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pinkexpertnerdghost · 8 months

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"Colored Glass and Paper Flowers"

Lynette x Female!Reader

[ General: sfw, fluff, slowburn, oneshot, Lynette being a cat, Lynette being sassy, paper flowers, tea party, soft scenarios, very light warning for drowning;it's mentioned once though, Lyney being a protective brother and a third wheel]

Word count: 8.9k

(I Followed through with my impulse. Lynette deserves as much love as her brother

“Like…this? I’m not really sure this looks right.” You muttered. In your hands was a twisted thin wire connected with paper and fabric. It spread out at the top like some torn dress.

The girl across from you hummed as she glanced at your creation.

“ Try untying it and redoing the pattern, remember to keep towards the right.” She spoke smoothly, her dark viola eyes returning to her teacup in hand.

Twirling the creation in your finger’s you noticed the little tied knot in the middle. You internally groaned. That would be a pain to undo. Bringing it closer to your eye, you attempted to scratch it loose. You heard the sound of clinking porcelain.

You grumbled. “This would be alot easier if you helped me now.”

The woman blew onto the steaming cup, she smiled cooly. “ I am helping, I’m keeping your tea at a good temperature. You're welcome.”

You deadpanned. Was she actually serious?

“ Oh really? That’s very productive.” You said sarcastically, the fabric knot not coming any loose by your attempts.

“Very, actually.” She said without batting an eye towards you. There was a slight hint of superiority in her words as the ghost of a smirk was present on her lips.

You sighed. There really was no point in arguing with her. “ Fine. Whatever you say.”

“You better not drink my cup while I’m not looking.” You quickly added.

Lynette looked up from her cup. “ Of course. Besides, there are more than enough sweets here to have.”

You both sat at a table in the shade. On the table was a tea set; two cups, two plates, a sugar stray with cubes and a teapot. Along with it were two tin trays of pastries and sweets. In the center was a vase with a bouquet of flowers.

Faux flowers.

Yes, they weren’t organic flowers that grew from the ground up. Instead, they were made by hand, out of thin malleable wire, paper, and fabrics.

How did you come to help her?

A few days ago,

you were impatiently waiting on the Aquabus. It had been delayed for Archons knows whatever reason. You had a heavy bag to carry with you, setting it down on a bench as you looked down the river to see if you would see the bus in sight.

You were a researcher of sorts. An aspiring engineer working on a big project that needed raw materials in order to create the substances and items you’d need. A handful of items needed to be found underwater. Between the necessary diving preparations and the luck that the items you desire will even be on the seafloor, it would take a very very long time.

The sooner you got there, the better.

“Attention! Attention! We thank you for your patience, but we are here to inform you that the Elynas Line will be delayed due to unseen circumstances.”

“WHY?!”

“We are currently working to resolve the issue as fast as possible. Again, we thank you for your patience.”

You grumble loudly. The people around you turned their heads to look at you with both shock and slight distaste.

“ Oh, I um.” You suddenly became very regretful of yelling out in your frustration.

“ Sorry about that. River rage got the best of me, happens sometimes no?”

The people looking at you turned back to their own devices. Sighing, you went ahead and grabbed your big heavy suitcase. Inside it had your gear, nets, and a nifty invention you had made.

It was designed to detect any Geo elemental structures; which mainly included precious stones and minerals. It would make a clicking noise when it came in contact with something. It was a heavy piece of equipment due to its weight and complex build.

“No use going out now. Maybe I’ll just try again early tomorrow morning.” You said, initial frustration gone but replaced with dissatisfaction.

As you were heading out of the station you heard some laughter. Curious as for what reason, you turned around and noticed two women giggling to themselves. When they noticed you they had quieted down and sent you a very obvious judgmental glare.

You looked around and behind you, and there was no one around other than yourself.

‘Ah, so that's how it is.’

You didn’t dress well today, so to say. You didn’t think there was a good reason to do so. You were going out to get work done, so you didn’t need the uncomfortable cinching of a corset or layers of skirt that would very likely tear while you were out.

You wore a simple and loose white blouse that was left slightly unbuttoned at the top, some comfortable gray pants, and your best hiking boots. Your hair was styled in a fast and secure way so it wouldn’t be a bother. It was comfortable and practical.

Every young lady when going out to town would look their best, smell their best and act their best. But today you just wanted to get work done no matter what you took on with you. As rotten luck would have it, you didn’t have the chance to go to work. So the judging look of some people would be the awaited circumstance in this situation.

No matter.

Before you went on back to minding your business, you returned the nasty glare to the pair. Not bothering to look back for their reactions, you hoisted your heavy bag up and walked ahead.

“It’s just one misfortune after another. I didn’t bring my mobile suitcase, the Aquabus gets delayed, and now this? By the Seven, I should’ve just become a blacksmith like Doris.” You rambled. Sometimes doing field work was just tiresome, sucking the determination and the initial adrenaline on a new project.

It was moments like these that had you questioning your entire career choices.

Just as you were going to leave the station, you noticed something.

“Hmm?” You squint your eyes to see clearly.

Or rather someone? She looked to be standing solitarily down by the sand. She was standing there, unmoving. She was facing the open waters. You tried to get a better look at what she was doing.

You noticed that she had long silver gray hair that was tied into a low tail. She also looked to have some giant turquoise ribbon tied into a bow below her head. Speaking of which you noticed something curious. Atop her head were two small pointed tuffs, and…

Was that a tail?

You were slightly confused until you remembered something. You read about genetic correlation and the biology of the living. In the world, there were plenty of other species besides humans such as yokai in Inazuma, and humans born with a history of feline or canine characteristics.

It surprised you initially, because you had only read about such topics and have never really seen a person with said traits. Shaking off your initial shock, you also noticed that she didn’t breathe much. Her shoulders stood as deathly still as her stance.

She stood completely still.

You were almost inclined to believe that she might just be some super advanced and detailed garde to blend in with humans.

You began to feel slightly worried.

Was that person okay? Did she get lost?

Did she lose something in the water?

You looked down at your case. You had your gear with you. You were going to head home and make do with what you had. Which wasn’t much since the bus never arrived. You had time to kill.

You carefully walked over to the person. Maybe if you were lucky, she’d say “Oh woe is me, I’ve dropped something and it sunk to the bottom. Who can go down and get it?”

A little far fetched but something like that.

In reality, you just really wanted a valid excuse to still go diving to find something useful.

Not wanting to spook her, you made yourself known first. “ Hey there, are you okay? You seem a little zoned so I just wanted to check if everything was alright.”

No response. She didn’t even turn her head to acknowledge you.

Stepping closer you stood next to her. Keeping a polite distance of course.

You took a sneaky glance at her face. She had short cut bangs sweeping over to her left, and the hair to her right was braided. She had pale porcelain like skin and had these very striking dark viola eyes. There was also a little star mark below her left eye.

Her expression was lax.

You were re-considering if this person actually was an android of sorts. But you persisted.

“ Did you lose something in the water? I have my gear with me if you want me to go under and search.”

Still no response.

Oh no, now you really were considering if this person was in fact an android. You coughed into your hand.

“ This might sound strange but, blink twice if you're not an android?”

You continued.“ This might be very rude if you're a person, and I’m sorry if you are. But I’m just very worried! Really, seeing a person alone just staring into space would raise some concern, right? That’s just human decency to check if everything is okay.” You rambled, trying to explain yourself.

You turn to look at her. No verbal response.

Until…

“ Exiting standby mode.” Her voice was silky but quiet. It almost made you jump back as to how out of nowhere it was.

She finally turned her head towards you and blinked twice. There was a long silence that followed afterwards.

“ Ah, alright I see.” You shook your head to rid yourself of initial embarrassment. Her gaze felt intense, almost nerve wracking.

“ A- Are you okay then? I came over to check in, you seemed sorta zoned out into the ocean.”

She blinked once more. “ No, I was just thinking. The water level is rising and I was checking if it was the same as last time.”

“ Huh.” Now you were also staring into the ocean. “That makes sense.”

“ It reminds me, there used to be hills right? Before all of this, this used to be a grassy valley. I remember sort of.” You laughed.

“I used to coop myself up in my room reading and messing around with my gramp’s clocks, I never went outside much. But I’m pretty sure there was green here instead of water. Albeit kinda swampy.”

The woman beside you hummed in acknowledgment. “ I used to play in this area when I was a little girl. Alongside my brother, we would race to see who’d get to the top of the hill first.” She said as she went back to staring at the ocean.

You crossed your arms.

“ People believe that this has been happening due to the prophecy, right? Even back then, I heard the adult’s discussing it thinking I wasn’t in the room listening.” You hummed.

“Yes.” The girl said “ Soon, the nation and along with our memories will submit and sink beneath the waves of the water. That’s what the prophecy suggests.”

You felt a small shiver go up your spine. You loved diving, exploring underneath the water. But drowning? That was horrifying to think about. Sometimes, you would find skeletal remains underwater. Usually, it was marine life that drowned and couldn’t reach the surface in time for air.

Shaking off the memories, you turned to talking about something else.

“ It hasn’t been too bad. On the bright side, the water helps on warm days. I don’t really like the sun, it makes you feel gross and humid.” You glanced down at your shoes. The sand ahead of you was darker as it had been soaked by the stretching of waves.

“Dipping for a nice cool swim is one of the best feelings. Diving has also slowly become more and more popular because of the abundance of water around.” You smiled. It was terrifying to think that the city might one day soon become a submerged underwater city. But until then, everything was fine and manageable. You didn’t need to think about the future when there were more important things to do in the now.

The girl’s eyes slightly widened, before resting back to a neutral expression. “That is a nice thought. I don’t care much for sunny days either. I prefer rainier weather.”

You nodded in agreement.

The sound of the waves rolling in was hypnotic, and the sun bounced off the water making the horizon a gleaming star. You couldn’t hear the gossip of the town people anymore.

Your frustration felt back at the station and the gossiping women seemed to have melted away. You felt at peace.You liked this, maybe she had the right idea of just sitting here and thinking.

“We’ve been here standing and sharing past memories like we know each other. But, I never got your name.” you asked, raising a brow.

The woman once again looked slightly surprised. “ Oh, right. Not many people really care about knowing about me.”

You were about to say something until she continued.

“Which is perfectly fine by me. I prefer to be by myself. I’m not exactly a people person, unlike someone else.” She said, her voice monotone until the latter statement. You caught on how there was a slight smidgen of emotion there.

“ But since you asked, my name is Lynette.” She said, raising a hand to her chest.

“ Nice to be your acquaintance, I’m [Name].” You smiled as you introduced yourself.

Lynette nodded. Her dark purple eyes quickly scanned your person, she narrowed them slightly on your bag.

“ Ah, this?” You asked, shaking your hand that held your case. “ I was going to go on a little expedition on the next island over, but the aquabus got delayed.”

Lynette said nothing, but her gaze went back to your face.

“ You asked if I had dropped something in the water right? That you would dive in to search.” She asked.

You nodded. “ Yep. As you can guess, I was on my way to go diving. I need some material for my work and also, because I like exploring underwater. It really is a whole other world beneath the mirror surface.” You exclaimed happily. You then remembered what happened a short while ago, immediately crushing your small moment of happiness.

“Which is why I’m in a bit of a sad mood since my trip was suddenly canceled.” You sighed dejectedly. You look back onto the open water. It’s not like you couldn’t go and try the next day, but you were really looking forward to spending the day in the water.

Lynette stayed quiet for a few minutes. Staring out to the water, like you.

“...”

It was quiet for a long moment.

“ What do you usually find when diving?” She suddenly asked. Once again, you were almost spooked as to how sudden her voice just came in.

“ The normal stuff being shells, crabs, fish and sometimes lost items that sank to the bottom . But on rare occasions, I find useful minerals like iron, copper, and unpolished gems.” You said.

“Granted, I use a bit of help with my equipment. I mostly use my Scan Stretcher.”

Lynette’s head tilted to the side, her ears swayed along.

“ Scan Stretcher ? ”

“Ah, the equipment I made. It locates Geo elemental concentrations . When in the range of something, it will beep quickly.” You exclaimed with some excitement. “The name could use some workshop. But it saves flipping over stones and disrupting the ecosystem.”

“I see.” She said while nodding her head.

You look back to the water. But for a moment, something glared in your eye causing you to blink rapidly. Locating where the light came from you noticed something in the shallow.

Not wanting to get water in your boots- nor your socks -you kicked off your boots. Lynette had turned to you, eyes observing your every move.

Once you were done, you rolled up your pants to your knees and went out into the water.

“ Saw something out here!” You yelled back at Lynette who just stared confused.

Bending down, you sift through the sand. The water was clear and blue as it rippled along with your movement. There was some seaweed, shells, and some tube fish that sunk into the sand as your hand hovered above them.

Aha! Found it.

Picking it up, you raced back to Lynette. The water splashing as you kicked through.

“Here it is! I saw something just a moment ago.” In your hand was a little crystal. It was a smooth piece of what you assumed was smoothed glass. It had a soft side, but behind it was a jaded clean cut that gleamed when the sun hit.

Lynette leaned over to look at the shiny crystal. Her eyes grew with interest as it twinkled and shined as you moved it around to shake off the water.

“ Sea glass is very pretty, right? It’s so shiny and colorful it almost makes you want to eat it.” You said happily.

Lynette broke out of her shiny trance and looked at you utterly confused and maybe concerned.

“ Eat it? I’d assume there would be health issues if you were to eat glass.” She said flatley.

“ W-well, they look like hard candies and dessert toppers! If you squint they do.” You defended.

Lynette shook her head as she glanced back down at your hand. She said nothing as the shine seemed to bounce from her widened dark viola eyes. It made them more enchanting in a way.

“I guess you're right. They do sort of resemble sweets” She said as her mouth curtly frowned.

You nodded triumphantly, as she agreed with you.

“ I think I saw some more back there. You can join me if you’d like.” You politely offered. Lynette looked to you, and then out to the water.

“ No thank you. It would be bothersome if I got my outfit wet. However,” She walked over to your case and stood next to it.

“ I’ll watch over your things from here, alright? ”

You nodded. “ Thank you. You didn’t need to do that.” You smiled thankfully. “ I’ll probably pick out a handful of glass and quartz. I won’t take long, promise!” You said quickly before jogging back into the water.

“ Entering Idle mode.” She spoke, although she kept her eyes on you the whole time. She saw you bend down, and kneel into the water sometimes;not caring if your pants got wet. She saw you have this focused expression. Periodically she noticed how your eyes would gleam and your face lit up if you’d likely found something.

Lynette noticed that keeping on her poker face was slightly difficult this time. Only slightly of course.

When you were finally done, you came back to the shore, your hands cupped together.

“ See, told you I wouldn’t take long!” You giggled in pride.

“ Exiting idle mode.” She spoke, her lax expression falling into a more natural one.

“ I think I have a pouch in my case. Lemme see.” You neared your case and Lynette stood aside. Pushing the case down onto the sand, you placed your glass pieces down onto a little pile.

In your case in a small side pocket you had a small wooden board, a bottle with a perfume nib, and rolled up pouches. Getting out the board and spray, you cleaned the sand off the glass. Once that was done, you quickly placed the pile into a pouch. Not before swiping two pieces of glass.

