#tienlomfon

[sparklyeyedhimbo]

5 times lomfon reached out and held tiens hand and 1 time tien held lomfons hand

because @heretherebedork made a good point with this post and i sometimes like to make sad things.

[namtan]

LA PLUIE — Episode 10

[heretherebedork]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bonus: Height difference = 💖

[syrena-del-mar]

A Jungian Perspective on La Pluie

Saturday... It really wouldn't be Saturday if La Pluie didn't decide to serve me some heartache with a side of Tien. We're finally getting to the crux that that has been plaguing our characters. La Pluie has been positing this question of since the first episode: How do you choose who to love?

Since last week, I can't help but think of the transformation all four of our protagonists are undergoing due to the love or idea of love that they hold. Honestly, you can utilize any form of psychology to analyze media, but this time around I couldn't help but pull towards Jungian psychology, due to its more mystic and spiritual roots (especially in the conversation of love) that I find so fitting with the plot of La Pluie. This will not be an exhaustive study of Jungian theories on romantic love, but more of a focus on a couple of specific Carl Jung quotes that I find to be analogous, so I will be diving into those.

Explaining Jungian Theory on Love and Life

Simplified, Jungian theory holds that there are three elements that make up the human psyche: the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. Jung found that to fully realize one's talents and potentialities, humans have to integrate the conscious and the unconscious. He referred to this theory as 'individuation' and held that individuation would only begin when the human experiences a 'crisis', because of the emotional power of crisis breaks down the ego and initiates questions regarding meaning of life and self. The ultimate goal, under Jung's theory, is to become a fully realized state of self-hood and individuation is what allows one to become fully-realized by combining the ego, personal and collective unconscious through the experiences one has.

Romantic relationships, while unable to be reduced, contribute to one's ability to become fully realized. Jung held that love can be a crisis, as Eros is the creator of all higher consciousness and humans are the victims of cosmogonic love. Fundamentally, to be fully fulfilled, two humans seek a psychic relation with one another, because of an awareness that love will fulfill the spirit and the spirit needs love. Now the journey in finding that love and the experiences you have during while being in love is what really determines how you develop as a human. As a result, falling in love can shatter the ego and experiencing ego death allows one to develop into the transformed self.

Some other accompanying Jungian theories that is necessary to understand for my analysis are the following:

Ego death, while not explicitly stated in Jungian theory, leads to the dissolution of the false or constructed self that is built upon societal expectations, conditioning and attachments. Essentially, through the stripping of one's egoic identity, a more authentic nature is revealed, resulting in a profound shift in consciousness. Ego death results in the ego transcendence and expansion allowing integration of the ego with the conscious and unconscious, which Jung's mainly focused on.

Shadow refers to the repressed aspects of an individual's personality, the parts of ourselves that we deny, disown, or suppress because they are unacceptable, immoral, or incompatible with our self-image. It consists of both negative aspects, such as anger, greed, and jealousy, as well as positive qualities that we may have neglected or denied. Integration of the shadow does not mean indulging in destructive or harmful behaviors, but rather embracing the totality of who we are and finding constructive ways to express and channel those repressed aspects.

Chemical Reactions with Tai, Tien, Patts, and Lomfon

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: If there is any reaction, both are transformed."

Through the transformative reaction of love, one may learn to distinguish between who they really are and the image that is forced upon them or what they imagine themselves to be. Just as chemical substances cause a reaction that transforms the substances, he theorizes that if two personalities come together, both individuals are similarly transformed. He holds that personal growth and development can only occur when two humans are able to have an authentic and meaningful connection. Through loving another, this includes their shadow aspects, we learn to love the shadow aspects in ourselves.

First, let's talk about Patts and Tai, the couple that is/was most apparently destined to be together.

Even before knowing that they were soulmates, Patts had an immediate attraction to Tai. An attraction so intense that he was willing to throwaway the soulmate connection for Tai, without even an ounce of awareness that Tai was his soulmate. Meanwhile, Tai was facing his internal battles long before even meeting Patts face-to-face. He was in constant struggle with his "shadow" self, because of his conscious rejection of the soulmate bond. Tai's rejection and suppression manifested through his silence, an active denial of the condition that bonded them. The moment that Patts walked into that café, Tai's perception on their condition and willingness to love changed. Tai's parent's divorce didn't only bring the soulmate connection into question, but also love and human connection. Bow made that explicitly clear about Tai.

