i've read a few stories where lionel is given a more complex heart than usual, and they're rewarding. because i came into the fandom last year already crushing madly on rosenbaum, lex is the emotional focus of the whole thing for me. lionel is, from this p.o.v., just a miserable person, a terrible human being. it's nice to see him shown as more nuanced than that. i'll read this one today, thanks!

oh, parenthetically, i've also read a few stories in which whitney is likewise given more complexity, even sometimes a bit of sweetness, and i like those. i'm such a girl.