[Hey. Hey, Frisk. Remember all those times where you might have saw Flowey out of the corner of your eye during your trek in the Underground? Or were those just tricks of the light? Or maybe your imagination? Then again, you did an awful lot down there and might have gotten really stressed enough to hallucinate.
Maybe.
But there it is again. Right where you were traveling to someplace you wanted to travel to. And same as always, if you go investigate, nothing will be there.]
[Frisk remembers. Flashes of gold, just as bright against the snow as they were in a tunnels of dark cobalt. A feeling of being watched. They've walked the sensation enough times now to know what it means and who's doing it; just like every time before, they ignore it and continue on.]
[If Flowey has something to say... he'll make sure Frisk hears it. That's how it's been from the beginning. But until then they know better than to try chasing him down, no matter how impatient they are to get some things off of their own chest.]
[When they enter their room, the door pulls shut behind them with a soft click. Looks like Sans and Snowpoff aren't in right now. Frisk rolls up their sleeves and kneels to check on the white lotus blossom floating in a bucket beside their bed.]
[Frisk only knows two people with a flair for appearing out of nowhere, and only one of them ever opens up with Howdy. At first, there's no reaction from the human; their fingers card through the bucket of water, lift and flick droplets onto the pink-dusted petals of the blossom. Then they lean away, tug their sleeves down and turn to Flowey with a solemn nod.]
[It doesn't surprise Frisk that Flowey doesn't actually know the name. Either that, or he's playing dumb. None of which really matters to them anyway. Sans said that someone 'lost his life because of that flower', and while phrasing that ambiguous could mean anything...]
Of course I didn't. Why would I even want to right now, Frisk? Actually, this brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about. You'll never believe who called me.
[That's a lie - they do, because they have a pretty good guess as to who on earth would call Flowey with something important enough for him to track Frisk down. But if someone died because of him, Frisk isn't going to let it go so easily.]
[Come on, Flowey. You've seen this determination before.]
Sans talked to me, too. He said someone got killed because of you.
I didn't kill anyone here, Frisk. The only two people I know of here that died are Papyrus and some idiot, and Papyrus was dead before I got here. The other is an idiot.
[Frisk tenses at the mention of Papyrus. It's gone in the next heartbeat, dispelled as Fisk exhales loudly through their nose, turns their head away to stare at some distant spot past the walls. There's something a lot like frustration in the way they set their jaw.]
[Whether Flowey actually struck the killing blow on Yosuke or not, his attitude says plenty. Frisk doesn't need to dig any further to let the disappointment swell in their veins. Asriel... Flowey. Did you cause someone's death, only to have a heart-to-heart with Frisk a little while later? Maybe it's Frisk's fault. Flowey warned them, but they couldn't separate the vessel from the SOUL.]
[... they still can't. And maybe it's the cold comfort of Yosuke still being alive now that makes them feel a little less guilty about that.]
[When they finally look back at Flowey, their face is calm again. But there's a new distance there.]
[Frisk had assumed Sans had called to threaten Flowey. Checked his LV somewhere, decided to make boundaries exceedingly clear. Especially now that Papyrus is back. They were ready for Flowey to figure out that they spilled the beans. They were expecting some layer of accusation at their betrayal.]
Sans said I have to help kill the Queen. Then I get my SOUL back. But he also said he doesn't want me to have it back. He thinks I'm just making excuses when I say I can't control myself.
Frisk, you don't want to know what I'd do if I lose the opportunity to get my SOUL back.
[Isn't it strange how one single sentence could be a plea for help, a threat, a warning, and a promise all at once?]
[Frisk has to bite down on their kneejerk reaction to argue against killing the Queen. Nobody needs to do that. As much as everyone here hates her, as much as Frisk understands that she isn't a good person, there has to be another way...]
[... but they think they might see what Sans is doing here. This is dangerous. They wish he never had to get involved. Another misstep, maybe; or maybe it still was the right thing to do. Too late to worry about that now. To be honest, Frisk doesn't know whether or not to believe Flowey when he says he's out of control, either - they've always had a SOUL, a bit battered, held together by forces beyond them, but still theirs. They don't know what it's like.]
