Welcome to a new a edition of my monthly blog series called “Who hurt Xia?”.
Today I’d like to write about the inspiration for the paragraph below.
“In the times to come, they will tell our story,” he whispered. “They will find our love entwined under the Kurama Mountain. And then the universe will know how completely Fujiwara no Hirotsugu loved Takahashi Ryū, the beggar boy.”
Shinigami, Chapter 41 by Xia Xia Lake
Are you familiar with the musical Notre Dame de Paris? If not, you’re missing out. It’s one of my favorite musicals in the world, second only in my heart to Les Miserables, and followed closely by Elisabeth Das Musical.
The inspiration comes from the last song before the curtain call called Danse Mon Esmeralda, when Esmeralda has died, and Quasimodo laments her loss. It’s my favorite song from the musical. I also love the song Belle, but the grief from Danse Mon Esmeralda combined with Garou’s voice touched something in my soul.
I could not write Shinigami, a story about star-crossed lovers, without offering a tribute.
Xia Xia Lake 