Naruto "Faithful Are the Fallen"-- Itachi-centric, vaguely Uchihacesty
Title: Faithful Are the Fallen
Author: lykomancer
Artist: fluff
Character/Fandom: Uchiha Itachi from Naruto
Theme: Dark theme #16-- defying gravity
Words: ~1,000
Genre: Gen, drama-ish
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Yes, for most things Uchiha.
Warnings: None.
Other Notes: This was written for 20_inkspots, which is a themed community that pairs fanwriters and fanartists together to complete the twenty themes; hence, this fic is actually illustrated. *HAPPY IN HER PANTS*
Also, seminary is rotting my brains. *crushed under the weight of Brueggemann's Reverberations of Faith, from whence much of the final definition came*
But fluff is LOVE. Mad, mad love, I tell you.
Crossposted to 20_inkspots and churchofuchiha
Ritual-
A lazy extension of his arm, the tendons in his hand tightening as his fingers curled in quick flicks, a nearly unobservable softening of his expression, his gesture and attitude that of completely relaxed encouragement and silent invitation…
A specific sequence of actions, completed in a set, prescribed manner, which held meaning beyond the obvious-a symbolic, ceremonial practice used to evoke and express emotions and mental states and, most importantly, to unite individuals in community with one another.
…an invitation which was taken eagerly every time, without fail, dark eyes so similar to his own widening slightly with childish hope and secret glee as the boy trotted forward obediently…
Practically, rituals served as social glue, strengthening bonds between people and their relationships.
…only to be stopped, always, by a gesture that was infuriating, disappointing, and still somehow wonderful to the younger of the pair- wonderful because, despite of the cool distance between them (somewhat less than an arm’s length) and the peculiarly taunting way that he was stopped (two fingers to his forehead in a solid, dispassionate jab, as though he wasn’t worth more than that small effort), it was familiar, his brother’s touch, familiar and affectionate, almost playful (the closest to genuine play that the older Uchiha ever really came)…
But in addition to that, rituals, which often developed out of core beliefs, served to affirm shared value systems and symbolically express cosmology-a unified picture of reality’s underlying truths.
“Forgive me, Sasuke. Perhaps another time.”
___
Covenant-
The soft pad of bare feet on the wooden floor, barely audible over the rain lashing at the windows in explosive metallic-sounding bursts and thunder loud enough that each rolling boom seemed to make the whole house tremble…
A contractual, mutually beneficial agreement between two parties or individuals.
…and he folded the blankets back wordlessly in response and shifted, rolling back onto his side to make enough room on the narrow futon; he didn’t open his eyes as his brother slid into bed with him, curling into the warm, secure space that had been so graciously offered to him, pressing his forehead against Itachi’s chest as though soothed by the calm, steady, unhurried beating of his heart, the tidal rhythm of breath…
Historically, covenants were a form of official, legal agreement, a formalized contract, acknowledged and stamped with a seal or family crest before authorities.
…Sasuke had been unwilling to admit that, for years, he’d been scared of the raw power of the night-time spring storms, all ferocious noise and maddeningly dazzling flashes of white lightning that threw shadows like dancing specters around his room, and now it hardly mattered-fear might have been the original, unspoken, validation for this intimacy (the intimate way they fit together, the smaller nestled into the curve of his brother’s body, their legs interlaced, fingers combing through his silky hair and tickling the back of his neck, shared body heat musky and comforting), but then it had become nothing more than polite fiction, a convenient excuse that neither of them spoke of but both acknowledged…
However, the complex, personal bonds between God and humanity, lover and beloved, could also be expressed as covenant-an unbreakable oath of protection, allegiance, and unconditional love shared by those who entered into relationship with one another.
“Nothing else in the world can compare to these moments. Sasuke, don’t ever forget this.”
