Beach City Grill, Santa Cruz, Sunday evening

[lovemykilt]

Priestly was just about buzzing. He was hanging out in one of his favorite places with three of his favorite ladies, and his best friend would be arriving momentarily to spend a whole week hanging out. He was pretty sure he'd gone from excited to completely obnoxious about three hours ago, but even Tish was just looking kind of amused at him.

When he was distracted enough to burn the sub he was making for Piper for dinner, he groaned sheepishly. "Sorry," he said. "I'm a little. . . ."

"It's cool." Piper grinned back. "I'm excited, too. I'm really looking forward to meeting her."

"I told you you look like --"

"Your friend Karla, yeah," Piper said. She patted him on the shoulder. "So I'm all set for all the weird looks that Dinah will give me."

Priestly doubted that.

[ooc: for one. Content warning: homophobia, misogyny, and domestic violence, and other bits of nastiness. Tad sucks.]

Comments

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"Well, I'm the one who knows how to make your sandwich," Priestly said.

"It's okay," Piper said. "I've heard of the horrors of this Karla's cooking." She raised her right hand, putting the other on her chest. "I promise not to try to make you eat anything I had a hand in making."

"Aren't my friends the best?" Priestly asked.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"As always." Dinah grinned, looking around hopefully. "It isn't too late for a Lancer is it? Are you guys closed? I didn't actually get enough lunch and all." She grinned at Kar-Piper. "So, are Mr. Julius and Camille having a thing? Priestly's caught me up on most of the rest of the gossip."

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"You gossip about us?" Tish asked, mouth quirking up.

"Well, yeah. It's not like I have a life outside of this place."

"We don't have anything official," Piper said, shooting Priestly and Tish an unobserved knowing look. "But I say if they aren't? They really should be."

"Seconded," Jen said. "Someone has to be in a happy relationship."

Priestly practically bit his tongue to keep from mentioning that Jen could be in one, right now, if she hadn't run out on Fuzzy. He just had to wait a little bit longer on that front.

No one said a word about Tish and Tad.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Which Dinah noted, but didn't ask about. Wuh-oh. She stepped over to Priestly to give him another hug for not mentioning Jen's thing, though. "He doesn't talk about me?" She sighed. "Well, my life is boring compared to you guys lately."

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Priestly barely managed not to visibly choke at that.

Boring. Yes, that was totally why.

"He does!" Jen said. "He told us about your tattoo parlor job. Very cool."

"And that you're the one who got him on the graffiti kick," Piper noted. "The art world of Santa Cruz owes you a debt."

"Or possibly a cease and desist notice," Tish said. Priestly rolled his eyes with a grin, opening his mouth to respond, when the door swung open, and Tad came in, and all eyes went right to him.

Tad didn't bother looking at any of them, just went straight for Tish by the register. "Hey babe," he said. "You ready to go?"

Tish's hand clenched on the counter, but she remained otherwise outwardly cool -- icy, even. She didn't meet anyone's eye as she looked over to where Trucker sat at the far booth. "Hey Trucker, mind if I clock out a little early?"

"Sure, Angel," Trucker said, and Priestly could practically hear the we're not here to judge, just to support line running through his head. "Just be careful if you decide to do any rollerblading."

Tish was out the door in a moment, and Tad shot the group a quick dark look before following.

Priestly's arm around Dinah had probably gone a little too tight. "So," he said. "That was Tad."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Charming." Dinah bit her lip. "Um. I mean. I'm sure he's ... got some good points. Or was in a hurry. Yeah."

Okay, that was trying way too hard. She grimaced at Priestly. Then shrugged helplessly at Trucker. "So yes! Tattoos. Although they won't let me have a tattoo gun yet and by the way, they hate it when you call it that."

Bridge that Awkward like a Marine!

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"Pro gun control," Piper guessed. "I can dig it."

"Or, just really into not having tattoos forever associated with shooting people," Jen proposed.

Priestly gave Dinah another quick squeeze as thanks for running with the "we're not talking about it, just letting Tish make her choices" thing. Even as he had his eye on where Tish and Tad had gone by the last window before dropping out of sight.

"Any time you can get away from an association with guns," Trucker said, "it's probably for the best."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Unless you're trying to get a reputation as a psycho, and outside of New Gotham, that does not go as far as you'd think," Dinah observed. She grinned over at Trucker. "So, did you ever invite Zo for the sleepover?"

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Jen and Piper started giggling as Trucker went briefly non-verbal.

"Oh, well, I -- I couldn't possibly -- Priestly, help me out here!"

Priestly nodded vaguely, not actually looking at any of them. Tad's little douche mobile hadn't driven past the window. He and Tish were still outside.

He was all for not judging, but sometimes supporting meant getting in the middle of things, too.

"Yeah," he said, not actually really listening to what Trucker had said. "I'm gonna go grab some stuff for Dinah's sandwich. Be right back." And he headed for the door into the back room, pausing long enough to flash a reassuringly Priestly-esque cheery smile back at the group before the door swung closed behind him.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah frowned as he left, then turned back to everyone else, voice still light. "Trucker, have you actually held a conversation with Zo?"

Meanwhile, she was trying to gauge Jen's mood (mostly good?) and still off and on looking at Piper from the corner of her eye. So weird.

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Trucker sighed. "Does saying 'hi' count?"

