latino_menace | OOM: Black tie evening

Entry tags:

argentina,
random

OOM: Black tie evening

So, it hasn't been the best vacation so far. It had had potential, and then it had sucked. But Ramon is determined that the time away isn't going to be a complete waste - and he's rather good at sweeping emotion under the rug and ignoring it, when he wants to.

And so, the sight in their dingy little motel room is rather innocuous. The place is more used to seeing hookers and junkies - but tonight, it gets two men getting ready to go out and dressing in tuxedos.

If the good mood is a little forced, then Ramon hopes it'll be better once they're out. Is determined to try.

'Nearly ready?'

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He is very good and does not shrug and say, 'who cares?' He just pulls a leaflet from his pocket and scans it.

'Don't know, really. I just called someone I used to know and asked if there were any black-tie events happening. You said you wanted to wear a tux, and this seemed like something you'd like to do.' More scanning.

'It's a museum, and an opening of a new art display. Unveiling a picture of something as well. Hmphf. Probably stole it from the Met. Well. There's champagne anyway.'

"Then we'll fit right in. You the criminal, me the critic."

As the draw closer, signs begin to proclaim the event, and Random's eyes widen in recognition.

"Have I mentioned recently that you're stupendous?"

'...no?'

Ramon looks at signs and sees...signs.

'Well, maybe you did. What's the big deal?'

And after a beat,

'Pretty sure you're a criminal as well. If an alien royal one.'

"Yes, but this is a careful front we're keeping up, dear."

They round the corner, and join- not exactly a throng- but a group of other similarly dressed people.

Random falls silent, with a grin.

'Yes, darling,' he mutters sarcastically, and pulls their tickets out. The thing is by invitation only but if you've got enough money, that sort of thing is never hard to negotiate. The names marked are aliases of course - Daniel Amber and Incendio Ramierez - and he smirks as they're checked.

'I've always thought you look like a Daniel,' he says quietly as they head inside and are immediately offered champagne.

"A Daniel?"

He takes the glass, and takes a polite sip.

"I've got 'Brandon' and 'Matt' before, but never Daniel."

'Brandon? Christ, you're not a football player or pop star, who the hell told you that suited you?'

Some art is given a cursory glance. Meh.

'Matt's quite sexy. No. Daniel suits you better though.'

He doesn't know why, it just does. But Random's best.

"Just don't call me that at any awkward moments and we're good."

He straightens his bowties slightly, and takes another sip of champagne.

"Come look around with me a little?"

'Awkward?' He snickers in a rather dirty fashion, then adds, 'No, I don't think that's likely.'

He almost reaches for Random's hand as they walk, out of instinct. When his fingers brush though, he remembers and pulls it back.

'Right. OK, what are we looking at? Is this modern art, or classical or what?'

His homes are full of beautiful things that are worth a lot of money. That doesn't mean he looks at any of it. He knows it's value, but they're investments and baubles, rather than things to be enjoyed.

"This? This is impressionist. Isn't it beautiful?"

He stops under a particular painting that draws his eye.

"What do you think?"

Ramon stops, and in the interest of trying to make this a good evening for Random, really examines the painting.

'I don't know. It's well drawn?'

Of course, it's a painting. But it's all the same to him.

'The colours are nice,' he ventures, after a moment.

"Look at it the way you do at the picture of our bedsheets. See the girl? The way she's smiling?"

He gestures, tracing the curve of her lips in the air.

"It takes my imagination flying."

'Yeah, but the bedsheets are about us.'

That makes all the difference. He's only concerned with things that are to do with the two of them. But at least that's progress. Before it was only himself. Needless to say, he doesn't get the painting - but he nods anyway.

'It's nice. I like that you like it.'

"But you've seen me smile at you that way."

If he was allowed, he'd lean his head on Ramon's shoulder.

"So you have to imagine the man painting it. Do you think she was flirting with him? Do you think she slept with him by the time it was over? It took a long time to do these sorts of things. Do you think he loved her, and painted what he wanted to see?"

I don't know. I don't care either. It's a women I'll never meet - and if I did, I still wouldn't care.

He smiles at Random. 'Maybe. She looks happy enough.'

A woman comes close to look at the same painting and he raises his voice a little.

'And I'd probably sleep with you if you painted me like that, Daniel.'

Just to see if he can get a reaction, of course.

"Delinquent."

Random grits his teeth and smiles at the woman, who gives them a dark look.

"You can dress them up, but you can't take them out, can you?"

"Quite."

And she goes, leaving Random to give Ramon an amused look.

'I feel like such an animal.'

Yeah. Right. Ramon moves on to the next painting with an expression of pure glee.

'What do you think of this one?'

"It's boring."

It's a landscape. What is there to say about a landscape?

"Lets go see if they have any Salvador Dali. You'd like him."

'Doesn't make you want to fly?'

He's only teasing, and he nods.

'OK. Why will I like him? Is he any good?'

He has heard of Dali, of course. Never seen any of his work.

It's a bit of a walk over to the 'batshit crazy' section, but Random spots one almost immediately.

"That's a knock-off, I think, but close enough."

Ramon blinks at it.

'Right.'

And stares.

'Well, it definitely holds interest. I don't know if 'like' is the right word, but I don't mind looking at these.'

'Batshit crazy' is most definitely more his thing.

'I should buy this and hang it in the bathroom at home. Think Martin would like it?'

Hang it in Martin's room maybe, he thinks. The kid would probably love it.

"Well, it freaks me out, so no."

Ugh.

Random glances away.

"This one's 'Soft Construction with Baked Beans.' Or something like that. I don't remember."

'Aw, does it?'

He'd ruffle Random's hair, if he could do it without getting stared at.

'Poor baby. OK well, I won't buy it then. Why do they have syupid name like that? What have baked beans got to do with it?'

"Look at the ground under the... thing."

There are indeed beans.

"It's actually about civil revolution."

'They don't look much like beans to me.'

It takes him a minute to realise he's looking at the wrong bit.

'OK, right, beans. I don't know what that has to do with civil revolution though, unless people are complaining about having to eat them.'

He wouldn't blame them, really.

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