Isla San Pedro, Chile, Wednesday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

Summer's voicemail about the painting had come in yesterday. It was the first message from Fandom since they'd taken off before the holidays. And it felt a little like they were being called back. Like it was time to re-join real life again.

But not yet. Not just yet.

For now, Octavia had a picked a stretch of beach - not a particular one, just a nice one - to wade out into the water from. She was feeling the sun on her skin, some very gentle waves against her legs.

And just breathed.

[ooc: NFB for distance, obvs, but open.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

Duke spotted her sometime later and came drifting up himself.

"I don't know about you," he said, slow and lazy, "but I have completely lost track of what day it is."

[okteiviakom]

"It's Wednesday," Octavia said, glancing over from her very important gazing towards the horizon. "I checked."

Because she could pretend to be ignoring the call of their lives in Fandom, but...

[betterthanaplan]

"Mmm," Duke hummed, turning his face to squint at her. ". . . Why?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave a tiny shrug.

"I don't know."

Liar.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded and shrugged. "'Kay."

He went back to floating.

(He'd basically spent a week in the water by now. He was too relaxed to press anyone on anything.)

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had noticed, and it made her... more than a little hesitant to drag him into anything she was (or was trying not to be) thinking about.

So after some hesitation, she just reached out and briefly brushed her hand against his shoulder, without disturbing his float too much.

[betterthanaplan]

"Hmm?" He looked over at her, squinting against the sun's reflection off the water.

[okteiviakom]

"Nothing," Octavia replied softly. "You just -- looked touchable. That's all."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke smiled broadly at her. "By you? Always."

If only that were true. It felt true right now, at least.

[my_own_advocate]

"Are you going to need more sunscreen?" Lucifer called from the beach.

He'd brought - of course - a parasol, a lounge chair, a small table, a radio, and a large iced cooler with him, and was wearing a tiny speedo and sunglasses.

Bliss.

[betterthanaplan]

At some point, Duke actually dragged himself out of the water and sprawled across the sand next to him.

"This might be my favorite ridiculous thing you've ever purchased."

[my_own_advocate]

"I'd like to think the Bahamas compare," Lucifer said, reaching over to tap more cold cocktail from his cooler. "But this does have bonus woods and solitude."

[betterthanaplan]

"I am definitely not knocking the Bahamas," Duke said. "But the solitude here does let me be naked a lot more of the time."

And made it easier for him to avoid people, which right now he was very into.

[my_own_advocate]

Sigh, Duke.

"Well, I'm hardly going to say no to more nudism," Lucifer said. He was only wearing the speedo for effect at the moment, really. "Especially when it involves putting sunscreen on your lovely behind."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ooo, speaking of," Duke said, and rolled onto his front, wiggling said behind in Lucifer's direction. "You mind?"

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed. "Oh, I see," he teased, already getting out of his seat with the sunscreen in hand, "You only re-emerge from the sea to get a rub-down."

[betterthanaplan]

"You're the one who suggested it," Duke said, laughing in return. He leaned his head against Lucifer's leg. "I'm happy to just drape myself along you like a limpet instead."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed softly. "Had a good day?" he asked, squeezing some lotion into his hands.

[okteiviakom]

"Not for a while, at least," Octavia called back. Apart from their very first jaunt into the water, she had been very diligent about her use of sunscreen.

(She also had something of a tan, now.)

[my_own_advocate]

"Are you sure?" Lucifer called. "I can check!"

[okteiviakom]

"Sounds like an excuse!"

She was turning to wade back to shore, though, so... If it was, it was working.

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh it absolutely is," Lucifer told her, beaming.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted, but made her way over the rest of the way, anyway. She'd opted for a swimsuit today, a sleek and black one that was also characteristically simple.

"You know you can't even see sunscreen enough to check, for the most part, right?"

[my_own_advocate]

"No, but I knew you'd come to me if you were amenable to me putting more of it on you, just in case," Lucifer teased, holding up the spray bottle.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rolled her eyes as she came to a stop right by him.

"Well, do your worst."