#I LOVE YOUR BRAIN ANON

[gojosprettyprincess]

not asking for much except mayhaps to expand the stepdad!toji and stepbrother!megumi verse pls pls pls

like imagine their competition turns into a two man team one night because one of them gets greedy and doesn't wanna wait their turn

Anon this is a BRILLANT idea but i feel like i might get flamed alot by people if i make this😭😭I’ve actually thought about something similar but idk i feel like it might be too extreme but I’ll keep this idea in mind, like I’m already getting ALOT of hate for my stepbrother Megumi fic so if i do write this, it’ll be posted till wayyy later

[joocomics]

jooyeon the type of guy to tie your hair up for you when you're about to go down on him... Also the type of guy to come up to you randomly and tie your hair up so you now what's coming (him)

he’d be nice like that <3 he’d tie your hair up using his own hair tie and then he’d wear it around his wrist throughout the day, thinking of you every time he glances at it… he’d never take it off and sometimes it would distract him so much from work, because all the memories of you going down on him would flood his head

god, it would be so hot whenever he comes up behind you while you’re in the middle of something - doing dishes, laundry whatever - and he gently runs his fingers through your hair, taking all of it in his big hands while his lips leave a soft kiss on your neck…

[kenj1sl0v3r]

I was just thinking of that today, like the 800K fic lol . Like maybe Abby and Lev end up on Catalina Island, but the Fireflies regrouping is a rumor and the island is just empty hoWEVER reader lives by themselves on that island or something like some self-sufficient recluse? Like the only inhabitant of that island and reader patches them up and helps them and Abby and Lev live with the reader a quiet peaceful life.

YESS I LOVE THIS I LOVE THIS

at first i was only thinking of reader knowing abby before and then finding her but i like the thought of reader finding abby and lev in the state theyre in for the first time and just bringing them in without question

reader is the only person there but maybe they could have heard rumors from people passing through about how bad it was outside the island, with the seraphites and the rattlers terrorizing people so reader just stays on their little island thinking that i’d be just them and their home for the rest of their existence but abby and lev wash up and reader does the best they can with what they have to help the both of them and teach them how to live a life without the fear of being hunted every day !! 💔💔💔

[foliosriot]

Food for your thoughts: watching Vinny’s streams and I can just really imagine him liking the nickname Baby (for him or you), just think of him saying that for a minute.

i think about this way too much and talk about it just as much with @concretenoah like-

he for sure loves calling you baby

[stormyoceans]

I hope they didn't get rid of Mork's smoking habit because i really want Day to dislike the smell at first and slowly become obsessed with it as his feelings change and i want Mork miserably going for a smoke when he can't take August and Day talking (like normal friends and teammates (?)) anymore and when he stands up and says i really need to smoke Day is like wait Hia I'm coming with you and Mork is like. Standing here for five minutes reloading.

'He doesn't like the smell then why...' - Mork's thoughts

'Why does his voice sound so sad, is he feeling well, need to interrogate him real quick' - Day's thoughts

'This dude really can't be more annoying' - August, probably

I WAS LITERALLY WONDERING WHETHER MORK IS STILL GONNA SMOKE IN THE SERIES OR NOT JUST YESTERDAY YOU'VE REALLY READ MY MIND ANON

AND I AGREE WITH YOU SO MUCH I /NEED/ MORK TO BE SMOKING I /NEED/ DAY TO HATE THE SMELL OF IT AT FIRST ONLY TO COME TO LIKE IT MORE AND MORE AS HE SLOWLY FALLS FOR MORK I /NEED/ THAT SCENE IN THE MOCK TRAILER WITH MORK TAKING HIS SHIRT OFF AFTER DAY COMMENTS ON THE SMELL TO STILL BE IN THE SHOW IM SORRY I AM BUT A WEAK AND GREEDY WOMAN AND I WANT ALL OF THIS SO BADLY

okay im gonna stop yelling now ;;;;;; what gives me hope is that smoking fits both into the 'bad boy' appearance p'aof wants to give mork and the 'how other senses come into play in falling in love' concept that he said he wants to explore. i also think it would have a lot of potential in showcasing mork's personal growth: mork eventually choosing to quit smoking would mean that he's choosing to take care of himself because he now has a future to look forward to (and an athlete boyfriend who, even if he does like the smell of cigarettes, would like to grow old with him and live together for as long as possible)

