#meowfiaso 2 electric boogaloo

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VegasPete and Stockholm Syndrome

Okay so….just obsessively scrolling through the KP and VP tags every Saturday I end up seeing everybody and their brothers takes. (And if not on Saturday then I will the entire rest of the week because I check that tag like checking the morning newspaper 🤪)

And seeing “Stockholm Syndrome” for the tv series (esp cause I read the VP side story lmaooo rip) really amused me for multiple reasons,,,

Lemme just start right from the bat and say that it is perfectly valid to be confused on Pete’s actions, especially as he’s been held hostage.

“Why didn’t he leave?? He should of left???”

Obv the thought process here is: Pete hates Vegas —> seen what Vegas goes through and empathized —> worries about his captor —> doesn’t leave when presented the option —> therefore he has Stockholm syndrome.

Mhm mhmmm I can understand how you could come to that conclusion. However, I firmly disagree. I saw a post that said they wanted to label Vegas and Pete’s relationship Stockholm sooooo badly but knew that wasn’t entirely it and that there was something more complex but they couldn’t understand what.

Haha let me explain to you just what that “what” is.

Having read the book, I have a bit more of a foundation when it comes to comparison, making it easier to see and understand the intent behind the way the Director and writers have adapted the novel into the series. I’m in the middle of writing an essay about these changes and why the tv show is hands down (no competition) a million times better (written) than the book.

In the book, yeah I would say Pete and Vegas have a Stockholm relationship. Hmmm maybe not even then? Because if we’re defining Stockholm as a coping mechanism of empathizing with the captor during times of stress and harm in order to help make it through a traumatic situation; then I say: So~so. See, Pete’s mindset in the book is completely different than it is in the series.

In the book there was no understanding for why Vegas is a fked up lil maniac. “Parental abuse? Tough, but people out there have had it tougher 😶✌️.”

That was Pete’s mindset.

It was really “well that sucks for you but I don’t care — cuz you’re a henious villain” thought process.

In fact Pete only started being nice to Vegas/doing what he said so that Vegas would get bored and either kill him or let him go. That’s it. That’s like 92% of their novel relationship. Pete being fake asf so Vegas would find him boring.

Even prior to being captor and captive Book!Pete could not and did not see behind Vegas’ mask. In his own thoughts during his time captive, he thinks about how he had always perceived Vegas as y’know “just some guy” even with Kinn/Tankhun’s warnings — these warnings being the only reason he knew to be wary of Vegas in the first place.

Chef’s kiss 💋 👌👌 to the show for the way they made specific and subtle changes from the source material that would greatly change the entire dynamic of all the characters and their relationships with each other. (But that’s an essay for a whole other day 👀)

Now, how did the show change Vegas and Pete’s relationship into something entirely new, even more fked up than it was in the narrative, and yet somehow a million times better?

Simple.

(1) Pete’s observation skills and ability to see through Vegas mask from the very beginning. AND his “there’s no heroes or villains” mindset

(2) Pete *choosing* to sneak in with the knowledge and preparation of his torture and death should things go wrong.

(3) The shared experience of both having abusive fathers.

(Pete being the more mature and introspective and aware one between the two, aKa giving Vegas some solid therapy and enlightenment.)

(4) The clippers that have been left in the room with Pete. These writers have been intentional to the *T* — if all these damn essays and meta aren’t proof enough to yall of that then 🤷 idk what else I could give to prove that to you.

(Listennnnnnn,,, you don’t have all these intentional choices for every little thing and then accidentally leave bolt cutters on set of an important scene. Would make no damn sense.)

(5) The hedgehog 🦔

(Vegas didn’t have a pet in the novel…not one I remember at least.)

(6) The Key 🔑

(7) Vegas not initiating the Kiss

Okay. All of the above 1–7 are just a few of the changes made that have major importance for both Pete and Vegas’ relationship.

With Pete being able to see under Vegas’ mask we know that Vegas’ fake masks don’t fool him. There’s something about Vegas that Pete can see through. So when Pete chooses to sneak into the minor family compound — vocally stating before he does it that he knows the consequences— this informs the audience that he’s prepared for them. For capture, torture, death. Which is why when Vegas comes in to torture him and Pete knows he’s foiled his plans and will most likely die? Dude has nothing to lose, so he’ll be damned if he’ll let Vegas see his fear.

Not only does this give Pete a lot more agency. (In the book it was just, wrong place, wrong time); but — as fked up as it is — it also lets the audience feel less bad when he does inevitably get caught / tortured.

