#lorvain

There are a lot of Sylvain supports which don't go up to A rank. And for nearly every one of those supports, I've seen people say they would have loved a paired ending for them.

Normally, the Lorenz support chain is not included in these discussions. But by the time I am done with this post, you will surely be convinced - we were robbed!

Here is a snippet from Lorenz's paired ending with Marianne:

The pair was particularly successful in providing new innovations in dairy farming, and came to be known as the mother and father of horses and cattle in the region. It is said that Lorenz was rather vexed by the title.

In the Allied Territories of Leicester: Book One document in Three Hopes, we get confirmation that dairy farming in fact has a long history in Gloucester:

Agriculture, including dairy farming, as well as lumber and hunting all flourish there.

What does this have to do with Sylvain? Well, I ask you to think back to the dining hall - and the dish Gautier Cheese Gratin:

A gratin of bird meat topped with heaps of Gautier cheese, which is famous for its low fat content. It has a unique flavor.

Gautier produces cheese. Famous cheese, at that!

Imagine what would happen to the culinary world of Fodlan if the Gloucester knowledge of dairy farming was combined with the Gautier cheese techniques!

YOU MAY ASK, YES.

(Currently accepting rare ships! Click here for the info post!)

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Lorenz rounded the corner just in time to watch a swordswoman he had never seen before stomp hard on Sylvain’s foot. Chin high, she marched away with a dismissive flip of her hair. Sylvain cursed as he hopped on his uninjured foot. “Yeah, that was probably going a bit far,” Lorenz heard Sylvain mutter to himself.

“I lack the proper context,” Lorenz said, stepping into the corridor and catching Sylvain’s attention, “but past experience leads me to say yes, you likely went too far.” 

To his credit, Sylvain recovered quickly from what had to be shock at Lorenz’s sudden appearance. “Did you want to try showing me up again? Misery loves company, and I love seeing you in misery.” Sylvain jerked his head towards the swordswoman’s retreating back. 

Lorenz scoffed. “I have put my pursuit for the perfect partner aside in favor of concentrating on the war. I’d say I’m surprised at you for not doing the same but that would be a lie.”

“Excuse me for not following in the footsteps of the almighty Lorenz,” Sylvain said flatly. “Did you want something or do you just wander the hallways until you find someone to lecture?”

Thank you @oc-growth-and-development for the OC-tember prompts!

CW: panic attacks. PTSD.

This one focuses on Lorvain, Adiran’s eldest brother. Recovering from a nasty injury he received while fighting in the north, he sneaks off one night and finds himself alone in the throne room... (700 words)

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Lorvain hadn’t set eyes on the Talveran thrones in almost two years. 

Wincing, he limped his way into the grandiose hall, nodding to the guard stationed at the entrance. While clearly confused, the man saluted and made no attempt to stop him. And why would he? Lorvain was still the crown prince, despite the efforts of some. While he had no doubt the guard would inform the King and Queen of his visit come morning, at that precise moment, he just couldn’t bring himself to care. 

He was finding it harder and harder, of late. To care.

Nothing had changed. He had been sent away to the frozen north, held the line for over two years with meagre supplies and miserable soldiers, nearly lost a leg for all his efforts... and nothing here had changed. The polished floor - massive slabs of pale, rippled stone - remained just as spotless as he remembered. The weavelit chandelier, blazing like a silver sun, still hung proudly at the centre of the room’s vaulted ceiling. The smaller weavelights, hung on walls and pillars in smokey casings to offset the harshness of the chandelier, continued to tint the air a softer honey-gold. They’d been fitted just before he was sent away. Just in time for the tournament season.

Lorvain had to stop halfway, pressing a shaking hand to one of the pillars that lined the hall from entry to dais. His right leg throbbed, burning beneath the freshly wrapped bandages. They reeked of alcohol and some kind of salve. The thaumist had almost killed herself, trying to undo the damage. He’d watched, near-mindless with fever, as she’d grit her teeth and pushed through the pain. As a larger tear had opened on her own thigh, hidden beneath the folds of her robe. Apparently he’d stopped her, when he noticed the dark, spreading stain. Demanded a physicker instead - bandages and salves - then immediately passed out.

