Wednesday, May 28th, 6:30 PM

Ahsoka's 2nd day at Bill's Diner had finished. Today, she had made about 40$ in tips. Along with the 70$ acquired yesterday, that brought up the amount to 110$. More than enough to start getting other clothing than her old Jedi garb and vest. She knew that Lux could use some fresh new clothes too. Tonight, following dinner, she had a mind of doing a little bit of shopping.

"See you tomorrow !" She waved at Bill.

"Thanks again for the nice day ! See ya !" Bill waved back.

Lux and Ahsoka's Apartment

Entering her home, Ahsoka's sense of smell caught the scent of cooking. "I don't know what you're making tonight, Luxie, but it smells great !"

Lux was busy at the stove, with two pots, a small and a large one. "Something new, 'Soka. It's called : Spaghetti. Boiled noodles with a sauce. Knowing your aversion to vegetables, I opted for the one that only had meat in it. Loads of hamburger and sausage, whatever that is."

She walked over to him, bending over slightly to smell the sauce some more. "I know hamburger meat, it's what we use at the diner the most. It's quite tasty. So, this ought to be good."

Lux fumbled through the cupboards for a strainer and placed it in the nearby sink. "The noodles are done, now it's just a matter of removing all the hot water." He poured the contents of the larger pot into the strainer, creating a little bit of steam. "In a minute, we'll be able to enjoy this. Can you get me a couple of large plates, please ?"

She reached high up, picking out a couple of fairly wide plates. "These ?"

"Those are just right." Lux nodded, now searching through various drawers for a spaghetti server and a large metal spoon to pour the sauce over the noodles.

"Take your seat, dear. Dinner is ready." He brought up a plate filled with the noodles, covered by the meat-rich tomato sauce.

As Ahsoka looked at her plate and smelled the sauce some more, she felt something was missing. "Are we supposed to eat this with our hands ? Looks messy !"

Lux slapped his forehead. "Of course, I forgot the forks and knives ! My bad." He quickly rectified the error by placing the utensils and a napkin for both. "Now ! Now we're good to eat up."

The first thing Ahsoka did was to plant the fork right in the middle of her plate, twirling it to pull as many noodles as possible, scraping about for some sauce. The end result was a huge mouthful. "Mmmm ! Hey, this is actually really good !"

"Indeed." Lux agreed. "However, you'd have an easier time if you cut it up in pieces. See how I'm using the knife to cut everything up into small bits ? You're likely to make less of a mess using this technique, 'Soka."

"I guess so, Luxie. Let's give it a try." She cut it up in pieces and had a smaller portion of noodles and sauce onto her fork this time. Swallowing, she agreed that his technique is better.

Once dinner was done, they set out to clean their dishes. As Lux began to fill the sink with hot, soapy water, he turned to her. "Got any plans for tonight ? Not that I mind spending another evening watching television, but it'd be nice to do something different."

She picked up the drying cloth from the nearby clothe rack. "Actually, I was thinking that we could go out and see if we can buy new clothes. Would be nice to wear something other than my old garb and your senatorial clothes, right ?"

Lux began to scrub the pots with the hot water. "That's actually a brilliant idea, 'Soka. And it would give us an opportunity to familiarize ourselves further with our new surroundings."

"See ? A win-win situation. Let's finish this and have a look. We might end up finding something good and inexpensive."

Stepping out of their apartment, the couple didn't need to look very far to find what they needed. Fortunately for them, a used clothes store was just a couple of blocks away.

Used Clothes Store

Upon entering, the first thing Ahsoka noticed were the rock-bottom prices. "Wow ! Each piece of used clothing for 2$ ?! That's almost too good to be true !"

A middle-aged woman stepped out from the counter. "Good evening, my young friends. Welcome to my little shop. Yes, prices are low because it is a poor neighborhood after all. Feel free to browse around and don't hesitate if you have any questions, ok ?"

Ahsoka appreciated the casual and inviting approach of the clerk. "Thank you, madam. We'll look around a bit and we'll get back to you if we need anything."

As she browsed along, Ahsoka came upon a small table with used jeans. "These look comfortable." Picking up a pair, she placed it in front of her legs. "Looks like they might fit." She grabbed 5 pairs and continued to look around.