It’s not that he asked for it, but at least he knew what was going to happen. An unsuspecting victim is a lot more pitiable than a suspecting victim. Especially if it’s a consequence of a choice he voluntarily made — compared to being forced to investigate via ‘boss’s order.’ So already the writers are setting us up to not hate Vegas as much as we would if Pete truly stumbled into the situation on accident.

Now one of the most important differences — that shared trauma of having an abusive father, and using it to relate to Vegas. Unlike Book!Pete, our Pete recognizes Vegas’ situation. He’s been in the same place — while having the actual affection of his grandmother to fall back on (which Vegas obv didn’t have); therefore he also understands why Vegas tortures him the way that he does — he understands that Vegas is only feeling pathetic and lousy and is taking that out on him.

But in that tender and melancholic moment when Vegas decides to be vulnerable after patching up Pete’s wounds, Pete talks to Vegas with an understanding only someone in his position (or a therapist lol) would have. Even then, objectively knowing something is different than having experienced it yourself. And it’s the fact that Pete’s *also* experienced that sh*t that lends credibility to what he’s saying — at least in Vegas’ eyes.

This is why Pete knows there’s no good or evil, hero or villain, black or white binary in this world.

Because when you get down to it: we truly are shaped by our environments and the things we experience as we grow (obv not ignoring genetics but that’s not the point). And it’s this reflective and mature/observational outlook that helps him empathize with Vegas.

More than empathize — it’s *this* outlook that helps Pete not hold lasting grudges or hate for past hurts.

It’s always easier to forgive someone when you know where they’re coming from.

And Pete never really took it personally (for the most part) considering Vegas is on an opposing side. When an enemy gets captured on the enemy’s base of course they’d get either killed or tortured, esp for information.

That’s not something special to Vegas.

Vegas refusing to kill Pete tho? Lol. That’s enough for a dislike to sour. But I don’t think it sours all that much once we put in the consideration of Pete’s observations recognizing what Vegas is — a victim of an abusive home/situation.

(Not that it excuses him, but nobody’s trying to do that here LOL.)

Now getting down to the nitty gritty.

The hedgehog, the key, and why Pete isn’t a victim of Stockholm syndrome.

First, I think the hedgehog 🦔 is very important because it gives the audience (and Pete) another reason to empathize with Vegas — humans might not mean sh*t to him, but he loves and takes care of his pets.

He loves something. He cares about something. This humanizes him.

And a small and fragile pet can often humanize a character more than a human. A real sicko kills animals. But Vegas’ care for his hedgehog 🦔 shows that he isn’t that. He’s human too—albeit a really fked up one, but human nonetheless. He’s capable of love too, but perhaps humans have hurt him so much that he knows only an animal would be something he can trust.

This kind of trust and love he can only find in animals is also a very isolating existence. It highlights just how trapped Vegas is — the Hedgehog is literally a mirror of himself and his situation.

Yes he cares for Macau — but it’s “easier” to care for a human than an animal. Easier to empathize with a human. So while yeah, his care for his brother, while subtle in the show, is important, it isn’t as important to the audience as his love for his hedgehog. Especially when it comes to convincing an audience to forgive a character’s past villainy and long list of crimes.

But here’s what’s really important — the key.

Vegas leaving the key there (intentional or not; but imo, I think it’s obv intentional. Dude is way too meticulous for that to be accidental), gives Pete the agency to either escape or stay.

This, again, helps the audience be more okay with the idea of the two of them ending up in a relationship. It’s one thing if Pete has no choice and goes along with things to survive or cope with trauma — but it’s entirely something else if he’s allowed to leave, but doesn’t.

But Pete’s reason for staying has to be rational in some sense so the suspension of disbelief doesn’t attack the audience going 900 mph on the logic freeway.

So him escaping but seeing Vegas sitting pathetically on the grass, alone in the dark, and holding his dead pet?

The person there isn’t the dude that tortured him. Naw, that part of Vegas — is the child trapped in a cage and left isolated in the dark while anything that had ever brought him light or comfort in his life leaves him. He may be sitting on grass, but for Vegas it could’ve been the equivalent of sitting on broken glass.

It’s such a stark difference too from the versions of Vegas Pete’s used to seeing. Yeah he had that conversation about dads last episode, but even then Vegas wasn’t totally broken and left in despair.

But this Vegas?

This Vegas was someone so broken he couldn’t even cry until Pete touched him to provide comfort.

This Vegas isn’t just a sharp edge that can cut you if you get too close, now’s he’s much too broken for that — and his sharp edge has twisted inward from attacking others to attacking himself.

