#lavv.redlines

[lavenderchqn]

𝑃𝐴𝐼𝑅𝐼𝑁𝐺 —

lyney x f!reader

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝑈𝑆 — ongoing | 𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — open

𝐺𝐸𝑁𝑅𝐸𝑆 —

social media au, modern au, college au, acquaintances to friends to lovers, mystery, slow burn, fluff, angst, comedy

𝑁𝑂𝑊 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑆𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺:

— tabletop troupe cuties | — beverage gang

𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 — MANY MOONS AGO

⤿ tabletop troupe cuties | ⤿ beverage gang

𝐴𝐶𝑇 — 𝑂𝑁𝐸 𝟎𝟎𝟏 — FONTAINE UNIVERSITY WELCOMES YOU BACK | 𝟎𝟎𝟐 — PROJECT SWARM 𝟎𝟎𝟑 — INEXPLICITUS ✧ | 𝟎𝟎𝟒 — (UN)BROKEN BRITA FILTER 𝟎𝟎𝟓 — A HUNCH | 𝟎𝟎𝟔 — THE TWO OF TWIGS 𝟎𝟎𝟕 — INVESTIGATION BOARD ✧ | 𝟎𝟎𝟖 — SOLITAIRE ✧ 𝟎𝟎𝟗 — ERRAND RUN | 𝟎𝟏𝟎 — SNAPSHOT ✧ 𝟎𝟏𝟏 — HOMESTRETCH | 𝟎𝟏𝟐 — GENESIS PT. 1

𝐴𝐶𝑇 — 𝑇𝑊𝑂 𝟎𝟏𝟑 — GENESIS PT. 2 | 𝟎𝟏𝟒 — NEW CHAT, WHO THIS? 𝟎𝟏𝟓 — TESTIMONIES | 𝟎𝟏𝟔 — GROWING IMPATIENT 𝟎𝟏𝟕 — SYMMETRIA VITAE | 𝟎𝟏𝟖 — WITCH HUNT ✧ 𝟎𝟏𝟗 — HOUSE OF HEARTH | 𝟎𝟐𝟎 — TBA 𝟎𝟐𝟏 — TBA | 𝟎𝟐𝟐 — TBA 𝟎𝟐𝟑 — TBA | 𝟎𝟐𝟒 — TBA

𝐴𝐶𝑇 — 𝑇𝐻𝑅𝐸𝐸 𝟎𝟐𝟓 — TBA | 𝟎𝟐𝟔 — TBA 𝟎𝟐𝟕 — TBA | 𝟎𝟐𝟖 — TBA 𝟎𝟐𝟗 — TBA | 𝟎𝟑𝟎 — TBA

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟏 — FONTAINE UNIVERSITY WELCOMES YOU BACK 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy

notes — welcome to red lines everybody! all likes, reblogs and comments are very much appreciated! I'm going to try my best to keep the upload schedule consistent, posting twice a week (on wednesdays and saturdays) since... well, there's a lot of chapters to get through. date of posting — july 16th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟗 — ERRAND RUN 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia

@meurtreofcrows @charles-braindump @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie

date of posting — august 14th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟏𝟐 — GENESIS - PT. 1 (1,4K WORDS) 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸 CONTENT WARNING: ALCOHOL

The evening passes in a whirlwind of laughter, clinking glasses and occasional sounds of some guests almost losing their balance. The energy in the room had been electric, with everyone gathered in front of the TV, watching the recording Furina managed to get. With the quality of [Y/N]’s camera, the video’s quality is stunning.

“You did such a good job capturing the performance!” Navia says, her face next to Furina’s. 

“Thank you!” She smiles, sparkles of excitement in her eyes. “I’m quite shocked at how good it looks!” 

“That’s a good camera for you~” Charlotte remarks, sipping her drink.  

As soon as the screening ends, the room gets filled with ovations. Everyone’s clapping and commenting on the siblings’ performance.

“Oh, stop it you guys—“ Lyney’s covering his face with his hands. It’s red, from both embarrassment and the alcohol in his body. 

His glass has been getting filled almost the entire evening. No matter how many times Furina or Wriothesley tried to argue with him to lower his alcohol intake, they got brushed off each and every time. 

“Good job out there, you two!” Wriothesley pats Lyney on his shoulder. “Shame you didn’t fall on your face, Lyney.”

“Oh, fuck you.” The teasing gets cut short with an elbow jab into Wriothesley’s chest. 

“I really liked it,” [Y/N] perks up. “Both the execution and aesthetic of it was spectacular.” 

“You can tell that the two of you have put immense care into this project,” Neuvillette adds. 

“I know we’re all excited about the thing… but no more mentions of projects please…” Charlotte’s meek voice says, tired with the week’s adrenaline ending. “Just... let’s not mention the word ‘project’ at all.” 

She's sitting right next to the open door to the back garden. Since getting to the party, she’s been nursing her glass. She didn’t have as much compared to the man of the evening, and yet she was getting a little bit drunk already. From the entirety of the Table Troupe Cuties group, her past week had been most challenging by a large margin. 

“Just… don’t spend your next finals’ prep on stalking twitter…” Lynette sighs, patting her back. 

“But the masses need to knowwww…

When her words start slurring together, it’s decided that Charlotte gets cut off for the rest of the night. By the time the toast comes, she’s forced to cheer with a glass of water.

She’s matching Neuvillette, who jokingly talks about needing to prosper on his housewarming gift from when he visited the sibling’s house for the first time. He’s keeping his tradition of having very little alcohol whenever being a guest. 

Lynette and Clorinde opt to have non-alcoholic wine, knowing they’re willingly volunteering to be caretakers for the rest of the group.  For the most part, that's going to be an easy job… with a few exceptions. At the very least, they don’t have to worry about [Y/N], Navia or Wriothesley, who manage their alcohol intake quite well… 

Either that or their tolerance is quite strong. 

The same can’t be said about another person.

A few minutes after the toast, Furina fell asleep after having a singular drink. She’s taking a nap in one of the chairs, her position curled almost like a kitten. Her sudden quietness doesn’t go unnoticed by others. 

“Gotta get her somewhere… comfy…” Lyney stumbles in her direction, stubbing his toe on the coffee table. “— Fucking hell…”

“Alright, you’re also getting cut off,” Wriothesley says coldly, gently moving him away from the sleeping girl. “Go home. You’re drunk.” 

“I’m home, you… dick.” 

With guidance from Lynette, the taller man moves Furina to a more comfortable spot to get her rest. At least she won’t complain about back pains once the morning comes.  

Lynette mentions she’s also gonna retire to bed, justifying her choice by her social battery getting low. Nobody has it against her — the performance must’ve taken quite a toll on her body. The group wishes her good night as she leaves the room. 

Charlotte follows Furina soon after, complaining about getting a headache… Unfortunately, nobody can get Lyney to take a nap of his own. He’s seemingly getting more and more energy with each and every drink he’s having. His behaviour makes him look like a tiny puppy excited by having company rather than a grown man slowly entering his 3rd year of university. 

“Does he always get like that?” Navia asks, swirling water inside her glass. At some point in the night, she switched her drink of choice to not get unnecessarily drunk and hungover.

“Like a five-year-old that just got his ass grounded?” Wriothesley counter-asks, taking a sip of his own drink. “Hard to say, to be honest.” 

“I’m unsure what you mean by ‘hard to say’, Wriothesley.” Neuvillette comments. “Lyney always has a hard time managing his alcohol intake whenever in the company of new people.” 

