#freminet x reader angst

[strawberrylabs]

Strawberry's Whumptober masterlist!

warning!! some of these post will contain gore, death, mental distress and other themes that may be disturbing to some readers! Please pay attention to they tags on each post and read with caution!

note: These will be 'x reader' posts because as this is an 'x reader' blog. Most if not all characters will be genshin characters simply because I know them better. If you have a character you want with a certain prompt, feel free to request it and I will write it when I get to it

if I am late some days please rest assured the fics will be uploaded eventually!

PRONOUNS: majority of my works will have no pronouns or gendered terms used for reader, if they are used they will be gender neutral or they/them. If you'd prefer she/her or he/him, there will be a link on the gn fics for both other options. If there is a specific set of pronouns you want me to use, i can edit upload another version with those pronouns, just let me know<3

Update (17th of Oct): whumptober is being put in hold temporarily, some things are going on and I can't really write atm. Everything will eventually be written by the end of October! Just a little delayed is all. Please be patient<3

Day 1: "how many fingers am I holding up?" with Albedo from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 2: "They don't care about you" with Alhaitham from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 3: "Make it stop" with Xiao from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 4: "I see the danger, it's written there in your eyes" with Beidou from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 5: Debris with Wanderer from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 6: Made to watch with Kaveh from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 7: "Can you hear me?" with Kokomi from Genshin impacy [Here!]

Day 8: "It's all for nothing" with Abyss!Aether from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 9: "You're a liar" with Brother!Kaeya (and brother!Diluc) from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 10: "You said you'd never leave" with brother!Bennet from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 11: "No one will find you" with Cyno from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 12: "I haven't slept in days, but who's counting?" with Freminet from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 13: "I don't feel so good" with Tighnari from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 14: "Just hold on" with Heizou from Genshin impact [Here!]

Day 15: "I don't need you to help me, I can handle things myself" with Ayato from Genshin impact [on hold]

Day 16: "Don't go where I can't follow" with Lyney from Genshin impact [on hold]

Day 17: "Leave me alone!" with brother!Mika from Genshin impact [On hold]

Day 18: Blindfold/tortured for information with Venti from Genshin impact [on hold]

Day 19: "I'll take one final step, all you have to do is make me" with Ningguang from Genshin impact [on hold]

Day 20: "You will regret touching them"/found family with Siblings!Bennet, Razor and Fischl from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 21: "Don't move" with Kazuha from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 22: "Watch out!" with Neuvillette from Genshin impact [in prohress]

Day 23: "Who's there?" with Childe from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 24: Neglect with Aether from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 25: "They're not breathing!" with Cyno from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 26: "You look awful" with sibling!Chongyun from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 27: "Let me see" with Xiao from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 28: "You'll have to go through me" with Lynette from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 29: "I only sink deeper the deeper I think" with Baizhu from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 30: "It's ok to say 'I'm not ok'" with Lyney from Genshin impact [in progress]

Day 31: "Take it easy" with Aether from Genshin impact [in progress]

If there are prompts you want to see with certain characters send a request and ill write something for them and add it to the masterlist<3

masterlist will be updated as I make the posts!

last update: 14th of october 2023, 10:53pm (AEST)

[elixrr]

“Please,” He murmured with a slight tremble in his voice, “don't leave. Don't go just yet.”

His arms snuck around your figure and wrapped you in his embrace. He just needed to feel you, to know that you're there. A smile graced your face in response, a blissful sight gifted to him from the heavens.

“I won't.”

“You won't go?” his eyes hesitantly met yours. He felt so weak, so vulnerable for the first time in ages. He felt powerless in your presence.

“Why would I?”

He stared into your eyes, confusion catching him. He held you tighter.

“You mean you wouldn't have a reason to?”

You chuckled, leaning in to kiss his forehead.

“Never in my life.”

.

You liar.

He snapped back into reality, chasing after you through the city crowd.

Why?

He sobbed, not caring if the entire universe could hear him. He cried your name, pushing through the crowd but—

Why did you leave him?

You were nowhere to be seen. This isn't real. This can't be. Why are you leaving? Why'd you have to go? He finally trudged through the last few people of the crowd, jumping out of it. He frantically looked around for you.

Show yourself. Show up.

Please.

But you were nowhere—

Show yourself. Show up. Please.

Please don't leave me.

—But you were nowhere to be seen.

He tripped on the sidewalk, falling over, but without you? He didn't have a reason to even want to get up.

.

“Hey, hey? Hey!” You whisper-yelled next to him, dressed in your usual clothing.

Your boyfriend woke up, groggy and sweating. He stretched, yawning, and then looked down at the bed.

What?

“I've got to go now. Sorry for waking you up, I wanted to get you up and going for work later.”

You smiled at him, and when he only looked at you without a single noticeable piece of love in his eyes, you stopped.

In contrast, he looked up at you like you were his savior. You, who he thought he just lost, are back here with him. You're still with him. You're still in love with him. It was all just a bad dream.

“Actually, uhm, can I...” You looked away. You stopped smiling at him. He looked up at you in wonder.

“...Can I talk to you later?”

His heart dropped.

“We need to talk.”

(inspired by @areislol) / I wrote this in 15 mins it's kind of shit

[lilisgardensblog]

Stream theory! time:

I am here to write my thoughts about the Neuvillette part of the stream/trailer, feel free to share yours too!

"The Melusines can't be trusted! That goes for Neuvillette too!"

So, first I have to say I'm heartbroken to hear that the Melusines and Neuvillette can't be trusted, but idc idc i trust them no matter what. And the Melusines saying: "I'm confident that we'll find the meaning of our existence one day" truly broke my heart.

To keep going with the Neuvillette angst we have The Chief of Justice himself saying: "I find it difficult to express my emotions, because I cannot fully understand myself" The struggle to deal with accusations from your own people that they don't trust you while being unable to show them how you really feel... and to add to that whatever rumours saying that u were born from calamity?? I'm so confused and sooo hyped to get the full lore.

'is this what justice means to u? answer me neuvillette!'

First, let me point out THE VOICE ACTING FOR THIS LINE IS CHEF KISS. It sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. And every time I hear it I'm thinking, what verdict did Neuvillette come to for Wrio to deliver such a powerful line? Maybe it's about Lyney and Lynette? Because we hear Freminet asking Wrio about his siblings and I'm thinking that maybe Wrio goes and demands an explanation from Neuvillette?

"You will see much in the human world, from the delightful to the depressing and one day, when you have dwelt among humanity long enough, you will be placed to bring judgement over all, as the spokesperson for Fontaine's past"

Can't move on from this line without pointing out the informal addressing here. No Monsieur or anything. Straight up Neuvillette. I'm curious to see how close the characters are and why does Wrio sounds so hurt/betrayed.

edit: a lot of people told me the voice line is from an npc but im too tired to delete everything👍

THIS??? raised so many questions in my head it's crazy. it's unnecessary. The hold this last line has on me is absurd. I think it's directly addressed to Neuvillette and I'm curious why is he the one bringing judgement over all? why is he the one shown all alone in a grey and dull Fontaine?why not Furina? What does "spokesperson for Fontaine's past" suppose to mean??Like we already speculated about him being the Hydro Dragon, but this is *sniff* i smell GREAT storyline.

Genshin is about to drop heeeeavy lore and I'm here for it.

"its unnecessary to hold me in such high regard"

Last line in the trailer. Neuvillette said this right after being shown as one of the most powerful people in the whole nation really. He is either really modest or just tries to hide the fact that he's the most powerful in the nation. Or both. Honestly I'm not even sure of what to say about this, I just had to add it here because Neuvillette said it and I'm in whoo for him.

Him🤝Zhongli , fancy talking and acting like they don't have supreme power.

Last thought: this trailer was so powerful and sad over all. I'm expecting the archon quest to be an emotional rollercoaster with one or two emotional punches. I just know Neuvillette story will make me sob. Just look at him.

p.s. : I saw someone pointing out that the creators said that Neuvillette made a law so that the Melusines to be addressed as she/her and that fills my heart with joy. Neuvillette is shown to be oh so powerful and 'born from calamity' or whatever and yet he's one of the sweetest and kindest characters. 🫶🏼

Conclusion: i love neuvillette and idc about false accusations 😊🫶🏼

[jukednuked]

oh but freminet who has you as his first friend, first person he could pour his heart to, and most importantly, his first crush. being his first everything came with feelings he couldn't even understand himself and let alone be brave enough to open up about them to you, the sole reason behind the fluttering in his chest.

so why did the blissful and heartwarming feeling change into a pang in his chest when he saw you laughing at none other than his brother? applauding his magic trick excitingly and full of astonishment for what he could do.

if freminet understood one thing about his feelings, is that this was definitely a sad and agonizing betrayal in his eyes. it felt wrong getting upset with his brother over something so 'irrelevant' but he had no one else to blame. its the first time the poor guy went through something remotely close to a heartbreak.

the thought of you leaving freminet was enough to encourage him to confront his brother about you, but he should know that he can't just keep you to himself, neither does lyney plan to give up on you soon.

and so did his brother become his first rival.

[tenjikyu]

𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 - 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘬𝘪 - 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘐𝘐𝘐

౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ extremely fluffy , male!reader throughout the entire series.

PART Il • PART IV • GENSHIN M. LIST

tag list - @wanderchive @wanderer-baizhu-simp @gimmealamp @mis-disaster @remi-appalance @lucianidealz @sleepdeprivedpotato @unemiart @heejinsong @kiiyoooo @sweett-heartzz @camryn-ciel67 @aruaruru @danika-redgrave124 @ravencalamity @snowcatlove @bunbunboysworld @kaoyamamegami @aphxdea @faesfaggotboyfriend @avatsufaust @danika-redgrave124 @red1sg0n3 @idolautism @sleepndacloud @squishyboo @ally674 @totallynotanagent

life in fontaine was quite different to what you had expected, however you surmised that it was due to the fact that you spent most of your days around… interesting… characters.

on one hand, you had some clingy little magician hanging off your arm and treating you as if he was your big brother wherever you went, which only reminded you of a certain redhead back in the day.

on another hand, you had a classy lady who wore a gorgous gold dress and was possibly one of the most glammed up people you’ve ever seen, who insists on dragging you around with her, taking you to all sorts of little shops and cafés. when questioned why she does this, she only smiles, saying how you seemed lonely and needed a friendly face that wasn’t bursting you eardrums with enthusiasm constantly.

having an absent female role throughout your childhood, you slowly began to cling to navia. from the moment you requested the both of you go on a little snack date, she was your official big sister!

with all these eccentric people in your life with seemingly no limit on their social battery, you find yourself overly exhausted almost every evening.

this all changed when a humble and shy diver boy swam into your story.

after about a month of living within the walls of fontaine, you soon come to realise you never formally introduced yourself to lyney’s younger brother, who was absent the first time you ever met the twins.

from what you could recall, freminet was a reserved yet somewhat stoic character. from what lynette had separately told you, he was easily flustered and a bit difficult to talk to. for awhile, you just accepted the fact you might not ever even meet the boy as you had never ACTUALLY seen him out and about.

until the day you decided you’d explore the waters.

like many people in fontaine, you too were curious and mesmerised about the beauty of the sea. the shimmering blue waves blended into the prismatic pinks of the seabed. an assortment of colours could be seen from the top of the ocean and you just had to know what lay beneath the surface.

so, like every normal people would do, you grabbed some overglamified water-gear (NOT diving gear), and hopped straight into the ocean. you were a fairly strong swimmer so you had no issues going under, you weren’t planning on diving deep into water ravines and ocean monuments after all.

looking at all the ocean had to offer you, your eyes glimmered in an almsot spellbound way. the ocean was hypnotic, an almsot angelic tune could be deciphered as you swam further.

going down a little, you see something almost glowing? just beneath the sand. as you go to pick it up, you then realise it wasn’t an object, but a flower. you then recalled what lyney had told you about certain flowers of fontaine.

a little giddy, you go to pick one for yourself before someone else appears in your vision. a boy wearing a diving helmet moves directly upwards from where you were, also in shock in the fact that somebody else was present.

the flower was sitting off the edge of a ravine, and so a body coming flying from the depths of it was quite a sight to behold.

the two of you stare at eachother, before you begin your ascend to the surface, needing to get some air.

you notice the figure swimming up next to you, and decide it’s worth it to learn who this mysterious diver truly is. divers aren’t uncommon in fontaine for obvious reasons, so when you make it on land you didn’t expect the one to take off the helmet to be the youngest brother of the magicians.

“hello, my name is freminet”. he speaks, almost robotically. still a bit startled, you go to speak.

“nice to meet you freminet, my name is (y/n), it’s a pleasure to meet you”.

silence.

“so, um.. do you like the ocean?” the boy asks, a small blush coating his pale cheeks.

“that was the first time i’ve ever touched the waters of fontaine”. you reply rather formally, going back into rich boy mode.

“oh! cool..” he plays with his fingers.

more silence.

you two suck at talking.

from that moment forward (after the very awkward first meeting), freminet was attached to your hip. he followed you around everywhere, and his company didn’t seem to bother you whatsoever. you were one of the first people, who wasn’t one of his siblings, to tolerate his inability to hold a decent conversation, and freminet cherished that part of you,

on the other hand, you liked how freminet didn’t make you feel as though you needed to talk with him constantly to keep the newly formed friendship in tow. the two of you could sit on a bench for hours, barley conversate, however the atmosphere never differed from comfortable.

in a way, you were each others peace.