“ Here. Since you couldn’t go out to find some, I brought you these two to keep.” You extended a hand to her. “I noticed how you kept staring earlier at that piece, so I’d figured you’d like to take some home.”

In your hand were two oval shaped glasses. Their surfaces were smooth and soft to the touch. There were two colors; a seafoam green and a transparent one with purple and indigo streaks running horizontally.

Lynette eyed the two glasses in your hand. She extended her hand and picked off each one. She brought them closer to her face and raised them up so that the sun shined through them. She finally looked back at you.

“Thank you. You didn’t need to bring me anything, but the gesture is appreciated.”

You shook your head. “ I wanted to. Partly, to make up for it earlier. I assumed you were an android. Again, I’m sorry.” You averted your eyes out of embarrassment of ever assuming that.

“It’s fine. You wouldn’t be the first to assume.” She replied immediately.

“Also, for disrupting your alone time. I didn’t know until you started talking to me. It’s really peaceful here. I can see why you chose to space out. It’s a nice place to meditate.” You continued.

Lynette said nothing but stared ahead into your eyes.

“ I’ll probably take my leave now. If not to work, then to change my clothes.” You kicked a foot, motioning to the soaked pants. “ I might catch a cold if I stay any longer by the shore.”

“ I’ll get going now, goodbye. It was nice talking to you.” You said, as you quickly put your shoes back on and picked up your suitcase. As you left Lynette had not stopped looking at you, until you disappeared from view.

She stood back and faced the water again. She rolled around the two glasses in her hand.

She notices the soft shine that would bounce off them, the smokey turquoise that was the color of one piece. The purple and indigo stripes on the other looked like ribbons tying together around the crystalline stone. She began to think of the encounter she had with you.

She was suddenly in the mood for some deserts.

She took one quick glance at water, before turning on her heel back towards the city. For some strange reason, she felt like biting the precious stones. Until reason came back to her making her scoff at the thought.

You saw her more often as you would sometimes leave your place for food or materials from nearby shops. She would be out and about, sometimes you spotted her on a table with a tin of sweets next to her, sometimes she’d look to be zoning again.

You regularly say hello to her given the chance. Sometimes she’d return the gesture, other times she only spared you a quick glance. You later found out that she was a Magician’s assistant. A very famed one in the city in fact. You internal facepalmed yourself when you saw the silver haired girl on some promotional performance poster.

You should’ve recognized her sooner, but you don’t exactly have time to go to see Trials or any other theatrical performances. You’d usually catch small snippets of gossip during your weekly commutes. You were either too busy tinkering at home with some machines or underwater.

Slowly, she started to talk more. You noticed that she really wasn’t a people person, not that she was exactly shy, but she was just very kept to herself.

On some days, you'd catch her sitting in a cafe by herself. Usually cooling down a piping hot tea cup. You would sit by her and just talk. She didn’t protest to your company, although at the beginning it was mostly one sided.

“Hey, how are you?”

“...” She looked at you briefly, it was a soft and casual glance.

“I’ll take that as fine. Anyways, what tea are you trying this time?”

She stirred her spoon in the cup. “Chamomile.”

“ That’s one of my favorites. Although, sometimes I go overboard with the sugar. Only sometimes.”

“...” She gave you a look. A silently judging look.

“ Really! I try to remember to go easy on that now.” You shrunk a little in your seat given her gaze.

She was quiet for a few seconds before glancing back down at her cup. “Good.”

You sometimes would go through the trouble of passing by the same cafe once and a while. Soon enough, you found two teacups on the table. Slowly she started to converse more, granted it was simple short phrases to get the conversation moving.

“ When I was extracting some copper, I got pinched by a crab. A shell fell onto my hand and then a pincer came out.”

“ Go on.”

“ It’s hard to yell underwater! The sound just stays confined in your helmet, it’s really weird. But I managed to shimmy the crab off and get the copper. He left a little red mark on my hand though.”

“ Wow, really?”

“ Yeah. It wasn’t too bad though, it just caught me off guard. I really thought it was an empty shell.”

“ I see.” Although it was very faint, you were certain you heard the small suppressed hiccup of a giggle.

Pretty soon, afternoon teas were usual. Although it was never voiced, you realized that Lynette had begun to notice your appearance quicker each week. Walking from a distance, she’d turn her head and make eye contact with you before you sat down.

The usual little meeting once or twice a week has led you to the situation you are in now.

This time the table was fuller; there were two teacups out, a tray of small desserts, a small pile of colored paper and fabric, another pile of thin wire, and a blue vase.

“ This is different…Did you decide to take work outside?” You asked.

“ Sort of.” She said as she just narrowed her eyes at the supplies. “ It’s part of something planned for tomorrow. I just got stuck with making them.”

You nodded, you sat down across from. “ I see. What is it? If you don’t mind sharing.”

“ Flowers.” She immediately answered.

“ Oh, the vase makes sense now. How many exactly?”

“Two arrangements.”

Your eyes traveled over to the bunch of fabric. Next to it were three flowers. Your hand traveled over to one, as you lifted it closer to you. Its ‘petal’s’ were carefully folded pieces of paper, its stem felt incredibly soft and smooth, and its bud was a tough feeling material. You brought it closer to your face; it smelled like nothing.

“ You already made a few?” You look up to Lynette.

“ Yes. But I am taking a tea break now.” She calmly said as she reached over for the teapot.

“I take it that you want me to help you out then?” You ask with a small teasing smile. Lynette was a closed off person, so it was odd of her to work on personal matters on an outside table.

Lynette said nothing, but her ears did slightly twitch upward before relaxing.

“ If you don't mind.”

You leaned forward and grabbed some wire and a handful of fabric. “You’re lucky I don’t have anywhere else I need to be today. I’ll help you.”

You furrowed your eyebrows as you grimaced.

“But,”

Lynette looked up, perplexed.

“Could you maybe, teach me how to do this?” You managed to ask.

Lynette stared at you in disbelief.

“ I thought you were an inventor. I would assume this would be a sitch for you.” She asked, genuinely confused.

Your face became slightly warmer and your lips turned squeezed into a line. “ I know my way around machinery, but not this sort of thing. If you were to ask me to make a mechanical rotating bouquet that sprays perfume, I could do that.” You hummed thinking about it.

Lynette thought for a moment. A hand came up to her mouth. Her shoulders shook slightly and her fair face became a little rosier. “ You remind me of my little brother. He’s also good with machines, but anything else he’s a bit shy.”

You felt your pout morph into a small grin. Try as you did, you couldn’t suppress it. You hadn’t seen Lynette be so expressive in the past time you’d known her. But her smile was contagious, it made her face almost glow.

“ I’m serious, this isn’t the same thing I’m used to!” You defended.

Lynette had calmed down and had a resting smile. “ I can show you. Just pay close attention so I won’t repeat myself.”

Lynette had scooted her chair closer into the table, and had set her teacup at a nice distance. She leaned forward and took some materials of her own.

She made a flower in a slow paced manner. Short direct instructions followed each movement of her hand.

“ Here. You messed up this crease.” She set down her flower as she leaned over to you. She got really close to your face, and her hands gently took hold of your wire. Her hand gently put firmly gripped on your’s to stop you. You became slightly nervous, holding in a breath.

“Watch carefully, alright?” She spoke, her voice a lot clearer and louder due to how close she was. You had always known she had a soothing voice, but at the moment it sounded ethereal.

Ethereal? You felt the corners of your face get hot.

You watched as she flattened out an edge and tucked it into a fold, but your mind became slightly dazed. Your eyes were glued to the paper flower but you felt your chest feel tight.

“There, you should be able to make a few by yourself now.” She leaned back into her seat. You looked back up at her face. She still had a smile on, but her beautiful purple eyes gleamed encouragingly.

It was odd. She had always had a look in her eyes;a faraway look, almost glassy. But as you looked at her, they felt warmer. You knew that she was always pretty, but at this moment she looked absolutely radiant.

“ Yeah, I..I think I got it.” You managed to speak up. “Thanks for showing me the ropes, I should be fine.” You quickly glanced back at your paper flower.

You had to distract your brain, there’s no way you’d tell her what you thought of her. That would make your tea times awkward or maybe she didn’t see you like you saw her. You didn’t want to ruin this odd but nice friendship you had with her.

Lynette nodded. “ Good. An extended break is in order for me then.”

You snapped back up to her. You grumbled. slightly jealous that she gets to sit back. “At least make me a cup okay? This is gonna take a while after all.”

Lynette nodded, “ That’s why there are two cups on the table.” After some time - way past Lynette’s self proclaimed extra break time - you became slightly frustrated.

“This would go a lot faster if you helped me right about now.”

“ I am helping, I’m keeping your tea at a good temperature. You're welcome.”

“ Oh really? That’s very productive.” You said sarcastically, the fabric knot not coming any loose by your attempts.

“Very, actually.” She said without batting an eye towards you. There was a slight hint of superiority in her words as the ghost of a smirk was present on her lips.

You sighed. There really was no point in arguing with her. “ Fine. Whatever you say.”

“You better not drink my cup while I’m not looking.” You quickly added.

Lynette looked up from her cup. “ Of course. Besides, there are more than enough sweets here to have.”

After some time, many snacks, tea and mishaps, the bouquets were finally finished!

The vase bloomed along the top with various colors and shapes, all sorts of paper flowers flew in all directions. The vase would probably weigh triple its initial weight. Most of the material’s were almost gone, save for three wires and scraps.

“ That took a while but it’s done! It looks so pretty too!” You leaned a bit back to admire the arrangement from a distance.

Lynette mirrored your motion. “ I have to agree.”

Most of the sweet snacks were gone and the teapot was out of tea. You had found that making flower’s was oddly relaxing. After the many little mishaps, you had figured out the way of flower making. And it only took about four misshapen paper flowers.

“ It’s already getting late, I should get going.” You stood up from your chair. “ Do you need help carrying it out?”

Lynette shook her head. “ It’s fine. I’ll manage.”

“ Alright, I’ll see you next week then?” You had asked as you picked up your tea cup and plate.

You heard no response. You were about to leave when you felt your wrist be held. You look back and see Lynette standing up next to you.

“ Yes, but before you go I..” She paused and cleared her throat. “ If you want, I can reserve you a seat for the show.”

Your eyes slightly widened. But you quickly recovered and nodded your head. “ Sure! I can make it.”

Lynette exhaled and nodded in agreement. “ Great then.” She took out a playing card from her sleeve, and had a concentrated expression fixed on it.

She waved it around in her hand for a few moments and covered it with her other. When she opened her hand, instead of the card was a red ticket decorated with golden stars around the edge.

“Ta-da, here you go. Keep it with you until tomorrow evening.” She extended her hand to you with the ticket. You plucked it out of her grasp and blinked rapidly processing what just happened.

“What? How did you do that?!” You asked very confused.

Lynette chuckled quietly, she brought a finger up to her lips. “ A magician never tells their secret, that rule also extends to the assistant.”

You pouted, but thought about what you saw. Her slight of the hand was impressive, so if you’d have to assume it was just a quick motion too brief to notice. Then again, it was still impressive.

You read the content of the ticket, you saw the location that it would be at the local theater of the Court.

“ I’ll see you tomorrow then, I’m excited to see your show!” You looked back at her with a bright smile. Lynette’s purple eyes stayed trained on you, not saying a word for a moment.

She then shook her head. “ I’m excited too, surprisingly. I just thought it would be nice since I’ve never seen your face in the crowd. Not once.”

You rubbed your wrist as you chuckled nervously. “ I’m just not one who goes out to watch a trial or concert. I mainly work, read, sleep and travel out for business purposes.”

“ I would assume you’d be quite popular. You're intelligent, resourceful and not to mention easy on the eyes.” She hummed.

You coughed into your hand, still having a nervous smile on you “ That’s nice of you to say, but either way thank you for the reservation! You didn’t need to do this, I could've gone out and bought the ticket myself if you had just told me too!” You talked a bit faster than usual.

The silver haired girl shook her head. “ It’s fine, I wanted to do this.”

You left after saying your goodbyes.

Lynette felt odd. She had talked a lot more than she usually did. Normally, after today, she would be socially drained.

But she strangely didn’t feel too tired. As she bunched up the fabrics, her mind raced and analyzed what had happened.

She concluded that although she did feel drained, it wasn’t as major as she would’ve assumed. If it had been up to her normal standards, today’s exchange would’ve been a grand total of a 35% decrease in her social battery. But it only felt like she had lost 6%.

She recalled how comfortable she felt around you. Which struck her as more odd. Normally the people she would feel the most at peace with were a select few; the closest being her brother, ‘Father’ and her little brother. But with you, she felt safe and comfortable. Or so she concluded.

She paid close attention to you. She had deduced you weren’t a person who possessed any sort of threat or harm within the first three days of knowing you.

She found you slightly clumsy and a bit reckless at times, but you were smart. Smart enough to construct and operate machinery and technology with expertise. Something that she lacked, her and machines were… never a good combination to put it simply.

She found your stories amusing, they were unlike what most girls gossiped and talked about. She found out that although you were outward and expressive, you kept your life private and to yourself.

You were an oddity to her. But a nice oddity to be with.

Before you left to see the show, you thought about what you would wear. You only had a few select good clothing. You put a nice looking outfit together; a (f/c) above the knee skirt with (dark/pastel) stockings, a long sleeve button up, and a matching (f/c) coat. You went light with the accessories, a silky scarf tied around your neck and (dark/pastel) gloves.

You debated whether or not to wear some perfume. But you remembered something, Lynette didn’t exactly like strong smells. You remembered how she would slightly flinch whenever a person with a strong smelling perfume passed by the table.

You wanted to talk to her after the show, and if you did you wouldn’t want to overwhelm her with strong smelling perfume. So instead, you opted for some drops of the soft smelling perfume on your wrist. Its smell was a lot calmer than the more popular spritzing bottles among ladies. It mellowed out after getting rubbed in.

You had made something, the day you got home from making paper flowers.

With the learned knowledge in how to make them, you made a little gift for Lynette. Performer’s would be given flowers, praise and Mora after a performance right? So with some sea glass you had left to spare, you made a flower brooch.The brooch was the size of your palm.

The center of the flower was a polished glass which was as blue as the inside of an underwater cave. Bending the wire, you made green fabric leaves around the bottom of the petals. The color of the flower itself was a rose gold, the petals alternating from the rose and golden brown.

You carefully placed your little trinket in your small handbag.

You sat in your cushy seat as you looked around. The theater was very decadent, a lot of thought went into the architecture of the interior. The large red curtains on the stage made a satisfying humming sound as they were pulled back by some pulley system.

And the show commenced.

Each trick after another left you on the edge of your seat. You never exactly expressed your excitement verbally, but you were laser focused in on how each trick was pulled off. The magician Lyney has a strong charisma. It was the exact opposite of what Lynette was, if it wasn’t for their similar appearances you wouldn’t think they would be related. When Lynette was brought in onto the stage, you clapped. It is only natural to support someone you like.

Perhaps that’s why she held onto your gaze the most. The rest of the audience were more focused on Lyney, as the assistant was mostly quiet and overlooked.

She looked around the audience and spotted you. You couldn’t exactly see from your seat, but her lips twitched up into a barely noticeable smile. Lyney kept up with his performer’s face, but he was slightly shocked to see a trace of emotion on his sister’s face. She was usually poker faced when on stage, he thought. What could’ve possibly enabled her to smile slightly on stage?

