seri @moonhummer - Tumblr Blog

i had the pleasure of participating in Disco Elysium Wiki Project's pride art event and took the opportunity to draw the paledriver that lost her gender to the lovecraftian horror fog. happy pride, discoheads!

muuska277

my two pieces for the disco elysium wiki's pride banner!! so here's klaasje and biker kim :D

mikarons

i am emotionally devastated by this game here are some icons

fishd0g

Im unsure if these fandoms collide, but I had fun :D

Although I cant tell if kinger is cute or horrifying

0kame-san

The amazing dream circus🎪👁️👁️

I can't wait to see the new episode, but I'm also scared…….

kirpichq

The lieutenant sighs.

"Maybe it really *isn't* your fault. You might just be an irretrievable human catastrophe... Which I guess makes *me* the idiot for hoping you could be better... I mean, *look* at yourself."

yupyup666

Silkscreenprint of those two.

raccuundraws

That’s not how you dance Disco

longinjesslond

Is Kim a lonely person?

So many fics portray Kim as extremely lonely (one of mine included, lol). But have you ever wondered why? What is it that makes so many people see him that way?

Sure, his composed facade might give that impression — he keeps everything to himself and doesn't open up easily, which can make it seem like he's always like that.

But keep in mind that he’s on the job in a district where a lot of people are openly hostile to the RCM, and he has to work with an unfamiliar officer from a rival precinct. He might be much more casual around his friends.

Don’t get me wrong — I don’t think he’s the life of every party, or even someone who goes to parties much at all. But I can easily imagine him having one or two very close friends, even if he doesn't get to see them often because of work.

I actually have proof of this: he enjoys board games. That usually requires having people to play with.

Also, as a writer, I do see reasons to write Kim as lonely:

Angsty whumpy vibes

His feelings for Harry become way more intense

Writing a good OC friend takes effort, and most people don’t read fic for OCs anyway, so it’s kinda a lost cause

fromthemouthofkings

Interesting point. You don't have to, but I do think there is textual evidence to read Kim as very lonely, not just reserved around Harry and the 41st:

He arrives in Martinaise alone. Harry arrived with a whole team (who he then sent away). Kim...well, he seems to be on professional/friendly terms with Alice. But if there's anyone else at the 57th who he's close to, we don't see it, and Alice doesn't seem to be a personal friend, just a friendly acquaintance.

He deals with open hostility, slurs, and repeated microaggressions from the people of Martinaise (the racist lory driver, Gary, Cuno, Cunosse, Lena, Measurehead) for both his race and his sexuality. Based on how the 41st treats Harry when he calls on the radio, and even Jean ("Where's your homo, homey?") it seems very likely that the same culture exists outside of Martinaise and especially in the toxicly macho RCM, including Precinct 57, and there's evidence that he stands apart from his precinct (the Pissing Contest).

He spends most of his time at work and resists being sidetracked by fun diversions. He says he regularly works ten-hour days. He goes to bed on time and his evening ritual is smoking one cigarette alone while reviewing his case notes. When he's not at work, he must spend a lot of his time either thinking about work, or alone at home. He does enjoy board games, but there's nothing to indicate whether or not he has a regular play group. The only hobby we have evidence that he's actively involved in is working on the Kineema (a solitary activity).

He is intensely embarrassed by Harry perceiving his music taste, he is uncomfortable talking about his glasses, he repeatedly shuts down Harry's attempts to get to know him. It's strongly implied that he has been bullied, mocked, and humiliated for these things in the past and that, as a result, he keeps them to himself.

He prefers not to talk about "personal affairs". Harry links this to his rank as lieutenant, this role meaning he is responsible for many officers under him. Even when he's very kind and sympathetic to Harry, even by the end of the game when he *really* trusts him, he holds back from his own vulnerability. He doesn't ask for help with his concussion. It bothers him that Ruby's radio debilitates him more than it does Harry. He's comfortable working with Harry, caring for him, following his lead...but not relying on him very much.