____
Blessing-
The scent of blood was carried away by the cool evening breeze; the creak of hanging lanterns and the soft wooden clatter of bamboo chimes echoed faintly down the streets lined with corpses and studded with kunai and shuriken; the peaceful stillness of the deepening dusk broken only by one lost child- one, the only one left-the crunching slide of grit under his feet as he ran for his life, limbs numb and trembling, his piercing howl of heartbreak and terror…
An act, comprised of speech or gesture, whereby one transmits power for life to another by mediating between the physical world and a higher reality; this transmission is an intentional, deliberate act intended to enhance the receiver’s life and transpires within a world of intense personal relationships.
…his brother bolted blindly, stumbling, his eyes blurred with tears, but he moved like the unfettered wind, divine and unbound, sweeping through the shadows like the light dancing on the edge of a katana…
Viewed through the coldly logical lens of rational thought, the transmission of power in blessing is quasi-magical, superstitious, an inefficacious expression of positive thinking similar to a child’s wish upon a shooting star.
…the younger Uchiha didn’t want to believe it, didn’t want to accept the cruel truth that stared him in the face; he wanted to deny it all, shut it out, escape from the tangled nightmare he suddenly found himself trapped in; it was easier, far easier, to try to deny everything-easy…and lethal, a sleep from which he would never awaken.
But Itachi would not- could not- lose Sasuke now.
The cult of worshippers who’d tied him down to their altar and forced him to be their petty god, existing only serve them and their selfish needs, lay in bloody shreds, slaughtered by their fallen idol, their deva turned demon; and Sasuke had been the heretic hidden among the faithful, appearing as a devoted acolyte while nurturing his own resentment and anger inside.
That darkness was strength…if he learned how to utilize its power… If he learned how to spread his wings and conquer the very sky.
Itachi would give this fledgling deity his chance to soar.
Viewed theologically, blessing takes on the quality of the sacramental, becoming a visible sign of an invisible reality, capable of sanctifying the recipient through the means of irresistible divine grace-that is to say, the one who is blessed is made holy and redeemed through undeniable sacred love.
“Foolish little brother… If you want to kill me, then blame me, despise me, and survive in shame. Run, run…and cling to life…until the day comes that you are able stand before me with the same eyes I bear now.”
Author: lykomancer
Artist: fluff
Character/Fandom: Uchiha Itachi from Naruto
Theme: Dark theme #16-- defying gravity
Words: ~1,000
Genre: Gen, drama-ish
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Yes, for most things Uchiha.
Warnings: None.
Other Notes: This was written for 20_inkspots, which is a themed community that pairs fanwriters and fanartists together to complete the twenty themes; hence, this fic is actually illustrated. *HAPPY IN HER PANTS*
Also, seminary is rotting my brains. *crushed under the weight of Brueggemann's Reverberations of Faith, from whence much of the final definition came*
But fluff is LOVE. Mad, mad love, I tell you.
Crossposted to 20_inkspots and churchofuchiha
Ritual-
A lazy extension of his arm, the tendons in his hand tightening as his fingers curled in quick flicks, a nearly unobservable softening of his expression, his gesture and attitude that of completely relaxed encouragement and silent invitation…
A specific sequence of actions, completed in a set, prescribed manner, which held meaning beyond the obvious-a symbolic, ceremonial practice used to evoke and express emotions and mental states and, most importantly, to unite individuals in community with one another.
…an invitation which was taken eagerly every time, without fail, dark eyes so similar to his own widening slightly with childish hope and secret glee as the boy trotted forward obediently…
Practically, rituals served as social glue, strengthening bonds between people and their relationships.
…only to be stopped, always, by a gesture that was infuriating, disappointing, and still somehow wonderful to the younger of the pair- wonderful because, despite of the cool distance between them (somewhat less than an arm’s length) and the peculiarly taunting way that he was stopped (two fingers to his forehead in a solid, dispassionate jab, as though he wasn’t worth more than that small effort), it was familiar, his brother’s touch, familiar and affectionate, almost playful (the closest to genuine play that the older Uchiha ever really came)…
But in addition to that, rituals, which often developed out of core beliefs, served to affirm shared value systems and symbolically express cosmology-a unified picture of reality’s underlying truths.