The show carried on, and you were impressed at how nonchalant Lynette was while her energetic brother wow’d the audience. They did make a good duo however, it was complimentary and worked well to keep the people transfixed on the magic show.

Once the show had ended, you stood up and clapped. You began to understand why the town’s people liked performances. It was a momentary window into fantasy, a way to detach yourself from the reality of logic and truth.

The two bowed on stage as Lyney exclaimed with great pride the end of the show.

As everyone was making their way to the exit, you scooted about to congratulate Lynette and her brother. You managed to spot them talking around the stairs. Lynette almost immediately noticed you as she glanced past her brother. This caused her brother to hum curiously as he turned around to see.

“Ah, why if it isn’t one of our dear audience members! What brings you here mademoiselle?” Lyney smiled brightly at you.

“ Hello [Name], I’m glad you made it. So, how was the show?” Lynette asked. This caused Lyney to momentarily widen his eyes in shock, as he whipped his head back around to look at his sister.

“ It was wonderful! I can see why people hype up performances. You did great by the way! If it were me, I don’t think I could pull off a poker face like you on stage.” You smiled nervously.

Lynette smiled and hummed. “ I’ve been doing this for a while with my brother here. You get used to it after some time.”

Lyney slowly looked back and forth between you and his sister.

“I’m right here y’know! Ouch,my feelings.” Lyney 'cried’ at his sister. Lynette rolled her eyes and looked back at you with a ‘see what I mean’ kinda look. You snickered but discreetly hid it with a cough. This caused Lyney to turn his attention back to you.

“ I see you are well acquainted with my sister Lynette. May I presume a friend of hers?” Lyney asked, with a kind smile on his face.

“Er, I’d say we are.” You said nervously in front of Lynette’s brother.

Lynette came up to stand next to him. “ This is her, the one I told you about. The girl I spend drinking tea with.” She clarified.

Lyney placed a hand under his chin and glanced at your face. His gaze didn’t feel as carefree as it was, it felt like he was analyzing you. His eyes narrowed slightly, and you suddenly felt cold. Like a whiplash it went away the moment you felt it, he put his hands on his hips.

“Any friend of my sister’s is a friend of mine! [Name], was it?” He extended a hand for you to shake. Politely you nodded and went in the shake.

He gripped your hand and shook it enthusiastically, although it did feel a little tighter than most shakes should. Maybe he just had a good grip.

“ Nice to meet you too.” You said, as you forced a small smile. Lynette watched this all unfold with a worrying glance at her brother and a pity one for you. He finally let go of your hand, although he still had a grin plastered on his face. It felt oddly forced.

“ But moving on, I actually came to give you something.” You look back at Lynette, trying to recover from meeting her weird brother.

Lynette’s ears folded upward in surprise as her eyes widened slightly. You found it quite cute, her little expressions that sometimes shined through her resting poker face.

“ Remember when we made flower’s yesterday? Well,” You opened your handbag and dug through its purse until you found it. “Ta-da! I took my newly learned skill and made this.”

You showed her the flower brooch you made and Lynette eyed it down with great interest. You swore her eyes were like saucers. She stepped a little closer.

“ I had some sea glass spared in a drawer and made do with the leftover wire from last time. I smelted the pin on the back side and used some thinly pressed copper for some petals.” You excitedly explained the process. Lynette all the while admired the brooch in your palms. Some of her silver hair fell forward, and you had the urge to tuck it back. But refrained as one, you didn’t know how she would feel about it and two her brother was behind you.

“Wow, you did all that? I must say [Name], this is beautiful.” Lynette hummed, a serene smile dressed her lips.

You felt your chest feel flutter and warm at her compliment. “ Y-yep! I made it for you! It isn’t odd to give friends flower’s especially after a performance, right? So here, for you.”

You felt a small pang, friend wasn’t the right word to describe her to you.

You’ve had some friends before, but you never felt anything like this before with them.

You remembered how when the spotlight was shining down on her on stage, it felt like you momentarily forgot to breathe. She was as beautiful as the many flower’s you made last evening and as elegant as decadence. It wasn’t often, but sometimes she’d make jokes that would leave you both surprised and slightly flustered. Even when she said nothing at all, she could calmly listen to you rant about some diving mishap or your current projects. She once and a while told you about her siblings. She cared deeply about her family, willing to sit down and listen to them whenever they needed it. You came to learn that she had a big heart despite her outer concealment to her emotions.

She was a beautiful person, both inside and out. It sometimes hurt you when she said that not a lot of people care about her as she is just the assistant. Beneath the title of assistant, lied a wonderful person you wished the world saw as you did her.

Lynette took the brooch from your hand and brought it close to her. Her fingers tapped the metal petals and admired the shimmer of the dark blue glass.

“ Thank you, you must’ve worked hard on it. I’ll keep it close to me.” She hummed, her eyes still glued on the gift.

Lyney looked from a distance with an unreadable expression. He scooted close to the two of you and took a small glance at the gift. He was slightly impressed, he would see the amount of care and precision it went into putting this elegant flora together.

“My my, I must say [Name], you are a talented young lady.” Liney said in awe.

“ Of course she is, I've told you about it. She’s an inventor and diver, like Freminet.” Lynette said as she looked momentarily at her brother.

Lyney nodded rapidly and placed a finger to his chin.

“ Yep, like she said. It’s nothing to flaunt about though, most people from here know their way around the cogs and grease.” You said with a shy expression.

“But that’s all I came here for. Once again, you did amazing Lynette. Thank you for inviting me to see the show.” You smiled gratefully at her.

Lynette stared at you, her dark purple eyes magnified slightly. She nodded and a little smile made its way to her face. “ Thank you for your kind words, [Name]. Feel free to come to the next show if you have the chance too.” Her voice sounded light, and warm.

“Sure, yeah! I’ll do that!” You agreed almost immediately.

You waved Lynette and Lyney goodbye. Lyney enthusiastically waved you good bye while Lynette just smiled and kept her eyes on you as you left. She still held the brooch by her side.

“So, are you going to tell me why you seem particularly happy today?” Lyney asked curiously. “Does it have something to do with the mademoiselle inventor, perhaps?” He tilted his head, his smooth voice teasing.

“I’m leaving now.” Lynette flatly said, as she spun on her heel and rushed back to the stage.

Lyney watched in amusement as his sister fled. He sighed however, and that smile turned into a small frown.

He loved his sister, and he was worried. Could he entrust you with the heart of his sister, which has been guarded as much -if not- more than his own? You didn’t seem like a bad person. All he could do is be there for her and make sure you wouldn’t bring her any harm.

You came to every show you could. Each show you brought her a paper flower you had made beforehand.

Pretty soon, with all the paper flowers Lynette had kept receiving from you, she could make a bouquet.

Outside the limelight of the stage, you continued to have your little tea parties with her.

After a particular show, as you tried to find her to give her a new paper flower, something zoomed around. It was a black cloak outline with teal.

“Surprise!” You heard a familiar voice exclaim. You quickly turn around and something comes crashing into you.

OOMF!

You dropped your flower in surprise but quickly wrapped your arms around her. You craned your body back as the suddenness of the momentum.

You laughed slightly scared but also out of happiness. Her silver hair tickled your face.

“Hey! What was that for? I thought you didn’t like physical contact?” You asked in between your giggles. Early on, you had noticed her aversion to any sort of hug. You hadn’t questioned it but respected her boundaries. It didn’t sway you and you still had continued to talk to her as much as you could.

Lynette shook her head. “ I just wanted to surprise you this time, that's all. And I knew you wouldn’t expect this.”

You were slightly surprised but understood. “Then with your permission, could I surprise you for three seconds?”

Lynette, still in your arms, turned her head over curiously as she gave you a small nod.

You smiled happily. Her weight was almost nothing to you, you were used to carrying around heavy equipment.

Using your force, you lifted her slightly off the ground, and spun her around. You counted the seconds in your head.

One

She gripped your arm in slight surprise as she leaned back to look at your face. Her skirt and tail had swung behind her as did your dress spun around your torso.

Two

Lynette figuring out what was going on, let a smile spread along her face. Her silver hair swiped against her face as the light breeze from the spin enveloped the two of you. She leaned her face closer to you, and you could hear her giggle under her breath. Her eyes crinkled slightly as the joy was evident in her face.

Three

As you promised, you came to a slow stop and set her down. She still had a grip on both your arms, and her face was a more relaxed smile. There was a small pigment of rose on her face.

“Ah! I dropped my flower, hold on.” You knelt down to pick it back up.

You presented the flower to her, it was a paper rose that had paper pink petals and the ends were powdered lightly with a golden powder. The center had curled wires with tiny bits of smooth pale yellow glass.

“Here.” You extended it to her as she plucked it out of your hand. You smiled nervously, “How many flowers have I given you now? Surely well over three bouquets worth.”

“Five actually.” She held your paper flower close to her and her smile was teasing.

“If you would let me, I’d make a thousand more paper flowers for you.”

Lynette’s eye’s widen and her slightly rosey face became a shade darker. Her expression didn’t budge however, making her redder face more noticeable.

“ That’s a nice thought.” She said quietly.

You realized what you said, and immediately mirrored her flustered expression.

“ Ehem, I should go now. I just remembered I forgot my helmet at home! I was going to go diving after the show.”

You robotically tried to flee, until something grabbed your wrist. Quickly turning you around with a surprising amount of force, you faced the silver haired girl again.

In almost the same amount of time, you felt a little nudge by your face. It took you time to process but a tiny pair of cool soft lips were on your cheek.

Lynette leaned back with a lax expression, but her face was now a pale pink color. “ I’d keep each flower you’d make me close to my heart, alright?”

Your face was blanked with shock as your hand came up to your face to touch your cheek.

“ Alright.” You had almost whispered, your mind still buffering to realize what happened. You felt your face’s temperature rise by the passing seconds “Tea time as always?”

Lynette nodded. “ Yeah.”

“I’ll see you then.” You managed to say, turning to leave.

Lynette watched as you left, the paper Rainbow Rose held close to her chest. Once you were out of sight, she let out a held breath.

That wasn’t bad. It wasn’t bad at all.

She felt her energy had risen a good 75% after that. She headed backstage with a small smile on her face, internally proud of herself.

“So, mademoiselle inventor eh?” Her brother’s voice suddenly broke through the silence. Lynette turned to Lyney with narrowed eyes.

“ I approve, don’t worry.” Lyney cooly said, the playing deck in his hands danced as he practiced. “ I bet she’ll get along great with Freminet too, make him come out of his shell.”

“ I can see that.” Lynette said, fidgeting with the paper rose’s petals.

“ If she stomps on your heart, however, I’ll have to make her disappear for my next act!” Lyney said joyously, completely masking the ominous threat with a light hearted voice.

Lynette once again sent him a sharp look. “ Don’t you dare.”

End.

A/N: I love both of them, but this goes out to all the Lynette enjoyer girlies! Also, there isn't much fic about her so here, one for contribution :D

#genshin fluff #genshin imagines #fontaine #lynette #genshin impact #lynette x reader #lynette x you #female reader #genshin x reader #fontaine siblings #genshin fontaine #4.0 genshin #genshin oneshots #genshin impact lynette #they're gay your honor #romance

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pinkexpertnerdghost · 8 months

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a little sneak peek on what I'm working on 👀

Currently editing and rewriting some sentences. Almost done tho, just need to organize the conclusion :)

#lynette x reader #wip #sneak peek #genshin impact #lets go lesbians #i love her your honor #fanfic #fanfic sneak peek

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pinkexpertnerdghost · 8 months

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NO CAUSE FR- Traveler and Lyney feel to me like some star crossed lovers, making me think of The Greatest Showman Rewrite the Stars- Its so soft and cute yet so understandingly depressing the more realistically is thought-

Why is Lynlumi so Laufey-coded???

It's the pining followed by the thrilling chase (the flirting, the tricks, lyney trying hard to impress lumi only to look like a dork) and the inevitability of it all ending terribly or on a cliffhanger somewhere down the line (she can't stay in Fontaine forever, and they're on opposite sides!).. They're made for angst :(

I need to lie down they're too cute..

#Yes #This I agree with this #a pair of sad cuties :')

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pinkexpertnerdghost · 8 months

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Hiii! Your works are so slay! Although, if you don’t mind, could you add a cut to your work because they’re so long? (If you don’t know how to do it on the app its :readmore: then press enter) thank you!!

AHH- I thought it automatically did that if post were long- Just edited both my works 💀. Srry srry, BUT THATS SO USEFUL OMG I just need to remember to place it down🥲 thankyou for telling me this!! :D

#oopsie #I shall remember to do this #I think #I hope #:') cries

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pinkexpertnerdghost · 8 months

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A Rose for You!

Lyney x Gn!Reader

Pt.2 to Watch and Be Amazed!

{ Ok! Ya'll asked for it. I kinda wanted to write more in the first part but it was already kinda lengthy. As in the last part there wasn't much one on one Lyney and Reader moments. But don't fret dear [Name]! You'll be in the lovely company of this little magical menace for a tour around the Nation! }

! Some Spoilers for the Fontaine Archon Quest Act 1 and some nudges to Lyney and Lynettes Backstory/Personal Stories !

General: sfw, fluff, Grin Malkin Cat, small Freminet and Lynette cameo, Lyney being the charming little flirt he is, flustered Lyney, french, a wee bit of angst here and there towards the end,

It was a new day, and you felt refreshed. Truly, Fontaine is one of the most snazziest places you’ve ever been in. Alongside the technological advancements, there was much attention to the intricacies of decorum and an artistic romanticism in the most mundane activities. Although, the air was a bit smellier than the countryside and the stars couldn’t sparkle as brightly.

You had woken up from your slumber, the sun beaming through the thin curtains by the window. Next to your bedside was a small nightstand with a beautiful lamp and the prop card laying face down.

You rolled a bit around in your bed until you laid on your back facing the ceiling.

Your mind wandered to the events that unfolded last evening. The colorful memory replayed in your mind like moving photographs.

The doves, cats in hats, paper butterflies and a pair of soft lilac eyes.

You sighed.

From the walk to your hotel yesterday, you had viciously tried to recount the events that happened. At what point did Lyney slip this note in your sleeve? And why didn’t you notice sooner?

You had trouble sleeping that night.

Lyney couldn’t have been serious could he? It was just a part of the show, of course he would shower you with pretty words and a suave demeanor . It's part of his charming routine, nothing more.

Then again…

Why did he whisper at you so much? Now you thought about it, you were up there for at least one two..TECHNICALLY FOUR ACTS?! Also, he stopped you after the show to talk. AND NOW HE HANDED YOU A CARD ASKING YOU OUT?! No WaIT- Not ‘Out Out’ like a date or anything, an outing as friends? Can you even call him that?! What acquaintance just requests a day to hang out together? HE ISN'T BREAKING SOME PERFORMER AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE REGULATIONS IS HE?!-

Overthinking can lead to a very unsettled mindset preventing you from getting proper rest.

So here you were, laying like a beached seal on your bed. You didn’t bother to get up right away. Too lazy and your head was fizzed out of thoughts.

You shifted your head around, the bedding beneath you shuffled along. On the nightstand was the prop card you had found in your sleeve last night.

