feliscus

[feliscus]

every second seems to drag like an hour, pacing back and forth through the aisles, checking and rechecking the same shelves that he's looked through a thousand times. rosseland has long since retired from the task, curled up in the hat that lyney's set off to a counter on the side.

so much for competition—neither of them have found very much at all. even lyney's seemingly endless energy has nearly exhausted itself. still, he shakes himself back into focus. one more look around, then he'll suggest that they try somewhere else...

“lyney! look, look!”

he jolts at hook's voice, tensing in preparation for bad news, but there's no warning or panic in her tone. indeed, when he turns to find her in the doorway to the storage room, box in tow, he greets her with a ready smile, striding over as she pulls the flaps open. “oh? what have we here?”

the magician doesn't think he's ever been happier to see water before, even when he'd been watching the floodwaters of fontaine recede. “that's a point for you then,” he concedes. but now...how to transport it all between the two of them? “wanna see a magic trick, hook?” lyney asks like he would an audience as he returns to retrieve rosseland and his hat, reaching within to draw out a magic pocket before replacing it back on his head. “watch closely. if you blink, you might miss it.”

it takes a moment to move them from box to pocket, but in the end, it all fits with space still to spare. it's certainly the more practical of lyney's many tricks. hefting the straps over a shoulder, he flashes hook a sharp grin. “i'll race you to the next store. and i bet i'll find something before you there too.”

the next few stores are similarly devoid of life, though at least more fruitful endeavors than their first. a few more drinks join their collection of water bottles, alongside some wrappers and cans of food that have yet to go past their date. there had even been some medical supplies tucked away into a corner of one of the stores. it's a sizable enough haul, lyney thinks, to help sustain their small group.

“it's getting late,” he calls out as he finishes checking over the last of the shelves. there's nothing left that might be useful. “we should start heading back to the bus stop before the sun sets.”

　🌢　fire escape.

soaring heights / week 2　⸻　hook & lyney

[feliscus]

lyney turns as hook calls back, falls into a crouch to find her in the aisle across him. no luck for her either, then. one side of his lip quirks in a faint smile as he calls for rosseland from wherever the cat's since wandered off to. “we'll help these people as much as we can,” he promises when she asks, expression softening too.

in the end, hook is just a kid, after all. even the youngest of his siblings are too, no matter how they have been raised in the warmth of a hearth. but just like them, hook has that same spark of determination in her eyes. “so, don't worry too much. it'll be over soon.”

after a beat, rosseland arrives with something caught in his mouth, picking his way across the shelves to reach his perch on lyney's shoulders as the magician rises back to his feet and brushes off the ash. when he holds a hand out, the cat drops it into his waiting palm obligingly: a pack of...expired nuts.

“well, it looks like you're already ahead of us,” lyney says as he deposits the packet back onto an empty spot on the shelf. “all we've managed is some food that's too old to eat.” and then, a grin, a slight tip of his hat. “but don't think rosseland and i will make it easy for you to win! we'll turn it around, just you wait!”

and so the magician and cat go, venturing further into the next aisle for treasure. or at the very least, something still edible.

　🌢　fire escape.

soaring heights / week 2　⸻　hook & lyney

[feliscus]

this store must've still been open, not too long ago. it is not the tells of abandonment that litter the quiet building. when lyney brushes a finger against its half-empty shelves, his gloves come away covered in ash rather than dust. it must've been one of the buildings to catch fire amidst the chaos, though there's no sign of the flames now save for the soot.

“rosseland, don't eat that!” he calls over his shoulder as the cat paws at something on the ground, reaching for a tin of crackers left behind on the shelf to turn over in search for a date. but whatever he finds only makes his face wrinkle as he sets it back down and moves on. no good, then. but he'd been expecting to not find much from what was left behind on the displays by previous scavengers. they'd have better luck breaking into a storeroom to find their stock in the back.

and so he rounds the end of aisle to glance around for his companion, the youngest of their little tour group. “find anything yet, hook?” soaring heights is no place for a child at the moment, really, but lyney has seen his younger siblings through situations more dangerous than scavenging a store for supplies. the most danger she'll face here might be a collapsing board from the ceiling or two. / @leaderofthemoles

