Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[ghargreaves]

The snow had caused another delay in Gerald's planned excursion to Searchlight, his driver having been seconded to other duties which Gerald guessed could only have something to do with clearing the roads, or something along those lines.

So he found himself strolling the streets, enjoying the more familiar winter weather, his overcoat having come in handy yet again, his cane also useful as he navigated the white-edges pavement on his late morning stroll. There was a marked difference in the air, the crisp cold a little different to what he was used to in England, the bright sunlight reflecting off the uneven piles that were slowly turning to slush in the gutters, but currently hiding the usual discord of different pavements and surfaces merging to form the streetscape.

He wondered what Julianna was up to, not having heard from her since before New Year, and wondering if she had any more information on Searchlight.

Comments

[imogens_fire]

With Jubilee cancelled due to the snow, Imogen had a rare Sunday free where she didn't have to worry about getting her errands done before running off to practice ahead of the show that night.

She walked along the sidewalk enjoying the look of the desert suddenly turned into a winter wonderland, not paying attention to where she was going. It nearly cost Imogen her life, if not for the sudden squeal of brakes and long blow of a car horn as the car barreled toward her in the slush she would have been crushed for certain. The young woman leaped backwards and lost her balance, arms windmilling frantically as she tried to stay upright and failed miserably.

[ghargreaves]

It was more good luck than good management that Gerald avoided being clobbered by the flailing arms, yet was in the right place to stop the fall from grace by the long-limbed young woman. The driver shouted something unintelligible and kept going, though Gerald couldn't be sure if they were actually in control, or in fact a passenger behind the wheel.

"I say, are you alright?" he asked, once they had both recovered their own arms and legs from the conflagration. "That was rather a close call."

[imogens_fire]

"I think I'm all right, thanks to you." Imogen smiled at the man who'd kept her from falling right on her ass. So much for her vaunted sense of balance from years of training in dance and gymnastics.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" She asked, a bit anxiously. He had to be around her grandfather's age if not older, and old people broke easy. "I'm really sorry, I should have watched where I was going."

[ghargreaves]

Gerald shook his head as he rubbed at a shoulder that had borne the brunt of her fall. "Nothing that won't mend easily," he told her, then looked down at where his hat lay on the ground, somewhat the worse for wear. "Though I do believe this may be a little bit beyond saving," he added, bending a little stiffly to pick it up from the wet and dirty sidewalk.

He did like hats, and while none held a particular significance, he did mourn a little when one was lost to him, as it was sometimes quite difficult to find a decent milliner in unfamiliar towns and cities. Acquiring a replacement wasn't always as simple as just walking into a store and trying one on.

The white brim was definitely torn, the crown dented and a streak of dark grey dirt was staining the underneath.

[imogens_fire]

"Oh no!" Imogen felt like she was about to cry. Here the kind old man had kept her from falling and she'd gone and ruined his hat. It looked all dingy in the slush and torn in one spot.

"You've got to let me get you a new one." She insisted. But she didn't even know the old Englishman's name. "I guess I ought to introduce myself since I nearly knocked you over, I'm Imogen."

[ghargreaves]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Imogen, my name is Gerald, and I do trust you don't usually make people's acquaintance with quite so much force," he chuckled, eyeing the hat with a sad expression. "And please, don't worry yourself regarding replacing this," he said, indicating the former hat, "all I would ask is if you could point me in the direction of a decent milliner, if there is in fact one in town? I've only been in town a short while, and am not familiar with it as yet. I am surmising that as the town has a good number of 'shows' there would be call for costumiers and therefore I hope a greater chance of a decent milliner."

[imogens_fire]

"No," she couldn't help a bit of a giggle at the old Brit's joke, partially amusement at the joke itself and partially just glad to be alive. If the car hadn't sounded the horn she could well be dead!

"One thing Vegas isn't short of is costumers." Imogen assured him. Her own costume didn't consist much more than diamonds, feathers, and high heels, but that didn't mean they were all like that. She'd never heard the term 'milliner' before, but it was obvious in context what Gerald meant. "I work for one of the shows, I can make some calls to find who has the best hats if you want?"

Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[ghargreaves]

It didn't surprise Gerald to learn she worked for a show there in town. Her build and agility, albeit not clearly on display at that point in time, was clear to the observant eye, even beneath the layers of winter clothing, and her ability to even get herself clear of the vehicle had taken a fair bit of strength and quick reactions.