ALSO THAT SCENARIO WITH AUGUST WOULD BE SO AMAZING AND YOU KNOW THAT HE WOULD TRY TO STOP DAY FROM GOING WITH MORK BECAUSE SMOKING IS BAD FOR EVERYONE AND ESPECIALLY ATHLETES WHICH IS GONNA MAKE MORK FEEL EVEN LESS WORTHY OF BEING WITH DAY BUT ALL DAY CARES ABOUT IS THAT HE CAN SENSE FROM MORK'S TONE THAT HE IS UPSET AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE AND I KNOW I SAID I WOULD STOP YELLING BUT NOW I /NEED/ THIS TO HAPPEN TOO

[kyi-0m0]

a trope that absolutely drives me crazy with lust is imagining a guy/individual with a dick incredibly desperate to pee and i help them find a toilet/bush/somewhere to pee but by the time they get there they’re already starting to leak and are clenching there muscles and squeezing their dick with all their might, and even though relief is literally right in front of them they know if they let go to get their zipper down and pull out their dick they’re going to completely lose it. so instead the just stand there frozen and start to whimper, tears starting to leak out and they feel the warm wet piss start to hiss out into their underwear and seeping through their fingers, so i reach my arms around them and undo their pants really quick and grab their dick out and aim as the full stream sprays out. their pants are wet but not nearly as bad as they could have been, and will be able to conceal their accident. at this point they relax their body completely as all the piss finally floods out of them and they lean back into me, letting their arms fall to their side and resting their head back against mine, moaning softly in ecstatic relief. finally their stream trickles to a stop and they come back to reality realizing what just happened. their face turns bright red and they begin to stammer out an apology but their voice weakly tapers off as they feel my breath against their neck and notice their dick getting hard in my hand that still hasn’t let go. they whimper as i slowly start moving my hand up and down, they’re already so sensitive. i quicken the pace and they let out a deep moan and their legs shake and i have to wrap my other arm around their waist to hold them up as they come all over my hand.

or something like that :)

oh my god. oh my god

anon you have blessed me with this what an incredible scene I'm literally obsessed

the way they don't even realize it in the moment because they just need to relief so bad-

[liesmyth]

Doing an experiment with my friend where im making him read tlt in the opposite order and he just dropped the most sentence ever "oh, palamedes and dulcinea are parallels with john and alecto! Got it" and promptly returned to ignore me on discord. what do i do with that

Why are you making him read TLT in the opposite order. Did he volunteer for it. Are you trying to prove something. Are you monitoring him for reactions compared to your other friend who read it in the normal order. The word choice of “experiment” is sort of of ominous here ngl

Also I need to know everything about his reactions oh my god. please say more

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

AGH FASHION DESIGNER SUGURU AND MODEL SATORU W A NEW INTERN DESIGNER UNDER THEIR WING 😞😞☹️ - 🌺

WAHHHH I LOVE THIS 🥺🥺🥺 the pining and flirting and slowburn of it all… model!satoru and his favorite designer suguru geto, both of them undeniably skilled and born with an eye for fashion….. well-known and adored……..

designer!suguru who gets tasked with showing you the ropes, who’s always so patient and kind despite your inexperience. diligent with his teaching but also so laidback, so easy to talk to… he looks intimidating, but he’s so polite that you can’t help but swoon a little. and he admires your enthusiasm so much…… grows fond of you soooo quickly bc you’re just such a breath of fresh air compared to the divas he’s forced to work with all the time. he thinks you’ve got real potential and he wants to nurture it.

and ofc you end up running into model!satoru eventually…. bc he’s always hanging around suguru whenever he gets the chance. and he’s maybe a little jealous that you’re hogging so much of his personal designer’s attention, but… he also thinks you’re so cute . T_T like a little puppy following suguru around… so excited to be apart of what you’ve dreamed of for so many years……… he looks into your eyes and sees the same sparkle he had before he made it big, and it makes his heart race.

yeah . i’m just thinking abt the peaceful coffee breaks with suguru….. how he’d insist on paying for your drink, ”since he’s your senior” (he wants to be your favorite </3)…… and how he’d just be so protective over his little intern. don’t get me started on the close proximity with satoru when you’re taking his measurements, the glance and smile he sends your way during an impromptu shoot… the way he always calls for you with a sweet coo of ”how’s my favorite intern doing today?”

😔😔😔 yeahhhhhh. they make me feel ill.

[canisalbus]

One day I hope to have the fondness for my ocs that you do. Yeah, sure, their tale is tragic and ends sadly, but that doesn't stop you from giving them tender moments, or from making aus where they live happily. You care so much for Vasco and Machete, and it's so endearing to see all the soft art of them

Aw geez ;-;

Thank you! They are my darlings, of course I care about them terribly. And even of I can appreciate and see the value and impact of a good tragedy, I also yearn to see my dogs happy and safe, even more so as time goes on.

