Private Holo the Fun Be With You

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Well his mind was going all over the place, Zaiya thought to herself, amusement igniting her own pulse of light blue color tones over her mottled spots. Watching him ponder only to flush in embarrassment and have the Holo headband confirm his embarrassment was a hoot.

"Haha, no need to be embarassed about what your siblings would do. I'm sure they'd have fun regardless," She teased him, incorrectly assuming the reason why Aris had flushed in embarssement.

"Yeah! Should be great," Zaiya chirped back, only to notice the holo light ears melt into another color. What did that mean? She glanced down at the cheat sheet. Really there were only ten possible options. Nothing compared to the dozens of color combinations her skinshifting provided with all the glow effect nuances.

Oh. Concern flickered in her eyes as the hue labeled it as fear, unaware that it was reality nervousness. Wait, was he afraid of getting on the Ferris Wheel? No that made no sense, Aris had suggested it.

"Now it's saying you are feeling fear... Are you afraid of something?" She asked, concern in her voice, only to then frown, a grey iridescence illuminating the edges of her patterns in confusion. "At least... that's what the color label is suggesting you are feeling."

 

[Aris Noble]

".. huh? Oh. Yeah. They probably would be." Aris chuckled after what Zaiya said seemed to click in his mind. Though, that seemed to be a misunderstanding. The fact she didn't even seem to mind that he'd gotten into his own head had his smirk dip to something more actively embarrassed. Flustered more accurately. Zaiya really was someone he liked liked, without a doubt in his mind.

He stepped on board, pausing as he glanced to her. His ears showed.. Fear? Was he afraid? "Mmm.. Not scared. Nervous, but not of the wheel." He wasn't going to lie to her, though he wasn't going to fully explain either. Not yet anyway.

"Come on, though. Nervous as I am, I think I'm way more excited, you know?" The goofy grin took over as he scratched his cheek. "Today has just been so much fun."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Okay, there seemed to be a lot of emotions going through there. The back and forth in hues despite the limited color selection was startling and amusing all at once.

Led by Aris, Zaiya asked with notable amusement, mischevious cyan flecks painting the light blue tones over her skin with the faintest golden biolumienence.

"Is this how it feels for others to see my color shifting? Even with a cheat sheet, it is amusing to see your emotions color coded like that." a laugh and they queue up for the Ferris Wheel.

"Okay, really really." She suddenly became serious -- well as serious as she could be when evidently displaying the silly glow effects of her skin in avid humor. A few others were looking at them, and a murmur barely heard, indicating they thought that perhaps Zaiya was wearing a special type of skin paint to have that effect. Zaiya ignored them and instead stared up at Aris with his goofy grin, a crooked grin decorated over her face.

"How well can you tell what the different colors in my colorshifting means?"

 

[Aris Noble]

How.. Well could he tell? Aris didn't hesitate. "Almost all of them. I've got a cheat sheet kinda in my head, same with how Mahsa's hair changes colors. .. I try not to use it, though. Or think more than I should on what they might mean. Doesn't feel right to just know how you feel by looking at you, though I guess that's how a lot of people normally are, right?"

He scratched his cheek, smiling a bit more sheepishly before he looked up to the pod they were about to step into. "Or at least I hope you can do the same with me, some day. I'd rather we're on equal footing in.. Everything, really."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

The revelation that Aris could pretty much tell almost all of them was crazy. Zaiya was equal parts flustered, embarrassed, giddy, shy and curious all at the same time. Happy that ARis could do it, but also embarrassed that he might have read and known a bit too much at times -- wait how about how she'd been reacting around him the past few months? Had he'd been able to tell then?

Zaiya felt like her brain had short-circuited, her thoughts spiraling into a tangled mess of Oh! and Wait, that's sweet. and oh no, no no!! Her skin betrayed every emotion faster than she could process them -- blushing streaks of coral blooming over her cheeks, jagged flashes of silver sparking like static, all tinted with that telltale silver shimmer of sudden, flustered panic.

Her hand came up to tug at a strand of her hair, twisting it so tightly around her finger it almost hurt. Equal footing, Aris had said. Equal footing in everything.

"Well, okay... umm, " she managed to stammer, her voice doing an awkward little squeak at the end. Great. Perfect. Definitely not weird. "I mean... I can tell and have noticed things about you already, Aris. Because, like… you're there. And I'm there. And we're best friends. So I see you. A lot."

Stop talking, Zaiya.

But her mouth clearly had other plans.

"And it's not like I'm staring at you all the time or anything!" Her hands flew up in defense, waving wildly like that would somehow erase the words from the air. The magenta flare across her face deepened into something closer to neon, little flickers of embarrassed orange dancing along her forearms.

Oh that sounded even more creepy!

