Genshin Fluff - Blog Posts

𝐝𝐫.𝐚𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐦 ‧₊˚ (fluff)

╰┈➤ fem reader. reader is haitham’s patient (this may be a bit self indulgent hehe). mild flirting. fluff. attempt at comedy, just a drabble ig, i love alhaitham fr— just wanted to write something small before disappearing again ehe. masterlist

The first time you met Dr. Alhaitham, he walked in like a problem you weren’t ready to solve.

The door eased open with a soft click, and you barely had a second to breathe before he stepped through. And just like that, every rational thought in your head short-circuited.

He was tall—so tall—and built like the universe had carefully balanced strength and elegance just for him. His white coat hung open, effortlessly draped over broad shoulders, the fabric swaying slightly with each step like it knew how lucky it was. Underneath, his black button up shirt fit too well and his tie perfectly in place.

But it was his face that hit the hardest.

Angular jaw. Perfectly cut cheekbones. Lips set in a neutral line that looked like they’d never curve into anything as mundane as a smile. His hair—a soft grey, slightly tousled like he'd run a hand through it absentmindedly—framed his face with just enough dishevelment to be maddening.

And then his eyes met yours.

Cool, turquoise irises - pupils rimmed with amber. Focused. Sharp. Like a lens sliding into place. He looked at you—not through you, not past you, but at you—and your brain promptly melted into static.

You forgot how to sit properly.

You shifted on the exam table and winced at the ridiculously loud crinkle of the paper beneath you. Great. Smooth. Very dignified.

He glanced down at his tablet. “Name?”

You mumbled it. Or at least, you think you did. Your mouth moved, and he didn’t ask again, so that was something.

His gaze flicked up again, this time assessing. “Hm.”

Just hm.

You wanted to die. Or be swallowed whole by the earth. Or maybe just crawl under the table and never come out again.

He walked closer, writing a few things down, entirely unfazed. His presence filled the room with a kind of quiet intensity, like a thunderstorm just waiting to happen. He asked clinical questions in a deep, calm voice that was way too smooth for your current state of mind.

When he stepped beside you and reached for your wrist, you nearly levitated off the table.

His fingers were precise, cool, steady as they pressed against your skin. Meanwhile, you were vibrating at a frequency only small rodents could hear.

“Pulse is elevated,” he said absently, glancing at the numbers. “Unusual.”

You cleared your throat. “I’m—uh. Just—nervous.”

“I assumed,” he replied, flatly. “Though I haven’t done anything yet.”

Oh my god.

Was that deadpan sarcasm? Was that dry humour? From him?

Your face burned. You could feel the flush rising like a tidal wave, heat crawling up your neck and settling in your ears.

He tilted his head slightly, studying you again. Not with empathy. Not with judgment. Just that same unreadable curiosity, like you were a particularly odd research sample.

“Try to relax. You're only making it worse.”

You let out a high-pitched laugh that did not help your case.

He returned to his notes without another word, cool and methodical as he moved through the rest of the exam. Every brush of contact was maddening. He was so calm, so put-together, while you were over here trying not to pass out from sheer mortification.

Finally, he stepped back and moved to the door.

He paused there, one hand on the handle.

“You should drink more water,” he said, still not looking back. “And maybe avoid overly stimulating environments.”

Then, after a beat—so soft you almost missed it:

“Charismatic doctors included.”

The door clicked shut behind him.

You sat there, frozen, heart racing like you'd just run a marathon on zero sleep and five cups of coffee.

You buried your burning face in your hands.

You were so, so doomed.

The second time you met Dr. Alhaitham, you told yourself it was just a check-up. Just routine. Just to confirm you’re healthy. That’s all.

You definitely didn’t fix your hair twice in the waiting room. Or rehearse what you’d say if he asked anything personal. Or almost chicken out at the front desk.

And then… there he is again.

Same white coat. Same unreadable face. Clipboard in hand. He doesn’t smile. He nods. That’s it. Like you’re a piece of data.

“Still having the same symptoms?” he asks, setting his pen against paper, eyes flicking up for half a second.

“No,” you say too quickly. “I mean—yes. I mean—sort of?” You feel the shame rise like steam in your face. Be normal, you beg yourself silently. Be a normal human.

His brow furrows. “That’s… not very clear.” He’s not being rude. He’s just direct. His voice is so flat, so serious, it makes you squirm.

You try to say something coherent while he approaches with the stethoscope. And then it happens again—he touches your wrist to take your pulse.

Immediate panic.

He blinks. “Still elevated.”

“It’s warm in here,” you blurt.

He tilts his head slightly. “It’s… twenty-two degrees Celsius.”

You die. Right there. He probably thinks you’re about to pass out. Or lying. Or both. Meanwhile, he’s moving through the appointment like you’re not experiencing a romantic crisis every time he breathes near you.

“You’re giggling,” he says, suddenly.

You freeze. “I’m—not!”

He looks up. That same unreadable stare. “You are. It’s fine. Some patients get nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” you say way too fast, your voice a squeak now.

He just nods again. “Hmm.”

Hmm.

That’s it. You’re never recovering from this.

Then, as he’s about to leave, he pauses. Flips through his notes.

“You drink enough water now?” he asks without looking at you.

Your stomach flips. He remembered.

You nod.

“Good,” he says. Still serious. Still calm. Still a walking paradox of soft hands and distant eyes. “You seem better. Maybe next time, you won’t giggle.”

And then he leaves.

And you sit there.

Absolutely gone.

The third time you met Dr. Alhaitham, you weren’t supposed to be here. You just needed toothpaste. That’s all. One boring little errand.

You’re in your softest hoodie, your least presentable state, and you’re standing in the pharmacy aisle, zoning out while debating between two brands of lip balm—because clearly, your life is thrilling.

And then, you hear it. That voice. Calm, low, quiet—but unmistakable.

“Excuse me.”

You turn.

It’s him.

Your doctor. In a black button-up and fitted trousers. No white coat. No clipboard. No clinical detachment to protect you.

Just… him. Hair slightly tousled. Glasses pushed up on his nose. Holding a box of vitamins like it’s the most casual thing in the world.

You nearly drop your chapstick.

“Oh,” you say. Too loudly. Too high-pitched. “Hi.”

His eyes land on you, calm as ever, and he nods like it’s perfectly normal that the man you’ve been lowkey fantasizing about is now standing three feet away by the travel-size shampoo.

“I remember you,” he says, flatly. Not unkind. Just observant.

You nearly ascend. “Uh—yeah. I’m… still hydrated.”

A pause. The corner of his mouth twitches. Twitches.

“That’s good,” he says, and somehow it sounds like a compliment.

You just stare. Like an idiot. Because he’s wearing a real person outfit. And his sleeves are rolled up. And his forearms exist. And he’s not doing anything wrong, but you’re actively malfunctioning.

He glances down at the item in his hand, then holds it up. “Do you know if these actually help? I’ve read mixed studies on the absorption rate.”

He’s asking you. For an opinion. On vitamins. And you’re trying to remember how to form a sentence.

“I—I mean, I just… get the gummies,” you say.

He actually blinks. “Gummies?”

You nod. “They’re easier to… chew?”

Another pause. And then, a quiet, rare sound: a soft huff of amusement. You don’t even think it’s a laugh. But it’s close enough to make your chest burst like a firework.

“You’re different outside the clinic,” he says simply.

You panic. “Is that bad?”

“No,” he says, adjusting his glasses. “Just… surprising.”

Your heartbeat is in your ears.

You manage a half-smile. “You’re different too.”

He tilts his head. “How so?”

“You… have forearms.”

His eyebrows go up. You want to eat the floor.

“I mean—not that I think about your forearms—I just—”

He’s watching you. Quiet. Sharp. Then he says, very calmly:

“You’re blushing again.”

You wish for lightning to strike you on the spot. He adjusts the box in his hand like this is all very standard and unremarkable.

And then, as casually as anything:

“I’ll remember the gummies next time.”

And he walks away.

Leaving you standing there like a disaster in a hoodie, holding two kinds of lip balm and a pounding heart.

The fouth time you met Dr. Alhaitham, the waiting room is cold again, or maybe you’re just more sensitive today. You clutch your jacket tighter, feeling that weird mix of dizzy and tired that’s been creeping up for days. You told yourself it was nothing—just stress, maybe. But now you’re here again.

The nurse calls your name, and your heart skips. Because you already know who’s going to be behind that door.

You step into the exam room and sit down, and sure enough—there he is. Doctor Serious. Doctor Calm. Doctor devastating.

Except this time, his eyes linger longer when he sees you.

“You don’t look well,” he says immediately.

You blink. “Gee, thanks.” why do you think I am here ? well it is also to stare at your gorgeous face but I am not going to disclose that to you.

His brow lifts. You didn’t mean to sound so sarcastic. But your voice is quieter than usual, and your usual panic feels dulled by how out-of-it you feel. He steps closer, watching you carefully.

“Dizzy spells?” he asks, sitting down across from you. “Headaches?”

You nod. “Yeah. And I feel kinda tired all the time. Like… weirdly tired.”

He watches you. Really watches you. “Have you been eating regularly?”

You hesitate. “Um. I mean. Mostly. Maybe not perfectly.”

“Have you fainted?”

“No,” you say. “I just… feel like a dying Victorian woman sometimes.”

That earns a real reaction: a soft exhale, not quite a laugh—but the closest you’ve ever gotten. He looks at you again, like he’s trying to read through your jokes.

“Victorian woman,” he echoes.

You shrug weakly. “I’d look really cute collapsing into someone’s arms.”

His lips twitch. “Let’s avoid collapsing for now.”

He runs a few tests, checking your pulse again—so gently—and this time when your heart spikes, he doesn’t even comment on it. He just looks at you, a bit more quietly than usual.

“Your iron might be low,” he says. “Have you been on your period recently?”

You blink. “Why would you—how’d you—?”

“You’ve been here before,” he says simply. “You were flushed and talkative. Now you’re pale and slow to respond.”

You stare. “So you… remember me that well?”

He doesn’t answer. Just writes something into his file.

And then, suddenly, he says:

“You were at the pharmacy the other day.”

Your stomach flips. “Yeah.”

“I bought the gummies,” he says.

You blink. “Did they change your life?”

“Not yet,” he murmurs, writing something down. Then: “I don’t usually see patients outside the clinic.”