Now that [Y/N] thinks about it, it does make a lot of sense. People of similar personality to his often have the tendency to go overboard. Well, it’s not like she has a psychology degree to make those statements. They are much better kept as a thought to herself. 

All of a sudden, Lyney goes quiet. He takes a seat next to Neuvillette, spacing out. Perhaps his body finally decided to give him a break? 

“I don’t know if we should be talking about him… especially when he’s right here with us.” [Y/N] points out, her voice laced with guilt. 

“Should be fine,” Wriothesley takes a good look at Lyney. “Although he’s here with us in body, his soul is probably off somewhere in dreamland…” 

“I think it’s a good time we head to sleep,” Clorinde states, yawning a little. “I’d rather not be barely alive once the morning comes.” 

With that, the nightly discussion comes to an end. 

Neuvillette and Wriothesley help Lyney get to bed and wish the ladies good night. 

By the time [Y/N] gets up, the air feels different. A thunderstorm must’ve happened at night since the air had a note of sulfur and noticing the streets covered in puddles. 

Judging by the time on her phone — indicating a lovely 7 am — not many people have awoken from their slumber yet. The house feels quite empty… weirdly so. Charlotte and Navia are still asleep in the room they’ve all graciously stayed at. 

Maybe Clorinde and Lynette are already up? 

She decides to head down to the kitchen to hopefully find another awoken soul. The closer she gets there, the more noises she hears.

From what [Y/N] can gather, it's some idle chatter about Furina's plans for getting her apartment clear.

"I can't wait to get my pillows clean!" The short girl exclaims. "Due to uni, I haven't had the time to wash them last month." 

"ehhh?" A slurred voice of Lyney's comments. "Do you have to wash... your pillows that often?" 

"Should happen at least twice a year. C'mon, don't tell me you don't wash your sheets." 

An outburst of annoyed cries comes from the short male. "What did you flick my forehead for?!" 

"Wriothesley's justified." 

"Not you too, Neuvi!" 

Soon enough, she's standing at the doorway to the room. 

“Good morning, [Y/N]!” Furina greets her as soon as she notices [Y/N] enter. “Did you sleep well?” 

“Surprisingly, yeah.” 

There’s no sight of either Clorinde or Lynette in here. There are only members of the Beverage Gang here… although it’s debatable if Lyney counts as present.

“I’m so fucking jealous of you…” He whines over his cup of black coffee, hungover out of his mind. He doesn’t even have the energy to look at [Y/N], keeping his forehead against the table. 

On the other hand, Neuvillette and Wriothesley look better than ever. They’re helping Furina prepare the breakfast. They’ve already cooked some eggs and got bread and pastries on the plates.

Soon enough, Clorinde also gets to her kitchen — her wet hair explaining her absence. They quietly greet each other, both finding a place to sit. 

A cup of tea gets passed to the girls alongside some breakfast foods… And yet, [Y/N] isn't able to get anything into her system. Her body clearly states that something is wrong. She’s unable to figure out why she’s feeling like that. 

Minutes spent sitting there feel like hours. Perhaps her... unexplainable instincts are simply effects of paranoia? Charlotte and her investigative work must've rubbed off on her. 

“Has anyone seen Lynette today?” She asks, looking around the room. 

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia

@meurtreofcrows @charles-braindump @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie @vavrin

date of posting — august 24th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟏𝟏 — HOMESTRETCH 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia

@meurtreofcrows @charles-braindump @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie @vavrin

date of posting — august 21st 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟏𝟎 — SNAPSHOT (1,9K WORDS) 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

It wasn't long before Lyney messaged again, stating he was ready to drive to campus and pick the girl up whenever she was ready. Luckily for him, [Y/N] had gotten almost all her equipment ready, leaving some last lens cleaning. They agreed to meet near the main campus twenty minutes from those texts. 

In her getting ready, it seems that [Y/N] was making far too much noise for the comfort of Charlotte, who just opened the bedroom door… looking less than awake. 

Her roommate had been napping until now, sleeping off an all-nighter she had the day prior. She had been gathering information for the investigation board. From [Y/N]’s perspective, all she’s been doing was stalking social media in hopes of getting new links. At least there hadn’t been any information about another person going missing.

“Do you know no god, [Y/N]?” Charlotte asks, barely awake at the door of their bedroom. “What on earth is happening for you to be up at such an hour… on a bloody Saturday.” 

“It’s almost 11 AM.” She answers, cleaning the camera’s lens. “I get that you’re passionate about the investigation, but camping your phone till 6 AM isn’t a good idea long-term.” 

Charlotte sighs, trying to gather her thoughts and ground herself. 

“That doesn’t answer my question, [Y/N]” She gets shushed, with a mug of coffee made minutes prior. Almost as if [Y/N] was fully aware her preparations would wake her roommate up. 

With a cup in hand, the pink-haired journalism major is more aware and ready to tackle her friend’s unusual behaviour.

“So…” She looks at [Y/N] with expectance in her eyes. “What's happening for you to be getting your equipment ready on a Saturday of all days?” 

“Lyney asked me to help him with some pictures.” [Y/N] is now back to gathering her things and checking out her outfit. Although she’s simply going out with a friend, making sure she’s comfortable is quite important. 

“Oh, cool!” Charlotte looks a little more awake now. “Just, make sure to be safe alright?” 

Ever since the revelation of people going missing, alongside the Troupe connection, it was obvious that they have both been on edge. Although not directly connected to the organisation, being journalism majors had put a target on their backs as potential victims. After all, nobody would like to have a wannabe detective with social media skills on the trail of figuring shit out. 

“I’ll make sure to text you occasionally. How about that?”

“Fine by me, hope you have fun!” 

By the time you get to the main entrance, Lyney is already there. He’s sitting on a bench nearby, earphones in and glasses on. 

[Y/N] quickly jogs over, checking the time to try and gauge how late she is. She’s actually right on time, meaning he had to get here much earlier.

“Hii!” She waves, getting his attention. “Hope you didn’t wait long.” 

“Just got here, no need to worry.” He mutes the music and gathers his bag, before going in the direction of his car.

Now that Lyney is walking in front of her, she gets a good look at what he’s wearing. Compared to his twitter selfies, he’s dressed a lot more casually. Now that she thinks about it, during their board game night last month, his outfit was quite elegant. 

Soon enough they make it to the vehicle, Lyney opening the trunk. 

“Do you need any means of protecting the camera stuff?” He asks, holding out his hand to take your bag.

“Made sure to secure them on the inside, thanks a bunch though.” You give it to him, noticing the delicacy he places it with. Not to mention, that he secures it anyway. 

“Oh please, I should be the one thanking you.” He opens the door to the passenger’s seat, before getting to his own. “Don’t know a singular person who would willingly give up their Saturday like that.”

“You call it giving up my Saturday, I call it spending time with a friend.” You laugh, getting comfortable in your seat. 

Looking back, the car ride definitely takes more than 20 minutes. Luckily, Lyney’s doing everything in his power to make sure the time isn’t getting to [Y/N]. 

After graciously getting your agreement to pick the music, the ride was spent in the accompaniment of Stardew Valley’s soundtrack. Say what you wanna say, but the Dance of Moonlight Jellies never gets old.

They spend the ride talking about random stuff, from video game content to university assignments.

