#( katashi shibata: 001 )

[stromaintic]

for @taileaten—

"You look like you're in a chipper mood," he says, eyeing his dour neighbor up and down, holding his dog's leash and a pastry in one hand, and a half-drained re-re-re-refilled coffee cup from the shop down the block. "It's a holiday. Aren't you supposed to be at least unwound or something during a holiday?"

[stromaintic]

"Cruel sarcasm. Glad to see you have a second setting, Shibata." His smile cuts like glass, and he shakes his head, the wrapper for the danish shoved in his pants pocket. The hit about his family is a low blow, but it's one that he doesn't mind. It's nothing that Dimitri hasn't said about himself before—but it feels a little funnier when the guy says it. Maybe it's the precise cut that he's just known what to do with. "So what is this, then? Tradition?" He points to himself, then to Katashi, huffing a small laugh. "You talk to me, I talk to you. It's almost every morning at this point. That the tradition you wanna make with me?"

"yes, it's because of the dog." dryly sarcastic, katashi is still only mostly joking. "and because you don't see your family." not sarcastic, bordering on cruel. it's not intended to be a kidney shot, but the words are out of his mouth almost as if by the will of another. normally, he would only have thought of these social offenses, rather than share them with their conjurer. his face remains passive. "traditions aren't kept alive alone. those are just habits."

[stromaintic]

"Why? Because my parents are dead or my kid isn't here in Coronado?" He didn't answer the question, though Katashi's tone betrayed a sort of careless neutrality that Dimitri's learned not to take personally. He wonders if the siblings were going to be juggling family expectations, though that would be more of a minefield to ask than Katashi's pointed comment. "I didn't know you thought of me like that, Katashi," he replies, the corner of his mouth turning upwards. "Is it because of the dog?"

katashi thought about all the inconsistencies he could have pointed out, but there was no importance in that action. what did it matter? people were strange creatures, it was true—katashi himself had long since stopped trying to understand them. there was only himself; that would have to be enough. "it's traditional that i visit." no mention of suffering. "i wouldn't expect you to understand."

[stromaintic]

"It's a morning walk. It's something you do with dogs." He says it to Katashi, as if the man's never seen any media with dogs before. Knowing him, though, it'd be right on the money. Dimitri wonders if the man actually does anything that's for entertainment. Other than his taxes, and the traditional Shibata fare, of course. Banking. Killing. Being near a Del Bosque. "Cute. But no, I already brought mine in earlier this morning," Dimitri says, "You look like a man about to sit and suffer—visiting the parents on your agenda?"

"why bring the dog, then?" it's almost too easy to poke holes in every odd thing that dmitri says. easier to leave them alone, to shrug his shoulders and let the old man do what he pleases. he can even hear his own voice chastising him. to what end? "you look like a man fetching the newspaper." he avoids both compliments and direct insults.

[stromaintic]

Looking at his get-up, a shirt and some jeans, he humphs and shakes his head. Far be it for him to look like a fashion reject in front of Katashi—or at least a man out walking his dog. "I'm going to change inside my house," he says dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Why? What kind of man do I look like? An old one? Handsome? There's a couple adjectives you could throw on there that won't hurt my feelings."

katashi's nose wrinkled just enough to show his disgust. "no thank you." he didn't enjoy much warm-blooded company, but dogs and cats in particular turned his nose up. he didn't appreciate the smell. "i was only making conversation. you don't look like a man on his way to the office."

[stromaintic]

Dimitri raises an eyebrow as the man swings from compliment to mild irritation at his pet, who was summarily looking up at Katashi with big puppydog eyes. Taking another bite of his danish, Dimitri shrugs. "I was going to give him to the dogsitter for today—had to pay them extra for it," he says, gesturing with his half-eaten pastry. "If you're asking questions, maybe you want to take care of him. Fiften sellos for the four hours I'll be in the office."

that kind of devotion to reputation sent a prickle of irritation through him, if only because it was exactly the kind of thing he would have said in the same position. katashi had never much found value in others, only in their ideals—or on the lowest rung, their uses. "you're efficient." it wasn't a compliment, stated as a fact. "i didn't realize your office allowed pets." less of a compliment, even.

[stromaintic]

Touchy, touchy. It was a little sad that slinging snippy barbs at each other was the big social interaction of the day, aside from talking to a service worker and petting his dog, but Dimitri takes what he can get. He reads Katashi loud and clear, but still persists, taking a pointed bite of the danish in front of him. "No, but I handle minor corporations too, and some third party consulting," he says, shrugging. "Reputation's everything, and I keep my books nice, as your sterling reports might know."

"i don't make a habit of wearing my schedule on my sleeve, either." it was more a polite reminder to stay out of his business than he thought dmitri deserved. the fact that the older man brings his dog around is another insult to injury—katashi doesn't deal with anything furry. sparsely haired is as close as he gets. "what do you have to do that can't wait until tomorrow? i can't imagine many people are rushing to get their papers in."

[stromaintic]

"No streamers, eh? I thought you'd at least celebrate with the rest of your family or something," he admits, though the thought of family is simply confined to him, his dog and possibly the dogwalker on some odd days. He puts the hand with the leash and the pastries up. "I've got to go to work, and I've gotta at least celebrate something or it's gonna be sad this year. Take a danish or something. Doesn't taste half bad too."

"not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve." something biting inside wanted to defend by offense, insult the man for commenting at all. he knew better than to waste his breath. "i visited my sister, we exchanged gifts." sort of. "as far as i'm concerned, i've celebrated."