#smooch token

Vessel is like a shelter cat, before he falls in love. Normally, he’s very quiet. Reserved, only talks when he’s asked a direct question, and doesn’t really get into it, he’ll shut down. He’s learned that it’s usually easier that way; staying quiet. But he gets comfortable. He avoids seeking out people if he doesn’t have a reason to, and no, missing his Brothers because he’s isolated in his library is not good enough. He’s cautious and avoidant. But when he falls in love, it’s like a switch flips, and he doesn’t notice. He starts seeking you out. Trailing after you like a duckling(if ducklings were thirty times the height), seeking out whichever room you were in just to say nothing and sit somewhere nearby you. And he doesn’t have a reason, so his mind is screaming and asking him “why” he’s doing what he’s doing makes him freeze up and abandon the room. But he’ll get more comfortable eventually, he’ll stop feeling like he needs a reason to seek you out, he’ll silence the thoughts saying that this is improper of a leader to be doing. And he’ll just sit there at first. One day, he’ll carry in a book he likes to read to himself. Or a song he’s working on, with all his papers and notebooks. He won’t really talk about what he’s doing, he doesn’t want to start a conversation. He just wants to be next to you. But he will answer questions if you have them, and his responses will start getting longer and more detailed. A long time later, because Vessel knows what hurt feels like and is slow to trust, he’ll start talking. Asking about what you think of Arcadia. Dumb things to get his mouth moving. Then he’ll ask about you. Actually. “What is that, that you are doing?” He’ll never say “I want to know more about it” out loud, but the leaning in he does it and the way he pays attention when you speak about it and show off says volumes more than his words could. Speak for him, fill the silence. Show him you’re happy around him and his nonexistent tail is wagging a mile a minute. He’ll start showing you around his favorite spots of the manor and the gardens, he’ll become vulnerable with you and speak about himself beyond his interests, he’ll seek you out when he needs comfort. He’ll show you what he’s writing, bring you into recording sessions; his most vulnerable parts of himself. Of course, nobody will ever become more of his lover or trusted person than II, but you can get pretty close. Speaking of II, being close with him is a major factor for Vessel’s troubled mind. You get along with II? II likes you? The two people he likes most are close and friendly and maybe more with each other? That solidifies you as a safe person in his mind. All Vessel needs is trust, safety, comfort, and someone to help strengthen him. He often doesn’t even recognize it’s what he needs or that he’s finding it in you. Oblivious king.

II is pretty aware of himself and what he feels, so there’s a very brief period of him unknowingly being in love. During that time, though, he gets protective. He has his spot at the table, his specific seat in the library, his bench in the garden. He doesn’t change this ever; he doesn’t feel the need to. You notice that, obviously you do. And you most likely have your preferred seats, as well. II in love changes that routine, that pattern. Changes his internal seating chart to be next to you. Sitting beside you, standing next to you, acting like your personal body guard. Not that there’s anything to protect you from in Arcadia, but he lets himself feel needed. He won’t follow you around, he’s got things to attend to, duties to perform, practice to do, but in his downtime he likes standing by. He likes to tend to you, too. Like I said in my sick hcs, he’s a mother hen at heart! He likes caring for his Siblings, for his lovers. Doesn’t matter what or how, he’s taking care of you if you let him(and sometimes if you don’t and he decides you need it). Laundry taken care of, tidying up in your room done, instruments you have are tuned and polished, tools you need for your duties assembled, organized, and ready to go. Most of the time you won’t even see him do it. II will just think to himself “this needs doing, and it hasn’t been done,” and he’ll do it without a word. It’s what he does for Vessel, his closest friend, his Brother, his partner in everything. He recognizes these patterns pretty quickly, recognizes the relation between what he’s doing for you and what he does for Vessel, recognizes these actions, thoughts, and feelings he has about and for Vessel are also directed towards you, and comes to terms with his attraction to you. Again, quickly. Emotionally aware king, truly. But there will be some unsure moments, he doesn’t really know what to do with his hands as we’ve seen, so actually showing emotion through touch is awkward and clunky for him.

III knows. Immediately. He’s quick to gain feelings, it’s his fatal flaw, he’s self destructive. He gets comfortable quickly. There will be the talking stage, which is him meeting you. Friendship is forced onto you within days, that’s just how he is. Romantic feelings are a month or so away. And he knows, he knows what this fluttering in his gut is, he knows what these hot cheeks and ears are a result of, he knows what this craving for being around you is. III wants you to return the feelings, obviously. Join the polycule, love him too! He’ll do the most to get you there, he’s not shy about it or slow with it. He’ll be taking you out into the woods with him, show you around. He’ll talk for hours to, at, or with you. He’ll find trinkets around Arcadia to gift you, he’ll make things, he’ll draw(which I hc him to be wonderful at; in this AU he’s the one who’s drawn the singles covers for TMBTE and TPWBYT), he’ll collect things that remind you of him in the human realm during tours, he’ll have jam sessions with you, he’ll teach you to play his instruments, he’ll take you on sappy walks through the halls and gardens.. III wants you to fall as hard for him as he has for you. His inspiration on how to do it comes from fairy tales and movies, something you’d assume is probably unsuccessful, but he’s dating his three closest mates, isn’t he? And a deity, technically sort of kinda?

IV is just an oblivious puppy. My favorite doll to hurt, and this will continue. I’m playing with my dolls. IV falls slowly for you, and probably doesn’t recognize it until someone else points it out to him, may it be you or one of his Brothers. Maybe even Sleep himself, since the deity is very approving of His children loving each other. But IV is oblivious. He’ll catch himself gazing at you, always having a sweet compliment to give, face flushing around you, close proximity making him giddy. He’s a loverboy, a romantic at heart, but before he recognizes his feelings, he’s a sucker, plain and simple. Have we seen the way he gazes at Espera during rituals? Leaning against where they stand, head tilted back, adoration in his eyes. You’re gorgeous to him, plain and simple, but he doesn’t know where to go from there. Yeah, you’re pretty, he’ll tell himself. But that’s just it, right? You’re just.. Wow. His heart’s beating kinda fast. He’ll keep pace with you when you walk, nodding along, baby blues sparkling at you, ignore how he almost walked into that doorway, he’s stuffed his hands into his pockets like he’s in an Archie comic. May as well have that dopey smile and hearts floating around his head. But he’s completely oblivious to his own feelings. He’s unsure of himself, constantly, and these emotions are just another part of that. Yeah, he felt them towards his Brothers, still does! But.. is this the same as that? How should he know? He needs some lessons from II, seriously.