#kluendao

#morning kisses in every universe ✨

During the tent scene in the second Our Skyy 2: Star in My Mind ep, I was originally hit with the tenderness and absolute beauty of their words. So much so that I had to pause like 7 times just to slap my hand over my face and complain to myself about how much I loved them. In between these breaks however, as I was staring at my screen to muster up the courage to sit through more of their toothrotting sweetness, I got time to think about and appreciate the visual aspects of this scene a lot more. And, well, like Kluen might not be good with his words, I am not good at processing and analyzing words, so here is a dissection of the things we don't hear in the tent (pre)sex scene.

One of the first things I like to ask when thinking about a scene (i.e. a depiction of an event, it doesn't have to be a filmscene) is who the viewer is. This is both about who the viewer is supposed to be (the artist's intention) and who the viewer feels they are (the audience interpretation) in relation to the scene. Some scenes clearly ask the viewer to imagine themselves as being a part of the scene; for example a subject can make eye contact to acknowledge the existence of the viewer, breaking the fourth wall and inviting them in. In other cases the scene exists on its own and the viewer is merely looking at it from a distance; depictions of historical events are occasionally portrayed like this, they are meant to be a portrayal of the past as things to be learned from rather than things to be a part of. Sometimes the viewer is supposed to imagine themselves as being/embodying one of the subjects depicted; European devotional scenes occasionally depict the commissioner of the artwork within said work in a state of worshipping the scene, so that while they were praying in front of the artwork they could copy themself in this worship. (I'm getting distracted naming examples).There are many places and identities that a viewer can be assigned in an artwork and these can all bring up different emotions (for example eye contact with a subject can be a challenge, an accusational call to the voyeuristic identity that is inherent to being a viewer and thus brings up feelings of discomfort and confliction). 

Our scene of discussion places us in the tent together with Kluen and Dao. The shots are very close-up and if we were to imagine ourselves as an actual person present in the actual tent with them we are likely to be face to face with them, as close as Kluen and Dao are to each other. It enhances the feeling of intimacy. Instead of just seeing the closeness between the characters, we are experiencing how it must feel for them at the moment. 

We are reminded however that, although we feel close, the viewer is not in the tent with Kluen and Dao. Not only would it be physically impossible because of the tents size, but the cuts and different shots also—eventhough they give us many angles of the intimacy—remind us of the fabrication of the scene and the fact that we are more akin to a fly on the wall, or an ominous entity. We are gifted with the feeling of intimacy without being asked to imagine ourselves active within it/experiencing it. 

This is—to me—the peak of the beauty that romance as a genre has to offer. The scene depicts true catharsis, achieved not just through good writing and proper acting but by considering the viewers' place and, well, view.

Because the audience is just that, someone who views the scene. But the tent scene makes no attempts to blame the viewer or exclude them for the fact that they are watching something they are not a part of. The tent embraces us, brings us close, and lets us get a sense of the intimacy (once again, without having to be a part of it). We are not being acknowledged, but that doesn't mean that the viewer is ignored; because the beauty of the scene makes us keenly aware of its construction for our pleasure and the privilege of our presence.

A very important part of the construction of the scene is the lighting which is very particular and quite unconventional. Even though it is night and supposedly dark outside, the lightsource is on the outside of the tent. Bright white light beams in through the tent fabric and illuminates Kluen and Dao from two sides. One of the light sources is to Daos right/Kluens left (the longer part of the tent behind them, parallel to the part of the tent that has been cut out for the sake of filming) and the other is placed in/on the tent side where their heads are.

The only place that is empty, having no light and no camera, is the side through which they entered. Considering that light is as important to viewing as the eye itself is, this suggests that the only side of the tent though which they are not being shown/seen is the entrance, which is their connection to the outside. It shows how, in this scene, they are separate from the world, in a space of their own making.

So while in reality, the tent shields them from the outside and the risk of being seen, in the shot, it is exactly the walls of the tent that allow the viewer to witness Kluen and Dao, and this adds to the feeling of inclussion that the audience experiences.

The bright light from only two directions leaves darkness from the other two and creates stark boundaries between the lights and shadows. It finely defines their features and basks their faces in the contrast of both shine and shadow.

Similarly Kluen and Dao are dressed in dark and light. Dao wears a white cardigan and Kluen wears a black cardigan. Yet they are never contrasted or separated. The light illuminates Kluens black and the shadow darkens Dao's white; creating more of a harsh gradient rather than a contrast. Additionally, Kluen’s arm (used for support) extends his color down to Dao. And Dao’s arm, laid on Kluen's biceps (for a different kind of support), extends his color up. They keep their arms/hands in this place throughout the entire scene and form a sense of balance; holding each other and meeting in the middle.

Dao's arm placement also puts his bracelet on full display. The silver band (the middle ground between black and white) is a symbol of their relationship; the gift that Kluen kept all this time and which shows their perseverance and patience. Its shadows are dark and highlights white and thus becomes a representation of the multifacetedness of their relationship.

When Dao leans up to kiss Kluen—after having told Kluen that he can tell him he loves him as much as he wants—they meet each other in the middle. When their mouths are pressed together, the light from the tent fabric behind them is blocked. The contrast between the light from the tent and shadow on the sides of their face that had defined their features disappears. Their faces blur together in the shadow, and it seems like they are no longer separate. With the divide gone, they seem attached by the lack of light. In the darkness of their own creation, they become one and this new color block stands off sharp against the still bright white backdrop. The contracts with the light no longer define their individual features but rather emphasizes their connection.

When Kluen asked if he 'could ask for more,' he meant whether Doa was ready to have sex. But the 'more' that we see them achieve in this scene goes way beyond being physical.

Anyway… live laugh love simm :)

adorable eye-smiles

2. the cutest puppy dog energy

3. the quiet, understated agony of their crying scenes

4. wrapping themselves around their partner

5. their jawline when they do that:

6. shameless bts kiss stealer

7. tiny shoulder kiss

8. custom jewellery and sunflowers in both their debut shows

9. getting flustered after their partner initiates affection

10. C H E M I S T R Y

actually, peat and dunk's jawlines when they kiss, too

BONUS: whatever the fuck this mouth-to-mouth feeding thing is *O*

Is this QL couple into that kink?