#pran was his stability

[dribs-and-drabbles]

as someone who's not well-versed in media color theory, what exactly does being blue/red/yellow/etc. coded mean?

Hi Anon! Thanks for this question. I'll preface this answer by saying that I'm in no way an expert in this topic but I can give you my understanding of the matter (and others can chip in too if they want).

tvtropes.org offers a simple explanation to colour use in media:

Vision is the one sense we humans rely on the most. We usually identify things by sight rather than sound or smell. It is for this reason that creators of visual media will make sure that things look different enough for the audience to easily recognize and tell apart. It can also be a form of visual shorthand for characterization, so that the audience can tell certain things about a character or setting without having to be told. One way to do this is to use color as an indicator that two things are different (when using different colours) or two things belong to the same category (when using the same colors). Color can indicate who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, they can indicate personality type, they can say things about gameplay elements in a video game, which organization or group the person belongs to, et cetera.

In different cultures, people have generally come to an agreement about what colours might represent in terms of emotions or personalities etc. These interpretations usually come from nature. For example, blue 'things' like the ocean or the sky bring to mind feelings of calm and stability, whereas red 'things' like fire or blood can evoke sensations of danger or love. Greens and browns are closely related to nature, thus can be relaxing or 'down to earth'.

Wikipedia lists some common associations...but this can vary across different cultures (and can change over time - for example, blue used to be a feminine colour whereas red/pink used to be masculine, now it is the opposite). In tv shows, characters are commonly colour-coded to not only set them apart from the other characters but to also help indicate their personality type. See @respectthepetty's own listing of what colours can mean with examples of characters from ql media.

With the romance genre, using colour-coded characters gives us the added visual representation of them accepting their feelings/becoming a couple etc when they exchange their colours.

Blue Talay in Puen's Pink/red (and vice versa) in Vice Versa. Red Pran lying on Blue Pat's colours (and vv) in Bad Buddy. Black/Blue Bi King in Uea's red (and vv) in Bed Friend. And Orange/Yellow Ink in Pa's lime green (and vv) in Bad Buddy.

Also, this is another great post in which @respectthepetty offers examples of the common colour choices used in ql media in Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. And here's one which goes into more detail about The Eclipse and colours in Thailand and how they connect to tradition and other object symbolism such as the sun/moon/days of the week etc.

I hope this has gone some way to answering your question anon. I'll just add that, although there is a kind of universal understanding of the meanings of colour, they're not absolute truths. You can also make them mean what you want to. So if you see a character who quite often wears the colour blue, they might be stable and loyal...but they also might be passionate and loud, or a happy ball of sunshine...because more often than not people aren't just one thing, we contain a multitude of emotions and the labels we attribute to ourselves (or others) can change all the time. The use of the single colour, however, is just a helpful visual way of identifying and highlighting a character's persona.

Pat Napat Jindapat, a loyal and stable Blue Boy who also has a fiery passion and a sunshine core. And is one of the greenest flags to ever walk.

[letgomaggie]

all this criticism being lobbed at pat and pran is not sitting well with me. 

Let’s look at this very clinically. 

They were given four episodes, two per couple. The crossover is a way to gain more space for telling these stories. It doesn’t seem like it is enough. 

Yeah, they don’t seem to clear up the conflicts between the couples with a clean and nice little bow. Yeah, its messy and all over the place and you are left confused as the viewer. 

I don’t think a perfect resolution was the aim, nor should it be our demand. It would be nice to think that conflicts of this nature can be resolved and checked off as done but that’s not the world we live in. Being queer is already hard. Being out, being in a relationship, overcoming internalised and externalised homophobia -- these are things that take lifetimes to deal with. P’Aof and co are doing something very important in these four episodes. They are placing in front of you the realities of queer existence in modern society. It weaves such a complex relationship between the self and the other, between you and your partner, you and the world and most importantly, you vs you. Four episodes is not going to resolve a conflict that will pop up again and again. Every single time the resolution will be different. It’s more important to look at these and say, we will be resolving them. It will take time. There is a conflict, there is a problem, we do need to talk about it. I am not giving up on us. These are not concurrent. 

You are confused and bereft as the viewer? Good! You should be! You watched it well! You understand how important it is to address these things! You also need to understand how difficult it is to address these things. How our fears govern us. How the society we live in governs us. We are seeing Pat and Pran in a period of time we KNOW they overcome. They come out stronger, they obviously then do deal with everything. Maybe they still are dealing with it. I know we want them to have a ‘happily ever after’ but let’s remember the role choice plays in all of their lives. P’Aof has given the viewer stability as a promise and then asked you to see the work it takes to be in a relationship. Obviously Pat and Pran will be going back home and continuing this conversation! We won’t see it (maybe) but we don’t need to. We just need to know that they will be choosing to resolve the conflict. All they have done in these three episodes, is show each other that they will choose the other time and again, no matter what. No matter how petty or serious their issues or realities are. They’re IT for each other. That’s the happily ever after. The conflicts will continue. You are welcome to ponder the reality of a queer relationship here, but you cannot impose your choices on them. 

Tian and Phupha, I am obviously very conflicted about them still but we have another episode to go. I really don’t they will solve all their concerns in like an hour. What we do know from the teaser for the next episode is that they converse. Even if it is an attempt. Even if it is just the start, even if the conversation does not end the way YOU would like it to, does not negate the importance of it. It takes so much courage and sacrifice to do what they are doing for each other. That is the reality for many, many queer people around the world. Phupha is shit scared of facing the world beyond his forest, of losing control but they are all valid fears. Opening himself up to that conversation, showing up for Tian time and time again, professing his love for him through his words -- he’s doing everything he can. He’s resistant to a lot of things, I do agree. But y’all, cut him some slack. He’s trying to battle external and internal homophobia in one fell swoop, he’s pressuring himself so much, he’s got so much to deal with. They are still finding their footing in this relationship, and that means trying new things, and that means trying to be brave in ways you didn’t know how to be before. It will take more than four episodes to tie that neat bow you want. The neat bow is not even important.

Find me a straight couple who has had a relationship SO mythically secure that they have been able to go “Would you still love me if I was a worm?”, heard “Yes babe, of course!” and then considered their self doubt, insecurity, fear, trust issues, all of it resolved forever.

Let queer people tell real stories of their realities. There’s more to queer existence than just being queer you know. 

[jemmo]

Something I noticed in ep 5. After his encounter with pran in the music shop it's like pat's whole world shifts. And for the rest of the ep it honestly looks like he can't breathe properly. Almost like he's suffocating. It's at the rooftop after their lips meet he let's out a breath like he found oxygen and after their kiss it's like he can finally breathe.

oh dear anon you’re just so right. and ive honestly spent long nights thinking about nothing but this. bc it’s kind of incredible how much pat commits to pran after he realizes his feelings. his world shifts in that music shop and he’s so off kilter for the rest of the ep, so not himself, but not in a way that he’s changed. it’s more like… well the only way i can convey it is that for the eps before it, you always see pat messing around, doing some kind of shit, with his friends, with pa, and in those scenes it’s not always about pran. he has things that he’s doing and thinking about that aren’t pran. but after the music shop it’s like that part of him shuts down, bc suddenly he can’t do things that aren’t to do with pran, doesn’t understand how he could before. he pursues this way he feels so single-mindedly in order to get some kind of answers and he just abandons everything else. he’s chatting to korn but it’s about pran, he’s with pa but he’s thinking about pran, he’s doing the music contest but it’s all to do with pran. I could go on and on, but when you think about this being a pat focused or pat pov ep, the fact you don’t see him in scenes where he’s not on this pursuit to figure out his feelings for pran tells you that he really isn’t doing anything else. and you can picture him in class or say with his friends at lunch or in his dorm or at practise just being so in his own head thinking about pran or even avoiding those things so he can go to pran to figure it all out, you can see how his whole world just becomes pran, and how it doesn’t open up again until he gets in a good place with pran. you can say that yes he has that moment of relief after they kiss, but again when pran leaves he’s still in that headspace. at the bus stop and going to camp and pursuing pran, he’s not only thinking about this non stop but actually actively acting on it constantly. it’s almost like a a bug he needs to get out of his system and his body shuts down until it’s gone. just the all-consuming need to know and understand immediately, and to be in a good place with him, it’s like nothing has ever been so important. to me it just speaks to what it’s like when you know. people always say that when you fall in love, you’ll just know, that it’ll be different. and for pat, who has liked and dated others, to have this experience, it’s like he does finally know. it hits him, this is it, this is what they talk about, this is what love is, and just that simple fact turns his world upside down.

[bucksbisexual]

the way pat was so fucking afraid of telling his dad the truth just breaks my heart like how much can you fail as a parent for your own child to be so scared and to feel so unloved that they are entirely sure that you won't accept them for their true selves???

[two-am-outlines-only]

Soulmate September

Series Summary: Written for the Soulmate September challenge. Every day is a different soulmate au prompt and ship. 

