I love him so much, you can't imagine...
Since you all loved the list of random things for Dark Academia, hereâs a list of items, things, sights etc.. you might find in a Dark Coastal setting.
The Cliffside đ
Jagged slate-gray rocks jutting out from the churning sea
Swaths of wild, windblown grasses and mosses clinging to the cliffs
Crumbling stone ruins half-hidden in the fog
The eerie cries of seabirds circling overhead
Gnarled, salt-weathered driftwood scattered across the shoreline
The Cove đ
A small pebbly beach tucked into a sheltered inlet
Seaweed-covered tide pools teeming with mysterious marine life
Centuries-old fishing nets and lobster traps hung to dry
Weathered wooden rowboats moored at a rickety dock
The salty, briny scent of the sea lingering in the air
The Lighthouse đź
A tall, round stone tower with a flickering lantern on top
Faded nautical charts and weather-beaten log books inside
An antique brass telescope trained on the horizon
The heavy thump of the lighthouse bell in the distance
Coils of fraying rope and a tarnished brass spyglass on the windowsill
The Shipwreck đĽď¸
The rusted, half-submerged hull of an ancient sailing vessel
Tangled knots of kelp and barnacles clinging to the metal
Fragments of shattered wood and twisted metal debris
The eerie, echoing creaks and groans of the wreckage in the waves
Fragments of weathered, sun-bleached bones glinting in the murky depths
The Coastal Cottage đ
A small, weathered wooden house with peeling paint
Tattered sheer curtains fluttering in the salty sea breeze
Shelves lined with antique glass bottles and driftwood sculptures
A wood-burning stove with a teapot whistling softly
The distant sound of foghorns cutting through the mist
The Shipwreck Cove đ˘
Jutting black cliffs, their bases strewn with the bones of broken ships
Seaweed-covered ribs of an old shipwreck, barnacles clinging to the wood
Rusted metal and shattered glass glittering in the crashing waves
Cawing of crows circling overhead, their shadows flickering on the rocks
The hollow, echoing sound of the wind whistling through the caves
The Seaside Cemetery đŞŚ
Rows of crumbling tombstones covered in moss and lichen
Twisted, windblown trees casting long, ominous shadows
The faint scent of night-blooming jasmine on the breeze
A rusted wrought-iron gate creaking open to the path
Fog rolling in, obscuring the distant sound of the surf
Day 1 Setlist
Today, June 29th 2024, marked the start of Ensemble Stars' Starry Symphony -the midnight sun- concert. The first day of the concert kicked off with Eden's performance of Deep Eclipse, and each member was doning in dark glittering cloaks as they sing their hearts out the entirety of the first song. The last time Junichi Suwabe (Nagisa Ran), Natsuki Hanae (Hiyori Tomoe), Ryota Osaka (Ibara Saegusa), and Yuuma Uchida (Jun Sazanami) gathered all together as Eden for an Enstars event was way back in 2021 for the Starry Stage 4th concert. At that same concert, Junichi Suwabe had appeared wearing a wig of Nagisa Ran's white hair in a ponytail, which he also did for this year's concert.
The next song was Feathers of Ark performed by the voice actors of fine, consisting of Hikaru Midorikawa (Eichi Tenshouin), Takuya Eguchi (Wataru Hibiki), Ayumu Murase (Tori Himemiya), and Koutarou Hashimoto (Yuzuru Fushimi). The actors were dressed in white cloaks of fine quality, similar to the actual uniforms of the fine characters in-game. Like with Eden, it was also their first time in three years to perform together as fine for an Enstars event.
