where the fence is low

@dakotaheise

dakota heise. twenty-eight. coffee addicted adventurer.

149 posts

harlowmiller-deactivated2024121

“But you’d still need your legs to walk. And if you’re not more careful, your hands might be in trouble as well. Wouldn't want you to hurt those moneymakers," she teased lightheartedly, referring to Dakota's hands. Harlow loved seeing Dakota so excited, but she worried for her friend's safety too. She had a habit of rushing full speed ahead without looking where she was going. It was disconcerting to say the least.

“You can love me by slowing down a little.” She said, shaking her head. “Did she? I always thought Bek is resourceful. I’m sure Stevie would love to get your input for the seasonal drinks.” She moved towards the pastry display, opening it to grab the pastries for her friend. “I have to, otherwise you’d be running off on me, and hurt my feelings.” She pretended to pout. “Listen, I know you’re excited to see your sister, but she could spare you for half an hour, right?”

“Now, Let me see what I've got back here..." She ducked behind the counter, rifling through the baked goods. "I present to you, cinnamon rolls. Hot and fresh, just came out of the oven. I saved you one before they sold out." She placed the gooey cinnamon roll on a plate, sliding it over to her friend with a grin. "There you go, something sweet for that sweet tooth of yours. Now sit, relax, and enjoy your coffee and cinnamon roll. Liv can wait a few minutes while you refuel."

"Must you go and put logic to everything?" Dakota asked. "It's like a roadblock to when I go full speed ahead and...oh, oh now I get it. You do that on purpose." Well, that realization hit Kota like a sack of bricks.

"Alright alright, I'm slowing down." She made a big show of ever so slowly sitting down at the counter, trying to hide a grin. "See I can slow down. She did, I just needed drink ideas to recycle...not that y'know, I want to be lazy but some of the older specials were such classics, everyone loves a classic, right? Figured it couldn't hurt and then Bek just comes up with pure genius to go along with what I already planned." She took another long sip of her coffee, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Oh, man. Oh that's good."

She looked at the cinnamon roll. "Well since you did save me one before they sold out, and waited to brew the coffee just like I like it, almost like your senses knew I'd be swinging by...nah I can't drag that out, you know I always have time for you. I can spare an hour if you really need your 'Kota time'. She's home for a while."

Amelia: None of it makes sense to me.

Amelia: But in a good productive way, right?

Amelia: That is very, very true. I don’t think anybody needs a reason to fuel their caffeine addiction. Myself included.

Amelia: Better to shoot the shot and fail than never shoot at all. You already know she’s gonna say yes. Count me on being one of the first people to try it.

DAKOTA: I...is there a good productive way for your brain to hurt? DAKOTA: You do miss 100% of the shots you never take. It's...well now that we have the special poster thingy designed it's out. DAKOTA: so I expect to see your butt in the shop in the next week.

Liam rolled his eyes as Dakota gave him their universal hello finger, it'd seem at this point. He'd rest his arm against the pillar of the porch, attention firmly on his best friend and brother. "Okay, well, I think I should warn you both, but it looks like y'all fucking." He stated, "Which, I mean -- aye. But, both of you were mine before each other's so. I expect priority."

"So-- you want, what? A threesome?" Chris tossed back, arched a brow at his older brother, "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure there's a law against that." He'd flash Liam a smile, in which Liam simply responded with his own middle finger.

"No, fucker." He grunted, before looking back over to Kota, "You're my best friend, that's all I'm saying." He added, holding both hands up in surrender.

"And I met her first, so -- null and void." Chris tossed back.

She set her guitar behind her, watching the brothers bicker. Her brain turned for a second before it clicked in her brain.

Liam was jealous. Liam was jealous and it was absolutely adorable.

"Okay, first of all, fucking Chris? Ew. That's like fucking my brother. Actually I'm pretty sure that'd be as close to fucking a brother as I could get without actually having a brother and that's a line I ain't crossing."

She flicked Chris in the ear, before getting up, reaching up to flick Liam in the ear and throwing her arms around him. "Down, boy. You're still my best friend. You're still my person." She let go long enough to punch him in the arm. "And that's for insinuating I'd fuck your brother."

shanayaxsanghvi

"Seriously, you're fine--I'm one of those people as well." Kaira told her with a polite smile. "I think the strangest place I started reading in was...a professional baseball game."

