It was no secret that Gus Lissington missed curse breaking; it also wasn’t a well-kept secret he wasn’t too fond of being a professor, and every time someone attached the word to his last name he had a habit of wrinkling his nose in response. Professor Lissington. He was getting better at that, at least, even if most of the time he still felt like a fraud and struggled to understand what kept him there.

Promises, mostly, to his friends and family that he wouldn’t disappear for years again without as much of a word. Gus hated to go back on his word and it was that alone that kept him rooted in England even if most of his heart belonged in Egypt. In fact, only a tiny sliver had been set aside from England itself.

So when Miss Dempsey reached out to him to ask about curses, one of his favorite subjects to date, he’d be quick to reply he’d like nothing more. He wasn’t sure why she’d asked him and not her brother, although of the two Gus was the only one who hadn’t managed to do something daft enough for permanent desk duty — and he did some pretty dumb things if someone as much as breathed a dare in his direction.

The bell above the door to the Painted Lady as he entered, and it didn’t take long for him to spot Miss Dempsey. He raised his hand in response to her wave, a wide grin spreading across his face, and he hoped it was enough to keep his nose from wrinkling as she addressed with the dreaded professor word. He slid into the chair across from her, his hands folding together as he watched the waitress deposit a teacup in front of him; he wasn’t a huge fan of tea but he was a fan of sweets, and popped three sugar cubes into the liquid before he paused, and then decided to add a fourth for good measure. If it wasn’t tooth rotting sweet, he probably wouldn’t like it.

Stirring the sugar in the tea, Gus couldn’t help but grin at her. “I am more than happy to help where I can, Miss Dempsey.” And he was; what a delight to be helpful to someone. “Always happy to do Endymion a favor, plus I’m never too busy to talk your ear off about curses.” One had to know curses to break them, although his specialty was more in defense than offense. He laughed quietly and shook his head. “What exactly are you looking for?”

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