[Open] I believe we're gonna make it through

[canofmanji]

Who: Manji and you
When: May
Where: On the train
Summary: TDM train prompts Manji is having trouble adjusting to how fast the train moves. Then gets spooked in the dark.
Warnings:  hallucinations, nyctophobia

TRAINING WHEELS OFF

At first Manji was intrigued and excited to see another part of this world. To experience what travelling on a train might be like, not that he showed any of that excitement on the outside. Packing a light bag that mostly contained what weapons he had and a change of clothes he was right on time to board the train.

It didn't take long for that excitement to turn into a regret he did wear on his face for all to see. Mostly because he couldn't hide the way his face was turning green as the train continued onwards. "Too fast." He murmurs. Keeping his eyes locked on the floor and trying not to look out the window. The outside world flying past much too fast for the man from the 18tj century. "How are we moving so fast?"

Fearful Tunnel Syndrome

While not the most superstitious man alive, Manji does try to hold his breath at first as they enter the tunnel. Reasoning that it was just to pass the time and not because he believed in the wish. Even if he already knows what he would wish for.

Not that he lasts for the length of the tunnel. Gasping in surprise as all the lights go out. Instinctively he reaches for the blade he never returned from his fight with Katie that ADI let him use. Expecting it to turn on and provide a bit of light, but it too remains dark. "Shit! Piece of junk!" He can't see a thing. How is he supposed to know what to swing at?!

"What's that?!“ He nervously shouts when he hears the tapping at the windows. Turning to face the sound with his blade still out. Prepared to swing if anything should touch or grab him in the dark.

Misc

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Fearful Tunnel Syndrome

[whisperedone]

He's stood up from where the seat he'd settled in when they first started out, the drastic change in light noticeable to one eye, at least. It's the nervous murmurs that have him on edge far more than the lights going out. Nervous people made foolish mistakes in their tension.

Of course, the tapping sound has him jumping in his skin as well. It sounds like glass which means it's on the windows. The windows in the dark in the speeding train. Manji's familiar voice and presence draws him over with a desire to help sooth his friend, even if there were no words he could think of that would help, he still wants to try.

He reaches out to where he expects Manji's shoulder to be based on the height of his voice. "Nothing that can get us..."

[canofmanji]

There is a clear jump from Manji when he's touched, but he's trained enough to keep himself from lashing out wildly.

"Until you hear a clink or smash." He growls in the dark. Body tense and ready for an attack. He swivels a little as if trying to figure out which direction an attack will come from. "Or they slip through the doors I've seen people opening up."

[whisperedone]

Well, he couldn't argue much with that. They could very well end up victims eventually. Still, fearmongering was unkind.

"Those doors are locking sometimes...besides, if I could barely find you nearby, I imagine trying to find a door right now would be difficult. Take a deep breath and let it out slow, my friend." Never in a hundred years would he tell Manji to let his guard down, but vibrating with it wouldn't help either.

[canofmanji]

He hears another scratch at the window. Manji's head snaps toward the sound. Growling low in his throat that he can hardly see a thing in this darkness. How does Garner do this everyday?!? "Just how long is this damn tunnel!?"

[whisperedone]

Garner’s hand tightens briefly, his face turning up at the sound as well. “Too long, surely…”

He wasn’t especially well-versed in subterranean travel, but this still felt far too long. Besides-

“My larger concern are the lights…they should not have gone off for being underground, I think.” He pauses, but decides to voice his new thought. “This reminds me of Dunn.”

[canofmanji]

"Yeah, and this sword I have is suppose to help fight her." Garner might hear the way Manji swings the blade. It slices smoothly through the air as he's not swinging it in the manner of an attack. More like he is trying to get something to happen. "It's suppose to light up, but it's not working."

cw: mild self-harm

[whisperedone]

That...that is another thought he hadn't considered. It wasn't worth the try before, but suddenly it's all he feels he can do as his hand seeks across Manji's chest to his other shoulder and down to the hand holding the blade. His fingers wrap around Manji's wrist as he bring his other hand up to find the blade.

"Hold a second." Garner runs the back of a finger over the blade, pressing just enough against it to draw blood to wet the edge. He doesn't reach for much, just a flicker of light rather than the full breadth of his Maledict, and waits.

"What about now? Anything?"

[canofmanji]

"What are you doing?" He hisses as Garner runs his hands over him. Not fighting against it as he assumes his roommate has a reason, but wanting to know what was happening.

"Is your blood suppose to light up a room or something?"

[whisperedone]

Garner huffs in mild frustration. "Yes."

It's a simple explanation for what he can do, but ultimately it's a good enough answer. Clearly, it just didn't work.

All at once, he lets go and pulls his hands back, the one he'd cut going up to his mouth so he can suck at the small cut.

"We'll simply have to wait it out. What do you usually do when you're scared?"

[canofmanji]

"Kill something." Is his instant answer. His head whipping towards more scratching he can hear on another window.

"But I'm not scared." Says the liar. "I can't die. So there's nothing for me to be afraid of." Except for pain. Lots of pain. "What about you? You scared? What do you do?"

