Xio Voe fear

[LDoza]

Why ITL fans should not speak on the phone:

Jae: I love Xio Voe. I want to nom him. Nom nom nom.
Rhia: Don't chew on the Heir to the Jacacean Empire, dear.
Jae: But I want to! Why must you kill my dreams?

 OOOO  Not me,  I'm scared of Xio Voe.

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

You're not the first person to say that!

Let's talk it out, y'all.  Are you afraid of Xio Voe?  Does he make you want to edge away?

And, most importantly, why?

-Matthew

[Diamond]

You should fear Xio Voe because he's like the Borg, and he will assimilate you.

(I was going to put an exclamation point at the end of that, but I thought neither the Borg nor Xio Voe would approve.  )


^{Psst... Resistance is futile.}

- Diamond

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

I thought neither the Borg nor Xio Voe would approve.

They wouldn't approve of that unhappy face, either.

But Xio Voe is not an emotionless void!  He loves the Empire.  He's even willing to smile, and announce his love, in front of people.  So there's hope.

Hope for what, I'm not sure.

Although this:

“What are you interested in?” Kudorin asked, entering the private dining room prepared for the evening.

            Xio Voe said, calmly, “Advancing the Jacacean Empire.  Ruling the world.  Engaging in sex with you.”

It sounds like humor to me.  Or am I alone in that?

(Yes, I'm stretching.  But we all know that his real goal is to marry Kudorin (and bring him to the Empire, etc.) so bringing it to the level of sex is inaccurate, and why would Xio Voe be inaccurate?  It has to be a joke.  Basically, Kudorin asked, "What are you interested in?" and Xio Voe said, "Fucking you.")

-Matthew

[LilacMajesty]

I'm not afraid of Xio Voe.  I'm fascinated with what I might be able to learn from him if he were real.  I'd follow him around like a lap dog.

[JaeFire]

...I NOM him.  NOM NOM NOM.

::dignified::  ...That is all.

- Jae

[Falconer]

I'm not scared of Xio Voh, and neither is anyone in ITL (which is a good indication that Xio Voh is not meant to be scary). Cold, distant, intimidating, yes. But not scary. I do think though that "figuring him" out will be difficult for the other siblings (or maybe not so much... see how easy it was for Anosanim to get him to smile? They're starting to understand him), but not for the readers because we get to see sides of him the other characters don't.

For me,  Xio Voh is like a puzzle, and trying to figure him out is fascinating. For that, I think Chapter 122 is a key chapter. I have to admit I didn't pay much attention to the Xio Voh passages (too distracted by Hitari/Talin/Anosanim), but I've been rereading it today, and wow. Fascinating.

Although this:

“What are you interested in?” Kudorin asked, entering the private dining room prepared for the evening.

            Xio Voe said, calmly, “Advancing the Jacacean Empire.  Ruling the world.  Engaging in sex with you.”

It sounds like humor to me.  Or am I alone in that?

(Yes, I'm stretching.  But we all know that his real goal is to marry Kudorin (and bring him to the Empire, etc.) so bringing it to the level of sex is inaccurate, and why would Xio Voe be inaccurate?  It has to be a joke.  Basically, Kudorin asked, "What are you interested in?" and Xio Voe said, "Fucking you.")

-Matthew

  I did read that as a joke. Xio Voh has a really dry and sarcastic humor. I like that Kudorin *gets* it and answers in kind.

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

I've been rereading it today, and wow. Fascinating.

Thank you!  (On Xio Voe's behalf.)

-Matthew

[JaeFire]

I'm not scared of Xio Voh, and neither is anyone in ITL (which is a good indication that Xio Voh is not meant to be scary). Cold, distant, intimidating, yes. But not scary.

Actually, one of the reasons I like him so damn much is because he's kind of scary.  Not completely, and not in a way that's intentional, but he definitely is scary at first, to at least some of the characters--though of course I love how it changes over time, how they just get used to him.  (So I definitely agree with you that he's not necessarily meant to be scary.)  I don't think he means to be scary or overly intimidating... he just is.  I love how he knows the effect he has on people when they first meet him, and he just doesn't care.  (Ch.100: “Good evening,” Xio Voe said.  The sound of his voice seemed to unnerve Vade.  Not an unfamiliar reaction.  People often found him disconcerting.) Caring about how other people see him is just not one of his priorities.  I love that about him.  (Just like I love that about Kudorin, heh heh heh )

Orinakin's first impression of Xio Voe:

Ch.78:
Instinctively, Orinakin sought him out emotionally, sifted through the feelings in the room to reach him and - - oh! Recoiling, Orinakin almost jerked back physically. What had he - - that wasn’t possible. Carefully, testing, he tried again, only to pull back in horror once more.

