She Who Spoke in Hands

Her brilliance was irreplaceable. [Female!Gaster/Undertale Ask/RP Blog. Please read rules and info before interacting. She has now been labeled as the Fragment known as Abuse.] [Currently wandering the Void, trying to get home.] [Blog Started in 10/29/15] [Current Avatar drawn by Stealthnerd]

[lucidiasansgaster]

So as many of you know, my muse for Lucidia has been lacking and just...I dunno, coming back to her blog doesn’t feel right to me anymore. So I’m most likely going to move Lucidia to my new multimuse blog, @itsraiyninmuses, like I’ve done with Nine. I’m trying to get her muse back, and this blog will most likely be an archive now.

She’ll be moved over there shortly.

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   After a moment to judge her intentions, Maribel nods.  This would do.  It’s not her usual style, but she’s on a bit of a timetable now, thanks to Lucidia’s trip into quite the obvious trap.  A glance is spared towards the Serpent again before the swordstaff she’s been carrying connects with the restarted dripping of gold from the cracks in her skull, forming a circle around the Fragment’s feet.

   “Don’t disappoint me again, Lucidia.”

   And without another moment to waste, the floor that she believes she was standing on gives way like the ice atop a lake.  No time to take a breath, no time to catch it as it leaves you either.  A blink of the eyes, and it’s as if none of the exchange happened.  A breath taken, and it’s as if her trip to the Void were simply a bad dream.

   Back home, in her bed, with the faint sounds of chattering coming from the opposite side of the door leading out of her room.  The only indication of truth in what just happened was the ichor that slowly retreats from her attire as if returning to whence it came.

It was all Lucidia could do, to agree to the terms and be sent home. At least now, she’ll be out of the Void and staying away from it this time.

Before she could glance at the serpent to see what it would say, her eye sockets widened with the sudden drop under her feet, giving her no time to react. No time to breathe, no time to scream, just drop into the darkness and black out...

Her eye sockets widened as she sat up in bed and looked around, realizing that..she wasn’t in the Void anymore, but her own room. The only trace that she wasn’t here a moment ago, was the ichor retreating from her coat. So she really was home? Then..it worked. She wanted to thank Maribel for this but, she recalled that she couldn’t make any mention that she assisted her, as part of the deal. So taking a deep breath, she pushed herself off of her bed and moved towards her door, slowly opening it and stepping into the hallway.

She had her children to see...just in time for the Holiday..

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   The ichor that was leaking from the fractured skull travels down to the terrifyingly sharp teeth, only to drip off of the tips and hit the ground at their feet, casting a ripple of gold and green across the darkness.  The rumble in the distance grows a little louder.

   Even with this knowledge, Maribel only seems slightly more pleased.  The tap tap tapping picks up again, thinking this through.  Emrys has a lot of information on a lot of different Fragments, likely those that could help many of their current situations - big and small - and yet it would be foolish to assume that there would be information on every Fragment.  Hopeful, for the desperate few, but simply a fool’s errand for those that know better.  Her head tilts to the side as if she’s listening to something whispering, the constant gold and green glow stuttering and being disrupted.

   Finally, a roll of her eyes.  “I tend to make people create their own deals fully but it seems as if I was wrong about having all day.”  This is one trap that she should REALLY keep better hidden from view… this won’t be fun for her to clean up by herself.

   “So. You have information on other Fragments, as well as a way to contact them. I’ll aid in keeping that contact as stable as possible, but in return, you never return to the Void. Don’t even think about it. If I hear you’re back in the Void, I will let it hunt you for sport just because you smell of him. On top of that, you’re not to speak of having ever seen me as I am right now, only mention that something randomly pulled you out when you found a Grey Door in a portion of the Void, as well as agreeing to aiding any of the family if they so call for your assistance, in anything, until I give the okay that you’re out of that binding. Violation of any part of this deal will result in your connection to either of the timelines to become immediately forfeit and you will be liable to fall through into the Void at any given moment. Am I clear?”

It was the one thing that Lucidia knew she could assist with, one thing that she could offer. Well, it seemed as though the offer of part of her deal worked. She could hear the rumbling growing a little louder and she feared for the worst. Just what was out there, waiting to hunt her down?

The parts of the deal that were made, she listened to each and every detail, keeping her eye lights on Maribel all the while. Never return to the Void...she’ll have to keep that especially. Well..she did have that favor from Cubesy, that could be useful later, if she needed some sort of aid from folks in the Void.

‘...Crystal clear.’

