#ch: l

[villains-promise]

Please

*sniff*

PLEASEEEEE *SNIFF*

Can I-i please adopt best boi and co parent with L please i want to cuddle my little baby and feed my baby good food and cookies 🤧❤️ i love him so much YOUR HONOR

this is so so very adorable to imagine, it gave me so much joy-

Spoilers!

L's happiest route (as planned thus far) is definitely a family sim so absolutely 😭💕

You get into L's route it's going to include kid(s), sorry for kid haters who love L 😔

[gayrhya]

Elnar + some new bonds ocs, L & Rory

[villains-promise]

Lucian/Laine

Mercenary Partner

From beside you, L looked particularly riled. Their eyes wandered the ground, arms crossed, and jaw set, like they were waiting for a fight to befall the two of you at any moment.

This commission was done once again by the amazing Amanda Corona. You can find her tumblr here. Don't be shy, go check her out!

[villains-promise]

Last one! L!!! im going soft on them :<

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here." and 13. "there's no shame in crying. I promise." ? it feels like one of them has a nightmare 🤔🤷

hehe thank you for everything felix! <3

AHEM I'M DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS TIME! the obvious choice would be for resurrected MC to be distraught over L's torture and death, but :]

Hands sticky with blood, lungs constricting from the lack of oxygen, tears spilling silently. Silence. Too much of it. Throat itching to let out the screaming cry clawing at their cords, but it was trapped. Trapped in its very own hell as MC stared where the mangled body of their mother sat.

"Mom..?" MC whispered, crawling on their knees to her body. They pause, hand shaking as they remove the ribbon from her head, then taking her chin gently to maneuver her head to face them, but the glazed over eyes staring back were lacking the warmth they were seeking.

The weird thing about shock was that... Sometimes, it felt like you weren't experiencing the event, like it was happening to someone else. MC was aware in a way as they gathered Irina into their arms, whispering words of denial into their mother's hair as they rocked back and forth; however, it was as though they were only a spectator to their own tragedy, their body disconnected from their mind.

They didn't settle back into themself until they were found by their neighbors, when hands were on them and removing Irina from their grasp.

"No, no, please don't take her-" MC cried, reaching out to grab Irina back from Denisa.

"Honey, I'm sorry, we need to-"

"Please, please..." MC begged weakly, clawing at Nicholas' hands where he held them back.

"I'm sorry, kid." He mumbled, voice thick with tears of his own.

And all they could was sit and watch as Denisa took their mom's body away, their tears dried up and they wished they could go back into that floating state. Where nothing could touch them, where they could be a passenger to their grief, but they couldn't. Each tears felt like a punch, every noise was an explosion, and Irina's absence wracked their body with shivers.

Nicholas spoke words of reassurance to them between his own sobs, but it was too much and yet not enough. He just wasn't the person they needed and it was starting to frustrate them.

Shaking from effort and their overwhelming emotions, MC got up. They didn't answer Nicholas' questions, simply leaving with no clear plan in mind. All they knew was they had to go. Leave Sinaia. Not permanently, they knew they would attend the funeral, knew that they'd come and inspect the area again when they had a clear head, but for now...

They took the leas they had earned and requested transportation to Detca. They could ask Anton for a boarding room to be spared or rent a room at the inn, they didn't really care.

It really shouldn't be surprising when they ended up at neither Anton's office nor an inn, but instead at L's home. "I swear to the euan, we just finished the mission, can I not get a fucking hour of sleep-" They were ranting before they even opened the door.

"L..." MC mumbled, wringing their hands in front of them, trying desperately to hold it together. "Can I stay here? Please."

L stared blankly, eyes roving over their partners form. "What..." They cleared their throat, opening the door wider. "Yeah, come in."

MC lowered their eyes as they passed by, trying not to acknowledge the concern they could feel radiating off of them. "How is-"

"They're fine. The priests are attending to them." L cut in, placing a hand on MC's back and leading them to the couch. MC sat down heavily, eyes glued on their hands.