“hello again (y/n)! are you here to once more whisk my little brother away on a little date?” lyney asks, winking as he spoke. it wasn’t rare you came to collect the boy if you had something to do, and vise versa if freminet wanted some company while he worked.

you only rolled your eyes at the blonde, flicking his forehead (to which he winced slightly) before making yourself at home. by this point your migration to fontaine was close to hitting the 4 month mark, and in that time the trio of the hearth became almost family to you.

that also means waltzing into each others homes unannounced.

i’m not joking by the way, once you came home to lynette stuffing her face with a cake you bought earlier that day with lyney knocked out on your lounge. and you know what you did? ate the rest of the cake with lynette (you twos secret till this day) and markered all over lyneys face before taking a nap yourselves.

anyways, you made yourself at home before asking lynette where freminet was. she smiled to herself knowingly before directing you to the boys bedroom.

as you entered, a truly charming scene before you unfolded itself.

freminet was fast asleep on his bed, pers sitting on his nightstand. freminet had a book cuddled into his chest, his little snores filled the room.

smiling to yourself, you go to collect the book from his grasp, worried the edges might hurt him in his sleep, before something truly taken out of a romance novel happened.

instead, freminet grabbed your sleeve and yanked you down towards him. you always knew he was a clingy sleeper, having shared a DOUBLE BED with him beforehand, however freminet had a SINGLE BED.

in schock, you look at his peaceful face that was still dead asleep, before giggling to yourself.

you successfully take the book from his grasp and put it on the floor. then you look up to the ceiling. the artwork of sea creatures and hanging bubbles from his roof was truly a mesmerising sight, his entire bedroom being themed off the ocean. everything about him drawer you in more and more.

you failed to realise that the ‘more and more’ was now directly next to you, clinging onto your chest. for the 100th time this day, you heart skipped a beat as the diver cuddled himself next to you.

‘fuck it’ you say to yourself, grabbing him gently by the waist and adjusting him so he was on your chest sideways, with you flat on your back with one arm around him.

‘you know, i think i could get used to this’. you think to yourself once more.

you didn’t know at the time, but the tune you assumed to be in your head was actually outside freminet bedroom window, being strung gently by a lyre. the figure of the person could not be seen to those passing by, but if you looked close enough..

you’d notice a jade green bard smiling to himself, an instrument of pure melodies resting upon his fingertips.

[ch3rrywrites]

like broken pieces of glass (lyney, lynette, & freminet x y/n)

masterlist┆next post featuring them

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❛❛ angst with the fontaine siblings. ❜❜

𓆩♡𓆪 warnings: fontaine archon quest act 1 & 2 spoilers, reader is gn, hurt no comfort, lyney's part has implied cheating, reader is dead in lynette's part, argument in freminet's part

𓆩♡𓆪 category: angst/hurt

𓆩♡𓆪 wc: ~200 per character

𓆩♡𓆪 a/n: freminet and lynette's were a little out of character but i'm new.. and i'm not writing too much for angst not sure if freminet was revealed as fatui during the trial... but let's say he was

taglist: (pleasee please lemme know if you want to be tagged!)

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Lyney

"You never were going to tell me, were you?"

That was the last thing you had said before turning away.

But what you dreaded was how he didn't run after you. How he didn't reply. How he just... watched you disappear into the sunset... probably-

Never to return.

What about the banquet that night, where you’d entered a party full of princesses and princes, beautiful chandeliors, and tiles that decorated the floor in a flurry of gold?

It seemed like heaven.

Only… if this was “heaven,” then it would be your “hell” too.

Lyney had excused himself to the restroom, and you were strolling around the party, taking note of the different antiques and flower vases.

Some had diamonds patterns, some had animals, and some had wings. Looking past a flower vase, you saw a person in a top hat kissing someone else...

Wait, kissing?

"...Lyney?"

Darkness would engulf the room, followed by screams behind you as you raced out of the very place you'd call "heaven." Then, the sounds of that magician’s footsteps would chase after you, pleading for a chance to talk, anything.

Your world had shattered, and Lyney was desperately trying to pick up the pieces. But, the broken glass would only cut his skin, everytime he tried.

Minor cuts, but permanent scars.

But alas, when Lyney looked up at where you previously stood, all he saw was dust. Dust.

It's time to go home.

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Lynette

All she saw was you-

You, who drunk tea with her everyday. You, who sat with her in silence at dawn. You, who helped her with her makeup before a performance.

She should've never entered these ruins with you, should've ignored them when there were signs of Primordial Water inside.

And yet, you'd urged her on... all for what? To finish a task the traveler had asked her to? To show her the gift you'd promised?

What gift would there be if you're... not even alive? What mora would be worth this? What future would you have together? "It's okay." She had reassured her worried brother, "It's just for a little while."

If only she knew this would happen...

And here you are, falling into the monstrous abyss that which is the Primordial Sea.

You had accepted your fate. You didn't fight back against the waves, call out her name, or reach for her hand.

"Farewell, Lynette."

Your teary eyes met her gaze one last time.

When Lyney had arrived at the scene, he desperately tried to pull her away from the water. But she wouldn't budge, just staring at the darkness pooling under her.

"I'm... f-fine, Lyney."

"But, it's dangerous here... and where's Y/N?"

She didn't reply.

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Freminet

"No! I won't have it!" Freminet flinched at the tone of your voice.

"I thought you were..." You sighed, "-nice. Not someone who's part of a scandalous organization."

He didn't respond.

All you saw was his figure leaving the house, footsteps clinking away.

You stared at the spot where he previously stood, as if trying to break the floor apart with your intense gaze. But alas, you knew that would not help.

That day during the trial...

"Tell me, aren't you and your siblings from the House of the Hearth?" Focalors' voice echoed through the stadium.

You'd expected Freminet to object, to protest against her statement, or just... something. But alas, he never spoke up.

Never.

"Freminet?"

And now, as well as detaching yourself from your beloved, you'd detached yourself from your home. Your one and only... true home.

Perhaps it's time to move on.

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masterlist┆next post featuring them

[dabiscrustyfeet]

Something tells me the hydro gnosis is in the oratrice - that thing is suspicious

[worriedvision]

You're related to the Abyss order - Lyney

Gender neutral reader, this contains spoilers for the main story. Big spoilers for Lyneys story. Angst ending, has been tagged as such.

--

Being with Lyney, you had always been so self conscious of your eyes - the dead giveaway that you were not a normal human. You knew you were blood related to the abyss, however this did not extend past blood. Nonetheless, you thought Lyney had no secrets, and he was perfect in your eyes.

In the hope of keeping him, you put coloured contacts in.

So, when you saw the moment it was revealed that his family were part of the Fatui, you thought it would be a good time to reveal your secret. Heading home, you prepare yourself for his arrival.

--

He opened the door, closing his eyes before slowly opening them, he takes in your true form. Sure, it was just your eyes, but Lyney knew in that moment you had lied to him. His remaining charm disappears, face dropping as you begin to console him for his reveal. You go to hold his hand, thinking he was just drained from the trial, but he swats away your hand.

"How long did you plan to keep this secret of yours from me? From us?" Lyney asks quietly. "The fact you are part of the Abyss order? I mean, I know I'm Fatui, but I have my reasons."

"I promise, I'm only related by blood! I wouldn't -"

"I forgive you, _." Lyney smiles, the smile not reaching his eyes. "Stay away from my family, and you will be fine."

"But Lyney, I love-"

"I thought I loved you. Turns out, you're worse than me." Lyney states, stepping to the side so you can leave through the door.

--

The next few days pass, and Freminet begins to ask for you. Lyney keeps reassuring him you're just busy, but Freminet suspects this isn't the true reason.

"Freminet, we'll talk about this privately." Lyney Huff's, Freminet scowling at him as if to say he wanted to know now. Following Freminets request, they head home where Lyney breaks the news that you were part of the Abyss.

Freminet looked unmoved, concerning Lyney.

"Do you know why I trusted them so easily?" Freminet asks meekly, Lyney shaking his head.

"It's because I knew them first."

Truth be told, Freminet met you before Lyney.

You heard him being ambushed by a particularly horrible group of Abyss lectors, and ran along to help him out. Looking at the Abyss lectors, they back off upon recognising your eyes. While you hated being related to the Abyss, your eyes had their benefits.

Freminet had been exhausted after the fight, so you sat with him while he regained his stamina. You don't exchange a word, but Freminet knew that you were someone he could trust.

Lyney fell silent when Freminet told him the story, Freminet crossing his arms when he takes in his brother's slow shock settle in.

"I miss _. They were nice and patient with me." Freminet spits out, leaving the house to most likely dive to a private spot.

[apompkwrites]

primordial attachment || freminet (ft. lyney and lynette)

masterlist characters: freminet, lyney, lynette (all platonic) genre: angst contains: spoilers for chapter iv - act i: "prelude of blancheur and noirceur", short fic compared to rest of mine ;-; , mentions of sickness/vomiting summary: the call of the ocean is much more sickening than you remember. notes: omg the rare pompk genshin writing. anyway, the siblings have captured my heart since they came out and I'm only slightly peeved i got zhongli on like 20 pulls to get freminet BUT-- might make this a series? thought of calling it "siblings of the hearth" but idk. ++finished this before i finished lyney's story quest and uhhh rainbow roses is all i have to say :]

you and freminet were practically inseparable. much like lyney and lynette, you and freminet made up the second duo in your adoptive family. the two of you were alike in many ways, from your introverted self-doubt to the love of fairytales.

the one thing that separated you two was your opinions on diving. as much as you wanted to love the ocean again, you couldn't bring yourself to. you cherished the sea when freminet first brought you there, pointing out to the endless blue water that sparkled under the sun. he took you by the end, a much more gentle touch than your mother had the day she dropped the two of you off, before diving down.

he held your hand the entire time the two of you swam, tightening when an angelic sea hare blew past you in the water or when a particularly strong current threatened to pull you two apart.

that day, you saw your brother's bright smile again. the last time you saw that was the day before your mother dropped you two off at the orphanage. and when freminet smiled, the brightest one you had seen in ages, you smiled back.

the next day, you learned you also had a strange affinity for the sea like your brother. the two of you knew the ocean like the back of your hands. and so, when you started feeling sick after every diving escapade, you got worried.

despite the worry, the bubbling in your stomach, and the nausea that filled your system, you told no one. you went on with your life, slowly pulling back from the water. pulling back from the diving days.

pulling back from freminet.

every time he came back from a dive, you felt sick. it had to be the water clinging onto his suit and thus, you often locked yourself away in the workshop knowing freminet wouldn't go in lest he damage the trinkets he was working on.

the first two weeks of avoidance were relatively easy. but on the dawn of the third week, you couldn't stand it. those teary eyes freminet stared at you with upon refusing another diving escape broke your heart, shattering it as if you and freminet had used your compatible visions to cast freeze on a small puddle of water.

"...okay," was all freminet whispered after your refusal, slinking off to grab his diving gear. the second that door closed behind him, you collapsed to your knees, tears streaming down your face as you silently cried.

"(name)? what's wrong?" and not even a minute passed before you heard lyney behind you. he rushed over and kneeled beside you, joined only a second later by lynette who kneeled on the other side.

lynette placed a hand delicately on your back while lyney took your hands in his, squeezing your cold hands with his warm palms.

"what happened? why are you crying?" lyney asked again, waiting patiently for your tears to cease.

"...nothing," you managed to hiccup, shaking your head. "just... it's nothing, i promise..."

and you knew that lie wouldn't pass. both lyney and lynette, despite being adopted, knew you as if you were their own blood relative. they cared deeply for you and freminet and nothing would escape their sharp eyes.

"...then, how about we have some tea and snacks?" lynette proposes, pulling you up to your feet.

"i think that's a wonderful idea," lyney chimes in, his eyes still lingering on you in worry. you merely nod in response, doing your best to wipe your tears away with your sleeve.

maybe it'd be best if you got to the bottom of your sickness...

in the early morning hours, before the sun even peeked over the horizon, you were up and at your old diving spot. one single smell of the sea made you sick to your stomach. it took every ounce of your strength not to vomit right then and there.

despite the sickness, you reached down towards the water. and the second your fingertips broke the surface--

"ow--!" you yelped in pain, the soft sound of sizzling emitting from your skin. you stared at your shaky hand, the very tips of your fingers turning to water.

drip

drip

drip

three droplets of water fell from your fingertip, landing on the pier with a sound that roared in your ears.

in the end, the people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the hydro archon will remain...

"the prophecy..." those words escaped your lips without a second thought. you scrambled away from the dock, staring wide-eyed out at the never-ending sea.

and all you could think of was the moment your body would join it.

[i-am-a-l0st-gh0st]

Secrets I have held in my heart- Lyney x Gn!reader- Part 2

Are harder to hide than I thought t/w- Angst comfort, dancing in the rain, fluffy lyney and girl boss Lynette Summary- Hear me out... The reader is lyneys friend in Fontaine who secretly has a massive crush on lyney, thinking those feelings are one-sided hence not telling him. They went to lyneys show, but then lyney took an audience member - a beautiful woman - for a trick which involved a little dance motion. That made the readers heart crush, as they sat in the dark audience seat with tears falling down from their eyes - their mind telling them they'll never ever be in place of that woman.Gn reader please!!! A/n- I maybe wanted to start doing Honkai Star rail Oneshots too! Would you guys enjoy that??

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Part 1!

Lynette pov

Y/n walked out the performance mid way through. It was unlike them to do that, usually they sat and watched all of his tricks no matter how cheesy. I turned to face lyney, he was basically flirting with the girl on stage. About a week ago he had comfessed to me his love for y/n and y/n had done the same. Both thought it was one sided. Freminent and I are the only ones who knows. It kills us both to watch them be so oblivious.

The show continues as normal and Lyney and I finish with a bow as he throws flowers into the crowd. He has everyone fauning over him, girls, boys and everyone in between. I just don't think he realises how much he likes y/n and how much they like him back.

"Well I'd say that show was pretty successful wouldn't you Lynette?"

"Well yes, apart from the fact y/n walked out mid performance."

"They walked out? I-i didn't notice?"

"You were to busy flirting with that lady on stage."

"How could I be so stupid."

"I don't know. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to make tea."

Y/n pov

You wrapped your jacket tighter around you, the rain and wind were equally unforgiving. Maybe you should just get up and go? What were you doing waiting here? Were you hoping that Lyney would come out and find you? That he would come and hug you? That he would tell you how much he loved you?

It was useless. Of course he didn't love you back. You felt angry at him. He had flirted with you so much to the point that you'd actually fallen for him, and when he found out he was going to throw you away.

The suddenly stopped, well above you atleast. "Would you happen to be needing one of these. You might freeze to death if you keep sitting here in the rain."

"Go away Lyney."

He seemed taken aback at your words, and his usual flirty tone stopped. "Y/n what's wrong? You can talk to me you know."

"Not about this Lyney."

"You know I'm going to get it out for you eventually."

Maybe it was just the rain dripping down your face but something tickled your cheek. He gently reached out his hand almost like picking up an Injured bird. He wiped away your tears and slightly smiled.

"Come on don't cry. What's there to cry about?" He grabbed both your hands. "Come dance with me."

"You know I can't dance Lyney."

