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nordicfiord · 20 days ago

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You can say Jevil is a lot like Susie, an unpredictable battle-happy force of chaos fighting against the restrictions placed on them by the world by simply denying that they’re there.

The main difference is that Jevil seems to truly has no interest in anything but his 'games' of violence, while throughout Chapter 1 Susie learns that violent solutions aren't always the answer.... and now that her desire to 'do anything' also includes just wanting to keep being with her friends...

It might be a lot harder for her to achieve the kind of freedom she wants....

Or you can say Jevil is a lot like Kris, the paradoxical nature of their existence exemplified through the motif of a Cage.

But Jevil is the prisoner who is actually Free, while Kris is a prison who is themself trapped.

You can also say Spamton is a lot like Kris, robbed of freedom and agency by both metaphysical puppet-strings and a mysterious voice on the phone.

It's just that Spamton has alienated everyone he's ever known and ended up totally alone, while Kris at least has some friends willing to help them… if they knew what's going on.

Or you can say Spamton is a lot like Ralsei, a Darkner tormented by his wider knowledge and deeper understanding of the nature of things, and how he is not truly real and how he is not truly free. Who echoes some of Flowey's lines from 'Undertale'.

But Ralsei handles this knowledge by being both incredibly fatalistic and incredibly unhealthily selfless, while Spamton, as a Darkner doomed to selfishness, drives himself mad (well, madder) trying to fight against it.

And… you could say the Roaring Knight is a lot like Kris because they are both incredibly mysterious to the Player. And Kris' Dark World design does make them look a lot like a knight of sorts...

Or if you wanna say Ramb is the true 'main character' of Chapter 3's Shadow Crystal Route, than he's a lot like Kris because they are both outsiders in their 'worlds'. Kris is the only Human in Hometown, Ramb is the only Plugboy in TV World.

The main difference is that, well, even if Kris still feels like an outsider sometimes, they still clearly Belong in Hometown more than Ramb belonged in TV World.

Or you could say Ramb is a lot like Ralsei, a Darkner who sees himself as a good friend for Kris and is highly invested in pleasing them and making them happy. Actually becoming literal pushovers for them.

But Ralsei still tries to gently nudge Kris towards Pacifism and what he sees as the right choices where he can, and tries to keep them on the set path. Ramb, for Kris' sake, gave them a world of 'total freedom'… that they actually found to be quite disturbing. Especially since they weren't truly the one in control. A fact Ramb seems unaware of, but Ralsei probably is.

Also, unlike Ramb, Ralsei doesn't just have Kris/the Player. He has actually made other connection, most importantly Susie. Ramb sacrificed any connection he could've ever made in TV World in the name of his loyalty to Kris and it actually cost him his life.

And the most obvious comparison to Gerson would be his unofficial pupil, Susie. While opposites on the surface... one is a scholarly elder and the other is a rambunctious teen. One is a trickster who is constantly hiding his true power, while the other's strength lies in how incredibly straightforward she tends to be. One is a bookworm and author and a teacher, while the other seem to really struggle academically.....

But both are reptilian Monsters with a similar Magic attack.

Both fiercely reject the Prophecy's inevitability. Both are 'echoes' of Undyne as she was in Undertale in different ways...

But Gerson could also be compared to Ralsei. Both are Darkners who look like Light World Monsters (although with different in-universe lore reasons... I assume), both know a lot about the Prophecy, both try and guide Kris and Susie in their own way, both are part of Susie's Healing Magic Training, both are somewhat echoes of Flowey. (Gerson being revived from an object covered in dust in a very similar manner to how Asriel was revived as Flowey).

It's just that Ralsei is a lot more defeatist. While he did hold some hope that maybe he could change fate through the power of his kindness, he still found it hard to doubt the Prophecy's inevitability. He tried to hide it from Kris and Susie in the hopes of sparing them the grief of knowing about it like he does.

While Gerson shatters the Prophecy in an attempt to nudge the Heroes into defying it, always believing and never doubting that the Prophecy could be rewritten.