Immediately after, Kousuke Toriumi (Madara Mikejima) appeared to perform HELLO, NEW YEAR! while accompanied with dancers throughout the song. For Kousuke Toriumi, it was his first time to participate in an Enstars live concert since he voiced the role of Madara in 2017. The excited shouting after the end of Kousuke Toriumi's performance merely passed on to the next performers as soon as the first beat of the next song dropped. Knights' performance of Or The Beautiful Golden Drop shocked everyone in the audience and the viewers through the Stagecrowd livestream as Knightsâin a cartâwere descending from the ceiling. The voice actors of Knights are rather active in Enstars events: Reiou Tsuchida (Tsukasa Suou) often hosts Tsukisutaâthe monthly Enstars livestream where they announce new information related to the seriesâwhile Ryo Kitamura (Arashi Narukami) also appears in the stage play adaptations of the series, as well as the new baking show called 'Sweets Room+5,' wherein Daiki Yamashita (Ritsu Sakuma) appeared as the first guest. However, as a group, it has also been three years since they last gathered together. I am certain it shocked the audience once they saw Ryo Kitamura's fully blonde hair, Reiou Tsuchida's reddish colored hair, Masami Ito's (Izumi Sena) platinum gray hair, and Shintaro Asanuma's (Leo Tsukinaga) orange highlights at the ends of his hair, which was tied in a ponytail. Only Daiki Yamashita retained his black hair, but he had styled his hair similar to Ritsu's, like what he always does during an Enstars concert; it just perfectly shows how much love the voice actors of Knights have for the characters they bring to life.
Unlike the previous units whose last Enstars live concert performance was back in 2021, Ra*bits appeared as performers again after their last appearance in Starry Symphony -the first light- on September 30, 2023 to October 1, 2023. Shunya Hiruma (Tomoya Mashiro), Yuki Yonai (Nazuna Nito), and Tomoya Kosaka (Hajime Shino) reappear again months after the October performance, however, Daiki Kobayashi (Mitsuru Tenma) appears for the first time ever at an Enstars live concertâor even at an Enstars event in generalâas the new voice actor for Mitsuru. Ra*bits immediately spread warmth towards the audience as they sing and dance to Love it Love it, jumping up and down like rabbits while they perform.
Speaking as an Enstars fan since 2021 and as seiyuu fan since 2018, this entire live has been a magical rollercoaster ride of emotions for me. It has been a while since I saw voice actors like Takuya Eguchi (Wataru Hibiki) or Natsuki Hanae (Hiyori Tomoe) in an Enstars event, and it was also a delightful experience to see Daiki Kobayashi (Mitsuru Tenma) enter the picture; I've only ever knew him through that one YouTube clip of him singing Ojamajo Carnival months before it was decided that he will take on the role of Mitsuru, but ever since he started voicing him and now that I've watched him match Mitsuru's energy on stage, I feel glad knowing that he has become part of Ensemble Stars at present and hopefully in the future as well.
The live then continued as follows: Blooming World by MaM, JoyfulĂBox* and Parallel Maze by Ra*bits, THE GENESIS and Absolute Perfection by Eden, then Voice of Sword and Luminous Crown by Knights.
If there was a performance that completely blew me away throughout this entire live, then it has GOT to be Knights' Luminous Crown performance. I already had a feeling in my gut that they would perform it right after Voice of Sword, but nothing could have ever prepared me for the performance by the end of the Luminous Crown's bridge. During the end of the bridge, a crown placed on a cushion descended from the ceiling. Shintaro Asanuma (Leo Tsukinaga) took the crown, then immediately, Reiou Tsuchida (Tsukasa Suou) knelt on one knee, head bowed down, as Asanuma placed the crown on top of Tsuchida's headâreferencing the change of Knights' leader from Leo to Tsukasa in the Enstars lore. Now if this won't kill a KnightsP, then I don't know what else will.
After that rather heartwrenching performance, fine once again emerged from the backstage to perform a song medley of their own songs: Koi wa Primavera!, Tryst of Stars, Ghostic Treat House, and Holy Angel's Carol. I do not consider myself a fineP, but in my humble opinion, they do create one of the best songs in Enstars; or maybe it is because the genre of their songs are just my style, who knows. Their performance just struck a chord in me, especially with Tryst of Stars being one of my favorite fine songs.
After fine's song medley performance, all artists gathered on stage to perform LIMIT BREAK DREAMERS. Promptly after the performance came in the ment hosted by Reiou Tsuchida (Tsukasa Suou), where each member was given the opportunity to introduce themselves and their unit.
