you don’t have to delay your happiness until after everything in your life is perfect or fixed or whatever. you can enjoy it now, no matter how imperfect it may be.
Hot take: given how Kris treats the soul, I feel like the rebuke for mutual acceptance applies to Kris equally, if not more, than the soul on a pacifist route.
Thinking about the options given anytime the player is asked about Ralsei's wants and needs, and I just find it so interesting how it's presented.
(This isn't every instance, just the ones that particularly came to mind.)
There's obviously a right and wrong answer here, right?
One of these options always in agreement with Ralsei, letting her make her own choices and express her own opinions, while the other option (selected in yellow) always attempts to strip her of that agency, reinforce her current role, and deny her any change whatsoever.
This specific instance has, surely, been discussed plenty, but the specific gendered "bro" really drives home the player's option to consistently reinforce the status quo and stifle Ralsei's character growth. If Ralsei is to develop agency, she can't rely on the player like this.
But still, she almost always *asks permission* for what she wants, afraid of being responsible for her own decisions, as well as trying not to come across and unpleasant, selfish, or unfitting. And that's why I find Flowery's scene with Ralsei SO important for her development.
Flowery specifically states "don't worry about Kris", and the lack of mentioning Susie in that statement seems very pointedly about the freedom of choice afforded to the player (which often overrides Ralsei's own aspirations).
Especially considering the "Nah bro..." option presented earlier in the same chapter, Flowery's encouragement of femininity and dismissal of the player's choices, I can't read this as anything but intentional and vital to Ralsei's own agency and transfemininity.
Not even inherently in defiance of the prophecy, but in defiance of the player (at least in this instance).
Immediately following this scene, we as the player are, yet again, given the option to disregard Ralsei's wants, but very importantly, we aren't actually allowed to deprive her of those wants! Regardless of your selection, Ralsei will still end up with the blue-and-pink drink!!!
(even if it requires some intervention from Susie, if you attempt to take the blue-and-pink one for yourself)
turnnoffyourmind
germansingergirl
gummygunk
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
origamiaround
