If I Disappear, Whos To Say That I Was Here? (my Part Of An Trade With @pigswithwings ^_^)

a wandering knight, drawn to the quiet of the forest. her touch may be a blessing or a curse.

Mothgirl

Something a little different, got inspired by mothman and vintage cover illustrations with their decorative frames, hope you guys like it!

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Not too many thoughts on this, just...

Kuras dealing with phantom pains of the wings he no longer has. The scars on his back have long healed over and faded with time, but occasionally, he still feels a tingling or a sharp throb where his wings should be. It shouldn't make sense, but the human form is odd like that. He encounters so many of these bizarre phenomena in his own facsimile of humanity. He's had centuries to grow accustomed to these pains — and in some ways, he has — but they continue to catch him off guard, makes him feel almost…mortal.

Leander's scar, the one that stretches over his arm to a good part of his chest and shoulder, and ends at the side of his face, continues to give him trouble even though it is healed. Most days, he feels a certain tightness in the scar tissue of his left arm and shoulder and most days, the discomfort is manageable. He doesn't even notice it most of the time. And on the days he is actually bothered by the pain, he tends to conceal that suffering from others. He's used to wearing a mask, after all.

Vere's heightened sense of smell and hearing gives him a deadly edge over his prey and he revels in his mastery of those senses. But having a sensitive nose and ears can also lead to an overstimulation that borders on pain, especially in a large city such as Eridia, constantly bombarding one with a racket of sounds and jumbled voices, strong offensive odours stinging your nostrils, and everyone's souls are too bright and suddenly, the shadows are too loud and restless. Unfortunately, he can’t always choose where he goes when he is leashed and those are the days that the fox is far more brutal on his hunts.

Ais dealing with the occasional migraines that come from having an eldritch entity and entire hivemind locked into one’s head. It's a never-ending cacophony that slams against the walls of his skull as if it means to burst out. The pain comes in waves, pulses, almost like the push and pull of a tide, or the beat of a collective heart. When it happens, he usually isolates until the worst of the headache passes. He's used to getting through things alone now, as ironic as that sounds with his link to an ever present Groupmind.

Mhin on bad pain days where it’s not the imminent-transformation kind of pain — but it’s one of those days where their bones don’t feel like they fit beneath their skin. They are cursed with a monster inside of them, and some days, the condition feels agonizingly literal, like there is a physical beast writhing inside them, knocking against their organs and making their bones creak from the strain until they are forced to break and knit back together in the wrong way.

Just the Touchstarved LIs dealing with pain.

Oh this is nice

Between Ais and Leander

Leander and MC are walking from the Wet Wick when he casually asks, "So, you and Ais, huh?" He says it with a smile, like it’s nothing, just friendly interest.

MC might brush it off, might confirm it, might say nothing at all. It doesn’t matter. Leander hums, gaze flicking ahead like he’s barely thinking about it. Then, almost offhandedly—"You ever wonder why he’s always looking for a fight?"

If MC questions him, he just laughs, shaking his head. "No reason. Just something I’ve noticed. The guy doesn’t do anything unless he gets something out of it. And you? You’re something, alright."

The way he says it is warm, maybe even teasing, but there’s something else under it. A suggestion. A quiet reminder that Ais isn’t just harmless fun. That Leander, of course, is only looking out for them.

He doesn’t push it. Just lets the words hang there, giving MC something to think about. And if later, just once, they hesitate around Ais—Leander will notice. And he’ll smile.

the old cistern beneath the flood control system

it's like 4am where I am, so don't mind this long stream of thoughts and questions I had whilst replaying the demo (my 15 hour playtime is pathetic, I needed more)

I had a sudden thought about Kuras and his dislike-slash-animosity towards the Senobium.

It's mostly to do with the lore snippet of him being a divine teacher and the detailed bio mentioning him being compelled by guilt. Does he regret giving that much knowledge to man, particularly the ones who now study in the Senobium?

It's not out of concern, dare I say, him being empathetic, but rather... does he see a few of the things he shared as stains in his memory? A misstep. An unwise choice that he thought could be another chance for him to prove, to redeem himself, and atone for his sins. Kuras sharing that could have been the key.

...but it wasn't. It was just another tragedy in the long run.

