#brat tamer phayu

[bllemons]

This is what subspace looks like when you're with the right dom to bring it out

Upon rewatching and this is ONE OF MY FAVS RAIN WAS GRIPPING THAT SHIRT FOR SOME STABILITY!!!😫😫 THEN THE GOOD JOB AT THE END I-

[characteranalyst]

Phayu Character Analysis : The Man With a Borrowed Halo and One Foot in Hell

“My brother is far from simple, you’ll get burned if you don’t know how to play with fire” - Saifah

Gather round LITA obsessed children for an in depth analysis of our resident Daddy Dom Brat Tamer Phayu who Christian Grey wished he was and tried to be. You either hate him, love him, want to be him or all of the above.

I know PhayuRain’s arc seems like on the surface just a fluffy little romance with no need for lengthy think pieces.  But I’m obsessed with their dynamic and I could not let the hyper-fixation pass before doing a character analysis. Phayu haunts the periphery of dreams and I am hoping that this analysis will help me exorcise this beautiful spectre so I can finally know peace.

As much as I would genuinely love to crack open his skull and unspool all of his thoughts and motivations I cannot do that. So disclaimer obviously this will just be conjecture and my opinion and I am going to try and stick as closely as possible to canon and refrain from falling into head canon territory.

I have read Love Storm but I’m only going to be referencing how Phayu behaves in the series because I prefer that version of him. Also this is going to be a very LONGGGG post. I have many thoughts on this man. Feel free to skim through or save it to read for some other time.

I am mainly going to be speaking about the main character traits that I have observed from him and how he relates to the rest of the characters in the series. I think I am going to make a separate analysis of his dynamic with Rain because going in depth with that would be too much for me to mention here.��

Alright let’s get into it.

(1) EARLY CHILDHOOD AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD

We are given little to no information on his childhood and or young adulthood. What we do know is that his parents left him and Saifah an incredible house and the luxury garage so we can assume that they weren’t strapped for cash.  

Him and Saifah seem like two relatively well adjusted young men so I guess we can assume that there was little to no childhood trauma. In episode 6 during their pillow talk Phayu tells Rain that his parents are off living in Korat and enjoying their lives, I’m assuming. So I guess they’re not divorced. So he has no ‘separated parents’ trauma to deal with.

The only thing that gives us a little insight into how his childhood affected who he became as a person was when he told Rain the story of how his mother always used to argue with his father about how he could fix bikes beautifully but he could not build a house for them.

So Phayu decided that he was going to ensure that he was able to fulfil both by becoming a mechanic and an architect. I think from this we can conclude that Phayu is an overachiever and this displays his seemingly constant need to be perfect and the best.

I think this may also come from a child’s instinctual need to please their caretakers and make them proud. Phayu also seems like someone who has had a Type A personality from birth. In contrast to Saifah who seems like a little more laid back more go with the flow type.

From this little snippet of information we can also assume that his affinity for being a mechanic was either inherited from his father or taught to him and Saifah.

In conclusion it’s safe to say that Phayu does not really seem to have any trauma to speak of, he's just kinky.  I like the fact he doesn’t have any heavy trauma or unsavoury character traits (well I take this back he’s a little pushy and manipulative) he needs to get over. There is beauty in this simplicity where as a result, the majority of the narrative is focused on Phayu Rain falling in love with each other.

(2)   PHAYU AND HIS AIR OF MYSTERY (DR JEYKLL AND MR HYDE)

One thing that stood out to me when we as an audience were introduced to Phayu was his air of mystery. Everyone knows of him of course because he has been knighted as the God of the faculty of architecture.  But we see quickly that very few people actually know him personally. We can see how this fact plays out in the series through the following examples:

Pun says that she has no idea what kind of business Phayu runs but it's ok because she likes a man with a little mystery. (Episode 1)

Phayu refuses to tell Rain what he likes to eat on their first date because he says that Rain has to know him a lot longer before he can ‘snoop for information’ as he puts it. (Episode 3)

Phayu shares only a little information about his life with his senior Mhok before abruptly cutting the conversation short so as to not reveal too much information about his personal life. (Episode 4)

Phayu only reveals deep information about himself and his parents and childhood to Rain after their second time during pillow talk. (Episode 6)

He also doesn’t really seem to have close friends except for Prapai and Saifah. I don’t really think Saifah counts because he’s more of an unwilling captive because they have to share everything that their parents left them. I really don’t think they would even be friends if they weren’t brothers honestly because of their differing personalities. 

I think this ability to guard what he reveals to people helps maintain his mystique. There needs to be a certain level of distance and holding people at arm’s length that needs to take place in order for people to project their fantasies onto him and build him up as some sort of God among men.

I think the reason people idolise Phayu and like him so much is because they like the idea of him rather than the reality of him. I think if more people knew who he actually was in reality, they would be put off by how intense he is.

Rain seems like the only person who had become disillusioned with the idea of Phayu. After the debacle in Episode 1 he sees Phayu not as his ‘cool handsome big bike bro” but as a pushy piece of shit bastard that tried to assault him. I also think some of his anger towards Phayu had to do with him being confused by his feelings for him;  creating a cocktail of confusion for poor Rain to sort out. So he was able to view Phayu as a person and not place him on a pedestal like other people do.

I think this is what PhayuRain’s relationship needed to flourish as well because Phayu needs someone who is able to challenge him. We are well aware of how much he loves brats. The worshipful gaze of Som and Pun would not be satisfactory for him because they had him on a pedestal and were blinded by their idea of him so they would readily submit to him without much push back.

He needed someone with a backbone who could engage in a sort of push and pull relationship with him and our adorable little firecracker Rain was the perfect match. Phayu has people falling at his feet daily; he was in need of much more excitement than that.

Like the story of the titular character Dr.Jekyll a well-respected scientist who used his alter ego Mr.Hyde to delve into the darker side of science without repentance or taking responsibility; Phayu has that same sort of duality. I think Phayu keeps his kinky side under wraps and he’s very careful about whom he shows that part of himself to. Presumably only his lovers or potential lovers get to see his ‘bad side’.

