File: grief.png (53 KB, 601x396)

53 KB PNG

I'm getting the vibe Chapter 5 will contain a lot of Krusie (possibly the most so far) but also suffering, too. We're kind of reaching a point where the two are becoming close enough that it's only inevitable that things will start to crash down.

>>80016851
I'm not sure. I felt drawn to it from the moment I first saw it. Onion maybe piqued my interest in its more mysterious qualities, but beyond that... I can just see people going there on a hot day. Kids playing on the beach, people walking around for their exercise and a chance to chat with eachother, families swimming when it's hot out... two teens meeting up at night when they think nobody is around to see them, smoking funny leaves from that little tin box and talking about a world outside this little town. It is a place that has gravity to me, despite being seemingly unimportant.
That... and I used to love to swim. If I was a resident of Hometown, that's where I would go.

File: Cuddling with the Big Bre(...).jpg (186 KB, 1591x2048)

186 KB JPG

>>80018275
Call me a horny bastard but I love seeing those big tits subtly pushing against the fabric of her clothes

File: tumblr_828a4926a2336407e2(...).jpg (2.01 MB, 2048x1711)

2.01 MB JPG

>>80018325
Idk, I get the feeling that Ch 5 will bring Noelle back into things a bit more and we will get some more Ralsie and Susie interactions as Kris and Noelle end up on their own duo adventure again. Time for Susie to start to understand the prophesy and her role in changing it with the person who might actually give feedback about it. Esepcially if the Dark World is the fair grounds before or after it, then Ralsei gets to go to the fair, in a way, which Susie wants.

File: 1667380328478246.png (407 KB, 693x693)

407 KB PNG

>>80018518
Anything's possible, though I don't hold my breath with Noelle predictions anymore either. People were really confident she'd be a true main character past 2 but she's not in 3 and doesn't return as a party member in 4 either. At least as far as the main route goes I'm 50/50 on her making a return as a party member. I know there's the whole unusued item descriptions, but a part of me wonders if that's intentional ghost code because Noelle was intended to be (diagetically) a party member full-time by now.

With how 4 shaped up, it only makes sense to see more Kris and Susie interactions, too. The plot's pushing both characters to learn more and more about each other—which serves as an indirect clock for Kris since that means an inevitable moment where it's revealed they're working for the knight.

Ralsei's always in a weird spot. He's a strange mix of "does literally nothing" and "super plot important." Probably the most mysterious main character of the current chapters now that we've actually learned more about Dess.

File: tumblr_0185bd51f8a6dd5159(...).jpg (794 KB, 2048x1133)

794 KB JPG

>>80018713
I think it's obvious Noelle wouldn't be a "main" party member because she has the utility of both Ralsei and Susie in one party member - its why Kris can tackle a lot of encounters with just her where they couldn't with just Susie. But I think there will be at least one more big segment with Noelle as a party member, question is more just if it is ch 5 or ch 6 - but to me, I see chapter 5 as the last "normal" chapter before the whole revelation of Kris working with the Knight breaks the status quo, ch 6 is the fallout of that (maybe even a majority Kris solo chapter), an ch 7 is when the gang pulls themselves back together and we get the end-game story confrontation. While Kris and Susie just chilling is fine and all, we're kind of at a "the plot needs to get going" point where we don't have a lot of time for ch 2s or ch 3s anymore, the pace here on out is going to be more like ch 4 if not more frantic.

But if the Noelle chapter is ch 6, I expect it to be because the fallout from the revelation is a lot worse than I anticipate, and Susie is refusing to be around Kris at all, forming a separate duo party with Ralsei rather than just being separated by choice or circumstance.

File: 1669065589553262.jpg (181 KB, 1213x1450)

181 KB JPG

>>80018325
I'm betting Toby forcefeeds us kino while digging the knife in deeper that Kris hiding secrets is going to be explosive in a future chapter.

>>80018828
>While Kris and Susie just chilling is fine and all, we're kind of at a "the plot needs to get going" point where we don't have a lot of time for ch 2s or ch 3s anymore, the pace here on out is going to be more like ch 4 if not more frantic.
I'm more talking about the Kris and Susie stuff we got in 4 in particular, such as the downtime in the church between darkworlds and the segment where Kris and Susie have a duo adventure climbing a tower, running form darklings, and fighting Not!Gerson before Ralsei shows up again. In fact, the more I think about it, Chapter 4 in general is loaded with those two.

I can certainly see Toby shaking things up of course, but shipping aside, there's definitely a clear progression through the chapters where the plot is more willing to pair them off in scenes for character development. One of Susie's biggest moments lore-wise is with Kris by the church's piano, for example. She's starting to emotionally let her guard down around them (which contrasts with Kris fighting hard with us by the lakeside later in the chapter).

