soft boy

Hearing that he had been working on something shouldn’t have filled her with the amount of delight that it did and yet Harper still wanted to start jumping up and down. “Rory Liddell you are my hero. Alright then, let’s have it. Tell me all about this new creation of yours. How long does it last? Have you noticed any weird side effects? Oh, tell me how the trip feels. We have to do it. I’ve been itching for something new and you are the best there is at this stuff.”

“depending on how much you take it could last hours but i don’t think that would be a good way to do it,” he admitted softly as he began to answer her questions. “think of it as like molly, acid, lsd and shrooms all in one go but when the trip is done you have the best sleep of your life and wake up nice and easy.” the only reason Rory knew was because he tried it himself. staring at the sky had been incredible. “all memory intact. nothing missing and from my experience, there was no fall out with my body or any of the functions.” obviously his experience could be completely different from someone else's. “colors were more vibrant. i ended up naked cause the grass felt way better than my clothes.”

“Basically. It’s probably fair to assume that whatever Auradon has, we didn’t have on the Isle. It’s more of a bare bones operation there.” As much as she was able to shrug it off then, Alex knew deep down she had hated all of it. The lying to be accepted, the need to hide what made her happy, all of it had plagued her back there. “Rory. Nice to meet you as well. So, are you from around the area?”

“define around,” he laughed lightly but still offered a smile. it was a bit of a tough question. his mother had feet on both sides of the line. there was their life in Wonderland but they also had a small home in Auradon. “i’m from Wonderland naturally.” it was sort of the talk when he was born since his mother refused to go find mainland. being born on a ship was something. “if the isle wasn’t a place. where would you be from?” 

“Oh, I wasn’t-” Olivia started, a little startled by the boy’s words. “I was just looking, actually. But thank you for the notice.” Glancing at the window once more Olivia nodded once before turning her attention to the boy in front of her. “They’re pretty,” she admitted, gesturing towards the window. “All of them.”

“of course,” he offered easily, the manners he had learned always ready to be at the forefront of his mind when he needed them. “they are pretty,” he didn’t like building bouquets really. instead of allowing the flowers to live their life in the soil they loved - they were cut for someone else’s enjoyment. if Rory wasn’t so sure that some flowers enjoyed being put on display he wouldn’t do it at all. “the more important part is when people really love them.” he added with a nod. maybe it was weird but he wasn’t known to be not weird.

Riley jumped when she heard a voice from next to her. She hadn’t been paying attention to much, especially the taller boy currently leaving the flower shop. But hearing his words, she was quick to shake her head. “Oh no, I was just passing by.” She explained, taking a look at the arrangement of flowers in the window. Maybe it would be smart to bring some flowers back home for her mother. They only had ones that were specific to Tangleton, so it could be fun to buy her some that might not always bloom there. “But I think I’ll be back tomorrow. How much for a bouquet?”

Rory waited patiently as the other student thought over whatever she was looking to say. that didn’t stop him from lighting up and taking a quick drag simply for the fact that it was a oney anyway. nodding as she finally spoke he offered a smile before breathing out. “that depends on what you are looking for,” he finally breathed out thinking over all of the flowers he took care of. “different flowers, different prices and stuff.” the smoke that danced off his tongue along with words was sweet. lacking the normal smell people associated with weed. unless they knew his stuff that was. 

“See it totally sounds like a place I’d love to visit. It probably never gets boring.” Aurèlie could feel the high start to seep into her. She was always more friendly when she was under the influence of just about anything. She probably needed to just admit she was a nice person. “The isle was boring,” she let out a little huff turning she sat with her back pressed against his legs for support. “Everything was always the same, shitty living spaces, shitty food, angry kids and fighting.” she rolled her eyes even if he couldn’t see it. “Auradon is boring too… everything is so clean and nice, people smile at you but you know its just as fake as all the sparkles.” she scoffed as she took another drag before holding her hand up so he could take it. Turning her head to look at him from over her shoulder as she did so. “So next time you go visit wonderland take me with you.” 

