Touch

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TOUCH MEME

From birth, human beings are wired to touch and to be touched. Whether it's a warm embrace or a reassuring hand on the shoulder, touch is an integral part of human interaction and creating bonds. Not all forms of touch are created equal however. Some are gentle and uplifting while others can be discouraging or even harmful, so one should always be mindful of the unspoken messages they intend to convey to those around them.

how to play

• Comment with your character and preferences.
• Others reply with one or multiple prompts.
• Profit!

prompts

01. With love.
02. With hatred.
03. With relief.
04. With uncertainty.
05. With happiness.
06. With a promise.
07. With an apology.
08. For comfort.
09. For good luck.
10. For encouragement.
11. On a scar.
12. On a falling tear.
13. On a bruise or injury.
14. After a tough day.
15. After a nightmare.
16. After an argument.
17. Because they are dying.
18. In a moment of worry.
19. In a moment of anger.
20. In a moment of sadness.
21. Out of annoyance.
22. Out of possessiveness.
23. To say good morning or good night.
24. To protect.
25. To keep warm.
26. To say hello or goodbye.
27. Wildcard option.

source

Comments

13/18

[fromsprouts]

You took that headbutt pretty hard. Here, let me see.

[That isn't a request; Umemiya is already reaching out towards Sakura's bloody nose, because he wants to check if it's broken.

They have the time for that, now. Bofurin won the fight.]

[climb]

[ truth is it hurts more than sakura will admit. but he's had way worse and he was alone then. and then old habit has him recoiling, tense. his vision swims from the abrupt movement, betraying him.

softer than he means to, he mumbles a little, giving voice to his defensiveness. ]


's fine...I've had worse.


[ tightly coiled tension lingers, but he stops trying to lean away. ]

[fromsprouts]

I don't doubt that. You've fought hard, before coming to Furin.

[Umemiya is proud of Sakura, and that comes out in his voice as he makes a cursory examination of his face. Gentle, so very gentle, even with his own knuckles covered in the blood of their adversaries.]

It'll bruise, but I don't think you'll need a doctor this time. Still, let's clean you up, bandage the worst of it.

[climb]

[ his face heats up under umemiya's hands. it's too much to hope the dirt and blood totally hides it, probably. ]


W...what about the others?


[ his vision is still blurry, so he asks. aside from his nose, even the cut on his side is inconsequential to sakura. anxiety plucks at him like a cat's fur on end. he tried really hard to keep a handle on things so no one else got too hurt but now he's not sure. and if they need treatment he'd rather they come first. ]

[fromsprouts]

Sugishita twisted an ankle. Probably just a sprain, nothing broken. Suo's going to have some bruises on his neck, one of the assholes tried to choke him out. Nirei's scared, but he'll be fine.

Your class did well.

[There's a reason Nirei's status is given explicitly, despite him not being injured. Umemiya's already noticed that he and Suo are the closest friends Sakura has.]

...do you need to sit down? I can watch your back, if you need a moment.

[climb]

[ it's true. they did well. sakura makes a soft sound of agreement, and there's a definite lowering of his shoulders as umemiya goes through each of the names. overall, people are okay. his breaths come a bit easier, tension and anxiety; worry; bleeding out.

but shaking his head 'no' to umemiya's question is a mistake. he sways and the world threatens to turn upside-down on him. if sakura were still alone, he would just sit down and wait it out. in the past, he had. sometimes only to end up worse off as vultures would find him. lowest of the low.

he's still getting used to this not being the case here. rather the opposite. maybe that's why some of his well buried and shackled weaknesses keep surfacing: his subconscious knows he's not alone. not anymore. ]

[fromsprouts]

Right, that's not a question, or even a request anymore. Sit down.

[He sees how unsteady Sakura is on his feet, and places a hand on his shoulder heavily.]

I've got you. I've got your class. You're safe now, so let me take charge for the moment. Okay? I promise, nothing bad will happen to anyone else tonight.