　🌢　fire escape.

soaring heights / week 2　⸻　hook & lyney

[feliscus]

relief overcomes him in an instant, his knees buckling as he sinks to his knees by the bench, one arm braced upon it. lyney lets seele do most of the talking, keeping one eye out for any danger that might come their way even if some of the more immediate chaos has since calmed.

but she doesn't mention milo. time and place, the magician supposes—there are more urgent matters at present—but he wonders if he should. lynette would, if she was here, wouldn't she? after all, what sister like to be left behind? lyney should know the answer to that best—he's always doing the leaving. maybe it's in a brother's nature to leave his little sister in the name of her protection.

lyney never means to hurt his sister. he doubts milo ever does either. it never does change the fact that they do.

but time and place. when they're somewhere safe, he can mull it over. until then, milo's half of the locket still sits heavy in his pocket.

“well, the bus driver is one of the friends we're meeting.” a faint twitch of his lips, shifting away from the bench to leave her room to crawl out. “so i suppose we'll have to see what he has in mind.”

and so, lyney pushes himself back to his feet, hat shifting on his head as he nods. “all right, we should hurry before something else happens. come on—we won't let you fall.” / @revelation-heights · @dream-of-butterflies

sending this in place of an ask (because tumblr is evil and cruel and unusual)

Sounds of chaos reverberated throughout the city. Gunshots, explosions and the screams of the many had sounded off throughout Soaring Heights. Yet Seele had drowned those noises out. All she could hear- or rather focus on- were the sounds of boots to ground as she and Lyney ran through the streets in a hurried, though focused, search for Mylene.

They ran towards the park where they had first met the little girl, both operating on assumption, and some hope that she would be there. As they made it, another sound began to process through Seele’s ears: calling. The magician and the butterfly began to call out Mylene’s name as they walked through the park. 

They needed to bring her to the Bus Terminal, she needed to be with Ezio and the others, that way at least her safety could be ensured. Her safety is what I promised Milo… 

It took a moment, a moment of panicked searching, Seele had spotted Mylene hidden under a bench close by. Seele relief wash over her entire being as she found solace in her safety. She tapped Lyney, an alert to let him know that she found Mylene, before the two ran over to the little girl, kneeling.

Despite the chaos that rang in the background, Seele’s voice held a calmness. To protect another, she herself needed to remain calm. Inhale, “ Hey- Mylene! Thank the Aeons you’re okay… ” exhale. “ It’s not safe to be out here right now, okay? Come with us, please, we’re meeting with a few other friends we came to the Heights with at a close by Bus Terminal. ”

She gave a gentle smile, trying to provide further reassurance in her suggestion, “ there should be another little girl there, she’s kind of like my own kid sister, that I think you’d get along with. ” 

@revelation-heights | @feliscus

[feliscus]

“we'll find him,” lyney promises. he may tell many lies, but this will never be one of them. “i'll look as long as it takes.”

the setting sun as their backdrop, lyney follows mylene's directions to the precinct, filling the air with chatter all the while—tales of his most recent performances, stories of his siblings' mischief from back home. ever in motion to keep their spirits up, an idle trick or two as he speaks, like the coin rolling between his fingers that seems to disappear between one blink and the next.

all the while, a magician's keen eyes never stop moving, scanning every shadowed corner and sunlit street. maybe that is why, as they begin to come upon their destination, he steps ahead of them, spinning to face seele and mylene as he gestures along to the story he's telling—something about an experiment of one of his siblings going up in literal smoke, his arms waving up through the air as literal smoke follows to draw their attention up, vision warming at his back. the coin reappears in his hand then, goes flying further down the sidewalk.