Part Summary:  Virgil goes deeper into the forest than he’s ventured before in the hopes of gathering more food. He finds more than he bargained for when a fairy claiming to be the prince of the forest begins to follow him.

Prompt: Feel a spark when you touch your soulmate

Ships: Prinxiety (Roman x Virgil)

Warnings: none

Word Count: 3959

AO3 link

Part One: Sparks Fly

Tugging his long, dark cloak impatiently away from a jagged branch, Virgil skid down the steep embankment swearing the entire way. He didn’t often venture this far into the woods but he was getting just desperate enough to find gatherable ingredients he had decided to risk it. Honestly as long as he kept his eyes straight ahead and avoided the beckoning twinkles of light between the trees he should be fine. Thankfully this time of year the river was reduced to a large creek at best, making crossing to the other side where he was certain to find berries and mushrooms aplenty quite easy. It was only a matter of keeping his balance on the slimy rocks that normally made up the river bed, a skill he had mastered before he had even been entrusted as a gatherer.

Hiking his pants up to just below his knees he carefully adjusted his pack to be more balanced and draped the bottom of his cloak over his arm for good measure. The last thing he needed was to be scolded for dripping mud all over the floors again when he returned to the kitchens. Absentmindedly rubbing the stinging memory from the back of his head he hopped to the first rock, breath hissing between his teeth as the cold water rushed over his heated skin. With another breath he was perched on the second rock and then the third, toes gripping the moss in a mostly unneeded measure for stability. Wiggling a bit so his pack would recenter he eyed his next target, muscles tensing in preparation for the bigger leap.

“What are you doing?”

Squawking in alarm, Virgil tipped back dangerously, arms pinwheeling as his feet lost their purchase and let him fall backwards into the creek. Taking a brief moment to thank the gods he hadn’t landed on a rock he sat up quickly, sputtering as water ran down his face and soaked his shirt more than it already was. His cloak dragged behind him as he tried to get up, aiding only in him slipping back again with an unceremonial splash.

“Oh my dear I didn’t mean to frighten you!” There was more mirth than malice in the voice but that didn’t stop Virgil from flinching away from the strange hand that reached towards him. It retreated as he shoved sopping hair from his eyes and squinted against the sun to try and see what idiot made it a habit to scare people when they were jumping on wet stones. His breath caught when a face finally came into focus, sunlight forming a halo around the most beautiful person Virgil had ever seen.

His brightness was almost blinding, with shining red curls looking like spun gold in the light. Sharp features complemented kind brown eyes and tanned skin flecked with earth. Like Virgil he was barefoot, but instead of wearing sturdy pants and shirt to protect himself from the woods, autumn-red pants flowed just below his knees with an equally flowy white shirt tucked into them and unbuttoned to the chest. Despite the darkness of his skin he seemed to radiate his own gentle light that somehow made the sun look dull by comparison, making Virgil idly wonder if this was what seeing a god was like.

“Prince actually, but you do know how to inflate the ego.” The man chuckled.

Face burning with the realization that he had not only said that out loud but he had also been sitting in the water gaping like a stunned fish for entirely too long. Mumbling low curses under his breath he once again struggled to his feet while waving away the other’s outstretched hand impatiently. A fairy prince coming to pester someone with zero assets or connections- the fae were worse pranksters than they had the reputation for. Sighing, he decided to wade the rest of the way through the creek since he was already soaked, leaving the stranger behind in hopes he would stay there.

“So you never did answer.” No such luck apparently. “You do realize what part of the forest you’re in right?”

Virgil gritted his teeth. “I don’t wish to consort with your kind fae. I’ll only be in here for a little while.”

“My kind?” Virgil winced as he detected insult in his tone. “My kind are the reason your kind feel safe enough to traipse wherever you please regardless of obvious territorial lines!”

Virgil glanced at him quickly as he began scrambling up the incline of the bank. “Territorial lines?”

The man drew himself up proudly, keeping pace with Virgil as he effortlessly stepped his way up the embankment rather than crawling. “This part of the forest is mine, a long way from the edge of the river by your route. I could turn you into dandelion fluff for trespassing here.”

Virgil raised an unimpressed brow as he searched around for his next handhold. “Mhm, I’m sure you could.”

Smirking as the other man stomped his foot impatiently he made it up and over to the other side, slinging his pack around to see how damaged the things he had already gathered were from his earlier fall. Shoulders sinking as he surveyed the smashed contents he shot a glare at the stranger, who was currently standing on tiptoes with his arms crossed trying to see inside the bag.

“Humans used to grovel at our feet, what happened to that? Also is it custom to smash ingredients well before they’re cooked? I’m not caught up with the latest human affairs. Terribly dull, most of them.”

Gritting his teeth Virgil dumped the berries and mushrooms he had collected onto the forest floor, water that had seeped in from the top sloshing out as well and coming out like a weird, thick juice for all the mush everything had turned into. “They only smashed because I fell- something I never do unless someone decides it's a good idea to startle someone who’s trying to balance.”

The man looked unimpressed. “Why were you coming over this way anyway? There should be plenty of the things you were collecting on the other side of the river...and much closer to the nearest village too might I add.”

“Fall makes the pickings slimmer the closer to the village you are. Other people gather, animals eat what ‘s left, sparcer trees means more sun means things ripen and fall faster. I was trying my luck further in.”

“And you came alone?”

“None of your business.” Virgil hauled up the pack and stood. “I’m a tracker so I’m the one that usually gets sent out.”

“Oh really? Must be an expert to come out this late.”

“Sure.” Grunting, Virgil stepped over a rotting log and began pushing his way through bushes.

The man snorted. “Expert tracker- when I could hear you tromping through here from across the forest.”

“Your words not mine. And stop following me, I’m only here to gather ingredients.”

They continued on in silence for a while, the fae following behind him near silently as he kept an eye out for anything edible. The crops had been plentiful this year but berries, nuts and mushrooms weren’t something locally grown, so gatherers routinely went into the forest to search for them to dry for the winter. Fast protein was always welcome in the harsher months when tracking fresh meat became a dangerous chore.

The forest was quiet here, nearly serene if it wasn’t for the fae still following him no matter how harsh a path he took- not that he was having much luck finding easier ones. He imagined he could easily get lost here if he wasn’t careful so he kept an eye on the direction of the shadows and any landmarks he spotted so he couldn’t get turned around. Fair folk were rarely hostile towards travelers as long as you met them on their level and stated your intentions clearly. Most of the time a certain level of sass while only answering them when they were curious served Virgil just fine. Of course, they didn’t normally follow him either but he remained unconcerned so long as the forest didn’t turn hostile. He didn’t think he’d succeeded in pissing the other off that much...hopefully.

It was some time later when Virgil found his cloak snared on a branch as he was struggling to get over a particularly high log. Crawling under it hadn’t been an option so now he was stuck straddling the thing awkwardly with the cloak snagging in one direction and his pants in the other. Blowing out a frustrated breath he startled as the fae appeared a foot from his face, brown eyes searching his green ones as he struggled not to fall backwards for a second time.

“What are you tracking anyway?”

“What?”

“You’re a tracker, so what are you tracking?”

Virgil resumed trying to lift himself enough to get his other leg over without ripping his pants. “Nothing at the moment. Not that, again, it’s any of your business.”

The fae glanced at the dirt under his nails and hummed thoughtfully. “Mushrooms is it?”

Groaning, Virgil sat back down and instead reached behind him to try and tug his cloak free. “Partly.”

Trying and failing to get his cloak untangled he stumbled as his feet found solid ground after dangling for the better part of ten minutes, nearly overbalancing for the third time that day as the fabric went limp in his stranglehold. Looking up he saw the spot on the river bank he had climbed over not ten minutes before with a significantly lighter pack. Confused, he slung it around and peeked inside only to see it nearly overflowing with varieties of mushrooms he had never seen mixed with the more common ones he had found before. Opening his mouth to speak he quickly shut it as a light breeze carried faint laughter through the trees.

“Feel free to thank me later.” A faint voice called.

Looking down again, he carefully closed the pack and looked up at the sky. It was barely encroaching late afternoon...would anyone believe he had gathered these that quickly? Deciding to just say he had gotten turned around and found a good spot if anyone asked he started hiking his way back as slowly as he could. He’d have to find something to offer as thanks when he came back.

-----

“You’re back.”

Virgil shuffled around a low shrub between the trees awkwardly. “Mhm.”

“Do you need more mushrooms?” The fae crouched on a low branch, balancing on his tip toes as he watched Virgil struggle through the underbrush.

“They asked me to come back- ow!” Stumbling away from the bush he knelt down to tear away some thorns sticking out of his pants. “Since I was so successful yesterday they asked me to come back to find more. Among other things.”

“They?”

“People from the kitchens.” He started off in a slightly different direction, seeing sunlight a little ways away and hoping for a clearing.

