Young Writers Society

Megara tried to read her tone, her posture, her face, but what she wanted to see clouded her judgment.

"We could stay together?" she said, selfishly. She didn't imagine, with Runi's shyness, that she would refuse, and though Megara felt bad about possibly manipulating her, she didn't want to be split up from her.

She immediately perked up.

"Yes!" she immediately replied, only to pause and shrink down a little when she realized how eager she sounded. "I mean, yeah. Sure. I'd like to stay together."

Megara smiled, a little confused by the eagerness. She inclined her head toward the sitting room, where a group now sat playing cards.

"Shall we try them first?" She really wanted to sit down.

"Sure," Runi agreed. She started to slip her hands into her pockets, only to pause when she realized it might not be the best thing to do with them. It didn't seem like something someone would do at a fancy party like this. But what else was she supposed to do? She stared down at her hands, and then at her outfit. Pockets had been her go-to. Now what was left?

Megara saw Runi staring at her hands and made a quick, slightly risky decision. She slipped her hand in hers and pulled her a step closer so there was very little space between them.

"Sometimes nobles get dodgy when a pair are sticking too close or asking about similar things when they don't seem to have much connection to each other," she explained quietly, hyper-aware that their shoulders were nearly pressed against each other, "a defense against spies or disguised members of the press and whatnot. So, for the time being, you're my girlfriend, okay?" Megara realized at the last second that this might make Runi incredibly uncomfortable, but she really couldn't come up with any other solution to that little problem on the spot.

Her eyes widened at the suggestion.

"Oh, um..." she barely managed to get out. She coughed a little, tried - and failed - to hide her still-growing blush, and gave an eager, frantic nod instead.

Megara blushed a little at her reaction but managed to stifle it a moment later.

She led Runi to the table and sat down at one of the empty seats, pulling Runi down into the seat next to her.

"Hello," she greeted the players, "Care to deal us in?"

A bearded man with a cheery grin and the flushed cheeks of someone who'd had a little more to drink than perhaps he should, nodded and happily started laying cards out in front of Runi and Megara. "You know how to play poker, pretty ladies?" he asked.

"I do, but I may need to coach my lovely Nira through her hand," Megara replied. Nira was a northern term of endearment, roughly translated it meant something like 'the one more precious than all the stars and flowers'.

She had no idea what "Nira" meant, but Runi still gave a nod in agreement. She had never touched a deck of cards in her entire life. There hadn't ever really been a reason to learn or to play, so she was entirely unprepared for something like this.

"Ah," the man grinned, setting down the deck, "You two are lovers then?"

"Yes," Megara responded with a practiced shy smile, signaling that it was a new development. It was easier to pretend if they weren't expected to have a lot of backstory.

She managed another nod, her face turning red at the thought of them actually being lovers - she just hoped that Megara thought she was going along with the act and not actually getting embarrassed.

Megara looked at Runi. With how much she was blushing it wouldn't be unfair to think that she was actually embarrassed. Megara didn't know whether to mentally compliment her acting ability or if she really was embarrassed by this whole situation.

Regardless, Megara gave a laugh - the one she used for Ninny, demure, shy - and pulled Runi a little closer, "She's still a bit shy about it. We've only just gotten together a few weeks ago." She smiled at Runi, a loving smile she was surprised to discover was genuine.

The man laughed his hearty laugh and gestured around the table, "Well ya' two lovebirds 'ought to hope to have some skills between ya, 'cause we're a tough bunch to beat here. Been playin' for years."

Megara smiled, "I think we'll manage."

Runi was going to die.

She was going to die right here, and it was going to be from the look that Megara had just given her. She knew that the smile was just part of the act, but it made her happy in a way that she hadn't really expected. She wasn't sure what part she was supposed to be playing in all of this, but she knew she was doing a pretty good job at being the shy, nervous girl who didn't know how to deal with having a girlfriend - fake or not.

Megara pulled away from Runi so she could use her hands to hold her cards. She fanned them out before her and decided that they were the worst hand she'd ever been dealt in a game of cards. She hid that, though, and leaned her head on Runi's shoulder. It wasn't necessary for the ruse, she knew that. She could pretend it wasn't true, though. She was good at pretending.

She stiffened when Megara put her head on her shoulder.

For the first moment, all she did was look at the people in front of them - face bright red and clearly nervous. Then she raised a shaking arm and pulled Megara close, both for the act and because she felt like it was what she was supposed to do in a moment like this.

The game wasn't going well for Megara. She'd handed back Runi's cards so they could share a hand when playing for both of them became a little too much when she could practically feel Runi's hear heating against her ear.

She was distracted, but down to one hand, she started winning.

"So," she asked once they'd reached the point of idle conversation where everyone thought they knew everyone, "do any of you people know the name of this lovely place?"