Deltarune theory to end all theories (or probably not), or why Kris is 2 characters from Mother 3 at the same time, tldr just like the flowers, Kris is NOT determined.
The more I'm going back through the game the more obvious it is that Kris's choices don't matter... because they're dead, they DIED on Christmas and literally no one else cares. That's why they hue shift differently compared to everyone else int he dark worlds, and literally start to rot and turn grey without the soul. That's fucking heart breaking man. Now they're just a "puppet" helping Carol- or whoever the knight is to try and bring Dess back. Even more messed up is to think they're finally making friends, got to talk to their crush- and on that note I think that's why they get hesitant in those dialogue options. They don't want to form more attachments because in their own eyes they are already gone. They don't WANT susie to miss them. That's why as much as in chapter 5 you see that Kris is absolutely getting 3rd wheeled so hard but, Kris knows they CAN'T care or make Susie care about them. Kris is trying to make sure everyone else has a happy ending but them. They want their families to be happy again, just without the burden Kris thinks they are.
I think that's how mother 3's story makes sense in relation to deltarune. Sure Kris on a characterization, and even mechanical level IS boney: They're treated like a pet, a side character even in their own story, just full of costumes and gags- even CHECKing is specifically boney's thing. But they're also the masked man, a mere husk of who they used to be, with the soul purpose (haha) of going back to the bunker where they died to "fulfill the prophecy" where they failed with Dess before and on a meta level end/reset the game. Some would almost say that they're.. ACTing- playing the part of "Boney' even if that kid is dead and gone.
I think Dess is fully alive at this point, and desperately trying to actually save EVERYONE from out of bounds on a meta level- hence all the secret bosses being Mother game glitch references. Dess is Lucas, not the masked man, and not the knight. I think Kris is haunted by almost succeeding in fulfilling the prophecy, and almost killing Dess and is desperately trying to make sure Susie and Ralsei are strong enough to stop them and finally put them to rest for good. Kris is not even trying to save themself, Kris wants this to end by them dying so that Dess feels safe enough to come back. Kris sees themself as the disease, the darkness that needs to be banished- and not the soul. That's why the soul they have is not theirs. It doesn't really matter who gave it to them (gaster, friend, carol whatever). What does matter is that Dess is the one who has Kris's soul their actual one, it's how they got out of bounds- they figured out the breadcrumb glitch, Dess figured out they were in a game.
Kris as a character is the idea of suicidal ideation after you lose the ability to do what you loved or live as you want (trans allegories, disability). They answer the question how do you find the DETERMINATION to keep going, and do you? Who or what gives you the determination to keep going- or are you just a puppet going through the motions, doing what "needs" to be done and just barely holding on.
....how and who will help you when you need it most, when your suffering alone and in silence. Will your friends in the darkest of darks see the light in your heart and still pick you up after you fall a thousand times, will they be your determination when you can't do it yourself anymore, when the darkness is too much?
Will Dess succeed in being Kris's determination? the will to keep going, to try again? Kris just like the flowers doesn't embody their attribute, Kris is NOT determined- the only thing Kris is determined to do is FAIL.
End notes with some stuff I'm less sure on....
Carol was fine sacrificing Dess, doesn't want to sacrifice Noelle(?). The fountain Susie makes is a literal computer glitch as Susie isn't meant to be there, let alone making fountains. The program has been running too long since the prophecy wasn't fulfilled the first time(?). That would make Ralsei the horns Kris was wearing while they died, or some kind of plant? It spawned Kris not as they wanted to be but as the perfect child their PARENTS wanted? Are the current edits to the prophecy, Susie being included a result of Dess running around in the code desperately trying to change things? Does Carol know that Dess is oob or does she think Kris is responsible? And do they NEED Noelle who actually in-lore is good at glitch hunting in video games to succeed in saving Kris?.... did Dess kill Kris? was it an accident? Did Dess realize they messed up after getting oob?
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Jevil is a reference to the big top glitch from earthbound that allows you to teleport anywhere and can make almost anything happen. Including inverting the colours. It's very easy to trigger, I enjoyed doing it as a kid. "chaos! chaos!" "I can do anything!"
Spamton is a reference to a collection of glitches you can trigger by calling ness's dad. Ness's "benefactor" of sorts who gives ness an allowance and allows you to save, by calling on a black rotary phone. you can perform several out of bounds glitches by calling via the menu.
The knight....
Pink is a reference to the teddy bear glitch(?), I'm least sure of this, maybe a cloning glitch reference as well from mother 1 or 2 with ana or paula. The teddy bear glitch is a glitch that allows you to have an item, the teddy bear, last an entire battle when it is supposed to be used up when it is hit the first time. it acts much like a substitute in pokemon, which is a doll. It may also be a reference eto the poltergeist music glitch, which is a minor music glitch that occurs if you fail to defeat the poltergeist possessing the doll and causes the music to play until reloaded.
and though I have honestly no clue, I THINK Gerson might be a reference to mother 3's new game+ glitch. where when you overwrite a save file for some reason lucas and kumatora's abilities are not overwritten and they maintain them until chapter 4. Even if it's not applicable to gerson, this is going to become applicable to kris, susie, and ralsei judging on Gaster's dialogue about the save files being important.
Toby Fox I may actually combust. WHY did you just suddenly add new dialogue pertaining to friend??? sigh. ok I'm not going all the way through everything rn. I'm very ill atm but Kris can give eggs to Asgore and Sans in the light world. Friend is hunting the forgotten man and Kris for possessing the eggs. Kris has a cat bite??? that looks nasty I guess? cat scratch or rabies???
I still think Kris is dead, I think they got that cat bite the day they went to the shelter with Dess 3 years ago, if they died that explains why they have the bite still??? perhaps it'a how Gaster/Friend controls Kris by weakening them physically???? I'm guessing at this point that the eggs ARE like the hummingbird eggs and will "preserve memory" so perhaps on new game + Asgore and Sans will have intact memories from the previous save????? what the hell Toby.
there's also no mother glitch that references eggs so I'm officially out of my depth. kinda. I still think 999 is also very involved and referenced here.
Anyways I'm ill I'm going back to bed I'll sort this mess later.
Me sitting perfectly still (vibrating) waiting for the full-body images of brain Murphy in his jens lyndelle outfit so I can draw a starstruck-ified jens design
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For those of you who don't know what Murph wore to the live show is a trinyvale/naddpod reference. It's a reference to his character jens, so the jeans are called jen-kos.
It is extremely funny to me that he decided to fully cosplay his tinyvale character (minus Barry's glasses) to the starstruck show but it's awesome as all hell.
Also this has been a PSA that you should all listen to trinyvale if you haven't already, did you like maxwell's rich boy flair? And did you like to hate Gerard? Then you will love Jens lyndelle, burlesque swords dancer- he is gay (for cold hard cash and jetblue points).
Honestly I now really hope that they don't change it, just because the fact they spent 10 minutes joking about doing a pumped up kicks one and then accidentally alluded to it in the subtitle is hilarious and personally the energy I need
Since I need some rent lowering gunshots around here my biggest critique of deltarune is the lack of good trans masc or trans men rep. People say spamton and while I know WHY they do; I've seen the cutscene... The puppet with broken strings and dreams is not the empowering image of trans masculinity people apparently seem to think it is. It doesn't have to be, but don't make that our only rep when there already is next to none in games in general. It's fine that for the FANS he's the rep because we make do. but as intentional rep in the game... not really cool to me, not at all. When you realize we have trans fem characters and nonbinary characters it's starting to feel pointed atp. not that I'm surprised I never am especially not these days but it does sour it for me.