Divider, he hoped she had stopped.

Their supports were surprisingly fun??? Also who doesn’t love the “Rivals trying to prove they’re better at dating than the other, but whoops, they end up dating each other” trope. I’m totally fine with them only having a C & B support, tbh, they were plenty good and fun, and they don’t need to be endgame, but gosh darn they dated and it was a mess and they gave each other so much shit and they loved every minute of it. 

So here’s some headcanons.

- So like what happened WAS… after their B support, they kept trying to go out and show each other up in various things, including picking up ladies, and then one thing leads to another and then they just kind of kiss. They just look at each other and it kinds of happens.

- And then afterwards, they’re absolutely fucking pissed. Positively affronted. They’re each just standing there, fuming over what just happened, glaring at each other like, this guy, this BASTARD-

….By the goddess I might like this guy

- You can hear the mental F U C K they’re both screaming as they reach this conclusion.

- But because Lorenz couldn’t keep an opinion to himself if he life depended on it, he flat out tells Sylvain that he annoys the hell out of him but also that he likes the way he helps and protects his friends, and that though Sylvain’s view of his noble position and duty are a bit warped, he understands that that duty is solely his and that he won’t run away from it when the time comes, and Lorenz respects the hell out of him for that. And Sylvain is taken aback by all the sincerity, but he’s also touched by it too, and he tells Lorenz that he’s stuffy and up-tight but also, he likes how he always voices his mind, that he’s never been one for empty flattery or meaningless things, and that for as frustrating as he is, Lorenz is also pretty fun when he gets all competitive and sassy. Also that his hair is horrible but his face is nice, so like, he wouldn’t be opposed to kissing him again.

So now they’re dating, they guess. 

- Lots of tea parties consisting mostly of snark and glaring. Lorenz makes the tea and Sylvain brings the snacks, and they compliment each other through gritted teeth but genuinely mean the things they’re saying.

- Sylvain, gripping his tea cup so hard it’s on the verge of shattering: “This tea is really good. I don’t often get to drink the fancy stuff.“ 

Lorenz, jaw clenched so hard he cracks a molar: "I could serve nothing less. I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself. These tea cakes are lovely." 

Sylvain, smiling with murderous intent: "Thanks an ex of mine introduced me to this bakery’s stuff. These cakes were her favorite.”

Lorenz, fingernails dug into the table: "They’re marvelous, I adore the jam in the center." 

Sylvain: "It irritates me how much I like you despite hating you as a person.”

Lorenz: “Indeed.” 

- Sylvain hates that he actually has to look up to smooch him. There’s not too much of a difference between them, but it’s enough to piss him off, and Lorenz can and absolutely will look down his nose at him.

- And Sylvain doesn’t know what to do when he gets like this, he’s not used to having to reach up so like even though he’s perfectly capable of grabbing him around the neck and bringing him down to his level, the height difference really isn’t so bad so that doing that would be mostly useless, so he just stands there and fumes, completely out of his element and at Lorenz’s mercy.

- They call each other by their last names because they’re stuck up and also intimacy???? Is for other people.

- Of course no one can know they’re dating. They’d be mortified beyond belief to even be seen together outside of class, much less anything else.

- Sylvain: "I have a reputation to maintain. Also, friends I’d like to keep." 

Lorenz: "And what do you think it would do to my reputation if it got out I was having relations with a notorious skirt chaser and known dandy? It would certainly do more considerable damage to the future leader of the Alliance as opposed to a man from the frigid nowhere of Faerghus." 

Sylvain: "See this is why you don’t have any friends.”

- Lorenz, completely unfazed: “And yet, somehow, here you are. My boyfriend.”

