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dropsnectar · 9 months ago

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Pollen and Potions: Bee-men x afab!reader

PART THREE

This is a longer part than the rest, but its all necessary dialogue so it should be fine. More fluffy and romance than smut, BUT!! Their will be smut in the next section! I know I said this will only be 4 parts, but it may actually be more like 5 or 6. Anyway, hope you like!

So. You were starting to learn that using large batches of magic back to back weren't ideal for a young witch's health. It seemed like you might have overdone it, as when you woke you found you had been asleep for TWO WHOLE DAYS. So. If you were going to do magic, it looked like you were going to have to pace yourself, or perhaps use LESS magic.

You put yourself to learning more about witchcraft. The thing was, your grandmother's books didn't really go into the basics, and as witches were so rare, information was hard to find. Of course, the internet was full of supposed witch spells, or frameworks, but it was like throwing dice. Some spells didn't work. Some spells took up WAY too much energy. Some were just… fine? But not what you needed.

Next you checked out forum sites. Maybe you could find a community through that way? But all you found were psychics and tarot readers. Nice people, but not what you needed.

Whelp. Maybe you needed to look at the issue differently. The environment used to be a beautiful, thriving area. What had changed between now and then? In order to understand a magic ecosystem, you had to understand ecosystems. So, for the rest of the week you busied yourself with ecology study. It was turning out that this project you had adopted on a whim would need a lot more time and breadth of knowledge then you originally thought.

***

When you met with Rena, under Lyith’s friendly gaze, you found that the magic you had cast hadn't waned at all. The flowers had grown beautifully and continued to give magic nectar that created the best honey. Rena was beside herself. “The elders of the hive say they haven't had honey of this quality since they were children! You are really onto something here, little one.”

Rena had now gotten in the habit of calling you little one. Sure, as a Bee-man she was slightly taller than you, but not by much. Also the constant fluttering and floating didn't help.

“You've been given permission to test your magic on our other gardens as well. As long as we are careful and continue with caution!” Rena babbled. You gave her a small smile and felt Lyiths arm on your shoulder. He laid his head on your other shoulder, leaning his fuzzy head against yours.

“Whats wrong?”

You wiggled a little. “I'm just having a hard time brainstorming how to do this. I know I said I'd help you guys, but I might not be able to use as much magic as last time. To be honest, I don't really know much about my mana and my limits…” you explained your situation. Expecting there to be disappointment, you were surprised to find none.

“I can’t help but think… How long will this last? One spell isn’t going to cut it for that long. I want to create something that will last for you guys, but that might take a while… and doing just this took all the mana I had. I want to do better. But I don’t want to hurt myself either, especially when I don’t know how this could affect my health in the long run…” The bee-men seemed to be catching on.

“Of course, little one. We wouldn't want you to harm yourself.”

Lyith also popped up, his voice almost in your ear.

“Us Bee-men also have something like mana. Our magic is not never ending. We would have fixed this situation ourselves if it was.”

Rena reached forward and grabbed your hand, giving it a reassuring pat. “We don't have to do anything today. We can commence whenever you'd like. Our flowers have spread out beautifully and even this is enough.”

You frowned.

“I may have to do this every spring. Or even redo it in the summer…”

“You don’t owe us anything. You are trying your best to do us a kindness. And our hive knows and sees that. We are beyond grateful to you… Its… We’ve needed…We are truly grateful.” His expression fell at the mention of his hive, his antennas drooping. Rena moved forward and held Lyith, a sad expression on her own face.

There was a pause in conversation that grew somewhat awkward.

How do I make this better? You tried to brainstorm, but only one thing came to mind.

You went over and gave the both of them a big bear hug. It was a tense one, but you tried to adjust your emotions, instead concentrating on how fond you had grown of the two. You tried to shout it as loud as you could through your brain at them.

This seemed to break the spell, as Rena started to laugh. Lyith looked at you affectionately.

“I know we haven't known each other long, but I just want to say, you can count on me. If you ever need to talk about anything let me know. I'll listen.”

Rena and Lyith hummed in response, returning your group hug with a long squeeze.

Long hugs. The favorite actions of a Bee-men.

After some quiet reassurances, the two of you decided to idle while the two foraged on the edge of the Wood. You walked with them and asked them as many questions you could think of. How old were they? Were they able to do other magics? You had thought Bee-men to be isolated. How come they knew so much about human culture?

Lyith was the one who answered you most of the time. It seemed that bee-man typically lived double the life of a human, with Rena and Lyith being about 45, and 51, Lyith being the oldest. They were in the same season of life as you though!

Bee-man could do some other magics(they didn't go much into what), but they specialized in making their magical honey, which fortified the health and wellbeing of a Bee-men.

They didn’t say it outright but it seemed like the dip in magic had affected the nutrition of their food source. They kept their own bees and shared honey, but it still wasn't enough, so they had ventured out into human society to buy fruit when it was necessary. They also did trade with neighboring beast-men, the Wolfmen being happy to share their fruit for their Bee’s wax waste. I

“What exactly do you guys do for fun though?” You asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Lyith smiled. “Late night flying is fun.”

Rena snorted. “You mean late night spying. Lyith has a habit of looking through people's windows.”

Lyith wrinkled his nose at Rena. “If they did not want to be seen they would have drawn the curtains. It's not strange, I am just curious about human life is all.”

Rena reached forward and pinched Lyiths nose. “Poor thing. So bored he must make mischief.”

You looked at Lyith with surprise. His big eyes grew in concern and he pouted at you.

“You are not going to tease me too are you? I promise, I never see anything scandalous. I'm a good little bee.” He fluttered his eyes at you.

You giggled and pushed his shoulder.

“As long as you're not spying on me I guess it's harmless.”

Lyiths expression shifted to one of his dopey smiles. It always surprised you how innocent he could look despite his size. Was it maybe…

“So… I may have read that you guys are telepathic right?”

Renas face changed into a smirk.

“Yes, and?”

“ Well, have you guys ever… used your powers on me?”

Rena snorted. Lyith gave you an unreadable expression. “We Bee-man are very particular about sharing our heads outside of our hives. But no. We haven't done anything to you if that's what you meant…”

Oh. He was pouting now.

“No! Thats not what I meant! I just… i feel so comfortable around you guys it's almost supernatural. I just. Idk. Wanted to know. Please I didn't mean anything by it!”

Lyith wrinkled his nose at you and Rena continued to seem amused. You felt helpless and got a bit upset with yourself. You did your best to calm yourself down but you were upset. You had so few friends here and you were afraid you blew it. A wave of loneliness swept through you.

Lyith was watching you the whole time, before sighing. “All will be forgiven if you give us some of those fruit tarts you made yesterday.”

You looked at him, shocked.

“I thought you said you didn't spy on me!”

“I wasn't spying, I just happened to be foraging by the window, and smelled something amazing. It was all incidental.”

“There's sugar in the crust. Won’t your tummy get upset?”

He just smiled. Rena laughed. “He named his price. For offending us, we must get fruit tarts.”

Finally feeling better, the three of you walked(they let you walk!!!) Back to your home. You served them up your tarts, when finally the questions started coming about you. Why did you move here? Do you have any siblings? What were you like as a child?

This went on until dinner time, at which point you decided to shoo your new friends away. “ I'll be back to do the flowers tomorrow. We… we will see what I can do.” You admitted. The two of them smiled at you, hugging you tight for a good three minutes. They always lingered, nuzzling your face and hair, as if they were getting a whiff of you. You could smell their own perfume and tried not to think too much. Their goodbyes always felt so intimate.

Rena decided to pepper your face in kisses before they left. Lyith just rolled his eyes at her. When they drew apart you felt empty, like some piece of you was going with them.

***

As always, Lyith picked you up that morning. This time, you made sure to bring a scarf and hat, alongside emergency snacks in your bag. Where he was taking you next was a little longer of a trip, a whole ten minutes to the usual six. That was a long time when you were hurtling through the air.

You were surprised to drop into a small crowd. There were ten Bee-men present besides Rena, who seemed to be communicating silently with them. The air was full of bee noises; humming, purring, the fluttering of wings. The air smelled amazingly fresh, floral and syrupy. It was an odd smell, but it seemed to put you at ease somehow. And maybe a bit peckish.

A Beeman a whole foot and a half taller then Rena fluttered towards you. They bowed, of which you awkwardly returned before they reached forward and took your hand gently. Lyith started,

“This is Elder Bisou. He is the eldest of our hive. He is showing you respect.”

Elder Bisou smiled at you. “Little Witch, I welcome you to our territory. My human is a bit… unused. Please receive our thanks for your efforts.” He took your hand and leaned down so that it met his temple. You could feel the rush of his magic, like your mind was a fish bowl and he was putting a gentle hand on the glass. You could feel his warmth, his deep gratitude through it.

Your back straightened and you felt water prick your eyelids. You gave him a slow nod, becoming acutely aware just how serious this whole situation actually was. Rena and Lyith had been dancing around it, but the Bee-men must be slowly starving to death. That was the only explanation for the depths of what you had felt.

“I will do my best.” Was all you could reply.

Lyith, acting as your translator, took you to each Bee-men he could and introduced you. It seemed that some of the elders, as well as some of those who had free time had come to watch the “little witch” work. Most took your hand gently, and sent you a ghost of what their emotions were. There was a sort of film around the emotions, a barrier of sorts. Whether this was on purpose so you wouldn’t be overwhelmed, or just how their telepathy worked, you couldn't tell.

You did your best to not let your nerves get to you as you dissected the sections of the field where you would be doing your experiments. You didn’t know how these particular flowers would take to your spell, so it was still best to be cautious. The bee-men looked on with interest.

You did your chants in a loud booming fashion, and channeled in as elegant a fashion as you could. Like always, the magic came, and the spell did its work. These flowers were different, like rainbow colored lavender. Rather than letting the magic gush through you, you let it gently trickle out, pacing yourself. When the deeds were done, you still felt sore, and you still held a headache in your temple, but there was no nausea, so growth!

Once you were done with your work, there was a large excited buzzing throughout the forest. There was clapping, dancing, stomping of feet, pumping of many hands, whoops from Rena and Lyith. One Bee, a worker named Aidenn held a small wooden instrument in his hands and started to play. This triggered a chorus from the Bee-men. There was a harmonizing among the crowd and they started to circle each other, laughing and dancing. A circle of flying, spinning Bee-men formed.

Rena grabbed you by the waist and hoisted you onto her shoulder before joining in the circle of the dance. You giggled as you spun, feeling the giddiness in the air like it was laughing gas. That same pressure filled your mind and a part of your heart started to soar. It was intimate, but not stifling and you loved feeling so close to everyone.

