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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"Pretty things. I doubt this place'll have any. Maybe we can get ourselves a Klimt print for Haven, he's one of my favourites."

Random leads him, instead, over to sculptures. There's a set here made out of grey stone that definitely draw his eye.

Ramon privately thinks that they should get themselves a Klimt original, but doesn't say anything. He just snags more champagne from a passing waiter and follows after Random.

'I didn't know you liked sculpture as well. Have you ever done any?'

"Nah. Nothing serious. I mean, I attack wood with a knife sometimes when there's something to wait for, but that's just for fun."

He tilts his head sideways, examining the angles of a face half carved out of stone.

"She's beautiful."

'When you look at that, is it better than the first painting you liked? Or do you like paintings better?'

The art is more interesting for the response it gets out of Random, to his mind. Apart from the photographs that the man's always taking, he doesn't get to see him appreciate ths kind of thing very often.

"It's better. It's more interesting. I like the way it's half-carved."

Most of the stone is rough hewn.

"Like she's trying to escape. There's emotion the other one doesn't have."

He almost asks, does escape dpeak to you? And then considering the topic that's dominated their lives for the last few days, he doesn't. Instead, he laughs.

'Honestly, it's a mystery. Emotion from a block of stone - do people just see what they want to see, or something?'

If he were the type to feel envious, he would. But he's quite happy staying within his own sphere of interest.

He points to another sculpture - again, mostly just rough hewn stone. But this one has a hand reaching out of it, as though it's stretching for something. It's male, and rather beautifully carved.

'What about that one? You like it too?'

He's quite surprised to find that he does.

He looks at it, and winces.

"No. It makes me feel like the walls are closing in."

He can't reach for Ramon's hand, he tells himself. Can't.

Ramon has another drink and glances at him.

'Yeah.'

The pause feels somewhat awkward to him, so he moves on to the next.

'This one better?'

A child's face, a girl, laughing. The block it sits in is completely square. From the back, it just looks like a block of stone. There's just the one side that has expression, everything else is blank.

"It depends. I don't know. She's either content within her prison, which is a little morbid, or she's protected."

He angles his head.

"I... think it's nice."

He wonders, for a moment, why Random has prisons on the brain. And escape. Then he wonders if he's just being paranoid.

And then he considers that if Random likes it, he must have gone with the thought that she was protected. Which is better, isn't it?

He glances back at the first one, of the woman that Random likes.

'Yeah. It's OK.

...I'll be right back, I have to find the bathroom. Won't be long.'

"Come back fast, please? My spanish just isn't that good, not with the dialect thrown in."

He doesn't tear his eyes away from the laughing face.

"Je t'aime."

'Et tu.'

So much.

'I'll be quick.'

But he doesn't head for the bathroom. Not at first, anyway. He walks back to the reception hall and makes a few discreet enquiries - si Senor, this is an exhibition, not part of the museum's normal display. Yes indeed Senor, all items are for sale. ...I'll pass that on. Muchos gracias, Senor - and then makes his way back to Random.

'Sorry, queue. Everything OK?'

By the time he's back, Random has drifted back to the woman and is smiling at her.

"She's reaching for her lover. Can't you see it? She can almost touch him now, that's why she's smiling."

He stands close to him and doesn't say anything. But his hand moves, just a little, and a finger curls gently round one of Random's. A light squeeze, and it's gone.

'I see it.'

Whistfully;

"I wish we were allowed cameras in here. We'd better move away. I want to kiss you."

'Come on. We'll wander around. Bound to be somewhere quiet where no one will appear for a few minutes.'

He wants to kiss Random too. When doesn't he? But now even more than usual.

“I know the place.”

Random sets off with a smile, a purpose in mind. Further into the older section, past the fashionable young couples looking at women, past the old professors looking at the renaissance things.

Good art galleries always have a couple of off-rooms with one big thing on the wall. This one’s no different. There’s a screen, with a projection of water on it. Rushing over a waterfall, then down a brook, an audiovisual piece that holds no ones interest for more than a few seconds.

After the champagne drinking woman who was in there before them loses interest and walks off, they’re alone.

Ramon forces himself to stand still while the woman is there, an while she walks away. Even for a moment after she's gone - though it's a very brief moment. And then he's turning, sliding arms round Random's waist and tugging him near.

'You OK?'

And kissing him. Of course he kisses him. Soft and deep because it's always the hardest thing in the world, not to be able to touch him when he wants to.

His fingers wrap tight through Ramon's hair, and his kiss is a little bit desperate.

I miss you, says the stroke of one hand up Ramon's back.

For now, he just kisses him more.

Ramon's arms keep him close, not planning on letting him go, not when he feels the hint of desperation, the hand moving on his back. And kisses him back, always.

Random yanks away at the sound of approaching footsteps, and is on the other side of the room by the time the middle aged man walks into the small space.

He doesn't suspect anything. Probably.

Probably. Unless the look on Ramon's face is anything to go by. It's a bit worried, a bit turned on, a bit sad. The guy can probably see it because he turns away from Random to hide it from him, going to lean against the back wall instead. It's impossible to feign interest in the screen, but he couldn't care less about that anyway.

"I want to go somewhere else. Out back. Please, get me out back."

Part of it is said in Thari. It doesn't matter, it'll be alright.

"Or upstairs. Anything. As soon as they unveil it, please."

Turned away, in a darkened room with lights coming from a screen and a strange language he doesn't understand reaching his ears. Only he does, because it's Random and it's them.

The guy in the middle of the room is looking from one to the other, confused and aware he's walked into something here. Ramon ignores him and looks back at Random, seeing only him.

'Come on.'

They can go anywhere. He doesn't care. Being around other people is just a bad thing at this moment in time.

Random nods politely to the man, and gives him a studied, empty smile that reassures him perfectly, as it was meant to.

This time when Random leads him off, it's further back into the museum. Where there's nothing but religious scenes, and old pieces of carved wood, taken down from old buildings.

There are only a few people here, and one washroom, which Random goes into quickly.

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