linkingup | Kirumi Tojo's Palace | The Ultimate Maid's Failures

By now everyone may be used to find themselves in bizarre locations, between going into palaces and visiting Nekyia. It might not come as a surprise that it has happened again.

What might come as a surprise, though...is how empty this place is.

All around you there's nothing more than a large, gray, featureless expanse. In the distance there seem to be bars, curving upwards to gather so, so high above you, possibly hundreds of miles above, so high it’s hard to distinguish.

It’s a cage. So unfathomably large. You could escape, were you to get to the edges of the cage, but...it would take forever. No matter how you look at it, you're trapped. The atmosphere is so...hopeless. Devoid of anything even remotely positive.

Not that you want to hang around for long, do you? After all, this is someone's palace. Not a place to stick around at. What to do, though?

It’s all so...empty. Silent. Featureless. A flat expanse of hard gray tiles.

Gather together, everyone. Gather and choose a direction. North, East, West, South. All directions look completely identical, but could it affect your time in this place, somehow? Probably not. But all treks start with the first step. Perhaps, if you get moving, you'll progress?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The mechanisms of the dumbwaiter seem to be working well. The platform is ascending and descending properly. The moment Fray stops pressing them, though, the dumbwaiter descends to unknown depths, and then come back with a note]

'Hello! I'm on standby.'

[Okay, maybe it's not condescension, maybe it's politeness? It's hard to tell when you're getting little notes, instead of talking to a person directly]

[...Huh. Okay, well what if he lets it descend back down again? Will he get another (possibly condescending) note??]

[When the platform gets back, there's another note. It's the same handwriting, yup!]

'I get bored doing nothing, so I'm willing to play Q&A. I can't answer anything Kirumi Tojo doesn't know, though!'

[Conversational and willing to be informative if it can! Nice]

Edited 2024-10-03 00:32 (UTC)

...Interesting.

[Fray turns to the others to let them know what he's found.]

It would seem someone here is willing to answer questions, should you have any you want asked.

[But for now... hmm.]

Do you know where she is? We intend to rescue her from this place.

[The dumbwaiter's response comes after some delay. The way the note has a lot of blank space before the first letter perhaps signifies a pause]

'She's with Monokuma. Rescuing her is a good idea; Monokuma is having a talk with her.'

[And like everyone probably knows by now, Monokuma talking to you isn't good]

[Definitely not a good sign... Though he does have to wonder who's sending these notes if it isn't Monokuma...]

Good to know. Do you know where we need to go to find them?

[The dumbwaiter returns its response pretty quickly!]

'She's in the trial room.'

[Trial room... Yeah, that makes sense. And Monokuma is with her... Hmm, definitely not a good sign.]

If you can communicate with her, tell her we're on our way. She won't have to face this alone for much longer.

(no subject)

kandata - 2024-10-03 01:05 (UTC) - Expand

bloodweapon - 2024-10-03 01:16 (UTC) - Expand

kandata - 2024-10-03 01:22 (UTC) - Expand

bloodweapon - 2024-10-03 01:35 (UTC) - Expand

[ Argenti peeps his head in with his dolls in hand (don't ask, or do ask) and pops in a question: ]

Do you know of any more obstacles that are going to be in the way before we are able to reach her?

Edited 2024-10-03 00:40 (UTC)

[The dumbwaiter doesn't even descend.

Looks like it can't answer. Whether it's because it doesn't know or literally can't, is unknown]

[ ............Damnit.

Argenti will try to think of another question or two in the meanwhile... ]

[Oh! Watch out, right side, the dumbwaiter descends on its own!

When it comes back, it has a shirt on it. 'I KILLED ELI AND ALL I GOT IS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT'

You cheaters, you didn't kill Eli, you shouldn't have this!]

[ ......he just hmphs at this finding this terrible sense of humor tasteless.

(if this is a real tag, help) ]

[Yup, it's real, you have the shirt for real now. I'm sure Aaron would be real grateful if you returned it to him!]

[ No. He's not taking it with him!!!! ]

Edited 2024-10-03 00:57 (UTC)

[thanks youre a real bro argenti]

beautifulknight - 2024-10-03 01:13 (UTC) - Expand

[ assuming that the handwriting is Not kirumi's but he will take out the photo of the whiteboard to check/compare...? ]

[It's not the same handwriting! Looks like this isn't Kirumi herself communicating.

Still...this all was born from her head. Guess in a way, it's a small part of her psyche making direct contact. A very, very small part, since it doesn't sound nor seem in any way like her]

[...]

Do you know if the rule about attacking Monokuma is still in effect?

[listen. a girl's gotta ask. they might actually be on equal footing this time but the last thing she wants is to do something stupid*

*stupider than she's already done]

[The dumbwaiter returns with a response, although the handwriting seems a bit hesitant]

'He can be attacked, but watch out. Monokuma holds immense power. You will die if you are reckless.'

[Looks like that rule isn't in effect in this palace, but at the same time it's an enormous risk]

[...

Well, at least we're running around on the "fuck around and find out" principle, but Sayaka's smile turns a little dark at the thought of getting some much anticipated payback against that stupid bear.

It wipes away in an instant, though. No need to worry Kirumi more than she already is.]

We won't be reckless. Promise. We're going to get Tojo-san out of there and release his hold one way or another.

Has Tojo-san been injured, or anything of the sort?

[The dumbwaiter returns with an answer that perhaps isn't very good]

'She's physically uninjured.'

[The implications of adding that specific adjective, huh]

[...]

I take it she's not doing good mentally, though. Being stuck with him.

[Mmm! Dislike!]

[When the dumbwaiter returns, it's bringing you a message from Aaron:]

"We got a vase with dirt and a painting on our side."

[Nice status update from the other end of this cave! How courteous]

Greetings, most wonderful and radiant companions! We have quite a number of beautiful dolls and are asking questions at this time to an unknown force which is part of Miss Kirumi's psyche!

[ That should help. ]