There is a method behind the madness

The master index for my 'Allegiance' series, which I'm expanding from drabble prompts at various contest comms. As I'm writing it in a very non-linear fashion, if you'd like to enjoy the story in order, here's the place to do it.

(It took me seven entries before I needed to make this post...a personal record, haha).


Summary: Strictly-come-canon, post-manga. Kagome is forced to seek out Sesshoumaru's protection in the wake of unexpected tragedy. As she insinuates herself into his life, Sesshoumaru comes to realize her second chance is also his, as her presence drives him to confront mistakes from his own past.

Note: In the original drabbles, the Rin storyline was almost completely left out, due to word constraints. It's something that has more or less unfolded as I've written the expansions of the scenes, and I feel it is extremely important to understand Sesshoumaru's actions (not unlike in the manga).

Last update: November 3, 2011 | Series Complete

~*~
Appearance: Kagome appears at Sesshoumaru's door, seeking his aid.

Vengeance: Sesshoumaru realizes Kagome is worthy of personal protection.
Reassurance: Even taiyoukai need to be reassured sometimes.
Alliance: Sesshoumaru realizes Kagome’s stubborn pride – and his own actions – have caused her harm.
Oath: Sesshoumaru fights conflicting feelings after swearing a blood oath to Kagome.
Repentance: Sesshoumaru suffers under the weight of Kagome’s human emotions.
Bargain: Sesshoumaru weighs the consequences of Kagome’s bargain.

Contemplation: Kagome finally learns what happened to Rin.
Insight: Sesshoumaru realizes he’s not the only one still suffering for his past.

Shield: Sesshoumaru learns of his brother’s fate as a new threat arises against his house.
Embrace: Kagome continues to grieve about her reaction to Inuyasha’s death.
Thaw: Sesshoumaru’s icy barriers crumble as he finally admits to himself what Rin really meant to him.
Emergence: Sesshoumaru and Kagome prepare for battle.
Compel: Sesshoumaru commissions Totosai to make a very special weapon.
Offering: On the eve of battle, Sesshoumaru presents Kagome with a very special gift.
Salvation: What if this whole crusade’s a charade, and behind it all there’s a price to be paid?
Consolation: Kagome struggles in the aftermath of battle.
Halo: Sesshoumaru contemplates the meaning of a kiss, and its impact on his past, his present, and his future.

Remembrance: She told him to never forget her...like that was even possible.
Promise: Sesshoumaru reluctantly honors a final promise.

Title: Stolen
Fandom: Inuyasha
Universe: Pre-canon
Genre: Family, Drama
Rating: T
Warnings: Language, innuendo
Word Count: 2,184
Summary: The Most Venerable Lady of the West seeks out her mate when she learns that she has been cast aside in favor of a human hime.

Links: DW | FF.net | AO3

This is my final gift from the 2012 edition of fandom_stocking, written for paynesgrey. As the only other person to request IY - as well as a dear fandom friend ♥ - I knew I had to write something for her. Luckily for me, she's also a big SessMom fan, so I was able to keep exploring my headcanon backstory for her, which started with janey_p's A Calculated Risk.

( Points of interest... )

I just love this idea of exploring my SessMom headcanon, and I'm fairly sure I'm not finished, LOL :P To that end, I've arranged a loose collection of stories centered on her - her childhood, her union, and her early motherhood - that I'm calling "The Gilded Cage" over on AO3. This collection also includes A Calculated Risk, and is loosely connected to my Allegiance post-canon universe. It's going to be a lot of fun, because there are little pockets of possibilities hinted at in the canon (how did SessMom come into possession of the mediou seki, for instance?), and I love working with rich, complex characters.

It's rather fun trying to extract the character of Sesshoumaru's parents from him...at least for me, hehe.