The Hustle ~private, me and Smoke~

Vale laughed and smiled along with Felik at the preppy news anchor. Do guys really wear that much make-up now? Vale thought to herself, making her giggle even more. He looked like one of those vain freaks you would see in high school dating a germaphobe.
That was when she heard something that made her freeze right in place, making Sable stop wagging her tail and look at the criminal. "A recent homicide was also taking place on the scene, and police suspect it was either Doigt Lumière or V. There are no fingerprints, and police don't have many clues, though they are on the case.
"Keep your doors locked, and keep your money with you at all times, citizens of France. But there is nothing to really worry about; this is just another pair of people that will be put behind bars soon. This has been your 4 o'clock news," The news anchor finished with a grim smile.
What the hell?!

"What?!" cried Felik, throwing himself to his feet, all the time his eyes fixed on the TV screen. "We didn't kill anybody!"
As the News Anchor began to talk about some dull event in politics, Felik crossed the room and pressed the button on the top, switching it off. "I'm not sure we should go out tonight any more," he said, turning back to Vale, "I'll be too risky. Too soon. If someone recognizes us, we'll be screwed. They've got us down for murder now, we should lay low for awhile."

Vale shook her head quickly. "The police will expect that. They'll snoop around town, but in the neighborhoods. If they come to a club, they'll search in the corners. All we have to do is act like teenagers that are having a good time out," Vale said, explaining her thoughts to Felik.

Felik nodded, "Good point. Where do you want to go?"

Vale thought about it, before smirking. "Why don't we go to Hustle?" She asked. It was the dance club/bar that they had met in, so it would be a little familiar to the both of them.

"Sounds good to me," Felik replied, "I love that place. We'll wait until it gets dark and then head out."
The Hustle bar was only a ten minute walk from their apartment, so the duo could hang around the home for a bit.
Crossing the room, Felik picked up his old guitar that bore the scars of many events all over it and began to play one of his best up-lifters he knew -

Vale sat down on the couch again, Sable licking her cheek as she did. She gave a small laugh before leaning back and sighing. If you took a look at these two, they wouldn't really seem to be like criminals. They weren't entirely.
Well, they didn't do serious stuff like shoot innocent people or molest others- Vale didn't exactly like that lifestyle choice. It didn't make sense to her, hence why she wasn't part of a gang anymore. She'd been really happy when Felik had become her partner; they were exactly alike when it came to these kind of views and they immediately hit it off at the Hustler.
Vale continued thinking to herself, listening to Felik's guitar song. They were good friends, with a great shaped friendship. Though some illegal things were involved in their common hobbies, they acted pretty normal. It was why they hadn't gotten caught yet- they were inconspicuous in their real alter egos. It wasn't a fake alibi they made up like Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart and whatnot, but it was really them when they were together.
She didn't have feelings for Felik though. Sure, she'd thought about it but he was her best friend now. Life was going well for them right now, and she didn't want to blow it by bringing in alien feelings. And, after everything with Josh, she wasn't the most romantic person in the world. Felik may be her best friend, but so was Josh. She trusted Felik with all her heart, but she still kept a look out for her own heart.

Ooc: Somehow, that song gave me muse .-. Like, a lot of muse.

As Felik's song ended, he looked at Valentina and laughed with embarrassment. Then he had a light bulb moment. "How about you get your violin out, Vale?" he grinned.
Sable was lying stupidly across the sofa at this point, but when the clever dog recognized the word 'violin', she sat up quickly, whining excitedly and tail wagging furiously. The big dog was more a fan of her mistress's violin than she was of her master's guitar.

Ooc: I can tell XD

Vale laughed at the dog's expression of her face and then looked up at Felik. "Sure, why not?" She asked, mostly to muse herself.
She got up from the worn and beat-up couch with a somehow stainless cover... only the Lord knows how messy Felik can get. Of course, Vale ate like a guy when he wasn't around, but he didn't need to know that...
She crossed the small living room and bent down to pick up her violin case. It was behind their table, so she had to reach a little. Oh well, it was her daily stretching.
She got her instrument out and went back to the couch, sitting down on it where she was just at. Some people can't play this sitting down, but she found it quite easy if you're relaxed.
Then slowly, she tuned and began. "Sorry if this sounds off. I don't know if my tuning's right," She said chuckling to her friend thinking of the song she was going to play.

