The more I think about it, the more the interpretation makes sense to me that Rachel did unconsciously recognize Henry in Hyde and projected him next to Eli onto Hyde as well. It also explains why she reacts differently to them.
Hyde's the side of her friend who accepts and welcomes her affection and help, but still runs away from her and is reckless with his weelbeing. (And his appearance coincided with Henry's sudden improvement.) Jekyll is the side who refused her help for the longest time while he was deeply unwell, until he (seemingly) got better on his own, and still keeps some distance between him and her.
Which is an awful combination because of her specific trauma and how it is triggered.
Rachel makes Hyde sound younger and more helpless than he is. It's not only because of Eli. She's remembering the time when Henry wasted away from apathy and despair in his bed. Jekyll always tries to appear perfect and healthy.
She feels like she has to protect Hyde in front of and against Jekyll. Henry has a known history of ignoring his (physical) needs, even now that he's better than two years ago.
And Rachel gets upset at Jekyll denying that she has any reason to worry about Hyde. Angry, stressed, she tries to make him give her information about Hyde's whereabouts. Jekyll barely ever tells how he's really feeling, so she knows bitterly by now that asking anything about Jekyll himself is futile.
Her lingering resentment, anger, and sadness at Henry for pushing her away, for making her feel helpless in the face of a loved one suffering, spill out when Jekyll unknowingly rejects her attempts to reach him. When Hyde runs from her attempts to reach him. Over and over again. And Jekyll is the easier target for her anger, because he hasn't allowed closeness at all.
Henry's been hiding from her, in fear of her knowing him and of her potential rejection.
Rachel's begging him in increasing desperation and fear for Henry to let her in, and he won't let her hear his screams for help.
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@rachelpidgley , @afkphorabit , @inkyrainstorms , @feuerscram, @quilna , @sk3tchpadd - I thought you might like this analysis / headcanon!
Can you see yourself in the mirror?
Finally clean of his day obliviously spent as a missing man, Robert stepped out of the shower in newer, more comfortable clothes with no ungodly muck on his hair. He felt like a weight was pulled off his shoulders; some amount of his stress was satisfyingly replaced with the far more comfortable inconvenience of simple exhaustion setting in. It was subtly surprising that, after a day probably unconscious, the most pressing need on his mind was to sleep.
And it would've been the only thing on his mind if, upon walking out of the shower and back into his bedroom, he hadn't been instantly met with a question. Lanyon paused, still at the threshold, blinking wearily- he was caught somewhat off guard.
"If I can see myself in… the mirror?" Robert's brow furrowed- it was a confusing question. Or rather, he wanted to believe it was, but he wasn't dim enough to really think he didn't get it- there was a reason it was being asked, and the implications were… concerning. Almost offensive. Mostly concerning. He didn't deliberate in looking to the side, towards the cheval glass in the corner of the room, placed at an angle just so he couldn't see himself or the figures on the wall immediately.
Holding his breath, he walked towards the cheval glass, reaching out toward its wooden edge as it grew closer.
Robert Lanyon would never admit it, but he breathed a small sigh of relief when his own face stared back at him from the glass. A relaxed and triumphant smile formed half-hearted on his lips, as if he were proving something by seeing himself there - as if looking his reflection in the eye was enough to prove a subtle little suspicion wrong so it would never come up again. So he'd be free of it easily.
"I can. Of course I can, why wouldn't I be able to?"
He deliberately ignored the vanity on the other side of the room, by his bed, just out of his own view from the cheval glass. Deliberately ignored the expensive, adorned silver mirror on it that he himself had chosen when it was bought.
really need to draw the blorbos being funny and silly and queer to alleviate the strange fixated tension i've been feeling that has been preventing me from interacting with the fandom most of the time while waiting for the chapter to end. if anybody has any silly prompts or references i could draw jekyon/lanyde in i'd greatly appreciate if you sent me them o7
So. I have exactly ONE idea. And maybe it's not that great of an idea.
But. Here me out.
Hyde and Robert. In a pub. Hyde chatting very excitedly about something, and Lanyon just gazing lovingly at him. And both being drunk.
I know we already have that in the comic with Henry (in chapter eleven I think?) but this time with Hyde!
That or them hugging.
All hail the hugs.
