#its the touch-starvedness of it all

[thjslove]

I feel like I missed a lot. Well... it was a lot of this. And... a lot of... this.

[one-little-nerd-stayed-home]

Me at work: :/

Me: Imagines Corbeau cussing at Lake while doing absolutely nothing to remove her when he wakes up in the middle of the night to that biggass wolfhound sleeping on his chest

Me: :)

[weirdmageddon]

ok no i disagree with these tags on my post. yes jade was alone for a long ass time, also speaking as a touched starved person here. but i think like, the epilogues reducing her to “horny half-dog” does her character a huge disservice. not only is there no basis for her being horny like 24/7 so it feels completely out of left field, her interests in gardening, making music, nuclear physics, her quirkiness are completely wiped and she’s incredibly one dimensional and it honestly genuinely feels like she was shoved in just to get in between davekat instead of being written for her own sake. and then she gets shafted by the narrative again through alt calliope. it did not feel like a satisfying progression it just made treatment of her character worse

also the fact that there was hardly any on-screen relationship building between her and dave. in homestuck these longtime internet friends only met irl for a couple of hours before they were separated again and then as i said had that brief exchange before the final battle. wheres the heartfelt reunion and catching up?? thats why it also feels off. that relationship mending substance wouldve gone a long long ass way and they deserved so much better

there are much better ways to write human touch starvedness than what they did to jade in the epilogue. i’m also aroace so i kinda just checked out when all she was reduced to thinking only about kissing and sex like…. uhhh. being aroace i KNOW and prioritize the hundreds of other ways to have contact and closeness with people and they just went for the lowest hanging fruit and idk but it felt so out of character. the epilogues in general were so out of character for the tone of homestuck

i want jade and dave to continue to collaborate on stuff on earth C like making music together / starting a band. that involves human contact and being around another person right?? but it actually does something with their character in a way that isnt filled with pointless forced drama….WOAH

it’s not even just about the sexual stuff itself either honestly, theyre adults. i wouldnt care if they had sex but the fact that there’s no buildup to the relationship after 3 years and a few days spent apart, (and then 2 more whole years before they turn 18 and become adults) the fact that that the nature of it wasnt like this is such wasted potential

see its sad when the girlfriend in this greentext has more character depth than jade in the epilogues. wheres the silly / eccentricities we’ve come to know jade by

[girlymatsu]

1, 4, 28, 38, 42

1.Do they have any crafting hobbies? Erina doesnt really stick to one craft long enough to be a hobby, will buy all the things needed to do knitting/needlefelt/sewing but then get distracted and leave it on the shelves LOL or get really invested in finishing ONE thing and then thats enough-- She does enjoy scrapbooking though!

4.Do they enjoy baking? LOL not really i mean its a lot of hassle and clean up which erina dislikes to dooo, also erina is not very skilled in it and tends to want to eyeball things then measure <3 is more of a, buys the pillsbury premade stuff to pop in the oven ^_^ lazy but yummy

28.Are they a #gamer? Erina likes games but not hardcore, likes mostly cozy/nintendo 4 the cuteness (grew up with pokemon and harvest moon type of kid) or narrative games that arent boxed into one genre... has a switch. not super into competitive gaming requiring a lot of skill LOL (is prone to malding lmao....) right now IM playing disco elysium so erina can also be playing disco elysium

38.What are their dreams like? Do they have any recurring dreams/nightmares? Hmmm it's a mixed bag, sometimes theyre wacky and make no sense where she is going from one place to another minecraft creative mode style weeee with scenarios changing every 5 seconds , other times its a lot of oh no im back in school because i have one class i never finished!! often she had dreams about receiving affection from people who are no longer in her life because of her loveless touch starvedness life and it would make her very sad... these transform into osomatsu love dreams eventually tho when they get close and they no longer become so bad

42.Can they speak multiple languages? If yes which all do they speak and why? Yesss erina can speak japanese mostly living in japan but is originally born in the US and goes back from time to time so she can speak english, and also is taiwanese ethnically, knows basic conversational in mandarin from living with her parents... erina not very good at it ,can mostly understand other people speaking

[shimmerbeasts]

@jynxd cont. from here. Something that that Silco had discovered very early on was that Jinx had always been such a touch starved girl. Knew the moment she launched herself into his arms on that rainy day. An innocent child, throwing herself into the hands of a monster. A monster who, until that moment, held a bloody a knife in his hands. She'd so easily disarmed him, even before that moment. This was nearly reminiscent of that, the way she came running at him. This time, however, they were both their own monsters, a child into a fathers arms. While he had seen her coming, she did still manage to knock him do the ground, with much less effort than her younger self had no less. "Is something bothering you, Jinx?" Silco spoke, though he wasn't bothered by the closeness. He, too, had grown fond of these softer moments, as so often his life was anything but soft. Perhaps he too, was a tad touch starved, in the that respect. Not that anyone had the right to know such personal details about him.

"It appears you've managed to disarm me, as always, Jinx." Silco brought a hand up to press against her back, brushing it softly. His other hand brushed through sapphire hair, navigating down long braids. "You've gotten stronger, Jinx. I'm so proud of you, so very proud."

In the moment when Jinx had thrown herself at Silco's arms when she had been nothing but fragile Powder - a kitten, who had only just now started using her fangs and claws -, she had done so more because she needed an emotional anchor and comfort. A warm body, which could keep her protected and safe from the harsh reality, she had found herself in. However, this had not been a sign of touch-starvedness. It had been Powder, making a choice.

For Powder and now as an adult ocelot, Jinx had the exact same love language: Touch. Even when she had been little, she would keep running back to Silco, circle around him, rub herself against his legs, even if that already destabilised him - he had once mentioned something about his bad eye giving him trouble with his balance - and thug at his arm when she wanted to show him something, she had noticed. And of course, there had been hugs. Back hugs, side hugs, jumping up at him. Not a day would pass when Jinx didn't hug Silco as hard as her meagre body allowed.

That this was not always good for Silco's balance was proven yet again. Jinx came rushing towards her father, sapphire-blue eyes flashing in wild excitement and a fanged smile on her dark lips. Taking into the air, she threw her arms around Silco's midriff and knocked the much older man off his feet with mocking ease. The girl buried her cheek against his black vest and gave it a soft sniff, just happy to smell the familiar blend of leather, those expensive cigars and the strange perfume, which all combined made Silco smell of Silco.

Her father's hands found their way around her like the way a shark might swim closer and closer until its body graced yours. A soothing weight on the small of her back, shifting around in low circles on one end and on the other hand, a slim hand worked its way up and down her long, serpentine, cobalt-blue braids, encasing them in delicious warmth. As Silco asked her what bothered her, Jinx looked up and gave him the brightest smile.