Ralsei is saddled with this knowledge from just the nature of his being, he's not even quite sure where his knowledge came from. And despite knowing so much, he's still got the emotional maturity of a teen and the life experience of like three days, and his naivete and lack of actual experience are his biggest weaknesses.

Both his social inexperience and his fatalist attitude are the reason why he could never teach Susie more than the basics of Healing Magic.

Gerson is a grown-up who's knowledge of the Prophecy came from his research and has ages of actual life experience and wisdom to pull from. While he doesn't seem to know Healing Magic himself, he was instrumental to teaching it to Susie because he was able to figure her out and devise a method that will actually help her learn and improve.

Ralsei is also the one Darkner we know of who is immune to petrification in every Dark World, while Gerson specifically can only appear under very specific circumstances in specific Dark Worlds.

Hmmmm… are there any more Shadow Boss - Delta Warrior comparisons I missed?

#deltarune spoilers #this analysis is so cool!!!

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nordicfiord · 2 months ago

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Bloody Teeth and Split Tongues (TAT AU)

(Hi! This is a little piece that I've wanted to do for awhile, and I decided that this could be a thank you for everyone who loves my stories, and for being patient for me while I catch up on requests. This is a standalone idea I had, so this isn't gonna become a whole other story. This is a sort of dark version of Tongues and Teeth, where Oppy and Para were a little more twisted and unhealthy with each other. I hope you enjoy and continue to like my stuff! Thank you!)

(Warning-Blood, violence, death)

Run-faster-hide.

Don't stop. Never stop.

It's kill or be killed. It is kill or be killed.

Hunted panted as he ran through the forest, the darkness of the night making twisted shadows appear in the corners of his vision. But he didn't stop running. He couldn't afford to if he wanted to live.

He ran on all four legs as he bolted further into the woods, his legs burning-legs that actually belonged to Hunted now.

He had a body. He was his own voice. This fear was purely his own.

All he remembered was the Decider and a mirror. What happened? Did the princess do this? Did the Shifting Mound give him this body? He wasn't sure if he liked it, but at least he could focus on surviving without any interference.

What had become of the Decider? Was He no more without them in His head? Or did that dreadful Echo do this to punish Him more?

Hunted didn't like all these questions with no way to get answers. He didn't like the fact that he had no idea if the Decider was safe without Hunted there to guide him, without any of them to lend a hand.

But Hunted couldn't focus on that right now.

"Oh, little voices, come out and play."

A deep-rooted terror gripped Hunted, one that wasn't unlike dealing with the princess. He swerved deeper into the forest, where the shadows were thicker and the foliage was more dense, giving him more room to hide, and with his small frame, he was able to duck behind the bushes easily.

He dived into one particular bush, ignoring the way the leaves and twigs rubbed against him, crouching low and peeking out between the gaps into the forest beyond, keeping deathly quiet as he listened for any noises.

He sat there for at least ten minutes, the eerie silence of the forest unnerving Hunted more than it should of. Then- he heard it.

Humming.

Hunted tried to press himself even further into the dirt below him, holding in his whimper as the humming would get louder, then hushed whispers would be uttered, before the humming started up again.

Hunted wasn't sure if they knew he was here. He wasn't even sure if they would recognise him with his own body.

As the footsteps got closer, one pair relaxed and one pair quick and rushed, Hunted suddenly heard a rustle to the left of him, and he held in his flinch of surprise, taking everything within him not to run off again, lest he resume the chase.

The footsteps got closer, and Hunted prayed that they would walk right past him, giving him a chance to slip away, undetected. But then he heard a whimper to the left of him- and horror built up within Hunted, because he knew exactly who that was.

But it was too late now.

"What was that? Did you hear that?!"

"I certainly did. Someone's hiding from us, my friend- how rude of them."

They were already here.

Hunted tried to suppress his trembling, as two birds walked into view. Even if their faces were new, something about them screamed familiar to Hunted, even if everything had turned so wrong ever since He left.

One bird sauntered forward, one hand behind his back and his wings casting him in a shadow darker than the night itself.

