Memories ; RP - Blog Posts

Lily didn't realize what Sylus was doing at first, too distracted by watching the petals landing in her hand. It felt so strange to enjoy a moment so peaceful with him, but she's certainly not going to complain either way.

When he turned towards her, she turned her attention up to him in turn, her head tilting slightly in confusion. Feeling him delicately placing the flower behind her ear, her face flushed even deeper, enough so she swears it was radiating heat at this point. Without even realizing it, she found herself leaning into his touch.

Though, perhaps the tenderness of the action was affected by her response to his teasing being to stick her tongue out at him.

"While I'm not exactly opposed to you waxing poetic, and I did agree to tag along so we could spend time together, we didn't come here to make it all about me," she teased playfully as she looked up at him.

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

-> I'm just a block or so away so I can meet you at your place?

Lily couldn't help but laugh at the sudden tone shift, beaming down at her phone. She really wasn't far, and figured she could meet up with Aurora at her house before they head to the stores.

It was a spur of the moment suggestion, but one she was glad to have made.

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

After a moment of consideration and realizing that she hadn't thought that far ahead, she nodded gratefully. "If you don't mind, I really would appreciate it!"

After double checking that she'd gotten responses from everyone, she started to lead him out of the office. "The coffee shop isn't too far, thankfully."

❝ how do you take your coffee? ❞ - @lily-of-the-linkon

"I prefer sweet coffee! So a bit of sugar, a bit of creamer. I know some folks say that's not real coffee, but it's my cup, I get to doctor it however I please!"

Lily nodded with an easy laugh, making a note of it in her phone.

"Everyone's been working so hard lately, I'm going to order some coffee for everyone who wants some, so I'll definitely see what I can do to keep it sweet!"

❝ how do you take your coffee? ❞ - @lily-of-the-linkon

"I prefer sweet coffee! So a bit of sugar, a bit of creamer. I know some folks say that's not real coffee, but it's my cup, I get to doctor it however I please!"

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.

Lily easily hummed her agreement to Kaia's comment about some days favoring one meal over another, taking a few more bites of her own food while she listened.

The mention of Xavier made her snort, covering her mouth as she did a so-so motion before swallowing that mouthful of food. "Shockingly enough, not so much from him. He's practically a carnivore, so he's one to talk. I do try to keep a fairly balanced diet, all the same."

Letting Kaia continue, she nodded along once more since that also makes complete sense, and honestly doesn't surprise her at this point.

"So it sounds like we'll be making cookies whenever we can get together to do some baking, then," she mused playfully, not that she'd complain! She's partial to cookies too, 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.

Sylus’s teasing earned a proper, if short, laugh from her as she offered a playful shrug in response. “I've learned it never hurts to be prepared,” she hummed. A simple response, not betraying how she considered the fact that the N109 zone is so much darker than Linkon, and his nocturnal habits mean he doesn't spend much time out in natural light, so she took to keeping a pair of sunglasses on her as a precaution when they hang out. 

Each time she felt his hand brush against hers, she felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly, wondering if he would take the initiative and hold her hand properly, or if he even realized what he was doing. 

His compliment both confirmed that he knew exactly what he was doing, and caused her face to flush properly as she looked up at him before looking away in embarrassment. Giggles still bubbled up as she lightly nudged him, her hand brushing against his this time. Two can play at this game. 

“You tease,” she fussed through giggles, not even the slightest hint of heat in her tone. 

How could she even pretend to be frustrated with him when she's dealing with how... soft he looks, surrounded by cherry blossoms. Like he's a normal guy, and not the leader of Onychinus. "I think I have the best view, yes," she hummed playfully before turning her gaze forward again, reaching out to catch some of the falling blossoms in her hand.

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

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

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.

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 accepted the helmet with an amused eyeroll, but did lower her head slightly when he reached up to move her hair out of her face. She did obediently put on the helmet though when he was satisfied, snorting at his comment.

"How sweet of you. And here I thought you're trying to make the entire building jealous," she teased playfully before taking her seat behind him carefully, at least used to this when hanging out with him. Though, she can't deny the fact that even the small compliment made her blush, though the visor of the helmet helped to hide it.

