I remember back in the ch2 era, there was the idea that awareness of the light world was a sign that a character had Forbidden Knowledge or that something Weird was up with them (see: ralsei knowing the layout of the school. I recall seeing some propose the idea that he has a shadow crystal because of this) and that seeing the light world (thru the shadow crystals) would inflict a form of eldritch madness in darkners. Then in ch3, tenna mentions being “a box plugged into the wall” (or something along those lines I don’t recall the exact quote) , shows a picture of his light world form in the living room, and in general is seems to be very aware of what goes on in the light world in front of his screen. Also queen mentions cyber world being in the library. So ig it’s normal for darkners to have at least some awareness of the light world and some self awareness of their position? And that things are more complicated than initially assumed?
Yeah, I think it's just entirely normal for Darkners to possess full memories of their lives as Darkners as if their Dark World has always existed and full memories of being an ordinary object in the Light World. Queen knows that Cyber City is a Dark World inside the library, and often references the fact that she is a computer.
Swatch also seems to remember being a drawing program that Lightners use in the Light World.
Ramb and the Pippins of TV World seem to be fully aware that they were taken as objects from the library and school and brought to Kris' living room.
If you listen in on the Cactus Darker behind the curtain, they actually seem to be stunned and amazed at having a Darkner form, obviously implying that they remember being an inanimate cactus before.
And obviously Tenna knows and remembers that he is the Dreemurr Household TV, all of his character and motivation is based around that fact.
Even Lancer, who seems to be relatively clueless about the metaphysics of Darkners (he didn't initially know about petrification, had to be told the Purpose of Darkners by Ralsei and didn't even seem to fully understand the connection between the Dark Fountain and his Dark World)
doesn't seem to have any problem with the idea that he's a Jack of Spades and can turn into a regular card in the Light World.
I think knowledge and memory of their 'lives' in the Light World is just a Normal Thing for Darkners. The only point it really raises about Ralsei is that he must be something that has 'seen' the rest of the school in order to know the layout.
The thing that sets apart ordinary Darkners and Shadow Crystal Bosses is, I think... and this is something I went over already in a Ridiculously Long Post more specifically comparing Spamton and Tenna, less a matter of knowledge and more a matter of understanding. All Darkners know that they're inanimate objects whose personalities, wills and desires are all based on their purpose and use for the Lightners, but most of them don't think about or understand the implications of what that would mean for their free will or personhood.
If there is anything that make Ralsei like a Shadow Crystal Boss is the fact that he has this layer of understanding. Like, while plenty of Darkners are aware that they are 'given form' by the Dark Fountains and that they have a Purpose to fulfil for the Lightners, Ralsei is the only one who takes it to such a toxic self-sacrificial "I'm not real and none of my desires and feelings matter" place. He has reached a horrifyingly grim conclusion from a fact that most Darkners know but don't think about very hard. (Like how Queen is very dedicated to making Lightners happy... but is also a shameless hedonist for her own sake).
It's just that instead of fighting against it or trying to deny it, Ralsei has been kinda resigned to it. Well, so far. It seems like his friends are working on changing that.