he doesn’t really think about how he reaches for a few strands of cotton candy pink hair that was practically teasing him. “yeah,” he acknowledged her words as he reached forward to twist the little bit of hair into a loose braid. it wasn’t very good but Rory never claimed to be an expert. his mind saved what she was saying for later. reaching for the blunt offered to him, he smiled slowly as she turned to look up at him. taking a long drag he nodded, shaking his blonde hair with a free ease. “i can do that.” his words were slightly tight as he held his breath before holding it out just in case she wanted it again. if she didn’t he was just holding it. “if you think you would like it better.” he never really spent much time thinking about the world around him when it came to the people. he avoided it as much as possible actually. like a plague. to plants, people sort of were weren’t they. “i mean my mom would think the more the merrier.”

Rory: right? pretty awesome

Rory: whatever works better for you man. i have them all.

Mitchell: You're a lifesaver dude. Seriously, there's no way I'd get through these visits without you.

Mitchell: How much you want for em each?

Rory: happy to help

“I feel like Wonderland is one of those things that people just want to experience.” she grinned as she took the blunt back from him. Shifting off the chair Aurèlie moved to sit on the floor in front of him. “How weird does it get?” she asked. bring the blunt to her lips she took another drag into her lungs. Leaning forward a bit as she waited for his response. 

“talking flowers,” he offered up with a genuine smile. they were definitely one of his favorite parts. “drinks and food that make you bigger or smaller. animals that talk. the hatter. the chessur. door mouse. i mean you name it - it probably talks.” Rory ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his face with a smile. “i feel like every time i go back something new has popped up or moved somewhere else and it makes any diet you choose to follow and eat weird.”

Aurèlie smiled a little when he talked about his mom. It was nice to meet someone that seemingly had just as good a relationship with their parent. As she did with her dad. Though it kind of made her heart ache a little. Knowing that she wasn’t going home to see her dad. “Carnivorous plants??” she question. Still not high enough not to be curious about them. “You know when I was little I always wanted to go to wonderland. My dad has a book that talks about it. I can’t tell you how he got it. But he used to read it to me when I was little. And I would tell him I was going to live there when I grew up.” she chuckled a little at how naive her child self-was. Up until the beginning of her time at AU. Aurèlie had grown to know she was just going to be on the isle for the rest of her life. 

“kind of our ongoing joke she always brings me a plant from wherever she goes if we haven’t been there together,” he laughed gently as he shook his head slightly, his hand moving out to offer her the blunt. “i obviously have a thing for them.” inside his area there were plenty of houseplants he took care of every day. behind the place, he called home while at school there was a greenhouse that doubled as a workshop. it really worked out. “but you’re not alone. you know? a lot of people have told me they wanted to live in wonderland. probably the name.” Rory chuckled lightly at the words. “but it gets weirder than people think.”

Mitchell: Sunshine? That sounds fucking awesome, dude.

Mitchell: How bout I buy all three and give you my opinion of them once I get back?

Rory: right? pretty awesome

She was glad that he seemed pretty easy going about all this. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit worried about buying something from an Auradonian rather than from someone at home. But she was desperately in need of something to calm her nerves, if she didn’t find something quick she was sure she’d catch something on fire. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment before following him. “I don’t know, I was just thinking something along the lines of that calm feeling you get when you’re lying back in water. Does that make sense?” She asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced towards him. 

he listened quietly but nodded along to show that he was indeed paying attention. Rory dug what she was looking for. he could imagine it easily. the sound of waves lapping at the shore while he just relaxed in the sun. the warmth from the rays gracing him from the sky. yeah. okay. “i have something that might work for that,” he admitted softly with another nod as he raised a hand up to undo his hair and let the long blonde strands shake free. “more like laying in the sun after swimming all day. warm. calm. perfect center of the universe with a soft breeze.” he knew sometimes thought about how it all made him feel a little too much but that was how it was. each and every strain he had ever made had something special about them. most not even smelling like the weed it was. ‘Golden Afternoon’ was the one he was talking about and that one smiled more like flowers than anything else. thank goodness for wonderland.