Even still, Hunted could see the cocky and self assured smirk on his face, and a predatory glint in his eyes that Hunted knew could never be satiated.

The bird was corralling his partner with his wing, keeping him close to his side, not that the other seemed keen on being away from the other.

The other bird was taller by a few inches, but he still hunched and cowered in fear, leaning down to be closer to the other, clutching his arm tight.

He had a look of frenzied panic on his face, the complete opposite of his partner, feathers a mess and falling off by the minute, eyes scouring every inch of the forest.

Hunted would know the two of them anywhere.

It was Opportunist and Paranoid.

"I heard something here!" Paranoid hissed, shaking so bad that it made Hunted wince. "I bet it's one of them!"

Opportunist's eyes shone with bloodlust as he looked up at the other, a sick grin on his face. "One of them, you say? Well, that's definitely a good thing, isn't it? We're looking for them, after all."

"Yes, but you saw the way that other one ran. They're not going to just sit back and let us come to them."

Opportunist stopped right in front of Hunted, and Hunted could see how tightly Paranoid was gripping Opportunist's arm- it looked painful, almost- but Opportunist didn't seem to be affected at all, or if he did, he didn't show it. He just kept smiling at Paranoid.

Opportunist hummed in thought, then shrugged. "Maybe not, but I think we got lucky this time."

Hunted could feel his very blood freeze in that moment, and he struggled to remain calm while coming up with a plan. He was so used to only having to do the planning and talking part, but now he truly was in the moment of life and death, and he had to act for himself now.

What a terrifying introduction to free will.

Opportunist's eyes were full of nothing but malice as his gaze swept over Hunted- and he wondered how good the other's vision was now.

Opportunist took a step closer. Then Paranoid did, both of them gazing around the forest like they were one half of the same creature, like they were still operating as part of Him.

Hunted held his breath.

Paranoid's eyes caught something right next to him.

Paranoid's face fell. He inched closer to Opportunist, and pointed right next to Hunted. "There," he hissed, and then Hunted heard another whimper, louder and unmistakable, and he could do nothing but watch as Opportunist grinned in sick delight, marching over, completely ignoring Hunted's hiding spot.

Opportunist shoved his hand into a bush full of flowers and soft looking leaves- and Hunted had to very quickly blink back tears as Broken emerged from the bush, shaking and quietly weeping to himself.

Paranoid yelped in surprise as Opportunist dragged the other bird out, forcing him to his knees before them. Broken kept his head bowed as he cried, hugging himself and tucking his too thin wings against his back, attempting to look as small as possible.

Opportunist looked positively thrilled. "Oh, hello there!" he greeted joyfully, but Hunted knew it wasn't because of the other's presence. "I'm so glad we ran into you of all birds. You've given us a great place to start."

"Start?" Broken whimpered, and Hunted's heart broke at the terror and defeat in his voice.

Paranoid stayed a step behind Opportunist, preening his feathers worriedly and shifting on the spot, his face scrunched up in concern and doubt, and for a fleeting moment, Hunted actually thought that Paranoid was going to put a stop to all this.

But then he just asked, "You don't think he's here as bait, do you? What if this is a trap for us?"

Opportunist snorted, patting Paranoid's hand and giving him a brief, soft look- and Hunted had to sit there and watch as Paranoid physically relaxed at Opportunist's touch.

"I doubt the others would have the patience to deal with him." Opportunist chuckled in amusement as he looked down at Broken, disgust in his eyes. "If anything, they'd probably thank us for what we're doing."

Broken let a sniffle out, but didn't protest.

Paranoid glanced between them, and when he decided to focus on Broken, his voice was low and cautious, but still sure of what was happening right now. "We're doing this for Him, you know? We're going to make sure that He's okay. Forever."

Broken just shook harder, and then quietly, without lifting his head, he mumbled, "I don't know if we deserve Him anymore."

"What?" Opportunist blurted out in astonishment, stepping further into Broken's personal space and glaring down at him. "You think that we don't know what's best for Him?" he sneered. "We did everything we could for Him, you were happy to betray us for her."

