#wan2talk?

You pulled at the fabric around your neck, eyeing the man stood ordering a black coffee, trying not to meet his dissatisfied gaze. From the sleeve of your thin cardigan, you plucked a stray bit of lint as you pressed your lips together feeling the lip balm you had applied thin out, dryness creeping back across your skin. You were trying. Not like he would ever notice. Or care. That’s what you thought at least. Yet you still tried to get his attention, any kind of positive attention.

“Next.” The barista called you forward, offering you a warm smile, meeting your eyes. You gave him your order, thanking him before passing over your change. You didn’t even bother to check over your shoulder to see if the person you had come with was still there, or if he had retreated to a booth to sulk over his notebook because I’d rather, we just explore, this is a waste of time and money you should have eaten beforehand.

You had pestered him to get something to eat before venturing out in the summer evening to a local abandoned children’s hospital, and despite his protests Cain finally had to give in when you complained of low blood sugar after tripping over in front of him.

You sighed to yourself hearing the click of his tongue echo across your memory.

“Something up?” The barista asked as he plated up a slice of cake for you, passing it over the counter. “You seem glum.”

You shook your head. “Oh, it’s nothing.”

“That’s good then.” His previous warm smile crept back over his face, “you’ve got a nice smile, don’t lose it.”

Your cheeks burned as you adverted your gaze, embarrassed at his flirting. It was one compliment, but it was enough to make you shamefully duck your head.

“Oh? Thanks. You as well.” You mumbled picking up your plate, but the barista was not done.

“You look nice. I assume you must be doing something special tonight, all dressed up? I hope it brings you some joy.”

“Oh!” Your cheeks burned, “Um, thanks. I’m not really… doing anything that special.” You said fumbling with the plate of cake. “To be honest I bet you might end up having a more interesting evening than me.” You laughed awkwardly as the words tumbled out of your mouth. The barista had a kind expression, and a warm disposition that was refreshing against Cain’s gloomy vibe, it was enough to perk you up just a little, and the barista noticed.

He laughed leaning in, “I doubt that, but maybe we can both find something interesting to do together later if you’re still bored? Just let me know, I don’t want to keep your friend waiting any longer for you.” As he said those words he pointed to behind you. Turning your head, you were surprised to see Cain standing behind you still, holding his black coffee with a very dissatisfied look on his face. Daggers pointed at both of you with his stare.

“Where do you want to sit?” He asked dryly.

You turned back to the barista, but he had already excused himself and got busy cleaning up mess from previous orders. “Window booth?” You asked feeling embarrassed he had been there the whole time, though you were not sure why.  Cain turned quickly heading to sit down, as you awkwardly followed behind. He slumped down into his seat, setting his drink down rather harshly causing it to spill slightly over the top, dripping down across the table. Yet, Cain paid it no attention as he set his familiar black notebook out in front of him away from the spillage and began his regular intense and abstract recordings. You gave a silent sigh, adjusting your skirt as you sat down, glancing out through the window to the world bathed in a rose-coloured glow. Your fork dug into the cake but for whatever reason you no longer felt that hungry. Just tired.

Time passed, not a lot of it, only a few minutes, and yet as every second passed you felt as if some force was pulling you away from Cain, who only shrunk away further into himself, his pen ever so slightly getting more and more aggressive as it scratched across page after page. Something told you there was a very intense conversation taking place in his head.

Maybe even an argument.

You dropped your fork onto the plate, finishing the last bite of you cake and braced yourself to hit a wall that you were still going to run towards either way. “So, you’ve already been to this place, right? What can I expect?” You forced a friendliness into your voice, scooting yourself to the edge of your seat and closer to the table. Of course there was no reply.

Yet.

“If it’s a children’s hospital, do you think the spirits would like it if we brought some toys, as like offerings since we’re going to poke around and such?”

“I don’t ‘poke’ around. Besides spirits have no need for material objects destined to rot in landfill when the building is inevitably demolished.” Cain’s voice was scratchy, like a record warped in summer heat. He still refused to look up from his notebook, and you knew better than to point that out.

“What about some sweets then?”

“Wasteful.”

