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That office was everything a doctor could hope for. Organized to the centimeter, but at the same time just the tiniest bit messy to give it personality. Henry Jekyll’s office was quiet, serene. It was a place of rest for those weary.
And luckily for Henry, he was always weary.
On today’s agenda, the good doctor had to oversee quite the handful of paperwork, and then some. Triflingly boring work, but momentously helpful to The Society For Arcane Sciences. As terrifically good was every member at their own work and positive attitudes, by the same notion they were terrifically terrible at budgeting. But such was expected to Henry. A gentleman’s touch was all they needed, nay, exactly what they needed.
He’d go as far as to say that the rogue scientists would potentially be better off without knowing, themselves. Just under the impression that they have a connector to the public at large, such as Henry. There were no such qualms to Henry for this, albeit he was just a smidgen, the tiniest bit stressed here and there. He had a reputation, and what better reputation to get society at large to trust the forward thinkers than Henry’s?
And only Henry’s.
Edward Hyde, the darkness lurking in Henry’s heart, had far crossed the line. Far enough to be in another country, based on his fugitive status. Albeit it was accidental to some degree, the fact still remained that Hyde had been partially responsible to setting a block fully ablaze. With the society living and dying by Henry’s reputation, Henry threw Hyde under the carriage. No more transformations into Hyde for quite some time. There could be no more risks, which Hyde was a never-ending Russian doll of.
Hyde, for no reason in particular, was being silent in Henry’s mirror. Far too bored of the “painted toy gentleman” and his astoundingly tedious work. As drawl and drab as it was, letting the time pass like a glacier now only made his time in the future that much more exhilarating. But again for the moment, he shall lay in wait like a lion to his prey. He laid down in the reflection, letting small imagery float around him like ghosts. He swatted at them, watching them bob in place. For a criminal, he seemed more agitated housecat than lion at the moment.
But silence begeted silence, and seconds transformed to minutes, which transformed to hours in the small office. A little bit of wine would help ease his mind here and there. The stack of bills and paperwork next to him slowly dissipated in size. Some must be held off later, some can perfectly be dealt with now. As long as they were all in time for the mailmen to deliver them, then the office had served its purpose.
Henry flipped one of the bills over, creating a hearty fwip and the rustling of paper to go with it. He examined the piece thoroughly, and once he was finished with the content of that troublesome report he had flipped it over as well. The same fwip and rustling of paper filled the apartment.
This next paper was unlike the others, a bit shabby and poorly worded in some areas. Henry frowned, trying to decipher the text. Seems to be from a bit of an amateur in the business, shame… He had seen plenty of papers like this before, so he already got into the right state of mind for this one.
The familiar fwip and rustling of paper filled the room, even louder this time.
At first Henry didn’t pay it any attention. Then his movement stilted, frozen for merely a second. He blinked. The paper was still underneath his hand, as he had only gotten through half of it.
He looked to his right, at the forming tower of completed, organized paperwork. Not a one was out of place, nor on the ground on that side of the desk. He looked to his left, at the mirror Hyde had been residing in.
Hyde wasn’t lying down anymore.
His cheeks were puffed out in a frown, in concern. There was no paper around him. He was not the culprit to whatever had just made that noise. He seemed to know who it was, though. His eyes darted across the room, and motioned towards a mirror behind Henry. He put a little emphasis into it, with his head joining in directing as well.
Henry was, understandably, confused, but turned curiously around to see whatever source it could have been. Perhaps a book lost its page, or…
Someone could be seen sitting on Henry’s visitors chair, reading a healthily sized newspaper to boot.
Henry blinked, and turned around to face his front, and the culprit’s current chair.
No one, no body was sitting in the actual chair.
Henry’s eyes widened. He quickly turned to Hyde. He glanced fearfully to the other apparition in the mirror, then leaned into a whisper to Hyde. “Who is-!?”
That’s what I was going to ask you! Hyde’s rougher voice whispered back. (If one could reasonably classify it as “whispering”) How in God’s name should I know who the bloody hell that is!? I didn’ invite em!