Broken's shaking got worse. He started to shake his head. "N- No, no- it wasn't like that-"

Opportunist's face dropped into an angry scowl as he yelled, "Don't play dumb now!" and used his foot to shove Broken onto his back, and Hunted winced at the pained groan Broken let out at the impact.

Hunted watched in horror as Broken's cries got louder, echoing out into the woods, and Hunted just wanted to stuff his head somewhere where no sound could reach, where this torment couldn't get him.

The leaves rustled as Broken squirmed on the ground, hugging himself even tighter as Opportunist and Paranoid loomed over him, one with eyes of bloodlust, the other with eyes of empty resignation.

"Broken," Paranoid calmly said, Opportunist leaning against him, and Broken quieted down just enough to hear the other speak.

Hunted's never seen Paranoid speak so calmly before, but then he noticed how Opportunist was holding Paranoid's hand, and he was brushing a thumb over the back of his hand.

Paranoid was calm because of Opportunist right now.

"He needs us right now," Paranoid said, eyes staring intensely down at Broken. "I don't know why He left us, but we will get back to Him. He's nothing without us there to protect Him."

"The problem, though," Opportunist spoke up, pushing himself off of Paranoid, "Is that He doesn't need all of us."

That was when Opportunist brought out his other hand, and Hunted couldn't stop the tiny whine of fear he let out.

It was the pristine blade.

Opportunist took another step forward, and Broken tried crawling backwards, which only made Opportunist giggle in amusement. He casually twisted the blade around in his hand, and it unnerved Hunted how familiar and fluid the motions looked to him, as if having a blade in his hand suited Opportunist.

"The Long Quiet does not need someone who is weak," Opportunist spat out, and the blade glinted in the moonlight. "He does not need a pathetic little thing, that would rather kill himself than take back some power and control."

Broken's sobbing got louder, his eyes never trailing away from the blade, and when Hunted turned to look at Paranoid again, he saw that the anxious bird was simply staring at Opportunist, as if making sure no harm came to him.

"The Long Quiet needs us, not you," Opportunist continued. "He needs the voices that will protect Him and give Him the best shot of survival."

Opportunist stared down at Broken in eerie silence for a few seconds, his face blank and unreadable. Then he grimaced at Broken. "What use does a God need from you?"

In the blink of an eye, Opportunist had reached down, grabbing a fistful of feathers on the top of Broken's head, yanking his body to sit up.

Broken immediately struggled against the grip, hands going to Opportunist's wrist and weakly clawing and beating at it, and Hunted could feel a part of himself dissociate at the sound of Broken's begging.

"Please please please- don't do this!"

"It has to be done!" Opportunist cheerfully said, bringing Broken's head closer. "Sacrifices have to be made, and you're very familiar with that, aren't you?"

Hunted should do something. That was his flock that was in trouble, he needed to save Broken.

But- it was also his flock that was committing this violence, and a small, naive part of Hunted was still clinging to the idea that his flockmates would never do the unthinkable.

Besides, what could Hunted do right now? He could pop out and try to fight them off, but it was two against one, and one of them was armed. Also, who knows what would happen to his body if Paranoid managed to use his chant on him.

There was too much that could go wrong, so Hunted didn't move.

Not when Broken's sobbing and begging rattled Hunted to his very core.

Not when Opportunist yanked Broken's head back to reveal his neck.

Not when the blade got dangerously close to Broken.

Paranoid looked over Opportunist's shoulder down at Broken, a somber look in his eyes, and even though his hands fidgeted at his side, Hunted wasn't sure if it was out of nerves or if he was just antsy to get this over with.

"It's okay, Broken," Paranoid softly said, which only made Broken struggle and sob more. "This is what you can do to help The Long Quiet." Then a darkness covered Paranoid's eyes. "Die for us."

"No- don't- please-"

But then Opportunist's wrist flicked out, and then Hunted had to sit and watch, as he slit Broken's throat.

