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#kinnporsche analysis
kireshai · 2 years
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I just had a mind blown moment thinking about the blood type thing. Cos someone was talking about the fact that O (negative technically) is universal donor and AB (positive) is the universal receiver and it got me thinking about using that concept as a metaphor for affection and love.
Like, Pete is a universal donor. He has the capacity to love anyone, even Vegas who has done some real bad shit to him.
And Vegas is a universal recipient, in the sense of he will take any love he can get because he's so fucking starved for it. (And don't even get me started on how AB is therefore also a limited donor type and how Vegas's upbringing means he can't give love that easily and he has to find the right kind of people - people who perfectly match him - to be able to give them that.)
So that's my contribution to serious analysis. Excuse me while I go back to obsessing over everything else VegasPete that happened this episode.
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yellingaboutkp · 2 years
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Was Porsche Faking Being Drunk?
Short answer: Yes. Absolutely. He was not drunk at Vegas’s party.
Long answer: Porsche is a heavy social drinker. We know it, Vegas knows it. When they get in the bathroom, Vegas's remark implies that Porsche hasn't had very much to drink, and this is a confirmation of what we’ve just seen with our own eyes: Porsche didn’t drink much. Normally when Porsche gets wasted, we see him consume the correct amount to get to that point. This breaks the pattern. He shouldn’t be this inebriated.
And that’s because he isn’t.
There are several other cues beyond the small amount that they showed him drinking. First, right before the drinking and dancing scene, we get an odd little shot of the Virgin Mary. This imagery is certainly connected to Pete in this episode, but it’s also connected to Porsche here. It could indicate Porsche’s general innocence tonight, but there’s also another meaning to the word “virgin”: non-alcoholic. There’s even an actual drink called the “Virgin Mary”; a non-alcoholic counterpart to the Bloody Mary.
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Random aside: this shade of green is rather absinthe-like. It creates an interesting visual dichotomy between non-alcoholic and extremely alcoholic. At least it does for a nerd like me lol
Next, when Vegas leans Porsche against the counter, Porsche’s drunken behavior temporarily cracks and he shows a remarkably sober expression. His rapid back and forth eye movements indicate that he’s thinking on the fly, trying to figure out what to do next. He goes back to acting drunk, then drops it once again and adopts the same thinking expression when Vegas kisses him.
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The facade breaks.
Porsche is also quite sober when Kinn shows up. He's a little apprehensive still, likely expecting to have to explain himself a bit and do some soothing of Kinn’s anger, but he’s also quite pleased when Kinn cages him in against the counter.
But his reaction quickly switches to confusion and hurt when Kinn starts yelling in his face. This isn’t drunken confusion, this is “wtf I thought we were on the same page here” confusion. Porsche is genuinely hurt that Kinn really thinks he’d kiss Vegas on purpose.
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My heart breaks T_T
From there on Porsche doesn’t act drunk again for the rest of the episode. Not really even tipsy. He’s fully dropped the act, because the act no longer serves a purpose.
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liyazaki · 2 years
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I know, I know- I went right for the jugular with that title. at first glance, this might look like a KinnPorsche finale hit piece...an "oh, y'all thought this was a HEA?" before I throw a bucket of gore all over your warm fuzzies, Carrie-style.
in reality? this is a long-form love letter to perhaps the most meticulously-constructed show I've seen in years- Asian, Western, European, etc., et. al. period, fin, full stop.
if there's an idea that KinnPorsche has driven home over and over again, it's that more than one thing can be true at once. that idea has never been more overt than in the finale.
something can be immensely satisfying, hella romantic, quietly appalling, empowering, and like a waking nightmare- all at once. for me, the finale was every one of these things- just maybe not for the reasons you'd expect. in summary: have a little faith before reaching for the pitchforks (thanks in advance).
but first: a little history, a little fandom
some background before we jump into the, as @dancinbutterfly likes to say, "it's about the DRAMATURGY"- of it all. I've been going into every piece of media for years now with as close to the inverse of expectations as you can get, because she has been burned and then some. I've been in fandom of all sorts for many, many moons. perpetual disappointment followed by headcannoning fixes are old friends, and I know them well.
I dumbed this show down before it even began, at no fault of the story or crew or anything else. eliminating my expectations before the word 'go' is just something that happens automatically. if you had told me pre-KP that a quasi-porn-with-feels, Thai-BL-meets-the-mafia show would shock me out of my media coma, I would've just giggled and said "sure, Jan".
that's exactly what happened, though: week after week, this show gave and gave and gave some more. unapologetic queer horniness on full display? here; take it. you want a light, joyful relationship in contrast to perhaps the most intoxicatingly-toxic one you've ever seen? sure, we got that too. how about fascinating moral quandaries and a dark, twisty thread of mystery running throughout? we got you covered and then some.
and oof, that mystery. the possibilities, the implications? the personal ramifications for these characters we were falling in love with? crumbs were suddenly being dropped from a table I forgot could have so much food on it, and I grabbed onto as many morsels as I could get my greedy little hands on.
we all did: the sheer amount of god-tier analysis and meta this fandom created is a testament to that. this show awoke something in our brains that made the collective talent shine brighter than I've seen in a fandom in a long while (Bad Buddy is a close second).
and then- the Finale™
but the real pièce de résistance here: the part of this horny, batshit beauty of a story that puts this show front and center in my mental hall of fame? that finale. pardon the crassness, but it's very much warranted here: that FUCKING FINALE. it was more than the sum of its parts, while simultaneously being the EXACT sum in a whispering, "are-you-paying-attention?" kind of way.
it confirmed little red flags I didn't even trust I was really seeing, which, sure- that's just good writing, solid storytelling. but then it said "nah- we're not done", and stuck the landing so intelligently, it elevated the rest of the story past my wildest expectations. thanks to the finale, I know that my rewatches (yeah, it'll be plural- move along) will be a perpetual mind-fuck affectionate.
it set up us for a likely-explosive second season, with as much potential for greatness as there is for Shakespearean levels of tragedy. without that 81-minute magnum opus, I doubt I would’ve been compelled to write this monster in the first place.
so let's get into the impact of the finale by taking a closer look at the most important players- starting with our sex-on-a-stick (I had to), second-in-command himself.
without further ado: you ready for a deep dive?
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kiss me so that I forget myself. I close my eyes & fall in the abyss. -Kamand Kojouri
the title for this meta- Tragedy Dressed Like a Daydream- was inspired by Porsche's iconic walk down the hallway, cementing his new status as he symbolically ascends his throne.
my first thought during this scene- besides the obvious serve-CUNT-king- was, "that's a man who's walking to the gallows- he just doesn't know it yet."
Porsche also embodied raw, effortless power in this moment- but it carried even more weight than just that. this was an easy, almost-royal kind of stride- like he was born to it.
from Porsche's unforgettable presentation to the visual callbacks (more on that in a minute), this is the definition of a full circle moment. it felt less like the victorious kind and more of the snake-eating-its-tail variety, though. again, more on that analogy later.
my doom-and-gloom reaction to this scene has nothing to do with the fact that Porsche is not only staying in the Family, but rising to the top of its ranks. this is a mafia tale: I signed up for bullets, bloodshed, moral ambiguity and as much be-gay-do-more-crime as possible.
once I started to drill down into what exactly about this moment made me feel so unsettled, the reasons turned out to be much more nuanced.
a couple interesting details about this scene before we get into the nitty-gritty: we've seen this kind of oozes-power walk before. it's what I opened my Kinn character analysis with:
Kinn carries himself with the relaxed ease of an heir born to inherit a throne, and the singular, brutal focus required to keep it.
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this is how Kinn walks into every room he enters- when anyone besides the people he's closest to are present, anyway.
there's so much I want to say here about the choice to film Kinn from behind versus Porsche head-on, the framing, etc., but I promised myself I wouldn't get too far into the weeds in this meta.
one more tidbit I noticed in this scene: Porsche never blinks- not once. a neat little trick I learned in Psych 101: blinking less communicates ease, confidence, lack of anxiety; while frequent blinking says "I'm afraid/nervous/lying." if you want someone to see you as more confident than you might feel, look them straight in the eye- or straight ahead and past them, like Porsche is here- and blink less. I doubt this was intentional, but it adds (subconsciously) to the powerful aura radiating off of Porsche.
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when you know what a man wants, you know who he is- and how to move him. -George R.R. Martin
belief can be manipulated. only knowledge is dangerous. -Frank Herbert
the triumphant veneer on Porsche's ascension starts to crack as soon as we ask, "how did he get here?" the answer- the rot at the root, discreetly leeching off all the life it touches- is Korn.
we're well-aware that Korn is a master manipulator. he knows his sons' strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand.
what really makes Korn a force to be reckoned with is his patience. he's been using his knowledge of how to utilize his sons- like the tools I believe he sees them to be- for a very, very long time.
it took years-worth of quiet, methodical consistency to orchestrate the events we arrive to in the finale- and to best mold his sons to carry out his purposes. we've also been getting hints at this the entire time- some of which weren't made clear until the very last moments of the finale.
galaxy-brained @dancinbutterfly caught a god-tier hint at just how deep Korn's machinations go, and it happened in episode ONE- yet it's impact in the finale is enormous. if you aren't convinced that Korn has been planning on using Porsche from the start, you're gonna want to hold DB's/my beer for this one. I'm going to be giving the CliffNotes version, but you can read DB's epic finale analysis here.
the last scene in the finale- with Kinn and Porsche declaring their commitment to each other on the boat- is a callback to episode 1 already, bringing us back to where Porsche jumped off the deck. after Porsche escaped, we cut to Kinn and Korn in conversation. I'll quote DB directly here:
Kinn is asked why he didn't procure Porsche- and we see Korn playing chess. he's playing as white, and white always goes first. Korn always has the information needed to make the first move. he takes the queen [Porsche]- and he uses it to get checkmate.
back to the finale: right after Kinn and Porsche's final hug on the boat, we cut over to Korn. he's sitting at a desk with two betta fish in front of him (my theory on that in a minute). Korn stops to look at his phone, smiling at the picture of Kinn and Porsche that Tankhun just sent him.