You eyed the shiny piece of paper. The little red grinning cat silhouette on the backside felt like it was taunting you. Calling you pathetic as it stared at you from atop his side table throne.

Stretching your arms above your head, you finally sat up.

You reached and picked up the card, holding it with your index and thumb. Once again you carefully read the words that were written on the front in cursive.

“ I hope you had a magical evening, [Name]. Meet me by the bench near the potted flowers by the station at noon tomorrow. If you show up, best prepare for I still have tricks up my sleeve that will leave you dazzled! ”

You stared at it and noticed it was written on what was a blank playing card.

Staring at how the curved letters formulated each word you wondered.

Meet him at the benches by the Aquabus station by noon. Did you really trust this man? Even though he is technically a celebrity, you just met him not even a day ago.

You swung your feet off the bed, card still in hand. Stepping down onto the small bedside rug, you idled around near the window. It looked to be early morning, you’d guess around eight o’ clock.

“ I don’t have much plans today. Other than wandering the streets and walking into what I think will be interesting.” You said, your voice a bit groggy.

You twirled the card in your hand.

You thought carefully of what you’d do next.

“ I think he might it want back.”

Yeah, that’s it.

“I’m sorry, sir?” You yelped. You had to crane your neck a bit to be able to make eye contact? You didn’t think it had eyes, but nevertheless you made the best effort to stare into its face.

Or what looked to be a face.

You had seen some of them walking about freely in the main city. When you were making your way towards a staircase you bumped into one.

The robotic garde halted and nodded.

‘ Ah, so they can communicate.’

It went back to walking down the street, undeterred. Turning around after that odd exchange you went back to the matter afoot.

You were lost. Lyney never specified which station he’d be waiting in. You were almost half convinced he was going to be at the Marcotte Line; the one closest to the Opera Epiclese. Although, the more you thought about it the less likely he would be there.

He did mention that he might be available to take you to see around Fontaine. So he must have meant the main station hub located in the main city.

Even if he wasn’t there, you’d have that station checked off the list of possibilities.

You hurried up the stairs, the small journey reminding you of the Nation of Freedom surprisingly. Although both were vastly different, they did share a similar style of building upward rather than outward.

Reaching the top, you made your way to the station. You kept your eyes open as you scoped out your surroundings hoping to find a tall tophat.

It shouldn’t be hard right? Someone as extravagant as him would surely stand out.

You stood corrected. It looks like many people here in Fontaine take up the fashion trend that was tall extravagant head wear. You had gone over almost every suspect bench near flora, most of them were occupied by either locals, adventurers or both.

He didn’t seem to be near the reception or the inner waiting area.

“ It's almost noon” you turn to look out a window, the sun is high in the sky now.

“ If I were a famous magician with an outgoing personality, where would I be?” You muttered as you had your eyes peeled, wondering in the same space.

Your eyes followed the cheers of children. Near a bench a group of kids surrounded someone.

“ Wow!”

“Where did it go?”

“Could you do it again mister?”

“ Alright! Since you asked nicely. Watch carefully now!~” You heard a jovial smooth voice.

Looking above the kid group you spot him, seated comfortably playing with his card deck.

‘ Of course! You’d be where a willing audience was present!’

You waltzed over subtly. He was entertaining a group of little kids with some card tricks, you’d let him finish his mini performance before you made yourself known.

“ Is this your card little Mademoiselle?” Lyney knelt down and held up a four of hearts card. The little girl with blonde hair jumped up excitedly.

“ Yeah! That’s my card!”

Lyney laughed, a warm expression graced his features. His eyes met yours for a split second. Not knowing what to do, you sent a little wave. Well at least he knows you're here.

His gaze flitted back to the group of kids. He got back up with the card in hand. “ Before I go, I’ll leave you all with a grand finale!”

The children gasped in unison and quieted down instantly.

He brought the card close to his face. He flicked it two times before crumpling it into his hand.

He shook his hand and reeled it as if he was going to throw a shot ball. He brought his hand up in a presenting way and when his palm opened there was a pop sound. It rained rainbow confetti and small cut out paper stars.

The children ooo’d and awe’d, and two were reaching their little arms up to catch the popper’s confetti.

“ Ta-da! This has been a special performance, brought to you by Magician Extraordinaire Lyney!” The magician lifted his cape from behind him and took a bow. The children clapped and cheered.

Two adults came walking up to the mini crowd.

“ Thank you for entertaining them, Mister Lyney. Getting our little Anais to sit still is a magic trick on its own.” An older woman laughed, as she picked up a small girl who wore a Boater styled hat.

“ Alright Hugo, let's go. Our boat will leave in a few minutes. Say thank you to Monsieur Lyney.” A man with a distinguished mustache taped a young boy in overalls. The little boy with his hands behind his back, thanked the magician before he went off with his father.

Lyney waved the kids off as he walked off towards you.

“ Hey there you. I hope managed to get a full night's rest.” He said, there was this sort of bounce in his voice. You may have only known him for a little while now, but you couldn’t help but pick up some recurring little quirks about him.

He wasn’t much different casually like he was on stage. This guy really does live and breathe in the spotlight huh?

“ Sort of. I had a bit of trouble sleeping.”

‘No way you were going to tell him you were thinking about him. That would make the rest of the day awkward.’

“ I did end up getting some shut eye though, eventually.” You mustered up a reassuring smile.

“ Trouble sleeping?” Lyney tilted his head as his index finger came up to chin. His eyes slightly narrowed as a mischief inducing grin made its way onto his face. “ You weren’t laying awake thinking about me were you?~”

You couldn’t help but widen your eyes and sputter out. Is telepathy in his book of magic tricks too?!

“What? No, of course not!” You forced a cough to cover your small blunder. “It’s just, I need to get accustomed to the climate, that's all. It's like that the first few days in a new location.”

Lyney laughed, his smirk melting into a more genuine expression.

“I’m kidding! That might have been a bit much, sorry about that! Hehe.” He said apologetically.

You crossed your arms as you held a small jaded stare at the cheeky magician. You were doubting if he really meant that. You blew out a held breath.

Reaching into your pocket you fetched the prop card

“ I found this in my sleeve when I left the Opera House. I believe this belongs to you.” You extended his card to him. His eyes suddenly lit up and he swiped the card away from you.

“So this is where it went! Honestly, sometimes my card deck has a mind of its own.” He mused as he twirled the card in his hand.

His eyes traveled back to you. “Well since it got you here today, why not take a walk around town! I did say if we had free time we were going to show you around. Call it an encore if you will.”

You looked around you, noticing something amiss after he said that.

“ Is Miss Lynette not going to join today?”

Lyney shrugged as he slid the card back into his deck. “ Lynette had something urgent to take care of, So she can't join us today unfortunately. So it will probably just be little old me and you today.”

He was idly playing around with the deck before he made it disappear. “ Oh, you don’t need to be so formal! Just Lyney is fine.”

You hummed.

“Alright. So any places to recommend visiting?”

At this the magician sported a confident smile and walked ahead of you. “ I have a full day planned out, a surprise around every corner. I want your stay in Fontaine to be an unforgettable glimmering memory.”

He turned on his heel to face you and extended a hand to you.

“ Now if you’d allow me to be your escort, mon cher?”

You could do nothing but stare. You couldn’t come up with any words to say except stepping forward and taking his hand.

With a content smile, Lyney gently pulled you along. His gloved hand felt smooth where his fingers grazed your palm yet there was a distinctive tougher texture where the white detailing was sewn on. The people wandering the streets around you felt like the fizzling suds of a wave.

You felt your face becoming a bit warmer.

He really does have a flair for the theatrical doesn’t he?

Lyney had taken you everywhere, one exciting place following the next. But before anything, he invented you for a meal. It was noon and the complimentary breakfast from early morning wasn’t going to keep you going for the entire day. So you both stopped by a humble cafe. The food was absolutely delicious! The smell of toasty bread invaded your senses and the savory taste of garlic on your tongue made you smile with each bite .

You were perfectly content with the garlic bread but you curiously asked Lyney for any recommended dish for the main course.

His answer was; “ If you want my word, then I’d say try this dish right here!” He pointed to a warm soup bowl as he leaned himself over to you.

After lunch, Lyney brought you to see many sights and places. From the tall waterfalls that made up the borders of Fontaine, you could stare at it for hours. He had to subtly pull you away from the viewing point as you kept your eyes glued to the running water.

You took the Aquabus every so often to get around. You were looking out into the distance. The water seemed to stretch on for infinity, islands broke through the surface making the land seem like one big jigsaw puzzle.

While the ride dragged out, Lyney made quick conversation to pass the time.

“So, what brought you to Fontaine, hm? If my memory serves me right, you mentioned that you don’t get out much.” Lyney sat next to you with his legs crossed.

“ Yeah. I see travelers but I'm never the one traveling. My job is not something exciting like an adventurer or extravagant like an artist.”

You shift in your seat. You folded your arms onto your lap.

“ I’m just a shopkeep. So, you can already say that I live a perfectly mundane life” You chuckled a bit dryly.

Lyney was uncharacteristically quiet. He was paying his undivided attention to your words. You continued.

“With every passing day, I gradually realized that my life had possibly reached a stalemate. Every day felt like a repeat of yesterday. It was the same route, same building, same aisles, and same feelings.” You said. You couldn’t exactly remember when you began to feel like this. It was a thought that had crossed your mind one day. And ever since, it had stayed in the crevices like gunk you couldn’t wipe off.

“ So, I decided that I’m just going to throw myself out there into the world!” You spoke. You couldn’t really say exactly what your ideas were, but you described what you felt.

Comfort. Trapped. Empty. Jealous. Fear. Doubt. Excitement.

“ It may be reckless of me, but If I was never going to do it, I knew I would end up feeling regret for not having done anything about it. And even so, my boss was kind enough to grant me time off.”

You snickered. “ I’m probably just assuming, but I feel like they might have let me have this because they probably noticed something. Not to brag, but I was their best employee. Swooping in to save the day when my colleagues were out.”

You stretched your arms a bit, not having realized how still your body was the entire time. Once you were done it felt nice; it was as if your entire being took a fresh breath of relief.

“ So now I’m here. In Fontaine on an Aquabus with you.” You look up to see Lyney again. His eyes were soft and he had this understanding expression on his face.

Really, any expression he wore felt as if it were through a pair of rosy lenses. Perhaps it was the natural charm artists like him had. Maybe.

Besides,he could get away with just about anything because of his attractive face.

You shook your head away to look out into the Fontaine waters around and below.

“ Well, good on you [Name]! I hope your ventures have been nothing but amazing and brought you happiness! ” He finally spoke. He inhaled deeply before he sighed out. His gaze faced the bow of the aquabus.

“ Do you agree that birds create wonderful music for the ear to hear? Not to mention the splendor of colorful feathers and their ability to fly.”

“Due to their natural charm, they are sometimes kept as ‘decorations’, provided food and shelter so long as they continue to amuse the people.” He said, his tone shifted ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable, but there was a very micro edge to his word.

He crossed his arms, the brim of his hat covered the sun creating a little inkling of shadow cast over half his face blocking out the sunlight that might’ve stung his eyes.

“ But being kept in captivity for too long, it will yearn for the open skies. It’s only a matter of time before the initial luxury turns into a finite cage.” Lyney hummed. His words brought you an unexplainable comfort yet somehow it felt very out of character for him. You subtly shift your gaze to his face. His expression didn’t seem to be exaggerated. His features were calm like a still lake, unmoving. His eyes, although trained forward, seemed to be not fully there. A misty reflection had settled over his lilac irises.

The intermission lasted for a few beats of seconds. His mouth effortlessly shifts up into a cat-like grin. He turns his head back to you and straightens his posture, his signature tophat tips back slightly. His eyes conveyed excitement as the lilac once again seemed as vivid during his performance.

He was no longer a still freshwater lake, but instead a lively and winding river.

“Which is why you’ll get the best tour of Fontaine by yours truly! Mark my words when I said I’d leave you dazzled today, for I Lyney will see to it that you have nothing but laughs and smiles upon your lovely face, mon cher.~” He declared proudly.

You felt dazed. A warm bubbly feeling began to infest your chest. It was very much like when he placed a kiss to the back of your hand.

You smiled happily at his declaration. “Thank you for listening to me. And also..”

You couldn’t help the hot sensation over the apples of your cheeks or your muted heart rate from your ears. Yet you persisted, not breaking away your gaze from him.

“Thank you for being with me today.”

Lyney’s confident facade had faltered ever so slightly for that moment. But he recuperated and mirrored your expression.

“It’s no problem at all, [Name].”

This was nice. He was nice. Despite knowing him for a little while, it felt as if you’d known him for much longer.

However, you barely knew anything about him other than he had a twin sister who was coincidentally his assistant and that he was a popular performer in Fontaine.

It irked you a bit, but you wouldn’t voice this opinion out loud. It is as people said, once you learn the inner mechanism to a magic trick, the magic itself is lost and you're left to face the raw and sometimes cruel trick.

You wouldn’t question why he went quiet. You wouldn’t question if he himself felt similar. You wouldn’t question why his demeanor sometimes felt too whimsical to be true. You didn’t want to ruin the mood. And you didn’t want to linger on the thought any longer.

You both went to many shops, Lyney had insisted you try out anything that caught your fancy. And if you liked it, to get it! Of course you were on a travel budget, but you did end up purchasing two items.

Your favorite stop however was the Hat Boutique. Lyney had a rather interesting insight on what headwear would ‘shape a face better’.

“Hm, you could probably store triple the amount of props in this one.” He studied a scarlet red top hat that looked suspiciously similar to the one he owns. He then looked over to another hat sitting on a display. “But that one brings out my petite and charming face more.”

He turned to face you. “ Help me out here [Name], should I go with this one or that one?”

You looked between the two options, narrowing your eyes and looked closely at the detailings. You looked at Lyney’s face and imagined how he’d look with either on.

“If you want my opinion, why not go with this one.” You walked over to a particular Hat you saw as you were pursuing. It was a Fedora like hat in a rich dark violet color; it looked more like an inky black purple. It had a gray sash wrapped around it that shined slightly silver when the sun hit.

“ It looks nice, and the material feels smooth to the touch. The color brings out your eyes too.” You said as you held up the hat for him to look.

“Oh my, aren't you the charmer?” He smirked playfully.

You avert your eyes to the aisles of material and color, “ It’s just an astute observation is all.”

He took the hat off your hands and studied it. “ Color me impressed! You have quite the eye for fashion mon cherie.” He sent you a proud smile and his eyes glowed with pride.

You shook your head. “ I work full time at a small shop remember, so picking up on the interest of buyers is a skill I’ve gained. I wouldn’t say I’m a fashion expert.” You felt the corner of your lips twitch up into a little smile.

“Are you going to tell me what you mean by that?”

“What do I mean by what?” He repeated your question blinking owlishly

You pouted. You got the feeling he was doing it on purpose.

“The nickname? You refer to me by that sometimes. What does it mean?”

Lyney thought for two seconds before his mouth formed an o shape in realization. He gave you an innocent close eyed smile. “ That’s a secret~! But, I have faith you’ll figure out what it means on your own.”

You gasped and brought a hand to your heart. “ How do I know you're not calling me a mean name? What a cruel scheme to pull one over me like that!” You whisper yelled in an over the top voice of hurt.

