Dojima-Montague Apartment, Tokyo, Wednesday Morning

[withoutverona]

Romeo's nineteenth birthday started with a package from his father containing a collection of Lord Byron's works, a dagger that was about twice as elaborate as anything Romeo had any business carrying, and a letter that suggested -- in a polite, backhanded, and elaborate way -- that Romeo was missed and should make it his business to visit Verona sooner rather than later.

There was also a large box of chocolates. They were good. Romeo ate the caramels as his breakfast. He should have been reading about the equilibrium point in supply and demand, but that kept turning into perusal of the poetry. Really, the poetry struck him as more relevant.

[OOC: For the girlfriend, or for birthday emails/calls/texts/homing pigeons.]

Comments

[withoutverona]

"Oh, there's hardly a need for that," Romeo said. "I'll have a cup for you, though."

"Besides, I didn't do anything for yours." ... and he was assuming the odds were with him and Arthur hadn't been born in December.

[raspberryturk]

"In Edge, bein' poked by a weird-ass ginger," Reno replied from his own phone, because damn it anyhow, he failed at keeping his yap shut when he heard the voice of a Posse member, even if it was the other person on the other phone on their line that Romeo had been talking to.

And, because it was pretty much mandatory, Reno was going to have to lean forward and make a reach in an attempt to poke at Rikku's leg, to demonstrate. Even if Romeo couldn't see.

[withoutverona]

And this was why Romeo didn't let Ino run his life.

"If he died, his family would blame my family," Romeo pointed out. "Then more people would die. Castrating him .... that's a thought."

[the_merriest]

He might be able to guess, from the giggle and the flailing noises as she kicked back at him.

"Stop it," she laughed, sticking her tongue out before returning her attention to the phone. "You know, I can't even make a simple phone call around here without this nosy Turk-guy listening in. It sucks."

[withoutverona]

"Edge is too small for both of you," Romeo said, laughing. "Sad, really. You need to go back to living in different universes."

[raspberryturk]

"Edge is plenty big," Reno protested, laughing as he took the kick like a man.

Which meant, more or less, that he was going to stick his tongue out right back, and then rub at his shin while wrinkling his nose and trying his damnedest to refrain from whining.

"It's this couch that's too damn small."

[the_merriest]

"Wouldn't be if you didn't have all these plants on it," she teased. Hoping she hadn't actually bruised his shin or anything. "How's life in Tokyo? Do you have any big, awesome birthday plans? Oh! We didn't actually say 'happy birthday' yet! Should we sing the song? We can sing the song."

His ears might never forgive him, if they did.

[withoutverona]

"Is he letting the beans take his place over?" Romeo asked. "And Tokyo's fine. I'm studying for econ and eating chocolates from my father. Yurika's supposed to take me out later."

With some trepidation, he added, "No one has sung yet."

[raspberryturk]

"The beans are only kinda takin' over," Reno protested, though there was a grin in his voice as he stooped over the other way to pick up the ferret as Mako trundled on by. "And if there ain't nobody's sung to you yet, man, we gotta remedy that, yo. I'll have you know, I got a killer singin' voice, here."

Killer in that sort of way that made people wish they were dead when they heard it, perhaps.

"How's that song go, again, anyhow? Happy birthday to you, happy birthday?"

It was not a difficult song. Really. Unless you were Reno.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

And lo, there was a girlfriend. Slightly late, due to a Hunt, but already shucking the uniform Hunter coat and pouncing him before she even had her shoes or shoulder-holster off.

"Ohaiyo," she said cheerfully. "I'm looking for a birthday boy. Do you know where I can find one?"

[the_merriest]

This? This was a beautiful rendition of the song, coming across the airwaves to Tokyo.

It was partly that Rikku was giggling too hard to stay on-key.

It was partly that Reno insisted on appending the lines to variations like, "Happy birthday t'you, an' shit."

It was partly that Mako heard all of the noise and deciding to sing along, with some well-placed honks.

It was partly that Petey chose that moment to NINJA ATTACK!!! Mako, and the ensuing vicious scuffle was a smidge louder than that particular part of the song.

It was partly that Rikku decided to cram in extra words at the end of lines, like "to you, Oh! Say hi to Dojima for us, okay?"

It was partly that Reno was halfway to being drunk, and rooting on his ferret in the cat-vs-ferret smackdown.

And, finally, it was probably not helped at all by the fact that Reno and Rikku had started it entirely different keys. They'd switched keys a few times, but neither of them had ended up where the other was.

In other words, it was awesome.

[withoutverona]

"Ohaiyo," Romeo returned, grinning and turning off the TV. (He'd gotten distracted by a martial arts movie, as the afternoon wore on.)

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "What would you say if I said you have the wrong day?

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Then I would say it's a shame that I wore your present to work today," she sang, giving him a wink. "Too bad... guess you don't get a dinner date tonight."

[withoutverona]

And Romeo was, appropriately enough, laughing his ass off on the other end.

There was really only one way to respond to a performance like that. It involved a wolf whistle and hearty applause.

"I feel as if my birth has been most appropriately celebrated."

[withoutverona]

Romeo wiggled under her happily. "Why would I want a gift you've already worn?"

[raspberryturk]

"Only thing that could'a made it better would be showin' up at your door with booze and singin' it in person," Reno decided, taking another moment to move the phone from his face to yell some more encouragement in Mako's direction.

Yeah, Mako! Bite his face! Atta weasel! Atta dumbass ninja-weasel-goose! Who's a dumbass? Is it you? Is it you, Mako?

And then, a moment later, Reno put the phone to his mouth to add, "but then we would'a had to find pet-sitters for our backup singers, yo."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Because it's shiny?" Yurika offered innocently. "The ways of boys are very strange and mysterious."

[withoutverona]

"I think I have to be the judge of whether it's shiny or not," Romeo observed. "I don't suppose I could see it?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika eyed him warily. "Just a peek," she said finally, undoing only the top button of her blouse to show a bit of blue. "Since I have to get changed for dinner anyway."

And Yurika did want to make it to the restaurant.

[withoutverona]

The peek was enough. "Where are we going for dinner?" Romeo asked, kissing her chest just above the button. "We don't need to ... linger, do we?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I thought we'd go somewhere nice for dessert," she said, all wide eyes and innocence as she headed towards the bedroom to change. "School wear you out?"

Another button got undone. "And no peeking!"

[withoutverona]

"No classes today," Romeo practically sang, keeping his back to her despitre temptation. "I got calls from Arthur, and Ino, and Reno and Rikku. My father sent a box and a request for my presence in Verona."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Do we want to go to Verona for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Or both?" Her shirt came sailing of the bedroom to land on the floor. "Although remind me to call Reno and Rikku back later. I had an idea I wanted to run past them."

"How are Ino and Arthur? Island still standing?"

[withoutverona]

"They had an invasion of vegetables," Romeo answered. "From what I'm told, it made quite a mess, but none were injured. So -- the usual."

He perked up at her suggestion. "Could we stay from Wednesday to Sunday, Thanksgiving week? That would please him." And Romeo needed the beach.

[withoutverona]

"You could have brought them along," Romeo suggested. "We don't have pets. And I miss Mako."