Lux, on his end, came upon sets of work pants and matching shirts. "Oh, now these will definitely make an impression. They look good." He picked up 5 sets for himself and continued browsing, finding pairs of shorts and socks.

Minutes later, Ahsoka found some women's shirts along with stacks of bras and panties. "I really like the looks of these." She turned over to the clerk. "Excuse me, madam. Is there a place I can try these before buying ?"

The clerk pointed to the back. "The fitting rooms are over there, dear. Go on, try them out. I'm sure you'll like them."

Several minutes later, Ahsoka stepped out, decked in dark blue jeans and a black shirt. She twirled before Lux. "How do I look ?"

Lux was at a loss for words. "Stunning ! Really goes well with your lek-... I mean your hair ! Yes !"

Now it was Lux's turn to try on the new clothes. He stepped out in matching brown pants and vest. "What do you think 'Soka ?"

She felt immediate warmth in her body. "You look so handsome ! It's perfect !"

They changed back in their typical outfits and proceeded to pay for their clothes. The clerk was shocked at the quantity. "Goodness ! Rarely do people buy so much all at once ! I have a feeling you'll be returning customers, so I'll give you two a deal. Instead of charging 50 for it all, I'll simply ask for 40 instead. Do you like the sound of that ?"

Lux and Ahsoka stared at each other for a brief moment. Lux then broke the silence. "We agree, done deal !" He handed over 40$. "A pleasure doing business with you, madam. We will definitely return at some point later on."

Stepping out of the shop with several bags, the two first returned to their apartment to drop their purchases. Once back out, Ahsoka cleared her throat. "These clothes will definitely help us blend in with the crowd, Luxie." They returned to where they came upon the used clothes shop. A few buildings furher, Ahsoka saw something that caught her curiosity. "Used vinyls ? Oooh, now this I wanna see !"

Used Vinyl Shop

Upon entering, the first thing that caught the couple's attention was the low background music. It was definitely different than anything they've heard in their lives. Ahsoka approached the counter, where a young man with very long hair stood. "Hello ! What is that playing in the background ?"

The young man chuckled at Ahsoka's apparent ignorance. "Heh, you lived under a rock for the past several years ? This is Metallica, girl ! "Disposable Heroes" from Master of Puppets, to be precise. Came out a couple months ago, a damn fine release if I do say so myself !"

Lux scratched his neck uncomfortably. "Hmm... It sounds pretty fast... and violent ! My goodness ! Listen to those lyrics, 'Soka ! It's about war of all things ! Soldiers going out to die and all that stuff. How brutal !"

The young man just smiled. "Yeah, man ! This stuff's awesome ! Can't wait to see where they'll go next !"

A cold chill came upon Ahsoka's spine. This hit way too close to home with all the horrors she experienced during the Clone Wars. Especially the sudden and unexpected betrayal of the Clones under her command. She shook those memories off. "Hmm... No. Not quite to my liking... I was told to look into some particular groups. One I know for sure is Dio. Another was Motor... something... And one is called Black... something ?"

The young man stepped out from the counter and brought them to the Heavy Metal section of the store. "You just getting into metal by the sound of it. Good call !" He took out a cover showing a demon-like creature drowning a priest. "Well, you said Dio and you can't pass by the first record, which is this one here, called Holy Diver. This is one of those rare "All killer, no filler" types of albums. Heck, even the poppy "Rainbow in The Dark" is a good tune." He pulled another cover, showing the same demon-like creature, this time apparently leading an army of undead in an ancient setting. "The Last In Line is another good album, but it does have a couple of tracks that leave a bit to be desired, however the good tracks really overshadow the lesser ones." Finally, he pulled a third cover, showing a dragon holding a crystal ball. "Sacred Heart is just... ok for me... I think they went a bit too commercial here, but right now it's selling like hot cakes with the current tour being their biggest production yet."

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "Ok... We'll take all 3 of those. Now... what about band #2 ?"

