Wellspring Arms & Meditation Center, Friday

[the_merriest]

Rikku was here on time. Honest. And fussing with guns and armor and all the usual stuff.

(OOC: late, so no OCD. this week is fired.)

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[withoutverona]

It had been too long since he bothered Rikku at work, and Romeo had nothing else to do this afternoon. "Good day," he greeted with a smile, then went to inspect the handguns. "It looks like you got some new stock."

[the_merriest]

"We did!" she bounced. "I can't believe he has all these guns and won't sell them. I mean, maybe he sells them, but I'm sure not allowed to. Hey, how've you been?"

[withoutverona]

"I am doing well," Romeo answered. "We had a nice birthday trip, and Miss Bell took off so I have a new job. Or, rather, my old job, except I am paid more and must do more paperwork. And it is a tragedy, to have those guns and not sell them; he might as well not have them at all. How are you?"

[the_merriest]

"Are you paid enough to make up for the paperwork?" she asked. "I'm glad you still have your job, and all. I heard about her leaving, and I kinda didn't know if that meant you guys would be out of luck. And where did Dojima take you, anyway?"

She bounced on her toes. "I'm good. Trying to fix up my little sib and one of the guys on my newspaper crew."

[withoutverona]

"I got to set my own raise, so yes, and then some," Romeo laughed. "She took me to Buenos Aires, in Argentina, because neither of us had been there. It's lovely."

"Why are you playing matchmaker?"

[the_merriest]

"Did you make it something huge?" Rikku giggled. "Like, hey, let's just double my money since I have two jobs now!"

"I've never been to Argentina, either," she said. "This world is huge. I can't get over it. Ooooh, and see, he wrote this rant column about how people were all being mean to this girl, who brings him cookies and is really sweet and gets shot down a lot from booooooooooys, who are clearly just blind and can't see how awesome she is. So I had to get involved in that one."

[withoutverona]

"I didn't think of that, but I ought to have," Romeo said. "It's not as though it's my money, if the store fails to make a profit."

He played a little with his necklace as he listened to Rikku's story. "He wrote a whole column on one girl?" he asked. "Good lord, he may as well start reading sonnets at her doorstep."

[the_merriest]

"Nope!" Rikku grinned. "And if she let you pick your own raise, that's her own stupid fault if it doesn't balance out."

"He pretended it was about how people are picky and mean," she sighed. "It was adorable and now I have to drag her out for ice cream and interrogate her. I mean, she's been taking him cookies, that's a good sign, yeah?"

[withoutverona]

"Cookies are a very good sign," Romeo said. "Make sure, when you take her out, that you tell her what an amazing fellow he is."

A pause, then, "Would I know either of them?"

[the_merriest]

"I will," she said. "But I have to see if she's sweet on him or not. Maybe she's just being nice. I hope not, it'd be adorable. Oh! Her name's Momoko and I can't pronounce her other name. She's about yay high," she gestured, "orangey-red hair, and bouncy as all get out. Like, if I were mainlining pixie stix, kinda thing. And he's Warren? Black hair with a nifty red streak in it, glares at everybody, likes to set his hands on fire."

[withoutverona]

"I know them both from classes," Romeo nodded eagerly. "I cannot say it's a match I would have seen, but love is what it is, and if they want each other, who am I to say otherwise? And they do say opposites attract."

[the_merriest]

"I would have never thought to stick the two of them together," she agreed. "Maybe her perky balances out his cranky? She's very sweet. And he's got a good heart, he just acts mean so people will leave him alone."

[withoutverona]

"I wouldn't think you would need that, if you could set your hands on fire," Romeo suggested. "That would be enough to frighten away many."

[the_merriest]

"I think ..." Rikku hesitated, not sure how much was his and not okay to tell. Which was a shame. If anyone could understand being judged because of your father ...

"I think it was rough, at his last school. People expected him to be mean, so he didn't bother being anything else, you know?"

[withoutverona]

"We live down to our expectations," Romeo nodded. "It's an easy enoguh trap to fall into."

[OOC: Crashing, night!]

[the_merriest]

"Maybe this place will be good for him," she smiled. "Helps people remember, you know. To be themselves, not just what everybody else expects them to be. Even if it does take some of us a while to get it through our heads."

Like, you know, her.

"So what are you doing for this turkey-holiday thing?"

(OOC: A: it would help if I had actually hit send. B: my availability is about to be gone until about midnight. Maybe. Woo!)

[withoutverona]

"I think we are staying here and being thankful Thanksgiving's not terribly important to my family," Romeo answered. "I'm not up to Verona just now, and Ben was here so recently. And you?"