So When I First Started The Game And Saw The Photobooth Gave The Option For Blue Hair, Of COURSE I Immediately

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.

What are you seeking? - HOME

"i wish i could say i am a light that never goes out, but i flicker from time to time." 

oh, little one, you have burned for so quietly for so long, haven't you? burnt yourself out trying to give others light? wishing, desperately, that they would notice the way your hands shake or the wildflower bruises under your tired eyes. but they never have, have they? and so, it obviously wasn't bad? right? you had more to give, didn't you? how much could you pour yourself out before they noticed? it is all you've ever known, after all. help, help, help, help. (are you providing it, or begging for it?)

but you've given too much, spread yourself too thin, didn't you? you are so heavy, so tired. you have spent your life carrying for others the way you wished someone would care for you. but you're worried, aren't you? that if you can't be what they need, if you can't be the pillar for others to lean on, they'll leave you.

what you seek is home, a safe place to rest and be taken care of. and little light, you deserve it. you have earned it. you are worth more than what you can provide for others: you deserve the same care you so freely give out. they will love you all the same, honey. set down the world, and rest that weary heart of yours

Tagged by @mikiquette ! Thank you so much!

Tagging: @dolasach , @deepspacepunk , aaaand anyone else who wants to do this!

Lily had taken to quietly humming while she put things away and tidied up, only for the gentle melody to be cut off with a startled squeak when feeling the cold water against her back.

Standing straighter in her surprise, she tried to turn towards him with a pout, sticking her tongue out at him. Before she could say anything to call him out, his arms were around her, turning her cheeks bright pink.

"You're lucky you're cute...," she mumbled without any heat, settling her hands on his arms and relaxing into his grip slowly. She'd managed to get most everything put away by now, so she didn't mind being 'trapped'.

[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.

"I have to try and be good about it," Lily admitted with a small sigh, absolutely pouting a little bit to herself, "I don't need to go making it harder on myself to function by not maintaining a sleep schedule... plus my body tends to refuse staying up late anyways if it can help it." She hummed, laughing a little. "I remember trying to pull all nighters when I was studying for the entrance exam for the Association... but I just never could, no matter how hard I tried."

She couldn't help but doubt his comment regarding how cozy places are, since she's caught him sleeping standing up a few times. But... he must be trying to dismiss it for a reason, so she wouldn't press too much more.

"Probably a familiar one? Maybeeee one of the racing games?" She suggested, tilting her head as she looked at him. She could definitely feel the heat too, but had the advantage of her ponytail keeping her hair off her neck so it wasn't quite as stifling for her... yet.

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.

"Xavier! I know I'm a little late, but I have something for you!"

Lily beams as she offers him a plushie of an all-white, very sleepy cat, with embroidered paw pads. If he got close enough, he'd realize that it has the faintest floral scent, like the perfume that Lily uses on special occasions.

"It's a weighted plushie! I know you don't really need help falling asleep, but... maybe it'll make the sleep a little better?"

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

@lily-of-the-linkon

More than the spirit of the holiday, was the fact that for the first time in his life he had someone to spend it with,

And she was looking at him like that.

He wished he could capture this feeling like a photograph.

Taking it into his arms, he gave her a small look while he smiled, a bit shy.

"So you're saying I can imagine it's you when I need to hold you? I could get used to that."

Reaching out he brushed his fingers along her hairline and drew closer to place a kiss on her cheek, dwelling there long enough to take in that pretty perfume he loved.

"I can't wait to grow our plushie family more. They'll have many adventures with us. I'm just looking forward to spending every Azure Echo Day with you from now on. I'm... happier then I've ever been, Lily."

His lips traced her cheek towards her lips, teasing before chasing after them. "I love you, Valentine."

"I get that, trust me." Lily reassured, shaking her head with a chuckle. "I can't count the number of times I've defaulted to neutrals for others, but it hasnt failed me yet!" She snickered.

With the questions, she nodded with a sheepish laugh, putting her hands of the white jacket. "Mmhm! It's really comfy and not too heavy, but it's not trapping heat as well as it used to, and the pockets are hanging on with a prayer." She admitted, even showing her.

Kaia's offer for company earned another nod of agreement "Sure, I don't mind!" She answered easily. "Plus then we can both tease the person who oh-so-cruelly abandoned you in the middle of the store." She teased lightheartedly.

"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.

TXT: are you asking me to sneak out?

@borealiscuriosities

Text Prompts

I meaaaaan- That's up to you! I'm just saving, I'm in the area to do a bit of shopping if you want to tag along, and I can give you an excuse if you need one :P

Interesting... I wasn't expecting this much of an even split!

Perhaps I'm just that photogenic~

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

╰┈➤ ACTION PROMPTS : Loving Actions (SFW) a set of action prompts, varying from platonic to romantic ! an assortment from simple ones, to more niche or specific ones that i happen to like. prompts become more descriptive as the list goes on. all sfw, and please keep them that way ! these are meant to be fluffy and sweet ! please do not add to or edit this list ! * add “+ reverse” to swap the roles for any prompt !

