A famed Fontainian magician who possesses great stage presence as well as gift of the gab. Audiences are enthralled by his exquisite skills, and they hang on to his every clever word.
Lyney is a skilled magician who enjoys the showlight. He is, at first sight, very easygoing and friendly compared to his siblings Lynette and Freminet, who are reserved and introverted respectively, though he is said to be much quieter when alone with his sister. He and his sister are talented magicians, having learned from Cesar in their youth when they were living on the streets. Lyney remembers all of the people he is indebted to, and will always repay them, such as serving The Knave or clearing Cesar’s name from being falsely accused.
Though it is not said directly, we can see he does have some feline traits like his sister such as his eyes, his love for fish and a wish to sleep more in the morning. His tendency to be both intimate yet reserved also gives him a mysterious aura often related to cats. His constellation also has the word “cat” in it, just like Lynette. However, he does not seem to share her ears, tail and enhanced senses of hearing, smell and taste.
He cares greatly for his siblings, wanting to ensure that they have a home to live in and looks out for them whenever possible, becoming extremely irrational should their safety be threatened. Despite all his cheer, Lyney has a dark and traumatic past with his sister, but they have a very good relationship, likening it to the only truth in a world full of lies and falsehoods. As a result, he is willing to do anything to stay with her. Lyney is also implied to quite “proud”, wanting to prove himself without relying on others.
On the Hotel Bouffes d’ete’s Founding Day, all the children were abustle, draping festive colors all over the place. To the residents, outside festivals and events were cold and emotionless things, foreign elements in their lives, and only this dwelling could bring them true warmth.
Everyone worked in concert to execute Lyney’s plan. Lynette had purchased large amounts of festive ornaments, and together with the other children, she strung up colored streamers and hung handwritten festive greetings.
Freminet was ensuring that the magical props would operate properly — Lyney had faith in his craftsmanship, so much so that Freminet was completely entrusted with all the magic props this time. Lyney himself was the busiest of all — not only did he have to ascertain everyone’s progress, but he was also laying the final groundwork for a grand, unique magic trick in secret.
And thus was the banquet successfully held with everyone’s support. The children danced to the joyous music playing from the grand hall’s phonograph and enjoyed delicious food — this was the birthday of no one in particular, but this was the day they all felt they had gained new lives.
The finale, of course, was Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet’s Founding Day magic show. The magic box was at the center of the room, and all waited with bated breath. To preserve the secret behind the magic trick, even Lynette and Freminet knew not what was within. But as the room darkened and all eyes turned to Lyney, standing as he was in front of the box, even the highly-experienced magician showed some rare signs of trepidation.
“Now, you might consider the following words an exaggeration, but the “present” I am about to present to you all is, without doubt, the most important one we have received in our lives.” The paper firecrackers burst, and the once-empty box suddenly opened by itself. The crowd cheered, amazed — then fell suddenly into stunned silence.
What stood onstage was no present — nay, this was the Hotel’s manager, its owner, and their “Father.” Her image was one of unsmiling dignity, and thus, though she did not come by often, no one dared to horse around whenever she was around.
Surely, Lyney had gone completely mad to have her make her appearance in such a frivolous way. Yet, upon seeing the crowd’s reaction, “Father” did not snap at anyone, opining merely that Lyney had kept this secret perfectly, just as a magic show should, declaring it worthy of praise.
That night, the children and their “Father” delighted in the various desserts together, and she personally sliced a serving of cake for each of them, which she herself enjoyed some of as well. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Lyney’s Founding Day magic show was its ability to have even “Father” lay down her heavy burden and enjoy a brief moment of familial love.
Magic and secrets piled up at Lyney’s feet, growing ever taller like a tower. Gazing down from the top at the people as they passed by in the world below, Lyney knew there was no going back. Both the dazzling sleights of hand and the missions he would come to receive from Hotel Bouffes d’ete had made a habitual liar out of him.
And while lies could sometimes be useful for seizing an advantage, they were more often employed to keep more people from being dragged into trouble.
Lyney knew very well that once trust had collapsed, the scales of judgment would no longer remain impartial, and even noble goals would become twisted and thought of as evil.
As such, not revealing more than was absolutely necessary was prudent when working with others. More often than not, this makes things go more smoothly, with everyone getting the results they want. But lies will not simply scatter on the wind, and Lyney must maintain this illusion with utmost care, all the while keeping his distance from those affected.
As so the tower extended towards the skies, until there would be no one to take his hand if he reached out, and even their visages blurred in his eyes.
Falsehood was Lyney’s constant and only companion on the path that he walked, and this road was long and lonely — this he was always clear-minded about.
Everyone knew the brilliant “Great Magician Lyney,” but they loved only the mystery, the romance, the unattainable nature. They knew no love for the heart that lay deeper within. He felt he had no right to pour out his mind to others, and yet he must carry on with gritted teeth, for the price of a fall from such heights was more than he could bear.
Having played too many parts, even Lyney would sometimes find himself questioning who “he” really was. His dreams often took him back to the tower, where his resting place at the pinnacle vantage would grow smaller and smaller, and with the fog of death they called “betrayal” extending all around, there was nowhere for him to go.
But just before he could plummet, a hand grabbed onto him — and from it, he felt a familiar warmth that drew his soul back into his body, steadying “him” within himself once more.
“Thank you, Lynette…”
The awakening youth mumbled to himself.
While Hotel Bouffes d’ete’s operations in Fontaine work toward a just cause, its methods can often be radical. Only the influence of “Father” and her control over the inner workings of the Court of Fontaine prevent any serious incidents from occurring. There was once an official funded by Lyney who served in the Maison Gardiennage. This person provided both intel in support of the Hotel’s operations and scrubbed clean the effects of some of the Hotel’s clandestine actions.
These were actions that came with no small risk, but the official always performed them well, for he believed that the Fontaine of the present day needed someone like “Father” who could bypass the many layers of laws and regulations and take direct action.
Lyney once joked to him: “I’ll be there if you ever need help, and if you’re in danger, I’ll come to rescue you… Well, don’t expect too much of that last bit. Just stay on guard, alright?” The official knew that this was Lyney’s way of expressing concern, of course. Yet even words spoken in jest could prove prophetic later, and so they did — this official’s deeds were eventually discovered, and on the brink of capture, he used an emergency communication device to send a message to Lyney.
Upon discovering the device, the Gardes who arrived at the scene mocked the official’s naivete, claiming that the signal sent merely informed his compatriots to save themselves — no one would be stupid enough to try to save him.
The official’s reply was also quite simple — even such an ending would have been fine for him, for he did not believe that his prior cooperation was the wrong decision. But just as the Gardes were about to arrest the official, thick smoke began billowing forth from dispensers pre-planted nearby, and the official caught sight of a brilliant blaze—
The next moment, he was in the drink in the Fleuve Cendre, and was rescued by Freminet. It was said that the Gardes spent a great deal of time chasing after the skyborne flame-trail, believing that the criminal must have used some flying machine to flee the scene, only to discover later naught but wood dressed in clothes, affixed to a glider.
In truth, Lyney had earlier used this device to draw the Gardes’ attention away before getting the official out of his predicament. The official admitted that he had not had high hopes when pressing the device. Magicians were untrustworthy, after all — but still, he had chosen to gamble on that tiny chance.
“Haha. Well, it is indeed a gamble to place your trust in others.”
“But don’t worry. Magicians might be full of hot air, but we will never betray the expectations of our audience.”
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