Chapter Text
Celestia Ludenberg was no stranger to the underground gambling establishments hiding among the streets of Japan. Despite her heightened self worth and her made up backstory of nobility running through her family line, she was no aristocrat, yet deceived herself and others into believing she had such a prestigious lineage. Really, she was just like everyone else.
Though, the 'Queen of Liars' stood tall atop of her castle built of deceit. One of few things that was honest about her was her talent of the Ultimate Gambler. She could empty a commoners wallet in mere seconds, through games and bets of course. Even the best of the best were no match for her, for she had never lost a single game, never had intention to, and never would. Her luck was decided by fate the moment she was brought into this world, a strong belief of hers.
The merciless ravenette had an eye for the regulars in the casinos she visited. She always knew what to look out for around them, and picked up their techniques as quickly as they used them. There was no gamble she couldn’t win, whether she had preparation or not. Pattern recognition was her thing! Her talent is what kept her entertained, she could never get tired of a constantly flow of money! She was comfortable.
So the fact that all of her expertise was wasted the moment she stepped into the lousy Hope’s Peak Academy made her hate the situation more than she did already.
Four people had already died, and she hardly cared. All it meant to her was that there were less people plotting eachothers demise, though, it wasn’t exactly looking like there going to be an end put to the ultimate game of dog eat dog.
From the second she had arrived at the Academy, Celeste hated it and she knew it. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, as well as outwardly convincing everyone else that the conditions were fine providing they stuck to an "adaption is key" mindset, she despised every second of it, and believed she deserved to leave more than anyone else did.
All of the rules and regulations her fellow classmates came up with, agreed to, and lived by, made her feel completely and utterly bored. A nighttime rule? As if anyone was going to stick to that. Clearly, she was testing their trust in eachother. As if she would ever put herself on the same level of them. Of course she wasn’t going to follow her own rules, and it seemed a few others weren’t planning on following these rules either. Life here was hell, and she was convinced that nothing could possibly make her experience in this hellhole of a school better.
The opening of new areas that came after the trials never bothered her. Though, upon discovering the contents of the third floor, it was clear she was quite content with the rec room, everything about it instantly catching the Gamblers attention. Of course, it was always going to be suited to her tastes in terms of what was inside, and it quickly became one of her hotspots. In fact, there was hardly a time where she left that room.
She wasn’t often kept company in the rec room, but that is exactly how she liked it. As long as Hifumi complied enough by bringing her a milk tea and leaving her in peace, she didn’t have a single issue. Everyone was just a pawn in her game, after all.
It was hard for her to predict that something would break her peace. That something happened to be the entrance of a man who stuck out like a sore thumb in a place like this. A man who could never fathom the world he had stepped into, the concept of charity being something he would struggle to fathom just as much. Byakuya Togami had essentially just entered Celeste’s war ground.
The gambler could recognise that smug prick anywhere, not that she saw him as such at all. In fact, she believed they were cut from the same cloth in a way, their values and ideals being relatively similar when it came to certain things like money and people. They were both proudly and undeniably selfish.
As the blonde stood observing the rec room in its entirety, he was running through his mind on where to start. He wasn’t interested in betting mortgage money, he only wanted to perfect his party game skills for the chance that he would make it out of the killing game alive. All to put the tricks to good use, of course. He knew he was going to make it.
It wasn’t abnormal for him to entertain guests with the dart board or the pool table in his own family mansion, and though he usually came out on top, his games were repetitive and he was using all the same tricks. He needed something more.
Byakuya found it quite odd that things like these began to pique his interest, but winning in front of guests made the family business look a lot more appealing to potential business partnerships apparently, so bringing himself to the rec room to learn from the Ultimate Gambler herself was the least he could do for himself. Even if it meant having to tolerate pure 'peasantry' to be shown new methods. He certainly had the free time for this sort of thing anyways, better to kill time than a fellow student..
Before he could even think of which game he wanted to prioritise in his perfection, the Gambler had already made her way to him.