The young man cleared his throat. "Right... Motorhead is another good band, but not everybody likes their sound. I've argued with many people saying their albums sound the same. No, that is not true ! Each album has its own identity, so to speak. I currently don't have a lot of them, though..." He browsed through the racks. "Let's see here... Ok, here's Bomber. This is a really good album, love the bluesy style of the music, plus here we get the only instance (so far) of a song not sung by Lemmy. I think 'Fast' Eddie, his guitarist at the time, did really well." He pulled a second album, featuring 3 men dressed like cowboys or desperados on the cover. "Here's Ace of Spades, easily their most popular album by far. This is another perfect album like Holy Diver." He pulled a third cover, which seemed to be a picture from an actual show. "Ok, here we have No Sleep Til Hammersmith, their live album. They were really on fire here ! If this doesn't get you moving, I honestly don't know what to tell you." Browsing about, he pulled a final album, showcasing a very colorful and trippy rendition of the Snaggletooth mascot. "Last, but certainly not least, is Another Perfect Day, their most hated release. I don't get the hate at all. Maybe because many are pissed that 'Fast' Eddie left the band, but whatever. This one features guitarist Brian Robertson, whom was in Thin Lizzy. It's a much more melodic album, lots of extended solos, which seems to turn people off."

The clerk offered the first 3 records to Ahsoka. "I'll make you a deal, girl. Buy the first 3 and I'll give you the fourth one, how does that sound ?"

Ahsoka cleared her throat. "How much are they each ?"

The clerk lifted one finger. "A dollar each. Not bad, huh ?"

Ahsoka was taken aback by the low price. "Hmm... It's too good to pass up. Ok, I'll take everything offered so far."

The young man gave them a thumbs up. "Awesome ! Ok... so band #3 ? Black... Is it Sabbath ?"

Upon hearing the name, Ahsoka quickly reacted. "Yes, yes ! That's it ! Do you have any from them ?"

"Several, in fact." He pulled out 5 records, all with very different covers. "Lucky for you, I happen to have an album each for every singer so far, plus a live album too !" He showed the first one, having a man brandishing a sword on a black background. "So, for the "Ozzy" era, all I've got now is Paranoid. It has all the most popular hits like "War Pigs", "Iron Man", the title track and so forth. Can't go wrong with it." He showed the second album, featuring 3 angels playing cards and smoking. "Here's Heaven & Hell... guess what ? Dio sings here ! Yes, the same Dio on Holy Diver and such. This is another "All killer, no filler" album." He showed a third cover, featuring a montage of shady characters by a beach, with a lightning bolt in the background. "This one here is the live album simply called Live Evil. It has Dio belting out his stuff from Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules, but he also sings Ozzy songs like War Pigs and Iron Man. His takes on those really need to be heard to be believed." He showed the fourth cover, this one featuring a red baby with fangs and claws on a purple background. "Here's Born Again. This one's a doozy ! Instead of Ozzy Osbourne or Dio, we have Ian Gillan of Deep Purple fame. He really screams his head off here. There are a couple of filler tracks here, but the good tracks are really, REALLY good !" The final album featured a man standing alone in a desert on the cover. "And finally, we have Seventh Star, which also came out a few months ago. Boy, did this album tank as far as sales go. It makes me sad that most people are just too hung up on Ozzy or Dio and give this album a chance. It features another ex-Deep Purple singer, this time being Glenn Hughes. There's only a couple of words that can describe this album : Bluesy and soulful. Glenn's voice is really out of this world. Why this album didn't catch on is beyond me..."

Lux counted the albums being placed on their arms. "12 in total. So 12$ for all ?"

The clerk returned behind the counter. "Well... That would be the price, but since you both seem interested in it all, I'll let you have them all for 10$. Even better, I'll let you pick a couple more and keep it at that price. How's that ?"

Lux looked around the various sections. "Well, since you're offering... do you have any... soft music ? Like purely instrumental ?"

The young man was shocked by the request, but remained engaged. "Instrumental ? Err... actually... Yeah. YEAH ! There's some classical stuff somewhere. Let me find 'em for ya, man." He browsed about. "Classical... classical... Ah yes ! Here they are !" He pulled a couple of albums from the racks. "Beethoven and Chopin. The first one is performed by an orchestra while the second is just a single piano. Both are neat if that's what you fancy."

Lux rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I like the sound of that ! Looking forward to hearing those !"

The young man handed to the two vinyls to Lux. "You'll like those. The Beethoven one can be a bit bombastic at points while Chopin is gentle enough to put you to sleep. Guess you and your girlfriend have a lot to listen to, heh ! Name's Adam, by the way. Who are you guys ?"

Ahsoka shook Adam's hand. "Nice to meet you ! I'm Ahsoka and that's Lux. I have a feeling we'll cross paths often here."

