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

[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.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave a quiet sigh.

Her voice got dry again. "Well, I haven't thrown myself off the edge of the Rouge yet, so I guess it's working."

[my_own_advocate]

"Death by drowning is unpleasant, and rather a favorite of the demons down there," Lucifer told her, "So avoiding that is a good idea."

He poured himself a glass of red wine. "I heard Duke's end of the weekend," he said. "How was yours?"

[okteiviakom]

"Not sure how much there is to say," Octavia replied. "We met Gloria, we met the therapist, and then Nathan tried to strangle Duke, so we had to help solve a trouble."

Most people would have considered that plenty to say.

"Haven was Haven."

[my_own_advocate]

"A place of utter misery the man insists on returning to over and over," Lucifer agreed. "...How was your therapist?"

[okteiviakom]

"Okay," Octavia replied mildly, after a pause. Wasn't a question she would answer flippantly. "If I have to have someone prodding at how I think, I could do worse than her."

[my_own_advocate]

"High praise," Lucifer said, lifting his glass. "So you'll keep seeing her?"

[okteiviakom]

"We're looking into video calls."

That answered both the question he was asking, as well as the one he didn't know he was asking.

[my_own_advocate]

"Needed something more personal?" Lucifer asked. "Not that I think it's going to be an issue with you, but sleeping with your therapist is the point where personal begins offering diminishing returns."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rolled her eyes.

"She's pretty," she drawled, "but I'm not into her like that."

[my_own_advocate]

"It's also apparently ethically wrong," Lucifer added, just to be sure, "according to Linda's employers."

[okteiviakom]

"And it's weird," Octavia pointed out, helpfully.

Well, it was weird to her anyway.

[my_own_advocate]

"She kept staring at me with carnal fascination when we first met, was I supposed to not sleep with her?"

Lucifer. That was not how most people worked.

[okteiviakom]

"If she was going to help you, probably, yeah," Octavia drawled. Though then she shrugged. "But that's way outside my area of expertise."

[my_own_advocate]

"She was very enthusiastic," Lucifer said. "Until she decided to end it anyway. But the therapy's still good."

[okteiviakom]

"Good for you."

That was extremely dry.