I've seen a lot of people defending MHJ in regards to her work with SHINee and Taemin. It's a little infuriating, so I'll make a thread of what exactly I think was wrong with the imagery in the Sherlock and Ace photoshoots.
If Scara is Nahida's depressed teenage son that needs to be guided through life, Haitham is her eldest highly independent adult son that lives alone but comes home every Sunday for dinner and sends her money every now and then.
This phrase Haitham says made me think of his mindset.
Not being social โ not interacting with anyone.
Back in the day he had his grandma. Now he has Kaveh and a small circle of friends. He doesn't want to be alone, he just doesn't want to be the centre of attention.
Very nsfw ๐ ๐๏ธ๐ฑ threadfic. Kaveh buys new delicious wine and suddenly remembers how frustrated he is with his roommate. Unfortunately for Haitham...
Why does Alhaitham MOAN when he gets hit. Why doesn't he let a toxic masculine grunt, why does he let out a soft moan as if someone just touched him intimately I'M SUPPOSED TO FOCUS ON A FIGHT NOT GET HORNY YOU FIEND
๐๏ธ๐ฑ nsfw๐
It's not like Kaveh was pent up or anything, but he couldn't help but notice the tiny little things about his roommate and they were driving him insane.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
#kavetham
"A baby..."
"A baby."
There's a baby wrapped in some dirty rags and looking malnourished. The baby was lying among the garbage bins next to their house. Its weak mewls are far too quiet to hear for anyone whose hearing isn't that sharp.
Something that I found endearing for a while is the way Alhaitham addresses himself and others in Japanese.
He says ไฟบ (ore - masc. I) for himself and ๅ (kimi - you). There's a bit of layers to it so hear me out.
Ore is supposed to be a casual, laid-back way to address oneself--
Kavetham ๐๏ธ๐ฑ a little ๐ idea
Kaveh's stamina runs out easily and he tires from physical labour-- except when it comes to sex.
Haitham is good at combat and has reasonably good stamina-- except when it comes to sex.
I am happy to see some people finally facing the realization that within the kavetham duo, Haitham is the more concerned one.
Haitham is the one putting thought to Kaveh's actions, Haitham is the one who realizes when he crossed the line with his bluntness. 1/?
I'll focus on a few things here:
1) SHINee being very young at the time of the photoshoot (Jinki was 22)
2) Min Heejin having been in the industry for a while, ergo knowing the impact of certain imagery
3) visual connotations of the Sherlock and Ace shoots
๐๏ธ๐ฑ nsfw๐
#kavetham
#kavethamvalentine_nsfw2023
Day 7 - Kitty
Cats were normally considered a pet.
They'd roam around and do whatever they want, but ultimately, they were still dependent on their owner.
Kaveh's cat was a little...different.
I think a lot of these concepts were deliberately addressed by Taemin in the Guilty photoshoot. It's almost the exact same style, except Taemin points out how voyeuristic the viewer feels when looking at these photos.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
#kavetham
#kavethamvalentine_nsfw2023
Day 5 ๐- Kinks.
It is said that when one is granted too much power for their liking - they desire an outlet. A situation where they'd wish to give this power up. Give it to someone else instead.
Sexualised concepts where both parties are aware of the way the photos will be viewed and consent to it being this way, are fine.
However, this case infuriates me because neither SHINee nor Taemin had any say in the matter while MHJ knew full well what these photos look like.
A little nsfw ๐ ๐๏ธ๐ฑ idea
Music in Haitham's headphones is of various genres. Nobody knows exactly what he listens to.
Nobody knows that Alhaitham has a little secret.
Certain tunes get him in the mood.
MHJ, being a woman in South Korea and a person working closely with showbiz CEOs must've known first hand how incredibly sexualised the industry is, yet decided to go for a concept like this, deliberately playing with the boyish image SHINee has had. She could've done better.
#kavetham
Dom/Sub ๐๏ธ๐ฑ nsfw ๐
Kaveh didn't like himself. His ashy blond hair didn't fit him, his red eyes intimidated people and he couldn't gain muscle as effectively as some of his peers.
But most of all, he disliked his secondary gender.
#kavetham
Dom/sub ๐๏ธ๐ฑ where Haitham has zero interest to be defined by his secondary gender and so does Kaveh.
