A Secluded Stretch of Beach, San Diego, Wednesday Evening

[okteiviakom]

Octavia and Duke's zoo trip had been nice. And now they were hoping the dinner that was about to cap their devilless outing would be good, too.

As with all the previous dinners on this vacation, they'd skipped dining at the actual restaurant, but they'd been by one to pick up a whole bunch of things in picnic-sized portions to try from their menu. Now, all of their various containers were spread across a blanket on the beach, just waiting to be tasted.

And, at the far end of the spread, there was a sloth plush. Because there just was. Sometimes these things just happened.

"I've already forgotten what half these things are," Octavia admitted as she settled down onto the blanket, and reached for one of the containers near her.

[ooc: NFB, for the guy.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

They especially just happened when one's snogon noticed you drifting back over to the display of sloth plushes in the gift shop.

"Let's see." Duke pointed with his chopsticks. "Crab rangoon, shrimp dumplings, veggie egg rolls. . . . I think that one was some kind of roti. . . ."

He'd basically gotten everything on the menu that didn't have meat as an ingredient, yes.

[okteiviakom]

The sloth was so soft, and the tag around its neck said Aurora in letters tiny enough that Octavia had only noticed it the second time around. And she was weak, okay.

(And at the same time, not strong enough to actually decide to buy it for herself because it was a frivolous, unnecessary thing to get.)

(This was where a perceptive snogon came in handy.)

Octavia peered in the container she'd picked up. Apparently this was the roti? "Well, whatever it is, I hope it's tasty." Everything smelled good. The restaurant had smelled good. Those things seemed like a good sign.

[betterthanaplan]

"Best way to find out is to try," Duke said, picking up the container of rangoon. He popped one in his mouth and chewed, making soft happy noises as he did.

He loved a good crab rangoon.

Then he pointed a toe at the sloth. "You going to name this little dude?"

[okteiviakom]

"No?" Octavia replied, looking up, and then towards the plush. Brow furrowing faintly. "Is that -- should I?"

It was a complicated thing.

[betterthanaplan]

"If you want," Duke said with a shrug. "It's more traditional among kids, I think? I don't know, I never really had one growing up. But the kids around me seemed to name theirs."

[okteiviakom]

"I think you may have seen me with the only one I ever had," Octavia said, still looking at the sloth. "A long time ago. This... hand-sewn little stuffed bunny."

Which she'd called Bunny.

It hadn't been very creative, but it had worked.

[betterthanaplan]

No one said the names had to be creative.

"Oh yeah," Duke said, smiling softly. "I remember. You carried it all over when we were both kids."

[okteiviakom]

"It was always with me," Octavia replied, a little quieter, as her gaze fell tp the container in her hands, again. "Down in the hole."

Though of course that was also because she could leave no trace of herself in the room above.

[betterthanaplan]

"You didn't have anyone else down there," he said. "I'm glad you had someone, even if it was a toy."

He wondered if this one would help a little, in her more metaphorical holes.

[okteiviakom]

Would she end up incorporating it into her evening ritual of withdrawing to her own space to lay down and listen to music? Only time would tell.

(But the odds were good.)

"I guess," Octavia said, not willing to dwell on that too much right now. So instead, she finally dug into the container.

Then paused for a breath, her eyes closed.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke watched her.

"Good stuff?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't actually taken a bite yet. But after her little silent moment, her eyes opened, and she did.

"I like it," came the verdict, afterwards.

The urge to hand the box over to him was pretty strong.

[betterthanaplan]

If she did, he would quietly take a bite and then pass it back.

"Glad to hear it," he said, and picked out a shrimp dumpling.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hesitated for a moment longer. Then, slowly, she held the box out for him. Like an offering.

Might as well get it out of her system.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke took it seriously without making it a show. He set his shrimp dumpling aside, took the box, and took a bite of roti for himself, putting it in his mouth and chewing slowly before handing the box back.

Then he picked up his dumpling again.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia appreciated it. And also said nothing about it. Some things just deserved to be left alone.

(Like the way this urge popped back up in the face of such a spread of different kinds of food.)

She ate in silence for a moment. And then said, "The zoo was nice." Which was kind of inane, but it was the best she could come up with.

[betterthanaplan]

"It was!" Duke agreed, with more energy than the statement deserved. "You know, it's supposed to be one of the best zoos in the world."

[okteiviakom]

"They have rankings for that?"

What didn't this time have rankings for, Octavia.

[betterthanaplan]

"They do," Duke said with a serious nod. He was quite used to her reactions to modern Earth life. "I think they're mostly based on, like, how happy and healthy the animals are. And how much they contribute to global wildlife conservation efforts."

[okteiviakom]

"I guess that makes sense," Octavia said, reaching for one of the other containers, to try something else. "At least those sound like the only things that should really matter."

[betterthanaplan]

"Agreed. But for a long time? No one cared about them at all."

Don't get him started on SeaWorld, Tavi. He shared his PB's had serious opinions about SeaWorld.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia considered that for a second. And then decided, "I don't think I want to know more about that right now."

She would share his opinions on SeaWorld.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded. "Don't want to sully the memory of the happy zoo." He ate quietly for a moment, looking out over the water. "We should do this more often. Maybe get a whole membership to the zoo back home or something."

[okteiviakom]

"That's a thing?" Octavia asked, because she couldn't help herself. She wasn't going to get hung up on that, though: she nodded. "I'd like that. Or something like it."

It sounded like a them thing, and so she was immediately clinging to it.

[betterthanaplan]

"I know it is at the big one in DC," Duke said. "Probably is at the one in Baltimore, too. A lot of those kinds of places have memberships, it's a big part of how they get their funding. But, uh. That's probably more modern Earth stuff you don't really want to have to think about right now, huh."