Neon lights made the whole street light up like day, even though it was pretty close to ten at night. Darren stuffed a pad of paper and some ink pens in his suit pocket, he was leaning against his Adler Favorit, waiting for his partner to actually be dressed.
Emet couldn't get dressed at home, her parents would have been horrified that she was sneaking into Casino's dressed in men clothes. The year was 1929, it was December 12th and Darren had a job to do.
Him and Emet were wannabe reporters, and he wanted to get a big story, and hopefully get some small amount of money. He was positive that the Camelopard Casino had some kind of big scam going on, cheating the poor suckers who just wanted to gamble, out of their hard-earned money, that didn't mean he had proof...it just meant he was sure something big was going down.
He'd been trying to uncover this case since the Stock Market crashed. All he managed to do was get on the bad side of the Casino's owner and her son. They didn't like him being in their Casino, but he was best friends with the guy they hired as a bouncer, so he was always able to be let in. Emet popped out of the Adler, fully decked out in a three piece suit, and a hat covering her hair, which had been recently cut into a bob. How she managed to convince her parents to let her get a bob cut, he'd never know.
"Right! I'm ready, let's do this!"
"Enthusiastic. Right let's go." Darren made sure his papers were put up, and that his wallet was in his pocket. Then he led the way towards the door of the Casino, where his buddy, Sheil, was standing.
"Hey, Darren!" Darren nodded in response, and Sheil let them in.
Course, poor Sheil didn't know that Darren was trying to uncover a scam. Or that he was on really bad terms with Finnegan Ashenborou, the son of the Casino owner, and Leenan, the owner of the Casino. But that didn't make Darren, or Emet give up.
They had a mission. And they weren't going to give up until they got their story.
And so the hunt begins.
Harvey Browne walked aimlessly through town, talking to business owners, and people around town. He needed a job. The Stock Market crash was the beginning of everything bad in the world for poor Harv. First the Stock crashed, then jobs became hard to get, then everyone was going bankrupt and leaving town, and then Rhodri gambled all their money away.
The whole reason why Harv needed a job, was because his old one 'let him go' and they were broke. Broke as could be. Living in a cardboard box, barely making meals. Harv couldn't stand seeing his brothers hungry all the time. He was desperate.
Soon, Harv began to feel a bit weak from trying everything he could think of. He'd been out all day, running around town, just trying to make a dollar. A dollar would be able to feed his brothers a meal, and so far he hadn't gotten anything that earned him a penny. Harv was starting to lose hope that things would ever get better.
Course, as soon as he began to give up, he had to run into the fanciest looking guy he's ever seen.
This boy, who was probably around his age, was decked out in an obviously tailor-made suit, with a fedora covering his blonde hair. Shined shoes, gloves, hat, suit, the whole rich kid package.
Harv contemplated turning and walking the other way, but he had to go the way that the blonde was blocking. So he stood there, trying to decide if he wanted to push past the blonde or not.
As it turns out, Finnegan was looking for someone to act as a replacement for a 'friend'. He ran through those things really fast. And this poor, tired looking, brunet looked like the perfect replacement. Finn gave the other a smile, then slid over to him, looping his arm through the others. This caused a look of shock from the tanned male, to which Finn made his deal.
"Say...how would you like to be my assistant. I'll pay you." The other looked startled, but as Finn guessed, he jumped at the chance to get paid, instantly responding with a 'yes'.
Finn smirked and then went on to explain the job. "Okay, the hours are odd, meaning you'll be coming and going at all hours of the night or day, you might be required to carry or move things, you'll have to help me get rid of unwanted people in my mothers Casino, and you'll have to allow me to drag you all over town, or send you on errands. Of course, if you're out with me for the meal times, I'll treat you to food. You'll get a six dollar payment up front, now in other words, and you'll get five dollars every three days. Sound fair?"
