#I’m not funny this was all sunshine-hime

[zolanort]

@sunshine-hime behold!

(redraw of this post)

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: Feelings To Write About

Author: @magioftheseas

For: @spaghetti4u

Pairings/Characters: KomaHina + mentioned KamuKoma

Rating/Warnings: G

Prompt: “Hinata or someone else trying to encourage Komaeda into doing something funny to spend the time (going to the beach, playing some game or anything really!)” + “Sharing a bed”

Author’s notes: It’s a pretty lowkey fic, and I ended up having them talk about the WoH because I have fluffy feelings when it comes to them. Cakeland is obviously based off Candyland which I have a lot of nostalgia for. I hope it’s cutesy enough for you!

The weather on Jabberwock wasn’t the perfect, eternal sunshine it had been in the simulation. There were storms and quite harsh ones at that. Hence why when him and Komaeda got caught up in one, he brought Komaeda with him to the hotel for studier shelter rather than just relying on one of their cottages. It was one of those weeks where the others were out trying to fix other parts of the world or meeting with the other sections of the Future Foundation, so the hotel was as vast as it was vacant. Hinata doesn’t try to think about how this scenario is like a million haunted movies and games—he especially doesn’t want to think about games—and instead, he focuses on drying Komaeda’s hair off with several towels.

Komaeda is docile when being fussed over, but he’s still shaking like a leaf. Hinata wraps him in some blankets for good measure, trying to keep a straight face when Komaeda sneezes.

“If we get enough blankets and pillows, this won’t be too bad a place to sleep for the night,” he says, tearing open a tissue packet pulled from Komaeda’s pocket for the other to blow his nose on. Hinata does flash him a smile, playing idly with the wet but still springy curls on his boyfriend’s head. “Do you need anything else to make yourself comfortable?”

“Mm.” A noncommittal hum and a meek shrug. Komaeda’s been in a low mood all day and the storm hadn’t seemed to help measures. Hinata tries to retain a reassuring smile as he tucks silvery strands behind the other’s ear. “It doesn’t really matter.”

I wouldn’t ask if that were true. Hinata bites his tongue. You know I would’ve just decided what to do without you. You probably wouldn’t even care in this state.

“There might be board games,” he found himself saying. “How about we play something to pass the time? You like Go, right?”

Komaeda shrugs again, as if he didn’t carry around go jars all throughout high school and even had them stored in his cottage at that exact moment. Hinata can only sigh and go along with Komaeda’s unstated hesitance.

“Maybe something new,” he said as we went to the closet where the board games were stored. “Variety is the spice of life.”

Komaeda sneezes behind him and makes no further comments. Fine. That’s fine. Hinata should just focus on deciding—or just grab the first thing that catches his eye and settle with that. Which is what he does. Either the dormant Kamukura Izuru’s kicking him in the mental balls right now or Komaeda’s momentary apathy is contagious.

He could figure out which if he thought about it. He elects not to think as to conserve energy. This is how he lives his life now.

Although the board game he grabbed is—not really to his or to Komaeda’s tastes. He still commits and takes it with him before setting it in front of Komaeda. Komaeda does look at the cover, his mouth twitching.

“Cakeland,” Hinata read aloud. “For ages 4 and up. If I didn’t know any better I’d say this is Usami’s doing.”

“Oh, I’ve seen it before,” Komaeda said, soft and low. “Utsugi-san was fond of it. She always forced me to be Donatsuo. She hated that character most.”

Even without a genius brain, Hinata can tell who that is. The donuts-themed boy with short choppy hair and absurdly large, caramel-colored eyes.

“This was Utsugi-san’s character of choice,” Komaeda recalled, tapping his finger against a happy girl in pink. “Ichigo-hime.”

“So,” Hinata said, trying to keep his tone neutral. “Was this game any good?”

“It’s not very complicated because it’s for kids, ages four and up,” was Komaeda’s dull response.

