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It takes Chihiro exactly one good look into the round to know their opponents do not take them serious.
There are three older men, a frankly disgusting self assured grin on each of their faces. Chihiro knows the establishment isn't very kind to women, much less petite ones as they are themselves. And especially not women like Celeste.
Celeste wears her best pokerface, while the pair pretends not to be affiliated. That way, they've been making a huge amount of money in very short time, and their reputation isn't running ahead of them just yet.
Chihiro knows the men already discarded them as a non-issue. With their small frame and big round eyes, they are too easily mistaken as too immature for the game. Chihiro doesn't mind being underestimated like this. It's all part of the plan.
"Gentlemen?", Celeste waves her hand, her silver plated ring shimmering in the bright light of the casino, "Shall we?"
The men greedily rub their hands. Chihiro wrinkles their nose. They smell of cheap cologne, alcohol and tabac. A neutral party steps to the table - the card giver - and mixes the deck of cards, before each player receives their hand.
Chihiro already knows their first hand is bad. They steal a subtle glance at Celeste, who catches the gesture immediately, returning a barely noticeable nod.
And that's the way they play.
Chihiro faced off against Celeste themselves not too long ago, trying to play the rigged game against the woman in much the same fashion. They quickly realized they are both playing with all tricks up their sleeves. A synergy even Celeste noted.
In the last round, Celeste gave up the facade of obliviousness, beating Chihiro to the win. They saw it coming. They are not stupid enough to underestimate a polarizing woman like Celeste, with her eye catching gothic lolita dress.
But Celeste came with an offer. Join hands, and share their winnings. Chihiro feels like this is a dream coming true. All their life, they lived poor, always scratching the border of homelessness. And now, they stand at the side of elusive Celestia Ludenberg, a gambler of a sort of caliber Chihiro has never witnessed the likes of.
The game continues, in which Chihiro progressively plays their chips to Celeste, before dropping out. They purposefully let Celeste beat them once, and then both let the men gain the upper hand on the game.
The first round of alcohol is served, and their opponents quickly get drunk. Chihiro only cautiously nips on their glass, while Celeste is confident in her alcohol tolerance. It quickly turns into a passive drinking game, and Chihiro finds themselves in awe.
Celeste's crimson eyes are ablaze, riding the high of the thrill of the game. She's completely in her element.
The first man drops out of the game. Chihiro wins the next round, before the chips go back to their opponents. Celeste doesn't break character, not once. Pretending to be an overly self confident player, she makes a well planned mistake, accidentally showing her hand at an angle the man on the right can spot.
Chihiro watches a grin spread over his face, making his next bet higher. And that's the perk of being so easily overlooked, isn't it?
Celeste taps her ringed finger against the table, and then drops out. The look of horror on the man's face sends a shiver over Chihiro's spine as they show their perfect hand. They win the round, and Celeste gives herself disgruntled, being attacked by Chihiro's likes.
The next man has to drop out, and it's down to the oldest of the bunch. He's famous for his dirty games, but Celeste seems to have her eyes set on victory tonight.
The game starts to drag with small bets, before Chihiro takes a gamble and goes all in. It's the final round.
Celeste raises a surprised eyebrow, and they have to do their utmost not to grin. If their calculations are right, the man is to believe he's won.
And Chihiro stands right.
With a nasty grin, the man slams his hand onto the table. Celeste stares. Incredulously checks her hand and the cards on the table, before a smile spreads over her face. She lays her cards down on the table, and the man pales.
She won. None of the players ever noticed her stashing aces into her voluminous sleeves.
"Well played, my lord", Celeste says, standing from her seat with a bow. She throws a glance at Chihiro. "You as well, I suppose."
"My thanks", Chihiro stutters. Even as partners in crime, Celeste still has a terrifying aura. Chihiro can hardly believe they are worth enough to be graced by her presence. They tip their fedora, bowing their head and leaving the table.
Celeste is to collect the winnings, and then --
"Fraud!"
The man who dropped out first comes running back with an old newspaper in hand. "Fraud!! The two of them have been working together! Here is my proof!"
Chihiro freezes. It's a newspage of notorious cheaters in the gambling scene, and even if Chihiro can't spot themselves, Celeste's picture is taking up nearly the entire page. They are sure they are on there too though, somewhere. It's not hard to count one and one together, given how rarely gamblers trust each other.
Celeste has just collected the money, stashed away in a bag. "Oh dear, what an awful picture of me to print at such size. Please, that is very unflattering. Be good and switch it out when you renew the issue, yes?"
Her eyes meet Chihiro's. And then she's dashing forward, grabbing Chihiro's wrist, running out of the casino into the city at night.
Celeste's heels clack against the pavement while she runs with frankly admirable speed considering the height of those things, and Chihiro can hardly keep up. Yelling and heavy footfall follows them, and Celeste pulls them into a dark alley. Presses Chihiro against the wall, a hand pressed against their mouth, both breathing heavy.
The angry mob comes and passes them hidden in the shadows, and Celeste waits a moment longer before she lets go. "A little too close for comfort", she says and raises the bag with the money, her eyes sparkling in the dark, "Nontheless, we have pulled it off flawlessly! Not too long before we will be able to afford a castle and settle down." She sighs, and then she becomes very still.
Chihiro tilts their head. "Um...?"
"My apologies. I simply assumed you'd stay, but of course, you will get your share and move on..."
The sound of her voice causes Chihiro's heart to rattle. They clutch their fists. Celeste has come into their life like a dangerous whirlwind, pulling them in, and before they knew it, they've found themselves...
Comfortable.
Safe.
Like they finally found a place to belong, after being crossed and discarded so many times.
And at heart, Chihiro is a much gambler as Celeste.
So they take a deep breath, face Celeste and lean up to their tiptoes, kissing her dark red lips. She faintly tastes of the wine from earlier, maybe vodka, Chihiro can't really tell. Maybe it's not even the taste of alcohol they are getting hopelessly drunk on.
Celeste balks, before she returns the embrace with a shuddering sigh, wrapping her slender arms around Chihiro. She lifts them up, and their legs come up around her waist, a giggle hanging between their lips.
"Castle sounds nice", they whisper, "And a human sized chessboard for your entertainment, your highness?"
Celeste huffs. "You know me too well, dear."
They stay like this just a moment longer, before abandoning their hideout and making their way down to the station to catch the next train.
They will need to lay low for a while, but Chihiro thinks getting discovered was well worth it.