Skulduggery turned to face Gabe, the Archangel's rough and harsh whisper cutting through the detective's new-found joy far more effectively than even the dark power thrumming around Valkyrie's new ring had. He took the hat and scarf back, pulled each one on with tender care. "There aren't many living skeletons around," he said, irrationally amused at the sight of Gabe holding a human skull. "I'm hard to forget."
"I'll probably find it easier to remember you when you have your real head back on," Ghastly teased.
"It's the hat that does it for me," Tanith added with a smile of her own.
Not to be left out, Fletcher flopped down into a pew just behind Gabe. "You're going to scare the hell out of some priest when they come back," he pointed out with a smirk.
Ghastly had moved his attention to Gabe now, the warm smile still on his face, and Skulduggery knew his friend was realizing that Gabriel hadn't so much as given the ugly scars covering his head a second glance. Somehow, Skulduggery had never really pictured an Archangel as being overly judgmental - Gabe even less so - and so he hadn't felt the need for a warning. It was good to see that one wasn't needed, and even better to see how much Ghastly appreciated it, even if the tailor wouldn't admit it. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure," he remarked evenly. "What happened?"
"Ah, yes." Skulduggery finally took back his skull, though he left it on the pew again less than a second later. "Introductions, of course, but first... Valkyrie?"
She started, as if Skulduggery had interrupted something important. "What?"
"There was a reason I asked for the holy water," he reminded her.
She blinked, and then realized she was still holding it. "Oh. Right. What was that reason, again?"
Skulduggery took the bottle from her without answering, and offered it to Gabe. He knew how strange this must look, but the memory of how well the water helped last time was forefront in Skulduggery's mind. Besides, convincing his friends that Gabe was an Archangel would be difficult enough under the best of circumstances.
"Before I explain anything," Skulduggery told them, "you all need to understand that a lot more happened to me over this past year than any of you think you're aware of. There is more than one universe. I've been stuck in more than one. Fictional characters exist in other realities, and I've had the privilege of meeting some." Even rooming with one, he silently added, but this probably wasn't the best place to mention that.
Nobody reacted. It was possible they thought he was joking. Skulduggery would have thought he was joking if he hadn't personally lived through it. And this time, there was a set definition for the word 'lived,' what with Landel forcing him into a human body.
"Having said that," Skulduggery continued on, slower and more carefully, "I'd like you all to meet Gabriel."
He paused, wondering if that would be enough. Valkyrie was glancing at Ghastly and Tanith, but neither of them showed any hint of recognition, either. After a moment, Skulduggery looked at Fletcher too, but the teenager looked more lost than any of them.
Skulduggery made the sound of clearing his throat, which would never be a normal sound coming from a skeleton, awkward silence or not. "The Gabriel."
Most of them still didn't get it, but Skulduggery could see something finally clicking in Ghastly's mind as he looked over at the holy water. Ghastly and Skulduggery had discussed the possibility, a long time ago, of religious stories having some basis in fact; that a sorcerer had turned water into wine, or that the Necromancers' Passage had been the inspiration for the Rapture.
Neither of them had ever imagined this, but Skulduggery had some background knowledge to help him accept it. Ghastly wouldn't even have that. The quick and suspicious glance he cast towards Skulduggery had completely left his face by the time he looked back at Gabe, but it was impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
Skulduggery was mildly disappointed that Valkyrie hadn't put the pieces together yet. He turned his eyeless gaze on her, next words pointed and direct. "The Archangel. Gabriel. He's the reason I'm standing here right now."
The look of understanding that slowly dawned over her face was quickly followed by disbelief, then shock, then a suspicion very similar to Ghastly's; then it fell back to shock and stayed there, her mouth falling open as she tried to think of something to say or ask. Tanith's face also seemed permanently stuck on shock, but Fletcher didn't even appear to have gotten to that point yet.
"What do you mean, the Archangel?" he broke the tense silence. "Angels don't exist. He just looks like a hobo."
