kasumi-chan1008

[kasumi-chan1008]

TWST!Memes #100

Idia stans be like-

[kasumi-chan1008]

TWST!Memes #100

Idia stans be like-

[kasumi-chan1008]

no one has said anything to me about this yet so i'm coming out and saying it myself

IGNIHYDE DUO (trio) REALLY WERE BOOK 7 MVPS. HOLY CRAP 😭 Of course, that's not to talk down the contributions of the other characters (like damn, did Silver's UM come in clutch, and everyone had their own moments) but!! Right now, there's already a lot of talk about Diasomnia--for good reason, it's their book--so I want to give Ignihyde their stars too.

Like Silver said at the party, none of this would be possible without them and help from S.T.Y.X.! It was Ortho's very nature of being a robot that allowed him a loophole to reach out to Idia and navigate the dreams. Otherwise, Silver would be dream hopping randomly and it would take so much longer to invite all the relevant people. Ortho also helps S.T.Y.X. gather data about the current situation on Sage's Island. And--MAY I ADD????--at one point, Ortho was confronted by THE Malleus Draconia, who threatened to end him on the spot with lightning (which, may I remind you, is something Ortho's official profile states he dislikes). Not only that, but to be brave enough to believe in his brother not rejecting him in favor of a reality in which OG!Ortho never died... ORTHO'S BITE SIZED BUT HE'S SO BRAVE

Then Idia????? He provided a ton of useful support. Making that cheat tool, summoning everyone, coding in all those hacks, explaining what's going on in a way that's easy to digest (and that video????), TELLING MALLEUS TO HIS FACE HE'S TURNING INTO THE RULER OF EVIL... Rushing in to send the sword flying at Malleus when Silver dropped it??????? And can we talk about how he's so pathetically out of shape but pushes himself to sprint to the meeting point anyway?! HIS MOMENT ON THE MAGICAL WHEEL???!??!?!?????? 💀 (otaku) PRINCE RIDING IN ON A (mechanical) HORSE

Let's not forget OG!Ortho too!! He may exist only as an entity in Idia's dream space, but it's so clear he's important too. Maybe not as a physical force, but definitely as emotional support OTL OG!Ortho being so friendly with Idia but then deciding to stand in his way as a "final boss" to test Idia's resolve??? Him sending Idia off by telling him "the entire world is waiting for you", not genuinely wanting to trap him in the cold, dark Underworld... His reappearance in the Ignihyde battle map against Malleus??? POLITELY GREETING MALLEUS AND THEN CASUALLY COMPLIMENTING ORTHO ON HIS NEW GEAR??? I can't with this cuteness 🤡 AND THE WAY ALL THREE OF THEM CALL EACH OTHER BROTHERS...

qebhlqeviyo ygiFWIQEBGT26 1387TGOEBIADGDADBGIPN anNYWAY THAT'S ALL TO sAy I SALuTE THE SHROUD BROTRHERSE 🫡 THEy HARD cARRiED AnD BECAmE THE hEROES THEY WAnTED TO BE AS KIDS… Dreams do come true after all, fellas ❤️

[kasumi-chan1008]

Book 7 Spoilers - Idia Shroud Administrator Outfit

[kasumi-chan1008]

You think you can take on the final boss? 🔥

I have not had this much fun with a piece in a while 😂 It is so silly, yet it just fits so well. I had a lot of fun making the pixel versions of Idia, Vil, Rook, and Epel, although I think I could’ve maybe done a bit more for Overblot Idia’s sprite.

Of course I just had to choose an Undertale song for this mini reel because it fits Idia so well. I’ve never played it before but I do know of this one song lol Anyways, hope y’all enjoy this silly little project I’ve been working on! 💕

[kasumi-chan1008]

[kasumi-chan1008]

This tweet immediately made me think of Sylus and how it perfectly encapsulates one of the major reasons why I believe he is such a comfort character not only for me but for a large number of people.

Remember what he says during the anniversary video, for example:

"Now that you've stepped into my world, let your ambitions run wild"

And:

"Your truest self will forever be etched into the fabric of my soul" (such a beautiful, poetic line augh 💘)

Not to mention the number of lines he has throughout the game where he encourages his lover to be greedy etc. if that's what they want to be.