Blood sprayed forth, making Paranoid jump with a yelp, ducking behind Oppy, who's eyes were alight with sadistic joy.

Broken gargled on his own blood, and Opportunist finally let go of him, watching in satisfaction as Broken fell with a thump and began clawing at his own throat, crimson coating his feathers.

Opportunist had the nerve to laugh at Broken's torture, a quiet chuckle as he stared down in fascination as Broken slowly bled to death.

It didn't hit Hunted at first. Not when he saw the blood, not when Broken's struggling got weaker, or even when his pleas got replaced with painful choking sounds.

It didn't truly hit Hunted- not until Broken's eyes fluttered shut, and the last thing Hunted saw was the way Broken's hand hit the ground, no strength or life left to hold it up- and then a searing pain suddenly felt like it was tearing Hunted apart.

He choked on a gasp, shoving his face into the dirt in the hopes of muffling his tears and whines, but it was so hard when it currently felt like a hole was being carved in Hunted's heart.

He gritted his teeth, trying to be absolutely silent as he cried, when all he wanted to do was howl in pain and grief.

He knew what this pain was.

This was what the loss of Broken felt like.

An irreplaceable piece of Hunted's soul had been ripped out of him, leaving him off-centre and raw. He can never get this part of him back. His flock would never feel complete, not when a piece of them was dead.

Hunted wasn't sure how long he stayed in that position, quietly crying to himself while shaking with pure agony. When he finally managed to lift his head, Opportunist and Paranoid- the monsters- were nowhere to be seen.

Cautiously, Hunted crawled out of his hiding spot, feeling safe enough to let a shuddering breath out, the wind drying his hot and damp tears.

Hunted forced himself to walk towards Broken- or Broken's corpse, he should say. He made himself put on foot in front of the other, until the blood was at his feet, and he fell to his knees.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry-" Hunted grabbed Broken's cold hand, clutching it to his chest to try and reignite some warmth into it, leaning over and pressing his forehead against Broken's chest, trying to hear for any sign of life- a heartbeat, a rising of the chest, anything.

But none was heard.

Their flock had been destroyed.

Freedom was nothing but another prison.

"One down! Eight to go!"

Paranoid let himself be drawn in by Oppy's cheerful humming, let it wash over him and keep him focused on the task at hand.

Oppy was quick to grab his hand again, and although Paranoid could do without the incessant swinging of their arms, he welcomed the touch.

The darkness made the shadows of trees warp and distort all around Paranoid, turning them into monsters with a dress and a mask every which way he looked. But so long as he could feel Oppy next to him, he was safe.

If Oppy was nearby, then no harm would come to Paranoid, and in return, Paranoid would ensure that Oppy was safe.

They weren't going to die. They weren't going to be betrayed and hurt again.

"We're going to have to come up with a plan in the future," Paranoid said, his head spinning around and constantly checking the back of them. "We can't afford to make any mistakes from here on out."

Oppy smiled brightly at him, and once, Paranoid would have found that smile unnerving, but now it just brought him comfort. He knew Oppy's smiles were a weapon, but Paranoid also knew that they weren't weapons aimed at him. Ever.

"I know that, Jitters!" Oppy replied happily, giving his hand a squeeze that made his shoulders relax. "But I think between the two of us, we can get the job done easy enough."

"I know, but we got lucky with Broken, you said it yourself."

Oppy sighed and stepped closer to Paranoid, covering his shoulders with one wing, and Paranoid sighed in relief at the feeling.

"I know," Oppy said, looking ahead at the forest that never seemed to end. "But I still want us to enjoy this victory while it lasts. We came out on top, after all."

That made sense. Paranoid's never been one to look on the bright side of things, but Oppy was right. There wasn't really a point in worrying so much if you couldn't celebrate moving on from it.

For a split second, Paranoid's mind flashed with the mental image of Broken, choking on his own blood, desperately trying to live when he usually was more than happy to sacrifice himself. Paranoid didn't want to think about what that implied.