If Skulduggery could have given Gabe a look, it would have been one of told you. As it was, the amusement he couldn't help feeling was vaguely evident in his voice when he next spoke. "He doesn't particularly live anywhere, Fletcher, if that's what you're asking. Maybe he'll explain it better than I can."
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"I'll probably find it easier to remember you when you have your real head back on," Ghastly teased.
"It's the hat that does it for me," Tanith added with a smile of her own.
Not to be left out, Fletcher flopped down into a pew just behind Gabe. "You're going to scare the hell out of some priest when they come back," he pointed out with a smirk.
Ghastly had moved his attention to Gabe now, the warm smile still on his face, and Skulduggery knew his friend was realizing that Gabriel hadn't so much as given the ugly scars covering his head a second glance. Somehow, Skulduggery had never really pictured an Archangel as being overly judgmental - Gabe even less so - and so he hadn't felt the need for a warning. It was good to see that one wasn't needed, and even better to see how much Ghastly appreciated it, even if the tailor wouldn't admit it. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure," he remarked evenly. "What happened?"
"Ah, yes." Skulduggery finally took back his skull, though he left it on the pew again less than a second later. "Introductions, of course, but first... Valkyrie?"
She started, as if Skulduggery had interrupted something important. "What?"
"There was a reason I asked for the holy water," he reminded her.
She blinked, and then realized she was still holding it. "Oh. Right. What was that reason, again?"
Skulduggery took the bottle from her without answering, and offered it to Gabe. He knew how strange this must look, but the memory of how well the water helped last time was forefront in Skulduggery's mind. Besides, convincing his friends that Gabe was an Archangel would be difficult enough under the best of circumstances.
"Before I explain anything," Skulduggery told them, "you all need to understand that a lot more happened to me over this past year than any of you think you're aware of. There is more than one universe. I've been stuck in more than one. Fictional characters exist in other realities, and I've had the privilege of meeting some." Even rooming with one, he silently added, but this probably wasn't the best place to mention that.
Nobody reacted. It was possible they thought he was joking. Skulduggery would have thought he was joking if he hadn't personally lived through it. And this time, there was a set definition for the word 'lived,' what with Landel forcing him into a human body.
"Having said that," Skulduggery continued on, slower and more carefully, "I'd like you all to meet Gabriel."
He paused, wondering if that would be enough. Valkyrie was glancing at Ghastly and Tanith, but neither of them showed any hint of recognition, either. After a moment, Skulduggery looked at Fletcher too, but the teenager looked more lost than any of them.
Skulduggery made the sound of clearing his throat, which would never be a normal sound coming from a skeleton, awkward silence or not. "The Gabriel."
Most of them still didn't get it, but Skulduggery could see something finally clicking in Ghastly's mind as he looked over at the holy water. Ghastly and Skulduggery had discussed the possibility, a long time ago, of religious stories having some basis in fact; that a sorcerer had turned water into wine, or that the Necromancers' Passage had been the inspiration for the Rapture.
Neither of them had ever imagined this, but Skulduggery had some background knowledge to help him accept it. Ghastly wouldn't even have that. The quick and suspicious glance he cast towards Skulduggery had completely left his face by the time he looked back at Gabe, but it was impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
Skulduggery was mildly disappointed that Valkyrie hadn't put the pieces together yet. He turned his eyeless gaze on her, next words pointed and direct. "The Archangel. Gabriel. He's the reason I'm standing here right now."
The look of understanding that slowly dawned over her face was quickly followed by disbelief, then shock, then a suspicion very similar to Ghastly's; then it fell back to shock and stayed there, her mouth falling open as she tried to think of something to say or ask. Tanith's face also seemed permanently stuck on shock, but Fletcher didn't even appear to have gotten to that point yet.
"What do you mean, the Archangel?" he broke the tense silence. "Angels don't exist. He just looks like a hobo."
If Skulduggery could have given Gabe a look, it would have been one of told you. As it was, the amusement he couldn't help feeling was vaguely evident in his voice when he next spoke. "He doesn't particularly live anywhere, Fletcher, if that's what you're asking. Maybe he'll explain it better than I can."