The Cape Rouge, Late Friday Morning

[okteiviakom]

So Octavia couldn't touch living plants without sapping all life out of them. So she couldn't go out into the preserve for fear of some young branch grazing her cheek and killing the entire tree. So Octavia was troubled, poisoned by Haven.

Big deal.

Duke was breathing easier than he had for months. Octavia wasn't sure she trusted it, that she could expect it to last, but the difference was too obvious to ignore. And that? That felt more valuable than whatever quiet suffering she was going through. No good ever seemed to come without a sacrifice, anyway. And, well, Blodreina was used to sacrifice.

Especially when it was her.

So she gardened with thick gloves on, and she didn't go to the preserve, and she ignored how it felt like the first several weeks (months) down in the bunker, when all, absolutely everything she'd wanted had been to go out and breathe and feel a breeze on her face, or the warmth of the sun, or something that couldn't be confined in a concrete structure underground.

She'd learned to contain that feeling then. She'd learn to contain it again.

So Octavia and her thick gloves carefully and clumsily harvested some peppers from the little garden on the deck, and brought them inside into the galley for one of the guys to use in their cooking later. She took no chances: she only took the gloves off once the peppers were safely on the counter.

She checked her phone for the time, and caught the date instead. It was October 11th.

She was 33.

Another year gone.

[ooc: Oooopen, of course.]

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh, are some of the vegetables finished... doing whatever?" Lucifer inquired, stepping into the galley from the bedroom.

If he looked like he'd just woken up, it was because he'd just woken up.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia slid the phone back in her pocket as she turned.

"Some of the peppers have ripened," she said, with a glance towards the peppers in question. "There'll be more soon. Harvest time."

[my_own_advocate]

"Time to start cooking up pasta sauces for the winter, then," Lucifer said brightly, his hand sliding over her lower back as he joined her in the kitchen.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia leaned into it. It was a suble movement, but... Well, how many of those thirty-three years had Lucifer already known her for?

Even if all she actually said was a simple, "Good."

[my_own_advocate]

He could tell, yes. It relaxed him some. "And perhaps tacos for dinner," Lucifer mused, shifting a bit closer still.

[okteiviakom]

"I'd like that," Octavia said, as she went ahead and leaned her shoulder against him. "Best when they're fresh, anyway."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer smiled. "We can keep it light. Perhaps a touch of citrus, and some cheese or fish for the protein..."

He pressed a kiss into her hair.

[okteiviakom]

"Sounds good."

And she turned properly against him, to lean against his chest. It felt necessary.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer wrapped his arms around her. It was pure instinct and habit.

"How are you feeling, darling?"

[okteiviakom]

This wasn't going to answer the question.

"It's my birthday," Octavia muttered.

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh," Lucifer said, frowning. "I'm sorry. I lost sigh-- we should do something."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia just slid her own arms around his waist, finally.

"It's just another day."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's your birthday," Lucifer argued softly. "We should at least do something nice."

[okteiviakom]

"I forget Duke's birthday almost every year."

There always seemed to be something louder going on.

[my_own_advocate]

"I hardly see what that has anything to do with anything," Lucifer said, frowning. "You still deserve a good birthday. Especially after last week."

[betterthanaplan]

"Oooo, those peppers are looking good. How's the rest of the garden?" Duke asked, coming up from where he'd been really working on some boat maintenance below-decks.

Rather than the vague tinkering he'd managed to do while under the influence of all the troubles.

[okteiviakom]

"Some are getting ready to be harvested," Octavia replied, turning to look towards him, "some are already starting to get ready for the winter."

[betterthanaplan]

"Very cool," Duke said, nodding. He tilted his head. "You doing okay?"

[okteiviakom]

"Lucifer's already talking about sauces for the winter," Octavia replied, with a lopsided little ghost of a smile she hoped would help sell this as an answer to his question. "And you know I feel about knowing the pantry's stocked."

[betterthanaplan]

"I do." It didn't, but Duke wasn't looking to get into any arguments with anyone right now. He would keep it to food if that was what she preferred. "Maybe we can pickle some stuff, too. Onions, peppers. . . ."

[okteiviakom]

"I know the peppers are looking like there'll be a lot?" Octavia offered, turning more towards him, ignoring the urge to lean against the counter. "Probably enough for pickling."

[betterthanaplan]

"I'll look for some good recipes, then. And maybe see if there's any late season fruit to try canning."

He was getting into the idea of prepping food for the winter.

He was getting into the idea of actually looking forward to winter. Or anything else, for that matter.

[okteiviakom]

See?

A sacrifice with worth.

There was something a little softer in Octavia's expression. "Sounds like a plan, snogon."

[betterthanaplan]

When Duke found out she was hiding her trouble, he was going to take it so hard.

"Something else we can try together, maybe," he suggested. "Unless you want to stick to the current division of labor, with you growing and us cooking."

[okteiviakom]

Exactly why he didn't need to find out.

Octavia managed a little snort, then a shake of her head. "I'm not that strict about it."