(no subject)
What: A meeting over produce
Who: Karasu and Itachi
When: Friday, September 12
Where: Grocery Store
Rating: G
Open/Closed To: Closed and Complete
Karasu: It was a relatively uneventful day. Relative in the sense that people were recovering from the earthquake and life was once more returning to normal. Karasu was pleased that his own home hadn't encountered any noticeable damage. Sasuke's job had thrown him into overhaul at the police station, and Karasu was taking the time alone to handle mundane chores. Such as...grocery shopping.
He didn't have much to pick up, but Sasuke had been kind enough to leave a list of the healthier choices that Karasu had lost on the way.
He made his way inside the brightly lit building, scowling faintly, boots clicking quietly on the tile floor. Quiet, bored...glancing lazily over the people around him, but none of them even minutely interested him. It seemed the people on the journal were the only ones capable of capturing his interest these days.
He idly reached for a basket and made his way towards the vegetables. It would be better to get this over with and return home before something else happened. Like another earthquake...for instance...
Itachi: List in hand, Itachi was wandering down the produce isle trying to decide which kind of potatoes to get. It really didn't matter all that much at all, and he was currently on a mental track of figuring out why they put the instant mashed potatoes with the pasta. Then again, those always turned out disgusting so the real thing would probably be better.
He went through this sort of internal argument every time he did the shopping. He honestly didn't care what he ate as long as it wasn't greasy, over salted, and didn't have too much fat. Nowadays, that didn't leave too many options.
He was never really fond of staying in the grocery store too long, since after a while he would start to be able to hear the florescent lights buzzing. He grabbed a bag at random, dropped it into his basket, and continued on to the squash.
Karasu: Karasu skirted around the vegetables, eying the cucumbers thoughtfully before snatching at two of them, and a bag of ripe red tomatoes. The organic ones that seemed to make Sasuke happiest. After all...why not indulge him now and then? Sasuke earned it, the good Samaritan that he was.
Karasu could be indulgent when he wanted to be. It was just that he rarely felt inclined towards anything that didn't somehow put him above others in some fashion.
He had just started to lift a carton of strawberries when his eyes alighted on a figure ahead. Something...about them was...familiar. It was enough to capture a crow's curiosity, and had him easing forward in that silent, stalking manner. Long hair was pushed over his shoulder impatiently, and Karasu paused a few feet behind him, debating. A direct confrontation to find out whom he was...or a drawn out wait?
Itachi: Itachi out his squash into his basket and was about to make the little check mark on his list when he felt an eerie chill crawl up his back. He couldn't quite pinpoint it at first, but after a moment he identified the sensation.
Someone was watching him.
Itachi glanced over his shoulder casually, and found that he had been correct. Just far enough away was a boy probably in his early twenties or late teens with long, dark, hair. He was pale, and stood out pretty well from every else in the store not so much by appearance, but by demeanor. He gave off the air of the nocturnal people that slinked around downtown when the rest of the world was asleep.
It only took a second to assess him, and Itachi looked back to his list, drawing the little check. Whoever he was, he would go away. People didn't talk to Itachi unless they had a pretty good reason, he didn't exactly radiate friendliness.
Karasu: Violet eyes took in the way Itachi glanced back at him, tilting his head ever so gently to offer him a semblance of a cool smile. Neutral, controlled. A looked that conveyed only the minimal amount of interest he had for the other man. He could tell by Itachi's quick assessment that the other had gained...more than enough insight.
There were some things worth showing. And many, many more worth hiding away.
Karasu carefully slipped the strawberries into the basket and wandered closer.
"My...I apologize to be caught staring...but you look...familiar." he offered in that quiet tone, accented voice pausing now and then as if searchign for the correct English words. Or simply drawing each word out to be savored for longer than it should be.
Itachi: He had a Japanese accent, if only just a hint of it. Every detail gained was an advantage, especially when a stranger finds you familiar.
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've ever met," Itachi replied curtly.
For him, the conversation was over, so he made his way over to the lettuce. This man was a little strange. Sure someone saw someone they recognized in passing ever now and then, but it would have to be someone they had seen before for sure to go up and talk to them. This meant Itachi had met him before. It could be possible, though he hadn't the slightest idea where. Mingling with characters like this one would stick out in his mind, surely?
Karasu: Thanks to time spent with Sasuke, Karasu had gotten better when it came to understanding English and speaking without the thicker accent he'd had previously.
As he studied Itachi, his eyes narrowed a little, perhaps playfully, or perhaps dangerously at the other's curt tone, dismissing him. It was an unpleasant reminder of old acquaintances, back home.