“Like, I’m telling you.” Lyney rolls his eyes mentally. “The second we finish that play, I do not want to hear the term practical project.” 

“Honestly, so fucking same.” She replies. “You’d think it’s just a little course to get your grade up but naaaah… has to hit you with the most obnoxious shit ever.” 

“I’m counting on passing that next week, at least I’ll be able to celebrate without a care in the world until finals’ results are out.” 

“Might as well make it a group celebration. At least someone will be able to hold your hair when you drink too much again.”

“I have a high fucking alcohol tolerance, I’ll have you know!” 

Soon enough you find yourself at the entry point to Mary-Ann National Park. [Y/N] heard of its existence before, and yet never had the chance to go here.

“So, what makes this national park a place you want to get a photo of?” She asks, gathering her bag from the trunk of the car. 

Lyney sighs, before getting his own equipment. 

“It’s a good place to think,” He locks the doors and starts leading up the hills. “I like coming here whenever I’m getting overwhelmed with them. 

It’s weird to even picture Lyney as an overthinker. From his social media presence and people’s statements, it would be hard to predict that. Given a longer thought, it makes sense. [Y/N] might not be a psychology expert, but she’s gotten to know that some people put on masks. 

The silence falls in between them. 

“Did I make it uncomfortable?” Lyney stops abruptly, turning to face his companion. “I’m sorry— forget what I just said…” 

“Oh shush, you didn’t.” She playfully rolls her eyes at him. “It’s good to have a place just to focus on your brain. Good for mental health.” 

Her answer seems to bring Lyney some solace. Even though they could be considered simple acquaintances, it’s good to get validation from other people. 

“Let’s get moving then, we’re almost there.” 

The sight at the top of the hill is breathtaking. Overlooking you can see some ruins of the abandoned buildings of Fontaine’s Research Institute… the mountains and the water surrounding add a calming aura. No wonder this is Lyney’s place of choice.

“Holy shit.” [Y/N] stands, looking at their surroundings in awe. “This place is beautiful.” 

“What can I say,” Lyney’s tone signals he’s feeling less melancholic. “I have the eye for it.” He says, flipping his hair dramatically. 

Behind her back, he’s getting stuff out for a picnic. A blanket is already laid on the grass, and soon some drinks follow. By the time she’s ready to turn around everything is set.

“Oh wow…” [Y/N] laughs, taking a plastic cup that he’s holding out to her. “Whoever becomes your partner will be the luckiest one on this planet.” 

He lets out a tiny laugh, tilting his head slightly. “I guess they’d have to get through Furu and Wriothesley first, don’t know many people who’d survive that.”

“Please… Furina is one of the nicer people I know.” She frowns. “How would she feel knowing you’re talking about her like that.”

He starts to ponder. “She’s so nice that she’d let it go immediately. Would probably stay up all night overthinking and trying to gauge if what I’m saying is true.”

He gets a flick on the forehead for a comment like that. “That’s exactly why you shouldn’t talk about her like that.”   

All of a sudden, [Y/N] remembers the promise she’d made to Charlotte earlier today. She sends a quick message, followed by a pic of the landscape. All that’s left is for it to go through. 

Multiple hours pass, Lyney and [Y/N] spending them reminiscing as well as some random blabbering. The sun is starting to set slowly, a yellowish hue overtaking the sky.

“Thanks so much, [Y/N]” He says, laying on the blanket. He gets answered with a confused hum. 

“What for?” She takes a look at him, trying to guess based on his expression. “I haven’t taken your pictures yet.” 

“Existing, I guess?” 

Now she’s confused. This entire trip feels like a date, despite not a single mention of it being that from Lyney. 

Speaking of Lyney, he picks up on the silence his friend is giving him.

“For being Lynette’s friend.” He sits up, his eyes turned to the sky. “This entire thing was orchestrated to thank you.” 

“That’s a lot of planning to just say thanks.” She chuckles. 

He now has put himself into a position, where explanations are in order. 

“When we both got into uni, I was worried that Lynnette would eventually be left alone,” Lyney starts speaking out loud. “Ever since birth, we’ve been attached at the hip… I was worried how this change would make her feel.” 

[Y/N] hums, letting him know that she’s listening. 

“I— I just feel so relieved, that she has other people that enjoy her company.” His voice trembles a little, if you pay attention, he’s doing his best not to start sobbing right this second.

“Holy, don’t cry!” She wants to put her arm around him to offer some comfort. That, however, requires his verbal confirmation. [Y/N] settles for a gentle push, so that his body is leaning against her’s. 

“I’m so glad, that Lynette showed up that day at the club. Hell, I’m happy that I got convinced by Charlotte to go” 

“I don’t even know why I’m crying…!” His emotions are all over the place. “I think those are happy tears?” 

Soon enough, with some deep breaths, Lyney manages to settle down. His eyes are as red, as his sleeves are wet. Whatever [Y/N] babbled about worked well enough to calm him down. 

“By the way… Do you still want the picture?” She asks, looking at her bag with camera equipment. “Since we’re already here, might as well take one?”

“You’re so right!” 

The sunset’s pinky hue is perfect. No matter how many times Lyney had come here to just chill out, this place still retained its beauty. With immaculate placement, the photo comes out even better than imaginable. 

“What do you think?” She shows Lyney her creation. When he hears a gasp, she knows, she did a damn good job. 

“Couldn’t have taken a better one myself!” 

“By the way Lyney… Why settle for this method of saying thanks.” [Y/N] asks on the way back. 

“Well, Wriothesley was no help… and Neuvillette didn’t even understand what the whole ordeal was for. Don’t worry, if we’re gonna hold a party to celebrate once finals are over you’re gonna meet both of their insufferable selves.” 

“So… That leaves Furina?” It's the only possible choice, via a process of elimination. “Explains the dramatics.” 

“The only soldier that was willing to help me out…” Lyney sulks, getting into the car. “Truly my ride or die in this mess.” 

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia

@meurtreofcrows @charles-braindump @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie @vavrin

date of posting — august 17th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 — TABLETOP TROUPE CUTIES 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

“Charlotte, I swear to heavens— slow down!” You did your best to catch up to the girl whose excitement turned her walking speed up to an 11. Hearing your pleas, she stopped turning around so you could join her.

“Sorry!” She scratched her cheek lightly. “I’m simply too excited about the club days! You can simply see articles writing themselves.” You sighed, finally managing to get to her. 

Charlotte had become your friend, the moment you stepped into your shared room. Whoever had thought that putting the same major students together was a genius! The flow of inspiration shared between the two of you was simply amazing and boosting each other to constantly do better. 

While at first, you had found her personality to be overwhelming, as the first days of university had happened you managed to get used to her energy levels. You would never be able to match them… but at least it was the thought that had counted. 

“We’re here!” She stopped before one of the rooms, dubbed “Table Troupe Club”. You’ve known of the existence of what it entailed… But you still racked your brain at the explanation of your roommate choosing this club specifically. 

“Why this club?” You asked confusion in your tone. “I’m sure there are other clubs that would be more beneficial towards your studies, than a role-playing game”

 “For starters, it sounds like a lot of fun!” She put her hands on her hips, as she began explaining. “Besides, being a stellar journalist means you need to be well-versed in multiple genres.” 

Charlotte was correct in her reasoning — to create good pieces, especially reviews, you needed to know your source material. Inaccuracy was the first step to losing your job, after all. 

