[0024]
It's the hotel for another night, little chocolates on the pillow waiting for me as a welcome back gift. I wonder if Happy Days reruns will be on... I suppose I could always check the television guide, but that deprives my thumb of channel surfing exercise.
I'm such a tortured soul.
[Private]
And this is where careful footing is essential to carry me safely across the water. I hope the bridge isn't torn out from beneath my feet. And I hope some careless individual does not cut the ropes that suspend these planks I walk upon.
Here's hoping the goals set tonight are reached...
But guarantees are short in life, not to mention few and far between.
[/Private]
Itachi: Though Itachi hadn't slept well the previous night, or the night prior to that, he was in a stable enough mood to leave the confines of the hotel he had occupied last night. The only problem was that it was a Sunday and he really had no idea where to go. He thought briefly over the conversation he and Kisame had had the other day in regards to Deidara and Sasori, and picked up his cell phone from the bedside table. Flicking open the little device and flipping through some of the phone numbers he had stored, he looked at Sasori's a long while before decidedly pressing the call button and dialing the number. It rang.
Sasori: A high pitched tone echoed from somewhere in the living room. Sasori automatically reached down to touch his pants pocket and found nothing. He hated that ring-tone. Of course, he had his cell set on that annoying of a setting because he probably wouldn't answer it otherwise. Not being able to find his phone at the moment was making this situation more of a chore than it needed to be. He stomped out of the kitchen and into the living room where the horrible squeals seemed to be resonating. Looking down at the coffee table all he saw was his laptop, open and ready for him to do his daily readings. Where was the damn phone? Sasori plopped roughly back onto the couch and looked around right as it rang again. The ring was a bit louder than before. Slipping his hand under the couch cushion, he lifted it up and revealed the object of his torment. He picked up the cell and flipped it open. "What?"
Itachi: What now? Itachi realized he hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. Not the most intelligent move on his part, but then again, it hardly mattered. Would stood to reason for a suitable response was a greeting of some kind, so Itachi opened his mouth and said, "Sasori. It takes you long enough to answer your phone." Itachi hardly allowed his cell phone from his sight, but then, he had more reason than Sasori to keep his own close. After all, emergencies were common with the Uchiha family, and nothing served a better solution to a problem than steady preparation; such was the key to prevention.
Sasori: "Oh, it's you." Sasori almost hung up the phone but then figured if it was Itachi calling than it had to be something of some remote importance. Itachi never called him.
Itachi: Sitting up on his bed, sparing a fleeting glance towards the open window of his hotel room, Itachi refrained from hanging up as well. He wasn't certain what he was doing calling Sasori when he and Kisame had agreed Kisame was better suited talking to the man who still played with dolls. He said, "Yes, me. I was calling to inquire about if you were busy or not."
Sasori: Sasori looked around the living room. He had a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and he'd just planned on absorbing himself in it's steam and rotting his brain out with articles on the internet. "No... I'm not."
Itachi: "Good, then you can hardly object to meeting me somewhere, yes? Or should I come over there? There are some things to talk about that would be better done face to face." It didn't matter to Itachi where he spoke with Sasori, merely that it got done and was done securely at that. If he only paved the way for Kisame later by speaking to Sasori now, than that was fine as well. It probably wouldn't hurt for Kisame and himself to both converse with Sasori and Deidara anyways.
Sasori: "It depends on how secure you want the area when we speak. My place can suffice either way." Sasori wondered if any of this had to do with the meetings they had all been putting off.
Itachi: He stood from the hotel bed and pulled on the shirt he'd worn last night, a maroon button down. It wasn't dirty, as he'd worn it for all of maybe an hour or two at Kurenai's before the shit had hit the ceiling fan and he'd come here and went straight to sleep. Itachi made a small sound of approval into the receiver. "It will suffice, certainly. I'll be over soon then, all right?" He was sitting on the edge of the bed once more, pulling on his pants and socks, and then looking around for his shoes.
Sasori: "I'll see you then." Sasori closed his phone without waiting for a response from Itachi. Laying it next to his laptop, he sighed irritably. And here he had thought he was actually going to have a quiet, peaceful day of relaxation. He sat back against the couch for several moments thinking of nothing in particular, his permanent scowl furrowing his brow. A beeping noise alerted him from his absent mindedness and he stood slowly from the couch to check on his coffee in the small kitchen off from the living room.
Itachi: Closing his phone and tucking it into his pants pocket, Itachi picked up the blankets that lay half on the floor, uncovering his shoes. He slipped them on, tying the laces, then grabbed his jacket, wallet and keys and made his way out of the hotel room. Locking the door and starting down the hall, he made his way to the main lobby where he used his card to book the rest of the day and night, then he left the building. He wasn't driving, his car left at home, and walked himself the distance to the apartment in which Sasori lived in. When he did arrive, some half hour or so later, he buzzed up, waiting to be let inside the building.
