indigostarfire

[indigostarfire]

9 People You’d Like to Know More

Tagged by @telomeke Thank you so much! 🥰

Last song: Komplikated (U-Know solo) by TVXQ! It’s an old song but it was new for me. Heard this song as my traveling companions and I were sharing music and driving around Iceland. Been playing it on repeat to help me wake up in the mornings lol.

Currently watching: Red, White, and Royal Blue. You’re My Sky (because of Kritsanaphong Sripattiyanon from La Pluie)

Next on my watch list: Have to thank @thedaughtersoflilith for recommending Wong Kar Wai films to me and because I liked In the Mood for Love, I plan to check out Happy Together and Chungking Express.

Starting soon: ???? Any suggestions?

Currently reading: Heart Protection (A light novel by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang; it’s a xianxia genre which the Cdrama “Back From the Brink” is loosely based off of. The story is about two people traumatized by betrayal and never want to trust their heart and fall in love again but they eventually are able to because of the good-heartedness and compassion of the other person who demonstrates it time and time again.)

Current obsession: Nature hikes and I’m hiking around Iceland right now! Please join me as I share my other joy/obsession which is taking pictures.

We could walk behind this waterfall

Reynisfjara black sand beach

Reynisfjara has interesting geological formations

Tagging: @thedaughtersoflilith @danthebookworm @fadelikeclouds @fairyfrogs @sunloops @imlivingformyselfdontmindme @moonsidiot @fangirlmedstudentblog @geekgirlsmanifesto also tagging anyone else who’d like to!

[indigostarfire]

La Pluie: Fuck Destiny, Communication is Key

I’m a full week late to the party because I was watching I Told Sunset About You last week and my mind just refused to focus on anything else. And now I’m finally here to write a send-off post to my beloved La Pluie, which gave me one of the most satisfying and interactive TV show experiences of my life.

I’ve been singing praises for this show’s writing for weeks now, and what better way for me to say goodbye to the show than by analyzing two immaculately written getting-back-together scenes from the finale?

Lomfon and Tien

When we last saw Lomfon in the penultimate episode, he apologized to Tai for kissing him in the rain and effectively kick-starting this whole mess. We also saw how he has worked through his feelings and understands that whatever he felt for Tai is not love; it was only rooted in Tai’s goodwill towards him, a few shared traits between him and Tai, and the fact that Tai saved his life by pushing him out of the way of a moving vehicle (a 15 second interaction, I will never get over this insanity). And Lomfon says that all this experimentation has made it clear to him where his heart actually lies.

And now, in the finale, Lomfon is working on the script for his “A Message from the Heart” project and seeking advice from Pingpong.  We see that he fully understands how much he has hurt Tien with his actions. He tells Pingpong “I messed up so much that if I were him, I would never forgive myself”. Tien overhears them and confronts Lomfon, demanding to know if he’s messing with him. “Say it”, he shouts. But Lomfon does not respond, instead insisting that he will “show him with his actions”. And Tien walks away.

This is where I realized that this show is gonna really dig in its heels and fully emphasize how much open and honest communication matters in a relationship. Love can be expressed in so many different ways, and a person’s love language is definitely unique and significant to them. But when words are DEMANDED from you, you must respond with them. You cannot work around the painful and brutal honesty that is needed to form those thoughts, and the strength and bravery needed to stand in front of the person and utter those words.

That’s why Tien walks away from Lomfon when he insists that he will “show him” instead. And that’s why he leaves the room when Lomfon’s project video starts playing. Bear in mind, as far as Tien is concerned, Lomfon still likes his brother. Lomfon has not clarified or explained anything that would justify why Tien was on that presentation screen. So when he asks demands Lomfon, and Lomfon once again tells him that he showed his heart through his actions, Tien turns to walk away. It’s when he finally opens his mouth and starts verbalizing his desire, his fears, his confusion, and his guilt, Tien stops and listens. And when Lomfon asks him what Tien feels in his heart and if he still wants to follow it, Tien finally turns around and kisses him (I will be forever obsessed with the tippy toes).

gif by @liyazaki

I adore the fact that this show never outright rejects any form of expressing love. While Tien rejected actions from Lomfon before he made his intentions clear with words, we see that after Lomfon’s confession, Tien feels no qualms in resorting to a grand and sweeping gesture, like an intense kiss that definitely popped Lomfon’s foot (the foot pop is not purely a physical act, it is a state of mind, The Princess Diaries analogy is still right and valid, I will take no critiques).