“Oh it is a ton of fun, trust me!” A high-pitched voice made the two of you suddenly become aware of your surroundings. It belonged to a blonde with the most beautiful curls you'd ever seen. “Would you like to try it out?” 

After agreeing, you quickly learn that she was called Navia. Thanks to some chit-chat, you’ve learned that she ran the club alongside a friend of hers. 

“Is this your first year here?” She asked, setting the two of you up with teacups and freshly brewed tea. Charlotte answered for the two of you, mentioning how you were both studying journalism. 

“While it’s a challenge to throw yourself into this career, I feel like there’s still undiscovered horizons of tasteful journalism.” You said, thinking of all those times when journalists were out of line. That was the last kind of them you wanted to become. 

“Admirable.” A lower voice said, bringing out some dice. “Nowadays, all you seem to hear is about journalists overstepping their boundaries,” Clorinde said, taking her seat at the central spot of the table — as the person running the game. 

Navia seemed to agree with you, humming while placing some snacks in the reach of your hands. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to read one of your articles.” She smiled. 

This lovely moment was disturbed by the slam of a door, and a girl quickly shutting it behind her. 

“O-oh.” She said, awkwardly. “Sorry— I didn’t realise anyone was here…” She whispered while backing herself into a position that allowed her to get out of the room.

“Are you alright? Do you need any help?” Navia walked up to her, keeping her distance to not scare her further.  The girl shook her head, muttering something so quietly, that none of you managed to catch it. 

“It’s just… loud outside.” She sighed, her body finally showing signs of calming down. “I thought I could take a breather in a quiet room...” 

“You’re very welcome to stay with us,” Navia said, smiling from ear to ear. “We’re much more quiet compared to some of the people outside.” With that, it seemed like the girl was finally composed enough to agree. 

Thanks to this, in some way grandiose, entrance… it was the five of you in the club room right now. Navia was still attending to her host duties, talking more about the concept behind the making of the club and such. 

“Oh, Miss.” She turned to the latest guest. “Can I interest you in some tea?” 

At the simplest mention of the beverage, her ears perked up. She has now taken her place at the table, next to you. “I’m Lynette.” She said. “Tea would be lovely, thank you”.    

 Navia poured a cup of tea for Lynette, who accepted it with a quiet "Thank you." The room settled into a comfortable atmosphere, each person finding their place in this newly formed group.

"So, are you ready to dive into the world of role-playing games?" Clorinde asked, her purple eyes sparkling with the upcoming challenge. “I’ll make sure to go easy on you since it’s your first time playing”

Charlotte’s eyes sparkle with the same energy that had brought you here in the first place. "Absolutely! I can't wait to see what this is all about. ”

You nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of anticipation. "I'm ready to give it a try.” Lynette also mentioned that she was ready to participate. 

Navia clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! Let's get started then.”

Clorinde began explaining the basics of the game, detailing the roles and rules. The more she spoke, the more you understood Charlotte’s excitement. This wasn't just a game; it was a chance to tell a story, to explore new perspectives and thus expand your horizons as a journalist.

"Now, let's create your characters," Clorinde said, handing out sheets of paper and pencils. "This is where you get to decide who you want to be in this world."

You glanced at Charlotte, who was already scribbling furiously, her mind clearly racing with ideas. Lynette, on the other hand, seemed more reserved, carefully considering each choice before committing it to paper.

As you began to fill out your own character sheet, you found yourself getting lost in the possibilities. What kind of person would you be in this fictional world? What skills and traits would define you? It was a liberating experience, allowing you to step outside of your everyday life and explore new facets of your imagination.

"All set?" Clorinde asked after a while, looking around the table.

Everyone nodded, the energy in the room charged with anticipation.

"Great. Now, let's embark on an adventure.”

Clorinde wove a tale that drew you in from the first sentence. You found yourself fully immersed in the game, navigating challenges and making decisions that would shape the course of your journey. Charlotte's infectious enthusiasm kept the momentum going, while Lynette's quiet determination added a layer of depth to the group dynamic.

Navia, true to her role as host, made sure everyone felt included and engaged. Her character has taken a supportive role, giving the three of you to experience the world that Clorinde was creating. They must’ve played together a lot — their energy was truly in sync. 

As the session progressed, you lost track of time, caught up in the excitement and camaraderie. It was only when Clorinde called for a break that you realised how much time had passed.

"This is truly amazing," Charlotte said, her eyes shining. "I knew that Tabletop Troupe was fun, but I didn’t realise it was this fun!”

You nodded, feeling a sense of contentment. “You’re a remarkable storyteller, Clorinde.” She acknowledged your compliment with a “thank you.” 

Lynette, who had been mostly quiet, finally spoke up. "Thank you for letting me join. This has been... really nice."

Navia smiled warmly. "You're always welcome here, Lynette. We're glad to have you.”

As you sipped your tea and munched on snacks, you felt a deep sense of connection with the people around you. This club, with its mix of creativity and collaboration, has given you a new perspective on storytelling. Charlotte was absolutely right earlier with her views on expanding your knowledge leading to becoming better at capturing your thoughts. 

While you couldn’t put it to the test at that exact moment, it reminded you of the childhood wonders that made you want to become a journalist in the first place. 

The day ended with the three of you joining the club, as well as exchanging contacts. This day was just the beginning of a new adventure — both in a world created by your shared storytelling, and also your journey of becoming a fully-fledged journalist. 

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸 date of posting — july 12th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟕 — INVESTIGATION BOARD (1K WORDS) 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

“Hi! Good to see you. Nice to meet you in person, Furina.” You opened the door to the last expected visitors. Lyney, Lynette and Furina are standing in front of [Y/N], with some snacks. She promptly lets them in, taking some stuff from their hands. 

“Pleasure meeting you too…” Furina answers, albeit a tad shy. 

“Clorinde and Charlotte are setting up the games and Navia is getting some snacks ready.” She mentions, leading the arriving guests into the tiny dorm. “What can I get you started with?” 

“The usual,” Lynette answers, setting down cookies before heading into the living space and greeting the remaining girls. 

“Oh, uh… Do you have any tea, perchance?” 

“Absolutely! I’ll show you the options in a sec.” [Y/N] brings out a can of energy drink handing it to Lyney. “Unsure if you want it in a glass, but I  think you like this flavour.” 

“No shot you remembered?!” He takes it with quite the shock on his face. 

The only other time Lyney and [Y/N] met happened months ago when the girl came to collect a pillow Lynette took during one of their sleepovers on accident. Back then, Lyney’s drinks of choice had less caffeine compared to these days, yet the flavours he fancied stayed the same. 

“It just stayed in my brain for some reason.” 

She gets the water for the tea going not before remembering the offer she made to Furina. 

“Here’s the available options.” The girl sets a basket full of bagged tea in front of the girl, ready for her to pick. She does it promptly, not forgetting to ask for some sugar.

Charlotte puts down the most devious plus four of her life. Lyney up to this point was one card away from winning… His brilliant strategy to win turning out utterly impossible to accomplish. 

“Pick up.” 

“Wait, no shot you can’t stack cards?!” Lyney looks at Charlotte with utter horror on his face. 

“According to Uno’s twitter post, those are the rules. Pick up.” 

“Uno doesn’t know their own fucking game then…” He sighs, taking the loss and 4 cards. 

“That’s what you get for only playing online.” His sister shoots him a deadpan look, drawing a card herself. “Uno.” 

