juleshighmcre

[juleshighmcre]

"Are you kidding? Of course I am, Ben," she told him with an exasperated look as if she'd do anything else. "Make Bentley get more sleep is on my list too," she added cheekily. "Other ones I can remember off the top of my head are one: go on more first dates, two: improve my work life balance and three: also get more sleep. The first one isn't applicable to you, duh, but maybe the second one you can do too."

⭐ - our muses come up with new years resolutions together

"Are you into the whole resolutions thing?" Bentley asked, snacking on some of the pretzels he'd grabbed at the refreshments table. "Do you know what you'd challenge yourself with for the New Year? I was thinking maybe get more sleep for myself but, maybe yours can give me some better ideas," he chuckled lightly.

@juleshighmcre

[juleshighmcre]

"Nope," Jules chuckled, clicking her shoes together as the other joined her. "I used to love things like this at Hogwarts when we were there, but I don't know. Something about the parties out here feel different. Does that make sense?"

❄️ - our muses get some fresh air from the celebrations together

"Can't handle the midnight crowd when they start getting rowdy?" she asked when she noticed another out in the open air with her. "It's a nice party and all but it was starting to get stuffy in there. I can only handle things like this in segments it seems."

@juleshighmcre

[juleshighmcre]

"Awh," Jules frowned. "I was hoping I could have a cuddle with her today but guess I'll have to come over another time." It was Juliet's first halloween going completely solo in... well, ever. She could have done with the pick me up. "I bet he is, you guys look so smitten it's actually a little hard to watch sometimes." Jules had to be happy for her though, given April's past choice of men. "Nope, just me going solo. I tried to put my cat in a toto costume but she was not having it."

"I did have a cute little Pascal running around but trick or treating tuckered her out and now she's with her grandfather," April explained, "But my Flynn is around here somewhere," she added with a bashful smile as she talked about Jordi, still feeling like they were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, "How about you? Have you got a date tonight? Or another half to your costume?"

[juleshighmcre]

It took the blonde a little too long to realise that the man heading towards her with scissors wasn't in fact, here to kill her, but was her ex who was... actually coming to talk to her? Weird. "Hey Scissorhands," she tried to say acting cool. "You didn't try to run away from me this time, actually kind of proud of you for that," she chuckled.

It had been a long time since Gale had spoken to Jules. She was often on his mind but not in the same way she had been before. Since they'd last spoken, he'd started getting professional help and spent some time focusing on their relationship and their friendship before and after. He had been working on his co-dependence and his own mindset. It was clearly working because instead of trying to hide behind the nearest object when they amde eye contact, he walked toward her and smiled, "Hey Jules, how are you?"

@juleshighmcre

[juleshighmcre]

"Why thank you!" Jules grinned as she did a little curtsy in her outfit. "I did! Took me literal days to finish but it was way better than any I could find in the shops anywhere," she elaborated, clicking her heels together as she looked to the other's outfit. "I love your dress and sash! I can't say I know where your costume's from but it's giving cool prom queen vibes."

"You are too damn cute," Charlie remarked with a bright laugh as she admired the woman's costume. "I'm just obsessed with your ruby slippers. Did you bedazzle them yourself?"

@juleshighmcre

[juleshighmcre]

juliet highmore as dorothy gale from the wizard of oz

[juleshighmcre]

"We were," Jules replied, her arms crossed across her chest. While she was annoyed because she barely felt like she got time off work these days, she was mostly concerned for her brother who was acting different to usual. "I picked up a sandwich for you on the way here, and we're going to sit down and you're gonna tell me what's going on with you, 'kay?"

closed starter - jamie & juliet ( @juleshighmcre )

Jamie opened the door to find his sister, and the realization hit him. "Oh my God, we were supposed to go to lunch today," he said, while he felt a little better with his joint, his brain was so foggy. "I am so sorry, I totally forgot, Jules."

[juleshighmcre]

"Do you really believe zorbing is the most... inclusive activity?" Jules asked, knowing there would be no way she could get into one of those things without injuring herself badly. "Maybe something a little less active, perhaps. How about one of those welfare farm things? Little puppies and kittens always cheer up people's moods, plus it won't make you all sweaty."

"So, I've been put in charge of employee wellbeing in the workplace. Might not have been their best choice because I am significantly more attuned with creatures but thems the breaks I suppose. Either it will have been their best move ever or they will find they were seriously mistaken in their decisions. Anyway, I'm making a list of social activities we could do but these are definitely heavily biased towards my preferences but really, zorbing is a great way to lift your mood. That or you could potentially give your bosses a little bit too much of a push 'accidentally'." Alfie stated as he leaned back in his seat, rolling his shoulders lightly where there was a slight ache.

[juleshighmcre]

Juliet took the phone and scrolled through each photo carefully, making a different expression at each one. She stopped though at one of the pair of them, turning it to Freya with her eyes wide and a smile on her lips. "This is the cutest photo I've ever seen stop it," she told her, looking at it again for a few moments before scrolling. "It's absolutely gorgeous, wow. Looks like something out of Bridgerton," the blonde couldn't help but comment. She felt a little cheeky asking this, but Jules wasn't above it. "Do you think you two will have a wedding as beautiful as that?"

Freya had to laugh because of the amount of enthusiasm Juliet appeared to show. She could always be relied upon to be excited over something like that. Freya knew that it was in part because she'd had some involvement in their getting together. At the request of photos, Freya opened up her phone to the gallery, passing it over to the blonde. "Feel free to have a look from that point. It really was a beautiful venue. It was a wonderful getaway even though it was partly to attend the wedding."