Harv almost fainted. That was a lot of money. He nodded, unable to really say anything to all this. The blonde looked very pleased with this response, "Wonderful! You start right now."
Then the boy pulled out a really nice leather wallet, and handed six dollars to Harv. Harv's blue eyes stared at the money, he almost couldn't believe it. Then he found himself being pulled away, with the blonde talking.
"Come on, you've been hired and I have shopping to do. My name is Finn. What do I call you?"
"Harvey."
"Right, let's go, Harvey."
He made a mental note to go buy food as soon as he could go home.
It took Harv a good three days to get used to being around Finn. The guy was weird. Finn ate very little, he only ate the most expensive things, and he was always doing something that involved a lot of people. Harv was given a badge of some kind, showing that he was an assistant to the blonde, which let him come and go from the Casino, interact with the employees, and kick people out of said Casino.
The Casino itself, Camelopard Casino, was a big building on the northern edge of town, it was decorated and painted colorful whites, creams and purples. The building was tall and castle-like, complete with a mini tower that served as the home for Finn and his mother, and the inside was bright, carpeted, and always filled with people and games. There was a bar where they served food, anything from the local stuff to things seasoned with spices imported from India. It was loud, there was music, dancing, drunken men, and women in fancy costumes working late at night.
Harv wasn't sure he liked the place. But hey, he was getting paid. Paid a lot of money too. After the first three days Harv almost expected it to be a scam of some kind, seeing as how Finn and his mother ran the Casino where Rhodri lost all their savings, but Finn kept his word. Harv got his five dollars at the end of his third day. Needless to say, Harv was both stupidly pleased, and really relieved that he actually had a job that paid.
Course, he was always somewhat bothered with Finn. Finn gave him the weirdest tasks to do. He was always having to get rid of this one guy, Darren Radner, and his friend Emet...at least he was fairly sure those were their names. Apparently Finn didn't like them, so they shouldn't be in the Casino. Harv was also forced to go into town to do or get random things. Like a suit because Finn found a loose thread of one of his suits. He also had to get Finn's clothes cleaned, pick up specially made suits, and buy a lot of records for Finn's record player. Finn seemed to really, really like music. Finn was always on the look out for dealers with new records. He collected them.
Finn seemed to be really fond of Orchestra and Jazz.
Four days after Harv started working for Finn, he was pulled aside during a big party in the Camelopard Casino, by Finn.
"Harvey, I want you to come with me tonight. We're going to see a movie."
Now, Harv knew there was a theater in town, but it was fancy, and pretty expensive. His father said it was a waste of money, so of course Harv had never been to a movie theater.
He agreed to go with Finn, though. He couldn't just say no, and pass up the chance.
That is why, hours later, Harv was standing outside the fanciest, biggest, and richest looking building in town with Finn. The inside was almost like a mansion or something, decorated with glass ornaments, and it had a soda fountain. There was a guy at the door who took Finn's coat and hat. There were a bunch of rooms that had nothing at all to do with the movie, and it seemed more like a big party then anything.
Harv was in awe of everything, following Finn around absently looking at everything, while the blonde mingled with the other rich people in town. Finn seemed to know everyone here already. Harv didn't bother to know anyone, he was just too distracted with the fact that this place was amazing.
Harv was absently listening to Finn's conversations, hoping to find a point to ask Finn a few questions. Like maybe, when or where this movie was supposed to be. For now, Finn was talking to one of the servers, gushing over the music that was supposed to play during the movie. Apparently it was good music.
Course, Harv knew nothing about good music, or bad music. All he knew was that this was the fanciest place he's ever been in. And he didn't even have to pay the twenty seven cents to get in, Finn paid for him. Harv decided that he sort of liked Finn. Sure, the blonde was an odd guy, but at least he wasn't a cruel guy. It took a good ten minutes for Finn to stop being social, and when the boy stopped, all he did was grab Harv's arm and lead him to the fountain.
"So, Harvey, what do you think?"
"It's...fancy. Really fancy."
