WEEK 6

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 6



[Fifteen X-Passes. You've finally done it. You can now go free. However, the price has been steep. Too steep.




True, you can leave. Anyone can, now. But simply leaving may be a bad idea. After all, who knows what else Zero has up its sleeve? Who knows what's outside of the HMHS Gigantic? How will they survive? How will they eat? And those are the easy questions that need to be answered. After all, the mystery of Zero, the mystery of Zack, the mystery of who is the cause of all of this and why-those things are also seemingly impossible to answer without some preparation. There's also the new area that's opened up that may yet yield more for the survivors to mull over.


Rushing is surely a bad idea. It's time to prepare. Take the time to get ready for whatever is outside. Stock up on supplies. Write what needs to be written. Say what needs to be said. Get ready for the possibility that whatever is out there, whatever the answers are-they will not be easy, and they will not be quick.


More than that, but-where are all these cuts coming from on your body? Hm. Maybe you keep bumping into things or scratching too hard. Did everyone save Roland get super clumsy or something all of a sudden?


Well. Maybe the answers to all that are just around the corner. So. Let's get ready. The end is near.


There are 8 9 strangers currently on this ship.



Wait. Nine?]

Comments

[somuchshipping]

[...Still no response.]

[But just when Hubert's about to say something else, a loud bang happens on the door. Almost as if someone threw something at it hard.]

[pegasinister]

[He curses and jumps back]

Hermes! Open this door right now!

[somuchshipping]

[...Again, no response.]

[pegasinister]

[Okay yeah, getting help.]

[exequte]

[Hubert returns with help!

And oh, gosh, well if the last time Akane saw him wasn't when Hermes was retreating after snapping at her. So she is worried already.]

Hermes? Are you there?

[somuchshipping]

[Akane may have heard the skittering, heavy footfalls of the shipping beep boop all throughout the ship occasionally on Sunday, so this change in behavior must have occurred on Monday.]

[But Akane gets no response.]

[exequte]

[She may have, but she sure didn't see him, and who knows in this place, honestly.]

Hermes, are you okay?

Are you mad at me?

[somuchshipping]

[It takes a while, but eventually, through the door...]

...no... just... go away...

[exequte]

But... but I upset you.

It's my fault, right?

[somuchshipping]

[The response comes much quicker.]

N- no...! It's... it's mine... it's always my fault.

[exequte]

[A pause, and then, quietly.]

You promised, remember? So... so if it's not me....

Won't you talk to me? You said you would. Hermes.... I'm sorry.

[somuchshipping]

What, so I can kill you, too?

...

Go away. I shouldn't have any friends...

[exequte]

Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

I don't understand.

[somuchshipping]

[A long pause.]

...maybe it's better if you don't.

...

just go away...

[exequte]

But....

I want to. You....

Do you remember after... after I e-executed D-Daddy? And you came and found me, and tried to make me eat s'mores, and talked to me....

Why can't I help you now?

[somuchshipping]

[A long pause.]

...because everything I do just ends badly for me.

go away...

[exequte]

No.

I won't.

I'm going to stay right here.

[somuchshipping]

[...Looks like it's back to no response.]

[exequte]

That's okay, Hermes.

I'll wait. It's like I told you.

[And she does. She sits carefully down in the hallway, next to his door, and waits there in silence.]

[somuchshipping]

[You're gonna be waiting for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time, Akane. Hours. Several. At least more than five.]

[But eventually...]

[EVENTUALLY...]

[Hermes will unlock the door and peek outside to see if Akane is still there.]

[exequte]

[And she is still there, and smiles over a little when he opens the door, just a crack. She'd been daydreaming. It was something she was fairly practiced in, with as much time in her life as she'd spent in bed.]

Hi, Hermes.

Thanks for opening the door. It was kinda boring out here.

[somuchshipping]

[NOPE.]

[Hermes just slams the door and relocks it.]

[Silence for a couple minutes...]

What do you want from me!?

[exequte]

I want you to talk to me.

I want to help you.

I want to know why you're sad, and why you locked yourself in your room.

There was a meeting you missed. We got another letter from Daddy. They have a plan to try and get out, and... and it seems like maybe we can help them.

[somuchshipping]

I'm here because I want to be away from everyone else! GoAwayAndHelpThem OrWhatever! I'll stay here so I don't CAUSE MY OWN DEATH FOR REAL!

[exequte]

Huh? Cause your own death for real?

What is that supposed to mean?