Patts and Tai

The road to redemption for Tai is much longer and harder than it was for Lomfon, and the show fully leaned into it and showed us the weight of emotional turmoil Tai must endure to finally earn forgiveness from Patts. We see him have an epiphany about how his lack of communication with Patts mirrors his mom’s approach with him (@lurkingshan). We see him finally talk to Dream, who reiterates that Patts liked Tai before he knew that they were soulmates. And we see Tai take the leap of faith and catch a flight to Chiang Mai to find Patts. My love for this show grew to uncontrollable levels when it did not let Tai find Patts immediately.

He roams the streets, day after day, trying to find the love of his life. And when he comes back to his room every evening, exhausted and alone, he sits in the dark and contemplates how painfully lonely it feels to find and communicate with someone, when your efforts don’t seem to move the needle at all. And realizing this is exactly how Patts must’ve felt in the two years of silence Tai decided to put him through. He meets Art and Phueng, who teach him, yet again, just how important it is to talk and listen to each other in a relationship. And finally, on Day 4 of his quest, Tai runs into Patts on the streets of the local marketplace.

When Tai sees Patts, Patts looks like the mere husk of the man he once was. And Tai wastes no time and starts talking immediately, asking Patts to stay silent so this time, he can be the one who speaks out his love for him. Tai admits that he was stupid and selfish in their relationship. He says “Love is about two people. It does not need destiny to pave”. And he finally, finally says “I love you, Patts. I don’t care if it rains or not. I do love you no matter what happens”. And we see Patts wrap Tai into his body and promise to never let go of him again.

gif by @liyazaki

Now, I have to stop and give Title Tanatorn all the flowers in the world for his outstanding performance in this episode (and the show as a whole). He made me feel Tai’s soul-crushing pain and sadness, and also soothed my tender and bruised heart in the span of mere minutes. This scene was the culmination of Tai’s character development arc. He went from a guy who felt so jaded about love and relationships that he had been ghosting his soulmate for two whole years, to a guy who stood weeping in the middle of the road, pouring his heart out to Patts who only wanted Tai to love him back the way he loved him. And Title Tanatorn fucking nailed it.

And Pee Peerawich is no slouch either, as my boo @wen-kexing-apologist has already established, here. In the finale, he delivers a sublime, understated performance that does not take the spotlight away from Tai, while also perfectly reflecting Patts’ emotions on his face during Tai’s confession. These actors are so incredibly talented and did everything they can to augment the brilliant work of the writers of this show. Y’all have my attention, Tanachot Prapasri and Fuke Teerapat. I will diligently show up to watch your future works, even if it’s just your grocery lists dramatized into a TV show (shoutout to @so-much-yet-to-learn, who, when I voiced this statement, immediately and unironically piped up “Have you heard of this show called Ingredients?”. My BL buddies are hilarious as fuck and I will never be not impressed by the lengths Thai BLs would go to sell stuff to the masses).

Finally, I want to focus on a moment in the finale that kinda threw me off at first but, as the days passed, slowly grew into its significance. Dream tells Tai that Patts left with one last message: “I believe in soulmates. Saengtai is my soulmate”. Isn’t that.. weird? We know that Patts has openly stated before in this show that he wanted to defy destiny, and how his love for Tai is not just because he is his soulmate. For him to state this in the final episode seemed like an odd writing choice.

But, in the final voiceover, the show tells us (through Tai’s voice) that no one chooses to find an answer (to the hearing-loss-soulmate phenomenon) anymore. Instead, the people in this world are choosing to attribute whatever meaning they want to it. We have seen Patts say that Tai is his soulmate many times throughout this show, but he doesn’t mean it in its traditional sense; he means “I love Saengtai and I believe that I can’t live without him, which makes him my soulmate”. He paves his own way, and earnestly believes that Tai is his soulmate not just because they can hear each other when it rains, but because Tai understands and completes him and they find happiness in each other's company. In short: Fuck Destiny.