His shoulders tensed. Lyney suddenly became the slightest bit flustered. He shook his head, “I-I would never! Honest! I can assure you it doesn’t mean anything like that.”

You let out a quiet snicker. You found it adorable really. He suddenly became embarrassed despite the brimming confidence he usually carries himself in.

After purchasing the hat, he decided to keep his signature cat still on but suggested making a stop by his house to leave the newly purchased hat.

“ It won’t be long I promise! It’s just that, I wouldn’t want it to get weathered by bringing it around with us today. You did end up choosing it and I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to it.” He reasoned.

It was a small but cute home. It was built in a typical style that the main city carried; geometric edges, a very advanced looking outdoor light, and a beautiful door with a stained window.

“Wait here okay! I promise I’ll be in and out before you can tell I left.” He quickly spoke as he jogged over to the front door. You couldn’t help but laugh a little as he sped off.

So you stood outside. You looked around, and spotted a potted plant.

CLANK TICK CLANK

The sharp sounds of metal and objects clashing made you sharply look at the direction it came from. You suddenly felt a bit confused.

The door swung open and you were expecting to see the charming magician. Instead it was a boy running out the door. He spotted you and suddenly skidded to a sudden stop.

“...”

He had a giant metal helmet next to him. He had ash blonde hair that almost covered the left side of his face. His apparel reminded you of a sailor.

He just stared at you and stepped back a bit. His form seemed slightly shrunken and he held his helmet thing closer to him. Not wanting wrong assumptions to be made you sent the boy the most casual smile you could.

“ Oh, don’t mind me! I’m just waiting on a friend, said he had to drop off something. He should be back any minute.”

The boy didn’t say anything, and just nodded. And he stood there. Unmoving.

Some glances at you and back to the floor.

He taps around his helmet.

Well this was awkward. Should you make small talk?

“Er, cool helmet. What is it for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The boy nervously glanced at you from the corner of his eye. His eyes were a very vibrant blue color. He didn’t answer for a while. You purse your lips feeling bad. Maybe the silence was better.

“ving…” You barely heard it. You look over back to the boy.

“Diving..a diving helmet.” He spoke quietly. He didn’t make eye contact as his eyes were glued to the floor.

“Diving? As in underwater?” You spoke with some bubbling curiosity. Before the boy could react, the door opened again.

“ I am here! Haha, sorry. That may have taken a bit longer than I thought. I hope you didn’t get too bored while I was away.” Lyney announced himself. He no longer had the hat box with him and he scratched the nape of his neck.

He noticed the other blonde boy.

“Hm? Ah, Freminet! Where are you off to today?”

Oh, he knows him? You thought, glancing between the two.

“I was on my way to the beach.” The young man known as Freminet spoke. His voice sounded soft yet slightly raspy, perhaps he wasn’t used to talking much you figured.

Lyney approached you and eagerly motioned for you to join in the conversation.

“ [Name], allow me to introduce you to my little brother, Freminet. Freminet, this is my new friend [Name]. They were the ones to share the spotlight with me and Lynette during last evening’s show.” Lyney proudly chirped.

Freminet looked a lot less tense. “Oh, yeah. I remember. You rambled on about that show, saying how well they-”

Lyney coughed loudly. You look over at the magician with a raised eyebrow.

There on his pale face was the smallest smidgen of a rosy color. Freminet immediately hushed. But he had a small nervous smile on his face.

“ I’m sorry If I seemed quiet just now.” Fremeniet now said addressing you. “ I recognized you from your appearance, but I didn’t know what to talk about. Or If you would find me odd for knowing about you.”

You shook your head, understanding the full picture now made you feel a bit more reassured. “ Don’t worry about it, really. But, it’s nice to meet you, Freminet.”

You turned to face Lyney who looked a lot more relaxed. “ So you have two siblings? What a nice family you three are! There probably isn’t a shortage of banter or boredom then.”

Lyney chuckled. “ Well, I’m usually the one who does most of the talking. I’m the eldest so it's my duty.”

“Sometimes you take it a bit too far and become a blabber mouth.” A familiar voice suddenly joined the conversation. Looking about you were met with another familiar face.

“Hey Lynette.” You sent the twin a little friendly wave. She turned to you. Smiling a little and returning it, albeit more lazy.

“Really? You see me as a blabber mouth? But Lynette, I mustn't let the audience’s cheers and support fall on deaf ears. Especially that our friend [Name] here has been on a grand tour with me as their guide.” Lyney ground proudly as he placed both his hands on his hips.

“Whatever you say. But, you’ve been taking them on a tour? How come you didn’t invite me to tag along?” Lynette deadpanned.

Huh? You tilted your head in confusion and furrowed your brow. Didn’t Lyney mention earlier that his sister was busy. Lyney must have felt the obvious sudden awkward tension placed upon him as his shoulder tensed and he chuckled nervously.

“A-ah, b-but dear sister, you see since you were busy in the early time of today I didn’t wish to trouble you, so I took it upon myself to show them around. Hehe, please don’t be mad at me.” Lyney stuttered out all while looking at Lynette as he brought his hat closer to his chest.

Lynette sighed and shook her head before she turned to you with a laid back expression.

“ I hope he hasn’t caused you too much trouble, [Name]. He can go a little too far sometimes but that’s just Lyney being Lyney.”

“Hey! I’m right here you know.” Lyney whined sadly. Lynette didn’t bother to look at him and Freminet had turned his head to the side. His shoulder’s bounced and looked like he was suppressing a giggle.

“ It’s really okay. More than okay really. Lyney has been nothing but kind and patient with me. He is a good listener and always manages to make me smile and laugh!” You said happily.

Lynette’s deep violet eyes got slightly bigger with confusion and curiosity. Lyney stood beside you and took a quick glance at your direction. It was quiet for a moment. You suddenly became a bit nervous, was there something wrong you said?

Lyney laughed heartily as he threw an arm over your shoulders. “You see! Take it from them, that I never let my audience down!” You quickly glanced in his direction, not minding the close contact. You could see some red culminating around the tips of his ear and beneath his eyes.

“Well that's good to know.” Lynette crossed her arms.

“ We must get going, the daylight is short so we mustn't waste it idlying.” Lyney said. Before you two left Lyney sent his siblings goodbye. “Take care Lynette, remember to be on alert alright? And Freminet, remember to get back home before curfew! I was about to dive into the waters last time you had forgotten about time.”

“ Okay.”

“Of course.”

Lynette and Freminet replied in unison.

“ Looks like we’re on the move again. I hope to be able to spend time with you Lynette.” You said. You wanted to get to know this family better. Lynette was blunt and to the point but you could tell she cared about the people closest to her.

Lynette nodded and her lips curled up into a small but sincere smile. You turned to Freminet.

“ It was nice to meet you, Freminet. If we ever meet again, would you mind explaining diving to me? It sounds interesting.”

Freminet tensed slightly but managed to nod in agreement.

“ Bye Bye! Take care!”

After you two had left, Lynette turned to Fremeinet with a pensive look.

“ Freminet, do you think our older brother is perhaps getting attached to them?”

“ I don’t know. But, he really seems to like their company. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him being this flustered in the presence of someone else.”

Lynette hummed. “ I hope he knows what he’s attempting to get himself into. Out of all of us, he knows what kind of situation we’re in.”

Freminet was quiet as he fidgeted with the nails and guards on his helmet.

“ Do you think that [Name] would like Per?”

Lynette glanced at Freminet with an unreadable expression. She stood still and thought of last evening's performance.

“Did... Did you go into idle mode?”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

“ I think [Name] would find Per cute.”

The rest of the day was spontaneous. From a walk by the sea shore, trying out pastries and free samples, Lyney explaining Fontaine history and technology.

It was now close to night time and you were both currently walking through the garden close to the Opera House. The road towards the Opera House was beautiful, ever since you first came here a day prior. You had almost ran late to the Magic show seeing as to how pretty it was. The carved marble statues, the beds of wildflowers beyond the decorative iron railing, and not to mention the fountains. Water was almost everywhere you’d look, it was a given as this was the nation of Hydro.

“Well, today was certainly a fun day.” You spoke softly. You looked up into the sky. It was the final rays of daylight and the sky was a beautiful swatch of evening gradience. All of the orange, blues and reds bled right into each other.

The water beyond mirrored the sky. The land was akin to a watercolor tray, a smokey mixture of cool and warm colors.

“Thankyou, again for taking time out of your day to guide me through the nation’s cities. You didn’t need to know?” You walked alongside Lyney who was too admiring the sky.

“Nonsense. I took you on this little journey because I wanted to. It was one of my prop cards that called to you, yes?” He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye.

“Yes but-”

“And you answered. You could have very well ignored it, even kept the card as a souvenir. But you didn’t. And that choice led you to today.” He spoke calmly.

You said nothing. Lyney was a stubborn man, no matter how many times you could protest against his kindness he would fire back with a reasonable explanation.

“ The card, how did you manage to put it into my sleeve?”

Lyney grinned like a bobcat. “ Uh uh my dear, a magician never reveals his trade secrets.” He mused teasingly.

“ Of course.” You sighed, giving up.

“Have you always had a talent in magic? In performing?”

Lyney finally turned his head to glance at you. Skipping ahead of you, he manages to turn his whole body towards you.

“ If you must know, It is a rags to riches tale!” He exclaimed as he bellowed out his arms dramatically in front of him.

“ As a young lad, me and Lynette were street performers. Everyday little crowds of people would congregate around us on the side of the street. Card tricks, Flower tricks, and even the feathered friends would aid in our little shows.” He exclaimed as he walked backwards.

“We would give it our all and Mora would rain down upon us.” He spoke with a triumphant smile on his face. He slowed down his pace and you managed to catch up. He was now walking next to you like before.

“ You could guess the rest. We eventually became so well renowned, we were able to afford high end venues and quality equipment for our shows. And soon we went from paupers to famed actors.”

You had listened carefully. Despite his colorful disposition, the underlying tone of his small backstory felt off.

“ I’m sorry you had to go through such tribulation. It must have been tough on the two of you early on.” You frowned. Although he framed the tale as a dramatic novel, the implication that he and lynette had been living in the streets tugged at your heart.

He did say when he was a lad, so this probably must have happened while they were both children. Where were their parents? The rest of their family? You decided to stave off these questions as they could be delicate.

Lyney had gone quiet for a moment. He smiled warmly at you. “ It’s alright. There is no need to feel sad for us. That is long in the past now. And besides…” He grinned widely. “ I think a smile would suit your lovely face more!”

He took off his hat and dug around it and pulled out a curious plant. It was a glowing blue color and its shape resembled a pearl. It shined a mixture of a translucent lilac and ocean blue.

He outstretched it out to you. You went ahead and tapped the leaves that looked like sea shells. The flower suddenly released some bubbles. The translucent orbs floated around you. You couldn’t help but pop a few, some giggles escaping you as you whirled around.

Lyney chuckled. “ I did promise you that I would keep that smile on your lips followed by the melody of your laughter.”

“ I-” You brought a hand up to your face. Your heart suddenly began to beat as if you had just ran a distance.

Why did his words have to feel so..so..like this? Why did it feel as if what he said was true? Would that explain why your heart feels like it would sprout wings and fly away any moment?

You were positive your face was burning up. You coughed into your hand.

“You did, didn't you? Thank you for the reminder.” You had managed to sputter out. You heard the soft chuckling of the magician. The flower was no wear to be seen, he must’ve vanished it away when you weren’t paying attention.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page, [Name].” He had a lopsided grin. Lyney was a cheeky man, a person with a silver tongue. He was a conman. And yet…

He managed to make you feel like you had a tornado of butterflies in your stomach all the time.

You were left speechless, as you both continued to walk down a few more minutes. You both made it to the Opera. In front of the opera was a bigger fountain, and a few pairs of people were collected around it.

You went up to the fountain, interested to see it up close. In the water collected at the bottom, you could make out a few glittering coins of Mora beneath the water. You heard a few steps up behind you and guess Lyney must’ve followed you.

“ People wish at this fountain, right? What for?” You looked around at the elegant structure. The reflected moonlight in the water gleamed against the little gold accents around its edges.

“ Fontainians come to this fountain to wish about anything, really. Better fortune, health, and happiness. But mostly, people come to this specific fountain for love or hopes for a healthy baby.” Lyney answered, his hands behind his back.

‘Hmm, the pairs of people make sense now.’ You thought as you glanced around the area. Satisfied you walk around the front of the Opera house. The fountains shooting water high into the air makes you wanna take a closer look. Leaning into the thin railing your eyes stayed glued to the water.

You could feel a ghost coolness of the falling mist from the tall fountain.

Although it was a fun outing today, you had ran around almost everywhere in the nation. Lyney in toe with you, making you ignore the aches you felt for doing so much in such a short time. Now in this still moment, all your tiredness was catching up to you.

Lyney must have noticed, as his lilac eyes flitted between your face and the fountain ahead.

“ Hey, want to see something cool?”

You turned your head over to the cheeky magician with a brow raised.

With your attention now on him, he took off his hat. You leaned more on your arm against the railing with a warm smile. Half expecting him to pull out something out of his hat again, he did something else. He shook it in front of him, emptying it out of nothing. Nothing left the hat.

Lyney hummed aloud. “Hmm, I was sure I had it stored in here.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Maybe you dropped it somewhere?”

“No no. I was sure It was in here.” He pouted as he now looked in, under and above his tophat. It was rather cute.

He eventually gave up and placed it back on his head. “ You might be right, maybe it slipped out while we were on the aqua-”

Just as he was about to finish, something dangled in front of his face. It moved from side to side, as if it was dusting off his face. Upon a closer look, It looked like a cat tail.

The look on Lyney’s face was endearing, his lilac eyes had dilated in surprise and followed the tail.

“Ah, there it is!” The hat suddenly lifted up his head, floating just above.

To your surprise, you see a smaller tophat along two little black ears pop out. Two little black bean paws followed, grabbing along the inner rim of Lyney’s hat.

Pop

“!!!”

You finally saw its face. It was a black cat with mismatched eyes of a droplet and star. It had a permanent toothy grin on its face. It wiggled in the hat and turned itself to look down at you.

“?!!”

You could make out the red bow behind its back. You weren’t sure what to do so you waved at the cat. It moved its small pudgy body around the hat and twitched its tiny ears.

“!!!”

Lyney let out a giggle at the interaction. “ Aww, I think he likes you.” He managed to grab his floating hat by the rim and brought it down in front of him. The cat in the hat seemed bothered and was now looking up at you. Its tiny hat was slightly tipped back.

“Can I pet it?” You asked almost too excitedly.

“Since you asked, of course! He is a bit mischievous but a glutton for attention.” He mused, side eyeing down on the cat.

You gingerly brough your hand down onto the cat. Its surface was surprisingly smooth yet soft, and the cat wiggled towards your touch. It’s two little ears ducked back as it seemed to love the attention it was given. It’s face never changed, however.

“ Does it have a name?” You asked as you kept petting it. Lyney nodded and smiled.

“ It’s a Grin-Malkin cat! I’m sure you're quite familiar with it, as it’s not only a prop for Lynette and I’s show, but our cute mascot.” He said.

“Prop?” You asked slightly confused. So it wasn’t alive? Then how did it move so life-like?

