#tai x phat

[respectthepetty]

I already claimed that La Pluie would give me color-coded boys in love, but did this (oddly-paced) first episode tell me they are BOTH BLUE BOYS?!

Tai is obviously a Blue Boy.

Even with his family, he is the loyal, sincere, and intelligent one.

But is Phat also a Blue Boy? I thought he'd be the Yellow Yal.

Is that an option to have TWO Blue Boys in a relationship?!

Can they be compatible if they are the same?!

Even though the first episode was strange, I'm very excited to see if Phat is really a Blue Boy also, and to see why Lomfon falls for Tai instead of Tai's brother Thian, who he obviously has the enemies-to-lovers vibe with.

And are both of them Green Guys or is Thian a Red Rascal already in love with Lomfon and taking his color?! Could I be getting another double couple or a Christmas couple?

I NEED ANSWERS!

I've always wanted two boys of the same color falling in love, especially Blue Boys. And if I get a double-color couple or a Christmas pair too, I'll be in heaven. Please make my dreams come true, La Pluie. Give me color-coded boys in love having to deal with the positives and negatives of their color together.

Give me Lapis Lads!

*hyperventilating*

[heretherebedork]

So the connection between Patts and Tai has been going on forever. Even when he wasn't talking him through the rain they were still communicating and Patts was still the one to save him from his own silence and from his own pain and he was one of the reasons Patts felt so much compassion and love for other people even while he was dating Nara.

Soulmates aren't a thing of destiny, soulmates are the people who make in our life that matter. Soulmates are the people we find who change our lives regardless of the connection or how you met or whether you've seen each other's faces or heard each other's voices.

Soulmates are made. Soulmates are the people who love you and who you love in return. Soulmates may not be chosen but they are not destined either. Soulmates are just another expression of love.

(That the connection was there the entire time, that this is why Tai has been talking about this whole time when he says someone anonymous saved his life, that it was Patts and that their love and their connection has had nothing to do with the rain but rather everything to do with them is beautiful.)

[bellarkeandclintashaandsuch]

Love love love how this was filmed. The spotlight on the two of them, like it's just them there, like how everything else fades away when it rains and they can only sense each other.

[mooninagust]

me who knew from the first time it was mentioned that phat was the one who helped tai when his parents divorced when it was finally reviled that it was phat

[itsallaboutbl]

y'all are going to excuse me but these 3 shots drive me cray cray 🥵

[liyazaki]

boyfriends 💙💛

LA PLUIE THE SERIES | EPISODE 8

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Hands off. He's mine.

[riggerbison]

#fuck them glasses, i don't need to see

[boyslovesource]

P' Phat, why are you here?

[syrena-del-mar]

La Pluie meets Nora Roberts

This week we open up with a shot of Saengtai (who is slowly learning to believe that maybe having a "soulmate" isn't all that bad) reading Nora Roberts.

Now as a former teen Nora Roberts aficionado, I immediately clocked that Tai was reading the first two books of her MacKade Brother quadrology. For those that are unfamiliar with Nora Roberts and this series, it revolves around four brothers, with each brother having their own, separate novel. So it's a little on the nose that Saengtai would be reading this series out of the numerous ones that Nora Roberts has published, especially the books that are based on the oldest and second oldest of the four brothers.

All four novels of the MacKade brothers takes place in Antietam, which if you have any knowledge on the American Civil War, you will likely recognize for being home one of the bloodiest battles of the war. While each brother and their lovers attempt to forge a connection, there is a supernatural element with the restless souls that still haunt Antietam.

The one that Tai was reading was one Robert's bundles, which included only the first two novels, centering around the first two brothers, Rafe and Jared.

I'm going to give a brief synopsis of both books below, before doing a bare minimum dive of the significance I think La Pluie was attempting to draw.

The Return of Rafe MacKade

Here, the main protagonist is Rafe MacKade, who had left his hometown years prior after making a name for himself as the handsome, hot-headed, rebellious, good-for-nothing second-oldest MacKade brother. He's the black-sheep out of the four brothers, yet the incident which drove him away from Antietam, 10 years prior to his return, was one where he was attempting to protect a woman from her abusive boyfriend so he turned to punching the crap out of the man; but y'know how rumors develop in small towns. He returns to his hometown after 10 years as a successful businessman, something that townsfolk couldn't believe which shut them up about all the gossip they used to spread about him. He buys the local haunted house to turn it into a B&B, which in doing so leads him to meet his heroine, Regan, an antique dealer that is helping him decorate the B&B.