With Sylus, there is no need for pretension. He wants you to always be your realest self with him. Because he genuinely loves and adores you for being you. And to be loved in such a way is, to quote the above tweet, such a safe feeling. Such a chef's kiss.

In short, Sylus wasn't joking when he said "There is no love purer than mine"

[kasumi-chan1008]

Just finished book 6 and it destroyed me into pieces

[kasumi-chan1008]

wake up and smell the ozone, guys

[ Sebek and internalized racism / Sebek and his place in the Diasomnia found family / Sebek and his capacity to love / Sebek and the love of literature ]

wake up Wake Up WAKE UP

DO YOU REALIZE WHAT'S GOING ON??? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TELL YOIU WHAT 'S GOING O N

Do you remember... Lilia's farewell party????? In 7-34, he takes us aside and says this: "Then if you truly wish to repay me, would you indulge a little request of mine? There's a freshman in our dorm, Sebek Zigvolt... It's been half a year since he started here, but I have yet to see him make any friends in the freshmen class. [...] I wouldn't ask [you to be friends with him]. Just... If you notice he's ever stuck at some point during your time here... I would ask that you card soldiers give him a little nudge."

When Sebek runs over shortly after with berry juice for Lilia, Lilia invites him to toast with his fellow first years (Ortho included): "These people will be your rivals and classmates until you graduate. You should take this chance to bond with some students from other dorms."

Of course, Sebek adamantly refuses to do so at that point in the story. "While I appreciate your consideration, I haven't the slightest intention of being friendly with these shallow people. [...] I already have more than enough training partners between Silver and our fellow Diasomnia students. Feeble humans are naught by deadweight! There's no need to be chummy with them!"

We are now well into book 7's Heartslabyul update and it is only now that I realize WE'RE FULFILLING LILIA'S REQUEST FROM ALL THE WAY BACK THEN IN 7-34.

Firstly, Sebek is already having his entire worldview shaken because he is exposed to the terror hie liege, his idol, Malleus, has brought about. The person he dedicated his life to and worked so hard to better himself for is misusing his powers to force his will upon others, including his own retainers. And then Sebek is given a taste of his own medicine when he meets a younger version of his grandfather in Lilia's dream. Baur calls his own grandson "human" and acts suspiciously towards him because of Sebek's race (refusing to trust him, refusing to eat food he prepared, etc.). Sebek, who is hateful and others non-fae, is now the one receiving hate and being othered by the grandfather that he loves and admires. He is experiencing the discomfort with being the target of the behaviors that he himself engages in irl. These two events are challenging Sebek's beliefs and how he sees the world. He's being forced to recognize that Malleus isn't perfect, and how it feels to be persecuted and rejected on the basis of one's race.

Sebek is taken aback by the attitude of dream!Baur and doesn't exactly know how to react (though he continues to act in ways to try and earn his grandfather's praise). Silver has to intervene and remind Sebek that, in real life, Baur doesn't despise him and to not let this get to him--but it's clear that this experience still bothers Sebek, as he grumpily responds with the usual DONT BELITTLE ME, OF COURSE I KNOW THAT tsundere response. Many of the other events Sebek experiences in Lilia's dream also call into question the nature of racial relationships, and, at times, puts Sebek in the shoes of the one defending the partnership between humans and fae. For example, some Silver Owls demand to know why we're siding with the fae, and Sebek declares back that whether human or fae, it doesn't matter because at the end of the day, they fight against those with bad intentions.

When we finally transition into the dream hopping segment of book 7, I noticed that Sebek has very targeted interactions with specifically the first-year characters--the very same group that Lilia asked to help him out if he ever gets stuck. For example:

Sebek spends a prolonged period of time in Lilia's dream with Silver (a human he does like), Yuu, and Grim (two newcomers that he has to get adjusted to). Together with them, he unravels an unspoken about part of his country's history. It's kind of like traumabonding/j

Sebek relies on the technomantic support of Idia and especially Ortho (who helps them navigate to new dreams in combination with Silver's UM). He has to acknowledge that this is a specialty of Ignihyde and not something that he, a student of Diasomnia and a first year, could achieve on his own. It humbles Sebek and forces him to depend on others instead of trying to brute force the task by himself. He's physically INCAPABLE of doing so.

