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stylographic-blue-rhapsody · 1 year

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did I write 3k words as an exercise in exploring my touchstarved mc’s voice and attitudes, even though it is not likely to be something polished or posted to ao3? perhaps me, white knuckling the bathroom sink and telling my reflection sternly that drafts and writing practice don’t need to be good or publishable

anyway, here’s a rework of the ending sequence of the prologue as lyre follows ais out of the wick. I don’t yet know who their ro will be, but after playing through the five options, ais makes the most sense for them to trail after (lyre introduction here if anyone is curious)

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Lyre doesn’t remember making the conscious decision to follow Ais outside. Rather, they find themself out in the chill of Eridia’s night soft-shoeing down the alley behind the Wet Wick. The chatter of the crowds in the main thoroughfares is a distant hum. Lyre hears nothing beyond it until they reach the end of the building, at which point a heavy thud gives them pause: the sound of a body hitting the ground. Slowly, with care to stay silent and out of the moonlight, they peek into the adjacent back street.

Ais stands over the unmoving form of the roughneck he’d hauled out of the bar, his back to the alley where Lyre lurks. They watch the tension drain from his shoulders as he exhales and shakes out his right hand. The dark droplets flick from his knuckles to join the smear of blood around the body at his feet. Ais casually turns his head over his shoulder and meets Lyre’s gaze before they can duck away.

“Not running, sparrow?”

They eye Ais carefully as they step out from behind the building and fully into the light of the waxing moon. It’s unnerving to be caught—in all their years as a sneak thief, only rarely were they sloppy enough to be noticed. Now…

“I didn’t make any noise.” Of that, they’re certain. “How’d you know?”

Ais shrugs. “Got eyes in the back of my head.”

Lyre can’t tell if he’s joking. They take a few more steps into the open to look more closely at the body at Ais’s feet. The man is facedown and motionless, spattered with street muck. Dark wet patches bloom on his clothes where he lies in his own pooling blood. If he is breathing, it is too shallow to be perceptible.

“He’s alive.”

Lyre looks skeptically to the crumpled mass at his feet. They’ve seen fatal beatdowns before—a fellow cutpurse too clumsy to escape the city watch, a rival tough collared by one of their own guild’s enforcers, a nobleman enacting “justice” on a kid with sticky fingers—and this has all the markings of one. Brutal and final.

“If you say so.”

Ais looks at them with a cool, lidded gaze. “Calling me a killer? Or a liar?”

Lyre lifts one shoulder in a placating, noncommittal gesture at his challenge. There’s an undercurrent of fear buzzing in the back of their skull, the instinctual drive of a prey animal to flee at the signs of predatory savagery, but they can’t help but take another step towards Ais.

“I believe you’re honest, but also very dangerous. Killing seems like something you’d do well.”

The corner of his mouth curls. “I’m flattered.”

“I’ve known people like you.” They’ve never been a fighter, preferring to handle the trials of the underworld through stealth, wit, and, in desperate moments, being the fastest runner in the city, but there’s a familiarity in this sort of violence that is resonant of their old friends.

“You scared?”

“You could’ve hurt me before, when I came to your home uninvited. You didn’t.”

“And now?”

“You won’t.” It comes out tentatively. Lyre pauses, and then hedges a guess. “I’m no good in a fight. It’d be too boring to be worth your time.”

Ais’s eyes flick down Lyre’s body, taking in their rangy build. His gaze lingers on the scar that slices their upper lip, and for a moment they think he will comment on it. Instead, he rubs his bloodied knuckles on his pants and kneels down to begin frisking the roughneck’s clothes.

“I keep making bad impressions on you.”

“My opinions shouldn’t matter to you. We’re strangers, and I’m not exactly a threat.”

He glances up at them, and then back to his search. “Just prefer you didn’t piss yourself when we talk.”

Lyre rolls their eyes with a snort. “Yeah, because you’re definitely the first violent person I’ve come across.”

That earns them a crooked smile. “Should stop putting words in your mouth, huh?”

Ais stands, his looting fruitful: a cigarette and a matchbox. He places the cigarette between his lips, then strikes a match and cups his hand to shield it from the wind. In the brief flare as he lights the end, his angular features become even sharper. He flicks the match into a puddle and sits down on a crate, regarding Lyre with an inexplicable expression.

