Xavier’s Little Star

Recently, I was told that Xavier & Rafayel always rank last in the popularity polls. I can't really speak for Raf because I'm not his main, obviously I don't know that much about him to make a comment. But speaking as a Xavier girl, I honestly don't mind it.

In fact, I feel pretty indifferent towards it. The nature of any ranking is there's a spot for everyone so someone's bound to be at the bottom. However, a consistent result does say something about people's preferences and how Xavier is viewed as a character & love interest.

In the context of these rankings, I'm not at all surprised that Xavier occupies the undermost position. A lot of people mistake him for being generic and unremarkable in comparison to the other LIs. At first glance, I can see where they're coming from.

I should mention that I'm a little star so I don't ever feel this way about him. But as I try to put myself in the mind of the average LADS player, I can understand how some people would assume he's less interesting than the other LIs and so, they don't bother trying to figure him out, preferences aside.

In terms of looks, Sylus is soooo visually striking; Rafayel is the face of the game; Caleb is modeled after an iconic actor. And Zayne stood out among the OG 3 as the more masculine-looking LI.

(*) A note, whenever I say "masculine" or "feminine", I mean the conventional standards by which how most people/society at large define masculinity & femininity. All 5 LIs possess masculine AND feminine traits (and so do we - the players), which is what's so great about them.

Back to Xavier, his appearance has a healthy balance of feminine and masculine features. If we only consider the OG3, Xavier isn't as flamboyant as Raf but not as prudent as Zayne. On the LADS spectrum of gendered appeal, Xavier lands somewhere in the middle (which is so Libra of him...but I digress). So, instead of standing out, Xavier tends to blend in.

This understatement extends into his personality and mannerism as well, which can be described as minimal, subtle & elegant. A lot of people find him similar to Zayne in this way, which I can see the resemblance. But to me, while Zayne comes off restrained & haunted by self-control, Xavier's subtleness is more about distance & being untethered, just like a literal ⭐. You can see a star but only from afar, and you can't hold it. In a nutshell, Zayne's stillness is earthly while Xavier's is otherworldly.

As the game goes on and the relationships between the LIs & MC progress, I find that MC's bond with Xavier takes the longest to warm up. Sometimes it feels like taking 1 step forward & 2 steps back. Don't get me wrong, there's not a lack of iconic & loving Xavier-MC moments but there's also a fleeting quality to it. Just like air, it's unstable, non-solid.

You know how you can't see stars when the sun is out? Sometimes I feel that way about Xavier's connection to MC, at least in the beginning. She's trying to figure him out but he's constantly hiding, disappearing, sometimes literally. Before anyone says it's avoidant attachment, it's not, but I'll get into that another time. Maining Xavier requires patience, this is not a whirlwind kind of romance and it's definitely not loud. So again, instead of standing out, Xavier continues to blend in.

Blending in is the keyword that comes up a lot when I dive into Xavier's character. And I find it incredibly interesting because if you watch a lot of CN dramas, you must know about 微行 (wēixíng). It literally means to travel in disguise and in this context, it's often the Emperor/Empress or high-ranking officials who dress themselves as commoners and blend in with the people.

This is nothing like the cosplaying of the poor that Marie Antoinette did because wēixíng can be dangerous. Primarily, the goal of wēixíng is for these heads of state to examine the reality of life of their people. With this, they can see for themselves if they've done a good job ruling their country/region and ultimately use this knowledge to further solidify their political power.

From what I know, Xavier doesn't go on literal wēixíng with this specific purpose BUT he literally is a Royal Prince walking among us. Xavier clearly has an affinity for an ordinary life but what fascinates me is his objective is personal and free from ulterior motives, because of that, it's even more precious and pure.

This stems from Xavier's intense desire to not only examine but to live an ordinary life. We should not mistake this as him wanting to irresponsibly run away from royal duties, but it's caused by alienation, which is another theme that keeps resurfacing as I look deeper into his character.