[juleshighmcre]

"Yes! Tell me all about it!" Jules exclaimed with glee as she sat across from Freya, stirring her iced coffee as she mentioned the wedding that Damien had taken her to. "And pictures, I need pictures. I know I've seen some on insta but it's not the same."

@freycmccdougcl

[juleshighmcre]

"If you did anything else I'd be shocked, Dom," Jules grinned. "I'm always carrying snacks about but I thought I'd make them more special since I haven't seen you in a while." The blonde had stayed up til times she wasn't used to seeing on the clock baking but she found it therapeutic so it didn't matter that she occasionally yawned during their gathering. "Maybe under that tree?" she pointed. "Shade, and the view's not blocked by the gate?"

"Oh thank goodness," she let out a laugh of relief, "because I really did not want to turn down your idea but I was most likely going to draw the line here," Dominique admitted. "Snacks? Jules, you're an absolute delight," she smiled in response. "Where should we set up camp then? I want to make sure we have a great view."

[juleshighmcre]

"It's a very fair review. If you weren't my best friend and someone I consider to be sister-like, it would probably work on me," Jules admitted with a laugh. "That makes sense. You don't want to put a label on it and restrict yourself in case other feelings come along." Jules almost had a similar ordeal during school, only being in love with Gale and not having feelings or attraction to anyone else, just Gale because he was Gale. Now she'd had time to think about it, she still didn't really know. "You can sometimes tell from how they look if they're kind," the blonde countered, though Maddie was unfortunately right. "I also want someone... kind of unserious? Like my job is super serious and I want to come home and be silly with them, you know?"

"An excellent flirter? I'll take that review." Maddie laughed, before shrugging and making an 'I don't know' sort of noise. "I've been into Hazel since I was sixteen, which is longer than like, the entirety of time I'd had feelings for people up until that point, if that makes sense? But up until Hazel, I'd only ever been with or been interested in guys. I was never in love with any of them like I am now, but am I in love with Hazel because she's a woman or because she's Hazel, y'know? This is a long-winded way of saying that I don't really know. I'm just... broadly not straight, I guess." She took another peek at the guy at the bar. "He's around our age. Maybe a few years older. You can't figure out if they're kind without going up and talking to them though, unfortunately."

[juleshighmcre]

"I've seen you flirt, Mads. You are an excellent flirter. But you're like my sister if I ever had one. Not a person I would ever flirt with," she replied. Jules looked towards the bar and sneered at Maddie's recommendation. "Not my type at all, nope. Surprising that he's your type... are you bi? Or is this just a guy you'd have to flirt with if you had to flirt with someone?" she asked for clarification. "Looks wise? Definitely not. He's gotta be around my age, and kind. That's about all the type I have."

"Too bad, it's going to be stuck in your head now." Maddie teased. "Wow, I'll have you know I'm an excellent flirter. You wish you could flirt with me. So, we can cross them off the list." Maddie peered around. "Is there anyone who takes your fancy?" She nodded towards a guy at the bar. "He's pretty cute. Although maybe he's more my type, do you have a type?"

[juleshighmcre]

"Absolutely not," Jules shook her head with wide eyes. "I think we just sit here and stare in wonderment at how people can climb up such a thing. I did prep as if we were going to though so I have plenty of snacks to keep us occupied as we people watch."

"I wouldn't consider myself afraid of heights but–" Dominique craned her neck upwards, almost feeling a strain in her muscles with just how high up the top was. "Let's just say I would probably have wobbly knees up there. So... what's the plan, are we climbing up there or something?"

[juleshighmcre]

"It could also be you," Jules tried to encourage the other. "Tell me about your relationship. Best friends? Or like, the colleagues who everyone thinks are into each other and secretly are?" she asked, hoping that could give her some insight into their situation. "Maybe seeing that clarified your feelings for her? It would make sense."

"Oh," Tristan said, looking over at Ken again for a moment, "I didn't think about that. I doubt if that's her feeling that it's about me though, probably someone else," he shook his head, "I think I've already been weird enough today. I reacted pretty strangely to seeing her bracelet," he admitted.

[juleshighmcre]

"Nope. Not even going to imagine it," Jules shook her head to try to rid of the thought. "Alec is too close for that. It would be like me trying to flirt with you," she added with brows raised. Jules considered her words, "You're right. I don't think I want that with any of them. And flirting with them for jokes just seems downright mean at that point."

"Oh no." Maddie shook her head. "No, anyone who's like a brother to you is way too weird. Imagine flirting with Alec? No thanks." She paused. "I mean, you could do it for fun, but if you wanted it to go further, I wouldn't. If you see them as a bit of a brother, they probably see you as a sister, so you're probably not going to get a relationship out of that. That's if you want one, of course."

[juleshighmcre]

"She really is," Jules said, a little proudly as she too wiped a fake tear from her cheek. "You know I appreciate your words of wisdom whatever, though. Just not sure they'd be that applicable to the situation I'm in." The blonde nodded at her words, finding some comfort in them. "Being friends with them first makes sense. Means you've got common ground and things to talk about already," she said aloud, though internally was thinking of Gale and how the friendship had been partially obliterated by their break up. "Would you say that includes people who I view as like... brother figures? Or is that weird?" she asked.

"My little bird is flying the nest." Maddie replied, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "Oh, of course." She winced, feeling a bit foolish. She and Jules were not the same in that way, and that was probably a good thing. "Right, so look, Hazel notwithstanding I've not really been one for long-term relationships, but the semi-serious boyfriends I had were always guys I was friendly with first. Who I knew things about, who I had some shared interests with. I think it's easier that way, like you're not going in blind? So maybe that's what you should do? Find someone you're already familiar with, even just a little?"