"Hrmm..." came the soft sigh as he wandered after him, quiet for a moment as he deliberated on what to say.
"I...believe...you...yes..." those eyes narrowed once more in pleasure. "You have one of those journals for the community." He remembered now. All too clearly.
Itachi: Journals? Could he be any more cryptic? Oh, no, wait, those journals. Itachi was yet to figure out why he decided to keep one, it was a whim of sorts. Regardless, it was all trivial garbage on there, nothing he would care to keep especially guarded from anyone. Still, someone knew him from there and more importantly recognized him. There were at least fifty other people there; either this person had too much time or they looked into Itachi specifically. Stranger person to pick to stalk, but he wasn't going to bother with that now.
At the moment there was no hostile behavior, the man just seemed...amused. There was no way Itachi could let him walk away without figuring out why he held special interest in him to recognize him from online. That world and this one usually didn't mix.
Itachi turned to him, fully facing him now.
"That sounds about right...and you are?"
It certainly sounded internet-predatory to ask, put it seemed all the more to recognize someone in real life. If they were going to have this conversation, they would be on equal footing.
Karasu: "I believe I left a comment in your journal once...about a cat you found...?" He ignored the question for the moment, pacing closer, pleased to have the other turnign to face him fully. He was going to enjoy this conversation for the moment, and not worry about what consequences he might face from Sasuke later.
"Karasu...Akanami Karasu..." he offered at last with a faint tilt of pride to his lips. Conversations like this one were a game to him. A way of learning more about others without revealing...too much...about himself. Only the bare basics. It was safer that way.
"And my...but your own...full...name...?"
Itachi: The name didn't ring a bell, but Itachi mentally sifted through any comments in particular about the cat. The only ones that stood out were the ones from Sasuke, although Itachi didn't know it was him at the time. And he had spoken to someone--comments that weren't meant for him so Itachi didn't bother reading them. But he would have at least seen the name in passing if it had been anyone else that commented so it must be this person. They knew Sasuke. That would explain why he would look familiar to him.
How much did this Karasu know? Sasuke wouldn't go blabbing information to someone unless he trusted them, or at least Itachi hoped not. If Karasu could make the connection without his last name, that would mean Sasuke trusted him. Even better, if he could convince Karasu to trust him, he could be an asset in getting Sasuke to understand. Itachi hadn't head a word from his brother in weeks, after all. He was starting to worry.
"Itachi," he answered, transferring his basket to one arm to he could hold his hand out to be shaken.
If Karasu didn't know Sasuke well enough to know about his family, then it would just seem like Itachi was being guarded by not revealing his last name, which was logical. Now, would he be able to figure out he was an Uchiha?
Karasu: Karasu studied Itachi's hand for a single breath before putting his own out, gripping the other man's and shaking lightly, then withdrawing just as quickly. His flesh was slightly cool, likely from standing amidst the colder air in the produce section as they were, but with the pale pallor it only seemed to add to whatever fashion or style he seemed to be going for.
He said nothing to the other not tacking on his last name, simply letting his lips quirk upwards in the faintest of cool expressions. Not revealing anything telling, but conveying his interest all the same in the others nature.
"Truly a pleasure...to make your acquaintance, Itachi-san..." Ever polite, Karasu was a firm believer of manners, even if he often tossed them aside at his own whims for whatever purpose. Often it was to invade someone else's personal space, but he wouldn't attempt that on Itachi just yet. If he were anything like Sasuke, or what little Sasuke had told him well...Karasu doubted he would be able to manipulate him anywhere as easily when he needed.
Itachi: "Likewise, Akanami-san"
By that hint of a smile, Itachi took that Karasu understood exactly who he was. Very well, he passed the test, but not exactly in the way desired. He would need to bring his last name into the conversation and then turn it over to Sasuke to get anything out of this guy, but if he wasn't going to cooperate and stay silent it was going to be a challenge. Not that Itachi minded in the least, it had been a while since he last found a chance to test himself against a conundrum like this.
"I'll be seeing you around."
Cutting the conversation short was risky if he wanted to get the information, but also his best bet. If he wasn't going to get news at this point, chances were he wasn't going to at all. Karasu had started the conversation, and he didn't seem like the type to dawdle aimlessly. If Itachi was a good judge of character--and he usually was-- this man would have some kind of business with him in return. He would certainly want something more out of a meeting with the mysterious brother of someone close to him than a simple introduction.
Karasu: Karasu had several options ahead of him. He could accept what Itachi had given him thus far out of their minuscule conversation, take what cues he had picked up from his body language and return home, content for the time being. Or he could probe deeper and try to uncover more. Sasuke had expressly prohibited him from confronting Itachi...but Karasu wasn't contemplating combat or confrontations.
