THE FOURTH INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

THE FOURTH INVESTIGATION
(~SK. 24)



[Morning, Strangers! There's no sun shining, there're no birds singing, the threat of memory loss hangs in the air, and--oh.




That sure is a trail of blood in the D Deck hallway where the bedrooms are. But. I'm sure it's nothing, right?








Right??????!!?]

Comments

[godspiousjasper]

...No, not yet. Do you think that would help...? We might not have enough time to check it.

[ Given trial is likely to happen soon. ]

1/2

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes fidgets in place.]

IDunno! I'mNotGonnaDo SomethingBoring, SoYouDoIt! Hurry!

Fucking really, we couldn't even last another two days!? After all the work I did...

2/2

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes aggressivley punches one of the nearby washing machines. HARD.]

TWO MORE DAYS! WE WERE SO CLOSE!

[godspiousjasper]

I would, but... I'm not that great with technology. I don't think I could really figure out how those all work.

[ The time required to try and figure out how to look at security footage and review everything just seemed like it'd take longer than the time they presently had available.

Yet what he's not entirely expecting is the swearing OR the punching of the washing machine. ]

Easy now, Hermes. I'm as upset as you are with the person who saw fit to go through with this, but save those punches for whoever did it.

[ Is he encouraging Hermes to punch the eventual culprit? You sure bet he was. ]

CW: Gorey death threat

[wheel_of_fire]

[Hermes giggles a little as he turns red and scratches at one of his front legs for an extended period of time.]

Oooooh, I'll do more than punch whoever did it. I don't normally need to take baths, but this time? I will BATHE in blood.

[Was... was Hermes usually this aggressive...!?]

[godspiousjasper]

[ That stopped him short, eyes going a bit wide. It just... seemed so... odd for him to switch gears so abruptly like that. ]

...Hermes?? That's not necessary.

[ His tone is definitively firm, almost scolding him. Though he's also looking at the robot's front leg he'd been scratching at. ]

Is your leg okay? You keep scratching at it.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes freezes and turns blue again and instantly plants the leg he was using to scratch firmly on the ground. After a moment, he manages to speak.]

I'm- I'mFine! NothingToWorryAbout! JustMePulling ASillyPrank,That'sAll!

[Hermes will attempt to run off before any further scrutiny can be done.]

[godspiousjasper]

[ You see? That MIGHT have worked if Roland hadn't decided to tap a bit more into his power and immediately moved to stand in front of Hermes and block the doorway to the laundry room before the aforementioned robot could actually escape. ]

That doesn't seem to be a silly prank to me, Hermes.

[ His expression softens a little. ]

We're friends, aren't we? [ He holds a hand out to him, but not going to be moving right now. ] Talk to me. Stop running.

[somuchshipping]

[INTERNAL SCREAMING.]

I... I... IHaveToCheckThe SecurityCamFootage! There'sNotMuchTime!

[godspiousjasper]

Hermes. Tell me what's going on first.

[ The robot in question said he wasn't going to do something so boring and now he's insistent on checking the security footage? Also his VERY intent gaze speaks volumes that he's definitely ready to act. ]

The sooner you tell me, then i'll let you go check whatever it is you need.

[somuchshipping]

[Once again, Hermes feels like he's backed into a corner.]

I... F- fine... I...

I think the ship did something to me that's making me more aggressive...

[Hermes refuses to look Roland in the eye right now.]

[godspiousjasper]

...Do you think you got infected with some kind of virus?

[ He at least lessens up on how intimidating he seems now, expression softening a little. ]

Why haven't you just come out and told us this from the start, Hermes? It's not like i'm mad at you... just concerned.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes scratches at the ground, looking ashamed...]

I... IDidn'tWantAnyoneToKnow...! It's... something the ship did.

[godspiousjasper]

How do you know it's something the ship specifically did to you?

[ Having to ask since he seems adamant about it, though he does relent a bit, glancing towards the door. Thankfully he'd taken pictures of everything already, so he didn't need to stay here longer than necessary. ]

Why don't we talk while we go get Ritsu? I want to ensure she can get to trial.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes will comply, following Roland.]

I... wasn't like this in my game.

[godspiousjasper]

You weren't...? I could see why this would bother you, then.

[ To just... make someone suddenly more aggressive. What was the point? That one hallucination... they said this game was like an infection.. what if that's what they meant? ]

I would guess they altered you in such a way that you'd be willing to maybe kill people, if you truly weren't like this before.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes just nods silently.]

[godspiousjasper]

I'm sorry you have to deal with that, Hermes. You've always seemed like a good guy and never truly struck me as someone who's really bad.

[ Says the man who's boyfriend is a devil and also had befriended a gentleman thief. ]

The type to play pranks, sure, but... not a bad individual.