[ Somehow, even while at a festival, Bigby still couldn't manage to come out unscathed. He's healing fine, of course, the faded claw marks on his face evidence enough of that, but without any quests to preoccupy himself with following that whole debacle, he's turned to the next best thing: a hunt on the outskirts of town.
Not that he really needs to at this point, being more than okay with the food offered by his guild, but the opportunity to forgo any pretense of being human, even for just a moment, hasn't been lost on him since he arrived. With the sun nearly set, he stalks a different kind of prey than usual, a Pidgey by the looks of it. But before he can go in, there's a shuffle of leaves nearby, loud enough to startle the bird Pokémon to fly away. ]
Oh, for fuck’s — hey. [ He snarls in the direction of the noise, before standing to stomp over with his teeth bared. There's an immediate suspicion as to who else it could be, likely on a hunt just like him, but instead he finds a complete stranger. Upon that realization, he simply sighs, still frustrated but simmering down. ]
... Thought you were someone else. [ That doesn't seem enough to get the scowl off his face, though. In fact, his brows furrow even deeper at the Sunkern, confused as to why this type of Pokémon would even be out here. ] You lost or what? It's dangerous outside the city.
Can't a guy wallow in misery in peace? [He offers no other explanation for why he's out here. The Sunkern looks Bigby up and down.] What, cranky that I ruined your kill? Don't worry. With a face like that, the next one will die from shock.
[Despite his taunting, he seems... very tired. He's barely even managing any malice in the words.]
There's a nest up the tree there. Eggs? You like eggs? Wait for the mom to come back if nothing else. Easy pickings.
[ All he can manage is an irritated scoff in response. He's in no mood, and by the looks of it, neither is Flowey. ]
If I wanted easy pickings, I'm staring right at it. [ His eyes narrow, the scent of sunflower seeds easily catching his nose. ] But that's not the point of why I'm here. Not that I'd expect you to understand. Go wallow back in town. It's safer.
[His eyes grow wide, shining; his smile looks innocent.] Aww, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna sink those teeth into me? Break my shell? Eat me alive and leave no trace?
[His voice swaps between surprisingly good imitations of Ribombee and Bigby himself.] 'What happened to Flowey?' 'Dunno. By the way, don't ask why I have a fat sunflower seed shaped belly.' 'Okay! Nobody liked him anyway so I'm not sending out a search team.' [His voice returns to normal, albeit still cloyingly sweet.] Is that it? Huh, tough guy? You'd better really kill me! Make it hurt! I deserve it, you know. I've killed so many people you can't even imagine it. Even the other guild members want me dead now. [At that part, his voice cracks almost imperceptibly.]
[ Holy shit. And Bigby thought he had problems. He is, at least, mildly amused at hearing his own impersonation done that well. But otherwise, what the fuck, Flowey. ]
You finished? Need another go at it to feel better? [ He pulls out a seed from his pocket, not to eat, but to hold in between his fingers like a cigarette. A force of habit for these types of conversations. ] Look, I'm not going to kill you, and neither is your guild. If what we did back home mattered here, pretty sure most of us would be in some deep shit. Me included. [ A shrug. New worlds. Second chances. He's been through it enough as it is. ]
Seems like you're beating yourself up enough anyway. Not much more I can do there.
[He doubles over, exhausted. What was that? What the hell does he care? Ugh, he wishes he could still reset.] Fine. Just go back to hunting and leave me here to die. Or until Firepaw decides to finally come kill me.
[ This kid (?) is going through it, and Bigby is still not a registered therapy dog. He rubs the back of his head, tempted by Flowey's suggestion but unable to just walk away. Dragging him back to town seems like the easiest way to deal with this, but that thought immediately gets tossed aside. ] Firepaw? Are you serious?
[ He could not scoff any louder. That's who this seed is crying about? The fucking hold this cat has on people. ] Well, shit, maybe I should eat you. Save you the embarrassment of dying to a fucking housecat. [ He leans in to look the slumped Sunkern in the face. Pitiable, to be honest. No way this kid killed anyone. ]
Alright, stand straight so I can rip your face off.
'no way this kid killed anyone' is sending me LMAO
[He almost says something about how Fire beats Grass, but it's never been about the type matchup. Firepaw (thought he) was his friend, and now it's ruined. If he had any morality, he would let Bigby tear his face off.
Instead, he bursts into laughter.]
Boy, he would be ticked off if he heard you say that. [This time, he does an impression of Firepaw.] "I'm not a housecat! I ran away so I'm not a pet anymore! I eat mice and stuff!" Wowwww, congratulations, you graduated from crapping in a box to crapping on the ground. Hee hee.
