u/wiselcore

Image 1 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 2 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 3 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 4 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 5 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 6 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 7 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^
Image 8 — I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^

I still really like Dream Eaters, so showing off some of mine ^_^

In order:

Desparola X the Tama Sheep

Cookies**♥** (yes the heart is important) the Meow Wow

Hoder the Ryu Dragon

Vor the Majik Lapin

Eraqus the Kab Cannon

Another-χ the Yoggy Ram

Vali the Drill Sye

Bragi the Cyber Yog

There are uh. A Lot More, but these are just the ones I use kinda regularly (yes many times regardless of them being ideal ones. I think they are cute.)

As an aside, a lot of these don't have the eye colors I'd want them to have atm because I've been trying to complete out their little boards, and some of the colors aren't what I want them to exactly be due to them getting in the blast of other Dream Eaters I was using the paintgun on but! I still wuv them.

If anybody has their own, please show me! I like seeing what people choose re: colors...

u/wiselcore — 1 day ago

Another keyblade. I won't say what this is Supposed to be.

That being said, is this too close to Pixie Petal / Fairy Harp? More importantly, is this too much of a tonally cutesey design?

I've been tempted to scrap this and go for a design that's more swordlike/in line with Invi's keyblade for reasons I can't get into for 'this would color people's opinion of the design' reasons.

u/wiselcore — 9 days ago

"Some pronounce it 'kye', but the meaning is the same." | Kairi's narrative parallels to Xehanort

This is technically a retread of a themes post I made Elsewhere(tm). If it seems familiar, well hi to the ~57 people who have read this before.

https://preview.redd.it/fzzj2enssv0h1.png?width=1205&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d89143f90f3bf554d6774a64f302f94234aecca

In Birth By Sleep, Master Xehanort says something really interesting with how relevant the Recusant's Sigil is for both the Dark Seeker Saga and the Lost Masters^(:)

>Not the Keyblades you and I carry. "χ"... A most ancient letter. Some say "kye," but the meaning is the same. Death... A letter that spells endings.

Kairi, then, is directly tied to the recusant's sigil; an alternate pronunciation, with the same meaning.

Kairi's ties to chi are only reinforced further by this artwork which has Kairi's hood have Chirithy ears:

https://preview.redd.it/4drxprxotv0h1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=1d0c37bf64c981d7a0e4e0ac070ba18aea2e548f

In a world based on stories, on Fairytales, in a world where those things are so important, the fact that Kairi's name is highlighted as having the same meaning as a symbol such as this is important.

Looking at the wiki and discussions, no matter Where you draw the line regarding when the Dark Seeker Saga ends and Lost Masters begins, the fact remains that Kairi capstones that arc; if you draw the line at KH3 or Remind, her apparent death is part of what signals the 'end' of the Saga.

If you draw the line at Melody of Memory, then it is Her Game that is the 'Ending' of the Dark Seeker saga, and at the 13th Main Installment (not counting vcast and etc).

13 is a number heavily associated with Xehanort, but one must always remember that the Princesses of Heart have always been deeply intertwined with the force known as Kingdom Hearts; "From seven, all is fulfilled. From thirteen, chaos is born.", after all.

With Dark Road's specifics, their lives share an interesting feature; both grew up for some part of their life on Destiny Islands, but were born somewhere else. Among other things.

https://preview.redd.it/sjknnr9crv0h1.png?width=1773&format=png&auto=webp&s=3cac1296142523ba5ef18e2723cd7356f262f328

Even if you're not taking this into account, the fact that both at one point were raised a older figure who told them stories about the world prior to the Keyblade War and about the Keyblade War is... significant.

The fact that Xehanort was apparently on the Destiny Islands to protect him from darkness, and Aqua made that charm/spell on Kairi so she'd be protected by people if she ever came in danger.

This leads us to my personal favorites:

Parallels within dialogue and overall narrative

In Dark Road's prologue, Xehanort says this:

>"Your world can change in an instant. Sometimes all it takes is a single step."

Kairi in her letter in Kingdom Hearts 2:

>"Now I will step forward to realize this wish. "

That section of the letter is not the only piece of dialogue that is later called back to by Xehanort.

>We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows- Starting a new journey may not be so hard or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky- one sky, one destiny.

... We heard this one other place, relatively recently.

https://preview.redd.it/t87wwmr0gv0h1.png?width=771&format=png&auto=webp&s=7c75473efc0ac1fd822250961f7b2db2dee3277c

There is one parallel that most people who have not played Dark Road will not be aware of, and even if they did it may be unorthodox to connect the two scenes:

https://preview.redd.it/3r7nariwnv0h1.png?width=1770&format=png&auto=webp&s=6ba369fb5c5ed7ec889f1953028cb47b140514e2

... If you know what happens in Dark Road, you understand. If you do not, suffice to say that Xehanort notices something about mutual friend/classmate that he doesn't wish to say out loud to Eraqus, in the same way Kairi dodges the question here.

This leads into a parallel that is primarily a mechanics-based note: the Charms, items that serve as items to stop death in Dark Road, look like this:

A similar shape to a Wayfinder, made of metal. (as an aside, Aqua hearing that wayfinders are made of seashells traditionally feels super sketch considering those are seemingly a Destiny Islands special.)

Speaking of mechanics...

Kairi's base stats are 205 HP, 100 MP, 44 Strength, 45 Magic, and 42 Defense as a party member according to khwiki.

Prior to Dark Road's patch in October 20th, 2020 for english players (earlier for those playing in Japan. Check khux wiki if you want to confirm with your own eyes), Scala! Xehanort's stats had a similar prioritization of Magic over Strength. It's an interesting detail, albeit not nearly as impactful as stuff I've already mentioned.

This is only a small portion of the narrative parallels, but I hope this suffices on a basic primer on 'Kairi has just as many parallels to Xehanort as the other two of the trio'.

moral of the story: Kairi should also shave her head to show her resolve #makekairibald

reddit.com
u/wiselcore — 9 days ago

Some extremely old attempts at custom keychains/blades inspired by pre-existing keyblades/chains (not particularly designed with actual modeling in mind, pretty self-evidently.)

First one was an attempt at designing a keyblade that was both heavily inspired by the keyblades in KHDR in the teeth and also specifically evoked the general motifs of dream pieces + well... you can probably guess the other thing. The handle is specifically supposed to be roughly shaped like the Troubling Fantasy Dream Piece. Overall length also very deliberately similar length to those blades, while the other two are p eveidently more for someone who wields stuff like Terra's.

The yellow bits are supposed to evoke a subtle crown motif, while the criss-cross is supposed to be a repeated x motif.

Second one is intended to be specifically based around the loose visuals of the Nova/Guilt mechanic in KHX and KHUX, and is supposed to have a vaguely similar idea to the design sensibilities of the Keyblade of Heart...?

Third one is actually the oldest attempt, and is intended to heavily resemble a Specific world keychain; I was thinking a lot about how keyblades in Birth By Sleep changed with character beats/developments and how that would interplay with world keychains. I think it'd be cute if someone attached to a particular keychain would gradually end up with a blade that more closely adheres to that design!

u/wiselcore — 11 days ago