nextgenerationmarvel | Shopping in Soho (Open to New Yorkers)

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Shopping in Soho (Open to New Yorkers)

Alexander Aaron's visit to his sister went well, but now he needed to actually get settled in and the first thing he needed to do was buy clothing and get to know the competition. Humans had issues with nudity and Alex figured it best to subscribe to their rules for as long as he was on their plane of existence. He also needed things like a car and a more permanent place to live, but one thing at a time.

He headed to a tailor and get his measurements done and look over his choices. Eventually, he'd design his own clothing but he also needed to go over materials as well.

The attendant helping him was clearly fawning over him but Alexander ignored it, hoping he could get through this shop and head to the next one as soon as possible.

"Can you bring over something in grey? And a few ties as well?" he asked her. She hastened to obey.

Sometimes, Earth wasn't so bad.

The fitting ended and Alexander left with several suits and the attendant's phone number. Finding himself hungry, Alex stopped at a local restaurant to get something to eat. He remembered that all of the really terrible Earth food was really good, but the pricier items left a lot to be desired. He sat down at a table started out with some tea, deciding that he'd have something stronger in a bit.

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Marcelo Alencar da Silva was in a bit of a rush. Unlike his lunch breaks back home in Brazil, he crammed a lot of things to do in his lunch breaks in the States. It helped cover some of the personal life tasks he missed while out patrolling. Today, his schedule was not working out correctly.

He had gone to pick up a couple suits for some business meetings later in the week. The attendants had been slow after talking about some good-looking man who had been in. Marcelo's day was tightly packed. He was going to have to grab something nearby to eat and skip out on any restaurant that was not on the way back to Veridian Dynamics.

There was a restaurant nearby with a dark-haired man sitting in outside patio portion. The place did not serve Brazilian food, most likely, but it would be something to eat. He headed toward it to get lunch. He checked his watch. He could squeeze it in.

Alexander was enjoying his tea when he noticed the man heading into the restaurant in something of a hurry. He only caught Alexander's attention because he was checking his watch and Alexander chose to watch him, if only because he liked to watch people to see what made them tick.

Idly, Alexander's mind wandered toward the banks he'd have to approach for loans regarding his idea. True, he could probably finance the entire thing himself but that would draw attention to him and he wanted to keep a lid on his semi-divinity. He was going to try to fit in out of respect for Roxanne and her life on this world.

He didn't know how well it would work, but he would try for his sister and maybe himself, though he'd never admit it.

He continued watching his chosen person as he finished his first cup of tea.

One thing Marcelo had picked up as a costumed vigilante on New York's streets was an occasional sense that someone was watching him. Usually people were staring at the man dressed like a giant bat. It caught his attention more when he felt he was being watched as a business man.

Marcelo slowed down on his way to the door. He stopped before he could reach for the handle. A turn on his heel let him more easily see the dark-haired man watching him.

He raised an eyebrow as he tried to figure out if he had run across this man before.

When Marcelo turned to look directly at him, Alexander couldn't help but feel a tingle of...surprise? Grudging admiration? Few humans were so perceptive as to pick him out of a crowd. There was something special about this one indeed.

When Marcelo raised his eyebrow at him, Alexander responded by raising his teacup in the other man's direction in a salute, before returning to his tea. Then an idea hit him.

He looked back at the other man gestured toward the empty chair at his table, offering him a seat.

He wasn't placing the stranger, but he was being offered a seat. Well, there was one way to find out.

Marcelo made his way over to the man at the table. "Do I know you?"

He made no move to sit down until there was some sort of recognition or introduction.

"Suspicion. Very good. I expected that. No, we don't know each other but I think we should remedy that. My name is Alexander Aaron. I'm new in New York and hoping to meet new people and maybe make a friend or two." he said simply.

"You picked me out of a crowd, watching you silently, from several feet away. I've watched better trained people walk right past me without so much as a backward glance. That signals to me that you're a remarkable individual and I like those sorts. This place is a bit crowded and I've got a spare chair at my table. Care to join me for a bit?" he asked, signaling the waiter.