Lucidia nodded and was alright with this sort of deal, one that she would keep. She didn’t want to return back here ever again.

[lucidiasansgaster]

“Devil’s in the details, luv. Are you worried about your children or are you dancing on strings first and foremost?”

‘I’m worried about my children. They’re the exact reason why I want to get out of the void quickly!’

‘They are the most important in my life…’

[lucidiasansgaster]

Your son was expecting you... was he not?

‘…Yes, he was.’

‘I cannot wait on Wise and Art to get something going, I am running out of time. If I don’t leave the Void soon..’

‘…I won’t be able to leave again.’

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   Maribel, unlike the Fragment before her, had all the time in the world.  The risks she ran with staying in the Void had only to do with her mind, and she knows better than to risk something so valuable.  All the tricks she has up her sleeve counted on her mental clarity… and of course her uncle wouldn’t really like her doing something that stupid.

   The ridge of where an eyebrow would normally be raises at the offer.  Oh now this is rich.  The glowing green haze around the golden lights goes dark, and the gold starts to leak through the perceived cracks in the skull, not unlike ichor.  She grins, the action not unlike a blade in the dark or a wolf on the hunt.

   “What information could you possibly offer me that Emrys couldn’t get me?”  Did she cast a knowing glance towards the Serpent, maybe.

Well, her one shot of something she considered that she could offer as part of the deal fell through the cracks. She was right though, what could she possibly offer that the Hunter couldn’t retrieve himself? She had her knowledge in coding, but that could only go so far outside of the Void.

C’mon Lucidia, think. What could you possibly offer as an informant that would be valuable to Maribel or others? For the moment, she completely forgot that the Serpent was watching.

Then....an idea came to her.

‘.....Information from the other Fragments within the Void. I still have my connections here, my contacts that I could retrieve knowledge from. I am but one of many Fragments within this prison, and they even know far more things than I could ever comprehend.’

[lucidiasansgaster]

You truly do not think of the consequences of your actions do you? Did you in form Art or Wise that you were leaving? What of your son? What will you do if he hops into the VOID to look for you after you suddenly vanished?

‘I informed Art and Wise I was going to wander and think of a solution to the situation.’

‘…But my son….’

‘I..I can’t let him come to this place. I just can’t. He doesn’t deserve to be in this wretched place and be trapped here. I am already dealing with the consequences of my actions as is, I don’t want him to put himself in danger…’

[lucidiasansgaster]

“Depends darling, when are you going to open those ear holes and listen. Your hearing is fine your comprehension needs tuning.” It’s words lathered themselves like a honeyed balm upon an already stinging wound. Just before delivering a punch line. “Tell me dearest, did you consider any variables before jumping? Or did you just leap without a net and expect someone else to catch you?”

This beast had been getting on her last nerve.

But its words did sting far more than she expected.

It was a constant reminder that many things as of late, she hadn’t been thinking before she jumped into it. Hell, she’d been wanting to avoid going back to Cubesy to ask for his assistance, despite that he owed her a favor this time. Some things she’s thought of, but not everything. Just by her facial expressions alone, she was actually considering the serpent’s words. Good job snake dude, she’s actually thinking AND trying to listen.

‘…..I had not been. Well, partially. I’ve been so focused to return home that...I hadn’t been thinking much.’

[lucidiasansgaster]

A Serpent chuckles, its tail flicking in interest, keeping time with a clock. Oh this was getting interesting. “Here’s a riddle for you. Why did the Fragment jump willingly into the Void? If not to offer its neck or dance on someone else’s strings? Such a lovely marionette.”

….Of all the times in the world for the Serpent to speak, now was the time.

Maybe she should of ditched it with Wise and Art.

‘Do you have anything else important to say or are you just going to be a nuisance right now? You had all the time in the world to speak and you choose now to?’ Is she a bit salty? Maybe.

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   There’s a slow nod of acknowledgement.  She knew she was right, but it was just a simple act of courtesy.  This forceful act of opening Lucidia’s eyes would always ever be seen as cruel, insensitive, even to an extent heartless.  But then again…no one really did ask any questions.  If they did, on the off chance, ask questions… they never asked the ones that needed to be asked.

   “So,”  Maribel finally speaks up, swordstaff shifting on her shoulders as she starts to hold up fingers for each point she makes.  “This is how this is going to work. You want out. I can get you out. But it won’t be as easy as yanking you back out. Then you learn nothing from it, and you’ll likely end up foolishly charging into the Void again at a later date because now you know someone can pull you out whenever they wish with very little consequence.” Talons rasp against the reinforced staff, tap tap tapping a cadence of finality before the end of it hits the ground with a punctuating SNAP.

