#unioncolours

[twnj]

These trenches were going to be the home of the soldiers until orders from high up told them otherwise. Entire shelters and homes were built underground, and no one less than the soldiers built the trenches.

[...]

Finally, the soldiers took a break for the night and Temari decided to take a little moment for herself. After an entire day, which felt like a lifetime, of dark humour and gabbing with her fellow soldiers to lighten up the mood in between the tireless digs, she was sweaty, achy, and her brain felt fried.

There was a lake nearby, a small lake with clear water. Most of the soldiers used that one as their washing place, but after having walked around the entire lake, Temari knew there was a little inlet from the lake.

The little arm of the lake, hidden behind spruces and other trees, gave Temari the perfect hiding place to bathe in peace without curious gazes from the other soldiers, who were missing their girlfriends – or to be honest, anyone of the opposite sex. [...]

Still, Temari didn’t want anyone to see her naked.

No One Cries For Unknown Soldiers on ao3 by @unioncolours

Shikatemamonth24 prompt 'New home'

[backgroundcharacterno5]

The wip asks...

Shikadai comic

Shikatema wotakoi

Pls? 🥺

My pleasure! 😁

The Shikadai comic is something I was thinking of doing for after the Amado situation (I’ll never get over that), kind of what you did with your fic, Bex! I like the idea but but I ended up going in circles and the idea became too big and I got stuck 🤣 I might revise it later.

I wanted to do a shikatema cover like the ones for Wotakoi: love is hard for otaku! I guess I had many things going on and forgot I had it?

Ask game

[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”!

[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! ❤️)

[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'

[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 ♥️

[unioncolours]

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

[thespookymoth]

Chapters: 11/12 Fandom: Naruto Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari Characters: Temari (Naruto), Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, Kankurou (Naruto) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - World War II, Character Death, War, Blood and Injury, Historical Accuracy, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet Ending, Just two soldiers slowly falling in love with each other, Temari-centric Summary:

While boys and men were collected and sent to the front, the women stayed in the cities; kept the country afloat, factories alive, and made sure there was a country to come back to, whenever the war is over.

But not all women stayed in the cities.

Not in this story, in which Rasa sends Temari to war.

--

If you haven’t start reading this story yet...do it...

I am crying right now because of chapter 11.  Thanks @unioncolours for breaking my heart once again. I didn’t feel so miserable since a long time...😭😭😭

[goldenlionprince]

What did you think about Voltron S7? Lots of ppl disliked it, but I surely enjoyed it! (ps. it was thanks to you that I looked into the series in the first place, and heck do I love it! Thank you for reblogging so much of it)

I really liked it too! There is sooo much going on and I need like 500 more rewatches to catch it all for sure xD There are amazing new characters coming in (Veronica!!! And I really adore Rizavi too), a lot of action and the whole earth plot (finally Sendak is gone for real!! wohoo!!). And that whole Atlas thing! I mean Captain Shirogane is a dream come true! :D

I’m very excited to see what Season 8 will bring us, even if it’s a bit sad that it will be our last one. But I do have totall faith in this team to wrap it up all nicely.

and yaaay I’m happy I could drag you into all this awesome doom :D Keep enjoying it and don’t let other people’s options drag you down! :)

[twnj]

'Karui’s friend thanked politely for the dance and Shikamaru returned to Temari’s side. The music wasn’t over yet, and Choji was everything but aware that Shikamaru’s dance had ended. The atmosphere was so awkward between Shikamaru and the other lady that Temari had to chuckle to lighten the mood.

“It’s okay, you can tell him he stinks,” she joked and Shikamaru groaned again.

“Yeah, I could really use that soap you talked about,” he said between gritted teeth. “Thank you, ladies, for letting us get to know you. Choji, we’ll be next door. Come and get us when you’re done.”'

No One Cries for Unknown Soldiers on ao3 by @unioncolours

Prompt- 'It's been a while' - #shikatemamonth24

[backgroundcharacterno5]

The squad refence sheet you reblogged.... and the first reference picture in the series... You think what I think? 😏😏😏

I got you bestie! 🫡

Chocho being a real one here

[rckbell]

unioncolours replied to your post: hehahah hey guys whats up im back again

From a follower to you - thank you for returning! I love your blog :)

omg... this is so nice ty :’)))) im happy to be back!

[spellcasterlight]

10 First Lines Tag Game! ✨

Thank you for the tag @kiljoius! I love a good tag game!

Rules: Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

1) Buzz Buzz - [Shino x Tenten] [Smut]

Tenten loved the BBQ dinner meetups her friends had often, they were such an easy way to get everyone she cared about in the same room to eat and talk the afternoon away.

2) The Bittersweet Apple - [Obito x Mei]

Obito’s usual light-hearted persona had left him entirely, and all he could do was slump further in his seat.

3) After The Sunset - [Shikaku x Mabui] [Smut]

“What a drag, Kakashi. I beg you to get someone else.”

4) The Real Treasure - [Shino x Tenten]

The Captain of the LOFS Tobirama III, one of the finest ships in the Land of Fire navy, let his eyes close, hands held behind his back in a proper attention stance flexed in unrest.

5) Welcomed Titles - [Gaara x Lee]

To Gaara, being called by his title, on occasion, felt like a door slammed in his face.

6) Time To Heal

Ino used to think working in the flower shop was the best thing in the world.

7) The Important Mission! Get Auntie Tenten and Shino Sensei Together! - [Shino x Tenten]

The classroom was dull and stuffy. Sensei’s words were stiff and unfeeling, and by the book made Boruto huff.

8) Duty Above Everything - [Shino x Tenten] [Kakashi x Gai]

“I will not sugarcoat this. Unfortunately, we have a situation.”

9) Mirai’s First Birthday

Hinata threw open her curtains with gusto sticking her head out the already open window and taking a deep breath in through her nose as a contented smile found its way onto her face.

& 10) Smile For The Camera - [Kiba x Ino] [Smut]

Kiba flopped ungracefully back onto his bed, making his girlfriend scoff and tell him off about wrinkling his dress shirt, which only earned her a dismissive wave of his hand before rolling onto his back, putting more creases in the maroon fabric.

Tagging (only if you want to! ❤️): @clumsydragon28 @shinobimagpie @valkyriav @lotusfartstwice @thespookymoth @unioncolours

[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 😁