[merakiui]

hiii mera!!

imagining azul as a type of cannibalistic octopus, on your first night together he’s spent so long hyping himself up and grueling over whether or not he’s content giving himself to you, eventually coming to terms with it and deciding to make the event as romantic & easy to clean as possible. when the deed is done, he’s so anxious and pathetic and practically withers away as he looks at you,,, he knows what comes now… but when your teeth don’t tear at his flesh, he looks at you with confusion, a bit disappointed by the lack of development, but far more relieved. He asks and you explain that humans don’t cannibalize their partners,,, and it clicks. so many others can come back and brag about their partners and he’s a bit embarrassed by the revelation, but SO relieved. it’s a cute thing, he’s so excited to continue living with you

random thought though,, not very thought out LOL he knows not of porn in this situation

wet dreams consist of getting it on and him jumping awake as you lurch towards him with a hungry maw,,, imagining on the first night he just brings a bunch of snacks in hopes that it’ll save him, chip bags littered about like rose petals

thank you for reading,

lionfish anon :]

AAAAAA YES YES. OTL Azul who is only familiar with mer courtship and sex customs, so he's fully prepared to give himself to you after he spends so much time mulling it over. Aaaaa he's so cute, preparing so many snacks to make sure you're well-fed and too distracted to think about eating him after the fact. Azul being too worried to do anything face to face, so he fucks you from behind instead. Later, when he learns you won't be devouring him after sex, he becomes more confident holding you closer and fucking you in intimate positions that allow him to look at you. <3

I think he'd have some of the best snacks as well. orz all of your favorites along with some of his favorites, too. The snacks being scattered like rose petals is so silly to imagine, and he'd probably look so proud about it as well. Something like,,,, look at what a good mate he is, providing you with an abundance of food (please don't eat him) and he'll take good care of you when you've eaten your fill of snacks (please PLEASE don't eat him).

Unintentional tako rizz (which was really just Azul trying to ensure you wouldn't cannibalize him afterwards lol). He's just too cute!!!!!

[melohann]

DAAAAAMMN filthy jaehyun and leehan asks are everything 🤭🤭🤭

thoughts on edging jaehyun who has been waiting for you to come home pleas🤗 and if you have the chance to write it maybe leehan in the reverse who comes home after reader was waiting to see him and edges her sozlwlmrmedosos@/'ddn

okokokok but jaehyun who spends his day whining through the phone to you, sending you needy texts whilst you’re at work, going as far to sending you photos of how hard he is through his briefs because he just wants you so bad :(. he’d be over the moon when you tell him that you’ll take care of him once you’re home and not to touch himself so you can do so !! poor thing would have no idea of what you were going to do. he’d be a mess, whining, cheeks flushed, type of boy who ends up drooling when you edge him for too long, his lips just as wet and swollen as his cock would be. he’d be aching for a release, struggling to keep his eyes open, his body shaking and his hips bucking up each time you let go of his sore cock. he’d end up begging because jaehyun absolutely wouldn’t be too ashamed to beg. he’d beg so prettily for you to let him cum and when you do he’d be so appreciative, whimpering out little thank yous as he tries to ride out his orgasm and calm down. he’d be such a mess for a little while after.

i’ll do leehan under the read more

leehan would just do it because he can, even if you didn’t message him and tease him throughout the day. he simply can’t help himself, he thinks you’re so cute when you’re whining and begging for a release, so much so that he craves to see you in such a depraved state. he loves to soothe you whilst he does it, fingers gently running down the side of your face, his voice sweet and gentle to your ears, all whilst he’s pulling his fingers out of you and denying your orgasm again. he’d coo at you for how wet you are, commenting on how he can hear your pussy crying out for him with each curl of his fingers. he’d admire you whilst he makes you cum, watch you carefully as your body shakes and you release all over his fingers. it’d be a bonus for him if he makes you squirt from it too.

[dustykneed]

Picture this; Bones holding Joanna, rocking her to sleep and the part in Beautiful Boy where it’s like “The monster's gone, He's on the run, And your daddy's here” is playing. :,)

Fatherhood gives you certain... skills. Coincidentally, this is also how Jim finds out that Bones sings.

