I wish I could really repay you all the squeeful joy you've sent my way these last few weeks =) PFFFFFFFFFFF WELL THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO START! You seriously made me squirm with utter happy when I read this. :D I'm not quite sure what I did (aside from the fanart, lol) but omg you make me want to keep doing it.
I pretty much love all of your reasoning for Miroku's characterization. It's interesting how he reflects a lot more of late-canon!Miroku, as opposed to early-canon. It's like he's already done all the growing up he did through canon, only before ever actually meeting Sango - which is unusual, since a lot of that growing up was due to Sango. He was already mature internally, but it doesn't take root externally until much, much later. The change makes for an different take, a different "what if?" than is normally seen.
There is a bit of the original inspiration song weaved into this installment, from the end of the song: I think I decided not to mention it in my original review for whatever reason - but I totally thought of this song when I was reading it, and was pretty sure this was where it tied in. (You only showed it to me, uh... forever ago, when we had our first massive Fragments conversation over ff.net, lol.) I love the visuals of it, both in the lyrics and in the story itself. It just gets my heart all twisted up so good~!
I just think this side of him is far more prescient to his character than the flirty, lecherous stuff, but maybe that just speaks to my own bias, LOL. I think you're totally right. I've always thought that the fun, flirty side of Miroku is definitely part of his personality, and I think he enjoys being that way. However, to assume that's all there is to him is to basically ignore his almost entire character, his motivations, everything. When you do a little digging, you find there's tons more to Miroku than he lets on. :)
There are still things that hold him back, including a bit of insecurity about how well the rest of their lives match up, beyond the sexual or cerebral. And I love you for including it in his characterization. Miroku would definitely consider that, and it's nice to see him not just falling head over heels and brushing aside any consideration of what may hinder their relationship. That just wouldn't be him, and it would feel childish besides. (Yay for grownup fic!)
I picture his staff at the bar as being very protective of him as well, though that probably hasn't manifested in the story itself just yet. This makes me worry for Sango a little...or maybe Kuranosuke. Hm.
the last she heard from Miroku, he'd just left her without much beyond a harsh pronouncement. Ooh, I hadn't really considered that - how Sango might have taken the words he left her with. I could almost see it being scary for her to approach him again, with those words echoing in her head.
Is she ready for that responsibility? We're about to find out... *itching to read the next chapter, liek NAO*
You know I love to hear everyone's speculation, and sometimes it helps focus my ideas for forthcoming chapters. I'm glad to hear it, considering how much speculation you inspire in me! And then you go and encourage it by replying to my rambling...
alas, I am but a slave to my muses - fickle, flighty creatures though they may be You and me both. Mine have got 'fickle' down to an art, let me tell ya... Still - I shall wait semi-patiently nevertheless! :D
(And it's not Fragments if my responses aren't EPICALLY long. Obviously.)
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PFFFFFFFFFFF WELL THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO START! You seriously made me squirm with utter happy when I read this. :D I'm not quite sure what I did (aside from the fanart, lol) but omg you make me want to keep doing it.
I pretty much love all of your reasoning for Miroku's characterization. It's interesting how he reflects a lot more of late-canon!Miroku, as opposed to early-canon. It's like he's already done all the growing up he did through canon, only before ever actually meeting Sango - which is unusual, since a lot of that growing up was due to Sango. He was already mature internally, but it doesn't take root externally until much, much later. The change makes for an different take, a different "what if?" than is normally seen.
There is a bit of the original inspiration song weaved into this installment, from the end of the song:
I think I decided not to mention it in my original review for whatever reason - but I totally thought of this song when I was reading it, and was pretty sure this was where it tied in. (You only showed it to me, uh... forever ago, when we had our first massive Fragments conversation over ff.net, lol.) I love the visuals of it, both in the lyrics and in the story itself. It just gets my heart all twisted up so good~!
I just think this side of him is far more prescient to his character than the flirty, lecherous stuff, but maybe that just speaks to my own bias, LOL.
I think you're totally right. I've always thought that the fun, flirty side of Miroku is definitely part of his personality, and I think he enjoys being that way. However, to assume that's all there is to him is to basically ignore his almost entire character, his motivations, everything. When you do a little digging, you find there's tons more to Miroku than he lets on. :)
There are still things that hold him back, including a bit of insecurity about how well the rest of their lives match up, beyond the sexual or cerebral.
And I love you for including it in his characterization. Miroku would definitely consider that, and it's nice to see him not just falling head over heels and brushing aside any consideration of what may hinder their relationship. That just wouldn't be him, and it would feel childish besides. (Yay for grownup fic!)
I picture his staff at the bar as being very protective of him as well, though that probably hasn't manifested in the story itself just yet.
This makes me worry for Sango a little...or maybe Kuranosuke. Hm.
the last she heard from Miroku, he'd just left her without much beyond a harsh pronouncement.
Ooh, I hadn't really considered that - how Sango might have taken the words he left her with. I could almost see it being scary for her to approach him again, with those words echoing in her head.
Is she ready for that responsibility? We're about to find out...
*itching to read the next chapter, liek NAO*
You know I love to hear everyone's speculation, and sometimes it helps focus my ideas for forthcoming chapters.
I'm glad to hear it, considering how much speculation you inspire in me! And then you go and encourage it by replying to my rambling...
alas, I am but a slave to my muses - fickle, flighty creatures though they may be
You and me both. Mine have got 'fickle' down to an art, let me tell ya... Still - I shall wait
semi-patiently nevertheless! :D(And it's not Fragments if my responses aren't EPICALLY long. Obviously.)