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A "bad ending" alternate universe version of Valentine.
I don't plan on using him past the art/lore currently posted. Consider it to be something like a different route ending of a visual novel..? I wanted to get my thoughts out.
(Please don't draw this version of him!)
In this AU he conforms to gender norms a lot more strictly (albeit against his wishes), keeping his hair short while wearing suits to present himself with the syndicate's image. He wears the same necklace and has a corsage of red poppies. Poppies symbolize death (especially of soldiers) and are often used as funeral flowers-- he has them to represent the death of his true self.
Aurelio unfortunately isn't as nice or accepting of his eccentricities, and acts like much more of an actual boss than a pseudo surrogate parental figure. Because of this, their relationship is strictly business, and Valentine never truly falls in love with him. It's debatable to call them friends, but Valentine probably still feels something for him... Even if it's just concern. Boss isn't necessarily prejudiced, it's more that he doesn't think what he wants to dress like is professional. He needs to uphold his image to be his apprentice or else it looks bad on him and the syndicate. His behavioral issues aren't tolerated either, and Valentine needed to learn quickly to control his impulses and emotions or there would be consequences.
Valentine's main priority is still Boss, just for a different reason. His hitman job, his apprenticeship. His romantic disinterest keeps their relationship more surface level. Valentine never really comes out of his shell because of it.
Boss seeing his unresolved mental health issues quickly gets him hospitalized and treated with medication-- meaning both his brain damage and psychotic disorder never manifest. He's kept on a proverbial tight leash in regards to his attitude and general mental health. Even if he does still have a personality disorder, he's medicated to the point where his frequent mood swings mellow out to a calm numbness. More than anything, he presents with a bitter, nihilist disposition. He's closely monitored in general because of his past, knowing his potential to veer off in bad directions at a moment's notice. A part of why he regularly feels this way could also be blamed on the repression of his gender nonconformity and sexual orientation. (It's hard to feel sexual attraction to anyone when medication suppresses emotions.)
He's definitely not as happy as his normal counterpart-- you can easily say he's unhappy. But at the very least, he's happier than if he was put into the foster care system, or worse, still with his father.
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