❛ You Shouldn’t Be Out Here By Yourself. ❜ 

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.

As soon as his hand was within reach, she was moving to try and smack at him with her fork. She was ever careful not to risk actually stabbing him, since she doesn't want to have to take him to the hospital and explain that she stabbed him with a fork because he was trying to eat her food.

Despite her supposed frustration with him taking her food, she couldn't help but laugh and lightly elbow him, ever careful not to risk dropping her food either. "You are such a brat!" She teased, despite knowing full well that he has a voracious appetite to go with his constant fatigue to continue being such an awesome badass on the field.

🔪

"Xavier, dear, darling, I swear if you try to steal another bite of this before I'm done, we're gonna see what's faster. You, or the nearest throw-able object."

@lily-of-the-linkon

It was a small game. How much could he steal before she reached this point? With a sly, wicked grin plastered on his face, he reaches forward at a sloth-like pace, and in the same vein turns his grin into a pout.

"But I thought we were sharing..."

And then with lightning speed only possible enhanced by his evol, there's another small piece in his mouth again, and the sly smile returns. "I'll brace for impact, but don't worry. Here's my card, you have my PIN. Order more if you'd like. More than you need is ok, starlight, we can take leftovers for tomorrow."

---

Threaten my muse

With fatigue trying to dig it's claws into her, Lily focused on listening to where Xavier went and what he did. She wasn't ready to nap... not yet.

She lifted her head again when he approached, her eyebrows furrowing in concern with how uncomfortable he was. She accepted her medicine gratefully, taking a sip of the water to get it down before offering him a bottle of pain medicine from the first aid kit as well as her water bottle.

The candy being offered caught her off guard, her expression softening as she let out a small giggle, accepting it.

"You're too good to me, Xav..." she mumbled quietly, hoping he understood how much she really did appreciate him.

"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."

"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."

As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.

So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.

“I look forward to it.” She hummed happily, holding the door open for him as they finally entered the complex, relieved by how cool it was inside compared to being outside.  

She snorted at his reassurances regarding her likelihood of winning, leading the way to the elevator. “That’s fair, I suppose. What, do you think you’re at risk of falling asleep mid-race since you’re full and comfy?” She teased lightheartedly, some part of her hoping that he’s not that exhausted... But if he does manage to, she fully intends to let him get as much rest as possible.  

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 calmed down to tiny giggles, running her hand over her ponytail to tidy it up a little.

"Learning from other people's mistakes, a good strategy." She approved playfully, shaking her head. "I found out that for all the skills Xavier has, cooking is not one of them, thanks to hearing an explosion from his apartment on a day off because he was trying to make an egg tart, if I remember right." She admitted, her expression torn between amusement and 'I still can't fathom how he messed it up that bad.'

The offer for him to have them both over for dinner did catch her attention, laughing a little at his justification.

"Well if you're willing to have us over, I can make dessert to keep it fair?" She offered. If he's willing to open his home to them and cook dinner, the least she could do is offer to make dessert!

Fortunately, Lily was able to shake her head at the question regarding allergies. "No allergies here that I've found!" She answered easily.

( 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 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.

VARIOUS SETTINGS / LOCATIONS PROMPTS *  location based prompts for starters, adjust as necessary

[ 01 ] a crowded masquerade party, on the dance floor

[ 02 ] the narrow space between two dusty bookshelves

[ 03 ] a shady spot in the sand under a boat dock

[ 04 ] the cereal aisle of a neighborhood cornerstore

[ 05 ] a one-stall, one-sink bathroom in a noisy bar

[ 06 ] standing next to the only car in an otherwise-empty parking lot

[ 07 ] a field of ready-to-pick corn, the stalks making it impossible to see the space around you

[ 08 ] the sun-dappled, grassy edge of a small lake

[ 09 ] intermission at a broadway show

[ 10 ] seated beside each other at a nail salon

[ 11 ] a desolate field in the middle of nowhere, just before a rainstorm

[ 12 ] a lonely bus stop at 2am

[ 13 ] the garden center of a home improvement store

[ 14 ] the only two people at a hotel bar on new year's

[ 15 ] on a bench beside a large fountain and its lit-up water display

[ 16 ] the messy chaos of an all-you-can-eat buffet

[ 17 ] a city rooftop with lightning in the distance

[ 18 ] a rusty fire escape

[ 19 ] inside an ice cream shop

[ 20 ] at the entrance of a lost temple in the middle of a thick jungle

[ 21 ] the waiting area of a busy doctor's office

[ 22 ] a city street teeming with news vehicles, camera crews, and reporters

[ 23 ] a hammock on the beach strung between two palm trees

[ 24 ] a locked door. the key is under the mat

[ 25 ] the large, ornate rotunda of an official building

[ 26 ] an empty, run-down subway car

[ 27 ] the only gas station for miles

[ 28 ] an airport café during the breakfast rush

[ 29 ] a wine tasting event for couples

[ 30 ] the cliffside overlooking a magnificent, roaring waterfall

How Xavier manages to say just the right thing as though it came as naturally to him as breathing, Lily will never understand. She already found herself a little flustered by his words, so when he followed it up with a move straight out of a fairytale?

