Welcome to Vegas! [SL+] [Linn]

[&&ANGEL]

Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada!

Yes, the city of fun and wine. A place where adults play and no kids all day. Gamble, drink, smoke- anything really! This place is amazing. Well upon the outside. It’s pretty glamorous on magazine covers, pictures, postcards and all but on the inside...Crimes, drugs violence and more. These are the things that have been hidden away- only to be uncovered by those who actually live within these walls each and everyday. Will you find this hidden side of the famous Las Vegas Strip? Or will you go one living your life without a clue?

___________...__________

Looking out the clear window of her music store along the streets of Vegas, Allie Bannita gave into a short sigh. Today was slow and person by person, she watched the people of Nevada pass by without even a single look at her store, The Musical Note. As if it made much of a difference. No one really visited this lonely little store except for the few costumers who were amateur musicians that were only looking for cheap instruments and things like that. But Allie didn’t mind much. She made a living with the few dollars she received and she even had enough money to gamble from time to time- seeing that she was in Las Vegas and the main purpose that brought people here was the opportunity to gamble. So if you can’t beat them, join em?
Anyways, customers were not the reason that brought Allie’s mood down today. It was the anticipation for her college acceptance letter to come in from the mail. Yes, being only 18, she hasn’t finished college yet, though she expects to do soon. Allie had actually tried for one of the best schools around the world. Alington University. A high-standards school that was suggested by no other than her friends around here who wished they could get into that college but never had enough experience in anything to get into it.

Of course, Allie had some things in her history that could definitely help her get into this school. She was a musician [of course], playing mainly, the trumpet then the piano, the flute and the guitar- though she was still fairly new to the guitar. Allie was also an A student, always getting great grades and had achieved an accumulated 4.0 grade point average by the end of high school. This would definitely help her alone. Allie was also a black belt in Tae Kwan Do- surprising, no? But this also helped her, in ways more than one upon these dangerous streets. She’s been pretty lucky to have learned Tae Kwan Do, for her safety of course.

Dangerous yet exciting, Allie loved her life here in Las Vegas, Nevada, for it was her only home- here in her little shop. Allie took a deep breath then laid back upon the front desk, back to wall while she continued to watch the people who passed by- like usual…

[*Linn*]

Charlie Romero

On the steps of a small, slightly sad-looking music store, Steven Romero, more often known as Charlie, wrapped bandages around his bleeding fingers. Slight, thin, tired-looking, he bore many of the hallmarks of a young student. There was a brown leather backpack hanging from his shoulder, filled with texts and course packs, and a tarnished dorm key hung from a string around his neck.

The injuries he was currently bandaging were not the result of some violence, despite his skinny build and the fact that he'd left his dorm with a wallet full of cash. He was from Brooklyn, where street violence was as much a fact of life as it was here, and his size belied remarkable athleticism. No, the wounds on his hand were blisters, self-inflicted, the result of long nights stubbornly practising Bass in a last-ditch attempt to make something good of his chronic insomnia.

Charlie had lived in Vegas only a few months, and his problems with sleep, which had plagued him all through high school, had gotten worse. He found reprieve in three things- One, schoolwork; he was in Med school and excelling. Two, his Bass, at which he was getting steadily better and better. Three, the casinos. He'd always had an aptitude for cards, probably because of his skill with math. He, however, generally thought of it as directly correlating to the fact that he'd never, despite his best efforts, had a girlfriend- Lucky at cards, unlucky at love.

Not that he could blame that on cards. There were other things. He was unique-looking at best, charmingly ugly at worst, shy, bookish, sarcastic, frequently unhappy. Today was the exception. Despite the stinging pain in his blistered fingers, he was deeply pleased. Gambling often earned him a small profit, and over the past few months he'd made enough at the blackjack tables to buy himself- he quivered with excitement at the thought- a stand-up Double Bass. He had not been so happy in a long time. All he had to do was find one.

He finished with the bandages- it wouldn't do to bleed on any of the merchandise- and hitched his pack onto his back. Then, with a grin of anticipation, he opened the door of the shop. Above him, a little bell chime announced his presence. He smiled at the girl behind the desk, his tired blue eyes suddenly bright and excited, and said, in his thick Brooklyn drawl, "Hi. I, uh, don't suppose you happen to have a stand-up Double Bass?"