Social alienation is a person's feeling of disconnection from their affiliated group, such as friends, family, or wider society. As a royal Prince, heir to the thrown, Xavier is revered but lonely. The life of a Prince is hardly normal. MC was likely the first ordinary person to approach him and wanted to be his friend, which is why she left such a strong impression on him. As a space traveller who's not originally from Earth, he's again an outsider here, this time on foreign soil. He never fits in anywhere despite earnestly wanting to.

Xavier is often lovingly called the slice-of-life Prince by little stars. Slice of life is my favorite genre but it can also come across as boring because there's often no plot. It's just about the little joys of the day-to-day. However, it's perfect for Xavier - the eternal traveller. To him, the simplicity is aspirational, grounding, and exciting even. It's also his way to feel closer to MC, who for the most part is a regular person living a regular life.

SO, up to this point, I've realized that the picture of Xavier that I'm trying to put together has become even more abstract. But it is authentic to his character because he's difficult to grasp in this way. He's a crown Prince, but not really. He's a colleague, but there's more. He's a classmate, a senpai, but he's hiding something. It can be confusing at times and confusion makes people uncomfortable.

The original title of this piece was "The simplification of Xavier Shen" because I was thinking about how Xavier only starts trending whenever he has spicy content coming out. As if his only desirable quality is being freaky. Otherwise, he's "boring" and "not that strong". But I decided to change it because I wanted to focus on what's underneath the surface, as a tribute to my fellow little stars, a lot of whom (like me) feel intensely drawn to Xavier despite not being able to explain why.

Like I said at the beginning, I can understand how certain people feel a certain way about Xavier, that's okay. But in case you're wondering if you're missing out on this character, which in all honesty I think you are, you can start here and enjoy getting lost in the vast universe that is Xavier Shen 🪐.

Disclaimers

1-Everything is my own opinions based on my own experiences. 2-My analysis is for entertainment purposes only. 3-Do not repost without credit.

I Will by Mitski, a Scum Villain animatic [VD under cut]

I bet you five bucks that the mastermind behind birds randomly attacking Rafayel is actually just Xavier messing up with him.

Coincidence? I think not...

cw: depression. mentioned: no appetite/ed, suicidal ideation

note: just thoughts. I wrote this mostly for myself rn lol... need him, hayaaa...

Nothing ever escapes his gaze — not the bursting wave of ideas, not the endless talking and chuckling from silly, meaningless jokes, not the cups of coffee stacked up on her desk. And especially, when everything disappears suddenly. When the voice is punishingly slow, quiet, almost like each word ripped her throat. When she gives up on holding onto mania: no more coffee in attempt to prolong this euphoria, no more loud passion coursing through her blood to finish something.

There was nothing. Nothing, but a tiny body hidden under blankets from dawn to twilight.

And it hurts. He knows it's inevitable, even she herself mentions it, yet... it still hurt.

His brows furrow in concern as his gaze falls on the cup of water she didn't even touch. What is there to say about eating then? Of course, she didn't. Never does.

It takes some time to do his routine — hide sharp objects, hide bottles of pills. And when he's done, he quietly crawls in bed, spooning her from behind. His hand gently set on her arm, caressing it gently before softly caressing her cheek, brushing hair away from her face.

Xavier would hum slow melody, maybe, some lullaby from Philos. Not rushing at all.

Speaking wouldn't do anything. So he stays there. Patiently.

When there's no conscience behind those eyes that seemed to go through him, almost like he was invisible. When there was no response to his voice. When there were quiet sobs in that dark room and she had no strength to turn the switch on.

Throughout it all, he stays. Could take days, weeks, maybe, month. Or months. He'll be there.

Gently sitting her up, caressing her back, his hands would change her pajamas with endless care and devotion. His gaze would caress her deepest wounds she didn't even register. His soft voice would soothe it all — her pain, sorrow, regrets and meanest apocalypse going inside her head.

(I'm using girls a lot because the majority of the fanbase is women and also I am self-projecting but you can apply it even if you aren't one, okay?)

Sylus

Rich; Y’all got the moneybags and I wanna know what jobs do you work to get them please😭😭

Seriously though, almost all Sylus mains I know in real life are either rich or on their way to be. They are (mostly) the eldest daughters who had to do everything themselves after the men in their life spent decades fucking up the bloodline with their stupidity. So now they have high-standards and are bonafide misandrists who refuse to tolerate men till they’ve put him through 14 circles of hell.

