Tag: anonymous

Hail To The Queen, 5/? (2017-01-05)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

(five: she who marries the heir)

They come for her in the morning.

7:28 to be exact, the hospital clock tick-tick-ticking alongside the monitors beep-beep-beeping Kakashi’s proof of life.

She and Sasuke and Sakura are all but camped in his room, notes strewn with extra blankets, hair ribbons mixed with whetting stones and arm guards.

Except for missions and hospital rotations, quick trips home for showers and changes of clothes, the three of them–four of them, to Kakashi’s continued reluctance–can be found in his room.

It’s an ignoble setting, but that’s where it begins.

A royal messenger from the Land of the Moon with full retinue–including the familiar stoic face of Captain Korega–come for her in the morning.

“Shikako Nara?” they ask, finery and coiffed hair so different from her research frenzied muss.

She uncurls from her spot on Kakashi-sensei’s bed, getting slowly to her feet. Sakura, blinking sleepily in a visitor’s chair, sits up; Sasuke, leaning against the wall, straightens out and readies his stance.

“Yes?” she says, before spotting Shizune beyond the cloud of silk and embroidery. Shizune nods, and so Shikako repeats more firmly, “Yes.”

The contingent exchange glances amongst themselves before, in unison, kneeling and bowing–bright flower petals falling to the ground.

She takes a step back, confused. Unnerved.

The leader looks up, meets her eyes, and intones,

“Long live Queen Shikako, first of her name, sovereign of Land of the Moon!”

—

A scant hour later, barely an eye blink, she finds the nightmare has relocated.

Shikako can hardly count the number of times she’s been in the Akimichi clan compound’s ceremonial hall, but it’s only ever been in two contexts: as her father’s daughter, or as Chouji’s friend.

The reason this time around is distinctly neither of those.

Chouza puts a hand on her shoulder, huge and warm and gentle even through the layers of borrowed kimono her mum hastily stuffed her into. It’s a welcome gesture of comfort in such an awful situation; Shikako tries to smile at him even though it’s the last thing she feels like doing.

The ceremonial hall can reliably contain dozens of Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka. Birthdays and receptions and memorials, the hall full to bursting; the parties spilling out to the courtyard where huge tables of food are spread. Music and laughter and chatter, children playing and elders gossiping. Noise and bodies and family coming together.

This is the exact opposite.

Silence ringing loud and the vast hall, strained and tense. Including the contingent from the Land of Moon, they are less than fifteen total. The royal messenger and his retinue, the Hokage and the three council members, Chouza and herself.

She feels her age keenly, borrowed finery weighing down on her heavily. Crushed beneath layers of silk and the realization that she has very little say in any of this.

And she’s supposed to be queen?

What a joke.

—

Technically, technically, technically. Everything comes down to technicalities.

Technically, Land of the Moon was in the middle of a revolution when she and her team stumbled into the mess.

Technically, King Kakeru had been overthrown–had been murdered–had lost sovereignty.

Technically, the monarchy follows the Tsuki bloodline.

Technically, Prince Michiru–and his son Hikaru–had abdicated by fleeing the castle.

Technically, Shabadaba–as minister and nearest kin to the Tsuki family–had inherited the title of king.

Technically, she had waged a one woman coup against Shabadaba.

Technically, she had won.

Technically, she had only turned over Shabadaba’s judgement and castle security to Prince Michiru and Captain Korega respectively.

Technically, she is queen.

And yet, the monarchy follows the Tsuki bloodline.

—

Her dad had rejected an arranged marriage to be with her mum. Had defied his elders, had given up leadership of the Nara clan to do so.

That was his prerogative, as man and heir both, to sacrifice his clan membership for the future he wanted.

Of course, events transpired such that he could have both, but still. That was his decision. He had a decision.

But clan matters are one thing. International relations are another:

Not even Chouza’s fierce support can match the will of the Konoha Council. No loyal Konoha shinobi can disobey an order from the Hokage. The contingent from the Land of the Moon do not even understand what it is that’s being argued.