Nothing. The man was emotionless. Orinakin felt nothing from him, not a hint, not a whisper. It was inhuman. It was a void, an absence, an impossible lack of emotion that Orinakin had only discovered in corpses.

Rini's first impressions of Xio Voe:

Ch.86:
"Rini didn’t even want to think about, or look at, Xio Voe.  Something about that guy - - everything about that guy - - made him uncomfortable.  Made him shiver.  There was something very cold and really empty about Xio Voe that scared him.  He didn’t know why Orinakin had brought The Heir home, but he wanted the guy gone."

Ch.87:
“He’s The Heir!  To the Jacacean Empire!  He’s Xio Voe!” Rini exclaimed.  “He’s scary!  He scares me, Kudorin.  I don’t think he’s in there.”
[...]
“Xio Voe’s not the kind of guy who has emotions,” Rini snapped.  “I looked at him and he looked back at me but there wasn’t anybody inside.  He’s empty in there.  Kudorin can’t marry someone like that!”

One of Vade's first impressions of Xio Voe:

Ch.99:
His eyes were disturbing.  Not only were they three different colors, they also stared with scary, intense focus, and there was nothing inside them.  Nothing behind them.  Like Xio Voe wasn’t actually in there.

Now, I'm not saying that that's all Xio Voe is, because he's complex and wonderful and smart and I'm so, so fond of him, but his looking that way, his giving off the type of aura that sometimes scares people, is part of who he is right now.  One day, as part of his personal emotional journey throughout the Rainbow Book, I see him changing, growing, but I think that unconscious intimidation will always be a part of him, even in the future when he is more emotionally healthy.  (Maybe he won’t be as scary then, but then again, maybe he’ll retain the ability to call that up on demand.)

He's also strong, and proud, and he's definitely got a lot of things to be proud about, but there is a definite emotional void there that needs to be dealt with (and healed—it makes me so sad for him), and I think people sense that--some of them react like Bade, who wasn't afraid of Xio Voe, but some people act like Rini, who got scared, and some act like Vade, who observed what he was seeing as scary but probably not really feeling scared either (like Bade).  And there are all sorts of different reactions in between that--like Desin, who was protective of Kudorin but not afraid, Anosanim, who just gushed over him, Anikira and Remin, who respected him.  He's just generally inspiring, really 

Then you have a ton of other people, who react like this:

Ch.117:
What Anosukinom labeled “pride,” others had called “the unmitigated gall to be a self-absorbed, self-important, blindly ambitious, authoritarian, condescending, domineering, patronizing, presumptuous, supercilious, vain, swaggering, pretentious, pompous, haughty, disdainful, conceited, self-centered, self-satisfied, smug despot.”  But Anosukinom’s bias had to be taken into account.

I freaking LOVE how Xio Voe observes that "Anosukinom's bias had to be taken into account," that he views how others see him as more accurate than how Kudorin sees him and has absolutely no interest or insecurity or concern about it.  It's like, ::ridiculously majestic shrug:: 

I love how he knows what people think and knows that some of it is true to an extent and it doesn't even faze him.  I love how he's aware that Kudorin's just different, that Kudorin reacts to him differently.  I love how self-assured and confident and nonchalant he is.

But you know, I also love how scary he looks to people when they first meet him.  I think it's part of his charm.


- Jae

(NOTE: Jae admits to having a bit of a character flaw, in that she has always had the strangest fondness for grumpy, grouchy, standoff-ish people.  She thinks they're cute.  But her sense of judgment is unimpaired!  (Her boyfriend is a grumpy person, and is about the best boyfriend ever.)  Yes, she realizes that, like Kudorin, she is probably very perverse.  And that she is speaking in third person.  She will stop now. )

[Diamond]

I love how he knows the effect he has on people when they first meet him, and he just doesn't care.

He's such a pimp. 