So his DR JEKYLL would be, so to speak,the Phayu that is seen as a smart, capable, polite, helpful and well-adjusted young man, loved by all and sought after by many. This is the Phayu that would leave a random stranger his set square with an encouraging message about his future in architecture.

On the flip side his MR HYDE would be Dom Daddy Brat Tamer Phayu with a penchant for sadism and degradation.

At the end of the day both sides come together to make up who Phayu is as a person and there is nothing inherently wrong with his Mr. Hyde as long as he is able to channel it and engage with it safely with willing participants. Fortunately for him, he has Rain for that.

(3) WONKY MORAL COMPASS BUT STRINGENT PERSONAL RULES 

I really had a hard time dissecting this part. But I have come to the conclusion that Phayu deserves to be labelled as a morally grey or morally ambiguous person. I really have a soft spot for morally grey characters in media or literature. 

It makes the narrative far more interesting to follow. In real life however I would run in the opposite direction and call the police. But this isn’t supposed to be real, it's supposed to be a fantasy so I’m not going to go too much in depth about Phayu’s moral failings. This show doesn’t take itself too seriously so I’m not going to either.

Phayu is not a ‘nice’ person plain and simple and he knows it, contrary to Pun’s expository gushing in the first episode of the show when she refers to him as “super-duper nice”. After the spanking incident in Episode 2 (which was wild now that I think of it) where Rain declares that he is going to make him fall in love with him he says to himself;

 “You’re going to make me fall in love with you but do you know what kind of man I am.”

I think Phayu says this because he knows himself thoroughly the good, the bad and the ugly. Phayu has overcome himself. He has recognized all his shortcomings, all his base desires, all his lowliness, all the self-imposed restraints he places upon himself and overcome them. 

Phayu also strikes me as someone who has engaged with his shadow self and explored the parts of his psyche that most of us would repress and compartmentalise because we are too ashamed of our darkness to engage with it.

He has looked his darkness in the face and come to terms with it. That is why he says, "Do you know what kind of man I am?", because he understands people’s perception of him lies in stark contrast to his unsavoury character traits.

I also think his dabbling in BDSM has given him the room and space to conduct such exploration of himself in a safe, sane and consensual way. I think the nature of BDSM can afford people an outlet to engage with their own darkness and sort through it so that it doesn’t manifest in their life in other ways.

In Episode 1 we see where Prapai likens him to the devil (jokingly) but under every joke there is definitely some truth. If Prapai is calling him that it must be the truth because as we know Prapai looks like his only close friend.

We can assume that Prapai is incredibly familiar with Phayu’s Mr. Hyde as we can presume that they know each other very well so his assessment of dubbing Phayu as a devil must be accurate. 

Also head canon (I know I said I was going to refrain from going into head canon territory but please indulge me a bit) I’m sure they’ve fucked before in a bro-ish kind of way. I mean their both hot and bi and Prapai’s a sub in top’s clothing (I know Dom/sub and top/bottom are two separate things just enjoy the joke you know what I mean)  so it’s not far fetched to think they would have at some time fucked around a bit. 

Although I know Phayu is hardly the correct type of Dom for Prapai’s specific brand of subbiness. The point is I think that Prapai would be privy to Phayu’s true nature and how much of a little shit he can be when he isn’t using his powers for good.

In Episode 5 Saifah, the only other person we see having a close relationship with Phayu refers to him as a Devil as well.

I just know these two have witnessed some shit over the years of knowing Phayu that warranted him being referred to as a Devil.

Discussing Phayu’s moral code is very weird because it’s obvious that he doesn’t really adhere to a normal set of rules. We can assume he’s not particularly religious because it wasn’t mentioned.

I think Phayu is very domineering and kind of manipulative but at the same time he commands an air of respect. He is not necessarily what you would expect from someone who is so widely lauded as an exemplary person.

What also struck me about Phayu was the fact although his moral code seems a little flexible he has a few hard and fast non-negotiable rules that may seem arbitrary to someone like Rain but to him it may as well be gospel. 

One of these rules in the show is seen where we see he has a big thing for respect. We see an example of this when he calls Rain after he picks up his car from the garage and he tells Rain that only ill-mannered boys don’t greet the owner of the house when they stop by. He also ends the call by telling Rain to be respectful. We also see his thing for rules when he tells Rain that he doesn’t like ill-mannered boys and that he should address him as P’Phayu emphasising the use of honorifics.

Phayu is also a man of his word in Episode 7 when Rain tells Phayu that he will unleash his wrath on him if he ever cheats on him. Phayu just laughs and says he will never let Rain down. He holds true to this in the Special Episode when Rain accuses him of cheating on him with Natsu he utters the same sentiment that he promised to never let Rain down. This man looked absolutely horrified at the accusation like he wouldn’t even dream of it.

I think his strict adherence to rules other than him being a Dom could also be influenced by his exposure and affiliation with the likes of P’Pakin and P’Chai.  He knows that there will be dire consequences if the rules aren’t strictly adhered to. This is why he curses Stop for mentioning the race in public and he reprimands Rain for thoughtlessly wandering into the illegal street race without permission to be there.

BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE

He’s so stringent about ensuring that Rain is polite and respectful but he thinks it’s perfectly fine to tamper with Rain’s car so that he would have an excuse to be his knight in shining armour and save him so they could hook up. The math is not mathing at all. I know he’s an experienced mechanic and he wouldn’t have tampered with anything that would have led Rain getting in an accident and getting injured but still. WEIRD BEHAVIOUR KHUN PHAYU!!!!!! Also don’t even get me started on him using the debt of fixing Rain’s car as some weird way to stalk him??? RED FLAGGGGGG!! His methods of courtship definitely need some fine tuning. 

In conclusion his contradictory moral code gives me whiplash trying to figure out where on the scale from angel to devil I should place him. But I think he’s just human. No one is all good and all bad and I think that Mame writes very human raw characters that make you feel something. I’ll give credit where credit is due.

(4) AN EERIE LEVEL OF SELF CONTROL AND THE PATIENCE OF A SAINT 

This man probably never has New Year’s Resolutions because he’s already operating at optimal condition. Phayu is portrayed to be quite literally always in control. The only time he looks undone is after THAT SCENE in Episode 6.