Much like when chemicals meet, Tai and Patts were converted and rearranging their perceptions about their conditions and their willingness in regards to love. They wouldn't have undergone this process if it wasn't the other at the end, their willingness to change their understanding and start the process to transform was because it was Tai and because it was Patts.

The meeting of two personalities does not indicate that just anyone will cause this 'chemical reaction' to occur. We see this through Patts and Nara relationship, as well Lomfon and Tai's non-relationship. There is no question that Patts really did love Nara, the pain of his breakup with her is testament to the love that he had for her. [@lurkingshan had a great post about Patts and Nara's relationship]. Yet, Nara's insecurity with the idea of Patt's having a soulmate didn't change even when Patts swore he was committed to her. There was no conversion or sudden change in their perception that could overcome the obstacle of the rain connection, instead there was just the collapse of their relationship. Now in episode 10, we see that Lomfon finally tells Tai about their connection and Tai doesn't question the relationship he has with Patts. He still held that he was in love with Patts and the sudden connection with Lomfon didn't change his feelings towards him, the only shift was his understanding of how the rain connection worked.

Moving onto Lomfon and Tien. Quite literally, the moment that we met them, we saw the reactions that they were causing one another right off the bat. Their personalities, on the surface, absolutely did not match. If this was actual chemistry, their chemical reaction would be more of a combustion.

Lomfon struggles with a similar shadow at Patts and Tai, but to a more volatile degree with his distaste for the idea that his condition would somehow lead to his soulmate. Yet, it's still a question that plagues his mind as we saw in Episode 10. He's struggling with and Tien's relentless belief in the idea of soulmates is threatening his own ideals. He's built himself up to be a skeptic, or an atheist as @shortpplfedup stated, and the fact that he has not one but two soulmates all of a sudden. On top that he is self-aware of his developing attraction and feelings towards Tien, and he even seeks his opinion and like always, Tien's reasoning is opposite that of Lomfon's.

Tien, on the other hand, has the most different shadow to deal with than the rest. His temper and brashness is at the forefront, a shield of sorts, that he utilizes to keep people from stepping in and getting to know him. And it works, it works so well, that he's sidelined by almost every single important person in his life. He's self-sacrificing, generous and over-attentive of others to a fault, and to his own detriment. He uses his light (the brashness, etc.) to hide his true emotions and he neglects himself. Lomfon comes in and challenges his understanding of soulmates and offers him what nobody else has done in his life, a place where he can actually display his emotions. Tien is an enigma, he's friendly but never truly open to the others. Lomfon is playing an important hand in unraveling the walls that Tien has built for himself.

Tien, Tai, Lomfon, and even Patts are embarking the journey of overcoming their ego-death to reach self-discovery. Tien's understandings, plus idealism, surrounding soulmates are being shaken and the walls that he had laid down for Lomfon are likely going to be rebuilt higher and even more impenetrable. His brashness had been beat at the cost of his sincerity being disregarded. Tai has destroyed the ultimate connection that tied Lomfon, Patts, and him together. He finally made a choice, but that also means he's truly alone for the first time since the night that his parents divorced. Patts has finally had his cool and collected demeanor ripped away, unintentionally. He suffered seven years of silence, after finally reaffirming his love for Tai being beyond their mutual condition, he's back to being shut out. Lomfon... I'm with @bengiyo on this one... Talk shit, get hit. For all his rationality that he poses with Tien, he's really the one that has reacted the most from his heart rather than his mind.

Now that all four of them are undergoing their ego death, the question that remains to be seen is if they are going to make it out in tatters or will they come out with a deeper understanding of themselves and their partners?

Choices, choices and more choices

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”

Jung's understanding of personal growth revolves on the idea that while individuals are shaped by their past experiences and external circumstance, one can overcome themselves, through conscious choice and self-determination. The ability to choose allows humans to have the possibility of transcending their limitations and shaping their own identity and the future that strive to fulfill. Rather than leaving one's fate at the hands of fate, Jung's theory encourages to take responsibility for their lives by making intentional choices, taking an active role in shaping their own lives leading to higher self.