Sasori: Sasori had half dozed off while waiting for Itachi over the warm cup of coffee. Coffee was soothing to him and it eased his nerves, despite how some people fussed at him about his large caffeine intake. A buzzer alerted him that someone was waiting. Knowing it was Itachi he pushed open his door and headed down the spiral stairs to the entrance of the apartment complex. He still held his coffee tightly in one hand when he approached the gate and paused to look at his dark haired peer before opening it to let him in. Sasori didn't bother with any greeting of sorts except for his index finger idly twisting the ring on his thumb.
Itachi: "...They have buttons on the intercoms which permit you to allow in visitors from the confines of your apartment," Itachi explained as he entered through the doorway, fixing Sasori with a curious stare. "You might do well to remember that, unless you revel in taking yourself for a walk." He headed for the stairs then, not bothering to wait for the other man, knowing he would either take the lead on his own, or fall in line, neither of which Itachi cared about.
Sasori: "Sometimes I like to leave my apartment despite what most of you think." Sasori added a tinge of malice to his statement as he walked ahead of Itachi. He really didn't like how haughty the man could be sometimes. On reaching his apartment, he unlocked the door and shoved it open while sipping on his mug. "There is coffee in the kitchen."
Itachi: Briefly, Itachi wondered to himself if said coffee would be as bitter as Sasori seemed to be, or if it would be venomous, like Sasori's acid tone. Following Sasori into the apartment, he closed the door behind himself and removed his shoes and coat, leaving them by the door. "What have you been preoccupying yourself with lately?" Itachi questioned, starting towards the kitchen. It was the first time he had bothered to visit Sasori in his own apartment, but he figured he could find his way around well enough, as the place wasn't nearly large enough to get lost in.
Sasori: Sasori bent down and picked up his own shoes from the ground, carefully balancing the coffee so it wouldn't spill. "Does what I've been doing have anything to do with your visit?" Sasori wasn't fond of talking around the subject. He liked things to be straight and to the point, get it out and get it done. His eyes lazily followed Itachi's movements as he straightened himself, shoes hanging from two fingers as he moved to his small bedroom on the side and set them inside the doorway.
Itachi: Pulling out a mug from one of the cupboards, Itachi filled it with some coffee and made it up the way he liked, adding two sugar and leaving out the milk. He moved to the doorway of the kitchen and leaned his figure against the doorframe, saying loudly enough for Sasori to hear, "It's loosely related, but related nonetheless. So, answer the question."
Sasori: Turning around, Sasori came back into view in the living room. His face appeared to be even less emotional than his usual scowl, just blank and staring. He watched Itachi casually as he compiled a suitable answer. "I've been here and at the high school, doing my studies for the most part."
Itachi: And beating up women, Itachi was half inclined to add in, but instead, he busied his mouth with sipping his coffee, eyes showing hidden amusement at his own thoughts. "That's all?" he questioned lightly after downing the warm and sugary liquid. "There's been mention within the organization," he continued, not really giving Sasori the opportunity to reply to his initial question, "that lately you've been a little... off."
Sasori: "A little off?" A brow rose on Sasori's forehead. So people had been talking about him behind his back. He didn't think he'd been acting unusual. He went about everything as always, only caring about whether he completed his given tasks or not. "Care to elaborate?" Sasori turned up his mug of coffee, finished the remainder, and glanced at the bottom in consideration if she should get another cup or not.
Itachi: Nodding shortly, Itachi agreed to elaborate. He would have anyways, but he enjoyed trying to pick apart Sasori and drill out reactions of any kind from him. Sasori was detestable, sure, but an amusing plaything of sorts as far as Itachi was concerned. "The sort, outside of the Akatsuki, whom you've been recently socializing with, they aren't typical of you. That's what has been fluttering around, being said. Actually, I'll have to admit that I agree, because seeing you being socially active at all is questionable enough." He sipped his coffee then lowered the mug once more. "What's the reason behind it?"
Sasori: "I wouldn't say I am socially active." Sasori casually crossed his arms over his chest tapping the mug on his shoulder. "Just because I go to one party because a girl just happened to ask me in a nice enough way to attend doesn't mean something is off about me." He unfolded his arms and started walking to where Itachi stood, pushing past him to enter into the kitchen. "Even I want to do something other than sitting around on occasion."
