Myfanwy curled up on her couch, Wolfgang at her feet and mug of steaming black coffee in her hand, TV on but she wasn’t watching. All Myfanwy could think about was that poor psychic duck and the fool who’d torn his guts out. Wattleman had insisted the Court take the rest of the day off to heal from the shock of their (his) long-awaited search to find England’s famous future-seeing animal. Naturally, Myfanwy had tried to go back to work, but when she walked back to her office, Ingrid had been waiting for her with Myfanwy’s purse in her hand. Unable to argue with her secretary, Myfanwy was dropped off at home with nothing to do.
She was still in her work clothes, a gray cardigan over a short, grey skirt and stockings. She had no idea what to do with herself and had elected to stay in her work clothes while she reclined on her couch. What was there to do? Ingrid had ensured that all her files stayed in the office and seemed just a little too eager to rip work away from her. Myfanwy had nothing to do.
With a sigh, she leaned forward to scratch at Wolfgang’s soft ears. It was dreadful to think that if he’d turned out to be more than a cuddly baby, a stranger would have gutted him to try and find the future in his innards. Myfanwy shivered at the thought. Only the search for the duck had brought her her beloved pet and now it was over. It felt... weird. Like she’d closed a book on a long chapter in her life that was always meant to be open. Like a thought left on the back burner was finally finished.
This would probably make a good letter to herself when she lost her memory. And it was a bit exciting to explain to the only person who understood herself about the scene in the elevator with Gestalt. Her crush on Robert had died a long time ago, but for poor and very single Myfanwy, just having him fix her hair was enough for her to feel a swell of hope. Just that little bit of attention had temporarily revived her crush on Gestalt. It would pass when she saw his awful temper again. But still...
Myfanwy sighed again. It would be another lonely night with the little toy on her nightstand. At least writing the letters to herself made her feel a little less lonely. Whoever would wake up in her body probably wouldn’t be her, but knowing they were coming and would either run off to live a happy life far from the Checquey or were willing to stay and fight for her... It made Myfanwy a little bit—secretly—happy.
Maybe she should write that letter now after all. As leaned down to set her coffee mug on the table when the doorbell rang. Odd. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Scooping Wolfgang off her feet, Myfanwy scurried to the doorbell camera and peered down at two of Gestalt’s bodies. Alex and Teddy—the twins. They were shifting uncomfortably, clearly annoyed.
Great. What did they want?
Myfanwy pressed the buzzer. “Rook Gestalt,” Myfanwy greeted tersely. “What do I owe the pleasure?”
“My secretary is making me take the day off,” Teddy said.
“All of me,” Alex added.
"And so you decided to holiday here?"
Teddy sucked his teeth while Alex continued, "Ingrid insisted I stop by to make sure you weren't working. And gave me something to drop off."
"You should really warn your secretary to mind her rank." Gestalt added, "Ordering a member of the Court around like she's the fucking queen..."
Myfanwy cringed but didn't speak. That sounded like Ingrid alright. "You can just leave it outside," Myfanwy said. "I'll grab it in a minute."
"No can do," Gestalt replied. "I want to see what was so important that a retainer ordered a Rook to deliver."
Shit. She really didn't want him in her house, but arguing with Gestalt would probably lead to her door being snapped in half—especially taking into consideration that two extra bodies were wandering around London. "Fine. Take off your shoes in the foyer."
Myfanwy hurried down the stairs and unlocked the door. Gestalt stared down at her—man, his cologne smelled good—and lifted the paper bag in his hand like a peace offering. Hesitantly, she took it, a little startled by how much it weighed, and stepped back to allow them inside.
Being this close to him twice in one day was strange, to say the least. She rarely met with Gestalt face to face, let alone shared such... intimate space with him. She could still remember how his fingers felt tangled in her hair, how his chest rose and fell under her hands as she fixed his tie.
And now he was at her house. In her doorstep. Inside. Mere inches away. Oh, God.
It occurred to Myfanwy then that this was a setup by their secretaries who caught them primping in the elevator earlier that day. Of course, Ingrid was too smart for her own good and meddled exactly where Myfanwy was sore—in her loneliness.
But Gestalt had a partner—maybe. Eliza had been pregnant multiple times during Myfanwy's time as Rook. Was Gestalt polygamous? Huh, she'd never thought to ask until now. And by ask she meant wonder about privately and maybe gossip with Ingrid about. If she brought it up with Gestalt, she was liable to end up like the Manifestations he took care of.
Alex kicked off his shoes while Teddy slipped his off. Gestalt was eerily good at pretending to be different people, even around the people who knew his secret. Myfanwy shuddered, then climbed the stairs with Gestalt following after her.
