courtney eaton. she/they. demigirl. › spotted at the met steps , kiera aurora "rory" briar , most likely listening to the lakes by taylor swift with their airpods pro . the twenty two gained quite a reputation , known to be -aimless yet +adventurous to anyone who knows them . you'll easily spot them when you hear about ink stained fingers from jotting down thoughts in a leather notepad, calluses on her fingertips due to years of playing the bass guitar, years worth of books scattered around a shoebox apartment, trips to england with the rest of the money she has, curly hair that can't be tamed, followed by santal blush by tom ford . latest nepoupdates article talks about how her grandparents spent all her family's fortune when her parents were young and they'd been living like middle class citizens , but i guess any reputation is good reputation .
📍 pinterest. 🎸 playlist. ✍️ written by rory briar (playlist).
born from the greats, with great grandparents akin to hemingway / jane austen / fitzgerald / emily dickinson level of both fame, talent, and careers - one would assume the briars would've been the epitome of the american dream perfected.
except it doesn't work out like that.
reality paints a different picture for the briars. because, while her great-grandparents once stood shoulder to shoulder with literary luminaries, her grandparents forced the family fortune to plummet when they indulged in a lavish lifestyle and high-stakes gambling.
rory was lucky with her parents, who embodied the determination and resourcefulness to climb their way to a modest middle-class status through book restoration, odd jobs, and various contract assignments. they have a good base. not perfect, but somewhere to start off from. still, she does grabble with this contrast between the initial promise of a legacy and the stark divergence it takes from the expected pinnacle of success.
she tries to keep her life modest; doesn't want money and privilege getting to her head, and honestly ? it's working. while her imposter syndrome is awful, she doesn't feel any guilt for the life she's living. they're surrounded by love, people they care about, and the opportunities to see things and do what they love, including traveling to where her great-grandparents grew up. she does want more, but - she's content with what she has. for now. after all - rory hasn't been to therapy ( LMFAO ), and there's still a lot to unpack - and their impulsive tendencies show it.
SOMETHING EXTRA !
she hates her full name. it's too feminine, too in a box of something they'll never be. the only people allowed to call her aurora or keira are her family members.
unapologetic 80s enthusiast. particularly adores the era's horror films and if she could ever write something like stranger things? they'd be honored.
the bass guitar. as mentioned below, in her harlowe connection, rory does have a musical ear - she just can't sing ( or doesn't want to really try ). so while they write music, they play the bass guitar too.
the lakes. to make a little money, besides odd jobs, including retail & other customer service jobs - she ghost writes pop songs. and she's not proud of it, so she doesn't speak about it. one of the ones she is proud of, though, is the lakes. ( a taylor swift song, but for the sake of rp, saying it's just some random folk artist ) she does write obnoxious pop songs, though - catapulting one-hit wonders to the billboard top 100 for industry insiders and even moreprivileged individuals.
a hippie childhood. her parents were hippies. she's a product of her parents. it is what it is.
TAKEN CONNECTIONS:
the cousin. we all know kaylee and courtney are copy & pastes of each other, so we took it, and ran with it. their moms were probably sisters. the two would constantly prank family members, friends, teachers, and were tied to the hip. rory learned bass guitar bc harlowe learned drums. she just wanted to do the same typa thing harlowe did. ( @harlcwes )
the weed guy crush. it's exactly what it sounds like, at first, everything was transactional. a text for a gram, the occasional happy holiday or birthday, another text for a gram ... until they met at a music festival, hung out, snuck somewhere they shouldn't be, got high - and maybe there was a small spark there, too ! ( @delicatlueur - joey )
he's always down to smoke. her go to guy to get stoned with ? none other than the great laurie st claire himself. ( @stclaires )
shoot the shit. someone who matches her energy effortlessly ? has to go to trix ! they can talk about anything, anytime, and anywhere. rory feels very comfortable around her, almost like a sister from another mother. ( @bcatrixs )
late night adventures. benny is the go to person who's always up when they are , always down for a trip to the local swing set, sitting down by the ocean. rory is a bit ... loose lipped around benny, intoxicated or now. ( @rainforum )
WANTED CONNECTIONS:
two more roommates in a small new york shoebox apartment. i imagine they get along, watch shows together, get high or drunk. kinda like the siblings none of them ever had ! they're close and get along and communicate, so there's no conflict in the apartment for long periods of time. also, they adopted two street cats with rory, who happened to be maine coons. basically ? they're family.