At first glance, Rafe and Regan seem to be complete opposites, with Rafe being a 'rough-around-the edges' type of guy and Regan, an elegant and classy dame. Rafe, while being the typical loud-mouth 'alpha-male' guy that is stereotypical in 20th century novellas, you come to find out is just a guy that is unable to fully articulate his own emotions and understand his developing feelings for Regan. Regan, on the other hand, for all her elegance, is a bit arrogant and unapologetically opinionated and definitely not looking to get into a steady relationship, much less with Rafe. They're both two incredibly stubborn individuals that are always butting heads, which leads to both miscommunication and a lack of communication, but they slowly start to learn that they actually need each other, even if they try to deny it.

The Pride of Jared MacKade

The second book revolves around Jared MacKade, who currently works as an attorney who, unlike his hot-headed brother Rafe, is much more level-headed and collected, yet just as prone to being purposefully ignorant to his romantic emotions. Jared is the oldest of the four brothers and had previously been married but ended up divorced, which lead to his distaste and shrewdness when it came to love. His story with his lead, Savannah, first starts when he meets her to let her know that her father had left her some inheritance. Savannah, having been disowned by her father as a teen and kicked to the curb due to her pregnancy, understandably pissed and initially wants nothing to with Jared.

Both Jared and Savannah are stubborn as mules, but their instant connection was undeniable. Jared was a traditionalist in love, which created some conflict due to Savannah's past and what she had to do as a teen mom to survive. The connection between them was palpable, within their second meeting they were already all over each other, making out. Yet, for all their connection, they're both initially a bit skeptical of doing more than toying around. Both Jared and Savannah had to overcome their own obstacles, Jared and his prejudice and Savannah and her hidden insecurities (that arose when she started to work alongside Regan), but despite their rocky road with love, they find a way to make it work.

La Pluie in connection to Rafe and Jared

There are some very obvious parallels that I believe La Pluie is attempting to draw with having Saengtai reading the MacKade tetralogy, but I also think there are some running themes that may be hinting at the future development for our Saeng brothers and their love interests, Phat and Lomfon.

First, the obvious parallel of the four MacKade brothers with the four Saeng brothers.

Second, the first novel, I'd like to argue, seems to hint at the future for Lomfon and Saengtien. From what we've seen so far, much like Rafe MacKade, Saengtien is perceived by almost everyone in his life to be brash, hot-headed, and rather incompetent. We've seen this from how Tien's own mother treats him and even from how Lomfon treated him in the first couple of episodes. Similar to Rafe's brashness, Tien's own brashness tends to spill out either in protection of his family, particularly Tai, or in the midst of his own confusion regarding what he wants. And just like Rafe, Tien is only starting to learn to comprehend the feelings that he's developing when he's with Lomfon. Tien has taken it upon himself to be the backbone for Tai and his family, that in turn he has sacrificed a part of himself. Instead he turns to his brashness as a mechanism to appease everyone, a shield and a distraction of the pain that he is also incurring while caring for everyone.

Lomfon on the other hand, while he seems to have a good grasp of his own self, seeing how he works independently but never seems to be ostracized, rather (seemingly) he chooses who he surrounds himself with, he also hides himself. Lomfon, similar to Regan is opinionated, especially when it comes to the idea that the one you hear during the rain is your soulmate. I'm sure in a society that has attempted to find reasoning to the deafness, that sentiment is likely taboo to express, yet he's willing to against the norm to create his own happiness, much like Regan did in opening her antique shop.

If Rafe's story is anything to go by, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lomfon strongly denying his developing feelings regarding Tien, as he's still primarily focused on Tai. Lomfon's seems to be developing some kind of feelings towards Tien, if the small head caresses and playing with Tien's hair is anything to go by. His feelings towards Tien seem to be slowly developing, even if he doesn't fully realize it. Meanwhile, I think it'll take Tien something big or in the heat of passion to get him to confess to Lomfon his growing feelings, especially once he realizes that Lomfon wants to get in between Tai and Phat. Tien, the ever-sacrificial loving brother that he is, will always put Tai and his happiness over his own, even if that means that he has to argue and destroy his budding friendship with Lomfon.