"Ah, Togami. This is not the sort of place I imagined we’d reconcile. How very strange.." She spoke, openly observing how unnatural it was to see him in a place like this. She spoke in quite the friendly manner towards him, something he didn’t quite expect from her. After all, she hadn’t yet established his rank within her overall ranking system. Not that he cared.
Either way, her jab at his presence was ever lingering, despite her friendly tone. She held her tongue for all the comments she had to make about how he practically lived in the library, how surprised she is to see him not playing around with corpses, she had a lot to dish out, and usually, nothing would stop her. She didn’t feel like these comments were necessary. Or at least not for now.
He knew her well enough to have the worry of being deceived in the back of his mind. He hadn’t yet stated his business in her territory after all, and her only business in a setting like this was to drain peoples life savings. She didn’t discriminate.
"Is it really that strange to you? If that’s the case, do you even care to ask what I’m doing here?" He replied, the attitude in his tone as subtle as the glasses on his face. He stood tall with his arms crossed, raising a brow and continuing with his speech. "It’s quite a shame, really. I was hoping to get some advice from you."
Celeste’s curiosity provoked her to raise a brow at his statement. She could tell that by simply describing his presence in the rec room as 'strange', she had challenged his ego that quickly. Perhaps he wasn’t supposed to be here as to not give his family name a bad image? Not that it would be known to them. Maybe this was just another way to avoid the vulgar yet parasitic author.
It was clear he was attempting to keep this visit low-key, because whenever he spoke, she could pick up on some extra defensiveness in his language.
"I see, perhaps we should sit down and discuss such matters, then." The ravenette suggested, motioning to the table of which a game of othello was set up. "I know this is simply a walk in the park for a businessman such as yourself."
In total honesty, she just wanted to sit down and have something to drink. Wine helped her focus when gambling after all, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little if she were getting herself into something. The warehouse had a secret supply, so it was only natural that she helped herself to a bottle or two to treat herself.
Byakuya hesitated with his answer, he was ready to get straight to the point, and usually, he would decline such advances, but it was the Ultimate Gambler. He had to try and persuade her to advise him. It wasn’t going to be easy. "I suppose." He finally responded, his tone slightly sceptical of her hospitable act.
Celeste gave a smile as he agreed, taking a few steps to the aforementioned table and took a seat opposite from where he was supposed to sit.
As Byakuya took his seat, Celeste was quick to get down to business. She knew how he could be, he could never quite break away from survival mode. That was something she had picked up from observing his mannerisms and communication with the rest of the group. It always had her wondering about him.
"So, *you* came for advice? It’s quite unusual for someone as stubborn as the Togami heir himself to come crawling to me for advice.." She threw his title around to induce a sense of shame on him. Not because she was ashamed of him, but to tease him for his reluctant nature when it came to asking for help.
It seemed her teasing had worked, it was clear he became slightly flustered after her statement, his defences now high. "Shut up, you vulgar witch. Your voice is an insult to my ears."
"You and I both know very well that you do not mean that. If you have a request, out with it. I do not have time to be idle. This is a life or death game, my dear." Despite her demand, her demeanour seemed cheerful. Perhaps it was the rise she was getting out of teasing him even more.
Byakuya sighed in annoyance as his usual monotonous tone threw in a hint of annoyance as rebuttal to her words. He hadn’t even asked his question properly yet, and she was already winning the testing his patience game. "Tch, Do I seem like someone who speaks without meaning to you?"
That question was rhetorical, of course. He had set himself up for failure, though.
"Of course not. You’d get a much different answer from our classmates, however." The ravenette smirked. She knew this would annoy him, and that was her goal.
"Still, you haven’t disclosed this 'advice' that you wish to receive.."
Byakuya was beginning to regret his decision of asking for Celeste’s help. There was no doubt that she had mastered her craft, but did she have to be such a bitch about it?