There is no choice for her to make when there is only one option offered.

—

The farce of a negotiation ends.

The royal messenger and his retinue leave, returning to their lavish rooms in Konoha’s finest inn. Trailing at the end, Captain Korega had drawn near, murmured a quiet, gruff apology and, perhaps, at a later time she would appreciate it.

The Council had tried to speak to her, lecture her on the political opportunity available to her, but Chouza had waved them away, voice near to a growl. She has lost a battle on his turf, he will not let the scavengers pick at her bones.

Tsunade, last to leave, stands in front of her kneeling form, Hokage robes and hat ominous. She is silent for a moment, eyes sharp and searching, before nodding once at Chouza and exiting.

Even as Chouza draws close–protection and stand-in comfort until her parents can come–Shikako can feel a pang of betrayal. She thought Tsunade would be on her side. Would fight for her freedom. She knows she isn’t Naruto, darling and dear, but some arrogant part of her had assumed that she was worth a measure of special treatment as well.

But Tsunade is a good Hokage, a good leader, and Shikako is just one of her many soldiers.

No loyal Konoha shinobi can disobey an order from the Hokage.

—

Engagement party is a bit of a misnomer even if it is, technically, correct.

Her family weren’t the only ones waiting for the verdict.

Somber and silent and far too stilted, but the Akimichi clan are quick on their feet for this, and soon enough food is prepared for the gathering of her family and friends.

It might as well be a wake.

“Queen Shikako,” Ino says, teasing smile about a third as bright as it might be in any other context, “at least it’s not princess.”

Sakura, romanticism tempered by social acuity, nods with a shaky attempt at a smile herself.

Together with their help, Shikako is able to wriggle out of several layers of borrowed kimono. Mum was going to do it properly, but she had taken one look at Shikako’s face, hugged her tight, and stomped off to where Dad and Chouza and Inoichi were conferring.

Less encumbered, Shikako returns to the main hall where so many people turn and stare at her entrance.

This is hell.

For a widening, maddening moment, she can see this as her future: endless silks and constant stares and the crawling, impending feeling of being trapped.

Then her stomach growls, and if it didn’t break the tension so easily, she’d die of embarrassment.

“A hungry stomach at an Akimichi party?” Chouji calls out, diverting attention away from her. He’s standing by her brother, not too far from their dads, and she wonders how much of it they know.

“We can’t have that,” he finishes, prompting everyone to move around. Free food is enticing to any hardworking shinobi, but free Akimichi food is like winning the lottery, and she sighs in relief. She’d play second chair to food any day.

A plate is assembled for her, both not enough and far too much for her hungry, nauseated stomach.

It feels like a last meal, lavish and resigned.

—

Technically, she is queen.

And yet, the monarchy follows the Tsuki bloodline.

To resolve this dilemma, the cabinet of the Land of the Moon proposed an engagement.

Hikaru is the last of the Tsuki line, royal in blood if no longer, technically, by law. If she were to marry him, then that would reunite the halves, and their future child would be once more monarch in full.

She is lucky he is only a child, and that their’s will be a long engagement. With the engagement confirmed, Prince Michiru… Lord Michiru… as her future father-in-law can rule as king regent in her stead leaving her free to continue her career as a shinobi.

Until Hikaru comes of age.

It’s a neat solution for an untenable political problem, and she’d probably admire the efficiency if it weren’t about her.

As is, all she can see is the countdown looming in front of her, an additional set of tracks beyond her already railroaded life and hey, there’s a thought:

Maybe she won’t have to deal with any of this because the entire world will be too busy being caught in a massive genjutsu by a megalomaniac to care about one measly little kingdom.

She sighs, gustily, and someone helpfully refills her sake cup.

Shikamaru eyes it, glares at whoever poured it for her, but stays silent as she takes a swig.

It’s her engagement party and apparently she’s queen: she can do whatever she wants.

