i have never been one to shy away from doing something because it's unpopular or challenging or anything like that if it's something i know i want to do, and i know i want to draw and write these characters because i like them, like their designs, am invested in their storylines together and separately, and it's a nice way to get people to look at your stuff since people are already looking to see stuff of their favs.
though i gotta say as time goes on it is, ahhh, disheartening to see the way that no matter how much you work, how much you personally invest or care, all that guarantees is that you will make work that you invest and care about. it does not guarantee anything else. which, in a vacuum is fine because at the end of the day the most important part is that i'm doing what makes me happy and i made an account here literally just to post one pic 2 years ago and ended up sticking around, everything so far has been a real privilege and i am grateful to have crossed paths with so many talented people and hear such interesting perspectives.
it just is not enough to really obscure the fact that, truthfully, i get the impression doing maxlie stuff is not really compelling to most people. this coupled with the fact that this is a small fandom and that tumblr is both what feels like the only place to share this stuff and nowhere near as big a place as it used to be... just feels like a lot of downsides that are compounding and make it harder to justify putting energy in what makes me happy if i could just draw or write something else that makes me happy. at least when i do the oc work that i typically do on my own i do not have to take any of these things into consideration and make that work expecting that it will at most be seen by say, 3-4 people.
it just kind of sucks when you, as a person who barely reads fic and mostly writes it (and has only started writing fic very recently,) search for fanfic to read for once, and especially when you filter for works that centers these two characters and doesn't treat their relationship as an afterthought or as a vehicle for a different relationship entirely, you only get your own and anything that isn't yours is at minimum one year old and at maximum 2 years old. i understand that the counterargument that is always levied at people who like the more unpopular pairings is "well if you spent less time complaining and more time working you would be able to make up the deficit" but the truth is this is the first time i'm publicly voicing frustration because i've been putting my head down singlehandedly trying to make up the deficit all on my own. i am just one person and i am doing this for fun on the side while trying to build my own personal project and hopefully career (trying to not jinx it by saying hopefully lol) that will soon require all of my time and energy and effort and will be the hardest thing i think i've ever done. there is only so much i can do.
i cannot stress enough that i am trying to fire on all cylinders every single day and trying to minimize the way that personal emergencies and issues take away from what i do both here and with my other work. i am likely just as frustrated if not more than you may be with myself and my rate of output. it is very frustrating for me to even admit to myself that there is only so much i can do.
it is sad to see many theories and thoughts and things that are inspiration fuel from various people not only myself not being picked up and added to not because they aren't good but because even with other life circumstances and tasks aside, maxlie is simply not as compelling to all but maybe an amount of people i can count on one hand. and please don't get me wrong, i am grateful for even that. every artist i reblog is doing some crazy stellar stuff all the time.
maybe this isn't even entirely about maxlie but in part just more evident of the kind of person i am and the baggage i bring to the table than what should just be fun fandom shenanigans. i don't know. but i should probably end this on a bright note lol.
all i can say for sure is that you can expect to see me close out maxlie week (more like maxlie month..s at this rate) and i will be doing days 4 5 6 and 7. i have fics on the backburner. i haven't stopped being interested or wanting to post. i just have grown a bit dejected with time.
but i assure you it will not deter me, i will see things i owe you guys through.
i don't want to become embittered towards something i actually like especially when this is the first time it feels like even just one two three people are seeing me. i just. don't understand what i'm doing wrong.
im still going to finish out the ship week strong even though its been over a month because 1. i said i was going to and i want to follow through on my word and 2. because so little has been contributed to it i want to show the person that runs it that i care and that this matters and after i finish that i don't know. i get why people give up on posting it and give up on making content the ship entirely i really get it
it's been about a year since i talked about the william carter puzzles and the kind of information the viewer gets about maxwell and charlie's inner worlds. they're honestly some of my favorite of klei's lore drops. and now we've been given even more insight with this intermission's animated short. so lets review this trailer in depth!