I freaking LOVE how Xio Voe observes that "Anosukinom's bias had to be taken into account," that he views how others see him as more accurate than how Kudorin sees him and has absolutely no interest or insecurity or concern about it.  It's like, ::ridiculously majestic shrug::

I love how he knows what people think and knows that some of it is true to an extent and it doesn't even faze him.  I love how he's aware that Kudorin's just different, that Kudorin reacts to him differently.  I love how self-assured and confident and nonchalant he is.

It's like some characters would claim that they don't care what people think, but we still end up with the cliched caring deep down inside and the insults really hurt his heart of gold.  

But Xio Voe Honestly doesn't care. There is no more information deep down inside that we have to get to. He doesn't care and he is truthfully unaffected. I LOVE IT!!!     

I think that alone makes him feel like a new character that I haven't seen before. Most people only attempt to write this type of sociopath when trying to "get inside the mind of a killer." He's not violent or manipulative and like you said, Jae, we don't actually need to fear him. He's just broken. And I can't wait for Kudorin to fix him!

...I NOM him.  NOM NOM NOM.

- Jae

I love that you do that. It just seems like the last thing on earth Xio Voe would want anyone to do and it's hilarious to think of him looking over his shoulder to find some chick nomming his elbow. I can just imagine his internal mortification and external lack of reaction as he insists that you NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.

I love it. 

Diamond

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

I love how he knows the effect he has on people when they first meet him, and he just doesn't care.

It's the best.

How people "feel" about him is irrelevant.  In fact, if they're intimidated by him, they're more likely to do what he wants them to do, so it's actually to his benefit.

Of course, Kudorin would explain to us that how people feel is very relevant, and that fear of Xio Voe has a negative effect on work performance, etc.  But Kudorin doesn't need anyone to fear him; he's a deity.  Xio Voe has an entire (growing) Empire to run, so being a little scary might help to keep the citizens in line.

-Matthew

[JaeFire]

He's such a pimp. 

Hahahahah, he totally is!

It's like some characters would claim that they don't care what people think, but we still end up with the cliched caring deep down inside and the insults really hurt his heart of gold.  

But Xio Voe Honestly doesn't care. There is no more information deep down inside that we have to get to. He doesn't care and he is truthfully unaffected. I LOVE IT!!!     

I KNOW, RIGHT?! ::squee::  He's such a badass.

I think that alone makes him feel like a new character that I haven't seen before. Most people only attempt to write this type of sociopath when trying to "get inside the mind of a killer." He's not violent or manipulative and like you said, Jae, we don't actually need to fear him. He's just broken. And I can't wait for Kudorin to fix him!

I can't wait, either!  I think it's one of the most amazing feats of writing I've ever seen, that he's not that typical, run-of-the-mill sociopath that so many people try to write and absolutely fail--He's not a true sociopath, he does need to be fixed, but he's still just that cool 

I can just imagine his internal mortification and external lack of reaction as he insists that you NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.

AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!  He would totally say that! 

- Jae

[Diamond]

I have to go, but tomorrow we have to have a whole discussion on why Xio Voe isn't the average sociopathic character.

-Diamond

[JaeFire]

I have to go, but tomorrow we have to have a whole discussion on why Xio Voe isn't the average sociopathic character.

-Diamond

I am totally down for that!

- Jae

[JaeFire]

How people "feel" about him is irrelevant.  In fact, if they're intimidated by him, they're more likely to do what he wants them to do, so it's actually to his benefit.

  So, so true.  Xio Voe: "Feelings...what are these 'feelings about me' you speak of?  And why do you think that they... matter?" 

Of course, Kudorin would explain to us that how people feel is very relevant, and that fear of Xio Voe has a negative effect on work performance, etc.  But Kudorin doesn't need anyone to fear him; he's a deity.  Xio Voe has an entire (growing) Empire to run, so being a little scary might help to keep the citizens in line.

-Matthew

I just had an image of him striding through Seijaces and having people just start screaming like fangirls, scared and excited at the same time.  While their legs stay in straight-line formation.  ::is disturbed, yet still ridiculously amused::

- Jae

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

I think it's one of the most amazing feats of writing I've ever seen, that he's not that typical, run-of-the-mill sociopath that so many people try to write and absolutely fail--

I hope that you realize that I'm going to snip out the "I think it's one of the most amazing feats of writing I've ever seen" part and plaster it across my website.

(Also: thank you! And, wow.)

