Private Holo the Fun Be With You

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya shook her head, her mottled spots flickering with an amused swirl of light blue and soft orange.

"Oh no, no way. I learned my lesson with spicy food, thank you very much. I'd rather keep my taste buds intact and actually enjoy my meal." She laughed lightly, though the memory of those noodles and the coughing fit they caused still made her wince. Never again.

She tilted her head at Aris, her skin shifting to a curious ripple of blues and ambers.

"I like Iris. She's fun and makes me laugh." Then, squinting suspiciously, she added, "But seriously, what does 'good weird' even mean?"

Her suspicions only deepened as Aris grinned, sidestepping her question. His smirk said trouble, but she couldn't help the flicker of excitement that danced across her skin.

"Uh huh, Mr. Surprise," she said, raising a skeptical brow, though her grin betrayed her excitement. Whatever he had planned, it was bound to be interesting.

"Let's get some food first ... and no, you don't get to leave me hanging. Are you giving out any hints?"

As they neared the food stalls, Zaiya glanced at him, her colors glowing with a playful mix of intrigue and challenge.

 

[Aris Noble]

"She doesn't look at you when you're talking, but she can see everything you're not saying. I don't get it, something with the Force and colors." He wasn't sure how that all worked, if he was honest. Hell, Aris still didn't fully understand how people felt the Force to begin with, but that wasn't anything new. It was good to know that she wasn't a fan of spicy either. That'd make the meal better for them both, whatever they decided to eat.

"I will leave you hanging on this one. It's a surprise, a hopefully good one, but I do want to keep it that way." His heart wouldn't be able to take it if she did guess what it was, or if her guesses were something wildly different. He smiled faintly as they neared the food court though, his gaze shifting over the various holo themes of food they had to offer.

"What are you thinking we should get?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya arched a brow, her skin rippling with a faint shimmer of playful cyan that mixed into her usual rosy golden hue.

"Oh, so now you're keeping secrets?" she teased, folding her arms and tilting her head at Aris. "You better hope this surprise is good, or I'm holding it over your head for days." Her grin was sharp but not unkind, the kind of grin that said she was fully enjoying whatever little mystery he was brewing up.

Her gaze flitted to the holo displays above the food stalls, each advertising something mouthwatering, or in the case of one stall, something questionable. She winced slightly at the sight of what looked like some kind of deep fried nuna legs smothered in glowberry sauce.

"Okay, not that," she muttered, pointing with a wrinkled nose.

"Something simple," she said, her tone thoughtful as her colors shifted to a calm inquisitive citrine flecked blues. "Maybe nerf sliders? Or those green root wraps? I don't know, what do you think? Both sound super tasty -- actually, why don't we get both!? That way, we can share!" And end up eating more options, as they had many times during their burger tastings before.

She glanced sidelong at him, her colors flickering briefly into a warm pink. "And as for the whole 'Force and colors' thing Iris does...It's just... another form of making a connection. Like seeing what people are feeling when they don't want to say it out loud -- Iris has been teaching me how to look for that for healing."

Her eyes narrowed at him with mock suspicion as if she was trying to read the colors of his aura. "So if your surprise involves anything embarrassing, just remember ...I might know before you even say it." not really, but it was fun to tease him.

The grin was back, brighter now, as she started toward a stall that smelled like fried grains and roasted meats. "But hey, no pressure."

 

[Aris Noble]

"Both is good." Nerf burgers and those green root wraps sounded great apart, and possibly together, Aris thought. He could see them mixing well, though the plan was more to just share them. For now he got one of each, setting down the credits to pay whether Zaya was going to or not. She could pay for something else, if she wanted it to be fair. Right now, he wanted to pay. Distract himself some from her teasing.

Especially distract himself from her teasing.

The idea that Zaiya could see what he was feeling without him saying anything brought quite the sudden pressure on his shoulders. The kind that didn't last, though. This must be how she felt, once she realized how different others were from her own species. How people took her colors and shown emotion. His expression softened for a bit before he reached up to ruffle her hair. Comfort.

"Don't be too impatient, or it'll ruin the surprise right?" He flashed a grin as he took a bite of the wrap. It was good, really good. "What's the burger like? Any good?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya caught the way Aris's expression softened, and his grin replaced with something quieter, almost thoughtful. When he reached out to ruffle her hair, her colors shifted instantly, pink and citrine swirls blooming across her cheeks, betraying her pleasant surprise.

