Well, of course you don't. I don't see why you're trying, now. [ Souma's definitely amused, now, and his grin straightens a little as it widens. This is great. He's so cute and flustered, now, and while he doesn't really think much before he says things, he definitely teases with intent a lot of the time.
Rather than taking advantage of it, he lowers his sword when Takumi backs off. He doesn't sheath it - he's an idiot, but not a complete idiot - and instead he just stands at rest, relaxing his stance and continuing to hold his mask delicately so that it won't suffer any damage. He might not like it too much, compared to his actual face, but it's still his. ]
[ takumi catches onto the tease for what it is--he scoffs, embarrassed and flustered, but slowly his grip loosens a little and he lowers his sword as well. it's not that he trusts yukihira (that would be ridiculous), and he keeps it at the ready, but low and to his side.
he lifts his nose a little when he explains, too, blue eyes narrowed as if it could stop him from seeing all the things he's seeing. ] To block humanity out.
[ ...but it's impossible to do that, especially right now. souma's like a catalyst, and everything around him seems a little brighter for it, from the foliage to the moonlight falling on both of their heads. it's only the stars that feel far away.
takumi's gaze flicks to the mask, and he challenges back: ] Why did you take it away?
[ Cute. And funny. Souma laughs a little as he scoffs, though it's certainly far from mean. Everything about him is amused but calm, contained. It's different from when he's fighting or cooking, all raw energy unleashed like a wildfire. Instead he's a little more placid, at ease and without worries. Admittedly, he does drop his eyes to his blade for a second before he looks back up at his face, because even he won't forget a challenge or the bite of a sword.
The answer he gets isn't one he quite understands, though. His head tilts and his grin fades, making him look more thoughtful. He takes in a breath, before puffing it out in a small huh.
And then he lifts the mask up, holding it over his face with his fingertips light on the bottom of it. He doesn't press it down to wear it, but still covers it, mirroring the very face that wore it only moments ago. As if giving him an example of what he was seeing, before. ] Because I could see your eyes, for a second. And it made me want to see the rest of you.
[ He doesn't lower it, but he does adjust it so that his gold eyes catch the light of the moon, making them visible the same way he saw blue for that split second. ] Do you want it back?
[ the first feeling takumi gets from that is a sense of wrongness, so violent it practically wrenches through him. takumi has no reason to feel any attachment to yukihira at all--he's a target--but the very idea of him covering up his humanity with the mask, that barely seeing barely moving barely knowing beauty of humanity just feels wrong.
it's startling, like a magnet sort of pulling into place. that's wrong instead of that's what I have to do. it's like he's seeing himself for the first time, really, reflected in the pale white surface of his mask.
takumi forces himself to fake an inhale, but it feels more real than usual. like something had just stolen the very breath from his lungs, the nonexistent thing that keeps humans (that keeps yukihira) moving.
he wants to say yes. he says: ] I don't know.
[ and there's nothing fierce about it. he sounds unsure, a little suspicious. maybe a little lost. what the hell is happening? ]
[ Souma doesn't lower the mask right away. He waits for the answer, and then he keeps holding it up a little longer, letting Takumi see exactly what the rest of the world sees when they look at him. It's peculiar, he thinks, that this person would wear a mask when they shouldn't have a reason to. To keep humanity out?
Isn't everyone human, inside? Even some of the strange youkai and yosei he's met have been human, at heart, and he can't say that he would ever consider them less than a person in their own rights. So what makes these ethereal people, beautiful and fierce, any less human?
He lowers the mask, holding it out with the face nestled in his palm again. Aldini could cut off his arm easily with the way he has it extended, but there's no fear or doubt in his expression. Simply quiet desire, interest, all of it keen and intent and honed to a fine point like the sharpness of his katana. ]
Everybody has a choice. You shape what you are, you fight for what you believe in. [ He smiles. ] And that's what makes you human.
