#rinkitay analysis

[koiwynn]

i’m your man by mitski makes me think of rin reflecting on her relationship with kitay.

You're an angel, I'm a dog

Or you're a dog and I'm your man

in the books rin frequently speaks of how good-natured kitay is. this fits the “you’re an angel” line. rin being… well, rin, views his kindness and mercy as being weak-minded. also rin in contrast to kitay, is very cruel. she’s also commonly viewed, treated, and referred to as a dog by people around her. all this adds context to the “i’m a dog” line.

typically, dogs are known as “man’s best friend”, so the line “you’re a dog and i’m your man” can symbolise their remarkably close and affectionate bond.

You believe me like a God

I destroy you like I am

the former line can allude to kitay’s unwavering loyalty to rin. also his undying faith in her goodness even though it gradually wanes as the story progresses. because despite everything he never ceases to hope/want her to ultimately choose the morally upright choice in any given situation.

“i destroy you like i am” illustrates how rin, with her destructive powers, beliefs and mindset, pulls kitay into a morally ambiguous role as her “right-hand man” (no pun intended).

by standing by rin, kitay becomes implicated in all her morally apprehensible deeds.

I'm sorry I'm the one you love

No one will ever love me like you again

So, when you leave me, I should die

I deserve it, don't I?

do i even have to elaborate on these lyrics? this part of the verse is basically rin “coming to terms” with the fact that nobody has loved her, or will love her, as purely as kitay. kitay was the first person to see her as human; perhaps arguably the only one. he was also the only person to always choose her above everything else. kitay was by her side when she had nobody else to turn to. rin is aware of her destructive nature, how she destroys everything and everybody in her path; even those she holds dearest. she anticipates she will destroy whatever delicate, precious thing she shares with kitay. it’s what the Phoenix does, and therefore what she does.

“no one will ever love me like you again” rin knows nobody will ever love her as unconditionally as kitay. she knows nobody else will dare challenge her like him. heavy emphasis on that because ppl tend to forget how often kitay goes/argues against her.

the final two lines makes me think of the final chapter of TBG. when it dawns on her that she’s hurting/attacking the person she loves the most, her tether to reality. the person she loves too much to even playfully spar with because neither of them can bear the thought of hurting each other by their own fists.

this scene in particular comes to mind from these lyrics:

rin realises that she can’t go through with this because she can’t bear the thought of living in a world without kitay’s love. she can’t go through with it. they’re too dependent on each other. in a moment of clarity she realises that she’s too far gone and has to die. and kitay is fine with letting her kill them both. he’d rather die with her than continue living in a world with her hatred and anger. he’d rather die hating her than continue living without her. and rin would rather die than live in a world knowing she has betrayed kitay and lost his love.

You believe me like a God

I betray you like a man

rinkitay’s convo in The Burning God 592p-596p chapter 33. i’m not gonna go in detail. just that scene dude :,)

“You’ve abandoned me. You thought you could fool me, but i know your soul. And if you’re not with me, you’ll burn, too”

btw stream the land is inhospitable and so are we by mitski ☆