   “This world has always ever run on two things when it comes to needing or wanting: deals and favors.”  A slow smile curls along her jaw, actual intrigue and glee showing in her eyes in a very particular way.  “A favor is much too small for an err so large as this… so I’ll allow you to make the beginning deal. Think wisely, Lucidia, but keep an eye on the clock ticking backwards. Time isn’t on your side.”

   Off in the distance, the lullaby that was once there is replaced by a hollow rumbling.  Something has recognized the presence of someone who shouldn’t be there.  Someone who perhaps wandered directly into a trap.

Lucidia wasn’t sure on what would happen next, on if Maribel would leave her here in the void or aid her. But she was quiet, listening to every detail that the other spoke of. She could get her out.

But, of course, with her being a fragment, it wouldn’t be easy at all.

And now, Maribel would mention of two things that the fragment didn’t like to hear at all, things she’d try to prevent as much as possible due to experience. Deals and favors. Why did those have to be mentioned? She really had no time to think on why those were being brought up at the mere mention of time not being on her side. That she knew, and she had to make it quick....

Especially with the faint rumbling she heard...

‘A beginning deal?’ She murmured, trying to think on what exactly she could offer. Lucidia wasn’t foolish enough to offer her SOUL. That would be too much. But she couldn’t merely give a favor for such a high-priced situation. ‘Well..I will offer my services. An informant?’

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   “I was-! I don’t know-! I just thought-! Maybe I should have-!”  It’s a bit mocking, voice pitched just a bit higher than normal, the expression vaguely viewed beneath the hood being one of false glee before it falls flat again.  Bored.  “You’re severely lucky I’m the only one within the parameters to deal with the Void specifically. Otherwise you would have long since been left to wander again.”

   She rights herself and takes a moment to mentally comb through the details she’s gotten from Lucidia.  Takes a moment to assess the situation, then hums as she slings the swordstaff over her shoulders and rests her arms on the pole of the weapon.

   “So. If I’ve gotten this right, from both what you’ve said and what I’ve heard in passing whispers… you came to the Void hoping to find answers from someone who was supposedly dead but actually wasn’t, someone who treated you wrongly and bound your life to his- meaning he would take you with him if he died… but he presumably meant well so all is well that ends well? And on top of that, you took a dive into black waters trusting that you could swim with the two Fragments you were just with who recently had their own unfortunate run-ins with the howling things that hunt not for survival but for fun? Did I get all of that right or am I missing something? I do need all the details to make a fair Judgement.”

Was..Maribel mocking her? Oh, she didn’t appreciate that, not one bit. It showed on her features for a moment while she stared at her, not speaking any more in fear of it being used against her. First it was the serpent that followed her, and now, someone that she knew and cared for. She didn’t consider Maribel too much like a daughter, but at least she knew her enough that she enjoyed her presence.

Good thing she didn’t say anything either. She didn’t want to continue wandering this place.

The eye lights returned to her sockets as she stared and just listened. Passing whispers? From who? She took an idle second to glance over and see if the Serpent was still nearby, watching all of this unfold. Why hadn’t the damn thing spoken up by now? Sure had plenty to talk about in the beginning. But as the words winded down, she looked towards Maribel again, to her sheer shock. Was that what happened with Art and Wise? And why Art’s arm was missing and he acted differently? So many questions she had but...not enough time.

Time was ticking away, fool..

‘I um....y..yes? You did..? I believe so.’

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   She leans down to be face to face with Lucidia, the faint green haze round the gold flickering briefly to neon red.  “Are you seriously that blind?”  Is it a bit cruel to say to her in this situation, maybe but how else is Maribel going to get her to see what she got herself into?

   “You can’t tell me honestly that you didn’t come back into the Void and expect not to kick some dust up, not to rattle long settled chains. You can’t tell me honestly that you didn’t come back here thinking that just because you had a guide, that you had someone that had a way out that everything would go smoothly.”  She gets a touch closer, and the scent of cedar burning is a bit more prominent from the Warden.

   “So are you going to tell me what you were actually aiming for by coming back here? Or do I have to leave you here until after Yule for you to open your eyes? I’m more than willing to deal with lectures from the higher ups if need be.”  Knowing Maribel and how she is, she isn’t joking.