In the end, it only fed into humans and their natural curiosity. It's something Kuras should have known, he thinks. How much more curious can mages and alchemist be? He should have seen this coming. Especially considering how some would do anything in pursuit of knowledge.

That also ties into Mhin, in many ways. Kuras worries for them, that's obvious. They aren’t too far gone, since in Kuras’ eyes, they haven’t gone into or have even been given the chance to enter the Senobium. But their desperation to get in may have hurt them. And they wound up hurt, badly. To the point Kuras saved their life back then— that being said, hindsight is 20/20 and he understands human nature and he knows Mhin will not stop at anything, because they merely think the Senobium has the answers they need.

Does Kuras blame himself for that in some roundabout way? For feeding the curiosity of those who asked, but was none the wiser to notice those who go beyond and seek what should have been kept in the shrouded in the dark?

Also did you guys know this piece of trivia? lmao

GIVE THAT WISE MAN HIS SKIRT DAMN

Touchstarved demo 2.0 live reactions

I'll update/reblog this as I go because I'm excited and insane.

It's time.

wanted to do some studies of their faces so I could get used to their features! it was really fun breaking their designs down :)

maybe when the game releases I’ll be able to do proper guides for their faces at all angles lol

Your Touchstarved headcanons are wonderful! You are almost single handedly keeping me sane while I wait for the full game. Truly, you are a blessing to this fandom.

I was wondering if you had any thoughts about what any of the LIs would think of an MC who is a Writer/Artist. Maybe they had to give it up for a while when they left to go to Erridia?

Or...

Since MC is broke, what do the LIs think of them showing affection through gifts, even if they haven't got money? I can imagine they make simple, inexpensive things like paper flowers for Leander or friendship bracelets for Ais.

Anyway I hope you have a great day, keep up the good work and thanks for posting so much good stuff.💐🌼

I’m actually crying you’re so sweet THANK YOU SO MUCH?!! AVCKHVCEBFC 😭😭

I took it a step further, I hope you don't mind.

This is 1/2 :)

Disclaimer! They/Them for MC because we love inclusivity!

Kuras

Writer

He’d probably figure it out rather quickly. The way they would meticulously jot down notes, the endless stream of ideas, and their thoughtful insights into various u̶n̶c̶o̶n̶v̶e̶n̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ topics. Or perhaps he had caught glimpses of their constantly ink-stained fingers. Either way, it became another entry in Kuras' catalogue of fascinating things about them. Undeniably intrigued, he couldn't help but wonder if their writing reflected their innermost thoughts and desires—if each word they wrote held a piece of their soul, waiting to be discovered by someone willing to delve into the depths of their imagination—or perhaps if it was simply a creative outlet for emotions they couldn't express otherwise.

Kuras found himself wanting to uncover the layers of complexity that made up the enigmatic individual behind the pages of their notebooks. And he was more than willing to take on that challenge.

Taking into consideration the fact that perhaps the MC wouldn't be able to afford fancy writing tools or notebooks, often writing down messy notes in napkins with worn-out pens and crayons left behind by patrons at the Wick, Kuras would gift them a brand new notebook and a set of pens, hoping that the small gesture would encourage the MC to continue expressing themselves through writing and perhaps even open up to him about the deeper secrets of themselves they had yet to reveal.

Vere

Artist

As a fellow artist himself, Vere knew to recognize talent when he saw it, no matter how subtle or unassuming it may appear at first glance. After all, true artistry is not just about skill but also passion and dedication. He didn't miss the way the MC's eyes lingered a moment longer on the brush strokes of a distant painting in a random Eridian shop with such reverence, as if trying to capture the essence of the art itself, before moving on, or the way their eyes focused on the lightning dancing across the sky and their fingers twitched with an unspoken desire to create. 

Vere could sense the raw artistry bubbling just beneath the surface; he saw in them the same hunger for self-expression and longing for freedom that had driven him to pursue his own artistic endeavours. 

So he carefully crafted a plan. He discreetly left behind pens and paper in the MC's vicinity. He didn't directly hand it to them, opting to let them stumble upon the supplies, hoping that the MC would take notice and feel compelled to pick up the tools on their own accord. Don't ask him why he did so; he doesn't know the answer himself. Perhaps because of an inexplicable curiosity and a desire to see if he could spark something within the MC, to see if he could ignite that same creative flame that burned within him. Or maybe it was simply a gut feeling. Regardless, he watched from a distance as the MC began to tentatively pick up the pens and paper, their eyes alight with newfound inspiration. It brought a g̶e̶n̶u̶i̶n̶e̶ satisfied smile to his face, his tail wagging back and forth in contentment.