Caring about how other people see him is just not one of his priorities.  I love that about him.  (Just like I love that about Kudorin

No shirt, no shoes, no problem.  Kudorin cares about people, and he cares about how they feel, how they treat each other, and how their lives are going.  But he's not that worried about how he comes across.  He knows how he comes across (just as Xio Voe knows how he comes across) but it doesn't bother him enough to make him change.

He does make adjustments with the right incentive (when he wanted to make a good impression on Mindo), but the rest of the time, whatever.  Don't like his posture?  You don't have to like his posture.  He's still going to be a god and pharaoh, whether you like it or not.

Kudorin isn't exactly dismissive about it.  He's just accepting.  He understands that he can't please all of the people all of the time, so he's just going to be himself.

He's not even all that worried about changing to impress Xio Voe.  Xio Voe thinks that he's a cialex.  Kudorin's response: you bet I am!

Back on-topic: I wonder if Xio Voe's siblings are afraid of him.

-Matthew

[LilacMajesty]

I doubt his siblings are afraid of him.  They probably suffer from the same emotional disability that he does, and therefore THINK they feel nothing.

[blondiechic0]

I doubt his siblings are afraid of him.  They probably suffer from the same emotional disability that he does, and therefore THINK they feel nothing.

Except in Chapter 86:

Once they were in the palace, they were admitted to the throne room.  They met with the imperial family there, for a formal leavetaking.  Animosity and distrust were thick in the air, aimed at Orinakin with Jacacean precision.  No one felt happy to see him; no one was eager for The Heir to leave.

            When Xio Voe arrived, dressed in cool blue and formal lace, Orinakin strongly felt the room’s collective pride and admiration.  There was regret, at The Heir’s leaving; there was love for him.

            In that regret and love, something felt wrong.  Off.  Unbalanced.  Quickly, Orinakin sought out what it was, and discovered: it came most fully from the advisors, the guards, the workers, the citizens.  From the youngest prince, Xio Dei.  But from Xio Voe’s parents, from his sister and other brother, it was dim.  Orinakin felt their pride in Xio Voe, but it was cool, impersonal, the way that they were proud of any Jacacean advancement.

            Was that what Xio Voe was to them?  A noble achievement?  Not a son, in the familial sense, but an accomplishment?  He was the greatest Jacacean alive, and they seemed proud of him for having achieved that status, seemed to regard him with satisfaction and confidence, seemed pleased with who he was.  But Orinakin didn’t sense any personal nervousness, any concern for an eldest son striking off into previously forbidden, potentially hostile (in their eyes) foreign territory.  There was no parental worry, no stirrings of familial love, no chance of a tear being shed.

            Even worse, but not surprising, was that Xio Voe exhibited no emotion whatsoever.  Having been away from him, seeing The Heir again and being faced with that hideous emotional void struck Orinakin anew, and he shuddered away from the dark and icy desolation of Xio Voe’s soul.

            The good-bye was formal.  Dignified.  Performed almost automatically, for the sake of onlookers.  Xio Voe seemed, as far as Orinakin could discern, to have true respect for the throne, and the Emperor and Empress honestly respected The Heir, so the well wishes were sincere on everyone’s part.  But the scene was entirely impersonal.  There was no hint to a stranger that The Heir stood before his own parents.

            They did not touch.


So the older two seem not to love him, but his youngest brother does.

[LilacMajesty]

The entire Jacacean royal family is damaged.  Perhaps Rini should go there instead of the Kelan plains.  Group hugs!!

[Diamond]

I have to go, but tomorrow we have to have a whole discussion on why Xio Voe isn't the average sociopathic character.

-Diamond

Here we go...

I don’t think Xio Voe is technically a sociopath.

A sociopath is someone with antisocial personality disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, when you have antisocial personality disorder, you typically have no regard for right and wrong. You may often violate the law and the rights of others, landing yourself in frequent trouble or conflict. You may lie, behave violently, and have drug and alcohol problems. And you may not be able to fulfill responsibilities to your family, work or school.

That’s not Xio Voe. He doesn’t lie, he is very much about rules, he would never violate a Jacacean law, he’s never been in trouble, he wouldn’t like the experience of being high or drunk (because that would mean losing control), and his life is centered around his responsibility to his family and the empire.

So, no sociopath. But he is the type of character who is often portrayed as a villain, usually a serial killer. He’s cold, heartless, ruthless, and he is unfazed by practically EVERYTHING.