Made her feel like royalty, regardless of how exhausted she felt?

Her face flushed, color flooding or originally pale cheeks, taking to searching for his phone in hopes of recomposing herself. Picking it up once she saw it on the coffee table, she offered it over to him and set the first aid kit on the table in it's stead. Within reach, but out of the way.

Satisfied with their little makeshift recovery set-up, and thoroughly done with moving, Lily carefully leaned against his side. Doing her best not to irritate his injuries, she offered a quiet hum of approval. "The audiobook sounds perfect."

Wanting to return the affection, but not wanting to over-exert either of them, she turned her head slightly to plant a small kiss against his shoulder, hoping it could at least somewhat convey her gratitude.

"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."

"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."

As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.

So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.

✱˚｡⋆ ↪ 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝑻𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑷𝑯𝑶𝑵𝑬 .    (  a  collection  of  texting prompts.  feel free to change phrasing.  potentially mature content within.  )

[ TXT ] : why are you still awake?

[ TXT ] : hey, where did you go?

[ TXT ] : it's getting bad again.

[ TXT ] : guess i'll just sit in bed. alone. by myself.

[ TXT ] : you can't ignore me forever.

[ TXT ] : i can't stop thinking about you.

[ TXT ] : just saw i called you last night. how'd that go?

[ TXT ] : i really need someone right now.

[ TXT ] : we need to make plans asap.

[ TXT ] : have you seen the news?

[ TXT ] : you were blackout drunk.

[ TXT ] : testing to see if you blocked my number...

[ TXT ] : do you know anything about doing stitches?

[ TXT ] : just please let me know you're okay.

[ TXT ] : did you forget we had plans?

[ TXT ] : i know you see my messages, your read receipts are on.

[ TXT ] : meet me at [ location ], it's important.

[ TXT ] : do you need comfort, to vent, or a solution?

[ TXT ] : is there anything i should bring?

[ TXT ] : call me. please, it's important.

[ TXT ] : i can't sleep.

[ TXT ] : have you eaten today?

[ TXT ] : you are always going to be my priority.

[ TXT ] : i haven't seen you around in awhile.

[ TXT ] : i had a dream about you last night.

[ TXT ] : the names are gonna get mean if you don't text me back.

[ TXT ] : at the risk of sounding cliche, what are you wearing?

[ TXT ] : just say the word and i'll drop everything.

[ TXT ] : do you seriously not remember?

[ TXT ] : come to the front door.

[ TXT ] : have you been drinking?

[ TXT ] : how do you feel after last night?

[ TXT ] : are you up? please be up.

[ TXT ] : you looked beautiful today.

[ TXT ] : i have so much to tell you.

[ TXT ] : no one's heard from you. are you okay?

[ TXT ] : who is this?

[ TXT ] : are you taking care of yourself?

[ TXT ] : thought i'd reach out and see how you're doing.

[ TXT ] : i miss the taste of your lips.

[ TXT ] : that kiss was really nice.

[ TXT ] : stop acting so high and mighty.

[ TXT ] : i left my [ item ] at your place.

[ TXT ] : are we still fighting?

[ TXT ] : i need help and i can't go to the hospital.

[ TXT ] : are you thinking about me too?

[ TXT ] : call me, i wanna hear your voice.

[ TXT ] : i don't want to talk to you.

[ TXT ] : what do you have to lose?

[ TXT ] : you don't have to ask, i'm already on my way.

[ TXT ] : i want to take a nap on you.

[ TXT ] : even if you called 6 months later at 3am, i'd answer.

[ TXT ] : what's my name in your phone?

[ TXT ] : how's trying to forget about me going?

[ TXT ] : i have nobody else to ask.

[ TXT ] : what do you mean you're at the hospital??

[ TXT ] : sorry, i think you have the wrong number.

[ TXT ] : good morning! you up yet?

[ TXT ] : do i sense sarcasm in your tone?

[ TXT ] : you start your day at 2pm?

[ TXT ] : you need MY help?

[ TXT ] : stop texting me.

[ TXT ] : i'll leave that up to your imagination.

[ TXT ] : are you asking me to sneak out?

[ TXT ] : when will i see you again?

[ TXT ] : if you come over, i'll order us a pizza.

[ TXT ] : are we ever going to talk about it?

[ TXT ] : can you come get me out of here?

[ TXT ] : you mean like ... a BODY - body?

[ TXT ] : it's just been one thing after another lately.

[ TXT ] : forgiving and forgetting is harder than it sounds.

[ TXT ] : i want your legs wrapped around my head.

[ TXT ] : call me when you wake up.

[ TXT ] : what are you doing that's more important than me?

[ TXT ] : i'm out of town right now.

The question prompted her to laugh, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Right, we want to avoid them being blackened anywhere. Make sure that they aren't shiny at all, paying close attention to the center. Use an oven mitt and give the tray a tiny shake. If they jiggle, they need a bit longer. If they don't jiggle, they should be good."

She wanted to give him the chance to check them over himself first and try to make a call before she went to give her own verdict. Low stakes practice!

As she placed the last cookie from the first batch on the plate, she debated grabbing one to try herself since it had already cooled off. Plus then they could see if they should make an icing for it...

[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.