He was not sure of being told it was very good to be suspicious of someone he just met. Though this was better than being yelled at by a blonde ghost for dropping a dinosaur through her.

"Marcelo Alencar da Silva," he introduced himself as he settled into the chair. He did nothing to mask his Brazilian accent since he was not in vigilante uniform. "I'm usually suspicious of anyone staring at me who is not female."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marcelo Alencar da Silva" Alexander said, placing the accentuation perfectly. "May I call you Marcelo? Please call me Alexander." he smiled. "I like to watch people from time to time. Most of the people I see have no purpose or desire. They're just moving about aimlessly, absorbed in their own little worlds." he said.

"But /you/ were moving with purpose and direction. You have somewhere to be and it caught my attention. Not only that, you stopped midway through to notice someone who was watching you. You look like a man people should know, so I availed myself of the chance." Alexander said with a smile.

"You are from South America. That accent is Brazilian, if I don't miss my guess. Brazil's a nice place. I've seen Rio de Janeiro a lot more than I should have. Good times." he said, remembering some of the parties he's had with the gods there. They almost made Olympian get-togethers look like slumber parties. Almost.

The waiter arrived at their table.

"What can I get started for you two gentlemen?" he asked.

Alexander gestured to Marcelo, letting him go first.

Marcelo was trying to place where he had heard this kind of tone before. It was something he vaguely remembered from somewhere.

"I am somewhat known around here." He shrugged. "In business and social circles, but I don't go out of my way for it. I figured when I came here to not try to one up Tony Stark, I would get my own claim to international business in time. And yes, Brazil is my homeland. Though pardon me for not being able to pick out where you come from."

He looked over at the waiter. He had no idea what this place served. "Whatever the special is today and a water."

"Ah, you know businesspeople? That's interesting. I'm looking to start a business myself, which is why I came to New York." Alexander said as Marcelo ordered. When the waiter turned to him, Alexander ordered the lobster bisque and a water, before returning to his conversation.

"I'm Greek." Alexander said simply. It was true enough, being an Olympian and considering the location of the portal to Olympus.

"I've heard stories about Tony Stark, not all of them bad and you're right. There's no reason to try to outdo the man; he's not a spring chicken anymore and he's going to have to hang it up sooner or later. If someone with his drive and ability comes along, they'll have no problem matching or exceeding his success." Alexander said, taking another sip of tea. He liked watching the wheels in this man's head work as he tried to figure out just what was going on.

He also had to admit that he dug Marcelo's hairstyle. Few could pull off such a style but he did it well. He looked like he'd be fun to design for.

"What kind of business do you do, if you don't mind my asking?"

Danielle had made her way to town to see her cousin. But she was hungry. So hungry. And the scents from that place were wonderful.

...she regretted not making herself go to town more; she still knew so little about how you did this sort of thing with strangers. Annie at the Chalk and Cheese always just handled the prices later with Granny when she gave the pups food. Still, she drew herself up, took the piece of silver-colored plastic out of her bag, and strode forward to ask the gentlemen setting at the table. "Excsue me. From whom do I buy food, please?"

"Yes, I know..." Marcelo trailed off when the young lady with a credit card came up to the table.

"I..." He scratched his eyebrow. This was the usual kind of loop he went through around Stephanie and her mutant powers. It made the world loop so.

"There's waiters inside and possibly a get food to go counter?" He didn't sound sure because it was so simple of a request that sounded so odd.

The young woman took Alexander by surprise as well. Even he, with his admitted lack of savvy in the human world in several areas, knew how a restaurant worked. This young woman looked like she might have fallen off the truck right before them. There was something about her that raised a flag, as humans said it, in the back of his mind.

"A waiter is actually coming back here shortly. You could wait here for him or, as my companion said, you could head inside." Alexander said.

Then he thought it over quickly. She might just move on to another hapless table with her questions and get little more than blank stares.

"Why don't you have a seat with us until the waiter gets here, Miss...?"

She listened to both of them, nodding and saying "Thanks." At the suggestion, she compliantly sat down, still holding the credit card in front of her with both hands. "Danielle. Danielle Hrimharisdottir."

