its 2026 i cannot handle any more fucking "author A obviously ripped off author B" discourse by people Who Have Only Seen the work of author B and admit themselves that they have no further knowledge of the literary landscape they are moving in. like.
reading a historical romance novel and reflecting on the way these stories often present woke nobility for the contemporary reader. a big thing is servants. you can’t not have servants in those times but many modern readers think “but I would never have servants. it would be so weird to have servants” and in order to make the protagonists of the story more relatable they are actually friends with the servants. but flip your perspective and think of it from the side of the servants. wouldn’t it be so awful if your boss was always trying to be friends with you. a really common thing you’ll see is the woke baronet having tea in the kitchen with the servants bc he’s not like other baronets. but what if your boss wanted to hang out and talk during your lunch break every day. not so charming when you think about it that way
#okay but now what is the optimal way to be a good boss in this situation i genuinely wanna know#its easy to guess what makes a bad boss or a mid boss. but what is a good boss#specifically in such a highly structured hierarchal situation (via @rainbowroach)
HELLO you are asking questions that literature and poetry THROUGHOUT the middle ages has asked, and it is from this questioning that we derive things like the Codes of Chivalry (which is not "how to treat a noble lady really nice" but is actually "how to be an ethical person when you're rich and you own a horse" and includes such things as "don't run people over with your horse")
In fact I daresay you already know instinctively just from cultural osmosis what a good boss -- a good liege lord -- is and does based on the tropes that have survived to the current day and the kinds of things that get Hugely Praised in things like legends of King Arthur.
A good boss (liege lord) is:
Merciful. He is not having his peasants killed for things like poaching rabbits during a famine. In fact, he is working to mitigate famine. During times of individual hardship, he might negotiate with a peasant for a payment plan on their annual rent.
Patient. He is not impulsive, he does not lose his temper.
Prudent. He makes choices that are thoughtful, considered, conservative (in the sense of not needlessly risky--he's not investing his entire fortune in having everyone plant an unproven crop). He is making sure local infrastructure like roads and public buildings are maintained and kept in good nick.
Gentle. He doesn't haul off and slap a servant or a tenant for breaking a dish or making a mistake. He doesn't abuse animals, his wife or children, or his employees. He doesn't rape the servants.
Generous (both in money and in spirit). He is not extorting the peasants for an amount of rent that is beyond their means, he is not raising taxes every year to cover his own lavish lifestyle. He is paying his servants a living wage (or, if wages are low, he's giving them room/board/clothing to make up the difference). If someone in a tenant's family dies, the lord is sending a gift of condolence, or helping to pay for the funeral, or possibly even ATTENDING the funeral and speaking a few kind words about the deceased, ESPECIALLY if they were a really upstanding and important member of the community. If one of his tenants is gravely sick, the lord is sending a basket of food or paying for a doctor. He is giving charitably (generally this will be, like, a bequest to the church so that they can run a hospital or an orphanage or a school for the local village children).
Pious. This classically means "goes to church, submits with humility to God" but to me this quality is subtextually standing in for "maintaining an ongoing sense of Perspective that HE'S not god, that there are higher powers he is Accountable to, that he too can be Judged, etc, so that he doesn't end up going on a weird fucked up power trip"
Humble. One of the most admiring things you hear about a lord doing in literature and epic poetry is, "He ate off of wooden plates while his followers ate off of gold and silver." Humility isn't about being meek, it's just about not thinking so much of yourself that you turn your nose up and sneer at what "lesser" people do. In other words: Don't be a fucking diva. If your carriage gets stuck in the mud, climb out and help everybody else push, you're not gonna die from getting mud on your shoes.