It’s not that Xio Voe doesn’t understand emotions because he is incapable of emotion himself. We all know that he does have emotions, they are just so repressed that they are almost imperceptible to both an empath and a deity (good grief, man!). He has feelings and he understands the concept of feelings and emotions, he just thinks that they are irrelevant to basically every aspect of life and should always be ignored. He thinks that factoring emotions into the decision making process leads to illogical decisions and will end in folly. He can feel and love, he has just been trained to be voluntarily emotionless. And considering how accomplished he is, he would have every reason to think that being emotionless is effective. Until Kudorin his emotional apathy hasn’t caused any problems that his own force of will hasn’t been able to overcome.

I just love the twist of having someone with Xio Voe’s emotionally minimalist personality as a love interest. I think there is so much potential there, and I don’t know why I haven’t seen it done before. It seems like an obvious plot device now that I think about it. In any story what grabs people is the human element. Readers want to explore the characters’ interpersonal relationships. When you have someone so emotionally crippled as Xio Voe, you get to go on an amazing journey with him to become emotionally whole enough to have a loving, mutually fulfilling relationship.

I’ve seen a lot of stories featuring people who are damaged, chaotic, and dysfunctional, but not like this. The closest I’ve seen would be something like a motorcycle riding bad boy rebel who acts like he doesn’t give a crap about anything until the town rich girl virgin teaches him how to love. We’ve all seen that. 

Maybe he’s like the corporate lawyer who wants to tear down the neighborhood park to build another high rise condominium. Right as the bulldozers start to roll, a little girl gives him a flower and his heart melts and where the heck do I get this crap?! 

Anyway, I’ve never seen this exact composite before and I can’t get enough.

- Diamond

[blondiechic0]

Maybe he’s like the corporate lawyer who wants to tear down the neighborhood park to build another high rise condominium. Right as the bulldozers start to roll, a little girl gives him a flower and his heart melts and where the heck do I get this crap?! 

From every bad romance novel and romance movie ever written?

[Falconer]

What an interesting character study! *is impressed*

I agree with you, Xio Voh is not a sociopath. He has principles which he holds dear. Xio Voh loves Jacacea and he loves science... He is passionate about these things. I just feel like he loves the Jacacean people almost only by extension, their welfare only an aspect of the welfare of Jacacea.  Jacacea for him is more of a concept than a nation of the people and for the people. And to some extent this has worked. It has brought Jacacea to where it is now...

Maybe Xio Voh needs to understand the importance of the 'irrational', and he needs to see the benefits of doing so. Are there tangible benefits to doing so? And well, should it be pursued for the material benefits (existent or not)?  I would think that Kudorin would say 'no'. And this I believe questions the foundation of the Jacacean mindset.  That's the biggest challenge Xio Voh faces I think. But as a scientist, I think Xio Voh will welcome this opportunity to better understand the human mind, how it works, what it needs, what fulfills it.

But to be honest, I'm not 100% confident about what I said above. Xio Voh surprises me every chapter. I see a new side of him or understand something about him, and well, I'm still trying to put the pieces together... Discussions like that help a lot in that. 

Anyway, I’ve never seen this exact composite before and I can’t get enough.

- Diamond

Me neither. At least not a well-written one.

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

He thinks that factoring emotions into the decision making process leads to illogical decisions and will end in folly.

I wanted to point out this sentence because it's dead-on.  Also, because "folly" isn't used often enough in everyday conversation.

I just feel like he loves the Jacacean people almost only by extension, their welfare only an aspect of the welfare of Jacacea.  Jacacea for him is more of a concept than a nation of the people and for the people.

Ah!  Any comments on that?  Agreements?  Disagreements?

-Matthew

[LilacMajesty]

He thinks that factoring emotions into the decision making process leads to illogical decisions and will end in folly.

I wanted to point out this sentence because it's dead-on.  Also, because "folly" isn't used often enough in everyday conversation.

I just feel like he loves the Jacacean people almost only by extension, their welfare only an aspect of the welfare of Jacacea.  Jacacea for him is more of a concept than a nation of the people and for the people.

Ah!  Any comments on that?  Agreements?  Disagreements?

-Matthew

I agree, at least for the moment.  Xio Voe's iceberg needs to be overturned before he really gets what he's missing out on and what his family, his people, and the love of his life REALLY mean to him.