The choices made, and the (pseudo-)lack of choices made, were so apparent in episode 10 that it was almost painful to watch. @liyazaki has a great analysis on Tai's choice in this episode where he chooses to break his own pre-determined destiny. For someone like Tai, who has actively chosen to take a back-seat in his life, this was supposed to be a turning point for him. While he's choosing to not be a product of his pre-determined environment, he's failing to take the front seat driver side in his love life. Like @ginnymoonbeam said, Tai is incredibly conflict-averse while Patts very much prefers to address conflict. Tai's avoidance is still very much a choice and it's a choice that ultimately not only lead to the destruction of the connection but also to the breaking of his relationship. He could have chosen Patts, much like Patts implored, but he didn't, he ran. His choice of running ultimately left him alone, mirroring the night that his parents announced their divorce. His choice gave him what he thought he wanted, but isolation was never the key to his happiness, and I think he realizes that now in the aftermath. [@sunshinechay has a great deep dive into Tai's state of mind after the bond has broken due to his choice]

With Tai's silence, Patts is driven to a point where he cannot just continue to be patient. I'll be honest, I'm going to refer a lot to @lurkingshan's post about the guys and their conflict style for Patts' portion, just because I'm much less well-versed in who he is as a character. Before even making any choice, Patts does what any reasonable lover would do, he double checks with Tai. He checks in to see if Tai is where he said he would be. Like @lurkingshan said, he finally thought there was a sense of trust and understanding between them two and instead he's met with lies after lies. He questions why it was so hard for Tai to choose him, why Tai couldn't just say something. Something that would explain how their whole relationship became twisted, but instead he was met with Tai's silence and when Tai does speak, it's an ultimatum. While Tai offers the bait of breaking up, Patts is the one that makes the choice for them. Just as Tai never explicitly chose him in this episode, Patts ultimately doesn't chose to continue with Tai either. No matter how much you profess your love, when you're presented by an ultimatum and silence, how much is there to salvage? Patts chooses to stop catering to Tai, to stop coddling him, because Patts has his own needs and insecurities that are not being met. It takes two to tango and today, Tai didn't show up, so Patts made the choice to surrender.

Arguably, the only one that didn't make a choice or was even granted a chance to make a choice before hell broke loose was Tien. Instead, he was collateral damage to the choice that Lomfon made. His confession, was not so much a choice as it was a reaction to the combustion that occurred and he was left helpless to watch. And the pseudo-choice that he did make, incurred by the hypothetical question that Lomfon provided, was made without all the details. Tien made a pseudo-choice with a bias that Lomfon was already aware he had, instead of posing the question with the inclusion that he had two soulmates which could have shaken Tien's answer, Lomfon formed the question in a way he knew how Tien would answer. Instead, Tien becomes accidental casualty of his environment due to always being on the outskirts. The only choice he made this time was to not stick around for his pain to be visibly seen or felt. Lomfon was the only one that had seen him at his worst, at his most fragile, and this time he walks away.

Lomfon... Again, where to start with this kid. If I think Tien had no choice, I think Lomfon, on the other hand, made way too many. The main choice that really seemed the most intentional was his choice to kiss Tai. @heretherebedork really hit it on the nail, rather than the soulmate bond (that he presumably would have thrown away to explore things with Tien), it was his choice of holding the significance of the keychain, of their original meeting, higher than his feelings with Tien or even the soulmate connection. For all the scientific and factual hot-takes that he makes regarding the idea of soulmates, he still chose to pursue the idea of fate. While he might be skeptic of the rain anomaly, he doesn't choose to be a skeptic of the keychain coincidence.

The Jungian theory about intentional choices is that they form who one wants to become. It emphasizes personal agency and the ability to transform oneself, something that is a bit counterintuitive to the idea that the deafness and connection with someone in the rain leads to your soulmate. All four of them have the potential for growth and to consciously shape their destiny, yet ironically, the most skeptical about fate, of the four, made a choice based on the idea of destiny. Personal growth isn't linear, but making a choice is a start.

Bright light in a dim world

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."

Jung's understanding of human existence depends on the idea of the primary of our lives to bring forth 'inner illumination' in the existential darkness that can accompany mere existence. The "darkness of mere being" refers to a state of existence where individuals may feel disconnected, lost, or lacking a sense of purpose or meaning. It is a condition of living without tapping into our deeper nature or engaging with the depths of our psyche. By kindling a light within, one's creativity and individuality, one can bring awareness, consciousness, and meaning to their lives. This inner light is a source of inspiration, growth, and transformation.

We've finally reached the moment where any ounce of happiness or loudness that Saengtien would have mustered has been lost. In the aftermath of the fight, he's left to pick up the pieces of his brother again. Only this time, he's learning that the one that he likes didn't have him in mind. Much like his name, where a candlelight can be indispensable in the darkness, it can also be snuffed out just as easily. Tien, who's in the outside looking in throughout his whole life as the third child in his family, is also left disconnected by the one he likes. No matter how much Lomfon had liked Tien, even without Tien knowing, he didn't think of him when he found out that Tai was the one that saved him. Tien has become the afterthought. The first person to reach out and attempt to uncover his mask, is the same person that verbalizes the position that Tien is always left in. An outsider.

