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Fragments | 11: The Perpetuity of Mourning
Read it at: LJ | MM.org | FF.net | dA
Pairing: Miroku/Sango
Rating: T
Inspiration: “Airplanes” © 2010 Bobby Simmons, Kinetics & One Love, Alex Da Kid
Based upon: “Sometime Around Midnight” © 2008 Mikel Jollett [The Airborne Toxic Event]
This fic was left hanging at a pretty tough point, and subsequently, it was hard to find a good place to jump back into the swing of things. I knew it was already past the halfway mark, but sometimes the second climb up that hill is the hardest :P
I knew I wanted to incorporate Kohaku's funeral in some way, as a way to give a bit of immediate closure to that raw pain Sango's had for the last six chapters or so. Its the first step in the long process of moving beyond such a tragedy, and funeral rites and rituals are around for just that reason - to help the living cope with the fact that their loved one has passed away. It was very interesting to do a bit of research into Japanese funeral rites. I already knew a little bit, because I'd prodded my Japanese friend for a different fic I was working on, but I had to refresh my memory. I started at the Wiki and worked my way forward, eventually stumbling upon this interesting article. I originally wanted to use some of this information more explicitly in the story, but found this - a flashback/memory scene - was an easier work around, because so much was going on. There are so many different ceremonial steps to a Japanese funeral, tho, so if you're interested, feel free to follow the links :) I think it adds a bit to the annoyance Sango felt about Karanousuke hanging around if you realize just what he was hanging around for, LOL.
Elsewise, most of this chapter is about Sango moving forward from her decision to dump Takeda. We get a bit of a glimpse into her present home life with her parents, and hear some of her thoughts on where she's laid her compass, now that the quest that has consumed her life is suddenly over. One of the things she's struggled with in the wake of her brother's death is her identity, and that plays a big role here. She's still trying to help/fix others instead of focusing on herself. Its her way of dealing with the pain - by doing something. This point won't go unaddressed.
Also, the investigation into Kohaku's death will also move forward, albeit in an indirect way. That was another issue I'd grappled with before, trying to decide how much of the origins of his death I wanted to go into, but I think I've found a satisfying way to relieve that curiosity, if any lingers within my readers. I'm excited about the way that will tie into the story.
What else? Hmm...no offense intended re: the 'swipe' at Osaka. That's actually where my friend is from, and she planted the idea of the differences between the major cities in my head :) It was a lot of fun to have that sort of insider's perspective on something most of the rest of us take for granted. It's one of the reasons why we're such good friends, because we enjoy discussing this stuff and learning from each other :)
I am anticipating another 4-5 chapters to wrap up the rest of this fic, which I already have sketched out in great swathes. Mostly it will depend on how much resolution I want to have, versus keeping up with the fragmentary style of the installments. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of the year, so cross your fingers my muses continue to cooperate! :P
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*goes to read*
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I hope you enjoyed it :)
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I'm glad the emotion shown through so clearly! Its so hard to try to start your life over after such swift and sudden changes, but sometimes, it feels like taking a match to it and starting over feels like the easiest route to take...
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Thanks =)
Sango has decided to throw the baby out with the bath water. She thinks that she must get rid of everything from her old life in order to make a new start in a new city.
*nods* And, more than that, she's running back to her childhood home - so its not even like she's 'striking out on her own,' so much as 'going back to the last place she felt secure' - even if her parents are pushing her in the opposite direction.
There are lots of complicated emotions going on here, and that's half the fun for me, trying to sort them in a way that makes sense for everyone else.