[ He pulls back, arms folded. Flowey's laughter is infectious, enough that even Bigby can't help the cheeky smile growing on his face. ]
As if I need to say anything to piss him off. I'm living proof he can't hunt for shit. [ It's bordering on petty, he more than knows that, but there's something relieving about just saying fuck it. ] Some advice? Make that impression irritating enough to give me a headache next time, and I'd say you nailed it.
So what's your beef with him? Sounds like he tried to eat you and realized you're not one of the 'acceptable Pokemon' that he's allowed to kill with no guilt? I bet you gave him a nasty surprise. Hee hee.
[Even as he mocks Firepaw, his voice is tinged with sadness. He knows he shouldn't be talking so much crap, and he wouldn't if they weren't fighting right now. But he's mad, and all he's good at is insulting people.]
[ Bigby's finally biting at that seed in his paw. What is his beef, really? It's not like he can't just roll with the punches when things accidentally go sideways.
No, this is a little more primal than that. ] Would've been nastier if that overgrown bird didn't get in the middle of it. [ Sounds like someone else Flowey might know. He clicks his tongue. ] So, yeah. He tried to eat me and somehow made that my fault. Hard not to have a problem with that fucking attitude of his. [ Not the full of it, but it doesn't matter. Instead, his head tilts at Flowey, curious. ]
But bit of a different story with you, isn't it? You really expecting him to come hunt you now?
Of his own accord? No. He'd probably forgive me if I went and said sorry. [That's the worst part of all this.] But if he ratted to the guild... they'd send someone. Maybe even him. [He is a Fire type, after all.]
... It started when I first wound up in this crappy place. I was half-dead and lost in the fog. He saved me. I owed him for that, even if he is an idiot.
[ Bigby makes a bit of a face at first. Kids, he thinks. Even if Firepaw is a special case being a cat, he still sounds young — they both do. Not that he has any right to hold that against Flowey when he's the one snickering at him calling the Litten an idiot. At least he knows to hide that behind a paw for now. ]
You think he'd hunt you down after saving you? Wow. He's even worse than I thought. [ His words are practically dripping with sarcasm; he clearly doesn't believe Flowey's fears are coming to fruition any time soon. ] Sounds to me like you already know what you have to do.
Rat on him first? With what? It's pretty clear you think of him as an upstanding citizen, and he's Ribombee's favorite. [He only sounds a little bitter about this.]
... You don't mean for killing Pokemon, do you? Nobody cares. Or are you suggesting I frame him?
[ That gets an eyebrow raise. ] ... I do? Don't remember saying that in between the whole "he tried to eat me and made that my problem" schtick, but sure, yeah. Everybody loves a housecat.
[ The joke didn't land, and that's fine. He's dialing it back again instead. ] Clearly I wasn't being serious. You already said what you need to do. Unless you're scared saying sorry won't actually work?
on flowey's birthday! bc I never got around to it in our thread!
[ Left behind wherever gifts may have been placed at Flowey's party, there's a small box neatly wrapped in red and white! Inside, there's a fancy pastry and a note: ]
Happy Birthday, Flowey! I would have liked to give you a carving, but I am afraid that my skill with paws is not quite up to my usual standard. But let me know what you would like, and I shall make it for you in the future!
- Ingo
[ Written before their whole conversation, obviously, but - well, cake is cake? ]
[When Flowey gets around to opening his gifts, he's surprised to find one from Ingo that he didn't see yet. He tears the box open with his mouth like the armless little creature he is.
Flowey reads the card and makes mental note of it before devouring the pastry. It's very fancy. He didn't know Ingo could bake! Or make carvings, whatever that looks like.
... Now that he thinks about it, Flowey mostly just rambled at him about all the awful things he did. He'll have to ask him about it later.]
[After their last conversation Kris wasn't planning to reach out again (if ever), but once the first wave of panic passes they come to a new, even more horrifying realization. Flowey doesn't just know. He could go and tell others.
What if Noelle finds out?
They don't want to talk about any of this, but above all, they cannot afford to let this go unchecked. Their Soul seems to realize the same, once they prod it to check the pearl again.
At least it doesn't take them long to figure out how private messaging works. They close their eyes and think about Flowey...]
Hey.
Don't tell anyone.
[They're pretty good at keeping their emotions under wraps on a good day... but even with their Soul's will coursing through each word, the statement is just as much wrapped in an aura of desperation. They're completely at the Sunkern's MERCY right now and they hate it.]
deltarune spoilers for this thread im assuming. for anyone reading.
They wouldn't ask him to keep this secret if things were all normal and above-board. Everyone has a soul, after all. But their desperation to hide it only confirms that something's strange.
After sleeping off the worst of his illness (and his humiliation), he was able to settle on a hypothesis: the soul likely wasn't Kris's own, thus the mismatch in their thoughts and feelings. He didn't know that humans could take other human souls! This is truly revelatory. Is this what they were up to on the surface...?]
Or what? You're going to kill me, you utter pacifist? If you even look at me wrong, I'm squealing loud as I can on this entire network!