At this point, Pete’s beyond empathizing with his captor — esp because he isn’t a captive here. He’s not chained anymore. Vegas has no interest holding him captive. Pete at any point after he got out of those chains could have left and Vegas would do nothing to stop him.

Vegas is broken. He’s depressed. And he’s numb because it hurts too much to do anything but sit in his own despair. Pete touching him in comfort might’ve opened the floodgates of that hurt, but that doesn’t mean it changed how Vegas felt. Dude is still in despair when he heads inside.

Anyways this is getting too long so I’ll make a part two — getting more particular in the psychology of why Pete stayed, and why he kissed Vegas.

Closing words to end on:

Pete doesn’t leave because he knows what it’s like, and he’s sees the humanity and pain in Vegas and he cares. He cares because no broken and abused kid should be left isolated in the dark, not even knowing how to cry. He cares because he wants to do for Vegas what his grandmother did for him. What he wished more people would have done when he was in that pain and darkness.

He cares because he looks at Vegas and he sees himself.

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But the saddest thing has to be the fact that Vegas keeps repeating that he has nothing left because his abuser died and he doesn't know what to do with himself because the trauma is that engraved in him I'll be crying in a corner tenks-

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VegasPete and Stockholm syndrome (part 2)

…

This episode helped me realize what Pete’s exact relationship to pain is.

Really funny to me that Vegas was right when he said that Pete likes it when he’s moody. Because it’s true. (Saw a post on this earlier which I’ll try and link once my comp is back in working order;; But the the way it highlighted how Pete’s fascination with Vegas is a kind of “tragic lust.”)

Pete likes seeing Vegas be pathetic. When the torture first started I don’t doubt the pleasure or motivation Pete had for being defiant specifically relates to the feeling of rebellion against that abusive trauma from his past.

“You can’t break me. I’m not pathetic YOU are.” <- Pete’s thoughts/motives on some subconscious level.

But then of course there’s a shift from the moment he witnesses the dynamic between Vegas and his father. Yeah he’s still defiant but there’s more to it than that.

It isn’t just “you are pathetic” now it’s “You’re pathetic because you’ve been hurt the same way I have.”

I’m not really gonna touch on it because I’ve already read a lot of amazingly written analyses on it — but when they’re at the safe house, Pete is subtle but he’s trying to convince Vegas that’s there’s a third option, and that he doesn’t have to be stuck in this cycle of abused and abuser. All the way up to his conversation with Vegas about fathers’ —Pete’s doing this. The conversation fully bringing around Vegas’ whole shift in viewpoint.

Which set great groundwork for episode 12. And more specifically how this shared empathy also became a shared fascination.

Vegas is fascinated with Pete’s defiance in the face of pain, and Pete’s fascinated with Vegas’ pain and how he weaponizes it against himself and others.

Getting more into the specifics rather than just “Pete’s into Vegas’ being pathetic”

It gets more layered when you consider that Pete specifically likes giving control / being dominated by someone pathetic.

(Lol why they are both so fked up <333. Lemme study you two under microscopes.)

Anyways,,,

Can’t help but think this is all about projection.

Like the reason why Vegas has a hedgehog 🦔 and why he wanted to take Pete with him to the safe house is because he’s projecting just how little freedom he actually has in his life. He’s trapped in a closed cage (chained up, in Pete’s case).

Except Vegas has been trapped his entire life. Just someone for his father to take his pain out on. Someone set up to always lose, someone that’s never enough. So taking Pete isn’t just an act of defying his father (who told him to kill Pete and doesn’t know Vegas took him with), but it’s also so he can take back an illusion of control in his own life by taking out his own pain on Pete (similar to what his father is doing to him) — that and Vegas is lonely. He would be isolated at the safe house. He would have no one to talk to. Just him and his books and the silence before his father visits.

…..I’ll be honest y’all I don’t think this safe house HAS guards? In my mind he dismissed them once he got to the safe house cause he had Pete to keep him company. He literally says “it’s fine I have someone to keep me company.” In the episode to men in black suits. And then we don’t see a single guard after that. Not on the safe house premises. Just Vegas, Pete, and isolation.

(Lol back to the hedgehog 🦔 projection….this projection is especially fked up when you realize that Vegas having to watch as all his hedgehogs died one after another is just a visual representation to him of his life—given something by his father, but it dies and he fails and loses love and gets hurt. The love —for clarification— being the hedgehogs.