"Hey!" she protested, batting his hand away gently with a laugh. "Do I look like a loth cat to you?"

But she couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. Aris's awkward charm had a way of sneaking past her defenses, and it only made her heart flutter even more.

"Okay," she said after they sat down and began to eat. He had bought the food, but she could buy them some dessert later. She took a bite of the slider and was instantly happy at the selection. It was good! Really good!

"I'll be patient. For now." she teased him with a silly grin. "But only because this slider is good." She pointed at the wrap in his hand. "And because I want a bite of that next."

Another flurry of colors danced over her skin, painting them in pretty luminescent colors. She was enjoying herself -- and to be honest, it was nice to have Aris all to herself.

"How is the wrap?" she asked him, deciding it was enough teasing for now. They rarely had the chance to just talk as normal teenagers... so this was nice.

 

[Aris Noble]

"We could get you those holo loth cat ears. I think you'd be cute." He smirked, absolutely teasing her now. Mostly. She could be cute with those on, probably. Nope. He stopped those thoughts, instead taking another bite of the wrap to keep his mind focused. Aris raised the wrap shortly after though, holding it out for her to try a bite off of directly.

"It's real good. Tastes fresh. You gonna give me a bite of that slider?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

We could get you those holo loth cat ears. I think you'd be cute.

The blush was immediate: a cascade of shimmering corals streaked with golden hues that spread like fire over Zaiya's cheeks along her mottled spots. The colors pulsed, betraying the flustered delight she felt at Aris's casual comment about holo cat ears. Was he serious? Probably not. But the tease stuck in her mind, planting a seed, and she found herself simultaneously mortified and amused. She filed that comment away, likely already pondering where she could get some to see what he'd say... and if he really thought it would be cute!

The mention of sharing snapped her out of her silly thoughts. She flushed again, this time from her own absentmindedness, the blush deepening into warm rose gold shades.

Focus, Zaiya!

Without further ado, much like back at the holographic arcade, Zaiya leaned over and took a bite from the offered root wrap. The move brought her closer to Aris, closer than she'd anticipated. The warm, earthy scent of the street food mixed with his presence, and she could feel his gaze lingering for a second. As her teeth sunk into the wrap, her iridescent opal blue eyes flicked up, catching his for the briefest of moments.

Her blush flared brighter, swirling with deeper tones of pink and gold as she quickly looked away, pretending to focus entirely on chewing.

Smooth, Zaiya. Real smooth.

Without missing a beat, she held out one of her sliders to him, her free hand brushing some nonexistent crumbs from her sparkly, iridescent shirt.

"Yeah, here, your turn!" she said, her words rushing together.

 

[Aris Noble]

Seeing the blush brought some smug satisfaction to him. Did he want to see that? Maybe. He wasn't really going to think on it, not right now. She was the one blushing, he wasn't about to risk his own blush sabotaging it. Grant it, he couldn't hide the blush as he realized how close she was just to bite the wrap. They'd shared food, fed each other from the day they met, but it wasn't ever anything blush worthy.

And yet, they were both blushing.

Aris didn't waste a second to take his own bite, determined not to think on that any more. He couldn't afford any more butterflies in his stomach now. ".. It's good. Real good." He muttered after he finished chewing, looking away himself. ".. So.. Let's hit a couple more rides?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Right! More holo rides!

Zaiya began to chew vigorously, willing her blush to fade as the age. Really of all the times to start feeling flustered over something they’d done so many times before. It was the same thing at the arcade too with the churro. By then, she had committed to taking a bite so there was no stopping at that point — it would have been even more stranger to do so at the time.

“Okay. I saw there were a few that were neat — not super fast but it flew you on an open air speeder to visit the various wonders of the galaxy. Supposedly it really does feel as if you are visiting the real thing.” She explained, taking a sip of her drink.

“Don’t worry I’m sure you won’t get scared in this one,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood again, a shimmer of pink tinted blues brightening her skin.

“There is also an interactive one where we can be in opposing teams and try to tag each other out of the game with holo blasters.” Something neither really were used to — well unless one counts Zaiya’s slingshot.

