(Hello I'd like to preface this post by saying 1. Despite the probably aggressive tone of this post, I am completely joking, and 2. I have mobility issues, and they were very noticeable for me lately, which is why I thought to make this post. Ok let's all laugh together now)
I have no idea why, but I was reminded of this one specific ramp in R&D that makes my blood boil every time I see it.
Who. Who approved this?????? Why is it so steep???? I am NOT making it up that without help.
Then I fell down a rabbit hole.
Why are all these ramps so steep????? And why are there no handrails in the majority of them?? NOT TO MENTION (though they're not pictured) that there are stairs usually right after these ramps (which feels counterintuitive)
And then this. This feels problematic. Bc the majority of BK/old Vandelay models have wheels instead of legs, and would thus have the same issues with mobility as, for example, a wheelchair user.
Korsica, honey, I'm gonna hold your hand when I say this. I physically cannot go up the stairs without being in pain or needing prolonged breaks. Also have you seen how TALL THE SECURITY BUILDING IS????? Please.
ANYWAY. Post over. I'll be suing Vandelay Technologies for 1 trillion dollars and notifying the ADA of this company's lack of compliance.
It's quite fascinating to me just how much Roxanne haunts the narrative. I mean, in the way that she is so PRESENT in almost everyone's motivations.
She's first off-handedly mentioned in track 2, and her presence in the story only grows as the plot moves along and as we as the audience grow to further understand the protagonists. We learn just how MUCH Roxanne has done for the world. But more than that, we learn just how much she's done for our friends on a far more personal level (being something to idolize/aspire toward for Korsica, someone to follow for Macaron, etc.)
Roxanne isnt just an inspiration for our characters to act, she is THE reason the entire story happens. She is the reason Peppermint comes back to Vandelay Campus at all, the reason Macaron has any inclination to join the cause, the reason Korsica has any doubt in Kale/the way things are run in the first place.
She's so important to the narrative that none of this, none of the plot or character development would have happened if she were not so critical to these characters (and I know im not mentioning Kale right now. Kale falls into the same category as the 80% of the tea-m. YEAH, Roxanne's actions and behavior also entirely motivates and influences Kale's action and thought process as well. But this essay isnt about him so im moving on)
The only EXCEPTION to this trend is CHAI. Chai has literally no connection to this woman other than vaguely knowing about her (bc she is famous). He has no reason to allow her to motivate or influence ANY of his choices.
And what I've noticed over the course of the narrative is that everyone else's motivation/morale shifts from coming from Roxanne... to coming from Chai. They ALL go from doing any of what they do bc of their admiration and sense of duty/obligation (and it is, at least a little bit a sense of obligation) toward Roxanne, to instead doing what they're doing bc of their BELIEF IN and admiration toward CHAI. They believe in HIM and HIS ABILITY now and it fuels them so much more presently than their belief in Roxanne as an ideal.
Roxanne represents (between each character respectively) what was, what is, and what COULD BE. Chai is this force of all the same things as well (with emphasis on what could be, i think) but the key difference is that Chai represents something so much more TANGIBLE. He gives something for all of his friends to hold onto so much more tightly (until Roxanne comes back, ofc, but given the lack of ACTUAL textual evidence for this, I'm going to neglect this point as well)
I, at least personally, write and conceptualize Rox and Chai as being shockingly similar. But I cannot stress enough the ACTUAL. EVIDENCE. there is for the impacts BOTH of these characters have on everyone else
It is equally so important to me that Chai's lack of connection to any of ts is because he's some RANDO. He's literally just SOME GUY. He has NO RREEAAASSOOON to care, but he does grow to care anyway.
(And this is where I slip on my tinfoil hat)
And yk who else used to be SOME RANDO? You know who else was just SOME LADY??
Roxanne. Vandelay.
She was literally just some woman selling robotics out of her garage, but she cared so DEEPLY. She grew to care so much about the world that she solved a whole-ass energy crisis!
