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DELTARUNE Chapters 3 & 4 spoilers ahead!

EARLY JUNE (1st – 15th)

My Deltarune hyperfixation had come back a few days prior to this, around the time when the Spamton Sweepstakes Silence ending released. Going into the game's release, my favorite characters included: Kris, Noelle, Susie, Queen, Berdly, and the fanmade versions of Tenna, Mike, and FRIEND. Mike/FRIEND were just so mysterious that I fell in love with their character (yes I think they're the same). Finding out they're a cat was so funny, and the fanart was terrific. I loved Kris, Noelle, Susie, and Berdly because I highly identified with them as a teenager with mental health issues myself. Queen was just really funny I think and her intentions make me cry.
For ships, my favorites were Catelle, Kriselle, Suselle, Krerdly, and Spamtenna. Back then (not that long ago lol), we'd thought that Tenna would be irredeemably evil/would die because of that one Toby Fox tweet and Spamton's dialogue regarding him, and so a lot of people interpreted them as mutually toxic. Which was really awesome. Catelle was a ship I'd never thought of before the Silence update, but Noelle's blog post convinced me. Then, replaying Chapter 2, I realized that it was obvious that Catti has feelings for her. I know what you are >:3
The rest of them were just either implied or canon. However, post-release, a lot of characters & ships were elevated, added, or usurped.

The new chapters' characters were amazing, especially the secret bosses. People tend to give Chapter 3 a lot of shit due to it having irregular pacing, but like, yeah. Everything about that Dark World is. Tenna himself, Toriel herself, Kris themself, and the Dreemurr Household. They're not very stable at the moment, and Tenna wants the old days back. I think it's thematic! The Shadow Mamtle quest led to me discovering one of my favorite characters, and meeting one of my old ones. ERAM! They're wonderfully weird, and an incredible representation of Kris's internal and impulsive thoughts. Their sprite is so silly, and they write in a really endearing way. When they summoned those FRIEND enemies I was like, shocked as hell, even though it makes sense. I think they'd act pretty similarly; maybe bestie-level, even...
The way you get to Eram in the first place is horrifying. Ramb lets you play the unaltered versions of the Tenna levels. The first is just a prologue, with not many strange happenings save for the end. In the second level, you get to a door and use the Ice Key you got in a previous level. This, is the Ice Palace, talked about by Noelle in her blog. Speaking of her, after killing all the monsters, you get to her. You can leave without damaging her, but many players assune that you must. Seeing as this is a parallel to Noelle, it's worrying... Anyway, she freezes enemies in tune with your swings to solve puzzles, and when you get to the end, you use the Ice Key yet again, and it's used up. Along with Noelle?? You get to a weird little corridor, and Eram gives their little speech, taunting you, and then Kris gets used up. They're such a good ragebaiter. The way they talk in board 3, talking about Kris's thoughts as if they define their character...
I think I've now explained what makes me love Eram. Let's move on to chapter 3's other secret boss, the Knight! It's obviously Dess. Toby's obviously doing a misdirect with Carol, we only know because we're insane. Anyway, Dess's room having so many references to Asriel was really adorable, and turned me into a Dessriel Believer. It's so interesting trying to think of what exactly happened to make Dess turn that way. She still has some semblance of personality, as seen by her taunting of Susie, but she's drooling at the start of the chapter 3 cutscene, so she's probably not totally there. What the hell happened in the Shelter?! My favorite depiction of her currently has to be this. It's what I think she'd look like in the Light World, a husk of her former self.

LATE JUNE (16th – 30th)

I appreciated most of these characters since before this period, but seeing others' interpretations and analyses really bumped them up. So I'm including those kinds of characters here. Let's start with FRIEND!
I'm not very good at figuring things out myself, so I didn't realize the extent of their presence in the game for a little bit. If you want a more extensive analysis of them, check out this doc, made by wandydoodles on twitter. I'll just be talking about my favorite aspects of them. Their appearances in the Sword Route and Mike Room are so interesting. I'm pretty sure the Mikes just base their appearances based off of their assumptions, so what made Pluey realize that Mike/Friend had those glasses? Why the hell do they give so many points in Battat's minigame? (By the way, I love the Mikes so much. I've warmed up to them a lot over the days.) They're the one who had the pointed tail, and the thing that led Kris and Dess to the bunker, making Kris traumatized and leading them to get therapy from very likely the Egg Man who also gave Noelle the egg that probably hatched into FRIEND and I'm just. So confused. Is it a lightner? Is it a Darkner? Is it like the Man where it's just omnipresent and aware of the rules of this world? I love FRIEND so much.
Following my playthrough of chapter 4, my love for Ralsei increased a ton. Going into it, I was afraid he'd have more moments where we don't trust him, but after finishing it, I was so relieved. It turns out, he's just a little guy! With severe anxiety :( Susie's crashout at him was so anxiety-inducing, and Ralsei's response made me tear up. I feel so bad for him. Especially because I thought he'd have sinister intentions. So sorry!!! He's on my favorite characters list now, though.
I haven't talked about the Lightners much here, but I promise I love them. Noelle and Susie are so adorable together, and the cut scene, if it were in the game, would've been the greatest thing ever. I understand why it was left on the cutting room floor though. Both of them saying '...Why do I wish Kris was here?' was sooo funny. The group's friendship is so so important to me, they're wonderful and I hope nothing bad happens to them. Catti distancing herself from Kris because of their friendship with Susie was really funny. I hopw we get a resolve for Catti and Noelle about the latter's relationship with Susie eventually. Berdly's way of acting at the library and still being his cringey self yet learning from yesterday's adventure ('Oh thank God you came back') was super cool, I don't care if others think otherwise. Kris working with Carol & the Knight is tragic because it's obvious they don't wanna do this, yet the Knight is holding them to some sort of promise. No clue what that could be, but more clues that Dess sang 'Don't Forget'!

Finally, we're at the last few paragraphs. I. love. Seamvil. That King dialogue in chapter 4 reawakened my love for them. Listening to their dialogue in chapter 4 if you don't get the chapter 3 crystal, they beat the Addisions easily, but ignore the terms and return the Addisons' shop. They expressed boredom. They miss the little chaotic jester :(((((((( King even says Seam hasn't smiled since they had to lock Jevil away... Aw......... I recently watched Seek's Gartic Phone series, and Kittblush's Seamvil art is top-notch. I also really like JESTERI0TT's Jevil. He's so so pretty. (Jevil's a he/him butch btw). I cannot wait until we get more Seam dialogue in chapter 5, especially regarding FRIEND. I wonder how they'd feel about them? Also, I wonder how Gerson and Seam talking would work out. Gerson, who helps Susie become 'THE GIRL WITH HOPE CROSSED ON HER HEART', and Seam, the nihilist. They're so interestingggg... (Really good comic about this) Speaking of Gerson! He's so cool. He's inspired me to keep doing what I'm doing and to not be afraid of being 'too inspired'. He's such a sweet guy, and I was SHOCKED when I saw him at first. His Hammer of Justice fight is so fun and so hopeful and inspiring. Great character <3

Mood: Excited
Listening to: Jamie Paige - Machine Love

Thanks for reading. Planning to write more eventually, but I'll be busy the next few days. Stay tuned!