#lomfon

I like you so much that if I don't tell you how I feel, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

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.

Alright, are we taking bets on this actually being something Tien did or do we think Tai was involved in some way? Which way is this show going with destiny? Because a show with a traditional view on destiny would make this lead to a moment that Tien did that he forgot but that Lomfon thought was Tai. But this show is asking us to examine the idea of destiny, soulmates and the entire concept of a life controlled. So... what will they do with this?

But, also, Lomfon considers the person who left that keychain with him to be someone who saved his life and his first love and what does that mean for everything we see now? What is the destiny at play here?

This is also goes back to Tien loving Lomfon, falling for him, caring for him but unsure of what it means until Tai helps him see how much he cares.

See, this moment is great because it's about both Tien's love of his brother and Tien's love of Lomfon at the exact same time. Because, yes, Tien wants Tai to be happy with his soulmate... but he also wants himself to be happy with Lomfon.

(How many people has this idea of soulmates driven to lengths they would never have gone otherwise? Both Tien and Tai hold this idea up as so precious and so important and Tien doesn't even have a soulmate in those terms and how much has that left him feeling like he'll never be able to be complete? How many times has Tien wondered if he could ever find anything that would be as good as his brother's soulmate?)

Oh just look at them sitting together at night but it's not cold, they're surrounded by blue and green and a hint of yellow and they're finally talking, finally connecting, finally taking the time to actually hear each other out. Neither of them is wearing their color or, really, each other's colors... but they around surrounded and it's beautiful. I love all the lights around them but the vast green and the deep blues and the depth of color that they stand out of because they are there together.

Tien has always believed in soulmates. His parents were soulmates, his brother has a soulmate, he's always seen destiny as simply part of his life and part of everyone's lives. Tien believes in soulmates and destiny the same way other people in gravity. He's seen it, he knows it's there, he believes and he believes so deeply that he doesn't question it.

(It's even more interesting because Tien is the one without a soulmate, the one who can't look to destiny for his love but he's also one of the people who believes in it the strongest, who believes that Tai will find happiness and peace with his soulmate even if their parents didn't.)

Tien doesn't suffer from hearing loss. He doesn't have a soulmate. How empty does he feel sometimes, knowing the people around him have destiny on their side and all he has is himself?

Lomfon, I'd like an explanation for what love is that doesn't involve thinking with your emotions.

And I love Tien, chaos child of loyalty.

Hey, Lomfon, remember the keychain and your crush on Tai? Maybe we don't tease Tien about being in love with someone. (PS: It's you and you aren't gonna appreciate it, are you? At least not at first.)

Tien is just a baby. He handles this so well and he's able to see the humor and to stay positive and not get offended and I just love him so much. He might have fallen for Lomfon but he's holding himself together so well.

Honestly, I love these two together.

But I still wanna see Lomfon admit his crush on Tai and just crush Tien... and then come back because he's realized that he does love the younger brother and not just the older one.

So I read a bunch of la pluie meta but this post by @fadelikeclouds got me really thinking about Lomfon and his decision making, because it made so much sense to a logical brain. 

He made all the wrong choices, and he shouldn’t have done it, this isn’t a defence post it’s just a follow his logic post.

Prior to this episode we know

He doesn’t believe in soulmates (jut randomly similar wavelengths) - very logical 

(although I thought we’d get an emotional foundation for that - e.g. maybe one of his parents left becuase they found their soulmate, but it doesn’t seem like it anymore??). 

sudden soulmate bond is weird

Established link to an unknown person through a keychain. 

So here he is trying to figure out what on earth it means that he’s suddenly connected to Tai, a man he latched onto based on one conversation where he felt they really connected and basically nothing else (other than Tai’s continuing to be polite when they meet). This is big logic brain energy to me, he has gone:

ah this is a person I like for logical reasons like mutual interest, he is my crush now.

then we have two things happen (one slowly one quickly)

1. he gets feelings for Tien (slowly, illogically, over time)

2. he becomes Tai’s soulmate (suddenly and illogically). (and it’s only once so did it even happen or will it happen again?)

So he’s left with two hypotheses

1. He likes Tai (and Tai is his soulmate...is Tai his soulmate?)

2. He likes Tien

Asking Patts to solve it

The only defence statement I will say is that Lomfon made 1 SINGLE attempt to not be selfish, this was when he approached Patts and told him the truth, this was him reaching out in his confusion to discuss it. and Patts shut. him. down. (For perfectly good reasons don’t get me wrong) (especially since Lomfon doesn’t say he can hear both of them - confirmation bias for sure I saw a post about this sorry I don’t remember which one)

So this leaves Lomfon in a bit of a bind, WHAT DOES HE FEEL? Because he genuinely doesn’t know friends, he’s so confused is Lomfon. 

Asking Tien to solve it

Next we have him try to abdicate responsibility by asking Tien to solve his problem (without providing ANY CONTEXT). This obviously doesn’t yield his desired answer and he is once again confronted with his feelins for Tien with the little pinky touch. 

So he’s tried Patts, he’s tried Tien and who is left? Tai. 

Asking/Forcing Tai to solve it

and if he’s seeing Tai, he first needs to check if they are soulmates, prove that they are, because that’s the only way things will matter to Tai. 

So he picks a day it will rain and asks to meet. 

and then he waits for it to rain. 

Now I genuinely believe that the confession/kiss bit was pushed by the keychain revelation, that had definitely not been the plan. But he finally found his ‘first love’ and it’s also his soulmate, and he HAS TO KNOW DANG IT, so he kisses Tai, to check his own feelings (another wrong choice). 

And then he apologises

Why?

Because it was the wrong decision? ah der 

Because Tai didn’t want it? also clearly

Or maybe partly because...he didn’t feel anything.

We don’t get to properly see his response beyond this, because everything becomes a big mess and poor Tien is left outside of the conversation (and outside of the camera shots) while the three soulmates yell and fight and then...the connection is gone...and

Tien is there, and Tien is angry and dang it doesn’t Tien understand that Lomfon NEEDS to understand because Tien believes in soulmates and Tai is Lomfons soulmates and dang it Tien, I needed to know and it doesn’t concern you.

Except it does...

And now he’s ruined everything.

Me:

ME VS BL SAGA [10/∞]