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[latino_menace]

The morning after. He'd finally passed out in bed and was thankful to be oblivious. He hadn't wanted to think about what would happen in the morning and was quietly hoping that this would all just go away. But the mark on his shoulder told him that that wasn't likely.

And God knows what was going to happen with Random.

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[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

There's someone at the door;

Three quiet knocks announce his presence.

[latino_menace]

He hears them vaguely because despite the alcohol, sleep hadn't been deep. And he knows who it is already...so its a while before he says, 'Come in.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Morning..."

Random pushes open the door, and slides in.

"You alright?"

[latino_menace]

He props himself up on his elbows and stares out from black eyes that are clouded with alcohol.

'Yeah. You?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I'm okay."

He kicks the door shut, and crosses the room. He sits on the edge of the bed.

"Surprised, but okay."

[latino_menace]

He contemplates him for a moment. 'Surprised about what you heard, or surprised that you're alright?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Surprised about what I heard. Not the kind of news you expect to get."

He sighs, and leans back, propping himself up on his hands.

"I want you to come to Amber with me. Get you away from the Lord Bard. He may still very well be planning to kill you."

[latino_menace]

'And you call yourself a psychic?'

He immediately winces. 'Sorry. Didn't mean to sound like that.'

He lets himself fall back into the pillow and he stares up at the ceiling for a long moment. 'I'm not scared of Jasin. And I don't want you taking me to Amber just because you asked before you found out and now feel obliged to.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't do anything because I felt obliged to."

He frowns, but ignores the comment.

"And I still really want you to. I don't plan to lose your company over this, you know."

[latino_menace]

He raises himself back up and stares at him for the longest time with a frown on his face. Then,

'I'd still like to go. Just to see it though, not because of that freak.' He's spitting mad over Natael's enforced compulsion in his mind and is already trying to think of ways he can pay him back for it.

And he's kind of glad that Random doesn't want to walk away. Especially after some of the thing's he said to him last night.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to like him, but you should respect him."

He sighs, and lies down on the bed next to Ramon.

"Don't push him, though. He was just worried. I've read for Elan Morin. Asked me to do his cards, once."

He shudders at the memory.

[latino_menace]

'Respect someone that invades my head? I dont think so.'

He looks at Random lying there and is suddenly filled with the knowledge that he's lucky the guy came back at all. Most people would run a mile after last night - but then, he wouldn't like Random if he was like everyone else.

He turns on to his side and absentmindedly reaches out to twist some blonde hair round his fingers. 'You read for him? What happened? What did you see?'

He doesn't promise not to go near Jasin again.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"He was masquerading as a human. A boy, in the bar. I was stupid enough to be taken in, and he assumed my card's where smoke and mirrors."

He shrugs, as best he can when he's lying on his side.

"Saw through the deception. It was too much, though. I have trouble enough reading for Yrael. The puppeteer was... overwhelming."

[latino_menace]

'So you didn't get anything on him?' He's not really surprised. And he tries to ignore the use of the word 'puppeteer' because he couldn't bear the thought of himself as a puppet. He can't help thinking that Random used the word on purpose to make a point.

He pulls back and lies down again, staring blankly at the ceiling. 'Who's Yrael?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Funny chap. Fondness for chocolate biscotti, and right bastard. Albino man who has a tendancy to be a cat."

He smiles, amused.

"However, despite several attempts on his part to deprive me of my limbs, hearing, and eyesight, I still enjoy our conversations. We come from similar families."

[latino_menace]

Ramon's head whips round so fast he hurts his neck. 'Ow, fuck' He stares at Random, biting back the initial reaction of 'WHAT?!' that wants to escape.

Should have known he'd know him...

He gets up and heads for the bathroom without a word, brushes his teeth and cleans up a bit. Thinking about the cat is not something that'll put him in a good mood.

He leans on the doorframe to the bathroom and looks at Random. 'Similar families huh?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"You know him."

It's not a question.

"And yes. We're both the second youngest in a large group of powerful people."

