The Devil's Nest, Wednesday Evening

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't been in for a couple of weeks, but that didn't matter much. Everything was the same as it always was, with piano bar-y music in the background, Tiny serving drinks, and the axe-throwing range fully operational.

That Octavia herself was exhausted in a way that stopped being a feeling altogether and just seemed to come right from her bones, well... That wasn't as unusual as it should have ideally been, either.

But she was there, behind the counter, doing her best to not look like she wanted to go home to sleep.

(She'd been doing it since Friday. Thought she was even getting pretty good at it.)

[ooc: OCD free because I am also tired.]

Comments

[okteiviakom]

Octavia paused. Not just in terms of silence, but paused action as well. But she didn't look up.

"Already have someone like that."

No, she had a celestial she kept throwing some of her worst coping impulses at.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shrugged. "Cool," he said. "Just an offer. I know punching things always makes me feel better."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia made a noncommittal little noise. And pushed on into continuing what she'd been doing.

The silence stretched on for a moment longer, though.

"Duke was gone for a couple of weeks."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante sagged against the bar a little, all casual relaxation. (The advantage of the long hair was that nobody had to see his eyes when they went sharp if he didn't want them to.) "His idea or no?"

[okteiviakom]

"No."

Very much no.

[rebelseekspizza]

And the sharpness she couldn't see was gone again. "Fuck," Dante said sympathetically.

[okteiviakom]

"Yeah," Octavia agreed, dry and flat. "We were at sea, and the first morning, he was just gone."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Sorry," Dante said. "That had to have freaked you out."

[okteiviakom]

This dry look you were getting, now, Dante? You'd earned it.

By stating something so obvious.

(Yes, she knew he was offering sympathy, but she didn't know what to do with it right now. Except that.)

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shrugged it off. "How'd he get back?"

[okteiviakom]

"Multiverse dumped him in the duck pond when it was done playing with him."

It was a very Fandom thing to say.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Jesus," Dante said, and took a sip of his vodka. "That is all kinds of fucked up. He okay?"

He'd seemed okay yesterday, but, well.

[okteiviakom]

'Okay' was such a meaningless term, if you asked Octavia.

But still:

"No."

He was putting up a good front, but she'd seen how he'd looked when he'd come back. And she'd heard what kind of situation he'd left behind.

[rebelseekspizza]

'Okay' was only a meaningless term if you let it be.

Dante nodded. Sipped his drink. Thought.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia poured herself a drink.

Said nothing.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Kinda walked in on you just trying to cool off, didn't I?" Dante asked, finally, tilting his head.

[okteiviakom]

"That's one way to put it," Octavia replied in a dry rasp.

She didn't actually have any other way to put it. It was accurate enough. Though she relented, somewhat, after a beat with a, "Probably my own fault for coming in tonight."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nothin' wrong with trying to get some normal shit back into your life when you just got punched in the face," Dante said. "And I mean, I can fuck off, it's fine."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia gave that a vague shrug, followed by a sip from her glass.

She probably wasn't going to talk much, either way.

(She should have. She just wasn't quite there yet.)

[rebelseekspizza]

"Cheers," Dante said, lifting his glass.

And downed the vodka.

[okteiviakom]

What was Octavia's little nod for? Some sort of acknowledgment, probably.

Or just acceptance that this evening was probably unsalvageable. And that she was going to keep making it worse for herself.

[rebelseekspizza]

"I'll check in next week, all right?" Dante said, rising from his seat.

[okteiviakom]

There was another pause.

Then Octavia said, "Okay." Almost like she couldn't help herself, almost like she'd wanted to say something else.

But a part of her had liked hearing that. If only for the reassurance that there would be a next week.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Cool," Dante said.

Gave her a thumbs-up, and turned for the door.

[okteiviakom]

For a split-second, looking at his back, Octavia considered asking him to stay. Because maybe for a split-second, she recognized she shouldn't be alone right now.

But then, unseen, her expression hardened again, and she just watched him walk away.

She did being alone just fine.