☆sunny's corner☆

So we all remember when Gerson described chapter 5 of Lord of the Hammer as,"The vast garden.. charred in an inferno of jealousy," and everyone thought that the "inferno" was referring to asgore and ooo asgore fight?

.. So now that chapter 5 is out and THAT didnt happen, im thinking the "inferno of jealousy" is referring to RALSEI instead!!

Mostly because we learn about their fire magic in this chapter, but i started thinking about the jealousy part and who they could be jealous OF, and there can be multiple answers and they dont have to be mutually exclusive.

My first answer is, obviously, Flowery. All of the flowers got to choose who they could be freely, and Flowery chose to be a perfect anime boy. Ralsei clearly is not happy with the cards they've been dealt in the prophecy and wishes to be different, to change and to step outside of the predetermined role set out for them (is whatever way that could be), also paralleling Noelle in this way (cannot WAIT for their potential interactions in chapter 6, maybe a heart to heart? oo i hope soo).

This leads me to believe that maybe, for Ralsei, seeing someone able to freely choose who they wish to be without the responsibility of the Fate of the World on their shoulders, spawns a sort of jealousy/envy within them. Ralsei very clearly tries to express this to Flowery by saying that "EVERYTHING will fall apart" if they do not go down their predetermined path. These things are only amplified by Flowery, stating before this that he believes his teasing in an effort to try and make Ralsei happy, may have instead made them jealous that he and the other flowers do not have to abide by the rules.

My second answer was that it could be Kris and Susie that Ralsei is jealous of, for two reasons:

1. Their ability, as Lightners, to go to the Light World and be able to experience all it has to offer without limitation. Ralsei has expressed a desire to go to the Light World with Susie and Kris in chapter 3 when the festival is mentioned, saying that they would love to, but unfortunately cannot due to being a Darkner.

2. The fact that Kris and Susie have the ability to express themselves in whatever way they wish to. Susie begins to wear ribbons in Chapter 5 but does not use them in her hair, instead preferring to use them around her arms (that is, until Flowery gives her one that she likes, a spiky red ribbon). Kris expresses themselves freely of the player's choice in the ways they dress up for the ACTs. Both Kris and Susie choose to bend and break the rules set out for them, something Ralsei longs for the courage to do (more Noelle parallels..). Ralsei has already broken the rules somewhat, in choosing their more feminine presentation after taking their hat off, thus not conforming to their (implied to be) masculine role of "prince", which seems to be the only thing they like about themselves, as they say in Chapter 3 when you say you have seen their face before that "if there's one thing i like about myself, it's [my face]," which is confirmed to be painted with makeup as per the bathing scene with them and kris.

Maybe Ralsei doesnt want to stay a prince but feels like they need to..?

Maybe the way Flowery was trying to convey that Ralsei can be happy in turn made it like it was easy for him to say, since he has technically already gotten what he wanted and can just do that without consequence because, in terms of the prophecy, he is just.. not that important..? And maybe Ralsei internalized the thought that Darkners are not important except themselves and feel the need to uphold that, while also having an inferiority complex when it comes to Kris and Susie because they have less restrictions than they have in terms of personal expression AND crossing worlds. And thus is jealous of all of them..?

Again, i cant wait to see how Ralsei and Noelle interact in the next chapter !!

She might be a culmination of everything that Ralsei wants to be and the traits they wish to have for themselves, even though Noelle isnt happy where she is either and maybe it will be a sort of idolization->heart to heart->besties thing??

it is smaller but that's bc its pixel art that i didnt bother resizing