Sasuke's fight with his brother wasn't his concern. However...learning about someone new was. And Karasu liked learning about the new people who came into the Mishima area and joined the journals. More so when they were related to someone he expressly considered his property.
"Did I...catch you at a bad time perhaps...Itachi-san...?" he inquired slyly as he stepped closer once more. Curiosity at the moment had won out, and he was eager to see what else he could learn, if anything.
Itachi: Hook, line, and sinker.
"No, not at all," Itachi replied innocently. "Pardon me, I assumed you were finished."
Indeed, the only place left for their previous conversation to have gone was small talk, and that would haven't gotten either of them anywhere. Karasu wanted something from him, and he was going to hold it just high enough over his head until he got what he wanted in return.
"Do you mind if we walk and talk? I need to finish my shopping so I can make it to a previous engagement in a little while."
Karasu: He studied Itachi for a moment, not frowning or smiling...simply sizing him up before slipping the basket farther up his arm and moving to walk at his side, a fair distance apart. After all, Itachi certainly wasn't Sasuke, and Karasu didn't like to be too close to strangers, no matter how chatty he became with them.
He wouldn't show his back to Itachi either. Not with what little he knew of him keeping him in a wary state.
"My...not at all...I have to get a few things myself for...my roommate...and myself..." each pause was soft, his manner of speaking and carefully enunciating words a purposeful action to draw attention to specific phrases he wanted others to focus on over the overall picture.
"You haven't been here all that long...or are you simply new to the journals they seem...to keep track of us with...?"
Itachi: From the distance Karasu put between them, Itachi was able to deduce that he was either claustrophobic or being very careful not to give something away. No matter, it was easier to judge body language from a perspective where he could see most of him, but as it appeared he was carefully controlling that too.
The way he spoke and indicated the fact that he had a roommate above the rest seemed like a subtle hint that he was rooming with Sasuke. Perhaps, or maybe it was leading Itachi down a dead end of wrong assumptions. Regardless, roommates came in all sorts of levels of familiarity, so the hint really wasn't all that helpful.
"I moved to California nine years ago," he stated in answer to the question. Although it was true, it was completely irrelevant to the initial query.
"You know, I've been thinking about finding myself a roommate. What is it like...sharing an apartment I mean?"
Karasu: "It isn't so bad...but it depends on what type of person you are...and what type of person you can...put up with, on a daily basis. Some people cherish their solitude and share spaces equally...quietly...and others are loud, raucous with little regard for others." Karasu had seen both types, and by far he was pleased with his current situation. Flashes of Sakon attempting to move in months ago assaulting his mind for a moment, and were he not so controlled...he would have shuddered at the memory.
"So you have lived in American...for some time then...it is...very different here." Like Sasuke, and many of the other Japanese or Japanese Americans living there, he didn't seem to have the accent Karasu was slowly giving up himself. He paused for a moment, glancing away to lift a carton of baby tomatoes, adding them to his basket before meeting Itachi's gaze once more.
He kept at a companionable speed and closeness to Itachi as they edged towards the corner and the next aisle.
"This new apartment is nice. Quiet. No threat of bombings in the near future, I would think." It was still a talked-about event, how the Reikai Condominiums had been the target of attack months before because of Aizen's private quarters there. It was also a point of Karasu's personal pride to have not been caught or even fingered as a possible suspect.
Itachi: Just a lot of talking and no specifics. Itachi listened and dissected any of it for hints, but found little. The most concrete thing in the whole speech was the fact that he picked up carton of tomatoes, and that was hardly worth a second thought. In fact, pushing the roommate topic any further would seem suspicious.
Itachi nodded at the appropriate intervals. "That's good," he added to the end of the speech, and proceeded down the isle. It only took him a second to spot the usual green tea. He placed it in his basket and checked it off the list without a word. Continuing the conversation was pretty much a waste of time if Karasu wasn't going to say anything of interest.
For that matter, just the fact that he hadn't mentioned anything unusual about roommates was news enough. Sasuke didn't seem like the suicidal type, or anything close, but it was hard to predict the reactions of man whose life had just been turned upside down.
Karasu: Itachi was growing bored...or losing interest, and truth be told, so was Karasu. He had to give it to him, Itachi was far more composed than Sasuke. More contemplative and less likely to wear an expression that gave everything away. It was...on one hand, wholly intriguing to him, and if it weren't for extenuating circumstances he might have taken to stalking the elder instead of the younger simply to learn more about him for the sheer sake of.