Kaira could still remember how her parents had gifted her then boyfriend tickets behind the home plate to watch the Yankees and Kaira had not at all been interested to go. She'd told him repeatedly that he could take one of his friends but out of some weird obligation, he'd taken her. Something about how her parents had gifted the tickets so he had to take her. And well--she didn't care about baseball at all and while she'd spent the first ten minutes staring at the field and trying to understand the game--that got boring pretty quick and she ended up reading her book. He obviously hadn't been impressed but she didn't care.

"Oh wow, I haven't actually checked them out," she commented with a hidden smile at the idea of actually meeting another fan in person. "I heard the author's working on the third part...but I think it'll be the last in the trilogy," she stated, glancing over the other's expressions to see if she could gauge a reaction to those words at all. "What are your thoughts on that?" | @dakotaheise

"Professional baseball game... Yeah that beats a high school soccer game." In her defense she did have to finish the book for school, and it was a blowout for Zoe's team. She wasn't missing much.

She'd begged to just stay home for once or hide in the car, but both ideas had been shot down...so she hid under the bleachers and read. She cared, of course, but that night...the story called her name. Ironically the only one not surprised or disappointed was Zoe herself, who just chuckled and picked her up over her shoulder to quiz her on her book.

"You should. Most people think they're too for kids, but shit, a lot better than Harry Potter." She'd heard rumors, but if it was the last n the trilogy... she'd just have to wait for more from the author. "Honeslty? It'll suck, but it opens more foors for other works, and this is a top author of mine, so whatever she comes out with, I'll probably be first in line to buy it."

TO: @dakotaheise

LOCATION: The Granger House.

Nic had messaged him to drop by the house when he had a free moment, so that was what he did. But as he exited his car, his eyes fell upon his youngest brother and best friend on the porch. In what looked like, from the outsider's viewpoint; a couple serenading each other. He made his way up to the front entrance of his childhood home, brows furrowed as he took in the talent that was both Dakota and Chris' musical abilities. "I feel like I missed a chapter--" He shouted loud enough over the music, "what the hell is going on here?"

Had she talked Chris into an episode or two of Grey's Anatomy because one of the songs caught her eye? Yes, she absolutely did. Surprisingly unlike his brother, he hadn't put up much of a fight, and they were able to find the song easily. Which led them to how they'd spent most of their afternoon; trying to perfect chords they didn't know. Seeing Liam out of the corner of her eye she held up one finger, their universal shut the fuck up a minute sign.

"Calm down." She set her guitar to the side. "I suckered him into a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy for a song in the background to get his opinion on it. Now we've just been trying to recreate it."

Kota wouldn't hear a peep of complaint out of Bek. Her body screamed for the sugar/caffeine boost promised, and she'd be a fool not to take advantage while she still could.

With Ramadan right around the corner it wouldn't be long before she'd have to fast from sun up to sun down.

"Have I ever told you that you're my favorite twin?"

No shade to Keegan, but she'd never once spoiled her with free coffee and warm muffins— And everyone knew when it came to Bek through her stomach was the surest way to her heart.

It was a few moments later, after a sip of the latte and no less than three bites, that she explained, "The hospital charity gala is coming up soon." Considering this year it was her department - the physical therapy department - who benefited from all proceeds she'd offered herself up to be on the planning committee.

"I just remember wherever you went your guitar and a sketchbook were never far behind. Wasn't sure if you'd maybe be interested in donating a piece for the silent auction, or getting up on stage to play."

Ultimately those sorts of things weren't her decision, and it sounded like Kota didn't quite do the whole live performance thing, but— "If you are I could throw your name in the hat, just in case. I think they're trying to stay local all the way around."

Dakota chuckled, reaching for her own coffee cup. She knew an extra muffin would make Bek's day, or night, whatever schedule the woman was running.

"Mm, maybe once. Though I do love hearing I'm the favorite twin."

