[SPOILERS!!]
[SPOILERS!!]

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPOIL  "DELTARUNE", DO NOT CONTINUE!!!

Introduction & Rambling

I just got done, watching Deltarune, with a friend. What an experience. I don't think I've ever had a game touch me emotionally like that since Hotline Miami 2. One day, on a Discord call, I decided to watch him start a random game, and I yelled out "NICHOLAS!" when he was deciding the creators name. There it was! Our game, and a journey was started. And so, I went along with the ride for about 5 hours yesterday, and got to the end of Chapter 3, where then I finished Chapter 4 today. (as I am writing this)

I believe that these are some of the most well-written characters I have ever seen in any piece of fiction ever. They have realistic motivations and interests, that do conflict with their motivations but end up solving over time. Be it through, say, a battle, or cutscenes, every scene is important to someone's development, like real-life. There's no such thing as a throw-away scene in this game, and I think that's what makes it special. Each scene, has a purpose.

While, yeah, comedic a lot. Even situations where they might be having fun playing a game on a game show, they'll banter, they'll help, they'll have fun like real friends, and bond together. You can even see Kris, a 'protagonist' who doesn't speak to us, the audience, has his own emotions and hidden motivations. So, while, you are 'controlling' Kris, he's just another character in this story.

Why I like Ralsei and Susie

Two characters stood out the most, and they're the main cast. "Hotline Miami 2" had great character development, but wasn't as in depth, or really made you feel or care for them in a way. It's all over the place in HLM2. You may not care for the Son, and how he dies, or how Jake dies, but in another moment, you'll really connect with the Henchman, a throw-away character in the literal sense, and in my case, Evan Wright. Just making comparisons, inst really fair with this, since both have two DRASTICALLY, different messages, or maybe just two different sides of one coin.

Ralsei and Susie stood out as my two favorite characters, and if I had to put them on a top 5, they would be tied with each other. You cannot have this story without Ralsei or Susie. They drag your soul, and force it in themselves, (akin to Kris) and make you connect with them. And it this forceful way of connecting with them feels like the situation you were put in Chapter 1. You are warned on how Susie will kick your ass. She even outright threatens you in the start, too. Then, you are commanded by the teacher, Alphys, to go ahead and grab chalk for the class.

As you enter the storage cabinet, you are transported to a whole new world. The Dark World. It's a tutorial, very obvious. But, you get insight into Susie's mind, albeit, very, very hidden. You meet this hooded figure explaining the prophecy. The prophecy goes something like this: Lightners and Darkners live in balance, there was these dark fountains that you needed to close, and you were the ones fortold in the prophecy. You are then interrupted by Lancer, the son of the King, on a bike, and you fight him. And in my experience, We decided to go a pacifistic route, and just flattered him. You convinced Lancer to run away, and he says something like; "...My Bike's out of fuel, I gotta come home, you're losers, and I'll fight again!" after you flatter him enough.

Susie, bored out of her mind and wanting to return home, selfishly and wishing to come home, smashes everything in her path. A chef loses his cake, a lot of guys get beaten, and you find her at a puzzle. She's whining at a door to open, and you two, Prince Ralsei (who is the hooded figure, revealed earlier) let Susie knows, that the team of two could use a third gun. She reluctantly joins, you finish the puzzle.

You encounter an enemy, and you're fully introduced to the "ACT" toolset. While, yes you can use it earlier, you were probably glossing over it for the fight button. Susie, doesn't listen your commands, so Ralsei asks you to warn your enemies of an incoming attack.

Later, you do things, fight enemies, solve puzzles, buy things from Seam (Shaun) the shopkeep and you encounter Lancer again where he tries to intimidate all of the team. In his pathetic, Susie, wanting her "tough-girl" attitude, she threatens Lancer, and does an evil laugh.

S: "Man, you wanna-be tough guys REALLY piss me off... Face it, you wouldn't know scary, if it picked you up, and bit your off..."

L: "... That's not true!"

S: "...Then, we'll prove it, where your face DOES GET BIT OFF!!!! AH HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Lancer, then assuming that she's teaching him, imitates Susie, and runs off... A catalyst to a friendship; something we thought was impossible for her. Over the course of the story, you do see small interactions between Ralsei and Susie. These interactions may seem unimportant, but they very much are. They highlight a blossoming flower, that while, very, very droughted and weltered, it may actually bloom to a brighter future.

