[The returned tug gets just the shortest, dry laugh out of him. If anything, it makes him all too aware of how... easily, actually, their bond - because it is a bond, whether they'll admit as much or not - allowed them to shove aside burning anger to replace it with a honed focus.
Though as they walk, as the irritation starts to build once more, and as the path begins to branch in innumerable directions, he does pause for a moment, gives a little tug on the chain between them so Sanemi doesn't find himself yanked back unexpectedly.]
...Sanemi. I can't map this place.
[His uncanny echolocation bullshit isn't working, which tells him their breathing styles are unlikely to work, even if they find a weapon. As if it isn't already bad enough.]
[ A part of him is bitterly unsurprised by the revelation. That would have made it far too easy, wouldn't it? Not that they were helpless without their techniques, but having access to them would have been real fucking useful right about now.
Sanemi's hand flexes in his cuff. Impatience – anger – an abruptly keen edge of despair all thread through the connection. He barely resists the urge to slam his free fist against the wall. ]
Tch. Fucking figures. We should just keep heading in the same direction.
[Far too easy. Hell, if they had their abilities, it would be tempting to find a way to go back into the maze after getting Sanemi out - if he could map it out, he could get anyone trapped out quicker than any danger could overtake them.
Without abilities...
Impatience. Anger. He steps closer to Sanemi and takes his hand for a moment, gives a reassuring squeeze instead of a bratty tug on their chain.]
Hoping all roads lead out sooner or later?
[That sounds too convenient, but... maybe it could be true, if it's magic keeping them trapped and not logic.]
[ That budding anger fizzles out the moment Tengen takes his hand. The despair remains. In the same breath that Tengen considers diving back into the maze to map it, Sanemi is intent on getting Tengen out as soon as humanly possible. There are far too many unknown variables. The last time he had been in a situation like this was the Infinity Castle.
That despair sharpens. Sanemi's brow furrows in the dark. ]
... or that the right hand rule could apply here. But they likely wouldn't make it that damn simple.
[That sentiment - the intent to get the other out as quickly as possible - is shared, even without any magical bonding. Sanemi wants him out. He wants Sanemi out. Anything else can come later.
Despair is the sharpest feeling, and it's not one that Tengen can do much about, given his own misgivings about their situation. When would the other shoe drop? What would come to meet them?]
Or it is that simple and it's about to make it impossible to follow it.
[ A wild part of him is tempted to laugh. This is probably the most open they've ever been with one another and it's being forced by a literal chain. Maybe, after everything, he ought to stomach the idea that he should have an actual conversation with Tengen about... everything.
A sense of foreboding wars with an equally strong sense of anticipation. Sanemi clicks his tongue. ]
[He'd always been somewhat of the mind that openness would come... eventually. Giyuu had already begun to relax, fall into civilian life easily after everything. Sanemi... would be more difficult, surely, but there was time. All they had left was time, until...
Well.
With everything on pause here, maybe the issue would be forced sooner than they ever anticipated.]
Nope. We keep moving until we find some kind of weapon. Maybe one of these roots will seem loose if nothing else.
[...If only he knew that finding weapons was the beginning of the end, so says the event prompt.]
[ Maybe! Or maybe the constant state of danger that they were more or less in would keep that tongue firmly tied. Other than with the obvious. Proposition was fine, but talking about your feelings? Hell no.
Whatever sharp-tongued quip was about to leave his lips abruptly withers the moment the ground starts to shake in earnest. Regardless of whatever was approaching, it was large. And Sanemi gets the distinct sense that they didn't want to linger to find out what that something was.
Sanemi moves to the right wordlessly, wholly anticipating Tengen will follow. He keeps his hand pressed against the wall to guide him down the path he had communicated. ]
[Proposition was, in fact, one of the better ways to avoid talking about feelings! Ask him how he knows! Or maybe don't!
It would seem the labyrinth has an answer for them in the form of a rumbling, of dirt shaking from the walls and ceiling, of something urging them forward, for better or worse. Tengen does follow Sanemi's directions easily - they'd communicated them already, after all, and with their link, it was easier to allow instruction to bleed into focus instead of conflict.
If he tells himself it's like a mission, maybe that can be a ward against the sense of impending doom.]
[ It is an incredibly lucky thing they can both be quiet when needed; Tengen exceptionally so. The fact that they are able to make it away from the seemingly massive, encroaching monstrosity unscathed allows a faint trickle of hope to spill into the back of Sanemi's mind. Now if they could only get their hands on their weapons.
Not that that wouldn't pose a challenge of its own, given how their good hands are tethered together. They would simply have to address that when the time came.
Sanemi is uncertain how long they walk in tense silence. He is equally uncertain of how much progress they are actively making. The maze is confounding even at the best of times and dizzying at the worst. It is only his hand on the wall that keeps Sanemi from becoming confused about which direction he is actively walking in.