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

Blinking up at him when he said her name, she found herself melting into the small affection.

Knowing better than to try and argue, she simply offered a small nod and leaned back against the couch, putting the ice pack on her head for the time being to help with cooling herself off some. She can clean up the medical supplies... later.

"I know I took my dailies... if I took my other ones they should be at the very front of the cabinet...," she called to him.

Perhaps fortunately, Xavier wouldn't have to search too hard, considering the pill bottle sitting on the counter right next to the medicine cabinet, with a water bottle sitting next to it, both unopened. Looks like she'd been about to take them, then got distracted.

"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.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized quietly when hearing him hiss in pain despite her trying to be careful. Still she continued, making sure it was all as clean as she could get it before covering it in gauze and bandages as needed.

His questions made her pause, processing them and thinking over her answers. She at least tried to take proper stock of herself so she could answer honestly, taking a slow breath.

"Certainly not the worst it's been, on all accounts. We should probably find something that doesn't involve a lot of movement, for both of our sakes. As for medicine...," she trailed off, her movements faltering as she genuinely debated if she'd remember to take her meds today or not. Brain fog is a bitch.

"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.

Lily couldn't help a small huff when seeing that Xavier had been no better than her about listening to suggestions to sit down and rest, not that there was any heat to her expression either. Instead she finally sat down beside him, her expression softening in gratitude when he explained the reason for the icepack.

She accepted it, but set it aside for the moment to focus on him, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration as she took in the injuries she'd be able to see. With that, she opened the first aid kit to get to work doing what she can.

"I'll be okay too," she finally reassured, her voice quiet as her gaze remained completely fixed on her hands and what she was doing, "Once you're all patched up, we can just... relax."

Perhaps it's because she's so used to feeling like this, or she didn't spare a glance at herself in the mirror while in the bathroom, or a more deep-rooted reason she doesn't have the energy to unpack right now, but she'd much prefer he focus on himself first.

"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.

When faintly hearing the voices from his end of the phone, Lily couldn't help a small grimace. She hadn't meant to interrupt his work, regardless of what he says. This is what she gets for trusting him when he says he isn't busy- "I didn't realize you were at an auction, or I would've waited to call," she huffed, scolding herself more than him.

"How about you let me know when you leave, and I can call you again?"

As much fun as it would be to see Sylus's face when she shows him some stupid picture and says 'it's you', she's not sure she has the energy to make herself presentable for the N109 zone and make the trip out there, but she doesn't want to bother him with picking her up either...

❝ wish i could be there to see your face. ❞ - @lily-of-the-linkon

"Why wish to see it when you can come over, kitten? You know the base is always open to you." He invited in response, chuckling for a moment as some muffled voices could be heard on his end. They could wait though, her call was more important.

"Unless, you'd like to be picked up instead? This auction's a bore anyway, so I won't be staying much longer. Which leaves my face free for the remainder of the evening."

BLOOD AND DARKNESS STARTERS.

Lily snorted at the wink, shaking her head affectionately as she took another bite of her food, only to almost choke on it when he spoke again.

Whenever she starts thinking she's got him vaguely figured out, he throws a curve ball she never could have predicted in a million years. Bodacious beloved?

Once she was sure that she wouldn't choke, she started giggling. "You are... something else, dear."

🔪

"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

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

Once he hung up, Lily worked quickly to make herself look more properly put together. While she normally tried to focus on practicality when she knew she'd be spending time with Sylus since it's hard to tell when things are going to get a little.. chaotic, this time she opted to dress more for the occasion.

Grabbing a simple skirt with shorts underneath and a red blouse, she made sure she looked decent and had a hair tie for later, since she knows that it's very likely that he'll show up on his bike.

That thought was confirmed when hearing the engine rev outside, peeking out the window to see him.

Shaking her head in amusement, she grabbed her bag and went downstairs to meet him, her arms crossed playfully as she approached him, quirking a brow with a small smirk.

"Always have to make an entrance, hm?"

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

"Hold still." Xavier leaned forward and placed a chicken nugget shaped hair clip in her hair. It's very realistic, but clearly plastic. He pulls back when it's secure, clearly proud and admiring his work, as well as how cute she looks. "Cute."

