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Gabv1el is one of the ULTRAKILL pairings, which explores the relationship between the game's two main characters, the antagonist and the protagonist - V1, the unstoppable force, and archangel Gabriel, the immovable object.
The physics comparison is not accidental by any means, and not just a nod to one of the OST tracks. Gabriel is representative of the status quo, he is quite literally the Righteous Hand of the Father, a protector of a millennia old world order with a steady hand and unshakeable faith. Meanwhile, V1 is the catalyst of many events in the game, whose actions shake the very foundation of Hell leaving a fiery trail behind. Basically, this is a futuristic machine, bringing about major changes.
And while at first they couldn't seem any more different… An "immovable" object is one that doesn't speed up or slow down, while an "unstoppable" force is an object that keeps moving without changing speed. They are actually the same thing, because both can't be accelerated. V1 and Gabriel, despite seeming nothing alike, are incredibly similar. A classic case of opposites attracting and finding out they are not so different. However, while gabv1el might seem pretty basic at first glance, this pairing is actually one of the most unique and thought-provoking ones I’ve encountered. Deadass, I lost so many nights of sleep to thinking about these fuckers, it’s not even funny. This is just absurd to me, how this fucking ship can be so incredibly nuanced and interesting despite the fact that Gabriel and V1 HAVEN’T EVEN SPOKEN ONCE. Fucking… HOW. HOW DO YOU DO THIS.
One could define gabv1el in pretty simple terms, and to be fair, the shoe often fits - sinner and saint, enemies to lovers, toxic yaoi, robot learns how to love, fallen angel, fighting to fucking, tainted innocence, eroticism of the machine, yandere x yandere, and so on and so forth. Pretty classic, pretty classy, but simplicity is not necessarily a bad thing. Besides, what matters most is how these ideas are executed in the actual game. I honestly think it's much deeper as both Gabriel and V1 have not a single cluette of what the fuck they are doing and feeling. For how little interaction we get from these two in ULTRAKILL … The impact is of no less than of BIBLICAL proportions. The consequences of this relationship got fucking Heaven itself shaking in it’s damn boots, humankind would be shitting itself too if it wasn’t fucking dead, and Hell is… Hell doesn’t give a shit actually, it just watches the shit unfold live with no censorship while demons are dying left and right. Respect the hustle I suppose??
This relationship is kind of crazy, if you didn't notice. I mean, I accept that it's crazy, I accept that I'm crazy because I'm somehow attracted to a war crime machine, and you must also accept this craziness because, come on, you are reading an essay written by someone who goes by Transvaginal_Ultrasound, and not just on AO3.
Have you ever seen a relationship between two individuals so thoroughly, cruelly intertwined, so tragic, dramatic, and gay, that you were almost immediately enchanted by it's sheer fucking wildness? Have you EVER asked yourself: “But why are these two so impactful?”
This thought is precisely the reason why I decided to write this essay. A whole essay, just to explain to me and others WHY gabv1el is so captivating. I’ve already partially explored this topic in my previous ULTRAKILL essay, so feel free to check it out too, although it is not a necessary read to understand this essay here. So, without further ado… Welcome aboard, as today we are going to tread the waters of…
DEUS EST MACHINA
Hate, life, and angels