[&&ANGEL]

As the tiny bell rang out, signaling another customer, Alliena nearly jumped from where she sat, looking up at who had just entered- A skinny young boy who didn’t look much of a musician. What is a guy like him doing here? What surprised her even more was what he requested. ”A stand-up Double Base? Hmm…” Her tone was calm and clear, not at all eager at the thought that this was her third or fourth customer today. Just as well, her voice still held that familiar light, sing-song type of tone that she used for casual occasions such as this. Pondering upon the thought further, Allie suddenly realized she was keeping a customer waiting- something she had learned to try to avoid through some vital losses. ”Er, I think I have a few in the back.” She said with a simple nod, brushing back her dark brown bangs from her face before quickly heading into the back room behind the front counter. You know, that door that always said employees only- even though Alliena was the only person working here and the sole owner.

Emerging from the shadows, Alliena pulled out, one by one, four different double basses, made by different instrumental companies, yet they didn’t seem all too different from each other. ”Here are the top four models I have in stock. See any one you like?” She gave him a sort of cheery look and a simple, sweet smile to match as if she was begging him to buy the most expensive one- the one farthest to her right. Its wood was simple and clean, a light tanned color as well. There was a smooth and clean finish upon it and it looked finely crafted, especially since there was a beautiful design upon the instrument’s flank. It was a beautiful instrument and she had paid a mighty heavy price to acquire it- only for those customers who were willing to pay her own price. Yet since her customer count had decreased since The Musical Note’s first opening, she decided to show all four top models to anyone willing to buy a stand-up double bass.

[*Linn*]

She pondered his request for a moment, though to Charlie it felt like an eternity. Double Basses weren't a common thing to have in stock. He'd been to three music stores already, without success. All three had suggested he consider a normal electric Bass, but he wasn't interested. He'd tried playing electrics, many times, and it was just plain- well, he'd certainly prefer it to no bass at all, but it was dull. The tone wasn't nearly as good, especially for Jazz and Blues, and something of the soul always seemed to be lost when you started holding your bass like it was a guitar.

As she disappeared into the back room, he could not keep the enormous grin off his face. Finally, after using a cheap rental for almost a year, he would be able to actually own one. There was the little matter of getting it home, of course, but he would figure something out. Shivering with excitement, he rubbed his bandaged fingers together.

She brought out the basses, one at a time- Hulking wooden beauties, taller than either of them by more than a head. His first instinct was to help her, since he tended towards shivalry and as he was well aware, a good double bass was not a light object, but she didn't seem to be having much trouble and the door did say 'employees only'.

As each bass arrived, he pored over its details with care, taking in the size, the wood, the finish, the details of the scroll, the head, and the fingerboard. The first one was clearly inexpensive, and while it was a nice model for the price, he could tell that the finish wouldn't last, and he wanted something... a little better. The next two were really quite lovely, though he would have had to play them to make a final decision, obviously.

And then she brought it out, and he knew which one he had to get. It was light in colour, polished but not stained, with a smooth grain and wonderful simple lines. The only ornate part of it was the engraved working on its side- a tasteful, elegant design that reminded him vaguely of pointsettas, and contrasted with the clean simplicity of the rest of the instrument to great effect. She smiled a cute, cheerful smile, asking him if he saw any he liked, and he almost burst out laughing. "Are you kidding? They're all very good, but... that one..." He tried to find words for his reverence. "That has to be the crowning acheivement of humanity. It's beautiful." He approached it, frightened to touch it, yet excited almost to the point of tears by the prospect of playing it. "May I?" he asked, cautiously, glancing from the prize instrument to her face.

[&&ANGEL]

Allie couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction to the finest double-base she had brought out. But that reaction wasn’t unusual. Rarely did shops take custody of a fine double-bass like this one with the fine design and all. Yet she did not take on that same, shocked expression as this boy had. She wasn’t much of a strings player. Allie took on the trumpet as her main instrument and at the sight of a shiny new brass trumpet, she would nearly faint before buying the thing. The trumpet was her pride and joy and even if she wasn’t as good as those people performing jazz upon the Vegas Strip, she thought she was ok and music would easily pass through the yellow/gold instrument.

”May I?”

Alliena nodded, giving another amused smile before carefully lending the fine instrument forward with another reassuring nod. ”Careful though. Its not everyday I get a big beauty like this one.”

Ooc.// Ugh. Sorry for it being so short. >< Im low on time.

[*Linn*]

The girl giggled, rather adorably, and Charlie found himself amused by his own reaction as well. Most people would probably not be so vocal in their praise, would dwell on the flaws (if there were any) of the instrument to try and get the store to lower the price. But Charlie wasn't the type to haggle over things that were obviously worth the asking price. Whatever that was.