“ah—” the surprise at the slips seems as real as anything as he turns and hurries after it, the story stuttering into an abrupt stop. “hold on!” but when he stoops smoothly to snatch it off the ground, gold blinks back at him twice. the first, the coin. the second...

the half of the locket in his hand, mirror to the one mylene had showed them earlier in the day, tucks into a palm to hide it as he flashes the coin at them between two fingers. “got it! ah, but has my sleight of hand really gotten so bad with just a few days out of practice...?” when he straightens and returns to their sides, he's all smiles as he picks up the story where he left off, the locket tucked into a pocket without a word about it.

to have lost it right outside the precinct... maybe milo made it here and simply hadn't noticed that the chain had broken. or maybe it's something worse. either way, if the sight of her brother's jacket without him had nearly sent mylene back into tears, he can't imagine what seeing his locket without him would do.

so, no need to worry her just yet. it'll be his secret for now. he always seems to collect many of those.

but his smile strains slightly as he opens the doors to the precinct, fades entirely as he steps inside. perhaps he is too used to the order that monsieur neuvillette commands in fontainian courts; the soaring heights' enforcement of justice seems a bit sorry in comparison. a mess of papers covered in red, names volleyed back and forth through the air, pictures pinned across corkboards—his gaze flicks from one face to the next, searching for a match only to come up empty. that would be too easy, wouldn't it?

he pauses a beat to take it all it in, then finally clears his throat pointedly, offering a pained smile. “...sorry to bother you. we'd like to report a disappearance. this girl's brother, a boy named milo. he hasn't turned up here, has he?” / @revelation-heights · @dream-of-butterflies

well aren't you a bleeding heart?

GH Revelations 2025 | Seele & Lyney -- Fragile Heart

[feliscus]

bird's eye? he catches the woman's glance at mylene and frowns. not a place for kids, then? what was it, a bar? “we'll stay out of trouble,” lyney says before mylene tugs on his sleeve. if his heart drops at her question, he doesn't show it. still, there's an answer that's sure to be echoing in all their heads: maybe he couldn't come back.

“maybe he thought he could find food somewhere else,” he offers instead. “i was that kind of stubborn, when my sister and i were struggling. maybe a bit too overconfident, she would tell me.” he laughs. “lynette always found me when i took too long to get back, though. so we'll find your brother too, okay?”

he thanks the woman over his shoulder as they head off, but after walking enough steps out of her earshot quietly asks, “what's the bird's eye, mylene? think it could be worth taking a look?”

it's hard not to jump to help when mylene's knees start to buckle—she's not one of his siblings; he can't hover too much that she's uncomfortable. still, he holds a hand out wordlessly as an offering, the gesture slight enough for her to ignore if she prefers.

when they finally arrive at the canteen and its owner comes out to greet them, he dips his head in greeting. “we're asking ourselves the same question,” lyney says. best to cut to the chase—if they're in debt to this man still, it's probably for the better that they not bother him too much. “they've been separated—we're trying to reunite them. you haven't seen her brother recently, then?”

his gaze flicks briefly to mylene, starting to flag even if she hasn't admitted it yet, then back up to add, “and do you have something light that we can take to go? i'm starting to get a bit hungry, aren't you as well, miss seele? we'll pay, of course.” / @revelation-heights · @dream-of-butterflies

well aren't you a bleeding heart?

GH Revelations 2025 | Seele & Lyney -- Fragile Heart

[feliscus]

the bark nearly startles lyney's hat right off his head, one hand flying to keep it there as the cat within jumps. “woah, rosseland! careful!” he yelps as seele tends to the dog, his other hand thrown out like a shield as mylene goes to hide behind him. he eyes the animal a bit warily, but it's running off before long, his partner right on its heels.

he glances at mylene, a faint quirk of his lip. “well...maybe it knows something. why don't we wait here for miss seele to get back?”

when she does, jacket in tow that mylene quickly declares to be milo's, lyney smiles to hide his grimace. that can't be good news... “i'm sure your brother will be very happy to see both you and his jacket,” he declares, then waves their little trio along. “come on, let's check the diner. we might find something there.”

the diner sits somewhere in the center of the shopping street. it's hard to ignore the glowing neon sign pointing at it from the sidewalk, though it's even harder to ignore the small, angry crowd surrounding it. the lights inside the windows are closed, and it's clear that the diner is no longer operational. you can try to ask people in the crowd what's going on. you can also show them milo's picture ask them if they've seen him around.

lyney slows the closer they draw to the crowd, eventually coming to a stop a bit of a distance away. he glances at seele to catch her eye with a faint twich of a frown, then flicks his gaze to mylene. “...let's see what's going on here first. can i have that picture of your brother, mylene? one of these people might've seen him.”

he approaches the edge of the crowd quietly, the smile all gone now. there's a time and place for it, and he doubts that any of these people would like to see a smiling tourist arrive when they're clearly angered by something. lyney clears his throat to catch the attention of someone at the edge of the crowd, tipping his hat in greeting. “excuse me,” he calls, “we're looking for this girl's brother, if you've seen him. she says he might've stopped by here, but...” he glances between them and the diner. “...it seems they're not open. is something the matter?” / @revelation-heights · @dream-of-butterflies

well aren't you a bleeding heart?