- Intimacy is for other people, but don’t believe for a second that they don’t shower each other in gifts. They’re both accustomed to being That Guy who buys stuff for all their friends and romantic conquests, so it’s not a surprise when those tendencies filter over into their relationship though it’s somewhat perplexing for each of them to be on the receiving end for once. Sylvain brings Lorenz snacks in between training and class, and buys him nice writing utensils and fancy little notebooks, because he knows Lorenz is both practical and also all for the Aesthetic™. And Lorenz sends him flowers, beautiful bouquets delivered to his room with cryptic little poems tucked in their petals, and even though Sylvain dislikes the mess and often throws out the flowers fairly soon after receiving them, he keeps all the little poems in the drawer of his desk. (He’s pretty sure the flowers are just a vehicle to get the poems to him indirectly, and tbh, he’s totally fine with that!) 

- Also, board games. They both dig em, and playing together always turns into a wild time, full of shit talking, countless rematches, thrown game pieces, and “What do I get for winning?” propositions. They’ll also study together from time to time. Sylvain can be surprisingly helpful! …. when he gets something out of it xkjgnxjkgng

- Though they’re together, they each still go out a bit with women on the side. Despite liking Sylvain, Lorenz is still dedicated to his mission of finding a wife, and for Sylvain, well… there’s appearances to keep up. They’ve both accepted that this was a far from permanent arrangement, no matter how much they like each other now, and it is what it is.

-They go on what could be called a date exactly once(1). During one of the saints’ festival days, Sylvain convinces Lorenz to sneak out with him to a celebration down in Garreg Mach town, and though Lorenz is like Is That Really a Good Idea, he comes along and they have a blast. It’s really the only time they’ve ever been able to get out and be free like that, going out in their plain clothes instead of their academy uniforms, and just goofing off for the hell of it. They play games and Sylvain buys them tons of food and Lorenz gets them flower wreathes and though they can’t really go out and dance with everyone else (for fear of being recognized by all the local women they’ve either hit on or broken up with) they share a dance or two on a side street off the where the main celebration is being held, the entire time bickering about who is leading and who is following. And walking back to the monastery afterwards, they hold hands the entire way, and though they don’t do intimacy, that was pretty nice…

Thank you for the prompt! <3

37. Defy (850 words). In which Adiran’s older brother is recovering in the palace from a bad injury, and his visit to his room took a bitter, resentful turn.

“What? You think you can just show up half-dead, and that somehow gives you the right to tell me what to do? Who the fuck do you think you are?”

“I’m your brother, Adiran.” Even with his torso and leg thickly bandaged, Lorvain still struggled to sit higher in the bed. Breathing gingerly, he tried to speak through gritted teeth, his brow damp with sweat. “If you... if you would just listen to me—”

Any hope of that was dashed when Adiran barked a dry, bitter laugh. “Oh, so now you want to act like my brother? When you’re bed-bound with nothing better to do?” Still laughing humourlessly, he paced the length of the room, his footsteps a low counterpoint to the sharpness of his words. He wielded each one like a weapon - hurled them across the space between them. “You’re not trying to help me, so just drop the act. I’m not backing out of the tournament.”

His brother’s dark hair fell limp to either side of his face, its ragged ends barely brushing the tops of his shoulders. He was gaunt. Unusually pale. Some part of Adiran knew he shouldn’t be doing this. Not right now. But damn it, Lorvain gave up the right to tell him what to do a long time ago. Back when he had the chance to care. “Adiran, I am trying to help you,” Lorvain argued weakly. Despite Adiran’s derisive snort, he pressed on. “I know that tournament. The Red Fury. I fought in it when I was near your age. People die. All the time. And Crosus? Divider, if he” —a cough, sharp and short, wracked his frame, earning a second wince— “i-if I’d had to face a beast like that? I don’t... I couldn’t have...” Out of breath, Lorvain sank back down, shaking his head slowly. For a moment, standing in that sickly-smelling room, Adiran felt a twist of fear. A twist of truth, like a dagger in his gut, because Lorvain had always been the better duelist.

But it only lasted a moment.