:'))

[tasbcl]

oh god imagine Connor with a very shy girl (not projecting at all), that never felt so loved and appreciated in her life before him, and now she’s being a pouty in his arms mewling and gasping, still trying to hide her face while he’s fucking her so nicely and gently taking her hands off her face to kiss her <33 I’m sorry of this is not perfect, but it’s just allll of my thoughts lately

HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD.

god, in the beginning of knowing each other connor would’ve probably been complimenting you all the time. when you greet each other, it’s ‘I like the hairstyle you have today!’ or ‘your outfit is pretty’ or just straight up ‘you’re pretty’. gets you all flushed and embarrassed, because not only does it warm your heart to hear things you’ve never thought about yourself before, but because he probably only says it just to be kind. right?

it’s embarrassing how quickly he realises you don’t really feel confident in yourself, you always let others talk over you and you’d rather disappear into the crowd than have the spotlight on you. he doesn’t remember assigning himself it, but suddenly a new mission objective is prioritised over the thing he was built for— to make you feel appreciated.

when you fuck for the first time, connor is just so eager and strangely needy, not realising these new feelings he’d been bottling up for you all this time until he gets you in bed and suddenly his hands are tugging at your clothes and caressing your skin. your cheeks are flushed pink, almost red, and you can’t help but instinctively hide yourself from his view. another strong emotion comes along in his chassis, frustration, because that just won’t do. his hard, cold hands aren’t rough, but aren’t soft when he pulls away your own hands that try to hide your soft, intimate flesh he so craves to see.

a kiss to your cheek, then the other, and then your lips before he murmurs to you, “don’t hide yourself from me.” it’s enough to get you wet (well, wetter) at his order. you obey, not without some reluctance, and he rewards you greatly.

his mission was easier to accomplish than expected, because by the start of it, the embarrassment and anxiety are all but kissed away by him and you’re keening and moaning for more, just like he wanted. his lips had been all over your body, your chest, your stomach, your legs. worshipping you, forcing you to understand how important and perfect you were. he’d had you dangling on the edge for ages, begging for him to just take you. when he did, he wasn’t gentle. he knew just what you needed, exactly what would have you breaking so he could piece you back together afterwards. his thrusts are slow but deep, his eyes are constantly roving over your body and face, to the point you had to literally hide your eyes from him out of how heavy his gaze felt. of course he doesn’t appreciate it. but he doesn’t try and punish you, because he knows you, so he takes your fingers off of your face and intwines his own with them, pinning them down to the bed while he fucks into you slowly. his lips find yours again to reassure you, then trail down your jaw, your neck… yeah

[marvey-sideblog]

sorry but harvey being submissive in bed is the most delusional take ever this man is dominance incarnate, “i like to bend people to my will”… “good boy”..”puppy”….”I want it to know who it’s DADDY IS” like cmon now!!! that man dcks mike down each time he gives lip and it’s cannon..

anon he contains multitudes! yes he would do these things, yes he could dominate mike and enjoy it. but! that man has to be macho in-control all the time and sometimes, anon, he really fucking enjoys (like, a lot) when someone he's attracted to completely manhandles and controls him.

He LOVES it. It is so so sexy to him.

And he LOVES when Mike talks back to him, when Mike is telling him what for. Yes sometimes the sexual satisfaction would come from putting Mike in his place over that...That would 100% be sexy to him. And Mike would 100% LOVE being subm/ssive to Harvey; that boy has Fantasised. Yes, Mike's "aye-aye, Captain" did things to Harvey, that is a scene of all time (and, tbf! Mike is actually the one taking the lead there! Harvey Captain fantasy where Harvey still gets to be subm/ssive.......). BUT. Harvey would also LOVE Mike turning the tables on that. Mike's an equal to him, and Mike taking control would be so hot, for both of them. There'd be a lil amusement for Harvey and then he'd genuinely be so turned on by it. I'm not talking about Season 1 Mike. I'm talking about the people they became together, to each other. Sometimes their sex is pure vanilla just love...Sometimes Mike would tell Harvey what to do and relish in it; they both would.

And, for the matter at whole...You think when Harvey's mind wandered about Jessica, he was thinking about domming her? NO. It would be Jessica domming him in every never-gonna-actually-happen flitting fantasy. Yes, ma'am. Come now. He'd be giddy at that.

Harvey is not one dimensional he actually loves to be playful and feminine and pushed into the mattress and told to take his shirt off.

[cthulhus-curse]

Just gonna leave this here for you :)