You lifted your hands and, feeling in the spirit, decided to hum along. At some point Rena had taken you in her arms and held you close as they continued to fly in a circle, spinning and perrying, and switching. It was similar to square dancing, where there was a pattern to it.

At one point, the tune changed and Lyith swooped down from above and grabbed you out of Rena’s arms. She snorted at him but let it happen, joining hands with another passing Bee-men. When Lyith gathered you in his arms, he cradled you as close as possible, surprising you. One hand was gripping firmly around your waist and the other crushing you to him. He landed on the ground, and the rest of the bee-men followed, causing something of a ballroom dance.

“You did wonderfully today.” He breathed in your ear, causing them to redden. You pulled yourself back a bit to see his face and he was looking at you with such pride and affection it felt like a weight crushing your chest. You moved your hands from his shoulders to reach his own hands. You were shaky, but you wanted to return his feelings somehow. His palms were soft.

This caused him to laugh, a purring sort of trill coming from his throat. You couldn’t help a silly grin form on your face.

“I’m glad you came to my garden.” Was all you could think to say.

He looked at you, with those big black eyes, then reached forward and kissed you on the lips. It was only a peck, but you could feel his joy through it.

Something complex within you, a mix of happiness, excitement, hope, all of your feelings rose up into your throat. Unable to find the words to express yourself, you took all of those big heavy emotions, wrapped them all up together and kissed him back, right there, in the middle of your makeshift dance floor.

When you pulled away Lyith looked shocked, his bottom lip hanging open. Adorable as usual.

Rena hollered from the otherside of the gathering, sending out a big whoop. There was laughter, buzzing and an echoing whoop from some of the younger bee-men. Elder Bisou made some clicking sounds, but the sides of his mouth were slightly upturned.

It occurred to you then that you were in the middle of a group of very telepathic monster people. Your cheeks grew hot in embarrassment and you pulled away from Lyith a bit. Your shoes suddenly became very interesting.

Lyith eventually turned your chin back up to face him. He held a small peaceful smile, before bumping his forehead to yours. He didn’t share his emotions but the affection was still there.

After you grew too tired to dance, you took a seat under a tree, munching on a granola bar. Another one of the Bee-men, a younger drone named Haven, made his way to sit next to you.

“I don’t know if it was mentioned, but honey production has picked up enormously since you agreed to help us. I haven’t felt this great in… well ever! Thank you little witch!”

“I’m not little, but thank you for saying so.” You were starting to get a bit lightheaded now, and not from the dancing. It was possible that some of the symptoms of mana sickness were surfacing a little late.

“You are strong! That is true! Even elder Bisou has said he hasn’t met a human or beastman with mana like yours!” Haven turned his voice down to a whisper, as if he was sharing a secret, “Your magic smells so much like flowers, really, its a huge blessing! In fact, I would eat you up if I could!” He laughed as if he had made a joke. He sighed and looked up dreamily at the sky. “Alas, I am saving myself for when we find our queen.” He wrapped his arms around himself, as if to fend off imaginary suitors.

You wrinkled your nose. “Queen? You don’t have a queen? Isn’t that super bad for bees, I mean bee-men?”

Heaven tilted his head at you, reminding you of Lyith.

“Of course. That's why we are all so small and weak.” You stared at him in shock. He put up his hands. “We are doing well though! It's been 20 years since our queen died but we are still here! Oh! There is a hive up north! Any day now, one of their queens' daughters might descend and bless us! Or.. Or we--”

“Little One! You seem like you're getting sick!” Rena Descended from above and put a hand to your forehead.

“You are far too warm! Haven, mind if I take her out of your wings?”

Heaven looked up at Rena, his face a mask of confusion. He eventually gave in though and stood up.

“I should check on Elder Bisou! He might need something!” His voice was flat, obviously fake, but he ran away- flew away with gusto.

Rena took your face into her hands, tilting your head back and forth. Your lightheadedness turned full on dizzy. Rena’s face screwed up in an annoyed expression.

“You overdid it. And after that whole speech about not knowing your limits too..” She gently put a hand on your back and picked you up princess style. You would have been embarrassed, if your brain was functioning properly. Instead your gaze fixed on Rena’s beautiful iridescent wings. The lights were so lovely and they helped ground you. Honestly, everything about Rena was lovely. Well, maybe lovely wasn’t the right word. She was rough around the edges. A tease and a know it all. But she doted on you so, it made you feel a bit overwhelmed. Your gaze shifted from her wings to her lovely nose, pretty sharp for a bee-men.

Rena started conversing with Lyith about you, pointing her jaw and humming. Huh. Rena was actually incredibly attractive. You had known that before. Maybe it was something about how dizzy everything was. The last time you had felt this way she had been kissing you, her textured tongue pushing nectar down your thoat-

“Little One”

Your mind immediately focused. She was using a demanding tone.

“Lyith will take you home. Next time, we will only do one spell at a time.” She leaned forward and placed her cool lips to the side of your mouth. Making you blush. Well your face was already heated so you would have blushed. “I will see you again soon. Rest.” And she was off.

You were in Lyith’s arms again. A place you were starting to get comfortable in. He stared at you for a moment, his lips pursed, then sighed loudly. He held your gaze for a moment.

“I do not like this habit you are forming. You will not get sick again, understand?”

You nodded at him, mind hazy. Sleepy. You were sleepy.

You didn’t register the fly home, only that the coolness felt nice. You were carried from the porch, into the living room, up the stairs, and laid on your bed. You were covered in warm, delicious blankets.

You never saw Lyith leave before you passed out. Probably because he tucked himself in right beside you, the cool air washing over both of you from the open bedroom window.

Part Four

#monster fucker #monster lover #monster #monster x reader #terat0philliac #teratophillia #bee hybrid #bee hybrids #bee hybrid × reader #bee hybrids x reader #monster romance #bee monster #monster fluff #fluff

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waitmyturtles · 1 year ago

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Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: KinnPorsche, and Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist Edition (Part 1)

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, in a two-part series, I offer my thoughts on KinnPorsche, my very first Thai BL, and the impact that I think KP has had on the Thai BL industry since 2022.]

Hot damn! It has been a MINUTE since my last OGMMTVC review, so I'm glad to be back. I've been very much looking forward to writing my thoughts about my recent KinnPorsche rewatch: I enjoyed this ENTIRE process, especially in regards to watching KinnPorsche in the context and chronology of past Thai BLs, and man, did I ever see KP WAYYYYY differently than the first time I watched it.

Why's that? Welp -- *KinnPorsche was my first-ever Thai BL*. (Not my first BL drama ever; that award goes to the GOAT, Kinou Nani Tabeta?/What Did You Eat Yesterday?)

But when I joined Tumblr officially in July 2022, just about a year and a half ago (in the heat of passionately obsessing over Old Fashion Cupcake), my dash was awash, AWASH, in KP posts. AWASH.

I had no idea what the fuck the algorithm was telling me.

I went into KinnPorsche knowing absolutely NOTHING about Thai BL tropes, the history of the genre, the actors in the roles, what made KP so innovative by way of its storyline, NADA. Dudes -- I'm half-Malaysian, and I had never even watched a show from the Southeast Asian region, let alone Thailand, and I was unaware of how prolific the Thai drama industry was (at least compared to the Korean drama machine).

When I first watched KinnPorsche, my perspective was that I had watched a pretty good show, and I was left surprised back then in particular by the No Homophobia Bubble (well, almost no homophobia, Big) that I now know is so much more common in Thai BLs than I realized.

It was through KinnPorsche that I discovered Thai BLs, and it was subsequently through Bad Buddy that I realized that I NEEDED to understand the development of this national genre -- so back to the history annals I went, through my OGMMTVC project, starting from 2014's Love Sick, and here we are at this moment of the timeline, the hot hot late spring and summer of 2022, enjoying the ✨vibbbeeezz✨ between Mile Phakphum and Apo Nattawin, and leaving me wondering why there was a national shirt button shortage in the midst of a Thai mafia crime drama. I'm glad I have history on my side now as I think about KinnPorsche as a standalone drama, and as I also think about the impact it has had on the Thai BL genre and fandoms prior to its premiere, up to today's moment in time.

I took my time to draft this piece partly because I was busy watching Be On Cloud's second and latest serial drama in Dead Friend Forever. I think BOC is doing something very interesting by way of their acting and contracted scripting choices, which I want to ponder by way of the context and aftermath of KP's airing. As such, while I had intended to write just one post about KP, I have a bunch of thoughts that'll spill over to tomorrow. So here we go, a quick overall outline for the lovers for today and tomorrow on my ruminating thoughts:

1) My critical thoughts on KinnPorsche as a standalone drama in the context of the history of previous Thai BLs, 2) My thoughts on how new arrivals to the wider Thai BL fandom shaped the perception of KP vis à vis older Thai BLs, 3) How I think KP has impacted how other studios approach, market, and write Thai BLs now, and 4) A quick passing thought on BOC's own continued influence on the Thai BL genre and industry since 2022, particularly by way of Dead Friend Forever.

I'm going to concentrate on numbers 1 and 2 in this piece, and they're actually going to be a touch conflated, because I want to lean into a now-obvious fact that the BL Elder community knew all along about KP when it first aired in 2022: there was not much that was new about what KinnPorsche was doing. (This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I’ll get into below.)

When I was a newbie on Tumblr, and the algorithm was feeding my dash, I remember seeing posts about how Be On Cloud, the studio behind KP, was doing things differently than the rest of the Thai BL field -- I recall posts about the studio hiring the best acting coaches, how the cinematography was nothing like what we had seen in other shows, and how Be On Cloud was committed to creating safe environments for its actors, particularly Apo Nattawin, who had reportedly faced discrimination in his past acting career, reportedly leading him to leave the Thai drama industry for a number of years.

While some very early Thai BL studios were known to not have the safest or friendliest environments (the filming of What The Duck comes to mind by way of this lore), by the time of KP's airing, GMMTV had strongly established itself as the leader of Thai BL productions, and other players, including New Siwaj and Cheewin Thanamin, had produced quite the number of dramas under each of their respective studio outfits. The industry, by 2020 and 2021, when KP was in its development origins, wasn't new anymore. Acting coaches, such as Aof Noppharnach, were now also regularly writing, directing, and producing original shows, and major BL studios had introduced workshopping as a regular step to production. On the artistic end, studios and writers had established expected artistic tropes -- 2018's Love By Chance is the first example that comes to my mind of when the Thai BL genre crystallized in a structurally derivative piece of art by way of containing and using prior trope references and dynamics.

Be On Cloud, in picking up the KinnPorsche script from Filmania during the pandemic (I use these posts here and here for my non-primary sources of KP lore) clearly knew it had something innovative on its hands by way of producing the genre's first mafia-based BL romance.