Adam guided the two back to the counter. "Ok, let's see here... 3 Dio albums, 4 Motorhead albums, 5 Sabbath albums and two Classical music albums. I'll take 10$ and you'll get quite the listening experience coming up. If I can give you a starting point, get the Classical albums out of the way first, then listen to Sabbath, Dio and finally Motorhead. Whenever you guys drop back again, I'd love to hear your thoughts on all the music."

Before leaving the store, Ahsoka turned back to face Adam, a smile on her face. "You'll know soon enough, though I have a feeling we'll both be really pleased. Thank you for your time, Adam. Have a nice remainder of your evening."

Adam waved goodbye to the two. "Will do ! Happy listening !"

Once again, they stopped back to drop their new purchases at the apartment before resuming their exploration of the area. Going a few streets further, they found another familiar spot seen in the Rocky movie. "Hey, look Lux ! It's the "Pet Shop" that Adrian works at ! Let's go have a look."

J&M Tropical Fish Pet Shop

Upon entering, the couple were greeted with new sounds, particularly meowing and barking of various dogs and cats, plus the incessant chirping of various birds.

"Just a minute !" A voice called out from the back. As Ahsoka and Lux looked around the aisles, a young man stepped out from the back area. "Good evening ! I'm Joseph Marks, co-owner of this fine little store with my father, Morris. Always a pleasure to see new faces. I'd guess you're relatively new to the area, right ?"

Lux nodded. "Yes, that is correct, sir. We've moved here just a couple of days ago. We're still slowly getting used to the new surroundings."

Joseph immediately went into "Sale" mode. "Let me guess : You're looking for a dog ? We do have a few puppies that we received a few days ago. We've got German Shepherd, Lhasa Apso, Mini Schnauzer, Doberman and Golden Retriever. Which of these would interest you the most ?"

Ahsoka cleared her throat. "We're not sure yet if we'll buy anything now. We don't have a lot of money right now and our current apartment is probably not big enough for one of these. We're just browsing for now."

Joseph switched to another pet. "Ah... How about a Goldfish ? They take little room and don't make noise to wake up your neighbors in the middle of the night. I've got a nice small aquarium here that's all set up for one."

They both looked at the various goldfish in many aquariums. "All they do is swim back and forth." Ahsoka remarked. "Do you have something with similar or easier care that is about the same size and a bit more engaging ?"

Joseph cupped his chin in thought. "Hmm... I'd point you to the turtles or lizards, but they're actually a bit expensive to set up with all the lighting and heating accessories." Then a proverbial lightbulb popped over his head. "Hold the phone ! I know ! Come over here." He guided them to a small enclosure with a bunch of dirt, a log in one corner and a small water bowl with a sponge in it. It seemed devoid of life as all Ahsoka and Lux could see was a small ball of hair scrunched up in a corner. "Right now it doesn't look like there's anything there, but that's a Curlyhair tarantula spider. Probably came from Honduras or Costa Rica. This critter is as easy as they come. You hardly need to do anything. It'll eat crickets, mealworms or even a baby mouse you're ok with it. I think it came in like yesterday, poor thing is emaciated from its trip from its lush jungle home to here. It'll probably spring up to life if I drop a cricket or two in there. Hang on a moment, we'll find out." He went out to the back area, shuffling of objects could be heard.

Ahsoka tapped at the enclosure, looking if it would react. It turned to face her, spreading its fuzzy legs, revealing a truly tiny abdomen. She counted the number of appendages. "Wow ! This thing has 8 legs ! Never seen anything like this before."

Lux kept his eye on it. "We'll see if it's healthy or not, 'Soka. Here comes Mr. Marks."

Joseph returned with a vial containing two small chirping insects. "Sorry for the wait, these crickets are hard to catch. I'm going to drop them near the spider. Ready ?"

As soon as the crickets hit the substrate, the tarantula immediately pounced on both, startling Ahsoka and Lux by its sudden speed.

Lux turned to Joseph. "I take it that's a good sign ?"

Joseph happily nodded. "Oh yes ! That's what we're looking for ! Right now, it's a bit skinny, but it'll plump up before you know it. I'd say this would be your best option if you want a quiet apartment pet. I'm feeling pretty generous right now, so I'd let you have it, enclosure and all for 10$. That's about as inexpensive as it gets. What do you two say ?"

