#Hnk and cotl? I love it

[luphorics]

What was the inspiration behind Rhys and their story/setting? :0

heya anon! ty for the ask! :3 honestly, there were a lot of things that inspired them and the setting, so i might ramble a bit! apologies in advance!!

firstly, i'm a huge sucker for stories and concepts relating to themes of change and rebirth working hand-in-hand, however that gets conveyed. i do also find guilty pleasure in doomed narratives LMFAO-- but in the case with Rhys, they end up turning the tides of their "doom" and redefining a fate that would've otherwise been catastrophic for them and the rest of the world they live in.

to list some of the media that strongly inspired my story's narrative:

Houseki no Kuni: for Rhys, i drew heavy inspiration from the HNK's protagonist, Phosphophyllite. they constantly endure events that change them in many ways. but at the very end, they ultimately find their way back to who they originally were, despite ending up a little different more or less. it's a lovely story with a lot of philosophical themes on change/growth. would absolutely recommend it!

Nier: Automata: it also has some shared themes with HNK as well as a very thought-provoking narrative. though, i can say that Nier: Automata is more heavy on themes of existentialism. some of those elements are subtly explored in my story. :3

Sky: Children of the Light: this is a game that i used to play a lot! a lot of its visual concepts + what i analyzed/interpreted from the story served as strong inspiration to the world's lore, as well as to Rhys's situation. honestly, the game's title is just a big giveaway JKSDKJ. to put it short, Sky: COTL revolves around you playing as a character that's able to collect and harbor light within your body. you get stronger with each light collected, giving you stronger flight capabilities. in gameplay mechanics, your overall goal after collecting enough lights is to venture through a treacherous realm known as the "Eye of Eden" to return the lost lights that you carry in a form of self-sacrifice. however, your character ends up being reborn in the end, and the cycle repeats.

there's a lot of other points of inspo, but these 3 are like the biggest ones!! ;0;