But 2020's Manner of Death had already introduced crime and mystery to BL, and 2021's Not Me continued a multi-genre perspective somewhat successfully around romance. And regarding sex and heat: KinnPorsche didn't do that first, either. MaxTul brought it first in 2017's Together With Me, and MAME has owned this corner since 2018's Love By Chance and 2019's TharnType. (Props to MaxTul for being in both Together With Me and Manner of Death; MileApo owe those dudes some beers.) By way of cinematography, which KP does extremely well: we had already begun seeing prestige cinematography in 2020's I Told Sunset About You, and 2021's I Promised You The Moon and A Tale of Thousand Stars.

It was natural, I think, for much of the KP fandom to think that KP was innovative in a lot of these categories, because, like me -- KP was our first-ever Thai BL. By way of money clearly spent on the show, the directorial purview of the show, the utterly gorgeous cinematography (man, that nighttime pull-away shot when the guys are in the roof pool, oof, why couldn't I find a gif), a new fan might think, geez, this has never been done before! But it had, and not just in Thailand, but for years prior in Japan, and more recently in Korea.

This is ALL not to say that KinnPorsche “suffered” because of what I'm uncovering by way of KP's misunderstood innovation. I think a perception of KP being entirely “new” in the BL field has contributed to its lore and enduring influential status. On this rewatch, I appreciated the mafia-based storyline as a support system to the central KinnPorsche romance. Yok being centered as an important mentor to Porsche, played by the inimitable Sprite Patteerat, was refreshing to see. Porsche accepting his bisexuality, especially with Yok's support, without the typical BL head-spinning queer revelation, was a welcome element to the show. And, frankly -- I had, on my first watch, missed, of course, the clear references to Thai BLs of the past in this show, references that I really loved seeing this time around.

From the old school, we got Kob Songsit, the OG BL dad, no longer Tong's dad in the seminal movie, The Love of Siam, nor Dean's dad in Until We Meet Again. This BL veteran is now a damn dad don, weapons and all.

We've also got Na Naphat, who played important side characters in IPYTM and UWMA. We have former BL lead guys in Jeff Satur and Perth Nakhun. We've got guitars and singing, we have underwater smooching, we have a cute-cute first date. We arguably have questionable kabedon in Kinn's and Porsche's first intimate moments. We have cooking for your lover, we have feeding your lover, we have the towel-drying of the hair. KP, by 2022, keeps up with Idol Factory's Secret Crush On You in prominently featuring a femme-presenting side character in Tankhun, PHENOMENALLY ACTED by Tong Thanayut, who we had seen previously in TharnType.

KP was, in part, directed by Pepzi Banchorn, who served as an assistant director on 2019's Dark Blue Kiss and 2021-22's Bad Buddy, and had a quick guest spot in 2022's The Warp Effect. KP was also, in part, directed by Khom Kongkiat, who played Uncle Tong in Bad Buddy, and subsequently directed The Promise in 2023. AND, finally, one of the KP screenwriters is Bee Pongsate, who has co-written so much flippin' BL: Last Twilight, Bad Buddy, Dangerous Romance (😬), Vice Versa, My School President, A Tale of Thousand Stars, 2gether and Still 2gether, and that's not even scratching the list -- you get it.

KP's supporting cast and crew was simply stacked with BL vets, who clearly knew the scene, and who helped to support Mile Phakphum's rookie acting and Apo Nattawin's return to the screen. I'd posit that this group of people knew EXACTLY what references they were putting into KinnPorsche, from actors to tropes, and also knew when, where, and how to innovate around those references to still make this show unique.

Certainly, KP's approach to sex and heat -- by way of Kinn's and Porsche's first drunken encounters (hi again, MaxTul), the uncut intimate scenes between them, and Vegas's and Pete's union by way of, well, semi-torture and/or kink -- was bold enough to be overall quite notable. But again: Thai BLs had been pushing that envelope for years past, and it has continued to do so in shows like MAME's Love In the Air and GMMTV's Only Friends.

In other words: after this rewatch, with the history of the older Thai BLs I've watched under my belt, I don't see KinnPorsche as firstly innovative. But I appreciate the show differently now, in particular for how very obvious it worked to include past Thai BL references in its production, and I actually gained a different appreciation for it.

I also want to made a quick tangential note about Apo and Tong specifically by way of innovation. Dr. Thomas Baudinette, a long-time BL fan and academic researcher on Thai and Japanese queer media, notes in his book, Boys Love Media in Thailand, that an ideal trajectory for a Thai BL actor is to debut in BLs in order to transition to more popular primetime het Thai dramas, as Gulf Kanuwat of TharnType, and Ohm Thitiwat and Kao Noppakao of UWMA and Lovely Writer, respectively, are notably doing at the moment. Apo Nattawin did this the other way around: he had established his career in het lakorns, most notably in 2015’s major hit drama, Sut Khaen Saen Rak, and subsequently left the Thai drama industry after reportedly being discriminated against for his skin tone and fashion choices. And his way back to the industry was through BLs. Taking the lore of Mile Phakphum recruiting Apo for KP out of the picture for a moment: I think this indicates a shift in how BLs are increasingly perceived in Thailand, and even globally, as being a career-worthy genre of content on its own for actors. (Apo's exploding fashion career is proof of this.) And BOC has now recruited another lakorn vet in Jes Jespipat for its third upcoming drama, 4 Minutes.

As well, Tong Thanayut’s very public coming out after the conclusion of KP’s airing is notable for how Be On Cloud has continued to center Tong in its productions after that fact, most notably in 2023’s film, Man Suang, while other out BL actors are not as lucky by way of guaranteeing and attracting future work.

I have a lot more to say about KinnPorsche's and Be On Cloud's impact on the current Thai BL industry, and how I think that impact has affected the marketing and creation of more recent shows like 2023's Only Friends, and 2023-24's Playboyy. But this first post has gotten long, and I actually haven't written much about the actual show itself, HA. So let me say this:

I think it's notable that the first shows that played around with themes outside of romance, like 2020's Manner of Death, and 2021's Not Me, were not perfect shows. We see now how multi-genre BLs are just exploding, what with Dead Friend Forever and the upcoming slew of vampire BLs that are going to drop (and let's not forget the first omegaverse BL drama in Pit Babe -- or should we forget it, I dunno). Not all of these shows are perfect, but the genre has only been around for a decade. There's a lot of time, and a tremendous amount of interest and funding, that upcoming shows can leverage to become better, especially these multi-genre shows that we're seeing more of.

KinnPorsche as well, was not a perfect show. I have some thoughts particularly on VegasPete to offer tomorrow, and I think, overall, that KP could have easily been a shorter series with more impact.

But I'll still give the show some of its flowers, because I think, unlike MoD and Not Me, that KinnPorsche did a better job of centering the Kinn and Porsche romance for dramatic effect, particularly by leveraging comedy. Were there many moments of hibbly-jibblies? Oh, totally. Dudes, also, Kinn fucking forgot about Pete! Pete coming back to the house and reminiscing about Vegas while holding his neck? Eeeeyikes, no thanx. There were a number of these weird bumps that I think could be explained by way of intentional camp (which I think KP did pretty well), but I do believe the show could have been tighter with more editing.

But, I gotta admit: I had a great time re-watching KP. That says something. Was it the heat that tiddled my dopamine cycles? Probably, somewhat. (No shame in my game.) Or -- a more reasonable theory, ha, is that Apo, as a veteran actor, demonstrated more range than I originally remembered. He can really do comedy well, and he timed his comedy perfectly for the absurdities that peppered KP through the series (the bread crawl, the constant throwing of hands, the jumping-on-Kinn when the ghost of Pete showed up, oh shit we're in the forest now, etc). Apo and Tong, in particular, stayed true to the bit many times during the show, and I think the series benefitted greatly from their collective comedic talent and timing -- which I thought was nicely refreshing for the genre.

With that, I'll have more ruminating tomorrow about the show itself, about how I think the impact that KP and BOC have had on the genre after KP's airing, and other thoughts about the cultural moment that KP demarcated when it aired -- see you tomorrow!

[MORE MORE MORE KP tomorrow! And I'll have more thoughts about the watchlist then. But for now, here's the classic OGMMTVC list for you to chew on!

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review here) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) (and notes on my UWMA rewatch here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (review here) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (re-review here) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review here) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) (review here) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) (review here) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) (review here) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) (review here) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch (Links to the BBS OGMMTVC Meta Series are here: preamble here, part 1, part 2, part 3a, part 3b, and part 4) 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) (review here) 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For the Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist

...interrupting the OGMMTVC list here to watch War of Y (2022) (watching) in chronology to decide if it gets listed...

37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) The Eclipse OGMMTVC Rewatch to Reexamine “Genre BLs” and Internalized/Externalized Homophobia in GMMTV Shows 39) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 40) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 41) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 42) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) 43 La Pluie (2023) (review coming) 44) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 45) Wedding Plan (2023) (Recommended as an important trajectory in the course of MAME’s work and influence from TharnType) 46) Only Friends (2023) (tag here) (not technically a BL, but it certainly became one in the end) 47) Last Twilight (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as Thailand’s first major BL to center disability, successfully or otherwise) 48) Cherry Magic Thailand (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as the first major Japanese-to-Thai drama adaptation, featuring the comeback of TayNew) 49) Ossan’s Love Returns (2024) (adding for the EarthMix cameo and the eventual Thai remake) 50) Dead Friend Forever (2024) (thoughts here) 51) 23.5 (tag here) (2024)]

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #be on cloud #mileapo #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #kinn x porsche #porsche x kinn #tong thanayut #bible sumettikul #turtles catches up with old gmmtv #turtles catches up with thai bls #turtles catches up with the essential bls #the old gmmtv challenge #ogmmtvc #pond krisda #dead friend forever #kinnporsche meta #kinnporsche the series meta

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accordingtolauren · 1 year ago

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Is there beauty in the pain, or pain in the beauty?

It frightens me to think of how all of the pain I feel is my own

Isolated and harbored by a body at war with my conscience

Obsessed for control with a bloodthirsty grip

A Roman legacy on the brink of its collapse

Unaware of how its fear of otherworldly matters, shadowed and godly, has turned its Midas touch into a clouded curse emitted from marble fingertips

I desire to be at home within my own beauty

I plead to not stray from this womanhood, this malediction of fractured femininity that I was forced to swear an oath to upon bruised knees

Involuntarily, and with sobs scratching at my throat, unable to escape from my sewn lips

Oh, to find solace in the skin I have worn since leaving my deliverer bloodied and torn

We as children have caused such pain from before our first breath, an incomprehensible agony possessed only by our mothers

Especially for a daughter's mirrored image that brought forth suffering to their creator, worsening the hell induced from swollen hips

As if to damn their maker for their future, a future of drowning within a belligerent girlhood for eternity

Is this why my own mother shared such unkind words, such envy for my youth?

