happy now?

🌷 - go to botanical gardens/flower-picking

Jesse's head had whipped around despite the warning, but his body had remained still. His gaze softened as he looked down at the insect and the gentleness in which she'd dismissed it and let it decide to perch on the petals of a flower instead. He lost himself in watching it elegantly flap its wings for a moment. Lucie's words snapped him back into the present moment, a soft smile on his lips. "I suppose I never considered them in that way," Jesse admitted softly. “They don’t get to pick where they grow, do they?” he considered vaguely. He shifted his weight, hands buried in the pockets of his worn leather jacket. His eyes finally drifted from the flowers to meet hers. “Sometimes they bloom somewhere that doesn’t deserve ‘em. Somewhere where their value goes unnoticed.”

🍦get ice cream together - cleo & jesse ( @jessetremlett )

"I can't agree with you on that when salted caramel crunch is right there. Or hell– even a cherry ripple!" Jesse shook his head, passionately gesturing at the flavors as they discussed their choices.

"Says you!" Cleo said. "Who says you're the decider of what's normal or not?"

"Absolutely nobody," he confirmed. "But there's got to be something wrong with you to have spent this much time around me in your life. And willingly too," Jesse then finished off the thought with a chuckle.

Rowan reached out and gave the others shoulder a squeeze. He knew how difficult things like this could be even if it didn't seem that way to most. "That's more than a lot of people you know. And trying... well I'm there too in that respect." Just because they'd gone through perhaps what people saw as the hardest part, didn't mean there wasn't a daily struggle. "I'd like it if we could though. Go for it I mean. I think I'd enjoy it. Provided there is no interference from the outside."

"Thanks mate," he replied softly, reaching to pat Rowan's bicep in appreciation for the thoughtful words and gesture. "I'm no good at social media but we could ask Cleo and maybe tease some content there? See how it's received before throwing ourselves in the deep end with the possibility of nobody being there to come to our gigs?" Jesse suggested with a chuckle.

Isabelle gave his arm a punch for that. "I am going to be giving you Rocky vibes instead if you're not careful, J." She warned, though they both knew she'd never do anything of the sort. "Just make sure you get a different flavour to me so I can try yours too." Isabelle laughed.

"Rocky vibes? I don't think that getting so violent is necessary," he scoffed lightly, fixing his collar as he feigned nerves. Despite the jokes, he knew not to underestimate Isabelle either. "Of course. I should maybe plan to circle back for another cone considering you'll probably be having all of my ice cream anyways," Jesse teased.

closed starter - cleo & jesse ( @jessetremlett )

"It's funny to me that you'd be bold enough to consider yourself as normal," Jesse couldn't resist taking the opportunity to tease her in response. "But sure, you get a pass. We all do weird shit as kids after all."

"Seems like a perfectly reasonable reason to go bankrupt in my opinion. Also the least you owe me." Isabelle responded brightly, a laugh falling from her lips as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I assume you're going to be getting some with me."

"The least I owe you? You're giving me major Veruca Salt vibes right now, Bells," Jesse all but scolded. "You didn't think I'd get you the whole store's worth and not at least save a scoop for myself, now would you?" he scoffed as though deeply offended that there was a possibility she might think otherwise.

"Oh, most definitely but that didn't get me very far last year. I'm not sure why I'd try again this year. At least not with you." There was still a very good chance she might actually try it herself one of these years but at least she wasn't drunk this time. "I believe plenty of countries do it." Not theirs generally speaking she realised, but that didn't matter. "Would anyone turn down a little bit of extra luck?" Perhaps it was avoiding the question a little but she doubted Jesse really wanted a proper answer in the first place. "You're more than welcome to do it too. A whole punnet isn't required after all."

"I didn't know about this. But I suppose many countries all have their little traditions. Hard to keep track of them all," Jesse considered. "I may not really believe in these things but... I suppose I get a free snack out of it," he shrugged with a chuckle when she'd offered to share her grapes with him. "Can't complain there."

"I would have said just naturally curious over desperate. It's up to you if you decide to tell me or not, i just feel like that kind of openness probably deserves something in return." Jackson explained with a little chuckle.

"That's certainly a unique and rather... sweet way to spin it," Jesse observed in return. "Are you a writer or a politician or something? It'd explain your way of twisting words and perspectives so swiftly."

"That seems just about how everyone in there is handling it right now." Because the sober ones of them appeared to be few and far between. "I'm glad you are startling sober with me for it though. It's easier to handle than when you do it alone." From experience anyway. "And yeah, maybe. You up for it?"

"I'm trying," he shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. "I won't pretend like I'm not craving a drink the whole time we've been here but... I'm trying." Jesse certainly didn't think he'd ever truly be able to quit cold turkey, but trying to minimize his intake was something he'd been trying to do ever since he'd been threatened with having to go back to rehab if things got worse again. "Yeah I mean... why not? We've been um-ing and ah-ing over it for some time now. Maybe we should rip off the bandaid and just go for it."

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

"This is too true," he grumbled softly, relieved to be washed over with the feeling of being outside. The stuffiness and compressed bodies were something he was more than happy to be free of. "Honestly? I forgot just how much alcohol does the trick for these sorts of things. That whole crowd would've been so much easier to navigate if I was drunk out of my mind," Jesse reviewed. "So yeah I agree, being on stage for these sorts of things is far preferable. Maybe that's motivation as any to get us back up there," he snorted.

"Definitely," Cleo said. "If you want, I have some lyrics myself I've been working on that you two could mess with? Although they all kind of have to do with Anthony." It was part of the only way she could try and get over what her ex did to her. Even with her bad hearing, Cleo felt connected with music, a way to express herself, and often flew out through poetry and lyrics. "I'm sure you'll get through this funk soon."

"I mean we can talk to Ro about it but is this something you'd really be comfortable with?" Jesse wondered when she'd told him that she had lyrics they could use. The music they wrote often came from a personal place but everyone always checked in on one another whenever they planned on using anything like that. "Yeah. Everything's temporary after all, right?"

🍸 - one of our muses gets too drunk and the other takes care of them

"Thank you for your sacrifice. Can I get you to sit down and drink some water now?" his tone coming out blasé as he realized that running after her was coming up entirely unsuccessful. If anything it seemed like Isabelle had been enjoying the chasing and Jesse was getting out of breath. "I can't believe we've got years of friendship between us and you refused to share. So greedy," he tutted at her playfully.