She’s gotten lucky, instantly getting the required colour. Lyney shoots her a dirty look, albeit agreeing with her silently. Furina had to convince him quite a lot for him to consider coming to play “normie” versions of board games. He was used to sitting in front of his setup playing these games with his friends online.

“It’s much easier, and there’s no cleanup required,” Lyney said, on his voice call with Furina a few hours prior.

“I know, I know… But there are some things you can’t experience stuck in gaming chairs,” 

Looking back, this is what Furina must’ve meant when speaking of experiences happening only in offline play… Looks of envy, future revenge incoming or crocodile tears pleading not to get skipped or nuked with cards… 

“Uno out,” Lynette says with a soft, yet accomplished expression on her face. A bunch of words of congratulations mixed with sighs of defeat fill the room. 

With the staple of the girls’ mandatory game of UNO now being 

Navia instantly starts to eye the box of monopoly that had been waiting this entire evening. 

“How about monopoly next?” She asks, getting mixed reactions. 

“You’re not the banker this time,” Clorinde states. 

“What?!” She looks at her appalled. “I think I’m a great banker, thank you very much!” 

“Didn’t you steal money for yourself last time we played?” [Y/N] gets up picking up some mugs from the floor. “Lyney, Furina would you like something more to drink?” 

All this time, she was making sure that the first-time guests of hers were taken care of in the best way possible. Always offering more drinks and snacks and checking if their pillows and blankets were comfortable… 

“Oh, that would be lovely.” Furina smiles at her, standing up to help her with the tableware. “Thank you so much again for inviting us, as well as being a magnificent host.” 

“I’ll get that started then,” She quickly takes their mugs, signalling for them to stay in the room. “I can handle the cleanup, you stay here.” 

Time sure goes fast when you're in good company. By the time a break time is called during a session of monopoly, it’s already dark outside. 

“Clorinde, can you drive today?” Navia asks, lying down on the floor. “I don’t wanna drive at night…”

“Yeah, I can do that.” She answers, noticing how dark it indeed got. “What about you three? How are you getting home?”

“Oh, I live quite close to the campus.” Furina perks up. “I’ll probably walk— ” 

“Absolutely NOT.” She gets shushed by Lyney, whose expression says more than a thousand words. “If Wriothesley hears that you did that, especially after their department announced a person went missing, I will have my head chopped.” 

“Oh please…” Lynette rolls her eyes at him. “You can be honest and say you’re worried about your bestie…” 

“Man, speaking of that weird kidnapping situation — I started investigating that a few days ago.” Charlotte gets up, garnering attention to herself. 

She walks to a board covered by a bedsheet… courtesy of [Y/N], who didn’t want the guest to experience walking into THAT. By the time it’s off, you can see many pictures of currently known missing people, their contact, gauged days when they went missing… It’s a lot. 

“Holy shit, how did you make this?” Lyney comes closer, looking at all the detailed information. “If I wasn’t scared of journalists before, I sure am now…” 

Curiosity also gets to Furina, interested as to how much information a singular board can hold… and how much Charlotte would be able to gather in a few days. By the time she gets there… something is not right. 

She freezes in front of the board, eyes wide with shock realising the linking thread about three missing girls specified. 

“Oh my god. I know all of them.”

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia @meurtreofcrows @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie

for the people who's @ are in italics, it's because for some reason whenever I tag you it just doesn't show up whenever I save the chapter...

date of posting — august 7th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟖 — SOLITAIRE (1K WORDS) 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸 content information: mentions of league of legends stuff

The atmosphere turns cold, all eyes now on Furina. She looks as if she’s just seen a ghost. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Lyney tries to get her out of her frozen state by touching her arm as delicately as possible. “What do you mean by that?” 

“T-They… all… worked at the Troupe.” She answers, uncertain in all of her words. 

Angelique used to write scripts back when she still acted for them… the barista would act as an extra… and the student from the business and economy department was their side accountant. All three girls now seemingly have a connection between them. 

“Furina, do you need a moment?” Navia looks at her, concern in her eyes. “Let's cover this up, not to stress you further.” 

[Y/N] seems to agree that a break is needed. She opens a window, getting desperately needed fresh air into the room.

“I-it’s alright, don't worry about me.” She tries to act all tough, yet nobody in the room seems to fall for her act. “It’s just… I need to think.” 

Lyney brings her to a more comfortable spot to have her sit, his mind lost in thought. It seems as if, he just solved something, albeit unsure about the current situation. A glass of water suddenly gets put in front of her, signalising that she should have a sip. 

“Oh my god… should I tell you…” Furina mutters to herself, lost in trying to figure out her emotions. “We don't know each other all that well, but if it matters.” 

“Is it about the thing?” Lyney inquires, soon getting a small nod of confirmation. “Well, it might be valuable to the investigation Charlotte is doing…” 

“Hey, no.” Charlotte buts herself into the conversation. “I don't wanna force anyone to talk about painful stuff for my gains.” 

“It’s okay… I’m pretty sure part of the theatre troupe knows it anyway. Besides, maybe it will be better for me mentally if more people know?” 

She starts recalling her story from back when she still acted alongside Fontinalia Group. 

“At some point, somebody began to stalk me… Think like letters and pictures of me outside the troupe being left in my bag, locker… I think we found razors in there one time?” 

“Holy shit, that sounds terrifying,” Charlotte says, her eyes wide with shock. In all honesty, her reaction mirrors all of the girls from the tabletop troupe club. 

“Did you report it to university authorities?”

“Oh yeah, we did,” Lyney answers. “Department authorities, the troupe management.” 

“In the end, they said they couldn’t do much about it. With no evidence, there was ‘no need’ to look into security footage.” 

“What about the police?” [Y/N] chimes in. “Personally, razors being left in my locker sounds like an obvious threat to my well-being.” 

“Unfortunately…” Clorinde begins to answer her. “Police are unlikely to start a case unless there are visible injuries on the victim. The same goes for a lack of protective/no-contact order.” 

“Yeah…” Furina agrees. “All in all, I decided to leave the troupe… which seemingly ended the stalking?” 

“My heart goes out to you, Furina.” Navia moves closer to the girl. “Nobody should have to fear for their safety—“ 

Suddenly, a phone lights up — a cute black cat inside of a magician’s cat on a wallpaper flashing everyone. 

“New notification from discord: Neuvillette is now streaming solitaire” A mechanical, text-to-speech says, sending everyone into laughter — Furina included. 

“WHY DO YOU HAVE TEXT TO SPEECH NOTIFICATIONS?!” Charlotte asks, laughing in between the words. 

Lyney can barely breathe, from how much he’s laughing at the situation happening. 

“Holy fuck, I didn’t even know I have that on!” 

By the time the board game night ends, it’s already after midnight. Clorinde has graciously offered Furina, Lyney and Lynette a ride home during a game of monopoly. It seems she’s about to act upon her promise now. 

“Thank you so much for coming!” [Y/N] says, giving a hug to all the girls. “Please let me know when you get home. It will ease my heart a lot.” 

“Will do, bye girls!” 

“Cya!” 

“I’m unsure what to do next... I can't see any other possibilities.” 

“I dunno if your eyesight is just getting worse, or it’s due to the time right now,” Wriothesley answers. “You can move the entire deck on your second batch that starts from red 8 to that black nine on the 5th batch”

“Oh, you’re right.”

