I’m still not over the fact that Xaden abandoned all his intentions of just repressing the crap out of his feelings, flew to Montserrat, and immediately started flirting with Violet just because he didn’t see her for a couple of days and was worried she was getting close to another man, who she’d been nothing but distant towards for weeks.
He is SO dramatic I can’t even 😭
No thoughts, just Xaden holding Violet’s hand 🥺
This is my Roman Empire. Xaden’s love language is hand-holding and that is so adorable to me
You know I am usually someone to easily call out Xaden (especially on his communication issues in Iron Flame *cough* call out *cough* lol )
But now I actually need to defend him in regards of what he said and how some people receive it:
"In the years after my father died, I forgot what it felt like to be loved. [...] But then you (Violet) gave those words to me, and I remembered..."
And then you have responses like:
Basically pointing the finger at Xaden, what about your friends who love you?
Where I need to say okay first valid or rather understandable response.
Buuut I think people are to harsh here on Xaden. I'm deliberately simplifying this here, Xaden's life consisted of two parts, the revolution and survival. Violet gave him love outside of that. It was something new, something, looking at the quote above, he didn't even knew in the beginning he wanted or maybe didn't dare to want. (Also Violet is awesome! Who can blame him? Edit: and look his new BC he is a total simp for her, as he should be)
"Now, Riorson."
I can't keep from wincing. She never uses my last name. Maybe it's because she doesn't like to remember that I'm Fen Riorson's son, and all my father cost her, but I've always been Xaden to her. The loss feels like a bottomless abyss, like a death blow.
"I've always been Xaden to her" and look how shattered poor boy was when he thought he lost that. With Violet he was not Fen Riorson's son, he was not his last name which symbolizes the proclamation of the revolution, the continued existence of the revolution. He was just Xaden with Violet. Just a man.
But now let's look at his love for his friends and at the beginning of the very same letter which brings you an understanding of his feelings
"Then I entered the quadrant and became the monster everyone needed me to be, and I never regretted it."
Who is everyone? Every person being part of the revolution. He consciously tried to forget the feeling of love because that would help the revolution best. Cold and calculating. But who is also part of the revolution? His friends. With his friends he was also Xaden, but not only. The revolution became a huge part of their lives.
I think with his friends their love and loyalty became the same thing for him. That's why Xaden said only whwn Violet came along he remembered what love meant. Don't get me wrong, in a healthy relationship it goes hand in hand but it's not the same and I think it just became too blurry over time and given circumstances alas being key figures in a revolution.
Also I understand when people say they want to see more of Xaden's friendships, same I am no different, but the lack of these relationships is due to the fact that the books are currently only from Violet's POV, after all they are Xaden's friends and not hers. I mean every chapter we had in his POV there were always interactions with his friends (except his capital at the end of IF) and we can all agree we loved them (I hope so lol)
I hope it makes sense what i am trying to say i just think people are to harsh here on Xaden became in the end of the day he cares for his friends. Both sides would go through hell for the other, if you look at their lives you can safely say it's their "I love you"
Is it just me or in some fandoms I'm not saying all but the MMC defenders can't defend him without degrading the FMC I mean when people defend FMC they don't hate the MMC they just want him to do better
This is so true, and I see it way too much in fandoms like Fourth Wing/the Empyrean where the couple don’t immediately get their happily ever after.
Xaden and Violet have a dynamic that I personally don’t see a lot in fantasy series, which is when they have genuine relationship problems that need to be worked through, rather than the usual romantasy pipeline of confessions of love -> fucking -> marriage (order interchangeable). The “miscommunication” (this is one of those phrases that BookTok throws around very lightly) caused so many people to take sides in the drama, most often in favour of Xaden because he’s the hot shadow-wielding love interest. And it pisses me off every time I see someone call Violet “annoying” for her perfectly reasonable response to the situation she was in. She was absolutely not at fault, but I’m not saying Xaden was entirely either.
But so many people in fandoms can’t look past the idea of blaming someone to recognise that all characters are complex and flawed and these are issues that they had to work through. What did people want Violet to do? Sweep it under a rug and pretend the man she was in love with didn’t conceal a secret that almost got her killed?
That’s just one example, another being in the ACOTAR fandom (toxic pit of hell that it is) when people talk about Nessian, defending Cassian by hating on Nesta.
*clears throat importantly* YOU CAN DEFEND A MALE CHARACTER WITHOUT DISCREDITING A FEMALE ONE.
These are two examples of characters who are crazy for each other and in loving relationships. Why do fandoms so often try to set them against each other? Why is it always the MMC who “deserves better”? Why is it the female character who is always at fault?
Headcanon that when Xaden and Violet get married, Rhiannon or Mira or someone asks Violet if she’s nervous beforehand, and Violet just looks at them flatly and says something like “No. I’m stuck with him whether or not we walk down an aisle” and Tairn just laughs in her head because he fully knows he caused this.
Xaden and Violet both made their peace with the fact that they’ll be together for the rest of their lives a long time ago, at this point marriage is just a formality.
if Xaden doesn't declare him and Violet married the second she graduates I will be mad
They’re already married in my head
you just know xaden would have TOP TIER hand placement. like he'd so come up behind violet and do that thing where he runs his hands along her hips and ribs before settling on her lower stomach and plop his chin on her shoulder. PLEASE.
The idea that Xaden regularly gets bombarded with Violet’s thoughts about wanting to climb him like a tree whilst he’s just trying to get through the day unscathed is actually so funny to me
some fluff for your saturday 🫶🏻
Aaawww, this is so sweet! 🥰 beautifully written and I so hope this will one day be true for them. 🤞🏼
Xaden and Violet - Fourth Wing
Artist: @dudledudlesss
