seaoftroubles | Preplay, ep 4x01 Fall Out

Duke already did the very first scene, so the trick here will be to connect him -- and Luce and Tavi -- to Jennifer. I'm thinking that maybe, the same way I relocated Duke's mom to Baltimore, Jennifer could be in Baltimore for handwavy reasons, too? And she could go see this new therapist in town. Who listens to her story about hearing voices, recognizes the same things Duke has told her about the meteor storm and the barn, and goes "uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so here's a thing you probably don't want to hear and I might lose my license but can I put you in contact with someone?" and clues Duke in?

Duke talks to Jennifer, figures she must be troubled, and tries to contact Haven again -- this time getting through only to be told that Duke Crocker's been dead for six months. He calls Dave, who he finally gets to listen, and finds out that Nathan is on the run. He talks Lucifer and Octavia into coming with him and Jennifer up to Maine to see if they can find Nathan and Audrey and find out what's going on

They find Nathan outside a biker bar, letting people punch him for money. Jennifer is apalled. Octavia is, I'm guessing, unimpressed. Maybe Lucifer makes the first move to say "hi" instead of Duke? I can totally see Duke getting ready to go over and Lucifer being all like "NAH LET ME GET A SHOT IN, THEN" and getting Nathan's attention

Arrival in Haven. Jennifer has caught Nathan up on what she heard from the barn bout how to end the troubles forever. There's a welcoming committee in town made up of Guardsmen with guns, led by Jordan. Duke catches Jennifer up on who's who in the crowd as the Teagues and Dwight show up to try to defuse the situation. Nathan tells the Guard that he's going to get Audrey to kill him to end the troubles forever. Enter a MFING TORNADO. Everyone takes cover, Vince convinces the Guard to clear out and let Nathan help defuse the weather trouble, Dwight offers to take folks back to the station to clue them in

I'm picturing the group splitting up here. Duke gets Jennifer to head to the Gull to get something to eat while he and Nathan work on the trouble. Octavia could go with her, show her the way to the Gull, maybe meet Wade? Or would she be unwilling to leave Duke with Nathan and Dwight? I'm guessing Lucifer will go to the station to find it deeply country and lacking in comparison to the LAPD. Anyway, either way, Dwight gives Nathan and Duke (and anyone who tagged along) a rundown on the weather events happening in town. Nathan remembers about Marion and her weather trouble. They decide to go check it out.

At Marion's house. There's a GIANT FUCKING STORM overhead, so it's hard to miss. Nathan, Duke, and Dwight go in to try to talk to Marion, but it's like the inside of an over-clocked meat locker. Ice and frost coat every surface. Dwight and Duke are immediately shivering. Nathan can't feel it though and sends them out so he can talk Marion down. This might be a fun place for Lucifer to step in and help out? I kind of like the idea of freshly capable of saying ILU Lucifer seeing a woman completely freezing up over her loved one's death. Nathan tells her that she has to learn to let go, uses his own example of not being willing to let Audrey go and thus ruining the end of the troubles as an example for this. Lucifer . . . responds like Lucifer? Anyway, Marion is eventually talked down (though not before trying to freeze Nathan solid). Meanwhile, outside, Dwight, Duke, Vince, and Dave watch the storm head towards town and lightning blow up Dave's old camper van

At the Gull: Duke expected it to be closed down since he wasn't around to run things even over the phone for six months (also they think the owner is dead), but the place is hopping. If Octavia has come with Jennifer, then maybe she texted? Maybe the text got lost/delayed due to Marion or maybe Duke is less nonplussed on arrival, either way. Anyway. Wade shows up all "OMG DUKE YOU'RE ALIVE" and Duke is all "oh fuck my brother is here, we have a killer trouble and he's a total nincompoop, he's doomed"

At some point during/after all this, Duke tells Lucifer and Octavia he needs to stick around at least until they find out what happened to Audrey. Nathan is a self-destructive wreck, Haven has lost its collective goddamned mind and appointed DWIGHT as chief of police, it's a shitshow! He brings them to his in-Haven boat (Lucifer is unimpressed with its tininess I'm guessing), and they talk about being stuck in yet another shit situation in someone's homeworld.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

seaoftroubles

The Grey Gull was hopping, the lot filled with cars of various makes in various states of repair. Music could be heard from the end of the driveway, and the little outdoor seating area was bustling.

"Huh," Jennifer said. "I thought Duke said this place would be closed."

From:

okteiviakom

"He's got employees," Octavia replied, eying the Gull. "Probably kept the place up and running."

