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Don’t Panic
Link to MM.org
Link to FF.net
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Rating: Y (violence)
Based upon:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
ebony_silks Week 85 | Panic
Inspiration: “Don’t Panic” © 2001 Coldplay
First things first: this marks the 50th drabble or oneshot I've written for a contest community here at LJ. That's a rather exciting milestone, if I do say so myself :)
This piece actually grew out of a much, much darker one. The fact that it has a happy ending at all is pretty amazing, considering the original idea I had in mind...
Of course, I have to make things difficult on myself. While nearly everyone else who wrote for the contest took the theme from Kagome's point of view, I challenged myself to think of a situation in which the great Ice Lord himself would face that sinking, nauseating feeling. It wasn't easy, because although I do like to poke him with sticks on occasion, I don't like to make Sesshoumaru suffer needlessly. He's my favorite character, after all...and if I want him to play nice with me, I've got to extend the same courtesy.
However, fandom drama and general RL suckage took my muses to dark places. My original idea for this piece was to use the inspiration song from Kagome's point of view, as her life flashed before her eyes after being cut down in the battle. There aren't many lyrics to this piece, so it seemed plausible:
Bones sinking like stones
All that we fall for
And homes, places we've grown
All of us are done for
We live in a beautiful world
Yeah we do, yeah we do
We live in a beautiful world
Oh, I that I know
There's nothing here to run from
Cause yeah, everybody here's
Got somebody to lean on
So it was going to be in two parts: the first, Kagome doesn't see the fatal blow until it strikes, and as she falls (literally), she recalls the small, seemingly innocuous things about her relationship with Sesshoumaru that were the true linchpins. I had the idea to thread the lyrics through the memories, so it was a happy recall, even as the reader realized she lay dying.
The second part was quite similar to what I actually wrote, in that Sesshoumaru doesn't believe the situation is as bad as it is until he finds her - and then he panics when he realizes he can't bring her back. It was to end with him cradling her body in his arms and actually crying.
But when it came time to actually write the piece, I wasn't in such a dark place any longer.
Instead, what came out was a mutation of that final originally planned scene. I like the idea that Sesshoumaru doesn't lose control of himself, even in the face of such danger - and not even his own, but the life of the one he loves.
He draws Tenseiga dispatch the caretakers of the underworld, and then something goes horribly wrong - one of them doesn't die. No, indeed, the power of the sword transfers to the imp and it grows stronger as it fights to draw Kagome's soul from her body.
I actually put a little clue in the text that this wasn't just any death imp, but actually a strange sort of youkai who appeared over her body when they did. That clue was the fact that the medic could also see it after Sesshoumaru used Tenseiga. That's what made him realize he was dealing with a being of this world, and that in order to kill it, he had to use Bakusaiga.
The build of panic and dread and fear was maybe OOC for Sesshoumaru; after all, he never gets backed into a corner like this - its in his blood to be perfectly sane and reasonable in the midst of battle. But I wanted to play with the idea that if his initial plan didn't work, and he was forced to choose an alternative that could hurt someone he cared about, he would react to that, even if only inwardly.
Such was the extent of his relief that he actually engages in a bit of PDA after saving Kagome's life :P but again, its characteristically muted. It's probably one of my favorite embraces I've written for this pair, because I think it captures an aspect of both their canon selves.
Link to FF.net
Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Rating: Y (violence)
Based upon:
ebony_silks Week 85 | PanicInspiration: “Don’t Panic” © 2001 Coldplay
First things first: this marks the 50th drabble or oneshot I've written for a contest community here at LJ. That's a rather exciting milestone, if I do say so myself :)
This piece actually grew out of a much, much darker one. The fact that it has a happy ending at all is pretty amazing, considering the original idea I had in mind...
Of course, I have to make things difficult on myself. While nearly everyone else who wrote for the contest took the theme from Kagome's point of view, I challenged myself to think of a situation in which the great Ice Lord himself would face that sinking, nauseating feeling. It wasn't easy, because although I do like to poke him with sticks on occasion, I don't like to make Sesshoumaru suffer needlessly. He's my favorite character, after all...and if I want him to play nice with me, I've got to extend the same courtesy.
