The Clocktower, New Gotham, Monday evening

[blondecanary]

Priestly had called and asked Dinah to meet him at the Clocktower-- surprise tea party! Like she wasn't up for spontaneous foods at any time. Maybe he had something new to show off for Alfred

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[lovemykilt]

And Priestly was just now arriving with snacks! For Dinah. Only for Dinah. Everyone else would have to provide their own snacks.

Arlene had mentioned trying to avoid Helena if he could, but Priestly wasn't sure how to do that except hope she'd be out patrolling or something. Ah well. He'd packed the cookies with enough rat poison that they should take Dinah out pretty quickly, and even if Helena went after him then, he'd die knowing that he made Arlene happy.

Right? That made sense? Yeah. Yeah, that made sense.

He smoothed the end of his mustache again and knocked, the poison cookies in a cheerful, decorated tin.

This was going to be great.

[blondecanary]

"Hey, you. Look! You're outside! And it's not even summer!" Dinah greeted Priestly with hug, tugging him inside the Clocktower. "Oooo, what's in the tin? Special treats?"

[lovemykilt]

"The specialist!" Priestly agreed. His eyelid twitched a little at the hug, but his grin held and he gave her a one armed squeeze back. "Fresh baked cookies, just for you." He looked around. "Is Barbara here?"

Totally not suspicious or anything. He always asked specifically about Dinah's oldest sister and not Helena at all. Totally.

[blondecanary]

"She's in a computer trance, I can get her though? BARBARA!!"

Thankfully, not in Priestly's ear.

"Alfred has the tea stuff out already."

[gothamlights]

"Indeed. Welcome, Master Priestly. To what do we owe the request for tea?" Alfred sent him a small smile, pouring out tea for Dinah, Barbara, Priestly, and himself. "Your usual?"

[lovemykilt]

"Good," Priestly said. Huh, his mustache was just long enough at this edge to curl up a little. "I'd hate if she missed this."

Er.

"The tea party." He smiled at Alfred. "Just figured it'd be fun. Cozy winter tea party thing. We all need more fun."

A beat.

"But not the cookies, those are for Dinah only."

[blondecanary]

"Awww! Yeah, we do. Especially Barbara." Who was buzzing her way into the room now, looking slightly frazzled, but perking up when she saw Alfred had the tea things out. "Lookit, Barbara! Cookies just for me. 'Cause I'm special." She grinned.

Of course she was going to share! After she had a couple to herself.

[gothamlights]

"Oh really," Barbara said, sounding amused, if tired. "That was certainly thoughtful of you, Priestly." Her voice faded out a bit when she got a look at the cookies. "Green?"

[lovemykilt]

"I'm trying a new recipe," Priestly said. "Special ingredients."

Dammit, why did the rat poison have to be green? Priestly stroked his mustache.

"Organic."

[gothamlights]

"Organic what, precisely?" Alfred questioned, his eyebrows going up.

[blondecanary]

"You two have no faith," Dinah scolded them. "These are Priestly cookies, they're going to be delicious!"

If it had been Karla, she would've been looking for Warren to hand those off to. But instead, she took one of the green-- lightly green! Not glowing green!-- cookies, and took a large bite.

[lovemykilt]

Priestly watched her intently. To see if she liked his new recipe! And, you know, might keel over dead immediately.

That'd be good. All this suspense was making him feel a little sick. His hands shook a little as he tried taking a calming sip of tea.

This whole thing really wasn't his wheelhouse. He hoped Arlene appreciated the lengths he was going to for her, here.

[gothamlights]

"Are you quite well, Master Priestly?" Alfred asked, sharp eyes watching him, and reaching forward to place a calming hand on his arm. "You seem somewhat tense. Overly tense."

Barbara stopped drinking her tea, surprised, and Dinah took the moment to swallow another mouthful of cookie. (Ugh. What had he put in these?)

[lovemykilt]

"Fine!" Priestly set his tea down and crossed his arms over his chest defiantly (with the fun side effect of making his hands stop shaking).

They were onto him. Damn that fancy butler!

"Had a long day, is all," he said, eyes twitching to where Dinah sat, then to Barbara, before he tried to smile brightly again. "Lunch shift, first date, all that. . . ."

Wait, he wasn't supposed to talk about Arlene, was he?

[gothamlights]

"First date with whoooo?"

How about the sneaky huntress? Did you expect her to sneak up from behind you, Priestly?

"Tell us all about her. Ooo, cookies."

[lovemykilt]

Priestly jumped hard enough he actually made it to his feet. "Helena! You're not supposed to be here!"

Slick, man. Real slick.

"No, no cookies, those are Dinah's cookies, did I say date? I meant -- date, okay, that's hard to talk around but it's nothing big let's all watch Dinah eat her cookies."