They looked at each other for a moment. Ahsoka was the first to break the silence. "It ain't much, but it's something. You've got a deal, Mr. Marks. We'll take it." Ahsoka plucked out a 10$ bill from her pockets.

Joseph gave her a thumbs up. "Awesome ! You can call me Joseph if you're comfortable with that. What are your names ?"

This time, Lux did the introductions. "I'm Lux and this is Ahsoka. Thank you for your kindness, we truly appreciate it."

"Lux and Ahsoka ? All right ! Thanks for dropping by ! Remember, a cricket or two a week and your spider will be real happy and heathy." He was about to let them leave with their purchase, but remembered something. "Wait, wait, wait ! I almost forgot." He reached under the counter, producing a hardcover book with a much more colorful spider on the cover. "Here's a book by John. G. Browning, a smart kid by the way this book is so well written. Has a lot of useful information and is filled to the brim with trivia that was in the Tarantula Times, a newsletter by the now defunct American Tarantula Society. A fun book for sure. It's on the house, don't worry about it !"

Ahsoka took the book, already itching to read it. "Thank you, Joseph."

Joseph motioned to the door. "Don't mention it. Happy reading !" As they were about to step out for good, he stopped them again. "I knew I was forgetting something important : Watch where you place that cage, make sure that sunlight can't reach it. The sun's heat can kill it quickly !"

Lux nodded, holding the cage with both hands as the spider was busy feeding on its two crickets. "Will do ! Thanks for the tip ! We'll see you in a week from now, I guess."

Once outside, they hastily made their way back to their apartment. Lux tried his hardest not to rock the cage too much on the way.

Lux and Ahsoka's Apartment

By the time they arrived from their third and final trip for the evening, it was nearly 8:30. Upon entering, Ahsoka looked about to find a good spot. "Hmm... Where could we place it so that the sun's rays don't hit it and not be in a place where we might knock it down by accident ?"

Lux looked in the living room, where a small shelf stood against the wall. "How about on that shelf here ? Sunlight doesn't reach there last I noticed."

"Perfect !" She placed it on the shelf, finally giving the tarantula much needed peace and quiet. The slightly rocky travel didn't seem to have bothered it much. It stood still for a moment, then resumed to eat its food.

Lux couldn't help but admire the odd-looking animal. "I don't know why it's so hairy, but it certainly gives it a unique look, don't you agree, 'Soka ?"

"Looks like a miniature eight-legged Wookie, hah !" She snapped her fingers. "Just like that, I've got a name for it : Chewbacca. Named after the brave Wookie that helped me and a couple of Younglings when we were hunted for sport by a group of Trandoshans. That happened on Trandosha's Forest Moon of Wasskah."

Lux couldn't help but chuckle. "Hmm... I believe he'd be mildly amused to learn there's a bug named after him. I think it suits it well. We'll allow Chewbacca a few days to settle in. I'm sure it'll thrive with us." He looked at the cage arrangement. "It's pretty bare, but it seems to do fine with little. One thing that bothers me is that sponge in the water bowl. It's dirtying and probably contaminating the water. Do you object if I toss it out ?"

She shook her head. "No objections, Luxie. I'm sure it'll be happy with just clean, clear water."

Lux bravely reached in and plucked the sponge out. Fortunately, Chewbacca was too busy eating to react to Lux's sudden intrusion. He then promptly tossed it in the garbage bin. "And done !"

Ahsoka proceeded to bring a chair and begin to read her book. She quickly flipped through it at first. "It does have a lot of beautiful images. I'm not seeing one that resembles Chewbacca so far... Oh wait, here's one !" She showed the picture to Lux.

Lux leaned in for a closer look. "Ah... yes. I see it now. All those little hairs on its legs have a definite curl to them. I'd say its name is apt."

"I'm going to read this book for a little while... Why don't you listen to one of your music vinyls ?"

Lux reached into the Vinyl bag and pulled out the Chopin album. "Let's try this one." It took a few minutes of trial and error to get the record player started. Once it began, both were pleased by the fairly gentle piano performances being heard.

Lux took a seat, just letting his mind wander as the music played. "I really like this. Perfect for relaxing after a long day."

Ahsoka nodded, flipping through her first set of pages. "It's definitely different from what we heard back at the store. Adam was right, we could potentially fall asleep to this."

