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130bladeworks2015-04-29 02:09 pm
kbcctv) wrote in 130bladeworks2015-04-29 02:09 pm
corruption au meme
 The Sword Army pursues the Retrograding Army through history, encountering familiar settings and reliving old memories. Though strong, with every change in time and setting, the swords dread the old memories. As they fight to preserve history as it is meant to be, the Sword Army must steel their hearts and resist temptation lest they come to fight themselves…  |
| A popular fan theory is that the enemy swords you fight are actually your swords from an alternate universe who wished to change history. For this meme, feel free to make up your own starters or use one of the prompts below. Remember to state if your character is corrupted, not, or if you have no preference. |
PROMPT IDEAS 1. How could you let this happen? They wanted to be left alone, their mood was poor, and maybe you should have noticed the signs but now that you have, it’s too late. They can’t stop these thoughts in their head and something in their soul has turned dark and ugly. Is it too late? Maybe you can get through to them… if not, are you ready to draw your sword? 2. Possession. Even the smallest trace of doubt can attract them— evil spirits. Once the dark spirit has latched on to your soul, it takes over and consumes you. Maybe the possession is gradual or maybe it happens suddenly. All you know is that everyone has regrets and anyone can doubt… this could happen to anyone. 3. Cry Wolf. We fought the same battles and shared the same meals together so it was only natural that we would be considered allies and friends. The fateful moment approaches and suddenly it is revealed: One of you is not a true friend. There is a traitor among you. 4. Becoming your own enemy. Your mission is to go back in time and let things happen as they were meant to be but their fall into despair was never supposed to happen, right? And so you went back in time to prevent their misfortunes but you keep failing again and again until, this time, you think you’ve got it. This time, you’ll be able to save your friend - but will you be able to save yourself too? 5. Reborn again. When destroyed in battle, the sword disappears only to return again anew. You can’t choose the fate you’re born with though and this time, someone has returned… from the wrong side. |
INSPIRATIONS There are some corruption fanart floating around Pixiv, as well as a FST made by Aki ( fletrir). Other canons with similar themes to this meme are first and foremost Puella Magi Madoka Magica, as well as Shin Megami Tensei and other demonic-theme heavy series. |
Original premise and coding was done by
eskimo, image taken from here.
here we go
Nights recently had been exceptionally hard on the tachi. He would constantly toss and turn in his sleep, unable to put his thoughts to rest. And more times than most wake up in a violent and cold sweat. Thoughts of their battles, of the bloodshed, and constant anxiety for the future. Was what they were doing really alright? Could they really change the future? What if they failed?
What if they abandoned him?
Yet as morning came along he would bear the same smile he always did, even while he could feel his insides ripping themselves apart. He knew he had to fight this, but some part in the back of his mind was telling him just to give up. What harm would it cause, anyway? These people, these weapons, he was better off without them.
It was with these thoughts that Mikazuki had kept an unreachable hold on the hilt of his sword body. One part of his mind wished to unsheathe it and let loose on the entire Citadel, while the other held the sword in attempts to keep it in place.
... But how long would that hold? ]
Kogitsunemaru-san...? [ It was by his wandering through the area that he had stumbled upon a cracked door, and through it's small opening could see a faint outline of the fox.
The words came out like a whisper, almost as if felt like he was intruding on something very important. Yet the more he watches, the more his dark colored eyes fazed over the kneeling figure. Mikazuki began to slowly take notice of the sword that had been placed by his side.
So... he was not the only one, it would seem. ]
May I light a lantern? It is far too dark to see anything in here...
my body is ready
What a mockery his life has become.]
Don't!
[It comes out as a snarl, low and almost growling and Kogitsunemaru didn't mean to. It's not Mikazuki's fault he's become like this. It was his own weakness which allowed the little worm to slip inside and foster inside of him.
And from that worm, something dark and poisonous and vicious will grow. It's only a matter of time now. It's already begun to hatch.
Taking a deep breath to get his increasingly short temper under control, Kogitsunemaru shakes his head.]
Do whatever you want, Mikazuki-san.