After a moment’s consideration, they skirt the possible corpse and gingerly take a seat beside him. Ais draws deeply from the cigarette, and Lyre relaxes a little at the scent of cloves.

“Did he only have one?” When Ais responds with a raised eyebrow, Lyre clarifies, “Cigarette, I mean. Leander beat you to the punch on the promised drink, but I’d take a smoke in its place.”

Ais laughs under his breath, smoke curling in short little bursts from between his lips. “Didn’t look for more than one.”

He plucks the cigarette from his mouth and offers it between two fingers to them. Lyre blinks in surprise, but takes it from him for a short pull before handing it back.

“Was Princess good company?”

Lyre holds the smoke in their lungs for a second longer before exhaling. “Sorry, who?”

His rings catch the burning red of the cigarette tip as he takes a drag. “The Soulless who escorted you back.”

“You named it Princess?” They stifle an incredulous laugh.

Ais grins. “Jealous?”

“Anyone would be.”

“Your nickname’s more fitting.”

As Ais proffers the cigarette a second time, Lyre wonders if he gives everyone nicknames, and where they come from. It’s not the worst thing someone’s called them, at least. It’s nice, even.

At his apparent willingness to share the cigarette fully, Lyre takes a longer drag. “She was cute. Weird, but cute. And the first one that I’ve encountered that didn’t chase me down for sport, so that’s a plus.”

“Her tail wouldn’t stop going when she got back. The group of them don’t get much attention.” Ais’s soft expression turns roguish. “Think she’s cute now, wait ‘til you see her tricks.”

Lyre passes him the cigarette. “They can learn tricks?”

“If you have the right rewards.”

Lyre hums thoughtfully. Ais leans back against the alley wall and closes his eyes, inadvertently allowing Lyre to look at him more closely. They take in his edges and his sharpness, the hard lines of his jaw and cheekbones and nose. His rough, bloodied hands. His strong arms and shoulders. He’s not just a leader and a fighter, but a seasoned one, and it strikes Lyre as particularly odd that his only noticeable scar is the one through his brow. Even they, with their avoidance of brawls, have a body that is marked by past wounds of street life. They suppose that maybe Monsters don’t scar as easily as humans.

Their eyes are following the spiraling seaglass lines of his tattoo when he says, “What’s your verdict?”

Lyre glances up at his face. “Sorry?”

He slits one eye open to meet their gaze, mouth quirking. “Got a long, good look. Are you impressed, or do I need work?”

Lyre flushes and pulls the cloak tighter around their shoulders. They huff, “Digging for compliments? You’re annoying.”

His responding chuckle is low, sweet smoke clouding the air between them. “Didn’t stop you from staring.”

“I’ll keep my eyes to myself next time if you’re going to be like that,” Lyre snips, and reaches out to boldly pluck the cigarette from between his fingers without it being offered. Heat and good-humored irritation mix pleasantly in their gut. The easy confidence and self-satisfaction that Ais carries are achingly familiar; they want nothing more than to be close to it, sheltered by it.

The realization strikes them like an open palm to the face. The sting of abandonment by their own gang resurfaces, a tight knot in their chest. To fend off what would be the absolute most mortifying thing they could do—cry—they hurriedly pivot the conversation.

“I want to know more about the Seaspring.”

Ais’s smirk falls and a weary boredom cools his expression. His eyes fall closed. “Thought I made myself clear, what you’d be giving up.”

“With minimal details. Details are very important, in my experience,” Lyre says mildly, exhaling smoke.

His eyes open again, and he makes a “give it” gesture at the cigarette. Lyre passes it to him as he orders, “My turn for a question. Your curse.”

Habitual defensiveness raises their hackles. The questions are always painful, selfish. “My curse?”

His gaze is lidded, landing somewhere in the middle distance beyond. “Is the thought of living with it really so unbearable? You’ve survived this long. Unless you’re running out of time, I’d wonder if it’s really worth the sacrifice.”

He is speaking to an experience more intimate than sheer speculation, Lyre realizes. As their guard drops, a question jumps to the tip of their tongue: Was what you sacrificed worth it? But before they can voice it, he sighs, leaning forward to prop his chin on his knuckles, elbows to knees.

“But what do I know? I’m just an outsider.”