“I-…” Henry ran a hand through his hair. So many thoughts ran through his mind. He was so used to Hyde being like this, creating imagery to haunt him and exploit his deepest anxieties. His face hardened, sighing out a deep breath. “Hyde. You lie to me and everyone around you enough as it is, I will not tolerate-”
Of all the anxieties, predictable insecurities, and exploitable darknesses in your heart, what could I POSSIBLY be aiming for by making some DUMBASS reading a newspaper? Hyde hissed, one eye twitching. His palms squeaked down the glass. Literally what in all of London, actually no, the goddamn world could that accomplish!?
“Alright! Alright, alright.” Henry motioned the blonde to calm, boy. He sighed again. He utterly despised being unsure about something. And Hyde didn’t monologue nearly enough before this stranger appeared to be behind it. It wasn’t obvious enough, either. Whatever it is, it’s subtle. And that screams Anti-Hyde, doesn’t it?
Hey! I can hear you ya know! Jackass! Hyde pounded on the glass a little. He crossed his arms and huffed. …Though I admit subtlety doesn’t work with the spirit of humanity’s evil, so I’ll let it slide.
“Oh boy… *ahem*-” Henry cleared his throat. He elegantly rose up from his chair. With perfect timing, he stepped politely towards the figure in the mirror. “Hello? Can you hear me… Sir?”
No response. Whatever the figure was, they only turned to the next page of the newspaper.
“Excuse me.” Henry waved high, where the figure’s eyes would hopefully (in theory) see. “I couldn’t help but, uh…” Henry squinted, finally taking a closer look at the newspaper the figure was reading. It had ‘LOCAL PRUNE AND LOST CHILD FRIGHTENED OF REFLECTION’ on the front cover. Henry’s jaw tightened a bit. Rude, dare I say. He shook his head. “I couldn’t help but notice you intruding?”
The figure, again, didn’t reply. They cleared their throat, and the newspaper rumbled a bit, but the norm of silence and reading returned.
Henry chewed on his lip. This one is stuffier than the stuffiest of nobles… He tapped his foot, not sure of how to proceed. “Good sir, I know you mean no harm, but if you would consider to-”
HEY! THE BLOKE IN THE CHAIR! Hyde yelled out.
HYDE! Jekyll turned quickly to the man in the mirror. He pressed his finger against his lips as hard as possible, as if that would double the shushing power.
Hyde put his hands up, and yelled louder. SITTING DOWN, READING THE LATEST ‘WHO CARES TIMES’?
Hmm? A voice rang behind the newspaper. The paper shook a bit, before finally folding down to reveal the passive perpetrator.
The most striking thing about the figure was their slicked back, orange hair. It complemented quite well with their icy blue eyes. Their face was sharp, but had a distinctive softness to it all the same. Their nose was a bit crooked down, and they possessed faint but noticeable sideburns. They were wearing a very pale blue dress shirt, brown pants, and an orange necktie. They looked rather bored.
They looked just close enough for someone to swear they were Henry’s sibling.
But Henry knew better, oh so much better. They looked vaguely like Henry Jekyll or Edward Hyde, in yet another costume. Different enough to not know from a glance, but to an acute eye they’d easily be ratted out.
Henry’s breaths were short, inconsistent as he backed away. “Th-That can’t be…” His knees wobbled like gelatin with each step, before he collapsed back into his seat. “What… ARE you?”
The figure blinked once. They stared at Henry for quite some time. …Huh? They said, their mouth hanging open. Their expression didn’t change from the same glazed, bored look.
Talkative little shit, ain’t they? Hyde scoffed.
Henry covered his mouth. It can’t be real, they have to be… a-a specter! Yes! We are being haunted! He sprung up from his chair, triumphantly pointing his finger in the air.
We are…? The figure looked around the room. Their voice was deadpan, lacking any care or attention to their surroundings.
Hyde rolled his eyes. Let me handle it already, this is my domain. He hopped from his mirror, landing on the armrest of the figure’s seat. He had a sharp, toothy grin staring down the figure. And I don’t appreciate bedmates. His eyes flashed with deadly intent.
The figure just looked back up at him. “Oh, uh… sorry, or something…” They lacked any feeling of being intimidated.