He sits up, suddenly feeling self-conscious alone on the bed, and folds his bare feet underneath himself.

[latino_menace]

Ramon swallows and looks away. He knows its irrational to feel angry just because Random knows someone that he hates - but no one ever accused him of rationality before.

He supresses it and lets out a breath. 'He tried to kill me. So yes, I know him.' And at least nightmares of what I saw with Elan Morin replaced the ones about being blinded...

He walks back over to the bed and sits on it. Disappearing to Amber for a while is starting to sound like paradise.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"He does have a tendancy to do that, yes."

He sighs.

"Fucking bastard. Almost makes me glad I've got Court Duty again."

He grins, and pulls his knees up to his chest.

"Certainly glad for the chance to get out of here for a while."

[latino_menace]

'Fucking asshole.' He muses. 'I wonder if there's anyone here that could take care of him...'

Yes, he doesn't like a leaving things where he's a loser.

'What's Court Duty then?' He lies down again. 'It'll be nice to be away I think. Will anyone care that I go with you? I mean, wont they wonder where I've come from?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"No, they shouldn't. Fiona might try to pull you into her bed, but only for the novelty of it. The others will most likely ignore your presence."

He grins apologetically.

"Court Duty means I get to sit at the head of a room during a sort of ceremony. You should probably skip that, it's all done in Gaelic. That's morning. Then I get the rest of the day, and the night too, to myself."

[latino_menace]

He grins wickedly. 'Fiona eh? One of your sisters? What does she look like?'

He stretches. This had gone much better than he'd hoped for. 'But what's the ceremony for? Just because you're a prince?' The grin comes back michieviously. 'I've never fucked royalty before.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"She's basically me, but softer 'round the edges."

He tilts his head, and winces. "And a female, obviously." And he arches an eyebrow.

"And yes, because I'm a prince. And I've never fucked royalty, either. What's it like?"

[latino_menace]

He lets his grin die and wonders if he'll stop saying the wrong fucking thing. 'It's pretty fucking amazing actually, you should try it sometime.'

He turns away and reaches for a pack of cigarettes, lights one and tosses them over in case Random wants one.

'You have something against women?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Nope. Half the people I meet are women."

He eyes focus carefully on the cigarettes.

"It's just that my male lovers seem to have a tendancy to like them more than they do me. More than one has found his way to Fi's bed."

He lights the cigarette, still not quite meeting Ramon's eyes.

"You'll like Amber City. It's a very dramatic place."

[latino_menace]

'Well she can't be a very good sister if she tries it on with them. Why don't you tell her to fuck off and keep her hands to herself?'

He's trying to pretend he wasn't actually thinking about taking up any offers he might get. He wasn't actually planning on it. Just thinking about it. To him, sleeping with women is a completely different thing than sleeping with men and the two things dont interconnect at all.

But Random's been more than understanding with him this morning and even Ramon can see that he doesn't deserve to have to worry about him fucking his sister. 'If your lovers have a choice between you and a woman like you, why go there?' He lies on his back but the hand not holding the cigarette reaches out and rests comfortably on Random's knee.

'If it's dramatic it sounds like my kind of place. What are the chances of someone trying to kill you while we're there?' He grins and looks over. 'Maybe I'll get a chance to save your ass this time round.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"She's, as I said, a dumb bitch. But if they'd rather a soft model, then I'm hardly going to argue, am I? Besides, I've lifted Fi of one or two of her bed chits. Sweet girls, really."

He lies back too, taking a drag of the cigarette.

"And I've got a spell on me, and therefore, you, that whatever anyone throws at me hits Eric, too. So we're both safe from him. And he's the only one that really worries me. Oberon won't be there, which is the only reason I agreed to head back."

[latino_menace]

He frowns and his hand finds its way back to Random's hair as he moves. 'Him? I thought 'Him' was Oberon. You mean one of your brothers? Why would they worry about hitting Eric as well?'

There's a pause.

'I don't want a soft model.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random leans in and kisses him.

