Instead they spend their time helping non-combatants reach safety and guiding the more vulnerable or injured out of the fight. They aren't strictly staying together for most of it—there's no real reason to—but their paths have crossed a few times and they stay in communication.
But not taking a side doesn't mean staying entirely out of the fight. More than once, Wei Wuxian has found himself on the other end of a blade, and he's had to fight or use a talisman to slip away. He's just maneuvered a few children out of the heat of battle and gained the attention of a pair of attackers when he catches sight of Itachi in his peripheral again. He's about to make his way closer when he feels a brief spark of pain in his temples behind his eyes. It isn't strong, but it's surprising, and he manages to slip down an alley to get out of the heart of the fight. He presses a hand over his eyes to sooth the dull ache, and then removes it to blink steadily at the ground.
There's a red haze over his vision that he can't seem to blink away.]
（ he has felt it before. the tectonic shift that rends his chakra, cuts him away from the birthright and heritage of his kekkei genkai. they have been to worlds where such things are suppressed, torn asunder, replaced.
his visual acuity drops to baseline levels in an instant, and itachi — bereft of the stability offered by chakra at his feet — suddenly stumbles where he'd intended to step.
he does not have time amidst the press of thronging battle to reason out what's occurred. he looks to wei ying, where he last saw him — and the space is empty. what grips him then is not fear, but the cold and driving press of necessary action, and he makes his way to the spot. the loss of his powers would not be so pronounced in his friend, and so if it happened to hit both of them at once —
one person attacks him, and itachi fends them off deftly with his sword, disarms them and kicks them firmly into an unmoving heap, and that's when he catches sight in his periphery — the flash of a familiar red that draws the eye. the sharingan, staring back at him as wei ying looks up.
itachi drops his gaze instantly away. not a loss, then. a transfer? and the man will have no concept of how to use the sharingan, nor comprehension of its full and absolute power. ）
Close your eyes. （ his voice is a commanding crack. ） You may harm me otherwise.
[The red haze is still there when he meets Itachi's gaze for barely a moment, and though understanding eludes him, he closes his eyes as instructed, trusting that Itachi understands and knows what he's doing. The pain is gone entirely now, as if it had never occurred, but there's something else inside of him.
His hand rises to rest over his lower dantian and he inhales sharply.
Not a golden core, not exactly, but there's something inside of him that wasn't there before. Something not unlike spiritual energy flowing through his long emptied meridians. In all of their missions so far, nothing like this has ever happened to him.]
What...? [But they're still in a combat zone and so he reaches for where he'd seen Itachi last to lay his hand over his wrist. He doesn't know what's going on, but if he can't open his eyes, they should probably retreat for at least the moment.]
（ wei ying's hand closes on his wrist and itachi uses the tether to tug him along. they are beside a large stone building, but it has a flimsy door — likely for the service staff to remove garbage from the establishment. he shoulders it down, mouth turned down faintly at one corner, unhappy at the force required of him to accomplish so small a task.
then they are into the dark, and the brief lull of relative safety.
having to wait for his eyes to adjust to the dark is an irritant. the effort involved in shoring up the door another. but he is not nearly so mired in bleak thought as he might have been had anyone but wei ying received his birthright. he, at least, will respect it — and trust itachi. ）
You have my chakra, （ he tells wei ying as he works. ） And my abilities. The sharingan will be unpredictable for you, and if you trigger Amaterasu accidentally it will burn what it touches to ash. There is no counterplay to it that any member of the crew possesses. You could destroy the city without adequate training.
（ he rips a band from the hem of his shirt, and then: ）
I'm sorry. I cannot let you return to the fight for now, my friend. I will blindfold you for now and transfer a document to your earpiece, instructions. Once you've read them, you may remove it.
[The more Itachi speaks, the starker the shock written across Wei Wuxian's face. He wants to protest his inability to return to the battle, argue that he can just use hand-to-hand combat and ignore the hum of power singing through his body (and dancing behind his eyes.) If it were anyone but Itachi, he would. If he knew less about Itachi's abilities, he might. As it is he frowns, looking like he wants to protest, but he bites off any remarks before they can pass his lips.
He takes a deep breath and nods, only a little reluctance coming through.
There is no one he trusts more in the world and these are Itachi's abilities, not his own. This is the sharingan, capable of near impossible feats of destruction and deception, and Itachi is right. He doesn't know the first thing about keeping it under control. He lets out a slightly irritated grunt.]
This had to be the orbs. [The people shouldn't be capable of something like this. He freezes then, a thought occurring.] Do you still have your chakra?
