#maxvinh

[sheigarche]

One thing I like about Max / Vinh's dynamic is that they both have a past and carry a weight on their shoulders, and all the grief...

So Max ends up feeling down on one side, Vinh in a bad mood on the other. And suddenly they just decide to "be depressed" together...

And then, this happens:

They are so good at bringing out the best in each other and lightening the vibes.

It warms my heart every time I watch their scenes 🥺

[a-hidden-piece-of-happiness]

"I'm so fucking glad to see you."

[lilradridinghood]

I feel like Double Exposure is hard to write fanfic for because Max doesn't really spend that much time with any one character. I'm trying to write more MaxVinh but it was waaaay easier to write Luchen and include Steph in my True Colors fics too because Alex confides in Steph and Ryan throughout the game.

[sheigarche]

In this scene, without the background music, we can hear Vinh sigh in relief as he holds Max in his arms while she chuckles softly 🥹

[a-hidden-piece-of-happiness]

What about me, Miss Caulfield?

[a-hidden-piece-of-happiness]

"Good luck, have fun."

[sheigarche]

Chapter 3 of LIS DE being like:

Prompt

[sheigarche]

At risk of being attacked over this new very hate/very rare pair.

I have to say that these two scenes in Chapter 5 suggest that both Max and Vinh (if the player chooses to romance him) want to continue seeing each other after the end of the game.

And while Amanda asked for some time because Max's powers might be too much for her (understandable after everything).

Vinh doesn't seem to care at all. They even hugged when they met and he's still pretty much into her as if nothing had happened.

It reminds me of Chloe's letter that says she hopes Max finds someone she doesn't have to "rewind for" - aka use powers to make the relationship work - and that ending kind of hints that it's Vinh 😳

[sheigarche]

That one langfield scene that got cut 🥰

Inspired by this post from @mal3nko

[sheigarche]

Max: It's so pretty out here.

Vinh: Yes, it is.

[sheigarche]

Max's favorite bad boy 😏

[a-hidden-piece-of-happiness]

"Cute banter, barely restrained sexual tension, etcetera..."

[sheigarche]

"Vinh can't be with Max (or Reggie) because he is still in love with Safi" is a misinterpretation of what the game actually stating.

This whole scene is about Vinh coming to the conclusion that what he has with Safi is over and there are no feelings there.

And as we can see here, it says he "was" in love, in the past tense, so he isn't anymore...

Which for me already defeats the argument, BUT THEN he doubles down with the dialogue saying "or I thought I was". Meaning that maybe it wasn't even really love in the first place.

The theme of DE is about moving on from the past and trauma and all the characters have a bit of that in their arc.

For Vinh, it's finally realizing that his thing with Safi was one-sided and having to let it go. And Max's line "maybe you should focus on what's in front of you" with him agreeing means exactly that.

By the end, whatever that feeling was, he is ready to move on from it.

[sheigarche]

I never realized how tall Vinh is until this scene, the way he's leaning towards Max and he's still taller than her 😂

This man is a tower.

[a-hidden-piece-of-happiness]

"Friends at least, maybe with a few benefits."

[a-hidden-piece-of-happiness]

Vinh is unable to say "no" to Max's puppy eyes.