GH Revelations 2025 | Seele & Lyney -- Fragile Heart

[feliscus]

lyney laughs along with mylene, eyes twinkling with a secret as he leans in. “i'm not too great at cooking either,” he confesses to her in a faux whisper, one hand hooked against the side of his cheek. “he's doing his best; it just might not be very good. don't be too mean to him when you laugh, okay? maybe it's a brother thing—my sister's great in the kitchen.”

most things remind lyney of his sister. it can't be helped—for so much of their lives, all they had to count on was the other. and so, he understands this brother of hers, he thinks. wouldn't he do anything for lynette, no matter how exhausted he was? it doesn't matter what happens to him, as long as she's all right.

i hope her brother's all right too. after all, with all these supposed disappearances... he doesn't like to worry lynette on purpose; he doubts milo would have vanished just like that too.

but lyney's smile doesn't fade as he finally pulls himself back to his feet. no need to worry mylene more than she already is. he nods at seele, then holds a hand out to mylene. “all right, off we go! can you walk now? i know i'm not your brother, but my siblings seem to think i'm pretty good at carrying them around. don't feel like you have to push yourself, okay? we won't leave you behind until you're back with your brother.” / @revelation-heights · @dream-of-butterflies

well aren't you a bleeding heart?

GH Revelations 2025 | Seele & Lyney -- Fragile Heart

[feliscus]

ezio was right. it's not paradise or a fancy vacation spot. it's just...

...home. that's what lyney thinks, at least. when the tides of fontaine threatened to rise and destroy everything, why hadn't he run? when the flood had come, why had he simply waited for the waves? fontaine was his home, come hell or high water. and for these people to have stayed despite everything too, it must be.

all that people see of the courts of fontaine are their facades. pretty buildings and beautiful streets equal parts performers as the people who live there. but lyney has lived those streets before. struggled through them, survived despite everything, and was saved in the end by father.

not everyone can be as fortunate. but lyney will be that good fortune, for anyone he can offer it to.

an exhale, then the faintest nod in seele's direction as he lowers to his knees. “the nice lady is right.” he smiles, the kind he offers to his siblings when they're upset. if there's one thing lyney is talented in, it's picking apart words in between all the hiccuping sobs of a child. “my name is lyney. and, you know, i have a sibling too—a twin sister. she's not here right now, though. not lost, just back home. but i'm always sad when i'm separated from her.”

with one hand, he reaches for the picture, the necklace. with the other, a finger taps at his cheek. “i match with her too, see? i have this tear and she has a star on her other cheek. so you'll always recognize the other as long as you've seen one of us.”

his hand closes over hers—small, so small. she could just as easily be one of his little siblings. “so, don't worry. we'll definitely find your brother. my sister will never let me hear the end of it if we don't. can you tell us the last time you saw him? where was it?” / @revelation-heights

well aren't you a bleeding heart?

GH Revelations 2025 | Seele & Lyney -- Fragile Heart

[feliscus]

[MAN’S BEST FRIEND] - with this many strays in the streets of a resort planet, one would think there would be some sort of formal animal shelter. unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case as she walks down a quieter street full of cats, most of them lazily bathing in the sun, or playing with a piece of discarded paper, or... were part of the two dozen following one of her children around. when she said they should run some errands earlier that day, find a few souvenirs to take home... arlecchino didn't think that would turn into an idea to bring back a few extra cats.

a sigh, and arms fold as she walks over to lyney, and marked eyes watch the street below to make sure she doesn't step on an errant tail or paw along the way as she starts to speak. "... lyney. I found a few items for lynette and helior, but I'm struggling to find something freminent would appreciate." one cat brushes past her ankle --- arlecchino stops for a moment, making sure it passes by before continuing. "but perhaps that is simply because the only shop I checked thus far was one of those geared towards cooking... did you want to continue shopping around? or are you presently preoccupied with this legion of cats?"

lyney hadn't thought much of it first, strolling the streets of soaring heights in search of souvenirs for his siblings. a stray cat here or there isn't anything particularly noteworthy in his eyes. but then one turned into two, two into four, four into eight... each time he turns back, it seems like their numbers have doubled since he last looked.