Korn's expression is that of a warm, loving father, by all appearances happy to see his son happy- but it kind of just made my stomach roll. and then, we reach the line that takes us all the way back to Korn's first game of chess, right after the other boat scene when he won the game using the queen:
"history is only written by the victors."
not to lapse into tag speak in the middle of a semi-serious meta, but are you crying screaming throwing up yet? someone throw me a thesaurus because "chilling" doesn't cover the level of twisted we're witnessing here. the juxtaposition of these scenes in particular casts such a deep shadow over Kinn and Porsche's happy-for-now ending, it's impossible to ignore (again, all credit to DB for catching it).
Korn didn't just make Porsche's sudden meteoric rise happen- he orchestrated it all. this hint was just a standout one of many. I don't think Korn ever expected Kinn and Porsche to get romantically involved, but did he ever switch gears masterfully when they did.
there isn't a single event in the course of Kinn and Porsche's story that Korn didn't either 1) make happen himself or 2) expertly adapt and work to his advantage.
riddle me this: what could be better for Korn than having his ever-loyal but soft-at-heart son on the throne? let's dream even bigger: how about having his son's heart as his second? as smart as Porsche is, this isn't a world he's known for long- at all.
Porsche doesn't fully understand the rules or know the players- and he certainly doesn't have the benefit of experience required to see the bigger picture. Kinn's biggest weakness is now right out in the open, ready for Korn to exploit when and if needed.
for a man like Korn, what could be better than that?
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back to the fish, and what could be our last hint the finale at Korn's next move. betta fish- or fighting fish- are known for their aggression towards other bettas. Korn has the fish in two bowls, separate but still in each other's line of vision- and able to antagonize the other.
before he looks at his phone, Korn is tapping on just one of the bowls, almost like he's deliberately trying to rile the fish up. he's also watching them very intently- and Korn is the most intentional character in this show.
the meaning here is wide open to interpretation, but this moment doesn't feel accidental- next to nothing in this show is. I don't see how pitting Kinn and Porsche against each other at this stage in the game would work to Korn's benefit- they're the most obvious explanation- but I'm calling it now: there's something there, and I have a nasty feeling that it's important.
so- Korn is pulling all the strings. Kinn and Porsche are in power in name only. they’re simply pieces on the gameboard and they always will be, as long as Korn is alive. they’re only there because Korn wants them to be.
Porsche and Porchay were only reunited with their mother because Korn made it so. I could write pages of meta on those scenes alone- the combination of intelligence and fear in her eyes, her catatonic-seeming (but were they really?) reactions, ad nauseum.
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I'm not going to delve too deeply into the Namphueng plot here, but I have to mention that something about her reveal feels reactionary. the timing and suddenness of it feels more akin to thinking on your feet than it does to a long-game strategy. there has to be so much more happening here than we're aware of yet.
the main evidence of this for me: Korn left Namphueng essentially locked up in a tower for years. Korn is nothing if not brutally efficient. he could've used her just like he uses everyone else right out in the open. it would have been a million times more practical for him to go that route, but he didn't. that choice says something.
I don't know if I can buy into the idea that his only reason for pulling off this years-long kidnapping-in-plain-sight was just to time her reappearance in order to control Porsche (and Kinn by extension). we're missing a puzzle piece here- really, I feel like it's a lot of them.
which leads us to the million dollar question: what the hell does Korn know? how far down the rabbit hole does the history- and crimes- of this family go? Korn methodically knocked so many threatening pieces off the board, there's now history that ONLY KORN is privy to. let that sink in for a minute. if knowledge is power, Korn's is now near absolute.
Korn's inescapable influence takes what otherwise looks like a beautiful triumph- Kinn and Porsche, united, back where they started- and makes it look more like walking into an abyss.
when and if we get S2, I can guarantee that none of us are prepared for whatever Korn is planning next. like I mentioned in the beginning, the potential fallout for our players left on the gameboard is, in a word- catastrophic.
I'll wrap up this section with a chef's kiss quote from my beloved @elnotwoods:
I got so blinded by the metaphor and the symbolism [playing chess] that I overlooked the fact that the pieces on a chessboard only ever do what the player wants, because there are different ways to play, different moves and strategies- but it’s ultimately up to the person moving the pieces to decide.
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so the story of man runs in a dreary circle, because he is not yet master of the earth that holds him. -Will Durant
there's also the issue of who Porsche is, and the question of if he did possess full autonomy here- i.e. if Korn wasn't making his moves for him from the shadows- would this be the choice he'd make? does it align with who he is- or, at least, with who he used to be?
because no one- outside of the people in the Family itself- have been more directly affected by the brutality that comes with the criminal underworld than Porsche and Porchay.
their parents: slaughtered in their home. debtors harassed and threatened them both for years, to the point that Porsche went to beg for mercy on his uncle's behalf. they had to feel like they were living in a semi-constant state of fear- likely with plenty of righteous anger and resentment mixed in, too.
so rather than just a cycle that repeats, we have a true tragedy here in the form of the metaphorical snake eating its tail. the Kittisawasd brothers' lives, loves, even their life's purpose (for Porsche, at least) are now inextricably linked to the cause of the greatest trauma they ever experienced. they're not just a part of the Family now- they sit its throne, either directly or by association.
love- especially the new, fresh, starry-eyed kind of love- has a way of blinding you. of bending you in ways you never thought you would, without either lashing out or getting out first.
is Porsche capable of thriving in this world? absolutely. will it require depths of compromise he can't even fathom yet? undoubtedly yes.
I also don't believe Porsche would have put Porchay within 1000 miles of everything Kinn's world brings if it weren't for love. the "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" argument could be made here- the enemy being the world of the Family, not Kinn himself- but it doesn't ring true for me.
plus, we have Porsche's own words to fall back on:
I'm not on the main family's side. I'm not on the minor family's side. I'm on your side.
Porsche is here for love and love alone. Kinn is here because he is ever-loyal...Porsche's love is a bonus. a life-changing, beautiful bonus- but just a bonus nonetheless.
I have to pause to address what Kinn did and said right before this moment. he doesn't know his father is alive, but Korn's influence- or maybe more accurately, Kinn's indoctrination- is still SO strong, Kinn pulls a gun on the man he loves at the mere possibility that Porsche MIGHT believe Korn was responsible for murdering his parents.
and do you believe him? if you believe him, you have to be on the main family's side. if not- we're on a different sides.
more on this when we talk about Kinn, but this is bone-chilling stuff.
to circle back to Porsche and how he got here: at the heart of it, his decisions aren't all that different from the things anyone who's been stupid-in-love have done or come close to doing: compromising your values, making exceptions- being blind to the bigger picture.
what could catapult Porsche's ascension into a full-blown tragedy (gay gods, let it not; I mostly like being alive) ultimately rests on the gorgeous shoulders of our next major player.
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the proverb warns that 'you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you.' but maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself. -Thomas Stephen Szasz
while pretty much all of Korn's scenes gave us glimpses of his manipulation, they showed us something else equally important: the depths of Kinn's devotion, specifically to his family and the Family. in Kinn's mind? I don't think he can tell the difference between the two.
this isn't Kinn's fault- he never stood a chance. how could he? Korn's had an actual lifetime to subtly shape and mold Kinn into the obedient foot-soldier-in-a-Gucci-suit he is today- and did he ever get started with him young.
remember Kinn's fireside confessional? he told Porsche about his dream as a kid to be a singer, but he seemed to let go of that dream almost as quickly as it came. where did Kinn get the idea of having to step up to take the burden off of Tankhun if not from Korn?
he was a child, but the walls of his cage were already closing in- and he was none the wiser. cut to all of these years later, and he STILL isn't aware. Kinn is incredibly kind, caring and soft with the people he loves, so he just said "yes- I can carry this great and terrible thing." he took on the burden, and his life is forever changed because of it.
he can't get that time back, that dream, or take back all the things he's done in service to Korn since. he's left with wistful "I wonders" before shaking himself off and moving onto whatever task is assigned to him next.
Korn is incredibly aware that love- romantic or otherwise- is Kinn's Achilles heel. all he has to do is casually mention how much the Family needs him (e.g. the apple scene) and boom- Kinn immediately falls back in line. Kinn would move heaven and earth for Porsche, but his blind loyalty to Korn is just as strong, if not stronger- the ultimate question, really.
and it bears repeating: Kinn's blindness is through no fault of his own. he's been systematically manipulated and groomed into becoming the man he is today. the fact that he's retained as much of his humanity as he has is a small miracle- however compartmentalized that humanity might be (read: being able to assassinate someone on the spot without a sideways glance).
if Porsche was walking to the metaphorical gallows unaware, Kinn is living on the knife’s edge, not realizing how incredibly precarious his newfound happiness is. he has faith in a foundation that doesn't exist. he's been drinking from a poisoned well all his life, and he's unwittingly invited Porsche to partake, as well.
I have no doubt Kinn’s intentions are good, and that his love for Porsche is as true, deep and real as any. it's the same sort of unquestioning, all-encompassing love- for his family, THE Family- that could be their ultimate undoing.