“Come on, help a girl out here.” You teased, feeling yourself grow a little more comfortable as the awkwardness of earlier passed. “I want do the right thing when we go-“

“If you’re going to be this bothersome, I’d rather you just leave. I’m not going to hold your hand as if this is some novelty experience.” He was quick to snatch away from you that passing moment of feeling settled, his eyes flicking up to yours to take in the fading smile on your face, not even hiding the satisfaction caused from his spite. “Sorry if that makes me boring and this even less interesting for you.”

Clutching the edge of the table with both hands you ducked your head ever so slightly, something uncomfortable wriggling inside of you. “What’s your problem? If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be.”

Cain dropped his pen on the surface of the table and sat up straight, crossing his arms. “Maybe.” He quipped, tongue razor sharp, defences up. Of course he was ready with them, having rehearsed them all before hand in his head in that imaginary argument you had predicted. I should have known better- wait. What were you even thinking? Why were you getting ready to bow to his oncoming tantrum? Cain continued, “Or maybe this was all just a last choice distraction for you until something better came along to take your interest.” His eyes flickered over to the side towards someone else. He lowered his voice “You’ll leave, I know it. Just like everyone else.”

“The hell are you even talking about?” Cain bristled at your choice of words, scowling, but you left no room for him to chastise. “If you’re referring to what I said to the barista I was just being polite. You should try it sometime.” You mirrored him, crossing your arms and leaning back. “God, why is everything an argument with you lately?” You muttered but he still heard. You had gotten along with Cain at the beginning, or well enough compared to the rest of the Hauntnet group, but in the passing few weeks he had seemed more irritated. Intense even. Very quickly he was beginning to swallow you whole with his moods, capturing you with his messages, locking you into chaotic hypnotic conversations that were breaking your perception of the world. While frightening, it was addicting, to hear his ideas, to receive his thoughts on yours no matter if he swung from being judgemental or validating. You had found him interesting at first but now it seemed you had become joined to him enough that you were seeing through to the sharper parts of his personality. And these sides, he only showed them you. He was gritty and intoxicating. And it was becoming a problem since you were letting yourself free fall into him.

“It’s not like that.” He said at last, chewing on his lip.

“I asked you if I could come with you tonight. Privately might I add, I haven’t even told the rest of the group chat we’re exploring you know.”

“That makes your flirting with him even worse-“ He cut himself off wincing as a painful silence settled over the two of you. He mumbled something quiet enough for you to not hear it, but you assumed it was a curse.

“If you think that I was flirting,” you said eyebrows raised, “then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”

Cain visibly flushed, his ears going red as he played with the metal cross around his neck unconsciously. “He was.” He accused.

“Him.” You said ignoring the unwarranted jealousy in his voice. “And why does it even matter if someone flirts with me? Just because you hate and ignore everyone doesn’t mean the rest of us are like that.”

“I don’t hate…” he paused. There was a word held at the tip of his tongue, but he was denying himself from admitting it, instead he finished his sentence by saying “I don’t hate everyone.” Cain’s voice had lost its edge, his fingers pressing harder into the edges of his cross as he rubbed its surface anxiously. “Look, we can drop it and get going-“

Now it was your turn to narrow your eyes and glare, “No. You said to leave. So, I’m leaving.”

“What, why?” He asked, his voice raising as he ever so slightly raised from his seat.

“Because I know enough about you by now to know this wont be the last attack I put up with tonight. Honestly Cain being your friend is exhausting so you know what, you win, I’m done.” You grabbed your things, ready to storm out. You walked away from the table without even looking back and ignored the faint sound of a regret filled apology fall from Cain’s mouth, trying to win back your attention. He doesn’t mean it. You told yourself. He’ll probably start calling me a ‘sheep’ soon, so I shouldn’t care.

What you didn’t see was the man you had left behind, still sat at the booth, staring at his notebook cursing himself as he flicked through certain pages, running his fingers over the letters of your name scribbled across the paper’s surface. Letters that had found themselves there these past few weeks without him even realising it.

