The Marina, Cat Island, Friday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

As most days this week (and the one before that, and the one before that...) Octavia had spent most of the early parts of her day working around the marina. There was always maintenance work to be done, things to fix, areas to tidy. She knew how to do most of the usual things by now, too, and had less of a need for the local workers to show her the ropes, whether literal or figurative. She could just be helpful. Just that, and not a burden or a hindrance.

It settled something in her. At least a little.

But by now, her tasks for the day were done. She'd cleaned all of the maintenance grime off of herself, and was now sitting near where the Fin & Tonic was docked. Watching the water, listening to whatever noise was coming from elsewhere in the marina.

Thinking about home.

[ooc: NFB, open for all the usual with likely SP.]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

“. . . It is,” Duke agreed. Was she hinting that she hadn’t gotten one this time? “Choice makes all the difference.”

[okteiviakom]

"Easier to like changing it up."

[betterthanaplan]

“. . . Yes,” Duke said, nodding slowly.

That was what he’d been agreeing about, wasn’t it?

“If you’re trying to clarify or empathize something, I’m not getting it.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia looked back over at him, with another light frown. More faint this time, though. More confused than anything.

"I'm... talking?" she said. There was no way for her to know he'd thought she might've been hinting anything, after all. "What?"

[betterthanaplan]

“I said I like to change it up, you said that it’s easier when you have a choice and I agreed that choice makes things easier. And you repeated that it’s easier to change things up,” Duke said, counting on his fingers. “Like . . . I wasn’t being specific enough.”

Yeah, her tendency to be very specific was backfiring on them a bit here.

[okteiviakom]

What, like the way Octavia was pretty sure on her end she'd said two separate things that he, on his end, was interpreting as her repeating something?

"Right," she said, slowly. "Well, I wasn't implying that. Sorry."

[betterthanaplan]

“Okay.” Duke decided against belaboring the point. One of them would just end up tripping over the other’s trigger, otherwise. “You know, I’ve been thinking I should do more day trips on the OceaNyx. Kinda . . . balance out my inner homebody and my wanderlust. I’d love to bring you along sometimes.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had been considering explaining certain parts of what she'd said - where her lack of choice had been, tossed around into prison, onto the ground - but guess they were already moving on.

Maybe it was for the better.

"I'd like that," she murmured, and meant it. "I don't take the Samsara out enough, either."

[betterthanaplan]

“Well. You can take me out on her sometimes,” Duke said with a smile.

[okteiviakom]

"Where do you wanna go? Baltimore?"

It wasn't a very serious question, but... Well, Octavia was trying for something a little lighter, here. Something comfortable.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke would go anywhere with her.

“I’d love that,” he said. “Or if there’s anywhere else you like to take her.”

[okteiviakom]

"It's usually just Baltimore," Octavia admitted. "Sometimes around the island. I haven't been very... adventurous."

[betterthanaplan]

“You like to know what you’re getting,” Duke said. “Nothing wrong with that.” He tilted his head a little. “It’s easier to be adventurous when you have a choice.”

[okteiviakom]

"Also when you're more comfortable with boating," Octavia had to point out, "so you're not worried you're about to do something you'll regret in unfamiliar waters."

[betterthanaplan]

“Oh yeah. I did all of that in my twenties. When I still at least partially thought I was immortal.”

[okteiviakom]

"I'm in my thirties, and I don't take the boat out that much," Octavia replied, a touch of something wry in her tone. "And I know you'd both get mad if I got myself in trouble."

Or worse.

(Incidentally, part of the reason she hadn't told either of them about her little chemical plant trip.)

[betterthanaplan]

And that was definitely a reason she’d accept from them.

Duke nodded. “Makes sense to me.”

[okteiviakom]

Hypocrisy never went out of style.

"Anyway," Octavia said, on a little sigh, looking out over the water, then back at him. "You wanna go somewhere else right now?"

Wait, context.

"I don't mean on a boat."

[betterthanaplan]

“With you?” Duke doubled checked. “Absolutely. Where should we go?”

[okteiviakom]

"I don't know, what's a nice secluded place?"

Way to return the question, Tavi.

[betterthanaplan]

“There’s the place we went swimming when I got here?”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia paused to think about it. (Which involved ignoring some of the awkward in her memories around it. She was doing that a lot, lately.)

Then she nodded. "If we didn't get caught skinny-dipping, it should be pretty good."

[betterthanaplan]

“Great.” Duke offered her his hand. “Let’s go.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took it, and gave it a squeeze.

Then moved to get up.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke squeezed back and stood, and with the market bag of grapes and cheese in his free hand, led the way toward the little cove where they’d swum.