—

She has no idea how so many people have today off or aren’t away on missions, but with all of them around she can barely hear herself think. And, regardless of the reason why, she does appreciate having her friends and family around.

Shizune shows up a few hours into the party which has gone from awkward to giddily, desperately drunk. Or maybe that’s just her.

It makes playing Shinobi’s Rest difficult, but she’s actually doing pretty well. She’d suspect everyone was going easy on her except her friends are far too competitive to do that, and she’s not the only one who has been drinking.

With the alcohol and noise, she almost doesn’t catch Shizune’s arrival. If it weren’t for the determined stride directly to where the dad version of Ino-Shika-Cho, Shikako might have just dismissed it as Shizune coming late to the impromptu party.

But she comes bearing a scroll and, after handing it over, doesn’t leave despite the tempting array of food and drinks or the fact that Shizune is too busy and skilled for a mere delivery.

The dads look over the scroll, confer with each other once more, glancing her way every so often and now Shikako is more than just curious.

Wobbly, she gets to her feet, laughing and grateful for the help. “No, no, keep playing,” she says, waving them off, but Sasuke stands up to follow her and, spotting their trajectory, so does her brother.

Dad accepts her sideways hug and understands it for what it is, shifting so that she can see what is on the scroll, too. Shikamaru, less one for plausible deniability, just leans heavily onto Dad and looks over his shoulder. Sasuke, not exactly keen on cuddling, stands off to the side.

A missive from the Hokage’s desk, burn after reading.

—

No loyal Konoha shinobi can disobey an order from the Hokage.

Spoken or written.

By law, the Hokage and the Daimyo are separate entities–it’s why the Twelve Guardian Ninja exist, after all, to prevent conflict of interest. Too much power for a single person to hold.

Shikako has less than a decade to fulfill these orders, but if she can succeed…

It will be trading one throne for another–a crown for a hat, a kingdom for a village–but at least she’ll have a choice.

~

A/N: Hrm… For this anon from many months ago who wanted Shikako as temporary daimyo for a foreign country and @jay345sal28 who asked about Shikako becoming Hokage after the Moon Country arc, and I was unable to meet either of those requests as they wanted but this is all I could come up with so…

I wanted to play around more with the political ramifications of the Moon Country arc and ended up basically writing about Shikako’s deep-seated dislike of arranged marriage instead? :/

Also, since SQ posted Chapter 124 as I was writing this, I suppose the first bit is kind of… outdated.

(Also, which characters do I even tag for this, wth self?)

Descendants, Carlos, Genfic, ‘as much as they are their own persons, they are also their parents’ children, and you should be afraid.’

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Hey anon, thanks for the prompt. It’s been a while since I’ve done any Descendants, so it took me a while to remember but… is this previous ficlet that I wrote not already kind of a fill? If not, could you perhaps clarify what kind of vibe you’re going for instead?

Tbh someone crushing on Shikako would probably be v scared/intimidated. I’ve experienced crushing on smart, witty, confident, sometimes reserved girls and they scare the bejeezus outta me.

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

I totally get you, anon, all of my crushes were so vastly competent that I kind of just… O_O Even the ones I could manage to string a few words together in front of I was so keenly aware of how out of my league they were I basically shut down or ran meaninglesschatter.exe until they walked away confused. I’d say annoyed, but all of my crushes were ridiculously kind as well so I think they just looked at me oddly and then walked away rather than got annoyed at me.

Feelings are hard, anon. And this is without the understandably frightening ability to blow up people with a touch.

So, I’m looking back at your pkmn brainstorms (I find myself coming back n reading them cause the AU is super awesome), and I’m just imagining the Chunin Exams as a Pkmn battle tournament and it’s hilarious to me for whatever reason? like we just go from brutal death fights to pkmn battling. I mean, it’s still emotional as ever, but the ninjas kinda take a step back. (Maybe it incorporates trainer trials? Like, pokeathlon stuff? Haha)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

jacksgreysays:

Thanks! AU/fusions are so much fun, aren’t they?

