Crybadger continued

[notaccurate]

SEE BELOW I'm making individual threads for things so that if a page gets long we can just move to a new comment thread.

Comments

[notaccurate]

[Maybe someday soon, when Luca is done being upset over everything. Even if he has mixed feelings right now, he still thinks Cabanela is very attractive. And he's going on five days without sharing a bed with someone, which is a long time for him. So. Maybe someday soon, but not yet.

He does need a shower, but he will save that for when he wakes up. Which isn't far off, truthfully, because even with the pillow that chair is very uncomfortable and he tosses and turns for several hours, alternating between asleep and awake, before he finally gives up and goes to shower too.

So yes, long shower get. And if Cabanela isn't up yet, then Luca's eventual yelp of surprise as he stumbles out of the bathroom in a panic (fully dressed after his shower, because that's how he is ) might do the trick.]

[inspectormacarena]

[He's not sure what did it; either it was the shower he himself took or it's the reassurance that Luca is safe and not wandering the streets at night. Either way, Cabanela had dozed off within three minutes and was out like a light. Bruce had told him not to sleep for a crazy amount of time and instead just wake up every so often for a break. Cabanela had had some intent to follow that advice, but only if he could actually bring himself to rouse from slumber.

'Lo and behold, Luca's yelp does just that. He wakes with a start and sits up, blurry gaze shooting across the room. What is happen]

What?!

[notaccurate]

It- There is-

[There is a loud noise coming from the bathroom. Specifically, it's the exhaust fan, which Luca had inadvertently turned on while messing around with the light switches.

Luca has plastered himself to the wall opposite of the bathroom door, and he is pointing frantically at it.]

I don't know what it is, but something is broken!

[Not "I broke something," but "something is broken".]

[inspectormacarena]

[... Jesus Christ Luca...

He'll just move himself out of bed, hobble over to the bathroom and flick the switch off again. Tadaaah.]

... Did I fix it?

[notaccurate]

[Well now he feels ridiculous. But instead of just being embarrassed at missing such an obvious thing, he's going to start complaining about it.]

Why in the world is there a switch that just makes noise? What is the point to that?!

[inspectormacarena]

[Truthfully, discovering the many 'common' modern technology things that Luca is unfamiliar with is kind of amusing. He knows he shouldn't laugh- it's not Luca's fault, but... Hah.]

It doesn't just make noise, baby. It's ventilaaation. Some people like to take such long, hot showers that the vapor needs a helping hand getting out of here.

[notaccurate]

[The laughter makes him flush with embarrassment. ]

It is not as though I have never seen water vapor before. We do boil water. But a winow was sufficient for ventilation.

[grump grump grump]

[inspectormacarena]

[Awww, don't worry, Luca. He's not laughing that hard. Mostly because he just woke up and his voice wouldn't allow it.

And wow, he knows that you know what vapor is, man. He's just sayin' it's gotta go somewhere.]

I think you'll find that hotels around here neeever have bathrooms with windows. Doesn't work in the architectural sense, baby.

[notaccurate]

Bathrooms indoors are a change from what I am used to in the first place.

[It is a good change, though. It's one that Luca definitely wants to bring back to his time, along with hot showers. ]

My apologies for waking you, though.

[inspectormacarena]

It's fiiine, baby. Next time, don't play with switches when I'm not around to keep watch.

[He doesn't even want to know what would happen if Luca came across a garbage disposal. Seriously, he does not.]

[notaccurate]

[ Oh come on he wouldn't stick his hand in one probably.

But with Cabanela awake, plans can be made. ]

You are planning on returning home right away, yes? So there is not much time for you to 'keep an eye on me'.

[inspectormacarena]

[Maybe not his hand, no, but possibly other things that shouldn't go into a garbage disposal.]

I'm nooot sure how I feel about leaving you without a hotelroom, baby. [Technically he could just get this sorted out at the front desk and leave the room in Luca's hands for a few more days, though. Technically.]

[notaccurate]

[Luca scoffs at that, but his protests aren't as vocal as they were yesterday. Being proven wrong over and over is tempering his pride a bit. ]

There must be a hostel in this city, yes? If so, I can try to make arrangements there.