"And? I can teach you."

Despite the cold nipping at you, you started to feel warm. He dragged you out from the cover of the umbrella. Lyney placed one hand on your waist and the other leading your hand to his shoulders. Your hands were interlocked and you could feel yourself getting warmer by the second.

"Now just follow my steps. Can you do that?"

"Yeah."

He moved so gracefully, just like on stage. Except he seemed more genuine. The smile on his face was so.... Handome. You felt your heart skip a beat. It wasn't fair that he could make you feel like this from just smiling.

You pulled away quickly not wanting to even look at him anymore. He looked like a sad, damp puppy.

"Please tell me. I hate seeing you like this."

"Well I hate seeing you flirt with every person you-" You stopped because you realised what you said.

"Your jealous?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"You are oblivious aren't you Lyney." Lynette was standing against a pole with he tea in hand.

"What are you taking about Lynette?"

She sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You both like each other."

You could see his face turn a bright red as he turned to face you. "You like me y/n?"

"I-i do."

"See there you both go." Lynette said.

He ran quickly towards you and embraced you in the tightest hug and his whispered in your ear. "And you never told me..."

"I thought you didn't like me."

"What gave you that impression?"

"You flirt with alot of people."

"Well...yeah I do but I only had eyes for you." He thought for a bit longer before saying, "May I kiss you."

"You may."

So he did.

Taglist

@pandragonsoul, @atsukawolfcat

[strawberrylabs]

Being Freminet's biological sibling

warning!!: this will contain spoilers for Freminet's backstory and lore! there are also mentions of dissociation, identity crisises!

also this is kind of angsty ngl? I promise it's mostly fluff tho

Freminet is known for being quiet and reserved. Whether or not you are the same doesn't matter to him; he knows whether he articulates his thoughts through words or through a simple look, you'll know exactly what he wants- what he needs- to say to you

He normally uses his diving to get away from people. Please don't be offended, he just needs time away.

But that doesn't mean he goes alone all the time. In fact more often than not, he brings you with him. It's honour really, to have him share such an intimate part of himself with you. He trusts you more than anyone.

Usually the only times he goes alone is after a particularly troublesome mission when he needs time to process all that happened.

But after he's sorted his emotions, he's seeking you out to just be in your presence. Usually youre sitting somewhere doing whatever it is you do in your spare time, and Freminet would sit himself beside you and fiddle with Pers as he leans into your side.

Which brings me to affection. He's not usually the most keen on physical touch, but he appreaciates the times where your grab his hand to ground him. You seem to know exactly when to grab his warm hand when you tell people his hand is warm they always look at you with shock. It seems they don't understand how someone who is so reserved and cold, could ever be as warm and gentle as you say in your cool one and give it a slight squeeze to remind him you're there.

When you two are alone after moments like that, Freminet lets his head fall on your shoulder as you hug him. Only you hear the small "thank you" he lets out.

Lyney and Lynette are just of protective of you as they are Freminet. Doesn't matter if you're older, younger or the same age. You're still one of their precious siblings.

They're also deeply gratefull for having you to help Freminet where they can't.

You are incredibly protective of Freminet. If anyone dares to say anything mean you're quick to shoot them down and comfort your brother, soothing his self-doubts.

Speaking of, you're really the only person that calms down his racing mind. You've been in his life well.. for his whole life. You are the one and only constant he has.

He listens to you. He trusts you. Don't abuse that.

He relies on you to ensure him he's not some clockwork toy made simply to look unassuming and follow orders.

He has moments in the night where he struggles with his identity, sometimes contemplating if he's even a real person. When this happens, he often slips into your bed beside you, clinging to you as you card you fingers though his hair, lulling him into a comforting sleep knowing his sibling is there with him.

You're not the only one who's protective.

If you go diving with him, he's checking your equipment thrice over. He also insists on accompanying you on your missions, even if he has to stay a certain distance away.

He sometimes feels bad that he has to rely on you so much to comfort him. He doesn't feel as if he's worth the touble.

He makes you a matching penguin clockwork toy as a thank you gift one time. You bring it with you everywhere.

He also brings you shells and sea flowers that he thinks you'll like. One time he slowly collected and dried out enough romaritime flowers to make you a flower crown. You now keep it in a box with your most prized possessions Freminet thought it wasn't good enough to be in that box but when he saw how fondly you smiled, he couldn't bring himself to say so

Whenever Freminet has his helmet on, you know he's likely dissociate. This is one of those times you hold his hand tightly. But something else you do that he is deeply thankful for is you make sure no one bothers him when he's like this. If someone gives him a dirty look, you give them one right back. If someone tries to say something, you quietly shut them down and say to come back with any concerns or jobs later.

You know exactly what to say to get Freminet to start talking for hours which most people didn't even know was possible. For example; get him talking about the sea.

One time Paimon and Traveler overheard Freminet talking you about a field of romaritime flowers he found with a content smile on his face. What was most surprising was he was making eye contact with you. Later that week, Paimon tried to get Freminet to talk about the flowers, and he just shyly looked away and gave a brief explanation and summary.

However after that, the traveler asked about you, and Freminet spoke a little longer about you.

"I appreciate my sibling very much. They've always been there for me and I hope I've succeeded in being there for them when they need me too.."

Going back to the thing about diving..

When Freminet confides in you about sharing his problems with the objects of the water, he's scared that you may be offended he doesn't tell you as much as he tells the sea.

He nearly cried when you just smiled and told him it was ok.

You explained that everyone has their own ways of coping with the world. You had your ways, and Freminet had diving.

That's why you understood just how much trust Freminet was putting in you the first time he brought you with him.

Freminet's first instincts when he gets overwhelmed is to run to the ocean. However his instincts also tell him you need to be there.

If something has gone wrong, he has to know where you are, otherwise he panics more. He often drags you away from whatever you were doing to take you with him to the ocean. Even if you don't go underwater with him, he feels comfort knowing you're nearby.

If you have any specific situations that your uncomfortable with or things that trigger you, Freminet will do whatever he can to make sure the two of you avoid them in missions or just in general. He usually tells Lyney and Lynette so they can help too.

If you ever have moments where your mental health isn't the best, Freminet will sit with you as long as it takes for you to feel better. Minutes, hours, days. He'd sit with you, holding you hand as long as you need him too. He may not know what words to say, but he can be a grounding presence for you in the darkness.

If you were ever injured, Freminet's first reaction is to shut down. The thought of living life without his sibling who's been there since he can remember, through the drunken singing and the yelling, through the debt collectors asking for you father, through the nights of listening to the same lullaby with your mother. The thought of your constant presence just suddenly not being there is too overwhelming.

He stands at your side, not moving or saying a word. The second it's confirmed you'll be ok, he's torn between running to the ocean or staying with you.

He decides he won't abandon you. He won't leave you the way your mother left the two of you. even if at the time she had no choice

It's tradition for the two of you at least once a week to read a fariytale. You often go out and buy new ones each time. However usually you both end up re-reading the story of Pers.

The day Freminet got his vision, you were on the shore waiting for the group that went diving. You saw a burst light and suddenly felt a chill... Freminet made you promise not to tell anyone that he saved the children.

You make a point to remind him how brave and heroic he was whenever he feels down. Just because no one else will ever know or appreactiate what he did, doesn't mean you won't.

What Freminet would never tell you, is that the only reason he had the will to survive in that situation, was because he couldn't bear the thought of leaving you the same way mother did...

When you got your vision, Freminet wasn't there. It was before he started going on all you missions with you.

When you came back with a vision in hand, he immediately asked what happened and if you were ok after all, people seldom get a God's favor unless in sardonic situations..

The two of you are inseperable. You're eachothers life lines.

You need Freminet.

And Freminet needs you.

@rainswept that was for you pookie

this was geniunley so much fun to write???

Freminet my son. Ugh. I want to hug him.

Masterlist

rules

[bedoballoons]

─⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ✿─

{༻~Saving is dangerous~༺}

A/n: I'm ngl, this is totally a self indulgent post, I mainly wanted to write this because I love Freminet so much and I still haven't gotten him yet. :(

CW: Reader is in a dangerous situation: drowning descriptions, put there by fatui, first meeting of Freminet, GN reader who collects artifacts for a living! Slightly angsty!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

𑁍༄Freminet:

Sinking, you were sinking, being pulled deeper and deeper into the freezing ocean water, your hands cuffed behind your back with sharp metal that dug into your skin and your feet tied up with rope that rubbed everywhere it touched raw. Your attackers had shoved weights into your pockets, only encouraging your decent and dragging you down to the dark depths that much quicker.

You felt so cold...so afraid. The sea, something you'd always thought to be so beautiful...was going to be your end, there was no way out of this and you couldn't even scream, it was like living a nightmare that you couldn't wake up from...that you'd never wake up from. Your mind replaying the situation that got you here over and over again while you wondered if you could have done something different.

You shut your eyes tightly, wishing for a miracle while your body spasmed..filling with water, darkness taking over and then suddenly you felt weightless, was this death? ...no it couldn't be, because why was there someone else, someone holding you tightly as you were lifted to the surface, the cold air hitting you skin and making goosebumps rise on every visible surface, you wanted to open your eyes...but you couldn't move...you couldn't breath.

You felt warmth hover over you for a moment before air was forcefully injected into your water logged lungs and harsh pushes on your chest were made to start your heart back up. After that you started to cough up large amounts of water, your savoir carefully helping you sit up and wrapping his coat around you as warm tears spilled from you eyes, you could hear his voice telling you it would be okay, that he was here for you.

You couldn't make out much about the person who had saved you, your vision blurred from the salt water of the ocean and the crying that didn't seem to stop, all you could see was that he had short blonde hair and light purple eyes, he wasn't very tall either. He seemed nervous, his hands shaking and his breathing mismatched, honestly he seemed in almost as rough shape as you...poor guy.

You tried to speak...to say thank you, but your voice got caught up in your sore throat making you cough yet again, your chest hurting from the trauma of it all and the exhaustion that made your limbs feel numb. You just wanted to curl up into a little ball and cry till you fell asleep...it sounded pathetic, but somehow...it felt like it would be the only thing that could make you feel better.

You didn't know how he knew what you were thinking, maybe he was a mind reader, maybe he had just guessed or maybe...it was exactly what he would have wanted if he had been in your situation, but your savoir hugged you softly, letting you rest against him while he rubbed his coat against your skin in a attempt to warm you up more. He was completely silent, but you could hear his heart racing against your ear and despite everything that had happened, you felt safe with this complete stranger.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚Enjoy*⁠.⁠✧

[yinastra]

✩ The Waves Overhead ✩

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Freminet x gn!reader

Summary: Freminet has had an imaginary friend since he was little.

A/N: Can be romantic or platonic.

CWs: Heavy angst

TW: Suicide, death, self harm, eating disorder, starvation, PTSD, delusions, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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Freminet has always been a quiet boy. Met with conversation, he retreats back into his shell, locking his heart away.

He'd like to open up to people, to trust them, but how could he?

Instead, he enjoys sitting by Fontaine's 'sea' in their company.

They conversate for hours on end, the only divider being the setting sun and the dawn's light.

Even then, they are with him everywhere he goes.

In his dreams, in his heart, in his memories:

he wouldn't have it any other way, of course.

This person understands him so well- it could even be considered uncanny.

Nothing seemed real without them by his side.

Real?

They were real.

He'd take walks with them by the shoreline.

How strange was it that nothing was clear anymore?

When did all the shade blend together?

All the colors mushed into each other.

This was real.

This was reality.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ────── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

Freminet has always had an imaginary friend.

Ever since he was little, there's always been someone by his side.

Someone he felt he could speak to freely, someone he depended on.

Someone who got him through the days.

Starving to the bone.

The days where his mother couldn't afford to buy them food, so she instead tucked him in extra tightly into the small, handmade quilt, telling him that the next day would have something to fill his empty stomach.

The days he'd cry in bed because his mother didn't come home that day. He was always so afraid for her, what if she never came back? What if the debt collectors─

There they were.

His light, his beacon of hope.

The person he'd talk to about all his problems, he'd even forget his hunger when he spoke to them.

The person who'd reassure him through everything. It wasn't all in his imagination, he swore!

They listened. They replied. They helped.

Freminet has always had an imaginary friend.

Everyone always thought it was delusion. It wasn't. He knew. How could he ever speak to another person?

Person.

They were a person.

He knew them.

They knew him.

He swore it.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ────── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

The hunger ate away at him, even now.

He could eat whenever he wanted now, but he couldn't.

He couldn't bring himself to fill his stomach─ it made him feel sick.

The days where he couldn't eat anything, they had lasted for so long.

So, so long.

Food no longer looked appetizing. He could barely deign to put it into his mouth, the texture making him want to puke it all up.

He used to be so excited to eat food– to be able to eat food consecutively, days in a row. It used to be an occasion worthy of celebration. But now? Now he can't..

He can't stomach food. He can't eat it continuously.

He'll throw up any food he eats on the second day in a two day cycle.

That's how it became after–

What he saw?

No, no.

What he didn't see.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ────── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

The waves swallowed him up.

Falling into the serene "sea", he found himself lost in his mind. His thoughts echoed off of the sides of his helmet.

The dark.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ────── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

That bright, bright day. He had just fixed an old broken clock they had. His mother sold it, and they ate that day! Two days in a row, a true gem.

He walked to the house by the shore. The small shack looked desolate, the windows boarded.

His imaginary friend's home.

His imaginary friend.

He opens the door.

The small, tattered couch was in the corner, the small coffee table and lamp accompanying the atmosphere.

Dark.

Had they gotten some new type of decor? How interesting, he thought.

How interesting, that their friend's hair hung onto the motionless dummy's scalp.

How interesting, that their favorite shirt clung onto the dummy's body just like he remembered.

How interesting, that it had their eyes─ dull, of course.

Laughable. Hysterical. That wasn't his friend.

His friend's eyes were bright. As bright as the ocean underneath the sunlight, as the light reflected.

His light.

His hope.

This "decor" was much too cool to the touch.

Cold.

This was not them, it couldn't be.

It wasn't, he said.

It wasn't.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ────── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

The water's motions return him back from his memories.

The coolness of his surroundings chills him.

He makes his way back to the surface.

There was the house on the shore.

He swore it was a person. He swore they were real.

He drags his heavy feet to the entrance, turning the door knob.

The couch was there. It was real.

