[He jumps, of course, when she gasps; he can't not, because he doesn't understand why it happens and the natural conclusion to arrive at is to assume that it's because Star did something to scare her. But...no, she's not acting scared, just sort of strangely overcome, and watching it makes him uncomfortable to a depressingly high degree, so rather than crossing over to her he just kind of hovers ineffectually and watches with simmering concern.
(He feels the kiss, too, ghosting against his forehead beneath the brim of his hat; he feels it just barely touch where he'd once stuffed a magazine, where there used to be a hole in his hat before Kakyoin sewed it back up for him.)
But what this translates into, for Star's purposes, proves to be a sort of general contentment, and once his own alarm (mirroring Jotaro's precisely, rendering them twins for that handful of moments) has faded, he seems to sense that it's acceptable now for him to move, that his period of strict docility can begin to relax, and he'll have some leeway to act without risking slamming into the stern boundaries of good behavior that confine him.
So he gets up off his knees into a low crouch, one that would be agonizing to maintain for a human's muscles but that proves effortless and inconsequential for a Stand, and very carefully scoops Holly up for a hug that carries her off her feet once he returns to his full height.
Star is an expert, by now, in knowing how to cause injuries. Discovering how to cause laughter is a newer pursuit, and one he's still learning slowly. But Giorno had petted him and given him pudding when he was lifted up in a similar way, and Star has absolutely no reason to think that this won't elicit a similar reaction out of Holly now.]
action;
[He jumps, of course, when she gasps; he can't not, because he doesn't understand why it happens and the natural conclusion to arrive at is to assume that it's because Star did something to scare her. But...no, she's not acting scared, just sort of strangely overcome, and watching it makes him uncomfortable to a depressingly high degree, so rather than crossing over to her he just kind of hovers ineffectually and watches with simmering concern.
(He feels the kiss, too, ghosting against his forehead beneath the brim of his hat; he feels it just barely touch where he'd once stuffed a magazine, where there used to be a hole in his hat before Kakyoin sewed it back up for him.)
But what this translates into, for Star's purposes, proves to be a sort of general contentment, and once his own alarm (mirroring Jotaro's precisely, rendering them twins for that handful of moments) has faded, he seems to sense that it's acceptable now for him to move, that his period of strict docility can begin to relax, and he'll have some leeway to act without risking slamming into the stern boundaries of good behavior that confine him.
So he gets up off his knees into a low crouch, one that would be agonizing to maintain for a human's muscles but that proves effortless and inconsequential for a Stand, and very carefully scoops Holly up for a hug that carries her off her feet once he returns to his full height.
Star is an expert, by now, in knowing how to cause injuries. Discovering how to cause laughter is a newer pursuit, and one he's still learning slowly. But Giorno had petted him and given him pudding when he was lifted up in a similar way, and Star has absolutely no reason to think that this won't elicit a similar reaction out of Holly now.]