The beach, Wednesday morning

[betterthanaplan]

Was Duke watching the water and wondering if Rey would want to go for a swim today instead of their usual yoga practice? Maybe!

They were in full on summer now, after all. Maybe he'd grab a dip after practice.

[open!]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

After missing last week, Rey showed up on time, actually in a really good mood.

"Morning.m," she greeted him.

[betterthanaplan]

"Hey." Duke smiled in return. "Take it the trip home last week went well?"

[thatwaslucky]

"It was definitely different than expected, but good. I also got a couple pictures before my phone died," she told him. In case he was wondering why she hadn't texted.

[betterthanaplan]

He definitely would have wondered, if he wasn't busy worrying about Octavia.

"Oh yeah? Can I see?"

[thatwaslucky]

"That's why I took them," she grinned, pulling out her phone so she could sit next to him to hand it over for him to look through. There were only a few, a couple from the very green jungle where they'd landed, and one of the bioluminescent lights in the cave, lighting the tunnels in blue. "This is Minfar."

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh wow. Way better than the trash planet," Duke said. "You all set up a new base there, or was this a supply run kind of deal?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Neither. We were coming off a supply run when we got a distress call. The First Order had invaded to try and get to some old labs," she explained.

[betterthanaplan]

"So an unexpected adventure for you all, then." Duke nodded, handing her back her phone. "I'm guessing you were able to stop them?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Yep. I may have to go back to help sort things out, but it was definitely a win. Finally,," she said, taking the phone. "How were things here?"

[betterthanaplan]

"They were alright. Octavia and I went for a swim."

[thatwaslucky]

"So you had fun," she guessed.

[betterthanaplan]

"It was . . . good." Which wasn't necessarily the same thing as 'fun'. "She's still adjusting to being back, you know?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Yeah, I'm sure it's a tough adjustment," Rey said, underestimating that.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke snorted. "Just a bit. Sometimes it's like she's a whole different person."

Because in many ways, she was.

[thatwaslucky]

"Huh," she said, eyeing him like she wasn't sure if she should ask if that was good or bad.

[betterthanaplan]

It was a deeply frustrating thing. But natural, seeing as she'd been gone seven years on her end.

"She's getting out more," he said instead. "Last night she went to see Lucifer all on her own."

[thatwaslucky]

"Going our alone is progress?" Rey asked.

[betterthanaplan]

"Going out at all is," Duke said. "Much less unprompted."

[thatwaslucky]

"That sounds bad," she admitted.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah, well. She was basically at war for seven years, so." Duke sighed. ". . . Had I told you that already? Last time we talked things were -- extra Fandomy."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey shook her head. "All I knew was seven years."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah. Most of those in a bunker surviving yet another nuclear disaster." Duke shook his head. "Her world is fucked."

And, you know, completely dead now, apparently.

[thatwaslucky]

"I can't even imagine."

She could, though, kind of.

[betterthanaplan]

"Right? Fuck, I think I'd go nuts after like a week."

Less than that. Duke should never, ever be trapped in a bunker.

[thatwaslucky]

"The bunker itself could be okay," said Rey, social distancing champion. "The rest of it, though."

[betterthanaplan]

"She didn't even see the sun for six years. And when she came out. . . ." Duke couldn't help a small shudder. "The whole ocean was apparently just. Gone."

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't even know what to say," Rey admitted. Saying she was sorry didn't work if it was to Duke, and it wasn't like asking if Octavia was okay was a smart question.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah. I've been mostly just . . . trying to make space for her to talk, you know? At whatever pace works for her."

[thatwaslucky]

"And how's that going?"

She was gonna guess not great.

[betterthanaplan]

"Well. She hasn't left yet." Duke shrugged. "Honestly, she's here, which I figure is about the most I can ask right now."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey nodded.

"And how are you doing with it?"

[betterthanaplan]

Duke opened and closed his mouth a few times, then shook his head. “I really want to say ‘I’m fine’. I’m . . . mostly okay. Frustrated, maybe.”

Upset that the Octavia he got back wasn’t the same one who’d left, though he was trying so hard not to let that out he hadn’t really acknowledged it for himself.

[thatwaslucky]

"It's a lot," Rey told him. "Frustrated is definitely... a feeling."

Of course he'd be more than frustrated. But she wouldn't push that.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke let out a noise that was almost a laugh. "Yes," he said. "It is. So, uh. Yoga."

[thatwaslucky]

"Yeah," Rey said with a sigh. "What do you feel like doing today?"