It was...

He sits down on it, a wave of familiarity rushing over him.

The coolness of the seat, the hard back.

The seat had to have been covered with dust with how grainy it felt. Even like..

dirt.

He lightly traced the carvings on the stone-hard, gray back.

Their name and a date engraved on the stone.

There was a tree outside of the window, he remembered it well.

He looks up, tracing the stars.

The stars looked different.

Blobs of faint light, burning out constantly.

Running his hand along the branch above that couch.

He'd sat by that couch for hours before.

That..

couch?

That was right.

That couch.

The distorted grey shape behind him.. the one he leaned on.

It was the couch.

Really.

It was.

The coarse rope beneath his fingertips give him a feeling of Déjà vu.

He'd just hang here for a while.. right?

Yeah. That's right. He'll stay here to watch the sea.

Next to them.

Where they'll meet again.

Under the waves overhead.

[jukednuked]

FREMINET opting to subtly run away whenever the conversation's topic diverted to the ruthless organisation he's a member of

FREMINET avoiding you like the plague when he finally noticed his feelings for you, in the end he was just hurting himself and you in the process

FREMINET realising that he can't let you go, you were on his mind constantly; whether it'd be while he's diving or having dinner with his family

FREMINET sitting at the edge of the sea all alone together with you, he decides to finally confront you about who he is. it was bound to happen anyway, he didnt feel at ease putting on a mask

FREMINET who lied to you, again; telling you he'd understand it if you wanted nothing to do with him anymore, which you eventually gave into

it was not everyday he found himself crying over something during his diving sessions, but you were an exception, when were you not? drowning in his own tears, FREMINET was sure that if the sea wouldn't swallow him whole now, the flooding thoughts about you would

(A/N: listened to Sea, Swallow Me while writing this😂😀😮☹️😢)

@nonameyetmp3 i am so nice

[rikiflrts]

At The Usual Spot.

synopsis. after traversing through teyvat for what seemed like decades to find your twin sibling, you decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle as you allowed yourself to bask in your innermost desires, which you were reluctant to do—falling in love. you settled in fontaine with paimon a little over a year ago to take a breather, and that’s where you meet the charming magician who, for some reason, you couldn’t take your eyes off of. it was almost like he hypnotized you, except he didn’t. it was true that he was one of the greatest magicians who’ve ever existed in teyvat, but who would’ve thought that his greatest act yet would leave the most bittersweet aftertaste? you already lost your sibling, and now...you've possibly just lost the love of your life.

contents. gn!reader, fontaine arc is altered here but there are some minor spoilers, flashbacks are italicized, suggestive-ish themes, use of french words, slight profanity. angst.

words. 13,134

reblogs are very much appreciated !! ଘ(˵╹-╹)━☆

being a traveler was no joke. you had to venture into multiple regions and chew on any information you could get from the archons—most of them couldn’t even give you a concrete answer as to where your twin sibling was, even though you knew that they were connected to your blood kin somehow. one of the archons was a drunk bard who couldn’t be taken seriously in a nutshell; another was a man who had his lips sealed due to a contract; then followed a woman who made puppets to rule her kingdom so she could isolate herself from the world; then there was a small flower girl that shrank and had amnesia; and then there was this archon who hosted jury trials in the opera house as a form of entertainment.

you’d think that most of them could at least help you gain intel since they’re considered as highly ranked entities that serve their people through systems, but ironically enough, the only person who was really able to help was the flower girl who changed lives.

no, literally, she changed lives. look at the wanderer, for example—she took him under her wing, and now he’s a changed man. well, not really, but at least he was friendlier.

you met a lot of people who have helped you along the way, but in order to make a living, you took up commissions and went on various adventures. it was a routine;  you enter a new region, you meet the archon, you help them solve their issues, and then they tell you to skidaddle and move on to the next region. 

you’ve been going at it for what seemed like years. you’re burned out, and your mind needs a break from the constant demands that people keep weighing on your shoulders.

paimon said it herself. you needed a break. you were so much of a people-pleaser and a workaholic that you didn’t even notice your own mental health declining.

“this can’t keep going on, traveler! paimon knows how badly you want to be reunited with your sibling, but paimon is worried that you might end up collapsing due to exhaustion!!” the emergency food says worriedly as she tugs on your sleeve. the pitch of her voice went up a bit higher, which indicated the intensity of her tone. she was really concerned about you.

“paimon, i can’t stop now. the sooner we move, the faster we can find them.” you say adamantly as you gently remove her hand from your sleeve before flattening it out so that it doesn’t wrinkle, “i’ll be fine.” you say in an attempt to reassure you with a solemn look on your face, but paimon responds by stomping her feet mid-air. “paimon can’t stand seeing you like this traveler!! please, just take a break!” 

you sigh at her stubbornness, which is ironic because you were being stubborn too.

“alright, i’ll take a break-” you got cut off mid-sentence as paimon squeals in excitement, “YOU WILL?? HOORAY! paimon thinks we should stop by at the tavern so we could reple-” “paimon.” “oh…ehe. sorry, continue...” she says sheepishly with an apologetic smile after realizing that she was getting ahead of herself once again.

“as i was saying, i’ll take a break, but only once we set foot in fontaine. two weeks should be enough.” you finally continued, to which paimon responded with bright, gleaming eyes. “really??? do you promise that?” paimon asks eagerly as she holds up her pinky, indicating that a pinky promise should be made to seal the deal. you couldn’t help but laugh at her childishness.

“pinky promise.” 

true to your word, you did plan to take a break once you arrived in the hydro archons’ kingdom. you were aware that your presence would cause an uproar among the masses since word has gone out that a blonde traveler fought with heaven and earth just to do justice to the people on land, and apparently, a publishing company called the steambird was the one that made that silly headline.

because of that, you were forced to keep a low profile for the time being to avoid everyone’s attention shifting onto you.

and that is why, as of now, you were wearing a hood that covered your distinct, blonde hair as you got boarded off at the romaritime harbor. the deep waterfalls that extended through the horizon made a lightly deafening sound as you could vividly hear the impact of the water crashing down onto the ocean repeatedly in a continuous cycle. 

ignoring that unbearable rhythm, you hummed to yourself in contentment as you looked around—there were dogs adorned with jewelry and articles of clothing, transportation vehicles that followed specific currents, and mechanical guards with human-like forms wandering around the harbor—it was a sight to behold. the rumors were true after all. fontaine is way ahead of its time.

“this seems like a curious place to reside in…” you mumble to yourself while looking around you as you walk up to what seems like an elevator, unbeknownst to the ash-blonde male who was about to collide with you.

“ouch!!” “gah-!”

you were quite a high-alert person, but you got so distracted with sight-seeing that you ended up bumping into the stranger before falling to the ground. 

“archons…” you winced in pain as the impact of the fall made its way to your bum. you were too focused on making sure that you fell unscathed to see the man in front of you. 

“oh heavens!! ma chérie, are you alright?” he spoke with a hint of concern. you still didn’t look up at him. judging by the way he talks alone, you could tell that he was a lively person who could achieve anything he set his mind to. his intonation was enough for you to decipher what kind of person he could possibly be. but alas, it appears that you were the only one who fell from the impact, though, which explains why he lowered himself as he offered to lend you a hand to stand up. 

“yes, i’m alright.” you say politely as you take his hand to stabilize yourself as you stand up. once your feet were finally placed back on the ground, your eyes met his mischievous violet orbs. “I apologize for bumping into you, mr. …” you trailed off, realizing that you don’t really know who this man is. he wore interesting clothes—that of a magician. you didn’t really want to assume what he does for a living though, so you chose to call him the first thing that came to mind. “mr… hat?” you say awkwardly as you bow lightly to avoid his eyes due to embarrassment, which earned a hearty chuckle from his delicate figure.

“mr. hat, you say?” he chuckles once again before continuing. “ah! where are my manners? allow me to introduce myself. my name is lyney, and i am a renowned magician here in fontaine.” he places one hand to his chest and the other behind his back as he bows down in almost a curtsey as a form of greeting.’ so he IS a magician…’ you thought to yourself. you were about to let your mind wander once more until he continued.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” he paused for a moment and grabbed your hand gently before continuing,  “oh legendary traveler.” he locked eye contact with you as he kissed your hand lightly. as if the kiss wasn’t enough to fluster you, he even found out your true identity. you got taken aback by his direct nature, but you paid little-to-no mind to his formality. “how did you know???” you leaned into him and whispered as fear was written all over your face. you started to panic as you looked around to see if anyone had heard him.

‘is this man always this…brazen?’ you thought to yourself.

“well…” he trailed off smiling as his eyes shifted his focus onto something else. your gaze followed his, which made you realize that the hood that hid your face neatly from unwanted gazes had fallen to your shoulders.

so much for keeping a low profile.

you widen your eyes and internally curse yourself for being so careless. you’re so out of it today. paimon was right, you really needed to get some rest.

just as that realization crept onto you, you heard a snap! illicit from the magician’s fingers and before you knew it, your hood went back into place, hiding your golden locks as if he performed a magic trick.

you witnessed all kinds of bizarre phenomena; harnessing visions was one thing, but sincere gestures and instances like this felt surreal to you. it was as if the inner child in you slowly crawled their way out of hiding as you reminisced about the magic shows you watched as a child with your twin during previous expeditions.

the nostalgic but fleeting feeling left a bittersweet taste on your lips.

you looked at him in awe, to which he replied with a smirk. “what? cat got your tongue?” he teases you with an amusing look on his face. “very funny.” you dryly laughed at his pun as you tugged on the hem of your hoodie to attempt to hide your face even more.

lyney noticed your odd behavior and asked, “are you hiding from someone, by any chance?” you stared at him blankly for a couple of seconds before replying, “im not really hiding from someone per se, im just trying to avoid getting too much attention.” you then briefly explained what you were going through and that you wanted to rest for a while in this new environment before going back to your daily routine.

“i see. so you’re not a fugitive that’s on the loose right now, correct?” he jokingly says as he traces the brim of his top hat. your gaze unconsciously followed where his fingertips landed, which gave you the opportunity to appreciate the feline crest that was embroidered on his clothing with delicate detail. “hey, im just trying to take it easy.” you said in defense as you pouted lightly since you didn’t like what he just accused you of, finally tearing your eyes away from the mischievous magician who stood before you.

meanwhile, lyney over here finds you intriguingly adorable. it made him want to tease you more.

“im just making sure. you now stand on sacred grounds of justice under the hydro archon herself. it wouldn’t be a favorable place for you to be in had you done something illegal, no?” he smirks, violet orbs still staring straight through your soul as he slightly tips his head forward—almost like a playful form of provocation. 

“you must be mistaken, monsieur lyney. i wouldn’t do something as disgraceful as that, so rest assured.” you say in a matter-of-a-fact tone. it was a good thing katheryn taught you a few french words before you headed to the hydro archons’ region. It’s just like what she said: when in fontaine, do what the fontainians do. 

lyney’s eyebrows perked up in surprise as he heard you call him by a formal honorific in his native language. see, normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal because the word monsieur was commonly thrown around for formality and respect. but for some reason, hearing that eight-lettered word roll out from those lovely lips of yours made his heart do a summersault. the fact that you also said it in their thick accent made him all the more amused.

“but of course, i was only teasing you, mademoiselle!” He laughs it off which makes you sigh in relief. you broke eye contact with him as you shifted and ruffled your clothing for a bit as you felt the cold wind slip through the gaps of your cloak. it was getting cold, you should get going soon.

you were about to bid farewell to the fiery-spirited magician, but when you looked back up, he was no longer there. 

“huh…” in a confused state, you tiptoe yourself upwards to see if he had walked far, only for you to be startled by a voice behind you.

“looking for me?” lyney whispered cheekily in your ear. you yelled shortly after he did this out of surprise before hitting him lightly on the shoulder. “don’t do that next time, you scared me!! why are you even there anyways??” lyney only smiles as you look at him with widened eyes. “how’d you like my disappearing act?” he avoids your question. 

“i wouldn’t really call that a disappearing act. i bet you just took the opportunity to silently sneak behind me while i wasn’t looking.” you rebutted with a scoff. “oh but ma chérie, magic is all about the art of deception. it wasn’t a real magic trick, i admit, but the gesture was simple enough to have you on your tiptoes just to catch sight of me once more.” his words almost felt as if it had different meanings, but you shrugged it off. “in your dreams, magic man..” you tease him by sticking your tongue out childishly, finally going along with his flow. 

“haha. you really are an adorable little one, now aren’t you?” He says amusingly as he lifts up your chin with his index finger. “who are you calling litt-” he hushes your lips with the same finger before winking. “ah-ah-ah.” he says with a smug look in his eyes. 

honestly, you were about to throw hands at this man because he was being so touchy with you despite just meeting, but then you felt the sharp coldness melting on your skin as a comfortable warmth enveloped you. 

“how did you do that…” you look at lyney in a bewildered state as he only chuckled at your innocent reaction. “i only used my vision to balance your body temperature, ma chérie. im pretty sure you of all people know what visions are.” he says humbly as his touch breaks contact with your skin. you felt a burning sensation in the spots where he lingered, and you didn’t mean this literally.

“no but the control you have over your vision, it's… it’s amazing. thank you.” only then did you let out a heart-warming close-eyed smile that lyney ever-so loved as he witnessed the sight. the atmosphere was just right. night has fallen but the moon did not fail to illuminate your skin as it gave you a radiant glow; you were as clear as day. the animosity of the cold season lingered through all parts of the romaritime harbor—he could warm up the place easily if he wished to with his pyro vision—and yet your smile was enough to denoise the unseasonably cold weather. 

lyney determinedly thought to himself as he pondered with his thumb and index finger cupping his chin. that’s it. you have to be there. you just have to be. 

as if on cue, lyney snaps his fingers in realization once he musters up the courage to be bold. “traveler, you have something on your hair.” he points innocently at your hidden locks. you could’ve sworn that nothing was there before but you felt a light-weight object cling to the strands of your hair. you looked at him cautiously before slowly taking it out of your hair. 

you thought this was an insect or a prank of some sort, but to your surprise, it was a beautiful flower that had hues of yellows and blues mixed in with the soft petals of pink romantics. the night sky gave it justice as it lightly twinkled with the stars.

you really didn’t know what to expect from this man, he was unpredictable. “is this…” you trailed off, not knowing what to say. you were too busy adoring what the magician presented for you to realize just how much he was savoring the sight of you being absolutely starstruck by his favorite flower. “it’s a rainbow rose. i’m giving it to you as a token of our camaraderie tonight.” 

