#unioncolours

[twnj]

#shikajinweekend24 Day 4 Prompt - Change part 2!

@unioncolours marvellous and touching fic 'today you are stubborn, tomorrow unstoppable' on ao3 here!

[thatlittledandere]

Uuuh, toinen suomalainen ShikaTema (kenties myös GM universe?) fani! Näin sun tägit twnj:n teoksessa hehe. Kulta hits different! 😭

En tiiä mikä toi toinen juttu on mut jooo shikatema oli NIIN lukio-OTP 😭😭 Kulta supremacy 💖

[keijidraws]

Commissioned Piece for @unioncolours ❤️

I had so much fun working on this. The poses were so dynamic. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work on this! Go read her fic “To Go Down With The Sun”!

[unioncolours]

SHIKAJIN WEEKEND 2024

[Image ID: A black and white photorealistic artwork of Shikadai and Inojin by @generousbarbaracowboy Shikadai is kissing the bridge of Inojin's nose].

Welcome to Shikajin Weekend 2024, which will be hosted 5th December - 8th December 2024 💜💚

This is a fan weekend dedicated to the romantic relationship between Yamanaka Inojin and Nara Shikadai. It is meant to give a spark of joy and creativity to the fans of said ship. Each day consists of three prompts, which can be used as inspiration for any sort of fan creation! However, it is not obligatory to use the prompts.

Any sort of content you have created for them is welcomed in the event: fanfictions, fanarts, moodboards, playlists, edits, etc. They can be in any language. Remember to correctly rate and tag your works.

When uploading your works either onto tumblr or twitter, remember to use the hashtag #shikajinweekend24 so we can find your work and share it. If you upload your work onto AO3 you can make a post about it so it can be shared!

You can find the list of prompts below!

[Image ID 1: Banner for the prompts for day 1 and 2, with a sketch by @twnj. In in adult Inojin is leaning in to kiss adult Shikadai, who is wearing glasses. They are both wearing smart casual modern clothes.]

[Image ID 2: Banner for the prompts for day 3 and 4, with a sketch by @twnj. In in adult Inojin is leaning in to kiss adult Shikadai, who is wearing glasses. They are both wearing smart casual modern clothes.]

LIST OF PROMPTS:

DAY 1 5th December

Happy Birthday, Inojin!

Dreaming of the future

"It's okay if it's you."

DAY 2 6th December

International Shikajin

Canon divergent

"I am proud of you."

DAY 3 7th December

If we were villains

Bad hair day

"It's just a stupid drawing."

DAY 4 8th December

Change

Sports AU

"Duuuude 👀"

Please do not enter with Ai generated content, as we want fandom to host the fun of the human mind.

This weekend is for fun and community, so any type of character or ship bashing, along with general negativity isn't welcomed.

Please, keep the rating of your works at M at most! Angst is very welcomed, but keep this weekend free of the heaviest triggers.

The host of this weekend is me, @unioncolours on tumblr and @Majsasaurus on twitter/X. I will share forward the works uploaded with the tag #shikajinmonth24. The weekend is between 5th December - 8th December, but I will reblog or retweet the entire December month. Any questions you may have can be sent to me.

Most importantly, have fun! See you in December 💚💜

[spellcasterlight]

@unioncolours - ShikaJinWeekend2024 - Day 1 Prompt: Happy birthday, Inojin!

@fluff-cember - Day 5 Prompt: Northern Lights

This doesn't really fit into any prompt, but please accept this piece of garbage of your boys anyway 😂

Ao3 ✨ |Story Request Bingo Cards 📖 | WIP Game Always Open ✒️| Ko-Fi ☕ | Silly Fanarts 🎨| Reblog Blog 🟢🟢

[notquitejiraiya]

9 Years

Well, here we are again. Back to spew some nonsense you could’ve done without about fic writing and otherwise. As a small introduction to myself, if you miraculously come across this before anything else I’ve done online: hiya, I’m Becks. When I was fifteen years old I decided that I was going to create a Naruto specific blog to post fanfiction on and 9 years later, I’m still here.

This is only my third reflection of those 9 years, the first and second of which you can find linked respectively, but it’s the 24th of September, and so here I am, ready to continue a tradition set by the wonderful @unioncolours of documenting her years in fandom. Sink your teeth in below the cut off if you so wish. If not, have a wonderful day ♥️

Before I talk about myself, a little thank you to her, to Bex. Two days ago, she posted what I consider to be her most powerful reflection yet, and I command the lot of you to read it, feel it, and walk away demanding you treat yourself and others kindly for this year and all those to come. Her heartfeltness and honesty is something all of us should learn from, and it is an honour to share my forename, space, fandom, world with her. Thank you, Bex, for all you do, here and away.

