waterboy going quiet because someone (z-team member(s)/random villian/influencer?) makes fun of his stutter BAD.
Usually, it wouldn't bother him. He's gotten over this, and he's more confident than he's ever been. But today.. today was already a bad day, he just wants to lie down with all his kitties.
Each word burns into his mind, each tease, all the insults.
Ooooooooof the feeeeeels. Forgive me for this being a bit long.
So…two scenarios come to mind and both can absolutely happen.
I do think the Z team will make fun of his stutter for a little while, even with Robert telling them to knock it off. It’s not everyone who does it. Plus he’s gotten used to it and..they’re just having fun…right? This is what..friends do for fun. Make fun of each other.
But uh..one day it just..hits wrong.
Herm gets another phone number from another woman and he’s flustered and stammers and stutters but he’s smiling a little cause..he doesn’t think he’s attractive but it’s nice to pretend. And the team tease him for a bit about him getting some lady’s number and Herm says “sh-she’s really bea-be-beau-pretty!”.
And then there’s some teasing of Herm having no game or being a virgin. He’s used to that and he knows it’s true. He’s trying to work on it. But uh..then some of the others start making fun of him going on a date or asking someone out. Visi and Flambae imitate him asking someone out with a stutter and Herm just..sulks a little. That’s…what he really would sound like huh?
Robert tells them to shut the fuck up and Flambae says they’re all doing it in good fun. It’s what they do. And when Flambae addresses his “right?” to Herm, and Herm tries to sound as…unbothered as he can but he’s never that successful. He just goes “Y-Yeah! Fun! Heh…”.
And the rest of the shift he’s..entirely quiet.
The team all had plans on going out and Herm was amongst the group excitedly talking about plans earlier in he day. But when they all gather to go out together, Herm says with a heavier than usual stutter that he just remembered he had important things to do that night so he’s going home. Everyone is surprised and they said they thought he was free. And Herm laughs nervously saying he forgot that he has a..very specific once a month chore to keep up with the house! And his grandma needs her medicine organized!
And Robert goes “Herm…it’s the third of the month.”
But Herm says he schedules it for the third of the month, and when he realizes he’s not..doing great at lying just smiles and says he’s sorry for dipping out before hurrying off.
When he gets home he takes care of his grandma, pretending to be okay and he tells her that their plans got cancelled so they’re doing it another day. When she’s in bed..the mask comes off. Herm is in a T-shirt and pajama shorts now. He goes to the bathroom and leaves the door open a crack. He just..lays down on the floor and curls up in a ball and cries. The kitties come in, curious as ever and they won’t get too close, but they start licking up the massive puddle he’s forming. Herm pretends they’re there cause they’re concerned for him and he just cries.
That Monday when it’s time to go back to work Herm is back to normal or well..as back to normal as he can be. Flambae and Visi haven’t apologized for what they did and Herm knows they probably won’t. He doesn’t expect them to.
He’s eating lunch in the breakroom when a hand missing two fingers reaches over him and places something in front of him. It’s one of Herm’s favorite things to treat himself with. Melon Ramune. Herm turns, surprises and he wants to thank, but Flambae is already leaving. Herm..realizes it’s a silent apology of sorts.
Visi still doesn’t apologize but..she doesn’t make fun of his stutter anymore either. No one on the team does anymore. They make fun of him for other less hurtful things but literally no one makes fun of his stutter anymore. He doesn’t know what happened to get them to change but SOMETHING happened while he wasn’t there.
And after that day, the team are actually DEFENSIVE when someone else makes fun of Herm’s stutter. Including Visi. They’ll be out together when someone makes fun of his stutter and the team squares up. Herm is..thankful for that.
So it should be no surprise they’re PISSED when a villain does it to him.
Herm is going against a villain and he’s TRYING his best. And he’s talking to the villain attempting to try to settle things a little more peacefully but then the villain laughs. He asks if Herm is glitching or skipping (like a record or a CD). It’s not the most creative insult and Herm doesn’t mind it as much.
But then the villain laughs again, asking how he can even be a hero if he can’t even “talk right”? And Herm freezes. He’s..heard some mean people telling him to “talk right” or other mean people asking “why can’t you just talk right?” In the past. It’s not..all the time but..it hurts. So he starts getting in his head.
And he starts getting his ass handed to him. Robert heard the exchange and he’s trying to get Herm to focus and ignore what that villain said. And as Prism is walking by to go on break when she hears Robert say “Look what he said about your stutter is utter bullshit now-“
She’s rushing out and she’s telling literally everyone else on the team. Robert notices that..a lot of the Z team are..just abandoning their jobs? And Prism is back on the field when he told her to go on break?? Like what the fuck is happening?
Robert asks what the hell are they doing? They need to finish their jobs! Punch up says “I don’t give a F U C K about mowing some eejit’s lawn!!”. Flambae says that the kids at the school he was at can learn about fire safety by their damn selves. Malevola insists that they didn’t REALLY need her help directing traffic. Prism, who’s supposed to be on break, says no one fucks with her boy (Herm is one of two boys).
Even Phenomaman is on his way. He was supposed to calm some people down about a property dispute but Phen just says “Do not fret Robert Robertson. I have moved the house.” And Robert is just staring at the screen just..in shock before saying “What do you mean you moved the house???”. Phen doesn’t answer back.
And Robert hears Herm make a shocked sound and what..sounds like fighting? And Herm timidly asks Robert if..he sent literally everyone. Robert just sighs, holding his head in his hands and he’s like “No. I didn’t.”
And then he speaks to the entire team as a whole, sounding tired and dead inside, and says “Don’t kill the guy.”
