[closed] it took all the man in me

[anbu]

Who: Itachi Uchiha and various.
When: Aereuer 13th.
Where: Looking-Glass House.
What: Memory sharing event.
Warnings: Mass death/genocide, war themes, gore, violence, trauma, child soldiers, very sad but cute brothers. I'll update if/as other things come up.





[To the vast majority of the Mirrorbound who cross its path, Itachi's mirror is plain and unassuming, its silver surface set into a black wooden frame. They will notice complicated carvings, some strange cross between Japanese calligraphy and other, indecipherable symbols unlike language. There are only two distinct images: the first is located on the upper left corner of the mirror and features an avian animal with beady, jewel-like red eyes; the second is located on the bottom right corner and features a pinwheel design. If further investigated, it'll become obvious the mirror also carries a burnt scent, as if the wood has recently been charred by fire.

Sasuke will see a much more detailed and familiar frame. The faces of their parents; the face of Uchiha Shisui; the Mangekyou Sharingan set within the shape of an actual eyeball; Akatsuki clouds; and the Uchiha fan directly beside the leaf's symbol of Konoha. It takes no guesswork to understand who this mirror is meant to represent.]

—

[OOC: Due to this event being exposition-heavy, scene specific, and intense (as well as a desire not to get too overloaded), I will not be writing any general open prompts! This also helps me keep each thread interesting and unique. That said, I'm open to plotting something. Feel free to reference my plotting comment here so we can hash something out. I have a list of memories here, but it isn't exhaustive. I can find something else if none of these are appealing.

Starters will be posted below as I write them!]

Comments

[anbu]

[Falling to quiet, Itachi considers the best course of action. It's possible Sasuke has shared details on this particular family heirloom, in which case, all he need do is sift for a tell with the correct question. There's no need to give more than necessary. And this seems imperative considering how deeply he senses Stiles will dig with even the barest grain of information. A mile from an inch.]

Sharingan. Is that familiar to you?

[Part of him wonders how that word will translate, but he has reason to suspect it should come across as intended. The existence of the Sharingan isn't necessarily coveted knowledge in their own world; still, he's feeling particularly uncooperative after Stiles' invasion of his privacy.]

If it isn't, then I have nothing more to say.

[mensrea]

[ The word is unfamiliar to him, all too obvious in the shifty-eyed glance that he peers at the mirror frame with, as if hoping to glean some hidden hint. He’s struck again by the similarity between the pinwheel design and what he saw in their father’s irises. ]

They’re related, [ he speculates, gesturing to the carving. ] You going to make me do the guesswork? Because I will.

[ Stiles hasn’t gotten to where he is today without an overactive imagination and ability to find patterns. ]

It looks different than your dad’s. Since it’s on your frame, it must be important to you specifically. So, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume you can do the “Sharingan” thing – if that’s what it’s called. [ Just as Itachi suspected; give an inch, he’ll take a mile. ] You assumed Sasuke would have told me about it before, which means he probably can too. [ A beat. ] Still got nothing to say? I could start picking apart your family next instead, if you want.

[anbu]

[Nothing on his face either confirms or denies Stiles' words, because he recognizes the importance not to give even an indication that he is on the right track. If anyone has a perfect and implacable poker face, it's the man who slaughtered his entire clan and lied about it for the rest of his life.

The Sharingan thing—Stiles can't know just how near truth his deductions are. Through his own dislike, he can at least recognize intelligence. More than any ordinary person would have. Rather than help Stiles' case, it serves more as a detriment; it makes him far more irritating and dangerous to handle.]

Then Sasuke hasn't told you.

[Sorry to press that bruise (not sorry).]

It isn't my place. [Aka, I don't want to.] Perhaps you should ask him the next time you have an opportunity.

[Now to stonewall until Stiles leaves him alone. And if he doesn't, extreme measures may once again be necessary. But hopefully you've learned your lesson!]

[mensrea]

[ It’s official. Itachi is ten times more frustrating to deal with than Sasuke ever was, even at the start of his acquaintance with the Vampire. Jaw clenched tight, Stiles stares long and hard at the older Uchiha brother in the hopes of sussing out something from that wooden expression. But his efforts are sadly in vain; the man has a deadpan that would unnerve even Vernon Boyd.

After another few circuits of pacing – probably wearing a groove in both the floor and Itachi’s patience – he finally throws in the towel…on that particular subject, at least. Stiles is determined to squeeze information out of the Witch or die trying. Okay, maybe not to that extent. Ensuring that he’s a healthy distance away from Itachi before he starts prodding the hornet’s nest, he launches into the next topic for interrogation. ]

So, are all shinobi families like that, or did your dad just have a massive tree branch stuck up his ass?

[anbu]

[Let it be stated for the record anything he says in this interrogation is because he chooses to say it, not for Stiles' sake, but because the information isn't important.

That being said...]

You'll trust anything I tell you, is that correct? It would not be difficult to lie to you if I chose to.

[Itachi crosses his arms, still unmoving.]

Our father was captain of the village's police force. He was also the head of our clan. There were certain expectations of him, as a result of his position.

[mensrea]

[ This time, it’s his turn to affect a deadpan in an attempt to keep his cards close to his chest; Stiles has no where near as much practice or natural talent for it however, and some of his smugness bleeds through the cant of his eyebrows. He’ll take whatever Itachi says with a grain of salt, of course – but it helps that Sasuke has actually told him more about Fugaku than his own older brother. So far, everything the Witch claims is lining up nicely with what Sasuke has previously told him. ]

I don’t get it. If your clan had such a shitty standing with the village, why did it seem like everyone in the police force was an Uchiha?

[ Another indication of what kind of memory he might have seen prior to Itachi’s intervention. ]

[anbu]

[It's more than enough of a clue. It tells him the memory was clan-related, it tells him Stiles saw the Uchiha in the context of sensitive information—specifically its relationship to the village. And it's inconvenient. Itachi has had enough conversations about Konoha and the clan that he could not easily pick out a single occasion, but he doesn't need to. The implication of those words is clear as glass.

Now he has to decide whether to answer. This is, truthfully, ancient history. Even if it's a history that has its sharp barbs entangled around his own life. So better not to give the full truth.]

They were. The Uchiha were given ownership of the police force as a sign of good faith from the village.

[There's another part to that, the hanging then why? he doesn't address nor does he intend to. But still, he's offered some, a small allowance. Stiles' ability to weave a whole picture out of only the barest details is considerable after all.]

If I ask you to leave now, will you listen this time? Or will we be required to repeat our previously unpleasant interactions?

[mensrea]

[ Itachi spares him the crumbs of details, which Stiles will greedily accept in lieu of a more comprehensive answer. Still, he’s hardly grateful for the answer. The man’s pointed reminder of what happened in Undermael College has him glowering. ]

“This time,” [ he echoes with a sneer. ] Like you actually even asked the first time. Don’t think I don’t know that you’ve been in my own mirror, you hypocrite. God, you’re such a…

[ The insult is barely discernable as he stomps off. Congratulations, Itachi. You’ve actually successfully managed to chase Stiles away.

This time. ]