“What else do you need?”

“A variety of things to dry for the winter. Nothing to concern yourself with. I won’t invade your forest for too long.”

“A shame. My forest is beautiful but I’ve found I enjoy looking at you more.”

Virgil stopped in his tracks as he tried to process the comment. Was this a trick? Some weird fae flirting technique to get his guard down so he gave away his soul? Which reminded him-

“Not because of that comment, but for helping me the other day.” He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a smooth skipping stone, the surface a perfect, uniform pale gray. He knew fairies rarely had use for human materials but things like this could be enchanted or used for entertainment- the more pleasing to the eye the better. “Here. And...thank you.”

The man’s eyes lit up at the sight of the stone, taking it carefully and running his fingers gently over the smooth surface. “For me?”

“Don’t expect it again, I don’t expect anything more from you.” Hoping that would settle it, Virgil continued on in the direction of the clearing. Fae were always tricky to get involved with and with the fall harvests approaching, continuing to speak with one claiming to be a prince wasn’t something he would allow himself to get involved with- at most for the sake of the village and at the very least for his own sanity.

“A pity really.” The fae called from behind him. “I could help you find whatever you need.”

Gritting his teeth, Virgil resisted. “I don’t need any help.”

“Right, expert tracker and all that.” He startled as his pest of a companion appeared in front of him waving a hand dismissively. “This is my forest and I can bend it however it suits me at the moment. Right now it suits me to help you, why won’t you let me?”

“I don’t want to owe you anything. Owing things is a risky business- especially with fae. No offense.”

The fae sniffed indignantly, putting a hand dramatically over his heart. “No offense indeed! I suppose this wound was here before you arrived, it’s fine really.”

Virgil glanced over as the other man draped a hand over his eyes and leaned back slightly, sighing loud and deliberate and trying to disguise the fact he was peeking at his human companion from under his arm. Virgil couldn’t help it- he barked out a laugh he managed to quickly catch with a hand slapped over his mouth. Watching as a wide grin took over the fae’s features he realized he was too late and the damage had been done. He stalked over and jabbed the air in front of Virgil with a perfectly manicured finger.

“You like my company!”

Blinking, Virgil lowered his hand. “Absolutely not!”

“You do! You find me amusing! Dare I say charming!”

Snorting, Virgil readjusted his pack. “Uh-huh. Nothing like a raving lunatic spouting he’s royalty to get the giggle juice flowing.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I believe fae will say anything to strike whatever emotion they want in a human. Whether it be fear or awe, the end goal is always to lead someone astray.”

Glancing over he startled when he saw the other man actually looked a bit hurt at his words, head down and eyes flicking to the side with a tight draw to the lips. A trick...obviously. But one that had him reconsidering his choice of words.

“Look I-”

The fae held up a hand. “It’s okay! I’ll prove it to you! You need mushrooms and berries and the like right?”

“Uh- yeah?” Virgil watched as the fae stepped forward and furrowed his brow in concentration. Bringing his arms up towards the clearing he swung his arms out and up before slouching tiredly.

Virgil squinted against the sunlight shining overhead, looking around in wonder. They were in a large clearing absolutely teeming with enough plantlife to fill his pack ten times over. Dappled shade dominated at least half of the clearing as the sun shone through the bright trees at an angle. Soft grass soothed his aching feet that had previously been treading on nothing but snapping sticks and long-dead leaves. It was beautiful- and glancing over at his companion as bright gold shot through his hair and the sudden calming warmth relaxed him- Virgil could tell he was in his element.

“Did you just use magic in front of me?” He honestly hadn’t thought the fae would go that far to prove a point.

“Watch regular fair folk top that for ability.” the fae mumbled under his breath. Speaking up, he flashed a bright smile and punched a hand lightly onto his hip. “Of course! Got the point across didn’t it? Never seen a fairy bend a forest before?”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen a fairy perform any magic before. Usually they keep that to themselves. Honestly none of the good neighbors have paid me any mind before whether I was in their territory or not.”

“Oh.” The fae sputtered uselessly for a moment, fluttering his head to his hair to fidget with the curls. “Well, clearly that’s their loss. Berries, was it?”

Face burning, Virgil nodded mutely and made his way over to a far tree that looked like it promised chestnuts in the higher branches. He never figured having company, however forced upon him it was, would be so nice.

Later, when Virgil’s pack was practically bursting at the seams, he reluctantly turned towards home. The afternoon had been wonderful, gathering enough to make the people in the village happy while listening to the other man as he sang almost like he didn’t realize he was doing it. Rich, low tones filled the clearing with a bright melody that Virgil didn't recognize but found himself humming along to- much to his companions utter delight.

It had surprised him when he began singing popular festival songs after that, thinking that fair folk never bothered much with humans and therefore wouldn’t know many traditional tunes. But when Virgil had started softly singing along, offering a wry grin when the other man had started excitedly bouncing on his toes from having a singing partner he couldn’t bring himself to care. Eventually both of them had started getting louder and louder, swaying along to an invisible beat as they had continued collecting what was needed. Another reason Virgil was reluctant to return to the village for fear their noise had reached ears he’d rather not explain himself to. He found it strange that he felt drawn to stay, stranger still that he didn’t immediately think it was some trick on his companions' part. He just- enjoyed his company and wished he could come into the forest to actually visit rather than just his job. Pressing his lips together he turned around, smiling faintly and gesturing to his back.

“You really didn’t have to help, or keep helping. But thank you again-”

“Roman!” The fairy blurted at his slight pause.

Smirking, Virgil cocked his head to one side. “Aren’t I supposed to give you my name first?”

Roman shuffled slightly. “Yes well, seems a shame that if you were to think of me you’d have no name to give the thoughts.”

“Bold of you to assume I think of you after leaving the woods.”

“How could you not?” Striking a bold pose he sniffed indignantly. “It’d be an insult really, wounding me so deeply.”

Chuckling Virgil turned and started walking away. “I’ll be sure to bring bandages next time.”

“It’s a date, Doom and Gloom!”

“That a promise, Sir Sing-a-lot?”

“If my serenades are what brings you back I shall renounce my princehood and become a siren.”

“Your voice is certainly deadly enough, leads to something prettier though.”

The forest was silent for a moment, before Virgil began walking as quickly as possible without stabbing his feet to the edge of the woods. Why had he said that? Did he mean that? Of course he meant it but why on the gods green earth had he said it? Could he even come back now? Chest tight with nervous anxiety and head swimming he didn't look back as he dashed out of the trees.

Though if he had he would have seen Roman standing stock still, face a mask of shock but slowly splitting into a flustered smile below rapidly reddening cheeks.

-----

When Virgil stepped into the creek the following day, it was without his pack. Early evening sunlight drifted through the trees as a slight breeze ruffled the cloak around his shoulders. Pushing his dark hair away from his eyes he surveyed the banks for any sign of Roman, deflating a bit when he saw none. It was stupid to think he could get away with saying something so forthright without reaping anything but negative consequences. It was just as well he supposed, consorting with fair folk never led to anything good after all. He had just- hoped this would be different.

Fair folk and humans rarely mixed well, platonic or not, and once he found his soulmate he was doubtful they would enjoy the thought of fraternizing so casually with one of the good neighbors- especially one as powerful as Roman appeared to be. If he knew anything of the fae it was that one didn't just casually bend an entire forest to their will with so little effort by themselves. Sighing, he turned to leave, feet missing the wispy grass of the clearing as they crunched through dead leaves.

“Going so soon?” Whirling around he was met with a charming smile, Roman balancing on a rock in the middle of the creek with a hip thrust out cockily.

“I thought- I didn’t think you’d come back around.”

“If you were trying to get me to leave, your methods are wanting my friend.” Roman squinted at him curiously. “No pack today?”

Virgil shuffled a bit before answering. “I- just wanted to see you.”

Blinking in surprise, Roman smiled warmly. “What an honor it is that our wants should align. Care to join me?”

Face burning, Virgil was quick to hop to the first rock, finding his balance easily. Keeping his head down he stepped from rock to slippery rock, finally getting close to where he assumed Roman would be. Looking up however, he didn’t expect to be quite as close as he had gotten, vision suddenly filled with deep brown eyes surrounded by flaming red curls. Yelping he tipped backwards, arms reaching forward in a desperate attempt to not repeat their first meeting even as he prepared to go home soaking once again.

To his surprise, the riverbed never rose to meet him, instead finding himself surrounded by the scent of wildflowers and moss in the most comforting embrace he’d ever been in. Virgil tilted his face up when he heard Roman gasp in wonder, his own eyes widening in disbelief as he leaned back to take in their surroundings. Colorful sparks seemed to catch the evening sunset as they bounced off and around them, falling like stars imbued with the colors of the sky and sizzling as they hit the water only to be immediately replaced by ten more.

