Deck of the Cape Rouge to Elsewhere, Thursday Morning

[my_own_advocate]

Yesterday had not been good.

And now, a day later, they were still holed up within the bowels of the Cape Rouge. But Lucifer-- well, Lucifer needed some air.

He unlocked the door carefully, and stuck his head outside. No strange women so far...

[[ for two plus one ]]

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[betterthanaplan]

The water was helping, but not as much or as fast as he'd hoped. (It wasn't a cure-all. It never had been, but he forgot that sometimes, when he couldn't go swimming for a long time.) He dropped his legs and treaded water for a few moments, looking out towards the horizon.

He took a couple long, clearing breaths, then breathed in deep and dove again.

It wasn't deep enough here for him to really go into a deep dive, but he stretched himself out against the sandy bottom and just . . . hung there for a few minutes.

[my_own_advocate]

Hopefully not actually a few minutes. Because that was a bit long, as it was. Lucifer frowned, squinting at the water. "Duke?" he asked, as he sat up. "Duke?!"

[okteiviakom]

And there was Octavia's heart, right in her throat again.

"He's fine," she said, but the strain in her voice didn't make her sound like she was at all sure about that.

[betterthanaplan]

He was . . . physically okay.

He could also hold his breath for a while when the mood struck him, so he was probably down there for longer than either of them was comfortable with before he surfaced again.

When he just . . . treaded water again for awhile.

[my_own_advocate]

And would find himself facing a Lucifer, who had taken his trousers off and was now up to his knees in the water.

"Oh thank-- you."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia - sitting on the sand, exactly as she had been - took a deep breath.

Didn't feel any more steady than she had.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke frowned.

"You all know I know how to swim."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer stared at him.

"Do you have any idea how long you were under there?!"

... No. He was fine. He was chill. He was taking this all in stride!!!

[betterthanaplan]

"I can hold my breath for like . . . four minutes without much prep," Duke said. "So . . . less than that."

[my_own_advocate]

"Most humans can't do that!"

Totally. Chill.

"And you're being weird!"

The apex of relaxed about all this!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia... had no comment, even though their voices definitely carried.

She looked back towards the boat, then down at her outfit again.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed, looking back out to sea, than swam back towards the beach.

“I am not. I’m swimming.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Yes, well," Lucifer said, and immediately deflated. "You don't have to do-- that. Just don't do--" He waved at the part of the beach Duke had spent his four minutes in, "...that. Octavia and I would like to breathe."

[okteiviakom]

"I would like to find some other clothes," Octavia muttered. To herself.

They probably couldn't hear her like that, anyway.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke sighed. "You guys don't need to -- hover."

[my_own_advocate]

"You just suddenly ran off into the ocean and then vanished under water for four minutes," Lucifer retorted, frazzled. "I'd apologize for being terrified, but that would be lying."

[okteiviakom]

Back on the beach, Octavia slowly got on her feet again, brushing sand off her knees.

[betterthanaplan]

Okay. That was a reasonable point.

“I just . . . really missed the water.”

[my_own_advocate]

"And you're welcome to keep swimming, we're glad," Lucifer said, with a few jerky gestures born mostly of the panic ebbing away. "Just don't scare us like that."

[okteiviakom]

The sarong was coming off.

If only so Octavia could tie it back on herself, but higher. Covering up more of her skin.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke watched her, then grimaced. He started heading in towards the sand again.

"Moment's kind of . . . gone."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed. "Well, we should go to the Fin and Tonic and get some decent clothes, I suppose."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had already fixed her clothing situation. Mostly.

Not really.

Whatever. She was just staring down into the water, now.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke started towards the boat, his shoulders hunching as he went.

He was now extremely self-conscious about wanting to just float beneath the water. It'd probably be a little while before it could become a proper escape for him again.

[my_own_advocate]

Well, that was utterly the opposite of what Lucifer wanted.

He sighed, hurrying after Duke. Feeling like he should apologize.