Father Knows Best (Lyney - Arlecchino TG Comm)

"You're leaving for Schneznaya? Again?" Lyney asked, feeling like a bombshell had been dropped on him. "But didn't the entire House only just move back here? Why do you need-"

"If you needed to know," Arlecchino glared down, her cold voice instantly filling him with fear, "I would tell you, Lyney. All you need to know is unforeseen developments require my attention. I might be there for a day, a week, perhaps even months. I cannot say." 

Lyney gulped. It had barely been a month since they even made it back to their main base following the Poisson relocation, and he hadn't fully managed to be at ease near Father since. He always respected her, and knew of her power, but seeing it first hand against him and his siblings, all while she showed as little emotion as ever? It was taking every bit of will he had to hide his terror just from standing near her.

"But Father, if you have to go, you should take me and Lynette with you! With the help of the house, I'm sure we can speed up whatever you need-"

"The other Harbingers overruled the possibility of me relocating the House there, they need you for Project Stuzha. So this, it seems, is business I must take care of alone," she answered plainly. "I'll be leaving in a few hours."

"But what about the House of the Hearth!? We need you Father! Without you there could be another rebellion, or worse! Surely you don't mean to put another Harbinger in charge? I know you like the Damselette Father, but... you do remember what happened to Francis when she came along right?" He shuddered, he really needed to work better to repress that memory.

"No. Even if I did trust them enough for this, all of them are busy at the moment. I have somebody else in mind. Why do you think I called you here to tell you all this Lyney?" she asked, walking across the room until she was behind him, the careful clinks of her heels echoing through the room.

He didn't answer, his blood running cold, but with a trace of excitement. Did she really mean..?

"I'm leaving the House to you. Out of all the children, you're the only one that has the right... ingredients to follow in my footsteps," she explained. "I hope you understand the seriousness of what I am asking you."

"Yes! Of course!" He nodded, a smile forming on his face despite his unease. "I won't let you down!"

"Oh I am quite certain of that," she extended her arm, "but before I leave, pass me your Vision. If you are to fill the role of a Harbinger, then you will require some… additional strength. My flames will take care of it.”

Perhaps if he hadn't just been handed such an opportunity, Lyney would have questioned his Father's words more, perhaps even asked for more information, but with the ecstatic buzz over his mind, such worries never even had the chance to grow as he handed over his Vision without question. That, he would discover, had been his downfall.

Arlecchino gave a small, barely noticeable smile, clenching her fist around his Vision as flames coiled out of her hands and sank deep into the gem, twisting it, corrupting the portal into Lyney's soul as she handed it back to him. “It is done."

"It... is? I don't feel any different." That was mostly true; all Lyney could feel was a strange wrongness in his core, likely the pressure he was starting to feel from his new role. That must have been the same reason he felt so hot right now...

"It takes time to take effect. Now, my boat will be leaving soon, so you had best get to work. I left a schedule in my quarters, go there first."

"Of course! Right away!" Lyney flushed, doing his best to remain focused. Was he ill or something? No, he was fine a few minutes ago, he just needed to ignore the pressure. "I won't let you down Father! Goodbye!"

Arlecchino's smile grew by a centimetre as she watched Lyney dash from the room, the magician too far away to hear her almost silent reply. "Goodbye Lyney. I'm certain that the hardships to come will be brutal. But when I return, I must admit, I'm looking forward to meeting the you that emerges from them~."

---

Lyney groaned as he swayed though the grand doors of Arlecchino's bedroom, clutching his head and shuddering from the burning, unknown feelings that were swirling within. He'd rushed to Father's bedroom just like she told him, but it felt like with every step, the symptoms had only gotten worse!

Lynette had probably noticed even with his best attempts at hiding it; he'd told them to come to Father's room in ten minutes so he could tell them the news. It was best he got her and Freminet up to speed before they made the announcement to the rest of the House. If Father's absence started as a rumour, he dreaded the anarchy that could ensue...

But what did it matter if he was sick? Father had trusted him with everything she had built while she was gone, so even if he wasn't one hundred percent, he had no choice but handle her responsibilities the best he could!

"Now where's that list she mentioned..." he grumbled, searching her desk, not finding anything that was even close to a list, which made sense. Father would never leave something like that in the open! Or... now that he was thinking about it, letting anyone in her room. When was the last time she had allowed anyone other than a Harbinger into here?