"What does that have to do with you?" Seven simple words that are arranged in the only way that it could truly pain Tien.

Tien, who masks his pain under his brashness and his prickly self, who hides his own feelings for the happiness of those who he loves. After all the mistakes that Lomfon has committed, Tien still pauses the moment that Lomfon states that he was in pain. Yes, Lomfon fucked up and hurt his brother, but Tien also cares about Lomfon's happiness and he would still put Lomfon's feelings before his own. Until Tien's own insecurities were used against him, even if it was unintentional. Tien has done everything in his power to be the 'candlelight' in the darkest times for everyone else. And for once, he thought he found someone that would be that same beacon of light in his own life. Instead that possibility was extinguished and his sad reality was thrown in his face.

This time around Tien needs to be more careful with his 'candlelight', he needs to learn to put himself first, to finally say what he truly feels and not prioritize the feelings of others over his own. He's pieced himself together to be the person that everyone can depend on, but that meant giving up who he really was. He got trapped into being the odd man out, an outlander in his own home and in his love life, because he never prioritized himself. To find that inner illumination in the mere darkness of life, he has to learn that his happiness is just as important and to strive towards achieving it. Once he learns this, he can also grow and become self-realized.

Final Thoughts

Tai, Tien, Patts, and Lomfon are all in their own journey of self-discovery in a world that treats a condition, that connects you to another person while it rains, as a sign of destiny and fate. La Pluie really does trope subversion really well and brings into question whether a designation of fate is sufficient to establish a relationship. Relationships require work and a mystical attachment cord does not just get rid of that. The four of them are only starting to realize that and hopefully, they come out of this better people. Whether that means together or separate, their meetings will change them in one way or another, and that's not simply because of destiny. You have to put the work in to better yourself, and the people that you meet are only catalysts.

[tess-from-neverland]

I love the fact that Lomfon basically went on the internet and read every article Saengtai has written.

Now, whipped boy, if you just give that energy to the right brother we can move along

[haechanglitch]

the preview of tien going back to being rude and loud and brash towards lomfon and oh man 💔 my poor baby

[aprilblossomgirl]

la pluie (2023) -- random stillshots part 6/?

But, the more important thing is that I can hold your hand like this. And, I'll never let it go. Stay with me forever, okay?

[heretherebedork]

Lomfon instantly taking off after Tien, stopping him from chasing Tai and then listening. Not just listening but understanding what he was saying, listening to him and seeing him in that moment, seeing him upset and breaking and blaming himself and stopping him, again and again, because he knows him now.

But also because this is part of Tien's story. He is surrounded by soulmates. He is surrounded by people who are supposed to have this magic love that never seems to work out for them and here he is. Tien, with no soulmate. Tien, who is watching over his older brother. Tien, protective and young and so, so loving. Tien, scared and screaming. Tien as he never is, serious and shaking with it.

The instant Tien mentioned soulmates, Lomfon let go of him. We know that Lomfon has been in love with Tai for some time despite him having a soulmate and has been rejecting the very idea of soulmates for the whole show. And this is more of that, this instant distance because of the mention.

But he has also started to see Tien. Lomfon is starting to see that Tien isn't just the goofball he presents himself as, the jokester and slacker at school. He's also someone who cares deeply about other people to the point of his own detriment and pain, someone who will put the needs of the people he loves about his own and blame himself for their woes.

Lomfon sees him here. And this is one of the first shots of Lomfon looking at Tien without Tien looking back. Those are new, they're just starting. Lomfon is seeing him, finally, and this time he sees him in a brand new light.

And then Lomfon pulls Tien into his arms. He sees his agony and he doesn't let go. He holds him, reassures him, lets him take what he needs there and stays with him to keep him safe.

Lomfon might not be in love with Tien yet. He probably isn't. But there's something there.

Oh, yeah, and now Lomfon can hear Tai in the rain. Is this new? Because we know Patts can still hear him and that, so far, Tai has only been able to hear Patts. So what does this mean for everyone?

Seriously. What is this going to mean for all of them? From Lomfon to Tai to Tien to Patts... this could mean so many things for everyone from a blatant change in the meaning of soulmates to the redefinition of love for so many people.

How do you define soulmates? How you define love? How do you redefine love as your life changes?