We see this self-control manifest in the way he makes love to Rain in a very formulaic, worshipful and almost performative manner. Gently throwing Rain’s head back, holding his hands down and caging his body. Rain responds in kind to his dominance by always baring his throat in submission and allowing his body to go lax under Phayu’s ministrations.

It’s so gentle but he’s still being dominant and in control. While Rain always looks halfway between heaven and earth during these scenes Phayu always seems wholly present and tethered to earth (like a good Dom should be) creating a space in which his precious sub can feel safe enough to fly out of this stratosphere.

The subtlety with which he maintains control makes me absolutely feral. There is hardly any jostling or manhandling but it’s still forceful. I think a great example of the subtlety of how Phayu displays his dominance can be seen in the PhayuRain make-out scene in Episode 5.

The natural way he cages Rain’s neck to control the flow of the kiss.

The way he stop kissing Rain when Rain tries to lead and he put a finger to his lips in a way that almost screams “Relax I’m in charge here.”

Unlike our donut firecracker Rain (my sweet boy) that was ready to scrap at the first sign of disrespect, Phayu seems like he is not one to resort to violence if they could sort it out by just talking and coming to an amicable solution.

We can see an example of this where Phayu refused to be baited by Stop into fighting with him even though Stop was about to punch him at the night racing circuit in the beginning of Episode 6.

Also before the race between him and Stop where Stop was trying to rile him up. He was able to remain level headed while Stop immediately lost his cool and tried to fight him once again when Phayu insulted him.

I’m assuming this self-control is more nature than nurture. It seems like he is the type to have always been calm and self-contained. He doesn’t need to bark loudly because his competence and self-assuredness speaks volumes. 

He quite literally doesn’t yell often he just uses that husky dom voice. The only time he ever really raised his voice was when he was shouting at Rain in Episode 2 when he was worried that he could have gotten killed for sneaking into the illegal street circuit race.

The thing about dominance and control that I think people like Stop with fragile egos get wrong is that they think it comes from a place of aggression, peacocking and forcing people to bow to your will. This is however not the sort of dominance that will truly gain you respect and have people willingly obey you.

Phayu’s dominance and control comes from a place of nurturing and caring and people only defer to him and his authority because he has proven time and time again that he is capable of shouldering the responsibility of what this control entails and he has consequently gained their respect because of it.

(5) PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL 

No matter how level headed he is and self-control he possesses he’s still a man and he has been socialised to exist as a man. So he’s not above engaging in a motorcycle race with an asshole like Stop to prove a point and because of his pride.

I like how this moment humanised Phayu and showed how no matter how above petty human emotions he seems, he’s still liable to fall victim to making decisions based on ego.

However, I like that he was self-aware enough to realise that he was indeed only participating in this race because of his pride because he says to Rain when he tries to stop him some things just don’t have an explanation. 

We can contrast him racing Stop because of his pride and him kneeling before Stop and crawling to save Rain from being hurt. Although he has an ego he was more than willing to put pride aside to ensure Rain’s safety.

(SIDENOTE- I died watching the kidnapping ordeal in episode 7 that shit was so unserious. The picture of Rain that Stop sent Phayu lives in my head rent free and I cackle from time to time because of it.) 

(6) “P’PHAYU LHOR MAKKKKK!” – Pun  (PRETTY PRIVILEGE AND THE HALO EFFECT)

Physical appearance is often a major part of the halo effect. People who are considered attractive tend to be rated higher as possessing positive traits in contrast to people who aren’t considered conventionally attractive.

I think beauty can be blinding and make people more willing to overlook people’s misgivings. As the halo effect states people are more likely to project good qualities on to people they deem to be conventionally attractive.

As I said when I was addressing his air of mystery; because people are so predisposed to projecting all these good qualities on Phayu the distance and the space that he creates between him and other people can be filled with these projections and good qualities so that they build him up in their minds as this amazing person.

This man radiates and secretes ungodly amounts of sex appeal without trying. So I think his general attractiveness is one of the reasons as well why Rain had a hard time getting people to believe that Phayu was a pushy manipulative little asshole in the beginning.

Do I think Phayu would have commanded the same level of respect that he does without also being pretty? I don’t know to be honest. I do however think Phayu is an unintentional cautionary tale about the dangers of projecting good qualities on someone just because they’re attractive and being blind to their faults.

(7) SELF ASSURED, CONFIDENT AND CHARMING – CONCEITED?

I mean I’d be that confident too if I was rich, handsome, talented, smart ANDDDDD could fuck like a porn star but I digress. Very much a quiet confidence to him as was elaborated on when I spoke about the air of mystery. He is evidently very capable and consequently people rely on him and I think his self- assuredness comes from the fact that he can back up his claims because he has every right to be self-centred.

Without mincing words this man is very conceited. However although he is conceited he doesn’t lack empathy and he doesn’t seem too self-involved as evidenced by the way he ensures that he takes care of the people he cares about.

(8) PHAYU THE COMPULSIVE CARETAKER, CONCEITED BUT NOT SELF-INVOLVED

We see in Episode 4 how Phayu puts Rain’s needs before his by ensuring that Rain focuses on his school work and ensures that his development and advancement as a person comes before pursuing a romantic relationship with Phayu.

He ensures that Rain understands how slacking on his work in pursuance of other things will affect his work life and he lectures him while still comforting him after. I really liked this scene in Episode 3 because Phayu is able to help Rain because he’s older and more experienced and he’s gone through it before. I also like the fact that there isn’t a hint of condescension in his voice, just concern and wanting to ensure that Rain becomes the best version of himself.

Phayu shows how much he cares about Rain and is invested in making Rain a priority in his life in so many little ways. We can see in Episode 5 how Phayu leaves an important meeting to answer Rain’s text messages. Also in Episode 4 When Rain finishes his project early after an all-nighter and instead of sleeping he goes straight to Phayu. Phayu ensures that there is reciprocity in their relationship by saying that you missed out on sleep to come see me, so I'm going to hurry up and finish my work so we can hang out.

He makes an effort to help Rain finish his models like he promised to do in his speech in Episode 5. Also in Episode 4 he apologises to Rain for his phone dying and for making him wait for him in the rain. In Episode 6 after he almost gets in a fight with Stop the first thing he does is ask Rain if he’s alright even though he was the one that almost had a brawl with Stop.

