一 [action]

[scarletheir]

[It's a normal evening at 1251 Williams Rd... the children are being good, the lovely missus is cooking dinner, and the man of the house is asleep in his armchair, newspaper in his lap, his head lolling over near his shoulder. Everything seems totally normal, until the lovely missus drops a fork into the sink with a clatter, and the man starts in

Comments

[notyoureditor]

[Nic's grown so used to drone parents that seeing a different-looking father catches him by surprise. Why is he sleeping in a chair and not in bed?]

Umm...hello?

[scarletheir]

[What th-...

It takes Itachi several seconds to realize that this is who, or one of who, the woman referred to as "our children". Well. This is... completely bizarre.

Oh. He's supposed to speak now? Can he speak? His last words hurt so badly, but it no longer hurts to breathe.]

Yes?

[notyoureditor]

Has anyone told you what this place is yet?

[He shifts his grip on his crutches - Nic's left pants leg has been rolled up and pinned just above his knee.]

[scarletheir]

...

[Wait. So this isn't normal? Is this the welcome party? His guide through the afterlife? Itachi half-expected Shisui, but he is not going to argue with this kid. But he will reply, with quiet voice and careful words. The kid looks like he's been through a war, after all.]

No. Are you dead...?

[hasyourbeats]

[There's an expressionless girl standing at the doorway and just... quietly staring at you, Itachi. Hello, she's one of your assigned children. At least she isn't a drone. But she's very creepily robotic...]

[scarletheir]

[Well, he's heard the gist of the situation from the boy... but now this girl has appeared, presumably another child.

Hardly. When he was their age, he had a bounty on his head equal to the net worth of some civilian villages.

But something about her calls to him, and he can't quite place what. It takes him a minute of quietly staring back at her, before he realizes it, and the realization is enough to make him crack a wry smile.]

Then you must be his sister.

[hasyourbeats]

Mm. That's correct.

[She simply nods her head, her expression unchanging.]

...Has Nic informed you about the situation?

[scarletheir]

[It's hard not to revert back to old habits, to the curt and vague communication between Anbu that he never quite shook, but he's gonna try. The dead serious expression on her face does nothing but bring back loads of memories.]

He has.

What are the drone's capabilities?