Except: fate seems to smile on them, eventually. A room opens up to their right and, when Sanemi naturally turns down it due to the placement of his hand, their weapons can be found within. Sanemi does not question why the powers that be would allow them the opportunity to recover both simultaneously, in the moment. He merely wordlessly appreciates their good luck! ]
[Hope... hope is dangerous. Hope allows them to get sloppy, allows mistakes to trickle in one by one...
But at the same time, Tengen isn't about to squash it in Sanemi. So let him have hope. He'll take it and double back ruthless pragmatism over the bond and, hopefully, they won't be caught unawares.
Even if it feels as though they're making no progress. Even if it seems, at times, as though they're doubling back on paths already taken. Surely they're not, if the occasional new twist or open cavern is any indication, but perhaps that's simply magic playing tricks on them.
...Or perhaps not.
A room opens up, grants them their weapons, and while Sanemi appreciates their luck, Tengen is immediately put on edge. A terrible mix of emotions between them.]
[ That feedback loop feels – strange. The ruthless edge of Tengen's emotional subconscious shoved up against Sanemi's is distracting. He supposes that is part of the point. Throw one another off their game, forced to contend with conflicting emotions and perceptions. It does serve to quiet his own optimism as they creep along, at any rate. It also gives him a renewed appreciation for Tengen's efficiency.
That inherent respect is part of the reason that Sanemi pauses long before he mindlessly closes the distance from the entrance to the room to their weapons. That distrust is like sandpaper against his skin: not directed at him, not entirely, but harsh all the same.
Would it not be better to take the risk, trap or not? Surely their reflexes and instincts were honed enough, capable enough, of preserving them from most manners of surprise threats. Sanemi strongly doubted they could be caught wholly unawares, dark, dank maze or not.
He crosses his arms over his chest, mildly uncaring of how it tugs at their tether. ]
Could be. What, you wanna pass 'em by? No fucking way.
[He does have a point... he doesn't want to pass them by, but he doesn't trust them just... being there either.
He also does trust their reflexes for getting them out of dodge, but he would trust them more if they weren't tethered together - considering they'd be just as likely to trap one another in place by trying to dodge in opposite directions...]
Yeah, no fucking way... I'd assume we have one shot, though, so... straight through, here to the other door, I'll keep pace with you and we grab with our good hands.
[There's that ruthless pragmatism, that sandpaper again. If they miss... he could probably be convinced to take another pass, sure, but at the moment this feels. Safe-ish. A risk worth taking.]
[ Sanemi is unconcerned about missing. They were both performing far more involved maneuvers than merely plucking up their weapons going far faster, and for a far greater distance.
Tengen's overwhelming caution is starting to rankle. If asked why it was bothersome, though, Sanemi isn't sure he'd have an answer. Had the former Sound Hashira always been this careful? His fighting style and his demeanor both had led Sanemi to assume a hint more recklessness. Chucking bombs that close to your own body implied at least a level of carelessness.
Or was this because he was chained to Sanemi? Irritation twinges at the back of his mind. He didn't need to be coddled by anyone, let alone Tengen.
[That's the thing about his fighting style - it was flashy, over the top, even reckless... on the surface. But at its core, Tengen knew his limits, what he could and could not do - there was room for flashy recklessness in that. But with someone else so close? Someone he cared deeply for?
No room for mistakes. No space for carelessness.
He wouldn't call it coddling... but the other man very well might. So be it. He'll coddle and he'll weather the ensuing annoyance.]
[ Sanemi will have time to examine the emotion that threads between them at a later date. Or, maybe not, since they were a beautiful bouquet of idiots far better at swallowing the difficult feelings! Only time would tell what the labyrinth would manage to wrest out of them before their time in it was done.
Without further ado, Sanemi breaks into a sprint from their tense standstill. He has little doubt that Tengen would be able to maintain pace – he was faster, after all.
Once he is within arm's length, he reaches out to grab his weapon. ]
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sticksandbones2026-05-01 12:05 pm
no subject
Though as they walk, as the irritation starts to build once more, and as the path begins to branch in innumerable directions, he does pause for a moment, gives a little tug on the chain between them so Sanemi doesn't find himself yanked back unexpectedly.]
...Sanemi. I can't map this place.
[His uncanny echolocation bullshit isn't working, which tells him their breathing styles are unlikely to work, even if they find a weapon. As if it isn't already bad enough.]
no subject
Sanemi's hand flexes in his cuff. Impatience – anger – an abruptly keen edge of despair all thread through the connection. He barely resists the urge to slam his free fist against the wall. ]
Tch. Fucking figures. We should just keep heading in the same direction.
no subject
Without abilities...
Impatience. Anger. He steps closer to Sanemi and takes his hand for a moment, gives a reassuring squeeze instead of a bratty tug on their chain.]
Hoping all roads lead out sooner or later?