Lyre bites the inside of their cheek. They murmur, “I’m almost mad that you’ve made me think about this. I was ready to join your freaky little cult, you know.”

He rumbles a low laugh and brings the cigarette back to his mouth. “No, you weren’t. You had more asinine questions.”

“Probably.”

The following silence is comfortable, even if the night chill is beginning to creep into Lyre’s bones. They pull their feet up onto the crate and wrap their arms around their shins to keep a little warmer. They rest their cheek on their knees, face turned towards Ais to run their gaze over the lines of his profile again. Sharp and proud, but with a softness to his mouth that is almost incongruous.

“People like you, you know. Maybe you’re less of an outsider than you think.”

“And what insights do you have, sparrow?” Cool amusement tinges his words.

So Lyre tells him. They tell him about Vere’s clear affection, Kuras’s quiet respect, Leander’s bids for attention. Even Mhin, with all their animosity, couldn’t keep their eyes from lingering on him in the bar. Ais has a gravity that pulls at those around him, regardless of opinion.

Throughout the conversation, they gain a few more glimpses into the group’s dynamics, information that they file away for later. Most interesting to them is the implication that Ais’s earlier comment about Leander “trying to kill him” was a literal one. Lyre senses that the intricacies of shared histories will take time and delicate effort to ferret out, and so resigns themself to letting Ais share what he wants without pushing him further.

“You’ve helped prove my point,” Lyre says eventually. “People like you. They seek you out. They enjoy your company. That’s friendship. Or at the very least, camaraderie. You’re not as isolated as you seem to think.”

“I don’t have friends.”

Lyre sighs heavily, breath misting. “And I’m an upstanding citizen.”

“Fine, I’ll confess. I have one friend.” He flicks the butt of the cigarette into a puddle and says, “Ocudeus.”

The name is not familiar to Lyre, but something about the way he says it causes an unconscious instinct to cry out at them to run run run. Their heart rate spikes, their skin prickles, their stomach drops; they need to flee.

Instead, they will their fingers to relax where they’ve clenched down in the fabric of the cloak. “And who’s that?”

“A friend. It lives in my head.” At Lyre’s furrowed brow, Ais taps his temple with a finger. The moonlight glints off of the metal of his rings. “Right here. Scared you off, yet? That’d be the third bad impression I’ve made on you today.”

Lyre is quiet for a moment, searching his face. Finding no signs of teasing, they let out a long breath, laughing softly. “So let me get this straight.” They tick their fingers with each point. “Groupminds are real, and your Seaspring is the source of one. You’ve tamed some Soulless with that power, and they act like pet hounds. You may or may not have killed a man tonight who may or may not have deserved it. And you have someone living in your head. Do I have all of that right?”

“Sure do.” His answering rumble is low, amused.

“Well, then. Okay.”

“‘Okay’?”

Lyre shrugs. “I’ve seen some shit, and I don’t scare so easily, friend. You should try harder if you really want to run me off. Or just tell me to leave. I’d go if you asked.”

A sharp grin stretches across Ais’s face, wide enough to flash his fangs. “I’ll keep that in mind, sparrow.”

“Ducas! Where in the rat’s ass are you?!”

The clamor that had been growing in the main thoroughfare beyond crystalizes into intelligible shouts and fast, heavy boots. Lyre is on their feet and running before properly registering the context of the tumult—the dead or nearly-dead tough lying in the muck had the same accent as the nearing voices. His absence has been noticed.

As Lyre tries to dart out of the alley, Ais snatches their wrist and yanks them into an alcove between buildings. They startle when their back hits the brick: they hadn’t realized Ais moved to keep up with them, let alone quickly enough to redirect their momentum.

At their instinctual push back to the alley to continue their flight, Ais boxes Lyre in with an elbow to the wall beside their head. Lowly, he says, “They’re coming from both sides. Quiet.”

The alcove is shallow, not in the least sufficient for total concealment. Ais, apparently aware of the incompatibility of his bulk and the small space, presses himself more tightly to the shadows. Close enough that the buckles of his belts dig into Lyre’s stomach, the line of his body effectively pins Lyre to the brick. He is warm and solid and smells of cloves, tobacco, and blood.