"I can imagine," he said, nodding, and he took the Bass with enormous care to show that he wasn't about to drop it. It was heavier than he was used to, but the weight was reassuring. It fit into his arms as if it had been designed for him specifically, and no-one else. He gave each string an experimental pluck with his thumb, to ensure they were in tune, and finding that they were, tried out an improvised bassline along a twelve-bar Minor Blues. The bandages on his fingers caused him very little trouble- he had chosen this type specifically because they had a texture that wa not unlike skin, and as long as he didn't let them drag and muffle the sound, he played almost as well with them as without them.

Normally, he didn't like playing in front of other people. Music had always been a solitary habit for him, and any kind of audience, especially one including trained musicians, made him nervous. But today... something clicked. Maybe it was that he was playing this bass in particular, but he didn't mind her hearing at all, and he found himself becoming more adventurous, trying out cool new rhythms and unusual chord structures. The Double Bass played as sweet as a nut, every note crisp and clear but still warm, still full of substance... Truly, it felt as though it had been made for him.

[&&ANGEL]

Allie watched him with a careful eye as he began testing out the fine instrument like he rightfully should. However, she was quite surprised that he wasn't asking for the price which, with tax, added up to about $94.00. True, It was a bit more than a normal Stand-up Double Bass- was usually put on sale for less than $60, but it was appropriate. Being that this particular Bass was beautiful in craft and appearance and that it took her days and days of searching for it, the price was just right- for what Allie thought. Besides, this was the only store that sold a Stand-up bass inside of Vegas. Yet, 94 bucks were just the amount for the instrument. If he had wanted a stand for it or for some music, it would cost much more. However, if the instrument was accidentally broken or a string snapped, Alliena would gladly fix it for free. That was her plain policy here in The Musical Note and almost every musician in Vegas appreciated it for sure.

Fortunately for Allie, there were many musicians here in Vegas making a living by preforming and playing for audiences in casinos that visited frequently just for her free fixing. Yet, it was a good to have people coming into her store. It would provoke others to come and do the same and that would mean more business and money for her.

Soon Allie found herself tapping her foot to the boy's music- by accident really. She hadn't noticed until she began snapping her finger to the beat as well, which she stopped out of her own embarrassment. It was always that Allie would be so transfixed with this kind of music and so into it the beat that she would start getting lost within the melody. This would usually happen whenever she was playing with her trumpet or some other instrument that she felt like playing that day. But never had she tapped her foot so delicately to another person playing. It just wasn't her thing for she tended to focus upon the mistakes and flaws that other people make or the beauty of the music that could help her own musical talent.

"Wow..." She murmured as he finished testing out the Double Bass. Allie smiled at him with much awe and amazement. "You're really good. Do you play around Vegas?" She asked. He must have a job around here. It was only logical for he was so good and if you were a professional you usually come to Vegas to preform and earn as much money as possible. However, she wasn't much of a Bass player so good to her probably wasn't good to someone with trained ears to this instrument. But Allie was so sure of it. This young man was a wonderful musician and she couldn't help but find herself looking upon him with much awe.

Alliena herself was not a performer here in Las Vegas. Well, not a full-time music entertainer. She played part-time either in front of her shop or wherever she was invited to. Just as a way to earn some extra money apart from her shop.

[*Linn*]

As he played the bass, Charlie found himself praying he could afford it, because he didn't think he could handle not owning it now that he'd played it. It truly was beautiful. He'd never actually owned a Double Bass before, which had always struck him as unfair. His twin brother played the guitar and had owned his own instrument for years, and a really nice one, too. Logically, it was because Double Basses cost a lot more than guitars, but Charlie had always been mildly jealous of it. He and his brother were identical, and alike in more than just looks, so whenever one got something and the other didn't, it always seemed to matter more. They had been friendly rivals their whole lives, and Charlie sometimes felt he was the weaker of the two- Noah was the more lively and creative of the two, as the younger, and probably the better musician. He also had a mean streak that Charlie lacked, and he hadn't been above taunting him with his beautiful guitar. But Noah would be writhing with envy when he saw this.

Charlie noticed that the store clerk was tapping her foot, and he smiled. One of the problems of playing alone was that it was hard to judge your skill level, and he'd often wondered if he would measure up to the kind of musicians who bought basses like this one. But she actually seemed to be enjoying it. And she probably had quite a bit of musical expertise, if she worked in a music store. He smiled, ending the solo with a decidedly funky string-slap effect.

He laid the bass very gently and carefully against the wall, rubbing his stinging fingers, and smiled, halfway between grateful and embarrassed. He wasn't sure he deserved anywhere near that level of praise. He was decent, but he wasn't incredible, and compliments had a way of always making him blush horribly. The fact that it was coming from a very pretty girl about his age didn't help much. "Uh- Thank you... No, I don't, I.." He shrugged, not quite sure of how to explain it. To most musicians, performing was probably second nature... "I kind of only play alone. It's... just a hobby." Both curious and eager to shift the subject away from things that made him feel awkward, he tilted his head, surveying her through light blue eyes ringed with lack of sleep. "What about you?"