Another burst of colors shot across her skin, a chaotic swirl of pinks and yellows, as she finally just gave up with a dramatic sigh, glancing away to follow the line that would lead them closer to being seated in the Ferris Wheel. "Okay. I'm gonna stop talking now."

And yet, despite all the embarrassment, there was this small, warm glow nestled beneath the chaos -- soft and golden, not from panic this time, but from the quiet, giddy realization that Aris wanted her to know him just as well as he knew her.

 

[Aris Noble]

And there they were, the flash of colors and emotions. He wasn't trying to watch her, of course, but even from the corner of his eye he could see each and every emotion coursing through her mind right now. Amusement and embarrassment flashed through the cat ears in equal spades. He didn't want to just study her, but part of him also couldn't help it. He ended up more fully laughing as Zaiya blubbered out her words and her own embarrassment grew so vividly. He kept his eyes out the window as the wheel started to move, his smile bright and warm.

"I try not to stare at you too, but, it's hard not to want to look at you. You're just, always on my mind these days." He leaned back in his seat, letting his eyes close for a moment. By the flash on the ears, what he said had really flustered him but he was trying not to let that consume his thoughts. He was already so incredibly nervous. Frightened, even.

".. Remember how you stepped on my feet when we danced? How I won that bet?" He opened his eyes then, his gaze still outside as the wheel moved. Bit by bit they made their way to the top. The park was below, sparkling with colors and brightness. It was pretty, but it wasn't really what was on his mind. "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer. That's what I'm gonna say is what I get. Just a simple answer, you know?"

Simple, right. He took a breath before he glanced over towards her. His expression was.. Much more flustered now. Visible even as the only real lighting was the holoworld shifting colors.

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya was pretty sure she had just forgotten how to function.

Her mind stuttered, her body betraying every emotion in a chaotic cascade of color as warm gold flashed across her spots before colliding with streaks of flustered pink, then nervous yellows, then right back to glowing gold again. It was ridiculous. She was ridiculous. But how could she not be?

Aris had just asked her that. Here. In the quiet, in the dark, where it felt like the rest of the galaxy didn't exist. The only thing grounding her was the slight sway of the Ferris wheel and the warmth of Aris sitting so close.

Her fingers came up, flustered fingers moving to twist the multicolored tendrils tighter into her hair as if it could anchor her as if it could stop the absolute mess happening across her skin. He wanted to kiss her? Well --no, he wanted to know if she wanted him to kiss her.

Which...

Yes. Yes, she did.

A lot.

Zaiya swallowed hard, and when she finally forced herself to look at him, she saw the nerves flickering in his expression too -- the little twitches and shifts of colors in the holo Lothcat ears, the blush that even the low light couldn't hide, the way he wasn't quite looking at her.

Her heart did a weird, fluttery flip.

"I --" Her voice cracked. Stars. That was embarrassing. She coughed, shaking her hands out as if that would somehow shake out the nerves too. "I mean, yeah. I --yes. I do."

The glow along her skin settled, warm and steady now, like the admission had finally eased something inside her. But then she blinked, a thought hitting her like a freight speeder.

"…Wait, do you want to kiss me?"

 

[Aris Noble]

Nerves, embarrassment, fear, all manner of emotions rippled through the ears he was wearing. More accurately though, it was clear on his face as he scratched at the back of his neck. It was the unspoken question, and a silly one now that he thought about it. What little he did read was that a kiss was more spontaneous, that people just knew. But he didn't. Aris wasn't sure what to make of any of this, how to talk about it, how to not overstep something he shouldn't.

Even he, for all his usual calmness, just wasn't this time.

"I mean, yeah. I --yes. I do."

And like that, all his nerves washed away. He let out a held breath he wasn't even aware he was holding before he smiled bright and warm. Still flushed and flustered, but happy none the less to hear her answer. "What I've read and looked at really didn't help. People seem to just know, right? I don't really get how they know, but I'm really happy to hear that you do."

He looked to her, still smiling, still flustered but just.. Happy. The information alone was enough for him, in truth. "I do too. I don't.. Really know how it works, though. It's- I don't wanna mess up, so now I'm actually the one rambling, heh. Maybe I'm just too nervous, like, am I supposed to kiss you now? I want to, but I don't even know how to or-"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya didn't let him finish.

She just moved.

Her heart pounded, her bioluminescence flickering between a dozen emotions at once, but instinct carried her forward. The cab swayed ever so slightly as they hit the very top of the Ferris wheel, the galaxy stretching out around them in a sea of Hologram Fun World’s lights, but Zaiya's world had narrowed down to just this moment. Just him.

Before she could overthink it - - before he could overthink it - - she leaned in, closing the space between them, and pressed her lips against his in a soft, fleeting peck.

It was barely anything. Just the lightest brush of lips, warm and uncertain, innocent and sweet, but - -

Oh.

Oh.