Lily obediently held still when instructed, humming in confusion and watching him out of the corner of her eye.

When he pulled away, she curiously reached up to run her fingers over the clip, starting to giggle when realizing what it was. "Of course you'd find something like this...," she mused before shooting him a playful smile.

"Is this your way of telling me you want to eat me up?"

His offer to pick her up earned a small laugh from her as she sifted through her closet, still holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder. "You spoil me, Sy," she teased, though she appreciated the gesture all the same. One less thing for her to have to worry about.

"I'll be ready and waiting when you get here. Be safe, okay?"

Does she actually think anything can pose a proper threat to him? Not in the slightest. But that isn't going to stop her from saying it every time. It's the least she can do, after everything.

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

[ hiding ] sender finds out that receiver has hidden an injury from them

Non-Verbal Angst Prompts!

Lily liked to think she was a pretty good actor. Perhaps in another life she could've even made a profession out of it. 

It's times like this, however, that made her doubt if she could've managed it. 

Hanging out with Jasmin on a shared day off is wonderful, and long overdue for both playing catch up and social time. They’d long since lost track of time, and the only thing making Lily realize how long they'd spent together was the fact her pain medicine was wearing off. It was making her side ache and sting when she'd shift wrong or breathe too hard from laughing. 

She did her best to hide the discomfort, maintaining her smile, and trying to think of the most non-chalant way to suggest they get drinks so she can try taking some more medicine. 

[ 𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃 ] ― sender blindfolds receiver

FIVE SENSES PROMPTS

Letting out a startled squeak when her vision suddenly went back, she reached up to grab at the wrists of who was blindfolding her. Between having been at least vaguely aware of the footsteps approaching her and the familiar warmth of the arms she held, she at least knew who it was, so she didn’t start fighting just yet.

“Caleb?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “What’re you up to?”

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

"Lilies of the valley for Linkon's very own Lily? I think these are long overdue. I know you've been busy on missions lately, but I want you to know everybody in the association talks about how they miss you're beautiful smile when you're away. Me included!"

"Oh, thank you so much! These are beautiful!"

Lily beams as she accepts the flowers, only to find herself getting kind of emotional as she continued listening.

"You're so sweet! I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately, like you said, it's just been so busy... Hopefully things will settle down some soon, I miss spending time with everyone."

"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.

Honestly, Lily fully expected for him to take it and use it to decorate something else. So having him accept wearing it, even for a moment, she couldn't help but light up.

Without any hesitation, she moved to quickly and carefully secure it around his neck. Loose enough to not risk it 'hurting' him, but tightly enough it won't go falling off on it's own.

She'd made sure that it was made of a very soft yarn in hopes of it being at least a bit less irritating than most accessories for him.

Lily hummed happily as she approached Mephisto on his perch, unable to help giggling a little bit as she did.

"Don't think you're getting excluded from the festivities, cutie," she teased lightly, holding up a small, relatively simple, bowtie she'd made him using some ruby-red yarn to match his eyes and accents.

"It's okay if you don't want to wear it or anything, of course, you can just put it somewhere you want."

@lily-of-the-linkon

he eyes the little bow with indecision very evident in his glowing red eyes.

on one hand… no likey wearing thingies. but on the other, it’s azure echo day and she did say this looked handmade.

so after battling with himself a little, he lifts his hear to make it easier to access his neck. his feathers puff up—hurry!

"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."

[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.

Watching him put the icing on the cookie, she let out a small laugh. It may be messy, but it worked!

"Wonderful job, Xav," she praised playfully, flushing when he offered her the cookie.

She didn't resist it in the slightest though, holding her hand under his just in case of crumbs before she leaned forward just enough to take a bite. Letting out a happy hum, she melted slightly in contentment at the sweetness.

"These came out perfect!"

[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's nose scrunched up ever so slightly in amusement at Kaia's happy dance, honestly finding the action rather cute. She won't say anything just yet though, not wanting to go flustering her and making her choke or anything. So instead she opted for just focusing on her food and watching Kaia analyze her own dish.

At the question, she hummed. "It tends to vary based on the time of year, but in general I'm partial to rice and stew or curry," she answered after some consideration.

"How about you, for that matter? What's your favorite food?"

"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.