Keychain of Creation 3: Not-a-Keyblade Understanding & Falafel-is-Awesome Prana Combo

[Doran]

Of course... the black border is similliar to an FMV in a video game, when you can view your character but can't control his/her actions!

[Sojiko]

Panel 8.

She might be Limit Breaking there, and suddenly deciding to change plans, though her bit at the end of the chapter implies that she intended to do that all along.

Sidereals Limit Breaks are about decisions, it's short, because it's just her deciding to create a significant conflict.
The plan was probably not detailed enough that she had absolutely no chance to make a decision on the spot about the events going on, the fact that she is making decisions on actions taken within the plan established earlier during the operation isn't surprising.

Sidereal pretty much always as if it was all planned, anyway...

[Indon]

A black frame border indicates that the character's actions are being driven by the curse - in game terms, it can (and often does) mean that they've done something that is mainly intended to manage limit.

Here, Misho might have gained limit, but the Curse isn't driving his actions - it's merely in the background. As a result, there's no border.

For the same reason, there was no border when Ten dropped a dead body on him.

Hmm, I'm not sure.

Here, it's implied that Marena's hit her limit, and that it's compassion-based. But she's not black-bordering, and she's had black-border panels in which she has been angry and violent.

Edit: Also, the Curse is persistent on the Sidereals, and they don't generate limit, which doesn't mesh well with either theory strictly.

I'd say "Dramatic Great-Curse-Related stuff".

[Rockphed]

Hmm, I'm not sure.

Here, it's implied that Marena's hit her limit, and that it's compassion-based. But she's not black-bordering, and she's had black-border panels in which she has been angry and violent.

Edit: Also, the Curse is persistent on the Sidereals, and they don't generate limit, which doesn't mesh well with either theory strictly.

I'd say "Dramatic Great-Curse-Related stuff".

No, that is pretty obviously a solar charm to control the lunar mate.

[spectralphoenix]

No, that is pretty obviously a solar charm to control the lunar mate.

He's talking about the behavior before that (she starts worrying about his hair and he wonders if it's a full moon.) That pretty much exactly matches the Curse of the Mother Hen Limit Break.

[Rockphed]

Or his hair takes a month to get long enough for her to start bothering him about it.

[Jukashi]

Here, it's implied that Marena's hit her limit, and that it's compassion-based. But she's not black-bordering, and she's had black-border panels in which she has been angry and violent.

Marena is not limit breaking in that comic. Nor is it full moon; Misho is just making a wry comment to himself.

[Jerthanis]

Or his hair takes a month to get long enough for her to start bothering him about it.

Then his hair grows pretty wicked fast.

Marena is not limit breaking in that comic. Nor is it full moon; Misho is just making a wry comment to himself.

...how are we, the readers supposed to be able to tell it's not the full moon, if we can't see the sky and no one contradicts what Misho says. Furthermore, why would he ever bring that up as a ribbing gesture unless she displays such behavior during the full moon? Even further, what kind of person in control of their faculties forces another adult to get a haircut against their will?

Nothing about that comic makes any sense if it isn't a humorous take on a Mother Hen limit break.

[Jukashi]

Marena expresses concern for Misho's appearance which borders on intrusive. Misho quietly compares Marena's behaviour to that which occurs during her Limit Break; or, to speak in an in-character sense, he is comparing it to behaviour that she often shows during the Full Moon (when Lunars gain Limit from being exposed to that phase).

Like if you saw someone running around worrying excessively about how their finances had been, and you might say "Tax day already?" It's not actually tax day, it's just notably similar behaviour, and you pass comment on it sarcastically because it's annoying and makes you feel slightly snarky.

I then proceed to derive humour from Misho's attempt to take advantage of Marena's semi-vulpine instincts in order to escape her nagging, in a similar way to how I've tried to make jokes out of Marena's fox nature in a few other pages.

If I show Marena's full-on Limit Break, you will know for sure.

[Indon]

If I show Marena's full-on Limit Break, you will know for sure.

...Because it'll be preempted by frames in cinematic border?

Edit: It occurs to me that Jukashi probably prefers to limit the border to limit-generating things (or otherwise dramatic situations), since a limit break can go on for some time and it'd probably get annoying to have to use the cinematic things constantly.

[Kyeudo]

I doubt that the "widescreen" border is related in any way to people gaining Limit or being in Limit Break. It's more likely being used whenever it would be dramatically appropriate.

[Revlid]

I doubt that the "widescreen" border is related in any way to people gaining Limit or being in Limit Break. It's more likely being used whenever it would be dramatically appropriate.

I've not exactly been scouring the archives for this, but there have been quite a few limit=border examples provided. Can you provide examples of points at which the widescreen is being used an there is no limit? It's the scientific meothd.

[Kyeudo]

I've not exactly been scouring the archives for this, but there have been quite a few limit=border examples provided. Can you provide examples of points at which the widescreen is being used an there is no limit? It's the scientific meothd.

Can you first show that Limit is absolutely being accrued during the Widescreen moments? You first need to back that up before you even have an experiment.

[Mewtarthio]

Can you first show that Limit is absolutely being accrued during the Widescreen moments? You first need to back that up before you even have an experiment.