"W-well... that just shows how much she trusts me!" Lyney shook away the doubt with determination, resuming his search after only a moment, which only served to distract him from something far more serious.

His Vision was moving, the gem that was normally just below his waist gently climbing up his back, sliding higher and higher until it was nestled just below his neck, this small shift merely the first stage of many to follow.

He heard a gentle click, Lyney instinctively reaching back to check the minor shift of presence, only to be floored by the explosion that followed. It took a moment for him to realise he was screaming, another to realise the sensation of burning wasn't internal, but instead real flames that were pouring over him. He buckled over, barely able to keep standing as he looked around frantically. W-Was someone attacking him!? How did they-

CRACKKKKKK

"OH ARCHONS! F-FUCK! IT H-HURTSSS!" He groaned between gritted teeth, his spine shattering inwards, every ounce of his skeleton filled with both pain and... pleasure? His expression flip flopped between one of terror and a dazed ahegao as his body was stretched, the collapse of his spine extended with far greater height as the world shrank around him, his outfit ripping as it struggled to contain his taller frame.

All the while, the flames of change coiled around Lyney's body, his body hair burnt away, the intense heat making him feel like he'd been shoved into an oven. He breathed heavily between his conflicted gasps, clenching his fists as he felt the corruptive flames roasting his flesh, forcefully raising its sensitivity as every movement felt all the more reactive, even a shudder bringing his cock to full mast, his skin noticeably paling to match the blueprint encoded into his compromised Vision.

He staggered forward as he came to his senses, feeling vertigo from the sudden increase in height, now fully aware that something was very wrong. Was this some kind of trap? Had the Abyss Order found their base? Maybe an assassination attempt from the Doctor he had been unlucky enough to trigger? Although none of those reasons would explain the drastic change in appearance...

"G-got to get h-help..." He groaned, hating that an instinctive part of him wanted to take advantage of how worked up his cock had gotten. "L-Lynette might know what to do! A-ahhh~! Got to catch up with F-Father before she-"

It was then that something occurred to him, the answer hitting him like a Gardemek in unison with his shoulders snapping downwards, adjusting little by little to hold the feelings of bliss and pain for as long as possible.

"M-my Vision! I-it's my ahhhhhhh~! V-Vissssshitttt~!" He moaned, his shaking hands reaching behind him. "Fahhhhther m-must have done something wrong! I’ve gohhhhhhhhhht to get it oooohhffffff~!"

He was too overwhelmed to properly think through his plan, Lyney not even considering what to do next as he grabbed hold of his Vision, only to scream in agony as it felt as if he'd submerged his hands in magma, his sleeves burning to cinders along with it. It didn't just hurt, it felt good too, his hands tingling as he brought them forth to address the damage, his breath hitching in his throat at the sight he was met with.

His palms weren't red, or even missing any skin, they were a pitch, charcoal black, and it was spreading. Lyney watched in silent terror, the new colour consuming the pale flesh of his hands, everywhere it touched sending sparks of bliss flying up his body as his cock gave throbs of pleasured approval. 

The darker his hands became, the more slim they grew too, his nails lengthening into sharp, deadly weapons of their own, the infection dripping down to his forearms as a horrible realisation began to click in his brain. There was no way that could be what was happening, right? But as he stifled a squeal, watching his unimpressive arms thin out and bulk with muscle, he knew it to be true.

"NO! NONONONOHHHHH~! T-THIS ISN'T REAL, THIS ISN'T HAPPENING, LYNETTE~! H-HELP ME PLEASE SOMEBODY, ANYONE, F-FAHHHHHHHH~!" He denied his realisation, pushing it to the back of his mind, his form sent flying towards the full body mirror as the hungry flames leapt onto their prey once more. "G-GET OFF ME, STOP IT! THIS IS A MISTAKE THIS- OH FUCKKKKKK~!!!!"

He was soon hacking on his own words, choking as the flames coiled around his neck, squeezing and crushing his windpipe to such an extent that his vision began to blur. Lyney panted and coughed in pleading desperation, shuddering from delight as the flames slipped into his open mouth, his Adam's Apple lost in an instant as a feminine coo slipped past his swollen lips.