Itachi: As Sasori pushed by him, Itachi's gaze naturally hardened just a little, the amusement in his eyes now completely gone. He watched Sasori's back as he took another drink of his coffee, half done the hot liquid now. "Just making sure you don't have your head stuck in the clouds," said Itachi slowly. "As we're going to be stepping things up, so I hear, we'll need you to have your wits - what's left of them - about you."
Sasori: "I've always had my wits, as you put them." What exactly was Itachi accusing him of? Sasori proceeded to pour himself another cup. "If anyone, you should be concerned about Deidara."
Itachi: "I am. But it's better to maintain all pillars rather than just focus on one, wouldn't you agree?" Itachi had no desire to knock down the structure that they were building as they Akatsuki. He finished the rest of his coffee in a long gulp and set the mug in the sink. "Have you even spoken to Deidara? You're his closest friend."
Sasori: "He won't listen to anything I have to say." Sasori's face remained blank as he stirred the coffee. Deidara was stubborn, he was stubborn, it wasn't a good match up.
Itachi: "Well, I intend to speak to him anyways, and I have a feeling Kisame will throw in his two cents. It wouldn't kill you to try either." Leaning against the kitchen counter, he added in a more somber tone, "We can't afford to have wedges driven between us from outside influences."
Sasori: "That's what I have been saying this entire time." Sasori turned around to face Itachi, dipping his finger in the coffee to test it's heat.
Itachi: "And you're hardly assertive enough to get your point across right away," Itachi said dryly. But this was one of the things he did agree with Sasori on, something rather rare. "Either way, try talking to Deidara, and keep out trouble yourself."
Sasori: "I'll talk to him again, but I doubt I'll get more than a 'Fuck You'." He lifted the mug to his lips and sipped at it closing his eyes. It was just right.
Itachi: Itachi was convinced he could make a better coffee, but had no reason to tell that to Sasori. "That said, I should be on my way. Just keep things in mind, though I'm sure I won't need to remind you." He stood straight, no longer leaning on the counter and made his way back to the door to get his coat and shoes on.
Sasori: "Be sure to keep your head out of the clouds as well, Itachi." Sasori knew some about that Kurenai chick and he highly disapproved of the things that had been going on. "I'll see you at the meeting later."
Itachi: "No need to worry on my behalf, that is over with." He had meant his relationship with Kurenai, as they had ended things for the second time the night prior. Itachi kept telling himself it was for the better. It probably was. "Later, then." Opening the door, he left without another word, heading to the stairs and then who knew where else.
I'm such a tortured soul.
[Private]
And this is where careful footing is essential to carry me safely across the water. I hope the bridge isn't torn out from beneath my feet. And I hope some careless individual does not cut the ropes that suspend these planks I walk upon.
Here's hoping the goals set tonight are reached...
But guarantees are short in life, not to mention few and far between.
[/Private]
Itachi: Though Itachi hadn't slept well the previous night, or the night prior to that, he was in a stable enough mood to leave the confines of the hotel he had occupied last night. The only problem was that it was a Sunday and he really had no idea where to go. He thought briefly over the conversation he and Kisame had had the other day in regards to Deidara and Sasori, and picked up his cell phone from the bedside table. Flicking open the little device and flipping through some of the phone numbers he had stored, he looked at Sasori's a long while before decidedly pressing the call button and dialing the number. It rang.
Sasori: A high pitched tone echoed from somewhere in the living room. Sasori automatically reached down to touch his pants pocket and found nothing. He hated that ring-tone. Of course, he had his cell set on that annoying of a setting because he probably wouldn't answer it otherwise. Not being able to find his phone at the moment was making this situation more of a chore than it needed to be. He stomped out of the kitchen and into the living room where the horrible squeals seemed to be resonating. Looking down at the coffee table all he saw was his laptop, open and ready for him to do his daily readings. Where was the damn phone? Sasori plopped roughly back onto the couch and looked around right as it rang again. The ring was a bit louder than before. Slipping his hand under the couch cushion, he lifted it up and revealed the object of his torment. He picked up the cell and flipped it open. "What?"
Itachi: What now? Itachi realized he hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. Not the most intelligent move on his part, but then again, it hardly mattered. Would stood to reason for a suitable response was a greeting of some kind, so Itachi opened his mouth and said, "Sasori. It takes you long enough to answer your phone." Itachi hardly allowed his cell phone from his sight, but then, he had more reason than Sasori to keep his own close. After all, emergencies were common with the Uchiha family, and nothing served a better solution to a problem than steady preparation; such was the key to prevention.
Sasori: "Oh, it's you." Sasori almost hung up the phone but then figured if it was Itachi calling than it had to be something of some remote importance. Itachi never called him.