[... assuming anyone will listen to him anymore and the Grumpig bros don't come to confiscate his pearl. Oh, well. He lets the threat hang in the air anyway.]
Don't worry. Your pal Flowey will keep your secret. But you're going to tell me some things I want to know.
Let's start easy. Who are you, really? And DON'T forget. I'M [with you in the dark] in control of the conversation, here.
slaps this thread you can fit SO many deltarune spoilers in here
[Predictably, this goes straight to blackmail. What's another raw deal on their long list of fuck ups?]
Fine. [They stifle the anger simmering in their chest. They can find their way around this. Stay calm, maintain what little control they still have... and if their Soul has any sense it can shut up and let them handle this for once.
...
...
That's close enough to an agreement. Okay.]
My name's still Kris. [they could give their last name but haha! nope! not risking that conversation anymore.]
[Huh... normally, he'd assume they're playing dumb, but he caught that whiff of confusion. Do they really not know? Maybe the SOUL is controlling more of the shots than he thought.
He thinks about going over their head and asking it directly... but admittedly, he's a little disconcerted by it. Better play it safe for now.
Next question, then.] Hee hee hee... so that's how it's going to be, huh?
Fine. How does your SOUL know me? I know it wasn't YOU saying you were happy to see ME again.
[... is there any chance this is one of the SOULs that Asgore collected? It didn't feel like them.]
Once again, they pause in case it decides to answer... but it rarely does when they want it to. Certainly not right now. It's not a surprise that it, too, has secrets it wants to keep from them—and from Flowey.
But Kris doesn't give a shit about any of that. This is for all the times it pried into their personal life.]
Wow! Hee hee... You sure said it! [Fuck that guy. Flowey had no idea the person he was blackmailing and interrogating was chill like that!] That moron caused me no small amount of headaches.
[... so this SOUL knows Sans, too? Weird, but... that could mean anything. Sans is an enigma, but he's honestly so annoying that trying to unravel his mysteries during Flowey's own pre-Frisk runs through the Underground never went too far. Even Papyrus would start dodging questions if he dug too deep, and when he finally seemed like he was about to get an answer, Sans would show up with some stupid joke that would derail everything.]
[They had a theory going. If the Soul knows Sans and Flowey, and Flowey knows Sans too, then maybe the Soul has a connection to wherever Sans used to live and Flowey comes from the same place...? However that would even work. They don't like thinking of the Soul as anything more than a tool, and the more they learn about it the more unsettling it becomes. If it can come from somewhere else and know other people, then they have to start asking how it came to be.
Unfortunately, that whole theory goes bust when Flowey keeps talking. Their indifferent mask wavers—at that final name, especially. A spike of emotion akin to a sharp intake of breath.
... feels like they're at the edge of something. Once they go over that edge, there's no going back.
[What an interesting selection. Recognition flows from him at all the names, but Asgore especially. Is this one of the kids Toriel adopted? Seems like it.]
... Then it's not just the SOUL. You know them as well. [But then how does the SOUL know him- Flowey- separately from Kris?]
[They feel dizzy, tangled emotions starting to seep through the connection. This is... it's a lot. More than they were prepared to deal with today. More than they were prepared to deal with this month, after everything else they've already had to deal with. There's a temptation to drop the pearl and just forget this ever happened. Maybe he won't give up their secret after they've shared this much. Maybe they can try to approach it again later, with a clear mind and the time to process it all.
But their claws dig against the smooth surface. They can't even be sure if it's the Soul's will or their own anymore.
They have to know. If they let this go now, it'll eat at them.]
[Outside, they take a slow, shaky breath. Collect what composure they still have to spare. They're not one to break down over something like this.
Asriel Dreemurr. They visualize his face with ease—grown up, smiling, as dorky as ever despite it all. Just like the last time they saw him, before he went away for college.]
My brother.
Edited (NO..... A TYPO ON MY DRAMATIC TAG............ im ruined) 2025-11-01 05:09 (UTC)
[Flowey's emotions generally are a bit... muted, even when he's throwing an exaggerated fit. Maybe it's his lack of soul (not that Kris knows that)? Maybe it's just his edgy teen self?
But this time, there's an overwhelming amount of shock, grief, and... anger, for some reason? It's somehow louder than him shouting to vote for Umbreon.]
Wh-what...? How is that...? How do you...?
[The mental image of Asriel as Kris knows him overlays with Flowey's own mental image, like two photos laid atop one another-- Asriel, 12 years old, never to grow older. There's a faint sense that someone else is near him- a human, their face covered by flowers- but then Flowey yanks the mental image away.]
I don't... I don't understand! I can't understand! Is this some kind of joke?! What...? I... how...
[The sense of going flying. He either dropped or threw the Grumpearl. The connection severs.]
