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?

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3/3 END

[kandata]

[...and she just falls apart.

The walls of the trial room break, falling apart. This girl just stands there, crying, and she can't bring herself to stop. The palace is breaking, and what's beyond, still is gray because yeah, things sure aren't fixed for her.

If anything, it's as if everything she knew has been destroyed, and that's just...extremely overwhelming. Everything has crumbled apart.

Monokuma did exactly what he said he would. Kirumi Tojo is dead. There's this girl left. Whether she even keeps the name and the profession or not, well, who knows.

Whether something new can grow from here or not, well, it depends on her, doesn't it?

Time to leave. But for the time being, she just...is going to need a lot of rest]

[emptyself]

[ soujuurou looks at the girl crying and feels like his chest is being squeezed.

he’ll sit down next to her, as comfortable as he can be with whatever injuries he sustained. ]

You don’t have to continue being Kirumi Tojo if you don’t want to be. If you want to be, that’s fine too.

[ he’ll stretch out a hand to her. ]

But no matter what you choose, I still would like to be your friend.

[kandata]

I do not know what I will do...even thinking about my name is painful right now.

[Did they get around to giving her some well planned and justified name that would fit their plan somehow? Or did she really end up getting a random name someone thought up on the spot just to fill up a file? She's not sure which one would be the lesser evil here]

...but thanks. I am at a total loss right now, so I do not know how to respond, but I do appreciate you being here...

[She really sounds so uncertain. Not to the hesitant extent of that girl who wanted to join a killing game, but still, she's not sure of what to do now]

[beautifulknight]

[ So, he was definitely near the windows when that happened and was probably realistically blown back from that, though raised a hand/arm to cover his face from being pelted by glass. He lands on his back, inelegantly, though immediately rises.

His immediate concern is to check in on everyone. He will help to put out any remaining fires if needed (literally), but if that isn't necessary, he will hurry immediately to Kirumi, and also reach out to gently place a hand on her shoulder, if she will accept it. ]

...We are here for you.

No matter what happens - even after this has ended, we shall be with you.

[ Argenti's words are gentle; he looks the opposite of elegant right now but that doesn't matter much. Not one of them do, after all. ]

[bloodweapon]

[The immediate concern is taking care of the ones who were badly injured, either in the battle or by the blast, but after those injuries are taken care of and discussions have been had, Fray approaches Argenti. There's a look in his eyes that isn't immediately recognizable - a mix of emotions, certainly, after everything today has brought - before he decides to forego words entirely and pull Argenti into an embrace. It doesn't matter that the others can see, and he can die of embarrassment later; right now he just wants to make sure Argenti's safe.

...And yeah, here's another Diarama for you too.]

[beautifulknight]

[ Argenti hears the sound of Fray's approach - swiftly, enough for him to turn towards him, eyes softening. His expression is always warm for him, of course, though the red head also takes note of the emotions echoed in those eyes.

He feels the relief of healing over him after the embrace too, and brings his arms around him - well before then - holding Fray as tight as he does him, not letting go even after the spell settled well. ]

...I did not worry you too much, did I?

[ The Knight of Beauty asks, voice soft, because even if he is ready to rush into danger at a moment's notice, he is none so oblivious to the potential conflicting emotions that had laid in such a gaze. ]

[kandata]

[Yeah, she'll let him! Mostly because, at a time like this, any and all comfort is so welcome. She keeps her eyes down, trembling a little]

...I do not know what will happen from here on. Or what to do.

[Really, anyone would be at a loss]

[beautifulknight]

...I find it understandable.

If you wish to reclaim who you were before in some way - to no longer be referred to as "Kirumi", that is possible as well.

Or, to stride forward as someone new entirely - someone who is neither Kirumi or who you were before. The choice is up to you, and so is your direction - where you would wish to go, after all of this.

[ But...Argenti will support her nonetheless. She is still a very dear and good friend to him.

Even if he doesn't have a concrete answer about it all. ]

This is all up to you.

If you ever want to have someone wish to your worries about it all, I shall also offer my ear, and my words. I firmly believe you deserve that.

[prozaic]

[Shalem is just going to put Yoon down and help this girl up to her feet.]

It's not easy to be freed from a script, isn't it? Mm, I know the feeling. But you've had much less time under it. I shall be a listening ear if you need it.

Or... a helping hand with the piano. [Implying he can teach her if she wants to learn.

But that's all he has to say. It's time to leave, and he's just not bothering with stealth anymore.]

[kandata]

...I think I will take your offer. At this point I just...want to cling onto anything I can get to support myself.

[Because she's so lost right now]

[bloodweapon]

[It's a hollow victory today. They saved her, yes, but at the cost of her identity. No matter what, it's going to be exceptionally difficult for her to take those first few steps forward, knowing the truth about her past. There's nothing any of them can truly do to help, because no one has been in this exact situation.

And yet the others reach out to her, trying to do what they can to help, and for once, Fray is no exception. First he casts a Diarama on her before kneeling beside her.]

We'll need to leave soon. [His eyes flick to the crumbling walls, the slow shattering of this world.] I can carry you if you cannot walk.

[Addressing the more practical issue first, because whether she's Kirumi Tojo or not, that much still remains important.]

I cannot say I fully understand what you are going through, but I too have found myself with questions about who and what I am. Should you need someone to talk to, I will always listen. You are not alone - all of us are here for you.

[kandata]

I just...have no idea what to do now. I do not know what that girl-- [She can't even see her as herself. She doesn't recognize that attitude nor the desires that girl had] --nor understand how she could have wanted any of this!

And now thanks to her I am left here like this...!