It was far too late for him to retract his words, it would make him seem pathetic no matter how he tried to play it off. He had to commit.
Byakuya gave a deep sigh as he got straight to the point, finally addressing the reason he stopped by in the first place.
"Don’t take this request as anything more than me asking you to teach me some different methods of a few games." He spoke with a firm tone, serious as to stand tall against her mocking manner of which he expected to be greeted with at the request he had made.
He wanted to be taught? How rich. The most stubborn man who considered himself a shepherd among sheep when it came to their class, Byakuya Togami, wanted to learn? The same man who could go from a help to a hindrance in the class trials? This really was strange.
She poured herself half a glass of the wine she had gained from the warehouse, then pouring him the same amount. She slid the glass in his direction, a smirk appearing on her face before she replied to his statement.
"This will improve your focus. Now tell me, are you being honest?"
"As if you’d know anything about that. Of course I am." He glanced at the wine glass Celeste passed over to him before holding it up and moving it around as he made his points.
"If I, forced among the absolute barbarians we know as classmates, am expected to stay here until I conquer the mastermind, I’d at least like to make use of one of you before you do something foolish that ends up costing your life. Not that it matters to me beyond that point."
Realistically, any normal person would be completely and utterly offended by what Byakuya had just explained. His imagination seemed to be sick and twisted, yet the Gambler seemed to be on the same page.
She took a sip from her glass, it seemed like a long moment of time, but silence meant power in conversation such as this, so her delayed response was especially effective.
"Ah, I see. Well in that case, I have no objections. Your thinking is remarkably intelligent, Dear."
There it was again. It wasn’t rare that she threw terms of endearment like that around, but it seemed to be quite consistent with the Heir in her presence. To her, this didn’t reflect any inner feelings yet.
"Whatever. I don’t have too much time to go around wasting, so I’d appreciate if your teachings were hasty." The blonde announced. His usual overbearing attitude would not falter, especially not in her presence.
He knew the sort of person she was. An effortless competitor. She played to win, and always succeeded. At least she was only going to teach him what was best. He couldn’t help but feel she’d keep a few of her best tricks off limits to his meticulous eye. Byakuya was dead set on the idea that in gambling, there’s always unfair play. Celeste was no exception to his belief.
Nonetheless, he took another sip of the wine she gave him. He had tasted better, but it seemed this would do. Monokuma had a cheap taste by Byakuya’s standards if this was what was left in the warehouse. Though, wine was never his favourite.
"Well, are you going to choose our starting point?" The ravenette inquired expectantly. It felt like a moment had passed, Byakuya was caught up in his own thoughts.
He flashed a slight smirk to indicate his thought process. Where to start… 8 ball was probably too long for what he wanted to trial with her for the moment, so possibly another time. Same went for any card game, he was awful at those, and he didn’t feel he was in the mood to be humbled by her just yet. Darts. Now that would be a good place to start.
"Any good at darts, Celeste?"
As he made his choice, she began scheming like the 'witch' she was. "Why, of course. Do you doubt me?"
The way she gazed at him with her crimson eyes, her glare as enticing as a flame to a moth. He just couldn’t look, but also couldn’t look away.
"Well, until i’m proven otherwise, I have no reason to believe you. Surely a game of javelin is too much for someone as dainty as you, hm?" He teased. It was odd for him to initiate such pleasantries with anyone, but with her, it felt right. She wasn’t soft, it wouldn’t offend her, she’d simply spit worse.
"You underestimate me, My dear. Do you not realise how foolish you sound? You’d sound much more intelligent talking with tape covering your mouth." Celestia grinned. She became fond of taunting the blonde.
Said blonde’s smirk returned as she did indeed reciprocate the banter. He stood up from his seat to indicate his readiness for their 'friendly' duel.
As Byakuya made his way to the dart board, so did Celestia. She got up from her seat and retrieved the different darts from the storage closet within the room, setting them out whilst he watched to ensure no cheating.
He truly had no idea what he was in for.