>>718427661
The first time you speak to the fading boy:
Young boy: Another Expedition… 33…
Gustave: Who are you?
Young boy: Me? A dream, an illusion… I don’t really remember. What I did all of this for… I miss… laughing with everyone…
Gustave: Who are you talking about?
Young boy: Re… Cle… What were their names? I… Why do I forget… Everything… Is washed away… (the boy has gone silent)
This was painted at a time when Verso was young and cherished by his parents, and spent a lot of time playing with Clea. Everyone's moved on. Verso is dead and Renoir and Clea aren't interested in playing anymore. He was sad about being alone before Aline ever took the place over with her woman moment.
>It's head canon to say it's a miserable spectre forced in death to print money and happy memories for all days and is chomping at the bit to kill itself and everyone inside the canvas.
Definitely, my headcanon. The truth is the game is vague enough that either of our interpretations could be right.

>>717432830
From the moment Alicia wakes up after Renoir's big gommage, her goal is to stay in the canvas. Her plan is for Renoir to help her rebuild it. She never wanted to leave. Nothing suggests she ever did. She is not any less guilty of avoiding middle ground than Renoir. You will continue to cope about this fact.

>>716238305
>his goal is clearly to kill himself.
He doesn't do that when given the chance. He helps Alicia fight, instead, and kicks off act III by choosing to live. The only times he does things that would lead to his own death, it's to help other people - Aline in Act II and Alicia in Act III.

>>713240982
>when it's very obvious the story is centered more on grief.
It sounds like you've taken one of your own interpretations, "this is what I thought of the piece," and conflated it with "this is what the piece IS."
>People are going to say
You certainly do, and you're free to feel that way. I feel differently. Grief is the primary motivator for Aline and Alicia, but certainly not for Renoir, whos motivator is hope that his family can overcome if they're reunited. It's certainly not the motivator for the Lumierens, who are willing to lay down their lives because they are not succumbing to the grief of their situation. The story features grief quite prominently. That does not mean it's centered on it.
>the devs come across as disingenuous because it was their goal to have different people see different merits of two different arguments, and that's what ended up happening
Baffling

>>712574643
>ignores the last line of dialog
thank you for conceding. I'm sorry you're so hurt that sexhaver verso won and the canvas was destroyed and he got what he wanted.