OOM: An expedition.

[darkeryetdarker]

Gaster stands by the door.

 

In his arms, he has a wool poncho, several feet of rope- and, of course, the USB drive. 

 

He takes a breath in, and out. 

 

He’s waited long enough.

 

Gaster turns to Ibani. 

 

“Are you ready?”

Comments

[last_kallig]

Ibani listens to the Force for a moment, adapting to the local flow. Then she pulls a Force cloak over herself, vanishes from mundane senses.

She approaches the grey-washed child with all the stealth of a trained assassin, though her purpose here is study rather than violence.

[darkeryetdarker]

There is something, something resembling Gaster in this child - whatever kind of signature Gaster has in the Force, this figure has a similar one - like a similar motif in two pieces of music.

They stare up at the high ceiling, which Ibani can now see has shining stones that glow like stars.

[last_kallig]

Ibani studies the child's Force presence carefully, then looks up at the shining stones that glow like stars.

She opens her senses, looking for connections, how this universe connects to Gaster, how he and the child are connected, how the glowing stones above fit into things.

There must be some useful bit of information she can bring back!

[darkeryetdarker]

Without turning, the child speaks.

"Something's different...Something that wasn't here before."

[last_kallig]

Ibani frowns, double checks her Force cloak. Does this child have some extra sense she hasn't accounted for?

She keeps still, quiet, blurs her Force presence into the background noise of this reality.

[darkeryetdarker]

"Ha ha...if new things can come into this world...then maybe, old things can come back...and things that were forgotten can be remembered."

The figure looks down.

"Ha ha..the idea is a little scary...but it does feel good."

[last_kallig]

The boy's words only strengthen her belief that the boy is connected to Gaster in some way.

She dives as deep as she dares into the Force, seeking in this universe AND back toward Gaster for connections.

[darkeryetdarker]

There is no life force to be sensed - the child is made up of swirling memories and emotions, but otherwise completely blank.

The child is not a child at all - they are a spectre, a memory, a fragment.

A fragment of a SOUL.

[last_kallig]

She tugs on the child's Force presence, ever so gently. At the same time, she reaches out for Gaster.

She's HOPING she can bring this piece of him back to the whole or otherwise reunite what has been split apart.

[darkeryetdarker]

Gaster feels the tug, back in the Void. He can feel his own SOUL, reaching out to it, recognizing it.

In an attempt to aid Ibani, he pulls out the data recovery flash drive and places it in the darkness next to the image. Maybe they can recall this figure like he did with the rock earlier?

[last_kallig]

There are those who say that anything is possible with the Force, if your will is strong enough. (Gaster might say Determination instead of will, but the idea is the same.)

Her will is very strong, it's HAD to be. She reaches, pulls power she has seldom dared before, the power she has taken from Force ghosts. Her eyes glow with violet light behind closed lids and she is distantly aware of pain, of skin cracking, tearing, from the energy she is channeling through her body.

[darkeryetdarker]

Determination is indeed will - specifically, the will to persist - in this case, to exist.

The figure is pulled toward her - and as it moves, it changes.

The child's form frays at the ends, like static, shifting in all directions - before finally compressing into a small, glowing shard that floats into Ibani's hand.

The feelings of fear and grief begin to melt away, and from them emerging a sense of safety and peace.

[last_kallig]

Ibani reaches out toward the soul shard, projects peace and safety toward it as best she can. "Shh. It will be alright," she murmurs.

Her hand is tight around the shard as she tugs on the rope. She can feel in her bones that it is time to go back.

[darkeryetdarker]

As Gaster pulls Ibani back into the darkness, the scenery around her fades, and she is back in the Void, with the timelines in view, and Gaster beside her.

"Are you all right?" He asks.

[last_kallig]

"Well enough," she replies. "Nothing I can't fix with a potion in a momeent." Ibani has become QUITE fond of the healing potions from Garyn's world.

She stretches out her hand, opens it to reveal the piece of soul. "Found something of yours."

[darkeryetdarker]

Gaster's eyesockets widen. He'd seen something happen in the images, but to see it up close...

He waves a hand over his ribs, exposing his SOUL. Stretching out his other hand, the SOUL piece turns blue and is lifted towards it, fitting into one of the cracks perfectly.

Gaster inhales sharply, and then exhales, with a contented smile.

There are still pieces missing, but his form already looks a bit more stable, slightly less melted.

"Thank you, Ibani. Truly."

[last_kallig]

"You're welcome." She pulls off her helm, lips bleeding. She grimaces, reaches for a vial at her belt, then chugs the contents. Her flesh mends, although getting the bloodstains out later will be a familiar chore.

"Looks like there are still pieces of you missing, which concerns me."

[darkeryetdarker]

Gaster reaches out, healing a few of Ibani's scratches as well.

"We can worry about that later. For now we should get you back to Bar to rest. Now that I know for certain that there are pieces of me out there, I can work on a program to locate the rest of them."

Gaster offers his arm again. "Are you alright to walk?"

[last_kallig]

"More than alright," she says as she takes his arm. "Just a bit of bruising left."

"I'm glad you can work on a program to find the others, as I have no idea how long it would take ME to find them all."

[darkeryetdarker]

"No," Gaster gives a small huff of laughter as he leads them both to the waiting open door. "There's far too many timelines for that."

As he supports Ibani, he notices, he already feels a bit stronger.

[last_kallig]

"I'm glad that you're feeling better. I can't imagine what it must be like to have bits of your being missing."

[darkeryetdarker]

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone." Gaster briefly thinks of Flowey, resurrected with no SOUL at all.
Maybe things might get better for him, in the timeline where everyone goes free.

They step into the light and warmth of the Bar.

(OOC: Wanna wrap it up there?)

[last_kallig]

The light and the warmth of the Bar are a welcome that she's glad for as they leave the Void behind!

(OOC: Works for me! Thanks for the thread. Ibani is glad Gaster has a bit of his soul back.)