Now, the first thing I must address about this Rebecca here is “job no1”, as I called it in last year’s recap. “Job no1” was to become more concise.

It is safe to say that I did not get hired for “job no1.” Not yet, anyway. Perhaps on the future. Maybe. We’re still in the interview stages, and you know how many rounds these things take.

To set the tone of this past year, I will admit that it is the 24th of September, not just when I post this reflection, but as I write it. As mentioned, I have only written two recaps of this sort in my fandom career, both of which were written ahead of time and posted on the day with little stress. This one is being bashed out when the sun is already setting, and time is running out.

Time is something that has fascinated me for years; it’s something I’ve written scientifically on, written fiction about in short spells, and something I’ve come to respect a bit more over the last year, too. It’s something I’ve especially enjoyed playing with and writing about in the one fic that I’ve published/added to this year. In Grandmaster, one of my favourite passages from the fic and one of the bits I’m most proud of involves time. But I won’t dwell on that. Grandmaster — or GM, as I affectionately call it — will get its moment later on. For now, let us focus still on time.

I’ve had a strange amount of it this past year. I wouldn’t say I’ve had too much, nor particularly little, on average, but I certainly feel as though I have. Even if not, it’s slipped away from me, and this year that feels rather damning. You see, as you might know, I live in Finland at the moment. I say ‘at the moment’ because this time next year, when I’m writing my next recap, that will no longer be true. I already no longer live 40 minutes from the front door of my best friend — moving in the summer upped it to almost an hour — and by next year I won’t be able to jump up, hop on a train and see her when the mood (and life) suits. Many rather saddening things have hammered home time to me since last September, but even considering that one thought makes time seem rather fleeting. I need to treasure it until the summer, and so forgive me if my time at my laptop is a little less than it once was.

More relevant to you reading this, perhaps, is the amount of this year that I have been able to spend writing. Without examining the statistics, I feel like I’ve barely written this year. I know that that is ultimately not true; I have made good progress with GM, and have written snippets of works to come. But I still feel as though I haven’t had the time in year 9 that I would’ve liked, and even less than the small amount I dared to expect.

In the time I did spend writing, though, I largely spent it on GM, so it only feels right that I dedicate a sizable portion of this recap to that fic.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that GM has consumed me. I view the world through a different lens having conceptualised, written, and frankly breathed the world in that story. I see situations in the real-life chess, and I imagine where that might happen in the GM-timeline, were it there. I see the people I envision when the scene play out like theatre performances in my head, and I think about GM, even when it’s totally irrelevant. Even just a face. I hear songs, and I think about GM. I watch movies, and I think about GM. I sit on the bus or god forbid the train, it rains or it shines, and I think about GM.

I have never, in my life, felt a story in my bones like this. When it ends, which this year it certainly must, I will cry. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t cry because it’s over — I will cry because I will remember all the countless hours that have gone into not just writing but thinking about this fic. It is a part of my daily life and has been for such a long time now. I don’t go an hour, let alone a day, without thinking about it. It has been in progress for over 2 years — during every every wrapup I have written, it has been in progress — and 2 nights ago, I finally posted a chapter, the heart of which I first sent to my friends almost as long ago.

I won’t spoil the contents, as I’m sure many of you may not have read it, but I’ll admit now that I cried as I went to sleep after posting it. It took me three months to be happy with that chapter. Three months. That long to accept a chapter that I knew I had the core, important part of set and the was happy with since almost two years ago. It felt and still feels ridiculous to me. Even three days ago I felt like, surely, I had forgotten how to write. Or maybe I just had never known how to write in the first place. I had lost my touch, at the very least, the very spark that made anyone read more than the first paragraph. How in the world could it be that I manage to write these core lines two years ago, when GMverse was Strangers and only Strangers, yet having honed the voice of this story for so long, I now couldn’t write a single good word?

I felt like such a failure. I felt like there was no way I was ever going to finish it, and if I did, I was sure I wouldn’t be happy with it. But I told myself that I was going to post the fic on Majsasaurus day and so I said, “Fuck it,” to my assignments and I finished it.

I was late hour, but I almost did it. When I read it back before posting, I cursed myself for all the clunky sentences and obnoxious descriptions — which may not even exist, I don’t know — but I still pressed post at the end, and I immediately felt proud of it.

