Yeah. But I felt like the Weird Route had to be building to something increasingly less "force your will on a teenage girl" creepy and more horror-creepy.

I know it's kind of tired at this point, but my read of Undertale and Deltarune is that the player and their free will is like an infectious extra-dimensional entity that nobody knows how to contend with. Noelle sees that and is naturally fascinated by it.

The overworld is the first time we see you (or anyone) take damage, and the player equips the Thorn Ring onto Noelle. We don't know how different the overworld rules are, but the Thorn Ring makes you stronger the more you're hurt.

I think there's a lot of meaning in Noelle's arc in the weird route (I feel recognized in the loss of innocence, disassociation, grim fascination, and suicidality lol) but it feels weirdweirdweird to be in the driver seat for that. I'm still mulling over Noelle taking control at the end (with her pulling you in to drown no matter how many times you say "Stop").

I won't know what to think until the end. But I think her equipping the ThornRing might mean it ends with Noelle turning into a SUPER DUPER COOL POWERFUL THORNRING MONSTER WOAHHH and that would undermine the whole thing.

I don't know why I typed an essay, I guess I can't judge people who love childrens media, Deltarune is very good