The Cape Rouge, Saturday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Haven was even worse than all the stories. And so, after the absolute disaster that had been yesterday and its ensuing revelations and fights, Lucifer had - over Duke's initial protests and then quiet acceptance - thrown everyone into the Rolls Royce and driven them home through a bloody portal.

He'd been keeping it together quite well, all in all, he felt. Compared to both of his partners. He was good at that, occasionally, being the one who didn't fall apart at the sight of personal trauma.

So why couldn't he sleep?

He'd given up the fight at some un-Himly hour. Found himself pottering around, lurking on deck, lurking in other places, drinking. Now he was back in the galley, contemplating the last of their scotch, and the inevitability of their eventual return to Haven.

He almost missed the noise outside.

[[ for the cape rouge dwellers plus one ]]

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[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't really know what to say to that.

(To anything, today, really.)

So she just fell quiet again, looking down. At their hands, at her sling.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm... sure this is some mad alternate universe thing we don't have to worry about," Lucifer ventured. He eyed Rory. "Ah, no offense."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wondered, faintly, whether this would have been easier had it been any other weekend. Like there was something here she couldn't really reach.

She felt heavy.

And her hand slid away from Rory's, as she moved to stand up.

"I should drink some water."

[swisflapa]

And so Rory leaned away, into her dad, who had a twin look of-- being faintly lost on her face she knew was matched by her own. "Yeah, keep hydrated," she said. "That's kind of important. Especially when you've had a bad fight."

She figured this was about a bad fight.

[okteiviakom]

It felt more like bad everything, right now.

But all Octavia actually managed to communicate was a toneless hum as she went to grab a glass.

[swisflapa]

"Do you wanna go hit things in the woods later?" Rory tried, her eyes darting to Lucifer.

[okteiviakom]

"I can't really hit things right now."

That wasn't even true. Sort of.

(Because she hadn't cared, last night.)

[swisflapa]

"Well, wanna watch me hit things with my wings?" Rory tried. "Maybe it'll be cathartic."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia looked up at that, her eyebrows climbing just faintly.

"You have --" Oh. It tapered off into a soft murmur. "Of course you do."

[swisflapa]

"C'mon, mom," Rory said, her mouth curling into a slight grin. "You know you wanna see."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's expression softened some. "I do."

Or at least she knew she should. That she would regret it later if she didn't, even if the feeling of wanting anything seemed a little faraway to her right now.

[swisflapa]

Rory nodded, relieved she'd found something she could do here.

She slid away from Lucifer, onto her feet. "C'mon. Let's head out to the deck."

Her eyes flicked to her dad, and then back to Octavia.

[okteiviakom]

Who was now slowly pushing away from the counter, glass of water in hand.

She gave a tiny nod that she hoped came off encouraging. She would follow. Trust her.

[swisflapa]

Yeah. Yeah, that was a relief.

Rory made her way upstairs quickly, stretching her arms out as she found herself on the familiar territory of the Rouge's deck. "All right," she said. "Be careful and like, don't get too close?"

[okteiviakom]

Apparently it took too much effort to point out she'd been around wings before, and knew how not to get smacked.

(Yes, obviously that would be the main concern, what else could it be?)

Instead, Octavia just nodded, watching her.

[swisflapa]

Rory took a deep breath, and... unfurled. Deep red wings slid from her back, spreading across the boat.

Their feathers gleamed, tapering off into a point.

They almost looked... sharp?

[okteiviakom]

They did.

That was the thing that had Octavia taking a step closer without even thinking about it, though only once the wings were fully unfurled.

There was a question on her face as her head tilted, for a closer look.

[swisflapa]

"I can make 'em softer if I want to," Rory said, glancing over her shoulder. "But I like them this way."

[okteiviakom]

"Good," Octavia said, quietly. (To which part? Did it matter?)

The urge to reach out and touch the feathers, to find out whether they were as sharp as they looked, was strong. But she managed to fight it.

[swisflapa]

She folded her wings together slowly, just to make sure she could turn around. Rory smiled. "I know I'm still playing catch-up to you in the badass department," she said, "But I'm going to beat you at it sometime."

[okteiviakom]

And now Octavia was looking at her face, rather than at her wings.

She didn't know what to say to that, right now. Didn't feel particularly badass.

[swisflapa]

And Aurora-- knew that look. Her wings receded. Something like worry flitted by her features, but she wasn't still for long enough for it to be readable.

"Oh, nomon," she said, and darted forward, trying to drag Octavia into a hug.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia inhaled a soft gasp, and didn't seem to know what to do in response, at first - reminiscent of both Duke and Lucifer in times so long past that Rory hopefully had no idea about.

Then she slowly brought her free arm around the girl.

(The other arm hurt. She didn't care.)

[swisflapa]

"I love you," Rory said, pressing her face into Octavia's neck. "It's going to be okay. And you're fucking awesome."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia tried so hard to keep the sob-like inhale at bay, to stay firm and not shudder.

But she failed.

She pressed her face into Rory's hair.