Given I stole hers and morphed it into my own, a borrowed charm?

I am a constant stain upon her timeline, a ceaseless reminder of that horrific beauty only innocence can offer

I desire the wrinkles that kiss the corner's of her eyes and the death of my blooming

As maturity washes away the great expectations of reddened cheeks, that adolescent glow

I wish for that simplicity depicted in pastel oil paintings:

Of curved nymphs, frolicking lonesome through greenery, rid of materialistic belongings and unashamed by their own enchantment, their own allure

Did they too have this collective affliction, so similar yet remaining unspoken?

A roaring conflict shared between a mother and daughter, the figures of a fleeting past and the damning future?

I am ashamed of my longing for pain only nursed by beauty, to be an object of lust, of an aching hunger

And yet to also be seen, truly actualized as more than a body; a tool for mankind and their preconceived notions of rough, tortuous love

If I am doomed to bring another daughter into this life

I pray that through the pain she brings she also bestows a certain peace within my own being

A piece of solace, for that with her arrival, my own salvation shall be born

A freedom from that vicious cycle: loathing your own womanly framework and appreciating the wonder and existence it can prosper

A new life devoid of presumptions, of needless worries for what other's may think

An actual life: A devotion to breathing in spring's fresh evening air, to a guiltless independence fostered from confident hands, to being more than someone's wife, mother, daughter

To being just another person sitting upon a front porch and watching that little girl frolic through the grass, the greenery

Flowers in her hair and mud upon her knees

Carefree and hungry for learning more than what may be expected, what has been etched in the margins of an outdated manuscript

We will happily share that stolen beauty, and I will wear my gracing age as an honor

For I shall revere her for carrying on the parts of me that are far more important than illustrious ornaments

As she may break that curse, those afflictions, and see that there might be a blessing in the pain

For it has brought forth a life of endless possibilities

-lauren a.p

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thatdruidgal · 8 months ago

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08.01 druidry overview

Druidry and Spirituality

Druidry is a spiritual path – a religion to some, a way of life to others. (Druidism can be described as a shamanic religion.) Druids believe firmly that life has a fundamentally spiritual nature.

There are three grades in the Druid Path, these being Bard, Ovate and Druid. Each had distinct functions in the Celtic society.

It is important to remember that all modern Druids follow what we believe to be the teachings of the past, but many ways of life were lost due to the spread of Catholocism, so the ways of the New Age Druids will differ from how the Ancient Druids actually lived their life, and those differences should always be recognized.

Every Druid will develop his or her own standards of practice, ethics and beliefs as they progress. These basics are merely a framework to build your own ideas and beliefs upon based on your continuing studies.

Some commonalities that many Druids can agree on are as follows:

Truth – Almost all Druids believe in maintaining a level of integrity in their every day lives, as well as the search for Truth for oneself. Many Druids today prefer to seek truth for oneself in their studies, by learning from others, doing research on one’s own and getting to know the Kindreds* through meditation, ritual practice and communion with Nature.

* The Kindreds are spirit guides, namely your ancestors, nature spirits, and Ascended Ones

Neo-Pagan Druids are mostly Polytheistic – They worship or believe in a number of Deities, usually of the same pantheon. (i.e.: all Welsh or Irish Deities). Most Druids follow the Celtic Pantheons.

Most Druids will agree that Deities are not meant to be “used” for a certain purpose. While many Wiccans see each deity as being a part of one Goddess or one God, most Druids see each deity as an individual who must be respected as such.

That being said, there are Christian and Deist Druids who believe in only one Deity (such as myself). Some Druids do not believe in deity at all and see it only as a philosophy.

Druids generally welcome anyone – Rituals are generally open to all who wish to attend and anyone is welcome to train as a Druid. Some other Neo-Pagan groups tend to be more exclusive in their ritual practices and teaching and prefer to get to know a person before allowing him/her to attend rituals.

Magical workings (spells, etc.) – While practiced by many Druids, this type of activity is not the primary focus of Druidry, nor is it done the same way it is done in other traditions such as Wicca. If a modern Druid never cast a spell, no one would really think less of him or her for it since it is not a requirement.

Nature is important – Many Druids honor Nature and do their best to stay ecologically aware and sound in their practices.

Celebration of at least 4 holy days – Many Pagans celebrate the 8 seasonal festivals of Samhain, Winter Solstice (Yule), Imbolc, Spring Equinox (Ostara), Beltane, Summer Solstice (Litha), Lughnassadh (Lammas) and Autumn Equinox (Mabon). Only four of these are actual holidays that come from the Celts: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnassadh. Many modern Druids do celebrate all 8, while others celebrate only the four Celtic ones. It’s generally up to the Druid, unless he/she is part of a group that requires all 8 days be celebrated.

Service – Many Modern Druids often seek to serve their Gods, Community and their own needs through community service, ecological awareness, keeping one’s life in balance and maintaining a respectful spiritual practice.

Like what you see? Consider supporting me! ko-fi.com/thatdruidgal

#grimoire #druidcraft #druidry #witchcraft #pagan witch #witchblr

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xshingie · 9 months ago

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Excerpts from "Vodou in Haiti: Way of Life and Mode of Survival"

by Claudine Michel

[Note: I was doing some more research on Vodou to better understand Annette's framework viewing and describing the world. More specifically, I was curious in better understanding the relationship between the lwa and the practitioner. A quick disclaimer that I'm still very new to my research and journey to learn Haitian Vodou]

Bellegarde-Smith: "Vodun is a coherent and comprehensive system and worldview in which every person and everything is sacred and must be treated accordingly. In Vodun, everything in the world be it plant, animal, or mineral shares basically similar chemical, physical, and/or genetic properties. This unity of all things translates into an overarching belief in the sanctity of life, not so much for the thing as for the spirit of the thing. The cosmological unity in Vodun further translates into a vaunted African humanism in which social institutions are elaborated and in which the living, the dead, and the unborn play equally significant roles in an unbroken historical chain. Thus, all action, speech, and behavior achieve paramount significance for the individual and the community of which the individual is part."

Davis: "…a complex mystical world view, a system of beliefs concerning the relationship between man, nature, and the supernatural forces of the universe. Vodoun cannot be abstracted from the day to day life of the believers. In Haiti, as in Africa, there is no separation between the sacred and the secular, between the holy and the profane, between material and the spiritual. Every dance, every song, every action is but a particle of the whole… Vodoun not only embodies a set of spiritual concepts, it prescribes a way of life, a philosophy, and a code of ethics that regulate social behavior."

The followers of the ancestral cult refer to their religious beliefs and practices by the phrase sévi lwa yo which can be best translated as "serving the spirits." An adept of Vodou simply says, "I serve the spirits ," which in itself is a revealing statement about the nature of the religion, the importance of withdrawing the self and serving others, and about the spiritual connections existing between living human beings, their ancestors, and their Gods.

Vodou permeates the land, and, in a sense, it springs from the land. It is not a system imposed from above, but one which pushes out from below. It is a thing of the family, a rich and complex inheritance from a man's own ancestors. It is not the priests of Vodoun who control and direct its course. They, like the lowest peasant simply move about within it and make use of its resources.

In Vodou, a person is meant to derive energy from interactions with others, therefore, all encounters with nature, with fellow humans and with spirits create opportunities for understanding, for growth and healing. Considering that everything has a soul, from the smallest grain of sand to the Cosmic Breing, the dynamic force infused in the teaching and learning of all tasks and ideas, material and spiritationl, becomes a learning experience in itself. In Vodou, every dance, every song, every word and every act becomes a lesson. In order orders, one learns everywhere and all times.

Personal Commentary:

(and how it relates to Castlevania Nocturne)

In reading this, this puts Cecile's lesson with Annette into perspective on a deeper level that I didn't appreciate before:

You were shaped, Annette. Everything about you, by being born a slave. Of course you were It's the source of your fury, but it's not the source of your power.

The petty devils. it serves them if we believe it. But humanity didn't enter this world dragging armies of slaves. That came later. And your ancestor. Of course I mean your mother, who loved you. And your father, who was dragged from her by men with whips. And your grandmother, who watched the ships sail, weeping and pulling her hair. But they go back. Beyond them and beyond them. Back to the source. To the Iwa of Ogun. And a world without slaves or masters. Learn to hear your ancestor. There is light in this darkness.

I really appreciated how it so candidly and openly acknowledged how both things are true: that yes, you are the product of the painful intergenerational and personal trauma forced upon you; but behind everything there is also a story of love, connectedness in community, and resilience. To see this so openly brought to the forefront and focus in an animation like this so resonated me in a way I've been looking for more stories with female leads like Annette and nothing is hitting me so far and I'm just sad.

It wasn't until I started reading more about Haitian Vodou, to better understand the relationship between the practitioner and the lwa (or spirits), that I realized that Cecile is hitting on the Vodou tenets of wisdom, teachings, and philosophy. I've mentioned this before, but Castlevania Nocturne is one of the rare instances where in the past, Vodou has been primarily portrayed as stereotypical voodoo, but in Nocturne, it's presented as a enduring thread of interconnectness, and survival. More specifically, it portrayed how Vodou was shaped and developed by primarily being passed through oral tradition (which is why I find it difficult to do research on).

To paraphase, in Vodou everything is interlinked -- everything is imbibed with spirit, soul, and energy -- and by extension, the [love and wisdom] of your ancestors that paved your path that you walk now is also imbibed within you.

Cecile is basically trying to teach Annette the deeper foundational philosophy and way of life of Vodou 🥹 And that's something I didn't realize that Nocturne had done until I started doing research on Haitian Vodou, which I've only grown a more deeper appreciation for.

Sauce:

Michel, Claudine. “Vodou in Haiti: Way of Life and Mode of Survival.” Journal of Haitian Studies, vol. 8, no. 1, 2002, pp. 98–109. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41715120.

#castlevania nocturne

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codingquill · 2 years ago

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19.09.2023

It's currently 9am , my goal today is to create a full-stack chat application .

And I also wanted to respond to @thepordigycarb's comment

You absolutely did not waste 6 years in my opinion. Algorithms are fundamental to every programming language. In my college experience, we dedicated an entire semester to studying algorithms, and it greatly helped us understand programming concepts. Algorithms foster critical thinking skills, which are essential for a coding journey. Understanding algorithm complexity is crucial because many companies assess problem-solving abilities during interviews. The best solutions are those with optimal complexity. This is where your 6 years of learning come into play. Additionally, knowledge of object-oriented programming (OOP) is vital.Java is indeed used in web development, with popular frameworks such as Spring and Hibernate.