Condescending. This word has changed wildly in meaning/tone over the last couple centuries -- it's now a rude thing to do (because we've done away with legal social hierarchies, so someone acting like they're lowering themselves to your level IS insulting), but in older times, a high-ranking person "condescending" to a servant was worthy of praise and admiration: it means they were setting aside rank and privilege to speak to them with the easygoing, friendly respect and compassion they'd give a peer. This is things like... Treats those beneath him with courtesy and respect (ie: listens soberly and attentively when one of his servants or tenants comes to complain about a problem). Having a sense of humor and kindness about it when the lord and a servant both come around a corner at the same time and run into each other and the servant gets knocked to the ground and starts babbling apologies--the condescending (positive) lord helps them to their feet with his own hands and cracks a joke to show them that it's ok (as opposed to just walking off without a word or insulting/scolding them). This is also things like trusting a farmer, woodcutter, or artisan to speak with expertise about their own livelihood and taking their advice into consideration if they tell the lord that one of his ideas won't work.
Good boundaries. The ethical liege lord knows that it's normal for the staff to probably be softly bitching about him in private (even with a really good boss, we all grumble from time to time). He's not eavesdropping on them, he's not going into the staff areas where they should reasonably expect to have a degree of privacy, etc.
Righteous and protective of "the weak". The "weak" here doesn't necessarily mean physically weak, this is often used in the sense of someone politically or socially weak, aka The Marginalized -- the poor, the disabled, women, children, the elderly, etc. If a lord sees someone like this being mistreated or abused, he's supposed to step in and put a stop to that.
Committed to reciprocity. In a highly hierarchical system like feudalism, every person (from the lowest peasant all the way up to the crown prince) legally OWES their liege lord certain things (taxes, labor, service, loyalty, etc). A good liege remembers and takes very seriously the idea that this should be a balanced and reciprocal relationship -- in other words, he owes something BACK. Feudalism is modeled very strongly on the family system: If children owe their parents obedience and service, then parents owe their children care and protection. This still applies when the "child" is a farmer and the "parent" is a local baron. Or when the "child" is a duke and the "parent" is the king.
Basically, we get so caught up in the aesthetics of nobility that we forget that it literally is a managerial position that comes with responsibilities that were... very similar back in the day to the same ones we have now. Humans have not changed all that much. At the end of the day, a really good boss in the 1400s versus in one from the 2020s displays most of the same qualities of personality, even if the details of execution are different.
The next question is, of course, "well, but this theoretical liege lord is HIGHLY idealized -- how often did that actually HAPPEN? Wasn't it more likely that everyone was exploited all the time?" and to that I say: Well, maybe. But again, I don't think humans have changed all that much. Just like the bosses of today, there's a SPECTRUM: A really really good boss is rare and precious and one that you tell stories about for years after you've left that job, but a truly, genuinely, homicidally nightmarish boss is also pretty rare. Most bosses are sort of meh -- they have their good moments, they have their shitty moments, but they're tolerable and you can get along with them well enough to do your job, and then you roll your eyes at them behind their back. Generally, humans don't take outright exploitation lying down. Being a bad boss in the historical period is how you get peasant uprisings and revolts, and you know that to be true because your parents raised you with that knowledge, so unless you are very stupid or inbred or an egomaniac, there is literal personal incentive to at minimum be a Tolerable liege lord. And that means hitting at least SOME of the above bullet points.
TL;DR: In the words of Honore de Balzac, "Everything I have just told you can be summarized by an old word: noblesse oblige!"
(for more discussions of the ethics of fealty and what it means to be a good boss when you are an exquisitely beautiful twink of a prince with a hot beefy bodyguard.... [fingerguns] read A Taste of Gold and Iron)
One additional thing: A good boss/noble in the medieval period would have lots of godchildren. A child would have three godparents, two of their own sex and one of the opposite, usually two of their own social class and one of a higher class. This created a religious obligation to the child--with material benefits.
A noble who became godparent to an upper servant's child would given them small gifts of money, food, tools, or livestock on holidays (baby bunnies and ducklings at Easter were never meant to be pets!) as children. They would help them get their first job or an apprenticeship. They would leave them a small bequest in their wills. A willingness to assume and fulfill such an obligation would be very welcomed by the servants, even the ones without children of their own.
