"Oh, Wait! Before You Leave, What Color Do You Think The Jacket Should B—" Not Looking Away From The

Since Xavier had opted to work on the dry ingredients, Lily worked on measuring out the wet ingredients. Humming absently to the music he'd selected, she somehow didn't think that she'd need to worry with him working with dry ingredients.

She forgot just how chaotic things like flour can be.

She had only just glanced over, not having enough time to even think about helping him catch it. It almost seemed to happen in slow motion, but so quickly that she was still processing once things had settled.

Then she started giggling, eventually leaning against the counter to support herself as she laughed. "Oh, Xavier." Her tone was both playful and affectionate, getting a paper towel and dampening it so he could wipe off his face. "To be fair, it's not a true baking experience until flour has gone where you don't intend it to."

[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."

As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.

"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.

By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.

[ hiding ] sender finds out that receiver has hidden an injury from them

Non-Verbal Angst Prompts!

Lily liked to think she was a pretty good actor. Perhaps in another life she could've even made a profession out of it. 

It's times like this, however, that made her doubt if she could've managed it. 

Hanging out with Jasmin on a shared day off is wonderful, and long overdue for both playing catch up and social time. They’d long since lost track of time, and the only thing making Lily realize how long they'd spent together was the fact her pain medicine was wearing off. It was making her side ache and sting when she'd shift wrong or breathe too hard from laughing. 

She did her best to hide the discomfort, maintaining her smile, and trying to think of the most non-chalant way to suggest they get drinks so she can try taking some more medicine. 

Lily hummed happily as she looked around, finding herself reassured that it seemed to be a relatively small store. The fact it's kind of small, with a decent line already despite being relatively new, meant that it must be good!

She looked up to Xavier curiously at his question, then flushing a little. "I don't think I did anything too different?" She admitted, then grinning up at him. "Maybe it's just he excitement of getting to spend the day with you~!" She teased happily.

Her amusement turned to a playful pout at his teasing, sticking her tongue out before looking towards the menu again. "I'm not that bad at deciding..." She mumbled, despite knowing she very much can be, to the point she was deciding last night while she was doing her research. And had yet to fully come to a conclusion...

After spending the morning doing research on places in Linkon City that offer milk tea, Lily finally found a place that seemed like it would be a nice place to visit and had the coffee milk tea that Xavier mentioned. Plus it wasn't far from a few good places to eat so they'd have options based on what they were feeling up to without having to go all the way across town. Perfect.

Lily finally sent Xavier a text in the late morning.

'I found a place that has that coffee milk tea you mentioned! And it has really good reviews.'

After a moment of thought, she sent another text as well.

'And thank you for walking me home last night. I really appreciated it. It was nice, looking at the stars with you.'

If not for the sporadic texts, Xavier would still be asleep. Outside the birds that often bickered over his balcony were squawking at a volume loudly. The combination of factors is enough to stir him, just barely. He knows its her before having to unlock his phone.

↪[ Audio: I'm awake. I'm up. I'm coming. ]

↪[ It was nice. Let's do it again sometime ]

In a flash he rinses off, takes care of basic hygiene, and is donning a favored hoodie in spite of the weather.

By the time he gets downstairs, he's already rubbing his eyes again as he knocks on the door.

Lily couldn't help but giggle when he pressed his head into her hand, beginning to gently run her fingers through his hair, even occasionally using her nails to very gently scratch at his scalp. The cat-like behavior certainly didn't go unnoticed, endearing her all the more. If she didn't know any better, she'd half expect him to purr at this rate.

"It's not a bother at all. You're not a bother." She reassured, tilting her head against his for a moment. "I'm here to help however I can."

( from @lily-of-the-linkon )

Lily holds her arms out slightly towards Dawnbreaker, hoping to make it so he won't feel bad if he refuses her invitation.

"Would you like a hug?"

His eyes light up briefly at the prospect of physical comfort.

"...Yes, I would."

He steps towards her, enveloping her in a gentle embrace to avoid causing her any discomfort, despite his wishes. He leans his forehead on her shoulder, closing his eyes.

"Not just a toy, no." Lily reassured quickly, even if she knew he was just joking, shaking her own head. "But that doesn't change the fact that I love how you react to things."