He immediately accepts Harry's invitation to transfer to the 41st. Yes, it seems he has some amount of awe and hero worship of the "legendary" 41st, and he has come to respect Harry a lot over the course of one week, but...that's not the move of a man who has a lot tying him down.

To me, this paints a picture of a man who is polite, professional, probably well-respected and even liked by some (like Alice) of the people who know him, but who tends to keep people at a distance, and who probably isn't very close with many, if anybody at all. It doesn't take much reaching to read into his intense and immediate devotion to Harry and infer that before this, he must have been extremely lonely. But I'd be interested to hear your thoughts! Would you interpret any of these details differently? Or is there other evidence you could pull out to support a different conclusion?

longinjesslond

Thanks for such a thoughtful and detailed response! You make a lot of really good points.

I’d just add that the fact that he’s gay, combined with the reality that people in Revachol are still fairly homophobic, could also play a role here: his social circle may exist primarily within the queer community, and he might be intentionally keeping his distance at work and shutting down Harry’s attempts to get closer in order to maintain a clear boundary between those two parts of his life.

fromthemouthofkings

That's fair. I could totally see a reading where the hiddeness of the Homosexual Underground accounts for some of this separation, and his attraction towards Harry fills in some of the gaps in re. Kim's complete and sudden devotion to him. I would gently push back by saying that spending most of your time around people who don't understand or respect you is still a very lonely thing, even if you do have a release valve.

It's thematically interesting to me to imagine that Kim has chosen to hold himself apart from Revacholian queer culture, and I think it fits well with how strongly he identifies with the RCM (it's the one thing he believes in) and how he doesn't seem to be very involved in Seolite immigrant culture (he identifies as Revacholian and wants to assimilate, not stand out). But I (<guy who wrote basically this exact premise for Jeeves & Wooster) would also be very interested to read more fic where Kim is involved with the Homosexual Underground and keeps his work and private life separate, and how that might change when he meets Harry.

rizahawkeyepierce

I think the other thing is, his status as a cop may mean he's not particularly welcome in the queer community, and given the level of casual racism he experiences throughout the game, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some of that in the queer community in Revachol as well. So even in communities targeted at one of his identities, he has to section off his other identities as much as possible in order to be accepted.

longinjesslond

Is Kim a lonely person?

So many fics portray Kim as extremely lonely (one of mine included, lol). But have you ever wondered why? What is it that makes so many people see him that way?

Sure, his composed facade might give that impression — he keeps everything to himself and doesn't open up easily, which can make it seem like he's always like that.

I actually have proof of this: he enjoys board games. That usually requires having people to play with.

Also, as a writer, I do see reasons to write Kim as lonely:

Angsty whumpy vibes

His feelings for Harry become way more intense

Writing a good OC friend takes effort, and most people don’t read fic for OCs anyway, so it’s kinda a lost cause

chessalein

I love a good character analysis! To look at the part of the person that doesn't get screentime.

When you look at all the little things that seem unimportant at first but are the little dot that completes the painting ♥

Did I finish DE yet? No

Will I ever? I don't know, I get the feeling it has a depressing ending and I am tired of games with sad endings.

But the time I spent with Kim yet, I can see where this comes from. And you are so right.

None of us would let our guard down in such a hostile place while you have to do you work. That makes it even more special that Harry and Kim get along so well.

I can imagine Kim to have a very small close friend group he holds dear. Friends he laughs more together because he feels save there.

Kim laying in bed after a long day of hearing racist and homophobic stuff, looking at the ceiling and thinking: "Today would be our 'Dungeon detective' evening... :( I miss them."

And yes... If you are a write and want many people to see your stuff... Sadly OC's are like the pest people try to stay away 30km from. Kind of understand it but also do people maybe miss a very good character that brings along a very cool story.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, OP! That was really interesting. I never thought about it.

longinjesslond

Thank you for sharing!