“average person eats 3 spiders a year” factoid actualy just statistical error. average person eats 0 spiders per year. Spiders Georg, who lives in cave & eats over 10,000 each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
So maybe I'm a little late on this one. I did fully intend to post this list around the holidays like usual, but around the end of last year I hit a major reading slump around the time that my interest in xv as my main otp began to wane. Despite that, I still really wanted to get one final list done, since 3 is a nice number! It just took me like 6 and a half extra months to get done no big deal lol
As with any rec list, mind any tags and warnings, and if anything isn't for you, that's okay! Now without further ado, here are 10 fics that I read in 2025/26 that I think other xvx fans would enjoy!
Past Years: 2023, 2024
~
my only friend through teenage nights, by mtskou (@mtskou)
[Teen, 18.3k, One-Shot]
“You used to play your original songs a lot,” Xiao says softly, tracing the knuckles of his left hand. “Why don’t you do that anymore?”
Barbatos takes a moment to answer. “I guess I wasn’t sure anyone wanted to hear them.”
“I did,” Xiao says, surprising himself with how immediate his response is. “I liked them all.”
“Oh,” says Barbatos.
After eight years of silently listening to the radio show that saved his life as a teenager, Xiao finally calls in after the host, Barbatos, disappears for a week. He expects that to be the only time he calls, but Barbatos seems to have other plans. One thing leads to another, and Xiao ends up calling the station each week – until a disastrous realisation at Barbatos’s first live performance.
in other words: xiaoven radio au 😋
Last year I went on a spree of reading road trip aus, because they have this Vibe to them that I’m kind of obsessed with, and while not entirely the same, I think radio aus fall into a very similar area for me. Which is to say that I loved the quiet, slow-tech mundanity that shaped Xiao’s nightly routine listening to Venti’s witching hour broadcast, even after said routine was sent veering off track. Even in the midst of a major reading slump, this fic managed to pull me in with not only its premise, but characterization that felt very classic xvx to me, which I absolutely adored. Also, shoutout to the author’s aroace xv propaganda, I see you and I love you (platonically).
“I am not a ‘kid’,” the boy spits, drawing himself up to his full height of whatever feet and nothing inches. “The name given to me is Xiao, though some mortals know me better as the Conqueror of Demons—” he throws his head back defiantly, which is adorable, “—I am a yaksha in the eternal service of the people of Liyue, favoured by Rex Lapis, not some glorified troubadour.”
Verr blinks.
“Wow you’re... you’re an insane person, aren’t you?” She says.
✧
Verr Goldet has run the Wangshu Inn alongside her husband for almost a decade. Their oldest patron insists he was there first.
Or, the building of a sanctuary. Told in olive branches refused, taken, and freely given.
While not a xvx fic on pretty much any technicality, this is a must-read for any Xiao lover (which how could any of us not be!) Xiao was released under the banner titled “Invitation to Mundane Life,” and this fic perfectly embodies the journey that he was promised to take. As Xiao is gradually pulled out of his hermitage and unwittingly grows closer to Verr Goldet and the newest generation of Wangshu Inn staff, he learns to navigate change and loss in a more human way than before, and comes to realize that there are people who pray for his safe return from every battle he fights. The couple of xv crumbs that the author has sprinkled in are just an extra bonus.
~
never dreamed of nobody like you, by merthurlin (Bluesky: @/merthurlin.bsky.social)
[Teen, 32.4k, One-Shot]
“Freedom, huh?” Cecili murmurs. “Is this what this is? Not having my memories—is that freedom?” He’s worrying the grass between his fingers, tearing out some of it in absentmindedness.
“For some, it might be,” Xiao says, echoing his earlier thoughts. “Do you think that’s what freedom means for you, Cecili?”
The bard lets out a small, wry laugh. “What do I know of freedom,” he says, and watches as the grass blades drift away in the wind.
A stray amnesiac bard makes a home for himself in Qingce Village. Despite himself, Xiao visits, again and again.