Lyre thinks distantly that this, by most standards, might be considered a very sexy predicament. Instead, a snare of fear tightens in their chest. Their breath begins to come quick and shallow, sweat dampening their palms and armpits uncomfortably. They swallow down the rising dread of being penned as best they can and peer past Ais’s shoulder at the commotion beyond.

“Damn! He’s over here. Ducas, wake up, you bastard.”

As Ais indicated, thugs pour into the alley from both ends. The metal of spiked clubs and daggers and handaxes glints like cold stars in the sea of bodies. Their clothes are rough hewn, but their boots are sturdy and their weaponry is well cared for. Adorning each of their bodies is a sash of violet cotton; the roughneck in the bar was wearing one, too.

“Gang colors? In the open?” Lyre breathes.

They flinch as a hand over their mouth firmly silences their mutterings, and it’s enough to snap the fraying control they had over their panic. Unthinking, they bite down savagely.

A wince pulls the hand away from their mouth and Lyre sucks in a gasping breath that tastes of copper and salt.

Ais shifts against them—it must have been his hand, Lyre registers faintly. They bit him and made him bleed. Oh, fuck.

Slowly, deliberately, he lowers his head to bring his mouth near their ear, the soft curls of his hair brushing their cheek. “At least someone could draw blood today.”

The harsh discussion in the alley filters to Lyre’s ears as if through water. “Shit. He’s got more broken ribs than whole ones. What kinda freak did this? Fan out, find the cocksucker responsible. You three! Take Ducas back to base. Least he’s still breathing…”

A flurry of activity clears the gang and the unconscious body from the alley. Before the retreating footsteps have totally faded, Lyre shoves Ais off of them and stumbles out of the alcove. Shaking uncontrollably, they fold their arms tightly to their chest and focus on their breath: In, one, two. Hold. Out, one, two, three, four.

When they’ve regained a modicum of control and their ears no longer feel stuffed with cotton, Lyre demands hoarsely, “Was that really necessary?”

“Could ask you the same thing. Didn’t know sparrows could bite.”

“Clearly,” Lyre snaps. The vacuum left behind by the subsiding fear fills with hostility. “Just because I said I was no good in a fight doesn’t mean I won’t.”

“Wouldn’t say you’re no good.” Ais flashes his palm to reveal a ring of blunt teeth marks smeared with blood.

“I’ll do worse next time.”

“Is that a promise, sparrow?”

Ais’s unbridled, fanged grin has the odd effect of soothing Lyre’s pique. Suddenly the grimy cobblestones beneath their feet are very interesting.

Ais runs a hand through his hair, amusement fading. “Staying hidden was the best option. Would be a hassle to run into them with you there.”

“I could’ve hidden on my own if you were worried about deadweight.” There is no doubt in their mind that he could have handled himself, even with the gang’s numerical advantage.

“Three bad impressions are enough for one day.”

Irritation blooms; he is not very good at listening, apparently. “You only made one bad impression, and it was none of the things you think it is.”

Silence stretches as Ais regards them coolly. Then, he turns and strolls lazily towards the mouth of the alley, the metal of his boots clinking softly with each step. “Come on, sparrow. Let’s get you home before you’re framed for murder.”

Home. Lyre startles at the tears abruptly prickling their eyes. It has to be the exhaustion. Or the adrenaline crash. They pinch the soft flesh of their elbow crease harshly and follow.

“Very funny.”

The main thoroughfare in front of the Wet Wick is bustling, the bright lanterns and crowd of people almost overstimulating. Lyre hovers in Ais’s periphery, a half step from being too close. For all the stress the encounter in the alley caused, he is still the only thing that has any semblance to their old life; the familiarity feels like a safe harbor and they are reluctant to leave it for unknown waters.

He stops in front of the door to the bar and Lyre nearly runs into him in their absentmindedness. His eyelashes cast soft shadows down his cheeks in the warm yellow light from the threshold.

“You know where to find me.”

“Oh, yes. At the creepiest place in the world.” Lyre tugs their cloak a little tighter.

The corner of Ais’s mouth quirks. “Mm. Take your time before you decide to drink. I happen to like your shitty attitude.”

“Stones and glass houses,” Lyre mutters, gaze casting away from him.

They look back up, only to see Ais down the street, dipping through the crowd like a phantom through shadow. He disappears without any farewell or backwards glance.

“Well, bye, then,” Lyre says to empty air.