...though admittedly, finding one may prove difficult in such a large city. I am still not quite sure how anyone is supposed to find anything here, I still have not even located the subway. With unlimited time tgat would not be am issue, but neither of us have that luxury.

[inspectormacarena]

If our badger host's words are to be believed, we dooo have that luxury. Whether we take his word for it is a whole other question.

[Which was the biggest contributor to Cabanela wanting to leave the city as soon as possible. The other reason is that he's itching to go back and settle things with the Manipulator. He's been waiting for five years already.

But he still doesn't feel comfortable leaving Luca all alone. All the others from the 'game' are probably gone by now as well.]

[notaccurate]

I'm not so sure I believe him, honestly. He lied about quite a few things.

[Then again, that was a game of liars, so.]

In any case, a delayed return on my part can be rectified if I bring back some kind of knowledge that would improve life in the past, so while I do not have forever, I can spare a few days or weeks.

Do you have that luxury? I wouldn't want to keep you waiting.

[inspectormacarena]

[Oh no, Luca, don't say things like that. Don't remind him the badger is a filthy stinkin' liar. He wants to believe it'll be like nothing happened when he goes back. If he really has been gone for five days... Well.]

Iiif my return is delayed, I might as well not show my face back home at all, baby. What's a few more extra days out of town if I was already gone for the most important one?

[notaccurate]

The most important one?

[Luca is not sure what Cabanela means, and he looks at him curiously. ]

Was something about to happen to you?

[inspectormacarena]

[He'd known that referencing to That Day would leave him open to being questioned about it, but when he sorts out his answer, it's still with some degree of reluctance and care. The fact that it's an undercover mission doesn't really matter here- it's not like Luca would talk even if he could- yet that doesn't make it easier.]

Not exaaactly to me, baby. An innocent man was set to be executed and my little Special Investigations unit had one last chance to catch the reeeal perp. Lotsa people were counting on that and I don't know if my guys could handle it without me there to hold their hands. [There's a reason he was desperate enough to take a shot at the door on that very first night.]

[notaccurate]

That...

[ That is quite serious. Luca just has to know more. ]

We're you close to an answer? How much time do you have?

[inspectormacarena]

Like I said, it was one last chance. The perp was supposed to show his face during the same night the execution was set. Probably arranged it that way on purpose. After tying up his "loose ends", he was gonna hitch a ride out of the country and we'd neeever find him again.

[So yes, that is quite serious.]

[notaccurate]

[That does sound serious indeed. Luca ponders it for a moment. ]

...we can go wherever we wish up until we go home, yes? If so, then I should go with you. I can identify the signs of magic-use, so perhaps I could he of use to your case.

[ Because yeah if years of investigation turned up nothing, it probably involves magic. ]

[inspectormacarena]

[Is Luca's magic the same thing as whatever the Manipulator uses? He honestly wouldn't know. All he could confirm is that the Manipulator's power is 'not of their world', presumably originating from Temsik, and it gives him the ability to do his title justice. For all he knows, it works with the exact same principle as sfeer theory.

He appreciates the offer and he'd love to take it, but...]

Thaaanks baby, but I don't know if that's possible. My trip's not just across the country. I've gotta go back almost a decaaade. If we both hop the train, there's no guarantee we'll reach the same destination. The badger was veeery mum on the details of how our journey's supposed to work. [...] Besiiides, I can't drag civilians into my secret missions.

[notaccurate]

[The first part is a legitimate concern that needs to be addressed, but Luca scoffs at that last part. As if him being a civilian has ever stopped him from doing things.]

Well, if we can take some time here, then perhaps I could teach you how to recognize the signs of magic at play? Then you could take that knowledge with you back to your time.

It is not easy to learn, though. It would take at least a few weeks to instill even the basics in your mind.

[inspectormacarena]

[He takes a moment to absorb that notion. If he already missed the execution, a few more weeks are nothing. If he can take insiders knowledge about magic use back home, then maybe he could still put it to good use either way. ...Maybe.]

Y'know what? That aaactually doesn't sound half bad.

[notaccurate]

Mhmm. And in the meantime, I can work on learning about the technology of this time, so I can take that knowledge back to my time as well. We both get something useful out of it, in the end.

[They will need to make living arrangements, though. Protoshepard did not leave them enough money to fart around in LA for a month or two.]