i've watched it a couple times, and i've watched other don't starve players watch it to see the things they've paid attention to and the things their chat paid attention to. it seems like everyone was able to tell with enough time that this was a dream, a vision, or something that is otherwise not actually something that happened in the reality these characters lived. but something that i didn't see anyone begin to ask is, whose point of view is this supposed to be from? who is actually experiencing this dream? because charlie.. never knew a man by the name of william carter.
she's in the car with someone younger, a little rounder, a little softer. it's maxwell, but it's not exactly maxwell. she knows maxwell doesn't smile like that. he doesn't dress like that, in warm browns and beiges. she doesn't even know maxwell wears glasses. it's uncomfortably normal. she went to the city to escape normal. she answered the ad for crying out loud- she's got "a curious demeanor and a keen interest in the mysteries of the universe."
she knows her destination like the back of her hand. the family cabin up in BC. she remembers telling maxwell about it in a letter. she's been there countless times. you'll know it when you see it. but this time, as special as the destination is, she can no longer tell you a thing about the journey to it. not when all the trees look the same and the sky looks like it's been bright and blue for days. she can't even tell you a thing about the car she's in. all she knows is that it's not exactly his.
no sane person would say it out loud, but they both have to be thinking the same thing. there's no way they can't hear it. but it's not exactly a thing you can ask. the moon is.. crackling, isn't it?
winona doesn't hear it. and if she secretly does hear it, she doesn't act like she hears it. and so neither do charlie or william.
just like we can all pretend that william has not brought it upon himself to take the codex umbra with him.
that hellish thing. maybe it's become a safety blanket at this point for the old man. young man. whatever.
but he's not going to open it, anyways. only if winona asks for them to show her one of their tricks that they use in their shows. but she doesn't ask. so they don't offer, either.
but there are certain things that can't be ignored. not when they look right up at you, waiting for you to look back.
it is only when william looks at her, checks in on her, that things begin to change for the both of them. maybe he hasn't noticed the eyes because they're not both looking right at him with the same kind of intensity They looked at charlie with.
and now that is a familiar face. either maxwell is breaking through the illusion himself, or charlie is imagining the disappointment he might feel. a disappointment in a target that no one can exactly place. all she can do is hope it's not her.
but the look doesn't linger. someone wants the dream to remain sweet. to remain soft, kind, and warm. we don't exactly know whose will that is, whether it's charlie, maxwell, winona, or the wills of something beyond any of them. the heat from the setting sun against charlie's back is hotter than the gentle heat of the candles inside the safety of their family cabin.
it's.. red-hot, actually.
it burns hot until it doesn't. in the same way that time passes until it doesn't. in the same way that survivors die until they don't anymore. until they learn. because it is Constant.
it's.. always been the Constant, hasn't it?
shadows lie in wait when the magician is not looking for them. when the magician is not needing them. because it's all illusion, right?
(it's your move, winona)
and speaking of winona, winona's actually one of the three survivors seen present when a piece of the moon crashes into the sea and changes the landscape of the constant forever. one has to wonder if the ripples of the moon finally giving way above the cabin might give her some sort of twisted deja vu.
maybe that's why she doesn't budge when the shadows begin to elongate. when the shadows take shape. she's fought them before. maxwell has too. maybe the same ones. they look very similar to the shapes in the "encore" short.
and y'know, at this point in the Constant, both maxwell and charlie must have gotten to know shadow magic very well. regardless of whether they were fully in control of themselves or not. they've both been to the archives- in part, thanks to the moon crashing through the land. that's actually the last time we saw the three of them together.
how funny. the moon being given power has opened the way to the remnants of a civilization in which its inverse- shadow- has been given power. both sides are always in lockstep with each other.
black fire. white fire.
the tragic torch's description reads: "At first glance this torch appears menacing, but holding it makes you feel quite sad."
and maybe, at this point, sadness may be worth resigning to. he's done it before. he hangs his head in the exact same way in a conversation with charlie in what is pretty clearly presented as his dreams, too.