It’s incredible when you realise you can do that. I think perhaps it’s a skill that doesn’t make sense to people when they first start writing. Not giving a fuck, that is. I know I was guilty of it for a very long time, but there’s no point in being a perfectionist, especially if you’re trying to write about realistic people. Real people are so far from perfect that you’re fucking kidding yourself if you waste your time on such things. Year 9 has been a lot about that: settling. Settling for grades in uni I once would’ve beaten myself up over. Settling for a sentence that I know could be worded better, in theory, but I’m not yet the writer who can word it that way. I’ll meet her one day, maybe. But before I get to, I have to mould her. I won’t do that without writing more and more.

In any case, in the words of Shikamaru in my own fic: “They’re just words. They don’t mean anything unless you let them.”

In line with that thought, I want to thank you all for your theories and thoughts and engagement with GM. The fact so many of you have managed to find some meaning or emotion in it that matters to you specifically, even if that differs between people, amazes me daily. It makes me emotional and humbles me and all manner of things I could write an entire reflection on.

It is on that note that, I would like to extend a particuar mention to @twnj who has brought to life so many scenes in GM with her beautiful artwork as well as created so many fun headcanons for outside of it. I am so lucky to have met and to know you, and it is a pleasure being rambly with you, my dear.

I also would like to shout out @backgroundcharacterno5 for creating one of most incredible things I have ever seen by way of this comic. You brought that scene to life more beautifully than I ever could’ve imagined even in my own head, and I cannot thank you enough for thinking of GM at all. Thank you.

And finally, the book club. Learning of your existence blew my fucking mind, and it continues to. I refer to you this way because I do not know exactly how many of you there are, but I bloody love you all, even those of you I have never spoken to. The comments I received from you and from every reader, even if I am shit at replying to them, move me and inspire me endlessly. Your analysis and theories and reactionary comments thrill me and make my heart sing. So thank you. So much.

With GM this past year, I feel I have reached a point as a writer that I never expected to, and am endlessly proud of. I never expected people to be so engaged with something I wrote — I thought I was a one- or maybe two-trick pony with song inspired banter-filled one shots and depressing britishisms. But this year showed me that that isn’t true. Do I have the widest range? No, and I’ve made peace with that. But does that devalue what I make? No. I love it. I have fun making it. And as an incredible, frankly unexpected cherry on top, so do some of you. So thank you for that. You’ve ticked so many of my author bucket list dreams in a single year.

As I have certainly mentioned in past ‘blog’-type posts, there are elements of GM which are personal to me, but in the coming year, I will introduce to you what I consider my most personal fic yet. While I may lend things I have overheard or observed, I rarely let myself into my own work too heavily. I value the power of looking over a shoulder, and do try my best to do that. But I rarely force my shoes on a character.

Piano Man (affectionately referred to by myself and those closest as GMJ) will not be like that either. Not on purpose. It will not be a 1-to-1 retelling of my life, the opinions and feelings and experiences within it will by no means be my own, but it will be an expression of things I love and know more directly than before.

GMJ will be set some 20+ years after Strangers, so I am still not escaping this universe I’ve built for myself (not that I want to escape it). It will follow one of my most beloved characters in Shikadai, and how he meets someone he really ought to have known his whole life, but by chance, has not: Inojin.

Any writing I have done that is not GM this year has been ShikaJIn. I know that many of you who follow me, do so for ShikaTema. I wonder if there are even so many of you now that joined for GM that ‘CHESS’ and ‘Cloud Nine’ are now irrelvant in my list of past fics. But regardless of what you’re here for, and whether you ship them now or not, I hope that you’ll stick around for GMJ. It is not a ship fic anymore than GM is, and I like to think that perhaps you trust me by now to tell you a story you might enjoy.

Besides GMJ I have dabbled in a couple of other potential AUs, the most promising of which is a wartime au, which came about after my dear friend Bex suggested that @clumsydragon28 and I read a book she was reading: In Memoriam. IM was one of the most fun reading experiences I have ever had, and I cannot reccomend reading with your friends enough. The joy is something I can’t quantify, and I will treasure that experience forever.

I myself have read more books this year than I have in years. I haven’t read so many fics, which saddens me, but I am so pleased that there is space in my life for fiction and stories again besides thsoe in my own head.

One of the books of this year will no doubt come when I return home to England for Christmas, because last year, darling Barb sent me (and Bex) a goodie box from across the Atlantic. In it, she placed the US edition of my favourite book: The Beach. It will get loved and cherished this year with its first physical read. I promise.

There are so many other things that I could say here, but ultimately, I don’t know that I have the time. All I can say is that I am so grateful for the people of this fandom space, old friends and new, and even those that have not shown me kindness this past year — you have hardened me to realise I am worth more than I thought.

The next recap I write will mark a decade of notquitejiraiya. That, in itself, seems absurd. But I am certain that I go into it lucky, and grateful, and really really fucking inspired.

