Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday Afternoon and Evening

[endsthegame]

The Copacabana Hotel was certainly... statuesque. The front facade stood high and formal in the middle of lovely Rio, though, like a mullet, all the fun was in the back - at the beachside, where fun and sun would be waiting come tomorrow.

The Fandom contingent had managed to get their hands on some beachside rooms, though it was probably best not to ask who or what had made this much money change hands. Because it wasn't like anyone running this gig had any interesting off-shore accounts...

[[ ocd up! | rooms | the pool | the spa | samba parade | arco do teles and beyond | ooc ]]

Comments

[necroslacker]

"Thanks."

Sam nodded before he disappeared into the bathroom. The clothes came off first before the water came on and shortly thereafter, Sam was in the shower, getting the portal trip off of him.

It felt really good and he was feeling really good too.

[whenshewasnice]

And Natalie... Well, Natalie did exactly what she had been doing for a while. She kept paging through her book, occasionally closing it just to test herself on what she'd just learned.

This meant that when room service came, she had enough vocabulary in her head to greet the guy, thank him, and wish him a good rest of the day back, before he went on his way and she returned to the bed, the room service cart nearby.

[necroslacker]

Sam emerged from the shower shortly thereafter, clad in only a towel not because he was trying to drive her insane or anything but because he'd just forgotten to bring a change of clothes in with him.

He shook his wet hair out as he came into the room proper and said, "Food get here?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Yep," Natalie replied with an idle wave in the direction of the trolley. She glanced at him, though it turned into a longer look, and she quirked a small smile at him, mostly because she appreciated being able to look at him like that without going insane.

She just liked having some control over her emotions. "Feel refreshed?"

[necroslacker]

"Yeah, I feel good," Sam said, nodding and stretching. "You staring at me or something?"

[whenshewasnice]

There was probably no quicker way to make her roll her eyes in this situation.

"I'm just looking."

[necroslacker]

"And what are you looking for?"

Hey, it was only natural to ask that.

[whenshewasnice]

"At," Natalie corrected. "You. You look nice."

[necroslacker]

"Yeah? Just don't look at my back." It was automatic and out before he could stop it so he just shook his head and went to find a pair of shorts he could put on now that he was clean.

[whenshewasnice]

"I've already seen your back," Natalie replied, keeping her tone nice and light. "I think it looks fine. Formerly painful for you, but fine."

[necroslacker]

"It doesn't look fine but thanks," Sam said, pulling on a pair of shorts and tossing his towel over a chair so it could dry.

[whenshewasnice]

"'Fine' is subjective," Natalie retorted, watching him. "So, you don't get to decide for me."

[necroslacker]

"I'm deciding for me," Sam amended, coming over to take a seat on the edge of the bed, back to her, so he could pull the little trolley thing over to get the food.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie rolled her eyes and reached out to run her hand lightly down his back. Since it was there and all, and she could trace the scars with her fingertips.

She didn't say anything. Arguing about this was pointless.

[necroslacker]

Sam didn't stop what he was doing but he did visibly sigh and his shoulders sagged a bit in relaxation. It was pointless to argue because he thought one way and he always would. She thought another.

"You want some food?" he asked quietly, staying as he was because that did feel nice even if he wouldn't admit it.

[whenshewasnice]

"Yeah," she said, even if she didn't stop touching him yet. This was the only thing she could do, really. She couldn't change his mind but she could make sure he knew she disagreed. "What did you get?"

She hadn't been listening when he'd ordered.

[necroslacker]

"Spaghetti and bread," he murmured, closing his eyes and sighing again. "No meat. That good with you?"

[whenshewasnice]

"That's fine," Natalie told him quietly. She drew her hand back but leaned in for a brief, light press of her lips against his upper back. "Told you."

[necroslacker]

"Told me?" Sam repeated, sighing again and leaning back towards her without even realizing it. "About the no meat in your food?"

[whenshewasnice]

As he leaned backwards, she wrapped her thin arms around him.

"That too."

[necroslacker]

"Okay," Sam murmured, sagging back in her arms and forgetting about the food and his scars for a moment. "This feels nice. Thanks."

[whenshewasnice]

"No problem." It really wasn't. He smelled shower fresh, and sometimes even she got touchy enough to just do this. "Feeling's mutual."

[necroslacker]

"Yeah," he sighed again, leaning further back into her and keeping his eyes closed. "Can we just stay like this awhile? It's nice to just be close."

[whenshewasnice]

"Sure," she murmured close to his ear, resting her chin on his shoulder. She even smiled a little. "Of course."

Food, TV, and Rio could all wait awhile.