"Of course, I am stronger now, Silly!", Jinx teased her father back, "After all, that training with that brutish bear had to pay off eventually." She chuckled happily before she eased off him and grabbed his wrist. Half-thugging, half-pulling him up, she revealed excitedly: "I finally finished building Pow-Pow! You gotta see her! She is magnificent and pretty and loud and she is gonna hunt those buggy Firelights to kingdom come! Come on, Papa!"

[oneweekwitch]

Quick Update and Headcannons

So quick update on my schedule for streams. I will try to do two a week on Fridays and Saturdays. Since you all voted for her, Patche will be hosting tomorrow's stream. I plan to rotate between her and Koa each week, since they both need breaks from library duty.

Anyways onto headcannons, since you guys wanted to see some of that. I'll start with Koa, since she has lots of room for creative liberty.

She was summon by Patche into the Mansion early in its history. As she was summoned by Patche, she answers directly to her and not Remilia, hence why she only calls Patche "Mistress". She has very good memory, which is why Patche kept her around early on. Later on, Patche kept her around simply because she found her to be a great companion. Koa actually has very weak Danmaku attacks, so soon after EoSD, (the first time she had been in actual combat), she started to learn martial arts and the likes from Meiling, so she could better protect her Mistress. This eventually evolved into her learning how to handle weaponry. Her weapon of choice is the Morning Star, an ancient sword eternally lit aflame, (Patche probably had it laying around with some other priceless artefacts). Aside from being a sword it can shoot flames from the blade, which allows Koa to replicate normal spell-cards with bullets much stronger than her own. Probably has a separate outfit for training/battle. Personality wise, she is normally a tad brash but quite when around others. Whenever Patche is around, nerves get the best of her, and she will frequently stammer, (Patche may or may not find this adorable). Whenever Patche enters her line of site, she immediately does a bunch of tasks, such as getting a chair, book, drink, etc. for Patche and refusing to stop until Patche is seated and has assured her that she is comfortable. Koa rarely refers to Patche as anything other than Mistress, even when around others. Occasionally, she will slip up and either call her "Master", in which she will be highly embarrassed, or just "Patche", in which she will be highly ashamed. Despite what it may look like, Koa and Patche have never done anything more romantic than occasionally accidentally brush hands, in which Koa will again get highly embarrassed. Koa herself has never had feelings for someone before, and thinks that this is all normal to feel when you are friends with someone. Koa is extremely touch-starved as demons don't really have parents and most of the Mansion's occupants aren't the "touchy-feely" type. Patche would, but Koa never allows her too, stating that she is not "worthy". Due to her touch-starvedness, Koa has very extreme reactions to any physical contact, which can range from very haphephobic to very haphephilic, depending on who the person touching her is. Koa is the only person in the Mansion who does not realize she has feelings for Patche, and that Patche has feelings for her. Koa knows Patche best, obviously, and knows Meiling pretty well since she trained Koa a lot. She knows Flandre well as she is usually chosen to play with her, and knows the rest of the Mansion's occupants fairly well. Archrivals/frenemies with Marisa, maybe even Moreso than Patche is rivals with Marisa. Incredibly overprotective of Patche.

Koa: Holy shit I was reading this romance novel and I think I might have a crush on my Mistress but I don't really know, can you help me?

Meiling: Congratulations, you are officially the last person to know.

Glad to have this finally done, I wish the rest of you a good night.

[stellarspecter]

hi would anyone like to talk about bobby and willie friendship with me there are not at all enough fics on ao3 with them but just think about it for a second and tell me they're not everything come on

[hypmicdaydreams]

voice messages from afar w/ samatoki

-genre: fluff

-pairing: samatoki aohitsugi x gn!reader

-word count: 1.1k

"hey," a gruff voice resonates from your phone, the all too familiar voice of your boyfriend speaking, ha, he really wasn't all the best with intros, you can tell from the slight awkwardness in his tone. or perhaps he wasn't too keen on speaking into his phone amidst the emptiness of his hotel room. such an image was a tad entertaining the more you thought about it, really.

"just wanted to check up on ya, makin' sure you haven't died off without me there." you can't help but roll your eyes. you could do just fine without samatoki of course. you were thriving after all, kept busy by your work and the occasional sit-ins at the nearest cute café. and asides from the bouts of lonliness and touch-starvedness you felt, especially when you badly missed that dork's touch and warmth, you were doing just fine.

"you better be takin' care of yourself! i know how you like to just keep working and shit. you're too absorbed with it, i'm telling ya'!" damn, he caught you red-handed. you can't help but laugh, feeling a tad flustered at how well samatoki knew you and maybe a touch guilty for making him a little worried. well, it's not as if there was much else to do these days; being too concentrated on work certainly did give you a chance to stop thinking about your boyfriend and how much you missed him, deeply so. it came with its benefits, i suppose.

"you're eating the meals i prepped, right?" sigh, such a worrywart this guy. he certainly had prepared a few meals or recipes, knowing well how you probably wouldn't be cooking yourself, whether because you were busy or a bit lazy that day. that and, well, perhaps samatoki could be just a tad overbearing when it came to those he loved. you can't really complain too much though; his meals truly were delicious and warm, even after being heated up in that small microwave of yours. they still maintained that homecooked scent and taste, the perfect remedy after a long tiring day of chores and whatnot; your heart felt at ease and happy, able to smile and feel too warm inside thinking about samatoki. it did remind you of him. "i swear y/n don't make me come over there and kick your ass."

well, at least you could see him then.

you hear a tired sigh, one that makes the hair on your neck rise, as if you could feel his very breath right there on your skin. you didn't know until then just how much you had truly missed him, missed hearing his breaths as he laid right beside you in bed, a lullaby of your own; perhaps you were touch-starved after all. samatoki truly did seem exhausted, however, even when he wouldn't admit that, even to himself.

"i'll be back soon. finals are in a few days, so we just gotta watch that and then take care of some shit. but we'll see each other soon, alright?" ah, that made your heart skip a beat, almost immediately joyous at the thought of being in his arms soon. only being able to see him across the tv screen really wasn't all much. "can't have ya missin' me too much." mm, a bit too late for that, maybe (and you could see his irritating smug smirk from all the way in yokohama).

"it's gettin' late over here, and i gotta wake up early tomorrow. don't go to bed late, ya hear? your body needs proper rest too y'know." man, at times, your boyfriend did sound a bit like a nagging parent, though i suppose it's all for the best. he was simply worried about your health, after all, and your tendency to, well, ignore that, to put it lightly. it wasn't your fault though; you simply got too absorbed in things from time-to-time, and the result of that was that you often neglected your wellbeing. you were only human after all.

well, hearing samatoki openly care for you certainly had you feeling all warm inside, even as the cool night air blew through the room. what an odd sensation, the feeling of cool air on your heated skin, yet oddly comforting in a sense.

