Dusty's Links
They are best friends, and also boyfriends! :D Gabe is an incredibly patient, warm, and gentle guy who appreciates the beauty of life and spontaneity without compromising his mellowness and level-headedness--this makes him a perfect fit for Dusty! He is playful, but calm, steady, and reliable, and he loves to enable Dusty in getting into shenanigans while also keeping a cool enough head to watch his back and be a safe place to fall in case things go wrong. He is unbelievably proud of his partner no matter what, always celebrating all of Dusty's endeavors. Whether he "fails" or succeeds, Gabe views any effort to do something he needs or wants to do--especially if it's challenging or uncomfortable--as a success in itself, and makes sure that Dusty feels supported and understood even when things don't go as he originally planned. His easygoing nature and ability to adapt to (and stay relaxed in) changing situations means they can have a lot of fun together; he can keep up with Dusty partially BECAUSE he isn't as quick-moving and high energy. Gabe is a pretty lax dude, but he genuinely enjoys both participating in/celebrating Dusty's bursts of energy as well as just admiring his partner being so charming and animated. To him, both romantically and platonically, Dusty is bright and ever-moving, like the rays and flares of the sun: a radiant and brilliant person, and a warming presence.
Best friends! Dusty is like a brother to him; they initially bonded over their shared passions (urban exploration, music, photography & filmmaking, respectively, etc.) and are inseparable, spending hours every week talking, shooting, and climbing around places they probably shouldn't be... They go camping and train-hopping together sometimes; Dante knows his way around the rails and can get them pretty far (he travels around a lot and has some solid street smarts when it comes to navigation, as does Dusty) and they are probably at their most comfortable hanging out in the woods or chilling on Gabe's bedroom floor--they're a tight-knit trio! Dante admires Dusty's kindness, curiosity, open-mindedness, and energy/excitement when it comes to learning and sharing. Dante's got quite the sense of wanderlust, and Dusty's sense of adventure and thirst for knowledge make them the perfect duo when it comes to exploring.
Friends! Opal is genuinely in awe of people like Dusty and doesn't understand how they stay so cheerful and laid-back all the time -__- They wish they could be more like him in this way, and they love talking to him since the two of them can keep a conversation evolving in a billion different directions for what feels like forever. They both listen completely to each other, giving their total attention, then are reminded of something by what the other said and respond with a story of their own, keeping things flowing and skipping from topic to topic in a way that feels natural. Dusty has some knowledge of technology, especially when it comes to cameras, and Opal bonds with him over it, always willing to teach him more if he's up for it, as well as seeing parallels between the way he describes the natural world and their understanding of media and technology, which is much more familiar to them. They love to snack and chatter back and forth for ages!
Good friends! She saw a lot of him when they were teenagers; he's best friends with Dante and Gabe (and now dating the latter!) so she's grown to see him almost as another brother figure. She trusts him, knows he would not let anyone hurt her (it helps with her social anxiety to be able to rely on specific people to have her back) and appreciates the earnestness with which he listens, something she is happy to reciprocate! They love urban exploring together, talking about their passions (they have the chillest infodump sessions ever) and she finds a lot of comfort in snuggling with him when he's transformed/a serval! :3
Roommates, and very, very good friends! Clue thinks Dusty is awesome; he's high energy enough to keep up with her, but they both appreciate (and NEED) alone time to refresh, which makes the living situation easy to handle. He's honest, smart, and talkative without ever talking OVER her, and they both deeply respect each other and are happy to look out for each other and be transparent about boundaries. They bond a lot over music (Clue's favorite thing in the world, basically), exploring, DIY clothing customization, and sometimes they organize little trips to the store to "legally obtain" things with Florence... :3 They both care about doing right by other people, but don't see any need to adhere to rules that aren't made to benefit... well, people! They don't see it as disrespectful; to them, it's as simple as this: if the rules aren't serving the people they're meant to serve, then maybe it's time to play by different rules. They are both thoughtful, communicative people and Clue appreciates that they can lay out rules of their own, rules that work for THEM, (and change those rules if needed) both for their living situation and their friendship as a whole!
Friends! Their shared love of nature and art gives them a lot to bond over, and Poppy appreciates that Dusty shows such an interest in her artistic process (which, for her, begins the moment she steps foot outside to hunt down materials to make her paints and dyes with). She loves his photography and learning more and more about nature from him, especially when it comes to mushrooms--she's always known more about flowers, so she's delighted to keep learning! Poppy often sketches Dusty to warm up, especially when they're hanging out, and she's drawn to expressive, energetic people when it comes to her portraits! She and Dusty go foraging together, and sometimes hang out in a big group when Poppy, Florence, and Opal come to visit Clue, who lives with Dusty! They treat him like a celebrity guest :3
Childhood friends! they grew up glued at the hip, and when Dustys family moved away, Dusty and Dae kept in touch as penpals, until they were able to reconnect fully!
I think if I was asked again what I thought of that moss we saw back then... I would say I like that it gave me my BFFFL!! :3c
Friends. Dutch likes Dusty a lot; he's non-judgmental, a good listener, and interesting to talk to. He explains things with the heartfelt but precise expertise of someone who is passionate about what they're sharing, and can recognize Dutch's follow-up questions and continued presence (he'll sort of just end a conversation and Leave if he's not having a good time) as genuine Engagement. He's grateful that Dusty realizes that he's listening and retaining it all, and because he's such a curious guy, Dusty sometimes takes an interest in what Dutch has to say, which is rare for him to experience; he's quiet enough that most people don't see how observant, intelligent, introspective, and educated he is, but Dusty, as always, is thoughtful enough to pick up on the quiet, beautiful things in the world as well as the louder, more showy ones.
Friends! She thinks he's chill as hell. He's got a good sense of humor (he's just an entertaining and lighthearted guy :3) and is smart and curious, which is always cool with her! They both are clever and good at explaining things, and Georgie picks things up quickly enough (and has a good enough memory) that she can continue to retain and build on knowledge she gets from his infodump sessions, often bringing them up later after doing a bit of research of her own. He's always welcome to visit her and Kryst! She thinks he's a good dude and is happy to have his company any time :]