His question earned a thoughtful hum as she put her phone away, after sending him the best of the pictures, of course.

"Well... Is there anything you want me to do?"

“I trust you” - @lily-of-the-linkon

"Huh? What are you up to?" He closes his eyes.

--

Ask meme

Lily waited patiently for Xavier to finish his food enough to get his thoughts out, laughing a little as she leaned against the table instead of sitting properly just yet. "I thought that today it was my turn to spoil you?" She asked playfully, but did sit down when he insisted he was okay.

At the offer, she shook her head and grabbed a slice of pizza to start eating. "I've still got some, so I'll be fine for now." She reassured before finally taking a bite

After spending the morning doing research on places in Linkon City that offer milk tea, Lily finally found a place that seemed like it would be a nice place to visit and had the coffee milk tea that Xavier mentioned. Plus it wasn't far from a few good places to eat so they'd have options based on what they were feeling up to without having to go all the way across town. Perfect.

Lily finally sent Xavier a text in the late morning.

'I found a place that has that coffee milk tea you mentioned! And it has really good reviews.'

After a moment of thought, she sent another text as well.

'And thank you for walking me home last night. I really appreciated it. It was nice, looking at the stars with you.'

If not for the sporadic texts, Xavier would still be asleep. Outside the birds that often bickered over his balcony were squawking at a volume loudly. The combination of factors is enough to stir him, just barely. He knows its her before having to unlock his phone.

↪[ Audio: I'm awake. I'm up. I'm coming. ]

↪[ It was nice. Let's do it again sometime ]

In a flash he rinses off, takes care of basic hygiene, and is donning a favored hoodie in spite of the weather.

By the time he gets downstairs, he's already rubbing his eyes again as he knocks on the door.

Lily couldn't help the small chuckles that bubbled up at Kaia's excitement, nodding along as she casually crossed her arms. "Of course!" She reassured with a relaxed smile. "I do my best to make sure I remember people, especially my coworkers! With how work is, the last thing I'd want is to be put on a mission with you and then not remember your name." She admitted, keeping her tone lighthearted and playful.

She listened to Kaia's rambles easily, humming thoughtfully and cupping her chin. "A jacket could make a good gift... Depending on the person, and the thought going into it." She mused, head tilting slightly. "Though, if the person is picky about colors, your best bet might be neutrals that can pair with anything. Black tends to be a safe bet since it doesn't look dirty easily, and goes with everything. Though, that's a general answer, and still depends on the person."

For a moment, Lily almost forgot why she was there to begin with, laughing a little. "I'm actually here looking for a new jacket myself. Mine has been through a lot and I've mended it enough... It deserves to retire." She snickered

"Oh, wait! Before you leave, what color do you think the jacket should b—" Not looking away from the clothing rack in front of her, she grabs the sleeve of the person nearest to her without thinking, and realizes a little too late that it felt... Different. She turns, blinking; the person she'd been talking to had left, and beside her instead was...

"Wait, you're—! Lily?! You're Lily, right?! Oh, my god, I am so sorry, I totally thought you were someone else! Gosh, and this is the first time I'm actually talking to you, too..."

—&&. @kaiakaya 🤍

Lily was more than a little startled to suddenly feel her sleeve grabbed while she was looking for a new jacket to replace her favorite one that has... been through it. It's getting a few small holes in it but she's already mended it so many times it's time to retire it.

She blinked in surprise at Kaia for a moment before she started laughing, keeping it relatively quiet for the moment so they don't draw too much attention.

"Yes, I'm Lily. You're Kaia, right?" She asked, hoping she doesn't make a fool of herself.

At Kaia's concerns about how this is the first time they're speaking, she shook her head with a smile and waved a hand dismissively. "It's alright, don't worry!" She reassured easily "Do you need help finding the person you're here with?" She offered, tilting her head slightly.

His teasing response earned a headshake from his passenger, but she couldn't help smiling all the same.

As he took off, she settled herself against his back, completely relaxed. You would think that, with how much they banter, she'd be more anxious having to trust him so completely like this, but she wouldn't ride with him if she didn't trust him. So she kept her arms wrapped around his torso, simply letting herself enjoy the ride.

Once they reached the park, she accepted the offered hand to carefully get off of the bike, because she does not want to go burning herself at the start of this.... date?