The door to Furina and Neuvilette’s flat opens up, followed by the sound of closing the door. Well, there may also be a sound of stuff rolling around and a tiny curse. 

“Furina just got home. She tripped on something.”

“I HEARD THAT!” 

“Good to know she’s back. Only Lyney’s left.” 

Soon afterwards Furina joins the voice call, the last member of the beverage gang mere minutes behind her.

“What is up gamerssss— oh you’re still playing solitaire?” 

“I am.” 

“Good to know you also made it home — remember to tell [Y/N] we did,” Furina says, not even opening the stream. She still has some work to be done this late into the night. 

Lyney can be heard shouting said request to Lynette, who doesn’t even answer back. All he gets is a simple phone message saying she did so. 

“[Y/N] wishes us a good night!” 

“Please tell me, you didn’t get home on foot.” 

“Clorinde and Navia gave us a ride, don’t stress out, Dad.” Lyney chimes in, still thinking about what to play. “Should I try and rank in League tonight?” 

“Honestly, no. Your brain rots whenever you have to go against Yasuo.” 

“Not my fucking fault that bitch has wind wall… Whoever thought that skill was a good idea deserves to play Yuumi mid against him.” 

“I’m with Wrio on this one…” Furina sighs. “Also, speaking of Clorinde and Navia…” Furina starts recounting some of the information they have learned the past evening. She doesn’t have any malicious intent by doing that, just making sure her friends are aware of what’s been happening.

“So people are going missing… and they’re all connected to that wicked troupe of yours?” Neuvillette asks as if she didn’t just say they did.

“And one of the journalism majors is doing a full fucking investigation into that.” Lyney chimes in. 

“I know I should’ve punched that fucking bitch back when you were leaving, Furu.”

She only sighs in response.

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia @meurtreofcrows @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie

for the people who's @ are in italics, it's because for some reason whenever I tag you it just doesn't show up whenever I save the chapter...

date of posting — august 10th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟓 — A HUNCH 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia @meurtreofcrows @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie for the people who's @ are in italics, it's because for some reason whenever I tag you it just doesn't show up whenever I save the chapter...

date of posting — july 31st 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟔 — THE TWO OF TWIGS 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia @meurtreofcrows @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie for the people who's @ are in italics, it's because for some reason whenever I tag you it just doesn't show up whenever I save the chapter...

date of posting — august 3rd 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟐 — PROJECT SWARM 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia @meurtreofcrows @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie

date of posting — july 20th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟏𝟑 — GENESIS - PT. 2 (1,2K WORDS) 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸 CONTENT WARNING: PANIC ATTACKS

The question asked by [Y/N] changes the atmosphere of the kitchen. It falls into silence, with a hint of cold wind coming from the living room. Nobody comments for a second, trying to wrap their heads around it.

“Is she not upstairs with Navia and Charlotte?” Wriothesley’s the first one to break the ice. 

“When I woke up, she wasn’t there,” Clorinde answers. 

Worry sets into multiple people. The girls are both aware that Lynette wouldn't give up anything to sleep as long as possible. Her being awake at 7 am during summer sounds highly unlikely.

[Y/N] pulls out her phone, dialling her friend. Everyone is sitting, waiting for anything to happen. Not long after, you can hear a faint sound of music coming from above.

Clorinde gets up, saying she’s going to check the upstairs. Soon enough, she leaves the room in search of the source. 

The silence comes once again… accompanied by someone's leg tapping on the floor. 

Neuvillette and Wriothesley also get up to start looking for her downstairs. They both seem hopeful she might be nearby somewhere, taking a cat nap. In their search, they take notice of the opened door to the backyard. Furina and [Y/N] stay in the kitchen, still trying to get ahold of her phone. 

Lyney, who up to this point had only tried to battle his hangover by having espresso, is visibly nervous. As time passes, he looks visibly more uncomfortable.

“The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again late—“ [Y/N] ends the call and puts the phone on the table. Taking a look at the remaining group in the kitchen, her face in discomfort. 

“Is there any way Lynette would just… leave on her own accord?” Furina asks, noticing a notification on [Y/N]’s phone from Clorinde. She managed to locate Lynette's phone… unfortunately. 

With Neuvillette’s and Wriothesley’s return — locating turning unsuccessful — [Y/N] isn’t so sure. 

“Lynette isn’t a person who would do that.” She answers, albeit nervously. Her body is still eating at her. Something is clearly not right. Lynette wouldn’t do this… surely. 

“What are the chances… she’s been kidnapped?” [Y/N] asks. 

The moment those words leave her mouth, Lyney’s head starts spinning. The blood pounds in his ears. His heart pounds in his chest. He can feel he’s falling to the ground. His hands are shaking. Are his eyes seeing double?

He can barely breathe, pain overtaking his body. Every singular breath he takes gets counterattacked with a painful stab. Somebody’s speaking. He doesn’t know who. He doesn’t know what they’re saying. Is he going to die? Surely, he must be. That’s what Lynette would’ve wanted anyway. She wouldn’t want him on this world knowing he allowed her to get kidnapped. It’s his fault. It’s all of his fault. He couldn’t even do the simplest fucking thing and protect her. 

His eyes are drums, pounding with blood. The sole tiles he can see are spinning. It must be his last minutes alive. Why hadn’t anyone said it would be this painful to leave this godforsaken world. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Ever since his birth, his only goal was to protect Lynette. What a pathetic human being he is. Lynette is dead, and he’s next. He shouldn’t have drunk this much. Shouldn’t have drunk at all. If he was sober, she would still be here. 

His throat is closing. No matter how much air he tries to gather, there's no use. He's dying. Why wouldn’t he be able to breathe otherwise? Lynette’s taking her sweet revenge. She wants him to feel as much pain as possible. He deserves this. He disappointed his only biological family member. 

All of a sudden something touches him. He needs to get away. He can’t allow death to take him like this. He pushes as hard as he can. Has something fallen? It doesn’t matter. He must run. No matter how he needs to get away. 

Furina starts breathing heavily. Her eyes wander all over the room, trying to figure out what happened just now. She’s not the only one confused at what just transpired. Wriothesley is stuck around frozen in his place. [Y/N]’s eyes cannot stop blinking, trying to take the information in.

“Wriothesley,” Neuvillette’s cold voice exclaims. “Get me an ice pack. I’m getting Furina out of here. Best we do that before she also has a panic attack.” 

He does as he says, helping the girl to her feet and leading her out of the room. Now it’s just Wriothesley and [Y/N] left in the kitchen. 

“C-can we even get him under control?” She whispers, clearly worried about ending up like the girl. She’s still trying to process the way Lyney pushed Furina’s body into the cabinets. 

“We have to,” Wriothesley states. “For his own sake.” 

The commotion downstairs gets Charlotte, Navia and Clorinde on their feet. They are getting downstairs to get to the kitchen before being stopped by Neuvillette.

“What just happened?” Navia asks, looking around for answers. She notices the glassy eyes of Furina and the mildly pissed-off look of Neuvillette’s. 

"Are you alright?" Charlotte adds. "We've just heard a crash." 

“Take pictures of the house.” He says. “We’re going to need evidence.” 

Charlotte takes out her phone and heads upstairs to get the task done. She can hear Navia’s shout, asking her to find a bag to put Lynette’s phone in. 