Leaning back but still catching each other’s arms they watched as the sparks continued to fly around them in a frenzied shower, dimming the already fading sun itself in their wake. Virgil watched as the light caught itself in Roman’s eyes, flecking the brown with golds and brilliant reds and deep purples. Seeing his face literally light up in amazement and wonder, Virgil couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, then tilting his head back and laughing out loud.

“What- why are you laughing?” Receiving no answer, Roman grinned uncertainly. “Do I have something on my face?”

Shaking his head, Virgil stifled another bout of laughter to answer. “I’ve never seen the sparks of soulmates before. Are they supposed to be this dramatic or is it just because of you?”

Smile turning more genuine and laughing himself, Roman let go of his arms and instead wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted, twirling them around with a sure step even as the water splashed around his feet. Setting him down gently, he rested his forehead against Virgil and held him as close as he could.

“Maybe both- knowing me, probably more of the latter. Do you really mind?”

The sparks were dying down as the sky darkened and yet to Virgil his companion still stood bright enough that he feared nothing the darkness could threaten him with. Leaning impossibly closer he touched Roman’s nose to his own and smiled softly.

“Absolutely not.”

[telomeke-bbs]

BAD BUDDY – THOUGHTS ON TAO KAE NOI AND TRANSBOUNDARY CULTURAL MIXING (PLUS A BONUS 10-MINUTE RECIPE)

So I never thought I'd turn into one of those fans who actually goes out and buys the products promoted in Thai BLs – but after getting Pran's PP bag (see this write-up here) I went on to try the ubiquitous crispy seaweed that keeps popping up in GMMTV's Thai BL dramas (very memorably in Bad Buddy at Ep.6 [4/4] 8.45 and Ep.11 [3I4] 6.24).

This write-up was inspired by a post from @luthienmpl, reblogged by @non-binarypal7, linked here.

I tried both the Original Flavor as well as the Hot and Spicy versions of Tao Kae Noi, and they are DEEELICIOUS. They taste kind of like a cross between Japanese nori and Malaysian/Indonesian fish keropok/krupuk (kropek in the Philippines), although you do have to be OK with seafood-type flavors to appreciate this snack. The H&S TKN is also quite mild so the chilli-averse shouldn't be put off (caveat: my chilli tolerance is pretty high, so care befull chilli virgins).

I'm not big on snacking though, so was thinking of other ways to use up my stash (overbought a bit; thinking about PatPran while grocery shopping will do that to you 😊). And came up with this: a 3-ingredient, storecupboard staple lunch, ready in 10 minutes.

Pasta with Tao Kae Noi, somewhat like aglio olio, but with even more of an umami kick from the seaweed. And it was delicious too. 😊👌 Gonna be on my meal rotation from now on! Recipe linked here if you're interested.

But TKN nourishes the mind and soul as well as the body (bear with me on this one 😊). This multicultural snack is also quite the metaphor for intercultural exchange in the 21st century, both in Thailand and on a more global scale.

Before BBS I was used to thinking of Thailand as a cultural monolith, where (almost) everybody is of Thai ethnicity (except for the Malay-dominated southern provinces), similar to the way Japan likes to think of itself. While it's true that Thai culture and the Thai language are population unifiers in the country, Bad Buddy has made me realize that the situation is more nuanced than I had originally thought. Below the surface, there are hints of a more heterogenous cultural history. Just look at Bad Buddy itself – Nanon is part-Vietnamese, Ohm is Thai-Chinese, Drake is half white American, Love Pattranite is part-Japanese, while Milk Pansa has four ethnicities mixed in (Thai, Mon, Chinese and Danish – see the YouTube video linked here, timestamp 7.06). And Director Backaof's late father was given a Catholic funeral (if I remember his Twitter/Instagram postings correctly). Meanwhile, the names Pat and Pran are Indic in origin while Ming is a staunch Chinese traditionalist (written up here). And it's hinted that Dissaya has Middle Eastern (or maybe Indian?) roots (Ep.10 [3I4] 8.05).

Historical reach, relative stability (due to military dominance in the region) and economic prosperity attracted many different peoples to the old kingdom of Siam, and the descendants of most who settled there eventually adopted Thai ways, Thai names and Thai culture. The welcoming nature of the Thai people as well as the Land of Smiles' popularity as a travel destination also mean the demographic mixing continues to this day.

Tao Kae Noi's product, branding and history actually reflect this freewheeling multicultural swirl.

The words Tao Kae Noi (เถ้าแก่น้อย) roughly translate to Little Boss, and Tao Kae Noi was the nickname of the brand's Thai-Chinese founder Tob Itthipat Peeradechapan when he was a kid. (He's still relatively young for a billionaire – 37 as at mid-2022.)

The Tao Kae part is a linguistic loan derived from the Chinese words 頭家, pronounced in the Teochew dialect (which is the predominant Chinese dialect group in Thailand, especially around Bangkok – the language is no longer much spoken among the younger generation though). Tao Kae roughly means (Chinese) Boss, Businessman or Tycoon, and variations of this can be found across Southeast Asia – spelt towkay/taukeh/tauke in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (although these are more probably borrowed from the closely-related Hokkien dialect) – and reflect immigrant Chinese populations' prominence in the commerce of the region.

The Noi part is a Thai diminutive signifier, and Tob Itthipat was called Little Boss because his father was the (big) boss of a wealthy family business. The Chinese words on the Tao Kae Noi packaging also mean Little Boss (小老板, xiao laoban in hanyu pinyin) but this is more the modern-day Mandarin rendition, using totally different words.

The link with Chinese identity is why the cartoon character used for TKN's branding is dressed in Chinese robes with a Chinese pigtail:

Ironically, the Chinese pigtail or queue was not originally a Han Chinese hairstyle. It was imposed upon the subjugated Han by the ruling Manchus during the Qing Dynasty, and the hairstyle consisted of both the queue as well as a shaved forehead. Interestingly, it was the shaved forehead that was more objected to at first (historically Chinese men had always kept their hair long anyway, so the queue was just a plaited step away), but for fear of reprisals (execution being the ultimate) most Han men complied with the enforced hairdo. Old photographs/drawings of Qing-era Chinese men in Southeast Asia also show that the queue was commonly sported, falling out of favor only after the Qing emperor Puyi cut his off in 1922.

But the product Tao Kae Noi isn't traditionally Chinese or Thai (despite the packaging, and the availability of flavors like Tom Yum Goong and Mala). Seaweed as a food isn't unheard of in Southeast Asia – vegan gelatin (agar jelly) is well-known as an ingredient in the region, and the word agar itself is derived from the Malay name for the product agar-agar; another example is the ingredient gamet in the north of the Philippines. But Tao Kae Noi has only been around since 2004 and was actually based on traditional Japanese nori and/or Korean gim, given an international twist with flavors as wide-ranging as Sour Cream and Onion, Japanese Sauce (whatever that is – teriyaki maybe?), Wasabi, as well as the aforementioned Tom Yum Goong and Mala.

And exploring Tao Kae Noi's multicultural roots really takes a turn for the sweetly weird when we look at the history of nori itself.

Nori as a food has been known in Japan for more than a thousand years, first consumed in the form of a paste before papermaking techniques were applied to create the thin sheets so well-known today.

However, the Japanese nori industry began to flounder in the years following World War II. Traditional methods of cultivation had always been beset by fickle yields, mainly because the marine life cycle of nori algae (a complex three-stage process involving host mollusc shells at one point) was poorly understood. The war pushed this situation over the brink – American explosives targeting Japanese ports also devastated shellfish beds crucial to one stage of the algae's life cycle, and the crop all but disappeared in 1948. The nori industry was in danger of dying out.

It was the work by English phycologist Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker on the seaweed harvested to make Welsh laverbread (bara lafwr or bara lawr in Welsh) that provided the breakthrough, on the other side of the world, for the future of nori.

(above) Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker

Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker never went to Japan, but her revolutionary findings about British seaweed were instrumental in leading Japanese researchers (Sokichi Segawa, Fusao Ota and others) to discover more successful methods for the cultivation of nori, based on a better understanding of the algae's life cycle needs. This turn of events ultimately saved the future of this traditional food industry. Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker was dubbed Mother of the Sea by grateful Japanese people, and she is celebrated in Uto City every April 14th when coastal seaweed harvesters take the day off to commemorate her rescue of their livelihood and this thousand-year old ingredient of Japanese cuisine. 😊 There is even a shrine dedicated to her there (👀 I kid you not), that's how esteemed her contribution is.

Photo credit of the Sumiyoshi shrine to Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker: Simasakon (link to the Wikimedia Commons license here), file is unchanged from original

For more info, there's a fascinating article on Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker by the Smithsonian Institution linked here.

