Lucifer's Mansion, Wednesday Afternoon

[my_own_advocate]

That whole awkward mess yesterday had ended in Lucifer inviting Octavia over because, well. Because he felt horrifically guilty, and having long emotional chats wasn't really something he was good at when he wasn't in the middle of his own (Eric's) bloody club.

Also, generally, spending time with people went down more smoothly when there were hot tubs involved.

Either way, he was awake and upright. Hadn't bothered to pull on a suit jacket or anything else over his crisp black shirt because, well, this wasn't exactly a formal occasion.

... which hadn't stopped him from getting snacks delivered and breaking out the brandy, mind you. Either way. He was home.

[[ for her ]]

Comments

[my_own_advocate]

"Very observant," Lucifer teased.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave him a withering look.

... Okay, possibly exasperated fondness. Sue her.

[my_own_advocate]

"Oh, come on," Lucifer said, giving her a playful nudge with his foot, because he couldn't help himself. "Can I get at least five percent less glower?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia glowered harder.

It looked... very fake, actually.

[my_own_advocate]

So fake it actually made Lucifer laugh, so congratulations. "Not quite."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia herself didn't laugh, of course. Or even smile.

But the corners of her lips twitched enough for her to bow her head a little, that old, old urge to hide bubbling up.

"Careful what you ask for," she rasped.

[my_own_advocate]

"I work with Eric," Lucifer sighed. "At least your glowering is slightly less dour and annoying."

[okteiviakom]

"Thanks."

Octavia took another sip, then looked up again. Towards the trees.

Thought for a quiet moment, and then said, "You know, I'm almost surprised Duke doesn't try to stop me from going there."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave a tiny shrug.

"I'd be wary if he kept going somewhere he'd disappeared before, too."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's not like the woods have a habit of grabbing people and dumping them elsewhere," Lucifer said. "And for some unfathomable reason they're rather important to you, as all of us can tell."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia glanced over at him. "It's the first place I was ever really free." And in retrospect, for far too short a time. "That's not so unfathomable, is it?"

[my_own_advocate]

"In the woods?" Lucifer said, frowning. "The rest of the island didn't work for you?"

[okteiviakom]

"Not these woods," Octavia replied, softer and quieter than before.

[my_own_advocate]

"Earth?" Lucifer guessed. "Your Earth."

[okteiviakom]

A tiny nod.

"We always called it the Ground."

First, from the perspective of being up in the sky. Then, underneath it.

[my_own_advocate]

"Middle ground between Heaven and Hell," Lucifer said lightly.

[okteiviakom]

"Something like that," Octavia muttered.

They couldn't not be maudlin to save their lives, could they? Or maybe it was just her.

[my_own_advocate]

She made him more maudlin. But... not quite in a bad way, somehow. Lucifer smiled at her a little.

"Well, we made it there, didn't we?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's voice stayed quiet.

"And where are we now?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Somewhere between Heaven and Hell," Lucifer echoed, mouth quirking, "Which is where I like it, frankly, Heaven is terrible."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't entirely agree. But she figured it really was just her that sometimes felt Fandom was like... a waiting room. Something separate from everything else.

But, her head tilted a little. The curiosity on her face was faint, soft.

"Can I ask what it's like?"

[my_own_advocate]

"Heaven?" Lucifer asked, tilting his head. "Oh, it's all nice and peaceful and utterly boring. Nothing ever happens, everyone's happy all the time, or at least they're expected to be, and Uriel..."

He trailed off.

"Well, I suppose no one has to suffer Uriel's speeching anymore," he said.

[okteiviakom]

"I don't know who that is."

She might have, once upon a time. But now it had been most of a decade since her Wikipedia-level research into his origins, so.

[my_own_advocate]

"One of my brothers," Lucifer said. "He died a few years ago."