Subby innocent Stepsis Nat wants to have a sleep over, and watch a scary movie. You give in cause she's just so adorable. You're sitting next to each other on the couch, and as the movie progresses she gets more scared and wants to sit on your lap. You pull her in and everytime there's a jump scare she shuffles on your lap causing you to get an erection. She asks what it is, and you try to get up and get her off you. She stops you and gets on her knees starts rubbing you through your pants. You can't help but moan, when she starts unzipping you and pulls your dick out of your boxers. She grabs you and looks up at you for help with what to do next. You put your hand over hers and start going up and down. She notices how good she's making you feel and starts to put her mouth closer to your dick. You notice that and slightly nod at her to keep going. She puts her mouth on you, and starts to lick your tip. She sees your cum coming out and licks it. You see the moment of realization where she really likes your special treat. She starts sucking you off faster and faster, you can't help it you grab her hair and start pushing your dick as far in as it could go. You feel her cheeks hollow out and you cum in her mouth. She gets up and straddles you, grabs your dick and slides it in her pussy. She starts riding you hard and fast, "I've been wanting to do that for so long baby. I kept waiting for you to make a move but you never did." As turned on as you are, her words sink in and you stop her "What?" She grabs your hands and puts them on her hips, starts riding you again. "Baby, did you really think I didn't see the way you kept looking at me, and kept adjusting your pants when you would walk away?" You're about to cum when she says "I had to pretend to be all innocent for you to let me do whatever I wanted" You cum in her and at the same time she bits your neck cumming on your cock. Turns out your subby innocent Stepsis was actually not so innocent after all.

You wrote me a whole fic AND I COULD KISS YOU FOR IT

I beg for more if possible

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

I have no other place to yap this to so I apologise in advance.

I find it interesting in Alhaitham and Kaveh’s voicelines they tend to talk about each other A LOT in a way of complaining. Such as in Alhaitham’s Good night voiceline where he says that he’d prefer that Kaveh wouldn’t be home at all because all the chaos and noise he makes in the dead of the night. Or in Kaveh’s Good Morning voiceline where he says that he hopes that you don't run into someone who ruins your day first thing in the morning.

I guess it’s what makes other people think that they despise each other’s company. Yet they’re always viewed as a pair and Alhaitham could’ve kicked Kaveh out of the house ages ago. But what’s your opinion on that?

Hiya! there's no need to apologise, this is a safe space for all haikaveh! When I tell you your ask is scratching my brain I mean ITCHING, I have so many thoughts about this part of their dynamic so thank you for enabling me <3 This turned out to be rather long, so I hope it’s helpful to you!

The contention in both Alhaitham and Kaveh’s character stories and voice lines seems to be to create intrigue about the two as individuals, and, in turn, their relationship.

Alhaitham’s ‘good night’ voice line instantly serves as a contradiction to his character. It’s interesting, and telling, that Alhaitham, who is essentially Kaveh’s landlord, and mentions this within his fourth character story, alludes to Kaveh by using ‘roommate’ rather than ‘tenant’. ‘Landlord’ evokes a position of authority over the tenant, whereas ‘roommate’ indicates an equality between two people sharing a house – since it’s Alhaitham who advocates for the term ‘roommate’, it’s telling that, as opposed to what Kaveh believes, Alhaitham wants to establish equality between them.

In terms of what Alhaitham says in this voice line, it explicitly raises a contradiction in the form of a question: if Alhaitham is truly bothered by his roommate’s antics, why doesn’t he simply evict Kaveh?

This is relevant as this question is also posed when we initially meet Kaveh within the Archon Quest, as Kaveh states he dislikes Alhaitham’s personality, to which Alhaitham responds by saying if he bothers Kaveh so much, Kaveh always has the option to move out of the house – to which Kaveh perceives as a threat, only to then dismiss this as Alhaitham ‘changing the subject’, which seems to mean that this ‘threat’ is taken as baseless. As this isn’t called back to, this seems to be the case.

There is no real threat of eviction, and regardless of their disputes, Alhaitham ultimately gives Kaveh no ultimatum to move out. In fact, as discussed here (page 27), as we are meeting Alhaitham and Kaveh for the first time, Alhaitham allowing Kaveh to live with him contradicts his established character of living a life free of inconvenience. This instantly creates intrigue around his and Kaveh’s dynamic – who is Kaveh to Alhaitham for this exception to be made to Alhaitham’s peaceful way of life?

(An additional note of interest is that Alhaitham’s solution to the noise problem seems to be more uncomfortable than calling on Kaveh and telling him to stop his work. Alhaitham says that he’d rather not wear his noise-cancelling earpieces to bed, implying that he does so when noise is a problem at night. However, there’s no mention of Kaveh being stubborn when confronting this issue, which is why he takes to wearing his ear pieces, or any mention of confrontation at all. From this voice-line, it seems that Alhaitham avoids interaction by opting for the least comfortable option, which can be a contradiction to his character. As this is a rather brief voice-line, it’s difficult to ascertain why, but I like the idea that Kaveh is productive at night, and Alhaitham prefers not to impose on Kaveh’s work process – but this is more a headcanon than evidenced interpretation.)

Returning back to the contradiction within this voice-line, at a surface glance, this does appear to be a general complaint about Kaveh, and this can be found in Alhaitham’s lines about Kaveh, and also when discussing Tighnari. Alhaitham refers to Kaveh as ‘overly sensitive’, and ‘constantly making a fuss’.