In Epel's dream, he appears very tall and muscular. However, Sebek chides Epel and recalls that, at Lilia's farewell party, Epel was praising Lilia because although Lilia has a similarly small stature, he never once failed to be at Malleus's side. Back then, Lilia had told Epel that physical prowess has nothing to do with a mage's strength. Later on, Sebek even praises Epel's style of fighting despite Epel being a first year. Moreover, Epel has a 70-80% success rate at casting his UM--which shocks Sebek, who has not yet mastered his own. Here, he is learning that humans that present as small and weak can actually be formidable fighters with skill that surpasses his own. This is notable because Sebek often pushes himself to train hard physically and mentally to be the best possible retainer and may have insecurities about being a magical late bloomer.

In Jack's dream, Sebek makes a big fuss about the injustices Diasomnia suffered back in book 2 due to Savanaclaw's nasty plot. He makes it clear that he won't forgive them even now--but then Jack says it's understandable given that his dorm members were playing so dirty. Sebek expresses surprise that "there are people like Jack" in Savanaclaw. He's acknowledging that even in a dormitory that Sebek had previously pegged as all underhanded ruffians, there are people who have a moral compass and go against the grain. After all, Jack was the whistleblower in that incident and still to this day realizes their actions were wrong. This shows Sebek that not all members belonging to a group are the same.

In Deuce's dream, Sebek and Deuce bond over books. Deuce shares happy memories that he has with a popular children's book from the Queendom, and this inspires Sebek to want to read the book irl. He also suggests that Deuce pick out or recommend a book for Yuu and Grim, which is similar to what Sebek does for his own loved ones (like Silver). Here, he is sharing his interests with a non-fae in a sort of cultural exchange.

So if that's the case... I’m anticipating an interaction between Sebek and Ace that brings this full circle in Ace’s dream 👁️ or at least before the end of book 7!! I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for that!

I know I've critiqued the pacing of book 7 a lot (particularly when it comes to the dream segments), but I find it really ironic that, of all characters, Sebek is the one with the most spread-out character arc... Lilia's and Silver's arcs were mainly crammed into Lilia's dream, we haven't seen Malleus for several tends of chapters now (so he only ends up being present in the beginning and end of the book), and then you have Sebek pacing himself in this marathon 🤡 even though Sebek is also the one in Diasomnia that's the most in a rush to "grow up" and "be better" (so much so that even his UM is associated with wanting to quickly rush to someone and/or to be immediately stronger).

[kasumi-chan1008]

💕💥HAPPY BIRTHDAY IDIA💥💀

[kasumi-chan1008]

Idia Shroud: The Daily Grind

Oooh, his limited-edition shirt (from a live performance, implying he actually may have attended a concert in-person??) has the Fates on it! Idia also talks about getting birthday messages from his mobile games… True Gamer rep... though I cannot forgive him using an all-in-one cream for his face don’t let Vil hear—

THAT GROOVY IS TAINTED 😭 The less I say about it, the better…

Rise and Shine!

Idia Shroud lived by numbers. Measurements, code, games. They were dependable things, easily controlled and predictable, unlike the fleshy meat sacks called humans. The most improbable creatures of all.

The luck of the draw had been unkind to him this year. A test ("In person attendance is required, Shroud," Trein had told him sternly), on his birthday! If a higher being existed out there, Idia was certain he was their least favorite child.

Touching grass? Tch, so annoying.

Idia drew out a ragged groan and rolled his neck, which still ached from having slept upright in his gaming chair. Clasped in his hands was a rectangle, its screen glowing as one of his many mobile games booted up. He had a list to run through, missions to complete--all a part of his routine.

Another day. Better do my dailies before heading out.

He sighed.