[&&ANGEL]

A hobby hm? She gave him a suspicious look. It was a bit unusual to see a musical player like him only considering music as a hobby. Most musicians were out playing for the public, full-time or not and they didn't consider music as a hobby but a job. And thus, Allie found herself admiring him more.

A smile spread widely upon Alliena's face that she couldn't keep back. "Wow." She gave a gentle laugh that soon became a sign of her slight embarrassment. "Well, I play part-time in any gigs that I'm invited to and sometimes I play in front of my shop when I'm in a good mood." Allie admitted. She wished she could say that she only played music for fun, but life was life and survival in this terrible world required money. A lot of money.

Allie leaned back against the wall slightly, examining the boy once again. He sure was a strange one. Hmm... Professional level, yet people shy... Was her only explanation of his musical outlook which made her giggle once again. "Hey, you know, you aren't like the other musicians here in Vegas. What's your name?" Thus her regular speaking voice was revealed. Laid back and casual, she began to talk to him as more of a friend than a customer and thats how she felt about him. This young man wasn't like those drunkard men who go around playing their instruments for money and change and then afterward use that money to gamble and end up loosing it all in the end- yet they have a great time doing it. Despicable! Allie hated those kind of people who only put shame to the instruments they play. There weren't many but whenever she got a look of one, she would always try her best to avoid confrontation, which was hard when she owned a music store where musicians go for their daily needs. Yep. So Allie was left to talk to those people at one point at another and from time to time she would burst out angrily and that was when she would loose customers. But, she would never feel bad about it in the end.

[*Linn*]

"Well, I play part-time in any gigs that I'm invited to and sometimes I play in front of my shop when I'm in a good mood."
Charlie blinked, impressed. He didn't think he'd ever be able to play in public so often. Just thinking about it unnerved him. Although admittedly the late nights wouldn't be a big problem. He found he actually slept better when he'd been out doing something most of the night. Casions were great for that- they kept him active, but thanks to the anonymity of it, he rarely felt on the spot like he might while preforming. Everyone knew him as just Charlie, the kid who was good at blackjack.

Charlie flushed, laughing uneasily, and hoped she meant it in a good way. She didn't seem like the sort to randomly spit out hidden jabs, so probably good... The thing was, he didn't really have any experience with the musicians of Vegas, aside from a small group of friends, and they, like him, only played as a hobby. He didn't know any professionals. Probably, though, the music industry here was much like the industry back in Brooklyn: Cutthroat, cash-obsessed and shallow, full of artists whose integrity was long gone in the face of record deals and cosmetic surgery. He didn't want to be a part of that. "Er- Steven Romero," he said, feeling awkward, trying not to be overly shy, "But everyone calls me Charlie." This, he was aware, was one of his big problems with girls. He froze up, didn't know what to say, withdrew utterly, and never got anywhere. Well, not 'got anywhere' in the sense of 'hey, look, I scored a hot girlfriend', as if they were cell phones or cars. That was just disgusting. But every day he saw kind, talented girls his age, like this one, and he never got to know them.

He decided, then and there, to try and make this the time when he did. She seemed smarter, more talented and interesting, than all the other girls his age he'd come close to speaking to in a week. And, much as he didn't want to be a shallow person, prettier, too. He bit his lip, trying to think of something to say. "Uh- What are most musicians like in Vegas? I- don't really know the place very well." Well, that was conversation, at least- he doubted he'd ever get the hang of flirting, but come to that, he didn't really want to. It could be sort of... slimy. Conversation was something, though. Definately a step forward.

[&&ANGEL]

Charlie... Allie pondered upon the name, letting it roll off her tongue as she repeated his name. "Charlie..." She gave a wide grin and nodded. "My name's Alliena Bannita, but I'm better known as Allie." She pointed to her name tag as if it wasn't obvious enough. She didn't like her name to much- well her first name so she often shortened it to Allie, It was much the same with her last name. It sounded Spanish and she wasn't Spanish at all. But she had figured out that the close relating Spanish word, Bonita, meant pretty which of course made her laugh once she had found out.