Thank you, all, for another notquitejiraiya year. May the next be sweet and full of more frequent updates than the last! ♥️

(PS - I’ll try to be more consice next year, but I’m not making any promises)

[clumsydragon28]

2 Years of clumsydragon28 ✨

On June 17th, 2022 I posted my first work ever on ao3. After an almost 9 year hiatus from writing, I once again picked up a pen and began again. My life has only gotten better after making that decision, and I am so grateful for the ones who inspired me to once again embrace such a huge part of who I am.

If you would like to see a general recap of my first year of writing, you can read Journey of Words on ao3. Below you will find an in depth look back on my second year of being in fandom ♥️

I would say my first year of fandom can be summed up by the word "excitement". Once I got that first story down, the floodgates opened. Every idea felt like a good idea, and I couldn't get them down fast enough.

My second year, however, I would define as "thoughtful". Compared to the 17 fics I posted in year one, this past year I only published 8. Even though that number is signicantly less, these eight feel more special. Before any of those 8 ideas became more concrete, I asked myself "is this truly what I want to write?" Everytime, that answer was yes. And by writing less, I was able to give each story the time and energy it deserved to be the best it could be. And so, I would like to go a little more in depth as to why each one is special to me.

We begin with Floral Hues. I wanted to write something with my bois for pride month, and after seeing the "flower picking" prompt for rare-pair June, this idea slowly formed. This is the first instance where I really started to experiment more with formatting in my poetry. I wanted to talk about colors and have the words resemble a rainbow, and so I let those forces drive me in writing. I am really pleased with what I was able to pull it off in this one.

Next came Matchmaker which was my first (and certainly not last) dip into writing MitsuCho. The prompt "cat's day" was perfect because I am obsessed with the adorable Mikazuki. I wanted him to drive the poem, bringing the two lovers to together. And I wanted the formatting of the poem to reflect that as well: the stanzas slowly move out and then come back to where they started on the page, just like MIkazuki leads Mitsuki to Chocho and then both of them back home.

Then I took a little break from poetry to write Unanswered Questions. The friendship between Shikadai and Boruto is such a special bond I love, and one I always want to see more of in canon. With the ending of the OG manga, I just couldn't help imagining how Shikadai would view the change in their relationship. Is there a part of him that would remember? Would he be totally fooled by the changes caused by omnipotence? And so, with their friendship bracelets as a catalyst, this story was born. This is one of (if not) my favorite one shot that I've written. It also includes sweet Inojin offering comforting snuggles and kisses to his boyfriend, and it pushes forward my Long Haired Inojin agenda hehe.

SPEAKING OF LONG HAIRED INOJIN, we are now at my only multi-chap story of the past year: our hearts belong on the sea. When I asked @unioncolours what she would like as a birthday present and she gave me this prompt, I could not have been more excited. I had said before that we need a pirate au in the Shikajin fandom, but I never thought I'd be the one to write it. But boy, am I glad I did. I had the absolute best time and the most fun writing this story. Many moments are heavily inspired by the Pirates of the Carribbean movies, but I gave it my own spin and really just went for it. The idea that loves conquers all (a very Bex-core theme hehe) is something I will never tire of writing. I love this story and I love this world I created. I can't wait to one day return and write even more about these swashbuckling lads ⚔️

And now, we come to Sunshine + Starlight. First, I must give another thank you to @keijidraws who created the most stunning artwork to go along with this. I will try not to go on too long about this poem (because I easily could) but this one means so much to me. It took me 9 months to finish this poem. Not because I was struggling and running out of ideas, but because I knew this one was something special. Writing this poem brought me inexplicable joy and happiness and I wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as I could. I knew as soon as I was done, I would be sad to no longer have it to work on. But accomplishing this poem is one of my greatest achievements. It encompasses everything I love about poetry, everything I love about my own writing, and it is everything I could have ever hoped for it to be and more.

Then I made another return to prose for @backgroundcharacterno5's birthday with The Fabrics of Friendship. I always love to figure out how to put a story into the world of canon. So when given the prompt of matching pajamas, I knew where exactly I wanted to fit it in. The dynamics of the InoShikaCho kiddos are my absolute favorite, as are they Mon's, and I throroughly enjoyed exploring each of their own individual thoughts and feelings in regards to the results of the chuunin exams. Their bond is unbreakable, and I look forward to writing even more about it.