You don’t know what to say. He doesn’t look at you as he speaks, but his voice is… softer.

“I just mean,” he says slowly, “you’re different. Less anxious today. Or maybe just tired.”

He looks up, and for the first time, there’s something like concern in his eyes.

“I want you to get a blood test,” he says. “I’ll write a referral.”

You nod, barely processing, because all you can focus on is the way he’s not looking at you like you’re a puzzle anymore. He’s looking at you like he actually… cares - well he is a doctor it is his job to treat you, his patient and to care for you as his patient.

And when you stand up to leave, a little wobbly on your feet, he places a hand gently—so gently—at your elbow.

“Careful,” he says. “You’re still a little pale.”

You look up at him.

“Will you be there when I collapse dramatically?” you ask, trying to joke through the fog in your head.

He doesn’t smile. But his voice is quieter than ever when he replies:

“Always.”

And then he lets go.

part 2

usagii's note ‧₊˚

welp, ill write another part tmr when i come back from college, ugh i love haitham, i wish he was real ssksjkjskjs

♡...in which alhaitham is your childhood friend.

♡...warnings : fluff and slight angst.

♡...note: i wrote this half asleep but i really wanted to write this idea <3

word count: 6.7k

The classroom was stifling, filled with the low hum of students reciting their lessons, but Alhaitham sat in the back, his head resting on his hand, eyes half-lidded in boredom. The teacher had given up on him for the day, again. He’d finished the exercises in a fraction of the time it took everyone else, leaving the teacher visibly frustrated. "Alhaitham," she had sighed, exasperated. "If you’re not going to participate at the same pace as the class, you can go sit outside."

So there he was—sitting on the bench outside the classroom, staring at the dust swirling in the hot afternoon air. He didn’t understand why his abilities seemed to be such a burden. His grandmother always told him that being different was a gift, but it didn’t feel that way when his intelligence only isolated him from everyone else.

He wondered if being "gifted" was just another way of saying you didn’t belong.

Just as he was sinking further into his thoughts, the door of the neighboring classroom burst open with a sharp clang. You stomped out, your brows furrowed in frustration, clutching a worn sketchbook in your hands. The teacher had kicked you out for the third time that week, irritated by your constant drawing during lessons. You hadn’t even been trying to hide it.

You glanced around, noticing the boy sitting alone on the bench, and without hesitation, made your way over and plopped down beside him, the wooden seat creaking slightly under your weight. For a moment, you just stared ahead, still fuming from the unfairness of it all.

After a moment, you turned to look at him. “Why did you get kicked out?”

Alhaitham blinked, a bit startled by your directness. He hadn’t expected you to speak to him, let alone with that bluntness. “I… finished the work too fast,” he said simply, unsure if that was a reason worth mentioning.

You snorted, rolling your eyes. “Really? They kicked you out for being smart?”

He shrugged. “They said I wasn’t participating properly.”

“That’s stupid,” you muttered, crossing your arms. “I got kicked out for drawing again.” You lifted your sketchbook slightly, showing him the half-finished sketch of a bird you’d been working on when the teacher had confiscated it. “Apparently, art doesn’t count as learning.”

Alhaitham looked at the sketch, noting how detailed it was for someone your age. “It’s good.”

You gave him a sideways glance, surprised. Most of the other kids didn’t understand your drawing, let alone compliment it. You raised an eyebrow at him. “Thanks, I guess. Still doesn’t stop them from kicking me out.”

For a while, neither of you spoke. You both sat there, two kids thrown out of their classrooms because being "different" was seen as wrong. You could feel the unfairness of it sitting heavy in the air between you—your art, his intelligence. It was as if neither of you fit the mold they wanted you to.

After a while, the sound of the school bell signaled the end of the day. Children began pouring out of the classrooms, their excited voices filling the courtyard as they were met by their parents. You stood up, stretching your legs, but as you glanced toward the gate, you noticed Alhaitham was still sitting there, waiting for someone.

A group of boys stood nearby, whispering to each other and shooting glances his way. You watched as one of them called out, "Where’s your mum, genius? Oh wait, you don’t have one, right? Just your grandma."

Alhaitham’s face remained expressionless, though you could see the slight tension in his shoulders. He didn’t react. He never did. But the words still stung.

Before you could think, you reached into your bag and grabbed the first thing your hand touched—a small peach from lunch. Without hesitating, you hurled it at the group. The peach hit one of the boys square in the back, and he whirled around, startled.

"Who—?!" He stopped short when he saw you standing there, glaring at him. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it and quickly walked away with the rest of his group, muttering under his breath.

You turned back to Alhaitham, who was now staring at you, wide-eyed. “Why did you do that?”

“Why not?” you replied with a shrug. “They were being jerks.”

He blinked, as if trying to make sense of what had just happened. He was used to dealing with things on his own—being the “genius,” the one “born different” like his parents, had always meant walking his own path. The idea that someone else would stand up for him… was new.

“I’ll walk with you,” you said, offering your hand. “My dad’s busy, so I usually walk home alone anyway.”

Hesitantly, Alhaitham reached out and took your hand. The warmth of your fingers wrapping around his felt strange but comforting. He couldn’t quite place the feeling—it wasn’t something he was used to. Yet as you started walking together, a small part of him began to feel like maybe, just maybe, being different wasn’t so bad after all.

The walk to Alhaitham’s house was quiet, the sun casting long shadows across the dusty streets of Sumeru City. You kept your hand in his, feeling the slight stiffness in his grip as if he didn’t quite know how to hold it, but you didn’t mind. It was strange, but in a nice way, walking with someone who didn’t rush to fill the silence with useless chatter.

As you neared his house, you saw it was nestled between a few others, slightly older but well-kept. The door was painted a deep green, vines climbing up the side of the building, the vibrant leaves glowing under the afternoon light. You stopped just short of the steps leading up to the front door.

“This is your place?” you asked, glancing up at the house.

Alhaitham nodded. “Yes. My grandmother lives here.”

Before either of you could say more, the door creaked open, and an older woman stepped out. She was small and frail-looking, but her eyes were sharp and bright, filled with a wisdom that seemed to stretch back through the ages. Her grey hair was pinned up neatly, and she wore simple, well-tailored clothes, the kind you’d imagine a scholar might wear. You noticed the subtle ink stains on her sleeves—she clearly spent her time among books.

“There you are, Alhaitham,” she said with a warm smile, her voice soft but firm. Then, her gaze flickered over to you, and her smile grew wider. “And who is this?”

You hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling a little out of place, but you met her gaze. “I… I’m a friend. I walked him home.”

Alhaitham’s grandmother studied you for a moment, her sharp eyes assessing but not unkind. She nodded approvingly. “Thank you for looking after him.” Then she turned back to Alhaitham. “You should introduce your friend properly, Alhaitham.”

Alhaitham blinked, as if the concept of introductions had momentarily escaped him. “This is… um…”

“Y/N,” you filled in, smiling a little at his awkwardness.

“Y/N,” he repeated, glancing at you for a second before turning back to his grandmother.

His grandmother nodded thoughtfully. “Ah, Y/N. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Alhaitham’s is welcome here.”

The word "friend" hung in the air for a moment, and you could see the faintest flicker of surprise cross Alhaitham’s face. Perhaps the idea of having a friend was still something new for him. You remembered the way the other kids treated him—the way they treated both of you, really. Being different in Sumeru wasn’t something to be celebrated, not when it came to talents that set you apart from the ordinary.

“I didn’t do much,” you said modestly, shrugging. “Just made sure no one bothered him.”

Alhaitham’s grandmother smiled knowingly. “That’s more than enough.”

For a brief moment, you felt a warmth from her that reminded you of your own dad, who, despite being so busy, cared deeply for you. It was strange to think that the boy who seemed so alone at school had this calm, intelligent woman guiding him through life. You wondered what it was like to grow up in a family of scholars, with everyone expecting greatness from you before you even had a chance to discover it for yourself.

“Would you like to stay for some tea, Y/N?” his grandmother offered kindly.

Before you could answer, Alhaitham spoke up. “She should probably get home. Her dad is busy, and she usually walks alone.”

You looked at him, a little surprised that he remembered. But his grandmother’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she nodded. “Of course. Another time, perhaps. You’re welcome anytime.”

You smiled, appreciating the gesture, but you did have to get back. “Thanks, maybe another day.”

As you turned to leave, Alhaitham’s grandmother’s voice followed you. “Remember, Y/N. Being different is a gift. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

You glanced back at her, those words lingering in the air. They seemed to hold more weight coming from someone who clearly understood what it meant to stand apart from the world’s expectations. You gave a small nod before heading back down the street, your heart feeling a little lighter than it had before.

Alhaitham stood by the door with his grandmother, watching you disappear into the distance. He didn’t understand this feeling yet, the warmth that seemed to fill his chest whenever you were near. But as he closed the door behind him, something told him that you, too, understood what it was like to be set apart, and maybe—just maybe—that made all the difference.

As the years passed, you and Alhaitham became inseparable, though your bond grew in a way that remained largely unspoken. You had both found comfort in each other's presence—two children who had been marked as "different," yet somehow understood that being different wasn’t a burden but a quiet kind of strength.

Your days were often spent together, even when words weren’t necessary. You’d sit under the same large tree after school, you with your sketchbook and he with a book in hand, both of you immersed in your worlds but connected by the mere fact that you didn’t need to explain yourselves to each other. Alhaitham would read with a quiet intensity, his mind clearly miles ahead of his peers, while you sketched your surroundings—people, birds, the intricate patterns of the leaves dancing in the wind.

Despite his aloof nature, Alhaitham slowly began to appreciate your presence. You weren’t like the others, the ones who either sought to belittle him or use him for his intellect. You never asked him to explain the things he knew, never prodded him with questions about why he was so smart, why he didn’t fit in. You simply let him be.

Sometimes, in rare moments, he would glance up from his book to watch you sketch. You never noticed, or if you did, you never said anything. You’d often mutter to yourself as you drew, deep in concentration, criticizing a line here or pondering aloud whether to add more shading there. And though Alhaitham never admitted it, he found your artistic process fascinating in its own right. You had a way of seeing the world in shapes, light, and shadow, the same way he saw it in logic and reason.