(And, just to cover my bases, I'm saying Roxanne grew to care even though there isnt anything saying that her compassion wasnt ALREADY there. I think she was always a deeply empathetic person, but I also believe that the power that comes with dominating an entire freaking industry would also do a lot to bring a lot of societal/global issues ((like, for example, the disaster that Korsica mentions)) to Roxanne's eyes that would only make her care MORE.)
Both of Chai and Roxanne, who are people who are so integral to the plot and character development of every other protagonist, were complete nobodies before they were given a chance. They were nobodies who grew to CARE. And that impact, the way they motivate those around them, would not have otherwise happened if not for the miraculous circumstances that gave them their shot
Aaaaand under the cut (for convenience's sake), are
>Some other little things I've received from friends over the past year and a half that I've been fixated on this game
>And mushy gushy feelings stuff about this game
^These were all birthday gifts I received last year! The shirts are based on an incredibly dumb one-liner I said one time and it stuck.
^These bracelets were given to me as a surprise Christmas gift! Did I weep a little bit upon receiving them? Yes.
^The necklace on the left is my own. I made it shortly after receiving my guitar picks (yk the ones that came with the Smidge tin?). And then the friend who made those bracelets asked me to make a necklace for HER! That one is on the right. I quite love both of them.
Ok yap time 🪿
I think its more than obvious that I love this game with all my heart. I've been physically incapable of thinking about anything else for a substantial amount of time (and that's only a slight exaggeration).
The art of this game pulled me away from a boredom I was feeling with my own art and inspired me to improve and try new things. The game as a whole has strengthened friendships (and even created new ones) that I cherish very deeply. And, in general, it has pulled me through a lot.
Not only that (and here's where I get semi-personal), but I appreciate this game even more as a disabled individual. Being both neurodivergent and physically disabled, Hi-Fi Rush and its characters hold a very special significance to me. Unironically, I think my mentality toward myself has been positively altered by. Having these characters to spin around in my head so much. It's really given me a space to see myself and feel comfortable with a lot of things, I think.
To cap off this little feels-fest, I'm glad this game motivated me to be more active in the fandom. Drawing fanart, writing fanfic, all of it has been such a lovely time all around. I couldn't be more grateful to have found such a kind and uplifting niche, filled with such creative and inspiring people. What an amazing experience this all has been.
No matter what the future holds, I'm sure I will be loving this game. Hi-Fi Rush quickly shoved its way to the center of my soul and. Man. I couldn't be happier about it.
Happy 3rd Rushiversary, and here's to more years of loving this game 🎉
I feel like dropping one of my headcanons on all of you so here you go
I imagine Kale always had his eye set on his mother's position. He always expected her to pass the company down to him at some point (I mean, why wouldn't he?) and spent basically all his free time as a teenager/young adult preparing himself for that to happen.
Roxanne, though, was always incredibly evasive on the topic. She stopped saying 'no' when Kale asked, but she certainly never said 'yes.' It caused a lot of problems between them. Especially when everyone else on Campus started wondering if Kale would ever inherit the company.
(Kale assumed he was always denied because he wasn't ready. Or because Roxanne thought he wasn't ready. He wanted to prove her wrong, and show that he was something to be proud of.
Roxanne, on the other hand, knew she wasn't ready to put down the work she started. She was well aware of Kale's ambitions, but she could also tell his focus on running Vandelay was for the sake of external validation instead of for the reasons she even started the company in the first place. (Which, one could argue, might have been mitigated if they spent any significant amount of time together. But. Well..) Selfish as some of her reasons might have been, she couldn't in good conscience let him take over. (Also he's still like. Real young when all of this is going on! Young enough to not know himself fully. I'm sure that had to factor into some of it, what with Rox being well familiar with what it's like to suddenly have this huge thing on her hands as a young adult.) I can imagine her trying to dissuade him or encouraging him to explore more options than just Vandelay-- though it did basically nothing.)