"good night," you hear the shuffling of sheets and a flick of a switch, "and try to go to bed early, alright?" he reiterates. "i know you're probably listening to this at two in the mornin'."

your eyes unconciously flick to the time glowing at the top of your screen; guilty as charged.

"but try to sleep soon, alright? 'm sure you got a long day ahead tomorrow. and i don't need to hear about how you knocked out at your desk."

you huff, as if he would be able to see you, at his words. you knew samatoki was right: you needed to sleep. but the day was so short and the night was so long, the only time you had off to yourself. you wanted to relish it for as long as you can, though i suppose a drawback of that was that you were too emotional and caught up over how you missed your boyfriend. perhaps it was the best to go to bed right now, before you ended up having itches all over, the need to hug samatoki or feel his warmth at that very instance. his shirts were beginning to lose his smell and warmth, you couldn't help but whine as you pulled them out of the dryer one morning.

gosh how you wanted battle season to end already, as entertaining as it was.

"anyway, i'll check up on ya' tomorrow as well." you feel a small smile coming on, happy of course to know that you'd hear him again soon. you haven't been able to call much these days, samatoki too busy from giving it his all in the battles. and texts simply didn't suffice, didn't hold that same tone to them as did with calls. ah if only the two of you could video chat, though your schedules rarely aligned as is. a shame, truly.

"get some sleep, and-"

it cuts off abruptly, you sighing knowing that samatoki must've accidentally stopped the recording at the slip of his finger. damn were you really anticipating his next words, knowing the effect they'd have on you this late (or well, early i should say), making you that much more touched and emotional. mm, it was probably for the best, maybe, or so you tried telling yourself. it was time to get some rest after all.

for that night, you fell asleep to the sound of samatoki's voice. you could feel a lingering sense of his warmth right beside you on the bed, the most comfortable sleep you've gotten in weeks.

[wonhaebunny]

📂 YOUR HEADCANONS ARE SO GOOD THOUGH,, i'll love whatever i get tbh

AAA I’M SUPER LATE BUT I WILL WORK THROUGH THESE ONE DAY (i actually doubt this bc every time i answer one, i get sent like five more folders,,, i have like 40+ unanswered folder asks,,,, h) anyways!

i hc that katsuki is,,, Very touch starved. his parents aren’t the affectionate type, and his upbringing has meant that he’s also quite touch-averse. i think if katsuki ever got a pet like a cat or dog (or a bunny maybe??? hehe) he’d probably end up petting it a lot. like, a lot. he’s not used to soft touch, and having something warm to cuddle with would be very new and very welcome with him. bonus marks for the fact that animals can’t talk and consequently can’t judge him for being so cuddly. he’d cuddle his pet constantly when they’re alone, giving it all the attention it wants and more. even absent-mindedly, he’ll trail a hand along its fur while he’s studying or scrolling through his phone. his pet would consequently become super spoiled, and always want attention or petting.

i just really like the idea of katsuki with a super needy, attention-seeking pet that he just,,, gives in to. by the time he’s finally curbed his touch-starvedness a little bit, his pet is already accustomed to the constant pets, and now he doesn’t have the heart to stop when it looks at him all cutely. 

everyone thinks it’s hilarious that he’ll straight up tell all might to fuck off, but be physically unable to say no to this tiny little furball.

[knollridge]

Long Day

Smosh

Damien x Reader

1,583 wordcount

Hello!! Second attempt at fic writing~ thank you so much for the love on my first one, I really appreciate it ❤️

No warnings, just absolute fluff involving a rough day that (y/n) is having and how Damien helps/comforts you through it in which I may or may not have heavily projected quarantined touch-starvedness through

Enjoy!!!

——————————————————————————

Pressure builds in your head as you feel an onslaught of angry tears make their way to the front of your face.

Your skin is lit, as if by match-strike, with the dirty pink hue of heat and frustration.

Your whole body screams and you want to do the same.

But you can’t.

The toilet a few stalls down flushes and you hear the regular clicks, clatter, and rushing water of someone leaving the bathroom. Every part of your concentration goes towards suppressing what should have been a pleading and violent sob. Tears spill hotly down your flushed cheeks and you know that you’ll need more than the short period allotted for break to fix this.

But you don’t have that kind of time.

Your phone light burns just a bit too brightly on your stinging eyes as you search your screen. You have 4 minutes to pull it together. Feverishly pulling at the toilet paper roll you take immense notice of how loud the uneven cardboard cylinder makes every single turn, but choose - in an effort of timeliness and frustration - to ignore it.

2 minutes.

You grab eye drops out of your bag that Olivia thankfully gifted you last Smoshmas in an amazingly elaborate pun and dot them in each eye.

1 minute.

One last check in the mirror, and even though your eyeliner and mascara are gone, you have to call it good.

You briskly walk out of the bathroom and bump directly into Damien.

“Woah hey (y/n) I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He places an apologetic hand on your upper arm as his soft, brown eyes peer into yours.

“Hey, sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going” you mumble as you quickly cut the line between your shared gaze and turn to walk away from him.

“No worries! I wasn’t being as vigilant as I normally am, it’s been a long day already” he continues with a light sigh as he moves in to walk next to you. “Looks like its getting to you too, are you doing okay?”

Wanting to burst back into tears at the thought of anyone - much less Damien - noticing and caring about your emotional state, you keep focus on your footsteps and try to choose your words carefully. Right, left, right, left...

“Oh yeah I’m fine!!” your voice catches a small hitch as an upbeat persona takes over. “You’re right, it’s been a looong day hahah.” You turn your head towards him and flash a wide and almost believable smile with your eyes squinted closed so he can’t read them any further. Damien studies your expression, his thick brows coming together in question of your sincerity. A knot begins forming in your stomach as you realize he’s been looking at you without your makeup on. God, he knows. I mean, who loses their makeup halfway through the day?? It’s only a few more doors down to the conference room, I’m sure he’ll forget about it by the time we-

You don’t have time to react as Damien’s hand grips your forearm and pulls you into a small room and closes the door. You can’t see anything until you hear him flip a switch revealing a tight, three-walled room shelved from top to bottom with miscellaneous board games...and you and Damien, with standing room only, in the middle of it.

