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]

NOTHING TO SEE HERE! JUST TWO BRUNETTES IN GIANT HATS! TOTALLY NOT MOMOKO OR KARLA!

"SHHHHH!" Karla hissed, waving frantically at Momoko. "They'll hear you!"

That was one really loud whisper, Karla.

[heromaniac]

Yep! Just two normal people enjoying a California night! Momoko ducked her head quickly, casually running her hand along the side of her sunglasses (HEY! It was a very bright evening, okay?) "Then stop saying totally gross things!" Hissed the girl who ate fried octopus as a snack.

[lovemykilt]

The two had definitely now grabbed Priestly's attention -- he'd mentally dubbed them the Hat Whisperer and Shades of Noir -- but he was of the school of thought that it was rude to pay more attention to two people at another table than to one's date, so he tried to ignore them.

It was hard when one's date was so amused by the two people at the other table. "I think we have fans," she said. "Must be the mohawk."

"Or we're just that hot," Priestly decided, flashing her a broad grin.

[glacial_queen]

"Don't you eat tentacles and suckers?" Karla protested, because that obviously needed to be pointed out. "You can't flail around about snailes and attract all the attention ever when you eat tentacles!"

This argument was to...establish their cover. Yes. See how they're not even paying attention to the couple across the way? So just continue your date, nothing to see here!

...Except, you know, an argument about tentacles. Ew.

[heromaniac]

Tentacles and... AH! "Octopus and squid?" TOTALLY for cover, yes. Totally. "Not the same thing at all!" For one thing, not gross! Momoko harrumphed at Karla. She was totally going to make the younger girl eat some now. "And I am not attracting all the attention! I am trying to pay attention. You keep talking about gross stuff."

[lovemykilt]

Tish leaned forward, setting her menu to one side. People-watching was one of her favorite activities. "What do you think?" she asked Priestly. "My money's on first date."

Priestly tilted his head, trying to subtly look over at them. "I don't know," he mused. "That doesn't explain the hats."

[glacial_queen]

Mother Night, Priestly! The hats were awesome and also completely stealthy.

"Right," Karla drawled, "because octopus and squid are any less slimy and gross than snails." Commence epic eyeroll. "They're also all bulbous and tentacle-y." She waggled her fingers in front of her mouth and stuck out her tongue at the same time.

She made a very charming picture. Really.

[heromaniac]

He was just jealous because his date was so boring and stupid. Momoko eyerolled- not that you could see, but it was totally in her voice. "Oh that's so like an octopus. Have you even seen one?"

[lovemykilt]

"See? That is totally a lover's spat right there," Tish said. She frowned. "Wait. Is that -- is that Piper?!"

Priestly's eyes narrowed as he looked closer, then widened. Then squeezed shut as he ran his hand down his face. "No. No I think that's probably Karla."

". . . You friend with the unicorn fetish?"

[glacial_queen]

"Of course I've seen an octopus!" Karla snapped. "Don't you remember the school trip to the--umm..." Maybe they shouldn't have been talking so loud?

Because now everyone else was looking at them. And Priestly looked like he was facepalming. Or maybe he had a headache.

Oooh! That would be good.

"Pssst!" Because, yes. She obviously had to hiss to get Momoko's attention. "Does Priestly look like he's in pain? Maybe Trish is giving him indigestion!"

See? They were whispering now. Totally stealthy.

[heromaniac]

"Wait, what? Have they even ordered? I totally didn't see them order," Momoko hissed back, taking a moment to lower her glasses and glare questioningly at the table next to them ~ What are you looking at? "I wanted to take notes on what she eats! You know, to compare."

[lovemykilt]

"Wait, if that's Karla, who's her girlfriend?" Tish was leaning forward and peering back, now, also whispering.

Priestly looked over again. "Uhhh. Momoko? I think." Then she lifted the glasses. "Yep. That's Momoko."

"Dinah's cop friend?"

"Dinah's and mine, yeah."

[glacial_queen]

"Uh-oh."

Priestly was looking directly at them right now. And not that casual kind of looking, the way you did when you were waiting to order. But looking-looking.

"I think he may have spotted us. Abort! Abort!"

And they hadn't even gotten their breadsticks, yet!