In case you haven't noticed yet, I love to gift works. And so my next poem, Pigments of the Imagination was also a birthday gift. This time for the lovely @notquitejiraiya. This one is also inspired by an amazing artwork by the talented @keijidraws. When I write for a friend, I like to incorpate as many of the things I know they love that I can into the story. And with this one, I really tried to have so much of Becks shine. Some were more subtle than others, but every mention I could sneak in just made the poem stronger. I also really went for it in terms of formatting on this one, trying to emulate Inojin's artistic nature with how the words are laid on the page. My most favorite is probably the heart shaped stanza hehe. This is another poem I really treasure.

And now for my most recent work, we take a dip into a new fandom with In Memoriam H. W. G.. This is a poem I wasn't even going to originally post when done. But once I started working on it, I knew I had to. I am incredibly proud of this work, but in a different way than I am of my others. This was a very big step out of my comfort zone. For the first time I had to write poetry not as I would myself, but as somone else. I had to channel the thoughts, grief, and anger of a character while following a very strict rhyme and rhythm in order for it to fit within the context of the novel. And I did it. For this to be my 25th fanfiction feels very special. I think it excapsulates the growth I've gone through as a writer. And I am excited to see how the leap I took with tackling this poem will strengthen my writing in the future.

In terms of being "thoughtful", I must also make note of my reading habits. Before, I just devoured fanfic. I piled up stories left and right and consumed it all as quickly as possible. Now, my reading style has changed. I have not been reading nearly as many fics as I used to, but it is because I want to read more carefully. For those who have seen comments from me, you know that the character limit on ao3 is not my friend. There was a time that I was afraid to leave comments, thinking that my ranting and raving would be annoying to an author. But I am glad I chose to stop holding myself back. When an author replies to one of my comments, telling me my thoughts and feelings have made their day...that is worth far more than any comment I receive on my own writing. Because it is my truest unfiltered self in those comments, so hearing that it is accepted and loved means the world ❤️

So what is in store for year 3 of clumsydragon28? I think we will see yet another change in pace. More slowed down, and even more thoughtful.

For those of you who have read Plié-sed to Have Met You, and if you happened to catch Sway that I posted here a few months ago, you will see that I have big plans for a part 2 to this dance AU. I think this fic will be my next Sunshine + Starlight. I really want to take my time with this fic and savour every moment of writing it. I am excited to put all my focus into one singular work and give it everything I've got. I don't know how long I'll need (I've already spent almost two years just thinking about it haha), but I vow to make this story the absolute best I can.

I will end this look back on a quote the lovely Bex shared with me in a comment:

"The treason of the artist; a refusal of the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain"

This is one of the greatest honours I could have bestowed upon me: to be considered a traitor artist. There is alot of pain and hurt in this world, and I agree that we need to recognize it. But there is also so much beauty in this world. Beauty that needs to be celebrated. So I choose to focus my writing on the magic of life and love. Because it is by hoping and belieiving in a better future that we can achieve it.

For those of you who have showed your excitement and are waiting as patiently as you can for my next story, I thank you wholeheartedly. You are who drive me forwards and push me to be my best self. I would not be here were it not for you, my dearest darlings. I hope to gift you the story you so rightfully deserve ♥️

-clumsydragon28

P.S. will a Shikajin poem or two sneak itself in between now and then? I am a poet after all so...I might not be able to help myself hehe 🤭

[awinterrosesstuff]

Inojin Yamanaka & Shikadai Nara (Boruto)

Dedicated to @unioncolours requested by @spellcasterlight

[dayeongi]

for the writers asks: 8, 11, 18 <33

8.Do you have any rituals or habits that help you get into the zone?

Not particularly!! but I do know what I really need to be in the right weather!

11. Are there any tropes that you particularly enjoy writing?

Answered here!💖💖💖

18.Are there any fics or authors that have been particularly influential or inspiring to you?

Yes! @oh--you--pretty--things, @tysonrunningfox, BlueberryToasterTart on AO3, @shipmistress9, @heathenvampires, @cinder-rose and @macchiato-dreaming22, @edai-crplpnk, @unioncolours, @notquitejiraiya! So many things I learned from all of them. I pay a lot of attention to how all these people write, handle tension, pacing, plotline advancement, the changes in the dynamics between characters, etc!

[Yet Another] 'Questions for Fic Writers'

[hesmiledlikeaweatherman]

(Answering on my main instead of my art blog)

Tagging @thatyellowfinch @edai-crplpnk @eighteenbelow @dayeongi @unioncolours

put your ‘on repeat’ playlist on shuffle & let your friends pick their favorite of the first five songs!!

thank uu for the tags @blackberry-sunset @tigolbittys <33 np tagging @misomilf @biscuitlovie @nocturnal-phantom @ravenous-rage @remuredshampoo @kaleidoscopexsighs @frank-lilac @drowsyanddazed @angelfruittree @shipsnsails mwah mwah 💋💋

[unioncolours]

Hi, everyone needs to see my new pfp (it's unioncolours/majsasaurus btw haha) 😍 It's drawn by @notquitejiraiya and features adult Shikadai🥰

[spellcasterlight]

WIP Game! 🖊️

I was tagged by the wonderful @shrimparmy and @kiljoius! Thank you, friends! 🥰

"Please share your last sentence; or, if you don't have one, share a plot bunny or idea!"