A familiar home screen unfolded before his eyes. It was a lounge, newly refurbished and dipped in a neon glow. Balloons clouded the ceiling, banners and streamers were strung up, confetti dusting the floors. Jewel-colored flowers in crystal vases and sumptuous dishes crowded the avaliable space on tables. On special occasions, the background was automatically decorated in honor of the holidays.

A grinning anime girl faded in. She was dressed in a fluffy cloak and hat, keeping her cozy for the winter season. This particular version of her was a SSR he had dumped money into to max out (no expense spared for the best girl).

"Happy birthday, Gloomurai!" she chirped, parroting the same phrase that she did to all players once a year. "Geez, did you sleep in again? Wakey, wakey! How are you going to enjoy your birthday if you're only half-awake for all of it? ... Wh-What? You're wondering if I prepared anything for you? Don't be stupid. I-It's not like... I... like you or anything..."

"Hihihihi... Aaaah, the way she runs hot and cold is so cute, just the best! This is peak content!" Idia chuckled to himself. Here, in the comfort of his private quarters.

Beep, beep, beep!

Idia yelped and leapt up in his seat, nearly dropped his phone. He squinted at the blinking envelope icon that had overtaken the screen.

"... What? A new message?"

Who's it from? I-I don't talk to any of my classmates enough for them to contact me out of the blue like this... C-Could it be Riddle-shi shouting at me to attend the next dorm leader meeting?

Idia cautiously opened the message. He winced as he braced himself for the redhead's shouting (all caps) from the other end.

A cheerful jingled played, followed by pixelated fireworks popping off. Ortho exploded forth from the envelope with a giggle, the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY blinking on either side of him. The video message began to roll.

"Gooood morning, nii-san!" his little brother cried. "Did you get a good night's sleep? I hope so, because you'll need all that energy for your exam--and your birthday party afterwards!"

"B-Birthday party? When did I agree to attend that...?" Idia mumbled, running a hand through his fiery hair.

The prerecorded Ortho continued. "But I know you. You're probably thinking, 'Birthday party? When did I agree to attend that...?' ... Right?"

H-He got me nailed word for word!!

"We can't have you shut away in your bedroom as soon as you're done with that test! So to make sure you don't try and squirm out of socializing, I've recruited a guest character for an escort mission to your class and then to the birthday party afterwards. They'll be by to pick you up at 7:30 am. See you then, nii-san!"

Ortho waved farewell before he blipped out of existence. Idia sprung out of his gaming chair, slick with sweat from a freshly sprung, anxiety-induced leak. He stared at his phone in disbelief, his eyes wide and bugged out.

"D-Did I... Did I hear that message right?! S-Someone's coming to escort me to class?! But the time right now is…!!”

Knock, knock, knock!

“E-Eeeep!!”

This time, he did drop his phone. Its fall was cushioned by the mountain of cardboard boxes, opened chip bags, and volumes of manga loitering on the floor. The impact restarted the video message: “Gooood morning, nii-san! Did you have a good night’s sleep?”

“Idia-senpai?” a voice called out, joining Ortho’s. Your voice. “Are you there? I’m here to grab you for class.”

Th-Them?! He turned paler than Death, even as his cheeks and the tips of his hair burned bright pink. Why… wh-why did Ortho have to choose THEM for this?!

“H-Hold on a minute!” Idia called out.

He crumpled to his knees and gathered as much of his junk as he could, shoveling it into convenient hiding places to create the illusion of tidiness. His closet, under his bed, empty boxes and bookshelf space.

“How much longer?” you asked worriedly from the other side of the door. “You might be late at this rate—and you know how Professor Trein can be about tardiness.”

“A-Almost…!!”

Idia grabbed his phone and got back up, glancing at himself in the reflection of his monitor. His bangs had gone awry, covering one eye in cobalt bangs. He hurriedly brushed them away, trying to get his hair to behave as best he could, then attempted to straighten out the creases in his pajamas.

Screw the school uniform. There was no time left to make himself any more presentable than this. He’d have to deal with the disapproving shake of his teacher’s head when he slumped in. If was preferable to keeping you waiting.