childhood best friend. basically raised together - though i would love some tension, perhaps your muse’s parents don’t like rory’s parents bc they’re big hippies?? like rory always came to class smelling like the devil’s lettuce and they didn’t even smoke like that … back then - and now she partakes on the daily, or your muse dated someone who didn’t like rory, we could do a falling out if you want, etc. would likely have similar interests ( the same music, film, literature genres ), but would love to see unexpected dynamics with how they interact with each other !
exes. doesn't really do situationships or flings, but they certainly date around - and have relationships ! maybe her affinity for liking weed a little too much scared them off, or her lack of care for the rich and famous, etc. come end nicely, others bad, etc.
go to party friends. they need people who can be on the same level as them ! their ... patterns in getting intoxicated aren't great, so they have these go to people to know they'll never judge her for wanting to get a little messed up.
ex classmates. they went to school together, would be very down for competition, jealousy, or even people who worked really well together with rory and had ideas for a novel or script or something and just ... never went through with it ! these classmates will likely not keep in touch with them, and vice versa.
“ you candle - hoarding little witch . ” and naturally , joey swoops in , grabbing both bags as one threatens to topple , cradling them from the bottom and using his chest for added support . because … he’ll joke , and he’ll poke fun , but he’s still a gentleman , and he’s still hooked . so , rory gets what rory wants , and what joey thinks they might want . ( and he’s always trying to figure that out , too — what they want , if it’s him they want … ) . “ tell you what — since you're going full - on mood lighting , why don’t you set the vibe with your candles while i take care of dinner tonight , hmmm ? nothing too fancy , just beats another 4 am doordash binge when you get the fuckin’ munchies , y’know ? ”
"one of us has to take one for the team to robinhood it out to the rest of the coven, y'know?" look at them, their coven leader even has their own little errand boy, ready to swoop everything "and who am i to deny myself the right, the honor, and the glory?" they're not even dramatic for a writer; though if anything, this is a feigned arrogance as joey swoops into the rescue. her go to weed guy, candle bag carrier, heart surger. "so you're saying we're going to pull an allnighter? i think i may have the perfect glass set, playlist, and even thrifted pajama set. since we're going for the aesthetic, hmm?"
lari lifts her drink up to her lips and pauses at the sight of the candle-filled bags . “ is it still a win-win if it looks like your bags are going to BREAK and your risk losing your candles ? ” they’ll eye the bags once more . “ but a good deal is a good deal so i don’t blame you ! which scents did you get ? ”
"at that point, would it not then be a sign to let it go?" they like to think they're intuitive as such; their brain would show them the right way, point her away from tragedy ( but such a concept has yet to happen ). "unless you're offering to carry them - but beware, i just may catch feelings. and then write about it." well - rory's ought to do something with everything she feels, right ? they can't just let it build up and do nothing. "everything that had a green plant associated with it. or the ocean. and bridgerton. what can i say? i've got depth, lar."
"all i'm saying is i'm not -" there's a dramatic pause, for effect, of course ; and they take out their bags filled with candles. to the brim. it'll likely break if she walks the wrong way, actually. "i'm not above a bath and bodyworks candle sale. it is what it is, a win is a win, y'know?" ( @nepofmstarters )
“ i know we’re not rooming together –– and everyone should be grateful that we aren’t –– but i did get our favorite snacks soooo … ” harlowe trails off , a glint of mischief in their eyes . “ smoke sesh ? ”
"no, lowe. this is a fucking modern greek tragedy. they'll write songs about how we were seperated the winter of 2023. great stories died with the snow." they're talking out of their ass, dramatics always rising when around their cousin, easy grin on their lips. god, they fucking love harlowe. there's family. there's best friends. and then there's harlowe. "i'm begging you for one. i even stole one of laurie's swanky, electronic, weighted, and somehow furry blanket? whatever. it's ours for the night. where we going?"