Back up in her living room, Wolfgang scurried under the couch. Both of Gestalt's heavy footsteps must have startled him. Poor guy. Myfanwy couldn't blame him, she wanted to do the same.
She set the bag on her coffee table, expecting Gestalt to be leaning over her shoulder to peek inside. Instead, she found him studying her living room and kitchen. Alex was going through her fridge and Teddy was staring at her bookshelf.
"You read in your spare time, too?" Gestalt asked. "Should have figured you'd be like this outside the office, too."
Heat rushed to Myfanwy's cheeks. She wanted to say something snarky and rude, but all she could feel was an embarrassment. Being prepared for a Manifestation was one thing, having a comeback ready for an ill-tempered hivemind was another.
"Oh, this is some nice wine!" Gestalt popped the cork out of the bottle Myfanwy had started last night and poured himself two glasses.
"I'm opening the bag," Myfanwy said, irritated and hoping he'd lose interest and leave already.
Teddy glanced back at her, then approached. "What is it?"
"I haven't opened it yet," Myfanwy murmured. She rummaged inside and felt something hard and square wrapped in paper. There was a note on top:
"Dear Myfanwy, I've taken the liberty of setting up a game to help you and Rook Gestalt relax. Please enjoy at your leisure and return this to me when you come back into the office. My daughter will be sore with me if this is missing for too long. Yours, Ingrid."
Something that belonged to Ingrid's daughter? Myfanwy had no idea what it could be, especially something she was supposed to share with Gestalt.
"What does the note say?" He asked.
Myfanwy flipped it over. "We're supposed to share it." She tugged off the brown wrapping paper and stared at the colorful box of a Nintendo Switch.
"A game console?" Gestalt pulled the box from her hands. "Our secretaries want us to play video games on our mandatory leave?"
"By the way," Gestalt called from Alex's body, "what toppings do you want on your pizza?"
Myfanwy blinked. "Pizza?"
"Eliza's picking one up. So what do you want?"
The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs startled Myfanwy. She whirled to see Robert heading towards them. Behind her, Teddy was already pulling on cables to set up the switch.
This was dizzying. Normally Gestalt only brought one or two of his bodies into the office. With three of them here, it was hard to stay focused—or even defensive. If she looked at one body too long, one might just sneak into her bedroom to ruffle through her things.
Good thing she never gave them a house tour. But pizza! Jeez, she really didn't know. "Uh, I guess maybe spinach? I'm not really a huge fan of pizza."
All three sets of Gestalt's eyes fixed themselves on Myfanwy. "You don't like pizza?"
"It's heavy..." She muttered.
Gestalt rolled their eyes. "Fine, I'll get you spinach and cheese then. That should be boring enough for you."
Myfanwy's cheeks warmed. "And what are you getting? It better not be anything that would stink up my house."
"Each body likes something different. Eliza prefers onion and spinach while Robert gets a classic margarita. Teddy and Alex both like meat lovers, though Alex enjoys his with ranch."
"Huh," she replied.
Wait, if Eliza was getting the pizza and the three other bodies were already in her house... Myfanwy's stomach dropped. All four of Gestalt's bodies were going to be in her house. Where she lived. She never should have answered the door.
Myfanwy made a mental note to leave a note for Ingrid in kind when she returned the Switch.
"Are there enough remotes to play Mario Kart?" Robert said suddenly. He rummaged through the bag and brought out two more boxes with extra remotes. "Good. We're going to kick your ass."
All three bodies smirked.
"Alright, it's all setup," Teddy announced. He sank himself down in one of the armchairs, opening the menu for Mario Kart. "Eliza should be here in twenty so we might as well start."
"What happened to you being annoyed about all this?" Myfanwy huffed as she sat on her couch.
Robert sat on the other side of her. He was wearing the same lovely cologne as the twins. Why did it have to be him sitting next to her? The best looking of all of Gestalt's bodies right next to her in her own house. He didn't leave much space between them, either. "That was before I knew I could destroy you. I can't wait to see you cry." And there was his awful personality. Wasn't it enough that he enjoyed watching her vomit during interrogations?
Myfanwy snapped, "I'm not going to cry over a video game!"
"We'll see," Gestalt smirked. He handed her one of the remotes.
And it occurred to her then—she'd never played this game before. Shit. She had no idea what the controls were, and Gestalt was skipping over all the tutorial stuff. But if she asked him to pause and let her read, he'd make fun of her.
"Why do you look sour already?" Alex smirked from his spot on the floor. "Determined to lose, are we?"
"Just start the game."
"With pleasure."
They selected their cars and characters and Myfanwy knew that she was going to lose—and bad. The countdown started and the other three cars peeled out. Myfanwy frantically jabbed at buttons until her car took off and veered right off the edge.