So when members of the Bad Buddy fandom watch part-Vietnamese Nanon as Pran and Thai-Chinese Ohm as Pat munch their way through sheets of Tao Kae Noi, or if you happen to cook a plate of Italian/Japanese/Korean-inspired pasta sprinkled with TKN, at the same time the cultural backstory of this product is tugging away at unseen historical links to elements as disparate as Southeast Asian immigration, Chinese hairstyles, Japanese cuisine, British phycology, Welsh algal reproduction and the veneration of a pioneering mid-20th century female English scientist by seaweed harvesters in Kumamoto prefecture. 😊

Can there be a more appropriate metaphor for the transboundary nature of Thai BL fandom today? Thanks to the global reach of the Internet, there are avid viewers in all inhabited continents; the Bad Buddy comments section on YouTube – with posts in Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Tagalog, Burmese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malay/Indonesian among others – shows that the viewership is truly diverse. There are fans from places as far away as South America and as culturally vast (and varied) as Africa and India. And this kind of global diversity coming together over a shared common interest (quaint, charming, sometimes disquieting Thai BL) truly warms my heart. 💖

So excuse me while I take a break to go munch on some Tao Kae Noi right now. I'm feeling the fuzzies again, and I think that's just the right mood for watching PatPran on their Kazz Award-winning Ep.12 [4/4] tin can call across the Jindapat/Siridechawat boundary line (award reference explained here), while I nibble on the seaweed they so love (and that I do too). 😊💖👍

[i-got-the-feels]

"They broke up because of their Asian Culture" is putting too much on culture and not enough on their dreams as individuals for which they need their financial stability provided by parents and their parental relationships.

Because the day the root cause of family fued was revealed, the relationship with Pat had with his parents, especially dad and Pran's with his mom changed.

While, Pat's with his father changed for the worse because he realised his father is not that man who he thought he was, Pran's changed for better. No, Pran's hurt over his mom's unjustified anger that made him uproot his life over a Christmas concert with neighbours kid doesn't magically go away, but now he UNDERSTANDS her, understands where her anger comes from, where her distrust for Pat, Ming's son who he grew to be a reflection of him stems from.

Because Pran knows that Pat and Ming are not remotely similar in ways that matter he knows it is ONLY Ming's and his fault alone and let Pat knows the same. But Dissaya doesn't know that as all she sees when she sees Pat is a mini Ming and honestly with the years of anger, wondering and what-ifs she must be carrying- she doesn't have the resources to attempt and see Pat without the shadow of father and his actions, the shadow she has spent years trying to forget (remember how she said when confronting him in 10th Episode "I didn't even want to recall it but you went after my son" and "No more saving faces and embarassment" embarrassment for trusting the wrong person, for not fighting hard enough and so many other possible reasons) and Pran understands this.

Because Pran understands why his Mom behaved the way she did, he cares for her and worries about her, and feels more of this after getting a mother's perspective after talking to Junior's mom (someone who reminds him of his mom in terms of I know what's better for your future like his mom did) and thinks of contacting her and even wants to go back to the real world.

But for Pat? This "honeymoon", this magical illusionary world is more real than the one he left behind because he knows Pran is real, his love for Pat is real. Which is why when he is upset it is because Pran didn't tell him he wanted to go back, not because he wanted to call his mom or even that he wanted to go back but the fact that he didn't tell him so- he hid the truth from him. Which is why, even once Pat hasn't made or even thought of making a call.

Pran understands that and so he decides to stay there with Pat for as much as time Pat requires because how could he not when he knows Pat would have done the same for him, where Pat already did this for him with the bet zone, with hiding their relationship, with Pat offering to post break up status after the curtains in the theatre fell down. So of course, if his fierce eyes baby needs some time to be in a bubble with just him to deal with the heartbreak caused by his father, his hero, he will be there for him. He wouldn't leave him and let go of him , until Pat let him know he was ready to do so.

And Pat understood this and because he understands this - he thanks Pran for not waking him up to reality before he ready. For not just entertaining and humoring his silliness but also supporting and participating in it - by calling it a honeymoon like Pat began to do so, by staying back.

Pat has seen Pran suffering and hiding because he was held back by love and hurt by his mom, he wouldn't want Pran to go through that again, let alone because of his love and hurt. He wouldn't make Pran carry the weight of his emotions when he knows he can't help him carry his, not when they are on their separate journeys. Not until paths finally cross again and he can listen to his interior designer/musician Pran while he is working his family business.

[borntobethequeen]

not gonna lie I thought when I first watch the series I would love Pran more, because he and i are very similar. Like him i have certain schedules or way to do things, and I HATE things when they are out of order.

But as the series continues I realize why Pran fell for Pat, because he is so refreshing. For someone that follow a strict rules and always try to be perfect seeing someone that naturally good at everything is annoying, I believe that’s what intrigues Pran to Pat at first. But Pat is so free to feeling what ever he is feeling, and he seems closer to his family too and seems so happy… and Pran looking at that start to crave those feelings and this could lead to his own feelings for Pat.

Pat on the other hand look at Pran and see stability and rules and guidelines, which kinda lacking from his life. in the first episode we could see how he treated his sister (although jokingly) and the way he ate without table manners, and none of his parents say something about it. And the only one who comments about rules and guidelines like this to him is Pran, and due to their competitive nature he listen because he wants to be better than Pran.

And in this scene we can actually see their influences on eachother. Pat who always blunt and bold about his feelings, who has never refrained himself from saying anything, followed Prans rules of not talking about the kiss, even though he wants too, but he put the ball on Pran’s hand

Pran on the other hand, who has always follow what ppl tell him to do, for the first time acts selfish, because he knows Pat ‘freedom’ and afraid this is only him playing. So he took a page from Pat’s book and break a ‘rule’

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

[artemisvexing]

Pran mentioned that Wai had been his "good friend since before he transferred," presumably transferred colleges (or from the boarding school? Did it go up that high?). Would that mean that Wai not only represents Pran's parents' eyes on him (through Wai knowing his mother) but also the friendship and stability he had to recreate after Pran's parents uprooted him from his high school? If Pat and Ink are what Pran lost, Wai's a visual reminder of what Pran could lose again.

[paalove]

Prompt: During the fake break up, Pat tries to climb over to Pran's room and ends up hurt. Pran's mother finds him and we deal with the consequences.

Thanks for the prompt pal! I didn't exactly get to the "consequences" part but i might follow up on this later xoxo

[send me prompts!]

The only thing that’s different about today is the rain – not that he’s never been across while it’s been wet, or anything, but the rain is really heavy today and he can’t quite bring himself to wait. It’s their fourth year at university and their second of pretending-but-not-well to not be dating, and this is the second weekend this year that they’ve both come home.

Pat was the one who drove Pran back; he doesn’t know what excuse Pran gave, but he’s sure it was obviously bullshit, said with his sweet little doe-eyes and daring his mother to say something. He grins at the thought. Pran doesn’t seem to be in his room yet, so Pat is planning to lie in wait on his bed.

Not naked, just in case of an unexpected future-in-law encounter. But he’ll be on the bed.

Anyway, the rooftop has been his companion for about as long as Pran has, so he maybe, possibly, has not given as much thought as he should have to his own changing weight over that time and the effect he’s having on its stability – some engineer he is.

So he’ll blame it on the rain.

What happens exactly, he pieces together after – at the time, he’s moving quickly. Over his own balcony without a thought, then he sort of slides across to the gap between the two, and he’s pretty sure he gets a foot on the other roof before something is buckling, and then-

He’s on the ground, and for a moment he’s like, fuck, did I get shot again? Pran’s parents deciding enough is enough is… possible, he supposes? But this doesn’t really seem like their style. Also, that wouldn’t explain the bit of roof next to him.

It doesn’t hurt as much as when he got shot, but a brief attempt to sit up confirms nope-ouch-bad idea – he’s pretty sure his vision goes white for a second.

I should have waited to tell papa I’d quit rugby again, this is a better excuse than exams, he thinks deliriously.

He’s not even started considering how he’s going to escape now that the rooftop path is – he glances up – completely fucked, when he is just about able to hear the door opening, over the rain. On this side of the hedge.

Ah, fuck.

He crosses his fingers that it will be Pran, with a quick plan to get him out of there (hopefully after kissing it better) but Pat has never been that lucky.

“No, I don’t see- oh my goodness,” she says, coming towards him.

He’s on his back, at an awkward angle to her, but he carefully wais and – also a mistake, ouch, he winces before he can say anything.

Pran’s mother comes to stand over him.

Pat’s never really been able to read her expressions, for all the resemblance she has to Pran and his long-standing ability to read all of his thoughts from a single twitch of his lips. He definitely can’t read this one, especially because he’s sort of looking at her upside-down.

Her lips are pressed together, that’s all he can tell.

Regaining the ability to speak, but not to speak intelligently (Pran, the dirty liar, would say he never had that ability at all) Pat then says, “This isn’t what it looks like?”

He watches with astonishment as her lips twitch slightly.