“So do you have another ride you’d like to try? Seems like we both did plenty of research into this,” she grinned, still amused by that.

Honestly, by all intents and purposes, this seemed like it was turning out to be a pretty awesome date!

 

[Aris Noble]

It was good that she had so many different suggestions. Aris finished off the wrap, cleaned his hands on some napkins before glancing towards Zaiya again, nodding his head. "The Ferris Wheel, actually. Something slow and simple. Could be cool to see the whole part from up top, right?" Totally nothing else. He buried those feelings right away to keep her from feeling them as he took her hand and grinned.

"We'll go in order of suggestions. Yours first. Open air speeder, right?"

That should be enough time, he figured, to get where he wanted to with the ride he suggested. Last, and hopefully at the moment he was planning for. So he pulled her along, excitement buzzing through their bond. This really was a great date so far.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

"Oh, a Ferris Wheel?" Zaiya perked up. the mention. Actually, that sounded fun! Her eyes gave a joyful shimmer, and she smiled broadly at Aris.

"That sounds awesome! I went on one during one of the festivals on Commenor. It was super pretty and neat to be able to go so high up and watch everything!" at the time, it had been the middle of the afternoon, so everything was bright and illuminated by the sun.

"I wonder how they have it set up here? Do we get to see the entire park or do they have like a themed view? I think some of them rotate out depending on what one would want to see." Zaiya wondered aloud, considering it was Hologram Fun world after all. She wouldn't put it past the amusement park to provide those types of options.

"What's been your favorite ride so far?" she finished her slider, chewing thoughtfully as she glanced up at Aris, curiously painting lovely citrine hues over her mottled spots. TIme to go to the next ride!

 

[Aris Noble]

"Both, I think. It's right on the edge of the park so I could see one side showing the park and the other whatever they want us to see." It would be nice to see both views, now that he thought about it, but he didn't want to think on it long. Not with the butterflies it brought him. So he focused ahead. Towards the next ride for them to go on.

"Not sure yet, honestly. I wanna explore everything before I give a verdict, you know?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

"Oh, that sounds so cool!" Zaiya chirped, her eyes lighting up at the thought. The shifting hues of her skin flickered in excitement, brightening to a vivid golden pink.

"Especially since it is a holographic Ferris wheel. I wonder if they'll mix it up...maybe make it spin backward or add some weird gravity tricks?" Her mind raced ahead, already imagining all the possibilities, unable to help, giving a little bounce in excitement as her colorful hair danced around her shoulders. A grin tugged at her lips, playful and just a little mischievous.

"Okay, so, how competitive are you feeling right now?" she asked, tilting her head as if sizing up Aris -- fully knowing how he would take the bait. "Think you can keep up with me in a round of holo light tag?" Her grin widened.

Zaiya pretended to inspect her nails, her tone light but dripping with mock confidence, thinking of her ballistinkinetics training. "Because my aim's been getting really good lately, thanks to all that practice. Pretty sure I'll have you tagged out in no time," she added, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Tag me out? I doubt you'll even see me." His grin was just as fierce as hers now. The challenge had been accepted, and now the gauntlet had been thrown. If she wanted to make it a fight, he wasn't going to hold back. Neither was she, he figured. Aris lead the way into the holotag arena, excitement pouring off of him. He wasn't much for a blaster, but he had some practice with it. Enough to do well.

"Should we make another bet?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

"Oh, you're on!" Zaiya practically bounced beside Aris, her excitement bursting into a cascade of shimmering mischevious cyan and gold patterns across her skin. The colors pulsed with her rapid thoughts as she considered his question, a massive grin on her face.

"Another bet? Absolutely. But it's gotta be something good. Something fun." having these bets was becoming a staple and it was super entertaining. Zaiya twirled around to face him, walking backward as she led them toward the holotag arena, her colorful hair catching the different hololights illuminating their way with every step.

"Hmm, what about…" She tapped her chin dramatically, her expression playful and exaggerated a she mused aloud in a playful tease. "Whoever loses has to wear one of those ridiculous glowing headbands they sell in the gift shop -- for the rest of the day. "

Impish devilry suddenly gleamed from her opal blue eyes as they widened -- Oh! She had a great idea, recalling what he had said earlier.