“Wai- what?” You let your arm drop away from his grasp, still feeling the weight from his hold on you. It knocks into a folding table topped with props directly behind you and as if for safety, you wrap both hands around the edge. “What are you doing? The meeting is going to start back up again soon and Ian is gonna be pissed if we show up late, especially if- if he...thinks we’re goofing off or something...” Your voice trails away as you see Damien move towards you. Leaning forward slightly, he rests a hand on the folding table, making the little space between you achingly overt. Eye-level with you now, he raises his head to look you full in the face.

“I don’t want you to worry about all that right now” he says in a low voice. “I want to make sure you’re actually okay.” Tears well up in your eyes and you immediately look down, causing them to spill to the floor. “Oh, (y/n)” Damien says in a hushed tone as he pulls you into a hug. “It’s alright, I know that meeting got really hectic.” You can’t help but to collapse into his shoulder. Each broken breath that you take feels cradled and cared for as his arms wrap tightly around you. You both stand for a minute, waiting for your sobs to subside while he lightly rubs his thumb in a circle on your back.

“I-I’m so sorry about this” you finally manage to say while wiping tears from your face. Damien loosens his embrace and places a hand back on the table, by your side.

“Don’t ever be sorry for feeling whatever it is you’re feeling. It’s like I always say, you should take 5 minutes each day to allow yourself space to just let it all out.” His gentle admonishment makes you feel more at home at Smosh than you’d felt all day. “I’m just sorry that those five minutes happened to be right now” he chuckles.

There’s something about his smile that brings on a small one of your own. “Oh gosh, I was already halfway there before you pulled me in here” you joke. “That meeting was supposed to be pretty big for me since they want me to do more with the scripts and stuff now...and it just seemed like everyone was talking over me and it was very loud and I really didn’t feel heard or understood...it was just a lot.” You think back on your initial reaction and realize you might have attributed a bit too much to the moment, but you see Damien nodding his head in understanding.

“Yeah, I noticed that you could barely get a word in and I was about to say something, but Ian called for a break and you ran out so fast, I was a little concerned.” Your mild surprise is clear on your face, and its almost as if Damien can read your mind. “You’re not as slick as you think you are (y/n)” he says with a growing grin. “First you rush off without saying anything to anyone, then you bump out of the bathroom and you won’t even make eye contact with me but I can still see that those pretty little wings that you do everyday are missing...I knew something was up.” You hope your slight embarrassment is covered by the subsiding red on your face from crying just moments ago, but you’re unable to keep a smile from appearing there as well. After feeling so invisible for most of the day, you can’t believe that he noticed as many of the little things that he did.

“You sound like a detective” you playfully scoff as you go to push his shoulder away. You end up resting your hold on his upper arm as you continue. “But...thank you...so much, for even bothering to check on me.” Your face is turned towards him, but your eyes fall to the details of his Jordans and your Converse in between words to keep focus on your train of thought. They’re so close together. “I definitely wouldn’t have made it through the rest of the meeting very well if you hadn’t. Thank you for making me feel at home.” Damien’s dark brows are tilted up towards the middle of his face, almost in confusion. He brings his hand to your upper arm as well, resting it right below your shoulder. You can feel his thumb just underneath the hem of your sleeve as he gently rubs it back and forth.

“Oh, (y/n)...that’s all I- that’s all we ever want for you. Any of us here. You’ve worked so hard and I know Ian was over the moon to bring you on as a writer...it really was just a weird and hectic start to the meeting.” You can barely fight back a new wave of tears and have to wipe a few stray ones away before they reach the ever-growing smile rising on your face. “Oh man, here you go again,” Damien teases. You let out a short laugh and try to gather yourself with tissues from your bag.

“I can’t go again! We don’t have anymore time!” You say contently, and slightly stuffed up. He can’t keep his eyes off your newfound happiness in the moment, but still takes the opportunity to rag on the situation a bit more.

“We never had any time (y/n)!” His eyes follow your smile as you laugh in agreement. “But I’m glad we made some because you deserve it. What do you say we go into that meeting and knock ‘em all out with your killer scripts?” You gratefully pick up an impression of confidence from his words and nod your head. “After you then” he says with a graceful twirl of his hand towards the door.

Your hand placed on the knob, you take a deep and thankful breath knowing that Damien has your back going into this meeting. You turn it open and can’t wait to begin sharing what you’ve created with the rest of your Smosh family.

[omegawolverine]

🎂🌈✨?:00

🎂- if you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

this is so very teenager who just graduated high school of me but literally all i want rn is a job that i can at least sort of enjoy, or at least not have anxiety attacks/sensory overload regularly while working <3 (last two wishes go to meeting the gay lil people in my phone, specifically you, annnnnd probably like. a good s/o to cure my touch starvedness /hj)

🌈- things I find attractive in girls/guys

this is a very bad question for me bc i find a lot of things attractive and they are not consistent at all like i genuinely can never describe my type bc i dont think i really have one but uhm?? ill try and list a few??

guys: big fan of the more feminine boys, a sucker for long hair, im also a big fan of a boy who is literally just the nerdiest motherfucker around but not in a know it all way, i mean in a “let me infodump to you about pokemon even tho i know you have very little interest in it” type of way (same can be said for any gender tbh)

girlies: a sucker for girls who have less typical hairstyles?? idk how to explain this better sorry!! im a big fan of girls with rounder faces ig?? i love me a girl whos like twice my size, give me a girl whos 6ft+ and ill start foaming at the mouth uhmm im also a big fan of “over accessorizing” on girls?? like huge earrings, a shit ton of necklaces, rings on every finger, elaborate outfits, etc. (i cant be the only bitch pulling out all my jewlery for a fucking outing okay, somebodies gotta at least meet me half way /hj)

nongender specific things that i obsess over: crooked or gap teeth, freckles, big fan of redheads, people who look like they could rock my shit but not bc they have muscle, just bc they look super mean, anybody wearing a choker immediately has my heart, bitches that are smart but also dumb as a box of fucking rocks

✨- which fictional character (book, show, or movie) do you relate to most?

richie tozier, jj maybank and john murphy tie for my most Me kins (but probably jj, despite the fact that he is not one of my highest kins. its the being a traumatized himbo who doesnt realize he’s in love with his bestie for me)

[crisislemon123]

Oh my! If you’re still feeling down, I recommend It’s Alright by Mother Mother and This is Home (or Home) by Cavetown! I hope you feel better soon❤️- song anon (that is possibly definitely also that one date anon)

Thank you for your kind words my friend (unless...👀❤️)!

I’m feeling better now, my brain was just being a problem, it still is just significantly less so

(It always helps to have a lovely Anon at my side!)

