[OPEN/EVENT] Your dead end dreams don't make you smile;

[lightgunhustler]

Who: Jo Harvelle Beth Williams & you!
Where: Throughout Storybrooke, most notably the diner and the cemetery.
When: October 24th - 28th
Rating: PG
Summary: Stuck in a dead-end job in a small town with no family to call her own, sometimes a little forced hope all you have to get you through.
The Story:

October 24th

School had never really worked out for her. It wasn't that Beth wasn't smart; she'd gotten through high school easily and even went on to give college a try, but something about it had never been a good fit. She was too indecisive, unable to focus on any one thing or sit still long enough to put what she was learning to good use, and after three semesters of struggling to find the right niche, she'd decided to call it quits. She tried to remind herself of that every time she wanted to complain about her job, to remind herself that she'd chosen waitressing as a stepping stone to-- well, to be honest, she didn't know what else.

But something. There was something beyond Storybrooke, and aside from Charlie and a few other friends, there wasn't much to keep her here. Out there? Out there were possibilities.

That said, there were certainly worse jobs to be had. She actually liked working at The Pie Hole most days. Fred was a nice guy, decent if a little on the maudlin side, and the girls she worked with were both interesting personalities in their own right. The fact that they lived in a town about the size of a dime meant that most customers who came in were nice and gave a new meaning to the term 'regular' with how often they stopped in, though occasionally there were a few gems that either Beth or Andrea decided needed some coffee spilled in their lap by accident.

She'll be at the diner from early morning until late afternoon, after which she can be met walking home to the nearby apartment she shares with Charlie.

October 25th & 26th

She'd been looking for any trace of her father for years. He'd vanished when she was little, so long ago that she could barely remember his face, but she'd still made regular attempts to track him down. After so many years with no luck, a small part of her was almost ready to give up. If he wanted anything to do with her, he would have gotten in touch by now, wouldn't he? Nobody had ever told her the story of why he'd left, but it had been years since there had been anyone around to elaborate. She'd been on her own for ages now -- longer than seemed possible now that she thought about it, given her age, but it was what it was. She was used to being alone, but sometimes she still hoped.

Something was different today. Her interest in finding him was suddenly renewed, thanks to a particularly vivid dream she'd had the night before. Most of it was hazy, indistinct, but she remembered one thing with clarity: her father walking through the front door while she was still in pigtails, scooping her up into his arms and twirling her around as he hugged her against his chest, like he hadn't seen her weeks. That moment had been lucid enough that she swore she could still smell the leather of his jacket when she woke up, and the scene continued to haunt her as she went about preparing for her day. It wasn't imagined, was it? It was a memory, a memory of someone who had once been too happy to see her to just up and walk away for no reason. Someone who had loved her, once, even if things had changed.

It felt worth giving the search another try.

Throughout both days, Beth can be found working the day shift at the diner, though evenings are a different story. There isn't much to do in a small down like Storybrooke, if you ask her, but the evening of the 25th will find her at the library, looking through public records -- "for research," if anyone asks. Afterwards, she'll continue her project at home, most likely asking Charlie for her assistance.

October 27th & 28th

Beth had made an effort to stick to her usual routine after things changed, but it was difficult. Whichever set of memories was real, she couldn't tell -- both were so clear and felt so genuine that it seemed impossible to tell them apart, especially when she considered the sudden existence of ghosts and demons and everything in between when she'd never believed in them before. She'll spend most of her time trying to go through the motions and talk herself into believing that her Storybrooke life is the real one, but there's one memory in particular that will prove her wrong when she allows herself to dwell on it.

The afternoon of the 28th will find her in the cemetery. The death of her father causes her heart to ache far too much for it to be something she'd just imagined, but separating her Storybrooke memories from all the rest is still an overwhelming undertaking. A part of her knows that she won't find his headstone here, that there had never been enough of him left to bury anywhere that she could actually go and visit, but something about walking the rows between the grave markers feels right, even if she's searching for a name that she knows can't possibly be there. He may not be here, but maybe this is the closest she's ever going to get.

Comments

[lightgunhustler]

"Good. You should definitely be prepared." It's a flippant remark, appropriate considering how ridiculous the image the thought of anyone swordfighting in Fred's diner was, but she smiles openly at him as she heads to the door on her heels, stepping out into the hallway a moment later to wait for him.

"I'll probably get questioned later," she reasons aloud, finding herself more relaxed than she'd imagined she'd be. "If there's anything that you'd like me to keep off the record as the night goes on, you'll have to let me know. Can't leak your secrets to the press."

[honesta]

Eli follows Beth out into the hallway and pulls the door shut behind him. He pauses and goes quiet for a moment as he attempts to think of anything he might want to stay between them. He's honestly got nothing. Plus he knows Charlie. He knows how tenacious the girl can be. He knows that when she wants to be aware of something she'll push and prod until she gets what she wants. Which has Eli shaking a hand at her. He didn't think it'd be wise to leave bits out only to have her come to him later.

"Actually." He pauses to smile. "I often find myself listening to Boyz 2 Men when I'm alone." Which is not entirely untruthful. At some point in his life he had been very into them. He was interested in all kinds of music though. "But you probably shouldn't let her know that bit of information. I'd hate for it to get around town."

[lightgunhustler]

"I'll keep that one to myself," she promises, biting back a laugh. "But anything from here on out is fair game."

It was all in fun, anyway. Gossip probably wouldn't touch on anything personal, but it was the inevitable follow-up to any date, something universally accepted among friends. You just didn't keep everything to yourself; that was just unfair.

"It's a beautiful night to be out," Beth remarks as they emerge from the building, carefully adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder. Most things in Storybrooke were within walking distance, which meant you learned to appreciate the town's ambiance over time.