#this is my first public dndads fic :D

[hermanunworthy]

To Be or Not To Be?

"With heads showing Hermie's face, the thespian could pretend that those decisions were genuine, while the theatre mask for tails could excuse their more obviously villainous behavior. Little did their new 'friends' know that they were both just acts. Thank the theatre gods for this perfect role."

Five times Two-Face is forced to follow his coin's decision, and one time Herman makes one of their own.

10.3k words, oakworthy, 5+1 things, hermie pov, pining, set during ep17-20

prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | +1

also on ao3!

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As a method actor, Herman has found that the best way to be is not to be. To step into the role of another and follow their lines and actions, giving themself control by being controlled. It's easier, to pretend their actions aren't their own to make. They are merely a puppet on strings mindlessly dancing along a stage. Following a script, leaving things up to fate, taking away the responsibility of being a person from their own unreliable self and into the hands of the play they call life. Even if this leads them to danger (and lord knows it has), it's all part of the script anyway, so there's nothing they can do but "yes, and" whatever the narrative throws at them.

Before making the switch to their new school, Herman spent weeks preparing to become Hermie the Unworthy of San Dimas High (soon to be Teen High). They performed extensive research on the school and its students, particularly their mark, Normally Ly Oak-Swallows-Garcia, who appeared to be a near impossible mystery underneath the mask of Teeny the Teen (the thespian secretly aspired to be as deeply committed to a character as this kid appeared to be).

But even with their level of confidence when it comes to scheming and performing, Herman found it to be difficult to create a character all on their own. Coming up with traits and motivations that rivaled their own was a challenge; they almost wished they could simply switch places with an existing student and act just like them.

But then, it hit them. While scrolling through the official (but hardly official-looking, due to its godawful design, which for all the knew was probably designed by the mascot kid) then-San Dimas High website for the umpteenth time, they saw it. Auditions for the school play: Joker.

Now this had to be fate. They already knew they possessed incredible acting skills (as well as an extreme passion for DC that could explain the countless other tabs on their computer questioning about autism); all they needed was direction! They could enroll in the school, audition for the play, and know exactly how to be a true Teen High freak!

But alas, as Herman infiltrated the school and took on not one, but two new roles at once, it was admittedly a bit of a rough first act. They may be a talented actor, but pretending to be a character pretending to be another character is quite a challenge. How exactly were they supposed to balance the innocent background character's intentions with the star supervillain's intentions? They couldn't come across as too suspicious, as the school's rival, but they also couldn't fade entirely into the background if they were trying to get close to the school's beloved mascot.

...No, that's not right, Teeny wasn't beloved. This came as a disappointment, to see how little these freaks actually cared about the symbol of their entire community. Herman has never been never one for school spirit, so they understood their apathy, but it does certainly suck the fun out of things if nobody were to care about the treasure they plan to steal.

Well, not nobody necessarily. Upon investigation, Normally himself seemed to be the only person who really gave a shit about the mascot... or really, this school at all. Herman didn't know how to feel about that.

They didn't know how to feel about anything, as this Joker-Hermie! For example, he was definitely prepared for The Mascot Kid to have friends that he would have to make connections with (actually anticipating a larger group than this, but seeing as their mascot isn't exactly popular, to say the least, it was a foolish assumption), but he didn't expect trying to make a move on The Goth to feel so... strange, almost uncomfortable, in front of The Mascot Kid. Herman found it came more naturally to interact with Normally directly, even though they knew it made them look suspicious.

Sometimes this Hermie role actually feels more like a character study of their mark. Normally is just so... trusting, even as he's trying to be on alert for Chaparral. He makes it so easy, so fun for Herman to play with his head.

The thespian didn't like how they couldn't tell if the one having fun was the Joker, Hermie, or god forbid... themself. As much as they tried their best to put on a good show, they couldn't really decide when to make a "Joker move" or a "Hermie move". They needed to really solidify the role—and they tried to, they really did, as they donned the full suit and clown makeup, but after the Joker play was suddenly shut down, they were left with... just Hermie? They weren't entirely sure, but they did find something very un-Joker-like blooming inside of them when Normally showed such eagerness to hold hands with them during the Among Us play.

Needless to say, this was not working out for them.

This is why they believe their Two-Face coin prop is the greatest gift they could've received. With heads showing Hermie's face, the thespian could pretend that those decisions were genuine, while the drama mask for tails could excuse their more obviously villainous behavior. Little did their new "friends" know that they were both just acts. Thank the theatre gods for this perfect role.

As the hellish, molten-lava-esque pool of cheese melted away half of their silly old Joker outfit (along with their own flesh), they felt a part of their very soul burned away and shaped anew. It all became clear, their motivations finally solidifying into black and white. They weren't able to wrap their freshly traumatized mind around the fact that the process wasn't as physically paintul as it should've been, but they didn't care. They just couldn't help but feel grateful for this wondrous opportunity.

Until now, "Hermie the Unworthy" has been a laughable performance of theirs. A joke, if you will. But now, they can be what they were always meant to be: a true supervillain, a perfect amalgamation of good and evil.

#tysm for 200 followers!! #this is my first public dndads fic :D #oakworthy #oakworthy fanfiction #oakworthy fanfic #oakworthy fic #dungeons and daddies #dndads #dndads fanfiction #dndads fanfic #dndads fic #hermie the unworthy #hermie unworthy #normal oak #my fic