10. Blade
BLADE
“I’m sorry.” My mate looked pained and shifted in his seat. “I didn’t know how to tell you.”
He kept saying he wasn’t burying his head in the sand but he looked like that was what he’d rather be doing.
Thankfully, he pushed through it after I’d finally asked him about how long it’d been, with just some wiggling and sighing.
“From what I’ve read in the newspaper, the ranger was telling the truth.
They’ve been looking for you all this time, though, I don’t know if that helps. ”
Taking a shaky breath, my mate’s eyes welled up with tears. “I don’t know what to say and I can’t even begin to guess what you’re feeling.”
Nothing.
I was blessedly blank at the moment.
It made reality seem strange, but I was thinking clearly enough to understand he was telling the truth as far as he knew it.
“Facts.” Wiping his tears away, he sat straighter. “I can give you facts. The rumors about you started in 1953 and the first articles about you started appearing in local papers right about that same time, although different sources give slightly different dates.”
I’d want to read those at some point, but for now I wanted to focus on looking forward.
“You were seen a few times early on by local farmers and that’s when the rumors really picked up.
” Taking another breath, talking made him steadier.
“There were a few attempts to hunt you down but most of those seemed to have basically been a bunch of armed frat boys. Stupid and dangerous, but not able to do anything helpful.”
At least they hadn’t gotten lucky.
“After a while they stopped searching publicly, but if we believe the ranger, the local magical community kept looking for you so that they could fix this.” Petting my head, my mate tried to look happy but faking it was hard for him.
“It’s growing on me but you seem confident that you were more handsome back then. ”
Yes.
Making sure he knew this was not how I looked was one of the first things I’d typed out on his magic typewriter.
Seventy years.
Trying to look flirty, he shrugged and smiled. “I don’t know if I believe it, but I’m curious enough to be open-minded.”
My mate was proof that curiosity was dangerous for humans and cats alike.
“I’m also curious to see what we can find about the local magical community.” Squaring his shoulders again, my mate looked around the trailer like it would give him the answers we needed. “I made a profile on what’s basically the monster internet, but—”
Realizing he’d said something else confusing, he sighed and turned to look back at me. “Think of it like a large place to meet and get information but you don’t have to be there in person. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what kind of technology you had back then.”
Back then.
When I was younger, I’d been more focused on comics and football.
I had a vague memory of news reports about real life computers.
The only thing coming to mind was that they’d been huge and used for complex calculations, though.
I could’ve explained what Batman was using a lot more than anything real people used.
My mate kept talking about smaller things that everyone used, but it was hard to wrap my mind around and not just because of my current form.
My ugly form.
Ugh.
“I’m going to see what I can find out about the locals and then we’ll see what you want to do.” My mate was a fascinating creature, but one of my favorite things about him was his ability to see beyond my exterior and not take over because he had a human form.
“Somewhere in there I need to make us dinner, though, and I think if we’re mates we need some kind of date.”
My second favorite thing about him was his ability to chatter about anything and everything. I loved not having to guess what he was thinking, and not just because I couldn’t ask because of the communication issue.
“I think I’m going to look up something old for us to watch.” His wince made me want to laugh. “Well, something more current for you? But something old for me.”
His hand reached for the new typewriter he called a tablet before he jerked it back. “No. This needs to be just for communication. Entertainment on the big screen.”
Part of that made sense. It was obvious the device could do many things, but I wasn’t sure what he meant by big screen in this context.
Frowning and making thinking sounds, he looked around again before his gaze landed on another bag across the table. “There it is.”
It turned out to be more technology.
As he spoke more about computers, I realized the room-sized machines I’d read about had been shrunk down to a variety of sizes.
“This is going to be easier for me to type on but harder for you until you get hands back again. Once we’re at that point I know you’ll get it just fine.
” He did his sit-more-confident-wiggle and stared seriously at what he called the screen.
“If I touch here it will bring up…it’s basically like an encyclopedia.