They look to the open door of the Wet Wick. The chatter of the crowd within leaves them feeling more isolated than before. Oh, well. At least they are sleeping inside and in a real bed tonight. Safe and warm and lonely is arguably better than vulnerable and cold and lonely, they suppose.

With a sigh, Lyre goes inside.

#touchstarved game #touchstarved mc #ais touchstarved #I feel absolutely feral I want to talk about lyre so Bad #Please Ask Me About My Blorbo #my ocs #lyre the hound

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uraniathegypsy · 10 months

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Touchstarved: Shani Moodboard + Playlist

❤️‍🩹 Transparent Soul - Willow ❤️‍🩹 Guilty Pleasure - Becca ❤️‍🩹 Let the Flames Begin- Paramore ❤️‍🩹 Silver Tounge Devil - Masego, Shenseea ❤️‍🩹 Seek & Destory - SZA ❤️‍🩹 HYPE ZOMBIES - PVRIS ❤️‍🩹 Sometimes - Ariana Grande

(Decided to create a Moodboard + Playlist for my hound!MC inspired by the beautiful moodboards created by @sparrowsupportgroup )

#touchstarved game #touchstarved mc #touchedstarved moodboard #touchstarved playlist #hound!MC

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adastra121 · 5 months

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Elyon: You look like you got dressed in a dump. Hound!MC: And you bully people outside your tax bracket. Elyon: ... Hound!MC: I will rob you. :)

#all the ‘eat the rich’ incorrect quotes are for hound!mc #touchstarved #touchstarved game #touchstarved elyon #touchstarved mc #touchstarved hound #touchstarved hound!mc #incorrect quotes #incorrect quote #source: tumblr

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enavant · 1 year

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VERSE INFO : quick rundown of touchs.tarved verses.

♡ monster verse : jisu is a fox monster with nine tails that she wraps together to form one big, fluffy tail seeming as though the hairs are just braided, adorned with jewels && chains. she works in the amaryllis district at a high end brothel, though tends to lend herself often as a freelance hunter. she's made herself a reputation as an entertainer, an enchanting dancer that captivates her audience with her moves && voice. she's quick witted, flirtatious && kind, with an ethereal feeling to her, yet there's always a subtle sense there's something she can gain from others in interactions, as well as her penchant for thievery && her own survival.

♡ MC verse : jisu grew up fending for herself, falling in with the criminals around her && becoming one herself; those called outcasts were always as a family to her. as an adult, she tried to gain coin any way she could, through thieving or selling herself though she found joy in dancing for entertainment, gathering coin that way yet keeping her distance as best she could. she keeps her hands bandaged && would wear long gloves to cover the bandages whenever she danced.

in childhood, she'd bonded with a group that stuck together, ride or die, scheming heists together && plots to gain wealth for themselves to share. she grew with them && they became a beloved family to her even through adulthood, she figured they'd always be around, curse or not, yet their latest heist ended in betrayal as one friend ratted them out, took most of their coin && left, leading to the others being killed && jisu making an escape, setting off with barely enough to guide her to the senobium in her last hopes to find a cure.

#[ she eats ur heart wyd :flushed: ]#[ i tried to ?? keep her story in tact so a lot of this is very much just her past i have written slapped onto here cause it fit...so well #with the hound like ?????? jfc ]#[ im not super confident so pls correct me if i get anything wrong btw i do be trying but im in burnout so info doesnt stick well rn ]#[ if anyone wants to plot or through ideas at me or anything hmu asndjhdn ]#━━ ❥ verse // touchstarved : mc »#━━ ❥ verse // touchstarved : monster »

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cupcakesmoothie · 1 year

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I did all three backstories for Touchstarved (I have 12 hours on this thing and it's only the demo)

Kuras and Vere don't seem to have red options, but Vere does have a secret ending and Kuras... I don't know, holds you for a bit longer?

For Mhin, it really is just picking The Alchemist backstory. You can call them short or whatever and you'll still get it.

For Leander, you have to take the flowers and keep touching him. It's okay if you hold back the first time even.

For Ais, you gotta tell him fuck you and pet the soulless, and after that red option pretty much all yours.

Differences I found between the three backstories:

It is pretty much like how they tell you, Oracle gets premonitions, Hound has experience with people and survival, and Alchemist has knowledge about magic and science, so there's different things you find out with each one.

