[ Nor does he have any for when that selfsame warmth and familiarity is turned on him. The unexpected praise along with the casual use of his first name has his breath stuttering in his chest in his surprise, gaze held and caught in warm amber. Without even realizing it, the grip on his sword eases and the tension in his frame unwinds; an implicit trust in both what he's perceiving and Rika's judgement made manifest in the gradual relaxing in spite of his shock. Whoever Mumei is, he is not a threat.
Too many questions crowd on his tongue, yet the one that manages to actually escape and tumble past the confines of his lips is: ]
For me...?
[ Really not the question he should be asking, but he's still reeling so maybe it can't be helped. Dumbfounded, feeling lost and distinctly out of step, he watches as Rika obligingly sets Mumei down to allow him back his freedom of movement after a final gentle (for her) squeeze. ]
no subject
Too many questions crowd on his tongue, yet the one that manages to actually escape and tumble past the confines of his lips is: ]
For me...?
[ Really not the question he should be asking, but he's still reeling so maybe it can't be helped. Dumbfounded, feeling lost and distinctly out of step, he watches as Rika obligingly sets Mumei down to allow him back his freedom of movement after a final gentle (for her) squeeze. ]