But things hadn't worked out that way, and still...there were several avenues before him. He could abandon everything with a polite thank you and leave. Or he could see it through to the end and crawl out of whatever hole that might land him in. Itachi and Sasuke would talk at some point, wouldn't they? And wouldn't he be furious if he found out Karasu had stayed to chat...?
Karasu felt he had played long enough. He didn't want to go into specifics...but he thought the game could end...for now. Following keenly, slipping close enough to reach out for a wrapped package of fragrant jasmine tea, he offered a simple, few, sort words.
"Sasuke has spoken of you...a little..."
Itachi: Bingo. Karasu might know how to play the game, but he was just as easy to manipulate as the rest of them.
"Really?" Itachi asked, completely unsurprised, a twinge of a smile playing at his lips. "How has he been doing lately?"
The question sounded lighthearted, but Itachi was perched on the edge of his seat for the answer. He knew what to expect, sort of, but if Sasuke actually talked about him...he had no idea what that could mean. Moreover, what Sasuke still thought of him now that he had time to calm down.
Itachi felt absolutely ridiculous hanging by the word or a complete stranger, but there wasn't much else to do. He was yet to break his composure and show something more than polite interest.
Karasu: Karasu was a man of many vices. One of them...was that he loved to hear himself talk. As careful as he was, as good as he was at manipulating when he felt like it...he was by no means perfect. Especially when impatient to parlay with Itachi and receive information in return, be it body signals or words.
He had revealed one card, but not the whole suit. There was a great deal he chose to keep from Itachi and if he wanted to find out he would have to study the journals carefully...or speak with Sasuke himself. And it was likely that the younger Uchiha wouldn't feel up to a brotherly chat anytime soon.
"Oh...he's been...doing quite well..." he offered in that whispery voice, pausing now and then to let his words sink inwards, enjoying the dramatic thrill of the moment. He wouldn't reveal much, couldn't go into many details without ensnaring himself into the net.
"I assume you don't have the time to pay...close attention to the journals..?" another subtle clue, but one that he didn't mind letting Itachi cart off. Karasu was almost warming up to the idea of the conversation, halting as it might be. It would be a shame when it came to an end.
Itachi: The way he described Sasuke condition made is sound like he was taking other factors into account. Not good.
Itachi had in fact been paying very close attention to Sasuke's journal as of late, but there hadn't been updates in weeks. Something told him the answer didn't lie there, though, unless Karasu wrote about it, because Sasuke sure wouldn't. He made a mental note to check on that.
There was still nothing concrete, but he had at least mentioned Sasuke's name, so it was time to give something in return. It would serve as both a piece of information, and something that, if passed on to Sasuke, would make some difference, regardless if it was taken as simple concern or an invitation for a further meeting.
"I don't have much time, true, but I can always make time for my little brother."
Karasu: So he had been right in spotting the other for who he was. Or perhaps...it felt good to be acknowledge for staying long enough for the words to fall willingly from Itachi's own lips. It would definitely be worth it. Itachi's willingness to impart something to him told Karasu that at least he knew the rules of the game and had played it himself on occasion. For everything you accept, you reveal something in return.
"Of course." he said simply, voice almost a purr by now. "Any brother should...have time for his younger...on occasion?" The words were spoken, and it was all that Karasu could do not to grimace in distaste, memories of his own elder brother arising. But Itachi's words were treated, for the moment, with polite regard and keen interest. He would relay the message in time, he decided. When he felt he could hear them without throwing a tantrum of some sort that would prove..disastrous.
"Well...I have a few more things to get before heading home..."
Itachi: It was a shame to leave it here, but Itachi wasn't getting any more information out of him and he knew it. When he spoke of brothers, he hid something, and hid it well but Itachi felt something was there all the same, even if he couldn't identify exactly what it was. If it was a touchy subject, so be it. The way to getting what he wanted was not to press, he was out to create an ally, not an enemy.
But now it seemed they were parting ways. It appeared the journals would be the key to future contact, and by his suggestion to look into them further, he took that Karasu would soon post some sort of clue. Itachi would be waiting.
"As do I. It's been a pleasure."
Karasu: He stepped back from Itachi then, bowing his head. He felt no animosity from him, and that in itself gave him more of a cause to be wary.
"Yes...it has been a pleasure..." It was more of an admittance than he would normally make, but...Itachi possessed manners, and Karasu prided himself enough on his background to treat him with the same cordial formality, no matter his stance between him and Sasuke or his interest in their relationship.
"Perhaps I will speak with you soon...Itachi-san." he added softly, offering him a predatory smile before slipping around him and down the aisle. There was no more he could share with him today; they had both gained something, if not precisely what they might have been looking for.