I think we really see throughout the show how the way Phayu interacts with Rain takes on a sort of paternalistic tinge. The title of Daddy is incredibly fitting and I really just think this is him being a good Dom.

That’s why I think this is the reason Phayu looks so touched and taken aback when Rain and him first meet and he holds the umbrella for Phayu while he’s changing his tire. Phayu’s so used to being relied on and being assumed to be competent and well put together. He’s used to giving without expecting anything in return. So when Rain does this small act of kindness in an effort to repay this Good Samaritan, Phayu becomes fascinated with him. 

(9) ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS B.R. (Before Rain)

Was he possibly a whore? Not as much of a whore as Prapai but he has definitely spun the block. Whereas our beloved service top Prapai has built a gated community in which he resides on said block. Phayu had a condom stashed under that toy car so we know he was getting some action.

He was probably not a whore whore because as he said to Rain in the bathroom scene:

We all know why he’s particular. I don’t think he would have been able to find a lot of people willing to put up with his domineering attitude and controlling nature long term if they didn’t have that sort of kink no matter how insanely hot he is.

But there were definitely others before Rain if we can take cues from the offhanded comments of the other characters in the series. Saifah tells Rain in Episode 3 when he’s waiting for Phayu that there were others before him. Was it a lot of others though? The world may never know.

Saifah comments on the fact that Phayu has been single for a long time and Saifah tells him if he wants to be happy like him he should get in a serious relationship. So we can assume that long term romantic relationships for Phayu have more than likely been few and far between. He probably was not celibate though as we see how he was going to have a one night stand with Rain.

We see Saifah saying that he feels bad for whoever is making Phayu smile like that and how he warns him not to be too mean to Rain because he will run away. We can assume that others have been perturbed by how intense Phayu was in the past and they have run off.

I’m sure Saifah knows Phayu very well and even if he isn’t aware of the details of his kinkiness he knows Phayu has a thing about control and a mean streak. At least that’s what Saifah computes it as in his vanilla mind. I’m sure this poor man has heard and seen way too much. JUSTICE FOR SAIFAHH!!!!!!

Lastly before they get together Phayu constantly tests Rain to see if he can handle what a long term relationship with him would look like. I’m sure this comes from things not working out in the past and Phayu wanting to ensure that Rain can handle him.

We can see that Phayu may have abandonment issues from things not working out in the past with his romantic pursuits when in Episode 5 he’s scared and panicked and sad when Rain runs away after they have sex for the first time. I have three theories about this:

(1) He didn’t want to lose Rain because he’s a unicorn and he may never have hope of finding someone so perfect for him again.  

(2) He was abandoned before because he was too much and overbearing and it triggered him.

(3) He’s big on communication and he feels slighted that Rain ran away before they could discuss how their relationship would develop after they had sex for the first time.

It could have quite possibly been a combination of all of the above. Phayu seems like the type to be fully invested in a long term relationship and he seems like someone who loves deeply so I think him testing Rain was him just trying to ensure that Rain was worth the investment before he got too attached.

(10) PHAYU THE SCULPTOR ; HIS OBSESSION WITH POTENTIAL AND MOULDING THINGS TO HIS LIKING 

“Rain before you design a house you need to design your life first”- Phayu

I get the impression that Phayu’s view on life is that everything can be curated and tailored to his liking if he tries hard enough. He’s definitely not a go with the flow kind of person. Every single move he makes is intentional. Looking at his two professions being an architect and his side of job of being a mechanic; these are two things that require moulding, precision.

Architects are able to create and design and bring their vision to life and make it tangible. It’s a very creative profession with the added bonus of having something you designed realised in real life.

Also mechanics are constantly tinkering with engines and in control of powerful machinery. Whether they work on maintenance, diagnostics, or repairs, they have to perform those tasks with exacting detail. That is because this careful work on important vehicle components could save someone’s life.

This speaks to Phayu’s pedantic nature with the added element of not wanting to deal with the consequences of disappointing Pakin. These machines are kind of like a puzzle to be solved.

But the catch is those things aren’t really his and they don’t truly belong to him.

In Episode 3 we can infer that sometimes clients may criticize his designs and he has to mould it to their liking instead of relying on his own vision.

In Episode 1 Prapai tells him your babies are so beautiful (referring to the motorcycles) but Phayu corrects him and says that they don’t belong to him.

But I think that although he doesn’t own these things and that he may be required to tailor the design of a house to someone else’s liking still these tasks scratch his itch for moulding and creating.

Then *enter stage left* a wild Rain appears, a blank canvas unmarred by past sexual or romantic experience. He has no expectations and no idea how anything works so he’s able to become a sort of pliable clay that Phayu can use his deft fingers to mold to his liking consequently making Rain his.

We can are shown how their relationship is mutually beneficial and how it works for them. Different folks have different strokes.

The glint in his eyes and the way Phayu all but shivers in excitement every time Rain tells him he can’t do something. 

Episode 4 – "I’ll teach you"

Episode 6- "I'll train you to be the best rider"

In the infamous Daddy scene in the special episode he says "When I teach I teach to the core" 

It’s not explicitly stated but I’m sure this man got off constantly at the fact that he was Rain’s first everything when it came to sex and romance and he is constantly in charge of moulding him.

We can definitely see how much of a diligent student and quick learner Rain is and how Phayu is consequently able to enjoy the fruits of his labour. (SIDE NOTE: I’m sure Phayu wasn’t prepared for the monster he created in Rain.)

I love the reciprocity in their relationship as Phayu shows Rain just how desired he is and worships him constantly.

(11) WHY HE WAS DEFINITELY A KID WHO HATED SHARING HIS TOYS 

Phayu strikes me as a man who knows exactly what he wants and  how to obtain it and when he finds it he will hold on to it and never let it go. We are given countless examples of Phayu’s blatant possessiveness over Rain once they begin their unorthodox courtship.

When after their first time Phayu says to Rain that he must repeat the phrase “Rain belongs to P’Phayu.”back to him.

This man heard that Pun was in Rain’s general vicinity and immediately drove to him to stake his claim. Also when he admits to being “insanely jealous” of Pun ever since he heard that Rain used to have a romantic interest in her.

