15strangers week 5 monday

[exequte]

CW: Discussion of Disease, Fortuna Spoilers

[It had been getting worse, though had become especially noticeable at the trial. But even now, after....

Hermes was a robot, apparently, or some sort of android--or perhaps simply pure code, granted this physical form for whatever reason by Zero, given that he was from a video game. She would not have assumed that he would be capable of contracting anything but a computer virus. But maybe that was what it was. Maybe the rules were different. Maybe the disease he had told her about....

Hermes had been behaving erratically, but even in his occasional violent outbursts she wasn't afraid of him, really. It was Hermes, after all. But... maybe he needed help. Maybe he'd rather not discuss it openly.

Akane didn't know what else to do.

So she had found him, and brought him to Kaito's room, where she had been mostly staying, where he had done his best to comfort her on the evening of his death, and then bit her lip.

She had to say it, if she was going to find out.]

Hermes....

You told me about a disease called Clockwork before, right? When I told you about Radical-6?

Sorry, that was... a hard night, for me. I should have asked you more about it.

What does it do?

Comments

[somuchshipping]

[The meeting was over and Hermes remembered to put the jukebox back where it belonged, alongside the stuff he used to barricade the door to the rec room. He was about to go on his merry way doing whatever a shipping-inclined beep boop is wont to do only to be stopped and lead somewhere by Akane. He dutifully obeyed and followed her to Kaito's former room.

And that's when the question was asked. Once again, his instincts of giving out tutorials kicks in and he speaks without thinking.]

It usually turns people or mechanical being into a combination of flesh and metal. Most NPCs are weary of them because sometimes, they lose their minds and become incredibly feral. Buuuuuut other time, they manage to keep their minds and can get classified as citizens, such as the Zuid'Tians or Plumari. There's also many, many strains in between. Clockworks can be extremely varied!

Also sometimes, it can be very infectious, other times, not infectious at all. It all depends on the strain the infected has, but the heavy majority of the time, it's very infectious!

[exequte]

[She digests this for a moment, her expression thoughtful but still slightly worried.]

Is there any cure? Or even any treatment?

[somuchshipping]

Well, yeah! You can just edit the save file. Or save scum to an earlier point. But if you don't cheat? There's no cure. The best way to deal with a clockwork that's gone feral is to burn it with fire until it turns to ash.

[exequte]

[There's a long pause before she takes a breath, then steps forward to hug Hermes.]

You know we wouldn't do that to you, right?

Is that....

Is it what's happened to you, Hermes?

[somuchshipping]

[Wait what why is he being hugged what is this-]

Wh- what do you mean? There'sNothingWrongWithMe!

[exequte]

I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to, not unless.... Unless something happens.

But, Hermes....

[somuchshipping]

No, really! I've never come into contact with a clockwork...! The current player only completed the tutorial and one normal runs through the game. Mercury pulled a mean prank on me in order to get me kicked off of the crew, then all the gen 1s had a meeting. Zeus and Jupiter and Aphrodite were killed and Cronus is now the new leader...!

But not once have I touched a clockwork during the player's run! So I'm fine!

[Hermes really hasn't gotten any hugs in his existence, halp, wat do]

[exequte]

[She finally releases him and takes a step backwards, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking up--and up and up, honestly. She's significantly smaller even when she's not sitting down.]

Maybe. But isn't that what's happening anyway?

Maybe Zero did something to you, when you were unconscious.... So, even if you don't remember it....

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes scratches at one of his front legs after being released.]

But why only me...? AndIt'sNotClockwork...!

[Hermes fidgets in place. He still fully believes it isn't clockwork.]

[exequte]

[She looks down at his legs and then bites her lip.]

I don't know. None of us really know what's going on here, even after all this time... but maybe that's part of Zero's plan.

What happened to your legs, though?

Maybe it isn't Clockwork, but I don't know of any other disease that affects both biological and non-biological subjects.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes mentally keysmashes for a short moment before managing to attempt a convincing cover story.]

I, um. Oh, that...? That's just when I was trying out my Devil Arm powers! Silly me, I was kiiiiiinda careless and didn't really have time to clean myself up yet!

IReallyShouldStartNow!

[exequte]

.... will you let me see?

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes FREEZES. And waits. Please don't turn this into an order please please please-]

[exequte]

[She can see him freeze, that animal fear that is sudden and instinctive, and she looks down again.]