She swapped her idea book, she'd already gotten all she needed in term of idea, for her sketchbook, deciding to give Bek a few minutes to sip her coffee and eat before she thought about bombarding her with questions.

Hearing about the hospital gala she nodded, was around that time for charity galas...she paused. That would be something Bek would remember.

Dakota reached for her coffee, taking a few more sips, considering the options. "I don't have any like... original stuff." She says finally. "Most of what I serenade the tree in the yard with is covers. I could probably draw something or two if they need it. If it's local." It was for charity, after all. Somehow she was a sucker for charity.

Stevie remembered telling her parents 'I'm fine, I promise' throughout her teenage years, except the words were only used when she was trying to convince them of a false truth in an attempt to not worry them. But just like her parents had for her, Stevie wasn't going to push Dakota to tell her anything more than she'd been willing to share. Instead, she just gave the younger woman a gentle squeeze and a warm smile. "Well, if you promise." She mused, ruffling Kota's hair affectionately.

Was she surprised that there were three new notebooks in Kota's backpack? Absolutely not, with the way the other woman wrote down ideas she was more surprised that the three extra notebooks were new and not full already. "After? Is that because you've poisoned this..." Watching with a raised eyebrow as Dakota pulled the drink from the fridge, Stevie, despite her playful question, swiftly picking up the cup and taking a sip. And then another. She stayed quiet for a moment, her smile slowly creeping up on her lips. "Kota, hon, this is delicious. I'd say maybe a little more chocolate and a little less mint but it'll be perfect for a St. Patrick's Day roll out."

Taking another sip from the new drink, Stevie began to move about around the front of house counter, getting it set up for the day as she simultaneously began to brew a new pot of blonde roast coffee- her favorite as of late. She watched Dakota and Mocha from her spot, smile on her features as the cat pretended to ignore Kota for a moment before succumbing to her favorite treats.

"Oh, hey by the way." She poured them each a cup of coffee, adding a little bit of sugar to her own mug and making Dakota's just how she knew the other woman liked it. "Cherry put in her two weeks notice yesterday. She wouldn't tell me why but it felt... weird. I don't wanna push her, though. She say anythin' to you?" ( @dakotaheise )

Dakota sighed, she'd been made. "I promise to tell you when I'm ready." She corrected, reaching a hand to run it through her hair. "And before you start to worry, it's..." She faltered, did she tell Stevie before she told her own mothers? "I started therapy."

She laughed. "If it was poisoned I wouldn't keep it in the fridge with the milk. I would've left it out to sit." As always with a new idea, she watched Stevie's face. "You know for someone who's concerned about poison, you sure went headfirst into that drink." Dakota teases, grinning at the slowly creeping smile. "Then there we go. There's...a shit ton of mint already ready to go. We can mess with the ratio, get it done before the holiday." She settled with Mocha on her lap, feeding the cat treats and scratching her ears. This was one of her favorite parts of the job; she had free reign to make drinks for their menu and while Stevie opened up, for a few minutes she could relax and play with the shop cat.

She stopped to think. Cherry putting in two weeks all of the sudden felt...strange. "Not about wantin' to quit. Last thing we talked about was new signs for Miss Spoiled in my lap right here. She has seemed kind of off, but I figured that was the string of never ending rushes from hell the last couple days when the entire city decided to descend upon us right as we opened like a hoard of zombies in an apocalypse."

DAKOTA: love youu DAKOTA: works for me, i'll keep your pillow and blanket ready.

LIAM: i honestly don't know how i deal with you.

DAKOTA: I mean once your nephew saw me doing tricks off my porch with my skateboard I think it was over for you, buddy. DAKOTA: but you put up with me for snacks and naps in my truck

While she wasn't typically one for accepting handouts, Bek knew Dakota's offer was one of friendship, not charity. And if it wasn't a purely friendly gesture it was certainly one made because she probably looked as dead on her feet as she felt.

"Thanks, Kota. I'd kill for a dirty chai if you really don't mind."

In the meantime, she leaned closer to get a better look at what she'd already jotted down across the page. Being that it was a Christian holiday she didn't have much firsthand experience with Easter, but she was more than well aware of the usual themes.