Offering quiet gratitude as she finally stabilized herself and put her helmet away, she watched him adjust to their new, very well lit environment, and couldn't help but grin. Reaching into her bag, she offered him a pair of sunglasses, giggling a little bit. "Well, hopefully this will make the sun a little bit less insufferable."

Satisfied with her preparedness, she took to looking around at the scenery around them, her pride softening into awe. While she's seen the cherry blossoms before, she can't deny how breath-taking it is every time. "It really is beautiful, though... A welcome end to winter."

closed starter ofr: @lily-of-the-linkon

Sylus picked up his phone, swiping through the screen as he dialed Lily’s number, his thumb tapping rhythmically against the glass. He leaned back in his chair, watching the soft light of the afternoon filter through the blinds. As the phone rang, he let out a small sigh, a hint of impatience buried beneath the calm exterior.

When the call finally connected, he greeted her with a casual tone. “Hey, Lily, you busy? If not… would you want to come see me for the spring? The cherry blossoms are finally blooming, and I haven’t had the chance to see them with anyone yet.”

There was a slight pause as he adjusted his position, a faint smirk creeping across his lips.

"Thought it might be nice, you know... to have someone to appreciate them with."

He exhaled, gaze still fixed on the view outside of the dark N109 zone. "Never had the chance to see it with someone before." The words were quieter, almost absentminded, but laced with something unspoken

Lily couldn’t help but snicker a little when Jeremiah commented on how easy her day was, nodding happily. “It probably means I'm going to have a rough or more tedious mission in the near future, but I'll deal with it when I get there.” She hummed casually, still examining the pin. “I really am fortunate to have as many friends as I do, and the fact they have such varied interests and backgrounds just makes it even better.” 

When he started to tease her and Xavier, she finally set the pin down to turn her attention back to her properly. “I may not know a whole lot about the stars, barely more than the average person, but I do love looking at the stars at night when I can. They're just so pretty…” 

There was a bit more to it, a feeling of something *more*, but that's hard to pinpoint and even harder to explain to someone. She'd rather that Jeremiah not think she's crazy when they're still getting to know each other. 

The barely-subtle suggestion that she make Xavier a new charm for his sword caught her off guard, even as her cheeks warmed up at the compliments. “It's something from highschool? It must be important to him, since it's in such good condition despite being on his sword…” she mused, tapping her cheek in absent thought. 

Jeremiah’s continued insistence made her giggle again though, shaking her head. “We’ll see. I might be able to find something, and if not I should be able to make something. I don't know if it would compete durability wise, though… I'd need to take a closer look at it…” 

At this point she's thinking out loud, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she tried to plan out the entire project in her head, where she could look for a pre-made one, what materials would work, what styles, everything. 

( Jump - sender jumps on receivers back - @lily-of-the-linkon )

Lily grinned when seeing Jeremiah wasn't paying attention to her, a mischievous little plan forming in her head.

Putting her training to the test, she carefully approached him from behind. She kept her movements as silent as possible, slowly lifting her arms to brace herself for step two.

When she was finally within reach of the (unsuspecting?) man, she lunged to jump on his back. While she was careful not to knock him over if she could help it, she was still dramatic.

Almost immediately after 'impact', she couldn't help but break into giggles, shifting to at least attempt to look at his face. "Hi Jer~" she greeted with playfully exaggerated casualness.

"What the- ah!"

The sudden surprise and sensation of warmth pressed against his back shocked him enough to let out a yelp in surprise, but the familiarity of the voice immediately calmed his instincts.

He adjusts his grip to ensure her safety but doesn't put her down.

"Stars, Lilyyyy! Where did you come from!? How did you manage to be so quiet!?"

"Hold still." Xavier leaned forward and placed a chicken nugget shaped hair clip in her hair. It's very realistic, but clearly plastic. He pulls back when it's secure, clearly proud and admiring his work, as well as how cute she looks. "Cute."

Lily obediently held still when instructed, humming in confusion and watching him out of the corner of her eye.

When he pulled away, she curiously reached up to run her fingers over the clip, starting to giggle when realizing what it was. "Of course you'd find something like this...," she mused before shooting him a playful smile.

"Is this your way of telling me you want to eat me up?"