The Luck of A Gambler -Celestia Ludenburg (DR1)

‘Perception is everything.’ She had to keep telling herself that. Even when she wasn’t holding the best cards, she needed to display the cold unyielding confidence of a deity. It had worked before. She had ruined the lives of billionaires with a simple pair of twos. She wasn’t fate’s master but she could sure act like it.

Her name was Celestia Ludenburg, Queen of Lies. Her frame was bundled up inside layers of black and white lace. With her raven hair and deep red eyes, she was the embodiment of a gothic otaku’s daydream. Although, she professed that she did not care about that kind of drivel. The world knew to fear the slightest movement from her porcelain face. Quietly, Celestia took a sip of her tea.

It took all of her strength not to gag and throw the cup against the wall.

Today could have been considered special. It was a anniversary of sorts. It had been a year since she scammed those old timers of their life savings, a month since she was accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy and seven days since she first stepped into the building that was supposed to grant her life improbable success.

It was also seven days since she was kidnapped.

She was trapped inside a parody of her school, disconnected from the outside world. Though, it seemed that fate had a strange sense of humor. Their supposed warden was a stuffed bear, claiming to be their Head Master. The little creature, who called himself ‘Monokuma,’ instructed everyone on the first day that their job was to live out the rest of their lives in this school and promptly left.

One week in captivity and her mask was cracking. ‘Perception is everything.’

Celestia took another sip of her tea. What would have been sweet and delightful to anyone else, the Ultimate Gambler found putrid. Still, she downed the crime against proper drinks without another thought. The red-eyed woman gazed at the crowd, her fellow captives.

On day one, Ms. Ludenburg established the additional rules she saw as requirements for their safety. However, Aoi Asahina took the role of morale support, even more than the designated Ultimate Moral Compass. The Ultimate Swimmer immediately started coercing everyone to mingle, devising games and events to get everyone on friendlier terms. Today, Celestia had been to endure the horrors of Asahina’s latest bonding strategy: a Girl’s Night-In.

Actually, it was Sayaka and Junko’s idea originally. They suggested that the guys and girls should split up and have their own activities for a while. Asahina loved it and immediately started planning the night out: each girl would bring a hobby that they would like to share with the rest of the group. The six-foot muscle-bound Ultimate Fighter, who Celeste still had trouble seeing as female, and the blank-slate Kyoko Kirigiri went along without a comment. Surprisingly, the Ultimate Programmer Chihiro Fujisaki was visibly upset with this idea but she never voiced her concerns. There was one who did voice their concerns. Very loudly. Toko Fukawa had to be dragged into the room with her limbs flailing.

Catering was provided by Asahina. A series of sweets and fruits were laid out on the table, although the Ultimate Swimmer had eaten a majority of the donuts already. Junko started the night with some makeup advice. Sakura Ogami showed some of her sparing techniques, obliterating several pillows in the process. Sayaka and Chihiro kept the facade of the party going with a few rounds of karaoke. Kirigiri brought in a mystery movie but they decided not to watch it after Toko nearly fainted at the sight of the blood-covered title screen.

This was her life at the moment, stuck in a room with seven pitiful girls. The diva and the model carried on with their beauty tips. The bookworm, programmer and blank slate were left to their own devices. The ogre surveilled them all from afar and the pool-driven airhead made her rounds, checking in on each guest. Which meant it wouldn’t be long before-

“Hey, Celeste! How ya doin’?” Asahina asked, “You haven’t said much all night.”

The gothic mistress took a small breath before replying, “There isn’t much to say, dear.” She gave the swimmer the thinnest smile she had, an expression that would send chills down any reasonable person’s body.

Asahina wasn’t fazed, “Well, I want you to be involved with the rest of us. Did you want to do anything for tonight? We’d do it! No questions asked!”

“I’m afraid not. There is nothing that catches my interest here,” Celeste stated.

The Ultimate Swimmer pouted for a bit. Then, an idea popped into her head. The brunette ran across the room and searched through her desk. She ran back and handed Celeste a deck of cards.

“Here ya go!” Asahina rubbed the back of her head and smiled, “I found them in the AV room. I was going to tell you but Sayaka brought karaoke and I got carried away.”

“You mean, you got ‘karaoke’ed away?” Sayaka asked, earning a loud groan from Junko and Fukawa.

Celeste stared at the deck of cards. She looked back at the swimmer and said, ”I don’t play for free. Any game that doesn’t have a prize is completely meaningless.”

“Well, what do you want then? I don’t really have anything valuable,” Asahina explained.

The gambler smiled softly, “Your clothes would do nicely.”

The Ultimate Swimmer took a step back. “What do you mean?” she asked but, from the blush appearing on her face, it was clear that her mind was already getting to work.

Celeste wanted to make her proposal explicit, “Our clothes are the prize. The loser of the round must disregard at least one article. We keep going till one of us is completely naked or is simply unwilling to take the game further.”

Asahina held herself tightly. Her fingers grazed across what little she had on. Toko Fukawa balked, “Wow, how cliche. The Ultimate Gambler decides to offer a hot steamy night to the hapless brunette, in the guise of a playful poker game. Are you going to add forfeits into the mix? Make the poor girl disgrace herself in ecstasy?” The comments of the Ultimate Writing Prodigy didn’t help Asahina in the slightest.

“Stop,” Sakura Ogami broke her silence, “I cannot allow you to Asahina into this, Celeste. I must insist that you cease this talk.” Ogami’s shadow loomed over the gambler. Celeste didn’t flinch.

“Wait,” Asahina took a breath, “I’ll do it.”

“Asahina?!” Ogami asked in shock. The brunette turned to the giant in front of her, “Don’t worry, Sakura.”

The Ultimate Swimmer faced Celeste once more, “I did say ‘I do it. No questions asked.’ If it’s for your happiness, I’m gonna play the best poker game in my life!”

“Excellent,” Ms. Ludenburg’s smile opened slightly. The night finally had something Celeste could take interest in.

Meanwhile, the boys were playing a game of their own.

“‘Come to Dubai, where you can relax in our world-famous spas, experience the night, or simply enjoy turning the rivers red with’... Oh my god, it’s spelled incorrectly. What the hell?” The Ultimate Affluent Progeny adjusted his glasses to keep his composure. However, everyone around the table was bursting with laughter. He wondered if he should have just stayed as a silent hostage. Togami sighed, “Okay, who was ‘Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?’”

The table nearly flipped as the Ultimate Doujin Author stood up.

“Yes! Everyone, mark this date! This is the moment when I become the Master of the Comedic Arts!”

“Jeez, keep your pants on,” the redhead baseball player spat, “This is your first win of the entire night and the round isn’t even over!” With the wind taken out of his sails, Hifumi Yamada quietly sat back down.

Makoto Naegi picked up the next card. “Okay, here we go: ‘James is a lonely boy. But when he discovers a secret door in his attic,’” the Ultimate Luckster stopped in his tracks. It had become silent within a instant. “Uh, guys? Didn’t we just do this one last-” Before Naegi could complete his question, a voice called out.

“Master Naegi, I beg you to skip this card!” Ishimaru kept his head facing towards the floor. He began to cry. The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader gently patted Ishimaru on the back.

Even though he had won the match, Ishimaru ventured into some of the darkest humor imaginable. The simple card game had shattered the Ultimate Moral Compass.