The Devil's Nest, Tuesday Night

[my_own_advocate]

"I realize this is a bit you're doing," Lucifer informed Tiny, "But I refuse to entertain it."

Tiny crossed his arms and remained standing in front of his Christmas tree.

"Well, don't come crying to me if Eric eats you," Lucifer sighed, and went back behind the bar to pick-- hm. How about a purple cocktail night? Yes.

Anyone entering the bar would find all purple bottles sitting on the bar. And some police tape around the tree.

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[okteiviakom]

Octavia didn't know if she'd stay long. Didn't really know what she wanted, just in general. A pensive mood had been clinging to her for days, and Tuesday was no different.

But it had been a day of therapy, and swimming, and then just walking around the city until she'd finally poraled home again. And now here she was, slinking in, finding herself half disappointed to not find Lucifer at the piano.

Entirely happy to see him all the same.

[my_own_advocate]

No piano, but Lucifer was perking up behind the bar the moment he saw her - did that help at all?

"Octavia," he greeted warmly. "Can I get you anything, darling?"

[okteiviakom]

Despite any mood that was otherwise present in her head, Octavia's lips curved into a tiny answering smile as she made her way over. "What've you got?"

She thought she was spying a theme along the bar.

[my_own_advocate]

"A number of purple liquors and beverages," Lucifer offered. "From plum wine to parfait amour - that's distilled from flowers."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia raised her eyebrows just a little bit.

"I like the sound of that last one."

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer held up a hand. "Ah, but then you have to choose which cocktail to have it in," he said, smiling. "There's the simple kind - just the liquor and some white rum, so you can enjoy the full flavour of it. Or we can make something fancy with apple brandy and a number of bitters."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia considered it for a second, and then said, "Let's make it fancy."

Maybe she just wanted to watch him work.

[my_own_advocate]

"A Mirror Match it is," Lucifer chuckled. He swiped the parfait d'amour from the bar, and then ducked down to find the rest of the ingredients.

He stacked them all up in a row on the bar, bitters and brandy and at least two other types of alcohol.

"Feeling restless this evening?" he added.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia rested her elbows against the bar, watching his hands, how he handled all his bottles and other things.

"Do I seem that way?"

Probably a little.

[my_own_advocate]

"You don't often peek in on my shifts," Lucifer pointed out, taking his time to make a bit of a show of taking each bottle, twirling or tossing it about, then pouring a measure into the glass.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia appreciated the show. At least, she was watching it closely.

The smile had faded into something milder, more thoughtful. "I don't know," she said. "I just felt like it."

[my_own_advocate]

"Well, far be it for me to question you on wanting to come see me," Lucifer chuckled.

The liquor went last, and then he put a tiny stick and stirred the drink profusely. He produced a lemon, seemingly out of nowhere, and a knife. "Now, for the final touch..."

[okteiviakom]

One of Octavia's eyebrows quirked. "Is this a magic show now?"

There better not turn out to be any dead bodies involved, like the only time she'd actually been to a magic show.

[my_own_advocate]

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "No, merely a proper cocktail mixing," he sighed.

He pressed the knife to the lemon - and with a twist, cut off a perfectly springy long string of zest.

[okteiviakom]

"Don't roll your eyes at me," Octavia chided him, with absolutely no edge to it. Fond, if anything. "You were just tricky about getting the lemon out."

A beat, to properly appreciate the knife trick.

"And that. So I had to ask."

[my_own_advocate]

"You really have to start trusting my art," Lucifer sighed, but he put the zest on the rim of the glass, and held it out for her to take.

[okteiviakom]

"I'll just shut up, next time?" Octavia rasped, still faintly amused, as she reached out for the glass and took it.

[my_own_advocate]

"Never," Lucifer said, beaming. "... But a few more appreciative noises would be welcome."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia lifted the glass up, and made a soft little 'ooooh' noise at it.

Obligingly.

[my_own_advocate]

"Thank you, thank you," Lucifer said, beaming. "Now, enjoy."

[okteiviakom]

Octavia took her first sip. Careful, appreciative - maybe playing it up a little at first, but it became more understated and thus more genuine (more her) after a moment.

"Oh," she murmured, "the floral's in there."

[my_own_advocate]

"Mm," Lucifer said, with a little note. "It's subtle, in this mixture. But it certainly adds something, doesn't it?"

[okteiviakom]

Trust Octavia to hone in on the subtle, as usual.

Her nod was tiny, but... kind of serious? "Yeah," she said. "It does."

And:

"I like it."

It had her looking at the glass like she was considering something.

[my_own_advocate]

"I'm glad to hear it," Lucifer said - fond, a bit curious.

But he didn't ask, opting instead to grab a small glass and pour himself a measure of scotch. It wouldn't do to let her drink alone, of course.

[okteiviakom]

Octavia was still looking at her glass.

She took another sip, and - having savored that one, too - said, "I didn't know you could do that with flowers. Or I hadn't realized."