The summer evening was cool; the sky had deepened into a dark red as the sun was almost done setting. You were thankful for your cardigan as the wind drifted over you, the peak of the heatwave having passed. The café you had made Cain stop at was a roadside stop, in the middle of a stretch of nothing but forest in between town and the abandoned hospital.  The nearest bus stop was going to be thirty-minute walk along the main road. And it would feel even longer considering how straight the road was, but you were thankful for it since it would give you time to process everything that had just happened.

The whole time you walked you felt the same uncomfortable presence of judgement loom over you, the same feeling you always had after a disagreement with Cain. The remnants of scrutiny. The forest trees to your side cast dark shadows over you, their rustling in the wind always sounded like whispers as of late. You shivered; the sun was gone now, and the world had been creeping you out as of late. Soon your legs began to ache as the road carried on aimlessly, how much further until the bus stop? You reached in your pocket for your iPod classic, pulling out tangled earbuds and plugged in to your moodiest playlist, ignoring the world around you.

An almost fatal mistake.

As you enjoyed the brief feeling of distance from the emotional ache settled in your stomach you cast your gaze to the sky, eyes wandering over the stars, having now emerged over a navy canvas. It was already too late before you noticed the frantic flashing of a cars lights as it swerved behind you. You turned your head, pulling an earbud out confused just as it approached you, fast, unpredictable and dangerous.

There was no time to swear as you closed your eyes, the breath leaving your chest while a pair of cold hands grabbed you roughly and pulled you into the forest at the side of the road. Your iPod tumbled from your pocked, smashing on concrete as your earbuds were fully snatched away from you by gravity as you and your saviour fell backwards into the trees. All while the car carried on without caution, swerving across lanes down the straight road at sixty miles per hour.

“Fuck.” You heard a familiar dry voice hiss, arms still gripping around you as he sat up. You could smell the familiar scent of his hoodie, the same kind of smell an antiques dealer had, and strangely it comforted you enough that you leaned backwards into his chest, feeling safe.

“Oh my God.” You whispered turning around to see Cain behind you, still holding you by the shoulders.

“Don’t put that-“

“You saved me.”

Cain was not about to show any pride however, he pushed you away from him when realizing how close you were and stood up, wiping his hands anxiously across his hoodie. “You fucking idiot.” He hissed. “Who’s dumb enough to walk away from oncoming traffic? And while not being able to hear anything. You’re so fucking lucky that I came after you.” His criticism may have been right, but damn, it hurt you to hear the words come from his mouth as he towered above you, who was still down in the dirt, fingers pressing into the earth’s dust.

“I’m sorry.” You pulled yourself up to his level, not looking at him. “Are you hurt?” Trying to not let your voice break, you knew Cain wasn’t sympathetic to tears, and it felt too humiliating to break down in front of him now.

He sighed, tutting. “I should be asking you that.” His voice was low, any trace of anger at your stupidity gone as he swallowed hard. “I’m sorry that was… harsh of me.”

Two apologies from him tonight, record breaking. And this one you could not chose to ignore. “What you said was true. I wasn’t thinking, it was dumb of me to be so careless.”

“No.” He shook his head leading you back out onto the now dead road. He picked up your destroyed iPod and handed it over, your fingers ever so slightly brushing. “I know this road better than you; I shouldn’t have let you walk alone. Or at least warned you. Idiots always speed down it since it’s so quiet and with the lack of street lights it can be a problem.”

“Yeah well, I stormed out. Neither of us planned for…” You trailed off shivering in the wind. For a summer’s night it was colder than usual. You pulled your cardigan closer to you and winced, feeling the cold air smooth over your back. “Shit I loved this cardigan.” You mumbled, pulling it off to see the big tear it had down the back and across the sleeve, probably from where you had fallen.

“You are hurt.” Cain said grabbing your arm unexpectedly, twisting your elbow towards him to look at your injury. You glanced over his fingers pressed into your skin, checking his expression for the usual signs of disgust at human contact. But surprisingly he only seemed concerned. It was weird.

“It’s only a graze.” You said pulling your arm from him, a little unsettled at the whole situation, shivering again. “I can clean it up when I get home.”