They want a love that is ostentatious and over-the-top; for a man to bath in the blood of her enemies and present their heads as a marriage proposal. Sylus is for the girls who read dark romances and fantasise about men that will burn the world for her but are also extremely wary of what men in such positions of power actually do to women in real life. So the love of such a dangerous individual has never felt safe, given the socio-economic state of the world, and thus creating a conflict in you. A love that holds you above all has never felt secure but it is also their soul’s greatest desire.

Zayne

The studious girls. The ones who were bred and trained to be perfect in everything that their hands touched- failure was not an option.

They learn and struggle quietly, too afraid of being laughed at if they ask for help. Or worse, being told that they knew you weren’t as smart as everyone said. They can’t be seen weak or it’ll be proof that they failed their parents and wasted their money.

Everyone was allowed to stumble except you, because you are perfect- the pride and joy of your parents. You wouldn't want to disappoint them by confessing weakness, now would you?

The ones who thought that they have to pay back their parents for the food and roof over your head through academic achievements that they can brag about to your stupid relatives; That you deserved to be raised in their house.

Also most likely to be Asian because let’s be honest, Zayne is the blueprint in Asian parents' eyes of what an ideal child should be like ... I know his cousins fucking hate him😭(which may have contributed even more to his feeling of isolation).

Caleb

The happy-go-lucky one who hides their tears behind goofy smiles, and didn't have a lot of close friends.

The girls who wanted that sweet summers with their high school crush but never got one (that crush was probably your older brother's friend/ best friend's older brother too👀).

Someone who would put a band aid over your cuts, wipe your tears, or put your bullies in place. Ruffle your hair and told you he was there for you, so why don’t you ask him for help?

You want someone who’ll love you despite your many flaws- someone who’ll see your less flattering sides and still won’t leave you alone.

For the girls who want to be loved dangerously, a love that consumes them completely: the ones who don’t mind an overbearing, obsessive man because you take his obsession as proof of love.

You have abandonment issues and Caleb’s crazy suits you perfectly.

Xavier

The ones that ache for comfort and for their overactive brain to be quite for just one minute.

They don’t like drama, tension, hot-and-cold approach; they just want someone who listens without turning everything into a debate.

These are probably the ones who have spent childhood tiptoeing around volatile parents who explode at anything- emotionally immature adults who have fried your nerve endings.

So now you have absolutely no tolerance for chaos. Constant anxiety gnaws at your mind even when everything is completely fine and you keep telling your brain that you're not being hunted for sport, so calm down!

You also prefer living alone and/or not date at all unless you really feel like it, even if you are lonely. You don't want a mess in your apartment or a man constantly shouting, nagging at you and not cleaning after himself. You have a pretty low tolerance threshold for such antics, so Xavier's gentle presence is a balm to your fried nervous system that's on constant alert even in sleep.

Rafayel

The quiet ones with a range of creative hobbies- Art. Crafts. Writing. Whatever.

Probably never given flowers or asked to prom. The ones who have felt isolated even in crowds, as if a hidden veil keeps them from being noticed or approached, but they are not quite bothered by it.

They ache with nostalgia for their childhood, and also for a past life that they know they must have lived but can not remember. They know that they were loved in that life, and in their deepest delusion, they want to find that perosn...in this and every lifetime (Astrologically, your Venus is probably in the 12th House).

You yearn to be someone’s loving muse, someone who will capture your beauty and freeze you in time for the world to witness.

You want to be haunted as much as worshipped.

excalibur. the knights of the round table. the knights of grandis. the emphasis on resilience. grief. loss. bargaining. legacies. unpredictability. responsibility. adjusting and adapting in a place that isn't yours. family trauma. being the misfit of your family. the golden standard and the black sheep of your family. being the eldest child and leader and the scapegoat. breaking generational cycles. the emphasis on the consequences of your actions. dealing with your mortality. bc without consequences, the question lays if you're actually living at all. bc after all, everything is finite including you.