Kale got a sort of 'trial run' as CEO when Peppermint was first born. Roxanne worked remotely, keeping an eye on things from a distance, but Kale really did a lot of work. (I imagine he did way more than he was asked, claiming he only wanted his mother to focus on the baby.. while really hoping she'd see how well he could handle the company and finally pass it down to him)
And once he got a taste of what he wanted? Just could not let it go. Even after Roxanne returned properly to work, Kale became more insistent. His hatred toward living in his mother's shadow worsened, and his anger likely did as well. Then when Peppermint got older (and the favoritism more apparent), Kale started to wonder if he was going to get passed over in favor of his baby sister (which... honestly, he probably was, with the way things were going)
But Peppermint ran away. Cut contact. Kale saw an opportunity. He tried to ask nicely, but he was only ever shot down.
Finally, he decided to stop asking. And we all know what happened with that.
Ah, my favorite dysfunctional family. This essay was bound to happen at some point. That point is now-- strap in for the ride ;>
I find it fascinating that Kale and Peppermint are actually fairly similar people. They are both very guarded individuals, they seek to be known (in different ways, but I'll get to that in a second), and they both have fairly nuanced feelings about their family name. This isn't to say they're the same, of course not, but I've been spinning this essay around in my head and I've been finding a good number of traits these two share. I'll be covering these similarities and the key differences between them that sets them vastly apart from one another.
Part 1: Kale
Kale is a character that is defined by his lineage. He is the son of a pioneer who solved a global energy crisis. He inherited the world's leading tech company. He is Kale VANDELAY, and don't you forget it.
But is there anything else?
It seems to me as though Kale has placed so much importance on his place in his family that it became all he is. He wants to be known, first and foremost, by who his family is. He seeks glory through furthering the legacy of his mother's achievements-- finding his own success by leeching off what has already been set before him.
And aside from just him as a person, he seems to lack the connections that his mother/sister do. Every interaction he has with his department heads, there is an inherent impersonality around him. There is very much the vibe that he is simply TOLERATING these people. They are a means to his end
^His treatment of Korsica is a pretty plain example of how little he cares. He knows she's not going to speak out against him or stand up for herself, so he doesn't really put any effort into hiding his borderline disdain for her.
Kale's most primary character traits are his entitlement, selfishness, and superiority toward others. He himself also puts things very succinctly in the text vlog 'Atrium Statue Mail,' found in Track 10:
"As a self-made man (disregarding my family lineage, inherited wealth, and the fact that I started at the top and worked my way sideways to get this position).."
On the one hand, wow dude way to flex on everyone after getting your own damn statue, and on the other he's literally pointing out that his power comes from his family name. It's the first thing in the list. Kale could have very much chosen to list his own skills/ connections that made it so easy for him to take over in Roxanne's place (I'm actually pretty sure it would have been far more appealing to whoever reads the vlog). But he chose to put his family ties first
Kale so desperately clings to this idea that he is inherently perfect (literally says so himself in, again, a text vlog. This example titled 'Out Of My Mind' and is found in the SPECTRA hub room) because his family name carries so much weight. He glorifies himself-- especially in the Museum-- and he has been able to completely take advantage of the good will both his mother and her company have
I don't think any of that would have been possible if Vandelay wasn't such a present name. Kale would not have had reason to internalize it into his identity so much (because I do think that he has an agonizing nferiority complex, and really tries to stick ta the idea "Vandelay is successful. I have the Vandelay name, therefore I am also/just as successful" to shield himself from the idea that whatever talent he had has been nisplaced/misused in favor of protecting his ncredibly fragile ego. And also his perceived success lets him give himself a pass for not acknowledging the amount of damage he's doing or dump the blame onto someone else.)
Part 2: Peppermint
Peppermint, in stark contrast to her brother, is notably oppressed by her family name. None of the things that made Vandelay so notable, arent important to her in the slightest. She didnt want to be known because of her family. Peppermint is someone who wants to be judged on her own merit. She doesnt want a reputation to precede her. Having such a well-known/prestigious name attached to her was something that she felt had no escape. So she ran away from home.
