Celeste could only stare at Cloakie from the revelation she just discovered.
Kyoko is my girlfriend?
After a few minutes of thinking about it in silence, Celeste got dressed for the event later on today. While she didn't exactly know how to take the news she just discovered, she couldn't exactly just tell Kyoko outright about it. Celes didn't recall Kyoko acting romantic in any sort of way during the duration of the Killing game, and since Celeste didn't remember, she found it likely that Kyoko wouldn't remember as well.
So instead of pondering about what to do about Kyoko, Celes instead got ready to go to the cafeteria. Mondo, Junko, and the gambler planned going to the cafeteria to show everyone their stand abilities and prove their innocence.
As soon as she put in her puffy hair drills, Celeste called her stand.
"You ready to go?"
"Mimi!"
Cloakie floated around Celeste and sat on her shoulder, giving a joyous expression. Celeste gave a small giggle.
"Let us leave at once, then."
Both individuals then left the dorm, heading towards a certain luckster's room.
Stopping at Makoto's room, Celeste knocked on his door a couple of times. After a few seconds, the luckster's dorm opened, revealing a short teen in the entrance.
"Makoto, would you be so kind to gather everyone at the cafeteria?", Celeste asked. "Mondo's wants to show everyone something."
"Huh? Oh sure", responded the luckster, closing his door and stepping into the hallway. Celeste didn't feel like rounding everyone up, and since she wanted to avoid an exchange like Toko's yesterday, she figured she could get someone else to do the work for her. Also, Makoto attracted others to him for a weird reason. She figured he was perfect for the job.
Walking towards the cafeteria and into the kitchen, Celeste prepared to make some tea. She found it weird how the lights were always turned on in the school regardless of time. In fact, she found the inclusion of bedrooms in the school weird, too.
It was all weird, to be honest. But tea always fixes that.
Sitting down at a table far away from the other tables, Celes began drinking her tea gingerly. Soon enough, she saw everyone else arrive at the cafeteria and sit down.
"Why did wake us up so early??", complained Yasuhiro while letting out a yawn.
"That doesn't matter", Byakuya retorted. "Whatever you traitors are planning doesn't matter at all to begin with, so you shouldn't have waisted your time calling us". He was reading a different book, this one being much larger than the last one.
"When you get called a traitor, it turns out that proving your innocence is important, dipshit", Mondo responded. Byakuya just ignored him in response.
"Anyways, we didn't gather everyone to insult you", Mondo continued, grabbing a nearby chair. "We gathered everyone here to show everyone what stands are."
"Stands?", Chihiro asked meekly. "What do you mean?"
Eyeing at the chair, the bike rider threw it in the air, surprising everyone watching. He then looked at everyone at responded:
"This is what I mean."
The chair broke in several pieces while in the air, almost as if being punched by pure nothingness.
"Dorararararararararararararararararararara!"
The chair landed in pieces at the floor, causing everyone nearby to walk away. Mondo got near the chair afterwards, laying a hand on one of its broken legs.
"I'm not done yet. Everyone, look at this."
The classroom could only continue staring in shock. Even Byakuya was staring intently.
"Crazy Diamond!", Mondo screamed, the chair beginning to repair itself soon thereafter. All the scattered pieces began reuniting, and all the cracks and dents formed were slowly disappearing. After several seconds, Mondo raised the chair, showing everyone the result of his work. Aoi stood up and responded, "How did you do that!?".
Mondo sat down at the chair he repaired and responded, "Its called a stand, and it's referred as an apparition that grants you an ability. My stand is called Crazy Diamond, and it allows me to repair broken things and return them to how they used to be."
"An apparition?", Hagakure asked in confusion. He then stood up in fear and screamed, "YOU MEAN A GHOST??"
"Something like that", Mondo responded with a hand in his chin. "Only people with stands can see other stands, though."
People were muttering and talking to each other left and right. Byakuya then stood up and said, "You may have an ability that not many others have, but that doesn't prove your innocence."
"Actually, it does", Mondo responded. "It turns out everyone Monokuma deemed as 'traitors' have stand abilities, and the only reason why we're in this predicament in the first place is because of you."
Everyone turned to face the mentioned progeny. After a while, Byakuya adjusted his glasses and responded, "Very well then. Have Junko and Celestia show their stand abilities if you want me to believe you."
The aforementioned users were now being stared at, prompting both individuals to want to hide in response. Celeste couldn't think of a way of proving her abilities, and considering Byakuya, she knew she had to think of something to show everyone.
Before the gambler even realized it, though, it was the model who stood up. Revealing a combat knife from her pocket, she then told everyone in a monotone voice:
"My turn."