Allie soon found him quiet once again with a strange look upon his face which made her giggle. And his next question confirmed what she thought of that perplexed expression. "Hmm, well, if you lived in Vegas as long as I have, you soon learn that the musicians around here aren't those classy, up-tight preformers that only played for the joy of their audience. Some are nice, here and there, like you, but most are just drunk men and women who don't even bother to think of how people think of them." Here, her voice raised slightly as she curled her hands into tight fists. Thus, Allie continued. "All they want is money. Money Money Money! And in the end they just gamble and lose it anyways!" She grunted, pulling her hand through the bangs that covered her face, pushing them back. Yet as she opened her mouth to remark once again, she stopped herself suddenly realizing that she had began to yell. Dang! I did it again. Allie did have a habit of ranting on and on about a subject that she felt passionate about and this one in perticular she could talk about for hours.

However, the shopkeeper held herself back from talk anymore. She had gone to far and in more ways than one had she offended her customers by doing so. "Er... Sorry 'bout that..." She turned her hazel eyes away, flushing slightly in emberrasment. It wasn't her right to go on speaking like that and Allie did not want to lose Charlie as a customer or a friend. Thus, she moved onto a different subject- the price of the Stand-Up Double Bass.

"Er... this Bass is 94 dollars." She rubbed the back of her neck, slapping herself mentally. It was a stupid transition to a different subject and Allie knew, yet it would do for now.

[*Linn*]

Charlie liked the sound of her name, and wondered where her family was from. It sounded vaguely Spanish, but you often couldn't be sure- It might be Italian, or for that matter, Phillippino. He himself was a mutt of everything common in Brooklyn, about three-quarters Italian and the final quarter an indeterminable mix of Irish, Russian Jewish, and who knew what else. He understood that heritage wasn't always simple."Nice to meet you, Allie," he said, thinking that Allie was a much cuter nickname than Charlie.

She spoke about her view of the musicians in Vegas, and Charlie couldn't help but recognize that this was something about which she felt very strongly. He could understand it. The hypocrisy, the gross materialism and greed of his own culture was something that often bothered him. He had always wanted to do something, something real, about it, but he was never sure what. Her vocal anger struck him as very brave. She wasn't afraid to speak out- she was the kind of person who would get things done. It was a quality he conspicuously seemed to lack, but he admired it greatly. "Hey, don't- don't apologize," he stammered, as she sheepishly tried to apologize for her outburst, "You should be outspoken about things you feel strongly about. It matters." It did, too. It was a loss of integrity, and he made a silent vow, then and there, that if by some trick of chance he were ever a performer, he would do everything in his power not to be that way.

The price she gave seemed very fair, possibly even a little too cheap, for such a beautiful instrument. He hoped the shop was selling them at a high enough price to stay afloat- He liked the mood of it, and the customer service was excellent, but the place seemed quiet and he would be very sad to see it go under. "Sounds great," he said, pleased, and he took from his pocket a wallet full of cash earned purely by skill with cards. Funny that his one hobby should so directly help his other.

[&&ANGEL]

Allie was indeed Filipino and she was darn proud of it! Rarely did the little islands of the Philippines get any recognition from anyone- only to be reduced to as the island where Magellan died. Yep, not very prideful huh? Well, this was another thing Allie constantly stood up for. She hated the fact that her heritage was often unknown and held up a bad reputation. Yet, Allie loved the Philippines. She tried her best to go every three years to visit friends, family and such yet it was often difficult to find the money, the time and a person who would run her music shop when she left. That posed a problem and often did she lose money from closing her shop for too long. But that never worried her. Allie knew she would make up the money soon enough and almost always did. Only once had she almost gone bankrupt. However, the dedicated people who bought from the shop were nice enough to donate money and such, which saved The Musical Note. Even so, she loved the Philippines and the beauty of it all. With all the trees and the animals that she could never find in a stuffy city like Las Vegas, Nevada. Thus, she continued to go whenever she could.

Allie gave him a gentle smile, full of thanks and understanding. She sure was grateful. Charlie seemed to understand her problem quite clearly and this made her smile. He sure isn't like the guys around here... This she admired. Charlie was caring, kind and a wonderful musician. That was what she thought of him and those simple traits brought her with a strange attraction toward him that nearly overwhelmed her.

Allie pulled her bangs back once again, blushing slightly. "Thanks, Charlie. I'm glad that you understand." She nodded, giving another cute little smile that was her own way to show her gratitude.

Looking down at his wallet, Allie pulled the instrument next to her, examining it for a moment to make sure it was in tip top shape. If there were any flaws she could always fix it anytime. And Allie would be glad to fix up the bass just for Charlie. "Yep! Want a stand for your music or some sheet music?" She asked him in a sort of sales person kind of way- yet she was trying to sell him anything more than what he wanted. She didn't want to be mean to someone who had been so kind to her. But if he needed sheet music or even a stand she would probably give it to him at a low price or maybe even for free.