Once the Chopin album was finished, Lux placed the vinyl back in its sleeve. "Why don't you try one of yours ?" He offered.

"Hold on, I need to find something so I don't lose the page I'm at." She got up and looked around the night table nearby and found a pen. "This'll do, I guess." Placing her book aside for a moment, she looked into the Vinyl bag. "Hmm... I think I'm expected to listen to these chronologically. I guess this is the first one for the time being." Pulling out the Paranoid album, she opened the sleeve and looked inside. There was a picture of the band members and their roles. "Let's see here... Ozzy Osbourne for vocals, Tony Iommi for electric guitar. Terry "Geezer" Butler for bass guitar and finally Bill Ward for drums. This ought to be interesting."

Placing the vinyl on the turntable, she brought the needle to the outer edge of the record. By pressing a button, the vinyl began to play and "War Pigs" was their introduction to Black Sabbath's music. Thankfully, the volume had been adjusted prior, otherwise it might have disturbed neighbors around them. It was still loud enough to make an impression. Iommi's booming guitar riffs immediately caught Ahsoka's attention. "Wow ! Listen to all that noise, Lux. It's a good thing we lowered the volume before, this is LOUD !"

Lux wiped the sweat off his forehead as the music was a bit too much to his liking. "I'm happy that you like it, 'Soka. To be honest with you, it's not my style at all. Too noisy, too heavy."

The lyrics of "War Pigs" definitely got both thinking back to the Clone Wars. Politicians were responsible for a war breaking out between factions. The unexpected end of the war had definitely left a bad taste in Ahsoka's mouth. She couldn't believe it once she learned that the Jedi were branded as traitors and promptly executed. Thankfully, "Paranoid" shifted their current emotions as the lyrics dealt with a different topic, being mental illness. Ahsoka tapped her foot to the rhythm of the song and began to get used to Osbourne's vocals.

"This isn't bad at all so far. It definitely has more energy than the first record we listened to."

The play ended with "Fairies Wear Boots" which not only contained blatant lyrics about a drug trip, but also had a satisfying bluesy instrumental break by the end. Once the record was done playing, Lux caught his breath while Ahsoka was left with a big smile on her face.

"That was actually great ! I can't wait to hear the rest." She cheered.

Lux pulled the Vinyl bag aside, not ready to have his aural senses assaulted so soon. "Why don't we wait tomorrow evening to listen to a couple more ? Let's give our hearing a break, what do you think ?"

She nodded. "I agree. We'll take it slow, that'll give us enough time to get used to this new kind of music."

Friday, May 30th, 5:30 PM

Ahsoka's 4th day as a waitress/cook was winding down. There was half an hour before closing time and all orders had been filled. Much to her surprise, Lux suddenly showed up.

"And there she is, the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on !" Lux beamed.

Taken aback by the sudden comment, Ahsoka could only giggle in response. "Ohhhh, you're so sweet ! And you came just in time ! We'll have our food ready before myself and Bill close up."

Lux sat on one of the empty stools by the counter. "Any recommendations ? I've never had this kind of food, I believe."

Ahsoka pointed to the menu above. "Well, it's either beef, chicken or seafood. I'll tell you the burger I had on day 1 was delicious ! I've had feedback from clients that the chicken fingers as well as the fish & chips are just as good, if not better. So what'll it be ?"

Bill walked in on their conversation. "Why not have a little bit of everything, so you could try it all ? So far, Ahsoka's been a dream to work with. She learns fast and does everything perfectly. I strongly doubt we'll have last minute clients, so we have more than enough time to prepare a really good dinner. Let's say a hamburger each, 2 chicken fingers each and a piece of fried fish each ? Of course, you'll have plenty of yummy fries ! All of that for only 20$ ! Reasonable, right ?"

Ahsoka high-fived her boss. "More than reasonable, Bill ! So, do you want me to tackle the beef or the chicken and fish portions ?"

Bill got the items needed to make the meal. "I'll let you make the burgers and the fries while I do the chicken and fish, ok with that ?"

Ahsoka rubbed her hands in excitement. "That works for me !" She quickly turned to Lux. "So, Luxie, do you want vegetables on your burger ? Also, would you like a slice of melted cheese and a few slices of bacon on your beef patty ?"

