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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?
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You will not solve it in the way you have thought you could. Please, do realize this.
What you have done cannot be covered up, nor obscured, or erased from our mind, despite what this place might have convinced you. Do not run away or hide from the weight of your actions - otherwise, it shall crush you.
You must face what you did, acknowledge it, but not let it define you. There is still time to tread a new path, rather than continuing to believe you must continue to make those decisions in line with your previous situation.
[ It is clear she feels regret for her actions. Argenti firmly believes that this is key to her being able to turn over a new leaf for real. But he also is certain that it means she can't just hope for it all to go away so simply. They've saw what she did, her life at her worst.
They know the worst that she is capable of. But, Argenti knows that she is NOT just capable of those things - that at her best, she has made strives towards changing, that she did do the best she could in her situation, and she has cared for people before, she has HELPED them at the cost of her own life.
She can be someone who holds the weight of her actions in her heart, takes responsibility for them, and moves onwards without maliciously celebrating what she did. To that end, Argenti is ready to also attack, tightly clutching his spear as he shouts: ]
And if you cannot understand this, we shall help you open your eyes!
[ Right from the start Kirumi states her intent to attack, so he sees no reason not to meet her in kind. Let the blows do the talking!
...Argenti would do the same, but for some reason, he ultimately ends up hesitating (3) like he did before in a certain other Palace... hrm. We're starting off well, fam. ]
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[Constantly. Once she was separated from the killing game she sure had a lot of time to think about that and realize the enormity of her actions.
Kirumi wastes no time getting up close, and although she's not holding back, she's not against defenseless people. Everyone here has been in fights for a couple months already. Kirumi tries to hook her axe onto Sayaka's sword to pull it away from Sayaka, but Sayaka probably can hold onto it. Kirumi, showing her ability to think on the fly, uses the same swing to grab Sayaka's ankle, to make her fall. (Rolled: 7).
She doesn't even have time to see if that worked, because she has to target others]
We all know that went far above just wanting to survive. Do not force me to do something more to regret now!
[Kirumi waves an arm, dark waves of magic crossing the air and enveloping Soujuurou, Argenti, Aaron and Yoon. They'd feel their Personas suppressed. They won't be able to use their Personas for two rounds. Three for Yoon because that was critical roll. Shalem, despite skipping a turn, gets no mercy, a Kouga lighting up the floor to hit him with Bless (rolled: 12).
Pretty ironic that someone so focused to help others do things now is suppressing their ability to do that]
So yes, I am afraid! But that alone will not stop me from doing what must be done!
[In this case, forcing everyone to submit so she can take time to figure out how to forget everything.
Everyone saw the way Kirumi could attack with blunt weaponry. Using Cruel Attack, she leaps, bringing her axe down onto Kainé, and then onto Arven ,both times with remarkable intent to defeat them. It's like a meteor collided against them! (Rolled: 18 and 16). Kainé is right, the girl who fights to live and succeed no matter what is still here, even against people she likes and ended up bonding with]
I made this mess; I must clean it up for our common objectives!
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Argenti fought without his Persona.
So even after that, the Knight of Beauty is running straight in towards Kirumi and without hesitation going in for a slash across her front with his spear (12), based upon his own strength.
Physical attacks are still fair game! Not even being hit roughly has deterred him all that much - he can take harder hits even if it does kind of smart at that level. ]
...It is you that is forcing your own hand by taking this course of action!
[ Argenti's words are loud and clear in the aftermath of her deluge in attacks as well as his own. ]
Trying to erase all memory of what you've done from everyone's mind just because they've seen it will not fix everything!
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Even as he is now, independent, powerful, a much better man than he was mere days ago, Shalem can understand that three of those people hit and unable to use their Personas are those who healed him. Kirumi is forcing people to fighting on their own, and selfishly at that.
But Shalem knows how to repay debts. Even while in pain from this new spell that he sustains, he places himself between Yoon and Kirumi, even wrapping the end of his tail around Yoon's wrist, and will refuse to budge. He's this kid's personal shield for a bit.
