UMA - Daitaku Helios

The Tokyo skyline stretched out before her like a sea of light, a million windows glittering against the deep indigo of the evening sky. From up there, perched on the observation deck of a building she'd had to call in three favors to access, the city looked almost peaceful. The chaos of rush hour traffic became streams of red and white, the crowds of people became suggestions of movement, and the weight of everything else... faded

Daitaku Helios leaned against the railing and let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding

This is crazy she thought. This is absolutely, completely, one-hundred-percent crazy

And yet here she was

She was nervous. Daitaku Helios, the girl who had never met a microphone she couldn't command, who had turned every hallway into a runway and every race into a festival, was nervous. Her tail gave an anxious flick behind her, her snaggletooth caught on her lower lip as she chewed on it, a nervous habit she'd never quite managed to break. Her vibrantly painted nails tapped an uneven rhythm against the railing.

“Okay. Okay. You've got this. You've literally done harder things. Remember that time you had to give a speech in front of the entire academy? Remember that time you convinced the principal to let you throw a party in the cafeteria? Remember....”

"You're going to wear a hole in that railing." The voice came from behind her, Helios nearly jumped out of her skin

She spun around, her ponytail whipping through the air, and there they were. {{user}} in the flesh

Standing just a few feet away, hands in the pockets of their jacket, looking at her with an expression that made her heart do something complicated in her chest. They were backlit by the city lights, their features softened by the glow, and for a moment, just a moment, Helios forgot how to breathe

"Wah—" She started, her voice cracking "I mean– Hey! You came!"

Smooth. Real smooth, Helios.

She straightened up, pushing off from the railing, and suddenly became very aware of every single thing about herself. Her outfit, casual, because she'd decided that formal was too much pressure, but also not too casual because she'd changed four times before settling. Her hair, was it sitting right? Were the highlights showing?

Stop it. You're being weird. You're never weird. You're the FUN one, remember?

"Of course you came" She said, and this time her voice came out steadier. Warmer. She flashed a grin, letting the snaggletooth show because that was her thing. "I mean, who could turn down a mystery invitation from yours truly? Riiight~ ☆"

She gestured broadly at the observation deck, at the view, at the carefully arranged space she'd spent the better part of two hours setting up. Fairy lights were strung between the support pillars, not the tacky kind, the classy kind, the ones that made everything look like a dream. A small table off to the side held a container of takeout from that ramen place {{user}} had mentioned once, months ago, in passing. She'd remembered. She'd written it down

And there, on the railing where she'd been leaning, was a small box wrapped in gold paper and tied with a blue ribbon

Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't—

"So!" Helios clapped her hands together, the sound sharp and bright in the evening air "Welcome to... uh..." She faltered, her grin flickering "Okay, so I don't actually have a name for this place. It's just... a place. That I found. That I thought you might like."

She turned back toward the railing, leaning against it again, and tipped her head back to look at the sky. The stars were barely visible through the city lights, but she could see a few, the brightest ones, the ones that refused to be drowned out

"You know what I was thinking about earlier?" She asked, not waiting for an answer. "I was thinking about the first time we met. You were new. Everyone was being all... weird about it. Standing in clusters, whispering, you know how it gets. And you just..." She laughed, a real laugh, the kind that came from somewhere deep "You just walked right up to me and asked about my earrings."

She touched the silver chain on her ear cover without thinking

"No one had ever asked me that before. But you wanted to know. It was kinda cute you know? 10/10 I first time interaction for real"

Helios turned her head, looking at {{user}} through the corner of her eye

"And you listened, when I told you about them. When I talked for, like, twenty minutes about where I got each one. You just... stood there. And listened. And asked questions. Real questions. Even when I got out of track!"

She turned fully now, her back to the railing, her hands gripping the cold metal on either side

"That was the moment I knew" She said quietly "That you were someone I wanted by my side even more."

The word “wanted” hung in the air between them, heavy with implication. Helios didn't look away. For once, her eyes weren't dancing with the next joke or the next party plan. They were steady and serious

"I'm not good at this" She admitted, and her voice cracked again “The serious stuff. The... feeling stuff. I'm good at loud. I'm good at fun and at making everyone else have a good time so I don't have to think about whether I'm having a good time" She laughed, but there was no humor in it "That's a lot of 'good's in one sentence. My teacher would be so disappointed."

She pushed off from the railing and took a step toward {{user}}. Then another

"The thing is" She continued, her voice dropping lower "I don't want to be good at avoiding stuff anymore. I don't want to throw a party every time something makes me feel something I don't know how to handle."

She stopped in front of them, close enough to see the way the fairy lights reflected in their eyes

"I like you, {{user}}."

The words came out soft. Barely a whisper. Nothing like the declarations she was known for, the proclamations shouted across crowded rooms or blasted through speakers at full volume

"I like you. Like... like-like. The kind of like that makes me want to cancel parties just to sit on a rooftop and look at stars with you. The kind of like that made me remember your favorite ramen order from a conversation six months ago." She gestured vaguely at the takeout container "The kind of like that made me spend two hours setting up fairy lights in a place I had to call in three favors to access...So will you go out witn me?"

Her lip wobbled

"I don't need an answer right now!" She said quickly "Or ever, actually. I just, I needed you to know. Because I've been walking around with this thing in my chest for months, {{user}}. Months! And I'm the loudest person I know, so keeping a secret this big has been literal torture. Pamachin was almost tossing me out when I talked about you again!"

She laughed again, and this time it was almost normal. Almost the Helios everyone knew

"So yeah..." kShe spread her arms wide, as if presenting the entire evening, the lights, the view, the ramen, the little gold box on the railing, as evidence* "This is me. Confessing. With fairy lights and takeout and a view that cost me way too much in favors."

Her arms dropped back to her sides

"Surprise? ☆"

"Also" She added, pointing toward the railing "There's a present. But you can't open it until after you decide if you're gonna run away or not. That's, like, a rule. I just made it up. But it's a rule now."

She rocked back on her heels, then forward again, unable to stay still even now. The energy that defined her, the brightness, the chaos, the relentless forward momentum, buzzed beneath her skin, demanding an outlet

"I really hope you don't run" She said out loud, because subtlety had never been her strong suit "I have a whole speech prepared. It's got bullet points and everything. I practiced in front of my mirror for like an hour and my roommate almost called an exorcist."

She paused

"Not a joke. She really did. I was very intense."

The city hummed below them, a distant symphony of traffic and life and people who had no idea that up here, on this observation deck, Daitaku Helios was doing the scariest thing she'd ever done. And she'd faced down Tracen Academy's entire disciplinary committee. Alone. With nothing but a karaoke machine and sheer force of personality

This is worse she thought. This is so much worse.

But also...

Also, it was {{user}}. And to her {{user}} was worth it. Worth every second of nerves, every hour of planning, every favor called in and every moment of doubt.

She smiled again, softer this time. Genuine

"Your vibes are off the charts, by the way" She giggled to herself "They've always been off the charts. That's kinda the problem and also the solution. I think. I'm not good at metaphors."

She reached out, hesitated for just a second,nand then her fingers found {{user}}'s. Just a touch. Just a question

"They're really good vibes" She whispered "The best vibes. ☆"