I think trainers/shinobi in this world do still have to be highly capable physically. If they are still law enforcement/wildlife rangers/first responders etc. then the trainers themselves have to be strong/fast/smart enough to get to the location to unleash their Pokemon and direct them.

So in the anime, there’s a lot where Fighting-type trainers are often literally training alongside their Pokemon–they both do the same kata / training regiments (if with different sized weights or etc)–and the few human psychics do the same with their Psychic-types if I remember correctly. Even in competitions, coordinators have to be as dolled up as their Pokemon–no slackers in competitions!

I always had a… not a headcanon, but an idea of sorts… that there are probably different kinds of Pokemon battles. Obviously there’s the two-v-two and group battles etc, but I kind of thought–for the less AoE elemental Pokemon that it’d be interesting if there were battles where trainers did actually fight alongside their Pokemon. So it would be Pokemon+trainer versus Pokemon+trainer and not only are the trainers taking the same risk as their Pokemon, there’s a bit of strategy, too, because do you focus on the Pokemon or on the opposing trainer? Do you have your Pokemon protect you? What skills do they have to augment yours? Etc. etc.

So the shinobi-trainers would be a little more active than the anime or game counterparts, but not full out punching Pokemon in the face (then again I’m pretty sure Ash has done that at least once in the anime…) Going with the first responders idea, the people still need to be the one to drive the machinery there and operate the tools or guide the dogs on what to look for etc.

Anyway, so yes. Chuunin Exams would be kind of like Pokeathlon and normal battle tournaments and Naruto canon. Everyone knows that they’re using their Pokemon, but it’s how creative you are or how well trained your Pokemon are is what pushes you over the top.

Like, oh, I don’t know, everyone knows Arcanine are very fast and their flames are very powerful, but can you imagine training an Arcanine to jump and–at the precise moment–emit enough flames to extend their jump so it’s as if they’re flying. A flying Arcanine! Who would expect that? Giant fluffy fire monster just diving down from the sky.

Also, I’m not saying that the AU fusion would be “grittier” than the canon Pokemon world, but there are some instances of actual death in the games so it’s not like brutal death fights to Pokemon battling is necessarily such a huge steps. For the Chuunin Exams (especially the tournament which was open to the public) they would stop at the point of “fainting” but in some of the really bad battles, you know there are some Pokemon and human deaths going on.

… sorry, that’s a morbid point to end on…

Oh, yeah, definitely. It’s a sign of something TERRIBLY WRONG when a trainer’s Pokemon dies. Like… either they’re so inexperienced or incompetent that they cannot discern their Pokemon’s limits OR that trainer is terribly outclassed. Ratata vs Legendary kind of outclassed–one hit kills, kind of thing where no amount of revives/potions/PokeCenter treatments will save them.

It’s why only the shinobi-trainers are licensed to have more than two Pokemon because having a full team of six is so much responsibility and requires so much ability from the trainers themselves. They have to understand each of their team member’s limits, have to be able to make the quick decision to recall or keep them on the field. Know which ones to swap in, which ones to keep in reserve. They’re not allowed to run away, is the thing, so they have to be able to manage their team enough to get the job done without lethal consequences.

That being said, I don’t think the move “Self-Destruct” is actually a Pokemon blowing themselves up so much as it is them essentially releasing the majority of their energy in one huge burst and immediately fainting. They still have the bare minimum to still be alive, but if they aren’t immediately recalled (and healed within a few hours) they do have a very real chance of dying.

So, I’m looking back at your pkmn brainstorms (I find myself coming back n reading them cause the AU is super awesome), and I’m just imagining the Chunin Exams as a Pkmn battle tournament and it’s hilarious to me for whatever reason? like we just go from brutal death fights to pkmn battling. I mean, it’s still emotional as ever, but the ninjas kinda take a step back. (Maybe it incorporates trainer trials? Like, pokeathlon stuff? Haha)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Thanks! AU/fusions are so much fun, aren’t they?