Amnesia, when done well, is such a good vessel to explore who characters are at their core, and when it’s done really well, it can reveal things about the characters around the amnesiac too. Xiao’s “ill-advised summer fling”, as the author puts it in their tags, has romantic tension in spades, but just as many moments of quiet introspection. Qingce Village is brought to life by this intimate story that takes place there, and such a down-to-earth setting helps to ground both of the immortal leads as well as they realize the joy to be found in letting others in and hearing their stories, and how that can save you when the world feels like it’s falling apart. This is by far my favorite xv fic that I’ve ever read, and if you read nothing else on any of my lists, let it be this. Maybe I’m biased, but I would call this XVX Essential Reading.
~
the ones who [fly] away from o_____, by Celestialstar3 (Twitter: @/Celestialstar3_)
[Teen, 10.7k, One-Shot]
“...if the wretched one were not there sniveling in the dark, the other one, the flute-player, could make no joyful music...”
— “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, Ursula K. Le Guin
Venti learns the truth about his hometown, the suffering of one boy preceding the joy and happiness of his tiny town. He sets out to witness it himself, only to realise that simply walking away from it was not enough.
(Can be read as queerplatonic.)
Prior to reading this fic, I was not familiar with the original Omelas story, but upon looking into it I was immediately intrigued by the premise. Much of the biting satire that Ursula K. Le Guin is known for is set aside for this story, but it compensates for that with its own merits. The ideals of Anemo that xv grapple with feel fresh in this fic, as they are approached with minds much younger and more naive than our old men are usually written to be. Yet, even as they yearn for freedom and challenge authority as they always have, there is a certain sadness that comes with reading this fic when childhood is still not far behind me, as the forces that push back against the young protagonists feel much more real than the gods and demons they typically face, and their small hands are only capable of so much.
~
For the river's carving path, by kavvueh (@kavvueh)
[Teen, 7k, One-Shot]
Venti turned to him.
"May I say something?" he asked.
"Are you often inclined to ask such a thing?"
Venti laughed. He bumped his wings against Xiao's.
"Your eyes are the color of sweetflowers." He winked. "And your lips taste just as sweet."
For VenXiao Winter Exchange 2025.
‘Utterly romantic’ is the first description that comes to mind for this fic. The regency-inspired setting really allows the yearning associated with courtship to shine through, and though it falls outside of their usual genre kavvueh never fails to hit the mark with the yearning. This work is also for the wingfic lovers, and has all the associated tenderness that one would hope for. An absolute treat from start to finish.
~
Maybe no one will notice if I disappear, by thatmifi (@mifeeey)
[Teen, 13.8k, One-Shot]
Author's Original Promo Post!
The young Yaksha at Rex Lapis’ side draws the attention of the Anemo Archon. Or perhaps it’s the Yaksha who can’t help but look skyward first.
OR
Exploring 2000+ years of Teyvat history from the point of view of the Yaksha Xiao and the Anemo Archon Barbatos.
Title from "Seasons" by Wave to Earth
One of my favorite aspects of writing for xv in 2021/2022 was the room for interpretation left in the gaps between canon events that we’ve been given, but these days many of those gaps have been shored up. That’s why it’s always a delight to see authors play around with Teyvat’s history rather than strictly sticking to the source material, and this one gets extra points for the author incorporating my favorite headcanon about Venti’s long slumbers. The slow burn development of xv’s relationship over the centuries also invokes older characterization that I enjoy as Xiao is almost begrudgingly won over by Venti’s antics, and in a way that can be read as either platonic or romantic, which I always love.
~
last letter, first memory, by caramel_exe (Twitter: @/caramel_exee)
[Not Rated, 19.2k, One-Shot]
"You returned to me," Venti said, voice soft as wind through leaves. "My Yaksha."
Xiao didn’t hesitate. “I never stopped waiting.”
The breeze circled around them like a promise, brushing against Xiao’s wrist where the letter had once burned cold.
And somewhere, in the hush between heartbeats, the song they’d shared lifetimes ago stirred again, quiet, steady, and whole.
Centuries ago, the wind carried away a letter sealed with an Anemo sigil, meant for a soul that had long since forgotten.