Can you see yourself in the mirror?
Finally clean of his day obliviously spent as a missing man, Robert stepped out of the shower in newer, more comfortable clothes with no ungodly muck on his hair. He felt like a weight was pulled off his shoulders; some amount of his stress was satisfyingly replaced with the far more comfortable inconvenience of simple exhaustion setting in. It was subtly surprising that, after a day probably unconscious, the most pressing need on his mind was to sleep.
And it would've been the only thing on his mind if, upon walking out of the shower and back into his bedroom, he hadn't been instantly met with a question. Lanyon paused, still at the threshold, blinking wearily- he was caught somewhat off guard.
"If I can see myself in… the mirror?" Robert's brow furrowed- it was a confusing question. Or rather, he wanted to believe it was, but he wasn't dim enough to really think he didn't get it- there was a reason it was being asked, and the implications were… concerning. Almost offensive. Mostly concerning. He didn't deliberate in looking to the side, towards the cheval glass in the corner of the room, placed at an angle just so he couldn't see himself or the figures on the wall immediately.
Holding his breath, he walked towards the cheval glass, reaching out toward its wooden edge as it grew closer.
Robert Lanyon would never admit it, but he breathed a small sigh of relief when his own face stared back at him from the glass. A relaxed and triumphant smile formed half-hearted on his lips, as if he were proving something by seeing himself there - as if looking his reflection in the eye was enough to prove a subtle little suspicion wrong so it would never come up again. So he'd be free of it easily.
"I can. Of course I can, why wouldn't I be able to?"
He deliberately ignored the vanity on the other side of the room, by his bed, just out of his own view from the cheval glass. Deliberately ignored the expensive, adorned silver mirror on it that he himself had chosen when it was bought.
Goddddddd thinking about that narrative moment when something horrible is happening and the character who has been frantically trying to come up with a way to fix it and getting more and more frantic and panicky just—stops. Because. Oh. There’s the solution. They’re not getting out of this alive but like. It’s a solution for everyone else. Okay. Okay.
Why would you do this to me.
and!!!! like!!!! obviously this is delicious when you hit your Self Sacrifice Archetype with it, but honestly I think it's even chewier when you give it to, like. someone with a selfish streak. The one with some arrogance who's maybe not quite a team player. leans more towards loner. Give this moment to the one party member who has been shown to prioritize their own survival over everything else.
And then the eye-of-the-storm realization of "Oh. Huh. I am not making it to the end of the story. but everyone else is going to. Isn't it strange, that I'm not more upset?"
really need to draw the blorbos being funny and silly and queer to alleviate the strange fixated tension i've been feeling that has been preventing me from interacting with the fandom most of the time while waiting for the chapter to end. if anybody has any silly prompts or references i could draw jekyon/lanyde in i'd greatly appreciate if you sent me them o7
So. I have exactly ONE idea. And maybe it's not that great of an idea.
But. Here me out.
Hyde and Robert. In a pub. Hyde chatting very excitedly about something, and Lanyon just gazing lovingly at him. And both being drunk.
I know we already have that in the comic with Henry (in chapter eleven I think?) but this time with Hyde!
That or them hugging.
All hail the hugs.
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
Thank you, thank you!
Jekyll definitely deserved that scolding, and Rachel needed to get her anger and grief out. Maybe they had no other choice with their performance, but that doesn't change how much it initially hurt those closest to them.
People going for the hugs you can just feel because they press you so close against them, and they press so close against you. I love seeing them in art. She's pressing the side of her face into Henry's chest, because damn, she thought for some time (again!) that she's lost him and Hyde. When looking, I keep thinking that it gives her the unexpected bonus that she can hear his heart beating.
#imagine hyde laughing at Jekyll too pls #and jekyll gives some indication that hyde is laughing and sweetly tells the wall (Hyde) that she's coming for his ass next
I'm cackling. I've imagined that Hyde's laughter chokes and dies on a squeak when Rachel says that.
His blush worsens when Henry, laughing, tells her that he can feel Edward blushing from embarrassment.
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!
important to note that she threatened the hell out of him with her knife before this, so he's still shellshocked. if he EVER pulls some stupid shit like this again, she is personally going to march into purgatory and drag him back out into the land of the living by his hair
@worldbeyondtheworld your request!!