“We’re not kids but we’re older than four, so we should be fine.”

With all that said, it looked like they were playing Cakeland. Hinata sets up the board—which is even kitschier in design than the box and he picks the character that looked the most normal-ish save for a strange hairstyle—identified by Komaeda as the Baron Maron. Komaeda does look between them and muffle a small snort, and Hinata doesn’t care to ask.

Komaeda picks Donatsuo, although he very lovingly places other pieces aside. Ichigo-hime and a few others who mysteriously had similar color schemes to those troubled kids he babysat all that time ago. As Servant. In Towa. After Enoshima Junko died but they were still all in despair.

That he can even have fond memories at all—

Hinata feels his throat burn with questions, but swallows back and just rolls the dice.

“We’re just both going to get six,” Komaeda said. “What to do?”

Hinata doesn’t say that he could probably get any roll he so wanted, so he just grumbles.

“I’ll go first because it’s in my name. Sound enough logic?”

Komaeda giggled warmly. It strikes a soft chord within him, and his heart may or may not do a flip in appreciation of such a sound.

“Whatever,” Hinata says, drawing a card. “What’s important are these, anyway. Wow, I drew you.” He does flash the card, showcasing Donatsuo with a dorky grin and dual peace signs. “Guess that means I go to your character space. It’s the first one on the map though so it’s not that far ahead.”

“It’s good luck to get that at the beginning of the game but bad luck to get that at the end,” Komaeda said, drawing his own card. He just gets a plain color so he only moves ahead four spaces. “Since your luck is better than mine, I wonder if this is even a fair game…”

“Your luck is still formidable,” Hinata pointed out as he drew. It was green. That was five spaces. “I’d say it breaks to about even.”

“Oh, no,” Komaeda breathed, shaking his head. “No, that’s wrong. Comparing my luck to yours is like comparing a gnat to a swan because both can fly.”

“It’s not…” Hinata sputtered a bit, unsure of what the hell to make of that. “What does that even mean? Komaeda, your—your luck’s on a whole other level. You should know that more than anyone.”

Komaeda just draws. He still hasn’t selected a special card. Hinata ends up drawing the next one, a strange angelic figure named Enjunji, who he just didn’t get good vibes from.

“Kemuri-kun’s favorite,” Komaeda said quietly and Hinata moved further ahead. It was the closest character space in reality, so it still wasn’t impressive.

I have a feeling I know how this is gonna go.

Still, they kept playing.

“You’re still like that, huh,” Hinata mused quietly. “You’re still—really harsh on yourself. That hasn’t changed, but I suppose other things have.”

“Other things?” Komaeda echoed before laughing. “Like what, per say?”

“You’re not as reckless as you used to be,” was the immediate answer. Another draw. Another several steps ahead. Komaeda’s piece was struggling to keep up. “You’re much calmer. You don’t talk about hope and talent all the time.”

“Because,” Komaeda said. “Hope’s Peak—the encapsulation of all of that—was in reality a breeding ground for despair. It was poisoned to the core and I was just too blind to notice.”

We all were, myself especially, Hinata thought, reaching up to touch his temple. He knew Komaeda noticed, but his eyes screwed shut so that he wouldn’t have to see whatever warp Komaeda’s face. I wasn’t just blind, I was so, so fucking stupid.

“You agreed to be with me,” he forced out so that he wouldn’t have to keep thinking about his own failures. “Your old self never would’ve let yourself have any real sense of happiness. At least not something you’d have to maintain, like a relationship.”

Komaeda chuckled. “You mean you would’ve let me reject you?”

“You did reject me,” Hinata reminded him dryly. “Several times. And then you demanded Tsumiki make sure I didn’t have brain damage.”

“Oh, did I?” Komaeda tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I still find your attachment to me nonsensical, especially when I more or less stated I wanted nothing to do with you in the past. But—I suppose you knew that was a lie, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, you’re a liar.” Hinata cracked a smile. “At least when it comes to your feelings. You’re sincere most of the time.”