Leander

Dance

Leander figured the MC used to be a dancer. It was obvious if one paid close attention; their perfect posture, precision, strength, and flexibility in their body were a dead giveaway. He'd notice the gracefulness in their movements, every step deliberate and full of confidence, and the fluid transitions between postures.

Leander found himself bewitched. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the MC as they'd effortlessly glided around the Wick, their feet barely making a sound against the hardwood floor. It was effortless, seamless, and utterly captivating. He will admit he couldn't help the small smile once he'd noticed the subtle way they would often tap their feet to the rhythm of a song roaring throughout the tavern.

It was a talent that couldn't be hidden, no matter how hard they tried.

His plan was simple: He needed some sort of opening, somewhere to insert himself into the situation without coming across as intrusive (o̶r̶ a̶g̶g̶r̶e̶s̶s̶i̶v̶e̶… o̶r̶ d̶e̶m̶a̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶… o̶r̶—). He would simply attempt to start a conversation with them and praise their dance skills, hoping to learn more about that talent of theirs—maybe even ask them for a dance later in the evening—while also finding a way to subtly steer the conversation towards more personal matters.

N̶o̶, i̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶n̶'t̶ n̶e̶r̶v̶e̶s̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ f̶l̶u̶t̶t̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ i̶n̶ h̶i̶s̶ s̶t̶o̶m̶a̶c̶h̶. I̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶ p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶ e̶x̶c̶i̶t̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ u̶n̶k̶n̶o̶w̶n̶ o̶u̶t̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ a̶w̶a̶i̶t̶e̶d̶ h̶i̶m̶ a̶n̶d̶ b̶l̶a̶h̶ b̶l̶a̶h̶ b̶l̶a̶h̶—

Mhin

Sculpture

They noticed something was up because the MC. wouldn’t. stop. staring. at their face. The way their eyes lingered on Mhin's features made them feel self-conscious, as if every flaw and imperfection were being scrutinised under a microscope.

Mhin couldn't decipher the intent behind the intense gaze, but it left them feeling both uncomfortable and strangely flattered. They couldn't help but wonder what it was about their appearance that captivated the MC so intensely. It was as if they'd seen something in them that no one else did—something worth examining closely.

They tried to maintain a neutral expression but ended up shifting uncomfortably in their seat, trying to break the look that seemed to be piercing through their very soul. 

It wasn't until the MC finally spoke up, complimenting Mhin's bone structure and suggesting they would make a great model for a sculpting project, that Mhin made the connection.

The revelation made Mhin feel incredibly flattered and intrigued, as they had never considered themselves to be particularly striking or noteworthy. The idea of being immortalised in stone by someone talented was… intimidating. And somehow humbling.

Ais

Architecture

He is observant, and can easily notice a person who seems particularly interested in a specific thing. He observed them, their body language, facial expressions and the way they looked at things around them, their eyes tracing the fine details from afar—it was almost like they were analysing them.

What made his suspicions clear was...the Seaspring. F̶i̶n̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶ d̶a̶m̶n̶ t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ w̶a̶s̶ u̶s̶e̶f̶u̶l̶ a̶t̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ b̶e̶y̶o̶n̶d̶ b̶r̶i̶n̶g̶i̶n̶g̶ d̶e̶s̶p̶a̶i̶r̶

It was the way they looked at the building in particular; their eyes darted around, as if examining every inch, every line and curve of the temple. He’d smirk to himself, eyes following their every move, as if he could read their thoughts.

He’d bring them anything; from papers, inks and rulers to wood and other building materials. He’d let them demolish, remodel, completely renovate the fucking thing—he couldn’t care less, as long as he had somewhere to rest at night. Besides, their smile was worth more to him than any amount of power he could be offered.

I could make another one with Singing/Music, Theatre and Design or Ceramics perhaps….

What’s with MC‘s Curse ??

I don’t think I have seen anyone talk and theorize about MC‘s Curse/Powers (whatever you‘d like to call it), and wanted to share my thoughts on it with the limited knowledge that we have.

If you have your own theories please share them, I‘d love to hear what everyone else thinks!