I do think we're owed a big Noelle chapter too of course, but I really have no idea what Toby has planned. She's kind of Ms. Potential right now in the main route (with Susie maybe narratively supplanting Noelle's old position in Kris's life, trying to be like Kris's muse so they go to choir and play the piano again more, among other things...?)
I dunno, something's got to give. I'm leaning more towards a Noelle/Kris/Susie chapter if someone happens at the festival, but I'm fully expecting to be cockblock by the dog.

File: tumblr_9e324ee47dea8fa865(...).jpg (119 KB, 735x980)

119 KB JPG

>>80018976
I think Ch 4 did have a good point of time where we got Kris and Susie as a solo duo in a Dark World, which we never got before now really outside of very short story segments, but I doubt it's something that would happen again (outside of Ch 7 where I would bet we get a lot of duo pairings as needed). But thats just a more "logistical" analysis of what I think the story needs to do in order to create a satisfying range of interactions because playing with the Kris and Noelle duo is very distinct from the usual Kris / Susie / Ralsei gang, which we did just do more or less for 2 chapters straight. I imagine there still will be big moments of adventuring around the overworld with Susie as per normal (save maybe ch 6), so there will be more quiet moments with soos before the storm.

>>80018713
>>80018828
On the subject of the 'working with the Knight' reveal as well as the soul reveal, I've been wondering lately if the way those moments will happen won't be a little reverse of how people are predicting. Rather than Susie being the one to break things off, I could see her trying to keep the party together and having faith in Kris, but the reveal(s) coming at a juncture where Kris thinks it's time to "push your loved ones away" again, perhaps for her own safety as the Final Tragedy draws near. Whereas most fanart of the soul reveal has Kris trying to convince Susie it's really them who she's friends with, in this version of things Kris might lean into it to try to drive her off and out of danger. If Toby decides to canonize n3w3st_g1rl in game, that might be the moment; Kris gives their own retelling, then says something to the effect of "of course I'd never /really/ be friends with someone who said that to me, it was only the soul that liked you/the Knight and I were only stringing you along for the prophecy"

File: 1753262040618907.png (432 KB, 813x804)

432 KB PNG

>>80019033
We'll see I suppose.

When it comes to Noelle I'm cynical that Toby ever intends to replicate what we got in Chapter 2. That isn't to say Noelle's role will be diminished, but... I dunno, I'm getting the vibe that Noelle's supposed to be the main lightworld anchor character while Ralsei is the darkworld's one.
I'd love to be proven wrong, especially if something cool happens and we have darkworld mechanics in the light world, but a part of me believes we're getting cucked out of a satisfying Kris/Noelle conclusion in the main route because of "tragedy" or something gay like that, and the weird route will be the unfortunate avenue of exploration for them.

Make no mistake, even as a Krusie fan a Kris/Noelle chapter would probably be kino as it'd indirectly unfuck some issues I have with Suselle (or even drive a nail into it), but my faith in the dog has its limits.

File: tumblr_7d9bb81b7a22a52a8b(...).gif (15 KB, 408x236)

15 KB GIF

>>80019118
I could kind of see that. I think Kris originally "inserted" Susie into the prophesy as the 2nd hero / the Girl because of how she acted, with Kris figuring that nobody would miss Susie (while the alternative in Noelle would be unthinkable for Kris). Of course now Kris has seen Susie is a nice person who just never got a chance to really *be* a good person for anyone, and they've had to go back and reconsider the entire plan. Kris revealing all of that to try and break her will and force her out of the prophesy could be Kris' trump card to try and save her life from a very likely death at prophesy's hand. At this point I think Kris has resolved to be the sacrifice, and will try their hardest to push everyone away so they won't be in a position to stop them when the time comes.
>>80019176
With the heavy, almost comical leading implications that the Knight is Dess, I think Noelle is the main narrative vessel to connect the past to the present, since Susie and Ralsei obviously have jack shit knowledge about anything that happened earlier than a year ago in town. At the minimum she will be in a dark world again and reluctantly give some information about that history in an appropriate way, but I think more maximally she'll be "in the party" again.

File: My Deltarune.jpg (207 KB, 1196x955)

207 KB JPG

>>80019118
I do anticipate something like this, too. Despite how often people reference Susie disliking people who hide secrets, she's actually super-duper forgiving to anyone who does such as Ralsei and Tenna. That's not to say she's not going to be pissed at Kris, but like you said the building blocks seem to be laid for Kris wanting to distance Susie from them (or at least, be pressured into doing so because of [ the plan ]).

On the topic of Noelle, too, this could be one avenue where Kris spends more time with her as well. This is especially true for the weird route since the caller is explicitly pushing them together. Though who knows *when* Kris decides to distance themselves from Susie too (and if).

File: G8V7nBFa4AAd0Zg.jpg (215 KB, 1600x2000)

215 KB JPG

>>80019210
I love Toby's stuff but I'm not tossing out the idea that the game leaves us in the dark for 90% of it until someone like Noelle lore-dumps heavily in one big cutscene. Certainly, Toby loves revealing *nothing* as much as he can. It's probably why Kris/Susie/Ralsei make the perfect party for Toby's machinations since the player can't get information from any of them (Susie being clueless, Kris/Ralsei still being sus). Cue that one meme where Deltarune's story gets cut in half if Noelle was in chapter 3.

