average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

I have no idea why I spent my time on this But my friend chuckled so that was worth it

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

It's very funny to me that the Device Theory remains standing, somewhat. It has some holes in it ("Dark world within dark world" was debunked), but the analysis is still spot-on-and the Delta Rune itself has almost been confirmed to be a tangible thing in-story. Like, there's big chunks of it that remain plausible (and seem even more likely after Ch 3 and 4).

no yeah the thematic elements of device theory are there just as much as ever, like the holiday family and Noelle have been even more strongly associated with nostalgia, Kris has even more complications on free will, etc. and of course there's the gaster intercessions that sure seem to be him modifying the game to help us (providing save points), and the weird way that FRIEND only shows to show up on layers other than the one you're "on" (device layer as IMG_FRIEND, inside games and fantasies characters are playing/having, etc)

i still want deeper dark worlds. toby pls.

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

Dark World Skirt Kris (?)

They were wearing a skirt in my head in that minigame

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

That one scene from Chapter 4 but the ending is slightly different.

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

all teenagers scare the living shit out of me

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

tenna… your dreams are on display

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

Perfect

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

they're stupid

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

kris. buddy im gonna need you to work with me here. we need to make this happen for you

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

So many incredible Kris and Susie moments in chapters 3-4, but the sticker one still one of my faves 🥺 follow me on bsky to keep up to date with my art!!

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

Hmmm… The Girl using a Sword rather an Axe seems like a smoking gun (smoking blade?) that she just can’t be Susie, but… I’ve been thinking about the Symbolism of most of the Swords in the Dark World being Writing implements…

A symbolism the game itself just pointed out.

There’s a potentially fun play here with swords already being the Weapon associated with an RPG’s main protagonists/player characters, and also the symbolism of holding a pencil/pen to show you’re the person with the agency to change the story and master your own fate. So it’s like equating being the “Main Hero” to being able to ‘write your own stories”.

Kris, the actual person holding the ‘Sword’ right now and presented on the surface as the ‘Main Character’ actually has a lot of problems with actual narrative agency. Some obvious (like our possession of them), some less so (being the only ‘Dark Hero’ who always ‘carries out fate’ and never 'faces' it.)

Susie is obviously the one most likely to resist the path laid out before her…

So I’m thinking about the concept of Susie deliberately picking up a Pencil/Sword to make herself the Girl from the Prophecy.

Like, she’ll literally declare her intention to re-write the story by arming herself with a ‘Writing Weapon’ while also deliberately writing herself into the Story with the same action. Making herself into the ‘Chosen One’ instead of accepting the ‘fact’ that she was not supposed to be chosen.

… Of course, that would have to be one hell of a Sword, cause it will also need to satisfy Susie’s aesthetic desire for Big Badass Weapons. Like, the literal reason she doesn’t use Swords right now is that she thinks Kris’ are too puny.

But… maybe she figures out how to craft her own Big-Ass Sword (befitting her status as a kinda-student of Gerson, who was also a Blacksmith) or figures out the mechanics of the Dark World enough to go inside with a Giant Novelty Pencil or something?

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

two little dreemurrs jumping on the couch

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

I always say "Morning" instead of "Good Morning" because if it was a good morning, id be fishing.

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

The single scene I believe nailed down Kris's entire trajectory, that explained the most about them as a character, has to be their chapter four piano concert:

We, as the player, have no input in this scene at all. If you try to play the long sequence right, they'll just mess it up, prompting the dialogue anyway. There's no command from us that they twist in order to be "allowed" to play, no nudge from us in the right direction- they just snatch control, because Susie wants to hear them.

This is such a complete stab through the gut, not just because of their passion and the fluid animation and sheer expressiveness, but because Kris can just do that! It isn't that they physically can't play piano with the soul in the driver's seat, they just won't, until Susie empowers them to. No matter how badly they want the freedom to express themselves on their own terms, they restrain themselves. They let us take the reins and try to just submit, and they can't keep it up.

The interpretation this strikes me with, coupled with their "knighting" and their "promise" to the mysterious caller and their unspecified egg trauma... We know they know how we work, and that their plans with us are premeditated and calculated, at the behest of (maybe multiple) adults who have significant power over them. At least the Mayor is directing them to let themselves be turned into a vessel. We know this would have to have started before they went to the first Dark World, when Susie was still a bully, Noelle estranged and Ralsei not even in the picture.

We know that by the opening of the third fountain, by the time they're spinning prompts to get into banter with Susie and blocking us from being mean to Ralsei and drawing messages on windows and sneaking in as much of themselves into their relationships as possible, they've been turning themselves into our tool to be ultimately pitted against the group since day one. That no matter how much they can be coaxed out, at the end of the day, they have to be shoved back in their place, if not by us, by the Knight/mayor/etc who've facilitated this entire thing. That their choices don't matter.

Evil-Kris officially out, Deeply-Conflicted-Kris officially in. Of course earlier Kris tries to keep themselves closed off from the Extended Fun Gang- no matter how much they adventure together, how much they grow to like their company, Kris will inevitably, in their eyes, have to betray them. Because they made their choice before the story could even begin. Because they promised.

[average-cosmic-starfish-enjoyer]

Smells like eggnog.