The beach, Wednesday morning

[betterthanaplan]

Duke was still pretty ridiculously stiff and sore after his misadventure this weekend, mostly through his back. (Duke would be giving Nathan so much shit about trying to perform CPR on stone steps if he hadn't, you know, been saving Duke's life while he did it.) But he was a firm believer that the best way to handle back pain was to use his back, and in yoga's restorative properties in general, so he was out on the beach as usual this morning, trying to roll the kinks out of his shoulders and neck.

And wondering when he'd stop panicking every time he felt just a little bit old.

[open!]

Comments

[hatesparadise]

"Still alive, huh?" Danny swung by once he was pretty sure the troopers weren't going to start an uprising against exercise. Because that was probably important too.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke straightened up a little self-consciously. "Disappointed?"

[hatesparadise]

"Oh, immensely," he replied dryly, giving him a once over. "How are the ribs?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Better than my spine." Which wasn't really saying much. "Bruises freaked Octavia right the hell out."

He looked striped, from behind.

[hatesparadise]

"Better than dying," he said even as it made him frown to hear too.

[betterthanaplan]

"I am definitely glad to be alive," Duke said, nodding. "You need something?"

[hatesparadise]

"Oh, we're gonna play that?" Danny asked, duly unimpressed. "You nearly die on me and are shocked I'm checkin' in?"

[betterthanaplan]

"No," Duke admitted with a sigh. "Just -- trying for a bit of normal, man."

[hatesparadise]

"We don't have to talk about it all," Danny granted him, spreading his hands open wide like he was appeasing Duke here. "But I'm allowed to worry about my friends."

[thatwaslucky]

"Any better?" Rey asked when she arrived.

It was actually kind of a relief to see him here after last week.

[betterthanaplan]

"Moving a little more normally," Duke said. "Been hitting the tiger balm pretty hard, so that's helping. How's it going?"

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm okay," she said. "How are you otherwise? Soreness aside."

[betterthanaplan]

"Enjoying being alive." Duke shrugged and tried not to wince visibly. "Hoping to stay that way for a good long time."

Preferably without aging, thanks.

[thatwaslucky]

"Yes, please, do that," she said, a little more emphatic than she'd meant to.

[betterthanaplan]

"Don't worry, Rey. I have a very well-developed self-preservation instinct."

That Haven was slowly but steadily chipping away at already.

[thatwaslucky]

"That isn't going to make me stop worrying, you know," she pointed out.

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah," Duke said with a sigh. "But hey, it's worth a shot, right?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had had every intention of not coming here this morning. The idea had been to give Duke space to do his thing, and not hover over him all the goddamned time.

... But she found herself showing up anyway, with a takeaway bag from JGoB in hand. Also, wearing the leggings Lucifer had paid for (paired with a slightly oversized and much, much cheaper t-shirt), so you were welcome, Duke.

"Ha yun."

[betterthanaplan]

She showed up just in time to see him all-but-collapse out of downward facing dog.

Okay, yeah, he maybe overdid it a little bit trying to loosen himself back up.

He rolled over carefully onto his back and grinned up at her. "Ha yun, gona. You look meizen as always."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia stopped right by him, and looked down at him with her eyebrows slightly raised.

"And you look like you're doing too much, jaka."

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah," Duke said on a sigh. His back was already protesting being laid on. He shifted gingerly onto his side, propping his head on his hand in an attempt to look breezy and casual. "But I gotta keep limber."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted at his attempt at being casual, so... It kind of worked?

"Well, I brought coffee and pastries," she informed him, as she went ahead and took a seat in the sand right where she'd been standing. "So you can take a break and see what that does to being limber."

[betterthanaplan]

"What, you're not here to work on your warrior pose?" Duke teased. He levered himself up to sit and reached for the pastry bag. "Suppose I could use a snack break."

[okteiviakom]

There were a couple of French crullers in there. And Octavia had two coffees. "Better enjoy it, too," she rasped. "This was the last of my cash."

Not that she'd had a lot to begin with.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked up at her through his hair as he pulled out one of the crullers. "Guess we should do something about that."