Now, Xiao is an archaeologist with dreams that don't belong to him and a letter written in a language no one else remembers.
He never believed in fate.
But the wind is persistent.
And somewhere out there, someone has been waiting.
The prose is what really stands out about this fic, giving a lonely, yet atmospheric backdrop to Xiao’s journey of self-rediscovery. Archaeology AUs always make a fun way for xv to stay connected across the ages even when their time as we are most familiar with them has come to an end, especially as more of the anemo element’s association with time has been revealed. It’s a quiet read, but definitely a worthwhile one.
~
the jaded & the lustrous, by unchartedandunknown (@unchartedandunkown)
[Archive-Locked, Teen, 35.4k, One-Shot]
Bound to Whimsy, a town affected by the magic of the fae, Xiao’s clients are the fair folk. Contract-bound, he paints to please, capturing their immortality on canvas, and tells the difference between the days of eternal winter by each client he receives.
His next client is one who brings the fresh scent of spring flowers with him and a flock of songbirds on his trail. Venti is like any other fair folk of his kind - mysterious and too-charming, removed from the worries a mortal life brings. And yet, his odd portrait request, one never asked for by Xiao before, manages to intrigue him.
But there is no time to wonder about Venti’s portrait. Not when someone close to Xiao goes missing, and he’s forced to face his past once more.
While I am unfamiliar with An Enchantment of Ravens, the novel that this fic takes its worldbuilding inspiration from, I’m obsessed with how the author manages to blend that lore in with that of Teyvat. I dearly miss the ensemble cast stories that we saw more of when Genshin’s cast was smaller, and so seeing other characters like Qiqi, Baizhu, Klee, and Albedo serving a meaningful role in Xiao and Venti’s story is so refreshing in this current era where cameos in xv fics are relegated to the same small selection of characters. With freedom serving as the core of xv’s characters, putting them in a fae world where rules are so easily binding leaves so much room to do fun things with them that the author fully capitalizes on.
~
take it or leave it, by orphan_account
[Archive-Locked, Teen, 11.4k, One-Shot]
“How about this,” Venti says. “One day. You don’t even have to leave Liyue. I want you to take a break for twenty-four hours."
“I can’t,” Xiao says. But he wants to, he wants to so badly. It’ll hurt more later, he tells himself firmly, but what if? What if he truly doesn’t need to fight anymore? If he doesn’t take that chance now he’ll never find out.
“Show me Liyue,” Venti pleads. “I’ve traveled so much, but I’ve barely seen any of Liyue. Please, Xiao.”
It's all Xiao needs to cave.
Yet another fic from my backlog, the characterization in this feels vintage but in a way that I still love. There’s a friction between Xiao and Venti that feels natural based on their contrasting personalities, but still leaves room for the fondness that they carry for each other. Both their banter and their softer moments hit a spot that makes me remember how I fell in love with this ship to begin with, all culminating in a confession that has continued to stick with me in the years since I first read it.
~
quiet birds in circled flight, by windsgrandode
[Complete, Teen, 26.5k, 7/7 chapters]
“They’re bitter,” he offers. “Ganyu eats them.”
Barbatos’s eyes go round. “Raw?” he says, astonished. “My word.” He pauses, studying the qingxin in deep contemplation. Then he pops a petal into his mouth and immediately gags.
Xiao concludes then and there that the Anemo Archon is an idiot. “I warned you,” he says, utterly unsympathetic.
“That’s true!” Barbatos laughs. He runs a thumb over the bloom, but (thankfully) doesn’t try to eat any more. “I think it’ll grow on me,” he muses, then smiles, as if he’s said something clever.
A selection of memories. Venti and Xiao, from the beginning to the end—and after.
I’m not usually one for bittersweet endings. In fact, that’s why I put this fic off for years despite hearing it praised on multiple occasions, but I’m so glad that I finally gave it a chance. Grief is such a strong theme in Genshin as a whole, but condenses especially in its immortal characters, Xiao and Venti included. The best works I’ve read about them manage to strike a perfect balance between the grief and the joy that a life across millennia will bring, and this work manages that with a quiet warmth that never fully fades even in its darkest moments. This is a fic about holding the things you love close, but also about knowing when it’s time to let go, and I feel as though it’s the perfect way to end this short tradition of mine. Definitely a piece of XVX Essential Reading.