Therefore, the post I published does not cover everything, but rather focuses on the essential basics that aspiring web developers need to know.

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lostlibrariangirl · 2 years ago

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19 July 2023

I am trying my best to drink more water, and this big water bottle with motivational quotes is helping me a lot! Is strange, but to look at it, and know the pacing is great.

About programming, as I have to hurry up with my studies in order to keep up with the new architecture squad, I am trying to figure out the best notebook to write, as I learn better by writing.

I am using the purple one to Java, programming logic, SQL and GIT-Github; the colorful to Typescript and Angular, and I am thinking of using the brown to Spring Framework (as it is a huge topic).

Yes, for whom was working with JSF, JSP, JQuery (it is better to say that I was struggling with JQuery... hated it), it is a big change to turn my mindset to this modern stack - I will deal less with legacy code.

I am accepting all possible tips regarding Angular and Spring Framework, if is there anyone working with it here ❤️

That's it! Have you all a great Wednesday 😘

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mj-says-hey · 3 months ago

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Wanna learn some facts that will either shatter your faith or push you further into the denial rabbit hole?

Joseph Smith, during one of his revivals, attempted to perform miracles in much the same fashion as Jesus. This included 2 attempts to heal disabled limbs (both failed), and then attempted to raise a little girl from the dead. It is notable to mention that the little girl's parents were prevented from getting her medical treatment by elders, who claimed she would surely be resurrected. Smith asked the girl to rise; she did not. He tried again with the same results. He then blamed the lack of faith of the audience for the failure.

Not only that, but Smith made several prophecies which he said were visions from the Lord. None of these prophecies have come true:

In 1835 he claimed that the coming of the Lord would be within 56 years, which were passed by 1891.

He claimed in April 1838 that the Lord had granted him a vision of his servant David W. Patten leading a mission the following spring. Patten died in October 1838.

In 1843 he prophesied that if the United States did not redress the wrongs committed against the Saints in Missouri that the country would be overthrown "in a few years." These wrongs were never addressed, and the government stands over 150 years later.

Similarly, he prophesied in the name of Jesus Christ that if Congress did not hear a petition of theirs and grant them protection that Congress would be broken up as a government. Again, Congress still stands.

In the city of Salem, Massachusetts, while many of the leaders of the Church were in debt from their labors, Smith relayed from God in a revelation that there would be treasure found within the city, that there would be many people in the city that would join them, and that the Church would hold power over the city in due time. No treasure was ever found, and Salem has not fallen into the Church's hands

He once claimed that by the authority of Jesus Christ, the United States would be besieged by pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake that would sweep away the wicked of their generation. This, of course, has not happened.

Lastly, he claimed that a temple would be built upon the temple lot in Zion, Missouri within the generation, and that New Jerusalem would be built there. The Church was forced to flee Missouri due to persecution, and a temple was never built there.

I have sources if you ask for them, I can't send links with anon asks but if you show interest I will forgo anonymity

I’m skeptical, but please send me those sources! Here’s the deal: you say it’s denial, but I say it’s faith. Yes, it’s all confirmation bias, but again, that’s faith. As someone who believes in God, that’s how He gives us the choice. Moreover, that’s how He tests our faith. But I understand that you don’t believe in any of that and I sound like a poor, naive idiot holding onto nonsensical beliefs.

Don’t worry! I’m not mad at you, so you can come out of anonymity without me…like…cancelling you or smth, lol. But I do want to respond to some of the statements to see what you have to say about it. I have defenses for some of them, but I want to test those defenses to see if they hold. To be honest, it probably won’t change my beliefs—but it’ll make me think critically about them, which is important.

So, warning, this is going to be long. But before we get to that, why do you care about someone else’s beliefs anyway?

Attempts to perform miracles: you said he “blamed the lack of faith” of the audience for the “failure”. So there’s negative connotation there. But it’s a doctrinal thing for us: In Ether 12:12 in the Book of Mormon, it says, “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them”. So he wasn’t trying to “blame” these people necessarily. It’s just kind of a known prerequisite to miracles. So while that information you gave doesn’t make sense in your worldview, it DOES make sense in my religious framework.

This was the 56 years one. I have no defense for this, because if your source is correct, then this is clearly untrue. So it just depends on the validity of your source.

This was where Joseph Smith said Patten would lead a mission in the spring but then he died before then. However, we believe that spirits in the afterlife continue missions and proselytization to try and convert “sinners” before the Resurrection (Second Coming). There’s a lot of doctrine in that statement, so just know that “missions” continue into the afterlife and that might have been what Smith was talking about.

This one was about overthrowing the American government. No comment. Just a source verification thing! Same thing with the Congress stuff.

This was the Salem one. “Due time” is very vague and those events could still be in the future. Also, how do we know that the “treasure” was literal and not just the “preciousness” of converting people?

This is the pestilence thing. If it was specifically about Joseph Smith’s generation, then that statement would have been false. However, are you sure it was specifically about those people alive in his time? Because natural disasters are increasing in frequency right now. So it may have been referring to that.

No response again! That’s a source verification thing and also confirmation that he truly said “within a generation” and meant that literally.

So yeah, that’s my thoughts! Please send me those sources.

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missmospurplerhythm · 3 months ago

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Purple Revelation: How My 'Psychotic Break' Unveiled the Universe's Hidden Heartbeat Rhythm

Introduction

"It is the stuff between the notes that makes the music." – Claude Debussy

They labeled it "bipolar one with severe manic psychosis" when the ambulance arrived at my apartment, where I'd barricaded myself with cymbals and a stick bag, screaming "they won't take the drums away from me!" That's when Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sammy Davis Junior showed up—Sammy Davis Junior said "you're gonna be all right"—and I went out to the ambulance where they took me to the psych ward for two weeks. What the medical establishment saw as disorder, I would come to recognize as a glimpse into reality's deeper connections—a currency of possibility trapped within our conventional perception. The purple energy wasn't a symptom; it was a revelation of what exists beneath the surface of consensus reality.

That moment at the music store didn't just change my life; it revealed something profound about the nature of human connection. As I played, I perceived what appeared to be tendrils of purple energy pulsing between every person in the room, connecting us in ways invisible to conventional perception. I became a conduit for something ancient yet unimaginably new—the heart's electromagnetic field, proven by HeartMath Institute researchers to extend far beyond our physical bodies, suddenly made visible. This wasn't hallucination; it was perception beyond the veil of ordinary reality. What science would later document through studies by McCraty et al. (2021), I witnessed directly—a synchronization that seemed to pull previously separated individuals into a harmonious whole.

Have you ever witnessed the birth of a universe? It happened in Lynnwood, Washington in the spring of 2008—not with a cosmic explosion among distant stars, but in the heart of a the music store when my fingers first touched Marla, my cherished djembe drum. In Fremont, Seattle's vibrant neighborhood affectionately known as the "Center of the Universe," a creative hub emerged where my artistic expression and community engagement would converge into something revolutionary.

My Journey from Medical Diagnosis to Rhythmic Discovery

For a year following that episode, Marla sat untouched in my apartment corner. In May 2009, while managing a a café, I reunited with my drum and immediately witnessed the same field of energy connecting every person in the café. The universe was insistent: this phenomenon wasn't isolated to one breakdown; it represented a consistent reality waiting to be understood and harnessed. Cook et al. (2015) propose in their research on mirror neurons that such systems might enable the direct perception of others' intentions and emotions, providing a neurobiological basis for experiences of interpersonal connection through shared rhythmic activities.

When I first started Mo' Jam, I wanted it to be like the jam in the basement making up new songs with new friends where I felt most comfortable as a drummer. I didn't know it would turn into an all-inclusive platform for the universal language of music. These formative basement jams were inspired by the sessions held by my fiancé, drummer Davy Nefos, and our partner Joey Walbaum, who often hosts with his incredible voice. Together, we have facilitated and created this organic musical communion that has been documented for years and has become the focus of a Mo' Jam documentary by Seattle filmographers capturing the story and profound effects of this event.

My third episode in July 2013 brought clarity rather than confusion. I recognized it coming, sought help before it overwhelmed me, and channeled that extraordinary perception into something tangible. Kolb's (2014) experiential learning theory offers a framework for understanding how such challenging experiences can be transformed into constructive knowledge when properly integrated. What emerged wasn't just a musical concept but a framework for understanding connection itself. Mo' Jam became the living laboratory where my earlier visions transformed into practical methodologies for human connection through synchronized rhythm.

The Birth of Mo' Jam

By December 16, 2013, I had channeled these insights into the birth of Mo' Jam—bands of strangers making up songs on the spot, transforming the intimate basement sessions with Davy and Joey into a revolutionary experiment in consciousness and creation. My partner Davy provided crucial support during this formative period, helping translate my sometimes overwhelming visions into practicable frameworks that others could engage with and understand. Each spontaneous composition doesn't just create music; it generates an energetic currency backed by the most valuable resource in existence: the unified field of human consciousness expressed through rhythm. When musicians synchronize on our stage, they manifest a harmony that transcends individual expression, creating measurable effects on the participants and audience.

What started as a simple drummer's dream now unifies people of previously opposing viewpoints, merging their minds and hearts through rhythm that generates a field of purple energy—a state of unified human consciousness with transformative implications. Every Monday at Nectar Lounge in Seattle, Mo' Jam participants activate what I call the "Unity Beat Generator," a phenomenon that bridges scientific insight and mystical experience. This systematic approach to spontaneous creation emerges from my unique perception of how rhythm connects human hearts through what HeartMath Institute researchers call "cardiac coherence" (McCraty & Zayas, 2014).

The Educational Trilogy

From these experiences emerged a trilogy of integrated systems designed to make rhythm accessible to diverse learners. I've been developing these at the Seattle Drum School of Music in Lake City. where I teach and their Georgetown location where I run youth Mo' Jam sessions. These programs have received enthusiastic support from parents, teachers, and music therapy professionals who recognize the profound impact of structured rhythmic engagement on cognitive development, emotional regulation, and interpersonal connection.

The Quantum Rhythm Cube System

The first, my Quantum Rhythm Cube System, presents a three-dimensional model of rhythmic structures. When a child claps at the same time they say the heartbeat of the word—the syllable—while looking at the rhythmic notation represented on the cube, they're activating their innate groove. This approach aligns with spatial learning theories described by Gardiner et al. (1996) in their research on spatial-temporal reasoning and music training. Each face of the cube represents a different rhythmic value: SPACE (the quarter note rest), STAR (the quarter note), COMET (the eighth note), ASTEROID (the triplet), SOLAR SYSTEM (sixteenth notes), and FREE CHOICE. This physical engagement with rhythmic concepts creates neural pathways that abstract understanding alone cannot access.