It was enough to start, if nothing else...
Who: Karasu and Itachi
When: Friday, September 12
Where: Grocery Store
Rating: G
Open/Closed To: Closed and Complete
Karasu: It was a relatively uneventful day. Relative in the sense that people were recovering from the earthquake and life was once more returning to normal. Karasu was pleased that his own home hadn't encountered any noticeable damage. Sasuke's job had thrown him into overhaul at the police station, and Karasu was taking the time alone to handle mundane chores. Such as...grocery shopping.
He didn't have much to pick up, but Sasuke had been kind enough to leave a list of the healthier choices that Karasu had lost on the way.
He made his way inside the brightly lit building, scowling faintly, boots clicking quietly on the tile floor. Quiet, bored...glancing lazily over the people around him, but none of them even minutely interested him. It seemed the people on the journal were the only ones capable of capturing his interest these days.
He idly reached for a basket and made his way towards the vegetables. It would be better to get this over with and return home before something else happened. Like another earthquake...for instance...
Itachi: List in hand, Itachi was wandering down the produce isle trying to decide which kind of potatoes to get. It really didn't matter all that much at all, and he was currently on a mental track of figuring out why they put the instant mashed potatoes with the pasta. Then again, those always turned out disgusting so the real thing would probably be better.
He went through this sort of internal argument every time he did the shopping. He honestly didn't care what he ate as long as it wasn't greasy, over salted, and didn't have too much fat. Nowadays, that didn't leave too many options.
He was never really fond of staying in the grocery store too long, since after a while he would start to be able to hear the florescent lights buzzing. He grabbed a bag at random, dropped it into his basket, and continued on to the squash.
Karasu: Karasu skirted around the vegetables, eying the cucumbers thoughtfully before snatching at two of them, and a bag of ripe red tomatoes. The organic ones that seemed to make Sasuke happiest. After all...why not indulge him now and then? Sasuke earned it, the good Samaritan that he was.
Karasu could be indulgent when he wanted to be. It was just that he rarely felt inclined towards anything that didn't somehow put him above others in some fashion.
He had just started to lift a carton of strawberries when his eyes alighted on a figure ahead. Something...about them was...familiar. It was enough to capture a crow's curiosity, and had him easing forward in that silent, stalking manner. Long hair was pushed over his shoulder impatiently, and Karasu paused a few feet behind him, debating. A direct confrontation to find out whom he was...or a drawn out wait?
Itachi: Itachi out his squash into his basket and was about to make the little check mark on his list when he felt an eerie chill crawl up his back. He couldn't quite pinpoint it at first, but after a moment he identified the sensation.
Someone was watching him.
Itachi glanced over his shoulder casually, and found that he had been correct. Just far enough away was a boy probably in his early twenties or late teens with long, dark, hair. He was pale, and stood out pretty well from every else in the store not so much by appearance, but by demeanor. He gave off the air of the nocturnal people that slinked around downtown when the rest of the world was asleep.
It only took a second to assess him, and Itachi looked back to his list, drawing the little check. Whoever he was, he would go away. People didn't talk to Itachi unless they had a pretty good reason, he didn't exactly radiate friendliness.
Karasu: Violet eyes took in the way Itachi glanced back at him, tilting his head ever so gently to offer him a semblance of a cool smile. Neutral, controlled. A looked that conveyed only the minimal amount of interest he had for the other man. He could tell by Itachi's quick assessment that the other had gained...more than enough insight.
There were some things worth showing. And many, many more worth hiding away.
Karasu carefully slipped the strawberries into the basket and wandered closer.
"My...I apologize to be caught staring...but you look...familiar." he offered in that quiet tone, accented voice pausing now and then as if searchign for the correct English words. Or simply drawing each word out to be savored for longer than it should be.
Itachi: He had a Japanese accent, if only just a hint of it. Every detail gained was an advantage, especially when a stranger finds you familiar.
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've ever met," Itachi replied curtly.
For him, the conversation was over, so he made his way over to the lettuce. This man was a little strange. Sure someone saw someone they recognized in passing ever now and then, but it would have to be someone they had seen before for sure to go up and talk to them. This meant Itachi had met him before. It could be possible, though he hadn't the slightest idea where. Mingling with characters like this one would stick out in his mind, surely?
Karasu: Thanks to time spent with Sasuke, Karasu had gotten better when it came to understanding English and speaking without the thicker accent he'd had previously.
As he studied Itachi, his eyes narrowed a little, perhaps playfully, or perhaps dangerously at the other's curt tone, dismissing him. It was an unpleasant reminder of old acquaintances, back home.