Though because of that, he'll have to cast starting from now. He casts Bufula (16), regardless of how cold he starts to feel thanks to the spell.]
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[It might be bad to Kirumi that they've seen her backed into the corner like a wild animal. They've seen her manipulate and deceive and thrash to get out. Bad for her, but maybe it's good for them.
Since her attempt to buy some time for the friendship squad to cook hasn't gone so well, especially with her attempt to hit hard once for an opening blow with Psiodyne (8) fizzles out as her Persona just kinda seems to...laugh about it. So she'll take the heat with words, maybe.
GET COOKING FRIENDSHIP DEBATE TEAM.]
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he lunges at kirumi, aiming to disarm her (20). ]
You don’t have to clean up anything! Kirumi, it’s alright! If you’re a killer, then so are many of us here in this room!
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[Sayaka manages to leap over Kirumi's attack, and she'll get right up close and personal as she focuses her attack; she takes a gentle breath, thinking for a moment...she'll cast a Media on Kaine, Arven, and Shalem, before rushing after Kirumi and attempting to clash with her properly.
Come on, just like Argenti...!
So, Kirumi likes her speed, huh? Sayaka will attempt to slash at her legs with her sword (18). Sayaka meant what she said when she said she'd meet Kirumi head on; attempted murderer against murderer.]
Why must you erase what we've seen? Why can't you see that what you've done...all of those terrible things--that we're willing to be here for you despite them? Why must you do this?!
[Sayaka's tone is deeply determined.]
Do you really think that you're alone in attempting to kill someone in these games?! Do you really think that means you can no longer do anything good?!
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[ Yi Sang casts Rakunda to drop Kirumi's defense. He is still miserable after that climb, but he can manage that. ]
Erasing our memories will not help you. You will be alone with your sins...
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[No Persona is no problem —- he’s been fighting without one for far longer, so he’s perfectly okay with running up and aiming a kick (12) at her arms to try to get her to let go of that axe.]
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[Kainé is right, Kirumi shouldn't decide what's right for everyone. Thrown off by that, Kirumi missed her Mafreidyne attack against Kainé and Argenti. The attempt to targ thei weakness didn't work. (Rolled: 1, 8). Everybody has seen how that can go. Scowling, she shouts:]
I know this can get in the way of that whole bonding goal. I should have kept my distance. I would not be hesitating if I had not let myself get involved in this
[Especially with how insistent they're being about trying to accept her worst actions because yeah, nobody here has the moral high ground, you bunch of murdererrrrrs. She was in that school only for like a week and half, but she has been here for two months. Of course she got more attached here.
Kirumi's defense is lowered by Yi Sang, just in time for Argenti and Sayaka to get physical. Kirumi,showing signs of having practiced with her axe -- or maybe it's the desperation -- is being quite great at using it. The handle deviates Argenti's spear, and the head of the axe collides against Sayaka's sword. The Bufula, though, is harder to defend against, so that scores a direct hit, Kirumi feeling the bite of extreme cold.
Takes a lot of willpower to be able to stand her ground despite that.
Kirumi, intending for payback, strikes at Shalem with Freidyne (rolled 11), and prepares to smack Sayaka and Argenti with the axe, but she's disarmed just in time. No attack this time from Kirumi!]
You all say all this simply to be able to get out of here. I doubt after leaving that nice behavior will still exist!
[Do all you can to succeed, no? Even if it includes lying and manipulating. Kirumi expects them to try that against her, but still...shaken by what she has heard, she's starting to miss. Her attempt to silence Yi Sang's Persona fails, her attempt to aim with a hand chop at Aaron's neck does as well...
And also, to Soujuurou, a wine glass flies by his ear. Looking up, there's Monokuma from his throne, high above, where he can't be reached in any way]
Geez, you all say whatever you can to mess with her.