By the time you were both teenagers, your friendship had solidified into something unshakable, though neither of you had ever put a label on it. You had both grown—Alhaitham into the quiet, intellectual type that the Akademiya would undoubtedly be drawn to, and you into a more expressive, artistic soul whose talent had only grown more refined. Though your interests differed, your paths always seemed to align.

It was during your early teenage years that Alhaitham began to take his studies more seriously. His grandmother, always supportive of his brilliance, had begun preparing him for the Akademiya. His natural intellect and analytical prowess were already far beyond what most of the instructors at the school could teach him, and the Akademiya was the logical next step.

The day he told you about his future plans, you were sitting together in your usual spot under the tree, your sketchbook open on your lap as you worked on yet another drawing of the city skyline. Alhaitham was quieter than usual, lost in thought, and it didn’t take long for you to notice.

“What’s on your mind, Haitham?” you asked, using the nickname you’d given him long ago. He only allowed you to call him that—anyone else who tried would be met with a cold stare.

He closed his book and looked at you, his gaze steady. “My grandmother wants me to enroll at the Akademiya.”

You paused mid-sketch, your pencil hovering over the page as you processed his words. You’d known this day would come eventually—he was too brilliant not to go—but the idea of him being at the Akademiya, immersed in a world of scholars and intellects, somehow felt distant and cold. A part of you worried that it would change things between you.

“You knew this would happen, right?” he continued, watching your reaction carefully. “I’ve always planned on going.”

You nodded slowly, putting your pencil down. “Yeah, I knew. It’s just… the Akademiya. It’s different. You’ll be surrounded by people who are just like you.”

He frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Smart people,” you replied with a shrug, trying to keep your voice light, though the worry lingered at the edge of your thoughts. “People who are probably going to understand you in ways I never will.”

Alhaitham was silent for a moment, his gaze never leaving yours. Then, in his usual straightforward manner, he said, “That’s not true. They might understand my knowledge, but they don’t know me.”

You blinked, caught off guard by his words. Alhaitham was never one to speak about emotions or anything too personal. Yet, the weight of his statement hung in the air between you, and you realized what he meant. It wasn’t just about being smart; it was about the connection the two of you shared—something that went beyond words or intellect.

You smiled softly, feeling a little foolish for doubting. “I guess you’re right.”

He looked at you for a long moment before turning his attention back to his book. “Besides, the Akademiya is just another place to learn. It doesn’t change anything.”

And, in typical Alhaitham fashion, that was the end of that conversation.

The day he was officially accepted into the Akademiya was a quiet one. There were no grand celebrations, no overly emotional goodbyes. His grandmother congratulated him with her usual calm pride, and you… you simply met him under the tree like always.

But something was different. You both knew it, even if neither of you said it out loud.

You handed him a sketch that day, one you’d been working on for a while in secret. It was a detailed drawing of the two of you sitting under the tree, books and sketchpads scattered around, just like the countless afternoons you’d spent together. It was your way of capturing the moment, freezing it in time before things inevitably changed.

Alhaitham took the sketch, his fingers brushing the edge of the paper as he studied it. “You drew this?”

You nodded, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. “Yeah. I figured you should have something to remind you of home.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he folded the sketch carefully and slipped it into the front cover of his book—a quiet but significant gesture.

“Thanks,” he said simply, but you knew, in his own way, that he meant it.

---

The Akademiya was everything you had imagined it would be—prestigious, rigorous, and filled with students who were just as sharp and talented as Alhaitham. He fit in seamlessly, his intellect quickly earning him a place among the top scholars.

Yet, despite the demands of his studies, Alhaitham never drifted away from you. He still came back to Sumeru City often, and when he did, the two of you would slip right back into your old routine—sitting under the tree, you with your sketchbook and he with his books.

There were times when you visited him at the Akademiya, too. The towering buildings of the institution intimidated you at first, but you quickly found that, with Alhaitham by your side, you had nothing to fear. He introduced you to the library, showing you sections filled with texts that most people your age wouldn’t have even heard of, let alone understood. You watched him interact with the other students—aloof, confident, and always in control.

Despite his growing reputation as a brilliant but somewhat detached scholar, you saw the parts of him that others didn’t. The way his eyes would soften slightly when he spoke about his grandmother, the way he’d listen carefully when you talked about your latest artistic project, even if it wasn’t something he fully understood.

And though neither of you ever said it out loud, you both knew that your bond, forged in childhood and strengthened over the years, was something rare—something that no amount of Akademiya knowledge or scholarly prestige could replace.

---

The inevitable question of the future loomed over you. Alhaitham’s place at the Akademiya was secure, his path clear. You, on the other hand, weren’t quite sure where you fit into the grand scheme of things. Your art had grown more refined, your talent undeniable, but the world didn’t seem to value creativity in the same way it did intellect.

One afternoon, while sitting under the tree, you voiced your concerns aloud for the first time. “Do you ever wonder if we’re supposed to fit into certain roles?” you asked, absentmindedly sketching the edge of a leaf.

Alhaitham glanced up from his book, his brow furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”

You sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk. “I mean… you’re destined for the Akademiya. You always have been. But me? I don’t know where I’m supposed to go.”

He was silent for a long moment, his gaze thoughtful as he considered your words. “You’re an artist. That’s where you belong.”

“But what if it’s not enough?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. “What if the world doesn’t need art?”

Alhaitham’s gaze softened in a way that was rare for him, and he set his book aside. “The world doesn’t need most things. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t important.”

You looked at him, surprised by the quiet conviction in his words.

“I’ve seen the way you look at the world,” he continued, his voice steady. “You see things in a way that most people don’t. That’s your gift. Just because it doesn’t fit into the Akademiya’s way of thinking doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable.”

You felt a warmth spread through your chest at his words, the kind of reassurance you hadn’t even known you needed.

For the first time in a long while, you didn’t feel so lost. And as you looked at Alhaitham, sitting there beside you, you realized that no matter where life took you, this bond, this friendship, would remain

As the years passed, your bond with Alhaitham deepened. He wasn’t the most expressive or emotional person, but you learned to read the subtle ways in which he showed that he cared. The moments you shared were often quiet, filled with comfortable silences as you both worked on your individual projects—Alhaitham with his studies and you with your sketches, which had become more intricate and beautiful as you grew older.

He had introduced you to books that went beyond the curriculum, texts from the Akademiya that challenged your thinking, and though you weren't academically inclined, you appreciated the way Alhaitham's mind worked. In turn, you’d share your art with him—showing him your latest sketches and projects, which ranged from detailed drawings of nature to abstract depictions of your thoughts and feelings. He didn’t always understand your creative process, but he admired your skill, especially the passion behind every line and stroke. The two of you complemented each other in ways that neither of you had ever expected.

When you weren’t drawing, you were often with him, exploring the libraries of Sumeru City, wandering through its bustling markets, or simply sitting by the riverbank, enjoying the quiet moments together. Alhaitham had never been one for grand gestures or declarations, but you’d caught the way his gaze lingered on you sometimes—soft, thoughtful, as though he was memorizing every detail of your face.

By the time you were both teenagers, it was clear to everyone around you that your relationship had evolved into something more. Even if neither of you had admitted it out loud, the unspoken connection between you grew stronger with each passing day.

That connection was precisely what was on Alhaitham’s mind as he paced outside his house, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. He had spent weeks thinking about it, planning it, and today—today was finally the day. He was going to confess his feelings to you. He had never been one for sentimentality, but after years of friendship, study sessions, and quiet moments spent together, it had become undeniable. You were important to him, in ways that transcended logic and reason.

He had rehearsed the words in his head a hundred times, though they never sounded quite right. Still, Alhaitham was determined to tell you—today.

But as he made his way to your house, hoping to catch you before your evening sketching session by the river, a feeling of unease settled in his chest. The atmosphere around your home seemed different, more tense. When he arrived, he found you outside, sitting on the front steps with your sketchbook resting on your knees, but there was something off about your expression. You weren’t drawing, just staring at the ground, as if lost in thought.

“Y/N,” he called out, and you looked up, your eyes clouded with something he couldn’t quite place.

“Hey, Alhaitham.” Your voice was soft, and he immediately knew something was wrong.

He approached slowly, sitting down beside you on the steps, waiting for you to speak. You had always been the more expressive one, able to put emotions into words while he struggled with them, so he waited.

“My dad’s leaving for Liyue,” you said quietly after a long pause.

Alhaitham’s brow furrowed. “For how long?”

“Two weeks. Business trip.” You bit your lip, your fingers tightening around the edges of your sketchbook. “I’m going with him.”

He blinked, taken aback. He hadn’t expected that. “You’re going with him?”

“Yeah,” you sighed, staring down at your sketchbook. “He asked me to come along. Said it’d be a good experience for me. I’m leaving today.”

Alhaitham felt a jolt of surprise. You were leaving today? He had been so focused on confessing his feelings that he hadn’t anticipated the possibility of you not being around.

The news hit him harder than he expected. He had wanted to tell you everything, wanted to finally put his feelings into words, but now… it didn’t feel like the right time. How could he confess now, only for you to leave? And what if something changed while you were away?

For the first time in his life, Alhaitham hesitated.

“Well… I suppose I can tell you when you come back,” he said quietly, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

You turned to him, frowning. “Tell me what?”

He paused for a moment, meeting your gaze, but then shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “It’s nothing. It can wait. I’ll tell you when you return.”

You stared at him for a moment longer, as if trying to figure out what he wasn’t saying, but eventually, you nodded. “Alright… I’ll hold you to that.”

There was a strange weight between you now, something unsaid that lingered in the air. You both stood up, and for a brief moment, you hesitated before stepping closer to him. You weren’t the kind to hug often, but in that moment, it felt right. You wrapped your arms around him, holding him tightly.

“I’ll miss you,” you said quietly, your voice muffled against his chest.

Alhaitham froze for a second, caught off guard by the hug, but then his arms slowly came around you, holding you in return. The warmth of your embrace filled the emptiness he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying.

“I’ll miss you too,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

When you pulled away, you gave him a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes. You grabbed your bag from the steps and slung it over your shoulder, then turned toward the path that led to the main road, where your father was waiting with the carriage.

“I’ll see you in two weeks, Alhaitham,” you called out, waving as you started walking away.

He stood there, watching you go, the words he hadn’t said still lodged in his throat. He would wait until you came back, he told himself. He could wait. Two weeks wasn’t so long. You’d return, and then he’d tell you everything.