[*Linn*]

She smiled another dazzling, adorable smile, and Charlie was deeply glad he had understood. He'd be willing to understand a lot for another one of those smiles. It was the thing she did with her hair, the way she kept pushing it away from her face, that really completed it- something about the slightly distracted nature of the gesture, or the way her hands moved. He often appreciated the tiny, simple things around him, like the ragged edges of clouds or the way light is refracted in a glass of water. Stupid things, mostly, but there was much to appreciate in her. He smiled, showing teeth that were slightly crooked but immaculately white. "Me too," he said, thinking that this had to be a good sign. He hadn't met a girl like this... in a very long time.

To his surprise, when he looked again at her face, she was blushing a little.

He really should have said no to the music. He had a veritable forest's worth of sheet music at home, still in cardboard boxes from his move down to Vegas almost a whole school year ago. It was taking up valuable space in his tiny apartment- he'd taken to using the pile of bozes as an end table, to reduce the strain on space- and though he was slowly working his way through it he could never have played it all. It was almost entirely his father's. Charlie's father was a musician; he performed at clubs in the evenings to supplement his salary as a science teacher, and he had passed on his talent and interest to his twin sons, along with enough sheet music to drown both of them. But despite his surplus of playable materials, Charlie found himself nodding. He didn't want to disappoint her. She looked so pleased, and she clearly wanted to help. The sale would help her, too, especially if she was on commission. "Sure, I'll get some sheet music! What would you reccommend?"

He took another look at her, at the skilled way she was going over the bass to ensure nothing was wrong with it, and made a sudden, impulsive decision, of the kind he had not made in a long time. True, he didn't know what he was doing, or have any reason beyond a hint of a blush and a smile to think that she'd say yes, but... He couldn't stop himself. He licked his lips, which suddenly felt dry. "Um- I'm sorry if this is- too forward, but- When your, er, shift is over, would you maybe like to- get coffee or something?" The words spilled out of his mouth, slightly too fast, and he knew how obvious it would be that he didn't do this kind of thing often- in fact, he'd never really done it before, he'd never worked up the nerve...

Oh, please, let her say yes, he thought.

[&&ANGEL]

Allie tilted her head slightly in a sort of curious gesture as she spotted his dazzling smile. He had a charming smile that was only made better by the healthy white color of his teeth that displayed much of a difference apart from others here in Vegas whose teeth had been corrupted by smoking, drinking and stuff like that and this- this was a refreshing change. But there was more to Charlie that she liked. To her, first impressions meant everything and Charlie made quite a good one on her- if I do say so myself. He was kinder than most people and as he had proven before, he was unique and unlike any boy she had met before.

"Sure!"

Came Charlie's answer to her offer. She gave a bright grin seeing that he had accepted. This was good. It would give her some extra money apart from his main purchase which she could use as extra profit. She gently set the bass aside before rushing into the back room once again- the treasure trove of all music, yet she hid the sheet music in the very back of the room due to the lack of space and just in-case.

Grunting slightly in disappointment, Allie shuffled through the papers. Some where old, some where new. Others were damaged and torn from the lack of care when shipping. Allie had many music pieces that she herself, had played more than 2 times each. She always did have a habit of opening up a new piece and playing it through first no matter how bad she played it. She always wanted to know the melody before handing it to her dear customers. And through this process had she collected so many musical pieces and so much musical experience, yet even so, she couldn't find the right song that she knew was pretty good. It was a beautiful piece that could be played with the accompaniment of a piano or as a solo. Either way, it was her favorite piece for the Bass.

Shaking her head, Allie pulled out a tattered folder. She probably had a song in there Charlie would like.

Allie quickly rushed back over to him, opening the folder. "Well-" She suddenly stopped, jaw dropping slightly. Did he just...ask me out? were her only thoughts as she dropped her folder, scattering papers including a few pieces she had written herself along the floor, yet she didn't bother to pick them up. It was a rather flustering offer yet she clearly knew what he was trying to say. "Um..." She quickly ran through anything important she was to do today in her head before giving her final answer. With a bright and happy smile she nodded in reply. "Sure!" Allie gave a soft giggle. She wasn't doing anything else today and the day was probably going to be slow and she could easily find someone to take over the shop while she was off with Charlie. "Well, I can go pretty much anytime. What time's good for you?" Allie opened her mouth ready to say something else before suddenly realizing that she had littered the floor in her surprise. Crouching, she quickly began stacking the papers up and placing them in the folder in a slight rush so Charlie wouldn't have to wait. Awkward was all she could think in her head at the moment.