Hyde’s face shifted for but a moment, and he opted to put twice as much effort into his demonic grin. I don’t think you get what I’m saying… Do you realize what situation you’re in, possessing us? He leaned in obnoxiously close to the figure, inches away and smiling not unlike a hyena. Jekyll may be as weak as tissue paper, but I am a billowing cauldron of toxin and evil. Hyde’s eyes grew dark, black as ink. His body’s form waned, opting to spread out like a misty, chaotic cloud. A willowing scourge of humanity given form! Do you really think forcing yourself in here is anything short of a bloody end? Hyde completely surrounded the figure.
Hmm… The figure looked to the side, where Henry watched in concern. They looked back to Hyde’s black eyes and responded with a shrug. …I dunno.
Hyde’s body solidified, still a bit green and abstract but together. The inky black eyes returned back to normal. His eyebrows furrowed so much deeper, but his jaw was slack and stuck in an open smile. Hah? What?
I mean, like, whatever… The figure shrugged again. They returned back to their newspaper, and flipped to the next page.
Hyde’s mouth was hanging open. His body was completely back to the skinny blonde a minute ago. What.
“Oh good lord…” Henry could only pinch his brow. This was barbaric. A trick of the mind, he prayed, was cause for this.
The figure hid back behind their wall of newspaper, just as inattentive as ever.
Hyde looked at them in disbelief. …What in London’s underbelly is with this nut? He snapped a couple of times in front of the figure’s face. Ya think I’m messing around or something? …Hello?
The figure still didn’t respond, or seem to care. It left Hyde in a state we’re going to define as “irked.” Hyde’s definition would be more of the lines of “pretty goddamn pissed off.”
“Hyde, I don’t think that’s going to work…” Henry frowned. He faced away from them, finger instinctively tapping against his soft cheek. It could still be a specter, perhaps I should ask Dr. Maijabi for assistance…?
Course it’ll work just-, *grunt*, -let me-, Hyde put both hands in front of the figure’s face, waving them up and down. Upon seeing that still no change was imminent, he threw his arms high up into the air. Come on! Are you even reading this thing!? Hyde tugged on the paper.
The figure shrugged. I dunno.
You don’t-!? Hyde’s fingers ran forcefully through his hair. He was struggling to find words.
“Hyde! Hyde, calm down, let’s… calm down.” Henry took a long, deep breath. He nodded faintly, but consistently. “How about… your name? If you would?”
… The figure scratched their cheek.
Hyde pointed to them in a “Get a load of this guy,” kind of way. If he couldn’t annoy the figure, he would annoy Henry.
Henry sharply inhaled through his nose. “Please. Tell me. I sincerely insist.”
Uh… The figure clicked their tongue. The look on their face indicated something neither of the men were expecting from them: a thinking one. …Steve.
“S-Steve.” Henry clarified.
Mmm. Steven flipped to their next page. I guess.
I guess-…!? Hyde leaned over the paper, looking down at Steve. His frustration softened, and twisted to a face of devilish mischief. Hey, ya realize ya got boobs, right Steve? Huh? He grinned widely.
“I suppose Steve is-, Wait. Oh no, oh no.” Henry took one long stride, getting as close to the mirror as possible. He put his hands on the glass, looking in on the scene.
…Hmm? Steve let the newspaper flutter down on their knees. They looked down at their chest. Sure enough, there was curvature, indicating breasts. They poked a boob. …Don’t see that… every day…
“Oh please.” Henry leaned back, hand dragging against his face. He knees buckled ever so slightly, making it look like he had suddenly gotten heavier. “Please don’t tell me you’re some inane metaphor for abandoned womanhood.”
Steve grunted. Don’t really do that whole… gender… thing. They scratched their head.
Hyde cackled. Hah! Lucky break, I ‘spose, huh Jekyll? Don’t need ta bind twice as hard today, huh?
Henry’s entire body relaxed in relief. “Oh thank God.” He groaned, straightening up. He dragged his hand down his tired face. The moment his hand passed his eyes, they met with Steve’s.
Steve’s icy blue stare was piercing, as lax as it was. If Steve had gotten serious, they could seriously kill with a look. It made Jekyll distinctly uncomfortable to think about.