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I am no bird; and no net ensnares me. -Charlotte Brontë
we're going to stick to the surface streets where Vegas and Pete are concerned, because to the shock of absolutely none of you who know me, I could write a book on them.
however, I have to highlight the stark contrast their story provides in the finale against Kinn and Porsche's. they were the only characters who walked away with complete autonomy.
what felt like the final nail in coffin to Vegas- no longer being in line to assume his father's position, gain his power and prove himself worthy- was his saving grace. again, this isn't because they got out of the mafia, but because they got out from under Korn- which, irony heaped upon irony, was still Korn's doing.
for now, Vegas, Pete and Macau have been set to the side of the game board by our main player. they're out of the game, but they'll still receive some of its benefits (likely financial). it's probably the best outcome they could have gotten.
regardless of how it came about, or whatever the future holds for Pete and Vegas- it'll be a future they author together from start to finish. they're going into this new chapter with their eyes wide open, their feet on the ground and with a mutual purpose- to somehow be a family- based exclusively on what they want and need most.
I wish that wasn't more than I could say for Kinn and Porsche, but with where we leave them in the finale, it is- for now.
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we aren't one story- we can change our stories. we can write our own. -A. Poehler
and so, we reach the end. Kinn and Porsche are silhouetted against/almost swallowed by the darkness behind them (intentional? I'm thinking yes) on the deck of the boat where it all started.
everything has been leading us to this moment- even their final lines are a callback. Porsche is gazing at Kinn with so much warmth and affection, declaring that his life is Kinn's. Kinn assures him he'll treasure it, clearly in bliss- probably feeling like he finally has everything he's ever wanted.
the parallel- along with Porsche repeating again that he's there for Kinn and Kinn alone- gave me chills at all the high-romanticism, coupled with deeply-ominous foreshadowing.
Porsche's life is now Kinn's, and Porsche would give him absolutely everything (he already has). can the same be said for Kinn? is he capable of rising above a lifetime of submission to Korn for their relationship's sake, for Porsche's sake- or most importantly, for his own? Kinn and Porsche are on equal footing on the surface only, and Porsche couldn't be at a more dangerous disadvantage.
as @dancinbutterfly put it to me so eloquently:
there can't be equanimity when one person is standing on earth & the other is in chains, looking up at him from the heart of hell.
I have to use our catchphrase one last time here, because it's never been more applicable: this scene is the definition of many things can be true at once. when we step back to look at the state of play, the bigger picture- Kinn and Porsche's final moment is as tender and heartfelt as it is potentially heart-wrenching.
we're watching these characters we've come to know and love teeter on the edge of a precipice they don't even know exists- but we do. Korn knows- he created it, and he even gets the literal last word- not counting the small bit of dialogue in the final-final scene with Porsche, Porchay and Namphueng.
I was so distracted by the beauty of the relationships between our main/side characters and how they were developing, I didn't go over many of these small- but, in retrospect, crucial- details too deeply, until the finale left me feeling so uneasy, I had to figure out why. even that might have been intentional.
not to go crazy conspiracy board here (but I will): how poetic would it be if the intention all along was to 'dupe' (but not really, because we're talking about it here) the audience into being in exactly the same mental boat as Kinn and Porsche?
i.e. we're so distracted by all the pretty, shiny things (love! HEA! they're in power together! etc.) that we don't see the forest for the trees? I really hope- and dread- that we might get to see it all come to awful, angst-ridden fruition in a second season. because that, my friends? truly god-tier level story telling.
even with all this possibility for heart-wrenching fallout, I've never felt 'safer' as a viewer as I do in the hands of these writers. they left some plotlines under-developed or unaddressed entirely (for now), but the unforgettable story this team managed to create from the mostly-trash heap that is the source material is a testament to their professional prowess, and evidence of all the thought and care they poured into KinnPorsche.
this show has consistently delivered on every promise it made, and managed to surprise me at every turn. I don't know exactly where we're going from here, but if we get to see Kinn and Porsche's story continue? I can't wait to see where they take us- even if it rips our collective hearts out in the process.
what a way to go, no?
special thanks to @dancinbutterfly for going full-on Pepe Silvia with me through half the night (more than once) while I slogged through this thing, and to my wonderful wifey @elnotwoods for helping get my ideas off the ground 💖 tagging some lovely peeps who have been patiently waiting for this behemoth to drop: @patprans @ellaspore @bengiyo @snimeat @rainbowcolored7 @maleficent-cannoli @i-got-the-feels @shinwoonoh @risu442.
as usual whenever I write long-form, I’m doubting whether I actually said anything at all here? either way- thank you for reading this far & I hope you enjoyed it 🖤
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crystallinemoonlight · 11 months
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Just saw a great post about Vegas' hedgehog and the symbolism of its ill-fitted enclosure, and I can't stop thinking about it; it's a hedgehog in a birdcage, an enclosure it was never going to thrive in no matter what because that cage could simply never meet its needs, and in that cage the hedgehog grew sick and miserable, until eventually, it died. Vegas is the hedgehog in the birdcage; his home and life were never going to meet his needs. It was never going to be a healthy environment where he could thrive. Just like the hedgehog, Vegas grew sick and miserable, and almost died because of it.
And there's even more to it: the hedgehog couldn't be saved, but Vegas did. Vegas got put in a better environment suited to his needs where he could heal. He is the hedgehog of his father that didn't die. And see, the series sets Vegas as the owner and Pete as the pet, but I think this goes just as much the other way around, because Pete took the hedgehog out of the birdcage, Pete made sure Vegas' needs were met.
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sweetvixen1996 · 9 months
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Mafia Boys & Gifts As Manipulation
Okay so I need somewhere else to exorcise my Kinnporsche brain rot, and I guess that’s you fine people. So I submit my thesis of this post: 
In episode 7, we see Vegas, Kinn, & Kim all give a gift as a way to manipulate the recipient. 
One of the writers (who are trash people) are very smart to do is to echo certain beats with characters through their action to hammer a point home. A good example is Kinn kissing a drunk Porsche at the end of E3 and then sleeping with a drugged Porsche at the end of E4 -both acts of physical... attraction performed while Porsche is unable to fully consent but the latter having far more serious consequences. 
The manipulative gift giving in E7 really hammers home that Vegas, Kinn, & Kim really are FAR MORE ALIKE than any of them would like to think. But its all about lenses. 
So lets look at it:
Vegas:
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Let's start with the most obvious example, shall we? 
Vegas spends this entire episode pseudo-courting Porsche. Both to mess with Kinn, and to get a competent man in the Minor Family’s control (likely under his father’s orders), Vegas is going to use what he knows of Porsche to win him over. Including this gorgeous bike. Vegas explicitly frames Porsche getting the bike as a reward for a job goes well. That, by its very nature, makes it not truly a gift. Instead its payment, a carrot dangled above Porsche's head. Also, on top of Vegas just knowing that Porsche likes motorcycles, I think this serves as a reminder of their little motorcycle ride date back from E5 when Vegas was around to (seemingly) provide comfort when Kinn was not. Basically, Vegas is saying, “Look what I can give you, look at how much fun we can have together, and look at how well I know you but you just got to do this one thing for me and you can have all of it.”
For the record, I do think Vegas genuinely likes Porsche, and is probably physically attracted to him. Everything he does in this episode and beyond is absolutely a power play, with Porsche just being another piece on the chess board in the game of domination Vegas is constantly trying to play with Kinn, but, unlike his thin veiled contempt for Tawan, Vegas seems to truly enjoy spending time around Porsche. I always think back to that hug they shared and how Vegas just sort of melted into it. It’s hard to fake that sort of react. 
Maybe in a different life, they could have been actual friends.
In hindsight, I do wonder how much about the bodyguards all being happy and Vegas caring about them is a show and how much of it is real. Vegas definitely wants to frame life at the Minor Family as a better alternative to serving the Major Family, but we also know that Vegas is not incapable of caring about the people around him. In fact, he’s something he desperately wants to be good at. 
On a side note, we also get the case of Vegas giving the pork skewer to Pete. It's a small thing, and probably also manipulation, but with how important food becomes in their relationship, I think it's worth noting.
Kinn:
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I almost hesitate to call this manipulation, because this moment is really just so sweet. So instead I'll discuss how Vegas uses the bike as a reward while Kinn uses his favorite gun as an excuse. For these two knuckleheads, E7 is a transitional period. E6 had them admitting for their attraction and affection for each other, and the Side Story had them cementing that what they had in the woods isn't going away, but E7 here is them trying to figure out what this new dynamic means and how it can exist back in the “real world.”
Kinn is not ready to say “I love you” verbally to Porsche yet. He cannot fully put his trust in Porsche just yet. After everything with Taiwan, and just well his entire life, all the jealousy and insecurity and possessiveness is coming out in full force. Not to mention, Kinn is stuck at home recovering from his injuries, likely making him feel useless. Plus, he has to at least have a suspicion that Vegas was the one who drugged and took Porsche back in E4 -on top of actively plotting to take Porsche away now.
Yet Kinn also knows he needs to be careful. Even if he can't say those things, he knows he at least needs to give something up or risk Porsche pulling away. Specifically, pulling towards Vegas. So he gives Porsche’ his gun, the one Kinn always keeps on him. It's Kinn’s way of saying, “even if I can't be with you in person, this gun is my way of being with you in spirit.”
Then he tells Porsche that Porsche has to come back so he can return Kinn’s gun. Now this is a fun little gray area, because Kinn IS able to say Porsche needs to come back to him -not why, mind you, he’s not their yet. But Kinn is trying his best. Unlike Vegas, who views Porsche as part of a game, Ken sees Porsche as the prize at the end of the game. The only thing that matters. The thing Kinn wants to get above all, no matter what he has to sacrifice.
