Gabriel couldn't help but laugh; a laugh of relief, of amusement, of gentle affection. "A proper grooming in my state would take a least a day, Skul. We don't have that time." He grinned, a teasing grin that nevertheless had an undercurrent of hope. "But you can finish them off later when we do have the time, if you like."
Kenspeckle snorted at Gabriel's comment and Skul's thanks both, already turning away to clean up. "If you were really thankful, Pleasant, you'd stop dragging the people you're responsible for into ridiculous life-or-death situations. Now get lost." He waved a hand vaguely. "I have a lunch date to prepare for."
Gabriel exclaimed and his grin widened. So that's what had been giving Kenspeckle's soul the overtone it had beneath the irritation. "Congratulations. I'm sorry we sprang this on you so suddenly, but--"
"Oh, stop it," Kenspeckle snapped, waving his hand again, and although his tone was irritable there was an excited gleam in his eyes that Gabriel's brightness brought out in spades. "How often do I get to develop medicinal techniques for metaphysical beings?" He sighed longsufferingly. "It's just too bad I can't release it as a magical-science paper. Think of the awards I'd get."
Then the professor jabbed a finger at Gabriel. "Stop being an idiot and let yourself heal, you idiot. Now pick up your headache oil and your massage oil and go. Shoo!"
Laughing, Gabriel slid off the table, careful and strangely precise in his movements as he kept his wings still, aloft, and touched down on the floor as gracefully as any ballet-dancer could wish. He picked up the two bottles the professor had provided. "Fletcher, would you mind taking us to the safehouse, please?"
Now they needed to figure out what to do next, and going directly to the safehouse meant Gabriel didn't need to raise his human cloak just yet. He was pretty sure he could, and of course it was the one thing that was a requirement; but for the moment, he didn't have to.
~~~
For a long moment the old man regarded Ghastly in silence. Then he nodded to himself, as if making a decision, and lifted his hand. "'Nuther two, barkeep. My tab. Do me a favour and pour from the counter from that bottle just over your shoulder, yeah?"
He turned to Ghastly and winked. "Been 'round long as I have, y'know to drink the stuff you can see."
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Kenspeckle snorted at Gabriel's comment and Skul's thanks both, already turning away to clean up. "If you were really thankful, Pleasant, you'd stop dragging the people you're responsible for into ridiculous life-or-death situations. Now get lost." He waved a hand vaguely. "I have a lunch date to prepare for."
Gabriel exclaimed and his grin widened. So that's what had been giving Kenspeckle's soul the overtone it had beneath the irritation. "Congratulations. I'm sorry we sprang this on you so suddenly, but--"
"Oh, stop it," Kenspeckle snapped, waving his hand again, and although his tone was irritable there was an excited gleam in his eyes that Gabriel's brightness brought out in spades. "How often do I get to develop medicinal techniques for metaphysical beings?" He sighed longsufferingly. "It's just too bad I can't release it as a magical-science paper. Think of the awards I'd get."
Then the professor jabbed a finger at Gabriel. "Stop being an idiot and let yourself heal, you idiot. Now pick up your headache oil and your massage oil and go. Shoo!"
Laughing, Gabriel slid off the table, careful and strangely precise in his movements as he kept his wings still, aloft, and touched down on the floor as gracefully as any ballet-dancer could wish. He picked up the two bottles the professor had provided. "Fletcher, would you mind taking us to the safehouse, please?"
Now they needed to figure out what to do next, and going directly to the safehouse meant Gabriel didn't need to raise his human cloak just yet. He was pretty sure he could, and of course it was the one thing that was a requirement; but for the moment, he didn't have to.
~~~
For a long moment the old man regarded Ghastly in silence. Then he nodded to himself, as if making a decision, and lifted his hand. "'Nuther two, barkeep. My tab. Do me a favour and pour from the counter from that bottle just over your shoulder, yeah?"
He turned to Ghastly and winked. "Been 'round long as I have, y'know to drink the stuff you can see."