I think trainers/shinobi in this world do still have to be highly capable physically. If they are still law enforcement/wildlife rangers/first responders etc. then the trainers themselves have to be strong/fast/smart enough to get to the location to unleash their Pokemon and direct them.

So in the anime, there’s a lot where Fighting-type trainers are often literally training alongside their Pokemon–they both do the same kata / training regiments (if with different sized weights or etc)–and the few human psychics do the same with their Psychic-types if I remember correctly. Even in competitions, coordinators have to be as dolled up as their Pokemon–no slackers in competitions!

I always had a… not a headcanon, but an idea of sorts… that there are probably different kinds of Pokemon battles. Obviously there’s the two-v-two and group battles etc, but I kind of thought–for the less AoE elemental Pokemon that it’d be interesting if there were battles where trainers did actually fight alongside their Pokemon. So it would be Pokemon+trainer versus Pokemon+trainer and not only are the trainers taking the same risk as their Pokemon, there’s a bit of strategy, too, because do you focus on the Pokemon or on the opposing trainer? Do you have your Pokemon protect you? What skills do they have to augment yours? Etc. etc.

So the shinobi-trainers would be a little more active than the anime or game counterparts, but not full out punching Pokemon in the face (then again I’m pretty sure Ash has done that at least once in the anime…) Going with the first responders idea, the people still need to be the one to drive the machinery there and operate the tools or guide the dogs on what to look for etc.

Anyway, so yes. Chuunin Exams would be kind of like Pokeathlon and normal battle tournaments and Naruto canon. Everyone knows that they’re using their Pokemon, but it’s how creative you are or how well trained your Pokemon are is what pushes you over the top.

Like, oh, I don’t know, everyone knows Arcanine are very fast and their flames are very powerful, but can you imagine training an Arcanine to jump and–at the precise moment–emit enough flames to extend their jump so it’s as if they’re flying. A flying Arcanine! Who would expect that? Giant fluffy fire monster just diving down from the sky.

Also, I’m not saying that the AU fusion would be “grittier” than the canon Pokemon world, but there are some instances of actual death in the games so it’s not like brutal death fights to Pokemon battling is necessarily such a huge steps. For the Chuunin Exams (especially the tournament which was open to the public) they would stop at the point of “fainting” but in some of the really bad battles, you know there are some Pokemon and human deaths going on.

… sorry, that’s a morbid point to end on…

Can I ask for Haku/Shikako/Gaara?

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

This one is the last of the Ask Box Advent Calendar Event (for 2016), and what an interesting way to end it, anon. 🙂

Let’s see… I guess a Haku/Shikako/Gaara could be done two different ways. A “canon DoS” version and… I have this AU idea but I don’t know if I’ll be able to articulate it well.

So the “canon DoS” version would probably just be me tweaking Dreaming of S(omething). Where Shikako is the ambassador from Konoha and Haku is the ambassador from Kiri, and together they’re two fish out of somewhat literal water.

Fabulously deadly and beautiful fish that Gaara just kind of cannot function around because. Okay. One pretty long-and-dark-haired badass who sees the good in a former weaponized jinchuuriki is just barely manageable, but two? O_O That poor boy.

Gaara is a very competent Kazekage, okay, capable of wrangling the council and proving himself to his people. He’s no longer a thing to be afraid of, but a person that loves his village and who his village loves in turn.

But it’s very obvious that when both of the ambassadors are around that he gets all tongue-tied and flustered and the shy, sweet child that he used to be becomes prevalent due to the extreme crush he has on both Haku and Shikako.

Kankurou has not gone a day without laughing to the point of tears.

Shikako’s mostly oblivious, but I feel like Haku is savvy enough to know what’s going on. I do, however, think he’s enough of a trickster to not react so that someone else will make the first move. He is flattered and interested and amused and quite patient enough to see how the other two parts of this potential triad proceed.

