#before you comment 'SOMEONE PLEASE HUG REGIS' consider: maybe he doesn't want to be hugged and is perfectly content being friends w/o touch

[hanzajesthanza]

touch as a means of platonic affection in the hansa

i wanted to compile a comprehensive list of every time the members of geralt's hansa hold each other, grasp hands, hug, kiss, cuddle, etc... so i could analyze dynamics and patterns (if there are any). note that this is from what i remember, but i also checked scenes i wasn't certain of, to make sure i wasn't missing anything.

list of touch as communication:

geralt holds dandelion by the shoulders (the last wish) and places a hand on his shoulder (toc ch 5)

to apologize to geralt for offending him about ciri, milva gives him a kiss on the cheek. geralt then asks dandelion and milva to cuddle (bof ch 2)

cahir offers to cuddle milva for warmth and reassurance when they're both afraid sitting by the river ina (bof ch 5)

when they meet zoltan’s company again, they and geralt go around shaking hands and hugging each other (bof ch 7)

dandelion tugs geralt’s sleeve to flee from the battle of the bridge on the jaruga (bof ch 7)

not touch persay, but when dandelion admonishes cahir for trying to read his writing over his shoulder during the night by the fire, cahir quickly moves his bedroll and belongings nearer to milva (ttos ch 3)

when milva is angered, geralt holds her arm (ttos ch 5)

when milva apologizes to angoulême, she does so through a wordless hug (ttos ch 5)

geralt asks dandelion for a kiss before the company leaves for castle stygga (lotl ch 4)

i'm not counting touch as a necessity — to save someone’s life or care for them in a medical sense — so this discounts geralt carrying dandelion to the saddle and giving him a makeshift dressing (bof ch 5), regis dressing dandelion's head wound properly (bof ch 5), regis caring for the girl from the camp’s burns and carrying and giving medical care to milva (bof ch 7), geralt supporting cahir on his back and dressing his head wound (ttos ch 6), and angoulême trying to lift geralt when he collapsed from pain in his knee (ttos ch 7). i'm also not counting touch as aggression — mainly, the fight which break out between geralt and cahir, and milva breaking it up with her belt (ttos ch 5).

analysis and conclusions:

geralt and dandelion are closer than the rest are to one another, which makes sense because they have known each other a much longer time and are best friends

milva apologizes through immediate, intentional touch (a kiss, a hug) which seems driven by impulsive reaction of what "needs to be done," opposed to a thoughtful consideration

cahir favors milva, associating safety with her, which makes sense due to milva's defense of him to geralt

regis doesn't hug anybody, does not enact touch unless it's for medical or life-saving purposes. regis and milva continue to be exact opposites of words vs action, philosophical vs physical

angoulême is hugged by milva, but also does not enact touch unless it's for life-saving purposes