If you are new to Enstars or just to Enstars live concerts, a special guest or two will always appear at any Enstars live concert. For the first Starry Symphony concert, Kei Hosogai (Kaoru Hakaze) surprised the fans with his special appearance for a Date Plan A to Z performance while Tetsuya Kakihara (Subaru Akehoshi) and Showtaro Morikubo (Makoto Yuuki) genuinely bewildered literally everyone with their appearances during the second Starry Symphony concert as the two of them performed ONLY YOUR STARS!. However, for this Starry Symphony concert, Wataru Hatano (Adonis Otogari) appears through a video recording wearing Ensemble Training clothes, I am sure you can tell where this is heading. Wataru Hatano led the audience in an exercise/stretching routine while all the other voice actors just stared at the audience, who continued stretching.
After the abrupt stretching, the live continued on starting with Eden's EXCEED performance, followed by Melty Kitchen by Ra*bits (both of which I was unable to watch without interruptions because of third world country poor internet connection). Knights came out again to perform Coruscate Breeze, where they ended up throwing paper airplanes by the start of the final chorus, just like in the music video. Kousuke Toriumi (Madara Mikejima) goes around the stage, waving to everyone in the audience and to the dancers as he performs Yuukai Tsuukai, That's alright!. Afterwards, fine ends the last song lineup with a performance of Never-ending Stage!!!! (which is undoubtedly one of their best songs). Following this, all artists emerged again from behind the scenes to perform Surprising Thanks!!, which signaled the near-end of the concert's first day.
I watched the entire live concert through the Stagecrowd livestream, so immediately after the Surprising Thanks!! performance, everything went blackâsave for the colorful penlights from the audience. The audience chanted for an encore for at least five minutes, and then, here appears Shintaro Asanuma (Leo Tsukinaga), Masami Ito (Izumi Sena), Daiki Yamashita (Ritsu Sakuma), and Ryo Kitamura (Arashi Narukami)âwho was wearing glassesâall doning in clothing similar to the outfits worn by War era Knights in the We'll be "Knights" music video. As mentioned, the four of them stood on stage to perform We'll be "Knights", even holding swords and swinging them around. What surprised me the most was when Reiou Tsuchida (Tsukasa Suou) came out from the center of the main stage then started walking towards the extended stage to join the rest of Knights; Tsuchida was also holding a sword and sang along with them for the final chorus. I think this was the final blow for all KnightsPs that were watching.
Knights returned backstage while the rest of the cast reappeared wearing white shirts and black pants for the final ment of the show. During this time, Ayumu Murase (Tori Himemiya) referenced his tweet posted earlier this morning that had a caption related to Pretty 5; he explicitly stated: "You thought you'd see Pretty 5? IT WAS ENSEMBLE TRAINING!" in reference to fans speculating that Pretty 5 would be the guest performers for today's concert. Knights came back again wearing the same outfits as everyone else, saying: "Sorry, we were swinging our swords around~ That was scary," as they stepped back on the stage. By the time it was Eden's turn to talk, Natsuki Hanae (Hiyori Tomoe) yelled his signature "II HIYORI!" and even did the echo by himself.
The second thing that could have never prepared me was when Hikaru Midorikawa (Eichi Tenshouin) started tearing up and crying during his turn to talk. Through his tears, he explained that he felt a lot of pressure as he was the oldest in the cast, and that he had also spent a lot of time working on Ensemble Stars, so he truly and genuinely did everything he can, which made him feel so satisfied. Throughout his talk, the rest of fine surrounded Hikaru Midorikawa and were patting his back in comfort and support. I felt just as emotional as Hikaru Midorikawa while he talked about the hard work he poured for Enstars, and it made me understand how much love he has for this franchise; he loves Enstars as much as we, fans, do, and it's such a heartwarming sight knowing that fact. Enstars has grown so much more than just a game to most fans, and especially towards the people involved in the making of the game; it has aged to become a story weaved by memories of the past, adventures of the present, and a catalog for the future.
With so many people loving this franchise internally and externally, I am sure that Enstars will still live for at least another five years. But for now, I think it would be nice to relish in the present Ensemble Stars as we await the future.
Adult and young Mo Ran sketches from this month đ I love him so much.
sunset in italy đ§ď¸âď¸
So a very interesting phenomenon has been happening to me the past few weeks. In which Vil shows up in my thoughts to poke me about my bad posture. Like, I never thought Vil invading my thoughts would go like this đ
At least it's in character for him XD
ko-fi doodle request from 2022: dice and gentaro having tea
Hello, I came to say that dragons are mythical creatures often depicted to be possessive in mythology and literature, sometimes known for their immense power, territorial instincts, and the symbolic association with hoarding wealth and treasures...