“I’ll walk you to the bus.” He said already moving ahead before glancing back and stopping. “You cold?” He asked noticing you shiver, clutching your destroyed cardigan, smashed iPod and tangled earbuds in one hand. “Here.” Before you could say anything he was taking off his brown hoodie and putting it over your shoulders in a rather gentlemanly manner. You had yet to see him uncovered by the thick fabric barrier in all the time you had known him. It gave you a chance to cast gaze over his slender torso, black and red striped top clinging to him tightly, an obvious size too small. His notebook remained clutched at his side.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t tend to feel the cold.”

“Oh yeah.” You whispered, “I remember you saying when we first met at the fare.”

Cain nodded continuing to head down the road, you trailing behind watching his messy jet-black hair drift in the breeze and you had to stop yourself from staring. The two of you walked in silence for a while, the trees having ceased their whispering as well.

Suddenly you realised something. “Cain thank you.” You said feeling guilty it had taken so long for you to tell him that.

He did not look back. “Don’t worry about it, I did what anyone would do.” “That’s not what I meant, well, I am still appreciative of you saving me from being ran over, but I meant thank you for coming after me.” That caused him to turn and glance at you, and through the dark you could see his aloof mask slip just a bit from his face.

“I’m sorry. It was a stupid argument.” He said at last turning back. “I don’t want to lose you over it.”

“Lose me?” You asked.

Cain pressed his fingers into his palms, posture stiffening. With a hoarse voice he replied, “Yeah, lose a friend.” The words were forced, but also a warning to not pry further because something told you that he did not even know what the significance of that word meant to him. You were more likely to reach the conclusion of what he wanted before he himself even knew.

And it was becoming clear to the darkness at least, what he wanted was you.

The two of you arrived at a dimly lit bus stop, taking a seat you wished you had brought your flip phone, or watch if only to check the time. The bus came hourly this late, who knew when the next one would come. Cain promised to wait until you got on it though, he himself preferring to walk the long way back to town on his own for what ever reason. Perhaps you thought that it was because of you? Maybe he had had enough awkwardness for the day and wanted the familiar company of just himself for the trip back to town. Or maybe he would finish the adventure and go back the children’s hospital alone like he had done before. Soon thoughts of Cain swam around in your head, keeping you occupied while he returned to scribbling in his notebook until the engine roar of the bus reached both of you. The door pulled open as Cain closed his notebook, turning to you with a new, unreadable expression. His eyes glanced to the bus.

“See you on the node?” You asked.

“If you’re not giving up on me just yet.”

You shook your head. “I’ll give this back.” You said beginning to shrug his hoodie off from your shoulders, but he stopped you.

“Don’t worry about it, keep it, you can give it back whenever.” Cain took a step back, hands in his pockets, notebook resting on the bust stop bench as he chewed on his lip. “I’ll check the node tonight, if you can message to say you got home alright.”

You nodded taking a step towards the bus, Cain’s jacket still wrapped around you. “I will.”

A promise he would hold you to. Cain watched you grab a window seat on the bus as you put both arms through the sleeves of his hoodie, pulling it close to you. It was surprisingly soft. A sad smile tugged at his lips, as he watched the bus drive off after you waved goodbye to him from inside.

I will be using four sources for developing my claims:

The game itself: WAN2TALK? by mirawakestudios, yurinationrise 

The creator’s/Mira’s Tumblr (Special thanks to radonair for providing a lovely Q&A masterlist!): WAN2TALK? - Mirawake studios - Mari Q&A Masterpost - Google Docs 

Cain’s official X account: ???? (@g0ds_d1scip1e) / X 

Cain’s official Spotify playlist: CAIN - playlist by mari | Spotify 

Table of Contents:

I - Meeting Cain

II - A Mind Built on Understanding

III - Madam Zora

IV - The Contradiction that is Cain

V - Immaturity

VI- Intimacy and Shame

VII- Predictions?

Meeting Cain

Before we actually start psychoanalyzing Cain, we first need to answer a much simpler question: Who is Cain? As of now, we know that Cain is a 22-year-old man of German descent originally from Pennsylvania. Since the game takes place during the summer of 2009, we can calculate that Cain was born on October 30th, 1986. He was raised in a strict Catholic household and still considers himself Catholic, although the creator notes that he now is “operating on his own plane.” Prior to the events of WAN2TALK, Cain earned an associate's degree in Information Technology (IT) and is no longer attending school by the time the story begins.

