Checking In

who: Eli and Syn
where: their houses (phone call!)
when: afternoon

It was past eleven by the time he made it home. Eli stepped into the too quiet house, immediately feeling uneasy. Lydia. Shit. He still needed to find her, deal with... whatever the shitty aftermath of Friday would be. How creepy would it be of him if he just randomly showed up wherever she happened to be today?

...fuck. He'd worry about it later. Syn first, before she started a manhunt or something. He made a beeline for the phone in the living room, digging in his pockets as he moved for her phone number. He needed a book for this shit, like a normal person. He had far too many worn out slips of paper in his pockets with fading ink.

But he did find her number, thankfully, and he quickly dialed her number, drumming his fingers on the arm of the couch in agitation. At least she wouldn't be as intimidating over the phone, right?

Synnove picked up on the first ring, relief flooding through her as she recognized the number. "Where are you, and are you okay?" she asked. 'Hello' just wasn't going to cut it when he'd taken off. Teddy had told her she wasn't allowed to go running off after him, and she'd been distinctly displeased over that, but she'd listened. For once. That hadn't meant she hadn't been pacing around the attic for ages.

"I'm home, and I'm not dead," Eli answered quickly. And realized that answer wouldn't make her happy, so quickly corrected himself. "I'm... okay. It was a shitty night, but there aren't any gaping wounds or anything. I was safe last night. I stayed with a friend."

She sighed, and flopped over onto the beanbag chair that occupied the attic. It was obvious in her tone that she'd been really really worried about him, and that relief was loud and clear. "Good." Rubbing at her temple, she closed her eyes. "I was worried."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, frowning. Shit. He'd stressed her out. Should have called earlier... "It was really important I leave last night. My friend, Tensiel... I did mention her, right?" Couldn't remember. "The one I took to the mall? She was..." he hesitated. "She was hurt last night, pretty bad."

Yes, you should have called earlier, I've been worried sick! Syn thought, but didn't share. "It's okay, yeah you mentioned her before. Is she okay?" she asked. "And is it anything that needs...following up on?"

Eli rubbed at his own temples gingerly, being mindful of the fresh gouges into his skin. "She'll be okay. And yeah, it's going to need following up on. She's actually staying with Dorian, the telekinetic guy we met last week. Small fucking world, isn't it?" he asked dryly.

"Yes." Syn said with a sigh. She probably should have been more surprised, but she couldn't bring herself to be. She knew from experience that things just fell into place like that sometimes. It was the story of her life. "That's good though, right? She's with someone you trust?"

How easily did she think he trusted, again? "Yeah, I trust him to take care of her. And I trust him and his kid brother will rip apart what hurt her apart after I find it," Eli stated grimly. Because that? It was all he could do. So he was going to do it. For Tensiel.

"What hurt her?" Syn asked. "Not who. Explain." If it was a 'what', that wasn't necessarily good. Not that her getting hurt in the first place was, but humans were usually slightly easier to deal with. Anything other than that could get messy.

"Demon," Eli said flatly, looking up at the ceiling. "Nearly gutted her. Never seen one like it. Dorian's looking into it." Stay out of it this time. This isn't about me, it's about Tensiel, and I don't want you or Seph involved.

Why did he get the feeling that if he said that aloud, she'd kick his ass for it?

Syn didn't say anything further for a few moments. "What kind of demon? Do you have any idea? How bad is she? Has she been taken to the hospital? You're not going out there trying to find it, are you?"

"I don't know what kind. I've never seen one like it before," he admitted reluctantly. The more he talked, the more potential there was for her to get involved, and he... really didn't want that. At all. "She's okay now, but she's really anti-hospital." She was going to be so pissed at him for evading some of those questions. He could feel it.

He wasn't wrong. She sighed heavily. "Eli, why are you bothering?" she asked eventually. With being overly worried for an extended period of time, she didn't have the emotional fortitude to not cut straight to the point. She really, really didn't.

He laughed weakly. "I think I'm hoping one of these days, you'll actually let me get away with it." But no, he wasn't, really. If Syn ever did let him get away with bullshit, he'd be horribly disappointed. "Yeah, I want to find it," he answered her honestly. "I can't do a damned thing when it comes to killing the bastard, but I can wander town, looking for the fucker if he's hiding in plain sight."

"Because that's a great idea when he already nearly gutted your friend. Eli, you aren't exactly built for combat." Syn said, quite obviously disapproving. She leaned back in the chair, looking up at the slowly turning hand made snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, the glitter on them catching the dim light from the huge arch window. "Wandering around looking for trouble? Not the best plan you've ever had."

