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]

"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.

[my_own_advocate]

"Just sharing my experiences," Lucifer said.

Look, him digressing into talking about himself was always a real and present risk.

"But it sounds like you figured out how to talk."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had been mostly making very dry fun of him, anyway.

"It was easier when I could see her," she said, turning her attention back on the plate, finally scooping up the very last bit of cake. "Last week's phone session was... not great."

[my_own_advocate]

"Not great how?" Lucifer asked, leaning forward to cut himself off a piece of the banana cake.

[okteiviakom]

"Like you're supposed to talk in therapy," Octavia rasped, "and I didn't."

Hadn't been able to.

She moved her own plate closer to the banana cake, like a suggestion.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer shot her an amused look, and took the first slice, and deposited it on her plate. "What, you just... didn't?"

[okteiviakom]

"No," Octavia said, as she pulled her plate back.

So maybe it was less 'not great' and more 'complete disaster'.

[my_own_advocate]

"Can't say that's ever happened to me," Lucifer offered, "But I'm not the reticent type."

At least, not when he was functioning as normal.

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia replied with a tiny snort. "I could see you having the opposite problem."

[my_own_advocate]

"The doctor's never complained," Lucifer retorted. (Just worn a dent in her desk with the post-session headdesking.) "Nothing came to you at all?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia shook her head. "Nothing I wanted to say."

Claire had asked questions, and she'd thought of answers, but...

"It was like trying to discuss strategy in front of the enemy."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer's eyes twitched just the slightest bit.

"You know she isn't, right?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave him a dry look.

"Not like talking strategy with the enemy."

[my_own_advocate]

"Just in front of an invisible enemy," Lucifer said. "Does your phone know you hold such grudges against it? Seems unhealthy."

[okteiviakom]

"Look, I'm not used to talking to strangers on the phone," Octavia pointed out with a barely-suppressed sigh. "I'm barely used to talking on the phone at all."

On the Ground, they'd just had walkies, and that was different.

[my_own_advocate]

"Wait, that was actually your hang-up?" Lucifer said, blinking.

He'd been joking!

[okteiviakom]

"Not being able to see who I'm supposed tell -- all these things to?" Octavia asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Yes."

She sounded like this should have been obvious.