Oswald Restaurant, Santa Cruz, Monday night

[lovemykilt]

"You know I don't mind cooking for us, right?" Priestly asked, balking a little as Tish led him towards the restaurant door by the hand. "I even really like it."

"Priestly," Tish said, stopping and turning to look at him without letting go of his hand. "You've been working double shifts all weekend to cover for Piper while she and Noah and Julia are at Disneyland. You need a break from cooking."

Priestly opened his mouth to protest again, and Tish pressed a finger to his lips. "And you look fine," she said. "There's no dress code, they're not going to kick you out for having a mohawk, and it's my turn to feed us and I don't cook so I say we get to have dinner in a fancy restaurant."

Priestly kissed the finger on his lips. "Okay. But I reserve the right to be snooty if their food isn't as good as mine."

Tish smiled. "I'm looking forward to it, even. Now come on, I want to get a table outside before they fill up." It was a gorgeous night, cool and bright under the full moon, the earlier cloudiness having mostly cleared up.

And, well, if an outdoor table would make them more visible and easier to stalk spy on observe, then so be it.

[ooc: for the sneaky shipper spies and slow-play.]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

Karla gave Momoko an uneasy glance. "It would depend on why," she said quietly, not admitting that if they'd shown up on a date to break up her and Warren, she wouldn't be best pleased at all.

But this was different!

"I mean...yeah. I get why you're upset. But at the same time, we honestly thought we were--" okay, not helping. That wasn't the right word "--not doing something so very wrong. We just wanted to see how you guys were together. In public!" she hurried to add, so he wouldn't think they were going to hover in his bushes and watch their alone time. That had been Plan C. "Just watch you two for a bit and then go up and introduce ourselves."

[heromaniac]

Thanks for taking that, Karla! Momoko was not the best person to answer it, since she wouldn't mind if they showed up. Her entire upbringing revolved around the idea that people were watching if you were in public. And if Dinah and Priestly had shown up to spy on her... well, that meant they worried and cared, right? Enough to go to a strange world and try to blend in?

Instead, Momoko addressed his other statement... The one that had actually hurt to hear him say. "I'm mad that we got caught, Priestly. Remember what I'm supposed to be in school for? But I'm sorry that we hurt you. That... that was what we didn't want all along."

[lovemykilt]

Dammit, Momoko, stop being all sad-face! Priestly didn't do well against sad-face!

"Right. Well, setting aside the fact that you two are pretty much the worst spies ever -- pro-tip: don't get into a loud argument about tentacles when you're trying not to attract attention! -- spying on people? It's kind of considered impolite in this world. Like, historically people were hanged for it. It's stalker-y, and about the worst first impression you could possibly have made with my girlfriend." He held up a hand. "Who I am happy with, when I'm not being spied on. You don't know Tish. You don't know what we've been through. So if you really want to make sure I'm happy? Go home. Maybe after she's calmed down, you guys can come back and meet her for real. We could hang out. But not right now. Just -- go home."

[glacial_queen]

Karla and Momoko had both been in the same boat. If her friends were watching, it meant they cared.

...Now, if it had been Lucivar or the boyos, that'd been a different story.

"We really are sorry, Priestly," Karla murmured, a bit chastened. "We had the best of intentions. Honest."

In their own view of the world.