The Cape Rouge, Sunday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Right, so Lucifer was getting up bright and early so he could prepare himself for the trip to Baltimore - possibly with Duke - to escape this caffeine-free, zero-alcohol hell-hole. Bright and early enough that both of his partners were still asleep.

Or Octavia was faking it. Or just not bothering to get up. Who even knew?

"Oh my me," he whispered to himself in the kitchen. The bourbon looked... normal? He took a swig. It was normal.

He swept away immediately to get the coffee going, and twenty minutes later--

"Who wants an Irish coffee?!"

--burst back into the bedroom.

[[ for duke, and for octavia if she wants to jump in too ]]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"Not randomly. Strategically."

[my_own_advocate]

"Strategically planning for what, exactly?"

Lucifer was amused and just wanted to hear this plan, honestly.

[betterthanaplan]

"Having a handy hammock nearby when she's hit by the urge to nap," Duke said. "Or lounge. Or watch the porgs. . . ."

[my_own_advocate]

"One or two in choice sunlight spots on the deck, then," Lucifer said, nodding.

[betterthanaplan]

"Of course. And I bet we could get one of those big swinging bed things for the forecastle. . . ."

[my_own_advocate]

"...Which part is the forecastle again?"

[betterthanaplan]

"The tall thing in the front."

[my_own_advocate]

"Ah," Lucifer said, tilting his head. "May be fun in summer. Take the Rouge out somewhere warm, make some iced tea, cuddle up..."

[betterthanaplan]

"Plenty of room to store it in the hold when we're not using it."

Since Octavia was never going to go down there again, if she could help it.

[my_own_advocate]

"Mm," Lucifer said, took a sip, and said, "I still think we should get an inflatable hot tub."

[betterthanaplan]

“That . . . would also be easy to store in the hold.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Exactly what I was thinking," Lucifer said. He smirked. "And then you won't have to turn your precious boat into a cruise ship."

[betterthanaplan]

“The world’s ugliest cruise ship?” Duke asked with a grin.

What? He knew what the Rouge looked like.

[my_own_advocate]

"Not if you finally gave it that bloody lick of paint she needs."

[betterthanaplan]

“Excuse you, that rust happens to be very effective camouflage.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Far be it from me to repeat our past conversations," Lucifer said, as he was about to repeat just that, "But your ship hasn't needed camouflage in... how many years?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke pressed his hand to his chest. "You wound me."

Look, sometimes he needed to pretend he was still a scoundrel and a rogue, okay?

[my_own_advocate]

"By the time you ever have to use this vessel for camouflage again, it would probably have rusted over all over again," Lucifer pointed out.

[betterthanaplan]

"Really. That's just cruel."

[my_own_advocate]

"Is it?" Lucifer asked, snorting. "Are you eager to go back to your life from three years ago?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Not exactly the same life," Duke said. "But, you know. It's nice having the option. . . ."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer huffed softly. "Keeping an off-ramp, are we?"

[betterthanaplan]

"You are making this sound way worse than it is," Duke said.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm not saying it's bad," Lucifer said, idly pouring another shot of Bailey's into his mug. "But you are doing it."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed and flopped down onto one of the benches.

"I like having an exit strategy," he said, shrugging. Trying not to think too hard about Linda telling him that was his immaturity showing. "In my experience, things tend to go tits-up pretty fast if you don't."