One day they cross grounds on a recess during the day and Kaveh can't help but look at the lanky greyhead who is reading his book under the tree shade--
In 2012 SHINee members were barely adults in South Korea. They have been under a very powerful company with longtime likely authoritative executives and had little to no creative liberty when it came to their concepts, thus creating a certain power imbalance.
#kavetham
Dom/sub ๐๏ธ๐ฑ where Haitham has zero interest to be defined by his secondary gender and so does Kaveh.
One day they cross grounds on a recess during the day and Kaveh can't help but look at the lanky greyhead who is reading his book under the tree shade--
The ragged and tattered surroundings with beautiful young boys in between creates an illusion of accessibility. Oral fixation was also a big theme for Minho and Taemin in this photoshoot. It's all incredibly sexual.
Now, let's move to the Sherlock concept photoshoot. These photos here are largely innocent, I'd even say I enjoy their aesthetic, because they feel alive and deliver a YA novel aesthetic. They're colourful and creatively original.
The impassive expressions are a constant throughout MHJ's shoots. Why does that matter? Because it depersonalises the one being photographed.
They're stripped of their humanity even further once they're, quite literally, stripped.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ thought
What if Haitham is weak against physical touch.
Imagine Kaveh and him are having an argument and Kaveh decides that it's not worth his time to continue arguing, gets up from the table and pulls Haitham into a kiss and Haitham just melts into it.
The problem starts with solo shoots and actually not only the shirtless ones are the issue.
What's similar between all these shots is the incredibly impassive expression and the surroundings heavy on "fantasy-building".
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
#kavetham
Day 3 - Panic Attacks
#kavethamvalentine2023
TW: vivid description of panic attacks
Alhaitham has his feelings under control. His life is leisurely and he doesn't need to worry about many things. Except maybe for one. His occasional panic attacks.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
#kavetham
๐
Alhaitham enjoys a variety of books. He doesn't discriminate against any genres, because ultimately, any book means new information.
This new novel series was...a peculiar one.
I think Minho and Taemin ended up "playing into the fantasy" the most, although all the members were in the same concept.
I say playing into the fantasy because that's exactly what this photoshoot is. Someone's fantasy.
Min Heejin joined SM in 2002 and was promoted to Creative Director in 2009 due to her work with f(x). By 2012 she'd overseen a large portion of the intricacies within the K-pop industry and likely also became familiar with its dirty underside as well.
Even if by worldwide standards SHINee weren't minors, they were still very young, and, having debuted only 4 years ago, extremely vulnerable and susceptible to the executives' decisions.
Moving to the Ace photoshoot, where Taemin was at the, still tender, age of 20-21, you can see the impassive expression and heavy "beautiful object in strange surroundings" thematics again.
The eyes are hidden from sight, making it easier to perceive Taemin as an object to be sexually desired, the debauched appearance and the poses making him appear available to the viewer.
#wriolette
โ๏ธ๐ง๏ธ
The concept of Neuvillette being entirely too inexperienced in romance due to the boundaries he set for himself whereas Wrio is inexperienced in romance due to the life he's led... and they both discover love through each other...
The bubbles in the photoshoot along with intense lighting, similar to how Taemin was shot in that striped shirt in Sherlock. Bubbles yet again addressing the innocence - a contrast with his half-naked torso and the nothingness surrounding him.
Personal opinion time, I've seen a bunch of takes where Kaveh has been reduced to a simple-minded single-celled creature, whose main personality trait was his suffering.
In this thread I will present a few points on why /I/ personally find Kaveh attractive.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
#kavetham
#kavethamvalentine2023
Day 2 - Hands
Kaveh broke his arm. It wasn't his first time, but the last time he broke it he was a child and he had parents to take care of him. Now all he had was Alhaitham.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ thought
Since Alhaitham is a bookworm who doesn't discriminate against any kind of book, would he read erotic novels? What if while reluctant at first, at some point he starts reading deep into the "plot", imagining the things that are being portrayed...
โ๏ธ๐ง๏ธ
#wriolette
Neuvillette kept fidgeting. He wouldn't hold still, repositioning his legs, putting his hands on the table, then back on his knees, and again, on the table.
"Is something the matter?"
Wriothesley's voice caught him off guard, despite him standing here all along.
#kavetham
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
Alhaitham hated being touched. Alhaitham hated being approached without a warning.
Alhaitham hated being actively perceived.