Something I am hoping to have finished for @uminoirukaevents in May!

Tough But Fair - Chapter 2

Iruka turned his glass clockwise and anti-clockwise again and again with only the tips of his fingers without ever actually taking a sip. He should have known it was too easy. Danza Shimura was not a man you could play around with and get away with, even if that wasn’t what he was doing at the time. Maybe he shouldn't have been so openly smug about the loophole he’d thought up that allowed him to be Naruto’s parental shoulder.

Looking at the full glass of alcohol in his hand, he lifted it up to his lips before setting it down again without taking a sip. Pushing it out of the way, he rested his head on his arms in the now-available space.

'An inquiry into his conduct to establish his right to teach,' The letter he received just that afternoon had said. 'Undeniable evidence of mistreatment of students' It said. ‘Unbiased favouritism resulting in ignored students' it said.

Every word had been like a kunai right between the ribs.

Gonna tag! @kakashiswilloffire @dragonhazel @lotusfartstwice @clumsydragon28 @unioncolours @notquitejiraiya (no pressure! ❤️)

[notquitejiraiya]

I just finished reading GM from start to finish, couldn't put it down! It's brilliant and I'm so invested in the world you've built. What was your inspiration for it?

Thank you so so much! 🥹 ♥️ Hearing you enjoyed it means the absolute world, thank you! And thanks also for asking about what inspired it — although, be warned: you’ve just opened a can of worms I’m not sure how to re-seal haha.

My inspirations for GM are an amalgamation of things more than I can even begin to put down on paper without writing thousands of words. But I’ll try to be concise, first, and ramble later, to spare you the time.

A very brief overview:

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Chess (1984)

Judit Polgár — arguably the strongest female chess player to ever live

Obsession and love, and how perfectly that ties in with sport and competition

the lovely @unioncolours, for a thousand different reasons

If you’d like details, see below. You’ve been warned: it’s long and rambly, but I love my fic and I love to talk about it so… without further ado:

When it comes to the world and time setting of GM, I owe a lot to The Darjeeling Limited. That film inspired me to write Strangers, which in turn inspired me to write GM. When writing Strangers, all I had in mind was that Temari and her husband needed to have a lot of money and be public figures of some kind to fund this trip and fuel Kankuro’s annoyances with her. To fulfil that, it made sense to me for Shikamaru to be a chess player and a very good one at that. I’ve discussed this before, so I’ll link the post where I better explained it, but from then on, it just made sense to me that she was also in the same profession, albeit a different type of player. When I thought of it, I thought of her like Judit Polgár, aggressive and unafraid, groundbreaking and leaps and bounds above all other women at her time.

GM kind of came about because I wanted to reason with myself why Temari was the way she was in Strangers. In that fic, I tried to evenly distribute the focus on all three siblings, but I do feel that more attention went to her brothers than her, especially Kankuro. Strangers gave some indication as to why he didn’t like her then, but not necessarily the other way around, and much of his dislike stemmed from the man who “took her away from him.” So, I started to think about how this woman, who is so stubborn and protective of her brothers, might find herself in this situation in the first place. How did she come to feel so lonely and separate from them? How did she combat that loneliness, if she ever did?

With story itself, I had an endpoint I had to reach. Strangers begins a few years after GM is set, at which point a few details about her life as a chess player were mentioned and both her familial and romantic relationships are firmly established. I set myself two jobs in writing GM: firstly, show how Temari could become the sort of person she is in Strangers; and secondly, show how her relationships with her family, namely Rasa and Kankuro, could reach what they are there.

Suffice it to say, GM is more about her than about ShikaTema, but Shikamaru’s role in her life is intrinsically linked to who she becomes. Shikamaru being a (somewhat forced) rival turned friend to Temari came to me kind of without thought. He is canonically a lot more intelligent, but she is a stubborn fighter, and to play at the top level of any sport, you have to be obsessive.

I myself I’m not a very good chess player, but I've studied them enough to know how desperately they want to win. I know how obsessive one has to be to reach the top of any sport and I found it hard to believe that Temari could be obsessive only about chess — I felt it would dip over into other aspects of her life. If she fell into chess as an escape, it made sense that she would initially find him as one too; she lost herself in a game to avoid what was going on around her as a child, then lost herself in this game she plays with Shikamaru, this constant back-and-forth they find themselves in when chess itself lost its spark for her.

