the secret of LADS is that it understands that love is both metaphysical and mundane. love can be dying in each others' arms and transcending time and space but love is also making dinner together and taking care of each other. to call the game high concept is an understatement but it's always grounded by detailed and consistent character writing across all levels of gameplay from the myths to the claw machines. no one is doing it like this game is!!!!!
I like how Rafayel's birthday this year has emphasized that MC was lonely too. She talks occasionally about friends but the only ones we ever meet are her coworkers and people close to her romantic interests.
She feels regret about not having met Rafayel sooner (whether at university or remembering to go back to the beach) because of missed times they could of had; Like going to the top ten dating spots on the university campus, or living together in the house in Vesperine Glimmer, or just being there for each other in hard times, but Rafayel is truly just happy they're together now and brings her out of that melancholy and just alskfjskldjf THESE TWOOOOOOOOOOO
Really cute XavMC au where MC is a daughter of the Love Goddess tasked to find prince Xavier a perfect match (at the ask of his father) BUT her attempt to infiltrate a masquerade ball and get an idea of who Xavier might like backfires when he falls in love with HER and she now has to scramble and find a way to either A. Convince him some other women was the lady in the silver moon mask bc he's searching for her; or B. Convince him to fall in love with another woman entirely- all made the more difficult by her slowly falling in love with him as well, which is a big no no for love dieties like her 👀
does it ever drive you crazy how xavier who is so "stoic" can't keep the blush from his ears. much like he can't help his evol acting up when his emotions are running high and -
Wait I've been thinking–someone once posted about Xavier wanting MC to like just Xavier right??
Ohhh how i wish to hear about Xavier and his countless identities..about the Xavier who lived on earth, faked his own death, began life in a
But anyways, it got me thinking more in detail about his identities. Throughout his times on Earth, Xavier has had to make so many personalities for himself and create so many versions of himself just to make himself seem like a normal person. Btw this is so hard for me to put into words so bear with me here 😭.
But it's a well known fact among most Xavier girlies that he himself has probably had a few identity crises, and I just want to build up on this idea. Xavier himself doesn't view his other versions as him. He sees them as completely different.
Xavier: Whilst Lumiere is kind and gentle, I'm apparently harsh and cruel?
He doesn't see his other version as him, they're other people who he associates with, but nothing further. They're different personalities of him.
Xavier: And when you see Lumiere, you appear to be a lot happier than when you see me.
This just proves that even if the fandom sees Lumiere and Xavier as the same person (thus the jealous Xavier joke) he doesn't think Lumiere is him. Lumiere is a completely different person than Xavier, and that is why Xavier finds it so easy to get jealous over Lumiere.
But my main point isn't that–It's the fact that the Xavier we see might not even be the real Xavier (or in other words, is a personality made to protect his real self/a mesh of his dozens of other selves). Going back to Xavier's comment about Lumiere, it proves that Xavier can have different personalities, supported by the fact MC mentioned him to be a good actor. (Can't remember the exact line). He's familiar with this, my earlier words about us not seeing his real self was a joke btw. We see his real personality because you can compare him with Lightseeker (Pre time travel) and see that they are the same. But it just got me thinking about what-ifs. Xavier can create himself many personalities, the reason he's good at acting is because he becomes his other selves. So in other words, he becomes them, but they aren't him. Xavier can become one of his other personalities, but he will never see himself as them. And if we weren't MC, then we probably would have had to face one of his various other selves rather than the actual self he hides behind dozens of other personalities. And it shows, after a whole year, Xavier is finally showing us his true personality, and we're getting to see more actual sides of him than any mysterious fakes. And Xavier likes that this is happening. Whilst MC also has her reincarnations and versions, Xavier has his own personalities and identities. Supported by Xavier's line in the 21 days memory.
Xavier: Every version of me belongs to you, and every version of you, belongs to me.
So yeah in a sense MC and Xavier are kindred spirits. And whilst Xavier may not reincarnate or resurrect, he does live through lives and personalities. It makes him both difficult and easy to characterise.
God I think this went off the rails, and if you've read through, thanks. This is my rant for Xavier whom I love with all my life and soul. And sorry if this ended up offending anyone, or confusing anyone, or if I actually was wrong all the way. I'm human, and can make mistakes, please rather than arguing, just tell me my mistake so I can correct myself!
You hit the nail on the head, in my opinion.
I know this was posted in February before we got the spicy banner but just putting that in perspective now,
"I want you to see me unguarded, and exposed."
