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]

"You're descended from gods," Octavia muttered. "So I wouldn't know."

[swisflapa]

She faltered. "Well, apparently it does," Rory said. "Because. Yeah."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's fingers on her cheek got just a little bit firmer, more present.

Still reverent.

"Meizen," she murmured.

[swisflapa]

Rory had lived on the Rouge for almost half her life, with a mother who was fuller, more wizened, both wryer and softer. But this younger version of her-- it called to mind old memories of her mother, digging into the soil, learning to coax living things into growing.

"You're a great mom, you know."

She wasn't sure where that came from.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's inhale was a little noisy.

"I'm sure you make it easy."

No, her voice didn't almost break, how dare you.

[swisflapa]

Rory managed a quiet laugh. "I think you might be the only person who thinks that."

[okteiviakom]

"I might still be right," Octavia sighed, and finally pressed her forehead to Rory's.

[swisflapa]

Rory closed her eyes.

This was mom's thing, the forehead touching. It always made her feel-- protected. Loved. Even from this younger version of her.

She smiled. "Ai hod yu in," she mumbled.

[okteiviakom]

There was only one reply to that, delivered quiet and soft and full of feeling.

"Ai hod yu in seintaim, strikon."

Didn't need to have known her any longer than this to know that.

[swisflapa]

Rory huffed a watery little laugh. "Not so tiny anymore, mom, I keep telling you."

[okteiviakom]

"You're about fifteen minutes old to me at this point," Octavia murmured, "you will have to deal with it."

[swisflapa]

That... probably didn't deserve the loud, snorting belly-laugh that it got. "Yes, nomon."

[okteiviakom]

'Deserving' was neither here nor there when the sound of it was that beautiful.

"Chof," Octavia managed, a little choked up.

[swisflapa]

Well. Now Rory had to hug her tight again, didn't she?

[okteiviakom]

Yeah. Yeah, that was a solid choice.

And Octavia just clung to her in return.