It’s Alright feels like a hug. A wonderfully supportive hug that soothes all of your touch-starvedness through its strong embrace (y’all know what I’m talking about) The soft fabric of a tshirt under your arms, somebody rubbing your back, the best kind of hug when you need it the most.

Thank you for sending this song, it really helped!

This is Home: This is one of my favorites by Cavetown, and I’m glad to hear it again! A very nice, melancholyish, knocks the wind out of you if you resonate too much, rock you to sleep song. I love it. Also kind of a hug song but more like something you turn to in place of a hug

Both of these songs (as well as you) make me feel so safe and warm

Thank you so much Song Anon! Have a wonderful night!

[its-fnaf-time-bitches]

Im sick of when i search up "advice for being happy alone" cause my disabillities keep me from seeing people and its all bullshit like "believe in yourself <33 know your not lonely when alone <33" like thanks my guy but i need actual advice, like idk when i learned if i took a warm shower it helped with touch starvedness??? Gimme stuff like that! I cant just believe in myself till the alone period is over cause for me it isnt going to end, its not temporary. I need to know how to actually live my life like this cause i dont have another choice.

[theskyexists]

NONA!!!!! Part 1

So i was right about John all along. I'd be fucking pissed beyond all reason myself, I'd want to stab out their eyes and hearts with my own hands myself, I'd want to annihilate them in fiery fucking oblivion. But maybe not the fuckin descendents a literal millennium later.

How is Harrow in the river with god right now.

I could follow the preview part much better now.

I love how Nona is another example of a clueless protagonist. Again. I love this through line its so effective for Muir's storytelling.

So Nona has Gideon's love for Harrow's face, and Harrow's aversion to food. And Gideon's love for breasts maybe? LOL. and both of their insane touch starvedness.

She can imitate almost exactly the bodies of people. How.

YOU weren't going to last the distance. I.e. Earth. He calls her beloved. And he hurt her. Yeah yeah this is Alecto, this is Earth. But for some reason Harrow has become merged with her??

They did something so crazy to dead bodies they couldn't be buried OR burned????

The ones he loved.....stayed incorruptible.... What the actual fuck.

Fucking PHYRRA LOLOLOLOL yeah you charmer - even charmed the absolute horror that was Wake

PHYRRA is so funny!!!!!!

'youre gonna make a really irritating wife to somebody someday palamedes'

'myum yumyum so swallowable'

P: 'sometimes you remind me of my mother'

' a woman I'd kill to meet'

I love palamedes and cam SO SO SO SO MUCH

Ok so he just discovered magic somehow

Nona IS baby Alecto because cmon. The salt water. Ok no that is a direct reference to Gideon's and Harrow's heart to heart.

I'm getting a bit sick of Nona not actually catching the conversations. That is happening too much it's getting very annoying. First, interesting, now a gimmick.

Nona used to be hungry and angry...hmmm.

Nona's aversion to eating feels uncomfortably visceral. Reminds me of being a kid. It's so awful to not want to eat.

She's kin to the resurrection beast hanging over the planet. Can hear it sing. Varun....

Lol Camilla doesn't want to see what used to be Harrow's tits hahaha

Alecto is keeping Harrow in the river?

Nona NEEDING to know what pal finds sexy is absolutely Gideon lolololol

I DIDNT EVEN GET IT PALAMEDES HAD TO POINT IT OUT FOR ME THAT NONA NOT FINDING REDHEADS SEXY IS SIGNIFICANT

I JUST figured out that Crown is most likely CORONA

Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why the fuck did Corona let Camilla get treated this way then. She had to be described as the most beautiful woman on the planet for me to get it.

Oh no....Camilla and Corona have fallen out.... :'(

Hmm. Cytherea's alliance with Blood of Eden WOULD explain her murdering everybody.

Corona wants Camilla to cuddle her :')))) that is amazing and wonderful and also very funny

Corona is right to recognise both Harrow and Gideon.

Wait. What does Corona know. That Nona is the mushing together of Gideon's and Harrow's souls and they're lost forever......?????

[janeturenne]

Romana and Wynter for the headcanon meme?

Romana III/Matrix!Tre (this is mostly gonna be about the latter of those, let’s be real)

A Realistic Headcanon: Romana III is aro/ace.  Since Romana II was not aro, this causes some heartbreak.  I’m not positive, but it’s possible that Matrix!Tre is also aro/ace, but she’s in such an unhealthy situation and so starved for any kind of contact with other minds that she doesn’t really have a healthy way to come to that conclusion.  She so needs friends that it’s probable romantic love and friendship, touch-starvedness and sexual desire, get muddled for her and that she won’t have any way to figure out what her actual desires are until her basic needs are met.  So.  That’s.  Fun?

A Headcanon Which, While Possibly Not Realistic, Is Hilarious:  Relatedly, Matrix!Tre is every bit as excited as she seems to see Leela and Narvin.  She does want those hugs.  Lots of them.  All the hugs.  That part is convenient, but not in itself a scheme.  She wants them to love her and acknowledge her for a real Romana, before it’s too late, and it breaks her hearts a little that they don’t.  THEY MAY NOT LOVE YOU TRE BUT I DO *cries quietly*  (I don’t know how my hilarious headcanon ended up with crying.  All Romana III headcanons are to greater or lesser degree tragic.  I apologize for this.)

A Heart-Crushing and Awful Headcanon: The regeneration between Romana II and Romana III is a bad one.  Really rough.  Romana II, for all her habit of self-sacrifice, realizes in her last instants of being Romana II that oh god she doesn’t want this, she never let herself be happy in this self, and probably there’s a moment thinking about Leela and Andred and what if Leela doesn’t like this new self and oh god, Andred, don’t think about Andred right now don’t think about knives in the dark and Pandora’s sharp-toothed grin–and it all kind of poisons the regeneration process.  A wartime Gallifrey can’t afford for its Lady President (let’s be real, she’s not gonna stay Coordinator forever) to put herself into a coma or spend weeks in a zero room, and because she didn’t cope with that regenerative trauma adequately (this is Romana, when would she cope with her traumas) she spends this lifetime having… attacks.  Picture Caesar and his epilepsy, the open secret of the leader who’s sporadically unwell, but for Romana it’s uncontrolled artron energy discharges at unpredictable times, her friends shunting her quickly away when her eyes turn gold or sparks start to spill from her fingertips.  (On one fortuitous occasion, she manages to channel this discharge sufficiently to kill a Dalek with it and save their skins, because she’s just that much of a stone-cold badass.  On the other hand, she also occasionally burns her friends by accident, especially Leela, who has fewer natural defenses than a Gallifreyan.)