Since we were teased with a setup for a potential second season, I want to wrap up this post with a smattering of potential scenarios that have borrowed into my brain:

@bengiyo gleefully pointed out that when Lomfon suggests that he and Tien wait for another five minutes before going back into the classroom, so Tien won’t be forced to watch his embarrassingly sappy video, more than five minutes has already passed since they had walked out. Which means that Lomfon made a 10+ minutes long video of just Tien being cute and giggly and adorable. I love this over-the-top, madly-in-love Lomfon and I better get many, many more moments of him being pathetically sappy about Tien in the next season

I want the Patts-Saengnuea moment recreated beat by beat, including the sunglasses flip. If I don’t see Saengnuea on his tippy toes, menacingly lean into Lomfon’s ear and threaten him with bodily harm if he ever hurts his little brother, then what’s even the fucking point?

The comedic potential of Lomfon being forced to socialize with Patts, while he tries to make himself as small and unassuming as physically possible is a treasure trove and must be treated by the writers as such. The possibilities are endless. Warun and Saengchan would be menaces, trying to cook up situations that would force them together. Tai and Tien would act exasperated, while secretly enjoying the shenanigans. Gimme all of it.

My experience of watching this show is indelibly tied to all the wonderful metas I read here. The sense of community around this show’s discourse was incredible and a joy to be part of. Thank you to all the amazing humans who decided to be very not-chill and not-normal about this show: @bengiyo, @shortpplfedup, @ginnymoonbeam, @wen-kexing-apologist, @liyazaki, @respectthepetty, @syrena-del-mar, @chickenstrangers, @rocketturtle4, @williamrikers, @shouldiusemyname, @sunshinechay, @slayerkitty, @indigostarfire, @iguessitsjustme and I know I’m missing many more, sorry! And a special, with-cherries-on-top shoutout to @lurkingshan for putting the La Pluie meta roundup together, and encouraging people to participate in the discourse. Peace out, homies! And as always, FUCK DESTINY!

gif by @ueasking

[indigostarfire]

La Pluie Deserves a Standing Ovation

I hope y’all didn’t think I’d forgotten about this show after the finale. I was just traveling and have been too busy to write this final review.

La Pluie has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had as a viewer of TV ever. This show told us exactly what it was from the very opening scenes, and then spent the entire show paying that off. This show opened with an explanation about soulmates, and then immediately countered that with Tai’s parents’ divorce, the note that the pairing of people is ultra-rare, and a happy couple that wasn’t a soulmate pair in a café. Throughout the show it repeatedly stressed that love is about how we treat each other and not something you win via a lottery. It’s so rare these days that we get a show that trusts their audience this much to follow the thread and think about the big ideas along the way.

Doubt and Faith in Acts

One of my favorite things I observed in the show is that only Patts and Tien consistently make the kinds of choices that lead to long-term love without getting their asses handed to them. @shortpplfedup observed during her catch up that this story featured four different kinds of believers: an apostate, an agnostic, a believer, and an atheist. It’s notable that the apostate (Tai) and the atheist (Lomfon) are the ones causing the most harm to other people in the way they treat others.

Throughout the show, both Tai and Lomfon keep making standoffish choices. Tai has cut off his mom and avoids his coworkers. Lomfon is rude and standoffish. Neither of them is able to hold on to their loves because they are incapable of letting go of their own bullshit.

Conversely, Tien goes out of his way to take care of his brother, his family, and eventually Lomfon. I actually liked that Tai and Lomfon had to make opposite choices in the finale. Lomfon needed to show in his actions that he was serious about Tien, whereas Tai needed to show in his words that he was actually listening to what Patts had been asking for.