She then proceeded to stab herself in the stomach.
Wait, what?
The model fell to the floor and bled profusely, staining the cafeteria floor with crimson red. The classroom was left in shocked silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Did she just kill herself?
After a few moments though, the model stood up and faced everyone, all the blood seeping back to her wounds. The injury she gave herself was gone as well, leaving both her and a clean knife for everyone to marvel.
"WAIT, WHAT'S HAPPENING?", asked Yasuhiro in confusion. "DID SHE JUST TURN INTO A GHOST??"
"No, that's not it, the model said, putting the knife back into her pocket. "My stand is named Fallen Soldiers, and it allows me to rewind any event that affects me for up to five seconds."
"An ability that rewinds time??", asked Hifumi with a confused expression. "That sounds like something straight out of a comic book!"
Byakuya was left in a state of surprise for a couple of seconds. He then laid the book down and turned to the gambler, "Alright, show us what your stand does."
Everyone then turned to the gambler, who remained with the same poker face. She then responded in a polite tone, "I can't actually prove it, but my stand allows me to remember forgotten memories at random."
The class was left in silence in response. Soon enough, Byakuya responded. "Very well, if you won't tell us the truth, then we have no reason to believe what you say. We're not even sure if you have a 'stand' to begin with."
Celeste mentally cursed the affluent progeny. Of course he wasn't going to believe her.
She then thought of an idea.
"Cloakie, go take his glasses."
"Mimi!"
"Huh? Hey!-"
Everyone turned to Byakuya, who was caught off guard from having his glasses taken. The glasses were floating around at the air, until it landed in Celes' palm.
"Your glasses come from a very expensive brand", remarked the gambler, eyeing at Byakuya's glasses playfully.
"Give me back my glasses this instant!", responded Byakuya in anger. This was the first time the class have seen the heir this irritated.
"Very well then", responded Celeste, telling Cloakie to return the glasses. Soon enough, the glasses we're floating around in the air, lading forcefully at Byakuya's face. Everyone laughed a little in response, with the exception of Toko.
"I may not prove my abilities, but I can very much assure everyone that I have a stand, as well", the gambler remarked with a stern stare. "My stand's name is Cloak's Knavery". She then turned to Byakuya, "Please don't test me next time, dear."
The progeny could only remark in response, "I do what I want, woman."
Wait a jackass.
"Anyways, that's all we wanted to say", Mondo said, grabbing everyone's attention. "We wanted to try to prove to everyone that we're on everyone's side, and hopefully everyone can believe us."
The class was only silent, many giving each other unsure looks.
Suddenly, a voice spoke up:
"I believe them."
Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice.
It was Makoto who said that.
Of course it's that pipsqueak.
"Mondo, Junko, and Celeste had abilities that they could have hidden in the first place", Makoto continued. "The fact that they went out of their way to reveal their secrets and even show what they do is proof enough that they're trying to prove they're good people."
A cheery voice then joined in, saying, "This is all confusing, but if you guys have shared your secrets, then I have no reason to doubt you!". It was Aoi who said that. Sakura nodded in agreement.
Slowly but surely, almost everyone in the class agreed that the stand users were good people. Well, with the exception of a few individuals.
"T-this is all a set up, I know it!", remarked Toko, pointing at the stand users. "The only thing t-this proves is h-how difficult it would be t-to kill you!"
The class could only stare in silence as a response.
"..."
"Well... You guys are free to do what you want now", Mondo responded, breaking the awkward silence. "We're done here."
Soon enough, the progeny left with an angry mutter, Toko following behind. After that, everyone slowly left the cafeteria, until only Mondo, Celeste, and Kyoko remained.
"Is there something you wanted us to ask?", asked Mondo, turning to the lavender-haired girl.
"Yes", Kyoko responded. "How long has it been since you've gained your stand?"
Mondo was left in thought for a few moments. He then answered, "I don't really know. I can't remember when I actually gained my stand."
"I see", Kyoko responded. "Very well, have a good day". She then turned to the cafeteria exit.
"Excuse me for a moment, Kyoko", Celeste asked, the lavender-haired girl turning back, having her attention. Mondo only kept listening in silence.
"What do you want?"
"I would like to have a little talk."
"..."
"In private."
Author's Note: Chapter 18 done! Wow, this was a long chapter to write! (Although, to be honest, I do wish I could write more chapters this long.) By far the biggest challenge in writing this story is trying to not make Celeste too OOC, but I think I'm managing pretty well. What are your opinions so far on the story? Leave it all down in the comments! Thanks everyone for the support so far, and until the next entry, I'll see everyone later!