[He tried to put his usual mirth into the voice, tried to make it sound as if nothing is wrong. But there is an off chord to it and Kogitsunemaru can't even bring himself to care.]
I am not ready
The outburst visibly startled the tachi at first, eyes widening in the slightest and even jolting half an inch at the rising of his voice. The more he watched, the more he heard the other's voice, the more it became apparent to him that the downfall had already begun.
Whatever this was... it was slowly eating away at all of these swords. His precious friends-
He had wanted to retaliate at first; the hand that was gripping his sword body could have just as easily been drawn at the very moment. His hand could have moved then, slicing the other more vulnerable sword clean in half. He could have thought that as a threat. Why shouldn't he take action otherwise?
But the better half of Mikazuki forced himself to calm down, still retaining the smile he had almost come to wear. Yet this time it was a little different. There was something pinched against the curves of his lips that resembled something far darker.
But he wasn't going to give up. ]
Then I shall. [ He's a bit quiet after that. Movements slow and stalking as he works his way to the other side of the room to light the lantern on the far corner. It was then that he could see Kogitsunemaru's sword far more clearly, and further suspicions were confirmed. ]
... That sword of yours. Have you— [ No, he wasn't going to say anything just yet. But he would like to know what was happening. Perhaps there was some meaning behind all of this that Mikazuki had not been aware of. ]
—are you alright?
no subject
All the better to eat him with.
Carefully, kogitsunemaru wets his lips with his tongue before returning Mikazuki's smile easily and if the sharp canines look bigger than they usually do, it's a trick of the flickering lantern light. Probably.]
What do you think?
[There is nothing malicious about Kogitsunemaru's tone, only mere interest. He does genuinely want to know Mikazuki's opinion on this entire situation. He is one of the oldest swords after all and...
Kogitsunemaru's thoughts take a sharp turn and his back straightens abruptly, attentive and watchful. There is something in the air around Mikazuki. Nothing tangible. Nothing he can actually grasp. And he couldn't smell it at first because it's such a familiar thing that he didn't notice that is wasn't clinging to his own sword body.
Kogitsunemaru's tone when he next speaks up, sounds quizzical.]
What about you? Are you alright?
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Perhaps his seal, too, was being broken. ]
....
[ For the fox's response, Mikazuki had no real answer to. He had hoped there would be some sort of reassurance, a hope in his voice to say that whatever was going on would simply pass. ... Yet it was never that easy, was it? The presence he felt in this room, the tension and otherworldly force causing these thoughts to swirl around in his head, it was something not easily broken from. Those flames would be set out to seek and destroy.
Those flames that were heading in Kogitsunemaru's direction. ]
No. I do afraid I am not.
[ His tone is calm, almost well beyond the point of eerie. Yet when the tachi finally turns to face him fully, the light of the dim lantern flickering against his pale face, the view of something else give way to the last bit of strength he tried to conceal.
His blade was drawn, yet not met without some sort of resistance. His hands were shaking. He could feel some other force keeping his fingers well gripped on the handle of his sword body. Unwilling to move, unwilling to bargain.
Yet through all the inner struggling, the facial expression plastered across the tachi's face remained the same through his uncertainty. ]
I will ask this of you only once— leave now.
[ It will then his hand was forced up, a shaking and timid mess, pointing its sharp edge between Kogitsunemaru's eyes.
Please. ]
no subject
Kogitsunemaru's eyes crinkle as a smile stretches over his face. It tears at the corners of his mouth and somewhere in the room, his sword body creaks under the pressure of the change. Something green forms on Kogitsunemaru's lips only to fall away in flakes to reveal too cracked, too dark skin.
He leans forward, not minding the sharp sting between his eyes or the blood dripping from the wound. The string of pain makes something laugh wildly in Kogitsunemaru's chest and he reaches up without hesitation, wrapping his fingers around the sharp blade body. He squeezes and feels the life rush out between his fingers, smells the familiar tang of iron. Cloth rustles as Kogitsunemaru rises, his own sword gripped loosely in his hand.