For Patts, he doesn’t believe that he and Saengtai are meant to be together because they’re connected by the rain. He does the work of caring for Tai because he is kind. He loves Tai because he’s Tai and not because he’s his soulmate. Patts stays present for Tai. He respects his boundaries. He tries to help Tai deal with his problems. He trusts him.

The Ambiguity

As a lapsed Catholic, I gotta say that I really love the way this show ended without fixing all of the soulmate stuff and giving concrete answers. I like that the show holds firm to its conviction that love is not ordained by the narrative; it is something built by people doing the work to be together. I love how this show challenged the notion of the narrative itself mandating the characters be together and instead reminded them (and us) to be present for our loved ones and to listen to their needs.

I think this show would have been weaker if Tai and Patts had restored their rain connection at the end. Besides, I think it gives them room to play with that idea if they get a second season. I also liked that Tien started hearing someone at the end of the season. He is a believer in soulmates, and I think it’ll be interesting to see someone as earnest as him face that challenge.

Releasing the Tension

Before I get to wrapping up, I want to reiterate again that this show has two plot-relevant blowjobs in it. So often these shows tease us and then don’t release the tension. Worse, when they do release the tension it doesn’t always feel like it’s something the characters lean into with their new dynamic.

After episode 5 ended, @ginnymoonbeam teased me for having a moment of panic that maybe I was misreading the show and that somehow Patts wasn’t into Saengtai because of how often I’ve been tricked or teased. Instead, these two end up making out on the floor and Patts was going to blow that man. Then, we don’t cut away from them. We watch them talk about what happened and why Tai is holding back.

Going further, they let Patts and Tai find peace and closure with Nara. Moreover, they treat Nara’s heartbreak seriously. She isn’t ejected from the group, and is allowed to be disappointed and sad about the loss. At the end of the show, they also confirm our suspicions about her and Dream.

It’s just incredible to have watched a show that didn’t rely on teasing us and instead treated the sex and intimacy seriously.

Thank You To Everyone Who Watched La Pluie

I cannot overstate how much joy I got from watching this show along with all of you. When @lurkingshan and I began writing earnestly around episode 4 in the hopes that more people would join us on this show, I did not expect so many of you to actually give it a try.

I think, if you have held off on watching this show because you’ve been waiting for confirmation about one plot point or another, just watch it if you’re still on the fence. When you do watch it, try to let go of what you think is supposed to happen or what you want to happen, and instead respond to what the show is giving you. This has been the most legible show at this caliber I’ve experienced since I Told Sunset About You (2020).

At no point did this show try to trick us about anything, and it trusts us to keep up and engage. This show is better when you lean in. It’s better when you discuss it with others. For a show so much about questioning belief, it is amazing how much this show rewards you for believing in it. I don’t know a better show this year.

I have a lot of folks I want to acknowledge here at the end, including but not limited to:

I want to thank @wanderlust-in-my-soul, @pharawee, and @liyazaki for letting me use their gifs in my posts.

I want to thank @lurkingshan and @ginnymoonbeam for being first through the door with me and committing to getting more folks to watch this show.

I want to thank @respectthepetty and @absolutebl for regularly sticking it out for shows and giving them an earnest watch through their lenses.

I want thank everyone else who contributed incredibly thoughtful writing to this experience, including @shortpplfedup, @syrena-del-mar, @neuroticbookworm, @wen-kexing-apologist, @chickenstrangers, @recentadultburnout, @williamrikers, @heretherebedork, @shouldiusemyname, @sunshinechay, @fadelikeclouds, @slayerkitty, @chinzhilla, @indigostarfire, @iguessitsjustme and @rocketturtle4

See you all in the next show!

[indigostarfire]

"why are you smiling?"

[indigostarfire]

👩‍❤️‍👩.

[indigostarfire]

My favorite part of this is that Lomfon tries to do the big romantic moment with making the movie about Tien and all Tien wants is the words. Tien just wants a confession, something straightforward, and Lomfon struggles with that.

But once Tien is clear about what he needs... Lomfon provides. The real confession, the clear one, the making of a real choice and not hiding from it. No hiding behind videos, no hiding behind unclear choices, just the real truth.