The Color-Coded Chakra Rhythm System

My Color-Coded Drum Kit Curriculum, inspired by Andy Ziker’s “Drumming for Preschoolers” book, connects specific frequencies to precise colors, creating a unified educational framework that integrates chakras, frequencies (which I call 'hearts'), cosmic themes, and drum components:

The Ride cymbal in Crown Purple (200 Hz - 20 kHz) of the Color-Coded Drum Kit, named for Saturn's moon Rhea is my favorite. I’m primarily a big band jazz drummer and we swing on the ride, this cymbal brings the transformative energy of higher consciousness to the kit, opening new dimensions for young jazz explorers. Just as Rhea orbits with perfect cosmic rhythm, this purple ride would complete the kit's spiritual journey through the chakras, making it the first drum set truly designed for intuitive learning.

The existing pieces flow through the cosmic spectrum: Crash in Venus Pink Pearl (200 Hz - 18 kHz), the Mounted Tom in Neptune Blue and the Floor Tom in Earth Green (120-150 Hz), creating a cascade of energy from throat to heart. The Hi-hats spark in Star Gold (300 Hz - 15 kHz), the powerful Bass Drum pulses in Solar Flame Orange (60-110 Hz), while the punchy Snare blazes in Mars Red Fire (170-220 Hz, overtones to 1200 Hz). Each color is specifically chosen to match both cosmic frequencies and children's natural learning patterns.

To understand the revolutionary nature of this system, I've developed sophisticated visualizations mapping rhythmic energy across multiple scales—from the Quantum Field (10^43 Hz) through Subatomic Resonance (10^20 Hz), Atomic Harmony (10^15 Hz), Molecular Integration (10^12 Hz), Cellular Consciousness (10^9 Hz), to Neural Networks (10^6 Hz). This multi-scale approach reveals how rhythm affects physical reality at every level simultaneously, creating interconnected pathways from the quantum to the neural. As Chanda and Levitin (2013) document in their research on the neurochemistry of music, rhythm's effects cascade through multiple biological systems, from neurotransmitter release to hormonal regulation, supporting this multi-level model.

Purple (Crown Chakra) - 200-20,000 Hz

Cosmic Theme: Saturn's moon Rhea - Perfect cosmic rhythm and higher consciousness

Drum Component: Ride cymbal

Energy Function: Manifestation of the unified field, transcendent awareness

Mo' Jam Connection: The purple energy of unity witnessed at Nectar Lounge

Pink (Third Eye Chakra) - 200-18,000 Hz

Cosmic Theme: Venus - Harmony and balance

Drum Component: Crash cymbal

Energy Function: Expanded awareness beyond individual identity

Mo' Jam Connection: Intuitive synchronization between performers

Yellow (Throat Chakra) - 300-15,000 Hz

Cosmic Theme: The Sun - Solar consciousness and expression

Drum Component: Hi-hats

Energy Function: Connection to creative expression and authentic voice

Mo' Jam Connection: Vocal expressions during spontaneous composition

Green (Heart Chakra) - 120-150 Hz

Cosmic Theme: Earth - Growth and transformation

Drum Component: Floor Tom

Energy Function: Unity Beat Generator, source of purple energy

Mo' Jam Connection: The heartbeat rhythm developed in the womb

Blue (Throat/Heart Bridge) - 120-150 Hz

Cosmic Theme: Neptune - Intuitive flow

Drum Component: Mounted Tom

Energy Function: Activates intuitive awareness

Mo' Jam Connection: Flow state during improvisation

Red (Root/Sacral Chakra) - 170-220 Hz

Cosmic Theme: Mars - Transformative power and drive

Drum Component: Snare drum

Energy Function: Grounding and energizing force

Mo' Jam Connection: The transformative power of rhythm

Orange (Root Chakra) - 60-110 Hz

Cosmic Theme: Solar flame - Core energy

Drum Component: Bass drum

Energy Function: Grounds participants in physical reality

Mo' Jam Connection: The foundational beat that begins each session

Mo' Jam Framework

Mo' Jam itself constitutes the third element of the trilogy—a structured framework for collective creation that has produced over 5,000 spontaneous compositions since its inception. With the third and final system of the trilogy, bands of strangers on the Mo' Jam stage rely upon the groove developed in the womb for nine months—when all they heard was the mother's heartbeat. This approach aligns with research on joint action and interpersonal coordination by Keller et al. (2014), demonstrating that musical ensemble performance involves complex predictive and adaptive mechanisms facilitating synchronized action. Through organized participant involvement, circular spatial arrangements, and frameworks for spontaneous creation, Mo' Jam creates what I call "intentional spontaneity"—a balance of structure and freedom that maximizes creative potential while releasing the purple energy of unity from the quantum to neural level networks.

Scientific Foundation

While my experience might initially sound like mysticism, recent scientific research provides compelling validation. The HeartMath Institute's studies on heart-brain communication and cardiac coherence reveal how heart rhythms influence neural function and interpersonal connection (McCraty, 2015). Their research demonstrates that the heart generates an electromagnetic field extending several feet from the body, which can influence nearby organisms—a phenomenon I perceived as purple energy during my episodes. Neurobiologists studying entrainment and rhythm processing have shown how coordinated temporal activities synchronize neural oscillations between individuals, creating what Hasson et al. (2012) call "brain-to-brain coupling" during successful communication.

These scientific findings affirm what my altered perception revealed: human beings possess innate mechanisms for synchronization through rhythm, mechanisms that can be deliberately activated in educational and performance contexts. The rhythmic practices that emerged from my personal crisis now find validation in peer-reviewed research on neural synchrony, interpersonal coordination, and electromagnetic field coherence.

Heart-Brain Connection

The heart-brain connection research from the HeartMath Institute provides a scientific foundation for understanding how Mo' Jam works at a physiological level. Researchers there have demonstrated that the heart generates a powerful electromagnetic field that extends several feet beyond the body and can be measured with sensitive instruments (McCraty, 2015). This field carries information that can be detected by the nervous systems of nearby people, creating opportunities for heart-rhythm entrainment between individuals in close proximity. When people engage in coordinated rhythmic activities, their heart rhythms tend to synchronize, potentially leading to a state of group coherence manifesting as heightened connection and creativity.

As participants lock into shared rhythmic patterns during Mo' Jam sessions, they're not just creating music—they're establishing a field of synchronized cardiac and neural oscillations that enhance empathy, intuition, and collective creativity. This process might explain the consistently transformative experiences reported by Mo' Jam participants, who describe sensations of unusual connectedness, diminished ego boundaries, and enhanced musical perception during sessions. The purple energy field I perceived during my episodes may represent an unusual sensitivity to these electromagnetic interactions, allowing me to visualize what instruments can now measure.

Community Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Mo' Jam has grown from those initial basement sessions to a weekly institution at Nectar Lounge with events throughout the Pacific Northwest. We've facilitated sessions at the Brodie Nation Festival, Northwest Folklife Festival, community centers, and corporate team-building events. The documentary team follows our progress, capturing the transformative moments where strangers become collaborators through the universal language of rhythm, demonstrating the physiological and psychological impacts of synchronized musical creation.

Mo' Jam's educational impact extends to the Seattle Drum School locations in Georgetown, where my junior Mo' Jam sessions help young musicians develop not just technical skills but emotional intelligence, collaborative abilities, and creative confidence. These programs align with emerging research on music education's broader developmental benefits, including enhanced executive function, emotional regulation, and social cognition (Hennessy et al., 2019). By combining rhythmic education with scientific principles and intentional community building, Mo' Jam creates a replicable framework for human connection that transcends conventional therapeutic and educational approaches.

This work reaches beyond traditional music education to touch people across demographic boundaries. Seniors with memory challenges find enhanced cognitive function through rhythmic participation. Veterans with PTSD report reduced symptoms after engaging in structured improvisation. Children on the autism spectrum demonstrate improved social coordination and emotional expression. These outcomes align with research on the neurobiological effects of rhythmic engagement, which shows that synchronized movement and sound can activate neural networks associated with social cognition and emotional processing (Koelsch, 2014).

Future Vision

Looking ahead, I envision Mo' Jam's methodologies integrated into educational curricula, therapeutic programs, and community-building initiatives worldwide. By combining these three systems—the Quantum Rhythm Cube System, the Color-Coded Drum Kit Curriculum, and the Mo' Jam framework—we can create a comprehensive approach to human development that harnesses rhythm's power to connect, heal, and transform. My dream is to establish a Mo' Jam Institute that would serve as a research center, training facility, and community hub for advancing our understanding of how synchronized rhythm can enhance human connection across cultural, linguistic, and neurological differences.

This expansion would include partnerships with neuroscience researchers, music therapists, and educational institutions to document and refine our methodologies. Preliminary discussions with researchers at the University of Washington's neuroscience department have generated interest in studying the neural correlates of Mo' Jam participation, potentially providing quantitative data to complement our qualitative observations. The theoretical framework we've developed aligns with emerging research on neural oscillations and interpersonal synchronization, positioning Mo' Jam at the intersection of artistic practice and scientific inquiry.

As Mo' Jam spreads, it offers a practical approach to addressing the epidemic of disconnection in modern society. By creating accessible frameworks for synchronized collective creation, we provide experiences that counteract the isolation, polarization, and fragmentation that characterize contemporary life. Each session demonstrates how diverse individuals can transcend superficial differences to create something meaningful together—a microcosm of the broader social harmony we seek to foster. The purple energy I first witnessed during my episodes has become a metaphor for the field of unified consciousness that emerges when humans synchronize through rhythm, revealing our fundamental interconnectedness.

The Purple Energy Revelation

The chakra integration framework I developed, titled "Sacred Integration of Mind, Body & Spirit," provides a bridge between ancient wisdom and cutting-edge understanding. A comprehensive chakra integration diagram shows a vertical arrangement of the seven chakras represented as colored regions on a purple background with the Om symbol at the top. Each chakra is labeled with specific relationships to the Mo' Jam rhythm systems, creating an integrated map of mind-body-spirit connection through rhythm. The Crown Chakra (violet) connects to "Pure Consciousness" and "Mo' Jam Source Energy," representing the point where individual awareness merges with universal potential—where bipolar mania reveals itself not as disorder but as expanded perception of possibility. The Heart Chakra (green) serves as the "Unity Beat Generator," the origin point of the purple energy that manifests in the physical universe. This integration aligns with Calvert, Spence, and Stein's (2004) research on multisensory processing and how different sensory inputs converge in the brain to create unified experiences.

