okteiviakom: ([spec] reading)
Octavia Blake ([personal profile] okteiviakom) wrote2024-10-26 11:53 am

The Deck of the Cape Rouge, Saturday Morning

Thursday night was still on-going had been something else. Stupid, probably, but it had made Octavia feel alive in a way that had been in short supply in the past few weeks. And she'd come back, late at night but with no major injuries, taken a shower, crawled into bed. Played it all off like a long walk. A breather. Nothing too different from all the other walks she'd been taking.

Even just this morning, a full day later, she'd already taken one. Just around the island, nowhere near the preserve, or the woods, not even in the park. Streets and stairs and beach, confined. Thinking, whether she wanted to or not, about the dreams she'd been having the past two nights. Walking into the preserve and letting the undergrowth bury her. Her mother had been there, too, bathed in a golden light from somewhere beyond the treetops.

It all seemed a little heavy-handed, if you asked Octavia.

Anyway, the walk was over. She was yet to go back inside, although she felt like she'd probably need a shower soon. For now, she was sitting on the deck, right by her little garden. Like it was enough just to be near it.

Because it had to be.

She had to be fine. She was losing entire days to pretending to be, acting her usual self for Duke and Lucifer's benefit, doing the usual things, with her quiet snark, holding hands, playing her part while they fixed the shit between themselves. (Ignoring the ache that came with them doing it someplace she'd spent years developing a big stake in. Ignoring that she'd almost dropped by the house for a bath just this morning, only to find herself unable to actually go in.) Sometimes she pretended so convincingly she even fell for it herself.

And wasn't that the goal, really?

She had her phone out. Checking out the news for anything new on the chemical plant. That was where it had started, anyway: now she was just scrolling through whatever else happened to be there. Maybe she was stalling? Didn't really matter. Something caught her eye either way, in her recommendations. A fresh discovery in Pompeii.

She tapped it open. Read, scrolled.

Came to a stop when she came up on the photo of the altar. Two snakes, surrounded by greenery, painted two thousand years ago, but their color still retained, unearthed from the ash.

Something in her chest clenched.

(It all seemed a little heavy-handed, if you asked --)

[ooc: Expecting one, open.]
betterthanaplan: (things are looking up)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
Duke had slept in a little, but nearly as late as he had for most of the summer. He stepped out onto the deck now with a tray of coffee paraphernalia and greeted Octavia with a smile.

Hayun, gona.”
betterthanaplan: (one shot or two?)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 12:12 pm (UTC)(link)
“Yep, thought you might like some.” He set the tray on the table by his favorite bench and nodded towards her phone as he sat. “Anything interesting?”
betterthanaplan: (*shrug*)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 12:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke raised his eyebrows. “That’s cool. What kind of stuff?”
betterthanaplan: (taking this seriously)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 12:48 pm (UTC)(link)
“Makes sense. Are they nice? Not too burned up or anything?”
betterthanaplan: (lovey-dovey)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 01:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke watched her for a second, then slid off the bench to sit on the deck next to her. “Van you show me?”
betterthanaplan: (thoughtful)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)
“Oh wow,” Duke said, taking the phone and enlarging the first image, a mural displaying human figures. “That’s incredible.”
betterthanaplan: (taking this seriously)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
That was how long it’d been forgotten.

“And they found it again. And now we get to see it.”

He scrolled further, pausing on each image to give it a good look.

When he got to the snakes he looked over at her.

“It’s beautiful.”
betterthanaplan: (touching foreheads)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke caught that flash of vulnerability, and for the first time in a while, felt he might just be equipped to do something about it.

He wanted to speak, but that so often backfired. So instead he just leaned in to press his forehead to hers.
betterthanaplan: (touching foreheads)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 01:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke swallowed down the guilt that flared up at that. But self-recriminations for not somehow maintaining his connection with her better through his dark days.

She didn’t need that. And he wanted to give her what she needed.

So he stayed quiet. Slipped a hand up to rest gently on the back of her neck. Slow, ready to pull away if she didn’t seem to want it, but offering that second point of connection.
betterthanaplan: (taking this seriously)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Duke huffed softly, half a laugh.

“I didn’t want to say the wrong thing,” he admitted. “But we can try this: how are you?”
betterthanaplan: (taking this seriously)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
. . . Yeah, funny how Duke had trouble believing that.

“Well.” He sat up, leaving the hand on her neck for an extra moment before turning towards the tray. “I can help with the second thing at least.”
betterthanaplan: (of course it is)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)
It didn’t take long. He had a cup fixed for her quickly and returned to his seat next to her, mug held out for her.

“How was your walk?”
betterthanaplan: (truck guy)

[personal profile] betterthanaplan 2024-10-26 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
“Huh.” Duke looked out towards the town. “You know I haven’t been out often enough when I didn’t even notice the school’s on break.”

He would let her keep pretending everything was fine a bit longer. She didn’t historically react well when he pushed her on that sort of thing.

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