spokenfromtheheartandsoul

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

man oh man is there something about how sand first met ray when ray was arguably showing the worst parts of himself......how despite all of that sand still saw someone worth loving anyway......something about how sand doesn't merely chide/dismiss ray for his faults but instead challenges ray to be better......something about how ray always believed he was a burden, hard to love, hard to put up with.....only for sand to turn up and selflessly care for ray time and time again despite having every reason to walk away......like goddamn no wonder ray broke down on that therapist's couch. imagine coming to terms with the fact that someone has cared for you that much at their own expense when all you've done is fight them at every turn? i mean sheesh. that's painful as hell, i'd be sobbing too

but also then for that to be what makes ray finally decide to get help and to go from "i'm not worthy of that kind of love" to "i want to be worthy of the kind of love that this person is giving me"........brb give me a minute i need to go break down on MY therapist's couch real quick

#ofts #only friends the series #ray x sand #raysand #only friends series #sand x ray #sandray #only friends ray #only friends sand #only friends meta

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

kind of obsessed with the irony of how sand had his whole "i just want to be ray's special 25th hour 😞" sadboy thing going and then ray ends up just. throwing that entire concept out the window in favor of simply deciding to obsess over sand 24/7

#ray's like to hell with this 25th hour business. why would i do that when i can just make this man my new addiction <3 #ofts #only friends series #only friends the series #ray x sand #raysand #sand x ray #sandray

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

ohhhh but it's so fascinating to me to see the ways ray's struggle with the mew vs. sand situation is the perfect mirror to sand's struggle with the boeing vs. ray situation. in so many ways the 2 cases are so similar, but it's the ways in which they are different are what make it so interesting.

both sand and ray started off this series being haunted by 'what-ifs' in their respective love lives. ray was haunted by a love he'd always wanted but never had. sand was haunted by a love he'd once had but then lost.

even just in ray and sand's dialogues, there are clear parallels in the way they talk about the hold the previous what-if holds over them:

right when it seems like ray is about to move on with sand, he finally gets a chance with mew. ray has wanted it for so long that he immediately jumps at the chance without even thinking of the consequences, almost like a knee-jerk reaction.

sand gives ray an ultimatum: it's either me or mew. but i will not wait for you, and i only want you to choose me if it's me that you really want - i do not want to be the second choice.

and so, ray lets go of mew and chooses sand - but then the script flips.

right when it seems like sand and ray are about to start a new beginning, now you have sand getting his (second) chance with boeing. sand has spent so long bemoaning the loss of his "stolen" love that he's way caught off guard by boeing's sudden reappearance and remorse, by sand's expression you'd think it's almost as if he'd unconsciously fallen right back into the headspace he'd been a year ago when it was just him and boeing.

ray gives sand an ultimatum, too: it's either me or boeing. i'll always be second so as long as he's around, so if you want to choose me - then you will also have to let him go for good.

their situations are almost inverses in a way as well. sand asks ray to choose once and for all to avoid being ray's second choice time and time again. ray asks sand to choose while admitting he is in the 'second string' position, yet still wanting to prove that sand is still ray's first and only choice, and that ray has no qualms about blatantly fighting for him.

another interesting parallel: even though ray has definitely chosen sand by the time he and mew have their Talk in ep9, ray still lets mew do most of the talking when they call it quits. it's what seals the deal for ray that he really does just love mew as a friend. you can see it in the way ray's i love you to mew comes out much more self-assured.

similarly, even though sand has 100% chosen ray by the time boeing shows up with the arctic monkey tickets, sand still lets ray do most of the talking to ward boeing off. it's what seals the deal for sand that not only has ray chosen him, but more importantly that ray will stay. you can see it in the way sand's demeanor is so much more relaxed after ray shows up. (mew is even there to give his final blessing to the couple lol)

there's more parallels with these two cases that i could go on about i'm sure, but more than anything i love that it fits with the theme of everything in this show happening twice - and often, it is the character growth that shines through in the differences between the parallels.