But as he watched you disappear down the road, a strange feeling gnawed at the back of his mind—a nagging sense that something wasn’t quite right. What he didn’t know, what neither of you knew, was that your trip to Liyue would be far longer than either of you had anticipated.

When you left Sumeru all those years ago, Alhaitham didn’t think much of the two-week trip. He expected you to return soon, and he had held onto the hope of confessing his feelings as soon as you were back. But when days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, the reality of your absence began to weigh on him.

You’d left your art behind, your sketchbook sitting on the desk where you used to draw, pages half-filled with ideas and fragments of your mind. Alhaitham found himself flipping through it occasionally, his fingers brushing over the pages. He was never one to dwell on emotions or let them consume him, but the emptiness left by your sudden departure was hard to ignore. He missed the way you’d ramble about your latest ideas, missed watching you sketch with that focused look in your eyes.

At first, he buried himself in his studies. He was, after all, a logical person—someone who sought knowledge above all else. He excelled in every subject, his intellect sharp and precise, gaining recognition at the Akademiya for his dedication and brilliance. By the time he was twenty Alhaitham was already on the path to becoming one of the most esteemed scholars in Sumeru. He should’ve felt fulfilled by his success—his life was progressing exactly as he had planned.

But there was always that lingering emptiness. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something important was missing.

Even as the years passed, the absence of your presence in his life was a constant. He heard little of your whereabouts, and whenever he saw your old sketchbook on the shelf, he was reminded of the quiet moments you used to share. He often wondered what had happened to you. Why had you stayed away so long? What had kept you from coming back?

Ten years later, at twenty-seven, Alhaitham had become a well-respected scribe. He had moved out of his childhood home and had his own home whom he shared with Kaveh, who was—unfortunately for Alhaitham—an incredibly vocal and emotional roommate. They often found themselves at the local café, Kaveh talking about the latest architectural projects or complaining about his own work, while Alhaitham kept his nose buried in a book, barely paying attention to Kaveh’s ramblings.

Alhaitham’s mind barely registered Kaveh’s endless chatter as he focused on his book. He wasn’t one to let distractions pull him away, but the familiar sound of the Traveler’s voice reached his ears. His brows furrowed in mild curiosity, and his gaze flickered toward the café’s entrance.

The Traveler stood there, Paimon floating beside them, talking animatedly. But his eyes weren’t drawn to them. Instead, they were pulled to the figure standing beside the Traveler—a woman dressed in elegant Liyuean attire, her silhouette framed by the café's warm light. At first, he didn’t recognize her, his mind struggling to place the image with his memories.

But then, like a flash of clarity, it hit him.

It was you.

Alhaitham froze, his heart skipping a beat as he stared at you. You had changed so much over the years, your teenage softness replaced by the refined elegance of a grown woman. Your Liyuean clothes—a long, flowing dress in shades of deep red and gold with intricate patterns—hugged your form with a grace that seemed to suit you perfectly. A simple but delicate hairpin glinted in your hair, securing it neatly behind your head. The outfit made you look almost regal, exuding the kind of maturity that hadn’t been there the last time he’d seen you.

You turned slightly, laughing at something the Traveler said, and in that moment, your eyes met his.

For a second, time seemed to stop. The café’s noise, Kaveh’s voice, everything faded into the background as your gaze locked onto his. Your smile faltered, and the laughter that had just been on your lips disappeared as your eyes widened in shock.

You hadn’t expected to see him. Not here, not so soon. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room as you tried to process the reality of seeing Alhaitham again after all these years.

For a moment, you were the teenager you had been, standing in front of him all over again. Memories of Sumeru, of your days spent sketching beside him, of the time you had shared, all came rushing back with a force that left you breathless. You hadn’t realized how much you had missed him—until now.

He had changed, too. The boy you once knew had grown into a man. He was taller, broader, his physique more defined, and there was an air of quiet strength about him that hadn’t been there before. His grey-green eyes, always sharp and thoughtful, were now piercing as they looked at you, a mix of shock and disbelief swimming in them.

Paimon was the first to break the silence, her eyes lighting up in recognition. “Oh, Alhaitham!” she called, waving at him enthusiastically. “It’s you!”

The Traveler followed Paimon’s lead, giving a small wave. “Alhaitham, it’s been a while.”

But you were still frozen, your lips parting as if to say something, but no words came out. Slowly, you made your way over to his table, your legs moving almost on autopilot. The closer you got, the more real it felt, and the butterflies in your stomach twisted into a knot.

You stopped just in front of him, staring at him for a long moment before a smile—a hesitant, almost disbelieving smile—began to form on your lips.

“Alhaitham…” you said, your voice soft, as if testing the name. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

He blinked, still processing your presence, before his features shifted into something unreadable. “You’re back,” he finally said, his tone calm, though there was a slight tension in his voice.

“I’m back,” you confirmed, though the words felt heavy, as if there was so much more behind them. Your gaze swept over him again, taking in the changes, before you let out a soft chuckle. “You’ve… gotten bigger. Stronger. I guess you could protect me now, huh?”

The teasing tone in your voice brought a flicker of something in his eyes—amusement, maybe. But it was fleeting.

“I suppose so,” he replied, though his eyes never left yours, searching for something. The quiet between you felt charged, as if the years apart had left too many things unspoken.

You shifted slightly, trying to ground yourself in the moment, your hand brushing the fabric of your Liyuean dress. “I never thought I’d see you again, at least not so soon.”

“Neither did I,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “What happened? Why didn’t you come back?”

Your smile faltered, the weight of your answer settling over you. You let out a small sigh, lowering your gaze for a moment before meeting his eyes again. “It’s… a long story,” you said softly. “My dad got stuck in Liyue. He… ran into some debt, and things got complicated. We ended up staying there much longer than we expected.”

Alhaitham’s brows knitted together in concern, but he remained silent, waiting for you to continue.

“I had to help him,” you went on, your voice a little steadier now. “It wasn’t easy. I had to put everything on hold. And before I knew it, years had passed. I ended up studying law in Liyue to help him deal with everything.”

He blinked, surprised. “You’re a lawyer?”

You nodded, though there was a sadness in your eyes that he didn’t miss. “Yeah, I am. It wasn’t what I had planned, but… it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

Alhaitham was silent for a moment, processing this new information. You, the girl who had once poured her soul into art, had become a lawyer. It was hard to reconcile the image of you sitting beside him, sketching, with the idea of you in a courtroom or an office, dealing with the complexities of law.

“What about your art?” he asked, his voice gentler now.

You smiled, but it was tinged with that same sadness. “I still draw… but not as much. Sometimes, when you grow up, life pulls you in directions you never expected. And before you know it, the things you love… they become hobbies rather than careers.”

Alhaitham’s heart ached at your words, though he didn’t show it. He had always admired your passion for art, the way you poured yourself into every sketch, every line. To hear that you had let go of that dream, even partially, left him with a sense of loss he hadn’t anticipated.

But before he could say anything, you smiled at him, brighter this time, as if trying to lighten the mood. “But enough about that. It’s good to see you again, Alhaitham. You really have grown into someone… incredible.”

He didn’t reply right away, his eyes still lingering on you, on the woman you had become. Ten years had passed, but the connection between you felt as strong as ever, even if it had been buried under time and distance.

And as he sat there, staring at you, Alhaitham realized something that made his heart clench. You had returned, yes—but the years had changed you both in ways neither of you could have predicted.

The moment stretched between you, filled with the weight of ten years of absence. Alhaitham’s usual calm, controlled demeanor was chipped away, revealing something raw beneath the surface. He had prepared himself for this reunion countless times in his mind, but the reality of seeing you again left him unsettled.

“I didn’t think you’d ever come back,” he finally said, his voice low and steady, though his eyes betrayed the emotion he tried to suppress. “Not after so long.”

You felt the heaviness in his words and it tugged at your heart. The boy you once knew, the one who had always been so composed, was struggling to contain the hurt he had buried deep inside. And it was all because of you—because you had left without ever explaining why. The guilt weighed heavily on you now, knowing that he had been waiting, never knowing when or if you’d return.

“I didn’t plan to stay away,” you admitted softly. “Everything just… spiraled out of control. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, ten years had passed. I wanted to come back sooner, but I couldn’t.”

Alhaitham leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed as if to shield himself from the feelings he didn’t want to confront. “I get it. Life happens.”

The casual response stung more than you expected. You could sense the disappointment in his words, the unspoken frustration. He was holding back, as he always did, unwilling to let his emotions show fully. But you could feel them, just beneath the surface.

“Alhaitham, I’m sorry,” you said, your voice soft but sincere. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

His gaze softened for a moment, but then his usual calm expression returned. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking away as if gathering his thoughts. “I waited,” he admitted quietly, his words almost too soft to hear. “I was going to tell you how I felt before you left, but I thought I’d wait until you came back.”

You froze, the breath catching in your throat. He had wanted to tell you… back then? Before you left?

“Tell me?” you echoed, unsure if you had heard him correctly.

His eyes met yours, and for the first time, you saw the vulnerability he had kept hidden all these years. “How I felt about you,” he said, more firmly this time. “I was going to tell you that I liked you… more than just a friend.”

Your heart clenched. In all those years, you had never known that he had felt the same way. You had thought about him often, wondered what could have been, but you never allowed yourself to dwell on it too long. It was easier to believe that the past was just that—the past.

“I… I didn’t know,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “I had no idea.”

He shrugged, trying to play it off, but there was a sadness in his eyes that couldn’t be ignored. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? Ten years have passed.”

“But it does matter,” you replied quickly, your emotions bubbling to the surface. “I cared about you, too. I thought about you every day after I left. I always wondered what could’ve been if I hadn’t gone.”

The admission hung in the air between you, both of you silently processing what the other had said. The café seemed to fade into the background, leaving just the two of you, confronting the feelings you had both buried for so long.

“You never said anything,” Alhaitham muttered, his eyes dropping to the table. “I thought you were happy in Liyue, that you had moved on.”

You shook your head, tears threatening to blur your vision. “I never moved on, Alhaitham. I just… I had no choice. I had to help my dad. It wasn’t about moving on or forgetting you. It was about surviving.”

His gaze lifted to meet yours again, searching your face for the truth in your words. And he found it—the pain, the longing, the regret. It was all there, as raw and real as his own.

