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

[kandata]

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?

Comments

OOPS

[kandata]

[Without anyone seeing, three faint red bolts descend from above, striking Yoon, Aaron, and Joshua. Those three are now affected with rage.]

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.]

[beautifulknight]

[ Oh, that does it.

This creature really has hit the spot, and he directs the bulk of his anger towards it, keeping his words short and simple this time. ]

Enough.

Your threats do not even come close to scaring me. And I have not played along before, what makes you think that will change now?

Just try to kill me where you stand. I shall strike you down with the force of all that is beautiful!

[ Argenti refuses to vote because fuck Monokuma. Everyone can do what they like, but he's made his decision. ]

[imperiosity]

[hello anger, my old friend

This is familiar and not necessarily in a pleasant way, but if nothing else, it makes decision-making very simple!!

so he’s smashing the podium closest to him even before Monokuma finishes his speech (14).]

[kandata]

Oh, damn it.

[Monokuma exhales that from above, barely heard. Maybe that was a bit too much rage to inflict on this guy]

[moonshaded]

[Just for shits and giggles, how sincere does that "oh, damn it" sound? This damn bear has juked them with fakouts so many times... maybe she's listening for it?]

[kandata]

[Sounds sincere enough, although he doesn't sound too worried about it. More like a 'well golly gee willikers that didn't pan out all that great did it']

[moonshaded]

[Yeah, okay, so about the norm. This whole time, everything's just played out the same way. Not a choice one step of the way: They've ended up in the same place, no matter what.

So fuck the bear but also fuck voting but also fuck this podium. She smashes the everliving shit out of, taking a page from Aaron's book without even needing the rage status (20).]

[prozaic]

[Hi. Hello monster-hunting buddy. Have a a few non-painful smacks to the shoulder so Shalem can draw his aggro during the Rage's duration. PVP him! It's fine.]

[imperiosity]

[oh my god

His aggro was directed at Monokuma (for all the good that would do at the moment), but I guess it can be directed to Shalem now?? This is fine.

With that said, while his gaze goes straight to the other man the moment he’s smacked on the shoulder, he doesn’t attack because he already used his action this round that’s not quite enough to get him to attack an ally, even in his enraged state.]

The hell was that for!? You got a problem with me breaking this whole bullshit set up?

[prozaic]

[Shalem just smiles at him. Completely without fear, this one.]

Just making sure you're not going to hurt yourself or another. The bear is watching, after all. Let's not give him what he wants.

[imperiosity]

[Shalem’s smile doesn’t really register besides pissing him off just a little bit more because let’s face it, just about anything would at this point!!]

You’re gonna be the one getting hurt if you don’t get out of my face and stop patronizing me, dickwipe. So how about you go take your goddamn nanny act and shove it up your ass!

[ah, teenagers(????).]

[prozaic]

[Aaah, a shame, he was just getting started. Without a target to attack-- well, one within easy range-- Shalem straightens up again, out of his battle stance and adjusts his hair tie. He's back to normal (?).

He watches Monokuma's antics, listens to his monologue, and opens his mouth to make mention of radiation poisoning... before closing his mouth and shaking his head to himself. If only that bear knew.

He'll leave his hands where people can see them. He's not voting.]

[emptyself]

[ soujuurou looks at the scene before him with an impassive gaze and arms neatly by his side.

he’s keeping an eye on the ones struck, but doesn’t seem to be moving. ]

So we just don’t have to vote, right? Everyone’s already pretty angry with you so…

[ he shrugs. not soujuurou’s problem, actually. ]

[bloodweapon]

Argenti's right. Come down here and fight us yourself if you truly intend to spill our blood.

[Fray rests his sword back against his shoulders; he's not sheathing it just yet in case it does come down to a fight against the bear, but he's not voting either.]

mind the cw beneath the code

[destage]

[Sayaka refuses to even look at the screen. She doesn't think that her approach is working at all, as much as she does believe in things like friendship and hope--sue her, she's never been allowed to be a genuine bleeding heart, on the leash she's had tightly kept around her neck by her managers.

Maybe, deep down, she needs to embrace what she really wants.]

What, are you going to finally come down and face us yourself, you monochrome coward?

[Sayaka practically sneers at Monokuma, though she looks to Kirumi genuinely. Her look goes...a little blank, but it's surprisingly gentle, despite everything.]

...Kirumi-san, please listen to me. I don't know what the others are going to say or do--we're all going to make our own decision at the end of it all, but please, at least hear us. Or...what I have to say, at least.

Monokuma can claim that he's the god of this place all he wants, but this palace was born of your heart. A confused, guilty heart, but yours nonetheless. You've carried these burdens for so long, and worked so hard despite them...Monokuma can claim all he wants, but you are the one who writes the path forward. You're the one who can choose for herself the fate she wants.