“ The Grin-Malkin cat is a puppet, but its movements are based off of a real cat.” He said.

You smiled, but kept petting the cute kitty. Even if it was just a puppet, the cat seemed to have a familiar personality. Its little paws stuck out, and one came up to ‘attack’ your finger. You quietly giggled at its playfulness.

“ So, cats are a part of your show’s soul huh?” You asked.

“ If it wasn’t that obvious, yes.” He said with a charming smile.

“ ‘Based on a real cat’, so who was the lucky cat this little bean was based on?” You asked curiously.

“ When Lynette and I were street performers, we managed to run into a lot of stray cats. Lynette was shy, so most of them got along with her.” He said as he looked down to Grin-Malkin.

“But, there was one troublesome cat. He kept on running off with my hat. Apparently, it made for a better cat bed than anything. He would be curled up inside when I found it.”

“ Eventually, I thought of replacing my old friend with a new hat. A hat that wouldn’t disappear when I didn’t tell it so. But, me and the cat came to a mutual agreement. I would bring him along to the show as a replica puppet!” He said with a proud smile. It slightly faltered however as he continued.

“During one particular performance, there was a little mishap that happened. I had forgotten a card in my deck and the trick required that one card that I misplaced.”

You winced at the second hand embarrassment. “Talk about bad luck. What did you do?” You asked. The kitty that you were petting now turned around to look up at Lyney. It looked interesting in his story. So now, it was you and the cat’s eyes on Lyney.

“Well, as I was coming up with an improvised outcome, out came this little guy.” He motioned down to the cat.

“!!!” It bounced slightly in the hat as the attention now was on it.

“ He had the card that I had misplaced and was able to save the show. And ultimately, make it better. The crowd and even I wasn’t expecting such an outcome.” He shook his head.

“Aww, so he became the star of the show.” You laughed.

“!!!” The cat whirled around to face you again and puffed out its chest in pride.

Lyney laughed alongside you. “ That’s one way to put it.”

Once you calmed down you noticed that you didn’t feel as tired anymore.

“ It looks like today is coming to a close.” Lyney said as he looked around. There were now very few people outside, and the sky had turned darker than earlier. The magician tapped the tiny tophat on the cat.

“Before today the curtains come to a close, let me send you off with a grand finale.” He whispered.

The Grin-Malkin cat wiggled its tail and his paw came up to the brim of its own hat. The cat tipped its tophat to you before Lyney grabbed his own and placed it back atop it’s hat.

“With your permission, could you close your eyes for me.” He said as he leaned in close to you, his hands behind his back.

“Okay?” You smiled nervously.

You shut your eyes and saw darkness. You could still hear the rushing of water and a faint sound of chirping crickets.

“Okay, no peeking until I tell you too.” You heard the magician.

You waited for what would happen. You felt someone get closer to you. The ghostly presence of someone close to your face. You refrained from moving, yet your heart began to pick up its pace.

You felt something warm touch your cheek, and something soft tickle your ear. At the same time you felt stiffer material tap against you above your head.

It came as quickly as it went, as you felt a small breeze and you could no longer feel the close presence.

“Okay, open your eyes now.” You heard Lyney say.

You opened and saw the magician in front of you with a warm smile.

“Do you feel anything different? Perhaps something is missing!” He said in a cheery tone.

Your hand reached up to where you felt something earlier.

“Huh?”

There was something behind your ear. Carefully, your fingers outstretched and touched something soft. It was a delicate circlet of petals connected to a smooth stem. Looking up from the corner of your eye, you spotted a blur of prisma like colors.

A blurb of pink and pastel yellow.

“ A rose? How?” You quietly questioned.

“Mhm!” Lyney nodded enthusiastically. “ That is a rainbow rose. A beautiful flower that grows wild only within Fontaine.”

“Ah, thank you! It’s really pretty and soft.” You delicately felt a petal. Beneath the bloom, there were smaller outstretched petals that pressed against your temple.

“ Have you found it yet? The thing I stole from you.” Lyney asked, tilting his head to the side.

You glanced back at him confused. You didn’t feel anything missing from you, as you checked your packets and around your person.

Lyney’s eyes followed your attempts to look for the missing something, slightly amused.

“Given up yet?”

You really couldn’t find anything off.

“ Is this a trick question, because I don’t feel like anything was taken.” You asked.

Lyney raised a closed hand next to his face. He smirked mischievously.

“How strange, because I have something of yours in the palm of my hand.” He teased me. “I’ll give you one more chance, could you guess what it is?”

You nodded. You guessed it was either a prop card or maybe some mora.

“ I give up, what is it?”

Lyney opened his palm and there was…

Nothing.

“Ta-da! The thing I stole from you was your attention.” He exclaimed with glee. He walked over to me and extended his hand over to me.

“Here you go, you can have it back now!”

…

This little-

You may have had the tiniest urge to smack his shoulder. Shaking off that urge, you huffed and played along. Once you reached his hand to get your ‘attention’ back, his finger’s gently encased your hand.

He bowed down dramatically and kissed the back of your palm.

Very discreetly, he cracked one eye open and glanced up at you. You had frozen in place and with a flustered face you could only stare.

He had the gall to smirk and send you a wink.

There was an odd sense of Dejavu, the memory of when you were approached by him after the magic show that evening.

“And it seems that…I have stolen your heart as well ma chérie.” Lyney whispered.

He gently let your hand fall back to your side as he stood back up. He had an innocent smile on his face.

You just stared at him completely dazed.

It was quiet for a very. Long. Second.

Lyney’s pale face slowly became redder and redder although he did not move.

The awkwardness was beginning to thicken and soon Lyney couldn’t take it anymore.

“Ahem…Ahaha hah haa... D-Did you get it? Because I had you focused on me the entire time so I stole your attention right under your nose. And now I just did a chivalrous act to make you feel flustered! I didn’t go too far again did I?” He muttered as he brought a hand to his mouth and averted his eyes.

His rambling snapped you out of your dazed phase and you suddenly became very aware as to how hot your face was. Lyney being in some sort of distress in front of you made you sputter out.

“Nononono, It’s fine! I was surprised, very surprised actually…er that was a nice trick there, very smart. So don’t worry about it.” You went ahead and leaned forward from the railing to look back at the fountain. Lyney might have gotten the message because he did the same.

After a few minutes of cooling down, you turned your head to look at Lyney and see if he was alright. His lilac eyes spotted you out of the corner, and he ducked under the brim of his hat.

“I think it’s getting late, I’ll take the Aquabus back to the main city.” You said, there was a small tight feeling in your chest. You were sad as to how fast the day went, how fast you had to say goodbye.

“Let me walk you back to the station then. It wouldn’t be very gentlemanly to let you walk back on your own this late.” Lyney offered, his voice sincere.

And so you did. The walk back was slightly quieter. Again, he became uncharacteristically quiet.

Was it because of what happened earlier? Did he feel like he did something wrong?

“You know I had fun today, right?” You began.

“It was very kind of you to take me on a tour around the city. I got to learn about the nation, eat good food, spoil myself with samples and sweets, and saw many hats I didn’t even know existed.” you slightly laughed. You heard him laughing quietly too.

“ I met your siblings, met your prop cat and I got to meet you in last evening's show.”

You might’ve never gone out today if you hadn’t met Lyney.

You might’ve never got to know his family if you hadn’t met Lyney.

You might’ve never gotten to meet Lyney like this if you weren’t picked to participate in the final act.

The more you thought about it, the more you became grateful that for some miracle of coincidence you were picked from the audience.

“I’m really happy that I met you. You made my time here in Fontaine feel magical. I’ll keep this day close to my heart, if that’s okay with you.” You smiled happily, the giddy feeling making you feel all sorts of floaty.

Lyney said nothing, only humming in approval.

Once you had gotten to the station, there was already a bus sitting there. The tour guide, or Melusine as you later found out, was sitting and leaning against the bus. Once it heard the sound of footsteps it sat up quickly, it’s tall ears snapping up.

“Ah! Oh, all aboard the bus! No wait, that’s not it..uh- everyone boarding please be careful with your arms, feet and legs inside the boat!” It spoke, half asleep.

You turn to Lyney. “ Are you going to go back to the main city?”

He shook his head.

“ No, I think I’m going to go back to the Opera house. I hate to be the naggy brother, but I just want to make sure Lynette didn’t forget any of the props backstage.”

“ Oh alright. I guess this is goodbye then.”

You had the urge to hug him. You weren’t sure how busy the Magician might be tomorrow, but somewhere in the back of your mind you believed you wouldn’t see him again for a while. The thought once again made your chest feel tight.

“ I believe so.” Lyney said quietly.

Well, no point in delaying your leave.

“Wha- HEY!” You heard Lyney yelp, and quickly you turn back to see what happened. His hat was off its what and seemed to zoom over to you.

The Grin-Malkin cat drove the Top hat like some dune buggy as now right side up was swirled with pyro elemental energy.

The grinning cat raced in the sky towards you, there wasn’t enough time to get out of the way so you braced for impact. But it never came.

The hat had swerved around you, drifting mid air as the cat kept facing you.

Suddenly the thing nudged itself into your face, the Grin-Malkin cat rubbing its pudgy dark body against you. You could almost hear purrs.

“ Hello, nice to see you again.” You giggled as its ears tickled your chin. Wrapping an arm around it you used the other to scratch above its head.

“!!!”

Lyney got closer and smiled nervously. “ I think he likes you too much. It never usually takes off on it’s own.”

He bent slightly down to be on the hat’s level and he put both his hands on his hip.

“Hey now! Come on, back up here alright?” he tried to sound like a scolding parent.

“!!!” The cat shook its tail in his face.

“I’m serious. C’mon, back on Lyney’s head” He pointed to his hat-less head of hair.

“!!!” The cat dug itself deeper into your embrace.

Lyney frowned. “ I know you like [Name], but they really have to go. It could be dangerous for them to be out in the streets this late. The sooner you let them go, the sooner they’ll go back safely.” He reasoned with a reassuring tone of voice.

The cat retracted itself from your hold and glanced down at Lyney. Having made up its mind the cat’s paws extended to you.

You tapped them both. “ Lyney’s right. I have to go. I’ll miss you too.” You leaned down and pressed a small peck on the robotic cat’s forehead.

It wiggled and a paw came up to its hat and brought it down in an attempt to hide its face. Although its features couldn’t exactly express, it looked to be shy.

Lyney had noticed and brought a hand up to his mouth to cover his snickers.

The cat then ducked into the hat, disappearing from view. You looked inside the hat and it was empty.

Grabbing it from in front of you, you flipped it right side up.

“Here, let me help.” You raised it above Lyney’s head. Slowly you set it down and secure it in its place. All the while doing it, Lyney had his soft lilac eyes on your face.

Fixing the hat a bit, you dusted off any dirt that may have gotten on it. “There we go! Now you look as sharp as you usually do.” You grinned.

You didn’t notice but when you smiled, especially at such close proximity, Lyney couldn’t stop the flush of color rising in his face.

You kept staring at his hat and his face as well to see if anything was out of place.

Without realizing your hands hover just above his arms. You weren’t sure if this was right. Maybe ... .Everything was going a step too far. Just as you were gonna reel back, Lyney raised his hands to hover right beneath your arms.

Without saying much but a nod, you hugged.

His cape felt soft, and his arms held you with care and protectiveness. You smiled as your face dug into his shoulder. You felt the hard material of the brim bump your temple.

He smelled like flowers and ash. An odd combination yet somewhat comforting.

For what felt like a full day, you two finally separated. He had a warm and sincere smile on his face.

Most of his smiles are bright grins that could light up a room.

But somehow after a while the spark is lost, and the smiles feel all the same. But this one, the one you saw before your eyes. No, this was different.

The kind of smile that was not rehearsed nor under scrutiny of the captive audience’s eye.

This one felt raw, special, authentic.

It made him look beautiful.

Realizing you were staring, you stepped back.

“ I….really think I need to go, or the Melusine will go back to sleep.” You turned on your heel and headed towards the boarding area. Before you left you took a big breath in. the cold air of the night and mist sending a current of energy through you.

As you were about to step on the bus, you heard him walk behind you.

“When will you be leaving?”

“What?”

“When will you be leaving? You said you were here on holiday, so when will you go back?” He asked.

You stopped and thought. When will I go back?

Go back.

Do I want to go back?

Can I go back after having a taste of what the world is outside of what I once knew?

“I leave in two days. Two days, yes.” You managed to say out almost in a flat voice.

“Why do you want to know?” You asked, you hadn;t turn your back to face him.

I want to see you again.

“ No reason in particular. I just thought you would be around to watch me and my sister perform in three days at the courts theater.” He said, there was a cheapness to his voice.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go. I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, Sounds like it.” Lyney dejectedly said.

You step onto the bus and Melusine shoots up on it’s tiny feet.

“ Leaving Marcotte Station!” They yelled. You sat down on one of the benches. You didn;t have the heart to look at Lyney as the bus started to move along the river.

You did however outstretched your hand behind your ear. The rose was still there.

“ Ah, a rainbow rose? Oh oh! Did you have someone propose to you?” the Mesuline asked.

“Wh-What?! What do you mean by ‘propose?!’ ” You shrieked. The Melusine set comfy on top it’s little pedestal.

“Oopsie, I’m sorry you probably don’t know the rumored implications of that rose do you?” They asked, tilting their head as their ears flopped to the side.

You shook your head.

“Well, since you're my only passenger for tonight, I suppose it’s okay for me to add on to the guidelines. And I’m tired right now.” It yawned.

“ When someone gifts you a Rainbow Rose, much like the one on you, it usually symbolizes passion and romantic encounters. It’s very common for couples here to gift each other a single rainbow rose or a bouquet of a dozen roses as a way to express their devotion to one another.” The Melusine mused.

“Oh.”

“ But it’s also used to express platonic love for a dear friend or family. Flower gifting is a language that revolves around love no matter which kind.” It said happily.

It hummed a little tune, and the boat sailed along.

“ But for it to be placed behind the ear, someone may be interested in you. Romantically I mean, haha.”

Oh dear…you might realize what the nickname he gave you means now.

“Ah- AHCHOO!” You covered your face as you sneezed.

“ Bless you!” the Melusine said.

You sniffled. Maybe it was the cold.

Lyney had stood there watching the Aquabus get farther and farther away. He had his hat to his chest.

He quickly placed his hat back on his head and walked back to the garden path.

There was no one around. He was alone.

Had his siblings made it back home yet? Probably.

The steps of his boots bore a fast and rhythmic pattern as he stepped.

His lips were in a flat line. His mind was preoccupied on many things.

His sister, his brother, the rest of his siblings, “Father” and you.

You. He shook his head.

He had a blast today. Although he had known Fontaine all his life, he practically lived on the stone walkways for a good part of his life, he never saw it like he did today. It felt new to him, a wondrous view!

Like that of an innocent curious child. Something that he never thought he would experience ever in his life.

He snapped away the thought.

He made it past the fountain in front of the Opera House. Getting past the gates and the lonely lobby he made it into the audience area.

He had met you here.

From when he was looking for a willing participant, he spotted you amongst the sea of eager people.

He spotted you. You weren’t a local, perhaps a tourist. You intrigued him.

