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

[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."

[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.

[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]

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."

[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."

[withoutverona]

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

[the_merriest]

"You should get pets," Rikku chirped excitedly. "Or does your apartment-place not like them? They're all kinds of fun and if they let you keep pets in the dorms, they should totally let you in a place you're actually paying to stay in, you know? Although Petey might get airsick. He hates traveling by portal."

[raspberryturk]

"An' if I have to deal with cat puke anywhere along the trip," Reno mused amiably, "I'm gonna be a real cranky Turk."

Oh, Reno. You already are a real cranky Turk. Silly boy.

[withoutverona]

"The apartment would allow them, but I'm not much for pets." Romeo and responsibility were not mixy things. "I like them better when they belong to other people, really, if that doesn't make me sound horrible."

A beat. "Please don't come visit with anything that will vomit."

[raspberryturk]

"So you're sayin' that Rikku should leave me behind if we're thinkin' of mixin' sake with raw octopus?"

Reno had never eaten raw octopus. Reno was planning on keeping it that way.

Unless he was very drunk and somebody dared him to try it, of course. There were standards that he had to set, here.