Visually, Cain is pretty unassuming. Standing at 5 '8'’, he wears a loose, fairly simple wardrobe, and is described as having soft, almost androgynous features, with hands that teeter “on feminine.” His face bears several visible scars, though their origins remain unknown. Based on this information alone, there’s nothing particularly extraordinary about him. However, as we’ll see through this analysis, first impressions only scratch the surface of who Cain really is.

A Mind Built on Understanding

If I really had to point out one trait that defines Cain more than anything else, it would probably be his need to understand. Looking across every source we have: the game, the creator’s tumblr, Cain’s Twitter Account, and even his Spotify playlist, there’s one pattern that constantly shows up. Almost EVERYTHING Cain does revolves around observing, documenting, or researching something.

His interests alone start to paint a pretty clear picture of how he navigates the world. Cain spends his free time watching obscure VHS tapes and controversial films (and anime lol), and documenting every dream he has in uncomfortable detail the moment he wakes up. According to the creator, he even “refuses to throw away any of his notebooks because he’s convinced the ink itself holds residual energy.” 

Even something as simple as his Twitter account reflects this mindset. He researches chemtrails and questions why a local water tower was built exactly where it was. It’s as if he’s in this constant mindset that there’s some deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface of his surroundings. This suggests that Cain fails to really ever see anything as ‘normal’, everything has a pattern that must be investigated.

Originally, I thought that this just meant that Cain was a curious person. However, the more I looked into his character, the less I agreed with that idea. Curiosity usually means being open to whatever the evidence leads you, even if it proves your assumptions wrong. Cain never really struck me as someone like that; instead, what I think he’s actually chasing is certainty. Cain shows over and over again that he’s not a random person, so I don’t think his research is random either. It could be that it’s his way of making sense of a world that constantly feels big and more unpredictable than he’s comfortable with. The ability to explain something makes it less frightening.

I think that also explains why so many of his hobbies directly revolve around collecting information rather than simply experiencing life for what it is. It doesn’t seem like Cain can just sit down and enjoy a film because he feels the need to analyze it. When he does miraculously sleep he can’t just dream, but he records it in detail the moment he wakes up. And this isn’t even counting for the numerous theories he posts about on the official twitter account. Even if many of his conclusions are questionable, the process in which he acts is consistent. Cain probably wants answers because they’re a way of stability in a world in which people are constantly walking in the dark.

Madam Zora

Now let’s explore some of the more nitty gritty parts of Cain. After playing through numerous routes and strings of dialogue, the most unsettling moments in Cain’s route occurs during the fortune teller scene. Although Cain immediately refuses to enter the tent, choosing to use literal force leads to the uncomfortable encounter with Madam Zora. While attempting to read his palm, she remarks that his “flesh is lying” to her, which suggests that his physical presence does not accurately reflect whatever truth lies beneath the surface of his skin. Unable to interpret him through palm reading, she turns to a crystal ball, where her demeanor abruptly shifts between confusion to terror.

Both the crystal ball and her words describe two figures, which immediately leads to Madam Zora to speak an incoherent and unrecognizable language, as though she were possessed, and frantically demands that both Cain and mc leave. The encounter visibly unsettles Cain as well, who mutters “she shouldn’t have been able to see that” implying that Madam Zora uncovered something he believed was hidden.

Okay. There is clearly a lot to unpack from this scene. However, before we continue, I want to address beforehand that I am not Catholic and am not very knowledgeable on the bible. If there are any discrepancies in the story or my interpretations, please let me know! However, I think the most intriguing aspect of this encounter is Ms Zora’s claim that she sees two, and given WAN2TALK?'s extensive religious symbolism, it is difficult to ignore the possibility that this line intentionally evokes the biblical story of Cain and Abel. 

In Scripture, Cain and Abel represent the first brothers, whose relationship ultimately ends in franticide, exile, and the Mark of Cain: a permanent sign that sets Cain apart from the rest of humanity. The Bible NEVER specifies what this mark looked like, leaving later writers and artists to imagine it as anything from a scar, birthmark, or spiritual seal. This ambiguity becomes especially noteworthy considering that the WAN2TALK?’s Cain bears prominent scars across his face. 

