#[ thread: grace cromwell 001; ]

[nomadjones]

"Would I do something like that?" Dallas questions like he was some sort of innocent party who would never dare take or be amused by such a picture.

( He was. )

Before he could hear Grace's verdict on that, he hears his name being called -- a quick turnaround on an order was another reason he kept his bog standard -- and he steps forward to collect it.

He's quick to snatch a comfortable set of armchairs near the window, shaking his head at a man with a Macbook who lost out on the one he took by seconds. His coffee is cradled in hand after a sip as he waits for her to join him with her own before he continues their conversation.

"Do you ever think there's some merit to it? Boring office jobs, I mean. I know I'd hate it day to day but the set days off and knowing what your schedule'll look like from one end of the month to the next must be nice."

@gracecromwell

"Oh it's much worse when we have to set our clocks back every fall/winter time. Like damn, are we really saving daylight? More like getting seasonal depression faster." Gracie said jokingly. Although she did have to up her vitamin dosage each fall when she noticed how around six o'clock she feels like she's ready to crash out. But with her creativity it was like insomnia becomes more like a toxic ex returning to her life to finish designs that swirl around in her head.

"Aw so thoughtful of you, but if I start drooling or snoring, you better not take a picture of me to haunt me with." She wagged her finger at him laughing. She walked up to the barista and placed herself a hazelnut latte with oat milk and an extra shot of expresso to keep her going. Especially with how tired she felt, she needed that extra caffeine kick.

"Look at it this way, at least you can say you don't work a boring desk job. Add some excitement in your life."

[nomadjones]

"Yeah? I wish I was like that. I can sleep anywhere, any time and still go for some more."

The nature of his job made that a necessity, especially when he worked twenty-four hour shifts. Sleep was something to be grabbed when he could like a soda rather than something structured.

"If we manage to get one of the comfy seats and you doze off, I'll let you get a refreshing twenty in," He teases, stepping up to order once the barista had called for next. He orders himself a strong black coffee in the hopes it would set him up for the rest of the day, paying for both his and whatever Grace wanted as he side-stepped to wait for his name to be called when his drink was prepared.

"Nothing too wild, I've been working a ton. I'm hoping things will calm down with summer done but I also think I might have picked the wrong career if I ever want calm."

@gracecromwell

"One thing about me, if I sleep now then my sleep schedule would be all messed up so I figured pull all nighter, stay up as long as I can and crash around a reasonable hour." Gracie knew it wasn't exactly the healthiest one but it usually did the trick especially when she was in college. But as she grew older, she realized her body didn't bounce back as fast it once did and now she was suffering the consequences to her actions.

"But it's fine. I promise, now tell me, anything new with you?" She said as she glanced up at Dallas with a grin.

[nomadjones]

"Bad? Never. You look beautiful."

Beautiful and tired, but Dallas keeps that part to himself so he's not adding to her worries with an unnecessary one. Reaching Driftwood, he gets the door for her and wanders them inside, glad they picked a quieter moment as the initial morning coffee rush had died down to some 10am stragglers.

He queues up behind a redheaded woman and glances to Grace with a sympathetic look, all-nighters often a part of his work though they never got easier on the body.

"All night? We could have rainchecked if you wanted to catch up on sleep. I wouldn't have minded."

@gracecromwell

"Is my what...makeup that...bad?" She jokingly asked as she followed after them. Apparently the amount of makeup she tried to place on her face didn't hide the bags under her eyes help. Gracie felt the inspiration hit and she tried to keep that inspiration to get some designs out before they disappear completely. "But yeah, I may have had a crackhead moment and pulled an all nighter to get some things out for my sanity." @nomadjones

[nomadjones]

"A likely story," Dallas teases, almost surprised she had agreed to his stroll suggestion. Their careers differed vastly and yet he couldn't imagine himself ever doing hers given how creatively challenged he was at the best of times. With an objective now at the forefront and a location in mind, he pivots slightly so he could re-direct them towards Driftwood after agreeing.

"Sounds good, my treat because you've giving the kind of energy right now that's making me think you're going to need some industrial grade caffeine to not fall asleep on me. Workload been amping up?"

@gracecromwell

Closed starter @nomadjones Location: UTP

"I swear I don't always look like a mess but I pulled an all nighter the night before to finish some designs but hey I made it." Gracie said with a tired smile. "How about we grab some coffee?" She offered more for herself, she managed to finish a few designs on the sewing machine and a few on sketchboard but she was rather excited to present them on her instagram later for the new fall season.