Because he doesn't just confess, he explains. He tells Tien what happened and he's clear and nothing is left up to chance, nothing left in silence (Tien knows silence too well, he will not have silence in his relationship).

I love Tien's slow realization that this is real and that he's being chosen and how he slowly, slowly comes to believe what's happening and it's beautiful.

But this just reminds me of how Tien was left outside after the fight in the rain so of course the true confession has to happen outside. Tien wants everything out in the open! He wants to be honest and for people around him to be honest and for relationships to be about open, honest communication. And that's what he finally gets.

And he finally says everything he needed to say, to explain his feelings and to finally unfuck it.

The final call to a choice. A call of being chosen. Because that is what Tien has always wanted. To be chosen.

But also Lomfon promised a practical confession but it's Tien who grabbed him and kissed him senseless once he was sure he was chosen.

Bonus: Height difference = 💖

[indigostarfire]

LA PLUIE FUCKING NAILED IT

Dream and Nara are canon! Go Lesbians!

Lomfon NAILED his confession!! He opened his heart and soul to Tien and clearly communicated his desires and IT. WORKED. THAT KISS MADE ME SEE STARS!! HOLY SHIT!!

Tai said FUCK DESTINY and finally, FINALLY said I LOVE YOU to Patts!

And we are getting a SEQUEL????? With my babies Tien and Lomfon???? GIVE IT TO MEEEEEEEEE!!

La Pluie, I love you for being so perfect and I hate you because you're one of the first shows I watched live as it aired and now the bar is SO FUCKING HIGH.

[indigostarfire]

Which kind of coffee do you like?

La Pluie Episode 12

[indigostarfire]

I like so much that I don't know what to do. I like you so much that I think if I don't tell you how I feel, I will regret it for the rest of my life. You told me that you always follow your heart. And now, don't you feel anything?

[indigostarfire]

La Pluie Ep 12 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Tai was a total shit to everyone. He managed to reconcile with Tien and resolve things with Lomfon. However, he was too much of a shit to talk with Patts, and now Patts has decided it's best for him to leave. Tai decided to RUIN HIS MOM'S WEDDING, and then finally had his ass metaphorically handed to him when he was confronted with the interior reality of human relationships. Now, it's time for him to Japanese Track Star Run after his man.

It's been an honor writing and clowning with all of you. Let's take one final ride.

I have missed Pingpong. They're a good senior.

ARE WE GOING THERE WITH NARA AND DREAM???

LET'S GO LESBIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOT THE TIPPY TOES!!! This episode is giving me everything!!

Wait, is Lomfon's confession video like 20 minutes long?

Thank you, Tien. Please get your brother to step up for once.

Tai FINALLY connected the way he treats Patts to the way he has been beefing with his mom.

Love how we read this show correctly the whole time. The soulmates question was a trap!!

Yes! You better get a scooter!

I'm looking forward to the color analyses about all of the yellow that has made its way into this finale.

I love Tai's helmet.

Oh interesting. I was not expecting them to introduce a couple where one has a visible disability.

Something has shifted since they let Tai start eating again.

Yes, Tai! It's time to speak!

Oh I loved that reconciliation.

Oh my god what is this tag at the end of the show??? Are we getting a sequel??

Final Verdict: 10, I've Had To Give For So Long and I Finally Get to Receive.

WE WERE RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING THE WHOLE TIME!!! THE SOULMATES CONNECTION WAS A TRAP AND A DISTRACTION. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER.

I was here for this show the whole time. I was desperate for this show to succeed and stick the landing. I love that this show wasn't trying to trick us at all. This was the most satisfying experience I've had with a show and other viewers in the last decade. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and creations for the last three months.

Special thanks to @lurkingshan for committing to writing alongside me to convince people to watch this show, and everything else who took up the cause of supporting Patts, including @ginnymoonbeam, @wen-kexing-apologist, and many others.

See you in the next show, clowns.

[indigostarfire]

@lurkingshan poked at me and said I should write out my thoughts about Tai in relation to being a middle child of divorced parents and why he’s acting the way he is. I can’t promise this is gonna be any kind of coherent, cause ya’ll, this episode hit me in feels I haven’t had since I was a kid, but I’ve cranked my BL OST playlist and I’m gonna give it a shot. 