While neither the game, nor Mira, ever identifies these scars as the Mark of Cain, their existence alongside his biblical name definitely invites comparison! Much like the biblical mark, the scars visibly distinguish him from others, which reinforce the idea that Cain carries a burden or IDENTITY that cannot be completely concealed. This symbolism also lends additional weight to the fortune teller’s statement that his flesh is lying. If the scars function as an external marker, then the scene could be implying that even they fail to reveal the whole truth about Cain. Instead, the true ‘mark’ may exist on a spiritual or psychological level rather than a purely physical one.

SUCH AS RELIGIOUS TRAUMA *cough cough* but I digress.

Moving on, we’ve already set the foundation that the story of Cain and Abel is very symbolic of Cain himself. But what does Abel actually mean to the story of WAN2TALK? Going back to Madam Zora, and her vision of ‘two’, the community has already introduced several possible interpretations. On a symbolic level, it may represent Cain’s divided identity, suggesting an internal conflict between the person he presents to the world and the person he truly is. However, because the game deliberately names its character after the biblical Cain, another possibility is the vision alluding to Cain and Abel as inseparable counterparts. 

One popular theory that I’ve seen circulating within the community is that Cain may have originally had a twin who died before or during birth, symbolically recreating the presence of Cain and Abel while allowing the game to explore themes of survivor’s guilt or a life forever shaped by someone’s absence. 

Alternatively, the second presence may represent a supernatural entity, another consciousness, or an aspect of Cain’s existence that is to be revealed in future updates. Although none of these possibilities can be confirmed at this stage of the game’s development, each interpretation points toward the same central idea that Cain is not entirely who he appears to be. If any of these interpretations are correct, then his future character arc will likely center on confronting a part of himself, or his past, that he has spent his life trying to suppress.

The Contradiction that is Cain

Usually this might be too hard to tell at first glance, but after further investigation, Cain is a giant walking contradiction. As I previously stated, Cain spends much of his life searching for answers. HOWEVER, I believe that many of those answers seem to only exist in the boundaries of beliefs he's already accepted. For someone who dedicates so much of his life to researching the unknown, Cain can be surprisingly resistant to questioning his own worldview. That contradiction appears over and over again throughout both the game and the creator’s supplementary material.

One scene that especially stood out to me takes place immediately after Madam Zora’s fortune telling in the cafe. Rather than trying to process what had happened, Cain shifts the conversation toward his beliefs about women, arguing that they’re naturally more emotional and therefore easier to mislead. 

What’s interesting isn’t necessarily the misogyny itself as the creator has already confirmed that these views come directly from the rigid environment Cain was raised in. What really stands out to me is the timing of his reaction. Instead of confronting an experience that completely challenged his understanding of reality, Cain retreats into an explanation that already feels safe and familiar.

When the mc (if you’re playing with she/her pronouns) points out that she herself identifies as a woman, Cain doesn’t reconsider his worldview. Instead, he insists that she's ‘different’ before admitting that he simply doesn’t have enough information yet. Rather than questioning the framework in itself, he tries to make the evidence fit inside it.

This tendency to live by one set of principles while behaving according to another appears throughout Cain’s character. Although Cain dedicates much of his time to seeking knowledge and understanding, he rarely applies that same level of investigation toward the beliefs he has inherited. His views on women are a clear example of this contradiction. Despite being someone who questions the unknown, investigates mysteries, and searches for explanations beyond what is immediately visible, Cain accepts certain ideas about women without the same level of scrutiny,

What makes this especially interesting is that Cain’s misogyny does not come from a lack of intelligence or curiosity. Like I said, these beliefs were shaped by the environment he was raised in, meaning they were taught to him rather than conclusions he independently reached. However, Cain’s willingness to accept these beliefs without questioning them reveals a major flaw in his search for truth. He is willing to challenge the world around him, but he struggles to challenge the assumptions that form the foundation of his identity.

This creates a fascinating contradiction within Cain. He views himself as a seeker for objective answers, yet his understanding of certain topics is heavily influenced by the biases he inherited. He can recognize uncertainty in the world around him but fail to recognize that in himself. His sense of certainty can only go as far as the boundaries he made for himself allow.