I love this whole interaction because it just runs the gauntlet of emotions. It's sweet, it's sappy, it's funny, it's flirty, and it's a little tense. Overall, it's a good example of both Kinn’s own emotional limitations, and Kinn trying his damnedest to show how he feels since he's not great at putting things into words. And if that involves a little manipulation, well there are probably worse things in the world.
Also I think it is really funny that this entire scene and the situation with the gun is very reminiscent of the concept of the Lady’s Favor. That being where noble women would give Knights a personal token, usually a handkerchief or a ribbon, when they went off to do something dangerous as both a token of their affections and to make the Knight promise to come back. The promise, of course being so that the Knight would stay safe, and so the Knight would have an excuse to visit their Lady again.
Kim:
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The Kimchay relationship is interesting because it somehow manages to be both the most wholesome while also being the most duplicitous. One of the things that makes all three of the major couples in this series interesting (or controversial, depending on who you ask) is that there is a very clear uneven power dynamic. Kinn is Porsche’s boss and a mafia leader, and Vegas literally has Pete chained up in his house -you can't get much more even than that. And yet, both of them are in a situation in which the power dynamic difference is obvious. That's not the case with Kimchay. While it's true that there is the obvious unbalance of the Idol/Fan dynamic, and the age gap being jussssst wide enough that Kim and Chay are at different points in their developmental adult life, the real power dynamic difference comes from the fact that this entire relationship is built flat on a lie. It is a lie that Kim himself eventually comes to love and wish was true, but not one that could have ever been sustained.
There are a lot of really great metas out there about how Kim is actually the most dangerous of his brothers, and is far more willing to coldly manipulate and act for his goal, and you see a lot of that these early interactions with Chay. 
At this point, I think it's safe to say that while Kim may think Chay is cute and sweet, and is charmed by him despite himself, Chay is still just a means to the end within his investigation. He's also completely aware a Chay’s infatuation with him and is using that to get through the door of Chay’s life and house -quite literally.
If the motorcycle was a reward from Vegas, and the gun was an excuse from Kinn, I'd say that Kim is using the guitar as almost a form of payment. A way of further buying Chay's trust and good nature. He may have even specifically brought it as a way to override Chay questioning why Kim knew where he lived. 
And yet it's also important to point out that this episode is a turning point in their relationship, just like it is for KinnPorsche. Before this, Chay was a tool, if a very charming one. Kim doesn't even really have the patience with him to wait for Chay to finish talking and expressing his doubt about accepting the guitar before asking to use the bathroom. Not to mention further taking advantage of Chay’s feelings for him in order to get Chay out of the house so Kim could investigate the Mysterious Locked Room.
But then Kim finds the Idol Wall, and everything changes. I am 100% convinced that is the moment where Kim not only knows that Chay has nothing to do with any potential mafia dirty business, but also when Kim starts feeling some guilt over his manipulation of Chay. Both of which should make him immediately back off, and we see in the next episode that that is sort of what he does, but his initial response is instead to engage further -even outright flirting with the implicit promise of further contact with the two,  even though it actually doesn't have any merit at this point. 
Basically, this is when Chay starts to become REAL to Kim.
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ichigokeks · 1 year
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To this day nothing can ever come close to Pete jumping when Vegas touches his shoulder. Within just a few seconds it foreshadows their relationship and manages to show us their true personalities. Vegas is cunning and will appear friendly but he always demonstrates his power and dominance indicating his inferiority complex - in this scene, he touches Pete not as a friendly gesture but to assert his dominance and "push" Pete out of the way. Pete looks submissive and polite and seems to fear Vegas but he is courageous and doesn't back down as he is the only one to address Vegas directly and remind him that this place is for bodyguards not the bosses. It indicates his unbreakable will and inner strength which makes him face Vegas in the torture scene without fear.
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thatgirl4815 · 2 years
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The Pete Effect
~ A Deep Dive into Vegas’s Mind ~
When it comes to Vegas and Pete in Ep11, I think they contained a pretty massive story arc within the 50 minutes. And while I do think this story could’ve been spread out over the course of a few episodes, I do think they managed to offer a view of Vegas that humanizes him but does not necessarily erase or lessen the severity of his crimes. If anything, it puts the cycle of generational violence/trauma in perspective. If the purpose of this episode is to show why Vegas desires hurting people and where this destructiveness comes from, then I think they’ve accomplished that.
**For my take on Pete’s psychological state, see this post: The Vegas Effect
Recycled History
We don’t need to see Vegas’s history of abuse play out onscreen to get the full context of what he’s going through. From a storytelling perspective, it’s pretty standard: abusive father projects own self-hatred onto child. It’s a never-ending cycle of needing dominance to fill the void of never being good enough. We don’t know much about Korn and Kan’s father, but what little we do know indicates that Kan’s relationship with his father is similar to Vegas’s relationship with Kan. At the same time, this line from Korn in Ep10 is interesting:
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We haven’t seen Kan directly “taking advantage” of anyone, mostly due to a lack of screen time, but the act of abusing Vegas is ironically upholding this very notion. This line is also notable in that it seems to apply to Vegas in particular, and Kan is reinforcing it by constantly reminding Vegas that he will never be good enough. Korn, master manipulator, likely knows that due to their rivalry, Kan suffers from the same self-hatred that Vegas suffers from. He exploits that with this line, and I have no doubt that Kan was reminded of this very conversation when confronting Vegas.
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In this shot, Vegas is experiencing a build up of all these negative emotions: bitter resentment for his father, hate for himself, shame, guilt, rage. Kan tells him he’s failed not only as the heir of the minor family, but as a son—that’s the key point. It’s never about the business, it’s about Vegas as a person. Kan will always find flaws in Vegas because that’s easier than facing his own.
Vegas’s Psyche
What does Vegas do? He takes the gun from Kan, he points it at Pete as if to kill him, but he doesn’t follow through. Why is that? Because, as will become even more appparent later, Pete is a form of rebellion for Vegas. Keeping him—tormenting him—defies his father’s orders, but it also offers Vegas an opportunity to assuage his own feelings of inferiority. Pete is a prisoner, so Vegas’s dominance over him is a certainty. Vegas craves the chance to rip Pete apart piece by piece the same way his father has always ripped him apart (not to mention it also comes with minimal risk).
There’s an element of loneliness to this too. As the VegasPete bandaging scene proves, Vegas has spent his whole life feeling alone in his suffering. But while Pete reveals a similar experience in his own childhood, his imprisonment is also an opportunity for Vegas to impart his emotional pain onto someone physically. Vegas gains a certain satisfaction from witnessing someone else’s pain precisely because it is not his own. It’s a reminder that his father isn’t the only one who can inflict pain. That’s, in part, why I believe Vegas is so satisfied when calling Pete’s grandmother—Kan abuses Vegas both physically and emotionally, so why wouldn’t Vegas want to do the same thing to others?
So…
What stanches Vegas’s desire to inflict pain?
Even before their bandage talk, Pete is making waves for Vegas. We knew from the moment he laughed in Vegas’s face in Ep10 that he wouldn’t be one of Vegas’s regular victims; he presents a challenge, something Vegas can focus on. He’s a distraction as well as an outlet. Because, from a much broader perspective, Vegas’s position is terrible. His plans failed, the major family wants him dead, and he’s locked in a safe house with only Pete and a hedgehog for company.
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One of the common critiques of this episode has been that Vegas’s feelings for Pete developed too quickly. I think this moment is where these critiques stem from. But, while there seems to be genuine fear in Vegas’s eyes at the prospect of losing Pete, I think there are two big reasons why:
1) With Pete dead, Vegas loses his outlet. He loses his distraction. And, perhaps most importantly, he loses his rebellion against his father. So long as Pete is alive, Vegas has a place to direct all that internal pain that his father keeps heightening.
2) Vegas doesn’t acknowledge it outright, but I think he knows Pete is a good person. Yes he’s in the mafia. Yes he’s committed crimes for his boss. But at his core, Pete is loyal. He’s self-sacrificing. He’s sincere. He’s as good as someone in this life can be. “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” I’ve seen others point it out, but I want to reiterate it here: Pete is already showing Vegas what it means to be honest about what drives him. That’s what their whole bandaging conversation comes to. It’s a truth that Vegas must face if he ever wants to escape the hole of self-hatred that his father has shoved him into.
As I’ve said, I do think that this storyline could’ve been stretched into two episodes just to really sit in that moment of realization and fear that Vegas has over Pete. But while it did come on somewhat suddenly, I think it makes sense if you consider Vegas’s attachment to Pete in context. I don’t think Vegas fully understands his attachment to Pete much in the same way we aren’t meant to fully understand it. 
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This kiss. Another manipulation? Another part of the game to lure Pete in? I can see it. I think Pete can too. Pete is smart enough not to trust Vegas, no matter how gentle Vegas might be. But we, as an audience, are fortunate because we see Vegas in moments no one else can. We have reason to believe it’s genuine, because Vegas is gentle at times when he really has no reason to be. He freaks out over the prospect of Pete’s death, he bandages him oh so tenderly because he wants to. He needs to.
Does he need to kiss Pete to give him the pill? Absolutely not. And Pete could resist that kiss—and the pill—quite easily. Vegas knows what he's doing. Pete accepts the pill because the tenderness of the kiss catches him off guard. The way I see it, Vegas goes for the kiss as a way of addressing his newfound attachment to Pete. I’d relate it to KP’s first kiss at the end of Ep3, as Kinn/Vegas and Porsche/Pete are, remarkably, in similar situations. (The amount of parallels between VegasPete and KinnPorsche is honestly insane, and those could honestly be a post on their own.)