However, fandom drama and general RL suckage took my muses to dark places. My original idea for this piece was to use the inspiration song from Kagome's point of view, as her life flashed before her eyes after being cut down in the battle. There aren't many lyrics to this piece, so it seemed plausible:
All that we fall for
And homes, places we've grown
All of us are done for
We live in a beautiful world
Yeah we do, yeah we do
We live in a beautiful world
Oh, I that I know
There's nothing here to run from
Cause yeah, everybody here's
Got somebody to lean on
So it was going to be in two parts: the first, Kagome doesn't see the fatal blow until it strikes, and as she falls (literally), she recalls the small, seemingly innocuous things about her relationship with Sesshoumaru that were the true linchpins. I had the idea to thread the lyrics through the memories, so it was a happy recall, even as the reader realized she lay dying.
The second part was quite similar to what I actually wrote, in that Sesshoumaru doesn't believe the situation is as bad as it is until he finds her - and then he panics when he realizes he can't bring her back. It was to end with him cradling her body in his arms and actually crying.
But when it came time to actually write the piece, I wasn't in such a dark place any longer.
Instead, what came out was a mutation of that final originally planned scene. I like the idea that Sesshoumaru doesn't lose control of himself, even in the face of such danger - and not even his own, but the life of the one he loves.
He draws Tenseiga dispatch the caretakers of the underworld, and then something goes horribly wrong - one of them doesn't die. No, indeed, the power of the sword transfers to the imp and it grows stronger as it fights to draw Kagome's soul from her body.
I actually put a little clue in the text that this wasn't just any death imp, but actually a strange sort of youkai who appeared over her body when they did. That clue was the fact that the medic could also see it after Sesshoumaru used Tenseiga. That's what made him realize he was dealing with a being of this world, and that in order to kill it, he had to use Bakusaiga.
The build of panic and dread and fear was maybe OOC for Sesshoumaru; after all, he never gets backed into a corner like this - its in his blood to be perfectly sane and reasonable in the midst of battle. But I wanted to play with the idea that if his initial plan didn't work, and he was forced to choose an alternative that could hurt someone he cared about, he would react to that, even if only inwardly.
Such was the extent of his relief that he actually engages in a bit of PDA after saving Kagome's life :P but again, its characteristically muted. It's probably one of my favorite embraces I've written for this pair, because I think it captures an aspect of both their canon selves.
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I'm glad you enjoyed the piece. Even though it didn't place, I got some interesting feedback at the community. Sometimes the best ideas come from throwaway scenes :P
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Just one thing I caught (*cringe* Sorry): "You see it to" --> "too"?
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LOL, its a word I use often with him, being so dry witted and sarcastic on the inside :P He definitely makes me pick up my vocabulary.
I remember writing this piece, actually (two weeks ago - the only one to enter the contest on time, LOL) and it was one of those good nights, when the words seem to flow from your fingertips in exactly the right form. I didn't even really care that I was writing in two unfamiliar genres.
I need nights like that more often, LOL.
I might yet write the original idea I had in mind. I love the simplicity of the song and the light notes of it, even though the lyrics are so damn depressing.
And yeah, your correction is correct :P
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I didn't think any of his reactions were OOC, especially faced with a situation he had never encountered before, ie. Tenseiga not working on all the imps and the possibility of losing someone so dear.
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I didn't think any of his reactions were OOC, especially faced with a situation he had never encountered before, ie. Tenseiga not working on all the imps and the possibility of losing someone so dear.
Yay! :) I'd certainly hoped it was plausible; after all, we don't get to see him being vulnerable too much in battle.
And thanks for your review @ FF.net :) I might have my differences with that comm, but it'd never drive me away from writing this pairing.
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I was just looking at your Moonstones collection over at Dokuga. 22,000 hits
is nothing to sneeze at.
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Yes, it is pretty amazing that the collection has been so well-received over there :)