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]

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.]

[inspectormacarena]

[Yeah, 300 dollars won't get them very far. ...600 if they put their money together, but Cabanela already lost 50 on this hotelroom just for one night and they need to pay for those plane tickets too. Thanks for nothing, Proto. At this rate, they'll end up staying at the YMCA before long.]

Truuue, but are you sure you can put up with me for that long, baby? [Because let's not forget that Luca had very good reason to be mad at him.]

[notaccurate]

Even I can set my feelings aside for the greater good.

[That anger is already fading, though, or else he wouldn't have offered to help in the first place.

It really helps that nobody actually died, Luca would have stayed upset for much longer if death had really been involved.]

But I suppose we should establish ourselves in this city, at least temporarily. Since you are an agent of the law, I will ask you: how 'legal' do you want to be in accomplishing this?

[If Cabanela says 'very legal', then Luca will just 'disappear to work' and return with a few thousand dollars. It will be especially easy in a city where magic supposedly does not exist, or at least on a level that most people don't know about it.]

[inspectormacarena]

[That... is a very good question. Back home, his answer would definitely be "very legal". No matter how underhanded his tactics might get sometimes, they're always well within the confides of the law. He has an image to uphold and a position to maintain, after all.

Except they're not back home and whatever he does here won't affect his position at all. Now it's more an issue of morality, because crime is still crime.]

Tisk tisk, baby. Are you suggesting illegal activities in front of an officer of the law? For shaaame. [But it should be obvious from his tone of voice and the way he's wagging his finger that he's joking.] Let's be as legal as possible about this, shaaall we?

[notaccurate]

Oh yes, of course. Breaking actual laws would be a very bad thing, and we do not want to end up in jail.

However...

[If a city doesn't ban using magic to influence random chance simply because magic does not exist to them, well, then that is entirely on them.]

I think I know of a few 'questionable but not technically illegal' things we can do that would also assist you in learning about magic.

Ah-but you will need to be dressed first. And presentably, I might add. I have found that, if you look like you belong somewhere, nobody will question you.

[inspectormacarena]

[Wow, excuse you. EXCUSE YOU. Cabanela's fabulous white coat is the most presentable attire there is. He can't think of a single place where it would look out of place. ...Well, maybe one or two, but for the most part it's a very fashionable coat.]

Wheeere exactly are we meant to belong, baby?

[notaccurate]

[The coat works actually, he was more thinking of Cabanela just running around in a shirt as being unrepresentable.]

A gambling hall. So yes, let's not wave around your badge while we are there, hmm?

[Luca is thinking of the old-timey gambling halls though, he has no idea what it is like nowadays. That would really affect his plans if he did, he was just going to sneak into the back room and steal the money box.]

[inspectormacarena]

[Oh please. As if he'd leave the room without his coat. He'll wear it even on the hottest summer day. ...Though, speaking of clothes, they should probably buy some new ones because they've been wearing these since day 1 of the game, if not longer. Clean laundry needs to be a thing.

Also... A 'gambling hall'? Really? ...Well, that's still one of the more fair ways to earn money in a 'technically not illegal' way. There wouldn't be any victims.]

It's called a casino nowadays, and while cops have eeevery right to be there, I don't plan to show that badge off. [It isn't valid here anyway.]

[notaccurate]

Casino, gambling hall, the name does not matter. What matters is procuring our funds from those who most deseve to lose it.

[new clothes would be a good thing, not only does Luca's suit smell, but it is also 200 years out of date-

...wait. ]

...

How active is the antique market?