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Lyney with Lynette’s help was doing a street performance when he sees Aether out of the corner of his eye. Having not seen them since the Phantom Weasel incident, he wanted to catch up a bit and quickly ended the performance after another quick trick and quickly excused himself to follow after the traveler. Of course, he made a mental note to buy Lynette desserts later since he essentially left her to the huge pack of curious children to try and answer their questions, but he was too excited to talk to Aether again to care about the costs later. Turning the corner down an alleyway that the other went into, he saw them standing there with a stack of papers and some slime condensate mixture in hand, sticking up a paper on the wall.
“Do you have a permit to put those posters up? Don’t want another one of Furina’s wild accusations to cause you more trouble than it already has.” He joked as he leaned against the wall next to them. It was obvious that the other didn’t notice him until now as the other jolted at the magician making his presence known. “Do I need one? I guess I didn’t really think of that.”
“No, you don’t really unless you’re putting them up on someone else’s business or promoting something. Then you’d just ask the shop owner. Anyways, what are you putting up?” He looked at what was on the wall already and saw a great drawing of someone who looked exactly like Aether, though there were some subtle differences in them. It was a missing person’s poster of someone named Lumine. There were some small details about her being missing and anyone who knows information to report it to Katheryne or directly to Aether if possible since the fastest way to hear the information is through the adventures guild.
“I don’t know how much you know about me. You may have some knowledge of me from being in the fatui and close to a harbinger, but I don’t know if you know of why I’m traveling.” Lyney honestly didn’t know much at all, only really being let on that the traveler has been a problem to the fatui and to be wary, but he wanted to know more not as a fatuus, but as a friend or maybe more.
The poster consisted of a well drawn picture of someone who looked much like the person posting them. “Lumine is my sister, my twin to be exact. The sign says the basics, but I’m still looking for her. I know the general idea of what’s happening, but any information of sightings would be great...”
Lyney just listened as he watched Aether’s expression. He could tell there was a lot more going on with this situation, but it wasn’t his place to pry too much. “You must miss her a lot, huh…I would go to any extent to get back them. For Lynette or Freminet going missing…let alone any of the other kids in the orphanage. It’s a horrible thought ”
“I’ve not seen her in so long, not heard her voice or held her hand. It’s been so long it’s almost hard to remember her voice or face sometimes. Of course I remember, but it’s a little out of focus if that makes sense, you know?” Lyney just nodded along and looked to one of Aether’s hands, moving to slowly reach to it to take the slime salve and move it to his other hand before using the other to slowly hold his hand comfortingly. The traveler just let this happen as he looked to the poster again. “I just feel like I’m getting nowhere with this, you know? I’m going to search through every nation, basically fix all of their problems and then be left in the same spot of not being anywhere closer to her. I’m getting frustrated at the archons, the people, the fatui, even Paimon sometimes and she is the closest thing I have to family aside from her…”
Small squeezes of comfort were transferred where they are connected as they sat in silence for just a little bit as Aether calms down a little. “I put these posters up everywhere as if anyone will look or care. If the archons can’t help or give me any information, what can anyone else do?” Lyney immediately tried to jump into comforting him, being able to tell that his mood was dipping down more.
“Hey now, don’t give up just yet because of a few unhelpful gods, sometimes the hardest workers and useful people are the ones right in front of you. You know I’d do anything for you, right? You’re like a ray of sunlight to many people and you don’t have to have all of the burden.”
He moved to do a little trick to put a rainbow rose in Aether’s hair, the other feeling it appear and moved the now free hand to touch it lightly, a little flustered at the praise and affection. “I’m sure that everything will work out.”
The progress was slow to try and comfort someone, especially with something as important to them being lost as family. “I remember your story of almost losing your sister, when the trial had ended…I disregarded your story, though it’s similar to mine in that we lost our siblings and wanted to do everything to get them back, but wasn’t really powerful enough to do it on our own.”
Lyney nodded, though they both knew that that also brought on the price of being fatui, though he wouldn’t ever think that he would trade it. “You’ll get her back some day, I promise. I will try to get as much information on her as I can with the resources I have and will get until that is done. We are both twins and brothers of our sisters and would do anything to get them back and I would do anything to help you get yours back too.”
“So you didn’t go far, you owe me deserts for a week for that stunt, Lyney. Oh, hello Aether.” Lyney chuckled slightly at that, apologizing before realizing a way to cheer up the traveler. He took the free hand of Aether again and moved to kiss it. “Well you may not have your sister, but you do have a sister in law.~”
Of course it’s mostly just teasing, Lynette looking to him like “you’re a hopeless idiot” with a slight flush of embarrassment, but the traveler was practically glowing with how red his face got. “Lyney! You- what???” Having gotten the reaction he wanted, he got to full height again and moved to take a few of the posters from him. “I can help put up a few of these and we can find some good places to make sure they are seen! Also did you draw this, because it looks amazing. Maybe you’ll draw me next?~ Maybe you can help design one of our posters or maybe card backs!”
The goal of lightening the mood seemed to work as the traveler became visibly less tense and let out a soft chuckle at the other’s higher energy. He knowing that it was because Lyney was trying to cheer him up and honestly, Aether was more than grateful to him. Lynette walked over to take some posters too and looked to it, humming as she read and looked to the picture. “It is great art. Lots of practice and skill. Let’s get them up quick and get desert. I want cake.”
Lyney chuckled and ran ahead with some, smiling a cheeky grin. “You’ll get cake at the wedding!~”
“STOOOOOP!!!”