#only friends episode 1

[thatgirl4815]

Was thinking earlier about just how good Ray was at apologizing to Sand.

He doesn’t even try to brush it off or make excuses. He looks Sand right in the eye and admits to his faults. Ray is good at apologizing, and Sand is good at forgiving. This is such a crucial point because I suspect each of these strengths (or weaknesses) will play an integral role in RaySand’s dynamic going forward…but at what point are there just too many issues to forgive someone for?

Honestly, I would’ve expected Ray’s apology to be fairly weak. No doubt, Sand expected that too. But there’s a level of sincerity that will make it possible for Sand to keep coming back again and again. It’s also interesting because Sand seems like someone who is fairly certain of his beliefs and values (like Mew). Things will quickly become uncomfortable for him as his sense of self is put into question by his unequal relationship with Ray:

Sand might be poor, but if anything, I think that’s made him more dignified. He doesn’t determine worth based on wealth. For him to have his feelings toyed with by Ray could pose a massive threat to his self-concept. Someone with a strong sense of self doesn’t want to believe that they would settle for anything less than what they deserve—so when Sand is screwed over by Ray again and again, what can he do? That dissonance is as much a relationship problem as it is a personal problem.

[dr-kwangtos]

I never trust a narcissist, but they love ME…So I play 'em like a violin and I make it look oh so easy. 'Cause for every lie I tell them They tell me three❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[anotherblblog]

Only Fans Episode 1 Blurbs

the Thai series I have been waiting all year for!

Mark Pakin is back on my screen and now kissing a man and I feel so safe and seen and cared for

Neo is tearing this role up, what a fucking scamp and great presence to be kinda behind most of the plots

Boston is a messy, horny, capricious, jealous gay and it's about fucking time for some representation for that community lmao

Nick: *lemme just drop a lewd in his phone and contrive a plan so Boston looks at it when I'm there* the moves, the horny scheming, the eye fucking

BostonNick scenes were really fucking electric and Boston and Nick were EYE FUCKING each other

Soulja Boy voice: DrrRRRAAAAke?!?!?

Drake's guest appearance does lead credence to the idea of Mix having a guest appearance with First #JusticeForAlanWen

now listen top to top, no, not that Top, Boston's power drill jackrabbit technique is highkey hilarious to me. Like I get the idea behind it - showing the raw intensity and unbridled recklessness and such - but Boston, honey, where's the finesse, where's the crescendo

I had guessed that Boston and Top would have already smashed pre-series and even before it was verbally confirmed, the way Boston side stepped answering how he knew Top told me I was right

I suppose there are other characters than Boston and Nick so

Khao, oh honey, girl they got you playing a mess here

Ray, Ray, Ray.... dandelion lost in the wind

I'm sensing a lot of looking for love in all the wrong places with Ray. Rich and distant parents, wanting deep connection. I see the signs

First in the leather jacket, simple but effective

"Do you have a lighter" "I do. It's probably yours. I got you drunk and robbed you." I laughed

Sand: *I'm poor* also Sand: *lives in a spacious apartment with a great garden view* (no, we don't know the full story but lulz at this potential juxtaposition)

TopMew - were there

I like Syrup. Def wanna see more of her

also Y.O.L.O. as a bar name is cute and thematic

Final Thought:

GMMTV. Listen, I am not an audio engineer. I don't know a ton about sound editing and mixing and such. However, it seems you have two modes: terrible background sounds and scuffed audios and mic packs ruffling. OR. the absence of any noise except the audio and breathing. It's just kinda weird that we're at a bar and there's like no background noise. Like I'm not saying it's the worst thing but it was kinda off putting. Especially in the intro where there is a lot of "dancing" and arm pumping but no music or sounds of revelry. Now, the OST is really good and I'm really digging the songs and when and how they're played. But it's so quiet sometimes. I mean I would say that's the lesser of the two evils but I feel there must be a better middle ground.

Final final though: MARK PAKIN IS BACK! THE MARK PAKIN RENAISSANCE CONTINUES! VIVA NEOMARK!