At this point, Felik began to play the song he knew Vale would recognize. It was one that they both loved to play together as a guitar and violin duet, despite it being a biblical song and both of them being atheist.  
The second the first note was struck and the heavenly beautiful music began to filter through the broken windows and flow through the city, everyone nearby stopped and listened for a a moment.
And for a few minutes, that little room became a safe sanctuary of care-free happiness for all those within it's walls.

Vale smiled at the song that Felik began to play and joined in when it was her turn. She may not be religious, but for some reason she loved playing this song. She also loved moments like this when it was just them playing their instruments and forgetting about their problems and that they're wanted criminal. It was something they could both easily do, but only when the time was right.
Hours passed of the two just playing music until it was 11 pm. "Think we should start getting ready?" Valentina asked Felik as she finished a small duet with him.

Ooc: This is Hustle V X3

Felik checked his simple leather watch, "Yeah, hang on, I'll just get my spare jacket."
Putting his guitar down, the Hustler crossed the room to what looked like a tiny airing closet. He opened the red door and pulled out another jacket.
He lefte the room for Vale to get changed and stepped onto their small, concrete balcony, looking out across the city and traced with his eyes the route to the bar where he first met Valentina.

Valentina walked into her small room, with a black sheeted bed and just a dresser. She opened her drawers and pulled out a kind of fancy but not too fancy dress. It sucked how guys had to dress up less than girls.
She picked out a dress that had medium length sleeves, long enough to go to her mid-thigh and the color of dark, hot pink with a little bit of velvet. She liked it a little bit, and it was pretty cheap so it was a win-win she supposed.
She quickly did her make-up, grabbed her black leather jacket and walked out the door, waving at Felik.

Felik followed Vale down the stairs and out the front door (if you would call a rectangular space in the wall a "door").
The two criminals walked in the damp night, talking and laughing on the way. They soon reached the bar.
As soon as they entered the Hustler, Felik and Vale sat on the red leather stools and waited for someone to serve them. "What do you want, Vale?" He asked, nudging her with his shoulder.

Vale thought a little bit before she decided what she wanted to drink. It wasn't exactly legal for her to drink, but this place served anyone anything. It was one of those upscale bars that would give a Bloody Mary to a 10 year old kid.
"I'll just have some Smirnoff Vodka. What about you?" Vale said. She liked Vodka, though she didn't have it often. She didn't go out drinking every night, you know.
The music blared in her ears as all the partygoers danced till they dropped... literally. There was a person sleeping on a table and no one noticed. The lights were off, with some disco kind of lights only in oranges and yellows. This wasn't known as the place to go for nothing. Vale guessed people liked getting drunk and dancing... a lot.

"I'm just getting a beer to start with," Felik replied. He ordered their drinks and sson the duo were dancing and drinking and chatting... Having a good time in general.
But as the night drew on to about 12:40am, Felik spied a couple of police officers at the door. He told himself that they were called in for something else, some drunk guy staggering around the streets. But they still managed to make the Hustler nervous.
"Act normal. Coppers, by the door," Felik whispered to Vale, without looking too suspicious.

Vale nodded her head nonchalantly, as if she didn't care. But she was just keeping up the act of a normal party goer. On the inside, when Felik said there were cops she felt her stomach begin to cringe in on its leg and her hearing get wobbly. Anxiety was taking over tr young criminal's mind, and if she didn't straighten out if there was a problem, the duo would be doomed.

Felik's heart twisted in panic as the cops stepped up to the bar and held up a photo to the man behind it.
"We have to leave. Look," he said to Vale, nodding his head subtly in the direction of the danger. "Go to the toilet and climb out the window. I'll meet you out there."