（ he ties the blindfold over wei ying's eyes gently. there is a tenderness to the gesture despite how broadly utilitarian it is, he is mindful of the man's long hair, and his fingers brush his cheek just slightly. no one else would warrant such a gesture from him.
that done, he takes a moment to concentrate. putting clear instructions down in his mind that align to the principles of cultivation is not difficult, but it takes him longer than it might otherwise. when he is finished, they are sent to wei ying. he would trust no one else with this power, either — in fact, had most anyone else among the crew gotten his abilities, he would have already pulled their eyes from their sockets. not to be cruel, but to prevent cruelty. wei ying alone can possibly control it. ）
Read that. I will monitor the network — perhaps such a thing has been encountered by the others.
[Before Wei Wuxian begins reading, his hand lands on Itachi's again to hold his attention for a moment longer.]
Do you have—can you feel resentful energy inside of you? [He trusts the man has felt it often enough to recognize it if he does. That being said, if they have switched abilities, he isn't worried about Itachi's ability to handle resentful energy cultivation. It's hardly the same as the sharingan.]
（ he falls silent a long moment. the absence of chakra is like a physical ache, and he came to its absence unprepared. it takes him — time, to dredge up the faint wisp of resentful energy. once he has paid it mind, it becomes a roaring and notable presence within his body. ）
Okay. I'll...I'll read this and then talk you through what to do. It's pretty simple. [Nothing like Itachi's powers.] But it'll help to know what to expect.
[If nothing else, he should prepare him for the voices and the way they try to rile his mood. Itachi's level of self-discipline means there's nothing to worry about but he shouldn't let him go in blind. (Ha.) Then with a light squeeze to Itachi's hand, he releases it to begin focusing on the instruction Itachi has given him.
And boy is it a lot of instruction.
Some of it comes as no surprise, describing abilities Itachi has already made him aware of, if from the perspective of a user. Others like Amaterasu are new to say the least. He pales as he studies that one, resisting the urge to tug the blindfold a little tighter. A fire that can't be put out. He's reminded sickeningly of what they'd done in Forsythe Heights. He won't be responsible for another disaster like that one.
In the midst of the instruction, the chakra keeps humming inside of him, his body brought back to life in a way he never thought he'd feel again. If he allows himself to think about it, he might end up crying, so he pushes the feeling of wholeness aside, and ignores the horrible knowledge that when it fades away again, the loss will feel fresh. Right now, he needs to focus on learning everything Itachi has set out for him and that's what he does.
When he's reviewed it again, he finally asks, voice quiet] Anything on the network?
[He snorts. If his eyes were open, he'd have rolled them.]
Alright. [He can only assume it's temporary then, if for no other reason than because it's what he chooses to believe.]
I've read everything and I understand how to keep the Sharingan deactivated. [As he says it, he double checks that he's done as Itachi explained, squinting his eyes open beneath the blindfold and sighing in relief when the red haze has finally gone.]
Do you want me to keep this on? [He gestures towards the blindfold.
He can. He's trained blindfolded before and with the chakra inside of him so similar to spiritual energy as to be indistinguishable, he knows his senses will be heightened enough to manage it.]
You are the only man I have ever met I would trust with the Sharingan, Wei Ying.
（ not a thing lightly said. but he means it. ）
If you believe you can control it with what I have told you, you may remove the blindfold. If there is an ounce of doubt in you, keep it and I will remain here to protect you.
[The thing is, maybe he can. He's pretty confident he can with the instructions Itachi has lain out for him and with his absolute lack of desire to even consider using it. He'd likely be okay to remove the blindfold.
It's his track record that holds him back.
He had been confident before. He'd been sure of his ability to remain in control. (And even now, even with the new knowledge that his loss of control hadn't been what he'd been led to believe, the feeling will live in him always.)
He reaches up with both hands to find Itachi's face and pulls him close for a brief, chaste kiss. It isn't the sort of thing he'd ever do in the midst of battle usually, but he makes an exception. (It may very well be their last fight together.)]
I can fight with it on. I know you'll have my back. [His hands drop and he offers him a crooked smile. Then he pulls Chenqing from his waistband and presses it into Itachi's hands.]
Manipulating resentful energy is much the same as spiritual, or your chakra, the difference is it has a mind of its own—several minds in fact. Music is the conduit to speaking with them. It isn't about force—not usually at least—it's about communication.
You don't have to call on the dead, the energy will serve as a raw force. And if you do want to call on them, call on the recently fallen. They'll be the easiest to work with.