He wants to let the laughter out, wants to reach out and press his thumbs against Mikazuki's beautiful eyes until--]
No.
[There is a whirlwind of conflict inside of Kogitsunemaru, laying waste and crumbling everything into dust. He can't tell anymore if he doesn't want to leave because he doesn't want Mikazuki to turn out like him, because he remembers his friend. Or if it is because he wants to ravage Mikazuki, tear him limb from limb and swallow down the pieces.
Or because the idea of joining Mikazuki and murdering his precious friends sounds so delightful.]
I will not leave.
[And the madness dims in Kogitsunemaru's eyes as he lets go of Mikazuki's blade. It's not easy, his fingers unfurl only slowly, the digits a shaking, bloodied mess.]
I think I'm in good company. Ri-ght, Mikazuki-san?
no subject
Perfect.
Mikazuki can only watch in mild horror as the blood begins to trickle down his sword body. It causes his limbs to jolt at first, only then to grow stiff and rigid. But while his own human body was attempting to fully grasp what had just played out in front of him, his sword body was only pulsing with excitement.
It had taken many a foe down with a swipe of this blade. It had been covered and stained with blood from many. Never before had it felt the warm liquid of someone he was so close to. A comrade... a friend.
This was not enough. He needed more. To see the liquid flow from his body and leave bright red puddles that the tachi could dance over.
Kogitsunemaru had given the only preview Mikazuki really needed in order to snap. ]
The only company you are suited for is with the dead.
[ He raises his sword at this point, allowing the blood once clinging to the blade to begin its trail down the steel.
There was no more hesitation aside from the slight shiver of his palms or the occasional twitch in his arm. His eyes burned just as the flame behind him had—
—and then the blade strikes downward, the direction veering to cut the man's body clean in half. A quick, and hopeful painless death. ]
no subject
A clang fills the air as Kogitsunemaru raises his blade to block. The sharp noise seems to hum through the air, vibrating and twisting like a living snake between them. There is a wild look on Kogitsunemaru's face and sharp, ugly chortling fills the room as his arm shakes with the effort of keeping Mikazuki's blade locked into place. He needs to put his injured hand up as well, (and it's not healing, it should be healing but he is already too dirtied and gone for that little trick to work anymore) pressing it against the dull edge of his blade body.
And then he pushes.
Mikazuki is strong. And with the changes running through his body, he is stronger yet still. The small deciding factor is that Kogitsunemaru is aided by the same twisting, winding changes. And he has height and weight on his side.
With more force than necessary, he slams Mikazuki's blade to the side and doesn't even bother striking with his own sword, eyes focused on Mikazuki's pale, exposed vulnerable throat-
All the better to stain his teeth with.
It's at the last second that Kogitsunemaru remembers-
Mikazuki sitting on a pillow, a cup of tea in his hands and he laughs so pleasantly, like there is nothing greater than watching sakura petals fall-
The hand going for Mikazuki's throat slams into the wall behind him instead and Kogitsunemaru follows, crowding into Mikazuki's space, snarling and snapping and not yielding to his every instinct.]
Ugly. You're so ugly, Mikazuki-san, so hideous and disgusting. You reek.
no subject
He was certain, however, that the blow of his defenses would leave room for near casualties as his back had been thrown to the wall. ... And yet none of them seem to have come.
There's a chuckle now. A dark rumbling settling into the man's throat and practically dancing off of his lips. He seems to paid no mind to the sudden distance that was captured between them. In fact, he almost seems delighted. ]
Then will you be the one to rid this world of such an eyesore? Ah, Kogitsunemaru-san...
[ Both hands are raised at this point. And rather than remove the other tachi from the enclosed space, rather than snip and lash out to him... he touches him. Small, slender hands cup either side of the fox's cheeks as if to fully admire his snarling features. Finger move then, gentle and caressing as one thumb inches to gently stroke his jawline.
His eyes are dark, sinister, yet there seems to be something else behind it all. Almost struggling and pulling to get the other's attention.
A plea? ]
You, on the other hand, are truly beautiful. Never have I seen one look so captivating covered in blood.