I’m pretty sure you had those back then.
The problem with this one is that there is no one actually checking any facts, so you have to be careful what you believe. ”
An encyclopedia no one edited for accuracy?
“A movie might be too long. Let’s see what TV shows you were watching.
” My mate typed quickly, still looking very serious for what was supposed to be a fun way for us to relax and bond.
“Okay we’ve got Westerns and some legal shows.
I didn’t know Perry Mason was that old. I grew up watching those reruns with my grandmother. ”
Doing more of a happy wiggle, it was easy to see he was feeling more relaxed as he went through the list of popular shows from the 1950s.
Back in the ancient times.
“Father Knows Best doesn’t seem like it’d be a good fit.” Humming to himself, he bounced his head from side to side as he browsed what he had called the internet. “More cop shows. I didn’t realize we’ve always had those.”
It seemed like some things never changed.
“Adventures of Superman…that could—” He squeaked when I pushed my nose into his side. His heart rate jumped before he slumped back against the bench. “I need to pay more attention. I forgot you couldn’t talk for a minute and that scared the fuck out of me.”
How?
How had he forgotten my complete lack of a human form?
“Don’t give me that look. A lot of men are just really quiet.” Turning back to the small computer device, he pointed at the screen. “Superman?”
Yes.
Another nudge got a laugh from him that time. “That sounds like fun. I’ve seen all the recent movies but not the old stuff.”
Recent movies?
Doing more typing and using his finger to steer something on the screen, my mate went back to sharing everything he was thinking with me.
“I’ve dated a lot of guys who were so quiet it was easy to forget they were there.
They were all human-looking, though. I even tried asking questions and staying quiet but that was painful and we just ended up sitting in silence.
Those were the human guys I dated but I ended up on a few dates with…
nonhumans…somehow that’s really easy to do lately… and they were a lot chattier.”
He’d dated men?
In public?
Mates had always come in a variety of pairings but human laws hadn’t always been understanding.
Even with a brain that seemed to be processing reality again, he only made sense to me about half the time. My confusion was probably over small things, but with no easy way to ask him questions, I had to wait until he realized something sounded odd.
“Do you want to sit on the couch or the bed? The couch is really more like a wide chair, though.” My mate looked around again, pointing to a black device on the wall I had originally thought was some kind of blackboard. “We could use the TV to watch it either place. It swings around.”
That was a TV?
Had people done nothing but tinker with electronics since I’d been gone?
Rising, I looked at the bed. That was where I should cuddle with my mate and his smile said it wasn’t unexpected. “I thought you’d say that. I’m not sure you’ll fit on the couch.”
Probably not.
“Okay, we’ve got a plan.” Going back to the computer device, he moved too fast for me to follow what he was doing but soon he had the first episode showing on the small screen.
Just that would’ve been impressive but he picked up a small black stick and pointed it at the TV. “Alright let’s go lie down.”
Somehow he made the TV come on and the image from the computer was now showing on the larger screen.
No.
We were not moving yet.
Poking my nose at the small stick, I huffed and glanced back and forth at the screens, demanding an explanation as clearly as I could.
My mate deflated. “I was hoping you weren’t going to ask. I don’t know how it works. Somehow the laptop sends signals to the TV. I know what to call it but that’s just a name. I have no idea how it gets there.”
That was probably understandable, so I licked his cheek because that always made him squeak and laugh.
“Stop that.”
If he wanted me to stop, he needed to say it more seriously and not smell so good as he pretended to frown.
“We’ll find a show to watch where someone can explain the history of technology.” Running his hand over my head, my mate leaned in and nuzzled my neck. “We’ll learn about it together, but for right now we’re going to relax.”
Yes, because my mate’s day had been incredibly stressful and the immediate future was not looking any more relaxing.
Or less confusing for either of us, but I focused on the most important facts.
I’d found my mate.
I could think again.
We had a means of communicating.
I could finish my show.