Him projecting himself and his situation on the hedgehog is just all the more poignant when you realize that since his father gave him these hedgehogs it just makes it all the more a reminder that he’ll be trapped in this cage of a life until he, himself, dies. Hence the vulnerability when he asks Porsche not to torture him if he has to kill him one day. He states it like an eventuality. I guess Vegas on some level knows that it is. That no matter how many times he fails, the door of the cage will open, only to put another hedgehog in. His father gives him something — only for Vegas to be immediately placed back into his cage. Rinse. Repeat. Until he “succeeds” or dies trying.

Side note: Lemme also state here that it’s obvious to me that a lot of time has passed. Or at least a good couple of days. Why do I think this? Because when Vegas comes in that second time after being beaten by his father (at the end of the ep/just before the noodle scene), Pete asks if his father did it again and Vegas responded:

“Aren’t you used to it by now?”

(Or smthn similar along these lines I don’t have the episode pulled up rn LOL)

Now, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for Vegas to say this to Pete

(as they’ve only had one conversation about his dad, and the warehouse scene before that — this would be like the third time total seeing Vegas come back from being hurt by his father— I wouldn’t be used to that kind of situation having only experienced or gotten wind of it 3 times, and I doubt Pete would’ve either)

While watching the episode I understood immediately what Vegas was implying when he said that. “Aren’t you used to it” means that more than a couple of days have passed, and during that time Vegas’ father has come to the safe house more than once to take his anger out on Vegas. Pete being locked up there with Vegas would then be seeing this toxic cycle of Vegas getting beat for no reason.

Which is why Vegas thought Pete had gotten used to it. Used to seeing him come in with new bruises.

Honestly a really heartbreaking implication. The moment Vegas said “aren’t you used to it by now” my heart dropped to my feet.

But I haven’t seen anyone else comment on this line LOL!!! Anyways this means Pete’s been holed up with Vegas for at least a week, maybe longer. So although it’s unseen, the implied passage of time does at least give Pete breathing space to rewire the way he thinks about and interacts with Vegas. Enough for him to be at the point of asking if Vegas was hurt. [End of sidenote LOL]

Then when you add in Pete relating with Vegas via his own abusive past with HIS father?

(Except Pete realizes and knows why his father hurt him —Because he was hurt himself)

Pete’s story not only helped Vegas realize that it wasn’t Vegas that sucked (but his b*tch father >:OOO ) and this rlly impacts Vegas. And yet, when Vegas sees his Hedgehog die, he leaves the key Pete needs to escape right next to Pete, pretending it to be an accident, because everything he likes or loves end up leaving him in the end anyway, right?

But Pete is SO drawn in and captivated by Vegas’ pain. Yes he wants to comfort him —

…. but I wonder if his strong attraction is relating to the comfort Or control Pete wished he had when he was a kid in an abusive situation.

So it’s like he’s living vicariously through Vegas when he *LET’S* Vegas chain him up, when he chooses to let Vegas have that kind of power over him.

At the same time it’s all kinds of fked up cuz Vegas isn’t really in control? Pete is obv still in such control of the entire situation, *he’s* the one giving Vegas permission. (Which is probably why, of the two of them) it’s VEGAS that ends up on his knees in the end…..(God help me)

Hmmm. Anyways I don’t have a lot of intelligent things to say rn. I just think the two of them have an interesting relationship to pain, and therefore an interesting relationship with each other 🤷🤤.

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VegasPete (w/out context)

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I wonder if Vegas is going to get shot protecting Pete

….

My reasoning for this theory:

KinnPorsche and VegasPete arcs literally mirror each other LOL

(1) they originally start on opposing sides

(Kinn — seeking bodyguard employment; Porsche NOT seeking bodyguard employment)

(Pete — Major family bodyguard. Vegas — major fam’s main arch nemesis /heir of the minor family.)

(2) the action of helping someone leading to a loss of autonomy

Pete sneaks into the minor fam compound to find evidence to help Porsche. Gets caught.

Porsche helps protect Kinn against some goons and then ends up being forced into being Kinn’s bodyguard because of money.

(3) Metaphorically and Physically locked up

Porsche having to live in the Major Family’s compound, and being forced to cut off all contact with the outside world (communications, going out, etc) and ending up isolated in this new environment.

Pete literally locked up at Vegas’ safehouse, isolated on a little island, entirely away from the rest of the outside world.

(4) Scene of violence that causes a shift in point of view

(Kinn chokes Porsche until he falls unconscious so he won’t be killed by the minor family.)