The Alchemist:

I may be a little bit biased, but think The Alchemist is the most informative (It's also the first one I picked). There's the expected info of noticing that Vere's collar is enchanted, or knowing about how strong Leander really is when it comes to magic, but it's got the added bonus of MC's mentor having been in the Senobium in the past.

Compared to the others, The Alchemist is more familiar with Senobium, albeit through word of mouth. It's interesting how many times the MC says something similar to "I didn't know the Senobium did that." It calls into question whether MC's teacher was lying, or more interestingly (and what I think might be the case), the Senobium has changed a lot recently. It's talked about, even without the Alchemist backstory, that the Senobium used to be somewhere you could go to for help, but now most of the characters you meet do not like the Senobium, so what changed?

The Hound:

The Hound (the least popular option, apparently) was pretty fun. The Hound notices more about Ais, specifically that he's very suited to be a leader, and that the number of scars he has (one) seems suspicious for his temperament (or "how seasoned he acts", as the MC puts it).

One thing that I found very fun was doing Mhin's route as the Hound. They're somewhat able to keep up! They can (or tried to) recognize tells, and noted that Mhin was one of the few people who was able to sneak up on them. They also weren't sure how Vere managed to get their key. They were also prepared to steal to survive.

The Oracle:

While The Hound notices physical things, the Oracle notices... how do you say, otherworldly things. The Seaspring seems to be hiding a lot (of course it is), but the MC notices a heartbeat. A presence. They feel something from Ais. The name Ocudeus means something, they can feel it. They feel like they can see Ais' tattoo move.

Also, the MC feels something from Mhin and Kuras (in his clinic at least), which is interesting!

If I had to decide which love interest was better with which backstory...

Vere: The fact that the Alchemist thought that they could tell what enchantments were on his collar if only they could touch it feels promising! And both their connections (though I mean connection in the loosest term for MC here) to the Senobium makes it feel like you might very well find something.

The Hound might be one of the few who can actually survive this guy if I'm gonna be honest. (I mean you can still get killed by him but. You know.)

Ais: The Oracle's sixth sense makes going to the Seaspring a lot more interesting compared to the others, and the way they can feel something from Ais is very cool.

The Hound can tell his character better than the others, and I wonder how that will come into play later on.

Kuras: The Alchemist knows their way around spell-crafting and alchemy (When I picked this I wondered if they would be able to help Kuras around the clinic, which doesn't happen, but hey it might).

The Oracle seems to also feel something from him.

Mhin: First things first, their red option literally requires you to have the Alchemist backstory. Mhin's precision is noticed by the other MCs sure, but not to that detail.

Watching the Hound observe where they could be was so fun to watch. It feels like this MC will be able to keep up.

The Oracle feels something from Mhin, something inhuman.

Leander: The Alchemist was able to tell that the flash of magic was a barrier spell, and that most magic (or at least the ones they're familiar with) uses an incantation or spell circle. His didn't.

But either way, there will be things to find no matter the backstory you choose, and all of the character's stories are intertwined, so don't let this dissuade you from a specific backstory! There will always be things to find, you just need to look.

Extra: I found it pretty cool how each MC has a different way of knowing what a Groupmind is. Story-wise this makes sense of course, but each of their reactions to it are slightly different, from I heard this from rumours of people in cults (Hound), to I used to be told I could put people in a groupmind (Oracle), to legends suggest it was possible with a strong enough catalyst but it's never been done before (Alchemist).

Also, it's interesting to know what they each think of surroundings (specifically the Amaryllis district). They all have different opinions from I used to be told bizarre things about this place and now I kinda get it (Alchemist), to it's not that different from the place I grew up in (Hound), to it's VERY different from where I grew up in (Oracle).

And if I'm not mistaken, the reason Vere gives for your desperation is different for all of them!

