milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

ramon salazar,
teja

(no subject)

It's one thing having your own island. It's quite another bothering to drive your boat to the nearest place with a shop and stocking the house up (obviously, he leaves this to Fiona most of the time). But when there's a magic bar in the closet, why the need to go anywhere at all? And seeing as he's here, he figures he might as well have a few drinks and see if there's anything interesting going on.

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He probably shouldn't have done that.

There is an Ostrogoth positively jumping at the chance to get on Ramon's nerves.

"Greetings, Ramon Salazar," he says, standing beside the man's table. He doesn't grin -- Teja never does! -- but if he did, he would be grinning.

Ramon, in turn, never grins if the person greeting him is Teja, so it works out. He's determined not to rise to his comments like he usually does though, and just eyes him back.

'What do you want?'

"May I not just say hello to a good old enemy?" Teja says. He leans on the table and looks levelly at Ramon.

'No. Go away.'

He well remembers their last conversation and it still makes him angry when he thinks about it.

"Eventually," Teja says. "It is not that I take any pleasure in your company."

Pause.

"You know one by the name of Urquhart, do you not?"

Ramon suspects this to be a lie as Teja often shows a perverse kind of pleasure at trying to anger him. He sighs now though and lights a cigarette.

'Yes, I know Urquhart. What of it?'

He is not worried by the question. Just glad that Teja seems to have a point to this little visit rather than just trying to bait him.

"Indeed, what of it," Teja says. "What can you tell me about him."

He raises an eyebrow at him coolly.

'Not a damn thing.'

"You know him," Teja says, "you can at least tell me something. What does he look like? What is his trade? What did he speak of?"

'I wasn't saying I couldn't tell you anything,' he points out.

'I was saying I wouldn't. Not without you telling me why you want to know, at least.'

Teja, he thinks, is obviously unskilled at the art of interrogation.

"He murdered me," Teja says. "I speak to all that I know know him."

'I'm sure you do and it's understandable.'

He'd do the same thing.

'But that's all the more reason to ask politely, instead of just turning up, leaning on my table and demanding I talk to you.'

Beat.

'I don't have to tell you anything. And considering our last conversation, when you openly admitted you were going to persecute me, you should be able to see why I'm not currently disposed to helping you.'

"Let me try again," Teja says. "I know you hate me. I know you know Urquhart. I know that many said Urquhart reminds them of you. I know Urquhart is a paid murderer, and he murdered me. Someone must have paid him. He isn't telling, and shows all signs of just settling down in the cells until we give up and let him go. So, I started thinking about what that all might mean. And I think it might help you if you can shed any light on all this."

He listens calmly until the last part then snorts a laugh loudly, unable to help himself.

'I see. You're starting to suspect I had something to do with it and have to decided to be generous and let me clear my name?'

Please.

'And part of your reasoning is people think he and I are alike? That's the stupidest reason for suspecting me that I ever heard in my life. Do you think all people who pay assassins have to be like them in order to do it? For Christ's sake, all you have to is sign the cheque.'

He leans on his elbows looking darkly amused by the whole thing.

'Surely you can see the flaw in your logic? If someone paid an assassin, it means they're not like him. Because if they were, they'd do it themselves. Just as I would.'

"No, you wouldn't," Teja points out. "If you were found out, then you would be in real trouble. No, you're alike in the way you despise mankind, and will be brutal and harsh to any that are in your way. So, did you sign the cheque or did you pay him in tab?"

He leans back in his chair casually, shaking his head almost pityingly.

'I don't despise mankind at all. Why would I?'

It never fails to amaze him how Teja is so sure he reads him right and yet is often so completely, utterly wrong.

'I didn't pay him, Teja. You're barking up the wrong tree. Go find someone else to yap at.'

"You do," Teja says. "You think you're better than all else. So does Urquhart. It's astonishing you did not try to kill each other, and instead work together."

Pause.

"Perhaps I might take you to see my dead former body?"

'It's possible to think I'm better than everyone else and still not hate them all.'

Not that he's admitting he does think he's better but then, he probably doesn't have to.

'And I wouldn't know Urquhart's views on the rest of humanity, though he did kind of have an air of superiority about him, I'll grant you that.'

Ramon shrugs and pours himself a drink, obviously not planning on going anywhere.

'Why would I want to see your dead body? You're standing right in front of me and I don't find you an attractive sight now. I don't imagine you're any prettier when you're dead and not moving.'

"It might give you personal satisfaction to see that I was hurt and killed?" Teja suggests.

'It may surprise you but I do think of other things than how much I like seeing you bleed. You told me you were hurt and killed, I believe you, and that's satisfying enough.'

He obviously has no qualms about seeing a corpse, even one he paid for, so there's no issue with him being squeamish. No, it's simply a combination of the fact that he's comfortable here and also isn't going to give Teja a damn thing he wants. He suspects an ulterior motive so isn't going to change his mind.

"What are you afraid of?" Teja asks, with a hint of a little smile.

His eyebrows raise sarcastically.

'Being bored to death by you?'

Teja laughs at that. Yes, indeed, he laughs.

"If there was any chance of that truly happening," he says, "you would not stand a chance to shake me off, until you fell over dead."

'Yes, I have no doubt that's true.'

He resists the urge to roll his eyes.

'But I think you should check your little Security rule book, I think there's a law somewhere that says you're not allowed to threaten the patrons.'

He's probably been threatened by ninety per cent of the Security team over the years but he assumes Teja doesn' know that.

"We don't have a rule book," Teja says, "and as I know Mel, she might give me a medal for making you drop dead with boredom."