His eyes refocused just in time for him to watch the changes strike his face, dreadfully alluring squeals his only reaction as he recoiled from the force of each snap. It was an awful mix of pain and bliss, his cheekbones arching in, his jawbone and nose falling victim to the tectonic shifts, the teardrop makeup finally washed away by his own tears as his eyelashes lengthened to frame narrow, intense eyes, a set with red "x"s for pupils, the same eyes that had been glaring at him that very morning.

Lyney shuddered in terror, feeling his face in horror, his heart pounding as he whispered, "F-Father?"

He instantly covered his mouth, the combination of seeing his new face and hearing his new voice confirming what he had been fruitlessly denying. He was turning into Arlecchino, his own Father! It was so many levels of fucked up he didn't even know where to begin, although he could start with how turned on he was!

"No! T-thahhhhhhht isn't important!" He gasped and shuddered, a part of him wanting to hit himself for daring to speak such vulnerabilities with his Father's voice. "I need to s-stohhhhhhhppp thisss~!"

While he formed a plan, the flames had not let up on their alterations, the fire spreading across his hair, burning his blonde strands to charcoal black and ashen white, even lengthening it slightly. But that was only a side effect as they reached the intended target, the flames finally striking his brain with a brutal stab.

Lyney let out an animalistic wail, slamming into the bed as he was finally forced to cum, the ferocity of the flames increasing tenfold as more burst free from his Vision, his clothes catching fire as the old cloth was burnt, and only the new remained. It was an accurate reflection of what was happening mentally, the boy feeling the fire let loose amongst his memories, thoughts and places incinerating one after another, like someone was holding photos of his past before him, making him watch as they burnt until he was left looking at nothing at all.

"NONONONOOOOOHHHH M-MAKE IT STOPPPPPPP F-FAHHHTHERRRRR HELPPPPP P-PLEASE I-IT'S BURNING MEEEE, S-SAVE ME I'LL DO ANYTHING~! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO-" he blubbered, squealing as he felt the forming outfit tighten against his body, forcing his figure to contort to suit its standards.

Regardless of how hard he fought, he was forced to give in and scream once his sides collapsed into deep curves, the unneeded mass in his stomach naturally forced upwards as a result. "WAIT NOT THERE NOT- FUCKKKKK~!"

His cock tented the forming tight pants harder as his chest erupted with stolen mass, Lyney's hands acting with a mind of their own as they slammed onto the expanding mounds, groping them in eager bliss and leaving him with the consequences. Bigger and bigger his breasts became, the exact measurement taking the place of something unimportant about the already faint faces of his parents and other friends in Fontaine, even as Lyney mentally scrambled to save anything from the blaze.

His only hope was that Father could save him and stop this awful but necessary waste of an agent before it was too late! But there was no way she would obviously. Why would she? How have I not figured it out yet?

The unnatural thoughts gave him pause, even as he continued to be overwhelmed by the still growing mass of his Father's tits and deepening curves, things that even he had spared a glance at in the past. W-what did those thoughts mean though!? Of course she would help him if she knew what was happening! Why...

He froze, horror dawning on him as a cold, amused chuckle slipped through his mind.

Father didn't let anyone into her room.

She didn't trust another Harbinger to watch the House. She only trusted herself with such a task.

"And, I never make mistakes."

He screamed, hugging himself from the awful realisation, something that seemed so obvious now that he thought back. She'd planned this from the start! She had led him along and played him like a fool! 

"You did take the bait like a good child, Lyney. I appreciate it very much."

Lyney's panic only grew further as the lower portion of his outfit was fully remoulded by the fire, burnt into black, skintight pants, a perfect compliment to the grey jacket that was now wrapped around his upper body. He could feel the pants slowly tighten, a process that seemed to be sadistically dragged on for as long as possible, forcing his slender legs to conform to even slimmer standards.

Not only that, but like his arms, they were swelling, clenching and pulsing with the untold strength and power of a Harbinger, levels someone like Lyney had no idea how to cope with. Instead his body simply thrashed and bucked, his pleas for his Father ignored as he found himself rapidly reduced to a minority in his own mind.

Peers became children. Allies became disposable. Even Harbingers went from imposing figures to annoyances, or close friends in some cases...

