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]

"Father, there has been a sighting of a terrible beast at the edge of our borders," Arthur said, after a thoughtful pause. "They say it has the head of a lizard, and is at least the size of two homes back to back. Terrible business."

If he wasn't working, of course.

[withoutverona]

Romeo laughed. "And there's no need to trouble anyone else -- you, Merlin and Morgana ought to handle it. Better not to risk the knights."

[bitchprince]

"No, I'd have to take the knights," he said, with the air of a man more than used to sneaking around his father. That was a topic he wasn't about to go into, though, because that way laid headaches and heartache. "And Morgana would have to insist on going to help calm the townspeople; I'd just have to make sure I only brought the most loyal of my knights."

Dinadan, for one, even if he was a pain in the neck.

[withoutverona]

That was well-reasoned enough that Romeo took a second to process it. His means of getting around his own father involved more emotional outbursts and sheer begging than sneakiness.

"You give the impression you may have thought about this for a moment or so, Arthur."

[bitchprince]

There was a short silence.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said, eventually.

That was the sound of a million daddy issues, ladies and gentlemen.

[withoutverona]

"How was I being ridiculous?" Romeo protested. "It seemed detailed to come up with off the top of your head."

[bitchprince]

"Well, what can I say, I'm good at improvisation," he snapped.

[withoutverona]

And this was Romeo, taking a giant mental step back and deciding he was done poking at Arthur for the moment. "All right. Don't bite my head off."

[bitchprince]

"I'm not biting anything off," Arthur said. Proverbial spines retreated. "Anyway, I'll try to be there."

[withoutverona]

"And I'm sure I'll be on the island again before then," Romeo said, managing not to sound sulky. "Call me if anything else attacks?"

Not that he could do much, but he liked to live viscerally and from a safe distance.

[bitchprince]

"I'll make sure," Arthur agreed. "Maybe when the time comes, we can come to some agreement about sharing out seeds, as well."

A lot of his people still went hungry.

[withoutverona]

"Of course. It's never a problem for me to buy them," Romeo said. "I'll talk to you later?"

[bitchprince]

"Of course," Arthur said, reaching for his notebook to jot down send Romeo some wine.