"Hrmm..." came the soft sigh as he wandered after him, quiet for a moment as he deliberated on what to say.
"I...believe...you...yes..." those eyes narrowed once more in pleasure. "You have one of those journals for the community." He remembered now. All too clearly.
Itachi: Journals? Could he be any more cryptic? Oh, no, wait, those journals. Itachi was yet to figure out why he decided to keep one, it was a whim of sorts. Regardless, it was all trivial garbage on there, nothing he would care to keep especially guarded from anyone. Still, someone knew him from there and more importantly recognized him. There were at least fifty other people there; either this person had too much time or they looked into Itachi specifically. Stranger person to pick to stalk, but he wasn't going to bother with that now.
At the moment there was no hostile behavior, the man just seemed...amused. There was no way Itachi could let him walk away without figuring out why he held special interest in him to recognize him from online. That world and this one usually didn't mix.
Itachi turned to him, fully facing him now.
"That sounds about right...and you are?"
It certainly sounded internet-predatory to ask, put it seemed all the more to recognize someone in real life. If they were going to have this conversation, they would be on equal footing.
Karasu: "I believe I left a comment in your journal once...about a cat you found...?" He ignored the question for the moment, pacing closer, pleased to have the other turnign to face him fully. He was going to enjoy this conversation for the moment, and not worry about what consequences he might face from Sasuke later.
"Karasu...Akanami Karasu..." he offered at last with a faint tilt of pride to his lips. Conversations like this one were a game to him. A way of learning more about others without revealing...too much...about himself. Only the bare basics. It was safer that way.
"And my...but your own...full...name...?"
Itachi: The name didn't ring a bell, but Itachi mentally sifted through any comments in particular about the cat. The only ones that stood out were the ones from Sasuke, although Itachi didn't know it was him at the time. And he had spoken to someone--comments that weren't meant for him so Itachi didn't bother reading them. But he would have at least seen the name in passing if it had been anyone else that commented so it must be this person. They knew Sasuke. That would explain why he would look familiar to him.
How much did this Karasu know? Sasuke wouldn't go blabbing information to someone unless he trusted them, or at least Itachi hoped not. If Karasu could make the connection without his last name, that would mean Sasuke trusted him. Even better, if he could convince Karasu to trust him, he could be an asset in getting Sasuke to understand. Itachi hadn't head a word from his brother in weeks, after all. He was starting to worry.
"Itachi," he answered, transferring his basket to one arm to he could hold his hand out to be shaken.
If Karasu didn't know Sasuke well enough to know about his family, then it would just seem like Itachi was being guarded by not revealing his last name, which was logical. Now, would he be able to figure out he was an Uchiha?
Karasu: Karasu studied Itachi's hand for a single breath before putting his own out, gripping the other man's and shaking lightly, then withdrawing just as quickly. His flesh was slightly cool, likely from standing amidst the colder air in the produce section as they were, but with the pale pallor it only seemed to add to whatever fashion or style he seemed to be going for.
He said nothing to the other not tacking on his last name, simply letting his lips quirk upwards in the faintest of cool expressions. Not revealing anything telling, but conveying his interest all the same in the others nature.
"Truly a pleasure...to make your acquaintance, Itachi-san..." Ever polite, Karasu was a firm believer of manners, even if he often tossed them aside at his own whims for whatever purpose. Often it was to invade someone else's personal space, but he wouldn't attempt that on Itachi just yet. If he were anything like Sasuke, or what little Sasuke had told him well...Karasu doubted he would be able to manipulate him anywhere as easily when he needed.
Itachi: "Likewise, Akanami-san"
By that hint of a smile, Itachi took that Karasu understood exactly who he was. Very well, he passed the test, but not exactly in the way desired. He would need to bring his last name into the conversation and then turn it over to Sasuke to get anything out of this guy, but if he wasn't going to cooperate and stay silent it was going to be a challenge. Not that Itachi minded in the least, it had been a while since he last found a chance to test himself against a conundrum like this.
"I'll be seeing you around."
Cutting the conversation short was risky if he wanted to get the information, but also his best bet. If he wasn't going to get news at this point, chances were he wasn't going to at all. Karasu had started the conversation, and he didn't seem like the type to dawdle aimlessly. If Itachi was a good judge of character--and he usually was-- this man would have some kind of business with him in return. He would certainly want something more out of a meeting with the mysterious brother of someone close to him than a simple introduction.
Karasu: Karasu had several options ahead of him. He could accept what Itachi had given him thus far out of their minuscule conversation, take what cues he had picked up from his body language and return home, content for the time being. Or he could probe deeper and try to uncover more. Sasuke had expressly prohibited him from confronting Itachi...but Karasu wasn't contemplating combat or confrontations.