“that’s too kind of you.” you say shyly to which he responds by nodding his head. “nonsense. here, let me just…” lyney gently takes the rose away from you as he places it inside of the open pocket of your attire. “there. it looks beautiful on you.” the man says with sincerity as he takes a step back and basks under the sight of you; a delicate rose, with his delicate rose. 

you feel warmth creeping up to your cheeks and think that maybe it’s just lyney’s vision trying to balance your temperature, but in reality, you were actually just starting to get really flustered by the man who stood before you. 

“cut it out.” you giggled as you rolled your eyes playfully. he chuckled in response and took a bow before taking off his top hat and placing it to his chest while the other hand rested behind his back. “traveler, that rainbow rose is of significance to me as it symbolizes love and passion in its’ purest form.” he starts off, eyes glimmering with curiosity as he warmly gives you a smile. “with that being said, i would like to invite you to tomorrow night’s show. i will be performing at the opera epiclese. your presence would truly honor my night.” 

the tension in the atmosphere almost made you believe that he was asking you out on a date, except you had to throw away those scandalous thoughts because you knew that none of those delusions were true. there was no way this was a date, he was going to perform in front of a huge wave of people after all. he just asked you to attend if you could. it’s not like he has an alternative motive anyway.

upon pondering seriously about his invitation, you signaled him a light nod that you’ll be able to make it, and this made his face light up. you were here to unwind for a bit, so why not enjoy a magic show by an attractive- uh, you mean, by a renowned magician? and besides, you were curious to see what he can do on stage. by the looks of it, he seems to know what he’s doing most of the time.

“so you’ll come??” stars have formed on his irises as the pitch of his voice goes slightly higher due to excitement. you find yourself giggling at his eagerness, to which he realizes that he was losing face so he clears his throat before smiling shyly. “yeah, sure. i’ll be there.”  your confirmation made him see stars that night indeed. he knew it was the right decision to give you the rainbow rose before asking you to attend his show. 

“just make sure you don’t perform a lousy disappearing act again.” you jokingly said while nudging his arm, which made him hum in response as he repositioned his top hat back on his head. 

“i’ll do something greater than that, ma chérie. just wait and see.” he says ecstasticly. “if you say so, magic man.” you laughed at his response. you thought little of his statements here, but who knew they would bear so much meaning as you connected the dots in the future?

“anyhow, as much as i hate to leave, i sadly have to disentangle myself from you tonight as i still have some preparations to make for tomorrow’s show. i’ll see you there at 8 pm sharp, traveller.” he says as he kisses your hand. “haha.  see you too, lyney.” you say in response.

And with that, the magician disappeared into the severance of the night as you stood still, star-struck by what just transpired before you.

“lyney huh…” paimon appeared out of nowhere and teased with a smug look on her face. you only gave her a deadpanned stare in response. “no.”

“but traveler!! he said it himself! the rainbow rose symbolizes love and passion!! what if he’d fallen for you?” paimon whined as she ushered the idea of lyney possibly developing an interest in you. “he also said that he mastered the art of deception or something. maybe he did that for lip service. you know, like how magicians put on a false mask to put on a show.” you rebutted as you rolled your eyes. “It’s not like he’s interested in me.”

“but what if he is?”

“...”

“traveler?”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...OH MY GOD WAIT IS IT THAT MAYBE YOU’RE THE ONE INTER-”

you laugh bitterly to yourself as you recall your first encounter with lyney. you remember it as clear as day—paimon teased you all night; from the walk to the elevator, to the ride on the aquabus, and to even your way towards hotel debora. she did not shut up at all. at first, she insisted that lyney had a crush on you, but after picking up on your reluctant responses to her questions in regards to the enigmatic ash-blonde, she ended up assuming that maybe it was you who got smitten by the young magician, not the other way around.

you denied every accusation she threw at you. you were just speechless, that was all. nothing more, nothing less. it was your first time ever to have been treated the way lyney treated you. you didn’t even know if you could call it flirting since he probably does this often.

but if he does it often, then that wouldn’t make you special.

no, this doesn’t bother you at all. he could give another girl a rainbow flower for all you care. 

“you are soooo in denial!~” paimon cooed. you had enough.

“JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME SLEEP FOR ARCHONS’ SAKE.” you yelled in annoyance as you stared at the pitch-black ceiling of the room you booked for the night. instead of feeling intimidated by your tone, paimon only giggled at your reaction.

you are not in denial. there’s no way the celestial gods would allow an outsider like you to fall in love with her children. you had set your priority straight; it’s to find your sibling and get them back—but then again, it’s been years. you’ve wandered endlessly on wide expansions of land, and have traversed multiple regions. you’ve helped people in their kingdom in hopes that your sibling would make themself known sooner or later, but only disappointment cascades over you as you gain little-to-no intel about where they could possibly be. 

you take a deep breath before letting out an exasperated sigh. 

‘get it together, snap out of it.’ you say to yourself as you try to rid traces of him from your mind. 

your mind then wanders to the night of the designated show. you arrived five minutes just before his performance started and to your pleasant surprise, the guard stated that your seat was to be found in the front row since you were one of the esteemed VIP guests, as requested by the great Lyney himself. you were touched by this gesture and thanked the guard for his hospitality. 

upon finding your seat, a series of spotlights have been angled to the center as the curtains slowly unveil a familiar silhouette who had a welcoming stance. he bowed to the audience as he introduced himself to the crowd. “welcome one, and all, to the opera epiclese! i am the star of today’s show, lyney!” he says with a proud stance as he enters the spotlight with open arms. “and over here is my sister, lynette, who will be working as my wonderful assistant. please, let’s give her a warm welcome!” lynette looked at the crowd with a blank but endearing stare. she bowed as her twin introduced her to the audience. they had strikingly similar features; had they swapped clothes, one could easily be fooled that one was the other. 

“now, some of you may be thinking: two vision holders who can freely manipulate elemental powers performing magic is not true magic at all.” he begins by catching the audience’s attention by using his pyro vision to mimic a fire-embued bow as lynette uses her anemo vision to mimic a bullseye. the arrow scorches through several wind currents before it hits the center of the target. the crowd clapped harmoniously in response. 

“so, i would like to take a moment to assure you that elemental powers will have nothing to do with what you will witness on the stage today.” he continues. as if on cue, one of their assistants came up to them to retrieve their visions. 

the lights grew dim as lynette was nowhere to be seen. 

“a magician’s greatest skill is making things disappear or appear; the possibilities are endless.” he starts as he takes off his top hat to bow courteously to the audience before throwing it up in mid-air and then catching it. he flipped over the hat to show everyone that there was nothing in it. he hums in contentment as he notices that all eyes are indeed, now on him. he now steps back and puts his hands off the hat. the people around you gasp in astonishment upon seeing the hat float by itself without any form of support to keep it still.

lyney lightly tapped it and sure enough, a few playing cards fell to the ground. there was a mixture of “ooh’s” and “ahh” in the crowd as he did this two more times. he chuckled to himself before pulling a new set of playing cards out of nowhere; making it disappear, then reappear, then disappear again. 

he then grabbed hold of his hat and attempted to put it back on his head, but for some reason, there was a stem firmly placed vertically inside the tophat. lyney acted clueless as to what was blocking his headway, only for him to pull out a rainbow rose.

you feel your breath hitch as he scans the trial room for a brief moment only for his gaze to be locked onto yours. a smile creeps onto his lips as he finally sees those captivating eyes of yours. 

with a snap of a finger, lyney shows the audience the rainbow rose he pulled out of his hat before making it vanish completely into thin air. the audience was too amazed to comprehend where the rose could possibly be until the spotlight shuns upon you as lyney gestured you to stand up which then revealed that the flower we thought, had disappeared—had reappeared tucked in between your hair as it rested on the outer lobe of your ear. 

the crowd squealed in excitement; others had already started spewing rumors about lyney conjuring up this show only so that he could express his adoration for you with that flower, but this could only be far from the truth. 

you could’ve sworn that this rose wasn’t there at all. you hadn’t picked any up on the way to the opera epiclese, nor have you brought with you the rainbow rose that he gave you last night.

how was he able to execute this? you wondered as your heart started beating. since you were flustered with all the attention garnering your way, you decided to sit down shyly. lyney was able to catch onto your body language which caused him to internally chuckle to himself due to the way you were acting.

you were so cute and shy, just for him.

“these little tricks? you’ve seen them all before.” he started as he segued to a different stance, “so it’s time for something truly extraordinary, don’t you think?” he asked the audience and everyone in the trial court seemed to be fully participating.

you were too, it’s just you’re too occupied with the unwavering beating of your chest.

the night went smoothly as he performed a truly extraordinary trick; he had prepared a water tank that was hoisted high up. the lynette who disappeared a little while ago was now inside the heavily locked water tank. the trick was basically to have lynette be able to break free from this near-death experience. the two of them succeeded with flying colors though, and this made the crowd go crazy for them. the only thing left in the tank was lynette’s clothes, but when she reappeared in front of the audience, she was dry, unscathed, and wore the same usual clothing, except with fewer wrinkles. they did a few more acts, and after the final trick, the curtains fell as the twins bid adieu, earning a standing ovation from everyone, including the hydro archon herself.

it was truly a sight to behold, and you enjoyed every bit of it. 

just as you were about to exit the premises, lynette came up to you and ushered you backstage as per lyney’s request yet again. you quietly obliged as she led you to the showman room where performers can touch up, get dressed, and get ready. 

why would lyney want to see you again? you pondered as you unconsciously twirled the loose strand of your hair as you were being led by lyney’s opposite.

“i’ve brought the traveler, lyney.” lynette said with a yawn as she opened the door, only to reveal a hopeful magician spinning on an office chair out of boredom. he stops almost immediately as lynette announces your not-so-grand entrance. “perfect! thank you, dear sister.” he grins as he jumps off of his seat to walk towards you. “now if you’ll excuse me, i’ll be taking a nap.” lynette said groggily before closing the door and leaving the two of you in the room.

“she’s leaving already?” you ask in a slightly dejected voice, feeling a bit disappointed that you weren’t able to befriend the interesting feline who looked exactly like her brother. 

“she’s been up all night diving with our younger brother, freminet. they were collecting some materials for the magic pockets that we distribute to people in the romaritime harbor.” he explained shyly as he adjusted one of his black gloves.

“i see…” you hum in approval as you look around the room. there was a black victorian coat rack next to the vanity mirror that had light bulbs bulging from the sides. the walls were painted with a light hue of white and brown; the contrasts gave depth to the ceiling which had a quite grandiose-looking chandelier. lyney could only watch as your eyes traveled the room with curiosity. 

“so, what did you call me here for?” you asked breaking the ice since he wasn’t stirring up a conversation as you thought he would. lyney gestured for you to sit on the couch to which you obliged, but you didn’t expect that he’d sit next to you despite having way more room on the other end. “i wanted to ask if you enjoyed the show tonight,” he says while fidgeting with his glove. it was rather odd to see someone as confident as him fidget in nervousness under your presence, but you didn’t think much of it. maybe he just got intimidated by you.

“of course i did, you two were amazing !! oh, and by the way, thank you so much for inviting me, let alone giving me a VIP seat. the show and the view was great.” you giggled as you recalled the chain of events that unravelled just a little while ago. the magician sighed in relief as he heard you excitedly talk about your favorite parts; he listened intently as you reinacted some of his tricks. you did poor attempts of course, but seeing how you really did love his performance warmed his heart. 

“do you like magic, traveler?” he asked while pouring you a cup of tea. “i do. my sibling and i used to stop over specific regions from different galaxies to witness all sorts of magic. well, that is until we got separated.” you mumbled out the last part as sadness lingered with your words. lyney handed you your cup and you bowed lightly as a way of saying thank you. “i’m sure you’ll find them soon, traveler.” lyney’s brows furrowed in sympathy as he looked at you with concern, his hand laying on top of yours to reassure your worries.

“i hope so.” you smiled sadly. “now, now, ma chérie. turn that frown upside down!” he says as he cups your cheeks with his gloved yet soft hands. “what do you think you’re doing.” you laughed as you looked at him in the eye. your cheeks formed a pinkish hue, and lyney was the first to notice it seeing as how he was teasing you like this. he chuckled as he leaned in close, “you’re too beautiful to be upset.” he whispered as he stared straight into your soul.

your eyes widened lightly in surprise upon hearing him compliment you. you’ve been called beautiful on several occasions, but why is it now when your heart decides to run laps? 

“i… i beg your pardon?” you stuttered as your voice lightly cracked from embarrassment. your cheeks grew a darker shade of red as lyney broke out a laugh as you weren’t able to deliver your words properly. “ma chérie, you’re just too cute.” he chuckled while holding back his tears. you tore yourself away from his grasp and pouted. “okay, now you’re just messing with me.” you huffed as you crossed your arms in discontentment. lyney teased you further by pinching your cheek, “oh come on, how could i not with these cute reactions of yours.” he cooed while mimicking your pouty face. 

you rolled your eyes and hit him playfully. “do you normally do this to people you meet on the outskirts of the harbor? is this a normal occurrence for you?” you asked absent-mindedly, not realizing what direction this conversation was headed. lyney blinked his eyes twice as if to process what you just said before smirking to himself. “no, i suppose this is a first for me.” he smiled cheekily as he leaned on the sofa, placing one of his elbows on the cushion as he rests his chin on his elbow, body completely facing you.

“and what about you? do you usually allow yourself to be reeled in by men you just met on the outskirts of the harbor as they make their advances towards you?” he asks continuously, which makes you arch your brow as he finishes his sentence. “no. this is a first for me too.” you say as you eye him cautiously. “wait so… does this mean that you’re flirting with me?” you tilted your head slightly to the side as you unconsciously leaned in. lyney noticed your body language, and he was amused as to where this was going. 

he, too, leaned in, but this time, to your ear. you feel his warm breath tickle your sensitive skin as he teases you, “i don’t know, am i?” you rolled your eyes at his childish retort before hitting him lightly on the arm. “lyney!” he only flashed you a sweet toothy grin as he inched a bit closer to you, but you scooted further back as he did so. 

