RP: Is this Heaven?

[rainbowmods]

There is a reception area, and at first glance, it looks to be like most reception areas: there is a front desk, a hallway that leads away, boasting a row of doors appearing to go on forever; there are two other doors immediately visible, one bearing the words Conference Room and the other Committee Chair, both etched in fine glass. All of the décor is elegant, if cold: everything is done up in blues and whites, and the chairs and couches provided look like they were chosen more for their appearance over their actual functionality.

If not for the sense of other in the room, it might seem like an ordinary office building.

It isn’t.

Welcome to heaven! Feel free to explore. A very freaked out Gabriel will probably greet you at some point.

Comments

[sarcasticsra]

Gabriel looks at her steadily. He is so thoroughly not in the mood to deal with possible panicked humans, and yet, he can't simply shut himself in his office and ignore them.

"Heaven," he tells her. "Don't be alarmed. It's only temporary."

[bookblather]

Summer stared at him for a very long time, forgetting all her manners in her surprise. The only thing that came out was, "I should hope so! Thomas is only six months old!'

[sarcasticsra]

"You did not arrive here by the usual protocol," Gabriel says, and he can't help sounding slightly irritated by that fact. Why did nothing make sense anymore? "It shouldn't be more than a few hours."

[bookblather]

"Oh, I knew that," Summer said, considerably relieved. "All right then. That's fine. Hopefully Thomas will sleep through it."

She really did not want to have to explain 'the time you went to heaven' to her son, on the off chance that he would remember it.

[sarcasticsra]

"I could ensure it, if you would like?" Gabriel offers. "Angelic abilities range wildly, but soothing is something we're all capable of doing, and it is very peaceful."

[bookblather]

Summer thought it over for a minute. On the one hand, he was her baby, and if anybody touched him with ill intent she'd kill them. On the other hand, soothing wasn't particularly dangerous, and Thomas had barely slept at all the previous night. She was sure it couldn't be good for him. "Yes, please," she said, eventually. "If you're sure it won't hurt him."

[sarcasticsra]

"Of course not," Gabriel says, and moves closer to them. He places a hand on the baby's head and soothes the child, imbuing him with love and safety and warmth, his power humming distantly and peacefully in his ears. When he steps away, Thomas is sleeping even more deeply, restfully, than he was before.

[bookblather]

Summer could feel Thomas relax against her shoulder, his little mouth slackening. There would be a drool spot on her shirt, but that was all right, Zack would wash it for her. "Thank you," she said, quietly, and meant it.

[sarcasticsra]

"My pleasure," Gabriel says, smiling softly. It's helped him too, he has to admit, knowing that at least there is still this: offering comfort where it may be needed.

[bookblather]

Thomas snuggled closer in his sleep, and Summer smiled, helplessly. "Did you... do you do this a lot?" she asked, putting one hand on her son's small, fuzzy head.

[sarcasticsra]

"Not as much as I would like," Gabriel says, realizing for the first time how true that is. "I should leave my office more often."

[bookblather]

Summer made a rueful little face. "I understand that," she said. "Not so much now, since Thomas, but before. We're always behind on autopsies and..." she made a helpless little gesture with her free hand.

[sarcasticsra]

"Ah, yes. You work in law enforcement?" Gabriel asks.

[bookblather]

She nodded, and put her free hand on Thomas's back to keep him quiet. "I'm a forensic pathologist," she said. "My boys are cops. Thomas will probably be one too-- I'm not sure he could help it."

[sarcasticsra]

Gabriel smiles. "Yes, I suppose that's true," he says. "When you say 'your boys', are you referring to your husbands?" he asks curiously. He can't quite remember where humans stand on polygamy at this point in time. It seems like their views change so frequently.

[bookblather]

Summer gave him a curious look. Most people reacted considerably differently to any mention of her boys. "Yes, as a matter of fact," she said. "Not legally, but really."

[sarcasticsra]

"I'm not terribly up-to-date on human marriage laws," Gabriel says apologetically. "They're not terribly meaningful in our terms. The bond is what's sacred, not the details that humans tend to get caught up on, like gender or number of parties involved."

[bookblather]

Summer beamed at him. "Oh, yes, you understand," she said. "So many people don't. It's very annoying when they insist that my sister isn't married or that I must be cheating." She paused a moment, remembering, then added, "Of course, my boys punched the last one who said I was cheating. I don't think he's done it again."

[sarcasticsra]

"Humans are baffling," Gabriel says. "Though I suppose there is a lot in His Creation that falls under that category."

[bookblather]

She stopped, and blinked at him. "Wait, you don't understand people either? Are you like me, then?"

[sarcasticsra]

"Understanding humans has never come easy to me," Gabriel says. "I always attributed it to lack of practice--how do you mean?"

[bookblather]

"Oh," she said, and smiled a little sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm autistic. I thought that's what you meant."

[sarcasticsra]

"Ah, I see. I can understand how you might find the situations somewhat comparable," Gabriel says, thoughtful.

[bookblather]

She tilted her head to the side, a little confused by that. "Is it comparable? Or am I extrapolating too far?"

[sarcasticsra]

"Perhaps a bit," Gabriel says. "The socialization implications seem similar to me, but I'm not sure about the physiological differences autistic people often encounter, regarding, for instance, taste, or texture."