Wrong, wrong. Their mind chanted as L sat down beside them, placing a blanket around their shoulders. They didn't do this. They didn't talk about the hard stuff with L. They worked together, they sometimes hung out together, but this... This was never them. Why must it be so hard when they were the only person left for MC to talk to?

"What happened?" L asked, an uncharacteristic softness to their tone.

MC shook their head as their throat closed up, pressing hard against their eyes as if they could physically stop their tears. "It- She-" MC whimpered as their words failed them.

L made a noise of worry, placing a gentle hand on MC's forearm. "Stop, you're going to hurt yourself."

"If I stop, I'll cry." They whispered as though it was a taboo subject. Maybe it was, in a way.

"So?" L huffed, squeezing gently. "There's no shame in crying. I promise."

Somehow it was enough. Enough to let L take their fists from their eyes and enough to break the dams, the sobs finally breaking through.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here." L spoke softly, pulling MC into a gentle hug. Somewhere in the back of their head, MC had to wonder when L got good at comforting the distraught, but that was something they'd get to later. For now, they dissolved into their partner's hold, clinging to them like a lifeline as their grief threatened to drown them.

[villains-promise]

All I Want

People grew up and changed. Raz knew this, logically. They had been told this many times growing up by their own parents and by Irina. So they really should’ve seen it coming when their best friend changed.

It wasn’t as though it was an abrupt change, it was gradual and when Raz really thought about it, the change had been building up for years. At first, it was the desire to hang around Irina more, then it was completing different miscellaneous tasks around town for some leas, and then… it was fighting other kids and snapping out at the baron’s guards, staring emptily out at the sky while Raz bandaged them up to their best ability because they didn’t want Irina to worry.

Now, Raz was busy cultivating their power and studying to join the temple, so they hung out only a fraction of what they used to. They weren’t as caught up as Raz would like to be, so it was quite alarming that when they were heading to the library in Sinaia and they spotted their best friend in the middle of what seemed to be a very brutal fight with someone who was a bit older and far more built.

Raz halted in their steps, eyes widening at the scene. They had witnessed their friend in many fights over the years, but it never looked like this. Their fights before were aimed to intimidate and scare others away, but this looked like they were aiming to maim. There was a malicious amount of energy packed to every hit and there was no reprieve after any landed hit.

Raz may have panicked.

They ran to field, heart punching against their ribs as they whispered in the ancient tongue, zeroing in on the elder form. They weren’t amazing at iba yet (it was awfully hard to master), but they managed what they needed to: a ball of light that had the attacker covering their eyes and crying out in surprise.

“Are you okay?” Raz asked as they dropped to their knees beside them, frantic hands fluttering over their friend’s bruised and slightly bloody form. Underneath their skin, their magic tingled, begging to be released- to help, but Raz kept a cap on it. They weren’t even sure how to help just yet. “What the fuck happened here?”

“Raz, what the hell?” Their friend growled, struggling to stand. “L, you good?”

“Fine.” The other grunted, rubbing their eyes while slightly bent over.

Raz had never felt more clueless. “L?”

MC shrugged, gesturing to the older. “Raz, this is L- my sparring partner. L, this is my friend E. Trying to blind them was kind of uncalled for, E.”

Raz blinked as they stood, glancing between their friend and L, who seemed to be getting over their display of magic. “I was just trying to help. You were getting your ass kicked, MC.”

“Was not.” They huffed.

L raised a brow, a corner of their lips tugging up slightly. “You were. It’s okay to admit it, MC. And you,” L turned, addressing Raz who straightened their posture instinctually, “-were just protecting a friend. All good.”

“Oh. Okay. Glad you, uh, understood.” Raz visibly relaxed, beaming at L.

L cleared their throat, looking away for a moment. “Was that iba? That’s impressive.”

