Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2025-06-19 10:49 am
rionaleonhart) wrote2025-06-19 10:49 am
Entry tags:
Shining Only In Your Own Eyes, The Light Defies It.
I was originally planning to hold off on posting about chapter four of Deltarune until I'd finished the chapter, but I've rambled so much already that I think I'd better just make a post now.
I've just defeated Jackenstein, but this entry only discusses the pre-Dark-World section of Deltarune chapter four.
Kris feels okay with who they are when they see Susie next to them in the mirror! ♥
I really didn't want to take the money from Asriel's dresser! But, when I realised I could use it to have a meal with Susie at the diner, I went for it. The one thing I can't possibly resist: hanging out with Susie.
I like that the game acknowledged I reluctantly took the money. I wonder if Kris would have been less reluctant if I'd just grabbed it at the first opportunity, rather than only taking it once I'd established I didn't have enough for the diner.
I really love Kris and Susie's relationship. We're so goddamn cute. Just a couple of weird outcasts being weird together.
I'm constantly impressed by how much personality Kris has, despite being a silent protagonist. Quiet and hard to read, but in a way that feels intentional, rather than simply an inevitable outcome of being a silent character. The loner, the outcast. A bit of a troublemaker, with a playfully cruel streak. Questionable impulse control. They manage to have distinct relationships with the other characters, too; Kris really seems to enjoy Susie's company, but they have a more complicated dynamic with Noelle, and their feelings about Ralsei are ambiguous, possibly tied up in conflicted feelings about Asriel.
Kris doesn't want us to see the guitar code! This is really interesting; it's the first time Kris's motivation in ripping out their soul has been quite so clear. On previous occasions, I thought maybe they were concerned we might prevent whatever they wanted to do. But, on this occasion, they're removing us-the-player and restricting our perspective because there are things they don't want us to know.
Tem and I were absolutely delighted by the sequence where we were left wandering around as just the soul. Freaking Noelle and Susie out. We're basically haunting a house, and it's a lot of fun.
It's very scary when Kris suddenly lunges and grabs us! 'Kris, Kris, we can be friends!' I shrieked desperately, as they carried us back to the gift box room. 'Tell me what you're up to! We can work together!'
I lingered for a long time to listen to Kris when they started playing the piano. I'm just so weirdly proud to see them off and doing their own thing without us.
When Noelle goes to find a cage to put the soul in, I wonder whether it's possible to wait so long she comes back and actually cages it.
When we-as-the-soul were in the closet with Kris, I took delight in hovering just out of Kris's reach and goading them into trying to hit me with the hockey stick.
Riona: Come on, Kris, get me! You can do it! Ah, we have fun, don't we, Kris?
Tem: You're just taunting them now.
Noelle and Susie's conversation about how Kris has changed since we took control of them is fascinating. Tem and I crowed with laughter when Susie commented on how good Kris is at flirting. I do make Kris flirt a lot, it's true!
I need to rewatch that conversation and pay closer attention to exactly which lines Kris reacts to. It's so interesting to get this external insight; we don't often get to see Kris's reactions to things, because we're usually the one reacting on their behalf. I'm fond of Kris/Noelle, so I definitely picked up on the fact that it seemed to bother Kris when Noelle reflected on riding the Ferris wheel together when they were younger. (I like any possible ship amongst the Kris-Noelle-Susie trio - Susie/Noelle and Kris/Susie are both very cute - but Kris/Noelle in particular has so much intriguingly dark and sad potential!)
I'm so intrigued by the fact that, when they're finished in the house, Kris restores their soul; they put us back in control. They're not removing our influence permanently. There are things Kris doesn't want us to see or hear, but they still either want or need us around.
Going by what we overheard from the phone, it sounds like Kris might need their soul in the Dark World, possibly because it's necessary in battle or to close the dark fountains. (And I suppose our friends might go 'uh, where the fuck is your soul?' if Kris went into battle soulless, although that's probably more a concern for Kris than for the person on the phone.) But is there a reason Kris keeps us in control in the Light World, rather than just, say, leaving their soul in the birdcage until it's required?
I really want to communicate with Kris, somehow. Kris knows I exist! Let me talk to them!
Does it bother you that I'm controlling you, Kris, or are you content with it most of the time? Are we allies; could we be friends? Are you using me for your own ends, just as I'm using you for my entertainment by playing this videogame?
I feel bad for Susie. She's such a straightforward person, and meanwhile all her friends (Lancer excepted) are sneaking around, brimming with ulterior motives; she doesn't really know any of them. At least Noelle's only ulterior motive is that she wants Susie to rail her until she passes out.
(Side note: I really like that Noelle is a character who's allowed to be sweet and kind and timid and also incredibly horny. It's a combination I don't see often, particularly in female characters; I feel male characters are more likely to be depicted as horny regardless of disposition, but horniness in female characters tends to be paired with particular character traits.)
Was Kris talking to Noelle's mother on the phone?? Whoever's on the phone, they didn't want Susie to have the guitar, they said they'd be right there, and then Noelle's mother turned up and took the guitar off Susie. Why would Kris and the mayor be working together?
Well, if I'm right to think that Dess is the knight, Kris and the mayor would have a shared interest in that; Dess is the mayor's daughter and Kris's childhood friend. So do they both know the knight's identity?
The biggest surprise of the new chapters for me, so far, has been the revelation that Kris knows a lot more than we do. I assumed from the end of chapter two that they knew some things we didn't, but it's clear by this point that Kris has a lot of knowledge we're not privy to.
I absolutely love the way this game is exploring the relationship between player and character. Rad as hell.
Thank you guys for avoiding spoilers in your comments on my last entry! Please try not to allude to anything post-Jackenstein in any comments on this one. Hopefully I'll be finished and able to discuss things freely with you soon!