“I was thinking something of a tea party?” Of course, for Harper a tea party meant a collection of various party drugs where it could range from ecstasy and adderall to nothing more than a mixed drink. “Guests choice of the flavors. Unless, of course, you’re too committed to the moon to make plans with little ole me. I’m just bored. Everything around here is boring. The people are boring, the scenery is boring. Even my studies have gotten boring, but I suppose that’s what happens when you go ahead of the professor and read on your own.”

Rory wasn’t really surprised by what she said. in a lot of ways they were similar. the most important being that they both found ways to escape. different ways but they seemed to always meet up on the road. “you know,” he started softly as he began to walk towards his campus housing that he pretty much had to himself. it helped to be a little strange. “i have been working on something. definitely in the experimental stage. i tired it on myself and it was,” when his words stopped he physically stopped for a moment. “it was amazing and could be fun.” Rory finally concluded with a smile as he started walking again.

“Right, I forgot that was a thing here. My, my Auradon really does have everything doesn’t it?” It hadn’t really been a popular view, being happy to get to attend the university, but now that she was there, Alex wasn’t about to shy away from her amusement of it all. Simply put, it was hard to deny the fact that Auradon was much better equipped than the Isle to handle just about everything. “You have been very helpful, blonde boy. What is your name?”

it was new having someone not know his name right away. his reputation got around so that was his normal. kind of refreshing. “yeah well, i heard shit wasn’t like that on the isle so learning something new,” he offered up with an easy laugh before offering out his hand. “i’m Rory and happy to help.” it was a different sort of help than he usually provided bit hey, he could dig it.

“Good thing I didn’t come for the flowers then, isn’t it my pal.” Harper rolled her eyes slightly then. She never could understand why people loved them so much. They died after a while and they couldn’t really do anything for you. “I’m actually here to see my favorite agricultural participant. Came to see if you were free tonight or if you already had plans to get high and dance under the moon or whatever you do when you’ve escaped this place.”

chuckling softly he shook he reach up to shake his long hair out of the bun he had put it in. “we both know that you don’t make plans with the moon. the moon makes plans with you,” he countered before taking a quick hit of the oney in his hand. the smell of the strain was different from the others. it made him think of riddles and prophecy. soothed his soul after a long day in the strangest way. “but what were you thinking?”

Break was fast approaching and Odette was in need of something to mellow her out from all the stress she’d been feeling about whether or not she’d have to go home or if she could snap a ticket back to some kingdom with whoever fell for a fake innocent smile and a few batted eyelashes. She had heard of Rory since her arrival, he was the guy people went to when they needed a little herbal fix, if that was the right word. She thought that heading down to the flower shop towards closing would be best, probably less customers and all that jazz but she must have gotten a little held up cause she had just walked up while Rory was closing the place up for the night. Still, even if she was late and he wouldn’t be able to help her tonight if she at least introduced herself, it might not be so awkward the next time she went to buy from him. “Hi, yeah. I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Odette. You’re Rory right?” She asked, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment before she went on, “I was wondering if you had anything that would make being at home any easier. For the holiday. Dealing with parents and stuff, it’s stressful.” 

hearing his name dancing off someone else’s tongue wasn’t exactly a new thing. people were often coming up to him that he didn’t know and yet, they knew enough about him. smiling a little more friendly like Rory nodded. “nice to meet you Odette,” he offered up gently before lighting up the oney in his had and took a long drag. ‘azure butterfly’ was always the best to have after a long day at work. help his mind get dreamy without getting foggy. “how chill do you want to be?” finally moved off his tongue when he let his breath go. the question was soft with a nod of his head in the direction he needed to walk in. “some will do more than others.”