He knew that. He really, really knew that. He just didn't fucking care. Not when it came to Tensiel. "You haven't... you haven't met her, Syn. She's the sweetest kid I've ever met. Innocent. She got attacked because she tried to stop it from eating a guy. It's going to fuck with her the rest of her life. She feels guilty she didn't save him from being a demon snack. I can't just let this go. Not when it comes to Tensiel."

"And you getting your ass killed will accomplish what exactly?" Syn asked. "I get revenge. Trust me, I get it. I also get wanting to stand up for the people you care about. But there's such a thing as going about it intelligently. Don't just go off half cocked because you're pissed off and you can't be bothered to think about it first."

"I'm not going out with the intent to confront the damned thing. I just want to find it so Dorian can kill it. I won't confront it. I'm not that stupid," Eli muttered. He'd get shredded. He didn't particularly want to go out by being eaten. "I'll think of something. Wandering around town in the dead of fucking night isn't smart. I know that. But I'm not just going to sit on my ass doing nothing."

"So don't go by yourself." Syn said. "I could go with you, or Seph, or something. Whatever isn't you walking around making yourself into a nice big target, looking specifically for something that might want to shred you." she finished. Why didn't people do things sensibly? Why?

Eli twitched, pressing a hand to his forehead as he bit back a growl of annoyance. God, why hadn't he thought of that? Maybe, just maybe, because he didn't want Syn involved? Didn't want her hurt? And if Seph got hurt by a demon (even though Seph was most definitely a badass), he had very little doubt that that would hurt Syn just as much. Possibly even more. He didn't even care that his stretch of silence was quite a bit too long; he was just trying to calm down. "I'll think of something," he repeated calmly.

He wasn't the only one who was frustrated. "You will?" she asked lightly. "Like what? I don't like the idea of you just...out there playing hero when you're not set up to be one. Do you even have anything to defend yourself with? Anything at all? Why can't I go with you?" She could think of a reason, a nasty little voice in the back of her mind that told her she was an overbearing bitch, and that was probably a pretty good damn reason.

"I don't want you to get hurt, all right?" Eli snapped. "I don't want you to get shredded by a demon. I know you can take care of yourself, I know you're made out of stronger shit than I am, but that doesn't mean I don't want to keep you safe if I can help it!" Fuck. He was resolutely not thinking of his telekinesis. Destroying an entire street? Yeah. That probably counted as a defense mechanism, if he could ever manage to do that consciously. But he wasn't going to tell Syn about that. Fuck that noise. Stripes' reaction had bothered him enough. He couldn't bear Syn knowing about it. The occasional shattered lamp when he was upset? Fine. Fucking up a whole block? Nuh uh. "I won't go off half cocked and get myself killed. I'll think of something," he muttered.

"I have news for you, I get into situations where I might get hurt. My mom was a hunter. She did this kind of shit all the time. Doc's a hunter. It's pretty much in my blood, regardless of anything else, and yes, I can take care of myself. I even have a firearm to put a bullet into the thing's eyes if I have opportunity to. Last I checked, you didn't have anything on you that could really put something down fast." Syn hated this kind of bullshit. She really really hated it. "Beyond that, you can't keep me very safe if you get yourself hurt or killed, now can you. Think ahead for fuck's sake. You go out and get hurt or worse? Who do you think will be out there without you looking anyways?"

"It's different when I'm the one dragging you into shit," Eli muttered. "I don't want you getting hurt because I can't take care of my own shit." And what part of I'll think of something did she not understand, anyways?! Fuck, she was extra frustrating when he was fully conscious, well rested and fed!

"No it isn't. The world is a fucked up place. Where it's coming from doesn't mean shit." Syn said, and she was proud of herself for not having gotten snippy yet. At least not in tone. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know. I'll have to look for it somehow. The easiest way would be wandering around town in the dead of night," Eli muttered dryly. "Of course, with all the other shit going on in this town, I'd probably be dead by the end of the week." And even if he wouldn't mind dying... well, fuck. He had actual reasons not to bite it now. He had people in his life.

"...if you're trying to be funny or some shit, you're failing." Syn said flatly. "Miserably."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to be funny. It's true, isn't it? Which is why I'm not going to do that. Jesus Christ, I'm not that self destructive. What good am I to anyone dead?"

She shut her eyes and let out a sigh. "Well, at least you know that." she said in a mild tone. "You're stupidly self destructive, Eli, don't expect me to automatically know what you will and won't do when it comes to your life. You've said it to me before just how little you give a shit." She remembered. They'd been on the beach, and he'd...yeah. She didn't want to think about it.

"Look, I can't promise an overnight miraculous change, but I'm going to try to stop with the self destructive shit." So said the guy who probably would have killed himself last night in the park if he hadn't been saved by a cop. Sigh. "I remember the talk we had yesterday, Syn. I haven't forgotten," he tried assuring her, quiet. Didn't know if that would make her feel any better, but it was worth a shot.

