It should have been a cause for further teasing - and in any other situation, it would have been. Tanith would probably have had to leave to get herself under control. But something about seeing the angel's cheeks redden - the angel's cheeks redden - made her laughter stutter to a stop. Angels shouldn't have the physical means for blushing, right? It just... shouldn't happen.
Tanith had been able to tease them up until this point because she'd figured there was no way any of her teasing was actually happening. Come on. Archangels and skeletons? What was this, some reality show mix of Christmas and Halloween? Gabriel had even taken the lighthearted remarks in stride. But now she couldn't help wondering if there wasn't some modicum of truth to what Guild thought. Not to all of it, not by a long shot, but... well, who knew what happened over in that other dimension? Maybe there was some aspect of their relationship her teasing was hitting a little too close to home on, and Tanith consciously backed off.
She didn't know anything about Archangels. Maybe he was just embarrassed at being injured enough to need Skul's help at all; maybe there was a sort of intimacy there. Maybe it involved souls. And frankly, that was too adorable for her to accidentally mess up. "Sorry," she tried, speaking directly to Gabe; the laughter had died down, but her smile was still irrevocably there. "It's early in the morning and I... get silly sometimes. I'm sorry."
Valkyrie fortunately followed suit, though Tanith suspected it was more because of a sudden self-awareness than an actual chagrin. The barely restrained mirth on the girl's face said as much.
"If we're done, then," Ghastly cut them off rather abruptly, turning on his heel, "we all need to talk. Most specifically about this slight problem we have of a Desolation Engine wandering around."
"That's a good idea," Skulduggery agreed, following the tailor back into the living room. "A Desolation Engine in the hands of a psychopath who's had two lifetimes in prison to think about ways of taking revenge on the Sanctuary. Which isn't such a good idea."
Tanith froze. Oh god. She'd been teasing an Archangel.The Archangel Gabriel. God's right-hand companion. And she'd been teasing him about... Was she going to go to hell for this?
~~
There was a saying, among mortals - don't try to play a player. People who attempted to manipulate China, in any way, shape, or form, did not usually leave with everything intact; certainly not their dignity. China allowed herself a few seconds to fantasise about what she might have to done to Solomon under different circumstances, and then buttoned those down in favor of a curious wonder. Solomon knew her reputation. Knew the risk. Possibly knew she would see right through him. What, then, was the point? What was his game?
China gave the man an even look, carefully hiding a sudden surge of surprise. Solomon actually believed this man really was Saint Gabriel. He believed it wholeheartedly. He was hoping China would test the angel's power for him, so he wouldn't have to put himself in direct danger. He was hoping this would go wrong.
And he believed he'd seen Saint Gabriel's true form the previous evening. His night must have been horrifying.
The look was slowly replaced with a neutral smile. "I take it you spoke with him? Didn't he explain how prayers work?"
no subject
It should have been a cause for further teasing - and in any other situation, it would have been. Tanith would probably have had to leave to get herself under control. But something about seeing the angel's cheeks redden - the angel's cheeks redden - made her laughter stutter to a stop. Angels shouldn't have the physical means for blushing, right? It just... shouldn't happen.
Tanith had been able to tease them up until this point because she'd figured there was no way any of her teasing was actually happening. Come on. Archangels and skeletons? What was this, some reality show mix of Christmas and Halloween? Gabriel had even taken the lighthearted remarks in stride. But now she couldn't help wondering if there wasn't some modicum of truth to what Guild thought. Not to all of it, not by a long shot, but... well, who knew what happened over in that other dimension? Maybe there was some aspect of their relationship her teasing was hitting a little too close to home on, and Tanith consciously backed off.
She didn't know anything about Archangels. Maybe he was just embarrassed at being injured enough to need Skul's help at all; maybe there was a sort of intimacy there. Maybe it involved souls. And frankly, that was too adorable for her to accidentally mess up. "Sorry," she tried, speaking directly to Gabe; the laughter had died down, but her smile was still irrevocably there. "It's early in the morning and I... get silly sometimes. I'm sorry."
Valkyrie fortunately followed suit, though Tanith suspected it was more because of a sudden self-awareness than an actual chagrin. The barely restrained mirth on the girl's face said as much.
"If we're done, then," Ghastly cut them off rather abruptly, turning on his heel, "we all need to talk. Most specifically about this slight problem we have of a Desolation Engine wandering around."
"That's a good idea," Skulduggery agreed, following the tailor back into the living room. "A Desolation Engine in the hands of a psychopath who's had two lifetimes in prison to think about ways of taking revenge on the Sanctuary. Which isn't such a good idea."
Tanith froze. Oh god. She'd been teasing an Archangel. The Archangel Gabriel. God's right-hand companion. And she'd been teasing him about... Was she going to go to hell for this?
~~
There was a saying, among mortals - don't try to play a player. People who attempted to manipulate China, in any way, shape, or form, did not usually leave with everything intact; certainly not their dignity. China allowed herself a few seconds to fantasise about what she might have to done to Solomon under different circumstances, and then buttoned those down in favor of a curious wonder. Solomon knew her reputation. Knew the risk. Possibly knew she would see right through him. What, then, was the point? What was his game?
China gave the man an even look, carefully hiding a sudden surge of surprise. Solomon actually believed this man really was Saint Gabriel. He believed it wholeheartedly. He was hoping China would test the angel's power for him, so he wouldn't have to put himself in direct danger. He was hoping this would go wrong.
And he believed he'd seen Saint Gabriel's true form the previous evening. His night must have been horrifying.
The look was slowly replaced with a neutral smile. "I take it you spoke with him? Didn't he explain how prayers work?"