Nightclub, Tokyo, Monday Evening

[withoutverona]

Yurika was working tonight, again, and Romeo had gone out on the general theory he could only read so much about global finances before studying became counterproductive.

A few drinks later, he ended up in a hostess club, making animated conversation with the pretty Ukranian girl who kept trying to convince him to order more expensive drinks. (She succeeded more often than not, Romeo and willpower not having much more than a nodding acquaintance.) Somehow, they started talking about high school.

She discreetly found a way to cut him off when he started telling zombie invasion stories. It seemed like some things were too strange even for paid companionship.

Romeo scowled at his beer. Some nights he really missed Fandom; it would be a relief to be back there at the end of the week.

[OOC: Open to anybody who wants to bother a mildly inebriated Shakesperean. He has his phone and everything.]

Comments

[bitchprince]

"Well, I'm not."

At least Romeo had been succesful in changing the tone from 'slightly traumatised' to 'cranky'?

"We moved the island to Greenland, if you must know, and put an end to the whole lot. That's all."

[withoutverona]

"Happy to hear it." Cranky was much more familiar to deal with, though it had the side effect of making Romeo put the slightest edge on his tone. Feelings were not cancer, after all.

[bitchprince]

The cancer question was kind of subjective, wasn't it? It was the sort of thing that depended on who you asked. Arthur had a great deal of feelings.

"Mhm," he said, vaguely. "Anyway, let's hope that moving the island won't be necessary this time around. I've had quite enough of that."

[withoutverona]

Romeo had 19 years of feelings and precisely no cases of cancer. (All right, he did have a dead wife, but no one was totally unmarked.)

"It shouldn't be," he said, trying to be reassuring. "The ceremony itself was fine last year, and it does sound like you've had a rough go of it. Ino mentioned a bit about the fog, and Reno said you all had future children show up again?"

In his head, that should have lead to a peaceful Fandom for ... a month. Maybe two.

[bitchprince]

The idea that Romeo somehow felt he should be reassured made Arthur even more cranky.

Mind, his father didn't believe feelings gave you cancer. Just that they caused morale to drop, soldiers to desert, and every neighbouring kingdom to come charging in and set the whole place on fire while dancing around in nothing more than a small towel and maybe some leaves.

"The fog made you see things that weren't there," Arthur agreed, "I'd almost rather have it than the children."

[withoutverona]

Uther Pendragon had a rather vivid imagination, didn't he? Especially the bit with the leaves.

(Ted Montague, on the other hand, had been so pleased to finally have a son that he overindulged Romeo and his emotions in every possible way. This was probably healthier for Romeo's self-esteem, but tended to lead to things like, well, dead wives.)

Anyhow.

Oblivious to the narration, Romeo frowned at the phone. "You'd rather lose your head than see your imaginary children? How bad were your children?"

[bitchprince]

"Not that bad," Arthur allowed, "But everyone else's were utter brats..."

Pride: not something the Pendragon Dynasty had any shortage of, unlike feelings.

[withoutverona]

"Mine weren't," Romeo argued. "Not that they were there this year, but they weren't."

Spoiled, and given to rattling on in Japanese faster than Romeo could follow, but not brats.

[bitchprince]

"I'm sure they were well-behaved," Arthur said, in that indulgent sort of manner that suggested he didn't buy that at all.

[withoutverona]

"Absolutely so, just as yours were," Romeo said, in the same kind of tone. "... and if they weren't it wasn't our fault, it was some other corrupting influence."

[bitchprince]

"The other parent," Arthur said, decisively.

What? With his own, it wasn't a big stretch.

[withoutverona]

"Well, I wasn't the one who taught them to speak Japanese..." Romeo offered in agreement.

The spoiled thing was down to both of them.