Curling up on her side a little, eyes going to the windows, she attempted to get herself in a better frame of mind. "I worry." she said. "And I know you aren't well known for thinking everything through. I just don't want you to get hurt, and yeah, I get a little overprotective. Especially when I grew up around a lot of hunters, so I know just how fucked up things can get and how fast they get there." Her voice was soft, with a gentle sort of edge to it.

Eli listened to her intently, his own eyes closing. It was strange, talking over the phone. Harder. His empathy didn't work over telephone lines, obviously, and it was disconcerting. "I'll be careful, Syn. I promise not to go off on some bullshit heroic quest and get myself killed." He knew he wasn't capable of heroics. He was back up, at best. Sideline support, and that was all. "...how's your face?" he asked quietly.

"Thank you. I still wish you'd let me help, though." Syn said. Then she paused, rubbing at the bruise on her cheek, feeling the twinges of pain there. "It's fine." she answered him, voice still soft. "I know I said it before, but I've had worse."

"I know, but... it's a big deal to me," he muttered. After a considering pause, Eli relented... a little. "I might ask you for help, if I can't figure anything else out. I don't know yet. She got a few good shots in on it, so I don't think any of us need to worry about him tonight." And he really needed to get a decent's night sleep, if he could. He'd need it, if he was going to try to track down a demon.

"Good, I'd like it if you did." Syn said honestly. She'd rather he did. She would feel a million times better if she could have a hand in it. Then she paused, letting silence stretch out for a few long moments. "I wish you'd let it go." she added, referring to him having hit her. She knew it was bothering him, and she didn't hold it against him. As far as she was concerned it was her own fault.

I wish I could. He waited a few moments himself, not sure what to say. "I... I'm trying. I know my head was in a fucked up place, but... I still can't believe I hit you." Especially with the thoughts that had been running through his head at the time. How could he hit someone he... cared for so much?

Synnove twirled her finger around a lock of her hair and released it before starting again. "You're not the first person to have hit me. And you weren't in your right mind. I'll be fine. I don't hold it against you at all, you know that, right? That I don't blame you or have hurt feelings or anything?"

"I know," Eli admitted. "I think the problem is that I think you should be upset with me. And you aren't."

"Would it make you feel better for me to be pissed at you?" Syn asked. There was the lightest touch of amusement beneath her tone, and she smiled the faintest bit in the dark. Somehow she thought that was exactly the case.

"I... uh. Maybe," he muttered, feeling absolutely ridiculous. "I don't know. I like it better when we're getting along, really. I just think I'll always feel guilt for hurting you."

"Well, you don't have to. I don't hold it against you, and I'm not going to." Syn assured him. "You're my friend, and I care about you. I don't think there was anything you did wrong. It was a fucked up situation and that's just how it went. It's okay."

He ran a hand through his hair, troubled gaze on the ceiling. Friends. Caring. How the hell had this happened so fast? Fuck, he wasn't going to question it. They were friends. Syn was one of the few good things in his life. He didn't want to lose her. "All right. I'll... well, it's still going to keep fucking with my head," Eli muttered. "At least until the bruise is gone. I'll just try not to let it fuck things up." With us. Friendship. Yeah.

"Don't let it." Syn said. "It's a stupid thing to get all upset over. If I was mad, maybe, but I'm not. You feel a hell of a lot worse over it than I do. Trust me, you'll know if I'm pissed at you about something." She smiled at that. yeah. With her if she was upset, people in other states knew she was so obvious about it.

Eli laughed at that, because... yeah. That was true. Truer words had possibly never been spoken. 'The sky is blue'? Less true of a statement than 'You'll know if I'm pissed at you.' "Okay, I'll give you that. Completely true."

Syn grinned. She always liked hearing him laugh. "Then there you go." she said. "So quit worrying about it. When am I going to see you again? We have catching up on your blocking to do." she pointed out.

He considered that. "Tomorrow afternoon?" he offered. It wasn't like he had a job. What the hell else was he going to do, besides wander aimlessly around town? Well, he did need to visit Tensiel first. That was something else he needed to do. "After I check up on Ten," he amended.

"Okay. I'll be at the gallery." Syn said. "Stay out of trouble, and if you get into any, call." she added. Because that was important, or so she said. She didn't know if he'd listen but that didn't mean she couldn't give it a shot, right? Right.

His lips twitched into a rare, genuine smile. "Yes, oh great Mistress," Eli said agreeably. "I'll call if I get into any major trouble." And he'd be there as quick as he could if she got into any shit. She probably wouldn't approve of that, actually, but oh well. He didn't need her permission to try to help her. "See you tomorrow, Syn. Be careful."

"You too, Eli." she said, smiling and then she hung up. At least she felt a whole lot better now. That was definitely something. One thing down...rest of the world to go.