[He doesn't answer if Kris attempts to re-establish connection. Likewise, if Kris attempts to seek him out, he's nowhere to be found. Not that I know if Kris would, just covering my bases.
Most of the day passes without further comment, giving Kris more time to calm down and/or ruminate on what just happened.]
[A mental connection has been re-established at the very end of the night. Flowey appears sheepish-- almost pitiful, even. It's a far cry from how he appeared when he started blackmailing them, trying to seem bigger and scarier than he really is.]
Kris. I won't tell your secret to anyone. For what little it's worth: I promise.
[A pause.]
...
... so... I'm not blackmailing you anymore. Okay? Sorry or whatever. But if you WANT to tell me what you know about... Asriel. I'll tell you what I know in return. But it HAS to stay between us.
... Or. We can pretend this never happened. [Honestly, he wishes he could forget what he saw. But now, he wants to know more than ever, even if he's terrified of what he might find.]
They have so many questions—why is he younger? Why Flowey? They know so many of the same people, but why didn't he recognize Kris? What was all that stuff about SOULs and SAVEs and RESETs? What's the deal with Sans? Did it already know all of this?
Their head feels like it's full of static. Before they even realize it, the connection has already been cut.
...
They freaked him out. Who can blame him? Someone shows up, shows an image of his future(?) self, and claims to be his sibling? It's a reasonable response to an insane situation.
Still feels like being ditched. Still stings, even when they tell themselves it can't actually be him. Asriel wouldn't forget about them. He wouldn't just... he wouldn't...]
[The rest of the day is a blur. Muddled sounds and scents, a numb ache in their limbs. They can't remember if it's from venturing out, or from laying in an awkward position until nightfall. That they don't even know should scare them, but they can't find it in them to care.
Somewhere in the dark, a faint light flickers softly.
... against their will, they drag themselves to their feet. The pearl feels smooth and cool beneath their claws.]
[The presence at the other end stays quiet while he speaks. Beneath the willful hum of the Soul, Kris's emotions have fallen to more of a dull throb. Even that much, they're trying not to let it show.
It's weird, seeing him act like this. It almost seems stupid that they didn't figure it out sooner. No matter how much of an edgelord he pretends to be, they know their brother better than anyone.
But he's not their brother. They have to remember that.
They manage to stay silent until the last moment, when he decides to say it's your choice. A dry, bitter laugh escapes them.]
Why do you care? You're not him. You don't even know me.
[They miss him. They want to see him again so badly, but not like this.]
Why do I care?! Why do you think, idiot?! You just showed me a version of m-- of Asriel that never existed in my world!
[After sitting with it all day long, here's one of the conclusions he's come to: it's not fair. How come this other Asriel got to grow up? How come he got to have a happy life with friends and his own SOUL and everything? What a joke. Childish jealousy radiates off of him.]
But you're right about one thing. I don't know you! Who are you? Toriel, Asgore, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys... even that moron, Sans. I know all of them. I knew EVERYONE. I knew Chara, and I knew the other humans Toriel adopted when we died. [He lets the mention of their death slip out by accident. Mostly, he's thinking about Frisk when he talks about the other humans-- he only knows of the other six who became souls in Asgore's jars, but he never met them.]
But, YOU. As far as I know, you didn't exist at ALL in my world. [He says that, but he doesn't actually know for sure. Maybe they were someone everyone else met on the surface. Maybe they were one of Toriel's kids. Maybe they were somewhere else out there, lost in the dark. Sometimes, Flowey thinks there were things even he never saw; the Underground could be a big place.
... And he can't shake the possibility that they could have some type of relationship to Chara, up to being them in some strange alternate way. But he doesn't know for sure.]
[They've both reached a similar conclusion, then. It's the jealousy that doesn't quite make sense, up until he lets it slip near the end. Asriel is dead.
... that should upset them, shouldn't it? They should feel worse. They should be angry, sad, apologetic, anything... but all they feel is a hollow sense of relief.
If Kris doesn't exist, then it's not their fault. They didn't ruin his life.
The world moves on without them. Another human in their place. Were they ever anything special, really? Would any human do? Was it always a mistake that they were the one Toriel took in and raised, instead of someone else?
And yet, at the same time, they can't even say the world is better off without them. It's just a different flavour of awful, a different series of tragedies. Asriel instead of Dess—or who's to say they both didn't suffer? Fate can be cruel like that. They don't want to ask.]
Guess I'm not that important. [Their voice wavers, but the walls of their heart hold firm even as the foundation crumbles away. They funnel what little energy they have left into being vaguely annoyed.] What do you want out of this? You want me to say you were cool and popular in another timeline? You're not him, and you'll never be him. Get over yourself.
[He's willing to put up with a certain amount of shit from them- this is probably harder to deal with when you have a soul- but not that much.
That last bit makes something truly snap.]