Considering a lot of what we learn about Peppermint comes from her confession at the end of Track 8, I'd like to point at it first and foremost.
Throughout the level, Peppermint has been on edge (to put it somewhat lightly). She's been emotional enough for the rest of the team to pick up on it. I mentioned before in the introduction of this essay that both Peppermint and Kale are very guarded individuals. While Kale decides to distract and obscure himself/his motives, Peppermint is far more dismissive. She consistently says that they need to focus on the mission or that her feelings aren't important. It all comes to a head, though, when the truth finally comes out.
^Think about what's going on in Peppermint's head right now as she says this. For the entire adventure before this moment, her friends have known her as just Peppermint. With this confession she won't be that anymore. She'll be Peppermint Vandelay. She will have an undeniable connection to Kale, who has been on a plot to mind-control people, who has put a target on Chai's head, who LITERALLY TRIED TO KILL KORSICA. Peppermint will be related to that person. And beyond that, she'll be related to Roxanne Vandelay-- a woman who's regarded by 90% of everyone on Vandelay Island to be a revolutionary. After running away from it all, suddenly Peppermint will have to measure up to all of that again.
With this confession, as she says these words, she is preparing for her relationships with these people (who she's grown to care very deeply about) to change irreversibly. Perhaps even fracture completely.
"I know what you probably think. You think--"
In this statement, she's preparing to make a case for herself. But then--
"Who cares?"
Look at her reaction to Chai completely shutting down whatever she was about to say. The confusion and surprise on her face! She did not anticipate to be met with acceptance. Especially not in such an uplifting way as everyone does.
Peppermint fully anticipated to be weighed down again by her family. She was terrified of it, enough to try and soften the impact as much as possible before she was suddenly cut off.
It's important to note that Peppermint has ALWAYS cared, not just about how she's perceived, but about her family as well. On the first point, take her reaction toward CNMN's personality test in Track 4:
"Wait now, Peppermint! Don't get mad!"
"Unsympathetic? Hot-headed? You don't even know me!"
"You are only proving me correct"
"Come on, Chai, you can vouch for me, right?"
"I'm staying out of this."
I know this conversation is played mostly as a joke, but it is still some incredible insight on Peppermint's character! Her wording especially ('you dont even know me!') suggests that she doesn't want to be written off. She doesn't want to be relegated to just one thing, because she isn't! She wants to be understood wholly.
And on the point of Peppermint caring about her family (*cough cough* how people perceive it/her mom), there's a lot of evidence because Peppermint honestly lowkey sucks with keeping any of her feelings a secret. Take a conversation between her and Chai in Track 2:
"Well, maybe Roxanne founded the company, but Kale! Cool dude, nice hair."
"He's riding the coattails of a real pioneer."
"What did he ever do to you?"
"Let's just focus on the mission."
Peppermint very obviously harbors a lot of resentment toward Kale for what he's done, and she wants Chai (a person from the outside) to understand the truth. Of course, it takes some time for the guy to get it-- this is Chai we're talking about-- but that doesnt negate the Peppermint's efforts and her care toward her family being established this early on.
And, again, I want to gesture to most of Track 8, because Peppermint has so manh strong feelings about all her mother's work being tossed away that this essay would probably quadruple in length if I tried to cover all of it. To be brief, her insight on the company and all of the work Roxanne has done is to the same level as Macaron (who has, presumably, been working at this company since the beginning). However she is far more angry where Macaron is more disappointed/forlorn.
Yes, Peppermint cares about how her family is perceived, but she yearns for that perception and her own to be separate. She is defined in spite of her lineage.
Conclusion :>
There are a lot of things I could keep saying about these two. They are just rife with things to analyze. However, I want to end off on the biggest differences between them that I think helped Peppermint grow past the limits imposed by the burdens of her name where Kale accepted them.
Throughout the game, Peppermint was surrounded by people who treated her like her own person. This was because they didnt know who she was related to, of course, but even still. No one on her team cared about the status that came with the Vandelay name. Macaron and Korsica might have cared about the company, yes, but not about the prestige it held.
