A/N: If you read these head over to my LJ, you can see the pretty pictures that accompany it. The URL is nyanja14(dot)livejournal(dot)com .
027: SMALL TALK
Yoite was resting on a bench when the dog came bounding up to him. It pressed it's dark nose into Yoite's left knee and he let it, not sure what else to do.
"Taro! You leave him alone!" A woman, slightly out of breath appeared and snatched the dog's leash off the ground. "I'm sorry," she panted, dipping her head in a quick bow. "He got away from me."
Yoite didn't reply immediately. He had never been good at handling strangers. "It's fine," he said finally. He looked to the dog, sitting docilely with its mouth hanging open in a lazy grin. "I don't mind."
The lady sighed and collapsed onto the bench. "I need to catch my breath." She waved a hand at the dog. "You can pet him if you want. Taro doesn't bite."
Yoite didn't want to pet the dog. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't figure out how to do so without coming off as rude. The dog was sniffing his shoes with great interest and Yoite leaned away carefully.
"Really, it's okay!" The woman directed a bright smile at him, cheeks a little less flushed. "Taro's nice, just kind of enthusiastic. Or do you not like dogs?"
Yoite didn't know a lot about dogs really, The only other dog he'd seen up close before was the large, fluffy one he'd met at Raikou's surface job. Luckily, he was saved from having to comment by Miharu's appearance.
"I got coffee," he announced, sitting between Yoite and the woman. He handed a cup over to Yoite and sipped from his. "And I got directions to the bus station."
"Where are you boys headed?"
Miharu smiled and starting telling some lie about an uncle that lived in Kyoto. Yoite reached down to scratch the dog's ears, glad that at least one of them could handle small talk.