The Samsara, Port of Fandom, Monday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had invited Duke over to her boat after class. It was not a big deal. Except it felt like one, since they were still in the process of -- well, getting Duke settled into the idea that the Samsara wasn't some sacred space he wasn't allowed in.

So Octavia was almost glad that she had something else to think about when they actually made it there. See, stumbling onto a class and joining them had been a good idea right up until the point where the class was done, and it was time to come out of the water, and realize you had not brought a change of clothes.

Thankfully, the weather was warm enough for walking to the docks in clothes that were still wet all over, but it hadn't been the best thing Octavia had ever experienced.

"I should have fruit if you want a snack," she told Duke, as she stepped down into the cabin. "I'm gonna change into something less... damp."

[ooc: For the snogon!]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia came up a few moments later, in dry clothing (save for the water from her still-damp hair slowly seeping into her shirt where it touched the fabric), and carrying a plate. The wet clothes were draped over her arm.

"That's your idea of comfortable?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I'm stretching," Duke said, smiling up at her. "Or something."

[okteiviakom]

"Uh huh," Octavia said, and set the plate onto his chest.

On it was a dragon fruit cut in two. Both halves had been hollowed out, then filled with some strawberries, apple chunks, and -- well, they were meant to be dragon fruit balls, but honestly, they were more globs than they were balls. Octavia did not have Lucifer's fruit carving skills.

She stepped past Duke to hang the top and the leggings to dry in the sun.

[betterthanaplan]

“Would you look at that presentation,” Duke marveled as he picked up the plate and sat up. “I think Luce is starting to rub off on you.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shrugged, wringing some water out of the leggings over the side of the boat.

"He made that for me once." They did not need to talk about when. "It's not as pretty as his."

[betterthanaplan]

“What’s that you say?” Duke asked, picking out a bit of dragonfruit and popping it in his mouth. “Meizen ste . . . Nothing.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia let a soft huff go, and then turned to look at him, once she was done with the leggings.

"Meizen nou laik ething."

[betterthanaplan]

"Sha, that," Duke said, grinning up at her. "Meizen nou laik ething."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's lips curved a little, again.

She sat down on the bench, and leaned down to pluck one of the strawberries from the plate. "Ba dison laik som, idowe."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shifted around so he was sitting just below her, on the deck in front of the bench, and took a bite of his own strawberry.

"Den dison don som." He kissed his fingers and switched languages. "Magnifique."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted.

"Branwoda," she muttered, but it sounded fond, and nothing else.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yu branwoda," Duke agreed. "Yu tripi hef."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia huffed. And reached out to steal another piece of fruit.

(As if she had not brought them a single plate to share.)

"Ai mou tripi, mou fonki hef."

[betterthanaplan]

"Fonki?" Duke asked, waggling his eyebrows. He did a little dance with his hips, even while sitting. "Like . . . funky?"

[okteiviakom]

"It's another word for weird."

A beat, during which she popped the piece of fruit into her mouth.

"Sorry."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke chuckled. "Liar." He leaned his head against her knee and picked out another piece of dragonfruit. "So . . . did Lucifer tell you his plans for my birthday?"

[okteiviakom]

"Not really," Octavia said. It was not a lie - on a technicality, since their awkward conversation had been about a birthday gift he was thinking about.

And those were generally kept secret, right?

"Why?"

She did a good job of keeping her voice light.

[betterthanaplan]

"He wants to go to the Bahamas," Duke said. "Which personally, I am all for."

[okteiviakom]

"Bahamas sounds nice," Octavia replied, a little softer.

Her fruit-free hand ended up on his hair for no real reason.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was not going to demand a reason there. "Bahamas are nice. With lots of fruity desserts. And one made with rum because he made fun of me for requesting fruity desserts for my birthday."

[okteiviakom]

The way her fingers pushed gently into his drying hair was reason enough in itself, really.

"Did he now?" she asked with a quiet huff that sounded natural, at least. "What's wrong with fruity desserts?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I believe he objected to me picking things for you," Duke said. "As though I don't also enjoy fruit."

To hammer his point home, he popped another strawberry in his mouth and made a dramatic display of pleasure as he chewed.

[okteiviakom]

"Oh," Octavia said. It was a small sound, but then she made an amused noise almost immediately after at his dramatics.

She was not going to call him branwoda again so soon, but the thought was definitely there.

[betterthanaplan]

He could read it in her face, and gave himself a quiet little mental pat on the back before chewing normally.

"All I really want for my birthday," he said, quieter now, and serious without being dour, "is us. The three of us, together. Anything else is just . . . set dressing."

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia agreed softly. "I get that."

Especially after San Diego.

"Still," she continued, a little lighter, "I'm assuming the Bahamas would make for some pretty great set dressing."