Unrealistic, but I Reject Canon and Substitute My Own: Matrix!Tre and Matrix!Romana II absolutely found a way to twist the Matrix to their will and imprison the Daleks while keeping themselves safe.  This is 10,000% percent true and no alternate theories will be accepted, sorry.  Tre is not being tortured  by Daleks for all eternity.  I refuse.

And Wynter:

A Realistic Headcanon: Nobody admits to “soggy boggy” voluntarily.  I think his real Academy nickname was therefore something even worse.  I have no idea what that might be but I shudder to imagine.

A Headcanon Which, While Possibly Not Realistic, Is Hilarious:  Somehow, Wynter comes into possession of a golden retriever.  He is a Good Boy.  They are Good Boys together.  …and having typed those sentences, I now need Wynter to be friends with the McElroy brothers and I have absolutely no idea how that could possibly happen but maybe Wynter is a podcast fan, idk.

A Heart-Crushing and Awful Headcanon: more like hand-crushing amirite  *booed offstage*

no but seriously I’m struggling to come up with anything worse than canon. …oh god no okay.  No.  Okay.  This is… okay.

When Pandora first takes over Wynter, when he first defies her, she shows him what will happen to him if he resists.  And he does it anyway.

I hate everything I hate this question oh god *hides under the covers and sobs*

Unrealistic, but I Reject Canon and Substitute My Own:  WYNTER IS ALIVE AND WELL.  THE ALIVEST.  THE WELLEST.  NOTHING BAD HAS EVER HAPPENED TO HIM EVER HE IS A PRECIOUS BEAN AND DATING ACE AND I LOVE HIM.

[pandirwrites]

Two card game enthusiasts and sworn life-long rivals discover that after playing tag team duels together with their lives on the line and feeling each other's souls in their cards and whatnot, they could maybe also just, like, touch. That’s it. That’s the fic.

I’ve been reading up on touched-starvedness and the importance of physical intimacy, and also realized that Seto and Yami never actually touch in any significant way, so. My entire hand slipped. 

Read on Ao3~

“What's the matter, Kaiba? You don’t seem to be at your best today.” Seto gritted his teeth. It had only been a matter of time until his opponent would read his hand with Seto giving himself away like that, and trust Yugi – the Other Yugi, to be precise, but as far as Seto was concerned, there was only one Yugi that mattered anyway – to see right through him when Seto least wanted him to. They had just finished their fourth round of that silly childish card game Yugi’s friends apparently enjoyed playing - Go Fish, as Yugi had called it while explaining the rules -, and Seto was getting the distinct feeling that it had been a mistake to come here.

But there was no way Seto would ever back away from a challenge, especially not one proposed by his only worthy rival, no matter how pedestrian it might have sounded to be invited ‘to play some card games at Yugi’s place tomorrow at five’. It was not exactly on par with arranging a Duel Monsters tournament so they could face each other in a virtual colosseum on top of sky-scraping tower, and Seto had pointed that out, but it hadn’t deterred the Other Yugi at all.

“Yugi suggested it, and I think it might be a good idea, too. You know, just us and our cards, without anything else being on the line for once.”

There was something to that sentiment of exclusiveness that Seto had found very hard to resist, and when the Other Yugi had added “Besides, I wouldn’t want you to get rusty before your next big tournament” with that cocky smile of his, Seto could not refuse.

So, this was it, the promised private face-off. Just them, sitting on the floor in a high schooler’s room, jacket and coat off for once and nothing but a deck of cards between them. Since Seto had insisted that this wasn’t the right stage for a Duel Monsters match, Yugi had proposed to use ordinary playing cards. Not that the game or the location mattered when it came to Seto’s performance, though he did prefer grander stages than this small, cosy room that was cluttered with game items, toys and a few awkwardly stowed away school utensils to give the illusion of tidiness. And with Yugi as an opponent, even a laughably simple game like Go Fish provided an interesting challenge. So despite this lacklustre setup, each round was nothing short of a duel, even if it was played on a cheap, slightly worn carpet and Seto had to sit with his legs crossed awkwardly so they wouldn’t be in his way.

Still, it was decidedly different from the grand battles in a KC stadium – less intense, maybe, but also closer, quieter. And something about this arrangement, with Yugi sitting right in front of him, so very at ease with Seto’s presence and the privacy of this little room, had slowly started to put him on the edge. It didn’t help at all that even though the game was ridiculously simple, Seto had kept losing spectacularly so far, but what bothered him most was something far more trivial that had become increasingly difficult to ignore. Due to their physical proximity and the nature of the game, Yugi kept touching him for what could be only split seconds while they were exchanging cards. It was entirely accidental, nothing more than their fingers brushing when Seto handed his cards to him, but Seto felt it so distinctly that he at first had almost jerked away from the contact like he had just received an electric shock.

In general, Seto did not appreciate any invasion of his personal space, and usually, everyone around him naturally kept their distance. No one simply approached Seto Kaiba, and no one touched him, especially not without permission. It was as if Yugi was not at all aware that there was a distance to be kept, an invisible line not to be crossed, yet as much as it disconcerted him, Seto found himself unexpectedly captivated by their casual contact. After a few matches, he even started anticipating it each time reached for the card he was handed, drawn to this novel surge of excitement he felt when his fingertips touched Yugi’s skin ever so briefly. Of course, it did not take long for Yugi to notice how preoccupied he was. Seto did not appreciate the look Yugi gave him, intent and searching, as he collected the cards from the carpet to shuffle them for the next round.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Seto retorted, and he busied himself with collecting the cards in front of him, coincidentally avoiding Yugi's gaze. There was no reason for his heart to beat so loudly in his chest all of a sudden, like he had been caught, and Seto tried his best to ignore it. “In any case”, he added quickly, deciding that attack was the best defence, “you can’t expect me to gladly waste my time and my skill on a game for children-“ The words got caught in his throat. Instead of taking Seto’s cards, as he was supposed to do, Yugi had decided to idly brush his fingers over Seto’s hand, causing Seto to freeze mid-motion, his pulse still loud in his ears. Of course, Yugi knew exactly how to exploit his slip-up, instinctively going for the exactly right weak points that would make Seto’s defences come undone. “What are you doing?”, Seto snapped, though he did not pull his hand back. After all, that would have been equal to retreating and, what was worse, it would expose his weakness. To his dismay, the anger in his voice left Yugi entirely undeterred and his hand was still resting on Seto’s as he looked up to him. “You know, there’s something I’ve been meaning to find out, Kaiba”, Yugi said, thoughtfully, “Outside of battle, for once.” Seto did not know what had brought this on all of a sudden, but he knew he did not like it one bit. He knew nothing but the thrill of battle, its soaring heights and its crushing lows. What could possibly matter beside that? Anything else was not worth his time, anything else was not something he wanted to concern himself with. But Yugi’s fingers were warm, their gentle touch so foreign, and Seto’s heartbeat faltered when Yugi moved his thumb over the back of his hand in what could be meant as nothing but a caressing gesture. “I don’t think there is much to find out.” No matter how much he tried to keep his composure, Seto could not hide the wavering in his voice entirely, even though he forced the words out as quickly as possible. They were treading unknown territory and he had only very vague suspicions of what Yugi might be aiming at, which was already enough to fill him with unease.