I love stories that explore obsession vs love, and humanising someone who one looks up to. I don’t like to impose themes on things, but I wanted to incorporate that if I could. I wanted Shikamaru to go from this untouchable wunderkind to just any other guy, and one she could genuinely trust and feel safe with in a way she could with very few (if any) other people.

I just saw a comment that you left on the most recent chapter (thank you so so much for your kind words; I appreciate them endlessly) in which you mentioned the musical Chess. It’s been a huge inspiration to me since I first started writing fanfiction altogether, and it definitely inspired the relationship between ShikaTema in this fic. I don’t think there’s a direct comparison to be made of any character or relationship in Chess to any character or relationship in GM (besides the fact I literally named one of the Russians ‘Molokov’), but it’s definitely got a general vibe, if you will.

There are scenes in GM that I wanted to feel like Mountain Duet (one of the most beautiful duets ever, in my opinion) and scenes that I wanted to feel like Argument, and the storyline runs with the same sort of themes as Where I Want To Be and Pity the Child. Pity the Child is a very direct inspiration as I’m sure you can tell if you know the song. The name of this series of fics even comes from that song; it is one of the greatest inspirations for it all.

(If you haven't seen or heard the musical, I recommend both the original and 2008 recordings. I just linked my personal favourite versions. Also this stellar version I found on Youtube this morning.)

Finally, when it comes to how GM is written and its focus being solely on Temari, a lot of the credit has to go to my stunning friend @unioncolours. Bex has written so many wonderful stories, my favourites of which are those that are Temari-centric. I will use this as yet another opportunity to direct everyone towards ‘no one cries for unknown soldiers’ — it is my favourite Shikatema fic ever, and I insist you read it. Reading her stories, especially that one, feels like travelling both through time and space and doing so alongside one particular character has a strength to it that I found phenomenal. I really wanted to do something like that. I never had before. Bex is an inspiration to how I write in so many ways, and so I have her to thank for so much ♥️

I’ll spare you the ins and out of inspiration for names, nationalities and place settings etc unless I’m asked about them directly. Because that would be another essay nobody asked for and this is already way too long.

Anyway, thank you for asking me and for inspiring me to ramble about what’s basically been my baby for the last 2 years. I apologise if this was not what you were after when you asked but… hopefully it still serves as some kind of answer!

Thank you for your time, your kindness, and your support. I hope you have the most spectacular day ♥️

[spellcasterlight]

I know I've been a little mole this month has been hectic, but I do love a wee tag game! Thank you @onmywaytofanfic! 😊

Name: Spell!

Pronouns: She / Her

Where do you call home: My current 'home' is where I live with my boyfriend but my parents home is called 'home home'. Does anyone else do that? Or is that a Northern Ireland thing? It's so hard to tell sometimes 😂

Favorite animal: When I was in primary school, I did a report on Elephants, and I honestly thought it was the greatest thing ever created. I demanded it went on the fridge! 🤣

Cereal of choice: Controversial opinion, but I hate cereal 🫣

Are you a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner: I think I'm a combo of visual and audio learner. Watching and listening to things get stuck in my brain easier!

First pet: Believe it or not! I have never had a pet!

Favorite scent: Jeepers! I'm not actually sure! Umm does warm chocolate count? Because that is the good stuff! Or maybe suncream because it makes me think or going on holiday!

Do you believe in astrology: Nah! It's good for a laugh and funny wee convo over hot chocolate but I don't put any real stock over it.

How many playlists do you have on Spotify/apple music: I have two playlists on Deezer: favourites, which comes by default, and the one I made just called 'Music Yeo <3', which I just put all my songs in 😂

Sharpies or highlighters: Highlighters! In every colour possible!

A song that makes you cry: Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

A song that makes you happy: My favourite song of all time! When You're Looking Like That by Westlife

And finally do you draw/write/create? Write! And I love it! The few drawings of [Shino x Tenten] don't count 😂

Tagging without expectation! (Only if you want to! ❤️): @clumsydragon28 @depressedhatakekakashi @unioncolours

@dira333 @thespookymoth @alumort @kiljoius @full-frontal-lotus

Thanks a lot for the tag Kaz @akamikazae let's see if I can do all of them!! :3333

Name: Boro :3

Pronouns: She - Her/ They - Them

Where do you call home: I heard once that home is that place where you can go to the toilet without any problem. I would also add that is that place where you can get yourself a glass of water without asking for one.

Favorite animal: People assumed that I am a cat person, they are wrong I love every animal...also cats, felines in general.

