Rushing a portal was never a good idea.

In a dirty back alley in an unfamiliar city, the night air was split by a ragged red slice that had no business being where it was. Jagged and almost angry, unstable in the worst way, dripping energy that had been only barely called, the red slice split wide like the yawning maw of Hell itself and disgorged a single lupine shape into the night. A sound like the screams of the Damned themselves filled the alley as the portal flickered and died, leaving its passenger crumpled upon the ground, clutching small bundles to her sides, bleeding all over the pages of what looked like a rather expensive book.

"Motherfucker", came the rasped tones of a particular canine as red, faintly-glowing eyes opened to take in the sights that surrounded them. Dingy, red-brick walls rising several stories on either side, a terrified bum clutching a paper-wrapped bottle. Canine ears flickered at the familiar sound of alcohol licking the plastic walls of a cheap bottle, and of all things that is what pushed her to find her feet. Clothing torn, fur along her left side matted stark red against the normally crisp white, a clawed hand stained with blackened blood clutched the fresh wound and came away wet, drawing a second hissed curse from growling jaws.

Favoring her left side, the canine woman staggered to her feet and leaned against the wall long enough that she could catch her breath, drawing in hissed, painful air that lacked the familiar sulfurous stench that reminded her of home. She checked the items she held in her hands, a bundle of cash that looked pitifully small, a bag holding the murder weapon that kept it out of sight and out of mind, and a single spellbook that she'd managed to steal on her way out. Almost nothing. It'd have to do.

Glowing red eyes peered up through the brick walls that surrounded her, the light of the moon overhead reflecting in red and silver, white hair made grimy by struggle and toil falling over one eye. She took in a deep breath and hissed in pain against the stretch it pulled in her side, then hobbled toward the terrified hobo whose body odor would have burnt her nose if she hadn't done the job for him through years of abuse. Stunned hands gave up the bottle quickly as she raised it to her lips and took a long, practiced swig, then swallowed hard before she dashed the bottle against her side to splatter alcohol across the bloody wound in her fur, washing some of the red away and drawing a pained hiss of breath at the burn.

"Fucking... son of a bitch. Just couldn't get out of my fucking way."

Leaving the stunned hobo who had literally just seen a demon emerge from Hell to his business, she hobbled to the end of the alleyway, bottle sloshing where it was clutched in clawed fingers as she peered around the entrance of the alley. She didn't know what city she'd ended up in, but from taking part in planning missions and knowing where portals could end up spitting you out when botched, she was just glad she was in a city at all.

Once she learned where she was, she could start planning. Every city had some Hellhole hideaway where her money would still be good and she could at least rest a few hours. The last half-day had felt like a nightmare brought on by too much drink, but she'd been far too sober for most of it to doubt whether or not it was real. The sting in her side and the pain of what she'd seen left no illusion as to their truth.

"Motherfucker", she breathed again as she forced herself to her feet, gritting sharpened teeth against the pain and ache as she simply picked a direction and started walking. Tonight would be a long, long night, and it had already seemed to stretch on for a lifetime.

Loona wiped tears from her eyes as she swigged cheap booze from a plastic bottle, lost on the surface with more bridges burned than she could count. Some of them in the most permanent way.

How had it come to this?

She knew the answer, but another swig drowned it out.