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

[bitchprince]

It wasn't, strictly, that Arthur was aware of when Romeo's birthday was. It was more a happy coalescing of opportunities, or maybe just simply the need to talk to someone who wasn't a bird or somehow related to a bird that led to the sudden ringing of Romeo's telephone.

Yes.

[withoutverona]

Romeo actually managed to swallow the chocolate in his mouth before picking up the phone. He glanced at the display; he doubted Arthur knew his birthday, but stranger things had happened.

"Hello, Arthur. How fares the island?"

[bitchprince]

"Romeo." After a moment of deliberation, Arthur settled on the most relevant news. "We were attacked by flesh-eating vegetables yesterday, but no one was seriously injured," he said, conversationally.

He'd have a future in the newscasting business.

[withoutverona]

Romeo was going to take just a moment to process that, and reflect that absolutely nothing could happen on the island that would surprise him.

"... were they oversized, or just normal vegetable-sized?" he finally wondered.

[bitchprince]

"There was a variety," Arthur replied, promptly. "It was the tomatoes that offended me the most. Had to take a bath afterwards."

[withoutverona]

"I'd think that would ruin your clothes," Romeo said. "The tomatoes. Not the bath."

[bitchprince]

"If you ever face man-eating tomatoes in battle, bring a helmet," he had to point out. "Also, Merlin's a bird this week, and I'm not going near the washing machines."

It... tended to end in disaster in the single three instances he'd gone near them, and there was only so much indignity he was willing to bear.

[intraspective]

See, Ino had work today. But Ino also had a cell phone and that was totally being put to good use.

Best. Employee. Ever.

Ring phone, ring!

[withoutverona]

And lo, the phone rang.

"Good day, Ino!" Romeo sounded cheerful.

[intraspective]

"Hiii!" she carolled. "I know what day it is!"

[withoutverona]

"I should hope you'd have wit enough for that," Romeo teased. "It is Wednesday, and Veteran's Day."

[intraspective]

"Mean!" Ino protested though her giggling put lie to any real offense. "It's also your birthday, geez! Or did you forget, in which case Dojima-san might want to take you to the doctor."

[withoutverona]

Romeo laughed. "No, I know how old I am. Nineteen. It's practically elderly."

He added, "Thank you for calling."

[the_merriest]

It was really a good thing they had two separate phones, here, on the same phone line. Because otherwise they would have been smushing their faces against the phone to try to call, and that wouldn't have worked.

... Okay, it probably would have led to kissy-face-ing, which was great and all, but not a very helpful phone call. And it wasn't like she wasn't curled up with Reno anyway, just with her own handset pressed up against her ear.

Ring, ring!

(THE TURK MODDED WITH PERMISSION YAY)

[withoutverona]

"Rikku!" Romeo loved his phone, by now. "Hello? How are you? Where are you?"

[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.

[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."

[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?"

[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]

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

[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?"