[Center] [h3] Downtime [/h3] A collab between [@BCTheEntity] and [@Old Amsterdam] Featuring: cute stuff [/center] [hr] [Hider] Alessa stepped up to Lillian’s room, taking a breath before knocking on the door. Yesterday had been... mostly reasonable. Evelyn’s freakout was a bit of a matter, mind, but... it had been handled reasonably well, she felt. Maybe being able to have some dialogue with her on how she felt would be good for her. For them both, even. After all, Alessa couldn’t be a good leader if she couldn’t get in touch with her teammate’s feelings. But of course, that meant keeping up with Lillian’s wants, too - and that meant meeting her today, as a significant other rather than a leader or even a contemporary. Lillian opened the door slightly, rubbing at her eyes, with a pencil sticking out from behind her ear. [Color=pink]”Hai… Got distracted trying to catch up with homework and kinda forgot you were coming.”[/Color] Carefully shutting the door behind her Lillian moved to stretch before stopping part way through and blinking at Alessa. She looked around, seeing no one else, before letting her hands fall to her sides. [Color=pink]”Hey, you'd tell me if something was… wrong, right? We can count on each other. Right?”[/color] Her voice was quiet as she asked her questions, staring intently at Alessa. ‘Hey, Lily,’ Alessa greeted, smiling brightly at the younger girl. ‘It’s not a problem at all, I promise, homework’s a big dealie for anybody.’ Frankly, she’d had to rush her own homework to make sure that was all done before she visited Lily’s room, so it wasn’t like they weren’t sympathetic to one another’s plights. Empathetic, even. Her questioning Alessa about whether she’d tell her if anything was wrong did, to an extent, lessen that smile somewhat. ‘Well, yes, of course,’ was her immediate response, but she had a feeling Lillian wanted more than that out of her, by how intently she was looking at her. Glancing to the side for a moment to think, she supposed Evelyn was still on her mind, but she’d hope she’d been able to resolve that issue properly. But if it had been, why did she still feel... upset? ‘Well, since you mention it... I guess I want to make sure I’m providing for everybody on the team,’ she uttered, not sure exactly how to phrase herself. ‘I mean, I feel like there’s a lot of discontent in the Wards, if you get what I mean. A lot of people just seem unhappy with how things are turning out, and it’s...’ Alessa trailed off there. She didn’t want to seem like she wanted anything other than the best for her team, but it was tough to try and figure out what exactly she could do to sort out their respective issues, or how to phrase her feelings on the matter. Ira was asking to be transferred to a new section of the Wards, Alessa had still not been able to get any time in to speak with Elliot, and she worried about how the rest of the team was holding up, too, and... well, if that was because she was ineffective as a leader, then what? Lillian nodded before letting out a sigh and opening her door again. The pencil was sent flying before she shut it and turned back around with a bemused expression on her face. With careful ease she slipped forward and wrapped her arms around Alessa. [Color=pink]”Okay. So, what would you like to do today?" [/Color]] Watching the pencil in Lily’s ear fly off her ear, Alessa rapidly knelt to snatch it from the air just before it could hit the ground. Seemed like her martial arts training was paying off there. All the more reason for the other Wards to pursue it, then. She kept it in hand and responded in kind as Lily quietly hugged her, asking what she wanted to do today. ‘First and foremost, I’d like to spend time with you,’ she uttered cheekily, grinning a bit before having a longer think about the situation. ‘Though with that said, we could go out to a restaurant or something? Chat about stuff, you know? Or heck, maybe we just spend some time in your room again.’ Lillian turned a few shades of pink at that, shaking her head. [Color=pink]”It's, uh, it's a mess right now. I'd rather, y'know, go get dinner and ignore that for a little while longer.”[/color] She ran a hand through her ponytail. [Color=pink]"Uhm, yeah. Anywhere you'd like to go?" [/Color] ‘Sure, that works out fine,’ Alessa replied with a smile. ‘As for where... I heard there’s a Pizza Express fairly nearby, but if you want to just wander around and see what looks good, we can do that too.’ [Color=pink]”Yeah, let's wander in that direction and see what happens?”[/color] ‘Cool. Let’s get going, then,’ Alessa agreed, taking Lillian’s arm as she began heading out of the HQ. It didn’t take long for them to get out of the building, and begin walking in the direction of the Pizza Express. As they walked and talked, Alessa kept glancing over at Lily’s features, her eyes, her hair, her lips. That... it felt like something she ought to be doing. She wasn’t exactly a dating expert, but keeping track of her partners features was probably the right thing to do there. The smell of pizza was, ultimately, rejuvenating to Lillian as they walked in. She casually bumped her hip lightly into Alessa before walking to the counter and ordering in a cheerful voice. [Color=pink]”Hiii, can I get three slices of cheese and a bottle of water, please?"[/color] She glanced back at Alessa as she paid, winking rather obviously, before practically skipping to a table outside. Alessa gasped slightly as Lillian bumped her hip, smiling back in her girlfriend’s direction as Lillian paid for her food before stepping up to order her own meal: ‘Uh, three pepperoni slices, and... yeah, a bottle of water for me, too.’ Once she’d paid for her own order, she followed Lillian outside, taking her seat opposite her girlfriend. ‘So, Lily,’ Alessa began jovially, ‘how’s school been for you lately? You mentioned you had a bunch of homework to catch up on, was that anything difficult? Maybe something I could help with, even?’ [Color=pink]”Nah, just geometry and algebra stuff. I've just not had any time to catch up what with the busy weekend and all. I've already read the book for English class, so that's boring me. It's actually kinda weird. I was always just average in school and now I'm actually slightly above that.”[/color] She shook her head in amusement. [Color=pink]”I actually kinda like it." [/Color] ‘Well, I reckon you’re brilliant,’ Alessa nodded, smiling lightly. That was a good way to start a date, right, reasonable compliments? ‘If you’ve actively improved your grades since you were younger, then that means an uphill trend for the future, too. I mean, I think that’s how you’re moving with that sort of stuff, anyway.’ [Color=pink]”I'm not as smart as you," [/color] Lillian said with a giggle, turning slightly pink. [Color=pink]"What about your classes?" [/Color] ‘Ehh... mine are going fine, I guess,’ Alessa nodded. ‘I mean, they’re going pretty well, I put in the effort to make sure I’m fine in that regard, obviously. But, well, I guess it feels... I don’t want to say it’s wasted effort,’ she elaborated hesitantly, ‘but I know I’m going to be working for the PRT for as long as possible. That’s probably going to mean I don’t use... as [i]much[/i] theoretical knowledge as the education system would give me, if that makes sense.’ [Color=pink]”Yeah, I guess so. That makes sense, anyways." [/Color] Lillian bobbed her head slowly, her foot bumping Alessa's under the table. [Color=pink]”Oops, sorry." [/Color] ‘Heh, no worries,’ Alessa smiled, moving her foot to gently bump Lillian’s back. Wasn’t there a term for this sort of teasing? She was sure there was. ‘And what about other stuff you’ve been doing recently? Have you read any good books lately?’ [Color=pink]”I haven't really had any free time for individual reading. I actually don't mind, given what I'm doing instead, though.”[/color] ‘Oh?’ Now that was curious. What could it be that Lillian had been- well, she could just ask, couldn’t she. ‘You mind if I ask what you’ve been up to, then?’ [Color=pink]”I mean, we [I]do[/I] have the same occupation, Alessa," [/color] she replied with a giggle. [Color=pink]"I feel like we're not doing enough." [/Color] ‘Oh- OH! Ahaha, sorry,’ Alessa blurted out with a slight blush. ‘I thought it was a big personal thing you were setting up- aheh, ah, that’s embarrassing.’ She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, her grin matching her embarrassment. But wasn’t that how dating somebody often went? She... figured it was, right? Yeah, probably. [Color=pink]”Hehe, I don't do much personal stuff. I'm pretty boring, really!" [/Color] Lillian ran her hand through her hair slowly. [Color=pink]”I mean, really, I've been putting most all of my time into that so..." [/Color] ‘Yeaaah. Crime never sleeps, of course,’ Alessa agreed. ‘It’s just a shame that we have to, I think.’ [Color=pink]”Yeah, we aren't lucky like those noctis capes, or whatever they're called. Can you imagine what it would be like to never have to sleep?”[/color] ‘Fifty percent more time to do whatever it is people do when most other people are asleep. Or fifty percent more dates!’ Alessa joked, giggling a little. [Color=pink]”That would certainly be a plus,”[/color] Lillian said with a small wink. [Color=pink]”I'm ready to head back, if you want?”[/color] ‘Well, we have finished our pizza,’ Alessa mused, considering the matter. ‘I kind of just want to keep chatting with you, honestly, but... well, we can do that back at the HQ, too.’ That decided, she stood up, offering her hand to Lillian, with a wink right back at her. ‘Let’s get going, lovely.‘ Lillian turned pink, accepting the hand up, before pulling Alessa's arm around her as they started walking. [Color=pink]”No you,”[/color] she giggled before sticking her tongue out briefly. ‘Lily, you [i]are[/i] lovely,’ Alessa insisted, smiling widely as she pulled the younger girl closer to her. ‘You’re a lovely, little... you’re a cutie pie,’ she settled on. “Dino-girl” would probably be a bit on the nose in public. But even so... this was nice, actually. This was a really nice day, and she was enjoying herself much more than she’d enjoyed, well, most stuff recently. Lillian snorted before humming slightly as they walked, content to walk in silence back to HQ. And they did, with little fanfare other than their back-and-forth about who was nicer, right back to Lillian’s room. And... was that going to be it? Because Alessa rather wanted to keep chatting with her. ‘Erm... okay, I know you said stuff about it being messy in there earlier,’ she uttered, wringing her hands as if unsure how to broach the topic, ‘but, well... I’d, uh... I’d like to help you out, here. With cleaning, or with whatever you think is best. And... cuddling, maybe.’ There, she’d said it. Not without blushing, but she’d done it. A wry smile lifted Lillian's lips as she opened the door with a wiggle of her eyebrows and entered, leaving it open for Alessa. Inside it was indeed a mess. Textbooks were scattered on and around a desk against the wall, her costume was laying on the little bed, and it looked like the clothes from the weekend were scattered across the floor. [Color=pink]”I, uhhh, had a busy weekend?”[/color] she said, amused. [Color=pink]”It's not…. [I]That[/I] bad, really, I just haven't had a chance to actually do much other than go go go.”[/color] Well, she hadn’t been joking. Alessa was well aware of how hard they’d been working lately. Especially with... well, now wasn’t the time to think about that. ‘It looks just fine to me,’ Alessa said, smiling a little as she hugged Lillian. ‘Anyways, I said cuddling, and I meant i- well, if there was anything else you had in mind, of course that works too,’ she backpedalled slightly, ‘but I feel like cuddling with you is a good start to things. Or a good addition to them, perhaps?’ [Color=pink]”Alessa… Shut up and kiss me already.”[/color] ‘...heheheh. I guess it is just that simple, huh?’ she asked, leaning in to smooch her girlfriend on the lips. Lillian smiled as she leaned forward to feel those warm, soft lips against hers. [/Hider]