[*Linn*]

Sheet music fluttered to the floor, and Charlie's instant reaction was to bend to pick them up. As he gathered them together, rather frantically, thoughts of utter panic jolted through his brain like electric shocks. She'd dropped the folder. She probably thought it was ridiculous that he had even asked; she was plainly too good for him... now she was umm'ing, trying to think of a nice way to let him down. Honestly, it might have just been kinder to say 'no, ew.' and leave it at that. Why did he do these things? Had he been trying to humiliate himself?

But as he straightened, his arms full of sheet music, his face red, and came face to face with her, he saw a joyful smile on her face, and nearly dropped the music again. She gave her reply, and enthusiastic 'sure!', and for a moment Charlie could not speak. It seemed impossible, after the sudden weight of disappoinment, to have his burdens lifted so suddenly. But she had said yes. And after a moment of bug-eyes astonishment, he regained his composure. "Really? Great! Uh." He mentally ran over his own schedule. "I have no life, so... Really, anytime!" He beamed, too elated to be embarrassed by his almost-empty social calendar. He was one of a small, tight-knit group of friends, most of them losers and almost all of them music geeks. But they hadn't gotten together that often within the past few months, since three of them were away in Europe and two were extremely busy. His social calender had degenerated into casino nights and nothing but. Which made him wonder... where was he supposed to take this girl? "I don't suppose you're into the whole casino thing, are you?" he asked, slightly sheepishly, hoping that she wouldn't be disgusted with him for gambling. Or, conversely, that she wasn't a compulsive. But she didn't look the type. She looked like the type who had a touch of a taste for adventure and risk- after all, she'd agreed on a date with HIM, hadn't she?

[&&ANGEL]

Allie raised an eyebrow as he brought up the casino. She didn't mind a bit of gambling herself- even though she almost had no time and not enough left over money to gamble much- yet she thought it was quite fun to have a little adventure out there from time to time. "Well, a little adventure wouldn't hurt." She gave off a wide grin, nodding in approval. "So where shall we meet? I haven't really gambled much around her except on my free time and I guess I've lost all sense of which place has the best chances to win and which places have not." It was true, she hadn't gone out into the casinos in forever- something that not a lot of people in Las Vegas can admit, for the whole point of going to Vegas was to gamble and have fun right? Yep. But Allie had more important work to do other than spending her money at every hour of the day. Yet she knew this would be pretty fun.

She quickly gathered up the sheet music and placed it back into the folder, smiling at him in delight. This day had gone pretty well seeing that she had just met this boy and he was already asking her out on a date- something that took guts- especially from a nice guy like Charlie.

Hopefully he doesn't take me to some strip club. Allie couldn't help but think in her head. She wasn't fond of those places for obvious reasons, but if Charlie wanted to go, she wouldn't complain. Besides, he was the one who asked and he didn't look like the type anyways.

Ooc.// Shortness... >.> xD Forgive me. xD Also very random...xD

[*Linn*]

Charlie broke into a smile. That gamble had certainly paid off- even if he did feel near a nervous wreck. He went over the handfull of places he'd gone in his mind, and one jumped out at him immediately- The Jupiter Room. It was a small place, modest, elegant but not so elegant that only the fat cats went there, where they only had the skill-based games. Compulsive gamblers didn't tend to go there, and the bets were small. It was the place you went to when you wanted not to blow your money but to improve your game. He liked it not only because of this, but because of the tasteful decor, the high-quality jazz soundtrack, and the relatively pleasant people who frequented it. "Ever heard of the Jupiter Room?" he asked. "It's really quite nice. Pretty quiet, tasteful, all that. Small stakes on card tables. Oh, and it's on me." Charlie wasn't bothered at all by the idea of paying himself. He'd always believed in chivarly. If she wasn't a good gambler, well... if there was any Casino he'd be willing to lose money to, it was the Jupiter Room. He himself didn't go there all that often, because he was in all honesty a bit of a card counter and didn't want to get thrown out. He played his worst while he was there, and usually just broke even.

He didn't feel guilty about cheating the normal Casinos. They cheated everyone else. The thing about it was that you had to be careful to not get noticed. It wasn't the big thrill the movies implied it was, not that Charlie did it on a grand scale anyway, but if they didn't like the way you played they could blacklist you from the Casino. He wasn't terribly enthused about that idea.

Allie's joyful smile hit him head-on, like car headlights, and for a moment he could hardly believe his own boldness at actually asking her out, or his luck at recieving a yes. It seemed like something that ony happened to other people, or in his dreams. He blinked, and tried to remember what he had been about to say, found it completely gone, and struggled for something new. "Uh- Er- Is eight o'clock good?" He asked, slightly out of breath from sheer nerves.