Sasuke's fight with his brother wasn't his concern. However...learning about someone new was. And Karasu liked learning about the new people who came into the Mishima area and joined the journals. More so when they were related to someone he expressly considered his property.
"Did I...catch you at a bad time perhaps...Itachi-san...?" he inquired slyly as he stepped closer once more. Curiosity at the moment had won out, and he was eager to see what else he could learn, if anything.
Itachi: Hook, line, and sinker.
"No, not at all," Itachi replied innocently. "Pardon me, I assumed you were finished."
Indeed, the only place left for their previous conversation to have gone was small talk, and that would haven't gotten either of them anywhere. Karasu wanted something from him, and he was going to hold it just high enough over his head until he got what he wanted in return.
"Do you mind if we walk and talk? I need to finish my shopping so I can make it to a previous engagement in a little while."
Karasu: He studied Itachi for a moment, not frowning or smiling...simply sizing him up before slipping the basket farther up his arm and moving to walk at his side, a fair distance apart. After all, Itachi certainly wasn't Sasuke, and Karasu didn't like to be too close to strangers, no matter how chatty he became with them.
He wouldn't show his back to Itachi either. Not with what little he knew of him keeping him in a wary state.
"My...not at all...I have to get a few things myself for...my roommate...and myself..." each pause was soft, his manner of speaking and carefully enunciating words a purposeful action to draw attention to specific phrases he wanted others to focus on over the overall picture.
"You haven't been here all that long...or are you simply new to the journals they seem...to keep track of us with...?"
Itachi: From the distance Karasu put between them, Itachi was able to deduce that he was either claustrophobic or being very careful not to give something away. No matter, it was easier to judge body language from a perspective where he could see most of him, but as it appeared he was carefully controlling that too.
The way he spoke and indicated the fact that he had a roommate above the rest seemed like a subtle hint that he was rooming with Sasuke. Perhaps, or maybe it was leading Itachi down a dead end of wrong assumptions. Regardless, roommates came in all sorts of levels of familiarity, so the hint really wasn't all that helpful.
"I moved to California nine years ago," he stated in answer to the question. Although it was true, it was completely irrelevant to the initial query.
"You know, I've been thinking about finding myself a roommate. What is it like...sharing an apartment I mean?"
Karasu: "It isn't so bad...but it depends on what type of person you are...and what type of person you can...put up with, on a daily basis. Some people cherish their solitude and share spaces equally...quietly...and others are loud, raucous with little regard for others." Karasu had seen both types, and by far he was pleased with his current situation. Flashes of Sakon attempting to move in months ago assaulting his mind for a moment, and were he not so controlled...he would have shuddered at the memory.
"So you have lived in American...for some time then...it is...very different here." Like Sasuke, and many of the other Japanese or Japanese Americans living there, he didn't seem to have the accent Karasu was slowly giving up himself. He paused for a moment, glancing away to lift a carton of baby tomatoes, adding them to his basket before meeting Itachi's gaze once more.
He kept at a companionable speed and closeness to Itachi as they edged towards the corner and the next aisle.
"This new apartment is nice. Quiet. No threat of bombings in the near future, I would think." It was still a talked-about event, how the Reikai Condominiums had been the target of attack months before because of Aizen's private quarters there. It was also a point of Karasu's personal pride to have not been caught or even fingered as a possible suspect.
Itachi: Just a lot of talking and no specifics. Itachi listened and dissected any of it for hints, but found little. The most concrete thing in the whole speech was the fact that he picked up carton of tomatoes, and that was hardly worth a second thought. In fact, pushing the roommate topic any further would seem suspicious.
Itachi nodded at the appropriate intervals. "That's good," he added to the end of the speech, and proceeded down the isle. It only took him a second to spot the usual green tea. He placed it in his basket and checked it off the list without a word. Continuing the conversation was pretty much a waste of time if Karasu wasn't going to say anything of interest.
For that matter, just the fact that he hadn't mentioned anything unusual about roommates was news enough. Sasuke didn't seem like the suicidal type, or anything close, but it was hard to predict the reactions of man whose life had just been turned upside down.
Karasu: Itachi was growing bored...or losing interest, and truth be told, so was Karasu. He had to give it to him, Itachi was far more composed than Sasuke. More contemplative and less likely to wear an expression that gave everything away. It was...on one hand, wholly intriguing to him, and if it weren't for extenuating circumstances he might have taken to stalking the elder instead of the younger simply to learn more about him for the sheer sake of.