Play a note and draw the resentful energy out of yourself, or the flute. The spirits in Chenqing may resist you more depending on how this changing of powers has worked, but they'll still listen.
（ wei ying leaves the blindfold in place, and kisses him, and itachi —
takes the flute and tucks it into his clothing. he has watched this man play music a thousand times, with the sharingan. to press the notes and the image and the music into his memory. he does not have wei ying's natural skill as a musician, but he has its very near imitation and he is confident in his ability to manage it for no other reason than how close that study has been, how confident he is in the sharingan's capture of every movement.
he studies his companion, his closest friend for a long, long moment. and then he reaches up and tugs the blindfold down. because he knows the genesis of the uncertainty, and that it is not — something that wei ying owes him, or deserves to carry in himself. he should not have phrased it as he did. ）
Wei Ying. （ he murmurs softly. ） It should not be about your trust in yourself. All that matters is my trust in you. You will not fail, my love.
[Wei Wuxian lets out a soft noise of protest, his eyes still closed, and after a moment he opens them slowly. His vision is fine, the red haze remains gone, but he keeps his gaze focused on his feet for a long moment before finally looking up. Itachi believes he can do this. His cheeks color lightly at the open affection his partner is usually so careful to reserve for when they're in private and he nods.]
Okay. [It's an easier thing to trust in Itachi's confidence than it is himself. He swallows hard and reaches up to push an escaped strand of hair away from Itachi's face.]
There's one more thing you need to know about resentful energy. It shouldn't be a problem for you, but I don't want it to come as a surprise.
It'll speak to you. Not as someone living, it isn't that clear, but it will sound like a chorus of voices. Mostly they'll ask for vengeance. Sometimes they'll try to make you upset. And they'll try to influence your feelings. You'll feel them trying to push you to anger. [He fixes Itachi with a half smile.]
They aren't very strong, it's nothing to be concerned with.
（ he is not ignorant to the way that, in his darker moments, wei ying has looked to things that aren't there. has canted his head towards sounds that itachi cannot hear. ）
I have been aware for some time. I will manage them adequately.
（ he tilts his head into the touch, letting wei ying fuss at his hair. ）
Come. If you feel adequately prepared to fight, the battlefield will benefit from our skills. （ a beat. then: ） We have not discussed killing at any length, but — it is easy, with my power, to use takedowns that are not lethal. I will not begrudge you killing our opponents if it is necessary, but I would prefer you did not. I...
（ he trails off, not entirely certain if he can breathe the words at the back of his tongue into being. instead, he lifts his eyes to wei ying's, meets his eyes. ）
[Wei Wuxian's feelings about killing are nowhere near as complex as Itachi's. He has killed on missions before. Never casually, always out of necessity, but there were other options in some of those instances. (He hadn't felt they were warranted.) But with Itachi's powers and with the look on his face, it is an easy thing for Wei Wuxian to nod solemnly.]
I won't unless it is the only way to preserve a life. And with your powers, I don't think it'll be necessary. [He lets his hand rest on Itachi's cheek for just a moment before lowering it.]
I have no interest in taking lives in this conflict at all. [There is no clear right or wrong, no villain, no oppressor. It's a painfully grey battle that can't have a true winner and he has no desire to contribute to the bloodshed.]
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A waste to live pt 2
Instead they spend their time helping non-combatants reach safety and guiding the more vulnerable or injured out of the fight. They aren't strictly staying together for most of it—there's no real reason to—but their paths have crossed a few times and they stay in communication.
But not taking a side doesn't mean staying entirely out of the fight. More than once, Wei Wuxian has found himself on the other end of a blade, and he's had to fight or use a talisman to slip away. He's just maneuvered a few children out of the heat of battle and gained the attention of a pair of attackers when he catches sight of Itachi in his peripheral again. He's about to make his way closer when he feels a brief spark of pain in his temples behind his eyes. It isn't strong, but it's surprising, and he manages to slip down an alley to get out of the heart of the fight. He presses a hand over his eyes to sooth the dull ache, and then removes it to blink steadily at the ground.
