User blog comment:ThePremierArbiter/Requesting Assistance/@comment-25573194-20150209190113/@comment-5108785-20150209200927

As to why Gabriel is involved, that's a good question. How about this: Capper's the only one so far who has SEEN the gate, right? That means he has more of a lead on it than any of the other factions do. They all want Capper, and co Capper goes to ground. Basically he doesn't do much for the rest of the story, so to get to him the factions enlist the person he recruited to fight The Enlightened, the person he told to close the gate. His "Apprentice", as they might see him. I.E: They go for Gabriel, as much because they think he knows some of what Capper does as because they think he's a good way to get at the REAL "Expert".

As for Gabriel having the ability to fight back, i'd say that it'd be interesting if it was the case that he retains his free will except for in the prescence of whoever he aligns himself with. This works well for The Wooden Girl, as she'd allow him autonomy, to do his own investigations, as she can only control his body not his mind anyway (And so doesn't want to annoy him too much) but if he gets too rebellious she can just bend his knee with the strings. This makes it much more about outsmarting the controller, rather than simply brute "Force of will", which can be too easily read into as "I resist 'cause the author says so", making for a more interesting story.

Thoughts on those two ideas?