The purple energy I perceived during those altered states wasn't a hallucination but a glimpse into a fundamental reality—our hearts and brains can synchronize through rhythm to create fields of coherent energy that transform individual consciousness into collective awareness. This understanding doesn't undermine the reality of bipolar disorder or suggest that medication and conventional treatment should be abandoned. Rather, it demonstrates how experiences traditionally pathologized as "psychotic" can, when properly integrated, yield insights of genuine value.

My journey from psychiatric diagnosis to community builder illustrates how altered states can become catalysts for transformation when approached with curiosity rather than fear. The medical model provided necessary stabilization during crisis, but transformational growth came from integrating those experiences into a coherent framework for understanding human connection. What began as personal crisis has evolved into a systematic approach to fostering unity through rhythm—an approach now validated by both scientific research and thousands of participant experiences.

I've learned to work with my unique neurological makeup rather than against it, finding ways to channel my perception into creative methodologies that benefit others. This path hasn't been easy. It's required continuous discernment between genuine insight and mere ideation, between transformative vision and grandiose thinking. That discernment comes through community feedback, scientific validation, and careful observation of real-world outcomes. The effectiveness of Mo' Jam's methodologies, documented through participant experiences and increasingly through formal research, confirms that something valuable emerged from those challenging episodes.

Conclusion: The Heartbeat Connection

Mo' Jam's true legacy is a bridge between personal experience and scientific understanding, where individual creativity merges into collective consciousness. What started as a simple desire to make music with friends in a basement setting has transformed into a movement that harnesses the universal language of rhythm to break down barriers between strangers. Every beat adds to our understanding of human potential and connection, expanding our awareness through the manifestation of purple energy that transcends individual consciousness and creates a field of collective harmony with transformative potential for humanity. The Mo' Jam documentary captures this remarkable journey—from those first basement jam sessions with Davy and Joey to what we have created at Nectar Lounge—revealing how the synchronization of hearts through rhythm can change how we experience reality itself.

👆🏼THE CURRENCY DESIGNS👆🏼

Bibliography

Cook, R., Bird, G., Catmur, C., Press, C., & Heyes, C. (2015). Mirror neurons: From origin to function. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 37(2), 177-192.

Gardiner, M. F., Fox, A., Knowles, F., & Jeffrey, D. (1996). Learning improved by arts training. Nature, 381(6580), 284.

Hasson, U., Ghazanfar, A. A., Galantucci, B., Garrod, S., & Keysers, C. (2012). Brain-to-brain coupling: A mechanism for creating and sharing a social world. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(2), 114-121.

Hennessy, S. L., Sachs, M. E., Ilari, B., & Habibi, A. (2019). Effects of music training on inhibitory control and associated neural networks in school-aged children: A longitudinal study. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13, 1080.

Keller, P. E., Novembre, G., & Hove, M. J. (2014). Rhythm in joint action: Psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms for real-time interpersonal coordination. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 369(1658), 20130394.

Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170-180.

Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT Press.

McCraty, R. (2015). Science of the heart, Volume 2: Exploring the role of the heart in human performance. HeartMath Institute.

McCraty, R., & Zayas, M. A. (2014). Cardiac coherence, self-regulation, autonomic stability, and psychosocial well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1090.

McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Tomasino, D., & Bradley, R. T. (2021). The coherent heart: Heart-brain interactions, psychophysiological coherence, and the emergence of system-wide order. Integral Review, 5(2), 10-115.

#music #mo jam #jam session #improvisation #art

About Miss Mo'

Miss Mo' is a visionary rhythm educator who discovered the universal purple energy of unity through her experiences with bipolar one manic psychosis. Through her innovative educational trilogy – the Quantum Rhythm Cube System that activates children's innate groove through simultaneous clapping and syllable work, the Color-Coded Drum Kit Curriculum that connects specific frequencies to colors for accelerated learning, and Mo' Jam where bands of strangers create spontaneous compositions by accessing their womb-developed heartbeat rhythms – she transforms what society labels as disorder into a revolutionary understanding of human connection. At Nectar Lounge in 2017, Miss Mo' witnessed the culmination of her visions as purple energy emanated from the stage, confirming that her supposed hallucinations were actually perceptions of a reality where synchronized heartbeats generate a unified field that transcends individual consciousness, offering a pathway to end stigma by revealing the profound connection between the highest energy of mania and the unified purple energy hidden inside us all.

Purple Revelation: How My 'Psychotic Break' Unveiled the Universe's Hidden Heartbeat Rhythm

5 Visions of All-Encompassing Light Purple Hue, 3 Before Mo' Jam's Creation, Two During the Event Showing 5,000 Miss Mo' Curated Bands Emitting 5 Million Beats Projecting Same Purple Hue but FROM the Stage in the Two Visions During Mo' Jam as if an Infra Purple Beam Spreading Faster Than the Speed of Light Throughout Time Giving an Instant Comprehension That It's What I Saw Before in Those Three Pre-Mo' Jam Visions but From the Stage Was the Darkest Purple Like Dark Matter and Energy Existing Only Obviously to Me in That Moment of Instant Comprehension That It's to Infinitely Expand the Universe, Thus Explaining Our Purpose Is the Hearts Purple Energy of Unity Hidden for Centuries and Lashed Out as Mania

#music #art #purple #deep space #space #hubble #nasa #improvisation #jam session #mo jam

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asoulofstars · 4 months ago

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My thesis chair and I figured out an independent study for me to take! We’re going to focus on adaptation theory so that I can learn more about it and how to write with that analytical framework in mind, so I’ll be doing that in the Spring/Summer semester. (May-August).

#stardust (ooc)

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molsno · 1 year ago

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if my goal with this project was just "make a website" I would just slap together some html, css, and maybe a little bit of javascript for flair and call it a day. I'd probably be done in 2-3 days tops. but instead I have to practice and make myself "employable" and that means smashing together as many languages and frameworks and technologies as possible to show employers that I'm capable of everything they want and more. so I'm developing apis in java that fetch data from a postgres database using spring boot with authentication from spring security, while coding the front end in typescript via an angular project served by nginx with https support and cloudflare protection, with all of these microservices running in their own docker containers.

basically what that means is I get to spend very little time actually programming and a whole lot of time figuring out how the hell to make all these things play nice together - and let me tell you, they do NOT fucking want to.

but on the bright side, I do actually feel like I'm learning a lot by doing this, and hopefully by the time I'm done, I'll have something really cool that I can show off

#txt

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waitmyturtles · 2 years ago

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Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: The Bad Buddy Rewatch Edition, Part 1 -- Where BBS Came From, What It References, and More

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, I kick off the first of four (or more, whoa!) posts on Bad Buddy. I'll look today at Thai BLs that preceded Bad Buddy that BBS spoke to, the tropes and themes that BBS reshapes and adds to the genre's existence, and I'll also take a look at singular commonalities among Aof Noppharnach's shows.]

Links to the BBS OGMMTVC Meta Series are here: part 1, part 2, part 3a, part 3b, and part 4

Since April of this year, I have been watching drama after drama, BL after BL, to get myself familiar enough with the Thai BL genre in order to understand... at least, much more about Bad Buddy than I previously understood when I first watched BBS in January. Today, I'm going to test my mettle, my newfound exposures to the genre, in taking a look at what made BBS so special by way of what came before it.

(Let me quickly note that in no way, shape, or form do I consider myself an expert in the Thai BL genre. That honor is for the people who've been through the trenches for years, people like my dear friends @bengiyo, @so-much-yet-to-learn, and more.)

As usual with my OGMMTVC analyses, here's a little outline for the lovers:

1 ) Some quick additional thoughts on how BBS reshapes Thai BL tropes, building off of meta from the time of BBS's original airing,

2) How I think earlier shows spoke to BBS by way of influence, as well as shared writing and/or directing teams in some instances, and

3) Similarities in the emotional structures of some of the most important protagonists of major GMMTV BLs, including Third, Sarawat, Phupha, and Pran.

Just as a quick reminder from my preamble post a couple of days ago, one of the inspirations for my creating the Old GMMTV Challenge was from a discussion I had with @miscellar regarding the Thai BL tropes that Bad Buddy referenced and reshaped. This post is what I have permanently linked as a means of partly explaining the context of why I created the OGMMTVC, but I also want to direct your attention to this other post by @miscellar regarding from whence BL tropes often stem from -- namely, conventions of reference from the het romance genre.

I want to posit two points to get this started. I think that, fundamentally, the general fandom loves what BBS did by way of both including and reshaping Thai BL tropes. Tropes do indeed give structure to many Thai BLs very often, as @miscellar notes in their second linked post. Even director Aof Noppharnach and the cast of Bad Buddy note this point as a central structural foundation to their show.

I would also posit that us as a fandom (or, at least, just speaking for myself)... happen to love many (but not all) of the tropes themselves, or at least to some extent, particularly by way of nostalgic reference. When I was really getting underway with the OGMMTVC watchlist earlier this spring, I could see in watching, say, Love Sick or SOTUS, the birth of the tropes. Phun and Noh hosing each other down, Kongpob and Arthit not only being engineers in SOTUS, but seeking out careers in the field in SOTUS S. The hubby/wifey language, the strong seme/uke energy in Make It Right, in Together With Me, and so on.

I felt that the Thai BL trope framework, in the course of my watchlist progress, first truly coalesced as a means of a coded and referential artistic infrastructure in Love By Chance. Love By Chance, based on a novel by MAME and written and directed by the longtime BL creator, New Siwaj, had it all. Engineering students in a university setting, rich boy/poor boy, seme/uke/top/bottom dynamics, queer revelations, beach trips, the guitars and the singing, all of it. Back in June, I called LBC the first derivative structured BL -- clearly a BL that came from those that preceded it.

To @miscellar's points in their second linked post: LBC also had, I feel, quite a lot of problematic elements. Before I watched TharnType, I was already calling out a discomfort I felt about homophobia within MAME's material in LBC. I also noted very strong macro cishet romance elements in the way Ae approached his engagements with Pete, romantic and intimate.

We know now that Bad Buddy just grabbed these tropes, and even some of these problematic elements, like the demand for a clearly binary seme/uke dynamic -- and turned them on their heads. Pat and Pran were equals and partners, full-stop. No seme/uke, no top/bottom, no gay for you, no wifey this and hubby that. Bad Buddy took SOTUS and LBC by their shoulders and said -- not today, not on my watch (and BBS AND A Tale of Thousand Stars did it AGAIN in Our Skyy 2!). Especially in closing out Bad Buddy through Our Skyy 2, I love how very specific Pat and Pran were about their verse relationship, with both guys, throughout the series and in OS2, asking each other for each other's ratings of their nightly performances. Yes, it was hilarious and cute and flirty, but those conversations were also very pointed -- and they very much harkened way, way back to themes that Aof and his colleague, Jojo Tichakorn, had explored as screenwriter and director of Gay OK Bangkok (here and here), and in Jojo's The Warp Effect, all of these shows preceding their work in BLs.