Paranoid heard Oppy hum a soft tune again, almost like a lullaby, and any buried guilt he felt was easily discarded. Broken didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was The Long Quiet.

"Who do you think we should go for next?" Oppy asked, holding his bloody blade up to the moonlight to inspect, and Paranoid made sure not to catch a glimpse of himself in the steel, even through the blood.

"Cheated? That unlucky bustard will be easy to take out, even with all his whining. Or maybe Skeptic? Wait for him to get in his own head, sneak up behind him, and get him before he even knows what's going on? The fool's stupid enough to fall for it."

Paranoid hummed, thinking all options were good.

He hadn't liked getting his own body. He hadn't liked dealing with the reality that The Long Quiet abandoned them, without any explanation or even a fucking goodbye!

Everything was so much more painful and terrifying now that Paranoid had his own body. Now everything was just ten times worse, along with dealing with the grief that He had dumped onto them!

But that's where Oppy showed up, full of all the same rage and fear and betrayal that Paranoid was. They looked at each other and understood, when they never would have seen eye to eye before.

Oppy knew what it was like to do anything to survive. Oppy knew what it was like to fight her and keep fighting, and do anything to make sure that He was alive, at all costs.

Oppy was ruthless. Oppy was cunning. Oppy was safe.

After everything that they've gone through, Oppy was probably the only person who could understand Paranoid's hurt and want to do something about it. They knew what the other could be like, and they craved that.

So they stuck together, and Paranoid would rather die than lose another friend right now.

"I think we should go for Cheated next," Paranoid suggested, not missing the excited glint in Oppy's eyes at his words. "He'd be easy enough to overpower and I don't think he'll be too sorely missed."

"Great idea, Jitters!" Oppy exclaimed, and Paranoid fondly rolled his eyes at the nickname. "We'll have gotten rid of those other nuisances in no time."

But a sudden bolt of icy fear shot through Paranoid's heart, and he abruptly stopped walking, gripping Oppy's hand tight and making him whirl around to face him in a panic.

Oppy opened his mouth to speak, but Paranoid quickly blurted out, "But not Hero! Remember not to kill Hero!"

Paranoid gripped Oppy's hand hard enough that he was pretty sure his claws were sunken in deep enough to bleed- but Oppy just gave Paranoid such a reassuring and calm look, that Paranoid couldn't help but not feel guilty.

"We need Hero to get back to The Long Quiet," Paranoid softly said, "so remember not to kill him- not yet, anyways."

Oppy was silent for a few seconds, before he squeezed Paranoid's hand once, and when Paranoid looked up, Oppy was giving him a soft, caring look- and Paranoid felt all his fears melt away.

"I know what to do, Jitters. I'm not gonna go and ruin your brilliant plan, am I?" Oppy said playfully, and Paranoid nodded, knowing that in his heart to be true. Oppy wouldn't betray him.

"Everything will be completely fine once it's just you, me, and that prick of a God who thought He could just get rid of us," Oppy softly said, and Paranoid smiled, his chest growing warm at the confident smile Oppy sent him.

Oppy was all that Paranoid needed, and Paranoid was all that Oppy needed- and they will succeed in this plan.

Whether that be by digging into The Long Quiet's head until they had replaced that weak pushover Hero, or by murdering every voice and princess that stood in their way, until they knew nothing but crimson- they were in this together. Until the bitter end.

#GOOD GOLLY I COULD NOT WALK PAST THIS ONE #first of all YOUR WRITING BECAME EVEN BETTER HELLO???#i MUST find the time to return to your stories jeeeees #second of all... mama mia let me go what a mess <3 #when i was younger i liked stories where characters died one-by-one due to some weird circumstances #here we can see that plot but through killer's eyes??? kinda???#that is raising so much questions #will other birds team up before they get killed?#can oppy really overpower stubborn??#CAN CONTRA EVEN DIE HE IS TOO STUPID TO DO IT???#when i say i'm hooked i MEAN it #that. that honestly feels like a hook back to stp obsession i was begging for #anyways I'M HYPED THANK YOU VERY MUCH HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER!!!

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