These can easily read solely as complaints, but when looking to the original CN translation, another interpretation can be found here. Alhaitham describes Kaveh as ‘caring’ or ‘tender’, which is exactly how Kaveh is described within the 3.6 special program (as per minimushiroom on twt), which can allude to how Kaveh is considerate to a fault, in that this serves as a detriment to himself.

This can be seen in Alhaitham’s other Kaveh-centred voice-line, in which he describes Kaveh buying keychains in order to provide meals for sick children, even though healthcare is free in Sumeru. Alhaitham clearly holds the view that this was a redundant action, as Kaveh, being in debt, most likely doesn’t have the money to spend on such investments that are, evidently, dubious.

As Alhaitham provides a rational view here, this contrasts with Kaveh’s act of generosity fuelled by emotion – which highlights the contention Alhaitham has with Kaveh, in that Kaveh places himself in dangerous situations for the sake of others. However, as this can be perceived as a solely derisive line, this essential context is lacking, and can be easily misconstrued. (I think the EN translation here also coincides with this narrative, as minimushiroom notes that the original CN has Alhaitham refer to Kaveh’s sensitivity in a positive way, rather than contemptuously, as the English can be interpreted as.)

Kaveh, similarly, can be seen to complain about Alhaitham in his own voice-lines. This can be seen in the 'Good Morning' voice-line you've mentioned, where Kaveh complains about having to see Alhaitham in the morning, which 'ruins' his day. Additionally, Kaveh's voice-lines discussing Alhaitham refer to Alhaitham as ‘infuriating’ and not wanting to give Alhaitham the satisfaction of thanking him, despite Alhaitham helping him out. However, there is more nuance in these voice-lines than Kaveh simply ‘disliking’ Alhaitham, as this dislike is never stated - rather that he and Alhaitham have a difficult relationship in comparison to the ‘close’ friendship of their past.

Kaveh describes their relationship being a ‘mixed bag’, of both negatives and positives, as well as establishing a thorough understanding of Alhaitham, where other people may misinterpret Alhaitham as they ‘don’t know him well enough’. Additionally, Kaveh notes that he knows that Alhaitham can present himself in a more ‘likeable’ manner, but that Alhaitham refuses to do so, which refers to Kaveh’s contention with Alhaitham discussed within his character stories. This, in turn, generates curiosity, as it appears that Kaveh holds an in-depth knowledge of Alhaitham that the player isn’t privy to.

Referring back to Alhaitham’s ‘Good Night’ voiceline, the question raised is, if Alhaitham has a problem with Kaveh, why doesn’t he just evict Kaveh? And the answer can be found by digging further into Alhaitham’s character stories. Looking to Alhaitham’s fourth character story, it states that he is aware of the dissatisfaction Kaveh may have with their living arrangement but  that ‘it matters not to him’.

This means that he is aware that Kaveh may be unhappy with having to rely on someone else for a stable livelihood, something which his pride doesn’t naturally allow, but that this is also exacerbated due to their previous falling out and the current contentions Kaveh has with him.

At first, this can seem rather abrasive, which does fall in line with Alhaitham’s egoism as this doesn’t directly impact ‘the self’ (discussed further here), however, what immediately follows is Alhaitham’s belief that he and Kaveh are mirrors, in that his own perspective of the world will be enhanced - in the og CN, ‘completed’ -by Kaveh’s own world view.

The implication generated here with the explicit term ‘mirror’, is that, just as Alhaitham benefits from Kaveh, Kaveh, in turn, can benefit from Alhaitham. (As a side note, it is interesting then that the voice-lines in question can be seen to mirror each other – Kaveh mentions Alhaitham in ‘Good Morning’ whereas Alhaitham mentions Kaveh in ‘Good Night’.)

Returning back to Alhaitham’s character story, rather than merely reflecting each other philosophically speaking, I’d say that this also points to their respective progression as people, not just scholars.

To me, this is reminiscent of what Alhaitham says to Kaveh in A Parade of Providence – being ‘correct’, ultimately, doesn’t matter, as there is no ‘correct’ path in life, meaning that there is no ‘correct’ philosophy to shape and guide a person. Rather, Alhaitham asserts that, ultimately, their opposing philosophies are not the issue that exists between them.

The issue that does exist, then, can be surmised from Alhaitham’s actions during the event (discussed further here), in which he researches into Sachin to gauge his influence over Kaveh’s father journeying into the desert, with implicit hopes of providing closure for Kaveh, and potentially assuaging Kaveh’s guilt. This is a personal act with a personal motive; the underlying motive being concern, as opposed to an assertion of ‘correctness’.