Raz laughed, rubbing the back of their neck, throwing a glance toward MC who’s eyebrows had pulled in. “It was iba, but I’m not very good at it yet. You’re not in any pain from it, are you?”

L shook their head. “Nah, my eyes tingle and my vision is a little weird, but I’ll be fine.”

Raz sighed in relief. “Okay, good.” They then glanced between the two with a cocked head. “So sparring partners, huh? Training to become a knight or something?”

L scoffs. “As if.”

MC pats L shoulder, shaking their head. “What L means to say is that obtaining knighthood is a bit too hard for people like us, Raz. We’re training to be mercenaries. Or, well, I’m training to become one, L is one already.”

Ah. It shouldn’t have taken this long for them to notice. This was the obvious path MC was taking, but E felt stunned in the face of the fact. When they were kids, Raz just sort of assumed that because they were so close, they’d do something similar with their lives in the future (hence knighthood being their first thought), but they couldn’t be further from the truth. They were truly naive to believe such a thing when all the evidence was already there.

“Oh, wow! That’s so cool, MC. Who’s guild were you going to join?” Raz wished their smile didn’t feel so forced. They wished they could force away all their worry and just be happy for their friend.

MC pursed their lips, shifting on their feet. “L’s in Anton’s, so probably his.”

“Anton’s guild? The Aurum Guard?” Raz asked slowly, fighting against the instinct to take a step away.

“Got a problem with it?” L asks gruffly, eyes narrowed not in a threatening way, but in a way that made Raz feel thoroughly scrutinized.

Raz shrugged, gulping around their growing anxiety. “Anton’s not a good person. I’m just worried for you, MC. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be a mercenary, Raz. ‘Course I’m going to get hurt.”

Raz huffed, crossing their arms. “I mean, I don’t want you getting fucked over by some man who obviously just cares about money. At least Catina has a rep for taking care of her people.”

“But L isn’t in her company. Plus, I was scouted by Anton.” MC shrugs as though it were obvious.

Raz threw L an incredulous look, as though to say ‘Can you believe this shit?’ which promptedd them to say, “You’re not wrong. Anton’s a dickhead and if I had done an ounce of research, I would’ve joined Catina. I’ve been trying to tell them to not make the same mistake but-”

“They’re stubborn beyond belief? I know.” Raz sighed, throwing a playful glare at their friend who seemed to be pouting. A moment passed and E grew somber, speaking up in a much softer tone. “I won’t be there like I have been in the past… Can you look out for them for me?”

While Raz watched, there was a minutiae shift in L’s expression, softening just a degree. “I’ll try… They can be a bit of a dumbass though.”

“Hey!” MC protested and all Raz could do was laugh away their apprehension.

[villains-promise]

Wait, L already has a kid (referring to the pregnancy ask)? Could you tell us a bit more about their kid? Can MC befriend this child?

!!THIS IS SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER TWO (and one ig)!!

If you went on a walk in Sinaia... You most likely have met L's kid :]

If you don't know what I'm talking about: In Sinaia when you have the option to start the mission or go on a walk, go to the library, or go to the temple, there was a 70% chance of entering a side quest on the walk passage. You meet a sweet old man who happens to be blind but he has a missing dog named Lila. He suggests talking to a boy named Adam for a better description of Lila. Adam is L's kid. I have a drabble about the way the two met here.

[villains-promise]

L Drabble #1: Run, boy, run!

It only seems fair to warn you that there is a spoiler in here

L took in a deep breath, wiping off the blood on their knuckles with the care of a man drying themselves of water. Their feet carry them through the familiar alleys of Detca, their eyes hardly moving from an undefined spot before them, their mind drifting away. Things will never change. A bitter part of them snapped.

It’s necessary. They argued back. 

There’s always a choice. This voice sounded a lot like Irina, the mom of their... Friend? Colleague? The person they had trained with for years. Why her voice was turning into the part of them that scolded them for violent actions is hardly a mystery. Irina has always been someone who makes L desperately wish for change.

