Who: Eliot and Daryl What: Reuniting When: After Eliot's arrival Where: The Squirrel Rating/Warnings: Low Status: Complete
Coming back to Orange County, back home, was like a breath of fresh air. Even more so knowing that his restaurant, The Silent Dragon, would be up and running too. He wasn’t too worried about the books or the cooking. Cooking was his thing and the books was something that a friend of his was damn good at. While things were getting a bit settled, he’d decided to surprise an old friend. Which left that old friend to their own devices, but he knew that if his friend needed him then he’d say so.
Finding Squirrel Creek was easy. It’s not like it was hiding in some little hole somewhere. That wasn’t something that would’ve ever happened and he knew it. Not that him nor Daryl liked being in the spotlight. Which was why it was kind of funny that they both had restaurants. Simple things, with excellent cooking, that would put them in that limelight. Once he’s seated, he leans back and gets comfortable.
We’re sure that one of the employees who has no clue who Eliot Spencer is heads back, letting Daryl know that there was a new customer. After all, they knew that the head chef liked taking care of the new people himself first. It was just a customary thing by now.
Daryl made a point to try and canvas the dining room every hour or so, but when a solo diner came in he wanted to be notified. He wanted to give that person special attention. So when he’s told there’s someone out in the dining room, he figures it’s just someone come in off the street. He finishes up what he was working on, and leaves the kitchen in his staff’s capable hands.
He doesn’t realize it’s someone he knows up til he’s practically up on the table. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” he said when he saw that it was Eliot. “I wasn’t expecting you for a few days at least,” he said. He held out his arms in a come on stance. Hugs for old friends were mandatory.
"Cat didn't drag me in. Wolf did."
Eliot knows that it's just a saying and nothing else. It was good to see Daryl, though. Good to know that he looked like he was doing pretty well. A part of him would've dragged his little brother with him, but his brother wanted to stay behind. Which was fine by him.
Sliding out of his seat, he moves over hugging Daryl before pulling back a bit. "We decided to head out a bit early. Besides, we've got to get my place set up."
“I’m really excited for you, competition not withstanding.” Daryl grinned. He sat down at the table across from Eliot. Wasn’t all that long ago Eliot had been a bit lost, lacking any real direction in his life. Daryl had been the one to give it to him, in the kitchen.
He’d shown Eliot how much he loved cooking, and he’d created another master chef. He was absolutely thrilled Eliot was opening his own place right there in the OC. “Just don’t go trying to poach my staff, or my customers,” Daryl said with a grin that communicated that it wasn’t a serious threat, he knew Eliot wouldn’t do that, anyway.
"My little brother is around too. I'll have to get him to stop by and see you at some point."
If there was one person that he knew his little brother liked, it was an old friend of his. Besides, it kept food in his little brother's belly too. He'd probably even ruined his little brother a bit where food was concerned and he didn't mind it. Daryl had done the same to him. Even at home he cooked his own food. Everything had to be the best.
Sitting back down, he leans back in his seat," Hey, the Dragon can find its own staff and customers. It doesn't need the Squirrel's." There's a bit of a teasing tone there. "What've you been up to?"
“Honestly, not a whole lot,” Daryl says with a shrug. Unconsciously mirroring Eliot, he also leans back, giving a little stretch. He considered not telling Eliot about the dreams, but he’s in the OC, so. It was entirely possible he was going to start dreaming himself.
“And there’s something weird about this place. The OC, not the restaurant,” he clarifies. Because he’s pretty sure Squirrel Creek has nothing to do with the dreams. The only correlation he could discern was that his dream self regularly hunted squirrel, and he’d found Sofia’s doll in a creek.
"Not a whole lot? So, not even dating?" That teasing tone doesn't leave his voice, even as he gets a bit more comfortable. Around Daryl? He could be himself. Not pretend to be something that he wasn't. Even if he'd stopped doing that a long time ago. Eliot didn't do a damn thing for anyone but himself, or his brother.
"Weird how?" He asks with a raised brow before reaching out for the customary water on the table, taking a sip of it. If Daryl thought that this place was weird, then something was up. Something that didn't make sense and Eliot wanted to know all about it.
Daryl smirked when Eliot asked him about dating. “No. I’m not dating anyone.” Maybe there was someone he wanted to date, but he wasn’t ready to admit that to himself, and he certainly wasn’t ready to admit it to Eliot just yet. He’d just keep that little nugget to himself, for now. Maybe indefinitely. He’d have to see how things progressed. If things progressed at all.
“People around here talk about their dreams a lot.” Daryl wasn’t really even sure where to begin with this, but he had to start somewhere. “Like, I’m having some super intense zombie apocalypse dreams. It’s like, I don’t know. Not normal dreams, more like living out a whole other life.”
"Well, damn. I'm surprised that no one has nabbed you yet."
Not that Eliot was dating anyone. He hadn't even been looking for anyone to date, focusing solely on his work and work alone. Something that he had a bad habit of doing. Only time he didn't was when he was focusing on family. Another sip of water and he scowls slightly.
"Zombie apocalypse dreams? Sounds a bit fucked up if you ask me. So, you're living your life but living your dream too. In a manner of speaking."
“It is very fucked up,” Daryl sighs. He fills Eliot in on the whole ordeal with trying to find Sofia, and how her damn doll showed up in Daryl’s office like he pulled it right out of his dreams. But that was noting compared to the arrow he’d had in his side, and the crossbow that was sitting in his house.
“These dreams are super intense, and they carry over. I don’t know any other way to explain it and you probably think I’ve lost my mind now.” Maybe he had. But then how could he explain the doll, the scar, the crossbow?
"Sounds like it."
Eliot had known Daryl for a very long time. So, he'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Something that most people probably wouldn't do. However, he does listen intently as he's filled in on his friend's dreams. How fucked up they were. Though, his brows furrowed a bit when the other mentions the arrow in his side. He didn't look to be in too much pain, from what he could see.
"Just a little. However, that would've required you to have a mind in there to waste. That mind of yours is lost in the food somewhere," he teases. "I know you, Daryl. You don't make a habit of lying to people. Not even to benefit yourself."
“What benefit would there be to leading you to believe I’ve lost my marbles?” Daryl shrugged. He had known Eliot for quite a while. They had been through some tough times together, and they were about as close as two people could be without being related. Eliot knew good and well Daryl wasn’t crazy.
“You’ll see, soon enough. Weird things happen in this town.” Specifically to people on the network, it seemed. “The dreams are a big part of it. Especially when things carry over.”
"None whatsoever."
They'd known each other far too damn long for him to think that about Daryl. The man had been a teacher to him and was someone who was also like family. Someone who had been through hell and back with him, if he was being honest.
"Yeah, you're right. I'll see. Eventually," he tells him with a small smile. "Until then, I'm going to enjoy everything the OC has to offer. Along with making damn good food."