About me: The people of Fontaine love their tales of mystery. The intricate case setups and unexpected twists and turns are captivating for all.
Magic recreates this experience under the converging spotlights. For the price of a ticket and some of your free time, you can embark on a wondrous journey amidst thunderous applause and astounded cries.
If you were to ask around as to which of Fontaine's "guides" is best at setting up such fantastical tours, most fans will tell you that it is Lyney.
Suave, romantic, and talented, he performs miracle after miracle with a casual air.
In this industry, one needs only a stable of staple tricks to ensure a renowned reputation and comfortable life.
However, Lyney's shows always feature some new trick. Some say that he was born into poverty, and the resultant burning hunger for fame and fortune drives his boundless desire to create.
In truth, he simply pursues novelty in his capacity as a performer — indeed, he feels that if he cannot put his whole heart into the show, his deep desire to perform cannot be fully satiated.
This is why, despite the applause rising to a fever pitch and beyond, he will rarely satisfy the crowd's calls for a reprise of his most well-known tricks. Some devoted fans consider this to be a bit of a shame...
...And for them, such regret will only continue to increase each time they purchase a ticket and go in to watch his show.
Character Story 1
While Lyney first began his journey in magic to fill his stomach, he has continued to perfect his art even after becoming a person of some renown in Fontaine.
Magic, after all, has been his benefactor. Not only has it allowed him and his sister to survive, but it has also allowed them to gain the "acknowledgment" that most children, growing up in a loving home, would have received from their parents.
Even from an early age, performance was something closely tied to Lyney's life. Each time he would go on stage, Lyney would have the audience whooping and clapping. And yet, he did not lose himself in their adulation — if anything, it often troubled him.
If audiences were simply drawn to the spectacle of magic, then who was to say that they wouldn't abandon Lyney's stage as soon as they caught wind of a more enthralling show in town?
In other words, just as an audience would be attracted by petals and cards, they would also be pulled away by grander fireworks and crackling gun salutes. What else did magicians have up their sleeves to capture the hearts of their audience, beyond enticing them with ever more grandiose impressions of shock and awe?
In all of Lyney's performances afterward, audiences would begin to notice a change — Lyney would add many segments between performances in which he would interact with them.
Indeed, this magician seemed without any airs, sharing various fascinating anecdotes about his life, not even minding if the audience should try to guess at the secret behind his tricks.
Of course, the sharper wits amongst them would notice that Lyney's tales were not truth, but instead a way to build up the atmosphere, a bedding laid for a greater magic trick to land upon.
Yet no one would quibble about these white lies. After all, truth and falsehoods were already inextricable in many parts of the performance — why, even the magician himself could be said to have become a part of the magic.
Thus does Lyney sometimes appear near and dear, and other times just out of the reach of his audience, balancing human affinity and magical mystery perfectly in the palm of his hand, his smile leaving the audiences' imaginations free to run wild.
No matter how rich or poor, sad or glad the audience member, imagination is the great equalizer, carrying the charm of magic to all.
Thus did the mystery and elegance of this magician spread far and wide, with people even opining that his skill at creating an atmosphere is itself as exquisite as magic.
"Is that so? Well, I'm just trying to invite everyone to take a brief break from reality, that's all."
Character Story 2
Lyney's new home was the Hotel Bouffes d'ete, located in a corner of the Court of Fontaine.
The place was home to many orphans who shared similar experiences with him and his sister. The people here helped each other like a family would, greeting the fallout and consequences of those tragic years together.
But the siblings, even with a recommendation from the manager of the Hotel, did not find it all that easy to fit in, nor was it easy for the children there to immediately accept these new "outsiders."
And in this environment, oppressive in its gloom, the water pumping equipment broke while Lynette was using it, right before everyone's eyes, deepening the distrust to the extreme.
Lyney could only step up and take responsibility, agreeing to fix the equipment so as not to affect everyone's daily lives.
In truth, he did not know all that much about repair work, but given Lynette's propensity for damaging various small devices, he had long gotten used to following his intuition to do some fixes here and there.
Unfortunately, he underestimated the complexity of the pumping equipment and difficulty of fixing it. While he succeeded in restoring it to normal operations, he remained at a complete loss as to whether he had solved the root problem or not, he could not tell.
But just as he was at his wit's end, a seemingly reticent young fellow stepped forth, examined, and restored the facilities, even expressing his apologies.
As it turned out, he was the one in charge of maintenance at the Hotel, and as he saw it, Lynette had been the unfortunate victim of his failure to detect and replace the aging components in the system in a timely manner.
Lyney, for his part, was far more impressed by the young fellow's skills than any talk of responsibility. He wanted to learn from the youth — if nothing else, this would make helping Lynette all the easier.
The youth was, for his part, no good at refusing, and thus did Lyney become his assistant in the Hotel's small workroom — and over time, he and this Freminet would become friends.
Lyney would prove unselfish in spending time on other Hotel residents, whether it be Freminet or others, but he would keep them company in comforting silence rather than ask them about their experiences.
In this he was guided by Lynette's succinct life advice: "No one needs self-satisfied concern."
In time, the residents became more willing to share some of their pasts with him, and Lyney would thus become better able to help them with their issues.
Freminet was somewhat perplexed by this, believing that Lyney, who was slowly becoming the core around which the Hotel spun, did not need to go this far.
Lyney joked that he had helped Freminet when they first met because he knew that his sister would cause further machine-related troubles down the line, and he was uncomfortable with that.
But at this point, there was no fooling Freminet with such words. Under his attentive gaze, Lyney could only tell him the truth.
"Because Lynette's my one and only family, I've learned from her how one should treat all members of their family."
Character Story 3
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.
Character Story 4
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.
Character Story 5
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."