Xavier really likes that she's becoming the one person he doesn't have to mask around, he really is just and only himself around her - I think he always has been, even if she had to chip away at it.
I mentally berate MC sometimes when she doesn't press for answers, when she tells us that she'll wait for another time. Because me? I want to peel him back like an onion. But maybe I'm grateful she's more patient than I 😆 because this slow careful layer peeling has revealed so much depth inside him.
On one hand I think he does see those versions as separate, but nowadays I think through her he's able to discover and accept those parts as pieces of him too. She's reassuring him constantly in exactly the way he needs. To me he's been even more eager to show her all those pieces now. His favorite spots, his old friends, his old hobbies. We're seeing it more and more. I think if he really, truly continued to see them as separate he wouldn't, but thanks to her it's less "That was a different me" and more "You know what? I did kinda really like photography back then..."
And may I add that these versions of himself are mainly projections of the roles he feels he needs to play for the sake of others and that's why he doesn't feel connected to them?
Like with Lumiere, from what we can concur from what we know, he put on that persona only after to cronorific catastrophie as he was the only person at the time to be seen as the key to defeating them, so taking on the role of Lumiere was for the safety of everyone else and not himself.
And Lumiere became an idealized version of himself that is seen as this hero who is perfect, so that isn't truly a representation of who Xavier is: A man who is flawed and doesn't necessarily care to be a hero or idealized.
And even his role as the leader of the backtrackers was not for his sake, but for the sake of Philos and MC.
He's taken on a leadership and spotlight role because he's been taught that from a young age that is his role and that's who he I suppose to be, but after breaking free from that mindset and realizing that is not what he truly desired, he saw thore fonts he puts up for others his "others", parts of himself that are not himself and he knows that to bring those walls downs and shatter the illusion to just anyone is not ideal. It would mean possibly being hurt and misunderstood, so he keeps it to himself.
So that's why he's so addament on MC recognizing him for who he is outside of these roles made out of necessity and choose the version of him he himself chose and is the one he sees as his true self without having to ask to be seen and to see a willingness from others to learn and understand him.
It's important and even good that MC realize him for who be is on the regular whilst also as mentioned before helping him recognize that the other parts and versions of himself do not necessarily have to be separated from who he is on a day to day, bit extensions of him that make him whole and no matter the title given to these other versions, he's still just Xavier, even if it may be to a few people, or just MC
I'm defending Xavier's card for my life rn on Discord but,
Here's why MC didn't meet Xavier's energy in his Catch-22 card, and why it made sense that she acted the way she did.
If you thought she acted cold towards him - you're right, but... I think it makes perfect sense!
Let's dig in ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Here's why I think she wasn't supposed to be fawning all over him; she was written to be kinda jaded and pessimistic
In a world that was devastating and apocalyptic, he was sweet to her, that's why, to me, she had no idea how to respond when he was sweet.
And I think rather than upset about the fireworks I kinda took it as, she was surprised he paid attention to a small detail that she herself didn't even care about?? Like she didn't even care to put her real bday on her identity card and he went out of his way to make it special. And I think she probably was thinking,,, why are you going out of your way for someone insignificant like me? hence the kinda tsundere response. She really hadn't ever been shown that so thank you wasn't in her vocabulary.
But as time goes on she realizes, i think, after he disappears and is out of her life how much of a light he was to her.
---
This MC doesn't seem to have any family, it seems like she grew up kinda alone. It seems like she doesn't have friends outside of work. She seems very independent and lonely.
Converse this with our present Linkon Hunter!MC, she grew up with a "family" in grandma and close friends like Caleb, Zayne, and apparently a bunch of close female friends she grew up with. She was spoiled rotten by grandma and Caleb (he's admitted this); she wasn't super independent until she moved out (even then it's hinted that she STILL would go to Caleb for things) after he died and she had to learn a lot of things for herself. Point being? She had a lot of love in her life. She had a lot of light in her life. One of her character traits overall is her hopefulness.
This hopeful behavior is reflected in all her routes, from her wish making for a peaceful wanderer free world with Rafayel, to promises with Zayne to create a peaceful world, to wishes of peace with Sylus, to her notes and ambition talks with Caleb about why she became a hunter, and her conversations with Xavier about how Lumiere inspired her to want to protect people. In all her AUs, her hope and desire to protect has lead her to where she is, and her love guides her to push on.
This MC is not that woman. She has grown up lonely, and takes the job out of necessity rather than ambition for peace. She hates her job, and expresses to Xavier her desire to get out of there and go somewhere else. What's stopping her? Lack of hope.