[That obviously was a hurried intervention to aim for Kirumi's fears, but also that he directly tried to hit Soujuurou means Monokuma isn't liking what he's seeing]
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[ soujuurou exclaims at the bear watching from above, his gaze sharp and angry. if he could somehow get up there…
but it doesn’t matter. he does his best to try and aim at kirumi’s neck to knock her out, but she’s just too quick (6). ]
You can’t make bonds if you don’t reach out to people. I know it’s difficult. I never had this in the mountains— but I’m happy I get to experience it now, and that you’re part of it.
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[Yeah, it wasn't said specifically to her, but she looks at Soujuurou anyway in worry--she'll include him in her Media this time, getting him, Argenti, and Shalem. Poor snake is taking a beating here...]
Do you really believe that? Do you really think we all just say that to get out of here, to try and just placate you? That we don't believe what we're trying to say to you?
[Shalem's been taking a beating, so if he doesn't mind--Sayaka will be stepping in front to protect him, and using her roll this time to talk (11).]
We care about you--we care about the you that's killed, the one that manipulated to try and get her way! We care about the you that despite it all, has worked so hard to care for us and take care of things--do you remember when we fought fiercely in Argenti's palace? You fought just as hard for his sake, even if you've seen what he was capable of, even after everything that happened in that fight...
Why are you not allowed that same consideration--that same kindness, Kirumi-san?! We're going to care for you regardless of what you've done!
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Just to try to intercede. And the words that she says are borne of true worry, he knows. It makes Argenti want to defy that, even so, because even though he has seen the worst of her. He also has seen the best of her too.
Which has given him time to think on some other matters as well, but regardless, his stance to Kirumi is unwavering; committed, and determined. He will never let it be unclear as much as he can help it! Even after this. So, Argenti begins to speak. ]
...No, it is good that you have attempted to bridge that gap.
Though it may be first out of perhaps necessity or maybe even obligation...or a feeling of duty for you or some others, I feel that over time it has had its benefits.
Each day we began to spend with you opened your heart up more to that of what is beautiful, to take hold of that warmth that can only be brought to life when each one's wonderful, shimmering soul encounters another in the same situation.
After that dark situation you were in, you were allowed the second chance to reach out again - to have your splendid soul connect with others. Some who were like you, some who were different, and some who still remain unknown to you. But, undoubtedly, you experienced moments that could only be encapsulated within the word "Beauty", and you had a chance to make your own path. To make your own way.
Even with those sins you committed with your own hands, even with the guilt that must have been weighing down in your heart.
[ Argenti seems to make a swipe at her, but he intentionally misses (6), because he wants to mostly focus on talking.
So now everyone gets to hear this ridiculous Beauty speech, sorry. ]
I am not here only out of obligation or duty, Miss Kirumi. I am here because I cherish deeply our friendship from the bottom of my heart, and I remember what you have done for me. Your actions there in the past do not deserve praise, but do you expect me to ignore all the good you have done in protecting others? And those that you care about?
Do you expect me to throw that away? If you do, I shall happily declare that your expectations are wrong! No matter what happens, the beautiful nature of our friendship shall never die, even through conflict, even through these ugly revelations!
[ He then throws a defiant gaze towards Monokuma who interceded against one of their own, burning with passion and the utmost of stubbornness. Eat shit. ]
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Shalem straightens his jacket, tugs on his sleeves, aligns his cuffs, fixes his shirt. Makes himself presentable.]
I have to wonder why you simply don't embrace it, if you deem it such an indelible part of yourself. [While everyone is yelling, Shalem has the vocal training of a theatre actor, he knows how to make his voice loud enough to carry and still have himself be heard and understood. And the poise as well.]
I was like you-- do you remember what you asked me? [The question from the shard of the vase. He looks up to peek at what she's doing... and then takes up his staff again.
Now he's done with his preparations. He's ready. Take to the stage, performer.
With a loud laugh, he throws himself into the fight, swinging his staff with a Giant Slice (17). Here's someone who relishes the fight-- and the potential murder that may just happen afterward.] Go on! Look into the abyss! Perhaps you'll find what you like in there!
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She’s not like us! Be quiet if you can’t say anything productive!
