milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Ramon has been finding life almost too chilled recently (he's not good with too much relaxation). And what better place than Milliways to fix that? It also lets him get a ride in so he's outside the bar with Blanco tethered to the paddock fence. Normally he doesn't bother with rubbing him down himself but he needs the activity and he intends to go for a long, fast ride after this.

He'll be back in the bar with a brandy afterwards and is botherable in either place.

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"Greetings, Ramon Salazar," Teja says, politely enough, as he passes the man.

He is wondering whether he now remembers having been arrested.

He remembers. He also remembers a certain furtiveness about the manner of the arrest. Usually new Security hires are posted on the notice board and he keeps track of that sort of thing.

'The secret policeman.'

Also, he's very disappointed (still) that the man is walking around but he hides it well.

"So you remember," Teja says, almost pleased.

It is not a question.

He rolls his eyes.

'Obviously.'

Beat.

'The bar employing undercover cops now?'

"There is a rogue blood-drinker about," Teja says. "It was thought that having one he knows not of would be advantageous. But I was allowed latitude for emergencies."

'I'm an emergency now?'

He snorts and looks away.

'I don't see what use you'd be against a vampire anyway.'

"Of course you are an emergency," Teja says. "At least a young, wild, and entirely un-housebroken Ramon Salazar was."

Pause.

"And I would be, for the blood-drinker, that which you may call the element of surprise?"

He's impressed with that description of his young self and it shows. But all he says is,

'Yes, I get that part. My point is, if you did take a vampire by surprise is that any guarantee that you'd be able to beat it?'

Because he's met a few and super-human strength and inability to die are something they all seem to have in common. While Teja doesn't seem to be able to die again, he severely doubts that he'd be able to arrest one, secret cop or not.

"There is never a guarantee," Teja says. "Even you should know that. But I know what to do, to have a fighting chance. And the blood-drinker could not kill me lastingly, as I am already dead. That was proven but a short time ago."

So the risk would not be too great, compared to that of a Security member who is alive.

'Oh?'

Neutral face is neutral.

'I've been away. Did something happen?'

"I was shot and killed," Teja says. "They still hold my dead body here, in a room upstairs. But after a day, I came back through the door, freshly dead once more; and Demeter took me away and restored my memory, from the soil of my old home, in the ways she has."

Pause.

"I would call it an interesting experience, but for the fact that my Charlie was wounded, also, that there might still be a murderer after me, and that I used to have a hole upon my old body, as men from the future have to wear ornaments in, or to show that they can bear pain: - I will have to have that redone. It costs money."

For a moment, Teja considers asking Urquhart (if he ever returns) for reimbursement of the cost of that piercing; the idea amuses him, and it shows.

Ramon is careful in his reaction, though it looks natural as anything. Given that Teja knows he can't stand him, the last thing he's going to do is pretend to commiserate.

'Someone shot you and you didn't die?' he repeats flatly, and lights a cigarette. 'Why did you have to tell me that? You've just ruined my whole day.'

It's not like he hasn't threatened to kill the man half a dozen times himself.

'Who was it?'

"Maybe I wished to ruin your whole day, by telling you such pleasant news and then taking them away again?" Teja says. "And make no mistake: - I died! But I returned, from the moment of my original death, as I had entered the bar for the first time. I am out of a piercing, but instead, now have three Tyrian purple cloaks, three battle axes, and my harp thrice over. I might give one of them to Yrael."

Pause.

"As to who it was, we know not yet surely enough to speak of it; but I am working on it. But we have the murder weapon."

'Maybe you'll run out of spare afterlives one day,' he says nastily. 'If you keep dying that often I'm sure the Landlord will just start thinking you don't appreciate his hospitality and not let you come back next time.'

He hopes.

'Maybe I'll do it myself with Hel's sword. I don't see you coming back from that. But whatever did do it, I hope it hurt.'

Edie's been around lately. She has, really. She's amusing herself right now with taking apart and putting back together one of three guns sitting on her table, which is probably quite incongruous with the large diamond ring on her finger.

Intermittently, she's sipping a glass of Asti with strawberries.

"Hey," she says, not looking up. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"It did," Teja says, unmoved. "But I shall not tell you who, even when it will be known, so you cannot go and reward that one for your mere pleasure in my pain. And indeed, I try not to die too often, for the very reason you name. But it does make taking risks somewhat easier."

'You either,' he murmurs. He's not looking up either. He rarely does when talking to her.

'Been up to much?'

'Perhaps,' he says, musingly, 'he'll let you keep coming back but take away your ability to remember your previous 'life'. That would be funny to watch.'

He might enjoy that even more that simply having the man gone. At least it would be amusing.

She's okay with that. If she weren't, well, hell, she'd be in a lot more fights than she's in now.

"Took over America," she answers, grinning a little. "Nothing too spectacular, outside of finally getting married, by an Elvis impersonator. You?"

Yeah, she likes both of those things.

'Taking over America is something you do a lot then?'

If it doesn't class as anything too spectacular.

"I think my afterlife is safe in the hands of my friend Demeter," Teja says. "And indeed, I will try not to die more. Lest I do forget what a pest you are, and stop opposing your purposes."

She shakes her head a little, putting one of the guns together and then leans back in the chair.

"Shouldn't have to do it too many times, if you do it right. Tony's in the White House now, and has been for a few months, so, you're lookin' at the First Lady."

To her, it's just another heist that she's helped Tony out on. Nothing out of the ordinary, although the take's bigger than usual.

"Little killing, little blackmail, and bam, renewing my membership in the mile high club in Air Force One."

Post-wedding, of course.

'I'm a pest?'

He snorts, derisive.

'There's so many sanctimonious assholes around here, I'm pretty sure no one would miss you. You think I'm a pest, stay out of my way. And if you keep talking about opposing my purposes, I'll start to think you're stalking me. It's not as though I've got any purpose that'll interest you, at the moment.'

'I'm not sure if 'congratulations' is the right word. It doesn't sound like much fun.'

He's totally lying. All that power? He'd be in heaven.

He smirks and swirls his brandy in his glass.

'You should loan me Air Force One. That's a notch I'd like to have on my bedpost.'

Her eyes slide over to him. Of course he's lying.

She knows people like him. Hell, she is a person like him.

"Tony get's these silly notions about being president, and what can a girl do, but oblige him." Because you know she's not getting any perks out of this at all.

Oh no.

"I'm sure there's a few notches you'd like to have, Ramon. How's that Fiona of yours?"

Oh, that was said way, way too sweetly, as another gun gets put back together.

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