Look, she had a Fandomite's understanding of business. And anyway, she sounded distracted. Because it was weird, being back here. As if, with all the drama, it hadn't even fully sank in until now that she was here, and that aside from the usual drama, all the places she'd visited before were all still here, too.

... And the people.

Her hand went to pat her pockets, until she found her phone.

From:

seaoftroubles

"Well, hopefully they have food," Jennifer said, picking up the pace a bit as she headed for the bar. "I need to take my meds."

Now that she was surrounded by people in something that read a bit more normal than Haven had proven so far, she was much more comfortable.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia trailed a few paces after her, but most of her attention was now on her phone, and navigating to her very short list of contacts.

Her heart was in her throat.

"Sure they do," she muttered. "Duke wouldn't have it any other way."

From:

seaoftroubles

"He's got a cute bartender, too," Jennifer noted, and wandered away, leaving Octavia to her phone call.

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia had been about to tell her she'd be right here out front for a while, but... Guess that went without saying, now.

Now that Octavia was staring at one name in the list, anyway.

Gloria.

She tapped the screen to make a call, and tried not to feel as if she was about to start trembling as she brought the phone to her ear.

From:

seaoftroubles

"Hello?" Gloria answered after a couple rings. She sounded faintly distracted.

From:

okteiviakom

Meanwhile, Octavia's voice immediately sounded far too soft. "Hi, Gloria." Far too small. "It's --"

Oh. How long had it been, now? Octavia was suddenly struck with just how much she didn't want to say 'it's me' only to find herself faced with a 'who?'

"It's Octavia."

Edited Date: 2022-01-16 10:31 pm (UTC)

From:

seaoftroubles

She wouldn't have gotten a "who" anyway.

"Wildcat!" Gloria was no longer distracted. "It's been ages! How have you been?"

From:

okteiviakom

Octavia's little huff at hearing 'wildcat' sounded nothing like it was half-sob, how dare you. "I --"

-- was fully unprepared for actually having this conversation. As was evident from how words seemed to be failing to materialize.

From:

seaoftroubles

"Sweetheart?" Gloria's voice turned concerned. "You alright? Has something happened?" There was a bit of muffled crackling as she shifted the phone. "Lincoln, honey, come take Aaron for a bit! I've got to talk to someone."

From:

okteiviakom

"... You have someone named Lincoln?"

Octavia was going to get a hold on how strained her voice sounded sometime soon. Honest.

From:

seaoftroubles

"That's right, my boyfriend," Gloria said fondly. "Goddammit, I don't think he heard me." She let out a gravelly sigh, hang on just a moment, Wildcat."

There was another crackle, and then a distant thwack.

"That got his attention. Can you take the grandbaby, honey? Thank you! Now. Tell me everything, sweetheart."

From:

okteiviakom

God, Gloria, how Octavia had missed you.

"We're -- in Haven."

That seemed like something to start with. Or at least it was the first thing she managed to grab onto.

"Duke, and me, and Lucifer." A beat. "Did he -- did he tell you about Lucifer?"

From:

seaoftroubles

"Your all's beau who happens to be the actual Devil? Sure he did." Gloria smiled. "This mean I might get to actually meet the guy? Figured I'd have to wait till I was dead to do that. . . ."

From:

okteiviakom

"Probably?" Octavia replied. Just... ignore that hopeful note in her voice. (It just suddenly felt like it was important to her.) "I know I want to see you before we go."

Whenever that would happen.

From:

seaoftroubles

"You'd better," Gloria said, and started to sound a bit choked up. "Does -- does this mean Duke's alright? I've been hearing rumors, and feared the worst. . . ."

From:

okteiviakom

"'Alright' is relative," Octavia said, because she couldn't help herself. "But we... took an anniversary trip not long ago, and..."

Oh. She was babbling.

Just get to the point, Tavi.

"He's alive, Gloria. He's fine, and he's here."

From:

seaoftroubles

"Thank god," Gloria breathed. "When I heard -- and of course I could get a hold of either of you. Guess I know how you felt when you two couldn't reach anyone here." She cleared her throat, and her voice steadied again. "Anyway, I'm retired, Wildcat, so I've got nothing but time. So long as you don't mind maybe having a baby riding along, we can meet up whenever you like. I'd love to see you."

From:

okteiviakom

"I don't mind babies," Octavia murmured. "At least ones that don't mind if I don't talk English to them."

She'd been with Duke and Lucifer for far too long already if the urge to lighten the mood with half a joke came this easily.

From:

seaoftroubles

"Nah. Aaron's not even a year old yet. He wouldn't know what you're saying either way." Gloria shifted, sounds of her moving things about clear over the phone line. "Where are you now, Wildcat? I could come meet you, maybe."