"Okay?" Gabe's amusement was startled at Skulduggery's abrupt request, but then he caught up with the complicated nuances in the detective's soul a moment later and his eyes widened. "Oh. Yes. Okay."
It had occurred to him, sort of. Not in this specific context, but the comparison between him and Skulduggery's wife, the desire not to step on the toes of her memory. It wasn't fair to either of them. To any of them. It wasn't something Gabriel had ever meant to do, but he probably wouldn't have thought using his female skin--for one reason or another--would count until after he'd already done it. Not that using it would change anything, for him, but human sexuality was a very complicated thing and Skulduggery was still ultimately human.
"You prefer the dog?" Rafe lowered his arms from where he was 'modelling', prepared to pout, and then stopped thoughtfully. "Naw, you're right," he agreed. "Dogs have a much more practical physiology, for one. And they're cute as buttons for another. But I could always be female and a dog if that floats your boat."
In a beat he was a dog--a bitch, naturally--and trotting happily toward Valkyrie, tail held high and tongue lolling, to flop on her feet. He looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. 'Well, don't ask me. I'm a dog, I dunno shit about magic and stuff. Gimme a scratch?'
"It's not exactly impossible, but messing with the body's requirements like that isn't really wise," Gabe explained in a tone that was a cross between apologetic and firm. There'd be no help from that direction, Valkyrie.
Quietly Merlin approached Dexter and Ghastly, his expression exasperated--at his 'uncles'--and sympathetic at once. He didn't talk directly to Dexter, though. The man wasn't making noises anymore, but he was staring wide-eyed at Rafe, and from the tumble of his surface thoughts he'd work things out okay. He just needed something to hit the bottom first. Which, frankly, wasn't going to be terribly hard to push him to.
"Did I ever tell you," Merlin said conversationally to Ghastly, turning to look back at the now-being-blissfully-petted Archangel, "that Nimue was actually an angel? Fallen, naturally. For a bunch of non-sexual beings they are extremely good at playacting."
Dexter squeaked, his surface thoughts rippled, and abruptly something in his mind settled as he scowled. "You did that on purpose."
"I was commiserating."
"You're really bad at it. You're all mean. Meanie-heads."
Merlin laughed and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm so glad that four hundred years' worth of language hasn't been lost in you, youngster."
"If you want someone that old you should talk to Ghastly."
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It had occurred to him, sort of. Not in this specific context, but the comparison between him and Skulduggery's wife, the desire not to step on the toes of her memory. It wasn't fair to either of them. To any of them. It wasn't something Gabriel had ever meant to do, but he probably wouldn't have thought using his female skin--for one reason or another--would count until after he'd already done it. Not that using it would change anything, for him, but human sexuality was a very complicated thing and Skulduggery was still ultimately human.
"You prefer the dog?" Rafe lowered his arms from where he was 'modelling', prepared to pout, and then stopped thoughtfully. "Naw, you're right," he agreed. "Dogs have a much more practical physiology, for one. And they're cute as buttons for another. But I could always be female and a dog if that floats your boat."
In a beat he was a dog--a bitch, naturally--and trotting happily toward Valkyrie, tail held high and tongue lolling, to flop on her feet. He looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. 'Well, don't ask me. I'm a dog, I dunno shit about magic and stuff. Gimme a scratch?'
"It's not exactly impossible, but messing with the body's requirements like that isn't really wise," Gabe explained in a tone that was a cross between apologetic and firm. There'd be no help from that direction, Valkyrie.
Quietly Merlin approached Dexter and Ghastly, his expression exasperated--at his 'uncles'--and sympathetic at once. He didn't talk directly to Dexter, though. The man wasn't making noises anymore, but he was staring wide-eyed at Rafe, and from the tumble of his surface thoughts he'd work things out okay. He just needed something to hit the bottom first. Which, frankly, wasn't going to be terribly hard to push him to.
"Did I ever tell you," Merlin said conversationally to Ghastly, turning to look back at the now-being-blissfully-petted Archangel, "that Nimue was actually an angel? Fallen, naturally. For a bunch of non-sexual beings they are extremely good at playacting."
Dexter squeaked, his surface thoughts rippled, and abruptly something in his mind settled as he scowled. "You did that on purpose."
"I was commiserating."
"You're really bad at it. You're all mean. Meanie-heads."
Merlin laughed and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm so glad that four hundred years' worth of language hasn't been lost in you, youngster."
"If you want someone that old you should talk to Ghastly."