Seeing Him In Such A State, Frazzled And Covered In Who Knows What, She Spares Just A Moment To Look

Gold Minimalist Grey Labradorite Ring by Eastwaypearls

“There’s a universe inside your head; constellations of the things you left unsaid.”

— Laren Aquilina, Talk to me

Lily at least attempted to pay for their meal, sticking her tongue out at him as she stepped aside to wait with him.

"Then shouldn't you call me once you're caught up and ready for the rambling?" She asked, her tone both playful and genuine. She doesn't want to rush him after all, so it's better for it to be on his terms.

She took another sip of her drink, which was also mostly empty, though she didn't seem phased by the cold condensation.

"Maybe?" She hummed thoughtfully, absently chewing on the straw. "It would be nice, just get to relax for a bit."

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 didn't mind him leaning on her more properly in the slightest, shutting her eyes as she continued to gently card her fingers through his hair. While she could tell he had needed the hug, she hasn't realized just how bad he needed it.

She's just happy she could provide him with some semblance of comfort.

"Of course." She hummed softly, an acknowledgement of his gratitude. "We can stay like this for as long as you need." She added, so he knows he won't have to move anytime soon if he doesn't want to.

She's rather comfy, holding on to him like this. The weight of his head against her shoulder and neck was just the right amount of squish for her without it being uncomfortable.

( 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 brought the bowls over at the request, offering him a reassuring smile. "I know that you didn't mean to cause the panic. But the way it sounded, I thought you were being attacked or something." She explained, finding a cloth to start cleaning up the batter from... everywhere.

"Red velvet cookies, hm?" She hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we can give the recipe a try after we clean up, but let's read through all of the instructions before we try it." She suggested with a lighthearted laugh.

With the initial panic subsiding, she was back to finding his kitchen struggles endearing, her expression softening. "And if you're ever struggling with a recipe, you can call me for help."

Yes, he's done so by calling her today... but hopefully he'll call her before his apartment explodes next time-

[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 flushed at the compliments, looking away sheepishly for a moment. "Thank you. Though, I can't compete with how cute you are." She responded easily.

At the prompting she looked through the jackets they were in front of, humming thoughtfully. "That's what my friends usually say, I'm easy to shop for." She laughed, pulling a black hoodie off of the rack and feeling it thoughtfully.

"I can't imagine that they did," she snorted, shaking her head. "From what I've gathered, Hunters are generally the type for 'work hard, play harder'." She hummed as she put the jacket back on the rack to keep looking. "We really should go on a mission together! It doesn't have to be a hard or big one either, something small would be better for getting to know each other's styles. Or we could try some training together first?" She offered.

"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.

The Butterfly Nebula (HST)

"Then maybe that's what I'll do with my weekend." She hummed happily, leading the way down the road to the mini-park she'd mentioned.

His comment made her cheeks flush, but she didn't falter as she smiled towards him. It touched her to know that he cares so much, even if she isn't sure how to verbalize the same sentiment. How much she trusts him, and would follow him in turn.

"You're so sweet to me." She hummed apprecitively, walking beside him again as she faced forward. "It's more fun spending time with you anyways."

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 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