He removes Saifah’s hand from Rain’s shoulder in Episode 4 and tells him to get back to work after Saifah suggests that he could teach Rain how to ride a super bike.

I do think this possessiveness is also in part because Phayu realises how much of a rare find Rain is and he will do everything in his power to ensure that they stay together forever. I also think in contrast, Rain’s possessiveness has more to do with him constantly having to fight off potential suitors because everyone is in love with Phayu (well the idea of him). 

I appreciate however that his possessiveness isn’t portrayed as particularly toxic because in episode 5 when Phayu is having lunch with Sky and Rain and Rain tells Sky he loves him after he told him that Phayu and him were dating.

Instead of getting unreasonable jealous of Rain and Sky’s obviously platonic relationship, Phayu simply says that he has no reason to be jealous because he knows that Sky and Rain are just friends.

I think if they ever decided on venturing out and engaging in a threesome it would 100% be Rain’s idea in order to satiate his own curiosity. Phayu would go along with it (ever indulgent of his sweet boy) but he would probably have to be in control the entire time while simultaneously barking orders at the third party about how to pleasure Rain properly.

(12) THE SADISTIC  LITTLE SHIT (AFFECTIONATE) AND HIS “DEK NGO”  "DEK NARAK"

I know PhayuRain and their kink list is longer than the elevator ride to hell but I’m going to focus on what in my opinion is Phayu’s poison of choice. That is sadism and degradation.

More specifically emotional and psychological sadism mostly. I don’t think he’s particularly opposed to physical sadism though. In the special episode he said he punished Rain until he was sore but Rain liked it. Although this is vague and he could have been sore for different reasons we see in Episode 2 when Phayu is berating Rain for breaking into the illegal race that isn’t above spanking Rain.

I don’t really know for sure if Rain is a masochist though I think he is definitely willing to try things with Phayu but he didn’t really seem to enjoy the spanking but I guess that was mostly because they didn’t know each other that well.

So I think while Phayu is mainly an emotional sadist and he prefers it he partakes in physical sadism with Rain because I think Rain would prefer that more based on his personality. This is mainly because of his obvious praise kink.

(CC: Rain’s blissed out expression when Phayu whispered “keng mak” i.e. “Good job” in his ear in the bathroom stall scene after Rain had followed his instructions.)

So the degradation that comes along with emotional sadism may not be Rain’s cup of tea.

After the incident in Episode 3 where Phayu told Rain to change ‘ngo’ to ‘narak’ ; I think he realised how insecure Rain was about being called stupid and that this was a hard limit for Rain. We can see as the story progress after this incident where Phayu either calls him “naughty boy” or some version of good boy.

I do think that this is an example of how Phayu is willing to tailor and transform his kinks and compromise to ensure that Rain is comfortable. He realised that Rain responds far better to praise and made the necessary adjustments.

We also see Phayu’s penchant for degradation and humiliation in  Episode 3 where he buys Rain extra small underwear. Although they were the correct size for Rain, Phayu had to throw  in a little dick size shaming for his own amusement. The smug little smile after he riles Rain up about this speaks for itself. 

However I wanted to fight him when he made my baby Rain cry in episode 5 after he made Rain think that he didn’t want to be with him anymore. Although I kind of feel like this was sort of more punishment for the fact that Rain ran off after their first time in Episode 4 and made him worry. I guess it’s safe to add dacryphilia to their long ass kink list. Phayu you sadistic little shit. 

If we also listen to the words of Phayu in his little speech before they make out in episode 5, I swear the only thing missing from this was Phayu getting down on one knee and proposing to Rain. 

He says:

We can see that he enjoys this and gets off on being the one to tease and degrade Rain. He knows Rain’s limits and he ensures that he follows up any degradation with praise as a  salve to any open wounds he’s caused with his words. I think Rain eventually adapts to this part of Phayu however because in Episode 7 he tells Phayu that he is willing to let Phayu tease him forever. 

I love how they are both willing to adapt and compromise to better serve each other’s needs. Phayu constantly keeps Rain off kilter constantly guessing, constantly teasing him but at the same time he ensures that Rain understands that Phayu loves him and he is valued.

Phayu is constantly and reflexively adjusting himself to meet Rain's needs from moment to moment and I applaud him for it. Good job Daddy you get a gold star for all your hard work.

(13) PHAYU THE INVENTOR OF HEALTHY COMMUNICATION

This definitely has to be one of my favourite things about Phayu. I’m sure Rain isn’t the first person Phayu has attempted to have some sort of D/s relationship with and at the core of this is communication, consent and boundaries. 

D/s relationships especially 24/7 ones involve copious amounts of consent and negotiation and communication but I know that the show couldn’t necessarily explicitly address the fact that they are in a 24/7 D/s relationship so we don’t get any sit down moments where Phayu and Rain discuss it blatantly. However I would assume that at some point Phayu sat Rain down and explained to him what their dynamic is and what was expected of him.

We definitely see how much Phayu values communication in the Special Episode when Rain misreads a situation. Where he sees Phayu talking to Natsu on the couch in Phayu’s home. I mean to be fair sparks were flying between them. I don’t know  if that was just a Boss thing because good God this man can generate sexual tension with a  wall. (Went off on a tangent there moving on back to communication.)

I think that Phayu understands that Rain has a sort of inferiority complex that is made worse by people being constantly baffled as to how Rain ended up with a guy like Phayu. Rain also most likely due to immaturity and lack of life experience has a problem with communication and conflict resolution. 

Phayu has to drag the confession out of Rain about why he’s upset with him. We see where this man has quite literally done nothing wrong yet still he gets on his knees to apologise and tries to make it up to Rain. 

I love that Phayu possesses the maturity to  never allow misunderstandings to remain unaddressed and fester. Although Rain may lack the maturity to speak up and directly tell Phayu what is bothering him in any given situation, Phayu ensures that they talk it out so that their conflicts do not go unresolved and that resentment does not have the opportunity to set in. 

(14) PHAYU SEX & SEXUALITY 

Phayu is an unapologetically shameless and sexual person. This comfortability in his sexuality and his lack of preoccupation with other people's opinion of him allows him to exude a calm self assurance and striking sex appeal subconsciously. 