So, first things first - I am a middle child (one older sister, one younger brother) of divorced parents. My parents divorced when I was pretty young (six-ish?). My mother remarried when I was eight, and she and my step-father divorced when I was sixteen. So when I say I relate so hard to Tai and how he processes…life, it’s kinda scary.  

Keep reading

[indigostarfire]

I am more than a bit worried about Tien and Lomfon, honestly. Because Lomfon is making no effort to reach out to Tien. None. And, yes, he can make a movie about his feelings but if he doesn't communicate with Tien, none of that will matter.

Tien wants to be chosen but he also wants to be talked to. He wants to matter. And if Lomfon can't give him that... then none of it will matter.

(Look, is all of this based on my frustration with how lighthearted the conversation between Tai and Lomfon was about this? Yes. It just feels like... they're playing this so lightly for what Lomfon said to Tien, for how we left Tien after that.)

Tien just wants to be chosen, he wants to be loved and he wants to be chosen and he wants to know that his love matters. He wants to matter. He wants to be important to someone, the most important, the way he never has been to anyone.

Lomfon is going to have to show him that he truly matters, that he is part of all of this and that he is loved, that he is chosen. Can he do that in a film? Can his message from the heart really reach Tien if he doesn't talk to him first?

Love is not just a choice, love is a verb. Love is action.

This show has not given us straightforward answers or the twists and turns we expected and I wonder what might be in store for the end of it all and what kind of ending we'll get.

All I want is for Tien to be happy, truly happy, and to matter.

[indigostarfire]

I just cannot get past the fact that even if the entire family shot, when all the brothers as with their parents and finally finding out about the divorce and everything... Tien still vanishes. He is not there in the longshots, only the close ups, and he's the one who invites Nu into the circle even though he can't see him for his brothers.

Tien is the one who vanishes. He puts everyone before himself and he might be loud and brash but he doesn't actually take up any space, not unless he has to. He is never chosen, he is Tai's sidekick and he is part of his support system and he loves his parents and his brothers and they love him but they don't see him.

One of two middle children with the older middle child being unique, having the same hearing loss issue as his parents and so sensitive, so easily upset, so quick to hold a grudge and Tien had to be there for him because that's what brothers do.

But he let himself be consumed into that role. There is more of Tien in taking care of Tai than there is of Tien in himself. He is the brother who chose his brother over himself because he saw that Tai needed that and so he found a role in his family that wouldn't allow him to vanish any more than he already had.

Tien is the noise to Tai's silence, the action to his fears, the forward bravado to his avoidance. Tien is everything that Tai needed to keep going and so he is seen, by Tai and by others, because they always see Tai.

When Tai finally saw that Tien was hurting, it was with disbelieve and confusion and the realization that he had not seen that coming, that he had not ever thought that Tien might like Lomfon, that Tien might be in love, that all of what had happened might have hurt his brother, that brother he takes for granted because Tien has always been there at his side.

The first person who truly saw Tien's weakness and compassion and passion and guilt and the weight he carries was Lomfon and Tai might have given him comfort and listened but, in the end, it was still on Tai's terms and Tien was still more worried for him than for himself.

Tien is resilient and he is because he has to be, because there is no one looking out for him no matter how many people he looks out for and no matter how much he loves what he gets in return is never the same as what he gives.

He gives love and he invites people into his life and he might be rude and brash and loud but he's had a lot of silence to fill over the years and we saw how quiet he can be when he took care of Lomfon, thoughtful and kind and aware of their space and the tiniest of touches.

And only Lomfon sees that.

Tien might vanish for so many other people but he has never vanished for Lomfon and now we just need Lomfon to prove it. Lomfon has to show Tien that he will never disappear from his sight, that he will never simply not be there, that he will never tell him that he has no place in his life again. This is Lomfon's chance. This is his one job.

To show to Tien, to prove to Tien, that he will love him and he will choose him and he will not let him vanish any longer, not let him fade into the background whenever he stops talking.