You couldn't really live in America and escape the overflow of chocolate rabbits and pastel colored peeps.

"There's a very real reason why I went into a scientific field and didn't run off to become a starving artist," she mused with a note of teasing when her eyes flicked up again.

As a general rule Bek strived in situations with quantifiable data. Proven facts. Anything within the realm of things left open to interpretation or personal opinion and taste threatened to break her out in an anxious case of hives.

Still, she mulled it over for another minute. "For St. Patricks Day you could do pistachio matcha muffins and pot o' gold tumeric lattes. For Easter maybe... I don't know." Did shemention this wasn't her forte? "Honey lavender cupcakes and mochas topped with marshmallow whipped cream and a dusting of colored sugar?"

"If I minded, I wouldn't have offered. I may be a menace to society, but even I was raised better than that. You sure that's all you want?"

It was funny; the older she'd gotten, the quieter the house had become with her sisters gone, Dakota hadn't become any less instinctive when it came to hiding what she was up to. Any other person she wouldn't have bothered to offer the seat.

Then again she was also afraid if she didn't, Bek might just drop to the floor right there from exhaustion. That look in her eye was familiar.

She playfully glared, trying to hide the grin. "Hey now, struggling artist, not starving, thank you very much."

Dakota paused, mulling over the idea. Baking? Not really her thing. However, her oldest sister was due to make a visit soon, and baking was Olivia's thing. The drinks? She could definitely do those.

"I knew there was a reason you were my favorite of Olivia's friends. Speaking of, hang on one second." She scribbled down the suggestions before she fumbled her phone out of her pocket, firing off a text.

"Hell, I can even just take the mocha idea and run with it for both too. Throw mint or something in there for St. Patrick's Day, keep the colored sugar going for spring. You and the rest of 'em may have chosen...well okay one of them technically went into science, the other two didn't, but my point; the people like their chocolate and if there's one thing I can't escape when I go to the store; it's all the damned Easter chocolate. Bek, you're a genius."

Amelia: Ohhh. Well that I can understand.

Amelia: Tell meeee please.

DAKOTA: I'll be 100% honest and admit that part about coffee I don't know. I just know it's technically a fruit and that's kind of stupid DAKOTA: but I will also absolutely use that fact to justify my addiction DAKOTA: nice try, but no. I haven't even made it yet, I'm still finalizing the little details. *I* don't even know what it tastes like yet

rickyxalvarez-deactivated202403

Ricky had to fight the urge to groan just at the description of the morning she'd had. It seemed like the entire town was cursed today, something in the water or air putting everyone in a foul mood and making them all a little less friendly – himself included. "Right, well," he said gruffly, looking down at his shoes momentarily as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, "I'm glad to hear that you can hold your own. Sure would hate to have to come around more often just to scare folks away. That's bad for business." Ricky didn't mention that he'd do it, thought, if he needed to, for Dakota. That was the kind of thing she'd take and run with, make a mountain out of a mole hill.

The twin thing still hadn't settled itself into his brain, not entirely. Ricky knew that Dakota had a twin sister because he'd accidentally gone and assumed it was Dakota one day in passing, and he'd never lived the moment down with the two of them. Meeting her twin sister's gaze, Ricky gave a firm nod, very clearly uncomfortable. How exactly does one go about apologizing for their first interaction, months after the fact? He was certain he'd never know, and he wasn't about to try and fumble it up now. "You act like I'm an idiot sometimes," Ricky grumbled as he took his drink and lifted it to his lips, blowing on it softly. "I made a livin' running into burning buildings, but I'm not an idiot."

She raised an eyebrow as he mentioned coming around to scare customers away. "If you come in here more than like twice a month I start to get concerned. If you make this a habit, gonna make me actually worry about you." She grabbed the bar towel, wiping at the coffee pot to catch any drips. Any other day, she'd bust his balls about the twin thing, especially his first interaction with Keegan because she may have purposely left out she had a twin. In her defense it typically never came up because most people knew. He was lucky, today she was determined to try to keep her word, at the very least.