“Forgive me, Sasuke. Perhaps another time.”
___
Covenant-
The soft pad of bare feet on the wooden floor, barely audible over the rain lashing at the windows in explosive metallic-sounding bursts and thunder loud enough that each rolling boom seemed to make the whole house tremble…
A contractual, mutually beneficial agreement between two parties or individuals.
…and he folded the blankets back wordlessly in response and shifted, rolling back onto his side to make enough room on the narrow futon; he didn’t open his eyes as his brother slid into bed with him, curling into the warm, secure space that had been so graciously offered to him, pressing his forehead against Itachi’s chest as though soothed by the calm, steady, unhurried beating of his heart, the tidal rhythm of breath…
Historically, covenants were a form of official, legal agreement, a formalized contract, acknowledged and stamped with a seal or family crest before authorities.
…Sasuke had been unwilling to admit that, for years, he’d been scared of the raw power of the night-time spring storms, all ferocious noise and maddeningly dazzling flashes of white lightning that threw shadows like dancing specters around his room, and now it hardly mattered-fear might have been the original, unspoken, validation for this intimacy (the intimate way they fit together, the smaller nestled into the curve of his brother’s body, their legs interlaced, fingers combing through his silky hair and tickling the back of his neck, shared body heat musky and comforting), but then it had become nothing more than polite fiction, a convenient excuse that neither of them spoke of but both acknowledged…
However, the complex, personal bonds between God and humanity, lover and beloved, could also be expressed as covenant-an unbreakable oath of protection, allegiance, and unconditional love shared by those who entered into relationship with one another.
“Nothing else in the world can compare to these moments. Sasuke, don’t ever forget this.”
____
Blessing-
The scent of blood was carried away by the cool evening breeze; the creak of hanging lanterns and the soft wooden clatter of bamboo chimes echoed faintly down the streets lined with corpses and studded with kunai and shuriken; the peaceful stillness of the deepening dusk broken only by one lost child- one, the only one left-the crunching slide of grit under his feet as he ran for his life, limbs numb and trembling, his piercing howl of heartbreak and terror…
An act, comprised of speech or gesture, whereby one transmits power for life to another by mediating between the physical world and a higher reality; this transmission is an intentional, deliberate act intended to enhance the receiver’s life and transpires within a world of intense personal relationships.
…his brother bolted blindly, stumbling, his eyes blurred with tears, but he moved like the unfettered wind, divine and unbound, sweeping through the shadows like the light dancing on the edge of a katana…
Viewed through the coldly logical lens of rational thought, the transmission of power in blessing is quasi-magical, superstitious, an inefficacious expression of positive thinking similar to a child’s wish upon a shooting star.
…the younger Uchiha didn’t want to believe it, didn’t want to accept the cruel truth that stared him in the face; he wanted to deny it all, shut it out, escape from the tangled nightmare he suddenly found himself trapped in; it was easier, far easier, to try to deny everything-easy…and lethal, a sleep from which he would never awaken.
But Itachi would not- could not- lose Sasuke now.
The cult of worshippers who’d tied him down to their altar and forced him to be their petty god, existing only serve them and their selfish needs, lay in bloody shreds, slaughtered by their fallen idol, their deva turned demon; and Sasuke had been the heretic hidden among the faithful, appearing as a devoted acolyte while nurturing his own resentment and anger inside.
That darkness was strength…if he learned how to utilize its power… If he learned how to spread his wings and conquer the very sky.
Itachi would give this fledgling deity his chance to soar.
Viewed theologically, blessing takes on the quality of the sacramental, becoming a visible sign of an invisible reality, capable of sanctifying the recipient through the means of irresistible divine grace-that is to say, the one who is blessed is made holy and redeemed through undeniable sacred love.
“Foolish little brother… If you want to kill me, then blame me, despise me, and survive in shame. Run, run…and cling to life…until the day comes that you are able stand before me with the same eyes I bear now.”