✧˖°. Cosmo 𝜗𝜚 ‧₊˚ ⊹

Something mildly amusing that I've taken note of in the general reaction to Chapter 5, and more specifically the one Really Gay Scene between Kris and Ralsei in the onsen, is that a lot of people really did NOT know what option to pick there when it came up. I've seen it a bunch on Tumblr in responses to the scene and I myself was so flabbergasted by the thing that I had to talk to my friend Moss about it for 10 minutes instead of progressing. And there's always been a fairly unifying reasoning between people as to why they feel that way, from what I can tell, that being that they don't know if it's what Kris would "want." And that is fair, because like stated prior Kris is very much keeping the distance between them and us as wide as possible... but, it's also kind of paradoxical, isn't it?

If Chapter 5 has made one thing about Kris's character clear to me, it's that they do not want what is "best" for themselves. Kris, whether it be by unfortunate nature or the traumatic weight of their "promise," is self-isolating to a frankly suicidal degree. It's a constant thing with them and has been for a very long time. They cut off their friendship with Noelle years ago and barely talk to her now, they don't interact with anyone around Hometown normally beyond their mother, and even in the Dark Worlds where they become slightly more expressive they still don't really interact with anyone unless they're forced to (either by us or by the other person, ala Spamton or Gerson). Even with their greatest personal friendship in Susie, they clam up as soon as the subject ever turns to their emotions, even though it's become increasingly clear with time that Kris has a lot of them for Susie in specific.

But. Then.

There is Ralsei.

With whom Kris does... none of that with?

Kris can be avoidant towards Ralsei, of course. This is not to say that Kris doesn't hide certain parts of themselves away from Ralsei like they do everyone else, but what gets be is how much Kris's normal tendencies of avoidance and isolation can just be... ignored. When it comes to Ralsei. When Kris acts like that towards Ralsei, it's generally because you made them do so.

We'll use the onsen scenes as contrast here. Both the interaction with Susie and the interaction with Ralsei can very quickly turned emotionally charged should you so choose that path, but what gets me is how Kris cannot open up to Susie in a proper manner but can with Ralsei. Kris mumbles to Susie if you try and make them supportive of her and Noelle's relationship but speeds through their words if you try to make them choose the most overtly "romantic" option. But with Ralsei, if you make Kris say that Kris's happy ending is with Ralsei, they just... seem to say it. Normally. Without trying to stop themself. Obviously we don't know for certain because Ralsei gets cut off immediately by Susie jumping in the pool, but given Ralsei blushes and seems more shocked than confused, I think it's pretty safe to assume that Kris just. Spoke their mind. To Ralsei. Unabated.

And if you think back on the rest of the game, Kris's interactions with Ralsei have... always been like this. Even in Chapter 1 and 2 when it's implied that Kris was mostly indifferent to the goat. Kris can hug Ralsei multiple times without stopping themselves, Kris can encourage and praise Ralsei without trying to stifle it, Kris can dress Ralsei up in cute ribbons and encourage Ralsei when they wear a dress. These are all things you choose for Kris to do, but Kris has demonstrated many times that they have the ability to fuck with choices they really don't want to engage in.

at first i was very annoyed at flowery with how the way he treated ralsei reminded me of people on twitter who kept saying things like "ralsei looks better with the hat on" or "ralsei should put the hat back on" and those people completely missing that ralsei takes the hat off coming out of their shell and beginning to be more like themself... and the bullshit about chapter 1 hat ralsei being "more expressive" than chapter 2 ralsei was just. wrong??????? if anything in chapter 1 ralsei usually just makes the same default smiling portrait the majority of the chapter... actual fake fans lmfao... and like yes ralsei i am with you i'm turning that annoying golden boy's voice clips off for you!!!! get his ass!!! that evil twink will pay!!!!!!

but then as the chapter progressed, i saw how good of a foil flowery and ralsei are to each other, and flowery helped ralsei grow a backbone (and also kinda pushed ralsei towards the idea of being transfem so thank you flowery). after beating the game and seeing it be played again by my friends, flowery is very endearing to me. and it's not like ralsei actually vehemently hates flowery the whole time (i'd argue even ever) either... through flowery ralsei realizes a lot of things about themself. i don't think ralsei would have reacted the way he did at the end if he didn't also feel bad for flowery or saw a little bit of themself in him... after all, they do have many parallels... and ouugh the way ralsei says "idiot..." after flowery's gone, GOD. GODDDD they're siblings. they're siblings