Itachi: Sitting up on his bed, sparing a fleeting glance towards the open window of his hotel room, Itachi refrained from hanging up as well. He wasn't certain what he was doing calling Sasori when he and Kisame had agreed Kisame was better suited talking to the man who still played with dolls. He said, "Yes, me. I was calling to inquire about if you were busy or not."
Sasori: Sasori looked around the living room. He had a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and he'd just planned on absorbing himself in it's steam and rotting his brain out with articles on the internet. "No... I'm not."
Itachi: "Good, then you can hardly object to meeting me somewhere, yes? Or should I come over there? There are some things to talk about that would be better done face to face." It didn't matter to Itachi where he spoke with Sasori, merely that it got done and was done securely at that. If he only paved the way for Kisame later by speaking to Sasori now, than that was fine as well. It probably wouldn't hurt for Kisame and himself to both converse with Sasori and Deidara anyways.
Sasori: "It depends on how secure you want the area when we speak. My place can suffice either way." Sasori wondered if any of this had to do with the meetings they had all been putting off.
Itachi: He stood from the hotel bed and pulled on the shirt he'd worn last night, a maroon button down. It wasn't dirty, as he'd worn it for all of maybe an hour or two at Kurenai's before the shit had hit the ceiling fan and he'd come here and went straight to sleep. Itachi made a small sound of approval into the receiver. "It will suffice, certainly. I'll be over soon then, all right?" He was sitting on the edge of the bed once more, pulling on his pants and socks, and then looking around for his shoes.
Sasori: "I'll see you then." Sasori closed his phone without waiting for a response from Itachi. Laying it next to his laptop, he sighed irritably. And here he had thought he was actually going to have a quiet, peaceful day of relaxation. He sat back against the couch for several moments thinking of nothing in particular, his permanent scowl furrowing his brow. A beeping noise alerted him from his absent mindedness and he stood slowly from the couch to check on his coffee in the small kitchen off from the living room.
Itachi: Closing his phone and tucking it into his pants pocket, Itachi picked up the blankets that lay half on the floor, uncovering his shoes. He slipped them on, tying the laces, then grabbed his jacket, wallet and keys and made his way out of the hotel room. Locking the door and starting down the hall, he made his way to the main lobby where he used his card to book the rest of the day and night, then he left the building. He wasn't driving, his car left at home, and walked himself the distance to the apartment in which Sasori lived in. When he did arrive, some half hour or so later, he buzzed up, waiting to be let inside the building.
Sasori: Sasori had half dozed off while waiting for Itachi over the warm cup of coffee. Coffee was soothing to him and it eased his nerves, despite how some people fussed at him about his large caffeine intake. A buzzer alerted him that someone was waiting. Knowing it was Itachi he pushed open his door and headed down the spiral stairs to the entrance of the apartment complex. He still held his coffee tightly in one hand when he approached the gate and paused to look at his dark haired peer before opening it to let him in. Sasori didn't bother with any greeting of sorts except for his index finger idly twisting the ring on his thumb.
Itachi: "...They have buttons on the intercoms which permit you to allow in visitors from the confines of your apartment," Itachi explained as he entered through the doorway, fixing Sasori with a curious stare. "You might do well to remember that, unless you revel in taking yourself for a walk." He headed for the stairs then, not bothering to wait for the other man, knowing he would either take the lead on his own, or fall in line, neither of which Itachi cared about.
Sasori: "Sometimes I like to leave my apartment despite what most of you think." Sasori added a tinge of malice to his statement as he walked ahead of Itachi. He really didn't like how haughty the man could be sometimes. On reaching his apartment, he unlocked the door and shoved it open while sipping on his mug. "There is coffee in the kitchen."
Itachi: Briefly, Itachi wondered to himself if said coffee would be as bitter as Sasori seemed to be, or if it would be venomous, like Sasori's acid tone. Following Sasori into the apartment, he closed the door behind himself and removed his shoes and coat, leaving them by the door. "What have you been preoccupying yourself with lately?" Itachi questioned, starting towards the kitchen. It was the first time he had bothered to visit Sasori in his own apartment, but he figured he could find his way around well enough, as the place wasn't nearly large enough to get lost in.
Sasori: Sasori bent down and picked up his own shoes from the ground, carefully balancing the coffee so it wouldn't spill. "Does what I've been doing have anything to do with your visit?" Sasori wasn't fond of talking around the subject. He liked things to be straight and to the point, get it out and get it done. His eyes lazily followed Itachi's movements as he straightened himself, shoes hanging from two fingers as he moved to his small bedroom on the side and set them inside the doorway.