...It's not as if I don't understand wanting to repent for the actions that got one here.

[Sayaka smiles, sad but soft.]

cw: discussion of past suicidal ideation

...I was the person who posted that anonymous post, you know. The one who asked about forgiveness, and things like that. I know we didn't get a chance to talk much, but I...I really do understand this. I wanted to die as penance for my own actions, too.

When I was in that school...I tried to betray my one of the only friends I had in that school. I attempted to play an act, act like I was in danger, and lure someone in to die after he swapped rooms with me so I could frame him. If it had gone to a trial, I can't say that I wouldn't have done similar things. I...would have likely tried to throw Naegi-kun under the bus to try and save myself. I intended to kill Kuwata-kun and leave him to bleed all alone. I didn't even know that the trials would have possibly led to everyone else dying. I don't know what I would have done, if I survived long enough to experience them. Even if I did leave a clue for them all at the end...it doesn't erase my actions. And it will never make up for them.

Even now, those actions haunt me. But people here...they've listened to me. They've come to their own judgements about me, and they likely will continue to do so even now. And now that I've had the opportunity to live--to live for myself, to live freely alongside everyone...I've been able to take a different path. I've been able to come to terms with those actions, at least somewhat--and I've decided to take a different path from them, to something greater.

Kirumi-san. The only one who will decide the path forward is you. Not Monokuma, not anyone else. Your path will be written by you and you alone, no matter how much Monokuma moans and acts like a petulant child. If this is truly the path you want at the end of it all...it'll be sad, but I won't stop you.

But will you at least let us have the opportunity to get rid of this roadblock in front of you, and clear your path forward?

[Sayaka's gaze is filled with determination as she talks (20).]

If you decide at the end of it all, that this is what you truly want...I won't stop you. But that bear, he's not in control here. This was born of your heart, and you deserve to have a say in how it goes.

You've seen us overcome impossible odds before, Kirumi-san. Can you trust us this time, too?

[moodwrecker]

[Watching her quietly as she speaks.]

[emptyself]

[ he’ll give her a small encouraging smile, even if she’s not looking. good job, sayaka. ]

[idealitas]

[ Listens to Sayaka quietly. ]

[bloodweapon]

[Fray's seen how far Sayaka's walked on her new path, and he's seen her struggles in finding her footing. She truly has found what it is she wants to pursue and she's so incredibly strong for it. Fray watches on, proud of her as he always is.]

[beautifulknight]

[ ...Hearing this?

Argenti can't help but be proud of Sayaka.

She has come so, so far. ]

[vogelfrei]

[ McGillis is going to keep holding on to Kirumi - this time not to restrain her but to get her out of dodge from anything Monokuma might attempt.

He is not getting out of the Exisal and he is not voting. ]

[idealitas]

[ Yi Sang lets the Rage status effect ride out for some folks (see: Aaron, good shit) because honestly, he generally trusts them to not make bad decisions. It makes Monokuma's attempt at interference laughable.

But when all is said and done by the others, he'll cast Energy Shower on Aaron, Joshua, and Yoon to cleanse off the Rage. He also will not vote. ]

[strawsandals]

[ Oh, he's quite angry now, and he's an angry Yoon who has quite frankly had enough of this. He'll thank Yi Sang later but he is ar his goddamn limit and sick of this goddamn freak. The bear. Not Kirumi. The bear. ]

Oi, you bastard! Shut up!

[ Joining Aaron in violently smashing a podium (18)... ]

How about you put your name up there instead?!

[moodwrecker]

This is all so stupid.

[Rather than vote, she tries to smash another podium, too, but maybe her heart isn't really in it because she doesn't quite hit hard enough (7).]

I'm not playing along with this. I don't care what that stupid bear says.

But...

[She goes quiet, a moment. Hesitating while she figures out how she wants to say the words in her heart.]

...I know what it's like to lose a friend. I think if I knew I could've helped, and didn't... it would drive me crazy.

[She didn't get the chance to help. She didn't even realize anything was wrong. That was haunting enough.]

...Have a little more faith in your friends here, won't you? You're not the only person here who's super messed up.

[Shalem is, like, right there and all.]

[finalmix]

[ judgement clouded you say? rage, you say??

well, before yi sang hits him with that energy shower he's already generally pissed off, so even when that rage status effect takes hold he's using a giant slice on the podium (15) with a very uncharacteristic snarl at that stupid bear.

perhaps that is not how monokuma expected for rage to manifest but--

oh, was he supposed to vote?????

nahhhhh. nah. he's absolutely not doing whatever that stupid bear is telling him to do. ]