“okay. fine, you got me ma chérie.” he chuckles as he put his hands up in the air in defeat. “let’s say that i am, in fact, flirting with you. what are you going to do about it?” he whispered close to you with a smug but suggestive look on his face. you begged to differ this time though, as you wanted to flip the table on him. with a smirk forming on the creases of your lip, you grabbed a hold of his cherry-colored bowtie as you lightly flatten the fabric. lyney’s breath hitches as you catch him by surprise. “you’ll have to do a better job than that if you want to find out, monsieur lyney.” 

let’s just say that things got heated and got slightly escalated ever since then. he became part of your daily routine. he always made sure to visit you in the afternoon whenever he was available. word had spread out that the renowned magician often spent his time with you more than with his own twin, lynette; to be fair, she didn’t mind at all. she preferred it this way. she thought it was refreshing to see her brother annoy someone other than her as she was worried that he would only depend on her company until archons knew when.

besides, she lowkey schemed with paimon to set you two up together anyway.

after your two-week break, lyney brought it upon himself to accompany you on your adventures. he would help you during your commissions and has been nothing but supportive throughout your journey. he even went as far as making you a top priority guest when you told him that you needed to speak with the hydro archon for any form of possible intel that you could gather. you heard that it was hard to request an audience to the furina, and you couldn’t thank lyney enough when he went the extra mile to get you closer to your goals. 

there wasn’t where the two of you wouldn’t be seen out on the streets of fontaine; you were inseparable. it’s not like the two of you were lovebirds who did PDA either, but from the locals’ perspective, all they see are two youthful souls—one is excessively trying to shower them with affection while the other is still in denial. you happened to be the latter. 

to be fair, the concept of love never really struck you. of all the years you’ve lived through since you were born, you only know of love from familial means or via forms of friendships. you never had the time for trivial matters. but for some unforeseen reason, this man, who gave you rainbow roses every day as a symbol of his affection for you, this man, who often extended his hand to you to hold on whenever you felt anxious, this man,  who jot down notes of what you like and dislike so that he’s reminded of how to please you, this man, who made sure to put your safety above his own even though he knows you could fully fend for yourself, this man, who didn’t even need to ask you what you’d order because he knew it at heart, was now ordering your go-to meal at café lucerne as you wait for him patiently under the shade. 

he expressed his adoration for you on several occasions, but you weren’t the type to assume things, so you merely brushed off some of his advances. a couple of months have passed since you first set foot on fontaine, and now you were having an afternoon snack session with ‘your partner in crime’.

you’d be lying if you said that you hadn’t fallen for the charming young man, but you were too scared to even explore that kind of field as you knew nothing compared to him. 

oh but was he gentle. he was patient with you even though he would get ahead of himself sometimes and overwhelm you with his overly affectionate personality. you knew you’d already fallen. you were just in denial. you thought that once you’ve explored fontaine enough, you would bid him farewell as you move on to the next region. part of you thought that maybe it was all just an act too; he did say that he mastered the art of deception—and yet, then again, who were you to even question his motives when he’s been nothing but sweet and supportive towards you?

that’s right. he would never do such a thing, would he?��

you glanced over at the male who was on his way to your table as he held the tray with your food, a smile plastered on his face. “i got you your favorite, my treat.” he smiled cheekily as he carried your order and placed it on your side of the table. “thank you,” you replied with a warm smile.

this man would never hurt me. you thought sincerely as you watched him cutely munch on his favorite snack-o-bites. “these turn out perfect no matter how many times they make this, i swear.” lyney groaned in delight as he ate his food. you couldn’t help but look at the young magician in front of you with loving eyes, as if you were put in a trance.

lyney, yet again, noticed how your eyes looked at him with so much warmth, with made him lightly blush. “take a picture, it lasts longer.” he teased to illicit a reaction out of you, but an idea erupted from your systems as if a light bulb had suddenly appeared out of no where. 

you rummaged through your belongings and sought out the kamera that you got from a wandering trader during previous expeditions. once you found it, you showed it to lyney and he almost spit out his food. “my..! a kamera!” he said in astonishment as he examined the mechanical object. “you’re right, taking a picture would last longer.” you say as you press a button, which automatically linked to the shutter. lyney was unprepared and he whined that you take another one, but you thought he looked cute in the candid photo that you took. 

he got his revenge by snatching the kamera away from you and taking candid photos of you too, except he didn’t show you the shots he took. he hid the pictures in his top hat and they disappeared to archon knows where. 

you spent more time with lyney that afternoon until the night was starting to fall. as usual, you expected to temporarily say goodbye to each other as you had other things to attend to during this hour, but lyney stopped you from your tracks by grabbing hold of your arm.

“wait.” he called out to you, which made you turn your head back to face him. “mhm?” you hummed as you looked at him with expecting eyes. lyney was fidgeting and he looked askance. it was almost as if he was itching to tell you something. “what is it, lyney?” you asked the ash blonde as you lay your hand on top of his, wondering what was going on in his mind right now as he avoided eye contact with you.

“lyney?” you called out to him for the umpteenth time, snapping him out of his trance, his attention now darted to you as he flashed you an apologetic smile. he hesitated for a bit to answer, until he finally responded, “it’s nothing, ma chérie. i apologize, i just stalled for a bit because i wanted to see your face one more time before you go.” he said in his usual ecstatic tone, but something about it put you off. was it the way he adjusted his glove? he usually does this whenever he’s nervous about something. you were about to ask him about it until you saw his twin walking towards you.

“lyney. let’s go.” lynette alerted the magician as she tapped him lighty on his back, which startled lyney. “lynette–! don’t startle me like that…” lyney sighed as he rubbed the back of his palm. lynette peaked over his shoulder and tipped her head forward to you as a form of greeting, “traveler.”

“lynette, good evening.” you smiled at the girl. lynette nods in acknowledgement before side-eying her twin sibling. he looks back at her and squints his eyes with a frown, earning a furrowed and confused look from lynette. lyney bit his lower lip due to impatience which made his sister sigh.

you had no idea what they were doing but you only guessed that they were telepathically communicating with one another. 

“are you two doing good?” you took a step forward and looked at the twins with worry. Lynette looked at you for a good two seconds before speaking up, “traveler, listen–” she was cut off immediately by lyney, who oh-so-dramatically looked at the clock before exclaiming “oh would you look at the time, we are running late lynette!! we must hurry!!!” he yelled in a panicked frenzy as he packed up his bags before running to who knows where. lynette could only play along with her sibling as she waved you goodbye. “apologies, traveler. we have urgent matters to attend to.” she bowed before turning her heel and running after her brother.

“...what was that about?” you mumbled to yourself, feeling a lump of uneasiness form internally. you could only watch the siblings run off into the distance; the farther they got, the harder it was to spot them as their figures turned into dots.

something about this felt wrong.

something about this felt really wrong.

although lyney had offered to lend you a helping hand on your adventures, you can’t help but notice how there would be times when he’d zone out. he would stare intently at an inanimate object, his eyes clouded with an unexplainable expression. whenever you try calling him out, he snaps out of it as if he wasn’t disassociating a few minutes ago. 

you loved spending time with him, but oftentimes you felt as if he was wearing a mask. he would never tell you what troubled him even though you, yourself have been vulnerable in front of him on several occasions. you’ve already talked so much about yourself only to realize that lyney hadn’t shared any of his past with you either. he only listened to your stories.

this realization made a wave of guilt wash over you—you didn’t want to seem like you didn’t care about him at all—so you tried asking about him too whenever you got the chance to. with no luck, you got nothing out of him. indeed, he answered your questions, but it was too vague. it’s like he was hiding something a whole lot more the more you pry into his life. 

you couldn’t fully understand the magician. he would always put up a high-spirited front with that exhilarating personality of his, and yet something about his unwavering happy-go-lucky personality grew wary of what the ash blonde was really thinking from time to time. 

unlike his sister, he was evasive when it came to personal questions. lynette was the blunt and honest type, but for some reason, lyney’s so-called ‘honesty’ felt as if it was laced with a heavy lot of sugarcoating. he hasn’t done anything wrong to upset you. in fact, he seemed like the perfect candidate for a love interest had you ever even thought about entering a relationship with him. and yet here you are, left alone in the pouring rain after lyney left you abruptly for unknown circumstances. 

lyney was accompanying you during a commission sent by navia, the spina di rosula president, and things were going well. all you had to do was find clues in regard to the innocence of callas, the late founder of the organization. just as you were about to head back to their headquarters to retrieve and report the data you’ve gathered, lyney abruptly excused himself and left the scene. 

you had no idea what came over the young man, but you only assumed that he had other urgent matters to attend to. he has already done more than enough to help you, after all. so who were you to stop him from leaving?

even still, ithe way he left was rather off-putting. during your way back, you noticed that he felt out of reach; he zoned out often and looked restless. you have no clue as to what triggered him into this state—you asked if he was doing alright, but he only smiled in response and gave you a false thumbs up so you could stop worrying about him. 

you couldn’t recall the first time he started acting distant despite being so close to you. but one thing you knew for sure was that he had a couple of failed attempts into telling you something only for him to change his mind and change the topic immediately. 

you and your deluded self thought that maybe he was trying to confess to you, but you weren’t dumb enough to know that this situation couldn’t be applied to the way he was acting toward you. lyney sure did act head over heels for you, and you admit, you were smitten by the young man who often performed magic shows in the opera epiclese, but you just couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness as you talk to him sometimes.

being with him is like painting on a blank canvas with a transparent medium. you see so much room for endless possibilities, and your imagination envisions all kinds of art forms that you could interpret onto the canvas. you stroke your brushes to create the perfect picture you’ve idealized but then, you come to a realization that none of the strokes you’ve made were rendered. you shrug the idea off, thinking that this isn’t a big deal, so you try again. the result remains the same. no matter how much you paint, nothing blooms out of the canvas, and yet it still stands proudly in all its glory. you try dipping your brush in vibrant colors, but no matter what you do, nothing slips through the seams of his never-ending depth of hollowness.

there were times when he’d be hot, but then he’d grow cold. he’d shower you with warmth one day only to leave you questioning what you’ve possibly done wrong the next as he acts indifferent. you were starting to get bothered by this, and you wanted to confront him if he continued this further because your mind was going all around the place.

is this what it’s like to fall in love? you were a traveler. an outsider, even. you had to embrace different cultures and embark on journeys with unfamiliar faces everywhere. you, too, were scared, but you had no choice but to plow through just so you could see your sibling again. never in a million years did you imagine yourself being so…caught up over a man.

without even noticing it, your mood depended on his. lyney was like a firework; he was so beautiful and yet so out of reach. no matter how much warmth he showers your way, no matter how much color he brings into your life, he will remain distant despite being so out in the open. the closer you try to get, the more you get burnt with the reality of his facade. 

everything about him bothered you; the way his lips curled into a smile, the way his eyes sparkled with passion every time he performed his magic shows, the way his laughter sounded like symphonies resonating in an orchestra, the way he treated you gently and cares greatly for his people, the way he made it known to the crowd that you were his rainbow rose, the way he touched you gently with his soft and meticulous hands as he dived into your soul with his hypnotizing eyes… 

fuck. 

you were no longer in denial. 

you adored lyney. you liked everything about lyney. you longed to see him again, you longed to be within his vicinity once more. only he was able to break your walls and make you spiral like this.

was this why your heart felt so restless every time you were separated from each other? the last time you felt this way was the day you washed up ashore in mondstat with your sibling nowhere in sight. ‘that explains a lot…’ you sigh to yourself as you feel your heart breathe in relief as you finally admit to yourself the feelings that you kept hidden for so long. 

you brushed aside the worries that crept onto you earlier. ‘there’s no need to be negative, maybe he’s not ready to say what’s on his mind yet’. that’s right. you shouldn’t rush him into opening up. being there for him is the least that you could do for him, so you figured to be more patient and supportive towards him. 

you could only hope that your sincerity would reach him.

a few days have passed since you last encountered lyney at café lucerne. your days at fontaine were coming to a halt soon as you needed to depart to your next destination; natlan. you’ve stayed in fontaine for almost a year, and you hadn’t noticed how quickly time was passing by. it was all thanks to that young magician who made your stay here worthwhile though. 

you’ve gained a sufficient amount of intel. luckily enough, the hydro archon was accommodating to your inquiries. the abyss seemed to have a strong chokehold on your sibling though, as deinsleif reappeared to venture with you in one of your adventures to unveil the secrets of the prophecy that lay within fontaine. 

the grind never stops—or so paimon says.

you were scheduled to leave a few days from now, as requested by katheryn. you were in love with lyney—to which you can finally admit to yourself proudly—but this wouldn’t stop you from finishing what you’ve started. you’ve rested long and well enough, as well as succumbed to your hidden desires. it was time to move to the next region.

you already told the twins about the date of your departure, and they wished for your safety. lyney still looked restless. he looked even more restless than the last time you’ve seen him to be honest. he asked lynette to leave the room for a bit so he could talk to you alone in the meantime.

he had a frown on his face but you only smiled meekly at him, reasoning that you’re a traveler for a reason and that you shouldn’t overstay. he knew this all along but asked for one condition. 

“can we meet up one more time before you go? just you and i, and maybe even lynette, with no one else intervening,” he asked with pleading eyes as he trailed his finger on your hands gently. you shivered from his touch. 

“of course, where would you like to rendezvous?” he chuckled at your terminology. “at the usual spot. 7 pm sharp.” you smiled before holding out your pinky promise, mimicking paimon’s actions the day before you departed for fontaine. “deal.” he smiled back and intertwined his pinky with yours. 

“i’ll give you a show that you’ll never forget even as you go on your adventures in far and distant lands. you won’t have a choice other than to think about me.” he determinedly states as he locks his violet hues with your crystalline orbs. you laugh at his sentiments, unbeknownst to the weight that his words hold.

