Any part of the Chapter 2 story will be posted here and a title will be discovered soon as the story progresses. :cheerful:

The twinkling lights of a larger than life guitar shined out in the night. The insanely large instrument welcomed you to the fabulous Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, a landmark for tourists and just another neon eyesore for the locals, serving to be just another blinking addition to the light pollution that radiated around the busy city. The warm night greeted random tourists, many inebriated, to still wander the streets of the city turned playground for gamblers and boozehounds alike. The latter group always seemed more noticeable; while the former remained glued to their machines and tables, some putting up their homes and heirlooms just to feed their addiction.

No matter how many bad clichés sin city could be given, the eyes of a former Chicagoan always looked around in wonderment. Previously used to a night skyline of the Sears Tower, the Hancock Building, Park Tower, and the Smurfit-Stone building. The looming city full of large skyscrapers had become so average; however, the buzz and glow of these massive constructed buildings in Las Vegas still had Aimie Quirke mystified after two years living in this carnival town. This fact alone justified walking down Paradise Road after work towards Harmon, intent on people watching down the strip. The walk was a decent distance, a little over a mile, the road was nearly empty seeing as many of the tourists out at the hour were occupied with the lights of the main strip at the midnight hour.

Had Aimie been tucked away in her dorm she never have chosen to go exploring the tourist attractions on a weekend while the streets were still flooded with people. Though wrapped up in her work uniform, it had been obvious she hadn’t been home for several hours. Counting her tips in the safety of the eerily vacant street, her ratted up converse that got her into troubles many times at work padded near silently on the cement sidewalk. Aquamarine eyes glanced up every few seconds to ensure her safety and solitude while counting through generous green pieces of paper. Her tri-colored bangs hanging in front of her face while the rest of the pink, black, and blonde mess was thrown up in a ponytail.

It was an amazement her boss put up with her appearance, with spectators from not only the restaurant but also the casino able to observe the girl who stood out like a sore thumb against the blonde and plastic co-workers. As she’d found out, her job was achieved because the manager found her amusing. Her dialect, the way when she said ‘the’ reminded him of old Saturday Night Live skits, her attitude, and her naivety of the city all amused him to a ridiculous point that let the girl get away with breaking dress codes and table manner.

Folding the small bundle of bills back into her small tote bag, the girl couldn’t help but squirm in her uniform a bit, trying to find comfort in the black spandex like mini-skirt and the black short-sleeved button up top that barely let her breathe were less than comfortable, but you do what you have to in order to get that paycheck.

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“Are we seriously out at this hour looking for ‘excitement,’ you say?” muttered the cat. Leon had followed Ivy on a quest to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, she claimed she’d find adventure, like the hotel was an unexplored afterparty.

At least they were getting out. Whereas look at the other college kids of Las Vegas, getting all overemotional about missing a night of studies, locked in dorms and apartments above sin city. Large groups assembled last night at the quieter hotels to study obscure science classes. Ivy didn’t go, she and Leon and her friends danced the night away to electronica beneath kaleidoscopic colors and strobe lights, while others uttered the motto of the hardcore raver: “PLUR,” peace, love, unity, respect. The dancers themselves were too drunk, intoxicated on cheap liquor and pills, to notice Leon hiding behind a barstool. Leon didn't mind waiting for Ivy, his eyes captivated by the off-and-on shades of fuchsia and cyan flickering. Ivy brushed off the underage high school boys, in drunken stupors trying to “hook up,” with her; she wasn’t going to give them a fucking chance. Ivy didn’t want to go to a study group anytime soon.

“I’m going to have an adventure tonight, just like we did last night,” Ivy responded and raced through the crowds on the sidewalk. A strap from her dress had already fallen off of her shoulder, she was determined to get to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino no matter what condition.

The cat stepped away from the never-ending crowds, sighing. “At least watch where you’re going, you’ve been tripping on everyone’s feet since we’ve gotten on this block.”

The streets smelled of cigarettes and sin, filled with women dressed in flamingo feather bikinis begging you to take their flyers, to give their clubs a chance and in return they promised a night of pleasure. “I’m kind of buzzed, couldn’t you tell Leon?”

As she responded to Leon, peering behind in his direction, she stepped over a black shoe and collapsed nearly into the gutter. Bloody hell, I’m more buzzed than I thought.

Gasping slightly from surprise, it had taken all of Aimie’s grace to keep from toppling over the girl who had just tripped over her Converse clad foot. Her eyes shot open while her fists quickly shoved her tip money down deep into her pockets, Vegas and Chicago had few differences in the people who would rob you blindly on the streets. That was a fact.

It hadn’t been until she could breathe a second and observe the fallen girl that her expression softened to show some compassion, “Hey, uhm, are you alright?” Aimie’s voice carried, uncertain with how to deal with the situation outside of the hotel, it wasn’t everyday a young girl came and cliff dove off your clumsy shoe after all.

Within the moment something had caught the girl off guard out the corner of her eye, there was no way that the cat there was honestly following the girl was there? You couldn’t train a cat to walk around the block, could you? No, it was just a coincidence. Shaking the thought from her head, Aimie crouched slightly, waiting to hear if the girl was alright or if she had needed help, no matter how unusual this seemed – it was late, she was tired, and was letting her own imagination play games with her.