As I mentioned above, Pete tells Vegas that he isn’t alone. And it’s the thing Vegas needs to hear most from someone. The thing is, I don’t think he even knew he needed it. But it takes a weight off his shoulders, as we see when he says, “It still hurts. But not as bad as before.” 
I want to note that I don’t think Vegas’s sadistic tendencies have miraculously disappeared by the end of Ep11. Pete is a lot of things, but he’s not a miracle worker. I think Vegas has become enlightened, but one therapeutic conversation isn’t going to set him on a path of goodness. Trapped in this little bubble, it’s easy to lose sight of just how cruel and sadistic Vegas really is. It’s almost peculiar how easily I found myself not only sympathizing with Vegas, but blissfully ignoring all the bad things he has done. I mean, he was literally bandaging the wounds that he inflicted on Pete this episode, yet I somehow managed to overlook all of it and see only a confused, miserable mess of a man. And yeah, I felt bad for him. I’ll credit that all to Bible’s acting. He added such a level of humanity to Vegas at the end of this episode. I mean look at this—
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...compared to this—
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The genuine sweetness in that last smile? The end of this episode is the first time we’re seeing him without the mask. 
In conclusion...
Pete has unlocked a part of Vegas that’s been buried by years of abuse. At least in my opinion, he’s set Vegas on a path towards healing and a release of all the anger welling up inside. 
I don’t think this means that Vegas will lose the mafia-persona. They are all still in the mafia, after all. Conceptions of good and evil are much less defined in this landscape. But, I don’t think Vegas will need to use torture as an outlet for the pain his father causes him. I imagine he’ll still have an interesting relationship with pain—what with the apparent BDSM content we’ll be getting—but it won’t be used in the same context as before. Meaning that it will be something both Vegas and Pete enjoy.
That’s all for now. As always, more KP meta can be found ➡️ here, and my thoughts on the use of color in Ep11 ➡️ here!
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berryberrytired · 21 days
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I CAN’T FIND THIS MASTERDOC OF KINNPORSCHE ANYSIS. It was so good it was an organised doc which looked at each episode and all the themes and motifs and the characters but i cAN’T FIND IT. CAN ANYONE HELP ME. PLEASE. Got my friend to start watching it and i want him to have this. pleased
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Acting via Micro-expression - Mile's Kinn
A case study of acting techniques
Also read:
Apo's Porsche
Build's Pete
Bible's Vegas
I think everyone agrees now that Mile and Apo are actors of remarkable talent but I continue to be floored by how well Mile employs micro-expressions to say so much in such little time.
One of my favourite scenes is this one where we can't even see his whole face with the sunglasses but it's his intent is crystal clear. He is not judging Porsche for his shyness but he is also not accomodating it. He is gentle but stubborn, even slightly bemused and infinitely understanding. We are here, we are proud, we are not going to hide - that's what he is telling Porsche and us the viewers solely through the set of his eyebrows and mouth. I won't even go into the details of how important this is in the context of LGBT pride.
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Another favourite is this one. Kinn is hurt because Porsche is hurt and he is the reason for that hurt and he knows it but he can't do anything about it. He in guilty but also pitying himself - selfish of him considering the situation but he's human. Mile is not even moving here but you can see the slightest shift in his gaze. Again a masterclass in acting.
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This is one of his longer scenes and he's very clearly moving his face but Mile is still able to convey 10 different emotions with very little expression - fear, disbelief, confusion, reluctance, even slight frustration.
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Hell Mile is even good with comedy which in my opinion is a very tough acting gig if you don't have a natural inclination for it. He embodies the disgruntled awkwardness of Kinn perfectly here. To add, he is doing the "acting of acting" bit here, meaning Mile is enacting Kinn and Kinn is acting in front of Porsche (his smile) while simultaneously acting in front of his friends that isn't interested in Porsche. this is scene is peak subtle comedy.
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Just- look at this. How seamlessly Mile transitions from horny playfulness to.. not sad exactly... a resolved fear is what it feels like to me. as viewers we never lose the beat of Kinn's emotions, not even for a moment. Considering the setting, this is exceedingly domestic and intimate. It's painful to be in so much love, painful to want to protect someone and but not being able to. He is afraid and fond and in love and even a little guilty and you feel that in less that 3 seconds, without words without any big emoting on Mile's part.
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Any other actor would do this scene with double the flourish and half the impact. Mile's Kinn is suave and badass but he is not without humour. Mile is able to perfectly balance grace/elegance and comedy here.
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Another scene of complex emotions - Kinn is smiling but it's such a sad smile. he knows that things have not been made right with Porsche. Porsche has accepted his apology but not because it was a good apology but because of Porsche's personality. Kinn realises that but also understands that now is not the time to push him. There's sadness, there's also guilt, there's also an immense sense of protectiveness over Porsche. Kinn wants to protect Porsche, ironically from himself - his past self. There's pity and this time not for himself but for Porsche not just because Kinn loves Porsche but because its human to empathize with another's pain.
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Don't think I even need to mention this moment. This is the stuff of legends now in the KP fandom so won't elaborate much. His desparation is palpable - almost a physical thing, extremely viscose. Again, most of his face and eyes are hidden, we can only see half his face and one of his eyebrows.
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Bonus:
This gif here to emphasize that it's not just micro-expressions that Mile is good at. He is good with the emotive bit of acting as well. You can almost feel the relief of quenching your thirst after a long spell of dehydration.
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PS: corrected some grammar
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live-from-flaturn · 1 year
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Chay, Hope, and “The New Hunger”
An unnecessary metatextual analysis by an excited English MA queer.
So it all started with this shot from Episode 7 of KinnPorsche:
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I zoomed in on the novel next to Chay’s desk out of curiosity and discovered that it was The New Hunger by Isaac Marion. Not a super old book by any means, and definitely one that Chay would realistically be reading.
Also a brief cameo that lets this single comedic shot FORESHADOW SO MUCH OF CHAY’S TRAGIC PLOTLINE without likely intending to do that at all.
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Because The New Hunger, published in 2013, is a functional prequel to Marion’s 2010 novel Warm Bodies.
Warm Bodies is by far one of the most beautifully written and engaging re-interpretations of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” probably ever written (and I spent 3 summers at Shakespeare camp, so this approval is not coming from a casual fan perspective). There are zombies, apocalyptic drama, Daddy issues, and a LOT of stuff about not losing hope in the face of annihilation, loss, and loneliness. 
R spends most of the novel talking TO HIMSELF and coping with HOW TO BE ALONE. He is doing exactly what Chay is forced to do for survival: Create his own joy and entertainment. He’s abandoned by the world around him and must fight at every turn to maintain a sense of agency, all while desperately clinging to the idea that hope is everywhere. Here are some of my favorite Warm Bodies quotes for perspective:
“It frustrates and fascinates me that we'll never know for sure, that despite the best efforts of historians and scientists and poets, there are some things we'll just never know. What the first song sounded like. How it felt to see the first photograph. Who kissed the first kiss, and if it was any good.”
“What wonderful thing didn’t start out scary?”
“You should always be taking pictures, if not with a camera then with your mind. Memories you capture on purpose are always more vivid than the ones you pick up by accident.”
“’What's wrong with people?’ she says, almost too quiet for me to hear. ‘Were they born with parts missing or did it [love] fall out somewhere along the way?’“
“The sky is blue. The grass is green. The sun is warm on our skin. We smile, because this is how we save the world. We will not let Earth become a tomb, a mass grave spinning through space. We will exhume ourselves. We will fight the curse and break it.”
“Deep under our feet the Earth holds its molten breath, while the bones of countless generations watch us and wait.”
BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE NEW HUNGER.
“Nothing is permanent. Not even the end of the world.”
“Enough white lies can scorch the earth black.”
“What happened? How did I get here? How could I have known that my choices mattered?”
“Crying. Expelling grief from the body in the form of salt water. What's its purpose? How did it evolve, and why are humans the only creatures on Earth that do it?”
He has not reached the point of exhumation yet. 
Porchay must first be burned down. He must experience the hopelessness, loss, and devastation of betrayal first. 
Like yeah, sure, this is a throwaway shot and someone on the set probably grabbed a handful of random books to use but HOLY FUCK they really could not have made a better (potentially) accidental choice!
Like... Jesus Christ in Heat do I love these books more than life itself. Warm Bodies is my second favorite book of all time and again, I read books for a living. You should go check them out if you like romance, comedy, zombies, or really just feeling good about the end of a novel. Isaac Marion will fundamentally change your life and the way you look at the world and it’s a wonderful experience.
But also the accidental foreshadowing of Porchay’s world being burnt up... of his memories being tainted and blackened by Kim’s lying and Porsche’s secrecy... Ugh it hurts. I am having some feelings in this Chili’s tonight. 
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fishy-xp · 2 years
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The Minor Clan v the Major Clan
I’ve seen a lot of people having differing opinons on whether Vegas parading the main family bodyguard’s around the minor family compound and showing how better the minor family bodyguards are treated was either a) accurate and the minor family do actually treat their bodyguards as more than objects or b) all for show and everyone fears them and are simply play acting for the main family bodyguards. 
Personally, I am on the side that thinks what is shown by Vegas is correct. Vegas acknowledges that the minor family does the dirty work, they are the guns and the labor. They are considered as lesser than the major clan who live in luxury and excess, they are high-class, whilst the minor family are very much lower class. I think Vegas is genuinely kind to the market community outside of the minor family compound. These are mostly older people who work to support their own families through whatever means possible, selling street food and groceries who are likely backed by the minor family in return for a percentage of commission on their sales. The minor family offers them protection from anyone that tries to scam or take advantage of these families and shopkeepers in return for a physical barrier between the rest of the world and the minor family house as well as information as gossip and rumours can float very easily in a busy market place. These families see Vegas and the minor family as young masters who are very generous and protects them, the darker side of the family can be overlooked. 