“up to making friends, rosseland?” he calls to the cat in his hat as he finally crouches down to greet his audience, scanning over them. “hello there. what is it? do you all want food? i don't have any right now, i'm sorry.” an amused laugh, his empty hands held out as proof. “if there's a pet store nearby, why don't you show me the way and i'll go get some?”

and so, that is how father eventually finds him, crouched amidst the crowd with a can of cat food in hand. he glances up at the sound of his name, smiling guiltily as she approaches, but makes no motion to get up. “i don't suppose freminet would be interested in some cat food. perhaps a new pet, instead?”

well, hotel bouffes d'ete probably houses a dozen or so already scattered throughout, just from the cats he and lynette have adopted. there's a spot in the rafters above his bed that none of them have claimed yet, though. one couldn't hurt. lyney thinks the quiet, white one that elected to curl up in his lap and has not moved since might enjoy it.

that's more for himself than it is for his brother, though. “kidding, of course.” well, only half-kidding. “i saw an antiques shop and a toy store while i was walking around, though i haven't stopped by either just yet. i'm sure there's something that freminet would find interesting in one of them—why don't we look there?” an awkward laugh as he glances around at the cats still surrounding him. “um...or why don't you go ahead, father? i'll follow in a minute or two.”

[feliscus]

[WAVE POOL]　/　funny, hadn't he just seen the boy not that long ago? it feels like. . . ah, no. he corrects himself inwardly with a faint headshake. that's right, it'd been in a dream. that dream was one of the stranger ones he'd had recently, and that was saying something in the grand scheme of things. still, serendipitous to see him again here.

fateful, some might even say.

"what a coincidence. i was just thinking about your magic shows and pyrotechnics the other day, and here you are, as if sprouting right out of my head." the greeting is accompanied by an easy smile as the stoneheart approaches, dressed down from his usual ensemble but still boasting subtle quality where it counts——fine-threaded linen in the gold-embossed silk of his shirt, top couple buttons left open to invite the breeze naturally cultivated by the motions of the nearby wave pool ; nicely-pressed slacks ; and even a pair of seemingly-casual loafers that exuded money on a second glance. he sips lightly from a crystal glass of pale champagne.

"i learned recently that you're a pretty well-known magician in the capital city of fontaine. i have a lot of respect for someone with that kind of renown at your age. is that why you're here——for a show? or on more. . . meaningful business for your father?"

“sprouting out of your head! my, do you think of me that often, monsieur aventurine? i'm flattered to have made such an impression.” his eyes pull away from observing the push and pull of the pool waves to follow the approaching man, drawing a smile to his lips as he turns to face him.

he supposes the same could be said the other way around, considering that strange dream that may not have been a dream. he'd woken like normal in his bed at the hotel bouffes d'ete following it and hadn't run into any of the other three he'd met since to ask, and so had it remained shuffled away under his hat to ponder for another day.

certainly, the monsieur aventurine from that day and the one that greets him today seem much the same, so the jury is perhaps still out. but he turns the question over in his head as he smiles and nods.

meaningful business for father? that would make twice now that he's asked after her relationship to her. he wonders if that's most of the sum of him to monsieur aventurine—though if he wants an in to father, he's certainly picked the wrong child of the hearth to pursue it through. still, the magician merely laughs. “can't the answer be neither? i really am only here for leisure, though i was thinking about doing a few tricks if i found a quiet spot to perform.”

“and you, monsieur aventurine? is it leisure or business that brings you here?” a tilt of his head, a flash of a practiced smile. “if it's the former, won't you stop by to watch me perform later?” another laugh. “and if it's the latter, why don't you come anyway? i'd like to see if my shows live up to your imagination.”