This comfortability with his own sexuality was displayed many times throughout the series. In Episode 3 when that are at the porridge shop and Phayu goads Rain into being unashamed of the fact that they were in public and on a date with each other.

In Episode 5 after Rain told Sky that he was dating Phayu he said he was happy that Rain told his best friend about them because he understands that he would be apprehensive in case Sky would start to see him differently. I like that he lets Rain come out on his own time and he doesn’t rush him. Lastly in Episode 6 Phayu proudly introduces Rain as his boyfriend to P’ Chai at the street race. 

Phayu is a readymade character who has presumably gone through the stage in his life where he would have explored his sexuality and unusual proclivities and has come to the point of acceptance. I think that is why he is portrayed as someone who knows exactly what he likes and enjoys and is unashamed of it.

This is why he seems to be such a safe place for Rain to explore the full spectrum of his own sexuality.  There is never any judgement in Phayu's eyes when they uncover another one of Rain’s off the walls kinks. We just see at most a sort of mild amusement and an instant willingness to acquiesce and indulge Rain.

Phayu being out and proud made Rain feel like it was ok to have these feelings so his apprehension about identifying as such quickly dissipated.He’s constantly willing to teach, indulge and hold Rain’s hand through this journey and I just think that’s so neat. 

Everyone deserves to have a safe place like Phayu when dipping their toes in and navigating the troubled unpredictable waters of sex and sexuality especially when coming to terms with their own queerness. 

WHAT IS PHAYU’S MAIN MOTIVATION THAT UNDERSCORES EVERYTHING SINGLE ACTION THAT HE TAKES?

The simple answer to this is control. This is important because I don’t see Phayu as someone who particularly chases after power but control? Yes most definitely.Power is the ability to make something happen. Control is the ability to make something happen the way you want. We are all created differently but Phayu needs control at all times in the same way we need oxygen to survive. It’s just the way his wires were crossed. 

Phayu could have easily just admitted to Rain on their first meeting that he remembered him and he could have left it to chance how their encounter would have gone. He could have also gone through the Prapaiesque route and  just pursued Rain himself. 

But he was different; he made sure that he was in control of  their dynamic from the very beginning. The aforementioned options left far too many variables that could have thrown a wrench in Phayu’s end game which was getting Rain. 

He even somehow managed to get Rain to pursue him and have him think that it was his idea. Even though he was the one who liked Rain from the very beginning.

This desperate all-consuming need to be in control at all times is tempered by Phayu’s ability to adequately shoulder the responsibility that comes with that control. Everything he does is calculated. There is always an end goal. Consequently he thrives and is most content when he has someone like Rain to be in charge of in a sense.

The contentment and ease that seems to overtake Phayu when he and Rain are in an established relationship is a sight to see. He’s no longer untethered; he's firm and grounded.

CHARACTER’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE PLOT

There isn’t too much angst and the denouement/final conflict just concerns external factors and has nothing to do with Phayu Rain’s romantic relationship

The plot is just romance; from the meet cute in the rain to the established relationship. I love how we just felt like we were along for the ride to watch two men fall irrevocably in love with each other and fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces.

CHARACTER’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE SERIES

I’m going to be honest I don’t think there was much life altering character growth with Phayu. When we meet Phayu he seems like a fully fleshed out character who knows what he wants and isn’t ashamed of his proclivities and sexuality so there is no room to explore there or for any consequent development. Phayu is a static character with no change in behaviour, and his values and attitudes remain pretty consistent throughout the entirety of the text and the series. 

I don’t think I’m getting over PhayuRain anytime soon. If you got all the way to the end I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. Let me know if you guys have anything to add. The plot as well as the characters in this show were a far cry from perfect but I keep coming back to it so they must have done something right. 

[bunny-lou]

LITA AU - mechanic Phayu flirting with pit bunny Rain

Love in the Air AU: Phayu is used to pit bunnies being pretty, flirty, sweet. He's never met one so bratty.

(I'm super into Rain's bratness, but even more into Phayu's brat-tamerness and I also 0 knowledge of street races, illegal or otherwise, and this rambling depicts pit bunnies as people who have been hired to help host/entertain racers. Imagine them like Hooters waitresses.)

---

Phayu has been around pit bunnies as long as he's been a mechanic. Some pit bunnies belong to specific racers, but more of them are hired by Pakin's men to host. The pit bunnies play nice with the big shots, the best spenders. They fetch drinks and flirt and bat their eyes because rich, cocky men place much bigger bets when they want to impress the pretty young thing at their side. Phayu thinks he's on good or at least neutral terms with all of them. He doesn't have much reason to interact with them, but none have ever been rude to him.

Until a new pit bunny comes along.

Phayu catches sight of him sometimes; he's one of the only boy pit bunnies at these races and he wears shorts so tight that it's hard to not notice him. Phayu tries to be as distant as possible, know as little as possible, so he never goes out of his way to say hi, despite appreciating the boy's smooth legs and the brief ideas of those legs wrapped around his waist.

The pit bunny is pretty, but that's nothing special. Phayu has sweet, pretty boys already at his beck and call.

But mouthy, pretty boys are a little more fun.

Phayu has to visit one of the few stands that sells food. He gets free drinks as someone who technically works the races and it's an especially warm night. He gets a water and a sports drink and turns to head back to his tent, when someone collides with his side.

"Oh son of a bitch!"

And Phayu is hot and tired and covered in sweat and now some sticky alcoholic drink, and this guy should be apologizing, so he snaps back "manners."

"Oh son of a bitch, please and thank you."

Phayu snap his eyes to this little brat to see a pout so endearing, it almost makes him smile. But he's not going to smile because-

"You ran into me," Phayu tells him in a stern tone, "because you weren't paying attention. You owe me an apology."

The pit bunny flushes and crosses his arms over his crop top. His exposed stomach is smooth and taut and pierced. "Well you were in my way."

Phayu's teeth ache with the desire to bite the attitude out of this boy. "What's your name?"

"Rain. What's yours?"

The lack of honorific is not lost on either of them. "Phayu, I'm the senior mechanic covered in your drinks."

