〖 Love is an Illusion 〗➻❥ LYNEY × READER

♦ Chapter 1 ♦

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You sip your coffee, taking in the beauty of Fontaine's early morning. Out of the corner of your eye, however, you spot Lyney, who is looking at hats at a boutique. He picks up a teal beret and speaks to the store's owner. Should I go up and say hi? You wonder. But before you can act upon your thoughts, Lyney has already left the scene. Sighing in disappointment, you fiddle and poke around the madeleines on your plate.

Suddenly, Lyney whispers in your ear, "Boo." You whip around, startled, and he chuckles. Lynette is sitting not far away, sipping a cup of tea.

"Lyney!" You say with a smile. "What a pleasant surprise." Lyney leans forward on the table, staring at you. "What are you doing around here?" You ask him.

"Why, can't a Fontainian take a morning stroll?" He tilts his head. You nod, feeling embarrassed. Of course, he lives here. Lyney shakes his head, laughing.

"In all seriousness, I just wanted to pay you a visit and thank you for yesterday." He smiles as you blush. Why does it seem like he's insinuating something else?

"It was an honor being a part of your show, Great Magician." You jokingly bow your head, which makes Lyney laugh.

"You flatter me."

Suddenly, Lynette appears behind Lyney, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Ah," Lyney sighs. "I suppose it's about time we take our leave. It was a pleasure seeing you again..."

You smile. "Y/n L/n."

Lyney reciprocates your smile. "...y/n." Lynette turns around and Lyney follows her as they walk away. You sigh, resting your cheek into your palm as you lean onto the table, staring at the sky.

Meanwhile, Lyney is gleefully walking alongside his reserved sister. Although he is normally in a good mood, Lynette notices that he is unusually cheerful.

He whistles an upbeat tune, walking to the same rhythm. "They're cute, I should definitely talk to them more." Lynette doesn't say anything. "Oh, but don't worry, dear sister, I won't stray too far." A faint smile appears on Lynette's face as they walk home.

♢

⟨ Two Days Later... ⟩

♢

Walking around the streets of Fontaine, you see a poster for one of Lyney's shows. Simply watch and be astounded; the greatest magician in Teyvat is here to amaze you! As you aren't doing anything today, you decide to go see it. You enter the building on the poster, where you see a long line ahead of you. Sighing, you wait for almost half an hour before finally purchasing your ticket. I know he's popular...but I didn't know he was that popular.

Sitting down in the audience, you see a lone table on the stage, covered with a black satin cloth. On it is an unassuming deck of cards and a top hat. You wait for a few minutes, and then the lights dim, bringing the audience's attention to the stage.

Nothing is happening.

A few whispers travel around the room, but suddenly, the hat starts to shake. It tumbles itself around the table before falling onto the wooden stage, the audience leaning forward in excitement. Suddenly, Lyney pops out of the hat and stands before the audience in a grand welcoming gesture. The crowd claps in astonishment while he puts his hat back on his head. He bows, and takes his position at the table. 

Lyney asks the audience, looking around, "Do you all believe in fate?" The audience murmurs. "Well, no matter your answer, I, the great magician Lyney, am here to give you some perspective." He takes the deck of cards and skillfully shuffles it, letting the cards flutter around him. He then stacks and hits them on the table before throwing them out into the audience, much to its surprise and confusion. The cards fly every which way until, eventually, each member of the audience has a card, including you.

"Go ahead and look at your card, everyone," Lyney says confidently. You look at your card and find that it has a peculiar symbol of a cat with a bow tie and a teardrop for an eye. Looking back at the stage, you see that Lyney has a wide smile plastered across his face. What is he going to do? You find yourself wondering on the edge of your seat as you try to anticipate his trick.

Lyney clears his throat, regaining the attention of the audience. "You may notice that each of you have unique designs on your respective cards." He takes another card out of his hat and shows the backside to the audience. Its holographic cover glistens in the stage lights. "Here we have a prediction." Lyney looks around the audience, but for some reason, it seems as if he is looking for someone.

"If anyone, anyone at all—" he finally focuses on your general direction. "—can match this card," he winks and smiles. "I'll give you a special prize." You stare at Lyney, who seems to be staring directly back at you. The crowd starts whispering excitedly as questions fly around the room.

"What do you think it is?"

"Do you think it's my card?"

"Maybe it's yours!"

You look down at your card, holding it tightly yet delicately. The black cat's iridescent teardrop eye shines as you turn the card. You find yourself hoping, wishing, with all your might that your card is the matching one.