Lily Flushed At The Compliments, Looking Away Sheepishly For A Moment. "Thank You. Though, I Can't Compete

We never back down, pookie! We don't take L's, only D's! 😙

I agree on never backing down!

Though, uh... I'm a bit lost on the second part? I thought it was 'we don't take L's, only W's' for winning?

She hummed happily with an idea, getting her own phone out and opening the camera app. She shifted ever so slightly to stand a little bit more in front of him, but still leaning against him for support.

"Nothing wrong with having more photos!" She agreed with a grin, stretching out her arm to try and get a good angle for a few selfies.

And because she's still feeling rather playful, she tilted her head back some to gently boop him on the nose in one of the photos.

“I trust you” - @lily-of-the-linkon

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

--

Ask meme

Lily hummed happily as she ate her pizza, a much slower eater than him but certainly not hiding her appetite either. At his admission, she flushed light pink and hummed appreciatively. "I see. Well, you don't have to go such round about ways to ask me to hang out." She teased affectionately.

At the question about the pizza, she hummed thoughtfully. "It's a really good one, for sure! Not overly greasy, and a good flavor." She mused, putting genuine thought into her little 'review'. "I'd definitely add them as an option for dinner when I'm too lazy to cook." She concluded, turning her attention to him. "What do you think?"

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.

When he accepts the offer, Lily doesn't hesitate to return the hug. His caution to ensure she wouldn't be hurt or uncomfortable was appreciated, though she still did her best to give him a good squeeze. A little squishing is good for a person!

Letting out a small, content hum when he placed his head on her shoulder, her expression softened as she rubbed his shoulder. For a moment she debated if he'd appreciate it if she ran her fingers through his hair, or if he'd be off put by it. Deciding it best to test the waters, she moved one hand from his back to instead settle it on top of his head.

"You're more than welcome to ask me for a hug whenever you want one." She offered, keeping her voice quiet, almost a whisper.

( 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.

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 still found herself a little giggly as she motioned for Xavier to get comfortable on the couch while she gathered some blankets and other comfort items.

"Quiet days in tend to be the best anyways." She agreed with a content hum, joining him on the couch after she was satisfied with all of the soft-things she'd brought out for the two of them.

“I trust you” - @lily-of-the-linkon

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

--

Ask meme

Lily was more than happy to listen to the ramble, lacing her hands behind her back casually as she listened to him, keeping her eyes on the flowers in hopes of not making him too anxious or flustered. She doesn't want him to risk accidentally drowning a poor plant if he gets panicky because she's watching him too closely!

His warning to not test the fire resistance inside earned an amused snort, turning her head for a moment as if trying to hide it, despite not actually trying to do so. "Noted." She commented, audibly amused. She can only imagine the shenanigans he must get up to, testing the limits of various materials.

Both he and Xavier seem to be men of many talents... far more than most people.

She distracted herself from that thought when he continued his rambles, humming to show she heard. "Thank you, Jeremiah." She beamed at him this time, adding on a playful "I'd probably make a lot of people jealous, having a personal tailor." She teased.

( 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!?"

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 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.

Lily didn't even have the opportunity to warn him about how hot they'd be fresh out of the oven, just letting out a small sigh to keep from laughing at such a familiar mistake.

She took a moment to quickly get a cup of cool water to offer for him with one hand, the other hand gently reaching to take the plate from him as well. "Here, drink this to cool off your mouth." She instructed gently.

Any semblance of scolding can be saved for when he's not at notable risk of burning his mouth, and even then, it was adorable. That he was so excited to eat the sweets they'd made that he apparently forgot that they were hot out of the oven.

[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.