(Pete gets tortured until he gets sick, Vegas nurses him back to health)

(5) A moment of mutual shared vulnerability and intimacy

Porsche and Kinn pier scene. The sharing of their lives and pain

Vegas being honest about how his father came around. Pete sharing vulnerability by telling him about his own past father trauma, and encouraging him that it’s not because he sucks, but it’s because his father sucks.

(6) A notable shift in dynamics

Kinn’s episode 4 schoolgirl crush on Porsche

Vegas being nice to Pete, cooking him food, and coming to him for comfort instead of coming to cause pain

(7) The choice to trust the other

Porsche looking to Kinn for guidance on if he should accept the drink of water.

(Pete escaping but choosing to stay to comfort a pathetic Vegas)

(8) Their trust is betrayed by a loss of autonomy based on love and s3x.

See above pic

Kinn sleeping with a drugged Porsche/the lack of consent, caused because of Kinn’s crush and romantic feelings for the other

Vegas chaining Pete up again after their consensual s3x because of Vegas’ love for Pete and his issues of abandonment

(9) Dad Trauma Backlash

Kinn punishing Porsche, because his father insinuated that’s what he had to do, and also because he used Kinn’s past romance to guilt him.

Vegas being beat and belittled by his father, and then projecting that onto Pete through violence.

(10) The escape from their confined environment

Porsche gets to take a week off and go home.

Pete escapes and goes back to his…’home’ at the Major family compound

(11) The absence leading to apologies

Kinn goes to Porsche’s house to be civil and apologize. With the help of advice from Pete. Kinn does his best to apologize, even with his ingrained habits and worser qualities making it hard

Vegas goes to find Pete at the club with the help of Porsche making it so they would have a chance to meet. And apologizes, but has to restrain himself /his usual habits.

(12) Threat on Life ft. Guns and a departure with the two still at odds

Kinn and Porsche get kidnapped

Vegas telling Pete to shoot him

(13) Forest bonding — Kinn’s sacrifice

Kinn and Porsche reconcile in the forest. Kinn let’s Porsche go. Porsche comes back to hell to save his life, Kinn takes a bullet for Porsche

……

And VegasPete….?

(Though the Porsche coming back to save Kinn thing, for VegasPete is when Pete comes back to help Vegas. There’s still the lack of Vegas’ sacrifice to save Pete’s life, which seems like the next logical step)

Ending notes:

As I was gathering screenshots, I was surprised how much Vegas mirrored Porsche.

VegasPorsche similarities / parallels in shorthand list form

Vegas raised Macau, Porsche raised Porchay.

Isolation — Porsche not having any adults he could depend on; Vegas also not having any adults he can rely on. Used as his father’s personal punching bag.

During the ‘seduction’ part of both of their first s*x scenes, Porsche goads Kinn, Kinn kisses first and it commences. Vegas taunts Pete, Pete kisses first and the scene commences. [Vulnerability aspect too—Porsche compromised because of being under the effects of a drug, Vegas emotionally compromised]

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I... I'm confused.

Good to see that you post smthing my friend but I am kinda lost, I think I need some context, which series are you talking about?

I ask because I'm curious 😅 and wanted to know the context of your analysis

SS

(Good to see you posting scoups, hope you had a good day!! 😄����)

SS anon my comrade <333!!!!!

I’m getting used to using my phone as my main internet source. I have some liveblog posts I need to edit too :33

My Laptop had to be left at the store for the replacement of battery and what not — which means I’ll be using my phone from now and between anywhere to 3 to 5 days or however long it takes for them to replace my battery LOL. 🗑🤡✌️✌️

The series I’m talking about (in my silly lil analysis’) is

KinnPorsche

(Thai mafia BL show. More specifically my analysis is about the VegasPete storyline.)

Vegas is like the main antagonist

(a rlly likeable one <333. Like George or Olteca. AKa an unhinged fked up lil bastard that’s also just so very pathetic <333)

Vegas is the cousin of Kinn — heir to the Main fam; while Vegas is heir to the minor family.

Anyways, Pete is a bodyguard working for the main family. He’s a bestie, he’s funny, and he deserves the world no cap. In Revice I’d say he has a similar vibe to Tamaki almost?

So the VegasPete storyline starts when Pete is captured when he sneaks into the Minor fam compound to find evidence of Vegas being a lil b*tch. (Which he finds and sends to his boss). This foils Vegas’ plan. Vegas holds Pete captive in a safe house (that Vegas is sent to cuz the main fam is pissed at him and he needs to go into hiding) But what starts as torture progresses into a mutual understanding between the two of them, and then a relationship LOL

It’s really fascinating actually.