betterthanaplan | Aboard the OceaNyx, off the coast of Fandom, Monday afternoon

The trouble -- ha -- with the troubles inside Duke was that the pressure from them was constantly building, even if it didn't constantly register as pain. So what was painful but tolerable last week was now absolutely debilitating.

Fortunately, they had a plan. Well. Of sorts. When Duke got out of bed that morning and promptly passed out, it was decided that enough was enough. He was loaded onto the OceaNyx and he, Octavia, and Lucifer headed out to sea to minimize any possible bystanders getting hit with whatever came out when Duke vented a trouble.

Hopefully, all he would have to do was bleed on Lucifer and he could get some relief without magical hijinks! But let's be real. When had anything in Duke's life gone that smoothly?

[For thems as is in the narrative, please!]

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From:

my_own_advocate

Lucifer watched the island get smaller and smaller, until it was gone, and the waters before them widened.

"Think we're far enough out?"

From:

okteiviakom

"If this isn't enough," Octavia muttered, "then I don't know how far we have to go."

Or whether they were going to start endangering other vessels instead of the island.

From:

betterthanaplan

“It’s enough,” Duke said. He was sprawled across a bench seat, doing his best to stay conscious. He dug into his pocket for his knife. “Luce, you ready?”

From:

my_own_advocate

"Yes," Lucifer said.

He stepped forward, hand outstretched, palm up.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia brought the boat to as much of a stop as an unanchored boat on the open water could get to, and turned towards them.

Her chest felt heavy. She ignored it.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke's chest felt -- full. Tight. Like a balloon ready to pop. He swallowed, closed his eyes, then drew his knife across his palm, opening a shallow cut. He held it over Lucifer's palm and let the blood drip down.

. . . Nothing happened. The blood stayed on Lucifer's hand, and Duke continued to feel like he could only breathe into the very tops of his lungs.

"That's. . . ." he said, fairly panting. "That's not working. I have to really let one out."

From:

my_own_advocate

The blood touched his skin and for a moment it almost felt like something dissipated. Potential? Or perhaps that was just the squeezing sense of disappointment around Lucifer's heart.

But he closed his palm, and withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry," he said.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia said nothing. She just took a slow, deep breath, like she was already bracing for something.

And slid off her seat, to her feet.

From:

betterthanaplan

"Not your fault," Duke pointed out. He took another shallow, shaky breath, and pressed his bloody hand to the deck.

His first clear breath hurt. The temperature around the boat, already hot thanks to the summer sun, grew exponentially hotter. A plastic bottle of water Duke had been drinking from started to bubble, then shake, then exploded into shriveled plastic and steam. Splashing water that hit the metal parts of the boat sizzled as the heat built and built --

And then stopped.

The heat dissipated as quickly as it came. Not thirty seconds after the trouble started, it was over again, a light ocean breeze helping to cool everything back down.

From:

my_own_advocate

An ocean breeze Lucifer didn't quite trust, not yet.

He remained frozen in place, eyes daring across the ship. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

From:

okteiviakom

Yeah, Octavia didn't trust anything either.

She'd come to a stop near them as the heat began to rise, and then just stayed there as it went away, her jaw tense and tight.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke . . . was just happy not to be hurting anymore.

He swallowed a couple of times, looking around through squinted eyes. Nothing was happening. He reached for one of the metal mooring hooks, giving it a quick tap before slowly resting his hand on top of it. Nothing happened.

"That . . . was that it?"

Baby, how would they know?

From:

my_own_advocate

"Well," Lucifer said slowly (his hand was beginning to cramp), "Nothing else seems to be boiling over..."

From:

okteiviakom

"How do you feel?"

She sounded hoarse.

From:

betterthanaplan

Duke shrugged distractedly. "Fine. Better. It's definitely out, I just don't know if. . . ."

He trailed off, tilting his head at her. Then looked at Lucifer. And laughed.

"Oh. Oh wow."

From:

my_own_advocate

"...Yes?" Lucifer said.

Had Duke's latest trouble just given him drugs or something?

From:

okteiviakom

Yeah, Octavia's gaze also flicked from Duke to Lucifer like a question.

But he didn't look like he knew what the laugh was about, either.

From:

betterthanaplan

“I know this one,” Duke said. “I mean, I think. I read it in Dad’s journal. This guy, he was trapped in a house fire as a kid. His trouble made everything heat up, because he thought he had to always go it alone.”

He beamed at them. “I don’t, though. I have you two.”

From:

my_own_advocate

Oh.

"Oh," Lucifer said.

Oh.

From:

okteiviakom

That made one of them. Octavia continued to look wary and stiff.

Troubles were never this easy. She didn't trust it.

From:

betterthanaplan

“Tavi,” Duke said. He couldn’t stop smiling. He reached for her. “I think we actually won this one.”

From:

my_own_advocate

"Bought ourselves a free couple of weeks of relative peace?" Lucifer said. Still a touch stunned. "And... decent health for you, of course."

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia stepped into Duke's reaching, but continued to look... well, 'grim' seemed like a good word.

"Did we?"

The heat was long gone, and yet she felt like she could still feel the ghost of it on her skin.