The Devil's Nest, Tuesday Night

[my_own_advocate]

Sometimes you spent a great deal of your time around other people, especially when they had their own troubles you actually wanted to help them with, and it was good, in its own way. And then you woke up the next morning really wanting some time to yourself.

Lucifer didn't particularly like giving his mind space to wander for itself. It rarely ended well. But his mood didn't lend itself to anything loud and ostentatious, either, for once.

The only good answer to this situation was the French.

So he spent most of his shift behind the piano, sometimes dipping deep into the quiet and meandering, sometimes going for something vocal and absurd.

And, well. "Voilà combien de jours, voilà combien de nuits..." Something in-between.

Comments

Have A Drink

[my_own_advocate]

That's what Tiny's for.

Listen to the Music

[my_own_advocate]

It's all rather French, really.

Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

If you catch him between tunes.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

Octavia showed up very, very late into the evening. Closer to closing time than anything, really.

And she didn't approach. Just found a seat and took in the music. She didn't know this language, but that wasn't saying much, and... Sometimes it was good to just listen to the sound of his voice, anyway.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer noticed her, of course, but it was only with a brief glance.

And a gentle slip into the last song of the night. "Qu'on espère ou qu'on se résigne..."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

Octavia sat and listened. And watched, sipping her drink. Just a simple ginger beer.

She'd chosen her particular seat on purpose. Somewhere she could see him in profile, so she could not only watch his face but also see his hands moving over the keys.

It was almost the best part.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

It wasn't a technically difficult song to play. It certainly wasn't flashy. But the words and the slow, lazy notes had a way of dragging Lucifer into a space of his own - something he loved about music, when he wasn't playing for someone else.

His eyes closed. "Qu'importe, il fait son choix sans nous; l'amour est bien plus fort que nous...:

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

It was another one of those things where Octavia felt faintly like an intruder. Wasn't hard to tell he was halfway somewhere else.

But she didn't look away.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

He didn't mind she was here. He had no particular shame.

(More importantly, he trusted her.)

Lucifer let the song peter out as gently as he'd moved into it, until his fingers stilled over the keys.

He sat there for a moment or so.

Then he reached for his drink.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

And Octavia sat with her own drink for a moment after that.

Then she rose from her seat.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer spotted her again, and flashed her a quick grin. It was rather a bit more muted than the host-grin he would've used earlier in the night.

"Miss Octavia," he greeted. "I didn't think you'd show."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

Octavia came over slowly. And idly put her hand on his shoulder.

"I had a long day of fixing things on the boat," she said. "Turns out it wasn't really made for people who are half fish."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

"Especially not when they're also dumb as rocks and obsessed with royalty," Lucifer agreed.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

"She wasn't dumb." She'd been a little dumb. "Just careless."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

"Fairly dumb," Lucifer said. He took a sip of his whiskey. "I am very relieved to have you back."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

"Pretty sure you can be that and not insult someone else at the same time," Octavia rasped, giving his shoulder a little pat before pulling her hand away again.

It was complicated, about the mermaid.

But she wasn't looking to get into it.

"How was your night?" she asked, instead. It felt late night enough for past tense.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

"Quiet, for the most part," Lucifer said. "But I find I didn't mind it this time."

It had suited his desire to get lost in the music for a while.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

"Quiet's not always bad," Octavia agreed.

She knew she didn't need to, that it was obvious coming from her. She said it anyway.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

"And how was your day?" Lucifer asked.

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

"Quiet," Octavia said, with a little half-shrug. "You know. Boat fixing."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

"Right, Duke enjoys that sort of thing," Lucifer said absently. "Did you?"

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[okteiviakom]

"Yes."

Preferably with less mermaid-based damage, but Octavia wasn't going to get back on that track.

She took a sip. "It's something to do. Something with... actual results."

Re: Talk to Lucifer

[my_own_advocate]

"Did you manage to get everything fixed?" he asked.

Back Office

[my_own_advocate]

Hi, Eric.

OOC

[my_own_advocate]