Xavier starts to give her a bit of light, and hope, and sweetness.
"Does he think I can save the world by myself?" she asked him sarcastically, talking about Hermit
and Xavier says,
"Maybe" with a hopeful smile.
- Chat when I tell you I was losing it at that line!!!!! She's never!!! had anyone believe in her the way he believes in her!!! She kinda scoffs at it, and who wouldn't??
It's not that she's not confident,, she's just... got this kinda pessimism that makes total sense in the light of her circumstances.
---
And then of course,,And then of course their trust is broken, so she's super mad, and it's going to take time to rebuild that trust.
Idk man I have anger issues I just kept laughing like,,,, bro if a guy did that to me idk if I'd have forgiven him as fast as she did. But she doesn't turn him away at the end, she's allowing him back in her life a little bit!
I saw comments like, instead of a really accepting response she just brushed him off? an upset comment was made by someone I know that she didn't really have a nice reaction - like here he was saying nice things at the end and all she said was "see you at 9am" type of thing??
Idk I didn't see it that way!! To her that sense of normalcy is her letting him back in her life. It's acceptance, and I kinda interpreted it in a friendly tone. Maybe a soft, knowing smile that says "ok I'm giving you a chance and admitting I want you to be there" rather than "ok fine whatever"
(unlike me cause girl your fortitude is unmatched idk i might've kicked him out HAHAHA /hj)
One of my favorite quotes from Jane Austen's Emma is;
"If I loved you less, I'd be able to talk about it more."
I think that's where MC is at
I think!!! in the context of everything, it was real. It was raw. It felt believable. In the scope of time they had, it was satisfying.
Wait I've been thinking–someone once posted about Xavier wanting MC to like just Xavier right??
Ohhh how i wish to hear about Xavier and his countless identities..about the Xavier who lived on earth, faked his own death, began life in a
But anyways, it got me thinking more in detail about his identities. Throughout his times on Earth, Xavier has had to make so many personalities for himself and create so many versions of himself just to make himself seem like a normal person. Btw this is so hard for me to put into words so bear with me here 😭.
But it's a well known fact among most Xavier girlies that he himself has probably had a few identity crises, and I just want to build up on this idea. Xavier himself doesn't view his other versions as him. He sees them as completely different.
Xavier: Whilst Lumiere is kind and gentle, I'm apparently harsh and cruel?
He doesn't see his other version as him, they're other people who he associates with, but nothing further. They're different personalities of him.
Xavier: And when you see Lumiere, you appear to be a lot happier than when you see me.
This just proves that even if the fandom sees Lumiere and Xavier as the same person (thus the jealous Xavier joke) he doesn't think Lumiere is him. Lumiere is a completely different person than Xavier, and that is why Xavier finds it so easy to get jealous over Lumiere.
But my main point isn't that–It's the fact that the Xavier we see might not even be the real Xavier (or in other words, is a personality made to protect his real self/a mesh of his dozens of other selves). Going back to Xavier's comment about Lumiere, it proves that Xavier can have different personalities, supported by the fact MC mentioned him to be a good actor. (Can't remember the exact line). He's familiar with this, my earlier words about us not seeing his real self was a joke btw. We see his real personality because you can compare him with Lightseeker (Pre time travel) and see that they are the same. But it just got me thinking about what-ifs. Xavier can create himself many personalities, the reason he's good at acting is because he becomes his other selves. So in other words, he becomes them, but they aren't him. Xavier can become one of his other personalities, but he will never see himself as them. And if we weren't MC, then we probably would have had to face one of his various other selves rather than the actual self he hides behind dozens of other personalities. And it shows, after a whole year, Xavier is finally showing us his true personality, and we're getting to see more actual sides of him than any mysterious fakes. And Xavier likes that this is happening. Whilst MC also has her reincarnations and versions, Xavier has his own personalities and identities. Supported by Xavier's line in the 21 days memory.
Xavier: Every version of me belongs to you, and every version of you, belongs to me.
So yeah in a sense MC and Xavier are kindred spirits. And whilst Xavier may not reincarnate or resurrect, he does live through lives and personalities. It makes him both difficult and easy to characterise.
God I think this went off the rails, and if you've read through, thanks. This is my rant for Xavier whom I love with all my life and soul. And sorry if this ended up offending anyone, or confusing anyone, or if I actually was wrong all the way. I'm human, and can make mistakes, please rather than arguing, just tell me my mistake so I can correct myself!