We are mere working class people, this is not something we need to be involved in. See no evil. 
Secondly, the minor families bodyguards. I find it very likely that these men are the sons of the shop vendors outside. Coming from the same lower-middle class background, the minor family offers them employment, income and care for their elderly parents and younger siblings in return for their loyalty and their lives. I believe this differs from how the major family recruits their bodyguards which is likely through an intense screening process picked from a pool of former security guards, police officers, intelligence agents. My best evidence for this is Ken, a clearly foreign bodyguard who is likely recruited from an overseas agency, maybe former Interpol, or security intelligence. There is a very clinical process for the major clan in recruiting their bodyguards, it is merely a job where the best of the best are chosen. There is nothing relational about it. They simply demand their lives in exchange for money, nothing more. The major family can put a price on these bodyguards. 
Your life is mine because I bought it. 
In direct contrast, the minor family sources their men from the local community. These bodyguards were likely struggling, disenfranchised boys who are offered a way to escape the poverty cycle. They are given a purpose in life, a community with other men just like them, and are allowed to be in a position of power that life has previously withheld. There is some fear thrown into their loyalty, but it also garners their respect. Sometimes people see people who are stronger, more powerful, more forceful, more evil then themselves and that only strengthens their respect towards that person. That is how the minor family bodyguards perceive Vegas, someone to be feared but as long as you do no wrong to them, you have nothing to fear. As long as you don’t cross Vegas or the minor family, there is nothing to be worried about. They will not just begin torturing or shooting off men for fun. Vegas only lets out the crazy to traitors or people he doesn’t care about. He hasn’t once been shown to get angry, rude or violent with his own bodyguards (unlike the major family). Vegas clearly understands peoples’ emotions, so being able to relate to these men would allow him to strengthen their loyalty towards the minor clan in a way the major family would never even attempt to engage in with their own bodyguards. 
We are not so different, you and I. I know exactly what you’ve been through. 
Also in Ep 2 when Macau goes to his dad after Porsche pushes him into the pond, Gun chastises Korn ‘you’re not only teaching them how to use guns, but also manners’. Why say that, if Gun doesn’t value such a thing? The minor family and their manners have even been brought up by Porsche who notes not only do they have manners but they actively use them towards others including the bodyguards. 
They haven’t hurt me. 
Furthermore, I’d like to discuss the familial relationships between the Major and Minor Clan brothers. The major family brothers are clearly all distant from each other. If there is any sort of care towards each other, its subtle at best and non-existent at worst. They do not work together, they hide and scheme by their lonesomes, never letting anyone see their hand. In contrast, Vegas and Macau appear incredibly close knit. They are always seen hanging around together, they share jokes and are physically affectionate with each other. In Ep 7, Macau apologises to Porsche and extends an olive branch at Vegas’ request which evidently influences Porsche’s perception of the minor family as forgiving and having manners (something that in his experience cannot be said for the major family). In Ep 9, Macau forcefully restrains Pete and enthusiastically asks for him to join them at a sermon he appears very interested in only to fall asleep during said sermon which betrays his intentions that he did not give a single shit about it and only did so because Vegas had plans for Pete. Macau does this because he knows it’s what Vegas wants and he will help his brother scheme and entrap because Vegas likely makes it very explicit to him about his plans and doesn’t keep Macau in the dark about things. Vegas actually cares about Macau and vice versa, so it would make sense that Vegas does actually care about his community and his bodyguards. The minor family understands very well that the relationships they make are their strongest assets. They work as a team strengthened by intrinsic relationships rather than the major family who are burdened incessantly by duty. 
There is loyalty that is forcefully taken and demanded. Then there is loyalty that is willingly given. 
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ravenpureforever · 2 years
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So I know we all joke about Porchay living his best Wattpad life, myself included, but I think we all kind of ignore how Kim just never dissuaded him from that notion and how we find that genre dissonance between Porsche & Kim’s view (and often our audience view) of Chay and how he actually acts, and we’re all sleeping on the mini character arc he’s gotten over the course of the series.
Porsche and Kim don’t want Chay to get caught up in the mafia world, and they both seem to view him in the same lense: he’s innoncent, sweet, incorruptible.
But Chay has fucking balls man, and he’s a lot more resilient than people give him credit for. He also ignores red flags like he’s color blind. We don’t get to see much of him, but the glimpses we do get show there is so much more beneath the surface.
First:
Man grew up with Porsche & a dead beat Uncle, you telling me he didn’t see some shit growing up? No matter how well Porsche protected him, Chay is the one dressing his wounds when he comes back from fighting, Chay still hears the loan sharks coming for his Uncle, he’s growing up watching his older brother as really the only source of income for his household. And he can’t do anything about it. Watching episode 1, when Chay asks Porsche to let him get a job and help out, it feels like they’ve had this conversation before, it feels resigned, it feels like a final quiet plea of “we’ve talked about this before, but please, please, please just consider it.” But Porsche says no, I’m going to take care of it and I can’t help but think of the impact that has, of watching the person he loves most get beat down again and again and not being able to do anything about it. I feel like Chay probably grew up being the peacekeeper, the one trying to keep the waters calm. Its clear he knows he’s his brother’s world, that his brother has done so much to keep him sheltered and happy, and I can think of Porsche teaching Chay manners, teaching him ideals of being kind to others and Chay just internalizing it and deciding “ah yes, so this is my role in the family, this is how I can help my brother.” Chay probably felt a lot of pressure, no matter how unintentionally and how unconditionally Porsche loves him, to be a reason why his brother is doing all of this, he’s probably hyper aware of how he’s Porsche’s motivation, that everything his brother does is for him. That does things to your self-worth, to how you view yourself. I get the feeling hasn’t had any agency over his own life before, he’s always been the princess locked in the tower, aware of the war but not allowed to participate. His happily ever has been chosen and now he just has to see it through.
Then literally overnight, he wakes up and his Uncle has vanished, and his brother has left with just a fairly suspicious note about pursuing his dream that’ll completely be able to fully support Chay. His entire way of living has transformed, and now he’s completely alone. He went from princess locked in a tower as a war rages on to a Queen of a decimated kingdom. He can not grieve, he can only have faith and move forward.
This is also how I realized Chay has practically been designed to ignore all red flags and interpret them as something else.
Enter Kim, stage right. Enter Chay’s wattpad fantasy come to life, also stage right.
When Chay meets Kim, he is someone who has literally nothing to lose throwing himself out there. My boy literally just recites an encyclopedia knowledge of “Wik, sir, you are my hyper fixation” all in the hopes of getting that T-shirt. And it works! His idol signs his T-shirt, he gets to talk to his idol, he has been rewarded for putting himself out there!
So go big or go home right? He might as well try asking for a tutor when asked if there’s anything he wants. And he’s shot down. No big deal, he moves on and has merch thats going to be the envy of the Wik fandom.
But then his idol calls him, and says he’ll tutor him. Wik remembered him, remembered his request, and then proceeded to hunt down a way to get Chay’s phone number and call him personally in order to tell him he’s decided to he’s going to help him get into the his dream department that he himself is apart of.
Its easy to view Chay from Kim’s perspective, as an excitable fanboy with a crush, but we forget how Kim looks from Chay’s perspective. So lets look on how everything seems from Chay’s perspective.
Chay put himself out there, made a decision solely for himself and what he wants and now his idol wants to tutor him. He’s been actively rewarded twice now, by the same person, for asserting what he wants and trying to get it. He’s gotten his cake and is eating it too. He has a celebrity crush like most people get, only his celebrity crush is now making the effort to genuinely get to know him. 
Wik tells Chay his name is Kim, he’s being open and vulnerable to Chay, and he’s trusting him with his identity. Kim asks about his brother, even though Chay didn’t tell him, red flag to any normal person citing he saw Chay’s screensaver and made an assumption. Kim is taking an interest in his life, he notices little details about him, and is asking to here more about the coolest person in the world, his brother and even noticed how much Chay loves Porsche that he wants Chay to write a song about it! He even trusts Chay enough to ask for his phone when Kim’s phone has died, even though that’ll mean there’s important numbers in Chay’s call history, and he trusts that Chay won’t take advantage of them!
And maybe Chay starts to fall a bit in love with Kim. Not Wik, but Kim, who’s a little bit insecure, a little bit awkward, but is making all this effort for Chay.
For Chay, it isn’t anything manipulative or suspicious, he’s becoming friends Kim, they’re sharing information about themselves, they’re bonding now, and he’s been shown that if he pushes, Kim will stay. Chay is all alone now, he has to take care of himself, but if he makes an effort and keeps putting himself out there, if he makes his wants known, Kim comes to him. Kim trusts him, and as long as Chay takes the initiative, he also makes the effort to bond with Chay.
Then Porsche comes back! Chay isn’t alone anymore, and they’re happy and safe and Porsche isn’t getting beat up! And then Porsche once again immediately leaves without a word and few days later you get the first call you’ve gotten from him since he left the first time and now he’s back at work and doesn’t know when he’ll be back again. He’s all alone, and his brother has seem to get a new life that once again Chay’s not allowed to be apart of.
But then Kim shows up at his house! And Chay immediately throws his brother under the bus in a desperate bid to keep Kim’s good opinion of him, once again, gotta admire the sheer balls and audacity of that move. Then Kim gifts him one of his guitars! Porsche do you understand how easily your brother could be taken advantage of do you? Sure he almost gets the heart attack of Kim discovering his shrine, but what teenager doesn’t have posters on the wall of his favorite singer? Maybe it’s weird that he wants Chay to go get the food for them both, but he could have an important phone call to make, he could be nervous going out in public where people could recognize him! Then when he gets back Kim asks him about his love life! Kim ruffles his hair! Kim tells him to write a love song!