Itachi: Pulling out a mug from one of the cupboards, Itachi filled it with some coffee and made it up the way he liked, adding two sugar and leaving out the milk. He moved to the doorway of the kitchen and leaned his figure against the doorframe, saying loudly enough for Sasori to hear, "It's loosely related, but related nonetheless. So, answer the question."
Sasori: Turning around, Sasori came back into view in the living room. His face appeared to be even less emotional than his usual scowl, just blank and staring. He watched Itachi casually as he compiled a suitable answer. "I've been here and at the high school, doing my studies for the most part."
Itachi: And beating up women, Itachi was half inclined to add in, but instead, he busied his mouth with sipping his coffee, eyes showing hidden amusement at his own thoughts. "That's all?" he questioned lightly after downing the warm and sugary liquid. "There's been mention within the organization," he continued, not really giving Sasori the opportunity to reply to his initial question, "that lately you've been a little... off."
Sasori: "A little off?" A brow rose on Sasori's forehead. So people had been talking about him behind his back. He didn't think he'd been acting unusual. He went about everything as always, only caring about whether he completed his given tasks or not. "Care to elaborate?" Sasori turned up his mug of coffee, finished the remainder, and glanced at the bottom in consideration if she should get another cup or not.
Itachi: Nodding shortly, Itachi agreed to elaborate. He would have anyways, but he enjoyed trying to pick apart Sasori and drill out reactions of any kind from him. Sasori was detestable, sure, but an amusing plaything of sorts as far as Itachi was concerned. "The sort, outside of the Akatsuki, whom you've been recently socializing with, they aren't typical of you. That's what has been fluttering around, being said. Actually, I'll have to admit that I agree, because seeing you being socially active at all is questionable enough." He sipped his coffee then lowered the mug once more. "What's the reason behind it?"
Sasori: "I wouldn't say I am socially active." Sasori casually crossed his arms over his chest tapping the mug on his shoulder. "Just because I go to one party because a girl just happened to ask me in a nice enough way to attend doesn't mean something is off about me." He unfolded his arms and started walking to where Itachi stood, pushing past him to enter into the kitchen. "Even I want to do something other than sitting around on occasion."
Itachi: As Sasori pushed by him, Itachi's gaze naturally hardened just a little, the amusement in his eyes now completely gone. He watched Sasori's back as he took another drink of his coffee, half done the hot liquid now. "Just making sure you don't have your head stuck in the clouds," said Itachi slowly. "As we're going to be stepping things up, so I hear, we'll need you to have your wits - what's left of them - about you."
Sasori: "I've always had my wits, as you put them." What exactly was Itachi accusing him of? Sasori proceeded to pour himself another cup. "If anyone, you should be concerned about Deidara."
Itachi: "I am. But it's better to maintain all pillars rather than just focus on one, wouldn't you agree?" Itachi had no desire to knock down the structure that they were building as they Akatsuki. He finished the rest of his coffee in a long gulp and set the mug in the sink. "Have you even spoken to Deidara? You're his closest friend."
Sasori: "He won't listen to anything I have to say." Sasori's face remained blank as he stirred the coffee. Deidara was stubborn, he was stubborn, it wasn't a good match up.
Itachi: "Well, I intend to speak to him anyways, and I have a feeling Kisame will throw in his two cents. It wouldn't kill you to try either." Leaning against the kitchen counter, he added in a more somber tone, "We can't afford to have wedges driven between us from outside influences."
Sasori: "That's what I have been saying this entire time." Sasori turned around to face Itachi, dipping his finger in the coffee to test it's heat.
Itachi: "And you're hardly assertive enough to get your point across right away," Itachi said dryly. But this was one of the things he did agree with Sasori on, something rather rare. "Either way, try talking to Deidara, and keep out trouble yourself."
Sasori: "I'll talk to him again, but I doubt I'll get more than a 'Fuck You'." He lifted the mug to his lips and sipped at it closing his eyes. It was just right.
Itachi: Itachi was convinced he could make a better coffee, but had no reason to tell that to Sasori. "That said, I should be on my way. Just keep things in mind, though I'm sure I won't need to remind you." He stood straight, no longer leaning on the counter and made his way back to the door to get his coat and shoes on.
Sasori: "Be sure to keep your head out of the clouds as well, Itachi." Sasori knew some about that Kurenai chick and he highly disapproved of the things that had been going on. "I'll see you at the meeting later."
Itachi: "No need to worry on my behalf, that is over with." He had meant his relationship with Kurenai, as they had ended things for the second time the night prior. Itachi kept telling himself it was for the better. It probably was. "Later, then." Opening the door, he left without another word, heading to the stairs and then who knew where else.