[loooreleii]

Bad Buddy AU where Pat and Pran don't break up after their beach trip, but instead go home and break with their families. Because they chose each other, and it's hard, and it hurts, but their love isn't something to hide away, something wrong, or something to be ashamed of. So they leave, they get jobs, they put themselves through college. They struggle, and Pran misses his mum and Pat misses his dad, and all they have left as family are Pha and Ink, but it's ok because they're also their own family now.

And the time skip happens, but it's to the time when they're graduating, 2, maybe 3 years later. They're still together, they're happy, they made it to the finish line. But they also still feel like something is missing. And they feel like they're ready now to reconnect with their parents, and give them another chance, but it will be on their terms this time. They're independent, they have jobs lined up, they've healed enough and are able to give each other enough stability to try again and weather the storm. So they invite them to their graduation, and the invitation is in both their names, because there is no question that they're a unit, and if their respective parents won't accept them like this, there is no chance of a consolidation.

So the day of their graduation comes, and they're nervous, tense, excited for the next step of their life but also agitated, because it won't feel right and whole if they can't fix what happened in the past. So the whole day, they're watching out for a sign of their parents, a sign that they're willing to come and meet them halfway. And just when Pran is on stage, holding a speech, his mum and dad come, and for a second he's stunned and loses track of his words. But then his mum smiles because despite everything that happened she's so goddamn proud of her boy. Pat sees Pran faltering and staring into the distance, so he turns and sees his parents, but how his own parents are also there, standing a bit further away with Pha, looking a bit pissed because why is it not their son up there. But they came, and later on, they will greet their sons, and even each other. Tentatively, and it's tense and almost unbearably awkward, but it's a start. And when Pat takes Pran's hand as they're standing before them, neither of them says anything, until Pran's mum casually mentions to Pat's how it was her son who came out on top of the class. Because they won't ever stop competing, but maybe they're ready to turn it into a friendly competition instead of a bitter fight. It's a start.

[lizardboy66]

bad buddy ep 1 ramble

ok so I absolutely adore p’aof and all of his projects and expected nothing less than smth incredible from this show. the premise was strong from the start and the first episode just solidified the level of care that went into this show. ok things I’m enjoying so fart

1) I cannot stress enough how much I love the format of the show. it has taken the classic uni/engineering BL style and has subverted it in a way that doesn’t need to be intentional - by making it unapologetically itself and also very deliberate and well made. The editing is far more ambitious than pretty much any BL I’ve seen and it adds so much comedy and enjoyment to the viewing experience. While Voiceover and dialogue still play a huge part in communicating the story, the camera work, the sets, the costumes, the sound and the colours all add a more impressive and high quality dimension to the show. It’s made with such respect for its roots but is also made to be innovative and different from its predecessors.

2) the intro is just wonderful. It lays out the characters so well, it has such distinct personality which matches the show and the intro music is upbeat and organic with the visuals. Simple, but full of colour and intrigue. Perfect.

3)pat and pran. both of them feel like real people!! they r such good stand alone characters which is so important in a character driven romance plot. their motivations and intentions were so clear and consistent to their personalities. their dynamic was full of warmth and the air of excitement that comes with young love and developing a crush on someone. all of their scenes together highlighted the wonderful chemistry the actors had as well as just showing their cautious yet familiar dynamic.

4)the rivalry. Romeo and Juliet is a classic and lifting the concept of rival families and friendship circles is such a good way to start building the world your characters live in. It puts them on an equal footing from the beginning and creates the sense of something well understood but unspoken between them and I fucking love it.

5)supporting cast. the sister is wonderful. she is probably going to act as a voice of reason and sense of stability for pat and he deserves that. all of their friends seem wildly supportive and generally like a solid addition to their worlds, as well as a different perspective on the events that are going to unfold. I have a feeling the families are going to play a major part in the drama of the show and I think that’s a marvellous choice, there are already some clear dynamics forming with a favoured parent and the different family dynamics that the two leads have.

6)budding (haha get it) romance. oh it’s STRONG. they already have such a good rappor, and the romance aspect is so well integrated into their friendship that it isn’t going to be hard to make that switch in the future. I already talked about the warmth of their scenes together but I would like to once again discuss the unspoken nature of the joy they feel when they get to spend time together and be close to each other. they are clearly a great team with similar mind sets who have the ability to communicate their boundaries and not lose themselves in the desire to change to fit with their significant other. also pat’s sister having some awareness of pat’s feelings for pran is such a good choice and draws attention to the fact that pat has been queer this whole time and that is an integral part of how he navigates his life. his feelings for pran are clearly a source of pain and confusion of him, whereas pran’s feelings aren’t as clearly defined yet but still feel as intense and central to the way he conducts himself as pat’s feelings are.

my predictions:

-pran’s mum is going to be a pain in everybody’s ass

-pat either is already out as gay or has come out to himself and not told anyone yet

-if we get a coming out story it’s going to be pran’s coming out

-the idea of time and the presence of clocks is going to be a constant theme in the show

-I’m banking on at least one friend b romance plot

-this show is gonna Hurt

[binary5tar1117]

In defense of Dissaya

I'm probably closer in age to Pat and Pran's parents than them and, full discloser, there are parts of my own past that let me relate a lot to Dissaya. But even with my own bias, I still think Dissaya is more sympathic than some people give her credit for.

Fair warning that what follows has a lot of headcanon and conjecture but I think there’s enough facts to make a compelling case?

I'll also say right now, that I don't have a good defense for her hitting Pran. That's not okay. I'll try to give some context later but nothing will make it okay or acceptable or anything but wrong.

With the disclaimers out of the way, I'm going to start at the beginning of her story as we know it and go through chronologically.

To start, we know she was smart, that's why Ming was always partnering with her. And we know she couldn't afford to go to college without a scholarship. So I can imagine for most of her high school and maybe even middle school years she was working hard to get that scholarship because she knew it was her only way into college and thus her only way out of her current economic position.

Then along comes Ming, a guy she at the very least agreed to partner with frequently, though I think it's suggested they were actually friends. So it doesn't seem far off to assume she would have known the pressure his dad put on him and maybe even felt bad for him, though that is just speculation. Either way, this guy she was friendly with betrays her and steals the scholarship she had been working for and needed.

So she graduates high school and is left adrift. Yes, we know eventually she starts a successful business, but those first 5, 10, 15 years out of high school, are made so much harder. Imagine her 5 year reunion, the way Pat and Pran had one, most of her classmates would have just graduated college and be starting jobs, and we don't know what she was doing but it wasn't that.

I acknowledge a lot of this is headcanon. It's possible she had already married Pran's dad and his family was wealthy so they were easily able to start a business right off. In fact later I get into timing with when Pran is born. Eitherway...

It's not until she is financially stable is she going to be able to even begin to put Ming's betrayal behind her. But presumably not long after that... she some how ends up living next door to him!

Again, this is headcanon but I tend to think this happened in one of two ways. Dissaya didn't know who lived next door when they moved in or Ming moved in after they did. Either way, I can easily picture Dissaya putting her foot down and refusing to let Ming affect her life like that again.

Looking at the business side of things, there is the question of, did Dissaya know it was Ming's business across the street? Did she choose that type business specifically to get at Ming? I lean towards probably yes and probably no, respectively. Chai is quick to dismiss the idea that Pran's dad stole him away from Ming, so I feel like it suggests Pran's parents aren't that petty, at least with business/financial decisions. So basing the type of business you want to run solely off of revenge seems unlikely. However, when you open a business, it is common to do market research and understand the competition. So it seems entirely likely they knew who owned the business across the street. And I can see Dissaya being happy with the idea of being able to potentially cause issues for Ming. I just don't think she'd do it at risk to her own well being and stability.

So now, thinking about all that... let's re-examine the scenes from the first episode. Dissaya gets pregnant and looks for a blessing for her child, only to have Ming's wife constantly one upping her. And then the baby is born and this woman has the audacity to try to tell Dissaya the proper way for her son to refer to her? Yes, I know most of its played for a joke. And there is no reason these women would just be standing out in their drive ways with their infants. But still, going on what we have, what does Pat's mom even have against Dissaya? Some business slight maybe, but she knows full well what Ming did. She implies he regrets it. Her actions toward Dissaya almost seem more like bullying then. Especially considering, if Dissaya graduated in 1995 (and it could have been as late as 1998), do we know what year Pran was born? 2002? 2004? So when these silly scenes are happening, it's been 7ish years since Ming stole her scholarship and 3 years since he graduated college and chose not to use the degree he stole from her. All the while, see above, she's been dealing with not being able to afford college without the scholar ship.

Then when her son goes to school, she finds out he is being bullied by Ming's son. Now granted, we know Pran seems to always have enjoyed getting a rise out of Pat. And he contributed to the fights and rivalry they had. But Dissaya seems a bit in denial of that. Remember she asks Pran if Pat hurt him and tells him to stay away and tell a professor if he tries to start something again as though it is all Pat's fault. But I think this highlights another important part of Dissaya's character. It doesn't seem like she encourages the rivalry between Pat and Pran at all. She just wants Pran to stay away from Pat (and Pa). And that seems understandable. It doesn't seem unreasonable to assume that the jerk from high school would raise jerk kids. And her concern with this is only confirmed when Pat and Pran fight. She has every reason to want Pran to stay away.