[Falconer]

I agree, at least for the moment.  Xio Voe's iceberg needs to be overturned before he really gets what he's missing out on and what his family, his people, and the love of his life REALLY mean to him.

  What do you mean by Xio Voh's iceberg being overturned? I'm not sure I understand... 

[LilacMajesty]

Sorry - that's kind of a "Living" reference.  Saying that a person has an iceberg refers to the fact that we only really see a little bit of their life and under the surface there's this huge amount of emotional and psychological baggage.  And sometimes the person themselves doesn't even realize just how big their iceberg is.

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

Upthread, we mentioned Xio Voe's siblings and whether they're afraid of him.  That made me think of his parents, and wonder: do they fear him?

My guess is that they aren't actually afraid of him.  Xio Voe is ruthlessly ambitious, yes, but he also puts the Empire above all, and therefore he puts the Emperor above all, which means that he won't kill Xio Sei to get on the throne.  Which is good.

Still, I wonder if they sometimes sit back in awe.  Are they intimidated?  Of course they're proud of him, and they tried to rear the perfect Jacacean, but then you have this uncannily robotic kid striding around, majestic and emotionless, performing autopsies and solving math problems only .025% of people in the world can begin to understand, telling you how to invade other countries.

I don't imagine that it's easy to intimidate the Emperor of Jacacea, but I'll bet that Xio Voe could do it.

-Matthew

[LilacMajesty]

Xio Voe has dominated a God, so why wouldn't he intimidate the Emperor of Jacacea?

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

Xio Voe has dominated a God

Kudorin so gets off on that.

-Matthew

[Falconer]

Still, I wonder if they sometimes sit back in awe.  Are they intimidated?  Of course they're proud of him, and they tried to rear the perfect Jacacean, but then you have this uncannily robotic kid striding around, majestic and emotionless, performing autopsies and solving math problems only .025% of people in the world can begin to understand, telling you how to invade other countries.

I don't imagine that it's easy to intimidate the Emperor of Jacacea, but I'll bet that Xio Voe could do it.

-Matthew

I don't think Xio Voe's parents are intimated by him. What power does he have over them? Jacaceans I imagine are very conscious of hierarchy, so just as Xio Voe would not step out of line with the Emperor, the Emperor would not fear or be intimidated by him because as his father and the Emperor, he knows he's the superior one.

I'm certain his parents sit back in awe of him sometimes, but intimidated? Nah.

[Diamond]

OH no, there is a huge amount down inside XioVoe..that he has forced to be there since he first saw a prism!  That is why the Rainbow room affected him so.  It took him back to when he started having to hide his emotions...as all abused children do if they are to survive.

Of course there's a huge amount buried inside Xio Voe. That's why there is so much to talk about.

What I meant was when Xio Voe says he doesn't care if Talin is in love with him or not, he really doesn't care. When he says he doesn't care what people think of him, he honestly doesn't care. When he says he doesn't care that people are afraid of him, he's not secretly bothered by it and putting on a brave face, HE DOESN'T CARE. It's awesome.

There are plenty of things we have yet to uncover about Xio Voe, and the man has more layers than an onion. But it's also true that some of his coldness isn't a facade, it's a result of the fact that other people's feelings are irrelevant to him and he wastes no brain power mulling them over.

So to sum up, Xio Voe has a lot buried inside, but put down your shovel if you're digging for that little place in his heart where he gives a crap about the fact that you think he's a pompous ass.

BACK TO THE KEYBOARD MATTHEW... whip, whip.

Not cool. Not even as a joke. For ITL alone, Matthew's been writing over 8,000 words every seven days or less for TWO YEARS. Despite life, his job, holidays, birthdays, illness, or just the urge to take some time off. If the parts are not "early enough" for some people he gets messages in his inbox and comments posted publicly complaining and fussing. Yet, when he posts early on Thursdays and a few times on Wednesday hoping to please the hungry readers, the same complainers don't say a word. They just read it and move on with life without so much as a, "Hey, it's cool to see the part early this week."

Matthew doesn't need more pressure to do what he's already doing. If you want more fiction, buy his books, subscribe twice, or just click the banners. Those things will help him quit his job and be free to just write all day. But until then, he's got a lot to manage.

I'm sorry but, I'm very protective of him and anything that sounds like MHT pressure makes me growl.

