Isla San Pedro, Chile, Tuesday afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

Once upon a time Lucifer had purchased this island in large part to give Octavia some place she could feel at home that was a little-- closer to nature. But after the past few weeks - and especially the singing episode and all the trauma it had dragged back up - Lucifer had found himself craving the quiet isolation of it, himself.

He just wanted to roll up into a safe bundle with his partners for a while. If that bundle included woods, rivers, a coastline and temperatures above freezing, all the better.

And so after a short portal trip, they found themselves here. Lucifer, for his part, had been quick to open up a bottle of heavily alcoholic iced tea, and found himself a spot on the porch of the lodge. The weather was nice, if not overly hot; much better than what they'd left behind.

He took a sip. He looked out at the trees and the water.

He let something in him settle.

[[ for them who are here ]]

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[okteiviakom]

The island they'd left behind had been feeling pretty quiet too, but the quiet on this one was... different. Deeper.

And Lucifer wasn't the only one who was finding that a little bit soothing right now.

Octavia emerged from the lodge having changed into clothes that were more suitable for roaming around in the woods. (Not that her typical everyday outfits weren't pretty apt for it already, but still. There was the difference in temperature to consider, too.) She stopped on the porch, to watch the view for a sec, sure.

But mostly to watch Lucifer.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer took a sip of his tea. There was a little bird jumping around the branches of a nearby tree. His eyes were drawn to it.

[okteiviakom]

So Octavia's eyes were briefly drawn to it, too.

But then they returned to Lucifer again. Took in the details.

[my_own_advocate]

Something tense had slipped out of his face, sometime between-- well, their last minutes on Fandom, and now. Instead of inward, his attention seemed to be-- out, for once.

Just watching, too.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia almost didn't want to bother him.

Almost.

After a while of committing the moment to memory, she quietly moved closer. Slid an arm around his shoulders, leaned against his side.

[my_own_advocate]

That, at least, was enough to break his attention away from the view. "Oh," Lucifer said, looking up at her. "Hello, darling. Settled in?"

[okteiviakom]

"Pretty much," Octavia said, giving him one of her tiny smiles. "You?"

She had a guess or two.

[my_own_advocate]

"Oddly enough," Lucifer said, patting her arm gently. "I think I am."

[okteiviakom]

"Good," Octavia told him, giving him a little squeeze. And then, softer, "It looks good on you."

The change from the last week of otter days was... noticeable.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke chuckled softly as he came out from unpacking. “Look at you. All introspective.”

[my_own_advocate]

"I know," Lucifer said, looking up from his drink. "It's very unlike me. Unsettling."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was pretty sure it was just the opposite, but chose not to say just now. Instead he came over to sit on decking by Lucifer’s chair.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

[my_own_advocate]

"Nothing much at all," Lucifer said. "My mind is pleasantly blank, for once."

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah?” Duke asked, impressed. “Man, it takes me ages meditating to get there.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Perhaps you aren't trying hard enough," Lucifer mused.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke laughed. “You know basically nothing about meditation, do you.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Can't say I've ever felt the need," Lucifer agreed. "Well, not without a massive amount of narcotics. Why?"

[betterthanaplan]

“The harder you try to clear your mind, the less likely you are to do it. You’re supposed to relax, accept and dismiss your thoughts, that kind of thing.”

[okteiviakom]

"Ha yun, jaka," Octavia told him at some point in time that didn't interfere with the other threads. "Settled in okay?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shrugged and nodded. “It’s not so hard. Just have to kick off the dust a bit.” He smiled up at her. “You?”

[okteiviakom]

In reply, Octavia gave a little gesture towards the woods.

"I think I'll get there."

[betterthanaplan]

“I have no doubts,” Duke said. He offered her his hand. “Heading out for a hike?”

[okteiviakom]

"Thinking about it," Octavia replied, taking his hand. An offer she was very glad to accept. "We haven't been here in a while. And never really in this time of year."

And the current temperature was more to her liking than summer.

[betterthanaplan]

“True.” Duke had thought about going swimming, but hadn’t felt like busting out a wetsuit. “It’s headed into fall here. Nature’s getting ready for bed.”

He gave her hand a squeeze, then brought it up to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

“Thinking you want to be solo, or would you like company on this walk you’re considering?”

[okteiviakom]

"Depends," Octavia said, smile going a little crooked as it went wider. (Or maybe it was a little smirk. All things considered - namely how she was watching him handling her hand.) "Were you hoping to join me?"