#fam this got so long my bad #unfortunately this is only the first of manymany more post-ofts ramblings to come i fear #ofts #only friends the series #only friends series #ray x sand #raysand #sand x ray #sandray #ofts boeing #ofts ray #ofts sand

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

ngl boeing and boston showing up in the preview together for next week's episode had me laughing out loud because it just took me so off guard

like say what you will about the plot cohesion and character arcs etc. etc. and it's all fair! but also objectively i must admit that it is soooo funny to me that boeing was introduced to the show purely to be yeeted around from one couple to the next like he's Only Friends' gay version of a final boss level enemy that each pairing must battle against in order to win their happy relationship endgames

#ik his magic won't work against cheum/april but it'd be funny to see him try anyway. just to complete the circle so no gay gets left behind #if the climax of ep12 is the gang banding up queer avengers style to defeat the evil boeing? [bong joon ho voice] to me that's cinema #ofts #only friends the series #only friends series #ray x sand #raysand #sandray #sand x ray #boeing #topmew #bostonnick #boston x nick #top x mew

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

sand legitimately giving the concept some thought is SENDING me rn lmfaooo he really went "....yeah I could live with that"

anyway this is a great example of one of my fave parts of the sandray dynamic. which is basically:

ray: [something flirty but also a little unhinged]

sand: wtf don't be ridiculous. no

sand: [considers it anyway]

sand: but you do make a good point. go on

#in the earlier episodes it was just in the form of #ray: let's hook up #sand: we're just friends though #ray: have you tried simply not thinking about that #sand: hm can't argue with that. hook up it is then 👍 #ofts #raysand #only friends the series #sandray #ray x sand #sand x ray #only friends series

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

it's still so funny to me that when sand snaps, "scoot over" to ray all annoyed, ray responds to this request for more bed space by simply draping half of his body over sand instead of the bed. and sand is just like. yeah alright

#idk what's funnier #ray interpreting the 'scoot over' as 'oh sand wants more bed space? no problem i'll just use sand as the bed instead' #or that sand did indeed accept that arrangement as a better alternative #ofts #sandray #only friends the series #only friends series #ray x sand #raysand #sand x ray

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

nick............he's one of us fr

#the fact that he says goodnight to ray despite everything sends me every time it's so funny #shout out to him ending his vacation early just to take one for the sandray team he's putting in the work #and has been putting in the work from the start at that! he's so valid for that #yes he's a lil unhinged but he believes in love u know? <3 #ofts #only friends series #only friends the series #ray x sand #sand x ray #raysand #sandray #mark pakin

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

ray: sand how DARE you try to sleep with someone else.

also ray: without me?????? :(

#if you squint past the trauma and gut wrenching relationships only friends is also a comedy #ofts #only friends the series #ray x sand #raysand #sand x ray #sandray #only friends series #ofts ray #ofts sand

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

hi, just wanted to let you know that firfirmy on twitter reposted your ofts clothing post without credit

@asdfghjklmpff Replied to your post Hi! Just wanted to let you know that you got reposted without credit on twitter, in case you didn't give them permission to do so https://twitter.com/firfirmy/status/1705806056213946779?t=Lf223batqN1pgFiECASnkA&s=19

hi, thank you both so much for letting me know! they did not ask for permission or let me know 🙃 i think someone was kind enough to call them out for it though (thank you to them!) so they did do it after the fact (in a separate qrt rather than within the original ofc lol, because that'd be too reasonable)

it's very ironic to me that this person made sure to get the full screenshot of the post without the handle and even went out of their way to put the caption as "someone on tumblr" like bro you know who it was so why not just give credit? idk

#not the first time this has happened unfortunately #like i don't mind people crossposting #but it would be nice if they let me know and gave credit

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

oh but the clothing choices are SO interesting here.

right when mew finally seems to be letting ray in, mew starts dressing in a style that's awfully reminiscent of ray himself:

meanwhile, right when ray is finally getting to receive the type of affection from mew he's yearned for ages - ray's not dressed the way he usually does for nights out.

in fact if i didn't know any better, i might even say he's dressed up in an outfit that's awfully reminiscent of a style a certain someone picked out just for him:

what a coincidence, that right when mew's external appearance finally seems to imply he's ready to be on the same page as ray...........ray's external appearance has shifted to reflect the lingering influence of someone new.

#something about the way the blue-green of mew's walls is the EXACT same background color scheme from ray's first shot #something about the way ray's shirt colors when he's dancing with mew are a near perfect inverse of the shirt colors sand picked for him #no this is actually good guys. ray needs to have mew. so we can have raysand endgame. no im not nervouslaughing im soo calm rn why do u ask #ofts #only friends series #raysand #sand x ray #ray x sand #only friends the series #sandray

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

hey do you guys ever think about

ray wants to be the exceptional emergency contact in someone's hour of need, sand wants to be the extraordinary hour in someone's otherwise ordinary day

#despite their differences at the end of the day the 2 of them actually want SUCH similar things from their partners #it's killing me how close they were to realizing they could have it with each other #to putting their walls down and allowing themselves to love and be loved #[head in hands] folks. we're not doing too hot over here #ofts #raysand #only friends the series #sand x ray #ray x sand #sandray #only friends series #firstkhao

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

good day and welcome to another episode of Things That Keep Me Up at Night Part 3498293!

today's particularly devastating realization stems from the fact that we just got these specific lines last episode:

and now, re-watching this specific scene from the trailer with context from the above scene added in:

and realizing there's a good chance that what ray's actually trying to tell sand here is, "you can never be with me because i am bad luck - go and save yourself before i ruin your life, too."