Do you think I don't know that? [All this has done is confirm what he already knew: he's the broken, defective 'Asriel'. What an idiot he was, offering to try and build a bridge with them! They would always think of him as a mere shadow of their oh-so-amazing brother. What a stupid idea, trying to be a 'better person'. If only he could go to THEIR world, he would wring that Asriel's neck HIMSELF.
Oh, and how good he is at imagining, after lifetimes of killing. He decides to show Kris the mental image in as much graphic detail as he can muster.]
As if I'd want to be a brother to you. You're such a loser, you don't even EXIST in my world! No wonder he was so eager to go to college and leave you behind. I bet he hasn't even thought of you ONCE.
[Just to twist the knife a little, he puts on his Asriel voice. While his face can't change as much as a Sunkern as he could back as a flower, he can certainly put up the appearance over Grumpearl.] In fact, the most unique thing about you is that you harbor a SOUL! Isn't that just hilarious? Trust me when I say that sharing a body with another SOUL never ends well. [Being killed by the humans. Being torn apart from the inside by the six human SOULs. All the pain comes back like it was just yesterday.] You're a glorified puppet! You've been doomed since the moment it entered your chest! Play hero all you want, it's only going to make it hurt more when it all comes crashing down!
[Visions of violence and gore swirl in their mind, each word sharpened to a razor point that digs under their skin like a needle. They feel sick, claws trembling against the pearl that remains firmly rooted beneath, unable to even leave by their own free will because even now it still won't let them choose—
It's a nightmare they can't look away from. Why should they? He's right. He's right about everything else, so why not this, too? Wouldn't he know? Wouldn't he?]
Shut up.
[The words cut through the echoing laughter, dredged up and amplified with that unsettling, commanding tone. They can't even muster the strength to be mad about it for once. It breaks through their paralysis, enough to remember their own voice.
They may not have their freedom, but here, they can at least speak as they choose. They don't have to just stand there and take it.
They focus their mind, the power of free speech swelling in their chest.]
Fuck off. You're not even my real brother, asshole.
[Despite the sheer, wildly unnecessary volume of it all, it still sounds distinctly Kris.
They then visualize the biggest middle finger they could possibly imagine. It is insane how big that thing is. Lesser minds would go mad, trying to envision such an enormous and powerful insult.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
friendlyflower) wrote2025-05-26 09:32 pm
action; backdated late june
Not that he really needs to at this point, being more than okay with the food offered by his guild, but the opportunity to forgo any pretense of being human, even for just a moment, hasn't been lost on him since he arrived. With the sun nearly set, he stalks a different kind of prey than usual, a Pidgey by the looks of it. But before he can go in, there's a shuffle of leaves nearby, loud enough to startle the bird Pokémon to fly away. ]
Oh, for fuck’s — hey. [ He snarls in the direction of the noise, before standing to stomp over with his teeth bared. There's an immediate suspicion as to who else it could be, likely on a hunt just like him, but instead he finds a complete stranger. Upon that realization, he simply sighs, still frustrated but simmering down. ]
... Thought you were someone else. [ That doesn't seem enough to get the scowl off his face, though. In fact, his brows furrow even deeper at the Sunkern, confused as to why this type of Pokémon would even be out here. ] You lost or what? It's dangerous outside the city.
no subject
[Despite his taunting, he seems... very tired. He's barely even managing any malice in the words.]
There's a nest up the tree there. Eggs? You like eggs? Wait for the mom to come back if nothing else. Easy pickings.
no subject
If I wanted easy pickings, I'm staring right at it. [ His eyes narrow, the scent of sunflower seeds easily catching his nose. ] But that's not the point of why I'm here. Not that I'd expect you to understand. Go wallow back in town. It's safer.
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[His voice swaps between surprisingly good imitations of Ribombee and Bigby himself.] 'What happened to Flowey?' 'Dunno. By the way, don't ask why I have a fat sunflower seed shaped belly.' 'Okay! Nobody liked him anyway so I'm not sending out a search team.' [His voice returns to normal, albeit still cloyingly sweet.] Is that it? Huh, tough guy? You'd better really kill me! Make it hurt! I deserve it, you know. I've killed so many people you can't even imagine it. Even the other guild members want me dead now. [At that part, his voice cracks almost imperceptibly.]
no subject
You finished? Need another go at it to feel better? [ He pulls out a seed from his pocket, not to eat, but to hold in between his fingers like a cigarette. A force of habit for these types of conversations. ] Look, I'm not going to kill you, and neither is your guild. If what we did back home mattered here, pretty sure most of us would be in some deep shit. Me included. [ A shrug. New worlds. Second chances. He's been through it enough as it is. ]
Seems like you're beating yourself up enough anyway. Not much more I can do there.
no subject
no subject
[ He could not scoff any louder. That's who this seed is crying about? The fucking hold this cat has on people. ] Well, shit, maybe I should eat you. Save you the embarrassment of dying to a fucking housecat. [ He leans in to look the slumped Sunkern in the face. Pitiable, to be honest. No way this kid killed anyone. ]
Alright, stand straight so I can rip your face off.