Kale, meanwhile, doesnt really surround himself with anyone. He isolates himself and believes that is all he needs. He is trapped in an echo chamber of his own ego.
And that is my other point-- ego. Kale knows he has the power to do whatever he wants; power that comes from his name. Peppermint does not have that power, nor does she want it. She doesn't believe herself better than anyone simply because she's related to someone so special (in fact, I'd probably venture its the opposite? She's very down on herself because of who she's related to).
Kale and Peppermint may share a name, but they are their own people, and their relationships with that name are very, very different.
I get from a technical standpoint WHY Roxanne wasn't included in any post-game content. Like, it makes sense, that would be a lot of extra time and effort for a character that the audience only really has a secondhand connection to. Especially with the way the post-game stuff is structured (by which I mean how the SPECTRA challenges are utilized. Aka no changes to any of the levels you're replaying until you interact with the door), it probably would have felt disjointed(?) to suddenly have a new character tagging along with the tea-m
That said, boy does it make me SAD how much of a missed opportunity that is! At the very least I think it would have been super cool if Rox appeared in the hideout and maybe had some fun dialogue. Or if she DID join in on all the action (in a similar way to CNMN, I'd imagine, where she's mostly relegated to dialogue), it would have been SO COOL to hear what she has to say about things! It could have added to the world building! The lore!! And my god it would have been twice as sick to see how she interacts with the whole gang after. Yk. What I can only assume are REAL short exchanges after initial introductions in that last cutscene before the credits.
I wanna see Peppermint and her mom finding some common ground and figuring out their dynamic after years of being apart, I want to know how Rox and Macaron behave as friends to one another, how Roxanne interacts with Korsica (who holds her in such high regard). I would have adored to see CNMN reading Rox, or Chai. Yk. Being Chai and learning how Rox reacts to him.
And ofc I want to know more about the lady who's been haunting the entire narrative of this game. I want to know how much of the fondness she's regarded with is real compared to the recollections of people who look up to her so much. What's muddled by bias, complicated feelings, etc? What is she like in reality-- without the persona or reputation built up by being a public figure?
I am probably (absolutely) biased, but man I would do so much for more Roxanne content 💔 I need to know more about her so bad so I don't have to blast her with the headcanon beam so hard /j
The lady is my favorite character. No I dont know why. Please give me more on her i am on my knees
Ask Game Infiltration（Ф ̫ Фマ.ᐟ 3 and 21 for Peppermint
3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?
FORGIVE ME THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE KINDA NITPICKY!!!!!
I suppose I kinda wish she offered a genuine apology for how she acted toward Chai in the beginning of the game? I get where she's coming from, and her actions/growth/development more than make up for her abrasiveness in the beginning of the game (its literally only for the first. 2 maybe 3 levels i think? And then she starts chilling out). But still, i feel like the explicit "I'm sorry" would really solidify her growth and willingness to maintain the relationships with her friends/Chai. Because saying sorry is just as important as changing and being better! Saying that shows that you know where and how you've done wrong, that you acknowledge it, and that you are consciously putting effort into changing.
Idk maybe that's just me..
OR I kinda wish her and Kale's relationship were a little more developed outside of "grr i hate him so bad." Again, I GET IT, and it probably would have messed with the vibes of the game as a whole (they still have things they need to do. We can't spend time diving deep into a relationship that is basically over). But if there was maybe just an extra little hideout dialogue option about it (what did she mean by "There's probably nothing I can say to change his mind" just before Track 11???????? Was her original plan to talk to him????? THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. I NEED MORE)
I also dont like a number of her outfits (and i have incredibly specific critiques.) But that's not a "just for Peppymint" thing. I have very specific critiques for everyone else's outfits as well
21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?
I don't know why, but I really enjoy diving into her insecurities. Girlie has a ton of em, and her inclination to keep a lot of it to herself (if she can help it) is quite appealing.