[feliscus]

lyney is here! and proooobably going to lore unless march decides to hit me with a steel chair in the coming days. you'll find him most often on some street corner at the soaring heights performing a few tricks or making friends with the stray animals, but he'll still be wandering around from time to time if you'd like to say hi to him elsewhere. he'll be wearing this fit from hoyofair 2023 if you do!

same ooc note as march in that i will be focusing on clearing out his drafts first, but hopefully i'll be alive and kicking on the event front in a little bit. happy event month gnostic hymns, ya-ho! ok all my replies across both march & lyney should be queued up for the end of the month now but if anyone needs them back sooner for activity please just poke me and i will shoot it back to you o7

POSTCARDS : something will be here eventually...

[feliscus]

a reminder, yes. one lyney will never forget. how could he, when the betrayal upon the traveler's expression that day will forever be etched into his memory? even now, he can only endeavor to try to be more honest with her—and even then, when lies are as much a tool as the vision he wields, to try is the most he can promise without deceiving her.

and the death of a harbinger had of course made waves. to the house of the hearth, perhaps second most significant, just short of the fair lady's direct subordinates. prideful she may have been, but each of her visits to the hotel bouffes d'ete had been joyful occasions, if only for the gifts she brought with her. even if much of it had been superficial, a hush of grief had fallen over them the day that news reached their home.

“perhaps,” lyney agrees. unwavering loyalty, yes. he should know this well. even if he cannot conceive a day that father would ever fall, placing himself in the shoes of lady signora's subordinates...well, it is hard to say what he might do, should that day ever come. would he go to such lengths, just for her name, her memory?

first and foremost, though, he would protect the home that had been entrusted to him. revenge could only ever be secondary to that.

“the iudex keeping a humble magician like me company? why, it's an honor far beyond me!” a tight smile—lyney has no loyalty to these members of the fatui, really, but he still has a conscience. but then he remembers their sabotage, the risk of harm that they've willingly posed to the people of inazuma, and finally, he slumps and nods.

“...i know the vague direction of where their camp may be,” he relents with a sigh. “one of them was here, just a moment before you arrived, but i told him to leave before he got caught.” another smile, this one a bit wry. “i did promise to cover for them, though. if we're searching for their encampment i might need to...hide.”

but lyney just waves a hand through the air and dismisses the concern as easily as he'd brought it up. “but i am a magician. disappearing is what i'm best at. i'm sure i can come up with something.”

　🌢　judgement calls.

crystallize , tatarigami.　⸻　neuvillette & lyney

[feliscus]

if anyone were to ask, don't you have enough rainbow roses, lyney? the magician would of course answer, never! indeed, they are one of his favorites and there is ever one on his person—isn't it a fun trick despite its simplicity, pulling a flower out of thin air?—but for this next trick he is planning, he'll need more than just the one.

and so, to gather as many as he could had been his mission when he departed from hotel bouffes d'ete that morning. and he'd made good on it so far—his hat, tucked into an arm rather than upon his head, is already filled to the brim with a good number of them, much to its usual inhabitant's dismay. rosseland had hissed the moment the first stems had poked through, yowling in protest as he freed himself.

now, the cat trots begrudgingly by his side as he picks through the field in search of a few more. just a half dozen or so should do it, and he swears there's usually a few more around here...

what he finds instead is a rose, yes, but a girl and a weasel too.

lyney slows to a stop, gaze flicking back and forth between the animal and the girl before settling on her. rosseland comes to a similar halt to eye the stranger. “...hello, miss,” he finally says, tentative. “my apologies—i'm only here for the roses. am i interrupting something?”