[gender-lost-them-and-m-found]

We all agree Mew is canon demisexual right?🏳️‍🌈

[thequeenofsastiel]

So wait, Top is specifically interested in Mew because Mew is a virgin? That's not creepy and predatory or anything

[monsamborabutterfly]

I've watched the first ep of only friends 3 times by now....I fear I'm lost & won't survive

[gennianydots]

CHEWING. ON. FUCKING. GLASS.

[heymacy]

IAN GALLAGHER + his journey with bipolar disorder

╰┈➤ “At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of." - Carrie Fisher

[not-equippedforthis]

H: can i wear...sunglasses and ear defenders?

W: yeah, wear whatever you want, mate.

H: ...fine.

W: hmm ^^

deadass what if i just started crying

[khaotunq]

TYPECAST: First Kanaphan edition

[hikaru-hoshina]

I like this detail because if you are an indoor pet owner you know your pet has that smell that makes you feel at peace with the world. It's also been proved that liking your pet's smell is a common thing and helps you relieve stress and anxiety and to feel less alone.

[thatgirl4815]

Intimacy Progression Per Couple (Ep 1)

In this tweet, Jojo mentions how sex will reappear throughout the series because all of the relationships are based upon it. This got me thinking about how we’ve seen these relationships progress so far (in sex and otherwise) and how these progressions are indicative of each couples’ plot down the line.

I mentioned once before that in terms of progression, the couples follow a semi-“Goldilocks” formula, though only where physical intimacy is concerned. From this standpoint, RaySand and BostonNick stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, with TopMew fitting nicely in the middle. It’s interesting that they’ve been laid out this way because 1) it creates variety and 2) this variety suggests the role sex could play in the foundations of each relationship.

RaySand

Before the series aired, I was massively confused about the distinction between Bed Friend and FWB (still am, tbh). But after episode 1, we know that RaySand has at least some emotional foundation to their relationship prior to their sleeping together. I believe in their case, they will be friendly towards each other (idk if I'd call it a "friendship" exactly) beforehand, unlike their direct counterpart BostonNick, who had sex before any sort of emotional connection was built.

RaySand’s story being noticeably devoid of romance so far (despite the obvious hints of it) is what leads me to believe that they have the greatest chance of working through their issues. This is not to say that any relationship rooted in sex from the get-go is doomed to fail, but the fact that we have been exposed to the individual aspects of Ray and Sand—namely, Ray’s drinking problem and Sand’s helpfulness—before their characterization as a couple implies that their relationship will focus a lot on their individual issues and how those pose a threat to relationships in general. For Ray, it seems pretty clear what those issues could be given his very obvious drinking and self-worth problem. For Sand, those issues still remain unclear.

Again, this is not to say that the other couples are not given individual characterization prior to their relationships with each other--with the exception of maybe Nick, given that we see him rather sparingly in this first episode and the only thing we see him do each time is a) thirst over Boston or b) hook up with Boston. So not too much to work with there (yet). While Sand is scarcely seen outside of his interactions with Ray in episode 1, these interactions notably say a lot about who he is as a person independent of Ray (helpful, frustrated, patient, forgiving, etc.). For Ray, we're provided some additional context for his self-worth issues from his interactions with his friends as well as Sand.

I don't think RaySand is going to remain chaste for very long considering the show we're watching, but the fact that we have been given a slower build to it could say something interesting about the nature of their relationship (and where sex is involved). My guess is that RaySand's relationship will be more rooted in the comforter-comfortee trope (for lack of a better term): Sand gives and Ray receives. These roles have already been set up in episode 1, and I think they will maintain them for a period of time before Ray's inability to give back to Sand (emotionally, as opposed to physically) forms a wedge between them (see Sand's "Focus on me for once, will you?").

I would argue that sex will bring Ray and Sand closer, but I think it will inevitably mean more to them once they realize that there are actual emotions involved; what one (or both) might imagine as a hookup soon becomes a dependency. Which brings me to...

BostonNick

As mentioned above, BostonNick establish a sexual relationship before anything else. The parameters, even now, are pretty clear: they don't know each other but they're attracted to one another, they hook up and continue to do so = FWB. The problem being that Nick starts to develop actual feelings, wanting an exclusive relationship with Boston who has no desire to be exclusive with anyone (except for maybe Top, but that's up for debate).