I'm already missing this game in anticipation of finishing it. But, hey, there should be new chapters to look forward to in the future! At... some point!
I've just defeated Jackenstein, but this entry only discusses the pre-Dark-World section of Deltarune chapter four.
Kris feels okay with who they are when they see Susie next to them in the mirror! ♥
I really didn't want to take the money from Asriel's dresser! But, when I realised I could use it to have a meal with Susie at the diner, I went for it. The one thing I can't possibly resist: hanging out with Susie.
I like that the game acknowledged I reluctantly took the money. I wonder if Kris would have been less reluctant if I'd just grabbed it at the first opportunity, rather than only taking it once I'd established I didn't have enough for the diner.
I really love Kris and Susie's relationship. We're so goddamn cute. Just a couple of weird outcasts being weird together.
I'm constantly impressed by how much personality Kris has, despite being a silent protagonist. Quiet and hard to read, but in a way that feels intentional, rather than simply an inevitable outcome of being a silent character. The loner, the outcast. A bit of a troublemaker, with a playfully cruel streak. Questionable impulse control. They manage to have distinct relationships with the other characters, too; Kris really seems to enjoy Susie's company, but they have a more complicated dynamic with Noelle, and their feelings about Ralsei are ambiguous, possibly tied up in conflicted feelings about Asriel.
Kris doesn't want us to see the guitar code! This is really interesting; it's the first time Kris's motivation in ripping out their soul has been quite so clear. On previous occasions, I thought maybe they were concerned we might prevent whatever they wanted to do. But, on this occasion, they're removing us-the-player and restricting our perspective because there are things they don't want us to know.
Tem and I were absolutely delighted by the sequence where we were left wandering around as just the soul. Freaking Noelle and Susie out. We're basically haunting a house, and it's a lot of fun.
It's very scary when Kris suddenly lunges and grabs us! 'Kris, Kris, we can be friends!' I shrieked desperately, as they carried us back to the gift box room. 'Tell me what you're up to! We can work together!'
I lingered for a long time to listen to Kris when they started playing the piano. I'm just so weirdly proud to see them off and doing their own thing without us.
When Noelle goes to find a cage to put the soul in, I wonder whether it's possible to wait so long she comes back and actually cages it.
When we-as-the-soul were in the closet with Kris, I took delight in hovering just out of Kris's reach and goading them into trying to hit me with the hockey stick.
Riona: Come on, Kris, get me! You can do it! Ah, we have fun, don't we, Kris?
Tem: You're just taunting them now.
Noelle and Susie's conversation about how Kris has changed since we took control of them is fascinating. Tem and I crowed with laughter when Susie commented on how good Kris is at flirting. I do make Kris flirt a lot, it's true!
I need to rewatch that conversation and pay closer attention to exactly which lines Kris reacts to. It's so interesting to get this external insight; we don't often get to see Kris's reactions to things, because we're usually the one reacting on their behalf. I'm fond of Kris/Noelle, so I definitely picked up on the fact that it seemed to bother Kris when Noelle reflected on riding the Ferris wheel together when they were younger. (I like any possible ship amongst the Kris-Noelle-Susie trio - Susie/Noelle and Kris/Susie are both very cute - but Kris/Noelle in particular has so much intriguingly dark and sad potential!)
I'm so intrigued by the fact that, when they're finished in the house, Kris restores their soul; they put us back in control. They're not removing our influence permanently. There are things Kris doesn't want us to see or hear, but they still either want or need us around.
Going by what we overheard from the phone, it sounds like Kris might need their soul in the Dark World, possibly because it's necessary in battle or to close the dark fountains. (And I suppose our friends might go 'uh, where the fuck is your soul?' if Kris went into battle soulless, although that's probably more a concern for Kris than for the person on the phone.) But is there a reason Kris keeps us in control in the Light World, rather than just, say, leaving their soul in the birdcage until it's required?
I really want to communicate with Kris, somehow. Kris knows I exist! Let me talk to them!
Does it bother you that I'm controlling you, Kris, or are you content with it most of the time? Are we allies; could we be friends? Are you using me for your own ends, just as I'm using you for my entertainment by playing this videogame?
I feel bad for Susie. She's such a straightforward person, and meanwhile all her friends (Lancer excepted) are sneaking around, brimming with ulterior motives; she doesn't really know any of them. At least Noelle's only ulterior motive is that she wants Susie to rail her until she passes out.
(Side note: I really like that Noelle is a character who's allowed to be sweet and kind and timid and also incredibly horny. It's a combination I don't see often, particularly in female characters; I feel male characters are more likely to be depicted as horny regardless of disposition, but horniness in female characters tends to be paired with particular character traits.)
Was Kris talking to Noelle's mother on the phone?? Whoever's on the phone, they didn't want Susie to have the guitar, they said they'd be right there, and then Noelle's mother turned up and took the guitar off Susie. Why would Kris and the mayor be working together?
Well, if I'm right to think that Dess is the knight, Kris and the mayor would have a shared interest in that; Dess is the mayor's daughter and Kris's childhood friend. So do they both know the knight's identity?
The biggest surprise of the new chapters for me, so far, has been the revelation that Kris knows a lot more than we do. I assumed from the end of chapter two that they knew some things we didn't, but it's clear by this point that Kris has a lot of knowledge we're not privy to.
I absolutely love the way this game is exploring the relationship between player and character. Rad as hell.
Thank you guys for avoiding spoilers in your comments on my last entry! Please try not to allude to anything post-Jackenstein in any comments on this one. Hopefully I'll be finished and able to discuss things freely with you soon!
I'm already missing this game in anticipation of finishing it. But, hey, there should be new chapters to look forward to in the future! At... some point!
no subject
no subject