daring-to-dream

[daring-to-dream]

His job meant that he meant a lot of people and sometimes it was impossible to remember everyone but Mat did like to try. The food at Dreamer’s was great so that made it a little easier for him to remember her. “Yeah, I came over by your place for waffles a few weeks ago”, he said, offering his own hand. “Great to meet you. I’m Mat…Berinut.” He stick his surname to the end as it was the way she introduced herself, even though he wasn’t in the habit of doing that.

Dream never saw the big deal about celebrities. They were people just like the rest of them, they just got media coverage for their careers. Which was great for them, but she didn’t ever want to treat someone different because of that. But, she did know of Mat. “And were the waffles to your liking?” She asked, tilting her head. She reached out, shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mat Berinut. You’re like some actor, aren’t you?”

[daring-to-dream]

If Mat didn’t already feel bad for slamming into her and making her fall on the ground, he definitely felt like shit when he saw the papers in her hand scattering all over. “Oh shit, shit, yeah”, he said, shaking himself out of his stupor and running after the papers. It was quite a windy day so they were getting all over the place but Mat somehow managed to get them all. Or at least, he was hoping he did. “Here you go. I hope i managed to get them all.” He handed the papers back to the girl and offered a hand to help her up. She seemed familiar but he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen her before. “Wait…are you the girl from the diner? I think it was Dreamer’s?” 

Dream felt as though getting bumped into was almost her speciality. This surely wasn’t the first time papers had been scattered all over, though she was appreciative that this time it wasn’t raining. This paperwork was important, and she really needed to get it to the salon safely. “Thank you.” Dream said, taking the papers and this time putting them in her bag, at least this way, if she was bumped into again, she didn’t have to worry about the scatter of paper. “I felt as though you looked familiar.” The diner owner mused, “Yeah, Dreamer’s is my place. Names Dream Rhodes.” The girl said, sticking her hand out to him.

[daring-to-dream]

In the final stages of opening her new business, Dream was busier than ever balancing all that was left with the new salon but also keeping up with the daily tasks of the diner. She was on her way to the salon, paperwork in hands when someone crashed into her. She was sure she’d seen this guy before, but she wasn’t too sure. “Shit,” She mumbled on the collision as her papers scattered on the ground. “It’s fine, it’s fine.” She said, eagerly getting down to pick up her papers. “Can you get the papers that are flying away, please?”

Mat really needed to stop looking down at his phone while walking because it kept getting him into awkward situations. Just like it did right now. He was so focused on sending an important email to his management team that he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and didn’t realise there was someone directly in front of him. He only realised when they bumped straight into each other and Mat watched in horror as they fell backwards and right on their ass. Shit. “Oh um…shit. Sorry about that, I wasn’t watching where I was going”, he rushed to explain himself and held his hand out. “Need some help?” 

[daring-to-dream]

he  always  had  a  vision  like  this , but  he  didn’t  think  it  would  be  happening  so  soon . how  did  he  get  lucky  enough  to  meet  her ? maybe  everything  does  happen  for  a  reason . aksel  had  always  been  very  creative  with  his  hands  but  he  was  never  cut  out  for  the  business  part  of  things , preferring  to  just  give  his  artistic  input . thankfully , it  seemed  like  dream  had  all  of  that  covered  though . they  complimented  each  other  on  this  perfectly  and  things  couldn’t  have  worked  out  better . it’s  been  a  rough  couple  of weeks , but  this  revelation  has  definitely  made  things  a  bit  brighter . “ me  too ! we  can  promote  this  on  social  media , hype  it  up  and  all . i  know  some  people . ”  he  definitely  knew  nail  tech’s  and  other  people  who  were  in  the  business , so  getting  the  word  around  about  a  new  salon  would  be  easy . the  thought  of  hiring  other’s  himself  scared  him  a  little , but  he  already  had  an  idea  of  who  might  be  interested . “ i  feel  so  important  right  now ? i’m  about  to  cry  happy  tears .” ever  the  drama  queen . he  had  to  casually  wipe  at  the  corners  of  his  eyes  and  everything . “ that  sounds  so  sophisticated ! i  can  already  imagine  the  wine  moms  coming  in  here . ”  he  laughs  at  the  thought .

Dream was always one to get a vision and roll with it. There was nothing that could slow the business owner down. That was how she had been able to open her diner at such a young age. Dream had wanted to focus on running the diner, and making sure she knew the ins and outs of running a business before trying to open another. But now, she felt ready and she was glad that she had met Askel. She never would have thought of opening a salon if it hadn’t been for him, and her visions had come to life in front of her. “Absolutely! And I’ve already spoke with my social media manager for the diner, and shes interested in some more hours and will be able to make sure we can continue promoting the salon as well.” She told him. Dream really had thought of it all. “Boy, cry all the happy tears you want. This place is going to be slamming, I can promise you that.”