Vale nodded, a fake and big smile on her face as Usher blasted through the club's speakers. She weaves through the crowd, stumbling her and there to make it look like she was drunk.
Right when she got to the bathroom door though, a cop grabbed her arm. Her heart skipped a beat in fear as she turned around to face the French version f a sheriff. "Hello Miss, are you alright? You look a bit too under the influence," he said to the criminal. Vale nodded her head yes- did she really seem THAT drunk? Ugh, she needs to work on her doses of acting. "Oh I'm fine. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go to the John," she replied, slurring only one word. How could you go to a bar, act super drunk then act totally sober after all?
The cop nodded his head and she went into the bathroom quickly, climbing it the window when she knew she was alone.

Felik watched as Vale staggered into the crowd of the club. He was sure she would be fine, but he couldn't help but worry. Neither of them had ever discussed what they would do if one or both of them got caught. It would be a total disaster.
After a couple of minutes, the Hustler began to shuffle towards the door. But on the way, he was almost toppled over as a small girl crashed into his legs. Looking down at the little stranger, who's head only just reached the criminal's waist, Felik saw that the child's eyes were stained and damp, making it obvious she had been crying.
Suddenly there was huge commotion from the other side of the room as a balding man as drunk as the day is wide entered the disco through a door that Felik knew was the poker room.
"Where is that damned little thug?!" said the man a=in a slurred cry.
"Please help me."
Felik was thoroughly taken aback by the sobbing girl's plea. But, because he was a little tipsy, was constantly living in the moment and a bit of an idiot, Felik decided to scoop up the child and run, hopefully without being spotted, through the door and out into the open night air to meet Vale.

Vale had been waiting for around 3 minutes when she heard shouts and then a door opening. She quickly walked out of the alleyway the bathroom window had been leading to (she still didn't understand why it was like that. Did the club realize pedo-bears could climb in and hurt some unlucky girl?). But once she turned around the corner, she stopped dead.
Standing there was Felik Buhari, a wanted criminal, with a little angelic girl that seemed only about 6 years old.
"Felik.... Did you sleep with anyone a few years ago?" She said, half way joking and half way not. The girl looked similar to him, minus the skin color though it was a bit tan. She had wavy dark brown hair going a little bit underneath her shoulders and she had the same eye color as Felik.
She really hoped that it wasn't the 'mother' who was yelling. If it was,, they were way too deep for comfort.

"Wha- no! No no, NO! I'll explain later, we need to get to the apartment, now."
Felik couldn't believe that Vale had asked in only a half-jokey way. Although, given the circumstances, he shouldn't have been as surprised as he was.
Just then there was a crash as the drunk man staggered stupidly through the door, about five other people desperately trying (and failing) to restrain him.
"RUN!" shouted Felik, before darting off in an indirect path towards home, the girl's arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Vale's green eyes widened as she turned around and began running in the time of only a split second. The little girl was crying a lot more now, obviously scared of the trio's pursuers. It was large, tall man with no hair and a creepy 12 o'clock shadow. His eyes were a dark brown and he had normal tanned skin. Oh, and he looked pissed. Beyond belief. With 3 people running after him, telling him to stop.
When they ran around a few blocks, Vale glanced at Felik, saying "What the heck did you do now?!" She made sure not to say what's downstairs since a little girl was apparently hanging onto her every word.

The fleeing trio were still being closely perused by the blind drunk, who, unfortunately, could move very fast for a guy who is completely bladdered. Ahead, Felik saw an old wooden fence by the side of the track they were running down. He ran ahead and dived behind it, dragging Vale with him and putting the girl down on the wet grass.
He may have been able to keep up, but there was no way the booze-head could have seen them dip behind the fence. When he was about to pass them by, Felik leaped from behind the fence, grabbed the man by the white, stained vest, and punched him square in the face. He keeled over, bawling like a baby, blood spilling from a gash in his cheek and out his nostrils.
That's where the Hustler left him, writhing on the floor in agony. He scooped up the girl in his arms once more and stole away into the night towards home.

Ooc: should we skip an hour till they're at their house or have then continue running?