#get poisoned ya people pleaser

[zeldathusiast]

I'm thinking about Red being too nice to say no.

The colors (+ Shadow) are at a royal event, and they all get sent a drink from "someone who just wanted to buy the heroes drinks as thanks." they all know it's risky to drink it, and the others politely decline, but Red would hate for the person who sent them to be told the heroes refused their gift... just one sip couldn't hurt, right? Just to be kind.

It's only a few absentminded sips later, when his legs give out under him and Green is shouting for a medic, that Red regrets not trusting his gut.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Some big changes are underway at Pixar, after an unfortunate series of layoffs...

Per the snippets I've seen of a Bloomberg article that's behind a paywall:

In addition to juicing up the sequel count once again (with hints of the worlds of FINDING NEMO and THE INCREDIBLES being revisited), and an INSIDE OUT series coming to Disney+ next year... It's being reported that Pixar is going to abandon the more "autobiographical" approach to their newest films... Ya know, actually director-driven films that connected with people? And supposedly, they will look to make more movies with "general appeal" - whatever the hell that means, at the behest of Disney execs.

It had been talked about for a little while, but it appears that Disney executives are mandating that Pixar not let filmmakers make films... Apparently forgetting that Pixar got to where they are in the first place because of the directors that were allowed to tell the stories that were personal to them (such as FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES, and INSIDE OUT) and meant a lot to them.

Apparently, that's box office poison now. Apparently that's why they've had losses lately. Recipes for failure. Never mind that LUCA and TURNING RED barely got theatrical releases, yet they did monster numbers on streaming, got solid-to-great critical reception, and Oscar nominations. ELEMENTAL may have cost a fortune, but it's the biggest original animated movie released post-COVID outbreak- OH YEAH, THAT. A whole worldwide pandemic! Which resulted in TURNING RED and LUCA skipping theaters in the first place.

Whereas the spin-off, LIGHTYEAR, was the only true flop of this period.

You can't make this crap up.

Bob Iger's gotta go, as do these other silly executives, if they're *really* telling Pete Docter and Pixar brass to stop making movies like that. Movies that reflect their respective filmmakers' personal experiences and vision... I thought Iger was happy with ELEMENTAL's leggy run last summer? I guess he actually wasn't, nor the shareholders - the same deeply unserious people who found Disney's 2019 earnings of $24 BILLION *disappointing* because it wasn't... GASP... $25 BILLION.

I guess TURNING RED and LUCA's reviews, nominations, and success on streaming don't matter. Like... What kind of movies, outside of the sequels, is this studio gonna put out now? Noted-to-death movies that audiences end up not really connecting with? And what if those lose money?

You can't engineer hits. Hollywood bean counters don't seem to get that. You could make a movie that gets amazing reviews, and it could still flop. Or it could break out. Circumstances beyond the control of the filmmakers. If COVID-19 never happened, and SOUL, LUCA, TURNING RED, and ELEMENTAL all enjoyed unbothered theatrical releases and people could actually afford a movie trip? They all would've been blockbusters.

That's not to say that I think it's over for Pixar. I'm still looking forward to what the filmmakers can cook up under such restrictions, if they can somehow eke out a little personality. They could go the way of Disney Animation right now in my eyes, but we'll see... But I feel these mandates do not bode well for the studio's future. I remember so many talented people leaving when John Lasseter tightened his grip, circa 2010... The same could happen if the filmmakers can't really make anything other than "pre-made crowd pleaser", and flee to a studio that's a little looser than that.

But this is Disney at the end of the day. Everything's a brand, everything's Glup Shitto now. "Pixar movie" is basically a genre, when it shouldn't be. WDAS apparently means "FROZEN-Lite Movie #6", "Disney movie" is basically just remake of a classic or theme park adaptation, Marvel is now cameo-fest homework movies, Star Wars don't get me started...

We'll see how that model works out for Disney over the next few years or so...

(Maybe after I cool down, I'll be more reasonable here... But it ain't lookin' too hot.)

[kusukixcrystal]

MM Classpecting: V

Zen Classpect

Yoosung Classpect

Jaehee Classpect

Jumin Classpect

707 Classpect

Personality/General Info: His real name is Jihyun Kim. V is his photographer name. Extremely private and respects the privacy of others. If he has a secret he will keep it till the grave (literally). He is timid, a people-pleaser, and sensitive to the opinions of others. Loyal, so much so he was willing to stay with Rika even after she became twisted. Famous photographer. His family is rich. is Christian.

In high school, V's personality was apparently very different. Very similar to his father or Jumin: a pragmatist. He didn't see any value in abstract ideals, only on accomplishments pertaining to financial or social success. He changes after the death of his mother in Another Story.

The head of the RFA after Rika's 'death'. Rika was his fiance. Jumin is his childhood friend, who he cherishes, but he still hides secrets from him. Saeyoung and Saeran he cares about deeply, doing what he can to protect them. On good terms with Zen, and was interested in taking pictures of him. Yoosung and V have had a rocky relationship ever since Rika 'died'. Jaehee and V are pretty neutral.

Role in Narrative: Head of the RFA. Can be considered one of the antagonists, hiding all of Mint Eye from the RFA despite how much of a threat they have become. Covers up Rika's disappearance as a suicide. Dies at the end of SEs.