“I take it Lyney didn’t take the news well?” Clorinde asks, stealing a glance at Furina’s body. With how Neuvillette’s body is shielding a part of her from the eyes of the girls… something must’ve happened. Navia puts a hand on Clorinde’s shoulder. She’s quietly signifying to not push either of them further.

“Do whatever you have to, Neuvillette,” She smiles sadly. “We’ll take a look in the garden.”  With that, they are off — ready to check if there was any way for a kidnapper to get into the house. 

“You can cry now, nobody’s watching.” 

“How… rude.” Furina elbows him for that comment, before wiping her tears away. Her breathing is more stable now, with the adrenaline in her body decreasing. 

“Be glad. From what I’m seeing, you’ll end up with a bruise or two at most.” Neuvillette stands in the entryway to the kitchen, waiting for the ice. 

"I can't believe how you're able to be calm through all that!" 

“Wriothesley, could you please… get that ice?” [Y/N] keeps her eyes on Lyney who's still breathing heavily in the other room. She must do everything in her power to help him back to reality. 

“Yeah… absolutely.” He starts gathering the ice and stuffing it into the bag. “I’m not usually like this. My bad.” 

He manages to pass the bag to Neuvillette before taking a seat. His body is still processing everything that happened this morning. 

In the meantime, [Y/N] moves closer to Lyney. She needs to put as little weight into her steps to not scare him away. From how quiet he is, the attack he’s going through must’ve tired the male out. Although his breathing is still uneven, it’s not as quick as it was moments ago. 

She inches as close as possible without touching him. She sits on the floor directly in front of him. While [Y/N] cannot guarantee that her words will be able to get to him… She hopes they will offer him even the tiniest bit of comfort. 

“Lyney. We’re going to find Lynette. I promise you that on my heart.” She puts up her pinky finger in his direction, her other hand on her chest.

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia

@meurtreofcrows @charles-braindump @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie @vavrin

date of publishing — august 28th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 — BEVERAGE GANG

𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

There was something about group projects early into the semester that filled people with uncertainty — for one, your grade was dependent on others doing their part… as well as having to deal with the awkwardness that came with not knowing each other that well…

Lyney was now experiencing it first hand, being stuck with a partner that they simply knew due to sitting next to each other on “The History of Theatre”. Luckily for him, the lovely girl he ended up with was practically more knowledgeable on this topic than their lecturer. 

On the other hand, she was a disorganised mess… as he managed to observe so far. 

“I am so sorry…” Furina sighed, searching her bag for notes a classmate had asked for their shared project. “I must’ve left my folder at my desk this morning…” 

“Whoa, whoa. You don’t have to apologise.” Lyney — the classmate in question — was stuck trying to console her, finding the apologetic behaviour of hers unnecessary. “It happens to all of us!” He did his best to cheer the panicked girl up… which seemed to be working, at least partially. 

In the blink of an eye, she got an idea, taking her phone out and deciding to call someone. 

“Please, please, please pick up— Hiii!” Her call went through and thus began her explanation of the situation. She stopped in the middle of her monologue, having realised something crucial. “Wait, I forgot to ask! Are you still home?”

“I was almost out the door.” Lyney could hear a deeper voice on the other end. “You are the last person that would make a phone call, so I picked up in case it was an emergency.” 

Furina, reassured by this knowledge, soon resumed her pleas of getting the folder delivered by her roommate, which by the steadily rising voice tone seemed to be going well. 

“You’re going to be at Café Lutece? We can go get there and pick it up!”

And that’s how Lyney ended up here. Sitting at a lovely establishment with his project partner… and a guy, with who he had major beef ever since starting university. All due to a singular game of Valorant. 

While Lyney’s only interaction with him was their twitter banter turning into said one-on-one match in the game… According to Furina, he has been nothing short of being a lovely guy and an amazing friend. 

From what she mentioned, they had become friends thanks to a well-timed suggestion at a tea shop one time. Something about her favourite brand discontinuing one of the flavours… and her being deprived of her lovely peach and raspberry beverage. 

“Neuvi should be here in a minute, quite the luck you managed to get ahold of him in time, Furu.” Wriothesley said, taking a sip of his coffee. He has been stealing occasional glances at the two of them ever since they got to the café. 

During Lyney and Furina’s walk to the café, she mentioned how Wriothesley was a frequent visitor here on his breaks between work… and so-called ‘Neuvi’ was meeting here with him to give back something he borrowed a while back, whatever it was. 

“I know right… He said something about me being the last person to make a call, and picking up in case it was serious” She executed her best Neuvillette voice, being surprisingly spot on. 

Wriothesley couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl’s impression of their friend. Even Lyney seemed to ease after witnessing it. 

“That’s quite a good impression, compared to what I heard on the phone call.” He said, grinning. “Are you sure that the seriousness in the tone isn’t a bit exaggerated, though?” Spoken like a true performance art major. 

Furina smirked, flipping her hair dramatically. “Someone has to keep things interesting around here.” 

Just then, the doors to Café Lutece swung open, and a tall and slender figure stepped in, scanning the room briefly before locking eyes with his childhood friend. Neuvillette with his calm demeanour soon approached the table, the missing folder in his hand. 

“Here you go.” He greeted her, handing her the file folder. “You ought to be more mindful of your things.” 

The girl accepted the folder with a grateful smile. “Thanks a bunch, Neuvi! You’re a lifesaver.” 

Neuvillette nodded, his gaze briefly shifting to Lyney, then to Wriothesley. An unreadable expression crossed his face before he returned his attention to the short male. “I don’t think we’ve ever met. I’m Neuvillette” He reached his hand out to shake Lyney’s. 

“Lyney.” He shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you and huge thanks for coming through with the docs!” 

Neuvillette offered a polite nod. "It was no trouble. Good luck with your project."

As Furina and Lyney started to gather their things to leave, Wriothesley who had been listening in finally spoke up. “Why not join the two of us for coffee? Now that you have the notes, surely you could spare some time for the two of us.” 

At Wriothesley's suggestion, Lyney and Furina stared at each other, silently figuring out his proposal. 

“I can pay for your drink, as apologises.” Furina offered, looking the boy right in the eye. 

“I don't mind staying, as long as you stop being so apologetic, holy…” Lyney smiled awkwardly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone apologise so much for such a silly thing.” 

“To be completely honest, it is her fault.” Neuvillette declared, getting a look from the group. 

“Neuvillette… you will get yourself kicked out of the house again if you don’t shut up right this second.” Wriothesley countered, being met with a confused look on Lyney’s face. “Their water bill is atrocious. Don't ask.” 

With that, Lyney and Furina retook their seats, and the group settled into an unexpected but somewhat pleasant camaraderie. The initial awkwardness began to melt away as the conversation turned to lighter topics, ranging from the topics of university projects to computer games. Even Lyney and Wriothesley managed to find common ground once the topic of favourite café items came around. 

The day may not have started exactly how Lyney would predict it, but it ended on the best note possible. Although nobody at the time voiced it, this was the day when the group of friends had expanded into its final form… thanks to bonding over beverages of all things. 

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

date of posting — july 12th 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟏𝟓 — TESTIMONIES 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — OPEN

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia

@meurtreofcrows @charles-braindump @floweringanna @moonjellyfishie @vavrin @lovelypadisarah

date of posting — september 2nd 2024

[lavenderchqn]

𝐶𝛨𝛢𝑃𝑇𝛦𝑅 𝟎𝟎𝟑 — INEXPLICITUS (1,4K WORDS) 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸

“Stop dozing off.” [Y/N] poked Charlotte, almost asleep at the lecture before them. It was more of the same as everything you could’ve expected from a subject named “Practical Project” and yet, it was astounding how a singular person could talk about the exact same things since the start of the semester.