[&&ANGEL]

Allie raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly in a curious type of movement. Hmm... The Juniper Room... "Yeah, I think I've heard about that place before, but since I don't gamble much, I've never really visited the place. But I would love to see it!!" She smiled at him, nodding in acceptance as he gave the time of 8:00. It was perfect! She wouldn't even have to hire someone to run the shop while she was gone. Allie knew she could just close up shop early- seeing that not many visited around that time because around the late night, people gambled and most of those people were her customers. Thus, she could spend some time with Charlie.

"Please excuse me. I think we kind of left in the middle of your purchase."

She turned around quickly finishing up his buy which they had nearly forgotten in the midsts of their conversation. Allie eyed the instrument one last time before confirming that it was in tip top shape for Charlie. All the while, she pulled out two original songs that could be played by the Bass and placing them in a small plastic bag. "Here yah go. These two pieces are my second and third favorite since I cant find my favorite at this moment." She giggled slightly in embarrassment, quickly noting to herself that she had to clean up the back room sometime soon.

Allie turned around once again- typing in some numbers into the silver cash register sitting contently upon her desk. It made a soft clicking noise as she typed in the numbers, trying to get the lowest amount of money to charge Charlie. He had been so sweet and one of the best customers she had met so far in her career and she had just make it up to him since he was paying for their date. Allie giggled at the thought of that word. She hadn't really been asked out in a while and now that she thought of it, the last thing she saw of her ex boyfriend was the back of his shirt as he left her shop, broken guitar in his hand, before she nearly passed out. To this day, she regretted ever going out with him for more reasons than one. But now, that all is over and behind her. Allie met Charlie and she knew he was special.

Soon the register admitted a loud ding! And finally, the total was concluded to: $95. She quickly placed the money he had handed her earlier into the machine and it soon produced a long receipt that was basically just a contract that he would take good care of the instrument and such. Allie looked back up at Charlie and handed him a pen. "Sign here and the Double Bass is all yours!" She said with a cute smile, handing him the paper as well. This was the most tedious part of her job for sometimes the customer would ask about the contract and take too much time on it when all it states is that this was their instrument and their responsibility to take care of it. And the signature just told her that they understood- which was simple enough. However, Allie tolerated it and waited patiently every time, no matter how long.

Ooc.// Btw, since I'm only 13, I've never gambled before. ^^' So you'll have to go first with Charlie and I'll follow along. xP

[*Linn*]

((OOC: I'm ...fifteen... so I haven't really gambled either... It's just cards, though. we can kind of skim over the actual games they play. Sorry about the long reply times, but it's crazy around my house right now. Wedding in the family.))

Charlie glanced outside, and saw that it was about dusk out. Later than he'd thought. But that didn't bother him. Night, as his mother had always said, made the lights come out. He'd always found that phrase poetic, in a simple, slightly childish way. In the darkness of Las Vegas, flourescant lights gleamed in the millions, and excitement seemed to spark in the air. The place seemed to come alive as the sun set.

Besides, late nights had always been Charlie's forte. He had a vampirish habit, when he couldn't sleep and his hands hurt too much to practise bass, of wandering the streets. The movement gave him something to focus on, and he would walk for miles until the sun rose. He'd explored most of Vegas already, simply walking, and had gone through three pairs of running shoes in as many months. He'd always been a city boy, and he had a knack for direction, which was lucky. He rarely paid much attention to where he was going, and without it he would have gotten badly lost many times.

Charlie took the two pieces with interest, glancing at their chord structures, melody, taking in as much of it as he could. He deemed them more than playable, and, by the look of them, interesting and fun. He looked up at Allie, and smiled. "Wow. Thank, these look great."

She offered him what looked like a contract, and he took it, his long-fingered, bandaged hands brushing her fingers. It was a nice feeling, but he wished he'd had the presence of mind not to blister up his fingers again... of course, how could he have predicted any of this? He speed-read the page before signing it with what was shaping up to be a classic doctor's signature- Nice-looking, scrawly, and completely illegible. The contract was a clever idea. You had to sign one to buy a pet, after all (he knew that from his brother's turtle aquarium), and how was an instrument all that different from a pet? It commanded just as much respect. He looked at the bass, and then at her. He wasn't keen on the idea of leaving her presence. It was like being near a warm fire after walking through a blizzard. But he had to get the thing home, and he wanted to brush his hair and put on a nicer shirt. "How about I meet you again here in half an hour, and we can walk to the Jupiter Room from there? It's not too far from here."