"F-FAHHHHTHER STOPPPPP P-PLEASE I’LL DO ANYTHINGGGG- ANYTHINGGGG JUST NOT MEEEEEEE I-I'M BEGGINGGGGG-" he wailed, but the apparition of his master had nothing more to say to him, concerned with completing his body's transformation above all else.

But still, it seemed not immune to some personal enjoyment, Lyney gasping and shuddering as a blackened hand began descending towards his needy shaft. He shook his head, pleading harder in terror, even as his brain was brutally battered with a different past in the House, one that shaped her cold and emotionless demeanour as...

"OH ARCHONS OH SHIT OH FATHER NOOOOO~!!!!" Lyney screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes spinning as Arlecchino's hand began to gently jerk his manhood, showing the decency of giving him the most pleasurable send off she could.

She did so uncaringly, hammering away at his horny shaft without even trying to take off the new pants, Lyney blubbering and squealing as his Father blew his virgin mind what felt like ten times over. He didn't want to cum, knowing it would only invite the inferno further into the depths of his psyche, but when faced with such bliss, he truly only had one choice.

"HAH~! GAHHHHHH~! AHHHHHHH~! <3" he wailed, emptying his balls as he came, his cum barely stopped from staining Arlecchino's high quality clothes by the flames of his Vision, the fire cleaning up after him by burning it all into nothing. Lyney knew he had to fight, but the pleasure was eating away at his soul. In his head, it wasn't just a photo being burnt before him now, but albums upon albums! 

He didn't know how to do a magic trick, or even use his bow! All he could see was the world Father saw. A world of few equals, many annoyances, and most importantly of all, pawns.

"N-NOOOOOOO I-I'M NOTTTTTTT~? I-I'M THE KNAVE OF THE FATUI I AM NOT A MERE- OH FUCK OH NO I DIDN'T- I DIDN'T MEANNNNNNNN, FATHER PLEASE STOP~!" he begged, sobbing from bliss, fully aware that he was reaching his limit. But he refused to give in! There had to be something, anything he could do!

"Lyney?" a bored voice called from outside the door. "Can you let us in already? I can’t speak for Freminet, but I personally would rather engage standby mode somewhere more private. What you want to tell us had better be good."

Like a traveller lost in the Sumeru desert finding an oasis, Lyney felt the first sparks of hope burst through his soul. How could he have forgotten he asked his siblings to meet with him? If anyone could help him it would be them!

"L-LYNETTE! You’ve got to help me! F-Father's done s-sohhhhhhhhmething to my Vision and she's changing- OH FUCKING- GAHHHHHHHHH~!!!!!" He barely had the chance to make his final plea, Father's presence in his mind turning to a mix of pain and pleasure that brought him to his knees.

"Oh Lyney, ever the ungrateful child. Even now you seek to deny me. Even as I ascend you beyond your weak self. It's a shame."

"F-FATHERRRRRRR NOOOOOOO P-PLEASE PLEASE KYAHHHHHH~!!!!" He could see her eyes, peering at him from the unknowable darkness of her psyche as, at her command, the flames of his disaster rushed into his thighs.

"Lyney!?" Lynette's stoic voice was sprinkled with rare concern. "What's going on? What about Father? LYNEY!"

"Are you sure that's Lyney, sister? It's hard to tell with the door muffling their voice, but it came off as a woman’s to-"

"We can debate that after we get this door open!" Lynette snapped, the door buckling as the siblings desperately fought to break in. Lyney himself barely noticed, over half of his brain claimed by the virus that was Arlecchino, his body thrashing and convulsing from wild ecstasy as the flames ran wild in his lower body.

His toes curled and shrank, his muscles aching and pulsing as they were pumped with more and more strength until they were a perfect, exact match to the original, the flames refusing to allow a single difference between the body before it and the blueprint encoded within itself. It was most clear in his thighs, Lyney forced to clench them as tight as he could, drooling as every second prompted another surge of mass, like balloons being inflated before a show's finale.

"Rather fitting term of phrase, isn’t it?" the voice commented, her words rushing through his body with the force of an earthquake, a desperate squeal leaving his lips as his hips were sent bursting outwards, straining against the tight pants as they were pushed to their limit.