Foreigner’s often brought in the best source of intel. A web of secrets and truths hidden beneath the veil of illusions. The normal people and Magicians were similar in that aspect, despite the other living in ignorance.

He never would have expected you to complete the trick well. Oftentimes, stage fright took a hold of the non troupe assistance, some on the spot improv would be on set in case the trick went off the rails.

That is why Lyney wouldn’t often pick from the audience. It was a rare occasion.

He would seek you out. Get you into a sense of comfortability, his silver tongue had a way of making people profess their hearts out to him.

The world was a stage to him, and thus he must always perform his best. At least, that is what “Father” told him.

You didn’t have much useful information. He was hoping for something more scandalous or perhaps a secret you were ashamed of. Instead, you were just some person seeking out the world that you never had stepped foot in despite being born into it.

And yet.

Lyney sat down on one of the cushy seats of the audience area. He crossed on foot atop the other.

Why had he stayed with you today?

Perhaps he was afraid of seeing you upset if he left suddenly to shop for props he needed.

Maybe, he didn’t want to go back on his promise he made to you backstage.

Maybe, he didn’t want to see your angry face if you found out the initial reason he asked you out.

Lyney looked around, his eyes wandered to the stage. No one was performing. It was empty. The spotlight wasn’t shining down. It was devoid and completely useless to its intended purpose at the moment.

Lyney had purposefully left out key information when you had asked about his background in magic.

You didn’t need to know of the desperate times where he pushed through with a smile while the tummies of he and his sister gurgled for food.

You didn’t need to know the cruelty of Nobility and their disgusting greed and wicked selfishness.

You didn’t need to know about the House and the Fatui.

And you didn’t need to know about “Father”.

Lyney exhaled.

All of that would probably make you look down on him with disgust and fear. He much preferred to see a beautiful smile on you.

He didn’t need to see you again. You were useless to “Father”, to the grand scheme of he and his sibling’s mission. You would be a distraction, and distractions lead to silly avoidable mistakes.

Yes, that’s what “Father” would say to him.

And yet.

Lyney scrunched his face. He didn’t like feeling like this. He thought he was over this. After all, he had a home and a supportive family now. He shouldn't feel like this, he had his sister, little brother and the other younger ones to look after.

And yet he wanted to see you again.

You made him feel like he had freedom. It wasn’t like the one he was granted when he and Lynette were free from being street rats. And strangely enough, it wasn’t like the freedom “Father” granted him when she took him away from the cruel mansion.

He felt bliss with you. He felt like how the audience looked in the countless times he performed on stage.

Was that how it felt like to live normally? To live in bliss and ignore the world’s harsh reality, even for a few moments.

He used to stutter a lot as a young boy. Whenever his juvenile performances went wrong or a slip of the tongue in pronouncing large words.

Yet he seemed to awfully flustered around you a lot of the time.

He even gave you a Rainbow Rose of all things.

It’s what felt the most appropriate he thought.

“ Oh no..”

The realization hit him like a Mitachurl’s Axe.

“ Father is definitely going to kill me if she ever finds out about this. Lynette might as well.” He cried.

“ACHOO!”

“Ugh, I should’ve gotten out of the port sooner. I might come down with a cold.” He sniffled.

‘Maybe someone’s thinking of me.’ He thought.

Before you went into your room, you had asked the reception for a vase you could borrow. They immediately noticed the flower on you and gave you a sneaky glance. Ignoring them, you went and filled the vase with water.

Before going to bed you placed the rose in the vase, on your nightstand so when the morning came it would get sun.

The last thing you saw when you fell into slumber was the rose. The memory of that charming magician is still vivid in your mind.

Perhaps, you could delay your trip back home.

After all,

He did steal your heart and had yet to give it back.

A/N: CWNCWNCONCON I WAS KICKING MY FEET AND CRYING WHEN I WORTE SOME PARTS CBKEBCIB The Fonatine siblings have a choke hold on me fr. Fontaine water giving that same energy that 3 am cold crispy tap water- I'm now tempted to make a Lynette x F!Reader fluff were they have a nice little tea party and make paper flower arrangements like cottage core girlfriends Tags: @b0rninh3ll @yukiaei @xiaossocksniffer @nayumeas @scarletrosesposts @sol3chu @rionah @jar-03

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pinkexpertnerdghost · 8 months

Text

Watch and Be Amazed!

Lyney x Gn!Reader

Synopsis: As a simple person with a boring job, you set out to travel the nations. You attend a renowned magic show only to be suddenly placed in the shared spotlight with the magical duo.

GIF by @c6jpg

{ i'm still exploring Fontaine but quick heads up on mentioning new locations, dw its spoiler free about the archon quest}

General: SFW, fluffy, magic tricks, Lyney being extra and sneaky, feat Lynette

A/N: i love him. Cheeky little guy with his equally cheeky little grin mulkin cat- I didn’t think I’d like him this much but he easily sneaked himself into my heart already also because I recently got him- I just wanna squish him (endearingly)

“ Voila! And now in its place are our feathered friends taking flight!” The magician exclaimed as a small swarm of doves flew out of his hands. Just seconds ago, he held a gorgeous bouquet of arranged daisies and prisma like roses, complete with adorned white ribbons and lace. The small bush of green and flora had simply vanished and transformed into a mass of white feathers.

Your awes become a droplet in the sea of gasps and astonishment from the people around you . Pushing yourself to the end of your cushy seat, you stare ahead in amazement and curiosity.

Even though you sat some rows away from the front seats, you were mesmerized by the trick. You were certain the bouquet had practically melted and shifted into the cocoon of feathers. At least, that’s how it appeared to your eyes.

Trailing the doves as they flew above the audience, you unconsciously let out a small laugh of joy like that of an entertained child. The doves flew around freely, some reaching high atop the Opera House’s stretching ceiling and some flew closer to the audience barely grazing above their heads.

You had been traveling for weeks, as you were lacking some excitement in your mundane life as a simple shop clerk. It had a well off pay and the owner was kind. Yet every passing day became more boring than the last. Soon enough, the days would weld and mend together in your memory as a tapestry of a lackluster pattern. You were afraid it would overshadow a great portion of your lifetime.

As a shop clerk, you had seen many travelers coming and going, talking about the beautiful sceneries across the rest of Teyvat they have witnessed, varies dishes you’ve never tried before being described as mouthwatering, the wonderful cultures, festivities and traditions people from around this world took part in. It had always left you in a state of entrance and jealousy for them, as they would have the freedom and determination to see the worlds wonders with their own eyes.

Seeing your yearning gaze and saddened expression when the travelers or adventurers left through the front door, your employer had generously given you some vacation time. You were one of your boss’s most dedicated workers, often swooping in for a fellow coworker if they fell ill or couldn’t make it otherwise. You have done more than enough to earn yourself this time off.

And so, you took your life by the rings and were off into the road. Traveling from one nation to the other and to the now where you were. In the seat in one of the most impressive buildings you have ever seen.

From the moment you boarded off the Aquabus; the little guides being one of the cutest beings you’ve ever seen; you oogled and awed in the splendor around you. Fontaine had been one leap of a cultural shock for you. Sure, sometimes you moved boxes of bits and bobs of Fontaine imported trinkets onto shelves, but seeing this much advanced technology was a bit exhilarating as well as a bit imposing

However, something there was something that immediately caught your eye when walking about. On a bulletin board was an array of multicolored posters and newsletter, but the bright red one with a grinning cat in the hat caught your gaze immediately.

“ Come and behold A magical performance performed by renowned Magicians Lyney and Lynette! ”

The names struck a cord in your memory. Ah, that's right! You had heard a great deal about a very specific Magic show in Fontaine. You remembered it being brought up a good number of times back in the shop. The way people would sound excited and how they could barely contain themselves trying to describe a magic trick as best they could.

Since you were in the area you had managed to investigate it and wound up purchasing a ticket to go see.

“ Back to the stage my feathery entourage!! Being in the presence of such a wonderful audience is indeed riveting, but I’m going to need the spotlight back to preform the next trick, haha!” The magician Lyney said with a pleading laugh. The doves seem to have understood them as they all flew back onto the stage. From either side of the giant velvet curtain, the flew behind it disappearing into the shadow.

“ For this next trick, I’m going to need a hand!” He exclaimed while putting his hands on his hips. He then put a hand on his forehead and looked around the area while squinting his eyes. From the right side of the stage came another person. She had on a similar uniform to her twin brother, adorned with teals, blues and grays. It was a counterpart to the reds, pinks, and plum Lyney wore in his intricate performer’s outfit.

Yet they both had the motif of that same toothy grinning kitty you saw tagging the corner’s of the promotional posters.

Lynette had walked behind Lyney and tapped his shoulder twice with a stoic expression. Lyney had turned dramatically around on his heel, immediately stopping his dire search for help.

“Ah, It seems as though Lynette has come to the rescue!” He cheered and with a grateful hand gesture divided the audience's attention to Lynette. She stood there facing the crowd with a curt expression. Lynette seemed to be the polar opposite of her brother. While Lyney was loud, extravagant and energetic, his assistant and sister was quieter, docile and seemed unmoved with the theatrics. However, to you she was as equally impressive as the red Magician.

In an earlier trick where they’d pull objects directly out of flat cards, Lynette had elegantly swiped off a parasol, a tea cup with piping hot tea given the steam, and an adorable hat with that grinning black cat. All while keeping a calm disposition as if she knew everything and anything that was to come. It boggled you how she managed to slip the illustrations to real physical objects.

But then again, the Magicians never reveal their trade secrets.

Lyney tapped his cheek before he spoke again. “It seems as if we will need a little more help to perform this magic trick, wouldn’t you agree Lynette?”

Lynette simply nodded.

Lyney’s shoulders relaxed as he twirled around to face the audience. He held his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth. His eyes never leave the audience.

“ For this trick, It will require three people.”

There were very quiet, almost inaudible murmurs and whispers in the crowd. You paid them no mind and kept your eyes focused on the stage. In your mind, you were guessing how the next trick would go.

Lyney stopped center stage.

“ I can see your enthusiasm and excitement! In that case, I shall pick one person from the crowd who will help Lynette and I out!” He said with a jovial grin. His cat-like eyes scanned around the crowd. After this, many people kept their eyes on the Magician scoping out for an available assistant.

Seeing as you weren’t in the first row or a local, you have settled that your chance of being picked was slim. So instead of paying attention to the main stage and spotlight, you turned your head from side to side. Envisioning the lucky person who would be fished out of the ocean of filled seats. Perhaps it would be the beautiful woman with quite the attractive headpiece sitting a row down from you. Or maybe, it would be the little boy three five seats to your left practically bouncing in his seat chanting to let it be him.

The choice could be anyone but yourself.

“ You my dear! Could you help Lynette and I out with this trick?” Lyney’s voice resounded once more.

Your eyes squirted suddenly as a bright source of light was now trained above you. Sinking back onto your seat, you turn to face the stage.

Those cat-like lilac eyes stared directly into your own [E/C] ones. Alongside with the deep royal purple eyes belonging to his assistant Lynette. Looking around and behind, you noticed the two people beside you glance at you with slight surprise.

You pointed at yourself just to make sure. You didn’t know if you made a face with the sudden surprise of the spotlight, but Lyney chuckled in amusement.

His eyes crinkled slightly as he nodded, his hair bobbing along with his head and sturdy hat. His laughter made you feel a bit fuzzy in the chest. Maybe you were just starstruck.

“ Yes you. If it is alright, could you perhaps follow the staff by your row to escort you on stage?” He said, extending a hand to a person in a theater mask and green vest standing at the end of the row. His lilac eyes never left you.

It was hard to say, but you could assume he was silently communicating with you. His soft eyes were patient and still, unlike his theatrical energy he demonstrated earlier.

‘ Are you okay with this? ‘

He didn’t mind the sudden recess of silence, in fact it only added to the build up to the magic trick. It wasn’t long until you blinked, breaking yourself out of your star-stricken surprise.

You nodded at Lyney, to which he gripped the brim of his hat quietly tipping it to you with a satisfied grin.

“ Very well, please follow the staff down the aisle while we set up on stage!”

After squeezing down your row and next to the staff member with the mask, you followed them as they led you towards the stage. The staff member was kind enough to guide you through the dimly lit place, your eyes were examining the person. Their mask is what stuck with you, you’ve never seen anything like it. It was both beautifully crafted yet it gave you a small chill of danger and mystic. It was probably made for this purpose of the show.

No elemental magic of those who wielded visions, but instead a tightrope thinly strung between reality and fantasy.

The stage was elevated but after climbing up the stairs onto the polished stage. Lyney beckoned you to come up next to him. You shuffled closer, both your hands behind your back fidgeting in a nervous manner.

The spotlight was now back onto Lyney and Lynette and now you as well.

“ Might I know the name of the new assistant I’ll be working with temporarily?” He asked as he now faced you. Lynette came to his side, her violet eyes glazing over you with relaxed attentiveness.

You felt your mouth become a bit dry. “ I’m [Name].” You spoked normally.

Lyney bowed, taking off his tophat bringing it close to his chest.

“ It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, dear [Name]” He bounced back up, flipping his hat back onto his head.

You shifted on your foot and that seemed to have caught the attention of the magical duo.

“ Hmm, are you perhaps nervous?” He asked. “ It is quite alright. Whenever the light is trained on you, the feeling of stage fright comes at you like the onslaught of tidal waves.” He said, in a non projecting voice. He still sounded loud enough for the audience to hear, but his words weren’t exaggerated in a way to make you feel queasy. Instead, it sounded like he was cheering you on, a little push of confidence he would share with you.

Maybe you were overthinking it. He is a performer so its his job to turn up the charm towards the audience.

Lynette had subtly sent you a reassuring little smile. She walked up next to you and stood by you now.

“ Perhaps, you may just have some butterflies in your stomach. It happens to the best of us!” He spoke. His gloved hand came up to you.

“ May I have what’s in your side pocket?” His eyes shifted down to your right pocket. Confused, you reach down into your pocket and feel around. There was a smooth and flat object that you didn’t remember having there, so you slipped it out.

In your hand was a playing card. It wasn’t an ordinary playing card. It looked to be one of the card props that belonged to the two Magicians. Figuring he wanted it back; without you having the faintest Idea of how it got there in the first place; you handed it to him.

He grabbed the card and raised it up to his face to inspect it.

“Aha! Just as I thought. You had made a bundle of these pesky little butterflies.” He slipped the card back to his palm. He twirled back to face you with a triumphant smile as if he’d found a treasure chest. “ Fear not, for I will rid you of this troubling kaleidoscope!”

With that being said, he tossed the card over your head.

Or at least, a zipping card was what you were expecting.

Instead, a small little tornado of little butterflies escapes from Lyneys hand. They fluttered around you in a tunnel-like pattern.

Completely forgetting about the audience, you craned your hand up and stared in awe. Looking closely, some butterflies had little trails of violet shimmer. The butterflies themselves didn't seem to be real butterflies. On some you managed to see the wings to be made out of the back of playing cards.

The butterflies dispersed out onto the crowd, until each one vanished without a trace.

“Now then, are you feeling better?” Lyney asked, both hands on his hips.

You nodded with a smile on your face. The small pit of nervousness was now reduced to a grain.

“Wonderful! And, it seems as if you have magic in you yourself, what luck!” Lyney exclaimed. Lynette all the while silently side eyed her brother and his antics.