Lucidia’s eye sockets widened as she nearly backed off in fear, not helping the fact that her magic was slowly trickling away within the Void. Her mind did go to the serpent that had approached her, one that Lost sent himself. It was settling within her mind though, that her coming her not only went against everything. Everything that her dearest friends had done in order to keep her out of this wretched hell, only for her to return like it all for nothing.

There was no light within her eye sockets, but the emptiness that were almost as dark, if not so, like all around them. She knew that she had messed up badly, that it hadn’t settled on her thoughts while she was adamant about returning home.

...Maybe she did deserve to stay here after all.

‘.....I was...I...I don’t know..I just wanted to find answers, to clear up things of someone who had wronged me...’ She barely spoke above a whisper with her head down and her hood shadowing over her skull, ‘I...made a promise to the family...I would be back..’

‘...But knowing how much I had messed up, especially with Fleur...’

Would he even want to see her back?

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   If she can see the anxiety in Lucidia’s very presence there, Maribel certainly isn’t showing it.  She just continues staring down at the hybrid before her as if waiting for an answer to her question posed before the useless pleasantries.  This is her job, not a meet-up at the cafe.  She takes her job quite seriously, even if she doesn’t do it as perfectly as she wishes she would.

   There’s a glance cast towards the doors.  “…Don’t fool yourself into thinking you found something useful. They haven’t been opened in centuries, and I doubt they ever will be again. They found ways around the doors, dug under them, built new doors elsewhere that actually work and are reliable to their work.”  She thought that was obvious.  Her lingering gaze on the vibrant one makes it briefly stabilize in its trembling frame, but only for long enough to notice that maybe something changed before it’s back to its almost live writhing and shuddering.

   She looks back at Lucidia, narrowing her eyes.  “I’m here because you’re causing too much noise, and that’s causing higher ups a bit of a problem, so they sent in their best to take care of it.”  That hardly puts anybody at ease, let alone Lucidia, to know that Maribel is their best.

So these doors weren’t going to aid her? And here she thought that she might of found a way to escape the Void on her own.

Watching the vibrant door though, it unnerved her greatly to watch its trembling form under the other’s gaze. Only when she was spoken to, did she looked back up. The narrowing of Maribel’s eyes made her flinch actually with an unnamed fear that she didn’t know what would happen. Wait, her causing too much noise? How?

All she wanted, was to get home...

‘Too much...noise?’ She murmured with a questioning look in her eye sockets, unsure on even if she wanted to find out just what exactly she’s done. It wasn’t good, from the looks of things.

‘W...w..what have...I done? I’m just trying to find a way back home.’

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   “You have a cute sense of humor.”

   The visage that usually greets anybody who knows the sassy angel is not the one that Lucidia finds herself looking at.

   Instead, what greets her is… perhaps the reason why angels frequently start with “be not afraid”.  A far taller figure, currently dressed in light armor that would be naturally fitting for a Rogue or a low class Fighter, bearing the features of something not quite angelic yet not quite demonic either – a skull with painted designs of something (or someone?) that Lucidia doesn’t quite recognize but understands as a higher entity of some sort.  The hood that accompanies her ensemble is drawn up, and casts a bit of an eerie darkness over the briefly seen skull, the lights that would be eyes glowing a steady gold with a haze of faint green.

   She shifts her grip more defensively of the swordstaff in her left hand (which, perhaps to match her more ghastly look, are just thick set bones ending in talons), not wanting to seem aggressive.  At least, not yet.  The darkness of the void seems to curl not in hostility around her boots, but instead in fearful respect and vague welcoming.  As if she has been here many a time before.

   “If I wanted to help you, I would have the moment your Hunter escort ran out of time.”  She rolls her eyes, at the memory of that.  Lucidia didn’t read the terms of agreement, so to speak.  “You should know better than to follow familiarity around these parts. You’re lucky I’m still on the clock.”

   Say hello, Lucidia…    …for you’ve come face to face with a Warden.

   A Gatekeeper between Universes.

This wasn’t what she had expected, not one bit.

Part of her wanted to be on guard, to be prepared in case of a fight. But the voice. This was Maribel, that she knew, but this..the armor, the appearance, and the fact that she was far taller than she herself.

This could end quite badly if she wasn’t careful.

‘Oh....right..’ Of course, how could she be so stupid as to follow familiarity, in a place that could twist it, play games with her head. To keep her here for all eternity once more. It didn’t help matters of being reminded of her Hunter escort that left her behind. Of course, remind her of the stupidity of going in without a plan, not waiting for the right moment to visit her friend.