- Diamond

[LilacMajesty]

Personally - I feel like any words coming from Matthew, regularly or sporadically - are a blessing.  I will take what I can get, and I do my best not to make any suggestions or put any pressure on him at all.  I click on the ads here every day, several times a day - but I don't feel like that's enough. 

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

I extend sincere gratitude to Diamond and to LilacMajesty for their continued awesomeness and their support.

Xio Voe said, calmly, “Advancing the Jacacean Empire.  Ruling the world.  Engaging in sex with you.”
That is not a joke, and it is exactly the type of statement a borderline would say because they
ALWAYS LIE... But XioVoe never lies ... so it is just his honest way of stratifying his priorities..

Then you're not asserting that Xio Voe is borderline?

I'm under the impression that Xio Voe's goal is marriage.  He's here to marry Kudorin.  His plan is to marry Kudorin and take Kudorin to Jacacea.  Sex is secondary, and not his primary motivation.  He's interested in sex with Kudorin, and indulging his sexual attraction to Kudorin, in part because he wants to and in part because he's trying to court/seduce Kudorin.

Since his statement doesn't accurately reflect his priorities, it has to be a joke.  (I'm ruling it out as a lie because it's not like Kudorin's unaware of Xio Voe's priorities.  It wouldn't work as a lie, so it has to be a joke.)

-Matthew

[LilacMajesty]

Borderline?  Maybe - but its not his fault!  I know that too many people on our planet use their bad parents as an excuse, but in Xio Voe's case - its totally true.  He's not had anyone show him affection before, so he has yet to see the benefits - but he will!!

[SilverMoon28]

The entire Jacacean royal family is damaged.  Perhaps Rini should go there instead of the Kelan plains.  Group hugs!!

I think that hugging Rini is the best thing in the world, but I'm really not sure that it would be wise for him to go to Jacacea and start hugging the imperial family out of the blue.  For one thing, I've a feeling that they don't know what a hug from a stranger is, and they would be thoroughly unbalanced if someone frm the Anorin royal family were to start hugging them at random.

It'd be humorous to see, though.

Quickly going back to that quote about when Xio Voe entered the imperial throne room in Seijaces, I think that Xio Voe's youngest brother doesn't yet know how to, um, curbe his feelings the wy his family has learned to do.

Could it be possible that Xio Voe's open and friendly with his family when they're all away from human eyes (you know what I'm saying lol)?

Vani

[JaeFire]

Could it be possible that Xio Voe's open and friendly with his family when they're all away from human eyes (you know what I'm saying lol)?

Vani[/color][/font][/size]

Okay, I have assignments due and I'm supposed to be staying away from the board until the 12th and can't get into/continue any debates right now...

BUT I'll give you this citation to back up my answer that, no, I don't think he's open and friendly when they're all away from human eyes.  Why?  Because even if Xio Voe is able to hide his emotions from Orinakin in that void, the rest of the imperial family doesn't have that ability, since Orinakin states in Ch.79, during his first formal dinner at the palace, that: "Entire lack of emotion, as far as he could tell, was personal to Heir Voe.  He could feel that everyone else he’d met here had regular emotions like anyone else.  They didn’t bubble on the surface and pour over, by any means, but they existed in normal levels.  They simply weren’t a priority."

The fact that in the throne room, the only family member who felt any love for him was Xio Dei shows that there were no familiar familial relations between Xio Voe and his family, because if there were, the imperial family would have felt it when he was leaving even if none of them showed it (again, Orinakin would've been able to pick up on it). 

(Yes, I'm aware that Kudorin said to Bade, Orinakin, and Remin that Emperor Xio Sei and Empress Xio Heijein love Xio Voe, but that doesn't mean they have a familiar, loving, familial relationship with him--they severed that relationship with him on purpose.  So it makes sense that they wouldn't feel stirrings of paternal/maternal love for him in the throne room when he left Jacacea, because feelings of love in relationships go both ways, so their love for their son is clearly not manifested in the same way as, for instance, Mindo and Wirra's love for Bade is manifested--their love for Xio Voe, as Remin mentioned in Ch.105, might not be the same, even. 

Remin, Ch.105: You know that not all love is the same.  Different married couples love each other differently, different sisters express their love differently, different friends share different depths of emotion.  In some cases, it is because the recipients inspire different forms of love.  In some cases, it is because the one who loves is only capable of certain depths.  Emperor Xio Sei may not love Heir Voe the way that your father loves you, but I believe that he still harbors love for his son.)