Fingers crossed Toby's not a hack, though. I'm usually his biggest simp, but for some reason Noelle makes me cynical. I suppose it's the potential of pure kino vs. pure disappointment.

File: tumblr_a608a018f78bdee22b(...).jpg (243 KB, 1308x1479)

243 KB JPG

>>80019315
I mean, Ch 2 already shows how well Toby can weave in information that pointed to Dess being the Knight which didn't get real payoff until the very end of Ch 3 at earliest, end of Ch 4 at latest. I doubt it will be as easy or simple as a Noelle lore dump especially since she has some kind of turbo-PTSD about the entire thing, but the Dark Worlds make her a bit more loose and talkative in general since she still believes them to be a dream (in the normal route anyways).

That is also another bombshell in the wings, Noelle learning that Susie lied to her about all of their time together and time reconnecting with Kris was fake when both of these things are stuff she's desperately wanted for years (or a year maybe in Susie's case). I imagine there is going to be a lot of inter-party drama in general with the later chapters, I doubt that the story is going to be as simple as "and then they fought the bad guy, Rory Nite." There will be a lot of personal drama and the villains of the story (in the Knight and by proxy Kris) will be shown to be a lot less malicious than Ralsei's prophesy foretells.

File: 1765138678219.jpg (376 KB, 1023x1599)

376 KB JPG

>>80019210
>so they won't be in a position to stop them when the time comes

>"I'm not letting you do this, Kris. No matter what you think, no matter how you feel.."
>"Despite everything, I know we're friends, even if...no, BECAUSE of how hard you tried to push me away. And I'm not letting my friend die."
>"I know there's a better ending. I know there's a version of this story where we all make it out alive."
>* You ask Susie what if there is no such version? What if someone always has to die?
>"If there's not, then...I'll just write one. Like the old man said. I'll scribble over the whole stupid story until the whole page is black, then I'll write a better one with a white pen."
>"Ha...don't make that face, Kris. I know I can do it, and I'll make you see I can. I'll save you even if you don't want me to. I'll save you even if I have to kick your ass to do it."
>"No Knight, no Ralsei. Just me and you. You're tough, Kris, but it's mighty dragon versus puny human. Giant axe versus those little toothpicks you call swords. You know who wins! Just give up now and...and you can help me save the world WITHOUT the bruises!"
>* Something colder than ice and harder than iron rises in your chest. You turn your head down.
>* Moving on their own, your hands draw your sword and...
>* ...toss it away.
>"...huh. I mean, uh, good! I didn't think you'd actually be smart enough to see reason, but--"
>* You tell Susie that your swords are just pencils.
>* Your hand moves on its own and reaches into a pocket you didn't know you had.
>* Susie's words echo within your mind, and you feel them just as strongly as she does.
>* I'll save you even if I have to kick your ass to do it.
>* Your fingers curl around the hilt of something.
>* Your heart twists painfully.
>* A certain power surges throughout your body.
>* You draw the Knife. The world is cut in two.

>>80019118
>Kris gives their own retelling, then says something to the effect of "of course I'd never /really/ be friends with someone who said that to me, it was only the soul that liked you/the Knight and I were only stringing you along for the prophecy"
Ngl, I could see the way that Susie decides to go after Kris to help them is if Noelle talks about that event. Like, she points out that in spite of Kris being possesed at that point, she still didn't see them act of character until the project announcements, which clearly shows they had some form of input in things (the idea that some of the dialogue options are at least things Kris would want to say or think would fit neatly here). Then she points out that Susie technically gaslit her for a good reason and kept things secret, so she should give Kris leniency while talking about them. What she says about Kris makes Susie realise not only Kris was bluffing, but the reason why is the same reason for what they told her back then. Then she takes Noelle and runs finally understanding what they were going to do.
>>80019297
>>80019176
>On the topic of Noelle, too, this could be one avenue where Kris spends more time with her as well. This is especially true for the weird route since the caller is explicitly pushing them together. Though who knows *when* Kris decides to distance themselves from Susie too (and if).
A chapter where Kris reveals things with Noelle while talking things would something.
If Dess is the Knight, I would wanna see Noelle's reaction to that.
>>80019383
Noelle already knows something is wrong with Kris, so it would make sense that would be the least surprising. Learning her mom and Dess are connected would the more infuriating thing by comparison as the Dark Worlds would personally relate to her.

>>80018518
y ralsei fat

File: G7xYZ-vaoAAO8nl.jpg (511 KB, 1127x1046)

511 KB JPG

Beautiful they/them too good for this world.

File: 20251123_202745.jpg (463 KB, 1820x1320)

463 KB JPG

>>80020857
He's such a cutie, I'd kiss that boy everyday if I was Susie