There's a red haze over his vision that he can't seem to blink away.]
no subject
his visual acuity drops to baseline levels in an instant, and itachi — bereft of the stability offered by chakra at his feet — suddenly stumbles where he'd intended to step.
he does not have time amidst the press of thronging battle to reason out what's occurred. he looks to wei ying, where he last saw him — and the space is empty. what grips him then is not fear, but the cold and driving press of necessary action, and he makes his way to the spot. the loss of his powers would not be so pronounced in his friend, and so if it happened to hit both of them at once —
one person attacks him, and itachi fends them off deftly with his sword, disarms them and kicks them firmly into an unmoving heap, and that's when he catches sight in his periphery — the flash of a familiar red that draws the eye. the sharingan, staring back at him as wei ying looks up.
itachi drops his gaze instantly away. not a loss, then. a transfer? and the man will have no concept of how to use the sharingan, nor comprehension of its full and absolute power. ）
Close your eyes. （ his voice is a commanding crack. ） You may harm me otherwise.
no subject
His hand rises to rest over his lower dantian and he inhales sharply.
Not a golden core, not exactly, but there's something inside of him that wasn't there before. Something not unlike spiritual energy flowing through his long emptied meridians. In all of their missions so far, nothing like this has ever happened to him.]
What...? [But they're still in a combat zone and so he reaches for where he'd seen Itachi last to lay his hand over his wrist. He doesn't know what's going on, but if he can't open his eyes, they should probably retreat for at least the moment.]
no subject
then they are into the dark, and the brief lull of relative safety.
having to wait for his eyes to adjust to the dark is an irritant. the effort involved in shoring up the door another. but he is not nearly so mired in bleak thought as he might have been had anyone but wei ying received his birthright. he, at least, will respect it — and trust itachi. ）
You have my chakra, （ he tells wei ying as he works. ） And my abilities. The sharingan will be unpredictable for you, and if you trigger Amaterasu accidentally it will burn what it touches to ash. There is no counterplay to it that any member of the crew possesses. You could destroy the city without adequate training.
（ he rips a band from the hem of his shirt, and then: ）
I'm sorry. I cannot let you return to the fight for now, my friend. I will blindfold you for now and transfer a document to your earpiece, instructions. Once you've read them, you may remove it.
no subject
He takes a deep breath and nods, only a little reluctance coming through.
There is no one he trusts more in the world and these are Itachi's abilities, not his own. This is the sharingan, capable of near impossible feats of destruction and deception, and Itachi is right. He doesn't know the first thing about keeping it under control. He lets out a slightly irritated grunt.]
This had to be the orbs. [The people shouldn't be capable of something like this. He freezes then, a thought occurring.] Do you still have your chakra?
no subject
（ he ties the blindfold over wei ying's eyes gently. there is a tenderness to the gesture despite how broadly utilitarian it is, he is mindful of the man's long hair, and his fingers brush his cheek just slightly. no one else would warrant such a gesture from him.
that done, he takes a moment to concentrate. putting clear instructions down in his mind that align to the principles of cultivation is not difficult, but it takes him longer than it might otherwise. when he is finished, they are sent to wei ying. he would trust no one else with this power, either — in fact, had most anyone else among the crew gotten his abilities, he would have already pulled their eyes from their sockets. not to be cruel, but to prevent cruelty. wei ying alone can possibly control it. ）
Read that. I will monitor the network — perhaps such a thing has been encountered by the others.
no subject
Do you have—can you feel resentful energy inside of you? [He trusts the man has felt it often enough to recognize it if he does. That being said, if they have switched abilities, he isn't worried about Itachi's ability to handle resentful energy cultivation. It's hardly the same as the sharingan.]
no subject
Yes.
no subject
Okay. I'll...I'll read this and then talk you through what to do. It's pretty simple. [Nothing like Itachi's powers.] But it'll help to know what to expect.
[If nothing else, he should prepare him for the voices and the way they try to rile his mood. Itachi's level of self-discipline means there's nothing to worry about but he shouldn't let him go in blind. (Ha.) Then with a light squeeze to Itachi's hand, he releases it to begin focusing on the instruction Itachi has given him.
And boy is it a lot of instruction.
Some of it comes as no surprise, describing abilities Itachi has already made him aware of, if from the perspective of a user. Others like Amaterasu are new to say the least. He pales as he studies that one, resisting the urge to tug the blindfold a little tighter. A fire that can't be put out. He's reminded sickeningly of what they'd done in Forsythe Heights. He won't be responsible for another disaster like that one.
In the midst of the instruction, the chakra keeps humming inside of him, his body brought back to life in a way he never thought he'd feel again. If he allows himself to think about it, he might end up crying, so he pushes the feeling of wholeness aside, and ignores the horrible knowledge that when it fades away again, the loss will feel fresh. Right now, he needs to focus on learning everything Itachi has set out for him and that's what he does.