So not too different from Dreaming of S(omething), but there would be a slight shift in the dynamics between Shikako and Gaara to accommodate Haku. (*dreamy sigh* They’d make such a beautiful tableau, wouldn’t they?)

The AU idea that comes to mind is a little…

Basically, spies. Or rather undercover bodyguards? But also spies? Benevolent mercenaries?

I’ll admit, part of it is influenced by the way my family and I binge watched the Netflix series Travelers (which I… tentatively recommend. It has potential, but the series was definitely made with a second season in mind so there isn’t enough to say I love it.) But only very loosely influenced since this AU is minus the main gimmick of the show (the time traveling, body snatching aspects of it), and more about the badass agents being undercover and an ultimate authority telling them to protect a person without questioning the reason why.

And, probably, when that ultimate authority tells them to kill that person instead they rebel.

So Agent Yuki and Agent Nara have both met each other before, and though their respective countries had sent them on missions that were originally at cross-purposes, they got along quite well. This time, thankfully, they are both assigned to protect Wind Country’s Prime Minister’s youngest son while being undercover and it’s kind of just like… I know who you are and you know who I am so let’s just vouch for each other and we’ll protect him together.

And the dynamic is much the same despite the AU setting–Gaara is a blushing, awkward mess around these two beautiful badasses (though he doesn’t know the extent of their badassery) and Shikako is too focussed on the job to realize anyone’s emotions much less her own while Haku sees all and is amused.

Neither Agents Yuki or Nara think to wonder why they were assigned to protect the Wind Country’s Prime Minister’s youngest son until, a couple of months into the mission, they receive counter orders to kill him.

Then there’s some misunderstandings–in which Agents Yuki and Nara fight, thinking the other will follow through on their new orders, only to realize that neither of them want to kill Gaara. And some cover breaking–because there’s no way Shikako can have a subtle fight (and Haku is, for all his soft touch in social matters, an agent on par with her). And some sleuthing–as the trio try to figure out what the hell is going on. And some confessions of feelings because high energy action means emotions are just erupting everywhere.

I have the feeling that Gaara in this world is a primary school teacher. And that Kankurou, while not an Agent, is involved in “The Game” as possibly an analyst or an informant or something like that and is the one who got both Agents Yuki and Nara assigned to protect his brother.

What do you think, anon?

I saw this in an old post on the forums, and I thought it was interesting: Shikako moves out & buys a sorta big house that’s like a psuedo-Team 7 HQ, haha. Seeing as Sasuke and Naruto lived in apartments for much of their lives, it’s a kind upgrade. Maybe they pooled their mission money together. Kakashi crashes from time to time. (Maybe this is post-plot?)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

😀 Thanks for the prompt, anon.

I feel like this would work best if it just kind of happened accidentally. Like…

So with the impending birth of the third Nara child, Shikako moves out of her childhood bedroom. And, see, technically she only moves to the downstairs room, but maybe she doesn’t totally unpack the boxes. Maybe it’s just more like storage and a place to sleep since she’s going on missions and training trips more and more frequently.

And then, as resident mad scientist, she realizes she probably oughtn’t experiment with her more destructive seals in the house with an untrained baby. Also, she loves her new sibling, but baby Nara is not the sleepiest of babies and also a very loud crier.

Thus, she gets a lab/workshop.

Because the Clan Head’s house–while not ostentatious–is pretty much in the center of the Nara Clan compound and not exactly the best place to be experimenting with field seals. And it’s not as if the Nara are unfamiliar with having lab/workshops away from the main part of the compound. Maybe for feels, the lab/workshop is a gift from Shikaku (and it was once her uncle’s, because Ikoma also had a penchant for somewhat destructive experimentation).

And it’s a fairly out of the way lab/workshop–for somewhat obvious reasons–and it’s also kind of big. Not ludicrously so, but it’s medium warehouse size. She doesn’t need much in the way of equipment and such–unlike the other labs which are specialized medicine–so this workshop is mostly empty. She gets a desk, sets up a blast area. Maybe she puts a futon in for those times that she just kinda gets into a groove and doesn’t want to make the trip back home for sleep when she’s just going to come back.