‘Then...’ Lucidia glanced towards Maribel with a nervous swallow, immediately having her eyes drift away to the two doors.

‘Is....it because of these two doors, and that I found them, that you are here? I’m...just trying to find my way back to the timeline. Back to the family..’

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   Tug at the edges of reality.  It would get you nowhere.  It holds fast.    Tug at the edges of magic.  It would get you nowhere.  It rejects the implication.

   The chains rattle and the frames shudder.  A push and pull of something far beyond the wandering Fragment, that lullaby grows louder with every passing moment.  It feels as if it wants her to sleep, wants her to feel more comfortable.  Something wishing her well, the silent hell hidden behind a smile that’s all teeth.  Something or perhaps someone?

   Try as you might, try as you must,    These paths seem to be a bust.

   However, much to her chagrin, or perhaps to her pleasure, a familiar voice speaks up.

   “And, do tell, what do you think you’re doing?”

Her eye lights kept going towards each door, trying to figure out the way that felt sound to her. But each time she kept looking, it only drove her to be confused. Exhaustion did grow heavy within her eye sockets with the lullaby growing louder and louder, only for it to now be on the edge of her thoughts.

Where had she heard it before?

Before she could question on where it was coming from, she froze when she heard a voice. Wait...she knows that voice. A sigh of relief escaped from her before she turned about.

‘Ah, Maribel dear, it’s good to see you. I felt something familiar so, I followed it and came to these doors. Perhaps you could....help.....’

Her voice seem to drop off as she stared towards her. What...in the world?

[lucidiasansgaster]

cosmosfated‌:

   The Void in this area would seem familiar, of course.  Those that remember this area would know its terrible chill of forgetting and the forgotten anywhere.  Fragments scattered and tossed to the wind, and not just that of those that herald the title of a Fragment.  An emptiness that was overflowing in a way that made the enraged ocean seem calm.

   A trail of darkened feathers that glitter with faint gold and red, along with pieces of torn fabric and scratched out runes.  Faded magic etched into the area around her with the hum of waves off in the distance that wasn’t there before.  A lovely lullaby, wouldn’t you say, dear fool?  Once upon a time, someone much like you in much the same situation had done something similar in a fit of desperation, or perhaps it was a burst of hope?

   Up ahead, there’s two doors.

   A familiar one, drained of color and worn with claw marks and runes similarly faded and almost peeled off by something else.  It’s chained up and padlocked, which seem as sturdy as ever despite how terribly reused they seem.

   And a new one, which is colorful and vibrant in defiance.  It seems to shake in its frame, as if its permanence there weren’t quite so reliable as the one across from it.  There’s no handle on it, nor locks or chains, but it doesn’t seem to open despite its warmth.

   Hello dear fool.    Do your wandering wonderings please you?

The closer that she approached, the more she swore she could hear something. A lullaby? Pray tell, who could be singing out here in the emptiness? A pause was made when she glanced down at her feet and saw the trail of feathers. Feathers? Tempus? No, that couldn’t be him. These ones looked far different than her feathered friend.

Eye lights followed the trail till they landed upon two doors in front of her, one vastly different than the other.

Was this what she was feeling? The magic that was coming from either one of these doorways? They weren’t any sort of doors that she’s ever come across before. Lucidia took a moment to study each one carefully and see what exactly differ from the two. One looked far more used, with claw markings and runes. The other, so vibrant and colorful, yet....it felt alien.

Closer she approached the doors to get a better look, to allow what little magic she had left to feel on which one was right.

Which one...could possibly lead her home.

[lucidiasansgaster]

@cosmosfated

Time was running out....

The tugging, the pull of the Void surrounding the woman was growing stronger and adamant the more that she languished here. The more she felt it, the less that her magic was even cooperating with her. Hell, even the ecto hair that she’d been keeping up all this time, had finally faded.

What was she to do?

She had figured that Wise and Art could assist her, but with time growing ever so closer to the end of her luck, she had to find another means. Nothing against her fellow fragments, she couldn’t risk staying. And she didn’t want to bother other fragments either. So she wandered about outside of their void space, to try to clear her thoughts and figure out an idea. Otherwise, that annoying serpent that followed her through the Void would get the last laugh. Or worse....

The hybrid stopped in her tracks for a moment and paused. What was....she feeling? A soft, rather faint pull of something near, and yet it felt..familiar. What could it be?

Slowly, she moved to follow the trail. Following and wandering off from Wises and Art’s Void Space.

What could it be, that drew her in so?