[ Mikazuki leans in further now, quick to close the small amount of space they had between them just moments before. His head arches up, whispering dangerously close to his ear:
Help me. ]
Shall we see what the rest will look like in red?
no subject
It's the second comment which gets Kogitsunemaru to guide his attention back to Mikazuki's face, the way his lips move and Kogitsunemaru shivers because-
Blood. He wants it on his hands, on his face, on his tongue. He craves it, desperately and a snarl of approval curls parts his lips again. His teeth look sharper than before, more pointed and dangerous and ready to tear, ready to devour.
help Mikazuki
Low, rumbling laughter falls from Kogitsunemaru's lips and his voice dips low.]
Yes. Let's.
[It feels right to bring their heads together, nuzzling Mikazuki's cheekbone in a mockery of affection. There is something alluring about seeing Mikazuki this unhinged, this driven and careless. Would Kogitsunemaru see the long, fine cracks on Mikazuki's sword as well as his skin if Kogitsunemaru were to look closer?
His fingers shake, strain against the flesh holding them together as Kogitsunemaru reaches up, tucking the long strands framing Mikazuki's hair behind his ear-
And then snatching Mikazuki's wrist in a hold so hard that Kogitsunemaru's fingers are shaking. And while Kogitsunemaru's eyes stare at his own gesture with incomprehension, there is a flicker behind them. The flicker of reason and awareness and quiet, desperate strength.]
Mikazuki-san. Do-- [--not. But why not? Why shouldn't they? It would be so satisfying and ugly and perfect.
Why can't he see out of his right eye anymore?]
no subject
—But then an unexpected force.
The sudden jerk of his wrist causes the tachi to wince in the slightest, and what was to turn into a recoil had only allowed a part of the back of his mind to open... and then his eyes to do the same. Clear blue orbs widen and began to shake upon gazing into the other's eyes. Those perfect, beautiful eyes he had the pleasure to look upon each and every day. There was a look of uncertainty- fear.
... and then they suddenly grew damp.
Fluttering long lashes quickly became soaked with the salty liquid as those orbs once representing the sky had crashed and collided with the sea.
Yet that smile, that beautiful smile, had closely remained the same. It was smaller this time, and rather than clinging to the unhinged corners of his lips, it quickly dropped into soft and gentle curves. It was almost as if his smile was crying, too.
Reality was beginning to sink in, and the gateway to the rest of his senses was only enough space to see through with one eye. That eye, which held a pleading look only conveying one sentence:
Please kill me. ]
K... Kogitsunemaru-san. I— [ —I am sorry. So sorry.
And then his free hand moves at that moment, taking hold of the forearm which held his other limb captive, and shoving against it. Allowing the force of his quick blow to free himself from the strong hold.
He stumbled back, quickly regaining any sort of footing he had lost from the blow. And there, right there, his eyes finally tear itself away from those eyes- those beautiful eyes- to the floor where his sword body had rested.
Mikazuki was once again armed. The sword in his hand was no longer beautiful. That gateway was beginning to close.
There would be no more hope. ]
no subject
The glimmer of the moon in Mikazuki's eyes had given Kogitsunemaru the tiniest seeds of hopes, dropping in tear shapes from his eyes but the ground they had landed on is barren and cold. There is no cultivating these fragile feelings, no matter how beautiful they are. And there is nothing ugly about Mikazuki, he is as clean and gorgeous as always and a shuddering breath leaves Kogitsunemaru-
That single breath-
And Kogitsunemaru reaches up to lick the blood off his hand. His red eyes are fixed on Mikazuki, the disgustingly brittle strong sword, tracing his movements with mad glee. Kogitsunemaru smirks, revealing a row of red, sharp, pointed teeth. There is not a single thing about them anymore which might resemble something human. With a leisure gesture, the bloodied hand goes up into Kogitsunemaru's hair, leaving more red stains on unmarred, pure white.
The relaxed gesture is betrayed by Kogitsunemaru's tense muscles and his watchful eyes. There is a coil in his chest just waiting to spring free, a predator through and through. He bends low, picking up his sword in one smooth motion and bringing it up into a fighting stance before he circles Mikazuki.