"Thank you." He's smiling, rather ruefully. "And the big HIM is Oberon. But Eric's the one who likes to break bones. And is the one in power. So he'd be the most likely to lure me in to a trap. So Llewella sets up a good, strong spell that links all the siblings. A knife in my eye is a truly shared experience. Keeps us safe from eachother. At least for the duration of the ceremonies."

[latino_menace]

He returns the kiss and lazily thinks that lying around a bed with Random and a cigarette...well, there's a lot worse ways to spend time.

'Oh. OK, I guess it makes sense. You have a hard family to keep up with.'

He kisses Random again, because he can and because he's finding he's not getting bored of it yet. At all.

'So is just that one ceremony? That's all you have to do?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"No. Just one big one."

He sighs, and toys lazily with the cigarette.

"After that I get to spend an hour every morning. But as I said- the rest of the day, mine to do with as I please. Of course, it's rather ridiculous. I have to wear full court costume, so that I change out of pretty damned quickly."

[latino_menace]

He chuckles a bit. 'Can't wait to see it. I hope it's properly ridiculous so I can laugh. And if there's a lot of layers to it, I'll certainly help you take it off.'

Another kiss. 'And what we're you planning to do with all this free time you're going to have?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Nothing so bad as all that. Trews, a tunic, a doublet. In my colours- reds and oranges."

And because Random's enjoying it too, he kisses him as well.

"Lots of laces, though. Which I'm sure I'll need some assistance for."

Another kiss.

[latino_menace]

He smiles at him and rolls over so he's half lying on him. 'I'll put myself at your disposal then. Always willing to help, you know me.'

He lights another cigarette with an undeniably flirtatious look on his face.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Which Random promptly steals, and slides into his mouth.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear that. Heaven forfend I should have to unlace my own doublet."

He smirks cheerfully around the cigarette.

[latino_menace]

He growls at the loss of cigarette, lets him smoke a bit, then takes it back. 'That's right Random. You wont have trouble getting your clothes off if I'm around, I promise you.'

He kisses him before letting him have the cigarette back.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

He smokes for a moment, smiles, and hands it back.

"And you can trust me to hold you to that. But I'm sorry to say, this is a little more complicated than a belt buckle."

[latino_menace]

He mock groans and drops his head to Random's shoulder in a more personal version of a *headdesk*.

'Goddamnit. And I have enough trouble with those. Although to be fair, its normally because you're distracting me at the time.'

He sends a glance down Random's body. There's a belt. Damnit.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Well, can you blame me?"

He smirks, and steals the cigarette again.

"You always seem to manage it, somehow. If I can do a champagne bottle, you can do a belt buckle. I've no doubt we'll find a way to cope."

[latino_menace]

'Well I dont know if I blame you but I certainly dont complain.'

He pulls the cigarette from his lips gently and kisses him. 'I've no doubt we will.'

He rolls back onto his back and is quiet for a moment. 'I thought you'd be a lot angrier than you were.'

He wants to kind of say 'thanks for saving my ass last night' but doesn't know how to admit that he needed it.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

He sighs.

"I knew something like it was happening. I won't lie, it freaked me out that it was someone like Morin, but you don't do things by half, so it shouldn't have come as a shock.

I've thought about it, and now I'm going to do what I can to get the bastard to piss off and find his own drug lord."

[latino_menace]

'Well technically, I was his first.' He's not smiling because it isn't funny. 'But don't do anything. He's too dangerous - and like I said, someone's already offered to help.'

He rolls back over and kisses him. 'Can we not talk about it though? I just...kind of want to say thanks. Jasin might not have stopped if you hadn't shown up.'

And thats a big admission for him to make.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"You're most welcome."

He kisses him back, and slides an arm round his waist.

"And I'm not going to try anything. I'm just going to watch closely, and steer a little, if things start going wonky. So don't worry about me. Just come to Amber, and let the Bard cool his heels for a week."

[latino_menace]

More kissing. 'Mmm...fine then.' He slides a hand under Random's shirt. 'We can talk about this later though...'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random laughs, and, always one for foresight, undoes his belt buckle.

"Later."