Aboard the OceaNyx, Wednesday afternoon

[betterthanaplan]

History said that the weirdness in town had probably abated by now, but Duke and his partners had quietly agreed to stay at sea a bit longer. Let things with them settle a bit more, before inviting Fandom chaos back in.

Unfortunately, Fandom chaos wasn't the only kind they had to worry about.

Duke had been feeling increasingly ill as the days went by, and by Wednesday morning, he heaved himself over to the wheel only to pretty much collapse into his seat, panting.

How could just existing be this draining??

[for those on the boat with him, and slow play. NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was watching his hands, too. Or the way she couldn't actually see them.

"I'm all the way over here, jaka," she murmured. (Where 'here' was 'on the floor'.) "It's okay."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, 'cause I reached for you and you collapsed." Duke shook his head. "I'm not taking the risk."

[okteiviakom]

"Your hands aren't magically going to fly over here."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, 'cause I never . . . instinctively reach for you or anything." Duke stared at the planks between his feet. "I'm dealing, gona. Let me deal."

[okteiviakom]

"Just trying to head whatever this will turn into off at the pass," Octavia replied, but mostly as a mutter under her breath, dropping her gaze.

[betterthanaplan]

How optimistic of her.

Duke stared down at his feet some more and hoped Lucifer would hurry up with that scotch.

[my_own_advocate]

As if he was summoned, Lucifer reappeared, holding two glasses in one hand and a large bottle of scotch in the other.

He handed Duke one glass without a word.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wasn't saying anything, either.

Although she looked up just enough to watch Lucifer's hands, now.

[betterthanaplan]

Ah. Duke had to untuck his hands now. Or at least one of them.

He took the glass and all but cuddled it. Every line of his body was screaming about holding himself as small and contained as possible.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer unscrewed the cap on the bottle and poured him two measures of scotch.

Then he poured himself three.

"It's all right," he said. "You can move them near me."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't expected that to hurt.

She moved to finally get up. Slow, careful -- and decidedly not in Duke's direction. The last thing she needed right now was him flinching away from her.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke watched her go. Didn’t uncoil.

“I’m dealing.”

[my_own_advocate]

"Not sure you are, darling," Lucifer said, bringing up his own glass for a firm sip.

[okteiviakom]

They could get by amongst themselves, right?

Because Octavia was slipping away right now.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke watched her until he couldn’t anymore, then took a bit gulp of scotch.

“It’s a process.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer glanced over his shoulder to where Octavia had gone. "And now I suppose we all take this very personally in our own extremely unnecessary ways," he muttered.

[betterthanaplan]

“I can’t fucking touch her. So yeah.”

They’d come out to have a good time and were feeling various levels of attacked right now!

[my_own_advocate]

The tone definitely got an extremely healthy rise out of Lucifer, so good job, Duke.

"And whose fault is that?" he said flatly.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke stared flatly back. “I’m aware.”

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer felt a deeply useful urge to flounce angrily out of the room; to let his anger at Duke rule once again.

He downed the contents of his glass in order to suppress it. Poured himself another one. Downed that too.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke watched him, tired in a way that had little to do with how crappy he’d been feeling.

“Go ahead and yell. Might make you feel better.”

[my_own_advocate]

"It won't," Lucifer said.

Another pour.

"At this point it would just be needless repetition."

[betterthanaplan]

“Because I still think I made the best choice I could, given the circumstances. And you still think I’m an idiot.”

[my_own_advocate]

"I don't think you're an idiot. I think you're self-destructive," Lucifer said, raising his drink, "And unreasonably loyal to a place and a people who are happy to let you self-destruct for them."

[betterthanaplan]

“Oh, well. I feel much better, then.”

Duke tossed back the rest of his scotch. The burn felt right in a way he didn’t want to look at too closely.