luxken27: (Inuyasha - Equals)
LuxKen27 ([personal profile] luxken27) wrote2009-02-27 11:29 pm

Sweet Sorrow

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Link to FF.net

Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Rating: T
Inspiration: "Can't Help Falling in Love" (C) 1961 Elvis Presley
Based upon: [livejournal.com profile] dokuga_contest Drabble #23 | Missing

I need to get back in the habit of writing these, hehe :) I've mostly been using the prompts from this community to write Allegiance, but every so often I have another idea instead. This was one of those weeks.

I seriously fought long and hard with this prompt. I've written for every single drabble prompt at this community since its inception, and it's become a matter of pride to keep going, even though some of the prompts are less than inspiring sometimes.

I was on something of a roll with Allegiance - I've used six of the last eight prompts to further that series along - but I wasn't to the point were I was ready to write the obvious scene with this one. So that meant looking elsewhere for inspiration, and it certainly took its sweet time coming to me, hehe.

I ran through ideas all weekend, but kept coming back to this image of Kagome knocking around a big, empty house by herself after Sesshoumaru went away. This, coupled with the first few lines of dialogue, gave me my scene: Sesshoumaru leaving for a trip, and Kagome wishing he wouldn't go.

I was shooting for straight-up romance here, but I think I missed my mark. (I can't help it, I always have an angsty on my shoulder, LOL). The original cut had more in it about Kagome's uncertainty over being his lover (or mistress), and how she was never quite sure that he would return to her - typical beginning of a relationship sort of insecurity, coupled with the fact that she didn't really know him, as he keeps his private life under fierce protection.

The where's and why's aren't so important, given the length of the piece, and thus they never fully developed in my mind - he's a high-powered businessman, who is completely devoted to his life's work, and travels the world for it. Why he has to keep such close tabs on his life, I don't know. Why he's treating Kagome like a mistress instead of a girlfriend, I don't know.

This piece was definitely about his enigma, and it seems the readers at Dokuga picked up on that, as they kept asking me if he was for real by the end. Maybe the sour mood I was in when I wrote it shone through, despite the sappy inspiration music and the double cliche?

My answer is: yes, he meant it, he's coming back to her, he just couldn't resist teasing her for being doubtful.

I have the stirring of an idea for a sequel to this using this week's prompt, but I'm not sure if it will work out quite yet - it is still in the fuzzy, formative stages. I'd hate to think this prompt will break my streak, but given some of the misfortunes I've felt with that group of late, perhaps its no surprise...plus I'm kinda in love with the projects I have going on outside of the contest communities here at LJ, and I'd like to devote more time to them.

We'll see how it works out, I suppose.

[identity profile] piratequeen0405.livejournal.com 2009-02-28 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
Sometimes it's nice to take a break from a series and just do something completely different :D And I like the angst/drama/not-quiet-straight-up-romance aspect. The insecurity of her situation was definitely there, but never went into "poor me" emo territory.

I was actually surprised that this wasn't in the winner list--I thought it was a very strong entry. Who knows why people vote the way they do.

[identity profile] piratequeen0405.livejournal.com 2009-02-28 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Completely understand the reluctance to leave the world set up in a certain fic. I have two chapter stories (other than that drabble series) and have the hardest time getting out of one and switching to the next. It doesn't help that I'm the slowest writer ever. But isn't it fun to be excited about a story like that and have chapters all thought out and ready?

Really looking forward to reading Fleeting. I'll probably get to it on Sunday--my husband is out of town, so I'm single parenting this weekend. Always happy to find some sess/kag that doesn't make me hate the fandom (I've got serious, serious issues) and I know from your dokuga contest writing that I'll be treated to an entertaining read. And I'll definitely review.

Totally with you on the comments! Just like reviews on the fic dumping sites, the reader feedback makes it worth the effort. And the nice thing about the LJ coms is that people typically try to say something constructive and positive. I get the most reviews on ffn, though a large percentage of them are the drive by type "nice chappie upd8 plz". Media miner are far fewer, but generally longer and more thought out. Dokuga...yeah.