“Alright, Steve… Could you mind telling me what it is you are, exactly?” Henry politely asked. He gave a hopeful little smile. A smile that could sway numerous men and women, but not Steve.
Steve shrugged. Again. Dunno how I could know, if you don’t. They replied.
Henry sighed. An intense sense of frustration washed over him. “I suppose you’re right, but… ” Hyde has been poking Steve’s cheek. Steve didn’t seem to notice. “You can’t just not be something, you realize! Myself and Hyde are the separation of one’s natural two states of good and evil. If going by that logic, you must therefore be…?” He hopefully passed it onto the mirror world.
Steve. Steve said.
“Steve represents…Steve.” Henry’s eye twitched.
Good. Evil. Steve. Really all the same, bloody morality. Hyde sneered in joy. He grinned to Jekyll. Now this is exciting! I wasn’t predicting someone like this stiff’d ever undo you! You’re practically collapsing under the weight of a paper bag!
“Of course I would! Why aren’t you?”
Hyde beamed. He laid down on the armrest, head in his hands and legs daintily kicking up. They got under your skin, they don’t seem all bad to me~.
“Of course…” Henry groaned. “We can’t have them here. Send them back, wherever they came from.”
How the hell are we gonna do that? Hyde looked disgusted at the idea of working, especially with Henry.
“I just. I don’t want it here, I don’t believe it’s apart of us!” Henry exclaimed.
I didn’t say I was… Steve mumbled.
“Who knows what could happen if we let them stay! You could get absorbed by them, they could still be a ghost, or demon, or anything that sucks us of energy or morality.” Henry shook his head. “They’re an absolute threat, for now. And I will treat them as such.”
Yeah! That’s my job! Hyde hopped off of Steve’s armrest. Don’t be stealing my thunder, Steve! I’m the embodiment of threatening, but painted inky black with darkness! He cackled like a madmen.
…Inky black lightning? Hmm. Steve raised an eyebrow.
Oh please! You’d go ballistic over seeing it, which I am still the embodiment of! Hyde huffed, turning away from the unimpressed reader.
“Right. Right. Alright.” Henry nodded his head, confident. “We’ll approach Dr. Maijabi, he’ll know how to dispel the creature in a crack!” Henry smiled. “Do stay out of the way, Hyde, if Maijabi has to dive into our psyche for this? He doesn’t need to know of other tenants.” Henry slyly winked.
UGGGH. Hyde’s limbs went limp in childish protest. Fine. But you had better write down every agonizing detail this one goes through, that’s half the fun alone.
Mmm. Steve’s only response to the numerous threats of erasure from existence.
“Now, let’s see, if it’s about 5:30 on a Tuesday than Dr. Maijabi should be…” Henry counted on his hand. He had memorized all of his scientists’ schedules, and then some. “If I recall correctly he should be-”
“Knock knock knock!” Came a familiar voice from the other side of his office door. “Is Jekyll there?”
Henry’s eyes widened. “R-Robert? Was that Robert?”
More importantly, did he seriously just say “knock knock knock” without even knocking? Hyde raised an eyebrow. That’s just embarrassing.
Henry shook his head. “But it’s Tuesday, it’s…” Henry’s face fell like a rock. “It’s Tuesday. I completely forgot about the dinner party he invited me too!” His hands ran through his hair.
Wow, completely off your game, Jekyll. You should be more like Steve, here, like a rock. Hyde patted Steve’s shoulder.
Don’t touch me. Steve said.
Henry bit his lip, than quickly opened his office’s front door. “R-Robert! There you are!”
Robert Lanyon, Henry Jekyll’s closest friend and cohort, stood happy as a clam in the doorway. His brown, puffy cheeks were as soft as ever. “Well, hello, hello to you too, Henry! You haven’t been drinking alone in your office, now, have you?”
“Oh, just enough to get through the bills…” Henry tugged at his collar. Steve’s stare still burned into him.
“No wonder you’re fashionably unprepared.” Robert flipped through the heavy stack of papers. “But no matter! All the better timing from me, then!” He grinned.