[somuchshipping]

[If one scrutinizes closely enough or strongly enough, a large majority of Hermes's two front legs are covered up in what appears to be singed gauze, colored to camouflage it to the colors that Hermes is.

He'll back away if Akane tries reaching for it. Does she?]

[exequte]

[She doesn't! She can see the bandages clearly, now, however, and looks back up at his face, her own expression sad.]

I don't want to make you do anything, Hermes. I'm worried about you, but... but I don't want to force you to do anything.

[somuchshipping]

[...]

[It feels so weird having people worry about him this much. He has friends, but Maia's really the only v1 out there that cares this much about him. But here? Aoi, probably. Alastor. Akane. ...Val.]

[Hermes has no idea how to respond. and scratches at the ground awkwardly.]

I... um. Okay... Just... please don't go around telling everyone I have any disease of some sort. Just say it's my title making me do that...

[Hermes isn't looking Akane when he says that.]

[exequte]

Hermes....

[She's still looking up, and reaches out gently to touch him again.]

I told you before, right? I won't tell anyone something you don't want me to tell you.

But....

But there has to be some way to help you, right?

I'm worried.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes flinches, but ultimately, you are allowed to touch. Just don't smudge!]

...We don't even know if it's clockwork. It could just be something new they made...! I'm not real, just a computer game character... Entirely fictional... Maybe this is what being in the real world does to someone like me. Like I don't belong here and the real world is punishing me for that.

Wouldn't be the first time I get punished for doing something that goes against someone with power's desires, and it likely won't be the last.

[Denial, thy name is Hermes.]

[exequte]

[She doesn't see any use in arguing, though her expression is still full of compassion and sorrow.]

Yeah, maybe.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes makes a playful face.]

Yeah, maybe! So why don't we just forget about this and try to focus on how to escape this ship!

[Hermes pats Akane on the back. Apologies, but Hermes isn't usually one to discuss heavy stuff unless metaphorically backed up into a wall.]

[exequte]

[At that her expression flashes with determination.]

No. We can't do that, Hermes. Or... I mean....

We can focus on how to escape the ship!!! But we shouldn't forget this. Because we also need to focus on what we can do to help you. Okay?

[somuchshipping]

[jdwlhndqwnqknwef]

[Hermes scratches at one of his front legs.]

I'll be fine...!

[exequte]

Then it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out, right?

And... I do think you should tell at least some of the other people here. They care about you too, and we have a lot of very smart people here. So maybe, if we put our heads together, we can think of something that neither of us would be able to think of by ourselves. Right?

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes fidgets around anxiously.]

W- well, we don't even know for sure what it is yet...! We shouldn't... we just... WeCan'tAssume SomethingLikeThis IsSomethingSoBadJustYet!

[exequte]

But... Hermes....

[She looks VERY sad at this.]

It's like I said. If... if it's not that then that's good, but if it is....

Other people should know, right? We all care about you.

[somuchshipping]

[HOWDHOWDFNUOFHEUWD HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS, HUMAN!? HOW ARE YOU MAKING HIM FEEL GUILTY ABOUT HIDING SOMETHING HE'S ASHAMED OF????????

HOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW?]

I... B- but... I'm... you...

...

...F- fine...! I'llTellACouplePeople TheyNeedToWatchMe...! Is- is that fine...?

[exequte]

Not just that they need to watch you....

Tell them what's going on, okay? All of it. Because.... because I know they'll want to try to find a way to help too.

[somuchshipping]

[...]

[Orders are orders...]

[Hermes will silently nod.]

[exequte]

[.... oh dear, that reaction concerns her.]

... Hermes? Are you okay? Did I... did I do something wrong??

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes fidgets.]

Um. You're fine... I'll just... go tell some people...

[exequte]

[She frowns, still Concern, and then goes over and hugs him again.]

I'm sorry if it's too much. You....

I think... it's better if you do, but....

It's up to you, okay? But I don't want anyone else to be hurt... and... and if we can find a way to help you.... A lot of other remarkable things already happened for us all to be here, right? We're not even from the same world.

[somuchshipping]

[????? Why the HUGS this is so WEIRD aaaaaaaaaaa-]

Uh... o- okay... BuuuuutWeMayActually BeFromTheSameWorld.

[Because Fortuna is a popular computer game in the real world, right? ...Right?]

[exequte]

No, I don't think so. Because... you're from inside the game, right? And that's different from where I'm from, even if the real world your game is in is the same as the real world I'm from.