Aren't You A Little Young? (DttF Contest Entry)

Designed for "The House Always Wins" (My fav scenario, and one of my fav gators)

Ice rattles in cocktail shakers and poker chips clack to the rhythm of gin-soaked jazz as the Clover Club Pit Boss (PB to his friends) notices a short, hooded figure walk in through the restaurant. The fur-lined hood falls back, revealing the face of a teen girl. Pretty, but clearly just a kid. What's she doing here? Pickpocketing? Burglary, perhaps?

PB keeps his eyes on the girl as he whispers a word in the ear of one of his dealers. He watches her reach into the pocket of her ill-fitting coat (These Fine Clothes are clearly not her own) and fish out a flask. She takes a belt of Liquid Courage and crosses over to the Clover Club Lounge where she strikes up a conversation with Leo De Luca, Joey "The Rat" Vigil, and a known Cat Burglar. PB has to admit, the kid is Plucky.

She tries to retrieve a Lucky Cigarette Case from her pocket, but in the effort, something falls out the bottom of the coat. A... teddy bear? Poor kid. One pocket full of Contraband and the other filled with a Cherished Keepsake. PB would give Double or Nothing that she's seen more than her share of Hard Knocks.

The girl sweeps the bear up in her arm and moves quickly through the Clover Club Cardroom into the Darkened Hall beyond. PB decides that now is the time to make his move, but carefully so as not to give the urchin a chance to Waylay him. She's clearly Resourceful, and with some Sleight of Hand and a Stroke of Luck, she might just Backstab him with a Switchblade. He sneaks up behind her as she works her Lockpicks in the door of Peter Clover's Art Gallery. He has her Cornered, and he drops a thick hand on her shoulder and spins her around.

"You gotta lot o' Moxie comin' in here, kid. But aren't you a little young?"

That's when PB looks down and sees the .41 Derringer pointed at his belly. The kid's Lucky!, on a real Hot Streak, and all of sudden, PB feels entirely Abandoned and Alone.

Cut to Black.