Kaveh had always respected all of his boundaries to a tee.
#kavetham
I imagine very specific hands for them
Kaveh's hands have wider palms, but long fingers with prominent joints. His hands a a bit calloused - both from wielding a claymore and working with pens and brushes a lot. He has good skin that tans easily.
A somewhat nsfw๐ partial Dehya๐ฑ, mostly ๐๏ธ๐ฑ, also Dehyarzad threadfic.
Misunderstanding after misunderstanding leaves both Alhaitham and Dehya suffering from what they think is unrequited love. One unfortunate evening they decide to come up with a solution, but...
Haitham knew exactly what effect he had on Kaveh. He could sense his glances every time he'd "unconsciously" touch his hair or slide his shirt off his shoulder. He enjoyed seeing his eyes glaze over with lust. He wondered if Kaveh knew it was all in purpose.
#kavetham
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
Alhaitham rarely gets sick. Viruses, bacteria and other such microscopic creatures have avoided him for most of his life. He could, in all honesty, count the numbers he'd gotten a cold on fingers of a single hand.
Being a genius doesn't equate being "smart".
Kaveh and Haitham are called geniuses, yet people are quick to notice how "flawed" their intelligence is. That is because people can rarely boast being "universally" intelligent. Allow me to elaborate.
"Damn right you are...", Haitham whispered, frown on his face.
"Watch your words, Alhaitham. Or do you want to do this again? I'm still good to go."
A glimpse of genuine fear reflected in Haitham's teal eyes and he got quiet again.
Kaveh smiled. This was going to be a good day.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ Despite all of us getting the impression that Alhaitham is more mature in the pair, I perceive Alhaitham as /rational/, rather than mature.
Maturity in my head pertains one being emotionally mature as well, which is something that I think Alhaitham lacks.
I actually had a thought while drawing them - their designs, while similar, also have very different "attitudes".
Alhaitham's is very prim and tidy (tight shirt, the waistband, boots), while Kaveh's is a bit more "messy" (shirt that's easy to put on, slippers).
Haitham would mostly wear a black dress shirt at home, which he'd always unbutton the first three or four buttons of. After a bath that particular exposed part would look flushed and Kaveh would vividly struggle not to stare.
I did the ๐๏ธ๐ฑ hand comparison before, and a little funny hc I have is that Kaveh uses products to improve the roughness of his palms, while Haitham uses nothing and they'd still feel smooth and delicate to touch.
So the point in question is while Alhaitham's way to address himself is casual, he does address others with a layer of respect and softness by saying kimi as "you".
This is something that I regret other languages (that I know) not having proper alternatives for because things--
--like these fascinate me and I think they add another layer to one's personality as well. I play the English dub and I love how the characters are voiced there, but sometimes I do wish there were other ways to say "I" and "you" in English, too.
#kavetham
๐๏ธ๐ฑ
What is sex to a man? Alhaitham found out about sex way before puberty, way before it was taught at school and way before he had "the talk". In fact, he'd never had the talk in the first place. All the information he needed, he could find in a book.
Kaveh seemed satisfied with his comeback and Alhaitham had soon accepted his fate of cohabitating with a libido beast and started doing stamina training for his own comfort.
โ๏ธ๐ง๏ธ
#wriollette
Have you ever been so in love that you stumbled over your words like a middle school boy in spite of all the complicated books you read? So in love that a simple action of breathing eluded you with the mere sight of that person? Well Wriothesley certainly has.
He'd often do some bizarre stretching exercises on the floor. Apparently it was some Eastern practice that Tighnari taught to him. It would involve wearing tight clothing and then doing a split. There were other parts to it... But Kaveh forgot.
Haitham didn't do well with the heat. When the weather was too warm, Kaveh would often find him shirtless, fanning himself with papers (oftentimes they were Kaveh's sketches). He'd brush his hair away from his face, exposing his forehead that was covered with beads of sweat.
You know that more noble, dignified characters like Ayato, address themselves with ็ง (watashi).
Alhaitham is laid-back about his own persona, and that is expressed both in his attitude and the way he talks.
Now as for kimi - that is a much softer way to say you as compared to--
#kavetham
๐๏ธ๐ฑ somewhat ๐?
Kaveh was sitting at his desk, head in hands, scarred fingers gripping thin strands of his hair.
In a few days it was going to be his 30th birthday.