“That's alright”, Yugi said, and there was an earnest gravity in his voice that seemed reserved for talks that had the unnerving tendency to get under Seto’s skin. The openness in his words, however, came as a surprise. “For the longest time, I didn't know much about me, either. There are a lot of things I still don’t know.”

He paused, and a smile spread on his lips as he cocked his head in a way that was so irresistibly challenging. “We could discover some of them together.”

There was something daunting to that proposition, and there was a promise behind it that eased Seto’s rising uncertainty. Maybe this was not that much different from a duel between them – a way to find himself and define himself, the core of who he really was and who he aspired to be. But there were no cards in his hands, no weapon to use in this battle, just another hand on his. In a frustratingly natural, almost casual way, Yugi interlaced his fingers with Seto’s, and the sensation was so strange in its tenderness, it was like a wave of hot water washing over him, leaving shivers in its wake. Unable to handle this sudden helplessness, Seto immediately pulled away to grasp Yugi’s hand instead and hold it in place, desperate not to show how easily Yugi had affected him. Yugi looked at him, slightly surprised, but he did not pull away. As he let Seto hold his hand, there was something appraising in his gaze, just like he had seen right through Seto’s strategy before Seto had even played his cards, and it made Seto nervous in a way he’d never felt before. He was suddenly very aware that his fingers were cold and rigid against Yugi’s skin, but he did not know what else to do, so Seto held Yugi’s hand in the only way he knew how, clasping it as tightly as he could. Clutching the other’s fingers, Seto vaguely remembered an even smaller hand in his, squeezing his fingers so much it hurt. It was something he had almost forgotten, together with the overwhelming feeling of abandonment and anxiousness that could not be erased entirely by the comfort of two hands clinging to each other. It surprised him that he even remembered as much. All of this had been almost a decade ago - it might as well have been part of another life. He had been different back then, small and vulnerable. But even though he was no longer a scared, young boy and very much in control of his own life now, he had held no other hand since and he did not know what else to do. All he knew was that he suddenly found it hard to let go. “Kaiba”, Yugi interrupted his thoughts, and there was something pained in his expression, despite his slightly amused tone, “you don’t have to clasp my fingers like that.” Seto did only release his grip a little bit at that. This was the only means of control he had right now, and he would not relinquish it. “What do you want to me to do, then?”, he asked, warily, but finally able to press forward now that Yugi’s hand was trapped in his grasp and unable to distract him any longer. It was time for Yugi to show his true intentions. “You were the one talking about ‘discovering’ something, though I can’t possibly imagine what you are planning to get out of this, if not trying to humiliate me.“ “Let me show you.” There was a decisiveness in Yugi's eyes that was almost reassuring.

He was not entirely sure if he wanted to find out where this was going, but what he wanted even less was Yugi to believe he, Seto Kaiba, was afraid. So he was determined not to flinch when Yugi leaned forward to close the gap between them, even though he could not prevent his breath hitching when Yugi’s fingers brushed Seto’s wrist to then wander higher up his arm in a careful, measured pace. “How is this?”, Yugi asked, blunt as always, his eyes still on him with unnerving calm. Seto had to grind his teeth to keep himself from biting his lip. His nerves were tingling under Yugi’s fingertips, and even though it was not discomfort he was feeling, it was as if he was strangely unreal under Yugi’s hands. To him, his body was nothing but a faultily constructed platform he needed to exist and interact but that he was not really connected to. As such, he was not meant to be in this situation, to be subjected to this kind of caress that spoke of affection, directed at not just his skin and flesh and bones, but –-him. As he felt the hand on his arm, the gentle pressure of its touch, that was somehow what unsettled Seto most. It was laughable to a degree how much Seto struggled to grasp the reality of another hand on his shoulder, moving over his collarbone to his chest, when at the same time, he felt the path of Yugi’s fingers so distinctly, prickling on his skin even through the fabric of his turtleneck.

Against this slight pressure of Yugi’s hand on his chest, Seto was very aware of his own breathing, of his body working right beneath Yugi’s touch. Had his heartbeat always been this loud and forceful? And when had breathing become so difficult? Yugi’s touch was different from others, not accidental, not meant to intimidate or restrict. It had purpose in a way Seto not quite understood. To Yugi, he was tangible, real, the entirety of him right beneath his skin immediate and exposed to his touch. That realization, as disconcerting as it was, helped Seto focus, though he was not entirely comfortable with being condemned to this passiveness, unable to figure out how to defend himself, assert himself, to do anything but to retreat. “Is this all?”, Seto asked, not as sharply as he would have liked to, but there was a lump in his throat even swallowing did not get rid of. “You really just expect me to sit still and play along with your little game, Yugi?”

“You can touch me, too, if you want to”, Yugi was quick to point out, and Seto was almost pleased to see that there was a hint of uncertainty in the way he frowned. “This is about discovering yourself, after all.” When Yugi pulled his hand back and broke the contact, apparently not so forward anymore, it was as if a spell had been lifted from Seto, and it left him weirdly open and lost. But Seto would not let Yugi back out of his bluff that easily – instead, he caught Yugi’s wrist in a tight grip. It was not that he couldn’t handle Yugi’s touch, and he would prove as much. “Kaiba, let go”, Yugi told him, not as patient anymore, but as he tried to yank his wrist out of Seto’s grip, Seto pulled him closer. His reaction was instinctive, forceful and sudden, but Seto had nothing to go on but a diffuse sense of need and a desire to not let Yugi retreat, not now. Yugi made an indignant sound that was muffled by Seto’s sweater, but he did not really fight it. Now that Seto had him caught in his embrace, it was strange how small he was, with Seto’s long, thin arms wrapped around his slender form. Seto had somehow never considered it, but now, their height difference was not only impossible to ignore, it also made the angle of this embrace rather awkward, but Seto could not care less. All Seto wanted was to hold onto, to not be abandoned but to possess, to relieve whatever strange longing Yugi had stirred up inside of him with nothing but the touch of his fingers, so Seto dug his fingers into the fabric of his black sleeveless shirt at Yugi’s back. “Kaiba…”, Yugi protested, his tone chiding, but astonishingly soft, once he’d managed to incline his head enough to breath. The only good thing about their current situation was that Seto’s face was effectively hidden from Yugi’s view, because the fact that he was clinging to Yugi in a rather ungraceful manner was quickly catching up with him. For some reason, that made his cheek heat up in a most undignified manner. “Kaiba”, the Other Yugi’s voice repeated, a bit more reprimanding this time. With a short exhaling of breath, Yugi let his hands wander up to Seto’s shoulders to push him away, gently but decidedly. “If that is what you have in mind, let’s do it in a more comfortable position.” Seto realized he had effectively backed himself into a corner. Slowly, he let go of Yugi, now both flustered and confused with his face and ears still burning, yet he stubbornly tried not to let that ruin what was left of his composure. Somehow, this was not the same kind of humiliation that came with a crushing defeat - this was a different brand of nervousness that made his palms sweaty and his mouth dry. Seto wasn’t even sure why he felt this way, but most importantly, he did not see how anyone could come out of this and feel like they were winning. In fact, Seto could not remember ever feeling this inadequate when it came to handling a situation, like he was barely more than a clumsy, fumbling teenager and not the prodigious head of a successful company and a top-tier duellist rivalled only by one. “You’ve really done enough already”, Seto managed to get out, his voice strained. Accusations was all he had left to defend himself. “If you want to stop, that’s fine”, Yugi conceded and sat back, a bit awkwardly reaching for the cards again that were still scattered across the carpet. “I really don’t want to push you-”