And I don’t know if this is fanon or canon, but doesn’t Naruto live in a really shitty apartment? Probably one that had been subsidized by the Sandaime in his poor attempt to do right by him, except hey guess what? Sandaime is dead now and Tsunade doesn’t know about all the little projects he was doing and Naruto disappears for three years. That apartment? The landlord probably isn’t going to maintain that for Naruto.

So when Naruto comes back from the time skip–no apartment, probably. And it just kind of makes the most sense for him to crash at Shikako’s workshop for a bit? It’s habitable and she’s not always there, really, and there’s more than enough space. Plus, I think he’d prefer to live at the workshop than impose directly on her family.

Maybe Sasuke feels left out. Or maybe there’s some legit renovation going on in the Uchiha district and he needs a place to stay, too. Or maybe they just invite him after a team dinner and it’s an extended sleepover that basically never ends.

Sasuke brings in furniture and such, better appliances and cookware and stuff, but Naruto is the one to make everything homey what with house plants and wall art and such. Shikako looks up one day and realizes her workshop has become an actual home.

Kakashi does show up like the stray cat he is. It’s one of his favorite places to hide from Tsunade-sama (and Sakura, now that she’s basically become Team Seven’s personal physician what with the Sharingan miracle cure and all) and there’s a couple of dog bods in a corner for whichever of his summons want to hang out in the people world.

It’s not really squatting, since the Nara Clan own the workshop and they’re not likely to argue with what the clan head’s daughter is up to especially since she’s producing more and more seals (and no one has to worry about her dying of malnutrition with her team living with her and feeding her).

That witches!verse seems really cool! Maybe some background lore pls?

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Sorry this is late, anon, the past week has not been particularly conducive to rest much less writing so…

Background lore for witches!verse… you mean like worldbuilding?

The way I see it, magical communities are kind of like minorities/ethnic groups. Magicians gather together and there are cultural differences but it’s not two separate worlds/governments as it is in the HP series.

To that end, separate magical communities from separate countries would develop differently (but not too far astray) so Temari and Shikako have different styles of magic.

For the most part, though, consider learning magic like how language works. Mostly from parents, yes, but there’s probably some “clubs” or special classes. (So Sakura, as the muggleborn equivalent, does have access to magical education).

While the magical community isn’t separate, it is mostly a secret. Or… it is now. Modern magical communities believe in discretion and protecting themselves, but they don’t isolate themselves completely (as per having an annual deer petting zoo/sleigh rides that even non-magical people can appreciate).

Now for more interesting world building!

The summon realm is a separate plane but it is, simultaneously, overlapping with the real world. Magicians–generally witches, though occasionally a wizard will also have enough magic to do so–can form a bond with specific summon who will help them control/amplify their abilities.

The Nara, as an entrenched clan, have a partnership with the deer. Shikako can make Heijomaru tangible and, with a little more power, he can do the same to the rest of the herd. Conversely, there have been a few years where different members of the clan are assigned to different deer (multiple magicians to one deer if need be) but having someone powerful enough to make Heijomaru tangible is a fairly rare thing.

Temari’s family, on the other hand, are not tied to any one summon line. They’re a big believer in throwing their children in the deep end (even though the swimming analogy doesn’t really apply to desert scions). And Kamatari, being an former warrior summon, found Temari a worthy witch.

Unsurprisingly, Temari is a wind witch–she travels often and wherever the wind may blow–whereas Shikako is more grounded in this AU than canon DoS (being an earth witch). That’s definitely something I’d bank more on in this AU–their opposing elemental leanings and that not-quite conflict between their differing styles and philosophies of magic.

Shikako has so many friends and is so involved with the magical community, whereas Temari is polite but not friendly and while she picks up different kinds of magics often it’s a more self-serving gathering.