(Disclaimer: English isn’t my first language and I have a hard time translating my thoughts, so I hope you can understand what I‘m getting at anyways 😭)

All we really know from the Demo is that our Curse "changes" the people that we touch. The only time we really saw the effects of our abilities is when we meet the traveler and he grabs our wrist.

The game only says it affects people when we touch them, but we didn’t really put our hands on the Traveler at all. They were touching our wrist. Does that mean our curse does not only activate when our hands are touched, but also our wrist? What area of our hands/arms is affected by this?

From what part of our hand does the curse activate and where would it be safe to touch us?

What I also find interesting is that our touch isn’t a direct death sentence. It’s not a lethal touch. The way MC describes it, it only "changes" people. But change how? Their faces contort into a wide grin and they attempt to kill us. So it’s not like we have a Shigaraki type ability (look up My Hero Academia for context). I‘m really curious in what way the MCs powers alter people‘s minds.

I also believe the choice of language regarding MC and their curse is very much intentional. (As in "curse" instead of "powers" or "abilities" and "changing people" instead of a "cursing them back" or anything along the lines of "hurting them")

I also find interesting that the people affected by our curse attempt to strangle us, wich apparently seems to have happened before from what MC describes. They’re driven to madness sure, but I just wonder by what. Does our curse perhaps cause hallucinations?

I‘m also reminded of a scene in the hunger games mockingjay part 1, after rescuing Peeta. While being tortured by the capitol, he was injected with a venom from a hallucination inducing animal (Tracker jacker) to initially manipulate his thoughts on Katniss. Because of this, he starts to associate her with terrible things like the bombing of district 12 and sees her as an actual threat to himself and others. After he’s rescued and meets Katniss again for the first time, he immediately tries to strangle her. Perhaps our abilities work similar to the tracker jacker venom, causing the "victim" to see us as a threat and trigger their fight or flight response, causing them to to defend themselves.

When we meet Vere, who is a Monster, he pulls us closer and says "Looks like we’re both…" wich also confused me. Perhaps MC isn’t as human as we might assume. But if we were, Mhin would obviously dislike us right? Maybe we’re just a rare case, a supernatural being that somehow goes undetected by the main cast. Or maybe they know and just don’t let it be known. Maybe we’re not quite monster but also not quite human (a secret third thing). It seems like there’s something he knows that we don’t, or perhaps that we’re actively trying to conceal.

In the unnamed MC origin, it is stated that initially MC‘s curse used to be celebrated as a touch of enlightenment. I just wonder how they came to that conclusion, judging by what happens when someone gets touched by MC. Why did the priests believe that turning mad to the point of trying to strangle their precious oracle was any sort of divine epiphany? I‘m just so curious about this specific origin. Additionally to this, the game states that we experience "unnatural premonitions" that rattle your body and soul". While we‘re able to cast spells in the Alchemist origin and can detect magic, these premonitions seem to be something different entirely. Is it part of the curse? Is that just something that happens when you grow up around priests? I don’t know, seems like some hidden ability.

I also wonder if the effects of the curse are just the result of MC not being able to control it. Maybe it’s not really a curse, but rather some sort of power that can be controlled if you practice? They never learned how to keep their powers at bay, so naturally they turn everyone they touch insane. I mean, after getting attacked everytime you touch someone who would come to the conclusion that their powers aren’t actually harmful?

We also don’t know if the state of madness can be reverted somehow. All we know is that the people MC touch go insane and immediately attempt to murder them. But what would happen if they were taken away from MC? Would they attempt to kill everyone else as well or is it just us? Are they still capable of acting "normal" once the trigger (MC) is removed?

Lastly… those edgy ass bandages…

Also MC is so goddamn edgy for using bandages, like come on man, you can’t tell me that that’s more comfortable than just wearing gloves. But to cut them some slack, gloves are a bit impractical and not as easy to find, so who am I to judge. And as I said before, we don’t know the specific area our curse is activated on. Maybe normal gloves don’t cover ourselves enough. With bandages, you can kind of pick how much of your skin you want to cover. Of course long gloves exist, but I think they’re a bit harder to find than regular ones. So maybe the bandages aren’t actually such a bad idea.

I think there‘s a lot of potential and I‘m really looking forward to the release of the game to find out!

I can’t wait any longer guys I‘m going insane

Let me know what you think