"Well," Novalis said, clearly trying to find a silver lining, "you have to admit they're cute."

Laurence blanched at the council. "I'm sorry," he said, uncomfortable. "I didn't mean-"

Dominic stared at the two things he was holding up. "...You intended well."

And Laurence had. He had gotten the device off Jean, with warnings, when he offered to test it. Jean hadn't known that he'd be trying to track Eli down, of course, to get this unpleasantness between him and Dominic over for good, nor how successful it would be.

And Laurence hadn't expected Michael to try to *stop* him, and..."

He placed the Archangel dolls on the floor. Very, very uncomfortable, he wound the key in the Eli-doll's back, and watched it skitter around the council chamber. He tried to do the same with Michael, but apparently Michael's batteries were not included, and the doll just sat there and glowered at him. It was just as well, Laurence thought with an edge of hysteria. Michael-doll's axe looked very sharp, and its arm had movable parts.

Dominic cleared his throat. "Well. Fetch Jean and ask if there's any way of fixing them."

Laurence asked stared at the Michael doll and asked it, in a tiny voice, "Would it help to say I'm sorry?"

"Just... go." Dominic said, unhelpfully.

Laurence went.