Gestalt stifled a laugh. "Really aiming for first, aren't we?"
Myfanwy pursed her lips trying to focus. Her car was towed by a turtle on a cloud and set back on the track. With another round of fiddling, she set the car off to a crawl in the correct direction. Better than nothing. But she was still going to lose. Well, technically all she needed to do was beat one of Gestalt's bodies. That should be easy enough—right?
Somehow she managed to get a power-up and knocked one of the other cars off the track. Alex muttered under his breath as he waited for his car to be set back on the track.
Maybe she could at least succeed in not being teased. Okay, she just needed to keep that up to get ahead—
Loud heels clicked on the hardwood upstairs and Myfanwy nearly dropped the remote when she saw Eliza strutting through her house with five boxes of pizzas and her office stilettos still on.
"Gestalt," Myfanwy cried, "your bloody shoes!"
All four bodies froze for a moment, then resumed playing. "Can't set down the pizza downstairs, there's nowhere to put them. I'll take my shoes off in a moment," Teddy said.
"If the hardwood gets scratched my housekeeper is going to wring my neck!"
"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Eliza said. She set the pizza down on the kitchen island, then with exaggerated movements, took off her heels and flung them down the stairs. "Happy?"
"Ecstati—"
"Yes!" Alex shouted.
Myfanwy whirled around to see plainly that she'd lost. Run out of time and given fourth place.
Gestalt high-fived himself. "I knew the shoes would distract you."
If they were in the office, Myfanwy would have had to keep herself professional and polite. Good thing she was at home. "You cheating bastard!"
"All's fair in Mario Kart," Alex grinned. "And now it's time for pizza." He sipped at his wine.
Robert slumped on the couch, setting the switch remote on the table. "I'm starving."
"Where are your plates?" Eliza asked.
Myfanwy jumped to her feet and nearly tripped over Wolfgang emerging from his hiding spot. That fat little bastard was coming out to beg!
At her startled yelp, Gestalt turned all of his heads in her direction, bodies tense and ready for action until Eliza said, "Is that a rabbit?"
"Wait," it was Teddy's body speaking now. "That's the not-actually-a-psychic-rabbit that was picked up in Bath."
"Why is he here?" Gestalt asked.
"I got to keep him," Myfanwy muttered, scooping him up in her arms. His big, shiny eyes were focused on the pizza. "The Checquy would have euthanized him or given him to a shelter, but after some paperwork and pleading with Wattleman, I got to keep him."
Gestalt was silent a moment. Myfanwy waited for him to berate her, insult her for being soft-hearted, or having a slightly unusual pet. Instead, she was shocked when Alex stood up and approached her. "Can I hold him?"
"He's pretty shy around men," Myfanwy said. "He might bite. Or scratch you." She actually didn't know if any of that was true, no men had been in her house since it was shown to her by a realtor. Plus, for as long as she has him, Wolfgang had only been agreeable and cuddly—unless food was involved. Sometimes he was closer to a pig than a rabbit. "If he does you can't be mean to him," Myfanwy added, "or I'll tell Wattleman."
"I've been bitten by worse." Gestalt held out his hand and carefully, Myfanwy transferred Wolfgang.
Immediately, the rabbit looked at Myfanwy, half ready to thump his disapproval before Gestalt began to pet him. Gently, he ran his hands down Wolfgang's round form. Myfanwy had never seen Gestalt gentle with anything. He'd never even brought pictures of their kids into the office. It was kind of nice to know those big, calloused hands of his could be used for something other than horror.
"I think he likes you," Myfanwy said.
Behind them, Eliza began to distribute plates of pizza. Myfanwy sat back down on the couch and was surprised when Alex slid into the other side. Robert had moved over a bit, but not enough so that Myfanwy was free from touching two of Gestalt's bodies. He didn't seem to mind.
Myfanwy reached for her pizza just as Wolfgang broke out of Gestalt's grip. On reflex, she lifted it out of her rabbit's reach only for him to leap over her lap and into Robert's. All four of Gestalt's bodies watched as Wolfgang snapped his teeth and took a massive bite of Robert's pizza.
"You little rat!" Myfanwy ripped Wolfgang off the pizza and set him on the floor. "I'm so sorry, I should have warned you that he likes to go after food. He pretends like I don't feed him."
Robert's face curled into a sneer, then he sighed and tossed his pizza back onto the plate.
"I'm just irritated with the day," Gestalt said.
Myfanwy watched him, waiting for Gestalt to snap, calculating where she'd need to touch his bodies to defend herself. But Robert collapsed, his head dropping into Myfanwy's lap.
They all stared at Robert.
"Gestalt?" Myfanwy asked, looking up at Alex.