Silence settled over you once more, but it was different now. It wasn’t the awkward, tension-filled silence from before. It was something deeper, something filled with the weight of all the things left unsaid over the years.

Finally, Alhaitham spoke, his voice gentler than before. “So… what now? You’re here, after all this time. What happens next?”

You smiled, though it was a little sad. “I don’t know. I’m still figuring things out. My dad’s debt is taken care of now, but life… it’s complicated. I came back to Sumeru because it felt like the right thing to do, but I don’t know what the future holds.”

He nodded slowly, understanding. “And the art?”

You chuckled softly, though there was a touch of bitterness in it. “I wish I could say I’ve been painting every day, but the truth is… I haven’t. Life got in the way. Being a lawyer takes up most of my time.”

“I see,” he said, but there was a sadness in his eyes, as though he mourned the lost artist in you.

You reached across the table, your fingers brushing his hand gently. “But I haven’t given up on it. Not completely. It’s still a part of me. Maybe… maybe I’ll find my way back to it one day.”

He looked down at where your hand rested on his, a small flicker of hope lighting in his eyes. “You should,” he said softly. “It was always something that made you… you.”

You smiled at that, a genuine smile this time. “Maybe I will.”

For a moment, you just sat there, hands touching, the weight of the past finally beginning to lift. There was still so much to talk about, so much to work through, but in that moment, it didn’t feel impossible. You had found each other again, after all the years and the distance. That was something.

And maybe, just maybe, it was the start of something new.

The silence between you and Alhaitham felt different now—lighter, yet still heavy with unspoken emotions. The café bustled around you, but it was as though the two of you were in your own bubble, suspended in time. Your hand remained on his, and for the first time in years, you felt a sense of calm.

Kaveh, who had been quietly observing from across the table, cleared his throat loudly, pulling both you and Alhaitham out of the moment. “So… not to interrupt or anything, but I’m dying to know—what’s the plan now?” His tone was teasing, but there was a genuine curiosity in his eyes.

You pulled your hand back slowly, suddenly aware of how much time had passed. "I don't really have a plan," you admitted with a small shrug. "I’m still trying to figure things out."

Alhaitham's gaze remained fixed on you, studying your face like a puzzle he was trying to solve. "You don’t have to decide everything now," he said quietly. "You’ve just come back."

His voice was calm, but there was something in his tone—a quiet plea, almost—as if he wanted to hold on to the moment a little longer, to not let you slip away again.

You nodded, grateful for his understanding. “I suppose I don’t.”

Kaveh leaned forward, a mischievous grin on his face. “Well, while you figure out your life plan, why not start by catching up over dinner? It’s been ten years, and I’m sure Alhaitham has plenty to tell you.”

Alhaitham shot him a look, but you couldn’t help but smile at Kaveh’s suggestion. “That sounds nice,” you said, glancing at Alhaitham. “Dinner. It’ll give us time to… catch up.”

Alhaitham’s lips quirked into a small smile, one of those rare ones that always caught you off guard. “I’d like that.”

The moment felt delicate, as though you were both trying to navigate the shifting ground beneath you, but for the first time in years, you felt like you were on solid footing with him. The years of separation and uncertainty hadn’t erased what you once had; if anything, they had made it more precious.

Kaveh stood up suddenly, clapping his hands together. “Alright then! Dinner it is! I’ll leave you two to… sort out the details.” He winked at you before turning to Alhaitham. “Don’t screw this up, genius.”

Alhaitham gave him a deadpan look as Kaveh sauntered out of the café, leaving the two of you alone again.

You turned back to Alhaitham, feeling a nervous flutter in your stomach. “So… dinner?”

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving yours. “Dinner,” he confirmed. “But I’d like to take a walk first. It’s been so long, and I’d like to hear more about what you’ve been up to.”

You smiled softly, nodding. “I’d like that too.”

As the two of you left the café, stepping out into the cool evening air, you felt a sense of nostalgia wash over you. The streets of Sumeru were different now, yet familiar. You glanced at Alhaitham, who walked beside you, his expression thoughtful as he took in the city. You wondered if he was thinking about the past too—about the two teenagers who once roamed these same streets together.

“I never expected to see you so soon,” you admitted as you walked, your voice breaking the comfortable silence. “I thought… well, I didn’t think it would happen like this.”

Alhaitham glanced at you, his gaze softening. “Neither did I. But I’m glad it did.”

You looked away for a moment, collecting your thoughts. "When I left, I wasn’t sure when—or if—I’d be back. I thought about Sumeru a lot… about you. But life had other plans."

“I understand,” he said quietly. “Things change. People change.”

You nodded. “Yeah… but it’s strange. Coming back now, it feels like so much has changed, but at the same time… it feels like nothing has.”

Alhaitham slowed his pace, turning to face you fully. “You’ve changed,” he said, his voice steady but filled with something deeper. “You’ve grown, and I can see it in everything about you. But you’re still… you.”

You felt a lump rise in your throat at his words. There was a warmth in the way he looked at you, as though he saw through all the years and the distance, straight to the person you had always been.

“And you’re still you,” you replied, smiling through the emotions threatening to spill over. “Still calm, still steady. Still…” You hesitated, searching for the right word. “Still Alhaitham.”

He smiled—a real one this time, small but genuine. “Still Alhaitham,” he echoed.

The two of you continued walking in silence for a while, the weight of everything left unsaid hanging between you. You knew there was more to talk about, more to reveal, but for now, just being together again was enough.

Eventually, you reached the edge of the city, where the streets gave way to open fields bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Alhaitham stopped, turning to you with a question in his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked softly, the vulnerability back in his voice. “When you left… why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

You bit your lip, the memories rushing back. “I didn’t want to burden you,” you admitted. “Everything with my dad… it was so sudden. And I knew that if I told you, it would only make it harder to leave.”

He looked at you, his gaze intense. “You could’ve trusted me.”

“I know,” you whispered. “I should’ve. But I was scared. I didn’t want to pull you into my mess.”

Alhaitham’s expression softened, and he stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently touch your arm. “You were never a burden,” he said quietly. “And you never will be.”

You felt your heart swell at his words, the guilt and regret that had weighed on you for years slowly starting to lift. “I’m sorry,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “For everything.”

He shook his head, his thumb brushing your arm in a comforting gesture. “There’s nothing to apologize for. You did what you had to do.”

For a moment, you just stood there, the two of you bathed in the fading light, the weight of the past slowly being replaced by the promise of something new.

Finally, you broke the silence, your voice filled with hope. “So… where do we go from here?”

Alhaitham smiled, that rare, beautiful smile that you had missed so much. “Wherever you want,” he said softly. “We’ve got time.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of orange and pink, an electric tension settled between you and Alhaitham. The fading warmth of the day mirrored the warmth building in your chest, a heat that seemed to grow with every second you spent standing there, inches apart. His hand, still resting lightly on your arm, was the only point of contact, but it felt like so much more.

You looked up at him, your eyes meeting his, and for a moment, you couldn’t breathe. There was something unspoken in his gaze, something deep and intense that you hadn’t seen before. The weight of the years apart, the missed chances, the unspoken words—it all hung in the air between you, begging to be resolved.

Your lips parted as you tried to speak, but no words came. Instead, the pull between you grew stronger, undeniable. Alhaitham’s eyes flicked down to your lips for just a second, and your heart skipped a beat. The soft breeze carried the scent of the fields around you, but all you could focus on was him—the way his hand lingered on your arm, the warmth radiating from his body, and the tension in the air thick enough to cut through.

Neither of you moved at first, as if both of you were afraid that taking that final step might break the fragile moment. But then, without thinking, you closed the distance between you. It was subtle at first—a shift of your body, a tilt of your head. And then his hand slid up your arm, gently cupping the side of your face, thumb brushing lightly against your cheek.

Your heart pounded in your chest as he leaned in, his breath warm against your skin. Time seemed to slow, and every nerve in your body was focused on this moment, on him. You weren’t sure who moved first, but suddenly his lips were on yours, soft yet firm, hesitant yet sure.

The kiss was slow, almost tentative, as if testing the waters after so much time apart. But the moment his lips touched yours, everything seemed to fall into place. It felt like coming home after years of wandering, like everything that had been missing for so long was suddenly found.

You responded without hesitation, your hand coming up to rest against his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath your palm. His other hand found its way to the small of your back, pulling you closer, deepening the kiss. It was gentle, but there was an underlying urgency—an unspoken promise that neither of you wanted to waste any more time.

When you finally pulled apart, both of you were breathless, foreheads resting against each other as you caught your breath. His thumb still caressed your cheek, and you felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of you.

Alhaitham’s eyes searched yours, his voice soft when he finally spoke. “I’ve waited for this,” he whispered, his breath warm against your lips. “For so long.”

You smiled, your hand still resting against his chest. “Me too,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “I never stopped thinking about you.”

His lips quirked into a small smile, his thumb brushing your bottom lip before leaning in for another kiss, this one deeper, more assured. You melted into him, your arms wrapping around his neck as his hand tightened around your waist, pulling you flush against him.

It wasn’t just a kiss—it was years of longing, of missed moments, of everything that had been left unsaid. And in that moment, nothing else mattered but the two of you.

When you finally broke apart again, both of you were breathing heavily, but neither of you moved to step away. Alhaitham rested his forehead against yours, eyes closed, and for the first time in years, you felt whole.

“You’re not leaving again,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with determination.

You smiled, leaning into him. “I’m not going anywhere,” you whispered back.

And in that moment, under the fading light of the evening sky, it felt like everything had finally come full circle.

—usagiibun2024 🐇

𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗!!!

𝗳𝘁. 𝘅𝗶𝗮𝗼

gn!reader

♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎

xɪᴀᴏ!

- xiao would feel SUPER shy

- poor boy isn’t used to any sort of pda/affection

- but i feel like the idea grows on him

stargazing with xiao, sitting atop the wangshu inn roof was almost magical. after a difficult day, this was a perfect moment. xiao can’t stop admiring you, you feel his gaze upon you. slowly, you intertwine your fingers with his. the warmth of his hand surprises you! a faint blush covers xiao face but he immediately reciprocates. you guys stayed like that for the next hour or so, relaxing in each other’s presence.

10/10 recommend

"Colored Glass and Paper Flowers"

Lynette x Female!Reader

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

Word count: 8.9k

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You deadpanned. Was she actually serious? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faux flowers. 

