The Samsara, Port of Fandom, Wednesday Afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

Right, so he'd clearly failed some kind of understanding test on Octavia's mystifying thing about tiny Duke. Lucifer had spent some time last night attempting to wrap his mind around it and failing.

But, well. Octavia stalking out of the Nest in a disappointed huff was not exactly how he wanted to go into this Duke-and-Octavia-free long weekend. And clearly he'd made a mistake. So.

There he was, standing on the boardwalk just outside of Samsara, holding a fruit basket. (It had lychees in it, besides the usual suspects. And dragonfruit. An apology basket had to be properly extravagant, right? It had worked for Miss Smith, at any rate.)

"Octavia?" he called.

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[okteiviakom]

Octavia was and wasn't surprised too hear his voice.

She put some things away before making her way to the hatch, pushing it open and climbing up enough to see onto the boardwalk.

"Yeah, I'm here."

[my_own_advocate]

"Brought you a fruit basket," Lucifer called.

Not that he needed to raise his voice much longer, as he - and the basket - were making their way onto the ship.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia pulled back into the belly of the boat, though not before waving him in.

A little late though it may have been to even bother with the gesture.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer did have a way of inviting himself.

"Since we parted on somewhat strained terms yesterday," he said, setting the basket down on the table as soon as he was close enough to it. "And I'd rather not see you leave for the preserve on that note. An apology basket. I hope you like dragonfruit."

[okteiviakom]

"I don't think I've ever had dragonfruit," Octavia said, looking the basket over. She didn't really have any interest in revisiting last night, so the fruit made a great thing to focus on.

Did glance up, though. "Mochof."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's fruit you have to carve up with a knife, so besides it being tasty, you can have some fun with it," Lucifer teased.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted. It was just a soft sound, but it was a much better sign than all of last night. "It's like you've met me, or something."

That, too.

[my_own_advocate]

"I do like to think I know a few things about your preferences," Lucifer said, mouth curving. "Go ahead and try some, I'd say."

While he made himself comfortable on the bench.

[okteiviakom]

He could try, anyway. It wasn't a very comfortable bench.

Octavia picked up a fruit. "Is this it?" she asked. It wasn't like she'd ever knowingly seen a dragonfruit before, either.

(Yes, it was.)

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes," Lucifer said, smiling at her. "The smaller ones are lychees. And the rest, well, you know what the rest is." Apples and bananas and kiwis, mainly.

[okteiviakom]

"Lychees," Octavia repeated, mostly to herself, as she picked one of those up for a moment, just to feel the texture.

Then she put it back in the basket, so she could turn to her tiny galley set-up for a knife, still holding the dragonfruit.

[my_own_advocate]

So far, so good.

And if she didn't want to bring up last night, well, neither did Lucifer.

"They can be quite good in cocktails, as well," he said.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hummed a vague noise of - agreement? Acknowledgment?

She was cutting the fruit in half.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer slid his flask out of his inner pocket and took a sip, waiting.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave a surprised little huff at seeing what the inside of the fruit was like. She hadn't expected that, at all. She pressed a fingertip against it, and found the flesh to have just enough give that she reached to grab a spoon instead of the knife.

There was something curious, and almost reverent, about the way she carved a piece out of the shell.

And that was before she'd put it in her mouth.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer did always like seeing her like this.

He smiled, just a little bit.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took her time with the first piece. Fruit was -- Well, it was something she never wanted to start taking for granted.

She also rarely met fruit she didn't like. And this wasn't one of those rare times, either.

"It's sweet," she murmured. "Kinda crunchy."

[my_own_advocate]

"Do you like it?" Lucifer asked, still smiling in spite of himself.

[okteiviakom]

She was already carving another part out.

"Yeah."

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, that's a bullet dodged," Lucifer teased. "Imagine if I'd managed to find the one fruit you hate."

He was definitely never bringing her durian.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted again. "Yeah, imagine if you had," she rasped, taking the spoon and both parts of the fruit so she could come sit down across from him.

The journey was about a step and a half.

"Think you would have to try to make it happen."

[my_own_advocate]

"I could think of one everyone hates," Lucifer allowed, "Though I half-expect you to be contrary about it and love it anyway."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shrugged. "Sounds like you should give it a shot," she rasped. "Just warn me first."

[my_own_advocate]

"I'll think about experimenting once you come back from your trip," Lucifer said, amused. "Don't want to send you off miserable, now."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shrugged one shoulder again.

"It's fine, I didn't want you running off to get more fruit right now anyway."