'no way this kid killed anyone' is sending me LMAO
Instead, he bursts into laughter.]
Boy, he would be ticked off if he heard you say that. [This time, he does an impression of Firepaw.] "I'm not a housecat! I ran away so I'm not a pet anymore! I eat mice and stuff!" Wowwww, congratulations, you graduated from crapping in a box to crapping on the ground. Hee hee.
no subject
As if I need to say anything to piss him off. I'm living proof he can't hunt for shit. [ It's bordering on petty, he more than knows that, but there's something relieving about just saying fuck it. ] Some advice? Make that impression irritating enough to give me a headache next time, and I'd say you nailed it.
no subject
[Even as he mocks Firepaw, his voice is tinged with sadness. He knows he shouldn't be talking so much crap, and he wouldn't if they weren't fighting right now. But he's mad, and all he's good at is insulting people.]
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No, this is a little more primal than that. ] Would've been nastier if that overgrown bird didn't get in the middle of it. [ Sounds like someone else Flowey might know. He clicks his tongue. ] So, yeah. He tried to eat me and somehow made that my fault. Hard not to have a problem with that fucking attitude of his. [ Not the full of it, but it doesn't matter. Instead, his head tilts at Flowey, curious. ]
But bit of a different story with you, isn't it? You really expecting him to come hunt you now?
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... It started when I first wound up in this crappy place. I was half-dead and lost in the fog. He saved me. I owed him for that, even if he is an idiot.
no subject
You think he'd hunt you down after saving you? Wow. He's even worse than I thought. [ His words are practically dripping with sarcasm; he clearly doesn't believe Flowey's fears are coming to fruition any time soon. ] Sounds to me like you already know what you have to do.
[ He folds his arms, nodding. ] Rat on him first.
no subject
... You don't mean for killing Pokemon, do you? Nobody cares. Or are you suggesting I frame him?
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[ The joke didn't land, and that's fine. He's dialing it back again instead. ] Clearly I wasn't being serious. You already said what you need to do. Unless you're scared saying sorry won't actually work?
on flowey's birthday! bc I never got around to it in our thread!
Happy Birthday, Flowey! I would have liked to give you a carving, but I am afraid that my skill with paws is not quite up to my usual standard. But let me know what you would like, and I shall make it for you in the future!
- Ingo
[ Written before their whole conversation, obviously, but - well, cake is cake? ]
thank you :>
Flowey reads the card and makes mental note of it before devouring the pastry. It's very fancy. He didn't know Ingo could bake! Or make carvings, whatever that looks like.
... Now that he thinks about it, Flowey mostly just rambled at him about all the awful things he did. He'll have to ask him about it later.]
late october....
What if Noelle finds out?
They don't want to talk about any of this, but above all, they cannot afford to let this go unchecked. Their Soul seems to realize the same, once they prod it to check the pearl again.
At least it doesn't take them long to figure out how private messaging works. They close their eyes and think about Flowey...]
Hey.
Don't tell anyone.
[They're pretty good at keeping their emotions under wraps on a good day... but even with their Soul's will coursing through each word, the statement is just as much wrapped in an aura of desperation. They're completely at the Sunkern's MERCY right now and they hate it.]
deltarune spoilers for this thread im assuming. for anyone reading.
They wouldn't ask him to keep this secret if things were all normal and above-board. Everyone has a soul, after all. But their desperation to hide it only confirms that something's strange.
After sleeping off the worst of his illness (and his humiliation), he was able to settle on a hypothesis: the soul likely wasn't Kris's own, thus the mismatch in their thoughts and feelings. He didn't know that humans could take other human souls! This is truly revelatory. Is this what they were up to on the surface...?]
Or what? You're going to kill me, you utter pacifist? If you even look at me wrong, I'm squealing loud as I can on this entire network!
[... assuming anyone will listen to him anymore and the Grumpig bros don't come to confiscate his pearl. Oh, well. He lets the threat hang in the air anyway.]
Don't worry. Your pal Flowey will keep your secret. But you're going to tell me some things I want to know.
Let's start easy. Who are you, really? And DON'T forget. I'M [
with you in the dark] in control of the conversation, here.slaps this thread you can fit SO many deltarune spoilers in here
Fine. [They stifle the anger simmering in their chest. They can find their way around this. Stay calm, maintain what little control they still have... and if their Soul has any sense it can shut up and let them handle this for once.
...
...
That's close enough to an agreement. Okay.]
My name's still Kris. [they could give their last name but haha! nope! not risking that conversation anymore.]