maxwell's words to charlie's beckoning shadow hand asking for dreadstone is "I'll... see to it."
the tragedy is not only in the fact that you can't control yourself, but also in the fact that others inevitably will end up in the crossfire. because neither sister was responsible for the way the game has ended up. all charlie's done is move a pawn.
she hasn't even really moved a single pawn. because in reality, she never got to play any kind of board game with her sister. she never left san francisco in 1906.
so... whose dream or vision is this? presumably charlie's, right? she's very clearly the focus of the story- she's the only one who is seen reacting to the fabric of the dream fall apart for most of the trailer. she's the one seen changing and growing from the girl she used to be before the constant to the version of herself that dragged winona through the portal, then to a version of herself we've never seen before, and then finally at her most current version as the shadow queen. it mirrors the different versions of maxwell we see in his animated short quite well. it could also be interpreted that when she opens her eyes at the end, that she has woken up from her dream. this is also supported by the fact that only after that point do the edges of the screen stop being blurred out.
but again- and it was the first thing i clocked when watching it for the first time- charlie never knew william carter, she knew maxwell. so how could she be dreaming of a version of a man she never met or presumably saw any picture of? there's also the fact that the story she dreams has maxwell implied to have put something in the portal (william putting fire in the fireplace as an analogue) that leads to the tendrils that pour out of the ancient gateway in the dream in the exact same way they do at the end of the trailer.
it's already been implied in a few of the shorts as well as in game quotes that maxwell and charlie (or rather, maxwell and the shadow queen) have some sort of agreement that's been reached or plan set in motion, and maxwells actions in front of the portal could be part of that larger plan. they've also communicated this in his animated short, given that she gives him a rose in his dream that affects the rose on him in the constant, as well as the chessboard that is set up before maxwell in his dream is also then used by charlie at the end.
so i'd say that "forgone" is as much maxwell's dream as "encore" is as much charlie's dream. which is to say that one is the focus, but the other is integral to and also may be experiencing the same dream or on the same plane of consciousness, and also that much of this is only possible through either the a) contact they've both had with shadow magic or the nightmare throne, and/or b) the general weirdness of the constant.
and as for winona and whether or not she was in some level experiencing the events of "forgone"... i can't say i'm sure that she did, but i also can't say for sure that i think that she didn't. i think that a majority of the winona we see in the trailer is charlie's imagination of winona, her love for her sister, her fear of hurting her and not controlling herself, the guilt she feels for winona being wrapped up in the constant and other thoughts she may have. but i wouldnt be surprised if there's some part of winona that experienced some limited amounts of the events as well- specifically the parts on the chessboard where she's transformed. i imagine that as much as winona wants to see her sister and rescue her, there's likely a part of her that also fears the consequences of charlie not being able to control herself.
i also imagine that if there is something related to shadow magic that allows maxwell and charlie to communicate, that winona's affiliation with wagstaff and therefore a lot of the lunar story path could lend to difficulties or blockage or inability or simply just distrust for the shadow queen in regards to communicating with her sister at times. i mean, winona's appearances in a huge chunk of the update trailers pertaining to the lunar path imply that she's a pretty big player in the lunar developments in the constant. and why wouldn't she be? she's the only one of the survivors other than wx that know enough about wagstaff and his technology to be able to help in moonstorms more reliably than anyone else.
but beyond the people that may be experiencing the vision/dream in any capacity, i think that the ancient gateway/large amounts of shadow magic/Them are conduits for all of it. like none of the events in "forgone" would be possible for any of them to experience in any capacity without Them or the powers of whatever thing or function is powering the constant, which then makes the dream or vision of "forgone" not just charlie's, or maxwell's, or even winona's, but also a dream of Theirs.
