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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.