“The proper word is stupid,” Komaeda said, moving his piece a single space with a nudge from a metallic finger. “I’m stupid.”

“You’re not stupid. Don’t say that. You shouldn’t even think it.”

Hinata’s tone was as serious as it was grim. Komaeda’s self-effacing expression twitched, but he simply ducked his head reservedly.

“It’s in moments like this where you most resemble Kamukura-kun,” he murmured, fringe falling before his eyes and obscuring his gaze. “He’d speak up like this in the past despite being so quiet most of the time.”

Hinata felt a stirring in the back of his head. He held his breath until it went away and all that was left was the pounding in his ears. Even with that, he still knew.

“He cared about you.”

Kamukura doesn’t let him see into those memories often, although he still sometimes imagined it—maybe even dreamed it. Komaeda Nagito, eyes murky with despair and shoulders trembling under the weight of it, smiling up at him.

“He didn’t think to acknowledge it, much less accept it,” he went on, rubbing his digits into his scalp and catching skin flakes and rain droplets under his nails. “I was the same way in the simulation.”

“You both had strong reasoning to be that way, my inherent worthlessness none withstanding.” Komaeda laughed. “I wasn’t exactly in my best frame of mind at either time, although that’s not saying much.”

“Nor was I,” Hinata retorted. “I even denied part of my identity. I was—pathetic. You were right about that.”

Komaeda is quiet, lips twisting. His shoulders shake briefly under a certain kind of weight. Hinata draws his next card, and it’s another character, a studious blue one named Chouchoux.

“You were an ass about it,” he said. “Like, an absolute ass. But, hey, definitely not the worst thing about you at the time. By the way, this one was used for Shingetsu Nagisa, wasn’t it?”

Komaeda nodded, fiddling with his mechanical hand and making a loud series of whirly noises. He drew his card as well. Another plain one, with his piece moving only two spaces ahead.

Hinata draws and it’s a card of a boy in stripes and red, looking fierce and fiery. Torayaki—obviously the favored character of one Daimon Masaru.

“Do you miss them?” he found himself asking. “If so, we can contact Towa City and ask Naegi’s sister how they’re doing. They might even be curious about you.”

“I doubt it,” Komaeda laughed mirthlessly. “And it’s fine. As long as they’re doing well.”

“I don’t think they hated you,” Hinata said. “You took care of them after all.”

“I was a wretched despair.” Komaeda shook his head. “And they were perfectly self-sufficient. I doubt they even think of me anymore—and rightfully so. I only approached them in the first place out of curiosity, not because I saw children who needed protection and guidance.”

“They would’ve killed you if you had,” Hinata can’t help but remind him. “Probably would’ve found that sentiment insulting with all that they’ve been through. They were children and angry ones at that. I don’t blame them, of course…” He trails off. “I don’t think it’d be bad to send a letter now that things have calmed down a little.”

Not to mention—you lit up when talking about them. You’ve been listless lately, and I know. I get it. There’s no particular reason for it, that’s just how depression works sometimes. I still missed your smile, Nagito.

“Just a letter shouldn’t be too bad,” he insisted. “You’ve been practicing your calligraphy with that hand after all.”

The hand in question flexes. No joints pop, it’s just more whirls. Komaeda does smile, but it’s one that is curled up on his face, like a body trying to keep itself warm in the cold.

Hinata draws Ichigo-hime next. At this rate, Komaeda has no chance of winning. But the funny thing about a game like this was that luck of the draw could flip things so easily. There was one last character space, furthest ahead and closest to the end.

“Maybe,” Komaeda says and—as expected, he draws the card.

It’s a young woman dressed in green named Monaka-jou-sama.

Komaeda wins the games just a few turns later.

Outside, it was still storming.

“It’s pretty late, so let’s get ready for bed, Nagito.”

“Okay.”