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Cereal of choice: I have a problem with cereals I love them!!! My favourits are honey puff like cereals and those that are squares filled with chocolate or milk. Those are ddelicious GIVE ME CEREALS!!

Are you a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner: I remember that we have to do this test at the Uni and I was like a mix. Most of the time I doodle while taking notes and when revising stuff I need to move around my room. Also, when I am thinking in general I need music or a podcast while pacing around and a small notebook where I can write down any idea that crosses my mind or doubt while revising something. I tent to do more than one thing at once so, pacing while listening helps me so... Audio-kinasthetic-reading learner

First pet: There is a festivity here Los tres Reyes Magos, Three Wise Men, that we celebrate durign the Xmas time. That night my neighbours dog gave birth to who would be my first truthful friend. I woke up and the neighbour told us that the mother couldn't pass the night. In a small basket they got both pups, one seemed so full of energy the other one was curled up and shaking. I got the curld one without a second though and hugged them. He would be my friend for more than 10 years. I miss him a lot. He got the name of my favourite journalist ever but I keep it for myself ;) Friends know his name.

Favorite scent: Baked cookies, cinammon, but mostly flowery scents like lavender and also, please do not laugh, there is this deodorant chocolate scented ...wow.

Do you believe in astrology: I prefer to keep my thoughts to myself on this one, yet I find astrology interesting but I would not let it choose my life or stuff like that. It is very interestign to have a look at it.

How many playlists do you have on Spotify/apple music: 10

Sharpies or highlighters: Highlighters! I actually enjoy the layers that you can do with them and they got this Cyberpunk effect when done right that I love.

A song that makes you cry: ‘Fucking Perfect' by P!nk or 'The crow and the butterfly' Shinedown.

A song that makes you happy: ‘Lady Domina' Haloo Helsinki! or 'Master of the House' Les Miserables the musical... I have a problem with musicals in general.

And finally do you draw/write/create? I write and draw, a different thing is that I have the guts to call what I do something creative or even worthy. But I just do it, hoping to get better eventually... hope is the key word there. So I do both and technically create since both are creations *badum tsch* I also do tons of memes so...that's creations too, isn't it? One day I may post here those abominations that I call memes.

Hmmmm I tag @succikko-nebulae , @shinoposting , @yamanaka-shin and @spellcasterlight <3<3<3<3<3

Thanks again Kaz!!1 This was fun, I did not know that I had so many playlist on Spotify...and I use one in a loop most of the time xD.

[clumsydragon28]

15 Questions for 15 People

I was tagged by @hesmiledlikeaweatherman =]

Are you named after anyone?

Yes! My grandmother's name is Barbara Regina, my aunt (her daughter) is named Regina Barbara, and then I am (again) Barbara Regina.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Friday morning at work. My office job was really testing my patience that day 😔

3. Do you have kids?

I do not. Maybe one day. We'll see what the future has in store for me.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

The one consistent growing up was dance. I took ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop. I also played softball, baseball, and soccer, and even dabbled a bit in gymnastics.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Yes, for sure.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I would say how they carry themselves? Or maybe their mood is a better word. I think especially working in retail, I'll try and decipher what a person's demeanor is so I can try and match their level, or make them feel more comfortable/happier by interacting with them.

7. What's your eye color?

Green.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings ❤️

9. Any talents?

I would say cooking/baking, writing, and art making are my top three. I'm also very good at balancing a checkbook.

10. Where were you born?

New York

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing, cooking/baking, reading. And I want to get back into making art.

12. Do you have any pets?

Currently no, but one day I hope to have a cat.

13. How tall are you?

5 foot 6 inches

14. Favorite subject in school?

Art

15. What is your dream job?

Anything having to do with food. Don't know what exactly, but as long as food is involved I'll be happy.

I would love to tag @unioncolours @notquitejiraiya @spellcasterlight @backgroundcharacterno5 @keijidraws-personal and anyone else who feels like doing it 😁

[awinterrosesstuff]

Hi there! First of all, thank you for opening requests! That's really cool of you! 😎 Can I please request a mood board for a friend! They like [Shikadai x Inojin] from Boruto. Can I ask that it be dedicated to @unioncolours! Please and thank you in advance! 😁 Again, thank you so much for allowing requests! Sending good vibes your way! ✨

Hello !!!

Thank you so much ! That's a lovely request. I just posted it, a few minutes ago. I tagged you too.

I hope the moodboard is to your friend's tastes. I don't know Boruto very well. But I asked the opinion of someone who is a fan while searching the pictures.

Have a good day and thank you again for your ask. I was very happy to do this one.