Henry still felt anxious around the specter next to Hyde, but Robert’s mere presence brought a smile to his face. He chuckled softly. “Oh? And why is that?”
“What better man to finally let Doctor Jekyll get some relaxation in than myself?” Robert did a quick skip back to Henry. “You’ve had enough trite and smite with these companies for the moment, fancy a dinner party with yours truly?” He grinned ear to ear. “Even though you already said yes, of course.”
“I couldn’t possibly say no even if I tried, Robert.” Henry’s cheeks flushed a healthy red.
UUGH, get a room already, you two! Hyde gagged.
But they already have a room… Steve observed.
Hyde furrowed his eyebrows. I know that. It’s a metaphor.
…It is? Steve actually looked vaguely surprised, for once.
“Well, what are we waiting for, then?” Robert beamed, locking an elbow with Henry.
Henry sighed. No, this is what I need right now. “Nothing that I can think of.”
“Then get dressed, and let’s be on our merry way, yes?” Robert patted Henry’s chest.
Henry’s smile grew wider. He placed a hand where Robert patted him. “Yes. Let’s.”
Henry let Robert tug him around like an animal, even if it was just for the short time to get to his correct attire. He was already quite aware of the party’s high etiquette attitude, but felt he’d be relaxed this time ‘round for sure.
Ugh. I feel nauseous. I’m sitting this one out. You deal with his big-cheeked obsession. Hyde pointed to Steve before vanishing away.
Eh, whatever… Steve flipped their newspaper yet again.
As Robert dragged Henry out of the office’s doors, Doctor Henry Jekyll looked one last time back to the mirror. Steve hadn’t budged an inch that entire time, still reading. He nodded.
I suppose there’s no harm right now in keeping Steve for tonight… What’s the worst a passive, dormant thing like Steve could pull off, anyway? Henry nodded one last time before leaving that serene little office, shutting the door behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exactly One Week Later
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Wow.”
“Hmm?”
“Just. Wow.”
No shit this all warrants a “wow”, Sherlock.
“Hyde, do note we’ve already met Dr. Holmes. His sense of intelligence was a tad conflated.”
“Ohh, ahahah,” Robert chuckled, turning over in the bed. “Am I led to believe we have an audience? How promiscuous, Henry.” Robert gave him a peck on the cheek.
Gone was the quiet, orderly space of the office that confined Henry Jekyll for so many days on end. Now, with the setting sun on the horizon, Henry found himself laying next to his “best friend” Robert, and in Robert’s own bed no less. And Robert didn’t hesitate to let the slightly transparent bed curtains give them “privacy.” Henry only saw the illuminated silhouettes of Hyde and Steve through them.
Is that the right bloody use of the word? He’d probably think handholding is promiscuous. Hyde growled. He jumped on one of Robert’s desks, perched like a bird.
“Hush, Hyde.” Henry said out loud. He grimaced, thinking of Robert next to them. “Um, sorry. Even if I told them to go away, Hyde doesn’t exactly listen…”
Humph. Steve said.
Henry winced. “…B-Both of them now.”
“Oh, let them see.” Robert turned over, partially laying on Henry. “I do believe I promised to love the entirety of you anyway, didn’t I? What’s a few alters to the mix?”
Gaaaaawd. Hyde groaned.
Steve shrugged. Eh, whatever.
Henry let the breath slip out of him, and then nodded. His eyes shone in the twilight sun. “Y-Yes.”
Robert snickered, now hovering over Henry. The sun made his skin give such a warm tone to it, but still drape him in just enough shadows above the doctor. He leaned in close, only giving Henry a whisper. “Hyde is still as hesitant as a school boy to real romance, I imagine?”
No! Hyde didn’t give Henry a second of time to respond. Who could focus on “real romance” with his stupid chubby cheeks getting in the way, and-, and he just thought whispering into your ear would SOMEHOW not let me hear it! How could that possibly work!?
Henry dragged his hand down his face. “He’s fallen head over heels for you and refuses to see or admit it, at the moment.”
JEKYLL! Hyde’s form vibrated and abstracted into green clouds, but hardly hid his cheeks. Cheeks so reddened even Henry could make them out.
You gonna actually deny it, or…? Steve grunted.