So, throne room citation:
Ch.86

When Xio Voe arrived, dressed in cool blue and formal lace, Orinakin strongly felt the room’s collective pride and admiration.  There was regret, at The Heir’s leaving; there was love for him.

In that regret and love, something felt wrong.  Off.  Unbalanced.  Quickly, Orinakin sought out what it was, and discovered: it came most fully from the advisors, the guards, the workers, the citizens.  From the youngest prince, Xio Dei.  But from Xio Voe’s parents, from his sister and other brother, it was dim.  Orinakin felt their pride in Xio Voe, but it was cool, impersonal, the way that they were proud of any Jacacean advancement.

Was that what Xio Voe was to them?  A noble achievement?  Not a son, in the familial sense, but an accomplishment?  He was the greatest Jacacean alive, and they seemed proud of him for having achieved that status, seemed to regard him with satisfaction and confidence, seemed pleased with who he was.  But Orinakin didn’t sense any personal nervousness, any concern for an eldest son striking off into previously forbidden, potentially hostile (in their eyes) foreign territory.  There was no parental worry, no stirrings of familial love, no chance of a tear being shed.

Even worse, but not surprising, was that Xio Voe exhibited no emotion whatsoever.  Having been away from him, seeing The Heir again and being faced with that hideous emotional void struck Orinakin anew, and he shuddered away from the dark and icy desolation of Xio Voe’s soul.

The good-bye was formal.  Dignified.  Performed almost automatically, for the sake of onlookers.  Xio Voe seemed, as far as Orinakin could discern, to have true respect for the throne, and the Emperor and Empress honestly respected The Heir, so the well wishes were sincere on everyone’s part.  But the scene was entirely impersonal.  There was no hint to a stranger that The Heir stood before his own parents.

They did not touch.

I'd say, though, that there might be an exception: Xio Dei might actually have a closer relationship with Xio Voe, since Xio Voe said in Ch.88 that Xio Dei "shows great promise in several disciplines"--which maybe, perhaps, might (I'm totally stretching here) indicate that Xio Voe has spent a bit more time with Xio Dei, teaching him things, evaluating his talents, etc., which might explain Xio Dei's feeling of love for his brother. 

Or maybe Xio Dei is just really young and hero-worships Xio Voe and loves him as his amazing, rarely-seen older brother.  ::shrug::


- Jae

[Gem-Dragon]

Regarding Xio Dei, I have been hoping that Matthew would contrive to bring him to Orina Anoris somehow.  I believe that he would help Xio Voe and Desin both.   

Desin is so wrapped up in anti-Jacacaen hatraed that he missed the opportunity to talk horticulture with Xio Voe.  Creating new forms of plants should have been a natural point of connection and it was lost.      

Desin is very protective of his brothers and with Xio Dei being 12, this instinct would just start going into overdrive.  He would then have the chance to see that everyone from Jacacea is not horrible and might start to team up with Xio Voe to guide and protect Xio Dei.

I have to go get ready for work, and I am being laughed at by the smiley faces who know I have not figured out how to use them or the formating (inserting quotes, etc...) so my apologies all. 

I actually would like to see Xio Dei as Desin love interest when he grows up!  By that is another string. 

Thanks to everyone who sent me welcomes!

Mary

[LilacMajesty]

I think that Desin still has the opportunity to learn from Xio Voe, as Xio Voe isn't going anywhere for 30 years or so.  Bring Xio Dei to Orina Anoris could be interesting.  He might still be savable.

[SilverMoon28]

I'd forgotten that Xio Dei was 12... lol.  I guess he wouldn't be appropriate for Desin... other than that, I like the idea!

And welcome to the board, Mary!

Vani

[LilacMajesty]

Let's bring him to Orina Anoris anyway and then in six or seven years, then Desin can play with him.

[blondiechic0]

Desin is very protective of his brothers and with Xio Dei being 12, this instinct would just start going into overdrive. 

Wait. Where was that said and how did I miss it? *is horrified at the thought that she missed something during her 6 million times reading ITL*

NM! I wiki'd it and found where it was. Does anyone know how to fix a wiki link? NM again, got that too.

[SilverMoon28]

lol, you crack me up.

I wonder how Jacaceans will react when Xio Voe and Kudorin get engaged...

Vani