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]

“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.

[okteiviakom]

And Octavia followed along, quietly for the most part, content to gently swing their joined hands as they walked.

They were nearly there when she spoke again. "You know, I really didn't mean to make you feel like you weren't... using the right words, earlier," she said, her voice mild but more in a thoughtful way than anything else. "I was just thinking out loud about... choices."

She paused, just for a little bit.

"There's things about being here that make me do that."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke smiled. “Good to know. I was trying not to think you were; you just kind of lost me for a minute.” A tiny pause from him as well. “Do you want to tell me more about it?”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave one of her tiny nods.

She looked ahead.

"I was stuck in a box for sixteen years," she said. Old news, she knew, but relevant. "And then I got thrown in prison. And then I got dropped on a planet where no one actually knew whether it or us would survive."

Her tone was growing a little more dry.

"And then when I started finding my place there, I got yanked to Fandom. And when I started making a life for myself there..." He saw the pattern, right? She gave a little sigh, and looked over at him again. "I don't know if you remember, but when we were here last, early last year, I... had a really tough time with it. Enjoying any of this. Because of something Lucifer had told me, the time before that."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke hung onto her hand, letting her talk. Watching her face and listening intently.

“I think so? I was in a less great place, myself. But I think I remember you were a little . . . extra reserved.”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia nodded again.

"He hadn't meant it like that, but he'd made me feel like all of these other islands were... like we were just sampling them for a place to move to," she said, just a little quieter. "As if one day you two were just going to decide to not go back to Fandom again."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke grimaced sympathetically.

“Must have felt like you were going to lose your home all over again.”