"Then maybe you should replace them?"

Phayu folds his arms and something in him preens as Rain eyes his biceps. They're both standing with their arms folded, but it's so different. Phayu is tall and straight, unimpressed expression with a single raised brow, while Rain has hip cocked down and head tilted in faux innocence. Still with that pretty pout on his lips.

"How about I teach you manners?"

Rain opens his mouth in what is sure to be a hissy snap, but he's jostled forward by someone walking too close behind him. More of his drinks slosh over the rims and Phayu remembers they're still in the busiest part of the race, swimming with people moving all around them.

It breaks the little spell around them. Rain shakes his head and when he looks at Phayu again, he is more bashful. "I'm sorry, phi." He says even though it's clear he doesn't want to. "I would help you clean up, but Stop and his friend are going to be pretty pissed if I take any longer with their drinks." Rain gestures to his two semi empty drinks. "But maybe you can teach me better manners next time?" He bats his eyes and bites his lip and Phayu is hit by how effective pit bunnies can be because that look makes Phayu want to do very reckless things.

And then Rain is gone, off to fetch drinks for whatever racer or big shot he's been tagging.

Phayu thinks about that for days, the pout and the snark and the long lashes that would look so much prettier with tears clinging to them.

He doesn't seek Rain out again though, Phayu still has to be responsible and professional.

Rain does not.

Within a week, Rain finds Phayu's tent and makes a reason to be there, saying he has a message from a racer that the mechanics need to use a specific oil for his bike.

And Phayu's about to roll his eyes and say he knows how to be a damn mechanic, but Rain is leaning over one of the bikes like he belongs there, confident and uncaring of where he sprawls.

Brattiest brat Phayu has come across in a while. "Get off of my bikes."

"Why?"

"You don't have permission," Phayu stalks closer, but Rain doesn't straighten, still bent over and looking up at him through those damn lashes, "to touch them."

"What if I ask really nicely?" Rain doesn't drop his eyes. "What if I said pretty please?"

"You can do better than that."

But then a new bike is getting brought in and Phayu is getting called over and he really shouldn't be this wound up at work, so he tries to ignore it.

Rain keeps seeking him out, with a smart mouth and rolling eyes and a voice that really should be gagged. It's Rain finding him, starting shit where Phayu should be more composed, where Phayu really can't do anything. He could probably tell someone in charge and use his favoritism to keep Rain away from him, but Phayu doesn't want Rain to stay away. He wants Rain somewhere other than his job where he can finally spank the boy.

Until it builds and one day Rain is in his tent, perched on a table and skewing all of his organized tools and when Phayu scolds him, Rain blinks and says "what are you going to do about it?"

And Phayu has had it and he marches over and grabs Rain's chin and snarls, "I'm going to take you home tonight and spank your ass until it bruises."

And Rain all but melts. "About damn time."

---

I dunno man, just feral brat pit bunny Rain who wants to see how much he can push professional, stoic Phayu until he snaps at a race.

[jynxedtoxicityreports]

Love In The Air

Episode 1- 7 PhayuRain

Rating: 🚩👅 (Red flag toxicity and multiple uncensored NC scenes)

Triggers: Under negotiated kink, On Screen Violence, Homophobia, Invasion of Privacy, Kidnapping, Academic Pressure, Coming Out

Spoiler under cut

Payu punishes Rain twice for his behavior before they have fully entered into a relationship but Rain is not against either of these times and doesn't appear distraught or hurt afterwards

Violence is on screen but it's nothing graphic just punching & kicking

Payu uses questionable methods to keep contact with Rain

Small homophobic remarks

Rain is not out in the beginning

This story pretty much plays out as a meet cute with a brat and a brat tamer. Rain is a little ditzy but overall he's adorable and has a good heart. Phayu is stern but not overly mean or cruel. Its a cute low stakes story with lots of humor mixed in.

[theyellowhue]

Phayu being a brat tamer? more like Rain has tamed Phayu.

Phayu has done nothing but cater to everything that Rain wants while Rain literally had Phayu running after him when Rain had the bright idea to run to a beach resort somewhere.

[another-anonymous-idiot]

Ok but Wei Wuxian would jump Phayu's bones. A taciturn, insanely competent, brat tamer. If he wasn't so devoted to Lan Zhan, he would be ON. THAT. MAN.

And Rain and Jiang Cheng would definitely get along. Jiang Cheng is basically Sky with a sword and Rain is Wei Wuxian without baggage. I don't think Lan Zhan would survive them getting along though.

so I am thinking of doing a IDK know if it's crack or crack adjacent fic.

The idea is that Rain from love in the air is a huge fan of everything MDZS. He has consumed all the things and Constantly watched the series the Untamed on repeat. He even writes fan fiction.

Then somehow him and Wei Wuxian gets switched.

Yes this all came about by a half asleep me who suddenly had Rain and Jiang Cheng walking along instead of Wei Ying. Then laughing about it with a friend started a what if brain storm.

[chocolatecakeandbl]

PhayuRain Dynamics

Short dive into PhayuRain bc we talked about it in the LITA Discord Server a while ago, and I decided to screw my thought about NotWritingMetasBcI'mBadAtIt, cleaned it up and here we go:

Alriiiight, Let's start on the topic, shall we? From the little clues we get from the show (I rewatched PhayuRain's part about 4 times just to make sure) PhayuRain engage in a 24/7 D/s relationship. It's a super rare thing, bc the compatibility is rarely ever given in real life, but IF two find each other (like Phayu and Rain) it's one of the most wonderful experiences a relationship can offer.

But what does it include? 

So, if you head over to google you'll find all sort of gross things. Really. Do yourself a favor and don't google it. I saw a lot I didn't want to see (which says sth considering I'm from the field) A real 24/7 D/s relationship is not about one partner dominating the other about every thing. Sure, you can do it. There's no limit and each is their own. But often such a relationship only works when there is a balanced give and take. 

Rain, for one, is actually having SUB printed on his forehead. If you ever been a Dom you take one look at Rain and be like "Yep, full sub." Like. there is no other option. But Rain is also a Brat (with capital B). 

Phayu is not only a Dom (shows in his behaviour, the way he carries himself, the way his eyes move [Boss is an awesome actor]) but also a Brat-tamer. 