[It's frustrating, to be at a loss]

[bloodweapon]

[There's much he could say to that - but not in front of the others. He can't bring himself to talk about it in the open. So instead...]

I am sorry, truly. I don't understand how she could have wanted something like this either. Perhaps we'll never truly understand what she was thinking, but there's little point in fixating on it. I'm afraid you won't find the answers you want here.

[That girl is long gone. She isn't the woman standing here, after all.]

[moodwrecker]

[The defense boost was a great idea, it turns out, because she's pretty much unscathed after covering her face from the glass. While she does take a moment to check on the others, it doesn't take her long at all to come find the girl once known as Kirumi.]

Ki-

[...No. That's not her name. Not really.]

...Hey.

[kandata]

...hello. I-I am very sorry you had to see such insightly things today.

[She's extremely ashamed, really. While at the time she had been extremely intent in surviving and used very low methods to try to achieve that, she's not some heartless, hardened criminal. She wasn't written to be one, after all! Because the writers behind her characterization probably were planning for her to die instead of having any chance of survival.

So since then, well...she has had a lot of time to mull those events and feel guilty over those. Guilty enough she's very ashamed and dreaded what everyone would find out in her palace. Even right now, after the destruction of her ego, she still feels profoundly regretful]

[destage]

[It's over.

...It's really only just begun, but for now, this part is done. Sayaka's shaking, shuddering, all of it's too much.

But she can stuff it away for now. Someone needs help, and Sayaka rushes to the artist formerly known as Kirumi.]

Hey--will you let us help you up? We should probably get out of here. It's not safe.

[kandata]

...I guess that despite the circumstances we cannot stay here forever.

[She's avoiding to look at Sayaka. The shame is overwhelming, as well as the despair over what she found out today]

[imperiosity]

[The way this ended was certainly a lot less triumphant than he'd hoped -- for all that it was satisfying to lay into that bear that had been torturing the girl in front of them, it feels like a hollow victory when he sees the tears start falling. There's no easy resolution for what lies ahead, but what happens next has to be her decision and he nor anyone else can make that for her.

And normally, he'd be content to sit back while the others say their inspirational lines, but the palace is swiftly collapsing and he's not keen on having all of this being done in vain. As such, he steps in front of her -- dozens of new cuts and all -- to get her attention as much as possible.]

Hey. We're getting you out of here. Can you move?

[kandata]

...I...believe I can. I do not recall what happened, but I think that awful bear slammed me against the floor.

[She'd be doing much worse than that if she hadn't gotten heals during that fight!]

Although I believe he must have been far more violent with you all than he was with me.

[...physically speaking, at least]

[moonshaded]

[Like Fray says, they can't stay forever. There's a real world to get back to, and it'll probably feel like a really hostile place.

She doesn't do crowds and will wait for this one to ease a little once they're in a safer spot before she actually says anything. Probably not many people feel like celebrating after this one.]

Hey. Guess we're meeting. [Like she's introducing herself, not approaching as someone who's been playing a cryptid with their shared room while she sleeps in a weird tree somewhere.] No more crying, okay? You just got here. [She's got plenty to cry about, though; Kainé won't actually really try to stop her.]

You don't need me to be your tour guide, [there are more altruistic people to do that...] but I'll get you to your dorm when you wanna go.

[Whether the girl goes back with her as offered or comes later, she'll find that the room has been very hastily tidied - by a normal, frankly somewhat lazy person, and not an ultimate anything.]

[kandata]

You are right. Give me a moment.

[She hurries to wipe her eyes. That's right, they're all in middle of a palace. She'll have aaaaall the time to cry, once they're not in some metaphysical plane!]

I cannot even fathom what to do now. I think I need...a lot of time for myself.

[idealitas]

[ It's over. Beaten up, sliced, exhausted... But he and everyone is in one piece after all that.

Almost everyone. He cannot say that this young woman came out of this whole thing unscathed. Her manufactured identity and personality have fallen apart. Dead like the Nick bracket text says. But there's still something left, and she isn't beyond saving if she can cry. It means there's an awareness to everything that has transpired, even what she has lost. This sort of thing, from he knows as the edges of research he didn't want to touch, would usually be irreversible. The base has to die... But it didn't here.

It still aches to hear and see the sobbing, the anguish she must feel must be terrible. But Yi Sang is relieved that she is with them and offers her a smile. ]

It's nice to meet you, Miss. Or welcome back. It matters not.

[ Whatever she wants to do, how she wants to act from her on... It's all her choice. ]

[kandata]

It does not matter, indeed...

[From the tone and way she speaks, it really feels like she'll stick to that because it's all she remembers and knows, but, well...mannerisms are a small part of a person's ego, all things considered]

What am I supposed to do now? All I knew was an elaborate deception onto myself and the world at large. How am I supposed to move on?

[vogelfrei]

[ There she is - the girl who once was Kirumi Tojo.

McGillis can't begrudge her the tears. It's hard to imagine a level of ego destruction as great as what she just experienced. She'd been so torn up about her country, her duties... All of it illusions, given to her in an act of cruel mockery to what her original wishes might have been.

Though he himself is still feeling worse for wear thanks to the burns suffered, McGillis approaches 'Kirumi' with some determination. They need to get out of her, and she shouldn't have to make that walk on her own.

Unless she resists, McGillis is going to scoop the girl up into his arms in a princess carry. It's gentle in a way that some might not have expected from him. Suddenly, it's as if he's soothing a child. ]

Let's get you home. Everything else can come after.

[kandata]

[She doesn't resist the carry! It's comforting, in a way]

...I should feel like a weight got taken off my shoulders, yet I feel as if I have an even heavier one now.

[No more country to worry about now! But now she has to rebuild herself from nothing. That's so daunting!]