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

How did you come to help her?

A few days ago, 

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

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

The sooner you got there, the better.

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

“WHY?!” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Ah, so that's how it is.’

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

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

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

No matter. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Was that a tail? 

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

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

She stood completely still. 

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

You began to feel slightly worried.

Was that person okay? Did she get lost?

Did she lose something in the water?

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

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

A little far fetched but something like that.

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

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

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

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

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

Her expression was lax.

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

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

Still no response. 

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

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

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

You turn to look at her. No verbal response.

Until…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You crossed your arms. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You nodded in agreement.

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

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

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

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

You were about to say something until she continued.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“...”

“...”

It was quiet for a long moment. 

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

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

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

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

“ Scan Stretcher ? ”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aha! Found it. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You nodded triumphantly, as she agreed with you. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lynette said nothing but stared ahead into your eyes.

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

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

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

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

She was suddenly in the mood for some deserts. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hey, how are you?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Go on.”

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

“ Wow, really?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Flowers.” She immediately answered.

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

“Two arrangements.” 

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

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

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

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

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

“ If you don't mind.” 

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

You furrowed your eyebrows as you grimaced.

“But,”

Lynette looked up, perplexed.

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

Lynette stared at you in disbelief. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You left after saying your goodbyes. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You carefully placed your little trinket in your small handbag. 

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

And the show commenced. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyney nodded rapidly and placed a finger to his chin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OOMF! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One

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

Two

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

Three

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lynette nodded. “ Yeah.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End.

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

A Rose for You!

Lyney x Gn!Reader

Pt.2 to Watch and Be Amazed!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You sighed.

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

You had trouble sleeping that night. 

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

Then again…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You twirled the card in your hand.

You thought carefully of what you’d do next.

“ I think he might it want back.”

Yeah, that’s it.

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

Or what looked to be a face.

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

The robotic garde halted and nodded.

‘ Ah, so they can communicate.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Wow!”

“Where did it go?”

“Could you do it again mister?”

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

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

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

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

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

“ Yeah! That’s my card!” 

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

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

The children gasped in unison and quieted down instantly. 

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

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

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

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

Two adults came walking up to the mini crowd. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reaching into your pocket you fetched the prop card

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

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

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

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

“ Is Miss Lynette not going to join today?”

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

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

You hummed.

“Alright. So any places to recommend visiting?”

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

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

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

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

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

You felt your face becoming a bit warmer. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thank you for being with me today.”

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

“It’s no problem at all, [Name].”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLANK TICK CLANK

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

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

“...” 

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

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

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

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

 Some glances at you and back to the floor.

 He taps around his helmet. 

Well this was awkward. Should you make small talk?

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

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

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

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

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

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

He noticed the other blonde boy. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Okay.”

“Of course.”

Lynette and Freminet replied in unison. 

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

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

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

Freminet tensed slightly but managed to nod in agreement. 

“ Bye Bye! Take care!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Did... Did you go into idle mode?”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes but-”

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

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

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

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

“ Of course.” You sighed, giving up. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Hey, want to see something cool?” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pop

“!!!”

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

“?!!”

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

“!!!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Okay?” You smiled nervously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your hand reached up to where you felt something earlier. 

“Huh?” 

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

A blurb of pink and pastel yellow. 

“ A rose? How?” You quietly questioned.

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

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

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

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

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

“Given up yet?”

You really couldn’t find anything off. 

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

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

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

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

“ I give up, what is it?” 

Lyney opened his palm and there was…

Nothing.

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

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

 …

This little- 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You just stared at him completely dazed.

It was quiet for a very. Long. Second.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyney said nothing, only humming in approval.

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

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

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

He shook his head.

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

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

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

“ I believe so.” Lyney said quietly. 

Well, no point in delaying your leave. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

“!!!” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Without saying much but a nod, you hugged.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This one felt raw, special, authentic. 

It made him look beautiful. 

Realizing you were staring, you stepped back.

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

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

“When will you be leaving?”

“What?”

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

You stopped and thought. When will I go back? 

Go back.

Do I want to go back?

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

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

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

I want to see you again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You shook your head.

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

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

“Oh.”

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

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

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

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

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

“ Bless you!” the Melusine said.

You sniffled. Maybe it was the cold. 

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

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

There was no one around. He was alone.

Had his siblings made it back home yet? Probably.

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

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

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

You. He shook his head. 

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

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

He snapped away the thought. 

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

He had met you here. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And yet.

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

Why had he stayed with you today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyney exhaled. 

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

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

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

And yet.

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

And yet he wanted to see you again.

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

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

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

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

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

He even gave you a Rainbow Rose of all things. 

It’s what felt the most appropriate he thought.

“ Oh no..” 

The realization hit him like a Mitachurl’s Axe.

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

“ACHOO!” 

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps, you could delay your trip back home.

After all, 

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

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

Watch and Be Amazed!

Lyney x Gn!Reader

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

GIF by @c6jpg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lynette simply nodded.

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

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

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

Lyney stopped center stage.

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

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

The choice could be anyone but yourself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘ Are you okay with this? ‘ 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You listened closely and nodded.

“Alright. Got it.” 

Lynette hummed.

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

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

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

“ For this next trick, both my assistants shall switch their places before your very eyes.” Lyney spoke calmly.

“But wait a moment. This is a simple trick one could accomplish by simply walking across the stage to the other boxes. This trick is sounding more like a runway show than magic.” Lyney sighed in defeat. In a quick one eighty mood switch, Lyney perked up and raised his chin high.

“ But no, dear spectators in the crowd. This trick shall be done with neither of my assistants leaving the confines of their one by one area!” Lyney exclaimed, flapping his little side cape in the process. 

Lynette turned and gave you a look, a very specific look. You took it to get on the box and you walked over to the one closest to you. 

“ Now then, a little tent shall fall on top of both of them. Switching places without jumping, walking or running is a lot more exhausting than it sounds.” As soon as he said that, above you began to descend a festive red tent. 

It slowly descended until the dark velvet of the inside tent obscure your vision of the crowd and them of yourself. You could only hear the echoing voice of Lyney as the crowd was now fully silenced in anticipation. 

The words of Lynette rang in your mind, as you looked down to your feet.

“ For you see, the most can happen within the blink of an eye.”

You felt the box underneath you dip slightly. Barely enough time to even gasp, you had fallen through the solid box beneath you. Quickly you bent your knees and positioned yourself to be able to absorb the momentum of your fall. 

Once landing soundly, you looked up to see how you had fallen. In the ceiling was a rectangular indentation of a trapdoor.

You heard a ‘psst’ to your right. There you say Lynette making a quick hand gesture to switch places; motioning to you and the spot beneath her feet. 

Speeding over to her, you took little but key notice in your new surroundings. The walls were barren, the air had slight dust, and light from the stage lights barely made it through the miniature nooks and crannies of the floorboards. You were underground. 

Once getting to where lynette last stood, you waited. Looking around where you stood there was a small ladder behind you. 

Suddenly a similar trap door like the one where you initially stood, swung open. 

Taking this as a new signal, you climbed onto the ladder trying to make as little noise as you could. Once above ground, the trap door that was once open shut, making the ground below you stable enough to stand on.

 “ As such, a walk across this stage could be reduced down to none!”

You heard a harsh step down onto the floor followed by a snap of a finger. 

The tent around you was pulled back up at lighting speed leaving you stunned in place. The crowd ahead was looking back and forth between the place where you once were and to where you are now. A roar of whistles and claps was heard. 

Looking to where you once were, stood Lynette waving at the crowd. The same stoic expression on her face. 

Lyney came skipping up to your side. 

“ How are you feeling dear [Name]? I hope you aren't too disoriented by the little trip you took.”

You looked at him, he had a proud grin on his face. The light shown down was overshadowed by the brim of his top hat. And yet, his eyes and distinguishable teardrop mark on his right cheek made you feel all sorts of flustered all over again.

Then again you noticed just how packed the Opera is. You had forgotten momentarily that there was an audience. The showers of cheers came down like a bolt of lightning striking the still water. 

“I’m fine, just a bit perplexed.” You shook your head trying to process what had just happened in what felt like a fraction of a minute.  

“ Oh my, it seems you may have been slightly shaken when vanishing from one spot to the other.” He hummed. 

“ That's it! I shall make it up to you! But I’ll have to get you back to your original box.” He said tapping his curled up hand onto his open palm. 

He stood up onto the tips of his toes, as from your height atop the box managed to put you at a larger distance from him. Figuring he might tell you something , you leaned down slightly.

“ When the tent drops on you once more, close your eyes. Don’t open them until you hear me say, Hat. Trust me, I’m sure this trick will put a blinding smile on your face.” He said quietly, a hand placed by his mouth blocking it from the audience ahead.

You weren’t sure what he meant or what would happen but somehow, you trusted him. Maybe it was his pretty face, charming personality, or simply because a famous and professional performer. 

A little breathy chuckle escaped him before he leaned away and waltzed back to the front and center. Something about him smiling and laughing made your heart almost pop.

You internally battled these pestering thoughts; You were just starstruck! A celebrity crush, don’t let it get to you. Especially in front of a massive crowd watching your every move! 

You took some short breaths in and faced ahead onto the wall behind the audience. You didn’t want to let this confusing feeling consume you.

“And now, one final trick before our amazing temporary assistant bids adieu.” He sighed. From his chest he pulled out a white handkerchief he blew into. The crowd laughed at his little mopping gag.

“ It was a pleasure to have you on stage with us, [Name].” He said before swiping the used hanky away. It disappeared into red and white sparks into the air. 

The tent above you descended once again, and the moment you found yourself in the shaded confines you closed your eyes. You could only listen to what was happening around you.

“Now then, why don’t we send our new friend off with a grand finale?”

The surrounding noise of the crowd murmuring came through as buzzing. You felt the ground once more give out underneath you. Holding in your breath you prepared for what may have come next. 

Something, or someone caught you. You felt the sudden mass underneath you, and suddenly there was a small breeze passing into your face. Your eyes squeezed shut the entire time. 

Suddenly, you felt your feet touch a solid floor. You stood up, the person letting you go as you stabilized yourself. 

“ And so, they shall appear where they once were at the drop of a hat!” 

You heard it. Cracking open one eye you see once again a velvet curtain of a tent. Blinking, adjusting to the light, the tent was pulled up.