He looked just as shocked as she was. "I..." He leaned over her, feeling Robert's forehead before hissing. "He's got a fever. Shit, I must have pushed him too hard yesterday."
"Can you get him up?"
On the floor, Wolfgang leaned back on his hind legs, peering up at the couch.
"If I jump into his body, the rest of me is going to get sleepy. It's probably best to let him sleep."
Wolfgang thumped loudly, drawing Gestalt's attention. "Why is he doing that?"
"He wants to be on my lap," Myfanwy explained. She was still processing that one of Gestalt's bodies was sleeping in Wolfgang's favorite spot—her. In her house. Not just any of his bodies but the one she'd had a crush on back at the Estate.
"Temperamental that one." Eliza scooped up Wolfgang and settled him on her lap in one of the other chairs. He stopped thumping and let himself be pet.
"Do you want to play another round?" Teddy asked holding up the Switch remote. Alex leaned back on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
Frankly, Myfanwy was overwhelmed and wanted to go to bed. Instead, she said politely, "Not right now. I think I want to finish my pizza."
Gestalt made a noise of acknowledgment and silently ate.
Myfanwy glanced down at Robert's sleeping form. For such a big guy, she was surprised he got sick so easily. It seemed like Gestalt had taken extra care with him to build up his physique, but muscles weren't enough to fight off exhaustion.
A thought occurred to her then. She'd never used her powers on Gestalt before, but it would be nice to know just what kind of anatomy he possessed. Plus Gestalt wasn't in the body currently. She snuck her fingers to the nape of his neck, touching the delicate skin there. It was like opening a door to a hallway with more doors, she could practically see how His bodies connected to one another. But Myfanwy ignored the urge to spread out and search and focused on Robert.
His nerves unraveled before her, a perfect arrangement of human capability—except for the nasty bug in his head. He was more than just tired, and would probably have the flu soon. Maybe she shouldn't be letting him sleep on her.
But... Myfanwy shifted her hand up a little higher, feeling the soft hairs at the back of Robert's neck. It was a little long, probably needing to be cut, but Myfanwy like it like this. It was just long enough to pet, to feel in all its glory. His scalp was warm under her fingers, probably from his fever.
Alex shivered next to her. None of Gestalt was looking at her, but it was like he was feeling the way she touched him. Maybe she should stop. His reaction wasn't like being pulled from using her powers and yet her touch had the same effect. How strange.
Myfanwy ate another slice of pizza. She was getting a bit thirsty. She looked at the table for something to drink then remembered that Gestalt had helped themselves to two glasses of wine—one in Teddy's hand and the other on the table.
Alex's glass. Normally, she wouldn't have been bold, especially around Gestalt, but something about this atmosphere had her strangely relaxed and on guard at the same time. She reached forward and drank from Alex's glass. Myfanwy rather liked wine, especially when the Checquy was paying for it, but this did not pair well with her cheese and spinach pizza at all.
Teddy blinked at her. "You drank from my glass."
"You said that with the wrong body," Myfanwy said taking another sip. "Besides, I can't get up with you sleeping on me. The least you can do is share."
Teddy and Alex narrowed their eyes. "You're being bold today."
Myfanwy blushed and tried to hide with a sip of wine. "Perhaps I'm different outside the office."
Gestalt snorted. "You haven't changed from the Estate. Still mousey, afraid of her own power, and quick to lose her lunch."
A braver Myfanwy would have reminded Gestalt whose lap he was resting on. That Myfanwy was not her. "It's getting late, isn't it? Perhaps Robert should sleep in a real bed. Or maybe you'd like to try some new conditioner? That pizza went down easy and I think it could reappear at any moment."
Gestalt narrowed his eyes and stood. "Fine. You can keep your pizza. Just spinach isn't to my taste." Eliza and Alex lifted Robert's body, leading him down the stairs while Teddy watched. "You'll be in the office tomorrow, right?"
"Why?"
"Need you to sign off on some reports. I'll be sure to bring them." Then he grabbed all the pizza boxes save for one. "Good night, Rook Thomas."
Myfanwy picked up Wolfgang. "Yes, good night Rook Gestalt."
He nodded at her and followed the rest of himself out the door.
Once they were gone, Myfanwy locked her door and sat down on her couch. She didn't like what she'd said to them, but she also hates what they'd said to her—even if it was true. This feeling—the odd sinking in her chest and a fresh bout of embarrassment coloring her cheeks—was exactly why she could never go through with a relationship. She didn't like feeling this way at all. And something about Gestalt being the reason she felt the feeling she didn’t want to feel... Myfanwy needed to get her mind off what just happened.
Perhaps she should write to you about the duck incident after all.