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]

Yes, well, you never wanted to be the one to dig in while everyone else was having a moment.

Unless you were in church. Or everyone else was praying to Father over dinner. Anyway, Lucifer's narrative digressed.

He cut off his own bite. "This better be good," he said, "This bakery is supposed to be top notch."

[okteiviakom]

Lucifer could rest assured that his father had nothing to do with what Octavia had been thinking about.

"Pretty sure I won't be able to tell the difference either way," Octavia drawled, before popping the bite into her mouth.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer made an amused, fond little noise. "Yes, I suppose you won't," he said. "Which means the only thing that matters is if you like it."

He took a bite.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia chewed, clearly considering this piece of cake and its worth.

Then she swallowed, before declaring her verdict. "I do."

Didn't really need a top notch bakery to achieve that, though. She was consistently amazed by food having actual flavor here, still.

[my_own_advocate]

"Then I'm going to consider this a rousing success," Lucifer said, smirking.

Mostly reflex, since it slid away pretty quickly.

Lucifer of a few years ago would be appalled by how squishy he'd become, honestly.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted, though just barely. "Sure, I guess so."

And stuffed her face with more cake.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Again with the disaffection," he sighed.

And ate more cake, too.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia cast him a sidelong glance. "Don't invite me to your house if you can't handle how I am."

That sounded almost joking, if you knew how to listen carefully.

[my_own_advocate]

"There is a very large spectrum between 'handling you' and 'holding out hope you will rise above the urge to sound like a grunge frontman'," Lucifer sighed.

In terms of the words she used, not the actual timbre of her voice, which was actually pretty-- anyway.

[okteiviakom]

"Well, you're out of luck," Octavia drawled, around half a fork's worth of cake, "because I'm not feeling a particular urge to rise above anything."

[my_own_advocate]

"What am I going to do with you?" Lucifer sighed, again, and this time firmly stepped on the little voice that was still a bit wobbly about boundaries and last week. He was not doing that thing anymore. "Besides give you cake and see if you're actually capable of attaining a sugar high."

He took another bite.

[okteiviakom]

Another soft, quiet snort. "Well, I'm not exactly used to sugar anymore..." she rasped, shrugging. "Though I seem to remember cake going with a different kind of high."

They were some of her last on-island memories before... everything. Of course she'd hung on to them.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer made an amused noise.

"I do still have some of Seivarden's weed laying around here."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave that a thoughtful pause.

Then shrugged again. "Maybe later," she said. Lightly, by her recent standards. "My tolerance for that is probably even worse."

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, you're working your way up on alcohol quite quickly," Lucifer said, and ate the last bite of his own cake. "And reacclimating in general."

[okteiviakom]

It was best not to look too closely at why that first thing was.

As for that other one... Her voice went a little more raspy again. "More or less."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer had a few hunches, but well-- look at his own habits.

"More or less?" he echoed.

He was beginning to fill in the silences less, around her.

[okteiviakom]

His habits were part of it. So were Duke's.

And Shunsui's.

Anyway. "Could be I'm just getting better at faking it," she drawled. Again, maybe jokingly? But it was pretty dark, all the same.

[my_own_advocate]

"Sounds like something for your therapist," Lucifer said, reaching to produce - of course - a bottle of red wine for himself from beside the table. "Does it feel fake?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia poked at what was left on her plate with her fork.

"What kind of a faker would I be if I told you that?"

[my_own_advocate]

"A self-aware one?" Lucifer said. "Or at least one willing to talk to a friend."

[okteiviakom]

"It was a joke."

Nothing was ever fully a joke with Octavia, though.

But she seemed intent on finishing her cake, now.

[my_own_advocate]

"You should work on your delivery," Lucifer said, amused.

He knew her well enough not to take it to heart as much as... other recent jokes.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hummed a vague sound.

Ate a few bites.

Then spoke again, letting her gaze linger on the plate. "I'm hanging on," she said. "Some days are harder."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer nodded.

"Hardly strange," he said, quieter. "Best to take them as they come, really."

As opposed to someone who shall not be named, who may or may not have avoided them too long at his peril.