Immaturity

One thing I especially think gets overlooked about Cain is how mature he appears to be. Throughout the time we know him, he carries himself as if hes the smartest person in the room and isn’t afraid to put others down to make a point. He speaks with a lot of conviction and rarely phrases his opinions as opinions. I honestly think he’s convincing enough that he’s even fooled a part of the audience into seeing him as this lone alpha wolf or some crap.

If anything, I think Cain is someone who unintentionally tries very hard to be perceived that way (kind of). Putting aside the philosophical conversations and religion, Cain shows himself to be incredibly passionate and oftentimes taking things much more seriously than most would. That seriousness can be easily mistaken for maturity, but I think it’s the exact opposite. He’s still incredibly immature in plenty of ways, he simply happens to be better at hiding it than others (*cough cough* Jaeha)

The most clear example of this is during Genesis’s route in which Cain puts himself into an argument with her over anime. Obviously, I’m aware that this scene was meant to be a gag, but I think it still manages to tell us a lot about his character. The same guy who investigates theology, conspiracies, and the paranormal is perfectly willing to get into a petty debate over anime. I don’t mean this as an insult, but Cain is much more of a dork than we give him credit for. 

Intimacy and Shame

This is definitely my favorite part and is going to be the most handy for.. future writings…. :))

Since only the prologue of WAN2TALK is released, we don’t really get to see much of Cain and MC’s relationship grow. However, the small dialogue details and tumblr posts (all hail Mari) give us a surprisingly good bird’s eye view of Cain’s relationship with intimacy and love itself

The biggest piece of evidence is from a Tumblr post asking about Cain’s reaction toward physical touch/ mc sleeping around him. I’m just going to go ahead and quote the post for you guys to read for yourself!:

“IF he were to date someone who always had a habit of sleeping near him, Cain would lie there completely paralyzed, his muscles stiff as a board while you curl up against him. At first, he is thought to be genuinely disgusted and would tell you to get off. But once the room goes quiet and he knows you’re asleep, he’d inch closer, fingers tightening around the fabric of your shirt as he pulls you flush against him. He'd only do it when he’s sure you can’t see, as if that makes it less shameful. He'd stay awake for hours after that, trapped in that miserable, obsessive loop of wanting you near him while feeling sick at himself for wanting it at all. Eventually he'd be lulled to sleep”

Woweee. Originally, I thought Cain just disliked affection altogether, but after reading this and more, I no longer think this is necessarily true. While Cain definitely pushes the mc away and insists on having his personal space, I don’t think those reactions stem from a hatred of affection itself: more so I think they’re a reaction to what affection requires. The post makes it pretty clear that Cain doesn’t reject intimacy because he doesn’t want it, but he rejects it because he doesn’t want anyone to see that he wants it.

But the big question we all seem to have (I do atleast) is why?? 

I believe a part of this answer lies in Cain’s relationship with religion. Throughout the game, it’s clear that his faith is still an important part of his identity. He corrects people for using God’s name in vain, refers to himself as gods_desciple online (i’m not writing all those numbers), and speaks about spiritual matters with genuine seriousness. At the same time, though, he also admits that while the church once comforted him, it ultimately taught him “how deep the rot goes.” I don’t necessarily think Cain is rejecting his faith here. If anything, I think he carries it with him everywhere he goes. Butt, the version of faith Cain seems to have internalized is one that’s deeply tied to guilt, sin, and the idea that there’s something fundamentally wrong with people.

If my interpretation is true and this is the lens that Cain sees the world through, then suddenly his discomfort with intimacy makes more sense. Letting someone get close means letting them see the parts of yourself that you’ve spent your entire life believing are flawed. For someone like Cain who’s presented his identity entirely around appearing composed, knowledgeable, and in control, I can imagine that the idea of being seen as vulnerable is probably terrifying. 

Even the spotify playlist that the creator made further reinforces this idea. Now, I didn’t go and breakdown every song, but even simply skimming (and listening to the playlist while making this) gives me a lot of clear themes: guilt, longing, obsession, religious imagery, and wanting closeness while simultaneously believing that you don’t deserve it. Songs like “Whisper” or “Sweet Illness of Mine” all explore different versions of that same emotional conflict.

