Private Color History

[Zaiya Ceti]

The Oseon system
The Centrality
Outer Rim Territories
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Aris Noble

The shimmer of surprise rippled instantly over both Dr. Veronia and Dr. Iestyn Nova's skin. What began as a curious flush of magenta and gold in Veronia deepened into brighter, staccato pulses, while Iestyn's normally earthen tones brightened with streaks of vivid orange and flickering teal in eager fascination, unmistakably so. For a moment, they simply stared, and then turned toward one another in an unspoken exchange.

Their colors shifted again, like two sets of aurorae in parallel, winding and weaving in a rhythm only they understood. No words passed between them, but the exchange was dense with meaning. Zaiya could feel it like the hum in the air before a storm: not tension, but electricity.

"You bonded?" Veronia echoed, finally looking back toward Zaiya and Aris. Her voice had lowered just slightly, reverent, maybe even worried. "That's... highly rare. Particularly across species. Iestyn?"

Her partner gave a slow nod, his voice thoughtful. "There are only scattered mentions of Lovalla bonds forming with non-Lovalla, and none confirmed in modern studies. We always assumed it required a shared neurological or even chromatic resonance, something our biology inherently generates."

Zaiya's skin flared briefly with a nervous ripple of pink along her cheeks, soft and subtle but impossible to hide. She folded her hands in her lap for a moment, then reached for Aris's again, needing the grounding. The moment their fingers touched, her hues settled into soft rose gold and amber, and a faint, flickering silver glow dusted along her temples, still nervous, but steadier now.

"...Like Aris said," she murmured, eyes flicking up to the scientists, "it started only when we touched. But lately... I've been able to feel him, even when he's not right next to me. Just faintly. Like a shadow at the edge of my mind."

Veronia leaned forward, her magenta coloring deepening to a richer, more saturated hue. "Fascinating. That suggests a persistent resonance field... one that's independent of physical contact. Do you experience pain or disorientation when you're apart for long periods?"

Zaiya hesitated. "No exactly. But sometimes I get... off-balance. Feel as if something is off, not because we are separated,I think, but if something is bothering him. I don't know if it has something to do with the bond or just the Force then."

Iestyn turned to Aris, "What about you. You said you didn't feel the Force, so what is your experience like?"

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris routinely glanced towards Zaiya as she spoke. Little glances, as he was mostly trying to watch the other two more than anything else. How they interacted. Spoke without speaking. He wanted to figure out how much of it was something he could replicate himself. Not much was what he figured. He let out a sigh, mostly at the puzzle.

And that Zaiya could feel him when he was discomforted. He never hid anything from her if he could help it, but he didn't like the idea he could make her feel off at a distance like that. It was dangerous, wasn't it?

"When we hold hands like this, I can feel.. Everything. It's distant, but if she focuses on something I can feel it like she does, I think. It's hard to describe, but it's nice. Comforting, even."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

The Oseon system
The Centrality
Outer Rim Territories
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya listened with rapt attention to the Novas, her fingers loosely curled around the edge of the table, her bioluminescence a gentle, thoughtful amber. Her skin glowed faintly as her mind turned over everything they were saying, about resonance, bonding and unknowns that stretched wider than any star chart.

But Aris's quiet glances didn't go unnoticed. Not by Zaiya. Not ever.

Even if he said nothing, the faint tension that clung to him could be read by the Lovalla, and his soft sigh only confirmed it, a noticable shift of the hues over her rosy golden skin made it apparent with the ripple of bronze concern washing into gentle topaz-yellow. Then came his words, quiet and honest.

"When we hold hands like this, I can feel.. Everything. It's distant, but if she focuses on something I can feel it like she does, I think. It's hard to describe, but it's nice. Comforting, even."

A shimmer of pink warmed her cheeks, blending into soft blue, flustered affection. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, her eyes lingering on his.

Later, she promised silently. They'd talk about it. About that moment during the mission with Azzie. Whether it was the Force or the bond or both.

But not here. Not yet. That was something private for them to discuss.

By then, Zaiya returned her attention to Dr. Iestyn, who provided another slow, contemplative nod, "Then the bond may be active, but still stabilizing. We've theorized that a Lovalla's bioluminescent equilibrium could be affected by emotional dissonance in a bonded state."

The researchers quieted again, exchanging another glance, a slower one this time, shaded in a muted twilight swirl of violet and blue. Concern. A hint of caution.

Veronica tapped a finger lightly against the table. "There's no protocol for this, I'm afraid. No guidebook to say how to preserve such a bond, especially in the field, under Jedi discipline. But… there might be techniques you could develop. Meditation. Shared harmonics. Possibly even constructing a personalized crystal pairing."

Zaiya perked slightly. "Like a kyber resonance link?"

"Exactly," Iestyn confirmed. "It wouldn't replicate your natural connection, but it could help reinforce it. A supplemental bridge, especially when you're far apart. You'd both need to tune your crystals to one another, intentionally. And even then, we can't guarantee stability."

 

[Aris Noble]

Later.

It was odd, feeling it like this. Emotion was one thing to feel through their connection, but this was intent. Intent he understood. He flashed the kind of smile he knew Zaiya could at least catch. Later for sure they'd talk about what this all meant. When they had more information. It was why they were here after all. His gaze shifted to the pair, listening as the spoke.

And blinked.