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If you say so, Kris. And how long have you been able to SAVE and RESET?
[He's going out on a limb with this one... but he's more interested in Kris's reaction than whatever non-answer they're sure to give.]
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only
genuinely
they have no idea what he's talking about.
The Soul does not speak up (well, they did tell it not to?) so they're just going to have to wing it here.]
Does it matter?
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He thinks about going over their head and asking it directly... but admittedly, he's a little disconcerted by it. Better play it safe for now.
Next question, then.] Hee hee hee... so that's how it's going to be, huh?
Fine. How does your SOUL know me? I know it wasn't YOU saying you were happy to see ME again.
[... is there any chance this is one of the SOULs that Asgore collected? It didn't feel like them.]
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Once again, they pause in case it decides to answer... but it rarely does when they want it to. Certainly not right now. It's not a surprise that it, too, has secrets it wants to keep from them—and from Flowey.
But Kris doesn't give a shit about any of that. This is for all the times it pried into their personal life.]
Know any asshole skeletons?
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SANS?! [Surprise, followed by a wave of pure, unbridled annoyance.] You know that Smiley Trashbag?! Did HE put you up to this?!
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Hell no. Fuck that guy.
[... but it does make them feel a teensy bit better, knowing both of them hate Sans. Maybe they have some common ground after all.]
Said the same thing to him. Dunno why. Didn't question it. [kinda questioning it now]
[1/2]
[... so this SOUL knows Sans, too? Weird, but... that could mean anything. Sans is an enigma, but he's honestly so annoying that trying to unravel his mysteries during Flowey's own pre-Frisk runs through the Underground never went too far. Even Papyrus would start dodging questions if he dug too deep, and when he finally seemed like he was about to get an answer, Sans would show up with some stupid joke that would derail everything.]
[2/2]
Do any of these names mean anything to you? Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys... Toriel...?
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Unfortunately, that whole theory goes bust when Flowey keeps talking. Their indifferent mask wavers—at that final name, especially. A spike of emotion akin to a sharp intake of breath.
... feels like they're at the edge of something. Once they go over that edge, there's no going back.
Do they really want to do this?]
...
Rudy, QC, Catty, Asgore.
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... Then it's not just the SOUL. You know them as well. [But then how does the SOUL know him- Flowey- separately from Kris?]
...
... One last name.
Asriel Dreemurr.
1/2
But their claws dig against the smooth surface. They can't even be sure if it's the Soul's will or their own anymore.
They have to know. If they let this go now, it'll eat at them.]
2/2
Asriel Dreemurr. They visualize his face with ease—grown up, smiling, as dorky as ever despite it all. Just like the last time they saw him, before he went away for college.]
My brother.
1/3??
But this time, there's an overwhelming amount of shock, grief, and... anger, for some reason? It's somehow louder than him shouting to vote for Umbreon.]
Wh-what...? How is that...? How do you...?
[The mental image of Asriel as Kris knows him overlays with Flowey's own mental image, like two photos laid atop one another-- Asriel, 12 years old, never to grow older. There's a faint sense that someone else is near him- a human, their face covered by flowers- but then Flowey yanks the mental image away.]
I don't... I don't understand! I can't understand! Is this some kind of joke?! What...? I... how...
[The sense of going flying. He either dropped or threw the Grumpearl. The connection severs.]
2/3
Not that I know if Kris would, just covering my bases.Most of the day passes without further comment, giving Kris more time to calm down and/or ruminate on what just happened.]
3/3
[A mental connection has been re-established at the very end of the night. Flowey appears sheepish-- almost pitiful, even. It's a far cry from how he appeared when he started blackmailing them, trying to seem bigger and scarier than he really is.]
Kris. I won't tell your secret to anyone. For what little it's worth: I promise.
[A pause.]
...
... so... I'm not blackmailing you anymore. Okay? Sorry or whatever. But if you WANT to tell me what you know about... Asriel. I'll tell you what I know in return. But it HAS to stay between us.
... Or. We can pretend this never happened. [Honestly, he wishes he could forget what he saw. But now, he wants to know more than ever, even if he's terrified of what he might find.]
It's your choice.
1/3
They have so many questions—why is he younger? Why Flowey? They know so many of the same people, but why didn't he recognize Kris? What was all that stuff about SOULs and SAVEs and RESETs? What's the deal with Sans? Did it already know all of this?
Their head feels like it's full of static. Before they even realize it, the connection has already been cut.
...
They freaked him out. Who can blame him? Someone shows up, shows an image of his future(?) self, and claims to be his sibling? It's a reasonable response to an insane situation.
Still feels like being ditched. Still stings, even when they tell themselves it can't actually be him. Asriel wouldn't forget about them. He wouldn't just... he wouldn't...]
2/3
Somewhere in the dark, a faint light flickers softly.