But things hadn't worked out that way, and still...there were several avenues before him. He could abandon everything with a polite thank you and leave. Or he could see it through to the end and crawl out of whatever hole that might land him in. Itachi and Sasuke would talk at some point, wouldn't they? And wouldn't he be furious if he found out Karasu had stayed to chat...?
Karasu felt he had played long enough. He didn't want to go into specifics...but he thought the game could end...for now. Following keenly, slipping close enough to reach out for a wrapped package of fragrant jasmine tea, he offered a simple, few, sort words.
"Sasuke has spoken of you...a little..."
Itachi: Bingo. Karasu might know how to play the game, but he was just as easy to manipulate as the rest of them.
"Really?" Itachi asked, completely unsurprised, a twinge of a smile playing at his lips. "How has he been doing lately?"
The question sounded lighthearted, but Itachi was perched on the edge of his seat for the answer. He knew what to expect, sort of, but if Sasuke actually talked about him...he had no idea what that could mean. Moreover, what Sasuke still thought of him now that he had time to calm down.
Itachi felt absolutely ridiculous hanging by the word or a complete stranger, but there wasn't much else to do. He was yet to break his composure and show something more than polite interest.
Karasu: Karasu was a man of many vices. One of them...was that he loved to hear himself talk. As careful as he was, as good as he was at manipulating when he felt like it...he was by no means perfect. Especially when impatient to parlay with Itachi and receive information in return, be it body signals or words.
He had revealed one card, but not the whole suit. There was a great deal he chose to keep from Itachi and if he wanted to find out he would have to study the journals carefully...or speak with Sasuke himself. And it was likely that the younger Uchiha wouldn't feel up to a brotherly chat anytime soon.
"Oh...he's been...doing quite well..." he offered in that whispery voice, pausing now and then to let his words sink inwards, enjoying the dramatic thrill of the moment. He wouldn't reveal much, couldn't go into many details without ensnaring himself into the net.
"I assume you don't have the time to pay...close attention to the journals..?" another subtle clue, but one that he didn't mind letting Itachi cart off. Karasu was almost warming up to the idea of the conversation, halting as it might be. It would be a shame when it came to an end.
Itachi: The way he described Sasuke condition made is sound like he was taking other factors into account. Not good.
Itachi had in fact been paying very close attention to Sasuke's journal as of late, but there hadn't been updates in weeks. Something told him the answer didn't lie there, though, unless Karasu wrote about it, because Sasuke sure wouldn't. He made a mental note to check on that.
There was still nothing concrete, but he had at least mentioned Sasuke's name, so it was time to give something in return. It would serve as both a piece of information, and something that, if passed on to Sasuke, would make some difference, regardless if it was taken as simple concern or an invitation for a further meeting.
"I don't have much time, true, but I can always make time for my little brother."
Karasu: So he had been right in spotting the other for who he was. Or perhaps...it felt good to be acknowledge for staying long enough for the words to fall willingly from Itachi's own lips. It would definitely be worth it. Itachi's willingness to impart something to him told Karasu that at least he knew the rules of the game and had played it himself on occasion. For everything you accept, you reveal something in return.
"Of course." he said simply, voice almost a purr by now. "Any brother should...have time for his younger...on occasion?" The words were spoken, and it was all that Karasu could do not to grimace in distaste, memories of his own elder brother arising. But Itachi's words were treated, for the moment, with polite regard and keen interest. He would relay the message in time, he decided. When he felt he could hear them without throwing a tantrum of some sort that would prove..disastrous.
"Well...I have a few more things to get before heading home..."
Itachi: It was a shame to leave it here, but Itachi wasn't getting any more information out of him and he knew it. When he spoke of brothers, he hid something, and hid it well but Itachi felt something was there all the same, even if he couldn't identify exactly what it was. If it was a touchy subject, so be it. The way to getting what he wanted was not to press, he was out to create an ally, not an enemy.
But now it seemed they were parting ways. It appeared the journals would be the key to future contact, and by his suggestion to look into them further, he took that Karasu would soon post some sort of clue. Itachi would be waiting.
"As do I. It's been a pleasure."
Karasu: He stepped back from Itachi then, bowing his head. He felt no animosity from him, and that in itself gave him more of a cause to be wary.
"Yes...it has been a pleasure..." It was more of an admittance than he would normally make, but...Itachi possessed manners, and Karasu prided himself enough on his background to treat him with the same cordial formality, no matter his stance between him and Sasuke or his interest in their relationship.
"Perhaps I will speak with you soon...Itachi-san." he added softly, offering him a predatory smile before slipping around him and down the aisle. There was no more he could share with him today; they had both gained something, if not precisely what they might have been looking for.
It was enough to start, if nothing else...