Hi, I absolutely love your art and I hope you don't mind me rambling about your take on Feldspar for a bit because he's like my second favourite character from Outer Wilds and I find your take on him really interesting. (Gabbro is first)
The way you characterize Feldspar has got me feeling a certain way. Something about him never seeming to fully take accountability for his actions, both good and bad. He feels like someone that doesn't truly realize the effect he has on people until its too late.
Its like he feels the need to prove himself, but he didn't take into account that others would see him differently when he did. Like he wasn't expecting to become something so big. And he doesn't want to take the responsibility that comes with that.
And when he sees the effect he has on people, forced to confront it in such a horrible accident (which was no one fault but that doesn't stop blame from being passed around). He doesn't know what to do. He sees himself as too little and too much all at once.
Its really in line with how he acts on Dark Bramble in game. He's just tired at being seen as something so large. To the point he lets himself stay stagnant on planet that doesn't change.
Ok thats it, I hope this take wasn't too off track. Seriously I absolutely love your outer wilds content and I wish I could show to everyone I know, but they haven't played outer wilds so I gotta keep all the spoiler content to myself
hi, thanks so much for your kind words and for sharing your thoughts!! their dialogue about feeling all the pressure from being the best really stuck with me and left me with a lot of thoughts about how that could look like in a person. i've been working on small ref sheets and i think your analysis of them suits the description i gave them very nicely:
they're very socially capable and a lot more at ease than they used to, what with a solid group of friends like the founders, but true respite is hard to come by when even your close ones look up to you (or idolize you in their own way).
feldspar has a tendency for self-centering and enjoys the enthusiasm from the energy they bring to the table, but that status comes with its burdens. feldspar quietly seeks company that relieves them of that pressure. granite never stopped giving them shit long after they became the first astronaut to breach hearth's atmosphere, which they loved. they truly saw 'feldspar' before the 'ace pilot'.
basalt's passing made it more complicated. even if they find someone besides their mentor who offers them that sense of peace (which they do), who's to say the person they are beneath the varnish is enough without the pizzazz and excitement and bravery? didn't they just prove how flawed they really are without all of that?
feldspar grew up frustrated of not feeling like enough, elevated themself to new heights, and then shrank again while their clothes remained too big. some days pretending to be big enough for the spacesuit aren't comfortable.
and then suddenly they get themself stuck on a planet where everything's bigger, much bigger than they'll ever be. and of course they like it, cause they get to feel small. the pure irony of that
