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Fanfic / Lennox Arnold - The Trickster

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Lennox Arnold - The Trickster is an in-progress fan-created route/fanfiction for Love & Legends, written by Crazy_Pairing_Person on Archive Of Our Own and first published in June of 2021. It went on hiatus for a period of time when Lovestruck got taken down, but was brought back in August of 2022.

It features Lennox in the place of the L&L Main Character's (named Colette Montero in this story) love interest, somewhat mirroring Helena and Alain's routes from the canon game in that it doesn't start with Colette being brought before Reiner and his retainers, but rather she meets Lennox (and soon after, the other generals) first, and bonds with him instead. It can be read here.


Lennox Arnold - The Trickster contains examples of:

  • Abhorrent Admirer: Arida - a cultist that shows up in chapter 24/Season Two Episode 12 - is implied to be this for Lennox, though it's not clear if her feelings are platonic or romantic. Downplayed either way, since either way he's not so much disgusted by her as he is annoyed by her constant remindings of his not-so-recent past as a cult-leader for the Witch Queen.
  • Adaptational Sympathy: Lennox is portrayed in a more sympathetic light here.
  • Affectionate Nickname: Lennox uses "little puppet" to refer to Colette, which the Witch Queen uses to mock their relationship in chapter 11/Season 1 Episode 11, by calling him a 'supposed puppetmaster'.
  • All Girls Want Bad Boys: Lampshaded by Colette in chapter 9/Season 1 Episode 9, when she's realizing that, despite Lennox hiding things from her, she still wants to trust and care for him.
    Narration: In the back of her mind, Colette apologizes to every single pathetic female lead from those crappy chick-flick romcoms she's ever criticized. Because right now, she feels like she's one of them.
  • Anti-Hero: Lennox might have gone to the good side because of Colette, but he's still pretty sneaky when it comes to fighting. His response when the Witch Queen was about to kill Colette? Throw a dagger at her from a distance, to give her no time to react.
    In a Comment by the Author: "Just because I'm good now doesn't mean I'm not still a slippery bastard" - Lennox Arnold, 2022
  • Ascended Extra: Lennox didn't get much screentime in the original game, but this fanfic/fanroute is entirely focused on him.
  • The Atoner: Starting in chapter 17/Season 2 Episode 5, Lennox makes it clear that he wants to be this. His quiet, almost meek behavior throws off Reiner and his retainers, but they still send Colette and Lennox to the dungeons for the night.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: It's implied that Lennox fell for Colette because she's the only one in a long while to offer him her full trust, even when he doesn't deserve it/hides things from her.
  • Big Bad: The Witch Queen, just like in canon.
  • Big Damn Kiss: Lennox and Colette's first kissnote  is this.
  • Cliffhanger: Some chapters/episodes end on this. One of the most notable examples is chapter 11/Season 1 Episode 11 when Lennox tells the Witch Queen that he was telling Colette what she wanted to hear the entire time. It was a ruse, of course.
  • The Ditz: Arida seems to be this, though only because her worship of Lennox overtakes almost all of her other thoughts and actions. The only thing keeping her from being an outright Cloudcuckoolander is the fact that she at least seems to have a method to her madness, and she can get serious/turn off her 'ditzy' behavior when necessary (such as in chapter 26/season 3 episode 2; she's not so deep in Cloudcuckooland that she couldn't think to try and fight back against the Witch Queen).
  • Evil Is Petty: When the Witch Queen faints from blood loss in chapter 26/season 3 episode 2, Helena panics... And kicks Altea in the shin before rushing to her queen's side.
  • The Four Loves: Lennox seems to have formed agape out of his eros feelings for Colette by chapter 16/Season 2 Episode 4, as it closes off with him giving her one of his own daggers in case he ends up being "struck down" when they arrive at Reiner's castle. Even earlier than that (chapter 13/Season 2 Episode 1), he'd declared to Colette that he would do all he could to keep her safe, even if it would put him in harm's way.
  • Funny Background Event: Some of these happen during the battle in chapter 26/season 3, episode 2, ranging from Helena's Evil Is Petty moment to Iseul telling Saerys not to hurt Jinhai's animals.
  • Hammerspace: Presumably this is where Lennox keeps the fifteen-plus daggers on his person, if Colette and the others' bewilderment at how many he has is any indication.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Lennox pulls this because of his feelings for Colette. In chapter 12/Season 1 Episode 12 it's clear that he's not entirely reformed, though, as he stabs a guard with no hesitation so he can get the keys to let Solaire out of her cell.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Colette constantly gets told by both Lennox and the Witch Queennote  that Lennox isn't trustworthy, but she still trusts him. It pays off, though.
  • Hypocrisy Nod: In chapter 27/Season 3 Episode 3, we find out what Arida wanted to suggest two chapters earlier - a demon ritual, implied to be the one that poses such a huge problem late-story in the canon routes. Lennox shoots it down immediately due to the fact that it would remove all of Saerys's sense of self. He then admits that it's not exactly fair that he was willing to consider it while Saerys was an enemy of his, but stands by the decision to not use it (though he says he'd be willing if there was another they could use on the Witch Queen's side).
  • Insult of Endearment: Lennox starts off calling Colette "[his] little puppet" as a way to show that he's only using her as a tool with no real will of her own (no matter what feelings Colette has about that). As he starts to care about her, though, the term slowly becomes an Affectionate Nickname.
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Lennox almost has Colette escape from the Witch Queen without him, believing she will be safer that way, but luckily Helena is there to stop him and convince him to go with her.
  • Lovable Rogue: Lennox becomes this as the fic progresses.
  • Love Redeems: Lennox swears to Colette that when the Witch Queen comes back, she will have one less general, because he'll choose Colette over her no matter what. The Witch Queen comes back, and he makes good on that promise.
  • Morality Pet: Somewhat downplayed, but Lennox did have Solaire treated well during her captivity, just because Colette asked for it.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Reiner and the retainers seem to realize this when Lennox behaves so submissively in chapters 17 and 18 (Season 2, Episodes 5 and 6). They still put him and Colette in the dungeon, but Reiner at least says it's only because he thinks they'll all be more rational after a night of rest.
  • Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: Somewhat exaggerated, but also justified with Lennox. He's not used to letting anyone close enough to touch him, so just letting Colette kiss his cheek or cuddle him sets off some serious fight-or-flight reactions in him.
  • Promoted to Love Interest: Lennox, of course.
  • Romantic Hyperbole: In chapter 9/season 1 episode 9, Lennox swears that he would get the moon for Colette if it would get her to trust him again, or at least believe that he's worthy of her trust. Colette almost asks him to actually do it, too, but then chooses to instead tell him about the Witch Queen's voice.
  • Single-Target Sexuality: Lennox is only interested in Colette, and won't even let Arida hug him when she attempts it (though that's probably more because of his inability to trust others' touch than a lack of interest).
  • Through His Stomach: One of the first bonding moments Lennox and Colette have is when he makes food for her and she finds it genuinely delicious. After this, him making/handling her food is a frequent symbol of the trust between them.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Colette rushes at the Witch Queen upon seeing her holding Arida captive, about to kill her... And throws a dagger at her head. Hilt-first. It's about as effective as you'd expect.

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