Fletcher's sudden expletive made Gabriel smile. Shakily, and it didn't take away any of the pain in his eyes, but truly nonetheless. Kenspeckle was speechless, and Gabriel understood why. He didn't expect the professor to be able to tell the extent of his injuries simply from looking, so the least the Archangel could do was give an accounting of his injuries before Kenspeckle began. Then again, perhaps the man's magic would do the trick. Gabriel hadn't been anticipating that.
"The crossing between universes was a strain," he said, and somehow the rawness of his voice seemed even more obvious now that he wasn't actively pretending to be human. The hoarseness was almost harsh to the ears, discordant, an obvious unnatural flaw to something that was otherwise beautiful. "But it was the Faceless One who did the most damage, when it tried to ride me back to this reality. I couldn't defend myself. It--did something, when it was trying to hold on, or stop us from continuing. I'm unsure which."
He still wasn't quite sure what it did, too, except that the merest movement of his wings sent agony racing down his back and the joints, for lack of better words, where his wings touched his body.
Kenspeckle still didn't seem able to speak. Before Gabe could give him the time he needed to do so the door slammed open and the girl in the hazmat suit skipped in, humming. Her hands were empty, this time, and she'd already advanced some distance into the room before she abruptly stopped short, her eyes widening. "Oh ..."
Just like everything else in the room, Gabe's brightness drew out hers, but she didn't seem to notice. Instead she stepped closer, as awed as the rest but with a beam on her face that was more obviously delighted. Gabriel smiled at her gently.
"Did you know you have a halo?" she asked, and without waiting for an answer reached out a hand to run her fingers through some of Gabe's hair. She was gentle, inquisitive, quite obviously enthralled. The light shone off her palm, illuminating it as if the life in her was a physical glow; when she cupped her hand, it looked almost as if she was holding a light in her hand. She squealed with delight and bounced on her toes. Gabriel grinned at her, and the expression washed away all the pain that had been showing on his face.
Quite suddenly Kenspeckle stirred. "Clarabelle!" he barked. "Stop petting the Archangel and assist me!"
"Okay, professor!" Clarabelle beamed at him over her shoulder and withdrew her hand, skipping toward him. Behind her Gabriel laughed quietly, not at her, but with pleasure at her joy.
Clearing his throat, Kenspeckle turned toward Gabriel. "Well," he began, and his voice failed. A moment later he tried again. "Well, I can safely say I've never tended an angel before. You will have to inform me of any, er, customary means of healing. This way, girl! Around to his back!"
The last was directed to Clarabelle, who was now looking up at the underside of Gabriel's wing with fascination, reaching up to brush the softest inside feathers like a child trying to touch the leaves of a branch just out of reach.
no subject
"The crossing between universes was a strain," he said, and somehow the rawness of his voice seemed even more obvious now that he wasn't actively pretending to be human. The hoarseness was almost harsh to the ears, discordant, an obvious unnatural flaw to something that was otherwise beautiful. "But it was the Faceless One who did the most damage, when it tried to ride me back to this reality. I couldn't defend myself. It--did something, when it was trying to hold on, or stop us from continuing. I'm unsure which."
He still wasn't quite sure what it did, too, except that the merest movement of his wings sent agony racing down his back and the joints, for lack of better words, where his wings touched his body.
Kenspeckle still didn't seem able to speak. Before Gabe could give him the time he needed to do so the door slammed open and the girl in the hazmat suit skipped in, humming. Her hands were empty, this time, and she'd already advanced some distance into the room before she abruptly stopped short, her eyes widening. "Oh ..."
Just like everything else in the room, Gabe's brightness drew out hers, but she didn't seem to notice. Instead she stepped closer, as awed as the rest but with a beam on her face that was more obviously delighted. Gabriel smiled at her gently.
"Did you know you have a halo?" she asked, and without waiting for an answer reached out a hand to run her fingers through some of Gabe's hair. She was gentle, inquisitive, quite obviously enthralled. The light shone off her palm, illuminating it as if the life in her was a physical glow; when she cupped her hand, it looked almost as if she was holding a light in her hand. She squealed with delight and bounced on her toes. Gabriel grinned at her, and the expression washed away all the pain that had been showing on his face.
Quite suddenly Kenspeckle stirred. "Clarabelle!" he barked. "Stop petting the Archangel and assist me!"
"Okay, professor!" Clarabelle beamed at him over her shoulder and withdrew her hand, skipping toward him. Behind her Gabriel laughed quietly, not at her, but with pleasure at her joy.
Clearing his throat, Kenspeckle turned toward Gabriel. "Well," he began, and his voice failed. A moment later he tried again. "Well, I can safely say I've never tended an angel before. You will have to inform me of any, er, customary means of healing. This way, girl! Around to his back!"
The last was directed to Clarabelle, who was now looking up at the underside of Gabriel's wing with fascination, reaching up to brush the softest inside feathers like a child trying to touch the leaves of a branch just out of reach.