You can find gameplay from me on my Youtube channel, or watch me getting all the red options and secret ending here:

youtube

I didn't read it out loud cause my mic sorta sucks and sometimes it peaks and gets a bit shrill. Also you see how my mouse moves sometimes? It means I'm screaming. I don't think I'd have been able to keep calm enough for this. Also my reading kinda sucks anyway hope you like it lol

#If you guys watch the 3 hour unedited version and find my friend going online please tell me the timestamp #I cannot find it #There are two and I found one of them #It's a fun little easter egg I guess. If you even care #Touchstarved #Touchstarved game #touchstarved spoilers #I had fun doing this #sweetmountainseeds #Oh btw #I may be wrong #Yes I replayed the game four times #But I might be wrong #There might be things you need/don't need to do #I can't really tell anymore #I mean everything here should be right but do correct me if I'm wrong

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nitrowyverine · 3 days

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Finally played the TOUCHSTARVED Demo! Still thinking about it over a week later.

(Above: Steam banner image for TOUCHSTARVED from Red Spring Studios)

I love it SO MUCH. and i have QUESTIONS. my extended thoughts below the cut [Demo spoilers included]

General thoughts:

this game is SO up my alley that it's insane. local goth gaming nerd is kicking their feet and giggling

the music? and sound design? It's honestly incredible, even beyond the infamous Every Time We Touch cover (Which is how I found this game). We all have to be giving more props to the music/sound work, it absolutely punches the experience up so many notches. When a soundtrack is released I'm immediately keeping it on hand for all my tabletop needs

absolutely enamored with the backstory mechanic. It adds so much individual depth to the character. you can feel attached to your MC without them being a complete blank slate. I absolutely love that different MC backstories have you pick up different details about the characters. (My favorite is The Hound immediately picking out who the leaders are amongst the group, in contrast to the other MC backgrounds)

I wanna eat the backgrounds. I wanna eat them whole. They're so detailed and colorful and have a great sense of depth. 100000/10

Specific character thoughts/theories:

(Images courtesy of the Touchstarved character Lore posts from the Red Spring Studio socials. I'll be linking them in each of the character's names)

Ais:

Thank you, Red Spring studios, for blessing the players with the ability to bite him if you're an ass to him the entire demo. You truly know what we want

Lore seems to indicate that Ais came over from the demon realm for some unknown reason, and was possibly some kind of demon king or leader? Fascinated to learn what happens there

Ngl the Seaspring looks like it would taste good. My favorite raspberry/rhubarb tea looks just like the Seaspring water. Gimme the group juice.

Question: If Ais gets infected with MC's madness....does that mean. the WHOLE groupmind gets infected? Humans and soulless alike? That's a city-destroying disaster waiting to happen

CONCLUSION: Most likely to adopt 6 dogs instead of picking up the groceries. Least likely to let you have the car aux cable.

Kuras:

I do believe Kuras is the actual best shot at a cure/treatment of all candidates. Assuming the curse is some level of demonic, an angel's touch is probably the best bet.

Let me be clear here though, I do think he might just go "Well you can just like. not have arms" and take them. That is a possibility

Most of the other characters I can get a rough idea of what they want and why. Kuras? I have NO idea what his goal is, which is very frightening.

Twitter bio image does say "Repentant Angel", and that his fatal flaw is "his sins can only be repaid through suffering". Possible linkage to Lovent's fall? Or another major disaster?

its okay sweaty we all get The Guilt (tm)

If Kuras somehow gets MC's maddness (I have a feeling it may not effect him? but if it did) that would just. end the world right there.

CONCLUSION: Most likely to be the one guy you might be able to bring home to your parents. Least likely to put on oven mitts to take a frozen pizza out of the oven.

Vere:

I love Vere for being the character I thought I could trust the least, turning into a character I actually trust allot. I trust him to be extremely dangerous. He probably wasn't lying when he said his heart is on his sleeve.

Also, big props for having him just kill you in one of the demo endings. What a guy, I love him, no notes

Wait what he's over 100 according to his birthday post. thats, allot? older? than I thought?. okay yeah the lore posts mention he's a possible deity figure. not comforting

Vere is very fae-logic coded. Like, the words he says can be true and false at the same time. Don't tell him your name, he will cannibalize you for fun, etc etc ya know fae stuff.

i will protect him always

CONCLUSION: Most likely to fuck your dad. Least likely to be your new stepdad.

Mihn:

Mihn is much dodgier than the rest, but I think that makes them more trustworthy. They're not as interested as playing games.