In my opinion, I think Alhaitham’s actions during A Parade of Providence are a direct reference, and fulfilment, of Kaveh’s fifth character story. I’ve discussed here that the main reason for the ending of their friendship was them asserting the correctness of a philosophy over the other, and proposing one philosophy as the ‘solution’ to the other’s perceived flaws.

Here Alhaitham can be seen to use Kaveh’s past as the reason for his excessive altruism, implicitly referring to Kaveh’s guilt over being the supposed catalyst for his father’s demise. This final comment of Alhaitham’s appears to be the first time this has been mentioned between them, and it’s enough to be perceived as weaponisation – leading to Kaveh severing their friendship.

In A Parade of Providence, Alhaitham is shown to only have taken the role of commentator to research into Sachin, whose research we are told (by Kaveh), he has no explicit interest in, and it is heavily implied that the only reason he looked further into Sachin, was to prove to link between Sachin and Kaveh’s father. Alhaitham seems to want to absolve Kaveh of this past guilt in hopes that Kaveh will stop placing himself in the cycle of self-sabotage.

For me, when viewing this as a parallel, it highlights that Alhaitham’s motivation in speaking out during their days as students was out of concern for Kaveh, although while holding egoism as ultimately beneficial, and therefore perceivably ‘correct’. The ‘issue’ they’re currently debating is not expressly stated, and although it is unclear if Kaveh understands the implication (as discussed here), as ‘correctness’ has been overturned, there seems to be little left than the personal.

Relating this back to Alhaitham’s fourth character story, for me, Alhaitham referring to Kaveh as a mirror isn’t just referring to Kaveh as a scholar, but a person as a whole. As Alhaitham seeks to improve himself, personally, through Kaveh, it seems that he hopes to be able to benefit Kaveh in turn.

As for Kaveh’s complaints regarding Alhaitham, these can be contextualised within his own character stories. As Kaveh ultimately severed the friendship between him and Alhaitham, Alhaitham offering Kaveh to live with him, despite Kaveh revoking his previous understanding of Alhaitham (as discussed here, page 67), causes Kaveh to be overtly suspicious.

In Kaveh’s Old Sketchbook, it is mentioned that Kaveh believes there to be an ulterior motive for Alhaitham inviting him to share a house, as he believes that Alhaitham wouldn’t do something for someone else without an exchange.

Kaveh, then, openly distrusts Alhaitham due to this unspoken motive, and although he takes on chores to ease his sense of guilt of being a perceived burden, a contention arises here. Due to their previously ended friendship, and with how Alhaitham hurt Kaveh, and how Kaveh may believe he hurt Alhaitham (discussed here), Kaveh sees no reason for Alhaitham to want him around – he treats their relationship as an exchange, asking what Alhaitham could possibly want for him.

Although Alhaitham views Kaveh as a mirror, and therefore, respects Kaveh’s perspectives, Kaveh can potentially view their opposing philosophies as a negative rather than a positive as he had done in the past (as discussed here), as it, perceivably, was what led to the end of their friendship. In this, Kaveh views Alhaitham as disparaging him and his views. As mentioned in his character story, he has no reservations in telling Alhaitham of his debt as Alhaitham has already seen through him in the past, and yet again, upon meeting at the tavern.

Although Alhaitham perceivably views him unfavourably, and his comments and complaints appear to propagate this interpretation, Alhaitham also seems to have no issue with keeping Kaveh around, and interacting with Kaveh, regardless of the problems Kaveh expressly has with him.

To Kaveh, it could be that as Alhaitham has already seen the worst of him, and appears to have no real issue with their stilted rapport, there is no point in donning a front and using niceties. He is open with his issues with Alhaitham, and, in turn, Alhaitham is open with him.

This appears to be a dual negative and positive for Kaveh, as he describes Alhaitham’s constancy as ‘the most unshakable part of one's past is a friend that will never change’. In this sense, his unsteady rapport with Alhaitham is reliable, and therefore, has no reason to change.

Clearly, there is a large disconnect between Alhaitham’s view of Kaveh and how Kaveh perceives Alhaitham’s view of him. As previously mentioned in the discussion of A Parade of Providence, there is an unspoken ‘issue’ between them, and this can be interpreted as dire misconceptions borne from miscommunication.

As discussed, Kaveh and Alhaitham reference each other a lot in their respective voice-lines and their character stories. This alone is enough to connect them, regardless of the cruciality of their mirror motif, as they are key figures of each other’s past, present, and seemingly, future. Despite this, it’s as you say, there’s a common perception to view them as mutually disliking each other, and, to me, this is based upon their first initial interaction, and the way they refer to each other in their own character stories and voice-lines.

