The Samsara, Port of Fandom, Thursday Evening

[okteiviakom]

This had been a much quieter week than the last several. And easier, at least some of the time. But also more busy, at least at the Samsara, not that it took a lot. Just two planned visits in the same week.

Duke was supposed to come over, once he'd finished up at the diner.

And Octavia was... waiting. And more fidgety about it than she had been about Lucifer's visit on Monday. Nervous. She didn't want to look too closely at why that was. Just went with it, tidying up things around the boat that didn't really need tidying up.

She was down in the cabin, but the hatch to the deck was open. Ocean air wafting in.

... And one curious porg, but she ushered it back up the steps.

[ooc: For that tall pirate dude.]

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[betterthanaplan]

Duke didn't keep her waiting too long, shoving down all the hesitancy and trepidation he felt climbing aboard the Samsara. She'd invited him. He was more than welcome. Anyway, it was date night.

He came bearing food: curry and lassi and a couple fresh melons, with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. He felt a little like he should be bringing flowers of some sort, but this was Octavia. She didn't do flowers.

"Ahoy, Captain Octavia," he called as he stepped aboard, then knocked on the hatch. "Ha yun, gona."

[okteiviakom]

Well, Octavia had his metal roses from Valentine's day on display even now - and had in fact made sure they looked nice (as far as she could be the judge of that) on her kitchenette counter - but, yeah. She was still working up to not feeling vaguely uncomfortable with actual flowers.

"Ha yun, jaka," she called, stepping up a little closer to the hatch so she could see him, but not so she'd be in his way when -- "Come in."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke did, managing not to look as awkward as he felt doing so. He leaned in immediately for a light peck hello.

[okteiviakom]

That made two of them.

... Okay, maybe Octavia was a little awkward about reciprocating the lean, but she did okay with the little kiss.

"Hey," she murmured. "What'd you bring?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Mango and fish curry," Duke said, holding up each item in turn as he listed them. "Peach lassi to drink -- non-alcoholic, don't worry -- cantaloupe and honeydew melons, and vanilla ice cream."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted, but it was soft, almost fond.

"It's like you and Lucifer think I don't eat when I'm alone."

[betterthanaplan]

"I think it's probably more like me and Lucifer like to bring you things we know you'll appreciate."

Which, these days, mostly meant food. Especially fruit.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gestured towards the table. "Well, lay it out," she said. "And we'll find out if you're right."

She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't liked whatever food he'd put in front of her. For the record.

[betterthanaplan]

"Sha, gona." Duke started setting out the food. "You wanna grab us some bowls? This curry is definitely more of a bowl dish than a plate one."

[okteiviakom]

That was something that was maybe a little quicker to do than it would usually have been. In her excessive tidying, Octavia had set both her plates and her bowls so that they'd be easy to grab. Because she hadn't known what he'd bring.

But he didn't need to know all that. So all he saw was how fast there were bowls on the table.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke noted the speed, but just thought maybe she was hungrier than she'd let on.

"So. How's your day gone?"

[okteiviakom]

"It's been quiet," Octavia said, going for some cutlery, next. And yes, she was starting to hate that that was her stock answer, but it was also true. "How was yours?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Same." He considered mentioning Greg's stabbing threat, but wasn't sure if she'd take that as funny. "Makes for a nice change, after all the drama of the last few, huh."

[okteiviakom]

"I guess," Octavia said, softly. And considered mentioning how much of today she'd lost to feeling jittery, but -- didn't. "I don't miss the island making everything harder than it has to be."

Harder than it already was, in some cases.

[betterthanaplan]

"Definitely not," Duke agreed easily. He dished out two bowls of rice and curry, then looked around for glasses for the lassi. "Luce mention his idea for a vacation on the west coast?"

Should he have brought bread?

[okteiviakom]

"He did," Octavia said, as she got some glasses for him. From behind his back, since the kitchen stuff and the table were kind of cramped across from each other. "San... something?"

It was amazing she remembered even that much.

(She definitely remembered letting her issues talk for her when she'd told him she didn't think it was going to help, though. That it seemed like just a bandaid.)

[betterthanaplan]

"Diego," Duke said, taking the glasses with a nod and pouring the lassi. "They've got one of the best zoos in the world over there."

[okteiviakom]

"He didn't mention that part," Octavia said, leaning her hip against the counter as she watched him put the final touches on everything.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, I think he's been pretty focused on the 'sunshine and beaches' thing. He's really missed the west coast." Duke finished up and then stepped to one side so she could see it all, hands spread in a little 'tada!' gesture before he slid into one of the seats. "But I bet he'll go with us if we ask."

[okteiviakom]

"well, he already did with you."

Not that Octavia wanted to refer to that particular week too much. But still. It set a precedent.

Anyway, she looked the table over, and gave him a faint quirk of her lips. "Looks good," she said. "You wanna sit across or next to each other?"

She'd asked Lucifer this same thing. It seemed to work then, so...

[betterthanaplan]

Duke tried not to take that comment as a censure. She could have come with them if she'd wanted to.

"Is there room for two?" he asked instead, looking down at the seat next to him. "I mean. Not that I'm objecting if you wanted to sit in my lap or something."

[okteiviakom]

All Octavia had tried to say was that yes, Lucifer definitely went to zoos when asked.

And now she shrugged, just a little of the awkward bleeding through. "It's a little cramped," she admitted. "But Lucifer and I did it."

[betterthanaplan]

“I like it,” Duke decided. “Sounds snuggly.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia did not heave any kind of sigh of relief. But she might have wanted to.

Instead, she gestured for him to make some room.

"Scoot over."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke squished himself in as best he could, then patted the now emptier spot. "Here you go."