So if Laz can be considered toxic, what kinda toxic dies that mean exactly and is it to the point where it'd just be a good idea to avoid it completely like Peri
Sorry this'll be a long one. I do and I don't consider Laz' route to be, as you say, toxic. It depends on the mc. For a more FWB leaning MC. Laz' route will remain Lighter, on the surface. Something that can be ended quickly should the MC ever wish to move on and pursue others. But if it was up to Laz? They would never end the relationship. Trapped in a one-sided courtship. Where they can never say how they really feel. Because they fear breaking the one good thing that they have. For an MC that pursues a FWB then a romance with Laz. They act as if they've won. That all their desires and wants have finally been answered. They are more powerful than any god. Because they ARE WANTED. For the route MC where an MC pursues a Romance with laz- before boinking. It honestly depends on who says I love you first. If it's the MC, they feel like a liar. A con artist, a conniving monster. Someone who tricked this poor innocent creature into falling head first into the abyss. They are head over heels, don't get me wrong. But they are terrified of losing the MC and will become possessive/protective. It takes time for them to understand that they earned MCs heart. If its Laz who says I love you first, I actually can't say because it spoils a great deal of the ending for Lich Gate. Don't get me wrong. Laz has red flags! They are a person bound by the traumas of their past. They are mocking and bound in misplaced humor. They fear commitment because it means they can lose that person. Yes, but they aren't a damaging person. They do not actively seek to harm the MC. When I brought up romancing Laz when you have a romantic connection with Peri, I found that Laz' character actually shifts and shows a whole new side to themselves that even I was surprised when I was writing it. It forces them out of their own head. To fight back.