[daring-to-dream]

Dream was in a rush, of course. That was the story of the girls life. There was never a time where she wasn’t rushing. She had to be sure everything was perfect for the upcoming launch of her salon, but also keep up with the daily duties of the diner. Dream needed a break.

That was when she nearly wiped out from her heel getting caught in a crack. Dream looked at the man who caught her, “Thank you,” She said, softly. “I -- yeah, I’ll be okay. Thanks again.”

Starter for: @daring-to-dream

Location: Sidewalk

Tatiana was walking from the Toadstool back to his house when he passed a girl. Everything slowed for just a moment as the girls heels caught it the sidewalk cracking off and sending her flying backwards. In a moment of panic as the shoe flew Tatiana lunged towards her catching her before she could hit the ground. His eyes were full of concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked his voice full of panic and a little husky. He looked down into her eye meaningfully waiting for her answer.

[daring-to-dream]

The sniffling came to a halt, Charlie’s eyebrows furrowing together before looking up at Dream. At first, she wondered if she had made it up. Had someone actually just offered to help? Then, her mind jumped to doubt. There must have been a catch… 

“You’re kidding me, right?” she gently asked, a small glimpse of hope flashing before her.

Normal people didn’t just open themselves up to Charlie. Normal people would run away.

“Why would you offer that?” Charlie asked after a few moments. It came out with more angst than she’d meant it to, but only because she’d never been shown that much kindness. “You’ve only known me a few months.”

Dream hated to see people struggle. She had watched her own parents struggle with money, growing up and she didn’t want other people to have to go through that. Especially when there were people around who could help. 

“No, I’m not kidding. You’re right, I have only known you a few months. But, I am not going to let you go around sleeping in bathrooms, when I have a perfectly good guest bedroom at home. It isn’t being used currently, and its clear rthat you need some help to get back on your feet. So I want to be that help for you.”

[daring-to-dream]

Dream Rhodes - CHARACTER STUDY

(( TW: death mention))

FULL NAME: Darla Marie Rhodes. Goes by Dream.

NICKNAMES: Dream

AGE: 27

DATE OF BIRTH: April 10, 1993

ZODIAC SIGN: Aries

PLACE OF BIRTH: New York City

HOMETOWN: Manhattan, New York City, NY

LOCATION: Kingsboro, Brooklyn, New York City, NY

ETHNICITY: White, Hispanic 

NATIONALITY: American, Columbian

RELIGIOUS VIEWS: Believes in a higher power

EDUCATION LEVEL: Bachelors in Business from NYU

OCCUPATION: Owner of Dreamer’s Diner and Once Upon a Shear Dream

MENTAL CONDITIONS: Depression, Anxiety 

PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS: -

ADDICTIONS: -

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

HEIGHT: 5′4

BODY TYPE: thin 

EYE COLOUR: Brown

HAIR COLOUR: Brown

STYLE: Most of the time Dream is seen in very business casual clothing, though sometimes she will dress that up more.

TATTOOS?: A shooting star that says Dreamer’s on the back of ner neck

PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: determined, hard working, intelligent 

NEGATIVE TRAITS: loner, materialistic

WHAT DO THEY CONSIDER TO BE THE BEST AND THE WORST PART OF THEIR PERSONALITY?:  She is thankful for being such a hardworker and achieving the dreams she wants to bring forward. 

ARE THEY MORE EXTROVERTED OR INTROVERTED?: Introvert

ANY TALENTS?: Cooking

WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS?: -

ANY ALLERGIES?: none

DO THEY HAVE ANY PHOBIAS?: Atelophobia

LIST 3 PET-PEEVES THEY CAN’T STAND: people who purposely hold up the line, homophobia, disrespectful people

PAST

BEST MEMORY: Opening Dreamer’s

WORST MEMORY: Her child almost dying when she was in labor. 

BIGGEST SECRET: Dream had a child in high school, her parents took the baby in and is raising him.

BIGGEST WISH: To be a parent.

BIGGEST FEAR: Losing her businesses. 

FIRST LOVE : A high school love

ROMANCE & SEXUALITY

TURN ONS: pretty eyes, good heart, foreplay

TURN OFFS: poor hygiene, any type of thing that should be done on the toilet

MISCELLANEOUS

SPEAKING VOICE CLAIM: Sofia Carson

SINGING VOICE CLAIM: Sofia Carson

RELATIONSHIP WITH MOTHER: Dream is very close with both of her parents.

MOTHER’S NAME: Lucy Ann Rhodes

RELATIONSHIP WITH FATHER: Dream is very close with both of her parents.

FATHER’S NAME: Patrick Ryan Rhodes

SIBLINGS: Garrett Rhodes (10) (biological son, but being raised as her brother), and a younger sister.