This time there was some cheer for a few seconds. The sudden Huhs? And murmurs slowly began to take a hold of the audience. Curious as to the mood shift you look around you. 

Lyney, no longer wearing his signature tophat that had been left sitting on the floor. 

Where Lynette was supposed to be, she was no more. Instead, there was a small top hat lying top down on the box. 

Lyney, surprised, went over to the hat. 

“Lynette? Oh Lyneeette? Where did you vanish off to?” He took the hat and looked inside of it, as if his sister were inside the hat. 

You were slightly puzzled at first. Where on Teyvat could she have gone? Your doubts were suddenly clouded by an obvious truth.

This had to be part of the show. 

So you kept your eyes on the male twin, anticipating what he will do next.

Giving up in calling out to his sister, still holding onto the small hat in his hands, he walked over to where you stood. 

“ It seems that she won’t show herself unless we make her appear out of this hat. [Name], if you would.” He then extended the small hat in my direction. 

You delicately grabbed the brim area closest to you. Lyney let go, and you looked inside the empty hat. The material felt slightly heavy but the intricate seamless pattern woven into the pitch black fabric made you closely look at it.

You heard a small tapping noise, you looked back to the magician as he tapped the back of his hand. Putting two and two together, you quickly flip the hat upright. 

You mimicked Lyney’s motion on the hat’s top about three times. 

The first tap, colorful feathers floated to the ground.

The second tap, petals of flowers twirled on their way down.

The final tap, a deck of prop cards spilt out and crashing against the stage floor with clicks and claps.

“Looks like she isn’t in there.” Lyney quipped. You were once again thrown into utter confusion. The comedic way the crowd gasped after one object came after another object from the empty hat. At some point the reactions of surprise slowly turned into snickers and giggles of amusement. 

Lyney placed a hand on his hip and scratched his chin. “ Try doing it again with the hat upside down. Maybe, a different approach will convince her to come out.” 

So, you turn the hat over. Sneakily taking a small peak inside, and as you suspected it was empty. 

How does he pull these things off? Seriously! How?!?

Replicating your previous action, you tapped the brim. 

A small puff of smoke and confetti made you step back. Out of the hat a cat sprung!

Or was it a cat?

It was a big cat face attached to a coiled spring.

It was cute! It had the signature toothy grin the show’s mascot had, yet it had it turned upside down in a frowny face. One eye has a teal star and the other has a teal teardrop. It even had a little bowtie making it a very fashionable cat creature.

It turned to face you as its ears twitched. You’re eyes locked with its own strange one and you found yourself in a staring contest….with the giant cat head on a spring of all things.

“ Oh dear, it looks like Bogglecat seemed to have answered instead of Lynette” Lyney laughed. 

Tip Tap Tip Tap 

You and Lyney turned to face Lyney’s hat that had just shook slightly on the floor. 

Poof!

The hat had blasted up into the air and below the hat there was Lynette. Slightly obscured by the turquoise colored fog. 

“ Here I am.” Lynette spoked up.

Grabbing the brim of Lyney’s hat she tipped it and bowed before the audience. The audience clapped and some people even stood up from their seats. 

The Bogglecat in the hat leaped from your hands and jumped over towards the spotlight where Lynette was. Lyney came running over to you and carefully grabbed your now free hand.

“ C’mon, the audience is waiting for the final bows.” He hushed at you with that permanently charming smile of his. His pale blonde hair bounced along as he urged you to join him and his sister. With no reason to refuse, you ran along with him. You felt the corner of your mouth curl up in a giddy smile. Now unafraid of the public you stood in the bright lights with your chest held high.

Lynette tossed Lyney’s hat into the air, landing it perfectly on Lyney’s head. The cat in the hat jumped right into Lynette's hand. Once she caught it, she twirled it around in her hand like a skilled juggler. The cat suddenly vanished inside the hat, and the small hat now was held against her head.

“ This has been Lyney and Lynette’s Magic show! Thank You all for watching!” The three of you held hands; Lyney at the center, Lynette to his right, and you to his left. Lifting your hands up, you three did a dramatic bow. This audience applauded one final time for the performance. It was the loudest applause you had heard during your time in the Opera Epiclese.

Slowly people had started to leave the theater, with the front entrance reopened many people had started to trickle out into the lobby. This left fewer and fewer people in the main room, the Opera house becoming 

You were preparing to step down the stage staircase until you heard someone call out to you.

“ Wait, [Name]! If you could spare a moment?” It was a voice you had quickly grown familiar with. 

The top hat with the plum colored ribbon, the pale blonde tuffet that covered just above his right eye, and that teardrop marking beneath the same right eye. Lyney came speedily towards you, his sister Lynette following a bit behind. Unlike him, she calmly walked over and that stoic expression on her face felt a bit more done than what you had seen. 

“Hm? What is it Mister Lyney?” You stopped and asked politely. Looking over the male twin you glanced at his sister “Miss Lynette?” 

“That was a splendid performance you made on stage! You went along just swimmingly with our act.” Lyney gushed. 

Once again you felt flustered. Out of all things, a professional magician complimenting you on a magic trick? You scratched your cheek. 

“ I was just following you guys. Really, if anyone should be taking compliments it is you two!” You spoke with enthusiasm.  “ The way Miss Lynette pulled out the items right off the cards, or when you made my ‘ stomach butterflies ‘ disappear. It really was a treat to see!” You felt your face getting a bit warmer as you continued to spill your excitement into words.

“ This will definitely be a nice memory I won't be forgetting any time soon!” 

Lyney chuckled and even Lynette’s eyes grew slightly larger with interest. 

“ You’re too kind!” Lyney chuckled, his pale face getting the slightest bit pink in the cheeks. “  I don’t believe I’ve seen your face in our crowd before. Are you maybe a tourist coming from a distance to see our show?” 

You nodded. “ I am as a matter of fact. I don’t get out much to say the least.” You confessed. 

“ I’ve heard about your magic show for some time now, traveling groups have brought it up time and time again. Fontaine was my next destination so I took the opportunity to come see it myself.”

You smiled gently. “ This was my first legitimate magical performance I had the fortune of attending. Not to mention getting randomly selected to participate! Thank you for the fun time, Mister Lyney and Miss Lynette.” 

Lyney and Lynette listened with great interest.

“ I see. Thus, making this show a memorable experience for you was all the more rewarding then.” Lyney took off his hat and brought it to his chest. 

“We are both happy to have put a beautiful smile on your lovely face!~” Lyney very gently lifted your hand. Bringing it close to his face, he placed a small almost ghostly peck. 

Okay. Now you definitely felt your face may have caught on fire. 

Lyney might have noticed your sudden flustered face. The sneaky magician sent a very brief wink with a smile. Not just any smile. This smile had a more feline nature to it; as if he enjoyed seeing such a reaction from you. 

 He lowered your hand back down, and flipped his hat back onto his head. That cat-like smirk was nowhere to be seen anymore. Innocently smiling at you, he laughed. It sounded slightly nervous. 

“ Well, if you will be around Fonaine for a while longer, find us by the Aquabus station. We might just have spare time to show you around!” 

Slipping your hand behind your back, you tried to reply to his friendly invitation.

“ Mhm! Aquabus station. Go it!” you spoke in broken segments. 

Oh dear, maybe it's time you’d step outside for some fresh air.

“ I think I should get going now. Who knows how long the people traffic is in the lobby now. It was great meeting you. Your cat mascots are cute and now I shall leave” You had begun to word vomit as you were shuffling away.

 “ Bye bye!” 

Facing away from the magic duo, you speed walk down onto the carpeted floor. Not daring to look back, you heard the sound of an amused giggle and an exasperated sigh.

“ Are you proud of yourself? You almost made them faint with your antics.” Lynette tipped the back of Lyney’s hat. It fell forward and off but he had quickly caught it before it hit the ground.

“ Hey, I just wanted to make evening a little more magical is all. It was the most I can do from withholding them back from leaving" 

"Right. And you had to tease them until they were red in the face."

Lyney stared at his sister for a moment, until he thought.

He felt a small hitch of embarrassment in his chest realizing something.

"I- Uh, didn't go to far with the card letter, right?" He nervously asked.

Lynette sighed and shook her head.

"Brother, most of the time you don't even need the spotlight to be over dramatic."

Once you were outside and looking up at the sky. The skies were different in every spot you had been. Here in Fontaine, you could barely see the twinkling stars. 

As you sighed contently, you made your way over to the hotel you had planned to stay in for the time. As you shifted you felt something shift alongside you in your sleeve. It was cold and smooth.

Surprised, you dug into your sleeve.

It was a playing card. A prop playing card. 

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

There was a little doodle of a toothy grinning cat.

A/N: Should I make a part two? Idk maybe. EDIT: PART TWO HERE

{Hello!! I've had this in my drafts for awhile and just kinda wanted to post it, originally it's set with a one of my genshin ocs but idk if anybody would be into that so I easily just replaced it with reader}

* * *

"Dumbass! Why did you do that?! ", [Reader] shouts as she sprints as fast as she can down the rocky trail. Itto runs a few ways in front of her having the most dopey grin ever. Both running from the guards for something this big idiotic oaf did. Which happened to be him having a dance battle with some rich kid that cried out that this wanted criminal tried hurting him. Itto was so proud that he "won" against some snot nosed brat.

   "Was so worth it tho! ", he laughs looking back at her. [Reader] rolls her eyes, huffing she saw they were nearing a cliff and Itto was gonna run straight into it. "Itto wait! " She said, raising her voice and grabbing a hold of his coat from the back. Making them both come to an abrupt stop at the end of the cliff. To make it to the other side would have to be way too big of a jump for any of them. Turning around [Reader] could see the guards catching up to them. "We have to jump", is the one thing that the oni says looking down. "Wait what!?", She sharply looked at him in bewilderment. Taking out his claymore magically from his back he raises it up above his head, scooping her off the ground. "We jump! " he shouts, slamming down his claymore to stop the guards from reaching them, rocks and debris scattering everywhere. 

   The force of the impact from his claymore pushed the both completely off the edge. Gripping onto his shoulders as she felt the world start going sideways, both falling into the depth. "ITTOOOOOOO YOU IDIOT", [Reader] screams as they plunge downwards. Feeling the breeze roughly push her hair out of view, she summons her polearm. "Aw damn! The wind is gonna ruin my awesome hair! ", Itto whines out still having her carried. 