Hinata goes to find futons while Komaeda puts away the board game. Hinata sets up a couple of makeshift beds and he presses them together. He does pause afterward, wondering if this was right. He heard Komaeda shuffling about, the whirling of his arm, and then, he felt Komaeda sliding the board game back onto the shelf. Thunder rumbles, the trees are being rustled by the wind, and Komaeda lets out a soft whew.

Hinata is still up until the moment he hears the padding of Komaeda’s soft footsteps, and he only truly relaxes when Komaeda’s slim arms encircle his waist, with Komaeda pressing his face into Hinata’s back. He pets Komaeda’s hair with a lop-sided smile, and Komaeda’s cheeks puff.

“You don’t just remember the simulation, right,” he murmured. “You have Kamukura-kun’s memories, too.”

“Technically,” Hinata replied. “Kamukura Izuru has to share them with me first. Sometimes he does. Sometimes he doesn’t.”

Komaeda huffed.

“It’s so complicated, keeping you two separate yet also together. Sometimes I wonder who I’m with.”

I wonder that, too. But what matters is…

“Regardless of who I am, I still love you.” He pats Komaeda’s head. “That much is and always will be clear.”

“Regardless of who you are, I love you, too,” is mumbled into his back.

It’s so soft a sound that Hinata wouldn’t have even heard him if not for the vibrations, but that’s fine. It’s not like he’s ignorant to Komaeda’s feelings. Not anymore.

He ushers Komaeda under the blankets, Komaeda still clinging to his wrist all the while. Chuckling softly, Hinata slips in after him and squeezes Komaeda’s hand. He rubs his thumb against the other’s pulse, only pausing because Komaeda grips him with the mechanical hand. His grip only tightens when Hinata kisses his forehead and then down his face.

“When the storm passes,” Hinata says, nuzzling along Komaeda’s jawline and pressing another kiss to his cheek where ensuing the blush tinted it pink. “We should send out letters.”

Komaeda ducks his head, but he still accepts the affection that he’s showered with.

“We should also walk along the beach, maybe,” Hinata teases. “See what gets washed up. It might be treasure.”

“You’re a treasure,” Komaeda retorted, flustered. Shoving Hinata’s hands off and his face away, he buried his face into Hinata’s chest, hiding it from further embarrassment. “You’re the worst thing to have ever washed up on that beach.”

Hinata hummed, stroking his hair.

I didn’t technically wash up, but…

“And yet you stayed behind for me.” Hinata hides his smile in those wild white curls. “You’re still here right now.”

Komaeda grumbled but gave no further response. That was fine. Perfectly fine.

Stay with me, alright? Please keep staying with me. He decided against asking that for now for now. Opting instead for, “Sweet dreams, Nagito. I love you.”

[parfaitwaffles]

Mid-Season Cures: Top Ranking

A few weeks ago, the newest mid season Cure, Cure Cosmo has debuted. And since Star Twinkle has been the 10th season to have a mid season Cure, I started to think about which mid season Cures are my most favorites.

Note: This ranking only includes Cures that appeared in the 20-ish episodes (aka joined the team around that time). Otherwise, it’d be hard (for me at least) to determine who exactly is the mid season Cure for certain seasons.

This ranking is based on personal opinion! You don’t have to agree with it, nor do you have to like it. It was made just for fun and not to serve the purpose to hate on certain characters!

#1 Cure Passion

It might sound a little funny, but yes, the very first official mid season Cure is also my most favorite one! Despite joining the fandom in 2013, Fresh Pretty Cure! was the first season I watched and totally fell in love with. There’s not a single thing I dislike about the season and I love ever character of the show. 

But that is not the reason why Passion is my most favorite mid season Cure. Among all Cures that joined late, Passion/Eas just simply had the best redemption arc in my opinion! She was a badass character as Eas and suffered through her arc, trying to prove to Moebius that’s she is a loyal servant, even if it meant to risk her own life. And her struggle didn’t end after she became Cure Passion. She kept on doubting herself, she felt like she was all alone until she realized and accepted that Love and the others wanted her to be with her.