When he's reviewed it again, he finally asks, voice quiet] Anything on the network?
no subject
（ only wei ying would catch the dry annoyance to his tone. ）
It seems it is occurring to other members as well. Likely to do with the orbs, then.
no subject
Alright. [He can only assume it's temporary then, if for no other reason than because it's what he chooses to believe.]
I've read everything and I understand how to keep the Sharingan deactivated. [As he says it, he double checks that he's done as Itachi explained, squinting his eyes open beneath the blindfold and sighing in relief when the red haze has finally gone.]
Do you want me to keep this on? [He gestures towards the blindfold.
He can. He's trained blindfolded before and with the chakra inside of him so similar to spiritual energy as to be indistinguishable, he knows his senses will be heightened enough to manage it.]
no subject
（ not a thing lightly said. but he means it. ）
If you believe you can control it with what I have told you, you may remove the blindfold. If there is an ounce of doubt in you, keep it and I will remain here to protect you.
no subject
It's his track record that holds him back.
He had been confident before. He'd been sure of his ability to remain in control. (And even now, even with the new knowledge that his loss of control hadn't been what he'd been led to believe, the feeling will live in him always.)
He reaches up with both hands to find Itachi's face and pulls him close for a brief, chaste kiss. It isn't the sort of thing he'd ever do in the midst of battle usually, but he makes an exception. (It may very well be their last fight together.)]
I can fight with it on. I know you'll have my back. [His hands drop and he offers him a crooked smile. Then he pulls Chenqing from his waistband and presses it into Itachi's hands.]
Manipulating resentful energy is much the same as spiritual, or your chakra, the difference is it has a mind of its own—several minds in fact. Music is the conduit to speaking with them. It isn't about force—not usually at least—it's about communication.
You don't have to call on the dead, the energy will serve as a raw force. And if you do want to call on them, call on the recently fallen. They'll be the easiest to work with.
You already know all of my talismans.
Play a note and draw the resentful energy out of yourself, or the flute. The spirits in Chenqing may resist you more depending on how this changing of powers has worked, but they'll still listen.
no subject
takes the flute and tucks it into his clothing. he has watched this man play music a thousand times, with the sharingan. to press the notes and the image and the music into his memory. he does not have wei ying's natural skill as a musician, but he has its very near imitation and he is confident in his ability to manage it for no other reason than how close that study has been, how confident he is in the sharingan's capture of every movement.
he studies his companion, his closest friend for a long, long moment. and then he reaches up and tugs the blindfold down. because he knows the genesis of the uncertainty, and that it is not — something that wei ying owes him, or deserves to carry in himself. he should not have phrased it as he did. ）
Wei Ying. （ he murmurs softly. ） It should not be about your trust in yourself. All that matters is my trust in you. You will not fail, my love.
no subject
Okay. [It's an easier thing to trust in Itachi's confidence than it is himself. He swallows hard and reaches up to push an escaped strand of hair away from Itachi's face.]
There's one more thing you need to know about resentful energy. It shouldn't be a problem for you, but I don't want it to come as a surprise.
It'll speak to you. Not as someone living, it isn't that clear, but it will sound like a chorus of voices. Mostly they'll ask for vengeance. Sometimes they'll try to make you upset. And they'll try to influence your feelings. You'll feel them trying to push you to anger. [He fixes Itachi with a half smile.]
They aren't very strong, it's nothing to be concerned with.
no subject
（ he is not ignorant to the way that, in his darker moments, wei ying has looked to things that aren't there. has canted his head towards sounds that itachi cannot hear. ）
I have been aware for some time. I will manage them adequately.
（ he tilts his head into the touch, letting wei ying fuss at his hair. ）
Come. If you feel adequately prepared to fight, the battlefield will benefit from our skills. （ a beat. then: ） We have not discussed killing at any length, but — it is easy, with my power, to use takedowns that are not lethal. I will not begrudge you killing our opponents if it is necessary, but I would prefer you did not. I...
（ he trails off, not entirely certain if he can breathe the words at the back of his tongue into being. instead, he lifts his eyes to wei ying's, meets his eyes. ）
no subject
I won't unless it is the only way to preserve a life. And with your powers, I don't think it'll be necessary. [He lets his hand rest on Itachi's cheek for just a moment before lowering it.]
I have no interest in taking lives in this conflict at all. [There is no clear right or wrong, no villain, no oppressor. It's a painfully grey battle that can't have a true winner and he has no desire to contribute to the bloodshed.]
Ready?