[They just... want people to stop dying.]
[Why is that so hard?]
[They don't think Sans would lie about something like this, even if it were just to get Flowey under control. But the implications of him coming to Frisk about it send a chill down their spine.]
[First it was Toriel; then, the human SOULS. Then all of their friends, restoring Frisk's HOPE in their darkest hour. And then - they refused.]
[Would it surprise you to know that Frisk has walked a timeline where you shivered within cold walls of gray? What a creepy face. It wasn't really theirs, but they felt their face muscles shifting, pulling tight into the same horrible thing that brought their SOUL to the surface every time they encountered a monster.]
[Frisk isn't afraid of Flowey. Their Chara isn't. They haven't been for a long time. One didn't want to let go, and the other... if only they had gotten past that comedian.]
[But... he really just can't understand, can he?]
I will.
[What was that about a plea, a promise?] [A part of their SOUL wants it to be a threat and a warning, too.]
Flowey hesitates. Frisk would be right. He CAN'T understand. He WANTS to, but he just can't make it that far. He wants to, and he'll only be able to if he doesn't kill anyone. He wants to, but there's the constant threat of himself sabotaging his only chance to be ASRIEL again.
I'm tired of all these people. I'm tired of all these places. I'm tired of being a flower.]
...
[This is all becoming so overwhelming for Flowey. His face remains horrific, yet it contorts into rage, with him staring for a few seconds longer. Then with an anguished scream, Flowey throws absolutely everything he has at Frisk... only to miss intentionally with every single one. And when he's done...]
[When he's done, all he can do is shake. Frisk may recognize just how Flowey is shaking. Terror. Flowey might not even realize, but he's feeling terror right now. Terror that he might not ever stop being a flower. Terror that he'd do something wrong and ruin his own chances.
[Frisk tenses, prepared to dodge the first volley of projectiles - but they don't come. Seeds whip harmlessly past them, thudding to the floor and surrounding furniture, while Frisk remain entirely unscathed. And they didn't do a single thing.]
[... after a moment, Frisk relaxes. Pushes the light of their SOUL back down. Watches the trembling little golden flower, and kneels closer, cupping their hands softly around his petals. The twist in their chest coils in on itself until it's once more nothing but a gnarled knot in the framework.]
[See, they're a better person than they used to be. They know how hard it is. SOUL, no SOUL, it's difficult to tell what it all really means - but if Flowey can show mercy, feel fear, wish for something with every fiber of his being... what difference does it make? If he wants to be a better person too, he can be. Frisk knows it.]
[They aren't afraid of Flowey. For a lot of reasons, but most of all: because he's still their friend, too.]
[Frisk's head lowers almost close enough to touch foreheads with Flowey, and the corners of their lips pull into a somber upward curve. The display of vulnerability is for their own benefit as much as Flowey's; to remind themself that this picture isn't like before, when eyes filled with LV and grit looked down on a frightened monster dispassionately. It's still them - both of them.]
[Sans asked Frisk to stay away from Flowey. Chara is avoiding them both. But it's their responsibility to do the right thing. If Frisk had the chance to be forgiven by the ones they LOVED, doesn't Flowey, too?]
[Compassion; regret. Frisk knows very well what both of those things are. That's why, if Flowey really can get his own SOUL back... they want to do everything they can to help him.]
[They don't answer his plea, but instead run a thumb soothingly over one of his petals.]
[All of this nurturing... Frisk being there, the closeness, the cradling, the thumb going over and over on the petals... None of it is comforting. BUt minute by minute, as Flowey just trembles in silence, he find himself being calmed more and more and more.
Until he is no longer trembling. He's still silent for a few minutes after that, letting Frisk "pet" his petals like that. Such delicate hands... Hands that would never roughly grab and yank the petals out...
Frisk really IS different than Chara.]
...
Why did you and Chara have to go and tell Sans, anyway? None of this would have ever happened.
[Flowey speaks not with his normal Flowey voice, but the soft tone of Asriel's.]
You could have been the one to have Ozuna offer me my SOUL...