"No," Jen and Piper both answered at the same time.

Meanwhile, Priestly had slipped out the back door, and was standing in the shadows across from where Tad had Tish pressed up against the wall.

"You listen to me," he was saying. "I'm no fag. I was captain of the football team in high school."

Priestly would have rolled his eyes if he weren't kinda worried about taking his eyes off Tish. He held still, body taught, waiting to see if she had a handle on things.

"Let me guess," she said, voice dripping in derision in a way Priestly hadn't heard before. "You were a tight end, always too afraid of becoming a wide receiver. Why don't you just be a man and admit what you are? No one cares that you're gay."

Then Tad slapped her across the face, and Priestly saw red.

The next thing he knew, he was barreling Tad to the ground in a flying tackle. They tussled on the ground for a few moments before Priestly shoved himself back to his feet.

"You do not hit her! You piece of shit!"

Tad laughed, throwing his hands in the air. "What is it with you guys? Fine, she's a waste of time, anyway."

Priestly glanced back at Tish, who was leaning against the wall. "You okay?"

Tish rubbed her jaw, swallowing. Tad took the opportunity of Priestly's distraction to haul off and punch him in the gut, then slam his fist across Priestly's jaw. Priestly didn't have a chance to block or fight back as his head snapped around, and he slammed down into the asphalt, his arm twisting beneath him as he tried unsuccessfully to keep his head from bouncing off the ground.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

What Jen was saying got completely lost to history as everyone heard the sounds of crashing, grunting and yelling from outside.

Trucker was up first and stalking for the door, Dinah right behind him in a rush that almost had her, Piper and Jen smushing together into the doorframe. The second she could see what was happening, Dinah sucked in a breath in shock, and yelled. "Priestly! Get off of my friend, you loser!"

Then things got interesting.

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Priestly wasn't currently super great at following what was happening -- it was possible part of him thought Tad was a zombie -- but he did catch Dinah yelling, and Tish punching Tad.

She was so awesome.

Unfortunately, all the punch did was piss Tad off further, and he smacked her again.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah was striding forward, then abruptly running into Trucker's outstretched arm, vision going red. "Hey, asshole. I am going to professionally kick your ass! Priestly--!" He was down and looking very very pained and Tish was looking half-concussed and damnit--

Hunh, Trucker was stronger than he looked. Which kept her from getting any further, but not from spontaneously aiming a vicious TK jab at Tad's knees. Bastard!

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To everyone else, it probably looked like Tad just randomly lost his balance and flailed his arms as he dropped to his knees. He wobbled his way back up and glared and kicked at Priestly, as though he was the one who'd just kicked him. Priestly got an arm up in time to block the kick and just blinked back.

"Go check on Priestly and Tish," Trucker said softly, turning his head back towards Dinah, Jen, and Piper, but not taking his eyes off of Tad. "I've got this one." He strode forward, his arms held out. "Hey shit head. Why don't you try the old hippie?"

"Trucker," Tish called. "Don't."

"What is it with you people?" Tad stared at all of them. "She's a cheap piece of ass, who cares about her?"

"That's it, pretty boy." Trucker flexed his arms and settled into a martial arts stance. "Keep talking."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah would have completely objected to this, except she recognized that stance. That was not an amateur, Drunken Karate, goofy Chuck Norris-imitation stance. Plus she was mentally still muttering "shit shit shit" under her breath at Tad's reaction to her telekinesis. Not the desired outcome!

She skidded forward to her knees next to Priestly. "Are you okay? Are your ribs broken?" She looked up to see Jen already with an arm around Tish. "Are you okay? Nice punch."

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Tish looked down, nodding, then staring wide eyed back at Trucker -- who was seriously kicking Tad's ass, not a wasted movement in his punches, blocks, and throws. "Yeah, yeah, I -- yeah."

That about summed it up. Priestly would be nodding, too, except ow, his head.

"He kicked my arm," he said instead. "Asshole."

Piper knelt down across from Dinah, carefully taking Priestly's arm and helping him start to sit up. "You were really brave," she reassured him.

Trucker slammed Tad face-first into the dumpster, then when Tad was on the ground, pressed his shoe into his neck. "Listen to me, you dickless yuppie. Tish is a lady, and she's my friend. And if I ever see you near her again, they're going to be running your picture on Unsolved Mysteries!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah was coaching under her breath, "Left, low, ohhh, nice one, Trucker," as the fight progressed, incredibly relieved he really knew what he was doing.

She put an arm around Priestly and muttered, "What Piper said. 'Cause I know how much you don't know about fighting." And through her fingers on his forehead, Don't move too much, though. We'll get you some ice.

Then Trucker finished with Tad.

"Whoa." She restrained the urge to applaud. Then thought, what the heck. Dinah stomped her feet and whistled. "And we'll give him the alibi!"

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Trucker gave his foot on Tad's throat a final shove, then turned, shaking his arms out and breathing a little hard. He flashed Dinah a tight smile, then looked to Jen and Tish, who were still against the wall, and Piper and Priestly who were mostly just staring.

"Uh, wow," said Priestly, because while he didn't know fighting too well, he knew enough to recognize that Trucker clearly really really did. "Anyone else think Trucker has some 'splaining to do?"

Trucker rubbed his forehead. "Let's go to my pad. I've got a first aid kit."

And explanations, yes.