my second 1 hr sprint sketch thing today lol. idk these are all quick and informal but i had fun
all im saying is that if we just get them to crash out and then throw them in a locked cage theyd probably sort out their differences in like two hours max
i have a little secret of my own too; and it's that there's finally a maxlie discord server set up! never done this before so there's a lot of playing by ear but here's hoping it becomes a nice place for everybody to hang! i want everyone who takes part in it to have input over how it is shaped and ends up :D
there are only 2 requirements: be an adult and have a discord account lol
click here to access the invite! excited to see familiar and new faces!
higher contrast version + the good ending under the cut
fun facts while you're here: this is supposed to be max's guest of honor skin. black is supposed to be nightmare fuel. his eyes are supposed to be foggy and glazed over but in the end they just kinda look closed since the under eye area is so thick it looks like those are his lashes.. oh well
yes i know it is almost july. yes i know this event started first week of june. yes i will keep going. anyways maxlie week day 3 give it up for day 3. zoomed in details under cut
if you can tell me what actual in-game skins they are both wearing you get a.. you get nothing actually but they are actual in-game skins
i have never been one to shy away from doing something because it's unpopular or challenging or anything like that if it's something i know i want to do, and i know i want to draw and write these characters because i like them, like their designs, am invested in their storylines together and separately, and it's a nice way to get people to look at your stuff since people are already looking to see stuff of their favs.
though i gotta say as time goes on it is, ahhh, disheartening to see the way that no matter how much you work, how much you personally invest or care, all that guarantees is that you will make work that you invest and care about. it does not guarantee anything else. which, in a vacuum is fine because at the end of the day the most important part is that i'm doing what makes me happy and i made an account here literally just to post one pic 2 years ago and ended up sticking around, everything so far has been a real privilege and i am grateful to have crossed paths with so many talented people and hear such interesting perspectives.
it just is not enough to really obscure the fact that, truthfully, i get the impression doing maxlie stuff is not really compelling to most people. this coupled with the fact that this is a small fandom and that tumblr is both what feels like the only place to share this stuff and nowhere near as big a place as it used to be... just feels like a lot of downsides that are compounding and make it harder to justify putting energy in what makes me happy if i could just draw or write something else that makes me happy. at least when i do the oc work that i typically do on my own i do not have to take any of these things into consideration and make that work expecting that it will at most be seen by say, 3-4 people.
it just kind of sucks when you, as a person who barely reads fic and mostly writes it (and has only started writing fic very recently,) search for fanfic to read for once, and especially when you filter for works that centers these two characters and doesn't treat their relationship as an afterthought or as a vehicle for a different relationship entirely, you only get your own and anything that isn't yours is at minimum one year old and at maximum 2 years old. i understand that the counterargument that is always levied at people who like the more unpopular pairings is "well if you spent less time complaining and more time working you would be able to make up the deficit" but the truth is this is the first time i'm publicly voicing frustration because i've been putting my head down singlehandedly trying to make up the deficit all on my own. i am just one person and i am doing this for fun on the side while trying to build my own personal project and hopefully career (trying to not jinx it by saying hopefully lol) that will soon require all of my time and energy and effort and will be the hardest thing i think i've ever done. there is only so much i can do.
i cannot stress enough that i am trying to fire on all cylinders every single day and trying to minimize the way that personal emergencies and issues take away from what i do both here and with my other work. i am likely just as frustrated if not more than you may be with myself and my rate of output. it is very frustrating for me to even admit to myself that there is only so much i can do.
it is sad to see many theories and thoughts and things that are inspiration fuel from various people not only myself not being picked up and added to not because they aren't good but because even with other life circumstances and tasks aside, maxlie is simply not as compelling to all but maybe an amount of people i can count on one hand. and please don't get me wrong, i am grateful for even that. every artist i reblog is doing some crazy stellar stuff all the time.
maybe this isn't even entirely about maxlie but in part just more evident of the kind of person i am and the baggage i bring to the table than what should just be fun fandom shenanigans. i don't know. but i should probably end this on a bright note lol.