This is how I survive. This is how I get a chance. There is no other option. Not for me.

They say the hardest things to accept are the ones that are truest. Maybe that’s why the thought caused L’s stomach to roll and their eyes to fall to their bruised knuckles. People who believe in choices are idealist. Or rich. People with money do get choices. Plenty of them.

L never had a choice.

Begging, biting, bartering, and brawling- anything to fill their stomach and to ensure warmth in the lonely streets.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” L huffs, running a hand through their hair to rid themselves of their reminiscent thoughts, wincing when their fingers catch on a few knots. It vaguely reminds them of the time the menace of a mercenary had sat them down during training to braid their hair, advising them to put their hair up to avoid ruining their hair.

“Need help with that?” L immediately evaluates the threat, but even before their eyes fall on the figure, they know it won’t be problem. After all, that voice belonged to a child. Still, it was nice to know who they were dealing with. The child, stepping away from the wall (no older than ten, L notes), points up at them. “Sis always had trouble doing her hair.”

L looks down and sure enough, they had begun braiding their hair subconsciously. “And what business of yours is the woes of my hair?”

However, L knew exactly what the kid must want. Their clothes were not only dirty, but shabby and worn, face sunken, eyes large and dark almost completely obscured by the long black hair that ran wild.

“Nothing. Just looked a bit messy, that’s all.” The kid shrugged.

L’s eyes narrowed. “It’s better to ask for money now than try to steal from me later.”

“I don’t want money for braiding your hair. Get real, ser.” They rolled their eyes. “And I don’t steal!”

“Then you’re dumber than you look.”

“Hey!”

L sighs, kneeling before them, raising a hand to hold on to their shoulder, only pausing when the kid flinches. L’s frown deepens, deciding to hold the kid’s hand instead. “There’s no shame in surviving, kid.”

Their eyes water, widening with tragic uncertainty. “It’s a crime though? I don’t wanna be bad.”

“Survive and live to make up for the crimes, then. Just survive.”

“I...” They take a deep breath, closing their eyes as the tears begin to fall. “I don’t know how. I couldn’t- She didn’t make it. How am I supposed to?”

L wasn’t really built to comfort others, floundering in the face of a wailing emaciated child. So L does the one thing they used to wish for at that age; They pull the kid into a stiff hug, a part of their head disgusted by the idea of being this close to a stranger. “Who didn’t make it?” L asked as softly as they could, but their voice came out stilted.

“My sister. She didn’t- I couldn’t- We couldn’t afford the help.”

At this, L found that their mask of indifference was impossible, holding them a bit tighter until their cries fade and their breathing evens out. “What’s your name?” L asks as they pull away.

“...Why?” They ask slowly, red and puffy eyes narrowing at L.

“I want to know. If it helps, mine is L. No last name.”

Their eyes widen. “No last name?”

“None.” L answered with a shrug. Everyone had a last name. Everyone, except for the forgotten.

They stare for a bit longer before finally answering softly, “My name is Adam. No last name.”

“Well, Adam, why don’t we make a deal?” L genuinely smiles for what feels like the first time in years.

[villains-promise]

Also will Lane be a slowburn romance because of how oblivious she is? And who, if anyone did we romance in the past/future?

L is... Listen on one hand, they are the one readily available to you, so technically they are easier to romance, but require more trust and such than someone like E. I'm not going to say it is slowburn since it could just depend on how you play and its not fully written out so.

As for the past/future... spoilers for onism which at this point might be released as a (mostly) short story rather than a game-

In Onism, MC works with L, Z, and Y investigating a lead Y has that was dismissed by Rautinte. In this, MC has the option to spend the night with one of the two mercs. No strings attached. Or perhaps there were, but it lead to nothing. So MC didn't technically romance any of them in the past/future.