He looked at the derelict hat in his hand. "I would appreciate that very much, thank you," he replied, then asked, "May I be so bold as to ask which show?"

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[imogens_fire]

"Jubilee over at Bally's." Imogen replied promptly. He didn't seem the pervy type and it wasn't like she was stripping, even though her costume for the 10pm show left about as little to the imagination. She wasn't the least bit ashamed at her job, everyone had to start someplace.

"Six nights a week except when we get snow."

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[ghargreaves]

"Or end up as a hood ornament on a passing motor vehicle," he added with a small lift of one eyebrow, teasing her a little. "I will have to make a note and attend one evening, especially if you are able to find me a milliner." He waved the derelict hat in the direction he was walking. "I was just on my way to find a cup of tea, possibly a good Devonshire, if there is anywhere in this town that does such a thing," he said, then asked, "You wouldn't happen to know of anywhere, would you?"

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[imogens_fire]

"That too," Her lips curled upwards and she rolled her eyes. She'd lived to tell the tale after all.

"I'm sure I can find you a milliner, I was born and raised here besides working in the industry. I can set you up with tea as well, though I don't know if it will be up to your standards." He was English, after all. They could be picky about tea.

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[ghargreaves]

"Excellent!" he replied, clearly pleased with the prospects. "And really? The tea is only part of it, there is also the scones, and of course the cream. So many places just don't know how to make a decent scone with clotted cream. I don't understand, really, as it's rather simple." He stopped himself from continuing, realising the young woman probably wasn't really interested in the niceties of the tradition. Besides, she was a local, and he had not met a great many of them so far, most people having moved to the area either recently, or in the last 12 months or so.

"What can you tell me about your home town that a tourist wouldn't normally have the chance to learn?" he asked as they continued down the street.

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[imogens_fire]

"Um, American here?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows at his talk of clotted cream and scones. He did have the most lovely accent though, she could listen to him talk all day. "I'm pretty simple when it comes to my food, so I wouldn't know anything about how to make scones properly." Much to her mother's chagrin.

"Well that depends on what you want to know!" She laughed again as they walked. "But what about you? What's an English Gentleman like yourself doing in Sin City?"

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[ghargreaves]

Gerald smiled at the young woman's comment about her preferences for simple food, especially given that scones were perhaps one of the most simple, except perhaps for the Australian bush version - damper- that he'd come across on a rare journey to the centre of that continent. He chuckled as she asked about his reason for being there.

"Sin City, indeed!" he replied with amusement, looking around at the facades of the large hotels and casinos, all closed up against the icy wind on that morning, their patrons probably well and truly tucked into their beds, or tucking into their breakfasts in the safe warmth of the hotel's dining areas.

"I was brought here by the prospect of procuring what could be some potentially rare artifacts that have surfaced. My background is in archeology, and I am always on the look out for items that may have been removed from sites, unbeknownst to those running the dig, and end up in the hands of the uneducated, or worse still, lost packed away in a box by the unsuspecting recipients of an estate." The tip of his cane tapped on the pavement as they walked, keeping time with their steps. He suspected the item he had seen had in fact traveled that path in its lifetime.

"So I am interested in learning more of the areas surrounding the town, and also of any second hand, antique, or even pawn shops that might harbour some yet-to-be-discovered treasures."

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[imogens_fire]

"You definitely came to the right city then." Imogen replied with a wry smile as she walked beside the Englishman. "You can find just about anything in the pawn shops here, unless I'm shopping for clothes or food I don't go anywhere else. If you're looking for art you might want to look into some of the collections the casinos have put together."

Everything in Vegas had a price after all, you just had to figure out what it was.

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[ghargreaves]

"Art, yes, that can also reveal some interesting pieces," Gerald mused as they made their way along the pavement, the few cars that were braving the roads doing so at greatly reduced speeds on the most part.

"So do you have any recommendations? And in particular you would suggest I look at first?" he asked. "And not just for art pieces, but also books."

Re: Snowy Las Vegas - Open

[imogens_fire]

"Books might be a little more tricky, but there's a shop not too far off the strip that specializes in hard to find books so that might be your best bet." She rattled off the name of the store, and those of a few of the more 'higher class' pawn shops in the area.

"I just came back from LA this summer after finishing school and I've been working my butt off since then, so I really haven't had a lot of time to go browsing. I don't think things will be that different though."