#loml ...

briar and relationships huh? i don't feel it's too complicated honestly; any complexity comes from circumstance and where he's at. while he's on pena/cony there's going to be a... difficulty to them. he simply cannot commit 100% to anything long term. because in the end, most people he meets within the dream, are always temporary fixtures. guests of the family, meaning they will leave. so developing any kind of attachment is going to be a challenge. despite his nature, being so in the moment, and so unpredictable and reckless in his faith-- he does not deal well with separation and abandonment. not as well as he wants you to think, anyway.

of course, this does not mean briar cannot fall in love. that he cannot develop feelings for people who do come and go. sometimes there just isn't anything to be done for it. he's a romantic, he loves to feel loved, and is about as touch starved as any other character in the cast line. he flirts, he plays, he knows they're going to leave. but still enjoys himself anyway. and usually he doesn't feel too bad about it later. though there are some... rare exceptions to that. and those exceptions eat him up for days, even weeks sometimes. they leave him sour, thankful that his work is rarely within public view. where he will not effect the enjoyment of others.

would he choose love or affection over duty? maybe. sometimes. it's very dependent on where briar is at in his life. depends on who it is, the nature of their relationship-- how desperate he is at the time. choosing another, over what his entire life has been, is a very... very big deal. because not only is briar afraid of consequences involving the family... he's also... very indebted to them. in particular to the oak family, and his place within it. even for someone he is deeply in love with, there will always be a moment of hesitation. to consider if it... really is what he wants.