Additionally, Setsuna is simply badass, I can’t help but loving her.

#2 Cure Scarlet

To be honest, when Go! Pri first aired, I didn’t like it at all, it was among my least favorite seasons, and thus I didn’t think highly of Cure Scarlet. By today, however, I have totally fallen in love with the season and appreciate the plot, the setting, the characters, the everything. In my personal ranking, Go! Pri might not be my most favorite season but I still love it very much. 

Originally, I thought Scarlet might be a rip off of Passion. But I learned and realized that despite them both being redemption Cures, they are quite different. Setsuna might have had the more impacting arc, but that didn’t mean that Towa’s was bad!! In fact, I teared up quite often during her arc as well and Twilight is a terribly awesome character! (I kinda even like Twilight more than Towa tbh).

#3 Cure Fortune

A lot people dislike HaCha, so I wonder how many of you would be surprised to see Fortune to be my 3rd most favorite mid season Cure. But yes, she is! Fortune has a lot badass-ness to give. Like... all other Cures were somehow chosen by Blue (he threw the crystals at them) while Iona took the PreChanMirror of her sister to avange her. She was probably one of the most determined Cures we have ever met. She literally went “God, who? I will rescue my sister no matter what!”. I agree that she was a little strict and stubborn towards Hime, but let’s be honest, she had all reason to!

Cure Fortune is just cute and amazing, I totally love her!

#4 Cure Sunshine

//coughs// I wanna talk with you Toei, about how you handled Itsuki. Because?? She (Cure Sunshine) debuted as a badass Cure who does shields but can kick ass because she’s awesome and all! But after a while, all she does is shielding her friends? She can kick ass, so let her kick ass, please! 

Ehem... yes, I also really love Cure Sunshine. Tho before I watched Heartcatch Pretty Cure!, I thought Itsuki was boring... oh how wrong I was, right? Itsuki has probably one of the best transformations of all. It shows that you can be cute and badass at the same time. I’ve seen someone talking bad about her transformation, but tbh?? It’s amazing, give me more like that!

#5 Cure Beat

I have once started watching Suite Pretty Cure♪ but dropped it (because life got crazy). I will watch it completely one day though! And for favorite Cure... of Suite I love Cure Muse the most, but as I limited the mid season ranking to Cures that appeared in the 20ish episodes, I have to go with Beat. And I really do like Beat!! Like Passion, Beat was once a villain of the season, but even though they have a similar background, the story was completely different and I think Toei chose a good plot for Beat! I doubt that a redemption arc like Eas’ had fit with her tbh. 

Now, I could never take Siren as serious as Eas but... I suppose we never should. I guess she was always supposed to be a funny character that the audience loves to see. And tbh that’s what I like about Siren/Ellen/Beat. How random and funny she was at times, but then could also be determined and protective again. 

Also, guitars. Yes please. We need more Guitar Cures. We’ve only had 3 so far! (4 if you count Gelato, but she didn’t use one to attack)

#6 Cure Parfait

Tbh, I prefer Kirarin over Parfait and Ciel, but there we go; Cure Parfait is my favorite Cure from her season because she’s so different from everyone else. Her transformation is, imo, the most beautiful one and her attack... is really weird, but not as weird as creating a darn cake and then throw it at the enemy (seriously Toei, that attack is lame, what were you thinking xD). I can’t exactly say what I liked about Cure Parfait, I might like her the most because she and Pikario (best boy!!) had the best development and best arc of the whole season and thus her debut was so emotional, to me at least. Idk, but here we are. She can’t even make it to my top 5 favorite mid season Cures... xD

#7 Cure Amour & Cure MaCherie

I love Cure MaCherie and am neutral about Cure Amour, and as mid season Cures I’m pretty much “meh” about them because they simply took too much spotlight from the other three Cures. In the end,... usually a mid season Cure joins when the Cures can’t take a certain challenge anymore and need support. Then the candidate to become a Cure, becomes determinded and creates a miracle by becoming another Pretty Cure (that is the usual way. I prefer more creative ways, like Towa and Setsuna’s tbh). Emiru and Ruru’s debut was ... Hana was sick and Homare and Saaya were ignored. That’s why they had to transform... right?? In other words, it was lame.

