Now I KNOW I’m not in the fandom anymore but this take is a hot take BUT a correct take.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS HOW I INTERPRET IT. IF YOU DONT LIKE MY OPINION THEN DEBATE WITH MANNER.
Point 1) Xanthus and Love opinion on the bond develop significantly throughout the story, (I know because I’ve watched it 10 times over) they start feeling scared and anxious about the bond, and what it could do to their relationship. Mainly due to the fear of doing acts of love and loyalty because of the bond, and bond alone.
The thing they were anxious about—is EXACTLY what happens in the series. Xanthus’ loyalty and obsession only increases, and increases, and increases. So much to the point that he is overly protective of love, keeping secrets from them, even asking to fly them out to run from a group that love wouldn’t be associated with in the first place if not for the bond.
And yes, Xanthus says and protests that the bond doesn’t affect the relationship, that he’s loyal and loving for the person and person alone. But he knows love so much more than they know him. He knows how to convince them, what to do, and uses it repeatedly to get the response he wants.
The bond affected their relationship from the very start, but since we are viewing the relationship from love’s perspective, we don’t see that.
Point 2) Xanthus is a bad person. No matter how you arrange it, he’s not a good person.
Yes, he has developed, but notice how it’s because of the bond? Dontis notes that Xanthus is different ever since the bond. Xanthus didn’t develop because he wanted to be a good person, he developed because it worked in his favor.
He does have a sad backstory, but it doesn’t excuse his actions. (After his backstory) Yes, he is a vampire, but as old as he’s now, he’s only ever developed to survive. To run. To survive, being a person like him, he was taught to use morally bad tactics to favor himself.
His bad actions in the past, manipulation, killing, power, is only viewed as normal because love is being constantly surrounded by people like him.
Point 3) Love is definitely the victim, a victim of manipulation and coercion.
Love just went through a traumatizing moment of their life, being victim to a stalker and a yandere. Think about that—love is alone, was stalked, and hunted for all their life. They are insanely mentally unwell.
Love consented to Xanthus’ doings because they needed a source of affection, love, attention. There is no way a mentally sound person would agree to start a new life with someone whose over-protective, harmed people, a LITERAL VAMPIRE. AND WAS INFLUENCED BY A BOND. The strongest form of love they’ve ever felt.
Love needs time to heal. We only see it as romantic and loving because the whole series they are influenced by the bond. Their name is quite literally, or what their most called, is love. Their purpose is for love, but has never experienced true, real love. Their purpose is to be a source of love, not a real love.
OVERALL, Xanthus and love ARE toxic. And it goes further than just this! Mind you, Xanthus broke into their house, TRIED TO COMPELL THEM, TRIED. kept secrets from eachother, only admitted he was in love with them when they was a chance they’d be gone or he’d be gone. They are beautifully written from the inside out, a gruesome, tragic story riddled with obsession Thats covered up by “love” (metaphor intended) and a so-called sense of beauty of the bond.
(Btw! I love his series! Saqu’s writing is absolutely brilliant and dissecting it made me realize that. This is all for fun, I’m a writer so I like to over analyze things. So I’m not hating on anyone.)