The Deck of the Cape Rouge, Wednesday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was starting to feel like she was on a slightly more even keel, post-Haven. Things with Duke were still... maybe a little off, but, they were working on that, bit by bit. And while she hadn't really managed to unpack everything with her therapist yet, she'd at least opened up about some of it.

Things were moving forward.

And this afternoon, Octavia herself was moving. Specifically, on her yoga mat rolled out on the deck of the Rouge. It wasn't super warm out, but that was fine.

It felt like she could breathe.

[ooc: Open! ETA: NFB on all the sex talk, pls and thank you!]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

Okay, but Duke's life was like. 90% emergencies!

"I argue with Audrey all the time, too," he pointed out, more to himself than to Lucifer. "And then still usually do what she wants me to."

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes, because she's manipulative and takes advantage of your good nature," Lucifer said helpfully, "You know, that thing we've given up on arguing with you about because you insist it's all right because she means well?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Or because I'm the -- subbiest sub, and should just spend all day on a -- a leash or whatever."

[my_own_advocate]

"That is really not your kink," Lucifer told him. "Take it from me, I've been sleeping with you for quite a while. Or I suppose I could try to mojo you, if you want to hear it from your own mouth."

[betterthanaplan]

"No," Duke said. Then paused. Then said "no" again, even more firmly.

"I think . . . I want to take a nap."

Since going and tinkering with the engine had been ixnayed.

[my_own_advocate]

"And look at you, saying no," Lucifer sighed, and took a sip of his drink.

[betterthanaplan]

"Thanks," Duke grumbled, pushing to his feet again without looking at Lucifer. "That's not at all patronizing."

[my_own_advocate]

And Lucifer... also rose to his feet, drink in hand. "I'm just pointing it out," he said. "Since you were suddenly so convinced that you weren't capable of pushing back on things you don't want to do."

[betterthanaplan]

"That's not what I was saying!" Duke said, spinning around. "I'm saying --"

He didn't actually know what he was saying.

"I'm saying -- how much of what I want to do even comes from me?"

[my_own_advocate]

There was a moment of silence.

"Well," Lucifer said, "That is something I don't personally have an answer to."

[betterthanaplan]

"Exactly!" Duke said. "Thank you."

He didn't feel any better.

"I'm taking a nap," he said again, and headed for the bedroom.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer snatched Duke's drink off the table and followed after him.

Yes, he was absolutely being this guy today. To help Duke. Not because he was afraid of being left alone on the Rouge again while the two of them went off and had their reactions. Nope.

Nooo.

[betterthanaplan]

Oh absolutely. Everyone believed that.

Duke ignored him, flinging himself onto the bed.

Dammit, he'd been feeling almost okay this morning, too.

[my_own_advocate]

They all had. Lucifer would much prefer going back to that.

He set Duke's drink and his down on the nightstand and sat down on the edge of the bed. Paused. Reached for one of the drinks again and took a big, healthy sip.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke grabbed one of the pillows and buried his head underneath it.

[my_own_advocate]

"You'd feel better if you had a drink," Lucifer told him, setting the glass back down.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke picked his head up and aimed a narrow-eyed look at Lucifer.

Would he? Would he, Luce?

[my_own_advocate]

"Fine," Lucifer sighed, kicking off his shoes. "Have it your way."

Lucifer, for his part, was reaching for Barry's ridiculously overalcoholic angel booze that he'd tucked away under the bed.

[betterthanaplan]

Lucifer could enjoy that all he liked. Duke was sticking his head back under the pillow.

You could have just let him go check on the engine, Lucifer.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer did not think that would have gone better for anyone, frankly.

He took a big sip from the angel-liver-killing-bottle, sighed, and put his feet up on the bed. Well. At least now he wasn't physically alone.

Should he say something? Maybe he should say something else.

[betterthanaplan]

Well, Duke wasn't going to. He was just going to stay here with his head buried under his pillow and see if Lucifer eventually went away.

[my_own_advocate]

"Look," Lucifer said, after staring at the ceiling for entirely too long (and feeling like this wasn't much better than being actually alone, seeing as how Duke's presence was turning into more of a reminder that neither of his partners wanted to talk to him than anything else). "Have you been happy? Here, I mean. With us."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke didn't answer for a little while. Then finally pulled his head back out from under the pillow, squishing his face into it instead.

"Yes. Obviously."

[my_own_advocate]

"Then at least some of what you've done these past few years is what you actually want, isn't it?" Lucifer asked quietly.

[betterthanaplan]

"I came to Fandom because . . . I don't know, I guess I was supposed to. I had a job here before I even heard of the place."

Sorry, Luce, Duke was having a very weird free-will-versus-fate crisis. Thanks to the intrusively kinky lady.