“ hey , is harlowe single ? caught a glimpse of them snowboarding , c’était plutôt sexy , y’know ? i’ve got a proper soft spot for ink and a bit of mystery . ” // @roaries
"i failed french in high school." they actually didn't take it at all, but rory likes to keep the standards low. means they can take the opportunity of surprise when they can come around and do something actually useful. "try their wikipedia. i heard there's some really dedicated fans updating it; but, for future reference - how good are you at handling punches?"
"oh, hell yeah, dude. happy fuckin' new year indeed. maybe i'll use it as laurie bait to make sure he doesn't do something idiotic. and i mean that by my standards." because, rory ? they're no nepo baby waining for the attention of their peers; but they've made a couple of bad decisions on their own time. without other's suggestion, too. it's not a good look. "you got a lighter, loser?"
“ what if i . . . fake my death on the slopes ! you could do it too. for solidarity. just think about it for a minute. ” it was, perhaps, laurie's best idea to date. he felt confident in that much.
"dawg, all'd someone have to do is wave a bag of free weed around and i'd break that solidarity so fast, i'm not even going to lie." really, they think laurie should be grateful she's keeping it real ! rory could just lie, leave him to suffer the consequences alone while counting on them. now he can just do it without counting on her. "who's attention are ya' tryna get with the fake death?"
“ and me , in a crop top , cheering you on , that’d clue you in on my feelings , huh ? ” joey muses , the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a half - smile . his words may sound playful , but he’s not too far from actually doing it . ( seriously , who would’ve thought joey , the hardcore punk bassist who’s always in black and never without a frown , would entertain the idea of a crop top ? ) . rory briar has that effect on him ; they’re the only one he could see himself falling for if larissa wasn’t always on his mind . and joey ? he’s not one to hide his feelings ; he’s as honest as they come . if he feels something , he’s gonna say it , even if it’s delivered in a whisper only meant for their ears . “ alright , rory briar . here’s your hint : i like you . very fucking much . i’d kiss you right now , but i don’t want to mess up what we have . i like that you smoke my weed , and i like when you hold my hand . and for fuck's sake , don’t ask me to wear a crop top — because for you , might as well consider it done . ” ( and that’s joey for you — unapologetically honest , saying what he feels , when he feels . and making it all the more intense with their pinkies intertwined ) . he’s a man of few words , but when he speaks , it’s the truth . pure and unfiltered . “ alright , i’m sold . pillow fort did it for me , obviously , ” he wraps it up with a joke , as if he hadn’t just laid out his feelings for them .
she's not uh - well, they're not sure what they're doing, really. sort of talking out of their ass, saying what comes to mind, not thinking about consequences of their actions, etc. ( and she's never really thought about it, either - never had enough of a reputation for it to matter - the worst thing that could have happened to rory and their family already did ). and so, rory briar just had the bad habit of ... whatever this was, which included never taking anything serious in her entire life. except maybe their writing. and everyone knows how far that didn't get got them. puppy eyes widen when he whispers in their ears, the amateur bassist swallowing themselves, hands tightening around the cold drink on the bar. heart is racing, blinks in shock - and he's truly registered them speechless. "uhm." they swallow again, tuck a piece of messy hair behind their ear, because they have to do something with their hand before they forget how like, breathe or something. "but ... you a crop top?" voice is a bit breathless, she's trying to keep their cool, really - and as it turns out, their weed dealer is not making it easy. pinky straightens out, they'll turn back towards the bar. nods. "cool. yeah! pillow fort. fun 80s movies. good weed. so many snacks. it'll be fun. a whole time. made for the pinterest boards, marked as 'grunge' aesthetic."