FAVORITE PLACE: Dreamer’s Diner

ROLE MODELS: @aaronhart93

FAVORITE ANIMALS: Birds

FAVORITE BOOKS: -

FAVORITE MOVIES: Grease

FAVORITE MUSIC: Pop

FAVORITE FOOD: Bacon Burger

QUIRKS

ARE THEY RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED?: Right Handed

WHAT’S A WORD THAT’S ALWAYS ON THEIR LIPS?: Diner

WHAT LANGUAGES DO THEY SPEAK?: English & Spanish

DO THEY CURSE?: Yes.

WHAT’S THEIR WORST HABIT(S)?: Overthinking.

DO THEY DRINK OR SMOKE? HOW FREQUENTLY?: Will drink socially.

ARE THEY AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL?: Night Owl.

HOW TIDY IS THEIR ROOM?: Perfectly put together.

HOW LONG TO THEY USUALLY TAKE GETTING READY?: Not too long.

[daring-to-dream]

what is your personal favourite diner food ?

“Depends on if I’m in the mood for breakfast or dinner food. For breakfast, I’d have to say just that classic breakfast, get your eggs, breakfast meat, I usually get bacon, toast and potatoes. Delish! But for dinner, I’d say a bacon cheeseburger with fries or onion rings. Don’t forget a milkshake, that is my favorite diner item.”

[daring-to-dream]

who is your best friend?

“I don’t have as much time for friends as I’d like too. But, I’d say the people I consider close friends are Tee, Kami, and uh -- Aaron, though I’m not too sure about that last one lately.”

@kamidesai @timmyteehill @aaronhart93

[daring-to-dream]

Dog or cat?

“I like both, but I think I’d like to get a dog soon. So probably dog.”

[daring-to-dream]

You're stuck in an elevator for six hours with the last person you spoke to – do you trust them?

“I think the last person I spoke to was Charlie, so yeah, I’d trust her.” 

@charlie-p

[daring-to-dream]

“I’ve been here a month, I think,” she almost whispered, sniffling and allowing a few tears to fall. She wiped them quickly and took in a deep breath, but another wave of tears caught her off guard.

Charlie felt sick at how vulnerable she was being. The last time she felt like this was the few days leading up to her flight to the US, and even then, she spent most of those days crying in the public toilets in the city she lived. The hard shell had been smashed.

At the mention of her savings, her heart dropped. The stupid early 20s Charlie burnt through a lot of money which wasn’t even hers, the rest being scrambled together for a plane ticket. Little amounts left over from her pay-check after bills had been growing and piling up comfortably. Money was being spent wisely. But, when she lost the apartment, it vanished in a blink. The last she checked, there were only a few dollars in her bank.

“Uh…” she started, pulling out a crumpled few notes from the front of her bag. “$30 dollars, I think, until payday.”

Dream wasn’t one to just open her home, especially to her employees but she had become very fond of Charlie and wanted to see the other succeed. She also didn’t want her to be in any kind of trouble, and living in a bathroom stall wasn’t the ideal situation for anyone.

“How about this? You come stay with me for the month. I have a guest bedroom you can stay in, with its own bathroom. I’ll put you on extra shifts this month, you can save up money, and we’l get you a security deposit for a new apartment in no time.”

[daring-to-dream]

damnaksel​:

he  didn’t  know  why  he  was  so  nervous  about  seeing  the  place  for  the  first  time . they  had  spoken  about  it  and  discussed  ideas , but  now  that  it  was  actually  happening , he  was  genuinely  shook  at  how  fast  she  moved . aksel  didn’t  know  why  his  heart  was  beating  so  damn  fast  or  why  he  was  so  secretly  afraid  yet  excited  to  come  over , but  as  he  approached  the  place , that  seemed  to  slowly  go  away . “ oh  my  god … ” he  trails  off , light  eyes  scanning  his  entire  surroundings , unable  to  help  his  smile . “ i  can’t  believe  you  made  all  this  happen ! i  swear  dream , it’s  like  you’re  a  fairy  god  mother  from  those  fairytales , but  young  and  hot  instead ! ” he  wouldn’t  be  himself  if  he  didn’t  hype  people  up , but  he  was  serious . she  really  considered  his  idea  and  made  it  happen  and  he  actually  couldn’t  believe  it . “ i  think  you’re  awesome ! i  think  this  whole  place  is  awesome ! oh  my  god ! ” with  this , he’s  jumping  up  and  down  excitedly  and  clapping  his  hands , engulfing  her  in  a  powerful , yet  soft  and  friendly  hug .