He couldn't even snap back anymore; the fire was everywhere, burning him, erasing him, all he could see was the darkness that was Arlecchino, along with the power and euphoria that came with her. Lyney cried out, feeling his rear swell and thicken, all while the hand that had been constantly jerking him off began to change tactics, switching to forceful shoves.

Slurkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

“NONONOOOOOOHHHHHH~!” He kicked and screamed as he felt his manhood sink deeper and deeper inside him, a black hole of pure pleasure dragging it to the depths of his core, all while his newly thickened thighs sensually rubbed against it. The bliss worked in unity with the sensations in his ass, his rear only growing larger as it was gifted with an incredibly generous amount of mass, although it was something few would appreciate. The average person would logically be more afraid for their lives than admiring her figure.

Lyney could hear it all, the doors about to burst open, the slow decline of his manhood, the pounding of his own heart, the heat of the flames inside, building and building. The better he felt, the stronger the fire became, a terrible ouroboros with his identity as the main course, the magician letting out a final, eager scream as the darkness fully descended on his mind, unable to deny the joy he felt at becoming a Harbinger’s new form.

It was then that several things happened all at once. Lyney's manhood was fully forced back inside him, the pleasure bringing the new Knave her first female orgasm. This pleasure then supercharged her flames, powerful, corruptive fire that Arlecchino's body naturally produced. However, in this moment of bliss, her new body didn't quite have the same handle on it as the original’s, causing a small shockwave of flame to erupt from her body.

This unfortunately happened to also coincide with Lynette and Freminet breaking open the door, the two having barely gotten their bearings before they were sent flying into a bookshelf.

For a moment all was still, the new Arlecchino taking a moment to catch her breath, the pleasure of her transformation slowly dying down as she carefully got to her feet. She sighed, her expression turning stoic, her eyes opening to reveal no emotion or weakness behind them.

She looked down at herself, clenching a fist, feeling a thigh, taking a few steps forward and back with a pronounced sway, making sure even the slightest detail lined up with her memories. Once she was satisfied she relaxed, confident that the recreation of her form had been a complete success.

"Yes, this is acceptable," she commented aloud, before returning her attention to her dazed children, both of them groaning as they began to recover from the shockwave.

It was a pity, but if they'd seen anything, she'd have no choice but to take care of them. She hoped to feed them bottled flames secretly, but by force was always a possibility. Nobody could know there were two Knaves of the House of the Hearth, after all.

"You two. Why have you disturbed me?" she asked. Playing dumb was the best way of finding out what they knew.

"Owwwwwww- Father?" Freminet blinked, looking around the room in confusion. "How did we... get here? Did you call us here? I-I'm sorry I wasn't listening! I spent all of last night modifying Pers so I didn't get much sleep!"

"Um... I... exiting standby mode. What was that, Father? I'm afraid I've been conserving energy since you asked us to meet here."

It was easy to see their reactions were genuine, something that brought about an interesting theory to Arlecchino's mind. "Not to worry, children. I just wanted to make sure your group was ready for any missions that might arise."

"Is that it? Well we're both here Father. Both of us are ready and waiting for any mission you need us for," Lynette answered plainly.

So that was it. They had been hit by some of her unleashed flames. Flames that, at that moment, were all focused on erasing Lyney's memories from her own mind. So once it had hit them both, it simply erased their brother from their own minds, to such an extent that it had even filled in the holes left in his absence.

"Good, Lynette. You both may leave now. Alert the others that I wish to inspect them myself." She waved her arm, the siblings bowing before leaving without another word.

True, it would take time to inspect the other children, but it would avoid the two siblings from worrying she had singled them out, or worse still, make them doubt her. It was best to back up the lie she had made with her own actions, just to be safe.

She smiled to herself, her eyes gleaming as she let out a small laugh. She didn't exactly go out of her way to enjoy herself, but even she had been surprised at the pleasures that came with taking that body for herself. Perhaps if something else came up, she could draft in another replacement too. After all, Dottore had been allowed to operate with segments for a while, and the House did have operations in every nation of Teyvat.

Another thought came with that too, one that made her smile even more crazed. Columbina had been complaining about her work the last time they talked, hadn't she? She'd been so concerned with that meddlesome Traveller too... and if that arrogant Doctor was as smart as he so annoyingly bragged about... perhaps a sampling of her flames could be altered to kill two birds with one stone?