" you mean , the yogurt you LITERALLY said you thought was poisoned thirty seconds ago ? how DESPARATE for food can you be ? " a snort , " i'm barely rich , okay ? i'm ( barely ) A CARDIO fellow with very little DEBT because i'm very PRIVILEGED to have a SHITHEAD uncle . there's a difference . " eight sighs at their WORDS , internally REGRETTING this little trip of theirs already . " yeah , uh . that's not normal . you know how to piss in a cup ? cause if not , you're gonna learn today . "
"do as i say, not as i do. isn't that the rule of thumb for just about ... anything?" or maybe she has trust issues. hm. she should look into that one of these days. or think about it. consider therapy ? it's probably tied to generational trauma ... NO - not the time, rory ! "you got money? you don't live paycheck to paycheck? or work a bunch of random ass jobs? you're rich, wherever it comes from." not that they mind their lifestyle but ... still. eat the rich, right ? ( rory will not be eating eight yoon - she'd rather become a vegan ). brows furrow, they shake their head. "nuh uh. i mean i can. don't want to. it's just the old weed. it's fine! i'll die and come back for another round. i always bounce back."
" if he's cute , then you should kiss him , " lulu reasons EASILY to the other , " besides , maybe i shouldn't go around kissing people . it's probably not healthy . i could catch , like , mono or something ! i'll just wait until a frog prince needs to turn into a prince again , or something ... " they sigh , and smooth hands over their LEGGINGS once more , peering at their behind . " i dunno . i think all butts are good butts , no ? " a pause , " but let's go back to your weed guy ... are you sure you don't wanna kiss him yourself ? "
"you realize you just told me to kiss someone, and then said you can't kiss people, in the same breath - right?" rory questions lulu, head shaking. seriously, lulu needs to live a little ! "yeah, but you can get mono from like, not kissing, too. imagine you get mono from sharing a blunt or something. can you imagine how embarassing that would be? couldn't be me." yeah, rory holds back when the situation isn't right - but if it's a free for all, they're attracted - why not ? rory nods, wavy hair bouncing. "definitely. 100%. i should not be kissing my weed guy."
joey cocks an eyebrow , a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his lips . “ now that you mention it … ” he muses , gaze shifting from the squash to rory . “ it does kinda look like you . ” // @roaries
it's not what they're expecting ... but hey, whatever @delicatlueur sends their way, they can certainly handle. will lean forward as he speaks, holding his gaze. "huh." and she'll take the squash, hold it up to the light. "damn. i'm starting to think i've been too nice to you, cha."
mona grins, finding rory’s response to their own little musings amusing. “ maybe he is single. maybe he doesn’t even have a family and wants to be cooked really badly! i think if you can make it talk you could get some cash… do you think that’s possible? ”
they're down for speaking total nonsense. prefer it, actually. means they have to do less thinking, which they can preserve for their writing. if they ever sit down to do it again, that is. "oh shit, dude! i didn't even think about a family. or a significant other. i'm totally gonna get cancelled. shit." of course, it's really all fun and games; they don't mean any of this, are really just bullshitting every single thing coming out of their mouth. "will you stick up for me when that happens?" they ask @rainforum , puppy dog eyes pleading. "because i'm starving, i spent money on him, and i'm not not gonna eat. so."
⋆｡‧˚ʚ 🤍 ɞ˚‧｡⋆ upon eyeing the squash that was presented to xem , a raised brow towards the item then towards the presenter ... xe smirked slightly before the smallest of laughs followed . " aside from honest , is it consequential for an answer ? "
huh. xe makes a fair point. they do their best to think of a rebuttal, but quite honestly - all the smoking may had gotten to their braincells, and they will admit - they've only got a few on them. "nope. consider it a census. i need to know on behalf of all squash lovers." // @simplyhaven.