I also like giving her some nervous habits (toying with her hands, brushing her hand over the shaved part of her head, etc). I actually make some fun parallels to Roxanne through these small gestures (*cough hack* hello Finding A Groove).
Mmmmmmand it's a little thing, but Peppermint cusses the most out of anyone I write. This is more of a "I just feel like this is the case" kind of thing than anything else. I try not to overdo it (cus that is a big pet peeve of mine), but it IS a pattern I have noticed.
Something I don't like? Hm..
UGH for my personal writing, it is torturous to write her trust issues. I'm an ABSOLUTE stickler for staying in character/true to how characters behave in canon, so I kinda have to factor with her problems into the equation in order for her thought processes/reasons for doing things check out (and much of the plot depends on her and her habit of keeping things from other people in the name of protecting herself/those she cares about), but JDKXKSKX it drives me up a wall. Girl TALK I promise everyone is gonna be ok with it PLEASE 💔💔
Hello everybody :) this is my super fun blog where i do whatever I want. Which mostly ends up being MAKING ART FOR/YAPPING ABOUT THE THINGS I LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
About me:
Name's Sif (<- what I'd also MOST prefer to be called, but you're allowed to call me Feather, Featherhead, etc.)
My pronouns are they/them and it/its
I'm physically disabled and AuDHD
I make digital art, write fanfic (my Ao3 is FeatherHe4d), etc.
(I also do photography! You can find that and my collage work @f34therheadz-photos !)
MORE INFO UNDER THE CUT TO SAVE ON SPACE 😛
Interest List (hooray)
Yeah Hi-Fi RUSH is the big main one. Hashtag special interest. But ASIDE FROM THAT!!
Things I'm more likely to post/talk about will be marked with a *
Video Games:
• Gori: Cuddly Carnage*
• Concrete Genie*
• No Straight Roads*
• Who's Lila?
• The Artful Escape*
• Röki*
• American Arcadia*
•Undertale/Deltarune*
• Stray*
• SIGNALIS
• Look Outside
• Endacopia
• No, I'm Not Human
• Cuphead
• The Return of Obra Dinn
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits*
• The World Ends With You (series)*
• Hollow Knight (series)*
• Skylanders (series)
• Splatoon (series)
• Kingdom Hearts (series)
Books/Manga:
• Dungeon Crawler Carl*
• Literally any book by Christopher Moore
• The Magic Misfits
• Witch Hat Atelier*
• Gachiakuta
Tv/Anime/Web Series:
(*The anime that I've also read the manga for won't be listed here. Yk to avoid redundancy)
• Game-o-verse*
• Daybreak
• Firefly
• Tokyo Override
• Knights of Guinevere*
• Avatar: the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra
• Hilda*
• Amphibia
• Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon
• BNA
• Bojack Horseman
• Yu-Gi-Oh (particularly Duel Monsters and Zexal)
(^This also isn't all of them. But yk. I can only be so exhaustive lolol)
Miscellaneous:
Fun fact: I also have a special interest in birds. I just didnt know where else to include that fun lil information. (My favorite is the Black Sicklebill thank you very much)
PLEASE feel free to talk with me!! Send an ask or something, I am a little FREAK with a great many thoughts in my head. I need to get them out. (And mutuals 👀👀 feel free to dm im just saying 👀👀)
If you feel inclined to use tone tags, please do! I appreciate them.
FUCK AI (AND EVERYTHING ELSE) ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ my blog is my safe place to do whatever the hell I want. I'll just block you if I think the vibes are off. Don't like? Don't interact. It's that simple.
My super special list of blog-specific tags:
Talking: #sif squawks, #with some additional chirping (<-used when I add onto a reblog)
Life stuff (WILL RARELY BE USED): #sif's life updates
My sona: #the creature that is me
Non-fandom work: #sif's strange stuff, #sif's sideblog shenanigans (<- specifically when I reblog my other blog)
Ok I think that's all for now. Hooray! This post will (hopefully) be updated as time goes on/if interests change/if I feel like it. Thank you for reading!!
