#ramble over

Gaster = "Real-Life" Fictional Guy. Human ass bald no hair having scientist freak in a real world earth-esque type joint, but a fictional one nonetheless

Deltarune = A video game/simulation/program within that Fictional "Real World"

'The Prophecy' = The normal route. The way the program is meant to end. Also, the way we are "meant" to experience OUR program of Deltarune

Weird Route = the fucky, game-breaking shit that has happened partially thanks to others (Jevil, Seam, Spamton, Dess) but is also only truly possible with influence from our real world - the world with true agency.

Gaster has realized his "real world" is also a fictional world, and has become obsessed with becoming truly real and free from the fiction, or perhaps in a more scientific, analytic way, just wants to see what's up with the REAL real world, our world.

Uses the program, Deltarune, as an experiment in agency, free will, escape - and also, a tenuous connection between his Fictional real world and our literal actual real world. He can talk to us, and we can control his program via the Soul.

Weird route shenanigans are characters realizing the existence of this program, and processing that information in different ways. Jevil, Spamton, likely even Seam? And presumably whatever the Pink/Gold Eye Cat Fucker Thingy is. - Notably. Most, if not all, of these characters only perceive One Level Up, the program within Gaster's fictional world, but not ours

Kris, in some capacity, maybe via being controlled by the Soul/Player, has also realized their lack of agency, and fights against it and the prophecy, AS WELL as the weird route. Their actions to me feel like someone who just wants control, not necessarily one route or the other (though they especially hate the weird route shit happening by Chapter 4)

Dess, especially, whether the Knight or not, has shown the most success in escaping the program, so much that she seemingly has broken out of the program, in those notorious code notes.| - Within the confines of this "theory" (a stretch), that could either be the Fictional program, our Real World program, or both.

ummmm... something something "talks in hands" = typing, clicking, creating a simuation. "Fell into his creation." "Garbage noise" like electrical interference from wires and communication waves?

+ a Ken and Ryo doodle and an old drawing of them (the old drawing is from like. April 2025 lol and i still have it as my pfp on my AO3)

they are the found family ever i love them aaaa

Ken has long hair here cause I headcanon him as transmasc :D I think he probably realized he was a boy just a little bit after he met Ryo and Wormmon, and maybe Ryo helped him cut his hairr

How could some idiot like Ricken understand his pain or even share in it? Mark’s grief is so vast he can’t imagine how anyone could bear even a fraction of it. Mark can’t bear it (goes on to microdose on suicide)

But the truth is Ricken does feel it. Gemma was kind to him and indulgent in ways Mark certainly never was and might’ve been more so than his wife at times (when you live with someone you have to draw a line, lol)

I really think that anyone obsessing over severance rn should go and read/listen to The You You Are and I’m about to spoil the juiciest part of it so go!!!

Anyway, Ricken is trying to get a gift he gave Gemma before she died back from Mark and mark can’t find it. Mark blows up at Ricken and tells him that Gemma actually made fun of his gift, that the joy she received from it was at his expense. That “everyone laughs at you the second you walk out of the fucking room” Gemma included.

He’s trying to tarnish Ricken’s memory of Gemma severely and it works to some extent. Ricken recognizes that this mocking laughter will effectively be the last thing he ever “hears” from Gemma.

Ricken tries to make seem like he’s healed from this fight but it’s clearly stung him badly. The whole book is obviously Ricken processing his emotional wounds from childhood to today which actually makes the book an interesting read.

Mark wants people to have liked his wife less so he doesn’t have to think about or consider their pain in regards to her death. GOD mark is just such a good depiction of grief: it’s not beautiful or gentle or anything it’s ugly and it’s isolating. And I feel for them both in the end.

"He's a shadow!" "He's a robot!"