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Argenti hears this and he gives the man a look. ]
I'd rather you not encourage her of such things.
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Kirumi will attack with killing intent from now on.
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Seriously? Not everyone gets a murder boner, dude!
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[ The goal is Kirumi the goal is Kirumi the goal is Kirumi there is no satisfaction in stabbing another one of the edgy bears.
He also isn't silenced, so he'll dash into close range to deliver a Curse element Rain In Motion (15) with a strike of his dagger. ]
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Seriously? If I was gonna start playing all lovey-dovey and sucking up to you just to trick you, don't you think I'd have started by now?
[The lack of a visible Persona or shadow form, even now...So there's something really wrong with that, right? Kainé is great at killing and fighting Shadows. From the start she has tried to cleave them from anything real. Maybe Kirumi still just being Kirumi is causing some problems in that regard, even though it shouldn't? Her attempt at a physical attack to trip her off her agi-boosted feet, just like the magic, bounces off without doing a damn thing (2). Losing your touch, Sunshine?]
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But his attention is still on Kirumi. Kirumi, who lies and cheats and manipulates... Kirumi, who finally seems real to him after he'd spent so long trying to look behind the facade of the selfless maid. ]
You're not my friend. I'm only here because I was forcibly summoned to this place, and I'm fighting you to leave it. All of that is correct.
[ Not mincing words here. ]
And doubtlessly you look at me as a bad example right now - someone whose foolish admission of his own actions has compromised on the power we are meant to lend Braphine.
[ He can understand her desire to erase it all. Everybody's been looking at him differently since his dirty laundry has been out in the open - since he made that step, somewhere between liberation and self-destruction. ]
But right now? Right now, you're throwing out resources. Erase our memories? Your own memories are a mess. You hardly trust your own mind, and you think you can throw out the perspective of others?
[ McGillis brings the Exisal forward as he speaks to her, and then with a movement that is astoundingly swift for the capacities of the robot takes hold of Kirumi and restrains her. (20). ]
For me, the Kirumi Tojo I have seen here, the one who is willing to do whatever it takes, is a person I want as my ally. A resource I myself would be loathe to discard. Come back with me.
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[He leans backwards to narrowly evade that chop, stepping around her to jab the pommel of one sword into her spine (13). He’ll modulate the force because he’s not looking to paralyze her, but it’ll still hurt!]
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That's why she can't tune out what she's hearing. Even now, in middle of fighting, they're trying to reach out to her. Kirumi still attacks, her magic going left and ight, but her moves are slower -- the physical attacks thrown at her make contact, throwing her back, until she's forced to hold onto one of the podiums to not collapse]
I--I...you all are...it cannot be...
[Kirumi's hands tremble. Without her axe or anything, and outmatched against twelve people, is it really any surprise she's struggling! McGillis then grabbing her with the Exisal forces her to sit tight, not move anymore, too. Yoink, she's up with the robot man!
Also hearing herself be called a valuable resource really appeals to her professional pride, that was really nice]
OOPS
Alright, I think I have made my case, haven't I?
Look at that. That girl doesn't learn! In the face of the slightest bit of pressure, she flips out and tries to hurt everyone around her. She's hopeless. How do you think this would have ended?
Broken bones? Some radiation sickness for some of you? Or...do you think she wouldn't have ended killing a few of you?
[Monokuma lets that fall in. Is it true? Who knows]
So let's finish this little charade.
[All the podiums turn on]
This is Kirumi Tojo's trial. You all have seen what she's capable of, and what she'll do unless stopped. So go ahead! Vote now. Majority rules! Get going, my patience isn't infinite.
Anyone who doesn't vote...well let me just say if you don't vote I will find out what color you bleed.
[Anyone peeking at the screens will see there's only one single option to vote: Kirumi Tojo. Nothing else. That's all the screens show.
Majority rules. Even a single vote is doom -- a single vote is 100%, and since there's only one option to vote...yeah.
Aaron, Yoon and Joshua will feel their judgment clouded by anger, too.]
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mind the cw beneath the code
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