nvm this is still on my brain. kim does not like to watch harry suffer… to say that kim takes satisfaction in harry’s pain is a huge misconstruing of his character.
the “getting thrashed like a schoolboy” line comes from a board game, lol. it’s a tease, not a cruelty. there’s never any line that implies that Kim enjoys seeing Harry taking actual morale damage.
he can be amused if you fail a check, but the check is always relatively inconsequential, and again, Harry isn’t taking damage in these.
Failing to pry the trash bin open:
Failing to shatter Ruby’s lorry window:
(also in both of these examples he only responds smugly if you choose for Harry to stubbornly dig in his heels. if Harry gets huffy, Kim teases. If Harry backs down right away Kim won’t rub it in, which feels significant to me! it reminds me of that recent post goin around about Kim meeting your energy!)
and here’s some reactions to failed checks where he does take damage.
Failing the jump to get your cloak:
Failing to break down Plaisance’s door:
he’s not laughing if Harry’s taking damage because he’s not a dick lol.
aaaaand here’s some other instances of morale/health damage and kim’s reactions.
alternate dialogue for failing the harbor jump:
after the call with precinct 41:
seeing bullet holes in the wall:
most significant examples to argue this point for me come when harry has done something to jeopardize the RCM’s image. which kim goes on and on about the importance of maintaining— and yet even here, he still extends worry and assurance.
telling Billie about her husband and handling it badly:
hardie authority check failure cock carousel:
aaaaand the car. this line is one of the most mask-off kim moments we get in the game in my opinion, honestly.
tying this back to the schoolboy line— that line doesn’t show up if you have a negative reputation with Kim. if you have <1 rep, it gets replaced with him calling it “about four hours of our lives that we'll never get back,” lol.
it’s affectionate ribbing!! twisting it into anything else is bizarre 2 me lmao!
anyways. kim is a foil to every other cop we meet in the game specifically because he doesn’t view harry as a punching bag or a lost cause. gottlieb does nothing but sling jabs and glib jokes about harry’s health. torson+mclaine and the others laugh at harry’s panic attack over the radio. in response to harry’s suicide-by-car attempt(!!!!) jean yells about RCM budget. all kim’s lines in response to harry’s check failures and health-damage are consistent, explicit textual contrast against the callousness of the rest of the RCM. twisting kim’s character here requires a bad faith interpretation of the whole game.
[ID: The post contains screenshots of Disco Elysium dialogue illustrating each example.
Failing to pry the trash bin open:
You - "The FUCK kind of metal is this, this is fucking SHIT!" Kim Kitsuragi - "The quality of metal is not the problem. From what I see, it's sturdy enough." Empathy - He's enjoying your little failure. He finds it amusing, he's revelling in the sweaty rage on your face.
Failing to shatter Ruby's lorry window:
You - "The window appears to be shatterproof." Kim Kitsuragi - "No, it's not shatterproof. Give me that." He takes the prybar from you and gestures for you to step back. Then, with little warning… Abandoned Lorry - He smashes it into the window. Droplets of glass fly everywhere, shattering over the lorry floor and pavement. You can just reach in now.
Failing the jump to get your cloak:
You - "Right, I can't do it right now -- I'll make the jump next time." Kim Kitsuragi - "Sure." He looks at you, worried. "Just be careful, okay? Looks like you almost strained a muscle there."
Failing to break down Plaisance's door:
Kim Kitsuragi - "Are you alright?" The lieutenant steps closer, his eyes soft and worried. "This looked… pretty intense and painful, I must admit."
alternate dialogue for failing the harbor jump:
Kim Kitsuragi - "Hey, hey… what's happening? You okay?" He sounds genuinely worried. You - "I'm alright, Kim… I… I just…" (Keep tugging on your tie.) "I can't breathe." Kim Kitsuragi - "It's okay, you're just having a little panic attack. Try to breathe as slowly as you can, alright?" He shakes you gently by the shoulder. Horrific Necktie - The necktie lets go a little, its vicious grip easing around your neck. Colours return to the world around you. You - "Thanks, I think it's working." (Let go of your tie.) Kim Kitsuragi - "Good. We can always come back when you're feeling better. It's just a cloak after all." He looks around.
after the call with precinct 41:
Kim Kitsuragi - "What was that?" the lieutenant asks in a soft voice, gently grabbing your shoulder. "It's okay, detective." You - "What, you've never seen a man getting a panic attack before?" (Try to keep breathing.) Kim Kitsuragi - He gives you a long concerned look, then nods. "We should get on with our tasks. Work always helps me centre myself. Now... anything else you need from my vehicle or...?"
seeing bullet holes in the wall:
Pain Threshold - You peer into the faded marks in the stone… they peer back like an endless row of tiny black holes. Sweat starts trickling down your brow. Horrific Necktie - This is bad mojo, man! Fuckin' horrible mojo. The end draws near! Pain Threshold - Your chest feels tight, looking at them. It's closing in… caving in, ever tighter. Your breathing grows even heavier. Kim Kitsuragi - "You okay there?" The lieutenant's sudden voice cuts like a blade, bringing you out of the stupor. You - (Breathe out sharply.) "Huh, yeah-yeah, I'm fine." Kim Kitsuragi - "You were looking pale there for a second. What are you looking at?"
telling Billie about her husband and handling it badly:
Kim Kitsuragi - "So, the death notification…" the lieutenant says as soon as you've left the apartment. Empathy - He's avoiding your gaze. This is the time to say how sorry you are about how things went. You - "I'm sorry, I know I fucked up." Kim Kitsuragi - "It's alright, don't worry about it." His eyes wander over the sleeping district. Kim Kitsuragi - "I'll call the station tomorrow and let them know the name of the deceased." You - "Right, lets try to get back to it then." [Leave.] Kim Kitsuragi - He looks at you. "And… officer -- I've seen worse. This wasn't the worst I've seen, okay? Now, let's go."
hardie authority check failure cock carousel:
Kim Kitsuragi - "Are you okay?" You - "Cock carousel." Eugene - "Boss, I think he's just gonna keep saying cock carousel." You - "Cock carousel." Eugene - "Sounds like you're on some kind of carousel yourself. And it's not a pretty one." Kim Kitsuragi - "No, he's not." He looks at you with pleading eyes. You - "Cock csrosssel" Kim Kitsuragi - "Officer? Look at me. I need to see if your face is drooping." He sounds incredibly worried. Kim Kitsuragi - "Are you okay?" You - "Cock carousel." Eugene - "Boss, I think he's just gonna keep saying cock carousel." You - "Cock carousel." Eugene - "Sounds like you're on some kind of carousel yourself. And it's not a pretty one." Kim Kitsuragi - "No, he's not." He looks at you with pleading eyes. You - "Cock csrosssel" Kim Kitsuragi - "Officer? Look at me. I need to see if your face is drooping." He sounds incredibly worried.
the car:
You - "Oh god, no…" Kim Kitsuragi - "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry." Inland Empire - Forty-one, Precinct 41. A massive pit opens up in your stomach and the most terrible feeling comes over you. Endurance - You feel like you're about to faint and fall off the swing. Your hands get clammy and the air tastes sour to breathe.
/end ID]