But I do think, at heart, Shikako would want to travel too–and I suppose that’s what this AU endgame would be. Shikako’s community acknowledging her desires and releasing her from any obligations, though with some misunderstandings in which Temari is possibly accused of trying to charm her away from home.

… unsure if this answers your question, anon.

Your Shino/Kako brainstorm made me melt, hoooly hecckk <3<33333

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

jacksgreysays:

Melt? I don’t know if I really contributed much to make someone melt, anon, but I suppose I’ll take your word on it.

I think a Shino/Shikako ship would be interesting to read because it would have… ah. Well, this is a benefit to me but I realize it might not be for others, but it basically has the aspects of what I like about DarcyxElizabeth Bennet without the cringing misunderstandings and biases.

Shino, like Darcy, is an eloquent man, intelligent and kind, but not exactly the suavest or most charming person (especially in comparison to his friends). Shikako, like Elizabeth Bennet, is a free-wheeling spirit, loyal to her family (and teammates) and absolutely cutthroat when the occasion calls for it; she’s not necessarily the most graceful in traditional social niceties, but she’s good with people when she wants to be.

So imagine the same meeting of two minds except, instead of in a weird back and forth pining/disgust melodrama it’s founded on mutual respect. 🙂

🙂 Sounds good, anon.

I think Shikako really needs a confidante, too, and part of me thinks that of the Konoha Twelve/Thirteen the most likely one would be Shino. It used to be Ino, but that was before the whole Sasuke Retrieval Arc leading to Orochimaru inside her head thing. (Before Shikako broke her).

You can still see remnants of that possibility–between Ino and Shikako, that is–in the post Land of Moon Arc especially, and the emotional depth of that scene is all the more poignant to me because of that. The almost could have been just T_T I mourn for it.

Shino, I think, would be a different kind of confidante. Not that he’s all robotic logic (as proven with the absolutely adorable relationship he has with his younger sister) but there’s a different foundation for the trust and truth that would be between them. Shikako might have, in a different time, told Ino the truth in a moment of emotional vulnerability. Shikako would tell Shino in a moment of vital strategy.

Most likely? If she ever did go against Danzo and needed a touchstone of sorts. With her family and her teammates and certain other allies, she would want to have some plausible deniability (like with the post Tsukuyomi–researching the names and faces and times of death of the Massacre just to see if she could find the incongruity and use that to bring up the suspicious circumstances). But if push comes to shove and she were to try to act on information that has no outside evidence (that she has access to, anyway) then I think she’d trust Shino with it.

Team Ten and Seven are both too close to home–she broke them or she changed them or she has far too much on them. Team Gai simply isn’t plugged in enough to be a touchstone–Lee’s family is very small, TenTen is an orphan, and Neji is a Branch member… if ever Danzo were to try to poach ROOT candidates it would be from their team. There’d hardly be any resistance. Team Eight’s a little… she and Kiba are essentially having a philosophical debate, and he would (at least initially) react poorly to the “I know a version of the future reveal” much less the “reincarnated from a different world where your lives are a manga.” Hinata is unsealed and against Danzo would be the only proof of why having the Caged Bird Seal has any benefit at all.

Shino’s family (at least his father) has experience with Danzo’s treacherous ways. And maybe Shino doesn’t know everything, but there’s no way that he hasn’t been at least obliquely warned against Danzo.

If it weren’t a strategic nightmare, I’d want to see Shikako, Shino, and Sai go on a mission together out of Fire country. After the per usual Lucky Seven twist, in which Shino notices maybe an exchange between the other two regarding their dancing around the matter of ROOT, or he notices something about Sai only, the three of them go back to Konoha. Shino requests to speak with Shikako about it, and she agrees and in the relative safety of the Aburame family home, she obliquely brings up the idea of ROOT and references Danzo.

A few more meetings and maybe one more strategically-a-nightmare Sensory Squad mission, this is the set up for a canon DoS Shino/Shikako ship.