[whisperedone]

Well...a fair answer, he had to admit. Kill the thing that scared you usually solved the problem, but not here.

"Of course not." He responds simply to the declaration that Manji wasn't scared. Just like Garner wasn't.

"I typically try not to be. Fear is a choice...not in feeling it, but what you do with it. I try not to let it rule me as I would hope not to let any other emotion rule me."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "That said, when I do feel it and it's a lot...I personally try to keep the tenants of the god I follow in mind. It helps. That or the tenants of the order I serve."

[canofmanji]

"Being afraid gets nothing done. I'm much more a man of action." Manji tenses once more, jerking towards a new sound he can't fully identify. "I don't believe in gods. If they're real then I bet they're all bastards. But you go ahead and think about those laws or whatever your Gods demand."

[whisperedone]

Garner flinchers more for Manji's movement than the sounds around them, not that it can be seen in the dark.

"They seem to have me more calm than you at the moment, my friend..." He offers it gently, not meant to be judgement, but observation.

"Perhaps a mantra of a sort, then? The words and meaning themselves don't have to be religious, it could be anything. An old code or a saying or...ah...what do people count when they're falling asleep? Something like that."

[canofmanji]

"You want me to meditate?!“ He practically screeches at the other man. Muscles tense - was that glass breaking? No, he's hearing things. It wasn't broken, was it? “Now of all times?! Yeah, don't think so."

[whisperedone]

Garner flinches again. "Please don't raise your voice, it only makes your state worse and mine difficult."

Nevermind meditate wasn't quite what he meant, more like...calm down, but that seemed less likely now.

[canofmanji]

"I'm not raising my voice!" He snaps in a raised voice.

Then he almost immediately follows that up with a quick and calmer: "I'm not raising it that much."

[whisperedone]

"It's enough." His response is dry and he follows it up with a sigh.

"I don't mean meditate, I simply mean find your focus enough to keep your calm. Being scared is fine, but being frantic causes mistakes."

[canofmanji]

"I AIN'T SCARED!" He snaps angrily. Mad at the very correct observation. "And I ain't frantic. If I was frantic then you would have lost your arm already!"

[whisperedone]

He blinks and takes a breath, refusing to respond so quickly. "Then why are you so angry?"

[canofmanji]

"Because I don't like being toyed with." With that he actually takes a couple steps in the direction he remembers the window being in. "And this feels like something getting its rocks off by playing around with us." He goes slow so Garner can stay close if he wishes to. That and honestly Manji isn't sure exactly what he was going to do when he reaches the area the noise is coming from, but he's tired of standing, frozen in fear.

[whisperedone]

Well...that was fair. Garner couldn't blame an answer like that. Manji moves and Garner follows his steps, keeping his keen hearing out for the both of them as Manji headed towards...the window?

"I have your back." He sincerely hoped the other man wasn't thinking of opening the window, but Garner would still keep at Manji's side either way.

[canofmanji]

Manji is at least sane enough not to open the window. For now. Instead he taps the tip of his blade against the window. Something responds by banging back against the glass. Garner will feel the way Manji jumps again at the noise.

"What you think? Open the window and I slice whatever it's head off when it tries to come in?"

[whisperedone]

Garner jumps a bit too and his grip on his glaive tightens. He doesn't like this...for so many reasons. The idea of opening the window even less.

"What if several come in all at once? Twenty grasping hands you can't see coming for your face? Or to drag you out with it..."

[canofmanji]

"Then I'll chop all of their heads and hands off before they can drag me out." Simple right?

[whisperedone]

"Manji...I don't think-" He can't quite finish the thought or even his attempts to come up with an idea of what to do, before his right eye picks up the sudden shift in lighting around them.

He can only assume the lights either came on or they exited the tunnel or both, but he still hesitates, ears straining to hear any more tapping.

Instead, there's just voices raising and people moving and Garner feels all the more disoriented for it. "Ah...maybe your threats scared away the dark."

[canofmanji]

The return of the light is a surprise to Manji as well. Causing him to jump and blink as his eye rapidly try to adjust. "Wha--" He stares out at the completely empty window. "What the hell? There's nothing there!" He's not sure if he's thrilled to not have to face whatever it was that they heard or angry that he lost his chance to prove himself in battle.

[whisperedone]

Garner sighs in some relief and turns to feel for the line of chairs so they can head back.

"Right now." He offers back. Just because nothing was there now didn't mean there hadn't been before.

"I'm willing to accept this as a good thing for now, aren't you?"

[canofmanji]

"Yeah. I suppose." That is what Manji says, but it's clear he sounds incredibly disappointed. He had been afraid and couldn't even attack something to make him feel better. "I'm going to go check the rest of the rooms."

[whisperedone]

"I'm certain there will be more to fight when we get there." Garner tries to offer some flicker of hope, at least, but checking on others and in other places was a good idea.

"Just watch your back."

[canofmanji]

"And I'll watch yours too for you." Was that a blind joke? It might be.