"Maybe even find some glowing Loth Cat ears for you to wear!"

 

[Aris Noble]

The.. Looser had to wear the cat ears?

All at once sheer determination took over Aris's expression as he took his blaster and kitted himself in the sensor armor. "Then this is something I must win." He looked back to Zaiya, the determination fierce in his eyes before a hint of his grin returned. Whether it was because he wanted her to wear them or he didn't want to wear them himself he wouldn't say, but he absolutely was determined now.

"We'll see if they have something that'll blend well with your hair, yeah?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya caught the glint of determination in Aris's eyes and she didn't need to resonate with his emotions to feel it -- he really wanted to win this. But what caught her off guard was the thought lingering in the back of her mind: did he really want to see her in those holographic Lothcat ears that much? Did he actually think they'd look cute on her?

Her cheeks warmed, a soft coral hue spreading across her skin, the bioluminescent patterns flickering like fireflies.

Focus, Zaiya! She couldn't let herself get distracted, not when there was a bet on the line and her pride at stake.

"Hey! Don't count your Nuna eggs before they hatch!" she shot back, flipping her vibrant hair as her patterns shifted to a competitive gold.

"And you're the one going down, Aris!" Her grin was equal parts playful and fierce as they stepped into the Holo Tag Arena, the glow of holo barriers and platforms casting shimmering reflections on their path. The line for the game snaked ahead, and as they moved to gear up, Zaiya stole a glance at Aris. His expression was determined -- fierce even! Was he imagining her in those ears right now or just thinking about wining the bet? The thought sent another flush across her skin, and she quickly shifted her focus to the game.

No way I'm letting him win. No way.

"Are we doing a one and done or best of three?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she strapped on the sensor gear offered to them by an attendant.

 

[Aris Noble]

"We get three hits before we're out. I think that'll prove enough, don't you?" No chance he was going to let her wiggle out of her first loss. He grinned again, wider now as the tension had really started to kick in. The guns in their hands, the armor sensors powered up. They had their own doors to go through so they would start separated. He hefted his gun, giving Zaiya a final wink before he stepped through his side. He wasn't going to make it easy. She could do more now. If he didn't do his best, it was more likely he was going to loose.

Once the alarm hit he stepped right out, crouched low as he let his senses spread. He'd find her, then he'd take her down. He absolutely wasn't going to be the one wearing the cat ears today.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Aris Noble

Zaiya's heart thudded in her chest as the buzzer blared, its sound slicing through the electric hum of the holo arena. She darted through her door, her bioluminescent skin lighting up in ripples of gold and fiery orange flecked with cobal blue lights -- fierce determination! Three hits to elimination... she was going to get ARis to wear those holo Loth cat ears!

The arena spread out before her, a maze of glowing platforms, shifting holo barriers, and alcoves shrouded in shadow. It was just like the Huttball arenas she'd watched in holovids, but now she was in the game.

Alright, goal -- Find Aris, tag him first, don't get caught. The plan was simple. Execution? That... is was where things got tricky.

Grinning, she let her mental shields drop, a rush of the Force filling her senses like sunlight warming her skin. She reached out, not just with her instincts but with the faint, burgeoning bond she shared with Aris. It was still new, unsteady, like a hologram with static interference, but it was enough to give her a sense of him. There... somewhere ahead. A flicker of determination. A stubborn edge that could only belong to him.

"Gotcha," Zaiya murmured, slipping behind a stack of holocrates. The soft blue glow rippling across her skin mirrored her focus. She crouched low, the holoblaster steady in her hands. Somewhere close, she could feel him -- his confidence, his focus, and something else she couldn't quite place. Was he enjoying this as much as she was?

 

[Aris Noble]

A thrum of music echoed throughout.. Everything here. Each of the holograms and solid shapes were giving off the musical backdrop. It gave the vibe, certainly, but for Aris? It made it more difficult for him to pinpoint other sounds. Was it an intentional nerf to him? Absolutely not, but the challenge it gave had him grinning wide. Really wide. He couldn't just instantly find Zaiya.

He had to search. Had to be careful.

Well at least until he heard her speak. That brought a chuckle as he kept behind a box, leveling his holoblaster to be ready for her. He said nothing, he was going to surprise her the moment she came into view.

Zaiya Ceti