"Interesting surname," Marcelo commented. He was going to say 'name,' but the way she didn't know the basics of how a restaurant worked lead him to believe she would think he meant the 'Danielle' part.

"This your first time in the city...?"

Alexander's face darkened a bit when he heard Danielle's surname. He knew an Aesir name when he heard it and /that/ particular name was one of impeccable repute even among the Olympians. So when Alexander recognizes that he'd just invited the daughter of the Wolf Prince of Asgard to sit down to a meal with him, he has to suppress the urge not to slap himself.

If he offered her any offense, she might inform her father. Who /might/ offer the courtesy of informing his father and grandfather of said offense before ripping his throat out. That was a big might.

Alexander sits quietly for a moment and lets Marcelo field this one. If this man did offer offense, she might only maul him beyond recognition instead of killing him.

Oh, Danielle knew she had an interesting first name. Of her sibilings, Aslakr and Tyrulfa were the 'normal-sounding' ones. " 'Tis a patronymic."

"Second. I've been at school in Westchester for a few months, but I dinna get out much. I was just going to go straight to my cousin's but I smelled this, and I'm just very hungry. Terribly sorry if I've interrupted."

"Ah. So daughter of..." He trailed off because while she said it with all due ease, he was likely to butcher it. "I see. Very nice."

He paused at the mention of school in Westchester. It distracted him from Alexander going suddenly quiet. He knew of one school there. Though the woman he had dated from there was not quite as disconnected from New York societal norms. "Xavier's? And don't worry about interrupting. We were just having light conversation about places of origin and business."

Alexander noted the name of the school. Xavier's. He didn't understand why a child of Hrimhari would be attending a school but perhaps she'd been exiled, like him. Or there was another purpose for it. However, now Alexander knew where to look should he need to find her again.

"Yes, Marcelo and I were just conversing. It's not intrusion at all." Alexander said, passing her a menu.

"You might want to take a look so that you know what you want when the waiter arrives." he said, smiling.

Was this his grandfather's doing? Or was this something more sinister? Alexander couldn't believe it was coincidence. The worlds were far too small for that.

"Aye, Xavier's. It's very lovely. Since I got there at Christmas, I've barely left the grounds. Dinna ken much about most cities." How did people bear the smell, when it wasn't covered up by such delicious food?

She thanks the person who isn't Marcelo for the menu, looking over it. When the waiter does return, she'll ask for "The roast beef sandwich. And the roast turkey sandwich. And the egg and cheese crepes. And a ginger ale, please." She'll start to hand the waiter her credit card, but that apparently can wait.

"So, I've heard about it. I'm on good terms with an alumnus. She graduated from there a bit ago." He gave the waiter a bit of grin. He had heard orders like that before. It would be fine.

He glanced toward Alexander and almost did a double take at the other man's expression. Well, this was not turning out to be a simple lunch where he got hit up for something business related.

The appetites of the Aesir, for food and otherwise, were legendary and Danielle brought great credit to her people in that regard. He barely suppressed a chuckle at the among of food she ordered. The waiter's eyes rose in surprise but he hastened to obey.

"Cities can be confusing. Are you meeting someone here or did you just happen to find this place by chance?" Alexander asked.

"Och, that's wonderful," she tells Marcelo. " 'Tis a great school. My mum went, and her classmates teach there now. What's her name, th - yuir friend?"

"Aye, ver' confusing." Then she shook her head. "It was just on the way to my cousin Nicky's and smelled nice."

"Stephanie Shaw," he answered. Though all the information he had just been given about Danielle's mother and mother's classmates did not mean a thing to him. It was a school for mutants in his mind and as long as Danielle didn't try to eat his head, shoot lasers into his chest, or something else personally destructive, he was fine.

Alexander listened to the two discuss this school that Marcelo's friend went to. He knew nothing about it but it seemed that Marcelo did and that was of interest.

The waiter returned with Marcelo's and Alexander's meals, and indicated that the first part of Danielle's would be brought out shortly.

"Tell me, Marcelo, how do you feel about fashion? You look like a man who knows how to dress. Do you enjoy suits, casual wear or something else?" he asked.

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