Ozuma. [they correct, gently, their hands finally withdrawing to rest on their knees. Their shoulders hunch apologetically.]
[Frisk really doesn't know if they told Sans anything significant enough to make a difference in whatever conclusion he came to, but knowing him, he probably figured out most it out on his own. They don't deny having talked to him, anyway. A big lazybones though he may be, the guy can give one heck of a persuasive shove.]
[Frisk shrugs, moving to stand back up. Chara has made it clear that they've seen most of the timelines Frisk has, which means Frisk didn't have to say anything. It's a weird question, actually. Does Flowey not know that?]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Action]
Maybe.
But there it is again. Right where you were traveling to someplace you wanted to travel to. And same as always, if you go investigate, nothing will be there.]
[Action]
[If Flowey has something to say... he'll make sure Frisk hears it. That's how it's been from the beginning. But until then they know better than to try chasing him down, no matter how impatient they are to get some things off of their own chest.]
[When they enter their room, the door pulls shut behind them with a soft click. Looks like Sans and Snowpoff aren't in right now. Frisk rolls up their sleeves and kneels to check on the white lotus blossom floating in a bucket beside their bed.]
[Action]
If you guessed Alphys, you're an idiot.]
Howdy, Frisk. You and I need to have a little talk.
[Action]
[Frisk only knows two people with a flair for appearing out of nowhere, and only one of them ever opens up with Howdy. At first, there's no reaction from the human; their fingers card through the bucket of water, lift and flick droplets onto the pink-dusted petals of the blossom. Then they lean away, tug their sleeves down and turn to Flowey with a solemn nod.]
We do.
[No one is happy with this.]
Yosuke.
[Action]
[Yeah, he never actually got his name.]
[Action]
Did you get someone hurt?
[Action]
...
And what he told me.
[Action]
[That's a lie - they do, because they have a pretty good guess as to who on earth would call Flowey with something important enough for him to track Frisk down. But if someone died because of him, Frisk isn't going to let it go so easily.]
[Come on, Flowey. You've seen this determination before.]
Sans talked to me, too. He said someone got killed because of you.
[Action]
I didn't kill anyone here, Frisk. The only two people I know of here that died are Papyrus and some idiot, and Papyrus was dead before I got here. The other is an idiot.
[Action]
[Whether Flowey actually struck the killing blow on Yosuke or not, his attitude says plenty. Frisk doesn't need to dig any further to let the disappointment swell in their veins. Asriel... Flowey. Did you cause someone's death, only to have a heart-to-heart with Frisk a little while later? Maybe it's Frisk's fault. Flowey warned them, but they couldn't separate the vessel from the SOUL.]
[... they still can't. And maybe it's the cold comfort of Yosuke still being alive now that makes them feel a little less guilty about that.]
[When they finally look back at Flowey, their face is calm again. But there's a new distance there.]
What did Sans want?
[Action]
Frisk, did you know that someone named Ozuna can give me back my SOUL?
[And there it is.]
[Action]
[Frisk had assumed Sans had called to threaten Flowey. Checked his LV somewhere, decided to make boundaries exceedingly clear. Especially now that Papyrus is back. They were ready for Flowey to figure out that they spilled the beans. They were expecting some layer of accusation at their betrayal.]
[They weren't expecting that.]
How?
[And how does Sans know?]
[Action]
Frisk, you don't want to know what I'd do if I lose the opportunity to get my SOUL back.
[Isn't it strange how one single sentence could be a plea for help, a threat, a warning, and a promise all at once?]
[Action]
[... but they think they might see what Sans is doing here. This is dangerous. They wish he never had to get involved. Another misstep, maybe; or maybe it still was the right thing to do. Too late to worry about that now. To be honest, Frisk doesn't know whether or not to believe Flowey when he says he's out of control, either - they've always had a SOUL, a bit battered, held together by forces beyond them, but still theirs. They don't know what it's like.]
[They just... want people to stop dying.]
[Why is that so hard?]
[They don't think Sans would lie about something like this, even if it were just to get Flowey under control. But the implications of him coming to Frisk about it send a chill down their spine.]
