I'm making up for some bad karma by helping Mr. Halpert as TA. I don't really believe in karma, but it's a nice peace of mind. How has yours been, Leto?"

"Ah, yes. Valentine mentioned you did radio together," he said, smiling. "Karma? I didn't know you had an interest in Indian religions. Any particular reason you wouldn't have peace of mind?"

Not that he could really imagine Turtle being very peaceful, but still.

"I've had a quiet week. My roommate returned after some strange adventure. My classes seem interesting. I've spoken to some friend. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Which classes are you taking?" Turtle asked, head tilting with the idle, polite conversation. Maybe not necessarily so idle; she didn't understand it, but, somehow, the attempt to maintain a perfectly normal and respectable conversation with Leto seemed like such a thrilling accomplishment. "And I don't know if it's really conducive to my campaign to talk too much about the mistakes I've made, but I can say that I've made them, because I'm just human, and it's nice to have the opportunity to sort of correct things, in a grand scheme of things, since Mr. Halpert isn't the same Jim I knew a little over two years ago."

"Logic, Reason and Critical Thinking for Miss Bennet and Oceanography for Miss Summer," he replied. "And why are you emphasizing Mr Halpert's title?" Leto couldn't resist asking.

The waiter brought their root beers.

"I didn't mean to ask for a confession, but some mistakes are suitable for dinner conversations," he continued, then sipped the drink and made an odd face.

Turtle shrugged. "He said it seems weird having me calling him Jim. I think it's weird calling him Mr. Halpert, but he sort of had the trump card in that he's the teacher. It's still weird, though. A younger version of him that is actually completely different from his current self used to go here."

And then she quirked an eyebrow at the look on Leto's face.

"It's an acquired taste?" she offered.

"I believe it is," Leto replied, attempting a second sip. "So, another case of Fandom and different timelines and universes?"

Then he made a sudden change of topic: "I brought a gift for you."

"A gift?" Turtle's eyebrows lifted, surprised enough to distract her from the other thread of conversation, because what the heck would he bring a gift for? You didn't bring gifts to business meetings. Business cards, maybe, but not gifts. She blinked a little, shook her head.

"And, yeah, different universe-slash-dimension thingwhat'dyoubringagiftfor?"

Yeah, it kind of jumbled together in the end, there."

"It's a polite thing to do," Leto replied. "And it's often used to signify a political agreement. Or the hope for it."

He placed a small box wrapped in gold paper on the table.

"I didn't realize that's how they did it on Arrakis," Turtle said, staring at the little gold box for a moment. "I mean, here, someone gives you a gift in a political agreement and you could get in big trouble for it."

"Bribery?" Leto raised an eyebrow. "Well, this isn't a bribe." Unless you considered small vibrating fish as bribes. "My father was once given a Tleilaxu Ghola. That was a trap rather than a bribe. There are many reasons for giving gifts."

Turtle eyes Leto a little bit more over the table.

"So you're saying it's a trap?"

"No, I'm saying a gift can be many things," he replied. "But this one is certainly not a trap, or a bribe."

Turtle eyed the box now, but then she nodded. "Of course, this means I'll have to return the favor with a gift sometime soon, as well," she mused aloud, "but, for now, thank you, Leto; that's very considerate of you." She moved the box closer to her. "I am sorry that I didn't have the foresight to bring something for you, but that just means you can't argue when I insist on picking up the check."

"I hadn't expected you to," he said, "And we can discuss the check later. For now, let's enjoy food and conversation."

The waiter approached their table with the pizzas.

"Do you want me to open the present now?" Turtle wondered, shifting things so that there was plenty of room for the waiter to set their pizza down. "Or after dinner?"

"What would you prefer?" he asked, nodding a thanks to the waiter. "It's your choice. I don't know the custom for that here."

Turtle took a moment to consider it. "After," she decided. "Otherwise I'd just get pizza grease on it, and it'll give me something to look forward to. Not to say, of course, that I don't have an excellent conversation to look forward to already."

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