Tien let's himself be still, let's go of his prickly exterior, only when he's around Lomfon. He needs Lomfon, to provide the quiet energy that allows Tien to just exist for himself and nobody else. Now it's time for Lomfon to figure out how and why he needs Tien as well.

Frenemies-to-lovers is sometimes an even longer slow-burn than enemies-to-lovers, but it's okay, we can play the long game. I have hope that they'll get there.

Thirdly, the parallel of Jared and Saengtai, really comes to their demeanors and their anxiety that develops from impressions of failed love, yet they are still classic romantics at heart. Saengtai, similar to Jared in the beginning of his book, has been burned by the illusions of love. Yet, both, once they meet their soulmates, instantly feel some level of attraction to them. Their attraction is palpable to both of them, but attempting to overcome their own fears and prejudices, even when everything seems to be outwardly alright, can rock the boat.

It's going to be interesting here to see if Phat has some hidden insecurities that arise when he realizes that he has some potential competition. That just maybe Saengtai could be swayed by the man who shares the same interests and that solely being his soulmate may not be enough, even if, for all intents and purposes, he may be the right person for Tai.

Phat and Saengtai obviously feel a spark and found an immediate connection, but it'll be interesting to see if their relationship will end up in shambles, like Tai's parents, or will their bond only serve to be strengthened beyond the idea of just being soulmates.

[thedooristhebluecushion]

Tai lying to Phat hurts more than it should considering they’re characters in a tv series and I’m a grown ass woman.

[respectthepetty]

La Pluie knowing its audience

"Is the singing neccessary?" - No. Never. Not ever.

Colors Time!

Tai is already wearing yellow and Phat is already wearing stripes. It's barely the second episode!

Tai felt happiness for one entire day before he closed himself off again and reverted back to his blue stripes after Phat notified him that he found someone else, he learned that his mother is getting remarried, then he heard Phat making out with someone (that hurt me too!).

The yellow is there with the blue, but Tai suppresses it because life is shit, honestly.

Tai is a quirky guy, but his true self is hidden only coming out in small doses.

So it's nice to see that when he goes to the vet again, even though he tries to suppress all his colors by wearing black and white, worried about possibly encountering Phat, Phat is surrounded by yellow when Tai runs into him.

But next week, Tai will be upset that Phat is being friendly when he has someone else (because Tai fucked up and didn't speak to him for two years)

Take Thian's advice!

Un. Fuck. It!

Sidenote: Why aren't we seeing Phat in the voice conversations? I feel like the choice to not show Phat is deliberate because . . . is it Phat? It is but what if it isn't?

[heretherebedork]

We are getting so many fascinating perspectives on the idea of soulmates, especially soulmates that are part of destiny and a disease.

Tai decided he could never love his soulmate because he risked losing him and that would hurt too much.

Phat would cure himself of the disease in a heartbeat and doesn't think of his soulmate as someone he wants to love.

Tian is jealous of the idea of soulmates but also does his best to dismiss the whole concept.

We don't know Lomfon's thoughts, not yet, but I expect he'll be different as well.

We know that Tien and Tai's parents were soulmates but that their relationship didn't work forever and that shaped all of their children as well...

Soulmates being part of a world is fascinating because you get to see how these ideas and expectations shape people but also shape the world. Soulmates are part of a disease, a disorder, but they are also soulmates. So which side wins? The disease or the soulmates? It's so wild to consider how much this means to the world and to love and to how people love and who they love...

[hughungrybear]

I take back what I said about Tien. He's growing on me 😂

Edit: But I'm still not sold with LomfonTien ship 😅😅😅

[mooninagust]

am i going crazy, or is the soulmate connection made upon some really emotional experience someone has??? first tai and patt and their connection after tai was struggling with the divorce thing his parents had going on, now lomfon and tai because of a lifesaving situation,, did i crack the code to the soulmate selection system or 

[itsallaboutbl]

💙💙