Positive portrayals of fictional characters with touch aversion

[sqbr]

So! I just made this anxiety related icon, and would like a similarly cheerful icon about being touch averse (and specifically, not liking hugs)

Thinking about it, while I had a number of sympathetic anxious characters to choose from I can't think of any positive portrayals of people being being touch averse in a good natured "this is just how I am" way, it's all grumpy messed up people like Fenris. Can anyone else think of any examples? Closest I can think of is Rogue, who is polite about telling people not to touch her or they'll die, but I'd rather someone less wracked with angst.

Comments

[hope]

It's been a while since I watched it, and I only watched the first season, but didn't Parker in Leverage have a touch aversion thing? That seemed to be just another element over her overall 'quirky' awesomeness?

[sqbr]

HMM. I haven't watched Leverage in a while but that does ring a bell.

[softestbullet]

There was a great moment in a recent episode where Parker didn't hug someone, and the not-hugging was epic and emotional and great. :D

[sqbr]

It is now on my to-watch list :)

[softestbullet]

Hmm! The only character I can think of is Abed from Community -- it's not canonical exactly, but he's def. awkward about touch when he's not playing a character, and sometimes in fic he's touch-averse and it's just normal. For example, Intro to Public Relations:

Troy sighed again. "Abed," he said, because no one had said Abed's name yet this week, and it was important that the viewers knew who Abed was. "I'm sad about the date we had two weeks ago."

Abed looked at him. "Do you need a hug?" he said. He raised one hand and with two fingers beckoned for Annie to come over, then pointed at Troy. "I traded Annie two Milky Ways and a box of Peeps for all my physical contact duties this week," he explained.

"Yes," Troy said. Mmm, hug. Annie was so warm and sweet. It was like being wrapped in a blanket of elbows and love. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Annie said. "I also accept Reese's Pieces."

And here is a gif of Abed enduring a hug.

Your icon is super cute and I wish my worry hat had such good stats. :)

[sqbr]

This gives me further reason to watch more Community! :)

[softestbullet]

Aw, I hope you like it if you do! It's so fucked up in a lot of ways, but there's a lot to love about it.

[whatistigerbalm]

IDK, I kinda liked Cuzco's "no touchy!" in The Emperor's New Groove. I know he's not supposed to be sympathetic but... I like him.

[sqbr]

I liked him, but from what I remember it read as part of his arrogance to me: "I am too awesome to be touched by the likes of you!"

[kaz]

Ooooh! I... cannot think of any. And I think Rogue is if anything sort of a counter-example - it's not that she doesn't /want/ to be touched, it's that she wants to be but /can't/. In fact, I read her angst-wracked-ness as reinforcing the whole "touch is the most important thing ever" thing.

I've actually been writing a character who's touch-averse and finding myself having to work really hard not to backslide on that in certain scenes - especially to do with comfort. It seems as if I automatically want to use a script where both of the participants find things like hugs etc. good and calming - which is doubly frustrating since that script wouldn't work for me either.

[sqbr]

Yeah, she kind of is.

I had the same issue writing a canonically (and grumpily) touch-averse character. With me I think it's partly because if I do enjoy a hug it's a sign I'm feeling really comfortable with that person (though the reverse is not always true) so "and then they hugged" is an easy way to say "and then they were really comfortable with each other" (of course it doesn't have the same meaning to most readers) But also there's just all that weight of every other story about characters who like being hugged, it's much harder to come up with your own script.

[inkedfeathers]

Yeah, this post is old, but Tory/Toui from the Deoxys Pokemon movie initially seems to hate/fear Pokemon, but he actually cares for them, he just can't stand touching them because he was caught in the middle of a stampede as a little kid.

... yeah, slightly dark backstory, but he's not angsty. He's sweet, very shy, but cheerful and kind. He bakes cookies and stuff! ;3;

[sqbr]

Thanks, that sounds cool, I'll look into him!