A spark bloomed in her chest, a tingling rush of emotion spilling through her, untamed and overwhelming in the best way, the full resonance unhindered by her mental shields flowing at the soft touch. Delight, flustered giddiness, affection, it all bled into her colors, lighting up her skin in warm golds and deep, shimmering pinks, corals and blues, making her glow in mesmerizing bioluminescence as it raced in shimmers over her skin.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris stopped talking entirely. He blinked slowly, his mind processing what had just happened. A quick peck, a gentle kiss. An actual kiss. His first. With Zaiya. Zaiya kissed him. Red bloomed across his face, but despite it an even bigger smile took over his features. The kind that turned to a grin with the sheer joy in his mind. The kind he couldn't keep hidden even if he wanted to. He reached a hand for hers, squeezing gently before he leaned over in turn.

Joy and happiness, giddiness even. He kissed her back, simple and sweet, gentle and fleeting. A return of the gesture. No, he just wanted to. He laughed just a little, leaning his head to hers as he squeezed her hand. It was joy that rushed through the bond now. That giddiness he couldn't keep from flooding their connection, not that he had much control of emotions spreading through. He didn't think he'd like this as much as he did. It felt.. Nice.

".. I was wrong. I like kissing, I think." He whispered, as if talking too loud would ruin the moment. This moment with her. Shared only with her.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya's whole body felt like it had turned into a star, all warm and glowing and absolutely bursting with light.

Her mottled spots shimmered with an iridescent golden hue, pulsing in time with her racing heartbeat, her hand squeezing his in turn and when Aris whispered that he liked kissing -- liked kissing her -- the glow flared even brighter.

"Oh," she breathed, blinking rapidly as her brain short-circuited for the second time in the span of a minute. Then, before she could stop herself, she let out an excited, flustered laugh.

"Yeah? Yeah, I -- " Her words got tangled in a happy little squeak as she grinned, practically vibrating in place. "I really like it too."

She was still close, their foreheads nearly touching, and she could feel the warmth of him, see the soft, pink glow of his holoears shifting with his emotions. He looked so happy. They were happy.

Zaiya bit her lip, her thumbs brushing lightly over the back of his hand, her heart thundering.

"So, um… do we -- " She swallowed, her glow flickering between nervous anticipation and giddy excitement. "Do we do it again?.. to know if you, you know... like it. For sure?"

And just as she waited for Aris's reply --

Jolt.

The Ferris wheel lurched back to life, sending their cab rocking ever so slightly.

Zaiya yelped, clutching Aris's hand with one hand while instinctively grasping onto the seat with the other. A burning blush immediately tinted her face an even brighter coral, and then she couldn't help the flustered laugh that followed.

Well... so much for that!

 

[Aris Noble]

To know if he really liked it? Aris was about to laugh, to confirm to her that he absolutely did and that kissing her again was only because he'd wanted to when the cab ended up rocking. He blinked in surprise, but not over the lurch and instead over Zaiya's yelp. The tension of the moment seemed to have both of them forget just where they were and the ride they were on. His laugh died in his throat as he smiled instead, squeezing her hand gently. He didn't say anything else, instead reaching up to touch her cheek.

And stole another kiss. Longer and lingering, though just his lips pressed to hers.

".. I like it. Don't doubt that, yeah?"

He whispered after a moment before his smile widened again. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder then, letting his gaze drift out to the sights. There it was, just in time. The sky lit up as hologram fireworks started to shower over the now night sky. "Thank you, for being my best friend Zaiya."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya's glow pulsed like a starburst, her bioluminescent spots shimmering in time with the thrill rushing through her. The lingering warmth of his lips on hers sent a delighted shiver down her spine, and she couldn't help the giddy little giggle that bubbled up in her throat.

Her fingers clutched his hand, like she needed something solid to ground her in this moment, because oh stars, Aris just kissed her again. Longer this time. Softer. Sweeter. And he liked it.

He liked kissing her.

"Okay," She replied, as she exhaled a happy sigh, tucking herself into his side when his arm draped around her shoulders, her whole body still glowing with that golden, iridescent shimmer. The view of Hologram Fun World stretched before them in a breathtaking tapestry of neon, and as the first holofireworks bloomed across the skyline, reminding her of the Eye and that sparkling view of hundreds of meteors arching across the sky, Zaiya knew once again that she would remember this moment forever.

Not just because of the kiss. But because of him. Because Aris wasn't just the boy who made her heart race; he was her best friend. The one who let her be her loud, silly, clingy, affectionate self without hesitation, soothed over her anxieties and grounded her when she went a little overboard with her over thinking. The one who opened up to her, trusted her, chose her.

She turned her head just enough to peek at him, warmth swelling in her chest as she whispered, "... me too. Thank you."

Because this? This was a memory she'd hold close for a lifetime.