Don't. We'll get it back.
[Action]
I had better get that SOUL.
[But what if it had been accompanied by something dangerous? Something like a couple vines and some magic bullets being summoned out of nowhere?]
That's why you have to stop me. That's why you always have to try and stop me! No compassion or regret, hahahaha!
[Action]
[They've done this so many times, Flowey.]
[First it was Toriel; then, the human SOULS. Then all of their friends, restoring Frisk's HOPE in their darkest hour. And then - they refused.]
[Would it surprise you to know that Frisk has walked a timeline where you shivered within cold walls of gray? What a creepy face. It wasn't really theirs, but they felt their face muscles shifting, pulling tight into the same horrible thing that brought their SOUL to the surface every time they encountered a monster.]
[Frisk isn't afraid of Flowey. Their Chara isn't. They haven't been for a long time. One didn't want to let go, and the other... if only they had gotten past that comedian.]
[But... he really just can't understand, can he?]
I will.
[What was that about a plea, a promise?]
[A part of their SOUL wants it to be a threat and a warning, too.]
[But. They won't let it be.]
I'm still going to show MERCY.
[Action] 1/2
...
Flowey hesitates. Frisk would be right. He CAN'T understand. He WANTS to, but he just can't make it that far. He wants to, and he'll only be able to if he doesn't kill anyone. He wants to, but there's the constant threat of himself sabotaging his only chance to be ASRIEL again.
I'm tired of all these people. I'm tired of all these places. I'm tired of being a flower.]
...
[This is all becoming so overwhelming for Flowey. His face remains horrific, yet it contorts into rage, with him staring for a few seconds longer. Then with an anguished scream, Flowey throws absolutely everything he has at Frisk... only to miss intentionally with every single one. And when he's done...]
[Action] 2/2
Damnit, Sans.]
I... I just want to be ASRIEL again...
[Action]
[... after a moment, Frisk relaxes. Pushes the light of their SOUL back down. Watches the trembling little golden flower, and kneels closer, cupping their hands softly around his petals. The twist in their chest coils in on itself until it's once more nothing but a gnarled knot in the framework.]
[See, they're a better person than they used to be. They know how hard it is. SOUL, no SOUL, it's difficult to tell what it all really means - but if Flowey can show mercy, feel fear, wish for something with every fiber of his being... what difference does it make? If he wants to be a better person too, he can be. Frisk knows it.]
[They aren't afraid of Flowey. For a lot of reasons, but most of all: because he's still their friend, too.]
I know. I believe you can do it.
[Action]
...Frisk... This is why I need you here... This is why you have to protect everyone from me... Please don't leave me...
Please don't leave me... Please... don't...
[Action]
[Sans asked Frisk to stay away from Flowey. Chara is avoiding them both. But it's their responsibility to do the right thing. If Frisk had the chance to be forgiven by the ones they LOVED, doesn't Flowey, too?]
[Compassion; regret. Frisk knows very well what both of those things are. That's why, if Flowey really can get his own SOUL back... they want to do everything they can to help him.]
[They don't answer his plea, but instead run a thumb soothingly over one of his petals.]
[Action]
Until he is no longer trembling. He's still silent for a few minutes after that, letting Frisk "pet" his petals like that. Such delicate hands... Hands that would never roughly grab and yank the petals out...
Frisk really IS different than Chara.]
...
Why did you and Chara have to go and tell Sans, anyway? None of this would have ever happened.
[Flowey speaks not with his normal Flowey voice, but the soft tone of Asriel's.]
You could have been the one to have Ozuna offer me my SOUL...
[Action]
[Frisk really doesn't know if they told Sans anything significant enough to make a difference in whatever conclusion he came to, but knowing him, he probably figured out most it out on his own. They don't deny having talked to him, anyway. A big lazybones though he may be, the guy can give one heck of a persuasive shove.]
I didn't know he could. But I believe Sans.
[Action]
But there's one last thing that needs wrapping up. When Flowey speaks next, it's back to his Flowey voice.]
...Frisk, how much have you told Chara about me?
[Action]
Nothing.
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]