I expected a lot of different reactions from Gabriel, but a pouting staredown was definitely not one of them, I'll tell you that.
Why, with the way we were staring at each other like in a western movie, I honestly expected a herd of tumbleweeds to roll by any moment now.
Hell, I thought that the first thing out of her mouth would be anger for taking heaven, but there was none of that. It was as if Gabriel did not care about that in the slightest, and something told me that she didn't, or if she did, she did not let it show.
"Okay, okay. Stop puffing your cheeks, lady." I told her when her cheeks began resembling more of a chipmunk than a person.
"I'm not." She said, puffing them even more, and if she stomped her foot, it would tie everything nicely together. Shame she did not do that though.
"Sure... So, why do you seem to have a problem with me helping Asia?" I waved her off and asked curiously.
"I don't! I'm glad you helped her, but I wanted to do it first! I had a whole plan prepared too, but someone forbade me from leaving Heaven altogether." She said, shooting a scathing look at Michael, and the man could only helplessly sigh. Because this definitely wasn't the first time those two had this conversation. Not by a long shot.
"Forbade you? How? Did he just tell you not to leave, or did he do something that physically made you unable to go?" I didn't want to judge, but if it was just the first, then the woman before me was an idiot.
"He made it so I could not physically leave, and not for the first time either." She told me, but her angry eyes did not leave her brother. And boy, was she pissed. Well, as much as an angel could be. Okay, so she wasn't an idiot, and Michael just fell down a few more pegs than I thought. Like, why the hell would he not just let her do her thing? She was fucking strong, maybe stronger than even Serafall, and that was quite a high bar to clear, you know?
"Yeah… that must have sucked. But it's fixed now, though. But, Gabriel, I find your lack of reaction to me sitting in your Fathers chair strange. Care to enlighten me as to why that is?"
"Well, will you leave if I protest against it? You probably won't, right? So I'd rather not get into a pointless fight with no chance of winning. I can do a lot more good alive than dead after all." She reasoned with a small nod to herself, almost as if she was convincing herself too, and maybe she was, who knew?
Who am I kidding? Of course, she was, because if not, then I would honestly question her loyalties.
"True enough, I suppose. Right, Michael, you're no longer needed here, leave us." I looked at him and motioned to the door with my chin. I really didn't want him to jump into the conversation that was about to take place.
At first, it looked like he was going to protest, but after taking one look at my impassive face and at the expression Gabriel was giving him, he just hung his head slightly and did, in fact, leave. Which was just another surprising thing that happened here. I didn't know if the Archangel simply gave up or if he had some sort of plan in mind. Though I was betting on the former because he looked pretty beaten down, and I'm not talking physically, no, the long years he spent plugged into Heaven's system took a toll on the man's soul.
"So, wanna run heaven, Gabriel?" I just asked her outright. No reason to beat around the bush on this one. And just as I thought, despite Michael's warning her, it genuinely startled her.
"Why though? What are your goals?"
"I dunno. I just took Heaven on a whim, and I don't do paperwork."
"You really are a strange creature, Takumi Akabane. Then again, Father's successor should be nothing less." Gabriel said in a strange, but not unkind tone. One that insinuated something I didn't quite grasp at the moment.
"Hmm~ I guess I technically am?" And I really meant just technically. I did get his power after all, but that was it. I did not inherit his will or anything like that. I'm sure that I would have noticed my new sudden need to preach peace, love, happiness, or whatever it was that God was all about.
"Not technically. You are one. Your steps would not have led you here otherwise. All is part of his divine plan after all, even you." She said, sounding so sure of herself, I honestly did not have it in me to fight against it. Not like I actually knew, you know? Who knew what that guy saw in his prophetic visions of the future?
"Maybe. But let's shelve the Divine Plan for later. Do you want to do Michael's job?" I steered the conversation back to the topic.
"Can I even refuse? You look like you made up your mind even before you saw me, let alone spoke to me." She asked with an upturned eyebrow.
"You can, of course, you can, but will you?"
"No, I won't refuse. I love my brother with all of my heart, but the way he governed Heaven was not the way I would have done it, and his decisions, or lack of them, left a sour taste in my mouth more often than not." Well, that was an answer I did not expect. I truly thought I would have to talk her into doing it. She truly must have trusted that I was something God wanted here. Well, whatever.
"Great! You uh— Do you speak Japanese? I kinda changed the whole system into that language."
"Of course, all high-ranking angels can understand all languages." She said easily.
"Huh, neat. I guess the devils took that from you." I muttered, mostly to myself, but she obviously heard it.
"Yes, Lucifer gave it to all of his children." I just nodded in acknowledgement.
"Right, so I'm going to give you a bit of power, just so you can handle the thing, okay? Don't want you to run yourself ragged like your brother." I stood from the chair and moved closer to Gabriel, who, despite her amicable attitude towards me, stood a good few steps back.
"Just like that? You're awfully sure that I won't turn on you the moment you leave Heaven, you realize that, right?"
"Turn on me, I don't care. The only thing it would accomplish would be making Asia sad when she found out that Heaven no longer exists." I replied with certainty. I would be so easy too, just a simple snap of my fingers, and it would be unmade.
"I realize that. I just felt like I had to point it out. But then again, I feel like you still wouldn't do that, because the bond growing between you and Asia is slowly changing you." Once again, she sounded so sure of what she spoke of. Too sure for me to just shrug it off.
"What do you mean? I don't feel any different." I asked confusedly.
"I'm sure you don't, but I was watching the two of you since the first time you met, and the change is there. Small for now, but it is there, and it is growing strong." she spoke cryptically.
"How am I changing?" I asked with slight panic, and she just gave me a serene, bright smile.
"You are not here because of the Holy Maidens. Even if you think you are, that is not the thing that drew you here, it was Asia and her misguided mistreatment. How about this: think back to how you started to refer to her. That should give you all the answers you need."