[The haze of unreality clings to Itachi's mind as he emerges into the vast cavern, following a trail of luminescent plant-life as guide, directionless in the near dark. His own dreams come at such infrequent and irregular moments, rarely clear enough to recount in the sober light of day. It is immediate instinct to doubt his surroundings now. Memory doesn't place him in an underground maze — it places him somewhere far outside it, in death, at some unreachable end.
If someone has trapped him here within an illusion, the work is somehow absolute and beyond his own ability. The other possibility is that he's awakened in the realm of the afterlife, but Itachi has never thought anything would follow death. Perhaps there was relief in the idea of refuge through an endless, black, eternal void where nothing would ever reach him again, if only it were true.
Navigating a path forward, Itachi pauses at the shore of the cavern's glassy lake, stalactites and other rock formations reflected in warped rippling images across its surface. A noise alerts him to the right. Turning, Itachi spies a shape through the gloom: massive, slimy-wet, paused in the act of slurping algae off the stone floor. The beast lifts its head (or what appears to be its head) and lets out a horrific gurgling roar.
It's then he notices the sac at his feet. His foot has landed directly into a mess of mush and drooling ooze. In dreamy disorientation, in the surreal dimness, Itachi hadn't seen it — such a small and uncharacteristic mistake.
Even as he vies to pull on the threads of chakra with himself, he knows he won't find any. He hasn't felt its presence since awakening in the dark of the tunnel. Composed, Itachi leaps backward to avoid the first lash of the creature's hidden mouth-blade. He also avoids a jet of disgusting... slime... though this is a nearer mess, side-stepping on the slippery ground.
Gross. He aggro'd a giant mom worm.]
the marketplace ii. (open to unbonded monsters)
[After the extremely surreal, extremely unsettling boat ride alongside his younger brother, Itachi arrives at the settlement tucked into this cavernous space, yet to truly shed a sense of uneasiness. Once Sasuke has gone to look for disguises, Itachi lingers at the outskirts, a wary animal in foreign territory. The air is cool and damp, more pleasant than the choked tunnels before, although he's discomfited by the proximity to so many strangers. As someone more accustomed to the fringes of society, it is not a comfortable change.
Itachi pauses near one of the main avenues to fix the tail of hair at the nape of his neck, deft fingers untying and retying the thread. The pause affords a window of opportunity for some overeager natives. He endures five grueling minutes of questions — though he's able to dig out information somewhere in the babbling — before it stops.
... Only for one of the natives to snag the arm of another freshly arrived Mirrorbound, hauling them into the conversation.]
You don't have a bond yet, do you? Here! He's a witch, and he's really lonely. He needs someone.
[Frozen, Itachi's black eyes land on this newcomer, expression entirely blank.]
Won't you consider bonding with him? At least introduce yourselves!
[Itachi says... nothing... just continues to stare. If he could vanish into crows right now to abandon this interaction, he would.]
iii.
[After earlier's humiliation, Itachi has feld his post by the waters, determined to veil his presence through more immediate means. There are options available at many of the stalls, he's seen, particularly the ones catered toward clothing and fabrics. However, with no idea how to purchase them, he's forced in the direction of creativity.
An illusive spell has allowed him to shield his presence — invisible to the senses, he's more easily able to navigate the streets unbothered by the locals. Eventually Itachi comes to a stop near a vendor, right behind someone about to take a bite out of a piece of cooked... bug...]
Are you certain that's edible?
[The low voice seems to come out of nowhere, faintly disgusted, like the universe itself has cast its judgment upon your taste in food.]
iv. wildcard/notes
[Want to do something else, or try out another prompt? Hit me up through PM and we can coordinate! Please excuse my flimsy reason for Itachi and Sasuke being separated, continuity is a nightmare...]
itachi uchiha | naruto | witch
[The haze of unreality clings to Itachi's mind as he emerges into the vast cavern, following a trail of luminescent plant-life as guide, directionless in the near dark. His own dreams come at such infrequent and irregular moments, rarely clear enough to recount in the sober light of day. It is immediate instinct to doubt his surroundings now. Memory doesn't place him in an underground maze — it places him somewhere far outside it, in death, at some unreachable end.
If someone has trapped him here within an illusion, the work is somehow absolute and beyond his own ability. The other possibility is that he's awakened in the realm of the afterlife, but Itachi has never thought anything would follow death. Perhaps there was relief in the idea of refuge through an endless, black, eternal void where nothing would ever reach him again, if only it were true.
Navigating a path forward, Itachi pauses at the shore of the cavern's glassy lake, stalactites and other rock formations reflected in warped rippling images across its surface. A noise alerts him to the right. Turning, Itachi spies a shape through the gloom: massive, slimy-wet, paused in the act of slurping algae off the stone floor. The beast lifts its head (or what appears to be its head) and lets out a horrific gurgling roar.
It's then he notices the sac at his feet. His foot has landed directly into a mess of mush and drooling ooze. In dreamy disorientation, in the surreal dimness, Itachi hadn't seen it — such a small and uncharacteristic mistake.
Even as he vies to pull on the threads of chakra with himself, he knows he won't find any. He hasn't felt its presence since awakening in the dark of the tunnel. Composed, Itachi leaps backward to avoid the first lash of the creature's hidden mouth-blade. He also avoids a jet of disgusting... slime... though this is a nearer mess, side-stepping on the slippery ground.
Gross. He aggro'd a giant mom worm.]
the marketplace
ii. (open to unbonded monsters)
[After the extremely surreal, extremely unsettling boat ride alongside his younger brother, Itachi arrives at the settlement tucked into this cavernous space, yet to truly shed a sense of uneasiness. Once Sasuke has gone to look for disguises, Itachi lingers at the outskirts, a wary animal in foreign territory. The air is cool and damp, more pleasant than the choked tunnels before, although he's discomfited by the proximity to so many strangers. As someone more accustomed to the fringes of society, it is not a comfortable change.
Itachi pauses near one of the main avenues to fix the tail of hair at the nape of his neck, deft fingers untying and retying the thread. The pause affords a window of opportunity for some overeager natives. He endures five grueling minutes of questions — though he's able to dig out information somewhere in the babbling — before it stops.
... Only for one of the natives to snag the arm of another freshly arrived Mirrorbound, hauling them into the conversation.]
You don't have a bond yet, do you? Here! He's a witch, and he's really lonely. He needs someone.
[Frozen, Itachi's black eyes land on this newcomer, expression entirely blank.]
Won't you consider bonding with him? At least introduce yourselves!
[Itachi says... nothing... just continues to stare. If he could vanish into crows right now to abandon this interaction, he would.]
iii.
[After earlier's humiliation, Itachi has feld his post by the waters, determined to veil his presence through more immediate means. There are options available at many of the stalls, he's seen, particularly the ones catered toward clothing and fabrics. However, with no idea how to purchase them, he's forced in the direction of creativity.
An illusive spell has allowed him to shield his presence — invisible to the senses, he's more easily able to navigate the streets unbothered by the locals. Eventually Itachi comes to a stop near a vendor, right behind someone about to take a bite out of a piece of cooked... bug...]
Are you certain that's edible?
[The low voice seems to come out of nowhere, faintly disgusted, like the universe itself has cast its judgment upon your taste in food.]
iv. wildcard/notes
[Want to do something else, or try out another prompt? Hit me up through PM and we can coordinate! Please excuse my flimsy reason for Itachi and Sasuke being separated, continuity is a nightmare...]