going to shake things up, and ask about Copper and Gold, Ghost and Haze, and Pup and Cherry, for the how they are around strangers, friends and someone very close to them🤭
Copper! Around strangers, Copper comes off...suspicious. Someone to be wary of. A bit of a punk, snarky and witty, but not too outspoken otherwise, not the type to run his mouth. A bit of a flirt, but depending one might not be able to tell if her was flirting or threatening them. Not much of a conversationalist, though if in a setting that's comfortable for him, he may be more inclined to join in, even if it's mostly just to listen.
Friends...does he have those? /j For all his teasing and occasionally mean spirited ways, Copper can also actually relax sometimes. Giving off less of a watchful air and more genuinely laid back, he’s also much more inclined to crack jokes, though they're usually at someone else's expense. More talkative in general honestly, though not to the degree of rambling, more so that he just keeps up with whatever is being talked about.
Can be persuaded into doing things...sometimes. But he far prefers keeping that bar low lol
Though, with those genuinely close to him? As much as he resents it, he would absolutely bend over backwards for them. He might be a total pain in the ass about it, depending, but he'll still be there regardless. Likewise, they're the most likely to see him in an actual calm and sincere state.
He’s not much of a talker, but for him to be quiet because he’s comfortable is a very different kind of quiet. Though sometimes he'll ramble to them, every now and again, especially if he’s distracted by something else. Nothing too big or serious, maybe a story about something that happened recently or a new thing he learned.
He's actually...a little like Edge when he’s truly at ease around someone. Doesn't feel he needs to put up a mask so much, more open in expression and words. More genuine.
Gold! With strangers, he’s...intense. He may smile and introduce himself but rest assured it doesn't read as friendly at all. It almost feels like he’s laughing at them, even if they haven't given him a reason to, even though he doesn't laugh. Maybe unnerving would be a good word, and he carries himself in a way that often makes others feel they're being condescended to, but then the way he speaks, friendly and...keenly, lessens that enough others are still usually intrigued enough to keep talking to him.
With friends though, well, he has "high standards" for those he associates with, they usually have to share interests with him as he’s definitely more the type to seek out like company than otherwise, so typically he’s not much different, aside from being a bit more relaxed and open with how he speaks.
Then with those close to him, well, no matter how long he’s known someone, he finds himself off kilter around someone he trusts. They're more likely to see him emote more, show his frustration, annoyance, amusement more easily.
Unfortunately though, he’s very self isolating, so they likely still wouldn't know details of his past or anything he keeps close to the chest, but just being able to...take his mask off, a little, does help. He’s also significantly more likely to actually listen to and make an effort to understand people on this level, which is really saying something considering how...unreceptive he can be.
Ghost. He gets so exclamation point bc he makes my ass exhausted. /lh around strangers, he might as well not even be there, besides the somewhat ominous presence he provides. He’s quiet, blank, and typically never engages or returns efforts to include him in a conversation or activity. He’s mostly just...around. And unless someone's causing a problem for someone he cares about, he’s perfectly "happy" to keep to himself.
Honestly, I'm not sure if there really would be much room for anything between close friends and strangers with him. He’s not going to treat someone very differently from a stranger beyond like, knowing they aren't a threat if he’s been around them enough to come to that conclusion, and therefore not scrutinizing them so closely.
Though, with enough time, patience, and dedication, sometimes someone winds up worming their way into his heart. Those close to him know that, while he doesn't emote much, he’s not quite as emotionless as he comes across. He can be playful, bratty even, and sometimes can be convinced to participate in a prank. He’s...considerate, and looks out for those he cares for in his own ways. For as stoic as he is, there's a soft side only these select few will ever see, and not dissimilar to Copper, he'd do just about anything for those he loves.
Haze! He exasperates me too tbh but what's wrong with him is generally funnier to me <3 With strangers he’s...abrasive, to say the least. Standoffish, quick to an insult, he holds himself in high regard and doesn't appreciate others trying to "bring him down to their level", be it trying to pick a fight or participate in something he sees as "beneath him". Harsh, critical, and generally cold.
Friends though, well, it takes a special type to be stubborn enough to put up with him lol, but of those, they'd come to see someone who...does have a sense of humor, even if it is rather cruel, and someone who maybe cares more than he lets on..?
While he typically doesn't like socializing, it is an important aspect of securing your position in society, and can, on occasion, be convinced to join in, so long as he feels his company is at least somewhat at a level of trust with him, however tentative.
And then with those close to him...it's almost night and day. He wears himself much more thin than he typically lets on, and when around someone he feels he can really trust, he finally lets himself unwind. He’s much more quiet, reserved. Can still be a bit harsh, but the incredibly deep seated exhaustion becomes apparent. He holds so tightly onto control it aches in him to let it go for a little while, and those closest to him would be the only ones allowed to see such weakness. Similarly to...well, most of the others, he's not much of a talker, but silent support helps...more than he'd ever admit.
He is also incredibly protective of the few that mean that much to him. Maybe a little too much at times. But it's...really the only way he’s comfortable showing he cares.
Pup! With strangers, Pup tends to be a bit reserved. Quieter than Copper, but without the lurking intensity of Ghost. Too apathetic seeming to really come across as shy, but the mannerisms are similar. Some might describe him as aloof, while others might describe him as distracted. He might chip in to a conversation now and again, but he typically seems more interested in most anything else than socializing.
With friends though, he’s not quite so inward. More open to joking, teasing, but there almost seems to be an unshakable air of distance around him. Even if he’s smiling or reads as relaxed, there's a crack in the facade that makes them aware that's what it is. Maybe it makes him seem mysterious, or maybe it makes him seem lonely.
It's hard to say that mask comes down entirely for even those closest to him. To some degree it seems it's become a part of him, instinct to respond the ways he’s trained himself to. But with those he’s close with, he’s at least more honest, both with them and himself.
He’s also more likely to be a little more talkative, even sometimes touching on more personal things, but he still far prefers being a listener. Being around people he can truly be at ease with recharges him in a way little else does. And even if he’s not quite as intense as...many of his alternates, he’s a loyal friend, once someone's reached such a level of trust.
Cherry! He’s honestly almost a perfect split between Gold and Haze, not quite as "friendly", nor brisk, but still a bit haughty and impatient. He comes across uptight and easily annoyed, yet it's rare to see him truly upset. And while he’s still rather antisocial, it seems more it's because he’s always rushing off to something more important. A busy guy, it would appear...
His friends know this is because he is! While he doesn't typically like disclosing much about himself besides the occasional point of bragging rights, he's more open and honest to those he bothers actually keeping up with. What he’s up to, why he "won't be wasting time" on this or that, and sometimes, on the rare occasion, a normal conversation about a shared interest!
Once he's calmed down a bit, he’s not quite so. Abrasive, as he may seem at first, but he still doesn't give off any sort of easy going energy haha
Not even with those he’s close to. He tends put himself on a pedestal, even with those he trusts, because it just feels...easier, to him. Than the hassle of emotional vulnerability and weakness. He doesn't have the time or bandwidth to deal with that, they can glean whatever they like from the time they spend together and conversations (and they'd likely glean he is very tired and very stressed and very annoyed by how much he can't not be those things without only feeling worse-), but he likely won't be going out of his way to have a heart to heart...ever.
That doesn't stop him from being incredibly nosey though. It's how he looks after those he cares about, even if he can be a little, ah, overzealous, at times.