Dream never expected to be opening a salon. She always knew more businesses were in her future, but she never knew exactly what they’d be. She figured, maybe she’d open more restaurants, but never once had salon crossed her mind until she met Askel. She of course drew inspiration from him, but also her own mind. She knew she wanted bright colors around the place, and she wanted it to be very warm and welcoming, which she was sure they hit on the head. “I told you, it wouldn’t take that long. I work fast, and I can’t wait to get people in here.” She told Askel. She of course, wasn’t a licensed cosmetologist so she would mostly be behind the scenes. “I figured I’d leave hiring up to you, as you’ll be my cosmetologist consultant. But, I have been in talks with a few receptionists. I’d like to get at least four stylists -- including yourself of course, in here for the launch.” She told him. “I am so glad you love it though!” Dream hugged her new business partner back, “And there will be a fully stocked snack bar, and of course wine for those clients of age to get a drink while they get their hair done.”

[daring-to-dream]

charlie-p​:

“I lost my apartment…” she whispered, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked up to Dream. “You’re not firing me?”

Charlie needed to learn to not always expect the worst. There were good people in the world, but she had usually screwed them over before she realised that. She certainly didn’t believe she deserved any second chances, but here she was being offered one.

“I just thought everything was going okay, but I blew it again and they changed the locks before I could sort anything out.”

They had given her multiple warnings which she hated to admit. Charlie had plenty of time to sort it out, but not enough motivation and willpower. Some things were still a joke to her until it was too late.

“I just want my own bed,” she finally whispered, looking back to the table and trying to repress the tears. The words were coming and starting to spill, but she still tried her best to keep the water from overflowing.

“Why would I fire you? Because you slept in my bathroom a couple times? That isn’t a reason to fire someone. You’re a great waitress, and I’m not going to fire you because of something that doesn’t even reflect your work ethic.” Dream told the other.

Dream nodded slowly, “Okay, its going to be okay Charlie. I’ll help you figure all this out.” Dream hated to see people struggling, she really did. “If you don’t mind me asking, how much money do you have saved up?”

[daring-to-dream]

Landon didn’t think she would actually agree. Although she seemed very nice and willing to please the customer, agreeing to his request meant going out of her way for him and he was feeling more impressed by the second over the great customer service. “Thank you, that’s very much appreciated. I’ll make sure to leave this place a great review online.” That’s what made restaurant owners happy right? “It’s not very far. I’ll admit that’s probably what convinced me to give you guys a try in the first place.” 

“I’m always willing to help.” She always wanted her customers to be satisfied and coming back for more. She hoped everyone on her staff felt the same way, but the diner wasn’t their baby in the same way that it was Dream’s baby. She built it from the ground up. “Glad to hear it. I’m sure i’ll get a whole three new customers thanks to your review.” She teased. “Well, I hope you guys keep coming back for more.”

[daring-to-dream]

charlie-p​:

Charlie didn’t even flinch when the question was asked. Whether it was from the exhaustion or the feeling of being numb to losing things, she wasn’t sure. It was obvious that someone would notice before she could figure out what to do, her eyes focused on the table in front of her. The choice to own up and confess was struggling to come out, the idea of denying everything surfacing. 

But, this was a chance. It really was time for her to live up to her ideas of change. In her head, she was making all these new decisions which showed some maturity and honesty, but it was almost all internal. No matter how ashamed she felt, the truth had to be told. Even if she hated it.

“Yeah,” she almost whispered, knowing how the story would end. “It’s okay, I’ll finish today’s shift and I’ll be gone.”

Something like this couldn’t be excused. It was the truth, but the truth also had consequences and Charlie knew for certain that the job she was growing to love was now gone.

“I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have, I promise. I just needed somewhere to sleep. I’m really sorry.” she slowly continued. 

Dream always tried to keep an open door with her staff. If someone needed to talk, whether it was work related or not, Dream was always there to listen to what they had to say. But, clearly Charlie was struggling if she felt as though she needed to sleep in the diner’s bathroom and not talk to anyone about it.

“You’ll be gone?” Dream asked, pushing a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. “Charlie -- I’m not firing you if thats what you are thinking,” Dream promised. Dream would never let someone go because they were struggling in their personal life.

“But, I do need you to be honest with me.” Dream told her. “You needed somewhere to sleep? Did you lose your apartment?” She questioned.

[daring-to-dream]

Dream was waiting outside the location of her new salon for Askel’s arrival. She was so excited for him to see the progress she had made on the place, especially as he was the one who inspired her to open a salon in the first place. “Hey!” She said, seeing him approach. “I think you’re going to love it, but -- if there is anything you see that you dislike, please let me know. I need honest opinions.” She told him, pulling the door open to the brightly colored salon. The place was nearly fully set up, it of course was still missing the retail products on the shelves and a few signs here and there, but it was ready to be operated in just a short few weeks. “So -- what do you think?”

@damnaksel​