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superborbI was reading LtLJ's newest installation in her "hills and rivers" series, and it clarified something about a lot of post-canon fics that doesn't quite ring true to me.
It always bothered me when LWJ/WWX fics end with them living happily in CR without acknowledging WWX's like, entire THING with JC and JL. Beyond WWX's complicated family feelings, it runs straight into the all too common emotional arc of "and now you have a romantic relationship and that will take precedence over everything else" and privileging of romantic relationships over platonic in our society.
But even ignoring WWX's relationship with his family, he clearly ... didn't like being in CR? Like, it's nice that LWJ will break rules for him, and I know fandom loves the whole rule-breaker part of WWX's personality. But, he grew up his entire life feeling unwelcome in his family, is it really the happy ending to be somewhere where that will continue to be true? Where he'll always be in some low level of conflict with the elders?
I know that the novel ends with them living in CR, so it's "canon" of a sort, but I guess I don't feel like we've reached maximum happiness! Part of this is, of course, my bias that WWX would only ever be happy if he felt like he still had a home in Lotus Pier, because it would represent the fulfillment of his childhood hopes.
Anyway, there's recently been a lot more post-canon fic that doesn't end in "happily ever after after in Gusu" fics, which is nice.
It always bothered me when LWJ/WWX fics end with them living happily in CR without acknowledging WWX's like, entire THING with JC and JL. Beyond WWX's complicated family feelings, it runs straight into the all too common emotional arc of "and now you have a romantic relationship and that will take precedence over everything else" and privileging of romantic relationships over platonic in our society.
But even ignoring WWX's relationship with his family, he clearly ... didn't like being in CR? Like, it's nice that LWJ will break rules for him, and I know fandom loves the whole rule-breaker part of WWX's personality. But, he grew up his entire life feeling unwelcome in his family, is it really the happy ending to be somewhere where that will continue to be true? Where he'll always be in some low level of conflict with the elders?
I know that the novel ends with them living in CR, so it's "canon" of a sort, but I guess I don't feel like we've reached maximum happiness! Part of this is, of course, my bias that WWX would only ever be happy if he felt like he still had a home in Lotus Pier, because it would represent the fulfillment of his childhood hopes.
Anyway, there's recently been a lot more post-canon fic that doesn't end in "happily ever after after in Gusu" fics, which is nice.
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Date: 2020-10-24 10:44 (UTC)Caveats: my memory of the novel was that it ends with them basically ditching both Cloud Recesses and the rest of the organised cultivation world, so that's where I was originally coming from - I must have missed that the novel says they otherwise settle in Cloud Recesses, which is totally possible given the rush I read it in and potential translation issues.
And I always kind of thought Wei Wuxian really wants a home and would be happy if he got to settle somewhere, he just thinks/subconsciously assumes he won't be welcome enough anywhere for long enough. So to me the roaming-around endings always kind of weren't quite right for me (though I can enjoy them, it's not a dealbreaker!) and I found the ending of the drama more appealing in this regard too.
But I also agree with you that Cloud Recesses isn't a natural fit for him. It's the pragmatic choice because Lan Wangji is there (and in drama canon, is seriously needed there) and Lan Sizhui is there, so I never really see him settling down in Yunmeng, much as I always want him to deal with his shit with Jiang Cheng. But I think it will require some compromise on both sides - Wei Wuxian being a bit less of a shit just to be a shit, and the Cloud Recesses making some allowances. And I think you're totally right that some parts of this setup, like being in a place where some people think he doesn't fit, would not play well with his particular set of issues. So it can still be a happy ending (it is to me) but I'd say it's closer to real life style happy endings where even a good setup comes with negotiations and some drawbacks and every once in a while someone getting frustrated. (In addition, in my personal reading of the universe, Lan Wangji shacking up with a dude in Cloud Recesses is by itself going to shake up the status quo somewhat and cause some conflict with Lan tradition, so I'm already coming at this with a 'they will settle there, but it will take some settling in and arguing some stuff out' slant rather than 'they move into the Jingshi and everything is flawlessly great', though even without that, I still take settling in Gusu as more of a negotiated happy end with work to do.)
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Date: 2020-10-24 13:35 (UTC)Yes, I think that WWX really wants to have roots/stability somewhere, and that's a major part of his motivations: see how he tries to preserve Lotus Pier, and how he turns the Burial Mounds into a farm for the Wens. I don't necessarily see that as incompatible with being a rogue cultivator with LWJ and a network of juniors to advise and nighthunt with.
I think the negotiation part needs to be emphasized more for me to be satisfied; the unexamined "gusu ever after" is when it feels off.