The pink-haired girl shooed the elbow, returning to a more comfortable position. “It’s fine. We have the project basically done.” She was her hours of sleep lost to taking pictures right at sunrise back. 

The lecture continued in silence, accompanied by rain against the windows. Well, there were some whispers, as well as an occasional message notification.

To be frank, [Y/N] was almost joining her roommate in this morning's nap… If only she wasn’t alerted to full attention once the phone in her pocket vibrated with a new notification. 

Well, what she did not make Lynette aware of… was Charlotte not knowing yet, that she would be joining them for this campus trip. 

“You’re free later today, right?” The girl whispered, once again poking her friend. “I’m gonna go with Lyn to the main square to knock down some chores.” 

“Mmm… I should be…” She turned her head a little, snuggling more into the comfort of her sweater. “What does she need to get done?”  “Pick up a parcel. That’s all she told me.” 

Finally, the lecture has come to an end. Some people started to head out for their other activities, while others stayed back to talk further with the professor. 

“Is… there anything that can be done, prof?” A hushed male voice asked, clearly nervous. “I haven’t been able to contact Angelique all spring break.” [Y/N] and Charlotte were barely able to hear it. This didn’t stop them from listening in, just in case it was something serious.

 “Have you asked the Administrative Office?” A deeper voice replied. 

“Of course!” The male got more annoyed at the situation he was placed in. “I’ve asked the office, I reached out to her roommates and friends. It’s like she’s disappeared from the face of the earth.”

 The professor looked clearly worried — after all, it wasn’t every day that a student would suddenly vanish from existence. 

“Don’t worry about submitting on time. I will be contacting the campus authorities to hopefully get in touch with Ms. Angelique” With that, the agitated student left allowing the girls to have him review their project progress. 

“I think that’s good to go, you two.” The professor looked at them.

“If I wanted to nitpick at something that stands out — you seem to use the word 'like' a lot. While it’s not a mistake, it makes for the read to be less engaging.” 

“Alright, thank you for your input.” [Y/N] said, followed by Charlotte also acknowledging the correction. “Goodbye, hope you have a lovely day, Professor.” 

“Same to you too, girls.” 

After leaving the lecture hall, the rain was still pattering gently against the windows, creating a soothing backdrop for their walk to the main square. Charlotte stretched, shaking off the remnants of her drowsiness. “Can’t believe how boring that lecture was,” She mumbled, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

“Tell me about it,” [Y/N] replied with a yawn, checking her phone for time. “I’m glad it’s over. Lynette should be done with her lecture soon.” 

The two girls made their way through the damp campus, the sky a gloomy gray color. By the time they reached the lecture hall where Lynette was supposed to be, some students were already leaving. 

“Thanks for coming, you two.” The girl appeared, seemingly out of nowhere scaring Charlotte to the core. 

“Holy shit, can you not???” She placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm down while the other two girls snickered. “Don’t laugh at me!” 

“Sorry, not sorry.” [Y/N] shrugged, having already gotten used to Lynette’s antics. “Are you ready to go?” 

Lynette shook her head. “I need to get my umbrella from the locker. Didn’t want to sit with it being all soaked… That would be such a nuisance.” 

With her comment, the group proceeded to head towards the basement of the campus — the place filled to the brim with lockers dedicated to university students. 

“I hope it’s gotten dry…” Lynette sighed, inputting the code. “What’s that?” 

Aside from the luckily dried umbrella, there lay a letter — something that none of the girls expected.

 “A secret admirer?” Charlotte peeked over her shoulder, noticing decorations all over the envelope. From what they managed to gather, it was an invitation of sorts.

Opening the mysterious envelope gave them a partial answer.

 “You’re being invited to the Fontinalia Crew?” [Y/N] stated a fact, albeit with a questionable tone. “Why would anyone be doing that through a letter, though?”

 “That’s what I’m thinking… At least have the decency to ask in person, you know?” Charlotte chimed in. 

Lynette stared at it in silence. This could be a potential ticket towards her passing that stupid subject with full marks. On the other hand, it would leave her brother stranded on his own… which she didn’t want to do. Not to mention having to deal with all the other people. 

“Honestly, you should probably ask Furina if she also got invited to the group this way…” [Y/N] sighed.

“I don’t know. It reads as unnatural to me.”

 The other girls hummed in agreement. 

As they walked out of the basement, Lynette kept turning the letter over in her hands, deep in thought. The Fontinalia Crew was a prestigious group known for their marvellous productions and high standards of acting. Joining them would be an enormous boost to anyone’s acting career, but the mysterious invitation was unsettling.

“I don’t know what to think about this.” Lynette finally said, stuffing the letter into her bag. “Besides, I don’t think I’m a good fit for it… Not to mention the way they invited me.”

 “Could be a part of their whole ‘prestigious’ shtick,” Charlotte suggested. “You know, to keep up the exclusive vibes of the troupe.”

 “Regardless of your decision,” [Y/N] added, “I don’t think it would hurt to gather more information beforehand. With Furina’s insight, you’d make a better decision than without it.”

 Lynette nodded. “I’ll make sure to ask her later. For now, let’s go get that parcel.” 

The trio made their way to the main square, enjoying the fresh air now that the rain had stopped. The sky was still overcast, but the break in the weather was a welcome relief. When they reached the post office, Lynette handed over her ID and the parcel slip, and soon she was handed a small, neatly wrapped package with multiple “fragile” stickers slapped all over.

“Finally, it came” Lynette said, a hint of excitement in her voice. “I’ve been waiting since before the break.” 

“Ooh, what is it, what is it?” Charlotte’s curiosity has clearly been piqued. 

Lynette carefully unwrapped the parcel, delicately opening it to showcase a gorgeous set of tableware. “It’s from Father. I’ve mentioned it the last time me and Lyney showed up for a visit.” 

“Holy, that’s so beautiful.” [Y/N]’s eyes widened in admiration. “Must’ve cost an arm and a leg.” 

“We both share the enjoyment of owning pretty tableware,” Lynette said, with a tiny smile. “He mentioned, it would be a nice gift for me to have something elegant to use whenever I have guests over”. 

After carefully rewrapping Lynette’s parcel to ensure it wouldn’t break on the way home and picking up [Y/N]’s newest magazine issue, the girls were ready to head back. Unfortunately for them, the weather turned into a rainy mess once more, dashing their plans to check on the campus cats.

“Guess we’ll have to visit the cats another time,” Charlotte said, pulling up her hood.

“Yeah, this rain is relentless,” [Y/N] agreed, tucking the magazine securely into her bag.

The three girls made their way through the rain-soaked campus, huddling under their umbrellas. The streets glistened with puddles, and the sound of raindrops created a rhythmic background as they walked.

Soon enough, they stumbled to the front of Lynette’s apartment complex. With one last goodbye shared, Charlotte and [Y/N] were off to get to their dorm as soon as possible — promising Lynette to contact her once they got back. 

𝑇𝐴𝐺𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇

@state-of-grac3 @santaluna @meigalaxy @romyoia @meurtreofcrows moonjellyfishie floweringanna

date of posting — july 24th 2024