Kim is checking off all the boxes of my crush likes me back.
So when Kim ghosts him a little, Chay makes the obvious conclusion. Show up at his house and sing him the love song he wrote! He’s been shown time, and time again that if he reaches out to Kim, Kim will eventually grab his hand. Kim has shown to be awkward and a little of unsure of himself around Chay, but relaxes when Chay takes the initiative. So Chay does what’s always worked. With literally no fear or anxiety whatsoever.
And with episode 13, we see how close they were getting. We see how they went out to places together, romantically or platonically, and they took pictures together! They were friends, they were close, they had a level of trust and bonding and vulnerability for Chay to take photos with Kim and leave them around his house for Kim to find!
So Chay once again has nothing left to lose, and shoots his final shot and confesses to Kim. And Kim kisses him! They hug! Kim may or may not have come home with him that night but at some point in they’re relationship post confession, they fall asleep cuddling on the couch.
And Chay and Porsche are very similar. They fall in love quickly, they become very devoted and loyal to that love, and they are honest about it. Chay and Porsche are both the first ones to say I love you, but while Porsche doesn’t ask for a reply, Chay does. Because Kim has shown time and time again that Chay needs to take the initiative. So he asks Kim: I love you, do you love me?
But he stops at that and lets Kim take his time. Because that’s the song and dance their courtship has been taking, Chay flirts, Chay pushes forward and then Kim comes to meet him the rest of the way.
Chay is living in a Wattpad fantasy: he meets his idol crush, his idol crush becomes fascinated with him, he sees the real human behind his idol crush’s persona and falls in love with the awkward, sweet person underneath, he confesses his love and the feeling is mutual! And all of this seems to be fate, like this perfect love story and the happy ending he actually wants. He’s practically gotten into his dream department with the boy of his dreams who loves him back.
He’s confirming it is all real, and letting Kim know that it’s all real on his end.
And then he gets fucking kidnapped. And then he gets indisputable proof that his brother has been lying to him this entire time, and he was kidnapped because of that secret life his brother was lying about it.
The ultimatum may seem harsh, but it makes sense when you see it from Chay’s perspective. He probably feels essentially abandoned by his brother for the past two months, and he’s understandably pissed about everything thats happened in the last 48 hours or so. His brother can be part of his life and they can go back to the way things were, but Chay can’t be a part of his life if his brother is in the mafia, and its true. Porsche has spent all this time telling Chay he wants him to get into a good school and get a good job and be surrounded by good people with a good social life. You can’t have that in the mafia, and Chay knows that. So from Chay’s perspective, his brother has basically just been a complete hypocrite to everything his brother taught him.
And while Porsche has been shown the type of person to be willing to throw away his morals and beliefs when it comes to the people he loves, Chay isn’t. His entire life has been surrounded on those ideals of being a good, kind person who lives a good life. And he’s understandably terrified of the thought of losing his brother and truly being on his own. He’s basically lost his only emotional support system for two months, and if his brother dies, he loses him for good.
So Chay says him or me, because in his mind either way he could lose his brother, but this is Chay making his own decision, this is Chay fighting back and reminding Porsche that see you hurt makes me hurt too. This ultimatum reminds Porsche that his actions have conquenses on Chay too, and it shows how Chay has grown up in his absence. Chay in episode one was willing to just bow his head and listen to what his brother, but Chay in episode 10 is willing to speak out, he’s no longer willing to be simply passive in his brother’s plans for him.
In the end, he and Porsche communicate, and we get a taste of how Chay is, like Porsche, willing to throw away his ideals because he loves someone. But now he’s been dragged into a completely unfamiliar world, he’s truly been into a different kingdom where he doesn’t have any of the power or agency he’s gotten used to having in Porsche’s absence.
And then its revealed the love of his life is part of the mafia, and he’s just gotta sit there and pretend like nothings wrong.
Side note: while it’s absolutely hilarious that absolutely nobody learned about the KimChay romance, it also makes a lot of sense. Rule number one of Wattpad romance: You NEVER tell your overprotective brother your in love or dating or got dumped. You NEVER let your big brother know about your love life. Rule number two of Wattpad romance: When dating a celebrity, you NEVER leave a hint that any fans could pick up on. You ALWAYS need to keep the relationship a secret for as long as humanly possible. Chay thinks he knows what genre he’s in, and he’s being smart about it.
So Chay goes to confront him. Like doesn’t even hesitate, just shows up like bitch you better explain yourself. Because that’s what he does, only this time he does it out of anger, not out of love.
And Kim tells him that his entire reality was a lie. When Chay breaks down crying, it’s not just because Kim dumped him, though that had to hurt, its because that means their entire friendship, all the kindness and effort Kim showed him, all the time they spent together, all the moments Chay thought were sweet, thought they were bonding and falling mutually in love was a complete and utter lie. He’s just been made a fool, and his entire life has been completely transformed and he has no control over any of it.
So he spirals and self destructs. Him ditching the interview may seem dumb and like he’s throwing everything Porsche worked for away, but think about it. Everything about this interview is going to reminder of Kim and how he betrayed Chay’s love and trust. This interview is a reminder of how his brother threw away his own life for Chay to have a future their parents would be proud of, despite his protests. This interview is an embodiment of Chay’s own lack of control in his own life, it has become a symbol of his pain.
Everything in Chay’s life has fallen apart and now he has to pick up the pieces and find his place in the new world he’s in.
So he tries to take back that lost control and ditches the interview. He does the stereotypical new haircut new me era. He goes out drinking with friends. Chay can’t talk to Porsche about any of this, he can’t be honest with friends about any of this. He doesn’t have any real support system in his life right now, and he’s falling apart. For the past two months he’s been in charge of his life for the first time, only for it to be yanked away and everything he knows to disappear. He wants to get that control back, but he has no clue how, and he has no one to help him. So he makes some dumbass decisions, but its not just because of Kim, it’s because desperately grappling for a sense of agency in a world that keeps stripping him of it.
And then Kim comes back into his life, and in Chay’s perspective, tries to take away his agency again and toy with his emotions. “You said you don’t care about me, but here you are caring about me,” and it makes him angry. So in episode 13, he tries to cut Kim off, he ignores his calls and blocks his number to assert his control of their relationship.
And then his agency and control is once again taken when Porsche wakes him up and (presumably) drops him off at Yok’s and (probably) doesn’t tell about anything that happens.
His Wattpad dream life romance has fallen apart, he’s had to leave his old life completely behind, and now he’s left in the ashes trying to figure put who he is and where he stands in this situation, trying to be his own person without anyone there to help him.
Conclusion: I think Chay is someone who strives to be kind and polite, and like Porsche wants to see the best in people, but he’s also incredibly brave and put into the position where he’s really making his own decisions for the first time in his life. He’s frustrated, he’s unsure, he’s making mistakes and fumbling around, but he’s a young adult finally trying to take control of his life after everything has been ripped out underneath him, and I think that side of him could be explored to.
I think Chay is the type of person who’s sweet and respectful, but when push comes to shove, he’s shown to be a no nonsense kind of person who isn’t afraid to backdown. He’ll listen, he’ll comprise, but Chay has a lot more of a spine and a no fear attitude than people give him credit for, but right now he’s desperately trying to assert his agency in a narrative that keeps taking it from him, and its causing him to self destruct.
I’m genuinely excited to see where his arc from passive princess in tower to living a self-insert life to currently self destructive extensional crisis ends up. We’ve only gotten a few scenes with him, but they’ve shown so much of a character arc that I feel people are sleeping on.
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yellingaboutkp · 2 years
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Porsche’s Hierarchy of Needs
Thinking about how Apo keeps mentioning Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs with regards to Porsche's story... it really is an excellent way to describe Porsche’s character arc.
The basic theory of the hierarchy is that all of the tiers are always present in some form, but the lowest unsatisfied tier tends to be what really dominates a person’s life.
Just for funsies let’s examine Porsche’s progression through the tiers of the hierarchy so far (ep1-ep6 + side story)...
At the lowest tier we have the physiological needs. These are things like air, food, water, sleep, sex, etc. Biological urges and basic survival. Porsche has all of these things when the story starts, but it isn’t long until the cracks start to show and we begin to realize that he doesn’t have a whole lot beyond that.
Even as he climbs up the tiers over the episodes, some of his main hobbies(?) seem to be fighting, having random hookups, peeing in weird places, and eating things he shouldn't. Very tier 1 of him, and it shows just how long he's been living stuck in these lower tiers, surviving but not thriving.
The next tier is safety and security. This includes things like shelter, health, financial security, etc. Porsche's story begins in deep financial insecurity, which routinely leads to a lack of physical safety for him and his family. When this problem escalates, Kinn is there to conveniently offer the only viable solution.
Chay suggests that they run away together, but Porsche can’t do that because it would be sacrificing multiple tier 2 needs (their home, Chay’s stable future) for another (freedom from debt collectors). He really has no choice but to go with Kinn, and this fulfills his years long battle with tier 2, allowing him to finally progress higher.
The third tier houses the social needs. Emotional intimacy is here, with things like friends, family, community, and having sex as more than just a biological urge. Now that his tier 1 and tier 2 needs have been fulfilled, Porsche begins to feel his tier 3 needs much more intensely than before. In ep3 he hangs out with people just to have fun, he works at becoming a better bodyguard so he doesn't feel left out, and he becomes more and more physically and emotionally intimate with Kinn.