Twisted Wonderland in context, Malleus Draconia was confirmed to be a dragon fairy (essentially a dragon who can take a shape of a man), and I was curious if Malleus may have exhibited possessive traits in canon, whether through main story or vignette...?
The reason I ask that is because mischaracterizing characters or making them OOC is the last thing I want to do when it comes to writing or analyzing...
**Sorry if I was not able to word it in a way that you can understand what I'm trying to convey because sometimes I feel inferior that my wording may come off as blunt or insensitive. I just want to leave a brief note that I don't mean to come off as rude or dismissive. I appreciate your understanding!**
In my opinion, Malleus in canon is protective but not possessive. What do I mean by that? Glad you asked. Let's start by laying down some definitions.
In this situation, when I say âprotectiveâ, it implies good intentions. It means actively looking out for others' safety and wellbeing. To be possessive, on the other hand, implies a more controlling desire to own or to restrict another's actions. Itâs commanding and demanding all of a personâs attention and love. It means having a disrespect for others' autonomy and instead trying to displace it with your will. (Yes, I know that you're probably automatically thinking of The Big Exception of book 7, but I will address that later in this post so hang on for a moment!)
This gets long, so buckle up! Weâve got a lot to talk about.
First thing's first, a lot of the "possessive Malleus" interpretations originate from fandom, especially when it comes to yandere, yume, or generally romantic fan works. (And to be clear: This is NOT to shame the folks who enjoy these kinds of works; I am only listing them here as examples.) Oftentimes this occurs due to individual fans bringing in ideas from media outside the bounds of Twisted Wonderland. This is totally expected and normal; there is no such thing as someone who has an interest in ONLY a singular thing. We will naturally apply our previous knowledge to help us understand and interpret new information.
For example, in irl mythology, fae are hurt by iron--and even in Disney's own films, such as Maleficent, iron is depicted as harming fae and sapping them of their power. This led to many Twst fans headcanoning that iron does the same thing to fae in Twisted Wonderland. However, we learn in book 7 that this is NOT true. Fae, particularly nobles, do find the smell of iron nauseating, but the metal does not appear to impede their powers or hinder them in any way. Lilia and his men are still able to dispatch several Silver Owls (who are dressed in iron arm and battle with iron tanks and other machinery) without issue.
Another example thatâs pretty popular is fans believing that whole âif you tell a fairy your name, it grants them power over youâ thing. Some have claimed this will come into play in book 7âs final battle. Others claim this is the deeper or secondary reason as to why Malleus doesnât reveal his own name to Yuu until book 5, as giving his name would grant Yuu power over him. However, thereâs nothing in-universe to suggest that names have cultural significance to fae or that any sort of power or status is granted by relinquishing oneâs name. Yuu (or Malleusâs hundreds of other classmates) have also demonstrated no such control over him.
Remember: what is true outside of Twst, including in Disney's own works, is NOT necessarily true inside of Twst.
Going back to the initial question, I believe that "Malleus is possessive" is also a headcanon of a similar vein; fans are coming into Twst familiar with other mythos which state that dragons are possessive, territorial, and greedy on top of being powerful. Because Malleus is a dragon fae and is known to possess great power, it's very easy for fans to see the parallels between him and the dragons they already know of. This then leads to them filling in the gaps of his personality and projecting other stereotypical draconic traits onto him. In Malleus's case, this was extremely easy to do because it took a few years for him to see any significant spotlight in both event stories (Glorious Masquerade) and in the main story (book 7).
I think the easiest way for us to analyze whether Malleus is protective or possessive is to examine his closest relationships in the narrative of Twst. I will not be counting Sebek and Silver individually here, as they are both his bodyguards and Malleus maintains a mostly professional relationship with them. Instead, we shall look at Malleus's attitude by looking at his relationships with Lilia and Yuu, then proceed into discussing related behaviors.