I believe the world is a very complex, multifaceted place. We constantly encounter deeply polarizing realities — we see wars happening, and at the same time, new treatments for deadly diseases are being developed.

The world is full of homophobia, misogyny, transphobia, lookism, racism, and authoritarian regimes. At the same time, society as a whole is moving toward greater inclusivity and acceptance of things that were considered taboo just 20–30 years ago.

That’s why I believe that even if someone is faced with negativity, it doesn’t mean there’s no good in their life.

If there are people who reject them for who they are, then there must also be people who accept and love them. At least, that’s what I choose to believe.

fromthemouthofkings

Mm that's a lovely picture. I could totally see it, in an au. I do think Kim is the kind of person who could have a close group of friends like that, and I think it would be really good for him. I just don't think he *does* (in canon).

To me, a key point of Kim's character is how he holds himself back, how he hides and erases parts of himself in order to be a Good Cop, how he puts all of his identity in the RCM and clings, hard, to that. Of course, we only really see him at work, so it's possible that he's very different off the clock. But I don't think so.

There are two moments that I think are particularly revealing:

The first is when he defends himself from the racist lory driver. Despite dealing with racist and homophobic remarks throughout the game, this is one of the few times we see Kim actually loose his cool, detached reserve and get visibly, legitimately angry about it. I read this as a rare moment of Kim speaking from the heart—not completely uncalculated, but I think we can take what he says here as a pretty good indication of what Kim actually believes, and I think the reason it's included so early in the game is because we are meant to take it that way.

When the racist lorry driver says "Welcome to Revachol," what Kim says to defend himself is not "We belong here" or "There are people who accept me here" or even "A Seolite is an okay thing to be", what he says is "You think my *kind* doesn't belong here. That I should *watch myself* and *behave*. But you see, I'm an officer of the RCM. It's actually *my* job to make sure *you* behave."

Some things I notice about this: he speaks in the singular. "I" instead of "we." This indicates to me that he thinks of himself as singular, not as a part of a marginalized community or someone who has solidarity with other marginalized Revacholians. A part of this is that he's a third-generation immigrant, he never knew his grandparents and doesn't really have any connection to their culture. But when I look at the rest of what he's saying, I notice that he stakes his defense on his authority as an officer of the RCM. This is what he replies upon, how he identifies himself, how he keeps himself safe. He buys into the power structure of the RCM, he fights to defend his place in it, he uses that power to defend his place in Revachol. Being a police officer keeps him safe.

"Every school of thought and government has failed in this city -- but I love it nonetheless. It belongs to me as much as it belongs to you." A beautiful sentiment, but I can't help but notice that again, he uses the singular, not the plural pronoun. Revachol belongs not "to us" but "to me."

The second moment is the debrief at the end of the first night. When Harry asks Kim if he's a moralist, Kim says he used to be, but not anymore—once again, he avoids identitying with any school of thought and government—except for the RCM. I'm having a hard time tracking down the exact quote, but he says something to the effect that the RCM is the one thing he does believe in, and that's enough for him.

He is uncomfortable when Harry criticizes the RCM, especially to civilians. He is not someone who goes home and complains to his friends about what he experiences in the RCM. Being a police officer is his life.

I think he holds himself deliberately apart from people who are not in the RCM. I think he sees, or has chosen to see, belonging to the RCM as his primary identity, and has voluntarily given up or hidden away the parts of himself that aren't welcome there. I don't think he has any close friends who are not police officers. But I also don't think the RCM treats him well—I don't think (besides Harry) he has any close friends who *are* police officers, either.

Basically, I would love to imagine that Kim has a lovely group of close friends who he can vent to and play board games with and I think that is something he really needs—and I would read the hell out of a fic that explored the idea—but I don't think that canon Kim does have that. I think that (pre-Martinaise) Kim has really isolated himself and cut off the possibility for having those kind of connections, and that he is a pretty lonely and unhappy person before he meets Harry and starts to open up.