"It's a theater! Of course it's fancy. You could have worn better clothing though."
"I don't own anything better."
Finn looked startled, "Really!?"
"Yes, really. You act like that's odd."
Finn just scoffed, then ordered a root beer. Harv jumped at the chance to ask his questions. Soon enough Harv had Finn telling him everything. How movies worked, where the bathroom was, what was that room in the corner for, when was it supposed to start. Finn answered everything blandly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Course, for Finn, it was. The blonde was used to this stuff. Harvey wasn't.
After twenty minutes of Harv sipping a root beer and watching Finn be social, they actually went to watch the movie. The movie itself wasn't bad, it was Robin Hood, which was a fairly old movie by now, but Harv still enjoyed it. He liked the idea of knights.
Afterwards, his job was to walk Finn home. For some reason Finn kept up this paranoid thinking of being stalked, so he hated walking home on his own. He was sure he would be kidnapped and killed or something. Whatever Finn's issue with walking home alone was, Harv didn't actually mind. He rather liked listening to Finn's chatter as they walked.
Even though Finn never shut up.
As soon as Harv made sure Finn was back at Camelopard Casino in one piece, and left before Finn's mother figured out he was still around, Harv walked home to the west end.
West End, was what people dubbed the area just outside of the proper town, which is where all the people who lost their homes lived. It was just an open area, with a bunch of ply wood structures and cardboard homes. The Ply wood built 'houses' were for the families that were expecting new babies, or the elders and sickly. Harv went to his home, which was a bunch of cardboard boxes taped together. They were forced to rebuild every time it rained, but at least they had food, and Harv was saving the left over bits of money he earned from Finn, and doing odd jobs around town.
As soon as Harvey stepped through the door, he heard his little brothers, Puck and Big squeal at him.
"Ha'bey," came Big's voice, 'Ha'bey, Puck pushed me."
"I did not!"
"Yes you did!"
Harv sighed and picked Big up, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Mom and dad are out, so I'm making the rules." Came his other brothers, Rhodri's, voice from the other side of the room. For some reason, Rhodri really hated that Harv was working for the Camelopard Casino.
Maybe it was because that's where they lost everything.
Or maybe because Rhodri didn't like Finn at all.
Either way, Rhodri seemed to resent Harv for it. "Well, I'm home now. So now I make the rules. Everyone in bed, now." Harv set Big down again, who promptly ran into the children's bedroom, with Puck chasing after him. Rhodri just sulked into the kids bedroom. As soon as he made sure they were in bed, Harv turned down the lamp they had, and sat in the living room, reading and waiting for his parents to return.
Just like every night.
It was raining. Raining and Emet was no where to be seen. Damn it.
Darren sighed as he got soaked to the bone, the rain mixed with a semi-cold wind. Darren was still looking for his partner, Emet. They had gotten separated in the Casino, and now he couldn't find her. Chances are the poor girl was still inside, gambling. Emet seemed to enjoy gambling more then trying to get the story.
Darren gave up, and went straight to his car, huddling up in there, waiting. He didn't need to be home until seven, seeing as how he snuck out. No one knew he was gone yet, chances are, no one would know, until seven, that is. He might as well wait to see if Emet would show up...
Inside the Camelopard Casino, a man placed his bet in a classic game of poker. He had a flawless poker face, and he got a really nice hand. This was it, he was totally going to win the jackpot, or die trying. He didn't actually need or want the money, he just wanted to win the darn game.
His name was Emet. He was actually a she. She was supposed to be here with her partner, Darren, looking for some story about a giant scam.
She ditched Darren a while ago.
It was time to show hands, the cards were down, and she had won. She never doubted she would, and winning was cause for celebration. So she did the best thing she could think of.
"OH YEA, IN YOUR FACES, LOSERS!"
That earned her a bunch of glares and mutters of threats she didn't actually take seriously. She was having way too much fun to leave just yet...