Lily, Any Chance You're Free For A Little Afternoon Tea Soon? It's Been A While Since We Last Caught

Lily had been working on tidying her apartment when hearing her phone go off, cursing under her breath until she found it.

She answered it quickly, perking up some when hearing Sylus on the other end, leaning against the couch as she listened to his request. "Not terribly busy, just doing a bit of spring cleaning. But I'd be more than happy to come visit!"

His quiet comment about not getting to share the sight with someone tugged her heart, her expression softening.

"Give me about 10 minutes to clean up, and I can start heading your way?"

Even as she said that, she was heading to her room to grab something nicer to wear than her 'cleaning around the house' outfit.

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

“That sounds perfect!” Lily beamed, playfully motioning for Kaia to lead the way to the restaurant. “I haven’t tried it yet either, no, but I’m up for a little adventure.” She added with a small laugh.

At her sheepishness regarding not knowing the requester very well, Lily gave her a few reassuring pats on the arm. “Nothing wrong with that. Hm... What do you know about them? Are they a foodie at all? Did they know what you planned to be out doing?”

Even little things can help figure out what the other person may be expecting, after all!

"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 hummed happily as she nodded, even turning to walk backwards for a little bit so she could face him properly. "Mmhm! And it has good reviews, which is all the more promising."

She faced forward again to ensure that she wouldn't risk running into anyone or tripping over her own feet and making a fool of herself, in public no less. Fortunately she had meant it when she said it wasn't far, just a couple of blocks and a few turns away she checked her phone again, then pointing to a small storefront. "There it is!"

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.

The cat looked over to them curiously at their calls, seeming to consider before trotting across the street to investigate them.

Lily waited patiently, keeping her free hand extended for the cat to sniff at and see if she passes the vibe check.

"Well we aren't being terribly loud, so we should be fine." She reassured, looking over to Xavier. "And you don't need to apologize, don't worry. You're right that I should've been more alert anyways. Even if you are the best Hunter ever, I can't let you get the drop on me that easily." She teased lightheartedly, as much as she meant it too. She really does need to be more careful... especially when she knows she's out of it.

❛ you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. ❜ 

Send me a prompt!

~

Normally, Lily tries to be fully aware of her surroundings. Working as a Hunter means she shouldn't let her guard down, especially when by herself. Who knows what threats are just waiting for a chance to strike, after all?

Though normally, Lily doesn't have to resort to late night walks to try and clear her mind so that she can sleep.

Suddenly hearing a voice nearby startles her out of her own thoughts, immediately setting her on alert. Her head whipped around towards the source, her posture tense and ready for a fight. Once she finally recognized Xavier, she let out a slow breath that ended in a sheepish laugh.

"Xavier!" She half-greeted, half-scolded.

Once she finally processed his warning, she offered what she hoped came across as a reassuring smile. "I know, I know. But I'm a big girl, I can handle going for a little starlit walk before bed." She teased, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm herself down further so her heart wasn't pounding so hard in her chest.

"What about you? You're out rather late too."

If she were to be completely honest, Lily hadn't realized how much she needed the company. Perhaps that's what she needed, more than anything else...

Before she could dwell too much on the thought as she fell into step beside him, his warning sets her on alert again. She started to look around for what had set him on guard, using her Evol to try and sense for any threats their watches hadn't picked up on yet. She took a slight step closer to him, turning slightly to see if the threat might be behind them.

When she feels him relax she followed his gaze, relaxing when seeing the cat just across the street. Letting out a small laugh she carefully squatted down, still holding on to Xavier's hand for balance this time, trying to coax the cat over.

"Nothing wrong with that... It's nice, at night." She mused absently. "Especially outside, it's just so... peaceful."

❛ you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. ❜ 

Send me a prompt!

~

Normally, Lily tries to be fully aware of her surroundings. Working as a Hunter means she shouldn't let her guard down, especially when by herself. Who knows what threats are just waiting for a chance to strike, after all?

Though normally, Lily doesn't have to resort to late night walks to try and clear her mind so that she can sleep.

Suddenly hearing a voice nearby startles her out of her own thoughts, immediately setting her on alert. Her head whipped around towards the source, her posture tense and ready for a fight. Once she finally recognized Xavier, she let out a slow breath that ended in a sheepish laugh.

"Xavier!" She half-greeted, half-scolded.

Once she finally processed his warning, she offered what she hoped came across as a reassuring smile. "I know, I know. But I'm a big girl, I can handle going for a little starlit walk before bed." She teased, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm herself down further so her heart wasn't pounding so hard in her chest.

"What about you? You're out rather late too."

Lily shut her eyes halfway as Xavier reached out to take the hair clip, still wanting to watch his expression as he tried to decide where to place it. It was so cute, watching him focus so hard on something so mundane.

His touch was so gentle, and he was so close, that it took a lot of focus for Lily to not shiver. She didn't want to risk spooking him into thinking he was making her uncomfortable or anything! Far from it, in fact.

When he finally seemed satisfied with the placement, she opens her eyes properly with a few blinks to re-adjust. She leaned down for a moment to grab the mirror again, beaming proudly as she took in it's placement.

"I think it looks wonderful." She reassured, finding herself overwhelmed with the urge to kiss his cheek, which had her own cheeks turning deep red.

“I trust you” - @lily-of-the-linkon

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

--

Ask meme

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.

flower

Hey Lily, guess what I've brought? Is the pun too obvious?

Those are so pretty! The pun may be obvious, but it never gets old. They always smell so nice too!

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.

🐝  *  ―  𝑵𝑶𝑵-𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑩𝑨𝑳 𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑻 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑺. (  some triggering content ahead. add " + " to reverse the action.  )

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