“That is not what I meant”, Seto interrupted him, sharply. He did not know what he meant, or what he wanted, but he wouldn’t let Yugi back out of this, after he had reduced him to this mess. Yugi should take some responsibility for this particular train wreck. Before he could argue this point, however, Yugi put the cards aside and got up. “If you can’t make up your mind, leave it up to me.”

The Other Yugi’s eyes locked with his as Seto looked up to him, and Yugi offered him his hand. Somehow, Seto was reminded of their tag team duel, when Yugi had asked him to trust him, to rely on him, in order to win. More vividly than anything else, Seto remembered the rush of elation when they had finally obliterated their foes together, their strategies aligning as they had perfectly anticipated each other’s moves. As Yugi pulled him to his feet to lead him to the bed, his hands were resting on Seto’s arms, guiding him, pulling him with him when Yugi reclined against the bedrest, and Seto found it not as hard as he had expected to follow his lead, at least for the moment.

The thought came with a certain thrill, just like the slight shiver that ran through him when the Other Yugi’s fingers were running through the hair on his neck, sending his nerves tingling whenever they touched bare skin. Spurred on by his reaction, Yugi kneaded the nape of his neck with his thumb, his fingers buried in Seto’s hair, and it was overwhelming and not enough all it once. Seto made a soft, helpless noise, entirely unable to form words as he was overcome by this sensation that overrode all his distracting thoughts and send goose bumps down his spine. Seto wasn't even certain if it had been Yugi who had pulled him into this embrace or if it had been him who had curled up to Yugi, clinging for contact - it was hard to keep track of what was happening to him, to focus on anything but Yugi’s hand, stroking the fine hairs on his neck. But it mattered little how he had gotten here, lying on a bed that wasn’t his own, Yugi warm and tangible with Seto’s arm wrapped around him and Seto's head resting on his chest. All else was faded out, meaningless and trivial, and listening to his steady, strong heartbeat beneath him, Seto felt the agitation drain from him. It was beyond him why he would have ever felt embarrassed. Yugi knew him like no one else did - they had experienced each other at both their best and at their worst, and they had pushed each other to their limits and beyond again and again. This kind of apprehension had no place between them. There was something immensely comforting in that thought, just as it was to simply lie here with Yugi right beneath him, to hear every breath he drew, to feel his fingers entangle with his hair, he himself apparently no less captivated with this simple gesture as Seto was. When Seto closed his eyes, a drowsiness overcame him, so different from his usual numb exhaustion, and before Seto knew it, he was already drifting off, lulled in by the subtle swell and fall of Yugi’s chest.

For years, Seto had only managed to find sleep after almost passing out from working until late, and it had always been shallow and restless. He had all but forgotten what it was like to slowly wake from a night of deep, sound sleep, and it was disorienting at first, especially since he couldn’t immediately figure out where he was.

The sun was shining brightly already through the half-closed window shade, and Seto found himself in an unfamiliar room, on an unfamiliar bed, together with a person that was everything but.

Even though Seto must have slept for hours, the Other Yugi was still there, leaned against the bedrest, his eyes closed. In fact, he had barely even shifted. A feeling rose in Seto’s chest, a pleasant tinge of satisfaction at the fact that Yugi had spent his entire night with him without even considering to leave.

Yugi must have been already awake, because he opened his eyes immediately when Seto lifted his head.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”, Seto demanded as he drowsily blinked into the blinding daylight.

“It’s Sunday, so there is no school today”, Yugi said, as if that perfectly answered his question, “And Yugi does not mind.” That was not an explanation Seto cared much for, but the Other Yugi seemed to be very serious about making that clear. Still, this feeling of satisfaction in Seto's chest grew with the knowledge that Yugi had stayed with him despite being obviously torn because of his consideration towards little Yugi.

“You still could have woken me up sooner”, Seto insisted, more out of principle than anything.

Yugi reached over to brush a few stray strands of Seto's hair back, and Seto generously let him proceed with just the hint of a glare. There was something strange in Yugi’s smile that Seto could not quite place, and it made him wonder what Yugi had gained from having him sleep like a stone on his chest for an entire night.

“You looked like you needed it.”

Seto made a noncommittal noise. He preferred to assume that Yugi meant a good night’s sleep, and nothing but that, yet he avoided Yugi’s gaze.

No matter how pleasantly sleepy he felt, it was high time for him to leave. The fact that he had been so close to Yugi all night was starting to truly sink in, and he was getting uneasy with their proximity. What he needed was time, and space, to figure his thoughts out.

To his relief, Yugi did not try to keep him from leaving when Seto decided that he had wasted enough time here, but he accompanied Seto to the door of the Game Shop downstairs.

“We should do this again sometime”, Seto announced, as matter-of-factly as he could while he put on his coat, already half out the door. He did not wait for an answer, expecting Yugi to take his words as nothing but a challenge to another round of card games. He had no doubt Yugi would know that this didn’t rule out anything else.

Seto would never admit it out loud, but even though he had overslept, coming here had maybe not been such a mistake in the end. After all, there was this strange, new feeling of contentment humming right under his skin, and when he ran his fingers over the back of his neck, he believed he could still catch the faint warmth of a hand that had been resting there all night.