all i can say for sure is that you can expect to see me close out maxlie week (more like maxlie month..s at this rate) and i will be doing days 4 5 6 and 7. i have fics on the backburner. i haven't stopped being interested or wanting to post. i just have grown a bit dejected with time.
but i assure you it will not deter me, i will see things i owe you guys through.
i don't want to become embittered towards something i actually like especially when this is the first time it feels like even just one two three people are seeing me. i just. don't understand what i'm doing wrong.
im still going to finish out the ship week strong even though its been over a month because 1. i said i was going to and i want to follow through on my word and 2. because so little has been contributed to it i want to show the person that runs it that i care and that this matters and after i finish that i don't know. i get why people give up on posting it and give up on making content the ship entirely i really get it
i have never been one to shy away from doing something because it's unpopular or challenging or anything like that if it's something i know i want to do, and i know i want to draw and write these characters because i like them, like their designs, am invested in their storylines together and separately, and it's a nice way to get people to look at your stuff since people are already looking to see stuff of their favs.
though i gotta say as time goes on it is, ahhh, disheartening to see the way that no matter how much you work, how much you personally invest or care, all that guarantees is that you will make work that you invest and care about. it does not guarantee anything else. which, in a vacuum is fine because at the end of the day the most important part is that i'm doing what makes me happy and i made an account here literally just to post one pic 2 years ago and ended up sticking around, everything so far has been a real privilege and i am grateful to have crossed paths with so many talented people and hear such interesting perspectives.
it just is not enough to really obscure the fact that, truthfully, i get the impression doing maxlie stuff is not really compelling to most people. this coupled with the fact that this is a small fandom and that tumblr is both what feels like the only place to share this stuff and nowhere near as big a place as it used to be... just feels like a lot of downsides that are compounding and make it harder to justify putting energy in what makes me happy if i could just draw or write something else that makes me happy. at least when i do the oc work that i typically do on my own i do not have to take any of these things into consideration and make that work expecting that it will at most be seen by say, 3-4 people.
it just kind of sucks when you, as a person who barely reads fic and mostly writes it (and has only started writing fic very recently,) search for fanfic to read for once, and especially when you filter for works that centers these two characters and doesn't treat their relationship as an afterthought or as a vehicle for a different relationship entirely, you only get your own and anything that isn't yours is at minimum one year old and at maximum 2 years old. i understand that the counterargument that is always levied at people who like the more unpopular pairings is "well if you spent less time complaining and more time working you would be able to make up the deficit" but the truth is this is the first time i'm publicly voicing frustration because i've been putting my head down singlehandedly trying to make up the deficit all on my own. i am just one person and i am doing this for fun on the side while trying to build my own personal project and hopefully career (trying to not jinx it by saying hopefully lol) that will soon require all of my time and energy and effort and will be the hardest thing i think i've ever done. there is only so much i can do.
i cannot stress enough that i am trying to fire on all cylinders every single day and trying to minimize the way that personal emergencies and issues take away from what i do both here and with my other work. i am likely just as frustrated if not more than you may be with myself and my rate of output. it is very frustrating for me to even admit to myself that there is only so much i can do.
it is sad to see many theories and thoughts and things that are inspiration fuel from various people not only myself not being picked up and added to not because they aren't good but because even with other life circumstances and tasks aside, maxlie is simply not as compelling to all but maybe an amount of people i can count on one hand. and please don't get me wrong, i am grateful for even that. every artist i reblog is doing some crazy stellar stuff all the time.
maybe this isn't even entirely about maxlie but in part just more evident of the kind of person i am and the baggage i bring to the table than what should just be fun fandom shenanigans. i don't know. but i should probably end this on a bright note lol.
all i can say for sure is that you can expect to see me close out maxlie week (more like maxlie month..s at this rate) and i will be doing days 4 5 6 and 7. i have fics on the backburner. i haven't stopped being interested or wanting to post. i just have grown a bit dejected with time.
but i assure you it will not deter me, i will see things i owe you guys through.