I nominate Mihn as a secondary protagonist, since Leander, Ais, and Kuras seem to be interested in them quite a bit. Even Vere has a rivalmance kinda thing going for Mihn. If MC didn't show up, that would be the dating sim right there

I'm excited by the lore post and the implications that Mihn is from Lovent (or has traveled there? and survived?) and potentially getting greater lore expansion about the world surrounding Eridia

I think it's interesting that their strength stat is relatively low compared to the others, yet they're one of the characters that actually uses their strength in the demo.

Also, I think we see the least of their "monstrous form" of everyone in the demo (minus their ability to dodge in and out of shadows). I'm thrilled to see what their monstrous form actually entails.

Mihn would survive bloodborne. That's it thats the entire thought

CONCLUSION: Most likely to do all the work in a group project. Least likely to be chill during Mario Party.

Leander:

OKAY ALL OF MY QUESTIONS ARE HERE. I AM DEEPLY AFRAID. Something is absolutely wrong but we have no current ability to pinpoint what it is.

I've seen theories Leander is dead. However, in Vere's route, he mentions that Leander smells like aftershave. While this could be part of an extra-elaborate ruse, hair doesn't grow after death (Minus the appearance of it happening due to natural decay processes) so he wouldn't need to shave. However, I am betting on him being involved in some sort of un-death cycle.

actually I can guarantee his story is all about cycles. Has anyone else mentioned how his belt is the triple goddess symbol.

you know. the symbol of maiden/mother/crone. birth/life/death. beginning/middle/end. like

Moving on, the vast majority of his smiles are forced (Mouth is smiling, but there's no eye movement/crinkle that would indicate it's genuine). That is enough of a red flag but honey I am so much more worried about my next point:

WHERE DOES HE GET HIS MONEY. He's constantly buying rounds of drinks for a packed bar. It's briefly mentioned his clothes are nice. He pays for anything MC needs. However, says Bloodhound rates are "Free". Where does he GET HIS MONEY for all of this. Twitter posts from Red Spring point out he doesn't accept bribes (at least overtly).

WAIT I'M REREADING THIS POST WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE SILENT CRYPTS.

Looking again at Leander's stat post. The Ouroboros in the background is. Not comforting. Also, "Forbidden Magic"? yeah I have a feeling we know why he's not in the Senobium

Theory, potentially Leander is currently being paid by the Senobium to maintain lowtown/Silent Crypts order? I think there's still a connection between them. Like the Senobuim can remain detached while having ties to whatever horrible things Leander is doing.

Okay, in the twitter relationship charts it says that Kuras has looked out for Leander "Since he was young". Kuras probably knows. SO much we don't.

When Mihn scolds Leander for not telling MC to be off the streets past dark. I think Leander intentionally "Forgot" to mention that. I think he wanted the MC to see how dangerous Eridia was so MC would stay closer to Leander for safety. I think it was a very intentional manipulation tactic.

(Furthermore, did he actually cast a spell of luck on MC when he gave them the lilies from his introduction magic trick? Then bet on the MC living through the day?)

I do think Leander's surprise at MC going out to the Seaspring was genuine, since his spit-take clashes so starkly with his cool-guy demeanor.

I also have a feeling that Leander has been past the veil/shroud. he's doing something fucky and the veil is prime fuckery territory.

(Are we...going to get a timeloop story????)

CONCLUSION: Most likely to dramatically use himself as a human bridge over a small puddle (as an excuse to get walked on). Least likely to remember to go to bed after playing Stardew Valley for 13 hours straight.

Touchstarved game things I'm concerned about:

(I feel like I wouldn't be doing my game designer duties if I didn't point out my concerns as well. To be fair, there aren't many.)

I hope the bad endings get fucked up, story-wise. Since it's a horror game, I know it might turn some people off to have things go super wrong, but I really hope they do. I want to see some endless pain vortexes, some real Juniji Ito-style suffering. But I would also understand if the devs want to softball some of the worst outcomes for the sake of widespread appeal.

We all have countless examples of kickstarter games looking strong out the gate, but then falling flat upon release. While I have high hopes for Touchstarved, I do know the reality and intense difficulty of kickstarter games. I'm really hoping the demo isn't the best the studio will have to offer.

OVERALL: I am rooting for the Touchstarved team/Red Spring Studio all the way! I'm thrilled to see where this game goes. I am poised on this purchase button and ready to buy when it releases.

#touchstarved game #here's my long winded thoughts on it #tl;dr I love it #the brain worms have me #im going to stop editing this post and finally post it

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