• GESTURES •

[ BLANKET ] — sender drapes a blanket over receiver’s shoulders

[ MEAL ] — sender places a warm-cooked meal in front of sender

[ TAKEOUT ] — sender arrives at receiver’s home, bearing takeout from receiver’s favourite place

[ HOODIE ] — sender lends receiver a hoodie that may or may not be oversized for them

[ HOLD ] — noticing that receiver is nervous or scared, sender offers out their hand for receiver to hold

[ LULLABY ] — sender hums or sings a lullaby to receiver, to calm them down or provide them comfort

[ ADJUST ] — sender fixes an article of receiver’s clothing, but does not stop there. they fix receiver’s hair, turn them around to check their outfit, etc, all to make sure that receiver looks their best

[ DANCE ] — sender pulls receiver into a dance, but not on a dance floor ; in the midst of somewhere unconventional ( such as a kitchen or balcony ) , for a quiet, private dance, that may be more of gentle swaying than proper dancing

[ SONG ] — cradling receiver close, sender tucks their head near receiver’s neck and begins to quietly sing or hum a tune. a song, just for receiver, quiet and special and close enough to be felt against receiver’s neck.

[ PREJUDICE ] — sender, after touching & guiding receiver’s hand to assist them in doing something ( such as stepping up onto a higher platform or guiding them somewhere ) , releases receiver’s hand … but their own hand hesitates before retracting, sender still able to feel the sensation of receiver’s hand against theirs.

• HUGS •

[ REFUSE ] — sender, already embracing receiver, refuses to let go when receiver tries to move or move away

[ TACKLE ] — sender tackles receiver in a hug, possibly knocking receiver to the ground in the process

[ TIGHT ] — sender tightly hugs receiver in a strong embrace

[ SOFA ] — sender sits on the sofa that receiver has already been sitting on, snuggling up next to receiver and wrapping their arms around them in a comfortable hug

[ BEHIND ] — sender sneakily approaches receiver from behind and wraps their arms around receiver’s waist in a hug

[ CALMING ] — after finding receiver full of worries or fear, sender wraps them in a tight hug, reassuring receiver that they are there and helping to ground receiver

[ MISS ] — before receiver can leave, perhaps on a long travel or dangerous journey, sender rushes up behind them and hugs them, having one last big hug

[ SPIN ] — excited to see receiver, perhaps after a long period of time, sender rushes into an embrace, going so far as to lift receiver off of the ground and spin them around

[ SIDE ] — sender, standing next to receiver, takes another step to the side to close the distance, then wraps an arm around receiver in a side-hug

[ HAIR ] — while embracing receiver, sender begins stroking and running their fingers through receiver’s hair as a calming gesture

• KISSES •

[ CHEEK ] — sender kisses receiver’s cheek to wish them good luck before an event / a performance / etc

[ UP ] — sender, shorter than receiver, stands up on their tippy toes to kiss receiver’s cheek

[ DOWN ] — sender, taller than receiver, leans down to kiss the top of receiver’s head

[ EXCITEMENT ] — sender spontaneously kisses receiver, full of excitement after an event or receiving news

[ SPINNING ] — sender lifts receiver into a spin, kissing them gently and chastely as they set receiver back down onto solid ground

[ FOREHEAD ] — sender gently kisses receiver’s forehead, their lips lingering against receiver’s skin in a tender moment

[ PEPPER ] — sender peppers receiver’s face with butterfly kisses, across their cheeks and over their face, smiling all the while with intermittent laughs

[ SHOULDER ] — hugging receiver from behind, sender kisses the back of receiver’s shoulder, lingering with their face pressed against receiver’s back

[ PALM ] — idly playing with receiver’s hand while receiver does another task ( writing, reading, etc ) , sender then sneakily kisses receiver’s palm

[ ASK ] — in the midst of a tender moment, the two of them already close together and within distance to be kissed, sender quietly asks if they may kiss receiver

[ REQUEST ] — sender, near receiver, watches the person they love, full of adoration ( perhaps with a love they do not yet know is requited ) . quietly, perhaps nervous or timid, sender asks if they may kiss receiver.

[ SECRET ] — sender and receiver, as forbidden lovers, share their last few moments before being pulled back into their lives. sender, catching receiver before they leave, gives them one last kiss as a goodbye, and a promise that they will meet again soon.

[ DISTRACT ] — sender surprises receiver with a kiss, intending to distract them from their current task, perhaps work they have been doing overtime or a project they have been focusing on for a long time. sender intends to create a distraction to tear receiver away from their work/project, or perhaps to bring some levity and lightness to interrupt receiver’s work

[ BALLROOM ] — in the middle of a dance, perhaps a large ballroom, sender’s and receiver’s eyes meet in the midst of their partnered dance. sender, perhaps without thinking, leans forward and kisses receiver

[ KNUCKLES ] — sender, after guiding receiver’s hand ( such as to assist them in stepping up onto a higher platform, or to lead them somewhere ) , goes to release receiver’s hand … but not without pressing a chaste kiss to their knuckles, soft and lingering