~
Once again, I thank anyone who's bothered to read any of these lists, especially when my reviews have only gotten more verbose over time. XV will always hold a special place in my heart, as they're my only otp that I've held for this long and also didn't have some associated experience sour them for me. I dearly hope that even though these characters are ancient history as far as Genshin goes, that people will keep enjoying them and creating for them. Thank you for reading, and much love <3
I haven’t seen anyone talking about this. And imo. This is one of the most important shots of the whole video.
I keep seeing people say how crazy Mizi is and how innocent Sua was in comparison, but that’s just not true. I adore both Mizi and Sua, by the way. This isn’t criticism of either of them. But you can’t ignore what Sua does here if you want an accurate portrayal of their relationship in this world.
When Mizi becomes an idol, she’s manufactured into a sex symbol, crafted into something that can appeal to the male gaze despite how we KNOW she’s a lesbian. Specifically, we can see how Mizi’s breasts are often framed promiscuously to further her objectification:
So this shot where Sua finds Mizi, tied up and helpless, incoherent, and the first thing she does is frame an unaware Mizi’s breasts as if in a photoshoot—bitterly, ironically, before relief takes over—it goes to show something major about Mizisua’s relationship in both the ALNST and ZOMST verse.
In ALNST, Sua enables Mizi’s infantilization (something often levied against women in a misogynistic context) of herself by keeping Mizi “in the dark” (although Mizi is more aware than either of them want to acknowledge). People rightfully criticize Till for his innocent vision of Mizi to comfort himself with, but Sua has a version of Mizi in her head that she uses to comfort herself, too. She and Till aren’t incredibly different in this regard.
In ZOMST, this translates not to infantilization, but to objectification. Sua is bitter over Mizi’s decision to let the industry use her in this way, she’s disgusted by it, but then she wields it herself when Mizi is finally helpless and incapable of pushing Sua away again by miming taking a photo of Mizi’s breasts.
Mizi is objectified in ZOMST by everyone: the industry, herself, the crowd, and even the person she loves the most.
You can see how completely mizi has checked out. It's so sad how her dream of becoming an idol led to her unwillingly becoming nothing more than just a sex object to be objectified.
I love how vivimeng are able to use such fantastical elements to criticise the kpop entertainment system. With alien stage it critisied the overly competitive culture in kpop which just reduces idols to products than actual people. Now I zombie stage they critisise the oversexulization of idols.
i do not know if this means anything but i noticed in zomst round 1 that zombie!mizi is constantly smiling including when she falls EXCEPT for right at the end just before we see ivan. so maybe she is more conscious and aware than we thought ?
i was a mizi defender before karma and i’m a mizi defender after karma because i think whether she was ignorant and kept blind to the reality of alien stage by everyone around her or whether she knew everything all along but was forced to suppress her emotions to appease the people she cared about and make them feel less guilty she is an interesting character. and no one was willing to even give her a CHANCE to be interesting like back then you all thought she was a boring main character
AND I’M A MIZI DEFENDER AFTER ZOMBIE STAGE AS WELL. you are all right she shouldn’t have hit sua but also did you LOOK at that girl she’s clearly burnt out and exhausted and not in her right state of mind 😭😭 it’s also only been 5 minutes let’s give her a chance
i was a mizi defender before karma and i’m a mizi defender after karma because i think whether she was ignorant and kept blind to the reality of alien stage by everyone around her or whether she knew everything all along but was forced to suppress her emotions to appease the people she cared about and make them feel less guilty she is an interesting character. and no one was willing to even give her a CHANCE to be interesting like back then you all thought she was a boring main character
tangentwithtanner
gummygunk
prguitarman
areudirty
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
pixelskylines
stormborns
vaporwave