#now when i said i wanted to clown hat theorize about this show earlier this isn't what i had in mind :/ #no one told me it'd be this gut wrenching wtf can i have a refund #ofts #only friends series #only friends the series #ray x sand #raysand #sand x ray #sandray #firstkhao

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

Ray: i have a feeling you might be upset with me

Sand: me?? ME??? 🤨 upset with YOU??? 😠 as IF 🤬 i don't care what you do so how would that even be possible? 😤 as a matter of fact. never in my LIFE have i been more uninterested indifferent uncaring and detached 😐😒🙄

Sand: anyway clearly i'm sooo fucking chill rn. why do you ask

Ray: uhh idk just a hunch

#also sand 2 hours prior: nick what does it mean when the person you have no vested interest in is now making you feel deeply vested #ofts #only friends the series #only friends series #sand x ray #ray x sand #sandray #raysand

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

god but something about how fast ray dropped everything the minute he saw mew calling. like i mean that took herculean levels of willpower for ray to stop, fish that phone out, and compose himself enough to answer it.

is mew is the only one who ever calls ray? or is the only time any of ray's friends ever call him when they need something from him? it'd fit with how ray knew "it's urgent" before even taking the call.

because it makes so much sense, for someone who feels like the "burden" friend, to want to be needed by his friends so badly that he'd drop anything and everything - even a very hot, "priceless" hookup - to go be of service instead. if ray really does feel like a burden to his friends, the least he can do is try and be reliable the few times he is asked to help, right?

and when ray tries to be a good friend it's typically in the form of his wealth/material goods because it's the only way he knows how - it's not like anyone seems to think he's good for much else, do they? like that scene where ray offers to do the music and his friends stare at him as if until that moment they'd all been under the impression ray had never listened to a song in his life.

given all that, if you're ray and you're now having to choose between the hot guy in your car (who you know is only your friend because you asked him to, who'd never take "someone like you" as a lover), or, answering your long time best friend/crush's call for help (who finally needs you again after having found someone new, who has always taken care of you, who could have asked his boyfriend but is instead asking you) - it's really not even a choice, is it?

besides, ray can always make it up to sand later. sand will be fine. it's not as if sand wants or needs him the same way ray does, right?

#idk what this is and if its even coherent but folks! folks. i am going through it tonight #something something about ray only seeing himself as valued and worthy when he has something physical to offer #ofts #only friends series #only friends the series #sand x ray #sandray #raysand #ray x sand #raysan #sanray

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

sand: aww did all your friends find lovers and leave you alone? HA LMAO what a sad pathetic LOSERR life must be so dramatic and sad for rich little you! wish i could relate

also sand, 1 second later: anyway you didn't ask but i have decided i will be your friend for free actually

#best part is that ray hardly says anything during that scene to convince sand either way #sand just shows up and roasts him and immediately decides they're friends all in the span of like 30 seconds kjskjdsjk #ofts #only friends the series #raysand #sandray #ray x sand #sand x ray #only friends series

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

funniest part of ray trying to tally up of sand's 20 side hustles and make sense of it is that while part of it is just him being genuinely intrigued by sand, it also seemed like there was the rich boy part of of him that's genuinely baffled by the concept. ray's like, "so you're a singer AND a drug dealer AND a moonshiner and you're STILL poor? jeez, how bad is the economy right now? i wouldn't know"

#ray's like what do you mean 3 jobs isn't enough? #and sand's like my brother in christ we are experiencing a gloBAL RECESSION #ofts #only friends the series #raysand #sandray #ray x sand #sand x ray #only friends series

[spokenfromtheheartandsoul]

#the way my jaw dropped when i saw that moment in the trailer im-- #it's so funny cuz in most shows the actors tattoos get hidden but thai bl said what if we used this to our (horniest) advantage? #anyway i've been reeling for 8 hours straight how are you guys doing #only friends the series #only friends #khaotung thanawat #firstkhao #sanray #ofts #the eclipse #the eclipse the series #the eclipse series #raysan #san x ray