She moved back toward the register, taking the money from her sister, reaching into her pocket and handing over the keys to her truck before glancing at Ricky. "No I don't. I just know you're that desperate if you're coming in here for coffee and you don't fight me over a free muffin. So...y'know I'm not gonna be liable if you burn your mouth because you couldn't wait a few seconds for sweet,sweet caffeine." Dakota threw the towel into the sink, reaching for a fresh one. "Also calm down, Uncle Rico, doppelganger over there is only here for my truck. Coffee is just a bonus for her. Then she gets out of my hair, out of yours, and if I have any luck left in this week, maybe I can sucker someone into at least, y'know, covering the register while I hide under the counter for ten minutes to breathe."

LIAM: clearly. LIAM: 🖕🏽🖕🏽🖕🏽🖕🏽🖕🏽 LIAM: i get off in an hour. can pick you up and get this hell shit over with.

DAKOTA: love youu DAKOTA: works for me, i'll keep your pillow and blanket ready.

LIAM: you always say the sweetest things to me. LIAM: you could say a lot, and you have. LIAM: always taking care of me. what a kind best friend i got. [15 minutes later, after fumbling over the 'i love you, too'. because the phrase is uncomfortable for him. lol.] LIAM: Ditto, Kola Bear. LIAM: what time do you need me?

DAKOTA: it's all part of the charm

DAKOTA: I could but...I don't have words so deal with it

DAKOTA: someone has to, dingbat. might as well be me.

DAKOTA: what time are you free?

location; urban harvest

closed to; @ahalyaxreddy

---

At least this time she could say she wouldn't be fumbling all over the store with a list she didn't half-understand. No, it being her week to do the grocery shopping; and needing some things in order to test out some new ideas, Dakota decided she couldn't beat Urban Harvest. It had a little something for everyone in the house and since the auction....Dakota knew she would slowly waltz up to Ahalya with her tail between her legs and ask for help like the last time someone insisted she tried something.

"There needs to be a rule that things on this list aren't allowed to be in Spanish I haven't learned yet or haven't remembered in years.." she muttered to herself, scanning over the items in her cart. She'd figure it out. Spotting the former from the corner of her eye, however, she chuckled, her brain flashing back to the conversation she'd had about the woman at the auction they'd been rooting for.

"So love won out that night; lady in silver almost got screwed over but...their shared date decided...he didn't much want to share, apparently. She came in all excited to the coffee shop the next time and almost talked my ear off about it."

#i don't know what this is love me anyway

location; lucille's diner closed to; @kairaxjoshi

---

She'd been abandoned. Okay, she hadn't really been abandoned. Her sister had warned her she had maybe 10 minutes best before she had another job interview...which to Dakota was just dumb when she hadn't graduated yet but the elder twin had managed to distract her with a present. Or...replacing a former present.

She'd received the first book of the series years ago, a joke because she'd never left home and it was a kid's book. Joke on all of them; it quickly grew into one of Dakota's favorites, and somehow the very first copy had gotten ruined.

So...there she was, ordering cup of coffee and snack after cup of coffee and snack, getting engrossed in the new copy like it was the first time she'd ever read it. Her sister had taken her truck, she had the sequel to this one in her bag, she was sort of stuck anyway, why not spend the day reading?

Stretching slightly, she bumped into the napkin holder, biting back a curse word when it clattered to someone's feet. "Sorry, sorry..." she set the book down, hopping out of her seat to grab the mess. "I'm kinda...lost in my own world over here."

#he little yip i let out when i realized i could use this gif #also please don't feel like you need to match this is was trying to set up something and it failedi think haha

DAKOTA: technically yeah

DAKOTA: and then we let me get hold of it and it turns into a furthest thing from a fruit

Amelia: just how though. how do they classify a coffee bean as a fruit? Amelia: i've seen the work, yeah. come up with any new creations lately?

DAKOTA: the beans that make the goodness are the seeds of the fruit I think

DAKOTA: yes and no. Like...halfway done with one

TEXT 💬 AMELIA & DAKOTA

Amelia: Did you know coffee was a fruit?! ( @dakotaheise )

DAKOTA: technically yeah

DAKOTA: and then we let me get hold of it and it turns into a furthest thing from a fruit

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