I believe it's indisputable that Lilia is one of the most important people to Malleus. Lilia trained him, taught him, and trained him. He is basically Malleus's father figure. The fear of losing Lilia is what causes Malleus to emotionally spiral and take drastic measures in a desperate attempt to avoid that unhappy ending. His entire motivation for unleashing his UM is "not losing [Lilia]!" You would think that if Malleus was going to be possessive of anyone, it would be with Lilia. But the truth of the matter is... he's mostly just... not? Lilia is a very sociable person in the student body. He's frequently gaming with Idia, taking care of or lending wisdom to others (Silver, Sebek, etc.), hanging out with Cater and Kalim in their club, interacting with dorm leaders and freshmen when Malleus is absent for ceremonies, and more--yet Malleus doesn't seem to express any jealousy over sharing Lilia. I'd also like to add that although Malleus lacks parents, he doesn't really show envy over Lilia treating and calling Silver his own son instead of himself. Oh, Malleus certainly does express jealousy to some extent. Who would forget the time in his Dorm Uniform vignettes when he crushed Lilia's phone? The thing is though, the times when Malleus is upset are not fueled by not wanting to share Lilia or wanting to monopolize his time. In the previous example I cited, Malleus broke Lilia's phone because Lilia had received a picture Kalim and the other dorm leaders took after a meeting. Even the dialogue exchanged implies this; Malleus did not automatically get mad when he noticed that Lilia had a notification, he only got mad after realizing he was excluded from something the other dorm leaders were all involved in. Malleus was upset that he was not invited, not that Kalim was texting Lilia. Additionally, it is stated that the dorm leader must grant permission for others to use the lounge. If he wanted to, he could withhold the permission for Lilia, who wants the lounge for his farewell party (which everyone is invited to), or stipulate that he wants a more formal affair with just Diasomnia members present. Malleus doesnât act in this possessive way though. He grants Lilia what he desires without issue.
Next up for scrutiny is Yuu! Now, there's some gray area here because part of Yuu's relationship with Malleus is defined by how much the player projects onto the self-insert/blank slate character. Please note that, when I discuss Yuu, I am leaving out individual interpretations and going STRICTLY by the information presenting in canon.
It can be said that Malleus slowly develops a fondness for Yuu's company over the course of the main story. At first, he is surprised and maybe even a little disappointed that someone has taken residence in Ramshackle--it used to be desolate, which makes it a perfect spot to visit on his nightly strolls. However, Malleus soon finds amusement in the fact that Yuu, not being of this world, has no clue who he is or what his status is. This grants him the freedom to speak at ease with this human and to "be himself" in a way that he cannot be with others, who typically cower at his name. You could also argue that Yuu telling Malleus they may have found a way home expedited the despair he felt in book 7, as he learned so quickly that two of his friends would be exiting his life soon. This, however, is not possessiveness. It's normal to have fear and anxiety about losing the people you love.
Malleus's voice lines also do not indicate possessiveness. Yes, there's the usual and expected fanservice-y lines where he invites Yuu to come and engage in various activities with him, but nothing in those suggests he would exclude others or become upset if they also wanted to join. (Are you telling me that Malleus wouldn't want to talk for hours on end about the glory of gargoyles to TWO people instead of just one?????) Additionally, all the characters get similar fanservice-y lines, so it's not something exclusive to Malleus. There was one line that gave me pause: "You always seem to attract a crowd... More so than I'd like, really." Buuut I think this could be read a number of ways, not solely in an âI want you all to myselfâ way. Malleus actually goes like to be alone, hence his nightly strolls. The line can therefore also be read as Malleus enjoying solitude or one-on-one conversations as opposed to addressing a group. In that case, it's a personal preference and not necessarily a sign of possessiveness. Heâs definitely not completely averse to group activities though; there are lines where Malleus invites Yuu to do things with him and other characters. For example, from his PE Uniform: âSebek has been badgering me to help train him. I'll permit you to join us. ... You're coming, I trust?â
The guy generally doesn't get angry or annoyed if Yuu mentions having other friends or managing the 7 member VDC/SDC group. In fact, he sometimes encourages Yuu to interact with others. One of his birthday lines is, "You needn't linger and focus on me to the exclusion of others. I want everyone to enjoy the party, yourself included." Malleus doesnât so much as flinch or react when a complete stranger kisses the back of Yuuâs hand either. If he was truly possessive, wouldnât he have gotten angry orâat the very leastâhave frowned or tried to put some distance between Yuu and said stranger? Yet Malleus doesnât really react or comment on it despite being present.