“i swear to archons lyney, if you perform one more lousy disappearance act,” you teased as you let out a melodic laugh. lyney scoffed playfully before responding, “that wasn’t even considered as an act! i can do something way better than that.” you raise one of your brows, intrigued by his statement. “oh yeah? like what?” you mused, crossing your arms as your body unconsciously leaned forward toward him. 

lyney gives you an unreadable look before he quickly snaps out of his daze and shakes his head lightly. he faintly smiled before saying, “you’ll see.”

some time has passed, and it was already the night of your supposed meet-up. the day that followed would be the day when you bid adieu to fontaine. 

you pushed through the grand entrance of the opera eclipse; it was the usual spot. the very spot where you first felt your heart yearn for lyney, and the very place where you had your first kiss stolen.

you came alone as requested. paimon stayed behind at the hotel to catch some z’s before your long journey tomorrow. 

oddly enough though, a different guard asked for your identity for security. he wore the standard protocol uniform, but it was an unfamiliar face—barely recognizable. he wore a black-feathered mask that covered the tip of his nose, almost like the kinds you’d see at masquerade balls. lyney did mention that this night would be different from his previous shows.

“you must be the traveler, come in. your seat is on the front row, right in the dead center.” he said in a low but welcoming voice. you tipped your head as a way of showing your thanks as he led you to your seat. the lights were dimmer than what you were accustomed to. what caught your attention more though was the fact that everyone in the theatre wore the same mask as the security guard. there were only a few people including you, but they were scattered throughout the area. they all had their attention focused on the stage.

weird. maybe this was part of the show.you start growing anxious as to what kind of show that sly magician would perform today. the last time he asked you to come here alone led to a steamy makeout session in the middle of the stage with the spotlight centered on the two of you. just the two of you, with your lips on his. you had no idea how he was able to keep people from entering, but he reasoned that he needed to occupy the area on his own to make safety measures for his “equipment”, but all he did was savor you and your sweetness.

you shake your head lightly at the memory, your cheeks turn a bright red. 

your heart starts pounding with every second that passed. the show still hadn’t started yet as the curtains blocked the view of the main stage, but you really couldn’t help but wonder what lyney had prepared for you today. 

was he finally going to confess? maybe even ask you to be his? could it be that he orchestrated this show only as an excuse to take you by the hand and court you properly before you depart for tomorrow?

your lips unconsciously curl into a smile as you daydream about the what-ifs in your head. it was cut off shortly though by a familiar voice you heard from the loudspeaker as it reverberated in the room.

“once upon a time, there was once a blonde traveler who traversed through teyvat for what seemed like decades in hopes to find their long lost sibling.” lyney began with a story-telling tone laced with his voice. your ears immediately perk up at his narration. a bright light shone upon the stage which revealed shadow puppets of you and paimon’s figure wandering around the globe to match his lines. you marveled at the sight.

“but after region hopping for so long, the blonde traveler decides to rest in the land of justice where they meet a peculiar magician who accidentally bumped into them by the harbor.” the shadow puppets reinacted your first encounter with each other, which made you giggle in response. 

is this how he’s going to confess to me? you wondered amusingly, feeling touched by his efforts as you listened further to his dialogue.

“the magician noticed the traveler trying to hide their identity, and he used this to his advantage to tease them. the traveler, now shocked, asked him in a state of panic how he found out. he laughed in response and pointed out that their hood slipped off, and that he could easily recognize them, even from afar.” the shadow puppets played the same exact scenario and waited for the next signal.

“he then invited them to watch his show at the opera theatre. little did the blonde traveler know what they had in store for them.” you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion with the last sentence, curious as to where this was going.

“he fell for their wits, and was charmed by their unwavering bravery. even as they brushed his advances off, he never stopped doting on them.” he was practically confessing at this point, and you felt your cheeks grow warm.

“the magician performed all sorts of tricks; making things appear and disappear was an easy task for him as he excelled in this expertise,” as if on cue, the curtain slowly unveils lyney’s figure with a microphone in hand. he took a deep breath as he locks eye contact with you before continuing, “but the only thing that he cant get to disappear is the thought of you.” 

your eyes widened as you behold the sight in front of you. lyney wasn’t wearing his usual attire, he was wearing a black tuxedo suit. his red bowtie was still evident, but his noticeable top hat and cape were nowhere in sight. he was breathtaking. 

“he fell in love with the traveler for each day that passed by, and he could tell that the traveler was starting to develop feelings for him too.” he extended his arms and got a pair of scissors, his swift hands gracefully cutting over the edges of the folded paper which then revealed the two of their silhouettes dancing with your arms around him. 

you recall when that event happened. it was during that one time you visited the siblings in their home but only lyney was home despite lynette calling you over for dinner. you figured that they must’ve schemed this because lyney didn’t question nor look for them as you arrived, you only spent the night dancing to some tunes and learning more about each other.

“everything was going all according to plan,” he paused for a bit as he took out the same exact mask that everyone was wearing from his pocket. “until he got sick of playing pretend.” his intonation changed from an exhilarating tone to a monotonous underglow. it was heavy and merciful. “true to his word, he did perform something even greater than a lousy disappearance act.” he scoffed before continuing, “in fact, it was all premeditated. all the traveler had to do was wait and see, just as he said.”

“just make sure you don’t perform a lousy disappearing act again.” you jokingly said while nudging his arm, which made him hum in response, his eyes glowered as he repositioned his top hat back on his head. 

“i’ll do something greater than that, ma chérie. just wait and see.” 

your smile fell as you recalled his words. from the looks of it, the atmosphere had a thick tension that made you uneasy. his words contradicted the way he behaved around you previously. for some reason, you didn’t feel safe here. your gut was telling you to leave, that something bad was about to happen if you’d stayed and listened longer, but your feet remained in place as you watched the performer in front of you, still at a loss for words as the weight of the air suffocated you.

“i can see that look on your face. you’re confused—terrified, even.” he trails off as he takes a glance at your disheveled state before chuckling darkly. “so let me clarify everything before the actual play begins.” he flashes you a close-eyed smile before placing one hand to his chest and the other is extended as he bows down to you in a curtsey.

“lyney…” you called out to him, barely above a whisper. you tried to get up from your seat to reach out to him, but you were abruptly stopped by the impact of your wrists being bound to the arms of the chair. “lyney, this isn’t funny. cut it out.” you say as you break out an awkward laugh, trying to break free from the cuffs that binded you from your freedom. 

you heard minor scuffles around you which made you turn your head to see where it was coming from. the sight made you widen your eyes; the few people in the opera house was now lined up in two columns by the main door. “lyney, you’re scaring me. what’s going on??” you asked the ash blonde. he doesn’t even bother to spare you a look as he remains still in his curtsey pose.

“lyney!!” you yelled out. this must be a silly prank, right? there’s no reason for him to scare you like this…right??? right. this was just part of the show. none of this is real. none of this is real. none of this is real. none of this is re-

“ma chérie.” lyney spoke with authority in his voice before finally shifting his gaze towards you. his eyes were slit that of a feline as he hushed you with his presence. he sighed as he finally stood upright, fixing the collar of his suit in the process as he spoke, “i was tasked by father to approach you. he told me to get close to you by using any means necessary and find out your weaknesses. do not get me wrong, i enjoyed our adventures. I enjoyed having you keep me company as well.” 

“but what i haven’t told you the first time we met was that i, too, have hid my true identity from you. allow me to introduce myself again. i, lyney from the house of the hearth, humbly greets you.”

your eyes looked at him in horror as the image you carefully crafted of him your head shattered. your heart ached at the deception he conjured for you. “you’re a fatui…?” your voice croaked in disbelief as you desperately searched his eyes for the truth. your mind wavered as you clung onto your delusions, hoping deep down inside that this was all just a skit, but his silence spoke volumes.

“so everything was a lie…?” tears brimmed from your eyes as you looked at the man whom you loved with so much heartbreak. he bit his lip in contempt as he saw you in that state. lynette then emerged from the shadows and gave her twin sibling a pat on his back before he faced away from you. he couldn’t see you cry, it would weaken his resolve.

“not everything, traveler.” lynette spoke on behalf of her sibling. she, too, wasn’t wearing her usual attire. she had her hair down and her ribbon was placed neatly on one side of her head. she was wearing a beautiful black dress that reached just below her knee and she was also wearing the same exact mask that lyney was wearing.

“this idiotic brother of mine took the words by any means necessary quite too literally. he was not supposed to be intimate towards you. father graciously forbid him from overstepping his boundaries.” lynette deadpanned as she glanced at her brother. he was trying so hard to keep up a front; he was slightly trembling, but only lynette can tell. “he fell for you gradually even though he was the one who initiated everything. believe me when i say that all of his efforts for you were sincere.” lynette says firmly as she places her right hand in her chest. it was a mannerism that she often did whenever she was being honest, but you could only scoff at her words.

“that doesn’t change the fact that you two deceived me!!” you yelled in protest as you struggled to break free from the binds that kept you tied down the chair. “had i known you were part of the fatui, i would’ve never allowed myself to have my life here in fontaine revolve around you two!” you yelled angrily as tears rolled down your cheeks,  “had i known you were part o the fatui, i would’ve never allowed myself to be held by you…!” you continued. your words shot daggers into lyney’s heart as it ached as much as yours did. 

“ma chérie, i apologize for making you second-guess about everything. i had no choice but to do this. father was getting impatient, and this is my only way of repaying him back after everything he’s done for lynette and i.” he admitted, finally facing you. as if his deception didn’t hurt enough, his cold gaze towards you seemed to hurt more ten times fold. 

“If that was the case, then why did you have to make me fall for you…?” your voice weakened as tears profusely streamed down your cheeks. lynette was taken aback by your emotional demeanor. she was an observant but quiet person, so she knew just as much as her brother knew that you weren’t the type to pour your emotions out like this. she felt a pang of guilt through her chest as she side-eyed her twin sibling. he was holding back his tears as well, but he didn’t falter.

“if keeping an eye on me to find out my weaknesses was all that you were tasked to do, why did you have to make me like you so much that it hurt???” you exclaimed as you sniffled. this really wasn’t your look. you hated how you were pouring your heart out to the twins who had ulterior motives towards you all along, but you couldn’t help it. you were hurt, you felt betrayed, and more importantly, you felt conflicted with yourself. you were spiraling internally as flashbacks of him and you played like a broken record. 

you looked at lyney for a brief moment, still hoping he’d take back everything he said just now. you still clinged on so tightly to what you thought he was rather than focusing on who he really was right now as he stood before you. 

lyney let out a sigh as he bowed down, “i have no excuses. I apologize, ma chérie.”  you scoff as you feel yourself getting irritated by his response. “don’t call me by that endearment anymore.” you whimpered as you lay your head on the headrest, feeling defeated. 

that’s it?... you’re not going to say anything else?! you let out a breath of disbelief. your eyes filled with tears, your body carrying the weight of the sorrows of your heartbreak. 

this hurts. oh lord barbatos, please, i can’t do this anymore. how can the blissful feelings of love do a 180 and pierce you with no remorse after you’ve committed to the feeling? please rid me of this unwanted emotion, it hurts. why did it have to end up like this? have i softened too much to have my guard lowered down to this extent? why must i bear the consequences of heartbreak when i’ve been the one who’s peace has been threatened…?

you were speechless. you hated this. you can’t believe that you allowed yourself to be caught by the fatui all because you lowered your guard down and fell in love. this was absurd. you can’t even find the energy to fight off these restraints that held you down because your energy has depleted. it's as if he sucked out the life force remaining in you out of you.

upon seeing your quiet state, lyney called out to you with a worried tone as he took a step and reached out to you as he spoke, “ma chérie, i-” “i hate you. don’t you dare call me by that stupid endearment ever again.” you bitterly spoke, avoiding to look him in the eyes. “i apologize, i was supposed to tell you everything soon but-” “so that explains why you kept zoning out before…” you say in deep thought, feeling a wave of emotions flow into your system.

“yes, please believe me, i wanted to come clean, but i feared you would avoid me if i did and i got scared. i-” “you had so many chances to tell me. had you told me sooner, i would’ve understood you better. but no, you just had to put on a fake play for me to witness.” 

“i’ll give you a show that you’ll never forget even as you go on your adventures in far and distant lands. you won’t have a choice other than to think about me.” he determinedly states as he locks his violet hues with your crystalline orbs. 

“so this is what you meant by giving me a show i’ll never forget, huh?” you laugh dryly with venom trailing behind your words. 

“traveler…” lyney reaches out to you once again to try and reconcile but he stops midway as he sensed a threat coming towards their way. 

“GUARDS!! SEIZE THOSE PREPOSTOROUS TWINS IMMEDIATELY!” the hydro archon barges in and yells with an army of policemen. they quickly cuff the false crowd as they enter. you sigh in relief upon seeing paimon flying beside furina as she searches for you in the room. “over there furina, the traveler is seated in front!!” paimon exclaims as she points to you, they immediately rush over to where you are. 

you look back on stage to give one more glance at the twins but just as how they were clever magicians, they were gone before you knew it. 

paimon and furina quickly rush over to you. “traveler!! are you alright?” paimon worriedly says as she hugs you. you meekly shake your head as tears are still spewing from your eyes. Furina looks over your broken-down state and notices the shackles that bind you. “let me help you with that.” furina says as she uses her vision to break you free. “th..ank you” you whisper softly, chest heaving from the hurt.

“you poor thing… we’re sorry we hadn’t come sooner.” furina embraces you into a hug and pats your back before continuing, “those phonies ran away before we could catch them!! this is so infuriating!!” paimon stomped her feet in the air as she brushed the loose strands of your hair. 

“how did you two know i was in danger…?” you sniffed as you touched the light bruise marks on your wrists. “freminet told us everything. he’s now being held under my protection from the fatui.” furina says as she lifts you up from your chair. “so even he knew about this…?” you say in disbelief, heart weighing even more burden than it already did.

“it’s a good thing they didn’t take you away yet. their ‘father’ or rather, a high-ranked harbinger was supposed to walk down that door to take you to archon knows where but lyney hadn’t given her the signal yet. she’s still here somewhere, we just don’t know where.” furina explained. “what?” you furrowed your brows in confusion. 

he had so many opportunities to send that go signal, and yet why didn’t he? you were lost in thought as you thought of possible reasons as to why he didn’t call his “father” as soon as he got you distracted. but as your mind was going around in laps, a voice erupted.

“pardon me, i think this is for you.” one of the guards excused himself as he stood by furina and handed you an envelope. you opened it and saw the card had the silhouette of you and lyney dancing together on the main cover—it was the same one he cut out earlier on stage, except there was a queen of hearts logo on the opposite sides. you felt your heart ache as you flipped the other side to see his small writing. 

