(Open RP) The Dark City

Koharu walked on through the dim darkness, the pavement under her feet was damp from the passing rain that seemed to try and wash away the filth from the city but never could come close. All it did was cause the rats to scurry into hiding for a little bit. A small sigh left her, puffing into a cloud of vapor around her maw. Often she thought of leaving this place, setting out on her own to the countryside somewhere... but what good would that do her, where would she go?

She stuffed her paws into the pockets of her beaten and well worn leather jacket and carried on, turning down a side ally as sirens and car horns carried off in the distance. Such was city life, always the constant hustle and bustle even in the darkest hours of night. Blue eyes glanced to the side and back again, her ears perking forward as she listened. A small rap on the door and she slipped inside, tipping the bouncer as she slipped past him and into the seedy underbelly of the nightlife.

What was a cute, shy little Vixen doing in a place like this? It was simple, one just had to earn her place in the world. And no matter how cheery you where this world would stomp you into nothing if you where not careful. She had grown a bit of a backbone, and thankfully managed to retain her clothing and her dignity while doing so. Card hussling was another matter entirely. She slipped into a chair at one of the many tables littered around the dark, seedy club. Scantly clad women bringing drinks, rough and tumble men, many of them with connections to the mafia around the room. She could smell the fear and desperation of some of the players nearly as thick and pungent as the smokey haze lingering in the room.

And here she was, quiet, shy little Koharu, wearing her mask of the tough girl. She just wanted to win a couple hands, enough to pay for rent and get out. It had worked in the past, but lady luck was a fickle mistress... where were those cards going to fall tonight?

Koharu was deep in thought, looking over the cards. Her expression was blank, something she had perfected over time, yet the males always seemed to expect that. This one certainly did, he was larger than her and quite serious about his game. Yet he had a tell, his eyebrow would twitch ever so slightly when he had a good hand. Once she had figured this out she began to change tactics, A smile would bloom on her face, she would drum her fingers and in general just act as if she could care less and that she was just here for fun. The complete 180 degree spin from her previous behavior would often times either confuse the males or they would figure she had too much to drink.

Her bushy cream and orange tail lightly wagged behind her as she leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms. "Hey sweet cheeks, another sweet and sour whiskey on the rocks, yeah? be a doll? " She called out to a passing waitress, jingling the empty ice in her glass before looking back at her cards. "So, are you going to call or fold big guy?" she asked, a small purr in her voice as she looked over at him.

He bristled lightly and pushed a heavy stack of chips into the center of the table, but his eyebrow hadnt twitched at all this hand. She smirked a little bit and pushed the same number of chips into the pile. "Show 'em."

With a growl he threw his cards face up on the table, a simple pair of fives.

"Ha ha, oh sorry big boy. That doesnt beat a full house." she said laying her cards down and moving in to scoot the chips towards her.

The vixen hadnt anticipating the pulling of a gun, this far she hadnt experienced anything so openly negative, though guns where common place and people where often getting drug outside weeping or putting up a fight. That was the kind of place this was, she had known that but had thought herself too clever to get caught. When the gun clicked empty she gave a sigh of relief, apparently luck was with her tonight in more ways than one.

The new comer sat in his place across from her, a rather slender feline male, much different than the large canine who had sat there moments ago. Koharu continued to play it cool, leaning back against her chair and tried not to seem too excited at his terms. That stack would not only pay for a month of rent for her but would give her the chance to pay off a few looming bills as well. It would be nice to get a monkey off her back and not have to risk coming down here to play poker every couple of weeks.

Still, it was risky. Not taking too long to weigh in on it she nodded some. "fine you're on slim, lets see if lady luck is with you tonight. " she said and waved for the card dealer to deal them in for the hand.

Koharu missed the glare that was shared between 'slim' and the card dealer but she only glanced at her cards, acting as if they where of little consequence. Thankfully for her, if she lost it was only a dinner with this guy that she owed, otherwise she would be quite irritated and internally screaming. The hand was..tricky. An ace and a queen wasto nt alot to work with, she was going to need to hope that she could get a little more.

She watched the new comer, he didnt have any tells yet as far as she could see but that was something that comes with time and rarely shows after only one hand. She lightly drums her fingers on the card table. She takes two of her cards and places them face down, tapping on the back to signal she would like a draw. The dealer spirits away the cards and draws her two more. Another queen and a two. A little better, now she had a pair of queens at least, was that good enough?

Koharu leaned back in the chair, her jaw hanging slack as she looked at the cards. He got up and left? what kind of a statment was he trying to make here? She would have left well enough alone and simply parted ways there. Taken the money and paid off some of her debt and made sure she had rent for awhile...had it not been for the bullets. They sat there gleaming in the dull light, mocking her.

She gathered the money and the chips quick as she could, jamming everything in her pockets and cashing out. The cool night air hit her like a brick wall when she exited the seedy building. Leaving the poker game always made her feel in bad need of a shower, grimy and sticky with smoke. Her paws slid back into the pockets of her coat once more but found something more than money, she had scooped up the card to the diner in her haste.

Blue eyes looked over the logo and she almost threw it away over her shoulder and walked away. Almost.

She walked forward towards the main street. It wasnt far from there actually, just down the street and across. She was going to hail a cab and be gone from this neck of the woods, every bone in her body wanted her too. But against her better judgment she found her feet carrying her across the street and into the well lit diner.

The door gave a little chime as she walked in, at this late there wasnt many people inside. She spotted him off to the corner, happily sipping at his beverage. The blue hair was easy to spot. "So. Just what was that back there about?" she asked him as she sank into the seat infront of him. "am I supposed to thank you for saving my life or something?"

Koharu can only blink, his retort cut her deeply and she sat there, staring at him. She hadnt known all that he had done to save her life, and now that it was all out in the open she hung her head a little bit in shame. "Im sorry." Now that she was out of the dungeon of the card room, the tough girl mask was slipping and falling away. She almost ran from the table right then but she stayed. Her body was somewhat glued to the booth as she slumped back against it.

"I didnt know... why.. why did they want to kill me? I mean i played fair... well mostly fair... it isnt as if they had so little money in the first place." She huffed a little and crossed her arms. "why did you put your neck out for me?"

Koharu leans against the table and runs her fingers through her hair, this couldnt be happening. She had won that money and if she hadnt then someone else would have. It wasnt fair, it wasnt logical. She didnt want to believe that any of this was happening. Panic crept over her, what was she going to do, some of those people down there where underlings for the mafia. Very powerful men, men who could find her anywhere if they wanted. It seemed that by trying to secure her future she had all but doomed it.

"what am I supposed to do? I cant reason with them if they are thinking like that, I cant.. they'll find me...I cant handle this. I live above a bookstore for heavens sakes. Im not this.. " She gestured to herself in her "tough" girl attire. "I cant.. " she rocked back and forth in the both, pulling at her hair again. She felt sick, her stomach tied in knots and untied. Now that the mask was off she was losing it.