Observe Misho's breakdown from here on. The black border appears and vanishes a number of times before Anemone shows up. The panels it highlights relate directly to Misho's break, and I can't really find any other logic that would explain which ones get the border and which ones don't

[Jukashi]

Ok, this a question of interpretation of the comics that exist rather than any sort of spoiler, so I'll speak. The black borders, speaking in terms of their direct purpose, are supposed to create a sense of drama, yes; but they're also supposed to create a sense of pressure. They make the panel narrower, creating a sense of the moment being stretched or strained.

Now, my intention was that these panels should show up when a character's behavior is being "forced" by the Curse - the black borders are like a hand squeezing around, limiting them. So it's not only when they're actually suffering Limit Break - when they choose to give in to their Limit's compulsion rather than spend willpower, for example, or when I just feel that it's an action or decision where the character is being made to do something by the effects of the Curse, those are also times when they'll appear.

However, this use of the "widescreen" panels is supposed to add drama and, as such, does not work with non-dramatic moments. So, if a character is being affected by the Curse but the intention of the scene is humour, or is similarly lighthearted, the black borders will not appear. Hence, why the panels disappeared when Flame took a moment to test Misho's reaction. Similarly, when the character is affected by the Curse in a minor way (where it could just be their personality as much as supernatural compulsion), the borders will also not appear, because it's not consequential and thus not dramatic.

[Revlid]

Ok, this a question of interpretation of the comics that exist rather than any sort of spoiler, so I'll speak. The black borders, speaking in terms of their direct purpose, are supposed to create a sense of drama, yes; but they're also supposed to create a sense of pressure. They make the panel narrower, creating a sense of the moment being stretched or strained.

Now, my intention was that these panels should show up when a character's behavior is being "forced" by the Curse - the black borders are like a hand squeezing around, limiting them. So it's not only when they're actually suffering Limit Break - when they choose to give in to their Limit's compulsion rather than spend willpower, for example, or when I just feel that it's an action or decision where the character is being made to do something by the effects of the Curse, those are also times when they'll appear.

However, this use of the "widescreen" panels is supposed to add drama and, as such, does not work with non-dramatic moments. So, if a character is being affected by the Curse but the intention of the scene is humour, or is similarly lighthearted, the black borders will not appear. Hence, why the panels disappeared when Flame took a moment to test Misho's reaction. Similarly, when the character is affected by the Curse in a minor way (where it could just be their personality as much as supernatural compulsion), the borders will also not appear, because it's not consequential and thus not dramatic.

Bah! What Daybreak Caste worth the name accepts the Word of God as given fact?

Set up the control group! Begin the injections! Prepare my dissection table!
Ready the unnecessarily painful experimentation.
Our quest for the truth begins in agony!

That said you're more-or-less confirming what I thought, so I'll shut up now.

[Weimann]

Much as Marena is one of my favourite characters, I like to see that she's feeling pressured here. The similarities between herself and Secret's mother is clearly weighing on her, and she's probably wondering if that was the thing that lead Secret into Abyssalhood, which is in the end a very bad deal, specially for someone like Secret.

The personal connection might make her re-evaluate her opinons on others' relationships.

[Rockphed]

Did I just imagine that Secret used to talk in white on black bubbles, or is their a sidereal among us?

[Gez]

Normal speech bubbles here:
http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0001.html

I have to say my inner spelling nazi is going nuts over "transparant".

[kamikasei]

Did I just imagine that Secret used to talk in white on black bubbles, or is their a sidereal among us?

Only for effect. See here. And the "Abyssals don't sweat" bit, though I can't remember where that was...

[tonberrian]

Only for effect. See here. And the "Abyssals don't sweat" bit, though I can't remember where that was...

Here.
Blah blah blah

[Rockphed]

Behold, here it is.

Dag sidereals.

[tonberrian]

Dag sidereals.

Not a Sidereal. Just a Starmetal caste.

Do have an Imprinted Data Cluster with a +3 Ninja'ing posts specialty.

[horngeek]

Not a Sidereal. Just a Starmetal caste.

Do have an Imprinted Data Cluster with a +3 Ninja'ing posts specialty.

Radiant Ninja-killing Method!

[The Rose Dragon]

I feel a distinct lack of updates today.

[golentan]

I spent a couple hours hitting the refresh button, but I'm fine now. *twitch-twitch*

So, since I got an opportunity to use KoC as a teaching device the other day, I thought I'd share with you my experience in Motivator Form.

Spoiler

Show

The guy was deliberately trying to add limit. And I quote: "So, I get an awesome attack now, right?"

*Beat*

"No. No you do not."

[Ganurath]

The guy was deliberately trying to add limit. And I quote: "So, I get an awesome attack now, right?"

*Beat*

"No. No you do not."

It's actually more like a panic attack. What was his Limit Break?

[golentan]

It's actually more like a panic attack. What was his Limit Break?

His Virtue Flaw was Ceaseless Salvation (he had asked what we thought most fit, so he didn't even read the entry...), and it tripped over while guarding refugees from an attack by goblins. And while healing the sick is a most noble pursuit, and an ideal activity when not in combat, it is in many ways more important to practice preventive care to avoid a serious case of "Ripped apart body and soul by enemies of creation."

[Ganurath]

Ah. So in this case it was less panic and more manic. Wunderbar. Did the inevitable occur, or was one of the others in his circle Exalted-level awesome in saving his rule-skimming butt?

[golentan]

Ah. So in this case it was less panic and more manic. Wunderbar. Did the inevitable occur, or was one of the others in his circle Exalted-level awesome in saving his rule-skimming butt?

We had left him to guard the right flank by himself.

We lost a third of our charges, but he and the rest of the party pulled through.