I think the turning-on-the-heads of these tropes, within an otherwise classic Thai BL, created an utterly unique fabric by which a new kind of nostalgia for the particular show that is Bad Buddy could be created -- something that almost cannot be RECREATED by the way of the construction of the universe of equality, love, mutual respect, and miraculous communication that Pat and Pran had established between each other. The equitable dynamic in Bad Buddy between Pat and Pran, of the honesty and incredibly open empathic communication that these two had between each other, seems to me to be truly unique -- ESPECIALLY in the face of the massively biased and dysfunctional communicative styles of their parents.

Moreover, now that I'm at this point of the OGMMTVC list -- AND including what I know about his shows post-Bad Buddy, in Moonlight Chicken, Our Skyy 2, and Last Twilight, which is airing now -- we now know that Aof has created HIS OWN SET OF TROPES THROUGH HIS SHOWS. He is the queer filmmaker in Thai BLs par excellence to create a conversation among his shows, and shows made by his colleagues, that speak to each other by way of symbolism, and, I believe, a harkening back both to previous expectations of older queer media AND to older Asian media, particularly by way of either open-ended and/or melancholic endings, as well as general explorations of melancholy and bittersweetness in his shows on behalf of queer characters.

(Before I give some specific examples of Aof's own trope structures by way of inspiration and influence, I do want to note that the aforementioned New Siwaj does this, too, particularly by way of his making references to The Love of Siam in his shows. Love of Siam is known for having a relatively tragic ending between two young queer men. The movie itself is shown and referenced in New's Absolute Zero and My Only 12% -- and the actors who play Tong's parents, who interfere in Tong's relationship with Mew, are reunited as parents in New's Until We Meet Again, where they support Dean's relationship with Pharm. However, I tend to focus on Aof in admiration as his art is generally more consistently excellent.)

So! What are the new tropes that Aof references in his shows -- the new trope frameworks that he's created for himself, to reflect his own interpretation of the Thai BL genre? We have upside-down smiley faces in Bad Buddy -- but we saw them first in Still 2gether! We have picture boards all over the place in Aof's cinematic universes -- in ATOTS, in BBS (TWICE!) (in two different apartments!), in Moonlight Chicken between Alan and Wen. We have scenes of temples, of culturally-rooted spirituality, from He's Coming To Me, to Moonlight Chicken, and now in Last Twilight. From Phupha's internalized homophobia in A Tale of Thousand Stars, to Jim's internalized homophobia in Moonlight Chicken, Aof doesn't shy away from examining the impacts of the pasts of traditional childhoods in rural settings. Call me a cheesy mom, but I happen to love Aof's tendency to punctuate light moments with cute sound effects.

But beyond tropes and trope frameworks, I think the ways in which Bad Buddy speaks to prior shows -- and vice versa, the way that prior shows ended up contributing to Bad Buddy -- were far more impactful by way of larger, macro-level themes.

While we see on BBS the impact of shows like SOTUS (in SO MANY PLACES in BBS besides Pa's gay-for-you reference and the husband/wife reference, including here and here), I Told Sunset About You, and I Promised You The Moon (I'll have more on IPYTM in a post next week about pain, trust, and separation), we also see what themes the future Bad Buddy team was trying out in their own previous shows. Besides Aof's Still 2gether and A Tale of Thousand Stars, the writing team of Au Kornprom, Bee Pongsate, and Pratchaya Thavornthummarut worked on Theory of Love together. Besides becoming a HUGE fave of mine through the OGMMTVC project, I think Theory of Love held possibly some of the most important proto-BBS themes that I saw along the cinematic way to get to Bad Buddy.

Theory of Love, generally speaking, is about how one person can try to change for another person -- and how that other person, and/or the world, accepts that change.

To fast-forward to the end of BBS: we know that the boys take inspiration from Uncle Tong that they will not let the world of their own intergenerational traumas from their families keep them from loving each other, and being in a devoted relationship with each other. Their empathy for their parents dictates that they'll spare their families the pain of being open about their relationship, and they'll keep the somewhat transparent secret that they're together from being discussed in the open.

Pat and Pran negotiate the impacts of how their relationship may change the people around them -- and they make an empathic decision to spare the families the pain of the upfront realization of that truth. Remember what they say in episode 12:

While Bad Buddy focuses on how the team of Pran and Pat negotiate how their relationship will change others -- I see in Theory of Love the testing of this theme within the potential romantic relationship of Khai and Third. I see Au, Bee, and Pratchaya playing with an idea of change and saying, hey, this is how it can work, and this is how it may not work, realistically. I think Khai and Third end up being a successful couple because -- unlike Pran and Pat -- they don't have to negotiate a generational divide to allow change to infiltrate their lives. (In fact, Third's own process of change, and his acceptance of Khai's change, reflects Pran's journey to welcome Pat into his heart, and Wai's journey to accept Pat's and Pran's relationship.) I love how we see this getting played with, literally by the Bad Buddy squad themselves, in Theory of Love.

It was @lurkingshan who first noted the similarities between Third and Pran for me, and I want to expand on that conversation for a moment to talk about another importance fencepost in Aof's thematic universes -- what our dear friend @bengiyo calls The Knowing of queer male characters in BL dramas.

Third is not Aof's character -- Third belongs to X Nuttapong as the director of Theory of Love -- but Pran, Sarawat from 2gether/Still 2gether, and Phupha of A Tale of Thousand Stars all belong to Aof, and Third was written by Aof's usual squad of writer homies. Third, Sarawat, Phupha, and Pran are all characters written with The Knowing of their being queer in their bones and existences, dealing with a certain amount of suffering and realistic realizations related directly to that Knowing -- in large part, carrying with them painful assumptions of unrequited love, and/or the inability to live openly in love with those that they pine for, until a happy or somewhat-happy ending meets them at the end of their dramatic journeys.

I've unwound quite a bit in my past writing (namely regarding The Love of Siam and the endings of Gay OK Bangkok) of how it moves me incredibly deeply that Aof doesn't shy away from pain, reflections of pain, and either painful and/or open-ended endings in his works. With Third, Sarawat, Phupha, and Pran, us viewers were treated to detailed and empathic journeys of realization and change as these characters negotiated their own paths to intimate honesty with their eventual partners. But those paths were DAMN hard. Many of us still can't shake Pran walking away in crushed tears at the end of episode 5. I'm forever moved by Sarawat's meditation to Earn about the meaning of his relationship and of his love for Tine in Still 2gether as he and Tine are temporarily separated before their school competition.

As an out, queer man, Aof treats his Knowing characters with the greatest empathy. Not all of them, interestingly, are great communicators. In my humble opinion, Third treads chump territory many times throughout Theory of Love. Phupha's, like, one of the worst communicators ever, and this was absolutely solidified until the very end of Our Skyy 2 x ATOTS. We had to have Pran compete with Pat throughout all of episode 6 of Bad Buddy for them to finally confirm their relationship as boyfriends -- and a huge part of that was about Pat revealing to Pran that Pat's competitions with Pran are really more about getting closer and more intimate. The incredible @telomeke (via their side blog, @telomeke-bbs) has written about Pran's outside façade vs. his inner sanctuary, and how so very often in his external life, Pran feels compelled to be visually far more organized than he feels internally. The stress and pressure of that will naturally cause some amount of dissociation, emotional confusion, and distance of the kind we saw at the end of episode 5.

I'm going to unwind more about this in an upcoming Big Meta on pain, trust, and separation in many of Aof's shows, but I want to highlight these melancholic themes and infrastructures here now, because I really think they lend emotional depth and connections to shows either led by Aof and/or his close colleagues. These are tough themes to think about. The endings can absolutely be interpreted as happy endings in most cases -- even though an Asian viewer like myself, very much raised on Asian content, can read between the lines of these endings to understand their melancholic underpinnings.

Bad Buddy is perhaps the most popular of Aof's dramas, I'd posit, because while the ending of the series is a little sad to contemplate -- it ends, as it began, with utter equality between Pat and Pran as protagonists who deeply care about each other, to the point of establishing what I might term as a radical re-envisioning of the broken and traumatic paradigm that their parents forced upon each of them as children. By engaging, essentially, in radical empathy to each other, they triumphed over the global framework of what was set before them by their own private familial society.

I think this emphasizes the tremendous largesse of the personal changes that Aof's characters undergo in their emotional processes -- whether these characters are Knowing characters, or if, like Pat, they've experienced queer revelations within their shows. To hand to these characters these TREMENDOUS emotional journeys, and to situate these journeys in shows that treat these characters with the utmost respect, lends to Aof's shows -- especially Bad Buddy -- a safety net for us as viewers to trust fully in the journeys we're watching.

Aof takes tropes and problematic themes and reorganizes them, like a Rubix cube. He takes themes that Asians and queer family know of far too well, like intergenerational trauma or social outcasting, and shows how his characters can still find happiness, while realistically keeping these traumas within a character's horizon. And, he's created his own trustworthy frameworks of art that we can depend on as fans. I love and appreciate the patterns in this, and I continue to remain in awe at the power that Bad Buddy had in encapsulating so much of what was percolating in Aof's mind and fingertips as he constructed this show with the influence of others -- making this show a truly legendary one.

(Tagging @dribs-and-drabbles and @solitaryandwandering by request! If you'd like to be tagged, please let me know!)

[First BBS OGMMTVC meta down, and more to come! Stay tuned next week for a Big Meta on Pain, Trust, and Separation in Some Asian Dramas. The piece will hew close to Bad Buddy, but I've got some other GMMTV and non-GMMTV dramas (and even a Japanese dorama BL) in there to analyze as well.

Here's the complete OGMMTVC watchlist as it stands today. Tumblr's web editor is utterly jacking with this list; for a more accurate look at what I've watched, please mosey over to this link!

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review here) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) (and notes on my UWMA rewatch here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (not a true BL, but a MaxTul queer/gay romance set within a genre-based show that likely influenced Not Me and KinnPorsche) (review here) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (re-review here) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review here) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) (review here) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) (review here) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) (review here) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) (review here) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch (The BBS OGMMTVC Meta Series is ongoing: preamble here, more reviews to come) 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) [watching for Cheewin’s trajectory of studying queer joy from Make It Right (high school), to SCOY (college), to Bed Friend (working adults)] (watching) 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For the Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist 37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) The Eclipse OGMMTVC Rewatch For the Sake of Re-Analyzing an Politics-Focused Show After Not Me 39) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 40) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 41) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 42) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) (Cheewin’s latest show, depicting a queer joy journey among working adults) 43) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 44) Wedding Plan (2023) 45) Only Friends (2023) (tag here)]

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