It was impossible to maintain any sort of dignity during this conversation, so Guild didn't bother. He'd slumped back against the pillows, but any attempt to straighten himself up was only going to send more bullets of pain shooting up his arms, and it was going to be a long enough night reattaching his fingers without causing himself unnecessary stress to boot.
Patience, Guild told himself. They needed Pleasant right now, for various annoying reasons, and that meant rising above petty pride to appeal to the skeleton's better nature - assuming he had one. Try to start fresh, try to ignore that he accused you of treason a couple of years ago, and above all, try to ignore how full of himself he is.
That last attempt at civility was abandoned when Guild caught Pleasant giving Detective Marr a pitying look. Right after her perfectly polite inquiry, too. It never failed. Even when he was getting his old job back, Pleasant couldn't help tormenting his successors. That pride would one day be his downfall, make no mistake.
"You have a face," Guild pointed out the obvious through clenched teeth. "How did that happen?"
"Resurrection."
Guild closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh. "Pleasant, I am this close to arresting you and your friend right here on the spot for what happened earlier today. I suggest you choose your tone more carefully before you say anything else."
The former skeleton considered, his brow actually furrowing in thought, and then he shrugged. "China Sorrows. She's been perfecting the art of disguises lately."
"And what on earth would you need a face and skin fo-"
Guild stopped. His gaze flickered down to where Gabe's hand hadn't left Pleasant's arm, and his mind immediately tried to backtrack. "Never mind."
"Illusory disguises," Pleasant added. It sounded for all the world like an innocent afterthought to the explanation, but Guild had the nasty suspicion that Pleasant had known exactly what he was thinking.
"Quite." And that was a mental image Guild would never again revisit. "It may have been obvious to you on the way in, but we've had something of an unprecedented attack. A pack of vampires, Pleasant. Working together. And working for something more than just chaos and bloodshed."
For a man who hadn't had a face in over two hundred years, Pleasant was strangely expressive. Just as difficult to read, but now with the added benefit of a raised eyebrow. "Organized?"
Guild nodded. "Dusk was leading them."
Pleasant's head tilted to the side, and this time the trademark movement was accompanied by a curious expression. Guild had to look away for a moment; trying to associate Pleasant's voice with an actual face was giving him enough of a headache. "Dusk was still human, then?" Pleasant asked. "He still has that chemical?"
Guild could feel his throat tightening at the memory. "It would appear so."
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Patience, Guild told himself. They needed Pleasant right now, for various annoying reasons, and that meant rising above petty pride to appeal to the skeleton's better nature - assuming he had one. Try to start fresh, try to ignore that he accused you of treason a couple of years ago, and above all, try to ignore how full of himself he is.
That last attempt at civility was abandoned when Guild caught Pleasant giving Detective Marr a pitying look. Right after her perfectly polite inquiry, too. It never failed. Even when he was getting his old job back, Pleasant couldn't help tormenting his successors. That pride would one day be his downfall, make no mistake.
"You have a face," Guild pointed out the obvious through clenched teeth. "How did that happen?"
"Resurrection."
Guild closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh. "Pleasant, I am this close to arresting you and your friend right here on the spot for what happened earlier today. I suggest you choose your tone more carefully before you say anything else."
The former skeleton considered, his brow actually furrowing in thought, and then he shrugged. "China Sorrows. She's been perfecting the art of disguises lately."
"And what on earth would you need a face and skin fo-"
Guild stopped. His gaze flickered down to where Gabe's hand hadn't left Pleasant's arm, and his mind immediately tried to backtrack. "Never mind."
"Illusory disguises," Pleasant added. It sounded for all the world like an innocent afterthought to the explanation, but Guild had the nasty suspicion that Pleasant had known exactly what he was thinking.
"Quite." And that was a mental image Guild would never again revisit. "It may have been obvious to you on the way in, but we've had something of an unprecedented attack. A pack of vampires, Pleasant. Working together. And working for something more than just chaos and bloodshed."
For a man who hadn't had a face in over two hundred years, Pleasant was strangely expressive. Just as difficult to read, but now with the added benefit of a raised eyebrow. "Organized?"
Guild nodded. "Dusk was leading them."
Pleasant's head tilted to the side, and this time the trademark movement was accompanied by a curious expression. Guild had to look away for a moment; trying to associate Pleasant's voice with an actual face was giving him enough of a headache. "Dusk was still human, then?" Pleasant asked. "He still has that chemical?"
Guild could feel his throat tightening at the memory. "It would appear so."