[indigostarfire]

I don't want to work with him anymore.

La Pluie Episode 11

[indigostarfire]

I am really excited to see Tien get the chance to be the center of something. Because that's what Lomfon has to do. Lomfon has to prove to Tien that he's being chosen, that he is important, the he is seen and that he matters.

Lomfon figured out who he loved too late to show him in the moment so now he needs something far bigger than a confession, something bigger than just a realization. Because he hurt Tien. He said something that broke Tien and removed him from the picture entirely, even if he is the one he loves.

Tien has spent a lifetime vanishing into his family, being as loud and big and brash and still being the one that no one sees except in the context of other people. He shows so much love and so much comfort to other people and when he needs that comfort Tai is surprised, confused and finds it all very unexpected.

Now we have the chance to see Lomfon truly place Tien at the center of something bigger. For Lomfon to show him that he doesn't need to fit himself into a box too small for him, that he doesn't need to vanish behind others, that his needs are just as important as the needs of the people around him and can even be more important.

The message from Lomfon's heart had better be about how important Tien is and how much he is loved.

Because Tien deserves to be the center of someone's universe. Someone who will help him better, someone who will love him exactly as he is and return the care he gives everyone in his life. Someone who will be there for him when he is upset and will keep him from rushing off into choices without thought.

Lomfon has a road to climb to prove himself but he can do it. He can still make that choice. He can prove that love is a choice and that he will make that choice. He will make the choice to love Tien and he will make the choice to choose him and to show him and to be there for him.

Love is a choice and Lomfon has to make that choice because not making it is what lead to where he is now.

(Tien is not okay and Lomfon has to know that but he wants to make a big move instead of a little one but I wish he'd make a little one because it's the little things that matter even more than the big ones and an apology would go so much farther than this ongoing and painful silence. They need communication and Tien isn't going to reach out this time.)

[indigostarfire]

This absolute bay deserves the entire world. Just... every inch of the world. Look at how tiny and yellow he is, pure chaos in baby form and under a towel. He's finally being taken care of after being left in the rain while everyone ran off to their own issues.

And Tai is awkward about being the one to comfort Tien but he does! He loves his brother and they've always been side by side and even if that means switching off who comforts who sometimes... he's learning that's what love can mean. That love can mean needing to reassure someone and love them and meet them where they're at, whatever that may mean.

He tells Tai! He talks to him, he trusts him, we knew that but it's so nice to see Tien being more fragile in front of him, being more honest, really taking the chance to lean on Tai the way he needs to lean on him. Tien has been the strong one for so long. He deserves this chance to let himself hurt with another person.

Yeah, we know.

This was such a good scene, giving Tien that chance to say the words outloud again and to genuinely see Tai see Tien. To see Tai realize that his younger brother is more than who he shows the world and more than he shows most people, more than he's been showing Tai for quite some time.

Honestly, this right here, made even better by how quickly Tai realizes that Lomfon likes Tien when they're talking in the cafeteria. Tai knows that something is going on between them and he sees the same look from Lomfon that he knows from Tien, that same lost and pain looked.

*ahem* CHOICE. The entire story is about choice! It's about choosing who you love and choosing to love and choosing love again and again and again and how Patts tried to choose trust and was given lies and how Tai was the one who did that Tai needs to realize that he has to make a choice and stop waiting for other people to do it for him!

Love is a choice!

I do love these brothers, though. <3

[indigostarfire]

La Pluie Meta Round-up

Since many of us have decided to stop being normal about this show, I wanted to get a little more organized about tracking the great meta inspired by the episodes every week. Some of y’all are putting in work to write these amazing essays digging into the text and subtext of this show, and I want to make sure I’m not missing any of it, as well as have a central place to track my own. I thought this might also be a useful resource to others, especially anyone coming to the show late (please join us, this is the perfect moment to get into La Pluie). 

So without further ado, a round up of my favorite essays and posts to come out of the fandom on this excellent show. I will plan to update this each Saturday with the previous week’s meta as we go through the final four episodes. I tried my best to find everything but y'all know how faulty tumblr’s search and tag functions are, so if you think I missed something important, let me know!

