'"Cherubs have no family," replied Amy."therefore they form incredibly strong bonds with others."'

I find the prospect of an orphan striving to avoid making others endure that same fate an amazing demonstration of grace. Another plus point for L (as if they weren't already through the roof!)


But I dwell to much on his.

How about Raito? Let's see. Mass murder, deception, insanity, falcon-punching teh greatest person on earth, kissing Misa, telling him he loves him when he doesn't, falling for his own trap, and finally, humping L's grave. Not very positive, it seems.


But...

His mind was hazy; he would have never thought to see such a gentle and caring look from Yagami Raito. He had never showed that to anyone L had seen, not even his own family or Misa. While in the very back of his mind his logic, locked up, tried to argue it was all deception, the emotions blocked that which only allowed him to feel special having seen that luck, genuine or not.

Of course in that particular fanfic (linked above), it was indeed, all deception. But just think if it wasn't.

And so that, my friends, concludes in a nutshell what L sees in Raito. That is the answer to the question I've wrestled with gently for a while: wtf does L like about him? He's a nutty fruitcake, albeit a handsome fruitcake but L of all people should know that appearances are deceiving.(although I'm sure he likes the taste of fruitcake lulz okay immashaddupnow)

Ah, but.

To have a reformed mass murderer love you with all his heart, and become completely infatuated with you, and to his own annoyance and affection find that his only loophole is YOU...That, that's alluring. That's something I would want. Mmyes. No wonder L is also benefiting from this.

Of course, we ALL know what Raito sees in L, but let's just talk about that for a minute too, because I feel like it.

What is L? No, better yet...What is the difference between those two and what is so surprising?

(and let me just tell you that it is from this moving, unforgettable fic that some of my writing style emerged)

excerpt from IV

As far as Raito was concerned, he and L were complete opposites, and not just by standards of appearance. For instance, L let his hair tangle and hang in his face, clothes wrinkled and without regard for fashion, while Raito’s appearance was casually refined, attractive in an effortless way. L’s behaviour was uncaring for society and his mannerisms much more than odd, while it seemed to most people that Raito was extraordinary and yet perfectly normal at the same time.

Perfectly. Yes, that was the key word.

Ever since he was a child, Raito had been somewhat of a perfectionist, quickly developing a zealous work ethic and determination to match. And in that way, perhaps he and L were somewhat similar. After all, both were extraordinarily gifted at anything they put their minds to (but of course, only one could ever be the best. Only one could ever win). They were rather different though; Raito was, in many respects, the current ideal of society, while L was the outcast, the unwanted. What Raito wanted was to achieve perfection, and it showed through in every bit of his person, from the way he had patterned and planned his life down to the way the photographs on his desk and the books on his shelves were arranged just so, as if having them any other way repulsed him.

Every detail was simply picturesque, and that was the way he (liked to think he) preferred things.

And perhaps that was the largest difference between he and L, and perhaps that was the thing that bothered him most; how L was so full of flaws and such things, and yet rivalled him to the point where he had actually lost sleep over it. It just didn’t make sense, and made everything he had done up to that point – the marks and the sports trophies and the admiration of so many – seemed worthless, jaded. Even with his accomplishments as Kira, he felt it. He couldn’t explain it, but he was always wanting for something more, something different.

Wanting for something he couldn’t yet grasp…

-

When the inperfect show you that you aren't either, your claims to fame become nothing, so to speak, and he becomes everything.