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Argenti sighs, resting his head on his hand. He'd known it would be a big weight off his shoulders, but that it would be a weird talk to have. He's a Knight of Beauty, how come he feels like this?
It's much more nuanced, in reality.
He's been caught in his thoughts more often ever since meeting the Astral Express crew. He's been thinking of his path, wondering what he's doing. Logically, he knows: He is beautiful.
But when he looks in the mirror, he sees a different type of beauty from theirs. And he's found that he wants to be beautiful like them.
March's voice breaks him out of his thoughts. "So… You don't see yourself upholding your own idea of Beauty, but… Why come to us about it?"
"Because I think you both fit the ideal perfectly." Argenti explains once again, not seeing the point when he's gone over it just a minute ago. He wants their help to feel beautiful, because they're beautiful .
"I got that, but, uhh…" March starts, but trails off, getting lost in her words.
Stelle, however, had picked up on March's question. "Why us? Why not Dan Heng? Or Welt? Why not ask a guy about it."
Stelle had started this talk much more relaxed, cracking a joke or two, but as it progressed, their tone had shifted and their gaze had grown worried. It reminded him of the day they met, where it was the same situation. Jokes here and there, but they'd grown fond of him over time, not hesitating to show worry even in their support for his plan, asking if they'd meet again almost like a promise.
Lost in his memories again, his face slowly moves to the side, facing the mirror on March's wall. Stelle's eyes follow his gaze, even though they're unable to see what Argenti does.
"I don't feel… They…" Argenti trails off, an uncharacteristic gloomy tone that had made itself familiar recently, as he thinks about the answer. "They both fit the ideal, too, but… Not my personal ideal."
"It's interesting that you have your own Beauty Code." Stelle says lightheartedly and stands in front of the redhead, tilting his face up by his chin. "You can tell us more about it, if that would help."
Argenti still looks upset, his eyes and mouth slightly downturned, but filled up with adoration as his eyes scan Stelle's features. His own ideal of beauty…
He has not yet stopped to wonder about his Aeon's appearance. He is aware of the speculations, but how could he ever try to define beauty.
He doesn't know what he finds most beautiful, but looking at the trailblazer's silver hair, golden eyes, and charming features, he feels almost wild enough to guess . To reach .
And when it comes to himself… He wishes he could be just like them. He knows he'd go for it in a heartbeat if only it was possible. He wants to be beautiful . Beautiful like he sees in the universe around him, he wants to see it in himself.
He can hear the girls' voices talking, and he thinks he hears his name a few times. But it's nothing he can stop to wonder about, because Stelle keeps looking at him as they talk to March, and he thinks he might be hypnotized.
Suddenly, Stelle crouches down to his height, touching his shoulders.
"You're pensive today" they observe. "Here, March is gonna try something on you."
Stelle lets go, and March sits in front of him, giving him gentle instructions to close his eyes, look up, down, tilt his hair slightly to the side… He follows them mindlessly, still lost somewhere as he wonders how to achieve beauty for himself. He wants to trust their judgement, and when March goes to apply contour on his neck (for some reason he can't quite figure out yet), Stelle's fingers guide his face up again.
"I think you're gonna like this." They say when their eyes meet, and he thinks about nodding, but can't with his face being held.
"Okay, I think I'm done." March gets up, and Stelle gently tilts his face back, letting him look in the mirror.
And when he does, he snaps.
He reaches forward, getting his face closer to it, almost unable to believe his reflection.
It's him.
It's obviously him.
But it's… Not him.
It's not the sight Argenti has grown used to seeing.
It's… Something he's been yearning to see, without even knowing. It's the closest it's ever been to feeling right.
"Do you like it?" March asks, and he knows it's mostly to get him back with them, because his reaction says everything.
"I think she does." Stelle says, a smile on their voice. He turns to look back at them. "Hm? Do you not like being called that?"
"I just never considered." It's what he has to say. It's different from what he knows, and there might be a road of tries and changes ahead, but he's finally started to feel beautiful .