Lux's mind was made up in an instant. "Yes to all, 'Soka ! I have no doubt it'll be the best meal in a while." He reached in his wallet and pulled out a bill of 20$ and 5$. "Here you go, sir. I think you deserve the extra 5$ for being so professional at your work."

Bill happily took the tip. "Hah ! Thanks, man ! You know what, I'll toss in a basket of fried shrimps and some tartar sauce to your order. Don't worry, no extra charge. Just a way to say "Thank You" for bringing your girlfriend out here ! Really don't know how I could provide all the food without her help."

Ahsoka suddenly turned around and had the biggest grin towards Lux. "Those... are marvelous ! I've had the chance to try one, so, so good !"

In about 20-25 minutes, their buffet was ready. Bill urged the late-teenagers to head out. "Go home ! Enjoy the food while it's hot. Don't worry about the closing procedures for tonight, Ahsoka. I'll be just fine. See you tomorrow at Noon !"

She waved him goodbye. "Thanks, Bill ! I'll see you tomorrow, have a nice evening too !" She carried the bag containing the burgers and fries while Lux had the one with chicken, fish and shrimps.

Within minutes of walking back home, Lux and Ahsoka took their respective places at the small dining table. Opening the first bag, Ahsoka began to unwrap one of the burgers. "Let's see here... Ok, this is the one with veggies, so that's yours."

Lux gave hers and both had their first bite. Lux did a double-take. "My stars ! Th-this is amazing ! The vegetables, meats, cheese and condiments all go well together. What a taste !"

"Mmm hmm. I don't have any veggies on mine... because, you know... we Togrutas can't stomach them. That's ok, though. The bacon added here more than makes up for any lack of veggies." She happily savored each bite.

Once Lux was done eating his burger, he couldn't help but belch. "My apologies, 'Soka. Phew ! What an experience ! I don't know what vegetables were used, but they were delicious."

Ahsoka recalled what she put on. "Tomato, onion and lettuce. I'm glad you enjoyed them, Luxie. So... how about the fries ?"

Lux had already partaken in many. "They're still hot... and quite salty, too ! Not that I mind, but phew ! You really need to wash it down with the pop, you know ?"

Ahsoka held the red can in her hands. "Oh, yes. This "Coke" is nothing short of thirst-quenching. Love it !" She reached into the 2nd bag, pulling out the chicken fingers with a packet of BBQ sauce. "Let's try these, shall we ?"

Lux was the first to try the fingers. Pouring a bit of sauce onto his plate, he then dipped the chicken in it slightly. "Mmmm ! Oh ho ho ! Now this I like. This sauce has a good mix of sweet and smoky flavors. Goes really well with the chicken."

Ahsoka patted her stomach. "Why do I get the feeling we'll gain a few pounds out of this meal alone ?"

"Easy ! It's fried in cooking oils, so there's plenty of calories. Nothing we can't burn out with daily exercise, right ?" Lux replied.

Despite beginning to feel full, neither could resist eating the fish and shrimps. These were just as tasty as the burgers and chicken. Once they were done, they took a few moments to relax before moving.

Ahsoka took the last sip of her Coke. "Ohhh... I can't believe we ate all of that ! *Burp* We'll... uh... take a few weeks off before taking this kind of food again, otherwise we'll be obese in no time flat !"

Lux nodded, also belching. "Yes, that would be wise, 'Soka. Still, I must say that I've enjoyed trying these foods. They're all quite tasty, if a bit fattening."

Ahsoka was the first to get up, feeling her slightly swollen stomach. "Oof ! Yeah, we definitely overate. Hopefully, we'll be able to sleep it off." She walked over to Chewbacca's cage. "Woah, someone's been busy ! There's a literal carpet of webbing all over the floor ! Wow, it looks neat !"

Lux finally stood up. "Well, I'm definitely not revisiting Chopin or Beethoven tonight. How about we listen to another one of your albums while we digest our meals ?"

"I was about to suggest that, actually." She scanned the Vinyl collection. "I know I'm supposed to go in chronological order, but I'm curious about this one." She pulled out the Orgasmatron album.

