Los Angeles, Tuesday

[my_own_advocate]

It was a nice, bright morning in Los Angeles, just a few days before Lucifer's self-imposed ultimatum about leaving ended. He remained on a quest to apologize for his therapist-inflicted overthinking and subsequent attempts to break up with Duke and Octavia, and so, today...

...Today it was time to spoil Octavia with a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

He hummed brightly to himself as he paid for their tickets, then slid past the nice cashier and into the aquarium properly.

[[ for two, and some ocd. everything taken and adapted from Lucifer episode 5x14, 'Nothing Lasts Forever'. ]]

Comments

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

"Sharks first," Octavia said, without taking too long to think it over. "Been a while since I've seen any."

Also maybe she was saving the otters for later like the treat they were.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"Shark Lagoon it is," Lucifer said, holding out his arm in the proper direction. "Apparently they let you pet the less maul-y sharks."

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's eyebrows went up. A lot - by her standards. "... They let you pet sharks here?"

Way to not lead with the good parts, Lucifer!

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"Some of the smaller ones," Lucifer said, grinning. "They have these small touch pools where you can lean over and touch anything that swims near."

He gestured at the section reading 'Shark Lagoon' up ahead. "They're supposed to be very good."

Or, well. Popular with children. But he wasn't saying that bit out loud.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

As if Octavia cared if other adults didn't recognize a good thing for what it was.

"What are we waiting for?"

She was already going.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer laughed, striding after her. "Nothing at all," he said. "Full steam ahead."

Not that she needed him to say so.

There was a concrete barrier set up to contain the water of the touch pool, but it only reached hip-height even for the children. It was full of rays and smaller sharks, swimming circles, sometimes coming up to the side to welcome the questing hands of the visitors.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

And as soon as they got there, Lucifer might not as well even have been there. (Sorry, Luce.) Octavia crouched by the barrier, and her attention was immediately fixed to a couple of bonnethead sharks swimming by.

"Oh, they're like babies," she murmured.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"But still quite sharky," Lucifer said, hands in his pockets as he ambled up behind her.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hummed a vague response.

As one of the sharks came back around, she reached out to carefully put her hand in the water, so that her fingertips touched the its back.

"Ha yun, finrona."

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer huffed in faint amusement, and leaned on the barrier, watching her.

It was only a matter of time before his own inability to-- well, not touch things kicked in, but for now, he was amused watching her.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia seemed, for lack of a better word, devoted to watching the sharks swim about. (The rays, too, but... Yeah, she played favorites.)

It was just that she'd never been this close to one before.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's attention eventually wandered (of course it did) to the water.

And the rays, which kept doing this funny thing where they'd stick their noses up out of the water for a minute.

... He reached out and touched one. Couldn't resist.

"Slimy."

He shook his hand to get rid of the feeling.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's snort was faint, her sideways glance at him quick.

"Well, maybe he didn't enjoy touching you, either."

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"Please," Lucifer said. "I'm great to touch. You of all people should know that."

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah, and I'm not a ray," Octavia pointed out.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm just saying," Lucifer said, "I'm universally touchable."

He leaned back over to eye the sharks.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

The sharks continued doing their thing.

And so did Octavia. Occasionally murmuring in soft, affectionate Trig.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

After a minute or three, Lucifer found himself poking the water again, just to see if any of the creatures would react.

It did seem like he wasn't going to get Octavia back any time soon, after all.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

He'd known that was a risk when he'd brought her here.

It took another long moment before Octavia looked over again. It was another short glance, though, but still. "I hope they're happy here."

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, they get free meals twice a day and nothing's hunting them," Lucifer said. "Could be worse, right?"

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

"Well sure," Octavia replied, watching a shark glide underneath her hand. "It's better than just surviving, I guess."

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"But you have doubts?" Lucifer prompted.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shrugged as she turned her gaze on the pool again. "This isn't where they belong."

She'd been caged too many times in her life not to get there concerns every once in a while, about zoos and aquariums.

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[my_own_advocate]

"Suppose we could try to go swimming with sharks next time," Lucifer mused. They must do tours like that, right?

Re: Aquarium of the Pacific, Morning

[okteiviakom]

Not quite the point, Lucifer.

But, still... "That's a thing?"