SHUT UUUPP STEVE! Hyde whined.
Henry covered his mouth, feeling like he was watching two children bicker. “R-Right…I suppose I can relate.”
Robert grinned. “All the more celebratory when I finally get him to admit it like yourself. Now what were you just “wow-ing over, if I may ask?” Using his finger, he etched a little circle on Henry’s nose, right before giving it a firm tap.
Henry let out a small, gaspy laugh. “Oh, well, the everything? I suppose.”
“Oh yes…” Robert nodded, recalling. “Quite the week, has it not been? Seems almost every problem daunting us has gone right down the crapper.” He stayed silent for a couple of seconds. Then he shrugged. “And since we’re already well acquainted with every event that happened, no reason to discuss them in detail!”
That would be weird. Steve mumbled, rustling their newspaper.
Henry could only see manage to see Steve through a sliver between the curtains. On their newspaper it read “DAY IS SAVED. JEKYLL STILL HORNY ANYWAY” on it. Henry gulped. “Yes, let’s save that for later. But do you mind?” His eyes motioned to his left. Robert couldn’t tell, but it was the desk Hyde was perched on.
“Oh? None at all, Henry. Don’t be too long now-.” He gave a quick, giddy wink. “-Dear~.”
Henry’s cheeks flushed. He had to cover his mouth as he giggled. “Y-Yes, of course, of course.” He cleared his throat, proceeding to sit and straighten up like a board. “Hyde.”
Christ almighty, I don’t want to hear it. Hyde sagged on his perch. He limply hung over the side, resembling a doll that only finds stability in its feet being nailed down.
“I think you do, Edward.” Henry nodded. He calmly crossed his arms on his lap.
Hyde’s ears perked up. His limp frame came back to stability, on top of his (but mostly Robert’s) nest. …Fine. I’m listening.
Henry nodded. "Edward Hyde, I... really can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I finally understand us. Through this potion you were created, and I assumed you my true self. Evil incarnate, and harboring all my desires, but I hardly considered the possibility you were just your own person.”
Hyde’s form relaxed. He let his legs dangle off of the table, due to his height. He didn’t say anything in response.
I think... we may finally be able to get along. Not as good and evil, persona and truth, or any other metaphor of humanity, but as two entities in one body. And I think I'm fully committed to that idea, Edward. Can you accept that as well?”
Hyde sat wordless, still but a silhouette in the curtain. He looked down for but a moment. He hopped off the table, and walked to the security of the bed.
Edward materialized, poking his head through the opening in the curtains. Fine.
Henry beamed. His enthusiasm was so infectious; one could swear to see the sparkles hovering around him. “I’m overjoyed to hear that!”
Yeah, don’t push it. Edward growled. He was clearly frustrated at his downsizing from creature of sin and darkness of the night, but couldn’t exactly say “no” either. And don’t think this means I’m not going to stop having my fun! I’ve had it up to here with dealing with your “reputation.”
“I’m assuming it went well?” Robert tapped Henry’s arm.
“Oh, without question.” He shuffled back downwards under the covers. “And it couldn’t have been done without… Steve.” He motioned towards Steve’s chair.
Yeah, yeah-, Steve flipped their newspaper. Whatever.
Henry frowned. “Though I seriously doubt they were actually trying to…”
“Reminds me of someone I happen to know.” Robert looked to Henry, smiling with his usual puffy cheeked demeanor.
UGH. Edward pulled back out from the curtains. Can you two just get back to shagging, already? Leave me out of this cushy mushy garbage.
Henry laughed. “Well, you heard the man, Robert.”
“Hmm.” Robert tapped his lip. “I don’t think I did.” His grin grew back twice as strong. “But, I think I heard him all the same nonetheless.” He wrapped his arms around Jekyll, tapping his forehead against his.
Oh that’s just disgusting. Edward gagged. Have fun with Mr. Positively Perfect, Henry.
Henry grinned, overjoyed. “Robert, he said my first name.”
Robert chuckled. “Oh good, I was about to do the same thing.”
Wow. Steve looked up from their newspaper as Henry and Robert became as close as humanly possible.
Uh… The End, I guess…