“to my dear chérie, i’ve wronged you in many ways and left you with so many questions. indeed, our encounter was not fate but was strings pulled together to make whatever we had happen. i am no innocent man, but i’ve never shed blood other than mine. would you forgive this poor soul of mine for deceiving you? a magician i am, but at the end of the day, im just lyney; the same lyney who hand-picked rainbow roses just because it reminded him of you.

i grew tired of playing pretend. i fessed up to father how i could no longer carry out the mission as i knew i would only hurt you deeply—it hurts me too that i have to do this to you. father wasn’t pleased with this. he demanded that i cut off ties with you immediately after seeing my weakness becoming your entirety. believe me, i’ve always wanted to tell you the truth, but how could i after seeing that bright smile of yours? how could i shatter the excitement in your eyes as you looked at me oh so lovingly? you were too good for this world, and i wouldn’t want to be the cause of your tears; even now as i write this, my heart aches at just the thought of you trembling once you find out that i’ve conned you into winning your heart.

i understand that you no longer wish to see me again after i’ve wore countless of masks to hide my true intentions to you for every minute we spent together, but just know this, mon amour. 

te rencontrer a été le meilleur miracle qui soit jamais arrivé dans ma vie. j'avais l'habitude de regarder les roses arc-en-ciel de loin, admirant la beauté de tout cela, jusqu'à ce que tu descendes du ciel et apportes de la couleur à ma toile vierge. les roses arc-en-ciel ne pouvaient plus se comparer à votre beauté irisée. même le soleil devient jaloux de votre rayonnement. je t'aime et je t'aimerai toujours.

let your tears no longer cascade on that delicate skin of yours. when our paths cross once more and if destiny allows me to, i’ll tell you everything you’ve always wanted to know. at the usual spot, from years on end.

until we meet again, ma chérie.”

lyney was truly a magician at best; he disappeared into the seams of the night and left no traces of him behind as you grieve for his absence and sins. you often joked around at how he shouldn’t do a lousy disappearance trick the next time that he performs in the opera epiclese, but it seems as though he took those words to his grave as he proved that he can commit to greater feats. 

and that feat involved having you rid of him from your life. 

[swannieluv]

｡ﾟ･The Bold Mendacity - 𝟕. Like mother, like son.

✦⸼࣪⸳ 𝐆.𝐈 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 (𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜) 𝐱 𝐆𝐍!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 <3

✦⸼࣪⸳ 𝐖𝐜: 2,7k

✦⸼࣪⸳ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆!!: Description of poverty, a bit of self-degreding(?), flood.

✦⸼࣪⸳𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨: ♡

✦⸼࣪⸳ A/N: Hiii. Hope you enjoy the chapter, I guess this chapter's the one I put more effort into until now. I thought it was interesting to play with perspectives so... I also think my writing has been getting better along with the chapters, not sure tho. Reblogs and comments would be highly appreciated <3

Life definitely wasn't easy for the poor, this lesson was learnt by Freminet from a young age. While Fontaine was characteristic for the wealthy who would throw banquets and squander their lavish lifestyles as if it was a trend, there was the poor worker class who lived with nothing but the spares of what was supposed to be “human rights”.

But for Freminet, it wasn't an inconvenience as long as and his mother were together. The latter would spend most of her time working outside while Freminet was left to the loneliness of the small cubicle, making sure their poor house wouldn't flood with the water that entered through the countless holes in the ceiling because of the intensity and cruelness of Fontaine's rain to the poorest. It was his role to take care of the house while his mother was away.

They didn't have the financial conditions to buy new furniture – though he didn't know the reason; no mother would have the heart to expose their child to the cruel reality – so most of the ones in their home were repaired by Freminet when he was bored.

He would always be waiting for her to come through the front door, holding the just repaired objects she would bring home everyday. Objects that never were seen again by Freminet. Yet if his mother was happy with it, he would bear a smile for her too.

Though he was a rather obedient child, Freminet would often find himself wanting to explore the underwater. His mother didn't have anything against his hobby of diving.

Even if she didn't have the time to take him diving more than once in a week and the lack of money to invest in his abilities, his mother never once tried to shut Freminet out of his passion, making sure her son had a life in which he could be happy.

A child shouldn't suffer because of their parents' mistakes, right?

She many times thought of leaving Freminet behind and Fontaine behind. Her dream had always been living abroad, after all. If she did run away, her life would begin from the start somewhere like the places in the postcards she so carefully kept inside the old drawer.

On the other hand, those feelings were always buried and forgotten whenever she met those innocent blue eyes again. While one could consider Freminet as a living chain she was bound to, there was no doubt Camille was happier than ever since her son's birth.

And so his mother, Camille, worked harder and got to buy him the diving equipment he needed. She knew that their situation demanded her to save money, she had to save as much as she could so as to give Freminet a chance to escape this hell hole of a life.

So on the top shelf, out of her son's reach, was a pot of coins labeled as “Fremi’s dreams”. Every single cent she could spare was kept safe so Freminet could have a small portion of the childhood he deserved, saving enough money to realize whatever wishes Freminet kept for himself.

It should have been like that. But joy is short-lived in a poor person's house, especially if you live in a bad location.

Camille worked as a waitress in a local restaurant in Fontaine. Getting paid enough to survive, but not to live comfortably. The amount of stress she had to undergo just so she could raise Freminet and pay the debt left behind by his father was admirable.

It was just the usual working day for her, who was greeted with the scorching sun rays as soon as she stepped out home. How would she know there was going to be such a storm when the skies were cloudless?

Her soaked figure had just reached the front door before hesitantly turning the doorknob with her calloused fingers; a feeling of dread in her throat as soon as she stepped inside. What met Camille wasn't her joyful son with a new repaired object, but a crying one, and water.

In Freminet's arms were countless coins he so hard tried to save from the water’s way. His eyes were red as he hiccupped; the poor child was scared.

A hole in their ceiling made the rainwater leak all the way to their small living room, flooding it alongside with the other rooms. There wasn't something such as a hole this big before, so her eyes widened as she noticed the consequences of it.

The broken part of the ceiling had fallen exactly on their shelves, exactly on the coin pot. Almost six years of hard work were lost in a blink of an eye, the water taking it all away as the coins passed through her feet.

Freminet was crying not because of the water, but because he had failed his mother. His only duty while she was out was to take care of the house, and look what happened. His hot tears getting cold with the cruel raindrops that fell on his face.

So with a tear-stained face and a shaken smile, her words to the poor boy were:

“I'm sorry, Freminet.”

There were few occasions in which his mother would take him to have some fun outside of those moldy walls.

Freminet was on the way to the temple, holding his mother's hand tightly as he would always be told to do. The face of the woman beside him carried a bit of bitterness.

With his child innocence, he couldn't understand the reason behind her constant nervousness and worry. But if there was one thing about his mother that Freminet strongly believed, is that she had the best of intentions and should always be trusted.

Freminet knew exactly where they were going: to the Temple once again for food. He had never quite understood why they needed to wait in line for hours before getting a small portion of basic aliments, instead of going to the market like the families he used to see through the window.

“Stay by my side, will you? I know you're a good boy, Freminet."

Her soft smile was enough to reassure him through the bad moments, just like the sun after rain. Freminet's mother was his world, she was his solace, his abode. The only one who cared about him when the world seemed to have forgotten them.

“Yes… I'll stay here with you and won't go far.”

And so they crossed the Temple's silver gates along the small crowd of injured and hungry Fontaineans. From afar, one could see the volunteers preparing themselves to attend to all those people's needs as they could. There weren't any melusines, something he found odd since they're always present in Fontaine's ambience.

As usual, everyone formed a line and waited. Freminet wasn’t one to complain about things; so when he does, it's because he definitely feels it. The only word he could come up with to describe the situation was: boring.

Freminet put a hand on his pocket; his finger met with the cold metal of nails and other small gears he had. His hand touched the surface of something he repaired earlier: a mechanical dog small enough to fit in a hand. He thought of giving it to his mother when they go home, believing she would be proud of him for being able to fix it up.

Although what he saw when looking at her was the poor woman's pale face. It absolutely startled Freminet; his mother was the strongest person he knew, so what could be so dreadful to cause this effect on her?

Camille took a deep breath before putting a smile on her face, betrayed by the shakiness of the hands she put on his shoulders. Freminet's mother then met his level and whispered for him in a calm, yet commanding, voice:

“Freminet, mommy's just going to have a chat with an old friend. Okay?”

Just as Freminet's lips parted so as to form a sentence, she had gone. He was left alone, nervous to know what was happening and why his mother left like this. It was when he saw someone in the corner of his vision, a child coming his way.

He froze in place. Freminet had been taught so as to not stare at people and leave as soon as someone he didn't know tried any contact with him. However, he didn't know where to go. So what should he do? Stay or run to wherever he could?

The more Freminet thought, the more anxious he got. His hands started sweating from his nervousness until he finally took the decision to run. His mother wouldn't mind him disobeying if that meant he was safe, or so he thought.

As he rushed through the people, his eyes found an escape route. One of the doors to one of the gardens was left open by someone. For him, the outside would be the perfect hiding spot since he could just climb a tree or hide in the tall grass.

Was it stupid to run away from a child? Maybe. But who could blame poor Freminet when he was that nervous?

His plan was simple: stay hiding behind one of the marble pillars; and if they tried to go after him, he would run again somewhere else. This way, he would know his way back to his mother and be safe again. It was supposed to be a good plan, except that he didn't expect for the other child to suddenly fall in the lake.

He walked to the lake's edge, waiting to see if they would just emerge from inside the waters or not. From what he was seeing, the lake was too shallow for one to drown. His hands fidgeted as he tried to get a better look on where they were.

Why weren't they coming out?

Freminet thought carefully before entering the lake. His mind echoed his mother's teachings on how helping someone else was a good thing, if that didn't mean putting his life in danger. He was disobeying her for the first time in his life, wasn't he?

And that was likely his best decision in life.

Back at home, Freminet looked through the window once again. But he wasn't lonely, he now had someone to talk to, the child he saved was now his first friend ever. That meant his trips to the temple with his mother were not going to be as boring as before, and he was anxiously waiting for the next one for the first time.

“Fremi?”

His mother's tender voice caught his attention; he had been working harder to help her in order to make up for the stress he put her through at the temple. She didn't get mad or anything at him, as she understood his side when he explained his reasoning to run.

In her hands was a plate with hard bread to eat so as to not let him go to bed with an empty stomach. It was the best she could bring from work, even though she herself would stay hungry until the next day. He couldn't help but notice her thin frame, a consequence of her selfless nature. She then left the room before he could say anything, looking slightly shaken.

One of the most common mistakes of a parent is to think their child is oblivious to their suffering. Freminet wasn't dumb, he could notice her sadness hidden under her small smiles and silence.

So he spent the next day fixing an old pendant his mother had found on the way back home some other day. It was a mystery to them on how it worked, so it had been left to dust on the same shelf the coin pot used to be.

“Mom!”

He ran excitedly to the front door, hugging her before she could even take off her boots. In one of his hands was the pendant he had been so eager to fix, now clean and working. It was the thing that took him the longest to adjust.

“I fixed it for you.”

Her face lit up at the sight of the pendant. Camille had thought her son had just given up on that thing, he even said to himself that it was too difficult to fix. Yet, she kept it due to how pretty the pendant looked like.

“It's… thank you, Freminet.”

It seemed like all her stress simply disappeared. Her arms embraced him in a warm hug as she felt like crying, but one of her principles was to not cry in front of Freminet. She would never do it, not in a happy moment.

As the first musical notes started coming out of the object, she couldn't stop thinking about how gifted Freminet was when it came to dealing with mechanical stuff. A part of her felt guilty for how she had been exploiting his abilities without his knowledge, but she couldn't help when it was a way to get more money.

They spent their time there, by the door, listening to the melody coming from the pendant. At the sight of Freminet's happiness, she could help but smile. But this time, it wasn't a fake one to appease him or anything; her smile was genuine.

Freminet's mother was everything to him; his pride and joy of every single day. Seeing her in front of him with a smile on her face is what keeps him going every single day.

“Mom… I made a friend.”

“A friend…” she repeated his words with a surprised tone, “that's awesome, Freminet.”

She kissed his forehead before bringing him closer, hands caressing his head ever so delicately.

“You have a friend now, and that's better than anything else. You don't need to make many friends, but have trustworthy ones.

“Mom’s happy for you, Freminet. You can always count on me to help you, and remember: friends should always trust and care for each other.”

So now that Freminet has a friend, he'll do just like his mother said and make sure to take care of her friend. He'll try his best, even when his shyness makes it impossible for him to do something; he'll be there for them.

“[Name]?”

Their fingers unconsciously went to their throat. The day they lost their head wasn't something easy to forget no matter how much they've tried, the feeling of humiliation and hatred that boiled inside their veins would never be forgotten. Maybe if they had the courage to run away—

“Why are you crying?”

Freminet carefully approached them, holding the flower crown he had previously made in his hands. He might not know the circumstances behind their tears, but he tried to understand them.

Seeing he was met with no answer, he just placed the flower crown on their head. The daisies adorned their hair perfectly, it suited [Name] as if it was truly made especially for them. Maybe it was, not that Freminet had the courage to say it.

But what was more fitting was their meaning: new beginnings. A new life should be lived without fear from your last one, so why should they stay chained to the guillotine? It's easier said than done, even more with the circumstances around their death.

The flower crown was a painful reminder that they should be living this new life at their fullest, so why weren't they? [Name] felt like a caged dove for all their lives, but never once they had the will to change their destiny. It was quite hypocritical of them.

Freminet couldn't say [Name] didn't have their flaws, everyone does. But what bothered him the most was the way they tried to dismiss their feelings as if they weren't important.

And so he gathered all the courage inside of him and gave them a hug. His face wasn't embarrassed this time, but peaceful. He would help his friend just like his mother said, giving pats on their back as they sobbed on his shoulder.

“Let's celebrate your birthday while watching the fireworks. Okay?”

Freminet may be shy and a bit awkward, but deep inside he had a big heart and a weight to carry on his shoulders. A storm can destroy him, but as long as the people he cherish are well, he'll be fine. Even if that meant sacrificing his own happiness.

So even if his only worth lied on tinkering with mechanics or in the little diving he did when he could, Freminet wanted to try and go out of his shell.

Because just like everyone else, Freminet had his faults. And his main one was innocence, painfully reminded by the daisies he plucked from the ground with his bare hands.