What’s also interesting is that very few of the songs are actually about healthy love. Most of them treat them like it’s painful or inevitably leads to suffering. Whether that’s meant to reflect Cain directly or simply the atmosphere surrounding his route, I am confident that this was intentional based on a post by Mari explaining that songs in the playlist would hint at Cain’s future dynamic with the mc. 

Based on the playlist and the other posts, Cain is clearly someone who craves affection but struggles to let himself accept it. He seems afraid that if someone truly knew him, they might decide he was never worth loving in the first place.

Predictions?

To be honest, I am not much of a theorizer. (Not including the predictions regarding Cain and Abel) However, I will say, I highly doubt Cain’s story is going to end with him completely abandoning his faith or suddenly changing his beliefs to fit today’s standards. They might get better, but the game had deliberately shown that his relationship with religion is complicated. If anything, I think his arc will be about learning how to separate his faith from the shame and rigid expectations that have shaped him for so long. Whether that actually succeeds is an entirely other can of worms and probably depends on the mc’s choices

At the end of the day, I don’t think Cain’s route is really about ghosts or conspiracies despite them making up such a chunk of his interests. While they might make for a compelling discovery, I think that the real twist will be discovering that Cain had been wrong about himself all along.

AN

I don’t know why I chose the most complex character as a subject for my first character analysis. This was hell :,)

BUT I still had fun replaying Cain’s route over and over like I was on a merry go round!

Remember, these are just my interpretations and could always be totally wrong! But goodness would it feel good to be right…

If any new information appears, I will try to either update this or give a follow up post.

ANYWAYS

you run through the rough cobblestone floor-

was it cobblestone? you dont remember. your body is heavy, bleeding, maybe. but you dont know where exactly. whispers and shadows follow you, but you keep running. feet bare, hands wet with something far beyond your understanding.

mud, dirt, wet, blood, red, wet.

solid, rough, .. wisdom. truth?

you shouldve never went with them.

CAIN was right. you shouldve just skipped town. never ripped off a tab, never talked about that silver haired man, never mentioned the ripples of false reality inside the odd moments of your boring, episodic life. never shouldve went to the museum, never shouldve confided in him---never shouldve deemed yourself as his friend within 2 days of barely knowing him, never...

you breathe through your heavy lungs, you crouch. (or rather, fall to your knees. you crawl over to his body like a lovesick undead)

they stare at you, in horror. their faces contorted into the same ones they wore when they saw it. your subconscious begins to form thoughts, filling your barren yet occupied brain.

'mustve been the stupidity of your actions. the desperation behind them curling into your soul as if it were natural. a path you were destined to follow. it might also be the way you look right now, your hair dangles from either sides of your face, crimson draped around you like some sort angel that witnessed carnage , seeking shelter within its master.

but it doesnt matter.

you slide the palm of your hand to his carotid, you whisper. incoherent to others, clear to him.

his eyes dont open, but the wound that shaped the side of his neck slowly fades away, a fleeting mark.

you heave a sigh, then laughter (?) begins to spill from your throat. it hurts, now, all of a sudden.

it burns. where? when did it-

you wrap your arms around yourself, then slowly turn your head down. you hear muffled sobs, the shallow breaths of traumatized men making itself known.

ah. you attempt to form a crooked smile. the same one you gave him, on the day you all decided to come down. to face a fate too distinct to be anyone elses. it hurts. it hurts. does it matter?

you retch, your own shaky hands cup your mouth. you hear static, then the recording of a woman singing jazz on the radio with an unknown frequency .. his voice.

ringing--then, finally, nothing.

you wander through the domain, hands trying to grasp whatever is in front of you. a second passes by until, your vision clears. you start to charge towards his figure, your body is light, you can breathe (?) now.

tears barely escape your eyes before youre in his arms, again. let your colors bleed, and blend into mine.

you reach for eachother, souls intertwined, and it feels right. it feels warm, and safe, and true. those who are lost tend to tip over their own scale, bringing down their love with them.