[climb]

[ the hand on his shoulder being enough to have sakura doing as he's told is...more damning than anything else. it shows how close he was to folding up on the spot. his head lowers, not quite ashamed but not used to this still. there's blood from his nose but also some wound on his head, tinging the white of his hair pinkish. nothing new. ]

Sorry...

[ he mumbles, resolving to get stronger, which always seems to be the case, but he hopes he can make good on it. he owes these people, this place. he has to do better. ]

[fromsprouts]

As if you have anything you ought to be sorry for. Sakura, you never cease to amaze me.

[Once he's sitting, Umemiya's hand moves from shoulder to head, checking for that hidden scalp wound. Those things always bleed like springs of water, but he'll feel better knowing that it isn't in need of stitches.]

[climb]

[ he flinches a little, not because he doesn't trust him but out of old habit. he makes himself relax as much as he can though, gaze shuttered at the ground. ]


I don't...I don't get it.


[ why umemiya is amazed by him. why he's so patient. also loud and a bit of a weirdo but those things sakura doesn't really question. still...amaze? today others got hurt which is inevitable in what they do...he knows better than most. even so, he dislikes it. sniffing a little he grimaces. yeah the blood taste won't go away for a while probably. ]

[fromsprouts]

[Umemiya slides to a seat beside Sakura, once he's satisfied stitches won't be necessary.]

Do you want me to try to explain it? Or save it for later, when your head isn't throbbing?

[climb]

[ he doesn't say anything for a while, but it's obvious even through the dirt and grime that there's a blush there. ]

...no....'s fine.

[ which is more to say he's not sure he could handle a detailed explanation about such a thing. the smaller daily kindnesses still send him reeling sometimes. ]

[fromsprouts]

[It's not fine, and hasn't been for most of Sakura's life, and that is the point in a lot of ways. But Umemiya nods, moving to put himself slightly in front of Sakura like he's playing bodyguard.]

Sure.

I'll let you know when it's time to move.

[climb]

'kay...

[ it says a lot about how crappy sakura is feeling that he notices umemiya move in front of him a bit but doesn't connect the dots as to why. instead, his head drops forward a little. still dizzy. kind of drowsy feeling. but he hasn't gotten concussions from much worse encounters, so he's sure this is negligible. he just needs rest. but for that he has to be able to get up and go home.

the blush on his face reaches the tips of his ears, and every time his mind presents him with the way umemiya so easily complimented him, he pushes it away out of self preservation. it's not that he doesn't believe him. umemiya is honest, and he likes that. the straightforwardness.

but when it's about sakura himself, it's harder to process.

not meaning to, sakura's eyes shut, spacing out for the next few moments. ]

[fromsprouts]

[As Umemiya realizes that Sakura's about to pass out, there's a hand on his shoulder. It's not like Furin students don't know what a concussion looks like. Most of them have dealt with one at some point or another.]

You can't fall asleep right now. You took a hit to the head, right?

[climb]

[ the warmth of umemiya's hand on his shoulder is enough to momentarily snap sakura back to awareness, eyes opening, face flushing a little deeper even as he frowns at the ground like it offended him personally. he shrugs but the motion is barely-there. ]

...yeah but usually...

[ he trails off. well. what he always used to do was run off to lick his wounds in private, which often meant falling asleep even after a head injury. in a lot of ways sakura is lucky actually, that he didn't end up a lot worse. now that he has someone, multiple someones, looking out for him, he's still learning he doesn't have to do things like he 'used' to. if he could get over being so self conscious about it all, it would probably feel...nice. ]

[fromsprouts]

Sakura, at some point you're going to realize the 'usually' you came from kind of sucked.

[Umemiya is already considering the matter of overnight care for Sakura. Probably Nirei or Suo. He trust those two to be vigilant. If, perhaps, frenetic in the former case.]

[climb]

I mean yeah...

[ not articulate but no one really expects that of him. he can't quite manage better right now anyway with his head swimming. he slumps forward a little, not meaning to. some of this must be from not sleeping well the night before, he's sure. if he knew umemiya was considering asking nirei or suo to watch him, he'd object, but he can't exactly stop them either. ]