Once the needle was laid down, Ahsoka sat down, ensuring she'd hear every detail with her montrals. As opposed to her previous experiences with Black Sabbath's Paranoid and Dio's Holy Diver, her first venture into Motorhead absolutely caught her by surprise when "Deaf Forever" began. Lemmy's raspy vocals were definitely different from Ozzy's haunting singing and Dio's epic theatrics. Another point was the dual guitar attack by Phil Campbell and Wurzel. Pete Gill's drumming was also quite relentless. "Nothing Up My Sleeve" proved to be engaging and addictive with its more rapid pace, as was "Claw". "Built For Speed" and "Doctor Rock" were other catchy numbers, but nothing could prepare her for the title track. When "Orgasmatron" began, it was dark and nebulous, with some of the most dark lyrics ever put on record. While Lemmy's bass was loud and clear, it was the lyrical content that was truly the highlight here.

"Your bones will build my palaces, your eyes will stud my crown. For I am Mars, the God of War, and I will cut you down !"

Once it was over, Ahsoka huddled herself. "Oooohhhh... Now that was intense ! Wow ! Those lyrics definitely got my imagination going ! Not only is this man a true gentleman, but he's also a master lyricist. Consider me hooked ! We'll absolutely need to see him play live, Lux."

Lux held his head in his hands, definitely reeling from the loudness. "I hope I won't go deaf when it happens, 'Soka. My poor ears ! Ow !"

Ahsoka walked over to the night table, peering into a drawer. Inside amongst other things, were the two tickets given by Mr. Asner. "2 weeks and a half to go." She thought to herself.

Somewhere, in the state of New York...

A phone rang a few times before a man answered.

"Hello ? Oh, hi Lou ! How's things ? You're kidding ?! They're gone already ?! Wow ! Those went fast. When can I deliver some more ? Uh... let me have a look at my calendar for a moment." Moments pass. "Oh, man. I'm fully booked for the next two weeks. The earliest would be on June 17th, a Tuesday. Well, yeah, I'll be in the area as there's a show I don't want to miss. What show, you ask ? Dio, man ! Yeah, man ! They're uh... promoting the Sacred Heart album. Apparently, they've got a humongous animatronic dragon as the centerpiece ! Can't wait to see that ! So, you'll be OK until the 17th ? Perfect, I'll see you then ! Bye Lou, thanks for calling !"

The man, known as Ed Smith, then reached for a sheet of paper with various phone numbers on it. Composing a particular number, he waited for an answer.

"Hey Adam ! What's up, my man ? Uh huh ? Really ? Uh huh. You don't say ! Wait, wait, wait. Say that again ? Hah ! I think I actually gave those two a lift like almost a week ago ! They've got their things up and running quickly enough, ha ha ha ! Anyways, it happens that I'll be making a delivery the same day the Dio show takes place. Meet me at Lou's. Huh ? Of course, man ! You know I'll be more than happy to give you a lift to the Spectrum. See if you could get those two newcomers to come along too ! That way, we'd both a chance to know them better, they look like real nice people, you know ? Cool man, I'll see you then. Bye Adam."

Once the call was done, Ed prepared a bowl of food and let out a loud whistle. "Brutus ! Come on, buddy ! Time to eat !"

The Doberman raced down a flight of stairs, stopping before his food dish. He looked up to his Master, his stubby tail wagging.

Ed knelt before his dog. "Ok, buddy. Let's do a few tricks before din-din, alright ?" The dog happily barked.

Ed raised his hand in the air. "Down, Brutus !" The dog immediately laid down on the floor. "Good boy !" Ed cheered. He then gave his hand. "Give paw." Brutus lifted a paw to be held. "Good boy !" Ed then made a twirling motion. "Roll over." The dog rolled on the floor. "Good boy ! Alright, eat your dinner, bud !"

As Brutus quickly ate his food, Ed patted him on the side. "Ok, buddy. We'll be going back to Philly in a few weeks, we're gonna pick up our buddy Adam. You like him, right ? And we're probably gonna pick up those two strangers too. You gonna be a good boy for them, huh ?"

Ed walked over to the window and looked outside to the pouring rain. "A couple of weeks to go before Dio. Hopefully, Brutus is gonna learn to trust those strangers too."

Well, this one's being in the works for a good while. I did suffer from writer's block for several weeks. Thankfully, I got the ball rolling again. In the next chapter, there's going to be quite the gathering and friendships will be formed, which is always a good thing. There will also be a few surprises. You'll see when I get to it. As always, I dig reviews. Stay safe, Happy Holidays in advance everybody and see you all next year !