The Perk, Early Friday Afternoon

[okteiviakom]

It was not unusual that things lingered with Octavia after therapy. That was sort of the point, after all, giving her tools for processing things. But it was unusual that something her therapist had said - especially as barely more than an off-handed mention - lingered so prominently that even after Octavia had taken her usual post-therapy detour to the pool before returning to the island again, she found herself reluctant to return to the port just yet. Like she wanted to do some research, do some thinking somewhere other than home for a little bit longer.

And that was how she found herself at the Perk in the afternoon, sitting by a window with several similar tabs open on her phone as she pored over them, one by one.

A big cup of coffee and a nondescript muffin sat on a plate next to her, untouched.

[ooc: Open!]

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[desertwolfcub]

Malia was, for once, spending a restless afternoon wandering through town instead of the woods. (Clare had actually thought she would eat her, it was maybe time to try a little harder to be human!) She spotted Octavia through the window and decided to stop in, not really grasping the idea that most people went into shops to buy things.

"You look really focused."

'Hello' was for other people.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't quite startle, but there was something a little surprised about the way she looked up when the sort-of familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Malia," she said. "Hi."

[desertwolfcub]

Malia came over unbidden and tried to look over Octavia's shoulder. "What are you reading?"

[okteiviakom]

Octavia turned the phone face down on the table and gave her a mild, dry look.

"Should ask before you do that," she rasped, but it wasn't much of an accusation. Mostly just sounded like stating a fact.

[desertwolfcub]

“Oh.” Malia nodded seriously, then went to sit across from her instead. “. . . Why?”

[okteiviakom]

"'Cause if I don't want to tell you," Octavia said, still with that dry tone, "and you do it anyway, you're in trouble."

[desertwolfcub]

“You’d beat me up?” Malia asked, sounding faintly amused.

[okteiviakom]

"Not necessarily," Octavia drawled.

Seemed like too minor an offense.

[desertwolfcub]

“So what kind of trouble?”

[okteiviakom]

"Doesn't matter," Octavia replied, finally reaching for her coffee. "Point is, don't look at my phone over my shoulder."

[desertwolfcub]

Malia shrugged and nodded. “So what we’re you looking at?”

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took a sip.

The coffee was already cold. She set it back down again.

"Equine therapy," she said. Sounded like both words felt weird in her mouth, though for different reasons. "Ever heard of it?"

That part just sounded largely rhetorical.

[desertwolfcub]

Malia took the question seriously anyway.

“No. Why do horses need therapy?”

[okteiviakom]

"It's not therapy for horses." Not something Octavia had thought she'd have to clarify, but not something she minded clarifying, either. "It's therapy for humans, with horses."

[desertwolfcub]

“Oh.” Malia blinked. Last time she’d been human, she’d been nine, and while not a full-on Horse Girl like she vaguely remembered some of her friends at the time being, she’d still thought they were very pretty. She looked faintly pleased as she asked “That’s a real thing?”

[okteiviakom]

"Apparently," Octavia said with the tiniest shrug. "Only heard about it today, myself."