Waiting for the smallest mistake. Waiting for a misstep.
The gateway is closed. The door has closed in Kogitsunemaru's face and his eyes crinkle as the wide, wide grin splits his face.
He can't wait to see Mikazuki bleed out. Can't wait to see the strong, powerful blade bend and creak and shrivel up like a moonflower exposed to sunlight. Can't wait to see the life drain out of him because that means he's free, so free.
The wood beneath Kogitsunemaru squeaks in protest as he launched his body into the offense. It's all or nothing.
Mikazuki isn't alone.]
no subject
Please kill me.
H e lp me-
Both of these sentences tinker inside of Mikazuki. He's haunted by both, using what was left of his sanity to try and form the words corrently into coherence. But he knows this is not enough, he knows that willpower alone cannot save the two of them. Yet these two sentences, the ones that keep his feet planted on the floor, were even conflicting themselves. What would he give for this to all be over, to return to the way things were and know that Kogitsunemaru would still be smiling at him at the end of this?
No... he knew what he had to do. For himself, for the person he loved the most in this entire world-
-his body launched forward, blade angling easily in his hand and it drifts across Kogitsunemaru's own sword, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. Mikazuki had studied the fox's sword style; it was upfront, brute, and easily maneuverable. Though forceful, Mikazuki had speed and agility on his side to sweep past his offensive movements. And while both were matched in their sword strength, the latter would depend on who could strike who first.
This was no longer a simple spar... this was a duel to the death.
The tears that had pinched across his face had all but dried up, leaving a noticeable stream still attempting to hold on. Yet the look on his face differed greatly from the regretful frown which had only been there moments before. It was far more sinister now, with all the remorse and sadness that had consumed his being rushing out of his with every sword swipe.
This was for the best, no? For the others... for their Master-
The angle of his sword movements shifts now, one hand gripping the hilt at its very tip before swinging it in a complete circle. Allowing a large enough space between him and his opponent to leave a rather large gap should Kogitsunemaru not move fast enough. ]
no subject
He takes a step back to find his balance again and it takes all he has to retain anything close to rational thought. His emotions, kept in a shapeless bucket somewhere in his mind, are beginning to overflow. Mikazuki's cheeks still bear the marks of his sorrow openly, evidence for everyone to find and see. Kogitsunemaru's anguish can no longer escape and the part of him which still cares, which is struggling and fighting for something fruitless is in hysterics-
If he can just be a little stronger
If he could break through (the middle, one clean cut), Mikazuki could have a c h a n c e
Kogitsunemaru exhales quietly, red eyes filled with contempt at... What exactly? What Mikazuki has become? At his own weakness? At them both? No. At Mikazuki's feeble attempts of resistance.
But isn't that was he was craving all along? A battle like this. And Mikazuki is no weakling.
Sweet little tantous, sitting in a row. One follows the fox and is crushed with one blow
Mikazuki is a challenge. The lantern light makes him look to pretty, so ruthless and helpless and powerful. A sword befitting of the title of one of Japan's finest, most precious. His eyes used to be so clear, so alight with contentment and a certain mischief. His hands so gentle but firm and strong, lips forming a guileless smile as he looks up at -
Kogitsunemaru has gladly followed him into battle before but now. But now. Now all he wants is to devour and shatter and sully.
Something trickles down Kogitsunemaru's cheek. It smells sharp and tangy and it's iron, isn't it? His right eye is already done for, it feels swollen, like a fruit ready to burst. He's going to have to end this soon, doesn't he?
A pity. Toying with prey is the most enjoyable thing.
Kogitsunemaru inhales as he takes a sharp step forward, looking like he's ready to bring the blade down on Mikazuki's head.
Cloth rustles when Kogitsunemaru bends instead, attempting to pierce Mikazuki's side with the sharp, dark edge of his sword.
It feels better like this. Closer to the floor, shoulders hunched. More like the small fox he carries in his name but he can't protect Mikazuki like this the fox has no place here]
Care to dance, Mika-zuki-san?