This all culminates in Porsche and Kinn having extremely intimate and vulnerable sex with each other at the end of ep4. Just listen to that rendition of the theme song-- beautiful, full of awakening and reverence. This was totally unlike the tier 1 hallway hookups he’d been having before. This meant something to Porsche.
Sure, the circumstances weren't ethically ideal, but they were emotionally perfect. Porsche had just had his tier 2 stripped away from him by getting drugged and nearly assaulted, and suddenly it was back, and who brought it back? Kinn, the guy who fulfilled tier 2 the first time. Kinn, the guy who’s been most on Porsche’s mind with regards to tier 3 fulfillment.
And unfortunately... Kinn, the guy who decided the very next morning to rip away the fresh tier 3 fulfillment he'd just given Porsche. This left Porsche spending most of ep5 longing for it and trying to get some semblance of it back. He even tried to dip back into his tier 1 lifestyle and inject a little tier 3 into it, but it just wouldn’t work. He never got tier 3 fulfillment from his tier 1 hookups before, he isn’t going to get it now just because there’s kissing.
Ep6 sees things made right as Porsche gets the sweet and caring intimacy he’s been craving from Kinn in the form of hand holding, hugging, cuddling, sharing food, etc. He also gets several emotionally intimate conversations, and Kinn continues trying to find the right words to make things right between them, even long after Porsche thinks Kinn would’ve dropped the issue. Kinn never does quite hit the bullseye with the apologies, but the repeated effort seems to be enough for Porsche to feel like Kinn truly cares.
The fourth tier is esteem. Things like confidence, achievement, recognition, and respect are here. This peeks out a bit earlier on, such as in ep3 when he's proud and seeks praise from Kinn for doing a good job with Khun, but we see it really come out in ep6 in tandem with the tier 3 needs being re-fulfilled.
Porsche and Kinn have their own little episode-specific hierarchy of needs in ep6 as they try to survive in the woods, and Porsche is able to fulfill the lower tiers for the both of them, demonstrating competence and accomplishment. But even when he isn't quite so competent, such as when he offers to cut his whole damn hand off for Kinn, he still gets some tier 4 fulfillment when Kinn later makes it clear that he really appreciated it.
Porsche then gets even more big strokes of tier 4 fulfillment when he is finally able to get the confidence to act on his desires for Kinn while sober, running back to kiss and hug him goodbye. Then when Kinn is in danger, Porsche is able to demonstrate a high level of competence and potential as a bodyguard.
In the side story he also has the confidence to hold Kinn’s hand and snuggle in for some high quality tier 3 cuddle action. He’s getting better and better at having the confidence to ask for or take what he needs instead of just sitting there and hoping Kinn magically figures it out. Love that for them.
The fifth and final tier is self-actualization. This is where one is self-aware and growth-oriented. All of the previous tiers were deficiency-oriented and had clearly defined areas of lack that needed filled, but this tier is theoretically infinite and can go on for the rest of a person’s life. It seems like this is where Porsche will spend most of the rest of the story, save for any possible temporary dips.
It might feel really early to be at this stage already, since we’re not even halfway through the story yet, but I think it does make sense. Porsche is not a very self-aware character, which is a big part of why many people have so much trouble understanding him-- he doesn’t even understand himself most of the time. In the side story he admits to Kinn straight up that he doesn’t know why he came back to him. He’s at a stage where he can act on his desires, but he still isn’t self-aware about them.
I believe the bulk of his character arc will center around him gaining that self-awareness, which means we really had to blast through the lower tiers of the hierarchy as fast as possible to make room for tier 5 to breathe and grow organically. It would be very weird if he only had 2-3 episodes at the end to explore the main purpose of his character arc. Now he has around half the series left to do that (though he might spend ep7 rounding out tier 4).
It’ll be interesting seeing the differences between Kinn and Porsche in the coming episodes. Kinn knows what he wants, he’s just not always the best at admitting it and letting himself have it. Porsche has no idea what he wants, but he’s not that bad at letting himself have it when he actually does figure it out. They’re almost like opposites in that way.
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liyazaki · 2 years
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the twist of a knife
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"I am the knife. I am all blade.” -Clementine von Radics
falling down symbolism rabbit holes isn't really my bag. unless it's laid out for the audience in crystal-clear terms that "yes, X was indeed meant to mean Y" (by the writers or the script itself), I don't dedicate much mental energy to those elements in my fiction.
but something about that knife- the visceral image of Pete gripping it by the blade for dear agonizing life was haunting me. I kept circling back to the opening conversation on the bed, and the moment where Vegas' rage went up in smoke- and again, that knife. then it hit me.
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like knives forged just so, no one can hurt Pete or Vegas quite like they can. and not just because of their mutual vulnerability, their love, for each other- like @ellaspore said to me, how deep they get under each other's skin.
it's their fundamental struggles, their shame, who they are at their core: if people can be 'made' for each other, Vegas and Pete were also made just so to perfectly hurt the other.
the first blow came from Vegas. lying together in the afterglow, of all the things Vegas could say, he said: "you're just a fool." just four words- pretty benign-sounding, all horrible things Vegas has said before considered.
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Pete didn't have some explosive reaction, either. and that makes sense- a quiet knife slipped between the ribs is too exact, too surgical for all that. instead, Pete turned his face slowly away from Vegas, suddenly lost in his thoughts- while Vegas, still grinning in lighthearted ignorance, followed his movement with his hand, stroking Pete's face. Pete's far away now, though, his gaze focused on the ceiling.
we start to see the damage when we cut back to Pete later. Pete- who just last episode was chastising Vegas for "being stupid" for hurting himself- now slaps himself in the face. "I don't like it. so why didn't I say no?"
the killing cut was delivered when Pete's worst fear- that all of this loss and fear and pain was for nothing- was confirmed by Vegas' attack. there was no righteous rage left in Pete, hollowed out by the realization that he "has nothing left."
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in his compassion, in his curiosity about this wounded, broken man- he's afraid he's lost everything. who he is, what he stands for, his self-respect, his pride- he's been stripped bare. not just by everything Vegas has done to him, but by the depth of his feelings for him in spite of it all.
that one little phrase, those four little words from Vegas cut to the heart of Pete's fears: he's not only lost it all, some of those things against his will- but the rest was by his own submission. his own volition. the definition of a fool.
on the other beautifully-tragic side of the coin, Pete cut Vegas at his emotional knees in a way no one else could. even after abusing Pete, beating him, treating him so inhumanely- darkness can only run from the light for so long. Vegas found a sliver of genuine happiness just by having Pete in his sphere.
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after a lifetime of wretchedness, of thinking this misery is all life has to offer, that there's no way out- Vegas' world started to crack open for the first time in that room.
seeing Pete completely lose his joy, his humanity, his will to keep going- and knowing that he was the one that caused it- was the only thing that could snap Vegas out of his rage. and it was the reality hitting of losing him that nearly broke Vegas. he is the monster- just like he always feared.
it's also not just the idea of ruining this man he's come to love- it's the ruination of hope. of a different way of living, existing, being. no one else could deal as deep of a blow- even though Vegas himself is really the one that dealt it.
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and yet- and yet. just like the agonizing way Pete let that blade cut deep into his palm, invited it, even- they can't help but hold on to the sweet agony of their connection. even after freeing himself from his imprisonment, Pete is breaking apart. Vegas is leveled, shattered by his grief. they weep, they mourn- the cuts bleed.
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sometimes, love is as much about grief as it is joy- to know that in a world that hurts so deeply, so frequently? the most vulnerable, aching parts of you are at another person's complete mercy.
that they hold your heart in their hands, and you can't just take it back. there's rage there, sometimes- shades of desperation, too.
horrible, beautiful, cruel, agonizing love- like the twist of a knife.
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kinnspocketporsche · 2 years
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Korn's Betta Fish
This fucking guy!!
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Betta fish are extremely territorial. You can't put 2 males in the same tank without them fighting, literally, to the death - in fact, you shouldn't even put their tanks next to each other without something to block their view of one another because it stresses them out. It isn't healthy for them.
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I can't tell for sure because the view isn't great but I think these guys are both males? Maybe someone who knows more about fish can tell me. Assuming they're both males, this is feeling a lot like Kinn and Vegas.
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They can't beat each other, not really, and they're not even able to fight each other directly, but they look across the glass barrier and get stressed.
TL;DR: Korn, please be kinder to your son and nephew fish
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nightnikenothet · 2 years
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Pete won't escape. instead, it will be Vegas who will let him go. (EP 13)
from what I have seen today's episode, i think that Vegas will let Pete go because he fell in love with him and thinks that Pete will be happier if he goes back to the main family.
in today's episode, we see that Vegas forgot the key on the bed and this made Pete unlock his handcuffs. but the question is, did Vegas really forgot the key or did he put it there on purpose so that Pete can escape? remember how he said, "why didn't you run away?" when he saw Pete approached him? yeah.
after their sex scene, Vegas looked at Pete like this:
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(credit to @hanjiwoos for this beautiful gif!)
look at Vegas. this is where he probably realized that he is gone for Pete. as the other VegasPete stans would say, this is Vegas' oh moment. Vegas checks out Pete, taking in the beauty of the guy who didn't escape when he had the chance to, the guy who chose to stay by his side when he felt shitty and beating himself up for his shit life, and the guy who widely smiled because of him — no manipulations, no hidden meanings, just pure sincerity.
this can be the stirring pot for Vegas to actually let Pete go because he wants Pete to be happy, to not lose that smile because he was kept a prisoner for so long by Vegas which can lead to Vegas feeling insecure and inferior again that Pete won't be happy if he stays with him, and that Pete will be happy if he goes back to the main family.
i believe Vegas will be the embodiment of "if you love that person, you will let them go." in the next episode.
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