At this point I'm going to also point out, Dissaya never directly tells Pran why she doesn't like them because she knows it'll get back to Pat and Pa. Twice at least she reminds Ming that she hasn't revealed what he did. She puts Pat and Pa's opinion of their father over her own resentment.

Then the Christmas concert happens and she sees that Pat and Pran are friends and probably even realizes Pran is crushing on Pat. I mean the heart eyes would be obvious to anyone in the room. So from her perspective, she sees her son developing feelings for this boy who is the son of the guy who betrayed her in high school, who's mother has been being nasty to her for years, and who used to pick fights with Pran. It is not unreasonable for her to want to put some distance between them. It is entirely valid to fear Pat might do something to Pran like what Ming did to her.

And now we get to what is her worst moment. It's shown that she is a loving mother. She has cultivated a close relationship with her son through out his life, the family dinners, the cooking together, and I'm pretty sure Pran has a drawing of her he made as a kid hanging on his bedroom wall. So then, I'm not sure we know exactly how she finds out, but she hears that Pran is dating Pat, one of two people she has asked him not to. When he comes in he confirms it, refuses to talk about it and throws the ridiculous, from her perspective, accusation that she dated Ming at her. It is probably one of the only times in his life Pran has disrespected her in that way. And then on top of it blames his disrespect on her. I'm really not defending her hitting him. If everything else about the show wasn't so detailed and thought out, I might try to argue it's out of character. The show is perfect though so instead I'll point put that she encourages Pran to be non violent when Pat picks fights, so her slapping him is extremely hypocritical.

I don't want to defend her actions but I do want to defend her a little bit. She does look like she immediately regrets it. The camera stays focused on Pran right after but as soon as we see her again she looks down and struggles to meet his eyes. Everything about her body language suggests she feels terrible about it. And we don't see her and Pran together again until episode 12. She storms over the the neighbors house after and spills the beans but we don't know that she didn't go try to apologize to Pran before or after that. The next time we see Pran is on the rooftop.

I'm going to also point out a couple circumstantial things. First, I've see moms do way worse in Thai dramas. Lovely Writer has a mom caning her child and she isn't portrayed as a horrible monster for it, just strict. Not saying two wrongs make a right just pointing out what might be a cultural difference. I honestly don't know. Second is more of a personal plea. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how we handle them that reflect who we are. In every other instance Dissaya is shown to be a good person and a good mom. She isn't given the opportunity in the show to apologize but I believe she would.

I think in general we tend to be very strict on characters in media who are mothers. They are painted as either the perfect saint or a horrible monster. And one action can be the difference between those. In some cases obviously its warranted. But in others, this one included, I think we are quick to label as "bad" and cast aside, where a male character or even a woman who wasn't a mother might not get the same treatment. I mean how many bl dramas have them punching each other when they fight? It's bad and I think most of us recognize it as unhealthy but we mostly brush it aside for the sake of the drama and the story. I don't think Dissaya slapping Pran deserves to be brushed aside but I hope it can be seen in the bigger picture.

A bigger picture that includes her being happy for Pran and Pat in the end. She hear Pat sneaking in and Pran singing to him and smiles. She is happy her son is happy, even if it's with someone she never expected. I think there is good reason to believe Pat will be invited in the front door eventually.

Okay. Whew. Maybe Dissya didn't actually need that much defense? I dunno. I know I've seen a handful of people questioning why she never got over it or implying both sides were being silly or just the general idea that her and Ming are equally at fault. And this is my response to that. Ming is a selfish, petty jerk. Dissaya is a loving mom making the best of a bad situation and was never given the time and distance from the original situation to "get over it"

[gb-patch]

So let's say that a mythical creature in form of a cute girl comes and promises the squad she will make their lifes better, how the jerks would react?

It would depend on if she was keeping her identity/abilities a secret and was pretending to be a normal girl who wanted to help. Or if she was just in the form of a girl, but was still open with her identity/abilities. I’ll go with her being honest about not being human, if you wanted it the other way just let us know.

Everett: On the one hand that’d be very cool and tempting. Everett does like being gifted special favor. But on the other, he doesn’t really want to live a life that’s like out of a movie. He likes stability and safety and suddenly dealing with a mystical creature would probably be too much to deal with. He’d ultimately try to avoid her.

Nate: Mind your own business, magical girl. He doesn’t want to get involved with strange, unknown supernatural craziness. The prospect of a creature like her existing would honestly just scare him, but he’d put on a brave face. He’d say he doesn’t need a stranger to improve his life, it’s great the way it is. Nate would insist she leave him, and the people he loves, alone.

Shiloh: Shiloh would be amazed, but cautious. He’s happy to reap benefits when they’re for the taking, but he’s not stupid enough to believe anything he hears. Shiloh would be willing to pleasantly hang around on the sidelines, however he’d need to see a lot of reassuring signs that this won’t blow up in his face before he actually got involved.

Bae: Seeing a magical creature is one of the few things that would leave him speechless. He really wouldn’t know how to react. But if she was nice and polite, he’d be willing to hear her out. Maybe they could get along. Or perhaps he could come to the conclusion that despite being a mystical creature she’s still a bit too immature for him to get along with.

Jeremy: Uh, no. Please go away. He’s sick of people trying “make his life better” and is not really comfortable with some magical being following him.

Pran: No. No. No. And then he’d ignore her forever.

Thank you for the question :D

— The GB Patch Blog answers asks and reblogs fanworks for our games regularly. If we seemed to have missed your GB Patch related content you’re absolutely welcome to get in touch to point it out to us   ❤ If you’d like to see just the main posts about our projects, please feel free to follow our side blog instead!             

[sunsetmoonlight]

So many things that I could talk about episode 11 as an Asian relating to Pat and Pran decision to break up.

In my experience being Asian, we’re taught to think far ahead. Our parents would say, “You have to get a good education so that you would be able to find good jobs that’d pay good money so that you can live your life comfortably.” This is practically ingrained in our minds since we’re young and even to the generations before us. So, it made sense when Pran’s mom lose her scholarship, she felt like she lost her future (most asian countries do not have free education so a scholarship is very important.) Hence, Pat and Pran’s family feud.

So if you think about how Asians are used to think far ahead, let’s try to think about what Pat and Pran might think if they’re running away together in a LONG run:

- Basic necessities first, they’d have to find jobs (which they did), find a place to live and live together only the two of them.

- Reminder that despite their parents’ feud, Pat and Pran actually have a good relationships with their own family. And I’m sure this doesn’t only relate to Asians that family is really important. And our relationship with our parents are often complicated. Which was shown in episode 11 how Pran missed his mom when he was cooking her signature dish. And i’m pretty sure Pat cares about his family too especially Pa.

- And if they live together, are they ready to face all the possible problems that might occur? I’m not doubting their love but to think realistically they’re pretty young and they still have dreams that they want to fulfill and are they ready to face the problems if they don’t have financial stability?

I also think they made the decision with each other’s in mind. Pat is thinking about Pran’s future and Pran is thinking about Pat’s future. They want what’s best for each other. They want each other to be able to fulfill their dreams and have the best life. (Pran’s dream of being an interior designer and a musician and Pat’s dream of continuing his family’s business) They’re putting each other’s future first. And that’s why they feel like they have to let go of each other for each other’s good.

But all is not lost. There’s a saying in my country, basically translated to “Soulmate will never go anywhere.” which means if they’re meant to be they are bound to find each other again. And hopefully when Pat and Pran meet each other again, after finishing their education, they’d be in a stronger and better stand for themselves to find each other and fight for their love once more. ❤️

(Reminder: this is my opinion based on my experience so it’s completely okay to disagree because your opinion is valid too 💗)

i..... really wanna know how other asian people feel about this episode 🤔 once you've cried it out and cleared your head, what are your serious thoughts and opinions?

[topsolarpanels]

Puerto Rico turns to tech and entrepreneurialism to revitalize the economy

Jim Glade Crunch Network Contributor

Jim Glade is the marketing director at Publicize and a freelance reporter are stationed in Medelln, Colombia. Jim is also a visiting mentor at Parallel1 8.

How to join the network

The commonwealth of Puerto Rico is immersed in more than $70 billion of indebtednes that has been accruing for the better part of a decade. The local governments irresponsible issuance of bonds and government decisions by the U.S. Congress to cut corporate tax breaks have contributed to the current fiscal crisis and subsequent exodus of U.S. companies and Puerto Rican citizens from the island.

To make matters worse, the islands agricultural industry is at a standstill, importing more than 85 percent of its produce. Puerto Ricans also pay two to three times more for electricity than average Americans, due in part to their dependence on oil imports and because the government-owned utility company is beset with billions in debt.