At least the transformation and attacks were nice! They also felt like they are part of the team, which I missed in KiraKira, where Ciel always only spoke with Ichika and that’s it...

#8 Cure Felice

I still have to watch Mahou Tsukai, so my opinion of her could still change! But for now, I’m very neutral towards Cure Felice tbh, she is cute and I love her design but... that’s just it? Her transformation is beautiful, but just so looooooong... same with her attack, way too long and also a bit boring. I get she is the Cure of nature, but did you have to show the flowers blooming from step to step @ toei???

Also I never understood why we need a flower Cure in a season based on magic. I know she is Mother RaPaPa but... eh... yes. 

#9 Cure Ace

One word: meh. Too bossy, and her entrance was too random. She never appeared before. It’s like Toei forgot about her until episode 23.

#10 Cure Cosmo

hmmm please note that this opinion of Cure Cosmo can still change as Star Twinkle Pretty Cure is still airing! However, as for now, I’m really no fan of her. I really like Yuni/Blue Cat though, as she is a badass character who likes to be a lone wolf! Cure Cosmo, however, just seems a little useless at the moment. Of course this is to blame on Toei but ,... well everything that happens is always to blame on Toei, so that’s even.

To me, her debut episodes, her transformation and even her attack were medicore and can’t be compared to other mid season Cures. Even Cure Ace had a flashier transformation (even though her fairy partner is annoying me). And even Ace’s attack was impacting, while Rainbow Splash is just good for visuals but except for that, it’s really lame. Up until now, the only (!!!) thing I can love Cosmo for is all the 80s aesthetic (but then again, Toei is trying WAYYYY to hard it that. It’s so much that it hurts, I’m sorry.) 

I hope Toei steps up the game with Cosmo and maybe I’ll like her more by the end of the season. But now she’s just... kinda meh to me.

[lyricalive]

Maribel & Renko cosplay with lori-hime​ for Anime Expo 2016.

Thank you for being my partner in every possible way. ♥  I still can’t believe we got to meet ZUN together...  Talk about turning dreams into reality!

We got our print works personally signed by him, posed with him at the Touhou cosplay gathering, attended his panel, and even got to ask a question.  I feel terrible that I couldn’t ask the right question for hints about the future of the Sealing Club, but it was an honor to talk to him and thank him for all he’s done.

Besides ZUN’s appearance, another huge highlight of the convention was the Love Live! Sunshine!! event.  Chuuni Renko secretly took a matching photo to this.   (Yoshiko is my favorite Aquors girl, while Mari is hers-- how appropriate.)

Maribel checks her phone's GPS, because Renko’s abilities are questionable.

Her art skills, however, aren’t questionable at all.  She entered a contest with this absolutely adorable watercolor painting that made me really happy.  (P.S.  Touhou is my favorite anime.)

This lovely Eirin and Reimu were hosting the Touhou: Genso Rondo demo booth.  When we posed for this photo with them, they noticed we looked sad because we weren't standing on the same side as each other, so they told us we could hold hands in front of them.  I'm glad that even Gensokyo residents ship us.

We also met our fellow Sealing Club member, zerosong as Sumireko!

After AX ended, our vacation continued with RenMerry adventures.

We explored the graffiti-filled ruins of LA’s abandoned “Old Zoo.”

We toured a retired passenger ship, rumored to be a paranormal hotspot.

And we watched the sunset and scoped distant planets at Griffith Observatory.

Isn’t it funny how we look up at stars from our little observatory, way down from here?  Maybe we’ll have a chance to go up there for real sometime.