... against their will, they drag themselves to their feet. The pearl feels smooth and cool beneath their claws.]
3/3
It's weird, seeing him act like this. It almost seems stupid that they didn't figure it out sooner. No matter how much of an edgelord he pretends to be, they know their brother better than anyone.
But he's not their brother. They have to remember that.
They manage to stay silent until the last moment, when he decides to say it's your choice. A dry, bitter laugh escapes them.]
Why do you care? You're not him. You don't even know me.
[They miss him. They want to see him again so badly, but not like this.]
note: i dont count UTY as canon
[After sitting with it all day long, here's one of the conclusions he's come to: it's not fair. How come this other Asriel got to grow up? How come he got to have a happy life with friends and his own SOUL and everything? What a joke. Childish jealousy radiates off of him.]
But you're right about one thing. I don't know you! Who are you? Toriel, Asgore, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys... even that moron, Sans. I know all of them. I knew EVERYONE. I knew Chara, and I knew the other humans Toriel adopted when we died. [He lets the mention of their death slip out by accident. Mostly, he's thinking about Frisk when he talks about the other humans-- he only knows of the other six who became souls in Asgore's jars, but he never met them.]
But, YOU. As far as I know, you didn't exist at ALL in my world. [He says that, but he doesn't actually know for sure. Maybe they were someone everyone else met on the surface. Maybe they were one of Toriel's kids. Maybe they were somewhere else out there, lost in the dark. Sometimes, Flowey thinks there were things even he never saw; the Underground could be a big place.
... And he can't shake the possibility that they could have some type of relationship to Chara, up to being them in some strange alternate way. But he doesn't know for sure.]
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... that should upset them, shouldn't it? They should feel worse. They should be angry, sad, apologetic, anything... but all they feel is a hollow sense of relief.
If Kris doesn't exist, then it's not their fault. They didn't ruin his life.
The world moves on without them. Another human in their place. Were they ever anything special, really? Would any human do? Was it always a mistake that they were the one Toriel took in and raised, instead of someone else?
And yet, at the same time, they can't even say the world is better off without them. It's just a different flavour of awful, a different series of tragedies. Asriel instead of Dess—or who's to say they both didn't suffer? Fate can be cruel like that. They don't want to ask.]
Guess I'm not that important. [Their voice wavers, but the walls of their heart hold firm even as the foundation crumbles away. They funnel what little energy they have left into being vaguely annoyed.] What do you want out of this? You want me to say you were cool and popular in another timeline? You're not him, and you'll never be him. Get over yourself.
1/4 (sorry.)
That last bit makes something truly snap.]
Do you think I don't know that? [All this has done is confirm what he already knew: he's the broken, defective 'Asriel'. What an idiot he was, offering to try and build a bridge with them! They would always think of him as a mere shadow of their oh-so-amazing brother. What a stupid idea, trying to be a 'better person'. If only he could go to THEIR world, he would wring that Asriel's neck HIMSELF.
Oh, and how good he is at imagining, after lifetimes of killing. He decides to show Kris the mental image in as much graphic detail as he can muster.]
As if I'd want to be a brother to you. You're such a loser, you don't even EXIST in my world! No wonder he was so eager to go to college and leave you behind. I bet he hasn't even thought of you ONCE.
2/4
[Just to twist the knife a little, he puts on his Asriel voice. While his face can't change as much as a Sunkern as he could back as a flower, he can certainly put up the appearance over Grumpearl.] In fact, the most unique thing about you is that you harbor a SOUL! Isn't that just hilarious? Trust me when I say that sharing a body with another SOUL never ends well. [Being killed by the humans. Being torn apart from the inside by the six human SOULs. All the pain comes back like it was just yesterday.] You're a glorified puppet! You've been doomed since the moment it entered your chest! Play hero all you want, it's only going to make it hurt more when it all comes crashing down!
3/4
... But don't you worry, Kris. I'll keep my promise. I won't tell your secret.
4/4
[With that, he laughs, and laughs, and laughs.]
1/2
It's a nightmare they can't look away from. Why should they? He's right. He's right about everything else, so why not this, too? Wouldn't he know? Wouldn't he?]
Shut up.
[The words cut through the echoing laughter, dredged up and amplified with that unsettling, commanding tone. They can't even muster the strength to be mad about it for once. It breaks through their paralysis, enough to remember their own voice.
They may not have their freedom, but here, they can at least speak as they choose. They don't have to just stand there and take it.
They focus their mind, the power of free speech swelling in their chest.]
2/2
[Despite the sheer, wildly unnecessary volume of it all, it still sounds distinctly Kris.
They then visualize the biggest middle finger they could possibly imagine. It is insane how big that thing is. Lesser minds would go mad, trying to envision such an enormous and powerful insult.]
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Flowey hangs up. He'll let them get the last word-- he knows he won.
(... so why does he feel so awful?)]