Malleus seems to understand that it's not very polite to demand all of someone's time or attention--and this makes perfect sense of his character. He is a royal, and that means he was taught proper manners. Malleus has even indicated before that his grandmother stressed the importance of observing etiquette, particularly around invitations. You don't just invite yourself to functions or insert yourself into others' lives if not extended said invites... and Malleus, for the most part, adheres to those rules. In various voice lines, he even frets over committing social faux pas, wondering if he has offended his peers with certain behaviors. For example, from his Masquerade Dress: "Flamme shoots me stern looks on occasion. Have I behaved improperly in some way...?"
Malleus is also not generally possessive when it comes to his items or territory. He wants to share cake with others; eating a whole one gave him heartburn and now whole cakes are his least favorite food. Additionally, he tends to welcome people to Diasomnia rather than chase them out or expel them. (After all, they so rarely get visitors in the first place.) Malleus will at least hear out the reasoning for seeking him out. As an example, Leona (someone who has had a rocky history with Malleus) goes to Diasomnia in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes to exchange robes after a laundry mix-up. This is a stark contrast to the highly territorial Leona, who attacks a magicless human in thd Botanical Garden and also allows his own students to wail on Yuu and co. for simply walking being in Savanaclaw. Leona joins in on this bullying too. I think it's pretty clear that Malleus handles guests with far more tact, grace, and patience than his fellow prince.
I want to point out that though Malleus is usually amicable with guests, there are exceptions. Ramshackle, as I mentioned earlier, is a place he enjoys a lot. He indicates in his Halloween Dress card that âIf anyone dares to damage [this] dorm, I will be as a lĂłng and reduce them to cinders. I have become rather fond of that place, after all.â Indeed, he does act on this promise in Terror is Trending and comes close to striking down Magicam Monsters for disrespecting a place he holds so dear. Is this possessive though? Yes, itâs a place he lovesâbut itâs also a place where his friend Yuu lives.
There are many other examples of Malleus going to extreme lengths to protect the things he loves. He vows to destroy Rollo Flamme, who poses a threat to his people, the fae (who depend on magic as their way of life, and the sentient gargoyles, whom he has recently befriended. He unleashes his mighty magic to attack those who wound his pride. He stops time and kidnaps the entire student body all for the sake of including ghosts in a Halloween celebration. And, of course, he sends Sageâs Island to sleep in a desperate bid to stop losing everyone. The majority of these behaviors involve him lashing out at those who pose legitimate threats to things he cares about. Itâs not as though be is acting for no discernible reason or because he is doesnât want his loved ones being with people other than him. Does that make these actions right? No, absolutely not. But I would say they are definitely more protective than possessive.
Very rarely is Malleus actively preventing his peers from spending time away from him. Sure, he gets upset that heâs not invited to join them and sure, he wishes people would invite him tooâbut thereâs a difference between longing and being mopey about this and acting so domineering heâs breathing down the necks of others to only be with him. He is not stopping people from being with their friends and family. He is not stopping people from using his things or entering his territory. Even when he makes everyone sleep, he grants them the space to craft their own dreams and doesnât even make the dreams center around him and his own involvement on their lives. Oftentimes the dreams involve several other characters that are important to the individual dreamer and Malleus does not appear at all. (Again, this doesnât mean using his UM was the best move to resolve his issues; Iâm just saying his actions were not necessarily possessive.)
So, in conclusion, I stand by the thesis at I proposed at the start of this post: Malleus is largely protective, not possessive, despite what many fandom interpretations would have you believe.
Karasuno girls <3
Imo in order to finish your writing project you need to be unhealthily obsessed with your characters to a point where you question your sanity
also . wanted to share a portion of my current twst fic wip! idk when i'll post this nor how long i want this to be, but it's just a malleus & silver (brothers) fic and an introspection on their relationship dynamic as the years pass by :D i think it's just super interesting to analyze, particularly since malleus (or fae in general) easily lose track of time, which is contrasting to humans' concept of time.
time is a social construct..... it's a very interesting theme to play around with. i think my philosophy class has been getting too into my head lately.
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