Haitham would often steal Kaveh's clothes when he'd run out of laundry. At times the clothes in question would also be underwear. Kaveh didn't want to think how his underwear was hugging Haitham's bubble butt. He wanted to be angry instead. He wishes he was.
Haitham liked slow and deep thrusts, rather than fast and shallow. When Kaveh did as he liked, Haitham's fingertips would dig into Kaveh's back and he'd suppress his voice by biting Kaveh's shoulder.
After literally having his brains fucked to a mush a few times, Alhaitham has resolved to only have planned sex with Kaveh. As in, only Friday or Saturday evenings and only when he doesn't feel too sleepy. Otherwise he'd spend the entire next day recovering.
Haitham wasn't a touchy person. However, after a few drinks he'd always given Kaveh hugs. Kaveh made sure he'd be the one sitting next to him then.
After all, what if he hugs a random stranger? That would be inconvenient. For them, of course.
Haitham was flexible. He could bend his body to any direction and he could keep up any position for a long time without getting tired. What position, you ask? Well that was only for Kaveh to know.
#kavetham
๐๏ธ๐ฑ Rainy Evening and the Three of Us - PART 2 nsfw ๐
"Took you a while", Kaveh commented, seeing Alhaitham's silhouette close up to him in the semi-darkness.
"She kept grasping at my clothes", Haitham explained. His walking pace was slow, almost too slow.
#kavetham
๐๏ธ๐ฑ Rainy Evening and the Three of Us - PART 1
"Has she fallen asleep?"
"I think so..."
Haitham was rocking the baby girl back and forth in his arms. The warmth from the bare skin and the motion has soothed the girl and she finally fell asleep.
Haitham's ears were sensitive. Not just to noise, but to the touch too. He'd struggle not to show his reaction too much, but Kaveh could tell that simply rubbing circles around the helix with his thumb was enough to make him tremble.
Speaking of his hair, Kaveh noticed that there was a particular unruly part of it right at Haitham's nape. It'd always stick up. When the air was particularly moist, this part would curl up. Kaveh wanted to brush his hand through it and see if it stays down. Ridiculous.
ใๅ (omae), which can be considered very informal and even rude.
Kaeya uses both ore and omae, his way of talking can be deemed casual to the point of impolite, whereas characters like Diluc and Kaveh say ๅ (boku) and kimi, both softer alternatives.
Haitham would often lean in a little too close when speaking with him. Kaveh wasn't sure why he'd be doing that, but instead of thinking about it he'd notice the plumpness of his lips or the silver shade of his eyelashes.
Haitham wasn't very vocal, but he'd let out small grunts and huffs a lot. During exercises, of course. Not when Kaveh would hold his body in a tight lock and litter his neck with kisses.
Alhaitham takes it into his hands and pushes it against his chest. The baby's hand brushes weakly against him and his shoulders tense.
Alhaitham walks back into the house and goes right to the bathroom.
๐๏ธ๐ฑ Hc that Kaveh likes sweet heavy sexy colognes while Haitham prefers fresh woody and citrusy ones so when you're in their house it's an amalgamation of their scents that somehow works perfectly together to create a brand new scent
His skin was smooth to the touch. Kaveh was sure Haitham was using products to keep it this way, but he'd never find any in his bathroom.
Why did he know how his skin felt like again? Well his shoulders were always exposed, so naturally he'd...want to...touch them...
"Haitham--"
"Who in their right mind would do something like this. Throwing away a living human being like a bag of trash."
Alhaitham's words are quiet, but Kaveh hears a slight tonal shift. It's rare for the scribe to be so enraged.
Kaveh wraps a hand around Haitham's shoulders.
When Haitham wanted him, he'd often wrap his legs around Kaveh's waist. It could be from the back or he could also settle on Kaveh's lap. It was this little acrobatic maneuver that would put Kaveh in the mood even if he wasn't before.
Haitham's bed smelled woody and fresh. Why'd Kaveh know that? Well obviously because he'd sometimes occupy it to work as it was rather comfortable!
It certainly wasn't because he'd occasionally fall asleep next to Haitham when he was too tired to go to his own.
He pushed her face towards him hesitatedly and her mouth instantly wrapped around his clothed nipple, forcing a sigh out of him.
"You should've asked for a pacifier, too..", he said, ignoring the peculiar expression Kaveh was looking at him with.