R: "...Doesnt crushing us seem a little counterproductive?"

S: "Nah, see, that's where you're wrong, you see, I KNOW I cant get back with you guys..."

"...If you can beat me, (in a fight) I'll go back being a good guy, but if you LOSE... YOU guys will have to become BAD GUYS with US, and do whatever we say!"

The fight with Lancer and Susie, shows that this actually is blossoming. Mercy, something capable of. She does up seeing, that if you do end up convincing Lancer that you guys arent all that bad and you should become their friends, that only does Susie actually, and truly act on her word, and becomes a good guy. (in a way, for now). Her true motivation at the time was her friend, Lancer. 

Later, you're all captured because Lancer ran as you got closer, and closer to the Castle, with the Dark Fountain your supposed to close. Susie is able to 'break out' and comes across a puzzle. Without you in the room, and without your commands, she solves puzzle by herself, and comes across Lancer, commanding his troops. Telling them, to "They have to stay in their cells. The Lightners cant be allowed to escape. Especially the Purple One."

Susie sees this, she says,

S: "You wanted to get rid of us? I thought we were a team... ...I see, Why would anyone want to be my friend, anyway?"

The moment that shines in this chapter, is the elevator ride. That's where the water is poured into soil of this, dry, dry flower. Speaking her mind to Ralsei, she asks if they have a chance at not hurting the King, Lancer's father. She asks if she's able to ACT. Ralsei, invites her to ACT with them. She then asks if cake is still on the table. Bonding. With someone else, but Lancer.

As you leave the elevator, you learn that she will answer to your commands, now. A very pivotal moment for yourself.

So that's chapter 1, and I explained in a lot of detail, but we might need this very long explanation to understand why I really, really like the bond over these two.

I love the Fun Gang's chemistry. The reactions, the instability, it's real, human chemistry. One particular moment that stood out, was when they're in Cyber City in Chapter 2, you really get to see a bond form. Earlier, after you leave the Dark World, you do see that she does miss Ralsei despite it being a day, and Ralsei missing them, because he has never had friends, or a community at all. Two sides of the same coin.

In Cyber City, they reach an impasse, Ralsei asks who Kris, the 'leader' wants to go with. Susie, very, annoyed that Kris gets to make all the decisions, yells at Ralsei, "Why does Kris get to choose everything?!", and drags Ralsei away. Isolated, it's unknown what they do, but when you see a glimpse of them, you can see them having fun in a fairground. Eating cotton candy, and smiling and laughing. You then, see them again when you're with Noelle, in the fairgrounds, meeting again to play a fair game. You got gift earlier, from Queen, the villain of Chapter 2, and Susie and Ralsei walk over to you, and just balancing a gift over your head, and they ask who this gift is for!

I got a choice, to choose Ralsei, Noelle, Susie, and Berdly (known as Burghly) and I chose Ralsei, for, I don't know why. But, I did. May seem unimportant now, but it'll come into play later, a small detail that means quite a few.

Chapter 3 is where you truly see this bond in action, in play. IN A FUN, GAME SHOW!!!! You see constant banter between the two, constant teasing from Susie, and it feels pivotal. You can see, that while Mr Tenna, the villan of Chapter 3, leaves for a phone call, Susie switches the controllers while she distracts Ralsei, and cheat. Later in the cheat, Susie teases Ralsei by using Kris' controller to chase him around in circles.

In 3 chapters, Ralsei asks Kris to do something for him. To close his eyes, and to think what Susie is doing. First, in the Prison, out of desire for fulfilling this prophecy, second, to imagine what Susie was doing while looking to distract Queen. Third, you're asked to do so in Chapter 4 to imagine what Susie was doing while she was confronting the Old Guy, writing his letter. This, last one, may have perhaps came out of genuine concern, but, also was a lie, too, lying out of desperation as for the truth to not be found out.

That's when it culminates. Ralsei does act, somewhat suspicious, I didn't think it was going to be treachery, but something was up. Earlier, in Chapter 3, Susie says that she doesn't like it when someone tell the full truth, something that she actually forgives Ralsei for when she found the truth.

Truly, there's so much to talk about these two, not only that, so much to talk about Kris and Noelle, Noelle and Susie, Kris and Ralsei and vice versa. There's theories, there's interpretations. Take my thoughts with what you can. I love this game.