On June 30 , President obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act( PROMESA ), which creates a committee( consisting of no elected Puerto Rican officials) to oversee the islands finances. Some have blamed the law as a devolution to Americas colonial past.

Former Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla lobbied heavily for the bills passageway and he acknowledged that the commonwealth has a long way to go to recover financially.

As part of its new economic development scheme, Puerto Rican officials are looking to technology and entrepreneurship to revitalize the economy, attract its bright minds back to the island and solve the sustainability problems bedeviling the commonwealth.

Attracting business back to the island

In 1976, Congress passed Section 936 of the federal taxation code, awarding U.S. corporations a tax exemption from income originating from U.S. provinces. Manufacturers, largely from the pharmaceutical industry, flocked to Puerto Rico to take advantage of these tax breaks.

It was boom hour on the island; until the tax incentives phased out in 2006( Congress therefore voted in 1996 to rescind them ), the island enjoyed 28 out of 29 years of economic growth. Since 2005, Puerto Rico has considered negative growth eight out of 10 years and, just as the automotive industry left Michigan, so too fled Puerto Ricos most prevalent producers pharmaceutical companies in droves.

With the exodus of the big corporations, construction workers soon followed. Puerto Rico has been experiencing a net population loss since 2005 that accelerated in 2010 as the two sides of the strait began to recover from the 2008 recession. According to the Pew Research Center, Puerto Rico had a net population loss to the mainland of 64,000 in 2014, more than doubled the net loss of 26,000 in 2010. Vices Samuel Oakford reported in April of 2015 that for the first time in history, stateside Puerto Ricans 4.9 million outnumber the 3.5 million who remain on the island.

Technology is certainly one of the pillars of our economic growth program .

— Puerto Rico Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, Alberto Bac Bagu

Puerto Rico is trying to bring back corporations through a series of tax incentives, which have been signed into law since 2008. Two statutes in particular, Act 73( 2008) and Act 20( 2012 ), set a fixed income tax rates of 4 percent for commercial manufacturers and companies exporting services from the island, respectively. A 50 percent tax credit for the investigations and growth activity expenses has also been instituted under Act 73. According to Puerto Rico Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce, Alberto Bac Bagu, 20% of the companies that operate under[ Act 20] are tech oriented and the rest have a tech-related component.

Technology is certainly one of the pillars of our economic growth program, wrote Bac in an email to me. As of today, we have a strong tech cluster with examples like Infosys, a global leader in creating breakthrough solutions who are interested in mobility, sustainability, big data, and cloud computing and Honeywell, with a new EMI( electronic magnetic[ sic] interference) research lab that alone will create 300 jobs.

Bac also mentioned Truenorth, Rock Solid and Fusionworks as examples of a burgeoning corporate IT sector.

Fostering entrepreneurship

To buoy the tech sector, Puerto Rico is trying to reinvent itself as a knowledge-based economy that will compete globally in part by creating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The 2012-2013 Global Competitiveness Report from the World Economic Forum ranked Puerto Rico third in the availability of scientists and technologists. According to Lucy Crespo, the CEO of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, a public-private trust aiming to turn the island into a tech hub by 2020, Puerto Rico graduates 22,000 STEM students and 60 to 70 percentage leave the island.

For many years, our schools and universities prepared our professionals to work for someone else, told Crespo during an interview in the capital, San Juan. So we didnt develop a full ecosystem, we didnt create a culture in which students from the universities supposed, you know, gee, how can I become an entrepreneur?

The trust recently established the Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office to help develop and commercialize intellectual property from the islands universities and provideincome tax breaks for researchers working in their award program.

Bac tells me, While big hitters are important, a new breed of entrepreneurs has prospered, and we have joined forces-out with our diaspora utilizing their knowledge and network reach to farther propel economic growth.

Parallel1 8, a startup accelerator in San Juan backed by the confidence and the government, has reached out beyond the Puerto Rican diaspora, soliciting help from Start-Up Chile founder Sebastian Vidal.

Ducking in and out of a corner office at Parallel1 8 to check on a presentation from a local P& G executive, Vidal told him that he didnt come here to copy what he did in Chile. Start-Up Chile was more about constructing a startup community and the entrepreneurs were tasked with going to universities and being like mentors, told Vidal. Parallel1 8 has those aspects but the focus is more on making an impact with the economy as quickly as possible. He acknowledged that the political and economic system is much different from his homeland and there is a short timeline to create a significant, economic impact.

Also staffed by Puerto Rican entrepreneurs returning from abroad, Parallel1 8 is a five-month accelerator program for companies from around the world and from the island that offers $40,000 equity-free funding with a chance for follow-on funding if qualified alumni decide to establish their company in Puerto Rico. In exchange, entrepreneurs engage with local university students to help foster a culture of entrepreneurialism.

We are creative, hard-working, have great mobility to the U.S. and the world, and are ready to tackle problems and scale outside of the traditional corporate career track .

— 16 -year-old entrepreneur Jos Nolla-Marrero

The program is already starting to bear fruit. Of its first cohort of 36 startups, seven international startups have stayed to continue their businesses from Puerto Rico and 12 local startups are up and running, according to Marie Custodio, spokesperson for Parallel1 8.

Other startup initiatives include Piloto 151, a co-working space in the colorful Old San Juan district that has partnered with the Founder Institute; ConPRometidos, a social impact incubator and consulting firm; Grupo Guayacan, which since 1996 has been working to develop a private equity and entrepreneurial ecosystem on the island; and PRANS, their home communities of business leaders from different sectors that donate time to help potential investors evaluate and put in investment projects.

Parallel1 8 is being used as a vetting source to assist bring quality companies to the attention of local and international VCs to create a deal flowing a main challenge for the ecosystem.

In general, capital is frozen because of the uncertainty surrounding the[ islands] fiscal issues, tells Kenneth Kay, an angel investor and founder of the Puerto Rico Capital Network.Despite the challenging surrounding, I am optimistic that a vibrant startup scene is possible in Puerto Rico.

Kay points to recent tax legislation favorable to venture capitalists, especially an amendment to allow software as a service( SaaS) companies the fixed income tax rate of 4 percent under Act 73 and Act 185, which provides taxation incentives for private equity monies, as moves to help attract investors to the ecosystem.

The government estimates that 790 Act 20 decrees will have been granted by the end of 2016, with 423 projected to have been granted in 2016 alone a sign that this program could be gaining steam among investors.

Sustainability and the future

In August, several Puerto Rican business associations sued the public utility PREPA for proposed electricity rate hikes on an island where its citizens are already paying two to three times more for energy than average Americans. The strongest factor for the islands high energy costs is that four-fifths of energy used in Puerto Rico comes from petroleum and the island neither makes nor refines crude oil it imports all of it, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Sustainable energy is key to Puerto Ricos future, Puerto Rico expert and journalist Juan Gonzlez told a crowd at New York University in 2015, the same year the island began to comply with a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard that forces PREPA to supply 20% of retail energy marketings from eligible green energy resources by 2035.

In September, energization began at the largest solar farm in the Caribbean located on Puerto Ricos northwest coast, and local startups are also taking on the toughest energy issues.

Energy rates arent the only sustainability woes on the island .

For example, San Juan-based TEBS( short for Traffic Energy Bar System) has patented a system that captures kinetic energy from autoes passing over such mechanisms implanted in roadways and converts it into electrical energy to power nearby street lamps. And Sunne Cleantech Labs, a company that creates solar energy products, recently announced pre-sales of its Sunne Heater, a patent-pending solar water heater.

Energy rates arent the only sustainability woes on the island. In 2015, Puerto Rico imported more than 85 percent of its produce and Puerto Rican-grown rice went on sale in August for the first time since 1989.

The government has taken steps to boost agriculture, including a $ 4 million investment to help a local university improve soil conditions. But perhaps more promising is that local entrepreneurs are stepping up to tackle the issue.

UAV-IQ use dronings to scout acres and acres of growing area, using multispectral sensors so farmers have better insights into their harvests, and eFARM, a social media-inspired e-commerce platform, connects Puerto Ricos organic farmers immediately to customers on the island and around the world.

In an email interview, 16 -year old eFARM founder Jos Nolla-Marrero told me he “ve noticed that” observing organic and sustained foods was very difficult and expensive in Puerto Rico and[ I] envisaged an app to help find the farms, their products and scheme a route to them.

Nolla-Marrero represents the next-generation Puerto Rican professional that the government is trying to cultivate: The entrepreneur.

I believe we are adopting an entrepreneurial mindset already, wrote Nolla-Marrero. We are creative, hard-working, have great mobility to the US and the world, and are ready to tackle both problems and scale outside of the traditional corporate career path.

The enthusiasm in our generation is palpable and contagious. I feel steps have been made and its a track many wishes to take but may not have had the level of support ensure these days.

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