A shared resonance, with something like Kyber? He couldn't really feel his lightsaber, but there was no denying he had a bond with the crystal within. Zaiya had shown him that. And the markings on his arm, the liquid metal that was able to shift under his influence. The bracer on the other wrist that had bonded to him.

"We could make a bridge for any distance, then. Something we can each carry so we always feel together? That would help a lot, I think."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

The Oseon system
The Centrality
Outer Rim Territories
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya turned her full attention to Aris, her mottled spots flickering with a soft, hopeful gold at the thought. A bridge. Something they could share. The idea made her heart lift, and the glow along her skin grew a little brighter, a little steadier.

A shared resonance! Perhaps something like what she'd learned about on Ukatis during Knight Corazona Von Ascania's imbuement class? The memory sparked a ripple of soft pink and bright teal across her arms.

"Yeah! Maybe we can see what would work? Knight Von Ascania might know more!" she said quickly, her voice bubbling with quiet excitement.
Aris would catch her excitement, too; she could feel it, even before she caught his small, knowing smile.

Later, they'd figure it out properly. But for now, the thought of creating something together, something that would keep them connected no matter the distance, was an awesome and hopeful thought Zaiya clung to.

 

[Aris Noble]

She already had a plan in mind. Aris smiled warm at that, watching as her eyes seemed to light up with interest and planning. Corazona von Ascania would have to be their next stop, but at the same time, they were still here. Still with Lovalla that Zaiya hadn't had the chance to properly interact with. He nudged her, just a bit. Encouraging.

"There's more you want to know, isn't there?"

He looked to the pair, giving them a little bow of his head. "You're the first Lovalla since her parents. I'm sure there's a lot more to know for her, right?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

The Oseon system
The Centrality
Outer Rim Territories
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya's skin shimmered softly, the golden glow of hope laced with threads of quiet vulnerability even as Aris gave her a gentle nudge of encouragement. She glanced between Aris then the Novas, musing a bit first before she gently let out a breath and looked up.

"Aris is right, could you tell me more about the Lovalla?" she asked, her voice low but steady. "What it means to be one?"

Her gaze dropped to her hands. Pale pink flickered across her cheeks and arms as she added, "I lost my parents when I was really young. I remember flashes, colors, and the connection, but not enough. And growing up at the University, I never really had anyone who could tell me where I come from. I still feel like there's so much I don't know."

There was a moment of silence, filled only by the distant hum of the station and the soft flicker of the Ossean nebula outside.

Then Veronica smiled. It was warm and luminous, and her bioluminescence glowed with a radiant bronze brushed magenta that pulsed gently with understanding.

"Of course, Zaiya," she said kindly. "I'd be happy to share anything we know. Especially for a young Lovalla who's growing into her own."

She reached across the table, her fingers brushing Zaiya's in a gesture that felt both maternal and encouraging.

"And this bond between you two, however it came to be, is rare. And precious. It deserves to be understood. If you'll let us, we'd be honored to study it further. Respectfully, of course."

Zaiya paused, considering, only to look over at Aris to see what he thought about it. She certainly didn't want him to feel uncomfortable.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris blinked at the question as it was directed to him to answer. Study them. Their bond. For a moment he wasn't sure what he felt, he just tightened his hold on Zaiya's hand. It was their bond, not something to study or explore for others. That was about how far his thinking went before the realization of what exactly he was thinking clicked in his head.

He wanted to keep it to themselves.

Possessive wasn't an emotion he was used to. Or one he even thought he would even feel to begin with. His smile returned as he inwardly chastised himself. It wasn't like when he woke up in the tube. They weren't looking to study something because it had to. They wanted to help. "If it can help her, help others, I'm more than fine with it. So long as it doesn't make Zaiya uncomfortable."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

The Oseon system
The Centrality
Outer Rim Territories
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya felt the subtle squeeze of Aris's hand before he even spoke, and while his words were calm, reassuring even, Zaiya could tell there was something more there by the tiniest tells in his expression. Light amber bloomed across her forearms and collarbones in thoughtful swirls, threaded with the faintest edge of soft grey along her temples.

She turned toward the Novas, her rosy golden skin glowing just a shade brighter, though a soft pink crept over her cheeks in the telltale signs of quiet embarrassment.

"I think I'd rather think about it first -- that we think about it," Zaiya said, her voice gentle but firm.

She glanced sideways at Aris, and her spots rippled with pale amber again, this time deepening into bronze over her shoulders, compassion and empathy pulsing just beneath the surface.

"Talk it over more with Aris. It's our bond and well…"

The pink across her face deepened, a warm blush blooming beneath her cheeks, flickering with a light aqua glow at her jawline, passionate about the connection even if she wasn't ready to hand it over to someone else for study, even if the Novas didn't mean harm.

"I do want to know more," she added, her voice quieter now but steady. "And maybe we can give you updates if things change... but for now... "

She smiled softly, her eyes glinting with sincerity as her glow steadied to a warm gold. "Just give us a little time. We'll see."

The Lovallas smiled, and as one, their color hues shifted and melted together.

"That is perfectly fine, Zaiya." Veronica replied. "And not too far from what a typical Lovalla would consider their bond to be."

A pause then the older Lovalla mused then gave her husband a knowing look that brought another ebb and flow of color hues.

"However, I do caution you... our biology... is unique. So please reach out to me if anything starts feeling out of place. Or confusing." Veronica left it at that for now. "The tablet will have more information if you cannot get a hold of us as you grow into an adult."

"Oh of course we will!" Zaiya exclaimed, nodding in agreement.