(NOT every Dom is a Brat Tamer, and not every Dom's likes Brats. (I for one, don't want a Brat. Not for anything sexual, nor for a relationship. I can’t cope with it nor react accordingly) Every Dom is different. Pls keep that in mind) 

We see several instances where Phayu takes a close look at Rain. He checks his reaction, gauges it. He teases Rain just to see how he reacts bc it tells more about a person than any word can. In the bathroom/stall scene Phayu tests the waters. Is Rain just a Brat bc that's his nature? But in reality he's not into getting bossed around? Is he sensitive? Is he able to submit? At first it looks like Rain isn't. 

At first it looks as if Rain not only doesn't know he's into men, and specifically into someone with a shining aura of domination, it also looks as if he hugely underestimates Phayu. But a few seconds in, without Phayu actually kissing Rain (he's just teasing. He doesn't have Rain's consent, so he doesn't go down. Unlike the scene in the bed where Rain kicks him off with a pillow - where Phayu had been playing - here Phayu doesn't step over boundaries) Rain bares his throat. The ultimate submission. If you look closely, Phayu goes all OH, his eyebrows go up, his eyes widen when he sees Rain's reaction when he checks in on him. He keeps teasing Rain - again without really kissing him, just a breath of air against his neck, an occasional nosebump against skin - and Rain melts. His fingers clutch at Phayu, fist Phayu's shirt. Phayu rolls his hips once against Rain, and surely feels him hard. It's all the affirmation Phayu needs. Rain is a sub, he's very into being dominated and being told what to do, being told he's a good boy (bc D/s dynamics need quite an amount of praise).

Phayu could have gone further, but he decided to let Rain work through this at his own pace. And that’s what makes a good Dom. The consideration, the keeping strict to boundaries (they have not spoken about at that point, but Rain is like a walking open book, really). In the later episodes, we see Rain going from clueless virgin to Power Bottom. He learned Phayu's tricks and Phayu's movements. He uses them against Phayu when they start to make out after Phayu won the race. Phayu even tries to gain the upper hand again, presses Rain against the wall, only for Rain to turn around, not allowing Phayu to dictate where and how they are going. In the NC scene we see what a real D/s relationship is about. Give and take. Phayu allows Rain to do as he pleases. He gives him the power of their scene without allowing Rain to become a Dom. It's a balancing act. And they both are incredibly good at it. Phayu is wrecked right after because Rain has learned this much in the short time since Phayu took his virginity. We never see them sitting down and talk, but let's be real, it's what they did. Rain surely hadn't known about D/s before Phayu, but Phayu told him, taught him. No one gets into such a relationship without a lot of communication. And the 2nd NC scene shows how much communication they both went through. A LOT. Rain is a Brat, and he is a Sub, but that doesn't take away the power from him he has over Phayu. Quite the contrary.

First time they get intimate, if you look closely, what does Phayu do? He controls where Rain lies, how he lies. Phayu keeps Rain's hands in place on more than one occasion. This is a form of BDSM. (you may or may not call it like that and yes, I don't like boxes either, but if you go deep into these topics, you'll find it easier with boxes. Trust me. I tried without. It doesn't work.) It's a form of bondage, just that there is no rope. Why is this working for Rain, you may ask? Having a Dom (who knows what he does. May I add how rare that is?) like Phayu, who keeps his attention solely on Rain, checking in on him every few seconds without a word, always gauging Rain's reaction, and adjusting if necessary, is like a dream come true. Rain can let himself fall into Phayu's hands. He can trust Phayu will ensure they will get the best and most out of it. He can trust Phayu loves him and will cherish him. And that's the thing why being a sub is satisfying to no ends. As a Sub there are a lot of things you don't have to worry about. (which is, again, Rain in person. He's not the brightest star. He essentially needs someone like Phayu who knows what buttons to press to get Rain into the right direction without dominating him into it) A Dom is taking care of their sub, and that is what Phayu is doing 24/7. He keeps his eyes on Rain, corrects when necessary, stays cold and seemingly indifferent to Rain when he is in front of him, but melts into love stricken smiles when Rain can't see him. And Rain? In the course of their relationship we see how he starts to depend on Phayu. Yes, he is his own. He doesn't belong to Phayu. But he gives himself to Phayu. He can work himself alone (can go through daily whatever's easily by himself) but he knows he can fall back on Phayu. Just like Phayu gives himself to Rain. He allows Rain to dictate his life, can't keep Rain out of his head - see the way he got immediately worried when Rain didn't pick up his phone (bc he got kidnapped). The way Phayu frantically searched the house? That's what their relationship is about. Give and take. With D/s dynamics they both bend to their own will.

[lutawolf]

Hi Luta,

Payu does a lot of unlikeable things in Ep 1 and 2. How much do you think is his conscious planned choice and how much is he just going with vibes? He couldn't have possibly planned to corner Rain in the restroom like that.

And in E1 when Rain first refuses, like I get he got his wires crossed with Rain looking at him the whole night, but does it occur to him Rain doesn't want it?

So many times I look at Payu and I just go - sometimes you wonder what is going on inside their heads?

-W

Hey w,

You aren't familiar with Brat Tamers, huh? Because your perception of Phayu is way off base. I actually cover this in my reviews and commentary. I know it's a bit confusing because my master list is located on Coconuts Mafia, but here.

Hope you find it helpful and enjoy!

[theyellowhue]

Rain's master plan to protect Ple from Phayu is to date him instead??? Of course my crush cant date the guy who appears to be nice but is secretly a perv if i date him instead.

I am crying 🤣

[27vampyresinhermind]

I also feel like this has a lot to do with their dynamics too. Phayu, as a brat tamer, keeps Rain in line. Whereas Pai strikes me as more of a service top so whatever Sky wants, Sky gets.

Prapai could have never pulled a Phayu on Sky. Not because he doesnt have it in him to manipulate Sky into running after him but because he doesnt have Phayu's ironclad hold of his emotions. Phayu could stare Rain dead in the eyes while Rain is being adorable and tell him to go home but Prapai just cant do that. Sky would pull a little pout and Prapai would instantly melt instantly and give in.