[ takumi's quiet for a long moment as he holds out the mask. he could take yukihira's arm off like this. humans are delicate, weak creatures--one strike can send them to their doom. it's one of the reasons part of him bristles up at being compared, because takumi isn't like that. he's cold and shining, a star that can't go out unless it's extinguished, not sliced up like a hot knife through butter.
he's not human, but for the first time ever, he wonders what it might like to be one.
slowly, he reaches for the mask, and takes a step forward in the process. only takumi's fingertips touch the edge of the mask as he processes what yukihira tells him. you fight for what you believe in. what is that supposed to mean? he processes it with a little bit of annoyance, but...
takumi inhales, his brows furrowing just a little. ] I don't...know what I believe in.
[ because he doesn't. he knows he has his mission, he knows he cares for his brother beyond all life itself, but that's it. that's all that comes to mind, and that's what make takumi hesitate, his gaze flickering up to look at yukihira's face again. what is he fighting for, if he doesn't have anything he really cares about? who's shaping who he is?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Rather than taking advantage of it, he lowers his sword when Takumi backs off. He doesn't sheath it - he's an idiot, but not a complete idiot - and instead he just stands at rest, relaxing his stance and continuing to hold his mask delicately so that it won't suffer any damage. He might not like it too much, compared to his actual face, but it's still his. ]
But why wear the mask?
no subject
he lifts his nose a little when he explains, too, blue eyes narrowed as if it could stop him from seeing all the things he's seeing. ] To block humanity out.
[ ...but it's impossible to do that, especially right now. souma's like a catalyst, and everything around him seems a little brighter for it, from the foliage to the moonlight falling on both of their heads. it's only the stars that feel far away.
takumi's gaze flicks to the mask, and he challenges back: ] Why did you take it away?
no subject
The answer he gets isn't one he quite understands, though. His head tilts and his grin fades, making him look more thoughtful. He takes in a breath, before puffing it out in a small huh.
And then he lifts the mask up, holding it over his face with his fingertips light on the bottom of it. He doesn't press it down to wear it, but still covers it, mirroring the very face that wore it only moments ago. As if giving him an example of what he was seeing, before. ] Because I could see your eyes, for a second. And it made me want to see the rest of you.
[ He doesn't lower it, but he does adjust it so that his gold eyes catch the light of the moon, making them visible the same way he saw blue for that split second. ] Do you want it back?
no subject
it's startling, like a magnet sort of pulling into place. that's wrong instead of that's what I have to do. it's like he's seeing himself for the first time, really, reflected in the pale white surface of his mask.
takumi forces himself to fake an inhale, but it feels more real than usual. like something had just stolen the very breath from his lungs, the nonexistent thing that keeps humans (that keeps yukihira) moving.
he wants to say yes. he says: ] I don't know.
[ and there's nothing fierce about it. he sounds unsure, a little suspicious. maybe a little lost. what the hell is happening? ]
no subject
Isn't everyone human, inside? Even some of the strange youkai and yosei he's met have been human, at heart, and he can't say that he would ever consider them less than a person in their own rights. So what makes these ethereal people, beautiful and fierce, any less human?
He lowers the mask, holding it out with the face nestled in his palm again. Aldini could cut off his arm easily with the way he has it extended, but there's no fear or doubt in his expression. Simply quiet desire, interest, all of it keen and intent and honed to a fine point like the sharpness of his katana. ]
Everybody has a choice. You shape what you are, you fight for what you believe in. [ He smiles. ] And that's what makes you human.
no subject
he's not human, but for the first time ever, he wonders what it might like to be one.
slowly, he reaches for the mask, and takes a step forward in the process. only takumi's fingertips touch the edge of the mask as he processes what yukihira tells him. you fight for what you believe in. what is that supposed to mean? he processes it with a little bit of annoyance, but...
takumi inhales, his brows furrowing just a little. ] I don't...know what I believe in.
[ because he doesn't. he knows he has his mission, he knows he cares for his brother beyond all life itself, but that's it. that's all that comes to mind, and that's what make takumi hesitate, his gaze flickering up to look at yukihira's face again. what is he fighting for, if he doesn't have anything he really cares about? who's shaping who he is?
no one. not even the rest of the heavens above. ]