First, the most crucial essay about La Pluie that everyone must read

We Must All Get Gayer and Louder About La Pluie Immediately (@bengiyo)

Second, a round up of some of the essays exploring the structure and intent of the story

Note: these may contain random spoilers for some episodes but are not specifically about any given episode

Four schools of thought on soulmates (@shortpplfedup)

Intentional subversion of the soulmate trope

Interrogating the romance genre (@chickenstrangers) 

La Pluie and the subversion of second lead syndrome

La Pluie and the subversion of the faen fatale

La Pluie: On the Lore 

Locations of La Pluie (@colourme-feral)

Name meanings in La Pluie (@recentadultburnout)

Narrative determinism versus genre determinism (@ginnymoonbeam)

On the subject of consent in recent bls (@williamrikers)

Romance tropes don’t work in real life (@heretherebedork) NEW

Romantic idealism in La Pluie (@ginnymoonbeam)

And finally, episode specific reactions and predictions

Note: These are spoilerific, starting at episode 4 aka when we all started really losing our minds over this show

Episode 4

Defying destiny (me and @bengiyo)

La Pluie Ep 4 And My Love Of Emotionally Available Characters (@bengiyo)

You (Yes, You!) Should be Watching La Pluie

Episode 5

La Pluie Ep 5 Stray Thoughts (aka birth of the Tai’s Dad is queer theory) (@bengiyo)

What we know about Patts (plus Shan and Ben’s vindication)

Working out the colors in La Pluie (@respectthepetty)

Episode 6

Hands in La Pluie Ep 6 (@wen-kexing-apologist)

La Pluie meets Nora Roberts (@syrena-del-mar)

On suspicion of Patts (@ginnymoonbeam)

Patts Was Going to Blow Tai. Tai Wanted It. Why That Matters. (@bengiyo)

You need to be watching La Pluie

Episode 7

Hands in La Pluie Ep 7 (@wen-kexing-apologist)

La Pluie: Maybe we will get a happy ending after all (@neuroticbookworm)

On the bed scene in Ep 7 (@ginnymoonbeam)

On the make out session in Ep 7 (@shouldiusemyname)

Episode 8

La Pluie and the Exploration of Romance, Competence, and Queerness (@bengiyo)

La Pluie: Do you still believe in soulmates?

La Pluie: The most important thing is that we really love each other

The Language of Love in La Pluie Ep 8 (@wen-kexing-apologist)

Third Child Syndrome: Birth Order Theory in La Pluie (@syrena-del-mar)

Episode 9

La Pluie and The Kind One (@sunshinechay)

Soulmate Skepticism vs Romanticism in La Pluie (@neuroticbookworm) 

the divine in me; the divine in you (@liyazaki)

The Kindness is the Point (@bengiyo)

The ultimate message of La Pluie

To love is a choice (@heretherebedork) 

What matters is CHOICE (@shortpplfedup)

Episode 10

A Jungian Perspective on La Pluie (@syrena-del-mar)

A Logical Love Doesn’t Exist (@fadelikeclouds)

break your own chains (@liyazaki)

Diving into Tai’s mind: Actions do not speak louder than words (@fadelikeclouds)

La Pluie: A Masterclass in Conflict Writing in Romance

La Pluie Breaks the Soulmate Bond

La Pluie: Not All Gays Are Great (@bengiyo)

La Pluie the Soundtrack (@shouldiusemyname)

Lomfon thoughts (@rocketturtle4)

On Tai’s isolation (@sunshinechay)

On villainising Patts (@shortpplfedup)

Pee Peerawich Can Fucking Act (@wen-kexing-apologist)

Revisiting episode 8

Similarities between Lomfon and Tai (@iguessitsjustme)

Tai and Patt’s incompatible conflict styles and Tais’ conflict avoidance (@ginnymoonbeam)

The Depths of Inner Turmoil (@syrena-del-mar)

The Soulmate Label (@indigostarfire)

Understanding the Core Four of La Pluie (@neuroticbookworm)