Gaster had the presence of mind to retort, but he quickly found himself retreating into his thoughts. He was still trying to wrap his head around The Warden's answer to the "where" question. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore: this place, "The Archeus"... The Warden definitely described it as 'Gray'. If it's the same Gray Gaster was thinking of, some things would start to make sense.
The Gray... that strange, monotone space that Gaster had called home for so long. Gaster understood that those that shared his name lived in spaces very similar. Except, of course, for the tone- their 'Voids', as they called them, were pitch-black, or otherwise similarly oppressive in their atmosphere.
Not The Gray. That place was never so dramatic. It was always neutral... a safe place. At least... he thought it was safe. He could travel to and from it with ease- as simple as holding out his hand, he could open a door, and it could take him seemingly anywhere. And from anywhere, he could always return to the Gray.
That's how the doors worked. From the Gray, to Reality, back to the Gray. Back and forth... so if this "Archeus" was the same Gray as his, that meant that THIS door- the one he had summoned- this was connected to somewhere in Reality. It was never going to take him 'home'. It didn't quite explain why he couldn't open it, but now he feels somewhat fortunate that he can't. You never know what could be behind a random door- he's learned the danger of such curiosity.
Perhaps at one time, he tried to understand it- study it, even. But like many things, that endeavor had fallen to the wayside as he was preoccupied with other matters.
He recalls the man he once was; "Gaster, the stoic researcher". A man who knew so little. A simpler time...
A bit embarrassing to look back on, admittedly.
Now, here was this creature- The Warden- outright patronizing him about this place that he's lived in for as long as he can remember. He ought to be upset; but the man finds himself more confused than anything. Of all things to happen today, a breakdown of his reality was not something he expected. Should he feel... grateful?
No, he's sure he doesn't want to give The Warden that satisfaction. Perhaps he had come to understand how OTHER realities functioned, but when it came to his own, the ignorance was truly bliss. Besides, there was just something off about the figure: their stature, the way they spoke, even the way they looked. But above all, Gaster could tell this much;
Not its real one, anyway. Was it wearing a mask? Does it even know it looks like that...?
A part of him felt- no, knew- that trying to be friendly to this thing would be sheer folly. Gaster had enough experience with two-faced creatures to know the effort would be wasted. But there were still more questions swirling in his mind, frustratingly enough.
Like the way they kept calling him a... "New Sentinel"? He couldn't even begin to imagine what that all entailed- scratch that, he doesn't want to imagine it. Whatever it is, he's certain that's not what he is... right?
Maybe... it's all a coincidence? A coincidence, that The Warden would call The Archeus a "Gray" space. A coincidence that The Warden would mistake Gaster for this "Sentinel". A coincidence that they would look like that.
This was just a case of mistaken identity; wrong place, wrong time... after all, what of all he saw before? The beach, the buildings, the weird pawns... none of those exist in the Gray he knew. Come to think of it... where did those things go? Here one minute, then as soon as the Warden shows up, they're gone...
Gone... wait, something else was gone. Someone...
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