“Now then if you may follow Lynette, she will guide you to this next trick or a trio.” he smiled.

Lynette had raised a hand to you in order to take it. You complied and took her hand as she led you behind the curtain.

“ Are you okay? I know Lyney can be a bit over the top, but if at any point feeling bad, let us know.” Lynette spoke calmly to you.

“ I’m alright now. I just wasn't expecting to get picked.” You said honestly.

Lynette nodded. “ It's like that for most who get chosen.”

She guided you towards a little box which was decorated with a little four pointed gold star in the center. The box was relatively small, reaching from the ground to knee level

“ When they take the box you’ll have to stand on it. I’ll stand in my own box next to you. Just follow Lyney’s instructions.” She said,

“Also, brace your feet after the curtain falls.”

You listened closely and nodded.

“Alright. Got it.”

Lynette hummed.

Behind the big red curtain you heard the crowd laugh and clap.

“And now for the anticipated trick, shall I have my two assistants step back into the light?”

Lynette and you came back onto the stage. Again in the limelight, you noticed the two boxes parallel to each other.

“ For this next trick, both my assistants shall switch their places before your very eyes.” Lyney spoke calmly.

“But wait a moment. This is a simple trick one could accomplish by simply walking across the stage to the other boxes. This trick is sounding more like a runway show than magic.” Lyney sighed in defeat. In a quick one eighty mood switch, Lyney perked up and raised his chin high.

“ But no, dear spectators in the crowd. This trick shall be done with neither of my assistants leaving the confines of their one by one area!” Lyney exclaimed, flapping his little side cape in the process.

Lynette turned and gave you a look, a very specific look. You took it to get on the box and you walked over to the one closest to you.

“ Now then, a little tent shall fall on top of both of them. Switching places without jumping, walking or running is a lot more exhausting than it sounds.” As soon as he said that, above you began to descend a festive red tent.

It slowly descended until the dark velvet of the inside tent obscure your vision of the crowd and them of yourself. You could only hear the echoing voice of Lyney as the crowd was now fully silenced in anticipation.

The words of Lynette rang in your mind, as you looked down to your feet.

“ For you see, the most can happen within the blink of an eye.”

You felt the box underneath you dip slightly. Barely enough time to even gasp, you had fallen through the solid box beneath you. Quickly you bent your knees and positioned yourself to be able to absorb the momentum of your fall.

Once landing soundly, you looked up to see how you had fallen. In the ceiling was a rectangular indentation of a trapdoor.

You heard a ‘psst’ to your right. There you say Lynette making a quick hand gesture to switch places; motioning to you and the spot beneath her feet.

Speeding over to her, you took little but key notice in your new surroundings. The walls were barren, the air had slight dust, and light from the stage lights barely made it through the miniature nooks and crannies of the floorboards. You were underground.

Once getting to where lynette last stood, you waited. Looking around where you stood there was a small ladder behind you.

Suddenly a similar trap door like the one where you initially stood, swung open.

Taking this as a new signal, you climbed onto the ladder trying to make as little noise as you could. Once above ground, the trap door that was once open shut, making the ground below you stable enough to stand on.

“ As such, a walk across this stage could be reduced down to none!”

You heard a harsh step down onto the floor followed by a snap of a finger.

The tent around you was pulled back up at lighting speed leaving you stunned in place. The crowd ahead was looking back and forth between the place where you once were and to where you are now. A roar of whistles and claps was heard.

Looking to where you once were, stood Lynette waving at the crowd. The same stoic expression on her face.

Lyney came skipping up to your side.

“ How are you feeling dear [Name]? I hope you aren't too disoriented by the little trip you took.”

You looked at him, he had a proud grin on his face. The light shown down was overshadowed by the brim of his top hat. And yet, his eyes and distinguishable teardrop mark on his right cheek made you feel all sorts of flustered all over again.

Then again you noticed just how packed the Opera is. You had forgotten momentarily that there was an audience. The showers of cheers came down like a bolt of lightning striking the still water.

“I’m fine, just a bit perplexed.” You shook your head trying to process what had just happened in what felt like a fraction of a minute.

“ Oh my, it seems you may have been slightly shaken when vanishing from one spot to the other.” He hummed.

“ That's it! I shall make it up to you! But I’ll have to get you back to your original box.” He said tapping his curled up hand onto his open palm.

He stood up onto the tips of his toes, as from your height atop the box managed to put you at a larger distance from him. Figuring he might tell you something , you leaned down slightly.

“ When the tent drops on you once more, close your eyes. Don’t open them until you hear me say, Hat. Trust me, I’m sure this trick will put a blinding smile on your face.” He said quietly, a hand placed by his mouth blocking it from the audience ahead.

You weren’t sure what he meant or what would happen but somehow, you trusted him. Maybe it was his pretty face, charming personality, or simply because a famous and professional performer.

A little breathy chuckle escaped him before he leaned away and waltzed back to the front and center. Something about him smiling and laughing made your heart almost pop.

You internally battled these pestering thoughts; You were just starstruck! A celebrity crush, don’t let it get to you. Especially in front of a massive crowd watching your every move!

You took some short breaths in and faced ahead onto the wall behind the audience. You didn’t want to let this confusing feeling consume you.

“And now, one final trick before our amazing temporary assistant bids adieu.” He sighed. From his chest he pulled out a white handkerchief he blew into. The crowd laughed at his little mopping gag.

“ It was a pleasure to have you on stage with us, [Name].” He said before swiping the used hanky away. It disappeared into red and white sparks into the air.

The tent above you descended once again, and the moment you found yourself in the shaded confines you closed your eyes. You could only listen to what was happening around you.

“Now then, why don’t we send our new friend off with a grand finale?”

The surrounding noise of the crowd murmuring came through as buzzing. You felt the ground once more give out underneath you. Holding in your breath you prepared for what may have come next.

Something, or someone caught you. You felt the sudden mass underneath you, and suddenly there was a small breeze passing into your face. Your eyes squeezed shut the entire time.

Suddenly, you felt your feet touch a solid floor. You stood up, the person letting you go as you stabilized yourself.

“ And so, they shall appear where they once were at the drop of a hat!”

You heard it. Cracking open one eye you see once again a velvet curtain of a tent. Blinking, adjusting to the light, the tent was pulled up.

This time there was some cheer for a few seconds. The sudden Huhs? And murmurs slowly began to take a hold of the audience. Curious as to the mood shift you look around you.

Lyney, no longer wearing his signature tophat that had been left sitting on the floor.

Where Lynette was supposed to be, she was no more. Instead, there was a small top hat lying top down on the box.

Lyney, surprised, went over to the hat.

“Lynette? Oh Lyneeette? Where did you vanish off to?” He took the hat and looked inside of it, as if his sister were inside the hat.

You were slightly puzzled at first. Where on Teyvat could she have gone? Your doubts were suddenly clouded by an obvious truth.

This had to be part of the show.

So you kept your eyes on the male twin, anticipating what he will do next.

Giving up in calling out to his sister, still holding onto the small hat in his hands, he walked over to where you stood.

“ It seems that she won’t show herself unless we make her appear out of this hat. [Name], if you would.” He then extended the small hat in my direction.

You delicately grabbed the brim area closest to you. Lyney let go, and you looked inside the empty hat. The material felt slightly heavy but the intricate seamless pattern woven into the pitch black fabric made you closely look at it.

You heard a small tapping noise, you looked back to the magician as he tapped the back of his hand. Putting two and two together, you quickly flip the hat upright.

You mimicked Lyney’s motion on the hat’s top about three times.

The first tap, colorful feathers floated to the ground.

The second tap, petals of flowers twirled on their way down.

The final tap, a deck of prop cards spilt out and crashing against the stage floor with clicks and claps.

“Looks like she isn’t in there.” Lyney quipped. You were once again thrown into utter confusion. The comedic way the crowd gasped after one object came after another object from the empty hat. At some point the reactions of surprise slowly turned into snickers and giggles of amusement.

Lyney placed a hand on his hip and scratched his chin. “ Try doing it again with the hat upside down. Maybe, a different approach will convince her to come out.”

So, you turn the hat over. Sneakily taking a small peak inside, and as you suspected it was empty.

How does he pull these things off? Seriously! How?!?

Replicating your previous action, you tapped the brim.

A small puff of smoke and confetti made you step back. Out of the hat a cat sprung!

Or was it a cat?

It was a big cat face attached to a coiled spring.

It was cute! It had the signature toothy grin the show’s mascot had, yet it had it turned upside down in a frowny face. One eye has a teal star and the other has a teal teardrop. It even had a little bowtie making it a very fashionable cat creature.

It turned to face you as its ears twitched. You’re eyes locked with its own strange one and you found yourself in a staring contest….with the giant cat head on a spring of all things.

“ Oh dear, it looks like Bogglecat seemed to have answered instead of Lynette” Lyney laughed.

Tip Tap Tip Tap

You and Lyney turned to face Lyney’s hat that had just shook slightly on the floor.

Poof!

The hat had blasted up into the air and below the hat there was Lynette. Slightly obscured by the turquoise colored fog.

“ Here I am.” Lynette spoked up.

Grabbing the brim of Lyney’s hat she tipped it and bowed before the audience. The audience clapped and some people even stood up from their seats.

The Bogglecat in the hat leaped from your hands and jumped over towards the spotlight where Lynette was. Lyney came running over to you and carefully grabbed your now free hand.

“ C’mon, the audience is waiting for the final bows.” He hushed at you with that permanently charming smile of his. His pale blonde hair bounced along as he urged you to join him and his sister. With no reason to refuse, you ran along with him. You felt the corner of your mouth curl up in a giddy smile. Now unafraid of the public you stood in the bright lights with your chest held high.

Lynette tossed Lyney’s hat into the air, landing it perfectly on Lyney’s head. The cat in the hat jumped right into Lynette's hand. Once she caught it, she twirled it around in her hand like a skilled juggler. The cat suddenly vanished inside the hat, and the small hat now was held against her head.

“ This has been Lyney and Lynette’s Magic show! Thank You all for watching!” The three of you held hands; Lyney at the center, Lynette to his right, and you to his left. Lifting your hands up, you three did a dramatic bow. This audience applauded one final time for the performance. It was the loudest applause you had heard during your time in the Opera Epiclese.

Slowly people had started to leave the theater, with the front entrance reopened many people had started to trickle out into the lobby. This left fewer and fewer people in the main room, the Opera house becoming

You were preparing to step down the stage staircase until you heard someone call out to you.

“ Wait, [Name]! If you could spare a moment?” It was a voice you had quickly grown familiar with.

The top hat with the plum colored ribbon, the pale blonde tuffet that covered just above his right eye, and that teardrop marking beneath the same right eye. Lyney came speedily towards you, his sister Lynette following a bit behind. Unlike him, she calmly walked over and that stoic expression on her face felt a bit more done than what you had seen.

“Hm? What is it Mister Lyney?” You stopped and asked politely. Looking over the male twin you glanced at his sister “Miss Lynette?”

“That was a splendid performance you made on stage! You went along just swimmingly with our act.” Lyney gushed.

Once again you felt flustered. Out of all things, a professional magician complimenting you on a magic trick? You scratched your cheek.

“ I was just following you guys. Really, if anyone should be taking compliments it is you two!” You spoke with enthusiasm. “ The way Miss Lynette pulled out the items right off the cards, or when you made my ‘ stomach butterflies ‘ disappear. It really was a treat to see!” You felt your face getting a bit warmer as you continued to spill your excitement into words.

“ This will definitely be a nice memory I won't be forgetting any time soon!”

Lyney chuckled and even Lynette’s eyes grew slightly larger with interest.

“ You’re too kind!” Lyney chuckled, his pale face getting the slightest bit pink in the cheeks. “ I don’t believe I’ve seen your face in our crowd before. Are you maybe a tourist coming from a distance to see our show?”

You nodded. “ I am as a matter of fact. I don’t get out much to say the least.” You confessed.

“ I’ve heard about your magic show for some time now, traveling groups have brought it up time and time again. Fontaine was my next destination so I took the opportunity to come see it myself.”

You smiled gently. “ This was my first legitimate magical performance I had the fortune of attending. Not to mention getting randomly selected to participate! Thank you for the fun time, Mister Lyney and Miss Lynette.”

Lyney and Lynette listened with great interest.

“ I see. Thus, making this show a memorable experience for you was all the more rewarding then.” Lyney took off his hat and brought it to his chest.

“We are both happy to have put a beautiful smile on your lovely face!~” Lyney very gently lifted your hand. Bringing it close to his face, he placed a small almost ghostly peck.

Okay. Now you definitely felt your face may have caught on fire.

Lyney might have noticed your sudden flustered face. The sneaky magician sent a very brief wink with a smile. Not just any smile. This smile had a more feline nature to it; as if he enjoyed seeing such a reaction from you.

He lowered your hand back down, and flipped his hat back onto his head. That cat-like smirk was nowhere to be seen anymore. Innocently smiling at you, he laughed. It sounded slightly nervous.

“ Well, if you will be around Fonaine for a while longer, find us by the Aquabus station. We might just have spare time to show you around!”

Slipping your hand behind your back, you tried to reply to his friendly invitation.

“ Mhm! Aquabus station. Go it!” you spoke in broken segments.

Oh dear, maybe it's time you’d step outside for some fresh air.

“ I think I should get going now. Who knows how long the people traffic is in the lobby now. It was great meeting you. Your cat mascots are cute and now I shall leave” You had begun to word vomit as you were shuffling away.

“ Bye bye!”

Facing away from the magic duo, you speed walk down onto the carpeted floor. Not daring to look back, you heard the sound of an amused giggle and an exasperated sigh.

“ Are you proud of yourself? You almost made them faint with your antics.” Lynette tipped the back of Lyney’s hat. It fell forward and off but he had quickly caught it before it hit the ground.

“ Hey, I just wanted to make evening a little more magical is all. It was the most I can do from withholding them back from leaving"

"Right. And you had to tease them until they were red in the face."

Lyney stared at his sister for a moment, until he thought.

He felt a small hitch of embarrassment in his chest realizing something.

"I- Uh, didn't go to far with the card letter, right?" He nervously asked.

Lynette sighed and shook her head.

"Brother, most of the time you don't even need the spotlight to be over dramatic."

Once you were outside and looking up at the sky. The skies were different in every spot you had been. Here in Fontaine, you could barely see the twinkling stars.

As you sighed contently, you made your way over to the hotel you had planned to stay in for the time. As you shifted you felt something shift alongside you in your sleeve. It was cold and smooth.

Surprised, you dug into your sleeve.

It was a playing card. A prop playing card.

“ I hope you had a magical Evening, [Name]. Meet me by the bench near the potted flowers by the station at noon tomorrow. If you show up, best prepare for I still have tricks up my sleeve that will leave you dazzled! “

There was a little doodle of a toothy grinning cat.

A/N: Should I make a part two? Idk maybe. EDIT: PART TWO HERE

#i wrote fanfiction because I can nothing is stopping me from expressing my sheer love and happiness for this little magic man #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin lyney #genshin lyney x reader #fontaine #lyney and lynette #lyney x reader #lyney genshin #genshin imagines #genshin oneshots #genshin fluff #fluff #genshin fanfic #fontaine siblings #lynette #lyney

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