Active or Passive: He is Passive. he does things to benefit others, like helping the Choi twins escape their father, or still insisting that he can help Rika. Even Jumin considers him a push-over, bending to the will of others if they argue about the party date.

Classpect - Sylph of Life: One who makes Life, or makes through Life for others.

How this applies to V: Just like Jaehee??? Whaaa. But it makes sense considering what he does in the narrative. Sylphs fix and heal and try to keep things running. While Jaehee uses her Mind to keep C&R/RFA/Mint Eye mission running, V puts all of his efforts into trying to fix Rika on his own. All he wants to do is to meet the needs of other people.

Sylphs are meddlesome. V really meddles in the lives of others: The Choi Twins, Zen with getting him to join the RFA and being concerned for him when he gets in his motorcycle accident, Rika, etc. V knows what's happening around him, more so than most characters in the game, a trait shown within Sylphs. He is passionate about his interest in photography and shares this hobby with those he trusts, like Jumin or when he got Saeran interested in it. At the same time, he may alienate himself from those he doesn't trust like his father. Sylphs are known to be open to those they love and trust, and an enigma to those who are not within their circle. Though, in the events of Mystic Messenger he begins to become an enigma even to those he cares about. BUT, he does this for what he perceives to be for their own benefit. V acts for who he thinks is important to him: Rika, the RFA and Saeran. Though his 'help' is actually doing more harm to everyone involved, his methods and actions questionable.

This is what the Extended Hiveswap Zodiac has to say about the Life Aspect:

“Those bound to the aspect of Life are the universe's healers. They are concerned with the betterment of themselves and those around them, as well as the onward march of positive progress. Deeply empathetic, they have an intuitive understanding of other's suffering and the best way of righting those wrongs. If you're poisoned, chances are the Life-bound have something for what ails ya. This applies to both physical and mental suffering, though it might not be a cure you'll like. They also have the tendency to put other's needs before their own, which never ends well for anyone, because the Life-bound can grow bitter if they feel their own self-care has had to be shunted aside. At their best, they are great listeners, caretakers, and nurturers. At their worst, the Life-bound are passive aggressive, and pushy-they're certain they know best.”

I think Life also represents health, kindness, nature, positivity, and growth. Occasions where people are happy or celebrating (like a party) I also believe to be Life-coded, with its association to positivity and celebrations of life that you see in things like birthday parties.

The challenge seen within a Life bond is balancing helping others and themselves. But most importantly, there seems to be a connection between Life and privilege. In Homestuck, Feferi, Jane, and Meenah are characters we know are Life players. What do they all have in common? They are either princesses/heiresses, set to inherit great power and influence. They seemingly have to grapple with their position, and how that effects the way they interact with others.

How this applies to V: He starts his life in a position of privilege. His family is rich like Jumin’s, but it is all the more painful if he falls. V is heavily tied to Life because he is a Sylph. It has shaped him into the person he has become. He struggles to understand others, even if he has a better time than Jumin. He wants to understand and empathize with Rika, but has extreme difficulty. If you wanna bring Another Story into this, he doesn’t understand or empathize with his mother at first, having difficulty with it. It's because he has a hard time relating to others due to his background (also due to his father's influence). This is the struggle of a Life bond. Also, ironically, he loses his Life in the secret and multiple endings, more often than other characters. Another thing is that I think the Life bond fight against the status quo of society. Being one of the founders of the RFA, being a famous photographer, etc. He is fighting to make an impact on it, though he needs Rika and Jumin to implement all these things. He isn’t a social butterfly like Rika or business savvy like Jumin. So, he has big ideas but struggles with implementation.

As a Sylph of Life he creates Life for others. This seems to make him the ultimate healer, however that all depends on what he does with his Aspect. Life isn’t just about healing. Being one of the founders of the RFA party, he creates Life by setting up the date and making the party happen. His struggles as a Sylph is to not act on his opinions, and just waits by the sidelines. V talks about Life a lot, encouraging members to live it to the fullest. He tries to fix and heal often. With the twins he tries to create a new life for them, sending Saeyoung to become a hacker and entrusting Saeran with Rika. He is there the night Zen gets into a motorcycle accident. In Another Story we see that he helps Zen out by being his guardian in order for him to receive a surgery. Finally, by sacrificing himself and dying, he offers an opportunity for Rika to grow by witnessing his death.

When it comes to relevance, a fully realized Sylph can become one of the most powerful players in a narrative. However, if they are held back, they will fade away into obscurity. We see this happen to V in most endings in the game. In the Casual Story routes he barely appears in the chatroom in the first place, and when the route reaches its end V usually just... vanishes. Its because in the CS its not the main story, its not his time to shine. His role is to be a dangling question within the narrative until we get to DS/707 route/SEs. That is when he finally gets to shine as the Sylph of Life and we begin to understand his true motives.

We learn about the story of V and Rika in the SEs. How V wants to be her 'Sun', to fix her, and ultimately succeeds at the cost of his Life. After V's death, Rika seems to finally find happiness even in the state she is left in. Sylphs play a more supporting role, and in this case he is supporting Rika, giving her another chance at Life. It's tragic, but that is his role in this story.

Okay the only problem with V being a Sylph of Life is that its mentioned in Homestuck that Sylphs are a female only class. Though, I think the author retconned that and now there are no gender-locked classes. And... yeah I think this Classpect really suits V.

(Sorry I didn't discuss Another Story, but I think we see enough in the SEs to safely determine his classpect).