A disappearing act

@feliscus

[feliscus]

it seems like every other week something is happening in fontaine. then again, lyney has lived long enough to know that peace and calm is more of an oddity in a land of theatrics and performance. what's to be done but to simply carry on as normal each time some new issue crops up, and lend a hand where he can?

though, for this problem, he wonders if freminet would have been more suited to the task. lyney can swim just fine, but he doesn't love it like his brother does. pyro and hydro only mix well if you're hoping for vapor.

and so, the magician patiently walks the shoreline, calling out every so often to see if he can find any of the orphaned otter pups without having to get wet. a lost cause, he figured from the start, but it's a nice day for a walk regardless so he takes it at a leisure pace regardless, if only to enjoy the sun.

miraculously, though, his effort do eventually bear fruit. “oh!” he stops in his tracks, offers the stranger—and the otters—a smile and a warm laugh. “hello, miss. did you hear the research institute's call for volunteers too? the otters seem to like you.” / @verwandeltesich

　🌢　one otter, two otter, red otter, blue otter.

abundance , leisurely otters.　⸻　fugue & lyney

[feliscus]

okay, kakavasha says. there won’t be a next time, kakavasha says. and whether lyney believes him or not doesn’t really matter in the moment—it’s not the time or place to argue over it. but still the magician wonders, for once, if this must be how lynette feels, watching him burn himself on the coals again and again. his sister wouldn’t want him to, never wants him too of course, but lyney still does. that’s how he knows kakavasha will do it again.

but he gets his ‘okay.’ so, for now, lyney echoes that okay, nods, and lets it go. he has two other siblings still fighting and he knows, deep in his heart, not nearly enough tricks to save them all. yet he must be father’s heir for a multitude of reason, and most of all that lyney never gives up—especially not now.

father isn’t striking. there must be a reason, and it is surely not simple mercy. they may not strike as hard and fast as she does, but they’ve still must have scored a dozen or so good hits on her, even for as many as she’d shrugged off. even their hearth’s tall, infallible father must have her limits, surely? he must believe that, because to believe to the contrary is to resign himself to loss before the battle’s even ended.

as long as they’re still standing, there’s a chance.

lyney’s not sure dan heng’s fine at all, really. not when the same words are usually a stubborn lie from his own mouth. but he can’t afford for his brother not to be. he needs him to get up, for all of them to keep pushing. the only way out is through, and the only way through is together. and so, “i’m holding you to that, dan heng, so you better be!” lyney calls sharply, bow raising to take over after his brother falters. fire lights up the sky, as brilliant as the day his ambition first lit the flames of his vision. ( @avcnturine )

from this day on.

#GHAbyssApril2025 ∶⠀team one⠀|⠀floor three.

[feliscus]

sedene checks on dan heng. kakavasha shields sedene. ah, but his silly brother. his brave brother. his lucky brother—but luck cannot be his crutch forever. so who is left to protect kakavasha?

to be family, sometimes, is to simply be there. lyney believes this, even if he understands very little else about it. to be family is to never give up on them, to stand by to their side, and to do whatever it takes to return to it when they are parted. and so, “kakavasha, no!” lyney cries out, already running for his brother, because he will always run for his family. and when he can run for them, he will crawl. and if he cannot crawl, he will drag himself across the distance.

if anyone must throw themselves over the flames to stop the rest from burning, it will be him.

“please, please, please…” but in the end, all lyney has are his legs, and even pushed to their limits they are not fast enough to intervene when father is already raising an arm to strike again. a plaintive meow from within his hat echoes his pleas. so lyney doesn’t think about it, just picks it from his head and tosses it as hard as he can in kakavasha and father’s direction.

and the grin-malkin pops up from within, only to quickly be torn apart. a yowl—rosseland protesting the destruction of his puppet more than anything, even as the hat lands harmlessly some distance away, rolling across the ground as a little black cat peers out from its brim then quickly retreats back into its safety.

“kakavasha,” lyney says again just moments later, skidding to a stop at his side. his hands plant themselves on his brother’s shoulders, his eyes wide and terrified as he scans him for injury. “are you okay? are you hurt? are you—”

it is father’s scythe that comes swinging for them this time. lyney tackles them both to the ground. “close your eyes,” he urges quietly, before tightening a grip around kakavasha’s shoulders with one hand, snapping his fingers with the other. a blinding flash of light, then nothing.

they reappear some distance away with a gasp from the magician as he staggers to his feet, the glow of a vision dimming as he calls for his bow again. “be careful,” lyney scolds—at least, he means to. instead, it just comes out as a terrified plea. “if you have to throw yourself at the danger, at least don’t do it alone.”

from this day on.

#GHAbyssApril2025 ∶⠀team one⠀|⠀floor three.