Hong Kong, Tuesday evening

[lovemykilt]

"Look," Priestly said. He'd finally managed to scrape together enough money for a long distance phone card and had, naturally, immediately called the Beach City Grill. "You guys can't keep sending me money. You're both broke, too. Unless Trucker decided to give you raises."

"Who?" asked Jen. Priestly pinched his nose and successfully resisted the urge to throw his phone against a wall.

"Is Priestly talking about his imaginary friends again?" asked Tish in the background.

"They're not -- aaaaggggh!" Priestly groaned. It was no use, he'd tried explaining it to them any number of times before, ever since they first started denying the existence of his mother. "Look, is Zo around? Does she still exist?"

"The crystal lady across the street?"

Priestly pumped his fist in the air.

"We haven't seen her in weeks. She put up a sign saying 'closed for the apocalypse' and stopped coming in."

The fist came back down. Priestly gaped at the phone.

"How are you doing on getting home? We're really worried about you, Priestly. Even Tish."

"Not 'cause I like you or anything!" Tish called in the background.

"I'm in Hong Kong," Priestly said. "I managed to hop a boat. I'm going to see if I can make it to Japan. I may or may not have a friend there, depending on the dimensions."

Jen sighed. Talking about dimensions wasn't helping her thinking he'd had a psychotic break. "Maybe you should just try to get deported."

"Maybe you should try figuring out where my mom and dad, Mr. Julius, Camille, Trucker, and half the population of Santa Cruz went."

"I'm serious, Priestly."

"I'm running out of minutes."

"Well, call us back when you've figured out what you're doing next, okay?"

"I told you, I'm going to Japan."

"I don't know where that is. Priestly? Priestly, are you still there? Priestly?"

Priestly stopped banging his head on the wall. "Yeah, Jen. I'm still here. Even if no one else is."

[ooc: It's fun to be evil! Open for any pan-dimensional phone calls.]

Comments

[lovemykilt]

"No lectures. But if if happens too much, I might have to steal your cookware."

[heromaniac]

... "I'm supposed to have cookware? I usually just use whatever I can find in the kitchen I'm in. Like, a frying pan, or something. Should I have my own?"

[lovemykilt]

Priestly needed to remind himself sometimes that not everyone was obsessed with cooking food. "I guess not."

[heromaniac]

"Is that why I don't cook very well?!"

THIS TOTALLY EXPLAINED EVERYTHING!

"Is there, like, a starter kit or something? I can get one! I probably need to find a cooking store or something, right?"

She was TOTALLY calling Karla next, to tell her!

[lovemykilt]

Priestly had a feeling he might have created a monster. "Um, well, cookware can be a factor." How to put this diplomatically? "Also, there's recipes and timing and patience and stuff."

[heromaniac]

"I have recipes." Notice she didn't say she had patience? "I can make chili and some cupcakes and fortune cookies (if I don't put the paper inside) and a really bland enchilada. Oh! And tako-san weiners. Everything else..." She shrugged. "But I try!"

[lovemykilt]

"Oh, and ingredients." That would explain the bland enchilada, anyway.

He hoped.

"You do! And I'm sure you're great!" Priestly had never tried anything she cooked. "Just, you know . . . Cajun style sometimes."

[heromaniac]

"Cajun-style?" Momoko was confused. "I should try making jambalaya? I mean, I guess. I can make rice. If I have a rice cooker, I mean."

[lovemykilt]

"Uh, blackened. It's not important. Rice is good."

[heromaniac]

"It is! But..." Now Momoko was really confused. "Why would I make black rice? Is that even possible? I guess I could burn it, but burned rice tastes horrible. Do they really use burned rice in New Orleans?"

[lovemykilt]

"Right, so I'm making a mental note not to joke about various American food styles," Priestly said. "No. Don't burn rice. On purpose."

[heromaniac]

"You and Jaime both. I am from Japan, remember?" Momoko laughed at that. "No black rice, I promise. I will totally be looking up more about New Orleans food, now, though."

[lovemykilt]

"Tell you what, next time we're hanging out, I'll make some gumbo for you. Or a muffaletta."

[heromaniac]

"You can't tease me about food, Priestly. I will totally hold you to that!" Mmmmm. Priestly food.

[lovemykilt]

"Hey, I never promise food I can't deliver. Just, you know, maybe not when the universe might be ending."

[heromaniac]

"Hey," she made sure her voice was upbeat. "The universe totally can't end. I've been saving up for this totally cute new jacket I saw with Dinah last week!"