So far, the importance of sex to this relationship is pretty clear: it is the relationship, in fact. Based on the trailer, there is a very clear boundary that Boston wants to uphold that Nick is determined to challenge. For Boston then, sex is a selfish act (this reminds me of what we heard Top tell Mew in the trailer about wanting to make him as happy as possible--I believe Boston could relate to the idea of desiring sex wholly for his own pleasure rather than his partner's).

I think Boston navigates sex in fascinating ways, and we see that through Top. I still believe Boston desires Top to feed his own ego and not much more. He can't understand how someone like Top could honestly want someone like Mew beyond a hookup. Could any of this have to do with Boston's deep-seated insecurities about relationships? Is he scared of forming a long-lasting relationship, so he settles for these quick one-offs to boost his ego and be done with it? Is he simply disinterested in settling when there are so many options? These are all questions that we don't have enough context to answer, but I think Nick's influence will force him to contend with them a bit. I'd imagine there has to be at least some of this conflict in BostonNick's storyline, otherwise the plot would be rather static.

TopMew

Mew's response to Top's advances provides a good outlook on his own values and boundaries. Just as Top views Mew as a challenge, I think Mew view Top as a similar challenge. Mew isn't naive; he knows who Top is just like he knows who Boston is. He will play Top like a fiddle. In that sense, I think he is withholding sex for two reasons: 1) because of his own values, as he states, and 2) because it's the thing he knows Top desires. To test Top's intentions, he can simply withhold sex and see whether Top's interest wanes. (This is likely what leads Top back to Boston, affirming what Mew already suspects about Top and Boston's similarities.)

For both players in TopMew and BostonNick, sex means something different. For Top and Boston, we can assume they have fairly similar ideas of it (which will notably change over the course of the series, I'm sure). For Mew, sex is about more than temporary satisfaction--it's something he holds in high esteem and wants to cherish with someone he's built a strong relationship with. For Nick, sex is a way of bringing him closer to Boston emotionally (tbh, I'm sure Nick didn't plan on forming an emotional attachment to Boston, but here we are).

*Side note, but it's funny that Nick seems on par for the course that Mew outlines for Top in episode 1:

Mew has an acute understanding of himself, and that's what gives him all the power in his relationship with Top. Top might think he's in control, but Mew is the one dictating. And if Top decides to leave, then Mew will have simply proven what he has suspected since their first night together. Mew wins no matter what (unless, of course, he starts to cave and lets his real feelings get involved).

~ X ~

This ended up being a bit of a rant, but in response to those critics on Twitter that Jojo felt the need to call out: sex isn't just sex for the sake of it. It's already informing the way these characters view themselves and their emotional ties. The emotional element of sex seems like a major component in the series, as the lines between mere physical intimacy blur with those of emotional intimacy. I think we will see that conflict come up in each of the relationships to some degree, but in vastly different ways.

[blmpff]

exasperation (n): a feeling of intense irritation or annoyance

[rexscanonwife]

I may have...mentioned a fankid a little while back (ｕ_ｕ*) here's the little squirt themselves, our very own Newt Utonium! The name is short for Newton, as in Isaac, who is often considered the grandfather of science (the professor's idea ofc) but they prefer to go by just Newt!

Just like their mother they came from an egg, which Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were very excited and curious about! Especially since they were born 5 years old and at the same time, they were looking forward to interacting with a new sibling. And a baby at that! They spent a lot of time with the egg fawning over it, discussing what gender they hoped it would be and what they'd be like once hatched!

And ofc Utonium is just as wonderful a father with Newt as he was when the girls came into his life! 💖💖💖

Taglist♡: @me-myself-and-my-fos @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @sunstar-of-the-north @dearly-beeloved @adoredbyalatus @changeling-selfship @crushes-georg @miutonium @cherry-bomb-ships @rosieaurora @rejaytionships @sunlight1999 @in-true-blue-love @tropicalgothships (as always let me know if you want to be added OR taken off!)

[chickenstrangers]

ONLY FRIENDS (2023) || EPISODE 7

The Hunter

[thequeenofsastiel]

Is GMMTV seriously showing a full on sex scene? When did GMMTV get this racy?