His temperature spiked again. Pink became red. He waved frantic hands at his hair, urging them to cool off back to blue.

Calm down. C-Calm down, you’ve got this!! You’ve played so many dating sims, summon that main character charm!

But in real life, there were no clearly defined routes to head on. No dialogue options to choose or love flags to trip. No resets, should he fail miserably. He was left on his own to fumble through social interactions—and their consequences.

He shambled over to his door and, swallowing hard, cracked it open. A sliver of light poured in from the outside, along with your smiling face. He was a monster crammed into a gap, and you were his savior.

“There you are!”

Idia tried to picture a brazen male lead. The sort of guy that leaned against doorframes with a cocky smirk and casually went, “Hey, you.”

Nope, nope, nope!!! WAY too cringe! I-I can’t say that like I'm a confident alpha dudebro…! I can’t…!!

Idia froze, his mind defaulting to a 404 error. Even his heart seemed to stop, seized by clawing panic.

“H-Hey,” he said meekly.

"Happy birthday, Idia-senpai.” You blinked, slowly taking him in. "Did you sleep in again?"

E-Eh…? What is this weird sense of deja vu? They sound almost exactly like the birthday login lines from earlier... e-except it's a real person this time, not a fictional character...

The pace of his heartbeat quickened.

S-Something’s wrong with me. Th-This reaction’s definitely not normal!!

He flushed again, fervid as a flame. Short circuiting, overheating.

“Er… Idia-senpai? Are you feeling okay? Your hair, it’s going haywire, shifting colors like a lava lamp,” you vaguely gestured. “And you’re still in your pajamas. You hardly look ready to leave your room."

“I-I’m fine!” he squeaked. “I wasn’t expecting a guest, s-so… I didn’t prepare to receive… any... one…” Idia trailed off.

"Hehe. How are you going to enjoy your birthday if you're only half-awake for all of it?" You extended a hand to him. "Come on, it’s time to wake up.”

Just like the greeting from the mobile game.

Idia shyly ducked behind his door, hiding his burning face.

Is this a dream? If it is, I don't know if I want to wake up from it.

[kasumi-chan1008]

This absolute loser (affectionate)

[kasumi-chan1008]

"Yuu, do you think we'll be together in every universe...?"

"Every universe, except this one"

[kasumi-chan1008]

twst the comic: episode of scarabia announcement

Scarabia is slated to begin serialization in late February (the 27th!) 2025!

You know what that means… new year, new Yuu! 👀

[kasumi-chan1008]

idia tsum in a box

[kasumi-chan1008]

I wonder how terrifying the first weeks of Idia and (robot) Orthos existence must have been.

Imagine building this machine with your lost brother's voice, face etc. But this machine gradually learns, and it only came into existence mere moments ago. So far only reproducing information it has been given. It has his voice and face, but it's manner of speaking and emoting is stiff. It's uncanny. They cannot hug like they used to. It feels wrong to feel cold metal around you when you expected a warm embrace. It can only watch or run analytics on you, while you hysterically cry whenever you are confronted with the fact that your brother is truly gone and this machine, despite years of work, will never replace him. It has all of his features, but it is not your brother and it will never be him. You are stuck between hating it for what it isn't, and longing for closeness because it has your brothers face and memories.

Imagine experiencing life for the first time, with implemented memories, that aren't your own. Of a boy you have never known, who no longer exists. Now having to look after a boy who is absolutely horrified at what you are but also in need of comfort that you are not able to give him. His reactions are unreasonable and erratic, because you do not understand the concept of mourning and guilt yet. There is nothing you can do for him, yet it is your purpose, your responsibility to be an object of comfort. You can hold him, you can talk to him, you have learned that these actions are meant to be comforting, but you don't understand then yet. but it isn't enough. You are a replacement with no identity of your own besides the memory of someone long gone, but no matter how far advanced you will become, you will never be able to perfect his brother's image. You are a machine who will never be able to fulfill the only task it was built for.

They are both confused, isolated, lost, not being able to comprehend their situation. Stuck in a perpetual cycle of trying to bond and staying away from eachother.

[kasumi-chan1008]

the leech parents :>