[sparklyeyedhimbo]

one time tien breaking infront of lomfon and one time tien breaking but walking away from lomfon

alexa play everybodys hurt

[heretherebedork]

Tien and Lomfon and their hands

[heretherebedork]

I have feelings about Tien and these pictures summarize those feelings because he is chaos and he is rude and he is also a pair of desperate eyes so needy for any kind of affection that even the touch of the right hand can send him spiraling into puppy dog eyes.

And he is going to have his heart entirely broken, torn out of his chest and he's going to watch the person he loves fight for his brother's love and those eyes are going to break my heart.

[heretherebedork]

I adore Lomfon for this. Also, Pingpong is the best but we already knew that. But this? Lomfon sees how they both feel but also sees how badly he fucked up. He knows he messed up and that he doesn't deserve forgiveness and that, in fact, he wouldn't forgive himself for what he did.

(Also, hey, look! Green. @respectthepetty we finally made it! He's wearing green! Tien picked up on his color before he figured it out himself!)

Lomfon knows what he needs to do, he really does. But that doesn't make him any less awkward than he's always been or any more familiar with how to relate to people or any better at communication.

Pingpong is basically to Lomfon as Tien was to Tai. Giving him the 'unfuckit' advice but a bit kinder and direct in a different way.

It is nearly impossible to capture how awkward poor Lomfon is in this moment. He is incoherent.

Tien lost his color because of Lomfon.

All Tien wants is some direct communication and he is just not gonna get it. Oh, poor boy.

The most heartbroken face of a boy who really just wants to hear that he's chosen and that someone else feels the same way he does and that he's seen and loved but he fell in love with someone who is struggling with that part so much. Oh, Tien.

[heretherebedork]

I am absolutely not okay. Just... nope. Not at all.

Tien's heartbroken expression at the realization that Lomfon is also Tai's soulmate, the way he's falling apart in the rain just staring at him right after Patts punched Lomfon away from Tai.

And then Lomfon. Oh, Lomfon. Lomfon who doesn't believe in soulmates but has suddenly found himself thrust into a world where he should believe and have one and he knows the person and he's liked Tai for ages but now Tien is right there and he doesn't know what he's thinking anymore.

Lomfon has been shaken to the core by hearing their voices in the rain. He's losing himself into this idea, this realization. His world has been turned upside down entirely. But he's also young and he had an obvious crush on Tai and now he's looking at Tien without understanding what he's seeing or what it means because now everything he believed has been flipped.

Tien has spent two years being there for his brother, pushing him to be okay, present and loving and now he's found the start of his own first love only to find out that the first person he falls for, the first person he truly cares about, is his brother's other soulmate and not only only that but he isn't anyone's first choice.

This is going to rip my heart out in all the right ways for a narrative about deconstructing soulmates. Because it's really about the idea that love is a choice and that destiny might confuse you but you still have to make a choice in the end, a choice for love and a choice to care and a choice about who you love and why you love and destiny is not enough to make love work.

Love is a choice. Love is always a choice. Love is built on choices, on trust and joy and being together and listening and talking and communication and all of those choices make love.

Not destiny.

Not voices in the rain.

But choices.

[heretherebedork]

I love them so much your honor. They finally had everything they needed, the real confession, the full discussion and the opening of feelings and now they're not letting go. Now they're going to hang onto each other forever and that's that, that's their choice and their love and their lives and now they're going to be happy because they understand and they've been clear and it's beautiful.

[heretherebedork]

And put through google translate for images says the quote is about choosing even if you don't know you're making the best choice because what's important is making the choice and I am dying, absolutely dying, I cannot wait to see them finally find their happiness.

[heretherebedork]

Knowing that Lomfon literally kissed Tai in the rain, realized he didn't like him, lashed out at Tien and then realized that was who he loved because Tien finally confessed in the most heartbroken and heartwrenching way possible? Yeah. That's my heart.

Lomfon has been carrying a torch for Tai for so long that he never stopped to actually look at his own feelings, even when he wasn't sure. Even when he was struggling. He never actually considered the idea that he didn't love Tai.

At least not until he was confronted by his own reality. And that took him by surprise.

Now, though, now he has to make his choice and he has to prove his choice.

He has to show Tien that someone will choose him. That someone will take his side. That he is loved and can be loved and is worth loving entirely on his own merit.

Lomfon finally has the chance to choose Tien and he better take it.

(He will. He's finally ready to make a choice and to make it open and make it loud. Lomfon won't shy away from this, not now that he's seen how much he hurt Tien and knows how he carries his own guilt and his own pain so deep.)