Beach City Grill, Santa Cruz, Friday

[lovemykilt]

Priestly was even bouncier than usual today, taking up space in the sub shop like a giant hyper active ferret.

His cheer was contagious. It even got Trucker grinning, and he'd dealt with early morning crappy waves. Everyone was just pleased to see him look so happy.

Well, except Mr. Julius. Mr. Julius was rolling his eyes every five minutes. Especially once Priestly started trying to rearrange the pots hanging over the stove for "more optimal flow".

[ooc: for one in particular, hurray!]

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[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

A motorcyclist pulled up outside the building, all black leather and boots, with a dark helmet on, and cut the engine to the 'cycle.

[lovemykilt]

Priestly froze at the stove at the sound of the motorcycle, then craned his head around to try and get a good look out the window.

Jen watched the person on the bike with a tilted head. "That's not something you see every day."

Priestly leaned further over the counter.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

The cyclist threw the keys in the air, caught them, then walked into the diner, working at their helmet strap.

Dinah finally got it free, and pulled off the helmet. Gave Priestly a crooked smile. "Hey, dude."

[lovemykilt]

Priestly's wide eyed look turned into a broad grin, and it was only in deference to the limited space behind the counter that he didn't try to vault over the thing. As it was, there was a fair amount of pushing past Jen and getting his apron caught on the counter corner before he actually managed to get over to Dinah and spread his arms.

"I totally knew it was you!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"What, you weren't intimidated? Worried? Even for a second?" Dinah was hugging him hard enough to break ribs in seconds. "Not even a little badass vibe?"

[lovemykilt]

"The badass vibe is how I knew it was you." Priestly glomped back and almost managed to lift her off the floor.

"You look like a hoodlum," said Mr. Julius. Priestly ignored him.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Yay for being here with Priestly. Because otherwise she'd be a wibbling mess.

"I was going for that look," she told Mr. Julius over Priestly's shoulder. Not letting go yet, nope. "And awesome. I had a great drive in, but getting here's the best part."

[lovemykilt]

"Most badasses around here drive SUVs," Jen observed, chewing on the end of her pen. "You rode that all the way from Maryland?"

Priestly blinked, knowing it was a good question. "That . . . just proves how badass she is."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah's eyes widened, and she nodded, then fought the urge to shake her head, and pulled back enough to smile at Jen, arm still around Priestly. "Mmmmm yes. It was great!" Well, the hour she'd been on PCH because Portalocity dropped her south of Santa Cruz was great. "And ew, SUV."

[lovemykilt]

"Priestly has one," Jen said, smirking at him.

"No, I have a jeep. That I bought for, like, 300 bucks. Totally different thing." He turned back to Dinah and grinned. "Oh, so! I bought a jeep!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Oooo! Cool! Without a top, right? It's California, you don't need one. And three hundred? Awesome." She grinned at Jen. "Good to see you too, and hi, and thanks for being okay with me crashing with you guys."

[lovemykilt]

"Uh, no, just a boxy red sucker. With a normal roof." Priestly shrugged. "It'll get me to classes and back, you know?"

"It looks like an SUV," Jen said. "A cheap one."

"It's a jeep."

Jen grinned, making it clear this was a running argument neither of them really cared about. "I'm good. And no problem. You're my favorite of Priestly's high school friends."

"She's almost the only one you've ever met."

"And yet, favorite."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah snickered, relaxing still more. "And she's the favorite of your Santa Cruz friends that I've met. So this really works out." She gave Priestly her most pathetic look. "Foods? Maybe? I haven't eaten since... actually, I don't think I ate today."

[lovemykilt]

Priestly shot her an appalled look. "Am I gonna have to talk to Alfred about making sure you get properly fed when you get home?" He shook his head -- he knew Alfred would make sure of that whether Priestly talked to him or not. "Gimme five minutes and I'll have something hot for ya."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"You rock. But no talking to Alfred! He's already convinced the dorm food will be bad for me and I should have all meals with him and Barbara," Dinah protested, taking a seat at the counter, and shucking off her leather jacket. "I just. You know." Leaving day. Even if she wasn't putting it like that in front of Jen. "Got distracted. And then just wanted to get here."

[lovemykilt]

"Yeah, yeah," Priestly muttered, flipping a spatula one handed and taking up his usual spot by the grill. "And, hey, that might not be a bad idea. Alfred and Barbara are good people."

Mr. Julius leaned over towards Lucille. "When did he become the reasonable one?"

"I heard that, Mr. Julius."

Jen smirked, and Trucker, sitting in the corner looking over the books, just smiled and watched it all with that serene, hippie way of his.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah. And I plan to mooch meals there whenever the cafeteria gets to be too much." Dinah grinned, spinning on the counter stool. She snickered over at Mr. Julius. "He's always reasonable! And often sensible."

Keeping in mind who was talking.

Another spin, and Dinah stopped to wave at Trucker. "Hey. I'm back. And kidnapping Priestly for parts of this week."

[lovemykilt]

Trucker nodded. "So I gathered. Maybe it's time I hired on another employee or two."

"Hey, you can't hire someone without me!" Priestly protested. Everyone in the sub shop gave him a long look. Jen slowly raised her hand. "Okay, so you can't hire someone without me now that I'm on this coast."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah was giggling. "Can I get a vote too? As a concerned customer?"

[lovemykilt]

"Hey now," Trucker said. "Who says hiring is a democratic process?"

Jen, Priestly, Mr. Julius, and Lucille all raised their hands.

". . . Well fine, then."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Yaaaay. Motion carried." Dinah gave another spin on her stool, and grinned over at Trucker. "Sooooo. Talked to Zo lately?"

Distraction from her own break-up woes was so much easier.

[lovemykilt]

Trucker's eyes went sideways and slightly dreamy. Priestly laughed softly. "He's still working on consistently making eye contact."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"This is good!" Dinah said encouragingly. "Progress!" Sort of? "You'll be saying 'hi' to her really soon, I'm sure of it."

[lovemykilt]

"That's 'really soon' on a galactic scale, right?" Priestly grinned. Jen smacked him. Trucker cleared his throat.

"Isn't there cooking to be doing, Priestly?"

"You say that like I can't cook and tease at the same time."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"He multi-tasks," Dinah confirmed. "Didn't you hire him for that?"

Having finally admitted that food was good, she was now eyeing the little creamer cups like she wanted to drink them. And the little jam packets too.