The Fin & Tonic, Sunday Night

[my_own_advocate]

Out here, the days were spent in the sun, enjoying the beach, drinks, a good swim or five; and then there were the evening hours, after they'd had dinner at the diner on the porch, where Lucifer searched valiantly for other ways to relax.

No, not just that. Perverts.

Tonight, he'd found himself on the Fin & Tonic's quite luxurious sofa, with a large bucket of popcorn. He paged through Netflix, searching for just. The right. Terrible action movie. Having found it, he leaned forward to grab a refill from his massive pitcher of margarita.

Should he call over Octavia or Duke? Ah, they'd find him if they wanted to join him, surely.

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[my_own_advocate]

"Father never did like handing those out without an agenda," Lucifer muttered.

[okteiviakom]

"I want to involve your father in as little as possible," Octavia muttered back, "anyway."

[my_own_advocate]

"Either way," Lucifer said, "I... do think you need to learn how to deescalate in fights. Or at least stop escalating."

[okteiviakom]

"Do you think I do it on purpose?"

It was another mutter. And at least half a genuine question.

"Escalate."

[my_own_advocate]

"No," Lucifer said, looking at her. "I think sometimes it's all you know how to do."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was still just looking towards the TV, not that she was actually taking in anything she was seeing.

"Just checking."

[my_own_advocate]

"Why?" Lucifer asked, frowning.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shrugged with the shoulder that wasn't leaning against him. "I just can't always tell," she said, "how much of what I do you two think is intentional."

[my_own_advocate]

"Hm," Lucifer said. "No, you have some terrible reflexes. Not as many as you used to, but..."

[okteiviakom]

"But you thought I was getting hung up on the words, for... what?"

That had kind of stuck with her, yes. (The feeling of being singled out.)

[my_own_advocate]

"I didn't think you consciously decided in the moment to do it," Lucifer sighed. "But you still did it."

[okteiviakom]

"Because words have meanings, and the meanings are important to me," Octavia replied, measured and quiet, "and I didn't think that was going to come as such a surprise to everyone."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's not the surprise that was the problem," Lucifer said.

[okteiviakom]

"No, but it did get me singled out as doing a bad thing."

[my_own_advocate]

"You weren't singled out," Lucifer said, shifting a bit. "I called Duke out on his failure to apologize, as well."

[okteiviakom]

"It felt like I was," Octavia muttered. "I also wasn't asking for an apology."

Which, yes, might have colored how she'd responded to it, too.

[my_own_advocate]

"Or an acknowledgement, at least," Lucifer said. "Some response to the hurt you clearly felt."

[okteiviakom]

"Words matter," Octavia replied, mildly. "If you ask for an apology, you get an apology. The feeling's there, the right sentiment, but actual understanding? That's anyone's guess."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer paused. Thought about his next words.

Then.

"It's not going to be any less anyone's guess if you properly train Duke to use the right words."

[okteiviakom]

The pause and the thinking still didn't save him from this:

"What?" Octavia asked.

Though not in a 'how dare you say that?' kind of way, but rather an 'I don't understand what you're saying' one.

[my_own_advocate]

"Whether Duke says 'feel your feelings' or 'express your feelings' doesn't actually change what he's saying, Octavia," Lucifer said. "Whether I say 'apology' or 'acknowledgement' doesn't change that what I'm asking for is something that recognizes specific things that you just said. You've known us for years. You either know what we mean, or you don't."

[okteiviakom]

Suppose it was Octavia's turn to feel like maybe she was crazy for seeing things differently.

She finally straightened up from her until now persistent lean against his shoulder. "Then I guess I don't," she said, looking... weirded out, for lack of a better term.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer sighed, fairly certain he had once again not managed to find the correct words to support his point about... incorrect words.

But that left him with very little to say.

[okteiviakom]

"You seriously can't tell the difference between an 'I'm sorry' and an 'I heard what you said and I understand what you meant'?" Octavia asked. "Because I can."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer rubbed his forehead. "Of course I know the difference," he said, a little bit of irritation sneaking into his voice. "The point is that in context, both of you understood what I meant."