[heromaniac]

Momoko turned back to the table she was supposed to be watching... "EH?!" She shoved her glasses back on and reached for the brim of her hat, pulling it back towards her face. "Oh no! Quick! Plan B! Go!" She was totally glad she'd packed some chocolate buns in her disguise bag. "Bathroom?"

[lovemykilt]

"Are your friends actually spying on us?" Tish asked.

Priestly was definitely facepalming now. "I have no idea. It would explain the hats."

[glacial_queen]

Of course they weren't spying! They just happened to be here! Having dinner! With giant hats and wigs!

Shut up, Tessa!

Karla nodded frantically, then got up and bolted for the ladies' room. "Don't eat the snails!" she yelled as she ran, holding her hand over her mouth like she was about to be ill.

See? Now they had a reason to be running! A good cover was in the details.

The waiter bringing their breadsticks and sodas looked very confused as she dashed by.

[heromaniac]

"Thanks for the meal!" Momoko would hug Karla for that awesome idea, but she was too busy grabbing her things and trying not to knock over the waiter on her way to the bathroom.

She didn't succeed on that last bit. "SORRY!" She hissed, hesitating a moment as she was torn between leaving and helping him up. Finally she gave another quick apology and ran the rest of the way to bathroom.

[hatesthekilt.livejournal.com]

Priestly sighed. "I'll go --"

Tish held up her hand as she put her napkin back on the table. "Oh please, let me. They did go to the girl's room, after all."

She stood up, helped up the waiter with a quiet "we're going to check their medication levels" and headed for the bathroom. "Knock knock! Friendly neighborhood hat ladies?"

[glacial_queen]

Uh-oh.

This could so not turn out well. Karla gave Momoko a horrified look, even as she pulled on a new hat over her wig. What were they supposed to do now? They had not covered the extreeeeemely unlikely possibility that they would get caught!

"What now?" Te$ha couldn't hear them if they whispered, right? "Hide in the stalls?"

[heromaniac]

It was whispering! Who could POSSIBLY overhear these two when they were whispering? Momoko was still tugging on her next wig, which wasn't going so well as she was also frantically looking about for some idea of what to do to ESCAPE. "Totally good idea!" Wig still askew, she scooped their things back into the bag and dragged Karla with her into the closest stall. "Now shhhhhh! And maybe she'll think we climbed out the window!" Cause that was the OBVIOUS thing to think if they didn't answer her, right?

[hatesthekilt.livejournal.com]

Overhearing the commotion if not the actual words, Tish decided to just go ahead and enter. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, looking around the bathroom.

"Okay," she said. "You guys are friends with Priestly, so the craziness is totally not surprising. But please don't pretend to be dumb -- or that I'm dumb. You wanna make sure I'm good enough for your friend, you come out and talk to me, not stare at us like creeps when we're trying to have a nice dinner out, for a change."

[glacial_queen]

Karla exchanged a long glance with Momoko. On the one hand, she could make it so that they literally did disappear: a sight and aural shield and Tia would never be able to find them. They might even be able to make her think she was crazy and go home and lie down or something.

On the other hand, Priestly probably knew about Karla's Craft and what he didn't know, Dinah did, so odds were high that their gaslighting wouldn't last long.

"No chance we can convince you this is all a big mistake?" she called. "Also, we're not creeps."

They were die-hard shippers. Totes different.

[heromaniac]

Totally different! And they were wearing the T-shirts under their disguises to prove it! Momoko was frowning, now, and elbowing Karla (or rather, forearming her, since they were squeezed so close) for practically ADMITTING the girl was right. They weren't trying to determine if this girl was good enough for Priestly - they knew she wasn't! "Calling us crazy and creepy is totally not making us want to talk to you. If we were even here to do that. Which we totally aren't - we eat too." Lots! Really! Ask anyone!

[hatesthekilt.livejournal.com]

"In disguise," Tish noted. "In a restaurant that's, what, half the globe away from where you live?" She didn't know the half of it. "In the hometown of your friend, who you didn't even stop in and say hi to when you got to town." She folded her arms over her chest, checking her manicure. "Yeah. That's an airtight alibi."

[glacial_queen]

"We were going to say hello after dinner," Karla protested. You know, once they'd compiled a list of all the reasons by Tiara was bad for Priestly.

Because that would absolutely work, yep.

"If we'd tried to stop by before dinner, there would have been no way Priestly would let us not eat something he made."

In other words, you're welcome for your date, Tansy.