Note: informal1fandom challenge, third/gamma prompt set.

Covered: 1-10 – walk, beauty, catch, speak, lack, mine, lack, while, youth, stay.

WALK (1)

The black sway of her hips, darker needle - "Walk with me," but Rugi has no coin to give, bruised smiles, tip of nails, and when he's backhanded for the (Second? Third? Tenth?) murder of his party, Asakura shan't rip his fingers: A whore licked those clean and a whore took the blow.

BEAUTY (2)

Hot off the hammer, balance strained, vein purple-ripe-tense, "It's mine," and Shoutaru 's hold wavers as false father's heir, mere spare, "It's everything," and he cradles the village's blunt sword close as hope, brimming blinks, perfection.

CATCH (3)

Afterwards, the first time he sees fucking ("copulation"'s new word, "intercourse" a plague), Gentarou curses the timing, the people, the slight, and his eyes – and if it happens anew, he'll claw all three, if it happens anew, he'll tear his hair out; he has run too fast for dreaming, too far dreading escape.

SPEAK (4)

A mountain of people and a mainland of graves, yet crossing one bridge at swordpoint leaves them breathless, shallow, slight, sly and listening.

LACK (5)

"Outta wine," croaks the first man whose blood runs thick, fast, queasy, rusting already Shoutaru's sword when Gentarou's goes unsheathed, "Out of luck."

MINE (6)

Literacy's the afterthought when post is privilege won through forfeit: the offending hand is what Gentarou bites, cleaning shy teeth after with the back of his hand, the end of his sleeve, the frail tips of parchment, scrolls too stylized for answer, too inked for reading but reeking as His.

LAUGH (7)

"Hah. Haha. Hahahhaha," it's practised, shallow, broken and thespian - Shoutaru laughs quickly, promises work; in the back of wide eyes, Gentarou's hatred is staring.

WHILE (8)

They consult three oracles, rekindled auspice in tow: shadows, ashes, paint bowls, ofuda; in betwixt, Asakura spits candles to their death and pockets sacred salt for his dinner.

YOUTH (9)

Shoutaru is a pleasant child, stands on ceremony and limitations; Rugi-sama asks nothing, inclines his head, and dismisses with the wisdom of cunning, not age.

STAY (10)

It is ill omen to look as Asaji does, upon rhetoric as ruin, upon life as commerce, upon belonging as birthright; it is worse luck that no one stays his hand from the sword, breaks his fall.