[That sounds too convenient, but... maybe it could be true, if it's magic keeping them trapped and not logic.]
no subject
That despair sharpens. Sanemi's brow furrows in the dark. ]
... or that the right hand rule could apply here. But they likely wouldn't make it that damn simple.
no subject
Despair is the sharpest feeling, and it's not one that Tengen can do much about, given his own misgivings about their situation. When would the other shoe drop? What would come to meet them?]
Or it is that simple and it's about to make it impossible to follow it.
no subject
A sense of foreboding wars with an equally strong sense of anticipation. Sanemi clicks his tongue. ]
So what would you suggest? You got a better idea?
no subject
Well.
With everything on pause here, maybe the issue would be forced sooner than they ever anticipated.]
Nope. We keep moving until we find some kind of weapon. Maybe one of these roots will seem loose if nothing else.
[...If only he knew that finding weapons was the beginning of the end, so says the event prompt.]
no subject
Whatever sharp-tongued quip was about to leave his lips abruptly withers the moment the ground starts to shake in earnest. Regardless of whatever was approaching, it was large. And Sanemi gets the distinct sense that they didn't want to linger to find out what that something was.
Sanemi moves to the right wordlessly, wholly anticipating Tengen will follow. He keeps his hand pressed against the wall to guide him down the path he had communicated. ]
no subject
It would seem the labyrinth has an answer for them in the form of a rumbling, of dirt shaking from the walls and ceiling, of something urging them forward, for better or worse. Tengen does follow Sanemi's directions easily - they'd communicated them already, after all, and with their link, it was easier to allow instruction to bleed into focus instead of conflict.
If he tells himself it's like a mission, maybe that can be a ward against the sense of impending doom.]
no subject
Not that that wouldn't pose a challenge of its own, given how their good hands are tethered together. They would simply have to address that when the time came.
Sanemi is uncertain how long they walk in tense silence. He is equally uncertain of how much progress they are actively making. The maze is confounding even at the best of times and dizzying at the worst. It is only his hand on the wall that keeps Sanemi from becoming confused about which direction he is actively walking in.
Except: fate seems to smile on them, eventually. A room opens up to their right and, when Sanemi naturally turns down it due to the placement of his hand, their weapons can be found within. Sanemi does not question why the powers that be would allow them the opportunity to recover both simultaneously, in the moment. He merely wordlessly appreciates their good luck! ]
no subject
But at the same time, Tengen isn't about to squash it in Sanemi. So let him have hope. He'll take it and double back ruthless pragmatism over the bond and, hopefully, they won't be caught unawares.
Even if it feels as though they're making no progress. Even if it seems, at times, as though they're doubling back on paths already taken. Surely they're not, if the occasional new twist or open cavern is any indication, but perhaps that's simply magic playing tricks on them.
...Or perhaps not.
A room opens up, grants them their weapons, and while Sanemi appreciates their luck, Tengen is immediately put on edge. A terrible mix of emotions between them.]
Careful. It could be a trap.
no subject
That inherent respect is part of the reason that Sanemi pauses long before he mindlessly closes the distance from the entrance to the room to their weapons. That distrust is like sandpaper against his skin: not directed at him, not entirely, but harsh all the same.
Would it not be better to take the risk, trap or not? Surely their reflexes and instincts were honed enough, capable enough, of preserving them from most manners of surprise threats. Sanemi strongly doubted they could be caught wholly unawares, dark, dank maze or not.
He crosses his arms over his chest, mildly uncaring of how it tugs at their tether. ]
Could be. What, you wanna pass 'em by? No fucking way.
no subject
He also does trust their reflexes for getting them out of dodge, but he would trust them more if they weren't tethered together - considering they'd be just as likely to trap one another in place by trying to dodge in opposite directions...]
Yeah, no fucking way... I'd assume we have one shot, though, so... straight through, here to the other door, I'll keep pace with you and we grab with our good hands.
[There's that ruthless pragmatism, that sandpaper again. If they miss... he could probably be convinced to take another pass, sure, but at the moment this feels. Safe-ish. A risk worth taking.]
no subject
Tengen's overwhelming caution is starting to rankle. If asked why it was bothersome, though, Sanemi isn't sure he'd have an answer. Had the former Sound Hashira always been this careful? His fighting style and his demeanor both had led Sanemi to assume a hint more recklessness. Chucking bombs that close to your own body implied at least a level of carelessness.
Or was this because he was chained to Sanemi? Irritation twinges at the back of his mind. He didn't need to be coddled by anyone, let alone Tengen.
He clicks his tongue. ]
Fine.
no subject
No room for mistakes. No space for carelessness.
He wouldn't call it coddling... but the other man very well might. So be it. He'll coddle and he'll weather the ensuing annoyance.]
Good. Go when ready.
no subject
Without further ado, Sanemi breaks into a sprint from their tense standstill. He has little doubt that Tengen would be able to maintain pace – he was faster, after all.
Once he is within arm's length, he reaches out to grab his weapon. ]