Lily Hummed Happily As She Ate Her Pizza, A Much Slower Eater Than Him But Certainly Not Hiding Her Appetite

Lily laughed sheepishly at his response. "A nap sounds heavenly, but I'm worried it would mess up my sleep schedule too bad." She explained, glancing towards him before focusing on where she's walking again. "Honestly I sometimes envy how easily you seem to fall asleep pretty much anywhere."

She hummed thoughtfully at his suggestions of what they could do, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. So many options... "A video game would work, I think? I figure we've had enough outside time, so we get to be comfy at home." She suggested playfully.

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 nodded her agreement, crossing her arms again casually as she listened. “Fortunately the only gifts I’ve received that I didn’t... feel terribly partial to, were all little knick knacks I could display and be done with.” She admitted with a small snort. “My clothing style is pretty simple, so that helps a lot.”

Kaia’s excitement earned a small laugh and more enthusiastic nod. “Of course! Honestly it’s kind of hard to get to know everyone, what with us all ending up on different missions and things like that.” She mused “Even worse that I’m not really a drinker, and that’s their go-to bonding activity after work.”

Her commentary about her now-absent companion got a small snort of amusement from Lily, shaking her head. “I suppose so, but still. At least a little warning isn’t too much to ask, right?” She hummed before shrugging dismissively. She sure wouldn’t know.

"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.

Lily couldn't help but laugh to herself when listening to his audio message, shaking her head affectionately. He sounded half asleep still, meaning he must just have been waking up. She almost felt bad for potentially waking him, but well... He shouldn't go sleeping the whole day away either.

She'd opted for a simple pair of black slacks, a tank top, and a jacket just in case the shops are cold. She'd already gone through her morning routine, so once he acknowledged he was awake, she made sure she had her wallet and phone, and waited to hear from him again.

When he knocked she was quick to answer the door, offering him a relaxed smile. Seeing how tired he still looked, her expression became more sympathetic. "Did I wake you up?"

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.

"Lilies of the valley for Linkon's very own Lily? I think these are long overdue. I know you've been busy on missions lately, but I want you to know everybody in the association talks about how they miss you're beautiful smile when you're away. Me included!"

"Oh, thank you so much! These are beautiful!"

Lily beams as she accepts the flowers, only to find herself getting kind of emotional as she continued listening.

"You're so sweet! I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately, like you said, it's just been so busy... Hopefully things will settle down some soon, I miss spending time with everyone."

PROMPTS FOR ORDINARY THINGS THAT FEEL INTIMATE *  inspired by this post. these don't have to be romantic - you can specify romantic or not when you send them. in essence, these are simply intimate, affectionate moments to share with someone you love and care about. adjust as necessary, send 'reverse' for the reversal of the prompt

[ lean ] sender rests their head on receiver's shoulder

[ shop ] sender and receiver go to the grocery store together

[ brush ] sender brushes receiver's hair

[ tie ] sender helps receiver with their tie, either by putting it on or adjusting it

[ necklace ] sender helps receiver with the clasp of their necklace from behind

[ zip up ] sender assists receiver with zipping up a piece of clothing

[ unzip ] sender assists receiver with unzipping a piece of clothing

[ shoelaces ] sender bends down to tie receiver's shoelaces

[ swipe ] sender notices a smudge of something on receiver's face and gently wipes it off

[ braid ] sender braids receiver's hair

[ jacket ] sender takes their jacket off and hangs it on receiver's shoulders

[ puddle ] sender hurries to stop receiver from stepping into a puddle

[ drinks ] sender brings receiver a drink from a bar/their kitchen

[ feed ] sender feeds receiver's pet/s for them

[ cook ] sender and receiver cook a meal together

[ feed ] sender allows receiver to try a bite of their dish, holding their fork out for receiver to taste

[ teach ] sender, an expert at something, takes time to teach receiver how it works and how they can get better at it, too

[ readjust ] sender comes up behind receiver and readjusts their stance (maybe holding a gun, holding a golf club, aiming for something, etc.) to help them

[ makeup ] sender fixes receiver's makeup for them

[ bathroom ] sender and receiver go to a public restroom together and have a normal conversation in between the stalls

[ aloud ] sender reads aloud to receiver

[ refill ] sender refills receiver's glass without asking

[ massage ] sender notices receiver looks tense, steps up behind them, and massages their shoulders

[ listen ] sender listens to receiver explain something they're passionate about

[ silence ] sender and receiver comfortably exist in silence together, both of them working or reading or focusing on something different

[ food ] sender brings food over to receiver's house

[ hum ] sender hums along to a song receiver is singing

[ see ] sender sees something that reminds them of receiver and texts them a picture of it

[ admire ] sender stares at receiver across a room, silently admiring and appreciating them from afar

[ win ] sender lets receiver beat them in a game

[ puzzle ] sender helps receiver solve/put together a puzzle

[ carry ] after receiver falls asleep in an inconvenient place, sender carries them to a bed and tucks them in

[ kneel ] sender finds receiver sick in the bathroom ("tossing their cookies"), and kneels beside them, holding their hair back and cleaning their face

[ clean ] sender helps bathe receiver

[ wash ] sender helps receiver wash their hair

[ patch ] sender carefully patches one of receiver's wounds

✏️

Send in ✏️ and I’ll use this (improved) incorrect quote generator featuring both our muses!

--

Lily: You’re alive. Caleb: No need to sound so disappointed.

--

Caleb: I don’t know, this plan seems complicated. Lily: You once said that about an orange. Caleb: They don’t make sense. Apples, you eat their clothes but oranges you don’t.

“In their defense,” Lily started through snickers, “most recipes assume that the person reading them has either baked at least once before in their life with someone else, or follows directions to the letter without assuming any steps are missing. They don’t think they need to state that once the oven is pre-heated to the desired temperature, you don’t touch the temperature unless otherwise specified.”

His genuine befuddlement and interest in something she always thought was common knowledge made her hum affectionately. It also serves as a great reminder that she shouldn’t just assume people know the things she does, even if she thinks they’re better than her in most every way.

“I set it to pre-heat it when I finished cleaning, so that it would reach the right temperature by the time we were done prepping the batter.” She explained, nodding to all of his questions. “And yes, we can put them in since it’s done pre-heating, and the consistent heat will bake them faster and properly, so they don’t risk getting burnt so long as we set a timer.”

[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.

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!?"

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.

Half of Lily's strategy in life is throwing people off, so realizing he hadn't expected that earned excited laughter as she continued her pursuit. "Oh~? Did you perhaps underestimate your bodyguard~?" she teased. When she managed to feel relatively confident that she could make the shot, she threw the snowball at his back. Of course, she did her best to ensure she wouldn't risk hitting him in the head or anything!

❄️ -@artistrafayel

Send ❄️ to throw a snowball at Lily!

Lily yelped in surprise at the sudden impact before turning to Rafayel, seeming almost offended for all of... two seconds.

A wide grin spread across her face as she leaned down to make a snowball of her own. "Are you sure you want to play this game~?" she asked playfully, glancing up at him from where her hands were making quick work of the snow.