It’s notable that Alhaitham refers to Kaveh in his voice-lines when Kaveh is not explicitly relevant, such as in his Good Night voice-line, and, most interestingly, when Alhaitham discusses Tighnari.

This could be because Alhaitham knows of Tighnari through Kaveh, but as this connection isn’t stated, it reads as Alhaitham mentioning Kaveh for no other reason than to complain about his perceived naivety regarding relations with others. But as this is a voice-line designated to discussing Tighnari, it’s interesting, and incredibly noticeable, that Alhaitham then discusses Kaveh instead. It’s similar to what Kaveh can be seen to do, and is observed to do by others, in relation to discussing Alhaitham.

When it comes to Kaveh, however, his complaining of Alhaitham can be seen to link with his process of dealing with troubles in his work. In his Hangout, he states that he takes his work to heart because he cares about it, which is expressed in the same quest in which Kaveh and the Traveller run into Alhaitham in the House of Daena (discussed further here, page 219).

Drawing a parallel here can further contextualise Kaveh’s complaining of Alhaitham – if Kaveh truly disliked Alhaitham, there seems to be no reason for Alhaitham to remain so relevant to him, both in conversation, and in private thought. Additionally, Kaveh is described as an empathetic person, and when dealing with others, he is thusly seen to look for another perspective rather than act on his own subjective perspective.

Looking at his voice-line on Dori, for example, expresses his distaste for Dori pressuring him for Mora due to his debt, however, he also empathises with her, and states that he senses there must be a reason why Dori acts in such a way.

In contrast, this empathy can be perceived as missing in his treatment of Alhaitham, and therefore Kaveh complaining about Alhaitham can be perceived as blatant dislike – which contradicts Kaveh’s benevolence and empathy, which A Parade of Providence particularly stresses.

Kaveh’s treatment of Alhaitham can be seen as deliberately contradictory, as it can cause the player to question why Kaveh reacts in such a singular way to Alhaitham, just as why Alhaitham reacts in a singular way to Kaveh.

In reference to Alhaitham, whilst Alhaitham tends to complain about Kaveh in turn, his actions reveal him. He invites Kaveh to live with him, gives no eviction date, pays for Kaveh’s tabs willingly, (supposedly) buys wine as an apology, and goes out of his way to ensure dialogue with Kaveh – which contradicts his own character stories, in which he appears to favour solitude, and only greets those he considers his friends ‘with a nod or two’.

Moreover, Alhaitham is established as considering Kaveh a necessity to his ‘peaceful life’ he seeks to maintain (as discussed here), and can be seen to implicitly consider Kaveh one of his priorities within his Story Quest.

The idea that Alhaitham dislikes Kaveh seems to stem from Alhaitham being taken literally when voicing an opinion, or an issue, or simply joking, in reference to Kaveh – despite his character stories highlighting that Alhaitham often uses sarcasm in order to subvert expectations.

Alhaitham expressly states that he prefers to be seen as inscrutable, and unknown, by the general public, and uses subversion as a means to do so. In these character stories, Alhaitham openly encourages speculation of his own words.

Without this context, it seems easy to simplify Alhaitham to purely speaking factually when first addressing Kaveh in the Archon Quest – stating that having to explain things to Kaveh is ‘a nuisance’, and yet, it is overlooked that Alhaitham stays in the House of Daena, regardless, knowing Kaveh would find him again.

On the whole, in my opinion, Kaveh’s feelings towards Alhaitham cannot be simplified to ‘dislike’ as this is dually an inherent misunderstanding of his character, and of his and Alhaitham’s relationship, just as Alhaitham’s feelings towards Kaveh cannot be simplified to ‘dislike’ for this same reason.

In the beginning, Alhaitham and Kaveh are not supposed to be perceived as friendly, as Kaveh denies the association of ‘friends’, and Paimon describes them to the Traveller as ‘problematic’.

The reason for this is due to their character arcs being intertwined – the core issue is posed in Kaveh’s fifth character story, in that the question is raised if a compromise can be reached, if both sides of the mirror, can be balanced. At the beginning, they are entirely at odds, but even footing must be found.

I’ve noticed a shift in online discourse after Cyno’s second story quest, as the progression in Alhaitham and Kaveh’s relationship is noticeable – deliberately, due to the flashback scene within their house (which I’ve discussed in detail here, page 122). To me, it’s more common to form the assumption that Alhaitham and Kaveh dislike each other in the Archon Quest, but with recent developments, and, hopefully, future ones, this perception is being overturned in online communities. Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking, but I’m still hopeful!