   " Not what you should be worrying about right now!" [Reader] yelled out, slamming the polearm against the rock of the cliff as hard as she could. The weapon wedged itself into the rock, getting stuck for the meanwhile. Causing their fall to end abruptly, ending in them both just dangling. "Hey, nice one! Now we won't be lost in some unknown hole" the oni exclaims, like this wasn't his fault to begin with. "Yea, wonder why that would have happened!" She glared down at him. 

   He simply chuckles awkwardly, looking down into the crevice below. "Sooo, what now? ", Itto inquired, still very tightly holding onto her legs. Lilith sighed while looking around, trying to think of something. Only coming up with one conclusion to their situation. "We climb" looking up and seeing the distance from the top. "Climb? Well if you say so", Itto just shrugs at the suggestion. Once he finds a good spot to stabilize himself, he goes off from there. Climbing upwards like if this was some god damn playground.

   "You beast!", she shouts. Itto laughed out loud, as he started climbing faster "I'll race ya to the top!", he said in response. [Reader] growls under her breath, yanking her polearm forcefully from the gravel. "Oh you're on, you oversized child", she says while following him in tow. Both eventually made it to the top, completely out of breath. 

   The guards now nowhere in sight, probably deciding to leave them to their demise. Laying on the grassy plains trying to catch their breaths. " I-i win," Itto says in between gasps. Too tired to argue with him, she simply pats his bare chest to "congratulate" him. "You sure did Itto, you sure did" [Reader] sighs out, resting her sore limbs and tired self beside him. 

a/n - sorry i was gone guys my depression got really bad :p

he laid on the bed. the buzzing of the fan made him sick to his stomach. wrappers and clothes and cups and pages were thrown all about his room. his own mind held him back.

the days felt like a time paradox. the hours felt like torture. the minutes felt like hell. the seconds felt like death.

he needed something to hold on to. anything. just a tiny bit of hope. he needed something to pull him out of his own head. anything. just a hand to pull him out of that train wreck.

that was, until you came along.

the second his eyes fell upon you, it was almost like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. he could breathe. he could see a hopeful light.

for once in his life, the storm clouds dispersed and a rainbow began to shine through. it was like you were his saving grace.

years passed and tears passed. keeping the storm away was hard for him at times. but he held you close.

he held you tight in his arms, feeling like he had a home. somewhere and someone to lean on. someplace to go back to when things got hard. something he needed for so long.

he muttered softly: “i will never let you go.”

DAZAI, fyodor, poe, AKUTAGAWA, hobie, MIGUEL, simeon, LUCIFER, GIYUU, obanai, zhongli, NAGITO, and any other of your clinically depressed favs <3

tw - unusual ways of sh please read at your own risk.

a/n - this is very bad but i need to feed y'all.

there have been moments when all you want to do was stop breathing. but you have too much to do and too many people who rely on you. so, you settle for hurting yourself instead.

tonight is one of those nights. sitting on your bathroom floor, you pull at your hair and bite your own arms. you taste blood.

tears fall from your eyes as you fall on the floor from exhaustion. you need to clean yourself up. he's supposed to come over in fifteen minutes.

and so, with a shaky sigh, you get up off the cold tile and rinse the blood off your arm. it kind of hurts but also feels kind of nice. it makes you feel kind of alive.

your gaze slowly looks up to the mirror and is met with what most would call an absolute trainwreck. "what a disgusting sight," you think.

your gaze moves back towards the floor as you finish washing the blood off. removing your arms from under the faucet, you look at the bite marks that adorn your arm. it almost makes you feel proud.

fingers trail across the marks as you exit the bathroom to find bandaids. or some gauze. or somthing.

but, much to your dismay, he is standing right outside the bathroom door. your eyes widen with panic as you stare at him. as you look up at him, his eyes meet yours.

"darling... this is getting out of hand," he murmurs. pulling you close, he looks at the damage you've done to yourself. his brows furrow with worry as he sees just how bad it is.

"i.. i'm sorry.." you mutter. it makes your heart hurt every time he sees you like this. it's not the first time he's had to help you after a breakdown.

"don't apologize."

"but you have to deal with me. i'm an adult. you shouldn't have to take care of me."

"i don't take care of you because i have to, darling. i do it because o want to." and with that, he pulls you into a tight embrace. his face buries in the crook of your neck as he goes on: "and i want to because you are my everything. not just my world, but my cosmos."

a lump forms in your throat as he rambles his love for you.

"i love you," you sigh as your voice breaks. a shaky breath leaves your lips as you cry into his shoulder.

"i love you too," he whispers.

the rest of the night is then spent with you curled up in his arms, watching a movie, and him whispering little 'i love you's every chance he gets.

bonus:

"why'd you come over so early anyways?"

"cause i left my razor..."

chuuya, kunikida, fukuzawa, dazai (delusional), aether, zhongli, neuvillette, tighnari, venti, diluc, giyuu, and any of your other amazing favs.

a/n: sorry i was gone i've had my director on my ass about practicing at home

perhaps it's that he gifted you your favorite treats. or maybe it's the handwritten love poems. but it could also be the fact he bought you oh so many bouquets of your favorite flowers..

but none of that matters. none of it is needed. he doesn't physical things to show his love for you.

it's that his kisses are full of hope and dreams. it's how gentle he handles you when your bodies meet as one. it's the fact he dances with you in the stove light to songs of old.

he spins you around and right off your feet. he waltzes with you till the candles are burned and the wine is gone.

and he'll love you till his last breath.

POE, CHUUYA, dazai, LUCIFER, SIMEON, asmodeus, satan, NEUVILLETE, ZHONGLI, DAINSLEIF, childe, SEBASTIAN, NAGITO, togami, and any of your lover boy favorites

heyy... Xiao x dragon reader who really annoys Xiao and possibly suddenly when they are side by side uses his dragon tail by passing it over his shoulder and so on?

Ouuuu this really tickles the monsterfucker part of my brain!! Reminds me of Dan Heng IL from HSR (づ๑•ᴗ•๑)づ♡ Anyways here's your ask!!

Ineffable Annoyance

"Hey Xiaoooooooo." you whined as you lolled on the floor of your bedroom, Xiao on your bed making new talisman.

He remained seated on the bed, ignoring you, his legs crossed and his lap containing dried leaves, seashells, paper and other such materials to make the demon repelling talismans.

You rolled on the hardwood floor of the room, using your tail to fan yourself. It had been one of the hotter days in Liyue, and you had been dying for water and cooling like a fish (technically you are a lizard).

You had suggested Xiao to come and have a dip in the waters near the Wangshuu Inn. However........

"Xiaoooo!" you huffed are you raised yourself from the floor, glaring daggers at the teal haired man, your tail angrily swishing behind you. "Are you still not done?"

Xiao barely looks up from the little wind charm thingy he was painting in red, carefully making streaks on the wooden ball.

"No. Wait a little more till I finish painting it. And then a bit more for it to dry. Then a bit more for me to apply wax to it-"

"Oh come onnnnn!!!" You protested, trying to muster up your angriest dragon face as you glared at him. "You said that you will accompany me to the waters. If you delay anymore I might turn into dried fish you know. Smiley Yao might use me in his latest recipe."

Xiao looks at you, sporting a slight sly grin, clearly amused by your frustration.

"Lizard. Not a fish. And I am making both of us talismans because the waters here are infested with God's remains and corruption infested monsters. I wouldn't want your energy to attract them."

You curl up your arm, bulging out your bicep, grinning confidently.

"As if I need some wood, paint and wax to protect me from monsters!! I am a dragonborn remember? I am strong enough myself!! If any monsters come up to you I will beat them all to a pulp too!"

He frowns as he turns his attention back to the talisman in his hand. "Yes, you are strong. I will not deny that. However, I wish you were more cautious with your safety and not resolve everything just because you possess brute strength. Now, be a patient little dragon, and let me finish paint these. Then I will take you out for a swim."

He hears a "Humph!" and a thump of your tail, and assumes you had enough of your little tantrum. He puts his entire focus on the talisman in his palm.

He takes a carving knife as he carves out the letters of "protection" onto them. He has to put his whole heart into making these little safety trinkets for you. He had gifted you a silver lock charm a few weeks ago, the amulet jingling with your every step.

These symbols and trinkets of protection were given from a parent to a child, from one lover to another. He had overheard a grandmother telling her grandchildren that no one who hates who would ever gift you a charm of goodwill.

He had then realized that it's not the symbol of the talismans that protected the wearer, it was the wish of their loved ones that gifted them the charm that protected them.

From then on, he kept on making you handmade charms and talismans for protection, good luck, prosperity, every goodwill under the sun he could think of, he would craft it in silver, wood, paper and ink to gift you his wishes, hoping they kept you happy and most importantly for him, safe.

He set aside the carving knife as he dusted the surface of the talisman. He had to wax it to protect the wood from getting moist and setting in rot.

He reached out his hand for the small bar of wax next to him, when-

"Oi!" he yelled out at you, his nimble hands catching the feathery tip of your tail before it could tickle his neck. "Tails and hands off please."

You had a smug expression as you retracted your tail back to your side, "What do you mean, Xiao? Didn't I tell you I don't exactly have control of my tail?" you say as your tail reached his waist to tickle him again.

Xiao blushed as he caught your tail again, his flushed cheeks betraying his annoyed look.

"Didn't I tell you to stay put? And you are simply-Hey!! What are you doing?! Stop!"

The short adeptus squirms and struggles from the ensnarement of your tail which was wrapping around him like a snake to its prey.

You lift him from the bed and bring him to face you, your tail tightly constricting him from any movement.

"Like I said, I am not the one doing this." You jested as you brings your hands to cup his face, smoothing out the frown on his face. "If my tail thinks that it's enough, perhaps it's bored out of its mind as well. Come on now! Let's go!"

Xiao couldn't do anything but sigh as you dragged him out to take a dip in the waters.

He could finish the talismans later. After all, a mere charm would pale compared to the wishes he could convey them to you himself.

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

I-I'm sorry my lil' elves. Daddy is tired ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) I need to go sleep to make sure I am alive for my quiz tomorrow lmao. So it's just this one fic for today!

I am doing fine mentally, it's just I am so tired from everyday that I simply can't find the time to update more. That being said, the next few fics will be big ones so look forward to them (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

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